This meeting for beginners was over. Ivan Lozovsky referred to the fact that he is not only a diplomat of our faction, but also a high-level player and every gun is now vital at the front. Therefore, the diplomat moved his two-hour speech to seven o'clock tomorrow morning.

Ivan Lozovsky did not answer the questions pouring in from all sides about the Dark Faction, the number of outposts and the general game situation. Instead, he turned around at the door and told all the newcomers to go to the residential buildings and check into the hostel, then go to the dining room to have dinner, get acquainted with the daily routine and the rules adopted in the Dome, then go on vacation. And from the very morning of tomorrow, listen to the introductory information, study the constructed labyrinth, generate your characters, and actively enter the game that distorts reality.

We left the meeting room. A siren was blaring under the dome, many people were running in the same direction.

- "Zaruba" seems to be going seriously. Maybe we should help too? I asked my new acquaintances, but I did not find support.

Everyone referred to the fact that newcomers were given unambiguous instructions on what to do this evening, and unauthorized actions were certainly not approved here. I sighed heavily and also trudged along after the rest of the newcomers. The path to the residential buildings passed by the "kukuruzins", and I finally saw these tall buildings with my own eyes. What I saw was impressive, not the word! Round columns, seventy meters high, spiral ladders wound around each, and glazed oval “grains” with metal growths inside departed these were the very virt-capsules.

“But this is our fifteenth!” - Masha pointed to one of the "corn".

I stopped and, raising my head, examined the place of my future work. The height was impressive. After all, you have to climb the ladder up there every day. It’s good that I didn’t have a fear of heights, otherwise, I didn’t even know how I could cope.

In addition to the large, clearly visible numbers "15", the numbers of the players were indicated on the concrete rod at the entrance: from 1401 to 1500. By the way, this tower was the only one where the inhabitants of the dome were in no hurry, people flocked to all the other "corn" from all sides and hurried up to their jobs. I looked back at fifteen. Strange. There was no guard at the entrance. Come in who wants...

I wanted to tell my new acquaintances about this but found that they had already gone far along the white-sanded path. I was left completely alone. What if…

I trust my intuition, it rarely let me down. And now, as in the case of a spontaneous change of character in the finals of an online PvP tournament, I simply felt with my skin that I needed to start getting acquainted with a new game right now without wasting time.

Cautiously, every second expecting an angry shout from one of the locals, I went to the fifteenth tower. No one stopped me, no one cared about me at all. Already more confident, I began to climb up. Higher and higher up the spiral staircase. Wow, this is just unbearable. Couldn't they have built an elevator here? Already on the eighth floor of the tower, my legs began to buzz with displeasure from the unusual load, and I reached my fourteenth floor almost on all fours, sticking out my tongue from fatigue. Uff!

On the wall, among others, my number "1470" was indicated, and a short corridor led to a small glazed room, in the center of which stood a metal oval bed with a transparent lid. My virtual capsule! I stood looking at this high-tech structure and frankly admiring the smooth, flawless curves of the structure. The lid easily slid aside as soon as I touched it. Covered with some kind of soft porous material, the bed beckoned and seemed to invite me to lie down on it as soon as possible.

Should I take my shoes off? And do you need to undress or not? There were no hangers in the room, but you never know... Through the transparent glass, I looked at the neighboring towers. Here in the eleventh "corn" just at the level of my floor, an unfamiliar woman entered the room and, quickly sliding the lid, right in her clothes and shoes, lay down in her virt-capsule. Of course, you don't have to undress. I carefully stepped on the springy coating right in my boots. Normally, it completely kept my weight. I lay down and wanted to reach out with my hands for the lid, but it had already begun to move. At the same time, the seemingly glassy material of the lid lost its transparency and looked completely black from below. Not coal, not the color of a raven's wing, but some kind of absolute darkness that does not reflect any light.

“Perfect black!”, I managed to think, and the world around me changed.

***

I was standing in a tiny round room with completely white walls, ceiling, and floor. A step and a half in any direction, and I ran into an obstacle. There was no source of illumination visible, and it seemed as if a subdued light was streaming in from all directions. The only object besides me and the cold smooth walls was a large mirror the size of a man.

But not a glass or metal mirror, but like an image projected onto the wall. Which repeated all my movements and antics, but allowed me, if desired, to mentally twist the image, examining myself from all sides. Which I did, critically examining myself and grimacing in displeasure.

After playing with the hairstyle and giving the hair a rich black color, I moved on to the color of the eyes. I want emerald green, they seem to be considered the rarest among people! It turned out well, but it didn’t match the hair at all. Maybe cold blue? By the way, why not make the eyes glow or glow, as depicted by wizards? It turned out creepy, but I left it like that.

Now pumped up muscles, high growth, oblique fathom in the shoulders, and everything else ... I was going to fashion myself an impeccable body of an athlete that would be liked by all the girls, without exception, but then a complete bummer awaited me - I could only change the shade of the skin and remove or add moles and scars. It's a pity. But okay, what's next?

Name: Komarov Kirill Viktorovich.

The inscription appeared above my image in the mirror, and I shook my head in displeasure. No, that will not do. Do I need every cross-counter to know my real name? What if I seriously offend someone in this virtual game? Why do I need an embittered avenger who will know my full name? and easily find me in real life?

