World of Karik: A Game of Villains 22 Your Choice

With Stone Skin and my high endurance, only a special lance attack could prove to be dangerous. I could deal with the rebels even without my magical skills if I wanted to. But what good would that do me? I had neither the desire nor the time to become the leader of a new squad, especially if I had to kill someone for good. I didn't see any other way to protect myself from Petrovich's team. Andrei, Suren and Alexander were dead, as far as I could understand. What really confused me was Vadim, the newbie, who posed absolutely no threat and whose tombstone had been destroyed for nothing. If that really was true, then there was no arguing with the rebels. I had no choice.

"You shouldn't have done that. If you had let me do the talking, I would have calmed him down," Dmitri's quiet voice rang out. He was too calm for a person who was forced to murder. So he's in the team, too, I thought. Just behind the Redhead, Vadim's immense outline appeared. He was dragging Suren's body by the leg. He threw the corpse to Andrei with all the strength he had left and fell to the ground. Okay, so, the new rule didn't kill the newbies. Fair enough, who would they rule over otherwise?

Andrei, Suren, Alexander, you all helped me survive my first days in this world. You lit the fire and didn't leave me at the crossroads of shadows. Revenge… I guess I have no choice… But not now. Now I need to get stronger.

"Hello everyone," rising to my full height, I stepped forward. "The last few minutes were very informative."

"Playin' tough, huh?" the Major got excited at once. The guy was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. It was surprising that he was able to keep himself together and stop, seeing Petrovich's raised hand.

"My teacher left, and I'm here to continue training. If you don't interfere with me, I will not get the way..." I had to exhale, my throat became practically numb, "…of the spontaneous elections and I'll even perform some tasks. But my terms will have to be accepted: one, don't interfere with my training; two, don't ask too many questions; and three... I'll be taking my tombstone."

"Hah!" to my surprise, Petrovich almost laughed. "So Igor really isn't dead, he's just gone." Well, that's exactly what I want you to think, old man, I thought. Still, being a presumptuous beginner was one thing, and being a follower of the incomprehensible and terrible Baldy was quite another. "He said almost the same thing when Andrei and Suren were done with Max."

Deception: +2,000

You have reached Deception, level 3.

"I don't mind," Dmitri suddenly put an end to the conversation. The demure blacksmith was the last person I expected to do something like that. I wondered what role he played in all of this.

"I even support it," Petrovich smiled, and then suddenly became serious. "We aren't interested in anyone else's opinion."

Was this some kind of an educational maneuver? To take the Major and the cop down a peg or two?

"Dasha," I turned to the girl still sitting in the bushes. "You can try to escape now, they probably won't find you. But you will resurrect here if you die, and it will be harder to agree on your place in the new society."

Well, I did my best to warn her. I didn't think she would be in danger anytime soon. Petrovich planned to stay a leader for a long time, and he was unlikely to hurry making decisions. Maybe I'm just lying to soothe myself… But what about Olga… There she was, emerging from the cave and into the sunlight, looking quite normal. She had probably been here from the start.

Silently passing everyone I got to the cemetery. All around me were freshly made stone fragments. The only ones untouched were mine, Vadim's, Olga's and that of the mysterious Olesya's, who had vanished more than a month ago. Where did our rebels put their stones, I wonder… I got an answer to that very soon—four large steel cages stood behind the next door, where all the junk used to be. In the center of each lay a tombstone, and at its base was a set of armor and weapons.

Clever. They probably decided not to hide their swords and spears in their inventory. So they must've kept the keys in there. It made sense. In case of death they would simply rise, put on new armor, unlock the door and get out. They wouldn't have to wait for someone to open the door for them; nobody else would be able to get to their tombstones. That was really important, given the recent events. It was all pretty reasonable but I didn't know if I could trust the Redhead, who had, apparently, forged these cells. I wouldn't be surprised if he provided a way to get to any of his current allies. I was also wondering when they had time to pull this all off.

Having attached the tombstone to my back, I passed by everyone once again. They all fell silent at upon seeing me. They were sitting in a circle, attentively listening to Petrovich. It was a little offensive that they got used to everything so quickly.

After making sure that no one had followed me, some twenty minutes later, I got off the path and headed toward the swamp. Yes, I had a portable tombstone hidden there, but the swamp was big, and I was yet to find a safer place. Mosquitoes would defend me from any beginner, and if someone more experienced wanders in here… What were the chances that they would accidentally stumble upon my portable tombstone? Finally finding a secluded place, I buried the stone and only then did I take a breath. Did I really manage to wriggle out of such a scrape? Without losses, too. My good luck won't last forever, though… I have to raise my stats as quick as possible. If I don't… No matter how many tombstones I have, sooner or later I will share the same fate as Baldy, Andrei, Suren and Alexander.

Chapter end