《The Great Unknown》 First Gate *** Dear Advers, You have successfully escaped the last chamber of the First Gate with the needed item. Though as hell may have chased you to no end, you persevered the trial. Your courage burns deep within your soul, igniting you a path many of the unusual had taken. And for now, you shall see that gates exist beyond gates. Each containing an epilogue that sets the reality of what you will be. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. P.S.(I) The Second Gate will be opened in 18 hours. P.S.(II) Advers Triden now ejecting from the Dreamscape Realm. P.S.(III) Dreamscape Realm no longer available to Advers Triden. Yours Truly, The Guide *** Prologue I The cold air blew, helping the trees rustle themselves to the forgotten music of the cities. To the west, the wonder of the night sky resumed its splendor with grains of light twinkling between moments. The dark shade where these specks of light reside faded towards the east, until the time where the dawn and the night pulled apart; its gray dull color roofing cluster of wooden houses surrounded by verdant trees. Still, the rustles were kept to a subtle rhythm as the cold air hovered. Further up on the east, the gray dull color of the sky above head glowed to the mist-colored light of the dawn. A sign that the stillness of the surroundings will slowly be broken, and the rhythmic play of the wind and trees be accompanied by multiple sets of disharmonious sounds; disengaging the feeling of solemnity it casts when under the wings of the starry skies. But before the stillness broke, the wind traveled to the edge of the town. Caressing the white-colored curtain to sway as it entered an open window. Advers awoke from the gentle touch of the cold air creeping on his nape. His deep black eyes opened slightly, directly meeting the dance of the curtain under the cool breeze of the dawn. He shifted himself as he peered beyond the window, gazing over the lightening skies of the east. His forehead was laden with black lines as he felt his heart in dissonance. It made him squint sleepily against the ephemeral skies before he forgot on why was he awake so early in the morning. Then, he heaved a deep sigh before he fell to a nap again, pulling the sheets to his nose as he relished the feeling of cold and warmth on his body. The tiptoeing cold air simply forgotten. Slowly, the sparkle of the west faded over the horizon; the dawn claiming this part of the sky. The creak of floors, the clanging of metal bolts, and the banging of doors also slowly accompanied the howls of the wind and the whisper of the trees. Men and women, with their different tools, started treading across the town. While mothers, widowed men, single men or women, or simply, the early birds began to liven up their houses with kitchen works. Even before the blue skies overhead is joined by the sun, the town came to life. --- This time, Advers was awoken by the glare of the sun peeking over the opened window with a harsh gleam. The curtains parted away by the wind served no purpose at all in blocking off the light. He squinted his sleepy eyes against the sunlight and pulled the sheets to cover his head. A moment later, he sat up groggily from his bed and inclined his back against the headrest. He sat there for a good few minutes before he stood up and went over the bathroom. Starting his day with toilet matters. The opened windows of the second floor allowed the soothing sound of rustling leaves and the cool breeze itself to enter Advers room much freely. He had just eaten his breakfast as he sat on the chair beside the only window of the room, enjoying the peacefulness of the town with a book in his hand. The chirps of birds and the movement of men and women as they continue their respective works had subdued a melodic rhythm that was quite nice to listen to. Soft and toned in a hushed manner that one would prefer over the exuberance of a political debate. In front of him was a table occupied with a sketchbook and various types of pencils. With his phone peeking below the messed up papers at the edge of the table.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. A sigh came from his lips as he remembered his fuzzy dreams. Today was like any other morning he had these past few months. Blurred events of something unnatural waking him up from his slumber. Every time he awoke in the dawn, he would always find himself with the gentle breeze touching his nape as if trying to remind him something he should know. Yet, at the same time, waking him to a perturbed situation where he could feel his heart pounding loudly and rapidly; the memories of those dreams slowly forgotten and replaced with sheer discord in his heart. That feeling always left him uneasy throughout his day, that sometimes it caused him to make multiple blunders over his work that almost cost him his position. However, he wasn''t thoughtful nor was he nervous over the thought of him being dismissed on his work, instead, he felt something within those fraction of feeling a sense of curiosity being lit within him. This realization was what bothered him the most, as he felt something akin to a lost feeling through the time he had those dreams. Though, he wasn''t sure if he was just plain curious about what it contained or if he just felt excitement over this forgotten memories. He closed the book with a sigh as he found himself deviating from the story to thinking about his dreams. He set aside the book at the edge of the table as he rummaged his sea of papers, in search of his pencils and decade-old eraser. He foraged further as he recollected his thoughts, pointing to himself that today he will just busy himself with his plans. Read, draw, and most importantly, meditate and sleep under the soothing touch of the cold air shielded by the shade of a tree. He didn''t plan on trying to piece out a puzzle that hints of nothing but fragmented and undiscernible thoughts as the sole base to work on with. He''s interested as much as he wants to know what it was, but not too much invested to tire himself out over the continuous self-lamenting for something he''ll never find out anyway. With all the items he needed on him, a sketchbook tucked under his armpit, pencils with the eraser on a pouch, his phone on his left pocket, and a couple of bills on his other pocket, he walked out of the room then down the stairs. Being new to the town, he knew less of the people around, only having to greet the desk clerk with a nod who helped him with his lodging more than a week ago. As he strode along the road, the dried leaves that blanketed the roads and soil since time immemorial was a sight that many would find comforting here. The town, by his definition, is the most satisfying human design his eyes had ever beheld. ''Natural Park of the Hermin Town''.The sign read. This park was actually one of the most popular places in this town and the best he could have ever stumbled upon. Being it more than what the open space city parks offered, the park here is packed with trees and different kinds of vegetation not found in the cities. More than that, the park is pervaded with serenity that is quite unlike that of the urban areas filled with the scratching of tires and honks of vehicles. Something that he has grown accustomed to over the years, and grew tired off as he got older. Marching his way through the park''s gate and across the blooming trees, he walked for about 15 minutes before he found his usual spot under the shade of a young-looking Japanese Maple tree. Located atop a rugged upturned hill. The color of the leaves was deep green and its trunk bulkier. He settled his things down the greenish grass stemming under and stretched his arms. The flutter of the leaves music to his ears, and the warmth of the sun before noon was reassuring to his body as it peeked through the cluster of leaves to scrutinize his him. The wind, with that warmth, synchronized to try to caress him to sleep. He sat down in succession as he relished the almost victorious attempt of the wind and sunlight, facing an open space of the shadow-casted land before him. A creek peeking out from afar that was slightly covered by trees and grass immediately entered his vision. Though the view was by no means breathtaking, he was content to have at least the privacy of the place and the peacefulness it had. Now, Advers