Natural magic skill has increased by 1 point.
Total: 2
Natural magic handling: 2
The speed of casting natural spells has increased by 2%
I was planning to increase natural magic handling and crushing weapon handling up to five points each. Then I would be able to acquire combat skills in appropriate guilds – if I had enough money. In warriors guilds I can choose one from two skills. Either ‘to throw an enemy back’ skill that is applied automatically and if you’re lucky can throw your enemy one step back; or ‘knocking’ skill. Its chance to work is less, but if it works properly, a mob will be knocked-down for some seconds. Both skills are useful and can be helpful for any warrior possessing weapon of the appropriate type. But there is one problem – their actuating chance and their power directly depend on the amount of strength. And on weapon hit. ‘Throwing-back’ and ‘Knocking’ can work with a shield as well but this piece of gear obviously doesn’t suit me. If I have decided to play as a mage, then my main weapon must be a two-handed stuff. Sure, a shield can be very useful but the higher the combat gear level, the more stamina and strength it requires. As for strength, none of typical mages can boast it.
I didn’t know what kind of skills I could acquire at the magic guild, but I was going to find it out soon. If there is something that can increase mana level, that’s definitely my option.
While I was thinking about the nearest future and at the same time eliminating all mobs near the pond, the assessment system of my behavior activated and made me happy by another gift:
Your stamina has increased by 1 point.
Sure! I had been fighting for so many hours without a break! Plus ten life points.
As for strength and intelligence, they were not going to increase. I shouldn’t have contributed all fifteen points into intelligence at once! I should have waited until it increased by a couple of points and then distributed my points… well, but you never know… Plus my morning freeze played is part. Once I read the game forum, I started freezing and trashing for no reason.
I didn’t manage to realize my plan and to stuff the rucksack to the max – a short message from Keira popped up in front of my eyes:
‘I’ve reached level four. Meet me at the pond in fifteen minutes’.
Brief and clear. Thinking for a sec, I speeded up and skipped cheerfully along the well-known route – straight to the herbalist’s house. I needed to get rid of the loot gained and buy some empty jars. I feel that main events are coming soon and I haven’t got the leather jacket I liked yet. On the other hand, I’d better sort out everything here and finally leave the Cradle. I need to level up the sooner the better. I need to make more money to buy combat skills and decent stuff. Eventually I need to listen to some gossips on the city plaza and in numerous taverns.
My to-do list consisted of a great amount of items – important and minor, but the priority was Zar’graad! No matter what I was doing, my thoughts returned to that topic again and again. Zar’graad… a far-away lost continent.
To my own surprise I became Navigator, the owner of the unique spell able to destroy the magic veil over Zar’graad. Due to it I got an also unique chance – to hit the real jackpot! The most pleasant thing is that I am crowned no matter how the following events can develop. The ideal strategy for me is to wait for a while. I shouldn’t fuss. That’s the essence. And then make a good shot. Look around. Weigh up all ‘pros’ and ‘cons’. Choose the best partner namely the most powerful clan. And actually not only powerful but… rich as well. Because it would be just silly to miss a chance to earn a certain amount of ‘real’ money. I am not rich enough to waste such a chance. It’s important not to be too late with the choice and not to sell myself too cheap.
I didn’t even consider a scenario when Valdira’s administration takes the spell from me. I’m not a fool to screw it up. If I realize that I don’t have time to gain the required amount of mana points, I will transfer the spell and Navigator’s skill to the head of the chosen clan in exchange for different material goodies and a ticket to one of their ships. But no matter how you slice it, such an end doesn’t satisfy me. It won’t be a pure victory, but an artificial surrogate. That’s why I want to set off to Zar’graad VERY MUCH as Navigator not as a passenger. I want to lead the ship through all dangers, to experience all adventures and be the first to step on Zar’graad’s store! I want to be only one who standing on the bridge of the flagman will pronounce the spell slowly and chase away the veil from the inaccessible continent! The one whose name will go down the historical annals of Valdira! Well… I must have dreamt on… oh, old chap, you’d better take some anti-greed pills and be more modest…
Damn that modesty! I must use the chance and that’s it! There are no brakes on the train… But I just imagine… I am standing holding my hands on the helm wheel and piercing into the leaden grey stormy sky severely, then I’m crying out loudly…
- Honey! Why on earth did you grab my basin and why are you spinning it left and right? And you don’t look healthy… ain’t you poisoned, honey?
