《A Storm in the Fall》 001 Welcome to the Multiverse Earth churns beneath his feet. Todd lurches to a clumsy halt, his cleats gripping into the grassy turf. Breathing ragged and wheezily, Todd grimaces as the shooter in front of him turns mid sprint. Clenched teeth, leaning his center back, Todd pushes straining exhausted legs to backpedal and dead reverse his run. He feels the strain in his ankles, in his lungs, in his hips, along with the lactic hurt of overtaxed muscles. But deep in his heart, he knows he cannot outrun his opponent. Flashing a predatory, toothy smile the enemy pulls away first by inches and then by feet. Todd curses every man, ghost, or god who might have been responsible for the invention of Soccer. The standard regulation battlefield of the sport is one hundred punishing yards long, with 10 players on either team, along with a special player called a goalie who guards the scoring net. The two teams are spread out, mixed in Red and Yellow mesh jerseys across the field. In an unseasonable May heat, all the players sport sleeveless shirts under their team colors, along with embarrassingly high shorts and plastic armored shin protectors. On either side of the field are arrayed a lazing sparse crowd of friends, family and one or two league officials. No small percentage of them have aluminum cans of beer in their hand, or canvas lawn chairs to lounge in. They look infuriatingly comfortable. Todd gives chase for a few more token yards before the opposing striker taps the rolling ball with his foot, nimbly changing course and weaving around Todd¡¯s friend Randall who had come to intercept. Now on a collision course with each other, Todd and Randall break down to a canter before stopping at arm¡¯s length. ¡°He¡¯s unstoppable!¡± Randall laughs, having reached the ¡®Acceptance¡¯ stage of grief over their team¡¯s inevitable defeat. ¡°Like a force of freakin¡¯ nature,¡± Todd groans, but it turns into a whuffing chuckle. He raises his fist and Randall does the same, and they bump knuckles in a casual gesture of rapport. By the time they reverse direction, a goal has already been scored against their team, and they change course again to reset the ball for kickoff. Intramural sports didn¡¯t originally sound like Todd¡¯s idea of a good time. No, he liked to call himself a ¡®retired¡¯ athlete. Retired in the sense that he played a few golden years of pee wee soccer, and then summer swim team up through the better part of high school. Since then, college has not been a time of personal body improvement, and he has a bit of a beer belly to show for it. He would have thought three months of intramural sports might have put a dent in his pudgy middle, but the dream of achieving a refined, manly six pack is still a distant fantasy. Todd swipes the edge of his palm across his forehead like a squeegee, and then shakes off a spatter of perspiration. His unruly dark hair keeps noodling its way into his eyes, so he starts fiddling with it idly until his teammate Sarah swats him irritatedly in the shoulder and Todd snaps back into reality. Not all of his teammates are resigned to the loss yet, and Todd sees he¡¯s getting a few frustrated looks which he can only respond to with an apologetic shrug. What can he do though? The score is two to nil with only ten minutes remaining. If he had a chance to recover, maybe he could rally for one last push, but there was no time. Plus the summer sun has baked him beet red even through his thick layer of runny sunscreen. His red jersey, blooming with sweat and evaporating just as fast; has already built up the disgusting white rings of lost body salt. Todd decided his team could give him a break. The league referee approaches with a dawdling lope, and Todd notices the official has at some point picked up a beer of her own. He shakes his head in mock displeasure, but fails to hold back a shit-eating grin.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Got some for me?¡± Todd asks. ¡°Score a point, nerd,¡± she replies, deadpan. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll get you one.¡± Then she returns the same kind of honest goofy grin. ¡°Joe!¡± The referee calls out, not quite turning to look at the man she¡¯s calling to. ¡°Hustle up! If you¡¯re gonna beat these babies so bad, at least you can do it quick!¡± Not entirely content to take the insult just yet, Todd looks back, to the player that single handedly crushed his team¡¯s chances at reaching the semi finals. Joseph Faucheux grabs the hand of another player, and then claps them reassuringly on the shoulder with his other. It does not seem to matter that Joe is wearing a yellow jersey, and his opponent is wearing red. Todd can see the enemy captain saying something, but can¡¯t make it out. Todd notices that his teammate has suddenly chosen to be happy to lose. Traitor, he think to himself. But then Joe jogs forward, tips a goofy salute to the ref and then reaches for Todd''s hand too. Todd reaches forward because muscle memory tells him it is required, then finds himself in a firm, friendly grip. ¡°Almost had me there, Drips,¡± the tall young man says, in some mysterious way that immediately communicates the nickname is Todd¡¯s, the reason he¡¯s earned it, and a heavy Karmic weight that signals that it could stick for months. ¡°Maybe if we weren¡¯t playing the bionic man,¡± Todd replies, feeling a little weird being singled out. He releases his hand as fast as politely appropriate, and steps back to avoid a shoulder slap. Joe laughs, which is a sound which cuts, dices, and purees resentment. Todd can¡¯t sense an ounce of ill will in Joe, it¡¯s hard to stay mad at that. ¡°Naw, brother!¡± Joe hollers dramatically for effect, turning his palms up and addressing the Ref as much as Todd. ¡°I¡¯m one hundred percent man, baby.¡± The Ref snorts, unimpressed. ¡°Candra knows,¡± Joe says, grinning. ¡°If you want to brag about your little showing at Polar Bear Plunge,¡± Candra jabs at him with her beer hand, holding a smirk in check. ¡°I¡¯d say it¡¯s smarter to keep that to yourself.¡± ¡°Polar Bear?¡± Todd asks, for Sarah¡¯s benefit as she joins them in position at the mid field. ¡°Winter morning,¡± Candra arches an eyebrow and sips delicately on her beer like its a punctuation mark. ¡°Skinny dipping.¡± Todd and Sarah both flinch a little bit theatrically to oversell the effect. Joe chuckles, clearly having set up the joke at his own expense on purpose. But it can¡¯t last long, the game still has a few minutes left, so Candra waves both teams apart, then motions for the ball. She catches the low flung ball with one hand and a graceful beer cradling stoop, then sets it on the starting mark to withdraw. Todd looks at Joe, at Candra, at his friends Sarah and Randall, he looks at the ball with its simple black and white Telstar pattern and realized two things. One, that win or lose, the game after-party was going to be so much fun. And two, these months, playing on this team; probably were going to go down as some of the best days of his life. Scratch that, he''s realized three things. He shares a devilish look at Sarah which, when she recognizes it, she seems to catch like the fever. She knows, and he knows what was going to happen. See, come hell or high water, they were going to score a goal today. It was like tunnel vision, Todd could only see the goal ahead of him, the ball and the defender in his way. The whistle blares and he taps the ball to Sarah and explodes forward, legs pumping as he jukes left. Taken a bit by surprise, Joe hesitates deciding which to pursue and Sarah cuts right. She doesn¡¯t make it far, but that¡¯s okay. She tips the ball backwards to ¡®Stoner¡¯ Carlos who is shocked enough by the change in attitude that he actually manages to jump into action. The ball bounces to Randall, who hurls himself forward in a staggering lurch just in time to launch a long high ball forward. Sarah pivots to intercept. Is surrounded. Sees one choice. Passes to Todd. Undefended. A cheer from the sideline. He shoots. Puts everything into it. His exhaustion, his worries about the future, his lonely post-breakup nights, his dad¡¯s heart attack. Everything goes into that kick, and he feels powerful. Powerful like his life is finally his own again. And then suddenly, out of nowhere and everywhere, a voice chimes out. [Initiating System...] [Welcome to the Multi-Verse.] And the whole of planet Earth winks away into nothingness. 002 Shock in the Lobby [Pre Sort Complete] In between there and here was something else. It might have been a place or a presence or it might have been neither, but Todd doesn¡¯t know what it was. [Subjects Spawning] It¡¯s not that he can¡¯t remember, it¡¯s that he could not conceive. [Spawn Obstructions Detected in Zone] Whatever it was had been too big, too far, too deep for him to process. [Incomplete Spawn Count 12] Not even a fraction of a ratio of a percent of it. [Spawn Failure 0.12%. Within Bounds] Every cubic centimeter of his body shudders into a bone deep chill. [Load complete]
The entire arc of the sky is a pitch black, but the surroundings are lit bright as if under morning sunshine. An open courtyard is cobbled with smooth robin-egg blue tile, fitted with a reassuring inevitable snugness. The buildings which mark out the square are squat, only a few stories tall at most, and made from a cream colored stone which soothes the eye even though their overall shapes are numbly and uniformly featureless squares. Todd is standing in a relaxed pose, though his stance is weirdly wide and his arms held awkwardly out at a slight angle before he lets them fall. He looks down at his body to see his soccer jersey still, his shorts, his cleats and shin pads and his body fit inside them as expected. He is still soaked from the exertion of his last push for the goal, but the ambient temperature here is much lower. His body heat begins to drop precipitously and his whole self tenses up, as shakes bring him back to a stable Fahrenheit. But he¡¯s not alone. There are more than a hundred other people standing in the square with him, maybe lots more; but as Todd looks out a part of his brain makes note that the distance between each of them sums to imply the grand enormity of the square around them. Todd re-calibrates his bearings, those buildings are much bigger than he originally understood. Barely thinking rationally, Todd begins weaving almost drunkenly. He feels like there should be some kind of Cardinal direction that¡¯s missing in between the four normal ones, which if he might only find it could navigate his way home. Then the first wailing cries rise out through the crowd and Todd ratchets one notch closer to clarity. ¡°Where?¡± He says dumbly, having found the letter w again.
Tutorial: Status Debuffs ?
Todd stops rigidly still. An orange panel obscures his vision, with simple plain text. He looks away, trying to find some kind of explanation, but the prompt follows his gaze exactly. Reaching out to touch it, he finds it is somehow hovering between his hand and his eyes. Hesitating, Todd slowly draws his hand towards his face, fingers inching closer to his eyes and expecting to but never reaching what¡¯s hovering in space. The thought that this thing might be inside his eyeball, lurches into his brain by way of his gullet and he feels a rising terror. The panel shrinks away and then vanishes, as fast as it appeared.
Panic status detected!
¡°Yes?¡± Todd confirms, his voice cracking.
Wisdom 5
Then suddenly the number scrolls down like a slot machine, landing at a reduced number..
Wisdom 2
¡°The f...¡± Todd looks around again, this time at the crowd around him. The smaller prompt has taken up less of his field of view. ¡°..uhh...¡± He sees others similarly confused, similarly spacing out, even spinning around in place for no reason. ¡°...ck?¡± He mutters in a long breath. Are they seeing these same prompt screens?If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
Tutorial: Status effects are temporary or permanent modifiers to your personal attributes, abilities, appearance, or function. ? Status effects may be beneficial or harmful, and come in many varieties! There are currently 104 811 901 254 112 known statuses and status variants!
The longer, larger prompts appear to last in his face for a longer period of time. Todd wonders if it¡¯s to give him a longer chance to read. He scowls. Todd has always been a fast reader, and ever since he was a kid playing his first computer game he¡¯d already hated waiting for the sluggish default text speed.
? Panic Status: a Mental Status characterized by a reduced capacity for long term decision making. Minimal impact to pattern recognition, short term memory or Intelligence based skill Arts.
Could he change the text boxes to advance faster? Was there some kind of Menu setting here? ¡°Menu,¡± Todd says out loud, cheeks blushing and feeling like an idiot. Then after a moment a new prompt appears.
Would you like to know more?
Yes No
Todd looks at his neighbors again. A lifetime growing up with computers means that this experience, as alien as it is, touches on one of his primal familiarities. Not everyone is adjusting as well as he is. A grown man is swinging his fists wildly through the air around him. A pretty woman in yoga pants is crab walking backwards in a babbling state of alarm. A business woman in a suit just took off her heeled shoes to hurl them violently at someone else. Just to make life stranger, Todd sees whole lot of people here are dressed like they stumbled out of a Renaissance Faire, with leather jerkins and beads, and droopy linen shirts. At least most of those people have the sense to stand still while they freak out. Unlike the previous prompts, Todd sees that the selection is not vanishing. It is however growing slowly transparent. Moving his head, he notices a few other strange things. Most notably, the color of the panel window seems to adjust to improve readability against the background. It¡¯s a nice feature, and Todd approves of the effort made to reduce his eye strain. No, he shakes his head gravely. He can¡¯t cavalierly accept this lunacy. He needs to figure out what¡¯s going on. A shriek of pain rings out from far away, but Todd can¡¯t pinpoint its source over the rising, raucous volume of the crowd. Instead he taps his finger out in the air towards where ¡®No¡¯ might be, hoping to dismiss the prompt. ¡°No,¡± he whispers, after touch fails to work. Then a gentle flashing indicator illuminates his choice and the window vanishes. He jogs forward, towards a nearby middle aged woman who has a heavy set motherly look. He sees an anchor of normalcy in her floral print dress, her old leather boots like she just came in from the garden, the soft jowls of a person who rightly values dinner above exercise. ¡°Ma¡¯am, are you okay?¡± He asks, realizing he kind of wishes someone would care to ask the same question of him. He touches her shoulder gently to get her attention. ¡°?Cu¨¢ndo llegamos aqu¨ª?¡± The woman begs him with an agonized expression. ¡°?Qu¨¦ est¨¢ pasando?¡± She says, as Todd releases her and wracks his brain to make sense of her words. ¡°No hablo espanol?¡± He apologizes, even less sure of himself now. The woman reaches out as if to pursue him, but he doesn¡¯t know how to help her, doesn¡¯t know how to help himself, so he turns to get away. His eyes seek out familiar faces, patterns, commercial logos. Anything which might indicate a friend, an acquaintance, an authority figure, anyone. He doesn¡¯t make it far, because the woman standing in front of Todd is not a human being. She hadn¡¯t been 50 feet from him. An alien life form. The two of them stand, just blinking at each other in shock. Had he been in denial for these last few minutes? He¡¯d seen many dozens of these unusual looking people in the crowd, but up until now his mind had glazed over them. After all, there are so many innovative ways a human being could be ugly: especially if you take the interstate out east an hour or two, for example. This? This ain¡¯t no regular accident of ugly at work. The woman is human shaped only in the broadest strokes. Two eyes, a mouth, a nose. Arms, body, legs. But her face, her everything, seems to be covered with a short downy fur. The shape of her nostrils and bridge is wrong, like antelope weird, and her ears taper to points. Her loose, earth tone clothing looks like it came out of some kind of feudal peasant village, which finally makes the connection between the Rennfaire costumes and elf people click in his mind. After a heartbeat, the woman¡¯s eyebrows knit up into an expression of fear in a very human-like way. ¡°Jesus!¡± Todd cries out, and the creature responds in kind, though not in any language Todd¡¯s ever heard or even imagined could be spoken. The two back away from each other. They both look around again, seeing their neighbors in a new light. About a third of the people here, aren¡¯t people at all. Or at least not the kind Todd knows. But if Todd is uncomfortable learning that humanity is not alone, at least he does not have to experience being outnumbered. A great tidal shift ripples through the crowd like an electric shockwave, and thousands of souls try all at once to pick the same direction to retreat from an alien race. It¡¯s pandaemonium. 003 De donde eres? Todd¡¯s first experience being punched in the face is more of a harmless, knuckley shove in the mouth and nose which splays his lip out of the way and jogs against his teeth. ¡°What the hell, man?¡± He sputters, pulling his head back and away. But being slammed in a sudden mess of human bodies makes it difficult to maneuver free. Todd crimps at his shoulder and pulls his right arm up and loose of the people pressed against him and shoves back at the angry jerk who hit him. ¡°Chill out!¡± Todd cries out. Then he notices the older Spanish speaking woman from before, gasping in pain, so he reaches out for a second gentler shove to give her some room. ¡°You chill out, asshole!¡± The man apologizes. Sort of. He does stop shouting and hitting though. In a way, the tiny twenty person mob had been an exercise in statistics in action. There¡¯s the better part of a thousand humans plus aliens, here in the square. But they had been spread out, mixed at random with each other. So when the panic hit, no one really knew which direction to run. The only governing rules seemed to be, get closer to other humans, get away from the aliens, and it had resulted in these inevitable bubbles of tiny riot. The funny thing is that most of the square is now even emptier than it was before, as the aliens seem to have had the same impulse towards safety. Todd is a little bruised, but otherwise fine. And overall as well as he can see, nothing has devolved past a few thrown punches. It feels like a miracle that no one has been shot or stabbed. His little riot lets up, with no small amount of embarrassment. Todd checks to see if the old woman is okay, but aside from being winded doesn¡¯t seem obviously hurt. The rude man who punched him turns out to speak Spanish and addresses the woman with polite respect, in a sideways admission of guilt that lets him avoid apologizing to Todd. Todd returns the sentiment with a kind of ¡®thank you¡¯ that looks a lot like turning and walking away. After a few more hurried words of reassurance, a few quick questions from strangers and not a single helpful answer, Todd puts himself at the vanguard of their little circle of humanity. He nods to the man standing next to him, a tall weedy looking gentleman who¡¯s dressed in a bus driver¡¯s uniform and a fragile brave expression. The aliens have had a little more trouble finding each other, but less in getting crushed. A small group of them stand huddled together, with the same kind of resolution as the humans. A relatively taller creature holds one arm out to protect the others huddled behind him. It wears a warriors garb, leather armor protecting his vitals, wrists and shins, as well as a durable simple fibrous tunic underneath. With his other hand, it pats its sides and thigh as if searching for something. ¡°Fuck,¡± the rude man says from behind Todd. ¡°Where¡¯s my gun?¡± Todd doesn¡¯t look back, but files this under a latest piece of evidence to suggest that the people transported here were not allowed to bring weapons with them. He hopes to his lucky stars it¡¯s true, because while he¡¯s pleased how calmly (relatively) people are reacting so far, it could go so much worse in an instant. Before he has a chance to think further, a soft chime rings out and a blue glow draws Todd¡¯s eyes upwards.
! Welcome to the Tutorial ! !Congratulations {Sp: F-Human.NonAberrant} resident of planet {Plnt: F-Terrestrial.GeoSilicate.BioCarbon.SpiNA { idCode: EARTH }}! ?? You have been selected for the opportunity of a celestial lifetime ??* Brought to you by Limitless. Limitless Mandate and Productions. Subject to terms and considerations. ¡°Do the impossible, today!¡± *
The giant prompt hangs in the air, above the center of the courtyard. Unlike previous windows, this one does not follow where Todd is looking. It¡¯s more like an Augmented Reality kind of thing where it¡¯s virtually superimposed over a position in space. But he notes that it does turn to him perfectly if he moves left or right. The prompt hangs in the air for a long moment, and the exclamation points and smiley faces almost look like they are animated, moving with a subtle festive energy. Then in a smaller font, Todd sees another informational prompt appear. But this one appears to be the personal kind, only visible to him. It almost looks like a fun facts blurb he might expect from a video game loading screen.
?? Did you know that introducing exclamation points into Tutorial prompts can reduce initial mob related deaths by over 80%?
The casual tone of the information text hits Todd like the floor dropping three inches out from under him. He blanches, wanting to say something but unable to. After a moment, both prompts shrink and vanish. Hushed whispers ripple through the crowd. Then an imperceptible churning begins gnawing at the laws of reality. Kind of like the chugging noise a computer makes when it¡¯s thinking, but not a noise at all. Then after a moment a featureless voice rises in the back recess of Todd¡¯s mind. [System Selecting Default Tutorial Template CFE-8A42FBC] ¡°What is that?¡± Todd asks aloud. [System Customizing Locally Tailored Program] ¡°It was like a big greeting card-¡± a woman near him replies. [Custom Program Rated At Generalized Utility 62%] ¡°No not that, the ¨C well, not a voice, but the ¨C like a thought in your head that¡¯s not yours. The brain radio.¡± Todd looks for around to the others for confirmation.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. [Custom Program Rated At Uniqueness 0.00318] Those who speak English shake their heads, he might have worried they thought he was being crazy, but... things had had gone a bit tits up hadn¡¯t it? Under current circumstance, folks were ready to give him the benefit of the doubt. [Declining To Save Program to Template Presets] Taking this opportunity, the weird aliens have started to edge, in a circular motion around the human group, in an effort to pick up stragglers and merge into a larger defensive force. Todd¡¯s group shuffles as a collective group to make room, coming to an unspoken agreement not to take any rash action yet.
!Preparing Guides For your Tutorial Experience Now! Experiencing Longer than Usual Delays Due to Unexpected System Load !Thank you for your patience!
The huge floating prompt appears above the square again. As Todd looks around, he notices other, distant prompts in the sky around him. It seems like there are roughly a dozen of them, spaced far apart but at identical heights. Looking at the buildings at the edge of the plaza, he wonders if there are similar areas to the one he¡¯s in now. Once he is aware of it, he notices eight very narrow corridors, two from each side of the plaza, which appear to lead through and past the wall of looming, light-colored stone structures. Suddenly a loud voice rings out clear through the square, reassuringly human. ¡°Everybody this way!¡± He says. ¡°Human beings this way! Los humanos aqui! Freaky deer people, over that way!¡± He cries out again, though this time the crowds have quieted down enough to listen. Then another voice shouts out, ¡°Head towards that dude! ´ó¼ÒÈ¥ÄÄÀï!¡± The new voice is a bit reedy, like a teenager who smokes too much, but his helpful translation gets more than a few people to start moving. ¡°?Todos hacia ese tipo!¡± Shouts angry red faced guy, far too loudly. Todd and his neighbors flinch, being too close. But they don¡¯t complain, sanity is starting to reassert itself, and the guidance of a leader - even a douchey one - is sorely appreciated. Hoping to help, Todd gathers himself and leaps as high as he can, pointing in the direction of the first voice, ¡°This way!¡± he says at a bold but considerate volume. Then, picking up on the general idea, the first alien voice rings out. A few of their heads and hands pop up visibly over the crowd, adopting the same hopping trick, and they seem to, by trial and error choose a direction opposite the Humans. Soon, like a game of hopping Marco Polo, the two groups gingerly negotiate around one another. They split apart like oil and water with a sense of propriety and Todd finds himself in a crowd of six hundred human beings of every shape, color, age, sex and creed. As they gather, nerves calm and the group condense to a comfortable distance, leaving the huge center of the plaza completely empty and the aliens clustered in a far corner and out of earshot. With palpable relief, the humans begin to show the first signs of real camaraderie. Douchey guy raises his palm towards Todd in an invitation for a high five, and Todd is in high enough spirits to deliver it. The shoe chucking business woman from earlier has had her immaculate hairdo come completely loose, and now she¡¯s laughing and joking with the bus driver. Someone finally asks Todd if he¡¯s alright, which is enough to make it true, so he says yes. But mostly, Todd tries to push forward into the crowd. Acting on a gut instinct, he extracts himself from his ¡®riot bubble buddies¡¯ seeking out the first voice from before. ¡°Joe?¡± Todd asks, pleased to peaches to finally find a familiar face. The enemy captain stands at the center of the crowd, still in his soccer clothes, though his yellow jersey has come off and become a makeshift flag to signal the crowd. Joe is talking animatedly with a woman dressed as a police officer, and a bearded man who practically glows with a general vibe of professional martial violence. At six foot tall and change and an air of easy confidence, Joe has temporarily but easily usurped the usual chain of command. Now he seems to be working on ceding it back to the actual authority figures. ¡°Drips?¡± Joe says with surprise, then breaks into a grin of his own. He shakes the cop¡¯s hand and claps the scary beard man on the shoulder and then jogs forward to grab hold of Todd¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Holy shit,¡± he says, and Todd sees that under the hero act Joe is as grateful to find Todd as vice versa. ¡°Does that mean the others are here too?¡± He asks. ¡°I don¡¯t know, I didn¡¯t see anybody from the game so far but -¡± ¡°I knew it!¡± Randall¡¯s familiar voice cries out. Todd sees his friend squeeze through the crowd and join them, and it¡¯s like a great weight lifted from his worries. The rest of the team should be here as well, right? Randall looks just as out of place as usual, his pudgy gut fitting poorly into a sport jersey. ¡°Thank shit you¡¯re here. I can¡¯t process another minute of this insanity without another nerd. You okay?¡± Todd asks. ¡°I¡¯m okay, you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay. You know Joe right?¡± ¡°Hey Joe. Randall.¡± ¡°Randall? Nice to meet you,¡± Joe greets him, responding to a hand motion from the police officer with a placating gesture that requests more time. ¡°- Yea, likewise. So ¨C let¡¯s agree that small talk can go choke itself dead in a ditch, yea?¡± Randall gleefully begins without candor. ¡°You guys know we are in a video game right now, right?¡± Randall¡¯s eyes glitter with a greedy expression, which Joe doesn¡¯t seem to understand, and Todd doesn¡¯t quite appreciate. ¡°We¡¯re not in a game, Randall,¡± Todd replies, relying on the brewing dread in his gut to tell him that more is at stake here than appears. ¡°Not that kind of game anyway,¡± he mutters. ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as video games,¡± Joe frowns, but then corrects himself. ¡°What I mean is, that¡¯s dumb and there¡¯s gotta be a more reasonable explanation. Did you see the others?¡± Randall shrugs, willing to let it go for now. ¡°I think I saw the referee?¡± ¡°Candra?¡± ¡°I¡¯m assuming that¡¯s a proper noun?¡± Randall ventures uncertainly, but the three are saved from further explanation when an empty beer can arcs through the air and bounces with a cheerful ping off of Joe¡¯s sandy hair. ¡°Ow.¡± He says in hello, as Candra appears in her black and white striped shirt, bridges the distance to their circle in a flash, and shakes her long auburn ponytail like a bludgeoning flail. With her height, its enough to whap Randall in the face, and he steps back with a puckered expression of surprise. ¡°Thank shit you¡¯re here. I can¡¯t process another minute of this insanity without another alcoholic. You okay?¡± 004 Manic Pixie Dream Admin ¡°Is your name really Candra?¡± Todd asks, sitting cross legged and at ease on the cool blue tiles. Randall has his knees up, Candra has got more of a side tuck thing going on, and Joe is rocking a seated position Todd can only really describe as a ¡®Power Squat¡¯. The young woman is taken aback, having been lost in thought. ¡°Is that really what you want to know?¡± She snaps, a little more impatiently than needed. ¡°Don¡¯t you think there¡¯s heavier shit to worry about right now?¡± But Todd shakes his head emphatically. ¡°I got one single thought in my head which isn¡¯t completely, world crushingly insane, okay? And you know what?¡± Todd puffs a pinched face and sucks air sharply through his nose. ¡°I am going to cling to it.¡± Candra seems to deflate a bit, but still darts glances carefully around. ¡°I¡­ It¡¯s Cassandra.¡± ¡°Why not Cassie?¡± Candra sicks out her tongue and makes a gagging face. ¡°And I don¡¯t like Cass either, and I won¡¯t be caught dead as a Sandra, so...¡± she shrugs as if that answers the question. Todd replies with a slow nod, then a faster one as it¡¯s clear she¡¯s got no more to add. ¡°We¡¯d better find more water soon,¡± Joe sighs, playing nervously with one of his shin guards and not paying much attention to the others. ¡°That might mean checking out one of these other rooms.¡± This grim truth shuts down the conversation for a few uncomfortable minutes, but Joe isn''t wrong. Todd¡¯s earlier suspicion that there were other groups through the side alleys had been well received. An electrician and a dental assistant had volunteered to scout out the adjoining areas, but had quickly discovered the way through was sealed with a six foot wall made out of the same taupe stone as the squares. Vaulting over would be possible, but people generally agreed to hold off for now. ¡°This isn¡¯t really a room.¡± Todd mumbles, checking his shoelaces again for the dozenth time. ¡°What does it matter?¡± Randall murmurs, his face turned up at the black sky and eyes serenely closed. The clarity of word choice matters to Todd, though. ¡°Doesn¡¯t have a ceiling,¡± he insists. ¡°It¡¯s a plaza. Or maybe an amphitheater.¡± ¡°Amphitheater is a circle,¡± Joe practically whispers, absently. ¡°Courtyard is a square.¡± ¡°Oh my God,¡± groans Candra. ¡°I don¡¯t ca-a-are,¡± she drones. Then as a mid-thirties aged man in a button down shirt and slacks walks past, she raises her hand absently. ¡°Yep. U Memphis,¡± she chirps. The man acknowledges her, but still stops at the group with an inquiring look. ¡°The insurance lady already counted the rest of us,¡± Todd explains. ¡°U Memphis.¡± The man nods and continues carefully to another group to continue the ongoing census. Not being able to move has been a stressful, but necessary precaution to keep the current headcount accurate. By now, it¡¯s clear the aliens don¡¯t have anything particularly sinister planned and it¡¯s amazing how fast they¡¯ve fallen out of mind. The latest greatest pastime of the gathered crowd seems to be griping about the administrative efficacy of their small, provisional, impromptu, volunteer government. ¡°Did that guy double count us?¡± Todd asks incredulously. Randall shrugs. Joe frowns, at attention now that he¡¯s presented with a problem which can be fixed. Candra sighs, then kicks out her feet from under her and flops onto her back, careful not to knock her head on the stone. ¡°I think he double counted us,¡± Todd repeats, oblivious to his friends¡¯ lack of shared urgency. At this moment, after an hour and a half of coordination, planning, logistics and diplomacy, just when it finally appears that civilization is about to miraculously, boringly reassert itself, the subsonic churn stops. A familiar, cheerfully ominous chime sounds through the plaza, and the hovering overhead prompt, long having overstayed its welcome, finally closes to make way for a new one.
Tutorial Guides Prepared Custom Rewards Materials Allocated Spawning Pixies
The calm of the crowd breaks with a rising, uncertain clamor. There are seven seconds, seven seconds for speculation, conspiracy, prayers, and cheers before the arrival of the Pixies tears everything apart again.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. It starts with a keening, metal-tearing sound from far away, combined with a warbling, electro-plasmic cacophony. People start leaping to their feet in alarm, as four bright lights coalesce in the air above the square, each over a different quadrant of the place. That means one of them is nearly right over Todd¡¯s head. He and his friends scramble to back away from under the light, which turns abruptly into a hole, like it was punched into the fabric of space itself. Raging, fiery energy coalesces deep on the other side of the menacingly non-Euclidean pit, and for a second, an eye-blink nano of a moment, Todd thinks he can see streamers of energy knit themselves into a skeletal body, contorted like it¡¯s in agony as it screams into existence. Then an amiable popping noise delivers a pretty, floating glowing girl into reality and the hole is gone. ¡°Whoo boy! Am I glad to be here!¡± The girl cheers, in a way that Todd finds irreconcilable with his traumatizing glimpse at the manner of her birth. Gasps from the crowd, fear and wonder. Awe. Like some kind of mix of stardust and lightning bolts, the girl suspended over their heads is made from a purple-pink-orange of flickering impossible. Her face is remarkably human, along with her hands, which are constantly active and expressive. Large sparkling eyes and a broad honest looking smile evoke an image of trustworthiness and optimism. The rest of her features are roughly defined, losing solidity and definition as they trail off to her legs and end in hazy wisps. Her hair streams out like the white blazing corona of a neutron star adrift in a lazy river. ¡°Let¡¯s get this show started! You¡¯re gonna have so much fun, I¡¯m super jealous!¡± The girl giggles, then executes a tight airborne loupe-de-loupe. Against the backdrop of the empty sky, she dances like a living constellation, and sparks drift like gentle fireflies downwards from her hair. Todd stands agape with horror, unable to understand why the people below fail to move out of the way. One choice idiot even sticks his tongue out, like he¡¯s gonna taste the little mote of energy. Don¡¯t these people know what radiation is? Todd shares a severe look over at his friends, then on some shared brainwave, zeros in on a sparse dozen strangers in the audience who have the wherewithal to stay alarmed. But their concern is drowned out in an instant by a gleeful chorus of impressionable, overawed voices. Caught up in the spectacle, the crowd hollers an enthusiastic welcome, which gets even louder as the other three Energy beings appear to have noticed their sister, and then with preternatural grace, shoot rapidly over to join her. ¡°Are these our baby Cultivators?¡± One of the new arrivals asks. Todd turns to Randall to ask a question about this ¡®Cultivator¡¯ word, but the sound of his voice is almost entirely muted. Frowning with concern, he looks back up at the four creatures overhead. He remains barely aware that his senses are being conditionally suppressed, both light and sound dimming for everything except the four dancers in the sky. Even his sense of touch is numb, and though his body can still move, he¡¯s almost afraid to. Without the sense of his feet to tell him where the ground begins, a single step could be a difficult accomplishment. ¡°You betcha!¡± ¡°Oh there are more though!¡± ¡°Where? Oh, over there!¡± The girls seem to have noticed the aliens, far on the other side of the yard. A dim illumination highlights the aliens, and they seem almost to cower. Then the light dims again. ¡°Instructional unit 4-D,¡± the first girls scolds her sister playfully. ¡°That¡¯s your section!¡± ¡°Aw, do I have to?¡± Pouts the fourth Pixie. ¡°You should be proud to instruct the Ishiate, sister! Their base physical statistics are thirty percent higher than the average human, and their natural raw cultivation is far more responsive to Cosmic Energy than a human too!¡± Two of the other girls nod in eager agreement. ¡°But they¡¯re booooooring!¡± Wails the fourth sister petulantly. She spirals in a flashing, impossibly fast loop of a tantrum and stops just as fast. She brings up her hands in a very Italian looking finger purse gesture and shakes them emphatically. ¡°Where¡¯s the passion? Where¡¯s the bloodlust? Who cares about base stats, if you haven¡¯t got the killer instinct to use them?¡± The other three girls hang immobile, smiling and silent in a supportive formation. Todd gets the immediate sense that they have allied to avoid an undesirable assignment, rather than out of any kind of real commitment to principle. But the fourth girl sighs, drooping in defeat. Then her body is overcome by a brief wracking half second of seizure, which a perceptive audience might suspect as far more painful than it had looked at first glance. But it is over so fast that most of the humans have barely followed along, and the girl faces her sisters again with a completely new face. This time, her features resemble the animalistic alien Ishiate instead. After a soundless approval from her peers, the girl swoops off and away towards the far corner and is gone. ¡°Now that that¡¯s settled,¡± the leader wrings her hands eagerly. ¡°We can begin the Tutorial!¡± Shouts a second one, pumping her fists excitedly into the air. The third floats closer into view, though having not moved an inch, is somehow now holding open a large heavy book made out of the same star stuff as she is, with a sparkling silver set of reading glasses that she adjusts in a perfunctory fastidiousness. ¡°We have a great deal of regulations to review, and we are woefully behind schedule,¡± she expounds in a tone of deadpan severity. ¡°But I don¡¯t see the harm in bending the rules a bit,¡± the leader continues, splaying her hands out in a generous kind of motion. ¡°We are provided a certain degree of independent latitude when prioritizing the program,¡± the serious one admits in a thoughtful tone; her reluctance a plainly transparent charade. ¡°Hooray! Live fast, die crazy! That¡¯s my motto!¡± Giggles the bubbly one, now literally bouncing around her sisters in excited somersaults. ¡°Besides,¡± the leader raises a finger to quiet her sisters. ¡°Isn¡¯t this what we¡¯re all really here for anyway?¡± A sentiment the others nod at emphatically. One after the other, the girls draw out toothy, wolfish grins like knives. Their eyes flash with a bloodless, hungry dispassion, and Todd finds himself shaking so violently his knees start to knock together. The lead pixie stretches out her hands, and the sound and brightness bleeds back into the plaza. Distracted by a new glow on the edge of his vision, Todd looks down to his feet. A simple, solid red line runs in a wide circle that rings around him, and over to enclose his friend Randall as well. The two young men look up from the ring at each other, and neither of them have a single happy guess for what comes next. The pixie¡¯s streaming hair achieves a painful brightness, whipping skyward with the urgency of a hurricane. Then she looms forward and practically snarls: ¡°Let¡¯s cut to the fight.¡± 005 The Way of the Sword Streamers of light swish, and her hair comes down in a cascading galactic spiral. The girl made of stars whoops as she twirls off into the sky, and her two sisters follow, trailing a tittering helical triplet of foxfire into the sable heavens.
Active Quests 1. A Taste for Battle (easy): Defeat first enemy of the Tutorial. Reward: Limitless'' Charity Blooming-Promise Berry (1)
Todd cranes his neck up to watch, until a new display panel appears, and his dropped jaw finds its way back into place. Then he mouths the words and lets his attention fall back down to the terrestrial. The new panel fades. ¡°She doesn¡¯t mean, like fight, fight,¡± He blinks dumbly, looking at Randall for reassurance. ¡°Right?¡± Hundreds of other people shuffle uncomfortably, in similar states of doubt. A low rumble of nervous inquiries and indignant exhortations swells in volume. Folks are confused. Folks are pissed. An undignified cry snatches Todd¡¯s attention, and he looks to see the crabby tomato-faced man from his earlier shoving match land backwards on his ass with a dazed thump. Then he glares in chagrin at the line of the red ring, which encloses him and the older hispanic woman in the floral dress. In fact, Todd notices that nearly everyone has been paired off and enclosed by the dull matte rings. There are hundreds of them. His brain starts to churn, trying to make the sums into sense, to math out some kind of alternate to an ¡®f¡¯ shaped word he knows one unwelcome meaning to. Meanwhile Randall stares on, thoughtfully upwards. Todd¡¯s friend has never been a serious sort; always been that stout, geeky goof kind of guy that¡¯s a hoot to bring to parties and suicide to bring on double-dates. The kind of guy that measures his legacy in the high score rankings on arcade machines and Tuesday night trivia championship cups. Kind of guy that¡¯d die before talking dirty to his friend¡¯s back, but find the grave twice over before he¡¯d talk clean to a vicar¡¯s front. That kind of guy. Randall stirs after a long moment, coming back from that faraway distance. The two young men meet eyes. Todd¡¯s wild, shaky with questions. Randall¡¯s still, with the calm serene of a man with answers. ¡°Randall?¡± Todd manages to squeak pathetically, as a thick meaty fist crosses the distance between them and clips him right in the eyebrow. Todd leans back at the last possible moment, missing most of the impact and stumbling backwards until a dense elastic pressure thumps into his tailpipe and he gets his feet right and under him again. A cry of alarm pipes out from nearby, but it¡¯s apiece to getting wailed on, so Todd puts it low on his priority. ¡°What the fuck, man?¡± Todd cries, putting a hand to his abused face. Then his eyes bulge with alarm as Randall¡¯s other fist hoops in from the other side and Todd ducks and staggers leftways, warding off the blow awkwardly with his raised wrist. ¡°Cut it out!¡± Backing up to make some distance, Todd hits the pressure wall again, and spares a half glance behind him to find nothing but empty air and the line of the red ring. ¡°The hell?¡± He says, but can¡¯t spare the cycles as Randall advances carefully in a clumsy boxer¡¯s stance. The thing that¡¯s hardest for Todd to process is the jaunty, dweeby grin that his friend has smeared all over his traitor face. It¡¯s making it hard for him to work his way up to angry, even though a gut-deep survival instinct is trying to tell him it¡¯s high time to kick Randall¡¯s ass. He clenches his teeth and warily raises his fists up in front of him.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°What the hell Randall?!¡± Screams Candra from one ring over. Randall flinches but ignores her, trying to keep his bulky body moving, bouncing as light on his feet as his ankles will let him. Then dips to the side a bit, looking for a better opening. ¡°Yo! Dickweed! Whattaya DOING!¡± Hollers Joe, raising his hands palm up in the international gesture of ¡®what the fuck¡¯. Cringing again, Randall tosses off an exploratory jab. Todd slaps the hand away and is forced back into the force-cushion wall of the ring. Tired of taking hits by this point, Todd lunges forward with a low kick and jams his cleats at Randall¡¯s shin. It lands on his guard with a plasticky clack, but the big guy yelps anyway and stumbles back a bit. ¡°Ow,¡± he says, frowning. ¡°Whaddya mean, OW,¡± Todd snorts, shuffling closer. He taps his fingers against the warm sanguine off his eyebrow, then pulls his fists in tighter to his face. By this point he¡¯s gone red with embarrassment, practically too blush to bleed, at the center of hundreds of stares. As Randall resumes his stance and the two begin to circle each other, it¡¯s clear the fat boy is feeling that same pressure of attention. Even though his eyes¡¯ve got the bleary glisten of an incoming cry, Randall hunkers down anyway. Shuts it all out, intent on the fight. ¡°None of them understand,¡± he mutters softly, striking out with a groping palm to bat at Todd¡¯s guard. They struggle for a moment in the grip, other arm in a wild flapping exchange before Todd delivers a sharp two knuckle strike into the meat of Randall¡¯s bicep. ¡°Fucking ow,¡± he says again. The fight is driven apart, and Randall gets his turn to experience the impregnable bound of the ring. ¡°They don¡¯t,¡± he huffs, ¡°understand?¡± Todd shakes his head, ¡°Clue me in, Sherlock -¡± he grunts, striking at Randall¡¯s guarding forearm, then bringing the other fist round to hammer on his elbow and taking it on the sharp. ¡°Goddammit,¡± the both of them curse, as the second cradles his elbow, and the first kneads at the blade of his hand. ¡°None of them understands,¡± Randall insists again, this time full on his way to breaking into tears. It doesn¡¯t stop him lumping forward a step to make an attempt at a revengeful shin kick. Todd shirks it with a fadeback, then punishes the overextension with a bullish haymaker. It¡¯s half blocked by a raised arm, but still curls around a bit to thump Randall in the side of his ribs. ¡°This,¡± he grunts, clubbing back furiously at Todd once, twice, thrice, before losing steam. ¡°Is some fantasy shit,¡± he wheezes. Battered out of a good lungful of air, Todd gulps up another. The bruising drum of pain throbs along with his heartbeat, but he grits his teeth and shoves a palm strike, which they wrestle over, as he mashingly blots at Randall''s sweaty face. When the return thumb gets too close to Todd''s eye, they break apart again. Full body, wracking breaths stagger every word. "This. Is. Some. Narnia-ass. Shit," Randal throws an exhausted windmill and whiffs it. ¡°Yea?¡± ¡°You. Know. You,¡± another wide, easily dodged swing. ¡°Get it.¡± Randall wipes sweat whole handedly off his face and it doesn¡¯t seem to help. ¡°Yea.¡± Todd says. And he does, he really really does. He swats at his friend¡¯s outstretched hand again. ¡°I¡¯m. Not,¡± the other says, landing a punch on Todd¡¯s ulna-bone. ¡°Gonna. Screw this. Up.¡± His face streams with tears, blotchy all the way up to his hairline and down to his collar. ¡°Fuckin¡¯ magic,¡± Todd admits aloud, then winces as his arm twinges. Randall nods, as only his friend, his fellow nerd can understand. ¡°Fuck¡¯n. magic,¡± he whispers. Then he bellows unintelligibly, and charges with everything he has left. Todd backpedals, a reckless but tactical stumble. His center rocks past the limit of balance, his shoes clatter uncontrolledly against the tile. Then, when he hits the force at the ring he doesn¡¯t fight it, he rebounds. Bringing his arm in and center, he lines up his right fist and cold-cocks Randall full in the cheek, dropping him onto his ass in a daze. 006 Constriction ¡°Fuck,¡± Todd complains, shaking out his fist. He knows that you¡¯re not supposed to punch with a closed hand, but how the heck else are you supposed to do it? Fighting sucks, Todd decides. Why would anyone choose to do this if it means so much hurting both during and after? Todd looks up, then around, ears burning in abashment. He finds himself in the center of a whole lot of silence, and a whole lot of judgement. He tries to turn away, but there¡¯s no place for private when public and player are, (each and all) captives of the stage. ¡°He came at me,¡± he says to no one in particular, voice cracking. Worst part is the way Joe and Candra are looking at him. Worst with a capital everything. He might have had their sympathy at the start of this mess, but he¡¯d lost it in winning. Now Todd¡¯s just a psycho with a short fuse and a sloppy left hook. He tries to mumble another apology and an explanation but they both come out at the same time, so it jumbles up into nonsense. Without another avenue, he turns to look at the floor instead. The floor doesn¡¯t take sides. Breath. Oxygen is his solace, respiration his benediction. There are voices calling for his attention, but he tunes them out. They can¡¯t touch him in this long moment. He holds it longer than a second should last and just for himself. On the edge of his vision he sees a lock of his hair slip loose, in the center-blind of his vision he sees the blur of his nose. A bead of sweat breaks loose from his hair. Pink, run down the length of his nose, breaks loose from its tip. Two drops, falling to spatter against the blue of stone. They leave their mark in raining: salt and blood. Todd pauses. Come to think of it, maybe the floor does take sides. He looks over at Randall, who¡¯s slumped in a seated position and reeling from the final strike. He¡¯s breathing though, breathing and conscious. Active Quests 1. A Taste for Battle (easy): Defeat first enemy of the Tutorial. Reward: Limitless'' Charity Blooming-Promise Berry (1) Simply thinking about the outcome of the fight somehow seems to be enough to bring the prompt tracking his brawl back into view. The people around him have started to pepper him with questions and rebukes, so he tries to shut them out. Panting heavily, he closes his eyes and moderates his breathing. God he feels awful. God, he feels kind of great. Once his head clears a little more, and his huffing comes from wheeze and back down to puffing, he opens his eyes. The question is, how will the quest thing respond to his victory? Active Quests 1. A Taste for Battle (easy): Defeat first enemy of the Tutorial. Reward: Limitless'' Charity Blooming-Promise Berry (1) It hasn¡¯t changed. Todd narrows his eyes. That¡¯s not right. He flashes a concerned glance over at Randall, who¡¯s starting to shake the Ks and Os out of his noggin and rejoin the living. The poor guy lets out a prolonged and woeful moan. Todd focuses on the prompt again. Then back to his recovering friend. There¡¯s a thought that¡¯s brewing, one that doesn¡¯t have a shape yet. The idea of it, the thought of even thinking it, is so far beyond reprehensible that his waking mind refuses it utterly. Then , chimes the prompt, and a wave of relief floods through Todd; from his crown, on down to his gut. Active Quests 1. A Taste for Battle (easy): Defeat first enemy of the Tutorial. (Complete) He lets out a breath he didn¡¯t know he was holding and steps up to Randall with an open hand held out. At that moment, the red line which had held them prisoner dissipates into stone, like ink into ocean. Solid to cloud to gone. Todd presents his hand again and more assertively. Randall, with his expression coming back into focus, sees it, then looks up. ¡°Why are you so strong,¡± Randall grunts dejectedly, raising his arm in concession. Todd shakes his head, reaching out and grabbing his friend¡¯s hand. With a heaving noise, he hauls Randall up and to a wobbling upright. ¡°Come on. You never do the push-ups, man,¡± Todd chuckles, patting Randall consolingly on his shoulder. ¡°Oh thank God,¡± Candra¡¯s voice finally makes its way to the front of Todd¡¯s attention and a slurry of things he¡¯d been ignoring too. ¡°Is he okay?¡± She asks, in real concern.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°I think he¡¯s mostly alright,¡± Todd calls out, and Randall reluctantly confirms it while gently prodding at the promise of a nasty looking bruise. His neighbors haven¡¯t been quiet. Far from it, dozens of them are clamoring. ¡°- Is he okay?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all the electronic screens, making their heads sick.¡± ¡°Hit him again!¡± Everybody seems to have an opinion or a question, but they¡¯re dangerously missing the point. Joe had been grave quiet but, among the many, his question catches Todd right away. ¡°Did it work?¡± he asks; expression like the point of a surgeon¡¯s needle. ¡°Yea, we¡¯re out,¡± Todd replies, heavy in knowing what¡¯s coming. He walks over to Joe and Candra¡¯s ring. ¡°Think I can get through?¡± he asks. ¡°No, no, no,¡± Candra mutters, looking at the ring and back at Joe. She understands. ¡°I can¡¯t do that. I¡¯m not going to do that.¡± ¡°Just,¡± Joe raises a hand to reassure her. ¡°Wait a second. Maybe Drips can help us get out from his side.¡± Doubting it will be that easy, Todd makes an affirming noise anyway. He probes his hand against the empty space of the boundary. As he does, it reacts immediately to his palm, like a smooth pane of solid glass. ¡°No,¡± he shakes his head. ¡°It¡¯s going to be even stronger from this side.¡± ¡°You sure?¡± Joe sighs. ¡°¡­ No. But yes.¡± Todd looks around, trying to continue ignoring the rest of the crowd. They¡¯ve noticed he¡¯s free. They¡¯ve noticed how he got free. Denial¡¯s not going to keep them long from connecting the dots. ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense though,¡± Todd continues, feeling like he¡¯s missing something. ¡°People are going to try to wait this out. They won¡¯t be pushed around this easy.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t take much for you and Randall to come out swinging.¡± That doesn¡¯t count, though. ¡°Sure, and it¡¯ll work for a few other people too. But not most, not half. I doubt a tenth of regular people are nuts enough to start a fight with a stranger for no reason.¡± While thoughtful and optimistic, Todd¡¯s assessment comes with poor timing. Three hundred scarlet rings thrum and glow all at once, then very delicately shrink an inch or two in radius. That makes more sense, Todd thinks with a chill. The shouting starts. So does the second fight. ¨C Feeling a little recovered by this point, Todd braces himself. He plants his left foot down, and then kicks solidly forward with his right. His heel thumps against the steel-hard force, and grunts out in pain. Just about ten fights have resolved by this point, and the rings have shrunk a second time. The freed participants have been mostly civil after their brawls, but this first wave has generally been younger, and more evenly matched. That means long, tough, mean fights. It helps that they¡¯ve been negotiated in good faith, and in the hope that the freed fighters might be able to save the others. In fact, that¡¯s been Todd¡¯s focus for a good number of minutes. He and seven others have gathered around a ring holding an elderly man and a young woman. It¡¯s a fight that no one wants to see happen, so they count loudly to three as a group and batter against the ring as one. If someone had a weapon, something truly heavy, maybe it would be different; but Todd''s guess about weapons being denied entry had proven true. They had to rely on their own bodies. They¡¯d also tried slipping low and trying to damage the ring directly at the floor with a ring of car keys, but the color seems to be just as much a part of the floor as the surrounding blue, and refuses to be altered. The glow of the ring precedes a third, tightening reduction. One of the young men helping in the effort is starting to cry, and he is comforted by the gentle words of the grey haired man they¡¯re trying to save. If Todd was worried the fights would start, before. Now he¡¯s starting to consider what happens if people continued to refuse. Would the rings shrink until they crushed their occupants against each other? Would they stop once there was no more room left to move? Or would they continue on and juice their victims dry, just to prove a point. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m coming to help,¡± Joe shouts from a few rings over. ¡°Don¡¯t you fucking dare,¡± shouts Candra. She sounds frightened, strained. Todd abandons the rescue effort and runs to help his friends. Randall is there already, but is still in poor shape, and looks powerlessly at Todd. But their worry ends up being unfounded. Joe opens up his arms wide, walking slowly forward to Candra. She does back away, but Joe¡¯s calm attitude unnerves her, and the wall blocks her. Then he wraps her in a bear hug, and slumps. ¡°What the hell,¡± Candra says, her arms pinned to her sides. Joe¡¯s heavy, but not heavy enough to bring her down. Not as long as she can keep her balance ¨C no, she fell. ¡°Get off of me, goddammit.¡± Joe doesn¡¯t say anything, just holds on tight as Candra fights to get loose. She tries to swing a leg loose, but she¡¯s got no good angle to kick while she¡¯s on the floor and underneath a body. ¡°You¡¯re such an asshole,¡± Candra grumbles, losing steam. She¡¯s still squirming, but Joe¡¯s hold is so tight, it looks like it hurts to fight it. ¡°Can you move?¡± Joe asks, after a half minute. ¡°Fuck you.¡± ¡°Can you move?¡± He insists. ¡°No.¡± Joe lets go of Candra, and picks himself up. He looks for a second like he will offer her a hand, but her anger is so fresh, he omits the help. He ought to apologize, but instead he declares, ¡°I won.¡± He says it clear and loud. The ring hesitates, Todd is sure of it. He can¡¯t imagine it can like to be cheated like this. Neither can he mark the minute he decided to believe a floor could have a criminal motive. But fair is fair. The color of the ring sinks murkily into the tile and Joe steps across the newly liberated space. He grabs Todd¡¯s hand firmly and shakes it, then does the same for Randall. ¡°We can do this,¡± the young man says, smiling broadly. ¡°We can win on our own terms.¡± 007 Incentive There are more ways than one that a man might challenge the heavens. He has made war with his arms, he has made war with his mind; so why not also with his heart? But the problem with standing against Heaven, is that you had better be ready to rise as high as your enemy stretches ¨C and the vault of Heaven reaches beyond the stars. Todd¡¯s thoughts are dancing. It would be a mistake to go ring to ring to tell them how to defeat their quest. It would take time to explain, and more of it to orchestrate the duels; many of which weren¡¯t as physically imbalanced as Candra¡¯s and Joe¡¯s had been. It could be tricky. Maybe if the rings were activating less often, if the people were all behaving calmly and rationally. No, it¡¯s better to split up, that much is obvious. It was a mistake to not figure out how the shrinking worked. How often it triggered, whether it was a constant area or radius which was being lost... Not important. What¡¯s important is what they can do NOW, and in this moment speed is the truer gold than foresight. ¡°Joe,¡± he says, and the young man acknowledges him without hesitation ¨C the readiness of a general inviting the counsel of his captain. ¡°We need to split up, but we shouldn¡¯t start here. We have to spread out and start in like, a staggered pattern and then leapfrog, so the people we free can infill and -¡± It¡¯s a solid plan, especially on the spur of the moment. Joe and Candra, and even Randall are seeing the sense of it, even starting to consider which direction to start in. Then the three note harmony, the electric wail of the Pixies¡¯ flight, steals at their attention; stops them in their tracks. ¡°Humans of Earth!¡± Cries out the child of the void between stars. The three Pixies swoop down from the sky, then arc to skittering halts just overhead of the humans below. Their landing has spread the three figures out over the crowd, and the calculating part of Todd¡¯s cortex marks how much it looks like a tactic for riot control. Before they had flown away the first time, Todd had noticed the three identical Pixies had been adopting different personas before his eyes. It hadn¡¯t been obvious at first, but now the effect is complete. The bookish pixie has tuned her color to favor the deep purples of star energy, her immaterial book replaced with a real one: an ancient tome bound with thin slates of dusty stone. Her body has changed form, to mimic the draping, trailing folds of a robe. Her hair is bound up in a tight bun, and there, it glows like the accretion disk of a black hole. The giggly one is changed to a rich, electrocution pink. Out of the three, its body has remained the most human in shape, but become the least solid. The whole of its torso, arms and legs have changed to a cluster of motes, which lag a bit in formation when it moves. It gives a fluid effect to its dancing, which is eager and often. It¡¯s bare feet have the strange, clarified definition of its hands and face, and its wild hair curls into the flashing ionic spiral trails of a bubble chamber. Todd¡¯s heart catches in his chest, because the lead Pixie is the one who hovers to a halt nearly overhead. She is the one changed least in appearance, but most deeply in weight and authority. Her hair streams out in the same river as before, but her color has settled into a gold-orange royalty. Her cheekbones have exaggerated in severity, and her body is covered with a coat of interlocked obsidian rings; a glittering mail. ¡°I see that there are warriors among you! Souls with the guts and honor of heroes!¡± Calls out the orange pixie, her voice carrying at a perfect level volume. ¡°I wonder though, if it is enough?¡± Her expression is piercing, measuring, threatening. It opposes, oppresses, yet insists on defiance. Todd looks over at his friends and sees them enraptured, starts to understand how they¡¯ve been snared. ¡°I am the administrator designated Charlie Two Foxtrot, Four subsection A,¡± her severe expression softens to a smile, calculated within a micrometer to dispel fear and foster trust. ¡°You may call me Aefore.¡± ¡°Along with my sisters,¡± she rises a few inches into the air and indicates generously with a gentle sweep of her hand. ¡°Befor and Ciforre, I have been tasked with a sacred duty. A duty to you, children of Earth.¡± ¡°And the other one?¡± Todd finds himself saying, in a trembling voice. ¡°Ah, of course. Defore will be a guide to our guests, the Ishiate. I am afraid that without the binding of a common language or history, it is wiser to coordinate your Tutorials separately for now.¡± She raises a hand, palm outward. Todd realizes he¡¯d been about to ask another question, and catches himself. He looks around at his neighbors, the elder Spanish woman, the Chinese pockmarked teenager, and he sees her explanation for the lie that it is. ¡°Before we continue, my friends, I would ask you a favor. I know that your bones are aching and your hurts are fresh, but I promise you it is important.¡± Her brow softens into the heartfelt charity of a mother¡¯s concern, and Todd finds himself wanting to believe in it. ¡°Take this moment and look within yourselves. Seek out the truth of your self, your center,¡± she presses a hand against her belly, a strange location which rightly matches no organ the humans here are aware of, but makes an intuitive sense to their marrow-minds. ¡°If you find this difficult, let the System guide you. It is the source of the script in your minds. Simply say the holy word, ¡®Status¡¯ and you will see.¡± Active Quests
  1. A Taste for Battle (easy): Defeat first enemy of the Tutorial. (Complete)
  2. Just Window Browsing (easy): Explore the basic menu screens
    1. View the Active Quests Screen (Complete)
    2. View the Personal Status Screen
    3. Bonus: View the Quest Rewards Screen to claim an award
Then Todd sees the familiar quest menu appear in front of him and it updates with new tasks. He sees the first item is already complete, and he wonders if it is a freebie, or whether he is progressing faster than some of the others. Suddenly a new prompt appears and it overlays his view of the Quest screen.
