"Each path of development is supported by its own guild. For strongmen — the martial arts guild. For mages — the magical arts guild. For rogues — the guild of tricksters, although people often call it the thieves' guild. And for craftsmen — the trade guild..." Viziliy lay down on the ground, and I, feeling increasing pain in my muscles, followed his example. "In short: you come, prove your class affiliation. They teach you a bit, give you a task. You complete it — you get a rank and a skill point. They teach you more, new task and new rank... You, thanks to the glitch, will be able to learn in all of them at once... Of course, only when you unlock the corresponding forms. And, consequently, you'll be able to get points from all of them."
"And how many ranks are there?"
The possibilities made me catch my breath, and I propped myself up on my elbow.
"Exhale, Ilyusha. It's not that simple," the old man chuckled hoarsely. "For the first two ranks, you'll be considered an apprentice. Everything is quick, easy, and there's no pressure. But after that, you'll become a journeyman, and things get much more complicated. The tasks won't be just fetch and carry... Moreover, the guilds are at odds with each other, and you need to be very careful, otherwise someday you might have to kill your friends from another guild."
"Is it that serious?"
"More than that. There's a hefty distribution of system money and high-level rewards going on... It has even led to open wars at times. It would take a long time to explain the details... Maybe some other time... Or you can read about it in a book. You're smart, I guess..."
Hmm... I lay back down on the ground and stared at the night sky through the barely moving foliage. It's a pity there won't be any freebies... But still, every extra skill point I get will make me stronger than others. Plus the doubled speed of leveling up and acquiring skills. Very quickly, I'll compensate for my innate lag and...
And what? The thought smoothly slid to the most practically useless, but at the same time the most interesting question: what do I actually want from this world and what do I want to achieve here?
The main thing I've already received is a full-fledged life. Although...
A house in a local village is not the same as a cool country cottage near Moscow. Here, wolves can eat you, and bandits can stab you when you go to the city with goods or for goods. And you'll have to dig in the ground... Roughly like that until the end of your life.
So, to preserve even this very full-fledged life, you need to be strong.
Okay. The first point is there. What's next?
Magic. I've always wanted to become a mage! Well, not exactly to the point of "WHOOSH!" a fire rain on one village. "TAKE THAT!" an ice storm on another. My requests are simpler: to cool beer in a glass and move it from the table to my hand without getting up. To lift a girl's skirt...
Oh! Women!
In my past life, I talked to one very famous musician. I ask: what do you want? Money, he says, fame! Popularity! I ask: why do you need all this? He thought about it, and then answers: to f*ck chicks!
Later, I relayed this conversation to many other famous people. Many initially resisted, but then said that yes, at the beginning of their journey, this was the main motive. However, over time this changes, especially when it becomes too much... Sometimes they even go to monasteries, or try to lower their dopamine levels in other ways...
What am I talking about? Ah! About women. Yes, I want them! For twenty-eight f*cking years, I couldn't and didn't want to. I knew that everyone wanted to, and I tried to feel the same as others, but I couldn't. And here, in just forty hours, I've already met two girls who made me... Ah! I want! Many different ones and in different ways! Passionate ones for one night. A lover and a friend in one person. And definitely those who fly into your life for a few weeks, you do everything that's possible and impossible. Fire all around, fire inside! Everything you touch explodes and... You fly apart forever!..
Okay. The third point is clear too.
In principle, there's enough motivation to take about thirty levels.
Or not?..
Ah, my restless head... Of course not! What kind of miserable goal is thirty levels?! After all, it's already clear that either I'll die trying to achieve this, or I'll achieve it very soon. There's no point in considering the first option. If I die, I die... It wouldn't be the first time.
But when I achieve it (at my pace, it won't take much time), what then?
Then, then...
Anything!
The strongest mage? Dream! World domination? Easy! I'll be a fair and kind monarch. At least to those who are kind and fair themselves. Break the system? It's already broken! But, in general, we can move in this direction too. Return to Earth? No-o-o. That's definitely not happening. Only if, being the strongest mage, I could get into the body of a bullied schoolboy there... Why not? It would make a great recursion!
"Mmm," a groan from Lynch pulled me out of my light fantasy slumber. "Viz, are you asleep?"
"No," the old man whispered, apparently not wanting to wake me up.
"Excellent brew, as always!" the big man also lowered his voice. "So much strength that I could fight monsters right now!"
"We've already taken down one with the lad here."
"What?" Lynch jumped up and surveyed the battlefield, then rushed to the body lying in the bushes. "W-what level was it?"
"A small one," Viziliy waved it off. "Food's in the bag. Wake me up at dawn."
***
My biological clock resisted such an early rise, and the aching muscles of my arms, legs, and back objected even more.
"Here, this will help."
The old man was sitting on the ground, holding out a small glass vial with green liquid.
With difficulty raising my hand, I took the vial and drained it in one gulp. No instant healing occurred.
