5 A new fight and new friends (2/2)
\”That's where we live, Dan. The development of the craft does not tolerate empty vanity.\”
For a while, they kept silent and analyzed actions in battle. Men just lay on a hard bed and enjoyed the silence. Dan warned Jim how dangerous it was to look through the cracks in the shield if the enemy was armed with a sword on the other side.
Then, they went down by the rope.
In the yard of the castle Michael was waiting for, he smiled.
\”You're suspiciously happy,\” frowned Jim at him.
\”Come on, you'll see the loot, then you'll have fun too!\”
They went to the blacksmiths. It's where all the players and Turin gathered. There was loot on the rest of the boards.
Dan looked at the assortment and whistled. Two swords and shields of dead skeletons. He opened the description of one of the swords and immediately started reading aloud to the whole team:
*
The Sword of the Bloodsucker
Type: normal
Attention! To own these weapons effectively, you must have at least 30 points of strength.
Damage: 210 to 240.
Durability: 80
Weight: 3 pounds
Attention! This item can be improved. One slot available.
*
Two copper rings. One +2 to strength, and the second +2 to dexterity, the type usual.
*
Iron armor of a soldier.
Type: Ordinary
Defense: 200
Durability: 80
Weight: 10 pounds
Attention! This item can be improved. One slot available.
*
Daggers of the Bloodsucker. Paired.
Type: normal
Attention! For effective possession of these weapons, you must have at least 20 dexterity points.
Damage: 100 to 130.
Attention! If a successful strike is made, the effect of Bleeding is triggered. A live target loses 8 HP per second for 20 seconds.
Durability: 80
Weight: 1 pound
*
''The bone amulet gives +3 to the spirit.''
Seven crystals.''
The essence of fire.
Type: Craft object
Effects: Builds into armor, gives 2% fire protection, if you build this shard into your weapon, it will deal + 2% damage to the total.
*
Turin said it was an alchemical reagent used to create potions or objects.
They also got a solid pile of coins in 54 silver rials and 8 copper. And a pile of metal in which Dan identified the spoiled skeleton armor of warriors. That was the moment that puzzled Dan at first. Michael explained that from the elite you can get away everything, even bones. That's funny.
\”You know, gentlemen, I can wrap up the rest of my spoiled armor. Another set of armor will do,\” said Turin.
When he pointed to a bunch of iron from the skeleton, his eyes kept staring at a slide of coins.
Dan thought with that kind of service that greedy dwarf would make the group very poor very soon.
The darkest Michael clearly shared Dan's fears. Dan had an idea in his head.
\”Michael, let's step back for a minute,\” he said.
They stepped aside, and Dan noticed the dwarf taking a little step in their direction. Just in case, he started whispering:
\”Michael, make the dwarf our treasurer.\”
\”Are you crazy?\”
\”Quiet, you. Listen to my idea. The dwarf and the head of the village will continue to deceive us in terms of money and other trade. We don't benefit from this situation. But as long as the gaming system supports them, there's nothing we can do. Then, we have to do something tricky. We make the dwarf of our group's treasurer. With this appointment, we discreetly drag him into our group. Our credo is, 'All for the welfare and prosperity of the group'. The wealth of Turin will depend on our wealth. All business with the headman in terms of trade will be done through the dwarf. And we won't let a beard fool ourselves. And after a while, the dwarf will realize that we are on equal terms. Then let's see if he has enough stupidity to rob himself. A dwarf. It's a guarantee of craftsmanship, greed and a very picky trade. What do you think of my idea?\”
\”Not bad, Dan. At least we eliminate one bloodsucker from the scheme. That's good, but it's stupid to give it all up to save Turin. How do you control it?\”
\”The dwarf swore an oath. You said yourself that in this world, reputation is everything. If he betrays us, he'll feel bad.\”
\”We need to talk to the others,\” said the leader.
\”Talk, there'll still be twenty minutes around the trophies anyway, and then some more time to discuss who gets what.\”
\”What have you been looking at?\”
\”What's the sense in arming me? I'll be like a pregnant cochlea with armor and a sword.\”
\”You think about the Spirit,\” he smiled. \”I see. Then, you'll share your thoughts. Why don't we make one more stop now? The last one. We managed to get our hooks out.\”
Dan looked up at the sky. And he confessed to him honestly:
\”Michael, we'd better attack tomorrow. I'm honestly afraid that another resurrection today will obviously hurt my brain. We have gained experience in battle. Tomorrow we will arm ourselves with new weapons and new armor. We have time to complete this quest.\”
\”Okay, Dan. I agree with you. The important thing to do is to be careful. I'll talk to ours about the dwarf.\”
Michael slapped Dan on the shoulder and went to the group.
