The Beginning (Dark Paladin Book #1) LitRPG Series Read online

  “There is nothing forbidden about this information.” The teacher did not put on airs. “Your artifact is already activated, so you know very well what you can learn in this unit.

  "In the game interface unit you will learn to open and close virtual windows and use buttons; you will receive clarifications on all the functions of the game interface and the ways to update it.

  "In the unit of class abilities you will learn one of the three paths for development of the Paladin and learn to use various class abilities.

  "The specialty unit will enable you to choose the path for your development regardless of the Artifact you have chosen.

  "The crafts unit provides technical specialty basics. You will be able to improve your equipment, make elixirs and other things of that nature.

  "The attributes unit will teach you the specifics of working with attributes, and clarify what they are and how they are different, for example, from class abilities.

  "The unit of class outfits provides information on how you can upgrade class armor, how to work with your inventory and how to expand it.

  "And, finally, Game basics unit will give you an understanding of the overall principles of the Game, starting from the Auction to the development and political framework. What would you like to learn?”

  “What is the ‘development path’?” I frowned in bewilderment, not understanding the purpose of specialty in the least. “What does it mean – ‘regardless of the Artifact you have chosen’?”

  “If this is what you would like to know, you would need to learn the use of specialty. Is this your choice?”

  Lately so many unpleasant and unexpected things had happened to me that it took me an enormous effort to stop myself from socking the old guy one in the kisser. Is it so difficult to answer a question? Is it really necessary to make a problem out of everything I ask? What kind of stupid approach is that?"

  “Yes, I would like to learn how to use specialty,” I said, trying to calm down and looking over the list of training units once again. I would learn the class abilities later‒ they are not crucial now; all the rest, with the exception, perhaps, of the general basic principles of the Game, were not particularly important for me at the moment. However, I did not want to use the entire teacher to learn the rules for using the Auction, while the specialty issue really bothered me. What did it mean: "path of development"?

  Process of specialty choice has been activated.

  The space around me changed, turning into the clearing I had seen previously, surrounded by the strange forest. Even though I was sure that this clearing was completely identical to the one I had already seen, I still looked around the entire space that I could see, fixing my eye on the small details: the reddish leaves of the trees, the grass that looked like blue plantain leaves, and noticing the sun was not visible even though the weather was generally clear. The Book of Knowledge needed to be leveled up all the time.

  “Specialty is the cornerstone of the player’s development,” the teacher started explaining as soon as I finished exploring the area. “In essence, it’s the way the player uses his game skills, his profession. Through a symbiotic relationship with the Artifact or independent action, the specialty maximizes the player’s necessary qualities that would enable him to express himself to the fullest in his chosen profession.”

  “…?” my face so vividly conveyed all the understanding I had of what was being said to me that the old man grinned, and suddenly asked:

  “Tell me, Paladin, how do you see yourself in this game?”

  “…?” — another vivid reaction.

  “What attracts you the most? Fights with other players? Battles with NPCs? Politics? Dungeons? Searching for treasures? Exploring the world? Something else?”

  “I was planning to explore…”

  “What for?”

  “Any information has a price: I was thinking of selling it,” I gradually relaxed, taking an active part in the dialogue. At least now I could understand what the teacher was talking about and what his question was.

  “A price?” The old man was surprised. “Since when does something available through a simple query have a price?”

  “Not everyone has access to the Temple of Knowledge,” I quipped, having figured out what the old guy meant.

  “Nonsense! It’s accessible to everyone! Moreover, the more you ask for help, the easier it is to enter the Temple. I heard you – you were planning to sell information. To whom? Those players, who, as you put it, don’t have access to the Temple of Knowledge, won’t be able to pay you. They simply don’t have the money!” While those who would be willing to open their purses and pay their granis for information are unlikely to buy information about the Game on the side. It’s much simpler and more beneficial to fly over to the Temple of Knowledge and find everything out there.

  “What do you mean – ‘don’t have the money’?” I was quite stunned, as this turn of events was totally unexpected to me. “Do players have money problems?”

  “Are you planning to charge NPC money for information?” The old man was even more surprised.

  “Well, actually, that was my initial plan,” I said slowly, trying to figure out what to do. My plan for a carefree existence was creaking under my feet, because if the old guy was right, no one would care a crap for the information that was currently accumulating in my Book of Knowledge.

  “It’s a rather stupid plan, I would like to point out, but it’s up to you. If you decide to concentrate exclusively on relations with the NPC, I am not going to try and talk you out of it. That’s exactly why I asked what you like most of all. I would like to recommend selecting as a specialty some wonderful occupations such as “Speaker” or “Inventor”. They will combine very well with the Book of Knowledge and will enable you to become a popular and famous person.”

  “Wait, so specialty is a profession that would have within the game world?” I ventured to guess.

