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4

Chapter 4

- Multiple fractures throughout the body!

— The rib pierced the right lung.

- Severe concussion! The patient loses consciousness! Coma threat!

Give him an adrenaline rush!

- Yes, he has it and so rolls over!

— Almost brought, the surgeon is waiting in the operating room.

- Where is it then?

- This employee of the corporation Game - World , we have an agreement with them. After the operation, immediately into the capsule for recovery.

- If not for the helmet, my head would burst like a watermelon ...

“Wait, but we were called seven minutes ago. And he was hit by a truck in just two minutes. In addition, the guy is wearing a helmet, protection. Adrenaline in the blood ... Something is unclean here.

Not our problem, let the police deal with it.

But still, it's very suspicious...

Stop talking, watch the patient! Pulse dropped, Masha, urgently shoot him adrenaline!

- I fix the deterioration.

“What did you inject him with, you fool?” Those are muscle relaxants! You will drive him into someone now! Urgently we put the patient on a ventilator!

The last thing I remembered was the creaking of wheels, an approaching truck and the nasty howls of an ambulance. Then there was a strong blow, pain all over my body, darkness, bright flashes of light, as if someone was shining a flashlight into my eyes, and the muffled voices of the ambulance crew.

Then everything went out, only to burst into a pearly white light the next moment.

“What the…” I began, as a man in a classic gray suit appeared in front of me.

“Good afternoon, Alexander,” he looked at me with tired eyes, “do you remember what happened to you?”

“Um,” I said, touching my head. - A truck, a blow, someone's voices ...

"Okay," the man nodded in satisfaction. So it will be easier for you to understand what happened. I’m sorry, but you were hit by an unmanned truck,” the man continued, without letting me recover. - At the moment you are in intensive care, and your consciousness is in the virtual space of the Game - World corporation , but the forecasts are disappointing.

Did I succeed?

“I,” the voice trembled treacherously, “will I die?”

“I won’t deceive you,” the interlocutor pursed his lips dryly, “but, most likely, yes.

- But…

"So let's not waste time," the man interrupted me. - My name is Sergey Vorobyov, I am a representative of the Game - World gaming corporation . Three days ago, an internship agreement was concluded with you, which, after a three-month period, is automatically extended into an official contract. According to the agreement, the company will provide you with an avatar in any of the top 100 game projects on the planet. But for this we need your signature.

- What's the signature? I asked, barely emerging from the enveloping voice of a corporate representative whose name seemed vaguely familiar to me.

“An empty formality,” Sergey Vorobyov waved his hand, holding out an A4 sheet and a black gel pen that appeared in his hands. - Just sign in the lower right corner.

Never sign a contract without reading it! Over the past three days of work in this organization, I have learned this rule well, so I put my right hand behind my back, and carefully took a snow-white sheet of paper with my left. An empty formality, you say? Come on, come on...

"What do you mean, 'admit yourself dead'?" — I clarified, reading the complex sentences, overloaded with terms and references.

- I'm telling you, this is a formality, - Sergei Vorobyov nodded soothingly. - After your signature, the corporation will be able to digitize you. Of course, you will have to forget about the university. Besides…

The representative of Game - World said something else, but I did not listen to him.

I remembered where I knew his name from. Last week, the management department where I delivered mail yesterday received three newcomers. Experienced salespeople, but complete noobs in virtual worlds. The guys still laughed that the newcomers could unknowingly give a divine artifact to someone!

In addition, judging by the tone and general direction of the conversation, the manager Sergey looked at my file diagonally. And what came first? That's right - a laboratory assistant of the philological faculty of Moscow State University.

And yet, it was somehow unprofessional.

I looked accusingly at a manager named Sergei Vorobyov, who was talking with enthusiasm. After all, any person who is more or less interested in virtual worlds and game capsules has read Krasnikov's Crossroads. Well, or looked. "Kill the Dragon" was filmed, if I'm not mistaken, about five years ago.

What am I for? Peter turned out to be an ardent fan of Krasnikov and the current situation is the same as the opening scene of his book.

