Быть Гладу и Хладу / There will be Hunger and Cold: 17. Как-то даже кощунственно с его стороны считать, будто это не он тут бесчестно везучий читер

17. It’s even somehow blasphemous on his part to think that he’s not the dishonestly lucky cheater here.

Camrad_RIP 31.12.25 в 21:15

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Camrad_RIP 31.12.25 в 21:15

One of the traits for which Ilya was valued at work and in everyday life was his extreme punctuality and strict adherence to schedules and to himself. He always arrived on time, completed tasks without delay, and never allowed himself to be late unless he gave at least five days' advance notice. So now, having definitely been late for work, he felt a slight pang of shame. As slight as a polyplastic peg in the ass, no less. And the fact that he had notified them of his delay did not comfort him much, nor did the fact that he was undoubtedly not the only one who was late today. Because on the internet, in all its sections, not just on the Forum and among interest groups, there was a real bacchanalia going on.

Camrad_RIP 31.12.25 в 21:46

Even he received messages, many and often, sometimes offering hefty prices for possible consultations, specifically as a specialist in the Broken. He habitually ignored most of these messages without even opening them; he skimmed over some, and even responded to others. He mostly responded with requests for time to review the situation and to not pester him with useless questions. He would have pestered someone with them himself, but the question was who exactly? If anyone knew the answers, it would only be those who were too high-flying and would ignore Ilya's message just as Ilya ignored his.

Camrad_RIP 03.01.26 в 10:10

IridiyBurns: Did you see??? DID YOU SEE??? WHAT THE FUCK DO I DO? WHAT THE FUCK DO I DO???7

Camrad_RIP 08.01.26 в 15:02

KroKroKroKodYYl: Well, you get it. Let's get in touch once things calm down a bit.

Camrad_RIP 08.01.26 в 15:01

Frankly, Ilya's own emotions were closer to what Irina wrote than to the melancholy calm of Magnus, who had clearly already overcome his outburst. A convenient time zone? Most likely, because Ilya was restless for now, constantly getting up from the table, pacing the room, and then browsing the internet, the Forum, and even individual blogs again. Individual bloggers, and those of equal stature, all hinted that they knew everything, know everything, and would definitely tell you, just a little later, especially if you donated. If you donated a lot, they'd tell you personally right now, this very second. But hurry; it is a one-time offer for the first five people who contact them.

Camrad_RIP 03.01.26 в 10:29

Ah, they've already banned it. Mods work quickly.

Camrad_RIP 31.12.25 в 21:52

The communicator beeped. This time, it was the special ringtone Ilya had set for his work contacts. He'd expected threats of dismissal or at least a bonus cut, but instead received an automated message. The message informed him that today, in honor of some holiday, he could come to work in the afternoon because of a shortened workday. Between the lines, there was a suggestion not to come at all, but to stay home or go to the park. Touch the grass, yeah. Most government agencies received similar messages, while private companies continued working as usual. Leaning back in his orthopedic chair, the anonymous diver felt a strong urge to light a cigarette, despite not smoking. Or even to drink, yeah.

Camrad_RIP 03.01.26 в 10:32

The reason for his, and not only his, mood was now displayed on the main monitor and on both side monitors. On the main page was the Forum, and on the side monitors were news channels. The text was the same everywhere, only the reactions of the public and everyone else who was willing to react varied. Apparently, he had indeed slept through most of the drama, but the wave of chaos was only just gathering momentum, threatening to escalate into such a shitstorm that in some metropolitan areas, law enforcement was now deployed onto the streets to prevent any kind of pogrom. And it all began when, right at the end of the cycle, another pinned topic opened on the Forum, created not by people, but by the Mechanism itself, broadcasting a very cheerful piece of news to the front page.

Camrad_RIP 03.01.26 в 10:43

Nine times nine revolutions around the sun have passed since the connection to the functionality of the Game Worlds.

