Chapter 48

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"Why do you need this quest?"

"Do you even know the price of it? There aren't Story Quests every month, and there are tons of fools willing to shell out money for a moment of fame!"

"Nika, how about I do the quest and then tell you how to get one for you?"

"Don't bullshit me, Pal. There's no such thing as Story Quest for multi-class. Besides, why would I pass up my chance? For three years, I won't have to deny myself anything with this money!"

"Will the guild leadership be OK with your little gesheft?"

"Nonsense, I'll sell it to one of the officers. You have no idea how many rich bastards get into the top guilds' leadership, by hook or by crook!"

"You'll make some money, and the guild will complete the story quest?"

"Exactly! Eighth rank guild, two cities in possession, three hundred fighters of two hundred levels. So "join in, Mr. Baron, join in"! You enter the guild, tell me how you found out about the quest, and I'll give you twenty percent of the sale."

"Your mate was more convincing."

"Sylphie? He's not a mate. He's subordinate."

"You are a recruiting officer."

"How did you guess?"

"Well, it's hard not to guess when you're tested every time you meet, as if you were hired for a job."

"Professional deformation, what can I do? But I know more about my boyfriend than he does!"

You have received an invitation to join the Dark Temptation Guild.

Attention, joining the guild requires certain conditions, read the note!

Rejection.

"Pal, what do you want? You're alone. I've checked. Nobody's standing behind you. You play your cards right. You take advantage of people, and you're all nice, but you're always on your mind. Come to us, I can't promise you two hundredth, but we'll get you up to a hundred level for sure. And you'll be able to look for new quests in really interesting areas for a good bonus. Come, we need you!"

I remained silent.

"What did I screw up?"

"On the bard. There are no quests with a charisma reward. None at all. I even ordered a search. And then suddenly there was. The bard was ecstatic to post it online."

"And then Flame of Anor upgraded the guild with one quest per rank... You were already in Adar at the time."

"I love looking for a quest. And you're one big mystery quest. Girls love mysteries!"

I looked back again at Piglet standing behind me.

"What's this one for?"

"I'm supposed to be watching you, Pal! And mercenaries have an indication of the target on their contract. He's very angry with you for some reason, by the way."

"And why are you angry at me, Jago?"

The mercenary hummed.

"How did you find out?"

"A popular question today. You always take a step back before you shoot as if you're retreating into stealth. But this character has no stealth."

"Damn, habit," he took a step to the side, "except I'm not Jago anymore. I'm Brutus. We've got a Western-style situation here. Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. I call Bad!"

"Then the paladin is Ugly."

"Are you a Good, then?"

"A practical one. This is a good quality for a girl."

"Jago, do you always recreate character when you are revealed?"

"Always. This is the fifth one."

"How about betraying her? I'll pay you generously!"

"Hey, hey, what's all the talk!"

"Don't be afraid, Nika. When I get paid, I always get the job done. Nothing personal, just business..."

Daniel?

The shooters are in position.

Start. The Beastfolk.

"Goodbye, Jago. Call the sixth one Tweedle."

"What..."

An arrow struck him in the back and Piglet scattered in black flakes.

"The Bad in the film died, you have to know the classics. Nika, why didn't it sparkle?"

"Loot. Phew, He doesn't even carry money with him, greedy. Soot scattered mercenaries with an unfulfilled contract," Nika stood, not hiding. Here she raised her hand to her ear as if pressing a headset invisible to me, moving her lips silently. "And they put those assholes down, too. All at the same time? Smart. How long have you suspected?"

I swung my sword in the air.

You specifically? When I was taken in by four men on the forest road. They knew my level. Only someone who had been around me all the time could keep track of it. Either you or Piglet. But you were the only one with a strong support group. And so interested in me that you even tried to lure my name once, only you.

"Shit! All this time, you've been using me? You bastard!"

"Keep your friends close, and your enemies even closer. And you could be squeezed right in my arms!"

A player left the group

"Cuddles!" Nika burst into flames and tried to rake me in an armful. I dodged it. "How about "noble warrior of light attacks poor little shaman"? Is that roleplay?"

"What makes you all think a paladin is necessarily good, white, and fluffy? I simply serve the goddess who heals the world. And punishes treachery."

Nika paused. Then she stretched out excitedly:

"Oh, you bastard... so now you're still doing the quest at my expense? But what makes you think you'll get the necklace?"

