“But that's the ideal scenario,” Vopros continued. “You, on the other hand, have no social standing and belong to a profession with a rather... questionable reputation in this world.”“That's putting it mildly.”“So you'll have to work with corpses.”Naturally.“And that leads us to the next problem.”I sighed.“Of course there’s another problem.”“The corpse must be physically healthy.”I blinked.“That sounds like a contradiction.”“It does, doesn't it?”“So you mean it shouldn't have diseases or anything like that?” I asked.The night before, before going to bed, I’d spent some time poking around the Menu and discovered that it came with a built-in journal. Which meant that, while Vopros lectured, I was taking notes. Carefully, too.I planned to go over them later and make sure I actually understood what he was teaching me. That was how learning was supposed to work, after all.“Not just diseases,” Vopros said, shaking his head. “That goes without saying. I’m talking about physical

Grey Lands, The Estate — May 10, 2021Ugh...I could have sworn I’d fallen asleep just fine. So why did every muscle in my body ache like I’d spent the entire night getting beaten half to death? Even getting out of bed felt like an ordeal. I could practically hear my joints creaking.“Hey...” a sleepy voice drifted toward me. “It’s still too early.”“Early? Hardly...” I croaked. “It’s morning already.”The cat was curled up at the edge of the bed, apparently determined to stay as close as possible to that jet-black pendant.I dragged myself outside. Skipping a shower was unpleasant, obviously, but there wasn’t much I could do about it. The plumbing in my bathroom still hadn’t been fixed, and, frankly, I wasn’t even sure it could be fixed.Provos had decided to skip breakfast, so I ate alone.Knowing where the food came from—courtesy of the cat—made it considerably less appetizing, but hunger won out. At least the water was safe.A familiar notification appeared in front of me.Task: R

“So, back then... you could have taken out those two undead?” I asked, frowning at him.“I could have.”The cat nodded calmly.“But you wouldn’t have gained the experience, and you still wouldn’t have been mentally prepared to fight the undead. Besides, what could they really have done to you? Given you a non-lethal bite, at worst.”“I see.”I nodded slowly.“So the cost is one unit of magical energy per needle.”“Exactly. Cheap as dirt, but the range is pathetic, and the stopping power isn't much better.”Provos shrugged.“A dark mage has access to far more powerful spells, but you're nowhere near ready to master those yet.”“What's next?”“Set those saucers up along the fence and start practicing your aim.”He pointed toward a stack of dishes.“The targeting is surprisingly precise because the needles are guided by your eyes. Give it a couple of hours, and you'll be able to shoot a mouse's ass off from fifteen meters away.”He paused.“While you practice, I'll explain the safety pro

“Provos, you said I wouldn’t get skill upgrades just by doing things normally,” I said when I spotted the cat sauntering into the dining room.“You mean the Crafting skills you improved while working?” Provos asked, hopping onto the table.“Yeah.” I nodded.“You earned those,” he said. “If you’d spent skill points, you would’ve had to work hard anyway, but you would’ve mastered the skills much faster. Skill points are basically an accelerator. They’re most valuable at the very beginning and the very end.”He paused.“Trust me. Once you hit level four hundred in Crafting, you’ll be thrilled if hard work gives you even a single point.”“So I didn’t waste those points I put into Necromancy and Dark Arts?” I asked, less than pleased with the answer.“Just finish fixing that bathroom of yours…” Provos began.“What for?” I immediately asked.“…and then wash your ears properly,” he finished. “I said at the beginning and at the end.”I hadn’t explained this before, but there was a certain—let

“Guardian of the Hearth!” I called, standing in the center of the star.A mouth appeared on the vending machine.“Anatoly.”“What’s the situation with my ability to leave the Estate?”“Impossible until at least thirty percent of the premises have been fully restored,” the mouth replied. “Once that condition is met, you may travel up to five kilometers from the Estate during your time off.”“Got it.” I snorted. “All right. That's all.”“There is a task for you, Anatoly.”The mouth spoke with an odd hesitation.Almost as if it were asking me for a favor.“Yes?”I turned toward the Guardian's mouth.“The Hearth Guardian's sarcophagus is damaged,” it said. “Urgent repairs are required.”“Can it wait until tomorrow?” I asked. “Or does it need to be repaired immediately?”“It can wait, Anatoly.”“Then we'll start in the morning.”I went to bed satisfied with the day's work and training.All in all, though, I really didn't like this Estate.While renovating the master bathroom, I'd found all