Chapter 9

Store "Legendary Weapons of Arkhip"

Arkhip had just seen off another client, when the bell rang, and "Galaktionov" appeared on the receiver. The big man chuckled and picked up the phone.

Archip, hello!

- Greetings, Alexander!

- Then your colleagues finally went nuts, greedy assholes! Robbery in broad daylight!

- Hmm ... And "here" is where? the owner frowned, feeling a good deal in his gut.

- In the Ant!

- Our urchin ripened everywhere! Ha ha... Why am I not surprised? The old shopkeeper laughed out loud. "They are not my colleagues!" Scum and hucksters!

- Wow! Galaktionov confirmed. "That's exactly what I said to them. Well, get out of here!

- Are you for me? the old man was surprised.

- No, another greedy merchant stretches his little hands to my rightful loot. Something they are everywhere overexcited.

— Well, knowing you a little, I can imagine WHAT you brought them. So, to hand over the goods there is a very bad idea!

- Yes, I already understood it! The voice trailed off again. - Hey you! Well, put back the mace! No! Not for sale! Not for sale at all! Maybe hit you on the head with it to get it faster?!

Arkhip patiently waited until young East finished the invisible showdown.

— What do you have there?

— Yes, any scrap metal! Galaktionov continued. "Well… not all of them, I got something good, a little bit of jelly, but most importantly… eggs…"

- What? Arkhip was surprised.

"Go..e... ya...ca!"

- Quit whispering! Say okay! I don't hear shit!

- Blue ant eggs, damn it! Silly chick! I tried not to fall asleep! Damn... get out!!! Get away from me!!! I'll call you right now...

Arkhip convulsively immediately retyped this strange East. Blue ant eggs? They only meet from the fourth floor! How?!! How did he do it, motherfucking his leg?!

* * *

I made the mistake of sticking my head into the collection points, despite my intuition, which screamed at me that they would try to "undress" me here. As an experienced Hunter who lived all his past life, including from loot, I knew how to bargain perfectly, and I also knew what human greed is. But apparently I was very tired and decided that I could throw off the good with a small discount. How wrong I was!

These are not merchants, these are scavengers! Even if Arkhip had such an opinion about them. It seems that everyone who could not build a normal business in the cities decided to try their luck here. And there was a certain logic in this. Constant battles, lost comrades, alcohol-drenched stress. It was possible, in the presence of arrogance and perseverance, to snatch a solid jackpot, but not with me!

Arkhip, specifying that I didn't need the money right now, offered to hand over all the swag to the army supply point. Several times a day, an armed convoy traveled between Irkutsk and Muraveynik. And with them, for a small payment, it was possible to transfer a passing cargo. And he will pick it up, evaluate it, and at my request, either transfer the money to the card, or keep the cash. So I did. Although it wasn't easy at all. Hearing about the eggs, all this pack dragged with me to the very warehouse, and I even had to ask the army men to save me from their company.

Immediately I handed over one hundred and twenty-four pairs of mustaches. When the stunned lieutenant transferred me one thousand two hundred and forty rubles, I frantically wondered if I got excited? It's just that while I was standing in line, a group of eight Easts in front of me turned in fifty-two pairs, and judging by their conversation, they considered it a successful raid.

"I have something else," I cautiously turned to the lieutenant, who perceptibly tensed up. - I killed their uterus here, but I couldn't bear it on my own.

- What?! The lieutenant's eyes widened in amazement.

"Yes, I'm joking, I couldn't resist," I chuckled. - I have the rings of the dead Istov. Where to take them?

"Well, joker, damn it ..." the military man shook his head. - This is for you to the camp commandant, the last door along the corridor!

- Thank you!

I walked down the hallway and knocked politely.

— Enter! heard from within.

I entered a small room where a middle-aged man in a 3rd Class Exterminator uniform was sitting at a single table.

- What do you want? the commandant asked me unfriendly.

— Found... ours inside. I want to return the rings.

The hostile expression immediately disappeared from the man's face.

"Of course, give me the ring!" Well done, dude! For relatives, this will be very important!

I knew it. I was enlightened last time when I collected tokens from the gang that wanted me dead and brought them to the Center. I was then told that the tokens duplicate the rings, because it is much easier to lose a hand. And there they told me that the rings were being returned to relatives.

