Survival Quest (The Way of the Shaman: Book #1) (6 page)

Whether I wanted to or not, I had to make a decision. Was I prepared to take a risk and verify the information that one can die without food? Though I was ashamed to admit it, but I was not. Even if this was a game, I wasn't psychologically ready to die, even in a virtual sense. In all my 87 levels as a Hunter I only died a couple of times, before I gained the ability to control my opponent at level 30. From that time on I'd been playing like Koschei the Deathless. I even smiled at the thought: on account of Marya the Wise (Marina) my Koschei (my Hunter) was destroyed. Moreover, when I was free the sensory filters were turned off and death simply meant disconnection from Barliona for a couple of hours. 'Well, well... So I have to eat', I thought, and gave my plate a look of hatred, as the porridge continued to bubble. I overcame my aversion and slowly started to eat, carefully watching those around me. At first I felt light tingling in my mouth, as if I was eating a fizzy sweet. Then to my surprise I discovered that the porridge had a taste and that this taste was a pleasant one. When the tingling in my mouth gave way to euphoria in my whole body, I quickly finished the entire portion before I knew it. The pleasure was so great that I wasn't even surprised when I saw the message about receiving a buff:

Buff gained: Strength +1, Energy loss reduced by 50%. Duration - 12 hours.

As soon as I read the message, the plate disappeared from my hands. Great: only if such things happened in reality - you eat and dirty plates vanish forever! Putting my pick over the shoulder I joined the flow of people moving towards the mine. My first day of work awaited me.

The site greeted me with graphic dust effect, lack of wind and the burning sun.

I had only 1 level in Mining. This meant that, irrespective of how much I increased it today, I had to gather 10 pieces of ore. The quota was calculated on entering the mine and not on exit, or at least that's how I understood Rine. Keeping in mind that I should beat my quota, I had to gather 20 pieces today. So, let's go! With this thought I threw the bag on the ground got a good grip on the pick and started to hit the stone pile.

'Not too strongly or too weakly, aiming between the stones rather than at them' - thoughts flew through my head as I worked. 'I must watch my breathing and Energy level....Strike right between the rocks...  "Isn't it funny How a bear likes honey?  I wonder why...?"' Striking between the stones... I wonder, did Rabbit really put everything he had on the table for him, or did he leave something for himself for a rainy day? Must watch the Energy level...  Damn it, swinging this blasted pick is so hard... '

In approximately an hour I decided to take a break. The durability bar on the Copper Vein had stopped at 60%; so I had to hit it for another 2 hours at least. At this rate I'll be able to get through 3 veins at the most today. Not a flippin' lot! I must speed up!

The Energy level showed 43 units, Hit Points fell to 35, so I decided to get some water to restore them. I would also find out how things work at the local watering hole.

The water supply was right at the centre of the mine and consisted of a twenty-meter square site, similar to those in which the prisoners worked, with one difference: there were no piles of rocks on its borders. It contained six small wells, about half a meter wide and deep. They had no lids: just a simple hole in the ground with stones set around it. At the same time there was only one cup for drawing water. It was carelessly lying on the ground. How unsanitary! It's just as well that microbes don't exist in a virtual world. That's harsh. One little bowl for six small wells - for two hundred prisoners. It seemed inhuman. There were no prisoners at the watering hole, so I took the cup and leant over a well, dipping it in the water. What smart ass came up with the idea of putting only one watering hole in such a large mine? And so inconveniently placed too. Having drank the water, which didn't taste anything like the one that Rine offered me, I restored the lost Energy and Hit Points and saw a strange debuff text in front of me:

Water used. Duration expires in: 6 hours.

I had no access to the properties and description of the debuff, so I decided to forget about it and return to my section.

In the next hour I single-mindedly worked on destroying the vein. Only 40% of durability remained now, and soon it was 20%. A little more, just a bit! I bit my lip and inflicted a frenzy of blows with my pike. I wondered whether I would have been able to work at such a pace in the real world or would have already dropped from tiredness. Now only 10% left... Suddenly the pick dropped from my hands and I fell to the ground.

You are tired. Current level of Energy: 10 of 100.

Your Hit Points have been reduced by 30. Total: 10 of 40.

Well bang my copper! How could I forget about Energy? I went to the settings and set up a message that would flash as a warning if my Energy fell below 30. Now, the main thing was to crawl to the water and not kick the bucket on the way! The strange debuff did not disappear, but the timer in it changed:

Water used. Duration expires in: 4.5 hours.

As soon as I got to the water, I took the cup and drank a couple gulps. Feeling the tiredness recede from me, I stared blankly at the text that appeared before my eyes:

You used water for the second time in 6 hours.

Penalty incurred: the number of skill points reduced by 10%. The next degree of reduction: 20%. Attention: You have not yet earned any skill points, total penalty: 0

You restored your Hit Points. Total: 40 of 40.

You restored your Energy. Total: 100 of 100.

Despite regaining my Energy, I was too dispirited to curse or express my emotions in any way. I got up and, downcast, headed off in the direction of my site: the daily quota had to be met one way or another and I had to wait another 4.5 hours before I could drink again. Now it finally began to dawn on me that the place where I ended up really was a prison and not a recreational work and leisure resort.

The vein only had 5% of Durability left. I automatically took the pick and methodically started to make blow after blow, completely switching off to everything around me.

A few minutes later the Durability bar of the vein flickered one last time and the pile of rocks disappeared, leaving six pieces of ore on the ground behind it. I quickly glanced at the message that appeared before me and waved it away, gathering the ore into the bag and starting on the second vein.

