I remember finding a rusty key, somewhere near the pile of trash. I didn’t pick it up because I had no pockets and carrying anything besides my club was inconvenient. The key must open the door. Could it be that simple? Perhaps not. The key I had picked up didn’t fit in the lock. It clearly belonged to a different lock. Or maybe it was just a useless piece of trash. The only thing left was to check the tunnel to the right, which looked most unpleasant. Long, wet, and barely lit, it led uphill. The dark bubbling knee-deep water running through the tunnel was dirty. The tunnel ended with a drain hole where the stream of muddy water disappeared out of sight. The bars blocking the hole hid trash that I really didn’t feel like digging in, but forced myself to anyway. As a result, I found a small purse with a long strap, old, wet, and worn.
Purse, 4 places, up to 3 kg
Durability 6/30
Yeah… it didn’t look very presentable. It was barely holding together, but it still functioned. Figuring out its unusual fastening, I pulled out a lockpick. Rusty and sharp, there were 7 metal tools hanging on a ring. Each counted for one point of durability. Apparently, I would have 7 attempts. I headed back to the wooden door. The first lockpick broke right away. I struggled to get the sharp end out that had got stuck in the keyhole. The second one broke too. Carefully handling the third, I managed to feel something inside the lock. The system prompted a reward:
Your Lockpicking skill has increased by 1. Current value: 1/1000
Heh! I struggled with the lock for another ten minutes increasing my Lockpicking skill by three more points. The sixth lockpick clicked opening the door and letting me in. The system notified me of my first achievement:
CONGRATULATIONS! You have broken your first lock. You have achieved the status of Junior Lockpicker! Gain 100 XP. Next achievement: pick ten locks.
No way, guys. That was definitely not my path. The whole experience was way too real as if I had been picking a real lock. I wondered if I could use the skill in real life. Though, nobody really uses those old metal locks anymore except grandmothers, perhaps. My experience bar, filled all the way, was now blinking impatiently.
Congratulations, you have received 100 XP! As a reward, you receive a free attribute point.
Note! Every time you gain 150 XP, you receive a new attribute point that can be invested into any attribute. Current XP value: 25/150
A new attribute point? Having opened my character dummy, I realized they were referring to DURABILITY, STAMINA, and AGILITY. Using a free attribute point, I could increase any of these characteristics. That’s how I could level it up—with experience. Next step, 150 XP, not that much. Hmmm… I was tempted to increase Durability and check how the damage inflicted increased as I fought the skeleton, but contained myself. I needed to understand the game first, see the game development tree, come up with a competitive build… Then…
Behind the door was a dark dusty room filled with cobwebs. The room was small, like a small attic of sorts with a few old caskets, tons of rusty flare coasters, some broken tools, and a chest, an old chest, carefully pushed all the way into the corner. It was the chest that the key fit perfectly. Inside, I found only two objects: a sword, seemingly similar to the one the skeleton used, and a book.
Rusty Bastard Sword
One-handed weapon
Quality: common
Material: iron
Durability: 27/50
4-8 physical damage (slashing)
It had a bent, rusty blade, the handle wrapped in strips of worn out, disintegrating, leather. However, this was a real weapon! Having appreciated its pleasant weight in my hand, I felt a surge of confidence. Ok, so now let’s fight!
Battered Bestiary
Skill book
Quality: common
Contains: 1/25 pages
Uses 47/50
The book was old and worn out, with a peeling cover and battered corners. Having opened the first page, I saw a detailed engraving of familiar, gray creature. Below was a description and an article describing the habits of rats. As I scanned the page, I heard a pleasant notification sound resembling a bell.