started to read his book. His whole day starts alternating between reading, drawing, and napping. Prologue II Advers trod along the road quite slowly. The white light of the street lamps on his left his guide to the otherwise dark road covered by the overgrown trees mirrored on his right; not allowing the moonlight to pierce through his path. It was night by the time Advers sauntered back home. And somehow, he could feel the solitary of this particular evening. Like a deep-seated feeling brought from afar, the wind blew towards him. The cold touch it brought to his face made him spew out warm air over his hands. His uncovered arms shivered slightly from the cool air, and the sheets of paper accompanied his movements with a flutter. After walking a bit, he stepped out of the illumination of the street lamps. Then he took a right turn towards the green platform of grass and bushes, with a copse of trees blanketing his entirety. Now, he was truly under the shadow of the trees. The moonlight glancing on him from time to time as the tree swayed. In front of him, the sprinkled moonlight on the ground also swayed intermittently, bringing forth a gentle touch to his eyes. Once again, the cold wind blew. But this time, except for a slight shiver on his arms, he closed his eyes as he inhaled. An undefined scent of grass, trees, along with the chilly air, poked his senses to a calm and content feeling that plunged him deeper into his thoughts. Back when Advers was in the city, the city lights were the reflection of the night sky itself. Forming a ceiling separating his eyes from the periodic twinkling of the speckle of the cold night sky. The multitude of buildings erected almost all over the place, high as they could be, served as the foundation to replace the night lights far above to a much more systematic and dispassionate sight. And the lamps lined all over the place its associate to further outshine the stars, and sometimes, even the moon itself. Moreover, the incessant sound of the vehicles and clanking boots of the thousands of people on the streets, parks, and way walk dampened the peaceful night he was fond of. The redeeming silence, the bellows of the wind, the dimly emitted light of the moon, and the stars above were all but a passing memory to him there. The city was the prison that held him to realize this pondering. Opening his eyes, he breathed in deep once again. Tonight, like these past few nights had been, the night sky has bestowed him a simple momentto live the ponders he had bottled in the city. One more step and his left foot would be bathed in the moonlight, the trees no longer clothing him with the darkness as he reached the unpaved road leading to the back of the building he was living. As he took that step, his other foot took another one. Slowly, the moonlight crept to his body as he walked out of the shadows, his black pants and black shirt shone deeply against the moonlight and contrast to his pale figure. Halting his steps with his whole body now wrapped by the gentle touch of the night¡¯s beacon, he then looked towards the moon to mirror the radiance of it in his deep black eyes. It was sleek as it shone, a dim light serving as a guide for the creatures of the night, a beacon to someone like him. He slightly smiled, with realness as he seldom did. The moon was round as it could be. The beat of the grains in the clear night sky fascinating. The bellows of the wind soothing. The rustle of the trees comforting. And him standing between the harmony of this inexplicable imperfection the sole audience of it. It was different. Tonight was truly nothing that he had experienced and he can''t explain why. Haaa. Let it be much more magical oh moon. A thought slipped through Advers trance. Then, as if by chance, his blurred dreams came to him. Eliciting his heart to skip a beat and his eyes twinkling to a shiver. He felt something within him as that thought came. As if a hope that is lit within him encouraged him to believe that these dreams speak more than of how confusing it was to him. Though he was defeated by the absence of even a sliver of an answer, he nevertheless stopped to project a scene-- or scenes of what could this mystery be. Hopefully something truly magical. The last thought came to his mind as he resumed walking. His heart still thumping with the unknown. --- In the middle of the night, the moon shone bright, so bright than what it could have ever diffused upon the lands of the night. The wind streamed across the plains, disengaging their momentum with the flutter of the trees, howling as loud as they could every time it met against crevices. Then the cold night dug deeper through the walls; the temperature dropped lower seeking warmth.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. The breath of relief Advers made from his comfortable slumber started to wane. Slowly replaced by a frown crawling to his forehead and a shivered breath of true cold air. He would have seen it, even for a brief moment, that a visible white mist shot out from his cracking lips. But no, he didn''t have the time. As a voice pleaded and rammed his mind to wake. Garnering his attention away from the strangeness happening on him. *** Dear Humans, How have you been? Were you all fine? Safe? Happy? Tired? Joyful? Or any other things? Because I hope that you all are, for something worse has come... It is not of my intention to inflict fear upon your hearts, nor do I have such a goal to your minds. But sadly, everyone has to know it. Today, the world is nearing to an end. The prophecies of what you believe coming to life. Something of which none has been able to stop, and much less, know of its true existence. Preparation has been set. Plans prepared. Stamps affixed. You''ve been addressed and Guided. You only have your own existence to keep. Farewell thee. And goodluck. P.S.(I) The second letter will be gifted to you in a moment. P.S.(II) The Dreamscape Reality letter now deposited in your mindboxes. P.S.(III) Letters to come. Yours Truly, The Guide *** In Advers befuddled mind, a newaudioletter pressed him to listen to it. *** Dear Advers, For your efforts in clearing the first gate, this letter gifted to you is written with utmost care and love. And like many others, I had gifted them the same amount of love and concern just as I did to you, but of course, everyone else¡¯s contained different prose of my words to them. How lovely of me right? You have been gifted the Class Letter from the First Gate! P.S.(I) Survive the first onslaught. P.S.(II) Letters to come. Yours Truly, The Guide *** But that didn''t stop there. For after waking him with its grating voice, another audioletter penetrated his mind to listen. And having heard it for the third time, the voice was now a bit clear to him to understand what was going on. *** Dear Advers, All First Gate Clearers now deployed to mission points. First mission: Survive the fall. P.S. Letters to come if survives. Yours Truly, The Guide *** Its brief declaration doused his jumbled and aching mind to a sobered realization over the real gravity of his situation. And only then did Advers found himself swimming against the air. The table, the chair, the broken lamp, his almost empty bag, and the bed he was on uniformly whistled as it dove. If there is one thing that could explicitly define just how high he is, it could only be the glimmer of the sharp crown of the mountain parallel behind him. "Hell, no."Was all he could utter. 1: Cleared! *** Dear Advers, You have wonderfully accomplished the first mission. Congratulations! A superb stunt indeed! But now we have to take the next step towards your path, and of course, towards your survival days. Please bear and listen carefully to the instruction that follows as this audioletter will become unavailable after three uses. To access your mindbox, you should begin by delving deeper into the darkness inside your mind. But by doing so, you will need the utmost concentration to find this space where your mindbox figuratively resides. Bear in mind as well that the seal to your mindbox requires you to find a way to open it and reseal it, and your mental strength will allow you this feat. Within the mindbox contains the following:
Dreamscape Reality Letter. Dreamscape Rewards Letter. Class Letter. System Activation Letter. Dreamscape Equipment Letter. Instruction Letter(2/2).
