Chapter 23

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"You, light strangers, are obsessed with power. As often as I look at you, I am always amazed. Even though you are different, you all have one thing in common: to rise, to exalt, to increase your power and knowledge."

"Heal."

The sergeant fairly twisted his shoulder and threw on his jacket.

"I've been here for three years, intermittently, and I've never wanted anything different, but thousands and thousands of yours have passed before me. And as soon as they've improved their skills, they've gone elsewhere, to more and more powerful opponents. If they had stayed here, we could have closed the rift forever! I have seen some of the first ones who came here: they are so strong that they can destroy even the most terrible creatures of the rift single-handedly! But none of them came back! Sometimes I even think."

The sergeant stopped talking. I guessed how the dialogue was supposed to go.

"Do you think they don't care about your troubles?" Stepping toward the next "patient," I held out my hand. "Heal. Heal. Heal. Didn't you think, Sergeant, that where one gains such powers, evil must be much stronger? Somebody's got to protect the world there, too. And two dozen city guards, with a little help from our newcomers, could do it here. Heal. Does your arm hurt?"

"No, it's okay. You're a good man, Paladin!"

"I'm a paladin, so I have to be good."

"Uh, no, you don't. Your brethren are all kinds... take no offense, of course."

"No hard feelings, Sergeant. We really are different."

My mana recovered, and I continued. The map indicated that after heavy fighting the guards' infirmary was full, and a hidden mission to help the healers became available. Now I was treating the wounded waiting for "Hidden Quest Completed" sign.

I had a lot of people to heal.

The heaviest was the sixth wave of nine mages, who started throwing balls of dark energy at us as soon as they appeared, exploding when they hit the ground and flooding everything around them with a scarlet, smoky flame. Standing still under such fire would have been suicide, so I ordered a general attack. As a result, we lost one of the healers, who had moved into the front rows for some reason. And the seventh wave was met by a crowd of wounded loners. I nearly lost my voice, commanding a squad that had broken up into small groups and remembering my neighbors, who might not have liked the sound of me yelling.

By the ninth and final wave, we were left with only one healer, three lackeys, and seven mages. I was torn between fighting the black creatures and healing my allies. The boss, a huge forty-level humanoid in black bark armor, was finished off with five of us. I spent all my potions and mana, absorbing the blows. We were saved by the appearance of Ellie, who died on the seventh wave and managed to escape from the sanctuary thanks to the racial skill of elves, and on the way captured the guards from the camp. After moving the NPCs into the first line, I gathered the players into a single fist and with swearing lead them into battle. Apparently, the swearing counted as a solid power buff by the game: we were able to bring the boss' health down to zero in two minutes. Then for another ten minutes, we held our ground against the usual monsters, stirred up by the spawn, and built a corridor from the edge of the field to the blue mist over the boss's corpse, so that every raid participant, coming from the graveyard, could "sniff" the blue smoke.

For all the ordeals we'd endured, we got the loot - a black bark shield and a headband. The loot was now in my inventory, and I was surprised that no one was rushing me to share it.

"Dear Sir, there are more wounded!" The healer's voice pleased me. So my contribution had not gone unnoticed.

The last two are the player and the NPC from the fence who was hit by the boss's long-range attack.

Completed a hidden quest to help the defenders of the Mist Field.

Reputation increased by 7.

You got the experience.

Your deed pleases the Goddess!

I'll have to check to see if this is a recurring quest. If after every breakthrough to healing the NPCs, then with such a reward I can just park my character here and go about my business, going in only to heal the injured. Well, okay, that's about it.

"Attention to the Raid! Gather around the central bonfire!"

The people began to pull up. "We were dividing the orange, many of ours were killed": two units of loot and two dozen contenders.

"Question about loot. Our loot from the boss is a shield." I looked it up in my inventory. "Durability - seventy, requirements - thirty-five strength, level twenty or higher, bonus on defensive skills - plus two percent. The second item is a headband, thirty, plus two to intelligence, three to the chance of healing spells, and also from level twenty. The shield is rolled by the swordsmen, the headband by the wizards." Without waiting for the first shouting, I continued: "But I suggest we give them the shield without the roll," I nodded at the group of guilders standing around. "The guys with the beautiful bird on the tabards did a good job. And the headband should be given to the priest, he lived to see the boss and helped keep the corridor. They all did an excellent job, but these did more. Don't you all agree?"

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No one objected out loud. The collectors had already given out awards for the blue substance, and no one stooped to outright stinginess now, when the joy of an unexpected victory had not yet faded.

"Good. Priest, exchange."

In the thinnest moment, there is always someone who is displeased. But it seemed to get through. I gave the headband back.

"Thanks, guys! I'm finally going to change my noobs hat!"

"Thank you, you held up well! Guilders, an exchange."

The shield was picked up by a troll-shaped man, who immediately placed it in his equipment and nodded at me. I saluted back.

Well, that's over with. I hope so.

"Okay, guys, thank you all, we stood firm, no one was stupid. I hope the next time will be no worse! I'm going to town, who's with me?" I didn't want to go alone. I spend a lot here now no potions, no scrolls in the bandage. I could get in trouble again.

"We are!" Ellie's team gathered around. "What's there to do? Now the rift will begin to close until tomorrow."

