Chapter 31

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"The morning begins, begins..."

I crawled off the bed and wandered into the bathroom.

"Cthulhu awakens, awakens..."

Seven in the morning. The alarm clock has long been off, but what to do with the habit of "going to work by nine"? There's no way to break it. There are happy people who can sleep until noon and not worry about it, aren't there? I've heard of them!

I habitually suppressed laziness, did a warm-up routine, and went to make breakfast.

The fridge was empty. A week ago, after the restaurant, I was pretending to be a hot guy in front of the lady, walking in an open jacket, and, of course, I caught a cold. And there were golden days when in winter I almost ran in a T-shirt and just warmed up... from friction, probably? Will somebody rub me?

Okay, three eggs, wilted herbs, and a piece of suspicious bread. That should be enough for breakfast. The strange thing is you don't want to eat when you have a cold, but the fridge gets empty. How does that happen?

Finishing scrambled eggs and toast with greens crumbled on butter, I began to plan the day.

I took level twenty-five yesterday. "The Abandoned mines" were relatively passable for a single player. The monsters were clustered in groups of two or three. The most disgusting was packs of small rock rats, about fifteen of each. They were killed by the shield of Companion but did not give the experience, and this infuriated me. Four-level huge mines, in which time and again appeared sublocations such as "Collapsed wall opens washed by underwater rivers passage" or "Suddenly found the abandoned tunnel to a very old mining", a huge area, with a lot of monsters. Even the fact that I could not kill the final boss did not upset me. There was a lot of EXP. I did a level a day. If I hadn't been in bed for two days, I would have been twenty-seven. That's okay, I'll be back.

So today, I had to learn the last two spells available before level one - Purification and Shining Truth. I missed the first one in the mines. It removed the effects of poison or disease once a minute. This is from the paladin himself or the good characters. The evil ones had positive effects depending on their rank: one on the first, five on the fifth. Worthwhile thing. "Shining truth" (I don't know why it has anything to do with truth?) worked on the area within ten paces of the paladin all the evil ones became blinded for seven seconds, getting extra damage when they hit. The good, on the contrary, were encouraged for fifteen seconds, increasing their strike power and defense. It worked, by the way, not only on the paladin's group but on everyone, so it was not recommended to use it against "gray" monsters: they would get the same buff. It's a shame that it's only used once every ten minutes, and there's no way to shorten it.

So, we put a tick - learn spells.

Third - check the new compilation of mods. Already strange to me that I played without such handy support. For example, the "identifier" three times indicated to me a convenient place for an ambush (one time came in handy), allowing you to recognize the monster on the silhouette (illuminated, however, only the monitor, so I had to pay more attention to him). If I hadn't played virt - I would have considered it all a cheat.

Of course, all the mods are only registered from the Net, but the variety was impressive. Even more striking was that the game adjusted the external programs for playing from the monitor to the virt. As a result, on the monitor, I saw the likely threat, data on monsters, and abilities used by players, and in the virt, I got a more convenient display of shooting and text chat.

Thanks to the identifier module, I could now see which faction the NPCs belonged to. The designation was rather tentative since the world was constantly changing, and the mobs were not static, but I could get some information. Now I certainly have a good relationship with the temple of Amala the Healer, more or less decent with the guards and the townsfolk (raising the reputation, constantly taking jobs within the city). The archivist of the guards was supposed to relate to either the city or the guards, which means you could try to untwist him. This is the fourth.

Fifth, check my résumé and sit on Q&A for at least an hour. Strange, I'm still quite an experienced worker with a good rating and a clean account (I do not believe that my former bosses would risk putting a black mark - I can screw them just as bad, and legitimately), and yet not a single invitation. I need to figure it out.

And, of course, the first one.

Putting on my glasses, I called up the menu of the nearest delivery and sent in the standard order of "Full Bachelor Fridge," removing only the spices. There, I was saved from starvation, and I'd take care of the rest.

"Comp, news on Creators of Destiny."

