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THE OUTLAND 54
"Reader, you will soon get to know me better. Forgive me in advance. Give in to laziness, lean back, drink wine and be lazy as much as you want. And only when you start to feel sick from idleness - come back.And find out that we drink from the same font while we live, and return what we have drunk when we die. The life that the Font gives, flows in our veins, allows us to let go of the lived moment and take the next one. But there are those for whom their own is not enough, they want everything at once, a lot of everything. This is how the Divine Spouses turned out, this is how the Big Spider came to heaven, and this is how the foremother of death became the foremother of life. The world was inhabited by the elder gods.They were all people, and like all people, everything turned out wrong for them - the life intended for many thousands of generations spilled, scattered throughout Tlalli. Life flew all over the planet, settling in the water, on the ground, freezing in the air, burnin
THE OUTLAND 55
Yes, that's interesting, but...“Sir, listen further. Okama was not at all invincible in battle, on his way there were warriors much more sophisticated, much stronger, but he always moved on, winning with cunning where there was not enough strength, understanding how the enemy fought. Having cleared the coast of Exod from white barbarians, Okama put his warriors on ships and sailed to the coast of Habitat. Here they first encountered some other gods, no less powerful than the divine couple. One of them was the Sky Spider - Okama's forces laid siege to the temple of this deity, and a fighter entered the field, short, wiry, but armed with a huge two-handed sword. And the Spider fighter moved with such speed that the most accurate archers could not hit him, the best spearmen fell dead. And at some point he got to Okama.“I mean, are you saying this Spider also had a champion?”“I don't know the word the lord uses. But in the eyes of the Spider fighter, the same fire burned as in the eyes
THE OUTLAND 56
Nodding to us, the commander of the patrol raised his fist, and the cavalcade with a clatter and a roar departed.“Look, there are no more questions. Yolka smiled. “Apparently, your captain has already told everyone that he has his eye on the nun Arsa.- He is not mine!- Yes of course.Askolta remained unvisited, she sailed back in the sunset, and we moved on along a well-trodden road. For the bridge, as Yolka put it.- Christmas tree?- Hm?“Are you the Archer of Ars?”- Let's put it. What is it?— How rich is the church of Ars?— Compared to what, depending. If with you, then, of course, rich. The girl winked. At least she has money.- And in general?- Not really. The archer confessed. - Ars specializes in hunting, ranged combat and reconnaissance. You understand, this is a bit not something that can get rich. And, of course, the reputation of the church - they say, they train spies there, and all the novices of the spy without exception.“That’s why the captain wasn’t surprised a
THE OUTLAND 57
“And everything is going according to plan. I muttered thoughtfully.No, actually, even too according to the plan! And when everything goes too well, I start looking for a catch. We were really placed in the guest quarters, fed, watered and provided with a bath, and at ten o'clock there was a gentle knock on the door and invited Sister Dergilda to proceed to the captain's chambers. Okay, this is understandable - the captain is suffering from sperm toxicity, so his thinker is completely disabled. But everyone else! What's wrong with them? Why didn't anyone think to stop us along the way and ask a couple of questions? Oh yes, promise...The captain also suddenly decided not to immediately take the horse by the leg, but to play the gentleman - he poured wine, cut fruit, lit candles. And, of course, he successfully turned the back of his head, where the heavy silver tray flew so successfully. A true gentleman. It is terrible even to think what would have happened if he had not been a con
THE OUTLAND 58
Foma stood in front of me, tilted his head to one side, studying thoughtfully. I absorbed the incoming information like a sponge, feverishly moving my brain. The remark about the murderer Tael is logical, but so far I don’t need it, but the “currents of life” ... This is interesting!“You are an ungrateful bastard, boy. Aren't you grateful that your father can work again, move his arm, live like normal people? Not? Looks like no. Otherwise, why would you sneak up on a defenseless sleeping holy brother with a dagger? What's the matter? Maybe you can tell? Foma winked, and I felt that I could move my tongue and lips again.- Yes, so ....- Don't talk though! he interrupted excitedly. “People are ungrateful and do not see good, and for what in Mount they can take offense at me is for the execution of a sorcerer and the ascension of his girlfriend!” It’s hardly a matter of a girlfriend - these arrows suit you too much in front of your eyes. So you've come to avenge your friend? Or do you
THE OUTLAND 59
Rob, Rob, get up. A familiar soft voice called out to me.Otherwise, I will be late for my first working day, for my first game death at the stake. I took a deep breath of air, expecting a flash of pain where the bloody artifact gnawed at the flesh - and coughed. There was no pain. Only the smell of a thunderstorm, only the surf and emptiness beating somewhere far, far away on the rocks.“Welcome to Limbo Island. - said the same voice, and I opened my eyes, stared at the low gray sky, felt the hard rock under my shoulder blades. “You almost succeeded, my Rob, my hero. — Agnis?"But aren't you dead?"Dead, Rob. But you also died. It happens, those are the rules. - The girl squatted down next to me, picking up the hem of a sundress that seems out of place here, in the Middle Ages, invented by some sadist.“Foma thought that he would simply kill you, suck the life out of you and send you to frighten the people in the form of a Fel creature. But it turned out that he did you a favor.“Ac
