by Andrew Novak
Vince shouted out in joy – he had seen the emitter. He sat right down and clawed at the loot, trying to pry it from the dead fingers. Jack had time to think, the guy had a strong stomach. Then it started. Dogs rushed at him, several at once. Jack didn't count them. He was barely able to jump out of the way and land hits with either his stick or boot. Carl appeared next to him. The giant man didn't have Jack's experience but compensated with strength.
Jack didn't want to waste ammo, but when his weapon got stuck between the ribs of a particularly bony and stingy hound, he dropped the spear and jerked the revolver out of his pocket... One! Two! Carl finished a third. Together they rushed into the scuffle, where a few more bodies were still lingering in the dust.
At first, it appeared to Jack that the dogs were torturing a person, so he hurried to kill the beasts by firing two shots. When the thing lying on the ground threw off the shot dogs and rose... Oh, Jack had never seen anything like it. A compact, solid creature, completely covered with fur. Its snout wasn't exactly beastly, though it wouldn't pass for a human: the jaws protruded too far forward, the forehead was too low, the brows excessively large, and the fur...
The creature rose up and snarled, exposing hefty, white teeth. Its fangs were, perhaps, longer than those of the largest hound.
"Who are you?" asked Jack, keeping the Smith & Wesson pointed at the thing, just in case.
He got a growl in response, but already softer than before. The creature hid its fangs and stepped back.
"Do you play in Alterra?" Jack addressed it again. He was trying to keep his voice calm, placating. "Play a goblin, for example, huh? Do you play a goblin? Before, I didn't know they could speak. Honestly, with goblins, there's never really time to check whether they can talk or not. Maybe it's the same with you?"
The creature had recovered from its bout with the dog pack surprisingly quickly. It was standing steadily on its legs. It definitely moved around on two limbs. Its height, when not stooping, was roughly that of Vince's.
Still growling and baring its teeth viciously, it started to back away, never taking his eyes from the people. Then it turned, grabbed the tail of a dog carcass with its front paw and limped away, dragging his prey in the dust. Jack realized that this thing was moving toward that building. It was possible to get a better look from here.
It was a strange building. The enclosure was solid, very few windows. The windows it did have were high, just below the roof. It was probably the second floor. There were odd structures protruding from the flat roof, either an antenna or something else. And some kind of sign was hanging on the wall. It kind of looked like a logo or emblem. The intricately curved letters enclosed in an oval frame read ALCO. Jack had seen it somewhere... the very same emblem... but where?
"Why didn't you shoot it?" Vince called from behind. "It was slow, you could have taken it out with one shot."
Jack turned around. Vince was hugging an entire armful of bloody stuff. Some devices, a small case, from which hung a jumble of tangled wires. It wasn't exactly a case – a pair of straps let him carry it on his shoulders.
"Why didn't you shoot it?"
"I thought..."
Jack didn't understand it himself, why he let it go. In the Blighted Wasteland, it was customary to kill anything that moved and could prove to be dangerous. As for things that didn't move, he could run away, but it was better to finish them off, too.
"It’s just that it looked too much like a person," Jack finally managed to articulate his thoughts. "And later we'll see where it's taking its prey. Better yet, tell me, who did the dogs tear apart? These weren't defenders. They wear black uniforms. This was someone else. Who?"
"Who the hell knows," Vince shrugged. Then he added shakily, "I think these are technician uniforms, the ones who service the game. I've seen them a couple of times. They took measurements, checked that the signal reached okay. Peter's is considered a secure area. They came in an airship, fiddled with their instruments all over the place. Under the protection of defenders, of course."
Of course, Jack thought, the administrators of Alterra took great care that omegas living in the ghettos had access to a good connection. For this, sometimes it was necessary to test it. But out here? In the Blighted Wasteland, the desert? What was out here? Dogs and hairy monsters didn't play in Alterra. This wasn't about them, but about that building complex behind the enclosure. The ones who came in the airship definitely went in that direction. Jack pulled out his binoculars. The lenses were lousy, it was practically a toy. It had a sevenfold magnification and the lenses were always clouded. But there was nothing better at hand right then.
