Chapter 64 - Don't forget

Deep into the night.

Slowly lifting his eyelids, Jack stared blankly at the moonlit ceiling.

His thoughts flowed calmly.

A look of bewilderment appeared on his face.

After the suffocating from Valmet, he did not feel any painful sensations and his head, after such a reception, worked, as always, clearly and soberly.

The muscles that were torn under the fierce onslaught of the desire to kill and will were instantly healed by the system, due to the increase in characteristics through reaching the limit.

The events that took place were extremely clearly deposited in my head.

They seem to have eaten into the subcortex of the brain.

This can't be a dream.

Too real.

Too many details.

I remember it all too well.

Too much too much...

It's true that, having found, one might say, a younger brother, and cured him with a mythical pill, Jack lost him the very next day.

Some nit killed that one.

As it seems - just like that.

Thoughts that Hiro himself ran into Dongei or even attacked the Chinese himself were not allowed.

This is absolutely impossible.

But in general... well, isn't the situation funny thrown by fate?

Isn't it funny?

Jack put his forearm on his face, palm up, and smiled.

After that, strange nervous giggles were heard — Hmm. Hmm-hmm. Hmm-hmm-ha-ha-ha, what a joke, oh Gods. — he was saying loudly, to himself

With every laugh, the guy felt devastation, which was then filled with rage, indignation and anger.

The honey irises of his eyes shone in the night while the guy stared into the void with tension, indulging in thoughts.

He won't leave it like that.

He won't leave it for anything.

Blows to himself - he can tolerate when necessary.

Blows to close people - no.

There was no point in talking about their deaths.

"I'll personally strangle you, you bastard. I'll personally roll your fucking cock's head... I will not kill "for Hiro", he would not want to take revenge on anyone himself... I will kill for the sake of my own peace of mind and your future victims, which will definitely be. Without a doubt."

Then the moment when he was stopped from carrying out a just punishment surfaced in his memory.

And Jack had feelings... twofold.

Mostly he was feeling ashamed now that he was more than suppressing a little resentment.

Hiro's death is a great loss for him- it's true.

But in that situation, he behaved extremely unwisely, even though he had a good reason for it.

With the anger that overshadowed his mind, he stopped thinking.

He didn't care that there were more Chinese.

I didn't care that Balalaika, Coco, Valmet, Chiquita and Revi might die.

This is not to mention the fact that there were also a few Balalaika people in comparison with the Chinese, and what is probably even worse - just peaceful passers-by who, in their stupidity, did not run away immediately as soon as the mood between the factions began to heat up.

And most importantly, he had a system of evil and personal, as well as spiritual, immortality, but they did not.

Compared to the girls and the others, he risked the minimum by putting them under attack.

They didn't have a second chance.

He had innumerable.

To them, Hiro is nobody.

You could say he's just a close friend of the guy they all have their eye on.

And to give their lives in a shootout for someone they didn't really know, is very "fucked up'' an idea.

With these reflections, Jack pressed his discontent on them to the end, leaving only shame for his stupid rash decisions.

It is unlikely that he would have come to such a conclusion if he had not been knocked out then, and if he had not woken up with a relatively clear mind from emotions.

It was only his revenge. Just him.

— "How could I even feel resentment at them, even a little?.." — Jack asked himself — "It's good that I thought about everything, and did not fly with a burning ass to them."

— If you behaved like that, then I would doubt your intellectual abilities.

A familiar husky voice, this time coming not from somewhere in my head, but right in the room.

Turning his head, Jack saw Mr. Mirror firsthand. Again.

He was sitting on his desk, with the same slight smile and a satisfied look.

The guy was not surprised at all that this character could leave his soul to "take a walk".

Anyway, Gunther, from his words, could have heaps of bodies with one single mind.

Nearby, on the table, lay a leather suitcase with the lid open.

From the sofa, Jack couldn't see what was there, but he guessed...

— Your will has strengthened and if you could not suppress emotions and accept reality and the truth as it is, then I would really doubt V...

"What about Hiro?" Jack interrupted

With a puzzled tilt of his head to the side, Gunther said — Is he really dead...

— Don't play with me. — the guy said firmly — What happened to him after his death?

O'Dim allowed himself to lift the corner of his lips — That's what you mean... Well, he's already been reborn. In this world. But I won't tell you where, I'll tell you right away.

Even before Jack had time to ask a question, Gunther spoke again — His soul was reborn, but this is a new person, or rather a newborn child. To make it easier to understand, imagine. An adult loses his memory. He has the same soul, the same body, but the former personality is no longer there. This is, one might say, a new intelligent being. And even if this creature remembers everything that was once lost, he will not become the same person that he was. The old personality, with memory loss, is lost. Moreover, a new personality, with the restoration of memory, can also be said to die, transforming into a new personality with an old and new past.

Wincing, Jack sighed — I understand you.

— If it's any consolation, the last second of his brain functioning was like an eternity. A second has passed for you, and he has gone through countless dreams in which you were with him and...

Jack raised his hand—That's enough. Let's stop there.

After a little thought, he sat up on the bed, pulling his knees up to him — You knew this would happen, right? I knew, but I didn't say anything...

Crossing his legs, Gunther smiled calmly—Yes.

— Scum...

- thanks.

— That's not a compliment. Jack raised his voice slightly, and then looked at O'Dim's slightly cheerful face and, closing his eyes, exhaled, calming down a little — Did this information cost you something? Couldn't you have told me? At least a minute before...