I held out the bag.

- What is this? East was surprised.

- Rings.

— Rings? - the commandant emphasized the last syllable. - And how many do you have?

- Seventeen.

There was open astonishment in East's eyes now. He carefully poured them out on the table in front of him and carefully counted them. All of them were in different conditions, but all with transparent stones. The inner light left the magic crystals when they lost contact with their masters. And yet, each was stamped with an identification number by which one could recognize its owner.

- Who the hell are you? The commandant looked up at me.

- Baron Alexander Galaktionov. Fighter 5th class.

"Hmm... For the return of one ring, a premium of one hundred rubles is due. Go to the cashier, Semyonov will give you money. I'll tell him now.

"I don't need money for this," I shook my head.

- Why? East was surprised.

"That's wrong," I shrugged. Just return them to their relatives.

I turned around and left the office, leaving the commandant blinking in confusion. And yes, I tried to do it quickly, until my inner natural hamster strangled me on the spot.

It was getting late, though the lights were still on in the only tavern and there were drunken screams. I was mindful of inviting the friendly East, but it's not very wise to drink before a hunt. After that, God himself ordered! So I went to the barracks, where they gave me a bunk in an eight-bed room. Combat conditions, no comfort! Although there was a common shower room, it was a joy. Setting the alarm for 6 am, I collapsed on the side.

* * *

I again got sick of looking for a normal "room" in the Anthill. I don't like crowds, and given that there is no day and night inside, Easts run raids around the clock.

Shnyrka found us an interesting cave, where otnorks were compactly located, allowing one or two people to keep the defense. I managed to soak a dozen creatures as a morning exercise, sending Caramel on a "free hunt", when a small pet appeared on my shoulder.

- Osh-sh-sh-starozna!

He immediately disappeared, and I saw through his eyes a trio of Easts that were approaching our location. Well, the "raised from the dead" ants pinched their relatives somewhere in the thickness of the earth, so I didn't burn anything. So, lonely East is resting after another wave of creatures.

- Come on guys, I'm here, and you're on the plan! a woman's voice rang out, and a young girl ran inside.

"What the hell are you?! she wondered, widening her eyes. She has amazing eyes. Unusual amber color, large and ... beautiful!

She was slightly shorter than me. Long brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail, expensive leather armor was hard to fit on a large chest, a small, neat nose was now wrinkled with indignation.

I did not see the ring because of the gloves, there were also no insignia on the armor, that is, it was not from the Center. Well, that is, she could work officially from the Center, but she was not a personnel East, who was next to the Epicenter "on a permanent basis." And also, I give a tooth, she is definitely one of the noble ones, because a greyhound ...

"Hello to you too, pretty girl!" I chuckled.

"What the hell are you doing here?" The girl didn't even smile.

- In terms of? I was genuinely surprised. — I want!

— This location is reserved for my group.

— Booked? Like this? I wondered.

"Where did you fall from, boy?" - now the beauty was already surprised. - In the Anthill branch on the official website. Our time is already running fifteen minutes, plus another three hours and forty-five minutes.

"Hmm..." I scratched the back of my head. - I am a simple man - I see a creature, I kill a creature. I'm sick of these bookings of yours.

Do you want to break the rules? the girl frowned even more, and her large eyes turned into furious slits.

"No, no," I shrugged. "I'm just explaining the situation. And the location ... Yes, take it, business! And I'll go, perhaps, to the second tier. Something is getting boring here!

- Where is your group? - the girl changed her anger to surprise.

"Here she is," I chuckled, affectionately patting Caramel, called to the leg, on her broad forehead.

"Are you going to the second tier yourself?" - she walked over my figure twice from top to bottom.

- Well, yes, but why the boobs are crushed? I blurted out, staring right at them.

- Some kind of psycho! - the girl made a verdict. - If you want to die - go ahead! she said, carefully assessing the color of my ring.

Then she snorted and turned away, drawing her sword. Judging by the rustle, ants are about to come out of the otnorks. And her sword is made of Ballian steel, like Helga's! Another rich adventurer?

