《Resurgent [Hiatus]》 Chapter 1 - Endings and New Beginnings For nearly a decade Marcus had felt as if his life had been stuck following a bland and repetitive loop. Between years of monotonous work, and his education, he''d spend nearly a decade doing the same thing. Many people would be thrilled to have stability in their lives, or at the very least be content with the routine. He had thought that he would be thankful for any change in the cycle, but life has a way of destroying one¡¯s expectations. The week had begun like many others, blending into the background of an otherwise successful business trip. Marcus had graduated from college several years ago and managed to land his ¡®dream¡¯ job as an engineer for a rather large corporation ¨C but like most large organizations they just so love to crush na?ve dreamers. He aspired to design the next revolutionary structure that would wow the nation, but in the end, Marcus had been relegated to being no more than a glorified errand boy. One snippet of a conversation still stood out in his mind, ¡°Just wait a couple of years, we all had to do the grunt work when we started,¡± one of the managers had said, ¡°Don¡¯t try to fill shoes that you frankly aren¡¯t qualified to fill.¡± At the time he just shrugged his shoulders in agreement, but alas, one year turned into three, and now, even after five long years the largest project he¡¯d been allowed to touch was a cookie-cutter public library. Marcus¡¯s vision had been eroded, having finally been shattered when today, after all of his patience and dedication to the firm he was simply thrown out like garbage. The cherry on top of the proverbial pile was that his bosses hadn¡¯t even had the balls to do it in person, but instead did it over the phone ¨C right after he had arrived at the airport to head home. ¡°What do you mean I¡¯m fired?!¡± Marcus shouted in exasperation. The crowd of people in the terminal looked towards him, but quickly dismissed it as none of their business. ¡°Honestly, Marcus it has nothing to do with your work ethic or quality, it¡¯s just simple downsizing,¡± Mark his boss, or, rather ex-boss said dismissively. At first, he had thought it was just a poor joke, but on the contrary as the silence in the conversation stretched on the truth of the situation became quite clear. The call simply ended at that point; Mark had simply ended the call. Marcus just started at the phone for a moment beforesagging into his chair; not knowing what to do. As an individual Marcus had tended to truly believe, for the most part, that calm and collected would be an apt descriptor but for himself. He wanted to lash out at those around him for the couple of glances they thrown, but instead opted to sob quietly until boarding began. Enjoying a calm, relaxing flight at the end of a week of travel had been something he had become accustomed to - knowing that home would soon be on the horizon. Typically, on these business trips economy wouldn¡¯t be even considered, and he¡¯d minimally have a ticket in business class; on a rare occasion Marcus might even get bumped up to first class. Alas fate will sometimes ignore all pretense just to rub salt into wound. Regrettably, the flight had been overbooked, and the choice was to either wait for the next one, or to be bumped down to less than satisfactory seating for an extended flight cross country; compensation be damned, he wasn''t happy but had little choice in the matter. At this point Marcus couldn¡¯t have cared less if the seat was on fire, or in economy, if it led to Denver, his home. Walking to his seat it was readily apparent that the plane was at capacity and he wasn¡¯t looking forward to the 6-hour trip. Marcus had been banking on the chance of getting bumped up at the last minute; especially after seeing how many children were seated around him. Sitting down he said a brief prayer to any god listening that the kids would stay behaved or ideally quiet for the flight, because honestly at this point it would make an already shitty day at least somewhat better. Several stewardesses began going over the preflight checks and guidelines - Marcus just ignored them as he¡¯d already been on innumerable flights in his lifetime. As the aircraft finally took off and reached its cruising altitude, refreshments started to be doled out, much to his relief. Alcohol was something Marcus didn¡¯t often, or rather, ever, indulge in, and was honestly baffled at how effortlessly he was putting down drink after drink; shrugging, he just chalked it up to recent events. But wait, now you may be wondering, ¡°Didn¡¯t he just say he never drank?¡±, and you would be correct, but after those previously mentioned gremlins started screaming as if the world was ending, restraint was no longer on the menu. After an hour of moping in self misery, and no small number of ridiculing glances, it was finally time for the sweet release that is sleep to claim the consciousness that as Marcus Diamandis.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
Marcus awoke to the worst turbulence of his life, and that¡¯s saying a lot. He tried to check the time, but his watch appeared to be broken ¨C surprise surprise, what else could go wrong? As the fuzziness of recent sleep and alcohol began to clear it was apparent it wasn¡¯t only the watch that wasn¡¯t working. The plane was pitch black, no running lights whatsoever lit the cabin, which was worrying as even in catastrophic scenarios he¡¯d never heard of not emergency running lights not switching on. Fortunately, a small amount of illumination was being provided by the full moon that dominated the night sky ¨C other passengers were quick to also notice the disturbance and it didn¡¯t take long for the relative silence to be broken. As the seconds ticked by, chatter from other passenger¡¯s started to increase, steadily turning into a moderately loud conversation after a couple of seconds. Marcus wasn¡¯t shy in joining in on the cacophony of sound that was even now still gaining volume. Everyone was trying to talk over each other, so he¡¯d had to nearly yell to get the attention of the middle-aged woman who was in the seat next to him. ¡°Ma¡¯am, how long have the lights been like this?¡± The woman¡¯s eyes snapped over to Marcus when she heard his question, eyes narrowing, betraying the obvious disgust they held, ¡°Honestly, I was just about to ask someone the same question, but when looking around everyone is talking about the same exact thing. What I¡¯ve picked up so far is that the lights suddenly shut off after that rough stretch turbulence which I¡¯m sure you must have at least felt, even after your,¡± she glances at the numerous empty bottles with contempt, quickly bringing her focus back to Marcus, ¡°indulgences.