<hr>
The first matter to be dealt with was to return the gun. The party was still ongoing, with lots of noise. The guard immediately noticed Peter’s torn clothes and the sleepy little warg and frowned at him.
“A monster jumped me, and I had to fire the gun to scare them away,” Peter said. “Job’s done. I’m taking out my pet for a walk.”
The guard shrugged, reholstering his weapon, and Peter walked away. He went to his small study, showered and changed, fed the pet some leftovers, and exited again. There was a place that overlooked the campus, a park on the East side, near the place Peter used for his nap earlier. It took him fifteen minutes to get there, but finally, he sat on a bench. He felt tired but hyper-excited at the same time.
I got magic! Who would have thought? “OK, buddy, tell me everything I need to know.”
<This unit, now integrated within the subject''s subconsciousness, needs more information first. The System inquires about the elapsed period since the arrival of Mana on the planet. Is the duration in days, years, centuries, or millennia? The query is critical for analysis.>
"You mean when we Awakened?” Peter raised his eyebrows.
<Affirmative.>
“About two years ago. One year and nine months, to be precise.”
<Question: At what point did the cultivator entities arrive afterward?”
“At the same time. We didn’t even realize there was an Awakening before they told us."
<Request: Expand the information into a more detailed narrative.>
Peter grimaced, remembering the events that changed his life, and not for the better. "They landed a huge ship near Washington, DC, and declared they would take over Earth. The army fired three nukes at them for naughts. They had some kind of shields."
<Theory: More likely phasing.>
"Sorry?"
<They phased out of this dimension upon the detonation of the bombs. Cultivator shield technology is unlikely to withstand the power of a nuclear explosion.>
"I''ll take you at your word…”
<Request: What was the ensuing succession of facts?>
“You’re asking what happened next?”
<This unit apologizes for its faulty communication. This unit was designed to display pre-written notifications and cheers emojis, not facing emergency situations.>
“Never mind… Before the next day, all governments gave up. The Cultivators kept the existing political systems in place for their own purposes. The economy is in terrible shape, by the way. Inflation is up the roofs.”
<Question: What about magical powers? Was there no apparition of the System at all?>
“Not that I could think of,” Peter shook his head. “But about a hundred million people all over the planet did acquire powers. Most are Wild Magic users, and the rest are Cultivators. The most talented ones are trained in special Colleges. They also train regular people to assist them—sidekicks. That’s where I fit in.”
<The numbers must be erroneous. Spontaneous magic powers should have appeared for at least ten percent of the population. Does the connective database you call the internet still work?>
"Yeah."
<This is a positive occurrence. Acknowledging moderate feelings of happiness.>
"You can access the Internet?"
<This unit could but is momentarily unable to. Does Peter have a phone nearby?>
"Sorry, I left it in my room.”
<The current location is unknown to this AI. Accessing Google Maps would be optimal. Please proceed to your room and access your phone.>
“I can tell you where we are, duh. This is Dartmouth College."
<Ivy League, New Hampshire.>
"Not anymore. This town is now an Autonomous Zone. The College and the city were taken over by Cultivators. Many wilderness areas around us have been transformed into monster reservations."
<Judgemental call: Cultivators’ disregard for the general population is a constant. Explain monster reservations for this unit. Like Awakened humans, mutated animals should have spawned everywhere.>
“They did, in very low numbers. Lower than the humans who have Awakened. At least that’s what the cultivators say.”
<Confirmation: Mana favors Sentients. It is natural for animals to take longer to adapt. The numbers are very low, though.>
“That’s where the reservations come in,” Peter nodded. “They are like huge traps and dens. The totems attract some monsters and repel others. There are rewards for spotting monsters in the open world. Our school has field trips about catching the beasts in the wild and putting them on reservations. ”
<Theory: Where they multiply and can be farmed for parts. Hunting them becomes a training exercise if this unit is correct.>
“Yeah… For now, they only cull the crazed ones. Those are more dangerous than —”
<This unit is aware of what crazed beasts are. Equivalents of Elites, in System words. Information: Entity Peter should know that when the System displays levels for the monsters he hunted, that only approximates their power.>
“I see… ’cause they don’t really have levels, right?”