Congratulations, you have discovered a new skill category—Zoology! Your Animal Knowledge skill was increased by 1! Current value: 1/1000
Oh, that’s right! I remembered reading about it in the guides. Some items could only be leveled up upon acquisition of Skills Books. Zoology, Animal Knowledge? Why would I even need them in the game? The book contained the answer. First, I could learn about animal habits, their abilities, habitat and weak spots, attacking which could result in an ability to inflict critical damage. I learned about other weaknesses and tactics as well as their vulnerability towards specific types of damage. Second, with each development invested in the skill, the damage I could inflict to animals grew by 0.1%. Given the appropriate scheme of leveling up, one could multiply base damage by 100%. The skill turned out to be useful after all…
As I learned the skill of Animal Knowledge, I increased my Crafts point by 2. The read bar of the battered bestiary flashed 50/50, and as soon as this happened, the book fell apart in my hands. That’s interesting... turns out, reading new Books of Skills with zero readings, gives you the opportunity to raise your skill by fifty points… something to think about. Shame the book didn’t contain anything on skeletons. It was time to try again. I'd already lost more than an hour on this learning task.
The enemy was waiting. His jaw had not grown back. There was a large blood stain near the ladder. Seeing me, he got up pulling the chain to its limit. Well, hello there! This time I’ll be more careful.
Blades rang and grated, colliding. I prudently kept the enemy at the border, at any moment ready to leave the radius of reach. Last thing I wanted was to die for the second time. The skeleton was quick and vicious. I decided to act as straightforwardly as I could and, five minutes later, I realized he used only three chopping strikes and two pokes. Once I was used to his fighting technique, repelling his strikes proved to be fairly simple…
Note! You have blocked 5 strikes in a row. Your One-handed weapon skill has increased by 5.
Having run out of stamina, I walked away, took a deep breath and regained my durability. This was nothing but a training, and the enemy was just a bot, a mannequin for practicing fighting skills. I realized, had it not been chained to the wall, I would not be alive. What if there were a few of those, unchained, chasing me through the annals of the dark dungeon? I was sure THE SPHERE featured a whole variety. Brrrr… I shrugged.
Having practiced defense, I decided to improve my attacking skills. I came to realize; the enemy was focused exclusively on attack. The skeleton never once tried to block my strikes, even when it was the only sensible thing to do. It took about 5 hits to get done with him. He dropped on the floor, falling apart, nothing more than a pile of bones. His skull rolled across the floor; the blue glowing stone had fallen out of his eye socket and was now sitting at my feet. Interesting artifact! I thought to myself.
Soul Reviving Stone.
Magical stone. Personal. Unique.
Cannot be lost or stolen. Returns your soul to the place of checkpoint. Recharge: cyclical, 1-8 hours.
CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE COMPLETED YOUR TRAINING.
REWARD: 100 XP, Soul Reviving Stone. Current XP: 145/150
DO YOU WANT TO PROCEED TO THE CITY?
CHAPTER 3 SUPERCHICK
Location: DORSA world, DORSA continent, city: GOLDEN FAIRS.
WARNING! You are now connecting to in-game chat-rooms.
You have discovered a new locality: Golden Fairs!
You received 55 XP. You received one free attribute point.
CURRENT XP VALUE: 50/225.
An unfamiliar constellation shone brightly above me in the night sky. A light, salty breeze from the sea touched my face with its weightless breath. THE SPHERE OF THE WORLDS seemed to be greeting me with the pleasant coolness of the night, stars, and a taste of the sea on my lips. A rumble of sounds was filling the surrounding space: the scr
eams of market traders, people’s conversations, the haggling of buyers and sellers, shouting together with laughter, and the roars of animals. Here there was the bustle of many characters, players and NPCs, rushing about their business. Nobody paid any attention to me.
I was definitely in the hustle and bustle on the outskirts of the main square that were paved with gray stone. Despite the late hour, life was in full swing. There were a lot of stalls and tents, crowds of people, strange roaring animals in cages, strolling guards, and players driving back and forth or riding all kind of animals—from horses to incredible beasts that seemed to come from the pages of children's fairy tales: lions, unicorns, griffins, cave bears… Everything seemed so... real.
