The Secret of the Dark Forest ( (The Way of the Shaman: Book #3)

by Vasily Mahanenko

  "Clutzer, you're a genius! We could earn so much cash this way that it'll last us for the rest of the Game and then some!"

  "I don't know about 'genius'," smiled Clutzer, "but the idea does have merit. Now we need to draft a proper agreement, which will limit the rights of everyone except members of the Seathistles clan. I can do that and when Leite, our most bribable official – I mean that most affectionately, no need to look at me like that – gets back, he'll check it over and amend where necessary, as we did with the Clan Agreement."

  "How do we connect the High Priestess scenario to it all?" I asked Clutzer. "We should try to make sure that no-one (or only a very limited number of people) knows about the existence of the second quest. At the same time, the sharing of that quest should happen only via myself or it will spread like a virus through all the clans. It could easily end up being completed in the blink of an eye, altogether without us."

  "But how do we even tell the high-level players about the Guardian's quest?" put in Eric. "We're here and they're all the way in Anhurs. Do we send them letters? They'll never believe us."

  "I'll handle that part. I have a communication amulet for contacting Anastaria. I'll start with her and then we'll see. I'll invite Plinto as well – his behavior was just a little too strange when I was attacked. I have a communication amulet for contacting him too, so we'll have a chat. I have nothing to lose and something tells me that debts like that have to be repaid. Although, stop! Guys, we're getting a bit ahead of ourselves! We've decided everything between the three of us, but what about Leite, Dukki, Sushiho and Elenium. Even Barsina, if you think about it! I think it would be wrong to take any steps before discussing things with them! We should wait until the evening and only then start offering the quest to everyone. Is that all right with you?"

  There were no objections, so I closed my eyes for a nap. It felt like only few moments later when I opened them as Clutzer was shaking me like a doll.

  "Mahan, wake up! You have to see this!"

  I quickly checked the clock and was surprised to see that almost six hours had gone by and then looked to where Clutzer was pointing. A Copper Vein. A Large Copper Vein. A Tin Vein. A Large Tin Vein. A Marble Vein. A Silver Vein. A Large Silver Vein, Iron ... all the veins were standing next to each other, taking up about a third of the glade. The other two thirds weren't exactly empty either: one was full of herbs, where Eric was already vigorously grazing, and the other was full of small trees, probably intended for Lumberjacks.

  "And how are we in the middle of a resource El Dorado all of a sudden?" I couldn't help saying. I noticed that as soon as Eric picked a flower another identical one sprung up in its place a moment later.

  "I have no idea what's going on here, but our professions are being leveled up, which is the main thing," said Clutzer, sharing the happy news. "I've got my Herbalism up to the maximum, so I'll start on the Lumberjacking now. Eric will be finishing with the herbs soon as well. His main profession, Smithing, has been leveled up pretty well, so he'll get further than me with Herbalism. No matter, I'm a Wood Carver, so I'll be getting some materials for leveling up in that. Look how much wood is growing around here. Right, I've got you up, now it's up to you what you want to do next – I'm quite busy at the moment. I wanted to wake you straight away when it started, but the Guardian wouldn't let me. He put up a dome of twigs around you, but as soon as that was gone, I shook you awake to fill you in. But now, I'm off." Clutzer ran off towards the trees and soon the surrounding area was filled with the sound of the axe and Anastaria's amulet exploding in a torrent of swearing.

  "And good day to you too, beautiful!" I greeted the girl, activating the amulet. At least I hope it's her and not Ehkiller or Hellfire. That would be a bit awkward!

  "Where the heck are you?" Instead of a normal 'Hello', something between an agitated and a shouting voice hit me from the amulet. You never know in Stacey's case. "I couldn't connect to you for five hours! The amulet went mad and kept telling me that you were outside the reachable zone! That can't happen in Barliona! Amulets can be accessed at any point in the Game, even in other worlds that unlock for special quests! But you were completely out of reach! I even contacted the developers, asking why the amulet was behaving so strangely, but their reply was that everything occurring was in accordance with game logic. How did you manage to hide?"