"If it's a story quest, the necklace always stays in the corpse. You knew that. That's why you made sure to use mercenaries."

"Isn't it a betrayal to let me die?"

"No. This is a contest. And you didn't pass it." Pulling out my crossbow, I shot at Nika from under my arm. The arrow burned into the exposed shield, and I pressed the carabiner of the belt, pulling the crossbow off and tossing it aside. The sword would decide everything now.

"Decided to finish it all by yourself?"

Nika whipped my legs. I had to jump up.

"Equal opponents to all. To the mercenary, the mercenary. The paladin to you," he jumped again, "that's fair."

Nika replaced the whip with a scimitar, which immediately burst into a purple flame.

"We're going to roast a paladin!"

"A lady lord of fire, armed with a lash and a scimitar. And it can all be summed up in one word..."

"I'm sick of you with that joke! I! Not! Balrog!!!"

Nika began to slash the air in front of her with a fiery blade, I retreated.

"Here, the advantage of multiclass - I can hit you with a spell, and you can't hit me! I'm good!"

A sheaf of sparks disintegrated into a cloth that immediately enveloped me in a net of fire.

"Heal. At least I have a shorter healer."

"You got something to brag about! Hea..."

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Dash, strike, Nika couldn't complete the spell. So far, we're level, each with half HP.

"What level is your main character?"

"The two-hundredth. I was among the founders of the Guild. Pal, come on... Shit! Stop being silly. I need this thing more!"

Hit, opponent recoils, tries to heal, recoils again. Maybe while she's recovering, I should get a crossbow. No, easier with a sword.

"Nika, remember what I said before I went out, and you agreed? That the loot from the boss was mine and mine alone!"

"Girls are allowed to change their minds!"

"I'm for equal rights!"

We froze two meters apart. I tried to catch my breath and was ready to put my fingers together in a "jump" at any moment, knocking the healing down. I need to take four-fifths of her life off. Then I'll have a chance. Nika peeked out at my movements predatorily, preparing to attack.

"Holy crap, Pal! We're standing, two jerks, a thousand miles apart, in the middle of empty rooms, fighting over a bunch of drawn crap!"

"We are fighting for the ide..."

She jumped, catching me mid-sentence, and I dove to her feet, rolling across the room in a long leap, somehow not crashing into a chair, turning and pushing off the wall with my foot. I lunged at my opponent. I was a nasty debuff, reducing the healing effect, and Nicky had two wounds on her legs.

"Well, that's it, Pal. I'm a higher level, and I have more experience!"

"The game one, Nika."

"What?"

"The gaming experience. Things are so much cooler in life. Her touch is on me!"

A flash of white light streaked with blue sparks. Now I have my life completely restored, against twenty percent of Nika's.

"How?! Cheater!! Didn't you use "Touch" on the boss?!"

"It was a vial, on a quest I got. And I was saving my Touch."

"Pal, come and join us, eh? With a brain like that, you'll be a raid-leader in six months! Hea..."

A dash, a shield kick, and, ignoring the sparks that flew at me, three cross-cutting slashes.

"I don't want to go anywhere. Nika, one last word: Give me the necklace!"

"Just die! The Fusion!"

The fire elemental lunged at me, trying to touch me, to snuggle as close as possible, and I dodged, shielding myself, stabbing with my sword, and, near the end, releasing the remaining two Ice Arrows in my sling. I didn't notice the moment Nika's sparks were scattered, her fire blocking my field of vision, enveloping me in huge wings.

You killed a player!

Reputation is reduced by 50.

You have been marked as a killer.

Please read the reference!

"Heal. Heal. Heal." She's really messed me up. That elemental really is serious stuff. "Loot."

You have received an item - the Necklace of the General

And seven gold pieces with change. I'll have to return it. By mail.

Daniel?

Four tried to pass, sent back to the cemetery. Your friends were explained everything, they went to town with an amulet.//

Is the altar ready?

Yes, next to the exit.

A girl is about to run from the cemetery.

The net is already in place. Kill?

No, I got the item. I'm going out.

Six mercenaries in camouflage cloaks emerged from behind the bend in the gorge. At the exit of the Mity spot, gradually becoming a regular gorge, I was met by five more fighters. A third group was now blocking Nika's assistants and herself at the far altar. Jago is an amateur. Real pros work very differently.

