Cyberserk & Vampiress

Vanity in the City

Koreima looked around her apartment in Zangar Castle with pleasure. In this place, she felt like a true aristocrat and the mistress of an ancient domain. The walls of the great hall were adorned with her trophies. The desperate and experienced sorceress had defeated many monsters to enhance her fame and reputation in the Grossroods Mage Tower. For a modest fee, the mages' guild made memorable souvenirs for their heroes in the form of the heads of defeated monsters. On the walls of her hall, the vampiress hung crude weapons of powerful opponents and several paintings of her ancestors.

The vampiress sat at an elegant table and looked over documents about the state of affairs in the household. The business was going superbly! The foolish naive human was completely incapable of doing economics. Dan didn't go into detail and let her do all the managing. But the nice delicious human being had a nasty advisor!

Tom was making more and more claims every day. It all started with the clone figuring out just one detail of Grossroads laws. But that was the most important moment! The cunning clone understood the meaning and some of the intricacies of running things in the city. The phantom learned that the power of the manager of the economy could and should be controlled. Several great organizations in the city owned the most valuable sources of resources. But sometimes valuable objects became bargaining items in political games. For a time, one clan could put its holdings under the management of another clan. Tom studied the question of temporary management carefully. He could not allow a vampiress to become the mistress of Zangar forever.

Koreima saw only one way to fight the counselor. She began to show more signs of attention to Dan. But her attempts to get close to the young human bore no fruit. Dan enjoyed spending time in her company but was in no hurry to reveal his secrets.

Human had many secrets. He took it easy that every week Zangar would provide him with seven thousand gold coins. To the vampiress, that was a huge mountain of gold. To a human, it was a modest portion of his daily income.

Phantom gladly took the opportunity to spend time in the library. Tom had once joked that they should teach hobbits to read! Then Dan could summon them to the town library and get some of their knowledge after the sacrifice. Raven said that hobbits are not clones and everyone should mind their own business. Tom enjoyed reading about the secrets of the Grossroads.

Dan Raven visited the great families of the city without pleasure. He had already realized that he was looked upon as a strange upstart. A human being unworthy of reverence and respect. But the aristocrats were calm and gave the dragon-winner a reputation with a smile. Baron Raven ran around the central area and made regular visits.

As a popular hero, the human was granted access to the Tower of the Mages. When Dan raised his level to 19 he gained access to the city's most useful spells. Now he understood why there was no transportation in the city. Aristocrats didn't need transportation. The central part of Grossroads was large and occupied the top of a huge mountain. But it was possible to walk to any part of the aristocratic district in a few minutes. Each aristocrat had a portal to his ancestral domain. The Moving spell allowed you to have five points to move instantly to the right places.

Tom spared no effort and spent all nights in the forge. He made weapons and armor so Dan could sell them at auction. The friends needed a lot of gold. They rushed to learn all the lessons from Master Kornelius. The spells of the mage tower also required gold for their improvement. The city had long established a simple rate. One improvement cost one thousand gold coins.

Dan paid for full training with Master Kornelius. He spent nine thousand gold to learn three new techniques. He supplemented the attack skill with the defense skill and the vampiric strike skill. Vampirism allowed him to take 30% damage as a health point restoration.

[Thirst of Kornelius.

Level 3.

Required level: 10

Requirement: Swordsman

Mana cost: 0.

Applying this skill adds 30% damage as health points to swordsman's health.

Cooldown: 1 second]

After learning from the Vampire Master, Dan learned that to gain access to the new skills he needed to increase his reputation again in the Adventurers Guild. Now he needed to get a thousand reputation points. The task looked difficult only at first glance. Each quest of the highest rank 7 allowed to get 70 reputation points with the Guild of Adventurers. Dan planned to spend a week to complete about fourteen quests in the dungeons. Now he wanted to get a swordsman skill that allowed him to wield two swords at once.

The young man's life became filled with pleasant and unpleasant meetings and acquaintances. Most of the citizens were sympathetic to the fact that vampires of the Kor clan got access to the distribution of Zangar's wealth. Warriors of different nations gained access to new missions and rewards. The city's guilds were allowed to visit new mines to harvest new resources. All of the citizens portrayed themselves as satisfied residents. Only the Grab clan felt dissatisfied.

Gnome Grograb conducted a thorough investigation and used ancient magic to work out the details of the assassination attempt. He knew at once that the gnome of his clan was innocent. But who used magic to take the form of a gnome? The answer is clear to any ancient creature. It was either elves or vampires. Mice are too cowardly to risk such treachery. Grograb made several visits to other gnomes and learned that no one was willing to interfere in the affairs of the Grab clan. None of the gnomes wrote any note of outrageous statements. Every gnome has the right to do what he wants. Every gnome is responsible for his actions to his ancestors. Gnomes have never interfered in the affairs of their neighbors. Grograb tried to figure out who his enemy was. Elves or vampires?

Elves have always been renowned for their cunning methods and killing skills. The eared cunning ones were excellent assassins. Vampires also possessed strange and mysterious magic. Vampires could have an ancient spell to take the form of any creature. Now hundreds of ancient vampires and elves returned to Grossroads. Among these ancient creatures were the ancient enemies of the gnome Grograb.