Camrad_RIP 31.12.25 в 21:53

Another milestone in Game World acceptance has been reached. The overall effectiveness of the divers of the Cage World has been assessed.

Camrad_RIP 31.12.25 в 21:56

The result was recognized as outstanding, the awards and recorded events were changed, and the effects and general Incentives were recalculated.

Camrad_RIP 31.12.25 в 21:56

The selection of options for the upcoming Reward has been completed. The final choice of Incentives has been left to those who have reached the maximum development level for the Cage World.

Camrad_RIP 31.12.25 в 22:16

The following Incentive has been voted for: Competitive Tournament between the Cage Worlds.

Camrad_RIP 31.12.25 в 22:17

Guest world residents have had their participation rewards adjusted, making it easier to obtain additional achievements.

Camrad_RIP 31.12.25 в 22:18

[READ MORE]

Camrad_RIP 31.12.25 в 22:18

Ilya, of course, chose to begin his familiarization immediately and didn't rest until he'd reread the rather detailed and sensible instructions several times. In the end, several things could be confidently acknowledged, the most important of which was that the Earth Fives were, to a man, very greedy but also quite thoughtful individuals. They had signed up all the Earth divers for a very fun, and even safe, adventure — death at the upcoming Tournament wouldn't mean the death of the Twin, and even their life pool wouldn't be reduced. But there was so much to gain at this tournament that for most professional divers, participation wasn't really a consideration.

Camrad_RIP 03.01.26 в 10:45

However, here we need to start in order.

Camrad_RIP 01.01.26 в 14:18

Firstly, the fate of all humanity was determined exclusively by those earthlings who had reached the fifth step, and only those still living on Earth. The Great and Terrible Seven, as has been the case since their disappearance, had no involvement in this vote. The Earthly Fives, however, were given an official post on the Forum and promised to give a series of official interviews on a host of important channels. According to them, several options were discussed regarding what the Mechanism of the Great Ancients offered them as a reward for eighty-one years of active Play. And not just any Play, but rather the very serious and outstanding results of play.

Camrad_RIP 03.01.26 в 10:53

Well, arguing here is silly. Just comparing the results demonstrated by Earthlings with those of most other worlds immediately makes Earthlings happy and everyone else sad. The number of divers, the number of fifth and fourth, the overall level of Essence production, statistics on the presence of additional achievements, and other markers cannot be faked. Earth was assessed, inspected, and given a whole host of prizes to choose from. According to White, who posted on the Forum — obviously with veracity confirmed by the Forum — as the informal-formal leader of the Citadel, the longest debate was between the already chosen option and another one. One that would allow each diver to receive between one and seven drops of Essence.

Camrad_RIP 03.01.26 в 10:55

For free, of course, without any unnecessary fuss.

Camrad_RIP 01.01.26 в 14:18

Yes, the option is much more appealing for those who don't want to put in extra effort, but the chosen path, the "Path of Competition," offered far more than the one-time bonus from the "Path of Inaction." Because tournament battles guarantee the chance to raise far more Essence, simply because Earthlings are much better prepared for them. And, obviously, the Fives themselves don't need those paltry seven drops at their levels if they can obtain so much more. Of all people, the Earth Fives have long since become accustomed to thinking about the Broken, not Earth, even if they still live here.

Camrad_RIP 03.01.26 в 11:02

And this moment of choice smoothly shifts the topic to the "second" point, namely, the very essence of the tournament. Such competitions are held regularly, by the Mechanism's standards, and even without delving too deeply into his memories, the Earthling recalled that many worlds had already hosted something similar, inviting their divers to competitions and tournaments of one kind or another. It's just that it was a very long time ago, and during Earth's connection to the Mechanism, no such tournaments had been held. The closest one, as experts in the history of other worlds immediately pointed out, had taken place about one hundred and sixty years ago by Earth's reckoning, and Earthlings had never even encountered inhabitants of the "guest world" in the Broken One. The world, whose effectiveness had earned the right to become the central hub of the tournament itself.