Just a few meters away, a giant dragonfly with huge mandibles invoking terror, soared upward, and the wind from the wings blew into my face. On its back rode a player who controlled the creature with a sophisticated harness. I watched him go, watching several winged silhouettes flash against the dark sky. Suddenly, blocking the stars, something huge floated over the square. The outlines of the object resembled Columbus' sailboats with their slender masts, clusters of sails, and raised sterns. Was it a ship? A flying ship?!
Chats—I just noticed that my chat use was enabled, and it came alive with flooding messages. I had to write to Alex. I slapped myself on the forehead. It took me a moment to understand how to work the local chat, customize the interface, and turn off some channels I didn’t think I needed.
HotCat: Hey. This is me, Cat!
AlexOrder: Hey. Where did you turn up?
HotCat: City of Golden Fairs, main square.
AlexOrder: Darn! Why so far away? Did you decide to take the training or what?
HotCat: Yea... I did... Shouldn’t I have?
AlexOrder: No. I wish you hadn’t, but it’s my fault, I forgot to tell you not to… Otherwise, you would’ve turned up in Eyer.
HotCat: …
AlexOrder: Ok, wait for me by the teleporter. I’ll be there in twenty.
OK, Let’s take a look around. I was mostly impressed with how hard it was to distinguish real players from NPCs. It was nearly impossible. Nicknames were hidden, and in order to obtain information about a specific player, I had to focus on a character, which brought up a transparent icon. For example: Alien The Invincible, clan CHAOS, and Uti-Puti, Defender of Tombs, clan Silver Guards. An NPC guard, an enormous guy wearing armor, showed as Tremor, Falirri, Guard of Fairs.
That was it. I had read about it but was experiencing it for the first time. You could always find out more about a character by earning Reputation points or when the players decided to reveal more info if they wanted to. Two structures in the middle of the square drew my attention. They were surrounded by concrete fences with silver patterns of exquisite carving. The structures resembled three horns with intertwined dragons drawn on top for them, a rainbow-colored fog between them. People gathered around them, partially blocking the view. I decided to get closer and take a better look.
“Get outta my way, noob!” From within the fog came a beautiful fair-haired girl wearing a red robe with a complex pattern and lamellar brigantine beneath it. The golden crosshair of a sword she was carrying showed from behind her shoulder. I hesitated, but a forceful push of her graceful hand sent me to the pavement. She passed by, her companion following her, a tall warrior in a green cloak. He gave me a calculating look, his eyes snake-like, cold and empty. My stomach sunk.
Alayna and Crete, PROJECT HELL clan.
I followed them with my gaze, making a mental note. So, this must be the teleport. While I still have time, let's see what they are selling here ... I walked over to the nearest counter, which offered, judging by the products on display, various rings, chains, and amulets. Seeing me, a merchant, a curly bearded NPC, squinted and threw a cover over the counter, hiding his goods.
“Trade!” I said looking at his icon (Einar, merchant) and not finding anything resembling a shopping interface.
“Trade?” the man replied. “With who? YOU? Have you seen yourself? Get lost, don’t distract me!” I didn’t get it. How was that possible? He didn’t want to trade with me?
“I want to have a look at your goods.”
“Didn’t you understand me the first time, bum?” he said, raising his voice. “Get the hell out of here before I call the guards!”
Your Reputation with Einar decreased by 5 points. Value: -15, antipathy.
Oh… there we go, I get it now. The way I looked, and the beggar robes I had been wearing until now, decreased my reputation. They looked at me and saw a bum and wanted nothing to do with me. I guessed they might go through with the threat of the guards. I laughed to myself, picturing the way I looked—a dude in bum’s clothing, a worn bag over my shoulder, and a silly, rusty sword in my hands, barefoot. Walking away to be safe, I opened up the character interface. After completion of the manual, a few more options were available. One of them was Reputation. By default, there was a list of all the game factions. But now, there were only two lines:
TRADE FAIR FAYERS GUILD: -10 (Antipathy) and its one sub-branch: Einar, merchant -15 (ANTIPATHY)
I liked the settings since I could access the reputation log and see how and why the reputation went down. With a negative value, NPC didn’t assign quests, didn’t trade, and, as I had just witnessed, behaved quite arrogantly. I realized that if my reputation had decreased further to HOSTILE, they would have called the guards. If you went below that to HATE, you couldn’t even get into the city. As the guides suggested, leveling up one’s reputation level was possible by completing quests, and increasing it to a positive value required killing a few mobs and giving their valuables to a specific NPC. So, if I managed to change into something decent, my reputation would go up. Yet, something told me, they would not have been so keen to trade with me if I were naked either.
