Algoritm of oblivion

The control interface was simple, and Max easily figured out how to send his location to his interlocutor in the chat.

“Ouch. Straight to the cursed lands? This is a very difficult location to start. Okay, wait.”

Max got up from the floor and decided to look around while his friends found him. When he approached one of the gates of the temple, a system message appeared:

Quest received: “Choosing a Path”

Description: The system was unable to accurately determine the circle of your interests. They are too indifferent. You are directed to the Temple of the One to choose your game class and begin your adventure. You are free to choose a game path (go out into one of the gates of the temple to find your game class, unique skill, and patron deity). * and begin the adventure.

Description: The system was unable to accurately determine the circle of your interests. They are too indifferent. You are directed to the Temple of the One to choose your game class and begin your adventure. You are free to choose a game path (go out into one of the gates of the temple to find your game class, unique skill, and patron deity). *

Type: Class-based.

Reward: Variable, depends on the chosen path.

Penalty for failure: Eternal languor in the Temple of the One.

*Do not rush to make your choice, time in the Temple of the One does not flow, you do not age and do not feel physiological needs.

“So much for the vaunted system of determining the plot by data from social networks and contacts. Too diverse interests… And the choice will have to be made by yourself,” Max thought, “Everything is usually the same in life. Well, don’t just sit here forever.”

Max got up and approached one of the exits. A warrior with a sword and shield was depicted in mosaic on the floor. The section of the stained-glass web of the roof above this exit was red.

In the mirror, he was reflected, but not in the cassock and canvas pants of a newbie, but as a knight in heavy steel armor, armed with a shield and sword. The heavy smell of iron and blood hit his nostrils. Inside the mirror, behind the knight, silhouettes of fighters clad in armor flickered, crushing enemies with powerful blows. A voice, rough and commanding, whispered: “Power is true freedom. Become invincible, and no one will be able to tell you what to do.”

If Max came out of this door of the temple, he would be on the path of a warrior.

At the exit to the left of the warrior was a healer depicted, the color of the stained glass above him was yellow.

He was reflected in the mirror dressed in a complex, multi-layered robe with patch pockets. A white cloak thrown over his shoulder was decorated with gold embroidery. In his hands he holds a thick manuscript devoted to medicine. This is his main tool and weapon. A small vial with some glowing substance inside and a bag for storing herbs hangs on his belt. The system added a neat beard and mustache, emphasizing his strong-willed chin. Expressive gray eyes look attentively and a little inquiringly.

The soft glow around him is filled with warmth and compassion. Inside the reflection, an atmosphere of peace and tranquility reigned. A voice, gentle and caring, offered: “Save the world from suffering, and you will find true happiness.”

To the right of the warrior was a commander in a chariot with a laurel wreath on his head and in snow-white clothes, raising his hand in a welcoming gesture, with a white stained-glass window above him.

Inside the mirror reflection, ideal lines of soldiers were built in the background, ready for battle. A voice, firm and authoritative, called: “Faithfully lead your soldiers into battle, and your name will remain in the centuries! True power is the ability to control others.”

Max went towards the commander, wanting to go around all the doors in a circle.

Next, on the blue mosaic floor was depicted a Musician with a lute in his hands.

Melodious sounds of music and ringing laughter. An atmosphere of fun and inspiration reigned inside the mirror portal. Magnificent dresses of court ladies flashed by, and wine flowed like a river. A voice, pleasant and artistic, belonging to a dandy in a blue camisole, invited: “Sing songs about heroes, create beauty. Live for one day, but remember that art is able to live forever.”

A merchant with a red beard.

The clink of coins and the rustle of silks. The spirit of luxury and prosperity reigned inside. A voice, businesslike and persuasive, offered: “Make a fortune, and you will rule the world. Gold is the key to any heart.”

An assassin hiding a wavy blade behind his back was depicted under a purple stained-glass window.

The whisper of shadows and the beating of adrenaline. Silhouettes of agile figures flickering in the darkness flickered inside the reflection, disappearing into the darkness. A voice, cunning and tempting, promised: “Own information, and you will control everything.”

