The Great System has been activated.
Giorgi, startled by the sudden appearance of a blue screen before his eyes, thought he might be hallucinating. To snap out of it, he slapped himself hard across the face, but the screen didn't disappear. For a while, he tried to ignore the strange phenomenon, pacing back and forth in his room, but the persistent blue rectangle remained in his line of vision.
"Damn it," he muttered, staring suspiciously at the screen.
Realizing that ignoring it was futile, Giorgi began examining it. After a few minutes of hesitation, he finally pressed the "Enter" button.
Suddenly, information about the system flooded his consciousness.
According to the data he received, the system didn't grant magical powers, bestow superhuman abilities, or open doors to mystical worlds. Instead, it offered something far more valuable: knowledge.
Knowledge in physics, chemistry, engineering, medicine, and numerous other fields could be purchased using the system's unique currency—points. These points could be earned by performing various actions, ranging from mundane tasks, such as earning money, to more extreme endeavors, like robbery, murder, or even seizing power in a country. The bigger the challenge, the more points it yielded.
The system also allowed the "purchase" of people who would become 100% loyal and carry out any assigned task. The selection was vast: from simple workers to soldiers, engineers, doctors, and even politicians.
Notification!
At that moment, a new message appeared before Giorgi:
"To assist you in your endeavors, you have been granted 5,000 points."
"Well, now this is interesting," he muttered, frowning slightly.
Browse Available Knowledge
1. Nuclear Physics — 1,000,000 points
2. Space Rocket Construction — 10,000,000 points
3. Basic Engineering and Transportation Technologies — 100,000 points
The prices for knowledge that could be useful to Giorgi turned out to be far higher than he expected.
Browse Available Categories of People
1. Regular Person — 10 points
2. Military Personnel — 100 to 100,000 points
3. Technical Specialists — 50 to 1,000 points
4. Medical Workers — 200 to 5,000 points
5. Skilled Laborers — 100 to 1,000 points
After some deliberation, Giorgi decided to invest in human resources.
100 regular people (1,000 points) — they could be trained for various professions over time.
10 soldiers (1,000 points).
20 builders (1,000 points).
10 blacksmiths (1,000 points).
1 merchant (100 points).
2 paramedics (300 points).
1 doctor (200 points).
1 electrician (400 points).
After confirming his purchase, a new message appeared on the screen:
"Your order will be fulfilled within an hour."
Nodding, Giorgi headed home, contemplating his next steps. He knew time was limited: it was currently November 1917, and soon the Russian army would abandon the Caucasian front, leaving the region in chaos.
"Soon, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan will declare independence," he mused aloud. "To resist the Ottomans, they'll even form a temporary alliance. But it'll last only a month. That gives me three months to prepare."
A plan of action quickly began forming in his mind.
"First, I need to turn my mansion into a weapons factory. Without that, we won't survive." Giorgi quickened his pace, determined to make the most of the time he had before February arrived.
---
An hour later, 145 people arrived at Giorgi's mansion. All of them stood in a disciplined line, awaiting orders. Wasting no time, Giorgi began delegating tasks.
"Builders!" he called out loudly, addressing the group.
"This is my mansion. Temporarily convert it for our needs. Your first priority is to establish a weapons workshop here."
The builders nodded firmly, ready to get to work. Giorgi turned to the next group.
"Blacksmiths!" he continued.
"Your task is to start crafting our first weapons—rifles. Additionally, focus on making tools: shovels, pickaxes, and other useful equipment."
The blacksmiths responded promptly:
"Understood, sir!"
Next, Giorgi faced the soldiers.
"Soldiers!" he commanded.
"Your duty for now is to guard the premises. Your primary objective is to ensure the safety of everyone here."
The soldiers saluted and shouted in unison:
"Yes, sir!"
Turning to the paramedics and the doctor, Giorgi clarified their role:
"Medics! Find a suitable room and set up a medical station. Your job is to organize everything needed to treat the wounded and sick."
"We understand, sir!" the medical team replied.
Addressing the merchant, Giorgi issued his next order:
"Merchant! You will be responsible for procuring all necessary supplies. I have enough funds to last a couple of months if we stick to the plan. I'll assign 20 people to assist you."
"Got it!" the merchant replied confidently.
Finally, Giorgi turned to the last group—80 regular workers. He looked at them thoughtfully before giving his instructions:
"Regular workers! Forty of you will assist the builders and blacksmiths."
"Yes, sir!" the group responded loudly.
The remaining 40 workers waited nervously for their assignments. Giorgi smiled at them with a hint of intrigue and said:
"And the rest of you… we'll be working on something entirely different."
His voice carried an air of confidence, and the workers realized that their task would be just as critical.