“Shut it down, Evolett!” I instantly shut off the mana flow, turned to Magdey and launched the second part of our plan. “Go!”
Center—mount and charge! Wings—defensive domes and retreat!
It’s hard to survive Meteor Shower, but not impossible…To do so, the players need to be covered by defensive domes and wear good armor—also, their Hit Points need to be raised to a 100%. In that case, every one of them should survive. But when you’re naked, without a single dome and suddenly flaming boulders begin to fall on your head…Even if the area of effect isn’t very large—a mere hundred meters (and the spell can’t be re-targeted)—the chances of the dense crowd getting out alive were zero. The first phase of our plan worked perfectly, though Ehkiller’s brothers wouldn’t be fooled by the fog maneuver again…All the worse for them…
The second phase of our plan was as simple as a brick—the center casts all its defenses to the wind, mounts its pets and sallies forth. Even if they don’t do anything to the enemy in the damage department, they’ll accomplish their main task—knock the players to the ground, ride over them and split the enemy forces in two halves. This kind of maneuver wouldn’t make much of an impression on battle-hardened raiders, yet ordinary warriors and mercenaries…Seeing an avalanche of players on steeds hurtling towards you, bulging their eyes and screaming some battle cry…Why, you might just forget that you’re only playing a game and succumb to panic. And a panicking enemy is our friend, brother and ally—whom I’m always happy to see. Our kamikazes would be wiped out very quickly—I was sure of that—but at the very least they’ll make one pass through the Azures and split our foes in two parts. Which is what I need.
Wings—combine! Attack their left flank!
It’s a simple fact that we can’t destroy all of them. We don’t get XP for killing players—that’s another simple fact. What do we have to do to squeeze out some advantage? Yup—destroy the guards. The 30% XP penalty for respawning can be recouped by rolling over the NPCs, ignoring the players for a short while. I still have the ‘Last Word’ in store for those. But the guards and the phantoms are a very useful factor in this ordeal. Why not use them to their utmost?
“The center is 30%, no, 33% destroyed.” Despite the rapidly unfolding events, our scout went on with his report. “The enemy has been split in two parts. Our center is 67% destroyed. During the charge we have destroyed…”
Phoenix group—attack! Your objective is to break through the enemy! Come on, boys—show us what you’re famous for! Don’t let them close ranks even for a minute!
Sorry, boys, but you’ll have to die a little for the wellbeing of my clan. Three hundred warriors—perhaps not the best in Malabar, but the best in my army—had to hold the gap my center had made. It worked out perfectly—the players were all on one side and almost all the guards were on the other. No, okay, there were players there too, but there were definitely more guards, so that’s where we’d go. I wasn’t sorry to lose the Phoenix group. It had played its part.
“The center is gone and our wings have joined,” the scout reported again. “At the current moment, we have 7,700 men and the enemy has 10,200—not counting the guards.
All raid party members—fog incoming!
Once more the fog and once more the domes of protection. There was no chance of repeating the feat with the Meteor Shower—but there wasn’t any need either. The point of the fog now was to conceal us from enemy attack and force them to attack our general area. I wasn’t afraid of a retaliatory shower from the Azures—we were sufficiently defended. And the enemy knew this. And we knew that the enemy knew this. And the enemy knew that we knew that the enemy…But okay, I’m getting distracted.
“Chain Lightning—two hundred down. The Phoenix group has only two hundred remaining…One-seventy…Eighty guards have been destroyed…Black plague—three hundred down…”
The scout’s report was dry and ominous—we were growing fewer and fewer, while our enemy kept using stronger and stronger spells. On the other hand, there was an upside too—we were gaining experience for killing the guards. In fact, it had started flowing in so quickly that in just ten seconds, a welcome message appeared before me. I had reached Level 102…
“We’re stuck!” Magdey wrote in the clan chat. He and his men had taken up positions in the front lines. “We’re not going to get farther!”