Next, a necromancer in a black robe with a staff decorated with a human skull.

Icy cold and the smell of decay. Inside, the shadows of the dead stirred, ready to serve their master. A voice, ominous and authoritative, whispered: “Death is only the beginning. Become the lord of the dead, and you will find true freedom.”

A mage surrounded by whirlwinds of blue energy.

Smooth streams of energy, mesmerizing in their beauty. It smelled of ancient knowledge and limitless potential. A voice, flattering and seductive, beckoned: “Learn the secrets of the universe, and you will be able to change reality at will.”

Having stepped over the image of the healer under the yellow stained-glass window – Max returned to the point from which he began his journey.

Quest “Choosing a Path” updated:

Available classes:

Warrior – a strong and hardy character, a master of melee combat. Able to wear heavy armor and use heavy weapons. His task is to protect allies and inflict damage on enemies.

Class skill: “Unbreakable Shield”: The warrior can temporarily create an impenetrable energy shield around himself, absorbing damage from all sources, including magical attacks. The shield has a limited duration and charging takes some time. The effectiveness of the shield depends on the current level of the character.

Patron deity: Arumatan – God of War.

Healer – a support player whose unique abilities will help not only heal wounds, but also bring back to life a comrade who has fallen on the battlefield. Possesses high accuracy and speed of movement, prefers to keep at a distance from the enemy. The healer can also use light magic to exorcise the undead.

Class skill: “Great Healing”: All allied characters within a radius of 10 meters fully restore health. This skill has a long cooldown (1 day).

Patron deity: Luxur – God of Light, Accuracy, Speed, Medicine and Knowledge.

Warlord – a leader and strategist who can lead troops into battle. Warlords can enhance their allies and manage combat operations on the battlefield.

Class skill: “Tactical Pause”: The warlord can briefly slow down time for all enemies within a certain radius, allowing allies to inflict more damage and evade attacks. This skill consumes a significant amount of mana/energy.

Patron deity: Rodan (Creator) God of Creation, Intellect, Air.

Bard – a musician and storyteller who uses music and words to inspire allies and weaken enemies. Bards can create powerful spells through their melodies.

Class skill: “Echo of Melodies”: The bard can “record” the effects of his song (buffs/debuffs) and “reproduce” them at any moment within a short period of time, even if the bard himself is not singing. The number of recordings is limited.

Patron deity: Mirta – Goddess of Love and Water.

Merchant – a cunning character who can manipulate the economy and use his trading skills to gain advantages. The merchant can find rare items and make profitable deals.

Class skill: “Cunning Deal”: The merchant can offer the enemy a “deal”: a temporary truce or weakening of the attack in exchange for a valuable resource or information. The success of the deal depends on the merchant’s skills and the value of the offered goods/information.

Patron deity: Floki – God of Deception, Lies and Treachery, Winding Paths and Caves.

Assassin – a master of stealth and agility, specializing in fast and deadly attacks. Assassins can stealthily approach enemies and inflict critical strikes.

Class skill: “Shadow of Death”: The assassin can become almost invisible for a while, moving at incredible speed and inflicting critical strikes that ignore the opponent’s armor. After the skill is used, the assassin becomes vulnerable for a short time.

Patron deity: Valor (Smith) God of Fury, Blacksmithing, Fire.

Necromancer – a dark mage capable of resurrecting the dead and controlling them. Necromancers can use the power of death to damage enemies and subjugate their will.

Class skill: “Sacrificial Resurrection”: The necromancer can resurrect one ally, but sacrificing a significant amount of his own health. The resurrected ally will have a temporary buff that increases his strength.

Patron deity: Sator – God of Darkness, Death, the Underworld.

Mage – a master of magic capable of using spells to attack, defend, and support. Mages can control the elements, create illusions, and heal allies.

Class skill: “Magical Reflection Shield”: The mage creates a shield that not only absorbs damage but also reflects part of it back at attacking enemies. This shield has a limited number of charges.

