Project Daily Grind (Mirror World Book #1)

by Alexey Osadchuk

  He snorted. “You bet! There’re no guidebooks on Mellenville. I’m pretty sure the developers have something to do with it. One thing I do know, though: if a characteristic exists, it means it can affect something.”

  “How am I supposed to level them up, then?”

  He shrugged. “Lots of ways. Jazzing up your clothes might work. Alternatively, having your hair cut like you’ve just done can do the trick too. Basically, giving your char a makeover in whichever way you can think of.”

  Pensively I rose from the chair. “Thanks for the tip.”

  “My pleasure. So are we saving your matrix?”

  “Why not,” I replied. “It’s not gonna hurt, is it?”

  He chuckled bitterly. “I don’t think so. Good luck!”

  I walked out onto the street and temporarily zoned out, thinking. So that’s how it was, then? By having my hair cut, I’d accidentally found out that looks were an important detail in Mirror World. I had indeed read about all the places where they could glam you up, but I’d believed it to be a useless whim.

  “Jazzing up one’s clothes,” I repeated. “How’s one supposed to do that?”

  I decided against going back to the barber’s. I wasn’t going to waste my time standing in line again simply to pose one last question to the owner. I might try another way.

  I opened the map and activated the search. Got it! Oh wow. So many of them! Alice the Seamstress, Alanis’ Tailored Suits, Liseanne’s Fashion House and so on, and so forth—at least fifteen search results. No, enough for today. I was too tired. First the market, then the shops and now fashion houses? I don’t think so!

  I headed for the portal.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  When I could finally make out the outline of the so-called Portal Station far ahead, I thought it at first to be some sort of a local railway station. The building seemed to be fashioned out of a single chunk of white marble with a massive gate, thick walls, wide windows and a huge square tower at its center.

  The waiting room met me with an impeccably polished floor and walls. Row after row of comfortable seats. Lots and lots of ticket counters—at least thirty or forty.

  I happily accepted their offer to download the station’s floor plan. Freebies are always welcome. I opened it and gasped. Some station! It boasted twenty restaurants alone.

  I looked around me. The place was crowded with players. Most of them Grinders, all well-dressed. Some belonged to higher paying plans. For the first time since I’d joined, I saw a level-210 wizard. Some of his stats were made public. I could understand him. He saved himself some time by making everyone kowtow to him. That’s status for you. You just couldn’t avoid these things.

  I also noticed one particular herbalist, definitely the same level as myself. His stats were private but he sported some very pretty decorative inserts on both his jacket and pants. Aha. They didn’t come with the clothes, did they?

  I slumped into a seat and hurried to open the auction tab. My idea was simple. According to the rules, an auctioned item’s stats had to be made public. That made it a perfect place to do some market research.

  I started by setting the search filter to Experienced Herbalist. I then narrowed it further down to Outer Garments. Yes! Just as I thought it would be. Most of the jackets weren’t decorated at all. Then I finally found something similar.

  Name: Funny Ribbon

  Effect: +10 to Endearment

  Restriction: Only Experienced Herbalist

  “I see now,” I whispered.

  There was one last thing left to verify. I changed the Search settings to Experienced Digger. The search immediately produced a few hundred Reflection jackets. At least thirty were decorated with fancy bits of embroidery.

  I closed the auction window, leaned back comfortably in my seat and gave it some thought. It looked like I’d jumped the gun. If all these people saw fit to adorn their clothes, they must have had a good reason to do so.

  I slapped my knees and rose. Better safe than sorry. Lyton was right. The game developers didn’t add new characteristics for nothing. I had to go back to town.

  It didn’t take me long to find the shop of Alice the Seamstress. Why there? Firstly, because it was the closest to the station and secondly, because I had a funny feeling that she and her colleagues must have shared the same profession level, the names of their shops being the only difference between them. I just hoped I could afford it.