“The Phoenix group has been eliminated,” the scout reported. I checked the time and smiled—they had held out a whole minute longer than I had reckoned they would. We had been granted two minutes of battle with the guards, but now the main mass of players would collapse on us…This looked like it was it…It had been a good fight…But I must admit that the Phoenix boys had earned their fame. I would have to thank Ehkiller for them…
Bubble on the kamikaze!
Hum…That’s an odd message. I don’t remember discussing this…Why is Magdey suddenly improvising? It’s not like him, and…
Something vast and black engulfed us. It was as if someone had deleted the sun and forgotten to hang up Barliona’s two moons. Or the stars. The darkness was so impenetrable that it was even a little scary—what if Cthulhu suddenly showed up?
But Cthulhu didn’t show…a hurricane did….
The enemy Mages summoned an unimaginable hurricane right in the middle of our host, and it scattered us like a bunch of kittens. For the first time in my life I understood how laundry feels in a washing machine—I was being spun from side to side, slammed into other players, dragged along the earth, and losing 5% of my Hit Points every second.
I can’t explain how I survived it—my pitiful attempts to summon the Healing Spirits seemed in vain. Several times someone cast a bubble on me, and a ward that decreased damage taken by 50% as well as some other buffs: Evidently, despite the insane whirlpool, the Raiders went on heeding their prior orders to ensure that I survive. I’d have to make sure to reward my entire clan with a prize. Remember this, Imitator: a 50% bonus to each player’s monthly salary.
“723 players in the ranks,” my scout reported calmly from somewhere under me. The twister did not scatter us across a large area. To the opposite, it clumped us all in one pile. What a pleasure it was to be buried under dozens of writhing bodies, all of them cursing the guy who cooked up this battle. An immense pleasure indeed, considering that there were others, less fortunate than I, beneath me. Quite a demoralizing spell, this. I’d need to find out what it was called. It could come in handy. “Enemy losses amount to…”
Raid party—Plan B: 10 second countdown. Casting fog again!
What I like about this game is that, unlike in reality, you don’t have to pull your head through a hefty breastplate, or fasten your boots and belt. Especially when you’re buried under a mass of bodies and a cloud of fog. All you have to do is write up a little script before the battle that will remove anything you want from yourself and place it in your bag. Right before my eyes, the players I could see went suddenly ‘naked’—no one wanted to lose their equipment. I wonder—will the Azures buy this fog as well?
In connection with your death, your level of Experience has been reduced by 30%. Current Experience…
“Here he is, the bastard!” hissed some player as soon as I appeared at the respawn point. Judging by his reaction, he had not disrobed in time. Well, I’d consider that a minor success. “Have a rest, you jerk!”
In connection with your death, your level of Experience has been reduced by 30%…
“My turn!” yelled one of the Level 270 Mages. I managed to lift my head in time to suffer a headshot from an icicle. That hurt! It’s a good thing I don’t have any Legendary items…
In connection with your death, your level of Experience has been reduced by 30%…
“He’s back!” a happy voice sounded again.
“Guys, come on! Is this really that entertaining?” I managed to say before three axes at once sent me back to black nonexistence. I did manage to notice that there were very many players with the Ph
oenix and Azure Dragons’ crests gathered around the respawn point. I guess I won’t be getting out of here any time soon…
In connection with your death, your level of Experience has been reduced by 30%…
“He’s respawned!” another cry. Okay, they were really starting to get on my nerves now! Including my very first respawn, I’ve already spent two days dying and respawning. Unlike the ordinary players who can pop out and have a walk around reality for several days, pass the time, the duration of my respawn was strictly controlled—every twelve hours…Bunch of assholes…
In connection with your death, your level of Experience has been reduced by 30%…
At the behest of a Herald, you have been granted 24 hours immunity to all attacks from other players.
“There he is again!”
“Please forgive my interference,” finally said the voice that I had been waiting for from the very beginning—the Herald’s bell indicated that the battle had finally drawn to a close for me. At least for the next day. “Free Citizen Mahan has acquired temporary immunity to damage from players. I wish to remind you that under Barliona law, the premeditated and malicious restraint of a Free Citizen at the respawn point may be viewed as a violation of the given law.”
