“Break ranks!” the paladin commanded. “Move in half-circle!” Fire!”
The Order members’ weapons shot balls of white fire at the enemy. It was a dangerous attack, one that should have killed anybody, who dared to challenge the Lily on the Sword, but not Tao. The tongue of Holy Flame hissed powerlessly and dissipated against the black plates of Living Armor. The knights did not know that the armor’s Absorb Magic ability could ignore significant amounts of magic damage.
“Child’s play!” the player laughed, spinning his sword at incredible speed and deflecting more and more charges of Holy Flame. “Do you want to try some more?”
The knights did. They fired volley after a volley of crossbow bolts, but most of them were somehow diverted from their target or bounced back from the black coating, and these were siege weapons, that could pierce a horse from a hundred steps away!
“Close ranks! Shield wall! Channel all power into defense!” the paladin commanded in a low voice.
The eight knights performed the well-known maneuver, closing ranks and blocking the player from approaching the fallen Err. The armigers behind the grandees reloaded their crossbows. Suddenly, the player advanced at them, soaring up in an impossible thirty-feet jump, his white cloak flapping behind him like a pair of wings. Seeing scarlet fire appear in the enemy’s hands and the glow around his face deepen, the paladin blurted out, desperately,
“Shield! Shield, Fe—”
The shield didn’t hold. After smashing through the Magister’s Defense, with a somersault, the player burst into the center of their formation, and the leader of the squad caught a glimpse of him up close. He had a handsome smiling face, platinum shoulder-length hair; one of his eyes was ordinary, while the other emitted a blinding blue light. As the paladin looked into it, he shuddered: instead of a pupil, the player had a blazing demonic pentagram in his right eye. A thin blue ray shot out of it, and hit him right in the narrow slit of his visor.
The attacker was graceful and nimble. The paladins had no chance against his fast gliding motions and overwhelming swings. He killed the first, then the second and the third, with the blue ray of his demonic eye, freezing and stunning them, while his black sword cut through the knights’ armor like butter.
* * *
Peacemaker: Tao, your demon’s down! NPCs are coming through the gates!
Mirgus: The Watchers are also inside the castle!
Tentacle: Tao, that’s it, we’re at resp point. There's too many of them! Did you have enough time?
He was running out of time. Dealing with the damn paladins had taken far too long! They had appeared at the worst possible moment and cut him off from the Crown. He was just a few steps away from looting it, ten or so. So few, yet so many...
Now, only three knights remained. They could cure Infernal Toxin with their Lay on Hands ability, so he needed to kill them off, one by one with guaranteed result. Tao dealt with the middle opponent in two blows, chopping off his hand and his head, and impaled the one to the right. Then, he leapt at the last armiger, ignoring the crossbow bolt that bounced off the Living Armor chestplate, and reached his throat with the tip of his Black Sword.
The Crown! It was lying next to the throne, beckoning him with its gold and emeralds! But the hall was already filling up with the Watchers. They were surrounding him, and the elixir buffs were counting down the last minute. Ten enemies jumped off their birdies, give or take, and started circling him warily, their weapons to the ready. They were Watchers, consummate professionals, and they were already closing in, ready to attack him from all sides.
Tao had had enough of it. He needed to act, and act fast. He burned the net thrown at him, then attacked the closest enemy. The latter tried to stop him, using one rune after another, but the archetype of Eternal Warrior granted complete immunity to enchantments of that kind. The Black Sword cut down the bearded rune caster, but Tao didn’t leave the confrontation unscathed. A hobbit rogue, who appeared as if out of nowhere, barraged him with a series of rapid strikes with his dagger.
The seventh gem of the Ring of Nine Lives crumbled to dust. A blue ray shot out of Tao’s right eye and hit the hobbit, paralyzing him. The third Watcher, a tough nimble guy with a convex shield, dodged an icy lightning, blocked a blow from the Black Sword, then performed his own attack, but he hadn’t anticipated how powerful Counter Parry could be. Momentum dragged him forward a few steps, and his steel sabatons struck a bunch of sparks from the granite floor. Tao charged at him, and they tangled with each other. The burly guy got pushed back once more, denting a pillar with his armor. Still, he kept his wits about him, deflecting another icy lightning with his shield, ducked, and then advanced toward Tao once again.