  Alice’s establishment looked like a regular haberdashery outfit so popular with the fairer sex. Whenever I entered these kinds of places, I felt terribly out of my depth. Now too, the moment I walked in, I froze like a pillar of salt. This was assortment gone crazy.

  My head turned. Trying not to look at all those spools of colorful cotton, reels of thread, scissors, needle kits, samplers and whatnot, I walked over to the counter and coughed to attract the owner’s attention. “Alice?”

  The storeroom’s door swung open, letting out a slim woman in a colorful frock.

  “Hi, Olgerd,” she said with a cute smile. “How can I help you today?”

  I faltered. “I... you know... I need... how can I say…”

  “Keep going,” she encouraged me, still smiling.

  “I need something to decorate my clothes with,” I winced as I said it. It sounded as if I wanted to decorate a Christmas tree.

  “What characteristics do you have in mind?” she asked, all businesslike.

  Her question caught me by surprise. Either I was a total noob or this was common practice here.

  “Trust, maybe?” I didn’t sound too sure.

  No idea what all those characteristics could do. So I decided to level up the one I already had.

  “How many items would you like to decorate?”

  So decorate was the right word, then. “How about everything I have on? Can you do it?”

  “Of course,” she said. “The belt and the knapsack too?”

  I tried to test the waters. “Is it worth it?”

  Alice shrugged. “You must be heading for the capital, otherwise you wouldn’t have needed to improve the whole kit. That’s what some people do. In my opinion, the more items you have decorated, the better. You shouldn’t think I’m only saying this to attract new custom. This is what I believe to be the answer to your question.”

  I mockingly raised my hands. “I didn’t even mean to upset you. I’ve never done this before, see.”

  She nodded. “I’ve never been to the capital. And I don’t think I will in the foreseeable future. My level’s not up to it. We don’t have much information at all, only whatever rumors reach us occasionally. For instance, they say that you shouldn’t expect new characteristics to work miracles.”

  “How interesting,” I mumbled.

  “Some people try to stuff their kit with as many various characteristics as they can. Some stick to only one as you’ve done.”

  “Which characteristics can you increase?”

  “The standard ones. The same as all the city’s craftsmen of my level. Trust, Courage, Beauty, Endearment, Inspiration. Speaking in terms of your profession, I craft Seasoned-level items,” she smiled again, then added, “I don’t think you’ll find a higher-level craftsman here. I’m the top.”

  I chuckled. “Excellent. That means I don’t need to shop around. As for the characteristics themselves, I might have given it some consideration had I known what exactly there was to consider. It’s all too vague. I’d love to ask someone who’d already been to the city. That would have made my decision so much easier.”

  “Don’t even think of doing that,” she warned me. “No one will say anything. They might even hurt you—verbally or otherwise.”

  “Oh really?”

  “Sure,” she nodded. “This is a taboo subject.”

  “Thanks for telling me,” I said pensively. I already had a theory. Now I had to go there and see for myself. “I think I’ll stick to Trust. It sort of sounds more specific than the rest.”

 
She nodded. “All of your items?”

  “Yes.”

  “That’ll be nine ornamental ribbons. Have a look.”

  A small ribbon appeared on the counter, covered in a simple floral pattern.

  Name: Flower Band

  Effect: +10 to Trust

  That would be +95 in total. Another pig in a poke. Still, it was probably worth it.

  “Ribbons are a bit like runes,” Alice explained. “One ribbon per item.”

  I nodded. “I see. How much do I owe you?”

  “Sixty gold each,” she said with a humble smile.

  I burst out coughing. This way I’d be penniless by the time I got to Mellenville!

  “That’s including the discount,” she drove the last nail into the coffin. “You can check it if you want. Those in the auction cost a lot more.”

  I pulled myself together and forced a smile. I’d have to buy them.

  My virtual wallet had grown 540 gold lighter. With Alice’s permission, I immediately installed all the ribbons onto my clothes and checked my reflection in the mirror.