Camrad_RIP 03.01.26 в 11:06

For this type of planet-wide incentive to even be considered, it's necessary to demonstrate that "outstanding" level of effectiveness. And some significant date or event — eighty-one years since joining, for example, yeah. Then the rewarded world, along with a whole host of other game worlds that most frequently interact with this one, will wil be invited to the tournament. It's an invitation, because you don't have to attend, which already sets this tournament apart from the few others the Earthly Fours have managed to find information about, quickly wasting their time on the otherworldly sections of the Forum.

Camrad_RIP 03.01.26 в 11:07

Take, for example, the “Sorrowful Battle” that took place some four hundred years ago. References to this event were found in only a couple of worlds. Wild and practically uncompetitive worlds, where there were fewer than ten fours, and fives were not born at all, or all those who reached this level refused to live in the real world, moving to the Broken One. That tournament, described in dry lines on someone else's Forum, was held according to the rules of a “royal battle,” and death in the tournament meant the removal of the Twin, regardless of how many spare lives there were and how many ways to resurrect had been prepared. Refusal, by the way, was not an option.

Camrad_RIP 04.01.26 в 13:07

It's good that things didn't turn out that way on Earth.

Camrad_RIP 01.01.26 в 14:18

In fact, "thirdly" was precisely this: any diver unwilling to get involved has every right to decline the invitation. The punishment is simply the inability to earn Essence for the next three cycles and the option to take one drop of consolation prize. Or, of course, a far more substantial and tangible reward for those who chicken out — a one-time status effect, activated and usable at any time. An effect that allows one to instantly kill oneself between cycle phases if one gets into some kind of trouble. Some earthlings stuck in a veritable hell will definitely reject this option and prefer to end their stories. The talent only costs one reincarnation, and its activation is possible only at the very beginning or end of a cycle, at the precise moment when the diver's mind synchronizes with the Twin. Forcing this activation through any kind of mental manipulation is definitely impossible, because during these seconds, the diver's essence and its thinking are invulnerable.

Camrad_RIP 03.01.26 в 11:20

Even Ilya wouldn't refuse such insurance, despite all his advantages in terms of mental stability!

Camrad_RIP 01.01.26 в 14:19

If the diver agrees to participate, they are presented with a choice of participation path — either "Choose a Battle" or "Proof of Mastery." The first path is a classic one-on-one battle with a diver from another world of equal rank. The Mechanism will select not just an equal rank, but also "a roughly equal number of drops invested in talents," and "the number of successfully completed dives into the Broken will also be taken into account." There will be nine battles in total, and victory in each will reward, pay attention, seven drops of Essence for the Vessel of Eternity, plus some additional incentive. Moreover, for higher ranks, the reward is multiplied by the rank itself, and the additional gifts are far more significant than mere Essence, which those ranks four and five typically earn in abundance.

Camrad_RIP 03.01.26 в 11:31

At this point, stockbrokers would have started jumping out of windows en masse, but fortunately for them, different rules apply to converting Essence into the real world during the Tournament. No matter how many drops you earn in the Tournament, you can only withdraw one, no more, into reality. Even this could easily cause the market to falter, but at least it won't collapse. Because if it were otherwise, if earthlings had the ability to withdraw a standard, equal number of drops into reality, there would be a whole lot of wailing and lamentation from individuals who have lost their millions. Because it's unlikely that those earthlings would win only one battle out of nine, the population of the third planet from the sun isn't that insignificant. Well, average insignificance, at most.

Camrad_RIP 03.01.26 в 11:34

However, an important clarification in the help was the mention that the matchmaking mechanics are quite flexible and change depending on previous battles. Consistently losing players will be matched against equally unlucky or inept players, or simply less experienced players with fewer drops spent on their Twin. Or even both. Consistently winning players are guaranteed to be matched against either those who are also winning, or stronger players, or against both.

