Defending Earth (In the System Book #3): LitRPG Series Read online

  “We’ll stop here for now.”

  My allies’ names, green initially, had gradually faded and had even acquired a reddish tint by the end of the procedure. My eyes weren’t deceiving me — after gaining a level, the raven admitted that he had received a warning from the System. If the genocide of the ‘local fauna’ had continued, his status would have changed from ‘legal guest’ to ‘hostile’. With all the ensuing consequences, starting from no penalty for his murder to a separate mission to destroy this dangerous alien.

  I wasn’t exactly upset to find that the easy way was no longer available. Even if the government could supply me with thousands of cows, since I could pay, I didn’t enjoy my role of executioner. It was also very tiring, both mentally and physically. It was difficult to automate the slaughter process and at the current rate, even if I worked for twelve hours per day, I could only provide my pets with a couple of hundred experience points. Now it was impossible. Theoretically, their status should rewind to the previous position, but for now, we had to wait. A month, perhaps? An eternity in our situation.

  However, this meant that the Farms themselves were a mistake, since monsters had red status from the start, so it didn’t matter if it got worse. Unless we had to increase security and hang signs on the cages to stop poaching, in case one of the players was drawn to the prisoners by a mission…

  * * *

  The next couple of weeks passed in relatively calm. There were plenty of single missions, but I was barred from participating. Not because I was more valuable than the other players, but because I had the only third-level bag. If a major incursion occurred in my absence, the combat group would suffer much greater losses without the modern weapons. The risk of losing a key artifact due to my death wasn’t worth it.

  Dmitry could have changed the situation, but my former deputy didn’t seem to be planning to return to Russia anytime soon, taking it easy somewhere in Europe. He was extremely vague about his plans. I didn’t pressure him, since only an idiot would give orders without a way to enforce them. It would only strain our friendship.

  The other veterans went on the single missions. They usually returned victorious, but we had two failures. First, Sergey the Saint simply disappeared, and we heard nothing about the incursion. Ahmed aka Grozny was the second, and his decapitated body was found beside a federal highway. The head lay nearby, and judging by the nature of the wound, the enemy had wielded a sword.

  Ahmed and I had disliked each other, but I felt no joy as I studied the reports. It was ironic that every time I’d expected trouble from one of my allies, my expectations hadn’t been met. There was no funeral since the body was sent to his relatives, but his memorial photo took its place on the board of honor. Together with the decree to posthumously award him the Order of Courage. It was the sixth photo on the board, not counting the Saint, who was still listed as missing.

  Despite these losses, our numbers kept growing. This was due to veterans who had finally decided to cooperate with the government. Eva was the first of my acquaintances to join the unit, then came Khan. Warlock quickly recovered and was discharged from hospital, not without my help. Ait was also on the mend, but he chose to return home and join the emerging squads of the European Union. It’s funny but although we’d shared only one fight, they felt like old acquaintances.

  In addition, the System was creating new players. While there were more and more of them, their level of training could not be compared with the previous waves. We were recently joined by three so-called veterans who’d only needed to kill a low-level goblin in a duel. This wasn’t so easy for an unprepared person, but it was incomparable to what we had gone through on the goblin world. Nevertheless, they had received their E-ranked skill, and discounting them would be a mistake. They’d simply been a little luckier.

  The other issue was that the newcomers weren’t part of the Alliance, which potentially weakened our positions. It was difficult to estimate the size of the new wave, but we were clearly talking about thousands of new players. I needed to win them over to our side, not push them away. I wasn’t the only one working on this, since the Alliance was officially registered in Hong Kong as an ‘international independent non-government organization’. Of course, it was stupid to hope that we’d be left alone with no one trying to take over, but if there were too many people trying to do so, we would always have room to maneuver. In any case, it could end up being something interesting. A kind of global guild, perhaps?

  Only time would tell, to those who survived, that is. The black frames around the photos didn’t fill me with optimism.

  * * *

  A considerable part of the time was devoted to studying our ‘superpowers’, but in my case, the efforts focused on Healing. As expected, this ability had aroused more interest in the higher-ups than all my other skills combined. I had stipulated my limits back when I’d signed the contract. Two free sessions per day, and if there is an emergency and mana crystals are provided — six sessions per day…

  However, before I was allowed anywhere near the ‘important’ patients, they had to test the Healing under various conditions. Considering the mana recovery time, I now visited the medical center twice a day, in the morning on the way to the base, and in the evening on the way back. Measures were taken to ensure that patients couldn’t identify me, so I had to wear a mask and baggy clothes… They even offered me a voice synthesizer, but I preferred to simply keep silent. Fortunately, the sessions were short and all I needed to do was to put my hand on a specified body part and activate the skill.

