Настучать в бубен / Hit the tambourine: Глава 17-1

Chapter 17-1

Camrad_RIP 18.08.24 в 18:54

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Camrad_RIP 18.08.24 в 18:54

Stepan left the village without looking back. He turned it into ashes, first summoning the spirits of flame, then skillfully burning everything hiding in the fire traces of the battle and changes in the energy of the place. The flames weren't the most ordinary ones either. Specific spirits, in the essence of the flame, who had entered by the will of the shaman, burned the energetic and spiritual trace. It would be clear that something strange had happened here, even the weakest gifted person would feel the burned-out background, but it was still impossible to hide the traces of the battle. So the young man decided not to try to hide the fact of the event, wiping out all traces with maximum demonstrativeness. And he didn't want to remove the monument to the inhabitants of Bzdy, and it alone would give away the abnormality of this place like a parachute dragging behind a spy. The picture of his preparation was completed by the spirits of wind and smoke, which simply carried the smoke in parts to far distances so the column of cinders going into the sky was not visible, this column was not formed.

Camrad_RIP 23.08.24 в 13:33

The young man, tired mentally and physically, went away with another teleport based on an air sphere. He literally scattered with a pile of small tornadoes and gathered six kilometers to the southwest, right next to the beacon prepared in advance and sent by the world of spirits. The only evacuator with sufficient stealth, range, and control even during the battle. Only one disadvantage, too, but a cross-cutting one: you have to stand completely still for at least five to seven minutes to activate the transference. After another trip through the spirit world in his own body, albeit under the cover of the spirit that was dragging him along, and after admiring his newly grown experience bar, he called to action a new group of concealers of trace and impressions and began to move away from the burning Bzds in a hurry. He didn't fear for the forest and the fire, knowing that the self-destructive and maximally impersonal circuit he'd prepared would keep the flames from spreading beyond its boundaries and that he'd wipe himself out in the flames.

Camrad_RIP 23.08.24 в 13:39

The further path was extremely utilitarian and even routine. The shaman was not engaged in pumping or searching for new spirits, only summoning and renewing the contracts of concealing entities. The assignments were exclusively tiny, with penny rewards, and therefore, for the most part, rejected. Stepan did not see the need for those rewards and did not want to pull an extra load. Two new items from the System Store flashed by in passing, both of which he skipped without buying or bookmarking. A potion from the Autogoddess that caused a very rapid Source enhancement, ensuring that he, with his current stats, would reach at least twelve to fourteen units just by training, without regard to level-ups or other rewards, managing it in about a year to a year and a half. As a side effect, increased suggestibility, slightly increased vulnerability to charms, and permanent and unhealable in any way until at least twenty years have passed, a distortion in the aura that causes a near-trance and very docile state whenever after sex. The second item was not Autodivine, but also unnecessary. A reagent, again of the kind that was too valuable for an ordinary offering, but too heavy for Stepan to summon something for which such a reagent would be worth spending. A few grains of sand sealed in a tightly insulated flask, which was itself a relic, were literally filled with the elusive and all-pervasive power of Time. He had no one to sell such a thing to, as with all the other items, and he would simply not be able to use such a gift of the System properly.

Camrad_RIP 23.08.24 в 13:45

Stepan stopped only when he came to another natural magical source, this time of light orientation with a mixture of aspects of nature. There he performed one more small task, which was to subdue a very territorial and aggressive spirit, which this source guarded from foreign claims, reliably subduing and binding it. Not forever. He didn't really need this spirit, who would lose much of his usefulness in separation from the source, but for the time Stepan was here. He took his time and covered the small clearing with flowers and shimmering glimmers of sunlight visible to the simple eye with protective amulets. Then he repeated the same thing but with masking amulets. Called a few guardian spirits, one more spirit, of the strong, which sheltered from unconventional methods of search on the spiritual imprint, and only then lit a fire with previously collected wood and began to fry sausages on that fire. The sausages, tasty, squirming on the flame and giving off an incredibly tantalizing aroma, were bought through the store and made from the meat of animals raised on a strong source. They were fed with special alchemy and conducted through the necessary rituals.

Camrad_RIP 23.08.24 в 13:50

According to the descriptions, for the next couple of weeks, he was practically invulnerable to weak curses and mental influences, and could also go without eating for about the same amount of time without the slightest side effects or fatigue build-up. Then, having pleased his gluttony, the young man lay on a bedded cloak and passed out for a day and a half, simply sleeping through the whole time, without dreams, reveries, or nightmares. When Stepan woke up, he lay down for another half a day, until nightfall, staring at the starry sky and thinking about the fact that he was so tired of constantly getting into some extraordinary ass. Development remained put on hold. Quests forgotten. Even progression didn't really matter to him right now. He didn't even want to think and analyze everything that had happened, no, he just wanted to rest, to let himself tune in to his own condition and get ready for important decisions.