I shook my head, opened my eyes quickly and stared at the granny-herbalist standing in front of me and examining me with mere amazement.
- You must have tried toad’s slime, mustn’t you? You mustn’t drink it. It doesn’t grow strength. It’s all bullshit! Oh, you’re so curled up, poor thing… I’ll bring you milk now…
- What? No, thank you, granny, I’m ok. I didn’t drink any slime. I was just dreaming about my… ahem… it doesn’t matter… I was dreaming…
You know… Valdira implies all your dreams come true. But even inside it I found a way to dream… A dream inside a dream…
- I see you’re having your head in the clouds – the old lady grumbled in a kindly way and took away her basin from my hands – What’s the name of your dream? And how old is the princess of your heart?
- Granny! What princess are you talking about? Don’t think up! Actually I came to you with some goods, have a look!
- Well-well, let me have a look – the old lady agreed – Show me what you’ve found… dear dreamer…
I was dashing like hell from the herbalist’s house to the pond, but nevertheless I was late. Keira had been waiting for me looking at the pond surface thoughtfully.
- Hi – I exhaled stopping next to her.
- Hello, tank – the girl smiled but I didn’t hear any delight in her voice – No shield again?
- Shields are not free – I wiggled out – I was hitting mobs the whole morning. I’ve just sold the loot and come up with some cash. So I’ll get the shield. And how are you? How are the rats!
- Asked me to say hello to you! – Keira burst out laughing sincerely then – And begged not to visit them anymore. I reached level four. By the way, I sold the loot, so you don’t have enough for a shield, I can add. How much do you lack? I can even give you everything.
- I’ve got enough. But still thank you – I smiled in response – Well… Shall we start?
- Yup, let’s do it – Keira agreed and pulled out the sword. – I’m the leader. Since that moment and till the end of the tournament we won’t dismiss the party, walk everywhere together. Join me. A short line flared in front of my eyes:
Keireya the Protectress suggests you joining her party.
Submit/Decline
‘Submit’
You’ve joined the party! Leader: Keireya the Protectress!
Achievement!
You’ve got a first rank achievement – ‘Working in a team’!
You can see your achievements in your character’s settings.
Your award for the achievement: +1% to the protection while being in the party.
Current bonus: +1% to the protection.
Achievements are flowing like water into my hands. And all of them are first-rank.
- I choose a mark and always attack first – Keira said briefly and looked at me from the brims of her straw hat – Finish off together, ok?
- O
k. You’re the boss – I nodded with my stuff at the ready. – Come on!
- Just a moment – responded the girl – I’m adjusting the leader’s status set.
Ah, damn it! Is she going to inquire… exactly!
The party leader Keireya the Protectress is inquiring your status!
Submit/Decline
‘Decline’
- Umph… interesting… - Keira surprised – Did you touch ‘decline’ by chance?
- I’m level eight – I smiled softly – None of local mobs can kill me. Unnecessary info will only divert your attention.
- But don’t forget about the tournament! – the girl uttered suddenly rigidly and her grey eyes sparkled angrily – Ros, I must see your condition.
- What for? – I asked in the same soft manner. – Well… assume that I will be pressed much and made to ‘color up’… what would you do in such a situation? I have got neither healing magic, nor aura. How will you be able to help me? Will you push a piece of bread into my mouth or pour healing potion? You even won’t be able to divert an enemy’s attention to yourself – you simply won’t have enough life points to absorb hits until I’m recovering. By the way… how is your life level?
