《Hazardous Debugging: Reanimation》


 Chapter I

    "Greetings, Oleg, How are you feeling?"


    I opened my eyes and nearly fell, grabbing for the backrest of a chair in front of me. I took a look around by instinct. I seemed to be in a study of some sort. Walls were lined with wood, a dark green rug spread beneath me, the ceiling was covered by a mosaic of geometrical patterns. Lanterns filled with bright floating spheres hung from the walls.


    Through a window to my right, I was able to glimpse a wild pine forest. A massive cloth-lined table took up the middle of the study. Behind it sat a stocky man, somewhere around the age of 50, his brown hair somewhat touched by grey. A large nose, a massive jaw, watchful grey eyes, and thin lips created the impression of a smart high-handed man who, judging by his clothes, was quite successful. The stranger was wearing a white shirt with a collar and a dark brown waistcoat with large silver buttons.


    "I''m fine." I answered, hiding my bewilderment. As hard as I tried, I was unable to collect myself, but intuitively I felt as though it''s better to play along for the time being. "Thanks."


    "Take a seat, we have a long conversation ahead of us."


    I stepped around the cloth-lined chair of a creamy color. As I sat, memories came crawling back into my mind. And judging by the images that flashed in my head, I wasn''t supposed to be here.


    "With whom do I have the honor?" I asked. In my head, I hear the voice of my old friend saying: "The professional deformity is obvious at this point."


    "Michael Eugene Arsenyev, Head of the rehab facility in the Nano-Med Corporation, Sector One Healthcare Department. Tell me, Oleg, What''s the last thing you remember?"


    "I remember?"


    I forced a crooked smile. I heard a shrill whistle and saw the horrible, insane view of torn holes erupting from my body, first from my stomach, then from my chest, completely bursting my rib cage. The sight of my left arm flying away somewhere to the side as if in a twisted, macabre slide show. Helena shrieks... I remember taking two steps back and falling onto the blood-splattered pavement. My last stupid thought, ''Explosive, high caliber rounds. And then Darkness. Nobody walks away from that.


    "Did I die?"


    "Good question! Technically, yes. On the 19th of June, 2017, a death certificate was issued to Oleg Fidex. Cause of death: Multiple gunshot wounds, death was instantaneous."


    "Then why...? You don''t exactly look like St. Peter! And this doesn''t look like a hospital!", I gestured at my surroundings with resentment, "Or is this actually the afterlife?!"


    "Technically, yes." The man gave a slight smile. "At the time of your death, section 17 of your extended medical insurance package came into effect. Your brain was cryogenically frozen and has been kept in storage till your revival would become possible."


    "And? Have I been Revived? Then why aren''t I at a medical center?"


    "Yes, you have been. You are currently in our rehab center''s virtual reality simulation."


    I started starring at my arm. It looked like mine. I messed up my hair, bit down on my knuckles. I scratched my nose, tugged at the collar of my shirt Becoming aware of what I was wearing. I had on a white shirt, creamy pants, and brown leather shoes. Nothing out of the ordinary. No! There was one thing I noticed: I didn''t want to smoke.


    "So, what am I? A brain in a jar?"


    "Not anymore. Your conscience has been transferred to a silicone-based hard drive."


    "And my brain?"


    "Utilized."


    I sprang to my feet. The chair fell behind me with a thud. I''m an App.. a script, a set of bites, or whatever they have on IT classes today! I don''t even have DNA!


    Jesus! Just like the Matrix! Only worse!


    I suddenly recalled my second year at the university. The audience was filled with teachers and students alike. Everybody was listening to a lecture on the topic of the future of cybernetics held by a Japanese professor named Hirosi Isigura. During his speech, the question of the difference between man and machine arose. The professor stated that there was none which caused an uproar in the audience, and one student shouted louder than the others:


    "That''s impossible! Professor, could you please elaborate on how can ..."


    "Of course, I can, for instance: You have sustained an arm injury. And your arm is replaced by a prosthetic limb. Have you become a robot?"


    "No!"


    "After some time you have had your second arm replaced, then your legs, heart, liver... are you still human?"


    "Definitely so, still human."


    "First one internal organ, then another, and another. As a result, you have become a mechanical shell, with an artificial skull stuffed with your brain. Have you become a machine?"


    "No, I remain human. Or a cyborg of sorts, but still human. The brain remains my own, and so does my conscience."


    "Now bear with me: The nerve tissue of your brain has worn out with time, and you replace a small fraction of that tissue with an artificial one. Has that made you a machine?"Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    "I don''t think so..." The voice started to waver a little.


    "Little by little, piece by piece, your entire brain is replaced, without any functionality disorders of any kind. Are you still human?" The audience fell into silence.


    "And now make a complete copy of your physical carrier and conduct a simple Copy/Paste operation with your conscience. Now, where is the "real" you?"


    A grave silence settled in the room. It was then that I realized that I stopped breathing, so I pushed the air out of my lungs (exhaled) with a wheeze. The lecture went on. Afterward, I, being a promising student, was offered an internship under Isiguro''s supervision, under the university''s foreign exchange program. In the international relations office, I honestly said that I consider the professor to be a deranged psychopath and declined. The university administration wasn''t happy. It looks like in the end, the professor was right...


    "Excuse me, right about what?"


    I seemed to have let the last phrase slip from my lips.


    "Back in the 21 century, there was one interesting Japanese professor, Hirosi Ishiguro, who sort of predicted this whole situation. A God Damned prophet!"


    "Are you saying that you knew Professor Ishiguro?"


    "I attended a few of his lectures..." And then it hit me, "What year is this?"


    "The year is 2375."


    "Sonova...." I sat right down on the floor. 358 years... My thoughts raced: What happened to Mom, Dad, my sisters? And Helena? It took nearly all I had left in me to ask. What came out was a low whisper:


    "Why?"


    "Pardon, why what?" ¨C replied Arsenyev watching at me mindfully over his folded arms


    "Why did you bring me back!? Why the hell would you need a guy, perhaps even a smart one, with the knowledge that''s already 400 years out of date? Did a bunch of archeologists dig me up in some forgotten refrigerator? Back then, I had a life! I had Dreams! Plans! A girlfriend! A Future! What have I got here?! A few terabytes on a hard drive?! A coil of wires for a brain!? I don''t even have any Descendants! Everything I had was lost to the ages! What do you want from me? Memories? Knowledge? You could have copied all of that without reviving me!"


    "There''s no reason for such despair, Young man!"


    "I''m 300 years older than you!"


    "Actually, it''s just 196 years. and I can answer all of your questions, but first, you must tell me: Do you like living?"


    "Sure, why not? I like Living. Living, breathing, eating, smoking, drinking, Getting drunk, I like fucking! I... I wanted a family, to raise a son, to watch him grow, and what can you offer me? A program with inheritance protocols?!"


    Arsenyev silently slid me a pack of cigarettes without a label with a built-in lighter. I started to smoke. A few minutes passed till the cigarette had smoldered down to its filter, and the fumes seethed into my virtual lungs. I smothered the flame down on the rug and breathed in the scent of burning wool. My miraculous host broke the silence;


    "Your situation is not as dire as it seems! Allow me to answer in succession. Your first question: why were you brought back? Three years ago a package of certain laws was passed, by which citizens of the Federation have the right to an unlimited extension of life. According to these laws, anyone who died without direct damage to the brain or some of its''s specific segments will have his or her personality digitized and placed into a virtual reality of their choice. As a result of such a statement, everyone who ever died and signed the freezing agreement in the history of the Federation Became subject to revival. Secondly. You do have direct descendants. There are currently a little over 700 of them. Your fianc¨¦e preserved a sample of your DNA and extracted the necessary amount of genetic material required for artificial fertilization. The offspring later inherited your company which has developed over the last 300 years and is now a multi-million corporation in charge of the terraforming operations on planet Mars. And finally yet importantly, any citizen has the opportunity to have an artificial body grown and their conscience transferred. However, I''m afraid it''s not that simple."


    "And under what conditions is that possible?"


    "Social value over 300 units. Participation in special activities, a private capital of over 3 billion universal energy units, or an intellectual level of 400 points and over following the Lesinsky table."


    "Damn. That''s quite a list, I don''t have any idea what any of those qualifications mean. But if it''s a question of cash I don''t see a problem! My heirs are the owners of a successful megacorporation! I''m sure they''ve got the green to bring back their beloved Grand Dad! Plus with today''s technologies Even my son might still be alive! Or even his mother..."