Camrad_RIP 24.08.24 в 13:21

He didn't reach for Sylvia's doll, and he tried not to think about it too often, though it didn't work out so well. He'd shit himself phenomenally, of course, in every sense of the word except the most literal. Yes, he could say a lot of things in his defense, about the fact that the creature had begun to affect him almost as soon as his blood had spilled over its hiding place, feeding the bound prisoner and opening a pathway to his head. He could argue that he had been busy, that he had dealt with the enemy first, then the trio of hunters, and then assimilated the added knowledge and dealt with the deed. He could even admit to himself that he was very seriously and powerfully hurt, that the situation with the forced mass burial had gotten to his heart, that his morality had cracked when he had buried that pair of ghouls who had been killed by his own hand, who had turned out to be small children. After all, in normal situations, even after the massacre at the call clearing, he preferred to postpone promotions until the moment of maximum convenience, rather than rush headlong into the maelstrom.

Camrad_RIP 24.08.24 в 13:29

But then it was he who was threatened with death, everything depended on him, he was saving himself, and he had to deal only with the enemy who had come for his life. To bury people who were not involved at all, who could not be saved, and who fell because the enemy of the shaman was too strong and prepared.... it was something completely different. So different, in fact, that he wanted to press the system message and immerse himself in absorbing knowledge, just to avoid remembering and thinking about this shit.

Camrad_RIP 24.08.24 в 13:31

All of it, together and separately, affected him enough to make him forget his caution, to start making small and stupid mistakes, to get hooked. Then again, the vampiress herself was affecting him, pressing through his blood, shattering his confidence, and lowering his cognitive abilities. In a different situation, he probably would have reacted differently and started sweeping the village for traces at once, finding the captive as well. She would have been able to convince him not to kill her, but she certainly wouldn't have been able to get out of a very strong oath, a contract specific to working with bloodsuckers. In a different situation, things would have been different, but just the same, things might have stayed the same. Stepan was the kind of man who tried to learn from his own mistakes, and at least not fall for the same trick twice. But he wasn't in the habit of daydreaming about how smart and cool he would have been if he'd known everything in advance if he hadn't succumbed to a bad mood, and if he'd been twenty levels higher.

Camrad_RIP 24.08.24 в 13:34

He had failed and made many small mistakes that added up to a big failure, which an experienced, cunning, and skillful creature with an extremely seductive body had managed to take advantage of, fucking the young man both figuratively and literally. Well, you can only shake your head, imagine what Rodislav Gastoldovich Yanin would say to him on this failure, before sending him for a retest, and also rejoice that he was bewitched, subjugated, and fucked by a beautiful and luxurious, what can be said, woman, and not some pale-skinned handsome man with very progressive tastes. To be glad that he got out of that mess, and then to start doing everything he could to avoid repeating that very situation. After his encounter with Truda and her daughter, he seriously reworked his methods of detecting impurities in food and even the air, then paranoid methodically tested any food and drink taken from other people's hands. After Shera's lesson in the proper attitude to curses, he no longer allowed thoughts of freely dealing with his subtle bodies and allowing other people's energies into them, and strengthened his defenses against curses or other influences, even if they were divine miracles. Especially if it was about them.

Camrad_RIP 24.08.24 в 13:37

Alas, but Sylvia Malter seemed to have used not something mediocre, but the best of her tricks, literally the strongest and most practiced trump card. Stepan had had time to look at her aura and memory through the doll. He knew that this bloodsucking and not only “blood” lady could influence consciousness in many ways. He knew that everything would have gone differently, if she had decided to use something else, or even to supplement with this other already existing blood connection. Her scarlet eyes could, in active mode, mesmerize and put him into a trance, but would only meet the spirits looking through his, Stepan's, eyes, provoke attack and anger at the perfidy used. Her voice might sound ingratiating and hypnotizing, but the shaman sheltered by the spirits of winds and meanings would easily filter every word, hear exactly what was needed and no more. The skill of the visions, something like classical mentalism mixed with the magic of illusions and curses, would stumble upon a single plural consciousness capable of controlling dozens or even more spirits at once, and once stumbled upon, this skill would crash like waves against a rocky shore.