THE OUTLAND 60
DevTeam:“Dear players!It's no secret that our organization has licensed the "Far Search" engine for the game as the most fully meeting all the requirements: it is fast, compatible with the products of most modem manufacturers, perfectly scales to any perception of time and provides the best gaming experience!However, a few vulnerabilities remain in the main game core, allowing some dishonest players to take advantage of changing perception, actually speeding it up more than twice! In the current update, this annoying bug will be fixed, and the speed of perception multiplier is now fixed at five times the value of real time.Since this is our mistake and oversight, we will not block the accounts of violators, but keep in mind that we know everyone who abuses vulnerabilities! For the first time, we will limit ourselves to a warning.UPD: slows, boosts and trances will remain intact. The update only fixes classes without special reaction rolls.Alien War development team.Ferenz L:We
THE OUTLAND 61
Usually the path to the scaffold is long and thorny. You have to ruin too many people's lives, break too many laws. But here, in this rough, primitive world, everything is much simpler - one unfounded accusation, one unoccupied inquisitor, ready to interrogate an innocent one for the sake of statistics ... The cane system in all its glory.How was it in our humane and merciful history? Fortunately, the Inquisition did not get to Mother Russia, although there were enough masters of shoulder cases here. But, I remember, innocence was determined by sewing a person into a bag and throwing him into the water; if he swims out, he is guilty and is obliged to be betrayed by the purifying flame, if he drowns, then he is not guilty. The logic is amazing. "Hey, what are you going to do to me?" I asked an elderly sword-wielding swordsman I already knew.- Shut up, sorcerer. "He didn't turn to me," he muttered. “If I had my way, I would shred you into cabbages on the spot. But the Great Church is
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- THE OUTLAND
Epilogue
And then ... Everything went - as it went. And may there always remain worlds where people are lonely, where it is dark, and icteric palms of maples fall from the sky. One day Avdeyka and his mother... Aunt? The devil will break his leg in their difficult relationship. One way or another, they will definitely get there. Maybe one day they will get to the chair where my reader is bent from loneliness. Who knows, the universe is merciful and loves its children. But it is not exactly. But it is known: today the very first seven testers-gods got up from sleep. Eduardo, Shelly, Alexey, Umbra, Erebus and Nyukta, Selina. Alive, absolutely. Skinny, of course, like a spring rook, but quite sane. Shelly even tried to pick up her son from the distributor, but she was quickly explained that he would definitely be better there. Astrix also did not go away, although he got out from under the dropper. From time to time he walks into other people's dreams, treats him to strange drinks and cigare
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181
Rob, hurry up! Astrix's voice called. We won't be able to hold him back for long!The scarlet bloody whip in the air was overwhelmed by several multi-colored energy flows at once, trembling with tension. The thaumaturge, gaping, stopped bombarding me with new spells for a change and stared at the doomsday reigning in the sky.Who are you boy? Why did you decide that to treat you the same way as everyone else is the greatest injustice? Where did the thoughts in your head come from that people should be connected by feelings and affections, and not by common interests?I understood what all this battle was about, what the road had led to until now. The boy remained alone all his life, believing that he was just very unlucky, and that somewhere there must be friendly hands, a warm smile and hope for tomorrow - you just need to look properly. About the fact that the world is dying of loneliness, he learned much later, becoming much older.A world that didn't need a boy. A world that aband
- THE OUTLAND
180
- Un-life. Why don't you rein in your robbers then? - I almost believed it. Nearly. “The corruption is preparing for a massive raid on the lands of the living, which means…- I know. But I'm still an avatar, my abilities are limited. And I can't go anywhere from here. To become a goddess in the fullest sense of the word, I need...— Believers! I slapped my forehead. - Well, of course. Followers, believers, own church.“We can start with the first knights. So... How do you look... - She blushed, looked away. - Well…“Become one of those ugly strategists?— Rob! You are to blame for their appearance! You can look whatever you want!- Nevermind. But you yourself understand - there is some complexity. If I'm next to you on Limbo right now, it most likely means that I'm dead. And a corpse cannot be turned corrupted. An undead connecting rod - you can, but not with Filth.- It's true. But something has changed.- Yes?“You see, two people from the same account came into this world. And one
- THE OUTLAND
179