    "It pains me to say that your fianc¨¦e, Helena Fidex, refused the freezing procedure and died at the age of 112. Your son perished during the second expedition to Mars. Your grandson was assassinated. Your great-great-great-grandson, who is 174 years of age, is currently running the company and does not intend to relinquish power any time soon. You don''t possess any property rights to Mars-Terraform, and 3 billion ergo is a considerable amount of money, even for a corporation this big. Finally, no one will transfer such funds to you simply because it is prohibited by our laws. Your current Social Value is 70 units, your intellectual level: 320. Special applications for citizen revival won''t be provided for the next 20 years."


    "Bummer... So I don''t have the slightest chance of getting a body?"


    "Why not? It is possible to raise your social value to the desired level in-game. In that case, you will need only a hundred million ergo, and pass a course of adaptation therapy in a secure VR sector to be permitted a body."


    I kept circling the study, considering my options. The fact that my life plan suddenly turned out to be easy as pie did not fail to please. I was I little sad that my grandson seemed to be an old Scrooge, who wouldn''t give a piece of his company to a distant ancestor. I begin to wonder if I would... But hey! It''s all for the kids, right?


    I''ll get along fine on my own! Thumbs up to Helen, of course! A pleasant warmth spread through my chest, and a lump came up to my throat. I finished off another virtual smoke, and my mind became clear again. Well, at least I won''t spoil my health! I walked up to the window and sucked in the fresh forest air. And where the hell is the difference from the real world!?


    "Ok, I understand. What''s next?"


    "You will be transferred to the virtual plains of "Outlines of equilibrium." You can choose any other game if you like, but only the outlines can give you the desired amount of SV points. Live, thrive, relax. If you don''t change your mind about getting a body by the time your SV reaches 300, just send an application to the Administration; by that time you''ll have the required amount of money, I''m sure. In the worst-case scenario, you can request a line of credit and any bank or corporation will be happy to oblige with that much SV points assigned to your name, but you will be forced to sign a long term contract."


    "And can I see some manuals or game guides? To choose the best course of action? "


    "Naturally. You will have access to the in-game forum, which is restricted to the rest of the world to avoid any social disturbance and cultural shock among the population. You should actually apply for a review every 6 months. However, I would advise against it."


    "Do you mean applying for the review or using the guides?"


    "The latter. The game mechanics are unique: "Anything goes." Moreover, your imagination will help you more than any guide. You will see. Have an excellent game."


    §¡rsenyev stood up and put his arm forward from behind the desk. I shook it and asked the question that was weighing on me for the last several minutes:


    "What do I have to do to get that much SV?"


    "Become GOD."

 Chapter II Character Creation

    The world blinked, and I ended up spitting curses somewhere else entirely. This was a setup! Something told me that in terms of my time, I was offered something like "Become the President of the United States, and then we''ll talk." Specifically for my case: " Become the President of a country which you entered illegally as a refugee from some third world banana republic"! I''ve been tricked! Bamboozled! Who the hell needs ghosts from the past, who suddenly escaped the void? Nobody! Just like in my time... A fucking Ming Dynasty Vase. I wonder what we would have done with an army of Mongols if they came up to present-day Kyiv demanding their tribute? The government would probably just confine the shocked bastards to some reservation, and that¡¯s the best-case scenario, maybe they''d be sent to the nuthouse... The Dead belongs with the Dead, sure, but it''s still so damn sad.


    I examined my surroundings; I was in some sort of basement or a dungeon. The walls were made of large stone blocks. No doors, no windows. In front of me, I saw a large mirror in a fancy bronze frame and a marble slab all covered in glowing runes.


    Welcome to The Outlines of Equilibrium, The Game of infinite possibilities and endless adventures. Please choose your player''s race. Warning! Your choice is limited by your amount of Imagination points. Current level: 87. Unlimited access.


    And that''s it! No menus, no buttons, nothing. A stepped closer to the mirror. So what do we have here? Starring back at me was a dark-haired, dark-eyed man with soft facial features, messed up hair topped with universal sadness in his eyes. Usually, people who look like this are armed with something extravagant, like an office knife or a red-hot iron. But I was dressed the same way as when I was "resurrected." So let''s see what we can see...


    "Elf."


    My ears became longer and pointy-ended, my face became sharper and edgier, and my hair grew longer. Now I was presented with the reflection of a pretty man, so pretty in fact that I lost any sense of gender.


    And the text on the marble plate changed: Elves, one of the most popular races in the Outlines Of Equilibrium. Bonuses to agility, observance, and intellect. Restrictions to Strength and HP ¨C the more HP a character has, the sturdier his frame is. Racial bonuses and restrictions determine the development of the associated skills, as well as the speed of achieving gaming classes.


    Well, being a pretty boy is great, and with all these perks -even profitable, But elves were mainstream four centuries ago.


    "Orc!"


    Again I started to change, I grew five inches in height, my muscles bloated, my face turned green, the lower jaw moved forward and sprouted two large fangs. I spent quite some time checking out this victim of testosterone overdose and went on to impersonate a freakish bodybuilder by hitting a few poses. My last side serratus left my now too small shirt torn all across the back. Yeah, this was an underfed endomorph''s dream come true. If I had any complaints about my skinny former body, I would have gladly gone with the Orc. But in a few minutes, I noticed that something was terribly wrong with my salivation. I was beginning to drool all over! Disgusting!


    "Ogre!"


    The result grew in size even more! My skull shrank, now there were 4 fangs instead of two, the skin turned yellow. I tried to remember the symptoms of hepatitis C and any quick-fix cures but soon realized that the metamorphosis has cost me my pants and shoes. Then the real fun began.


    I tried Dwarves, Hobbits, Pixies ( I spent an eternity getting out of my torn clothes). The system ignored my Dragon request. Angels had so many ideological restrictions, that no sane person would play as them, least of all me with my twisted sense of humor.


    The Demon looked ugly, the Nick looked miserable. The elemental races obliterated what was left of the clothes. The scaly reptilian creatures gave me an insane itch without any chance of scratching it. The goblin cried out ''Life for Nerzuul!'' in such a falsetto that I spent the next 10 minutes laughing aloud.


    In the end, I went back to human form, all this shapeshifting left my skin begging to be scratched off... Well, no point in playing as a mortal because it''s too damn boring... I''m dead, right? So it''s time to party hard!


    "Shapeshifter"


    Nothing changed except the writings on the slab: One of the rarest races of the Outlines of Equilibrium. Shapeshifters - a human or other sentient being capable of taking on the form of an animal. Attention! Choose a secondary form.


    "Eagle-owl."


    Human Shapeshifter - eagle owl.


    Racial bonuses: Enhanced regeneration (200% more than the average for this species).


    Predator (Enhanced saturation by any type of meat, consuming live meat will give you the Blood hunt Bonus, Efficiency of all potions drawn from animals increased by 70%).


    Partial Transformation (The ability to transform parts of your body into secondary form at will),


    Sense of Nature (Bonuses to all skills when on\in a natural location).


    Ability to see in the dark.


    Sharp hearing.


    The Beast Within (Enhanced agility, strength, endurance, speed)


    Owl''s Wisdom (Immunity to Mental charms like Deep sleep, Allurement, Submission, as well as enhanced wisdom and intuition).


    Beastly Charm (Increased chance of success of seduction and\or intimidation).


    Dimensional Pouch (upon transformation, your clothes and belongings are stored inside a dimensional pouch. It''s size depends on the weight you can carry in your secondary form).


    Animal Flair(You sense your enemy''s weak spots, increased the chance of performing a critical strike).


    Force of Evil (Damage taken by creatures of evil decreased by 50%, Lower level Beings do not attack you).


    Racial penalties: Elemental Reject (access to all types of elemental magic is restricted).


    Aura of the Beast (reputation among all races decreased to "Suspicion").


    Vulnerability to Fire (fire damage increased by 200%).


    Vulnerability to Light (light damage increased by 300%).


    Animal Rage (when intimidated or forced to do something you fall into a feat of uncontrollable rage).


    Crimson Veil (during the battle there is a chance that you won''t be able to tell friend from foe, they will all be prey to you).


    Force of Darkness (many will categorize you as an enemy once they find out your species, you will be hunted by many fractions, all offensive light spells cause severe damage).


    Hunger (you must kill a sentient every 10 days).


    Honor of the Beast (when a child of any race is threatened in front of you, you are compelled to intervene. Otherwise, all penalties will be increased by x3. Getting rid of the effects will require completing a special quest).


    Creature of the Night (efficiency of all your bonuses is downsized to 50% during the day) Animal stench (access to ridden animals and animal companions is restricted).


    Attention! Choosing this Race decreases Your Social value by 15 points!


    Attention! Access to starting locations is restricted!