"Vladimir."

"Danil." A huge, head taller than me, dark-skinned Southerner, wearing skins and gold bracelets on his wrists and ankles. In the patterns on the gold, I noticed divine symbols. The free development of the now-popular idea of embroidery. "Who?"

"Me. I do all the most responsible things myself."

Then go."

The mercenary raised the golden axe, waited until it shone brighter than the sun, and then dropped it on my head. Before I knew it, I was at the small marching altar, immediately healed by the mercenary healer and covered in a dozen buffs.

"Good service. You are a pleasure to work with. Her blessing be upon you."

"I wish we always had employers like that! Sometimes you get one of those..." He shook his head. "Funny, there's no one in the squad with Amala's Blessings. She's not really fond of mercenaries."

"Loot."

You have received an item - the Necklace of the General.

This thing has the fate of being taken off a corpse all the time; the quest idea could be considered a confirmed one. I took the helmet off, pulled up the keyboard, and tapped out the errand.

"The second part has been transferred. And a small bonus."

Daniel froze, then nodded.

"Got it. Should we escort you to town?"

"No need, I have an amulet. Thanks again, and good luck!"

"You too!"

Inventory. Amulet. Use.

I step out of the circle of rebirth.

The shrine was crowded. Unfamiliar guards were gathered in groups by the walls, and a few servants in ceremonial robes were going about their business. A priest and a cleric were chatting away.

The capital visitor turned to me and grimaced.

"I see that you have killed an innocent today! You may have removed the murderer's seal with your own death, but it is still felt."

"Death takes away all sins."

"Not always!"

I walked around the priest and made my way to the altar. A time-beaten chain, so similar to that of the capital general behind me, rested on the white stone beside the flower.

"Accept it, Worthy..."

The blow tossed me aside. It's meant to stab a fellow temple member in the back like that!

The priest picked up the chain from the altar, put it around his neck, and turned to me.

"This thing belongs to the Temple."

"This thing belongs to a Goddess!"

"The Temple is the representative of the goddess on the ground!"

"Did she tell you that herself? Here is the altar. Put the necklace on it, and if the Healer decides, the sacrifice will not be accepted. Or don't you trust Her decision?"

"Warrior, you are judging what you do not understand. The Temple needs power! This thing will give it to us! Guards! Take the traitor who was about to destroy a valuable artifact out of the temple!"

Reputation reduced by 50

"Remember, alien, you have been called into this world to fight. You have been given immortality, but you are not in charge of this world! Do the right thing, and you will be rewarded. Resist, and the outer world awaits you, and this one will be closed forever! - The Priest looked at my sword and smiled slyly. - In addition to the gift of immortality, you have been given other special gifts. For example, the inability to attack in, as you say, peace zones. Put away your weapons and go to the barracks, warrior. You bring this thing to the Temple. You have done your duty. I forgive your insolence, go!"

A sergeant with a drawn sword stood in front of me and nodded at the gate.

"I didn't bring this thing to you. Nor to the Temple." I thought for a second, then smiled and made up my mind. You can't kill NPCs in the peace zone, but I have a few tricks... "You think you can control my destiny, Priest? No, I can handle it. We've been summoned, then? Why don't we ask the one we both serve?"

"That's enough! Take him out!"

Reputation reduced by 50

"Healer, I call upon you! Direct your Blade against the enemy!"

I was almost sure it wouldn't work, but there was a spark, a second, a tenth, a hundredth. A familiar glowing silhouette emerged from the blue-and-white swirl, looking up at me questioningly.

"Destroy the traitor."

The temple warriors scattered, not wanting to face the animated power of their Divine Patroness. The priest was no coward; he gripped his staff as usual and began to back away cautiously towards the small door to the inner rooms.

Blade leaped from his place, taking out - or sprouting from his hand, I couldn't see - a thin, blinding blade on the fly. To my surprise, the priest met the blow, parrying with his staff, and the Blade was forced to retreat. The General's staff was surrounded by blue shadows, flitting like huge moths.

"You understand nothing, Paladin!"

The priest stepped forward, caught the blade of the Blade with the end of his staff, twisted, and struck the undercurrent.

"The Temple does not serve Her! The temple serves Her Cause!"