So ... the inscription turned out to be reduced to Mosquito ..., but it was not possible to completely erase it. Mosquito? I had such a nickname in school, and I was quite normal about it. Well, let it be "Mosquito". What's next?

Possible classes to choose from: Geologist or Prospector.

What? Why such an infringement of my rights and opportunities? What if I wanted to be a tanker, a sniper, or a starship pilot? I've tried this way and that to expand the meager selection of professions on offer or go back to the name and appearance selection menu, but nothing worked out for me. Only Geologist or Prospector. Damn ... How are they even different?

Geologist. Specialist in the discovery and extraction of valuable minerals, sedimentary rocks and ore veins. With the growth of the level and skills of the character, the chance of detection and the amount of loot increase.

Basic Skills: Mineralogy, Miner, Explosives.

Class Restrictions: Inability to use heavy and powerful armor. Inability to use sniper weapons and missile systems.

All the necessary information was displayed on the mirror over my image. Is it clear now? And what then is the feature of the explorer? Instantly, in obedience to my mental request, another text was displayed on the mirror:

Prospector. Specialist in detecting hidden locations, anomalies, and useful minerals using scanning systems. As the level and skills of the character increase, the chance of discovery and the value of the loot increase.

Basic skills: Electronics, Scanning, Cartography.

Class Restrictions: Inability to use heavy and powerful armor. Inability to use sniper and automatic weapons. The impossibility of piloting starships and aircraft of all types.

Wow, wow… How many restrictions the Prospector class has? And although I was intrigued by the words about the search for hidden locations and anomalies, but the "impossibility of using automatic weapons" was very alarming. At a long sniper distance, such a character is not a fighter, however, like a Geologist. On the middle and near ... But here it was not clear. I knew too little about the game so far and had no idea about the types of weapons that existed there. Perhaps there is something non-automatic, and at the same time quite suitable for harming all the evil ones. And maybe not...

I brought out the information about the Geologist again. It seems like a more balanced class, and it was this path that suggested itself for me, given my studies at the Faculty of Geology and the knowledge gained there. I was about to make my choice, but then my eyes caught on the combination of the words “mining specialist” and “volume bonus”.

What is it that turns out? After discovering useful minerals or ore veins, will I be forced to mine the found values ​​myself, since the character has a bonus for mining? I was already shuddering at the gloomy prospect of spending the next two years of my life with a pickaxe in some kind of quarry. It will be possible to go crazy from monotony and boredom ...

But with what force the words “secret locations”, “anomalies” and other interesting things that the Prospector’s path promised me played, alluring the heart of any gambler. And I made up my mind, to choose this profession.

The mirror dimmed, after which it reflected the following table:

Mosquito. Human. Fraction H3.

Prospector Level 1

Character characteristics :

Strength 12

Agility 15

Intelligence 17

Perception 19

Physique 10

Luck modifier +2

Character options :

Health Points 176

Stamina points 114

Magic points 0

Carried load of 24 kg

Fame 0

Character Skills:

Electronics 1

Scan 1

Cartography 1

I carefully read the resulting characteristics. It was hard to say right off the bat whether they were good or bad, except that the low physique of the Mosquito upset me - only ten units. Yes, and zero magic is also not pleased. Not that I expected any ability in sorcery from the Prospector, rather the opposite, but since such a characteristic was on the table, than someone still had magic! As such, my Level 1 Prospector ended up lacking magic compared to someone else.

By the way, for all the characteristics you could read brief hints. Like the fact that Strength affects the weight carried by the character, the range of throwing various objects, and the damage inflicted by melee weapons. Or that the number of health points depends on Constitution, the level of the character, and a certain multiplier, individual for each game class. As for magic, it was said that the amount of "mana" depends on Intelligence, level, and the coefficient associated with the game class. Apparently, for the Prospector, this coefficient was simply equal to zero.

In general, I did not find anything new for myself, all the characteristics of the character were familiar, and one way or another I had already met them in other games. Unless “fame” raised questions - it is not clear how it was calculated and what it influenced. Whether it was a kind of "karma" - positive or negative, depends on your previous actions. Or some kind of modifier that affects the reaction of characters encountered in the game world. After all, it’s one thing when a stranger asks you for something, and, by and large, you don’t give a damn whether he will be offended by your refusal or not. And it’s completely different if the same is asked by a well-known respected person, whose acquaintance you are proud of and value your relationship with.  

Very quickly, I was convinced that it was impossible to edit any parameters in the table, and I had to accept what the game system created for my character. The only choice the game gave me was to confirm that I had read the introductory data and was ready to enter the game world or to wait and think.

In a good way, I would now be supposed to leave the virt-capsule, wait until tomorrow, listen to a two-hour introductory instruction, then study the labyrinth, and only then continue. But imagine how difficult it is to break away from a new toy that you have just given a try!

I understood that as soon as I confirmed that I had read the initial characteristics and was ready, I would immediately be transferred to a kind of labyrinth designed to test the abilities of beginners. I had a pretty good idea of ​​what kind of scolding I would get from my superiors if I failed the check and missed the opportunity to power up. On the other hand, I am not at all a young child who launched a virtual game for the first time and does not understand how to move and navigate in it. I am a fairly experienced gamer who has seen the darkness and darkness of different gaming realities. Do I lack the ability and experience to cope with some labyrinths designed for beginners ?!

Therefore, having internally concentrated and wished myself good luck, I confirmed that I was ready for the tests.