The Way of the Shaman [06] Shaman's Revenge Read online

  “An oath which doesn’t mean anything to me if for instance knowledge of the plan was passed along out in reality,” I smirked bitterly.

  “That’s true. You know, I wanted to meet you one on one originally, but later I understood that for you, I’ll always be a member of Phoenix and it doesn’t matter how much I swear to the contrary. That’s normal and I don’t expect any trust from you. But we made a mistake that we want to correct, so we stayed in the clan and began to recruit people. I have several ideas and I’d like you to listen to them. You can make your decisions later—for now, just listen…”

  Taking a gulp of water, Clutzer waited for the server to place the plates of food before us and leave the room before continuing:

  “First of all, let’s go through the reasons for why and how everything was done. After that, I’ll go through our options…As I already told you, I was the one who originally brought the three of us to Phoenix. I just didn’t believe that a prisoner in this game could accomplish anything. It’s never happened before, so I figured it’d never happen. So we joined Phoenix and began to wait for you…”

  Clutzer rehashed his captivating tale about the young analyst’s entry to Phoenix and about how he went from being a simple advisor to one of the authors of a vast global strategy to acquire the Chess Set of Karmadont. In effect, he didn’t tell me anything new, but I made a second mental checkmark—hearing the story for the second time no longer made me want to destroy the world. Even when he broached the subject of Anastaria, I felt no urge to tear her apart into little bits and pieces. Although—it’s completely plausible that this was due to the tactic I had concocted for speaking with her. Who knows?

  “That was before you left the game. Now, about what happened afterward,” Clutzer went on. “Here’s a link to the video. You really need to watch it.”

  I wasn’t interested in letting them know that I knew what happened after I signed out of the game, so I opened the trade window, loaded the video file and watched the opening of the Tomb once again. There were the angels and there was Anastaria speaking with them…

  Hold on…

  No one can see right now what I’m looking at and in what sequence, so they think that I’m paralyzed with the shock of this revelation—and yet, I was trying my hardest to remember the angle from which I’d watched this same scene earlier. The current video was clearly taken by Clutzer, since I could hear his commentary. I was however interested in something else entirely—who had recorded the clip that I’d seen?

  I couldn’t care less what my companions thought, so I signed out of Barliona, got out of my cocoon, opened the link I received in my email earlier, found Clutzer, approximated where the cameraman must have been and returned to the game. Before making deals with unknown strangers, I’d like to have an idea of what resources they had at their disposal.

  What can I say…When I spied who must have recorded the first video—in terms of deduction and geometry—my eyes popped out of their sockets. After all, I was perfectly familiar with this player—it was Exodus, one of the Hunters of Phoenix. I finished watching Clutzer’s video, which was longer than Exodus’ and which documented how Plinto went on to kill everyone on the plateau, I located the frame in which you could most clearly see the spy and paused the video.

  The Level 302 Hunter, as far as I recalled, was either the leader of Phoenix’s Hunters or someone very closely placed to that role. In the Dark Forest he had proven himself a good player, since he was about the only ranged fighter who could survive in seemingly any situation, so it was now difficult to accept the fact that he was the one who had shot video. Over the past week, I had lost my faith in miracles and now one thing was clear: Either this was a set-up and Exodus’ video was shot for personal use and later stolen, or I was missing something important. In any event, it’s now evident that I have to meet this mysterious stranger. I’ll wait for a reply to my letter and see what he has to offer.

  “Very nice,” I quipped, letting everyone know that I’d watched the video. Fifteen minutes had passed since I opened it, and it wasn’t nice to keep people waiting. “In other words they needed a deputy to enter the Tomb, and the plan was to send me to the mines…”

  “That’s precisely why we’re here,” Clutzer went on. “And this is also why the clan has so many members. We really didn’t want you to return to the game and disband the clan—and none of us doubted that you would return eventually. Even if you’d kicked everyone out and remained the only member, the clan would cease to exist. And the Charter doesn’t matter here—that can always be revised after all. What matters is that Phoenix would win and the Legends of Barliona would be gone.”