While he was contemplating, the two-legged, hairy creature limped toward a slightly opened gate. Jack focused the binoculars on the gate. Poof – two more furballs appeared on the wall. They hadn't climbed up from the other side but appeared to have shot up with a single jump. Clever. Jack's new friend stopped and lifted his catch, the dead dog. It looked like the creatures exchanged growls, though it was difficult to make out from such a distance.
But the overall picture was clear. The pack of animals occupied these buildings. Jack had never encountered anything like the hairy beasts. Perhaps they came from afar? From the interior of the Blighted Wasteland, where, as they say, everything changes and new forms of life constantly appear. A product of the Gendemic, that's what they were.
"I won't go there," Carl announced firmly.
Jack lowered the binoculars and turned to his companions.
"Why should we go there?"
"The same reason the others from the ship, went there. So, I'm not going."
"Nobody's going," Jack nodded, "it'll be dark soon. We're not going anywhere at all. Vince, what's the plan? Are you going to rummage around the crash site? Peter said you needed a day, right?"
"Nope, not necessary!" Vince was still pressing his loot to his chest and, strangely enough, looked pleased. "The defenders destroyed everything, there's nothing to find. I can manage it in a night. Besides, the crashed ship wasn't a combat vehicle. It looks like I was right, and they were technicians."
"From game maintenance?"
"Well, yeah. Here, for example, is a headset, a complete set," Vince jiggled the case so that the mess of cables hanging from his arms shook. "Tools, too, and some equipment."
"I don't understand why the technicians came here."
"Yeah, it's weird that they flew so far out. Besides, there's such a haze here from the fumes that, from an airship above, the ground would be hard to see. But we probably won't ever find out why game support service came out here. These are alphas, who can figure them out? They have strange interests.”
Jack looked at the rapidly darkening sky. Night would fall soon, and there would be more pressing problems than the alphas' latest inexplicable nonsense.
"Got it. Let's go back."
On the way to the crash site, he explained,
"That place is no good, the basin. It's like a trap – you sit in a pit and can't see who's creeping up. So you, Vince, will go over the wreckage, and we will stay up top. We'll keep watch. Ugh, I'm wasting time here with you... Peter said I could take whatever you didn't want. But there's nothing to take, and I had an interesting quest come up. There's a quest waiting, and I'm here wandering around the Wastes!"
"A quest? So get out of here! I'll fire up a connection, it won't take a minute! There was a multifunction transmitter on the airship. It survived."
The temptation was too great for Jack to resist. But first he needed to set up camp for the night. While Vince was busy with the found equipment – cleaning and twisting cable ends, flipping switches and connecting the headset from the dog-gnawed case – Jack dragged the dead dogs away from the crash site to the area where the encounter between the pack and hairy biped took place. It was rather far from their camp. Let the scavengers fight it out over there and not wander.
When he finished and found a place for him and Carl to keep watch, Vince was already done. He'd even ma
naged to rig the lighting so that he could dig in the dark. He mumbled something about the loads of interesting details in the engine wreckage and tried to explain to Jack the operation principle of the communication device, which allowed you to not only catch the signal from New Atrium but sent its own signal, creating a virtual network with a distant city. Thanks to this, he would be able to enter the game from here... Poor Vince was suffering from a lack of interested parties to talk with. But Jack wasn't much of a conversational partner right now. Alterra was calling to him. Ha, if it was possible! Let technologically inclined Vince figure out how it worked, but for regular people, it was the result that was important.