    Attention! This race suits your psychological profile! All bonuses and abilities enhanced by 20%.


    Daaaamn! So I''m mentally compatible with a man-eating psychopath! It looks like I lost my mind when I got three gunshot wounds in my chest... I wonder who wouldn''t... from the look of these bonuses and penalties, I get to play as an in-game monstrosity! Well, what the hell!


    I turned my attention back to the mirror, my reflection was different, my features were darker and more sinister than they already were, and there was a weird glow in the eyes! Whoa, mama! What a pair of peepers! A vast bright orange iris, the pitch-black pupils that with the proper lighting could just as well consume the eye entirely, My secondary form had a pretty diabolic glare. And how am I supposed to blend in looking like this?! I attempted to turn them back to normal. And succeeded! Ok, moving on...This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    "Display secondary form!"


    My body started to change again, and it looked pretty creepy from where I was standing. I slowly shrink and twist, then with loud snaps, all my joints were turned backward. Feathers began to sprout all across my body. That hurt! I began to hate the idea that every transformation will be as painful, but was suddenly overwhelmed by critical levels of cuteness!


    In the mirror stood a cute owlet, a large ball of thin feathers and fluff, it seemed as if my adult feathers haven''t even shown yet... I hid my head under my wing. Unbearably Cute! Too bad that I¡¯ve got a long way''s to grow in this form.


    "Return to primary form!" Instead of my voice, I heard a loud squeak, and then I started to change back.


    ''I accept this race!''


    The room and the mirror disappeared, only the marble plate grew in size, and it showed a message:


    Classes available for this race- Warrior, Ranger, Bandit, Mage.


    Not much... So the first three are totally lame. I doubt that a strong warrior or a murderer can become a God, So I¡¯m left with magic. But what the hell am I supposed to do with magic with all those penalties? I can¡¯t throw Lightning bolts, hurl fireballs or whips of water and do all that other stuff that ignores the first Postulate of Thermodynamics... Well, we''ll see.


    "Mage!"


    Magicians manipulate the very fabric of this world, it is said that the blood o the Gods flows through their veins.


    Available Sub classes: Necromancer, Druid, Mentalist.


    I don¡¯t want to be a Necromancer, I''m already turning into a monster as it is. Screw Nature if I can¡¯t use even half of the skills.


    "Mentalist."


    Mentalists specialize in all types of mind control. They draw their strength from the emotions of living beings and are the best negotiators and \or unmatched executioners. Representing the most ambiguous class in the Rings of Equilibrium, they can be worshiped by any Ruler. A high-level Mentalist can shift the balance of any deal, extract the darkest secrets from the depths of any mind, and submit an enemy to their will. However, nobody enjoys the company of a being who can read him or her like an open book, so magicians who choose this path are often pursued and persecuted. Upon finding out your class of choice, most NPC''s will have a negative attitude towards you, so you will have to do your best to keep this secret. To become a court Mage, you will have to win over the Ruler''s trust without ever meeting face to face. Otherwise, you will be accused of meddling with the minds of royalty, hence, provoking the wrath of the people. In many kingdoms, you will be regarded as a public enemy. Your selection of battle incantations is limited; your ability to loot dungeons and hunt monsters is doubtful. Mental magic is not taught in any schools of wizardry, so you will have to search for mentors, or master this art by yourself, and come up with your own incantations.


    Do you accept?


    Well, considering I just chose a hardcore race, why not settle for a hardcore class?! I have a feeling that these two will fit together perfectly! And my mind can hardly grasp my freedom of action!


    "I accept!"


    Please choose your source of power. Available sources: Negative emotions (Fear, Hatred, Pain, etc.) Positive emotions (Happiness, Humour, Pleasure, etc.).


    I won¡¯t even think twice.


    "Negative."


    You have earned Personal Bonuses. These are determined by your non-game activities, but can later on by received for completing in-game achievements. Available Bonuses:


    Bookworm (Awarded to players who spend no less than three hours a day reading for five years straight). +1 available incantation slot for every 3 levels, increased reading speed, Bonuses received from books increased by 50%


    Knife fighter (Awarded to players who spent time practicing the art of Knife fighting during the term of three years). You can now use any short blade, independent of your current level, and have a higher chance of performing critical strikes while using short blades(daggers, knives, claws, spikes).


    Empathy (Accessed by players who have a natural inclination to sense the feelings of nearby people). You sense the feelings of players and NPC''s.


    Basic Knowledge of Physiology (Accessible by players who have studied physiology). You possess keen knowledge over the basic organic functions and structures of sentient beings (undead are an exception). The chance of performing a critical strike increased, all medical effects applied by you are 10% more effective.


    Do you accept?


    "Yes!"


    Well wasn''t that a blast from the past... What does this mean? It means that players with experience in life get more perks than the kids who just reached the joystick. Just like in real life.


    Unlocked 2 Incantations, Would you like to choose one or to create a new one? Creating incantations is available only if your imagination value is over 70. Current value: 87. Restrictions are disabled.


    "Create."


    State the desired effect.


    "Submission of a sentient being for as long as possible."


    Generating incantation. Please wait. Successful. Incantation "Will of the forest bird" generated. Effect: Submission. Duration of effect: 15 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the level of the victim (minimum duration of 40 seconds). Conditions of infliction: a touch to the head or to whatever resembles it, the victim must have a living physical form, activation runes on the back of your hands (will be added upon learning this incantation).


    Cost of casting: 50 manna points


    The spell can be broken by any Purification spell. Upon release from the effects, the victim will have no memory of the time spent in submission. Players can have protection against this spell, in which case using it will be regarded as an act of aggression. Attention this is not a battle spell so it can be used in peaceful locations.


    Would you like to learn this spell?


    "Yes!"


    Choose or create a spell?


    "Create"


    After quite some time of explaining and elaborating what I want, the system finally generated my spell.


    Incantation generated: Predators Glare, Effect - Fear, Conditions of inflicting: Changing eyes into secondary form, eye contact with the victim. Duration of effect: As long as sustained by the character.


    Cost: 5 manna points per second.


    Warning: if sustained for longer than 9 seconds effects may change into Panic (For characters and creatures 5 levels lower than you), Rage (For characters and creatures 15 levels higher than you), Stupor (in all other cases).Attention! Players can have protection against this spell, in which case using it will be regarded as an act of aggression. Attention: this is not a battle incantation. It can be used in peaceful locations.


    Would you like to learn this spell?


    "Yes"


    Choose your difficulty level: Easy...


    I didn''t bother with that impossible amount of letters.


    "Maximum difficulty!"


    Warning! All physiological processes of your body will be simulated!


    Warning! The amount of pain you receive will set to Ultra High!


    Warning! Level of Detail and gore will be the set to Ultra High!


    Warning! This Difficulty level is unlocked upon reaching adulthood. Current biological age: 25, Restrictions disabled.


    Attainable XP increased by 25 %


    Do you accept?


    "Yes!"


    Time to walk the walk. I wasn''t going to forget about things like hunger, pain, and exhaustion during my time in the game. I''ve got a feeling that it''ll take years to reach my objective. And how would I return t the real world if I forget how to use the toilet!? Or forget what pain is?! Nobody in their right mind would permit me to come back.


    Fill in your character¡¯s name.


    "What the hell? Fillin."


    Player Name - Fillin Race - Shapeshifter (eagle Owl) Class -Mentalist


    Basic parameters: HP 160 Mana 200


    Strength 8 (5+3 for The Beast within)


    Agility 9 (5+4 for The Beast within)


    Endurance 6 (5+1 for The Beast within)


    Speed 8 (5+3 for The Beast within)


    Intelligence 10 (5+5 for the choice of class)


    Wisdom 13 (5+5 for the chosen class +3 for Owl''s Wisdom)


    Intuition 8 (5+3 for Owl''s Wisdom)


    Charisma 5


    Luck 5


    Basic chance of critical strike 20% (infliction of critical effects)


    Basic attack (fists) 8-10


    Basic attack (claws) 32-45


    Undistributed characteristic points: 10.


    I invested all of the free points into Speed. Am I a beast or what?! And I''m sure that I''ve got a lot of running ahead of me.


    Choose the starting location. Warning! Ability to choose starting locations is Blocked. You will spawn in the vicinity of Gorring Castle, Territory of the Free Baronies, Continent of Ascondia.


    Do you wish to start?


    "Yes!"


    Welcome to the Outlines of Equilibrium! We hope you enjoy your unique gaming experience!


    The world was consumed by darkness.

