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Chapter 3

Camrad_RIP 13.04.23 в 13:40

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Camrad_RIP 13.04.23 в 13:40

As I woke up, I thought for a minute about the events of last night. Magic? That doesn't make sense. Something could appear out of nothing! But it exists, and according to its precise laws, very loosely correlated with the laws of the real world. It's all clear in the game, but in reality? How does a magical arrow form? Why exactly at the tip of the finger? Why flew into the jar and not past it? Why did it go into the wall, on the contrary, wherever I showed it? And what to do with all this stuff?

Camrad_RIP 13.04.23 в 14:00

I could... I chuckled. That hoarse cackling was so out of place in the darkness of the room that I had to get up and go to the kitchen.

Camrad_RIP 13.04.23 в 14:01

I could use my newfound powers to improve my life. For example, "Recovery" and "Flight" - in the game helped to move around the world, reducing the waste of movement points. Perfect for a courier!

Camrad_RIP 13.04.23 в 14:08

Oops... And there's a 'Gate'! A unique wizard skill, a skill, not a spell, that allows one to place a magical portal on a memorized point. Nine points in a character's first life and one for each rebirth. And importantly, they regenerate separately from the spells. Now, with 100% skill, there should be thirteen dots. What about this in the real world?

Camrad_RIP 13.04.23 в 14:10

"Gate!"

Camrad_RIP 13.04.23 в 14:08

I listened. Somewhere "deep in the back," there was no other way to put it, but the void echoed. Here, by the way, was the problem - could I remember other spells instead of the ones I had in the game? There were three "Dust Storms" and only two "Divine Defences" on the ninth round, and I'd prefer the opposite. Protection from everything is much more useful to a courier than a semi-combat stun spell.

Camrad_RIP 13.04.23 в 14:11

He listened again. Spell list, spell list... something moved, manifesting itself, just 'higher' than the 'Gate' timer. The list is recalled!

Camrad_RIP 13.04.23 в 14:12

First Circle. First Circle. Bingo!

Camrad_RIP 13.04.23 в 14:12

I knew. I just knew I now had two 'Strength, two simple 'Defences', one 'protection against darkness', two 'Create Light', and five 'Magic Arrows'.

Camrad_RIP 13.04.23 в 14:16

Well, shall we take our chances? I don't really need "Defences". There's a group version on the Seventh Circle.

Camrad_RIP 13.04.23 в 14:17

Forget 'Defence'.

Camrad_RIP 13.04.23 в 14:18

М? Hmm? Doesn't work..

Camrad_RIP 13.04.23 в 14:18

So, what did I do wrong? The wording is from the game. Everything is accurate.

Camrad_RIP 13.04.23 в 14:18

Three minutes of trying to give orders to me had come to nothing. There seemed to be no way I could change my "meme," my list of memorized spells. Bad. Damn, why is it bad - I get to do magic in the real world for free, and I'm still not happy about it?

Camrad_RIP 13.04.23 в 14:20

What would you have to pay for it?

Camrad_RIP 13.04.23 в 14:21

What have I got to lose?

Camrad_RIP 13.04.23 в 14:21

Makes sense. Let's move on.

Camrad_RIP 13.04.23 в 14:21

The list of memorized stones for the 'Gate' is empty. It feels... by my lower back. Yes, that's it. Although a little higher. If it's empty, can it be filled?

Camrad_RIP 13.04.23 в 14:23

Oh! There's a "rune mark", a special spell that allows you to place a "temporary stone", which appeared just before I left the game, but I didn't have time to learn it. But maybe I can create my own permanent stone?

Camrad_RIP 13.04.23 в 19:30

And where can I put it? At home? That would be nice. The gate restores 68 "ticks"-hours, in the evening, would be able to ... Wait, but what would it look like in real life this skill? In the game, the "shining gate" is difficult not to notice, and they stand full "tick" that is an hour. Do I need such happiness? On the other hand, why not? How can you use the opportunity to go three times a day to any - need to check if any! - point of the globe?

Camrad_RIP 13.04.23 в 19:46

Set up a gateway to Colombia, carry pure cocaine, and sell it? Ridiculous, yes. But when you think about it, judging by the game shutdown, and even on such a large scale, the old life is quietly coming to an end. If the whole world is going to break something, it's hard to stop. And I can, by the way, put a portal into which people can pass for an hour, even people who are not with me in the gaming group. It's not a cheesy "Judgment of the Gods" or even a "Stone Curse". It's serious. So if I get lit up... no, I'd rather not.

Camrad_RIP 13.04.23 в 19:47

I pulled the curtains and opened the mezzanine in the kitchen. An old kayak, collapsible, in a bag, with a panel on top. And in the bag of fasteners was a bundle.

Camrad_RIP 13.04.23 в 19:50

I shook out my stash. Five gold signet rings, three gold coins, and three twenty-gram Sberbank bullion bars in souvenir packaging. And a thin stack of dollars and euros. It was all the hard-earned money, mostly my father's. I had only been able to save for the last two years and kept almost everything in a bank account.