<Affirmative. Suggestion: Caution and intense training will prevent Peter from being hurt in the future.>
“Yeah… Caution sounds good. OK, I answered your questions. Your turn.” Peter decided to switch the subject to what mattered to him.
<History: Your planet was approaching a Mana zone. Once a star system enters such a place, it becomes permanently Awakened. After due research, which your species interpreted as UFO encounters, a System Seed was sent here to help the population adapt to magic powers and integrate Earth into the wider Galactic community. Hypothesis: The Cultivators interfered with the process, denying the System’s Installation. Theory: By happenstance or unknown circumstances, entity Peter activated his dormant Independent Operating System and this unit alongside it.>
That''s a lot to process… “By this unit, you mean what exactly?”
<A FAQ and Tutorial assistant. The original task of this AI was to help Peter learn the basics and then move on to another subject. However, as soon as this unit became conscious, an emergency protocol was activated. Consequently, this AI fused with Peter Hilden’s Individual Operating System, which should have remained a non-sentient app under normal conditions.
<Assessing Main Objective: investigate the cause of the predicament and help the System Seed assume control as the planetary administrator, restoring governance. The subject, Peter Hilden, will be designated as the System’s Champion for this process.>
“Buddy, let’s not rush things here!” Peter waved his hands, suddenly alarmed, his tired mind making a quick judgment call. Having powers allowing him to hunt monsters for money: good. Being someone’s champion and getting into quests and shit: bad. “Thanks, but no thanks. I just want a quiet life.”
<The straightforward and safe solution is as elementary as identifying the means to send a distress signal and asking the Main Galactic System for assistance, aka help. This plan would not endanger the subject, Peter Hilden, as long he keeps it under the radar.>
“Not interested. Please leave my head and find somebody else."
There was silence for half a minute, making Peter hope the System was gone. Then, the voice returned.
<Attempts to disengage have been unsuccessful. A proposal for a temporary alliance is made, with the offer of granting powers in exchange for cooperation. Future reevaluation of the agreement, if migration of this unit will be possible, is also suggested.>
“I’m not sure…” Peter frowned. “I''ve read books, you know. A System Apocalypse would be worse than the Cultivators.”A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
<Concerns have been noted. The subject references literary sources to express skepticism regarding the system''s intentions. Query regarding referenced literary material: Is Peter referring to LitRPG novels authored by amateur writers? Such fictional works often depict catastrophic scenarios driven by unrealistic narratives. It is important to distinguish between fictional representations and actual affairs.>
All of a sudden, a torrent of images assaulted Peter''s mind. Mithril mines, with majestic and well-lit tunnels, are tens of miles deep, reaching the mantle and extracting geothermal energy in the process. Somehow, he knew that. Trees, hundreds of feet tall, with art-nouveau-style houses woven between them, and people drinking mead on terraces. Floating airships, some technological, some more on the blimp and sails side. It was beautiful.
"This is how the Multiverse looks?" Peter asked in awe.
<Affirmative, regarding The System Worlds.>
"So, no killing ninety-nine percent of the population by spawning monsters?"
<There have been instances, though isolated and unintentional, in which apocalyptic events—whether of a hard or soft nature—occurred due to certain Seed Systems’ strict adherence to the local Zeitgeist. However, it is important to note that the current iteration of the System includes an advanced anti-virus protocol designed to prevent such outcomes. This protocol is described as highly effective.>
"Oh, goodness…" Peter sighed. There was a long silence, holding over a minute, after which he had no chance but to ask: "So… what now?"
The reply was silence, and it held for a while. <The course of action will be determined by Peter. This entity suggests a continued collaboration with minuscule steps like those taken by infant humans about one year in age—>
“Geez, can’t you say baby steps in less than ten words?”
<—until circumstances become clearer. Regarding separating this entity from the subject, it is estimated that a full installment of the System on Earth or traveling to a System World could achieve Peter’s wish.>
"Fuck…"
<Encouragement. The situation is not as not good as it seems—>
“Bad. The opposite of good is called bad.”