 Chapter III

    The next instant I awoke somewhere else. The first thing I saw was the sky. It couldn''t be real! An enormous bottomless pit showered in stars. Three moons swam in the darkness. The smallest one that resembled our Earth-moon most of all had a yellow glow about it and loomed just overhead. Two others: Green and Crimson, were playing hopscotch across the horizon.


    The air smelled of forest freshness. And horse sweat. Rough pants and an uncomfortable shirt rubbed against my skin. The ropes that bound my arms and legs immobilized me. ROPES!?


    You are bound in ropes, movement is restricted.


    This notification swam in front of my eyes, in the corners of my field of view I noticed two bars: a red one and a blue one. The next thing I felt was a slight shaking. I was being taken somewhere. I started fidgeting a little trying to get comfortable on a thin layer of straw. Suddenly, a head encased in a metal helmet appeared over me, giving me an ugly smile, drowning me in the stench of garlic and sickness. The goon spat out:


    "Oy! Look who came around! You feeling lucky, cuss?"


    "Who the hell are you?" I stared at the head, examining the rotten teeth, the ugly pock holed face, a pair of deep-set eyes.


    "A soldier of the Glorious Baron Gorring, Shnirk''s the name. And you''re his too, but you ain''t no soldier, you''re property. Soon we''ll reach the Castle, we will. Bring you in for sorting. You gonna go to the Lord Mage for experimentin'', or to the slavers, In which case you''ll be sent to the market, come mornin."


    I jumped upright in my cage. The soldier recoiled and nearly fell off his scared horse. Course laughter erupted from the other soldiers around me. This is getting weirder by the second. The cart I was in was part of a weak convoy and was being followed by a crowd of people, all of which were tied to a single long rope and wore leather collars, most of the women were carrying children. I counted a dozen soldiers surrounding the caravan, When I kept looking at one long enough, I saw a notification: Soldier for Hire, Level 20, HP 680.


    "Why the hell do I belong to the Baron?!"


    "Because, Cuss, you ain''t supposed to be walking around the Baron''s land with no papers. This ain''t the free Baronies. And look at your clothes -all worn and torn. You must be a hobo! So don" go causing any trouble and be quiet! The guards have put down worse scum than you, they have."


    "You''re telling me that all of these people were walking around the Baron''s property without travel vouchers too? You must be joking."


    The crowd really didn''t look like they were homeless at all. Some were dressed decently, and some of the women''s clothes were torn.


    "Them folk''s our neighbor''s, Baron Zagrald''s peasants. Well, they was anyway."


    The fellow started laughing and steered off somewhere to the side. In a few minutes, the castle gates passed over me and the caravan started to pour into the courtyard.


    Along the walls scuttled the skivvy. I smelled manure and horse sweat. Ten-foot walls were patrolled by crossbowmen. I kept studying my surroundings. The Castle didn''t impress me with its size. A tower over the gate, three more on the corner, a donjon encircled by small buildings also in the corner. Open-aired stables, a forge, and a well were scattered across a trampled courtyard. Left of the gate, I caught a glimpse of wooden barracks. Next to the donjon rose a wooden platform, upon which stood a man garbed in rich clothes and surrounded by knaves. I took a closer look: A noble face, a sharp chin, thin lips, his shinny dark hair braided.


    Baron Gorring Junior.


    Lvl 25.


    HP 500.


    The slaves to be were herded into an uneven file. A soldier in leather armor with a battle-ax at his hip dragged me off the wagon. I took a bad fall, landing on my back. I feel that with a little less luck, I could have snapped my neck then and there. He proceeded to cut the ropes that bound my feet, jerked me up, and kicked me towards the end of the line. I really wanted to fall into hysteria and start a massacre with the total annihilation of everything within a ten-mile radius, but a couple of things made that sound like a foolish idea.


    First of all, my bound arms were going numb. Secondly, the watchful eyes of the crossbowmen, not to mention such an insignificant detail as a group of armed men in the courtyard. A man in a mantle descended from the platform, parchment in hand. He walked along the line of prisoners accompanied by a large man armed with a huge two-handed great-sword. The pair was examining the peasants: the soldier was groping for muscles, counting teeth and asking questions. The servant was scribbling something down on the parchment, turning to the Baron with questions from time to time. Soon they were done with the men at the beginning of the line and approached the women.


    "Your Grace! What do we do with the children?"


    "Send the infants to the Magician''s Laboratory, and those who can walk ¨C to the slaves."


    This was said in such a bored and trivial tone that the hair on the back of my head stood up. A wave of horror, rage, and panic from the common folk engulfed me. The archers raised their weapons, ready to suppress any possible source of resistance. Suddenly a notification flew up in front of me:


    Complete assignment Honor of the Beast ¨C protect the kidnapped children from any possible threat.


    Reward: None.


    Failure to comply will result in the following: Coward''s Curse (All penalties increased x3). Attention: curse will be lifted only upon completing a special quest.


    Right, this is what I call being between a rock and a hard place. What the hell happened to quests like" deliver a letter to the Grandma across the road" or" Bring the medicaster some magic flowers." A castle full of high-level soldiers, an evil mage hiding somewhere within, no weapons, bound hands, no hints whatsoever, a level 1 douche bag, and a severe penalty for failure. It looks like something changed drastically in the online gaming industry over the last 4 centuries. Hardcore clusterfucks like this were only popular during the verge of game design practice.


    And the situation itself¡­ who the hell could come up with all this?! How can a normal person react to an order implying experiments on infants!? Shit like this happened only in cannibal tribes, or in China, and I nearly forgot the Nazis. I feel the rage building, a veil of fury begins to blur my vision, my heart is pumping up every cell of my body with elephant doses of adrenaline, I fell my teeth grind. Suddenly I was drowned in a tidal wave of madness from the depths of my being.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    Another notification:


    Current effect: "Holy rage" (all characteristics increased x3, your pain threshold is increased by 15%. Duration: 1 minute).


    The storm within me suddenly turned into calm. There were only a crystal clear conscience and a target: the Baron on the platform. Someone is going to change his mind. At that exact moment, the soldier loomed up in front of me.


    56


    With one swift move, I step toward him and place my hands on his face, all he does is tremble slightly.


    Soldier of the Baron''s elite squadron.


    Lvl 34.


    HP 1020.


    I whisper: "Submit."


    You have cast a critical spell! Activated incantation "Will of the Forest Bird," Duration: 56 seconds, - 100 manna points (used both hands). Attention! As long as the spell lasts, all the XP earned by the victim will be transferred to you.


    Achievement unlocked: Absolute Submission level 1.


    +2 Intellect +2 Wisdom +1% of successfully casting this spell on beings with magical protection, 4 submissions of beings 30 levels higher than you to reach the next level.


    51


    "Cut the ropes," The soldier produced a dagger and cut my bonds with empty glass eyes. I took the blade from him and stepped back in line. Luckily all of this was hidden from the archers behind my victim''s broad back.


    47


    "Approach the largest group of soldiers and slaughter em."


    After I said this, he turned around and calmly strode towards a group of his ex-comrades. The pen pusher with the parchment approached me. He gave the guard a bewildered look and called after him:


    "Hey, Brooks! What''s with this one? "


    40


    Several things happened next. Brooks finally reached the 10 soldiers who were watching the prisoners, drew his sword and easily brought a direct vertical strike down on his former ally''s collarbone. The poor bastard''s armor didn''t do him any good, the sword went through the rib cage and stopped somewhere near the loins.


    You have killed a mercenary!


    Earned 2000 XP!


    Level Up! Level up! Level Up!


    You have killed an enemy 20 levels higher than your rank


    Achievement unlocked: Slayer of the Strong Level 1


    Kill 4 more enemies(10 levels higher or more) to unlock the next level


    +2 Strength +2 Endurance +3% Damage inflicted on players stronger than you. +1% inflicted damage


    Attention! Unlocked Achievement Tree "Titan killer": Reach level 30 By killing enemies 10 or more levels stronger than you. Reward: Unique Ability.


    I changed my grip and stabbed the servant in the liver, swiftly jerking the knife to the side and slicing through his stomach. His insides spill at my feet. Well¡­ the graphics are top-notch, I''ll say. Even the smell suffices. A scream fueled by horror and pain tears through the courtyard. Let the mayhem begin!


    37


    Brooks pulled the sword out of the slumping body and lunged forward, twisting his body and dealing a circular blow. The sword took off another soldier''s head, the mailed collar made no difference, another guard tried to dodge instinctively, it almost saved him, He wasn''t beheaded, The blade just tore through his throat.


    You have killed a mercenary!


    You have killed a mercenary!


