Project Daily Grind (Mirror World Book #1) (5 page)

I gulped. Looking at computer pictures while wearing that stupid bucket on my head was one thing. Encountering this monster in the flesh was quite another.

“Cat got your tongue?”

“Eh, sor-sorry,” I mumbled.

“Look at this noob,” he growled, baring his teeth. “Never seen a Horrud before?”

“Only in pictures in the test module,” I admitted.

“Is this your first day in the Glasshouse, then?”

“My first hour, more like.”

“Aha, that’s what it is! I see. A Daily Grinder. A fellow mine digger! Er... an Ennan? What the hell is that?”

“How d’you know all this?” I asked him.

“Jesus,” the Horrud rolled his eyes. “You
are
a noob, aren’t you? Focus on the space just over my head.”

Name: Grryrsch

Race: Cave Horrud

Account type: Daily Grind

Level: 0

Profession: Mine Digger

Skill level: 9

“How interesting,” I said pensively.

“Nice to meet you, Olgerd,” he roared.

“Nice to meet you too, Gr... Grrych...”

“It’s Greg actually,” he waved his bucket-sized hand in the air.

“I’m Olgerd,” I proffered mine.

“Not a good idea,” Greg grinned. “You risk losing your mitt. The Horrud race is quite strong.”

I snatched my hand away.

“That’s right. So where are you heading, Olgerd?”

“I’m off to Leuton. Looking for work.”

“So! Same here! We can go together if you want. We could chat about the game.”

I nodded eagerly, grinning. How great was that? How was I supposed to know that Mirror World was
this
authentic?

“I can see you’ve no idea what a cool goodie you’ve just got,” Greg boomed, thumping along.

“I’ve no idea of lots of things.”

“You’re dead right there. The Dark Hand is an expensive buff. About fifty gold normally. It’s rare. Perfect for working underground. Can keep you going for two hours without grub. And that’s an extra slot in your bag any way you look at it. Talking about grub...”

He reached into his bag and threw something into his mouth. I focused on the item.

A Rosy-Cheeked Apple

Effect: restores 100 pt. Energy

“Wow,” I enthused.

“My point entirely,” Greg grinned. “You’re a noob if ever I’ve seen one.”

“Mind telling me what
noob
means?”

He stared at me. “Have you ever played before?”

Having heard my explanation about “tank games“, he shook his head. “Hopeless case, you. “Go to the info portal and look it up. There’s lots of stuff there. It’s the icon with the mirror.”

“Does the game have Internet access?”

“Not into the real world, no. But it has its own network.”

It didn’t take me long to locate the icon with the mirror. “This is crazy,” was all I could say when a browser window opened up right before my eyes.

Local news, translators, weather, maps and apps – tons of useful tools, perfectly downloadable and usable. Provided you had money, that is.

“So?” my new friend grinned. “Have you looked up
noob
?”

Okay. I opened the dictionary. Oh, well. I couldn’t agree more.

“Greg, you’ve no idea how right you are,” I said.

“How old are you in real life?”

“Almost forty-one.”

“I see. Now everything becomes clear. Then again, they say that Romulus is fifty-plus but he’s one of the top players.”

“The one with the Steel Shirts?”

“Ha! You’re full of surprises. Not all’s lost, then.”

“And how old are you?”

“Almost twenty. The best age, as they say, LOL.”

I didn’t ask him any further questions. He didn’t look too eager to open up either. I got the impression that people here weren’t too willing to exchange personal data. I, for one, didn’t want everyone and their grandma to know who I was.

“Have you already decided on an employer?” Greg asked.

“Not yet. Why? Did I have this option?”

“You’re too much, you. Are you sure you know how to use the Internet?”

Yes, I’d admittedly been slow on the uptake, as today’s youngsters say. The thought of looking it all up and checking a few forums hadn’t even occurred to me. It must have had something to do with my being so preoccupied with my daughter’s condition. Also, to be brutally honest, I hadn’t taken any of this seriously. I hadn’t expected it to be so... so incredibly awesome. Never mind. I was sure I’d sort it all out somehow. I had to.