Dan went to the well. He moved the cover and put a wooden bucket on the chain, took out the water. The water was icy, it broke his teeth. Dan drank and drank until he thought that he was going to explode. He poured the water out of the bucket and fixed the cover. Then, Dan went to the chapel. He had already opened the door and heard Michael's voice from the blacksmith:
\”Turin, buddy, you know I have a great offer for you.\”
That's great. This is Destiny. Destiny brings him and all the group together. In this game, Dan saw some banal and familiar events. The blacksmith is the basis for living in a world of sword and magic. Now they have a blacksmith. His wife is a wonderful bonus! She will certainly take care of the household. And that's good. It's a pity there are no gifts related to magic. At least one scroll on \”You've learned the magic spell of Fireball.\” Give it to Gandalf, and he'll immediately feel his value. He'll have a purpose for development...
Dan walked into the chapel. It was very bright in the chapel. All the candles in the luminaries were on fire, and the room was well-lit. He saw that the floors and tables were much cleaner and more comfortable. His cloak and cup remained by the fireplace. Dan sat down in front of the fire and took a deep swallow of wine. From the kitchen he pulled the delicious smell of food, and a small cooker Velida could be seen walking beside it. Dan froze again with a cup in hand, and after a while, he slept.
*
Michael woke him up. He sat next to Dan.
\”Stop meditating, dinner will be served soon.
Velida has baked bread and ham on the way.\”
He gave an amulet:
\”Here you go, Dan. I put it aside for you.\”
\”Thank you.\”
\”I made a deal with Turin. He had a hard time at first, but he was flattered. He understood our plan very well. The people here are not stupid. Tomorrow we'll see what comes out of it.\”
Michael was silent. Then, he looked at Dan closely in the eyes. It was a serious look. Dan realized that he had some very important news waiting for him now. Michael said quietly:
\”I want to ask you about important business. Do you want to be the leader of the group?\”
That's an interesting turn. Dan answered right away. Without is even thinking for a second:
\”No! Wait, Michael. I answered honestly. I didn't even think about leadership. I feel perfectly well that it's none of my businesses. I'm not a leader by nature. I'm sorry, but I'll add some unpleasant news. It will sound selfish, but honest. I don't want to be a leader. You take the lead, you keep leading. Don't look for someone to shift the responsibility to. I will be a reliable advisor and assistant.\”
It seemed that Michael was relieved to breathe out after these words.
\”Okay, Dan. I'll try. Why don't you want to increase your strength?\”
Dan had the answer to that question ready. He said that he didn't want to rush it. John told him the local questions about where to get a character class didn't work out. Nobody knows. The teachers are nowhere to be found. So, they're looking in the wrong place. According to the assignments, the game is directly interested in their development.
Dan doesn't need to increase strength.
Now if you look at the development of the group, you can immediately see that Michael, Alexander, Leo, Tom and Ron are developing along the path of warriors.
John and Nick are future hunters and scouts. They will develop dexterity.
Jim will be pumping the parameters for the craft.
Dan watched him at the Donjon today and realized the fight wasn't for him. He's got a character that's not combat, he's a normal peaceful man.
Gandalf does not want to raise the levels because he has to go into battle, and there he will experience the pain from which he wants to escape. His fear of pain is normal.
But he clearly has a dream, he wants to be a magician. A wizard does damage in the distance. A magician needs to be protected from physical contact with the enemy.
So, he and Dan are pumping intelligence and spirit. Dan likes the fight. He was attracted to the fight. He wants to do damage, and want to heal if necessary.
There's a craft like the enchantment of equipment. There's a certain need for intelligence.
The system directly indicates the presence of magic.
They're going to need magic a lot. The forest Spirits live in the forest, so there are immaterial monsters in the game. It's all ghosts and Banshees from the cemetery. Dan highly doubts it can be killed with a regular sword. It's a classic Diablo and many other computer games.
\”Dan, you think we're going to get access to classrooms in the donjon,\” said Michael.
\”Yeah. Everything I've read or looked at there convinces me there's an object or an altar in the donjon. We can get the classes, otherwise, it doesn't make sense.\”
\”Let's see, tomorrow, Turin will make another set of armor, out of trophies. With the leftovers, we'll reinforce one of the leather armors. It's hard to kill a ghoul, but we have to deal with it.
We can buy a net in the village, but I think it won't be a problem for that ghoul. It does damage with its claws. We kill skeletons in a new way. Small skeletons we can beat quickly. When the ghoul shows up, you all run away quickly. That leaves Alexander, Nick, John and me. I hope we can make it. We'll do our best.\”
\”Michael, did you ask Turin about the crystals?\”
\”Yes, I did. He said he needed the skill of Enchantment. He has no such skill. I put them aside for now. They'll be waiting for you.\”
\”John and Nick didn't fight over daggers?\”
\”No, everyone decided peacefully. John got those daggers. Nick got reinforced leather and a sword.\”
The conversation was interrupted by a scream from the table:
\”Hey, conspirators by the fire, go eat. It's time for dinner.\”
They got up and came to the table. Turin and Velida were sitting with all the players. As Dan sat down at the table, he saw her look. Velida was looking at his face. Dan put his head down. His scars are with him now forever. But he wasn't sad. He felt that tomorrow they would win. And they will learn new perspectives and new rules of this cruel game.