The Blade slashed at the priest's leg, tearing the floor of his robes, then leaped again, trying to reach his opponent from above. The priest released some kind of toothy shadow from his staff, which immediately scattered, but distracted the Blade just long enough to reach him again.

"We must build up power! A power that belongs to us!"

The Divine Messenger would attack and bounce back. Sometimes his blades would beat the defenses of the shadows flickering around the priest, and then the priest would recoil but come back again and launch another attack.

"She has forsaken her army! She is going her own way. She is no longer a mistress, only an ally, pursuing her advantage!"

Blade stared at me for a moment, then smiled and lunged forward. The priest met him with a straight punch, and the invulnerable by definition Blade was pierced through. As if he hadn't noticed, he pulled forward on his shaft and began to slash at the priest's defenses with broad strokes of his hands.

Four, three, two, one... Blade scattered in a cloud of sparks without delivering the final blow.

The priest, shabby but still alive, stepped back from the pockmarked wall.

"As you can see, paladin, the power of Amala the Healer is greater than the power of Amala the Divine. And the good of the Temple is to..."

"Jump!"

The priest flew back against the wall and chuckled in a snapping voice:

"Light Alien, are you trying again to accomplish what is beyond your capability?"

Without listening, I pressed the shield against his belly and jabbed the module into the surface of the shield. A second, another second, the virt shuddered, calculating the forced movement of the object, a jingling click...

The priest stared at the object sticking out of his chest in bewilderment and tried to say something. He huffed, gurgled blood, and collapsed, hanging on the sword that had been thrust into the stone. I tossed the unnecessary module aside and looked at the freshly dead man. No sparks, no dark flakes. A corpse like a corpse.

"Loot."

You have received an item - the Necklace of the Fallen General.

Necklace of the Fallen General.

It is an artifact (impossible to lose, impossible to destroy)!

Changes the primary characteristics by 20

Changes the secondary characteristics by 20

Reduces damage from dark abilities and spells by 10%

Contains the spell "Summoning of the Blade of Amala the Healer" (24 hours cooldown)

Available only to players with a positive reputation!

Well, here's the reward. That's a nice one. I wonder, if Nika had handed in the quest, what would she have been given?

"Brother, you... why?"

The priest approached, squinting at the corpse of the capital's general.

"Why? I don't know. It just felt right."

"So what now?"

I shook my head, then lifted the necklace in my hand, a beautiful, two-tone necklace that looked like both the booty from a Nazgul and the chain of the abbot of the capital's temple. Then he turned and walked down the aisle.

"Accept, Worthy, this gift. And don't lose things like that, anyway, okay?"

The necklace trembled and scattered dust.

You have completed the quest "Paths of Evil"!

You got the level!

You got the level!

Congratulations, you have completed the hidden quest!

A heroic class is available to you!

Please read the reference.

As I turned, I looked again at my fellow believers standing motionless and staring at me in amazement. The priest pressed his hands to his chest, the sergeant and his men slowly raised their fists in salute, and the servants, their mouths open, watched without even blinking to see the slightest detail of what was happening.

"Screw all of you..."

I took off my helmet and tossed it into the corner.

"Comp, out." I thought for a few seconds. "Delete the Creators of Destiny folder."

To hell with it!

I went to the kitchen, poured water into a glass with trembling hands, and drank it in one gulp. Then as if by instinct, I opened the window and began to do the exercise under a stream of cold air.

"And arms upward, inhale. To the shoulders, exhale. Sons of bitches! From yourself, inhale. Down - exhale. You bastards."

After calming down a little, I sat down on the bed, then leaned back and lay down.

So, Vova, what made you so angry? Why are you so inadequate?

To hell with it, though. For the past two weeks, I had been living a life of excitement, constantly looking for an enemy, and preparing for a fight. Finally won, and how! So I freaked out. Is that it? I guess so.

Dammit, why didn't Nika agree? Why did that fucking NPC start lecturing me? If they'd asked me, I would have...

Pass it on? No.

So it's the right thing to do?

Yes.

Damn.

To hell with it. I'll start looking for a new job tomorrow. A restaurant, huh? Fine. I can't handle a big one, but I think I can manage a six-table diner with a counter. I should be able to do it. It'll be fine.

"Vladimir..."

"I turned my head... Who the hell is that?"

"Vladimir, please, we need to talk."

My hand reached out against my will to the chair where my glasses were.

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