"I look into my eyes ... I'll touch my lips. And what to say when I'm gone?" - Asked guitar picks over the black Icelandic beach, and the night was surprisingly warm, not at all suitable for November in the northern latitudes of Limbo.Night again, beach again. Another terrible headache.“Rob, Rob…” Nervous, sensitive fingers stroked my head. “You never get used to the fact that the body is a weapon. Relaxed, believed in the brothers on opposite sides of the barricades. That's what I got. Did you get it?- I cant. I complained without opening my eyes. - I'm tired. Why do they keep killing me? We almost agreed, almost resolved the issue.“We haven’t decided, stupid Robushka. And they couldn't. Understand that from the point of view of Warcraft, it is he who overcomes fifty years of captivity, cut off from his loved one, overcomes obstacle after obstacle, trying to reunite the family. Or at least avenge their deaths. And when he wins, there will be a happy epilogue and everyone will be
- THE OUTLAND
178
He dissapeared."Spider, come on!" I pleaded.A silent prayer burst out of my chest and spread throughout the Oikumene, and when there was no space between me and the fury of the avenging god, a huge black sword, literally a millimeter above my head, was stopped by a blade of sand.“You should look for an opponent in size,” Astrix smiled white-toothed.So you helped him. Ware said slowly. "It's good that both of you are here!"- And what will you do? Ban me too?- Not.Ware waved his hand, and the glow of the font parted, releasing the already familiar crystal, which contained the powers of the defeated gods. Only this one was much larger, and not empty. Zhdan froze inside him with his mouth wide open from a tearing cry!- Oh, you're a creature. Spider said softly. “You do understand that after this you won’t leave here with your own feet?”- Don't care. I don't care at all! I will kill you both!The clapping of his hands fanned the blood around him, and the magician's body seemed to
- THE OUTLAND
177
Closed tightly, I almost completely stopped relying on the light, leaving only my new outlandish vision. It gave the picture with spots, intersecting lines, but the brain quickly adjusted itself, and from the flickering in front of the inner gaze, it independently completed a completely three-dimensional picture of the environment. The steps underfoot seemed new, almost untrodden, although the temple itself is definitely more than two thousand years old...However, this is logical. Only a couple of dozen people have walked this road. The senior pantheon came to the Font when it was still an ordinary cave in the mountain, and, of course, no staircase had yet been built. So consider it an untrodden path.Turn after turn, the levels went past - the sacrificial altar, administrative premises, the household unit, the barracks ... Soon, according to the sensations, the ground level also passed. This was told to me by my vision, since nothing has changed in all other parameters. There were n
- THE OUTLAND
176
The Christmas tree backed away, and I, sinfully squeezing past it in half, stared thoughtfully at my avatar. A savage Amri, a slave by birth, a pacifist by conviction - it was necessary to manage, in such and such a world, to get a lowered pain threshold! Laughter and sin, in general, are obviously cannon fodder, which usually does not survive even the first serious battle.But they survived. And they didn't even get scars. Unless, of course, do not count those inside. And, of course, a snowflake peeking out from under the undergarments. But this is not a scar, but rather a protective mark. Okay, good time to pull, it is already in short supply.- Hey, get up! I called.The spider said something about the reunion of soul and body. But damn, how to implement it? God somehow forgot to mention the technical details - either he really didn’t know, or for him such tricks are so in the order of things that they are not worth clarifying.No answer. Of course."Get up, motherfucker!" I shook
- THE OUTLAND
175
- What?! I barked. - What nonsense! Xolotl is alive, I personally...- Killed her? Astrix raised an eyebrow. “Finished off what little was left of her?”But you are all alive. You, Ware, other scumbags. What happened to Shelly?- She was already unstable at the time of digitization because of the child, you understand? One and a half consciousness, working out of tune. Technique then simply did not provide for such a situation ... And now, you yourself understand. Pregnancy is a vanishingly rare phenomenon these days.“But she gave birth in those two thousand years.- Both in real life and in virtual, yes. But in real life, the process of childbirth is simply the separation of one from the other without any sacrifice on the part of the psychostructure. In the virtual, everything turned out a little differently.And who did she give birth to? Gary?The spider chuckled.- Does not give you a dream of rest, I see. No, not Gary. Who cares. The main thing is that the rejection mechanism at
- THE OUTLAND
174
Agnis exhaled convulsively again, but said nothing.— In general, it all started with Haang as the very first. He went to the abyss, where he deposed the archangel. Now all the Filth is in his hands. They do not touch people yet, but they destroyed one cemetery. Guess which one.“The same thing, without the ankh!” I gasped. “So there is no longer any protection between humans and the Filth!”- Right. Khaang's troops catch all living things and turn them into Filth - they accumulate strength. As soon as they accumulate enough, they move on. We have no idea where, but it is clear now: Haang will not be the only corrupted god at the head of this army. Soon the rest will realize where the game is fatter, and against the seven demons, I'm afraid even I can't resist.- Good. What we can do?- Restore balance. Astrix shrugged. — Return the ankh to its homeland, restore the lich of the plundered cemetery. Even one lich can hold back the Filth indefinitely, and if he summons a bone dragon...-