- You are! I called the beauty goodbye. - Look after the rear, otherwise the ant will bite your ass! It's a pity to spoil such beauty.

I just had time to see a furious flaming gaze in my direction, when the ants began to fall out of their holes. I felt East summon the spiritual armor and chuckled approvingly, judging its power. And then the girl rushed forward, and pieces of chitin, entrails and blood flew in all directions. Sure, she'll definitely make it.

To be honest, I blurted out about the second floor out of bravado, but why not?

"Come on, best of women!" I nodded to the panther, and we headed towards the descent.

We moved on... Just think... Booking rooms. What they just do not invent, if only to work less. You need to take up arms and destroy the enemy, and not engage in all sorts of nonsense.

- Okay, get out, little one! Lead me down the shortest way! - I didn't want to wander for a couple more hours just for the sake of descending.

— Sh-sh-sh-do! - happily rubbed Shnyrka's paws, and quickly ran forward, showing me the way.

We had to walk for a short time, about ten minutes, but through very narrow passages, in which a large man in full armor might not crawl through.

Everything seems to be fine, but Shnyrka led me into a dead end.

- And where? I looked at him questioningly.

— Sh-sh-des-s-s!

- Where? I didn't understand.

I didn't understand this at first. And then, bitch, as I understood!

As soon as I took a couple of steps forward, the floor collapsed under my feet, and we quickly slid down the steep descent.

"Shhhhhhhh!" I yelled indistinctly, spitting out clods of earth flying into my mouth.

— Sh-sh-sh-sh breeze-oh-oh-oh!!! Shnyrka squealed merrily as the panther and I flew down in an embrace.

If only I knew where we were going. Next time I will specify how fast I need.

Your mother! But I just said - down! Oh what a fool I am...

We fell for a short time, but very loudly. They landed softly, as I cut in the armor, and Caramel was not at a loss, otherwise they would have smashed their heads, at least. Shnyrka, such a bastard! But I must agree, it was fun.

But what was not fun at all was the number of the floor on which we landed.

Sixth...

It's kind of bad, but on the other hand, it's fun. How long it will take me to climb up, I have no idea. However, I want to see the positives in everything. I can collect, probably, a lot of souls. And souls for the Hunter are everything... Strength...

"Since you are to blame, now go on reconnaissance and look for the way back," Shnyrka did not argue with me. - Yes, and look for a path in which the ants are more interesting.

Only managed to throw him after him.

- Meow?

- Yes ... Sometimes he finds on him, and he likes to play pranks, - Caramelka answered her question - "what the hell."

We ended up in the same dead-end tunnel with only one difference. There was a hunting area up there, not just for us. And here I am at their house, and I can already hear the clatter of their paws.

Quickly renew my armor and nourish my body.

From the neighboring tunnel, rapidly moving their paws, a whole wave of embittered ants rushes at me. At least they're not overgrown ants!

The stock of the soul of ants is small, and it is a pity to take someone from the past world... There is an irreplaceable stock there for the time being. This means that we do everything on our own and with our own hands, and at the same time we replenish the stock with new souls.

Accelerate and rush to them!

Running closer, he released from his hand a discharge of chain lightning, which shocked the goosebumps that fell under its hot and burning effect.

I didn't kill them, because I created a weak lightning, and I didn't want to waste energy on a strong one, but I cheered them up, and that was enough for me to fly at full speed into their ranks and begin to cut like a berserker. True, I was a smart and cunning berserker who kept an eye on my spiritual armor and was ready to leave at any moment.

Fortunately, there was no smell of defeat here, I didn't drink away the experience, and Caramel went around and hit the ants from the flank. My panther was not weak, and tore insects no worse than I did. And most importantly, she enjoyed it just as much as I did.

Dodging the acid spit, I poked the nearest brown ant with my sword, and in one jump I was near the green one. He didn't like my presence. Perhaps he did not like people, or he did not like my sword, with which I pinned him to the ground. But the fact remains.

Gradually, I invoked the illusions of the ants and transferred souls into them. He did not let them into battle, but saved up his army.

In total, at least thirty individuals died from our hands and paws with Karamelka, and I called thirty-five. I have lived... I work faster with my Gift than with my hands! But in my defense, I will say that I was still having fun.

