Crym nodded. “That’s his retinue.”
“Yeah, sort of. They’re very strong too.”
“They’re better protected as well,” Shorve the Hasty said without taking his watchful gray eyes off the creatures scurrying around below. He raised a reluctant hand, pointing at the nearest mob, “Take a look at that one. Can you see the bone warts protecting his chest, back and belly? We need to tell the archers to aim better.”
“If they attack us all together, we won’t be able to keep the formation in shape,” Droy summed up grimly. “And if they surround us...”
“The tunnel’s walls give us an advantage,” I said. “Which means we need to take up defensive positions here and lure them out.”
“You’re right,” Droy agreed. “The tunnel’s walls are our allies. Besides, the Rats would first have to climb up here to get to us. That’ll give our archers plenty of opportunity to show what they can do.”
I looked up at Amai. His magic skills made him one of our strongest links — but his impatience also made him our weakest.
“Chief,” I said as amicably as I could, “I’m afraid we’ll need all of your magic skills. You’re our trump card in this battle. We all count on you.”
He stood up proud with his arms crossed.
Enough flattery. Time to get down to business. “But in order for us to use your magic gift more effectively, I have to ask you to move to the center of our formation. You and your archers.”
Amai was about to say something when Pike’s large hand lay on his shoulder.
“Nobody’s asking you to act like a coward,” Pike said once Amai turned to him. “This is only a ruse. You’re our weapon, one that’s important for us and deadly to the enemy. The City Keeper has a point. You’re our trump card. Besides, our warriors might do more good with their arrows than they did with their spears.”
“Very well,” Amai grumbled, obviously pissed by our decision. He shook Pike’s hand off his shoulder, swung round and walked, sulking, to take cover behind our tanks’ backs.
What an obstinate dumbass!
Pike cast a calm glance at me. He could probably read my face like an open book. And not only me: my sergeants’ faces, too, betrayed their true feelings.
“He won’t let you down,” Pike said. He didn’t sound as if he was trying to defend his student — no, his voice was cold and emotionless. Oh, well. Interesting.
“Good,” Droy nodded. “In that case, let’s begin. All we need to do is lure them out. And I think I know who’s gonna do it,” he looked at me with a cunning grin.
* * *
In the end, we didn’t have to lure anyone out. The Rats sensed our presence.
“They’re a bit sluggish, don’t you think?” Orman said, watching the mobs unhurriedly moving toward us.
“They crawl like a tortoise on ice,” Crym agreed.
“Look at the size of them!” Shorve exclaimed in amazement once the wave of monsters was halfway upon us.
“They’re at least two heads above any of us,” Orman concluded, adding grimly. “We’ve got our work cut out for us.”
The mobs’ powerful bodies were covered in bone armor. Their speeds were low. These must have been the enemy’s tanks. Judging by the size of their teeth and claws, their damage numbers were nothing to sniff at.
I hurried to check our shields’ durability. It was less than half. Oh well. Had it not been for Lia’s drawings, we’d have been in real trouble.
They kept closing in, slowly but surely: nearly a hundred creatures level 350.
As they approached, I began to realize that our shield wall wasn’t going to hold them. And then... I dreaded to even think. I had to change tactics if I didn’t want to lose all of my warriors.
I even wondered if Amai had been right offering us to fight separately. Still, this moment of doubt was gone as soon as it came. We’d gain nothing by splitting up. We would die faster, that’s all.
“Lock shields!” Droy thundered. “Don’t let these stinkers break our ranks!”
Our eyes met. His gaze betrayed the same thoughts I’d just been entertaining. But it also glowed with hope: the hope that I just might come up with something.
Very well. Who was I to disappoint him? Time to play my trump cards.
“Droy!” I shouted, leaping into the saddle. “I’m going to distract them! You need lots of arrows! Loads! You need to shoot non-stop and very accurately!”
My Captain’s eyes cleared. His face dissolved in a predatory smile. “You heard him!” he barked.
In one long leap, Boris sprang over the heads of our tanks.
I turned to the Calteans busy checking their weapons. Heh! Whatever had happened to those reindeer herdsmen clad in animal furs? They were gone. I was facing a wall of warriors armed to the teeth, their eyes burning with enthusiasm and determination.
Suddenly I felt an urge to say something to them before the battle.
“Brothers!” I didn’t recognize my own voice brimming with strength and confidence. “You all know why we came here! Which one of you hadn’t dreamed of seeing the Forbidden City and its ancient dungeons? Which one of you hadn’t heard of their incredible riches? The tales of this place and its miracles were handed down from one generation of Calteans to the next! And now we’re here! No one has ever come as far as we just have! You’ve already covered your names in eternal glory! They will make ballads about our journey! Old men will tell your great-grandchildren stories about their ancestral valor! This dungeon is rightfully ours! All we need to do is smoke out these creatures and their sorry excuse for a king! Are you ready to have fun?”
An ear-shattering war cry echoed through the grotto. A forest of brandished swords, spears and battle axes rose over the crowd. Some warriors banged their shields with their weapons. Someone blew his bugle. Boris felt obliged to add his spine-chilling crow to the mayhem.
