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Level 0. Augmented reality

The spring pulled the bed, and it pressed into the floor. Now I was lying on the smooth plane of an empty room two by two meters. If I were a little taller, I would have to bend down. But I’m already rich – I have my own room! Some huddle in the same ones, but for three or four people. The walls are painted white. It smelled like sterilizers – it looked like the cleaning robot had gotten the job done while I was sleeping.

The female voice of the robot secretary rang out:

– Ilya, it’s time to get up!

It’s immediately obvious that it’s a car, and a non-Russian one at that! She has no soul at all. It would be nice to just wake me up! And then she threw me off the bed, and even took away the blanket! Bastard!

– Ilya, get up! I see you’re still lying there.

– Yes, I get up, I get up. I’ll sleep with you! Not only did you throw it on the floor, but you also bark in your ear!

– Ilya, get up.

And so every morning! Until I get up, it won’t come off. I watched the videos of my ancestors – they called them «cinema». So, they slept sweetly on a normal bed, which never disappeared, and they were woken up by the quiet squeak of some mechanism, I don’t remember what it was called, either a tinker or a muddy… In general, I don’t remember. Let Svetka, my robot secretary, learn how to behave in a cultured society!

– It’s time to pump up your abs – what a machine! I wonder if all women are this annoying? Like a robot fly, not a secretary!

– Come with your abs! Every morning it’s the same!

– Excess weight is twenty-five point three hundred and four thousandths of a kilogram. You yourself asked to remind me about morning exercises.

Nothing to do. Fate bent me, then again, and again… We are all in the hands of Fate, and we only trust in it! In fact, we are all not spoiled by movement, so we get fat. My father was slender, but he was also a Guardian. And Lyubka actually looks like a pig. And it’s not very pleasant to look at yourself in the mirror. We also need to add push-ups to Svetka’s program. Maybe I’ll pump up a muscle? What’s the point though? The turn for mating will not come soon. Bent over twenty times.

– Enough?

– Would you like to take a shower? – Sveta asked instead of answering.

– Yeah, it’s just like this in the morning!

The white walls have been transformed, now showing a waterfall in motion. Jets of warm water and soapy water hit me from above. I closed my eyes – last time I left them open, it stung for several days. The robot was rubbing his back. They are now everywhere you look. And how did you live before, even before robotization? Although people somehow managed to use digging sticks, they somehow survived!

After a while, the water stopped flowing over the clean body. Now Sveta turned on the warm air flow. The image has changed. Now I was standing on the ocean shore, under the bright scorching sun. Romance! Ten seconds – and I’m dry. Got dressed.

– Will you have breakfast? – the voice of my secretary.

– Let’s. I want mashed potatoes and chicken Kiev.

– This is not in our database.

It would still be! In one of the films I saw that they were eating this very puree – the little one was dying so much, it was already cracking behind the ears! Probably tastier than our mixture number six! And my late grandfather told me about chicken Kiev. Although, he told me a lot of things – he was good with inventions. He says that in his youth people walked down the street boldly, that at that time there were still places in the cities free from buildings. People went to work somewhere – why, if you can work without leaving home? And he also said that in order to start a family and have children, you didn’t have to get a quota! Here’s another inventor! Where have you seen this – a free family, without a waiting list for mating! I feel sorry for grandpa. Although he was a rare liar, I loved him. And it was interesting to hear about free times. «Computers have taken over everything!» – he liked to say, but where would we be without them – he didn’t think about that? Previously, the grass was greener, and young people treated old people with respect. Not like now.

He talked about free families. But he had to sign an agreement on voluntary euthanasia in order for my parents to be given permission to have another child. I hate my sister! Because of her, the doctors killed grandfather Sanya!

– One injection and that’s it! It’s like being bitten by a mosquito and then falling asleep! – that’s what my mother told me. I forgave her a long time ago, but I can’t forgive Lyubka! My mother said that before I was born, my grandmother had to sacrifice her life. In our world, a new life is only in place of someone else’s, every schoolchild knows this – there is too little space. We were all born this way.

– So what to serve? – asked the persistent Svetka.

– Mixture number 17! And strawberry flavored syrup.

– Fine!

A metal parallelepiped of the table grew from below. I sat down on a chair that appeared in the same way. The robots brought me a yellowish pulp on a tray. It looks ugly, but how delicious! And healthy – a mixture of all the necessary vitamins and minerals! I remember my father bringing an apple once. He was a Guardian, they were given the best. We divided the fruit among three. I still water when I remember that day. And then there was a coup, and everyone close to the president was killed. The state was headed by the Emperor, and Uncle Igor replaced my father.

I’ve eaten, it’s time to get to work.

– Light, turn on my mail!

He ran his hand along the sensory rough dusty wall.

– Svetka, when I finish, remind the lazy robots to do the cleaning.

– Of course, Ilya!

Okay, what’s here? «The Emperor announced recruitment for the Guard…» I am extremely happy for the Emperor. And then there will be a coup again, and all the Guardians, like my father, will be written off. Thank you!

«Visit the Elephant chain of massage parlors and get a chance to expand the room by another half meter!» Another divorce. Let them look for other clients. To spam!

«Get energy for the whole day – eat Snickers, drink Sprite!»

Okay, this is spam, I’ll throw it in the trash right away.

«Should I increase the size? With the new Indian method it’s as easy as shelling pears!»

Are they serious? I was sitting at my desk, and suddenly I wanted to increase the size! Right there, in the furnace!

Electricity bill.

«Your turn to start a family is 75328» is quite good news. In five years I’ll be able to get myself a normal girlfriend, not a virtual robot. I will take revenge for grandfather Sanya – I will have a son or daughter. According to imperial law, at the birth of the first child, one of the husband’s parents is sacrificed. Let Uncle Igor go under the doctor’s needle. «One injection and that’s it! It’s like being bitten by a mosquito, and then he falls asleep!» He’s a useless stepfather. It was he who insisted on getting Lyubka. I hate him more than my sister! Lyuba, at least not on purpose, but Uncle Igor… I hate you!

«Ilyukha, when you are free, dial. I can’t write it – you understand it yourself. The work is interesting. I think you’ll like it»

Dimon, my friend. He won’t leave anyone to die without a penny, he constantly gives people all sorts of jobs. I won’t say that it’s always legal, but those who respect the law don’t drink champagne. I don’t know what this «champagne» is, but Sanya’s grandfather always said so.

Yo-ho-ho, the bottomless expanse sleeps,

We know no peace, only rum and robbery,

We don’t want to die here

Have fun, friends, our motto is simple!

I love reading books. In one of them they wrote that pirates used to sail the seas. This is when there is a lot, a lot of water, and not ten liters per day per person. They will also write fairy tales! But we are not a proud people. Our pirate earnings are information, which is now an ocean and a small bucket.

I inserted the chip into the back of my head. They say that they first invented glasses that projected an image onto the retina of the eye. Then the helmet appeared. But all this is not the same! Thanks to Donald Skachinsky for the invention. This genius was the first to figure out how to get into the virtual world. He modeled his mind into a computer. This is how extended reality appeared. If it weren’t for her, I would have died of boredom in a coffin in a two-by-two-meter room.

An image appeared before my eyes: «User Davydjons invites you to a video conference session.» I ran my palm through the air, where the inscription was blazing with fire. Accept.

– Hello, Ilyukha!

– Hello, Dimych.

This tanned, bare-chested guy is my friend. I recently told you about him. I’m sure I’m actually just as pot-bellied as I am. But in the world of extended reality, you can choose any appearance. But in reality, we have never met him. Well, you yourself understand perfectly well: leaving the apartment is a luxury. The oligarchs can afford it. And although I have a belly, I’m not that rich, I’m a modest guy. It’s okay, I have my whole life ahead of me, I’ll collect more.

He hugged the phantom of a friend, but his hands went through him. This is perhaps one of the shortcomings of extended reality. Although, in the previous version there were no smells. And now there are videos, sounds, smells, and tactile sensations. And the robo-virters have become much more realistic. Okay, why did I open up? In five years I will be able to start a normal family.

– As a young life?

– Great life. Everything is the same as before. Four walls and a smart home Svetka is nasty, she doesn’t let you sleep and forces you to do exercises. Don’t pull the cat by the box. Tell me what kind of work it is. And then he became interested, and he himself asked stupid questions: «How are you?»

– Look, how smart he is! At least I could treat you to tea! And he offered to sit down. The owner is called. So go visit him after that.

– Yeah, take a seat, sir! – a metal chair appeared from under the floor, then another one. – Light, two teas. One black and one electronic green.

– Yeah thanks! – said Dima.

– So what’s the matter? – I asked.

– As always – information.

Dima drew in the air with his finger, and the numbers blazed like fire in front of us.

– Million? – I choked on my tea. – Are you serious?

– Yes, quite seriously.

– Are they suggesting that we rob the Emperor?