  "I was asleep," I had no idea how to respond to this barrage.

  "Asleep? The amulet should have been screaming like mad until you woke up."

  "Stacey, why were you calling in the first place?" I decided to quickly change the subject to dampen Anastaria's onslaught. If I started responding in the same tone, I could easily blurt out where I was, what I was doing and how to get the quest. I think not. I needed a 'time out' to gather my thoughts and set out my conditions.

  "What's that? Someone's chopping wood in the background? Are you in the middle of a logging camp? How did you manage to hide from the communication amulet?" The girl continued to dig for information, so I went on the offensive:

  "Stacey, give me the password for full access to the Phoenix clan treasury."

  There was a sudden silence on the other end of the amulet and then Anastaria said in a happy voice:

  "Great! I was beginning to fear that you'd spill all the beans to me now. Still, I had to give it a try, no?" This was followed by a little laugh on the other end of the line, as if she was savoring every moment of this conversation. "I wanted to congratulate you. Looks like you've somehow managed to get hold of some Lapis Lazuli on your own, right?"

  "Look, here's my standard answer: what makes you think that I was the one that created the Dwarves? It's not like I even need them."

  "I didn't say a word about the Dwarves. I congratulated you on getting hold of the Lapis, that's all."

  "Damn! Stop trying to confuse me already! Instead tell me what's a 'zone Guardian' and what one does with it?"

  "A zone Guardian?" her voice sounded surprised, as if she’d never heard of such a thing, but I felt with every fiber of my being that Stacey knew full well what it was. "It sounds familiar, but I just can't remember. Where did you hear this expression?"

  "Well, you see, I have no idea how, but I managed to remove the taint from a small plot of a cursed forest, after which a half-dead local Woodwothe crawled over to me and named me a Guardian. But I haven't received any announcements about it. So now I'm sitting here and working out what’s to be done next. Because something tells me that I shouldn't leave this place."

  "Which forest are you in right now?"

  "Stacey ..."

  "Mahan, do you want the information? If you do, let's both share."

  "Yeah, right. So this is the bit where I tell you where I am and instantly get landed with a hundred-strong Phoenix strike-force flying around the area and getting in the way of me completing the quest. I've been there in Beatwick, when Hellfire destroyed my wolves because he happened to be passing through and was bored. I can't tell you my location."

  "All right, I'll look up what a Guardian is and how a player can end up being one and get back to you. But remember, you'll owe me."

  Just a few minutes later Anastaria called back.

  "Looks like you’ve gotten caught up in something big over there!" came the girl's cheerful voice. "When I get kicked out of Phoenix, I'll be sure to join you. Interesting things keep happening to you and I want in. Would you accept this newbie girl into your clan again?"

  "Only if you make it through the selection process," I replied, mirroring Anastaria's tone. " The cookies were a one-time-only offer. To enter the clan a second time you'll have to try very hard."

  "Oh, I will, to be sure. So, what are zone Guardians and what do you do with them? There isn't all that much information out there, because even though Guardians periodically appear in Barliona, the logic behind their appearance hasn't been completely understood yet. You weren't given an announcement for the simple reason that you would only have been a Guardian until you get sent f
or respawn. After this your zone would disappear and be absorbed back into the surrounding world, in your case, a forest. No-one can cause you any harm in the zone of which you are a Guardian and, essentially, this is it. We can only guess what the developers meant by this title, but, personally, I think that this could be connected to some hidden quest chain. You'll have to dig a bit deeper. I don't suppose you need the aid of a mercenary? We could sign an Agreement stating that I would be acting purely as a hired hand for the duration of your quest and ensuring there wouldn't be hordes of Phoenix players running around. It would be quite interesting to finally get to the bottom of this Guardian business. Often players themselves don't realize that they've been made a Guardian and only find this out once they've been sent for respawn and the relevant message pops up. But here we have a unique case of you being told who you are. You haven't died yet, I hope?"

