Path of the Shaman

7

Crius, who was sitting opposite, finished his beer and gave the mug to the jumping Viltrax, and then looked at me inquisitively:

“Okay, I listened to you. This, of course, is more entertaining than fussing about your petty affairs, but not very interesting, on the other hand, - he stretched, as if stretching his tired muscles. - Are we going to bring down the dragon?

“Now I don’t even know…” I answered mechanically.

"Uh-uh, we didn't agree on that!" Crius said sternly. - You pick some snot!

On the machine, I ran my sleeve under my nose, and the Titan smiled for the first time in the entire time of our acquaintance:

- Well, you have a tragedy, but what have I got to do with it? Do you expect me to drop everything and go to help the vendetta of an unfamiliar player, and even an official Loch?

I looked longingly at my pictogram, which denoted the Achievement I had received. Well, yes, they gave me the Achievement. Unique - that is, no one else will ever have this. Maybe…

Achievement: Loch

Class: unique

You gave the first person you meet the key to the apartment where the money is.

Intelligence: -20

Charisma: -10

Rare Item Drop Chance: -0.05%

Attractiveness with WFP: +20

Attractiveness with WFP cannot fall below 20

Upon reaching the next level:

Intelligence: -20

Charisma: -10

Rare Item Drop Chance: -0.05%

Attractiveness with WFP: +20

Attractiveness with WFP cannot fall below 40

Maybe go to the nunnery, with my attractiveness?

- So what did you call? Drooling you to wipe?

“You could say that,” I admitted reluctantly. “I don’t know you, and that’s why you are the perfect dumping ground for my problems.

- Hmm ... Dump ... Well, thanks for that. And what are you going to do now? Revenge?

- Revenge? Ha. What for? Suppose I suddenly become so cool that I manage to single-handedly put the first clan in such a way that everyone will wash themselves with bloody tears, and the living will envy the dead ...

- Well, let's put it! the giant snarled.

“Achievements at the same time, no one will take away from me. I met in rehabilitation with the main ugly, as his ...

“Igor,” said Crius indifferently.

- Well, yes. He said that now the employees of the corporation have my portrait at the moment when Anastaria was cleaning my bag, without exception, as a desktop screensaver. By the way, I was very glad that I didn’t get back to the mines. He said he did well on it.

- It's true! Employees are not allowed to interfere with the game, but you can play on the internal sweepstakes.

- What did you bet on? I asked.

“Well, well…” the guest grinned. "Do you still need me for something?"

— And what do you think?

- I? Well, all right, Mahan, I'll do what you want anyway. But you owe me. And, it should be a lot. So much so that you can't even imagine. Do you agree?

- With what? I wondered. - With the fact that you will give me advice of dubious usefulness, the retribution for which may turn out to be the same as the action that everyone liked so much?

- Well, yes! The Titan shrugged indifferently. - I agree?

- Well, I'm Loch? I asked. — Of course, I agree! Viltraks! Bring the master the key to the treasury!

— Stop clown! my interlocutor grimaced. - I'm serious!

- Well, I'm serious!

- OK then! He leaned back against the pillows. - Let's go in order. What happened?

- I just told you...

“You told me how it happened, Mahan. What happened? Think and explain.

- What? I don’t know for sure, but I can present you my vision…” I looked at the giant, and he frowned impatiently in response. - A certain swindler came up with a way to lean back from the zone, and even with a good profit. Just at that moment, he caught the eye of a lucky simpleton who, like no one else, was suitable for the role of bait. When the luck of the simpleton became obvious, the swindler, in conjunction with an accomplice - or maybe there were more accomplices - went out to the fattest cat in the chicken coop and told them what glorious prey awaits them. Further - the study of the plan, scouts and so on, but at some point everything went awry. One of the main performers suggested that the plan be finalized by the fact that having an intimate relationship with a fraer would greatly simplify the implementation. The plan was changed, and the performer, who at that moment somehow miraculously stuck to a simpleton ...

“So you continue to console yourself with the hope that she really loves you?”

“And, secretly from the rest, I finalized the plan with a few insignificant details,” I decided to ignore the interlocutor’s arrival. - Further - the sucker is shod, but as a result of the "unfortunate oversight" of the performer, instead of going back to the mines, he redeems himself and leaves the game.

“Well, okay, you figured out that, in fact, Anastaria forced you to spend the clan’s money on personal freedom, which you would never do under other circumstances, right?

- Yes.

- So?

- What's next?

- What's next? What is the result? Consequences, intentions?

- Effects?

“God, are you stupid? Okay, let's go point by point. Anastaria. Current situation, your plans and intentions. Trample into the dirt, humiliate, mix with shit, lower to the very bottom, rob to the skin, sell to a brothel, marry and have children?

- Not! I shook my head. - Nothing out of this. I love her to the point of impossibility, but I will never be able to believe her. Therefore, harm to her is excluded, as well as sitting at the same table, not to mention the bed. No way. In every word I will look for a catch, in every look - a lie.

You said yourself that she loves you. What will happen if she crawls to you on her knees?