– You won’t understand the client. But from the looks of it, it’s not a big deal. And the money is not bad.

– Not bad? Yes, for that kind of money I can afford… Yes, I can do anything. For example, leaving the House. You know, I’ve always dreamed of going outside. And I can start a family. Even a child. Of course, if it was free, they would put Uncle Igor to sleep. I can’t stand him, but my mother loves him. And buy your own house…

– So are you in? – Dima asked seriously, without his usual smirk.

– Still asking! Of course, in action!

– Then in six hours I’ll wait at the intersection of Roboticheskaya and Skachinsky. Do not be late.

***

– Light, bring me back to reality in five or six hours.

You need to get insurance. So as not to remain in the virtual world forever.

«Okay, Ilya,» she is obedient to me. And it’s cool, even though it’s a car.

Cameras are everywhere now. It was this abundance of observation that allowed the phantoms to see, while being many kilometers away, inside the House, in their room. The modulator chip transmits the image on these cameras, and it will seem to you that you are there, and not among the walls painted white.

He ran his finger along the wall. A portal shimmering blue opened. Two steps – and now I’m already in the next room. What are they doing here, pranksters? I wonder if they have a license for mating? Okay, I won’t disturb the newlyweds, I myself often break laws. I’m violating it right now, why hide it? But they won’t see me. They are now without a modulator chip, extended reality is closed to them. Hit the reinforced concrete wall. A crack ran along it, and soon a rift formed, through which I made my way into the next room. I looked back. As one would expect, there was no trace left of the hole. Some just go through walls. But I love special effects, why hide it?

Uncle Igor was telling mom something. Hit him in the jaw. Even if he doesn’t see it, I’m pleased to do at least such a dirty trick to him! «One injection and he’ll fall asleep»

My parents lived in a corner apartment. My father made one of these when he worked as a Guardian. I hit the glass while running. It shattered into pieces. I didn’t look around – and so I know that it’s intact, my phantom weighs nothing. A few seconds of flight from a height of the ninety-sixth floor. This time I landed successfully, on my feet. Last time I broke my nose. The asphalt began to crack, but a moment later the hole formed by the fall was smoothed over, as if it had never existed. I ran my hand over the menu interface. Accelerator. It won’t hurt me now, otherwise I’ll be late. And my separate apartment cried. He ran, barely dodging the gravicars, which were traveling five or six levels deep in the smoky air.

I looked at my watch. I’m late. I looked in the interface. What could you do to get there faster? Dimon is disgusting. If I’m late, he’ll go to work himself. A boat is not that. And this won’t do. Yep, here it is. «Wings of the Valkyrie» Let’s try. A few moments later I was hovering above all the gravity cars that were participating in the air traffic. The main thing is not to miss this intersection. Yeah, here’s Dimka. It’s time to go down.

– Why are you late, Ilyukha? «I was about to go into action myself,» said the friend in an instructive tone.

– That’s me…

– Okay, relax. Cool wings.

«I knew you’d like it,» I smiled.

– Let’s go?

– Yeah.

***

A huge steel fortress. Centrum, I think it’s called. I don’t know exactly what’s going on here, but it’s definitely something serious. You just won’t get there. If there are no keys. But we are not ordinary people, we know how to do something. A fiery sword appeared in Dimon’s hand, with which he made a hole in the wall.

«Let’s go,» Dima commanded. We took a few steps and ran into an invisible wall.

– You won’t go any further! – I understood. – There are no cameras further.

– From here we will listen and observe. Quiet! – Dimon concentrated. I also heard voices now. But from here it was impossible to discern who they belonged to.

– Are you sure this is a good idea? – said a male voice.

– Of course, I’m sure! – said another man. – I listed all the benefits. AWG’s innovative technology can take the quality of life of Government members to a new level. And ordinary people will be able to get outside the House. All you have to do is sign the contract and…

– I am not interested in the lives of ordinary people, I said this right away. And other members of the Government think about themselves. So what can you offer me personally?

There was silence for a second. The one who proposed the deal spoke up:

– We agreed that we would be alone! Why these spies?

– It’s just the two of us, isn’t it?

– You said that Centrum has the highest level of information security. Are you saying that these two are in the corridor here without your knowledge?

I froze in place so that even the sound of breathing would not attract unnecessary attention. And Dimon looked at the place where there had recently been an opening, cut out with a fiery sword. A steel wall, not a trace left of the hole. It will take a lot of time to do a new one. Time is worth a lot in moments like these.

– I don’t know who you are talking about. I never use modulators. I don’t trust these newfangled technologies. Augmented reality is for the poor people who live in the Houses. I already have a lot of interesting things, I can afford to appear on the street.

– If these are not your people, then let me deal with them.

Something emerged from the blackness of the camera blind zone. A huge black monster, three times the height of a man, from which drops of ink dripped onto the floor. The creature was holding the barrel of a pistol in its hands.

– Run! – said Dima. A shot rang out. My friend fell to the floor. But it did not dissolve as one would expect.

«This can’t be!» – a thought flew through my head. – «Weapons of the third generation»

There have been rumors about this for a long time. Once upon a time, at the dawn of augmented reality, there were first-generation weapons. You shoot from it at a target, tying it to a certain place. But trade unions of information workers considered this inhumane. Then came the second generation of weapons that cops carry. A shot – and the target ends up at home, where he forgot his body, passing into the Internet astral. There have long been rumors about weapons that completely erase personality. Does the Government really have something like this?

This is not the time for philosophy, however! He ran, but ran into a steel wall. You cannot get through such information security as easily as through the reinforced concrete wall of the House.

– You can’t run away from me! – the monster laughed from behind.

Shot; the bullet whistled near his ear. I felt for the viper button. Of course, they can find me using the wipe track. But those who don’t take risks don’t drink champagne! If they catch him, they will definitely find him. Or they will shoot from this strange fluff. Pressed the button.

«Are you sure you want to move to the anchor point?»

You ask again! Move! Otherwise there will be nothing to return!

Darkness. And a moment later the original white walls in the room are two by two meters.

«Hello, Ilya,» the familiar voice of a smart home. Svetka. I’m so glad to hear from you! I wonder how Dimon is doing? – What will you have for dinner?

– Nutrient mixture number seventeen.

– You have a new letter.

Was it really found that quickly? Eh, why did I agree to this? Dimon, Dimon, you always involve me in all sorts of adventures! I’m still young. I want to live!

Opened the message.

«New MMORPG game «Battle for Freedom!»

Well, you were scared. To spam.

He fell down to take a nap. And the rest is tomorrow. We still need to figure everything out.

***

Deja vu, or is life in the modern world so predictable? The bed disappearing under the sleepy young body. The smell of sterilizers. The walls of the room are two by two meters painted with white paint. Svetkin’s voice:

– Ilya, it’s time to get up.

– Let me lie down, you heartless machine!

– Ilya, get up! – my robot secretary is not far behind. What kind of people are women? I go to her with all my heart, and she said: «Get up, get up!»

I lazily got out of bed, and the bed immediately began to fold neatly into the wall.

– Let’s take a shower. And prepare nutritional formula number six.

– Nutrient mixture number six – only on weekends and holidays. And today is Thursday.

I’ve already overcome it! The housekeeper was found.

– I have a holiday. I was born again yesterday, one might say. Prepare, I tell you.

– OK. But before breakfast and shower – push-ups.

I wanted to curse, but my eyes dropped to the folds on my stomach. In augmented reality, you can complete your abs, but here there are only classes, only hardcore! He bent his arms a couple of times and asked the secretary:

– Light, how is my turn to start a family? Progressing? Otherwise, I’ll soon look like Rambo, because I play sports every day, but I still don’t have a bride.

– Your turn – seventy-five thousand three hundred twenty-seven.

– Are they specially adding numbers there so that the young, growing organism will finally go crazy?

– Do push-ups, then you’ll talk.

Shower. Breakfast.

– Turn on your mail! – I said.

The wall was transformed, turning into a huge monitor.

«You earn pennies, but I became an online millionaire while on maternity leave! It’s simple! Transfer thirty dollars to my account, and I’ll share a secret with you.»

Into the furnace. She will teach me how to make money.

«AWG has announced the release of a new multiplayer online game «Battle for Freedom»

This is already more interesting. I’ve already heard the name of this company somewhere. Exactly! Yesterday! That guy at Centrum!

«Which side are you on: the slave traders or the defenders of freedom? Discover the magical world of Seisil. Go through a path full of adventures and fight the King-beyond-the-Mountain, or even Antimonikos himself.»

«An anonymous user offers you a video call»

Anonymizer! I heard about this. It seems that only members of the Government can afford this. Have you already found it? Goosebumps ran through my body. I’m not at home! I left!

– Ilya, connecting! – said Sveta. I remember how I adjusted my voice to make it more pleasant to wake up. After all, for most of us, communication ends with conversations with smart homes. And now I was ready to take a hammer and smash the speaker from which she spoke.