  There was one good thing about it. My shaggy Ennan now looked like a respectable dwarf. Hopefully, also trustworthy.

  On my way back to the station, I met three dwarves. One of them was none other than Breon, the Ironbeards’ headhunter. All three nodded to me politely. Breon’s eyes betrayed nothing but respect. Which was weird. He probably hadn’t recognized me. Or had forgotten my nickname. Then again, it was perfectly understandable. Who would dream of putting a ragamuffin’s name to the face of an honorable dwarf? The former a Seasoned Digger, the latter an Experienced one, apparently on his way to the capital to do some urgent business.

  This little incident had admittedly boosted my morale. I nodded back to them and continued on my way, fighting off the desire to turn around and double-check on them.

  The ticket counters turned out to be terminals similar to those I’d used back at the mines. I stopped next to one of them. In the next moment, the terminal sprang to life.

  Greetings, Olgerd!

  This is Portal Terminal # 5778

  Would you like to buy a ticket?

  Sure I would.

  Please choose your destination.

  I scrolled through hundreds of place names for Mellenville West. According to Dmitry, this was the area with the cheapest rent.

  Price: 10 gold

  Warning! The effect of teleportation will cause your Energy level to drop 500 pt.

  Confirm the purchase: Yes/No

  Yes, sure.

  Pillage and plunder! My daily commute was going to cost me an arm and a leg plus a serious drop in Energy. According to some forum, every trip would increase my reputation with Portals. The number of reputation points depended on the distance of the trip. Once I leveled it up, I could start using the portal shop which offered quite a few interesting goodies, like discounted season tickets and special portal charms that contained enough Energy for the jump, among other useful stuff. Provided you could afford them, of course.

  Thank you! Your name has been added to the Portal listings. You can teleport when ready. Have a good trip!

  I sighed and headed for the portal module. Guided by the floor plan, I entered the station’s North wing. That’s where the portal itself was installed: a giant mirror, its frame of white marble bejeweled with precious stones of every size and color.

  The mirror pane was divided into two sections. They must have been both entrance and exit. The portal’s smooth, dull silvery surface reflected nothing. Occasionally it rippled whenever a player crossed over. I wouldn’t have said that the place was packed with potential travelers. Then again, this was one of the backwater clusters: the outskirts of Mirror World. I may have been wrong but I hadn’t yet seen one player exiting the portal.

  I could see those walking in front of me disappear inside the mirror. It didn’t feel good. I knew this was a game and all that, but still.

  Finally, I was the first in line. I closed my eyes—don’t ask why—and stepped in.

  It felt as if I’d plunged under water. All the sounds were drawn out. I moved as if in slow motion. It lasted maybe a couple of seconds. Then a cacophony of voices assaulted my eardrums. I opened my eyes. My jaw dropped.

  I had thought that today’s market square had been busy. Well, that was nothing compared to what I was now witnessing. The waiting area of Mellenville’s portal station must have held at least several thousand players. I’d been told many times that the number of the game’s registered users was massive but only now had I realized how seriously large it was.

  I received the standard system message complete with the offer to download a few apps. Strangely enough, I found it reassuring.

  Using the freshly-installed scheme, I navigated the crowd toward the exit. I was quite happy to discover that the 500 Energy they’d charged hadn’t at all affected my wellbeing. The 100+ Strength points took care of my regeneration just fine. According to Dmitry, by the end of the month I might find it harder but at the moment I shouldn’t sweat it.

  Mellenville met me with a bright sunny day and the brilliant splendor of shop windows. I was deafened by the tolling of bells, the clopping of hundreds of horse hooves and the midday chiming of the clock on the donjon.

  If someone asked me to describe it all in one word, the word would be city.