A hellhound crept behind him and jumped on his back, locking its fiery jaws on the back of his head. For a second, the Watcher lost his balance, throwing it off, which cost him his life, as Tao’s blade cut through his shoulder. Infernal Toxin was as reliable as ever: the tough guy jumped back, assumed a combat stance...and collapsed on the floor.
Tao saluted him with the Black Sword, grinning. Still, it was too late. The Watchers had also released their pawns, both ordinary and the Spectral Pack. They flocked to Tao, and even Living Armor couldn’t repel the multitude of strikes that rained down upon him. He had already been squeezed dry and had no trump card up his sleeve. Defending himself furiously, the PROJECT HELL leader made one last futile attempt to loot the Crown, activating Levitation with the remaining crumbs of his mana, and desperately soaring above his enemies’ heads, reaching out for his prize that lay next to the throne unattended.
Then he fell, like a bird shot down in flight. One of the Watchers was savvy enough to remove the Levitation effect and continued to cleanse him, dispelling the buffs. Flat on his back, Tao was soon snared in a net, then run through with a few swords at once, which pinned him to the floor. The last gem on his ring disappeared, and finally, he was dead. For a few seconds, Tao contemplated returning to life with the Soul-forge Gem, but more and more players were filling the hall, and a crowd of NPCs stormed in from various entrances. Spectral Tao shook his head in sorrow. There was no point in continuing the fight.
* * *
I had only one option left: run toward the castle gate, where NPCs had surrounded the demon, and try to break through to join the guys. The air battle between our forces and PROJECT HELL didn’t last long: a bright star flashed in the sky, transforming into a fiery tornado: one of ours had released Phoenix, an epic-quality pet that was the strongest flying attacker. Although only ten active icons were left in the raid, the Watchers had seemingly succeeded in getting into the castle, judging by Balian’s crisp commands.
Balian the Raccoon: Hurry up! Healers, wake up! Those who can, tell us his buffs!
Abel: I’m going into stealth.
Balian the Raccoon: I can see him! I’ve marked him.
Reborn: It’s Tao himself, wow!
Balian the Raccoon: Alert! Be very careful! Everyone, inside! Release the pawns! Surround him! Ready the nets! Alex, Rune of Chains! Stun him!
I came round after hearing a loud growling sound. The stench of cinder and sulfur assaulted my senses. Just ten steps away, crouching and ready to jump, was a monster—a black barbed creature with scarlet eyes and tongues of flame dancing inside its wide-fanged maw.
Hellhound
Crap! The mob’s frame was highlighted purple, which meant that it was an elite NPC. With my four thousand skill points, what could I do to the beast? Die valiantly? In the meantime, the infernal creature leapt at me, aiming for my throat. Some say that your life flashes before your eyes the moment before you die. I also experienced a small flashback of sorts.
...the sand of the arena, half-naked Liberty recruits, armed with wooden swords. Raccoon’s voice was saying something.
“And now, I’ll teach you to fight dog-type pets. Remember, the main thing is not to panic. Players always react faster than the mob’s AI allows it to. There are three sure ways of killing th
is kind of pet...”
Dodge! A black body reeking of fire and sulfur flew past me and landed on the pavement with a whimper. Smoothly, just like in a training session, I stepped aside, and let the hound pass, then plunged the tip of my blade into the spot behind its front leg.
Critical hit! You dealt hellhound 147 damage!
I didn’t miss! I hit a vulnerable spot! The hellhound turned around and prepared for another jump, limping slightly. It gave a gruff howl, releasing puffs of smoke and tongues of fire.
“I’LL...BE BACK!” The demon roared, somewhere very close, surrounded with a crowd of grandees inside the breached wall. A vortex of fire shot upward, higher than the towers of Eyre, and, there, disappeared. With a rallying cry, the knights finally broke into the citadel.