– Light, no, please! Don’t turn on the connection!

– Sorry, Ilya, I must obey.

A phantom of a man in a jacket appeared in front of me. His face was hidden by the ripples. In extended reality, you can choose any appearance, but this uninvited guest decided to specifically show that he wanted to remain incognito.

– I assume, Ilya?

– Yeah!

– I prefer not to take off my masks. Dmitry talked a lot about you. I made the last few orders.

I shook the phantom’s hand.

– Tea?

«Thank you,» the guest replied. – A channel protected by an anonymizer is an expensive pleasure, even for me. So let’s get straight to the point. What did you hear yesterday at Centrum?

I glanced at the guest incredulously. He passed his hand through the air, and there appeared a sum blazing with flame. Five hundred thousand.

– One of the members of the Government agreed to conclude a contract with the AWG company, which produces games. We didn’t hear much; we were spotted. And then Dimon was shot, and…

– AWG! This is what I never expected! – the guest exclaimed.

– Do you want to play the game too?

– Augmented reality is for the poor. Do you know how she appeared? – I shook my head. – I witnessed the construction of the Houses. One day people woke up and realized that there were too many of them. If uncontrolled reproduction continued, there would be enough food for at most twenty years. A new World War could not be avoided. Then the radicals proposed to destroy some of the people. By lot. If you pulled out a short match, you were «lucky.» One prick, as if bitten by a mosquito, and then eternal sleep. I pulled out a long match – live until the next draw.

I was among the liberals. Our party proposed to settle the poorest sections of the population in Houses to make room for the worthy. And to avoid any dissatisfaction, they gave you modulator chips. Augmented reality did the rest. It swallowed up the poor. You are entangled in it like a fly in a spider’s web.

– More worthy? – I almost hit the guest in the jaw for such words. Do they, in the Government, consider themselves the navel of the universe?

– Many people in Centrum think so. But not me. As I see, it’s not you either. I think we’ll see you again. If you want to join the resistance, you are welcome. By the way, Dmitry appears to be dead. I advise you to use the money that will come to your account in the near future wisely. Take care of yourself. Goodbye.

The guest’s phantom disappeared. But the sediment remained in my soul. That is, someone can walk safely down the street, but someone is locked from birth in a tin can of Houses, the only way out of which is a chip modulator?

An image appeared before my eyes: «You have a new message from the user Davydjons»

Dimon! Can’t be! I thought I wouldn’t see you again!

«Hello, Ilya! If you’re reading this message, it means I’m in trouble. You know where to find me»

The modulator is for the poor. But do I have a way out? Maybe my friend is being killed there. I won’t sit with my hands folded, will I?

He inserted a chip the size of the phalanx of his little finger into the implant at the back of his head. I didn’t bother with special effects. No portals. He simply walked through the walls until he found himself in the apartment in which he once lived. My whole family watched a film projected onto the wall. How I miss them! Only for the family that existed before Lyubka’s birth. And to Uncle Igor. When father was alive.

Jumped out the window. We urgently need to be near the House where Dima lives. But you shouldn’t attract attention to yourself. For that black creature that shot Dimon, I am one tooth apart. He waved his hand. Some taxi drivers wear modulators. One of these lowered a gravity car in front of me, descending from the fifth or fourth layer of multi-level air transport traffic.

– To House 23.

In the virtual world, the taxi driver looked like a rock star from the century before last. Combed bangs, leather jacket, lots of chains. It smelled like beer. Rock music was playing throughout.

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!

He looked closely at the guy. Probably one of ours. Although, who doesn’t know this song?

I don’t know about piracy, but he did an excellent job with a gravity car. The machine could be built into any empty space. Sometimes he flew up to the very clouds, and there were times when he almost crashed into the ground. To be honest, I almost pissed my pants with nutritional mixture number six when he lowered me to the ground after a steep dive.

– Arrived! Do you need to wait?

– No, thank you! I’m back with my legs!

– Okay, as you know!

What a man! Taxi driver from God. He took me faster than I flew yesterday on the wings of a Valkyrie.

I felt for the viper button. It might come in handy today. He looked around the huge House. A monster created by man from concrete and iron. Look left, right, up. Not a hint of the horizon, just windows and windows. Those who get corner apartments are lucky. And the majority live in the interior. I see sunlight only when I emerge as a phantom from the apartment. Who can figure it out: does the drawn luminary look like the one above the clouds of smog? But a fluorescent lamp is completely different.

Two men in uniform led Dimon out of the opened door. I saw my friend for the first time, but immediately realized that it was him. A fat guy like me. No sign of the pile of muscles.

But there is not a shadow of emotion in the eyes of his comrade. He muttered something incoherently. He screamed, breaking free from the tenacious clutches of the policemen. It looks like it’s a third generation weapon after all. Or he himself has gone crazy over the past 24 hours.

– Hello Young man! – exclaimed a short-haired man of about forty. – And I’m still waiting for you to appear. Special Agent Arteev. Information Security Service.

I started to run, but an electric discharge pierced my body. I was paralyzed. The agent clutched a pistol in his hand.

– Are you going far?

I pressed the red viper button and found myself in my home room. Maybe it’s for the best to live in the House? It’s safe here.

– Ilya, hello! – Svetka, how glad I am to see you!

It became dark for a moment, and then I found myself in a room with white walls. A cop was standing nearby. Arteev, it seems? I reached for the viper. The agent shook his head.

– It’s not worth it. You, boy, are tied to this room. Whether you run away or not, this thing,» he showed me a small remote control, «will bring you back here.» Give me the viper. You don’t need him.

He swiped his hand, and the red round viper button disappeared from my interface.

– Ilya Petrovich Sorokin, right?

– Yes.

– Fifteen years.

– I’m seventeen!

Can’t he tell a fifteen-year-old boy from a seventeen-year-old man?!

– Oh, sorry, the database hasn’t been updated. Now I see it. You look young! You live in House number two. And our police office is located in the neighboring House. But you probably won’t be returning home anytime soon.

– You used first-generation weapons against me! It was banned by trade unions of information workers five years ago.

– As I see, you know the laws well? – the cop laughed. -Are you a member of the trade union of information workers? I think if you only worked legally, you wouldn’t be standing here. And so…

He sang without hitting the notes:

Don’t hide your fins from me,

We are pirates, we are good people,

I am not a coward, not a villain, not an executioner.

There are no women – so a mermaid will do!

– How do you know this song?

– Many of the Information Security Service have a dark past. But I gave up all these things a long time ago. I’m now on the other side of the barricades, so to speak. But you, boy, have serious problems. Yesterday you decided to steal information from very serious people. So serious that now you can’t hide. Wherever you decide to hide, they will come out of the ground!

The cop waved his hand through the air, and a metal rod appeared in front of me. Then another one. And so on until I found myself locked behind bars.

– So serious that they can afford to use third-generation weapons? – I asked.

«That’s all fairy tales,» said the agent. – Development of such weapons is underway. But he’s not there yet. If it appeared, I would be the first to know. I have first level access.

– They shot Dimon yesterday!

– Oh, this guy who’s gone crazy. He was unlucky, what can you do?

He swiped his hand, and almost all of my inventory disappeared from my interface. Even Valkyrie wings! I spent three nights coding to buy these. Bastard!

«You won’t need this for the next forty years,» Agent Arteev smiled. – Although, I have one offer for you. I don’t think you can refuse. Work for the Government a little and I’ll put in a good word for you. Why are you looking at me like that? I, too, was once into piracy. It’s time to grow up! So, the crux of the matter is this. A black spot appeared in Technopolis. In the real world, an ordinary block. And in virtuality there is a black cloud, as if someone had cut out a piece. I’m offering you a deal. You love to spy. Go inside the mysterious anomalous zone. Find out what and how. Or you’ll go to jail for the rest of your days. Choose for yourself.

***

A perfectly smooth edge of a huge black cube. It’s as if someone decided to cut out a piece of extended reality. This is how they cut a cake in old films about that time, which grandfather Sanya told me about. I touched this substance with my hand. Nasty slime ran down my hand, as if someone had spilled ink. And then something grabbed me with a rough black hand and pulled me inside the cube.

And then – darkness.

Level 1. Meet Seisil

First there is darkness. Then a platform woven from light appeared. I could barely fit on the «island» that floated in the darkness. After a few seconds, it turned into a piece of land covered with green grass. The light hit my face, and I could not discern what was happening behind the island. A pleasant female voice rang out. She is twenty years old, no older.

– Who are you, traveler?