  “Are you trying to say that you began recruiting people so that I’d feel socially awkward kicking everyone out and ultimately do what you all wanted—and not what I wanted?” I asked sarcastically. As much as I disliked it, Clutzer was right: My original plan was to remain in the Legends on my own. Now, however, when there were so many people in it…I wasn’t so sure…

  “Among other things,” the Rogue admitted sincerely. “You see, that’s not all that we have to show you. Several days ago, Anastaria gave an interview which they published on Phoenix’s site.”

  “I’ve already seen it,” I cut Clutzer off. “Which is why I’m all the more surprised by the size of the clan now. After all, Shaman Mahan betrayed his players and became the villain of Barliona. If there’s anyone who wants to join me, then either he’s stupid or he’s a white knight who wants to prove Stacey right and lock me up behind bars.”

  “You don’t know people very well, Mahan, or else you forget your status…”

  “My status?” I frowned, completely lost about what Clutzer was getting at.

  “That’s right—your status. You are Shaman Mahan, the central hero of two feature-length movies—and a positive hero at that! A player who has a unique castle, unique projections and immense luck when it comes to the game’s scenarios. The guards of Anhurs still speak of your wedding with Anastaria with awe. No one had done so much damage to the capital before. And here you believe that the players will trust Anastaria in this matter? We didn’t sit around twiddling our thumbs this entire time either—the forums are currently discussing an alternate version of Anastaria’s account, in which you two had a serious quarrel, you left because of a broken heart and are now in the middle of a drinking binge. An ordinary old drinking binge, which any ordinary person would go on. You’ll have to forgive us—we couldn’t think of anything better. But then again people love their dramas and a quarrel between two virtual spouses is much more plausible, pleasant, and ordinary than what happened in actual fact. And yet, everyone awaits your return. I’ve already had about seven news agencies contact me today, begging for an interview—it’s not like you check your mail. You’re a celebrity Mahan, whether you like it or not. So everything depends exclusively on you, or more precisely on what you intend to do.”

  “All right, fine. But what are these two here for?” I asked, indicating Eric and Plinto. I could hardly believe the latter’s silence, yet Plinto hadn’t opened his mouth once like a well-disciplined boy. This wasn’t the Rogue I knew.

  “Oh, they’re just extras. I figured that, one on one, our meeting would take a different turn. After all, I’m Anastaria’s creature, her right hand man and all that. Were I Anastaria, I’d make sure to get in touch with you and ask: ‘How’s my Clutzer doing? He hasn’t ruined your clan entirely yet, has he?’ Your telepathic link is still functioning after all.”

  “Still?” I asked with surprise.

  “As soon as you get divorced, you’ll lose that ability. But once again—if I were Anastaria, divorce would be the first thing I’d go for. I’m sure that you haven’t examined this subject at great length, so listen up: In order to get a divorce, both spouses need to be present. It won’t happen if only one half of the cookie’s there. However, there are several hidden perils which—if you’re unaware of them—could cause you to lose half of your v
irtual possessions. And quite legally I might add. The status of an Earl in Barliona is as follows…”

  Clutzer began to tell me such things that my eyebrows climbed higher and higher. It turns out that under Malabarian law adopted back during the reign of Karmadont, several layers of the nobility didn’t have the right to get a divorce. Or, more precisely, they had the right, but they incurred such penalties in doing so, that it was far simpler to live out the rest of your life with a person you didn’t love. These unlucky layers include only several titles—Dukes, Councilors, Heralds, Emperors and, unfortunately, Earls.

  All this meant that I could lose 30% of my property to the Empire, be demoted from Earl to Baron and have the remainder of the property I acquired since entering the marriage split. And that went as much for my things as for Anastaria’s. Considering that during our grand campaign she didn’t really acquire anything valuable, I’d be the one on the losing end of this. And as further consequence of all this, the Ying-Yang would be destroyed and we would lose our telepathic link.