Camrad_RIP 01.01.26 в 21:36

No, this certainly brought Ilya down to earth. With his advantages, he's far from defenseless even against highly skilled players of the same tier; that's a fact. But if he were pitted against some unique player with similar bonuses, for example, the winner of an otherworldly Lottery, he might well be disappointed. Even without the Lottery, consider a basic, top-tier build, with not a single talent missing. How much could he do against some fully-powered "Ardor" Warlock? Well... he could do something, especially with his Horns and Form, but that would be playing on others' mistakes and hoping for luck, nothing more.

Camrad_RIP 03.01.26 в 11:36

The second path is the choice of Alchemists, Drafter, Mechanists, and others who rely on craft or training, possessing the appropriate talents, or Seekers, Sages, or Storytellers, who rely on knowledge and complex tasks. Here, there will be only seven "battles," but the reward for victories is nine drops (and only one will flow to Earth). However, the "battles" themselves will almost always be challenges to mastery rather than fights. You will be given a task that must be achieved by various means, using your talents and the resources provided (or not). In theory, you can even receive a task that does not require an otherworldly opponent. However, most often, such opponents will be present, and the Essence of the competition is to complete your task first. Or better than the second. Or both at once. The opponent selection mechanics are identical to those in the previous version of the competition.

Camrad_RIP 03.01.26 в 11:38

This is the first stage of the tournament.

Camrad_RIP 01.01.26 в 14:19

Exactly the first one. Because, fourthly, there could very well be several of these stages. This depends on the results achieved. Moreover, not all worlds will even be allowed to participate in those stages. Each victory by each diver contributes a certain number of points to the overall score, but how many exactly, what the scale and grading of the evaluation is, no one knows, and the Forum isn't responding. It's entirely possible that even with all their awesomeness (and comparable hubris), Earthlings won't make it to that very next stage.

Camrad_RIP 01.01.26 в 21:39

Finally, fifth, but by no means least important, was the question of time and the relationship between cycles. Because the tournament is taking place in a separate sub-dimension of the Broken and doesn't affect the timestream of the Broken in any way. So, Ilya and Ruyek's next meeting will be in thirty-three days, while the tournament itself will begin in three. And the tournament time will be limited to its participants and no one else. That's where the fun lies. It's an excellent chance to level up, so excellent that Ilya doesn't even think about missing out on an opportunity. He'd hate to miss such an opportunity. However, he's in no rush to agree to participate, especially since he's only just woken up, and it would be strange to return to the Star.

Camrad_RIP 03.01.26 в 12:28

The main thing is to submit your consent to participate before the end of the deadline.

Camrad_RIP 01.01.26 в 14:27

And also to assess the prospects for the future. Assess and understand that the Earth's top leaders have chosen the best possible option for Earth. Specifically for the divers, not for Earth in general. Because yes, the states and the Assembly would clearly prefer them to choose the "Path of Wealth," which simply increases the Essence gain in Reality, giving three drops in Reality for each drop in the dive for the next nine cycles. Or the "Path of Inaction," which in the short term covered a very significant portion of Essence needs, given many complex projects. But the Fives chose for themselves and other Earthlings, choosing what would give them the maximum possible.

Camrad_RIP 03.01.26 в 12:34

Ilya imagined what would happen if a Diver, having won at least half of the matches, invested the essence they'd earned into themselves, even allowing for the opportunity to ask how to do it correctly. By the end of the tournament, even by the most conservative estimates, Earth Diver players, especially those at the very bottom of the skill tree, lacking both essence and the ability to obtain it for talent upgrades, but with decent builds, would see a significant, if not exponential, increase in power. Take Ilya himself, for example. Participating in this tournament would allow him to fill some of the gaps on his talent meter and hone his combat skills in a safe environment.

Camrad_RIP 03.01.26 в 12:42

You can't even say which of these is more valuable.