A note appeared before my eyes: «Choose a race»

Stop! Am I back to online gaming again?! He swore that no more. The games suck you in so much that you don’t notice how eight or ten hours have flown by. Especially since smells and tastes appeared in the virtual world. Many are stuck in game content. In the real world they have become vegetables, they are fed from tubes. Where is the exit button? An abbreviation appeared before my eyes. AWG. Oh yes! I’m here on the instructions of agent Arteev! And also for Dimon’s sake. The image of my only friend with empty, crazy eyes appeared before my eyes. You know, on social networks I have more than a thousand people added to my list of best friends. But of those to whom I could trust my life, there was no one except Dimka. This is what it is – the empty world of illusions of the virtual world!

A small lake appeared in front of me, in which I saw a guy with long ears.

«Elf. This ancient race has a natural predisposition to magic and their keen eye can make you the greatest archer in Seisil. Vulnerable in close combat. Resists poisons and diseases»

Now the bearded dwarf was reflected in the lake.

«Gnomes. They gravitate towards Darkness, their strength in dungeons increases many times over. Dwarves make excellent warriors. They have the ability to magic gold. They are stable in battle and cause the greatest damage compared to representatives of other races. Clumsy, takes a long time to recover strength»

Now I saw a ghost shimmering with fire in the lake.

«Elementals. They are capable of perfectly mastering their element, but the action of other elements is destructive for them.»

The image changed and a mud-covered monster with small goat-like horns stared back at me.

«Demons. They cause strong damage with Darkness and have a natural predisposition to magic. But they cannot tolerate even the weakest applications of the spell of Light. Not recommended by the game developers.

Goblins…»

I won’t even read it. Werewolves, vampires, goblins – it’s all not about me! Where are the people here? Play is how to play. I don’t want to be some green creature.

«Are you sure you want to become human?»

You ask again!

– Whose side are you on? – asked a female voice. -Are you one of the conquest conquerors, or are you a Freed, a supporter of freedom? A new war between the Frieds and the Conquests is very close. Are you ready to take part in it?

A window appeared in front of me with two options:

«Yes, I’m ready!»

«No, this game is not for me!»

I pressed the first button.

– I hope you will use all the knowledge you gain only for good? – the girl asked. A window appeared:

«I am a conquest»

«I am Freed»

I don’t like playing as creeps, even if you kill me. There is already enough evil around to go over to his side in the game. Therefore, I chose the local equivalent of frips – frids.

– Excellent, I didn’t doubt you, valiant warrior!

The gray haze cleared, and I was able to see the face of a new acquaintance. A fair-haired elf with long hair, blue eyes and large breasts. We stood with her in the middle of the forest. Now I could walk, and not just stand on a small island in the middle of the dark. It smelled of moss and dampness. Birds chirped. I’m not good at biology, especially fairy tale biology, so I won’t tell you which ones. There are trees around with thick trunks, I think they are called oaks. Grandfather Sanya, telling stories, often mentioned them. Allegedly, these grew everywhere in his childhood, and one could walk among them not only in the virtual world. A large dragonfly flew up from a huge lily and buzzed loudly.

– What is your name, adventurer? – asked the elf.

«Write your name»

He made a few movements with his fingers, and the inscription «Eleon» shone in the air in fiery letters.

– Good name. And my name is Latiel, I am the ancient protector of this forest. Ever since our people lost their home. You know the history of the elves, right?

I shook my head.

«This forest was once the home of a great ancient people – the elves,» Latiel led me deep into the forest. – They were friendly with nature, and she reciprocated. Any word spoken by the priest became an immutable truth. The magic of the elves was omnipotent. But none of the priests could think of using it for Evil.

Silhouettes of dozens of guys and girls with long ears and hair, with pupils like cats, appeared in front of me. They chatted peacefully about something, while flowers bloomed around them and birds chirped, as well as large dragonflies taking off and landing. He focused his gaze on them. The inscription appeared:

«Strekkil. Creation of nature. Mood: neutral. Power: weak»

I turned my head to what Latiel was showing me. I missed how an ordinary person joined the company of elves, moving with difficulty and leaning on a staff.

«I’m hiding from the enemy’s army,» he said. «They devastated my lands. And then one day we met them on the battlefield. But the forces were not equal, so my entire army fell. I was the only one left alive.

– What is your name, traveler? – asked the elf in the crown, who seemed to be the king.

– General Dartel. Please give me shelter! Hide me from your enemies!

«The elves were too kind and trusting,» my guide continued the story. Oh, and she’s a beauty, you can’t take your eyes off her chest, and her face is nothing. How is my turn to start a family going, I wonder? I’ll have to ask Svetka when I get back. «They have never encountered human treachery before.» And Dartel immediately understood the full power of elven magic.

Dartel approached the Elf King.

– Gerberolden! The power of your magic can destroy all my enemies! Help me, I won’t be in debt!

«We must keep our secret,» said Herberolden. «I cannot trust elven words to an unreliable person.»

– But I’m a friend of your people!

The master was adamant. But Dartel managed to tempt several priests to go with him. By that time, he himself had managed to master the Elvish language to a sufficient degree to create a combat detachment. And then one day he disappeared. The king was missing several previously faithful priests.

The picture changed dramatically, and now a picture of the battle could be seen.

– Dartel destroyed the enemy at the root, teaching the army new magic. Power tempted him, and an unquenchable thirst awoke in him – to build an empire. But then he remembered that there are those in the world who can stand in his way.

And then one day, when the elves were sleeping peacefully, he set fire to their village.

Lathiel showed me a picture of a burning forest. The elves ran back and forth, and arrows hit houses and trees on fire.

– Gerberolden did not forgive the betrayal. He declared war on Dartel. Then both clans appeared, which fight over ideas to this day. The conquests strive to conquer the world, and the Frieds protect people from their attacks.

Almost all the elves died in that war, and many others died later, finding themselves far from home and its animating power. This story was forgotten for many years.

Until one day an Elvish dictionary was found – the greatest of books in our world. Dartel wrote down all the Elvish words he knew, along with their translations and approximate transcriptions.

A new war between the Frieds and the Conquests is very close. Therefore, we must be prepared to fight a treacherous enemy. What talents do you have? What can you oppose to the enemy when the battle begins?

The inscription flashed: «Select a class»

«Warrior. An unsurpassed melee fighter, clad in steel armor.»

«Guardian.» Clad in steel armor. Able to use gambits and cause an enemy to strike himself, as well as withstand long-lasting and deadly attacks from the enemy.»

Neighbors are not my thing. I read on.

«Archer. Medium armor…» Blah blah blah. No. Definitely not.

«Sorcerer» is already more interesting than «Light armor. Deals huge ranged damage. Able to heal allies. However, he is poorly adapted to close combat, his enemies easily unsettle him.»

«Anti-Mag. Has a natural immunity to magic. Most effective in close combat»

«Friend of nature. Summons pets that will take the enemy’s blow and also heal the caster and his friends.»

«Elemental caster. His magic takes a long time, but the consequences for enemies are colossal.»

«Technomage.» Finds a common language with metals and mechanisms»

«Pearl diver. Capable of entering the world of the dead. He becomes invisible to enemies for a while, so he is able to get close enough undetected and deliver a fatal blow. Can summon ghosts and wights to his aid. Melee Warrior»

«I am a sorcerer,» I told Latiel.

«The main magical weapon is the staff,» said Latiel. – I have a few extra left. Of course, they are not the best, but you will be able to enter the battle even with this. Then you can buy something better from a master. Choose which rune to give you a staff with?

Each staff had seven slots for runes. The first rune was fixed, and after you take the staff, you can’t remove it.

– Red rune of Naenis. You deny with increasing force. Increases resistance +10, parry +10, blocking +10, evasion +10 (any stat of your choice), mitigation of physical and tactical damage – +20 (choose of your choice)

– Orange rune Malebis. Your magic is flawless. Increases the power of tactical and critical damage +10. Energy +15.

– Yellow rune Dohates. Few can match your strength. Increases physical damage power +10 and strength +10. Morale +15.

– Green rune Kishienir. From now on you are the greatest killer. Enemy resistance -10, critical hit chance +10. Increases the chance of dropping an instant kill spell by 2%.

– Blue rune Hillar. Healers are also needed on the battlefield. +10 to outgoing and incoming healing.

– Blue Samptis rune. Now no one can break through your protective field. +2 sec to the applied «bubble» skill and +5% to the use of «cyclic bubble»

– Purple rune Depresis. You gradually subjugate the enemy, and he loses control over you. Will +5, faith +5, resistance to control skills +10.

I’ll invest in magic.

– Latiel, give me this staff with the Malebis rune!

– A good choice! I will teach you the most important spell. First, you must see the magic. To do this, tell HEIMO. It means «elven vision»

Latiel’s pupils suddenly changed and became slits, like a cat’s.

– HEIMO! – I said, and suddenly the whole world changed, filled with colors. More additional items and colors have appeared. My rune shone brightly orange, and the staff was also a little orangeish. Lathiel’s staff was completely filled with blue healing runes. I immediately added the new spell to the quick access panel.

