The Way of the Outcast (Mirror World Book #3) LitRPG series

by Alexey Osadchuk

  ...the clan's warriors put up a valiant resistance. But what could they do against the Alliance's army? There were fifty attackers to each defender. Many a hero found his death that tragic day. You need to give the Der Swyors justice: they fought as one man. According to Rold, a handful of common workmen barricaded themselves in the Tower of the Winds and successfully held the enemy back for a while. His story left a lasting impression on me.

  That was the end of this so-called Lore Info. Actually, no. There was a signature below,

  The Chronicles of Arvein. Page 25.

  The game developers weren't exactly generous with information. Or was it just me?

  What a weird class description. If you thought logically, my mechanic just might be the descendant of those brave defenders of the Tower of the Winds.

  Oh, well. I suppose it's better than nothing at all. There was only one thing I'd love to know. Had those tower defenders used slingshots against the enemy too?

  Talking about slingshots. I remembered a YouTube video in which a burly guy fired a slingshot at cows' skulls, using steel bolts. I still remembered the loud snapping sounds and the popping of exploding bones.

  Besides, somehow I didn't think it was going to disrupt the gameplay. Most likely, I was about to fit into the combat classes nicely, slingshot and all. Judging by the char's grinning mug, I was in for quite a ride.

  Never mind. One problem at a time. What's with my characteristics?

  On top of the existing Speed, Strength and Stamina, now I also had Health, Protection and Intellect. Next to the blue Energy bar I discovered a red one for Life, green for Experience and yellow for Knowledge.

  Thanks to what I'd gleaned from the forums, I already knew that the Life bar corresponded to Health. It was the same mechanism as the correlation between Stamina and Energy. As your Health grew so did your Life bar.

  I really needed to look into it properly. I had plenty of Energy; but judging by my Life reading, I could die from the first sneeze!

  The bar was calibrated into forty units. Each Health point gave me 20 points Life.

  Now, Strength.

  Before, it only used to affect Energy regeneration speed. Now it was going to do the same for Life as well. The damage dealt, too, directly depended on its numbers. Which was definitely good news.

  Protection was more or less clear. Knowledge, however, was a bit of a dark horse for me. Could it be some analog of mages' Wisdom? I really couldn't tell. I might need to try it out first.

  The next hurdle was the absence of the so-called bonus points. The game developers must have decided — and rightly so — that those I'd received at registration were enough.

  So the whole thing was a bit off balance, really. I had to enter a warrior's path with zero Protection and minimum Life. The weakest of the Nameless Isles mobs would be able to blow me over with a feather.

  I also had some advantages, though.

  First, my gear's stats were quite high for level 1. And second but not least, my little menagerie.

  Also, according to forum messages, I was entitled to five bonus points to distribute as I saw fit with every fifth level gained. If I lived long enough to see that, that is.

  Very well. My characteristics were more or less clear. Let's check my inventory.

  Five icons were highlighted in my bag: two of Clothes, two Miscellaneous and one Weapon icon.

  I started with the clothes. What did our generous admins have for me?

  No surprises there. A leather vest and a pair of canvas pants, a standard newbie kit.

  The vest added 1 pt. to both Health and Speed while the pants did the same for Strength and Stamina.

  All this was a pittance, of course, compared to my Reflection kit even if you forgot the fact that it was hung with runes like a Christmas tree.

  Any newb was bound to find their starting kit very useful, of course. Anyone but unfortunately not me, although I could admittedly use the extra point to Health.

  Still, the game's rules dictated that if I wanted to wear this leather excuse for a garment, I'd have to remove some of my outerwear, breaking the set. Which would lead to the loss of both the precious Strength and Stamina points and my impressive Speed bonus. Putting it simply, one puny extra point to Health wasn't worth all the trouble.

  Seeing as my new clothes were non-transferable, I might need to delete them from my inventory later simply not to clutter my bag. Having said that, there was no rush. I could always get rid of a potentially useless item.