If you have not cracked the seal under one hour, your mindbox will randomly reduce itself an item from the rewards letter and send it to other magicians that have at least the same type of class as you have. After that, every one and a half hours, your mindbox will begin to empty its content one by one. So it is greatly encouraged that you should start to unseal the mindbox. However, please be warned that the restricted area within your mindbox must not, I repeat, must not be forced to open at all cost as the ward that surrounds it strains your meager mental power as of now. Please bear that in mind. P.S.(I) Last set of instructions available after unsealing the mindbox. P.S.(II) Please begin to open your mindbox. Yours Truly, The Guide *** The clear voice of the Guide demanded Advers'' attention from his hard-earned wounds adorning his entirety. A grim expression behind his misted dark eyes foreboding to spill, yet, only the clarity of pain was undeniably showed. So unfathomably evident as a crease started to creep to his forehead that was trickling with cold sweat, the mask he had donned didn''t quite manage to contain the stings that assaulted his nerves. A thrum escaped his pale lips as he curled, holding his right arm as he felt its unrelenting pricks pierce deeper to the gash that slit across the back of his elbow up to his wrist; madly bleeding to a remorseful passion. Worse than that, the wound, if scrutinized closely, seems to have been haphazardly slashed by a dull object as the edges of the skin across his elbow could be seen to be very unevenly ripped; as if it was frustratingly split apart by force alone. Moments later, blood leaked gently from the cut, and Advers could feel the injury numbing his arm. Although the pain was now bearable to dislodge the rigidness of the nerves that ran across his face, this did not stop Advers to pale even further, the knuckles of his left hand taut to a white as he tremblingly and tightly gripped his right upper arm. He distressedly observed the cut that drew a couple of bloody mess from him. It cut a blazing scarlet from his elbow until it created a fine line reaching the tip of his ulna. Wincing with more all-embracing pain as the scarlet liquid elevated the sheer whiteness of something from his arm, albeit with hues of red bathing it. He could already feel the numbness brought by the intense pressure that his left hand was applying on his right bicep, yet, it seems to have waned at the sight of it. It wasn''t gruesome at best, one would dare say, but for Advers who''ve dared himself of not even a cut, this is a massive jump of experience that could only be negotiated through time.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. He drew a deep shivered breath as he sat upright, the grim and distress that he so tried to suppress poured unabatedly. He tried to push his aching left foot to a stand but only hissed in the process of doing so. To make it even worse, the provocation brought by the multiple grazes that ran across his body fought his willpower to break. And even if these wounds seemed non-fatal, the totality of all these insignificant cuts was equivalent to the despondency emanating from his arm. For a very good long time, unspecified, Advers began reciprocating the stings with encouragements and disingenuous placebo. Exhausting all his abilities to undermine the tenacious pulsing. As he finally was able to distract himself from the pain, restraining it, Advers, now extremely weary and with shortness of breath, apprehensively observed his surroundings. Trying to discern where he was and, most importantly, know if any unseen threat befalls to him again. It was past midnight, but the intense light emitted by the moon allowed him to perceive things close to him. Around him are the remains of the wooden sections that his room emptied, mixed along with the broken set of furniture that went along with it, papers littered around. Most notably was the bed he landed with now lying askew beside a boulder, the white bedding sheet punctured by splinters of wood greatly accentuated amidst the deep dead colors of the trees and their silhouettes. He could, even with bleary eyes, distinctively see one of the ridges having blood unhurriedly flowing down that it flamed the bedsheet to cold fiery ruby. It coursed from the bed, then to a patch of grass forming a very narrow route of a bloodied trail that directed itself to where Advers rested, an open space that weirdly had not been encased by a copse of verdant trees. Deliberate. Was it?He grimly mused. Looking to his left, he could hardly spot his bag leaning against a crowd of yellow-colored flowers, a few of his plain-colored shirts and black jeans not far from it was also resting on the same patch of yellowy flowers, which, to his minute relief, was able to come along with him. He really couldn''t think how he''ll do his ghastly wound if it didn''t. Further than that was only the howling silhouettes of trees, his eyes no longer capable of distinguishing farther. On the other hand, to his right, were the table and chairs that have long been broken by the fall. Most of the disheveled and crumpled papers congregated here. He could also see flowers of various colors stemming not far from the debris, a few, even had the same feature as the perrenial plants on his left. But beyond that was only the same pitch-black figures that were ominously encircling him. A cold breeze passed by and assailed Advers nose with the scent of fresh leaves and copper, grimacing as it traced his wounds, but in return this allowed him to determine the murky outlines as trees. The rustle and the quivering of the edges its proofs. He scanned further around and had concluded that, presumably and hopefully, he was safe at the moment. So he rested his agitated and disconcerted mind for a moment before he rectified his breath to a rhythm. Looking to his leg, he groggily tried once more to move, this time towards the direction of his clothes as he knew that his battered arm is quietly bawling for it. He was able to take a few grams of his weight to push him at first tries, but the succeeding movements abruptly contested his bruised mind to a halt. But even then, Advers still tried. Thus, a second attempt came forth, then a third, and another one, his last attempt that in the end, Advers conceded and stopped the futility that would only wear him further. Knowing that his body still didn''t allow him movement, he reorganized his thoughts on the diabolical voice that propelled him here, renewing his attention on the white paper that gently laid on his lap. He squinted as he observed it, unsullied even though he saw droplets of blood slipping onto it earlier. Cautiously, he took and scrutinized it much closer. It looked ordinary at most, most obviously is just a white paper with silver lines bordering it; no characters, no words, and not even a dot written on it. Flipping, he found that the back of the paper had the same image as its back, except having no silver border this time, only the purity of white had painted it whole. The silver-adorned surface, it seems, was the front page, he loosely thought. Yet still, perplexed, he flipped it a few more times for good measure if he missed something. There was nothing. The paper itself could even serve as another copy of the blank sheets of paper scattered around him. Or maybe, it could be exactly just that! It must have been a paper that fell on him. A carapace for such thought indeed! But then, how would that explain the oddness that he saw earlier? Even more, the glittering silver lines didn''t strike a memory on him. A throb stopped his muse, his eyes twitching to a pained gleam. "This is going nowhere." Advers murmured with a paltry voice. He had enough to experience for the night, and the more he thinks, the worse he could feel his headache becomes. He could also sense the dizziness kicking into his system that made him take a deep breath as he refocused his mind, setting aside the mystery of the paper as he redirected his intention on the few shirts on his left, his dilemma badly in need of it. With pained movement, Advers started to shift, this time using his hand as his lower limbs didn''t allow him mercy. Gently, trying not to disturb the stillness of his right arm, he pulled himself with snail''s pace. His left hand considerably burdened by the weight of his whole body. Pushing, pulling, his hand tormented itself against the rocks and weed he used as leverage. Digging even when he found nothing to help him move. Focus. Focus. Focus. A word that he kept on repeating. Trying to distract himself from the headache that was building up and the dizziness that was slowly overtaking his decision to keep on moving. Cold sweat trickled down from his face as he neared a black-colored cloth, yellow crunching under the grip of his hand. Grimly, he could already feel the cold creeps numbing his head and all the pain coming from his injuries. 