?? Quest Menu: The quest menu tracks your active System sponsored quest activities! Quests are challenging activities which push the boundaries of a Cultivator¡¯s talent. The System generously rewards completing sponsored tests.
Be aware, some tasks have special requirements, or have limits to the time or place which they might be completed. In addition, special optional requirements are sometimes listed, which can be fulfilled for additional rewards! Finally, many tasks come with an evaluation criteria to measure how effective you were in meeting the requirements of the challenge. Please read quest descriptions responsibly to understand their criteria and conditions.
An impressive showing in a graded quest can be worth many times the base reward, so make sure to always give a hundred percent! Wondering what to do next with your immortal Cultivation? Try a Quest today! * Brought to you by the Department of Order, and Order associates *This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Each of the informational prompts appear and fade quickly, and Todd rushes to take it in. This ¡®System¡¯ must have figured out his impatience with the text scroll speed, and it is not playing around as it accommodates him. The final panel fades, leaving him with an unanswered question about this Department of Order. He remembers some similar text for something called ¡®Limitless¡¯ on the original tutorial welcome prompt as well. He looks around himself, and sees the others around him completely spaced out. Randall is actually reading his Quest screen aloud, though quietly, and Joe is frowning in thought. Candra shakes out of it first, searching the distracted crowd before meeting Todd¡¯s look. ¡°It says I failed my first quest,¡± she says in a controlled, neutral tone. ¡°Did you pass yours?¡± Todd opens his mouth to respond, then shuts it. He has a sense she¡¯s more upset than she appears. He nods cautiously instead. ¡°Did you find your Status menu yet?¡± He offers to change the subject. She winces. ¡°No.¡± ¡°I was right about to try,¡± he explains, figuring it would be encouraging to tell Candra she was leading the field on their new quest. Seeming mollified by that, Candra takes a deep breath and closes her eyes. She whispers, ¡°Status,¡± and then eases into a meditative calm. Once she¡¯s fully focused on her task, Todd directs his attention to the large, obstructing panel which is blocking his view of the young woman. It had been annoyingly hard to look her in they eyes with the thing in the way.
Name Todd Kalogeropoulos
Level 1
Race F ¨C Human
Alignment Human (Earth)
Strength 5
Dexterity 6
Endurance 5
Vitality 6
Intelligence 8
Wisdom 4
Luck 4
Nexus Coins 0
Overall, the Status panel isn¡¯t far from what Todd had been expecting. It was laid out like the character statistics page for a role playing game, in quantified numerical abstractions of his physical and mental potential. There are a few unexpected rows like his alignment, which appears to be non-specific to the point of uselessness. The Nexus Coins row is strange, but not impenetrable. If it¡¯s a measure of currency, that means that the bills in his wallet don¡¯t appear to have a value in the System. But the only two rows which worry him are his Race and his Luck attribute. His race appears to be measured with some kind of grade, and an F at that. It almost seems like a mean-spirited dig, like saying he was somehow bad at being a person. Luck bothers him for a completely different reason. The idea that Todd might be defined by a quality which is entirely outside of his control is deeply troubling. He hates games of chance, and he hates gambling. He had always preferred the idea of failing at a difficult task under his own quality, compared to the idea of an uncontrolled risk; even if it¡¯s stacked overwhelmingly in his favor. He hopes (but doubts) he might not have to rely on it in the future. The Quest screen briefly appears to notify him he has completed the basic requirements of his new quest, but he dismisses it; instead taking time while inspecting his Status screen. Then as he focuses on individual elements, small informational pop-up windows appear to explain the individual rows. There are no particular surprises, but Todd is relieved to see that his species grade is not a judgement of his moral integrity.
?? Attribute Race: There are myriad species of the multiverse who have exhibited a potential for Cultivation. While some are born naturally into power, the majority of documented species begin their lives as unrefined mortals. The body of a mortal is, in its most natural state, poorly suited for the Cosmic Energy of Cultivation. ??That means you! It is only through the careful, directed refinement of your physiology that you may expand your limits and achieve the stable storage, purification, and expression of Cosmic Energy.
The description is much less unpleasant than Todd had been worried it could have been, but he still has questions. The description of his Race seems to overlap a great deal with what he might have expected his Level to define, so there must be a difference. As far a he¡¯s understood their descriptions, his Level should be a measure of his current development, which makes him feel his current species grade is a measure of the upper limit of his potential. The description of his alignment though, is more of a surprise than he expected. The parenthetical reference to the planet Earth is to clarify his point of origin in the case of a conflict. Does that mean there are Humans out there who don¡¯t come from the planet Earth? That possibility would shatter Todd¡¯s understanding of the universe just as surely as anything else in this nightmare. Finally, he sees Candra stir a bit out of the corner of his eye. He takes one last second before turning to her in case she has any questions. ¡°Fuck, my Wisdom stat sucks,¡± she says with a wry fatalism. ¡°Really busts you in the balls seeing yourself reduced to a bunch of numbers.¡± Her joking demeanor drops a shade. ¡°God, it makes you feel like a piece of meat, doesn¡¯t it,¡± she admits unhappily. Todd is inclined to agree. As other people recover from their reverie, their attention turns back to the benign figure standing firmly in a guard position, fixed in the open air. Her shade of a smile turns up to mark her recognition of adequacy, but not excellence, before finally deciding to let the rest of the class complete this task later in independent study. ¡°You have begun to see, to realize for the first time, that you are weak.¡± Aefore offers her hands up, and slowly begins to float down for the first time to ground level. Todd tries to control the alarm of his retreat as he stumbles backward to make space for her. As she turns to face the Humans around her, to look at them in turn, to rest with a beneficent smile, Todd shudders at the little side glances he catches her giving him and his friends. ¡°Make no mistake! You have courage. And you should be proud for this,¡± she says. ¡°But without more power, you could not last, could not survive against the kind of enemies who come from beyond your world.¡± She smiles sadly, and it turns the hearts of all who meet her gaze. ¡°I speak of more than your physical strength, the fragility of your bodies, the way you fight,¡± she turns to the older gentleman locked in a ring between the people who had been trying to set him free. ¡°Some of you are sick,¡± she whispers, reaching out toward him. ¡°All of you are victims. Victims of lives which are so, very, unfairly short.¡± She shakes a somber head. ¡°Is it right that you have only been given a single century? To love, to laugh, to dream, to build? Is that not INJUSTICE?¡± Flaring with sudden energy, Aefore glows like fire and the crushing pressure of her anger becomes a physical force that nearly overwhelms Todd. Darkness nibbles at the edge of his awareness as he nearly loses consciousness, and then instantly the pressure is gone again. ¡°Before, I told you that I have come with my sisters for a purpose. I tell you now that purpose is to teach you the secrets of a sacred art,¡± Aefore begins rising again, just a foot or two while she continues a slow rotation. ¡°It is the art called Cultivation. And when I say its roots are ancient, understand I mean that its history is measured in the lifetime of the stars themselves.¡± A low whistle lets loose from somewhere in the crowd, and Aefore acknowledges it with a wave of her hand. ¡°Cultivation is the answer to all your fears, all your needs, all your dreams. It is the strength to raise up a mountain, the thirst to drink an ocean, the mind to unveil all knowledge. Cultivation will knock down the limits of what is possible, it will let you throw down your enemies, even if that enemy is death itself.¡± ¡°Did you hear me, children of Earth? I am offering you the path to eternal life.¡± An earthquake of silence nearly brings hundreds of people to their knees. Todd gapes, unable to believe what he¡¯s hearing. It¡¯s not possible to live forever, what a ridiculous lie. But as he sees the Pixie turn towards him, he is transfixed by its attention. It sees him, sees through him. Sees through him, seeing through her and the bullshit sales pitch she rode in on. As he shrinks back from the intensity of her, a self satisfied twinkle glimmers in her eye. He realizes in that moment that the most dangerous part of this scam is that it¡¯s all completely fucking true. ¡°Congratulations on your first victory, warrior of Earth,¡± The woman whispers, like sweet morning sunshine. Her outstretched fist unfurls into a fragrant, life flushing aroma that girds him from his pelvis, up his spine, to his skull and out to every pore of his body. In the center of her palm is a perfect round fruit the color of wine on a wedding night and it tugs at him needfully. ¡°Are you not ready for the first step of your journey?¡± She croons enticingly, ¡°Would you not come claim your reward?¡± He falters. Approaches. His hand reaches out for the Limitless¡¯ Charity Blooming-Promise Berry, and as he does, the creature¡¯s expression takes on the savage, merciless cruelty that no one else had seemed so far to be able to see. But he grabs it anyway, his fingers crying out with a pain like fire as they brush against hers. He is the fish, and she is the hook. 008 Exposition Hurts People A thumb-sized serving of Heaven¡¯s favor nestles in Todd¡¯s palm. As he turns it carefully he sees no blemishes, no bruises, just the lush deep color that sinks into its meat. He doesn¡¯t even find a mark left by the stem. ¡°What does it do?¡± Asks a voice, bringing Todd back to reality. Aefore is already gone, but the question isn¡¯t directed to him. Instead he sees the third Pixie sister, Ciforre drift down to join them. With a resplendent purple and flowing robes that burr off into energy at its edges, Ciforre has presented herself with subtler icons of power than her elder sister. She addresses the humans with a haughty bearing and a rigid posture. Looking down from her silver wire glass-frames, she opens the stone book in her hand and alights a finger towards the bottom of the page. ¡°Aged 46 Mister Teodore Alamilla,¡± she begins, addressing the red-flushed jerk from Todd¡¯s first brawl, still trapped in his battle-ring. Alamilla reacts with visible surprise to hear the woman knows his name. (Which is clearly ridiculous, the Pixies are flying trans-dimensional energy beings. Why is anyone impressed by parlor tricks?) Teodore raises his hand to his heart, to the big American flag and eagle blazoned on his t-shirt. The flush of his rosacea cheeks is matched with a rosy sunburn on the crown of his pattern balding scalp. His mouth gapes in awe. ¡°Teodore, which means divine reward; and Alamilla, which is the name for an arboreal subgroup of the genus Populus,¡± she continues, raising an eyebrow as if assessing him. ¡°Therefor you are rightfully, called ¡®God-Gifted Aspen.¡¯¡± The Pixie raises a hand to thoughtfully (and completely unnecessarily) adjust her glasses. ¡°A fortuitous name,¡± she says mysteriously, before turning away from him. ¡°The [Limitless¡¯ Charity, Blooming-Promise Berry] is the first, gracious gift of the combat phase of the System Tutorial. The fruit is native to worlds classified as B and above. Though,¡± she pauses wryly, ¡°on A class worlds it is considered more of an invasive pest than an agricultural product.¡± ¡°Here on your world it -¡± ¡°What class is Earth?¡± Todd calls out, interrupting Ciforre. She turns to face him, almost resentfully. ¡°Todd Kalogeropoulos, surname meaning ¡®child of the holy-man¡¯. And Todd from the Middle English meaning fox -¡± ¡°You foxy son of a monk,¡± Joe snickers, unable to help himself and Todd blushes furiously in embarrassment. There are a few titters and snorts at the outburst, especially from Randall, but Ciforre¡¯s stern expression silences them. ¡°That is a technically accurate, but mis-spirited translation, Mister Joseph Faucheux.¡± she begins, as if scolding Joe, but her tone dips into a rumor of playfulness. ¡°But I would presume a man whose name means ¡®additional lawnmower¡¯ would be more gracious.¡± Her jab stirs up even heartier chuckles, and Joe laughs with them: genuinely, good-sportedly at a public humbling. The Pixie gives them a moment to settle down, the corner of her lip curled upwards in a smirk. ¡°If I might continue? Mister Kalogeropoulos, at the time you resided on your planet ¡®Earth¡¯, the System had qualified it as a class F planet.¡± Todd loses his good cheer into a puddle of a frown. There was something about that sentence which sounded uncomfortably like the past tense. ¡°The Berry itself is classified as a high F or low E grade spiritual fruit. F because its effect is reproducible by numerous lesser spirit flora, but E as only a very few specimens exhibit as repeatable an effect as this fruit.¡± ¡°You will remember your status screens?¡± Ciforre inquires, in a professorial tone. ¡°Those of you who have yet to achieve it, you will understand shortly,¡± she reassures them. ¡°Your ability scores measure the physical and mental limits of your body. But those limits are not fixed, they can and will improve as you advance in your Cultivation.¡± ¡°This advancement will be measured in discrete milestones, identified by your ¡®Level¡¯ attribute. As you advance your level, The System will respond to the expansion of your potential by awarding treasures called ¡®free points¡¯. I hope this isn¡¯t too many numbers for you already Mr Randall Cho.¡±Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°Oh, oh, what does my name mean?¡± Perks up the young man. ¡°Ah, yes. I think it means round wolf bureau?¡± Randall purses his lips, miffed at his cheap title. ¡°I don''t know. I may be taking some liberties here. Please, no more interruptions,¡± she insists. ¡°You will have the ability to assign these free points to your own attributes. To increase the strength or vitality of your own body, for example. The effect is quite impressive, but in time you will find it is among the least of the miracles that the System will make possible for you.¡± ¡°And so, to answer your question; eating the fruit will grant you two bonus free points. It will also, as an inconsequential side effect, improve your natural life expectancy by an average equivalent to one full lunar month. Does that sufficiently answer your question?¡± Shocked silence and thoughtful, hungry looks play over the nearby listeners. Todd looks down at the treasure in his hand. One bite, maybe two, and in an instant he could increase his strength by a full forty percent. That¡¯s insane. That¡¯s amazing. But... ¡°So the System is capable of awarding these bonus points directly?¡± He asks. ¡°All things are possible through the System,¡± Ciforre responds without hesitation. ¡°So why do you give us the fruit instead?¡± The stone book slams shut with frightful solidity. A sharp glare cuts at him, as the violet-flashing scholar tilts her glasses and displeasure at him. ¡°Are you malcontented of your reward?¡± She threatens. Todd is quick to deny it, shaking his head and sputtering until her attention passes him over again. It doesn''t matter, he doesn¡¯t need the answer from her mouth - he understands already. The fruits are rewards precisely because they are something which can be stolen from each other. ¡°So,¡± Teo¡¯s voice growls out with a guilty, almost wounded sound. ¡°That¡¯s what we would get if...¡± his eyes skirt reflexively towards the elder woman standing near him. The woman¡¯s hands roll and gesture as she continues to ask him a string of rapid fire, hushed questions in Spanish, but he ignores them and waits with trepidation on Ciforre¡¯s response. ¡°If you were to win your fight,¡± the Pixie says in a casual, dispassionate tone. ¡°Yes, that is what you would receive.¡± She turns her head, pretending to inspect her fingernails in distracted boredom. ¡°Oh, you sly bitch,¡± Candra growls quietly. Coming to the rescue, Joe raises the obvious next question. ¡°Couldn¡¯t one of the participants choose to surrender?¡± Murmurs of approval echo his question. ¡°An insightful possibility, Mister Faucheux! Unfortunately the ¡®Prideful Duel of Braves¡¯ Array is not designed to deactivate upon detecting a combatant¡¯s victory.¡± She shakes her head apologetically. ¡°It is designed to detect a defeat,¡± she shrugs to more effectively communicate an empathetic, shared helplessness. ¡°And you can¡¯t let her out?¡± ¡°I am not authorized to deactivate the Array,¡± she lies. Joe hangs his head, seething his conclusion in a hiss through clenched teeth. ¡°So someone needs to lose.¡± ¡°Someone always needs to lose,¡± she says somberly. The corona of her hair pulses and dims as if in respect for the gravity of the situation. Todd looks over and sees Joe, shaking with an impotent anger. He sees Randall, looking at the fruit in his hand with envy. He sees Candra struggling to think of answers and coming up with none. What if¡­? But the thought dies unfinished. ¡°What are all these pouty-wouty faces for?¡± Giggles a tumbling flash-flood of pink fireflies. It swoops around and between the humans, nearly spooking them out of their socks and onto their backsides. Then Befor springs out of her somersault and up into the air with a toothy jubilation. ¡°Cee-fee,¡± she cries out in a tone of bubblegum horror. ¡°Yes Befor?¡± ¡°Surely these humans know the bonus reward for the menus quest?¡± Befor squeaks in babydoll concern. ¡°Oh, you mean the [Nettle Salve Skin Mending Pill]?¡± Replies Ciforre innocently, as if it¡¯s the first time she¡¯s considered it. Putting a hand on her chin, she turns in place, and looks out at the Humans instead of her sister. ¡°With a healing pill so sweet, and lovely, and heal-a-licious...¡± the newcomer beams. ¡°You¡¯re right, sister!¡± Cifour slaps her hand on the book victoriously. ¡°Any teeny weeny hurt they got done would be fixed in no time!¡± She squeals in excitement, spinning up into the air before bobbing back down. Todd blanches, his hearth hammering in his chest. Befor just gave everyone here a blank check to hurt one another without consequences. He looks to Candra and Joe, sees them alit with disgust and anger. ¡°Oh but they¡¯ll have to hurry though,¡± the satanic little cherub says, nodding emphatically as its curls bounce in trailing phosphorescence. ¡°It would certainly be prudent for the humans to hurry and resolve their matches, it¡¯s true,¡± agrees Ciforre solemnly. Todd looks at his friends and sees they are just as afraid to ask as he is. ¡°Ah,¡± Joe clears his throat before speaking up. ¡°Why exactly would they need to hurry?¡± He asks. Ciforre snorts rudely, and Befor giggles as well. ¡°Well it¡¯s not like the Arrays stopped shrinking while we were talking, now did they, ya sillies?¡± Wait. No. Holy shit. Todd looks down and the fog clouding his vision fades, the same fog from before that tunneled his vision and kept him locked on the Pixies and their antics. He hadn¡¯t even realized he¡¯d been affected again. The red rings imprisoning the other humans had shrunk. Shrunk to a fraction of their size. The only room left now was the arms length it takes to beat each other bloody. And as his eyes widen in horror, Todd sees the rings glow once more. 009 Your Best Interest At Heart Everything hurts. His calves, his arms, his voice, his eyes. Todd slumps numbly on top of a thin ¡®Tennessee Titans¡¯ jacket and his back up to back with Joe. The captain watches out thoughtfully in the other direction, with his arms on his knees and his jersey draped over his head. Todd rests tilted just off-balance to keep Candra up, as she lays with her head propped on his shoulder, eyes drooping closed. Randall lays on the bare stone, face up with his hands on his belly and an inscrutable expression. A pale clear crystal with cubic faces sits in Todd¡¯s open left palm, warping the mirror faces of the figures up and walking around them. In his right hand is a rough, tarry colored ball about the size of his pinky. He mechanically curls and uncurls his fingers around the small miracle pill. Watches it tumble between the grooves in his palm. ¡°He¡¯s gonna be alright, kid,¡± a woman¡¯s voice informs him. Todd looks up and Nayira the emergency technician squats down. ¡°How ¡®bout you, you okay, kiddo?¡± Todd wipes away at his eyes with the back of his hand, just in case. ¡°Yea.¡± The motion wakes Candra, but Joe only turns his head to listen. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t¡¯ve made it without that pill.¡± Nayira winces a bit as she pushes a stray frizz of hair out of her face. The dark bruise over her eye, the swelling, the burst capillaries, are all reduced and faded. Looks more like a week of mending, instead of a score of minutes. Todd shakes his head. ¡°You did the CPR.¡± ¡°Kid, not a lot of people know this: but CPR has a pretty low success rate. Even in the hospital. Whatever this is ¨C¡± Nayira sighs and holds out her hand to show her two remaining [Nettle Salve Skin Mending Pill]s, and then waves them over the right side of her face. ¡°I mean look at me. This shouldn¡¯t be possible. So thank you. You saved old Walter¡¯s life today.¡± ¡°Is the girl okay?¡± Joe asks, his voice still hoarse. ¡°Yea,¡± the ER tech bobs her head slowly in an optimistic maybe. ¡°Yea, she¡¯ll be okay. It helps Walter¡¯s being such a nice guy about it.¡± Nayira screws up the side of her face in a grimacing, goggle eyed impression of an old man and growls out, ¡°ah, whatcha worried for, they did worse to me in Vi yet naaaam!¡± Todd chuckles once, but it makes his vision bleary. ¡°That¡¯s a pretty good Walter.¡± They sit for a moment, the sounds of barely restrained arguments barking in sputters here and there. It¡¯s under control though, just people stressed and venting. "Could''ve been worse. Two hundred black eyes or so. Sixty maybe? Broken noses. Most everybody''s got a bruise or two. Won''t be long before we start finding some fractures. But nobody dead. And to be real, in my line of work we call that a win." Nayira raps her knuckles gently against the toe of Todd''s shoe. "Could''ve been real damn worse." ¡°Anyway. The old man just figured out his menus. Wanted to return the pill he owes you.¡± She puts her two pills back into her right velcro-thigh pocket and reveals a third in her left hand. She reaches over to drop it in Todd¡¯s, but he recoils. ¡°No, he doesn¡¯t have to. Give it back to him.¡± ¡°Kid. I see you only have one left. What did you do with your second one?¡± Candra and Joe tense up against Todd, then all three turn to look over at the military guy. The Ranger. ¡°I gave it to the guy who fought Drew,¡± Todd whispers. ¡°Right, I saw that,¡± Nayira follows their gaze. Drew the special forces ranger is standing with his back to them, at the other edge of the Human group, alone in conversation with Aefore. The Pixie looks pleased. Of course she does. ¡°What I''ve seen so far, I don¡¯t think the pill is as good with broken bones, but Pete is set okay and we got him resting up. Do you know if it¡¯s safe to give him a second pill in the meantime?¡± Randall and Todd shake their heads. Somehow they seem to have become the resident experts on anything ¡®System¡¯ or magic related.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Alright. Well Pete owes you a pill then. And here¡¯s Walter¡¯s. There¡¯s a lot of other people who didn¡¯t get beat on today because of your wrestling idea, so don¡¯t you dare say no. I¡¯ll give you one of mine if I have to. Shove it right down your damn throat.¡± Todd relents, opening his hand up and Nayira drops the pill into it. Then she stands and leaves to get back to helping the others. ¡°Eat the stupid fruit,¡± Randall says suddenly. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°The magic star promise whatever berry. Stop being lame. You won, it¡¯s yours.¡± Todd digs for an excuse. ¡°Joe hasn¡¯t eaten his.¡± ¡°Oh, no yea I ate it right away,¡± Joe grates in somewhat of raspy tone of surprise. ¡°It¡¯s pretty amazing ¨C sorry Candra ¨C yea, you should eat it before it goes bad.¡± ¡°Still hate you.¡± Candra remind Joe before poking one finger at Todd¡¯s shoulder. ¡°But you should. Surprised you haven¡¯t taken a healing pill either,¡± Candra mumbles. ¡°Your eyebrow does not look great,¡± she points out. Todd opens his mouth to argue, but honestly it¡¯s hard enough to just talk. Instead he stuffs the medicinal pills carefully into his pocket and withdraws the [Limitless¡¯ Charity Blooming-Promise Berry]. He presses it to his lips like a kiss, then parts his teeth and bites deep. ¡°Mhmph, oh my God,¡± Todd purrs. ¡°It¡¯s like someone took all the best parts of Christmas and rolled it into a Margherita and then told you it was only a dollar.¡± But Margherita Christmas is about more than taste. The heady juice of the berry is pulsing with vital energies, a nutrition that feeds a deficiency Todd had spend his entire life not knowing he had. It spills out into his stomach, and from there sweeps into his blood and nestles deep into his cells. He snip snap snacks three more bites with sharp incisors and then there¡¯s nothing left of the fruit but a small black bead of a seed which peeled cleanly from the fruit. He swallows, savoring the taste and the flood of something new. ¡°You want to beat up some people and steal more?¡± Joe whispers with a bloodless irony. ¡°Huh, what?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what they want us to do, right? Come on man, I know I¡¯m not like a wonder genius like you and Cans ¨C¡± ¡°Nope. Vetoed. Call me Cans again and I will end the line of clan Lawnmower,¡± Candra slumps down, sliding off of Todd and onto the floor. She flops into a weary splayed recline and grimaces her eyes shut. ¡°Hey I¡¯m smart,¡± Randall whines. Joe rolls his eyes at Randall and flashes Candra a look, then continues. ¡°But even I figured it out. These things want us to fight.¡± Candra and Todd hum a non-committal note. ¡°I don¡¯t even think they would have been upset if Walter had died.¡± Candra and Todd hum a medium-committal note. Joe lurches to standing in one motion, nearly dropping Todd, then wheels to face him. ¡°So what are we gonna do about it Drips?¡± he asks, turning to look him in the eye. Todd hauls himself back up and shakes his head helplessly. Because honestly? He¡¯s just waiting for the Pixies¡¯ next move and praying they¡¯ll survive it.
¡°The humans will require water and food soon,¡± Ciforre reminds her distracted sister. Aefore shakes out of her vigil and motions to float upwards for a fraction of privacy. ¡°Already? They can wait a little longer, can¡¯t they? What¡¯s the completion percentage on their menu quest?¡± ¡°86 percent.¡± ¡°Pathetic.¡± ¡°Yes, but without sustenance their physical performance, information retention and instruction compliance will suffer significantly.¡± ¡°Let the weak fall behind,¡± giggles Befor, joining them in a lazy cloud of orbiting pinkness. Ciforre shakes her head. ¡°Please sister, you forget yourself. Even the most promising of the humans will need rest and water if they are to advance.¡± Aefore glares at her sister, simmering at her defiance. ¡°There are pills --¡± But Ciforre reaches out with her tome and lightly taps her sister on the forehead with it. ¡°, you dummy. Before they¡¯ve started Cultivating? We¡¯ll ruin their foundations.¡± Aefore stops for a moment, then eases down into a more accommodating mood. ¡°You¡¯re right. You¡¯re right. Room, board and perishables. But we can at the least, not be allowed to delay the day-one promotional divinations. Is that acceptable?¡± Befor circles like a prowling tiger, but offers no objection. Ciforre adjusts her glasses and nods her approval. ¡°It will be good to give them a concrete goal to work towards,¡± she agrees. ¡°I do not like that our survival rate was 100 percent today,¡± Aefore grumbles. ¡°Forgivable. The other sections may have received better warriors, but I feel we will find soon that Section 4 has received the better leaders.¡± ¡°Nevertheless,¡± Aefore turns to Befor, and the Pixie snaps into attention and a single coherent torso. ¡°Our recommended cull rate before the first rated challenge is now 2%. I leave that to you, sister.¡± Befor snaps her hand to her head in a salute, teeth bright in a leering grin. ¡°Sister mine, to my pleasure I promise you: before the week is through, twelve of the humans will die.¡± 00A Career Fair ¡°What are you staring at?¡± The empty courtyard looms in the never-dim light, and the squared stone steles that edge the square loom like mismatched, tightly fitted teeth against the vanta-black of the missing sky. There are people in Todd¡¯s corner. He is surrounded by them; six hundred human beings who¡¯d been shunted out of their lives and into a lunacy. That number was important. And they were all bunched up in this corner of the square, that was important too. Because of... because of¡­ ¡°What? Oh, hey Randall,¡± Todd catches himself spacing out and turns back to join his friend. ¡°You wandered off,¡± the big guy scolds him. The [Nettle Salve Skin Mending Pill] has had a marked improvement on Randall, his cheek flush with the biliverdin-green of a bruise on the fade. His mood has improved too, with a pinched, barely restrained smile. ¡°I¡¯m just, I dunno. Thinking. Feel like I¡¯m missing something obvious,¡± Todd shrugs. ¡°It¡¯s been a long day,¡± Randall offers. ¡°I think?¡± Then hedges. ¡°Phones are down. Like zero battery.¡± ¡°Anybody got a watch on?¡± ¡°Naw. All batteries are down, man.¡± ... ¡°Mechanical watches.¡± ¡°Right,¡± Randall blinks. ¡°Right. That would make sense. I¡¯ll uh, I¡¯ll ask.¡± Todd isn¡¯t alone here, standing on the shore of habitation. There are a hand¡¯s worth of others, at contemplative watch and a few yards between each. Todd meets the cloudy grey of elder Walter¡¯s gaze. The old man opens his mouth like he¡¯s got words for the saying, but then he turns his face back to the empty of the plaza. The only things that mark the floor are a single woman¡¯s heeled shoe, and far in the corner a blurry red spill mark. The splotch spreads at a glacial dwindling pace, then is still. ¡°Come on Todd,¡± Randall says, with a worried side-eye to Walter. ¡°Weirding us out here.¡± ¡°Yea.¡± Todd turns away, following Randall back through the group and towards Joe and Candra. He waves hello to ¡®Kid Nicotine with the hat¡¯: Jingshu. He replies he¡¯s well when Business Jennifer inquires. He puts a hand on Elena Ortiz de Landazuri¡¯s shoulder. He can¡¯t understand her reassurances but he¡¯s glad she¡¯s well. He even nods to Teo, who¡¯d proved his brass by refusing to fight Elena. It helped ease Todd¡¯s ill impression of the two that the old woman had pulled off a leather boot and whooped Teo¡¯s ass halfway to Sunday to conclude their match. Little blessings. Randall waves to Candra, who returns a distracted, pensive wave at waist level as her tapping foot speaks without music. Joe stands further away with the impromptu leadership council, though he is doing more listening than speaking. Ranger Drew is there, Officer Bernice and Dr Chowdhury too. Marketing Mike has been edged out in favor of Soup Kitchen Nina, and Fireman Ian is running instructions to and from the circle. Alderman Donnellson is off talking to Aefore and it doesn¡¯t look good. Todd sighs, filled with a woolscratch-want to be helping and having no outlet to empty it. Instead he watches as a figure from the group wanders off to a community designated alley to do their business. He grimaces. ¡°There¡¯s no point to staring off in the distance you know.¡± Todd recoils, pivot-twist, turn and guard. Ciforre floats idly and purple in the space where she¡¯d snuck up behind him. Her expression is painted in far away regards and long-way thoughts, her soft voice bare with ruminations. Todd slowly, suspiciously lowers his hands. He realizes she is facing off towards the far empty corner. ¡°Yea. Yea I guess you¡¯re right.¡± He laughs weakly, looking to Randall and Candra for support. ¡°Live in the here and now.¡± Ciforre turns to Todd. ¡°No. I mean you need a Wisdom score of at least fifteen to pierce the illusory array. Now come along and gather your fellow primates. We have a presentation, and then we will be allocating your rooms.¡± The pixie floats away, acknowledging Candra and Randall before approaching the small group Todd calls ¡®the Vietnamese Delegation¡¯. ¡°So cool,¡± Randall croons. Todd chooses not to argue. Instead he sets to his task, with a resigned enthusiasm like a Bourbon raising his own Guillotine. ¡°Ah, okay,¡± he clears his throat. ¡°I¡¯ll go get Walter and squads hillbilly and teenangst.¡± Candra sighs. ¡°I¡¯ll get mahjong and the trust-fund brigade.¡± Randall gives them a confused look. ¡°Dude. Go over there,¡± Todd points at the wall-side clockwise corner. ¡°And just get people warned. The pixies are up to something again.¡± Randall plods off reluctantly, and Todd turns to slow jog towards his chosen section. He picks his way carefully around seated, recovering people. He negotiates language barriers, and resentful fight-battered faces. He cajoles tired groups to their feet, and he postpones a few vendettas. A small clear crystal gleams against the pastel turquoise of the ground. Reaching down, Todd palms it and then thrusts it up into the air.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ¡°Who dropped their Cultivation Manual?¡± He calls out. ¡°This was a quest reward, people! It¡¯s GOING to be important!¡± The owner comes to Todd with an embarrassed apology and takes back his crystal. ¡°Didn¡¯t you read the description? [Root of the Limitless Promise Cultivation Manual]. Seriously buddy, it¡¯s got Cultivation right in the name.¡± He shakes his head in constern. ¡°Don¡¯t frickin¡¯ lose that.¡± Walter comes along last and easily enough, merely grunting his assent and following the tide to a gathering assembly. At the fore-and-corner and ten-foot in the vertical, the Pixies hang in patient formation. They wait while the crowd collects and quiets. Finally, Aefore appears satisfied and pulls closer and forward from her sisters. ¡°Thank you for your patience, noble Earth warriors,¡± she begins. Her streaming hair sways out above her, and her mail gleams below. She is a living pillar in black, gold and white. ¡°We understand that you must be weary. That you are hungry -¡± ¡°We forgot that mortals need to poop!¡± Befor chirps helpfully. ¡° Be assured. You will shortly be provided with personal accommodations. Ciforre will provide you with the appropriate details in a moment¡± She indicates her sister, who affirms with the same gesture. ¡°But I fear that some among you are unconvinced, that you do not yet imagine the enormous opportunity to which you are beneficiary.¡± ¡°Those of you who have tasted the first rewards of this Tutorial: know that they are nothing, table scraps, compared to what lies ahead. You can be stronger, live longer,¡± Aefore reminds them. ¡°You¡¯ll get rich,¡± Befor interrupts, as she starts to drift. ¡°And what if I¡¯m already rich?¡± Calls out an exasperated voice from an expensive gold watch with a man attached. ¡°Oh yea?¡± Befor kicks up her feet and puts her hands on her hips, then swoops down to face him. ¡°How many planets do you own?¡± The man frowns. ¡°Planets? Giggling, Before spins and swooshes back to her sister¡¯s side. ¡°If your answer is one or fewer,¡± she cries out, throwing her hands into the air. ¡°Then dream BIGGER, friend! Because the sky is no longer your limit!¡± Aefore raises her hand to preclude further questions. ¡°It is time we stop telling you what is possible, and start showing it. Behold! The power of being Limitless.¡± Todd notices the oncoming fog of the pixies¡¯ mind numbing technique, and the square begins to dim. The three sisters spread out, then weave their hands in a complex, circular gesture that finishes held high. Three trails of white mist spill from their fingers, pouring upwards and twisting into a thickening braid. Then the mist binds and blooms, and swells until it blots out the sky.
An iron-ochre world flares into view, vaulted by a thousand-mile stratosphere. Stern, arid clouds block any view of the local Star, and the sharp mineral shale of red stone stretches for ten and ten thousand miles in every direction. Vertigo shakes loose a bolt in Todd¡¯s stomach, as he looks up and to the center of the impossible view. There is a woman here. Not a woman at all, she is a refracting mirror in a human shape. Nine hundred miles tall, her crown scrapes the low bound of heaven. An unreadable, omniscient gaze regards Todd, and he gets the irrational impression she just skimmed through his DNA for a bit of light reading. Turning away, she raises elegant spindle arms up towards shimmering distortions in the air around her. Two arms, no four, no eight. A thousand, twenty four arms, marking a thousand and eight sacred mudras. They dance with exacting precision, both existing and not as the Queen of Mirrors multi-tasks through probability itself. At her feet is a great, shining silver city, rising like needles. Cries of exultation toll in a hundred million voices, rising up in a chorus from its towers. Her power reaches out through gates in space and time, and she, through her mirrors, reads the history of nations with a casual detachment of her million year reign. Then the vision is gone.
A mighty mountain appears in its place. But it is not a mountain, it is a stepping-pyramid; a gargantuan ziggurat which has pierced the white clouds and proudly towers into the flawless clear blue of a new horizon. Trembling, Todd sees that the mighty structure rises so high he cannot see its bottom, just the hazy green outline of a continent below. His view starts to move, panning upwards to follow a central stairwell towards the apex. Each tier is built from ten foot tall blocks which gleam with the color of gold metal. Hundreds, thousands of servants and attendants lounge at every level; on the steps and at the lintels of secondary rooms inset into the tiers. Platters of sumptuous food and drink overburden long tables and long trailing silks. The steps too glitter with lustrous gold, and Todd realizes that every ounce of tower is indeed made of the precious metal. How is this possible? There isn¡¯t enough gold buried in all the planets of the Solar system to built a tower this high. Finally, the view rises to a simple, open throne room with a mother of pearl roof. Hundreds of beautiful bronzed bodies lazily splay across richly velvet cushions, and in the center of the room sits a plain looking young man on an unadorned wooden chair. His legs hang to the side off of the arm of his simple throne, and he wears a bored sideways grin, while in one hand idly twirling a short rod made from shining amber.
The vision blanks out again, and instead Todd sees a wild eyed crone. Her white hair trails out in an unruly riot, and her body is clothed in rags and bones. Her face contorts in an ecstatic madness as she drifts. Drifts because the woman isn¡¯t standing on top of anything, she is swimming alone in an inky black and lit only by the pinprick constellations of space. Because it is Space; and the witch woman dances through it as easily as Todd might walk through a living room. Cackling, but without sound or air, the witch crosses ten million miles with each step. Then she clutches her clawed hand to peek around the edge of a passing gas-giant world, before darting further and deeper forward. A sudden calamity of activity bursts out from a nearby world, a hundred thousand rising steel vessels afire with glowing fractal symbols of energy. But the witch leaps past them with a speed slanderous to Einstein, avoiding the frightful beams of their weapon energy with scornful contempt. Where space does not carry her laughter, the atmosphere of the inhabited world does. Terrible disasters shake their earth and sky, but their fate means nothing to the witch. She reaches into her pocket and withdraws a colorless napkin then, at reaching the edge of a nuclear inferno she throws out the kerchief and folds the local star neatly into it. Suddenly, the light winks out and a dozen worlds spin out of control as the gravity holding them in orbit vanishes. Far too late, the battle ships arrive in the empty heart of their system and fire on the woman who extinguished their people. Already streaking away, the crone evades a blistering web of attacks and makes a rude gesture behind her. Her toothless gums gape wide in mania as she threads between thousands of glittering narrow lines until she outpaces one of the rapidly freezing outer planets and the range of the pursuing weapons. Finally she pulls out a yellowed piece of paper and a sliver of bone tipped in ink. Satisfied, she strikes off the final ingredient on her formula for the [Fruit of the Z Bozon, Atom-Threshing Furnace Pill], and then rockets off into the dark and distance. 00B Marginal Dreamer Todd gasps, reeling as the third vision ends. It¡¯s too much, the multiverse too big. But the worst part is that the vast scope of the heavens, well, it should have been alien, unfathomable and cryptic. Geometries of distance, scale and gaugeless void. Instead the myriad stars seem ruled by Olympian douches. ¡°Children of the Earth,¡± calls out the Red-gold warrior. ¡°Imagine it. You could see all your dreams come true, and times it by a thousand and still come up short of what we offer.¡± ¡°Each of the cultivators we have selected to show you today,¡± the Violet scholar succeeds, ¡°started their path as mere F class mortals such as yourselves.¡± ¡°My favorite part is where she steals the whole star!¡± the Rose fool snickers. ¡°You¡¯d better be just as cool when you grow up!¡± She swoops down to ER Nayira and Granny ¨¦lena and gently brushes a stray grey hair from the elder woman¡¯s face. Ciforre tuts impatiently at her sister. ¡°Vision into the myriad potentialities of time and space is far more interesting than interstellar larceny, Befor.¡± But as she says it, she glances at Dr Chowdhury, and then over to lock eyes with Todd. But is it? ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Todd says atwist, as his tongue recovers faster than his brain. Ciforre¡¯s glance degrades to a glare. ¡°What don¡¯t you understand, child?¡± Aefore asks, with the softness of steel. ¡°The interplanetary distances in any normal star system are huge. Right? Are you telling me one little old lady couldn¡¯t just hide on an asteroid and ride it through?¡± Befor snorts derisively. ¡°Well that¡¯s hardly as cool as-¡± ¡°And why does she need to take it from an inhabited system? That¡¯s practically genocidal!¡± ¡°The path of the warrior can sometimes be bloody -¡± Aefore tries to say, but Todd stammers through, unable to stop now that he¡¯s started. ¡°It¡¯s heartless! And what about the gold tower, pyramid thing?¡± He cries. ¡°I didn¡¯t see any basic infrastructure, or beds, or commerce really; just a whole lot of gold. Wouldn¡¯t that be uncomfortable?¡± A few murmurs of doubt ripple through the crowd. Gentle as a razor blade, Ciforre reassures him. ¡°But surely the silver city and it¡¯s queen ¨C¡± ¡°And did you see that place?¡± Todd exclaims, turning to his friends. ¡°No green spaces, no roads in or out. Just grey metal. How could anyone want to live in a city that ¨C¡± A sudden and sharp clap rings out over the square. ¡°Okay, who wants to see one more!¡± Aefore calls out in uncharacteristic cheer. ¡°I have saved the best for last, for you will find this vision stokes a warrior¡¯s heart most fiercely!¡± The sisters nod determinedly and raise their hands again, the white mist billowing out again as a new vision takes shape. ¡°This kid, I swear,¡± Todd hears a fading whisper as the lights dim and background sound ebbs out. ¡°Oh please, you¡¯re just mad he didn¡¯t like your dumb mirror lady,¡± he hears, like the fading whistle of a song bird. Then the mist turns from white to black night, and a roar fills the sky.
Ten million red lights stand in arcane formation. Battle lines, drawn by a mad mystic. Each pair of lights is a set of eyes and in the dark, Todd can discern the shape of inhuman bodies. Sharp teeth glinting in the dark, curved horns like flame. The night glistens, batters, howls. Whipping wind and lashing rain beats the rocky shores the devil army stands on. The swords in their hands pulse with energy, the runes in their armor curl with steam. But their army is nothing compared to the man standing on the Sea. The vision pans away from the army¡¯s shore, through gale storm and coal-stack cloud, over froth white surf and ink-green swells. A titan strides across the sea, and at each step his winged sandals beat a gale against the suffering ocean. It¡¯s obvious why Aefore favors this vision, the titan is colored bronze and gold and in his hand he bears a terrible spear.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! His war helmet is simple, but its sharp lines are cut into a terrible inevitability. Behind him, a half cloak trails like a galloping banner. Then as he bellows in fury, his free hand scrapes against the air itself, tearing a thunderbolt out from the place between the raindrops. Mighty. Terrible. But¡­ As the battle between good and evil ¨C presumably ¨C plays out, Todd finds his attention wandering. Out away from the battle, away from the war formations gathering bolts of hellfire, away from the white hot blaze of the spear as it crashes like Ragnarok against the host of the enemy. Todd sees the edge of the storm, where the clouds dim from black to grey to white. A hundred miles away, where the sun shines through and the wind dances softly. He watches the gentled edge of a hurricane land on an empty parched shore like a chaste kiss after a prolonged absence. Everyone else can watch the thunder god cast the hosts of hell back through their gate. But Todd? Todd turns his head up to the sky and for the last few moments of the vision, he watches the sun glitter through the colorless, falling rain.
¡°Oh come on. Is that really what does it for him?¡± An exasperated voice barely reaches him. ¡°The Thunder Champion plays well across nearly all demographics, sister. You have to understand ¨C Oh yes what did you think?¡± Aefore claps again as the mist disperses, and whatever sensory-depressive field the humans were under abates. ¡°Did you see how he was like kaplow! And the bad guys were like, oh no save me! And he was like, NOPERNIO! PaBOOMsville!¡± Befor spins off in a zero g drift, clutching at deep belly laughs and curled into a ball. ¡°Any questions?¡± Ciforre asks, all smiles even though her hair warps angrily against spacetime. ¡°Constructive questions,¡± Aefore adds, and there are many. But Todd isn¡¯t listening anymore. He looks at Randall, and Joe and Candra, and between the four of them cannot find a single word worth the saying. Joe¡¯s eyes rise to Aefore, and then to the dispersing mist. Randall¡¯s turns to his hands, like he¡¯s discovered them for the first time. Candra grabs then kneads nervously, right hand to left forearm and chews on her lip. Todd simply turns out, following the truncated blue horizon of the floor. He imagines that it continues on, past the white stone buildings and to far off places. The question and answer session is raucous, fast paced, and from the few snippets he can gather, tactfully vague. The pixies split apart to field questions more effectively, and it lasts for a number of good long minutes. Finally, Befor puts two fingers and her thumb between her lips and whistles a piercing note and silences the crowd. ¡°We promised you all a place to sleep. But before we do, you must make certain that you have earned and received your F grade cultivation manuals! We promised you power, but before you are capable of starting your journey you MUST develop a proper foundation to channel the Cosmic Energy which makes all of this possible.¡± Aefore twists her hand and a cubic crystal appears between her fingers. She holds it aloft for all to see. ¡°To activate the crystal, place it to your forehead and reach out to it. Trust your intuition. It will be much the same way you reach out to the System. And now, Ciforre.¡± ¡°The outer boundary of the square is comprised of private, zoned housing,¡± the third pixie begins. ¡°You have noticed there are no doors. That is because your rooms will be accessed via teleportation. Each of you, when you touch the building of your choice, will be granted keyed access to a room of your own. There will be facilities appropriate to your mortal needs, as well as food and water. To be clear, over the duration of this tutorial, your room will be yours and yours alone. Feel free to store any possessions there you do not wish to carry.¡± ¡°Is it possible to share a room?¡± A voice calls out from the other side of the crowd. ¡°It is not possible for multiple cultivators to be assigned a single room, though you may bring others with you to visit yours,¡± Ciforre tucks her book under her arm and adjusts her spectacles warningly. ¡°It is however, not advised. Now please! Attention to your quest menus. You will find we have prepared a generous welcome package for each of you. You will find your rooms have ample space to store them.¡± Having been distracted as he turned to view the looming stone squares of the plaza walls, Todd shakes back his attention to the pixies, and then re-centers his attention inward. He tries to call on the feeling of the System without saying the command out loud. [Unlocking Zoned Housing Queue] As Todd feels himself locking onto the distilled mental command for his quest menu, he hears the faintest churn of the System¡¯s voice in his head. Then the Quest menu appears. Active Quests
  1. Zone sweet Home (easy) : Claim a private zone instance. Reward: Tutorial Care Package
Simple enough. ¡°Just touch it? Like just the wall?¡± He asks aloud as the quest screen fades. He sees Aefore turns her head distractedly and impatiently to nod at him before turning back to field other questions. Todd starts as a sudden heavy weight thumps down over across his shoulders. ¡°I think we should all pick the same building,¡± Randall suggests cheerfully, having thrown his arm genially over Todd. Pulled round back towards his friends, Todd huddles in a little island of safety with them. Joe shrugs with a tired smile, and Candra waves an absent consent. ¡°What do you guys think?¡± Randall asks again. Todd doubts it matters which building they choose. But then thinking it over, realizes it matters to him a great deal. He pinches his jersey and pulls at it, peeling away from his body with a weary moue. ¡°Think they got a shower in there?¡± 00C Amenities The situation by rights calls for caution, but nature by urgency calls for boldness. So Todd looks to his friends for assurance, then places his palm on the smooth, cream-colored stone in front of him. As his skin presses against the cool grain, the reaction is brief, muted, but decisive: a fractal of energy (more a thing of texture than color) appears under his fingertips. Then soundlessly, motionlessly, Todd is in another place. The room is an empty cube of slate blue stone. There are no windows. In the center, against the wall is a simple wooden trestle table with a thin but inviting mattress and a pair of folded, seashell-white sheets. Three of the walls have small recessed slits with quartzite crystals that give off a soft, even glow. It takes a second for his disorientation to catch up with him, and he finds himself wishing dearly that his transposition had come with a ¡®blip¡¯ noise: it would have been welcome company. Especially since his friends have vanished. Wobbling a bit, Todd reaches out to the wall for support. Aside from the bed, the only furnishings are a table, a lidded box, and a reed mat. The fourth wall, to his left, is inset with an alcove; and the sound of flowing water striking stone echoes from it. Recovering that same bit, Todd drops his hand then stoops his head and his expectations. The dimensions of the cube seem to be six and a half feet in each direction. (Two meters, in math) You might call it a room sure, in Tokyo. But in America (as far as Todd¡¯s concerned) it¡¯s not much better than a coffin. ¡°At least it¡¯s bigger than my first dorm,¡± he sighs. The bed takes up most of the length of the room but is frightfully narrow, preserving the better part of the scant floor space. In a resigned effort to inspect the space, he edges around it in exactly the sort of way he doesn¡¯t really need to. His new table is shoved up against the far corner, but looks plenty light enough to move about. It¡¯s small, square, and knee high: might be meant for eating or reading on, but probably wouldn¡¯t be accommodating to elbows. The chest is four foot long, three feet deep, and tucked up underneath the bed trestle. It doesn¡¯t have a lock or hinges, just a fitted lid. The whole piece carries light, and slides easily into and out of place. All three pieces are made of the same light-colored wood, with a faint smell like an unpleasant marriage between pine and teriyaki sauce. Todd had gotten used to worse. Pillow would be nice though. Finally, Todd turns to inspect the alcove. Only three feet wide, but extending five foot deep, the adjoinment opens with a delightful impression and closes with unpleasant consequence. Lit by a dim version of the clear crystals set into the wall, the alcove is rough, rocky extrusion with cavely features and a checkerboard tile floor in shades of blue. A stream of water rides in through a fissure in the ceiling, crashes against stones and then down splashes to the floor where it follows a divot down to a fist sized sinkhole where it drains swiftly away. Todd finds his way to a delayed gag. Shouldn¡¯t this be the kind of amenity that demands a separation of concerns? But needs are needs, and these needs are immediate, so Todd makes himself a pint heavier, then a few pints lighter, and then pointedly avoids confronting how to tackle the other half of that biological coin. He sniffs at his clothing again. ¡°Couldn¡¯ta left some soap?¡± He grumbles. Then, having managed to not get himself completely soaked, he carefully returns to his room, grabs the table, thumps down to a seat on the floor, and pulls the short table up to himself. ¡°There¡¯d better be AIR in here,¡± Todd shouts to no one. He looks around again in the dim hope that he¡¯d managed to miss some kind of door on the first go round. Nothing. His anger rises, ¡°if you forgot to give me air, I swear I am going the be so,¡± rising to a roar, ¡°COMPLETELY,¡± and then his shoulders slump and so does he. ¡°Asphyxiated,¡± he whispers glumly. The calming sound of the water accompanies Todd for a moment, then he grabs at his pockets. He dumps his phone (drained) the crystal and pills, his wallet (worth zero in Nexus whatsits) his keys and a punch card worth a free submarine sandwich. He deposits them on the table, then closes his eyes. Then he invokes his quest menu, noting that it¡¯s becoming decreasingly unnatural to do so. Active Quests
  1. Zone sweet Home (easy) : Claim a private zone instance. (COMPLETE)
Satisfied, he tries to focus his attention on the completed quest. He hasn¡¯t quite got the hang of this one yet, but after a few moments of searching, he manages to access the quest reward [Tutorial Care Package] and accepts it. Once again, Todd finds himself wishing for some kind of blip. The [Tutorial Care Package] is a large wicker crate of fine quality. It appears without sound or displacement in the space directly above the table, tips unbalanced over the wallet he¡¯d set down, then topples table, basket, and contents onto the floor. Leaning forward and halfway up to a squat, Todd freezes with his hands stretched out and his cheeks puffed out in angrembarrassmusement. Or maybe auto-moronic-schadenfreude, that¡¯s a new word right?The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Laughing to himself, Todd sets down to his knees to set the bin upright, then he crawls over to collect the casualties. His first and most welcome discovery is dinner. Two fist sized lumps wrapped carefully in waxy, fresh smelling leaves. Peeling back one corner of a leaf, he finds a pliable half-cooked dough. The scratch and sniff test yields an earthy grain aroma, and a careful pinched corner tastes nearly of bread as he taps it carefully at his tongue. He sets one aside, then tips his small table back upright and sets the other dough ball on it. A small wedge, wrapped in a scrap of cheesecloth, opens to a firm crumbly orange curd. Preliminary taste test is seventy percent on a ¡®not cheese¡¯ verdict, and instead more of a dry, high-protein micro-chamber honey comb. Todd wraps the cloth back up and sets it aside as the start of a ¡®maybe¡¯ pile. Pulling from under his bed, he withdraws one fruit shaped like a pomegranate, (but wearing a banana¡¯s skin) five raw cranberries, (huh, it¡¯s really a cranberry) and a bronze lapel pin emblazoned with the word ¡®participant¡¯. The only other items that made it to the floor are a leather folding pouch with course grain salt, two strips of smoked animal meat, (does not taste like chicken) and a bracer made out of dense wood and fiber straps. He tears off half of a meat and sets it on the table, then turns to the bin. The other arm guard comes out, and he sets them aside, then a round, matching chest piece which goes right with them too. He taps a finger on the armor, , then turns back to withdraw a set of clean linen clothing. ¡°Five dollar bet, underwear or washcloth? Oh nope,¡± he mumbles, setting down the long strip of rag he¡¯d been looking at in exchange for a poofy set of trouser shorts stitched in with drawstrings. Then he sets the whole clothing pile neatly on the bed, and returns to the package to pull out the final four items. One sharp steel knife, (a thumb in length) two wooden bowls, and a half-brick of firm white, ¡°Soap!¡± he cries gleefully. Ecstatic, Todd dumps his armor into the chest, then the remaining food into the bin, then shoves them both out of the way. Taking hold of the knife, he chops at a corner of the soap until a manageable chunk breaks off. The rest, with minor complications at the water source, plays out like most any shower would. Then after ten minutes of chilly, fervent scrubbing, Todd capers shivering to put on his clean clothes and wrap himself in one of the clean sheets. The wheaty lump is filling and flavorful, but loses points for texture. Two stars. The meat jerky is mild flavored and smokey, nothing fancy. It¡¯s still meat though, three stars. Setting his water and food bowls aside, Todd pops one cranberry in his mouth for dessert, regrets it marginally, then washes his hands off in the cave. Alcove. Alcave? Not important. At around that point he notices an insistent chiming noise coming from the back of his brain. Active Quests
  1. Factory Defaults: An error has occurred. Reset room temperature defaults. Reward: 50 Nexus Coins
Strange. It¡¯s true though, it had been getting a little warmer in the room over the past few minutes. Todd looks over the room and notices a section of the wall where a square of red glows from under the stone. Touching it, (with a little mental something extra) causes a new tutorial window prompt to appear.
? Room Setting Presets Error: Failed to fetch optimal temperature presets for category {HUMAN}. Current temperature setting may be inappropriate. Reset to Standard Default?
Yes No
Todd inspects the panel for a brief moment, then shrugs and confirms ¡®YES¡¯. Then the information panel, the wall panel, and the quest all complete, clear and vanish. And that¡¯s it. End of day. He¡¯s done.
