Его не звали, но он приперся / They never called, yet he is here: Глава 29

Chapter 29

Camrad_RIP 18.01.22 в 13:51

It's morning, the sun is up, and I still don't want to get out of bed. Everyone has those moments when you can't bring yourself to get out of bed, especially after completing something important. Or after wild stress. For me, both the first and the second coincided - the case I completed was really important and hard. There is a reason to be proud, your actions saved a lot of lives, and at the same time sent into oblivion an extremely unpleasant and dangerous creature, which had been ruining the world with its presence for much longer than the kingdom itself. And the stress of the process of destruction was decent - I don't even want to know the percentage of my chances of survival after the last attack. That's probably why I survived because I didn't plan to - everything always goes wrong for me.

Camrad_RIP 18.01.22 в 15:57

In general, I didn't want to get up. I wanted to lie in bed, cover myself with a blanket, stretch sweetly, and have cherry pies. I didn't have any cherry pies in the house, though. Which means I will have to get out of bed and go buy them. And there's the town, with the pissed-off guards running around, and the caravans of corpses from the nightly massacre rolling through it. So I won't be able to buy pies. And well, it just can not, or it may be so that the quest to find it turned into another massacre. I get that shit way too often.

Camrad_RIP 18.01.22 в 16:07

And if I decided to leave the comfort of my bed, I would have to do something about the bonuses I received from the System, which, based on pure logic, should be quite a lot. It's not like I slaughtered a wretched goblin, but the second legendary creature I've ever slaughtered. And something tells me that the only reason it was legendary was that it wasn't in any better shape at the time of our encounter. It gave its followers far too much versatility: physical power, a tremendous increase in characteristics, its special magic, strange rituals, and barriers covering the whole city at once - all too much for one creature, even if legendary. I never managed to figure out exactly what I was up against in that fight, and I'm still not sure if I need to know.

Camrad_RIP 18.01.22 в 16:11

There are a few bad suspicions, but they are nothing more than unformed thoughts, which could be a trivial game of the inflamed mind. And clairvoyance cannot check either, since there is nothing left of the creature that this skill can catch on to. At first, it was closing in on itself in all spectrums, and now it was swallowed up to the ground, all the way down. Looking for something in this situation... might be possible, but not with my current abilities. It would require too much specific skill to investigate, which I don't even need.

Camrad_RIP 18.01.22 в 16:12

I get out of bed with a sigh - even though I don't want to be overwhelmed with problems, my thoughts are so wild that I can't figure it out without a half-liter. At least I need to have a proper breakfast because lately, I have been eating only food stolen from the shelves - round-the-clock supervision of a whole crowd of people requires constant attention, leaving no time for cooking. In case you forgot, I did it alone, so even if I had a warm bath and three meals a day, I wouldn't have had time to take advantage of it all.
T.N.

Camrad_RIP 18.01.22 в 20:13

I ate a breakfast of cold corned beef and slightly stale tortillas, unable to taste the food. This night had really given me a lot, but I hadn't gone far from the edge, either. I'm surprised I didn't turn gray or stutter.

Camrad_RIP 18.01.22 в 20:15

Okay, what's my Status? What wonders have the Admins given me for my heroic deeds, my amazing wit, and my legendary stupidity?

Camrad_RIP 18.01.22 в 20:15

Summoning of the shadow: 4/7

Camrad_RIP 18.01.22 в 16:13

Allows you to summon and impose your will on several lesser, weaker, and even full-fledged Shadows; to subdue and control a Shadow, the powers of the summoner are spent; a summoned Shadow can linger in reality without feeding the summoner for a certain period; allows you to force Shadows to serve as material for shadow abilities; allows you to use Shadows as anchors to use shadow abilities, as well as use their senses; allows you to easily understand Shadows and convey your commands to them.

Camrad_RIP 18.01.22 в 16:14

I got two points at once, and the words about summoning full-fledged Shadows make me move this ability from the "fun but almost useless" category to the "don't touch without preparation or it will fuck you up" category. If even an inferior beastie can kill a standard human without too much trouble, then a full-fledged one, I don't rule out, has a chance to make the trouble even for me. I'll be sure to check it out, especially since situations, where it wouldn't hurt to set a vicious creature on someone, are not at all uncommon in my troubled life.