  "No, I haven't died and I don't need hired help right this moment. Let's be in touch in the evening. I may have a thing or two to tell you."

  "Mahan, I gave you the information you needed, so you owe me! If you want to stay on good terms, learn to share!"

  "Stacey, the information that you just gave me isn't worth me granting you access to anything. Check your mail for the description of a certain quest – sorry, I won't be adding a proper link to it, since it will show you where we are. Once you read it you'll see for yourself that I'm right." I opened the Mailbox and copied the conditions of the Guardian's quest, while deleting any mention of the Dark Forest. Let Anastaria turn on her brain and try to figure out for herself what this is all about.

  The silence from the amulet seemed to last an eternity.

  "For a day after a plot of land chooses you as its Guardian, it will produce rare ores, trees and herbs. Some of them will match the level of your gathering profession, but the majority will be much higher. In a zone like this the leveling up in all professions happens at double the normal speed. I wanted to find out where you are in order to send a team of gatherers there. There have been cases of a Diamond Vein, Redwood or Emperor's Bloom appearing in such places. Do I need to tell you how much all of this can be worth? The resources appear 12 hours after the event, and judging by the chopping sounds in the background, you already know about that. This is my full answer about the Guardian."

  "And why couldn't you tell me this straight away?"

  "And why couldn't you tell me about the quest straight away?" Anastaria replied with a question of her own.

  "What's with the habit of answering a question with a question?"

  "And what's with the habit of driving a girl nuts?"

  "You're not married by any chance?" smiled Eric, who had finished gathering the herbs and was listening to our verbal sparring with some interest. "You bicker like you're a seasoned couple."

  "Is that Eric you've got there?" asked Anastaria, showing off her good memory.

  "The one and only. Let's try the following: you've already seen the description of the quest. I will call you in the evening and invite you to do it with us. My clan comes first, so if anyone objects, there'll be no quest sharing. Stacey, I will need more than just the Phoenix people. Get hold of Undigit, Etamzilat and other high-level players. The more people there are from different clans, the lower the price for taking part will be. Yes, you heard me right – anyone who wants to take part in this quest will have to pay. The phrase that I am the only one who can pass on the quest is no exaggeration, but comes straight out of the original quest description. Think it over, gather some people and we'll speak in the evening. Deal?"

  "All right. Until then." When the situation called for it, Anastaria was quite capable of speaking plainly and briefly, without any jests or chuckles.

  The girl disconnected and I sat down on the ground, holding my head in my hands. As much as I had wanted to wait for the others, I failed to keep shtum about the quest and, essentially, made the decision for the rest of the clan on my own. Never mind, the rest of the team should be here in three hours and I'll explain to them that I had little choice.

  "Hello everyone, I'm a bit early today." About ten minutes later Barsina appeared in the glade. "Wow! This is some nice place you've found to make camp! How did you manage to find this? And what's this quest update?" I breathed a sigh of relief: the High Priestess's quest had updated for everyone in the group. "Mahan, would you tell me what happened here while I was away? How come Leite's dead?" Barsina asked after noticing that his frame was grey.

  "Well, there's been a bit of a shoot-out," I replied for us all. Eric and Clutzer were lost to the world with wood chopping as they leveled up in the Lumberjacking profession, so I had to do all the talking. After I told Barsina of our misadventures she asked a reasonable question:

  "You won't mind if I do a bit of gathering of my own? Our agreement doesn't seem to prohibit it, but I wasn't involved in the business of bringing this about."

  "Be my guest." I flexed my shoulders, got my pick out and headed for the Veins. "Just don't be too surprised by what you see.

