Chapter 40

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So, should we choose strength or dexterity?

I opened the status menu again:

Vlad, a Warrior of the Temple Guard.

Class: Paladin of Amala the Healer, level 37

Health - 1056

Mana - 278

Primary Characteristics:

Strength - 48

Endurance - 40

Dexterity - 20

Intelligence - 26

Free points - 20

Class Characteristics:

Faith - 7

Reputation - 392

Class Parameters:

Attack power - 63

Magic power - 36

Defence - 34

Experience modification - 45%

Secondary Characteristics:

Attention - 20

Viability - 8

Accuracy - 1

Wisdom - 20

Might - 7

Out-of-Class Skills - Shield Strike (Rank 1).

I hadn't invested a single point in upgrading in the last ten levels, making do with what my slowly but steadily growing Faith gave me. The cheater's stat when you think about it. It increases both damage and healing by ten percent! Now it's already useful, but what will happen at the hundredth level and above? We have to admit that paladins are a class designed for top players. But the resulting points had to be spent on something. Or keep it? Strength? Or buy a better sword at the bazaar? I heard, recently sharpening plus three appeared. Or invest in dexterity? But then again, I'm not a dex tank. I'm a heavy fighter of support, "help-protect-heal". Although at these levels, I'm more and more like a Maine Damager due to the virt and faith again doubling the paladin's abilities.

Should I even choose?

For the last three weeks, I've been hanging out in the Misty Fields, going to the infamous Negrin Catacombs, where I was on the sidelines of an experienced group. I was killed by PKs a couple of times, most likely just randomly choosing a victim. Once I was purposefully hunted, finishing off four times in a row. I had to first sit in the Temple and then hire a level 80 tracker who came to town with a caravan.

The tracker figured out the dugouts where three mercenaries were waiting for me, then led me behind their backs under the Canopy of Leaves, and I was able to put one down at once due to the surprise of the attack, half-cast the other, making him run away, and then spent two minutes fighting the third, who had much more experience than me in fighting with the players. The second in that time almost made it to the entrance to the dungeon, but I accelerated the treadmill. The tracker laughed the whole time and then said that the paladin's chase after the bandit screaming "In the name of kindness - stop, you bastard!" would become the new meme on the Net, and it's a pity he didn't turn on the footage right away. I decided not to take offense at him, as I got a bunch of positive emotions, thirty-two silver coins, and a battered dagger. True, the tracker took twenty gold pieces for the job, but it was worth it!

And now I was solving another problem. No, not the distribution of free points.

The problem with the quests.

When the guild guys got their reward, it was somewhat predictable. They had completed the quest, even if it was given to someone else. Quite, in the spirit of COD: whoever made it in time got the reward and let the rest of us wait for another chance.

But the bard didn't get the quest! And yet he received an award!

After thinking thoroughly about all the available facts, I called myself an idiot and, going to the mirror, asked to think more. I got a little too relaxed after I was fired!

Two facts - Embroidery and Reputation enhancement.

The Embroidery, which was brought to my attention by the multi-priestess girl, was already the hit of the season. It really could not only improve things but also change a character's characteristics, adding something to their spells, as well as the attitude of NPCs towards the player. In COD, as it turns out, clothes do make you look pretty, both human and other sentients. I had to order embroidery on my cloak, which did nothing for me. I already had a lot of reputation, so I had peace, friendship, and bowing with the local NPCs every time I met them. It's okay, I won't break, and I can take a bow.

The second fact is that when I first came into the game, just by giving the salute, as it should be a new guard, I received a five-point reputation. As in the completed task, but at the same time, I did not get it, not even a hint of it!

Add these two up, add the bard, who had won the award on the spot, and remember my rubbing everyone about the "story quest", which suddenly turned out to be true. Then we remember the case in the basement when I was able to convince NPC that the task must be performed exactly as I said and start thinking. What if I wasn't lying? What if the quest really happened? It's just that the mechanics of doing it involve the possibility of going off-script.

And then how would I make sure that the clearly inappropriate level of the assignment award was given to me and not to outsiders?

