The Secret of the Dark Forest ( (The Way of the Shaman: Book #3) by Vasily Mahanenko Page A
Authors: Vasily Mahanenko
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for some reason, red satin – that pretty much summed up the dazzling sight that met me. Everything was so rich and expensive that I couldn't help feeling totally out of place here. With my paltry 60-and-a-bit thousand gold, I had no business being here. It would've only bought me the entrance fee and a couple of appetizers. Drinks were out of the question.
"Please, you're expected," one of the waiters distracted me from close examination of a statue depicting a battle of an Orc and a Dinosaur. I was being addressed by a player – that was the way things were done in the Golden Horseshoe.
"Well, hello once again, you walking surprise," Evolett greeted me cheerfully from a sumptuous armchair. An identical tuxedo to the one I was wearing looked so natural on him that I felt embarrassed by my own stiffness. A snow-white napkin – as if any spills or crumbs were even possible in Barliona – was lying on his knees. The table occupied by the leader of Dark Legion was laid out for two people and the selection of silverware provided was pushing the boundaries of reason: five spoons and six forks. What was this? Did someone want to humiliate me and show up my lack of proper table etiquette? In your dreams! Clouter, I should find you and definitely make you another dog figurine, or even two. Even though I didn't really have much practice in applying my posh table manners, the lad had drilled them into me so well that I was quite sure of myself. So, my good sir, two can play this game. Especially if I keep in mind that I've been given a chance to enjoy top-notch exotic food, at someone else's expense, no less. I had no intention of paying. So where's the menu and what does their drinks assortment look like?
"Hmm." Evolett grinned when I used the salad fork in the right place and sent off the waiter to get another one for the fish. "You continue to surprise me. I'll be honest with you, I expected you to stare at the cutlery in complete bewilderment and make silly mistakes, but it looks like I could learn a thing or two from you instead. Where did you learn all this?"
"Everyone has their secrets," I said meaningfully, finishing the contents of my glass. It had to be said that the food at the Golden Horseshoe completely justified coming here: I was currently sporting all kinds of buffs: +20% Experience for 4 hours, increase of all stats by 10% and the ambrosial drink with a faint greenish glow increased my Energy to 200 points. It would only last 3 hours, but the taste that I was experiencing was out of this world.
Speaking of the taste, despite the fact that the majority of the players in Barliona didn't experience any sensations, the sensory filters were turned off in the taverns. Giving a player, who might be on a strict diet in real life, a chance to enjoy a very delicious cake without a worry about the millions of calories ... This was a very effective marketing move on behalf of the corporation. There weren't all that many places where the sensory filters were turned off: Taverns, Dating Houses, Arenas and, as it turned out, certain quests, such as 'Saving Grey Death'. The rest of the time players didn't have to think about feeling anything inside the game.
"Since we've already begun the conversation, allow me to tell you why I sent you this urgent invitation," Evolett took a break from his food, "the answer is simple: the map. I received your present, looked at it and saw that I absolutely had to have the full version."
"The full version?" I decided to feign utter surprise, playing at being totally clueless about what he meant. At the same time I was trying to figure out how the leader of the Dark Legion clan could have found out about the map. The goblin prisoner? Unlikely. Perhaps the Herald let it slip? Quite possible, but then ...
"Yes, the full one" smiled Evolett, as if listening in on my internal monologue. "It looks like you're still a beginner Cartographer if you don't know that each copy created contains the
"Please, you're expected," one of the waiters distracted me from close examination of a statue depicting a battle of an Orc and a Dinosaur. I was being addressed by a player – that was the way things were done in the Golden Horseshoe.
"Well, hello once again, you walking surprise," Evolett greeted me cheerfully from a sumptuous armchair. An identical tuxedo to the one I was wearing looked so natural on him that I felt embarrassed by my own stiffness. A snow-white napkin – as if any spills or crumbs were even possible in Barliona – was lying on his knees. The table occupied by the leader of Dark Legion was laid out for two people and the selection of silverware provided was pushing the boundaries of reason: five spoons and six forks. What was this? Did someone want to humiliate me and show up my lack of proper table etiquette? In your dreams! Clouter, I should find you and definitely make you another dog figurine, or even two. Even though I didn't really have much practice in applying my posh table manners, the lad had drilled them into me so well that I was quite sure of myself. So, my good sir, two can play this game. Especially if I keep in mind that I've been given a chance to enjoy top-notch exotic food, at someone else's expense, no less. I had no intention of paying. So where's the menu and what does their drinks assortment look like?
"Hmm." Evolett grinned when I used the salad fork in the right place and sent off the waiter to get another one for the fish. "You continue to surprise me. I'll be honest with you, I expected you to stare at the cutlery in complete bewilderment and make silly mistakes, but it looks like I could learn a thing or two from you instead. Where did you learn all this?"
"Everyone has their secrets," I said meaningfully, finishing the contents of my glass. It had to be said that the food at the Golden Horseshoe completely justified coming here: I was currently sporting all kinds of buffs: +20% Experience for 4 hours, increase of all stats by 10% and the ambrosial drink with a faint greenish glow increased my Energy to 200 points. It would only last 3 hours, but the taste that I was experiencing was out of this world.
Speaking of the taste, despite the fact that the majority of the players in Barliona didn't experience any sensations, the sensory filters were turned off in the taverns. Giving a player, who might be on a strict diet in real life, a chance to enjoy a very delicious cake without a worry about the millions of calories ... This was a very effective marketing move on behalf of the corporation. There weren't all that many places where the sensory filters were turned off: Taverns, Dating Houses, Arenas and, as it turned out, certain quests, such as 'Saving Grey Death'. The rest of the time players didn't have to think about feeling anything inside the game.
"Since we've already begun the conversation, allow me to tell you why I sent you this urgent invitation," Evolett took a break from his food, "the answer is simple: the map. I received your present, looked at it and saw that I absolutely had to have the full version."
"The full version?" I decided to feign utter surprise, playing at being totally clueless about what he meant. At the same time I was trying to figure out how the leader of the Dark Legion clan could have found out about the map. The goblin prisoner? Unlikely. Perhaps the Herald let it slip? Quite possible, but then ...
"Yes, the full one" smiled Evolett, as if listening in on my internal monologue. "It looks like you're still a beginner Cartographer if you don't know that each copy created contains the
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