Camrad_RIP 18.01.22 в 20:17

But I must remember to check it carefully. I doubt that this skill will allow me to pull and subdue those creatures that recently chewed the creator of the cult, but I can handle someone weaker than me. I can hardly be afraid of them (not after what I've been through), but I have to be careful. The last situation I remember was the result of the rash and stupidity of a self-righteous imbecile who thought he could solve all the problems of the world.

Camrad_RIP 18.01.22 в 20:19

Actually, I see this skill as a kind of mix of support and reconnaissance - dangerous fighters with absurdly high stealth parameters, whose eyes I can watch and who are not sorry to send to the slaughter. Or with whom I can clear some door, which is also nice. I was also inspired by the note that shadows can serve as a relay for my class skills. An anchor for them.

Camrad_RIP 18.01.22 в 20:19

So far I don't know if I can order the shadow to fly a hundred or two kilometers away, then look at the world through its eyes and jump teleported to the specified coordinates. But if it is possible, it would be extremely hard to overestimate such a miracle. I'm already very mobile (but not invulnerable, remember that, Kostya!), and with such capabilities, there will be no closed doors or unbreakable cells for me at all.

Camrad_RIP 18.01.22 в 20:25

There are, of course, ways to prevent me from evacuating from the zone of unlimited f*cking, but it's the problem I can be a little less afraid of than usual, thanks to another bonus, and not a title, but a class bonus.

Camrad_RIP 18.01.22 в 20:32

Grabbing the Shadows: You can move in and out of the Shadow realm more easily, and it becomes much harder to rip you out of the Shadows and back into reality against your will; it is much harder to cut you off from the Shadow realm without stepping into it against your will; staying in the Shadow realm consumes much less energy; your intangible speed of movement is increased.

Camrad_RIP 18.01.22 в 16:15

It seems to be no bonuses to stats, but how useful it is! In fact, if I had this toy originally, I wouldn't be in a situation where I'd have to get this class upgrade at all. Too bad, too bad, you can't get full immunity against the abilities that cut off my steps, but I think at high levels it'll open up more than that. The main thing is to live up to those high levels, which is problematic considering the way I look for adventures on my ass.

Camrad_RIP 18.01.22 в 20:35

Should I go and really get a job with the adventurers? I'm sure it's idiocy, but I can imagine their faces when I'm applying for a job and asking them to give me a rookie badge. The main thing is to arrive in the same outfit as always - especially the mask. To add surrealism to the picture of reality, so to speak.

Camrad_RIP 18.01.22 в 20:36

I even had to slap my cheeks a few times to get the stupid idea out of my head. There's a difference between trolling, thickly mixed with banter, and a banal suicide. I've already drawn too much attention to myself by not thinking of killing all the witnesses to my triumph because of the stress. It's a pity because I won't get another chance to throw my loose ends in the water. All sorts of personalities might come down here and start digging and digging. Most likely, I would have to "run out of town" in order not to get on the radar of the parties interested in me.

Camrad_RIP 18.01.22 в 20:38

To be honest, I didn't feel much excitement. I may have made a mess of my image as the masked man, but linking him to an ordinary, useless alchemist would be extremely problematic. All sorts of clairvoyants might have been a problem, but after I learned how to fight the likes of them, I was given a new title and a new skill. Just for countering all sorts of homegrown Sherlocks and Vangas, and on their own turf, too.
T.N.

Camrad_RIP 18.01.22 в 20:40

Outside of Existence: Confrontations between two clairvoyants are very rare. Even rarely do these battles reach their logical conclusion. You managed to win this battle, so get the reward you deserve. Bonus: +5 to the skill Unexistence.
T.N.

Camrad_RIP 18.01.22 в 16:16

And the skill itself, which I discovered a little earlier, also appeared in the status. Maybe the name of the received skill is not particularly suggestive, but if it is inferior to the same clairvoyance in terms of usefulness, it is only at the very least. To simplify this information as much as possible, the following can be said: unexistence allows you to muffle, distort, deceive, obstruct, and otherwise interact with a branch of clairvoyant skills and abilities. With further development, this miracle would make me a blind spot even for divine powers.

