Showing results by author "Mikhail Yagupov - translator" in All Categories

Ten years have passed since the story began. Ivan Morozov is no longer the prey—he has become the hunter. He's done adapting to circumstances—his goal now is to rise above them and shape the world to his will.

This world resembles our own, the difference being that aristocratic clans with magical abilities hold all power here. Those without magic are called "nulls" and seen as nothing more than failures. Ivan, our hero, had been marked for death—until an old warrior saved him, and the spirit of his mighty ancestor gave him magical talents. And now Ivan has inherited a princely title. However, being a young head of a noble house, he is a prime target for the empire's ambitious aristocrats. One wrong step could lead to conflict.

The Bohao cultists have just got their noses bloodied—it was hardly fatal, but humiliating all the same. Their leadership has now turned their attention to the Seekers, baffled at how such insignificant pests could have managed to sting them so painfully. Moreover, they couldn't punish the Seekers for their impertinence—those pesky gadflies had already slipped into the demon realm. The Seekers are intent on fighting this infection, and so they mean to track it to its source.

I traveled twenty-two years into the past to change the future and prevent the nightmare that threatens the Earth. I founded the Syndicate, which has by now become the most powerful organization in the world. It comprises the most talented Evolvers humanity has to offer—I selected them personally, guided by the knowledge from the future. I have now assembled a small army of Evolvers under the auspices of the Syndicate to clear the descent from the mountain and reach an incredibly powerful monster—the Silkworm, whose abilities I intend to claim for myself.

Being a unique player has its advantages but comes fraught with quite a few problems. Having become the owner of a spell capable of removing the magic veil from an unexplored continent, Rosgard has to prepare himself for the role of the Navigator, the only one who can lead the expedition across the ocean. Should he fail to do so, the spell will be taken away by the game's administration.

To wage war against the Bohao cultists, who have essentially taken control of both worlds, you need to think strategically. Eliminating the leadership seems logical, but with no access to the central region where the cult's leaders hide, that's a dead end. Hunting down individual cultists would take centuries, and they'd just recruit more in the meantime. So what do we do? The best approach would be to cut off all supply lines of the ancient substance they rely on and destroy every concentration camp where they keep the unfortunates they intend to sacrifice on their altar.

Rostislav Grokhotov, an ordinary clerk working for a privately-owned company, just wanted to earn some extra money in the game. He had no specific plans for his new character. Little did he know that his new nickname Rosgard would become the game's next greatest legend. Whose side does one take without becoming a pawn in anyone's game?

Might is right. This is the primal law of the jungle, and this creed not only rules the animal kingdom, but also shapes the lives of men. Having harnessed the elusive Qi energy, humanity has divided the world into zones and mastered the creation of extraordinary artifacts, edging closer to immortality. Yet, this evolution has only entrenched the fundamental law: power grants privilege. The strongest claim the finest resources as well as the right to rise above others. What chance does an ordinary youth from the neglected zero zone have in such a world?

The Law of the Jungle is clear about one thing—if you cross the high and mighty, you're courting disaster. But even when the Grim Reaper comes knocking for Vyllea of the Urbangos tribe, Seeker Zander isn't going to surrender her without a fight! And for someone prepared to do anything for the one you love, no law in the world can stop you from saving their life. Thus, our Seekers are back in action, facing the First Tier ahead—alluring, brimming with energy, and rife with cultists and ascension schools.

I traveled twenty-two years into the past to change the future—to stop the nightmare threatening Earth. I founded the Syndicate, which has now grown into the world's most powerful organization. But recently, another group has risen to challenge us—the Clowns. They didn't exist in my previous life. The Clowns are mysterious, powerful, and dangerous—especially their leader, Lady Black. I can sense that she's hiding something.

What does a master artificer need after eliminating a threat to the future empire? Nothing but a chance to finally pursue his craft in peace. I cheated death itself and returned to the glorious city on the Neva, the one we built together with the Czar. Three hundred years have passed, and...

The history of our world tends to move along a shallow spiral - when completing a turn, you end up mighty close to where you started. The history of Second World, in contrast, seems to have simplified its path to a ring from which there is no apparent way out. An unforeseen invasion lays waste to whole provinces, prompting the game's most powerful clans to ally with the emperor's guard to stop the monstrous hordes in their tracks. A war erupts that nobody saw coming, shattering the tedium of peaceful life.

Something quite odd is happening in Second World - the planet's foremost MMORPG. Something that's causing alliances to be broken, and friendships, forgotten. A worthless low-level mine becomes the stage of vicious battles, its burned ruins suddenly contested by the game's toughest clans. Every border is controlled, and every road in the province blocked off. The weak players and NPCs alike are subjected to non-stop violent raids courtesy of Eastern invaders. And the strong are scouring the virtual world for the culprit - the weirdest noob the game has ever seen.

Rostislav Grokhotov does not want to become anyone's pawn. Therefore, his unexpected acquisition makes him ponder his own goals. Having become the sole owner of a unique spell coveted by top-ranking clans, he no longer wants to go with the flow. That way would only lead to ruin and obscurity. He'd need to go all in-and to have a good plan. With several more contingency plans for good measure. What are the opportunities available to someone in the possession of a unique spell capable of dispelling the veil over the unexplored continent of Zar'Graad?

Rosgard has become the owner of a unique spell that can blaze a trail to the lost continent, thus leaving himself with no choice in the matter. His character will have to become a great deal stronger before the Great Expedition begins, or he'll have to forfeit the spell and pass it on to somebody else. However, the game's presented Rosgard and his team with a new challenge - now they have to accept the ultimatum of an aggressive underwater race known as the crabbers and set off on a difficult and dangerous quest which they dare not fail for fear of horrible repercussions.

I've traveled back twenty-two years to rewrite the future and stop the nightmare threatening Earth. An apocalypse looms, promising total annihilation. No one will be spared. Now the weight of the world rests on my shoulders; I'm the one tasked with changing everything. I have come back to the past, and in five days, on the twenty-sixth of April, the day of reckoning will arrive. The event that will happen will be known as the Eclipse in the future. It will divide the history of the Solar System into a before and after.

The Second World is a mire of intrigue; the game's creators have left several back doors permitting them to terminate anyone at will, and an unlikely sequence of events has brought someone unsuspecting into their field of attention. One player has managed to upset the game world's balance, and now he's hunted by everyone. Every clan wants to recruit him for his achievements while other powers want him for their own, more sinister purposes.

Battles with demons, intrigue, duels, honey traps, and no shortage of adventure in general . . . the heir of a noble lineage certainly leads an eventful life. We wonder what will change once he becomes a prince? Will his troubles multiply exponentially? Will enemies try to smear the good name of the Morozovs? Or will circumstances inexorably make Ivan march off to war?

Nothing is ever given freely. One has to pay the full price for everything one gets. Easy money for a seemingly minor quest in a game? Well, you're obviously being played for a mark. Suddenly stumbled upon a unique spell coveted by the entire world of Waldyra? That automatically makes you the quarry for the game's top clans, each of which will be hunting you - IRL as well as inside the game.

The law of the jungle declares: it's every man for himself! This principle applies not only to the human world, but also the domain of their greatest adversaries—the demons. Their world's Tier Zero differs little from the Tier Zero of the human world. The resources are just as scarce, the creatures just as vicious, and the absence of law just as blatant. Yet the Heavens show no mercy when the push comes to shove. When it's time to conquer the Tier Zero of an alien world, retreat is not an option. For the privilege of ascending to immortality is reserved only for the strong.