Jack understood perfectly well that it was madness to go into virt in the middle of the Blighted Wasteland, especially with a pile of carrion lying nearby, which would attract Wasteland scavengers. And with a den of unidentified animals just a stone's throw away... but this insane behavior had taken hold of him in a strange way. From the Wasteland to Alterra! It was even a shame that there would be no messages with turquoise letters that read: "You are the first player to enter Alterra from the Blighted Wasteland! You receive +100 XP!"
Of course, nothing of the sort was going to happen. Jack called Carl over, told him to watch carefully, turn his head all 360 degrees and to kick him, Jack, if something happened. Even if Carl only suspected that something might happen. Or if he just got bored and wanted a friendly ear. Now he got to see Carl smile for the first time.
With some fluttering in his chest and a thrill in his soul, Jack put on the unusually light virt-headset, waited until the system recognized the data from the retina of his eye... and... His consciousness slipped through the rainbow tunnel to Alterra.
Jack appeared in the roadside chapel to the north of Maxitown, where he left the game last time. He pushed open the door and as soon as he stepped over the threshold, felt a painful jolt in his shoulder.
You receive damage!
You lose 4 hit points!
Chapter Eight. Light Mage and Necromancer
JACK, UNABLE to make sense of what was happening, fell on his back. Another arrow followed in the trail of the first, and immediately dissipated in the air. Inside the chapel was a PvE zone, it was safe there, so any life-threatening objects were simply removed from the game. Falling, Jack pushed the door away from himself, outwards, and put his foot in the door so it couldn't close. He needed to assess the situation, needed to see if someone was approaching the entrance.
You receive damage!
You lose 1 hit point!
Now, what was that? Jack touched the place on his shoulder, where it still ached. His fingers felt the shaft of an arrow.
You receive damage!
You lose 1 hit point!
What gives? Jack didn't bother to stand, just lied there on his back. The sole of his boot was on the doorstep, the door resting on it. Outside, the road was bathed in the silvery light of Shadris.
You receive damage!
You lose 1 hit point!
He yanked the arrow out and held it in front of his eyes.
Poisoned arrow. Deals damage while it remains in the wound.
No new damage reports appeared. The poison was no longer in effect. The arrow was a cheapie one, the kind novice Rogues liked to use. But in order to deal serious damage, you would have to bombard an enemy for a long time, fill him with these things. If it was the only one and Jack had removed it in time, then it was nothing, could only kill a complete noob or very weak opponent.
But who would be this cocky? It was certainly a spineless player, if he liked to lurk outside a chapel doorstep and wait for those who had just entered Alterra. Not very fair! The impertinent little punk needed to be punished. Jack was furious: he’d entered from the Wasteland, risked his life, you might say! And here were some insolent kids! This wasn't going to go well for them... but after respawn, they would think twice about whom to mess with, and who to leave alone.
He discreetly pulled his foot out of the boot that was blocking the door. In reality, you could press your second foot on the heel and slip off the shoe, but in the game, you had to bring up your inventory and remove the boot from it. Instantly, he felt an unpleasant sensation. The small bonuses it gave, as with any clothing or shoe, had ceased to function. You didn't feel it while you were wearing it because you got used to it. But when you took them off, it was immediately noticeable.
No matter, it was nothing. At the same time, Jack brought up the visual shortcut panel of skills. Because after the fortieth XP point, the game had awarded him a new skill – Berserk!
What would he need now? Perhaps all that he'd earned in his career as a Warrior and Adventurer, with the exception of Tireless Wanderer. He'd need Furious Strike, Body Slam... and the new skill, Berserk. The last one meant he wouldn't feel damage received for thirty seconds. The pain from received blows wouldn't distract him or keep him from moving, and he would get speed and strength from Furious Strike and Body Slam. Well, that was everything. Jack was ready. Come on out, you rogues!
He had to wait a couple of minutes. Then Jack heard a voice behind the cracked door. Shadows fell across the silvery road.
"Why did you start shooting right away? You should've waited for him to come out on the road, then I could've added magic and you would've gotten a few more arrows in him," one of them whined.