  "See?" asked the girl, but I didn't reply, having already thrown myself at an Iron Vein. With my level 52 in Mining, I just had 8 more levels to go until I could mine Gold, but the main profession limitation wouldn't permit me to gain more than +2. That's a pity ... should I perhaps focus on leveling up my Jewelcraft instead?

  "It renews itself!" Barsina's astonished voice came from somewhere to the right, as she saw for herself how a new flower sprung up in place of the one she had just picked. She did have a surprise after all, I chuckled, as I continued to strike at the Vein, despite me warning her and everything!

  After increasing my Mining to its current possible maximum (which was limited by my maximum level in Jewelcraft), I sat down under the Oak and began to make rings. Eric and Clutzer followed my example and started to level up in their main Professions, since they had plenty of crafting materials to hand. When Leite appeared two hours later, the Guardian handed him a wooden sword, same as the others, and I sent him off to gather herbs, chop wood and mine veins. Leite's main profession was Alchemy, so he was only able to get it up to 10 with herbs, after that you needed special ingredients like Rat Tails, Spider Legs and Field Mole Whiskers. I had no idea where to get all of these in the Dark Forest, so Leite's leveling up wouldn't get very far. Never mind, the main thing was to lay the foundations – it would be easier after that.

  Anastaria was right: the speed of leveling up in the professions doubled and at times even trebled. In just three hours, until the rest of the group showed up, I got my Jewelcraft as far as 50. Eh ... if I could only get to the trainer now ... he had so many recipes for this level that subsequent leveling up would have been sheer pleasure ...

  "Listen up, everyone!" After I crafted the last ring for the day, I addressed all the industrious herbivores. The players were flying at the herbs as if they'd never seen or gathered them before in their lives. That side of the glade was periodically filled with surprised exclamations and happy shouts whenever someone gained yet another level in Herbalism. "Guys! Stop grazing like a herd of hungry cows. I need you here for ten minutes; it's a serious matter!"

  It's true when they say that as soon as a player sees a freebie, he completely loses his head. "So many herbs ... Aaaahh! We need to gather them! Gather them all!" It never even occurred to anyone that their bags would never be able to fit this much hay. They would stuff their sacks full of Daisies, increase their Herbalism to the point where they could gather Yarrow, then chuck it all out and start gathering Yarrow. Why they couldn't throw things away as they gathered them remained a mystery to me. Probably it broke some religious statute of their greedy inner zoo.

  "So that's how it is." I finished my retelling of the quest and the potential Agreements with the leading clans. "What do you say?"

  "It makes sense to me”, said Barsina thoughtfully, after Sushiho, Dukki and Elenium expressed their approval. "But would this affect our agreement? We signed it for four weeks and at the moment there's a risk of it not
being fulfilled. Ten levels and +40 stats points, in essence comes to almost +18 levels, which is a very nice, but ..."

  "Barsa, I totally see where you're coming from, so I can offer only this: I'm sending you the Seathistles Clan Agreement. Have a look at it and if you find nothing else amiss, we could add the restrictions on open flirting. When you complete quests with us, this one and any others, you will receive as much as any other member of the clan. The degree of the reward will be proportional to the part you take in the quest – it's all there, have a look. I have nothing against simply paying you something for making extra use of your help, but right now I have no idea how much we will earn in the end. It could be a million or a couple of coppers. To avoid these problems, simply join Seathistles, at least temporarily. I think this will give us a fair way to distribute future rewards. What do you say?"

  Barsina stayed silent for a moment, probably reading through the text of our Agreement and weighing something up, and then looked at me and at the other Fighters awaiting her decision and said, "Send me the invite. You have a great Agreement – you can see straightaway that whoever drafted it knew what he was doing. Was it you?"

  "No, but we have a guy in the clan who, one might say, is a specialist in this area." I invited Barsina into the clan as a Fighter and pointed out a pleased-looking Leite: "that's him over there, beaming like he's just won a prize. If no-one else has any other proposals, let's talk about what we'll be asking from our dearly desired top players."