Gunther's calm, slightly indifferent voice interrupted the guy — You forget yourself.

Jack turned his gaze to Mr. Mirror and saw only boredom on his face.

— We are not brothers and not friends. — O'Dim leaned slightly towards him — We are partners who have made a deal. I gave you the system that I promised, and in return I got the opportunity to penetrate into completely different universes. It's generally beneficial for me that you die more often and be reborn more often. But I do not contribute to this and even vice versa...

— Because the creature that threw me into the world of the Witcher and removed that very barrier from the soul, will smear you on the wall? Jack squinted

The barb in the words and tone of the guy did not hurt Mr. Mirror in any way, but on the contrary, they pleased and amused — That's right. That is why I try not to influence your fate, although, to be honest, it is very difficult to restrain myself and I do it if I know that I will not be destroyed for it.

With a wry self—deprecating smile, Jack shook his head- Really, what an idiot I am to consider you someone I can trust...

— You can never trust anyone. My advice to you for the future. — Gunther grinned - Don't take offense too much, but it's impossible for me to be friends with you, or at least to see you as an equal, at the moment. For me, you are like a tiny child who has just begun to take the first steps and crookedly pronounce the first words. What kind of adult would consider such a child a friend or an equal?

Jack grinned—indeed...

— I will only say that I am not indifferent to you. It's interesting to watch you. It's very interesting to listen to your thoughts.

The guy's face twisted skeptically.

— Don't make a face, I say it as it is. — O'Dim shrugged his shoulders — You are a very contradictory person. So much hidden anger, but a compassionate heart and an understanding mind. A very interesting combination. I love, you know, such personalities, and if there is also a share of malice in them, then it's fine in general.

Smiling weakly and wearily, Jack said — Do you like kind people with demons inside?

Slightly widening his eyes and smiling wider, Gunther said unctuously — An interesting expression, if we take into account our cooperation.

— There is such a thing...

"But I don't like 'good people,' as you put it. — Mr. Mirror corrected — And you are not kind, Jack. You are compassionate and understanding.

The guy winced — Is there a difference?

— Yes, and as for me, quite a big one. There are compassionate and understanding ones - I am interested in them. Being kind means having two voiced traits, but at the same time being dumb as a cork.

Jack grimaced uncomprehendingly.

— Another "kind" for me is a synonym for "convenient". A compassionate or understanding person feels reasonable boundaries, but a kind person does not even guess about them, and tell him about them, then in his eyes you will become either an idiot or a traitor and a villain.

— A very interesting point of view...

— And I think so.

— Only you, I think, called me "kind" a couple of times yourself...

— This is to make it clearer to you, then, what I meant. Gunther grinned, winking

The task "Sweet Revenge" Has Been Added!

Goal: Kill Qian Dongei

Reward: Increase of the "Survivability" trait by three units

The task "Dragon Fighter" Has Been Added!

Objective: The destruction of the Dongfang Long Triad on the territory of Ruanapur

Reward: Modifier [Concentration - Level 1]

Surprised, Jack looked at the assignments and winced a little.

— What is it?

— The destruction of the entire triad because of one bastard...

— It's necessary, you understand, right? They are directly related to Hiro's death. By covering Dongei, they gave him the opportunity to do whatever he wanted. And the triad itself does not make money on donuts. Slave trade, drugs, robbery, forced prostitution, both male and female, and children. Trafficking in organs of adults and children... Believe me, this is just the beginning of the list.

Looking at the guy's frowning, tense face, O'Dim smiled slightly — You told yourself that you would kill Dongei for the sake of the victims that had not yet come to his hand, so what's the problem with ending this whole office, at least at the level of Ruanapur?

Jack clenched his fists, staring into the void.

— You wanted to make Ruanapur habitable, didn't you? Did he really think to negotiate with the gangs? Did you think to appeal to their conscience, hoping that they would "open" their eyes and stop doing what they are doing? Or maybe you wanted to somehow, without killing, catch everyone and put them in jail? Is there enough space? And the police, here, are a full-fledged gang, only with a uniform.

Jack calmly looked up at O'Dim, and he smiled back at him—You're not Batman, man. It will not work to throw everyone in jail without killing and at the same time not to die yourself or not to put your loved ones under attack. You don't have such resources as this "hero", there is no genius, there is no normal prison and police, and even so, a fool with boomerangs, in the form of bats, had to constantly detain the same criminals who escaped from prison every time and terrorized civilians.

Gunther spread his hands—Don't be a moron in tight clothes with a raincoat. Pull the trigger and rid the world of another bastard. And there is no need to say that by killing a murderer, the number of murderers does not decrease...

Smoothly descending from the table, Mr. Mirror came closer to the guy and looked at him with his glittering evil eyes — ... kill one killer and the number of killers will not change, it's true. However, after killing two, their number will already be reduced by one, kill one more and there are no more two killers. How many have you killed, Jack? Count and understand how many murderers you have saved this world, this rotten city.

Lowering his gaze, Jack slightly knitted his eyebrows, thinking.

— Hmm, it looks like guests have arrived. Gunther said and instantly disappeared, and Jack felt a familiar presence on the edge of consciousness

The guy turned his gaze to the door and it quietly opened.

Revie's head poked through a small opening, and when the girl saw him, she stared with awkward concern, nervously chewing her lips.

It was completely out of character for her, but it looked pretty cute.

— Come in...