Patron deity: Malena – Goddess of the Moon, Passion and Magic.

On the stained-glass roof of the temple, there were all the colors of the rainbow except for green plus black and white. For the necromancer and the commander, respectively.

There must have been some kind of catch here, these were not all the game classes, but only the most common ones. For example, as he knew from snippets of conversations between adults in his family, the son of Alexander First – the owner of the company “Dream”, who died in a plane crash, had the druid class when he played, and he is still the leader of the character level rating. Which means his class was strong enough. And rare. And it wasn’t on the selection list yet. That is, there should be at least one more exit from the temple, marked with the green color missing to complete the full rainbow palette. It was worth looking further. After all, is it possible that the rarer the class, the stronger it is? Max approached the tree in the center of the temple. Shards of broken glass crunched under his feet. Max looked up and once again noted that part of the stained-glass window above his head was broken, maybe this is also considered an exit?

Max: Should he climb the tree and try to get to the round opening in the center of the temple’s dome, where there was no glass? Max touched the bark of the tree in the center of the temple and heard some kind of call, it seemed to be the voices of all who had ever lived in this fictional world. They were calling him… the music at the edge of consciousness became more alarming. Max pulled back his hand and looked down at his feet. He was standing on a round hatch cover with a classic image of the tree of life adopted in Scandinavian mythology, whose branches were so skillfully intertwined with the drawings of the mosaic on the floor that it was almost impossible to notice it from afar. In addition, it was entangled in the roots of the tree. A new system message appeared:

Quest “Choosing a Path” updated:

New class available:

Druid (hidden class) – a keeper of nature, able to transform into animals and use the power of nature to heal and attack. Druids can control the elements and summon natural forces.

Class skill: “Animal Fury”: The druid temporarily transforms into an animal – the totem of the tribe, gaining increased physical strength and armor. In this state, his attacks deal increased physical damage.

Patron deity: Terra (Mother Goddess) Goddess of Life, Fertility, Mother of Gods.

So if you open the hatch in the floor you get the druid class… Curious.

But Max was already looking up at the round opening on the ceiling of the temple, located directly above the hatch in the floor. Looking closely, he realized that the broken stained glass on the ceiling of the temple was a kind of sundial, and the glazing with symbols that allowed to determine the time by them was now missing because it had once been broken by a stone core launched by a siege machine. The stone core lay here among the fragments on the floor. “What if you don’t choose any of the classes currently available? Freedom is not choosing a class from a given list, but creating your own path,” he decided. – Technically, the broken stained glass in the center is also an exit.

Max smiled at his mischievous idea, jumping he grabbed the lower branch of the tree, pulled himself up climbed higher,

At that moment, his doppelgangers stepped out of the mirror portals all at once. “Get him!” – rang out the order of the commander. The warrior waved his sword, the mage released a ball of energy, the healer tried to paralyze him, and the assassin threw a dagger, but Maxim was fast enough. He ducked higher, climbed onto the next branch, and was soon under the very dome of the temple. Branches of the tree began to entwine around his legs. His hands didn’t reach the opening in the roof by almost a meter. “Stay” – a voice sounded in his head. He saw a face appearing on the bark of the tree, surprisingly similar to his own, if it opened its eyes it would be too late, too late. If he had been even a little taller, he probably could have reached the edges of the opening in the roof in a jump. But now it was impossible, his height was too small. He tried to climb a little higher, tearing his legs out of the branches that were entwining him. From this movement, under his weight, the upper branches of the tree creaked dangerously and went sharply down first, then returned up like a spring, momentarily lifting Max slightly higher than he was initially. “If you fall down and break all your bones, is there still a point in choosing the warrior class?” – a strange thought flashed through his head. The Ent was slowly coming to life.

Max jerked with all his might.

He pushed off with his feet at the highest point of the branch’s oscillation, and through a brief moment of flight, it seemed to him that he would never reach the edge of the broken stained-glass window, he instinctively squeezed his eyes shut, but his hands were still reaching forward, in this moment of weightlessness before the fall, his fingers gripped a ledge. He pulled himself up, grabbed a metal spire, which apparently once served as a clock hand in the sundial of the temple, and found himself on the roof.