Experience gained: +1 Experience, points remaining until next level: 99

Skill increase:

+ 50% to Mining. Total: 50%

+ 10% to Strength. Total: 10%

+ 5% to Stamina. Total: 5%

They give just 1 experience point for a vein... Blow.... I need to break 99 more veins to gain a level....  Blow....   3-4 veins a day...  Blow... At least a month until I can gain a level... Blow... I'll die here... Blow...  What's left of my spirit will, for sure...

In the hour that I spent on the second vein, its Durability went down to 65% and my Energy level to 30. The water debuff showed me that I could not drink for two more hours, so I lay down in the shade cast by the vein to get out of the burning sun. I closed my eyes and imagined myself swimming in cool water, it running down my face, slowly drinking the sweet, cool, invigorating moisture...

A quiet squeak sounded next to me like a thunderclap on a clear day, drowning out the piercing ringing of the picks, making me jump up and glance around wildly.

A huge Rat, coming up to my knee in height, stood on one of the veins of my section and looked at me. I stared at the Rat, stupefied, and for a while we engaged in this 'staring contest'. What was a Rat doing here? There were only rocks in this place. What's there to eat for them here, after all? Were the prisoners themselves on the menu? These questions remained unanswered, but one thing was clear: the Rat was there and it was looking at me. Appearing to come to some kind of a decision, the Rat snorted and, jumping off the Copper Vein, disappeared from sight.

For some minutes I stared at the space that was just occupied by the Rat.

A Rat in a stony mine! This is impossible! This is... This is free Experience! A source of Experience that did not depend on ore gathering! And if I gained a second level, I will put all my points into... Right, I must definitely go on a rat safari inside my section. After taking the decision to hunt down the Rat, I remembered Kart's words that dealing damage to someone leads to Energy falling to zero and then I bite the dust. Blast! Does this rule also apply to Rats? I must find this out so I don't end up in a pickle.

To my surprise in the time that I rested and daydreamed of a rat safari, my Energy rose to 80, my Hit Points were completely restored and the water debuff indicated less than an hour until expiry. I grabbed the pick and decided to bring my Energy down to 30, then wait until the debuff wore off and go to the watering hole, where I would ask (from the overseers if it came to it) what the punishment was for killing Rats.

Either the inspiration from the coming hunt increased my physical strength or I got the hang of the work process, but by the time I was down to 30 Energy, the Durability of the vein was only 15%. The water debuff had completely expired and, aching all over, I ran for the water.

The watering hole was quite crowded — it seems that the debuff had expired for many people. Having refreshed myself, I started to look for Kart, but to my disappointment he was nowhere to be seen and the same went for Alt; so, having weighed up all the 'pros' and 'cons' I went to an overseer. 

'I wonder,' I thought as I came up to the guard, 'where did the developers find the template for such a despising stare? After all, it's not something that can be contrived - you'd have to be born with a stare like that. You feel as though the guard is looking at you like a piece of something small and indecent. Well I'll be... this really is quite unsettling...'

"What is it?" barked the overseer and it seemed to echo around the whole mine.

"Is there a penalty for killing Rats?" I quickly asked my question, thinking that politeness would be wasted on a guard.

"Rats? Ha-ha! So, you've decided to become a Rat hunter, have you?" laughed the guard. "Aside from the fact that it will make a nice snack of you, there are no penalties. In any case, you'll never catch it with those stubby legs! It can only be hit from afar, but what will you hit it with? A stone? So quit drooling over Rats and get your ass back to work!"

Right. Aside from the stare they also gave this law enforcer an angelic temperament. But at least I got all I needed out of him — a Rat can be hunted without fear of punishment. And if there's no punishment, I should make use of this opportunity.

"Halt!" The guard shouted after me as I began to head off. "If you do somehow manage to kill a Rat, you could claim a reward for it from Rine. They get on his nerves even more than you get on mine. Don't forget to bring a Rat tail as proof."

Message for the player!

If you kill a Rat, bring the Rat tail to Rine and claim your reward: 10 Copper coins and

+2 Reputation with the Pryke Mine Guards for each Rat tail.

After I returned to my site, I decided to finish off the second vein quickly, make a start on the third and then, once Energy had again fallen to 30%, go on a hunt for the Rat. After all, this gave me an additional opportunity to earn money and raise my reputation! I must make use of it. In my mind I was already at the hunt, so I did not notice the moment when the Durability bar flickered and the vein vanished.

Experience gained: +1 Experience, points remaining until next level: 98

Skill increase:

+50% to Mining. Total: 100%. Mining increased by 1. Total: 2

+10% to Strength. Total: 20%

+5% to Stamina. Total: 10%

I quickly glanced at the message that appeared and waved it away so I could gather up the ore and start on the third vein, and then...

A light, virtually weightless, pleasure, like a glass of cool fresh beer that you drink after a hot sauna, engulfed me from head to toe. This was so unexpected and at the same time so pleasant that I wanted to jump, sing and hug someone. Where are you, Rat? I love you!

The euphoria did not last long, but left a deep mark in my soul. Yes, this makes slaving away for 12 hours a day well worth it. I could not even imagine what I'd be feeling when I levelled up one of my stats or my main profession. So there are some advantages to having the sense perception in the capsule turned on. And Alt was right, it is an unforgettable feeling.

I had another 6 pieces of Cooper ore from the second vein, which allowed me to forget about the daily quota and opened my road to money-earning. So, what did we have: Energy: 95, vein Durability: 100%, Mining: 2. There are about 5 hours left until the end of the day. Here goes!

The message that I added to the settings for monitoring Energy popped up after about an hour of work. I sat on the ground and was pleased to note that with the second level in Mining working became more enjoyable and after approximately the same hour of work, only 45% of the vein Durability remained. And I wasn't even trying that hard!