    +4000 XP


    Level Up! Level Up! ¡­


    I was running in a zig-zag towards the platform, I hear an arrow whistle by. It looks like the archers finally came to. I cut a servant carrying a pail of water across the eyes and shove him aside. Another scream joins the chorus.


    30


    By now, everybody who was armed drew their weapons. Most of them ran towards Insane Brooks, who was covered in blood from head to toe. The menacing sword was still dancing in his arms and delivering death right and left. With his next strike, he chopped off a leg, evading a blow to the head from a war hammer. An upward cut ripped the attacker in two.


    You have killed a mercenary!


    Earned 2500 XP!


    Brooks was fighting like a legendary berserker, ignoring two bolts sticking out of his back. But the creepiest part was that he did all of this without making a single sound.


    The rest ran to intercept me. But, by now, I was too close to the platform. I burst forward, and I''m on top, two mailed guards greet me with their steel drawn. Following some inner feeling, I lounge to the side, and a crossbow bolt misses my head by an inch hitting the soldier closest to me. He silently slumps to the ground.


    21


    Brooks lets loose another soldier''s arm. But an incoming Morgenstern shatters his knee. The warrior collapses, throwing his sword at his attacker with his last breath. The blade hits the guard with the Morgenstern right in the face, and an ax descends on Brook''s head.


    You have killed a mercenary!


    You have killed a Soldier of the Baron''s elite squadron!


    +6000 XP


    Level Up!


    Only one man at arms left between the unarmored Baron and me. I shorten the distance in a matter of milliseconds and deflect the sword with my knife. It didn''t go as well as I hoped, and the sword left a deep gash in my arm, and I lost my dagger. I grab the guard by the arms. My fingers start to sink into his armor. Deeper and deeper. I realized that I was growing talons and that my hands are transforming into bird claws. An arrow hits my thigh. My HP bar goes almost empty. So¡­ This is it, Now I''m gonna find out what respawning is like around here.


    But I''m not going to be the only one: I head butt the guard and go for his cheekbone with my teeth. I jerk my head back, and a chunk of meat goes down my throat and sink my teeth into his face again. The beak digs deeper into the cheek, another sudden yank leaves the bones bare. Beak!?


    Another mouthful of meat. I see the Manna and health bars replenish rapidly. My beak punches through the temporal bone, and I swallow an eyeball. Another Bolt enters my back, puncturing a lung. Ripping out the second eye with my health bar full, I toss the mutilated corpse aside, dive under the Baron''s sword and come out behind him.


    You Have Killed the Barons Bodyguard.


    + 6000 XP


    Level Up!


    Achievement unlocked "Man-eater 1" to unlock the level 2 achievement taste the flesh of 4 more sentients. Consuming the flesh of stronger opponents can give you increased characteristics


    Warning! High rankings in Man-eater achievements will set a bounty on your head!


    +2 Agility


    03


    "Freeze! Or he dies!"


    The soldiers stopped in their tracks. This must have been a horrible sight. A creature with bird-like appendages and a giant owl beak instead of a nose and mouth. Its clothes and face covered in blood with three bolts sticking out its body. This monstrosity has its claws wrapped around the throat of a man in rich clothes, with its second hand tugging at the Baron''s braid, rendering him helpless. Armed men who stand among the dead and injured surround the dais. The air is filled with groans and screams.


    "Release the Prisoners!"


    The guards kept silent and uneasily glanced at each other. About fifteen archers held my hostage and me in their sights.


    "Did I stutter!?"


    My claws started to squeeze around the Baron''s throat, till droplets of blood began to grow and crawl down his neck.


    "Do as he says!"


    The Baron gave a thin shriek, which soon quickly drowned when I continued to crush his neck. A few soldiers reluctantly began to cut the ropes that bound the peasants. I sharpened my senses. The prisoners were seething with terror; the soldiers smelled of fear mixed with anger and uncertainty. I focused on the peasant''s emotions: their hope of obtaining freedom was diluted by primal horror. Yeah, I don''t exactly look like your typical savior¡­ The last ropes fell to the ground.


    Instantly, the system notified me, that the effects of the Holy Rage just timed out. I was losing strength fast and growing more tired by the second. Nobody should notice this. Otherwise, I''ll actually find out how the respawn works.


    "Open the gates and release the captives! Let them take the horses and wagons!"


    In a few minutes, the crowd of would-be slaves fled the castle gates. It was suddenly a lot less crowded in the courtyard.


    Assignment "Honor of the Beast" Completed Successfully!


    Stalemate¡­

 Chapter IV

    I couldn''t leave the dais without being gunned down by archers, and they couldn''t do anything without risking the life of my hostage. Suddenly the doors of one of the corner towers flew open, and a man in a black Mantle covered in runes stepped onto the castle wall. He exchanged words with an archer and then turned to me.


    "Release him, fiend, and I promise you an easy death!"


    "What''s the alternative?" I tried to chuckle, but what escaped my throat was more like a broken screech.


    "Otherwise, you will learn that death is only the beginning," hissed the man in the mantle. The Mage began to seeth with darkness, and the soldiers were getting nearer and nearer.


    Attention! You have just resisted the effects of a "Shackles of pain" incantation!


    Fear me, Damn you!


    Casting spell "Gaze of the forest bird."


    I started starring down the soldiers, one froze, another started lowering his weapon. Then I turned my gaze towards the archers. One by one, they fell under my spell. That''s right, good boys, put your pee shooters down nice and slow.


    And then my eyes met the Mage''s¡­


    Inflicted effect: Rage. The victim has no control over his\her actions.


    I saw a cloud of dark energy thrown right at me. Whatever it was it didn''t hit it''s target and was absorbed by the Baron''s body. There was a gut-wrenching scream filled to the brim with torment, which suddenly broke off on the highest note. The Baron''s carcass stiffened, the breaking bones crackling louder than I thought possible. Arrows were loosed, all of them hit my ex-hostage.


    I took off and reached the stairs in a few strides. Gorring junior''s body was my only protection with a couple dozen bolts sticking out of him already, several punched right through, digging into my scaly arms, another just hit me in the side. A little more and I''ll reach the wall...


    I must reach the Necromancer to have the slightest chance of surviving this shitstorm. Four paces in front of me I see an archer struggling to reload his crossbow. Upon encountering my gaze, he stammers back, and I shove him aside, demonstrating the short way down from the wall. Another soldier throws away the now useless ranged weapon and charges at me with a drawn short sword. I block the cut with the Baron''s body and kick my assailant in the knee.


    I push forward. Another kick and the path to the Mage is clear. My human shield catches another spell, and I start to feel it''s weight begin to lighten. A pair of legs fall to the parapet beneath me, and I notice shiny taps on the lapels of the galliffet. Intestines and the rest of the stomach''s contents soon follow the legs, the rest begins to turn into slime! I nearly slip but keep on running. I''m hit in my right side a bit lower than the ribs by another bolt. I scream from the pain, rushing at the Necromancer.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    A crimson veil falls over my eyes. I only notice a barrage of system notifications, my health bar just reached it''s lowest point. I don''t scream, I roar! The body keeps disintegrating in my arms, and in the last moment, I grab the corpse''s thick braid. Green flames consume the short wand in the dark wizard''s hand. Time slows down, and I have time to make out the enraged twisted mug of some ghastly creature lunging at me. Instinctively I try to strike it down with the Baron''s head, and once again the incantation is consumed by dead flesh. I wave around my horrid trophy and throw it at the Mag§Ö''s face. Another bolt pierces my knee, and I fall hands forward.


    I notice a foot flying directly to meet my face just in time to pull my chin to my chest. The blow landed on my cheekbone, and there was a deafening crunch, practically losing consciousness I tackle the attacker''s legs and bite into his calf. The bastard topples over, and I notice the head tearing away at the Necromancer''s neck sprouting tourniquets that engulf the mantle. My health bar replenishes a little. Suddenly the flesh in my hands turns to cinder and ash, my arms are left with nothing but charred bones And the runes on the Mage''s clothes begin to glow menacingly.


    I lift up my head and look around: soldiers are running toward me along the wall, waving their weapons. The Baron''s cursed head keeps jerking around its red threads all over the place, its eyes glow bright green, its mouth, now filled with two rows of teeth, was opening and closing silently in attempts to chew off another piece of what used to be the Baron''s Necromancer.


    I feel a sort of dark satisfaction and attempt to stand tall. Death should be met with one''s head held high. Another arrow chips away a piece of the stone wall next to me. I lean on the parapet and pull the bolt from my stomach shifting my weight off my wounded right leg, the guards are less than 60 feet away from me, and I don''t even have the strength to pick up the sword at my feet. I smile at the guards with my now normal face, which causes them to slow down in bewilderment.