Camrad_RIP 02.01.26 в 07:50

After rereading the information a few more times, he finally got up from the table, got dressed, and got ready for work. He'd at least sit there for the sake of appearances, and at the same time "confidentially" share that he'd landed a lucrative contract in his second specialty, which is why he was so happy and, on top of that, late. And he needed to contact Irina too, just to calm her down, otherwise she might start acting up again in her excitement. A very interesting cycle, or rather, a whole series of microcycles, was definitely ahead.

Camrad_RIP 02.01.26 в 07:51

Ilya will take from them everything he can.

Camrad_RIP 01.01.26 в 14:28

And even a little bit more than that.

Camrad_RIP 01.01.26 в 14:27

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Camrad_RIP 01.01.26 в 12:04

As has long been the custom on Earth, even before Ilya's birth, many divers traditionally try to indulge in a good party before the start of the cycle. Often, these parties are even more extensive than those immediately after the end of the cycle, when they celebrate the successful completion of another dive. Some describe these events as attempts to recruit FoFa to their side, to redeem his merciless and inhuman mercy. But for Ilya, the underlying motive was obvious and clear — fear drove them, perhaps not all of them, but certainly most of them. Fear of ending up there again, returning to the hell from which they had barely escaped, and now are forced to try again and again. To try to survive one more time, to deceive the Broken One again, and still be able to keep their own.

Camrad_RIP 03.01.26 в 12:47

The tradition of calling on FaFo is not as widespread as the almost sacred duty to get drunk after diving, which brings crazy profits to the entertainment and leisure industry. Many prefer a more intimate setting and an attempt to relax in peace, perhaps even in a romantic setting. To preserve warm memories of Earth, so that there are more reasons to want to return there. But this time, the classic patterns were trampled, expectations were shattered, and the owners of all kinds of clubs, restaurants, and other establishments of this kind were left only to weep, wiping their snot and tears with a wad of crisp bills. Figuratively speaking, of course, because cash is practically not in circulation outside of the social neighborhood.

Camrad_RIP 04.01.26 в 13:36

Three days for a break before the next cycle is a very short time, insignificant even, though not comparable to the shortest breaks between cycles known on Earth. Apparently, in one of the unnamed Game Worlds, there was once a twelve-minute pause between cycles, as measured by Earth. However, aside from a post on someone else's Forum, nothing much is known about this, only the bare fact that it happened. Earthlings have more time, significantly more, plenty of time to absorb the coming events and begin generating unhealthy excitement. By the end of the day, when Ilya finally arrived at work and even sat there for half an hour in the nearly empty office, searching for any information online had become utterly impossible.

Camrad_RIP 03.01.26 в 12:50

Hundreds, if not thousands, of messages were added to popular threads per minute, making it impossible to find answers to any questions. Experts and bloggers replaced one another, sometimes devolving into swearing and lawsuits, sometimes even into full-blown fistfights on live TV. A battle between two teams of four, both of whom had their own talents in the real world, was particularly noteworthy, nearly destroying the studio of a popular talk show where they had been invited as experts. Fortunately, both were smart enough not to use anything truly large-scale, only defensive talents, buffs, and close combat. Two casters, Warlock and Summoner, might have looked ridiculous fighting in brutal melee combat, but Ilya's perception simply couldn't keep up with their movements without slowing down the recording.

Camrad_RIP 03.01.26 в 12:58

They both got hit with some pretty harsh penalties and community service, which was pretty normal in the Treaty world. The Treaty did not restrict such actions; on the contrary, it encouraged strict control and punishment of those who started fights using their talents in reality. And even the reasons are not very important, if you think about it. Yes, strong divers of high steps are allowed to do a lot, but not everything, not everything at all. In general, this couple should not have used their active talents; then it would have been fine, but try to prove that to two grown-up and very experienced hot guys if their opponent is WRONG. Ilya, by the way, was rooting for Alexander “Raven” Krolikov, who not only has an excellent U-turn kick but also had more compelling arguments.

Camrad_RIP 04.01.26 в 14:10