The words were heard, and in the end, almost everyone involved in the battle came with me. Behind me, the guards and the scouts were closing up camp.

"Pal, look, how do you do this kind of damage? Is there some kind of cheat?"

"No cheats. I play with a full set of modules and always under the buffs from the scrolls. Convenient, but you have to work, of course."

"Hey, I heard some paladin cheat a high on a personal map: spill it, is it your work? I would buy for our guild."

"I gave the map to "Anors" for their promise to give newbies raids on dungeons, I copy only to them."

"Yeah, sure, they'll be fiddling with the little ones!"

"They are." The elf demonstrated his bow. "I was in their first raid, and so was someone else I know, so they keep their word."

The road was approaching a ravine. I would have been afraid if I'd been walking alone, it was a good spot for an ambush.

Darn, black mouthed.

"Hey, you faggot with a flower! We met again." The half-orc jumped off the stone and headed toward me. After he step two cloaked men, with a red aura over their heads. Mercenaries. So he's all set, then. "I've been waiting for you, and you ain't been so quick. Is your ass tightening?"

So, how much gold do I have? Four full gold pieces. No arrow scrolls, no potions, nothing at all. I could die but from the hands of this slob? I looked around. I could try, in principle.

"And you, green face, decided to get a mark in the account?" The half-orc stopped. "Think about it yourself - attacking players, mass murder of newcomers by a high level. How many tickets will the administration get? Your mercenaries are probably no higher than forty, they have an excuse of gameplay, but you'll have to answer."

"I'll answer that! I'll erase this one and buy a new one!"

"Tickets is not on the character, but on the account. So you buy new one, and you'll wash it. In the initial city."

"It's worth it. But you talk, little birdie, talk. It excites me!"

"Can I recommend a therapist?"

"You only know how to work your tongue, sucker? Take out your weapon, try to defend yourself!"

I looked around again. My tongue is my savior.

"And I'm not going to defend myself either. You hit, you get red, and you get twenty-two tickets. Considering the difference in levels, each one will cost you five "tomatoes" or the same number of the active aggressors of your level. Where are you going to find a hundred gunkers here? In a sandbox location?"

"Idiot, do you think these runts will stand up for you?" The half-orc chuckled.

"We will!" The druidess from Ellie's team stepped forward. What's her name, Ila? "I have no money, no valuables, and it's a good thing I can get to town faster! Isn't that right, guys?"

There was a consonant shriek from the crowd, and the people quickly began to assemble into a semblance of a fighting order. There was no chance, Ellie was the strongest here, but even he couldn't handle it. If half of us were in the virt, we'd win, but twenty levels against a hundred?

"Easy, guys! Hey, teacher of suckers, look around - where are your mercenaries?"

The half-orc only now noticed that he was alone, and swore.

"The guys have a good mind. Now look over there: see the squad of guards coming back from the Fields? Next thing you know, you'll kill me, you'll turn red. The guards, as they should, fit right in. The raid," I nod behind my back, "helps the guard take down the outlaw. You fight back, and half of them take you down. You end up in the cemetery, with no money, but with a month's probation. How's that sound? Oh, yeah. Anyone who helps the guards gets a nice chunk of the rep. So, what's your decision?" I looked back a third time, not letting the half-orc out of my sight on the side screen. I wasn't about to let him kill me. "Sarge, we've got a problem here."

"No problem, you bastard. We'll meet again!" Raid stood in formation, and the half-orc had to walk up the steep slope, slipping on the grass. Once out of the gully, he turned and shouted: "You can't walk in a group all the time! Remember, I'll see you again! I don't know where or when, but we'll meet again!"

"Yeah, yeah, sure. One another sunny day."

And after smiling goodbye to the half-orc, I turned to the waiting players and NPCs:

"Thank you, friends. This, as you probably realized, is the same high who wanted to sell me a store map for three gold pieces, but sold me a full personal one. He's a little edgy, isn't he?"

There was chuckling in the crowd, which turned into laughter. I found the sergeant with my eyes.

"You see, Sergeant. We really can be different." The NPC smirked, nodded, and gave the order. The first dozen stepped forward, the second closed in behind the players.

Sometimes it's hard to understand what the writers wanted to achieve here, such gimmicks from the NPC are almost scary.

"Hey, where did you get the flower on your scabbard? Is that a paladin's gimmick?"

I shrugged.

"I don't know, it came up on its own. I guess it depends on one's reputation. Some people," I nodded behind my back, "get very pissed off."

"Yeah. Could he really get that many marks?"

"He's a noob, even though he's high. The mark is always the same, otherwise, at a hundredth or higher level everyone would be doing nothing but washing the "paint". He would have just flushed his reputation into a deep minus."

"How can you deceive people, you're a paladin!"

"I didn't lie a word about the reputation for helping the guards."

"I am Ivalia, Druid-Archie. Whisper it to me if you're going on a raid."

"And I am Ominum, priest 21!"

Folks clamored, and messages about my inclusion on the Friend Lists poured out.

"Guys, I thank you for the appreciation of my extraordinary magnificent abilities but, unfortunately, I cannot answer you in the same way, because..."

"You took a vow!" the people around me chanted in unison.

"Hmm. How did you guess that?"

"We'll tell you about it later. Pal-ladin."

Accompanied by the crowd and in relative safety, I entered the city gate.

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