At that moment, we were quite capable of taking on the devil himself. Honestly speaking, I hadn’t expected this from myself at all.
I gave my army one last once-over, trying to think of something I might have overlooked. Twenty heavy soldiers blocked the cave entrance, with archers waiting behind their backs. Amai was already busy casting some magic. Let’s see if he could surprise us.
I’d taken only the best of our warriors on this raid. The clan’s elite. I’d done everything possible to protect and further empower them: the chainmail shirts, the helmets, the armor, greaves, swords, long spears and several thousand arrows and crossbow bolts. Our archers had the best bows and crossbows. Every single item was “green”.
This was the strongest army the Calteans had ever had — and thanks to our advance through the tunnel, also the highest-level one. I couldn’t see a single warrior under level 320.
And I was about to offer this little army to its first real enemy, a.k.a. the Rat King’s personal retinue.
“Are you ready?!” I bellowed.
“Yaaaaah!” the warriors roared.
“Don’t shoot until I tell you!” I warned them, then turned Boris toward the wave of approaching mobs.
They were running heavily toward us.
Less than two hundred feet away.
I could already hear the unpleasant sound of their claws scraping against the rock.
A hundred and fifty feet. Now I could see the bone warts covering their bodies in every detail.
A hundred feet. Their eyeless heads were tilted upwards, as if they were trying to sniff out their enemy. Drool dribbled down their angular jaws.
Eighty feet. I raised my hand. Behind me, the archers’ bows creaked. Arrows left quivers.
My warriors were ready.
My turn.
You’ve built the simplest mechanical creature: an Armor-Plated Scarab!
Current level: 270
You’ve built the simplest mechanical creature: an Armor-Plated Scarab!
Current level: 270
You’ve built the simplest mechanical creature: an Armor-Plated Scara
b!
Current level: 270
You’ve built the simplest mechanical creature: an Armor-Plated Scarab!
Current level: 270
You’ve built the simplest mechanical creature: an Armor-Plated Scarab!
Current level: 270
Their arrival was met with a unanimous gasp of admiration. I could imagine their faces. I couldn’t blame them: I was a bit shaken myself.
This time my little beasties turned out just fine. Each was the size of an armored police truck. Their steely crests glinted. Their shells, head and legs were covered in sharp spikes.
The scarabs froze. My pounding heart was about to jump out of my chest. Every single hair on my virtual body stood on end. Had I really created these monsters? My brain refused to believe what my eyes were seeing.
Fifty feet. Time to do it.
As if my magic, the scarabs stepped forward in synch. Slowly they began to accelerate their lethal approach.
Despite their weight, their fat legs were fast and agile — soft even. The heavy screech of metal was the only sound making you aware of the deadliness of their descent.
They crashed into the Rats’ ranks about forty feet away from our formation.
I expected to see anything but that. My scarabs’ armored-truck bodies cut into the crowd like hot knives through butter. Their attack was dreadful. They smashed, crushed and rammed all the way through the Rats’ ranks, leaving oily crimson trails in their wake.
I’ll never be able to forget the sound of it. The snapping of bones and the ripping of flesh. The mobs screamed and howled, choking on their agony.
Then the scarabs about-faced as if on cue and plowed their way back through the helpless crowd. More of the same.
“Shoot!” Droy bellowed behind my back so that I nearly jumped. I’d lowered my hand, hadn’t I?
Several dozen bowstrings twanged in unison, launching a cloud of arrows which fell upon the shrieking bloody mass like an angry swarm of bees.
The steel arrowheads easily pierced the Rats’ bone armor, sinking into their pale bodies. Their protection proved not as good as we’d thought before the battle.
Twice more the Scarabs plowed through the crowd. Finally, the last Rat fell. Our arrows had finished what the Scarabs’ legs and crests had missed.
Judging by the results of the battle, the Scarabs had lost 30% durability. I’d gained 24 levels.
I glanced at the clock in disbelief. We’d defeated the King’s retinue in 10 minutes flat. Time to tackle their master.
Chapter Fourteen
CONGRATULATIONS! You’ve won the battle against the Rat King (level 400).
You’ve received experience!
You’ve received a new level!
You’ve received a new level!
You’ve received a new level!
Current level: 184
The location boss hadn’t played hard to get. Despite his high level and several nasty abilities like Reinforced Blow and Magic Shield, we’d made rather quick work of him.
We’d used the already-tested technique, with the attacking Scarabs pulling aggro to themselves while the others showered the monster with arrows. By the way, Amai hadn’t even gotten the chance to cast his magic, so quickly everything had happened. After the scarabs’ arrival, Amai kept himself to himself, casting occasional grim glances my way.
His clanmates were suitably impressed, too. But unlike their sulking leader, they stared at me with respectful admiration. Respectful indeed: I’d earned another 200 Reputation with the Northern Wolves.
Pike surprised me again: according to another system message, our relationship had improved from Neutral to Respect.
What was wrong with him? Even my relationship with Droy paled in comparison. I had a gut feeling that surprises wouldn’t end here.
Right. What next?