- Seventy – Keira answered with reluctance – But if I manage to reach level five, I’ll add twenty.
- You see – it’s me who should worry about your status, not vice versa. Mine is one hundred ten points higher – I smiled widely – So, let’s go hitting mobs! It will get dark soon.
Giving me a demonstratively thoughtful glance, Keira turned around to approach the first mob on her way. A frog chosen as a victim didn’t have time to ribbit when the blade of the sword landed on it.
- I’ll be responsible for picking up loot – without turning back the girl dropped directing to a beaver that had just emerged on the bank.
‘Got offended’ – I concluded grasping the frog’s skin from the ground. But I said aloud completely different words:
- Yes, ma’am!
It’s not a problem. Let her stay insulted. I just can’t behave another way.
It’s real art to be a leader of a party. Especially when the number of members is over a dozen and the party is operating in a dangerous location with high-level mobs. They have to react in time and heal a seriously-injured tank, reanimated the killed mage and so on and so forth. That’s why it a common practice when the part of a leader is played by a mage-healer or a paladin because both possess a powerful healing magic and aura. It’s a leader who is responsible for the party’s successful operations and safety. If someone dies – the leader is guilty, if the party is lost in a labyrinth – the leader is guilty. During a battle gamers aren’t standing still, they are constantly moving, fussing around backwards and forwards… it’s hard to monitor everything, the leader has to squirm. And such a difficult task is simplified a bit by an ‘open status’ option, it makes it much easier to control the situation.
‘Open status’ denotes an extremely simple and in fact harmless thing – the party’s leader gets an opportunity of watching my state permanently. There is a small semitransparent rectangular with my nickname and two multicolored lines and some important vales under it in the left top corner. The red line reflects the number of my health points available; the dark blue bottom line shows mana point… about one hundred points currently that’s extremely many for an eight-level warrior. A logical question can inevitably emerge: why on earth did I dump into intelligence so much?
I wasn’t eager to give a true reply. But I didn’t want to lie as well. I may be regarded as a paranoiac. Thanks god I’m not the only one. Many gamers prefer risking and concealing their life and mana indicators from everybody without an exception.
Besides, Gosha gave me a clear and direct instruction – to advance my character as a one with emphasis on physical hit. If I reveal my mana and health points now, and if we suddenly lose in this enigmatic tournament even through no fault of mine… I’ll become a fall guy first of all for Gosha who spent a plenty of real money on me and for Keira as well who deleted her main character for that mission. All reproaches will be hurled at me. And it won’t matter that I’m not level-five as Gosha asked but level eight plus I got strength and stamina bonuses for working hard. People don’t like admitting their mistakes. It’s always easier to cast the blame on others. I can imagine all these angry words addressed to me in case of our failure: ‘if you had contributed fifteen spare points into stamina and strength instead of intelligence, we would have won!’, ‘Ros, why on earth did you do such a stupid thing? You should have increase agility for dodges and crits plus strength!.. Then you wouldn’t have flown away because of the last hit!’ and so on and so forth. It’s one thing when I’m taking part in this strange scheme with an odd tournament as a free service – then don’t expect anything from me. I just couldn’t do and that’s all. Shit happens… But it’s totally another when they hire me, pay me real money and demand well and truly. As Gosha is an experienced gamer he won’t trust my only cheap excuse – I wanna be a combat mage. He’ll just ask me: ‘ why couldn’t you suspend advancing currently useless intelligence until you leave the Cradle? Why didn’t you contribute five or, say, ten into intelligence instead of fifteen?!’ And he’ll be right. As a banker in the real life and as a gamer in Valdira. Since there is only one science working here – mathematics . Hard math. Plus 15 to stamina means pure one hundred fifty life points, plus 15 to strength denotes a significantly increased hit, plus 15 to agility is an increased dodge chance and a raised critical hit chance. So if Keira knows my mana level, then in case of losing the tournament she’ll charge me with unserious treatment of very well-paid work.