– Your first magic spell is MALLEBAR, which means «magic» in Elvish.

A description appeared in front of me:

Deals tactical lightning damage with a maximum force of 100 over 3 sec. Energy 5 units per second. Not bad at all!

– Now you must learn defense. Spell NAYEN, which means «No»

Parry a blow, up to 95% damage. Energy -50.

Yes, you could just constantly parry the blows of your opponents. But I only have 150 energy now! What -50!

– And also – treatment. Spell HILLUS – «Get well»

Morale +25, energy -20.

– And now I want to check how you mastered your first lesson! Defend yourself! MALEBAR-ESSA!

A column of sparks burst out from Latiel’s staff, and the trajectory of their movement turned orange. The entire witch’s staff glowed a bright orange color.

– NAYEN! – I said. A red circle appeared in the air with the center of the circle in the place where the staff, glowing red, was pointing. – MALEBAR! – it’s my turn to attack, and I sent orange lightning at the enemy. It should be noted that the spell that Latiel just said immediately appeared on my panel. This means you can remember the enemy’s spells!

– NAYEN! – I must say that Latieli’s manna did not even sag after this phrase, which cannot be said about mine. Of course, I compared her 3000 energy to my hundred!

– DONE! – here I didn’t even have time to understand anything – a yellow shock wave appeared from her staff, which pressed me to the wall. Aches and unbearable pain appeared throughout my body. The morale sank to the limit.

– HILLUS! – I said, and the blue vine enveloped the sore limbs, sucking the pain from them. Oh, these elves with their active language! Experience is never given for nothing. So a new spell that appeared on my panel almost killed me.

– DONE! – this time Latiel did not have time to say a word, so the blast wave from my staff carried her to the other corner of the room.

– You learn quickly, Eleon. You won this battle with the honor of a warrior and the courage of a knight. Now is the time for you to meet the head of the Freed order, Gerber.

The inscription appeared:

New task. Talk to Gerber in his chambers. Accept?

Of course. Do I have a choice?

***

The sun was falling below the horizon. The wind carried the smell of freshly cut hay. Oh, I completely forgot to say that the game even had smells! I don’t even know where the developers got the different exotic smells from. I don’t even know if this same hay smells like that.

I approached the city where I was supposed to meet the king.

– Where are you going, guy? – the guard at the entrance asked me rudely.

– I need to see King Gerber.

– Everyone to King Gerber. What have you forgotten in our area? We lived well without you. Why are you stuck?

– I have an important task for him.

«Which you will not fulfill,» said the guard.

– And why is that? – I was surprised.

– I won’t let you in – how then do you plan to complete the assignment?

What a nit! It’s not written in writing, but it behaves like some kind of king or duke.

«Although, if you do me a favor, then the city will be open for you,» the guard smiled. – My brother lives in the village of Zarri. Say hi to him from me! Then I’ll let you in.

A new task appeared before me. Accept.

– That is great. I’m waiting to hear from him.

This is why I simply «love» quests. You come to one place, from which you are sent to another, then to a third, and all to do the first task. Bureaucracy here is just like in the real world. Well, not everything is best to transfer into the world of games! Here, at least the non-scripts are indicated by circles, it’s immediately clear who you need to approach. In reality, everything is not so simple. I had to go through all the circles of hell when I got in line to start a family.

As I approached the village, wolves began to attack me. A classic of the genre – a village surrounded by mobs.

«Gran went to study the strange things that happen at the burial ground,» said the elder. – Why do you need him?

«Yes, my brother says hi,» I said.

– Well, then go west. Just be careful – people tell different things about this place. Rumor has it that those who have no place in our world woke up there! Better yet, don’t risk your life at all and don’t go anywhere. Help our village cope with the wolves. Kill at least 10 of them.

New task. Refuse.

At this rate, I will never get to the king if I take every task that comes along that is offered.

«It’s a pity, of course,» said the old man. – Okay, good luck on your journey. But think a hundred times before you go there.

A dog howled in the distance.

– What is this?

– These are barghests. Ghosts in the form of dogs. Harbingers of imminent death. Oh, this is not good!

***

It’s a creepy place, after all, these Elsky Burial Grounds. Some kind of inexplicable fear, I would even say panic. Part of the green life scale turned red. I must say, not in vain.

A hand suddenly appeared from under the ground, grabbed me just above the knee and began to pull me down. A couple of orange lightning bolts, and the living dead died again, this time completely. But I had no idea what to do with this cheerful group that had gathered in a group not far from me, and were looking at me not very kindly with empty eye sockets. Manna was low, and morale was not at its best. A couple of treatments did not fundamentally change the situation. Meanwhile, the zombies were coming straight at me! But then a guy appeared from somewhere behind them and hit them with a pair of yellow shock waves, and the skeletons immediately crumbled.

– My name is Gran! – said the guy.

– And I’m Eleon. I wanted to say hello to you from my brother. What should I say to him in response?

– Eh, my brother will soon go crazy in the service. Every week he sends me greetings from a hundred or two people. He’s busy with all sorts of nonsense, but he doesn’t want to notice the trouble that’s going on here. I’m a researcher, I’m looking at what’s here and how. If you want, come with me to study the causes of the epidemic.

New task. Reject.

– No, thank you. I want to see Gerber quickly.

– And you too. You’re always in a hurry to get somewhere. But you don’t think about solving the real problem! Okay, give my brother my brooch so that he remembers me more often.

The inscription flashed like fire in front of me: «Congratulations on reaching the second level!»

***

– Eh, alive and well – and glory to Yagbel the Creator. – said the guard as I handed him the brooch. – Well, come on in.

The guard moved away and the door opened in front of me. Which I entered a few moments later.

The floor is covered with a red carpet. Reddish torches burned on the walls. Do they add strontium to change the color of the flame? It smelled of roses and urine. It seems that the developers have relied on realism. I must say, they succeeded! From behind the slightly open oak door, you can hear the music that the minstrels played on their lutes.

***

Gerber’s chambers were truly luxuriously decorated! A huge library, chandeliers with candles inlaid with gold, silver cutlery sets on the tables, floors covered with velvet… In general, cool!

– Hello, warrior! What is your name? – the gray-haired old king asked me. Where did I see this face? Who did the developers redraw this grandfather from? I don’t remember. Old age is no joy! Where are my fifteen years? In this situation, my mother would ask what would happen to me at forty years old. I wish I could live to be forty. Nowadays, at thirty you are already an old man. And those who are older are subject to euthanasia in order to give life to a new generation. Like my grandfather Sanya. One injection and sleep.

«I am Eleon,» I said. – Latiel sent me to you.

«I haven’t seen her for two summers,» Gerber said.

– She taught me the basics of the Elvish word. And sent it to you for further training.

– Then listen to my lesson and use it only for good. The SEMPT spell is the greatest elven shield. It will protect you not only from the enemy’s sword, but will also feed you with energy. And one more spell that I do not advise my students to use at all. But you must be prepared in case of enemy attack. It’s a KISHI spell! – means «death»

A green snake burst out of Gerber’s staff, which was now protected by a blue dome, and pierced a mouse running past.

Instantly reduces morale to zero, with a 95% chance.

«This spell was invented by our sworn enemies, but we must resist them. Therefore, use this spell only in the most urgent cases, or better yet, do not use it at all. After all, death has never brought much benefit to anyone. I will teach you another important lesson today. Words from the magical Elvish language can be collected into phrases and entire sentences and you can come up with your own spells that will be more powerful than the words individually. Of course, in a real battle you won’t have time to finish a long spell. But if you have time to prepare before the battle, you can create runes that you can then simply use in battle. Here, for example: MALEBAR-SEMPT’DUALIS ROTATUS! (two moving magic balls)

Orange lightning immediately appeared from the magician’s staff, which were surrounded by a blue shell. The entire structure turned into ball lightning in a couple of seconds.

«With the help of charms you can create whatever you want,» said Gerber.

– For example, revive the dead from the mound, as someone did in the Elsky Burial Grounds.

– What! And no one has reported this to me yet! Not far from the royal city, an unknown conquest awakens the wights! We need to check if Dirk is under reliable guard. Eleon, tomorrow you will go to the country of technicians and check if the head of the enemy clan is okay. If it breaks out, the world will be in danger again.

New task. Accept.

– Now go to the master of crafts. He will help you choose the craft that will suit you best. After all, the life of a Freed is not only about hot battles, but you also need to earn a living from something.

***

I went down into the dungeon, where Freak, a man with a brown beard, in rumpled work clothes, and kind eyes, was already waiting for me. Looks like a gnome.

– Which profession do you like best? Choose, don’t be lazy. You can, of course, do a little of all professions, but one of them will work best. Make it the main one.

Inscriptions flashed in the air, replacing each other.

«Gunsmith.» Makes the most powerful staves»

«Tailor. Will prepare 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 pleasant. And the filling with buffs is also very pleasant, agree!

