Yar couldn’t stop thinking about these dangerous sands, but he somehow gradually returned to what had happened.

What else did a true adventurer need to feel complete happy? Yar’s future was unpredictable and rather murky, and beyond the panoramic porthole of the refuge, the view was frightening.

The mysteriously exquisite silver light of the Yagli satellite shone somewhere upwards, and the nearest dunes were clearly visible. Some evil deity seemed to have placed its dangerous zombies there, resembling tin soldiers.

Yar thoughtfully tapped on the viewing window and frowned: these frightening black pillars were everywhere. He turned away from the depressing picture, massaging his temples, trying to forget the obsessive view, while he glanced at the revived portaler. He didn’t seem to feel well either.

The portaler had been standing there, white with blue lips and shaking violently, for a long time. His behavior wasn’t surprising after being imprisoned within the magical dagger. Yar wasn’t afraid for the safety of his memory; little time had passed since the time the man had died and returned from oblivion.

However, Yar had to start talking to bring the guy to his senses. He spoke calmly, smiling as good-naturedly as possible. “Sorry, buddy! I couldn’t protect you again. I didn’t expect such a treacherous and arrogant attack in the very center of the Imperial capital.”

Aire Ant, apparently remembered the last moments before his death, and he grimaced. As if still feeling the pain, he touched his throat, checking for a wound, and then he croaked hoarsely, “Timelessness is disgusting.”

Yar took a deep breath, rubbed his forehead, and then said, “Well, I know it’s not easy for people to work for me, but I pay increased premiums for service and loyalty.” Then Yar instantly included Aire in the list of those who had been awarded two abilities, hoping that the dragon battle form and his dark school might be useful to the portaler.

As it turned out, receiving such dividends could also serve as an instant treatment. In a second, both a blush and an interest in life returned to Aire. “What? What… what… is this? And where are we?”

Yar nodded approvingly and pointed with his hand to the portal in the wall.

“I’m glad you came back to life. There’s a portal niche. Go to the lower level, and there you can try out the innovations. Work until your muscles start hurting, but don’t bring yourself to exhaustion. Most of all, try to achieve the ease! Imagine yourself a weightless fluttering moth. As soon as you feel that you are becoming overweight and clumsy, then go to the pool. Swim, relax, and then go back to work. Don’t use the battle form. A dragon’s form doesn’t fit in here. Although…”

Yar pointed with his thumb towards the ceiling. “It’s great in the sky. By the way, we are in a shelter, surrounded by the wights, but here”—Yar spread his hands—“nothing threatens us. But in order to get out of this huge location known as the Cursed Lands, we will have to work hard with both magic and swords.”

The portaler opened his mouth in surprise. All his fears and insecurities faded away after receiving his incredible amplification. A rare mixture of triumph, delight, and insane fear was reflected on his keen face very clearly. Suddenly, Yar immersed himself in his memories. He had already seen something like this once in his childhood at the St. Petersburg circus. An ordinary boy was riding a hefty bear round the arena. Before that, the animal had ridden a bike and a motorcycle, but still, it was a real bear, a real beast.

How much time has passed since that day?

“Eternity,” Yar exhaled quietly. The memories of those happy times when his parents were alive still hurt him.

“Yes, Lord!” Aire Ant shouted and tore Yar from his painful thoughts. The guy then instantly disappeared into the portal niche.

That’s good. I still have much to do.

Yar noticed long ago that it was easier for him to think while moving, probably, like many earthlings. Now, he had something to ponder.

Closing his eyes, Yar, with the slight grace of a moth not turning into a combat trance, began to spin, performing, one after another, the movements of his school. Most of all, he wanted to understand his latest crazy and bold thoughts and ideas. He still needed to know the truth: whether it was the influence of his latest achievement, or whether he began to think creatively, but frighteningly. However, he was very confident.

Eva and Lyan helped Yar think about the solution. They spent more than an hour discussing things, but they never reached a consensus. Finally, Yar decided, Thanks, Eva. Thanks, Lyan. I must try to get a clear answer. It is resolved. Lyan, control my pulse and general physical condition—you now have access to the remedial blocks, so use them when you find it necessary. Eva, you will be engaged in general coordination and subtle matters—my aura and sources. Come on, my friends.

“Yes, Master,” his assistants answered in unison.

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Yar lay down in the center of the room; he wasn’t very comfortable. He turned to the side, but it didn’t help. Yar sighed. “This is not my place!”

He got up, went into a corner, sat down, and threw back his head. The place in the corner fit him perfectly.

Lyan, please, bare my right hand. It took the guard more time to respond than instantly.

The leader of the Midnighters clan calmed down. He even excessively relaxed, took out a bottle of vodka, the best cigar, and a bottle of mineral water—it was almost his traditional set.