2: The Inevitable Hysteria A resplendent amber field of light galloped through his eyes, inviting his mind to wallow in an odd confusion about this particular morning. With half-opened eyes, he squinted as he refocused his vision that came with naught results, the yellowish scenery remaining but a ghost to his sight. Then, the hints of golden-light beams that trickled in-between the fluttering silhouettes defined what the illumination was. Golden strings of warm light, it seems, had awoken Advers. With imposing exhaustion, he slowly sat up with both his hands propping him, confessedly confused and roughly disturbed about the coldness, headache, and pangs donning him. Not quite sure about where it all stemmed from as the cold wet smell of dews was inducing but troubling perplexity to him. But that was until a reserved pitched cry bulleted out of his mouth, sobering his memory to its glorious wake. Flashes of the night''s memory gurgling him of the absurdity on how he nonchalantly sat and how something unimaginably grim even slipped out of his mind. But contrary to the pain he expected to burden, it only gave a few yawning aches on his supposed to be doomed of an arm. Though, it didn''t stop the blood to lick through his skin towards the yellow that was dyed red when it trickled. He was about to examine the oddness of his wound when something took his attention away. A fogged, fragile, four-cornered white object, almost translucent, hovered on the back of his left hand. Yes, hovered. It didn''t appear as if it was glued crudely, nor was it elaborately painted, nor was it ritually embedded. It just somberly levitated with supernal delicateness atop his backhand. The letter definitely looked strangely evanescent from his perspective, unlike before. Moving it closer to his eyes, he found the same silver border as it did last night, but this time, with the addition of a few words unknown to him of its real significance. *** Three items are taken away from the Rewards Letter. Please begin to delve into your mindbox. I repeat, please begin to open your mindbox. *** "Items... Just wha-" He puzzledly murmured to a halt. A couple of drawn-out blinks, without a hint of concern, escaping over the words before he let his left hand gently quash yellow as did his weight. He looked around to see the trees clearer to him than ever, leaves crashing to each other forming a piece of fine music. Surveying further, he could see his other stuff littering quite far from him that some were even dangling from the branches they tightly held. Across him, the splintered bed stood still. Further than that was the same paper mound, trees, and flowers of different tints rippling as everything did on his left and right. After that, he looked over to where he rested. Bags, clothes, same flowers but with a different hue, and a trace of blood corrupting the flower beneath him entered alike scrutiny. It was the same, very identical to what it looked last night with its tranquility. But something, just something and only something was odd. It was a feeling of something awry and vastly wrong that spilled over to his thoughts with suddenness. So he glanced back to gaze the same spectacle. Silence accompanying him as he tried to find what was immensely different that made something feel amiss. Yet, his further examination provided him nothing he could use to alleviate the disturbing incompleteness that suddenly jabbed him out of nowhere. Something truly was brutally different than before, and he was absolutely certain that the hounded paper seems to have just triggered it. So he eyed the white paper with cautiousness and adept perusal. Several words appearing suddenly that appealed to him a certain insight into what his predicament maybe. *** 5 hours have passed.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Activated: Level One Hysteria. (It''s not dangerous. Don''t singularly define it as some crave for it.) Please begin to delve into your mindbox. I repeat, please open your mindbox. *** A prick came to his neck, then to his arm, then to his torso, then to his legs. A thunderous stress that appeared to electrocute him out of the blue was accompanied by a wild beat that created a deep dissonance within his chest. The straightforward reminder of what the letter suggests, making a crease wove its way to his forehead with black thread on its trail. Hysteria.He mentally uttered. He gingerly thought that the exhilaration and eagerness of yesterday felt cold water washing away with his simple thoughts on how certain unworldly things may bring him solace. And this certain incident was what truly flooded it away. There was in no way that he could remain at ease and still feel certain excitement right now, as Advers was such a person to have his bearing be kept, at all times, to a still. For it to be utterly broken without even an effort and not knowing how it was done, it challenged him to look at the reality served justifiably before him with pure seriousness on his part, yielding himself as he unstitched the frown with a calming breath. He checked, finally, the oddness of what his wound seems to have been. He thought, with all the complexities revolving around him, that the absence of severe pain is a sign of it being halfway healed or at least something better, but the delicateness of the dried blood that stuck to the rough edges of the torn skin speaks otherwise. A twitch sneaked past his forehead as he looked the same curvature of a beeline resting on his arm, not a tad bit different except for the dried blood that reeks of metallic taste. With that in mind, he understood as a fact, that what knocked him out was blood loss from this specific cut. To prove his position further, he contemplated the immense trail of scorched blood that drizzled from the broken bed up to the flowerbed be enough for an evidence. He knew at the very least, without much of medicinal knowledge and for a fact itself, that the amount of blood he had lost was tantamount to having one sent to their demise already. However, the absence of paleness to his skin speaks contrarily, and he could feel and be sure of himself that he had no trouble of thinking clearly at all. Which, in itself, definitely and already expresses peculiarity if he''s looking for one. He nudged the slit a bit to grasp how painful it is when touched, and fortunately, varying degrees of prodding makes minimal pain to be registered. Despite that, when he tried to rotate his wrist and flex his elbow, the tension it brought was very reminiscing of the night''s repentant accident. And he stopped feeling it up further with that in mind. He also noticed that while his arm may still have the same horrific display, his legs finally have found its mercy to allow him movement, making it much easier to limp his way to an examined innocuous tree, a few meters on his left, to recline unto. He observed, once again, the space around him. Espying the sunlight-basked scenery, he found that the supposed to be calming silence was replaced by a grating feeling that gripped his heart to discordance. His eyes squinting sneakily as if he never did it at all. But, one could be sure that Advers was not liking, rather, sincerely not desiring this circumstance in any way possible at all. *** He sat under the shade of the whistling tree, eyes closed with nothing to see but darkness while shedding sweats of absolute pressure. Idling by for almost an hour rotating between closing his eyes and that of arguing with himself whether what he is doing was making an ounce of progress at all. Advers thought it would be easy breaking through the so-called barrier that he tried to delve deep into his mind. But, the sheer increase of stress that encapsulates his whole body speaks well for itself, and the building mental strain is drowning him further into hopeless desperation. It made him recount, with all restraint he could generate, all the fortunate things he could muster from the still unknown reality he was forcefully dragged to. He was tempted to open his anxious eyes to see if the same text he had seen for an hour had changed, but, a burst of mild headache struck him along the feeling as if a certain door has been opened in his mind. The sensation felt so new and yet vaguely familiar to him as if it had always existed somewhere within his mind. However, he let that feeling slip by his grasp as he embraced the soothing warmth of the heaviness his mind and body felt. The discordance that kept his heart in dire suspense waning along as well. *** Congratulations! You have unlocked your mindbox. Level One Hysteria dispelled. *** Few words appeared on his left hand which demanded no one an applaud for this mere feat. And Advers wouldn''t jump onto the wagon as his eyes remained closed. Deep in his mind, Advers couldweirdlysee, with slight heaviness burdening his mind, an enticing white paper almost at arm''s reach from him. He could count, if his hazy mind is correct, about 6 letters atop each other sprawled in the dark space messily. Nevertheless, he didn''t fail to observe that there were no noticeable markings that he could see to emphasize the importance of such simple paper. Further than that, he seemed to notice the weirdness of a much darker space within his mind. There were also letters in there but were few in numbers. Though, what tackled his attention more than that was the feeling of oppression that it exudes as he tried to prod it further. Sensibly, he didn''t try to examine it with better judgment on his side. So he took his sight back on the letters closer to him, wondering what he should do now. Which, in turn, was answered by the unfolding of a letter in front of him. *** All Letters claimed. *** 3: Instruction(2/2) Advers winced from the sunlight as he opened his eyes, blinded by the sudden change of the contrasting light and dark. However, in replace for that, he immediately noticed the intriguing difference between seeing through his eyes and seeing through his mind. He felt, in a way, as if he gained another form of visual discernment. As quickly as he relished the feeling, he turned his attention on his left hand. Blinking once before he assessed that the card-reader-sized white paper is what he thought of it to be. The letters. They were shelved orderly and perpendicular to his finger, and, in a way, it somewhat reminded him of how dominoes looked like after they stacked atop each other. Its domino-shelving method had the first tile nearest to his knuckles as the starting point that set off a chain reaction to how it looked like right now. Gently resting to the foggy paper as if submerged in a translucent