“We ain’t violating nothing, Herald,” said a voice I’d heard before somewhere. “We just wanted to up our PK count a bit. Who knew that this citizen is so powerless?”
“You alive, Mahan?” a message from Magdey immediately appeared in the clan chat. “Sorry, but they’re not letting us through to the respawn point—they’ve got all the approaches to it covered. Wait for the Herald. He should be there soon.”
“He’s already here…”
“Excellent. We’ll cast a portal and pull you out of there. Twenty seconds!”
“What about the raid? What about Altameda?”
“In that case, please keep my words in mind the next time you wish to increase your counter,” the Herald said at this moment and vanished in his portal.
“Well? You happy, Mahan? Nothing for you so nothing for anyone else, eh?” said the same familiar voice. A huge, dense crowd surrounded me so tightly I could barely move. Were they trying to mess with me? How naïve…Peering closer, I recognized the owner of the familiar voice—it was one of the raiders from the Dark Forest. I didn’t even bother to check the name of this player, who was from the Heirs of the Titans clan. I couldn’t care less.
“It’s ready. We’re roping you in,” wrote Magdey and the angry faces of the players vanished—and were replaced by the familiar hubbub of the city.
“So what happened?” I asked as soon as I emerged from the portal. I was in a safe zone of Anhurs, with Barsa before me—so, leaving Magdey in peace, I immediately started grilling the girl.
“Forty-two of our players didn’t remove their equipment in time and want help purchasing new gear. I agreed, despite the contract. As for the rest, everyone’s happy. The XP from the guards more than compensated the respawn penalty. We destroyed about 99% of the defenders—a hundred or two were outside of the scroll’s radius…Altameda is fine. There aren’t any guards left—the garrison was close to the kamikaze. Your mercenary, Geyra I believe, contacted me and asked when you would return. I explained to her that I didn’t know, so she said that she wouldn’t terminate your agreement until she had a chance to speak with you…What else…All three clans have filed claims against us to the tune of around forty million gold, and…” Barsa giggled as if she didn’t want to go on, so I was forced to prod her a little:
“And?”
“All three clans have blacklisted us and are obsessed with pursuing us until we respawn. Evolett wanted to get you out, but Phoenix scattered any help he tried to muster because you deprived them of the opportunity the castle presented…”
“Deprived?” I asked surprised.
“The next day after our battle, Phoenix and the Azures went back to level up with the phantoms—who turned out to have grown to Level 380. These mobs, it turns out, are governed by a very curious experience algorithm—they grant XP only to whoever does more than 50% damage to them. Since it’s so difficult to accomplish this now, the grinding exercise has, well, ground to a halt. After all, as soon as a phantom enters blessed ground, he’ll basically destroy himself. The phantom hunt can only happen inside Eluna’s circle, yet the working conditions there are too difficult. Plus there’s the blessing’s cool off period …Anyway, everyone’s pissed at you and holds you responsible for this loss. They’re killing us anywhere they can find us, including at our mines…While you were off respawning, the clan lost all but three gatherers and four laborers. On the other hand, all the Raiders have remained. Stacey and Plinto are still nowhere to be found, and I have no idea how to get in touch with them. Their amulets don’t work and they don’t seem to be checking their mail. There are several pluses however—in the weekly leaderboard for most influential player, you’re now ranked second after Ehkiller. The challenge, the creative tactics that took into account the enemy spies, the will to go through with it knowing the end result…They even made a show about our battle. I watched it last night. You know what it’s called? ‘The Elephant and the Pug.’ Everyone’s calling us ‘The Legendary Elephants of Barliona’ now.”
“Elephants?”
“Cool, ain’t it? Undigit—as the greatest victim of your Armageddon exploit—has unfurled a full-scale media campaign against our clan. They’re hitting us on all fronts…They even dredged up the accusation that we charge players for quests—that’s a reference to the Dark Forest. On the other hand, his clan’s new nickname among the public is the ‘Azure Pugs.’ But look, I don’t have a minute to spare at the moment. There’s been over 17,000 applications to join our clan, despite the blacklist.”