  “Hmm…” I said philosophically after hearing out the Rogue. “Where’d you find all this information?”

  “Several sources. At first I assumed that the basis for the legal code would be the Rules and Obligations of the Aristocracy, a copy of which you should have. However, upon closer inspection I realized that this is merely a digest of decrees, laws and directives of Malabar. So I was forced to go to the source. Here, I’m sending you a file—it says the same things I just told you, only with legal citations so you can look everything up yourself.”

  “So what do you suggest?” I asked unwillingly, understanding perfectly well that I needed third-party advice that wasn’t emotionally biased. Whether I’d accept it or not would be my own decision, regardless of what Clutzer would tell me, but I did need to hear him out.

  “At the divorce ceremony, if it happens, I advise you to dig in your heels. As in ‘no, I don’t want a divorce,’ and ‘but I love her,’ ‘I can’t imagine life without her,’ and ‘oh darling, please don’t leave.’ If you’re against the divorce while Anastaria insists on it, then you won’t have to pay the Imperial treasury and you won’t lose any possessions. You’ll be clean before the law. However, I have one suspicion…” Clutzer said slowing down, but then trailed off entirely.

  “What is it?” I prompted.

  “According to the rules, the husband speaks first. That is, you’ll be examined first, irrespective of who initiated the divorce. They’ll only ask Anastaria afterwards. And—here’s my crazy idea—if you agree to the divorce and Anastaria then says ‘darling, don’t leave me’—and she very well might say that, then…Well, I think I don’t need to explain it to you. You understand.”

  “She’s definitely capable of it,” Plinto spoke up for the first time. “She’s not human…She’s like a robot or something. No feelings whatsoever.”

  “I have a question for you too,” I decided to ask, now that Plinto had entered the conversation. “Have you met her out in reality?”

  “Yes, many years ago we used to go to the same school. That was before Barliona. Stacey was already a monster back then. Over the years that I’ve known her, I’ve never heard of her even going on a date with someone, much less going steady with them. That goes for Hellfire too. Everyone considered him her man, but he was little more than cover for her, so that she could avoid annoying suitors. When you two began dating, I was pretty taken aback. Stacey expressing any emotion whatsoever is something pretty incongruous to me. I reckoned she had changed—that you taught her the charm of love—so I kept my distance and didn’t say anything…What came of it is what came of it…”

  “All right,” I said, pushing aside the million questions I wanted to ask him about Anastaria in her real form. “Let’s say I agree with you and refuse to get a divorce as well as agree to keep the clan running, but did you three really only want that from me? It looks a bit one-sided, is all. Some crap happened and you feel guilty that you didn’t warn me because Stacey ordered you not to, but I mean, you guys aren’t really like that. By the way! After I paid my bail I had to undergo a rehab course, whether I liked it or not. The program took me five days and only because I was at Dependence Level Green when I came out. How did you manage to do the rehab course without me noticing it?”

  “Simple—Anastaria is familiar with the dependence levels as well as how the process of rehabilitation can be initiated while still in the game. We spent several weeks doing a special course in game and as soon as you went absent in your crafting, we’d get the signal to sign out. It took me three days. Eric managed it in seven and Leite did it in five, if I’m not mistaken. By the time you’d crafted the Giants and the clan symbol, we were already free. Albeit under a ton of contractual obligations.”

  “And of course there was no way to warn me, even if in reality?” I smirked.

  “When you’re under observation around the clock?” Eric almost yelped, unable to maintain his silence. “There were always two or three people from Phoenix around me! Even when I went to the bathroom, the bastards! They didn’t just keep us on lockdown, they corralled us like we were crazed maniacs! My wife wasn’t allowed to visit me, since I could slip her some information. And all of this was set forth in our stupid contract! You think Clutzer was the only one who tried to let you know what was going on? Did you even look at the first item I crafted? The one that unlocked Crafting for me?”

  “Sure I did.”

  “Then tell me, what did it portray?!” Eric said, still clearly agitated.

