Chapter 8:

I sat in an armchair at home, thoughtfully twirling the dagger in my hands and examining the updated status.

[Level 4]

[Experience points: 149/407]

[Attributes:]

[Strength: 7]

[Dexterity: 5]

[Constitution: 5]

[Intelligence: 14]

[Wisdom: 7]

[Free Attribute Points: 5]

[Skills: Inventory Level 1, Thermokinesis Level 1, Hydrokinesis Level 1 (1 free skill point)]

Since last time, I had increased my Intelligence even more and was planning to level it up to twenty first and only then add Wisdom. While for others the voice assistant said that this attribute was just like in games, responsible for magic damage, my description stated that Intelligence and Wisdom made it easier to understand how skills worked. Moreover, in the spell builder, I could set their lethality myself, without being limited by the restrictions of a low level.

Understanding that my strength lay in variety, I started learning Aerokinesis, as it was a more promising direction, leaving Pangeokinesis for last. One more level, and I would cover the entire spectrum of matter manipulation, limited at first, of course, to two skills for each. The main thing was not to get conceited about my uniqueness and not reveal my abilities to anyone.

A thought about the stolen communicators popped into my head at an inopportune time, and I thought that maybe I was only unique among our group of ten. And when another five thousand users were added, they might have even more impressive skills. And, on the other hand, no matter how destructive my potential was, I was still vulnerable to a normal bullet to the head. Just like any of us.

Yesterday’s trip to the group portal showed me that developing in a team was a dead end for me personally. Just one bonus attribute point, a lot of time spent, and the need to share experience with others. This made sense for ordinary users with a limited set of skills who were forced to cover for each other. But my situation was different. I could go through several dozen portals, bring my main attributes up to fifteen or twenty points to reach the level of a well-trained person, and I would be a complete team all by myself.

In short, since the preliminary plan for conquering the world had been agreed upon and approved by me, it was time to act. I put the dagger on the table and opened the spell builder mode in the Hydrokinesis skill tree.

So, as practice had shown, I could easily freeze a huge area with my skill, cooling everything in it to a temperature of minus one degree. But the complexity and energy consumption only allowed me to use the skill in very specific cases, whereas I needed something simpler and more functional.

Hydrokinesis, which allowed me to manipulate and control liquids in various states of matter, gave me hundreds of options for lethal arguments even at a glance. My thoughts first went in the direction of chemical reactions, like condensing water from the air and converting it into steam and concentrating it under thousands of atmospheres of pressure, and then using the explosive potential of the compressed steam. And if I added ice as ammunition, I could invent a magical weapon based on the steam principle.

But I re-read the skill description and tried to set a condition for creating a point of attraction for all the water in an area within a five-meter radius of me. Surprisingly, it worked, and I immediately tried to specify a distance of twenty meters, but unfortunately, five was the maximum radius that could be used. In principle, it wasn't too disappointing. Five meters was a huge distance for a hand-to-hand fight, as long as it wasn't a surprise attack, of course.

I got a little sidetracked with some lengthy reasoning again and, returning to my thoughts, I continued. On average, the human body is sixty percent water, and blood is already eighty percent. I set the activation and maintenance of a field with a radius of five meters, which extracts water molecules from it, on a permanent basis and got a consumption of three percent per second. Thirty seconds of work and then a three-day cooldown was, of course, a terrible exchange. I changed the condition to an impulse activation once every three seconds and a one-second duration—and again, the result was not the best.

I thought about it, and then it dawned on me. Why did I need a constantly active water-pulling field? First, the air would be disgustingly dry, like in a thirty-degree frost, and second, most of the time was just about moving around the location, without any fights.

I returned to the spell builder, and this time the result was more decent. Activation was by voice command and a finger gesture, in case there was a need for a quiet elimination. A one-second operation to collect and concentrate two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom from an area within a five-meter radius showed an acceptable result. A simulation of the skill in the spell builder showed that ten to fifteen percent of the water successfully moved to the specified area during the skill’s operation, spilling into a small puddle on the floor.

And this is where the almighty internet came to the rescue. I opened a search engine page and entered a query about what happens to the human body with a sudden ten percent dehydration.

“Okay, it leads to significant dehydration of the body, which can cause dry mouth, swelling, and a decrease in blood volume,” I rubbed my chin and corrected the query to fifteen percent. “More serious dehydration of the body, which can cause loss of consciousness.”

