World Witout Wizards: Guard

I had neither a knife, nor stick, nor stone on me. The sun was shining somewhere high above the water. My Light, shall I die?

Many silly memories went through my head... Mom and dad were quarreling... My mother called him a donkey with a hammer, and he called her marsh grass... Why did they quarrel? My mother made me pray to the God Svyatogor.

I still remember the words... My Light, never leave your world. Save the righteous and punish the sinners. Protect the harvest and the animals grazing under your rays.

Isn't that silly? The infinitely distant, yellow sun. Why should it matter to a drowning man if his mother calls him Sonny? What difference does it make what she calls me…

My Light! Save me!

Warning! Fatal error. Reload. To select an individual ability 'Strike of the Sun?'

Give me strength! Save me! Damn the righteous and all the rest! Help me!

The water bubbled around me, and it took me a while to realize that the bubbles were coming from my hand. It glowed so much, that it was painful for my eyes. I didn't feel the heat, maybe my skin was rough from working at the forge.

The underwater creature was clearly feeling unwell. It waved its tentacles right and left, closing its mouth. I saw its eyes around the mouth, turned around and struck right at them. It hit me back so hard that I flew to the side, deprived of strength and air.

I had to get out and row, but I couldn't. I had no air left in my lungs and I wasn't even able to move my hand. I tried to breathe and choked on my own and the monster's blood.

It's over. Father, mother, forgive me. I'm not worthy of you...

The restoration of integrity

Restart

Update

Everything around shone with an unearthly light. I felt like I was in the sun. I couldn't move... I had to look at one point... There were angels or gods... Gods of Light, rather than Darkness…

"Are you sure he can't hear us?" one luminous creature asked the other.

"If he understands us, he'll soon forget. But most likely he can't comprehend our language. We're gods. At least for them."

"Let's get him out or call Nigel?"

"Are you kidding? Such activity! He was the first in many years to reach the Source! We can't miss this chance. Even if he can't get out from the shell, we'll gather enough statistical data for ten years. Not to mention the paradox of Elec-Brown, and the details of the practice move!"

"Isn't it cruel to lock the awakening person into that world? He's actually one of us."

"He doesn't even remember normal life. So that's okay. The inspection and performance indicators are aligned. The all-planet show goes on!"

The game will continue in 3... 2... 1... Start!

Oh my God! Why do I feel so bad? No wonder, I was drowning…

I got up on my knees and looked around... Damn it!

I was in the chief's pond before, and now I was in some swamp outside the village... I can even see the watchtower from here... What am I doing here and why am I still alive?

I looked around and almost swore out loudly... The mermaid. She waved and smiled at me. She saved me!

"Thank you, fishy," I said quietly, but she shook her head and tried to say something with her mouth open. She couldn't. The mermaid touched her throat, frowned, dived and pronounced something under the water; in a second, she came back. Then she tried to say something again, realizing that nothing happened, the mermaid pointed at the water.

Well, I could only crawl to the surface and lower my ear into the water. It was disgusting when the water got inside it.

"Triya," the mermaid said, smiled again, waving her hand, and dived into the depths.

I wished I could thank her. She saved me twice and even brought me my clothes, though they were wet. I should have remembered the road and decided what to do next... I was soaked, first I had to get into warm in the sun, and then…

Luck Check

Base

1

Bonus

0

Dice Roll

2

Requirement

4

Failure

The whole village could hear my father cry. Friends or relatives sighed sympathetically or more often joked. The blacksmith's beloved son was disgraced. I tried to be inconspicuous, but it didn't work.

"You bastard!" John started shouting as soon as I got home. "I fed him and dressed him. I was going to leave him the forge, make him a master or armorer! Why are you embarrassing me?!"

"What the hell happened? I was away for a while…"

"What happened? Come here, you little bastard!"

"Maybe another time," I muttered, seeing the specially prepared hazel sticks soaking in the barrel, and instinctively covered the a.s.s with my hands.

"Another time?!" my father threw the first thing he got his hands at me. It was a large handful of nails for logs. I sat down and saved myself.

Dexterity Сheck

Base

0

Bonus

- 6 (- 3 elite warrior;

- 2 dexterity;

-1 habitual weapon)

Dice Roll

3

Requirement

1

Complete failure!

Stamina Check

Base

0

Bonus

- 2 (strength)

Dice Roll

2

Requirement

1

Failure

Luck Check

Base

1

Bonus

0

Dice Roll

3

Requirement

4

The hero survived though he'd got some damages.

I thought for a couple of seconds. Then the pain shot first through my neck and then my back. It was throbbing; hot moisture was streaming down my arm.

'Father, what is this?" I flinched; the greenish fluid flowed between my fingers.