Having interrupted this wave, I was able to exhale, and continued to create ants.

Seventy five! And three in the mind... I mean, in the soul! I love pretty numbers. Haha!

Here is the thing!

Yes, my loyal warriors! Listen to me carefully! - began to walk back and forth in front of a small army, announcing his will to them. "Now we are dividing into groups of twenty-five, and we go to kill everyone. Yes Yes! Kill everyone and get freedom!

They understood everything perfectly and it's great. I love my Gift, and in general, a great commander died in me.

That's just not without jambs.

They shared a very strange one. Twenty-five... Twenty-five... Twenty-four... one...

You freaking goosebumps ... What are you doing there at home? They didn't go to school at all, were you forced to dig tunnels right after kindergarten?

- I actually said twenty-five, you are my losers!

They look at me and don't react. But no, everyone looked at the one who was standing alone, and turned away in unison. Is it that they don't want to be in the same squad with him? Hmm ... Hazing, however, they have here.

And why did they not like this strange ant. So what if it's pink? Hm strange! And he's the only one of that color!

- Okay, you can carry out the task in this composition. Disperse! Everyone except you, you smart renegade.

Well, what to do with it?

My ant army scattered in all directions, destroying their brethren. The souls poured into my body in a continuous stream, causing pleasure in my head and increasing pressure in my groin. But I was trying to find a way up. So far, I have seen absolutely ordinary ants, but my intuition literally screamed that not everything is so simple here, and that I need to get out of here as quickly as possible.

Well, you need to get out in any case, no matter what opponents are here. Staying in an anthill for life is a so-so idea. Although, I remember there was one Hunter who assimilated into the society of monsters, instead of killing them. They seem to have recognized him as their king! And on the other hand, why not integrate into the society of mermaids, because they have such boobs ... damn, I got carried away again.

Frustrated Shnyrka, to whom I said too much in my heart, prowled in the shadows in search of a way upstairs. I, along with Caramel, just kept the defense. Having previously looked at the tablet, I saw a partial map of the sixth tier. Only the open parts of it were a kilometer away. I, according to the map of the anthill, was in a black spot, which meant only one thing - no human foot had set foot here before me.

The first problem arose when I felt one of my mini-armies instantly die, and the souls finally flew away to the ant paradise. Having recalled Shnyrka, I sent him to the place of death and saw that my ants ran into the same guard whom I saw on the fourth tier. A hefty three-meter armored fool immediately gobbled up all the little things.

Literally at the same time, the second group disappeared. Shnyrka rushed there, and saw another guard who defended another passage.

I grunted and asked Shnyrka to see what was on the side protected by the guards. And what did I see there? That's right - the rise to the fifth tier! That is, in order for me to go outside, I need to get through these "tanks". I called the fellow back and asked for a safer climb. He himself, with Caramel, nevertheless moved towards the only exit known to me so far.

And yes, behind us, like a dog, a pink renegade trudged along, who categorically did not want to leave me and join the battle. Caramel looked at him with hostility, but I decided not to kill him yet. Well, strange creature, let him live for now.

It took Shnyrka almost two hours to find passages to other floors, and he did. True, not an ascent, but a descent, right to the eighth tier. And opposite the exit sat two already five-meter ants. No, I don't really need to go there.

I sat on my ass evenly, and looked sadly at the guard, frozen like a statue. For the last half an hour, I've been entertaining myself by summoning one ant at a time and sending them forward in order to find out the reaction range of the guardian. It was quite small - only five meters further than the exit from the tunnel, that is, its main task was just to protect the tunnel.

As a result, when the frustrated Shnyrka appeared nearby, I counted how many souls I have. It turned out that again about a hundred. I called fifty and set them on guard. Well, I went ahead. Small ants clung to the big one, which easily waved its head, clattering its mandibles. One click - one corpse. But at least he was occupied with this trifle. I first slammed a fireball into it, then added lightning. The ant is blind in one eye. As a result, I stuffed a dagger saturated in the bursting dagger mode into it. This knocked down the giant. I was just about to go on, when a noise was heard in the distance, and two more such guards appeared in the passage.