In principle, it seemed like enough. Fighting with a sudden fifteen percent dehydration was physically impossible, and all that would be left was to finish off the weakly twitching target, but I didn't want to get my hands dirty with blood every time, so I went back to my queries.

“Twenty percent dehydration of the body leads to guaranteed loss of consciousness, serious disruption of internal organs, stroke, coma, and possible death.”

I shuddered at the realization of what abilities I could have and what would happen if they were given to a maniac. But after reassuring myself that all this would only be used on monsters in the portals, I continued my experiments.

I had to crank the skill's duration up to two seconds and reduce the area of effect to three meters to get an acceptable activation cost. 0.3% for each activation looked more acceptable, and after making up my mind, I confirmed the creation of the skill.

Without constructing a long-range skill and leaving the spell builder slot in reserve, I got dressed and headed to the mall, intending to buy a crossbow, an idea that Pyotr had so successfully suggested.

By the way, it was quite unfair. As soon as the security forces get access to the portals, they will be able to clear locations with modern weapons at an extreme speed, quickly getting stronger. Although the three-day limitation on the portal should slow them down here. And fortunately, they won't be able to use other people to cheat the system.

Anya and I later checked, and her time until the new portal opened also reset after the first trip, just like it did for everyone else after going through the group one. Otherwise, it would be scary to imagine what kind of development speed a well-coordinated combat group sponsored by the state could get if they were given the opportunity for endless completion of locations.

I looked at the dagger and put it in the inventory, once again appreciating what a treasure I had received.

After taking a taxi to a large shopping center, I found a hunting gear store and froze in front of a wall hung with bows and crossbows. A consultant who saw a client immediately approached the potential buyer.

“Good afternoon. I see you're interested in the samples on display. How can I help you?”

“Good afternoon,” I turned my attention to the salesman. “Yes, I'm interested in a crossbow, preferably a repeating one and with good penetrating power. What would you recommend?”

“I have to say that the line of repeating models starts at a fairly high price range. The simplest model is from fifty thousand rubles, and if you want something more serious, for example, for hunting, the price can increase tenfold.”

I estimated my available finances.

“About two hundred thousand for a full set with a quiver, a hundred bolts with hunting tips, and a scope.”

The consultant thought for a few seconds and replied:

“There are two options. The first is to just buy a good crossbow with everything you said, where the main cost is the weapon itself. And the second is a little more interesting. A mid-range crossbow, but for it, you immediately get a telescopic stock, an optical sight, reinforced limbs that will increase the initial arrow speed from ninety meters per second to one hundred and eighty. A spare string and a maintenance kit. All together, it will be about twenty percent more expensive, but if you think about it, the crossbow will be about ninety percent more effective than the older model. Plus free assembly!”

The salesman continued to enthusiastically talk about the advantages of modifications over the store-bought option, and I realized that he himself had long wanted to buy and assemble such a toy but couldn't afford such a purchase. And after seeing a buyer who could, he decided to get closer to his dream in some way and assemble what he was dreaming of.

In fact, after the last adventures, the value of money had lost its primary importance for me, and I no longer cared so much about it. And a good salary at the country's leading technology company allowed me not to worry too much about whether I would have enough money to buy food the next day, so I was even able to save some money for the future. And if I were in a real pinch and needed money, the spatial inventory opened up simply amazing opportunities for earning, ranging from frankly criminal ones to completely legal ones that were not as profitable.

“Okay. I’ll take the second option. How long will it take to assemble?”

“Come back in two hours; I'll get everything ready for you.”

Understanding the salesman's simple trick, who wanted extra time to play with his dream, I didn't ruin it and agreed to the offer. I paid for the purchases with my card and went to get a bite to eat on the top floor of the complex. I got a huge burger, fries, and a cola and sat down in a secluded corner, watching the visitors with interest.

People were all so different and interesting. Here was a noisy group of young people, at another table was a couple with three children trying to keep an eye on everyone, but those little monsters were constantly running around the table, and the parents' efforts looked like a fight against windmills. Several couples in love were cooing and kissing right in front of everyone. I thought about Anya, and my chest felt warm with pleasant memories. Her long legs, her hot and pliant body, and those delicious raspberry-red lips. It had only been a few days, but I felt like I was falling in love with the girl and that she was reciprocating.