Congratulations! You’re the first player in Mirror World to defeat the Rat King!
Your reward has been upgraded!
Reward:
A Bone Chest Plate of the Rat King, 1
The Battle Claws of the Rat King, 1
A Large Magic Chest, 1
My hand shaking, I scratched the back of my head. The first “purple” items I’d won in battle! I mustn’t forget to take a screenshot of Rrhorgus’ face watching me pour all my latest loot onto his shop counter.
Let’s take a closer look. First, the Breast Plate.
Name: A Bone Chest Plate of the Rat King
Item class: Unique
Effect: +350 to Protection
Effect: +255 to Stamina
Effect: +255 to Health
Effect: +345 to Strength
Durability: 1250/1250
Restriction: level 150
Collect the full kit to receive a bonus!
Actually, my current level allowed me to wear it. Should I try it on? Why not?
I pulled the breast plate out of my backpack. Oh. This wasn’t my style to say the least. Besides, it looked more like a shield than a piece of armor. This item was meant for a tank.
The Claws proved to be the same. Excellent. Both would fetch me some good money.
What next?
The Magic Chest was “red”. Restriction: level 100, excellent. I could open it.
I held my breath and pressed Open.
Congratulations! You’ve opened the Large Magic Chest!
Reward:
Gold coins, 5,000
Dumbfounded, I watched the brief animation as the gold coins moved to the top of the panel, increasing my funds count. I won’t lie to you: it felt good. Actually, this was my first monetary loot. Now I could understand why other players were so desperate to be the first to lay their hands on virgin dungeons.
Congratulations! You’re received a Legendary Achievement: A Regicide! You’re a legend!
Reward: The Order of the Wind’s Fury
Not another reward. The message had already been made public in the common chat. I could imagine Tanor’s reaction. And not only his. They weren’t happy, that’s for sure. Some noob opening new dungeons and amassing all the perks? Something told me they weren’t going to celebrate my success.
Never mind. Let’s go back to my prizes. One more Legendary Achievement in my collection.
What is it about, actually?
Name: The Order of the Wind’s Fury
Description: +45% to the damage dealt with small arms and missiles, applicable to all of your group or raid members.
Excellent. As one of my neighbors used to say, just what the doctor ordered.
My backpack’s icon continued to flash. More surprises?
I drew my attention away from the menu in order to check the battlefield. My Calteans seemed to have forgotten their fatigue and had gotten busy investigating the grotto. They walked around it alone or in small groups, studying the ancient structures. Veneration was written all over their faces.
The honeycomb terraces were everywhere you turned. It felt like being inside a giant beehive.
Crym slumped on a rock next to me, groaning with exhaustion, “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
I turned to him. “I thought you said you had things like these?”
“We did! But this... this is-” he swept his hand around the cave by way of describing its majestic glory, then shrugged helplessly, “Well, you know what I mean.”
I nodded. I did indeed.
“My father spent his whole life working his farm,” Crym sighed. “He wanted me to follow in his steps, heh. He would have loved it here. Shame he didn’t live to see it.”
“Nocteans killed him?” I asked.
“Oh, no. He died in his bed surrounded by his family. It had been five years before the Horde came.”
“I’m sorry,” I said.
“So am I,” he heaved a sigh. “Never mind. What was I saying? I was still a young boy then. I used to help him a lot in his mushroom nursery.”
Well, well, well. It was getting interesting. I pricked up my ears.
/> “I didn’t have to do anything special,” he admitted, oblivious of my interest. “Just fetching things and all that. But I still remember a few things. I’ve had a look around this place. One thing I can tell you is that the irrigation system isn’t damaged. Can you see those sluices over there?”
I looked where he pointed. “Do you mean all those mechanisms with levers and things?”
He nodded. “That’s right. They appear to be in working condition. All we need to do is clean the cells and the water canals, bring down some fresh soil, plant new mushrooms and start the irrigation machine.”
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely,” he said with a confident smile. “If we plant one-quarter of this place, we’ll never have to worry about going hungry again!”
I sat up like a bloodhound that had sensed a trail. “What exactly do you need?”
“Heh! You’d be surprised. We have everything already. Every self-respecting Caltean woman has mushroom spores in her pantry. Bringing enough soil down here might be a problem but I’m pretty sure we can manage.”
“How many workers do you need to tend the nursery?” I asked with bated breath.
He waved my question away. “That’s nothing. Mushrooms are easy to grow. Once we get back, I want you to meet Peet the White Eye. He’s the expert.”
I remembered a skinny, emaciated man whom other Calteans called White Eye for his pale blue eye color. I’d already met him when I’d brought him some new agricultural tools.
“I actually know him already,” I told Crym.
He stared at me, uncomprehending, then slapped his forehead, “Of course! You know everybody now, don’t you? Every mangy dog in the camp wags its tail to you! Ha ha!”
I laughed, too.
He was joking, of course. But the really funny thing was that I indeed knew every dog in the camp, whether mangy or not. What would he say to that? And not just every dog but also every cat, pig and chicken. We even had a hedgehog. He was Lia’s new pet.
The Twilight Obelisk Page 14