"It doesn't seem to be helping..."
"Now you need to do some exercises to get the blood flowing in your muscles."
Exercise is good. Exercise is useful. If only someone would lift me up...
Lynch guessed my condition and extended his hand.
For the next fifteen minutes, under standard comments, I stretched, did squats, push-ups, and ran between the trees. And it helped! Of course, I still felt echoes of pain, but quite tolerable, and I could already swing a sword without any problems.
"Now a light breakfast and we're moving out!" Viziliy commanded and dumped enough food on the cloth to feed ten people.
Although no, it wouldn't be enough. Apparently, during the night, my improving body sucked out all internal reserves, and my appetite only increased compared to the evening. In the end, I ate two large pieces of some bird, a big apple pie, two eggs, and four large tubers of local potatoes.
"Will you be able to walk?" Lynch said doubtfully.
"By the time we get there, everything will be absorbed!" Viziliy waved his hand. "Let's go!"
***
According to Viziliy, during the night, the undead in the fortress should have redistributed, so we didn't look for the place where we finished yesterday, but immediately rushed into battle. This time it went much faster.
Viziliy only chopped legs if more than one opponent was running at us. Otherwise, they gave the whole one to me. I was a bit nervous only while killing the first one, then I got into it, and it went smoothly.
After the fifth one, I started experimenting with dodging, stepping to one side or the other. Then Viziliy showed me a couple more techniques, and I began to test them.
We completed the circle in just over an hour.
"Not bad," the old man stated. "Now inside. Keep in mind, in the depths, the guys will be more serious."
"What kind?"
"Could be anything... So stay behind."
No problem. All the way to the fortress, I was analyzing yesterday's conversation and became even more convinced that there's no point in playing hero until all basic skills are obtained, preferably at level two or three.
We went about fifteen meters deep into the inner courtyard of the fortress and again went in a circle. Now there was no shelter in the form of a wall, and the ruined inner buildings presented a pitiful sight and were almost all visible through. So the attacks became regular, more massive, and unexpected. For now, though, these were still the same dead people of the sixth level.
"Ilya, that one's yours!" Viziliy nodded at the undead climbing through the window, while he himself stepped towards two others.
Lynch wasn't idle either, taking on the fourth one.
I already felt confidence, but pragmatism should always prevail in battle. Therefore, when the undead tumbled out of the window, I took off its head, not letting it get up, and then finished off the other two left to me by my companions.
"Sorry, I overdid it..." Lynch smiled guiltily, pointing at the fourth opponent cut from shoulder to waist.
"It happens," I grinned and wiped my sword on the clothes of the twice-dead.
We continued to advance quite quickly, leaving pacified undead on the dried earth, but suddenly Viziliy raised his hand and gave the now familiar command:
"Quiet!"
We froze, and the sound that had alerted the old man reached our ears. Some kind of multi-voiced groaning coming from the side we were heading to.
"What is that?" I mouthed.
Viziliy raised one shoulder, as if to say, I don't know. This simple gesture alarmed me more than anything that had happened before. I was already starting to get used to him knowing everything.
The unknown threat was not a reason to stop, and we went on. After killing three more ordinary undead, we came to a one-story stone building. Surprisingly intact, except for a missing door on the side. The noise was coming from numerous small windows located under its roof.
The purpose of the structure remained a mystery to me, unless you could stand on something inside, put a gun on the windowsill and fight off the attackers. But the picture drawn by my brain clearly belonged to a different opera.
Viziliy was about to take a step forward when suddenly a ragged roar was heard from the left, followed by pattering steps.
Holy shit! Three huge dead dogs were flying at us, and the sound they were making was apparently the posthumous analogue of barking.
I took a position behind everyone and waited. And I got what I was waiting for! Right behind my back came exactly the same roar that the undead rushing at my companions were making. Experience was lacking, but my ass suggested that the beast was very close.
I quickly stepped to the side and, turning around, delivered a blind strike. Well, not Viziliy, of course, but I cut off the left front paw at the joint. Damn it! Even with such an injury, the dead dog managed to land normally...
"Behind!" I yelled, as now it was more convenient for the beast to attack Lynch, who was standing with his back to it.
At my shout, everyone froze for a second, including the undead. During this time, I managed to jump to the crippled dog and strike it on the nape.
"You shouldn't have!" Viziliy exhaled loudly and pacified the last of the first trio of attackers.
"What shouldn't I have?"
"Shouted."
And then I understood myself why I shouldn't have. The groaning in the mysterious building suddenly shifted to a completely different level, and a second later shadows flickered in the windows.
"Retreat!" Viziliy shouted, and we, not even picking up the rewards, ran towards the fortress wall.
Meanwhile, from the windows... And from the windows, dozens of black dead chickens poured out. They spread their partially holey wings, smacked against the ground and each other, then jumped up and with wild clucking rushed (in a bad sense) after us.