Quest “Choosing a Path” Completed.

Class assigned:

Time Keeper (hidden class) – a mage capable of manipulating gravity, time, and space. Keepers can slow down or speed up events, use fast movements, and foresee the future.

Your divine patron is the One – God of gravity, time, and space, balance, and higher justice.

Reward: Class skill – Teleportation. With the help of ancient magic, you tear the fabric of space, instantly moving to the chosen point. Disappear from the sight of enemies and instantly move a short distance.

Use this skill to avoid danger or take a favorable position for attack.

Experience for completing the quest: +25

Experience for obtaining a unique class: +100

*You are the only player on the server to receive the Time Keeper class.

You have reached new level 11.

Experience to the next level: 1125 (+125) \1200

The movement inside the temple stopped, his digital doubles disappeared, and the tree became an ordinary plant again.

Max recoiled from the failure of the broken stained-glass window, stood up, and surveyed the surroundings. The temple, majestically towering in the middle of the city, shrouded in a poisonous fog that spread over the ground like a living creature. Only the roofs of individual buildings occasionally peered out of this fog, through which the dim light of the sunset broke through, painting the horizon in a bloody haze. The city, once prosperous, now looked like a shadow of itself, plunged into darkness and despair.

Sinister dark figures, resembling zombies, wandered through the streets with a swaying, uneven gait. Their movements were slow and unnatural, as if they were puppets in the hands of an invisible puppeteer. Max felt a chill run down his spine as one of these figures raised its head, and he saw empty, lifeless eyes looking in his direction.

The background music, previously quiet and unobtrusive, became gloomy, with booming drum beats that sounded like a harbinger of trouble. Each beat echoed in his heart, urging him to action.

“Damn… Where am I? -Max thought, – and where to go next?”

The heavy fog and monsters did not cause any desire to go down and explore the area.

“Faster Darriel, take him down!” – someone’s rough voice pierced the fog.

Max’s body worked faster than his brain and he collapsed down, pressed against the roof. The string of the crossbow snapped and a dark figure at the end of the street fell down with an arrow in its head.

“It could have been a screamer… we won’t be able to withstand the second aggro. Be on the lookout woman!” – warned the voice.

“Don’t whine Red. We’ll rest when we get to the temple. According to the location that Max sent you, he should be somewhere here. Monsters can’t go to holy ground.” – another voice replied.

The speakers finally appeared in the area of visibility, which was severely limited by the gray fog. They were a broad-shouldered shorty, a little shorter even than Max himself in a horned helmet, with a mace in his hands and a huge shield – a typical fantasy dwarf, and a honed, flexible female figure with a crossbow dressed in dark, form-fitting leather armor. Pointed ears and light hair made her look like an elf, but eyes shining with red lights and ash-gray skin did not allow to understand exactly what fantasy race she belongs to. The girl squatted over the monster lying on the pavement and pulled her arrow out of it.

“We should have arrived already, maybe we should go back a little?” – asked the dwarf.

The girl took out a piece of parchment from her bag and leaned over it.

“Where are we going, bearded one?” Darriel asked, as if continuing a dispute that had begun long before this. “We’ve already passed the leatherworker’s shop, so that means…”

A dark figure dangerously approached the adventurers from around the corner of the building, which they could not see…

The monster was not like the others. His size was impressive, and his movements were swift and clumsy, which only increased the sense of anxiety. Huge muscles under the black-haired body tensed with his every attempt to take a step, and his eyes flashed with a wild gleam. This jerky and uncoordinated gait inspired an inexplicable animal horror, as if nature itself had created him to sow fear.

Suddenly, the monster stopped, sensing the presence of adventurers. He sniffed the air, his breath was heavy and intermittent. Then, he let out a piercing roar that stunned everything around, like an alarm bell calling for action. The sounds spread throughout the city, causing the stones to tremble, and the birds to soar into the sky.