    In dire situations, when you realize that things can''t possibly get any worse, you come up with definitely not the brightest but clearly amusing ideas


    "Not so tough now, are you, Mr. Mage!? "


    Suddenly the glowing runes began to fade, and the skeleton of the Necromancer levitated into the air above the wall. The Ghost turned it''s gaunt skull toward me, the darkness of those empty sockets digging deep into my soul. I wonder what was it looking for in there? The way I see it I have two explanations for this calamity: I''m the new Necromancer in town, or I''m totally Fucked.


    "Down, Mr. Mage¡­ Please¡­" I whimper in desperate lament.


    The Ghost kept starring me down, and I had to conclude that I make a shitty Necromancer. The next thing that I realized was that living like this sucks¡­ But I''d rather push on. Without even turning my head, I collapse backward. While going over the parapet, I saw a glimpse of red veins grabbing for my leg.


    I was lucky. The castle was surrounded by a deep moat filled with stale water. Nearly drowning I swam to the surface. I''m surprised that nobody''s trying to stack my back up with arrows. With great effort, I made reached the shore and crawled up the chaparral-covered bank.


    Minutes pass. No shouts, no pursuit, not a sound. Finally, I realize that I''m not crawling alone, Attached to my right leg with its vein- tentacles was the distressful head of the evil Baron. However, it didn''t make any attempts to attack me. It was now that I fell powerless with my face buried in the withered grass.

 Excursus I Somewhere in the real world.

    Somewhere in the real world.


    "Good day, Michael Eugene!"


    "Good day, Victor Ivanovich! Come in, have a seat. Coffee? Tea?"


    "Tea, if you''d be so kind."


    "Olya! Please bring us a pot of Puer and something for a snack."


    "Oh, I see you are aware of my preferences."


    "When the day comes when I won''t know what type of tea our strategic partner likes, I''ll lower my security service''s allowance." Arsenyev smiled, ''Have you examined the papers I sent you?"


    "The ones concerning my resurrected great grandfather? Yes, I have. It''s a shame I haven''t had the opportunity of meeting him in person."


    "Company policy, you must understand, contact with relatives is only allowed after 6 months of rehab. "


    "So why have you invited me here? Has an ancient family secret come to light? Perhaps an uncovered treasure in the family tomb?"


    A woman entered the office carrying several trays and placed them on the coffee table in front of the two men, who sat in their armchairs. Arsenyev poured the tea into small cups and added cream into his own.


    "Almost. You are familiar with the companies Advertising policy, I assume?


    "Which part of it?


    "The part about releasing in-game footage, and participation in events like The Treacherous Road. Your Great Grandfather''s performance has been nominated to take part in this event, and we require the resolution of a family member in order to proceed. Usually, the Corporation decides such matters on its own, simply because before the end of the Rehab period, the revived have no right to sign any documents nor possess any control over their belongings. But if there are direct descendants, then they act as representatives. In this case, the profit for your Ancestor can be quite substantial. In short, that''s why this meeting was arranged ¨C to make decisions."


    "Could you please elaborate. What has my Ancestor managed to pull off in just 24 hours after revival, that YOU have to call ME to decide what to do with the money he stands to earn?


    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there."If you insist I am at liberty to demonstrate the first couple of hours of gameplay. I must warn you that he has chosen a very rare combination of Class and Race. Out of all the active accounts, only 10000 have chosen the same combination. And if you take personal bonuses into account, that number will be reduced to 20."


    "Out of all the 5 billion users?


    "Indeed! In addition, he was sorted into a very rare scripted scenario. The script itself is over 50 years old, you can only imagine how many patches and additions were administered since then. The situation deemed the Newby helpless, but the game''s AI calculated 2 possible solutions to the situation. I''ll show you the video and shall explain along the way."


    "Do you mind if I smoke?"


    "Not at all, let me get an ashtray."


    Arsenyev took a cup-shaped piece of obsidian, placed it in front of his quest, and mentally activated the holo panel. The office went dark.


    In 10 minutes the lights came on again. The ashtray held a smoldering cigarette, both men sat in silence.


    "And what solutions did the MegaMind offer you to win over this desperate situation?"


    "One implied striking a deal with the Mage or the Baron, the other ¨C escaping before the caravan reaches the castle."


    "And my Ancestor¡­"


    "Your ancestor ¡­"


    The office shook with laughter


    "Oh, and I didn''t believe the stories my granddad used to tell me about him. Now I''m beginning to think the best bits got left out and the stories were watered down. Now I''m going to have to bring Great Grandad into the board of directors. But I feel somewhat uncomfortable calling a boy who''s younger than my grandchildren''s Great Grandfather."


    "Are you sure that he can become a God in the game?"


    "My dear Michael, believe my experience. I know a great deal about people, and this one will escape your virtual reality even if he has to become a virus and infect the mind of one of the players¡­. Michael, Michael, are you alright? You look awful pale¡­ Olga! Call the Hospital! It looks like he''s having a heart attack! "

 Chapter V

    I came around because of sharp pain in my right leg. The sight that I woke up to struck me with its surreality. Comfortably seated on my belly on the leftovers of a neck, was a head that belonged to an evil man. A few thin tentacles remained wrapped around my wounded leg, and one was twined around the base of the crossbow bolt that stuck out of my knee. The last one started moving to loosen the arrow and suddenly jerked it out of my leg. A few newly grown tentacles quickly dove into the wound. The Head brought the bloody bolt to its horrid maw and liked it clean uttering a nasty growl. My consciousness decided that that was enough for today and decided to leave me.


    I awoke the next time late at night. To my amazement, my body didn¡¯t ache at all. But I turned about to be so weak that I could only move around on my fours. To my relief, the freaky revived head wasn''t around, and I hastily began to hope that I imagined the whole thing.


    I was hungry and thirsty. So much so, that I actually entertained the thought of returning to the castle and getting a drink from the moat. But on second thought, I wanted to live even more. Something told me that nothing pleasant could have happened there since I turned that damn necromancer into a leech or whatever the hell that thing is called.


    The fact of the matter was, that, since my grand escape, not a sound came from the direction of the castle. And its silhouette didn''t display any signs of activity either.


    I continued crawling towards the forest... In an hour and a half, I finally leaned against a particularly branchy oak completely exhausted. All of a sudden, there came a slight rustling noise, and the head from before jumped out in front of me. It has changed... Out of the shortened neck sprouted 8 spider legs, the braid now looked more like a scorpion stinger with the end of the arrow sticking out on the end. In its jaws, the little nightmare held a long five-foot snake. He gently placed it next to my leg, making that noise again and licking his lips with a split tongue. Man! When I get back to the real world I''ll find the designer who came up with this thing and break the fingers on his left hand... then on the right one... and then I''ll confiscate his bag of weed! To be frank, I figured that the guy held my dream job!


    The head waved it''s braid impatiently and smiled, giving me an honest look. Two rows of sharp teeth, green glowing eyes, crackled skin, exposed muscle tissue, a disturbingly long split tongue that could lick the eyeballs with no effort at all, and spider legs sticking out of the stump of a neck. Attention! Viewer discretion is advised: you might want an immediate lobotomy after this one. And I found myself starring at this little monster without any hints of disgust, fear or squeamishness. It looks like the recent events really messed me up. An insane world, drawn by a crazy artist. Horrible routine brutality, pain, death, the intoxicating struggle. And beauty... The incomparable wild beauty of the endless starlit sky, with the massive disc of the local moon encircled by a ring of meteorites.


    Vivat, Maestro! The creator of this world definitely created one hell of an afterlife for the past and future generations. But is this heaven or is this hell? And who are the local inhabitants of this world? Scripted characters, silent shadows, walking decorations? I couldn¡¯t believe that. Their Fear was real. And so was their pain. And their death. I felt it. Felt the peasant''s fear, the soldier''s rage. Felt their pain, their dying thoughts. Not all of them fell into anger, shock, and horror on their deathbeds. When they realize that there''s no turning back, some recall the happy moments of their lives. The creators of this world aren''t just programmers or developers. They''re passionate artists! And they made me believe in this world with all my heart! I felt like I needed to try to make it better. Just like I tried back in the world, where I was killed. Even back there, I accomplished something! Here I can become God!


    FreakHead drew my attention, carefully poking my leg with one of his paws.


    I shook away my thoughts and focused on the gurgle of my empty stomach. And the issue of my survival for that matter.


    So let''s see what I''ve got...


    FreakHead is one thing, who or what he is remains unclear. And I should probably read the messages, that stay folded in front of my gaze. Maybe they''ll explain something.