Camrad_RIP 24.08.24 в 14:33

Alas, Sylvia was a smart, cautious, and damnably experienced creature. She was well aware that any suspicion of her would lead to disruption and attack from her still-uncontrolled prey, so she didn't use anything else. Only blood, only power over it and the one who gave it to her. Stepan looked for a way to repel such a move with his own forces under the same conditions and found none. He needed to either be aware of the impact, not waste time in internalizing the knowledge or simply not spill his blood for her. In the current state, not knowing about the attack, and even presenting the most perfect possible mediator of influence... no, it was too late to do anything. Which meant only one thing - he had to rebuild the concept of mind defense again, for the umpteenth time. On the one hand, he was glad that he, a failed and captured enemy, was not killed on the spot, but on the other hand, the fact that in this world all sorts of beauties are trying to fuck an isekai right in the brains was a little tense. Or not a little. Tense, yes. It made him think. Not good ones.

Camrad_RIP 24.08.24 в 14:37

However, thoughts are for thinkers, but he is by nature a pure practitioner. So he intends to correct his weaknesses by practical actions, not to let a humiliating and deadly situation repeat itself. Certainly not the same situation. There were a lot of options for defense. Even more were invented, but the problem, as always, was with the embodiment of the plan. It would be desirable, of course, to create a kind of system guardian, which would track any, even the smallest changes in his mind and, in case of alarm, will instantly clean the mind, roll back the impact, and would also transport Stepan several kilometers away from the danger of being mentally compromised. Alas, it's not that all this is completely impossible, there are ways, and if not, they will appear with further pumping. The problem is that such a large-scale and powerful defense will not be used all the time. Aura will get tired, forced to be in constant tension, powerful spirits on the most brutal contract, monitoring the integrity of gray matter, will begin to negatively affect the spirit of the shaman, if they are really powerful. You can't, you just can't stuff yourself into a completely impenetrable cocoon for too long.

Camrad_RIP 24.08.24 в 14:42

But that doesn't mean you can't try, does it? Instead of something monolithic and absolute, and therefore absolutely impossible, it is worthwhile to approach it from the other side, to remember that back on Earth it was customary to eat the elephant in small pieces. To select defense modules for a specific impact, to regularly change this defense properly, to adjust it to the conditions of the situation and the possible enemy - nothing is impossible even at the current level. This works not only with mental defense but with any other kind of defense. It's just that brain defense is the most problematic and demanding because you can't just put your brain in absolute stasis, otherwise you won't be able to think. That's why, creating a rough plan for the upcoming changes of defense contracts, Stepan divided these defenses into groups - tracking the impact, early warning, blocking hard blows, putting obstacles for weak and gradual blows, complicating the reading of the aura, and mental body, finding the key through this defense, regular reshuffling of defense layers, disguising the defense as less complex. He had time to think about a lot of things, and even though Stepan couldn't do everything right off the bat, he made notes and plans, entered them into his system notebook, and was determined to put them into practice.

Camrad_RIP 25.08.24 в 15:01

Later.

Camrad_RIP 23.08.24 в 07:50

Because at this point, he was fully prepared for a much more important and even momentous action. The choice of specialization of the main class. After stretching, drinking water, eating porridge made from the bought and still miraculously survived cereal, and looking at the indifferent heavens, the young man resolutely looked into the depths of his essence and pressed the corresponding image, initiating the choice of the subclass. He was very much afraid that this choice would become automatic because his most developed side was and still was precisely charming bullshit mixed with vulgar brainiac tricks - all by the will of auto-divine gifts. To his deepest moral satisfaction, the choice was not automatic, but the chooser himself was given several options. Stepan was lying relaxed on a bed of insulated cloak, laid on top of loosened and dry earth, drinking a fruit cocktail. In fact, it was alchemical, strengthening auric nodes, but the main reagent was exactly that magic fruit, and there were no side properties. Time after time he utilizes the reference, trying not to miss a single moment, not a crumb of information.

Camrad_RIP 25.08.24 в 15:04

There were six options in total, which, from the shaman's point of view, was not just good, but even excellent. He was afraid that this option would be the only one. And all six options, even the one offered by the Autogoddess herself, were at least not bad, and even good, excellent even. Thoughts were spinning in circles. The help had not revealed anything new for a long time, and the shaman continued to think intensely, choosing, pondering, changing his mind, and coming back to the same one again. His choices were much harder this time than they had been on the very first day of the hit. He didn't understand much then, so he just chose the one that seemed the most suitable for him. However, he had rejected a special class specifically for the other Stepan. And the longer one lives in this world, even survives, the more often and more persistently one thinks that the world deserves its Fatty.