Reacting to his scream, all the black figures within the block, as if enraged and suddenly gaining unprecedented strength and speed, ran out of the fog and rushed towards the adventurers from all sides. More and more monsters appeared from the surrounding houses, foggy streets and dark alleys, one of them even jumped down from the second floor of the building opposite. The sound of breaking glass was replaced by a smacking sound after it landed on the pavement. The monster could not get up, but he crawled forward on his hands with a muffled growl.

The travelers were forced to retreat back into a narrow dead-end alley, trying to avoid being surrounded.

Quest received: “Allies\Enemies”

Description: In the cursed city you met a group of adventurers, unite with them or destroy them.

Type: Random event.

Reward: Variable.

Penalty for failure: No.

The crossbowwoman brought down two monsters with accurate shots, and first of all the “Screamer” that signaled the attack to the others, before the dark figures from all sides huddled the dwarf covering her with a shield. The dwarf, skillfully wielding his mace, laid down three, and deftly dropped several zombies that clung to the shield, but when creatures of another type began to appear in the crowd of attackers, even faster and larger, more like animals than former people, the green health bar that appeared above his head quickly crept down. Probably, when it reaches zero, the dwarf will simply fall on the stone pavement of the pavement and it will be torn to pieces.

“Quickly here!” – Max did not recognize his voice, changed by the game to a higher one. “The temple is here!”

The girl reacted first, she took a short run, pushed off her foot from the wall of the building and in one jump jumped over both the dwarf and the zombies surrounding him, spectacularly landed on the crawling monster, piercing his head with the studs of her heels and simultaneously plunging short curved blades from both hands into the two nearest enemies. The Darks hit in the head did not get up. After that, she rushed to run to the temple. The dwarf made a lunge, clearly fueled by some kind of magic, scattering opponents and ran after her.

Breathing heavily, they burst into the temple, slamming the massive doors shut behind them.

The dwarf was bleeding, the elven woman didn’t look much better than him. Dozens of dark figures surrounded the temple, and their number was growing rapidly, they fought and howled behind the doors of the temple, but none of them was able to step on its territory. They hissed and raged outside, reaching out to the strangers, but were not able to set foot on the sacred ground.

“How did you get here? The location is not easy. What can a lonely, unarmed child do in a temple in the middle of a cursed city?” Darriel pointed the crossbow at Max. “What class do you have and what tasks did the system give you?”

“Wait, wait,” the dwarf stood between her and the boy, “We came here to help, to help him level up, remember?” The dwarf smoothed his red beard, taking another sip from a bottle of green potion, which caused his health bar to fill up quickly. Although his iron armor and chain mail still clearly needed repair.

“Maybe he lured us here on purpose,” Darriel continued, “It’s ‘Dream’, they can’t do without unexpected twists and crazy quests. Something is clearly wrong here Redbird. Maybe it’s a hidden monster killing quest. And he’s that monster. The temple is clearly damaged, look at the shards of glass. This clearly happened recently, most likely during the shelling of the city by wall-battering machines of the Lights before the next assault. That’s how he woke up. If he’s the ghost-keeper of this place, he’s just waiting for us to turn away so he can tear our throats.”

“You see monster hunting quests in everything, calm down already. We are on holy ground.” The dwarf objected, trying to calm her panic.

“In a cursed city,” Darriel did not give up.

“But we don’t receive damage from the cursed land here, which means the place is still sacred. And the cursed cannot enter here, which means he is normal. Look at those,” the dwarf waved towards the crowd of zombies outside the temple area, which had become noticeably larger during the conversation and was in no hurry to disperse, “they are not able to go to the holy land.”

“And by the way, yes, this is another argument against him,” said Darriel, “they don’t react to him.”

“What?” the dwarf was surprised, “how is that?”

“Even now, when we move around the temple, the damned feel it and try to get closer and move, but there is no such reaction to him. The temple would have been plastered with zombies even when we approached it if they had sensed a living person inside, got it? We wouldn’t even have entered.”