“Any advice for me?” I asked.

“Leuton isn’t much of a city even though it’s the capital of the cluster. Not much choice there. You either try the dwarves’ guild or go cap in hand to the father of that idiot who very nearly gave you a taste of his Lash of Fury.”

“I was told that Daily Grinders can’t kill anyone and can’t be killed.”

“They can’t, no, but he could have whacked you with it and very hard, too,” seeing the incomprehension in my stare, Greg began to explain. “He could give you an injury debuff – in other words, cripple you for a limited period of time. He’s level 130 so his lash is quite a bitch. One blow would have been enough to finish you off. These kinds of weapons increase Fury – and we here try not to annoy any characters who might happen to level it. He can give you a Class 9 injury and that’s the end of you. They normally last over twenty-four hours. You’ll spend all your money on quacks and healing spells. Actually, the highest-level healer I know in Leuton is the Mayor himself. He heals all the injuries up to Class 7.”

“These injuries, what do they do?”

“Normally, it’s minus to Life, Energy, Speed and such. Works the same as your blessing.”

“My what?”

“The blessing, I mean the buff you’ve received.”

“I see. Sorry. It’s all a bit confusing.”

“Never mind. You’ll work it all out in the end. It’s your first day, after all. You’re a big guy. You’ll make it.”

“That’s settled, then. Off to the dwarves we go. Somehow I’m not so keen on having to constantly look over my shoulder for this scumbag.”

“Can’t say I blame you. He’s sixteen in real life, by the way. His dad is a bank manager. But strangely enough, his mines are a better workplace. I work for him and I’m still alive and in one piece. Money just keeps falling into my account.”

“What’s so good about it?”

“First, we all work for a set wage. The money’s very good. You just keep picking at the rock without a worry in the world. They have all sorts of bonuses too. Clothing and tools on the house. And the food.”

“Sounds good. How about the dwarves?”

“At the dwarves, it’s exactly the opposite. You get paid for what you produce. Gear, tools, you pay for everything yourself.”

“Now I see why your Strength is so high.”

“Ah, so you noticed,” he grinned with pleasure. “What would I need Speed for? At the dwarves you do need to move it, but here... I get paid for hacking at the rock and keeping an eye on the clock. After a week, I installed this little piece of software my bosses suggested, the Merry Digger. Once you activate it, your char can work on his own. The program keeps an eye on him, restoring his Energy, sitting him down to rest or taking him out for a pee. And I can browse the Net to my heart’s content while I wait for my wage to drop into my account.”

He leaned close to me and whispered conspiratorially, “I’m saving up to buy myself a Bronze account. The moment I pay off my Daily Grind plan, I’ll start putting the money aside for it. That’s a totally different ball game! That’s why I do my research and visit all those sites and forums. I need to come up with a strategy. From what I’ve heard, even Romulus himself started off as a Daily Grinder—he played a Horrud too. Maybe they’re just rumors but I read about these things in some quite reliable sources.

Aha. So that’s why this race was so popular. Romulus, of course! How childish. The rich characters benefited from cheap labor. Mindless cheap labor even, considering they’d built all these stupid programs. I wouldn’t have been surprised if they’d advised Greg to invest most of his points into Strength. One more argument for my joining the dwarves. Finally, the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle began falling into place.

“Hey,” I said, “Mind if I add you as a friend?”

“Not a problem.”

I entered his name. Access denied. And again. Denied again. How weird. “Why do you keep rejecting my friend request?”

He smiled. “Which name did you enter?”

I slapped my forehead. “I am a noob, really!”

“You said it.”

Right. I entered
Grryrsch
.

Friend request accepted.

Greg didn’t send me his. Apparently, he wasn’t interested in the likes of useless first-timers like myself. That was only fair.

