Alex drew his bow. “Engage individual combat. Three archers, medium level.”
The changes at the range were instantaneous. The metamorphosis was mind-blowing. Alex had to regain his breathing and calm his heartbeat.
A strong mountain breeze carried the smell of pine and stone warmed by the day’s events. The clan leader placed his hand on a huge lopsided boulder. It’s real, solid, rough, and warm.
Alex exhaled slowly, wiping beads of sweat from his forehead. Rocks and debris, like a wide stone river, were surrounded by majestic spruces and larch trees. A little further it went around the bend, lost behind the lush green foliage. Behind him stood an open space of stone hills.
Try as he might, he was unable to locate the enemy. This made him uncomfortable, and his intuition demanded they hide.
He ducked down, changed the black of his suit to gray.
I think the portal is useless here.
Alex began to skulk along the edge of the forest, hoping he would have more success there. An innate sense of danger hammered at him, causing him to roll away, narrowly avoiding an arrow that whizzed inches from his head. Moments later, the attack increased. Alex barely had time to dodge arrows, performing miracles of finesse and dexterity.
Hell! They’re shooting from three sides. Alex cursed to himself. Thank God have a power garment.
He finally saw his opponents. Slender, spider-looking arms clutched magical bows. He also beheld small, nimble rectangular heads and long, curved tails.
Which of the circles of hell did you escape from? I naively believed I was no longer afraid of anything. I was wrong. Alex leaped atop a large rock and activated his power shield.
The opponents’ arrows hit the shield in a barrage, flaring up and dissolving to ashes. Alex figured he withstand this for several hours, but then he remembered the Lich’s arrows, which were much more powerful and deadly.
Alex used his bow. The first shot yielded amazing results.
Bam-bam! One enemy was smashed to smithereens.
The remaining archers accelerated. The amplification and chaotic twitching didn’t save them. Two more shots, and two more foes scattered into pieces.
This was not the end, however. A moment later, the archers reconstituted themselves from the fragments and rushed at Alex.
“Damn!” he exclaimed, abandoning his now-useless bow.
He scaled a tall stone to survey his surroundings. Nearby, he spotted a flat surface free of stones and with a slight slope. He hastened there through the portal, disappointed at his lack of a firearm.
With a grimace, he drew his Prana sword. “Oh-ho-ho! Hold on, flat devils.”
No such luck. The range had its own vision, plans and protocols. At the most inopportune moment, a red alert popped up in front of Alex’s eyes.
.
Emergency!
Attention, player Phoenix! You are warned!
The use of prana weapons is strictly prohibited.
The Igloo can be destroyed.
Player Phoenix’s personal artifacts are suspended.
Note: Preventive punishment + 10% to Pain until the end of the course.
.
The creatures overtook Alex. He received a crushing blow and was thrown to the stones. Another blow, and the air was blown out of his lungs.
Sandwiched between stones, he realized that these creatures were preparing to attack him again, but he could not see them.
I’ve lost a third of my Health, Alex thought, trying to free himself from the stone trap.
His head suddenly buzzed. Player Phoenix, set the desired visual parameters.
Alex managed to deflect the next attack with his shield. One of the enemies was catapulted into the air, tumbling overhead.
While his enemies regrouped for the next attack, Alex finished setting up the Range.
He imagined the usual game indicators of the interface – Health in green, Mana in blue. The range showed the settings.
Alex’s mood soured when he scrutinized the state of Health and Mana at the moment. Alas, he had indeed lost a third of his Health.
What to do? He could only use a shield in close combat as his bow was useless. The enemies circled nearby, attacking him relentlessly. Alex’s regeneration worked perfectly, but the annoying situation was untenable.
The decision came spontaneously. Once again, he leaped out, dodging the blow, and used both the jump and the micro portal at once. He jumped higher, spotting one of his enemies below him. Alex activated the shield, fired a blow, and the creature smashed into dust on stones.
“Bingo!” Alex shouted as he landed. Hopefully, this creature will take longer to recover.
Having found a formula for success, Alex attacked the others in jumps, smashing them into dust. With a merciless, joyful frenzy, he beat the enemy dust with his shield. He continued this until an inscription appeared before his eyes.
.
Attention, player Phoenix!
Congratulations on your victory!
Three points are credited to your account.
The data will be saved and reflected in the startup generation.
.
“That’s good,” Alex said wearily.
As expected, the world of the stone river blinked, and he again found himself in the infinitely huge room of the range. The clan members ran to him, waving their hands. “Great job, Commander!”
Alex noticed that everyone had a Health bar and a Mana bar above their heads. Well, that happened quickly. That will prove very useful for us here.
After cheers and jokes, they briefly discussed the course of the battle. Alex shared his observations and conclusions about the impossibility of using firearms. It was important that his power suit protected him from serious injuries.
“This is an underestimated ability,” he said. “But it needs to be strengthened and modernized.”
From conversations with his associates, Alex discovered they had seen his fight as well. Each of them,
