Chapter 36

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When I returned, I had a hard time suppressing the urge to leave the game to work on the text. Then I came to my senses. The room... I'd never tried it; what if...?

Dragging the mattress from the bedroom to the study entailed a quick cleanup. I hadn't looked under the bed in two weeks, and the dust was calling for a mop. I went from one room to another, then the kitchen, wiped off the valves in the bathroom, went over the tiles with a brush, and finally, having decided that it was useless to put it off, returned to the room, moved the mattress a little, and leaned back on the pillow. So, the magic word:

"Synchronization!"

The image twitched. I was lying on a narrow bunk in the barracks, with a pillow in a gray pillowcase under my back, and the light from the side of the window was pouring in, ruled by the frame into rectangles. Man, what technology has come to! And I honestly thought the volumetric interface of "TES-6" was the crowning glory of modern game design!

"Inventory, book. Stop!"

With a snap of my fingers, I shut off the virt, went into the kitchen, and poured the juice. And took a packet of mincemeat out of the fridge to defrost. I calculated and took out a second one. If I understand correctly, I'm going to have a voracious guest tonight.

"Synchronization!"

A goblet appeared on the table by the bunk. A simple pewter goblet with orange juice inside. Of all the decorations, a very simple floral ornament is on top. The gauntlet was thin enough, but all the same, if I close my eyes a little, it's not an earthenware mug with the company logo in it, but the cup of a poor temple warrior.

After taking a sip and making sure that at least the program did not detect the level of liquid in the cup, I finally opened the notebook.

Clear, simple phrases, no fancy wordplay. Unitext, the bane of philologists.

When Google was the first to put up a mass translator, the panic of the linguists was quickly extinguished. The initial version translated only specially simplified texts, stumbling over specific slang and other peculiar phrases. There was even a fashion to check the translator for the most unimaginative combinations: my father said they mocked the first voice assistants that way. The defenders of national languages tested the new service. They were glad that it did not encroach on their credibility. They recommended having a tourist version on the phone - and forgot. And in the meantime, the insidious tycoons announced contests for the best books and songs in a simplified style... indeed, even the firms were recommended to make documents simpler, so there would be no problems with translation. The world bent to a convenient program, and unitext appeared.

So I have to read it. The book is written according to the script, and I have to find clues in these two hundred pages. Yes, this is not Fyodor Mikhalych and Nikolai Vasilich. This is "passed in the gorge, fought the enemy, won, retreated" and similar simple chopped phrases...

I read the story, written with all the power of a uni text. It's not bad; I've read worse things in print, but it's simple and straightforward. Switching settings, I looked at the text in English, then in German. Yes, it's the same, as far as it goes.

So the war for the Adar foothills, rich in silver ores and old-growth forests, is in its second year. The newly created second Heavy Uthar Regiment has been recruited from the interior provinces and has come to the aid of a hodgepodge of units left over from the first battles. In place of one, by the way, the most popular among players was the misty rift, which appeared after the use of the forbidden power of magic. Mala the Destroyer's troops marched along the ridge from the seaside where their lands were, hoping to link up with the strike units of a beast-god with an unpronounceable ( because dangerous!) name, and the kingdom troops, waiting for allied elves and temple crews, stood in gorges, covering the gnome mining towns that served as strongholds...

Okay! That's it.

"Map!"

I was looking at a map of Adar's surroundings. Here's the location with the forest where we did the quest to Vacek. Here's the "distant outpost," with the markings. Two recurring quests to collect ingredients, monsters from level thirtieth to fortieth, spawns - about one every seven days, merchants, gnomes. Yep, the friendly NPC is "Miner's Town Dwarf Miner". Map search, "mining town." One coincidence, this particular NPC. So it's even farther away than I was. At least farther could even be in the mountains.

After writing down my key thoughts in my notebook, I continued reading.

The battle, or rather a series of skirmishes with the destroyers at the fortress at the bend of the full-flowing river. It was the main local thoroughfare. The fortress was destroyed in the fighting. The map shows that there is a dungeon there, even belongs to some guild, but the area itself is highlighted in pale yellow, so the information is unreliable. The only notation is the monster "Bone Hound, level 42, spell "Fangs of cold". It's clear that the drivers who pumped the characters passed by, grilled the local creature, and never came back.

After the battle - the move between the dwarf settlements. The unit provides evacuation of civilians when it is clear that the beastmen will soon break through. A third of the regiment dies, but the caravan is brought to Adar. Here they rest, replenish with recruits and cured veterans, and return to battle. The first mention of the Templars - the units of Glarg the Fireman and Mafaz the Lightbringer knock out the beastmen but are ambushed by the destroyers and retreat... it is unclear where. The Second Uthard is on patrol, all fighting is halted for the winter, the Lightbringer did his best, and the snow piled up to a rider's neck in some places.