Camrad_RIP 23.08.24 в 07:52

The first option was “Spirit Caster”, an advanced version of an ordinary, albeit senior, shaman, which was firmly and qualitatively connected with witchcraft practices. Choosing this direction would automatically increase his main witch skill, that is, working with the territory, by one point and additionally open some other, also specific witch-shaman block of knowledge, and at once at the level of advanced base. In addition, will be added one witch property, which will not give characteristics, but, otherwise, will be only slightly inferior to elite properties for levels divisible by ten. Reduced requirements in the characteristics to pump witch skills, will open whole groups of previously hidden talents, which can be safely pumped in normal mode. To all of this will be added one random witch's minor knowledge, and if it becomes the caliber of “locking paths”, it is already very good.

Camrad_RIP 23.08.24 в 14:30

The main thrust of this class modification is just honed in on a combination of witchcraft, territorial magic, and classic shamanism, but shamanism obviously still comes first. The reduced requirements for witch knowledge and properties are certainly welcome, but it's not directly that great. He'll just be able to bring witchcraft to advanced proficiency, much like shamanic calls, with all the same characteristics. In fact, this subclass simply puts shamanism and witchcraft on the same level, with the prospect of either balancing the importance of both or leaving shamanism behind and moving on to witchcraft altogether. Given the fact that his most powerful attack is personal, and not through a summoned entity and that it relates to witchcraft in no small measure, the power of this direction is understandable. Yes, witchcraft is sluggish. Unless we are talking about something from the category of minor knowledge hammered to the maximum skill. It takes a long time to harness. It is demanding to the conditions of cast and costly to reserve if those conditions are not observed. In defense, again, it often slips, especially in the early stages and without the ability to lean on its territory. But it is also extremely flexible. Its attacks are difficult to repel, and if you have that very support and long training, you can do wonders, producing a level that high and refined classical magic with comparable strengths can not achieve.

Camrad_RIP 23.08.24 в 14:34

It could not, obviously, do without the disadvantages of this choice. First, Stepan will have to properly invest in another direction, instead of deepening shamanism. This isn't a bad thing, because the synergy of knowledge isn't going anywhere, but for a while, before he develops witchcraft, the increase in levels won't enhance it as much as it could before. That wouldn't be a problem, though, because he'd already reached the limit of his characteristics in the main branches anyway. He'd have to choose a new direction. How is witchcraft worse than others? This is where the second thing comes in. Witchcraft is almost always very territorial, and the root skill of this direction, thanks to which Stepan got access to this subclass, is completely tied to the territory. This is a constraint and limitation, because without the ability to create a place of power, witchcraft practice loses a lot, becoming more of a nice bonus than the basis of power. Of course, he had already created a place of power for himself with his own hands, even if not literally, but it was one thing to create such a structure near a small village, and quite another to work near a large city where he wanted to move.

Camrad_RIP 23.08.24 в 14:54

What's also important here is that a totem clearing can be quite compact, even if it's treated with territorial magic, but a witch's bond with earth control... covers a lot more territory. For those who can look, it shines noticeably brighter. Agent work allows you to hide the capture of territory, to blur the presence of your will into a ghostly haze that you can't find unless you look specifically, but it's still a problem. A problem that can be partially or even completely solved by investing a talent or two in agent methods, but the fact itself cannot be ignored. There were other obstacles and other bottlenecks, but they were just trifles, which are not difficult to overcome by methodical work or banal training.

Camrad_RIP 23.08.24 в 14:59

“Caller of Spirits” offered even more, but demanded no less. This subclass specialized in summoning and treaties with very powerful entities, focusing not on a crowd of small and strong spirits properly selected and reinforcing each other, but on powerful elders or even higher spirits. The cap for spiritual dialog was lowered, allowing you to move up a rank before time, one shamanic property of the pre-elite type was added, one additional knowledge tied to working with strong entities, and work with contracts was increased by two points at once. As a bonus, two random minor knowledge contracts with elder entities, and full contracts, not like the gifts of Her Malfness. However, the latter was not surprising, because contractual interaction was almost the root of specialization.

Camrad_RIP 23.08.24 в 15:05

Yes, this choice opened up quite real prospects to summon even the highest spirits even before becoming a master-higher himself, but the fee for such a thing also increased, and the rate itself increased. As every erudite gifted person knows, in a usual situation a shaman, as an archetype, speaks with spirits from the position of an equal, holding a bargain. Yes, it happens in different ways. Someone can be kicked to work, paying with the fact that he will not be killed. Some will have to give you what you've asked for, and some may cheat you out by putting you to death or trying to eat you while you're bargaining. When choosing the specialization “Caller”, obviously, the shaman will have to yield much more strongly, not as an equal with an equal, but falling into a subordinate position, even if the degree of that subordination is very variable.