  Carts and carriages of every shape and form scurried about. Flocks of colorful birds fluttered amid groomed trees and shrubs. Children ran around the many fountains and flower beds…

  Yes! That’s what it was! All the time I’d been in the game it felt as if something was missing. But only now I knew what it was. Until now, I’d not seen one child in the whole of Mirror World. But here, wherever I turned I could hear children’s happy screaming, laughter and angry whining.

  Young mothers promenaded up and down the boulevard, pushing prams and strollers. Newspaper-reading fathers occupied the park benches keeping a watchful eye on toddlers crawling in the grass playing with their colorful toys. Two young students walked past me, engrossed in a passionate discussion. All these babies, children and teenagers made the world of Mellenville so much more real.

  I opened the map. According to Dmitry, I should be looking for either a hotel or a player-owned boarding house. The ideal scenario would be to find one owned by an NPC but at the moment I couldn’t hope for that. The interface box of my reputation with the city was displaying a glowing zero. From what I’d read in forums, you had to level up your relationship with NPCs slowly, little by little. It was a bit like building a card house which might tumble at any moment. And one’s reputation with Mellenville was, in the eyes of NPCs, a very important factor indeed. The higher it was, the higher your chances of receiving a nice quest with a hefty reward. Having said that, my reputation with the Portals had already grown 10 points. Not bad for a start.

  I entered “property to rent” into the Search box. Oh. The search came back with posh villas, imposing mansions and any number of luxurious hotel suites. The prices were outrageous. One night at the Pearly Castle Hotel cost twenty thousand gold. Its screenshots hurt your eye with its rooms’ regal splendor. But twenty grand!

  I sorted the search results by Price: lowest first but failed to study the outcome. Someone kept tugging at my sleeve, gently but insistently. Excuse me? I looked down. What did we have here?

  Two huge blue eyes. A tousled head of ginger curls. A smattering of freckles on the child’s nose. He was about six years old, dressed in a funny pair of shorts and a dark green singlet. When he saw that his tugging had finally forced me to look down, he began explicating politely, pointing his plump little finger,

  “’xcuse me mister, but my ball it’s dropped in the fowntin over there and Mom don’t let me get my feet wet...”

  I smiled and ruffled his hair. “Your Mom is right. You should listen to her. Where is she?”

  “”She’s gone to fetch some ice lollies,” he said.

  “Well, ice lollies are i
mportant business indeed. Where’s your ball, then? Show me.”

  The kid darted off to the nearby fountain, skipping and hopping, all the while pointing his finger at it.

  The “fowntin” wasn’t deep at all. The water didn’t even reach my knees, so fishing the orange ball out of it presented no problem. As I climbed out, I noticed that the area was truly busy with players. What had prompted the kid to approach me of all people? I’d been standing at least ten paces away for the fountain. Had he asked everyone around but hadn’t got anyone help him? Hardly. Never mind. No skin off my nose. The kid was happy, that was all that counted.

  “Thank you, Uncle Olgerd!” the kid shouted and bolted off, skipping and hopping down the boulevard.

  A 3D message unfolded before my eyes,

  Congratulations! You’ve just completed a hidden quest: The Unsinkable Ball.

  Reward: +5 to your Reputation with Mellenville

  Congratulations! Your reputation with the city of Mellenville has grown 5 pt.!

  Warning! The forces of Dark never sleep! Their spies are everywhere! You must swear a solemn oath that you will never tell anyone about the origin of your reputation! In the name of the forces of Light, vouch to never disclose anything you know about Mellenville!

  Do you swear: Yes/No (Obligatory)

  Oh wow. The further it goes, the messier it gets. Mechanically I pressed Yes. There was no other way, really.

  Immediately the system treated me to another message,

  Warning! If you break your oath, you’ll lose all your Reputation points with Mellenville already gained. An oath-breaker will find it very hard to regain respect in this city.

  While this new fact was sinking in, I overheard a happy child’s voice not far away,

  “Mommy! Mommy, look! Uncle Olgerd has rescued my ball for me!”