Start the Game (Galactogon: Book #1) (40 page)

The shock of everything that had happened dampened my fear of dying so much that I actually began to see things much more clearly. The life of our child suddenly ceased to be some kind of obstacle for me. Who could guarantee that this psycho was telling the truth? It didn’t cost him anything to shoot Eunice one more time and end her life for good. I needed to act and do so now without waiting for outside help.

Suddenly, I began to perceive everything like a game: Constantine was the final boss and I needed to take him out. Eunice was the medic/tank/barbarian and I needed to save her. The boss cast bolts of lightning that could basically one shot me. But! If I turned one of my flanks to the boss, then the lightning bolts would only strike that side of me! Then, the other side would remain okay and I could go on fighting!

But how?

What could I do against this boss? I wouldn’t be able to respawn, so I had to act only if I was sure of what I was doing. And, all the while, I’d have to take into account that the boss was very smart and fatally dangerous.

The first thing then was to look shocked and freeze—as if I was paralyzed with fear. I’d have no problems doing that—I was at the edge of consciousness as it was.

“What’d you freeze like a statue for?” smirked Constantine. Perfect! The boss was now following my rules. I didn’t answer him, remaining silent and still. I had to keep thinking…

“Hey! Ground control to Major Tom! Come in!” the killer said with mounting mirth. Seeing no reaction from me, he added, “What a sad bunch of enemies I have. Buddy—don’t croak prematurely on me, alright?”

Constantine’s attention switched to Eunice, then to me, then back to Eunice and his smirk vanished from his face.

“The bitch! She’s about to die! Why do I have to do everything myself?”

The second thing was to force the boss to switch his attention from me to my injured partner, so I had time to act. Done!

“Eh, old age is no blessing,” Constantine grunted like an old man, bending down to Eunice and pressing the first aid kit to her wounds. When he turned away, I had my opportunity. I felt my body spring into action.

The third thing is that it’s pointless to attack the boss directly. He is stronger than me, he has better armor, a stronger attack and is in better health than I am. Despite the fact that the capsule has turned me into a well-toned young man, my muscles and reflexes are not trained for close combat. But I do have something that can give me a slight chance of winning.

Weight plates from my barbell.

Fifteen pounds of iron shaped like a giant token.

Everyone who knew about my love for working out IRL always laughed at me. They thought that losing an extra hour of gameplay only made me weaker. After all, while we sleep, our enemy grows stronger. In my case, they said that while I pump iron, my enemy levels his character—and gets the loot that I should be getting. Yet I remained unmoved. Working out in reality was mandatory. Full stop. That’s what my father had taught me.

I dart to the plates and instantly something singes my arm—the bullet has just nicked it. Damn! The boss has turned out more agile than I expected. To hell with it! My target is too close to stop now.

I grab the disc and show the boss my side—which is instantly pierced by two lightning bolts. Both hit my shoulder, throwing me backward. I turn the force of the second bolt into angular momentum and rotate my body. I extend my arm with the plate, feel another lightning bolt strike my leg (thankfully, not the one supporting my weight), complete my rotation and release the disc. Just like in practice (and who cares if that’s the first time I’ve practiced the discus throw…)

Another bolt pierces my chest. I am stamped into the wall by its inertia. But before I meet the coming darkness, I catch a glimpse of the disc as it smashes right into the boss’s head.

A critical hit!

I’ve leveled up!

Where’s my loot?

Dear friends,

Many of you have written to me asking when I'm going to publish the next novels of the Way of the Shaman. I keep writing new books of this and other LitRPG series which are currently published in Russian. The royalties from these books I invest into their English translations for you. But at the moment, the Russian ruble is dropping, decimating my earnings. Which is why, considering how many of you are waiting for new Shaman books, I decided to turn to you to help me raise enough money to translate the Kartoss Gambit (The Way of the Shaman: Book #2).

Please
consider a small donation
to help translate The Kartoss Gambit (The Way of the Shaman Book #2). Visit
Indiegogo.com
and give whatever you can to help us bring the book to Amazon.

Every donor will receive his or her personal bonus:

$5 : An e-card from the author and an electronic copy of the Kartoss Gambit

$10 : An e-card from the author, an electronic copy of the Kartoss Gambit and a mention in the book's Acknowledgments

$20 : All of the above plus a thank-you postcard written by the author mailed to your address

$40 : All of the above plus a paperback copy of the Kartoss Gambit (The Way of the Shaman: Book #1) with the author's handwritten inscription of your choice

$60+ : All of the above plus a paperback copy of Survival Quest (The Way of the Shaman: Book #1) with the author's handwritten inscription of your choice

The book is already written. The translator will start working straight away. Your help will allow the Kartoss Gambit to hit Amazon on October 2015.

Together we'll bring
new Way of the Shaman books
to Amazon!

I thank you all in advance!

Sincerely,

Vasily Mahanenko

Thank you!

If you like what you've read, check out other LitRPG titles published by Magic Dome Books:

Survival Quest (The Way of the Shaman Book #1)

by Vasily Mahanenko

Edge of Reality (Phantom Server Book #1)

by Andrei Livadny

The Lag (The Game Master Book #1)

by Alex Bobl and Andrei Levitsky

More LitRPG books to be released soon:

Kartoss Gambit (The Way of the Shaman Book #2)

by Vasily Mahanenko

The Outlaw (Phantom Server Book #2)

by Andrei Livadny

Sector Eight (Perimeter Defense Book #1)

by Mikhail Atamanov

In order to have new books of the series translated faster, we need your help and support! Please consider
leaving a review
or spread the word by recommending Survival Quest to your friends and posting the link on social media. The more people buy the book, the sooner we'll be able to make new translations available. Thank you!