"What?! Don't try to distract me! The whole village knows how you disgraced me! I sat and talked to the chief. The magic MESSAGES appeared unexpectedly. 'Your son has become a man!' I was so glad I couldn't hide it." His voice faded away; a gray veil was covering my eyes. "And then Oulsast jumped up as if a bloodsucker had stung him. What were you thinking, you bastard?!"

I couldn't speak and fell right there where I was sitting.

"I see you're tired. Are you overworked from the fun you had with that warlock's girl? Hello? Michael? Hey!" Father's voice faded. "Son, what's going on? Wi-i-ife!"

A gray fog filled my mind when my mother burst into the forge. She pushed my father away with one hand so that the big man slammed against the wall. She pressed my neck with her palm so hard, that I could barely breathe. Mom tore the sleeve of my shirt with her teeth, raised her wrist and loudly ordered, "Cut!"

A second later, she put her wound to my neck. I felt burning pain all over me and finally fell into oblivion.

Warning! Emergency message! The hero is dying. Regeneration is impossible

I was back inside the incredible light. The angels were moving along the glittering surface of the white cloud, doing something with their marvelous devices.

"Sebastian, what the hell are you doing? Why is he shaking?"

"He's critically injured. If he were an ordinary man, he would have already died. He's stuck in the past rebirth. It wasn't my fault! So, let's save him!"

"That's what I'm trying to do…"

"Gentlemen, what's going on here?" The third angel suddenly emerged.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Nigel. Something must have gone wrong. He's dying."

"You know the deal. If he dies before reaching the Core, you'll follow him. Do what you have to do. But nobody should notice anything." He disappeared with a slight pop and a flash of light.

"Okay, let's see what's wrong with him."

Data restructuring. Recovery. Continue in 3... 2... 1... Awakening

"Oh!" The air burned my lungs. What the hell? This is the second time today! Nothing like this has ever happened, and here it is again.

I felt so cold as if I was lying not in my room, but in a bas.e.m.e.nt or on a glacier. I pulled the woolen blanket up to my chin with my weak hands. The fresh wound and my whole body ached after the rough fabric of the ill-treated sheepskin touched my neck.

"Are you awake?" Mom asked. I couldn't see her; my head was almost completely bandaged. I think mom was sitting next to me in the wicker chair by the bed. "I'm glad you're alive. But don't think you'll get away with it easily. You took advantage of the chief's property, you spoiled it. Now she, apparently, isn't good enough for him. Did you think you could fool the magic System?"

"Sorry, mom."

"I'm afraid the chief won't be satisfied with your apologies. Now you have to repay him the cost of the slave and reimburse him for her six years of maintenance and training. He bought her when she was ten."

"Why? She stayed with him, why should we pay?"

"We should obey the law." My mother's voice sounded metallic; it was something I hadn't heard before. I was used to my father's stern voice. He belonged to the clan of Greystle. It was normal for them to talk like that. I couldn't figure out how mom was able to push him away so hard that he flies across the room. How could a fragile woman have such strength?

"Now the Council will decide what to do with her. If we're lucky, she'll just be returned to slavery and we'll buy her back. If Oulsast decides that she is dangerous, he'll just feed her to his beasts and we'll still have to pay for the damage."

"How much?" I whispered; it was hard to speak.

"It doesn't matter. Anyway, your father and I will have to pay. More precisely, your father will. I've been helping him only with my spells lately."

"Can I have some more potion?" I tried to smile and felt terrible pain all over my body again. Could a simple nail do that? Even if it did hit me, the damage was too great.

"Try not to move," mom sighed, got up, and walked over to my bed. I finally saw her tired, haggard face. The blood magic, she had used to treat me, took a lot of strength from her. I took her hand and pulled it towards me. Mom understood immediately and sat on the edge of the wooden bed.

"Poor thing. How could you get involved in all this? In my three hundred years, your death could be the most foolish thing of all. You're out of luck. And you got us into this. People in the village are saying your father beat you up and I beat your father. He's locked himself in his forge and has been working for three days."

"Sorry, mom. I don't know how... Everything happened quickly. We went swimming and then…" I told her the whole story without hiding anything, but it didn't make her any happier.

"You say you pushed that creature away and it let you go? Which hand did you use?" I wiggled my right hand.

"Let me have a look. I've seen a lot of magic in my life. I've also heard about Light a long, long time ago."

She was feeling my hand carefully, every joint, every muscle, until she reached the base of my palm. When she pressed the right place, I felt there was something there. My mother frowned, and in the light of the burning candle, I could see her whispering something in Elvish.

"Don't ever tell anyone what happened. Do you understand? It's very, very dangerous!" She waited until I nodded, and then stood up. "Stay here, Sonny. I need to go out for a while, have a snack and do some errands." She hurried out, and I began to understand what she had found.