and milky liquid, he could completely distinguish that its ethereal paleness is even eclipsing the sheer delicateness of the four-cornered paper that it lolled. It undeniably and unexpectedly was a satisfying spectacle that somehow eased the residual rigidness of his body that he didn''t know. He counted them by eyes as he shuffled, changing to a better position to rest his stiff legs. He found that there were actually six of them, and he made it sure by counting it thrice. There were no significant markings that may help to distinguish what each of them was. Much better to say that it was plain as white to its teeth. With nothing else to inspect, he stiffly took the first letter closer to his wrist with his right hand, creating an unworldly phenomenon when its dimension visibly expanded. At the same time, he also noticed the sudden increase of light that coated it in an annular pattern, an oddity that drew Advers to gaze at it with detail. When the light came to a still, a smooth, apparition-like sheet of white paper, about the size of an index card, came to view. But then, the light that encased the letter immediately coalesced on the center, forming a ball of soft light that adeptly shook itself off his arm with an unseen force, flying instantly towards his head unimpededly. Which, in turn, he had only managed to blink a surprised stare and a jolt of evasion when it already happened. But before he could muse the gravity of what that light could truly mean, he noticed the paper that lost its luster slowly solidified itself. Apprehensively, he watched as silver lines started to border it with a complex pattern that one would be pleased to look at. Similar in a way a person would find it gratifying to gaze a tribal tattoo etched on a person''s body. Though, these patterns reeked of better skewness than what the norms had. When it completed its transfiguration, Advers pulled off his stare from the patterns towards the words hazily forming at the center. Just then, he could feel soothing warmness gather over towards his eyes, allowing him the ability to see the paragraph without difficulty. He guessed, quite easily, that the light was possibly for this instance. *** Instruction Letter(2/2) [Reading Mode] ***Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Without him doing anything at all, the paper started to take another shape. It first started by splitting apart vertically in the middle, with smoothness and precision that paved a space until the gap between them is about the length of the whole paper. Then, it formed a translucent flat sphere in the middle. Words gradually formed under the guidance of flowing silver light from the papers, fascinating to the extent that Advers could see the thread of lights coming from both centers of the papers literally knitting the words into life. *** Dear Advers, You see, it was not of my intention to sent you to your demise. It was but a test(?), confirmation(?) to see just how you''d be like in a circumstance you''ve never been through before. And you reading this letter is the whole of all my genuine truthfulness coming to existence. You get it now don''t you? Anyway, the material proof of my words is below. Bark of the Redtree(2/3) Description: Mends those that burn to ash. Very slow-acting nature magic. See that? I even have given you a bark preemptively! Well, back on the topic, I''ll be giving you the briefest discussion about the letter. I hope you do what you must for the rest. (1)Instruction Letter(1/2) --- (2)Dreamscape Letter The letter basically contains the logs of what has occurred during your dreams. Do not expect anything of the sort like a holographic reality to be played, just simply imagine the letter as a journal by itself. Simple, but the data in there might come handy. (3)Dreamscape Rewards Letter As its name suggests, it contains the rewards accordingly to what you have accomplished in the realm. Just that, see the rest for yourself. (4)Dreamscape Equipment Letter The letter itself contains the weapons and clothing you have used when you traversed the Dreamscape. (5)System Activation Letter Now this one is interesting, this letter contains what shall aid you on this apocalypse, the rest is for you to know. (6)Class Letter Ah! Finally. It is for you to know, none I can help you with. That''s pretty much it. Very simple right? Well then, I bid you farewell, it will be a long time before you hear from me again. Thrive with what you can but be the best of yourself. Good luck! P.S.(I) Oh! If you''re just wondering, no matter what you think, I''ll always come first. The order does not matter. P.S.(II) And lastly, please, get less agitated. Expect the unexpected, always. Yours Truly, The Guide *** Advers read the wall of text that fit snugly on the sphere. Though some of it looked like useless at best, he kind of understood the gist of what it tried to imply to him. He stared over to his gashed arm for a minute before he let out a helpless sigh. There was a foreboding premonition building inside him that things would soon get rough and quite dangerous.And the implication of the letter that warranted him to do things independently, no matter how useless and carefree it seemed to be, was something he must greatly note. He didn''t know yet for what purpose, but he was sure that it won''t be long before he understands the gravity of the playful context. 4: Storage Item Advers randomly pulled another letter, allowing the sphere in front of him, with its two subordinate white papers, reverse its creation in an instant. Reverting until it regressed to a chip of ethereal-green paper that slowly dimmed and vanished. Just like that, only six letters remain. On a similar note, when he pulled the first one, the second letter also underwent a spatial change. But this time, without the interference of Advers''s overt suspicion, the paper smoothly brought the circular surface to life, knitting the fewer words coalescing this time. *** Dreamscape Letter [Reading Mode] *** It was neat and simple. Yet still, an odd feeling crept over to his nerves as he read the letter''s name. However, that immediately abated a few seconds later when the silvery words faded from existence. Then, two thin threads of lights frantically emerged upward, stopping only when its length is twice that of the split paper. But unlike before, these lightthreads seemed to have life on them as they wriggled away from the sphere with vitality, forming a stance as if ready to catapult towards the sphere with the sole aim of destruction. The lights stretched to a maddening taut with an unimaginable force behind it that one wouldn''t expect from such soft light. For a moment, it remained still as if subduing the immense energy it had generated. Foreboding until it unleashed its ferocity with a blink of light, forming a rippling intense white sheen that crisscrossed the sphere. It very much appeared like two light swords battling each other but without wielders, which, he would have assumed it to be if only he didn''t see the delicateness on how these lights wove words earlier. But what truly made it much fascinating was the intensity of the light. It didn''t seem to bother Advers''s eyes too much and, he could, even, safely say that the warmth that gathered to his eyes allowed him to look at the beauty of the otherwise impossible sight to behold. In a way that he could feel the intense light as nothing but a soft bright glow that, gladly, didn''t make him wince. It looked very much as if everything that his eyes can perceive reflects nothing but an ephemeral reality. The feeling it invoked resembling almost the same that of when he gazed over the dawn through the filtered cold air. However, part of him understood as well that, against the semblance it held, both beauties are entirely different from each other. Still, in a sense, both were warm and comforting for him. It only stopped a minute after its performance. As opposed to seeing heaps of lengthy words, as he had assumed the machination of the lights were, he saw a transparent small notebook at the center with explicit glittery silver words in front that read, Dreamscape Chronicle. The text, with bold and deep silver-colored lights, were screaming bright light to his eyes. It, again, marked not of discomfort, however. But rather, he could feel that it was inviting him to peer over the wondrous name the book held. Dreamscape Chronicle. Certainly childish as some would argue, bland even. And yes, Advers, of all his worth, might have thought as well. Intrigued but not extremely fascinated by what the words implied. However, his transfixed but stilled eyes that reflected the light the words donned speak of another now. It was a reserved fascination. Then suddenly, the glint of lights disintegrated like a splash of water along with the sphere and the two white paper, rippling to a fade in an unnerving swift motion. But, Advers remained distracted. It took him a moment to halt his musing before he could notice that the book was slowly solidifying itself, only having to detailedly examine it as it softly fell to his lap then towards the yellow perennials. With the performance done, and Advers''s mind recollected, he could quite think and feel the familiarity of what the odd words actually implied to him. Its semblance to the obscure dreams he has had for a long time already is undeniably strong. On which, in turn, made a gleam tore through his eyes with interest, seemingly reducing his alertness against everything around even further. He took the notebook that was half the size of a short bond paper with his stiff hand, examining the physicality with his other. A reassuring cold sensation traveled his left finger as he traced the words over the smooth texture of the notebook''s soft front panel, then he