Camrad_RIP 23.08.24 в 15:09

The subclass emphasizes that the deals made impose on the shaman reciprocal obligations, regular sacrifices, certain tasks in the spiritual reflection of the higher realms, and so on. For example, every few moons it will be necessary to go on a deep raid through the spiritual world, supporting the spirits of allied aspects or destroying those whose aspects the patron-high does not like. All sorts of rituals, certain types of calls, various concessions, prohibitions, or mandatory actions for specific situations. It's not yet priesthood as such, rather like a contract job, where the office clerk of a rich uncle is the shaman himself, not his spirit. In payment for the same opportunity to call as a higher entity in case of dire need which is comparable if not to the request to strike a radioactive yaoi, then with the call of the attack squad of missile carriers from the deck of the nearest aircraft carrier. We should also not forget about access to the summons of a considerable number of smaller entities allied in terms of aspects and spheres, which will go to the shaman's call with much greater willingness, almost without requiring payment.

Camrad_RIP 23.08.24 в 15:12

With the same Old Root, a mutual agreement of respect is almost guaranteed. Even in spite of the dark and nasty nature of the supreme spirit of dark nature. But it is much more difficult to break such contracts, even after paying all the penalties. Especially taking into account Stepan's mania to take as little responsibility as possible and to pay for all possible support in advance, knowing in advance what he can and cannot afford in case of need. It was probably the most unsuitable option for an earthling, even if it was not to sign a contract with a terrible shit, but with an entity of a kinder and calmer nature. He, thank the admins and the system, knew perfectly well what the higher spirits were, how different and alien they were, to get into a network of obligations in their respect, even if those obligations were three hundred times mutual.

Camrad_RIP 25.08.24 в 15:06

“Passion Camlock”, as it is easy to guess just by the name of the subclass, appeared in the list of options by the labors of one Greatest Milf and it was, in fact, not so bad as it might seem. Automatic increase of charms, suggestion, and puppetry by one rank, pre-elite property as a gift, lowering the threshold for charms and suggestion with the ability to raise them above the advanced master level on the current characteristics. As a bonus from Her personally, five small contracts knowledge to senior spirits, and those senior spirits had a very broad scope of the contract, albeit one that necessarily involved vulgarities and brainwashing beautiful women. As a very special gift - another small knowledge with the contract of the senior spirits, albeit also all the same direction. The description of the subclass was completed by new branches of talents, unlocking some of the branches of the old ones, and increasing the effectiveness of the charm practices in general.

Camrad_RIP 25.08.24 в 15:09

In fact, despite the grimace on Stepan's face, it was not a bad option or path. There was even a certain concept that required a focus on illusions, and mind blows, as well as minimizing direct combat contact. Pick a target, pick the keys to the defense, open the defense, and hit the target. You can not even lewdly, but just to death because the same curses will also reduce the requirement for stats to pump. In principle, if it weren't for his personal preferences, as well as the annoying tendency to find himself face-to-face with the enemy, he might have given it some serious thought. A quiet, calm, methodical, and gradual approach was not alien to Stepan, and he would have preferred to gain levels in this way or, if necessary, to eliminate his enemies. But in terms of combat, this kind of training would not strengthen him at all, though it would not weaken him either, and the masters of climbing into other people's heads and hearts have a well-deserved reputation, and everyone around them does not mind to slap them in the face.

Camrad_RIP 25.08.24 в 15:12

He was much more interested in the subclass, the images of which were formed not only in the “Comprehending Spirit”, or “Spiritual Master”, for this direction opened a lot of interesting prospects. Automatically increased “spiritual operation”. The restrictions were removed from it, allowing one to pump it up a bit more right after the promotion: not an advanced skill, of course, but still very tempting. No less tempting was the discovery of another knowledge from the branch of controlling one's own spirit in the moments of calls and interactions with other entities. Also with the promotion to the advanced base. Complementing this was the promise to improve one of the current properties, namely “spiritual transformation”, although not adding stats, but improving control over modifying the spiritual body, expanding this control and modifying it in every way possible. In addition to this, another minor knowledge of a random type, as well as lowering the characteristic limit on those skills that deal with out-of-body travel and methods of fighting spirits in their native habitat.