    OK, we''ve got one linen shirt completely torn and covered in blood, a pair of pants in a similar condition... And... And that¡¯s it. No knife, no stick, no boots... A bunch of shapeshifter abilities, but I haven''t gotten to them yet.


    Oh yes! Plus an insane hunger and a dead snake, weighing something like a quarter of a pound. But there¡¯s no telling if it''s poisonous or not. Have you ever tasted raw snake? Neither have I. Till yesterday I haven''t eaten raw man flesh... Not so sure about the cooked variety though... with my phenomenal ability to get into trouble, I¡¯m almost sure that during my life some butcher store might have served me a utilized corpse! So...


    I started from the tail, it wasn¡¯t that bad. My taste receptors were probably augmented a little. And as a result, a raw python, adder, constrictor or whatever (I''m not good at telling snakes apart), tasted just like smoked sausage, but not as salty. I threw the remains along with the head to FreakHead. He made a noble purring sound, swallowing the piece whole. After which he ran off into the woods. I curled at the base of the oak, comfortably covered by fallen leaves. Before falling asleep, I remember thinking, where does Freakhead¡¯s food go? It¡¯s not like he has a stomach¡­ This is the occasion when a good head comes from an asshole. That¡¯s what I call hidden advantages! I arose the next morning to cool morning dew and Freakhead''s rustling. I dug myself out of a pile of leaves, stretched with a few loud crunches and took a look around. Nearby lay a few dead hares with their heads gnawed off. FreakHead Was running wildly in circles around a tree trunk. The decapitated head had a very surprised look on its face, wide-open eyes with green sparks within were rolling out of control. It suddenly came to me that it was time to put an end to this freak show. Otherwise, when I return to the real world, I might become one hell of a discovery for a practicing psychiatrist. These guys are always chasing unusual cases, and becoming the hero of a dissertation titled "Personality deviation at a terminal stage" wasn¡¯t exactly my childhood dream. I wanted to travel to another planet! I wonder how space travel developed over the years?


    After 15 minutes of torture and I was finally able to turn my hand into a set of bird claws, after which I spent some time playing with different modifications until I got a stable set of sharp claws. With my new accessory, I skinned and gutted the hares. Again a few new messages started blinking, but I ignored them and proceeded to wolf down raw meat. Bones and all. Now that first real difference from the real world. Had I tried pulling off that trick back when I was alive I would''ve ended up spitting out my teeth and then throwing shit north-north-west because of my stomach''s reaction to raw meat. But this was quite tasty. It''s a shame I didn''t happen to have any pepper on me. Finally gorged I got rid of the leftovers of hare with Freakhead, admiring the twisted, bloody face of the not so lucky baron. It was time to find my way back to civilization. But first I gotta sort out the system notifications. Hey! Looks like got a Level-up!


    Let''s see: Level-up, Level-up, achievements...


    You have used your wits and used the body of an enemy for cover and as a weapon. Achievement unlocked: "Master of Flesh". The efficiency of attacks with body parts of sentient beings increased by 10 percent. You can now add body parts to your inventory and use them as ingredients.


    +3 Intelligence


    +2 wisdom


    Gained 10000 XP


    Attention! Equal to "Man-Eater" Achievement


    In the Heat of battle, you have created a Chimera without applying your own magical abilities. Unique crafting ability unlocked: §³ombat Chimerologist- Combining different magical and physical objects allows you to create an entity on the battleground. Construction mode will be activated automatically. You have now obtained a recipe: Chimera of Death.


    +5 intelligence


    +3 agility


    +5 luck


    Gained 15000 XP


    You have survived against all constructed odds. Achievement unlocked: Epic Adventurer.


    Probability of encountering desperate situations increased x3. Probability of an unlikely lucky event increased x3


    Luck +7


    Endurance +5


    They must be joking!


    You have gained the achievement Lieutenant of Chaos for singlehandedly causing a massacre among your foes.


    Speed +3


    Strength +3


    Wisdom +5


    Chaos reputation +100


    Create 4 similar situations to gain the rank Captain Chaos.


    It looks like I''ve got a new hobby!


    You have gained the rank Dark Curse Convert - your actions have created a new stronghold of Darkness.


    Wisdom+5  Reputation among Darkness fractions+200  To reach the next rank Dark Curse Adept damn 4 more locations by any means possible


    Curse? I could curse places and people back in real life. I had a weird way of doing it. And the closer my friends knew me, the more the heeded my warning not to ask me about their future. Even for laughs. One of my good friends from college had a habit of asking me how long he would date another girl. After four exact predictions and one "You''ll break up tomorrow" he dropped that habit. Another friend of mine asked me about her future. I said, " A house on the beach." During the next year, the poor girl from Kyiv received eight invitations to move to Spain or Italy. She resisted the best she could. But in the end, her boyfriend inherited a House in Italy, and she finally moved there.


    But the most memorable case involved a "girl next door" named Anne. Once under the influence of a stale hysteria, she asked me out for a walk. During our encounter, I found out the following. Anne was screwed. Nobody loves her, she was on the brink of being expelled from the university, and her Mom came over to try and kick some sense into her, which in reality meant nagging her to death. Seeing that her hysteria was about to reach hospital grade levels, I came up with a genius scheme.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "Anne, I know what we have to do... I know an ancient druid ritual. We''ll ask the spirit of this park for help."


    "Are you serious?"


    "Sure. What do you have to lose?"


    "Okay..."


    So, giggling like children, we performed the Ancient druid ritual, which I totally made up along the way. After a bunch of mysterious rites and pretty crazy conversations with a few trees, I handed Anya a leaf from an apple tree and in a grim voice announced:


    "The forest will grant your wishes, but in return asks to see the world through your eyes from time to time."


    Anya whispered something in agreement, finally pulled herself together and went back to her dormitory. This is what happened next... That same evening she met her future husband.


    The next morning she got a call from the university. Out of an entire bunch of indebted students, she was the only one the Dean decided to have mercy on, and she wasn¡¯t going to be expelled. Her Mom finally decided,, that living with her relatives would be a lot more comfortable and Anne began seeing weird dreams...


    Since then, we stopped maintaining contact. I was unfriended from any possible social networks, added to the blacklist on her phone, and the one time we saw each other in the university, I saw so much undisguised fear, that I didn¡¯t even walk up to her.


    You have completed a hidden quest: "Heavenly wrath." You have destroyed an evil ruler. Attention! You have come up with an exceptionally brutal execution. The rewards for completing the quest is increased.


    You now possess one wish from the Soul of the World. To claim your reward say: I wish to say a word.


    Gained 100 000 XP.


    You are now master to a legendary pet: The Chimera Of Vengeance. You have given the summoned spirit the blood, pain, and misery of the summoner. You have bestowed it with flesh and purpose. You treated it as an equal with neither disgust nor fear. You will never find a friend and guardian more faithful.


    This current achievement has been added to the Hall of Fame. For unlocking this achievement, your reputation among the Orders of Light and the Summoners has fallen by 10000 points (hatred). Special quests have been generated around your character. Have a nice game.


    You have obtained a new crafting ability, "Flaying 1". Skinning is now a lot easier to perform.


    Well, well, well skinning who? That¡¯s the question of the day¡­


    Now let¡¯s check out the stats!


    Please distribute your characteristic points.


    §³urrent stats:


    Player Name - Fillin


    Race - Turn skin(Forest Owl)


    Class -Mentalist Level 29


    Basic parameters:


    Strength 13


    Agility 14


    Endurance 13


    Intelligence 20


    Wisdom 5


    Intuition 8


    Charisma 27


    Luck 17


    HP 280 Manna 400


    Basic chance of critical strike 29% (success results in critical effects)


    Basic attack(fists) 45-47


    Basic attack (claws) 186-259


    Undistributed characteristic points 140.


    Attention you can conjure 2 new incantations.


    Not bad. I''m not sure what to compare with, but judging by the HP level of average soldiers I should be able to kill them with a blow or two... being unarmed. But these are merely formalities. I was able to rip out throats, gouge out eyes, and tear off limbs starting level 1. Plus there''s any type of armor that doesn''t affect my damage but simply blocks it.


    Would you like to create an incantation?


    "Yes."


    State the desired effect.


    "Seeing the Life flow of creatures and sentients."


    Generating incantation. "Signature" Incantation generated. Effect: You can now see the flow of life energy in living beings. (Categories can be adjusted by filters). This spell will not help you detect the undead, elementals, and other non-living beings.


    Activation cost: 15 mana per second


    Accept incantation?


    A sniper''s dream! ''Yes!"


    Would you like to create an incantation?