Summer - half of the regiment sits in Adar, and the other half patrols again. Autumn - a new onslaught, troops of the Dark Mistress (!) and Mala the Destroyer are coming.

Interesting. Very interesting! I'm looking for mentions of Amala's paladins, and here it turns out that her Mentor is alive and even leading her troops into battle. What about the official story then, since the Healer gained her powers after her Mentor died? Or am I wrong, and the Utarians were fighting alongside other paladins after all?

Autumn, two battles. The Second Heavy is re-formed again, reinforced by two squads of guards and a dozen paladins from newly arrived units. Winter is warm, there is almost no snow, and food is scarce. At the beginning of the fourth year, everyone gathers their forces. It becomes clear: whoever survives the summer is the winner. Everyone's resources are depleted, plus the games with the climate broke something there, and the countries have a bad harvest.

The second month of summer is a decisive battle, or rather, five days of incessant skirmishing. The Templars summon the fury of their gods. The avatars descend, the Beast God is defeated, the Dark Mistress is slain - that's it! - The avatars of Glarg and Mafaz are destroyed, and the avatars of Leodor the Earther and Vailia the Merciful have escaped the fury of the Lady's disciples. Wow, the disciples - they slaughtered the messengers of the Gods! These are the ones who slaughtered their teacher! Amala ended up being a Goddess, though, right? I'd have to look up information about Malu and see if anyone else was there. They're not going to let them go to the coast, but the tattered parts of the Light Realms are standing in their way to prevent them from recovering from their defeat.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Well, at last! I finished the juice and put the goblet on the table with a clatter.

Seven dozen came to the rescue from the Temple of the Healer. The opponents included three hundred Beastmen, a full hundred destroyers, and others. The battle at Taris Watch ended with the defeat of the dark forces. There were so few left that the bodies of all the fallen were left in the interior of the tower, collapsing it over the entrance. All the wounded went to the temples, seeking to heal those who could be transported, but only three of every ten made it, and the regiment was sent to another re-forming.

"Comp, search - Taris Watch."

No answer. The phrase does not appear anywhere.

Bingo!

A new, untouched inst! Well, or never passed by the players who found it. The full list of clan possessions is on the Creators' site, and since that's not the Watch site... it might as well be called something else. Yeah.

"Map. Scale."

I started checking all the paragraphs about that war, checking all the movements of the regiment against the map. By the way, the story of the Dark Mistress's War was only twenty pages long, and I'd have to read the whole thing: what was next? There's enough for a dozen new dungeons!

Gradually the entire path of the Utarians was drawn out. The last, decisive paragraph highlighted on the map an area about forty miles across in pale yellow light. The surrounding land was dark yellow, meaning that the compilers had once been there, but it was a long time ago, and the data was not reliable. The road, however, was. It led to the passages, beyond which began the zones for players of level eighty and above. And what could there be on the road? Would I even be able to get there with my twenty-sixth?

Greed and Excitement fought with Caution. One could get pumped up and go there on the 40th. That's right and reasonable. But one really wants to go see it for oneself! This is a Narrative dungeon that no one in two and a half years has been in!

The loot, yes. But the main thing is not in it! It's true what my accidental interlocutor said this morning: the most interesting thing is to seek... and what to seek is different for everyone.

Curious, how is it that only three months after her ascension Amala has her own temple, capable of sending numerous squads of paladins? The official temple history said that the Healer left with the body of her Mentor and only then did the miracles begin in her name.

Yep. This is a narrative quest. It is designed to be played for months on end by many players. Usually, such events are announced on the main page of the game.0 There is coverage, interviews with participants, screenshots, and videos. And here, a random player discovers something like this in passing...

Shall we take a risk?

What's there to think about - I'll risk it, of course!

I jumped up from my bunk and rushed to the closet. I had three sets of gear now. One basic and two battered secondhand. I took the basic one and the "protective" one, heavy full armor with a minus on dexterity and evasion but with a good bonus for protection against direct damage. Scrolls... Emergency supply - three of every kind of Shields I have, five of True Sight, five Blessings. Stack of paper and ink... they're already in the inventory, though. Bottles of healing, bottles of recovery. Expensive but worth it. Essences, three sharpening stones. Basket of apples, a gift for a recurring urban quest. Five "Ice Arrows" masterpieces, all of the sixth rank, in a sling.

"Map."

Once again, the regiment's path that year.

"The foothills of the Adar range."

The scale has changed, half the kingdom has been highlighted. Yeah, that's a fuzzy wording.

"Alas Wasteland."

Closer. The highlighted area can be covered with the palm of my hand... and all the lands I've seen in a month of play are covered with one finger.

What do I actually want to do? And why is it so complicated? What if?

