“The Hero’s Surrogate” is a two-volume novel in the genre of action fantasy. The story takes place in a world very similar to ours, except that it’s based on legends and myths of Ancient Greece. The main character, Utis Irzhech, is admitted to a prestigious university—not so much for his abilities in the sciences, but because of his successes in virtual games. He’s a strong player, and the university needs e-sports athletes.
This path leads the hero to meeting players who call themselves the Huns. At first, things don’t go smoothly, but in the second book Utis already plans to win the championship together with them. Trying to become “one of the Huns,” he passes the arch trial and puts on the mask of one of the ancient heroes—Odysseus. It’s a dangerous procedure: it has brought many people to their deaths. What’s more, sometimes people become so fused with the masks that they can no longer control their second self.
Winning is the priority—but what are the participants ready to do for it? Listen to the ending of the story.