Быть Гладу и Хладу / There will be Hunger and Cold: 1.

1. Before you start to pwn, it's a good idea to ensure you don't end up pwned yourself.

Camrad_RIP 09.06.25 в 07:32

* * *

Camrad_RIP 09.06.25 в 07:32

The Great Mechanism loves numbers that are multiples of nine and seven, but nine is still slightly more favored. This is a proven fact that no one disputes anymore, thanks to the same collection of statistics. Those who undergo the Star of Dreams ritual at an age that is a multiple of nine receive, on average, five percent more of their original gifts, or simply more powerful gifts. This cannot be attributed to chance, so many people try to reach the age of eighteen or another multiple of nine. For the most part, however, it is at eighteen. Hence, a never-ending number of suicidal people with minimal knowledge, training, and stupidity in their heads. Ilya underwent his ritual at the age of thirty-six, which gave him much more time to prepare, study the Broken World, and think through possible developments.

Camrad_RIP 09.06.25 в 08:10

Well, he also managed to live a normal earthly life, get a standard profession, get pretty tired of this life, and acquire an armor of cynicism and mild misanthropy. In fact, he would have dived in earlier, even at twenty-seven, because even then he was completely ready and had obtained all the necessary qualifications. But no, he didn't; he decided to wait a little longer, despite how much he wanted to put into practice everything he had studied for so long. And, of course, to take advantage of his little secret, which promised not just certain bonuses, but very, very significant advantages, even if it was not yet clear what exactly they would be. The kind that would allow him to confidently reach the fourth level in twenty to twenty-five years, the kind that could get you killed even on Earth, with all its social guarantees, mutual assistance among divers, and the vigilant Treaty. Be that as it may, everything listed, except for the Treaty, existed mostly in words.

Camrad_RIP 09.06.25 в 08:13

Human envy, on the other hand, was guaranteed to exist.

Camrad_RIP 09.06.25 в 08:14

"Well, you've got quite a face, future Great Pwner." That was all Ilya said, looking at his tired and slightly gaunt face, admitting to himself how much he, a well-educated and erudite man, was frightened by the prospect and future relocation to the Broken World, and frightened precisely because he was well-educated and erudite. “You might as well get drunk, but it's too late now.”

Camrad_RIP 09.06.25 в 08:15

Yes, at some point, about halfway through the eighteen days before the new cycle, he seriously considered spending the rest of the term until the first dive in an alcoholic or even chemical haze. However, his pride and weak heart, which could not withstand such libations, stopped him. It seemed that even if he died before the first cycle, but after the connection through the Star, the Broken World would draw his soul and let him start the game, but he didn't want to test it. And he didn't want to die in his earthly body either. Even though he considered the idea of moving to the Broken World as a working one, he didn't want it. No normal person would want that. The game world is nightmarish, terrifying, cruel, bloody, and other epithets, so people went there for the Essence and adrenaline, but were always happy to return to Earth. To the warm rims of clean toilets, the multitude of drinks and food in the markets, funny streams on weekends, and trash talk on forums and the Forum.

Camrad_RIP 09.06.25 в 08:18

Ilya was the same. For him, another world was a chance to rise, gain status and security in the human world, and enjoy the fruits of such a life. Yes, he was drawn to mystery, adventure, and the very history of a vast super-world where the inhabitants of endless myriad other civilizations that had discovered the Great Mechanism intersected. But how much more pleasant it is to gain power and learn secrets when you have the opportunity to return to a warm and cozy home, rather than being stuck in a bloody nightmare for the rest of your eternity.

Camrad_RIP 09.06.25 в 08:20

Having finished hypnotizing the mirror, Ilya lay down again on the floor, covering himself with blankets in the very same Star of Dreams drawing he had not put away all these days. This was an unsubstantiated superstition, but a persistent one, saying that if you sleep in the same Star, you will be more successful in the Broken One. In the sense that the place of birth of the Twin would be more fortunate and suitable. Ilya didn't believe in it, but now he wanted to grasp at any straw, because he still didn't know for sure whether his plan would work or not, whether he would succeed, or whether he would just waste his chance because he had to wait forty-five years. No. No! He couldn't take it anymore, and it wasn't even about his heart, which was getting stronger every year, despite his medical insurance and high-quality medication. He would simply go crazy. Better to fail the main plan now and start training as a regular diver. He was ready for that, too; he had always been ready.

Camrad_RIP 09.06.25 в 08:30

What is the cause of nervousness and uncertainty?