My heart sank, and a deathly coldness spread through my chest. One of the couples, who was sitting with their backs to me and kissing passionately, finally stood up. A tall and broad-shouldered guy handed the girl her purse, she turned a little, and I saw that Anya, smiling radiantly, took it.

A cursed, cotton-like weakness settled in my legs, and only one thought beat in my head: “Why?” I wanted to do something horrible and stupid. To jump up, rush at her with accusations, and punch the sweet bastard who was hugging her and leading my now ex-girlfriend away.

I slowly exhaled, counted to ten, took my raging feelings under control, finished the hamburger, not feeling the taste at all, and, throwing the trash into the bin, went to the hunting store. Without listening to the consultant's objections, who was testing the crossbow, I took it, walked to the nearest men's restroom, went into a stall, and, taking the dagger out of my inventory, slashed through space with a swing and opened a passage.

[Portal to location Level 5. Forest Thicket.]

Just what I needed. Some wild boars would be just right now, allowing me to quench my thirst for blood and get my thoughts in order. After checking my inventory and noting the presence of a supply of food and water in the spatial cell, I stepped forward. The skill that could destroy everything living that had liquid in its veins gave me a sense of calm and confidence in my own abilities.

I found myself in a forest clearing, covered on the edges with impassable bushes. The linearity of the locations that the portals led to certainly made it easier to understand where to move, but the addition of free space would have increased the variability of the actions that could be taken. As it was, it was a head-on fight with no tactics. In principle, I just needed to fight someone and let out some blood, so I was happy with everything.

I took out the crossbow, loaded a clip of five bolts into it, and walked down the forest path, listening to the rustling of the forest and the background sounds of birds singing. By the way, this was interesting. While before, in all the places I had been, a ceiling had loomed over my head, making it impossible to determine where I was, now the tree crowns were closing above me, densely covered with leaves, occasionally letting through some faint sunlight. I should try to climb a tree and look at the surroundings to figure out where I am.

My thoughts were interrupted by the crackling of branches, and a shaggy thing covered in green leaves tumbled out onto the path. I raised the crossbow, aimed, and emptied the entire clip into the monster that appeared. The bolts plunged into the opponent with a dry click, having no effect on it, and it moved toward me in a rolling, fluid motion.

“Damn it!” I exclaimed. “What is this invincible creature again?” I held out my hand and said. “Cold Sphere,” “Cold Sphere,” “Cold Sphere,” deciding to freeze the opponent.

The green leaves on top of the monster withered and fell off, revealing a knotty tree moving on snake-like roots. The cooling to minus five degrees from the skill only slightly slowed it down, but didn't stop it. The dehydration of the surrounding space caused the shriveling leaves in the area to crackle from the loss of moisture, but it also had no effect on the opponent.

Another dehydration of the space slowed the creature down even more, and a light crackling of dry branches was added to its movement. A few more Cold Spheres in a row at the creature’s roots to freeze the ground, and I opened my inventory and took out a water gun with a tank filled with gasoline.

The suddenly animated tree was pulling its roots out of the frozen ground with a crunch, breaking them off periodically and catastrophically failing.

“Screw you, you monster! I prepared for this outcome, too!” After dousing the wooden creature with plenty of fuel, I took out a can of air freshener, a lighter, and set the walking branches on fire. The tree, which had been dried by the skill, easily caught fire, and a couple of minutes later, only crackling coals remained on the ground.

[Plant Ent Level 5 killed. 8 experience points received.]

Good old fire, which was used in the Middle Ages to get rid of various evil spirits, occasionally going overboard and destroying the gene pool in the form of beautiful red-haired girls, once again showed its power in pure destruction.

“Well, there you have it. Should I roast some sausages on it?” The nervous tension that had gripped me since the girl's betrayal slightly eased, and I could already reason more clearly.

The portal from the dagger again threw me into a location where it was either impossible or very difficult to get through with my current equipment. And here there were two options: either I was just so lucky, or it was a built-in function to limit my too-fast development. Again, there was too little initial data to analyze the situation; I could think about it after ten to twenty portals.

Sitting down by the crackling fire, I thought and took inventory of my property. There was enough gasoline for two, maybe three more similar creatures, so there was no point in wasting it. Before using the last skill point in Hydrokinesis, I had to try three dehydrations in a row and just chop it up for firewood with the dagger.