Camrad_RIP 18.01.22 в 16:18

Of course, at the lower ranks, I shouldn't expect much. Even what I demonstrated in the battle with the mutant bitch was a leap above my head. And even swinging that skill would be a problem and a pain in my ass. The whole point of the system was that I needed to practice my chosen skill constantly if I wanted to develop it. Without dagger waving you can't grow knife fighting, without destroying a live opponent you can't increase instantaneous killing, without regular work with reagent fission you can't develop essentialism. And to improve the unexisting skill, I would need to actively counter all sorts of prophets, psychics, interrogators, and other brats, which automatically makes developing this skill even more dangerous and stupid than ignoring it.

Camrad_RIP 18.01.22 в 20:47

The sanest option that came to my mind, after much deliberation, was to find my pet prophet or a fortuneteller, who could be used as a kind of sparring partner. I would benefit, and he (or she) would develop.

Camrad_RIP 18.01.22 в 20:49

But where do I get a representative of one of the rarest classes on all of Alurea? All the owners of the really well-powered classes of this type have been sitting in a golden cage or on a golden throne for a long time. And all this mysterious me, come to them and shouting "PvP or pussy", quickly take under the white hands of their security service. So I'd have to figure out some way to train the new skill myself.

Camrad_RIP 18.01.22 в 20:52

Blocking your own clairvoyance? It's like arm wrestling between your right and left hand - even in a rough idea, it sounds very funny.

Camrad_RIP 18.01.22 в 20:52

The most delicious reward I got was not for killing the main creature. At least because it wasn't me who killed it, and I already had the title of legend's killer. I was rewarded for the way I killed it, and even more for the fact that I managed to survive the process and come back. I doubt that many people can boast that they have walked in the depths of the Shadow and are still in their right mind and memory and not even stuttering.

Camrad_RIP 18.01.22 в 20:56

Step Beyond the Edge (Shadow): Many places are better to talk about in whispers. Some places are dangerous to even think about. Places that are almost impossible to get to and from which no one returns to tell about the horrors waiting there. And yet, sometimes some people survive even there. You have become one such person, which gives unflattering testimony to your intellectual development. The Shadow Plan has always been considered one of the most unfriendly, to say nothing of the really deep layers of it, where those from before time itself dwell. We will not comment on your intelligence, but simply give you your reward. Bonus: +10 to all stats, +15 to Shadow stats, +2 class ability points.

Camrad_RIP 18.01.22 в 16:19

The bonus is, of course, pleasant to the point of amazement, but I don't want to repeat such a procedure. Yes, I was explicitly told that a similar bonus could be obtained again for exploring the depths of other plans than the usual Shadow, but I'm not so frozen to farm that kind of chthonic creepiness. I got lucky once, got over my luck, and I'm done with that kind of tourism. I'd rather go somewhere by sea - beaches, waves, palm trees, pirates, sharks, blood... All this would be a much more pleasant pastime than risking my life, soul, and ass for the sake of bonuses.
T.N.

Camrad_RIP 18.01.22 в 20:58

Now I'm thinking that thought, and it's like my whole new life doesn't look like that! Risking all my holes for a possible stat bonus.

Camrad_RIP 18.01.22 в 20:59

Miserable life.

Camrad_RIP 18.01.22 в 20:59

In addition to the achievement bonuses, I got level thirty-one and, most importantly, a whole bunch of (very small) goodies for achieving multiples in characteristics. The perception was over a full hundred points, and energy was a hundred and fifty - a very good score for my level. I was also pleased to see that Shadow had reached a hundred, and the rewards for that were going to be amazingly cool. And dexterity had almost reached one hundred and fifty, literally five points short.

Camrad_RIP 18.01.22 в 21:00

The twenty points I have are scattered between energy and dexterity, to which I still add the necessary points. I still don't want to spread myself out in several directions, but I'm too eager for another reward, and I can try to sacrifice one level to see what the result will be. A short warm-up, combined with a flexibility exercise, allowed me to quickly adapt to the increase in agility, and another shadow training, within my sphere, helped me get used to the increased reserve. After distributing the stats, my characteristics, pleasing to my eye, look as follows:

Camrad_RIP 18.01.22 в 21:02

Characteristics (standard):
Strength: 80
Dexterity: 150
Endurance: 85
Perception: 106
Concentration: 110
Energy: 169

Camrad_RIP 18.01.22 в 16:23

Characteristics (class):
Shadow: 108
Dreams: 49
Inspiration: 28

Camrad_RIP 18.01.22 в 16:23

It looks impressive, especially at my level. Sixteen points of class improvement also warm my heart and make me almost die from an unwillingness to spend it. I wish I could close that shadow class down to Rank 3, but I hate to waste it. I know it's stupid, but I still don't want to, even if it kills me!

