Cyberserk

Chapter 6 - The Phantom on New World Reconnaissance

Dan Raven suddenly felt how tired he was. He made his way to bed and lay down to sleep. He stayed up all night. Then he became part of the apocalypse. In the morning, the young man visited a new world and was confronted by zombies. For the first time in his life, he killed monsters. The young man had no strength left.

"Right decision partner! You need to rest," the phantom nodded his head. "Don't worry about me. I'll take our sword and go to the other side of Wonderland. While you sleep I'll get you a little experience."

"A little experience is how much experience?" Dan opened one eye and looked at his partner.

"Five hits on a zombie to kill a zombie is three seconds. That's 20 monsters killed per minute. That's 1,200 monsters killed per hour. That's 7,200 monsters killed in six hours of your time off. That's 237600 experience points. When you renew me you'll get 26136 experience points," said the clone.

"That's too much! How is that possible?" Raven instantly lost the urge to sleep.  The prospect of this version of his character development cheered him up quickly.

"It would be enough to buy us both great sets of armor and better weapons. I'm not a samurai but I want a katana! Lie down and rest," the phantom winked at the young man. "The main thing is don't renew me suddenly. Wake up and eat. Then buy a sword and go through the portal. I'll be waiting for you on the other side. I'll be careful and do some recon.

Dan, I repeat. Do not summon another phantom! I can't use the store. But I can collect trophies! The skill books are the most precious property right now! They have negligible weight. I hope to collect a large collection of level 1 skills.

We'll meet and I'll give you the loot. Only then will you renew me for the experience."

"Thank you. You are a true friend. We're like brothers in arms," Dan smiled and held out his sword to his partner.

"Only I'm not a crazy berserker like you," the phantom nodded his head. He took the weapon and left the room.

"I'm not berserk. I'm just learning," the young man muttered and fell asleep.

The phantom went down the stairs and out into the street. The unfortunate player-killer was no longer near the entryway. Perhaps the PK's relatives had carried the invalid's body to a quiet place. People stood looking at the purple portal.

The clone thought people would make very good players. Weak and cowardly players are good. Weak players wouldn't be competition for Den.

Phantom pulled his sword from his inventory and approached the dead men. He attacked a skeleton and quickly killed it to the delighted cries of the crowd. The three zombies also quickly received destruction. No trophies fell out this time.

The phantom rapidly stepped into the portal. He stood at the entrance and looked around carefully.

Then he turned and walked around the portal. There was no crowd of dead men ahead! The river and forest bounded a wide meadow of green grass. No enemies were visible ahead. The rays of the rising sun illuminated the peaceful landscape with clear light.

The dead men were crowded together on only one side of the portal. It was strange. On the other hand, it made cruel sense. The Phantom thought that some people wouldn't want to go back to the city!

What were the players to do in the city? Sit in an apartment and look at their broken electronic toys? It's bound to cause feelings of loss and bad moods. Despair and anger will be the companions of weak people.

There is always a part of society that is disposed to be adventurous. The rebel does not adhere to the strict constraints of the law. In times of dire change, there will always be those who like to take risks and desperately explore new perspectives. Now all kinds of adventurers have a safe place to stay.

The Phantom did not want to explore the peaceful landscape in front of him. It's great if the Game has provided a safe zone for players. But the clone has a purpose! It is designed to benefit the player.

The clone turned and looked at the crowd of the dead. The young man's gaze moved to the forest. No! Dan Raven had never been much for walks in the woods. He wasn't good at being a Scout.

The river evoked an unsettling sense of danger. The phantom felt he shouldn't go into the water. But neither did the dead men come close to the water. There was a passage between the waters of the river and the crowd of the dead. The passage was only a few steps wide.

Phantom swung his sword several times and smiled. It was time for the harvest!

At this point, an amusing situation happened at the portal. Several thrill-seekers ran into the portal! They stopped and contemplated the new world. People were loudly expressing their feelings. They reacted especially loudly to the approach of three zombies and a skeleton.

"They're getting close! Run back!"

"You run back yourself, you coward. I have a club. I'll show those zombies who's boss in this world."

"Shark, let's go back. We can kill the zombies out there. And everyone will see how tough we are!"

"Dumb-a*s! Those zombies are slow and weak. They're not opponents. They're some freaks that can only scare the weak. Look here, Worm!"

The new hero jumped up to the small group of the dead and started pounding the opponents with his club. It didn't take him long to defeat all the opponents.

"Dudes, I'm cooler than Cosmo! Don't touch my booty," the player grabbed his prize box.

"Congratulations champ, don't forget to collect payment from the lazy and cowardly rats! You're killing zombies. You're a champion and you stand guard over the portal. And these filthy cowardly rats get to use your labor for free? That's not fair! It's not right. Winner take all, dude!" Phantom shouted a few phrases in the direction of the players to finally ruin the atmosphere of healthy competition.

"Who are you? I'll take care of my own business. Come here! Come here I said!" The new champion tried to get the unfamiliar player's attention.

Phantom ran forward along the riverbank. Staying near the portal was a bad decision. The place would quickly gather a crowd of people. Everyone would be learning the new rules of life. Then people would buy alcohol and cause a riot. At the beginning of the game, it was best to stay away from the crowd of players.

The dead men by the river were aggressive. They grunted and took a few steps toward the fleeing creature. But the phantom was running too fast. The dead crossed the invisible boundary and immediately returned to their habitat.

The phantom was running very fast. He thought fondly of the fact that he has no human disadvantage. The Phantom has no sense of fatigue! He wasn't kidding when he said about his ability to destroy monsters for six hours without a break. Now the clone was counting on his legs. The reconnaissance of the new place was very important.

There were two suns in this world. One had a richer, clearer white light. The second sun had an unusual light green color of rays. Either way, morning came abruptly and quickly in this place. It had been dusk only half an hour before. But now it was bright and the light helped to distinguish well the distant surroundings.

Phantom could see that the fog had cleared and the high mountains were rising ahead. He quickened his pace. Not a dozen minutes later the explorer saw the boundary for the players.

The flat riverbank ended and cliffs rose ahead. The height was great. The main trouble awaited by the water. In this place, the dead men were not afraid of water. This was a new type of dead people.

Skeleton warriors stood guard at the foot of the mountains. These bastards were armed! Remnants of old armor dangled from the bones. Some skulls were covered with old helmets. The skeletons had shields and swords and spears and even bows!

The phantom stopped and did not approach these dangerous enemies. He was able to see the main thing. He saw the level of these enemies.

[Skeleton Warrior (Undead).

Level 2.

Brutal dead creatures only seek to kill their victims. Skeleton Warriors, move faster than zombies and have intelligence.  These bony troops are found with swords, clubs, bows, and even armor and shields. Dangerous are the skeletons who have the same weapons with which they died. Even more terrifying are the Remnants of Wizards. They can prove that even the dead can wield the powers of magic!]

"These creatures do more than 2 points of damage. Without armor, don't mess with these freaks. I'm not sure what the point of protection is in the Game," the phantom whispered and crouched at the water's edge. He scooped up the water with his palm and took a sip. "Not bad. The beggars and the weak will like it. There's a chance to save ten experience points from the daily charity quest reward."

The explorer did not stay long at this place. The clone retreated farther away so as not to provoke aggression from the armed skeleton warriors.

"Hello, piggies! I'm back," laughed the phantom and took a few steps toward the dead. A few zombies grunted and moved toward the enemy. The skeleton was not much faster than his dead buddies.