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Fortress of Hope 20
Well ... and now with God!As they stepped out into the open, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.Just past the bridge, Virker turned left onto a barely visible path.- It's calmer, - he muttered, as soon as the path dived into the first bushes.The cheerful hubbub behind was getting quieter. The forest reliably hid a small team from prying eyes. The birds chirped merrily overhead.- I hope there will be no trap, - Tark remarked quietly, without losing his vigilance.But the dense vegetation, as well as hiding them well, did not allow them to look around themselves. All that remained was to rely on his guide.The detachment walked in silence, trying not to break the silence with unnecessary talk.Fortunately, but Virker's calculation turned out to be correct. There were no more people who wanted to meddle in the forest.The path climbed stubbornly up the slowly rising surface. The forest gradually thinned the higher they climbed the mountains.Only the quiet hubbub of the forest reign
Fortress of Hope 21
The game is a game, and lunch is on schedule.The next meeting of friends was already in the dining room. The whole team was in the collection, sharing their impressions. Mark, Nick and Kim were surprised to learn that the same bodyaga with a temple and a single path in other locations.- There are no girls. Nick kept looking around, hoping to see Vel with Rita.“Probably on other floors,” Mark suggested calmly, starting to eat.The dining room was buzzing with conversation. The players shared their impressions and information.Has anyone made it to the temple? – there was a loud question nearby.Friends looked around with curiosity.A red-haired guy, in a thick hemp, carefully looked at the guys from the table next to him.“No,” they replied. - We're in line. We have a couple more hours to go.Has anyone been to the temple? the red-haired man repeated his question even louder, rising.- Yes, who confesses to you? one of the neighbors chuckled. - They lie from three boxes.And the re
Fortress of Hope 22
Just go ahead and hope for good luck.By the time he got back into the game, Mark was exhausted.The fact that he was the first, he was not surprised."Virker," he called to the conductor, who was sitting on the sidelines. “Who in Chartem can go to the Uhl valley except you?”Virker frowned as he walked towards the revived Tark.There are only two of us who know the way. Me and Drobus.- It's clear. Drobus is leading our sworn enemies into the Uhl Valley. Will they follow the same path?- Not. The conductor's face darkened completely. “They will fly on wyverns.- Seriously, - Tark was upset. Now it was not necessary to count on a handicap. – What threatens us that they will be there before us?Virker sneered contemptuously.- Drobus doesn't know about the shortcut through the mountains. They will be waiting for us upstairs. Where the outer path exits. And we will go out on the lower tiers of the Erkling Palace.- Good. Tark nodded. We must try to avoid collisions.Virker grinned.- Ea
Fortress of Hope 23
Bad news and what to do about it.The next meeting of friends was already in the dining room.With surprise, they looked at the joyful faces of other players. And the more they listened to their conversations, the more they frowned.“Maybe we overdid it? Nick asked uncertainly.- No matter what. There's nothing to win back, - Mark snapped gloomily.And they had something to spoil their mood. Grisella's temple did not disappoint. Everyone who passed through it received an individual quest.The result of the quest was to be a gift for the king.So far, all the players have been full of hope and enthusiasm. The first day for each of them was successful and even fun. After all, what are you doing in line? You can dog, but you can have fun. So many have chosen to have fun. And now the fun from the game smoothly flowed into real life.Nick looked at them enviously and pursed his lips in resentment. He could be understood. It's a shame. After all, all this time they did nothing but wander i
Fortress of Hope 24
New location.Will they be able to open the gate? Tark asked the guide anxiously."If there are noble women with them, then probably," Virker replied grimly. Drobus boasted that he had found another key. I didn't believe. But I don't think he would lead to the Noble Gate if he didn't have it.But Virker did not know that Drobus did not know everything about the gate. And now the feisty merchants, not having received the bribe due to them, slowly descended from their pedestals to deal with the uninvited guests.But even on this side of the gate, things were not going smoothly.The ringing sound of the interface being activated instantly erased the satisfied smirk from Sionel's beaming face.- Oh! Not! he groaned when the system kindly informed him that in connection with the murder of three players, penalties were imposed on him in the form of deprivation of three additional lives.Tark, silently listening, silently activated the exchange icon in his interface.- The exchange and trans
Fortress of Hope 25
The first artifact and at what cost.The team reached the mobs reflected on the map with orange dots in a few minutes. They turned out to be strange creatures, the size of a good dog, with the lean torso of a hound. A head with bright red-blue plumage was crowned with a powerful beak. The forelimbs ended in paws, and the hind limbs ended in cock-like ones, with impressive spurs.Clumsy animals did not cause a sense of danger.The team carefully examined them from around the corner of the house, not risking being caught by mobs.- That's why the stats on mobs do not open? Ehan fiddled with his interface, but to no avail.- And you touch the mob with your hand, then they will probably open, - Fox suggested mockingly, remembering how easily the data on the crystal in her hand opened."Ridiculous," Ehan snapped.“I'll distract them to myself, and you run after the artifact,” Sionel suggested, taking out a crossbow from behind his back.- Accepted, - agreed with his plan Tark.And the team
Fortress of Hope 26
Another location or what's going on?“Oh, and the little white one is fine, cutie,” a purring sonorous voice rang out over a bunch of small ones that formed from the team.While the team was helping each other up from the floor, a fairly dense crowd had gathered around them. There was pleasant music. Onlookers overdressed to smithereens were interested, but who are they?“What, I don’t understand, where are we?” - Sionel, as always, was the first to utter the question that tormented everyone.“You are in the palace of the Emperor himself, young man,” they heard an obviously old voice and turned around.Against the backdrop of a motley crowd of richly dressed elves, werewolves and fairies, the old man looked like an alien spot in his completely black suit.– Emperor? - Tark asked in confusion, feverishly thinking where in Arkoland the emperor could be. In theory, the game country was ruled by a king.“Come with me, young people,” the old man commanded and turned around.The motley crow
Fortress of Hope 27
No matter how you throw it - everything is a wedge.Going out into the corridor in real life, Mark still couldn’t switch, he still felt like he was in the game. Sharp jumps from one location to another in a short period of time had an effect.Friends were already waiting in the dining room.- How are you? Kim looked confused."Shit," Tark admitted. - Completely confused.But friends, who competed separately from them, distracted me with stories about their problems. And absolutely everyone had problems today.Seemingly easy quests received in the temple of the goddess, in fact, were not so simple. And at the moment there was not one who did not lose his life at least once.But that was not all.You had to return to the game at the starting point, which was considered the central square of the city. The last city they had time to visit before losing their lives. And many were thrown far back. There were those who returned to the starting point.Nick was not the only one who managed to