The only thing I got out of the pile was a report from Japan. The guild alliance had staged a battle with a monster of the highest difficulty on the stadium grounds. I stood there for half an hour and watched the spectacle in virt mode, occasionally moving my vantage point. It was even more epic than the battle of the "banditos" with the fire serpent. The virt was clearly specially assembled for this campaign and covered the entire stadium. I don't know if the game intentionally shaped the space for this fight, but the virt took into account the bleachers (cave ledges), the running tracks, and even the ceiling, where giant flying creatures frolic, throwing various nasties from above. Nearly three hundred players ran around the stadium with excitement; there were nearly five dozen knights in full plate alone, constantly replacing each other with incredible consistency. The moment the creature, the misty dragon, was finally defeated, the doorbell rang.

The delivery guy unloaded two bags of food, thanked me for the tip, and, noting the order, left.

After placing the provisions in their proper storage places, I sighed sadly.

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

Oh-ho-ho-ho, I hate such a choice.

There is everything I need, and every decision will lead to a result I will be satisfied with. And it will, I know it will. But there's a worm of doubt lurking at the bottom of my soul! But that's for later, and right now I have to decide - soup or stew?

Okay, let's do it!

I took out a frying pan and started to cook the roast. I guess it would be soup, after all.

As I was gently stirring the vegetables, the doorbell rang. Cursing at the fact that I had to interrupt at such an important moment, I went to open the door.

"Good morning! Lieutenant Firtsev, Mikhail Lvovich, your new district officer. I'm checking the list of tenants. Am I disturbing you?"

Long, about my age, in uniform and with a folder in his hand.

"One moment."

I checked the online list of employees of the local office. It was Firtsev, and the photo matched. After unlocking the lock, I waved my hand:

"Come on in. And in the kitchen, if you don't mind. The table is just there... really. I'm cooking now."

The policeman waved his hand: "It's okay, I'll be quick."

"Then don't take your shoes off. I wanted to do the cleaning anyway."

While the uncalled guest was seated at the table, hastily cleared of cooking residue, I topped up the brew with roast, sprinkled a little seasoning, and turned to the table.

"Well, I'm ready."

"All right, let's get started. First name, middle name, last name?"

"Vladimir Gennadyevich Polushkin."

"Full years?"

"Thirty-one."

"Religion?"

"The Church of the Path of Mankind."

The policeman grimaced a little, but continued: "Citizenship?"

"Full."

The questioning went on, as usual, and the lieutenant ticked the boxes almost without thinking. Then a long time checked the numbers of my two shotguns in the service recorder and checked the network and general accounts. Finally, with a sigh of relief closed the folder.

"Well, that's it. When I think how much more I have to go around today... It's good that you were caught at home on the first day, or it would be a long walk."

"Would you like to have lunch? It's not a bribe. It's an offer to join."

The lieutenant hesitated, then nodded.

"Thank you. The smells are killer!"

Sure. Did I have to take you into the kitchen and throw spices for nothing?

It is very useful to eat soup after an illness. Chicken soup. It's the easiest soup to make. And that's... how about "you"?

"Okay. Michael."

"Vlad."

We shook hands with each other.

"How long have you been here?" I put down the napkin and the utensils and started filling the deep bowls.

"Third month. My term was over. I was transferred here by toss-up. Before that, I worked in the Novgorod region."

"How's it going in there?"

"It's okay. No worse than anywhere else. There aren't many people on welfare, mostly cutbacks."

"Why peasant needs full citizenship."

"That's right. These people are stingy."

The soup was hot, and we ate it carefully, trying not to burn ourselves.

"Vlad, off the record - if you're a "crusader," did you take vows, too?"

I nodded without taking my eyes off the food. Good soup.

"And which ones?"

I had to divert my attention and answer:

"For this year, for myself, it's a job on the Web for Q&A once a week: Warehouse logistics, accounting, documentation. For the world - repairing the playground in the neighbor's yard."

