Carefully, trying not to make noise and not show up in open areas, I began crawling around dangerous insects in a wide arc. To do this, I had to go deeper into the opposite field with crops across the road from pests.

Would you like to choose the Farmer skill?

Would you like to choose the Stealth skill?

Messages before my eyes popped up suddenly, I even flinched in surprise. No, I definitely don’t want the Agrarian, I don’t have the character profile at all. Stealth? At least not now. A few oversized blind beetles are not the case for which it is urgent to take a skill.

I refused both offers and, moving away from the beetles, got out onto the road and ran as fast as I could to the shooting range. Within a couple of minutes, I was inspecting the closed gates and the high fence made of strong metal mesh. Here at the entrance it was completely dark, and not a single lamp burned on the territory either. Just in case, I shouted loudly several times, calling the guards, although I already understood with my mind that no one was here. Either the object was not guarded at night, or everyone capable of holding weapons was now on the front line, repelling the attack of the Dark Faction.

Have I come here for nothing? I peered through the mesh at the dark, angular buildings in the fenced area of ​​the shooting range. Warehouses, containers, some signs with inscriptions indistinguishable from such a long distance ... I squinted for a long time and tried to read at least the nearest inscription on the wall of a brick covered house, and I sort of guessed the word: "Arsenal". There were weapons!

Now it was necessary to somehow penetrate the fenced area. The idea of ​​just climbing over a three-meter mesh fence had to be thrown back - I really did not like the barbed wire that goes over the fence, and especially the fact that this wire was fixed on porcelain insulators. Warning signs like "Danger!!! The fence is under high voltage!” I didn't notice, but I still didn't risk it.

Instead, he approached the locked gate. Near the nearest pillar, an attached metal remote control with keys for dialing a numeric code was found. Oh, I wish I knew the code itself ...

Successful Perception check

I noticed that four keys on the remote control panel: "1", "3", "8", "0" were more worn than the rest. Interesting, interesting… It was these keys that were most often pressed. And if the numbers in the code do not repeat, then the total possible combinations will be a factorial of four (1 * 2 * 3 * 4), that is, twenty-four options. Not so much, you can try to sort through them all.
The code "3180" came up, the lock clicked, and the gate slowly moved aside.

Would you like to choose the Hacking skill?

I laughed. Yes, what kind of "break-in" is there, a kindergarten, and not a serious obstacle! But this time he did not refuse and read the description of the skill.

Breaking into. A skill responsible for the ability to overcome electronic and mechanical security systems, pick locks of any type, and also take control of computerized automated defense elements. The required minimum characteristics of a character to acquire the skill are: Intelligence 15, Dexterity 15, Perception 15.

Wow, they mixed everything together here ... The “Hacking” skill in a game that distorts reality is hacking, programming, and the ability to use master keys, as well as other thieves' tools. Well, okay, the creators of the game know better with the terminology used here. Let it be just "Hacking". A useful skill, moreover, not available to everyone, and certainly not intended for a boring game. Need to take!

Acquired Lockpick Level 1 skill.

Great! In a very enthusiastic state, I walked into the territory of the shooting range, looking around in search of something useful. By the way, the scanning skill recharged in a very timely manner, so I got all the objects of this complex on the mini-map, after which it became much easier to navigate.

First of all, I was interested in the building of the arsenal, where one could get weapons. But there was a massive padlock on the metal door. I approached and took a look.

Your lockpicking skill level is insufficient to pick the lock. Required level: 18.

You do not have the tools needed to open the lock.

Clearly, there is nothing to even try. I walked further into the complex. Soon I was interested in stacks of boxes covered with plastic wrap, and I got acquainted with the markings on the container:

82mm mortar shells… 122mm howitzer shells, a serious thing… Energy batteries, what is that?! Hand grenades, boxes of twenty. These may come in handy against pest beetles, although somehow it’s already too much, in my opinion. And you mow the crops, and you won’t be able to use it if the beetles rush at you. Although it was still worth remembering about the grenade warehouse. I opened the map and made a note accordingly. Nobody taught me this either, the experience of other games helped.