The first guinea pig was a newbie werewolf who was asking questions. I fished him out in the general channel, offered to help with the task, and took him to an inn that had a recurring problem with rats in the basement. There, handing him a trap I'd bought at the bazaar beforehand, I sent the young one into battle while I made sure he didn't get too bitten. The newbie was a venturesome one and did not rest until the last rat had taken its place in the cage, after which it was presented to the hostess of the inn. Respected Mencapina squealed a little and then rewarded the mossy fellow with additional pieces of muffin and another task - to take "this disgusting thing" away. I offered to sell them to the menagerie, which was done. The result - the newbie got three times more EXPs, a reputation, and three extra cupcakes.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Too bad it, unfortunately, didn't confirm anything. Just an extended quest: I did it myself according to the guides, for example - getting my first sword. But I anyway repeated this quest three more times with other players, using traps... which, by the way, were fifty times more expensive than cupcakes.

Then I took turns redoing every city assignment I knew.

In the sewers, the newbies, under my careful guidance, used obedience scrolls, enchanted the mud elementals, and drove them out of the sewers, demanding payment from the keeper for their deliverance. No elementals? No. Give the money! Then they took the quest again and let the enchanted mud elementals go, which, as they were supposed to do away from their native dungeons, instantly self-destructed. The newcomers immediately presented their quests for payment. Elementals destroyed? Yes. Give the money!

But it was still at my expense again. It was a bit expensive and could only work as a way of speed EXP gain. By the way, for the second time, the noobs didn't get a reputation up.

There was also an attempt to arrange a quest where there wasn't one, but apparently, I hadn't considered something, and it didn't work. It seems you can't come up with a quest "out of nowhere". You need to know the goal. You need to know the result and have a connection to the NPC, otherwise, it won't work.

Now, standing in my usual spot a little away from the entrance to the Trading House, I waited for the result that would confirm or refute my reasoning.

For a week now, I've been catching newbies and offering them a quest while changing the conditions, the reward, and the addressee. I have a quest - "Paths of Evil", never completed, even though the quest items are piled up all over the floor in the Sanctuary. And I have the desire to get other people to do the quest, which the game clearly allows. And there is an intention to get something for me. These three goals should be combined in one story... except I didn't know how to do it yet. If I were a creative writer, the kind of writer who is ready to give out any idea at ten a minute and nonstop covering the sheets with letters and drawings, then I would instantly come up with some tooth-breaking plot and in a week would know all the mysteries of COD, and myself would be covered in artifact equipment. Alas, I would have to go slowly and sadly.

Well, I'm not very imaginative. I'm a practitioner. I wish I had a working scheme. I'd spin it, but otherwise...aaaaah

All I could do was ask the NPC salesman, now standing at his stall, to give the first "light alien" a job and reward him with the knife I had prepared. It was a good one, a very good pick for a beginner. I gave the second one to the NPC himself for his help; however, he was willing to help the "polite young warrior" anyway.

The idea was pretty insane.

The quests in the Creators were not static. The rare recurring ones were more of a help for newbies to be able to collect silver for the initial equipment, but all the rest varied depending on the situation. Does a wild boar come to a farmer's fields? There's a quest. No boar? Go to the woods.

I decided to create conditions in which the quest appears. And the one I need.

To put it simply, you shouldn't expect a dragon slaying mission from a shopkeeper; rather, it would be more important to him to the state of his neighbors' affairs. The merchant I had persuaded to take the gamble was fond of rumors.

So an hour ago, he promised a good reward to the halfling mage if he could find out all the places where paladins had once fallen in battle and do it in an hour and a half since he, the NPC, wants to talk about it in the tavern with friends after work.

It took me a few days to do such a search, and I got a drop of reputation while rewarding all those who helped me, albeit accidentally. I don't mind, good fun is worth it, but I'd like to finish the job.

The tricky part was the search area, but the hawker did not let up and told the noob himself (himself!) where and what to ask. This was logical, for my quest involved finding and extracting information from the townsfolk, which meant that they must know something about the subject. It was my idea to make the merchant himself give me those NPCs who had the necessary knowledge. Now all that remained was to wait for the results.

And, to be honest, my hands were shaking. From the excitement, but more from the prospects!

Uncertainty. We know this world, the main events, and the main characters. But I've been convinced so many times that the game is nonstatic, that there is life here without players. We just have to bring the existing lines into one bundle and give everyone a good kick in the appropriate direction.

"Brother Paladin?"

I turned to the hawker.

"Do you think this little guy will be able to find out anything?"

"I don't know, esteemed Bagri. But I think he will try."

The hawker sighed.

"Yeah, I wonder what it was really like?"

I looked at my watch.

"Esteemed Bagri, it's a pleasure hanging out with you, but I have to go to the bazaar to visit a friend and buy something. I hope you won't refuse to share with me what this young man brings. I must confess that I am very interested in stories about the past deeds of my temple brethren."