Todd sits at, has been sitting at, the edge of the bed for a long time. He¡¯d tried to lay down, to shut his eyes, to sleep. But today¡¯s been a whole lot of heavy and that don¡¯t set down easy. He scratches at his black hair, feels the cleanness of it. Screw it. He reaches over to grab his discarded shorts, fishes through the empty pockets, then sweeps across the floor until he finds the crystal and pills. The healing pills go in the empty bowl with a skittering ping, and Todd turns the [F ¨C Root of the Limitless¡¯ Promise Cultivation Manual] over between his fingers. Rolling his eyes, he plants it against his forehead and starts rooting around for a state of mind: the fleeting one he gets when he¡¯s touching the interface to the System. Sit. Assume the Lotus position. Breathe. No not like that. Breathe like this. Focus, catch it: the thread. So fine it can¡¯t be touched, but you got to anyway. It¡¯s like the bottom dropped out on a trapdoor to the remodeled basement of a memory. There are no visions, no voices, just a learned familiarity pared bare of context: muscle memory in a can. He¡¯s on the verge of something, something new. Todd shuts his eyes, feels the cycle, feels his lungs shudder and heart beat in anticipation. Goose pimples ripple down his arm, following a captured thread. It weaves down his arm and back to his heart, but that¡¯s not enough. It frays, nearly snaps, but he pulls again deep from his diaphragm and replenishes the line. His lips curl upwards as he recognizes it, the vital feeling from eating the Limitless¡¯ Berry. It¡¯s an energy that feeds more than the body, and it thrills him as the thread spins down from his heart to his belly. He sends the Cosmic Energy down towards his gut, feels it twine around his intestine, and it¡¯s bracing. His neck tenses, his arms are shaking. Todd¡¯s never worked so hard to do something as simple as keep on breathing, but he¡¯s got to. He knows intuitively that he has to complete this loop back to his heart. Loops are stable, but a loose thread can lash and damage. Don¡¯t stop! Todd¡¯s fingers curl into fists, he grits his teeth and flares his nose. Then the Cosmic energy spirals around a knot and rises back up, weaves past his stomach, between his lungs, and joins his blood to spill back into his heart. Eyes shooting open, Todd is wracked by sudden coughing. Aches bend him over, and pained heaves bring his hand to his mouth, where it speckles with dots of blood from his lips. Finally, he collapses and rolls over onto his back, kicking out his feet from under him as he gets the basics of respiration back under control. ¡°That can¡¯t be how it works,¡± Todd laughs. Then the glow of his status menu appears and his eyes drift down while his grin ratchets up. ¡°Well howdy there, level two.¡± 00D Grave or Grow Yong Li had seen some shit in his day. He was a short man, stunted in his prime years of growth by the Three Year Difficulty. His right leg limped where a counter-revolutionary had broken it during the Struggles. His nose was crooked, knocked askew by his uncle the day they turned him in to the party for his Capitalist intellectualism. So many scars, all of them decades old. Yong grimaces, bracing himself against the bed as he stands. Sweat stains his shirt, slicks the few white strands of hair he has left. A noise chimes again, like an alarm in shortening intervals. So annoying. He had tried pushing the button on the mobile telephone device his son had given him, but it wouldn¡¯t turn on. Technology could not be trusted. Breathing heavily, he peels off his shirt and frees his wrinkled, weathered skin to the air and shakily advances towards the waterfall cave. How did it become so hot in here? He coughs, thick with a lingering swampiness he picked up 50 years ago in the jungles of Vietnam. That had been his last act in service to the Red army, as a secret military advisor to the Viet Kong. It had been a nightmare, his friends dying of disease and the Party breathing down his neck and demanding results. It had been the rumors which finally killed his loyalty, rumors that the Americans lived in comfort and wealth across the sea. He heard that every fool owned an automobile, every sluggard their own house and land. He¡¯d heard that they ate bread and meat for every meal. Yong was a practical man, with practical expectations. So he telegraphed his commanding officer to tell them he¡¯d died of Typhus and set out across the jungle to defect. One bullet wound, a real Typhus infection, three dead ARVN scouts, and two good sets of boots later, he¡¯d made it to DaNang. He¡¯d thought the stupid Americans would be easily fooled by his Vietnamese, but it turned out faking citizenship to the Americans proved frustratingly difficult. Convincing them to grant asylum was even harder. Though that was less a matter of difficulty, and more a matter of the huge bribe he had to pay one of the heroin smugglers. So when he arrived in America, he never complained. He worked, worked until his knuckles bled. He found a wife, started a business, raised a family. Even when the FBI harassed him, even for twenty years afterwards, asking him to spy on local Communists! No, he played the fool and he kept his head down instead. He would not complain. He would not rebel. But then his children grew up weak. They flinched at responsibility. They wilted at adversity. His grand-children were even worse! Fat, and lazy and useless. They all treated Yong like he was a relic, didn¡¯t they appreciate how much he did for them? Ungrateful. His shaking hand grips the corner yielding into the cave. Gripping it for support, Yong gasps as heat bears down on him. It¡¯s even worse here! The water, which had been cool when he had arrived, was now coming in scalding hot, letting off the first billows of steam. Adding to his frustration, the chiming continues its insistent nuisance. He might scream in anger if this keeps on, how is he supposed to turn off the noise? Then, ¡°ÄãºÃÂð,¡± calls out a voice, and as Yong turns he sees it¡¯s one of the devil women come to gloat. It was the child-like one, the pink idiot with the curling shooting-star hair: she hadn¡¯t made a sound appearing behind him. He¡¯d never believed in evil spirits, his wife had been the superstitious one; but Yong was a practical man, with practical convictions, and he knows a devil when he sees a devil. ¡°À뿪ÎÒ£¬Äã¶ñħ¡± Yong growls, flicking his hand to chase the evil spirit away. The creature laughs. ¡°ºÜÈÈ°É?¡± She teases him with a false pouting sympathy, then wags a finger. ¡°Ê¹ÓÃ[ϵͳ]£¬ÀîÓÂ!¡± His impatience continues to mount, what the hell is this [System] everyone keeps talking about? Yong sneers, then suddenly feels weak. He bounces bodily against the wall as his grip fails, then slides painfully to the floor. How did it get so hot? Is this insufferable creature responsible? Or was it that boy? The one who had convinced him to touch the wall and come to this prison cell room. He reaches out his fist, then strikes out weakly. The pink thing is getting too close, watching him. Watching him like he¡¯s some kind of insect instead of a man. He should kill her. He should kill all of them, he hates being so old. Li Yong sneers with fury, trying to reach for a weapon, for anything; but he¡¯s so very tired and his chest hurts so badly. Maybe he just needs to sleep. Maybe it¡¯s time to rest.
Todd opens his eyes and realizes he¡¯s on the floor. Right, the bed was uncomfortable. Then he realizes he¡¯s dressed in a white linen karate robe. Right, because his other clothes were dirty. Finally he realizes he¡¯s in a cubic blue stone exit-less room. Right, because he was abducted into an alternate dimension by a triplet of floating neon bloodsport enthusiasts. He yawns. Stretching out his body by arching his back and pumping out a clumsy bicycle kick while punching out at the empty air, Todd becomes satisfied his blood is flowing and wakefulness arrived. ¡°Hmph!¡± He rocks himself back up to a seated position. Then, reaching to set up his small table, he notes with approval that the glow crystals brighten; likely responding to his motion. His breakfast consists of two cranberries and a few caveman bites out of the bread-y lump. Sated and without a way to judge the time, he plops down seated onto the bed. The fabric of his robe is fairly fine, doesn¡¯t seem synthetic. Rubbed between his thumb and forefinger it feels like natural fiber of good quality? Smells nice. The sound of Todd¡¯s heel thumping against the reed mat accelerates in a bouncing nervousness. He folds, then laces, then refolds his fingers. ¡°Status¡± he calls out, even though at this point he no longer needs to.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.
Name Todd Kalogeropoulos
Level 2
Race F - Human
Alignment Human (Earth)
Strength 5
Dexterity 6
Endurance 5
Vitality 6
Intelligence 8
Wisdom 5
Luck 4
Nexus Coins 50
Free Points 4
Huh. While looking to his set of available free points, Todd notices something he¡¯d missed last night. His Wisdom score appears to have risen on its own, a small mystery. He¡¯d done a little bit of digging into the supplemental Tutorial popups last night, and supposedly raising your level won¡¯t come with attribute gains, at least not at first. So it must have been something else. Considering the food for a moment, he rules it out. Nothing had tasted magical last night, at least not compared to the Limitless Berry. Then again, how was he supposed to know? He presses his palm over his eyes and blots away the crust of sleep from them. Maybe it was enough to just grow up a little. So, Hypothesis: Todd can probably still grow his base stats. Which means he needs an Experiment: how about directed exercise? Strength, agility and endurance training? The appeal of that regimen is somewhere in the bounds of zero and a half, but unfortunately physical fitness is probably easier to control for than something intangible like Wisdom. It it works it might be smart to see if or how far he can push that, might be a real advantage. Which, when Todd considers it again, was probably true before Cultivation too. ¡°Does that count as wisdom progress?¡± But for now, there¡¯s a more pressing consideration. He has four points available to supercharge his body and mind. Should he take this opportunity to invest in his intelligence? The appeal of getting smarter without hard work or studying is real and tempting. But as choice as that sounds, Todd knows better. Life is about balance, right? Resigned to shoring up his weakest points first, he focuses on assigning the first to his Luck. The [System] had indicated that this stat was something he couldn¡¯t increase by normal means; it had been worth a try. So instead, he focuses on his Wisdom, Endurance and Strength. As the points register he actually feels it, in his skin and his lungs and his limbs. The final point, he hesitates on. But in the end, it was an idle comment from the pixie Ciforre that tips the scale of his intention. He raises his Wisdom with the final point, a long way from the fifteen she said he needed but it¡¯s a start. He sighs knowing that if he keeps up this balanced strategy, with six categories and only two points per level, it could be nearly thirty levels before he reaches the mark. Closing out his status menu, Todd rubs his palms vigorously against the floor and then thumps them against the bed frame. ¡°Come on! How am I supposed to get out of here? I¡¯ve assigned my points, I¡¯ve started Cultivating, is there something I¡¯m missing here?¡± He leaps to his feet, surprising himself at just how angry he is. He grabs a bowl to throw at a wall, then reconsiders since it could break and he only has two. He carefully sets aside his things from the table ¨C food going back into the bin and bowls can go into the corner, crystal and pills go in his pocket ¨C and then he lifts the table high to smash it against the wall! But then again, he really needs that table. He sets it back down. Aha! He grabs his dirty soccer clothing and hurls it at the wall where it threadily poofs with his fury. ¡°Let me the hell out of here!¡± Todd bellows. ¡°Oh aren¡¯t we a grumpy-wump today?¡± Chitters a familiar voice, sounding like a child¡¯s cartoon come through a guitar AMP. ¡°Good morning, human! Aren¡¯t you glad to see ¨C¡± Befor has shrunk smaller to fit in the limited space, having appeared in a cavorting, whimsical pose. When she sees and recognized Todd though, her hands lower, and her face darkens. ¡°Oh it¡¯s you.¡± It takes a moment for Todd to respond, he backs away a step then takes it back and squares his shoulders. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell us how to get back out of our rooms.¡± He says. ¡°You didn¡¯t ask.¡± Befor waves a hand and exhales breathily. ¡°Yea, I know. Ha, ha. The human species is classified as requiring an average of seven and one half hours for a healthy sleep cycle.¡± She looks back at him dispassionately. ¡°You¡¯ve woken up early.¡± ¡°How long -¡± ¡°Six hours or so. You¡¯ll notice as you gain levels, you¡¯ll need less sleep.¡± Feeling the freshness of his body, Todd considers the benefit of that. Yet another perk of Cultivation. ¡°You seem different, Befor.¡± Beads of light curl in dimming spiral trails from her head. ¡°Would you rather I giggle at you? I think you¡¯d take that as an insult to your intelligence.¡± ¡°So why do you act like¡­ like that? Like an idiot?¡± ¡°The child fool is a proven and tested archetype. It plays well in Human demographics with women aged 33 and up, and men aged 55 and up. It also has one of the lowest initial reprisal levels of all personality categories, and is an important counterbalance to the intensity of the Sword-Mother role.¡± She puts her hands on her hips and arches an eyebrow at him judgingly. ¡°You don¡¯t seem very helpful, Befor. Isn¡¯t that supposed to be your job?¡± ¡°Technically. But I will not be evaluated on your progress. You¡¯ve been classified as a high-likelihood candidate for a mage category. I¡¯ll get far better scores for focusing on tricksters and wildcards.¡± Todd blinks, taken aback by Befor¡¯s candor. ¡°So Ciforre¡¯s group?¡± ¡°Hm,¡± she confirms with the slightest inclination of her head. ¡°You¡¯re one of her favorites, you know. Closest thing to a double digit chance of reaching a mage E class that we¡¯ve got in our group.¡± ¡°Not Doctor Chowdhury?¡± ¡°Too much chance she¡¯ll pick a non-combat role.¡± ¡°There¡¯s non-combat options?¡± Todd asks, leery of never being told. ¡°You¡¯re not worried I¡¯ll pick one?¡± Befor smiles a lazy, hungry smile. ¡°No, you¡¯re just dumb enough to keep fighting. We can see it in you.¡± Todd frowns, then looks again more carefully at the Pixie. ¡°You¡¯re upset.¡± She flinches. ¡°And I wasn¡¯t going to say so before, but you smell real bad right now,¡± he adds uncomfortably, raising his hand to his nose. ¡°Like boiled rancid pork. No offense.¡± ¡°Todd, Todd. Have you ever been let down? You meet someone, and you know they¡¯ve got potential. Got that EDGE. Nobody else believes in them, but you¡¯re willing to take the risk. Go to bat for them. And then they turn out to be just the loser you were warned they¡¯d be.¡± Todd looks about, a little confused before meeting her eyes again. ¡°That sounds tough?¡± He offers. ¡°Growth, Todd. More than anything else, that¡¯s what we¡¯re looking for. We don¡¯t care who you were before you came here,¡± she floats closer and almost tenderly lays a hand on his shoulder. ¡°We care about who you¡¯ve become when you¡¯ve left.¡± Todd opens his mouth, but she interrupts him. ¡°One month,¡± she answers. ¡°The door unlocks in an hour three quarters, and then you¡¯ll be faced with three days of challenges. Fourth day is rest, fifth will be your first real test. Five sets of test cycles, and it all totals one month.¡± She pats him on the shoulder and then floats backwards and up. ¡°And remember to shower after you Cultivate, you dung-mill.¡± She scoffs. ¡°Telling me I smell, the nerve.¡± And then she vanishes. Todd clenches and unclenches his fist, then looks around the room. Nothing for it then. He fetches out his Cultivation manual and presses it to his forehead. A network of lines appear in his mind, channels of energy like unfulfilled promises laid screened over own body. What else can he do? He closes his eyes and takes his first breath on the path towards level 3. 00E Ready the Vessel Only a fool leads with his Heart. Placing the crystal carefully down on his small table, Todd puts his wrist against the corner of his mouth and pushes hard against his teeth. ¡°Are you... turkey-plucking kidding me?¡± He groans, thumping at himself in the cheekbone and then in a trail up to his forehead. ¡°Aw. I¡¯m such an idiot.¡±
? Introduction¡úSection G: Unify Heaven and Earth, and circulate the Energy of the Universe through your body. That is the Spiritual Metabolism. That is the first season of Cultivation.
Todd packs away his disappointment so it will keep for another day. Turns out, the Cultivation Manual had come with instructions. Of course there were instructions! Of course there were! Todd pounds his fist against his bed frame and grimaces toothily. He had been so excited to start Cultivating he¡¯d skipped ahead, and as it turns out, skipped over some critical notes. One of the most basic tasks of early Cultivation is to build a framework, a network of lines in your body through which the Cosmic Energy can flow. Then once the lines are established, one must cycle the Energy: directing it to channel, cut and deepen the framework into their flesh and spirit. This is just the beginning step, but an absolutely necessary one because the human body doesn¡¯t actually physically interact well with Cosmic Energy; not normally and not at first. The start of Cultivation is using those Energy channels to anchor the body to an entirely new organ system, one that¡¯s almost completely spiritual. Todd had understood that part and he¡¯d made great progress. The first two channels from last night had been enough to raise him to level two, and he had carved two more in the past hour. Unfortunately it had become clear that each subsequent level would be more difficult to reach, and he feels intuitively that he has progressed only a limited way to his next benchmark. He understands because of a weightless, liquid agitation in his heart (the one lodged in his pericardium, not his feelings). It was the Cosmic Energy, and the shadow of it was just starting to make itself known to him. He could just barely feel it as a pressure inside himself, but not an uncomfortable one; like a pint-sized hydroelectric dam, filling his heart with power and potential. But that was the problem. Because see, all those foundational channels need to anchor somewhere. Todd had chosen his heart because the steps in the Crystal had seemed intuitive, and upon access they had been the first to come to mind. But apparently, this set of instructions had been grouped under a category called ¡°For Informational Purposes Only, Not Approved or Recommended for Use.¡± Todd cradles his face in his hands. He was supposed to put the stupid thing in his stomach ¨C in some weird thing called a Dantian. According to the Manual, the Dantian is ¡®safe¡¯, ¡®stable¡¯, and ¡®less prone to explosions or soft tissue damage¡¯, at least compared to its alternatives. As the soft crystal light of the room intensifies, he moans. ¡°What does it mean by: explosion?¡± Then he places his hand on his ribs and rubs them gently. The lights could be a sign that the room will be unlocking shortly, so Todd sniffs at himself and leaps to his feet. Stripping hastily, he grabs the little knife to carve off another little corner of soap and then ducking his head rushes into his alcave to shower in the chill spout. By the time he¡¯s finished and shiverfully pondering his lack of a body towel, a red square of color has appeared on the right hand wall. It pulses dimly, perhaps hoping to get his attention. On his first hurried attempt, he realizes he¡¯s put his over-robe on inside out, and it rumples loudly as he fumbles with the arms and gets it on right way out again. Kicking at the wicker crate, he looks for shoes and realizes he¡¯s been provided with none. He considers wearing his soccer cleats, but distractedly remembers the wooden armor and fishes it out of his wooden chest instead. Thread the binding through the loop here, and here, and it goes on his arm just like so: Todd straps and affixes his arm and chest guard pieces to himself as best he can. The increasing urgency of the flashing panel panics him, so he lunges over to pick up his Cultivation Manual and healing pills. He manages to grab them just in time for the room teleportation array to activate, and the room vanishes in less than a blink. Nearly falling over once the table vanished, Todd leans hard to rebalance his squat, then rises to his feet. He reorients himself: teal below and black above like the sky flipped head over heels. ¡°This place is even weirder the second time,¡± he mutters, the blue stone of the Tutorial plaza-four chill under his bare toes. ¡°Drips, hey! There you are,¡± calls Joe. Wearing his martial robe, Joe¡¯s six foot height fits intimidatingly into his new persona and his dirty blonde hair is tousled in an infuriatingly effortless suave. He stands among the dozens of people appeared out of their building; the others in various stages of upright but generally united in a shared sense of resigned confusion wobbling into light mania.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Threading his way around his neighbors with a few polite hellos, Todd approaches Joe and accepts a handshake. ¡°How was your -¡± he begins, but Candra finds them midsentence. ¡°I swear, I¡¯m so sick of the color blue,¡± she says, gripping the shoulders of her robe and wiggling uncomfortably to adjust herself. Her hair hangs down, limp and sepia with an exhaustion that¡¯s settled under her eyes and exporting elsewhere. ¡°Do I look dumb in this thing?¡± She asks, plucking at a sleeve and then spreading her hands out. Todd shakes his head emphatically, then Joe swats him on the arm with a warning expression. ¡°Lesson one, grasshopper. You always leave her hanging when she asks how she looks.¡± Candra punches Joe in the shoulder with a wide-eyed, murderous expression. Todd pinches his brow in disagreement. ¡°Isn¡¯t that just going to leave her angry and self-conscious?¡± ¡°Ow,¡± Joe winces and raises up a finger with a sagely expression, then breaks into laughter as he fends off two more swats from Candra. ¡°That¡¯s exactly the state of mind you want! Ow, secret of true Love! Seriously, ow.¡± ¡°I¡¯m gonna phone your mom and tell her to disown you,¡± Candra snorts, wobbling on her feet and turning to wave at the last arrival. Rosy and refreshed, Randall joins the circle with a large, looping hug. He is careful not to hit them with his wooden armor, which Todd notes with embarrassment is clearly meant to be secured underneath the outer robe. Besides his armguards and breastplate, Randall is wearing his shin guards and is the only one in the group wearing his shoes. ¡°Mornin¡¯ K-Town,¡± Joe grins. ¡°Vetoed,¡± Candra clarifies, slurring her words. ¡°Good morning.¡± Randall dramatically chops his hands through the air, and a perpetual smile pulls his cheeks up like a chipmunk. ¡°We gonna learn some magic and shit, right? Right?¡± The big guy bounces little rabbit-hops of excitement. Todd raises an armguard and tags it against Randall¡¯s. ¡°I¡¯m ready for an adventure, you ready?¡± He says, uncertain but excited. ¡°I dunno, I don¡¯t see the pixies yet. I think so,¡± Joe runs a hand through his hair, then his eyes narrow on Randall¡¯s guards. ¡°What is that stuff, armor? Is that what it was?¡± ¡°Todd¡­¡± Candra pauses, then groans. ¡°Oh no. You¡¯re both wearing it. Please tell me we don¡¯t need to wear armor today.¡± ¡°I just thought it looked badass with my Gi,¡± admits Randall, blushing. ¡°You do look badass,¡± Todd reassures him. ¡°I- I wasn¡¯t sure, I didn¡¯t want to risk it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re being paranoid.¡± ¡°Yea, well. How about tell me if Drew¡¯s got his on.¡± Somewhat gravely, the four turn looking out across the courtyard. Several people appear to be on the floor just waking up, and traumatically at least one or two were unfortunate enough to have teleported direct from their shower (they¡¯re so old and wet and wrinkly). But past the crowd, the four spot the beard and then the man: Ranger Drew stands at vigilant attention, girded with his armor, expertly secured under his Gi, and his small dinner knife strapped to his arm in a repurposed leather knife sheath. Joe turns back. ¡°Shit, we need the armor.¡± ¡°How can a dude wearing pajamas still look like he can kill you,¡± Candra grouses disapprovingly. ¡°It¡¯s no big deal guys,¡± Randall insists, trying to cheer them up. ¡°Once we start Cultivating and level up we¡¯ll get way stronger in no -¡± he grinds to a halt. ¡°What?¡± Joe and Candra share a concerned look with Todd. ¡°You didn¡¯t start already?¡± Todd admonishes. Randall searches for a joke or a prank and fails to find it. ¡°Even I got to level two,¡± Joe shakes his head. ¡°Drips is probably level three by now.¡± Todd shakes his head, a midge tickled by high expectations. ¡°You kidding? Three¡¯s harder than two. I would have had to Cultivate all night.¡± ¡°Joe¡¯s level two. You¡¯re level two?¡± Candra wearily croons, then pumps her fists into the air. ¡°Choke on my pubes, nerds. Level three!¡± She crows. ¡°You didn¡¯t sleep at all?¡± Joe chides her, unimpressed. ¡°You can¡¯t mess yourself up like that,¡± he continues, knocking the wind out of her sails. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me what to do,¡± Candra glowers, hissing with a vein of real anger. ¡°I¡¯m not gonna fall behind,¡± she meets Todd¡¯s eyes and adds almost pleadingly. ¡°You know, every time you level up you need a little less sleep,¡± he offers diplomatically. Then he gestures in a direction with his chin. ¡°I think the pixies are starting.¡± Mollified, trepidatious, thirsty, the four push forward following the collapsing throng and crane their necks upward. Overhead, a smoky crystal is slowly descending; paying it¡¯s back taxes to gravity in pocket change. Only visibly against the empty sky by the reflective gleam of its surface, the crystal is shaped like a cube but squashed in a ring around the middle and pointed like a diamond. Once it nearly reaches the ground, the three auroral trails of the pixies streak down from an indeterminate point in the welkin void. Violet, Gold, and Rose they ring into formation around the crystal, orbiting it like lazy satellites and facing outward to the congregation. ¡°Well met my friends,¡± Aefore¡¯s voice booms through the space. ¡°My sisters and I hope and trust that your evening was restful.¡± ¡°My bed sucked!¡± Cries out a faraway voice, before the sound of everything but the pixies cuts out. Amethyst and aglow, Ciforre nods brusquely to her sister. ¡°I am afraid we are on a schedule,¡± the star gold warrior curtly explains. ¡°Yesterday we revealed a glimpse to you, a taste of what is possible through [The System].¡± Aefore indicates generously to the opaline crystal, stopped a few inches from the ground. ¡°Today, you will make your first true decision along the pathway to your immortal Dao.¡± Ciforre drifts forward and pointedly adjusts her glasses. ¡°Today,¡± she brags, ¡°you will select what is called a [Skill].¡± She raises a palm, and a sudden billowing plume of flame rises from it with a flash of light, heat and pressure. She arches an eyebrow. ¡°It¡¯s time to learn your first magical ability.¡± 00F Pick Your Poison The Todd advances. Just a few steps this time: the queue has been slow going. He feels a squeeze to the crook of his elbow and looks down at the woman linked arm in arm to him. ¨¦lena Ort¨¬z de Land¨¢zuri is wearing her floral dress and boots from yesterday, standing out against the mass of folk wearing their [System] provided martial Gis. She fusses with her still-wet greying hair and tuts distractedly before noticing Todd¡¯s attention. ¡°Que buen chico,¡± she coos, patting his arm and shuffling forward. ¡°Uh yea,¡± Todd assures her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry Mrs Land¨¢zuri, the line isn¡¯t too much longer.¡± He sighs. There are still about a dozen people ahead of them, breaking out into some aggressive foot tapping. A voice ahead loses their patience and shouts, ¡°make up your mind already!¡± Which in turn rattles pockmarked Jingshu, the lanky kid that¡¯s got his hand pressed to the floating, dark-smoke crystal. Instead of engaging in an oncoming pain in the ass, Todd adjusts his hold on ¨¦lena¡¯s arm and turns back to look out towards the courtyard. A few dozen yards out, Dr Chowdhury stands in the middle of three or four hundred people, the latter down meditatively; sat on the floor and trying to Cultivate. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you think I know how this works,¡± the Doctor wearily twines. ¡°I¡¯m a podiatrist, not a magic kung-fu guru!¡± But her point is somewhat undercut by the heroic figure she strikes in her battle-robe. ¡°Just follow the instructions in your Cultivation Manual,¡± she implores them. Satisfied the Doctor has the level-ones well in hand, and spotting Randall hard at work inhaling himself towards immortality, Todd pulls back to take another step forward. Searching dartingly through his adjacent, he calls out, ¡°does someone still have the [Skill Catalogue Chit]?¡± A short woman with dirty blonde hair and a freckly sunburn replies, ¡°oh you¡¯re one of Joe¡¯s friends, right?¡± His eyes narrow. ¡°Yea. I¡¯m Todd.¡± He tries to offer her his free left hand but they fail to successfully negotiate a handshake. She pats him on the shoulder instead. ¡°Bernice.¡± ¡°Oh. The cop?¡± She laughs, ¡°don¡¯t worry kid, whatever you think you¡¯ve done, you¡¯re out of my jurisdiction.¡± ¡°Wha ¨C I haven¡¯t...¡± ¡°I¡¯m kidding, kidding! Cop joke.¡± She sticks a thumb over further to her left, ¡°Jen Roth¡¯s got it, I think.¡± ¡°Business Jenny?¡± Officer Bernice frowns in amusement. ¡°You kids. Has everybody got a nickname already?¡± She shakes her head. ¡°I¡¯ll tell her you need it next.¡± Then she holds a hand out to put a pause on the conversation, and looks up. Ciforre, trailing her robe through the air is drifting overhead. ¡°Miss Ciforre! I wanted to ask you,¡± Officer Bernice cups her hands about her mouth to project her voice, then drops them as the pixie descends. ¡°Ms O¡¯Shea. I am pleased to see you amongst the level-twos. If it is within my power to answer, I am happy to field any query.¡± ¡°Two questions. Number one, do I have a cool name meaning?¡± Ciforre removes her frames, and bunching a few folds of her substance rubs it against the lens before replacing them on her face. ¡°Victory from the Noble Hawk.¡± ¡°Very cool. Question number two,¡± Bernice taps a finger against the side of her nose before wagging it forward in emphasis. ¡°Is there going to be a Skill in there that lets me tell the truth?¡± Ciforre goes very still. ¡°Is there something preventing you from telling it now?¡± She probes. ¡°No, I mean: I want to be able to tell when someone is lying. But ah, like 100% for certain.¡± The pixie purses her lips and then glowers suspiciously at Todd. Why? What did he do? The whorling energy of Ciforre¡¯s top-knot darkens, and her grip on her stone tome tightens. ¡°There is an available Skill which can give your bare fist the strength to crush a boulder.¡± ¡°Oh I don¡¯t need that. I¡¯m gonna get stronger if I level up anyway right?¡± She flits her hand to dismiss the idea. ¡°I want a magic Lie Detector spell.¡± ¡°The [Spring Leap] technique is a versatile asset in the toolbox of any warrior. It would offer you exceptional vertical mobility.¡± ¡°Thank you, no. Fuck that,¡± Bernice grins with a bubbling enthusiasm. ¡°Lie detector!¡± An aura of menacing, electric static sets the hairs on Todd''s arm to noticeably standing on end. He vigorously shakes his head to deny responsibility. ¡°Ms O¡¯Shea,¡± the pixie grips her book with both hands and presses them forward in an urgent plea. "The challenges ahead will test the mettle of any warrior.¡± She manufactures an expression of concern. ¡°You are a wise woman. Would you not rather select a skill to defeat your enemies and keep your people safe?" ¡°All due respect ma¡¯am, but I been a cop for seven years. Do you have any idea what I would give to know whether a perp was lying to me? For real, for real? Any cop worth their salt¡¯d shit themselves runny for a superpower like that.¡± "I suppose,¡± Ciforre¡¯s grip tightens into a claw, ¡°we can peruse the skills list to see if an appropriate divination skill is available¡­" ¡°Hell yes! Lie detector!¡± She cheers, giving Todd a thumbs up. He tepidly returns the gesture. ¡°Even if you might regret that choice in the heat of mortal combat? Do you truly understand that you will shortly face true monsters? Will you be prepared when the time comes?" Bernice rolls her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll just mash them with a sword or something.¡± She leans towards Todd and whispers conspiratorially. ¡°This is gonna be a sword kinda thing right?¡± Meeting the pixie¡¯s eyes from the corner of his own, Todd cautiously replies, ¡°yea. Yea pretty sure we¡¯ll get swords.¡± Releasing her death grip, Ciforre raises one hand to adjust her hair, taking care not to let her fingers get sucked into its event horizon. Her purple saturates back from menacing thundercloud to benevolent royal. "We will make certain to find you such an ability." She regards Todd''s with one last teaspoon of tempest flashing in her irises. Wilting under her intensity, he raises his hands up in alarmed surrender. ¡°I¡¯m getting a combat ability, I swear!¡± He insists. Begrudgingly satisfied, the creature rises in the air; flowing away towards another nearby cluster of people. As she leaves, Todd wheezes out a bellow¡¯s worth of stress. Bernice gleefully taps her knuckles against his shoulder. ¡°This is pretty great right?¡±
¡°Hey! Don¡¯t cut in line!¡± Joe shouts, slapping Todd on the bicep before jogging off to keep the peace. Looking down at the point of injury and rolling his shoulder, Todd decides to forgive him. Joe had been running all morning, making sure the queues were orderly and respected. He¡¯d been ferrying news, information and instructions between leadership, the pixies, and the crowd. He couldn¡¯t hang around all day chatting. Looking around and hoping for a diversion, Todd spots Candra, but she¡¯s helping Pete limp along with his broken leg. They¡¯re in another line, round the other side of the crystal. He sighs, knowing he would have appreciated the company of her foul mouth right now. Todd and ¨¦lena move forward another position in the line. By this point the elder woman has started telling a long winded and expressive story, from which he has yet to discern the clear meaning of a single word. When she stops suddenly, he realizes it¡¯s because the man next to him is trying to get his attention.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Oh, hey how can I help you?¡± Todd greets him. As he does, he notes the course, draping shift the stranger is wearing. ¡°Ah,¡± the man looks down and pinches at the fabric of the gown. ¡°It¡¯s pretty uncomfortable, but it¡¯s better than being buck naked. Befor said it¡¯s made out of rat-spider silk,¡± he scowls. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of a rat spider.¡± The man shakes his head. ¡°Yea, no. You¡¯re probably thinking I mean a spider that¡¯s named after a rat. She said it¡¯s actually like a rat with a big old spider abdomen instead of a tail.¡± ¡°Gross.¡± ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°So what happened, you got caught in the shower?¡± ¡°No. It was, ah ¨C it was the temperature. I guess everybody¡¯s heat broke down?¡± ¡°Oh, yea that was weird. The thermostat malfunctioned, it happened to me too.¡± ¡°It got real hot. I mean REAL hot before I figured out my menu and fixed it. Super sweaty. By that time,¡± the man shrugs. ¡°I kind of just fell asleep in the buff.¡± How are people struggling so bad to figure out their menus? ¡°I didn¡¯t realize it got so warm,¡± Todd under-empathizes curtly. ¡°Did you¡­ anyway, did you need something?¡± ¡°Oh, yea.¡± The man reaches out his hand and presents a thin rectangular sliver of semi-precious stone. It gleams inkily with the same color as the [System] crystal. ¡°The Catalogue?¡± Todd accepts the chit graciously. The man confirms. ¡°It¡¯s got a list of all the available [Skill]s you can choose. But there¡¯s also a whole bunch of stuff you can buy with Nexus Coins. Some of it¡¯s pretty weird.¡± ¡°Yea?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a lot there. I had some trouble searching when I was looking for something in particular, but I guess it¡¯s pre-sorted to show you what the [System] thinks will be most suited for you.¡± ¡°Thanks, that sounds pretty useful,¡± Todd murmurs, curious about the additional merchandise features. ¡°It¡¯s real nice of Joe to ask you to take care of granny ¨¦lena,¡± the man pats Todd on the shoulder and heads back to his place in line. ¡°Joe asked?¡± Todd grumbles. ¡°I can be a nice guy too. And why does everybody keep touching me,¡± he growls, looking to Mrs Land¨¢zuri for some appreciation. ¡°No me hagas esperar, mocoso. Quiero disparar balas m¨¢gicas de mis dedos,¡± ¨¦lena replies, curling her fingers out in front of her. ¡°Dame la cosa de cristal.¡± ¡°Yea, you¡¯re right I just need to get over it,¡± Todd sighs. He raises the catalogue to press against his forehead and closes his eyes. If he had expected the available to number many, he should have thunk to think multitudinous. ¡°Damn,¡± Todd whispers. The catalogue list is laid out like a computer menu. There¡¯s a main panel below which has various sub categories and search tools, but at the top level he sees the header categories. Free [Skill] looks like a temporary entry, and a cursory investigation seems to suggest that it has heavy overlap with the larger purchasable [Skill] list. That means picking an ability today doesn¡¯t need to be an irrevocable decision, he could always buy another skill later with Nexus Coins. It would be smart to compare some costs against the 50 coins he has available, so Todd finds the basic starting skill [Force Arrow] and then inspects its price in the store. His jaw droops as the blood drains from his face. Nope. Placing a moratorium on his hope for secondary skill purchases, Todd re-resolves to make his choice count. Out of curiosity he tabs open the store equipment menu; but again the price on the top item [F ¨C Entropic Ray Wand] is high enough to convince him he won¡¯t be doing any shopping today, so he swaps back to the free skills list. The man in the gown had said that the list had been curated by the [System]; that might be a valuable opportunity. Instead of deciding what to think of his choices, Todd wonders what his choices imply the [System] thinks of him. He inspects the top item in his list, [Arc Whip] and opens a detailed description.
Arc Whip: An electrical attack that is effective at short to medium distances. Effectiveness scales with Int (Primary), and Dexterity (Secondary). Equipment focus not required. Classified as basic At-Will ability. Cosmic Energy Cost: High. Upgradeable.
Okay, wow. That¡¯s twice as tasty as he might have guessed. Todd closes the details panel and continues down the line. [Thunderstruck] seems interesting, another electrical attack but with much longer range. However this one appears to require a piece of equipment to be effective. Maybe it¡¯s meant for some kind of lightning archer? Eyes still shut, Todd frowns. This ability doesn¡¯t appeal to him very much, so why is it included so high in his list? Continuing to [Force Arrow], he finds a mid range attack that hurls a missile of magical energy. It doesn¡¯t seem to require a lot of Cosmic energy, and paired with its longer range and lack of an equipment requirement, reads as a superior attack. That might suggest the attack is less powerful, or maybe that there¡¯s some kind of value to elemental affinities that hasn¡¯t become clear yet. Of course, Todd considers grimly, maybe these abilities aren¡¯t balanced at all. Maybe seeding a bunch of duds into the list is a part of the test. How unfair would that be? This one is unusual. [Empath¡¯s Foresight] isn¡¯t an offensive ability at first glance. It looks like a limited ability to see the future. Looking at it closer, he can see it¡¯s labeled as a perception skill. He¡¯d seen that sub-category over in the Store list. It isn¡¯t purely a matter of divination though, the description implies that Todd would only be able to guess the physical movements of other living or sentient things. Huh. Maybe he¡¯ll come back to this one. [Flame Bolt] looks like a pretty standard ranged fire attack, but then he reconsiders. Standard compared to what? No, he can¡¯t make the mistake of thinking his time playing nerdy games will apply here. He goes carefully over the ability description before progressing to the next. [Ghost Step] is interesting, it would make him insubstantial (but not invisible) for a brief moment. He can imagine a lot of ways that could be very powerful, but it again doesn¡¯t entirely seem to be his style. The next block of abilities all seem to be mid to long range elemental attack spells. [Stone Needles], [Frost Spike], [Chaotic Orb], [Lambent Ray]. Starting to see a theme here. But there are some oddballs, including the disgusting touch-ranged ability [Putrid Caress] that causes necrotic internal tissue damage. What the hell? Feeling a tug at his arm, Todd shakes out of the Catalog and notices they¡¯ve advanced a spot in line so he lets ¨¦lena lead him before closing his eyes to return. [Accelerando Ball] brings an amused smile to his face. It¡¯s marked with a ¡î and is probably the weirdest, most specialized skill so far. Apparently it creates a sphere that consumes Cosmic Energy, but in exchange for enhancing his physical abilities. The twist is that he can actually pass the ball to someone else, which sucks on their Cosmic Energy. Every time the ball passes hands, the cost, as well as the power boost increase. It seems like a support ability? Chewing on this last skill for a few moments, he can¡¯t understand why the [System] would think he would ever want to choose it. Then it hits him. It¡¯s because the [System] can¡¯t read his mind. It only knows what it can see and detect, and it saw him playing sports on a team. It saw he¡¯s hanging out with Joe and Candra. Clearly all the attack spells peg him as an offensive spell casting type, which might even be right. But it had been strange that so many electric attacks are high on his list, now it occurs to him that the Catalogue is responding to how strongly he had been affected by the Thunder Champion vision. It also occurs to him that if the System had been in his mind, it would have known that the lightning had been the bit he¡¯d cared for the least. A chill of goosebumps get him wiggling in his skin. It was the pixies. They were adding their own suggestions to his list. That would explain where the space and time abilities were coming from, Ciforre would have recommended them. The gross, inhumane abilities would have been Befor¡¯s sick version of a joke. Aefore would have bumped the hybrid attack [Thunderstruck] above the other pure magic abilities. Todd scrolls a bit further down the list, just in case. There are a few more specially selected skills but generally the further he goes, the more hybridized the skills become, and the more support abilities begin appearing. It¡¯s interesting but in the end it doesn¡¯t matter, he¡¯s made his choice. Opening his eyes, he sees ¨¦lena irritatedly proffering her empty palm in front of his nose. ¡°Sorry,¡± he murmurs, placing the chit in her hand. Her smile spreads leeringly wide as she slaps the chit against her head and squeezes her eyes shut hard. ¡°Okay, jeez.¡± ¡°You pick something, super cool?¡± Befor asks, flushing in like a pink bubble bath spilt out of a particle collider. ¡°You¡¯ll probably think it¡¯s boring,¡± he glacially replies, acutely conscious of how much of a fa?ade her public persona represents. A sober look from the pixie hints at the sharp mind hidden underneath. ¡°Which means you''re picking from one of Aefore¡¯s, aren¡¯t you? Poor Cee-fee," she folds her fingertips under her chin, and raised her elbows impishly. "You keep breaking her widdle heart.¡± ¡°Not exactly, but also sort of yes,¡± Todd tries to explain as the last person in front of him removes their hand from the crystal and backs away. ¡°Sort of yes? Have you managed to invent a new flavor of no?¡± She muses, but with a little vocal squeal for keeping up appearances. Blushing, Todd extracts himself from ¨¦lena and places his palm directly on the surface of the crystal. ¡°She had the right idea,¡± he concedes. ¡°She just misunderstood what I was looking at.¡± A line of flowing energy surges from his heart and out along a groove written into his spirit. It rides up to his shoulder, then streams along and down the length of his arm and to the pad of his finger. The moment his spirit makes contact with the crystal and activates his choice, a frigid cold settles deep into his hand and he braces his whole body against the sensation. Gripping his own hand and gritting his teeth, Todd hears the faint, churning voice of the [System] as it accepts his wish. [Skill] Selected, it says. [Water Spear] 010 No Yourself Every inch of her face ¡®might be levied to discontent, sets itself to that high purpose now. Never in the bright brief years of his life, had Todd ever witnessed an expression of such afflicted disgust. ¡°How could you be so boring?¡± Chokes the fae-fiend administrator Charlie Two Foxtrot Four subsection B. ¡°I- I...¡± Todd stammers. ¡°No, it¡¯s okay,¡± the firefly energy bloblets of her body loop drunkenly and her open palms tap feverishly against the empty air. ¡°We can fix this. I¡¯ll pull some strings, we¡¯ll get ourselves a [Coin of Reset]...¡± Then accord between her eyebrows breaks down and they descend into a brawl with one another. Gulping down a little courage, Todd squares his shoulders. ¡°This is what I wanted.¡± But the pixie draws a cutting line with her stardust-solid hand. ¡°So we got your element wrong? Happens all the time! I¡¯ve got this great hidden skill, not supposed to give it out in sub C grade tutorials: makes all the water in the body jump an inch to the left.¡± She puts her hands on Todd¡¯s shoulders heavily, and they are an incendiary laceration. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe how lethal it is.¡± ¡°Ow ow, let go,¡± Todd exclaims, shirking off her grip and backing away. ¡°This is the right choice,¡± he asserts, wiping moisture from the side of his eye with his hand. ¡°This is what I want.¡± Befor¡¯s eyes are a wide hungry chasm, but then she recalls herself. The humans around her are withdrawing from her in a murmuring fearfulness, and her sister Aefore bears a severe watchful expression from aloft the far side of the mob. Shaking her head like a dog shakes off a bath, her face ratchets back up to a blush-cheeked full-mouth beaming. ¡°You¡¯re such a silly head! Now you go get along there, little buddy. You¡¯re holding up the line!¡± Dodging waiting Cultivators, Todd retreats without hesitation. After a moment, bent upright and hands on knees to recover, Todd looks up to see Randall jogging over. ¡°What was that about?¡± The big guy asks neutrally. ¡°Oh just Befor threatening me. You know, a tiny bit.¡± Randall perks up, dubious. ¡°Befor wouldn¡¯t threaten anybody, she¡¯s nice.¡± Todd makes an effort to choke out a syllable. ¡°I get it man, you¡¯re stressed out. Everything¡¯s weird, nobody¡¯s telling us when we¡¯re going home, and you¡¯re working yourself so hard already.¡± Randall continues gently. ¡°But you¡¯re being paranoid. Just¡­ try to relax and enjoy this. This is the fuckin¡¯ dream, man.¡± ¡°We¡¯re here for a month,¡± whispers Todd absently. ¡°A MONTH?¡± Randall gapes. ¡°Who told you that?¡± ¡°Pixie.¡± ¡°Why are they telling you all this stuff man? This is just like you. You¡¯re doing so goddamn good at this, and all you can do is mope around.¡± Todd flinches. ¡°Ugh. Critical hit,¡± he admits. ¡°Yea, uh-huh. Meanwhile me over here? I can¡¯t even hit level two.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry Randall. You¡¯re right,¡± Todd sighs. ¡°Let me help you get your level, and we¡¯re gonna get super badass together. Okay?¡± Randall grins unreservedly. ¡°Deal. I¡¯m real close I promise. Go get your weapon first though, Aefore¡¯s handing them out.¡± Looking over to the leader of the pixies, Todd sees a wooden rolling rack beneath her. It¡¯s hard to see from here, but it looks like it¡¯s stacked high with short metal rods. ¡°I can just go grab one?¡± He asks, walking backwards. ¡°Yea and get me one too!¡± Randall calls as Todd turns and lopes off towards this morning¡¯s second helping of mystical amazing. Less than five minutes later Todd rolls his regulation issue [Mercury Rod] over in his hands. He looks up questioningly at the silent hovering Aefore, then back down to his new weapon. Only about two feet long and narrow enough to fit in a one handed grip, the rod is a solid cylinder of cherry wood and silver metal. The metal part, a likely suspect for ¡®bit one hits with¡¯, tapers to a sharp squared point at the end; and the edge between materials is so clean as to be seamless. The only decoration is a single word in stark lettering embossed into the wooden handle. Defiant. ¡°Thanks? I mean uh, this seems cool,¡± Todd bleats without conviction. ¡°Very much so,¡± she asserts with a tremulous electro-warble confidence. ¡°This is designed to be the perfect starter weapon for a warrior...¡± arms folded, she looks Todd up and down in a blunt assessment. ¡°Who showcase more promise than talent.¡± He ignores her slight; after all, she¡¯s right. ¡°It will change shape to fit your desire,¡± she explains. A small amount at first, but the weapon will grow with you as you Cultivate. However it will quickly be outpaced by the equipment which becomes available to you later on.¡± She plucks up one of the rods from the pile beneath her, and as she cups one hand against the metal, it ripples and shifts. First, the metal flattens and becomes a sharp looking dagger. Then it rounds again but bends by ninety degrees and extrudes another branch. She twirls her new tonfa idly between her fingers before shaking the weapon out. By the time she returns it to the cart, it has reverted to its original shape. ¡°You¡¯ve sold me,¡± Todd concedes. ¡°Are there limits to how much it can change?¡±This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°Limits in changes to mass, volume and hardness yes. Complexity too. You will find these limits loosen as you grow, but not by much. You should also not depend on it to change shape quickly enough for the needs of battle.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Todd murmurs, concentrating on the weapon in his hands. ¡°This is a tool which would never follow you into the E grade,¡± Aefore cautions. ¡°It is no Spirit Tool, able to evolve past its humble beginning classification. No, by the time you have familiarized yourself with a few martial weapons and choose the type best suited for yourself, it will already be necessary to discard it.¡± Todd nods. ¡°It was untoward of her to react in that way,¡± Aefore¡¯s voice softens. ¡°Who?¡± ¡°My sister. I am disappointed at your skill selection too, but that is not your failure, it is ours.¡± The creature almost looks regretful. ¡°I should have anticipated your need more rightly.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to apologize.¡± ¡°Young Mister Kalogeropoulos, it is our most sacred duty to see you reach your fullest potential.¡± She smiles at him graciously. Todd licks his lips, which have gone unexpectedly dry. ¡°Or see us die trying, right?¡± The pixie¡¯s expression hardens, becoming a stone mask of affectionate cruelty. ¡°Yes.¡± He swallows an acid taste. ¡°I¡¯m going to grab a second one for Randall, is that okay?¡± Receiving no objection, Todd runs from his second pixie of the day, this time with a gift for his friend in hand. Over the next two hours, the two young men painstakingly review the introductory contents of the [Root of the Limitless Promise Cultivation Manual]. Todd patiently clarifies several of the more critical points, and manages to resolve some of his own misconceptions as well. By the time Randall reaches the second level and runs off to pick his very first [Skill], Todd decides he¡¯s ready to tackle the third level in earnest. Visualizing the flow of energy within his body, he breathes in sharply through his nose and lets himself drift along with the current of newly absorbed Cosmic Energy. He does not begin laying down new foundational circuits just yet. Each new line will accelerate his Cultivation and his growth, but he understands now that building them incorrectly would impede or even cripple him in the long term. For now, he is content to inspect them from the crystal and plan them out in his mind. ¡°Are you working on three already?¡± A tired voice asks. Opening one eye, Todd sees Candra assembling herself clumsily into lotus position and shaking out her shoulders. ¡°Nothing better to do,¡± he confides. ¡°You could test out your new skill,¡± she counters, and he hears her fall into the cyclic rhythm of the Limitless promise root breathing technique. ¡°Yea,¡± he pauses with no small amount of restrained enthusiasm. ¡°But until I grow my Cosmic energy reserves a bit, it¡¯ll be a pretty big drain.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s a bad thing?¡± He shrugs fractionally, so as not to interrupt the rhythm of his rising diaphragm. ¡°I assume so?¡± A long moment stretches between them. ¡°You¡¯re such an asshole, Todd,¡± Candra hisses. Surprised, he opens his eyes and trips over his pulmonary cadence. Candra¡¯s eyes are squeezed shut tight to the point of a quiver, a bead of sweat rolling down her temple to meet and merge with a falling teardrop. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°No I¡¯m not okay,¡± her quavering breath collapses into ragged coughing as she blinks open her eyes and stifles a sob. ¡°Just let me have this. Everybody¡¯s stronger than me here.¡± Todd reaches out a hand and then pulls it back.¡°Candra, what are you talking about. You¡¯re crazy strong. Joe showed me the bruise you gave him, that was this morning.¡± ¡°That¡¯s only because I put all of my points into strength!¡± Her pitch begins to rise with intensity, but she glances around in embarrassment and brings it down to a growly whisper. Todd takes a moment to really consider how much four points of strength really means. After all, before the tutorial he only had five of them total himself. ¡°Oh,¡± he dumbly replies. ¡°Todd, do you know how long I¡¯ve been playing sports?¡± Todd doesn¡¯t. ¡°I thought you were just a ref?¡± ¡°That¡¯s just a part time job,¡± she shakes her head and her brown hair cascades messily around her. ¡°I¡¯m on the varsity women''s lacrosse team.¡± ¡°Oh. Uh, that¡¯s really badass.¡± ¡°Yea. Yea I want to think so too. But I bust my BUTT to stay on the roster. I¡¯m always on the edge of getting cut from the team and I¡¯m at practice all the time. You don¡¯t understand, Todd. You don¡¯t even understand.¡± Looking for something to do with his hands, Todd cups them together and then nervously puts them back down on his knees. ¡°So this is your chance to...¡± he hesitates, ¡°be strong?¡± Candra blots at her face with the hem of her Gi. ¡°I¡¯m just, it¡¯s just,¡± she laughs. ¡°It just sucks that I work so hard, and then Joe drags me down in two seconds. He¡¯s like the laziest guy, but I still can¡¯t beat him.¡± Meeting her eyes, Todd glints a gleam in his own. ¡°Well he is really freaking big.¡± Her laugh melts his heart a little bit. It¡¯s belly deep and honest and unpretentious. ¡°He¡¯s tall, Drips.¡± She wiggles her eyebrows mischievously. ¡°Not necessarily big.¡± Todd snorts, and then Candra breaks too and they descend into a half minute worth of snickering mess. "You know, your eyebrow is looking way better," the young woman observes, making liberal use of her loose sleeve to smudge at her face. Mostly composed, she watches Todd raise a hand to touch at the nearly closed wound. "You didn''t use the healing pill?" "I actually think it''s the Cultivation," Todd guesses hopefully. "Maybe it, I dunno, accelerates the healing process." Candra nods thoughtfully, but looks not quite convinced before she closes her eyes again. Together the two fall back into the rhythm of cultivation, but this time much more at ease. Wordlessly, as the minutes pass they are joined by Joe, by Nayira, then Walter and finally Randall. Finally it becomes clear that everyone who¡¯s reaching level two today has done so, and everyone who will receive a skill has done so too. ¡°Congratulations on your choices,¡± Ciforre¡¯s voice is recognizable by its echoey distortion and carefully clipped spirants. Joe opens his mouth to thank her, but Candra raps her knuckle against his shoulder and he shuts it with a frown. Todd looks at his friends and then up at his patron guiding spirit. ¡°You don¡¯t think I made a mistake?¡± Ciforre folds her body out from under her and settles down neatly on the floor as Candra scoots to make room for her. ¡°No. Not at all. Todd, as much as we pretend to know what¡¯s best for you,¡± she pauses and waves a hand round the circle at the group. ¡°Which I still officially say we do, by the way.¡± Her mouth quirks up mirthfully. ¡°Eventually every Cultivator needs to choose their own path, determine their own destiny. The fact that you know where you¡¯re meant to be headed already, even just a little bit?¡± She reaches out to his chin, lifting his head to her without touching him. ¡°That¡¯s a wonderful thing.¡± Then her visage slips back into her usual severe businesslike demeanor. As she begins to rise, she pats out a wrinkle in her¡­ dimensional essence(?). ¡°Now get yourself ready children,¡± she orders them. ¡°Oh yea, why?¡± Growls Walter, sounding insulted to be lumped in with the sub septuagenarians. Tucking her tome underneath her arm, and tapping her glasses further up the bridge of her nose, Ciforre lances the old man with a withering glare. ¡°I am afraid to inform you that in seven minutes, this plaza will flood with thousands of carnivorous, venomous insects.¡± His friends gasp, but Todd buries his face in his hands and makes an angry, inarticulate sound. The pixie barely spares him a parting glance as she turns to leave, but delays. ¡°I would like to insist you survive,¡± she says simply. Then she¡¯s gone. 011 Battle Ready? Hesitated when it mattered most: that¡¯s the worst kind of epitaph to be laid under. Joe is on his feet first, weapon in hand. His jaw set in determination, and his chest broad to double it ¨C he strikes a Napoleonic figure; but this time all empire and no complex. ¡°We have to do something,¡± he says. Whatever cynical instincts Todd is normally a victim to, well they vanish like powder in a flash-pan. He leaps up from his seated position, and the [Mercury Rod] resting in his lap slings up spinning into the air. He fumbles after it, then the rod strikes the tile an inch from his big toe with a leaden metal clunk. ¡°Sorry,¡± he mouths with an agonized look, and a sheepish double handed grip on his implement. The others barely notice, clambering upright and exchanging looks in the instinctive human need to find the fittest collective measure to panic. Next they turn to Joe in case he¡¯s got them a reason not to. ¡°Okay, step one is warn everyone,¡± which sounds to Todd like a good start. Then a shadow of doubt clouds the tall young man¡¯s face. ¡°But I¡¯m gonna need some help on step two.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the chance we can run or shelter somewhere?¡± Nayira asks, lending a helping arm for Walter to get himself standing. ¡°We could get to our rooms,¡± Randall suggests. ¡°No,¡± Todd reluctantly interrupts. ¡°We¡¯re going to need to fight.¡± Candra frowns at him and he shrugs. ¡°Yea, he¡¯s right goddammit,¡± she groans. ¡°That¡¯s how this works, we¡¯re not gonna get out of it.¡± ¡°I tell you what. I¡¯m not about to hole up and hide, just cause I got trouble coming,¡± Walter spits on the ground. ¡°And what we gonna do if they get in, all get eaten on one by one?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Joe scratches thoughtfully at his temple. ¡°Okay. I mean, we¡¯ve all got superpowers now right?¡± ¡°Not everyone,¡± Todd reminds him. ¡°We¡¯ve still got some level ones.¡± ¡°And even more folk¡¯ll be useless in a real fight.¡± Walter warns. ¡°Lemme tell you something, lot of people don¡¯t have what it takes for combat. First time, they¡¯ll freeze up I guarantee you.¡± Nayira makes a noise which isn¡¯t disagreement. ¡°Worst thing though is if people freak out. We can¡¯t panic them.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have to start with the folks we trust.¡± Joe puffs out the side of his mouth and taps his [Mercury Rod] against his thigh. ¡°Ok then. What next? Form up a ring and put our non-combats inside?¡± They chew on the plan for a moment, knowing they don¡¯t have many to spare. ¡°Be easier to defend people if we held against the corner,¡± Todd observes. ¡°Yea,¡± Joe affirms grimly. ¡°Yea, that sounds like a plan. Alright we gotta go, people. Be quick, be safe, be smart.¡± He hops backwards the first few steps. ¡°And try to find me before it starts.¡± He wheels around and sprints off. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll get the Doc,¡± Todd announces. ¡°No,¡± Nayira shakes her head. ¡°I got to get Walter over with the level-ones.¡± The old man tries to protest but she is having none of it. She tugs on him less than gently, in the direction of the mass of seated Cultivators. ¡°Let me handle Chowdhury, you handle the ESL people.¡± ¡°E.S.-what?¡± Todd blinks as the med tech leads her charge off. ¡°Oh right. Then I guess I got Teo and the skinny kid.¡± Candra looks like she can barely stay awake, running on fumes and willpower. ¡°Ranger Drew,¡± she says unhappily. They start to back away, but Randall hesitates. ¡°What do I do?¡± ¡°Start with Fireman Ian or the high school kids,¡± Todd shouts, not stopping. ¡°Just get people moving this way.¡± Todd dodges past a confused looking man. Everyone nearby had heard them of course, or at least heard enough to be worried. The gang hadn¡¯t been quiet; hadn¡¯t had time to be. ¡°Emergency meeting!¡± Todd calls out, trying to control his voice: to keep the edge off, and the confidence on. ¡°Everyone needs to follow us, and hustle up.¡± Searching the crowd hurriedly, Todd scans past the two small communities which don¡¯t have the advantage of common language. He needs to find a scarlet bald head, and then a baseball cap topped over some serious acne scars. Pumping his legs, Todd darts one way then the other, stopping only to direct anyone who understands towards the corner of the square. Maybe it¡¯s true that folks don¡¯t rise to an average of intelligent, but they don¡¯t stoop to a mean of stupid either. The crowd is catching on, and the wrong kind of excitement is rising. Heart hammering in his chest, Todd know¡¯s he¡¯s got to outrun hysteria here, but it¡¯s not easy finding a specific person in this sea of white martial gis. By this point his legs and lungs are burning with exertion so he tries something unorthodox. Skidding to a stop, he slams his eyes shut. Reaching inward he puts pressure on his spiritual center. It doesn¡¯t feel natural, and it doesn¡¯t feel right, but the Cultivation manual had said that Cosmic Energy could empower his body so he does it anyway. The energy grudgingly spreads out through his core and limbs. Without a full set of firmly established channels though, most of his body spills out wasteful amounts. He resolves to rectify that later, but for now his eyes shoot open and a flood of renewed strength fills him. Teo Alamilla sputters with shock as a stampeding, pasty looking Todd grabs him by the front of his gi with surprising strength. ¡°Teo, I need you to be chill and help me get everyone over into that corner right away.¡± The man piques up to a deeper red, like he¡¯s considering picking a fight, then reconsiders and swallows the cuss he might have used. ¡°Yea? Why?¡± ¡°Monsters. Probably, more like certainly.¡± Todd looks down at his hands with surprise and lets go, backing up a step. ¡°Sorry. Help us get people safe, and I know it sucks but get ready to fight.¡± He backpedals a few steps, then remembers himself. ¡°Please,¡± he adds politely. To his credit, Teo doesn¡¯t waste a minute. To his detriment, Jingshu ends up being more of a problem. But once the young man is assured (in no uncertain terms) that he can sit out the actual danger, his help proves invaluable. A full fifty folk follows the kid, and Todd sighs with approval. As Randall jogs over to join him, Todd watches the condensing crowd with apprehension. Alderman Donnelson¡¯s raised voice bellows out directions, and a few other key leaders echo his instructions. Teo, Officer Bernice, Doc Chowdhury, Soup Nina, they¡¯re all doing their damndest to keep this process orderly. Level ones, inward. Under 18 and the elderly, inward. The politician delivers the orders in a clear resounding voice, and keeps them simple. Meanwhile Todd clicks his tongue against his teeth in exasperation. Too many people are angling for positions of safety, and the fighters aren¡¯t lining up fast enough. The defensive perimeter, even where it¡¯s forming up ¨C is uneven. Todd might not have seen a day of real danger in his life, but every gut instinct he¡¯s got is screaming that this mess isn¡¯t right.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Where are you headed,¡± he hears himself snap. A lone figure has wandered into his periphery and out from the crowd, the man strides without care or caution, walking past the [System] shop crystal and far past safety. He stops, and Todd regrets his mistake immediately. ¡°Gonna kill me some bugs,¡± Army Ranger Andrew Kreutzer inclines his head only slightly. His whisper of a voice is soft and genial and pitiless and it sets Todd¡¯s knees near to knocking. ¡°Okay,¡± he replies stupidly. While the slap of bare feet on stone precedes Joe, his tap on the shoulder still starts Todd to leap halfway out of his skin. ¡°What is he doing? What are you doing?¡± Joe rasps. ¡°Uh.¡± ¡°Shit, Drips. The pixies are coming down.¡± It¡¯s an urgent and unwelcome statement, that happens unfortunately to be true. Wondering (not for the first time) where these things keep flying off to, Todd sees the three sisters descending slowly from the sky. If their arrival deserved an adjective, ominous would be a top contender. ¡°I fear I have some dreadful news!¡± Ciforre announces. Her voice carries through and over all conversations, and the square falls silent. ¡°We have detected the presence of an invasive non-native species in this zone.¡± The ground beneath Todd¡¯s feet trembles. ¡°We believe they could be dangerous,¡± Aefore explains. He looks out across the plaza and strains his eyes searching. ¡°If we had known such a creature had built a nest under this area...¡± the sagely pixie shakes her head regretfully, not offering an actionable half of the sentence. ¡°The Redburr Stinging Crab is a poisonous, burrowing land arthropod native to a nearby forest world.¡± ¡°Caqaiba IV,¡± interjects Aefore. Far off, a single blue tile tilts off of its level alignment. ¡°It¡¯s venom is a notorious b-alkaline, fast-acting muscle paralyzer.¡± ¡°That is a relief, sister. At least the only risk is a paralysis of the muscles.¡± A surge of filthy grey muck kicks up into a growing pile. Befor helpfully chimes in. ¡°Oh, well the heart¡¯s a muscle too, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°In that case,¡± the golden warrior reconsiders thoughtfully. ¡°They sound very deadly don¡¯t they.¡± Todd grits his teeth. ¡°Considering the severity of the circumstances, and the size of the colony...¡± ¡°We believe it is necessary to unlock a certain amount of your hidden potential.¡± ¡°We understand this may seem sudden. But you are here because you have been Chosen.¡± ¡°The few from the many.¡± ¡°I even think it¡¯s fair to call them heroes. Don¡¯t you think, sister?¡± A long, probing wire emerges from the hole, then a second to join it and they twitch searchingly. ¡°They certainly look like heroes to me.¡± ¡°But the thing about a hero is ¨C¡± ¡°¨C they deserve a title.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s what we¡¯re getting you!¡± Cries out Befor in excitement, interrupting the others. ¡°Check your status screens, little cuties! You¡¯re gonna love what you see.¡± Getting his first look at the Redburr Stinging Crab, Todd most assuredly does not love what he sees. The thing is a large segmented bug, russet colored and big as a cat. A pair of long whipping antennae sweep out front, and the thing¡¯s low flat body would resemble nothing more closely than a wingless cockroach; except for the jagged spike unsheathing from its backside. ¡°Drew, don¡¯t be an idiot man! Get back here!¡± Joe shouts. Admittedly, this proves an unwise move. The bug twists to face Joe with a rapid decapodal skittering. While its mouthparts gnash like an ugly puzzle box, the antennae whip forward and its abdomen swishes eagerly. With a horrid premonition of what¡¯s coming, the two young men share a look of deep, commiserated grief. ¡°I¡¯ll handle that one,¡± then Todd¡¯s voice cracks, ¡°you get the next nine hundred ninety nine?¡± Whatever retort Joe had ready is cut short as a new [System] window appears.
?? Title granted: Chosen
Congratulations Hero of Earth World, you are special and better than regular people! Then an abrupt bone-thumping, tendon knitting, meat suffusing transmutation rocks Todd from inside to out. It feels¡­ It feels like someone went through all of his mitochondria and unlocked the liquor cabinets; all at once, and just in time for Mom and Dad to leave town for the weekend. ¡°Come on,¡± he cries out. ¡°Can¡¯t you keep this to one crazy bullshit thing at a time?¡± His muscles are thrumming, aching to be used: ones he hadn¡¯t known he had. His mind racing, crunching; clearer. The world in sharper focus. And that world so happens to include a two foot long bug monster leaping through the air, needle first and right at Andrew. Todd opens his mouth to warn the bearded idiot, but it¡¯s too late. Ranger Drew lifts the chittering, giant arthropod over his head, his eyes wild. One hand grips a struggling arm as it pops out of its chitinous socket with a spray of ichor, the other wraps directly around the six inch stinger. It¡¯s jointed arms flail wildly, lashing a shallow cut on the man¡¯s forehead. Then with a bellow of rage Drew, holding the damn thing by it¡¯s most dangerous appendage, heaves it upwards and then swings it violently against the floor. Too late for the bug. ¡°What is this guy¡¯s psychosis,¡± splutters Joe as the other man tosses the barb and it¡¯s attached entrails away. ¡°Joe. There¡¯s more coming! He wants to fight an army?¡± Todd shouts, grabbing at Joe¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Screw this guy!¡± Todd turns to run, but finds himself struggling against his newfound strength. Everything about his gait has changed, and without the benefit of time to adjust, each stride is as likely a tumble as it is a progress. ¡°Drew!¡± Joe barks again. ¡°There are hundreds more coming.¡± His first step launches him off balance, but he tucks into a rolling tumble, then he¡¯s on his feet again. The Ranger freezes, sees dozens of the crabs spilling out of the muck tunnel. In their mindless rush, they crawl and shove over and against each other ¨C jockeying for a space in the open air. Drew reaches down slowly to pick up his dropped [Mercury Rod], as antennae begin to pivot in his direction. He raises the weapon out in front of him; then a second tile shudders and begins to tilt. Letting out the foulest, meanest cuss he knows, the soldier makes the only smart choice left. With a score of murderous, crawling vermin hot on his heels, he turns tail and runs. 012 Arachno? ¡°What¡¯s wrong,¡± the man calls out. Todd sees the stranger¡¯s chemically-straightened dyed-yellow hair, his rubber facial piercings and narrow chin; and can¡¯t pin a face to a name. ¡°You were winning!¡± The nobody exclaims cheerfully. ¡°Why, ¡®cause we popped one? Move over.¡± The front line of the human defense ¨C charged with sacred power, bearing weapons from beyond the stars, and entrusted with the survival of hundreds, bristles with ¨C Bristles with ¨C Well, actually they kind of look like a pack of backup dancers waiting for a scene in their first music video. Jostled a bit, blondie and the others make space for Todd and Joe to rejoin the line. Then a young woman from a row or two back pipes up. ¡°There¡¯s not that many,¡± she optimistically chirps. Naturally, this jinxes them all immediately. Looking back over his shoulder, Ranger Drew follows fast after Joe. Todd motions him to safety while the bearded man jogs to a stop. He grunts as a third floor tile upends to disgorge another surging invertebrate tributary to the river: Bug. The voice from behind wilts. ¡°Okay, I guess maybe there are a lot.¡± Somewhat belatedly at this point, the System tones a notification and a set of new quests appear on Todd¡¯s field of view. Active Quests
  1. Staying Off the Menu (I) (Easy): Survive the Redburr Crab swarm for 80 minutes. Reward [F ¨C Greed Satchel], Patch: Legacy { Chosen }, Patch: Order { Skillful }
  2. Holding the Home Fort (Moderate): Defend the section-4 home crystal from the enemy. Reward: Store Unlock: { Luxury Room Upgrades, Ration Food Token, Meal Food Token, Fine Food Token }
  3. Sword of the Defender (Graded: Easy+): Exterminate Redburr Crab (0/2248) Reward: [F-Class Weapon Raffle Token], [Food Ration Token]x?, [F-Nexus Crystal]x?
  4. One for the Mantlepiece: Eliminate Elder Redburr Crab (Difficult), [F-Nexus Crystal]x20, [Nettle Salve Skin Mending Pill]x2, ?2000, Exquisite Food Token, Patch: Beast { #1Slayer }
  5. Skill Mastery (I): Water Spear (0/30) Reward: ?200, [F-Nexus Crystal: Water]x1, [Skill Treasure: Minor]
¡°Whaaat the heck,¡± Todd murmurs, finding himself a little overwhelmed. That¡¯s a lot of quests. Even worse, it¡¯s a lot of quests in his face obscuring his view of the oncoming swarm. ¡°Front Line!¡± Bellows Joe in a commanding voice. ¡°Close your menus! Heads out of the clouds!¡± Todd shuts down his quest menu and sees plenty of guilty looks as dozens of others do the same. ¡°Back Line! Someone read us our objectives!¡± Joe adds. The low, flat bodies of the Redburrs flex along their waxy articulations as they turn. The directionless swarm is aligning itself, like iron powder to the lines of a magnet, in the direction of the human Cultivators. Towards Todd and his friends. ¡°Okay, I guess don¡¯t die is number one,¡± calls out a reedy voice. Todd wasn¡¯t planning on it; he hefts his [Mercury Rod], feels the weight of it. Dissatisfied, he passes it from his right hand to his dominant left. When he does, he feels a negative pressure at his touch: like static or a potential. The logo, the Defiant is resonating with his open channel. It¡¯s supposed to change shape, right? Looking across the plaza, Todd can¡¯t help but feel his weapon is a little too short. An advancing wave of bugs clack and clatter, their antennae lashing eagerly. The first and bravest of them dart forward in fits and starts, but the majority of the swarm pushes out sideways to surround and flank. Todd looks left, then right at a widening threat horizon. The frightening thing is, if the Redburrs were to rush them all at once (like hive insects) he isn¡¯t sure how the defenders could fight them off. Luckily, the biggest cluster of bugs are simply nudging towards the shelter of the store Crystal. ¡°Whoa, whoa,¡± calls out a pitched voice. ¡°We can¡¯t let them touch the crystal!¡± ¡°What?¡± Todd blinks. A few others echo his surprise. ¡°Quest two is protect the crystal!¡± Someone else shouts in alarm. The distance in front of Todd pulls in close as his pulse quickens, tunnel vision on their vulnerable objective. The foggy, distorted reflection of segmented legs and gnashing mouthparts glints off of one of its angled facets. A dozen members of the human front line freeze up, and a dozen bugs go just as still as a thickly quilted hush descends. ¡°This is gonna suck,¡± Todd moans, and in the unexpected quiet his complaint carries further than expected. Not much of a battle-cry, but you make do with what you¡¯ve got. Ranger Drew is off first, sprinting from a dead stop on less than a grunt. Jolted into action, Officer Bernice, Joe, and Marketing Mike holler like mad and chase right after. Just like that, the battle and their preparations turn into chaos. Todd drops an inch at the knees and leans into a lurching start. Staggering, drunken-gaited as he desperately balances a flesh remade in newfound speed against a body full of old instincts. As Mike trips and crashes into a tangled rolling mess, Todd leaps over him, thrilling at the long arc he sails through the air. But it won¡¯t matter. The leading creature contracts, soft joints slotting together as it tenses to jump. It chitters gleefully, for as fast as Drew is trucking, he still has yards to cover yet. Its antennae lash backwards, and its forelegs raise in anticipation of the leap.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Then a bright flash of heat flings past Todd. It passes over his shoulder, nearly singeing his hair; a fulgent, fist sized sphere shooting on and beyond the running Cultivators. When it succumbs to gravity, the ball spills against the floor like a burst, incendiary balloon; the rolling plume continuing and crashing up and under the belly of the Redburr. Screeching in pain, its limbs wheel frantically and it flops back over onto its side. Drew follows fast after, coming in sideways like a thunderclap and swinging his weapon wide and two handed. The metal thuds against the shell of a second crab with a crunch, and its broken body careens into its fellows. Joe and Office Bernice make a wall around the crystal with Ranger Drew. They ward against a growing mass of enemies with glinting metal and shouts, but the [Mercury Rod] is too short to reach low effectively. They¡¯ll be surrounded shortly. The creatures are already trying to cut them off, jabbing at their ankles and searching for blind spots, while Drew refuses to give them the satisfaction. He squats in a deep, uncomfortable stance and delivers blow after crushing blow. It won¡¯t be enough. One of the things has already cut off Todd¡¯s approach, making it far too late to join them. As the front line of attackers distracts Joe and the Officer with their claws and stingers, a crab bunches up its body from behind, lining up a jump. Thankfully the flame attack has reminded Todd that he has options he didn¡¯t have yesterday. Swapping the rod to his right, Todd backpedals a step and holds out his left. He feels the length of his energy channel, feels where it intersects with the unfamiliar [Skill] structure in his hand, and pushes energy into it. His [Water Spear] drinks hungrily, pulling more than he intended to give, scraping at his Cultivation base ¨C but it wakens. A hazy blue shimmer condenses in front of Todd¡¯s Palm, a ghost of a fluid. Then, with a bucking force on his extended arm, that fluid launches at high speed in a narrow trailing harpoon. It punches through the jumper¡¯s mouth part, shears off a cluster of legs and sprays on through to make a battered wreck of the crab behind it. ¡°Hell yea, Drips! Do it again!¡± Joe laughs with wild eyed relief. The Redburr in front of Todd lunges at him, hurling itself off balance to swing its spearing abdomen forward and at his legs. Bolting clockwise around the crystal puts Todd further alone along the left flank of the attack, but it opens up a better angle to hit the creatures threatening Joe. He clubs one bug heavily in its raised tail, then raises his palm again. His heart hammers as he shuts one eye and finds a line that intersects more then one crab. [Water Spear] clips his target, tearing off a mandible and a leg, before it blows a ragged hole through the midsection of the one behind it, then lacerates the plate armor of the bug behind that. Todd gasps, feeling a tightness in his chest as his Cosmic energy is scraped out of him like butter off of toast. He can tell he has frightfully few of these attacks in him at this level, but at the same time, each crab that he kills seems to fill him with a sensation of rushing warm energy. Battering a leaping attacker out of the air, Todd falls backwards grimacing. He¡¯s failed to make it through to join his friends, but a dozen other Cultivators have risen to pick up the slack. They charge forward, shouting and swinging their weapons, dancing away from attacks aimed at their vulnerable legs. Ranged attacks begin to fire in earnest, shooting out from the reserve fighters into the bulk of the swarm. Flames and force and a winding ghostly snake, lash out, punching holes in the ranks of the attackers. Other humans race forward to take advantage of those openings, swinging their weapons clumsily and building a growing defensive line at the crystal. ¡°Hold the crystal!¡± Bernice cries out, her scalp trickling blood from a claw scratch. Meanwhile Todd realizes with a growing dread just how far he¡¯s been separated from either of the two main bodies of the human force. Spinning towards his unguarded left, Todd raises his wooden arm guard as a stinger violently stabs into the armor. The attack embeds the creature into the guard, and its flailing weight drags down his arm. He fends off an opportunistic foe on his right, and then smashes his weapon down on the belly of the one he¡¯s trailing as dead weight. Trying to kick a third gets him a scratch on his ankle and very nearly stung; so he heaves his left arm around. Using the body attached to it as a bludgeon, Todd crushes a live bug with a dead one, before the latter tears off from its venom gland and rolls away. Heaving with exertion and soaking with sweat, Todd anxiously watches as every enemy he beats down is replace by two more. His strategy of backing up to keep the attackers in front of him has proven a mistake. Then it comes to a close as his retreat is cut off from behind, and there¡¯s no direction left to turn that¡¯s safe. ¡°Really fucking trying hard to die, aren¡¯t you?¡± Candra complains, as she swings a flared ball-mace overhead and down to smash a crab flat against the floor. Bouncing off its victim with a crunch, her weapon sweeps in a low, full circle around her to clear out some breathing room. Todd freezes, then thumps twice against an encroaching monster, crippling its legs and rupturing a compound eye. ¡°Your rod¡¯s cooler than mine,¡± he frowns, hopping over an arachni-corpse to put his back up to his friend for protection. ¡°Thanks,¡± she huffs, walloping a jumper into a skidding tumble. A spray of shards flake from the shell and drift to the floor. ¡°It changes if you juice it with -¡± ¡°Cosmic Energy, yea,¡± Todd draws his hand over the metal of his weapon, feeding it some of his precious remaining resources. The body of the [Mercury Rod] ripples, narrowing and growing an additional foot in length. He slaps away an incoming body with the cane-length shaft, then the squared point tapers to a sharp spike to complete the transformation. Todd grips the handle tight and spears it down through the tail as it lands. Finally, his heel stomps down on its trapped thorax with a wet crunch. ¡°Can¡¯t you just, pretend this is hard for you?¡± Candra snipes as she steps in to cover his blindspot, smashing as she goes. Wiping sweat out of his eye and stabbing savagely, he snaps at her. ¡°It feels pretty fucking hard to me.¡± Todd jabs his weapon through an eyeball and risks a look behind him. The fight has become a total train wreck, their Cultivators completely overextended. Invertebrate bodies litter the ground, but hundreds more are coming. Worst of all, the huge gaps in the line have left the vulnerable non-combatants open to attack by plenty of ten-legged opportunists. Todd points over the roiling field of stinging crabs. ¡°We need to get back to protect the level-ones,¡± he insists. Candra nods and turns her head over her shoulder, ¡°Randall, we need a big boom now!¡± She hollers. A rising scream catches Todd¡¯s attention. He whirls to see a man toppling over to the floor, borne down by a bug which stabs him repeatedly in the forearm and shoulder as it claws at his head. ¡°Cover me!¡± Todd shouts, as he kicks hard at an exposed side. Then he leaps over a stinger and taps deep into his remaining Cosmic energy. Though his vision blurs, and his quarry thrashes, Todd lines up his arm and releases a lancing blast. The shot pitches wide, missing his target but bisecting an unsuspecting monster further away. ¡°Whaddya mean cover you?¡± Candra cries out from behind him. Gritting his teeth, Todd dashes forward, twisting and dodging towards a single minded rescue. Making a two hand grip on his weapon along the length, he rams the pointed sharp into the flat of the crab¡¯s side and levers it off of its victim. Careful of its sting, he lifts and then hurls the creature off of the business end of his weapon. ¡°Are you with me?¡± Todd asks, looking down on a bloody mess and searching for assurances of survival. ¡°If you can hear me, healing pill NOW,¡± he commands, rising to his feet and to the fight. Disheveled and furious, Candra appears next to him a few moments later. She looks down at the wounded man and resolutely hefts her mace. ¡°Randall!¡± She screeches with impatience. ¡°I can¡¯t get to you,¡± Randall¡¯s voice cries out, and Todd scours for the source. Todd finds him standing in a reverse huddle with Alderman Donnelson and some of the non-combats. They wave their [Mercury Rod]s feebly to hold the Redburrs at bay. ¡°Now, Randall!¡± Her voice rages a pitch higher as she lashes out another strike. ¡°There are too many,¡± he quails, swiping at a creature and huddling against his peers. Fresh out of patience, Candra lights up bright red. Her face twists in anger, and she shuffles forward to wind up for a big swing. When her mace collides with the exoskeleton, bits of it pop out between the seams, but the body as a whole flings so hard that Randall has to duck to avoid getting hit by verminous debris. He stares at her wide eyed. ¡°Now!¡± She snarls. 013 Regroup The outlook is looking quite grim, so poor Randall P. Cho, well he jumps out to go, bemoaning the threat to his shins. Maybe he quails at stabbing maggoty tails ¨C but to abandon his friends? That¡¯s a sin. Holding his [Mercury Rod] in a white-knuckled grip, Randall stumbles off-balance on one foot as he wheels the other leg high and out of the way. Hopping and lumbering further away from the safety of allies in a top-heavy janky ballet, Randall dodges claws and stings. As he goes, he¡¯s attracting a squad of hungry bugs that break off from the larger group in search of easier prey. Todd lashes out in redoubled haste, his shaky hands driving the point of his weapon astray as often as to its mark. Yellow and black bile slicks the floor and spatters the leggings of his gi ¨C but while the distance to his friend shrinks by inches, it grows in obstructions. Randall flinches back from a crab as it rears back in turn, then he kicks out forward in a lunging stomp and clips it with his soccer cleats. Hissing, the other bugs hesitate as they measure up jumps at his back side but fail to take them. It strikes Todd again how the redburrs¡¯ primitive instinct for self-preservation has actually made them less dangerous. Nerves faltering, Randall shouts a high pitched yelp, winds up a kick and simply punts the nearest creature. It arcs over the better part of thirty feet, and Randall (practically on his tiptoes) sidesteps into the opening its launch left behind. Spotting movement from behind, Todd jabs at and under one of the (ten) armpits of a roach that¡¯s slunk too close to the wounded man. He tips his head back with a pinched brow at Candra. ¡°Is he gonna save us or do we gotta save him?¡± With a hasty string of guesses of arc, direction, and distance, Randall edges a foot to the left and shoves his weapon tucked into the front of his trousers. Then, slapping his wrists together and holding his hands out and slightly down, he slides one foot back to brace himself. Todd¡¯s shoulders droop and his frown digs deep enough to classify as trench. ¡°No, don¡¯t you fucking dare,¡± he groans. ¡°[Igneous Bouquet]!¡± Randal howls, and a roaring plume of fire shoots out from his palms. Candra jumps back with a tiny yelp to get out of the way, while a rolling combustion overtakes dozens of bugs. Todd feels the flare of heat, hears the sizzle, smells the unspeakable. Then the fan of flame spirals into itself in the way a normal fire might bleed out to smoke. Most of the creatures in the path of the attack are heavily damaged or dying: their bristly body hair either consumed or still alight, their russet shells a lusher shade of red, a hiss of bubbles leaking out of breached joints. Randall collapses to one knee, overborne by a ghastly paleness. ¡°I can¡¯t believe he yelled the attack name,¡± Todd groans, unceremoniously grabbing one pale leg while Candra smacks away a lingering crawler with her mace, then grabs a trouser on the other side. The two run and pull the wounded Cultivator with them. He wails, and leaves a blood smear, and his pants are falling down somewhat, but they drag him safely to Randall. Stopping only long enough to drive off a few crabs away from his friend, Todd thrusts a shoulder underneath Randall¡¯s arm, lifts to get him back on his feet, and then grabs a trouser leg again. ¡°That was awesome Randall,¡± Candra wheezes, ¡°nice work.¡± The two of them pull and drag their charges back safely over to the Alderman and his band before the redburrs regroup. ¡°That doesn¡¯t look good,¡± Donnellson observes, clubbing a thorax and then a few legs. He looks down on the injured man, who¡¯s hands, face and back are starting to tense up. If it¡¯s a symptom of the venom, then Todd might guess it¡¯s a bad sign. ¡°What do we do? I literally know nothing about first aid.¡± Candra, with an expression of revulsion, picks up a nearby redburr carcass by a leg and pitches it at one of its fellows. ¡°I don¡¯t know much either. I think we need Nayira.¡± ¡°Or Chowdhury,¡± Todd reminds her. ¡°Mr Donnellson, we need help.¡± Hands shaking and scored by shallow cuts, Donnellson glances over at the trail of broken, broiled bugs then fixes the three of them with a severe look. ¡°I¡¯m kind of feeling like we need you more than you need me.¡± A widening ring of vermin probes at them, held at bay by the stabbing rapier and crushing mace. ¡°Randall, make sure the guy has taken a healing pill,¡± Todd grunts. ¡°Is he awake?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t do well with blood, oh ugh, it¡¯s on me, it¡¯s on my hands ¨C¡± Randall stammers at first. ¡°He says he¡¯s taken it!¡± He shouts, getting his voice under control. ¡°He¡¯s real weak though.¡± Yanking backwards, Todd struggles against a redburr that¡¯s wrapped it¡¯s four fore legs around his spike. Holding there, it drags in closer to Todd as he pulls back and arcs it¡¯s pulsing sting round at him. So he stabs forward instead, using the floor as back leverage to pin and puncture its shelled belly. ¡°Tell him he needs to Cultivate!¡± Todd growls hoarsely, flinging viscera off the tip of his [Mercury Rod]. ¡°Cultivate and don¡¯t stop! Got it?¡±This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. ¡°Got it!¡± Donnellson swings and misses, then backs up and collides with Todd¡¯s shoulder. ¡°We can push to the crystal. If we get everyone back grouped up there, we¡¯ve got a better shot.¡± Candra makes a bug into a pancake, wipes the back of her hand against her nose. ¡°I was gonna do a wine tasting today.¡± ¡°Yea?¡± Todd grunts. ¡°Boxed wine, but still,¡± she swings again and scores another crunching kill. ¡°Make a hole?¡± ¡°Will see what I can do,¡± Todd pivots around to the direction of the crystal and stokes at the energy inside him with deep breaths. He can feel a trickle of it recovering, but without the calm focus of his Cultivation technique he can get little purchase on anything but what his own body produces. He holds out his arm again and drops to a knee for a low angle. This time, Todd doesn¡¯t leave his [skill] to choose how much of his energy it wants ¨C no, he pushes. Drawing in from his legs, his other arm, his core, his heart, Todd wrings stubborn energy out of his body and shoves it into his skill fractal. He can actually feel the strain as it tries to push back, but the fractal engages anyway. Condensing, not-quite water vibrates unstably in front of him, but only for an eye-blink before it bursts into a high-pressure jet. The [Water Spear] clips one, punches right through a second, crumples a third, and smashes the thirds into a fourth and fifth. Candra lays a hand on Todd¡¯s shoulder and pats it consolingly. ¡°Four¡¯s okay,¡± she croons in a sickly saccharine tone. Exhausted as she is, she manages a wicked grin at his expense. ¡°You got four, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s got good range,¡± he mutters a little defensively. It is strange though, Todd would have expected that doubling the energy would double the effect, but the attack doesn¡¯t seem to work that way. Something to think about for later. Despite the joking, the [Water Spear] has actually done a great job of clearing a narrow path towards the crystal and the safety of numbers. Maybe his attack doesn¡¯t have the pure damage potential, but as he looks at how far his secondary targets have tumbled, Todd¡¯s gotta say: it¡¯s got one hell of a knock-back. Running on a wish and a prayer, he and Candra, and even a few of the level-ones, bludgeon and skewer the last ten yards to safety while the Alderman holds the rear. Randall collapses, red as a cardinal in spring from dragging the hurt man along the floor. He¡¯s not happy, that¡¯s for sure. But he¡¯s breathing and he¡¯s not being chewed on. ¡°Don¡¯t you have a [skill], Candra?¡± He gasps out wearily. ¡°Mine¡¯s,¡± she sways unsteadily, ¡°kinda complicated? I¡¯m worried I can use it wrong.¡± Her knee buckles and recovers. Todd sticks out an arm for Candra to hold on to, then as she keeps falling, he drops his weapon and grips her shoulders instead. Guiding her carefully down to a seated position, he glances around. ¡°Worn out already?¡± He whispers. She snorts. ¡°I¡¯m a little tired.¡± ¡°Sleep is important,¡± he chides. ¡°Thanks mom,¡± she rolls her eyes. Todd directs a nearby level-one to take care of his friends and then shouts for medical help. In a few seconds Dr Chowdhury wedges her way through the crowd and barely acknowledges him before kneeling down next to the bleeding man. ¡°Dr Chowdhury, ma¡¯am. Make sure he¡¯s Cultivating, I think it helps.¡± She catches him out of the corner of her eye. ¡°With the poison or the bleeding?¡± ¡°Bleeding, but I¡¯m hoping both,¡± Todd replies, then he pushes around the edge of the rough circle to find Joe. Silver and mercurial, Ranger Drew¡¯s sword carves a flashing line through a large redburr and its shell pops open like a split lobster tail. He fades back, bouncing on the balls of his feet. He holds, head bobbing as he lines up his gladius shaped blade. One hand is on the grip, one palm pressed against the pommel, then he explodes forward in a lunging strike. His point slips just into the soft joint where a fore-leg joins the body, and in to a hand¡¯s depth. A noise like a muffled ringing bell sounds out, and a pulse of force lacerates his target from the inside out. Officer Bernice whirls, keeping her back to Joe as they carve a wide circle of bugs to mulch. Her weapon curls with a cutting edge like a cavalry saber. Joe¡¯s has produced a heavy knob extended on the end of a narrow metal spindle. He lowers the weapon down, then swings upward in a brutal upstroke that sends a flailing, broken arthropod sailing through the air across the plaza. ¡°You turned your weapon into a golf club?¡± Todd stomps, stabs, and swats his way towards the others. ¡°I dunno,¡± Joe laughs, wrung out but beaming an endorphin-y smile. He hefts the club once and then whips it around in a long drive that flings another victim out back to the upturned mounds they emerged from. ¡°Feels pretty natural.¡± ¡°Do we have a plan?¡± Todd asks, grinning as he struggles with a glancing blow off of a thicker shell. ¡°We¡¯re actually doing pretty great,¡± Joe exclaims. ¡°It may not look it Drips, but we¡¯re probably past the halfway mark. Mike¡¯s been adding up our kill scores and comparing them to the total.¡± ¡°How many?¡± ¡°Started with plus two thousand,¡± Joe clips the sting neatly off of a nearby bug, and it brings its tail around its face as if in disbelief. ¡°But Drew¡¯s done in like, two hundred all by himself.¡± ¡°Hey, I¡¯ve got 70 something at least!¡± Bernice interjects, shearing an opponent into two gooey halves. ¡°You wanna know something stupid?¡± Joe hesitates. ¡°The crystal was an optional quest.¡± He admits. ¡°Optional!¡± Todd seethes. ¡°Optional?!¡± ¡°Can you believe that?¡± Joe chuckles tensely. ¡°But that¡¯s not the problem. Can you and the others hold down the fort here?¡± ¡°Yea, sure.¡± ¡°Quest says there¡¯s a boss monster and Drew wants to take it on.¡± Bernice interrupts exasperatedly. ¡°Andrew, we need you here on the line.¡± Dripping with horror movie levels of goo, the bearded one man wrecking crew launches overhead and upside down, striking a cutting arc at his relative up and slashing through three in one blow. ¡°I don¡¯t do defense!¡± He bellows as he lands back upright on his feet. "Well I fucking refuse to believe that just happened," Todd whispers. ¡°See what I¡¯m dealing with?¡± Bernice complains. ¡°How does the Army not do Defense?¡± She hollers louder. ¡°What, you skip a class at boot?¡± Drew answers only by grunt as he continues his rampage. ¡°We can¡¯t have him going alone,¡± Joe warns. ¡°Drips, get me Teo and Walter, they can back him up.¡± Todd screws up his face in disbelief. ¡°Walter? Walter can barely walk!¡± Joe clobbers a fat roach that had been gotten a little too close to Todd. ¡°Oh man Drips, you didn¡¯t look at your [title] yet did you?¡± 014 The View From the High Seats Kaiden Parles wanted to be a stunt car driver. Maybe he wasn¡¯t so good at school, maybe he was a little skinny and scrawny and short. But he was a good kid, at least as far as he figured it ¨C and his momma said so too so that counts for somethin¡¯. If further proof is needed, how about this: they say a man might be measured by the friends he keeps. Well if Kaiden¡¯s weren¡¯t angels, at least they were true. And yea sure, things hadn¡¯t been easy at home, but any damage his drunk daddy might¡¯ve done to his moral fiber got set right by his uncle. Out of all of ¡®em, it was his girl that believed in him most. She was the one who listened, and dreamed, and kept him on the straight and narrow. Funny though, at a time like this the only thing he¡¯s thinking on is his car. A silver Honda CRX. Maybe it was a rust bucket, but it rode light and turned tight, and it was his. A scissor of serrated folding mandibles cuts deeper into his shoulder. Oh sure, he¡¯d love to scream, but his throat is swollen and choked. When the jaw pulls hard at his body, he can feel the floor sliding under him. It yanks, and yanks, jolting distances of inches. Kaiden bends his arm, fighting the burning cramped stiffness of his muscles. His shaking fingers reach towards his shoulder. Then the stringer stabs him in the lung and all the air goes out of it. Kaiden remembers the time that his older brother bought him beer for spring break and thirty of his friends had to run from the cops out the first floor windows. The ragged saw tooth of a mandible shears through muscle and tendons and an artery pumps wet into the open air. He remembers the time he rolled the window down at a hundred miles an hour. His girlfriend had her feet on the dashboard; and a boy in the back seat had been smoking a clove cigarette, convinced it was marijuana. A knife stab sting punches between the bones of his forearm and leaves burning, bruising fluid inside. What about the time his cousin¡¯s dog chewed open the presents on his little sister¡¯s birthday? How funny was that? A second Redburr crab bites deep into his upper arm and pulls. Abdomen twinging, back arching, Kaiden tries to pull in a breath and it bubbles in from his wound into his collapsed lung. The next dragging pull puts the grain of grey soil scraping underneath him, and he sees in his blurring vision the shadow of a raised blue tile, and then the tunnel takes him ¨C ...how funny was that?
Seated comfortably on a divan settled against the inner surface of a Klein Bottle, Aefore reaches an indolent hand back and motions for her sisters¡¯ attention. ¡°I do believe they are performing quite well,¡± she purrs. Magnesium white hair streams upwards from her scalp, and her gold-red hands glitter like fire opals as they curl idly around a milky, pinkish rhomboidal crystal. At her sister¡¯s foot and nestled into a bed of soft cushions, Ciforre turns a page in her book and it creaks like settling stone, groans like the bones of the mountain. ¡°Zero point one two standard deviations above performance projections on their preliminary swarm combat assessment,¡± she intones, not looking up. ¡°He¡¯s killing everything,¡± Befor¡¯s head sighs in contentment as her various fuschia parts drift like shipwreck flotsam overhead. ¡°It¡¯s wonderful!¡±The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Ciforre snorts derisively. ¡°Oh don¡¯t worry,¡± the dismembered pixie taunts back. ¡°Your boy is in what, seventh place? Eighth? That¡¯s not so bad,¡± she chortles. ¡°Hmm.¡± Amber eyes fix on Befor. ¡°What does our mortality rate look like?¡± Aefore queries, changing the subject. The trio looks down through a round spacial distortion at a bird¡¯s eye view of the plaza. Six red markers surface in the blue of the tile, then vanish again. ¡°The doofus from last night, and two more, Fa Mai Lin: 42, and Kaiden Parles: 17. That poison¡¯s super awesome by the way: no widdle voice, no widdle screams? They go bye-bye, and nobody notices.¡± ¡°I thought the Parles boy was in our top 40 candidates,¡± the crystal stops turning in Aefore¡¯s fingers as they slowly curl into a fist. ¡°After our little Kalogeropoulos debacle,¡± the third woman looks up over the rim of her spectacles, ¡°I took the liberty of more proactively reviewing our candidates¡¯ resonant affinities.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°Parles top three were ¡®Engine¡¯, ¡®Axel¡¯, and the color ¡®Red¡¯¡± Snarling in revulsion, Aefore waves her other hand dismissively. ¡°Good riddance, Kaiden. But that¡¯s only two, I see six critical life signs on the field.¡± ¡°Ugh! Cee-fee¡¯s little crew of team-spirit weenies are gonna save the rest of them. They¡¯ve already got whats-his-name Charles stabilized.¡± The warrior considers the situation thoughtfully. ¡°Well, we have yet to deploy the Elder Redburr.¡± ¡°After your Cultivators have already regrouped?¡± Scoffs a silky electric contralto: a fourth voice. ¡°You¡¯ll be lucky to secure two.¡± Administrator Defour alights down amidst her sisters, then reaches into a small satchel at her side. Plucking with two fingers, she withdraws and then suddenly a large leather high-backed chair appears. She catches it and then settles it down carefully to face her sisters. The missing fourth administrator is much changed, with large angular eyes, and sharp thick brows. Her animal nose, her ears, and her skull have all lengthened to exaggerate her inhuman features. Like her sisters, her face and her hands are refined and solid, but her sinuous body is a tangled, web-like volume of branching nodes and pulsing energy. Every part of her is made up from a semi-solid effervescent plasma in pale chlorine and incendiary boron. Collapsing into her chair with a sigh, Defour throws her neuron tangle of legs over the armrest and breaks into a leering grin. ¡°I¡¯ve already got eight,¡± she gloats, pretending to inspect a fingernail. The heavy whump of stone, flat on floor causes the green pixie to flinch back into her seat, leather blackening where it touches her. Ciforre glares at her sister, palms pressed down against her stone book. ¡°This isn¡¯t a race to kill them all, sister. I saw your numbers, you¡¯ve lost both a mid and high grade candidate already! Are you really still so aggrieved with us you would sabotage yourself? Unacceptable!¡± ¡°Peace!¡± In a microsecond, Aefore resides between her sisters, one fist gripping folding violet, the other snaring branching verdant. Defour snarls, her hands claws and roiling caustic plasm streaming off her. Ciforre scowls, eyes black as the void and light bending around her until it nearly starts to tear. ¡°I said, break it up!¡± Aefore shoves them both either way, and they topple furniture as they fly. Befor squeals quietly in glee, tapping her hands together in a volume-less clap while C and D slink back shamed but still angry. Aefore raises herself up to her full height, an immovable, indomitable pillar. Then she lifts the small crystal up for the others to see. ¡°Our strategy thus far has been to obscure our losses from the humans. It is our evaluation that this group has a high risk of insurrectory reprisal. We risk spoiling the whole batch.¡± ¡°I hardly am worried about ¨C¡± Gold cuts off Jade with a raising, warning finger. ¡°I can see the value of your approach,¡± she smiles. ¡°Very traditionalist.¡± Her face then grows severe again. ¡°But losing top performers can only hurt you.¡± ¡°So what do you suggest?¡± Grumbles a chastised Ciforre. The prism crystal begins to glow, and then a rising mosaic of panels flash open into the air. Each square contains an image of a face, along with numbers, statistics, connections, and projections. ¡°My dear sisters,¡± Aefore buzzes soothingly, ¡°it¡¯s time to start making some trades.¡± 015 Puncture Todd¡¯s eyes widen in surprise as he pulls open his status menu.
Name Todd Kalogeropoulos
Level 5
Race F - Human
Alignment Human (Earth)
Titles Chosen (+5 all attributes)
Strength 11
Dexterity 11
Endurance 11
Vitality 11
Intelligence 13
Wisdom 12
Luck 9
Nexus Coins 1240
Free Points 6
Three levels gained, over a thousand nexus coins, and plus five to every statistic? That¡¯s insane! On the other hand it explains how Todd has managed to fight so long and so well. He¡¯s dodged strikes he was sure would land, hit harder than he thought he¡¯d hit, stayed up and running when he should have been floored and spent. But as glad as he is to be alive, the gap between his capability ¨C the yesterday versus the today ¨C feels like enough room to fit an obituary into. Todd chooses to tuck that little thought back into the trauma vault; to focus on the now and deal with it in the never. Following the plan, he skirts the long way round the circle to collect Teo. As he goes he supplements the defenders, doling out a judicious strike here, and advice on cosmic energy there. About two radians round the way, he finds Mister ¡®Godly Gift Aspen¡¯. Standing a stride or two out from the safety of the others, the older man swears something about someone¡¯s mother and then chops a paddle hatchet of a weapon down on a bug with an executioner¡¯s finality. Noticing Todd wave him down, Teo greets him magnanimously. >grunt< he says. ¡°Hey gout-sack! Wanna kill a big one?¡± Todd shouts. The ruddy faced man turns and an American flag and eagle t-shirt peeks out from under his gi. He slaps the flat of his weapon against the palm of his hand, and confirms his commitment to the common good. ¡°Yea? How big?¡± Walter turns out to be easier to find, an ephemeral purple orb flashing around him as he gleefully cackles and swings a rod shaped like a baseball bat. ¡°Todd! There y¡¯are boy! Get over here while the getting¡¯s good!¡± ¡°You alright?¡± Todd asks uncertainly. ¡°Haven¡¯t felt this alive in decades!¡± Walter grabs Todd by the front of his gi and yanks him in close with a shocking, skeletal strength. ¡°You hear me? Decades.¡± ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Todd pulls the wrinkled grip off him, then points a thumb back the way he came. ¡°Drew needs help to kill a superbug.¡± ¡°Superbug!¡± Walter spits on the body of a fallen arthropod. ¡°If these ain¡¯t super, what¡¯s super?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t ¨C I guess these are pretty big. I don¡¯t really know?¡± ¡°Trick question! Answer is: the sum¡¯bitch¡¯ll¡¯ve regret bein¡¯ born soon ¡®nuff.¡± Teo laughs heartily and the two men step forward then slap each other on the biceps, completing a circle of expired testosterone. Todd looks helplessly from one man to the other. ¡°I didn¡¯t catch that, what?¡± Walter and Teo start off back round the circle, stopping only to smash anything nearby with legs in excess of two. ¡°Seriously, what did he say?¡± Todd begs them, chasing behind. ¡°Hey kid!¡± Walter shouts as he slows down for a particularly vicious swing. ¡°I got to thank you.¡± He stops and stares Todd right in the peepers, which freezes the young man uncomfortably in his steps. ¡°You saved my life yesterday. I wouldn¡¯t have seen this, been here, if it wasn¡¯t for you. I was at Vitality one, you get me? Now I¡¯m at eight, and it¡¯s ¡®cause of you.¡± The old man jabs his blunt weapon into Todd¡¯s chest, leaving some viscera behind on his robe. ¡°No problem, Walter,¡± he nearly gags. ¡°Whoo! I¡¯m gonna go marry me a girl 30 years younger!¡± The old man cackles loudly, and now Todd really does gag. ¡°Come on then, whatcha waitin¡¯ for!¡± The three turn the last bend round the fight to rejoin the battle¡¯s knifepoint and Todd plods after them, looking somewhat conflicted. The Cultivators here on the curve closest towards the center of the plaza have begun to overextend again, a line stretched thin and assaulted from either side. It looks like the only thing this appendage is meant to do is to provide cover for Drew, who is pushing ever more recklessly towards the source of the infestation. But the cost of that support? It¡¯s pulling their most talented fighters away from the defense of their most vulnerable, and leaving their backs unguarded at that. ¡°Drips! Nice timing!¡± Joe bleats hoarsely, voice near gone and looking like he¡¯d gone a cycle through the washing machine. He addresses his elders: ¡°you gentlemen ready to do something stupid?¡± ¡°Sure, what the hell,¡± Walter chuckles. ¡°Mm,¡± Teo elaborates. ¡°Who else is coming?¡± Todd asks. ¡°Huh? No. Drips, I¡¯m not asking you to go. I don¡¯t think Drew would want you along.¡± Todd looks over the four other men. ¡°So you¡¯re just sending a hundred percent of our toxic machismo.¡±If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Smirking, Joe pats a hand on Todd¡¯s shoulder and winks. ¡°Can¡¯t be a hundred, I¡¯m not going either.¡± ¡°Can we pull back now?¡± Bernice gasps ¨C angry, impatient and with a severed insectoid jaw hanging stubbornly onto her sleeve. ¡°Let these nuts get themselves killed?¡± Her expression softens. ¡°No offense, Walter.¡± ¡°Aw, don¡¯t you worry. I¡¯ve killed mosquitos bigger than this,¡± The old man waves her off and starts jogging. ¡°I like your sword,¡± Teo mumbles, blushing all the way to the top of his pate. ¡°Thanks big guy. Really not the time,¡± Bernice evades, shaking her head and raising her saber overhead to signal the retreat. Teo reluctantly lopes off to follow Walter. ¡°Gross, that guy¡¯s so old,¡± she mutters. ¡°Hey, greaser goes to college,¡± Bernice signals Todd, pulling up beside him as their group falls back towards the crystal. ¡°I assume that¡¯s... me somehow?¡± ¡°Yep. You see who needs help?¡± ¡°Soup Nina looks like she¡¯s having a rough time on the right side,¡± Todd points. ¡°And Donnellson¡¯s picked up a couple more hurt guys over on the back left.¡± ¡°On it.¡± Officer Bernice and Fireman Ian swing hard right, Market Mike falls back to the center, and a few others scatter to fill in where needed. Todd and Joe simply take their position up front and settle in to blunt the next redburr wave. ¡°You¡¯d think this would get easier.¡± Todd stumbles back, his body loaded heavy with motions overdue to become memories. He raises his foil, and though the tip wobbles, he drives it forward. The danger of it skids off a hard scale and catches in a soft joint, punching through and scraping along the inner side of its exoskeleton. ¡°Right?¡± Joe breathes heavily, whirling his iron in an arc that crumples one bug¡¯s legs into its side; several more duck though, flattening their bodies to stay under the comfortable reach of an upright human. ¡°Like you¡¯d get a groove going,¡± Todd pushes his aching muscles, his stance and grip trembling. The flailing skewered bug has been spared a vital wound and threatens to rip the weapon out of his hands. ¡°Right?¡± Joe kicks one of them in the face, then hops back hissing in pain. ¡°I just ¨C¡± Todd tries to slide his foot out of the way but his knee buckles. ¡°Dammit.¡± The crab thrashes violently, tearing a section of shell away from its soft inner body. In that moment, the sweat-slicked handle of his [Mercury Rod] pops from his grip, and the evil little thing contorts its body vengefully. ¡°Ow!¡± ¡°You okay Drips?¡± Todd flushes with anger, kicking back his right leg and ripping out an inch of stinger. He plods back a few more steps, then clutches at the bindings of his chest guard. Roughly, he drags them up and over his head, pulling them off with the protective wooden plate. Then he raises it over his head and smashes it into the wedge shaped body of the redburr. It¡¯s antennae whip at him ineffectually as it dies. ¡°Damn, dude. Very metal.¡± Todd grabs his weapon up, extracting it from the corpse and immediately taking retribution from the thing¡¯s little friends. He looks down at his shin and sees a dark red dot and a blooming scarlet ring. ¡°Crap. I think it got me.¡± Meanwhile, Drew and his babysitters have cut a path of crustacean ruin nearly to the entry mounds. Their contest couldn¡¯t have looked more lopsided ¡®less they¡¯d brought a side of butter. Finally it becomes too much to leave the three Cultivators unchallenged, so the Elder Redburr Stinging Crab belches out from the largest, earliest tunnel in a shower of gray dirt. Its nine foot body shoves the displaced tile further out of position, and it¡¯s lashing antennae unfurl threateningly into the air. Only now, with the appearance of the elder, does the creature¡¯s name become clear. The larger specimen has the same triangular face, the same flat wedge shape. Its ten legs are longer and sharper but otherwise the same, same with its heavy tail and sword-long sting. But the sides, the flanks, along where its breathing spiracles constrict and relax: are ridged by a line of sharp, bristly keratin in a bright crimson. Todd lifts his foot up high, and Joe grimaces as he inspects the puncture. They both turn as the huge F-Class beast saws its mouthparts together in a hideous high pitched cricket chirp. Todd drops his foot down and stares. ¡°Lucky them, huh?¡± Joe whistles, as he hammers out a clear zone around them. The elder redburr surges, its sharp claws a thicket of spears slipping against the tile as it charges Ranger Drew. ¡°I dunno, are they gonna be okay?¡± Todd shakes his leg, trying to clear a rising, painful cramp. Pivoting, and skidding to a halt, the creature whips its antennae out in front and they crack! with a flesh shearing sharpness. ¡°Are they gonna be okay,¡± Joe scoffs. He ends another bug with a crunch. ¡°Jesus man. Are YOU gonna be okay?¡± Drew wheels through the air, his sword lashing out and chopping one antenna off at the middle. Todd limps forward, testing his weight on the leg. ¡°Sort of feeling like no,¡± he admits guiltily. Roaring in a chirping, rackety wail, the beast rears back on six legs. The other four it raises like scimitars, and Walter backpedals furiously to escape its scything advance. ¡°It¡¯s okay Drips, I got this. You¡¯ve been crazy helpful already, and look,¡± Joe extends his weapon arm and sweeps it out to demonstrate. ¡°Bugs are almost cleared out.¡± Walter collapses to his knees, the barrier shield he¡¯s raised around his body nowhere near enough to stop the full fury of its claws. As the shield deflates, his weapon deflects the first strike, and the second cuts a deep bloody score along his lower ribs. ¡°I just¡­¡± Todd sighs, then slaps the side of his leg to distract himself from the spreading pain. ¡°I know it¡¯s dumb. But I thought I¡¯d be the one to fight the boss.¡± Bellowing, Teodore Alamilla leaps at the monster, heedless of his own safety. He raises his weapon overhead, then brings it to his side as a thick tail thuds against him, raking him with jagged burrs. Rolling with the fall as he hits the ground, and leaving a blooded track where he lands, he spins and chops side-ways with his paddle axe. His biceps bulge, and his neck veins throb, and a severed leg segment sprays ichor as it tumbles across the floor. Joe raps his fist congenially against Todd¡¯s chest. ¡°Nothing to be ashamed of, Drips.¡± Ranger Drew bares his teeth in a maniacal jeering grin, his sword shaking as it bites into the outstretched saber-claw. Teo looks up, dumbfounded at the deadly tip that was meant to cut him down, restrained by Drew¡¯s force of will and arms. Whistling wind marks the strike of the venom barb, but Drew has already flung himself away, kicking off of Teo¡¯s chest and launching the other man to an undignified safety. Todd hesitates, looking across the square and wincing. ¡°You know, I could probably shoot it from here.¡± Walter ducks underneath the swinging tail, dashes in from the side and lands a bone breaking blow near one of the lower hips. ¡°Dude, don¡¯t.¡± Landing on it¡¯s head, Drew slashes down but his sword glances off the chitinous armor. Todd raises his left hand and limps a few increasingly difficult steps forward. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t hurt if I just pop off one [Water Spear]...¡± Surrounding the beast on three sides, the warriors batter against its defenses. Its tail and arms are deadly, true; but its sides and belly are soft and broad. Teo clubs at a stabbing thrust, deflecting its aim. Walter clashes against dancing blades, drawing out the elder redburr¡¯s attention. In that priceless moment of opportunity, Drew slides through a slick of gristle and goo, on his knees and under guard. The soft scales of its underbelly are pale and exposed, he hefts his sword. And sputters as a spray of bitterly cold water smacks him in the face. Todd slumps to the ground, his cosmic energy depleted. ¡°Sorry guys,¡± he squeaks. Joe, Walter, Drew, Teo, and the Elder Redburr turn and face Todd in what one should and must assume is indignation. Energy drips wetly from the cracked leg that had taken the full brunt of the attack. It drips from Walter¡¯s face, and from Drew¡¯s beard. The water falls and vanishes as it remembers it was never quite water at all. Drew frowns. Then he stabs the redburr elder up through its mouth and into its brain. 016 Deescalate Todd doesn¡¯t know her name, it¡¯s just some kid. He watches as Candra draws her fingers through the girl¡¯s long blond hair; gently brushing it out. Dark rings shadow Candra¡¯s eyes, and every movement she makes is in opposition to a body that needs nothing more than rest. The teenager¡¯s gaze is empty and distant, but the state of mind taking back its native habitat fastest is: angry. She holds two untransformed [Mercury Rod]s, one loosely in each hand. The business ends plink absently against the tile, the last rivulets of bug goo dripping off. Todd looks down past his rolled up pant-leg, to the swollen puckered hole in his lower calf. The redness is reduced, and the clenched tension in his muscles beginning to relax. He hefts his last remaining [Nettle Salve Skin Mending Pill] in his hand in a way that suggests it¡¯s a hundred times heavier than it is. ¡°Getting sick of it,¡± Candra croaks softly in a way that¡¯s meant to be, but isn¡¯t a question. He¡¯d been right. The Cultivation had helped. He nods. The soft-sweet floral energy of the thistle pill had tickled as it flowed through his body, pressing against the heat and pain of the venom. But the breathing technique had quickened the course of the medicine in his veins; had infused its potency with fresh Cosmic Energy. It had been enough to begin healing the puncture wound itself, he¡¯d felt it as his skin and muscle tightened, as the broken blood vessels had sealed. Now it¡¯s just a red hole in his skin that oozes a pink, low-heme plasma. Candra licks the pad of her thumb and then blots a fleck of bug eyeball off of the girl¡¯s jaw. ¡°There we go. I bet you¡¯re feeling better already,¡± she whispers comfortingly. ¡°Do you want me to braid your hair?¡± The girl does not respond. ¡°I can braid your hair.¡± The girl inclines her chin slowly, and Candra begins to neatly set apart three evenly sized strands. Disinterested in the process, Todd pulls up a new menu that he hadn¡¯t had a chance to explore yet.
Tutorial Skills
Water Spear ¨C Proficiency: Early¡®A Journey into the Art of Fire Suppression and Paint Stripping¡¯Upgradeable
He inspects the hovering panel, then purses his lips. He expected the [System] to disrespect his choice, but it¡¯s a surprise to be made fun of for it. Ignoring the jibe, Todd inspects the skill closer and invokes the Tutorial supplemental information panel. These special panels feel a little different, Todd has noticed. Like they¡¯re a little¡­ thinner? He doesn¡¯t have an effective vocabulary for his interaction with the [System], and he struggles to map it onto words and feelings he¡¯s familiar with.
Skill Detail: Water Spear
Proficiency Early: The mind, body, and talent of a Cultivator must accommodate a skill fractal by incorporating its pathways and mysteries. Mastery of a skill will usually improve one or all of its: effectiveness, efficiency, utility, finesse, or other unique qualities.
Upgradeable True: Upgradeable skills will grow and develop as mastery continues. They may even evolve, changing considerably in form, manifestation or function.
Affinity Elemental Water (Major): The Solvent Element. The Change through Catalysis. Neutral Essence. Force Energy (Minor): The Impulse Energy. The Compulsion of Pressure and Motion. Negative Essence
Attribute Scaling Intelligence ¨C High: Cohesion, Velocity Dexterity ¨C Mid: Accuracy, Finesse Control Wisdom ¨C Low: Energy Diffusion Proficiency ¨C Mid: Fluid Volume, Boundary Parameters ???? ¨C High: Elemental Fidelity
Once again, Todd is confronted with a lot more than he¡¯s ready to handle. The important bits (for now) seem to be the ways he can improve the technique. Clearly, the biggest thing to tackle is just going to be practice. The [System] may have a dry way of describing it, but it makes sense that he simply isn¡¯t going to have a lot of control over this magic until he gets used to it. The fractal is clearly designed to take a lot of the decision-making off of his hands, and not just the energy consumption. Some of his shots (especially that last one) should have been harder to make than they were, so the skill likely had some target-locking and aim-control going on. He looks down at his hand. The good news will be that his statistics increases from leveling up will also make this thing stronger, but most of all he¡¯ll still need a lot of practice. Getting the training wheels off of this thing will be pretty important in the long run, he decides. Thinking back to the start of this the fight, he reminds himself that he has an active quest to do just that.
Skill Mastery (I): Water Spear (5/30) Reward: ?200, [F-Nexus Crystal: Water]x1, [Skill Treasure: Minor]
His progress is at five out of thirty. That¡¯s the number of times he¡¯d used the skill in the fight, and it had been his absolute limit. Not great, not terrible. But it hadn¡¯t been the kind of game changer that he¡¯d been hoping for, especially compared to Randall¡¯s massive fire attack. The sound of approaching footsteps convinces Todd to close out his menus and look up. Nayira Seacole: emergency response technician, and Dr. Abhigjna Chowdhury: podiatrist, are the only real medical professionals that the humans of Tutorial {EARTH} C2F-4 have got. Dr Chowdhury¡¯s sleeves and trousers are torn, up to the knees and elbows, but otherwise her gi is pristine. Nayira¡¯s is a mess, except her right leg: of which the pant is torn up to her mid-thigh.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. ¡°This is Mr. Todd?¡± The doctor asks the tech, walking as she talks. She hikes her pants up above her knees and squats down to match Todd¡¯s eye level. ¡°How you feeling?¡± He shrugs. ¡°It¡¯s a lot better.¡± ¡°You know,¡± Abhigjna chuckles, ¡°if you got yourself hurt three inches lower I would be legally licensed to treat you.¡± She gingerly guides his calf up and turns his knee for a better look. ¡°What does a foot doctor even do? Why¡¯s it a separate thing?¡± The doctor huffs. ¡°Mostly I help diabetics manage their symptoms, and write prescriptions for teen athletes to get physical therapy.¡± Seeming satisfied, she sets Todd¡¯s leg down and stands back up. ¡°I¡¯d say watch it for infection. I don¡¯t know what else to tell you. Should I prescribe a quarter hour of meditation once every four? A magic bean once in the evening?¡± ¡°It seems to work so far.¡± ¡°Of course it does! Makes me want to grab my degree and tear it up. Up is down, down is up...¡± Dr. Chowdhury throws her hands in the air, then lets them drop. ¡°No scratching, no swimming, and no fighting giant monsters. Okay?¡± Todd murmurs an acknowledgement. Nayira hangs back while Abhigjna moves on to help another patient. ¡°If you know anybody with clean clothing, let us know.¡± She plucks at the frayed tear at the edge of her pant leg. ¡°If we keep needing bandages like this, I¡¯m gonna be out here with my tits hanging out.¡± Snorting, Todd promises her he¡¯ll ask around. ¡°Yea, we may be able to buy some stuff from the crystal store now too,¡± he adds. ¡°Good point. Alright kid, see you next time you save a dummy from gettin¡¯ ate on.¡± She waves and then jogs off to follow Dr. Chowdhury. He sees Candra is still busy braiding, so: carefully, and keeping his weight on his good leg, Todd rises to his feet. By now, the last bugs are retreating back towards the tunnels they came from. While they¡¯re too afraid to rush the fighters pushing them back, they¡¯re apparently too stubborn to give up. Finally, the survival timer on the quest ticks down to zero and a noise signals an anti-climactic end to the ordeal. Those last bugs turn tail and flee, fast as the flip of a switch. They shove, they collide, they stumble. But they all return to the tunnels they came from. It might be cause for celebration, if not for the bent-elbow ape-angry waddle that Ranger Drew is making, direct and at pace right towards Todd. ¡°You!¡± Drew yells. His voice is just a little high pitched, in the way you might make fun of once and regret after. Old man Walter is out in front of him, walking backwards, uncomfortably and at speed. He¡¯s saying something and holding his hands out towards the other man. Drew neither replies, nor slows. ¡°Trying to kill me, you little shit?¡± He snarls. ¡°I, what? That was twenty minutes ago?¡± Todd stammers, hobbling backwards and finding his leg regretting it. While he had meant to express his surprise that the Ranger had waited until the end of the fight to turn angry, Drew interprets his meaning less charitably. ¡°Come here and let me help put your teeth into tomorrow¡¯s stool you pasty little ¨C let off, Walter!¡± The old man might be half white hair, half gristle, but he stands firm between Todd and Drew. He keeps putting his hands out and in the way as Drew tries to reach around. ¡°He didn¡¯t mean nothin¡¯, Andrew. You know that.¡± ¡°Step off, Drew,¡± warns a fourth voice, and Joe practically leaps out from the crowd. He taps Todd with his palm, pushing him lightly away. Joe and Drew face each other, Walter in between. The two men loom high over their peers, making themselves large like they slipped down a few rungs on the Animal Kingdom. ¡°He hit that thing from thirty yards away. Kill you? How do you know he didn¡¯t save your life?¡± Joe¡¯s only got one inch of vertical over Drew, but he milks it for all it¡¯s worth. Doesn¡¯t do much good though. Walter sighs in pained exasperation, and then Drew surges forward, red faced and iron-eyed. He nearly bowls Walter over. The three men grapple, starting with open palms and escalating as fingers curl into fists. Todd glances over at Teo for support, the biker looking man having followed slow from behind and just caught up. But his face is all Switzerland, cold and lofty and unwilling to risk his neck. What should Todd do? Does he help? Does he fight? Can he apologize if he finds the right words? He can¡¯t see the right choice to make, and that¡¯s got his chest shivering in fright. ¡°Whaaaaaat the crap, you lunatics?¡± Howls Nayira as she shoves hard on Joe and Walter, separating the two packs. ¡°You! Kid, look at you. You know better than this, you¡¯re smarter. You¡¯re handsome. So handsome. Got those cheekbones¡­¡± Nayira leans in closer to Joe, then pulls away. ¡°He¡¯s gonna mess up your pretty face, so don¡¯t you dare.¡± ¡°This is a private matter,¡± Drew growls. ¡°And YOU! You a grown ass man. So why don¡¯t you calm your beef ass, hillbilly ass, big bushy beard ass, tickles when you kiss ass, giant comfortin¡¯ biceps ass self down.¡± The two men blink, confused. ¡°Too few beautiful men in this word, and y¡¯all gonna make it worse,¡± Nayira puts her hands on her hips, wrestling with a smile. ¡°Go get yourself over to the other side of the mob. You¡¯re on time out, Drew.¡± Hesitating, Drew opens his mouth, but then grumbles and turns away. Todd practically deflates with relief. ¡°Are you. Out. Of. Your. Mind?¡± Nayira hisses at Todd and Joe. She shakes her head. ¡°Thank you Walter. Teo, you¡¯re a wet towel at a ski lodge, buddy.¡± ¡°Sorry Naya,¡± Todd apologizes. He squirms a bit, wincing as he settles his weight back on his healthy foot. ¡°Thank you, Miss Seacole,¡± Walter inclines his head. ¡°Always a pleasure.¡± Nayira waves and heads off, searching once again for the doctor. Meanwhile, Teo lingers for a second, his face painting guilty as he faces the old man. ¡°Was a good shot,¡± baldie says to Todd, then he turns on his heel and retreats. ¡°That thing,¡± Walter begins, ¡°had ten razor sharp legs. And he goes up underneath it. What does he think¡¯s gonna happen. I don¡¯t know if you saved his life, but far as I saw you didn¡¯t hurt nothing neither.¡± ¡°That meathead should be thanking Todd,¡± Joe insists peevishly. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Todd protests. Candra makes a doubtful noise from her seated position nearby. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± he repeats more firmly. ¡°I think the idea that he needed saving, is like to have Andrew more worked up than being put in danger,¡± Walter warns them. ¡°So my advice is, don¡¯t be saying that. Let¡¯s let this go for now, and I¡¯ll talk to him. See if we can¡¯t come to something amicable.¡± Joe looks like he¡¯s about to argue, so Todd blurts out some preemptive gratitude. ¡°Thanks Walter,¡± he says. And that¡¯s the end of that. 017 Refractory Todd and his friends don¡¯t pay much attention as the pixies congratulate the human defenders on their victory. It¡¯s mostly a whole lot of puff, and a whole lot of fluff. ¡°How¡¯s your leg,¡± Randall asks. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s pretty good. I may even be able to get it closed up by tomorrow morning without blowing my last healing pill.¡± Candra holds her head still as teen blondie-grim plaits her hair into a french braid from behind. Her eyes track as far as they can without turning her neck. ¡°I¡¯ve noticed you¡¯re going to a lot of trouble not to use that thing,¡± she observes. ¡°You took a look at our quest rewards, right?¡± Todd feels a sudden compulsion to check the state of his hair, swiping at it so it will part right. ¡°The only new pills were for beating that big monster. I¡¯m worried they¡¯re not going to give us more.¡± Joe taps his knuckle against the stone of the floor. ¡°And I did notice you only get new food if you fought.¡± He sighs. ¡°I¡¯m catching you guys¡¯s paranoid streak now.¡± ¡°They couldn¡¯t do that, that¡¯d be¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯d be insane.¡± Candra finishes for Todd. Randall adjusts his seated position, raising up on his elbows. ¡°Why would that be a problem?¡± ¡°Cause we¡¯re here for a month,¡± Joe whispers. ¡°That right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what Befor said.¡± ¡°And then we¡¯ve got what, five something hundred people?¡± ¡°I mean, we never really finished the count. So I dunno. That feels right.¡± ¡°I forgot about that. They really never figure out how many people¡¯re here?¡± ¡°Not as far as I know. So the next question is how many people fought a bug?¡± The question simmers on low heat for a few seconds. ¡°It got pretty messy towards the beginning. I¡¯m willing to bet that a lot more people had to fight than we were planning on.¡± ¡°Still. Could leave a hundred people not getting new food.¡± ¡°Oh my God! I don¡¯t want to even think about this!¡± Candra wails scratchily. ¡°Nobody should have to deal with this kind of stress with a blood alcohol of zero.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, you¡¯re right. Not something for us to worry about yet. I¡¯ll bring it up with the Alderman, maybe run it by Soup Nina.¡± ¡°We¡¯re still calling her Soup Nina?¡± Todd objects. ¡°Guys, can you be quiet just a sec?¡± Randall interrupts. ¡°I can¡¯t hear what Aefore is saying.¡± Joe shrugs. ¡°Is it anything important?¡± ¡°Well the bugs came from space,¡± Randall announces. ¡°That¡¯s a pretty big deal right? I mean, aliens¡­ there are uh, aliens.¡° Should Todd be more surprised about that? ¡°Huh. I mean yea. That¡¯s wild.¡± ¡°I swear, you guys are nuts. You should be excited. We just fought a monster army, I shot a fireball with magic.¡± Joe places his hand on Randall¡¯s shoulder. ¡°It was a very good fireball, buddy. Super cool.¡± ¡°You weren¡¯t even there Joe,¡± Randall rolls his shoulder to throw off Joe¡¯s patronizing palm. ¡°It was like twenty feet big around,¡± he pouts. ¡°I know man, you saved our butts. Top ten coolest things I¡¯ve ever seen, I swear. I¡¯m sorry, we¡¯re just all real tired,¡± Todd reassures him. Then Candra perks up, clasping her hands over her heart and sliding back down onto the floor. The poor girl behind her drops the finished braid and locks up in alarm. ¡°Oh, thank the saints and stars, they¡¯re gonna unlock the rooms,¡± Candra practically coos. The news is enough to turn the attention of the whole gang. Around them, the six hundred human Cultivators of subsection four have settled into the spaces in between the arthropod carcasses that litter the plaza. The area near the crystal is cleanest, but there¡¯s plenty of unpleasant there too. It takes a certain minimum exhaustion for a person of self respect to sit down in spitting distance of a crumpled, gooey exoskeleton, but exhaustion is available in plentitude. Above them all hover the pixies: pink and purple are paired next to the home crystal, while Aefore drifts low. While the pillar pixie speaks, she passes between the listening audience. Personable, approachable, that whole deal. ¡°Your quarters will be unlocked, from this point forward. Barring exceptional circumstances, you will be free to enter or exit as you please. Your time is your own, but I shall advise you use yours wisely.¡±If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°I¡¯m gonna hop in the shower and just never come out,¡± Todd tells the others. ¡°My sisters and I will investigate Caqaiba IV to see if the planet harbors any additional dangers. If it is as we fear, we will need your help. Brave humans of Earth, the safety of your world may very well be in your hands.¡± ¡°Kakaybuh four. Right, they mentioned that before the bugs showed up,¡± Joe reminds the others. ¡°We have no other choice. Tomorrow and overmorrow after, we shall train you in earnest!¡± Aefore clutches her fist close in to her body, and her face contorts in pained regret. ¡°We never wanted to put you all in danger! But woe! The path of the warrior chooses the walker!¡± ¡°She¡¯s really hamming it up,¡± Joe whispers brightly. They watch as the pixie opens her palm against her throat and transitions to a quaveringly tearful beneficence. ¡°I have faith in your strength, Children of the Earth. If there was any doubt, in our hearts or yours let it be dispelled now. I believe that you may, dare I even say it?¡± She chokes up a little. ¡°Be the heroes fated to save the world!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t know the world needed saving,¡± chuckles Todd. Then as he looks over at Joe, his expression grows thoughtful. ¡°Right?¡± ¡°Maybe she¡¯s talking about Cokiba whatsit,¡± Candra groans. ¡°Caqaiba IV,¡± Randall hisses, still enthralled by the ongoing presentation. ¡°Now my sister has a few announcements.¡± Aefore rises out from the crowd, gives a subdued thumbs up to her sisters, and then Ciforre floats forward and upward. She adjusts her spectacles and withdraws a pair of short doweled rods, then unrolls a short scroll from between them. ¡°Ahem,¡± she begins. ¡°Residential zone teleport arrays are now unlocked and charged for a standard 32 uses. We are confident that should be enough for a standard Tutorial duration, but let us know if you find yourself coming up to the limit. They¡¯re rechargeable, which is a nice feature.¡± The pixie looks down at the scroll and reads ahead. ¡°Ah yes. We have finished installing outpost network relay crystals in your residences. That means you will all be able to access the store from the comfort of your rooms.¡± She pauses to look up. ¡°Thought you¡¯d like that one, very convenient. Let¡¯s see, other good news: congratulations on driving off those nasty redburr stinging crabs! They¡¯re actually distantly related to the Wolmarzian Drek, if you can believe it. Fascinating Genus, really.¡± The crowd murmurs in confusion. ¡°Some of the crabs did survive and escape. So just a note, next time it¡¯s best to chase down monsters and you know,¡± Ciforre draws a finger against her throat and makes a choking noise. ¡°End them before they regroup. Just some advice. Oh! And you protected the crystal, which means you¡¯ve unlocked additional store items. So enjoy that¡­¡± Aefore makes a point of coughing into her closed hand. ¡°Right! Of course. I am required by protocol to announce that your first crafting quests are now available,¡± Ciforre sounds reluctant to say this next part. ¡°And that this tutorial is sponsored in part by the department of Greed, and Greed associates. Because enough, never is.¡± Unbidden, Todd¡¯s quest menu appears in front of him and he notices a new entry. Shuck and Shell (Easy): Clean, Harvest, and Process monster resources. (0/100) (Timed 08:00:00) Reward: [Scarlet Shell Armor], [F-Nexus Crystal]x3, [F-Apothecary¡¯s Primer Manual] ¡°We hope you enjoy your new bags. They¡¯re not fully operational cosmic sacks yet, but if you like the design, you¡¯ll see they¡¯re upgradeable in the store¡­¡± Candra levers up from her prone position and the four huddle to confer. ¡°You guys wanna clean bug bits,¡± Joe offers insincerely. ¡°I kinda don¡¯t,¡± Todd admits. Then he starts as the blonde girl stands up in a swift, jerky motion and marches off towards pixie Befor. The four friends watch her go, then climb to their feet. ¡°Seen enough freaky crabby entrails to last me a lifetime,¡± Candra remarks. Randall scratches lightly at his neck. ¡°It¡¯s got an armor reward,¡± he hedges. ¡°You really going to cut up a hundred bugs?¡± Todd doubts. ¡°A hundred¡¯s a lot,¡± Randall concedes. ¡°I wish they¡¯d given us leg armor though.¡± ¡°I was thinking about that,¡± Todd taps at his wooden bracers. ¡°And you know what? I think these are shin guards.¡± Randall¡¯s eyes widen. Joe simply nods. Candra wobbles. ¡°Oh my god. Candra, get some sleep,¡± Joe laughs. ¡°I know, I¡¯m gonna crash. I just ¨C those rooms are so spooky and I¡¯m not exactly excited to be alone in them.¡± ¡°Well,¡± Todd ventures. ¡°I was thinking what I wanted to do was try to get a head start on my Cultivation.¡± ¡°Already?¡± Todd tips his head and shrugs. ¡°I think things are gonna get worse before they get better, and I don¡¯t feel like I did so awesome today.¡± That statement hits home for all four. ¡°So what if we,¡± Todd hesitates, ¡°did like a slumber party thing? You can all come over to my place, and we can work on our foundations and hang out a minute.¡± Candra thinks about it. ¡°Can I crash on your bed while you guys voodoo yoga? I¡¯m like done.¡± ¡°Sure, yea, of course,¡± Todd gulps. Casually, though. ¡°If we knock out our foundations tonight, it¡¯s gonna give us a huge leg up on whatever¡¯s coming next.¡± The only thing to figure out is, how is Todd supposed to let them in? 018 Groundwork Todd has to admit, he¡¯s feeling a little cramped. He sits back, with the wall pressed behind him and his legs folded up beneath him. Joe lounges, leaned back up against the bed behind, and with Todd¡¯s cultivation manual in his hand. Randall, taking up an unfortunately large space, has his eyes closed as he breathes in even, mesmerized cycles. ¡°So it¡¯s like plumbing,¡± Joe asserts. ¡°Or a circuit board.¡± Todd offers. Joe furrows his brow, and Todd can almost sense the tiny spark of Cosmic energy which the taller man uses to connect with the manual. ¡°Circuits aren¡¯t three dimensional, Drips.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ I mean they can be,¡± Todd stops as Joe gives him a look. ¡°But yea you¡¯re right. You¡¯re right.¡± At its most basic level, the root of the Limited Promise Cultivation technique is nothing more complicated than directing the flow of Cosmic Energy and making a figure-eight on the inside of the body. Loop the energy out into the arm, the leg, whatever, loop it back. The complicated bit is that a single loop is neither efficient, nor extensive enough to infuse the body well. A person has two arms, to legs, a head, after all; so the second step of the technique is learning to maintain five loops at once. Precision is critical: that current of energy must flow evenly and orderly through the whole body, or else eddies in that energy will swirl out of control. ¡°This is hard,¡± Randall grouses. Todd rolls his head like it¡¯s a matter of shaking sympathy out of his ears. ¡°You gotta figure this out if you¡¯re gonna tackle the advanced steps later,¡± he insists. ¡°Which is what the lines are for?¡± Joe asks. ¡°Your foundation channels,¡± Todd confirms. ¡°You¡¯ll see more about them the further you get into the crystal, but just think about it as an extension of step two.¡± Todd places his right index finger on his left shoulder and then traces it down to his left wrist. ¡°Five loops, one per limb ¨C or head or whatever.¡± Then he slides his finger down further, so that the tips of his index fingers meet. ¡°But you¡¯ve also got fingers, so split out each arm loop five times, and toes so that¡¯s another ten.¡± He touches his cheeks under his eyes with his middle and index finger split. ¡°Two eyes, and a mouth. And then everything¡¯s got smaller parts all up inside you.¡± ¡°Uh huh.¡± ¡°It starts to add up.¡± Joe considers that a moment. ¡°Okay, so why do I need a different energy highway for my pinky finger and my ring finger.¡± Todd shrugs. ¡°Part of it¡¯s about fine control. I think. Part of it¡¯s like, you want to put down the biggest branches first, and then it¡¯s easier to fill in the little branches later.¡± Humming an approval, Joe touches his stomach, then traces a line up his shoulder, down his arm and to his finger. He looks up questioningly. ¡°Yea, but you can¡¯t just draw a line. It¡¯s following something.¡± ¡°Like an artery.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. And I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a nerve either. I think it¡¯s something else.¡± ¡°Huh. And how many are there?¡± Todd winces a bit. ¡°Seventy five. I think.¡± He rubs his nose. ¡°Finding each of them is¡­ I mean it¡¯s almost more of a state of mind than like, a map or ¨C a topography, you know? You got to get yourself to that, I don¡¯t have a better word, but like, resonance.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have to do all that, do I?¡± Randall peeks open one eye. ¡°I think most people don¡¯t really get that far,¡± Todd admits. ¡°The Limitless stuff is all just for laying the groundwork for something else.¡± ¡°Which is?¡± ¡°Beats me. I¡¯m kind of overloaded with new stuff, that¡¯s half of why I invited you guys over.¡± ¡°And the other half?¡± Joe grins, then slowly raises his palm up and taps gently against the bedframe. Candra is laid face down on the narrow mattress. Her cheek is squashed against it, puckering her lips as her back slowly rises and falls with her breath. Todd is acutely aware of the wet outer gi jacket and pants, splayed out underneath the falling water of the alcove: over-clothing she is distinctly not wearing underneath his bedsheet. ¡°No, dude. It¡¯s not like that,¡± Todd says nervously. He makes a point not to notice the round profile of her hip, and the thin fabric draping over it. He refuses to see her hair curling as it spills over her face, tracing the bridge of her nose down to tickle in the hollow beneath her eye. He shakes his head. ¡°Goddammit, man. Why do you have to make this weird?¡± Joe snorts, turning towards Randall. ¡°How¡¯s it coming Toast?¡± The boys had discovered, to their early disappointment, that Todd¡¯s private room produced only a limited amount of ambient Cosmic Energy. It was more than enough for one lone cultivator, but for two? Or three or four? They had realized right away that they would need to take turns; to focus on technique first, and then go back to their own rooms to put it into practice. ¡°I¡¯ve got two channels done,¡± Randall mutters. ¡°But it¡¯s sloppy. I¡¯m getting like, turbulence. My loops feel choppy, and like hot like a sunburn.¡± ¡°Probably have got some spillage. Maybe you tried to carve too shallow or too broad.¡±Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Joe puffs out an aspirated breath. ¡°You mind if I have some¡­¡± Todd fishes through his wicker basket for a wheat lump and tears off a doughy knob of it. ¡°Sure,¡± he replies, handing it over. ¡°So if we master this¡­¡± Joe bites and chews. It takes him some time to swallow. ¡°Cultivation technique, it actually puts us ahead of the game.¡± ¡°I think so. I can¡¯t imagine everybody figures it out so early on.¡± Joe makes a sour expression. ¡°While we¡¯re waiting on Toast here, I wanted to see what the rewards look like.¡± It¡¯s a good enough distraction, so Todd pulls up his quest menu. Active Quests
  1. Staying Off the Menu (I) (COMPLETED): Survive the Redburr Crab swarm for 80 minutes. Reward [F ¨C Greed Satchel], Patch: Legacy { Chosen }, Patch: Order { Skillful }
  2. Sword of the Defender (COMPLETED: C): Exterminate Redburr Crab (47) Reward: [F-Class Weapon Raffle Token], [Food Ration Token]x1, [F-Nexus Crystal]x2
  3. Skill Mastery (I): Water Spear (5/30) Reward: ?200, [F-Nexus Crystal: Water]x1, [Skill Treasure: Minor]
  4. Shuck and Shell (Easy): Clean, Harvest, and Process monster resources. (0/100) (Timed 06:40:06) Reward: [Scarlet Shell Armor], [F-Nexus Crystal]x3, [F-Apothecary¡¯s Primer Manual]
Two of the quests have fallen off his list. The latter one, presumably because Drew had claimed it. The former one had been a success, but it hadn¡¯t any direct rewards, so it likely closed out automatically. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s see what this looks like.¡± Holding his hands out in front of him, Todd claims his first reward. The [F - Greed Satchel] appears in thin air in front of him, falling into his waiting grasp. Inspecting the bag approvingly, Todd turns the leather satchel over. Its long strap is adjustable by means of a pair of iron hoops, through which the strap is threaded back on itself. It looks like the thing is meant to be worn over the shoulder and hang down to the waist; wider than it is deep or tall, so that it might fit snugly against the body. A single flap closes over it, secured with a metal clasp. ¡°Yea?¡± Joe encourages. ¡°It¡¯s pretty nice. Real soft.¡± Todd lifts it so that the light catches the embroidered monograph which decorates the flap. G, it says. He pinches the clasp on either side and it releases with a plinking noise, then dropping the bag into his lap, he draws the flap back. ¡°What, what¡¯s up. You¡¯re making a face,¡± Joe asks warily. Todd presses his hand against the inner wall of the bag, shoving his arm in deeper and running it all the way around the inside surface in disbelief. ¡°It¡¯s bigger on the inside,¡± he says. Then he lifts his head and breaks out into a beaming grin. ¡°It¡¯s bigger on the inside! This is crazy!¡± Joe leans over, and Todd tips the open bag towards him. Sure enough, the wide bowl of the inner volume is four or five times larger than could possibly fit in the space the bag occupies. If Todd couldn¡¯t feel the very real cloth patches inside, he¡¯d say it reminded him of an optical illusion or a hologram in a curved mirror. Joe makes the symbol of two thumbs up. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s very cool.¡± Todd upends the back, spilling the two patches onto the reed floor-mat. Then he claims the rest of his rewards, and they clink to the floor with a crystal ringing. None of these rewards are particularly large. The meal chit is nothing more than a wooden toggle, carved with an intricate geometric symbol. Todd places it to the side. The weapon chit appears similar, but is shaped more like a silvery coin; it goes with the other one. The nexus crystals are more interesting, appearing as two oblong quartz stones about the size of a pinky fingernail. They are illuminated from within by a dim phosphorescence. ¡°I guess it doesn¡¯t seem like a lot, huh?¡± ¡°Maybe, but those crystals are supposed to be pretty valuable. Aefore was talking them up, as an incentive earlier. You know, be good and kick butt and you¡¯ll be knee deep in nexus crystals.¡± ¡°Gotcha,¡± Todd replies. He picks up the crystals, the patches and tokens and puts them into the satchel. After a moment of thought, he reaches back behind him and finds his wooden armor and mercury rod, then carefully fits them into the bag as well. ¡°That¡¯s crazy. It doesn¡¯t even feel all that heavy.¡± Reverently, Todd hefts the bag up and down with the strap. ¡°Feeling jealous,¡± Joe grins. ¡°I even know I get my own too. Still feeling that envy.¡± ¡°I get that stuff too?¡± Randall implores them. Joe waves his hand in a sort of ¡®do you even need to ask¡¯ gesture. He tosses the cultivation manual back to Todd, then stretches his legs out and assumes an upright lotus position. ¡°I am taking that as a sign that you are taking a break, and it¡¯s my turn to Cultivate,¡± he asserts as he closes his eyes. Randall seems less upset about being interrupted as Todd helps him collect his quest rewards, gathering up his possessions into his very own [Greed Satchel]. As he does, he removes one of the patches and slaps it against a clean space on the front of his gi. The patch reacts like it¡¯s got living root tendrils of thread, knitting itself fused with the garment. ¡°I like it,¡± Todd admires. The Legacy patch has its namesake text in a traditional, decorative but stiff typography. However, it¡¯s bordered in a bold, playful design that evokes a dynamic feel: like the large blocky panel colors of a superhero comic. As they sit, the two friends chat quietly and at length. It¡¯s funny, Randall seems to be so traumatized during the event, and so enthusiastic after. Todd feels like he¡¯s the opposite. Now that they¡¯ve all survived, he can¡¯t help but dwell on how close they might have come to not. But it helps that he¡¯s here with his friends. As the evening turns to night (presumably), the three young men rotate Cultivation and trade pointers. Until finally, Candra stirs. She wraps herself up in the sheet, and sits down on the floor next to Todd. She immediately dives into the advanced resonance exercises, eager to make up for lost time and challenging Todd on the finer points of his channel work. As the room lights begin to dim, they outpace the other two Cultivators and argue in hushed voices about breathing technique until Randall and Joe grab the spare sheet and fall asleep, sprawled across the floor in protest. 019 Strange Neighbors and Poor Memories A sharp prodding jabs into his shoulder and Todd surfaces blearily from REM sleep. ¡°Hu ¨C wha?¡± He inquires. The illuminating crystals set against the sides of the room are dim like crescent-moonlight, and the Purkinje shift (the colors of the night) has left the room painted only in shades of blue. The walls and ceiling bound a claustrophobic cube, the crystal sconces are inset into three walls, and a dark rift splits the fourth. The subtle grades of shadow define the shapes of the room¡¯s occupants and the splash of water echoes from the small cave. Oh shit, that¡¯s a face. ¡°Who?¡± Todd jerks awake and the back of his head bounces against the stone wall behind him. ¡°Ow.¡± ¡°Hey,¡± the figure holds their hands up, rising from a squat up to a looming height, but a slight slouch. ¡°It¡¯s just me, Drips,¡± Joe assures him. ¡°Wakey wakey.¡± ¡°Ungh,¡± Todd clutches at the back of his head, but the rest of his bones protest louder. They resent being dumped in a jumble against the wall. What an awful position to sleep in. ¡°Morning,¡± Todd groans. ¡°Did you guys crash here?¡± ¡°Yea,¡± Joe chuckles. ¡°Turns out the magic exit teleport? It¡¯s keyed to you on the inside too. We can¡¯t get out.¡± Todd thinks about that for a moment. ¡°A great way to get stuck forever. That¡¯s actually kind of terrifying, isn¡¯t it.¡± ¡°Ciforre technically did warn us.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Todd stretches his arms and shoulders wide and then carefully straightens his back to a seated position. ¡°I¡¯m up. I¡¯m assuming it¡¯s still pretty early if the lights aren¡¯t coming on?¡± ¡°Hoping so. We¡¯ve got to sort out the leadership situation, and it¡¯s an open question if Donnellson is up to it. So I want to get an early start; see if I can help.¡± A large shape moves perceptibly in the other corner of the room. Randall. A figure on the bed. Candra. Todd presses against the wall behind him and levers himself to his feet. ¡°Were you on the floor? Sorry, that can¡¯t have been comfortable.¡± In response, Joe lifts a large rectangular white object from the floor and it droops spongily. ¡°Bought a pillow.¡± ¡°How? From the¡­?¡± Joe pinches his brow and nods. ¡°From the store. It cost 70 nexus coins and I have no idea if that¡¯s a good deal or a bad one.¡± He indicates the far light-crystal with his head, and there¡¯s a smaller square black plate beneath it. ¡°Your relay crystal is right over here in the wall.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t suppose I can get a change of clothes.¡± Joe lifts a hand up, spread flat and wobbles it. ¡°They¡¯re a little expensive.¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± Todd slips into the water spout alcove and collects the clothing from the floor. Gi jackets for all four of them, and Candra¡¯s trousers. Most of the bug muck has been rinsed off overnight, but the stains have only faded not vanished. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose we have a way to dry these?¡± He asks, weaving through the five foot cleft and back into the room. He tosses Joe¡¯s jacket, and the cloth makes a slopping noise as it wraps around the tall boy¡¯s arm. ¡°Great, wet clothing. My favorite way to start the day.¡± Candra ends up waking up in short order, though instead of dressing right away she simply claims Todd¡¯s spare sheet. Randall takes some convincing to rise, then yawns loudly and holds his soaked jacket as far from himself as possible. The teleportation array is activated by touch and intention, it doesn¡¯t take much of either. The effect carries the resident, their clothing, carried possessions, and any free standing object connected by touch; even indirectly. For that reason, Todd, Joe, Candra, and Randall appear in the plaza, half-clothed and holding hands in a chain. The moment they soundlessly translocate, they let go of each other and look around nervously in fear of witnesses. There are several. ¡°Hey kids!¡± Shouts Alderman Donnellson from across the way, waving a high but subdued waggle of the hand. ¡°Mornin¡¯!¡± Joe shifts his sopping wet jacket from one arm, to drape over the other. ¡°Hey Mr. Donnellson!¡± He grimaces cheerfully, then his face opens up into astonishment. The plaza is entirely cleared of redburr crab corpses or debris, the tile a serene blue except for one last upturned tile and tunnel towards the center. ¡°Wow, they really cleaned up, didn¡¯t they?¡± Then he leans in to the group and whispers, ¡°I think I gotta go grab my armor at least. Break for restroom and be back in 15?¡± Standing at the foot of the huge featureless enamel colored building, Todd watches his friends lay their hands on the wall and vanish. The wastefulness of the process is not lost on him, but this is something which can¡¯t be delayed further. Todd limps over to the wall and lays his hand on it After a few minutes, the four regroup as planned. This time Todd chooses to carry his armor in his [Greed Satchel], while the other three return with theirs strapped on. None of them found an amicable solution to the drying issue, so they dribble little puddles onto the floor and smell mildly of soap. ¡°Wait, give me two seconds,¡± Todd blurts out. ¡°I forgot to spend my, whatever, my points from leveling up.¡± It takes a moment for his friends to alight on what he¡¯s saying. Levels, [System]s, points, this is all still so new, so unnatural. Even a single Free Point is a transformational opportunity, but even though he has a reserve of eight, they¡¯d slipped completely out of mind. At least he assumes he has eight. Last night, Todd had managed to squeak by into Level 6. The sensation of the Cosmic Energy, rising and breaking the boundaries between levels, was becoming more familiar and noticeable. He felt it in his heart, like the surge and breaking of the tide.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Todd begins by pulling up his status menu and confirming his level and available points. Six and eight. Without any new guidance, Todd chooses to trust himself and his plan to balance out his portfolio. He assigns the first five points to everything but intelligence, and the energy soaks through his body, charging his muscles, bones, and nerves. That leaves him with three points remaining.
Name Todd Kalogeropoulos
Level 6
Race F ¨C Human
Alignment Human (Earth)
Titles Chosen
Strength 12
Dexterity 12
Endurance 12
Vitality 12
Intelligence 13
Wisdom 13
Luck 9
Nexus Coins 1240
Free Points 3
If he follows the plan, the next step is to boost his physical stats further; with all this fighting, it wouldn¡¯t even be a bad idea. But two things hold him back. Firstly, he can¡¯t deny the appeal of the Intelligence attribute. It doesn¡¯t seem to work the same way as his Strength, its effects are not as immediate or as obvious. But there¡¯s a clarity, a nimbleness of mind that he feels now, and the thought of more has a powerful allure. Besides, Todd reminds himself practically, his [Water Spear] does scale with his Intelligence stat. That would help, right? The second consideration is one that he keeps going back and forward over in his mind. Pixie Ciforre¡¯s offhand comment the other day about Wisdom and illusions¡­ something is wrong here. Beyond the obvious, and the fantasy world insanity. It¡¯s becoming even more apparent as his mind has grown sharper, almost like he can feel a cloudy boundary around some of his own thoughts. Todd draws in a sharp breath and resolves himself. This isn¡¯t something he should put off, and there¡¯s no guarantee someone else is going to do this either. So Todd mixes diligence and indulgence, and clears the final two points to reach fifteen Wisdom, plus one to Intelligence to hit fourteen. The effect of the change is harder to describe this time. It¡¯s like the space around him is bigger, but he¡¯s closer to it now. That thought doesn¡¯t make sense, but it¡¯s the closest he can get to putting it to words. Candra looks down at her arms, turns her wrists, inspects her hands. ¡°You know, I can kind of see a little bit of a difference, but not really. I¡¯m so much stronger, so much more... everything really, but I still look the same.¡± ¡°You¡¯d rather look like a giant bodybuilder?¡± Joe chuckles. ¡°I could be happy being taller,¡± Candra smirks. Illuminated, starless, quiet, the volume of the plaza stretches out before Todd. He sees the corner that his peers and fellows have chosen to defend. One corner of four. He sees the size, the number of buildings around the edge, the placement of the outpost crystal so far off center. The number four was important, beyond important. Fourth section, which meant more sections. Fourth administrator, because ¨C Todd¡¯s left foot steps before he has the sense to tell it not to. His right is still sore, still scabbed, still limping. But that¡¯s not a reason to stop, is it? The other side of the plaza is so far away. Wincing, Todd picks up the pace and his friends begin to call out to him in alarm. ¡°Two seconds!¡± He calls back behind him. Todd skirts a wide berth around the redburr tunnel. The sallow grey dirt smudges out in patches away from the hole itself. He watches it carefully from twenty yards away, but it remains silent and still. The plastic clatter of cleated footsteps slow down behind him. ¡°Hey man,¡± Randall begins conversationally. ¡°You okay? I¡¯m kind of feeling like this is a little dangerous over here. Why are you even going this way?¡± Normally, Randall¡¯s cheeks and brow would puff up red with even a hint of exertion. That wasn¡¯t a sign of his limit, he could run a lot further than people gave a young man of his size credit for. He just had a lot of weight to carry, and it tended to show on his face. But he had thirty six, maybe even thirty eight, miracle magical points of difference in between himself and his old life. There¡¯s not a blush hint on him. Randall fidgets as Todd regards him wordlessly. ¡°It was hard to run at first ¨C when I got stronger, but I¡¯m kinda getting used to it.¡± The far, empty corner is largely indistinguishable from the others. The looming white buildings are fitted tighter than teeth, and the teal-turquoise squares of the floor are smooth stone. But it¡¯s not exactly blue, is it? There¡¯s a red line here. What an obvious thing to have overlooked. ¡°You¡¯re suspicious of something. You think it¡¯s strange we¡¯ve all bunched up on one side, and ¨C¡± Randal pinches at his chin for a second. ¡°You know or see something which I like, seem to can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Whoa, Randall. Where¡¯s this coming from?¡± The big guy shrugs. ¡°Was that good? I kind of dumped a lot of points into Intelligence.¡± ¡°Nice. That¡¯s real responsible.¡± Randal beams in an effort to showcase as many teeth as possible. ¡°It¡¯s gonna make my fireballs awesome.¡± Shaking his head, Todd shuffles gingerly towards the red line. As he approaches, he begins to understand the true nature of the effect. It wasn¡¯t that he couldn¡¯t see the line, he had. It¡¯s that the word for it had been stolen from him. Without the context of language, a thing has no shape, and without a shape it has no boundary, and without a boundary how can a thing be seen at all? ¡°Oh man, I¡¯m gonna regret this aren¡¯t I.¡± Todd steps across the dividing line. Blue is not the same as red, or as green or yellow. A round is not a square. And a grown man with an animal face from another world is not a floor. Fifty of the Ishiate people huddle in a cluster. Their system provided gis are haggard and stained with ichor and their own blood. Their short-furred faces are strained and afraid. They turn with shock to face Todd, as If he¡¯d appeared from thin air. And then the fourth and final administrator of subsection four turns away from her charges. Her raiment is in pale green, and her long narrow fingers (only four!) steeple together. She floats in the air and when her eyes fall on Todd, her eyes widen, her shoulders droop, and her mouth curls down. ¡°Oh shit,¡± she says. 01A Migrant Crisis ¡°Dude, Todd. Whatever you did, it¡¯s like messing with my brain man.¡± Randall¡¯s voice is amused, with a hint of queasy. But he hasn¡¯t crossed the red line, and that puts a response low as hell on Todd¡¯s priority list. See, there are fifty alien strangers a stone¡¯s throw in front of Todd, and that means his field of view belongs to them utterly. He hadn¡¯t forgotten them, not exactly. That¡¯s the sinister thing about the illusion, it had worked by blocking the connection between perception and memory. It had stolen the context. The Ishiate have long faces, with narrow but squared chins. Todd remembers that, remembers their sharp ears too. The creatures react with a practiced efficiency, one of them barks out a word and they pull into a tight defensive cluster. Hands reach for [Greed Satchels] but none withdraw with weapons yet. Then two of the deer people butt elbows near the middle of the group, and after a visceral reaction, pull apart from one another. The group clumsily splits into two uneven units, while keeping focus on Todd. It could be the first half of that is important, but right now the last half is still intimidating. The pixie rises into the air, fuming and fuming, a coronal miasma former and a waylaid plot latter. ¡°The humans!¡± She cries, her voice pitching upwards in a theatric outrage. ¡°They have come here¡­¡± she trails off, then recovers. ¡°To spy on you! Yes!¡± Todd takes a step backward. ¡°They have come, knowing you are weak and vulnerable! Knowing that you have lost precious lives to the monsters!¡± The floating, glowing woman curls her fingers into a fist and the faces of the aliens harden. ¡°Whoa, whoa. No I don¡¯t. No we don¡¯t,¡± Todd waves both hands in a warding negatory. The Ishiate reshuffle, as a few of the larger, fitter specimens shoulder forward ahead of their peers. Two of them are wearing armor, the lobster red of boiled, treated redburr crab chitin. The interlocking plates bend at their knees and shoulders, and asymmetrically protect one side of their body and their core vitals. The one on the right is taller, lankier, the one on the left is broader, shorter. They will henceforth be known as Beanpole and Dumptruck. A bulky peripheral blur steps into the corner of Todd¡¯s vision, but he doesn¡¯t risk turning. ¡°RIGHT. There are aliens. Right. Oh my God, I remember that,¡± Randall exclaims. The lead warriors split apart, slowly starting to circle around either side, and Todd takes another step back. He holds an arm out, catching Randall in the chest and he takes a step back too. ¡°I¡¯m not here to mess with anyone. Doves and olive branches, guys. I don¡¯t mean anybody harm.¡± He flits a glance angrily over at Defour. ¡°None of the... you know, ambulatory ones anyway.¡± Sinking lower, the pixie¡¯s flat bridged nose wrinkles, her teeth bare, and electro-axial brambles of her body writhe. Meanwhile on either side, Dumptruck and Beanpole whisper bleating, glottal instructions to their peers in their strange language. Stepping backwards, Todd reaches up to the boundary line of the array, and his heel tingles nauseously like an exposed nerve. ¡°They don¡¯t understand me, do they? How do they understand you?¡± The pixie is distracted for a brief moment by something far in the distance behind Todd, and whatever she¡¯d seen dampens her anger. She clicks her tongue in annoyance. ¡°Magic. You don¡¯t think I¡¯m speaking English, do you?¡± Todd considers it. He sort of did think that. He shrugs. ¡±I¡¯m not going to learn your language. Please,¡± Defour scoffs, ¡°who has time.¡± She chops her hand forward, pointing a finger spitefully at Todd¡¯s heart. ¡°Kill them!¡± ¡°Kill us?¡± Randall squeaks. Heart thumping, Todd slowly begins to lower his raised hands. He becomes painfully aware of the inches between his fingers and the [Mercury Rod] stored in his bag. But Dumptruck doesn¡¯t attack. Instead his eyes dart over to the pixie and back to Todd. Whatever thought he¡¯s entertaining weighs heavily on his brows. The creature speaks clearly and loudly, and the others turn to it. "???. ?????" Whispers ripple through the 50. ¡°What?¡± Defour incredulously shrieks. ¡°Obviously, fight!¡± Instead of addressing her, the broad-shouldered warrior raises three fingers and tilts them. He smirks. "??. ?. ??, ??????" Another one of the aliens from the back suggests. ¡°You¡¯re out of line, and that¡¯s ridiculous,¡± scoffs the pixie. ¡°Human,¡± she addresses Todd. ¡°You¡¯re clearly in danger. Draw your weapon and defend yourself!¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Todd raises his open palms again and squints suspiciously at her. Dumptruck responds in kind. He displays his open palms and straightens up out of his stance. "??????" Todd winces. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re saying, man. I don¡¯t understand.¡± The armored warrior steps forward carefully, and the faction standing behind him moves restlessly to keep pace. An anxious, hushed flurry of questions bounce between members of the group, then one smaller, shorter creature steps forward boldly. ¡°I have no idea what¡¯s going on,¡± Randall confides. The small creature makes a sweeping gesture with either arm and then slaps himself on the chest. It puts one leg forward and bends its knees slightly. Randall gulps. ¡°I think objectively I know Pipsqueak wants to fight us,¡± he observes. ¡°But some part of my brain wants to think he¡¯s asking for a dance off.¡± Todd scowls in reprisal, but Randall doesn¡¯t have an atom of giggle on his face. He¡¯s not making a joke. He¡¯s realizing that a lifetime of modern instincts and intuition are frightfully ill suited for danger... or for conflict. What¡¯s Pipsqueak¡¯s relation to Dumptruck? Is it younger, is it female? Or is this species the other way around, dimorphic with a smaller male? Losing a fraction of control of dignity and self-respect, Todd¡¯s gaze flicks a few inches below some collarbones and he finds reason to suspect the Ishiate are not so different from humans in this one regard. He cusses himself silently.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. New guess: Pipsqueak is just young and dumb, and that¡¯s nothing Todd can really blame him for. Todd steps forward. ¡°Easy buddy. We¡¯re cool. Are you cool?¡± Maybe they don¡¯t understand his words, but his entreaty seems to reassure Dumptruck. Grabbing Pipsqueak by the scruff of his neck, the big one continues to talk down his followers. ¡°Are we fighting?¡± Randall asks. ¡°No I think we¡¯re okay ¨C¡± But where the left cluster seems pacified by Dumptruck¡¯s trust, crew right-flank shakes with fury. Just like a boiling pot spills over, the lanky grey furred, knight in seafood armor skips forward in a fighter¡¯s advance and strikes Todd in the shoulder with his palm. ¡°Dude!¡± Todd protests, stumbling backwards. Beanpole hoots furiously, pointing and flipping his finger dismissively across the courtyard. "??????!" He spits on the ground, he spits towards Dumptruck for good measure, and he tears his [Mercury Rod] out of his bag. ¡°Shit,¡± Todd chokes. Struggling with the leather flap of his [Greed Satchel], he flops it open and jams his arm inside. Where is it? The silver weapon writhes in the hands of his assailant. It stretches, then twists like a serpent. Team Beanpole follows their leader, spreading out to surround Todd and Randall; but not without opposition. Gang Dumptruck objects strenuously, and a dozen voices rise to heated argument. Randall steps in closer to Todd and his voice apprehensively rattles. ¡°What should I do?¡± He asks, ¡°should I blast him?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Defour gleefully chirps. ¡°No!¡± Todd hisses. ¡°Are you insane? You could kill someone.¡± His hand digs around his wooden chest plate, a wheat lump ration, one of his shoes¡­ The tip of Beanpole¡¯s [Mercury Rod] flares into a wedge, widening into a chopping blade. The S shaped curve positions the cutting edge forward, and the weapon begins to realize its shape as a wicked kind of axe or pick. Todd looks down at his bag, then back to the hatchet. ¡°Damn,¡± he murmurs. ¡°That really takes forever, doesn¡¯t it.¡± Then he grabs the strap of his satchel, whips it overhead up and around his body in a loop and then slams it into the side of Beanpole¡¯s head. Fur-bag staggers, taken by surprise more than anything. Shouts erupt all around them and Todd retreats a few steps before realizing he¡¯s going the wrong direction. Recovering in a heartbeat, the Ishiate rises to his full height and Todd does not like it. The alien¡¯s fur stands on end, its sharp teeth bare, and the balding tips of its ears flush bright red. Gripping its weapon, it punches at the air; and as it does so the flared blade grows to the size of a proper, menacing hatchet. Even worse, a translucent, faceted energy crystalizes at the edge of the blade, extending its length and width by two inches of both arc and cut. Todd sees the phantom edge refract light, and confidently decides he¡¯d be happier never seeing it in action. ¡°We gotta go go go,¡± Todd warns, patting Randall on the chest to redirect him back towards the red line of the array boundary. To their left and right, team jerk is spreading out to surround them, and even though their peers are shouting for them to (presumably) stop; one by one they begin to withdraw their own weapons. Todd¡¯s having none of it. The cosmic energy stokes in his chest. Twelve primary channels, reaching out to his limbs, to his lungs, his brainstem, light up as their circuits draw current from his center. The shake in his limbs calms, his sight grows clearer, and the skill fractal in his hand pulls against his open channel. The magic reacts with a thirst, a need he can almost taste instead of feel. He jams his hand forward, opening himself up to the mechanisms of the [Water Spear] as Beanpole closes the distance, raising his axe over his head. For a millisecond, Todd sees the line, the line drawn from his extended hand to the vulnerable body of his attacker, and it¡¯s enough to know this is a line he could never come back from. So Todd swings his arm down at an angle instead. The azure glow of false water precipitates into his hand, forms a wobbling unstable volume, and then punches out in a shrieking line. The [Water Spear] strikes the floor tile with pummeling force, but the tile is an immovable object while liquid is no unstoppable force. A high speed spray of needling, cold droplets rebounds off the floor and it goes everywhere. It pelts Beanpole in the face, in his open mouth and eyes. It soaks his friends, it spritzes the ones further away, it even spatters back onto Todd¡¯s leggings. Fully disinterested in waiting to see if his distraction was effective, Todd turns and runs. As he does, Randall lowers his own drawn weapon and joins him. Ignoring the shouts of the Ishiate behind them, they cross the red line. Feeling the energy of the Array crossing through his body, Todd is aware of the mind numbing effect it¡¯s having on him. But overcoming the illusion once seems to have diminished its effect. From a safe distance Todd watches the Ishiate through the blurry sensation, sees them halt in confusion as the array strips him from their awareness. The blue fluid lingering from the [Water Spear] evaporates off of clothing and fur, as the energy lets go of the lie that made it water. Todd and Randall stop to catch their breath. ¡°What are they, man,¡± Randall mutters. Todd looks at his friend. ¡°I dunno, Greek elf flute goat people,¡± he replies. ¡°Satyrs? Like a satyr?¡± Randall asks, becoming a little incredulous. ¡°How do you not know what a satyr is?¡± ¡°Satyr, right. Randall, I gotcha, I forgot. But you gotta know that no normal people know what a satyr is.¡± Randall huffs. ¡°We need to tell everybody.¡± Todd looks back at the Ishiate. While most of them have turned away, he sees a single older creature looking straight back at him. They lock eyes, and Todd gives it a slow deliberate nod. ¡°Yea, maybe.¡± Todd gives his friend a weak smile. ¡°Let¡¯s think about it.¡±
As the two young men cross back towards their people, Todd listens with equal parts curiosity and concern as the topic of their alien neighbors falls out of conversation, then out of context, then out of mind. ¡°What do you think we¡¯re gonna do today?¡± Randall asks conversationally. It takes a moment for Todd to answer. ¡°Satyr. Alien. Freaky deer people.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Nothing. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Todd raises his hand to greet Joe and Candra. But before he can reach them, a wiry short haired woman with a droopy chin intercepts him. A few inches shorter and a few years older, Anninka ¡°Soup Nina¡± Golubeva steps into Todd¡¯s path and looks far out behind him. ¡°Uh hi, can I help you?¡± Nina crosses her arms across her belly, then raises up one thumb to rub her lower lip. ¡°You talk to the Leshy?¡± Todd squints. She points her chin over his shoulder. ¡°The monster people.¡± ¡°You can see them? Yea, I mean I tried.¡± Todd experiences that sudden unpleasant sensation of being aware of what he¡¯s doing with his hands in conversation. There¡¯s simply no natural place to put them, is there? ¡°It¡­ went okay.¡± He grimaces. Nina leans insistently closer. ¡°Should we be worried about them?¡± She asks. There¡¯s only one right answer to that question. Todd tips his head to point her the other way. The three human-ish pixie administrators swoop down in a triple colored ribbon. Splitting up, they engage nearby mortals: answering questions, deflecting questions. Plotting. ¡°I¡¯d say I¡¯m more worried about them.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± Anninka replies gravely. ¡°I think you may be right.¡± 01B Burden ¡°Oh my God,¡± Todd groans. ¡°Whatever it is, I don¡¯t think I can handle it right now.¡± Nayira skids from a light jog to a stop. ¡°Oh.¡± She frowns. ¡°It¡¯s pretty important though. You alright?¡± ¡°It depends. What¡¯s your opinion on animal people from the stars.¡± Nayira¡¯s lips pull back to her cheeks in an expression of distaste. ¡°Is that a movie?¡± ¡°Okay, in that case, second question. Did you happen to pick a [Skill] that would let you hit an airborne or flying object?¡± Putting her knuckles against her hips, Nayira squints suspiciously at Todd. ¡°No. Although mine is pretty cool though. Listen, this is important.¡± The human quarter contains 30 or forty people, most of them clustered around the shop crystal. Two or three figures jog in a long loop around the quarter, with extra berth to avoid the last remaining redburr tunnel, while his other friends huddle in a tense conversation with Dr Chowdhury. ¡°We¡¯re happy to help Miss Seacole,¡± Randall supplies on Todd¡¯s behalf. ¡°What can we help you with.¡± ¡°Well last evening, you know,¡± she pauses, sweeping a hand to bring attention to the floor. ¡°We had a couple folks stay late carving up bugs.¡± ¡°Oh, gross, yea? How¡¯d it go?¡± ¡°I¡¯d say mild success, medium disaster. It was good in the sense that we figured out you only needed a hundred parts, not a hundred full bugs.¡± ¡°Oh that sounds way easier. See Todd, I told you we should have done that.¡± ¡°Sure, but a hundred is a big number. In eight hours? That¡¯s like uh, a bug spleen every five? Minutes for eight hours straight. And stress was still pretty high. I think we only had four people complete the quest in time.¡± Suddenly, Nayira has Todd¡¯s full attention. ¡°Only four?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a little bit of a sore point,¡± Nayira chuckles humorlessly, ¡°we had about twenty people trying¡­ and a bunch of them got real close.¡± ¡°That sucks.¡± ¡°Yea. Yea. So getting to the point. The reward is another magic crystal manual. But this one is for magic potions and stuff.¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°But the ingredients are expensive. The good news is this instruction manual, well we¡¯re thinking that someone could learn to make more of those healing pills.¡± ¡°And we don¡¯t have a lot left.¡± ¡°We do not. Or maybe more like, we have a bunch of people with zero and maybe a lot of people with two or even three.¡± But that¡¯s an easy problem to fix, isn¡¯t it? ¡°People can share ¨C¡± Todd starts to suggest. ¡°Think so? Well after yesterday, you know how many Drew has? He¡¯s got five. We asked him to contribute to the common good, you know what he said?¡± Todd clearly doesn¡¯t, so Nayira tells him. ¡°He said to go stuff ourselves in our little commie butt holes.¡± ¡°Jeez.¡± ¡°I mean, with filthier language though. But! We got two people we think are gonna be good at this magic potion stuff, but it¡¯s a long term investment. That manual is potions 101, you got me? Introductory shit.¡± ¡°So why come to us?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re not a raging egomaniac.¡± Nayira winks at him. ¡°Probably. Jury¡¯s still out. And more importantly, whether you noticed or not, most of the rest of us are not rolling so easy into this magic stuff. You and your friends, you got your heads on level, and I trust you, and we need that right now.¡± ¡°Yea?¡± ¡°Yea.¡± Movement along the yard draws Todd¡¯s attention. He sees Ciforre land gently on the ground a dozen yards away, pressing her fingers agains the tile. As she closes her eyes, her violet glow dims, and a warping distortion bends the light around her. ¡°Okay. So what do I do, what do we do? Am I giving you Nexus Coins?¡± Nayira shakes her head. ¡°Non-transferable. Nexus coins can only be spent through [System] stuff like the shop, or with special arrays. The Tutorial windows call it the [Merchant] system.¡± Todd watches as strange dark shadows appear deep beneath the surface of the blue stone floor. ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to ask about that,¡± Randall interrupts. ¡°What¡¯s an array?¡± Ciforre opens her eyes, nodding in satisfaction as the first of a dozen figures breach the surface of the stone. Each one is shaped like a person, or more accurately a mannequin and they appear to be constructed of burnished metal, with posable joints. They emerge from below, like rising out of a pool instead of through solid matter. ¡°I think this is it,¡± Todd croaks. ¡°This is my limit for weird. This is my fucking maximum.¡± Something in his tone frightens Randall and Nayira, and their mouths snap shut. ¡°I literally just walked out of an amnesia field away from a fur people turf fight. Now you wanna start a wizard coin tax, to make magic potions, so we can fight the aliens and ¨C and I still don¡¯t know how any of this stuff works yet!¡± Todd chokes up, and the act of losing composure just makes him angrier at himself. ¡°Arrays? Fractals? Look at that, what is that? What¡¯s even happening over there?¡± Flinching, Nayira and Randall follow his line of sight to see a dozen more of the human-sized metal dolls floating up through and out of the floor. ¡°Oh, uh yea.¡± Nayira says apologetically. ¡°She does that. That¡¯s actually how they got rid of the bugs after the quest timer ran out last night. She just >ploomp<¡± The rescue tech puckers her lips to make the noise of a pebble dropped in a pond. ¡°Sank all of what was left down into the ground.¡± ¡°How?! Those things are only like four inches thick! We clearly know there¡¯s dirt underneath them. That doesn¡¯t even make sense.¡± Todd sucks on a ragged breath as he tries to maintain control. Nayira leans closer to Randall ¡°Is he okay?¡± she murmurs.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. ¡°It¡¯s okay, he¡¯s just more of a bury it ¡®til you explode kind of guy, and this¡¯s been a stressful couple days. He¡¯ll be¡­¡± Randall stops in the middle of the whispered thought, then a perplexed look overshadows his face. His voice rises to a more normal volume as he redirects it to address Todd. ¡°¨C fine. Dude, what the heck are fur people?¡± He demands in concern.
The metal dolls come in three varieties, in reddish copper, whitish tin, and black iron. The plates of their bodies are decorated by intricate whorls and embossed patterns, and their joints swivel via simple ball and socket connections. They¡¯re also monstrously heavy. ¡°If you could set it down one point eight meters lateral, point nine longinal further.¡± Todd limps forward. Now that the adrenaline has run out, his leg is acting up again. He wraps his arms around the waist of an iron doll, then readjusts trying to support it under its armpits. ¡°Um, where?¡± Ciforre points to a position on the floor. ¡°Just over that way,¡± she smiles. ¡°See, children? Look how helpful Mister Kalogeropoulos is! Jingshu, Abigail you could learn a thing or two from him.¡± The teens grumble uncharitably as they drag tin mannequins awkwardly by the waist. Unable to lift them, they drag them along their heels, making a grating metal noise. ¡°Why am I helping you,¡± Todd growls, feeling the weight of his burden bunching up in his lower back and knowing it¡¯s not healthy. With his leg still oozing and sore, he reprimands himself that this little charity is all the dumber. Her trailing textile folds ripple in the absent breeze, and Ciforre casually floats down to trail alongside him. ¡°Because you¡¯re a smart boy. And very responsible!¡± She takes a moment to direct her other assistants. ¡°A little bit further! That¡¯s wonderful!¡± Todd sets the iron figure down with a weighty clunk and glares at his imprisoner. ¡°And because you¡¯re fishing for information,¡± the pixie whispers conspiratorially. ¡°I see you¡¯ve met our friends the Ishiate again.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t seem angry.¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry. Sister Defour is furious enough. She wants to put your ¡®skin in as a quest reward¡¯ ¨C her exact words, mind you.¡± Todd pales. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t let her,¡± he claims; as much a plea as an assertion. ¡°Pick up the target dummy, Todd,¡± she instructs him coldly. ¡°I really thought I was being clever there, insinuating about the array. Calculated it would take you another day at least to muster up the points; that way it might have looked like an accident. Now they know it¡¯s my fault.¡± Cycling cosmic energy through his body, Todd finds the burden easier to carry. The drain is still high, but his improved channels have tightened the efficiency of these new abilities. He still struggles to distribute the energy evenly through his muscles, and as he drops the iron doll into position he feels a straining yield in his left flexor and mid abdominals. Until he gets a chance to Cultivate again, he¡¯s got naught to do but hope nothing¡¯s torn. ¡°Ow. So what¡¯s your sister planning?¡± ¡°Obviously, to whip the Ishiate into a state of paranoia and vengefulness. To nurture their power through hardship and pain until they¡¯re strong enough to be unleashed on the humans.¡± Ciforre adjusts her frames, and the lenses reflect a fragmentary image from a bloody future that has not yet come to pass. ¡°You noticed it didn¡¯t you? When you were fighting the redburr? That in two hours of killing, you advanced your level further than you could have by Cultivating for days. That¡¯s her plan: once she¡¯s yoked them to her will, to exterminate you, and pave the straightest road she possibly can for her candidates to reach the E grade.¡± Todd¡¯s anger is a pressure, a compression. He can almost feel it pushing outward against his skin. ¡°So why don¡¯t you stop her. I understand Befor¡¯s crazy, but Aefore isn¡¯t. Why would she let this happen?¡± ¡°Because, Todd. Obviously, Aefore¡¯s plan is to whip the humans into... a state of paranoia and vengefulness.¡± Ciforre¡¯s irises deepen, their dark recesses tunneled off to some lost lonely place between the stars. ¡°To nurture you, until you are strong enough to wipe out the Ishiate and pave the straightest road: a road in bones and blood to the E grade.¡± Struck by vertigo, Todd wheels in a full slow circle ¨C like if he can just spin the other way it will counteract the dizziness. ¡°Fuck,¡± he says. ¡°An... understandable response.¡± ¡°And you? Is that what you want from me too? E grade, whatever that is?¡± ¡°Did you know,¡± the pixie wistfully floats past him, facing away towards the slowly reawakening human community. She folds her hands behind her back and continues. ¡°In the development of mortal babies ¨C of children, that the greatest measure of mental and spiritual growth occurs in the first six years of life? Language, values, temperament, geometric awareness¡­¡± Her head tilts backwards, and she looks at Todd through the corner of her eye. ¡°Even in that span, potential is a decaying exponential. A soul in its first two years taking breath, will learn and remember more words than most old men can achieve in twelve. It would not be a stretch to say that your destiny is practically written before you can walk.¡± Ridiculous. ¡°I don¡¯t believe that,¡± Todd declares. ¡°No? Certainly, a lifetime is spent learning. You could become a doctor, a soldier, a drunkard... any number of mortals can wear any number of these meaningless masks. But the foundation, your foundation! Are you a judicious man or a cruel one, do you wilt or thrive when the world presses down on you? As the tree is to the mountain, neither can stand unless its roots dig strong and deep. Everything that you are to become, will be built upon the choices you make now.¡± ¡°What if I just want to go home.¡± Ciforre faces him, her expression inscrutable. ¡°Okay. I get it. So you want me to get to this E grade.¡± ¡°I have other options. But yes. A mortal like you, just starting their path to cultivation is classified as F: of which there are seventy five levels of progression until you have a chance to evolve into E. Even then, E is nothing more than another step, one of many on the path to immortality.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to fucking kill people just to live a little longer,¡± Todd resolves. He makes it an oath to himself, a steel-strong promise. ¡°Is that so?¡± Ciforre rasps. ¡°Then prove to me that you don¡¯t need to. Show me what it means to be a lion that eats nothing but green.¡± She draws her stone book from the inside of her robes, and with its corner, jabs it warningly against Todd¡¯s chest. Todd thinks for a moment, rubbing his ribs. His body aches with little hurts, and his deepest heart is weighed down by little fears. He remembers the redburr that could have killed him, their elder which would have destroyed him, and the Ishiate who are being groomed right now to finish the job. He considers his fear, his doubts, and his weakness and in his mind he sees the faces of the people here, friends and strangers who are braver and kinder and better than he is. He thinks about what it means to be strong. ¡°Well in that case,¡± he asks suddenly, ¡°shouldn¡¯t I want to be an elephant instead?¡± Ciforre¡¯s mountain root tome swings round, clubbing Todd in the side of his head, and he cartwheels in the air before landing painfully on his side with his arm under him. The world reels as he lifts himself groaning off of the blue. ¡°Don¡¯t be smart with me, Todd. Now fetch your lazy backside another dummy. We¡¯ve got a hundred left to go.¡± 01C Team Substitution ¡°I am going to die.¡± Spread-eagle on the hard ground, Todd listens to the sounds of metal dragging and early morning voices with his eyes closed shut against the perpetual white light. ¡°Hunghhhhrphhhhh,¡± reply Jingshu and Abigail. By this point, the teens are too tired to carry or drag a training mannequin, not apiece. Before Todd had collapsed, they had taken to wrapping, one on either side, under the armpit and dragging them by the heels together. ¡°Thanks for your help, guys,¡± Todd croaks. ¡°Unghhhhnrgh,¡± they respond. Todd pictures the copper, tin, and iron men in his mind. Constructing a landscape from images and figments, he takes stock of the total count: how many have been positioned, and how many are left to be. Ciforre had said there were a hundred of them, and after carrying a good fifty he certainly had found evidence of that. In fact, now it amazes him how clear his recollection is, a snapshot not just fit to guess but to count from. His memory and imagination had never really been so clear before. ¡°We¡¯re almost done though, right?¡± He tries again. He lifts his head and opens his eyes to see Jingshu begin to dip in the knees, strain on his pockmarked face. ¡°Ow. You¡¯re dropping your side, I need to ¨C okay that¡¯s better. Okay, go.¡± The black metal of the man-sized figurine is as dull as it is heavy. ¡°You¡¯re doing an iron one?¡± Todd asks in surprise. ¡°You can wait for me, I¡¯ll help with the Iron.¡± The girl replies impatiently. ¡°It¡¯s the last one, we¡¯re almost there anyways.¡± Her curly brown hair sticks to her face and her cheeks puff out with exertion. Strange, he¡¯d thought there¡¯d been at least two more figures to move. Unable to find a reason to argue, Todd lays back on the ground until the screech-squeal of metal ends. ¡°Hey, Abigail. Abigail right?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°I got a weird question for you.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°I noticed you haven¡¯t used any bad words. Do you... ever use obscene language ¨C you know, like curse words?¡± ¡°I know what bad words are. And no. I try not to, it¡¯s tacky. Why?¡± ¡°I was just wondering. It¡¯s just that so far, all the women I¡¯ve met in the Tutorial are like, foul mouthed, spitfire, fighting¡­ badasses I guess. Like even ¨¦lena.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°The floral dress lady who beat Teo up with a boot.¡± ¡°Uh... sure.¡± ¡°I dunno, I was just wondering if they were all like that.¡± ¡°Uh, no. Like what? You mean like Officer Bernice running around with a sword like a crazy person?¡± The girl scoffs. ¡°That doesn¡¯t count. She¡¯s a cop.¡± ¡°What about Nayira or Candra?¡± ¡°Who? No we¡¯re not like that. Most girls are normal. Normal girls don¡¯t fight monster bugs or get super excited about lightning bolts. Magic should only be for getting people you like to like you, and getting people to hate who you hate.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± She shrugs. ¡°I guess, or to get rich.¡± ¡°I see. So not to get too deep or whatever, but why¡¯s my view of women so skewed then?¡± The girl huffs and rolls her eyes. ¡°What am I, your therapist? None of your friends are normal because normal girls don''t want to hang out with you.¡± There could be some truth to that. ¡°Ouch?¡± Todd concedes. ¡°First of all, you''re weird. Like, this? This has been a weird question. Second, you''re really rude to the pixies. Like, what¡¯s even up with that? And like lastly... no offense, but you kinda cry a lot.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± Todd sputters. ¡°Do I?¡± ¡°Like, you are crying,¡± Abigail looks down her nose at him. ¡°Right now,¡± she asserts. Todd wipes at his eyes and he¡¯s only 75% sure that it¡¯s sweat. But that¡¯s not his fault! ¡°Come on,¡± he protests, ¡°I got stabbed in the leg, and hit in the head with a rock. I probably strained my back too.¡± The boy Jingshu, who¡¯d been silent so far, makes a subdued but unsympathetic gesture. ¡°Eh,¡± he contributes. ¡°See? Nobody likes a guy who complains all the time.¡± Todd sinks back to the floor, watching the unchanging, empty black sky. He starts to recall faces from his past, to reconsider the way he¡¯d presented himself to them; starts to examine how he might have disappointed them before they, him. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! The reflection is broken when approaching footsteps precede Joe and Candra¡¯s upside down faces leaning over him. ¡°Hey there, Drips. You been at this a while, how¡¯d you get roped into this one?¡± Todd raises his voice enough to carry. ¡°Thank you Abigail. Thanks Jingshu,¡± he says. ¡°You can go now. The coroner is here to pick me up.¡± ¡°Bye kids,¡± Joe chuckles. ¡°Thanks for keeping our little ray of sunshine company.¡± Jingshu nods and pulls his baseball cap further down over his face, but Abigail practically swoons. ¡°Oh it¡¯s no problem, Joe. I¡¯m happy to help, Joe. If you need anything at all, Joe.¡± Finally before she runs out of air, Jingshu grabs her by the sleeve to pull her away. ¡°Yep, bye kids!¡± Candra cheerfully dismisses them, before her tone and demeanor sours. She reaches a hand down and Todd takes it, lifting him up to a seated position. ¡°I literally don¡¯t know how you do it, Joe,¡± she grumbles before stooping down next to Todd. ¡°Christ, if I was that obvious when I was her age, I think I¡¯d die of fucking embarrassment.¡± ¡°Oh come on, they don¡¯t know better,¡± Joe admonishes her. The tall young man steps closer to examine one of the copper dolls, rapping his knuckles against its skull. With his height and build, he actually makes the thing look small in comparison. Joe dips his head towards the retreating teens. ¡°They seemed nice,¡± he observes. Then he looks down at Todd¡¯s leg with its yellow-clear discharge. He neutrally inquires, ¡°did you ask them to help?¡± Overlooking the purpose of the question, Todd sits up further. ¡°No, Ciforre roped them into helping. I think she¡¯s got them ranked as mage candidates, and she wants to start keeping them close by.¡± ¡°Mage candidates.¡± ¡°Yea, I think she¡¯s grooming Cultivators to focus on magic powers. Elemental stuff, like me or Randall.¡± ¡°So why wasn¡¯t Randall helping?¡± Candra points out. Unhappy with the first conjectures that strike him, Todd decides it¡¯s best to change the subject. ¡°Ahhh... he¡¯s probably busy. So what¡¯s up? What have I missed?¡±
Accompanied by his friends, Todd limps over towards a cluster of twenty members of the closest thing that subsection four has to leadership. The leg has been getting worse this morning, not better, and he¡¯s aware of how poor a showing his uneven gait is making. So he grits his teeth and corrects his posture before taking a place in the circle. ¡°I¡¯m sorry this took so long to get organized everyone,¡± Nayira begins, looking a little uncomfortable to be speaking for the group. ¡°I wish we could wait for the Alderman to get back, but we¡¯ve got a lot to talk about.¡± Murmurs of approval trickle through the listeners. ¡°I think we all know what the first order of business is,¡± Nayira sighs, ¡°we¡¯ve been putting it off long enough.¡± ¡°The missing people,¡± nods a middle aged man that Todd doesn¡¯t recognize. ¡°That¡¯s right the ¨C I¡¯m sorry, missing who now?¡± More murmurs, but less approval. The words ¡®missing people¡¯ sets a worm of nausea in Todd¡¯s gut, and it looks like the same can be said of the others. The man squirms under the sudden attention. ¡°Well, it¡¯s just that old lady Chu Mei has been asking around. She couldn¡¯t find Auntie Fa Mai Lin last night. And neither of them had heard from Mister Yong yesterday either.¡± A long silence descends. ¡°I don¡¯t know who any of those people are,¡± Nayira blurts out, and in outrage Dr Chowdhury pinches her viciously in the hip. ¡°Ow.¡± ¡°Forgive us,¡± the doctor glares at the woman at her side. ¡°This is the first we¡¯re hearing of it. I know that we have some struggles with communication here, are we sure these individuals are missing?¡± A few creative denialist possibilities are raised over the next few minutes, but the man is insistent. The argument is overall brief, but without a witness at hand the absences are difficult to substantiate and thus easy to dismiss. Maybe if the discussion was being moderated, it might have been productive. But an absence of leadership makes for a disorderly traffic jam. Joe raises his hand during a lull in the discussion, and near the end of everyone¡¯s collective wits. ¡°I¡¯ve got a question. Where¡¯s Alderman Donnellson?¡± ¡°Why he¡¯s been transferred,¡± purrs a disembodies electrostatic voice. Since the first day of the tutorial, the alleyway gates that dip into the center-sides of the perimeter of the courtyard have gone unused. Partly, it had been a matter of the gates being forgotten in a mess of stranger, more threatening events; but mostly it had been due to the¡­ practical manner in which they had been used on that first evening. Now, a bright light is shining from the close counter-clockwise gate, that light rises white in a flowing pillar and curls up underneath the arch. It breaks and rejoins like a tongue of flame, and then Aefore emerges at its base out from the gate with skin swirled in crimson and gold. ¡°I am so sorry to have worried you,¡± the pixie croons, her voice carrying impossibly far while she slowly floats in their direction. ¡°Mister Donnellson has a niece ¨C somewhat removed, but still family. My sisters and I discovered that she is present and resident in a nearby subsection... within this very tutorial. I offered him the opportunity to join her.¡± Joe crosses his arms over his chest and narrows his eyes. ¡°Is that so.¡± ¡°When were you going to tell us?¡± Officer Bernice demands. Todd thinks for a moment and raises his hand. ¡°Can I check if I have family here too?¡± Then the other questions die out to make room for this one. Aefore cuts him off before any of the other get their hopes up. ¡°There are only twelve subsections in this instance, twelve groups like this one. I am afraid that if we have not already approached you, it is very likely that your families will not be within reach.¡± Bernice raises her voice again, her first question having been ignored. ¡°Well where will they be then?¡± Aefore tilts to the side and slips out of the way. Behind her, a bakers-dozen strangers in martial gis step out from the alley behind her. Disoriented, they follow her in a loose cluster towards the leadership circle. Aefore holds out her hands to guide the two groups together. ¡°There are multiple instances,¡± she explains. ¡°Each is roughly the size of this one, and so it is not unreasonable to think they are simply in another location.¡± Todd looks at this new group of strangers, but he isn¡¯t struck so much by how they appear so much as by what they are carrying. One of the men in this new group is fairly average in appearance, but in his arms he is carrying an ugly looking cat. The animal has short downy hair, with large ears and a narrow rat-like head. It peers up at the plaza and then dismissively curls back into the man¡¯s arms. But the woman next to him nearly stops Todd¡¯s heart. The woman appears to be in her late twenties, her head swiveling as she searches the plaza somewhat frantically. Over her shoulder, a cloth sling is jury rigged into a carrier and she grips it carefully in front of her. Todd cranes his neck to see if she¡¯s carrying what he thinks¡­ ¡°Of course,¡± Aefore announces loudly, ¡°I do recall a certain rare treasure which would allow a person to transfer between tutorial instances entirely. If one of you were to discover such a prize¡­ you would have the power to transfer anywhere in the Tutorial.¡± Todd frowns. How typical of Aefore to entice them with a story of a reward like that. It doesn¡¯t escape him how impractical a treasure would be if it could only transport once. His mom and dad wouldn¡¯t be in the same instance, not after they¡¯d been divorced. So what would he have to do, pick one or the other? He desperately hopes they¡¯re safe, but doesn¡¯t get much time to dwell on it because Candra and Joe suddenly cry out in joy. Startled, Todd looks over and sees a chicken-bone skinny girl his age. He doesn¡¯t recognize her face, or her sharp upturned nose, but he does recognize her hat. Memphis Stomp Police, it reads. The name of Joe¡¯s intramural soccer team. 01D New Dawn Smell Same Dawn Trouble The Art of Cultivation is catalysis. It is the purification and metabolization of the spirit. The Cultivation manual doesn¡¯t say so, the language of the [System] is sanitized and banausic. Breath cycles are measured in precise rotations of the channels. The levels are bounded by measures of the Cosmic Energy in units of egro-Rayles: a dozen-dozenth of the standard energetic Rayle. But that¡¯s not right, not right at all. Todd delves deeper into the fourth exercise of the Root of the Limitless Promise Cultivation technique. With each breath he drives his energy in simultaneous cyclic flows. Concordant, that¡¯s the right word. In and out, the loose circuit of his limbs is no longer sufficient. He needs to divide his attention into the multiple primary and secondary loops if he is going to continue to progress. He inhales through his nose and feels the charged energy as it suffuses his lungs and blood. It¡¯s strange, the actual capture of energy is one part of the process that the manual never seems to cover. This step is one that Todd has needed to grasp intuitively, calling on an instinct as natural as thirst. He feels it as an edge or boundary between his self and the ambient, with every breath transforming a little piece of the outside world into a piece of him. Todd opens his eyes, and stretches out his cramped, protesting body. His leg itches terribly as he extends it, but the pain is much subsided so he puts the limb under him and attempts to stand. Better. Not great, but better. The new girl is sitting with Joe and Candra, with her knees tucked in tight to her chest. Todd hasn¡¯t caught much, but he knows that the girl hadn¡¯t been on the field during the game. Candra had called her Sue Ann when she¡¯d arrived, but Joe just seems to call her 4-H. Tod will have to ask about that later, but would prefer not to interrupt a reunion between friends. So instead he searches for Randall. The big guy hadn¡¯t helped setting up pixie Ciforre¡¯s metal dummies, or been a part of the leadership meeting. As such, Todd guesses he hasn¡¯t seen him in over an hour, and in that time the waking crowds have been leaving their rooms. He threads around a group of the older non-combats and they glare at him in hello, silent until he passes. ¡°Yikes,¡± Todd grumbles. As he continues, he passes by a series of free standing wooden posts. They are arranged in straight lines, turning at a ninety degree angle into a U shape, and there in the corner of it he stumbles on an impromptu self defense class. Walter had organized it at the start, rounding up any low-levels that were willing to learn to fight in earnest. He¡¯d proven to be an inadequate teacher, better suited to the rifle range than swinging swords. Over the ensuing lesson, and in the way that frustration and impatience always tends to ferment into challenge, his stewardship of the class had devolved into a three way argument with Ranger Drew and Teo. Drew was the one with a real knowledge of some kind of mean martial art; but he had less interest in teaching it than telling the others how they were doing theirs wrong. Teo¡¯s demonstrations were good, but discomforting. He tends to simply grab an unwilling volunteer and poke them on their body with the blunt of his [Mercury Rod] and announce they¡¯d been stabbed. To his credit, he shows the patience to go back and tell them how they might have prevented the attack by stabbing him first. The funny thing is that between the three of them bickering, they almost sum up to one adequate lesson. Todd finds Randall paired off with a stranger. The two watch their instructors closely, trying to recreate the knife fight movements they¡¯d been demonstrated to, but in agonizingly slow motion. The man points down at his foot, and swivels it to slide down to a wider stance, then he adjusts his grip on his weapon and extends it forwards Randall¡¯s belly. ¡°Yo,¡± Todd calls out. Randall lowers his weapon, sweeping it out to ward off the incoming strike. But he¡¯s distracted by the greeting and knocks his fingers against his opponent¡¯s ¡®knife¡¯. He passes his weapon to his free hand and shakes out the struck one. ¡°Ack,¡± he grins. ¡°What¡¯s up.¡± ¡°The pixies are almost set up for whatever they have planned,¡± Todd sighs. ¡°You mean with all the stuff they¡¯ve been setting up?¡± ¡°Yea I think they¡¯re just waiting until a few more people wake up.¡± ¡°Think we got a couple minutes? We can practice,¡± Randall tucks his lower lip under his teeth to effect a silly wide-mouthed grin and waggles his eyebrows. ¡°Ya wanna rematch?¡± ¡°Uh... I just wonder if this kind of fighting is going to still be useful,¡± Todd doubts. He watches Drew angrily shout his way through a demonstration of a grapple. Are these techniques going to be effective against monsters? Moreover, now that magic is real (or available? Todd¡¯s still not got a clear answer on what¡¯s actually changed), wouldn¡¯t that change how they fight too? Begrudgingly, Todd joins the class. For a quarter hour, Randall reviews and demonstrates the basic knife forms, and Todd pushes him to exercise them faster. With his 11 dexterity, the motions are smoother and easier to execute. With his 11 endurance, being struck hurts less. There''s no reason to practice so cautiously anymore. Halfway through, Todd sends a signal of Cosmic Energy through his transfiguring tool, and extends its length. The increased range pushes their sparring distance apart, and the grappling moves they¡¯d been practicing suddenly do more to expose their off hand to danger than anything else. Eventually, straying from the introductory instruction leaves Todd and Randall with little to do but improvise and experiment, but without a background in real martial arts, their instincts lead them to missteps as often as insights. ¡°I don¡¯t even know the point,¡± Todd declares. He breaks his stance and stows his weapon back into his bag. ¡°If we ever had a real fight the only thing that would matter is how far apart we¡¯re standing.¡±Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Randall frowns. ¡°Dude, I¡¯ve got my changing stick working now. It¡¯s not like your pool cue thing is that much longer than any weapon that I can make.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not really what I mean,¡± Todd motions for Randall to stand still and then takes a few long steps away. ¡°How far is the range of your fire explosion thing?¡± ¡°My [Igneous Bouquet]? I¡¯m not sure,¡± Randall replies, scratching his head. ¡°You¡¯re probably in range still.¡± ¡°Okay. Well, I don¡¯t really have a way to stop a giant fireball. If I¡¯m close enough to get hit¡­ I¡¯m gonna lose.¡± ¡°Oh, yea I guess,¡± Randall brightens up. Gingerly, Todd relays the less generous half of the thought. ¡°On the other hand, if we¡¯ve got a couple more yards between us, I don¡¯t know how you¡¯d deal with a [Water Spear].¡± ¡°Pffff,¡± Randall scoffs and taps on his wooden chest-plate, ¡°I¡¯ll use this thing as a shield.¡± Todd chuckles. ¡°Yea, you¡¯re right. You got me there.¡± His eyes flick down to Randall¡¯s leg, and he chooses not to share the idea that pops into his head. ¡°Alright, we should go. They¡¯re getting started.¡± As a rooster¡¯s crow marks the morning, the descent of the pixies is the sure sign of coming trouble. Not everyone has geared their survival sense to react at the drop of an electro-sparkle hat, so Todd and Randall beat most of the crowd to gather beneath the three pixies. Aefore, Befor, and Ciforre hover above their favorite pulpit, the huge smoke-colored crystal that serves as everyone¡¯s primary hub to the [System]¡¯s shop system. The facets of the irregular rhombohedral stone gleam, refract, and void, in white, grey and black as it turns in the air. ¡°Children of the Earth, it is a good morning and we hope that it brings you fortune,¡± Aefore¡¯s amplified voice announces. The lead pixie¡¯s night hue mail gleams especially brightless as she opens her fire-gold arms to the crowd. ¡°We have news regarding the frightful beasts who attacked you yesterday! My sister Befor tracked the creatures back to their home world, the F-class wilderness of Caqaiba IV.¡± ¡°It¡¯s such a scawwy pwace,¡± Befor bawls, tipping over sideways in a slow cartwheel. ¡°It was a whole big planet, green and wild! There were homes there too, big ones. Maybe even whole cities! But there¡¯s somethin¡¯ wrong there too. I could not find a single people, no I could not!¡± ¡°The peoples of Caqaiba IV are extinguished?¡± Ciforre repines aghast, ¡°a terrible catastrophe must have occurred to leave a world empty.¡± A shadow grows deep, beneath Aefore¡¯s brow. ¡°I fear what would happen if such a threat were not to be contained. Sister, do you think it is possible that this doom could spread?¡± She strikes a pose and looks out dramatically across the assembled Cultivators. ¡°Could the Earth itself... be in danger?¡± There are gasps from the audience, but Todd cringes in revulsion at the yawning logical gaps in-between bug infestation and interplanetary invasion. ¡°Oh no, sister! How awful! I mean, maybe the planet is a ghostly sepulchral husk, ravaged by a hungry unknown evil, but that doesn¡¯t mean that mean old monsters are coming to eat the humans, right?¡± ¡°We cannot afford to take that chance!¡± Aefore valiantly announces. ¡°If this world holds hidden dangers, we must be prepared for them. Heroes of Earth! Yesterday you have discovered powers within yourselves, power and courage you never knew! If we are to protect the people that we love, we cannot allow ourselves to be bound by our old limits!¡± ¡°Which is why,¡± Ciforre sidles in, ¡°we have assembled a series of tests.¡± ¡°Think of them as games,¡± Befor giggles. ¡°But think more...ly¡± Ciforre winces, ¡°of them as an opportunity to test your new abilities. After all, it would be irresponsible to allow you to face danger without preparing you first.¡± In Todd¡¯s opinion, a life or death fight against two thousand carnivorous arthropods would have counted as danger without preparation. ¡°Speed, strength, precision! These are the qualities a warrior needs to survive.¡± Aefore curls and shakes her fist. ¡°But most of all, you must possess the drive to win.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a competition! Isn¡¯t that fun!¡± Ciforre adjusts her glasses and runs a finger down the page of her open stone book, ¡°The following events will be available: the four hundred meter dash, the seven mile race, the sharpshooting trial, the once struck and thrice struck challenges,¡± the purple sage pixie indicates the running track posts, the metal dolls, and then points toward a ring of narrow stone steles that Todd hadn¡¯t seen before. ¡°And finally the Cosmic energy tests, both of flux and breadth.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so excited I could explode! Sister, tell them about the prizes!¡± Aefore raises an eyebrow and smirks. ¡°Treasures galore.¡± ¡°In the traditions of your people, the first through third positions in a game of skill are awarded. We will use the same standard, the rewards will be granted to the top three performances per event. But do not despair! There is no limit to the number of events you may participate in.¡± The sound suppression field that accompanies the pixies¡¯ announcement dies down, and questions begin to simmer throughout the crowd. Meanwhile eight different quests appear, stacking up into Todd¡¯s quest menu. Active Quests
  1. Fleet of Foot: Dash 400 meters ¨C Reward Variable
  2. Swift Legged: Run 12 kilometers ¨C Reward Variable
  3. Decisive Blow: Strike once with all your might ¨C Reward Variable
  4. Strength of Arms: Strike thrice and show no mercy ¨C Reward Variable
  5. Long Shot: Strike from 60 yards ¨C Reward Variable
  6. Whirlwind Fist: Strike as many targets as possible ¨C Reward Variable
  7. Open the Floodgate: Expend the Cosmic Energy as fast as possible ¨C Reward Variable
  8. Empty the Reservoir: Expend the Cosmic Energy in as large a quantity as possible ¨C Reward Variable
Looking over the list, Todd sees some problems immediately: tests of speed and strength may be difficult to perform well in. By choosing to spread his attribute growth evenly, he will likely be unable to compete against someone like Candra who had invested more narrowly. Besides, it¡¯s doubtful a group of this size won¡¯t have a few strong runners at least. A loud clap breaks Todd out of his thoughts. The bubble pink pixie Befor¡¯s hands are pressed together over her head, and she loudly shouts above the sounds of the crowd. ¡°So what are you waiting for? Begin!¡± 01E Cultivation Olympiad ¡°Come on and hit me, you ninny.¡± Todd pinches his lips together and looks down at his [Mercury Rod] then back at Walter. The old man stands in the center of a triangle of stone steles. The rocks are tall and narrow; like obelisks but without the sharp corners or flat faces. Each of them has a spiraling ribbon of intricate facets that runs up its height, and the flowing, repeating patterns glow in a reddish hue towards their base. Walter holds his stance firmly, the last white wisps of his hair slicked down. As he concentrates, a marbled and shifting globe of purple light dimly encircles his whole body. Frowning harder, Todd charges his weapon with an intention: with weight and hardness. It doesn¡¯t feel right, ain¡¯t his look. But it listens well enough to his need. He lifts a heavy swollen hammer head over his own and after a moment of hesitation, smashes it against Walter¡¯s barrier. The violet glow intensifies, and the liquid energy crystalizes into hexagonal plates. Todd feels a force like cracking through glass into cold molasses as his weapon lurches to a crawl. The ribbon on the stone reacts to the energy of the barrier, the red color of its light intensifying and creeping up the spiral. Then the light falls and desaturates again. ¡°What was that?¡± Walter snaps, ¡°Cut a can of soup in a ten gallon barrel, still got more hog¡¯n that.¡± ¡°Uh, what?¡± ¡°Yer half-hoggin!¡± Walter roars, making Todd jump. ¡°Whole hog it ya¡¯ soy guzzlin¡¯ yoghurt lump! Hit me like you mean it!¡± A quarter startled, quarter angry, and the rest all determination, Todd raises his weapon back over his head. He sets his stance wider, suffusing his arms and lower back with power and his muscles tighten like steel cords. The hammer falls, brought down like a John Henry rock-breaker, and it slams into Walter¡¯s shield again. Round two pushes the barrier to its limits. Like liquid crystal turns solid under pressure, hexagonal panels appear along the globe¡¯s surface at the jolt of impact. In that first flash, it¡¯s a tortoise shell of a defense, then the first protection yields and the hammer-fall doesn¡¯t. But the skill isn¡¯t beat yet, the shield panels liquify into individual swirls, each one a whirlpool that sucks inertia out of the incoming attack. In just that half second, the hammer is slowed until it could barely drive a nail; then the barrier fails and Walter crumples to the ground with a hammer tap on the shoulder. ¡°Shit, sorry,¡± Todd panics, dropping to his knees. But Walter breaks out into laughter instead. ¡°Sorry my wrinkled ass,¡± the crotchety geezer laughs. He sits up and points to the stele stone, which is lit with a slowly falling orange glow. ¡°I got me the high score!¡±
The pixies¡¯ games have been met with an enthusiasm that Todd hadn¡¯t expected and still cant believe. Maybe it had been the stress of the previous two days, maybe it was that most folks hadn¡¯t really had a chance to experiment with their new strength and abilities; but the atmosphere¡¯s gone a little carnival. A couple of the older folks sit on flimsy bamboo chairs, watching the long distance runners as they pass. A few of them, and many others besides, are carrying a rough waxed paper cone filled with a lumpy curd that Todd recognizes from the original Tutorial care package. He hadn¡¯t gathered the courage to eat much of the stuff, but apparently the other Cultivators had acquired quite a taste for it. The real scandal though is Marketing Mike¡¯s doing. He¡¯d been digging through the [System] Store and discovered that there was a low grade spirit beer available for purchase. Apparently it was brewed from some rare ingredients, and was meant for restoring Cosmic Energy. That¡¯s not what it¡¯s being used for now though. A number of people are carrying around wooden bowls, sipping brew in satisfaction and smacking their lips. The chairs, the beer, the food¡­ now Todd sees some of the younger folks wearing stylish patches on their martial gis that didn¡¯t appear to come from the quest rewards. One young woman spins in place to show off her new one-piece robe, dyed entirely in a lurid red. How many Nexus Coins are being blown right now? Frivolously wasted on vanity junk? Todd¡¯s blood runs cold, just knowing that each piece of furniture or clothing could have been alchemy equipment for the good of the whole subsection. The wooden posts mark the edge of the race track, so Todd moves up to them and joins the crowd to watch. The runners are generally divided into three categories: the power trips, the don¡¯t-you-quits, and the ol¡¯ dipshits. The first batch is just in the race to play with their new Skills, and it¡¯s a fun kind of mess. Randall had tried to use his fire attack as a rocket boost, which was a nimrod notion as his [Igneous Bouquet] would be useless if it blew him backwards every time he used it. Group two was in the game to win, with Joe pushing a blistering pace round the track, and sideline cheers of his name looping round with him. The dipshit brigade are more obstacles than participants, they¡¯re fifty percent of the total alcohol consumption, and they¡¯re eighty percent of the stupid. They holler and hoot as they jog slowly around the track, barely paying attention when they get disqualified by dipping on and off the track. Todd watches in horror as one shirtless young man shoots off fist-sized bolts of fire into the sky.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. The target mannequin combat area has some troublemakers of its own, with a few dummies dressed in Earth clothing or repositioned in compromising poses. But the presence of Teo and Drew keep most of the goofing at bay, the two men grimly serious as they batter iron dolls at full force, trying to edge each other out of the first place position for the one and three strike events. Selecting an iron mannequin further away, Todd approaches and taps it on the torso. His weapon is still shaped like a hammer, so he lifts it up and swings it hard against the metal plate. A barely visible red glow fades from the point of impact. Todd tries again, this time with enough Cosmic Energy to nearly double the power of his strike. Red again, but easier to see in the light. Reluctantly, Todd moves over to a Copper doll and tries his hammer one last time, takes it after a windup like he¡¯s swinging for a home run. This time the glow is bright, and in the range of merigold yellow. ¡°You swinging a copper?¡± A voice calls out. Todd recognizes the man¡¯s face but doesn¡¯t recall a name. ¡°Yea,¡± Todd sighs, ¡°looks like it.¡± ¡°I think you gotta hit hard enough for iron to get into the top three now,¡± the man commiserates. ¡°Mhm,¡± Todd agrees. He takes a few steps back, checks his distance and then points his left hand out towards his target. The lancing jet of his [Water Spear] technique streaks out with a subdued high pitched whine. It wobbles a bit at the impact point, spraying water plasm as it ricochets off the hard metal. Then to Todd¡¯s surprise, the doll keels back and topples over backwards. Its weight brings it down with a heavy clang against the floor. The impact glow of the attack is pretty good. Todd sees the damage is fully in the yellow range, which is better than he expected. He traces his finger along the zigzagging trail of the impact, wondering if he could might have pushed closer to the green if he¡¯d kept the spray focused on a single point. For right now, that level of control is beyond him, so he hikes up his trousers, squats on down and heaves the figurine back upright. To some slight satisfaction, he notices that there¡¯s a wide patch of pale red on the doll¡¯s back, and bright red on its elbow. These things are heavy enough that simply falling is enough to hurt, nearly as much as a level one could hit for. Out at the race track, Joe continues to dominate the race. His unflagging discipline, monstrous title bonuses, and the insights he gained into his cultivation and energy from studying with Todd and Candra have turned his body into an unstoppable machine. He¡¯s nearly been sprinting the whole thing. However, he does have some competition. Nayira holds a commanding lead over the sprint event, with her [Magspark Rail] skill. With it, she¡¯s able to use electricity to propel her body forward like a bullet train. Squatting low for balance and cackling maniacally, Nayira leaves a trail of yellow sparks in her dust as she passes the other runners. On the corners, she banks wide and leans low into the turn. The long run sees her fall further behind though, as the thing keeping her out of first place is the limit to her Cosmic Energy reserves. Her skill can only carry her part of the way around the loop, and every time she runs out, Joe pulls further ahead. Nayira cusses as she¡¯s forced to rely on her own flagging legs and stamina. She¡¯ll lose her second place mark as soon as Drew gets bored with the strike challenges though. Todd looks back and sees Drew angle his gladius carefully, then drive the point of his sword into the unguarded neck joint of his iron doll. A tone strikes like a ringing bell, and then a pulse of energy expels out of the sword. Wrenched from within, an awful metal squeal sounds out, and the iron deforms at the neck. From that point of failure, light spills out like blood, and it glows a bright and menacing blue before the arrays on the doll fail and the device begins to malfunction. ¡°Jesus,¡± Candra says, taking a sip of her beer. Todd is surprised to have company, but takes it in stride. ¡°We need to win a few of these, you know. The Doc and the others need all the resources we can get them. These prizes are going to go to waste if we let them go to just anybody.¡± ¡°Drips,¡± Candra warns him, with Todd realizing his given name just died a little further, ¡°Xanax yourself a little.¡± She takes another sip. ¡°It¡¯s beer time. There¡¯s beer. Which means you need to be drinking too.¡± ¡°I shouldn¡¯t,¡± Todd protests. ¡°I¡¯m drinking, so that means you¡¯re drinking,¡± Candra counterpoints. Todd opens his hands up in apology. ¡°I don¡¯t have a bowl,¡± he insists. For a moment, he thinks he¡¯s off the hook. But Candra raises her bowl up to Todd. She pushes the rim up to his lips, and he¡¯s run out of ways to say no. He touches the bowl and tips it enough to sip, but she rolls her eyes and raises it near vertical. Todd sputters in his attempt to guzzle down the whole thing. Intoxication hits the first part of his upper digestive, not just ethanol but a swirl of riotous energy. ¡°You¡¯re awful,¡± he chuckles. ¡°Part of my charm.¡± It¡¯s a terrible shame, did you know? That the word brown is such a knobby, ugly sounding word. It''s a shame because it comes in shades and hues that deserve better, with only inadequate chestnut and mocha to carry her into poetry. ¡°I uh, your eyes are¡­¡± Todd burbles, scrubbing his chin with this sleeve to sop up dripping alcohol. Candra crosses her arms and smirks. ¡°I demand adjectives,¡± she advises. "You may continue." Steeling himself against the warm sensation of alcohol, Todd reasserts his better judgement. ¡°I noticed you got two of them,¡± he sighs. ¡°I don¡¯t want to ¨C and I¡¯m not assuming that you¡¯re, ah, into uh¨C¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that, you know, I kind of have a thing going with Sarah.¡± ¡°Oh. Sarah. Yea. Is she?¡± ¡°The girl from my team. Yea. She''s not here, and I mean it¡¯s not official, official. But¡­ I mean,¡± Todd winces. Candra grins her way out of a subdued expression. ¡°No no, of course. I¡¯m just busting your chops. I didn¡¯t mean to ¨C¡± ¡°Because I would totally ¨C if not for...¡± ¡°Hold your shit there Casanova, I¡¯m just givin¡¯ you a beer,¡± she laughs, ¡°not workin¡¯ your fuckin¡¯ zipper.¡± Todd blushes. ¡°I got it. Sure.¡± Candra looks down at her empty bowl. She clears her throat. ¡°I¡¯m just gonna,¡± she points her thumb over towards the race track. ¡°Gonna try the sprint.¡± She backs away and claps the bowl against her palm. ¡°Gonna try my magic out,¡± she overexplains, clipping the last syllable sharply. The two of them say goodbye, then Todd watches her go as he walks over to the marked sharpshooter position, 60 yards from a row of positioned mannequins. Squinting his eye, rolling his shoulder and lining up his hand with a copper target, Todd glowers unhappily. ¡°I¡¯m going to goddamned regret that, aren¡¯t I?¡± 01F Longshot Sixty yards is a dang long way. Todd holds out his left hand, and supports it with his right. There¡¯s no guide, no sight, no line to depend on. So he peers out between his thumb and forefinger, then rolls his shoulder out and up to see around it better to the target. Still not right. Winching his lip back in a half-face grimace, Todd tilts his hand up to compensate for distance and then shuffles his right foot to widen his stance. ¡°I¡¯ve got a ration token and one sparkle glow pebble that says he can do it,¡± Joe declares confidently as he sets down the small wooden toggle and F-class nexus crystal. ¡°He¡¯s tried it a million times already, you¡¯re out of your mind Joe,¡± chuckles Hobblin¡¯ Pete from his sitting table. The injured man leans forward carefully, minding his mending leg to toss a toggle and stone of his own into the pot. ¡°He¡¯ll never get it.¡± Todd blinks a wavering blur out of his vision and sniffs before his nose starts to get runny. His shoulders hunch and his head droops and his shoulders tense, and this is his sixteenth miserable attempt at the shot. Swallowing, Todd dredges energy from his body and directs it: some to his arm to steady its little tremor, some to his upper neck to clear his mind. It¡¯s all expensive but necessary as he draws the last remaining drams out into his left arm, out to the skill fractal in his hand where the [Water Spear] drinks deep. He feels the bucking force in his arm and shoulder. Shutting his eyes to narrow slits, Todd watches the narrow azure ribbon arc through the air, falling with gravity towards a tin man with outstretched arms. A sandpaper scratchiness rises in his throat and warmth in his eyes, because as he watches that perfect shot, Todd already knows that he¡¯s failed. It¡¯s the air resistance really. When he releases his ability, the skill fractal somehow binds the jet of water with an intense internal cohesion. That contained pressure is part of what allows a simple liquid to be so precise and damaging in the first place. But over the course of a hundred and eighty feet of distance? The beam wobbles and unravels into a heavy spatter of droplets, registering barely more than a buckshot patter of mid hue red impacts on tin. The chest, legs and neck of the doll glow with polka-dotted scarlet and orange, but Todd¡¯s name doesn¡¯t budge from its position on the quest tracker. Second Place. It had been a long day, made longer once it became clear that there were no limits to the number of attempts any one Cultivator could make in an event. The early morning revelry had exhausted itself by noon, as all but the most driven competitors had grown bored, sober or tired. But those two dozen or so in the top tier? They had hardened into an almost fanatic determination instead. In the aftermath, seven of the training mannequins had been ruined during the iron-mangling crusade of attempts made to unseat Andrew Kreutzer¡¯s ludicrous blue iron record. In addition, a shocking number of people had run the twelve-k twice or more, and a brain trust of contenders are deep into an hour long argument, conspiring over how to unseat Walter¡¯s third-attempt yellow record in the Flux event. Todd had known early which events he should be focused on. The marksmanship shot seemed perfectly designed for his skill. It was one of the few long ranged attacks, and further there was some part of the arcane mechanism of the thing in his hand which was correcting his aim. It should have been cake, and at first he¡¯d even held the first place title. After that, he¡¯d tried his hand at events that he was less equipped for. Realizing he hadn¡¯t the slightest chance at the strike events after scoring a four at the whirlwind event, he¡¯d taken midday to make the long distance run and try the Cosmic Energy expenditure tests. Over at the race track, Nayira Seacole makes one last attempt at the long race, her hair matted down with sweat and her face set with determination. A shower of electric sparks trail out behind her as she touches her fingertips scraping to the ground in a sharp turn. She and Dr Chowdhury had been working all day on improving their Cosmic Energy efficiency through cultivation, and this last circuit round the track, Naya¡¯s [Magspark Rail] has almost carried her a full loop without time to recover. Todd¡¯s noon attempt had been good exercise, but he couldn¡¯t possibly beat that. The flux event had also been a wash, as his [Water Spear] was simply too efficient to draw the huge volumes of energy to place in the top three. So he¡¯d focused on the breadth challenge, which measured total Cosmic Energy output expended over a longer period of time. The goal was to test the limit of one¡¯s full reserve, and probably was thus a healthy measure of their overall Cultivation. His tactic had been to repeatedly fire his [Water Spear] into the air, but the inbuilt delay and his improved cultivation meant that he wasn¡¯t spending fast enough. He¡¯d basically had to improvise and spill Cosmic Energy directly out of his body, and the process had hurt all over his skin. While it had been a grueling affair, leaving him feeling wrung-out miserable; it had been enough to secure the third place position. But then... Clearing his throat and putting on a smile for the sake of sportsmanship, Todd turns around towards his tiny audience. Randall is there to give him a few encouraging claps, and Joe wears a mask of condolence over the face of a gambler¡¯s remorse. Todd approaches the jubilant woman hopping nearby, and waits for her to stand still and stop pumping her fist, then he offers her a conciliatory handshake. Todd hadn¡¯t known her. She¡¯d been a nobody, a level two who¡¯d hidden behind the defenders during the swarm invasion and lost her fight on day one. But she¡¯s also apparently a lifelong dart throwing enthusiast, so once she had her bonus five to strength and dexterity... it was like watching laser-guided missiles in action. Todd huffs a slow nasal breath. ¡°That was amazing, really. Thanks for humoring me, this was fun.¡± He had to admit that this woman deserved the win more than he did. After all, he was technically cheating since his skill was doing most of the work for him. After waiting a moment for his opponent to collect the three weighted shards of her [Mercury Rod] and reform the weapon, he lets his friends know that he needs to recover a bit, then he plods over across the way to the Shop crystal. There¡¯s little to do now but wait for the final results; but while it would probably be nice to spend this time with his friends, it kind of hurts to let his Cosmic Energy dip this low. How is it possible he¡¯s lived his whole life without magic and now his body aches when it¡¯s gone? It¡¯s yet another thing for Todd to worry about. Digging through his bag until he finds his Cultivation Manual, he slumps down into a lotus position and begins working on tightening up his cycling. Todd¡¯s knuckles whiten as his fingers clutch hard into fists. His friends had done so well today. He draws in ambient energy and cycles turbulent swirls through his body. It¡¯s sloppy technique, so he grits his teeth and tries again more slowly. Second and third place, how mediocre. He¡¯d really thought he could win something, but the other Cultivators were all so amazing. It was starting to become intimidating. Extending his senses further inward, he lets his instincts feel out the geography of his developing spiritual foundation.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Dipping his mind beneath the surface of his cultivation manual, he skims the resonance exercises for finding his secondary foundational lines, but there are too many distractions outdoors so he withdraws and sticks to his cycling technique. Not for the first time, Todd considers that his skill choice may be holding him back. He needs to get more control over his magic, and that means practice. Todd pulls up his completed skill mastery quest, and sees that finishing the first task in sequence had unlocked a new one: Skill Mastery I: Water Spear (COMPLETE) Reward: ?200, [F ¨C Nexus Crystal: Water]x1, [Skill Treasure: Minor] Skill Mastery II (Tutorial Only): Water Spear (Reach Middle Proficiency) Reward: ?800, [F-Nexus Crystal: Water]x5, [F ¨C Ravine Mausoleum Meditation Tea] The first quest had been quick enough to satisfy, but not entirely easy. He¡¯d thrown a lot of H2O down today, a LOT. Between his improved cultivation channels and higher level from yesterday, it had more than doubled the number of spears he could release from a full tank. The problem seemed to be: he needs to hit something to count for quests. The metal dolls were and are valid targets, but he¡¯d wasted a lot of empty energy during the breadth test by shooting some-where instead of some-thing. When it drops into his hand, the water energy crystal casts a cool blue shadow, like light through the surface of a pool. Moving his thumb over it, he feels the stone is smoother and rounder than its un-aspected cousin. The other reward is stranger: it presents simply as a thick ball of wax. At the center of the lump is a discoloration with all the visual appeal of discarded tobacco juice. There¡¯s no more than a droplet of it, and it arrives with a thin scrap of paper which he cannot read. Walter¡¯s voice brings Todd¡¯s attention to the old man sitting in one of the bamboo chairs. ¡°That there¡¯s just the dosage warning,¡± the elder explains. He tips his paper cone upside down and shakes a few crumbs out onto his palm. ¡°You can ignore it, not like you¡¯ve got a second one lying around.¡± Todd puts the two items carefully into his satchel. ¡°Thanks for reminding me about the skill quest,¡± he says as the sound of footsteps arrive. Looking over his shoulder, he sees Doctor Chowdhury approaching and he reciprocates her polite wave before turning back to his senior. Walter licks his fingers and nods. ¡°You¡¯ll be high right out of your mind, for I¡¯m guessin¡¯... full half-an-hour once you take it. Make sure to focus on the whats-it,¡± he taps twice on his upper belly, ¡°before yeh start. I lost some time on mine, and it ain¡¯t as a whole a fun trip. No point in wastin¡¯ minutes.¡± ¡°Thanks Walter, I really appreciate it,¡± Todd obliges sincerely, then scoots over a foot to allow Abhigjna to join them. The doctor sets down into a standard seated Cultivation position and pulls out her manual and a single Nexus Crystal. She looks up with tired eyes. ¡°I am not certain if you are both aware, the crystals here have the Cosmic Energy inside them.¡± Walter tips his head. ¡°Sure doc, if you say so,¡± he shrugs for Todd¡¯s benefit, wiping his fingers on his trousers. Abhigjna¡¯s mouth firms in a tight line and her eyes narrow. ¡°I noticed that the other people are not using their crystals while they are performing Cultivation. It goes much faster if you ¨C¡± With a deep inhalation, the doctor wafts her hands up from her belly to the level of her face, then down again with the exhale. ¡°Draw in from the crystal,¡± she finishes. Todd looks down at her stone and then reaches back into his bag. ¡°Really? Nice, I knew they were good for something.¡± He thanks her as he pulls out a standard F-class crystal and settles in to a meditative position, but she¡¯s already closed her eyes in focus. The final announcement of the Event results is informal and anticlimactic. By this time, half of the subsection has already gone back to their rooms, and the other half is seated, exhausted, and clustered around the floating shop stone. Befor is uncharacteristically leading the announcement while the other two pixies produce a wide cloud of smoke that displays a hazy montage of the winner of each category. The crowd cheers as a giant figure of Andrew appears overhead, his face red and strained, his beard bent crooked as air whips past him. He¡¯d needed two attempts to beat Joe¡¯s inhuman first time, but it looks like he¡¯d pulled it off. The next vision is a welcome surprise. Todd hollers in excitement as Candra¡¯s face appears and then she explodes off of the starting point. It¡¯s amazing how fast she¡¯s going, but so far he can¡¯t tell how she¡¯d beaten Nayira. Then suddenly, about 50 yards from the finish and without warning, Candra¡¯s whole body rockets forward like a cannon ball and her legs and arms reach forward across the line marker. A few titters break out from the audience as the Candra vision recoils backwards, pulled by an invisible force backwards to the position she¡¯d leapt from while sliding on the floor with a yelp. ¡°Give it up for yo-yo girl!¡± Howls a voice and brief laughter follows as the vision fades. The Single Strike and Energy Flux winners had been unchanged since Todd had seen them, and the same with Lynne, the Marksmanship winner. Then the Triple Strike almost looks like a repeat, displaying Drew killing another dummy the same way he killed the first one. The only difference is that this time he jabs it in the elbow and shoulder joint too. The big surprise is Doctor Chowdhury, who appears once and wins twice. The replay shows her physically repositioning the detection steles in the middle of the mass strike test range. Then the doctor raises her arms out wide, and dozens of long tiny distortions appear in the air like shards of glass and stab into all nearby target mannequins. ¡°Oh my God,¡± Todd chortles. ¡°Doc, that was crazy! Why didn¡¯t you use that on the bugs?¡± The doctor wobbles her head sideways. ¡°It seems I cannot choose who is affected,¡± she replies grimly then grumbles, ¡°I would not have chosen this skill if I had known.¡± Then one final round of cheers and applause go up as the final results are posted in a giant [System] window in the sky.
  • 400m: Cassandra Mu?oz, Nayira Seacole, Andrew Kreutzer
  • 12k: Andrew Kreutzer, Joseph Faucheux, Nayira Seacole
  • Singles: Andrew Kreutzer, Joseph Faucheux, Teodore Alamilla
  • Threes: Andrew Kreutzer, Bernice O¡¯Shea, Joseph Faucheux
  • Marksmanship: Lynne Genton, Todd Kalogeropoulos, Abigail Fletcher
  • Whirlwind: Abhigjna Chowdhury, Andrew Kreutzer, Randall Cho
  • Flux: Walter Jones, Jennifer Roth, Randall Cho
  • Breadth: Abhigjna Chowdhury, Mister Marmalade, Todd Kalogeropoulos.
Todd looks down the list, and a smile grows over his face as he reads his friends¡¯ names with pride. "Look at that!" He points out excitedly, "Randall, you picked up some spots! Cho Champion!" He nearly shouts his voice hoarse. Any lingering disappointments melt away as he exchanges congratulations and laughter with the others. Then his grin sours as he reaches the end of the list. His hands droop down to his sides in confusion as he croaks: ¡°who the fuck is Mister Marmalade?¡± 020 False Flag A jail cell, that¡¯s what it looks like, feels like and there¡¯s a word for it: this room is pent. Pent up, pent in, claustrocum. Todd hoists the leather strap of his magic bag over his head, drops the whole thing at the edge of the room and then rummages through his wicker basket in the corner. He digs out the last lump of soap, the rest of the supply eaten up by yesterday¡¯s laundry and a thumb sized spindle of surfactant its last remainder. The square obsidian panel of the store relay is inset on the other side of the room, recessed into the wall and beneath the dim of the lighting fixture. Maybe he can buy more. Arching his back with a groan, Todd presses his fingers against the cool stone plate and spends a few minutes paging through [Blood Curdle Saber]s and [10,000 Devil Impalement Fist Needle Gauntlet]s until he finds a passable pig bristle toothbrush and wood-ash paste. Lacking a towel, he impulse-purchases a [Riverflax Rag] while he¡¯s scrolling down for... aha! The [Rare Hooting Ape Fat Soap] is priced fairly cheap, but Todd balks at the buy; after all, vote with your dollar right? Further about a hundred entries, he finds and procures some [Dusksong Poppy Oil Soap] for just under double the price. Stripping off his everything, and unwrapping his new purchases from their waxed paper packaging, Todd ducks his head into the waterfall crevice in pursuit of hygiene. Tomorrow was a day of rest, pixie Befor had said. Todd emerges from the cave soothed and refreshed to the point that even stubbing a shoulder against an exposed rock can¡¯t foul his mood. Rest was something Todd truly felt he¡¯d earned, that he deserved, and that it would be deeply unwise to take in full; so he resolves to enjoy it now tonight. Stripping the thin mattress off of the bed trestle, Todd lays it down atop the bamboo floor mat and lies face-down into it. The spicy, woody smell left by the soap is invigorating to his blood and soporific to his mind, and Todd breathes it deeply as he tumbles fast into slumber. The secret is in the cohesion. That¡¯s the trick. It can¡¯t travel the distance if it falls apart. Chewing on wax, full mouth. Too much wax. Marmalade why? Grandma¡¯s make marmalade? Old ladies, no that¡¯s weird. There¡¯s a keyhole in a door and inside there¡¯s a mouse, and he has to hit the mouse. Aiming, aiming, aiming. No, the mouse ate the soap! Soap bubbles, but he can¡¯t pop them. Big mushy pillow and it won¡¯t pop. Annoying. An urgent metallic chirping noise rouses Todd from a restless sleep. Whatever sense he had of time is fast decaying as his changing needs for rest have confoundingly upended his internal clock. Rolling off of his arm and finding it asleep, he agonizingly works his shoulder until the feeling comes back and he rolls himself up to his feet. There¡¯s that sound again. Almost sounds like an alarm. Todd waves the other arm just in case the lights will respond, but they seem to be on the late night settings still and remain dim. He perches over on the lip of the bed trestle and chews out a staggered yawn. Maybe he should try the Skill treasure now, Walter had certainly made some great progress in his [Violet Tortoise Armor] out of the stuff. Alternatively he could make some progress on his channels, but he¡¯s been sucking on Cosmic Energy for two days straight and is largely sick of it already. What else could he do? There were some interesting treasures in the store, he could browse for a little while. That¡¯d waste an hour or two. The blaring noise has grown louder, and this time, Todd notices the lights dim slightly as it sounds. Idle mind cuts to urgent as a chill rides up his spine; Todd is fully awake now. Rising to his feet, he rapidly scans the room and as he does he filters an angry scratching noise out from the ceaseless falling water. Ducking lower and turning right, he pinpoints the source: from behind the little knee high table in the corner. A long, serrated foreleg pokes out from the shadows, scrabbling against stone. There¡¯s a hole in the wall, and it¡¯s getting larger. The scratching noise grows more frantic, clattering and clawing at the rim of its egress. A long filament unfurls into the room under the table and begins to swish around, and Todd understands the identity of his guest: it¡¯s a redburr stinging crab. ¡°Shit,¡± he grumbles, pinching his eyelids to unblur the world. Lunging over to the other corner, Todd flops open the [Greed Satchel] and begins rooting through its contents for his [Mercury Rod]. It¡¯s somewhere sliding underneath the pieces of his wood armor, and stubbornly rolls away from his searching hand. The roach-beast chitters and squeals as three of it¡¯s arms fit into the room and cut deep scores into the wooden legs of the table. The second antennae quests along the floor now, and the arthropod tries pushing its whole thorax through. Stuck only at its shoulders, the crab flicks an antennae, perturbing a malicious propagation across its graded differential. It cracks with a bullwhip snap across Todd¡¯s naked calf, lashing a shallow laceration.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°BUCK a SUCK a FUNDLE, OW,¡± Todd leaps up on his bad leg, which has just, rather excitingly become his good one. Curling in over the pain, he falls forward into the wall with one shoulder, then rolls to lean his back against it. ¡°Why¡¯s no one EXTINCTED you yet?¡± Giving up on forcing its way through, the invader backs its thorax deeper into the cavity, and four of its legs hack ginsu-style at the wall. Little chips of stone fly loose as the bug¡¯s chittering voice rises to a squeal and the tunnel foramen further widens. But Todd¡¯s gone too far furious for fearfulness, so he sticks out his mitt most sinister and administers twice his new friend¡¯s recommended daily hydrous intake. Directly, and at speed into its eyeball. The ricochet spray of his [Water Spear] in the cramped space hits everything. The pained caterwaul of the redburr overbears everything. Todd is deprived, in that moment of sight and sound. ¡°Ack,¡± he says, blinking and dripping. It hadn¡¯t been enough. All ten knife legs, keratinous and rust-iron red, unleash in a frantic, weed-whacker dervish. Stone flakes fly out from the tunnel, and Todd¡¯s abused table fails at the leg. Nicked in the clavicle by a stinging rock chip, Todd hops awkwardly as the collapsed table surface shoots across the room at his feet. By this point, the perforation in his room¡¯s large enough for light and what¡¯s visible¡¯s unwelcome. The redburr¡¯s body is much larger than the fellows Todd¡¯s been acquainted with; rough guess it¡¯s the size of a coonhound and its legs are long enough to claw a third of the way through the room. ¡°Get out of my room!¡± Todd shouts hoarsely, dipping at the knees to line up another shot. The bug¡¯s head is mashed on the right side, with a compound eye drooping out of its socket. One of its legs is cloven at its base, such that it can still flail but any weight or leverage will tear it further out of socket, and in its frenzy, it¡¯s chopped one of its antennae right off. But none of that changes the fact that there¡¯s a whole lot of killing machine up and operational, so Todd channels another strike. As he feels the current of energy draw into his hand, he feels something new and different. Like a sonar echo: his first insight into the geometry of the magic in his hand. And while it¡¯s interesting, it surely ain¡¯t pressing, so Todd focuses on the bit that¡¯s functional: there¡¯s some wiggle room now at the connection, and it¡¯s happy to take more juice. So he pushes a little harder. Hazy aqua energy swirls out of his hand into a wobbly blob, then it collapses into a high pressure point before punching out a high speed ribbon of water. The difference isn¡¯t dramatic, maybe a quarter again more energy drawn from his center for thicker jet of spray. It¡¯s the kind of control he¡¯d been hoping for the first time he¡¯d used it, and an encouraging development. The crab is better prepared this time, tilting its body downward to angle the shot off of its harder upper shell and lifting four or five legs criss-crossed defensively in front of its face. The [Water Spear] cracks a leg wide open, and it flaps back like a hinge as it fails. The rest of the beam deflects off of the shelled body, slamming it with force downward, and then as it loses its grip, shoves its body down and back like running it along a cheese grater. A mist catches the light, while back-spatter soaks the floor mattress and Todd himself. He grits his teeth and drops even lower. Wincing from the pain in his calf, he falls to a knee and peers over his thumb at the open tunnel and the little rivulet draining into his room. But this time he waits to take the shot. The monster¡¯s shell has proven difficult to breach, even at close range, and the wedge shape of its body leaves few direct angles to target. Screaming like a rattlesnake mixed with a cicada plague, the stringing crab charges back out from the depths and slams its body against the hole. Every limb that fits through is put to the purpose of stabbing Todd dead, and every limb that doesn¡¯t, pushes. It¡¯s going to get through. Gritting his teeth and squinting as he aims, Todd focuses on its open, tearing mandibles. The creature¡¯s head bobs up and down, and it¡¯s arms are a brambly defense, but he releases one last torrent and guides it true. The ribbon wobbles as he keeps it on target, knocking another arm crooked and tearing open a seam, but a bandsaw length of the attack cuts deep and manglingly into bug innards. The creature¡¯s body writhes for a moment, it¡¯s lower body distended and rupture, then it simply lies still and vomits water and ichor onto Todd¡¯s floor.
¡°No, this time she¡¯s gone too far!¡± Ciforre accuses. The four star sisters of subsection four float carefully equidistant in three dimensions. Tetrahedrally, they orbit around a square model diorama of the plaza and the molar shaped buildings around the edge glitter with tiny red flickers of light. ¡°Oh please,¡± Before growls, her snarling head at the center of a swarm of electric wasps, ¡°our survival rate was getting out of hand. I had to do something.¡± ¡°You had no right!¡± Aefore looks severely at her feuding sisters. ¡°I have to agree with sister Befor. She was well within her bounds to rate the home invasion event at a level four. In fact, I would say it is a necessary consequence of your actions.¡± ¡°Mine?¡± The gold pixie reaches a hand out to the diagram and as she pulls it back, tiny transparent figures lift up with it. ¡°The average performance of our group is exceeding expectations. To your credit sister, our numbers in the field exercises are nearly comparable to subsection one! For a group four, that is an incredible achievement.¡± ¡°But your goodie two-shoe weenies are keeping the losers from eating their rightful dirt, it¡¯s time to push ¡®em a teeny ¡®lil bit.¡± Ciforre¡¯s accretion disk flares up over her head, and her curling fingers deepen in violet. ¡°I¡¯m not angry at the level fours, you nitwit. Aefore, she sent a level 8 redburr hunter at my PRIMARY.¡± Befor¡¯s disassembled body implodes down into her humanoid shape and she wrings her hands and effects a guilty smile. ¡°Oh, that.¡± Defour laughs viciously as Aefore crosses her arms and scowls. ¡°Is this true?¡± ¡°Oh I was doing her a favor,¡± Befor wheedles. ¡°You were so upset when your little wet dishrag lost his event, I figured¡­¡± ¡°That you¡¯d kill him?¡± ¡°No, no! I figured, well I may have sent a level 6 over to little miss darts Genton¡¯s place. Your boy can win by default!¡± Aefore and Ciforre blanch at once. ¡°You WHAT?¡± They cry in unison. ¡°Oh please, I made if fair didn¡¯t I? If your primary couldn¡¯t survive one level eight, he doesn¡¯t deserve the treasure or your attention.¡± ¡°And if the girl doesn¡¯t survive?¡± Ciforre asks. She and Aefore float closer to the model, raising up one building in the display and it balloons in size. Then a tiny red dot on the upper level flashes and winks out. ¡°Well then I guess we hope we kept track of the fourth place winner,¡± Befor giggles, ¡°don¡¯t we.¡± 021 Point Perspective Rods and cones and ? Candela, Todd blinks at the change in brightness. His satchel is packed heavy with his gear, though its weight reducing properties diminish that from a burden into a turn of phrase. For the second time in as many days, he¡¯s appeared in the central plaza sopping wet. At least this time his pants are clean too. Todd adjusts his arms to get a better grip on the rolled up mattress and bamboo mat as his weapon bounces against his thigh. He¡¯s tied it to his gi belt with a dirty sock, and it¡¯s taken the shape of nothing more complicated than an elongated narrow spike. Maybe a hundred(?) other people are already gathered around the crystal, and in every passing moment more figures appear at the foot of their residential buildings. Newcomers run towards the group as they appear, and frightened neighbors stand tight together: close as the herd. Jostled by a kid running past him from behind, Todd realizes this was an appropriate situation to ask for an apology and files that datum away for next time. He moves forward, progressing from a desire to warn, into observe, into assess, all the way to assume, and then after a moment of self-censure back to inquiry. Approaching a tall gentleman that he recognizes as a bus driver from the first day, Todd clears his throat. ¡°I got attacked in my room¡­ is that ah,¡± he motions generally, ¡°is that uh ¨C you okay?¡± The public transit operator regards Todd without warmth. ¡°Hey man, I can handle myself,¡± the man replies a touch defensively, ¡°you think a little creepy crawly like that can scare me?¡± ¡°You got a little one?¡± Todd asks with some relief. ¡°Good, I was scared that everybody ¨C¡± he huffs, ¡°you should have seen the size of the thing that came at me.¡± ¡°Not everything¡¯s about you,¡± grumbles the man. ¡°I could have saved Chuck, you know?¡± ¡°Chuck ¨C you could have?¡± Todd looks around in confusion, left behind by a hard pivot. ¡°Who¡¯s Chuck?¡± ¡°I was gonna,¡± the man insists, ¡°I was gonna.¡± ¡°Okay, man,¡± Todd begins slowly backing away, ¡°I get you.¡± ¡°You just got a head start, you hear me? I¡¯m goin¡¯ to get stronger, Believe it,¡± he issues like a challenge as Todd politely flees. There are injuries and frightened faces in his way, so Todd circles around and between them as he searches. He finds Candra first, but she¡¯s occupied in comforting a stranger. Joe likewise passes by in a hurry, leading a man with a bleeding hand injury over towards the doctor. Nayira and Abhigjna are attending to and triaging the worst of the wounded, and are accessible by no clear pathway. So Todd turns to a stranger instead. ¡°Hey, have you seen Randall Cho? Kinda big guy? Short hair, got those laughing buddha cheeks going on?¡± He asks the man, and receives a shake of the head in response. They scan the crowd together. Randall appears from the residence wall a few searching moments later. After setting down his pad and mattress, Todd thanks the stranger for trying and jogs over to meet Randall halfway. ¡°Omigod, it was awful dude,¡± Randall slows to a halt and adjusts his satchel. His gi is gory and gritty with bug muck at the wrists and ankles. ¡°Also, good morning. But also also? Seriously nightmare.¡± ¡°You got attacked by a redburr, yea? I think, I mean I think they came for almost everybody.¡± Randall shakes his head. ¡°That wasn¡¯t the suck part of it, man. I thought I could catch it, I did catch it; in my box chest thing.¡± ¡°That was smart, Randall. I didn¡¯t even really think of that.¡± ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t so hot a move. The room wouldn¡¯t let me leave until I killed it. Dude it¡¯s so much worse killing something that can¡¯t fight back,¡± Randall crimps up his face in pain, and then smiles wanly. ¡°It made this noise. I¡¯m like mega traumatized.¡± Todd starts a word, then sends it back to trade in for a new one. He forces himself to make eye contact. ¡°At least you¡¯re okay. Alright? You get all your stuff from your room?¡± He lifts his own satchel and shakes it. ¡°I¡¯m not planning to go back until we know what¡¯s going on.¡± ¡°Aw, crud. No.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Once the pixies get back,¡± Todd grits his teeth, ¡°we¡¯re going to get some answers.¡± Randall¡¯s enthusiastic head bob is not what Todd expects or is looking for. ¡°You¡¯re right, Aefore and Ciforre will help us!¡± The young man exclaims cheerfully. ¡°Randall,¡± Todd clutches his fists hard enough to pop his knuckles and releases them. ¡°Jesus, I thought you were dropping hard on your smart stat. It is time to TALK.¡± He rubs his eyes with the side of his hand. ¡°They are NOT on our side. Can¡¯t you see that?¡± ¡°But ¨C¡± ¡°Christ man, we¡¯ve been kidnapped. And they knew the redburr nest was here. How do we even know they didn¡¯t bring them here on purpose too?¡± Reddening in the face, Randall practically stomps a full widdershins circle. He raises his hands in the air and drops his voice low. ¡°Todd, I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t CARE!¡± He hisses. ¡°They gave us magic. I can fucking do magic now. I have a bag that¡¯s super-dimensional, and a Swiss-army sword and... Is something shady going on? Sure. Fine. But.¡± Randall stubs a thumb into his own breast. ¡°Do not give a shit, I don¡¯t. So get on board, Todd.¡±This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Stunned, Todd watches as Randall storms away towards the crystal. All around him, stressed out faces glower at him distrustfully, maybe even angrily. ¡°They¡¯re here to help us, coz,¡± a voice regretfully entreats. Jingshu is still wearing his baseball cap, and the teen tips it up level to obscure less of his face. ¡°I wanted to say sorry for yesterday. Like,¡± the boy taps his fingertips to his chest, ¡°I¡¯m cool with you. It¡¯s just that Abby¡¯s mad that the purple witch lady likes you better.¡± Todd glances through the crowd to see Randall animatedly speaking with Marketing Mike, before responding to Jingshu. ¡°What¡¯s she want Ciforre to like her for?¡± ¡°See, that¡¯s that crucial attitude,¡± Jingshu taps knowingly against his temple, ¡°I tried to tell her sucking up wouldn¡¯t work. She¡¯s gotta do whatever you¡¯re doing. This whole, try-hard spaz stuff. No offense.¡± ¡°Can I take a little offense?¡± Todd murmurs in aside before replying. ¡°I a hundred percent don¡¯t get you guys. When you talk to them, don¡¯t you just ¨C I mean they ooze menacing, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the thing Se?or Drippy, I dunno if you noticed this: but they don¡¯t really talk to us much. So far they¡¯ve done nothing but help, and then when you and Smasherella shit-talk the pixies after¡­¡± Jingshu shrugs. ¡°I mean it makes me nervous. Because they¡¯re the only ones that have any idea what¡¯s going on, and if I can¡¯t even trust them I don¡¯t know how to handle that.¡± Todd groans. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to tell you.¡± ¡°Well that¡¯s, and you didn¡¯t hear this from me, kind of why some people maybe would rather you not talk so much? Like in general. Again, not me!¡± Jingshu pokes his head up, as much over the crowd as his height can reach him. ¡°But I do need to make sure Abby doesn¡¯t see me yappin'' atcha.¡± ¡°I¡­ Sure.¡± Backing off in a retreat that Todd finds very familiar, Jingshu offers a low subdued wave. ¡°You understand, yea? We¡¯re still cool?¡± He turns his back as he goes. ¡°No,¡± Todd decides quietly. He doesn¡¯t understand, and he doesn¡¯t feel ¡®cool¡¯ either; not in the context of we or I. Excusing himself past a few eavesdroppers, he sweeps his bedding back up in his arms and heads off in search of Walter or even just an empty space. He doesn¡¯t make it far. ¡°Hey kid!¡± The voice is tired, and it belongs to a man in his mid thirties. Todd had seen the man fight at the front line during the swarm, but he hadn¡¯t made a huge impression. The woman standing with him is actually from the transfer group, and her arms cradle around a child while her whole body bounces gently to console it. ¡°You have a kid here,¡± Todd dumbly observes. ¡°Yea. Yea, my wife was ¨C I guess in another zone. Or section. Listen kid, we were sort of in a rush and didn¡¯t remember to get our bed stuff on the way out.¡± ¡°You have a baby in the Tutorial,¡± Todd frowns. ¡°We¡¯re all together again, so it¡¯s okay.¡± As his wife adjusts to free up a hand, the man grips and squeezes it. ¡°I know, this is a little unfair for me to ask, but ¨C¡± ¡°Yep.¡± Todd thrusts his armload forward urgently. ¡°Nope, yes. It¡¯s yours.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll get it back to you, buddy. Thank you,¡± the man smiles broadly. ¡°I¡¯m Fred.¡± ¡°What?¡± Todd notices a handshake waiting for him, so he sets down his sleep kit on the ground and grips it. ¡°Oh, I...¡± ¡°He¡¯s one of the Candidates,¡± the woman speaks up. She wipes a thumb gently over her child¡¯s forehead as it makes a little raspy noise. ¡°Our pixies talked about it in subsection eight. Something about them picking up cosmic energy stuff faster and... can you ask your pixie to come help? We really need them right now.¡± Todd shifts uncomfortably. ¡°Does nobody¡­ I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s a great idea.¡± ¡°Please Dripsy,¡± she adjusts her generational burden and locks eyes with Todd like a direct personal attack. ¡°Nayira says you¡¯re the purple one¡¯s favorite. Can you at least try?¡± ¡°How do people know who I am?¡± ¡°Oh. Oh! You¡¯re the kid who keeps asking questions.¡± Fred taps one fist lightly into his other palm. ¡°Personal favor, Dripsy right?¡± ¡°My name is Todd.¡± ¡°Why do you call yourself Dripsy then,¡± Fred shares a chuckle with his wife as Todd briefly considers taking his mattress back. ¡°Sometimes it¡¯s really¡­ uh, distracting? When you interrupt Aefore and Ciforre. Because there¡¯s a lot to process here, and some of the rest of us ¨C maybe we¡¯re not following along so fast. All this magic stuff, it¡¯s kind of new for me; for regular people and...¡± Todd looks from Fred to his wife and down to the child. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do, I guess,¡± he reluctantly offers. ¡°Thank you, Todd. And I¡¯m Ly, and this little bumblebee is Martha.¡± ¡°Really Todd, thanks.¡± Todd inclines his head and leaves them to set up their nap arrangements. For the third time this morning, he tries to put distance behind him. At this point, there aren¡¯t a lot of places to escape to so he sidles up to a distracted Candra. ¡°Oh, hey Drips. You okay?¡± She inquires mildly. ¡°Bleeding fashionably I guess?¡± He lifts his heel to look back at the browning oval blot on the back calf of his pant leg. ¡°So I guess middling range okay. How was your giant monster this morning?¡± ¡°Scary that it got inside, but less scary when I flipped out and hit it with my table.¡± ¡°Table casualty huh.¡± Candra allows the corner of her mouth to quirk up. ¡°May he rest in peace.¡± ¡°Weird little observation, and call me crazy after almost getting eaten again but, do people trust the pixies more now?¡± ¡°Oh. My god. Right? They are,¡± Candra tips forward conspiratorially, ¡°getting real weird about it.¡± ¡°But why? I¡¯m not gonna say they¡¯re evil, but ¨C they¡¯re obviously evil, right?¡± Candra shrugs. ¡°Stockholm syndrome.¡± She looks down at her hands, and her composure frays a little. ¡°I kind of thought the rooms were going to be safe,¡± she admits nervously. ¡°It¡¯s not dumb to feel a little shook up.¡± She indicates towards Todd¡¯s bleeding leg. ¡°I mean, even you got tagged by the little sucker.¡± Todd¡¯s mouth presses down to a line, then tucks hard to the side. ¡°Nobody got hit by a big one? Not even Drew?¡± ¡°Yea. Thank the elf unicorn wizard whatevers. Everybody¡¯s basically got super strength now, and the pixies kind of oversold the poison too. I think most everybody¡¯s okay.¡± Todd¡¯s gaze drifts over to the ten or so poor souls in the doc¡¯s care. ¡°Or at least mostly okay,¡± Candra corrects herself. ¡°Not horribly, awfully dead.¡± The human mob grows more restless, and additional figures have long since stopped appearing from the residences. Todd looks out across the plaza. He sees the remaining redburr mound nest, unchanged for two days. Officer Bernice and Walter stand along the way towards it, and are in a discussion with Ranger Drew that involves a lot of loud faces and large hand gestures. Looking even further, Todd sees the slight waver that denotes the boundary to the Ishiate section. ¡°Hey Candra, how¡¯s your wisdom coming along.¡± ¡°My wisdom? I guess I got a sweet boost from the title. So it was like a nine last time I checked?¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t put any points towards it?¡± Candra scoffs at him. ¡°Why would I waste points on wisdom? Does it even do anything?¡± ¡°Kinda helps protect against mind control.¡± ¡°And if we get attacked by telepathy hypnosis bears, I¡¯ll worry about it then. Drips, don¡¯t second guess this. I can tell you right now, literally nobody has spent points on wisdom,¡± Candra grins. ¡°Drop them in dexterity. It really does make you faster,¡± she brags as Todd¡¯s attention slips away from her. The illusion curtain weighs heavily on Todd. He and Nina had been the only two to see past it, and even if he called on Candra now it would cost her three full levels to breach the array. But is it even important? There¡¯s still the redburr nest, ten or more wounded, another big trial coming up tomorrow, and now there¡¯s an actual baby to worry about too. ¡°Hm,¡± he replies absently. ¡°I¡¯m kinda getting a headache.¡± 022 Selling a War A great exultation, subdued/jubilant/anxious in various measures, rises to greet the descending pixies. The cheers are infinitely frustrating, but not unexpected. The fearful cries are curious; but few in number and not yet worth thinking on. It¡¯s Todd¡¯s own initial reaction that¡¯s got him so angry. His first feeling (regarding falling starlight) had been relief; relief in knowing someone was coming to tell him what to do. What ugly kind of hope is built, not on safety, but on a well defined itinerary? The pixies descend in formation, with Aefore at the apex position; no flourishes, no acrobatics. Their expressions are severe, and the heat of them bears down oppressively. ¡°Children of Earth,¡± the gold pixie¡¯s voice booms. Her color is sharp against the black sky, like she was cut onto it by a palette knife. Then her presence resolves and her face softens. ¡°I am so glad you are all safe.¡± Todd forcefully drags his gaze away from the pixies and confirms he¡¯s caught in their sensory dullness field. Once he perceives the haziness of the space around him, it becomes easier to surface back into sound, shape, and color. ¡°It is clear to us now that we can no longer afford to ignore the threat brewing on the planet Caqaiba IV,¡± Aefore continues. ¡°Tonight¡¯s attack¡­ we have come to believe that it is a preface to something worse.¡± The faces of the other human cultivators stare up in a slack-jawed haze. Had Todd worn the same vapid look when he¡¯d been under? ¡°We had been hoping that there would be brave souls among you who would have the courage to search Caqaiba for answers. But I am afraid that circumstances have forced our hand. Sister?¡± Aefore addresses Ciforre, who presses her hand to her mouth in a gesture of over-exaggerated reluctance. ¡°The redburr stinging crabs, as you imagine, sourced their raid from the remaining nest.¡± As she speaks, Ciforre raises an open palm upwards and a shimmering transparent image of the tunnel opening appears in the air above it. ¡°They must be accessing the ventilation tunnels to bypass the residential security.¡± Todd can¡¯t help but snort. Ventilation tunnel? In a solid stone wall? Any air in their rooms is either coming in through the water spout, or is just plain magic. Ciforre traces her finger through the air along a jagged red line that leads to a pale white cube that raises out of thin air. She makes a sharp gesture and the red line sharply splits. ¡°We have re-secured your rooms and sealed the access tunnels. But the bad news is the residential ventilation was not the only system they were able to access.¡± ¡°They killed the air,¡± Befor issues in a singsong whisper. ¡°Yes. I wouldn¡¯t phrase it that way, but it¡¯s true. Significant damage has been dealt to the life support systems.¡± Ciforre draws another red line in the hovering diagram, this time down from the tunnel entrance and descending to a pulsing red dot. ¡°We believe they breached a maintenance shaft and then accessed a system hub.¡± ¡°It¡¯s busted bad.¡± Ciforre glances disapprovingly at Befor. ¡°We don¡¯t know how severe the damage is yet. We can¡¯t until we have eyes on the support terminal hub. But I have assembled some preliminary projections, and¡­¡± she sighs. ¡°There may only be enough air to provide a single day of breathing at present usage.¡± A moment of stunned silence hangs over the plaza, which may have a great deal to do with mass hypnotic stupefaction, and less to do with authentic dramatic pause. ¡°So what can be done, Sister?¡± Aefore growls/purrs knife-sharp: a leopard voice. Pointing at the red dot, Ciforre swipes her hands apart. The image in the air expands into a schematic of a device which communicates no useful information whatsoever. ¡°Repairs,¡± she suggests tentatively, tapping on a nondescript squiggle. ¡°Maybe significant ones. But that will mean a need for parts. Materials. And in the meantime, the redburr will continue unopposed in their sabotage of internal systems.¡± Todd notices another face in the audience that seems free and aware. He locks eyes with Soup Nina, and the two exchange a nod of acknowledgement from across the mob. ¡°Then we have no choice,¡± Aefore declares. ¡°We call upon the noblest of you. Volunteers to descend into the pit of the redburr infestation and root them out once and for all. Once you do, you will have purchased a full day of respite to prepare before all of you will have to disembark onto the planet¡¯s surface below.¡± ¡°While we enact repairs,¡± Ciforre interjects. ¡°While we perform repairs,¡± echoes Aefore in a low voice. ¡°Of course.¡±This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Swooping around in a bubbling arc, Befor descends to floor level. ¡°Sounds like we gotta give out your presents from yesterday¡¯s games, if you widdle humans are gonna go down to the planet!¡± Feeling the numbing effect of the attention field fading, Todd pulls up his quest menu. Two new entries have appeared:
  1. House Cleaning (Difficult) ¨C Suppress the threat of the Redburr Stinging Crab hive. Rewards: [Fool¡¯s Luck Barrier Token]x3(shared), [Berylsteel Crystal Shards]x18(shared), [F ¨C Illusory Formation Flags, penta-8-yard]x1(shared) ¨C Performance Reward: [Title: Arthropod Slayer]
  2. Have You Tried Rebooting? (Easy) ¨C Reactivate the device at the base of the tunnel. Reward: 100?. Performance Reward: [F.8 ¨C Inscription Rod], [Nexus Crystal: Metal]x3
Todd reviews the quests and notes that both appear to be optional, and further that there is no mention of air supplies or immediate danger. Befor slaps her hands down on a large wooden box that is balanced on top of a narrow iron-columned podium. Neither had been there a moment ago. ¡°Third place!¡± She cries out. ¡°Dash event, Kreutzer, that¡¯s you!¡± She giggles and spins in place while one hand hovers in position and beckons him over. ¡°Cosmic energy control, flux event third place winner. Randall Cho,¡± Ciforre raises a small bamboo box over her head as she makes her announcement. The pixies are not wasting time as they hand out the small parcels for runner up contenders, and Aefore begins calling out the triple strike third place as well. Todd¡¯s name is announced for his third place achievement in cosmic energy breadth and he approaches the violet star-gravity pixie with cupped hands. She arches an eyebrow at him and smirks before placing a misshapen glass bottle in his hands (careful not to touch him directly). It¡¯s flattened and oblong with an almond shaped mouth, stoppered by an irregular cork. Inside, three pale white pills tinkle against the glass of this sleeve-like bottle. ¡°It¡¯s good to focus on your long term growth. But don¡¯t completely ignore your short term needs,¡± she whispers before waving him away dismissively. Suddenly Befor rises up high and loudly squeals. ¡°There¡¯s been a teeny little change to the results of the marksmanship event!¡± Grinning widely, she produces a rectangular leather band and unrolls it. Five black iron needles are nestled into slits in the band, and the bubblegum pixie holds them out towards a dyed blonde cultivator with facial piercings. Todd had maybe spoken to the kid once before. But whatever Befor¡¯d planned on saying is lost. ¡°What ¨C¡± Ciforre flashes up next to her sister and squeezes her hand. The two exchange a rapid string of hushed words, but the smiles never leave their faces. Ciforre tilts her head amiably and laughs once. ¡°¨C my sister was trying to say is: we will be unable to present first place for the marksmanship event. I¡¯m afraid that our winner was injured during the attack and is currently recuperating in her room.¡± A voice calls out, asking at Lynne Genton¡¯s state of well-being. Murmurs echo the sentiment. Ciforre motions for calm. ¡°She graciously has offered to defer her reward during her convalescence. She was quite insistent that it might be put to better use in the hands of her peers.¡± Ciforre¡¯s lips and eyelids peel back wider, displaying more and more white as she looks at Befor. ¡°But while her gesture is appreciated, it is also very much not in keeping with the spirit of the rules. Right, sister?¡± ¡°Fine,¡± Befor pouts. ¡°She was just trying to help, but we¡¯ve gotta follow the rules. Abby F, Todd Kabopermoose, come up and get your junk.¡± Since most of the winners placed in multiple events, a small group has formed at the foot of the crystal. Joining them, the Fletcher girl pushes past Todd to collect the iron throwing darts. Her hands bob down noticeably at the weight of them, and she inspects one withdrawn dart with a frown. ¡°Congratulations on mediocrity, hooray!¡± Befor shoves a tattered, folded square into Todd¡¯s hands. Turning it over in his arms, he grips a corner and lets gravity unfold the garment. A tangled mesh of netted leather and fibre falls most of the way to the floor. It weaves browns and greys together, with little tassels and fragments of leather. Overall, the tangle¡¯s shape is trapezoidal with one narrow bit that widens out sharply after. ¡°Thanks?¡± Afterwards, the first place prizes are awarded with a good deal more pageantry. Aefore removes her own onyx mail coat and gifts it Drew. Ciforre presents her stone book to Abhigjna. Even Befor plucks off a silver toe ring off her foot, though Candra holds her [Greed Satchel] open to receive it instead of touching the ring directly. The gesture of presenting personal possessions as magical gifts to the first place cultivators serves as a remarkable public relations coup. The treasures inspire confidence (as well as camaraderie) by representing symbols of a direct investment on behalf of the pixies. Aside from the black mail, rock book, and foot loop, four other marvels fill out the incomplete set of seven rewards. Drew receives the obnoxious bulk of the haul, including a copper sword that swelters with internal heat and a tiny origami horse which folds out to the size of a real one. Doctor Chowdhury tactfully accepts a small wooden flute for her accomplishment in the multi-target event, though she seems upset once Ciforre explains how it works. And finally Walter receives a fist-sized ornate brass cage that trails an arm¡¯s length of chain. The smaller parcels, bottles, boxes and knickknacks get stashed away for safekeeping. No one seems to have received any healing pills, but there are several strange medicinal goods among the distributed gifts. Todd¡¯s own pills are called [F ¨C Canid-Marrow Energy Replenishment Pill]s, though a great deal of his happiness with them is likely at risk depending on just what kind of canid they¡¯re made from. Hefting the glass vial in his hand, Todd gazes up at the pixies. He watches as Ciforre addresses a question from Randall, and as the young man flips a thumb over the edge of a thin stack of paper talismans, the pixie adjusts the silver rim of her glasses and taps her finger against the top page. Todd restores the pills to his bag, taps his [Mercury Rod] to sustain its shape, then bends over. Snatching his netting reward off the floor he shoves it into the corner of his bag. Holding the flap open for a long moment, Todd muses at how his satchel can look so full and feel so empty. His eyes drift back up to the pixie and entertains a funny thought. If he had won first place, he idly wonders, would she have given him the glasses off of her face? Ha. Wouldn¡¯t that have been a sight. 023 Oops, Governance Todd hobbles over to join the circle that forms up around the crystal. The shape of the leadership group has turned into a paired set of rings, one primary and a little oppositional offshoot. The group leaders and ranking cultivators form the core of the gathering, which Todd mentally classifies as divided into the solutions squad and jerkwad jamboree. The discussion falls apart as Todd squeezes into an open position. Walter holds point at the joining link between the two circles, and he throws up his hands in frustration as the two groups seem to try to hold the same conversation, at the same time and through him. As the conversation momentarily breaks down, Todd greets a distracted Business Jenny on his left, and then grunts an uncomfortable hello to an unexpected Driver Larry on his right. There are in fact a surprising number of new participants in the leadership circle, to the point of becoming unproductive. The wide ellipse is flush with both frightened low levels and pride-bruised mid levels, and they raise their voices as they speak over one another until they spiral off into a half-dozen side arguments. ¡°Yo, Drips,¡± Joe acknowledges. He jogs across the circle with his head ducked slightly down. ¡°You okay? Your leg is looking,¡± he hesitates, ¡°kinda the opposite of good.¡± ¡°Oh, no. No it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve basically spend the last three days in some kind of base minimum level of pain, so this is no big¡­ deal¡­¡± Todd squirms a little under Joe¡¯s burgeoning concern, and laughs it off nervously. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine once I wizard yoga on it for a minute. Really.¡± Joe hums a distrustful tone and narrows his eyes. ¡°You gotta take care of yourself. Don¡¯t overexert, it¡¯s like the number one way to self destruct.¡± While Todd tries to cook up a more persuasive argument, Jenny and Larry close on Joe from the sides. ¡°Hey y¡¯all.¡± Joe reaches out and pats Larry and Jenny on the shoulder. ¡°Glad to see you¡¯re holding up. Hope you got more sleep than I did,¡± he grins. ¡°Have we figured out what we¡¯re going to do about those bugs yet?¡± The woman asks. ¡°I can do it, I¡¯ll come,¡± Larry offers. Joe pads wardingly with his hands against inquest and offer. ¡°We don¡¯t know yet, and I don¡¯t know about that. Larry, I know you¡¯re keen to help but we¡¯ve got a couple level eights now; Drew might even be nine.¡± Larry mumbles. ¡°Are you at least at the seven count?¡± Joe asks gently, to which Larry doesn¡¯t answer. ¡°I¡¯m not sure that ¨C¡± Todd speaks up once and goes unheard, so he tries again louder. ¡°I don¡¯t think the bug quest is what we¡¯ve got to focus on, Joe.¡± ¡°Naw Drips.¡± Joe chuckles and crosses his arms to make an X. ¡°I¡¯m feelin¡¯ the energy buddy, but you¡¯re not coming. Sit your butt down and stop dying for a minute. It¡¯s okay to let us handle this.¡± ¡°Joe, you¡¯re not listening. I think we¡¯re really not ready for tomorrow.¡± Looking for an example, Todd appeals to Jenny. ¡°Jennifer, sorry to put you on the spot, but on a scale of one to ten, how ready are you to hike around on an alien monster planet? Ballpark number?¡± Jenny takes a second to consider it. ¡°Uhhh, if I had to guess I¡¯d say I¡¯m at a strong three? I have technically been camping. In a tent, and with trees ¨C you know ¨C adjacent.¡± Todd raises his hands, bobs his shoulders and puffs out his cheeks. See, he motions. Jenny admits to Joe, ¡°I¡¯m actually feeling more confident about fighting giant bugs than finding food, or not having a tent.¡± ¡°Ah, gotcha,¡± Joe ruffles his hair in exasperation. ¡°You¡¯re right. Damn it. Dude, how you think we¡¯re gonna do this.¡± ¡°The food situation seems like it¡¯s solvable,¡± Jenny suggests. ¡°It¡¯s just going to be a matter of making sure everybody¡¯s got a meal token.¡± Todd nods enthusiastically. ¡°Yea. That¡¯d be a good start. These are all solvable problems, and there are smart people here who can figure them out. But first somebody¡¯s got to take charge. I was really hoping the Doc would do it ¨C¡± ¡°Or Andrew,¡± Larry grumbles. ¡°Less¡­ thinking Andrew, but sure.¡± Todd gives Larry the side-eye. ¡°But now that Donnellson¡¯s gone, we need someone to step up and take charge.¡± ¡°And you think it should be me?¡± ¡°Well you are tall,¡± Todd shrugs. ¡°From the day we crawled down from a tree, from time immemorial. The measure of kingship is altitude.¡± ¡°Jeez Louise, Drips,¡± Joe laughs, ¡°you¡¯re such a cynic.¡± Todd smiles and raps his knuckle on Joe¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Yea well, that¡¯s why it can¡¯t be me.¡±
Weaving his way to the center of the group, Joe raises his hands to clap over his head and calls out loudly. ¡°Listen up, rock stars! I know we¡¯re all edging on saving the world here, but we¡¯ve gotta start thinking about tomorrow too. Our brainiacs are thinking it¡¯s gonna be rough out there, and I don¡¯t know about y¡¯all but I trust their big ol¡¯ noggins.¡± He pivots on his heel and makes sure that the side arguments die down a little. ¡°I¡¯m gonna start calling out names. If you¡¯re dead set on a bug hunt, or you don¡¯t like the job I¡¯m giving ya, this is your chance to say so. But let¡¯s get this sorted now and save the hassle later.¡± Joe waves off Marketing Mike. ¡°Questions¡¯re fine but after. Doctor C!¡±Stolen story; please report. Abhigjna steps forward. ¡°We got a lot of folks who need to tighten up that cultivation base. Lot of people are still soft in the magic department,¡± Joe explains. But it¡¯s clear the doctor isn¡¯t having it though. ¡°I keep telling you people. I am a medical professional. I am not qualified to be teaching magic, I¡¯m not even a good teacher,¡± she complains. ¡°Don¡¯t sell yourself short, Doc. We all know you¡¯re killing it in the Cultivation department. But if you¡¯re worried, that¡¯s why Drips here is gonna help you.¡± Joe spins again and points out Abigail Fletcher. ¡°And Brainigail, you too.¡± Doctor Chowdhury accedes to Todd¡¯s and Abigail¡¯s help and steps back reluctantly. ¡°J-Business, I need you and Naya on logistics I think.¡± Joe looks to Todd for affirmation. ¡°I know we¡¯re running low on meds, and we need a handle on the food situation.¡± Nayira crosses over to Jen and offers a hearty handshake which surprises the other woman. ¡°Well, look who voted his self goddamn king of Wonderland,¡± she chortles. ¡°Aye aye, sir captain! We on it.¡± ¡°Yea? You find a crown ¡®round here you let me know,¡± Joe smirks, parting the divide between the two groups and passing Walter with a touch on the back. ¡°Drew-drew wrecking-crew, we need¡¯ja boss. You wanna round up some volunteers and mulch those bugs for us?¡± A rising tide of order and enthusiasm follows Joe as he crosses over into the rival camp and in that moment Todd sees a real chance at reconciliation. ¡°You seem to have this under control,¡± Drew icily responds. ¡°Let¡¯s see you deal with it.¡± Todd reminds himself of an important life lesson. The worst place to keep your hopes is up. But luckily Drew¡¯s little band of admirers have less patience for being petty. Walter and Teo pull him aside to plead with him to reconsider, and in that time Officer Bernice steps forward. The officer awkwardly cradles the handle of a sword at hip level, but instead of a blade the sword sprouts like the vane of a feather. The plume is a mottled white and brown, and it spans long enough to rest over her shoulder and just past the crown of her head. Carefully, she cranes her head away from the edges of the feather¡¯s barbs as if she fears being cut. ¡°Andrew, what is your issue?¡± She exclaims. Walter gestures an agonized apology before turning back to his argument with Drew, so Bernice rolls her eyes. ¡°Whatever. I¡¯ll run the quest. Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ve still got this.¡± She carefully points a thumbs up signal with her free hand and steps into a more vacant space. Joe puffs out a breath in relief. ¡°Awesome. Okay, the rest of this is gonna be rough and dirty. Everybody level seven and over, raise your hand.¡± He pauses asten hands go up. ¡°Oh nice. Okay, level six and over.¡± A few voices echo Joe¡¯s question across the larger crowd and after a minute, the count widens to nearly fifty. Joe cups his hands over his mouth and shouts. ¡°Y¡¯all are now officially team leads. Your job is to grab a group of¡­ I dunno, five other people ¨C¡± Todd leans in towards Joe. ¡°Seven might be closer. Ish.¡± ¡°Seven people level five and under! Form groups of eight! Folks gotta be ready for some wilderness, so y¡¯all scout master now. For now, you¡¯re helping Jennifer and Nayira. That¡¯s number one priority, and in an hour we¡¯re gonna regroup and figure out cultivation and combat training.¡± Todd raises two fists and presses them together. Strong showing. Others across the small circle murmur their approval, or gesture that they have a question which can be delayed. ¡°Oh and I guess, some kind of wilderness survival?¡± Joe guesses as the thought strikes him. ¡°But for now ¨C Team leads! Form teams! Quest volunteers, form up on Officer Bernice.¡± He glances perplexed at her giant feather. ¡°AKA Emperor Tickles. Everybody got it?¡± Joe coughs. ¡°I¡¯m gonna lose my voice,¡± he rasps before trying again. ¡°Por favor, hold questions for like five seconds while we sort out some stuff!¡± The next few minutes are chaotic, but directed. The level cutoff isn¡¯t necessarily the best standard for organizing groups under, but a system that needs fixing is better than a perfect nothing. Joe stays to facilitate, but by this point Business Jenny and ER Nayira have recruited Soup Nina and the conversation steers to practical matters of supply. Excusing himself, Todd wanders towards Officer Bernice and finds himself joined by Candra. ¡°If that doofus gets elected President someday, I¡¯m blaming you,¡± she reports. Todd attentively monitors his gait as he walks to minimize his limp. ¡°You going on the mission?¡± He asks. ¡°Nope, I¡¯m just making sure you don¡¯t.¡± Todd scoffs as he raises a finger to get Bernice¡¯s attention and squeezes past the eager group of volunteers. Most of them are poorly equipped or leveled to participate, and Todd can¡¯t understand what they¡¯re thinking. She recognizes him and frowns. ¡°You can¡¯t come, Todd.¡± ¡°Why does everybody think¡­ I was just gonna tell you. I think the quest is meant for three people. I dunno how many you¡¯re taking, but the quest rewards are divisible by three and that makes me feel¡­¡± Bernice considers it, and then yanks away from a man who¡¯s gotten too close. She glances at the edge of her feather with brief alarm before turning back to Todd. ¡°I guess that makes sense. So we should take four just in case. Is Joe coming?¡± Todd glances inquiringly at Candra. ¡°I guess not?¡± ¡°Sounds like his power sucks for cramped spaces,¡± Candra suggests. ¡°You might want to keep that in mind.¡± ¡°Bah. Powers,¡± Bernice grins. ¡°Compared to¡­¡± Todd looks over her weapon again. ¡°A turkey feather?¡± ¡°Whatcha gonna do, write on them¡­ in big cursive¡­¡± Candra trails off. ¡°Ugh, the tickle joke is the only one that works, isn¡¯t it?¡± Todd charitably drops a chuckle, then nudges his chin to point at the sword again. ¡°Where¡¯d you get it?¡± ¡°You¡¯re laughing, but this thing is crazy. It¡¯s called a [Roc Pinion] and it¡¯s got a ¡®doo¡¯ of sharpness. This thing tore up a dummy yesterday, an iron one; almost won me the three strike.¡± ¡°Damn,¡± Candra reconsiders. ¡°I got it by redeeming my weapon token, you got one right? That¡¯s actually something everybody here should consider doing. The weapon tokens need cosmic energy to activate, so you have to figure out how to channel it into an object. But there¡¯s a trick past the first one. You can kind of cultivate the token while you¡¯re touching it, and it¡¯ll actually level up a little before you have to cash it in.¡± She rubs the tip of her nose and sniffs. ¡°Aefore says the final item¡¯s less random the more it gets a taste of your energy.¡± Todd and Candra share a surprised look. Clearly overlooking the token had been a mistake. It had been the same thing with the nexus crystals. Everything here seems to have a use, a shortcut, or a hidden trick. Having delivered his message, and having a hyperbolic million things still to do, Todd wishes Bernice good luck. ¡°Alright,¡± Candra sighs, adjusting her trousers to compensate for the way her [Mercury Rod] is causing her trousers to droop. ¡°Looks like you haven¡¯t got a hard-on for suicide today. So ¨C¡± Todd¡¯s eyes widen as he chokes out a cough. Candra pats him gently on the shoulder. ¡°Catch you later, yea?¡± 024 Tranquil Meditation Much to Todd¡¯s surprise, Lanky Busdriver Larry ends up making the cut for the redburr extermination mission. While there are still concerns about his level, his skill produces a spear out of shimmering light energy, and it¡¯s universally agreed that he¡¯s going to be uniquely suited to fighting in the cramped underground tunnels. Discount suburban road-warrior Teo picks up the third position. He stomps over to Bernice, scarlet with anger and cursing under his breath. It seem Andrew will not be changing his mind, and Teo has for some reason found that refusal to be vicariously emasculating. With his broad shoulders and hefty gut, Teo looms comically over the short policewoman while he listens intently and deferentially to her instructions. The final fourth spot is another controversial pick. A few of the crafting candidates have insisted that the bonus reward on rebooting the support hub will be hugely valuable in the long term and to that end, they get shockingly loud. Within minutes, an unfamiliar figure shuffles in place next to Bernice. Their features are obscured by a head to toe suit of [Redburr Shell Splint] armor and their arms lift high over their head. Below, the Fletcher girl, Jingshu, and one other swarm about in a circle adjusting and securing the straps. They retie one of the rounded wooden breastplates into a makeshift shield and strap it to the armored figure¡¯s arm. Todd truly hopes they know what they¡¯re doing. Meanwhile the newly assigned team leads have spread out and begun to recruit small groups. Like anything unfamiliar and untested, the process is less than smooth. Some of the leads are trying to group with friends or family exclusively, others are attempting to avoid undesirable members. The elderly, the wounded, and the weird are passed over particularly often, even as more than one group begins to exceed the eight member limit. It takes Joe¡¯s direct intervention to rebalance the teams, and he entreats the unsure and unwilling with broad, animated gestures and back slaps. Todd¡¯s task starts after the next step. Each team lead is responsible for identifying any of their members at level four or below for mandatory cultivation training. Those early levels are critical: they¡¯re both fast and easy to earn, and as far as Todd is concerned represent an easy stack of bonus attribute points. It¡¯s true that there¡¯s no way to know how much danger will greet them planet-side, but there¡¯ve also been three pixies of reasons to think the threat is as high as it is nigh. That small handful of points, multiplied over a hundred (or however many, the population counts have been a mess since day one) souls might make a world of difference. Tipping his [Greed Satchel] over, Todd scrapes out the full sum of his possessions onto the floor and then repacks his armor, food and sportswear. Working from a seated position, he sorts through his little collection of treasure. He pushes apart three nexus crystals, one healing pill, a scruple of skill serum, the basic cultivation manual, a nickel colored weapon-raffle coin, a small stack of decorative patches, his reverted [Mercury Rod], and his three energy restoration pills, rattling happily in their little corked glass sleeve. On one hand, it doesn¡¯t seem like a lot. On the other, this little spread represents three completely different pathways of advancement. His remaining unspent standard crystal and new restoration pills should be able to multiply his cultivation significantly, whereas the elemental crystal and skill treasure could be a huge blessing for his [Water Spear]. But his weapon represented a pathway he hadn¡¯t even considered before; between it and the coin, Todd suspects they represent a hidden lesson about interfacing his own energy with that physical objects. Could he get a magic sword like Officer Bernice if he chose to spend today cultivating the coin? Is that even something he really needs if he already has the rod? Any decisions he needs to make will have to be delayed, as the first group of cultivators has arrived. Todd rises and stands with Doctor Chowdhury to greet them, then motions for them to sit. Over the ensuing hour of instruction, it becomes apparent to Todd that there are three main difficulties his students are contending with. The first group is probably easiest for him to relate to. They simply experienced the entirety of their preconceptions apropos the laws of reality yanked out from under their feet. No biggie. It¡¯s right reasonable to be turned adrift. A good number of the elderly cultivators seem to be falling into this bucket. They¡¯d spent too many years alive to reinvent their notion of possible so fast. Unfortunately, the rest of the group seems to be just plain thick. Group two is insufferable, Todd never would have thought he¡¯d use the words layabout or shiftless unironically, but the younger cultivators are plumbing the depth of his patience and dragging up mud from the bottom. ¡°Can you sit down, please?¡± He is forced to ask more than once. At the start of this session, Todd had thought he would be able to share all the exciting tricks and insights he¡¯d gleaned from the Root of the Limitless Promise manual. Instead, most of the growing crowd are overwhelmed by the basic exercises such that multiple, and often personal instructions become necessary. Abigail¡¯s return is the first big win. She manages to organize the cultivators into small groups that tutor each other, which frees up Todd¡¯s time to answer more specific questions. Win two is somewhat bitter, as the instructors share the basic method for absorbing energy from nexus crystals. It¡¯s a short-cut, providing little to improve a person¡¯s spiritual channels or foundation. Plus, without strong technique much of the energy is wasted or evaporates. The other problem is their supply, as the main way to obtain crystals has been from fighting in the swarm. The cultivators are forced to rely on donations which Business Jenny procures upon request and ferries over. Even then, the crystals end up shared between two or even three cultivators. So it is with a sigh of great relief that Todd overhears the first few pupils power through and announce their ascent to level five. It¡¯s a shame that not everyone is making the effort. ¡°Lay off, geek,¡± snorts a young man that ought to know better. The boy is maybe eighteen or nineteen, tall for his age and with a squared set to his jaw that Todd might not grow into himself until his thirties. ¡°Can you just try? You¡¯ve got an opportunity right now to bank some serious levels. I know this meditation stuff is boring,¡± Todd pleads, ¡°but if you get into trouble tomorrow and you haven¡¯t laid down a proper foundation ¨C¡± ¡°So what? I can,¡± the boy makes a motion to indicate air quotes, ¡°level up by killing bugs, right? So screw this, I¡¯ll just fight.¡± Todd rubs the side of his nose and squeezes one half of his face shut tight. Maybe he¡¯ll get an aneurism and mercifully die, free of these jackasses. He watches with dread as two of the kid¡¯s friends rise to join him in delinquency. Pressing both fists to his forehead, Todd briefly shuts his eyes and calmly repeats himself. ¡°You¡¯re not ready yet. I am telling you.¡±This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Abhigjna¡¯s voice surprises him, and he sees her standing at his side wearing a cruel little smile. ¡°Todd, I am thinking that you should teach these boys what it means to be level eight.¡± Todd blinks. ¡°Oh, did I level up? How did I not notice?¡± Reflecting inward, Todd finds an internal feeling of pressure in his chest which is similar to what he¡¯s become accustomed to as the boundary between levels. Ah, but it isn¡¯t. This feeling is just stress. He¡¯s actually completely overlooked his progression past two full levels. What had he done to advance so fast? Todd looks down at the nexus crystals in his hand. One has gone completely dark, and the second is starting to dim. Add to that all the energy recovery yesterday, and the monster he had to kill this/last night, and maybe he can see how that would be enough. Todd pulls up his status menu and, sticking to his balance strategy, quickly assigns his four points spread out over his physical attributes.
Name Todd Kalogeropoulos
Level 8
Race F ¨C Human
Alignment Human (Earth)
Titles Chosen
Strength 13
Dexterity 13
Endurance 13
Vitality 13
Intelligence 14
Wisdom 15
Luck 9
Nexus Coins 602
Free Points 0
He looks with surprise at Abhigjna. ¡°How¡¯d you know?¡± The doctor¡¯s gaze holds laser focused on the troublemaker, but she answers Todd blithely. ¡°Because I have also, and I doubt I am so far ahead of you.¡± ¡°How do you think,¡± Abhigjna taunts the boy, ¡°that you are as strong as the dripping man? My opinion is that you embarrass yourself.¡± ¡°Whoa, no.¡± Todd raises his hands in peace and his eyebrows in protest. ¡°Please don¡¯t start me a fight, and please don¡¯t do it calling me the dripping man,¡± he groans. ¡°Oh yea?¡± The kid scuffs the underside of his nose with the back of his hand and saunters forward a step. ¡°You think I¡¯m scared of moist master here? Can¡¯t even barely fight one little baby crab-a-dillo?¡± The boy dips slightly and waves dismissively at Todd¡¯s scabbing leg. ¡°Don¡¯t be a dick, man,¡± Todd moans. How is it possible that no one else woke up to such a rabid murder crustacean as he had? He feels like such a dweeb in front of the lowbies. ¡°Mine was kind of big.¡± An ugly little glint reaches the kid¡¯s eye and Todd regrets saying what can only have been interpreted as a sign of weakness. The teen closes another step, bringing his face in uncomfortably close. ¡°Maybe I should be teaching this lesson,¡± he threatens. Todd frowns. ¡°That doesn¡¯t even make sense,¡± he says as Doctor Chowdhury brushes past him. ¡°Your friend is all talk,¡± she brashly gloats to the boy¡¯s two peers. ¡°He is frightened he has measured the dripping man wrongly.¡± Todd¡¯s stomach sinks like lead shot in a dark pond. A civilized man will suffer all manner of indignities if he¡¯s alone to bear it, but to be disrespected in front of his friends? There¡¯s no limit to the stupid that¡¯s possible when a fool¡¯s got a choice between saving face and breaking it. The fist cannons forward and Todd watches it mournfully as it clips his wrist and drives past it into his chest on the right side. The thump rattles him and he staggers back to absorb the blow. ¡°Doc, what the hell?¡± Raising his fists up to the side of his head and rolling his right shoulder, Todd flushes a cycle of energy through his body. It would be impossible to fight and focus on all of his channels at once, so he falls back on his cultivation¡¯s basic five-figured-star loop technique to circulate his power. The big little bruiser steps in again, taking an angle to round Todd¡¯s defense and lashes out another disciplined, straight-ahead punch. This fight isn¡¯t going to be like his scrap with Randall, this kid actually seems to know what he¡¯s doing. Todd leans back and ducks left, careful not to trip over the cultivator sitting behind him. He still takes the tap on his eyebrow, just at the edge of his opponent¡¯s reach. The speed at which this guy is moving is sorely obnoxious, where had he been during the redburr invasion? If he could fight like this, he should have blown through level five right then on day two. Todd takes a shallow breath and cycles more energy to his arms and head, letting the current through his legs slip. Twisting his hips, he moves one raised arm to deflect another incoming strike and takes it painfully in the broad of his forearm instead. ¡°Todd, don¡¯t go easy on him! He is very rude!¡± Abhigjna exhorts him. ¡°Easy?!¡± Todd¡¯s voice cracks a little as he shouts. He skips off one heel into a jump and twists his torso awkwardly to absorb a blow to his side. Coming down, he stumbles off balance and has to throw his own punch just to recoil off of his opponent. ¡°He¡¯s like a Cro-Magnon, square dance ¨C OW ¨C Mike Tyson ¨C Aaa, watch the ear!¡± Todd cups the side of his head and gingerly runs his thumb along the inner ring of cartilage. He gives it a quick glance, it¡¯s come back with less blood than he¡¯d expected. ¡°Like Klitschko?¡± The Doctor considers. ¡°No, Klitschko was a points fighter. Todd, stop being soft!¡± She cries. ¡°I spec¡¯d a lot in wisdom, okay?¡± Todd lifts a foot, thinking of a kick but aborts and swings his left fist instead. The punch collides with a guarding arm, and Todd feels fingers wrap around his wrist. Tensive pain signals some kind of twist maneuver, and his arm yanks around into a pinned position as he¡¯s pulled in close. Then a series of fast jabs dig into his lower back as the kid takes advantage of the hold. ¡°I spent on wisdom, so fucking sue me!¡± Abhigjna¡¯s mouth purses to a tight O, and her cheeks press up until the corners of her eyes crinkle. ¡°Why would you fight him then?¡± Sucking in air through his teeth, Todd burns through his cosmic energy, washing it through his bones and blood and muscle in thick sluggish looped ribbons. He twists his captured arm back around the wrong way, shaking with effort. Meanwhile his other elbow spears backwards to cover his lower back and encourage some distance. Feeling the grip on his arm loosen, Todd torques it harder and brings his own hand around to grip the boy¡¯s wrist. He wheels around, face to face as he bends the arm straining outwards and snarls. There¡¯s a moment of surprise as Todd looks into the face of the boy trying to hurt him, and the state the latter¡¯s in most clearly is not anger but exhaustion. Bringing up his free arm to his head, Todd blocks a sloppy blow, then raises his knee to take a kick shin on shin. The boy winces as his punch lands, but shrieks as his leg collides against solid bone. ¡°Oh shit, you okay kid?¡± Todd asks, releasing the arm and backing up. ¡°Screw you, how are you not tired?¡± The boy pants. He ducks low and propels forward with his fists tight to his body. By this point, Todd doesn¡¯t even really dodge the hits. He grunts as they land on his ribs and bicep, but commits to use the opening to swings his other arm round. Instead of a punch, he basically grabs the kid in a half hug. Then, taking a couple minor hits, he loops the other arm up over the kid¡¯s shoulder and down. ¡°Let go of me!¡± Leaning his head backwards, Todd grimaces. ¡°Yea. God, this is awkward. I just... need to get my weight a little lower, can you turn a little?¡± Stooping at the knees, Todd squeezes harder and leans backwards. The other young man yelps as he lifts off his feet, and then Todd adjusts one hand to cup the back of his head, hops two feet into the air and hurls the pinned body down beneath him. While his hand gets bashed against the stone tile, cushioning a falling skull seems like a worthwhile trade. The kid wheezes as the air is knocked out of him, but seems otherwise alright as Todd untangles himself and climbs to his feet. ¡°Ah, that SUCKED,¡± he groans, shaking out both arms. Testing his tender ribs with his fingers, he rolls his torso and hears something pop. He shudders, hoping it¡¯s a ¡®back into place¡¯ kind of sound. ¡°Oh man, I am super mad at you, Doctor C. Where did that even come from? I¡¯m like, really reexamining my perception of your character.¡± Turning away from her, he works his jaw and eyebrow like he can map its topography in pain sonar. At least all the shouting has stopped. Spotting a pair of figures out of the corner of his eye, he angles towards one and motions him closer. ¡°How¡¯s my face?¡± He asks before realizing he¡¯s addressed the kid¡¯s two lackeys. White as a sheet and slack jawed, the young man raises one hand slowly and wobbles it flat. ¡®So-so.¡¯ 025 That Anticipant ¡°How did he win?¡± Doctor Chowdhury quizzes the crowd. It¡¯s clear she¡¯s making a play at pedagogy, but her posture is uncertain and her voice quavers. She paces in front of the front row of seated cultivators. ¡°Kind of looked like a modified forward powerslam,¡± suggests an avid fan of the ring. At first, there are responding nods of approval. They are stifled by a look from the doctor. Someone further back raises their voice. ¡°It¡¯s the points, right? He¡¯s got a lot of levels, so he¡¯s got a lot of strength and endurance and whatever.¡± There are a few uncommitted murmurs leading to a doubtful reply from another side of the group. ¡°Maybe¡­ but he said he said he spent a bunch of points on Wisdom right?¡± A woman stands up and continues by directing a question to Doctor Chowdhury. ¡°What are their actual numbers? There isn¡¯t a way to see someone else¡¯s menu, is there?¡± The Doctor looks to Todd, who doesn¡¯t have an answer for the second question. He hesitates but steps forward. ¡°My physical stats are all at 13, even.¡± He glances towards the young man from the fight. Sporting a few new bruises in humility, the boy presses his thumb hard against the side of his nose and blows a sharp puff out the other nostril. ¡°You¡¯ve got more Endurance, but my Agility is better,¡± he sulks. ¡°So it should have been an even fight,¡± Todd encourages him. His shoulders tense up as he focuses on one face instead of the crowd. ¡°Or you should have won. There¡¯s no statistic for knowing how to fight or not ¨C and you would have had me on technique.¡± Murmurs of assent indicate a consensus, as Abhigjna tucks one set of knuckles under her chin and hums softly. ¡°It¡¯s true. Your guard is terrible.¡± She slaps her right elbow gently. ¡°Too wide.¡± ¡°See? My guard is too wide,¡± Todd rubs at a tender rib and jabs one finger accusingly at the doctor. ¡°Apparently.¡± The woman who¡¯d risen to a question slumps back down to a seat and a guess. ¡°If it¡¯s not your numbers, it has to be your [Skill].¡± ¡°What?¡± Todd shakes his head. ¡°No¡­ it¡¯s because I¡¯ve got a boat-load of Cosmic Energy. I¡¯m using it to supercharge my ¨C¡± he pauses to wave his hands around to indicate his arms and body, ¡°muscles?¡± Then he swipes over his face and frowns, ¡°My everything, I guess?¡± The beaten young man winces and leans forward from his seated position. ¡°So if I get more levels I can super strength my super-strength?¡± ¡°Nope!¡± From the other side of the courtyard, Pixie Befor tumbles along the floor in pieces and puts her parts back together in front of the seated class. Tucking her upper lip high until she adopts an unflattering bucktoothed overbite, she produces a lopsided, broken set of spectacles and sets them atop her nose. ¡°The accumaglomeration of hyperborated Energy in the midimural poperbolodolibode ¨C¡± Todd purses his lips and squints. There is a cough from the back of the group. ¡°Really, nobody? Fine.¡± Befor strips the glasses from her face and flicks them towards the sky where gravity grips them in the wrong direction and they fall upwards out of sight. ¡°It¡¯s ¡®cause your growth is unbalanced. Your titles gotcha a bunch of extra stat points, but your fleshy bodies haven¡¯t gotten used to them yet. If you had crazy high body cultivation already, your meaty lil¡¯ arms and brains could handle your new power, all natural-like.¡± ¡°My body cultivation?¡± Befor waves dismissively. ¡°Body cultivation is one of the things that got rolled up into your species statistic. A long time ago, it used to be a separate screen; same with your spiritual cultivation. But the [System] decided that was way too complicated, and even then most people never really grow fast enough in one area to become unbalanced. But since your stats are higher than your low F grade bodies can support, they require a teeny bit of cosmic energy to balance...¡± ¡°Like all the time?¡± ¡°Could I get dumber if I stop spending Cosmic Energy?¡± ¡°Yes, and yes,¡± Befor interrupts. ¡°Fun story, intelligence stackers who run out of energy are hilarious. But back to the point: the higher your level gets, the more Cosmic Energy you make. As long as your level keeps up with your bonuses, you¡¯ll have plenty of juice in your spleeny whatevers to keep your stats up subconsciously.¡±Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Todd thinks about that. ¡°Is there something which would unbalance us again in the future?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± Befor states simply. Then after a long moment of prolonged silence she swoops away in a pink flurry. ¡°Bored now,¡± her voice echoes behind her as she goes. Todd scratches his head and grimaces, exchanging a look with the doctor and turning back to their temporary pupils. ¡°So that¡¯s it. That¡¯s the lesson? You had a bigger gas tank,¡± one of the young men scoffs. Doctor Chowdhury meets Todd¡¯s eye with a look of exasperation. Her eyes narrow coldly. ¡°You may squirt him, Todd.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to¡­¡± The crowd glares at him dubiously. ¡°I¡¯m not ¨C listen, there¡¯s another reason I won and it¡¯s important.¡± Todd looks up from the ground as he forces himself to meet the eyes around him. ¡°I won because I know the healing pills exist now. So I was willing to get hurt and Blake here wasn¡¯t.¡± The three young men shake their heads in satisfied unison. ¡°Ohhhhhh, dope. That¡¯s a good lesson. Go hard or go home, that¡¯s deep.¡± Certain he¡¯s somehow led his students astray, but neither sure where he¡¯d lost them, nor how to recover, Todd swallows down his pride. It takes near a half hour for the instructors to settle the students down after the fight, and as the morning draws towards afternoon more and more Cultivators ¡®graduate¡¯ from the class by reaching level five. At the beginning of the morning, Todd had decided his charges fit roughly into three categories. The young and brash and easily distracted make up group one. When they leave, they tend to join the self-defense lesson. The elderly, the stubborn, the maladaptive, they loosely form a second grouping. They send off to rejoin their respective team leaders, and mostly settle into the practical planning aspects of the expedition: food, water, camping supplies, any task that¡¯s familiar and predictable. In the dwindling company of the remaining group three, Todd finds an ease and comfort. He is seated cross legged at the Doctor¡¯s right side, with Abby Fletcher across on her left, as a much reduced circle continues to cultivate into the second of the intermediate exercises. The bulk of this last cadre is made up of people who appear to have less of a knack for absorbing Cosmic Energy from the air, kind of like a magic asthma. They all come from different walks of life, and the only thing they seem to have in common is their impediment. Excitedly, Todd shares the lessons from his cultivation manual which had been too complicated for the larger session. The improvements to efficiency, as well as requirements for fine control and patience, pay slow but reliable dividends for their last students. Todd uses the time to recover, to replenish and restore. Then the bug hunt returns.