  “Not quite. What you are going to do in the world will depend on the creative profession that you choose. It sounds similar, but there is a global fundamental distinction. Specialty is the direction for the player’s development and application. For example, a “Speaker” could be anyone: a boxer, a street sweeper, or jobless. The specialty will manifest itself in his personal attitude to various phenomena of the game world. In this example, the boxer will, at each win or defeat, regale the public with wonderful public statements that come from the depths of his being. The sweeper will, with each sweep of his broom, speak such philosophical statements that he will acquire followers. I think you understand the point. That would not be the player’s main profession, but the direction of development that he had chosen.”

  “Can players be street sweepers?” I was surprised.

  “Why not? It’s a profession. There is payment in the same granis for cleaning territories as for completing dungeons or killing other players. Not all the players like chasing each other or NPCs. Some like it quiet. Have you never noticed that some of those grey-haired, huge, bearded sweepers are very nice, communicative people with their own set of views on life, their own philosophy? That regardless of their social status one wants to talk to them, feel their attention? NPCs have even made up a special word for that: “charisma”; but now you know why that actually happens. It’s just that someone chose the “Speaker” specialty. By the way, I do wish that to you as well, if you decide to sell knowledge. Who knows‒ you might be able to convince someone to buy some from you.

  “Does this mean that being a world explorer does not pay?” I said with disappointment.

  “Not at all; being an explorer not only pays; it’s one of the most well-paid player development paths. The question is simply how to use the knowledge you acquire. It’s unlikely that you’d be able to sell it to players, although nothing is impossible.”

  “I'm all ears,” my breath caught from this news, but the old guy returned to his previous line:

  “That’s why I asked you about your pre
ferences in the game. You need to decide here and now what it is that you want to do; then I will be able to provide you recommendations on the specialty most suitable for you and your Artifact. Or, if you have already made a choice prior to entering the Academy, you may simply name it.”

  “It’s hard for me to choose a single thing,” I admitted some time later. “Everything that was listed, with the exception, perhaps, of fighting other players, interests me. Politics, exploration, searching for treasures, and many other things. Is there some generalized specialty for a world explorer?”

  “Why not…? There is everything here. Without a large variety of options, but it does exist. As I already said, the main task of the explorer is to find a way to use the information he has acquired. The more of it there is, the more experienced, educated and wise the explorer becomes. That’s why the specialty “Judge” suits them like no one else. The explorer accumulates knowledge of an object or event, then delivers a verdict: “guilty” or “not guilty”, and assigns punishment in case of a “guilty” verdict. Then it would depend on circumstances: the sentence may be passed on to headhunters, may be executed by the Judge himself if he deems it necessary, may be deferred, etc.”

  “I don’t want to be constantly judging people,” I grumbled, astonished. Of all things that was something that I really didn’t need for sure.

  “You are once again confusing specialty and profession. This is just a direction for development. For example, you became a member of a team that performed a dungeon raid. You completed the dungeon, acquired some loot, and now it’s time to divide it up. The raid leader proposes that everything be divided equally, but the Book of Knowledge immediately tells you that the girlfriend of the raid leader did not take part in any of the battles with the monsters, and that she was away from the team, so she does not deserve a share equal to everyone else’s. If you have the attribute “Context search” and you have leveled it up to level 15, you make this information available to all the raid participants, and then a joint decision is made regarding the fairness of dividing the loot. If needed, you could even call on the Game to help you, but I would definitely not advise that you do that. That would have consequences. Being a Judge does not mean sitting on a chair and listening to the arguments of the parties. Being a Judge means exploring the world actively and recording its downfalls.”

  “You are describing this specialty in such rosy terms that it immediately begs the question: what’s the catch? Now it all looks too good to be true.”

  “There is a drawback.” The teacher was not going to deny it. “There is always one. The Judge has to be objective.”

  “…?”

  “The Judge has no friends or enemies; he has only truth that he must follow. If his friend — a player or an NPC, it doesn’t matter — breaks a law, the Judge must deliver a verdict. Regardless of whether he wants to or not.”

  “But there is much room for abuse.” For some reason arrangements for corruption appeared in my mind at once. We are such strange creatures after all: instead of rejoicing and thinking of the bright side, we immediately start looking for ways to circumvent the law.

  “It’s possible; frequently that is what Judges do. But it’s not so simple. Any verdict is checked by the moderator — the Emperor. The Game provides to him all information concerning the event, and if the moderator decides that the Judge was not objective, the moderator will send a headhunter after him.”

  “So all he does is check verdicts?” I was surprised. “Or are there just a couple of players who are Judges? How come the Emperor has so much time on his hands?”

  “Actually, Judges are not numerous; in each game world there are probably not be more than a hundred, and they belong to different classes. As for the time for review… Yaropolk, you need to stop being used to your former life. In the Game time is not uniform. Will a single second pass in the main world while you are training at the Academy? No. It’s the same with verdicts. The Emperor can spend a hundred years to review all the verdicts delivered in a day, but it will not be noticeable in the main game world.

  “So who controls the Emperor? Who can guarantee that he reviews verdicts properly and correctly?”

