The Hunter’s Code: Book 3: A Portal Progression Fantasy Series, page 1
part #3 of The Hunter's Code Series
Yuri Vinokuroff & Oleg Sapphire
The Hunter’s Code
Book 3
A Portal Progression Fantasy Series
Published by Magic Dome Books
The Hunter’s Code
Book # 3
Copyright © Yuri Vinokuroff, Oleg Sapphire 2024
Cover Art © Vladimir Manyukhin
English translation copyright © Alix Merlin Williamson 2024
Published by Magic Dome Books, 2024
ISBN: 978-80-7693-241-8
All Rights Reserved
This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Amazon.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This book is entirely a work of fiction. Any correlation with real people or events is coincidental.
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Table of Contents:
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Interlude: Shnoop
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
About The Authors
Chapter 1
“MAY I COME IN, Sir?”
“Ah... Galaxius. Do come in! What brings you here?”
“I need your help, Sir.”
“Is that so?” The head of the Monster Slayer Center, Duke Vasily Petrovich Khrulyov, tore himself from the papers before him and raised his head. “Judging by the reports I’ve received, help is the last thing you need. Is Galaxius himself truly asking for aid?”
“Everyone needs help sometimes, Sir.”
“True enough,” the old Slayer chuckled. “Would you like some tea?”
“Sure.”
To my surprise, he didn’t call in his secretary, but stood up himself, walked over to the big samovar, picked up a large cup and filled it with aromatic tea.
Then he smiled mysteriously. “Honey?” he asked.
“Please.” I nodded again.
“I’m afraid my honey isn’t from Azure Bees, although it isn’t bad either.” Mischief flashed in the old class-two Slayer’s eyes.
That caught me off guard.
“Someone snitched, huh?”
“Snitched? Oh, no, not at all.” He placed a large cup before me, and a jar of transparent honey beside it. “Reported. It was a response team, after all. They are obliged to report such incidents.”
I shrugged. “They nearly killed me.”
At that, the old man laughed.
“Somehow that seems unlikely to me. But yes, you acted by the book. Only, Count Fyodorov has been whining ever since that you took his gear away.”
“I can give it back if necessary. Though there is one problem... My apartment was blown up. If the firemen find the sword, I’ll give it back.”
The old man’s smile dropped.
“Yes, I heard of your misfortune. My sympathies.”
“Thanks,” I nodded. “Actually, that’s why I’m here.”
The old man sat back in his chair and looked at me with interest.
“I need to live in the Center for a little while.”
Clear intrigue flickered in the old man’s eyes. “How long is a little while?”
“Just until I solve certain...” I faltered. “…difficulties.”
The old man drummed his fingers on the table, his gaze fixed on me, apparently thinking something over.
“You do understand that we aren’t running a hotel here, yes?”
“I do, but I’m willing to pay...”
“And I don’t need your money,” the Slayer interrupted me.
“So it’s a no?” I frowned.
“I didn’t say that. You are young and brash, but still a Slayer. Your reputation speaks for itself, and your potential...” The old man scratched his gray head. “Well, I can’t even predict it myself, to be frank. That hasn’t happened for a long time. Normally, I can see right through all you types. Will you tell me how you closed those Rifts?”
I leaned back and crossed my arms.
“Sorry, no can do. If that’s a condition of my staying here, then I’ll have to get gone.”
“Oh, relax,” the Center chief said, waving a hand. “Just an old man’s curiosity. As for your stay here, you’ll have to work it off.”
“How, exactly?” I pricked up my ears.
“I will assign several Rifts to you. You will have to close them.”
He saw me tense up.
“Don’t worry, I’m not planning to make a slave of you. Just two or three problematic Rifts. On one condition — that you take others along with you. A group of Slayers that I select.”
Thinking about it, I already had to close them all the time anyway, so why not go with them, so they could see that I was just doing the same job they were? After all, if I always went alone, then they’d invent stories about some great Gift that I was hiding. Instead, I could beat up some monsters side by side with them, and at the same time get a boost to my karma. It wouldn’t look right for me to agree too fast, though.
“Can’t I just do them alone?” I asked, keeping the scowl on my face. “I’d find that a lot simpler. I’m used to only having to look after my own ass.”
“No. This one is a condition of your stay. I consider it entirely reasonable. You can take it or leave it.”