pulled the cover that opened with fluidity to see its contents. Just like what the instruction has told him, dates and summarized texts lingered on the paper. *** Day 1 The Guide has opened Advers Triden''s Dreamscape Reality late into the night and was the 142,251,819th to be Guided. On the same night, the Guide has given Advers Triden the following equipment as a start: Eyeglass, Cotton Shirt, Black Pants, Sturdy Shoes, A branch of metal, Ink of the Violet Tree, Roots of the Fire Shaman. Day 2 This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. The Guide explained to Advers that to employ the equipment, he must be able to identify each of their uses. Sadly, Advers wasn''t able to classify the use of Ink of the Violet Tree and Roots of the Fire Shaman, but, still, the first mission has to be given to Advers. Oh, wait, he was to be briefed first, by the way. Day 3 The Guide sent Advers to Cobweb Valley, a place to test new participants, and was his first mission too. Within the zone, red enlarged rabbits crawled with ferocity and intelligent prying eyes. The beings that shall hinder Advers to go about his way around to scour the item that the mission requires. Fortunately, he completed the examination and thus eligible to continue further. Day 4 .... *** Advers read the first three pages that were interestingly anticlimactic. Instantly, it made him squint over the words with half-expectations, half-confusion, but the entirety of interest. He felt no real familiarity with the experience written, nor did it trigger his mind to remember such instances. The words were not providing even a hint of an invocation that he was hoping, and even the story it held, which was interesting, had not argued to his memory of even the imaginative ones he always does. It was entirely new and definitely had not crossed his mind yet. He read another couple of pages for good measure with some having even longer texts. Yet, it still left him hanging with a shred of insight, as to when he tried one, ask not for his dismay, it''s another wall of knowledgeable text with no hidden mechanism to help him retrieve what was lost. Still, it didn''t stop him to be intrigued by it, apparent with the hint of interest evident to his curious, deep, black eyes. Advers closed the book and placed it on his lap, setting it aside for now as it would take a lot longer if he persistently read through it. He was about to cross his arm to gather his thoughts and refresh his mind before he froze and saved himself the trouble of his negligence. The scarlet cut cutting his muse and movement to a halt. He made a relieved breath that escaped past his dry lips. He gathered his thoughts and gently noted that he still had an injured arm to consider with his musings. But interestingly, he no longer felt the immediate sting when he tried to flex it. He found it rather close to getting numbed with hints of pain crawling from time to time. It made him recall that the letter seemed to have given him a bark of something. He looked at it one last time before he moved along to take another letter. The third letter opened under the same ethereal theme. And the first few words allowed him to know what letter it was this time. Dreamscape Equipment Letter[Reading Mode], it showed. On it was a list with but few words this time, which definitely was not a letter as to what its name suggests. *** Damaged Cotton Shirt. Holed Black Pants. Shoes. Seared Jacket. Metal Bat. Soil of the Umbral Tree. Damaged Staff. *** He made a couple of ignorant blinks as he read the list before he noticed another light-themed spectacle. With its ever independent decisions, the magical sphere in front of him turned into a light in the shape of a small small box. All the while, it occurred under the flashes of light that vanished along with the letter. A few moments later, a cube, twice the size of his fist, and is radiating a dazzling white light, floated and gently bobbed in front of him. As the white light faded, what came to view was a cube flawlessly crisscrossed with lines forming even square surfaces on each side. Nine squares occupied the sides visible to him. Rubik''s Cube...? He thought in an askance mixed with interest. The front and top, the only surfaces that he can see, was the source of his thought. But unlike the common Rubik with different shades on each side, the one in front of him screams of precious color. It was the glow of silver. Having known that, it initiated a thought to form into his mind that though it was another remarkable silver-hued object, there must be an underlying meaning behind it. Then as did the book, the cube gently lost its light-encased shimmer, its bobbing halted as it gently fell towards the perennials. But in exchange for that, black color painted the top boxes of the cube immediately, on which it only took Advers a blink to see that the silver-adorned boxlets now turned black. And instinctively and out of curiosity, Advers reached for it. He had only touched the cold black surface with a finger before another shift came. The black tile he had touched turned much darker than the tiles beside it. And, as if stirred, a white light swirled in its middle that made him jerk his finger away from the cube. The box appeared much lifelike as he saw it cave in to create a realistic take on a dark and light-based undercurrent. The white light entangling with the dark hue as they whirled, all until it created a vortex where the battling white light concentrated. It was, actually, a mini whirlpool, albeit using light as its medium. On that eddy, a pillar of light started to emerge all the way until its a tile''s length. Then, three disks of transparent silver light with different sizes bordering the top of the pillar came to be. The hugest circle floated at the topmost of the cube with its length perfectly fitting the tile it hovered upon. The following two circles narrowed down towards the peak of the light pillar, coming to a stop before it touched the light. Damaged Cotton Shirt. Advers sat still as he observed words written on the circle, casting a few blinks before he stopped his arms in crossing again. With the soft bellows of the wind, and as it brushed the trees to a rustle accompanying his musings, he felt an urge that made him move his finger towards the three-layered circle. It was not instinctive nor was it an undefined reason that made him do that, but rather, he deemed it necessary for the circle to fit the shallow crater that still continues to build a steady whirlpool. To him, it just made sense to fill in the empty spot. And so, he pressed. The consequence was as immediate as his urge was. Because as the three circles fitted the crater, the light beam traveled and encased the boxlet it was on. Shimmering to an intense radiance before the Rubik was one less of a box. The small white box then started to bulge speedily as it took a shape of a thin but lengthy form. A bit scratched on the yoke, unstitched on the sleeves, a mark of burns, and an obvious tearing on the bottom hem entered his scrutiny when the light faded. It looked fleecy and delicate too with its grayish tint, if not for the damage. But if there is one thing he could take away from this piece of an object, he could only say that this was the damaged cotton shirt that the words read. Advers made a stretched hum of curiosity as the spectacle ended. He felt the warmth of the morning sun caress his skin along with the light touch of a breeze sobering him. The wet smell of morning dews that screamed of comfort and the golden-bathed perennials struck him a short-lived excitement. But surely, nothing could stop him to speak of the thrill he felt. "Interesting." He murmured as his day started. 5: The Pen He had not had a chance to thoroughly examine the things that he magically freed from the cube earlier. But now that he could see the equipment, all of them looked like they''ve gone from some pretty hellish experience. The black pants were dull as it appeared to be, but actually, it was sturdy and bulkier than how he thought of it. He examined it further to find that though it looked flat and thin, the fabric was actually very thick. And true to its name, holes pierced the pants cleanly. Wherein the biggest perforation was at the left thigh part that was as big as twice his fist. Moreover, the sideseam was also showing signs of unstitching. He found the same characteristic on the gray cotton shirt and the leather jacket lying on his left. Well, except of course that the damage on these were burns and lacerations. But they had the same sturdy, thick, light, and most of them all, a water-proof attribute they ought to have. Well, at least that''s what the gloss made him think of it to be. Though with all of that said, it somehow left him in contemplation regarding on how the clothing, given with their outstanding quality that would shame even the best couturier in the world, would be reduced in a dismal state. He next turned his attention on the two long objects bundled further on his left. The aluminum-colored one undoubtedly the metal bat, and the wooden one, with cracks all around it and a clear cut visible to one of its poles, is most probably the staff one. Dents and rust coated the metal bat that was as long as his arm, and the staff had a crystal on its tip that showed signs of breaking. Both were, again, the result of some pretty unfortunate event he was trying to imagine. After he quickly examined the cold touch of the bat with its rustic texture and got nothing of noteworthy, he next checked the interesting stick that screamed of antiquity. The grotesque-looking figure that looked like it costs nothing but a few twists and turns, and the crystal, mainly, that seemed to be like an object commonly seen in shops of the olds, allowed him the