  As expected, the results were impressive. For early-stage diseases, one session was sufficient. The skill didn’t seem to care what it was treating, whether it was the common cold or something deadly and untreatable by modern medicine, like an HIV infection. Those standing at death’s door were dragged back for months, if not years, giving them a new lease on life...

  “How’s it going, Doc?” I leaned back in my chair, waiting for the results of my latest examination. These experiments were useful for me too, since they allowed me to test the boundaries of my own abilities.

  “The tumor of the patient you treated the day before yesterday has shrunk to an operable size in one session. He underwent surgery yesterday, and it went well. It’s too early to say if he’ll achieve full recovery, but the prognosis is favorable. And we had considered him a hopeless case.”

  “I’m glad to hear that. He won’t get second session, then?”

  “Unfortunately, the program does not allow it. Two sessions a day… Have you ever thought that, with your powers, you could save more lives? An additional session won’t make much difference to you, but would be a lifesaver for many patients. Sometimes, in medicine, all it takes is a small push.”

  It’s not like such thoughts hadn’t occurred to me. I could perform healing three times a day instead of twice. Even six times a day. I could arrange for patients to be brought to my house, for example. But this was a moral trap.

  “Don’t think me heartless, Doctor,” I sighed. “I feel sorry for the patients, but I can’t help everyone. My powers are limited. Besides, I have plenty of other things to worry about. Not everyone understands this, but our world is on the brink of disaster. Gods, missions, players and monsters… It’s like a damn game, except that there’s no fun involved. Who knows what will happen a year from now? Ten years from now? Will Earth be overrun by monsters?”

  “The end of the world may not happen.”

  “For the whole planet? Perhaps I exaggerated a little, but what about me personally? Do you know the mortality rate among players? The weak die sooner or later. The only way to avoid death is to keep moving forward.”

  “But…”

  “The higher-ups agreed to my terms,” I interrupted. “If I give an inch, they’ll take a mile. I hope you get my meaning. By the way, has anyone tried to bribe you yet? I’m sure there’ll soon be those who want to skip the queue and get priority access to my services. Why, even the last few
patients... they’re not random people, right?”

  “You’re right.” The doctor picked up a folder. “This is my brother, for example. Even for him, I could only obtain one session and that’s after pulling all my strings.”

  “Arkady Borisovich… Why the difficulty? If you personally need my help, you can contact me directly, and I will provide it. The restrictions were established for this kind of thing, actually.”

  “I thought…” he faltered. “I can pay you.”

  “I don’t need the money, Doctor. But one day, and perhaps this day will never come… I may ask you to return the favor. In the meantime, accept this as a token of our friendship.”

  “That sounded like a phrase from an old mafia film.”

  “Then we understand each other. And I won’t have to drop the head of your favorite horse into your bed. I’m joking! So, what happened to you?”

  “I have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Quite recently. I would like to get rid of it before it becomes common knowledge and they decide to replace me. According to my estimates, it will require two sessions.”

  I was surprised that he had waited so long to ask me in this situation, without trying to take advantage of his official position. And he had put his brother ahead of himself.

  “I will allocate you three sessions, and one more for your brother. We need to make sure that everything ends well.”

  “Thank you. I should also inform you that the preliminary trials have been considered successful and no further testing is required. The first ‘official’ patient will be waiting for you tomorrow. If everything goes well, your services will become very, very popular.”

  I nodded — so far, everything was going according to plan. Maybe someone else would have been outraged that he had to treat those in power, but I could see only advantages. Not only would these people owe me, but the queue would stretch out for many years. Even if gratitude was intangible, anyone who made an attempt on my life would suddenly face a horde of influential people. The authorities would have a vested interest in ensuring that I lived for as long as possible and didn’t perish during one of the missions. The best equipment, the best weapons, the best trainers. An increased budget for our organization and a search for players with similar abilities.

  However, I didn’t want to be barred from all missions, but they couldn’t actually ban me directly. Not all missions were ‘voluntary’, so they couldn’t coddle me forever. More importantly, the stronger I became, the more powerful my Healing would get. The next skill rank required 200 SP, which I could theoretically obtain at Level 11. Based on the trend, it would require 220 points at Level 12.

  The only thing that couldn’t be avoided were attempts to make me work harder. It’s not like I could say no to everyone all the time.

  * * *

  “So, this is your great healer, magician and sorcerer?”

  I had little interested in politics, but now I easily fished the name and position of my visibly nervous patient from my memory. Igor B., Minister for Agriculture. He had serious heart problems, according to his medical file, and would soon need a heart transplant somewhere in Germany. Still, an implant was never as good as the original organ, the surgery was a tricky one, there was a risk of rejection, the need for immunosuppressive drugs, and a depressing outcome, for sooner or later, the donor heart would fail, and then he would die. Or, if he had the money, look for a new one… Despite advances in technology, an artificial heart was only a temporary solution.