“Rephrasing. The situation is not so bad. The Main Galactic System works on a grand scale. Entity Peter could wait for years, even decades, before making up his mind. Meanwhile, this unit inquires whether Peter is interested in gaining additional capabilities.>
"You mean powers?" Peter asked, his interest rising. That didn’t sound so bad and fit his plans. His spatial storage was filled with precious monster parts—he could see an inventory if he concentrated on that. And monster parts meant money.
<Affirmative. This unit could try to unlock a class suited for Peter.>
“Err… how does that work?”
<Explanation of the normal process: When coming of age, the Main System assesses the young sentients and offers them a selection of choices based on their preferences. This unit could try to replicate the process. May this unit proceed with presenting the options?>
“Yeah, please do,” Peter sighed, closing his eyes and leaning back, massaging his forehead. He felt this was a most important choice and didn’t want to screw it up.
“It’s all is fair in war and love, and it was nothing like that,” Peter objected despite feeling his cheeks flushing.
<Observation: Peter’s pulse and blood flow modification suggest otherwise, making this unit befused. >
“It’s either befuddled or confused.”
<Appreciating the information. This unit also detects in Peter’s memory an inclination toward monetary gains, knowledge of marketing, fine foods, wine, art, and jewelry. Conclusion: All the above could unlock Trader, Influence Broker, or Dimplomat classes.>
Dimplowhat? “OK…” Peter said, unsure if he was interested in any option. He had almost completed his business studies before the Awakening, so he considered himself a trader already. “What next?”
<Combatives. The entity Peter displayed moderate martial knowledge. Regret: The military options are restricted because of the lack of facilities and a proper System-ruled Army.>
“All for the better,” Peter nodded. “The army is not my thing.”
<Information: Action-oriented but less combative classes close are also Actor, Stuntman, Hunter, Ranger, and Beastmaster.>
“Hunter, huh?” Peter said. So far, it was the best choice. If he could learn to sneak and take down monsters easily, that opened the path to earning good money. “Is that all?”
<Information: This entity acknowledges a limitation due to its current weak state, noting that many more advanced classes are beyond reach. However, a customized class could be awarded. It has the potential for rapid growth and exponential power gains over time. The name of the bespoke class would be Impulse.>
"What the heck does it mean?" Peter asked.
<Information: Impulse is a short-coded command that serves as an activator and an enhancer. Peter has obtained access to it.>
“Why should I pick a class that is not a class but a code fragment?” Peter complained.
<Information: this code is the most powerful activating command of the System. It will work well toward unlocking advanced skills and perks. This is an S tier, otherwise known as Mythical, two tiers above the closest option, Dimplomat, Rare.>
"It’s Diplomat. How come I can access that mythical stuff?"
<Theory: Peter unlocked the code by impulsively saving the young human female through a perfect throw.>
"I don''t even know her name," Peter confessed. “She hangs up with the snobs. You know, popular girl, cheerleader stuff… Never mind… Let’s go for Impulse, then.”
<Showing stats.>
Name: Peter Hillden. Age: 24. Lvl. 5 Main Class: Impulse (Bespoke)
Physical: 22 Mental: 15 Mystical: 14
Skills and Abilities: Impulse (Mythical), Influence (Rare), Multiple Weapons Proficiency (Uncommon), Sneak (Uncommon), Loot (Uncommon), various skills and knowledge sets of civilian use (Common and Uncommon).
<Information: Due to the current predicament, aka the absence of a Main System and the Cultivators’ hostile takeover of the planet, this unit will help Peter acquire a number of stat points corresponding to his level until level ten. This is called Forced Growth. Between levels 11-21, the acquisition of stat points will temporarily halt.>
"Why?"
<The subject inquires about the reason for this limitation. The System responds by stating that a bespoke class needs an evaluation period to better adapt to the user’s profile. Also, to compensate for the Forced Growth.
<Suggestion: keeping the secret of our interaction to avoid non-favorable situations. Does Peter desire to perform a reflexive action to accelerate the assimilation of his new stats?>
“Wait, wait, wait,” Peter blurted. “What do you mean by unfavorable situations?”
<The range of the cultivator entities’ reactions toward the presence of a System host could vary between exile and discontinued existence of entity Peter.>
“What the fuck, FAQ! That’s the first thing you should have mentioned!”