Camrad_RIP 23.08.24 в 15:34

The subclass, in fact, emphasized working with one's own spirit in and out of the body, as well as working with the indwelling of other entities within oneself, which were in many ways reflections of the same approach. This subclass promised a very serious power boost for direct face-to-face conflict. Now that he had been in a few trouble, he was no longer categorically negative about this approach. Practice had shown that it was not enough just not to plan to fight with someone, others needed not to want to fight with you. However, “Comprehending” was not only good for fighting. It also accelerated the work with the remaking of his spirit, allowed you to interact with the spheres and travel through them better, as well as, importantly, did not cut off the existing directions. Stepan wouldn't mind being able to fight off strong spirits himself or put a senior spirit inside himself to use it to tear his enemies' asses on the British flag.

Camrad_RIP 25.08.24 в 15:22

No, except for jokes, if he could work so fully with the indwelling, to easily withstand the neighborhood with a specialized senior spirit, specializing specifically on fighting in the body of a shaman, then the fight with vampires had all chances to go very differently and certainly, the small loli would not be able to open him like a fish with one swing of her blade. It requires reserve, diligence, and self-control, as well as control in general - you can hand over the task to the spirits and not worry about it, but then why transform yourself so deeply?

Camrad_RIP 25.08.24 в 15:27

An honorable fifth on the list was the introduction of the Master of Totems. If you summarize its imagery as much as possible it promises at once a dual increase in totem mastery, a boost in one rank of puppetry, territorial magic and working with sources, and another property, as in past cases, pre-elite. On top of that are two random minor knowledge from the specialization branch and a general reduction in the upgrade requirements for a number of talents. A direction from the ones that offer quite a few, yet are almost immediately rejected after realizing exactly what they offer. The lion's share of the strengths of this subclass are revealed only after you bind yourself to a single place that will be the backbone of your power, and this binding is even tighter than that of the Spirit Caster!

Camrad_RIP 23.08.24 в 15:39

Working with totems, envolts, territory, and magical sources was at the top of the list in this case, allowing you to turn yourself into a nightmare, even if not too mobile. On the other hand, why such mobility, if with sufficient support you can safely take and start hitting even on another continent, even on the guest who came to the gates of the private house? Distant influences did not increase when taking the subclass directly, but the limit of their development also increased, and the requirements decreased, so bring the knowledge to the level of mastery, create the necessary configuration of totems-lenses, and shoot over the horizon, right until the enemy is not over. The transformation is not just a rocket launcher, but an entire military base, which can neither be pulled down, nor moved, nor even frightened, unless you apply much more strength than a lone shaman has at all.

Camrad_RIP 23.08.24 в 15:42

The disadvantage, as usual, stems from the advantages. The strictest attachment to the territory, at the level when outside of it you become stupidly weak, is not necessary, but without it, most of the bonuses from such tactics become homeopathic. Maybe, if Stepan had the opportunity to buy himself some magic tower on a large and ancient source of magic, he would not refuse such pumping. But, alas, the world today is such that to buy himself a tower will not work, not for money or not for their own, but those who want to take this money will run from the door and to the horizon. The only thing that remains is to try to squeeze the place of power, well, force, but even if this happens, there will come those who will say their weighty “no fucking messing around here”, and already with them earthman can not cope with so far. It is possible, of course, to enter society, to take someone's position, to gain the support of the tower owner's enemies, to intrigue like a Machiavelli-reading politician, but, to tell the truth, it is easier to try to find a wild source, to destroy or subdue its keepers, and then to build a new city there by his efforts.

Camrad_RIP 23.08.24 в 15:44

The last, sixth, section of this attraction of unheard-of generosity was “Talented Senior Shaman”, which embodied the most universal approach possible. It increased four random knowledge, gave two more random small knowledge, reduced the characteristic requirements for all talents by two or three characteristics, increased the overall affinity with high spheres, and did a lot of other small useful things. In fact, this subclass simply improved the existing one, without any clear distortions in development, without requiring special approaches or radical changes in tactics. The young man was absolutely sure that this subclass would be offered to him in any situation, no matter what talents he developed.

Camrad_RIP 23.08.24 в 07:19

However, this choice, which Stepan had been looking through the reference longer than any other, was not as good as it might seem. It did not give cardinal improvements, all its bonuses remained not very large, small, or useful, but limited. If Stepan didn't want to change anything in his development, if he thought that he was developing himself perfectly well as it was, then this was the subclass he would have chosen without a second thought. Alas, he couldn't say such a thing about himself without twisting his soul, but there was no objective reason to put aside such a good option.

Camrad_RIP 23.08.24 в 07:20

"All right, all right, let's go by the method of exclusion, shall we?" The young man, feeling like a donkey from a parable, muttered, “We'll choose not what we want, but what we don't want."