I stepped aside, sadly watching the remnants of my summoned ants being crushed by the big ones, and sat down on a pebble, devising a new strategy. But here an ambush awaited me - if one ant stopped at the position of its fallen comrade, then the second, having despised any "security zone", immediately rushed at me with a ram.

I rolled off in one direction, Caramel jumped in the other. The ant, like a locomotive, ran past, and crashed headfirst into the wall. Shaking his head like a dog, he turned around, and deciding that Caramel was a more serious opponent, he rushed at her.

The cat jumped up, avoiding the attack. I swung my sword, chopping off one of the paws. The ant didn't like it and rushed at me. Five minutes of fighting and he didn't have a single paw left. The body lay and angrily clicked on me mandibles.

I wiped the sweat from my face, after all, this creature, despite its size, was quick. I plunged my sword into his brain, cutting his head in two. He stuck his hand in there, seeing the red jelly, and heard a familiar clatter.

Your own mother!

He turned around and saw how the remaining guard was moving around with his paws on both sides, one along the ceiling, the other along the wall, two more fighters were going around. And they, it seems, are also bursting in my direction.

— Bitch! I yelled, summoning two freshly killed guardians and setting them on my kinsmen.

The fight could have been even if it wasn't for me and Caramel. The panther, seizing the moment, jumped on the back of a hostile ant, and literally tore its skull with its paws.

I, having seized the moment when "my" ant pressed the enemy to the ground, simply opened his big head to the enemy insect.

And again the rustle. One two three four...

Yeah well, fuck it!

Fully scooping up the strength from within, I called in two more guards, joining them to the "old" two, already a little shabby. Mentally ordered to stand here and hold the passage. The passage into which I shamefully run away... or rather, I will make a negative offensive!

Shnyrka remained behind my eyes while the panther and I retreated deep into the anthill. "My" ants were mixed in with a crowd, and I saw how the four surviving enemy ants froze for a second, and then abruptly followed my trail. Shnyrka was a little delayed, but thank the eggs - no one else climbed out of the hole. Well, I stopped backing away and turned around, looking at the panther and the pink ant, which was wiggling its antennae and pretending to be attentively listening to me.

- Why are you following me, Smart? I asked.

He wiggled his mustache, but said nothing.

"Step aside, don't interfere!" I growled, and the ant, to my surprise, complied.

Standing with Caramel on both sides of the passage, we waited for the enemies.

I immediately cut off the head of the first one, the second one was knocked down by Karamelka, and then I finished him off with a blow to the head. With the remaining two, we also quickly coped. Moreover, one of them grabbed my left hand, covered with a bracer. Good thing the metal held up. The stupid insect tried to bite through it, and in the meantime I took advantage of this by sticking the blade of the sword into her brain. Exhaled and went to collect jelly. Four of them I found two red and one orange. I like this random more and more!

Then something poked me in the leg. I turned and saw a pink renegade who brought me a bitten off mustache of an older brother, put it at my feet and wagged his ass like a dog.

Hmmmm... I scratched the back of my head, maybe I mixed up my soul? He behaves somehow not like an ant.

- Shnyrka! I called out to my furry, who perched on my shoulder, and looked jealously at my new team member.

- What, you don't like it? I asked him.

— Sh-sh-sh-drag! Shnyrka gave his verdict.

- Agree! I'm not going to leave him, but let him run for now, "I smiled. - Come on, little one, crawl on reconnaissance. We need another way up.

"Sh-sh-do," the pet nodded, and disappeared.

I took out a bottle of water from my backpack, rinsed my face, splashed with ant blood and hands, and took a couple of sips, and began to wait.

An hour or two passed, and Shnyrka still could not find a way out. I had already dozed off a bit, telling Caramel to keep watch, clinging to her soft side.

Before falling asleep, I thought I still had a couple of aces up my sleeve. But it is not known how much energy will be needed for this, whether these "aces" will be enough to solve the current problem. And I remember Kern's disobedience. It seems that the strength of my spirit in this world also did not reach the previous parameters. And here the question arises - can I now cope with my own summoned stone wyvern, if it decides to rebel?

"Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! they squeaked in my ear.

I opened my eyes and saw a contented Shnyrka sitting on my chest.

- Our-sh-sh-went! the little one told me.

