The Way of the Clan 2 (World of Valdira)

by Dem Mikhaylov

  ‘Hey!’ I screamed in anxiety. ‘You’re cheaters!’

  I was awarded a short glance. Making sure that I was still hanging out at the top of the tree, they continued their spa treatment.

  'Guys, don’t be so…. It's unfair!’ I tried to call to the wolves’ conscience , while healing myself hastily. ‘And do you think it looks nice when... when three men are licking under each other’s tail? The entire forest will laugh at you! Everybody will say, "Look at our local gay wolves waving their tails!” Do you want it? Come on, guys!’

  While I was orating, the wolves finished licking their companion, its health scale was full again, and stared at me. I also didn’t waste time – I recovered considerably increasing the life scale by three-quarters. Just for three bites of three wolves. The fatigue scale was pale and gently dissolved, indicating that my strength fully recovered. Good too.

  And now I had something urgent to solve. Taking into account the wolves’ ability to recover health, I won’t be able to shoot them from the top of the tree. Shall I get off and run away? It would be naive and wouldn’t work - the wolves can run very fast and for a long time. In any case, they can run faster and longer than me.

  Or shall I sit here till doomsday. It’s not an option.

  With a sigh, I looked around and scowled with displeasure - I was sitting on top of a lonely pine tree standing next to no trees. In five or seven meters behind me a cliff, without a trace of vegetation rose.

  Rock walls heaved up high, at an altitude of about thirty human heights sharply bent to the side and then went up, fifteen meters more. Looking up, I carefully studied the overhanging stone ceiling above me and grimaced in disappointment - too high, I couldn’t reach it. And there was nothing to catch. I did not see any cracks or bushes with strong rhizomes or overhanging vines which I could hang on and play Tarzan. Shit…

  The unharmonized grunts came from below, and then three of the wolves rose on their all four paws simultaneously.

  Tired of waiting? Decided to go away?

  I didn’t have time to come up with other ideas when the wolves sniffed the ground busily, roared a couple of times, as if discussing the plans for the future work, and then began to dig the ground with incredible speed plying their front paws. Right before my eyes the size of a pit formed solid and intertwined roots could be seen.

  Yes, they are digging the tunnel! They are... they are digging under the roots... they... they are bastards!

  Perhaps, it just seemed to me, but the pine began to rock much stronger. But it’s not real life. Here it was quite possible to bring down a tree without many efforts.

  'Hey! Did they update your programs? New patche? Why are you so smart?!’ I yelled anxiously. ‘Guys! Please, don’t do it!’

  The wolves were ignoring my cries diligently continuing their subversive activities.

  ‘I’ll call to Greenpeace!’ I whined helplessly, turning my head from side to side. ‘Don’t touch the reserved pines! Poachers!’

  I didn’t feel like dying that day. I almost reached the twentieth level. A bit more efforts and would reach it. If I die, I’ll lose at least half of the experience.

  I looked again at the cliff and fixed my eyes on it. It seemed to be the only chance. If I leap as further as possible, there is a chance to get to the stone wall by my fingers and try to hang on. Tiny, but still a chance.

  And then it hit me, I slapped my forehead irritatingly and almost fell down from the branches.

  I had a good spell appropriate for that situation! "Sticky vine”.

  I opened the magic book incredibly fast and put "sticky vine" in the right hand cursing myself, as I completely forgot to test it. I quickly looked through the application conditions. All was standard. Wave your hand a little, as if holding a long whip.

  I heard the crackle of bursting roots, the pine tipped groaning.

  I cursed angrily, then turned to the wall and waved my hand dramatically. A thin green whip separated from my hand, reached for the rock... and fell down without touching the stone. It lacked two meters. Something wet clicked again and I heard a nasty crunch of bursting roots. The tree started and then began falling slowly, pulling me along. And the tree wasn’t falling in the needed direction . Quite the opposite.

  'Fuck!!!’ I yelled, straightening my legs abruptly and throwing my body into the air. ‘One! Two! Three!’ I waved my hand and a flimsy green shoot flew to the rock.