"This was fine!" the other argued smugly. "It was a crit, got it? I knocked him right out, and then the poison finished it."
"And if it didn't? You won't be able to kill him inside the PvE zone."
"Right, that’s why we waited until the poison did its thing. Now let's go and collect our drop. It can be picked up there, in PvE. You, above all, listen to me, and everything will be just fine."
The voices were getting closer, just a few steps away.
"And what if he's not dead?"
“What, you can't see the boot? It's right there, sticking out over the doorstep. The boots definitely dropped, but inside, maybe there's something else..."
Well, hold on! Jack rushed outside, pushing the door with his shoulder. The boot on the doorstep did its job: it lured these two within throwing distance, and now he could use his sword.
One swing, another – and the bandits were off to the rez point and, probably, hadn't even realized what happened. It never occurred to them that their enemy could take off his shoes before attacking. Jack glanced briefly at the bodies, which were losing color and dissolving in the semidarkness. He returned to the chapel to retrieve his shoe, and then went to see whether the hapless robbers left him anything.
Everything had happened so quickly, that he didn't have time to read his opponents' stats. Beginners, most likely. Just some jerks who decided that they could raise their XP by camping those just entering the game and were unprepared for battle. The one with the bow had probably been awfully proud that he'd come up with such a wonderful trap. But he wasn't the first. From time to time Jack had to educate these kinds of geniuses...
Well, and what did we have here? From the archer, a wallet and cheap dagger. Worthless! Totally useless! And the one that threatened to use magic... Yep, a scroll.
In the name of Gentle Astra!
Read this scroll
in the lands of the Kingdom of Maxitor,
and be delivered by the grace of the goddess
to the capital of this kingdom.
Wow, what luck – a teleport to Maxitown. It was immediately obvious: Night Mother Necta was looking after her loyal servant! The time he wasted educating those brats was repaid with interest!
Finally, Jack checked the archer's purse. Pathetic loot!
A deposit of 12 gold has been made to your account.
Would you like to see the details of the transaction? Yes/No
You have 755 gold in your account.
Do you want to perform another transaction? Yes/No
Those kids spent everything they had on poisoned arrows and a teleport scroll. To hell with them. When they grew up, th
ey would learn to spend their gold on women and booze. Jack stepped away from the road and unrolled the scroll. For a moment he was surrounded by a wall of light, then the light fell away – and he was in the temple of Astra. Behind the door was the capital of the kingdom. And, quite possibly, Gravediggers. So, Jack stepped over the doorstep, a smile stretched across his face in anticipation.
The Gravediggers couldn't attack inside the city... but no one was waiting for Jack in the portal sanctuary. A shame. But nothing could be done about it, his entertainment was canceled, and he needed to get down to business. Now, straight away to the light mage, Sartorius. Jack crossed a square filled with idly strolling dandies, found Three Copper Rings Street, and headed to the Stargazer's Tower.
The erstwhile NPC Malvey opened the door at his knock. Jack wasn't sure that his last visit had been stored in the doorman's memory. He said:
"Good sir, I have business with your master."
The doorman opened the door with a bow and directed him inside with a sweep of his arm:
"Please, your grace, Lord Sartorius has been expecting you."
The first thing that caught his eye in the entryway was a motionless, frozen blonde with amazing curves. Jack's breath even caught for a heartbeat when his eyes slid over her ample cleavage. The young woman was standing, not moving, her huge, blue eyes fixed in a stare straight ahead. An info-window floating above her head read:
Housekeeper Adelia, Scand
Expertise: 20
Health: 30
Another servant-NPC. But what was wrong with her? Petrified at the sight of Jack? Never had he made such an impression on the opposite sex...
"Please, follow me," Malvey requested. "The master takes visitors in his office. Be so kind as to wait, he will soon be ready to talk with you."
Jack walked warily by the motionless blonde. Then he made up his mind and called out to Malvey: