Arthur paused and stopped speaking when he heard a rustle  in the brush ahead, he grabbed a stone and hurled it into the bush. A goblin exploded from the underbrush, spear thrust forward, mouth agape. Arthurs perception of time slowed down and he parried the spear haft with his free hand and slipped to the outside thrusting the spear tip into its throat. It died gurgling. Before it and its blood pixelated away.


    “What if someone wanted monster parts for alchemy or crafting?”


    “There are hunting and harvesting skills, if you had them the system would give you an opportunity to harvest. But if it was just a mission for ears, they would just drop when the rest of the body deconstructed. Once this space is larger and more stable it will be seeded with habitable life as far as your planet''s biology goes. But we can cover this space''s biology when it''s actually on the table.”


    In the distance 5 goblins clambered and fought over the corpse of a deer like creature, Arthutr paused in thought before appearing behind one of he squabbling goblins, he dispatched it with a thrust, before doing the same to the remaining 4; only appearing long enough to get them to commit to attacking before re positioning


    Caloric completion couldn''t be used to auto-fight, traditionally. but it can be used to reposition or retreat; potentially also use consumables. After looting the common grade cards that floated above the corpses Arthur received an alert.


    *****


    Success!!


    You have slain the goblins that inhabited the central ring. Establish the Realm anchor


    and create a safe zone.


    You have also completed the first expansion quest.


    *****


    Arthur strolled back into the clearing he appeared in. It was a large mostly clear grassy meadow with a few rolling hills and a scattering of trees.


    Arthur indicated the spot and an obelisk made of a glossy black and gray marbled material with unfathomable depth sprouted up from the meadow floor. A beam of light exploded up into the air, it began to widen and in another blinding flash it vanished. All Arthur knew was bliss. For the second time today Arthur came back to consciousness laying in the grass.


    Arthurs field of vision was crowded with overlapping system prompts. With an application of will that was quite intuitive; redundant system prompts were consolidated.


    *****


    You have slain 9 goblins,


    you have gathered enough essence to ascend to level 4


    you have 4 stat points to  assign.


    You have unlocked the second Talent.


    You have unlocked the second layer:


    The second layer begins at the edge of the safe zone barrier and expands out. within the  second layer you will find a lush and dense forest biome complete with edible plants and an entire supportive ecosystem. In order to secure the second layer, find the goblin village and slay the chief.


    *****


    Arthur flopped back down onto his back next to the Obelisk.


    “Ok Spark, lets see what other Talents you have unlocked for me.”


    “Can give ya a list, but i know which one you will pick.”


    *****


    Choose your second talent.


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    Kineticist


    Soul weapon summoner


    Time Stamp


    ****


    “I see what you think i''ll pick, but this is tough, will the other two Talents be lost?”


    Spark bobbed in place and hovered in a small irritated circle. “No, the other choices will remain and more will propagate besides. I was trying to reward you for a job well done.”


    Arhuur laughed and asked again before finally selecting his choice. “And it works exactly like I think it should?”


    Spark made the sighing sound, yes but it is a newly minted Talent. You could damage it if you try to go straight to varsity with that power. Speaking of which, for a world without a system, you spent a lot of time creating concepts for powers and abilities…”


    “What can I say… Some guys like trains, I like power…”


    “My next question is Do you want a specific weapon or do you want my interpretation of your personality and sense of self to pick?” The light ball bobbed in place.


    “If this were actually a game I''d say let''s randomize it, but I''ll stick with the Zatoichi sword.”


    “Very well, however be aware on one hand this Talent plays well with the system and how it applies conceptual force to things but that is a double edged sword. You will certainly encounter defenses that are just as conceptually bolstered as your weapon. Also any evolutions it undergoes or any Meta tricks you utilize will be up to you and the system, as soon as I release the talent into your core i won''t be able to shape it any longer. But remember! This talent is still new, your pathways are tender and fragile, don''t go acting like your story characters. You gotta walk before you can crawl”


    Arthur nodded and with a thought; he chose Soul Weapon Summoner. He felt the warmth start at his core and radiate through his entire body like tiny roots seeking out sustenance, and  then he felt the massive pathway forming from his core to his left hand.


    After all the warmth and tingles died down Arthur stood with baited breath, he felt inside himself and found the conceptual warmth and pressure that was his new talent. He pushed the energy through his pathway, for a moment he could feel and control the energy, but then it slipped through his mental fingers. And with that he held a sheathed zatoichi sword in his left hand. He could lightly feel his connection to the weapon formed from his spiritual energy, but it was also ephemeral. He knew that he could swing it around and keep the sheath on as if it were the bokken that it looked like when sheathed. He knew on a conceptual level that that blade housed within was nanometer sharp. He had to work on his spiritual control though to unlock more of what he knew it could do.


    Arthur looked down at the weapon, shifting his grip to the handle and holding it like a practice sword, the first thing that he needed to work on was conceptual mass. Light when swung heavily on impact. Arthur spent a solid hour practicing before he had to take a break. His brain was starting to feel strained, or maybe that''s just how he processed spiritual exhaustion. “Status.”


    *****


    Name: Arthur Slate


    Age: 42


    Race: Human


    Level: 3 (tier 0)


    Class: N\A


    HP: 16


    Mp: 24


    Calories: 875


    *****


    Attributes


    *****


    Strength:7


    Constitution: 6


    Dexterity:7


    Agility: 6


    Intelligence: 8


    Perception: 7


    Charisma: 8


    AP 4


    *****


    Talents


    *****


    Caloric Compleation:


    This talent is of the Space\Time affinity


    this talent allows the user to burns the


    amount of calories an action would


    take to complete and complete it


    Instantly, however the user must understand


    an action from start to finish


    in order to use it. this gift came with


    an innate sense for the users


    Calorie reserves


    and another to sense how many


    calories an action would cost.


    Soul weapon summoner :


    This talent Creates a spirit weapon


    unique to the user that is truly an extension of their being.


    Strike with surety, if you aren''t convinced of why you


    swing your weapon how could it be?


    *****