  That was me done clothes-wise. Now, weapons. Oh! How interesting. Apparently, my slingshot had a very cute name:

  Name: a Minor Pocket Slingshot

  Category: Simple

  Weapon type: Main (non-transferable)

  Level: 0+

  Restriction: only Ennan race

  Range: +0.5

  Rate of fire: +0.5

  Precision: +0.5

  Damage: +1.0 ... +1.6

  Durability: 25

  Well, let's just hope I might procure something more impressive at a later date. I'd even agree to a Major Pocket Slingshot.

  Now, Miscellaneous.

  If the truth were known, forums said nothing about it. Normally, new arrivals received their bonus points, a set of tattered clothes and a basic weapon. No Miscellaneous items had ever been mentioned.

  Then again, who knows? Did I really think that forum members shared all their gaming secrets? Highly unlikely.

  Now. Item one, a small leather case.

  Name: a Standard Tool Kit

  Pcs: 4

  Nice name, simple and informative. Wish I could say the same about its contents.

  Sharpthorn, 1

  Wambler, 1

  Measurometer, 1

  Fix Box, 1

  Their logic was understandable. Being a mechanic, I had to use some sort of tools. Only I didn't have the slightest idea how I was supposed to defeat even the lowest-level monster by brandishing a measurometer or, God forbid, a wambler? The best I could do was probably load my slingshot with the sharpthorn, then immobilize the enemy by giving him a whack with the Fix Box, just to be on the safe side.

  Relax, Olgerd, I said to myself. It could have been worse. Of course I was upset, seeing as I'd looked forward to choosing a standard combat class. On the other hand, I had to give my Ennan credit. So far, he'd never let me down.

  The last item in my inventory aroused mixed feelings: a reluctant optimism tinted with perplexity.

  Name: A Pocket Book of Blueprints and Bind Lines

  The book was quite fat, its dirty brown cover worn and spotted with burn marks and engine oil. The spine was hanging on a thread. A fine net of cracks and little holes riddled the cover. I got the impression that either the book's previous owner hadn't valued it at all or he'd used it in a less than sterile environment.

  I opened the book, about to start reading, but found nothing inside apart from some dimmed pages and a welcome message,

  Greetings, Olgerd!

  We're sorry. You can't read the book yet. Your Knowledge level is too low. Please try again later.

  Yeah, right. Please try again when you get smarter, is that it?

  In any case, I discovered a few empty pages at the end of the book. The tool case, too, had a lot of empty slots. I suppose that was their way of telling me that if I wanted to fill them up, I'd have to do it myself.

  Never mind. I was done studying my freebies.

  Greetings, Olgerd!

  Would you like to complete account activation?

  I cast one last look over my inventory and clicked Yes.

  The magic torches dimmed. The holographic Ennan floated toward me, still grinning.

  The darkness consumed me.

  When I opened my eyes, I stood on the sea shore. Or should I say, on the Great Ocean shore.

  Congratulations! Activation complete!

  Welcome to the Nameless Isles!

  Would you like to download and install our free app: Fact Sheet of the Nameles
s Isles?

  The stench of brine and rotting algae assaulted my nose. The roaring of the surf and the sound of rain pattering on the sand mixed with the rustle of palm leaves and the hum of the empty bamboo stems in the wind.

  Black thunderclouds hung low in the sky. The wind blew hard. The swell was rough. The downpour was every bit as bad as it had been back in Drammen.

  Was it the admins playing with me? Or was this kind of weather normal here? In which case I could understand why no one was in a hurry to use this location.

  I felt heavy, pressure pinning me down. I'd already forgotten how it felt to walk around naked. Mirror World never let you off the hook.

  I needed to rectify the situation pretty quickly. I hurried to get dressed.

  Congratulations!

  You've received +1660 pt. To Energy!

  Current Energy levels: 1700.