– There is such a thing.

– Stop! – Sienna suddenly shouted. I looked back in the direction she indicated and saw a huge bear. – Don’t move and talk quietly. I hope he doesn’t notice us.

– Why are you so afraid of him? An ordinary mob!

– Ordinary, you say? Take a closer look at his fighting spirit!

I looked and was stunned! Four thousand! I’m a little dressed up now, and I have almost four hundred. Sienna is more fashionable – eight hundred and twenty.

– And this is not the most interesting thing! It’s not even about lives. His shield against many techniques periodically turns on. This is the guard of the technicians’ castle. The mechanical bear has incredible strength, the damage it does is simply terrible! Here, get dressed. Otherwise you’re a beggar, wearing all sorts of cast-offs.

She gave me a couple of fancy rings, pants and a shirt.

– Thank you!

– Yes, contact me! We are now in the same clan!

Once again, I note that the game is drawn simply masterfully. I was even a little embarrassed, pulling off my pants and sparkling with all the drawn charms.

– Come on, why are you, I’ll turn away if I’m so shy! – Sienna guessed my thoughts.

As soon as the kit was slightly updated, the parameters immediately doubled. In general, I found my ideal girlfriend.

The bear finally noticed us. He roared and rushed towards us.

– DONE! – without thinking, I shouted. But the yellow shock wave passed through the bear, he didn’t even bat an eyelid, he ran on. Only somewhere behind him, several trees felled by my magic fell.

– I told you – he is almost always invulnerable! Run! We will strike when the shield goes down.

The bear bit me on the leg, and now I was physically unable to run. Screamed. It hurts, though! Blood flowed down my knee. I wonder if he’s not mad?

– HILLAR! – Sienna thought faster than me. A pair of blue lilies fell on the leg, and the wound healed instantly. – Now let’s run! Faster! Don’t fall behind!

We ran, and somewhere behind us a mechanical beast was knocking down trees and howling loudly.

– Faster! Sienna shouted. – His protection fell off! Hit! DONE!

– MALLEBAR-ESSA! – I said, shooting orange sparks at the beast.

– No, we can’t handle him alone. Look, we damage him, but he recovers much faster. I told you there was no need to attract his attention.

– Who said it was just the two of us? – a voice was heard somewhere from behind the trees. Three strong gnomes with axes and a red-haired elf came out from there, all with staves at the ready.

– Still! Bran! Robert! Marie! I’m so glad to see you! White Corsairs assembled! Full party! Watch out, machine!

The bear looked at us all and growled loudly. He ran towards me, and I barely had time to jump to the side.

– Get ready! Sienna shouted. – Now his shield will fall off! – she seemed to be the leader.

– MALLEBAR! – we shouted in one voice, without saying a word. Six orange lightning bolts flew towards the beast, and the brotherhood reception turned into a bird blazing with orange flames, which began to scratch its eyes. Literally a few seconds passed, and the bear had five hundred units of morale left.

– Oh, and a tenacious creature, after all! – Still said. – With this technique you can burn half a district! And he just went to lick his wounds.

Blue butterflies were again flying around the bear, which meant that it was useless to beat the animal. We scattered to make it more difficult for the enemy to kill everyone.

– Try not to die! – Sienna shouted as she ran. – If anything happens, I’ll pick it up! Just a spawn point a few kilometers away! We won’t wait for anyone.

As soon as these words were said, the not at all friendly bear knocked down first Still, and then me. It’s not a positive feeling at all – as if someone poured fire instead of blood. I fell to the ground, and the inscription shone above me:

«Your first death! But don’t despair – maybe Fate will give you another chance?»

When the shield fell, the guys used another volley, which finished off the bear. He fell to the ground and the steel body rang.

– HILLAR-HILLARUS-EN! Marie and Sienna said almost simultaneously. Still and I were enveloped in a blue fog. All my bones ached, an unpleasant tingling current ran through my body, but I was alive again and stood firmly on my own two feet.

– Okay, now let’s go inside. Just be quiet! The main thing is not to be noticed! – Sienna commanded again. We followed her into a stone cave.

***

We found ourselves in a huge hall made of steel. There were robots walking around here and there. And there were many people in black cloaks with hoods.

– Something is wrong this time! There’s something I don’t like! Sienna said.

– What exactly? – Robert asked.

– Look around! Where do so many conquests come from? Here, our opponents should only be their main and one of their assistants. And here there are more conquest soldiers than technicians! And this is in their own hometown! Okay, let’s see what happens next. Why not lose the task because of a couple of dozen creeps?

In the center of the hall stood a gray-haired man in military uniform.

– Dirk! You have one last chance! Tell me the secret of your weapon, and I will give you life! Otherwise, tomorrow you will face the gallows.

– General Haber! – in the voice of the head of the conquests one could read undisguised joy. «I need my staff for this.» I’ll tell you a secret.

– Bring in the staff! – the general commanded. – Just remember! No nonsense. A hundred crossbows of my robots are aimed at you. One move that seems suspicious to them can riddled you right through!

– Yes, General, I understand that very well. Let’s get the staff already!

Dirk grabbed the weapon he brought.

– Shoot only at the target! – the general shouted to him. – I want to know your secrets too! We technicians have always envied magicians who had technology that was inaccessible to us. But now the injustice will be eliminated!

– There is no secret. A few words can do a lot. HEYMO! SAMPT! – Dirk’s body was now protected by a blue dome. He burst into hysterical laughter and turned to Haber.

– I told you – shoot only at the target! – the general shouted in fear. «I’ll order you to be riddled with bullets – then you’ll see!» You’ll laugh then!

– Take a risk! I don’t mind at all.

– Kill him! – and the order was immediately carried out by several dozen robots. Crossbow arrows flew towards Dirk. But they hit the blue shield barrier and fell to the floor. The head of the conquests laughed again.

– KISHI! – he said, and the green snake from his staff gnawed the throat of the leader of the technicians. – All my faithful servants, remember! From now on, no one can resist the will of a true conquest!

All the players from the enemy clan took off their hoods and began to beat the robots one by one.

– I told you – this time everything is completely wrong! Previously, Dirk simply gave a task to one of his servants. And now he can get out of captivity! Looks like the game creators have come up with some new update! Let’s try not to let the conquests finish their plans! At the same time, everything together is a shield! On the count of three! Once! Two! Three!

– SAMPT! – we all shouted together. Usually the bubble covered only one person. But now the big blue dome covered us all at once.

– Look, just what kind of people they are! – said one of the guys who was the first to notice us. – And without security. Sienna, it’s not too late to change your mind and go over to the side of the conquests. And this proposal applies to you too.

The inscription appeared in front of me again on the entire screen.

«Change camp» Refuse.

– You shouldn’t be doing that, guys! From this day on, the conquests will be on horseback.

– Fuck you, Hyde! – Sienna spat in the guy’s face in anger.

– You shouldn’t be doing that. I offered it from the bottom of my heart. I have loved you for many years now!

– Repeat again?

Hyde whispered something. I couldn’t even make out the words. It’s a pity – the spell is spectacular, I wouldn’t mind adding it to your panel either. Five snake heads appeared from his staff at once. They looked like the Hydra in the old Olympus stories. And, unlike a regular killing spell, they did not disappear immediately after being cast, but continued to penetrate our defenses. The PVP in this game is thought out very well. Crowd against crowd, real battles.

– DONE! – I shouted my favorite phrase, and the yellow blow flew towards the enemy.

– NAYEN! – Hyde retorted.

It looked like a complete mess. The robots only had time to reload crossbows. And the technicians even had a prototype of some kind of elementary firearm. They were the only ones who saved us – if not for the army of technicians, we definitely would not have been able to cope with so many conquests. Although the robots could not penetrate the magic armor, the weakest of the players were already out of action.

– KISHI! – said Sienna, and Hyde did not have time to parry the killing spell. And it takes away the entire supply of lives if it goes well.

Our enemy fell to the ground and disappeared into thin air.

«Your reputation with the Freed faction has decreased by two units.»

«Your reputation with the Conquest faction has decreased by forty-two points.»

– Has your reputation also fallen? – I asked.

– Still would! Direct killing spells are the strong point of the conquests, and here Gerber strictly forbade them. Okay, let’s give them a hard time. We all use any yellow spell together.

– DONE! – I said. Usually the shock wave only came from the staff, but now it spread in all directions at once, and one after another our enemies were thrown back to the walls.

Meanwhile, Dirk continued to walk towards the exit, pushing away enemies.

– We need to stop him immediately! Sienna said. – DEPRESSION! – a violet beam headed towards Dirk. But his shield could not be broken so easily. He turned in our direction.

– SAMPT-NIEN! – he said. This meant approximately: «No shield.» A red spot appeared on our blue hemisphere, which continued to grow in size.

– NAYEN! – I tried to cancel the effect of his spells.