I nodded. I’d have to try hard to make sure I didn’t get found out. But the old man was right — it was a reasonable condition.
“Fine then, I agree. But I need a few days first for a business trip. In the meantime, there’s a girl that needs to stay here, and I’d like you to keep an eye on her.”
“Not a problem. We’ll watch her like a hawk. Her room service check will be waiting for you when you get back. Ha-ha...” The old man smiled at his own joke.
“Thank you, Sir!”
I stood up and offered him my hand. Groaning, the old man shook it.
“Come on, no need to rush off. Finish your tea, and let’s just chat.”
* * *
Well, what can I say? They set us up comfortably in the guest barracks for Slayers. Unlike the regular barracks for new recruits, here there were individual rooms.
Our small two-room suite had just barely enough space for the both of us. But all that mattered was that we were inside the Center. Doubtful that King could reach us here. Imperial oversight, and all that. This place was unassailable and untouchable.
“Learned anything?” I asked Anna, who was going through some papers.
Yep. Shnoop didn’t burn up absolutely everything. In one of the premises marked by Anna as an accountancy office, he was able to make off with a drawer of documents from the chief accountant. The department it was from was officially above-board. King’s legal businesses went through it. And they were what Anna was studying now.
“I have two targets for you,” the girl said. “Here and here.”
She tossed two folders to me. I sat down and took a look.
“A pig farm and a slaughterhouse? Seriously, these are the best options?”
“Funnily enough, the slaughterhouse brings in thirty percent of his legal income, and the pig farm — twenty percent. And let me tell you, that means big numbers.”
“Is meat that expensive nowadays?” I chuckled. “Maybe we’re in the wrong business. Should I go learn to be a farmer?”
“Not a bad idea,” Anna smiled. “But no. The numbers I saw can’t possibly match what’s really there. I have a rough knowledge of the meat market in the Empire. Basically, in order to provide that kind of income, that slaughterhouse would have to be four times larger, and working around the clock. And the pig farm would have to be at least ten times the current size. Something doesn’t add up.”
“Right,” I nodded. “I’ll take care of it.”
I stared glumly at the last weapon I had left — the huge club, — and scratched my head. I didn’t like the idea of lugging that big thing around. And buying more crap from Arkhip... Might as well throw my money away.
The firemen still hadn’t called me. Probably still picking through the ruins. Maybe they’d find something there, but I couldn’t be sure.
I sighed and hefted the huge club onto my shoulder, spending a little power to strengthen my body. I’d have to keep powering my body with energy while I carried it. But what can you do? A penny saved is a penny earned!
“Epic outfit,” Anna said, grinning as sh
I looked at myself in the mirror.
Alright, so the tip of the club was bigger than my head. And with the spines sticking out, maybe I did look a little comical.
“Don’t hate the player!”
I waved the weapon a couple of times and accidentally knocked over the coat hanger by the door.
“Alright, I’m off. See you.”
We were renting the property here, after all. It was all I needed to trash the place.
“Alright, good luck!” Anna said. “And be careful.”
I left our room and headed down the corridor, then was met with a surprise at the porch — Helga, standing there with a thoughtful look on her face.
“Hey there, beautiful!” I chuckled, watching with pleasure as the girl blushed at the innocent compliment.
“Decided to move house, huh?” the girl asked.
“Where’s the ‘hello,’ the hugs and kisses?”
Helga ignored my fooling around.
“I heard you didn’t come here alone.”
“Ooh, you have spies!” I grinned at her. “Yeah, that’s my colleague.”
“Colleague?” The girl raised an eyebrow in surprise.
“Well, yeah. Why, what did you think..?”
“I thought she was a pros...” Helga broke off. “Sorry, I’m rushed off my feet today.”
“Oh, no need to apologize.” I shrugged. “How’ve you been, anyway? I heard from Andrei that you’re planning on leaving. I don’t know what your mysterious task was here. Or what the hell you were doing here at all. But I get the picture your work is done. I’m surprised to see you still here, actually.”
“I’ve extended my... business here,” Helga said thoughtfully. “Are you staying with us for long?” she asked as if in passing.
“Depends how things go.”
“And where’s that monstrosity from?” She nodded towards the club. “Headed out to sell it?”
“Nah, decided to get a little exercise.”
“A Rift?” Helga widened her eyes. “Like this?”
