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THE OUTLAND 71
- Well, sorcerer, how do you like my home? - Zhdan with a satisfied look looked around the only whole room left in the place of the ruins. Well, as a whole - relatively, of course. All four walls are in place, and as a roof, he dragged spruce branches, which protect well both from rain and from possible frosts. Otherwise, it was really quite comfortable here - a cleanly scraped table, littered with scrolls, the floor was covered with rugs, even glass remained in the window, and in the corner there was a kind of fireplace with a chimney leading to the roof. Well settled, nothing to say.- I like. – I answered without trembling. “But tell me, please, why did you bring me here?” “What, should I have left you to be eaten by a knuckle?” The guy winked. "Or let the staff eat you?"- Of course not. By the way, I never thanked you for...- Oh, it's empty. He waved it off. “I couldn’t leave a man in trouble. Somehow this is not good. But honesty for honesty. Come on, you first tell me how you
THE OUTLAND 72
“Dar… No, not like that. The spider gives not some kind of speed, but a whole doctrine about what is happening in your body, how to control it, and how to use not only your own or divine powers, but also ... - Zhdan cut himself off and looked suspiciously in my direction. “So are you, sorcerer—I don’t feel Warkart’s emanations from you. Why do you need his trifle? Are you looking for Okama's invulnerability? His powers? You know everything has a price, and if you don't pray to Warcarth, the price will be even higher for you.- I thought about it. I confessed. “Just when the hound attacked me. All artifacts obviously draw from somewhere ... let's call it a working resource. That is, they, in essence, represent a kind of magical mechanism with an energy source located ... Here I got stuck, and then a hound attacked me. - Clear. Well, sorcerer, congratulations - you have reached a level of your mind inaccessible to khaang hangers-on. Almost understood how their jewelry works. Nearly.-
THE OUTLAND 73
Yeah.I clearly imagined with what expression the last priest of the Spider would meet me - it must be understood, far from being a herbivore - and with a sigh I abandoned this idea. And what can I find here? Christmas tree birches still at the very least resemble the earthly ones familiar to me, like those that have sprouted through the asphalt in sleeping areas, but what about the berries? What can I find with my no level of herbalism? Now, when I pick up a full handful of some raven's eye or a wolf's bast, then my savior will rejoice."Why did I even agree to this stupid hunt? Isn't Zhdan, as a hospitable host, not obliged to greet the guest, set the table, feed and drink ..."The forest will answer me with another contemptuous chuckle. No, this is where you have to think. Understand causes, effects and logical chains. First, the food I'm getting is unlikely to be marbled beef or shrimp rolls. Most likely, I will not find anything but vipers and rats here. But if Zhdan offered me
THE OUTLAND 74
- Not hazing, but discipline. - Zhdan said instructively. - Look to your right - there should be a salt shaker on the table.“Yes, you have everything here, as far as I can see. Where does the recluse have such wealth?- From corpses. Zhdan answered shortly. Salt, money, weapons."But don't you want to go public?"- Why?- Well I do not know. Find new followers, for example. Expand the teachings of the Spider.- I do not want. I myself will definitely not die until this new trash is overturned into the ocean, I will be able to fight back. And as you can see, the novice was sent to me by the Spider himself when he considered that there was a need for this.“So the Spider sent me.- Exactly.Oh, and a sly look! No, Zhdan looked like anything - mischievous, funny, relaxed - but not like a religious fanatic.Do you believe in Spider yourself?- And what to believe in him? He visits every day. When the red stone was brought to the clearing, he warned that the undead would try to take it fo
THE OUTLAND 75
Returning to the game the next day, I hardly kept a strong word and froze - it turned out that I was standing in the water, and at my feet teeming with vipers. "So I played it," I thought. "Thank you all, let's start over."Or not? There was something strange in everything that was happening - the snakes purposefully crawled, but did not hiss and did not show other signs of aggression. It was like they didn't notice me. And why?I raised my translucent hands to my face - the right one, wrapped in some kind of rag, and the left one, which, it seems, is needed by someone just like that, wounded. Someone - I mean, it's me. Well, the me that stayed in the game while the other me went offline and waited for the session to reset. Very confusing, right? One way or another, even in this absence of mine, the thaumaturge did not sit idly by — the skill of averting eyes rose to five units, boiling blood to three, but the mask remained as it was zero. It looks like the mage only used the skills
THE OUTLAND 76
So I made a contribution, first in the guildmaster's office, and a little later - in the already familiar trap room. And here I am again in a bare room, the only decoration of which was a fresco with Okama, cheerfully brandishing a club.“Hello, hello, dear visitor. - Rolled out to meet Uncle Kornus. - How can I and my library be useful?“The story of the Nameless One, the prophecies of his return, the Church of the Spider.- Wow! Kornus admired. “Outside of this stronghold, you would no doubt be burned at the stake just asking about such books. But luckily we can help you.— Historical section.Have you been to our library before? Kornus was surprised. But I don't remember you! And, believe me, I certainly would not forget the person of your ... complexion.- Long story. - I waved it off.- Well, that's good. The director looked at me strangely. I will send a librarian to you, wait.It evaporated, and I turned to the Yum Nak mural. Okama's eye was already glowing red, which meant he
THE OUTLAND 77
Top-top, top-top. Breathing should have gone astray about five minutes ago, there should have been a noise in the head, saliva became viscous, and the liver responded with a chip. I know this because the mage is not in his own right a creature with the most outstanding physical fitness. And yet, top-top, top-top, back straight, arms like pistons, and lungs like bellows. I do not get tired, as if I have turned into a car, barely touching the pavement with my toes, and therefore more flying than running."To the boy who took the Word: you must not blindly follow the precepts of the teacher. There are no axioms, there are no truths without proof. Doubt everything, check everything, for what suits your teacher may not suit you, and what suits you can kill your teacher.Try everything yourself, and until you are convinced that it works, do not dare to memorize, memorize and turn it into a habit.- Stop! - From behind came numerous screams, the clang of metal, heavy steps and reckless swear
THE OUTLAND 78
For you can try to lift the stone with your hands, or you can use the lever. You can fight without a weapon, or you can take a sword. Know thyself, child."At Askolta, as usual, there was a huge queue of those who wanted to get outside the city walls - cheese and fish merchants, coal burners, mercenaries ... The port city attracted not only beautiful views, but also the opportunity to earn extra money. So people from all over the area were drawn here. I didn’t have a goal to make money, in fact, I brought the money myself - but whether it’s enough to charter a ship to Exod remains in question.Either way, if you don't try, you won't know. It will be extremely funny if I don't have enough money. I did not understand the local exchange rate yet, I only knew that the exchange rate was going on, as is customary in medieval worlds, at a hundred coins of a low denomination for one coin of a high one. One hundred coppers - silver, one hundred silver - gold.If the captain asks for gold for t