AlexOrder: Alex down. He resisted all my runes!
Balian the Raccoon: DPS! Nets! Start damaging! More, more, just a little bit! Great job!
Balian the Raccoon: What was that? Autoheal?
Abel: I’m down! Balian, he has Demon Sight! Don’t come close!
Dimonicus: Dima down. This is crazy, guys. I dunno what’s he wearing, but it’s crazy.
Damian: Learn Essence is on. Balian, he’s buffed up to his eyeballs. Three legendary elixirs, divine seal, plus an aura from warrior-something. The screenshot’s in the raid channel.
Balian the Raccoon: Roger that. Jeez! We need to cleanse him. Everyone who has Cleansing, prepare it! Guys, he has some sort of epic that revives him after death. You need to finish him off quickly.
The infernal beast jumped once more, aiming for my throat again. I barely manage to turn and dodge its attack, and the barbs on the monster’s body slightly decreased the durability of my leather armor.
Mobility increased to 117.
Bang! A flash shook and blinded me and then knocked me aside, ramming me into the castle wall with such force that the stonework buzzed. In a few minutes, thunder rumbled, loud enough to almost shatter my eardrums.
Nirvana dealt you 468 damage with Great Lightning! You are stunned for 30 seconds! You are paralyzed for 30 seconds! Your HP: 0/380. You are dying! 59..58..57..56
35..34..
Disconnect wants to help you! Accept help? Yes/No
You used Greater Healing Potion! You restored 300 HP. Current HP: 300/380.
“Did I hurt you?” A blonde girl in a blue cloak with a carved wand knelt above me, a true sorceress. Behind her stood an armored player with a shield and a war-axe.
“Not just hurt, you almost knocked him out,” he chuckled, helping me get up.
“Sorry, I was trying to kill that thing!” the girl said, nodding at the burning remains of the hellhound.
“I’m fine, I think,” I said. The effects of the stun and daze wore off. “At least now I know what’s it like, being hit with lightning.”
“If you’re joking, then you’re alive. Come with us to the castle!”
—
Balian the Raccoon: Cleanse him! Come on!
Balian the Raccoon: Full DPS! Full DPS! Kill him! Finish him!
Die Hard: That’s it, the bastard’s dead!
Balian the Raccoon: Phew. Any survivors?
Chaos reigned inside the castle. The outside walls were destroyed in several spots, and wide cracks pierced the stonework. Several towers had crumbled, covering the inner courtyard with a pile of charred rocks. Fires still burned in some places, spilling clouds of black oily smoke into the air. Everywhere, were scattered bodies of NPCs who had died in battle, most of them, several layers, in fact, lying next to a smashed donjon, around a blackened vortex, where the remains of the demon were burning to a crisp.
My companions blocked off the entrance into the throne room and were busy looting the dead, paying no attention to the NPCs that were all over the castle. The faces of the NPC warriors were twisted in grief and dismay; some of them were cursing, while some wept loudly.
Abel: Did you get everything? What did Tao drop?
Balian the Raccoon: An epic autoheal ring and a very weird dagger.
Abel: What about the Err’s crown?
Damian: The NPCs picked it up straight away. They’ll probably crown a new ruler.
Reborn: The paladins dropped something funny.
Abel: What’s that?
Reborn: A sealed letter to a player.
Abel: A player? Is it a quest item?
Reborn: I guess so. Hey, HotCat, where are you? You’ve got mail!
CHAPTER 19 THE WATCHERS
The letter consisted of three short lines:
Hello, stranger.
Whoever you are, I’m glad you came.
Meet me, and I will reveal to you the secrets of the Seven.
Signed, Rheon, the Magister of the Order of the Lily on the Sword
You are offered a special quest: Visit the Magister.
Travel to Akhram, the castle of the Order of the Lily on the Sword, and introduce yourself to the Magister.
Reward: experience, information, (varies).