Besides, they shouldn’t get offended as I’m reserved, they also muddy the waters! It’s not a usual way of preparing for a tournament! Even for a simple beginner-like one. Who is going to be our rival? A tournament implies a competition between several participants. In our case it must be a struggle of several combat parties of two gamers or NPCs minimum. There must be a reason why I am running everywhere with Keira as a party. They should have told me more. It’s unfair that I’ve known only today that I am going t be a tank. Otherwise, I would have developed my character in a completely different way – well, until I got the status of Navigator. I would have tried to find a shield at once – before the first battle against rats. I’d have stolen a barrel lid, for example, and here you are, a nice shield, primitive one but why not! I would have increased my ‘parry’ skill by one or two points! I would have distributed the first two level points in another way! But… you enjoy riddling, postponing everything till the very last minute! I have to guess on the basis of miserable crumbles of information!
So that’s the way I was calming myself down while following Keira the warrioress who was striding ahead and had to pick up loot left after killed mobs. The girl didn’t need my help in a battle so far. Maybe she won’t need it at the tournament as well? It would be great…
Keira has softened a bit in the evening only. To be more exact at the very moment when I changed my weapon for an axe and a shield and, besides, bought her a +4 protective leather jacket with capacious front pockets that housed five small-scale healing potions. Yeah… the very leather jacket, my cherished dream, with polished copper buttons and a high collar… I gave it to Keira as the most unprotected in our party. She managed to reach level five, but life points were increased by twenty points only as she must have contributed the rest into her strength and agility. So that means she has got ninety life points only twice less than I have. After buying the jacket and weapon I had merely no money left. But still I managed to rake up some coins to buy five healing potions at the herbalist’s, gave them to Keira as well leaving one for myself I had gained it as an award for completing the quest.
A small but very cozy tavern met us with a muffled hubbub of voices and thick smell of honey ale. There were about fifteen tables with a couple of benches each clustered in a small hall. A bar counter stretching from one wall
to another blocked the back of the hall. There were also broad shelves overwhelming bottles, small barrels and mugs. The saloonkeeper standing behind the counter was pouring alcohol to another guest by himself, he had never had any servers here. A modern approach with the Middle Age concept.
We got our mugs – and I ordered beer for myself, as for Keira, she chose a glass of white wine – then we came towards a small table in the center of the hall. I’d prefer to take a seat at the wall but the girl had another idea so I had to obey and sit down in plain sight in the crosshairs of numerous eyes.
- Have you been here before? – Keira wondered sitting down on the wooden bench polished by hundreds of bottoms.
- Nope, - I shook my head sitting down opposite her and stealing a look round the hall. – As I was recommended keeping good terms with the saloonkeeper, I didn’t drop over here just in case. I could have blurted something wrong to the saloonkeeper and ciao…
There was a crowd of guests. A dozen of locals minimum and twice the amount of gamers-beginners who was sipping malty drink laid-back on the benches and discussing their impressions collected during the day that was coming to its end.
- Prudent you are – Keira sniffed and pat a sleeve of her new leather jacket with mere satisfaction. The jacketed fitted her like a glove. The only thing I could do was to stifle my jealousy saliva and to drink beer in small sips. Since alcohol was introduced into the game not for the sake of reality. Drink one beer – nothing bad happens to you. Moreover, it can raise your strength for a while, but decrease your agility. Drink two beers – strength will be the same level, but agility will drop more. Pour three beers into your mouth – your intelligence will start collapsing, you’ll be tongue-tied. Take four – no big difference, but sometimes a random unconscious giggle or grunting can emit from your mouth. But after the fifth mug you’ll have motion coordination problems. You are shaken from one side to another. You have to keep hold of a wall while walking. Good news is that all these effect don’t last long and there is no vomiting reflex. In contrast to me Keira didn’t care about the consequences of alcohol abuse at all. She finished her glass of wine by several gulps and grumbled:
(World of Valdira 01) The Way of the Clan Page 15