  “You don’t fully trust the abilities of our specialists?” the doctor chuckled. He had begun to treat me much better since I had healed him. “Don’t worry, unlike all the charlatans, the effect here is guaranteed and will be noticeable immediately. Take your shirt off and lie down. Here, let me help you…”

  I approached the patient, put my palm on the mound of fat which hid the failing organ, and activated Healing. A second, and I was empty again. Under other conditions, the minister would have been sedated, but tests had shown that my skill dissipated the effect of medications. Wasting even a modicum of my skill on this would be foolish. The patient twitched, as if expecting the usual pain, and then relaxed. Healthy color began to return to his face.

  “It works. It’s not hurting. Damn, am I really better? Am I healthy again?”

  “One session will likely be insufficient, but I am certain that you are no longer in danger of dying.” Arkady Borisovich smiled. “You will be examined again today to evaluate the results. If what has been done is not enough, the treatment will be repeated tomorrow. I suppose I don’t need to remind you that this must remain a secret? If a question comes up in the future, you underwent surgery at one of our clinics. Documents confirming this information will be provided to you.”

  “Yes, yes, of course. Damn, it almost doesn’t hurt at all. Thank you… And thank you. Look, I’m sorry for my behavior earlier. It was the nerves, you know.” The official took his wallet from the table and, after rustling through it, handed me a business card, “Here you are. If you need anything, I will be happy to help.”

  I took the card, immediately memorizing the numbers, and, after briefly thanking him, put it in my pocket. I didn’t believe in eternal gratitude, but I did believe in mutually beneficial cooperation. While I wasn’t planning to call him any time soon, the very possibility provided me with a certain freedom. Sooner or later, one of these contacts would come in handy.

  Chapter 9. The Fifth Mission (Part 1)

  Attention! Would you like to accept an optional F-ranked local mission to protect your home location? (0/10)

  Yes/No

  Mission duration: 3 hours.

  Time remaining: 0 hours 59 minutes and 55 seconds

  I WAS STARTLED, feeling a mixture of fear, excitement and relief. The weeks of waiting were over, and I could finally go into battle. I wanted this, didn’t I? Considering that my ability was in high demand with the authorities, I could have won the right not to go on any missions. But how would have the others taken it? Our whole approach was based on having my Level 3 bag with us. Such a thing would have not only destroyed my reputation, but also stopped any further development, significantly reducing my chances of survival in the long run. So, no thanks.

  “Therefore, the most optimal solution in this situation would be...” The lecturer paused. “What’s all the noise about? Has something happened?”

  Although the instructor wasn’t a player, he had sensed the sudden change in the room. The lecture was abandoned.

  “We need to leave the class.” I stood up and picked up my bag. “It’s a battle alarm...”

  My words were interrupted by the wailing of a siren and one of the spoken warnings. The soldier on duty finally pressed a few buttons and now had to report the situation to management.

  Attention! Attention! Battle alert! Members of the First Tactical Unit to immediately take your places in the launch hall according to the combat schedule. Control time is 5 minutes. Medical group is on red alert. Second Combat Unit is on yellow alert.

  There were currently thirty people in the squad, including the newcomers, but only ten left the lecture hall. The First Unit was assembled anew every morning, taking into account any absentees, so our equipment was complete and reserve personnel weren’t required... although they existed.

  “Good luck, guys!” someone shouted in encouragement. Several people even clapped their hands. Idiots.

  On my way out, I caught the Spider’s eye and nodded. As the second most powerful player, he commanded the Second Reserve Unit. It would be on duty while the main group was away. A formality, but it stopped us from taking only the best players with us. The reserve may be weaker, but it had to be combat-ready. Especially because they wouldn’t have any firearms if there was a second incursion.

  Our number had grown not only thanks to new players. Experiences in China and USA had led to the decision to create combat units that included ordinary people. If you could call soldiers from Special Forces “ordin
ary”. They were being trained as rapid response teams and specialists for trips to the regions for now, but they were also viewed as ideal player candidates. The hope was that in the future, once we obtained a Level 4 bag, they could be used directly in missions. Even if elite soldiers couldn’t become players, they could always be turned into units. A couple already had. All they needed to do was kill a monster using a System weapon. They weren’t pulled into missions, but they received a basic interface and the opportunity to level up. I could make them Heroes by giving them a name, but I decided to keep that information to myself. This ability would have surely given away my title since, as I had discovered, ordinary players couldn’t do such a thing.

  * * *