"Is that in the thirty-second?"

"Uhu."

"Didn't the company work there right away?"

"I found our people with similar vows we cooperated and rebuilt. I was in charge of coordination. A fellow gave me the materials."

"Who painted it?"

"The guys from the 713th were invited."

"An educational moment?"

"Partially. And in general - that they treat it as their own and don't break it foolishly."

"That makes sense." He put his spoon down as if he were gathering his spirit, then said, "I don't understand you. What's wrong with Orthodoxy? The same values, tradition, finally?"

"Sorry, police officer, but the first dogma of my faith forbids me to discuss it."

"Yes, I remember, I remember..." He grimaced and brushed aside a piece of bread. "You're imagining a lot."

"We don't touch anyone, we fulfill our vows, and we stay out of the way of others. We believe what we want, and this right is protected by the Constitution."

"I didn't mean it like that. It was a joke, wasn't it?"

"Joke. Three students decided to goof off and create their own religion in defiance of the law, a religion that could not be legally challenged. They got fifty million members in fifteen years."

"And two-thirds of them are abroad."

"Which proves that there are smart people everywhere. Extras?"

"Thank you... another scoop?"

"Okay."

He ate it with such an appetite that I couldn't stand it and poured some for myself, too. I'm going to get full, so what!

"Vlad, can I ask you a question?"

"Is this about politics again?"

"No, the personal"

I raised an eyebrow but nodded.

"Do you always serve soup for four?"

Ahem.

"Always. When I'm not eating alone. I'd suggest something for the main course, but there's only sausage. You want some?"

"Thank you. I'm already full, even sleepy."

You're welcome. And you need a fork at any meal. As an argument of restraint.

"What do you mean?"

"If someone reaches for your plate for a piece, how do you stop him? A knife is a criminal offense. With a spoon, it's inconvenient. And a fork will show them that it's not worth it."

The lieutenant smirked indistinctly and nodded thoughtfully.

"And if you eat from the same cauldron as it was in the villages before?

"Shared plate and my plate are different things."

"It's complicated for you!"

Smiling again, the district officer fairly sighed and stood up.

"Thank you for the treat, master. I'll go to another yard to ask the hosts there."

Already stepping over the threshold, he turned and asked:

"That, I almost forgot - are there any complaints?"

I shrugged.

"For winter and the flu virus. But that's out of your hands, isn't it?"

"Alas. Until you write a statement, we are completely powerless! Have a good day!"

"And you."

I closed the door.

He was an interesting person. He spent forty minutes with me, even though the cops were busy "on the ground". He asked me a lot of questions that were easy to check, including the general database, and poked into the gun safe, even though the previous check had been only three months ago. He asked about the vows, though the cops don't like "crusaders". Each community has someone with an annual vow to check their actions. He knows about the playground, though we finished it before he was transferred. Maybe, of course, he's just a good man and a professional...

I opened the district's website and looked at the data of the district's precinct officers. Yes, transferred two months ago. There are two dozen reviews from full citizens, almost all positive. Three - from limited, but also positive, which means that gasters and cutters do not suffer from him too much. Leaving my review: "Normal man, attentive, used to work in the village," - I thought for a while, and then decided to re-insure.

"Hello? Alla Igorevna? Hello, it's Polushkin. Yes, about the resume. I'm very worried, I'd like an answer as soon as possible to make up my mind. Will you? Okay, I'll call you back. Have a good day!"

Citizens are not supposed to know the details of one civil record, but when and who has this "not supposed" ever stopped anyone? A human resources officer at a government company will carefully check my resume and send it back as inappropriate and, along with it, the history of changes and appeals. Totally by accident.

And I'll transfer her money for the consultation as part of her main job. It's perfectly legal.

After washing the dishes, I went back to the room.

"Comp, launching the Creators of Destiny." And after thinking for a second added. "Output to the tablet."

I shouldn't have eaten so much after all. I'm going to sit for a while... I'll even lie down, and then I'll put on the virt.

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