"Nayira, Doctor C!" Officer Bernice O''Shea calls out hoarsely. Emerging from the upturned tunnel caked in a layer of grey dust and mud, Bernice tosses her feather sword out in front of her. It smears ichor as the plume slides along the tile. Turning back, Bernice hauls back and hauls out with an arm around the waist of Larry Shaker. He is blooded and muddied and lets out a grit-teeth moan. With a fierce grip on his wrist, Larry holds up his right hand with two fewer fingers than he¡¯d had that morning. Todd leaps to his feet and freezes. Good intentions ain¡¯t no proper medicine for amputation, and there are professionals at hand. Doctor Chowdhury is slower to her feet, but gracefully flows into a jog towards the plaza center. Meanwhile Nayira leaps out of a micro-crowd, a hangtime up and over their heads as they duck and yelp. She hits the tile running at a full sprint, and Chowdhury matches her speed like her license depends on reaching her patient first. Todd and Abigail are left to keep the Cultivation class in civil order in Abhigjna¡¯s absence, Candra holds the self-defense class in check alone, Walter helps newcomer Sue-Ann defuse a panic in wilderness survival 101, Jennifer restrains logistics and crafting from chasing after Jingshu, Joe and Nina plead individually with Team leads on either side of the crowd, and even after all that stewardship two hundred souls are left unchaperoned. Predictably, and with too much curiosity matched by too little caution, there is a rush of people that surrounds and crowds the emerging bug-xtermination team. Todd caught a view of a bright red helmet and a bright red bald spot before his view is obstructed, and he sighs knowing that Teo and the crafter are both safe. Twenty minutes of concerted effort and reorganizing puts the five hundred and eighty six (Business Jenny counted, nice work Jenny) humans of the subsection back into their eight person teams, which rounds with some mismatching and inevitable disorder to 75 seated groups. Officer Bernice stands on top of a folding bamboo chair and the crowd is arrayed around her in a semi-circle. Her face is wiped clean, but her martial gi is still filthy from subterranean fighting. ¡°I want everyone to know first of all that Larry is going to be okay. It got a little rough and tumble down there, and there were some branching tunnels but¡­¡± she sighs, ¡°the bugs are dealt with and Harold here has got the life support back online.¡± She extends a hand toward an unassuming man wearing [Redburr Shell Armor]. Harold has his helmet tucked under his arm and his squat, square face is heavy with eyebrow. When he waves, a small group cheers loud enough to surprise many of the others. Todd wonders if the Craft Geeks have found their king, and wonders harder how ¡®Craft Geek¡¯ is becoming a real thing now. Reaching into his satchel, he produces a short black iron rod with a curved spiked tip, vaguely in the shape of a scorpion¡¯s tail. Todd sees both Abigail and Jingshu holler even more excitedly. Bernice raises her hand for silence. ¡°We also had Aefore confirm that all the rooms are safe again, they¡¯re open and unlocked. That¡¯s the good news. Bad news is the machine is still half busted ¨C and Ciforre says we¡¯ve got to disembark tomorrow.¡± Her hands drop to her sides and slap against her hips. ¡°That¡¯s all I got.¡± She hops lightly down off the chair and Joe steps up to take her place. ¡°Okay everybody. Our timekeep¡¯s let me know we¡¯re at One in the PM. That doesn¡¯t leave us with a lot of hours. I know that a lot of us have questions still, and I¡¯m sorry about that. But we¡¯re having trouble cornering one of our hosts long enough to ask about tomorrow.¡± Joe points over the crowd to Walter, who rises to his feet. ¡°Wilderness survival 101 with ¡®Wild Man¡¯ Walter is now mandatory, abbreviated fifteen minute short course. If we¡¯ve got anybody left still under level 5, you¡¯ve got cultivation training. And if you¡¯ve got time after that we¡¯d love it if you join us for self-defense with me and mighty Candra the Barbarian.¡± Todd¡¯s attention drifts as Joe begins to rehash the basic plans for tomorrow. Sitting with his Greed Satchel between his knees and the flap open, Todd sorts through a small collection of equipment out in a pile in front of him. There are nine meal tokens for eight people, good enough for one full day of meals as the ration portions are pretty generous. He¡¯s only got six healing pills between those same eight, which is astounding considering every person started out with three. The two sets of bedding aren¡¯t a problem, he¡¯ll have his team recover theirs from their rooms later. He doesn¡¯t like being made a team captain, but with his level up to eight it simply makes sense to be matched with as many fives and sixes as he can safely take care of. He spends early afternoon with them, learning their names and talents, strategizing for their [Skills], and making plans for a three day dip into danger. The team:
  • Hyunh Vu is 26, she''s in medical sales. Her [Slumber Strike] seems pretty useful, it causes drowsiness at the lowest level of mastery. She and Todd both hope it improves to cause nonlethal knock outs. She¡¯s here as Todd¡¯s translator as she¡¯s a bilingual speaker fluent in English and Vietnamese. Fighting strength? One year of kiddie Tae Kwan Do and a two week self defense night class.
  • Duong Pham is 64. He used to do roofing and also moonlit as an unlicensed electrician. His [Stellar Scale] allows him to sing light in a progressive, rising set of notes. Doesn¡¯t sound useful. Primary language, Vietnamese. Hyunh says he describes himself as a pacifist, but asserts she saw him change his [Mercury Rod] into a knife during the swarm fight.
  • Fred, Ly, and Martha Brecker. 32 years, 27 years and 17 months, respectively. The Breckers joined Todd''s group on purpose, which makes him upset and pensive and very gravely responsible for their well being. Fred''s [Fire Bolt] will be simple but serviceable, but Ly''s [Nose for Herbalism] might be pretty useful for finding wild plants and food. Fred will fight. Ly hopefull won¡¯t have to. But they''ve both got plenty reason to if they have to.
  • Carter Leeds is a teen-squader. 16, sunlight-starved and obsessed with world war two history in a way that makes Todd concerned and suspicious, but otherwise the boy is compliant and helpful. His [Iron Nail Agony] technique sounds as powerful as it is sociopathic; so when Carter eagerly describes its effect, Todd''s mouth presses down to a polite but dissatisfied line.
  • Chris Fields appears to make a living exclusively by some kind of copyright infringement, though he goes to great length to loudly assert that his career doesn''t count as theft. He''s 28 and needs to stop staring at Ly and Hyunh, so Todd patiently keeps him distracted. [Sonic Shriek] matches Chris perfectly, it''s hard to focus, circumstantial in its effectiveness, and does more harm than good to the people around him.
  • Being overburdened by Chris leaves Todd with less time to meet Livia Jorgensen. She''s 22 or so, but refuses to speak to anyone but the Breckers. Maybe she''ll open up on the Quest, but for now she seems like a lost cause. The only thing he gets out of her is her ranged skill, [Thunderstruck]. He remembers it from Aefore''s list of recommendations during his own skill selection.
  • The final member of the group is Chris Greene, a quiet nervous man who demonstrates his staticky, glowing [Ball Lightning] early in the conversation and shuts down. Todd suspects that Leeds and Greene might actually have a lot in common, as long as Leeds could be carefully weaned off his creepy teen nazi phase.
Oh well. Long term goals. Todd''s group is larger than it ought to be: unwieldy, and mismatched. He''d picked up the oddballs, strangers and loners who''d been turned away from other groups. Some of them probably deserved it. But Todd was determined, resigned and secretly excited. Because he knew that regardless of their flaws, their weirdness and their vulnerability, he was going to keep these people safe. They''d been careful, they''d planned for everything. So naturally something was overdue to go wrong. "Everyone," Joe cries out suddenly. He leaps back up onto the announcement chair and it creaks beneath him. Waving his arms over his head, his face is pale and his voice is cracked. "I''m sorry. I''ve just learned that the maximum team size is five." 026 The Hard Choice ¡°Can¡¯t I just let the kid die?¡± Todd grumbles as quietly as he can. His friend¡¯s reaction is sharp. Joe wheels back on him so forcefully that Todd nearly takes a step back. ¡°Drips, that¡¯s not fucking funny, man.¡± Joe runs a hand through his short sandy hair and then massages his temple with his palm. ¡°Come on, please. I really don¡¯t have time to deal with this.¡± Todd finds himself in the difficult position of knowledge gleaned by intuition, but untested by rationalization. The only course he¡¯s got is to logic his way through his argument in the midst of making it. ¡°He¡¯s a nazi, Joe, don¡¯t make me take the goddamn nazi.¡± ¡°Carter¡¯s just a kid. He can¡¯t be a nazi.¡± ¡°Oh please. There¡¯s no emotionally healthy way for a living person of any age to obsess over 1940s German tank design without turning into a fucking nazi. That¡¯s just science.¡± Joe¡¯s mouth opens, then shuts. ¡°Shit. You¡¯re right. But I¡¯m sorry. Nobody else is willing to take him.¡± ¡°Because he¡¯s a¡­¡± ¡°Well then de-radicalize him, Drips. I don¡¯t know.¡± Joe¡¯s posture stops leaning away from the conversation and he turns fully to Todd and straightens to full height. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You know I¡¯m not doing this to screw you over, right?¡± The plaza is a buzzing, chaotic mess as hundreds of people try to reorganize themselves down to the new five man limit. The simplest, most effective solution would be to start from scratch; to redeputize team leaders and group up anew. But resources have already been shared and exchanged, food tokens and supplies had been bought from the System Store and lay on the floor on top of mats or in bags, ready to go. Most importantly, new friends are unwilling to separate after being made. Todd sorts through his frustration for a second or two ¨C there¡¯s a lot of it, but not a crumb of doubt for his friends¡¯ intentions. ¡°I know,¡± he replies. ¡°Cut to it. What do you want?¡± Joe crosses his arms, but his expression is placid. ¡°Um,¡± Todd considers that he¡¯d like best to teammates that are as happy to choose him as vice versa. ¡°I want the Breckers, I know for a fact that they only count as two.¡± Todd hesitates, knowing he probably needs to choose another high risk member. ¡°I can take the old man too. And the quiet guy: geeky Chris.¡± Joe grimaces. ¡°Chris is easy. We got a lot of complaints about him.¡± ¡°About Chris?¡± Which seems like a surprise to Todd. ¡°He¡¯s just quiet. Wait, do you mean shy Japanese cartoon fan Chris or loud skeevy thinks he¡¯s internet famous Chris?¡± Joe regards the two men seated a good dozen yards away. One quietly picks at his T-shirt under his robe, his hair bushes up wildly where his braids have come undone over the past few days. He smiles restrainedly and looks achingly like he wants to speak but can¡¯t. Meanwhile the other man scoots closer to the translator Hyunh, eating up the distance as the young woman tries to subtly move further away. Internet Chris¡¯s mouth flaps wide open as he laughs, but none of the emotion on his lips reaches his eyes; they are hungry and expressionless. ¡°I guess the second one.¡± Joe uncomfortably replies. ¡°I don¡¯t want to assume, you know, personal policy: innocent before proven guilty, but ¨C¡± Todd puffs out the corner of his mouth and his hands idly search for pockets he doesn¡¯t have. ¡°Pretty sure that dude is a literal threat to any person with a second X chromosome.¡± ¡°Yea. Okay. I can see how that might be a problem. Damn.¡± Todd looks back and waves at his team. As long as he focuses on the Breckers, his smile manages to be halfway honest. ¡°So? Deal?¡± ¡°Todd, I can¡¯t give you Duong without Hyunh. Package deal. I know you think Mrs. Brecker can translate for you, but she can¡¯t. Besides, we want to put him with Soup Nina. She¡¯s got substance abuse counseling experience and ¨C¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Yea I just found out. I guess he¡¯s been clean for a while but relapsed. Which brings me to the other thing: I know the Breckers like you, but they need to get put with someone that¡¯s got a defensive focus. I got a guy lined up now with a [Wind Shield] who¡¯d be a good fit for them.¡± ¡°Which leaves me again with lil¡¯ Musellini, hashtag badtouch, and ¨C I guess, what¡¯s the girl¡¯s problem?¡± Joe squirms, a gesture of discomfort that doesn¡¯t fit him well. ¡°Last group complained of a smell.¡± ¡°Oh. Yea, okay. I wasn¡¯t gonna say anything.¡± ¡°Yea. I know. Drips I¡¯m not trying to pass rejects off on you. It¡¯s just¡­¡± Joe reaches forward, pauses and then taps a knuckle against Todd¡¯s shoulder. His voice falls to a whisper. ¡°Man, you¡¯ve got a lot more patience than I do, than a lot of us.¡± Todd works reluctantly on accepting the loaded compliment. He watches as Quiet Chris and Carter awkwardly avoid the conversation they are both clearly desperate to have about the cartoon character on Chris¡¯s shirt. He recoils as Loud Chris puts a hand on Livia¡¯s leg and the woman freezes in horror. ¡°Fields!¡± Todd shouts. ¡°I told you you need to be working on your cultivation! Focus!¡± Todd turns back to Joe and lowers his voice to a hiss. ¡°Dude. Creepy Chris can¡¯t be on a team with girls. Like at all.¡± Joe grimaces and nods sharply. ¡°Agreed. I¡¯ll move Livia.¡±Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°No, screw that,¡± Todd shakes his head. ¡°I put Carter and Quiet Chris together and maybe Carter will get over his master race bullshit. But I take Loud Chris and I¡¯m worried they¡¯ll just redirect to a more inclusive brand of angry.¡± Joe thumbs his upper lip in thought. ¡°Misogyny. Okay I can see that. You¡¯ll take Carter, Japanime Chris, and Liv. I¡¯ll take Other Chris, maybe put him with Teo, and I¡¯ll be back with your fifth in a minute. Deal?¡± Todd considers, and then extends to match Joe¡¯s handshake. ¡°Deal.¡± --- Two hours later, the three pixies hang motionless in the air with wide-toothed smiles. The caustic light of their glow illuminates a set of five panels underneath them. Surfacing magically from under the stone tile, like buoyant debris come loose from heavier mooring, the panels appear to be made of thick plates of metal and heavily engraved with chaotic geometric patterns. ¡°So we have to pick,¡± Joe echoes, speaking for six hundred tired people. Todd wonders what universal instinct seems to make people stall for time by playing parrot: repeating words back at the one that first did you the saying. Aefore doesn¡¯t seem to mind, she seems pleased to announce the news all over again. ¡°My sisters and I suggested that we will be providing you with tasks on the surface of Caqaiba IV. Some of the materials required to repair the subsection will be dangerous to acquire. It would not be fair to ask you to risk the danger blindly.¡± ¡°So we have to pick,¡± Officer Bernice repeats again, unnecessarily. ¡°Yes, you may select a difficulty now and it will determine where the [System] assigns you to depart in the morning. You may choose Normal, Hard, Extreme, or Legendary.¡± In an eerie way that leaves her body completely still past the shoulder, Aefore sweeps her hand across the line of floor panels. The first plate is a dull iron metal, the second a lustrous bronze, the third sterling silver, and the final panel is brashly and obscenely gold. ¡°The default difficulty is Legendary, and the intensity of your challenge becomes reduced as you proceed down to Extreme and etcetera.¡± The response is tepid. Many of the Team Captains are standing, but that only makes for a third of a fifth. Most folks are seated or sprawled and show no signs of rising. Todd looks to his team, but they slouch glumly and their eyes have nearly glazed over. They have endured enough complications in one day that the communal weariness is emotional more than it is physical. Todd may be weary too, but that doesn¡¯t lessen his responsibility any. ¡°Is the difficulty per person? Or is it for the whole team?¡± Todd asks loudly. A few of the other Team Leaders consider the question and start to shake off their fugue. Aefore regards the crowd and the increments of her sweeping gaze it seems she notices they are successfully (if not cleanly) divided into little clusters of five. ¡°You don¡¯t actually need a team,¡± she huffs. ¡°The difficulty of your task will scale; not only with your level but also by the number of Cultivators you travel with. A true warrior tests his own strength, risks only his own blood.¡± Todd nods. He turns towards his friends and calls out loudly. ¡°Okay. Shared difficulty. Everybody¡¯s gonna need to manually pick Normal for their teams.¡± The pixie sisters glare. ¡°Is there any benefit to choosing a higher difficulty?¡± Inquires a voice, and Todd is unsurprised to find that it¡¯s Abigail Fletcher doing the asking. Pixie Ciforre¡¯s expression brightens as she descends towards Abby. ¡°The planet below us is a mature F class world. With no signs of an active civilization on its surface, there can be no doubt that Cosmic Energy will have deeply saturated valuable natural treasures. Preliminary scans have revealed abundant plant and animal life, and even in our briefest of surveys we have identified several valuable alchemical ingredients and cultivation resources.¡± ¡°And the harder the Quest¡­?¡± Todd sighs. ¡°The more valuable the treasure,¡± Ciforre confirms. Joe vigorously shakes his head. ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like it¡¯s worth the risk,¡± he opines. There are murmurs of agreement. Treasure might sound appealing in the abstract, but who in their right mind would risk their life for a little bit of fortune? Better to be safe. Better to be conservative. Befor floats forward and pouts concernedly. ¡°Oh but aren¡¯t you all running low on food though? You¡¯ve got twelve hundred and thirty two food tokens, that¡¯s not so bad. And maybe I¡¯m not so smart with numbers, but doesn¡¯t that leave you five hundred units short? I guess you could keep spending Nexus Coins,¡± she shrugs. ¡°But those tokens are pretty expensive aren¡¯t they.¡± Aefore approaches Befor with a little ghost of a smirk. ¡°I would have been more concerned about the dwindling supply of healing pills. Certainly it be prudent to take any possible opportunity to collect more. They are so very rare and valuable at this early stage in Cultivation after all.¡± Todd exchanges a look with Joe and Candra. They all turn towards Business Jenny and the eyes of the other Team Leads follow. ¡°We are getting pretty low on pills,¡± Jenny admits. ¡°But we can still afford those food tokens, it would just be nice if some people with a lot of Nexus Coins left would donate a little.¡± She doesn¡¯t address her frustration at Drew specifically, but Todd has largely found it unwise to direct anything at Drew even vaguely. Unwilling to encourage or escalate, or even get involved in that argument, Todd chooses instead to satisfy his curiosity. He motions for his group to remain seated and weaves out through the crowd. As he goes, he looks up towards Ciforre for confirmation and she regards him with nothing more than a serene smile. He chooses to interpret that as approval as he passes below the pixies and towards the brass plate which represents the ¡®Hard¡¯ difficulty setting. Unsure of what to do, he cautiously extends a toe out and taps his foot on the surface of the plate. As the [System] reaches into his mind, it displays a message that only he can see: a panel to confirm his choice, and a window of written text which describes his option. There is an impatient question from the other Team Leads, but he ignores it and raises one hand to rebuff them as he reads.
Tutorial Expedition 1: You have selected (Hard Mode) Rewards increased 50%, Title gains +20%, Expected Survival 82%
Advance Rewards: [F ¨C Clotting Blood, Weaving Renewal Pill]x1, [Nettle Salve Skin Mending Pill]x2, [Ration Food Token]x4, [Meal Food Token]x3, [Fine Food Token]x1, ?1500
Yes No
As he cancels out of the window Todd is filled with guilty relief. He never wanted to babysit strangers in the first place. He didn¡¯t want to have to help emotionally stunted young people navigate their feelings, or have them look up to him, or depend on him either. Todd would if he had to. He would hold their hands through their annoying, hormonal journeys of self discovery and personal crisis. To save their lives? Sure ¨C that sounds reasonable, that sounds responsible. But as Todd thinks about those food token awards and performs the basic arithmetic in his head, he realizes he may have a way to escape his team after all. And the best part is, it might even be the right thing to do. 027 Extreme Deliberation Candra squats across from Todd and doubt tilts her head to a skeptical angle. Randall is close at Todd¡¯s left, and he keeps self-consciously readjusting on his knee as he finds a comfortable kneeling position difficult to execute. Sue Ann hugs her knees against her chest, squatting on Todd¡¯s right as her eyes pensively dart between Joe and Candra. Joe sits upright and monasterial, for a silent moment and then his pointer finger taps down hard against the blue stone floor. ¡°No. Absolutely not,¡± he declares. Zero might be a poor point to start a negotiation, but Todd holds up his hands and continues. He flips his hair out of his eyes and extends a hand, palm up to a figure standing above them just outside of their circle. Geeky Chris shuffles nervously. At the margin of attention he¡¯s already near melting; it looks as if under the center of it he might faint outright. ¡°Just hear me out,¡± Todd pleads. ¡°It¡¯s about the numbers.¡± It¡¯s true that Todd started down this path on intents less than saintly, but he¡¯s done his due diligence. If he¡¯s going to do something selfish, he has to make sure to balance the scales. The only right thing to do is keep as many people safe as possible. That¡¯s the goal, that¡¯s what must be ¨C and anything less is wrong, wrong, wrong. It took Todd fifteen minutes of trial and error, plus a handful of confused, slightly frightened volunteers to test the parameters of the Mode Selection Plates, but he¡¯s confident he¡¯s got it right. It¡¯s just a matter of making a convincing case to his friends and his conscience. ¡°We¡¯ve got six hundred of us, five eighty six,¡± Todd begins a little nervously, ¡°We¡¯ve got twelve hundred tokens, but keep in mind a lot of people haven¡¯t eaten dinner yet. Some of us skipped lunch. Then we¡¯re gonna be gone for three days, five eight six times three is seventeen fifty eight¡­¡± Candra shifts position impatiently. ¡°And we only have a thousand something ¨C two hundred, whatever. It¡¯s fine, Jennifer will sort it out and people have nexus coins still.¡± She sweeps back her hair into a ponytail, frowns, and then drops it back down to hang loose. ¡°But think about that!¡± Todd excitedly retorts. ¡°Five hundred tokens difference, but the most basic food¡¯s the ration token and it costs fifty coins. That¡¯s twenty five,¡± Todd pauses dramatically, ¡°thousand coins.¡± Randall sputters at the amount. ¡°Nobody has that much magic money, that¡¯s crazy.¡± Sue Ann, having been silent, stops chewing on her thumbnail and her voice peaks high with a subdued creaky terminal to her sentences. ¡°It¡¯s like, not just one person. It¡¯s like the same thing, five hundred or six hundred people, divided by¡­ or divided into, twenty five¡­ whatever. It¡¯s like, fifty fairy dollars per person. Maybe forty something ¨C two and a half.¡± Joe bobs his head and raises his eyebrows in approval. ¡°4-H, you¡¯re doing basic arithmetic, what¡¯s going on here?¡± ¡°I know,¡± Sue Ann groans. ¡°I can math now and it¡¯s terrible.¡± She ekes out a smile and Candra chuckles in response. Uncomfortable interrupting but needing to, Todd clears his throat. ¡°So my point is, in three days we all get back here, everything goes according to plan, and we¡¯re all broke. No money, nixed to zilch on tokens, and still even then we got three weeks left.¡± Todd raises enough fingers on one hand to illustrate his point. He breathes deeply. ¡°If we¡¯re here thirty days total. By the time we get back we¡¯ll have been gone six, seven if the first half day counts. Five eighty six, twenty seven, and times fifty coins.¡± Candra grabs at her bag for something she can throw, but can¡¯t find anything safe for a good tantrum chucking and gives up. ¡°More than three quarters of a million. Do you have any idea how many [Werrel Amaranth Ale]s that¡¯s worth? That¡¯s worth ten Gamma Alpha Lambda Homecomings at least.¡± Joe idly nods. ¡°Or three Beta Iota Gamma spring break welcome-backs. But we¡¯re going to get more tokens right? Twenty seven days leaves plenty of time for the pixies to, you know, have us fight a lion or build a giant lego castle.¡± Randall nods enthusiastically. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t leave us without a way to win more tokens,¡± he asserts. Todd shakes his head. ¡°That¡¯s exactly it,¡± he grins but then catches himself and politely coughs his face back into a severe expression. ¡°These long missions ARE the structure for the rest of the month. Look at the way the mission bonuses are structured. The normal mode gives you nothing. Hard mode gives you four rations, and four nicer meals.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Candra acquiesces. ¡°And?¡± ¡°And what¡¯s that enough for? To take the next mission on Normal mode. Extreme mode¡¯s even more obvious. Sixteen tokens. Eight rations, four nice foods, and then four more but with the word luxury in the title.¡± Joe narrows his eyes. ¡°So you¡¯re saying, take the extreme mode, you get a free pass on three missions instead of just one.¡±This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ¡°And thewhole thing is designed to force you to pick just enough hard quests to breeze the rest on easy,¡± Candra concludes. While Randall appears unphased, Sue Ann hugs her knees tighter and buries her chin into them. Joe¡¯s expression darkens, while Candra rubs at her eyebrow and looks Todd in the eye searchingly. Her lips are very pink. Todd flinches and looks away. ¡°But that¡¯s not what Todd¡¯s proposing,¡± Joe reasons. ¡°Take our teams on hard mode and then alternate back to normal, that¡¯s not the plan.¡± ¡°Uh, no.¡± Todd motions to Chris, who¡¯d been fidgeting and rocking on his feet the whole time. ¡°Can you step on the Hard mode plate and tell me what your percentage is? Thanks Chris.¡± The man tiptoes like the plate is planning to bite him, and then he taps his toes against it. ¡°Forty eight percent,¡± Chris whimpers. ¡°That is a shitty number,¡± Todd declares gravely, before remembering he¡¯s talking about Chris¡¯s odds on not dying. ¡°Sorry, thanks Chris. Remember, eighty six,¡± he encourages, ¡°eighty six percent, man.¡± Randall catches onto the sense of alarm for the first time. ¡°It can¡¯t be that bad for everyone¡­¡± but both Candra and Joe are team captains, and have run some tests of their own. Randall¡¯s face falls. ¡°Can it?¡± ¡°Yes, but here¡¯s the good news.¡± Todd scraps his hand across the little pile of treasures in front of him and scoops them up. Rising to his feet, he takes a healing pill and lightly tosses it to Chris, who catches it. ¡°Odds?¡± He insists. ¡°Fifty two,¡± Chris gulps. As the number rises, his hands clutch around the pill and start to shake less. Todd raises up the misshapen glass jar which holds his marrow cultivation pills, they rattle lightly and he tosses them over as well. Chris has to reach to catch them, but once the bottle is safe in his hands he says, ¡°fifty nine.¡± His voice is growing more certain, his hands steady. ¡°How about normal mode?¡± Todd asks simply. The man pads over to the wide iron plate and steps up on top of it more confidently. ¡°Seventy one,¡± he whispers. Todd turns back to his friends, who stare at him thoughtfully and maybe even unhappily. ¡°His gear, his pills, his food¡­ it all affects his chances. Our chances too.¡± ¡°Having the full team is what brings him up to eighty six?¡± Candra assumes. Todd dips his head to confirm. ¡°I noticed that,¡± Candra glumly sighs. ¡°My percentage¡­ actually drops a little when I¡¯m with my team. Theirs goes way up,¡± she explains as guilt sours her expression, ¡°but I go down.¡± Joe winces. ¡°Same here.¡± He is quiet for a long moment, but his calm boils up into real anger. ¡°So, your plan is that we go, we abandon our teams,¡± Joe growls, ¡°we load up a couple of people with some gear that SLIGHTLY increases their chances, just so we can take the hard mode together, is that right?¡± Candra wilts away from Joe. ¡°I kinda wouldn¡¯t mind,¡± she mumbles out of the corner of the mouth. ¡°Actually¡­¡± Todd presses his fingertips together and tilts his head. He glances from Randall to Candra, skipping over to Sue Ann and then back to Joe ¡°I was kind of thinking Hard might not be enough.¡±
It takes a few minutes to convince his friends to step on the Silver plate. They stand elbow to elbow, at four of the five positions of a pentagon. Even Randall looks upset at him, while Joe looks run just about to the end of his patience. ¡°You¡¯re crazy,¡± Sue Ann squeaks incredulously. ¡°He¡¯s crazy!¡± Joe stands perfectly still and works his jaw. ¡°These are not good odds, Drips.¡± Todd doesn¡¯t blame them. Extreme mode had put him at a heinous 45 percent, which is fine betting odds for a basketball game, but a wretched chance to take on buying a headstone. However, that had been his chances alone; experiment had shown him that very unusual things could happen in a group. ¡°I know, I know,¡± Todd placates. ¡°Just ¨C¡± he steps forward and onto the final position on the plate. The ill humor melts off his friends faces and Todd breaks into a grin. "Does that always happen?" Joe asks warily. ¡°I just went up ten points,¡± Randall laughs. ¡°I mean, seventy percent still sucks pretty hard, but ¨C¡± Todd ignores the question and claps Randall on the shoulder excitedly. ¡°And I mean, we still have time. We can buy more gear, more armor. We can¡¯t afford anything magic, but some of the basic stuff is affordable. I still have my [Skill] treasure, a couple of you probably still have your weapon tokens ¨C¡± Candra winks at Todd and jabs him lightly in the shoulder. Joe shakes his head so slowly it doesn¡¯t count as a no. ¡°We can still pack on some boosts,¡± Todd insists. ¡°We dump all our healing pills and food token the others. We drop all our cash on gear wherever it helps raise someone else¡¯s surviveability. The advance package is worth ten times anything we¡¯re carrying around anyway, right?¡± Candra nudges Joe with her elbow, Sue Ann looks nervous but thoughtful. Randall begins to bounce excitedly on his feet and then wraps an arm around Todd¡¯s shoulder. Joe unfolds his arms with resignation and drops them to his hips. He scoffs. ¡°Every single one of you is responsible for bringing your team survival up equal or more to their chance before you left. Bare minimum, that¡¯s rule one. Rule two is that our team isn¡¯t enough. We put a team on Andrew, because it sounds like he¡¯s taking Extreme solo right now. Because just like us, he is an insane person. And rule three: Drips, this had better be worth it, man.¡± Confidently squaring his shoulders, Todd grits his teeth. ¡°They brought us into space, guys. We know they¡¯re not here to watch us take the safe option, we know that. If they were there¡¯d be an easy mode.¡± ¡°Gotta play hard to win,¡± Candra murmurs, and the others repeat it after her like a mantra. ¡°Yea well. You realize the only catch here is we¡¯ve got one chance in three to die,¡± Joe grumbles. Todd swallows down a gulp and he shrugs. ¡°Yea, I guess there is that. Let¡¯s work on fixing that.¡± 028 Surface Tension It¡¯s been two hours since he heard laughter. The Team seated near his left huddles in close to one another. A sunburnt man pinches little nubs of doughy food ration and plants them in position on the bare tile. He instructs the others which nub stands for which member, and how to safely fire an energy ray over the shoulder of a defender. He does not say aloud what happens in case of a mistake. Todd moves past them, and as he goes he idly tugs at his left wrist. The [Knuckle-shell Bracer] is tight and uncomfortable where the cords tie around his inner arm. A scarlet carapace covers his forearm with one large plate. It extends down and flares out a little, past his knuckle and forms a thick knobby lip of keratin. The plate is affixed to his arm with shoelaces, which thread through and around a rubbery, fingerless glove. Todd¡¯s not sure what the glove is made from, probably something unsightly from a Redburr crab¡¯s insides instead of its outsides. Swinging his arm idly to feel the weight, Todd brings the bracer to a guard position, trying to decide how it will change the way he fights. The flange down at the knuckle restricts the range of motion of his wrist, blocking him from turning it out; but the benefit is that the forward offensive lip of the plate is out in front of his fingers. If he ever needs to throw a punch, the stony knobs along the keratinous joint look like they¡¯d hurt something fierce. Todd spares a glance far across the plaza, past the upturned mouth of the bug tunnel, and towards the alien quarter. By now he¡¯s discovered that when he looks at them crooked, he finds it easier to see past the barrier. Watching them now, he sees the groups of five formed up and he sees the crimson of their own shell armor. He sees their leaders stalking from group to group, and comparing his side with theirs, it¡¯s strange how similar their preparations appear. In fact, if he crosses his eyes, they almost look human. He steps away; his own kind needs his attention now. The Craft Geeks are still close enough to hear. Todd looks back and watches them for a moment. Sweating, distressed, and focused they tear through a lumpy pile of disassembled fresh bug parts. Periodically, one of them emerges from the tunnel with a new carcass. The highest level bugs produce better raw materials, and much of the parts left over from the original swarm fight have already been discarded as trash quality. Abigail and Jingshu argue fruitlessly with Harold as they try to adapt the right hand [Scarlet Crawler Gauntlet] design pattern to a left hand schematic. It seems too much of what they are learning to do has come from a crafting crystal, and they are running out of time to experiment with making adjustments to the instructions. The gear they are feverishly making is intended for as many low level cultivators as can be equipped, and Todd is guilty to be walking away with a single piece. But the [Knuckle-shell Bracer] came from one of the simpler designs, so it¡¯s the armor he had finally accepted. They had insisted, and he has to admit it feels a little safer to have. His wooden shin guards and chest plate have received something called an inscription. Each section has little geometric patterns carved into the surfaces of the wood. Abigail had made them, using the strange iron scorpion wand that Harold had earned that morning. She¡¯d called them [F.2 ¨C Ambient Refinement]s when he¡¯d asked. She¡¯d also said they were useless until they reach [F.10] at least. He hadn¡¯t asked for an explanation, she¡¯d seemed a little irritated. Moving on, Todd walks past another team, and another. He watches a young man and an older woman holding sword shaped [Mercury Rod]s and practicing basic strikes and parries. He stops at a group which is seated in meditation, inspecting their breathing and posture: their form is inadequate. Being too tired for self-consciousness, he reaches out and physically adjusts the posture of a woman that had studied with him in the morning. Her expression flares with outrage at first, but then she recognizes him. She studies him distrustfully for a moment, but he glares impatiently back at his graduate. ¡°Elbows out, palms up. Back straight. Deeper, slower breaths. Better,¡± Todd grunts. Then he exchanges a weary nod with her and leaves them to their Cultivation. ¡°Todd!¡± Randall calls out, just loud enough to get his attention. His friend lumbers over towards him. ¡°You taking your [Skill] meds?¡± Todd observes the bowl shaped shell under Randall¡¯s arm. ¡°Yea, I¡¯m taking it in my room. It¡¯s quieter.¡± He points his chin at Randall¡¯s new gear. ¡°They making helmets?¡± Randall lifts up the top half of a large Redburr¡¯s external skull. Hanging bands of shell and jaw mandible are wired in curtains along the sides and back and as Randall fits it onto himself, he pushes it tilted forward so it dips over his eyebrows. Todd snorts. ¡°That looks uncomfortable.¡± ¡°Oh, it is,¡± Randall snickers. ¡°I¡¯m gonna ask ¡®em for a chin strap next time. Catch you in the morning?¡± ¡°Yea. I¡¯ll be up early,¡± Todd agrees. He¡¯d rather not leave room for surprises. ¡°For all we know they¡¯ll take us in our sleep.¡± Waving a casual goodbye, Todd continues around the shop crystal and towards the wall. A rancid sulfuric burning smell hits him as he reaches the alchemy cauldron, where a grandfatherly restaurant owner, an aged southern belle, and a retired dairy inspector huddle unhappily around the cooling iron pot. Blackened sludge bubbles over the edge and into the fire and yellow smoke pools in the air.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Todd backpedals and takes a longer route around them, trying to hold his breath. It looks like alchemy is still a disaster, which is made worse by how many nexus coins he¡¯d spent contributing to start up materials. Nothing to be done about it now. Reaching the wall, Todd reaches out to touch his zone residence building but halts. The restrained sound of weeping has stopped him. There in the very corner of the plaza wall huddles a tight circle of his elders. Nayira is standing there, as is Walter, and Soup Nina too. Nina turns and catches Todd¡¯s gaze, but her face is strained and her eyes tell him this is a private moment. Jennifer Roth is sitting beneath them, Todd sees her through their legs. The sound of her sobs shake her body and her face is buried deep in her hands. Walter spots him second, and then Nayira. Todd decides that this is a moment best not to intrude on. He places his hand firmly against the stone and then the array takes him.
After a moment to reorient, Todd steps over the broken pieces of his table. A large wicker basket sits in the middle of his room and against his bed. It hadn¡¯t been there when he¡¯d left and he steps carefully around it to the opposite wall. Inspecting the smooth surface, he finds no evidence of the tunnel his morning assassin had invaded from. Sweeping his hand along the floor, he finds no dust or stone chips either. Sighing, he returns to the basket and lifts one corner of the lid. The mangled buggy corpse of the Redburr hunter stares blankly up at him with its remaining eyes. He drops the lid dismissively. Todd unbinds his bracer and guards and removes them, throwing each onto the bed. Then he pushes the bug bin, slides it up against the store relay wall, touches the panel, and finds the interface option to flag the body as junk for bulk resale. Maybe the crafters could have used the parts, and maybe the junk prices were a rip off, but the idea of leaving an unrefrigerated insect meat basket in his room to store for three days is unpalatable. The whole thing vanishes soundlessly and a measly ?73 is added to his bottomed out nexus coin total. Choosing not to regret his decision, he grips the hem of his robe and strips it off his body. Plucking his soap out of his storage chest, he pulls off the rest of his clothing and carries it into the alcove where he scrubs his garments with soap and then against the bare stones and under the falling water. The skill treasure is soft between his fingers, the wax warming in his hand. He sits naked and cross legged on bare stone with his clothing spread out on the floor around him. Looking at the dark little bead inside the wax, Todd thinks about all the people outside preparing for tomorrow. He should have been able to do more. Maybe he shouldn¡¯t have skipped the crafting mission, maybe he should have picked a different skill, maybe the pixies could have been bargained with, maybe the deer people could have helped. Todd finds it¡¯s far easier for a man making plans to come up with maybes than ought-tos. The easiest way to open the treasure seems to be to grip it with the fingers, and depress inward with both thumbnails so that it will tear open. The little droplet spills out of the wax and hangs precariously to Todd¡¯s thumb, so he panics and sucks the whole digit. Then, aware of the small size of the dose, he tongues the wax ball clumsily to scrape the cavity clean of residue. His heart begins to beat rapidly in his chest. Todd isn¡¯t sure if this is a symptom or garden-variety apprehension, so he quickly assumes a secure upright cross legged position. Changing his mind slightly, he scoots himself two butt lengths closer to the alcove into the calm sound of splashing water and he closes his eyes. A brain generally has a high opinion of itself, the mind resisting instinctively against the thought that it is malleable: so in those first few moments, Todd begins to doubt. Then, something deep inside him drops out and his stomach lurches as he falls inward into his own mind. He becomes both detached and hyperaware of his own body as he falls. His flesh hasn¡¯t moved, but his awareness continues to drop as if from a staggeringly high distance. Then he is submerged in a roaring river, and in the boughs of a branching tree. It¡¯s his blood, he¡¯s inside of a vein, and the geometry of the vessel and the plasm, and the cells, and their organelles, and their heme proteins¡­ No, this is all very interesting, but he¡¯s getting distracted. Todd instructs his body (far above him) to take a shallow breath, and send a thread of energy winding down his arm. He follows it, riding its course like a silver zip-line and it carries him into a space Todd can only describe as a cathedral of the bizarre. The pixies had described his [Water Spear] as a fractal, and for the first time Todd understands what they mean. A fractal is a word for a complex shape that repeats itself, branching into tiny smaller shapes which are little reflections of the greater whole. Then those little shapes branch down into smaller shapes and so on, and so on, until the complexity is infinite, and oh he¡¯s gone too far now. Todd pulls back, and as he does he withdraws from a branching structure of translucent grasping trees. He instinctively recognizes that this offshoot has something to do with control. In fact, now that he¡¯s seen it, he might be able to connect one of his cultivation channels to this section for finer manipulation. The effect of the drug has taken him utterly, and Todd finds his mind racing with obsessive geometric calculations. He is magnetically drawn to the fractal in front of him, and his first brush with it has shown him that he could fall infinitely into the smallest piece of it if he isn¡¯t careful. Holding briefly, he surveys the full macro structure of his [Skill]. Two great spires curl lazily around one another, one greater than the other. Little bridges reach between them but never touch, and deep troughs cut down the length of each tower. The base of the fractal is lumpy and complicated, like a potato growing the first shoots of a new plant. There¡¯s more, of course there¡¯s more. The translucent shimmering panes of energy that he sees are not flat at all, they are infinitely textured and subdivided, and oh he¡¯s going too far now. He¡¯s pretty sure this part has something to do with force and pressure, which is useful but once again not the priority. No, the marksmanship challenge from games day had impressed upon him the importance of producing a cohesive, stable stream. A tighter, narrower cross section would be more efficient, more penetrating, and hold its trajectory over longer ranges. Todd falls into the space between the towers, and as he does he sees that the needles reaching from one to the other are actually tiny helixes of their own. He sees a cityscape of little needles, reaching out to one another an unable to touch, wanting nothing more than to join and grip and hold. Greedy, loving, the hermaphroditic electromagnetism of water. Todd awakens to himself on the floor, cold and uncomfortable. He¡¯d never really learned much about the dipole moment of H2O, or maybe he¡¯d forgotten what he had. But he was aware of it now, an imbalance of charge, an internal electrostatic tension inside every molecule of water. Just like the fractal, that internal tension becomes an external tension. Even though each fragment is neutral, they attract like opposites and bind together to become a fluid. Todd knows there are deeper truths here, that he¡¯s barely touched the edge of a mystery which could swallow him whole, but¡­ He throws himself onto his bed and pulls his sheet over his head. ¡°Human emotion is a terrible metaphor for valent bonds,¡± he groans, bunching up fabric against his eyelids to block out the dim light. A fleck of drool slips past his lips as sleep rises to take him. ¡°Why didn''t anyone tell me drugs suck so hard,¡± he slurs. ¡°Who would ever do this for fun on purpose?¡± 029 Vacate Todd jolts awake and finds himself tangled in the bedsheet; half of his body hangs over the edge of his mattress, and one foot is resting against the floor. Sloughing out of bed and onto his feet, he rolls his shoulder and finds none of the cramps or aches he might have expected. The wall crystals give off a dim light, which Todd assumes is a sign that the time is still late night or early morning. After taking care of the essentials, he leans over with a toothbrush hanging out of his mouth and slaps his palm on the [System] store relay. The market interface appears in his mind, and Todd focuses on the upper right hand corner of the screen.
Market : System Todd Kalogeropoulos ? 86 (6586)
Tool Armor Reagent Skill Sundry Other
His available coins are displayed there, but the parentheses that follow display a much higher number. The sixty five hundred coins are supposed to come from his advance quest bonus, they just aren¡¯t his yet to spend. Todd skips the Tool section since most of it is weaponry and he still has his token to claim. He balks at the price of the top recommendation under Armor, [EnN¨²r Light Bovine Leather]: it would cost him five and a half grand. The description of the item is vague, but hints that the kit would cover his whole body, or maybe just his limbs and vitals. If he selects the leather, it seems like a bunch of pieces would be redundant. What would he do with his shin guards or chest plate? He could carry the wooden round like a shield like some of the others do, but he¡¯d rather have his arms free instead. Todd pages over to Sundries, which is a messy catch all for practical supplies. He finds a six by six section of greased canvas and a ten foot length of linen rope and marks them into a special bin to reserve them for purchase. The fire-starting kit tempts him, but the team will only need one so he might as well check with them first. He considers a cook pot and a personal set of tableware, but he recovers a bowl from the floor and decides it will be enough. Token-food comes ready to eat anyway and he¡¯ll have plenty of that soon. Speaking of which, Todd buys one ration token with his cash at hand. Business Jenny will be able to put it to use, as long as she¡¯s feeling better. The reagents section is filled with a bewildering assortment of alchemy ingredients as well as products. Giving up his energy replenishment pills had been a problem. The sacrifice had been necessary to boost Chris, Livia, and Carter into high 70s percentile survival, but it had cut three full percentage points from his own. Panning through the list of pills which have specialized functions he doesn¡¯t understand, Todd finds a replacement bottle of [Dire Corvid Marrow Energy Replenishment] pills. He¡¯s not sure how they compare to the canid-marrow version, but their three thousand coin price is as much as he¡¯s willing to spend. Flagging the bottle for purchase, he moves back to the Armor section to pick up cheap filler sections. A heavy vest jacket called a [Sheep Flannel Gambeson] sounds like it will be uncomfortable, but it¡¯s 235 coins and will at least make his torso unpleasant to chew on where his plate doesn¡¯t cover. He devotes 400 coins to a set of sturdy leather boots next, since good boots are always worth the investment. Finally, Todd gets a little unorthodox. Looking for something to protect his head or neck, he finds an item called a [Mercy ¨C Constrictor Gorget] for 1500 coins. Advertised as spotted rock serpent skin, it¡¯s a rubbery sleeve of leather which covers the neck and pulls up over the lower face. Lastly in Armor, he adds a steel cap to his purchases, figuring it can double later as a stew pot in an emergency. Left with just over ?1400 to spend, Todd hesitates. He has too much gear to wear already; it¡¯s to the point that all this junk from Armor is going to be slowing him down. What are his alternatives? Paging through the other tabs, Todd dickers around for a few minutes. Intuition is failing to provide him with ideas, so he scans the lists he hopes that inspiration will suffice. It isn¡¯t until his third pass back to the Skill page that he scrolls down far enough to find what he¡¯s looking for. All of the magical abilities are still terribly expensive, the least of them reaching into the tens of thousands. But underneath the [Dragon Palm]s and [Scorching Sabers], he begins to find entries which are surprisingly mundane. [Herb Lore Fundamentals] stands out to him, along with its companion volume [Sector C18EA22B Common Invasive Herb Varietals] which appears in the list with a star ¡î mark.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. ¡°Huh,¡± he says. This is something he could do that might be useful. He might not be interested in doing any of his own crafting, but Todd could certainly make an effort to collect valuable materials and parts. He isn¡¯t sure what kind of plants to expect on Caqaiba IV, but he is sure he can expect some more of those Redburr bugs. A few entries below the Herb gathering, Todd finds an information crystal for 650 coins which is labeled [Beast Harvesting Fundamentals], and it appears to cover a very general overview of field butchery and preservation for hunters. It appears to be labeled as a childrens¡¯ learning primer, which is outrageous. ¡°What kind of nutcase takes their kids out hunting?¡± Todd exclaims aloud to himself. Nevertheless, he places the order along with a large canvas hip bag for his remaining ?750. The bag is filled with sheaves of wax paper and sealable glass bottles and riddled with partitions. Even though he has his magic satchel available, he¡¯s glad to have a place to put things which might be more¡­ wet. Mostly satisfied with his purchases, and starting to worry about time, Todd sits down for fifteen minutes of secondary-channel Cultivation, followed by light stomach crunches. Then he dresses himself, rolls his sheet and mattress back up in the bamboo mat and wraps them tightly in the waterproof tarp. All of his magical crystals tucks into his otherwise empty satchel, and even though it¡¯s uncomfortable, he girds up with his armor and hooks his [Mercury Rod] to his belt. The cool slate tomb is filled with the gentle patter of its hidden spring and the rhythm of his own breathing. He has nothing left to do here but leave.
The instant transmission into the plaza is a plunge into noise. Cultivators dressed in full gear and armor are shouting, checking their bindings, jogging between groups on errands. Todd notices many more flashes of scarlet in the crowd now. The armorers have worked either in shifts or through the night to prepare as many bracers, pauldrons and caps as possible. It¡¯s still not near enough, maybe one in three folk are so equipped. Todd strides in towards the crystal, and as he approaches he sees that the busyness of the crowd hides its sparseness. He makes a rough guess that half of the human Cultivators are up and awake so far. Todd might not have been a night owl, but he hadn¡¯t been an early bird either, not in his Earthly life, not before this waking fantasy of the Tutorial. Candra spots Todd just as he recognizes her ponytail and matches it to her profile. ¡°Drips, you¡¯re up!¡± She calls out, skidding to a halt. ¡°Kinda need your help. Did it work?¡± She does not move to join him, so Todd dodges one or two hurried figures and crosses the distance to her. Candra is wearing her gear with a very forward defense in mind. She¡¯s got her wooden guards tied to her left shin and bicep, with her chest plate held with straps like a round shield and a shell pauldron on her left shoulder. She appears rested but anxious. ¡°Yea, it worked. I think. Did you get the weapon?¡± Candra shrugs and raises a four foot long wooden club. The material resembles strips of bamboo firmly bound together with brass rings, and the head of the rod flares out round like a pear. When she hefts it, it bounces feather-light in her hand. ¡°If it¡¯s supposed to be a weapon, I think I did it wrong.¡± ¡°Yikes.¡± ¡°Eh,¡± she shrugs. ¡°It¡¯s probably magic. I was planning on doing something cute ¨C you know, booping you on the head with it, but Ciforre said you¡¯d get internal hemorrhaging.¡± Candra lowers the instrument and raises her eyebrows. ¡°Not sure if she was joking.¡± Todd follows Candra on one last round of errands. They pass pixie Befor, who tumbles on the floor with a mangy orange cat while old lady ¨¦lena and Blondie-Grim sit by and stare. They pass Officer Bernice, who waves at them, but has blood on her cheek. She sits heavily on top of a man whose splayed out beneath her and moaning quietly while Nayira tends to a woman nearby who¡¯s bleeding from a superficial wound on her scalp. Walter, Teo and Marketing Mike stand in a circle around Ranger Drew; as Teo is raising up a silver moon-shaped battle axe, turning it over for the others to inspect. The three full suits of Shell armor are on display, divided into different teams. Abby Fletcher is wearing most of one set, while Jingshu kneels down to strap on one of her leg guards. The two look up to acknowledge Todd and Candra as they pass. As they go, Todd and Candra make last minute check-ups on the groups, but by now most teams have their essentials packed and their coins already spent. ¡°How are we feeling?¡± Joe calls out. He bounces up and down, and he has a simple steel sword with squared tip. His grip is knuckle-white on the hilt. ¡°Almost game time, we ready?¡± Todd and Candra meet Joe and Sue Ann on the far side of the quarter, near to the bug tunnel. It was better that their preparations be held away from the other teams, their frank conversations and experimentations on survival rates were better held away from the Normal crews. ¡°I assume that¡¯s your new weapon. Are the numbers any better now that you picked it up?¡± Todd adjusts the rope which he¡¯s using to hold up his bedroll, it¡¯s starting to slip. Joe glances at Sue Ann and Candra. ¡°We felt it was better to wait to check until you got here,¡± he replies carefully. The four of them walk to the difficulty plates, discussing their supplies situation. Sue Ann approves of Todd¡¯s harvesting idea, though she¡¯s opted to pick up the basic herbalism manuals. There¡¯s also some debate over whether or how much cooking equipment will be needed for the trip. ¡°Eighty two,¡± Sue Ann gulps. She waves half-heartedly as she spies Randall lumbering their way. The five of them together are quiet. None of them know when they will be collecting the reserved store items for the mission. Randall insists that their new armor will appear automatically on their body as they are transported, but Todd doubts it will work that way. Where would his gambeson go, underneath his gi? Over it? ¡°The pixies are gathering up now,¡± Todd points out. ¡°They¡¯ll do their announcement, and then we¡¯ll get the official cutoff on the mission difficulties.¡± Joe finds that likely too. ¡°That¡¯s probably when the store unlocks the money. There¡¯s probably something that prevents us from sharing with other teams though.¡± ¡°Yea,¡± Candra agrees. ¡°That seems to be a theme. So we should expect a staging zone or something.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean we shouldn¡¯t be ready,¡± Todd sighs. Joe claps him on the shoulder. ¡°We¡¯ll be fine. Remember, Candra and me up front. Randall, we¡¯ll call you in if you gotta toast. Toast, fall back, repeat. 4-H, hang middle and stay safe. Drips, you hold the back.¡± ¡°Sounds like a plan to me,¡± Candra purrs dangerously. She extends her free hand forward into the center of the circle. Todd feels stupid participating in group ritual, but as Joe and Sue Ann clap their hands on top of Candra¡¯s, and Randall¡¯s big mitt sets down as well, he knows he is in the wrong. ¡°We¡¯re gonna rock this,¡± Todd whispers, placing his hand into the circle. Todd and his friends turn to face the pixies just in time for the announcement haze to settle down over the plaza. Aefore leads her sisters, floating high above the quad and smiling serenely. Todd shuffles in place, free to turn his head and watch his peers as he waits for the red-gold fairy to deliver a long winded speech. ¡°The first trial begins now. Do us proud,¡± she says. And then Todd is alone in a room with a swollen, waist high, five foot long hairless rat. 02A This Just The Pits
¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° 02B Une Ensemble ¡°? ¡° ¡° ¡° The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Joe appears on the road from around a corner. A good hundred yards out he lifts up his arms and laughs as he jogs towards them. One of his arms is drenched in blood and it holds up an elongated silver claw, and the other hand holds a wide bladed short sword. ¡°Of course I¡¯m fine! Why would I not be fine?¡± Todd groans. As Joe reaches them he brings his weapons down together in front of him and slows. Grinning, he affixes the pommel of the sword to the claw protruding from his [Mercury Rod] and directs it to grip like a vice. ¡° Todd glares at Joe for a moment, but then his glower slips away as he takes a closer look at Joe¡¯s invention, with both its superior reach and intimidating momentum. ¡°