I glanced at my watch, it was almost six hours. In total, my stay here is already twenty-one hours.

- Show me! I told him.

Here he showed. A crevice in the rock made it possible, hypothetically, to crawl past the guards. Some sections were in doubt, but there was no other way out. Having bypassed the dangerous points of the guards in a wide arc, we reached the right place and I stared into a narrow crevice.

"Listen, Kara! I turned to the panther. "Crawl after me, and if I get stuck, grab my leg and drag me back." Only this, don't bite off my leg!

The panther snorted, indicating that there was no need to teach scientists.

I took off my backpack, my knife belt, my sword and dagger belt, and packed them compactly, tying them to my backpack. He sighed and climbed inside, shoving his gear in front of him.

Got it, Sandra! Like a cowardly rat, you crawl along a hole, instead of walking openly over enemies with fire and sword. Okay, there will be more enemies ... fire and sword! Be patient, you bastards!

I crawled through this nasty labyrinth for another four hours, periodically stopping and picking out pieces of rock with a knife so that I could crawl further. I have never suffered from claustrophobia, but at some moments it seemed to me that it was close. I drove away from myself the visions of the multi-meter thickness of the earth above my head, and the fact that I am generally incomprehensible where. And crawled on. After another rest, my little pet cheered me up.

"Shhhhhhhh…" he said.

"Let's explore," I nodded. And this time, go a little further.

He left. Still, there were no ants near the crevice. The ascent to the top was literally fifty meters away. There wasn't a single ant bastard on that side either.

Well, what, as they say - the last push!

As I stepped outside, I immediately looked around. A panther softly jumped down beside it, a pink dumbass collapsed on its head. There didn't seem to be any enemies around. Exit - here it is, at hand. Here is just a strange glow in the depths of the tunnel on the left. Intuition yelled - Galaktionov, run! But the Hunter's curiosity is above all, even above intuition.

I sent Shnyrka in that direction, and fucked up. In front of me was a huge clutch of eggs. There were ... thousands of them! Any colors and sizes. Pink ants busily ran along this clutch, turning the eggs over, tapping on them with their mandibles, and selectively taking some of them somewhere further.

I turned to my new ant friend.

So you're not a warrior. You are a nanny. Well, how did you get so far away?

Ash stump, this stupid creature did not answer, just looked at me.

And a thought came to my mind.

I went through the received jellies in my hands, grunted, and squeezed the orange one in my hand. Waves of energy crawled into me, bursting. Have you ever overeat? This is, approximately, such a state when it is already difficult to get up from the table. I figured and squeezed another red one. When my state, by analogy with a living person, was close to the state of stomach eruption through all the holes, I carefully, so as not to shake, went towards that tunnel.

Fire Tornado. An interesting spell used by one of my hunter friends. He was very fond of being taken to clean up from numerous, but not very strong creatures. Who knows where he got this spell, but he kept it like the apple of his eye. But that didn't help him play his secret at cards to me. The only condition was never to share with anyone.

The spell ate a hell of a lot of energy. Even now, having drunk to the eyeballs, I could not portray the fiery hurricane that my friend Charon arranged in the past world. But I don't need it. I don't need to burn stone and metal. I just need to burn those damn tender testicles.

A fiery whirlwind swept through the masonry. It was not for nothing that it was called a tornado, because it really looked like a fiery tornado, spinning and rushing in all directions, horror and destruction.

The eggs began to pop, exploding from the heat. It smelled like steak and scrambled eggs. Pink nannies squealed thinly. Right next to me, the ceiling collapsed.

Oops... I didn't expect that.

Leaving the riot of the elements, I ran as fast as I could to the exit. The fetuses didn't have souls yet, but the energy of the Breaking flowed into me so that it seemed to me that now my eyes would fall out.

While running, I glanced at my ring, which suddenly blinked and changed its color to orange.

"One shot, yopta!" I thought to myself.

Now all that's left is to get out of here to celebrate it properly.

With a whirlwind, I burst into the fifth floor, simultaneously brushing off a couple of ordinary ants with a sword. Strange thing, they didn't even try to attack. They just tried to get past me. Apparently, it was something like a central exit or a pit, because the rises higher and higher were literally nearby.