hypothesis that it was a relic of the past. Moreover, he felt quite familiar with the termstaff, and with a bit of experience on a few fictitious books, he could as well guess that it was concerned with magical phenomena. He rubbed his chin with interest as he thought deep in his mind. And suddenly, with a silly motivation, he picked up the staff and pointed it towards the ruined bed. Advers tried to cast magic. A levitation one to be specific. But contrary to his expectations were, the bed was still on its broken legs sprawled all over the boulder. Except maybe for the rose-stained bedding having minute movements prompted by the passing breeze. He spun the staff with his thumb and middle finger from a slow to a sudden twirl. Keeping that cycle for a few minutes as he lost himself in his thoughts on how an almost broken shaft would be able to produce even a flicker of magic. But was it truly meant for magic? He questioned, and the slow-mo twirling of the staff took a sudden flicker as it rested on his hand. Then he eyed the very details of the stick with squinted eyes. Its lusterless crystal was lined with cracks down to its fissured texture running across the grotesque brown wood. And as he observed it further, it slowly appeared as if it was actually majestic and had a cryptic feeling veiled in the pretense of grotesqueness. Then it dawned him a fact. And he felt the realization about it that maybe¡ª "Nope," Advers interjected to himself. He muttered as he tossed the object to his left and, he then turned towards the last of all the equipment. He stopped his imagination to something very ludicrous as the name already confirmed what the shaft is all about. Obviously, it''s aDamaged Staff. And for how it is used? Well, assuredly, he doesn''t know. On his right, he saw what theSoil of the Umbral Treeswas all about. Its deep, black, and fine particles encased by a transparent ball lived up to what its name suggests. It was just plain black soil. Though, he didn''t know what the relation of the umbral tree to this was. Except, at least, maybe for its shared knowledge regarding darkness that the dirt inhibits. It was about the size of an enlarged tennis ball and felt soft but firm as he scooped it, and much better, it was feather-light that he seemed to not even feel it weighing on his hand. Plus, the texture of the soil''s container was actually rather smooth and unexpectedly warm. Scrutinizing it much nearer to his eyes, he couldn''t be more than surer how each particle seemed so heavy as they were pulled down by gravity when he spun it in his hand. It was like a flowing magma in the pure solid form but more syrupy. He further found out, with a couple of rolls and touches, that the warmth indeed came within from the earth itself, courtesy to his earlier suspicions.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Having examined it, it also made no sense to him how this material would be of use to him. But it is within his hopes that he''d know about it sooner. So he moved along and opened up another letter. *** Dreamscape Rewards Letter *** It read from the transparent sphere. Then, there came the two catapulting lights that made sparks fly as they started their maneuvers. Surprisingly, there were only three listed pieces of equipment on the sphere this time. Namely, theBark of the Umbral Tree,theSeed of the Fire Shaman,and theWoodenSwordstaves. The words then quickly faded to form a silver light, but instead of creating another cube, the sheen just tore through the air as it shot towards the hexahedron in front of him. Inspecting on the storage item piqued him, however. Because instead of three dark boxlets coming to view, there were actually four black-colored boxlets. He tapped each box one by one until he found what the fourth mystery equipment was. Bark of the Redtree.The familiar words formed. "Hm?" He uttered with a question of realization. He looked over to his gashed arm as he remembered what this item was. It was the one that the instruction letter used to alleviate the pain he should be experiencing now. With that knowledge, he quickly pressed the three-layered circles with befitting respect using his stiff right finger. The fade of the white shimmer revealed a simple, red chip that was outlined with a rough texture. Except that it looked like a bloodied hide, the bark of wood showed no notable characteristics he could observe. And, again, he was in the dark how should he''d be able to use it. He played with it for a minute as he mused over its mechanism before he threw it with the other items on his left. Having done that, he then just realized simple detail that made him deeply muse. He saw the lump of different pieces of equipment bundled disorderly waving at him, a contrast to the cube in front of him that looked minuscule to the entirety of what it brought out. And he realized, How the hell would he fit all of these back in the cube? --- Just because something is concerned with magic, everything has to fall into place with a bit of fiddling. Be it with regards to a circumstance, a feeling, or a physical object itself, it doesn''t necessarily mean it would be easy to guess an unexplained concept with the sheer belief that it''smagic. Andthateverything will be as easy that sayingAbracadabrawill bring forth the wonders of sorcery into the world. It doesn''t work, in any case at all, in such a hoodwinking scheme. On Advers left lay all the disheveled equipment the letter gave him, not an ounce lighter than it was half an hour ago. He found, at theveryleast, a simple function about the hexahedron. It was the knowledge that a boxlet can fit multiple objects at once, albeit the rule that it must be a duplicate. At least that''s what the appearance of anotherBark of the Redtreemakes him think. But, he didn''t try to open and see what the Rewards Equipment was. As they were appearing importantly heavy, especially the Wooden Swordstaves, he doesn''t have the assurance that he can carry all of the equipment with him if he didn''t manage to understand how to put things back in the cube. And yes, obviously, his failed attempt to unveil the cube''s mechanism now led him with no other option but to have proceeded and opened another letter a minute ago. A black fountain pen outlined by a silver color along with a latitudinal paper came out from theSystem Activation Letter. It alighted in front of him and was accompanied by a fading gleam when it fell to his prepared hands. Upon scrutiny, the paper unsurprisingly had another vain instruction written on it. It was absurdly oversimplified to fit the palm-sized piece of white paper that Advers wouldn''t need an arduous mental read to understand it. Data Point - The pen is used to gather information. Used for viewing personal conditions as well. That was it. Not even a rhetorical and puzzling text was written. Advers let out a helpless sigh as he turned his attention towards the fountain pen that was screaming with authenticity. Its sharp black color gave it a simple yet sleek feel to it as three silver rings enclosed the part between the barrel and the grip section. But as he spun it around, lights seemed to never glide on its smooth surface. There were no specific adumbrations or a highlighted glint that glossy surfaces usually have. Only the silver nib showed a striking dazzle that, with one look on its tip, would make one feel the shivering and razor-sharp quality it possesses. Furthermore, the absence of the cap that was supposed to protect the nib from getting damaged gave an unconstrained promise of something worse. However, for Advers, he felt the modern feel it has with its cryptic quality seemed up to his taste. This time, his attempt to identify the usage of the pen was astonishingly smooth and unintended. He was only trying to see how sharp the nib was when a translucent silver screen appeared atop the note he had scraped with. Bright white text coming to life. [System Activation Note - A paper that came along with the system pen. Barest of all descriptions were listed on it.] Though the text may seem scarce as well, if not useless, Advers had to agree. It was the truth, after all. With that in mind, he flipped the paper on its back, and the screen faded with a sway. Then he tried to do the last thing he did that made the screen appear. He carved a circle into it. [System Activation Note - A paper that came along with the system pen. Barest of all descriptions were listed on it.] Advers made a couple of blinks towards the screen. He was somewhat taken aback how easy and obvious the mechanism of the pen was, and it made him look back towards the cube and eye it with serious curiosity. Wondering what secrets lie within it. Having done that, he tried another suspicion of his. And gladly, it wasn''t as complicated as the cube was. He just drew a ring in the air that encompassed the yellow perennials he plucked, and a new screen materialized. [Dandelion - a bright yellow flower that shares its ancestry with the daisy family. Specifically, it is a widely distributed weed of the daisy family and used for various concoctions.] His expression remained still, but Advers made a very intrigued stare towards the pen. An identification tool, he thought. Furthermore, there was not a hint of tusche nor any trace that the nib was used, but somehow, he felt it write with an inconspicuous fluidity in the air. So he attempted to open it up and examine its barrel. But when he twisted the grip, it only made a pleasing tight pop. The nib still in place. And when he made another two successive pops, it still remained hinged. However, in place of that was another silver screen, which was much grandiose than its descriptive analysis earlier.
Status: Class activation required Important note: Mindbox vulnerable. Targeted. Note, targeted.