    "Yes." (Time to accomplish my childhood dream)


    State the desired effect.


    "Telekinesis!"


    Attention! The desired effect belongs to the Psionic school of wizardry. The cost of effect increased x10 possible duration and strength of effect reduced by x10.


    Generating incantation. Completed generating the ¡°Flick¡± incantation.


    Effect: A direct psionic effect on any point in space. Maximum force 10 Newtons. Maximum affected area 1 square centimeter.


    Cost: 150 manna per second.


    Would you like to learn this incantation?


    Damn it! All my hopes of waving around a flame-bladed sword with an invisible third hand, my dreams of shutting up an annoying opponent with a flick of the wrist, of squeezing flesh like a wet cloth... I wonder if I should seek out a shrink in this joint. My fantasies of groping some pretty girl in the crowd without getting caught or even seen will just remain fantasies. Speaking of seeking out, some female company sure would be nice... Oh? What about flying on the sheer force of willpower! All of that just got taken away from by some formal system notification! This is so unfair! Wait a second Why the hell would I need wings of will power?! A can turn into a goddamned bird of prey now!


    ''No!"


    Warning! If you refuse, you won''t be able to generate new incantations until level 30. Are you prepared to confirm your refusal?


    "No."


    Now I was upset. Such a great opportunity wasted. Lets read through the effects one more time. Any point in space. ANY POINT IN SPACE. I¡¯m a genius!


    "Learn incantation, rename to Stroke."


    "Stroke" spell generated. To access other incantations of the Mentalist school find Mentors or turn to specific literature.


    Now, we''ve got the Magic covered. Now it''s time to toss around the Stat points. A third goes to Speed, which is essential for me. The second third is divided between Intelligence and Agility, And a sixth - to Intuition. The rest was scattered among the other traits, and I was sad to discover that my luck couldn''t be enhanced this way. Now it''s time to walk up to civilization! But why the hell should I walk? Am I a shapeshifter or what?! I''m gonna fly! Next on my list is the "Slayer of The Strong" achievement, and I''ve got just under half an XP bar till the next level.


    "Freakhead!"


    The Chimera quit it''s running around the tree and gawped at me with watchful eyes!


    "I''m about to Dust off! Can you follow me? If you can - blink once, if not - twice."


    The Head sadly blinked twice... Crap. Gotta find a bag of some sort. But the only things that seemed remotely suited the job were my torn up, bloody clothes. Without any regret whatsoever I took off my shirt, Which probably was white a long ass time ago but now was a shitty dark brown and made an improvised handbag. Freakhead briskly climbed in and quickly sucked in all of his "undocumented" appendages. The baron''s torn off head with a mad, twisted expression was starring at me out of the bag. Impressive.


    I concentrated my thoughts and with a will effort, which came pretty easily after the experiments with my claws, changed form. The world grew in size. I pushed away from the ground and flapped my wings. The jump sent me up three feet in the air, but then gravity caught up with me. After an hour of tiring attempts, I unlocked the achievement "Young Sisyphus": fatigue costs are decreased by 1%. I gave up and went back to digging in the parameters.


    It turned out that until level fifty, I had access only to the Glide ability. For the time being, I could only snap my beak angrily and do the goo-goo eye trick. Pffffffft... In one last desperate attempt, I climbed o low-hanging branch, transformed into an Owl once more, already nearly tumbling down. I concentrate my will power, focus, and flapping my wings with all my might set out to challenge gravity one last time¡­ It was a short flight¡­


    I wasn''t able to steer clear and crashed into I nearby tree head first¡­ Black Hawk Fucking down! I reverted back into human form.


    "Behold, Freakhead! The little helicopter that COULDN¡¯T. Well, it¡¯s 30 miles to the nearest town, and we left your legs back at the castle! And your arms for that matter..."


    I reached for the bag and made an extraordinary discovery. I was clean! All the dirt, blood and sweat that stuck to me over the last couple of days was gone without a trace. Even my teeth felt like they were brushed! It''s good to be a shapeshifter! I untied my bag and threw Freakhead out onto the grass. The head rolled away but transformed somewhere in the middle. The spider legs sprouted out of the neck, the maw blossomed with teeth, and the braid erected like a scorpion tail. The Chimera ran off into the forest. I pulled the shirt over my head, taking a quick glance at the characteristics.


    The insane Summoner''s Shirt


    +17 to the level of summoned creatures.


    All summoned creatures desire to kill you.


    You now know the power that blood possesses. Crafting Ability unlocked: "Blood enchantment I." Now the blood applied to your weapons or clothes gives them new properties (depending on the level of enchantment, on the properties of the blood, and on the means of application).


    Well, time to hit the road. But the idea of hitting it without a weapon didn''t appeal to me that much. I went a little deeper into the woods in search of a tree that would make a nice club or a spear. Oaks, Oaks, poplar, acacia... What the hell is an acacia doing in the midlands?! My attempts to break off a perfect long branch ended with a system notification: genetically modified! The damn branch just wouldn''t snap. At all. Nothing helped my claws, my bad language, hanging on it. Desperately I tried casting my "Submission" curse on the defiant tree. I was surprised that it worked, but commands like "Give me the branch," "Die" and "Fuck off" fell on deaf tree ears. Well, there was nothing left to do, except calling for the help of the otherworldly glitch. I didn''t want to, honest. But the stupid tree really pissed me off.


    "FreakHead!"


    The decapitated head heeded my call, ran up to me and started rubbing against my leg very much like a cat. I grabbed him by the base of the ponytail and brought his face to the branch.


    "Bite it off!"


    The head started to growl and tried to stab me with the bolt in the braid, which I grabbed tightly with my left hand in advance.


    "Go on! Who''s supposed to be my faithful companion and devoted comrade? Who''s got a maw full of big ass spare teeth!?"


    There was a loud crunch, and the branch finally fell to my feet. I predicted the bitten area the placement of the jaws, so now I had a full-size spear but with a very dull point. I tossed the head aside and picked up my spear-to-be. Freakhead was resentfully spitting out bits of wood, trying to force them out of the spaces between teeth with his tongue!


    "So! My dear Beaver-wannabe, the older brother of a blowtorch, why the long face? Wasn''t that tasty? Well nobody said it was gonna be easy! Change form and then turn back again. That should help."


    The Head followed my instructions, ran up to me, and scornfully spat at my feet. The grass went up in smoke and was immediately scorched, and the dead stain kept spreading till it reached a few feet in diameter.


    "Cool! Can you do that again?"


    FreakHead gave me a naughty look with a suspicious squint as if aiming right for my face


    "No! No! NO! Spit at that tree right there!"


    Again the hissing sound, the tree''s bark starts to crack and melt away? And then the wood beneath it. In the end, it looked like a mouth twisted in pain.


    "Nice! Well, Hit the road, amigo..."


    So we started off along the edge of the forest, leaving the silhouette of the cursed castle behind us.

 Ready, Freddy!?

    Hey, Ladies and Gents!! Are you ready for some more ape-shit crazy adventures?!


    ..........................................................................................................................................If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


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    Yeah, the dot''s are the 500 characters long thingy

 People! It has been an honor writting for you!)

    Open up the cheapest Champagne you''ve got, Folks! We''ve published the first book on Amazon! So, unfortunately, we have to remove most of the book''s contents from this site.(((


    https://www.royalroad.com/amazon/B0859BFDZW


    <hr>


    If you joined our club late in the game and weren''t able to finish the book, write to us here: [email protected]</a>


    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.The rest of the action will be happening on our Patreon, where we will be posting the next chapters of Fillin''s story along with other extra content.


    https://www.patreon.com/owlsnest


    <hr>


    Big thanx to you guys and gals for being with us! It was your support, comments, and reviews that gave us the courage to follow through this endeavor! You are all the best!)

 New Releases!

    People! We have come to the conclusion that abandoning you, the first of our fans, is a dick move! So we will give you a taste of things to come! Next week we will begin posting segments of the second book! Hope to hear from all of you soon! See you in the comments!) And may Madness be with you!


    ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    DOTS FOR CHARACTERS!

 The Time has Come!

    Hello, everyone! Thank you for your patience! And this EagleOwl has come to feed it''s little owlets some grade-A content! Book 2 just hit Royal Road! Our expansion didn''t go as good as we hoped - jumping onto Patreon and expecting every single one of you great guys and gals to follow was really naive.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    Our translator is back from his 8 day trip to the psych-ward and is itching to start typing away, answering comments, writing letters and kicking ass!


    Ladies and Gentlemen, without further delay, we present to you Book 2 of the Haphazardous debugging series!


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/30803/haphazardous-debugging-adaptation