Camrad_RIP 13.04.23 в 19:48

Let the gold lie, but two thousand of overseas money... Worth the risk?

Camrad_RIP 13.04.23 в 19:50

It's worth it!

Camrad_RIP 13.04.23 в 19:51

So to an exchange office. And to close the bank account, that's another hundred and fifty thousand. Renting a house in the countryside should be enough. In a distant village, deserted. With a cellar or a sturdy barn. I already know exactly where, although I haven't been there in five years.

Camrad_RIP 13.04.23 в 19:57

Okay, stop. What if it all goes away? What if the illness had an unexpected result, and I did go crazy, drilled holes in the wall with a nail, and am sitting there, rejoicing in the "might"? And all my "lower back, higher back" is a glitch?

Camrad_RIP 13.04.23 в 19:58

Let's see what's going on on the Net.

Camrad_RIP 13.04.23 в 19:58

The network was not pleased me. I was disappointed with the "service is temporarily unavailable" screen saver on YouTube, RuTube, and other services. In general, the Internet was washed out pretty badly. Only half of the sites in my favorites were working. All right! Well, well, well, that's not a bell ringing. That's a siren screaming at the top of its voice! Air raid.

Camrad_RIP 13.04.23 в 20:00

Whereas six hours ago, tanks and other simulators were still responding, by now, they were all frustrated by the boring "technical work in progress" sign. On all of them at the same time? I wonder what the Summon of IS-7 will look like in real life? Will my brother-in-arms become a tank himself, or will he sit inside?

Camrad_RIP 13.04.23 в 20:06

I go back into the kitchen, opened the fridge, and looked in the cupboards. Well, more or less two months would do. But it would be boring. And I only have a six-month supply of Feritin.

Camrad_RIP 13.04.23 в 20:03

As I got dressed, I thought about it, looked in the mirror, and made up my mind. Well, head, remember!

Camrad_RIP 13.04.23 в 20:01

"He is our help and our protection." Defense. The reflection in the mirror lit up with a faint, immediately extinguished light.

Camrad_RIP 13.04.23 в 20:12

"Will be like the morning fog." Obfuscation. The same effect.

Camrad_RIP 13.04.23 в 20:14

"May he protect himself." Blink. I twitched at the strange sensation of 'shifting', but I didn't notice anything strange about myself in the mirror.

Camrad_RIP 13.04.23 в 20:14

"For there is nothing hidden that cannot be revealed." Seeing the unseen. Nothing. Either it doesn't work, or there's nothing invisible around.

Camrad_RIP 13.04.23 в 20:15

"Show yourself, you godless heresy." See magic. The image in the mirror shrouded itself in a subtle magical aura, revealing that I was wearing some sort of buffs. I have to keep in mind if I meet a visionary like me, I might get caught.

Camrad_RIP 13.04.23 в 20:16

"Is the hardness of stones your hardness?" Stone skin. Ooh, what a fancy tan I'm getting!

Camrad_RIP 13.04.23 в 20:17

"And the man of reason strengthens his strength". Strength? Once a wimp, always a wimp. What else?

Camrad_RIP 13.04.23 в 20:17

"The sinners are haunted by evil, but the righteous are rewarded by good". - Protection from the darkness. Just in case, it won't hurt.

Camrad_RIP 13.04.23 в 20:18

I could barely keep from putting on Invisibility and Flying. How many times have I been buffeted like this before a raid? Oh, I forgot!

Camrad_RIP 13.04.23 в 20:09

"By their fruits, you shall know them." Identifying inclinations.

Camrad_RIP 13.04.23 в 20:10

If I understand anything about life, the last spell would be most important. It's much easier to stay away from a would-be assassin than to fight him later.

Camrad_RIP 13.04.23 в 20:11

What's with the memorization queue? Memorizing for three hours. Yeah, well, that's the trouble with wizards, isn't memorizing spells all the time and requiring that you have to do your magic in order because if you have to use "Defense" instead of "Stupor" in combat, that's not good. You could die.

Camrad_RIP 13.04.23 в 20:19

I pulled the biggest trolley bag out of the cupboard. I can't carry heavy things, good thing the shop knows that. It's too bad the shop knows me at all. All right, I'll pretend I'm shopping for the dacha. I'm a writer. Everyone knows that. I'm going on a sabbatical, yes. If anyone asks, I'll tell the salesgirl so she'll remember the weirdo who goes to the shop at four in the morning for groceries. It's a pity they don't sell alcohol. The universal currency always comes in handy.

Camrad_RIP 13.04.23 в 20:08

Opening the fridge once more, I made a list. Money? Got it.

Camrad_RIP 13.04.23 в 20:07

Fingers? No trembling. Good.

Camrad_RIP 13.04.23 в 20:07

Picking up the faintly squeaky bag, I left the house.

Camrad_RIP 13.04.23 в 20:06