I looked down at myself. Alright, so my chainmail and armguard were gone, and I had no throwing knives left. So I was standing there all smart, in my civilian suit, with a huge club over my shoulder. So what?! Stylish, youthful, fashionable. Just right for raiding some Rifts.
“Want me to lend you some money?” Helga asked with a sympathetic frown.
“Whoa there, girlfriend!” I laughed. “Things aren’t that bad yet. I’m not bankrupt. I have money. It’s just that this,” I swept a hand down my outfit, “is more than enough for me for now. After all, I have this beauty here on my team too.”
I petted Caramel on the head. Helga’s gaze softened at once.
“Hey, little friend.” To my surprise, she came closer and stroked the panther’s head before I had time to open my mouth.
Wow! And she didn’t even bite her hand off. I could see Caramel accepted her as a friend. What had they got up to, for the panther to be so friendly with her?
“Want me to come along with you?” Helga asked, again as if as an afterthought.
“Thanks, but not today.”
The girl’s gaze darkened a little.
“Well, you know, your Grandpa made me agree to a few raids. So if you pull some strings, and something tells me you have them, then you can get yourself into my raid group. Looking forward to seeing you there,” I said with complete sincerity, and realized that it was true.
The girl’s eyes softened just a little.
“Well, alright. By the way, there’s a surprisingly good bar here on grounds of the Center. If you suddenly feel like taking a night out...” Her eyes darted toward the window, where Anna was watching us.
“Are you asking me on a date?” I narrowed my eyes.
“Ugh, Galaxius, you’re such a dumbass! You really know how to ruin everything!” Helga huffed angrily, then turned on her heel and walked away.
“Strange girl,” I chuckled. “Come on, furball.” I nodded to Caramel, who was growling at me unkindly.
You are a dumbass, I heard in my head.
“Oh, you’re talking again, huh?” I said. “Whatever, let’s go. Time to play some dirty tricks on some bad guys!”
The first target for one of those dirty tricks was the pig farm.
I couldn’t see anything at all over its high walls. The place was like a fortress. On the other hand, Shnoop could see inside them just fine. I sat off to the side and carefully looked at everything he showed me. Strange, but it really was a pig farm.
The more Shnoop crept around, the greater my surprise. Just an ordinary pig farm. Pigs grunting in their sties, sows feeding piglets. All clean, nothing amiss.
But when Shnoop got to the logistics center, matters took a turn. First of all, I saw that the logistics center was a kind of ‘state within a state.’ It had two vehicles for loading. Ordinary trucks at first glance. Judging by the thickness of the doors, they were armored at least as well as a Center APC. They were partly filled with oinking and screeching pigs, and just now they were in the process of loading. Shnoop crept further in.
Whoa! A stubborn pig was dragged into a cozy building, and the people sitting inside deftly packed up a jelly and stuffed it into the animal’s mouth, forcing it to swallow. Then they put a small, barely noticeable stamp on its belly. After that, the pig was immediately sent out to be loaded up. Then another. And another.
“How much time do we have?” one of the packers asked, wiping his brow.
“We’ve only just started, plenty more to be done. Let’s go for a smoke, then get back to it.”
The men walked out, past the beefy guards.
And Shnoop immediately stuck his curious nose into the containers standing nearby. One was full of white jellies, another of red. Ton of jellies.
I chuckled.
“Bring those here, my friend!”
And bring them he did, though it took him several trips back and forth.
After counting, I realized that I was richer by two hundred and forty-three white and thirty-four red jellies, the total worth of which at today’s prices was almost thirty thousand rubles!
As I counted the loot again with a grin, the screech of an alarm split the air. Shnoop was frolicking nearby, and I winked to him.
“That’s all, no more need to go back there. We’ve done what we came to do. Now let’s get out of here, fast!”
A question kept spinning in my head — why go to all that trouble to hide jellies?
And then I remembered the destination of the cargo — the Khanate of the Grand Steppe. Right! A permanent enemy of the Eastern Empire, they had a habit of attacking the Empire’s borders whenever their warlike ruler got in a mood. From what I remembered, it was forbidden to sell weapons to them. And jellies were a kind of weapon too, definitely a dual-purpose item at best. They came under the ban, anyway. Whereas trading in foodstuffs was allowed. King had to be making a sizable profit on this contraband. Well, better leave the target in peace for now. Maybe I’d come back here again, and more than once or twice.