«It’s no use,» Sienna said. – His spell is more complex; it consists of several connected words. Against a spell of the second level, spells of the first are powerless. I don’t know any second-level spells yet. They will become available only from level forty.

Something needs to be done about this urgently! If our shield disappears, then we will not hold out for long against superior enemy forces. Although, what could be simpler? Just cancel the shield cancel.

– NAYEN-NAYEN-SAMPT! – I said. A red beam shot out from my staff. But after half a second, the staff in my hands shattered into pieces.

– What are you talking about! You have a weak staff for second-level spells! He is not able to pass such an amount of energy through himself!

A few seconds later our shield burst like a soap bubble. And then about twenty green rays flew in our direction.

Again a sharp ache all over the body.

And I woke up at the spawn point. I was surrounded by elves and poured some strange-smelling infusions over me. I want to tell you that it is not a pleasant feeling to come to life. There was a feeling that you were being turned inside out, then you disappeared in one place and appeared in another. In general, I don’t recommend trying it.

Level 3. Ghost Squad

Gerber was waiting for us in the throne room. A gray-haired, bearded old man sat on a throne. There were guards around. The light from the windows near the ceiling was an even white blanket, but the candles were still burning, adding to the solemnity of the atmosphere. It smelled of rose oil and wine. Minstrels played lutes.

– How he escaped! – I didn’t expect such a loud voice from the old man. I even jumped on the spot, honestly! – The technicians could not allow such an oversight! They have never been friends with magicians, which is why I entrusted Dirk into their hands. They believed that he was accidentally captured by them, but in fact the Order of the Frieds did everything possible to ensure that the head of the conquests was imprisoned as long as possible.

Although, why am I blaming the technicians? It’s only my fault! I was too careless! The time has come to prepare for war. Before this there were endless skirmishes, but now the enemy has a leader again. And conquests cannot live without war, because power and conquest are their element. Friends, I want to warn Melissa about the impending danger.

New task. Accept.

– She is now in Parkwell, which is southwest of Darville. Harness your horses and ride to her!

The six of us immediately rushed to complete this task. It seems that we were the very first to be in the thick of things, so the main thing is not to miss the chance and complete a number of unique tasks. Most likely, they will give us all sorts of goodies. Come over to our side – we have cookies!

But the path lay through the Cursed Forest.

– It looks like the developers are planning some serious changes in the plot of the game! Sienna said. – Now, I can imagine the faces of the arrogant ones from the Sable clan! We will receive unique tasks that will not be available to them! And our tops will also bite their elbows for not being, like us, in the right place at the right time!

***

The light somehow made its way through the thick foliage. The forest was dark and gloomy. An eerie, ominous silence reigned. It was even scary to break it by stepping on a branch. Here and there an owl hoots or a wolf howls. And fog, which makes it very difficult to know where you will step next.

– Guys, be careful! Sienna said. – Here mobs appear from the void. Been here several times – unpleasant place. And I don’t really want to come here a second time from the respawn point – I can’t stand this horror.

We walked on, stepping carefully. Then Sienna motioned for us to stop.

– Do you hear? – she whispered. I was just trying to answer when suddenly a ghost appeared in front of us. It was a gray-bearded man in knight’s armor.

– What did you forget, travelers, in our forest? He is ours, and only ours. And we don’t invite guests at all.

«Let us go to Parkwell,» Still said.

– You chose the wrong route.

– But there is simply no other! – Bran intervened.

– But there is also no other way through our forest, except to reach the outskirts of the forest, becoming a ghost. This path is closed to the living!

The knight clicked his teeth and flew towards us. My companions realized faster, and they were already wearing blue shields.

– SAMPT! – I shouted when the ghost was a couple of steps away from me, and he hit the blue hemisphere.

– MALLEBAR! – I shot orange lightning towards the ghost, but he did not pay attention to my magic, which did not harm him

– DONE! – Robert shouted, but the shock wave only hit the trees, and the ghost continued to tear apart our shields.

– KISHI! – said Bran, but a green ray entered the ghost and spread evenly over his translucent body.

The knight laughed:

– Are you thinking of killing the dead man? You can’t have two deaths, but you can’t avoid at least one!

– DEPRESSION! – Still made his last attempt when his shield had already burst. A purple stream enveloped the ghost’s body, and he fell to his knees.

«I listen and obey, my lord,» said the ghost.

– Yes! The subjugation spell worked! – Still smiled. – Tell me, how can you be killed?

– I’ve been dead for half a millennium. It’s impossible to kill me.

– Okay, how can I… Calm you down?

– Please, no need! I will do anything for you…

– Speak!

– The spell of all-purifying light sends the ghosts on their final journey.

– Name him.

– LIGHTENIS! – the ghost whispered, and a light white haze flew from his lips, and a new spell – or rather, a new branch of spells – white in color, shone on my panel. Without the staff, the spells were too weak to do any good or harm. It’s so good that they made me a new staff! Otherwise he would now be as useless as this ghost.

«A second-level spell,» Sienna whispered. Only my staff can do such things; yours will crumble into pieces from it. Tell me, knight, how many people like you are there in this forest?

– Once upon a time there were two hundred of us. We swore an oath to serve King Charles faithfully, just as we served his father. But Charles turned out to be a bad king. He spent his days and nights on wine and women, but he didn’t care about his native lands. When his younger brother Stan rebelled, we joined his army. After all, the threat of attack by the Styrians was great, and Karl did not care about anything except a cheerful and wild life.

Stan and I entered the royal city. Stan stabbed his brother with his sword. But before his death he uttered words of curse. The phrase spoken before his death acquired special power, and since then everyone who swore an oath of allegiance to Charles, but disobeyed it, was cursed forever.

Since then we have been groaning among the forests, and there is no peace for our souls.

– Take us to the edge of the forest! – Still commanded.

– Yes, master. Only I am far from the only one who will attack you. We hate the living. We despise their happiness, which we did not know. We envy their ability to experience warm feelings that we have already forgotten. We also want to be loved, but no one will ever love us. We want to be alive – or at least just die. But even this is not available to us!

The ghost led us through the labyrinth of the forest. He turned left and right, and we could barely keep up with the flying creature.

The wolf sat baring his teeth at us, but as soon as the ghost flew closer, he ran away, howling pitifully.

We found ourselves in a small clearing. Suddenly, out of nowhere, more ghosts appeared. Dead warriors surrounded us on all sides.

«I warned you, master, the path through the forest is dangerous,» said our knight, who was shining with the purple light of submission.

– What have the living forgotten in this forest! – one of the dead warriors shouted in a terrible, sepulchral voice. – We didn’t invite you. Although, I am ready to invite you to our squad. Guys, let’s make them dead too. We haven’t made new friends for a long time.

The knights clicked their teeth, staring at us with glowing red eyes.

– SAMPT! – without saying a word, all six said at the same time, and a large blue shield immediately enveloped the entire brotherhood. The ghosts flew towards us and began to bite our defenses.

«The shield won’t last long against such numbers,» Bran noted.

«We need to try a new spell,» Sienna said. – LIGHTENIS!

For a few moments, time seemed to stand still. A white beam shot out from Sienna’s staff, but literally a moment later the light filled everything around. I went blind, and for a couple of seconds the only thing I could see was a bright, all-consuming light.

When the haze cleared, our shield was no longer there – it seems that the light destroys all spells, even those cast by us. The ghosts suddenly began to turn into fog.

– Thank you! I’m free now! – said the knight who was our prisoner. – The light cleansed me from the curse!

Sienna fell to her knees.

– What happened to you? – I asked.

«The spell drained all my strength.» You see, the energy is almost zero.

– But you alone dealt with so many enemies! Let’s help her, guys.

– SAMPT! – we said together, and the resulting blue shield began to feed the girl with energy.

After resting a bit, we moved on.

We walked further through the forest without incident. Of course, wolves and guardian birds attacked a couple of times, but are single mobs really an obstacle for such a brave squad as ours?

Then we came out onto the plain. In the distance was the beautiful fortified city of Parkwell. We got there only at sunset. We asked for the guards, and we were taken straight to Melisa.

– Oh, my friends, what have you forgotten in these parts?

«King Gerber sent us to you to convey important news,» I said. – Dirk, the head of the conquests, broke free.

Melissa’s eyes filled with horror.

«Now everything will change,» she said. «I’m wondering why our enemies are so self-confident lately.»

Melissa came closer to me and whispered in my ear:

– Parkwell is filled with conquests. They captured me. Tell Gerber about it. They are dressed as simple peasants, but they have wands hidden under their peasant clothes. Be careful, but be sure to tell the king about it. We must not allow this plague to spread throughout the kingdom. I can’t handle such a huge number of villains alone. But if they gain power throughout the kingdom, it will be too late to fight. Tell it to Gerber while you still have time!

