Быть Гладу и Хладу / There will be Hunger and Cold: 17.

Author's Note:
So, I had a moment. I worked a little with PB. I'll try to respond to the comments later, but for now I'll just clarify one point. It was hinted at, and some readers even guessed it.

Camrad_RIP 09.01.26 в 17:23

Selection of opponents, of course.

Camrad_RIP 09.01.26 в 17:23

That's right, due to the hero's greater power from winning the Lottery, they selected enemies who were also more powerful. Not just a comparable number of drops, but even significantly more, better equipment, and greater experience in terms of the number of Cycles they'd survived. That's why he faced powerful and competent opponents, even the first one, the Totemist. It's just that the MC didn't give him the chance to show off his full potential.

Camrad_RIP 09.01.26 в 17:24

On average, otherworld divers are much, much weaker than those Ilya encountered. Poor Ira would have encountered the level demonstrated by that same Shaman on her sixth or seventh fight, had she won without losing. Not exactly him, but the same level of competence with strength comparable to Irina's own. Gunther could easily have become someone's ninth.

Camrad_RIP 09.01.26 в 17:26

But if you're the Lottery winner, you'll have to endure and defeat stronger opponents. Ilya's rewards, however, are somewhat higher than the average Earthling's, but not by orders of magnitude, not even by a factor of ten, just a little bit bigger.

Camrad_RIP 09.01.26 в 17:27

For the record, the drooling Shaman had 310 drops of essence, not counting the one already poured into the Vessel of Exaltation. The knight had a full 400. The larva of Ugly Bastard had almost nine hundred, while the Pure One had only about 450 drops invested. But drops, that's it. And on top of that, there were three talents from altars and places of power, plus several of his talents were increased once or twice without investing Essence, through the same rituals and boosts from the Abode. And then there were the relics, two of them — a resurrection tool and knives (these counted as one; without a pair, they're no more useful than ordinary, oddly shaped knives).

Camrad_RIP 09.01.26 в 17:29

And no, he's not alone; the others also had either extra talents, and/or lasting benefits, and/or prepared relics. Just not as luxurious as the Pure One's.

Camrad_RIP 09.01.26 в 17:30

On the other hand, for all his opponents, each of whom possessed something unique (a special gift, a rare talent unavailable on the standard roster and acquired in Broken, a relic, or a blessing), Ilya himself became the same "anti-cheat asshole." In some ways, even more offensive than the cat.

Camrad_RIP 09.01.26 в 17:31

Something like that, the rest of the answers are at a different time.

Camrad_RIP 09.01.26 в 17:31