Camrad_RIP 18.01.22 в 21:03

Without deciding on it, I start the process of choosing rewards for high characteristics, starting with the seemingly most useless perception. In theory, perception is one of the main characteristics of the alchemist class, but so far I'm satisfied with what I have in this aspect. I will admit, however, that the rewards look pretty good. Also, you can't look a gift horse in the teeth, otherwise, you have a chance to get punched in the face by the giver.

Camrad_RIP 18.01.22 в 21:05

The perception has reached 100! Choose a perk!

Camrad_RIP 18.01.22 в 16:24

- A piercing gaze (rare; active);

Camrad_RIP 18.01.22 в 16:25

Inquisitive eye (rare; active/passive);

Camrad_RIP 18.01.22 в 16:25

The first skill was analogous to X-ray vision, allowing one to see through walls and obstacles due to the energy invested in it. At maximum input, it was possible - a purely theoretical assumption - to pierce a mountain with one's eyes. A very useful thing, both for combat operations and for everyday earnings. Very useful for someone, but absolutely useless for myself - the shadow sphere could do the same thing, only further, better, fuller, and also passively.

Camrad_RIP 18.01.22 в 16:26

On the other side was an inquisitive eye, which is of little use in combat at all. The skill passively increased my ability to read traces, find clues, and collect ingredients for alchemy. In active mode, it was all the same, only even cooler. Basically, I can easily see how to use this ability in combination with the same clairvoyance. When I need to try on the role of the old Holmes, this is a good thing to do. I am not a stranger, but I can also use this ability to help you collect alchemical reagents. As a result, I chose the inquisitive eye, leaving the other option overboard.

Camrad_RIP 18.01.22 в 21:07

After perception, I moved on to dexterity. Here the choice was more difficult, because the stat was for me, if not the main one, then the first among the auxiliary ones. The best of the worst, so to speak. I couldn't give up dexterity - I was too often forced to rely on close combat, where a split second could make all the difference, and the delay was synonymous with death.

Camrad_RIP 18.01.22 в 21:09

The Dexterity has reached 150! Choose a perk!

Camrad_RIP 18.01.22 в 16:27

- Spider Touch (epic; active);

Camrad_RIP 18.01.22 в 16:27

- Leaf in the Wind (epic);

Camrad_RIP 18.01.22 в 16:28

The first option offered me the chance to feel like Peter Parker - an almost imperceptible waste of energy that allowed me to move on any surface, even run on water. Walking on walls or climbing to the top of an impregnable tower was a simple task. I could do something like that now, for shadows were a surprisingly versatile tool, but with skill, I could do such things much better. Not by an order of magnitude, but much better. Besides, using this skill would free up some of my concentration to keep myself in position, which would increase the attack of the shadows.

Camrad_RIP 18.01.22 в 21:14

Everything would be fine if it weren't for the fact that I just don't need it, since I've closed the shadow steps. Seriously, if it would be cheaper and faster for me to just move to the right position, why should I bother? So it turns out that the gift was a dead-end development. If I had gotten it a month earlier, I would have taken it. But I didn't get it then, which is extremely fortunate, and now I don't need it at all.
T.N.

Camrad_RIP 18.01.22 в 21:15

Leaf in the Wind was an epic rank for a reason, too, for the skill allowed me to control the gained inertia in a very wide range. Up to stopping a crossbow bolt with your bare hand (if you knew when and where it would come from). This would have been an invaluable gift to some lover of heavy armor, but it was still very useful to me. I still fight a lot in close combat, and my clairvoyance and sense of danger let me know what I'm going to be hit with, when, and how, so I can always compensate for inertia. I'm not sure how much of a badass this skill is, but I'm sure it's a good one, and I'm sure I'll be able to get out of it in a single blow with a dagger.

Camrad_RIP 18.01.22 в 21:17

Naturally, if the ability had been that cool, it would have been legendary, not epic. The amount of weight and applied force I could work with was severely limited. Actually, the limit was only slightly greater than my body weight - the ability was tied to dexterity, not strength. And it was designed for sudden changes of the attack vector and reducing the friction of the air against my body, not for forceful confrontation.

Camrad_RIP 18.01.22 в 21:18