Note: this is an important main story quest. You cannot decline it.
* * *
Location: Condor, the castle of the Watchers.
“Very interesting, HotCat. Please tell me everything over again, from the very beginning. Where did you say you found the sword?”
Is he working for the police in real life? I was starting to get really angry. I had told my story in excruciating detail and linked the sword, the admin’s message, and the Magister’s letter, found on the body of a fallen paladin.
We were inside the Watchers’ castle, where I was “graciously” invited, right after the massacre in Eyre. After being led into the castle chapel, I had been “asked” to swear an oath and tell the truth, the only truth, and nothing but the truth. Yup, just like in court. It was the same ritual as I had used with Snow, when lying in the face of the gods could result in a powerful long-lasting debuff. In short, I was being tested on the local version of a polygraph.
Almost all the leaders of the Watchers were gathered there: Abel, Balian the Raccoon, and Olaf the Prophet. Three Keepers of the clan (the other two were offline) and the clan leader, Komtur.
Komtur! A legend of the Russian-speaking Sphere community, the leader and founder of the Watchers! There were lots of rumors circulating around this man, a third-time PvP champion of Dorsa, one of the first “legendary” blacksmiths of Sphere, and a man whose word and actions had always been the gold standard of honor.
Now, he was standing before me, a broad-shouldered powerfully built man with the face of a common farmer, who came from the Russian midland. Something like that couldn’t be faked in the character creator; I was a hundred percent certain, that Komtur had based his character on his own appearance. Too bad I didn’t have that face. I could have fooled half the world with it.
“Basically, the sword was obtained via in-game methods,” Abel said thoughtfully. “I don’t get why the admins forbid using it. If it’s a bug, they should delete it.”
“That’s what they’re saying, ‘we’re working on removing it.” Balian chuckled.
“Yeah. They want to, but they can’t.”
“HotCat, have you tried discarding it?” Komtur turned to me. “Does simply dropping it work?”
“I have. It doesn’t.”
“What’s the message?”
“Invalid operation.”
“Olaf, why aren’t you saying anything? Are you an analyst or what?”
The third officer of the Watchers, a fair-haired guy with a blond beard, who hadn’t said a word yet, was slowly examining my star metal sword that was lying on the altar.
“I have a few ideas,” he said, finally. “Komtur, I warn you, this information is strictly confidential, for inner circle only.”
“Talk,” Komtur permitted. “Everybody here is trusted.” Olaf gave me a loaded look.
“Well, HotCat is almost one of ours, anyway,” the Watchers’ leader said. “And if anything happens, we’ll deal with him.” He winked at me. Ola
f nodded and started speaking.
“First things first. The sword obviously has the ‘true possession’ flag. This is a very rare and unpleasant property that’s used to bind NPCs to their key belongings. Rank six and above NPCs, I mean!”
“Rank six are demigods,” Abel remarked.
“Exactly. So that’s how it works: an item with this flag cannot be stolen, dropped, traded, or discarded. You cannot get rid of an item like this, at all! This is done so that Goddess Melissa, for example, could never, under any circumstances, lose her healing caduceus. Do you get my meaning?”
“Quite,” Komtur nodded. “Go on. It’s always nice to hear a smart man talking.”
“The bad thing about ‘true possession’ is that it’s hard to tell who’s the master—the weapon or the owner. They’re bound to each other and cannot be parted. And before you ask, there have been no known cases of a player with ‘true possession’ of an item.”
“But that’s not the worst part. Now on to the ‘sentient item’ thing. There’s been a few precedents. It’s an NPC in the form of an item, controlled by a separate personified AI. Usually acts like a henchman and takes a pawn slot. How many pawn slots do you have, HotCat?”
“So far, none,” I confessed. “I only have four and a half thousand skill points.”
“I forgot you’re a noob,” said Olaf. “Anyway, here we have ‘true possession’ and a ‘sentient item’ rolled into one. So, what does that mean?”
“What?” Balian asked, captivated
Olaf signed. I read his expression, which said you’re all so stupid.
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