  “The Game itself does that. Its creators wanted to eradicate in all players a craving to break the law, but there were only enough system resources for the Emperor. Thus, he is the most pure and righteous creature in the entire Game, and his every word is the law. If the Emperor decides that the verdict was delivered improperly, the Judge will lose one level: headhunters will send him for respawn.”

  “And if the verdict is correct?”

  “You get a bonus. You will know what it is after the very first verdict.”

  “But one could still manipulate.” For some reason various schemes occurred to me of how one could get around the rules. “Keep sitting at the lower levels so that it would be easier to level up; then, even if you are sent for respawn it won’t be a major problem.”

  “It’s a good thought but you are not the first one to whom it has occurred. A Judge has the right to deliver one hundred wrong verdicts. Once he makes the hundredth wrong decision, he will be wiped out, as someone who has not lived up to expectations. If he has any levels left by then, that is.”

  “Fine.” I thought for a while, then requested a clarification: “Is my understanding correct that a player whose specialty is “Judge” can actually be doing whatever, even herding cows, but if someone breaks a law in front of him, the Judge must study the issue from beginning to end and deliver a verdict?”

  “In general that’s correct, but there is one thing: the Judge doesn't have to study the issue in detail; he may deliver his verdict guided purely according to his experience and attitude to events. The Emperor will later decide whether the Judge was correct or not.”

  “But I don’t have to choose this specialty, right?”

  “You don’t. I have told you about the specialty most suitable for the development path you have chosen. You can choose any other one and it will be immediately assigned to you. If that is the case I am waiting for you to name the specialty. What will your choice be, Paladin?"

  “I think I will ask you a few more questions. Is a Judge always obligated to deliver a verdict? With respect to any violation that occurs in front of him?”

  “Yes‒ this is the drawback of this specialty. However, each misdeed has a certain period of limitation for action. If during this period the Judge does not have enough time to investigate the case event, the case will be closed and the perpetrator will be deemed not guilty.

  “But this is…” I started saying, but the old man interrupted me:

  “Let’s not state the obvious out loud.”

  “How many cases can a Judge have open concurrently?” It seemed to me that I had found a decent loophole. If I don’t feel like investigating something, I could just blow it off.

  “Ten. If the Judge runs up against a necessity to deliver an eleventh verdict, he would have to deliver it here and now, based purely on his attitude to what’s going on. So it’s not recommended to accumulate unfinished cases: you risk losing a level.”

  “And would I have to deliver verdicts for everyone? Both players and NPCs?”

  “No; whatever NPCs do is determined by the algorithms of the Game. A Judge would be working only with players and minions. Nobody else. You don’t have to pay any attention to whatever NPCs might do – the Game itself will take care of it.”

  “How many Judges are there on Earth?” I made a last-ditch attempt to postpone the obvious choice. It was shameful to admit, but the mere thought that I would be able to hold players and minions responsible for their misdeeds was so attractive that, really, there was no other choice.

  “Thirty-two.”

  “And how many have been wiped out already?”

  “Three thousand two hundred and seventeen.” The teacher shocked me. “For some reason Judges on Earth are not very much in favor of following the main requirement of this special
ty: being objective. What is your choice, Paladin?”

  “I agree with the suggested choice,” I finally decided. “I accept the specialty “Judge”!”

  Specialty has been selected

  Character adjustment in progress

  Fireworks exploded in front of my eyes, and I lost consciousness from unbearable pain.

  “How did you get info on this teacher?” Through the darkness of faint I heard a voice sounding more like a growl. Knowing very well that time was working against me, I tried to open my eyes, though unsuccessfully. My brain was overwhelmed by a chorus of a thousand voices combined with the crescendo of a symphony orchestra. Grabbing my head with my palms, I began moaning and rolling around on the ground trying to make all that noise subside. It was quite hard for me at the moment to perceive the surrounding reality in an adequate way.

  “Should I just send you for respawn to put you out of your misery?” The growling voice was kindness itself, but it was that phrase that enabled me to switch from feeling the pain to perceiving the reality around me. The hum was still there, but it faded into the background, which enabled me to do the incredible: open my eyes and look around. Three things drew my attention immediately. First: the teacher sitting in the lotus position, having completed his mission for training me. Second: a huge panther looking at me, her head tilted in contemplation. Third: the game interface has changed. The third thing was so unusual that it pushed even the panther into the background.

  In the left top corner of my field of vision a verdict counter appeared; under it there was a line “Case No. 'None' ”, and another line “Case investigation”. Based on the fact that currently it said “0%”, it was supposed to indicate the depth of my “delving” into the situation. The status bar showed an additional icon; pressing on it showed a list of active cases, of which there were none at the moment. But the most fascinating thing was something else: in the top center there was an unusual icon: a shining semicircle with a futuristic arrow, resembling a speedometer. At the moment the arrow pointed strictly upward, without leaning to either of the sides, which were a bright light on the right and total darkness on the left. My mischievous hands (well, eyes, really, in this case) immediately clicked on the mysterious speedometer.