Camrad_RIP 09.06.25 в 08:31

Why did Ilya wait so long to take his first dive?

Camrad_RIP 09.06.25 в 08:31

What is he hoping for? What does he want to achieve now?

Camrad_RIP 09.06.25 в 08:31

Oh, that's undoubtedly a very good question, detectives, and the answer lies in yet another aspect of the Great Mechanism's work, namely the so-called “motivation to connect.” The Ancient Ones, when creating this nonsense, knew perfectly well how the psychology of humanoid races works and clearly had some understanding of marketing. Sometimes, very rarely, about once every fifteen years, a special notification appears on the Forum that the “Lottery” is taking place. In fact, of course, this event was only called a Lottery on Earth. It was called the Trial of Fortune. And yes, the Ancient Ones believed in the concept of luck, just as Earthlings believed in gravity. For them, the ability to manipulate probabilities and the tendency to do so were one of properties of existence.

Camrad_RIP 09.06.25 в 08:33

The lotteries worked simply. A random million or so Earthlings who had not yet been initiated as divers were selected, and a condition was set. Moreover, each of the Earthlings, even if not initiated at all, immediately understood this condition completely and thoroughly, and as a bonus received a guarantee of initiation... More precisely, the Lottery initially selected only those who already had a tendency to contact the Great Mechanism. Only now they knew about it without any tests, from the very beginning. Who will be the first to earn the first unit of Essence? Who will be the first to step onto the Second level? Who will be the first to kill another diver from their own world? In the latter case, one of the newcomers managed to get to the Heart of Rebirth of a small group of Earth divers, clarified the situation, and wacked the man who had voluntarily taken the risk, who was then reborn anyway.

Camrad_RIP 09.06.25 в 08:35

That group became one of the most powerful small factions of today, now called the Scarlet Thunder in honor of its leader's signature attack, that very same boy. The essence is pretty clear. This is both a motivation for savages to rush into the Broken World, and in as large numbers as possible, and a way to give small, from the point of view of the Ancient Ones, benefits that allow the entire civilization of a separate planet of savages to make a leap forward. Each of the winners, if they did not perish, became a very strong diver, reaching at least the fourth level. And no, not all of the fifth levels are represented by lucky lottery winners and cheaters, only two. But these two are out of only nine officially existing individuals! And there are suspicions about another one. Not all winners admitted that they were winners.

Camrad_RIP 09.06.25 в 08:42

What does Ilya have to do with this?

Camrad_RIP 09.06.25 в 08:43

It's simple, dear experts, very, very simple. The lottery before last was called the Test of Endurance and Patience, and it worked a little differently than the previous ones. According to the terms of the awesome contest from the ancient toastmaster, the victory and the prize went to the one in a million who was initiated last. But at the same time, a small, really small, gift was given to the first half of those who would pass the initiation immediately, without looking for a crane in the ass while there was a titmouse in their hands. Or you could refuse to participate altogether, receiving a little pure essence, which could be sold to the same government. A very profitable investment, in the first months there, the market almost collapsed. For the first time since connecting to the Broken, the Essence fell in price at the official level, which led to some individuals on the exchanges jumping out of windows.

Camrad_RIP 09.06.25 в 08:44

What about Ilya?

Camrad_RIP 09.06.25 в 08:47

Nothing about Ilya!

Camrad_RIP 09.06.25 в 08:47

That evening, Ilya was unfairly punished, spanked a little, and sent to his room, without the right to play with his favorite games or watch cartoons, streams, and other computer nonsense. Because Ilya was only five and a half years old. He knew nothing about Broken Worlds, Dream Stars, and so on. Now Ilya is thirty-six, and no one has even remembered the lottery for more than fifteen years, although twenty years ago they sometimes wrote, saying, “I tried, but I didn't achieve anything, so there must be another ‘waiter’ somewhere, damn” Yes, it may well be that even now there is someone still waiting, someone with more patience than Ilya. But. But! Most of those who wanted to get into the Broken World went there long ago, while the rest simply could not afford to wait until old age, because the average age for receiving an invitation to the test is about twenty-five. Those who simply did not care about the possible super prize simply took their share of the essence.