– KISHI! – there was a scream from behind, and Melisa, enveloped in green flame, fell to the ground. An unpleasant man stood behind him with an outstretched staff.

«But I thought it was that Melisa really came over to our side.» And she decided to be a spy and report everything to the enemy. For the sake of order, I suggest you come to us. Let’s conquer the world together.

The inscription hung in the air: «Change faction.» Refuse.

Sienna readied her staff for an attack.

– DEPRESSION! – said the conquest, and Sienna stood, shrouded in purple threads. – Not so fast. I know what you did with the ghosts, but there’s no point in waving a staff around.

We didn’t even notice when more people appeared behind us. Now the six of us stood, wrapped in threads of submission.

– I forgot to introduce myself – Count Mallon, an old friend of Countess Melissa. I’m very sorry, but the ideas of conquest are closer to me than the peaceful life that the Frieds propagate. The world is collapsing much faster than people can build it. Now the head of the conquests is free again, and we can go on the offensive. I have already prepared one army.

Behind Mallon, ghost knights appeared from the void

– But how were you able to subdue the ghosts? – Bran was surprised. – Depresis can make slaves of one or two, but you have a whole army!

– Once upon a time, they swore an oath to King Charles, which they did not fulfill during their lifetime, but after death they are obliged to obey it.

A half-decomposed corpse walked into the center of the hall. He smelled of death. He walked with his arms outstretched and chattering his teeth.

– Meet Karl. I’ve been interested in necromancy for a long time. I awakened many wights. Some of you have even fought with my warriors in the Elsky Burial Grounds.

Then I remembered the terrible sight I saw while looking for Gran. Hundreds of restless people wandered back and forth, without a shadow of a thought. Their only desire was death and revenge. So was Charles, the long-dead king who cursed many infidels.

– Tomorrow morning we will set off to merge with the main detachment of conquests. And you will come with us. Dirk will be delighted to have guests. Please throw the staffs on the floor. You won’t need them anytime soon.

I could not disobey the order. After all, purple spells completely deprive you of willpower. But as soon as the weapon was thrown to the ground, the multi-colored lines of magic spells suddenly disappeared. The world has become ordinary. I looked back at my friends, and their pupils now took on a normal, human shape, although a few seconds ago we were looking at everyone with cat eyes.

«Now lock them,» Mallon commanded.

We were thrown into a large hall and the doors were tightly locked. We ran to the windows, but there were bars on them, and it was also impossible to knock down the doors or cause them any harm.

– OK! «I think I’ll leave the game for now,» said Bran, and his body suddenly became translucent, and the inscription «Not in the game» appeared above him.

Other players followed his example. It’s just me and Sienna left.

– You know, I’ve wanted to try this for so long. But, you know, in reality this cannot be done.

She came up to me and kissed me. But the game fully conveyed all the smallest sensations. I could feel her smooth skin and every crack in it. I could smell her intoxicating scent. When she began to unbutton the buttons on my shirt, I looked at her in surprise.

– It’s OK! It’s possible here. This is the game world.

Although it was a game world, everything was real.

***

– Get up, Ilya! – Svetka still woke me up at the wrong time. That’s a damn car! Well, does he really not understand at all when he can wake him up and when he can’t? But I couldn’t be offended by her for a long time. After all, I fell in love! You could say this was the first time. Well, love for the teacher in the children’s home does not count.

I looked at myself in the mirror and tensed the «muscles» that were hanging and jiggling like jelly. I stroked my plump belly. The double chin has long been overgrown with stubble.

– Light, I want to weigh myself! – I commanded.

– Your excess weight is thirty kilograms.

I was stunned. Will I be able to please her if we can ever meet in the real world? She is so slender and beautiful, and I only have a beautiful drawn character.

– Lights, treadmill. And a barbell!

I ran hard and then did some barbell squats.

Level 4. Captured.

– Get up, why are you lying down? – someone shouted over my ear. I opened my eyes and almost screamed in horror. It was one of the walking skeletons.

Oh, yes, we were captured last night. We were taken to the main hall. Mallon was dressed in travel uniform, surrounded by an entire army of loyal conquestists.

– Let’s hit the road.

They tied our hands and put chains on our feet. It wasn’t just us who were prisoners; there was a whole line of them.

– Why are you delaying?! – one of the conquestists shouted, and the skeleton hit his shoulders with a whip.

So we set off on the road. And we were kept company by an army consisting of people, ghosts and wights. We went west from the Cursed Forest, further and further from the capital of the Freeds. A couple of hours passed and we found ourselves in the desert. There is only sand around, which has no end or edge. Somewhere in the distance behind us we could see the forest we were in yesterday. Many of the players had «Out of Game» signs glowing above them. But I didn’t leave the game so as not to miss any details regarding the AWG company. Sienna also remained online. Or maybe he just likes to mock himself. Masochist!

When the warder passed by, I shouted:

– Give me something to drink! I’m dying, I can’t walk anymore.

– Nobody allowed the prisoners to talk! – the skeleton growled. What a surreal dream!

My legs were giving way, either from the distance traveled and fatigue, or from heat and thirst. I noticed that Sienna was also having a hard time. The prisoners walked in pairs, and we were connected with her.

«When we get out, I’ll clean up that Mallon’s face.» And to all these conquests combined! How could they do this to us! Sienna screamed. – Until this moment, I treated the «Battle for Freedom» only as a game. But now I’m really angry!

– I know what you mean! – I said.

– What do you understand?

– Talkers! – the warden shouted and hit me with a whip.

They walked on in silence. Every time I looked into Sienna’s face, I saw her unkind gaze directed towards the guards. The woman’s revenge was expected to be terrible!

In the evening we settled down for the night. They even gave us some foul-smelling water and rotten meat. But after a long journey, rotten meat seemed like a divine lunch.

The cold penetrated to the bones, although there was still warmth from the sand. A howl was heard from somewhere in the distance.

– It’s them! – whispered one of our friends in misfortune.

– Who are they? – I asked.

But there was no need to answer – several huge tentacles appeared from the sand, which immediately dragged away the two prisoners.

– But we don’t even have weapons! – I shouted to the warden.

He didn’t look in my direction and walked away. Tentacles appeared here and there. I had to use all my skill to avoid getting caught by them.

A couple of conquestists ran among a number of prisoners and pulled someone out of the line. When they approached me, Bran and I also stood out from the crowd.

– You follow me. They took off the chain and untied my hands. When we were near the captors’ camp, Mallon handed us the staves.

– Just look, no nonsense. I give the staff only for this battle.

– HEIMO! – I said immediately. This phrase was repeated by other «chosen ones». The world suddenly acquired additional colors, became more colorful, or something, especially in the dark.

The tentacles shone with all the colors of the rainbow. Moreover: wherever they touched, a clearly visible rainbow trail remained.

– MALLEBAR! – I shouted as one of the tentacles headed towards me. Orange lightning struck the monster and the tentacle began to convulse.

– DONE! – Bran shouted, and the shock wave tore out the limb completely.

– It is a useless idea to hit each tentacle separately. How many of them does the monster have: twenty? Thirty? One hundred? We need to find the root cause of what happened.

«Perhaps he’s right,» said Hyde, one of our enemies. We already met him at the technician camp. One of those, seeing which you begin to regret that spawn points exist!

Conquests and Fridas mixed together, we ran to where, according to our assumption, the head of the monster should be. Each time I had to dodge when a tentacle flew at me.

When we ran up to the place we were looking for, I was stunned with horror – here a huge mouth opened right out of the ground and smelled of rotten meat. It seems that the monster was not a vegetarian, and brushed his teeth no more than once a century.

The monster exhaled and green fire burst out of its mouth. I immediately dodged. But a couple of players did not have time to escape, and an inscription appeared above their heads: «The player is dead. Sent to recovery point»

– DOHATO! – I used the first spell that came to mind. But the blast wave only rustled the hairs on the monster’s head. It roared and orange magical lightning flew towards us. I barely had time to use the denial spell, and the red circle protected me and two other comrades from injury.

– What it is? – I was surprised.

– This is sandy onyx. They only wake up at night. These magical creatures were awakened and emerged from the deeper layers of magical reality. In general, they have no body and consist entirely of charms. But having climbed into the sand, they acquire something like a body. There are also stone, water and, the rarest, air onyx. But in the desert these are more common than others.

– And how to defeat him? After all, he has the same number of lives as our entire squad, including ghosts.

– Among other things, he absorbs other people’s magic and can use it, increasing his power.

Several dozen staves were aimed at the mouth of an overgrown octopus.

– Don’t waste your energy! – I told my comrades. – We can give him such a surprise!

– What do you suggest? – asked Hyde.

– Light! All-purifying light! The monster consists of pure magic, so we can only use a spell that will deprive it of this very magic. And all other spells make him stronger.

– LIGHTENIS! – we all said together.

Again the light that filled the space around. And when the haze cleared, there was no empty space left of the monster.