  I was following it, my eyes were fixed at a dark spot distinguishing from the total gray mass. I hoped that the vine would hook that bulging stone. If its three-meter length would be enough...

  The following actions happened almost simultaneously. At first there was a sharp slap and the "sticky vine" living up to its name got stuck to the stone, the inertia of my leap was over and frantically clutching the end of the shoot, I made a nice curve in the air crying like hell and crashed into the rock, taking the whole hit by my bent legs . In a fraction of a second the groaning pine dropped to the ground. I heard the muffled growl of disappointed wolves. I did it.

  'Cool. Tarzan would envy me,’ I muttered dully, utterly impressed by mu short flight. ‘And Spider-Man as well, damn it.’

  Making sure that I got "stuck" to the rock and was not going to fall, I looked at the characteristics of the character. Life was almost complete, and continued to recover slowly but surely. But the mana indicator was going down, occasionally making tiny leaps forward and starting to decline again. The speed of mana regeneration had increased significantly, but still it was not enough to use such spells constantly.

  Throwing a glance down, I saw randomly rushing wolves and grinned. They wouldn’t be able to climb the cliff overlooking the woodland or dig under it. But although they could wait until my energy ended and I fell into their mouths like a delicious ripe transparent apple.

  After examining the rock more attentively, I found a small ledge that was wide enough to allow me to stand up and gripping the magic vine, climbed a couple of meters above. Thanks god I was in the game. If such a situation occurred in the real world, I would have failed to do a similar exercise. As my body was not in its best condition...

  I carefully rested one foot on the ledge, making sure it could stand my weight and then dropped the whole mass over it. And instantly deactivated the spell greedily sucking my mana.

  I decided to ignore the raging beasts, focusing on the study of his cliff. Five minutes later I spotted quite a convenient route up. With wide cracks, small protrusions, holes, and even with one long cornice. Plus my "vine." All together it promised not less than eighty per cent chance of a successful rise.

  The mana had already regenerated a bit and, without losing time, I set to work. A little wave of the hand, and rustling shoot escaped up and adhered to the next stone. A couple of quick hand movements, and I found myself three meters above, stepping to the next platform. I deactivated the spell and, clinging to the cracks, I climbed a bit higher.

  Achievement!

  You’ve got the achievement "Cliffhanger" of the first rank!

  See the table of the obtained achievements in the settings of your character.

  Your reward for the achievement:

  + 1% to the movement speed on steep stone surfaces.

  + 1% to finding the way on steep stone surfaces.

  The current bonus: + 1% / + 1%

  Cliffhanger... hmm...

  Nice. If I repeat this operation thirty times, I will reach the top of the hill and see the bend of the river and the village Selen .

  I had never been fond of climbing, but, surprisingly, I adapted to it. More surprisingly, I enjoyed the monotonous climbing higher and higher. Soon one single leap was left, I fixed the "vine”. And the last thing to do was to climb on it, but I hesitated. Swaying over the abyss, watching the distant treetops and giant boulders scattered on the ground here and there, I could not help thinking.

  How much am I ignoring?

  Instead of hanging around in the game for days, I could be conq
uering another mountain peak, and feel real not virtual wind on my face...

  Now my body was resting in the plastic coffin with wacky pot on my head. Only my mind was receiving pleasure. False fun, fake, fake... Why am I so emotional? Maybe just tired? The last days were not easy. Or maybe my carefully maintained suspended animation began to crumble?

  I chuckled foolishly swinging my legs in the air, then looked intently up and climbed the vine. Ok, let’s conquer a virtual summit at least. It’s also an achievement. I clung to the angular stone and began to catch up pulling myself to the top. And the entire body shuddered when someone's hand closed around my wrist and jerked me up like a feather in the air, and then dragged over the rocky land.

  Raising my head, I faced a grinning fangy face of a half-orc-gamer.

  'Thank you, Falcon,’ I smiled back, pulling my legs.

  ‘Never mind!’ the orc shrugged and briefly waved his hand at the same time pulling me over.