Then I went, in fact, to the shooting range itself - flagged paths, sandbags, targets in the distance ... Nearby, under a canopy, there were tables for assembling and cleaning weapons, as well as a large locked cabinet. Again a panel of digital code of the type I have already seen, but this time only three worn keys: "2", "5", "6". A combination of three numbers? I quickly tested all six possible options, but none of them worked. It's not that simple...

Successful Perception check

The "5" key was worn a little more than the deuce or six. Maybe it occurs twice in the code, if there is again a combination of four digits? So it is - the second combination “2565” I tested turned out to be correct.

Lockpicking skill has been upgraded to the second level!

Level 3 reached!

Received three free skill points!

Ha! Happened! I opened the heavy, creaking cabinet door. Inside, machine guns, a couple of machine guns and other weapons stood in even rows. Right there in the closet were boxes with cartridges. Bingo! I love this game!

To begin with, I was interested in what would happen if you try to use a machine gun or a machine gun. Still, the limitations of the Prospector class clearly spelled out the impossibility of using automatic weapons, and this point needed to be clarified right away. I reached for the machine gun and took it in my hands:

Machine gun 7.62 mm PKP "Pecheneg" 6P41N (*modified)

Attention! Modifications of another space race are installed on this weapon. To use the weapon, you need the Machine Guns skill level 16 and the character class "Attack", "Heavy Gunner" or "Space Marine".

Attention! Your character has insufficient Strength and Constitution scores. The minimum character stats to use this weapon are Strength 15, Constitution 16.

Attention! Due to the restriction of the Prospector class, you cannot use this weapon.

Uh, yo! Three prohibitions at once... I could hold this heavy bandura in my hands, but I couldn't place a machine gun in the weapon slot. Everything is clear, there are no questions left. I put the "Pecheneg" in place and checked several machine guns of different models. The situation has always been the same - I couldn't place an assault rifle in a primary or secondary weapon slot.

But with guns, the situation was somewhat different - the weapon could be put into the slot, only the radius of possible spread displayed as a white circle during firing occupied virtually the entire field of view. There was no question of any accuracy at all, I could shoot "just in that direction." What nonsense? At first I sinned that I checked shotguns, but in the case of the Saiga carbine, famous for its accuracy, the situation was similar.

Not immediately, but it dawned on me that you still need to take the appropriate skill in order to use weapons effectively. Which? The answer lay in the description of the weapon - for each carbine, gun or shotgun, it was possible to see a hint what requirements were placed on this item. Everywhere the skill "Shotgun" was required, and in addition to it, requirements were made for the character's Dexterity, Perception or Strength. So, "Rifles":

Shotguns. A skill responsible for effective work with smooth-bore and rifled firearms, railguns, pneumatic and plasma non-automatic weapons (with the exception of sniper and heavy weapons). Increasing the skill improves the accuracy of shooting and allows you to use more advanced weapons.

Obtained the Shotgun skill level 1.

And here for the first time I thought, how many skills can a character have in general? Is there any limitation? I opened my character table and began to study all sorts of settings. Unfortunately, there were restrictions:

A character up to level 10 has no more than eight skills

A character from level 10 to 24 has no more than ten skills

A character from level 25 to 49 has no more than twelve skills

A character from level 50 to 99 has no more than fifteen skills

A character from level 100 to level 149 has no more than eighteen skills

A character over level 150 has no more than twenty-five skills.

Oh how ... And how much have I already chosen from the limit? Scanning, Electronics and Cartography have been around since the beginning. Cosmolinguistics, Hacking and Shotguns managed to take. It turns out that there are only two free slots for skills out of eight. Nothing itself, like just started playing ...

It looks like Stealth and everything else can wait - you first need to chat with the members of the faction and find out what is really vital for the character and the entire colony.

Now it would be nice to shoot a little to pull up the Shotgun skill.

I took the simplest hunting rifle, which did not impose any high requirements on the shooter (it was directly designated “Old Gun” and required only the first level of skill), grabbed a handful of cartridges and went to the bags lying on the ground. The circle of possible dispersion was halved, but still remained very, very huge.