Camrad_RIP 09.06.25 в 08:51

Incidentally, the youngest diver to survive his first month in Broken was Jonas Melscher, who passed through the Star of Dreams during a teenage rebellion against his parents at the age of thirteen, but his Twin only lasted eleven years, perishing in one of the endless conflicts, leaving behind not a boy, but a man to write memoirs and pursue a very successful career as an internet celebrity. The point is that no one could have suspected five-year-old Ilya of being a potential diver at the time. It has been proven more than once that those who are too young are simply not recognized by the ritual mark of the Star of Dreams. The same applies to those who are too old. There have been many cases where potential divers who had waited too long, having successfully passed the preliminary test in their youth, were rejected by the Mechanism after growing old and attempting to dive.

Camrad_RIP 09.06.25 в 09:01

It's terribly unfair, especially from the point of view of elderly politicians who have begun to think about eternal life in the Broken, and now they've been dealt such a blow!

Camrad_RIP 09.06.25 в 09:01

Another pebble in favor of Ilya's luck.

Camrad_RIP 09.06.25 в 09:02

The man was fully prepared to begin his ascent on the fields of the Broken World on equal terms, but he did not object to moving straight on to pwning. The main thing, as the immortal classic advised, is to ensure you are not pwned before you start.

Camrad_RIP 09.06.25 в 09:03

Thoughts swarm in his head with constant noise, jumping from build options for individual classes to compatibility tables for selectable talents, from food prices to tax deductions on Essence sales, from thoughts of greatness to thoughts of death. At some point, sleep begins to take over his mind, but he doesn't quite manage to do so. That very feeling that hundreds and thousands of divers have described. The moment when you feel as if you are being pulled out of your body, leaving only your naked and powerless soul, unable to move or scream. And then that soul is dragged forward into the darkness until even the darkness ends.

Camrad_RIP 09.06.25 в 09:05

And the light came on.

Camrad_RIP 09.06.25 в 09:05

* * *

Camrad_RIP 09.06.25 в 09:01

The surrounding space looked strange, like a mixture of dream and reality. Lots of dark tones, tunnel vision, and the awareness of oneself in a kind of ghostly state. Half existing, half seemingly not here. It was not surprising, because the real Ilya was sleeping peacefully in a drawn circle in the middle of his apartment, and here was only his soul, for which a twin was to be created. Or a Twin. There were heated debates on the forum about the use of capital letters in the names of sacred terms, where the orderly ranks of grammar Nazis on both sides clashed not for life, but to the death. But, as for all other earthlings, before creating an avatar, you need to design it.

Camrad_RIP 09.06.25 в 09:07

All of this had been described so many times that he knew most of what he could see and understand in those moments by heart. The structure of Earth's society, where it was much easier to obtain the necessary information, allowed even outright idiots to create a working and effective build based on someone else's blueprint. One can recall Maria's friend, for example, who never introduced herself, and Ilya, with all his blissful frivolity, did not ask her name, but quite successfully created a very lively and biting avatar of a hybrid Warlock. Close combat plus cursed flames for medium-close range, ritualism for support, and reliance on the direct formation of a fiery halo. A classic that, like old horses, doesn't spoil the plow.

Camrad_RIP 09.06.25 в 09:09

++The fate of the Diver is being assessed.

Camrad_RIP 09.06.25 в 09:09

Actually, the main reason why they are all called divers, and not players, is precisely in this phrase. They are called divers by the very essence of the Great Mechanism, and it is useless to argue with it. In a few seconds, well, subjective seconds, this assessment takes place. And these are not just words. It is a fact, quite tangible to Ilya, because he literally feels that he is being measured, weighed, scanned, and the only thing they are not doing is performing a colonoscopy. Although who knows, who knows, because humanity, held hostage by alien rules, still knows very little about the phenomenon of the Mechanism and is unlikely to ever learn more. Perhaps those schizo-theories about aliens, UFOs, and anal probes did not arise out of nowhere?

Camrad_RIP 09.06.25 в 09:11

++The assessment of destiny is complete, and two additional gifts of essence have been obtained.

Camrad_RIP 09.06.25 в 09:12

The trait Focused has been obtained.

Camrad_RIP 09.06.25 в 09:12

The trait Outstanding Secret Knowledge has been obtained.

Camrad_RIP 09.06.25 в 09:13

In principle, this is quite expected, since age of fourteen, he had been practicing a set of meditations individually tailored to him, which influenced his “focus” or “Conc,” increasing the likelihood of acquiring this trait. Few people manage to achieve truly outstanding results in this endeavor, mainly those who have an innate predisposition. Or those who literally spend all their time in those very meditations somewhere in one of the renovated monasteries of Tibet. For obvious reasons, since contact with the Ancient Ones, there are now more of them there than mushrooms after rain. His personal trait, to put it mildly, is not the best possible option, but it increases concentration, reduces fatigue, somewhat facilitates the work of some passive abilities, and, most importantly, reduces the psychological damage from close interaction with the surrounding world. That's not so bad, although not every class can fully unlock this trait.