Camrad_RIP 23.08.24 в 07:21

And the first such option, even ahead of the Autodivine direction, was ++“Caller”, simply because of the excessive density of contacts and obligations that will have to hang on themselves. Yes, to receive a number of useful and necessary calls is great. Open the way to work with the higher spirits, while remaining just a senior shaman? That's great! Getting analogs of sphere marks, only customized for a specific retinue of a particular spirit of a particular type and sphere? Also not bad. But for all this will have to pay, to answer for the gift, essence, and soul, and such responsibility is not for Stepan. He's still young, call an adult. No, if you put aside the jokes, the subclass is very good, if the young man was a local shaman, without a system and prospects, he could well think about it, to look for an entity lighter and not particularly hungry for human flesh. But, having all the opportunities to reach the level when you talk to the higher ones from the position of more or less equal, it is foolish to leave such a path for the sake of immediate profit, especially if the entrance costs a penny, and the exit will cost a suitcase full of green papers.

Camrad_RIP 25.08.24 в 15:29

The second option discarded was, amazingly enough, the Caller of Passions, and not because it was a choice that would please Her Milfiness. May it have improved his opinion of her. Let her have saved his if not his life, then his personal freedom, but it was the only option that didn't suit him at all. Too specific an approach to development, relying on those spirits, which are difficult to imagine in battle or other useful activities. Yes, these spirits will help to hide and not be found, but hiding alone will not work, and the moral issue remains quite active. To seriously and thoroughly pump up within the subclass, one would have to work at least some profile, and this profile is not to Stepan's liking to the extent that it would be better to switch to hand-to-hand combat and beat enemies with boots on the teeth.

Camrad_RIP 23.08.24 в 07:45

In the third place, the shaman refused the “Master of Totems”. The young man thought about this option for a really long time, but, having finished thinking about it, he crossed out the option without any doubts. All this time he avoided those types of influences and calls that would bind him to a certain place. He saw no reason to change his plans now. Looking around and realizing that there was no elf queen with big breasts who would offer him a piece of land in the elven lands, access to a strong source, personal practice, patronage, and other “rice bowl plus cat-wife”, he sighed sorrowfully at such injustice and crossed the option off the list of interesting ones. It was simply stupid to agree to anything less and start binding. And no one would give him what he wanted without putting a collar around his neck, even if it was soft and had a lot of rhinestones.

Camrad_RIP 23.08.24 в 14:26

After much deliberation, and not without a squeak of his greed, Stepan rejected ++Talented. It was a very middle-of-the-road choice that gave nothing but a one-time boost with a few random bits of knowledge. He could achieve such a thing on his own in just a few months of practice, and lowering the requirements for the same spirit from twenty-two units to nineteen was still ridiculous. He still had to pump and pump his magic muscle to nineteen. If this subclass had allowed him to choose one or two talents where the requirements were reduced in a really significant way, he would have grabbed the option with all his limbs. But if his grandmother had a dick, she would have turned out to be a disguised grandfather or just a gender non-binary person.
Если бы у бабушки

Camrad_RIP 27.08.24 в 15:52

So Stepan was left with two options, each of which was quite suitable for him, but at the same time quite specific: “The Caster” and “The Spiritual Master”. Well, or decide by tossing a coin, if you have something to toss. The young man had time to cook dinner once more, to reject in passing a minor task from the Autogoddess, to gather herbs growing around the source, to meditate on the source, to renew a couple of contracts, to conclude a couple more, to summon a too brazen spirit, which tried to chew off a piece of Stepan's face and aura, to disembodied that spirit with a blow of the protective circuit and a flock of pre-called defenders.... a lot of things, in short. The decision was hard, but evil and heartless logic came to the rescue.

Camrad_RIP 27.08.24 в 16:16

The Witchcraft direction was good for everyone, even well-pumped already, but required binding to the area and some problems with camouflage. All of this could be overcome quite successfully, that was a fact, but at the same time, the second of the remaining subclasses had no particular problems at all. Again, let him involuntarily forget about spiritual travel, but only for the time of travel, but when he settles down again, he immediately starts resuming this practice, very useful for a shaman. This decision was made, Stepan took a nap, meditated, had a snack prepared himself morally, and then pressed the appropriate image, accepting it - the whole and to the end. Since he was ready and collected, the process of acceptance and getting under such a familiar wave of information wave went noticeably easier, and calmer.