“Oh, Sergey, Sergey…” the manager apparently finished reading his script and was now patiently waiting for my answer. - It's a classic! Well, do you really think that what is happening is an accident?

What is the condition of my body? I asked, slowly voicing my thoughts.

“Stably heavy,” Sergei barely grimaced. “You fell into a coma during transportation, which is why we offer you…”

"I won't sign anything," I said firmly, making sure everything was going according to plan.

As far as I remember, the hero of Krasnikov had to call a lawyer to defend his interests. It's of no use to me. My accounts are empty, which means that no one will do the operation. And I can lie in a coma for a very long time. And Game - World , according to the contract, are obliged to maintain the condition of my body for at least 3 more months. You could say my plan worked.

In general, it was damn scary to throw myself under a truck. Even though I was insured. He put on a helmet with protection, threw himself on dietary supplements and pills, which he washed down with cherry mocha, dispersed adrenaline in his blood.

But all this did not guarantee survival.

It was possible, of course, to listen to the opinion of a friend in the gaming workshop, who worked for several years on an ambulance and crash into a truck on a tangent ... But I decided to furnish everything as plausibly as possible.

As a result, now I am in the Game - World building , in a healing capsule and so far an almost completely free from obligations person. Why in GW and not in the hospital? It is more profitable for a polyclinic to keep a small staff of doctors in the corporation building than to spend a lot of money on servicing capsules on its territory.

And considering that Max and Marina should have been looked for not in the real world, but in the virtual one, the first part of my plan was a success. The main thing is to have time to choose the world, until someone smarter than the manager Seryozha catches on.

By the way, remembering yesterday's conversation between managers, why not try to be a little more insolent? With one of the experienced Game - World managers, this trick will not work, but Seryozha has never immersed himself in the virtual ... Ah, there was not!

- How will you not? - Sergei Vorobyov was taken aback in the meantime, - but this is ...

“I won’t sign the contract,” I repeated patiently, deciding in my mind what to try to swindle Seryozha. Divine Armor? Rare blade?

- But…

- No buts! Sergey, what's the difference to you? It's just that my family will be left without insurance. Let's move on to the final part of our conversation. Here, - I shivered, not at all grimacing, - it's very uncomfortable. Indeed, even though I was surrounded by a pearly white light, but being in this ... "virtual dressing room" was very uncomfortable. No furniture, no walls, no bottom, no top...

“Um, well, well,” the manager said, puzzled, knocked out of the usual rut of the script. - Then let's move on to the choice of the virtual world?

- And bonuses! I reminded, inwardly frozen.

“And bonuses,” the manager obediently agreed. — What would you like to choose?

“As usual,” I shrugged casually, trying not to show the excitement that gripped me.

"Divine Blade? Divine Armor? Divine Skill? Palevno…”

“Starting relic set,” I said, instantly calculating the possible options in my head, “an artifact with a personal binding, a spell and a skill.

"Good," the manager nodded indifferently. "And yet you're sure...

- Exactly, exactly! I shifted from foot to foot in impatience. - Ready for game world selection!

The manager shrugged his shoulders, unprofessional muttered something about my meager mental abilities under his breath and turned into a whitish haze. Instead, a huge inscription immediately appeared:

Attention! Time left to select game world:

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Before me appeared a list of hundreds of worlds, most of which I already knew by heart.

… Battle for the Threshold. Rating. Lands of sword and magic. Sicilian Defense...

And come across both private and public projects.

… Another world. Space online. Space stalkers...

It's funny, but one of the reasons why I needed to get into the GW capsule is this list.

... Star Republics. Steampunk. Evolution. Path to heaven...

On my first day as an intern, I found seventeen unofficial versions of the top 77 virtual projects and none of the top 100.

…Shards of worlds. Tower. Labyrinth. Pangea…

There was info from the global internet, from various news sources, but there was no official list of the top 100. Which means...

... Tropical paradise. Caribbean paradise. Bermuda Triangle. Plantation 2.0…

It means that someone from the powers that be intentionally did not disclose the information. But just why?

… Baldur's Gate. Lands of eternal winter. Perimeter protection. Martian threat...