Camrad_RIP 09.06.25 в 09:31

The second trait is much more interesting; it is not without reason that it is not just a trait, but one that is described as outstanding. Its influence on the avatar's status is also much higher, and its benefits are many times greater. It would be a real source of pride, were it not for the fact that Secret Knowledge of various levels, including even Outstanding, is obtained by virtually every earthly diver. Knowledge about the Broken World, its laws, history, quirks, and undisclosed features, basic and advanced erudition — this is Secret Knowledge in all its manifestations. Those who prepare themselves in a simpler way, without taking courses, without receiving specific education, without paying for all kinds of guides and so on, receive simple Secret Knowledge or even more basic Erudition. But there are also plenty of people who have become outstanding esotericists on Earth. This is the path to power available to everyone, and only a complete idiot would not use it.

Camrad_RIP 09.06.25 в 09:33

Well, London Anomalous University has three or four hundred such outstanding graduates every year, and it is not the only university engaged in studying the mysteries of the Broken. It's just the largest, most famous, and perhaps the most publicised. It's possible not even the best, but other universities simply don't publicise their achievements as much. The Beijing Institute of Secret Knowledge is not much worse, but only those who initially sign a contract to sell their essence exclusively to the Chinese government for ten years after initiation, with a discount reaching completely indecent levels, especially if they study on credit or with a grant, can study there.

Camrad_RIP 09.06.25 в 09:44

Returning to Secret Knowledge. In its basic form, it facilitates work with texts, languages, riddles, and everything else, enhances a number of classes and talents, and also slightly increases the chance of obtaining a particle of essence for intellectual work. You studied fifty books brought back from the raid, half of which were damaged beyond reading, then catalogued them and wrote down the most important stuff, put it in a folder, and there you have it: Essence. The Foundation. Unreal. Dust. Exp. There are so many names for it, but officially, in documents, it is called Essence. The outstanding form does the same thing, only much better, and can increase the Twin's base characteristics by additional units. That's why people love it, because it's practically impossible to pump these characteristics additionally. Only what was given initially, when creating the avatar, and what you get when you level up.

Camrad_RIP 09.06.25 в 09:48

The Twin is woven and embodied for the essence of the Diving One.

Camrad_RIP 09.06.25 в 13:50

Formation of the Attributes sheet of the woven Twin.

Camrad_RIP 10.06.25 в 09:32

Formation complete.

Camrad_RIP 09.06.25 в 13:51

He knows the standard attributes by heart, as well as all possible variations of what might be unusual about them. Well, from what is publicly available. There are bound to be secrets, and not everyone is eager to share them, even among earthlings. However, even knowing everything he is about to see, everything that will become part of his mind, he is not shy about looking and realising, even trying to obtain fragments of ‘system information’. What if there is something in that reference that no one has seen before? There is a chance, however small, and all it takes is a little more attention to reading. Or rather, not to reading, because these letters are only in his mind, but to perceiving images. Many divers deliberately ignore these inscriptions, trying to perceive the Mechanism not in a ‘system and status’ specially created for humans, but more naturally.

Camrad_RIP 09.06.25 в 09:50

By the way, there is no sense, only biased rumors, but you have to relearn a new perception. For Ilya, it is easier to use the classic inscriptions and messages inside his head.

Camrad_RIP 09.06.25 в 13:55

Claws and Bones: 1

Camrad_RIP 09.06.25 в 13:55

Strength and power, physical perfection, speed, agility, explosive force, reaction speed and perception, combat instincts, and reflexes.

Camrad_RIP 09.06.25 в 14:13

Blood and Heart: 1

Camrad_RIP 09.06.25 в 14:13

Life and magic, magic filling and its flow, reserve volumes, and overall survivability, recovery speed, and resistance.

Camrad_RIP 09.06.25 в 14:15

Veil and Mystery: 1+1

Camrad_RIP 09.06.25 в 14:14

Knowledge and premonition, intuition and foresight, stealth and fusion, concealment of magic and pretense, finding the right question and mystery..

Camrad_RIP 09.06.25 в 14:17

Aurora and Radiance: 1+1

Camrad_RIP 10.06.25 в 09:31