  Much better. Even the rain didn't feel so wet anymore. The clouds overhead seemed lighter somehow. The ocean, too, wasn't as murderous as it had originally looked. Things were looking up.

  Time to take my bearings.

  The long strip of sandy beach was about forty of fifty paces wide. It arced like a sleeping snake between the ocean and the green wall of the jungle. Nice big beach. I liked it.

  The sand was technically white but you couldn't tell its color straight away because it was mixed with tiny fragments of sea shells, dried algae, petty bits of driftwood and all sorts of flotsam and jetsam.

  This definitely wasn't meant to be a tourist destination. Having said that, there's no accounting for taste. Personally, I wouldn't enjoy lying on the littered sand staring at the raging ocean.

  The forest's edge didn't look too inviting, either. The location was probably prone to tornadoes, judging by all the uprooted palm trees.

  Excuse me? Anyone hear me? Was this a newb location or what? I found it hard to believe this place was meant for beginners. It was spooky.

  Success! The Fact Sheet of the Nameless Isles has been installed and is ready for use!

  Very well. What did we have here?

  The app was good. It contained the location's detailed map and its bestiary. Judging by which, the local wildlife was quite diverse.

  The map also listed all the natural resources and the settlements of the local NPCs.

  Now I could believe that this used to be a starting location once. I'd never received such detailed instructions during my first registration. Then again, Grinders didn't need this kind of info, did they? All they had to worry about was finding an employer and getting to work.

  Now, however, my situation was quite different. The sooner I managed to adapt the easier I might find it in the future.

  So let's start with the map.

  Once synchronized, my satnav dutifully reported my bearings. According to it, I was in the northern part of this rather large location: on its smallest and furthermost island.

  The nearest NPC village was on the biggest isle to the east. It looked more like a continent on my map.

  I told my satnav to lay a course to the village. After a brief pause, it offered what it believed to be the shortest route.

  Oh. To get there, I'd have to cross two more islands. It would have been much easier to just summon Boris. Still, I didn't want to attract any unwanted attention. Even though the sight of my gear didn't add to my inconspicuousness, still a Grinder dwarf who'd managed to scrape together enough small change to buy a Bronze account was a more common sight than a Grinder dwarf soaring in the sky astride a black Gryphon-like creature.

  Never mind. A walk might do me good. I could have a good look around in the process, seeing as I was stuck here for a week at least.

  Off we go, then, to face any unwelcome adventures!

  I didn't have to go very far before I stumbled across an enormous fish carcass. It must have been at least twenty feet long. The smell... you can't even imagine.

  Its stomach had been ripped open, rotting flesh and guts spilled everywhere. Had it not been for the rain, I would have smelled it much earlier.

  I stood there staring at the gory scene. It looked believable indeed, as if I was on a God-forsaken desert island amid the ocean.

  Distracted by studying the fish's fin, I failed to notice the footprints at once. They were triangular, about a foot and a half long and half as wide.

  Well, well, well. If that wasn't... I was no expert, of course, but even I could tell a bird's prints when I saw them.

  Mechanically I raised my head. If this place was inhabited by birdies of this shoe size, I should really keep closer to the trees.

  Then again, that might not be the best option either. You never know what the jungle might have in store for a curious traveler. I'd had this nasty sensation of being watched the whole time I'd been on the beach. Every time I turned to face the forest, the feeling disappeared only to resume later.

  So much for their newb location. It made me shudder. Even Spider's Grotto felt safe and comfy in comparison.

  I was about to turn round and continue on my way when I finally realized something simple but paramountly important. My weapon! I hadn't even thought about checking it!

  I just couldn't believe it. Hey, mobs and predators, come quick! Enjoy the juicy flesh of a reckless nerd, a worthy specimen of modern society!

  My hands reached for the Minor Pocket Slingshot, still stuck under my belt. I didn't even know how to use it!

  Actually, who hadn't used one at a tender age? I wasn't an exception. We didn't call it a slingshot then: we actually called it a catapult. It had been a long time ago though... in real life, too.

