your wardrobe for an extraordinary war»
«Jeweler. Not only scars adorn a man»
«Scientist. Studying ancient manuscripts allows us to weave the most powerful spells, hide them in runes and create healing potions.»
«Cook. Prepares the most delicious stews. Now during the battle no one will say that you didn’t eat enough porridge!»
«Resource miner. Well, where would we be without him? Wood and metal are needed everywhere and always!»
In principle, you can download all the pros in parallel. I will choose the main one, after all, a scientist. I can make runes with one-time combat spells. When I have a little more free time, I’ll immediately start leveling up.
– A good choice! – said Frick. He handed me my first working tool. I put it in my inventory when I have free time, I’ll definitely figure it out.
***
– Ilya, get up urgently! I’ll wake you up, as promised! – Svetka’s voice buzzed in my head. Well, it’s time to return to the gray world of everyday life.
– Light! But I asked you to wake up in six hours!
– And you slept for thirteen. I’ve been trying to wake you up for a long time.
The dream world is too good. And not everyone can stop in time and say to themselves: «Enough!» Since the advent of virtuality, many have gone crazy. Some did not come out into reality for days and died from exhaustion. There were also those who forgot how to distinguish between reality and play. I decided to take a couple of pills that make it easier to get into reality. They say they also reduce addiction to games. In general, doctors do not always tell the truth. While the robots were carrying another nutritional mixture, I passed out on the chair. It seemed like I didn’t really strain myself, but I didn’t have any strength left. It was as if I had been carrying bags for half a day. Ha! Another joke. What bags? Why bother physically if there are robots to do the work?
My head was pounding as if I had been banging it against the white walls of the room all day. I looked in the mirror: my eyes were red, there were bruises under them. My back is stiff. Not a man – Frankenstein.
Okay, morning is wiser than evening, tomorrow I’ll figure out what to do with all this and how to continue to live.
Level 2. City of technicians.
Room with white walls. Disappearing bed. The smell of sterilizers. Gray slurry of nutritional mixture. Or is it just me, or do I need to change something in this life? But there is only one way out of the House: to become a member of the Government. But the resistance will not achieve its goal soon. Although, why am I moping? Even if you were eaten, there are at least two ways out, and if you got an electric shock, then this is not only a minus, but also a plus.
The second solution for most of us was extended reality. You insert a modulator chip the size of your little finger into an implant at the back of your head – and now you are a real god. The belly turns into abs. Romance.
«Ilya, you haven’t done any exercises today,» said Sveta.
– Sorry, Light, not today. It’s time for me to go to the «Battle for Freedom!» come back.
– Ilya, don’t! I barely woke you up yesterday.
– You’ll wake me up in six hours. Or in eight.
«Are you sure you want to enter the game?»
Of course yes, stupid car!
Although, machines have long become smarter than people. I read in one of the articles that the level of artificial intelligence exceeds the average human intelligence by five times. But I don’t want to talk about sad things. Every man wants to think that he is smarter than a woman, even if she is the latest generation robot secretary.
***
Oak forest. The sunlight barely illuminated the ground and grass. Chilly. I hadn’t noticed before that the game also had tactile sensations. It looks like the developers recently added them. Cicadas buzzed in the distance. Frightened by me, a flock of dragonflies, huge dragonflies, rose up.
– Where are you going? – the girl asked. I started thinking about something: where did she come from here? She is the first real player I’ve met in the game.
– That’s on assignment. I’m going to the city of Technicians.
– By the way, I chose a beautiful appearance for myself! – she smiled.
– Yes, and you are simply stunning! Gorgeous! And what are you doing here yourself, in this scary forest? – I asked, and she smiled mysteriously.
– I’m not one of the timid ones! You can’t lead me astray that easily. As I understand it, on Gerber’s instructions?
– Yeah. And you too?
– Yes. I’m tired of all the twinks doing the same task! Are you new to the game?
«But there is such a thing,» I was embarrassed.
– Nothing! You’ll figure it out quickly! Come to our guild. We are the White Corsairs.
– Corsairs, you say?
I sang:
Yo-ho-ho! We are not afraid of the dead
We love mermaids, we are bottomlessly drunk.
We will be hanged – we will be finished!
But while we are alive, you are doomed!
The girl smiled.
– As I see, you are one of ours. What is your name? I’ll send an invitation.
– Eleon.
– That is great. Catch!
The player Sienna invites you to become a member of the White Corsairs guild. Accept.
– Let’s go together. Near the castle, four more should join us.
For some time we walked silently through the mysterious forest.
– Will you have an apple? – Sienna asked me.
– What? – I was dumbfounded from surprise. She threw me a small red and green ball. Oh, I already forgot what they look like. I took a bite. But the creators of the game tried their best – I will remember this sweet and sour, slightly tart taste for the rest of my life. The only time I ate apples was as a child, when my dad brought them home from work.
«Your power of magical strikes has increased by 15 units,» the inscription on the entire screen notified me.
«Almost like the real thing,» I admitted.
– I can’t even tell you anything about this. I’ve never eaten them. But, I must admit, the taste is really