If I imagine that the ent has one hundred percent humidity, the first dehydration would leave it with eighty percent moisture, the second would leave it with a little less, since twenty percent would be subtracted from what was already there, resulting in sixty-four, and one more time would result in a little more than fifty percent. Any living creature would definitely be killed by such a procedure, but a tree would most likely just become slower.

Without staying in one place, I got up and went further down the path. After seeing another animated bush heading toward me, I slowed it down with a Cold Sphere and depleted my energy reserve by one percent, using three dehydrations in a row.

The condensed moisture spilled out in liters of water behind me; the ent only slowed down a little but continued to twitch its branches. I didn't really want to check the wooden creature's ability to add unplanned holes to me with its branches, but there was nowhere to go. I jumped closer, slashed with the dagger, and jumped back to a safe distance.

All I accomplished was a scraped bark on the monster's woody body and a small drop of sap that appeared. I sighed heavily, took out the gasoline and air freshener again, and repeated the previous plan. The bush also caught fire cheerfully and, after moving a couple of meters, crumbled into burning fragments.

And again, I would have to invent a highly specialized skill. Only this time, I had to think better and make it effective for more than just a few situations.

I went back to the beginning of the location, chopped branches from the surrounding bushes with my dagger, and lit a small fire. Out of curiosity, I tried to climb through the bushes, but after two meters, I ran into a completely transparent and insurmountable surface, which the growing bushes, nevertheless, passed through easily. I tore a branch from a bush, tried to poke at the invisible obstacle, but the tree branch stopped passing through the wall, and I had to go back to the path.

Another fact to add to the pile of evidence that everything around me was completely artificial.

I wanted to try climbing a tree, but the trunks started outside the accessible area. Although I could bet that there would be problems there, too, and there would be a height limitation.

The familiar spell builder window opened before my eyes, and I began to form a query. First of all, against ents, you need either fire or a cutting weapon. I couldn't use fire now because the skill slots were already in use, but I could think about a cutting one.

Hydrokinesis is universal in that liquid has three states of matter. Steam and water are not very dangerous for trees, but ice can be created hard enough to be used as a cutting weapon. First, I’ll try to create ice with the ordinal number nineteen, which was recently discovered by Japanese physicists.

Unlike simple ice, which has a density even lower than water and a hexagonal crystal lattice, other modifications of ice, obtained in laboratory conditions by cooling under a certain pressure, change both the crystal structure and density, becoming on par with composite plastic parts. But ice nineteen is already comparable in density to iron, and if you form ice blades with a thin cutting edge and shoot them at high speed, you can get an excellent cutting effect.

As far as I remember from the articles I read, different degrees of ice were obtained sequentially, by slowly cooling under different pressures, but here I could neglect that and immediately assemble the necessary crystal lattice. I will extract the necessary amount of water from the environment, assemble a pseudo-rhombic syngony from hydrogen and oxygen atoms, and build it up in a geometric progression from the cutting edge to the blunt side, and I'll get sharp ice strips with practically molecular sharpness.

The lifespan of such ice is measured in seconds, but it doesn't need to exist for long. I'll give it a kinetic impulse in the direction of the sharpened edge, and a voice command for activation. A consumption of two-hundredths of a percent allows me to launch fifty ice blades and replenish the lost energy in forty-three minutes.

I looked at the energy replenishment speed and corrected it: forty-two minutes. With each level up, the replenishment speed of each percent began to increase, as did the volume of the quantum capacity. At this rate, by level one hundred, I would be able to use ultimate skills that destroy everything around and not suffer too much from energy consumption.

I allowed myself to dream a little about a combined skill of total destruction, like a fiery tornado inflated by the wind with an abrasive filling inside and me in the center, surrounded by a protective shell of water.

But as they say, there's a time for work and a time for play. So I continued creating the skill, changing the aiming system to my index finger, and the voice command to “Ice Blade.” I saved the skill and started waiting for it to finally be learned.

Time was passing quite slowly, as it always does when you're waiting for something interesting, but twelve hours did pass, and I extended my index finger forward, pointing it at the bushes.

“Ice Blade!”

Chopped branches, sliced leaves, and crushed ice from hitting the protective wall.

I would consider the tests successful and that I was ready to show the local wooden creatures their place in the ecosystem. I theatrically brought my index finger to my mouth and blew on an imaginary wisp of smoke after the shots.

“I'm coming for you, my little wooden friends.”