I took aim, fired, went to check the targets and shook my head dejectedly. So far, there has not been a single hit from fifty meters. Returned several times for ammo and fired probably a hundred rounds, raising his Shotgun skill to level three before getting his first hit. Then almost immediately hit the target again, and then again.

By investing all three free skill points in Guns as well, I achieved a significant reduction in the circle of dispersion. Of the next ten shots, seven somehow hit the target. Perhaps it’s enough to rape the “old gun” - the sixth level of the skill allowed you to take something more interesting.

Two new weapon options became available at once: "Simple 12-gauge double-barreled hunting rifle" and "Simple pneumatic 6.35 mm PCP rifle". With a double-barreled shotgun, everything was very clear - there was only one box for 25 cartridges with large lead shot, and a large circle of dispersion predetermined the method of its use: at a short distance or completely point-blank as the last argument in a critical situation. I fired only one single evaluation shot, tearing the target sheet to tatters from five steps. Will do. An overgrown cockroach that destroys crops will definitely not survive after this.

But as for pneumatics, I doubted something - I rather associated “airs” with children's attractions, shooting galleries and balloons, rather than with serious weapons. Having pumped up the air tank on the rifle with the help of a special pump, I checked the weapon in action. The accuracy was good, but the penetration power was predictably weak. From fifty paces, the chitinous shell of a large beetle may not break through. Well, there was nothing better here anyway, so you have to take risks and get closer to the pests.

Grabbing a pump and two boxes of 100 metal bullets, I stuffed the ammo into my pockets, slung both guns over my shoulders, and headed out on my first hunt in the reality warping game.

***

Carefully locking both the gun cabinet and the outer fence behind me, I returned to the road and slowly moved on to my first serious business. The distant cannonade did not stop completely, but the sounds of explosions and the crackle of gunfire still began to be heard much less frequently. The battle gradually subsided, although it was completely incomprehensible who ultimately won this night battle.

Torn sneakers dangling on my feet frankly interfered and also periodically hooked on the ground, making noise and betraying me. Therefore, I took off my shoes and went barefoot, and closer to the hunting place I crouched down at all, starting to sneak on tiptoe. Picking up an air rifle and peering tensely into the darkness, I was ready to throw myself on the ground at any second. Step by step, I approached the place where I had previously noticed large beetles. My heart was beating loudly, yet the moment was quite tense.

Would you like to choose the Silent Walking skill?

The inscription popped up before my eyes unexpectedly, I was on edge and instantly collapsed to the ground. Crap! You can't be so scared! I stood up with a grunt and dusted off my jeans. No, I do not want to take either this skill or others yet. I already decided - nothing new until I talk to other people. So, stop, where are the bugs at all ?!

Seems like the same place. Though... not sure. Eh, well, why didn’t I immediately mark the meeting place with dangerous pests on the map? Cautiously, expecting an attack every second, I began to look for traces - or my own, when I left the road to the side and crawled through the cereals, crushing the stems. Or traces of pests in the form of rumpled and pickled shoots. But found nothing. Maybe the pests ate and crawled away? Or is it not the right place?

Luckily, the scan skill just reloaded and I activated the icon.

The Scan skill has been upgraded to the fourth level!

Here they are, bastards! The beetles were found much further from the road than they were before, almost at the very edge of the scanning circle. There were seven of them. Having determined the direction to the goal, I moved towards the danger. He stopped about forty meters from the nearest pest and, having evened out his breathing, took aim from the air gun. Fire!

There was a short rather quiet click, and the bullet, dispersed by air, went towards the target. No effect. The beetle chosen as a target both ate the crops and continued this wrecking activity. I fired again. And further. To no avail. Either I constantly smeared, or these tiny metal bullets were deeply indifferent to the beetle.

And then, when I was about to approach the victim, I still hit once! Even from my seat, I heard the clear sound of a hit. And the bullet pierced the chitin!

The contour of the beetle was painted in an alarming scarlet color, a halved strip of life was displayed above the insect. Spreading its meter-wide wings, the spiked menacing insect with a heavy hooting buzz rose into the air and, having unmistakably determined the direction to the shooter, turned around and flew in my direction.