Yar then relaxed, took a few sips of mineral water directly from the neck of the bottle, cut the cigar, lit it, smoked it for pleasure, and began filling the shelter with an incomparable all-penetrating aroma. He uncorked the vodka, sprinkled it on his palm and carefully rubbed his arm to his shoulder. Having done this several times, Yar tightened the cork and leaned back. Meditation, appeal to new opportunities and knowledge, brought a clear understanding that the workshop would not help here, and the system of the dark artifact was a completely different hypostasis, older than the system. He suffered from fear and uncertainty that he couldn’t do anything.

“I am dark,” Yar stated confidently, and everything changed at once: he saw himself as if from the side, sitting relaxed in the corner—a cigar smoldered in his teeth. Unreasonably, he thought, I’ll burn someday.

He looked down and flinched both physically and mentally.

Mommy… I’m like that black-black man from children’s horror stories, only I’m even worse.

Yar quickly coped with his excited state and started examining himself and the state of his consciousness. His hands waved, and his legs walked, however, this black-black man could most likely be called a clear outline of his body, filled with darkness.

Examining himself, crouching and bouncing, Yar behaved like a child and did not even notice when the portaler appeared. Aire Ant immediately chopped Yar in two, and then again, and again. The clan leader watched in surprise as his body was cut and fell apart, but then he became whole once again.

Aire, like a ceiling fan, was furiously cutting the air with his swords.

A thought rushed through Yar’s mind. Damn, you can play in the theater. I hope this guy won’t have a stroke—it’s as if he’s fighting with his swords so passionately that his eyes are bulging.

Yar concentrated and tried to reach out to the portaler. Hey-hey, damn swordsman, stop chopping me up! I’m not a new form of makiwara for practicing your blows! It’s me, you fool. I’m your comrade, ally, and master.

There was no response. With annoyance, Yar quickly hit Aire in the chest with his open palm, trying to push him away, completely forgetting about his ethereal image. Oddly enough, the strike turned out to be very effective, and the portaler was thrown apart, like a dry maple leaf torn off the tree by a gust of wind, and then he hit hard against the wall.

Yes, an unexpected attack is my strong suit. Yar spread his arms and very spectacularly moved in a haze state to Aire Ant, who was lying unconscious while noting that his movement was slower than the short portal.

I almost killed him, Yar thought with fear.

The life indicator was in the red sector and showed fluctuations from three to one percent. This effect was first discovered by Yar, and that was not all. A black trace from the palm of his hand flaunted on the young guy’s chest, and his clothes in this place seemed to burn out. Yar immediately used remedial units.

Hmm, it seems my spells in this state work much more efficiently.

He decided to check it without delay. Everything was right, and it turned out that the efficiency of all his spells increased by twenty percent. While Yar was distracted by the comparative analysis, the portaler opened his eyes.

Now Aire behaved right: he froze, apparently, realizing that the enemy wouldn’t have treated him in this way. The healing also seemed familiar to him. Realizing that the thought connection for some reason did not work, Yar suddenly decided to communicate in other accessible ways. The black-black man wrote with black ink right in the air, as if on canvas: “Aire, stop fighting. It’s me, Yar. Stop pretending innocence and rushing at me with swords. Do you have an assignment? So, keep working! This is my first and last warning. Or I will act like Vey the Shamrock, then, be sure, you won’t like it very much.”

The puzzled portaler prudently hastened to the transport niche.

Wow, he’s fast, Yar thought, watching Aire leave. I will have to see the mark on his chest later. Well, it turns out that my dark artifactor’s working form is not a harmless state. And it seems that the black-black man will be able to surprise his rivals.

Yar’s assumption was immediately confirmed. There was no habitual frame overhead, Yar noticed as he looked with his magical vision—there was emptiness, but the aura increased by orders of magnitude and looked denser, resembling a saturated fog. The symbionts also grew significantly and looked like two huge lively shining diamonds. Moreover, instead of the usual stats, stunning information appeared:

Yar Row Dark, basic form (static state) + 100% to the Defense

Yar Row Dark, battle form (static state) randomly

Yar Row Dark, energy form (static state) randomly

Yar Row Dark, specialized form, dark artifactorer (active state)

HP—according to the basic form

Skills—according to the basic form

Abilities—according to the basic form

Assistants—according to the basic form

Specialized Form—Dark Artifactor

Main Amplifications:

1. Barrier of Darkness:

Option 1: ultra-protective dome, the radius of not more than seven yards

Option 2: any obstacles from 1 yard to 30 yards, not involved

2. Modeling space and time (radius five yards), not involved

3. Harmonious merging (materials, living-non-living), not involved

4. Higher magic surgery (amplification, bio-modernization, implants), not involved

5. Higher magic neurosurgery (amplification, bio-modernization, implants), not involved

6. Intuitive symbiont tool (qualified assistants), not involved

Special Intuitive Amplifications:

Special Intuitive Amplification No. 7321 is in stock, triggering instantly, according to emergency situations

Accept the dark artifactor’s amplifications?

Yes/No