Camrad_RIP 24.08.24 в 12:24

The first to rise was the root for the subclass “advanced practice of spiritual operation”, having reached advanced development, opening previously either unknown or inaccessible facets. Working with one's own spirit at the level when one no longer creates claws and tentacles, but a web of fine threads. Methods of transition from form to form, countering blows to the spiritual basis. He could now literally shed pieces of his spiritual body like a lizard sheds its tail to deceive even extremely serious spells cast on spiritual bodies. Now he is quite capable of healing the damage he has received quickly and without repercussions, without suffering serious injuries that would knock him out of action for a long time. The number of available working limbs has increased, and it is now possible to calmly and confidently support several additional claw tentacles without losing concentration.

Camrad_RIP 24.08.24 в 12:27

The synergy with the “methods of spiritual wandering” made it much easier to get out of his body and back into it, much easier to do his favorite trick of partially leaving the meat shell and taking control of it. It became easier to manipulate the spirit body directly, to give it arbitrary shapes, to simply let it out over the body of the ordinary as a kind of shell. Not protective, no, but helping to heighten sensitivity, to catch a curse on an area or thing, to subdue a magical source, or to deepen one's control over it. It will be even easier to use your spirit in combat, primarily against other spiritual entities of course, but against material opponents as well. In the battle with the vampires, he hadn't risked releasing his claws, the pretty loli would quickly strip him of his extra limbs. Now, now he could count on throwing a couple of punches and kicks from beneath the protection of the anteroom without getting himself mangled in the same instant.

Camrad_RIP 24.08.24 в 12:30

The connection with combat skills revealed a significant number of methods of using knowledge in direct conflict, since many opponents, even quite experienced ones, would not expect from a seemingly ordinary shaman a spiritual transformation, which borders on spiritual chimerization but is natural and not the result of some ritual. The sensitivity to spiritual images has increased, positively affecting the dialog, and call too, the distance of control of spirits has grown even stronger, as well as the degree of pumping of forces to this distance - a more flexible and controlled spiritual body is easier to conduct force and more resistant to the conducting resonance. Totems are easier to control without the need for concentration. So it is now possible to activate the desired images and orders by literally touching the surface of the item with a spiritual claw or paw. Working with territories will also become easier, and new facets of working with one's spirit and its influence on the reflection of spheres in this or that order will be revealed.

Camrad_RIP 27.08.24 в 16:25

Charms and suggestions, of course, were not ignored, finally bringing the shaman to the level where he could brainwash at the level of a strong and experienced adept of mentalism or charms magic, even without using summoned spirits, only with his own powers. By repeating after his spirits, up to and including the strongest spirits, he could rewrite brains in almost any way he wanted, and he would be able to achieve each result in several separate ways. As a bonus, he would have a much easier time with interrogations, live lie reading, and creating one-off agents out of poor people. The masking of his own aura and subtle bodies, as well as the degree of control of the Shroud also increased allowing him to handle gift property quite freely. Now he could repeat with the shroud a few of the tricks that before he was able to use only outside the body. Outside of these limits, respectively, he could even more, but it is already worth checking more tightly and a little later, as he will be able to get out of the captivity of the flesh to breathe fresh ether streams.

Camrad_RIP 27.08.24 в 16:30

It will become easier to tear contracts out of oneself or someone else, many ways of circumventing or cheating oaths will be revealed, for the knowledge of which one will be ready to kill, but there will be little use in that killing. The whole secret is in the flexibility of spiritual bodies, which allows you to literally flow out of the cage of imposed conditions, without leaving a shred of aura on it. Well, figuratively speaking. There are different ways of fixing the vow, not all of them will be helped by this method, but the possibility of accelerated recovery from damage to the spiritual body will work against them. Other contracts can be deceived so that they are still considered unbroken during scanning, although, it should be recognized that really serious billets cannot be outsmarted in such a way, as well as normal scanning cannot be deceived. The other thing is a cursory check, and sometimes a couple of minutes of someone else's looseness will be enough.

Camrad_RIP 24.08.24 в 16:11

The next knowledge increased almost immediately. Stepan didn't even need a few minutes of rest. Good training, meditation, a couple of soft potions from the system store, and a connection to the source allowed him to stay fresh. The casual knowledge within the specialization of the class, improved immediately to an advanced base beckoned the young man, and beckoned strongly. Operating, the main subclass talent, was by no means ordinary, elite to a degree greater than the same charms, even than remote control.

Camrad_RIP 23.08.24 в 14:28

Received: 'basic methods of controlled spiritual indwelling'; 'advanced basic methods of controlled spiritual indwelling'.

Camrad_RIP 23.08.24 в 13:25