The items of the murdered gnome appeared at the auction. This caused a great commotion in the aristocratic district of Grossroads. All the big players began to fight for these items. No one but the gnomes wanted the heavy armor and ax. Orcs and mice wouldn't dare wear the equipment of the head of the great gnome clan! But all the rich aristocrats saw an opportunity to benefit. Today you can buy a Grograb ax. After some time the Grab clan will surely buy back the valuable artifact from the new owner.

Grograb ordered that his belongings be bought back at auction. He vowed to find and punish the scoundrel who insulted him. But soon the councilors of the elders came running to the head of Grograb. The gnomes told them indignantly that unknown scoundrels had interfered with the auction. The price of the respected Grab's belongings had risen!

Dan was very upset when he found out that the gnomes were hurting sweet Koreima. The girl works and spares no effort to rule Zangar. Are some gnomes preventing her from living her life in peace? The rascals will get their troubles. They'll get their twenty-four hours of excitement and worries! Dan placed Grograb's belongings exactly twenty-four hours in the auction.

The infuriated gnome and his advisors fought for long hours for every item. They spared no gold and managed to buy back most of the ancient artifacts. The price for an artifact rose to 17 thousand gold coins. It was an unimaginable amount. The most valuable artifact of the epic level was worth about 12 thousand coins. Such an artifact allowed to add +12 points to the owner's attributes. Vile Humhum auctioned off level 19 items for only 10 thousand coins. His items were bought back instantly.

The Grab Clan's treasury was emptied by a hundred and fifty thousand gold coins. The elders were not happy. Many gnomes remembered the ancient law. The head of the clan could pass on his position to his relative. Everyone remembered that Gnograb did business without any trouble. Never had a gnome lost such sums of gold in a short period.

Grograb did not know how to find the offender. His anger caused the gnome to go to drastic lengths. The head of the Grab clan decided to have a meeting with a more understanding city girl. The daughter of clan Kor can understand that with gnomes it is necessary to live in friendship. Grograb visited the Adventurers Guild and was given a mission to the dungeon in Zangar territory. He had to make gifts to his neighbors who smiled and conceded to the Grograb clan the right to make the first quest to the places of the ancient domains.

A group of twelve dwarves gained access to the castle to use the portal to the ancient mine. But before entering the dungeon, Grograb went to the office of the vampiress.

Koreima was sitting at her desk, planning her evening with delicious Dan. The boy loved the elf wine. Ugh! Sour and gross. But she should plan and order a bottle of elf sour from the mean old Mouse.  She must also have delicious fish from a familiar mastermind and fresh fruit. It is necessary to warn ugly Tom! That rascal must not interfere with the dinner of two decent aristocrats. Tom is an indecent aristocrat and an obscure aristocrat in general. His title of baron has no proof! The administration of Arador's palace does not understand how this man got the title. One observant courtier said he had seen this young baron before. But memories of his former life are very hazy. In any case, King Arador did not interfere in the fate of the young baron who did not disturb his palace in any way. Tom did not disturb the palace of men, but this insolent person constantly disturbed the vampiress. He took an interest in matters and declared that the amount of the weekly payment to Dan should be increased to twelve thousand coins. What insolence and stupidity!

Koreima snorted with indignation. Even the thought of an otherwise Tom spoiling the mood. And what was that noise in the corridor? Who dares to disturb the peace of the castle's owners? It's an attack!

The vampiress jumped up and quickly prepared to fight. She loved fights and the opportunity to use her sorcery. The girl had spent too many years in libraries. She had tried and been a good student. Now the vampiress was excited to take every opportunity to gain new fame.

The door to the hall swung open and the vampiress saw a group of gnomes. At the head of the group was the most boring and stupid gnome in the city. This ancient loser couldn't understand that times had changed. Vampires deserve respect and reverence. Vampires should not be interfered with as if you were a stupid young orc!

"I demand that you change access to the three epic mines," Grograb declared. "You must understand the meaning of ancient traditions."

"I owe you nothing, gnome. You can demand from your servants. Leave my chamber. I see that thousands of years of captivity have made you forget the rules of decent behavior. Would you like to visit me? Tell me in advance that you wish to do so. You are not welcome," Koreima spoke the words in a quiet and calm voice. But she became frightened when she saw all the gnomes not listening to her and going to her table. Armed gnomes in armor burst into her cozy chamber!

The vampiress was not frightened, but she was not ready to break the ancient laws and launch an attack on the citizens. Suddenly she remembered Dan. This was the first time Koreima had enlisted the help of the young man as head of the Black Flame group. The girl sent a drop of magical energy into the group's badge and signaled the human.

"Next time, I'll warn you about a visit. But I'm here now," grinned Grograb. "You have insulted me. My captivity is none of your business. How do you intend to answer your rude words? I am willing to accept payment as a favor to a couple of my demands."

Koreima realized she'd overreacted. She should not have been reminded of this nasty gnome's failings. The vampiress frowned and looked at Grograb with distaste.

At that moment, behind the gnomes' backs from the door to the hall, Dan Raven's quiet voice echoed.

"Silly noisy gnome. You have awakened the Lord."

The next moment Koreima was unconscious.