Suppose that there is at least one secret virtual project, the existence of which, for some reason, is not advertised. What is the probability that first Mariska and then Max worked for him?

… Zone. Dragon Wars. Restoration of Erathia. Second chance. A sea of ​​possibilities...

And is there any hope that Marina left me a hint where to look for her in case of anything?

… The Death Star. Blood and gasoline. Wasteland. Styx. Hive…

And how by the name of the project to understand that this is exactly that world? Stop!

I went back and glared at the previous line:

… Zone. Dragon Wars. Restoration of Erathia. Second chance. A sea of ​​possibilities...

A couple of years ago, Marina constantly tried to leave our team in order to connect her life with the Second Chance. And her current project was supposed to contain a clue. A clue so obvious that Max guessed it, but it never occurred to the rest that something more was hiding behind simple banality.

First Second Chance . Behind him is a sea of ​​possibilities . Marina is Latin for "sea". Digital immortality. A sea of ​​possibilities... Coincidence? I don't think.

I resolutely drove away treacherous thoughts about a possible mistake and chose the Sea of ​​​​opportunities.

Attention! Choose a race!

I glanced down the list of races and became despondent.

Of course, it was always possible to choose a person, but if I'm right, then unique races and classes should be protected in the game. Someone who, but Mariska would not miss the opportunity to leave a couple of Easter eggs and well-hidden surprises. In addition, Max hinted that I should choose my favorite build, which means ...

- Show me all the elves, please!

The system silently responded to my request, and in front of me was a list of thirteen (!) Items.

Elf

half-elf

snow elf

Forest Elf

blood elf

gray elf

drow

golden elf

air elf

Outcast

moon elf

sun elf

high elf

I've always had an affinity for these big-eared creatures, but what a damn dozen sub-races? This, in my opinion, is overkill. Although... Marina knew exactly about Max's favorite build - a human paladin, capable of fighting both alone and in a group. And mine is an elf with a bastard sword or a rapier - so let's study the races in more detail.

Elf - Infravision, plus to Dexterity, minus to Stamina, Ability to wield a longbow, bastard sword and rapier. Bonus to Search, Stealth, Traps, Trade (+20%).

Hmm classic. Okay, let's see what's next.

Half- elf - Infravision, Proficiency with a longbow and bastard sword. Half Bonus to Search, Stealth, Trade (+10%).

Well, yes, well, yes, as they say, neither fish nor meat. And who chooses half-elves anyway?

Snow Elf - Ability to wield a longbow and bastard sword. plus to Dexterity, minus to Strength. Cold resistance 20%. Bonus to Search, Stealth, Traps (+20%). Bonus to Trade (+15%).

For lovers of the mountains, probably the most it.

Wood Elf - Infravision, plus Dexterity, minus Stamina, Proficiency with the longbow, bastard sword, and rapier. Bonus to Search, Stealth, Traps (+20%). +1% to Critical Hit.

Well, everything is clear here, a typical ranger.

Blood Elf - Infravision, Longbow, Longsword Proficiency. Blood magic affinity (+20%). Magic resistance 5%.

But this is more interesting. Blood magic in all games is quite a serious thing. Plus a bonus to anti-magic.

Gray Elf - Infravision, plus to Dexterity, minus to Stamina, Proficiency with longbow, bastard sword, and rapier. Bonus to Search, Stealth, Traps, Shadow Magic (+20%). +10% to create Illusions.

Classic dancer with shadows. If you pump, then at night and in the caves I will be a complete imba.

Drow - Infravision, plus to Dexterity, minus to Stamina, Proficiency with longbow, bastard sword, and rapier. Bonus to Search, Stealth, Traps, Shadow Magic (+20%). Reputation with Other Races: Hatred. Ability to wear adamant armor.

Very tasty, but everything spoils the reputation with other races. I'm not going into this game to sit in the dungeons and participate in the intrigues of the matrons. Armor is, of course, cool, but until the first sunbeam. So we skip.

Gold Elf - Infravision, plus Dexterity, minus Stamina, plus Charisma, Longbow, Longsword and Rapier proficiency. Bonus to Search, to Trade, to the received gold (+20%). Reputation with Other Races: Sympathy.

