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THE OUTLAND 46
He did not bare his teeth at me, did not burn his eyes, driving me away from the territory, as a mother wolf could. No, this brute admired me with the reverence of a gourmet who is about to start a dish prepared by the best chef. I was definitely going to be devoured.“Good boy, good boy. I muttered, freezing in place. Maybe he will leave? Will it happen to me?The wolf lifted his upper lip, showing fangs the size of a finger.“I don’t offend you, you don’t offend me, okay? I put my hand on the hilt of the sword. “Let’s part ways, grey?”Death in transparent eyes answered me that no, we will not disperse. The top is having dinner today, and you are the main course.“Here, I’m leaving, everything’s fine.” All ho…” The grinning death threw itself in my direction with incredible speed, grinning, it seems, with a thousand teeth at once. Time stopped again, the hilt itself pushed into my palm, and the earth turned and rushed towards me. Somewhere in the middle of the roll, steel met flesh
THE OUTLAND 47
This slippery, unpleasant moment, haunting, is sure of any player with a level below the thirtieth. I'm talking about leaving the game. The fact is that traditional online gaming projects seem to freeze, stop for a while while the player is not in the world he creates. Everywhere this was played out in different ways - somewhere the character simply fell asleep, somewhere he went on a trip or hunting, somewhere else he was somehow removed from the general flow of life. Therefore, it always worked like this: you complete the game, find a safe place and return to your native gray boxes and urban poetry, and the character is waiting for you exactly in the place and in the state you left it. In Alien War, the developers approached the issue in a much more original way - and not least this is due to the difference in the perception of time, and therefore a much richer gaming experience. The character was not a dummy, a tabula rasa for the player to fill in, no - having a memory, including
THE OUTLAND 48
- I have no idea. I planned to settle down for the night, turn to the library in the morning, read a little ... I read, as you can see. Are you further into the caves now?- What? No. I removed the essence of filth from the wolf - this, of course, is not treasure from the caves, but the alchemists will pay very well for it. I'm sorry, but I'll keep the money for it as a fee for your salvation. She was clearly going to argue and prove something, but I just shrugged. I have not yet had to buy anything, so I have not yet understood the value of money. Simes's money should be enough for a room in the tavern and a library card, and I don't need anything else.- Thank you for looking after me. - I sincerely thanked you. — Where are you next? To the caves?— No. - Yolka snorted. “Perhaps I’ll take you to Askolta and see that you don’t get into trouble again. And then I'll think about it.But this was not very good. No, Yolka is helpful, caring, and when offline, even ... Ahem. In general, f
THE OUTLAND 49
I turned and grunted, looking at how a skeleton without a head, but with a good mace, hobbled in my direction. I think this one is good enough for crushing bones. All that was left was to pick it up. It also did not take much time and effort - the skeleton, which had lost coordination, crumbled again, as soon as it was cracked with a sword along the ridge properly.- Well, now let's fight! I weighed the morningstar in my hand. They won’t be able to swing for long, but now fast legs and a bit of luck are much more important than straight arms and strength. Even trophy weapons I no longer need to kill the undead (pun intended), but to clear a path- What we are going to do?- Breaking into the cemetery.- You're crazy. Yolka said with incomprehensible tenderness. "Why did I just contact you?"- Come on, let's go!- Don't fall behind! - Having dropped another zombie with an incendiary arrow, the archer went on the run and, dodging, ran, keeping between us and the skeletal artillery prot
THE OUTLAND 50
I could hardly contain a chuckle when, at one of the intersections of the Imperial Highway, I spotted a sign marking a secondary road running away to the side as "Dupny Mounds."- Are they serious?- And what is wrong? The redhead looked at me incredulously. “Here are the best tinkers in the suburbs, the largest sawmill in the north. If there is anywhere to replenish supplies, then only here!— Supplies?“Yes, you know, when I was advancing to the Cold Limit, it seemed to me that five hundred arrows should be enough for the campaign, if you move covertly, avoid other people's attention ...- Doesn't it feel like that anymore?- Not!- Here you see. So, you are ready to grow and change your own mind!- Oh you! - The Christmas tree swung at me with a loose bow, without a bowstring, more reminiscent of a staff, and I dodged with a laugh, added speed.Stupid bumps, wow! Either one of the developers definitely knew a couple of phrases in Slavic languages, or ... It was Edik who fooled arou
THE OUTLAND 51
Relax. Easier said than done."I still don't like the idea," I grumbled as we got back on the road.— Yes you that! I have a disguise skill above twenty, and your own mother will not recognize you.What's right is right. In this form, no one would recognize me at all. I mean in THIS way.My eyes stinged, the clothes seemed too wide at the hips, but too narrow at the waist and chest, and this frankly idiotic hood just killed me!- This disguise will work exactly until the moment I open my mouth.- Don't open it! - Yolka laughed. “I will speak for the two of us, and you just stand there with an air of offended innocence, understand?- Well, well, well, yes. “Damn it, I was ready for anything, but what Yolka did to me…- Everything, s-s-s-s! Someone is coming! At the same time, we will test my make-up skills.- Exactly. - I grumbled, adjusting my bra stuffed with rags, which, among other things, adds interest to us in the eyes of men. Ugh.A plus three skirt for charisma, a jacket with a
THE OUTLAND 52
"Ale and Tears" turned out to be exactly where the guildmaster indicated - a two-story elegant building attracted the attention of passing travelers, and the promised discount reduced the room payment from two silver pieces to half. But Yolka smiled so pleased that I could not resist.- Give you a room for two? the innkeeper asked melancholy, rubbing mugs.— What are the options?- There are for one, for two, for seven - with separate beds. There is a family room.“Family, please,” I looked vengefully at Yolka, “we just secretly got engaged and fled from Askolta.Oh, wedding night! The innkeeper nodded understandingly. “Second floor, last room on the left. Clean linen and wine for the mood - at the expense of the institution. He winked.“I will definitely remember this for you. Yolka muttered, stomping ahead of me and letting me admire all the advantages of the position. - I'll come back - and I'll figure it out!And yet."Are you really going to bed?" - I clarified. - I understand, m
THE OUTLAND 53
“And you, by any chance, don’t know Aunt Saga?” I asked.— Sagu? And, you, probably, are talking about the rector of the faculty of martial arts, Saggitaria Lame? Why do you need her?Hmm, I wanted to joke, it's called.“Ask something if I can’t find it from you.”I'm sure you'll find it! So, magic, witchcraft and their church versions. You in the historical department. Wait here, I'll send the librarian.- And you?“No, no, I don’t claim to be a scholar in any way. Uncle Cornus is just making sure the librarians have something to eat a little. One moment.Kornus, to which the definition of "swindler" was too sticky, disappeared as if it did not exist at all, and I was left alone in a small room with bare walls, the only decoration of which were painted frescoes. One of them caught my attention and I moved closer. Not badly drawn, it was more like a battle canvas than a religious plot - on it a huge savage, armed with a club, heartily beat a kind of Thomas on the head. True, unlike th