AlterWorld

I spent evenings playing with the calculator trying to suss out an ideal model of character growth now that I had this Splitting skill. In the end, I decided to set aside every third Talent point and every five days drink the Elixir of Wisdom which gave me another point. Trust me it cost: two grand and a five-day cooldown. But the result was worth it. In a couple of months, I was looking at level 100 with at least 25 spare points, which would give me two level-100 pets. True, it wouldn't double my power: one level-130 pet would be almost as strong as those two. Add to it the leveling gap caused by squirreling extra points, but that was only the begi

At the moment, this was the state of my characteristics—not counting the items:

Class: Death Knight

Level: 52

Strength: 32

Intellect: 209 (Mana=2090)

Agility: 0

Spirit: 110

Constitution: 61 (Hits=610)

1 Talent point available. 0 Characteristic points available.

I took the occasion to have a couple dozen fights in the arena. The Vets were curious to see what the Dark class was made of. It wasn't very often that their students could cross swords with a Necro or a Death Knight. In such arena-set friendlies, pure casters were an easy win. Not so if they caught you unawares, in the heat of a fight or just after it when you were low on life. You'd miss their first spell due to the surprise effect, then miss the second one as you looked for the attacker and finally, miss the third one as you attempted to do something about it. So in the field, all these PK wizards with their DpS going through the roof could be a force to be reckoned with. Same went for rogues. Absolutely mad DpS multiplied by stealth and some very nasty combos. Many people believed Thief to be the best PvP class. I tended to agree, at least if you looked at PvP as the need to steal close to someone and drown them in their own blood double quick. But where survival was concerned, whether under attack or against groups, they weren't really up to much.

Surprisingly, paladins proved the toughest opponents. In many respects they were the opposite of me with their buffed-up stats, armor and some serious magic support geared against the Forces of the Dark.

Like in other things, having lots of dough definitely helped. Three times I'd met that guy ten levels below myself, and three times I'd failed miserably. The guy had invested over a hundred grand gold in some unique gear raising his combat potential to at least level 70.

We definitely had fun there. The cadets and fighters proved to be a fearless and easygoing bunch. Most of them were perma players, still euphoric about their new life and the opportunities it brought them.

The arena amazed me with its potential. The commandant apparently hoped for a much needed upgrade from the spoils of the cigarette business. Apart from other odds and sods, the level 7 arena allowed us to generate all sorts of monsters. True, they didn't give you level or experience but that wasn't the idea.

The younger crowd had this thing of fighting till death in the full reality mode, complete with having their graves generated in the castle graveyard. In that case, the beaten party had to resurrect right there in the arena and, accompanied by catcalls, hurry across the courtyard to pick up his stuff. Even I had to do that kind of corpse run a couple times. It was fu

By the end, I was totally fed up with sitting within four walls. The Russian salad was already coming out of my ears. The sight of cigarettes gave me a nervous tick. It was time to come out into the open. Logically, the first thing I needed to do was visit Grym and find out whether I was entitled to anything for freeing the Liches. Also, I hoped to hear something about the First Temple.

Dan granted me permission to bind in the portal hall. I did so happily. I raised Teddy, summoned an average pet to chaperone us and off we went to the city. For me it was a forty-minute walk, but a mount's speed is three times that of a human. Unfortunately, it didn't apply to the pet. Finally, we decided to sacrifice our safety and let the pet's poor soul go. Then we crossed our fingers and trotted toward the city. Once we reached the inhabited zone though, the chat filled with underage killers' cussing so I decided to play it safe and summoned another pet. A five-minute walk wouldn't cost me my crown. Actually, I was wearing a crown—and I wouldn't lose it even if someone lifted me by my feet and tipped me upside down.

I passed the Gnoll Hill to the teen players' delight and stepped onto the trail leading to the city. This was the easiest way: I had to turn off into the woods just before the city gates and there we were.

I spoke too soon. I hadn't made a hundred paces when I walked right into a well-organized ambush.

Teddy was trotting just next to me when a rogue unstealthed behind his back attacking him with a long combo. Bellowing, the bear swung round and charged at him, met by the attacker's two blades. Another rogue materialized a dozen feet away from me. He held two swords covered with steaming green poison. The pet froze a couple dozen feet away from us, unable to help—apparently, controlled by an enemy caster. Oh. They made quick work of my Ted. I tried to freeze the rogue nearest to me when a warrior tumbled out of the roadside shrubs and went for me in large leaps. Tavor, the motherfucker.

I switched target and activated Deadman's Hand. It worked. My first stroke of luck. Time to leg it. Nothing was keeping me here. I pressed the mental teleport pictogram. Activation took five and a half seconds. Would I keep the concentration? The rogues went for me, their four blades showering me with blows. My shields seemed to hold. They absorbed damage preventing the two from disrupting my casting.

Two seconds. Would I make it? Tavor bolted, going for me in one large leap, and kicked me to the ground. His special abilities again. The two jumped onto my back twisting my arms, not letting me get to my feet. A mage appeared from behind the trees, a glowing artifact in his hands.

"Quick, hand him over and come right back. I got a word from the gate there's another digital shit coming to the Gnoll Hill. Would be nice to get him, too."

He activated the artifact in two clicks and dropped it onto the ground in front of me. The gold-framed crimson stone filled with light and discharged in a flash.

Warning! Scared Crystal creates an energy spike! This is a spatial anomaly zone! Automatic teleport to the mother stone. Destination: Forest Cats Castle.

With a pop, we fell on the hard, damp stone tiles. The weight of the bodies collapsing on top of me kicked the breath out of me.

Welcome!

Warning! The clan is at war! The castle is concealed by Small Silence Dome. For reasons of confidentiality, all outgoing messages and access to built-in portals are blocked. Contact the commandant to gain clearance to send outgoing traffic.

If you don't agree with the above conditions, you must leave the Castle at once.

Warning! You've been affected by Astral Stone! The unique half-sentient crystal grows smaller copies of itself and teleports them to all corners of the world. When Scared Crystals sense its magic, they create a portal anomaly teleporting the Mage to the mother stone which absorbs all magic energies.