  I noticed a lightening sword blade in the air when a purple flash glared in front of my eyes. And another when the half-orc repeated the blow, driving his sword into my open throat.

  Crit!

  Poisoning!

  You’ve got a light poisoning and need immediate adoption of antidote or cleansing spell!

  The cause of poisoning: poison applied to the blade!

  Crimson flashes were flickering in front of my eyes, a very long warning message popped up on the "screen" and a grinning face half-orc was looming in the background...

  The scale of my life was decreasing drastically and instantly blushed furiously blinking. I’m dying...

  Roaring, I waved my free hand casting a "blackthorn hedge” towards the opponent, but Grey Falcon broke the bush by one powerful kick and stabbed the sword into my body again. The scale of life flickered recently and abruptly turned black. Then all the colors gone, everything turned black and white, I couldn’t control the body anymore.

  Like a limp doll I fell down on the ground, getting wrapped in a silvery haze. I hadn’t flown away yet when the gamer that killed me put the paws into the silver mist that my body turned into.

  A white flash glared. For a few short moments a familiar rainbow was shimmering in front of my eyes. When it disappeared, it turned out that I was sitting on a large stone disc dotted with a variety of intricate runes. I was sitting dressed in a white diaper covering my loins and admiring the popped up message:

  Achievement!

  You've got the achievement "Risen” of the first rank!

  See the table of the obtained achievements in the settings of your character.

  Your reward for the achievement:

  +0.5% to the chance to save one or more items of the equipment after the death.

  +0.5% to the chance not to get a penalty harming the accumulated points of experience.

  The current bonus: + 1%

  Additional Information:

  Death is not the end! Remember that you are immortal in the world of Valdira! After the death each gamer will be moved to the nearest respawn location. There are some penalties that vary depending on the location, the gamer's level and type of his opponent...

  I muffled a curse, closed an information window and stared blindly to the west. There in a couple of leagues away the rocky cliff was standing, on top of which my killer was looting my misty corpse.

  I was killed... I was killed!

  A quick glance confirmed that the experience fell by half exactly. I was left with no equipment. As poor as a church mouse. And that mouse was killed by Grey Falcon. The orc of the thirty-seventh level, the aggr-gamer, armed with a poisoned sword. And I personally crawled right into his beak.

  I inhaled deeply several times and exhaled to curb my overwhelming rage. Yes, I was killed. But it was quite expected. It's a game. It is inevitable. And it happens to everybody without an exception.

  That's why I left the horse in the stables, and the most valuable items and money in the hotel. I lost only my leather clothing, the shirt embroidered by Vlasilena from the Cradle, staff, healing potions, and a couple of little things. But all the spell were kept as well as the legendary bracelet in a safe place, a virtual horse was peacefully chewing straw in at least a virtual stable. Not a big damage indeed.

  And I was in rage because of I didn’t expect such a sudden attack and because of the absurdity of my death. I would have saved time, if I had let the gray wolves tear me apart. But who knew?

  While I was comforting myself rolling the situation again and again in my mind, I included Grey Falcon in the list of enemies. You’re a mean bird, Grey Falcon, a very sneaky bird.

  'Hey, good man, would you be so kind to climb down from this holy stone,’ a quiet old man's voice made me start.

  A very old man was standing at the edge of the stone disc, relying on the knotty stick and looking at me with mild reproach in his faded eyes. Well, yes ... I'm bothering anybody here, but I should follow the legend. The "locals" made a cult of respawn locations. And it was quite understandable. This is the place where immortal aliens who come to their world rise again and again after death. It’s a miracle, isn’t it?

  Silently nodding, I came down from the disk and, looking around, saw that I was in a shady park that was not far away from the shopping area, where the gamers’ calls could be heard. That's another good side - I was in the village Selen, my destination.

  Understanding where I was, I walked towards the nearest hotel. I managed to make a few steps when a short turquoise message appeared in front of my eyes:

  You have a new message from the gamer called Grey Falcon.