“What about Evolett?”
“Nothing. His warriors respawned. No one messed with them and they returned peacefully to Kartoss, happy and content that they acquired the pirate quest. He already spoke with me and told me that he wouldn’t begin it without you—he wants to do it together. The Emperor sent an invitation—check your mail. Some way or another, we’ve formed the first ever alliance of two clans from the different empires. I bet he wants to thank you. Ah! Almost forgot—Eric, Leite and Clutzer were summoned to the Emperor yesterday and granted the reward for the First Kill Achievement. You were a little occupied, so the Emperor promised to meet with you separately—or so the Herald told me. The kiddos won’t tell me what they received, but they’re as pleased as a dog with two tails. In general, I have to say that everyone is super satisfied with our battle and there are constant offers to do it again—we haven’t actually captured the castle yet. According to the clan ratings, we’re currently in 4,776th place.”
“Got it…What’s our plan?”
“At the moment, Magdey is running the new players through the Dungeons. We’re looking to assemble seven or eight raiding parties. The laborers and gatherers present a bit of a problem right now, but I think it’ll blow over soon enough. In a week, the clans will get tired of hunting us and we’ll be left alone. Only, one request—don’t attack again for the time being. It’s true that we’d have more recruits, but the clan treasury won’t handle another Armageddon. And without the spell, we won’t make it.”
“Oh, sure they’ll leave us alone,” I grumbled, turning away from the girl and towards the two high-level Rogues standing at the edge of the safe zone. They returned my look by running their thumbs across their throats. It was looking like we’d have to use portals to leave Anhurs—and stay away from populated areas…But first…
“Geyra, how are you? This is Mahan! Yes, I only just respawned and would like to discuss our further cooperation…You did what? And? Right up to the inside gate? How many did you lose? Excellent! And then what? Okay! Let’s meet up then. Send me your coordinates…”
Stunned, I looked at my amulet barely processing what I had just heard. During the big explosion, Geyra’s squad, which had been at some distance from t
he battle, managed to infiltrate the castle without losing a single warrior in the process. A day later, they had been repulsed, but the mere fact that Armageddon could clear out Altameda, without damaging any of the buildings—made me very happy. I could purchase another scroll, detonate it, and then swoop in and pick up the sweet remains. I’d have to speak with Evolett—maybe he had one more of those beauties lying around somewhere…
Chapter 11. The Thricinian Secret
“Mahan, I’m dead certain now that we can’t reach the center of the castle directly,” Geyra said sadly. “The phantoms managed to stop us even back when they were Level 300. Now that they’ve reached Level 380…We can take on one at a time, but an entire group of them…Do you have another Armageddon scroll by any chance?”
“Unfortunately no,” I shook my head. Evolett merely laughed when I offered to buy another scroll. By the way, I finally found out why there are so few of these useful scrolls in Barliona. First, the spell must be enchanted on a special sheet of paper that grows once a month from some rare tree. Every self-respecting clan has one of these trees, which typically grows in the middle of their castle, so this doesn’t pose that much of a problem. The problems are elsewhere: The scroll must be ‘charged’—invested with about twenty million points of mana during one day. This involves the uninterrupted work of several hundred high-level Mages. But even this isn’t the problem—it’s not difficult to find Mages who are willing to wave their hands over a scroll for hours on end—no, the chief difficulty is that after preparing the scroll and filling it with mana, you have to go to the High Mage and have him inscribe the spell structure onto the scroll and then ask either the Emperor or the Dark Lord to have them breathe life into this scroll. Only after this is the scroll ready for use. Considering the hurdles involved in gaining an audience with the mighty of this world, I can safely conclude that an Armageddon scroll represents a truly special kind of pleasure.
The Phantom Castle (The Way of the Shaman: Book #4) LitRPG series Page 32