The guard ant also seemed to want to run past me. The corridor was too narrow, and I decided not to risk throwing a knife at him, which did not penetrate the chitin armor, but made me stop, and with my sword I finished him off.

Fourth floor, third...

On the third, the two guards were still at their combat posts. A short fight, and I'm already running in the direction of the ascent to the second, which this time was already somewhere further. Apparently, this central shaft began precisely from the third tier. Apparently, in normal times there were more guards here.

Two more hours of wandering, during which I had to use another red jelly, because the energy poured out of me non-stop. The waves of creatures did not stop. And it seems that with this tornado I still overstrained myself, because the restoration of energy was somehow uncertain.

Here I am already trudging along the relatively safe corridors of the first tier, like a moth on a light, trying to get out of this nasty location.

- Cover, I'm attacking! came from behind.

I turned around and saw some youth who was rushing to attack my renegade.

- Stand!!! I barked. "I'll kill you, bastard!"

The ant jumped behind me, and East slowed down, staring at me with round eyes, dumbfounded. Caramel hissed nearby.

There was a rustle of blades drawn behind Ist, and his group of five more men took up defensive positions.

Did they see something in my eyes?

I took a deep breath and then exhaled, calming myself down.

"Okay, live for now," I smiled broadly.

One of the Easts swallowed loudly. They don't seem to appreciate my joke.

"He is with me," I waved at the ant, turned my back to them, and wearily walked towards the exit.

A soft female voice came from behind.

- Some kind of psycho, crazy.

I smiled.

"Maybe a psycho. But alive...

I walked and listened to how they say nasty things in my back. It's embarrassing, you know...

I move far enough away and call on Shnyrka.

"You will go into the shadows and fool our illusory friend…"

— Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh! - the small one is significantly surprised, and quite rubs his paws. — This Sh-sh-sh-sh-sh-sh-doing...

He loves Shnyrka, things like that... I love him too...

In a past life, I often encountered various monsters, and I remember them very well.

And now I'm creating one of them. Raging stone hamster.

His height is under three meters, and his weight is under half a ton. Generally, they are very peaceful creatures, but sometimes they catch rabies. And when they have rabies, their eyes begin to bleed, bloody foam comes out of their mouths, and they attack everything that moves. And he looks rather scary, and he squeals like a hundred banshees.

This is exactly the illusion I create and send to the group that offended me. An ordinary empty illusion that does not have a physical body, but ... but what an effect it will be!

I made Shnyrka an "anchor", and he appeared right in the middle of the group, releasing a screaming illusion between them! The girl squealed thinly and immediately fainted, and the guys threw their remote techniques a couple of times, but realized that they had gone through and ran away. Ah, weaklings!

Damn ... And they run just where the ants are bursting from, and quite such material ants! That is OK. They will know how to call names!

It seems that I did my job, and it would not hurt me to rest. And here again Energy trauma, and this is not a joke. How tired I am of being weak. It is such a disgusting feeling, as if you were a normal person in a past life, but in this one you became disabled.

However, not everything is so bad. Experience is such a thing that can outplay a lot. Brute force does not always win experience.

Here, for example, in my development I can now bypass many jambs that interfered with me in a past life, and which I allowed out of ignorance or because of my self-confidence.

No wonder I spend time meditating. I know that in this world she is also known, but in this land she is neglected, but in the east she is simply idolized. A very useful thing, especially when there is order in your head and you know what to do.

And now I know that I should not go out with a 4th grade ring. This will raise many questions, why do I need extra attention? I have to look like a naive aristocrat who is easy to slap. But if they start to fear me ahead of time, it will greatly complicate my life. And then experienced professional assassins will be sent against me, and not these amateurs with firearms.

And so, a couple of times, they already tried to kill me, so let them think that these failures are unfortunate accidents. What prevents to kill the weak and naive me?

Shnyrka returned, and I asked him to take him to a place where there were no extra eyes at all. I like this anthill, there are many such places.

We walked for about thirty minutes, and I soon realized how tired I was. The soul, damn it, hurt from this injury, and I also wanted hot drinks and gentle female hugs. Alas, none of this has worked for me yet.