  I had no idea about slingshot ballistics in the virtual world. But this wasn't a question I should be asking myself. Why oh why hadn't I even thought of testing my only weapon first and foremost? Olgerd, Olgerd. You're a dork to end all dorks. Think that someone like you was about to venture into No-Man's Lands!

  Right, time to rectify my blunder.

  I closed my left hand around the slingshot handle, made of dark wood and fitted out with what looked like an ordinary elastic. The pouch in the back was made of a piece of leather. That was basically it.

  The only little thing lacking was finding some ammo. Seeing as my inventory listed nothing of the kind, I might need to forage around for something suitable. Not forage even. There was plenty of ammo lying literally underfoot.

  That small pebble over there might do nicely.

  You've received an item!

  Name: A Beach Pebble

  The moment I placed the pebble into the pouch, the system told me something very interesting,

  The Minor Pocket Slingshot is loaded!

  Missile: a Beach Pebble

  Fit for Purpose: Yes

  Range: +0.6

  Rate of Fire: +0.4

  Precision: +0.4

  Damage: +1.0 ... +1.1

  Aha! The little pebble had increased Range but negatively affected both Rate of Fire and Precision. As well as Damage.

  Very well. What if I pick up a smaller one?

  I lay a new pebble into the pouch.

  The Minor Pocket Slingshot is loaded!

  Missile: a Beach Pebble

  Fit for Purpose: Yes

  Range: +0.8

  Rate of Fire: +0.6

  Precision: +0.6

  Damage: +0.8 ... +1.0

  How interesting. The new pebble had improved all stats apart from Damage. It had dropped quite considerably. Which was exactly what I didn't need.

  What if I took a bigger stone? Like that gray rock over there...

  The Minor Pocket Slingshot is loaded!

  Missile: a Beach Pebble

  Fit for Purpose: Yes

  Range: +0.3

  Rate of Fire: +0.3

  Precision: +0.3

  Damage: +1.8 ... +2.2

  Well, that made it pretty clear. A heavier "missile" improved Damage but lowered all other stats. All I had to do now was put it to the test. Meaning, I needed an enemy.

  A power
ful roar came from the rainforest, making every hair on my virtual body stand bolt upright. Did they say we should be careful of what we wish for?

  Chapter Three

  The roaring resumed, closer this time, accompanied by what sounded like the cracking of branches and whole tree trunks being swept from the creature's path.

  I could already see palm tops sway in the thick of the woods. This was something very big, very loud and very angry. And it was heading for me.

  I cast an unenthusiastic look at my slingshot. "I've had enough. To hell with secrecy!"

  ...Boris appeared just as the mysterious monster barged out of the undergrowth, crushing the bamboo trunks and palm trees unlucky enough to happen in its path.

  I bent down, scooped a handful of pebbles and sprang onto Boris' back. In one powerful wingbeat I was out of the newb killer's reach.

  I could see the feathers bristle on the scruff of Boris' neck.

  "Some newb location, eh?" I slapped his powerful neck. "Sorry I had to drag you into this, kiddo."

  He didn't hear me, too busy watching the huge beast which was now furiously spinning in place on the beach.

  "I know the feeling," I whispered to Boris while I was studying the creature.

  He was quite a sight, I had to admit. At least twenty foot tall, he had a massive body, a rectangular head, large paws, a fat hairless hide, a long crocodile tail and a pair of long curved fangs.

  He didn't look as if the game designers had invested much thought into him. They must have taken a croc, a wild boar, an elephant and a rhino, then clicked through the randomizer. The result was a mutant from hell.

  And how were you supposed to fight such specimens? With a slingshot, too.

  Actually, why was he so angry, spinning and jumping on the spot? A couple of times he even dropped to his side. The place where I'd stood only a few seconds ago now resembled a ploughed field. Interestingly, he didn't seem to notice me at all. I wasn't even in his aggro zone. What was the matter?