6: NPC Class With the radiance bathing them unimpededly, they drifted and laughed, leaving bellows upon their trails. They were passing, unremembered yet never forgotten. Sometimes, they shifted to bring the dusk a memory of yesterday. On other times, they were thin and misted, bringing the undefined hope of morrow. But oftentimes, when the empyrean skies were painted blue, one would see them just drifting off scattered and asleep. Free and unhindered. However, it was not the joy nor the torpor that they have brought today. For now, they were anguishing, and they brought friends. Terrible but reliable friends. Friends of whom are ready to enkindle the battle-cry that their anguishing friend would soon make. But if that wasn''t enough, another buddy of theirs was invited, one who would croon the sadness and anger that their companion couldn''t voice. So they set sail, and they will not have a voyage that men and women alike will easily forget. For they come with a doom-laden figure from afar that will have everyone saving their cloaked skins. The hidden spears they''ve geared themselves were what remains of their battle against the unnatural deep blue. And they were aiming it down, ready to screech and desolate. Soon, the rain would fall, and the storm will ravage. *** On a particular forest bursting with burgeoning hues, multiple pairs of red-colored glints came alive. And these pairs of orbs were shimmering with intelligence. Their furs were likewise hued with a dark crimson color that made them look ferocious. Although they were short of three-foot in height, everyone would run upon the sight of these dangerous mutant creatures. The Redrabbits stood with ease as they smelled their newfound habitation, examining the familiar but essenceless grove surrounding them. They turned and shifted quickly, sniffing all the time as if in search of something. Then, one by one, they turned to the direction of the blinding golden orb over the east. And they ran with their nose leading them to their destination, hundreds of paws galloping the flourishing forest. What they found was a large, transparent crystal boulder resting beside a young Japanese maple tree. Uniformly, they halted their steps and turned their shimmering eyes towards the much bigger Redrabbit in front of them. This Redrabbit took a pawstep and sniffed the surrounding, specifically the air that was encircling the crystal. Sensing that it was safe, the Redrabbit took another pawstep and slowly crept towards the tree. As the Redrabbit neared, it uttered a squeak over the transparent stone and waited for something to occur. In response, the crystal suddenly glowed fervently with a blinding white light. Most of the Redrabbits in the vicinity of the gleam squeaked with surprise and jerked a jump. But the leader of the pack remained still as it observed. The glimmering white light then gradually turned to a shade of pink, until minutes later, a beautiful boulder of pure ruby replaced the dull crystal. On its middle, a symbol that resembled the shape of fire was etched. Some of the Redrabbits uttered a squeak of delight over this color. But most of them were waiting for something else. They waited for the confirmation of this crystal brimming with the Essence that resonates to their very core. The crystal proved its promises to them as it gleamed slightly, blanketing all of the Redrabbits with its fiery rose color. Their dark crimson furs slightly turned lighter until it was the color of the ruby itself. And on their chests, the symbol that the ruby has were engraved with its promise to them. Upon the initiation of their leader, the Redrabbits echoed squeaks with one another. Delightful over their success. However, it lasted only for a moment as they have to keep the deal they made. So the Redrabbits dispersed in search of materials to build their residence. Only twelve of them remained as they each stared at the white paper in front of them that the crystal produced. After reading the words written on it, the note then turned to an arrow shimmering with dangerous sharpness. Each had names carved to them, and in a particular silver arrow, Advers''s name was engraved. The Redrabbits chimed another set of delightful squeaks as they took the bows the ruby has gifted to them. They gently strapped the quiver that carried a single arrow before they began to hop and sniff for their targets, happy with the first job the great one has given them. ***
Status: Class activation required Important note: Mindbox vulnerable. Targeted. Note, targeted.
Advers wasted no time as he swiftly pulled the last letter, and along with that action came the slow fade of the white letter that was lolling on his backhand. Though, he never came to witness as his attention was on the screen and the events that would consequently follow. ***Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Class Letter [Activation Commencing] *** The sphere gradually formed to form the familiar text, and as if on cue, light shot out from it that formed a white circle that encompassed a meter around him. It rapidly formed a barrier that encased all the possible corners his eyes can see. Everything, including the flowers below him and the blue skies above, were all replaced by this shimmer. It was lightning-fast that the silver screen surfaced again just seconds later.
NPC Class now in the process of assimilation. Please bear the repercussions that may ensue to both in mind and body during the procedure. In 3... 2... 1... Class process, activating.
Advers was in the middle of thinking over what magic might come next when a tingling sensation suddenly crawled all over his entirety. He widened his eyes as the regurgitating pain of last night came after, but this time, on a massive scale. It was the horror of feeling every muscle be needled then scraped apart. One Advers would have given a restrained scream if he could. But he couldn''t, not when a particular invisible slash edged its way from his neck towards his head. Incapacitating his ability to do so. But even with that, he kept his stiff body stilled as he sat, trying to even the torture with paper-thin determination he knew would flame out soon. Thus, what came amidst his battle was another terrorizing passion that finally broke it. This time, it directly tormented his mind in the form of throbbing veins. Drilling hard that it was worse than the migraines he always had over sleepless nights and lost days. In the end, he couldn''t help but thrash his body around, no longer capable of restraining it. He didn''t know how long it would take, but as seconds and minutes passed by, he was dreading its increasing narrative. Three hours had passed when the screen appeared again. And it was half an hour ago that Advers finally had his agony ended. But Advers couldn''t have known any of that. Right now, he was just wholly heaving with great effort to take in a breath, and neither had time to assess what has just occurred nor peek over the screen that may or may not be speaking of casual but hazardous words again. In his mind, this was not how he saw the class letter would be like, nor was this his expectations of what the notes suggested by repercussions. The good news was, a cold feeling emanated from his chest by the time a few more minutes passed, traveling the whole of his body with a soothing touch. And when it reached his head and cleared the lingering throbs, Advers knew something had changed within. Even within his body, he knew that a distinct alteration happened. It, however, and by no means, was not a change that left him feeling unsettled. And he could say, weirdly enough for him to think of, that somewhat it fitted him in an unseemingly way. He hopingly examined the new screen after he drew a couple of stable breaths. Relieved to find none of the implications he otherwise expected.
Body: Trigerred Awakening. Mind: Trigerred Awakening. Physical Vessel now capable of Class Assimilation. NPC Class, assimilating. Ding Dong! Ding Dong! Ding Dong!
Three consecutive rings echoed within the space of white as the screen curtly flickered out of existence. And Advers felt the cold sensation coursing his veins finally halted. After that came a silver screen that held a confirmation and a systematic display of his name, class, and some oddly categorized words he was not familiar with.
NPC Class assimilated. Generating Interface...
NAME: Advers Triden AGE: 24 CLASS: NPC TYPE: Ability-Type LEVEL: 1 ABILITIES: [1] Occupation(Active) [2] Questgiver(Active) [3] Locked [4] Locked ATTRIBUTES: [1] (Unlocked as Class-necessary Attribute) Wisdom - 7 [2] None [3] None GENERAL CLASS SKILLS: None SPECIFIC CLASS SKILLS: None
Advers was genuinely interested in what the screen displayed, even if most of it was new to him. Though that was much of a stretch for him to set aside what had just occurred, it didn''t stop him from thinking that, finally, he might be able to use magic now. Appropriating to himself that it was an equivalent exchange that was worthy of the trial he underwent. The return of the new screen proved his hopes. With a bit of leeway compared to the somewhat vain letters he read for chapters, it showed truncated info that Advers made sense of. General Remarks: 1. Depending on the awakened state of each human, one may receive either the Ability type or the Essence type. Ability-Type refers to individuals that don''t require essences to hone their skills. Generally, they are disadvantaged to the Essence-type individuals as they are not fully capable of utilizing Essences. Essence-Type refers to those who are capable to acclimatize Essences to their skills and use it for leveling purposes. 2. Class by itself is what was given to each individual based on their Dreamscape assessment. Each completely varies from one another and is especially-dependent on their triggering state. After opening class, full use of magical equipment, Essences, and system usage are now enabled. 3. Essences refer to the elements of the planet. To name a few are the following: Fire, Earth, Lightning, Wind, Water, and Wood. They are commonly used to level up skills of Essence-Type individuals, and sometimes to revise skills that may not be operating under Essences. However, there are more varied ways that they can be used for. It was useful. Though, it didn''t help Advers but to ponder more on certain things as he read along the lines. Essence-Type, Ability-Type... an intriguing categorization that led him to wonder just what had transpired in the world. He has no deep recollection of why he was suddenly transported here except for a penetrating voice waking him in the middle of the night. And suddenly, voila! Here he is. He looked above even if he was unable to gaze the skies, thinking what will happen now. He let out a puff of laugh-- the first in a long while-- as he just realized he had only pondered the reality when something along the lines made him remember it. The white space has still not faded, and the blue skies he needed was still beyond sight. Nevertheless, he hummed out a broken melody that seemed befitting to his situation now. Unfamiliar yet euphonious.