An hour later we walked out into a large river valley. Leuton City stood on a river bank, looking utterly beautiful. The game designers had done a fine job. Neat towers topped city walls built of perfectly smooth slabs of stone. The houses’ colored domes peeked out from behind the wall, most of them flying bright flags. This was a nice and neat version of the Middle Ages.

“That’s it, Olgerd,” Greg said. “Good luck! From here you’re on your own. I still have quite a hike to get to Lord Shantar’s estate.”

“Thanks, Greg. I really appreciate your help,” I gingerly touched his broad forearm.

I meant it. I’d met him in the right place at the right time.

“Ah, one more thing,” he growled from afar. “Go directly to the Mine Diggers’ Guild. They’ll give you your first profession quest. From then on, you’ll be fine.”

“Thanks!” I waved my hand to him. “Good luck!”

Chapter Four

A
s you’d expect, guards stood like statues by the city gates. Three of them were clad in steel suits of armor and one in a navy blue one, like I’d seen on the guy who’d accompanied Lady Isa. I focused on the guards. All four were level 200: three warriors and a wizard. No one paid any attention to me. The wizard gave me the once-over and turned back to the others, talking heatedly.

The moment I entered the city, a system message popped up,

We welcome you, O traveler, to the glorious City of Leuton! Would you like to make our city your permanent or temporary resurrection point?

I clicked
No
. That was one thing I didn’t need.

Free apps available:
Leuton and Its Environments
and
A History of Leuton
.

This I couldn’t refuse.

Would you like to install our free apps:
Leuton and Its Environments
and
A History of Leuton
?

Yes, please. A map was exactly what I needed.

New app available: Streets and Dark Alleys of Leuton. Price: 5 gold.

No, thank you.

I had no money. Dmitry had tried to talk me into putting a couple of hundred dollars onto my in-game account. I’d refused. My daughter needed that money.

I just hoped that I could borrow some basic gear from the dwarves until I could pay it back.

More messages kept popping up, offering me all sorts of undoubtedly useful apps – for money, of course. I kept waiting for them to come up with another freebie, but no such luck. Apparently, that was all there was.

I pressed
No
one last time. The system bade its farewell and left me well alone.

I opened the map. The guild... there it was.
Mine Diggers of Leuton
. Off we go.

The artist in me thoroughly enjoyed my stroll through town. Those programmers, developers or whoever they were had done a fine job. Everything was well-written and thought out. I felt like a tourist in one of those medieval cities. Shame I didn’t have a camera. My girls would have loved to see it. Having said that... there must be a camera there somewhere. Eh... found it!

New app available: Screenshot. Price: 3 gold.

What were you supposed to do with them? Oh, well. Once I got a bit of money behind me I would surely buy it. Three dollars weren’t going to break the bank. Then I could take all the screenshots I wanted.

The Satnav app cost five gold. I looked at its properties. This was a very useful little piece of software that recognized all the maps I had. Never mind. Later, all later.

In full accordance with the city plan, I crossed the Refraction Square and took Air Street. A few blocks later I saw a squat two-story building with a fancy sign that read,

Mine Diggers Guild

I walked in. The place looked quite busy. Their main hall reminded me of the Railway Post Office back in my home town. Several dozen vaulted ticket windows lined the walls, complete with tellers behind little desks. Lines of players snaked toward each and every window. All those races! Indeed, human imagination knew no bounds. Stocky dwarves and black-bearded gnomes, green-skinned Rhogghs, a dozen Rock Dwandes and a few of Greg’s fellow Horruds.

“Jesus,” I whispered for the umpteenth time.

I joined one of the lines and decided to check the Net. I was so engrossed in my browsing that I didn’t even hear the teller calling me,

“You deaf?”

“Eh? ‘xcuse me?”

“You noobs are all the same,” a pair of very black and very angry eyes glared at me. A bulbous nose, a black beard and a dark gray complexion. The gnome rubbed his forehead in anger.