A very interesting choice. So I see in front of me a wandering mercenary with a tightly stuffed wallet and a whole detachment of satellites. And Charisma and relationships with other races will serve as an excellent tool for taking quests.

Air Elf - Infravision, plus Intelligence, Agility, minus Stamina, Strength. Proficiency with longbow, bastard sword and rapier. Bonus to Search, Stealth, Air magic (+20%). Increased Earth and Fire damage (+20%). Keen Eye (+5% to Critical Strike). Fluffy (+5% to take no damage when falling from a height).

Hmm, very, very tasty. Too bad it's a minus to Strength. The carrying capacity of this hero will tend to zero.

Outcast - Infravision, plus Dexterity, minus Stamina, Longbow, Longsword and Rapier Proficiency. Ambidexter. Bonus to Search, Stealth, Traps, Air magic (+20%). Keen Eye (+5% to Critical Strike). Fluffy (+5% to take no damage when falling from a height). Reputation with Other Races: Sympathy. Reputation with the elves: Dislike. Is hidden. Attention! Out of Rank!

Uh-uh-uh-uh, and what could be so? An almost unrealistic class for both a solo game and a clan. That's just "Hidden" and "Out of Rating" - very embarrassing ... Okay, let's see what's next.

Moon Elf - Infravision, plus Dexterity, minus Stamina, Proficiency with the longbow, bastard sword, and rapier. Bonus to Search, Stealth, Shadow Magic (+15%). +10% to all skills at night, -10% to all skills during the day. +10% to create Illusions.

Yeah, well, this is for owls. I bet you can make a cool vampire out of a Moon Elf, but I certainly won't test my theory.

Sun Elf – Plus to Dexterity, minus to Stamina, Proficiency with longbow, bastard sword, and rapier. Bonus to Search, to Trade, to Fire magic (+20%). During the day +10% to all skills, at night -10% to all skills. Owns a spell: Sunbeam.

And here it’s the other way around – for larks. Delicious bonuses, but the lack of infravision negates all the benefits. Although for a team game it’s very personal, especially if you play the Priest.

High Elf - Infravision, plus Dexterity and Charisma, minus Stamina, Proficiency with the longbow, bastard sword, and rapier. Bonus to Search, Persuasion (+20%). Bonus to any magic (+10%). Reputation with Other Races: Dislike. Can wear armor.

Wow! Well, it's a real uberwafel! An elf in armor is power. Just like drow, only they won't crumble in the sun. But Hostility with other races is, consider, minus two-thirds of the quests.

M-yes...

I also ran my eyes over the list, comparing the races of the elves and correlating their characteristics with my calculations on character development.

Considering that I came to this project not so much to play as to find my brother and Marina, I need a loner who can stand up for himself - once. Good reputation with locals - two. And the trump card up my sleeve, with which, on occasion, I can surprise a strong opponent - three.

And out of the whole list, I like Outcast the most. In addition, "Hidden" is highlighted in green, which means it's something nice. For example, a built-in quest. Only this Rating… Yes, and with a capital letter… So the analogy with the Social Rating, which is assigned to each person and user of the HoloNet, suggests itself.

But I have never heard that the Social Ranking was tied to games. Except, perhaps, only Catlions. Well, where they re-educated criminals and other social workers. And then, the maximum that a player could achieve was to serve time in the Game World, and not in mines or in a dungeon.

Oh, I would like at least a couple of attempts to test! After all, the absence of this warning from others gives reason to assume that the rest participate in the Rating. And again questions ... What kind of Rating is it?

Maybe it's some kind of gamer rating? Well, there, blogs, your own YouTube channel, recognition among the pros, clan battles, the Championship and other content? Yes, most likely it is. I don’t need popularity at all, and therefore ...

Choose Outcast!

The figure of the elf flickered into a column of air, and suddenly tossed its head. In the eyes of my future avatar, a white fire blazed, which in the next second flooded everything around with a pearly flame.

I blinked dumbfounded, and the next moment I was in a snowy forest.