"Combine the map and the book."

The Research Journal given to me by Rakis flashed in my inventory and disappeared. Damn it, I'd better not go into the City Archives now! I was supposed to give it back, wasn't I? And what happened next, I'll never know. Probably.

I wasn't breathing for a second, and then roads, forests, and villages began to appear on the sheet. All in yellow, almost white, but quite definite.

Attention, the map has been updated. Please see the note for more information.

So that's the real value of a Diary! And I was overthinking and was offended that no other award was given!

"Map. Taris Watch."

It blinked, the scale changed again, and the wasteland a day's walk from the city was highlighted. There was no information, just wasteland. No sign of the ruins, no indistinct road, no fuzzy outlines, just a yellowish blur. But the patch was about three by five miles, so it was manageable. I marked this section as the goal of the hike, and the path was highlighted - two-thirds on the road, the rest through the woods.

Sword - in sheaths, empty inventory slots filled with prepared trash. Money - ten gold, two hundred silver. Ready for adventure!

To the Exchange, I ran from the keyboard. The treadmill would make me tired today, so I could work with my hands. And tongue.

Standing at the end of the row of "hires," I opened the general chat and yelled:

"Buy Forest Elves! Twentieth level and above, three units! Racial skill without cooldown!"

As usual, first, some newbie at the tenth level responded, recruiting for the group because he was also a forest dweller. Then an elf girl, ready to give a striptease "almost for free," I had to decline. After three repetitions of the announcement, one of the part-time "horse" players finally responded.

"Where do you want to go?"

"Are you alone? I need three. I'll show you the way."

"How much do you pay?"

"If you find two more horses in ten minutes, three gold pieces each. The return crystals are on me."

"Wait here, we'll be right there."

Five minutes later, the elf brings another one after him.

The third is at the gate.

"Which ones? I didn't tell you where to go."

"What's there to think about? You take three of us, it's a six-minute run. Either to the Mountains or to the "Dark" Forest. Both are one way."

"Makes sense. To the mountains. Are everyone's whistles clean?"

"That's an offense, boss."

"Then I create a group."

After inviting these two into the group, I looked around and thought about what I'd forgotten. Nothing, right?

"Let's go."

An elf woman was waiting at the gate, dressed in obviously selected clothing. A fluttering cloak, a short tunic, and corsets with wings. The only weapon was a spear... but the main arsenal might as well be in the inventory.

"She is the third. Invite."

Outside the gate, I handed everyone a return crystal and gold. The elfess took the lead immediately: "The newbie is the first to whistle. I'm second, Elory's third. Pal, how far away are you?"

"On the road to the tract, but before reaching the turn, you have to go to the old trail. This is where..."

"I know, I was. The woods are empty, aren't they?"

"They'll be waiting for me there. Or not, it doesn't matter. Let's go."

Nodding, the elfess turned to her colleague, who pulled out his familiar whistle, and the treadmill hummed invitingly.

It's hard to live in a world where are no riding animals. Why not - it is not known. There are dogs, but no sled dogs. There are reindeer in the northern lands, but you can't harness them. Why not, by the way? Maybe it's such a clever move, forcing players to cooperate, but people love horses, albeit drawn. There is even a horse care simulator. Very popular despite the need to clean virtual manure with virtual shovels.

Yes, Tamagotchis have become high-tech. Andryukha, with his allergy to fur, kept thinking about having a software dog in the house. You can't pet it, but you don't have to take it out for a walk.

"Okay, we made it. Newbie, go back to the guildhouse, I'll find you there."

It looks like my "horses" were moonlighting on a regular basis, adding to the guild's coffers.

The elfess whistled a melody, more upbeat and shorter than the first elf's, and the world flickered by the wayside again. I was in the middle of an old trail, running through the wasteland, back into the woods.

"That's it. I'm done." She pulled out the amulet, waved goodbye, and returned to the city.

"What's next?"

I checked the map.

"Follow the trail for three miles. Then I'll guide you. Is the speed in the woods decreasing?"

"Nope, a racial bonus. It's a good way to get through the bushes. Should I use it?"

"Whistle."

It was hard to run through the woods. Virt is virt, but it was hard to forget that it was all painted, and I ducked and dodged every now and then, afraid of crashing my head into the trunk.

"That's it. I'm done."

I paid up. The elf waved and go back on foot.

"Hey, aren't you going back?"

"I will. Oh, you mean the amulet... No, I'll save the crystal. Sell the crystal or an hour to beat the misty wolves. Either way, the profits."

"Isn't it at least an hour's walk into town?"

"But the path through the woods. It's beautiful, isn't it?"

I nodded. It's beautiful.

But after the elf left, I took out the True Sight scroll and checked my surroundings hastily. There was no "tail" in sight.

That's good. So let's start the search.

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