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Attention, player Phoenix!
Twilight Master ability is open to you (Dark Druid )
Night, twilight, all stats are randomly enhanced
*Additionally:
Possible spontaneous application of debuffs, strength, characteristics - randomly, addressees (enemies, ill-wishers, pursuers – range is 100 yards)
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Attention! Player Phoenix, you have acquired the following abilities:
Night Portal Keeper (second grade) and Twilight Portal Tracker (second grade)
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Alex read the description of each of the abilities.
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Night Portal Keeper (second grade)
Portal maintenance (repair, fix, enhance)
Stationary portals (creation, destruction, maintenance)
Cargo portals (disposable, stationary)
Combined transition (no more than four portals)
Portal monitor (full technical data)
Portal transformation (all types)
Ultra-long-range portals (2 rank, range - 1-star system)
Twilight Portal Tracker (second grade)
Portal spell blocking (field of visibility)
Portal fixation (1 min paralysis during transition)
Portal path tracking (2nd rank, seven transitions)
Search for portal tracks (up to 100 yards)
Transition on the residual portal wake (minimum - maximum)
Dedicated portal monitor (complete transition data)
Dedicated hospital portal monitor (full data 1 month)
Hidden entrance (35 seconds)
Hidden exit (60 seconds)
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Okay, time to act. Alex injected himself with a dose of Intellectum. Then he contacted Anna, speaking calmly, Anna, look around carefully. Try to remember every smallest detail. I need a detailed picture for a portal jump. You are a genius, I know. You will succeed.
White as a ghost, she wiped her tears away. I will try, Anna sobbed.
Seconds later, Alex exited the portal very close to her. “Anna, did you see the portal or its remains?”
She pointed at the wall, “There.”
Alex activated Twilight Portal Tracker. A large green sign appeared on the wall.
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Phoenix Portal Monitor:
Preliminary data
Minor Portal Duration 21:48:12 — 21:48:18
Portal jump involved (1) (first rank)
Range – 2,568 yards
Total weight – 167 pounds
2 creatures have undergone portal transfer
User 1 (initiator): Homo-54, Sergey Ivanov, nickname АК-47 — Health 88% (moderate injury)
User 2: Homo-6, supreme Arkh, Tekot Smul the Many-Faced — Health 9% (resuscitation actions, medication sleep)
* Additionally:
Special sabotage spacesuit used for portal transfer Shadow — 01М (owner Tekot Smul the Many-Faced)
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Then came another inscription.
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Attention, player Phoenix!
Please re-query for more complete data display.
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That’s enough, Alex thought.
The repeated request did not interest him, as the information received was enough. He face his crewmate. “Anna, I order the squad to retreat to the Dark Radiance. Gres is for the senior. Flash is on patrol. I’ll be back.”
With that, he followed the portal trail.
***
When Alex Phoenix cut off his fingers, Tekot Smul had decided to flee. He would escape this terrible planet!
Fuck the contract! Fuck the mission! Fuck the Council! I want to live! Tekot Smul thought, justifying himself and accelerating his run. One glance over his should confirmed that he was pursued by several Homo-54s. They’re not shooting. They want to take me alive. He almost laughed. As naive as children!
He ran into the building he’d previously occupied, rushing to the place where he’d hid his body. Running on pure adrenaline, he spat, “Spacesuit, portal!”
The portal worked as designed, and within moments Tekot Smul and AK-47 were safely within the confines of his spaceship. The siren blared, and Tekot saw medical droids moving towards them. He leaned back in relief, cradling his right hand. He didn’t dare look at his injuries. Player Phoenix had done the impossible – he'd destroyed Tekot Smul’s legendary dagger and cut off his hand.
“Get out!” he bellowed, chasing away his annoying thoughts.
I must endure a little more and everything will be fine. My pain and worries will fade, Tekot Smul thought, smiling. His loot and information would be properly valued and, of course, paid for. The anticipation of earning vast wealth proved a better balm than pain relievers and antidepressants. Here, protected within the armored walls of the spaceship, his mood improved.
The medical droids were dragging Tekot Smul into the medical cabin when he beheld the alert face of the panting pilot.
“Captain Guerin, do not be alarmed. I’m the Many-Faced! I trust you are aware of the Arkh’s body-swapping abilities.”
Guerin nodded, clearly not understanding how the supreme Arkh had come to such a deplorable state.
“Uh…” he muttered.
Tekot Smul, oddly enough, complacently asked, “Any questions?”
Captain Guerin nodded like a clockwork dummy.
The Many-Faced cleared his throat. “The mission failed. We need to leave this damned planet as soon as possible. Anything can happen in this hellish place. Do you hear me? Get the ship up on emergency protocol.”
“Prepare for overload, master,” the captain said. “The ship will not be pleasant. Attention, AI! Attention, onboard services! I authorize an emergency take-off into orbit. I repeat, emergency take-off!”
Moments later, the engines roared like star dragons. The spacecraft jerked, then again, and again. Finally, it fell on its side. The engines roared deafeningly before dying out. The internal emergency system cut in immediately, keeping those within from injury.
“What’s up, captain? Why didn’t we take off?” Tekot Smul queried.
Captain Guerin, the best Homo-3 pilot, glared at Tekot Smul and shrugged. “The AI reports that our spaceship is being restrained by some kind of power roots. Engines have failed, communications are down…”
Tekot Smul the Many-Faced paled – they would be soon attacked by the Homo-54s.
***
Alex left the portal and approached the side of a spacecraft, incongruously entwined with magical roots. He felt a sudden kinship with this small ship.
“Cool,” Alex said in a detached voice, injecting Intellectum into the black, armored body of the spaceship. Then, as if addressing an old acquaintance, he added, “Wake up, brother.”
The ship didn’t answer, but Alex felt its positive vibrations. Patting the hull of the ship like it was a friendly dog, Alex tried to establish contact with the main AI. In vain.
He addressed the Dark Radiance. Do you see this armored ship?
Affirmative, Commander