  Pointing to the icon of confirmation, I dispassionately read the message:

  Well, you are a miserable beggar! Rags and some crap. But anyway, thanks for the gifts. No offence taken, right?

  Short and maliciously. Well, well... I hardly finished reading the first message, when the system issued a warning about another incoming message from the same gamer. I did not read it. I clicked through the menus quickly and added Grey Falcon to the blocklist.

  I hate such guys.

  Okay, he cheated me, used the advantage of the situation, didn’t not miss the chance, but why is he sending me such offensive messages? To amuse his own ego? To mock at me? What a bastard…

  Earth is round. Maybe we'll meet one day. Or maybe I will look for this mountain bird if I have free time. He seems to have an observation post there. Steep walls from one side and gentle slopes from other sides. It is easy to go down, it is easy to climb.

  'Hey, guy!’

  I turned and stared questioningly at the gamer who was calling me. A man dressed in a steel armor with a red cross on his chest. A white cloak over his shoulders.

  'Did an aggr or mobs help you come here?’

  'An aggr,’ I said shortly, starting guess the reason for such an interest.

  'It's good,’ the gamer said cheerfully. ‘Where did he kill you? Who and what level?’

  'At the top of the cliff to the west of the village in the location called Stone Hill. The orc of the thirty-seventh level with the nickname Grey Falcon.

  'Clear! Thank you. We’ll find him soon and send to a respawn location!’ the gamer promised slapping me on the shoulder. ‘We’re Crimson Cross! This land belongs to our clan!

  'Thanks!’ I nodded and after waving good-bye went on seeing that the "crusader" sat down on one of the many benches and shaded his eyes. Obviously, he was sending messages to his clan-mates. Giving the brief description of a dangerous criminal called Grey Falcon. Something like "Wanted: a violent recidivist Grey Falcon! Armed and extremely dangerous, do not take live! "

  Never mind. Even if they kill him, I will still find him to revenge.

  Remembering something, I turned back and said,

  ‘He’s got a poisoned sword. Be careful!’

  ‘I don’t care if he had a nuclear missile!’ the gamer snorted.

  I shrugged and stomped to the hotel.

  It is urgent to get some pants. I do
n’t fancy walking around the village in a diaper.

  ****

  While going through the east gate of the village, I was tired and satisfied at the same time squinting at the slowly setting sun.

  The day was not in vain.

  I reached the twenty-third level.

  I devoted the rest of the day to the most tedious of all possible activities. I was killing all living creatures I met on my way running in circles on the outskirts of the village. I hate it, I hate being in the same location for a long time, but I had no choice.

  I was using only "glowing coal" and "blackthorn hedge". I was persistently beating the very small and easy-to-kill monsters, almost ignoring the big ones.

  About five times I had to escape from aggr gamers running around the district. Thanks god there were no serious opponent among them. Fucking amateurs. They don’t know how to wait and allow a victim to approach closer. Besides, they don’t really use the skills of their characters and their equipment is not adjusted for PvP. Probably I could have killed all of them, but I departed deliberately, ignoring the laughter behind my back. Once or twice I declined the kind offer to take part in a duel.

  Because I had another goal today. I was gaining the experience painstakingly and stuffing my bag with all the trash I could find. Cheap loot from monsters, herbs and mushrooms – I took everything. I got an initial achievement "Mushroom Picker", but I didn’t even pay attention to it. I cared only about fill my backpack. Once that moment came, I rushed back to the village and sold out everything as quickly as possible.

  I had four properly completed quests in my assets. And each of them provided me with precious points of good relations with the villagers apart from experience and some useful stuff.

  For example, to deliver lunch to a shepherd - three other gamers completed the same quest at the same time with me. I cannot imagine how the poor shepherd manages to eat it all. To kill ten ferrets busting chicken coop on a rich farm. To help the very old woman dig up the garden. For this quest, I got the achievement "Digger," which provides a bonus to the speed of digging. The same old woman asked me to bring water from the welland pour it into the tremendous barrel standing on the porch. And it did. Actually I didn’t get an achievement "Water-carrier" and didn’t disappoint me.