This, too, was a preparation.

The hawker must retell everything in his own words: so there is a higher probability that the NPC will give the information in an expanded volume. He, by default, must know everything that the player will tell, otherwise, he will not be able to assess the quality of the fulfillment of the quest. Well, it seems so to me.

The merchant nodded, wagging his long tail, and I left my post, having previously bought a couple of pies from him.

The bazaar was, as usual, lively, with almost all the stalls and pavilions occupied.

The name of a player I knew glowed in an unfamiliar place.

"Hello, Loyni!"

The blacksmith turned around and smiled.

"Hey, Paladin! Long time no visit, eh?"

"A long time ago. I see you've decided to join the guild?"

My friend stood behind the counter of the "Anor's" stall, with swords, spears, and other "tools", and a tongue of bright yellow flame emblazoned on his cloak.

"Yes. Even on our first trip, I started to look around. The guild is a good thing, though: discounted reagents, guild workshops."

"Have you started building a castle yet?"

"Nah... just collecting money! But we're almost there!" The blacksmith winked. Actually, the information about the level-up was "for inner use," but in my "list of friends" was a dozen and a half guildmates. After the guild level was raised so unexpectedly, and with my help, I was considered something like a retired High, who decided to start the game anew and help the young. I had to learn a lot of different things to fit this legend.

"So the fifth rank is coming up, huh?"

"Exactly! We're all desperate to get our castle! Raid leader and the Head of the Guild kicking everyone, the everyday passage of the dungeon for all is required. I have to do three town hall quests a day and a ring a week or twenty gold pieces to pay the guild treasury."

"And they don't grumble about taxes?"

"No way! I'd give more, but it wouldn't count. I can already imagine how I'll get a percentage of my skill every day from the castle forge! And once a week, a masterpiece for half the cost of the ingredients! Freebies!"

"Decided to build the smithy first?"

"Yeah, the Leader decided it was more profitable. And then - carpentry: there are a lot of forests around, we need to use it."

"The guild was sitting on the market of buffs, wasn't it?"

"And we're. But now two new caravan tracks have been made. NPCs are building a town near the Taris Watch. There, they say, a lot of dungeons nearby, and a Mist location found, small, but evil. So that scrolls and potions already piled up, soon the prices will begin to sag.

After noting to myself that I could put more "masterpieces" on the market, I wondered: are there any blacksmiths out there who forge door handles, bolts, horseshoes, and other nails instead of swords and knives? There are fewer players than NPCs, and those must have their own needs.

Voiced his question, and Loyni immediately confirmed it:

Of course, it is! I forge something almost every day on the orders of the local craftsmen. Otherwise, I can't get any new recipes!

After ticking off the "check all professions for the match virt," I returned to the conversation, bought a "sharpening +3" on the sword (Loyne got the recipe during another cleanup " Watch"), and then said goodbye and went to the hawker, trying not to run, it's not appropriate for a "respected warrior".

An earwig waved to me from afar.

"Brother Paladin! He said such things!"

It made my insides tingle. Did it really work?

Glowering at my more than obvious attention, Bagri began to tell:

"He came, the little brat, he came. At first, he told me that nobody knew anything new, but Vary, who used to serve in the frontier detachments... well - this rascal was a cook! He was a good cook, and his berry tarts were the best... He said that a young Virga of the orcs knew about a tomb, and the boy was afraid to go there, but he went, and the cunning Virga made him fight with Little Icky, who barely even succumbed, and then..."

I listened, becoming furious. It must have affected my face because the big-eared man didn't wait for a reaction and finished quickly:

"So there are only two graves. The one they found recently in Taris. I used to run through the woods there when I was a kid. I didn't know that. And the other..." He stopped talking. "What do you call that one? You know, Brother Paladin, this little one of yours is so funny. When I gave him your dagger for his work, he jumped as if I gave him an artifact sword! And he kept shouting: "Two levels! Two levels!" What does that mean?"

"He was very pleased with the way you appreciated his work, dear Bagri. So where is the second grave?"

"Oh, I don't mind. The dagger is yours anyway. And the second is in the Tract of the Fallen, so the orcs say. It's a bad place. Even your people rarely go there, the creatures are small, but they're so nasty..."

I wasn't listening.

It worked! I understood the principle and the clues given to me!

Now I will enslave the whole world! Indeed I will!

I'm going to start just next Monday.

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