  “Nothing, they were Bracers…”

  “Bracers-shmacers! Did you examine the fillet?! When you gave me the Gladir, I almost said the hell with everything and told you the whole truth. I managed to keep my mouth shut at the last moment and decided to let you know through my craft. Do you have them with you, the bracers?”

  “No,” I shook my head sadly after checking my inventory. “Anastaria took them. They were a Rare item…”

  “The fillet portrayed a battle between the Siren and the Dragon…Not even a battle, but a…First the Dragon was standing on the Siren, pressing her into the ground with his paws, but the venomous beast had twisted around and was offering a gift to her vanquisher—an apple. A poisoned apple…And the next image displayed the triumph of the Siren and the death of the Dragon…That was the only way I could tell you of the danger you were in without incurring the wrath of the Heralds, but you didn’t understand a thing…Eh,” Eric sighed bitterly.

  “Leite was the only one who was perfectly happy with Anastaria’s offer and did everything as she commanded to a T,” Clutzer continued. “Remember when he kept asking if Stacey was aware of what was going on? As I recall, you’d declared war on Phoenix and Leite had blown his cover…Stacey later remarked that back then Leite had almost lost it.”

  “You know, Mahan,” Eric intervened again, producing the shining Gladir from his bag, as well as the belt and gloves of Crafting. “The devil knows what you’ll decide, but if you kick me out of the clan, then these things will stay with me. That’s the agreement that you drew up yourself. Here you go.” Eric offered me the items over which players engaged in Crafting would simply kill another player. A total of +11 to Crafting is too useful in our business to be abandoned just like that.

  “Okay, I’ll think about it,” I said, taking the items. “I’ll admit that initially the idea was to boot everyone out of the clan, but now I should probably noodle on it a bit. But I’ll say it again—you could have told me all of this without meeting in person. What are we all here for?”

  “You’re right,” grinned Clutzer. “Everything we’ve said so far are just the hors d'oeuvres. Now let’s move on to the main dish. Leaving you to choose what happens next—even if your decision is to shutter the clan—I’d like to describe several possible plans of action. Here’s what I suggest…”

  I couldn’t help but smirk as I listened to Clutzer. Plinto periodically jumped in with corrections, so I got the disti
nct impression that this plan had been cooked up a long time ago, discussed and mulled over, but never agreed upon fully. On the basis of incomplete information and the assumption that I knew more than they did, Clutzer and his warriors had concocted a pretty plausible plan of revenge. It’s practically impossible to hurt an individual player in the game—I didn’t count, since my case was pretty unusual—but it is wholly possible to hurt a group of players. The important thing is to know what to aim for.

  And so!

  First of all, we would formally declare war on the Phoenix Clan. This step would attract everyone who loved PvP to our banner. The opportunity to safely attack players from an enemy clan in the city, or rather in its ‘safe zone’—without running the risk of being thrown in jail, would attract a whole mob of bored trolls.

  Second of all, I had to give an interview in which I accused Anastaria of taking the Eye and the Chess Set from me without my consent. I’d also claim that she’s ignoring my requests to return those items. Here I’ll have to invoke the Emperor, after first demanding that Anastaria return the Chess Set and the Eye to me several times. The public must see the white aura of truth flaring around me during my performance. What actually triggers the confirmation isn’t important—what’s important is that it is visible. This is pure psychology—if the Emperor confirms it, Mahan must be clean! Clutzer was very happy to hear that I’d already asked Anastaria to return the Chess Set and was rejected. With that said, Clutzer rejected the idea of airing Anastaria’s confession that her family had used my clan to obtain access to the Tomb. On the one hand everyone would see the true face of Phoenix—bastards without any principles who were ready to commit any evil for their own personal gain. However, from a gaming perspective, the clan would also acquire new advantages through the confession, since we’d basically be advertising that Phoenix has earned the most desired scenario in the entire game. If you want to be the best, join Phoenix and not some other clan like the Legends of Barliona or whatever, who are where they should be—in their rightful place, lagging behind.