AlexOrder: I’m at the portal! Where u at?
The personal messages chat blinked and a message from Alex came through. I was about to head towards the teleport but realized I couldn’t. The entire square was now in motion. Pushing me away, a few players came running through, seemingly in panic. I could hear screams: people seemed to be fleeing the square. As I stood there, frozen, unable to comprehend what was going on, a character wearing a white robe over his armor and a helmet with an interesting pattern ran into me. He looked at me closely, squeezed my shoulder, and pulled me along.
“Cat? What are you waiting for? Run! Quick! SuperChick is coming!!!”
“Huh?” was the only sound I could produce. Then I saw her. In the scattering square, a young girl, or what looked like a girl, was now walking past us, as if in a dance. She wore light clothes and a short tunic that revealed most of her body. She laughed loudly as she walked. An intricate shining amulet hung from her neck, and a fiery halo was glowing around her, emitting heat that scorched my lashes and eyebrows.
“RUN!” AlexOrder’s bearded face winced as he forcefully pulled me along, squeezing both of us through a gap in the fortress wall. He reached for something in the bag attached to his belt, something resembling a scroll that immediately disappeared. Next, we were surrounded by a bluish-crystal glow. Without stopping, Alex drew a complex sign in the air that immediately flashed blue and projected it onto the stones beneath our feet.
You are under the Ghost Shield! Magic damage resistance increased by 50%!
Alex went on drawing mysterious signs in the air. The symbols flashed and twined around Alex’s wrist. As if obeying a gesture of command, they stuck to my body and faded.
Rune Algiz was summoned! Resistance to all types of elemental damage increased by 25%.
Rune Teyvaz was summoned! All your attributes have been increased by 10.
And then, from behind my back, came the devious, obnoxious, whistling laughter of SuperChick overpowering all other sounds. The fire flashed and lit up everywhere around us filling the whole area with flames. I could hear the agonizing screams of the dying players and NPCs, who had no time to esca
pe. An unbearable wave of heat consumed us as we pressed ourselves against the stone wall, covering our faces to protect ourselves from the flames.
SuperChick inflicts damage! You receive 50 fire damage! Your HP: 190/240
SuperChick inflicts damage! You receive 50 fire damage! Your HP: 140/240
SuperChick inflicts damage! You receive 50 fire damage! Your HP: 90/240
Your Fire magic resistance increases by 1%!
SuperChick inflicts damage! You receive 50 fire damage! Your HP: 40/240
You are under the effect of Rune Plastur! You receive 30 HP every three seconds! Your HP: 70/240
“Damn it!” AlexOrder lowered himself onto the stones looking at the dancing flames that were now fading away. His face was sweating.
“When will she quit? I hate her!”
“Who was that?” I asked feeling my burned face.
“That was SuperChick,” my bearded friend laughed. “Welcome to the SPHERE, Cat!” I could finally see him, AlexOrder and the clan WATCH.
Apparently, Alex, too, had slightly altered his appearance in the game. While he was tall and broad-shouldered with a neatly trimmed beard, in the game, he looked quite athletic. From how I remembered him, he was at least 30 pounds heavier in person. He wore a white tabard over chain mail, a round metal helmet covered with intricate engraving, as well as a sword and a small leather bag with a sophisticated, etched pattern attached to a wide, leather band. Noticing my gaze, Alex patted it with his hand.
Cat's Quest Page 4