“Excuse me,” I said. “I got side-tracked.”

“You sure did,” he mumbled under his nose, sorting through the scrolls on the desk in front of him. “Olgerd, an Ennan, that’s strange... never heard of that race... Now... Characteristics... I see... that’s all right... Here. This is your first quest.”

Find your way to the nearest Mine Diggers’ Guild and confirm your chosen profession.

Accept: Yes/No

Yes.

Congratulations, Olgerd! From now on you’re a Mine Digger!

“Now the next quest,” he continued matter-of-factly, rummaging through his papers.

Enroll in the Mine Diggers Guild (required).

Yes.

Congratulations, Olgerd! From now on you’re a member of the Mine Diggers Guild!

“And another one,” the dwarf grumbled.

Please confirm your willingness to pay weekly subscription dues into the Guild’s treasury (required). Every due paid gives +50 to your Mine Digger reputation.

“All done,” I said.

“Will you pay now or after you receive your first wage?” he asked.

“After.”

“I knew it,” he grumbled. “Now a bit of free advice. If you decide to seek employment at Lord Shantar’s, you should invest in Strength. But as for my fellow Stonemasons, they have the obligatory 10 pt. Speed. They don’t need no slouches. That’s all for you. Next!”

I mumbled my thanks and hurried toward the exit. Only when I walked out onto the street, did I realize the significance of the dwarves’ 10-point Speed requirement. By raising your Speed to 10, you automatically had to increase Stamina. In other words, in order to be faster, you needed more energy. Then you’d have to raise Strength too: the higher the Strength, the faster your energy restoration times are. I could already see I’d have to part with my points – there just was no way around it.

It didn’t take me long to find the Dwarves’ office. A large sign hung next to the front door – provided this masterpiece could be called a sign. It was a large slab of stone seven feet by three and a half, as thick as the upper arm of my new friend Greg. Masterfully carved, the sign read:

Stonefoot Clan

The street around their front door was swarming with players. Remarkably, I didn’t see a single Horrud, Dwand or Human – only dwarves and gnomes. I liked their cheerful faces, their slapping of shoulders, their constant joking and guffawing. These guys were nice. As I walked past them, a ginger-haired dwarf slapped my shoulder; a gnome gave me a wink as in,
cheer up, don’t be shy
. They were probably celebrating something. I just hoped the office wasn’t closed yet.

To my question of where I could find their HR, a stocky dwarf pointed at the staircase. I hurried up the steps.

The next floor was surprisingly quiet. Everybody must have already gone down. It was almost lunch time. My heart raced. I just hoped I’d make it.

I hurried along the wide corridor, desperately peering at the signs on large carved doors – also made of stone, by the looks of them.

One of the doors a few paces ahead of me swung open, letting out a gnome and a dwarf. They spoke in low voices, demonstratively ignoring me.

“Excuse me,” my voice broke, betraying my true feelings.

Two pairs of eyes focused on me.

“Could you be so kind as to tell me whom I should address regarding employment...”

“Too late,” the gnome said calmly. “All vacancies have been filled.”

“We posted a notice on our site three days ago,” the other one added.

I heaved a disappointed sigh. Three days ago I’d known nothing about their existence.

‘Try Lord Shantar’s,” the dwarf said with a crooked grin. “They always have vacancies.”

Oh well. Exactly what I didn’t want to do.

As I watched the celebrating dwarves back in the street, I couldn’t help thinking: only a few minutes ago I’d felt myself part of their crowd. Now there I was again, alone. It looked as if they were celebrating the discovery of a new mother lode. Their warriors had already mopped it up. The mine diggers were going to make a pretty penny. What a shame. I’d as good as been part of it.

I heaved a sigh and opened the map. Let’s see... Shantar’s estate... it was a thirty-minute hike from here. My buff was to last another twenty minutes. I had to move it.