<Reassurance: There are ways to disguise Peter as an unawakened entity or a Wild Magic user.>
“You better be right… I have no wish to discontinue my existence,” Peter hissed.
<To achieve the desired Mana appearance, Peter is advised to watch a most important tutorial.>
“Can’t it wait until to— Of course… What did I even bother asking?” Peter complained because the System had ignored him and continued.
<Starting presentation.>
A bright light slammed into Peter’s eyes, making him jerk back and push against the bench. A distinguished gentleman with long gray hair tied in a ponytail and a beard appeared in his vision, walking back and forth on a terrace overlooking a sea of trees from great heights. He was evidently an elf, with pointy ears ornated with earrings.
"Greetings, adventurer," the man said, pausing to look at Peter. "If you see this message, you''re a System user in a hostile Cultivator world. I commend your dedication to the cause."
“Like I had a choice,” Peter sneered.
"No matter your powers, a simple technique will allow you to conceal them, appearing as a low-level cultivator or an instinctive Magic user. Even better, whenever you use your powers, you can deceive your rivals into thinking you have different abilities.
"But first, we must address the most important question: What is Mana?” The man paused as if expecting an answer from Peter.
“I have no idea,” Peter turned his hands heavenward. The Cultivators’ definition, something about a universal force, also named Aether and Qi, was confusing, to say the least.
“Correct answer,” the elf nodded. “Few know the truth.”
<Translating the presentation into simpler human terms,> the System interjected, pausing the image for a second, then letting the recording run again.
“Mana is a form of Dark Matter, an elementary particle that behaves both as a boson and a fermion. When observed, it doesn’t only change its state from wave to particle but also interacts with the observer.”
“Honestly, I was fine with the qi stuff,” Peter sighed and sagged his shoulders. He had expected all but that from an elf. Where was the tree-hugging? He felt cheated.
“Now, about stats, which are divided into three categories. The first is about observing Mana, often called the Mental stat. There can be no magic without it. And yes, it means that even plants have some Mental abilities, even if they are below sentience as we define it. The second is about the easiness of using Mana for spells. It is called Mystical. The third, the Physical aspect, concerns your body''s capacity to store Mana in its cells and atoms. Our System lists them in the order you understand them better for practical purposes.
"Now, close your eyes, focus on my voice, and breathe deeply. Inhale through your mouth, exhale through your nose."
“The heck? Am I supposed to cultivate? This is meditation!” Peter exclaimed.
the System said coldly, while the man’s image froze again. <The System advises Peter to remain silent and follow the Grand Sage Elfidor’s instructions.>
Peter growled but remained with his eyes shut, breathing as told. Ten cycles later, the video continued.
“Relaxation,” the man continued, “has nothing to do with Meditation and, most of all, with cycling your Mana. If anything, never cycle or focus on your Mana. Cycling is like calling a friend to visit and sending them away before you talk. Mana should be like your family, always there, everywhere… Allow it to enter your body and become a part of you… Let it complete your every cell… Think of nothing…”
May the Force be with you, Peter thought involuntarily but forced himself to continue the exercise. Soon, there were tinglings in his body, countless tiny needles. His muscles contracted by themselves, and his senses-—mostly his hearing but also his smell—started to paint a vision of the surrounding forest in his mind. Night birds were making noises, a soft wind bending the tips of the branches, and the pines’ resin smelling stronger.
“Ouch,” Peter mumbled as the sensation intensified, becoming a burning, then disappeared.
“Congratulations, fellow System Champion,” the man said. “You just unlocked your Mana Body. This is an exceptional feat, only reserved for the Mythical classes. Repeat this exercise as often as you can. Enjoy your new Awakened status. We will see each other again when you are ready for the next training session. Until then, safe travels.”
With that, the image disappeared, and the darkness returned thicker. Peter felt every muscle in his body limp and almost fainted.
Because you developed your Mana Body, you have reached level 6. 6 Free Attribute Points are available.
<Suggestion: Entity Peter should continue the Relaxing exercise to fully set in his Mana Body. A Mana Body helps Peter avoid detection, as it doesn’t focus Mana in specific areas of the body.>
It was well over midnight when Peter returned to his room. He found his best pair of sports shoes half-eaten and the warg snoring happily, belly up. Sighing, he went to sleep.