Who knew that this mass murder would give so much energy of the Rift. I didn't know. It seems to me that there was one of the open sources under the eggs. This explains well why they dragged the masonry there.

Of course, not the source itself, but the increased background from it. If he came out of the pipe in that place, then there would be no life there.

Going into a remote place, I sat on my ass, and then rested my back against the wall. What an unpleasant feeling is now tormenting me, and so forgotten.

All security is on you now! I say to Shnyrka. "Make sure you don't disturb me."

He saluted me spectacularly with his paw and ran to fulfill the order.

I waited for him to run around the corner and looked at Caramel.

"Now I will most likely be even weaker than I should be. Shnyrka is our eyes, and you are our fist. If problems arise, you will have to solve them alone.

- Meow?

"I don't know why you're not talking to me again, but I'll let you guess...and up the ante. I'll give you three squirrels!

A contented muzzle lay at my feet, like a dog, which means she agrees.

- Well, and you ... - I turned to the pink ant. "Just don't bother me. Better yet, get lost!

It is a pity that I have to do all this in a dirty cave, but there is no choice. I don't know how the seal will behave in this world, and how strong the release can be. How would I not be noticed if I do this on the street, and not mistaken for a wandering Rift.

The thing is that the Hunter is not just a body. We have had many ways to strengthen ourselves through energy. And now, finally, it is time to use one of them.

Seals... They are superimposed only by the person himself. To put a stamp on another, you need to be a great specialist in this. And to my memory only a few extremely strong magicians could do it. And even in this case, it was necessary that the spiritual body of the patient endure this mockery.

However, I feel how my soul hurts, and do not care about the memories. I need to start this process as soon as possible.

Without hesitation, worth it or not, I enter the astral plane. Yes, recently it became available to me. Entering it, I can work with my spirit. I remember that in the past world I could still fly, but here I can't even take a step with such a weak body.

Getting to work with the installation of printing, I already wanted to cry. Nostalgia washed over me.

A seal is a complex thing, you draw it with your energy, and any, even the slightest mistake, can destroy it. It's all petty as long as she's tenth, the lowest rank. But when, say, the second, and you distort it, that's it! You'll never get a perfect first level seal again. And so I tried, and even very much.

Don't waste your skill. I don't know how much time has passed, and how much effort I spent, but my energy was leaving, as if not in myself. However, I did it. There was a new seal on my astral body. My improved seal from the past world.

If this game, they would write to me:

Congratulations! You have received the Rank 10 Seal of Regeneration!

And since life is not a game, there were no messages, and so on. Yes, and I hurried to get the seal. I made only a pale empty outline with runes of power. Now the most important and difficult remains. I leave the astral body, and carefully look around. All unchanged, but not for long.

Eh... It's time to take a chance. Not much, of course, but still. In extreme cases, I'll get drunk on jelly, and I'll catch a rollback for two weeks. I will walk like a vegetable, and even better, lie down, and no Gift for all this time.

The seal now feels like one of the souls. That's just how to put it... She's alive! It's time for the fun to begin! I begin to collect more energy in my hand. I'm sucking out of myself slowly but surely everything I can. Enough so as not to hurt yourself even more. I collected, of course, sparsely. At this rate, even the rim of the contour is not enough.

I also thought about this moment, and now the most fun. We collect all the wild energy that has not yet been absorbed by my body. It is the energy that all Easts receive that makes them stronger.

She's wild and wild, but I know how to work with her, so I pour her into mine.

More... even more! Just a little more! This is how it ended...

A warm sphere of energy warmed the hand pleasantly, which must be used as quickly as possible.

Okay, I exhale, and hit myself with this ball with all my strength right in the chest. And then I fall on my side in pain. A lot of wild energy enters me and spreads over the fresh print, which was made just a couple of minutes ago. It's like a fresh wound that's been filled with acid. You can even die from this, but I'm not going to die.

The pain goes away fairly quickly and I can breathe normally.

The seal stood up as it should, and I felt a huge relief.

Congratulations, Kara! I made myself a seal, for which I had been preparing for so long.

And then he looked at the hand with the ring, and swore. Oops... I overdid it! Milky white... 6th grade. From one extreme to another!

How did I get bored. Now return the fifth rank again.