В холодном и заснеженном горном массиве была замечена одинокая фигура, катающаяся на сноуборде на огромной скорости. Это был мужчина в ярко-красной теплой одежде, которая создавала явный контраст на белоснежном снегу.
Сердце мужчины затрепетало. На его лице была дикая ухмылка. Ему нравилось, как он мчался сквозь редкие деревья на горе, а адреналин заставлял его сердце бешено биться. Как рыба, пойманная с суши обратно в воду.
Ему хотелось бы всегда наслаждаться ощущением скорости и адреналина, а не застревать в сером и скучном современном мире, сидя в офисе и подписывая бумаги. Но в душе он понимал, что долго так жить не станет, и постоянный адреналин ни к чему хорошему не приведет.
Пока он нечаянно думал и ослаблял концентрацию, он не заметил, как собирался врезаться в дерево. В последний момент, сумев изменить траекторию, теперь у него возникла новая проблема. Он потерял контроль.
У него больше не было желания думать о смысле жизни и о таких запутанных вещах. Все его внимание было сосредоточено на том, чтобы восстановить контроль над собой и ситуацией в целом. Но если бы у него было время подумать, он бы явно задумался о том, чтобы быть осторожным со своими желаниями.
Не в силах отвернуться ни на секунду, мужчина не заметил, как за его спиной образовалась лавина. Все явно шло к черту, и жизнь его, наверное, еще никогда не была такой «интересной». Попытки вернуть контроль не сильно помогли, каждое мгновение его жизнь была на кону.
As if a switch had been turned on, an avalanche engulfed him in an instant. He felt snow, ice, rocks and all sorts of other objects crashing into him, as if he had fallen into a blender. But thanks to the adrenaline, I didn't feel anything except dull blows and numbness.
It seemed to him that it lasted forever, he began to feel pain and merciless cold burns very well. The constant cracking and banging was unbearably painful, the cold seemed to have reached his very bones and mercilessly tormented him. He had never wanted to die, but now he wanted one of the damn stones to just smash his head.
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At some point, he noticed that nothing was happening. In a split second, he managed to see the cliff of the mountain in which he was caught in an avalanche, and a sharp descent down. He was falling. Time seemed to stop again, finally his heart calmed down, the cold and pain gave way to peace.
He just closed his eyes... Everything was plunged into eternal darkness…
***
When he opened his eyes, he found himself in
an incredibly strange place. Thick, pitch-black fog swirled everywhere. There is perfectly flat ground and water under your feet, no higher than your feet. The only light source is his dark and translucent body.
"Is this what the afterlife looks like? It looks like I won't meet my parents... and my son...", - His dark ghost-like body froze in a daze. The violet light in his eyes was dimming.
[Candidate #500, Alex Russell. The chosen death is death from falling as a result of an avalanche. The goal is to select an administrator. The time of training is now. Please follow the guide. In case of refusal – imprisonment in the dimension of Nothingness for 300 years.]
A strange glowing tablet appeared in front of his face, an emotionless voice rang in his ears. After that, a glowing ball of light appeared, slowly leaving in an unknown direction.
The dimmed eyes brightened, the numbness fell from his etheric body. How he would like to just hide in a corner and cease to exist in this world. He understood that he was being given a great chance for a second life. And 300 years of imprisonment in this dimension is worse than ordinary death.
The ball of light, in other words, the guidebook was already hidden by clouds of fog ... Alex took the first step, and the fog began to surround him with each of his subsequent steps. He followed and followed him, step by step, accompanied only by the faint sound of splashing water.
Alex has long lost track of time. And his new body wasn't limited by fatigue.
[Candidate #500 has reached his destination. Please read the manual in front of you.]
After reading this message, his guidebook turned into a softly glowing book. He wanted to ask why he had to go all this way if the book was with him all the time. But I decided to keep silent. And read the book in silence.
Whose title read "A manual on becoming a System." As the title says, the book writes about the nuances, prohibitions, and permission of System administrators. His situation was a bit unusual. Alex turned out to be the last person chosen to become a unique System Administrator.
[Candidate #500 has read the manual. The last stage of training is to choose the specialization of the System Administrator. Do you want to start the selection process?]
[Yes/No]
"Yes."
Alex expected that he would choose among the options presented. But instead, a big wheel of chance appeared, and began to spin at breakneck speed. His dead heart, if he had one at all, began to beat faster. Anticipation and anxiety crept into my chest.
The wheel was slowly but surely slowing down. The seconds dragged slowly by, as did the expectation that tugged at his soul. Alex was more and more surprised by the number of options, and could catch a glimpse of both ridiculous and stunning specializations. From which the butterflies in my chest raged more and more.
[Specialization selected – Devourer. The training is over, we wish further cooperation and good luck to candidate No. 500.]
Как только он это прочитал, в глазах у него потемнело, и поток беспорядочных мыслей прекратился. Он снова погрузился в вечную тьму