- A proud and strong woman like Nastya? I chuckled. - On the knees? That alone would be suspicious to the point of obscenity.

- And what to do? You love each other…

- She made her choice, and I really didn’t have much to choose from. I hope that my heart wound heals over time.

“Well, well…” Crius repeated sadly. “If only it were that simple…

- Simple or not - but I do not see any other alternative! I snapped angrily.

“Well, okay… Phoenix?

What about Phoenix? They hired a group of swindlers. Three months, half a year, a year - Clutch and Leyte will finish Phoenix. My revenge has already happened, just few people see it.

— Is that all? Will you leave them to their fate?

— Ha-ha! Ridiculous,” I replied with a stone face. - And before that, I pulled them by the hand to participate in shoeing the sucker? No, every manifestation of free will must be punishable!

— Yes, you are an evil shaman, Mahan! The Titan shook his head. - And you?

- What about himself? Level up, complete quests.

- What's the point?

- To prove…

- Prove? The giant laughed. - What? To whom? The only person you have to prove anything to is Shaman Loch Mahan. Do you want to hurt Anastaria with your pumping and goodies? What did she tell you, huh, shaman?

- It's just a game.

- And you want to hurt her in the game? Again, why?

"Okay," I breathed. - What should I do?

— No. Do you accept my terms?

- Yes. If you wish, I will summon the Herald.

- Don't be stupid. What I'm talking about is not a game, Mahan. Do you accept my terms?

- Yes, I accept.

“I heard you,” Crius nodded. “Now tell me, will you stick to your decision regarding Anastaria?” Are you not shy? Won't you go to the Date House just to celebrate the deal?

I hesitated. Suddenly, the words of the Titan became very serious, and my answer - weighty, and I realized that on the other side of the scales was my life. If I give him my word and then break it, he will not forgive me. And this is not a game.

- No, I won't back down.

- Good. Then my first condition is that you will never, under any circumstances, allow yourself even a glance in her direction, Shaman, — the eyes of the Titan seemed to press me into my favorite chair.

— And the second?

“In six months, you managed to earn much more than the hundred million for which you bought your freedom. The second condition is that you must become a rich man. Not "one hundred million" rich, but really rich. You have a year for this. Do you understand?

Eh, Crius, with your lips ... And how will I do it? The Titan chuckled as if he had read my mind.

“Of course, you can’t go up alone. Do you think you could make a hundred million real money on your own in six months? One of the best clans in Barliona and the top players of this clan worked for you. What are you without them? - again, I seem to make a face. “You understand that no one needs your revenge. How much time is left until the end of the month?

“About sixteen days,” I replied, checking the timer on the control panel.

- Excellent. In sixteen days you will receive a call from Ehkiller.

- Why did it happen? How do you know?

“Just trust me, Shaman. Here, look, I threw you a draft long-term agreement.

I stared dumbfounded at the text. And what, Ehkiller will sign up for this? Phoenix must give me everything that was taken from me without asking - chess, the Eye, krustils, the contents of the clan store. And, without compensation from my side. Phoenix undertakes, on each of my requests, to immediately allocate to me up to three hundred - three hundred !!! - players from the top and down to complete my quests. Phoenix has the priority right to purchase any item that I put up for auction. Ten Phoenix players and nine invited by me participate in the passage of the Tomb. My personal share in the passage of the Tomb and in the passage of the Phoenix quests that they will call me to help is half of the legendary and unique items and half of the gold. Phoenix's share of the quests I use their players for is everything except for legendary and unique items in proportion to the total level participating from the Phoenix and from the Legends, but not more than half. Legendaries and uniques of my quests are mine only. Phoenix undertakes to upgrade Legend players at a rate of one thousand gold per level. When such players transfer to any other clan, the Phoenix reimburses these costs five times. And much more…

I looked at the Titan in surprise.

Wouldn't it be easier for them to kill me?

- There at the end ... - yeah, exactly. If I or my clanmate leaves for rebirth due to the fault of the Phoenix players - they overlooked, for example - then a penalty of five million is paid for each episode. Well, beetle!

- What is this for? "Phoenix must exclude and blacklist up to twenty players at my request."

“Because your prosperity will be directly related to the prosperity of the Phoenix,” of course, Clutch and Leyte have not gone anywhere. I have to help Phoenix get rid of them. - With this - everything.

And what is the third condition?

Why do you think there are three? Chris looked at me in surprise.

Maybe more, but at least three. What happened before - just fitting me to some parameters - and then in my head, like a light bulb lit up.

— I'm willing to bet that Igor's employees will have a new splash screen! Crius laughed.

- Do you want to marry me?

"Not you," the Titan grimaced. - And not to marry, but to give in marriage. Interested?

- What the heck? I boiled. “Are you completely out of your mind?”

“Do you know what duty is, Mahan?” my guest suddenly asked.

“Well… I know.

"And what is your duty, Mahan?"

“Well, okay,” I agreed. “My duty is to fulfill your terms. I promised. If you say marry, I will marry.

Chris nodded.