¡± Now, at this point, Marcus was done speaking with this woman, her quick judgement was callous, even if he had been drinking. Before he could argue, or even make that decision, a lump in his stomach appeared, eerily similar to how it felt going down a roller coaster. From the beginning to the end, these events occurred over less than a minute. Marcus was beginning to worry that no announcement had been made over the intercom after all this time had passed. Even the flight attendants, who typically knew what do in most situations were also looking around, pale as sheets, waiting for pilots to say anything. Now, Marcus wouldn¡¯t claim to know a lot about planes, but he did know that the model he was on was called an Airbus-380. For the uninformed these vehicles of the skies have more than one deck, meaning that from his current location it wasn¡¯t possible to see the cockpit door, or even anything near it. If any silver lining could be found in this tragedy, it would be that planes don¡¯t immediately fall from the air after losing all thrust. With that said, they were still going to crash if power wasn¡¯t restored, but, at the very least, everyone had another 15 or so minutes before that happened. Many of those around him were making their own peace, or, clearly with how some passengers reacted, cower in dread. At first the sinking feeling had been something most people could write off as change in altitude, but as feeling continued, people started to panic. Marcus was dazedly sitting in the center of pandemonium; fear induced cries for help echoed through the air, desperation clearly marked their voices. All around him passengers were each taking their descent in markedly different ways, some cried, others prayed to their respective gods, but all he could do was look down forlornly at the empty bottles around his seat. The thoughts going through his mind were surprisingly tranquil given the situation. Thinking back, he had always read that some people, in the moment leading up to their ultimate demise would find a sense of peace. Marcus knew that if he was going to die, he would at least do so with some small measure of dignity. Gravity is a cruel mistress when riding in what boils down to a tube of steel flying through the skies. Various objects tumbled about freely, acted on by the forces being mercilessly applied to them. Of course, that also included the people who were either unlucky enough to still be standing when the plane had lost its orientation, and those who strangely stood in that moment for some unknowable reason. Looking out of the window to his left he could spy the tops of various mountains peaks as they poked through a layer of thick clouds. Frankly, over the years, views such as this had become monotonous, but something about this one unique. Tearing through those very same clouds a moment later he knew - it was finally time. With one last sigh, and though he would deny it, several tears; Marcus closed his eyes, leaned back, and waited for his last moments to end. He had always wanted to be more in life, more loving, more caring, or at the very least learn to become a better version of himself. Living through a life in a moment was something countless would claim happens a nanosecond before dying. Instead of seeing memories of his past all he could instead see, with no small amount of shock, or perhaps disbelief was a single, simple, blue screen.
Welcome to the Grand Hegemony
Chapter 2 - Integration Ash, fire and steel covered the broken landscape of a once idyllic slice of wilderness. Marcus slowly regained consciousness, both confused and in no small amount of pain. As he became more aware, confusion and surprise dominated his mind ¨C the latter being the dominate of the two. The fact that he still had surroundings and wasn¡¯t dead was rather shocking, regardless if those surroundings resembled a hellscape. More of the scene came into focus and his point of view was dominated by a gigantic split in the airframe, where the two halves appeared to be barely holding together by miscellaneous pieces of metal. Sensation began to return, starting in his extremities and working towards his chest. Marcus wasn¡¯t appreciative of the reactivating nerves, even if it meant his back hadn¡¯t been shattered, due to the intense heat that quickly spread up his limbs. Removing himself from the flames became his immediate concern, but movement was difficult while remaining strapped into a seat. Luckily, airlines seats aren¡¯t the most robust items in the world, especially because the one he pinned to was in tatters - appearing as if it could crumble at any moment. Escaping from the chair was easier said than done as many parts of his right leg remained pinned under debris. Decisions needed to be made quickly, and they would almost certainly decide his immediate survival. Gritting his teeth, Marcus jerked his leg out of its fix causing excruciating pain as jaws of metal forcibly extracted their morbid price for being denied their meal. His flesh parted with little fanfare and blood flowed unrestrictedly onto the floor. Falling to the ground and sliding as far back as possible away from the heat, he finally had a brief second to take a breath. Before Marcus could take more time to see his surroundings, he needed to stop the severe bleeding that was even now beginning to pool. Tearing a huge piece of cloth from his shirt he quickly bound his upper thigh with the tightest tourniquet possible. With the blood staunched for now, he was able to relax for a moment, which was immediately regretted when sharp aching radiated from his ribs. Currently the blaze was less than 10 meters from himself and looked to be spreading towards his location. Recent events had most definitely caused Marcus to be scatterbrained, but his basic survival instincts began to scream that he needed to move soon. Finally having a moment of respite, he leaned again a wall and took stock of his current condition. Marcus believed that rescue could be minutes or perhaps hours away depending on exactly where they had gone down. Aside from that he couldn¡¯t help but curse and mumble out loud, ¡°How in the hell did I survive this shit and what was that message... or was that just a hallucination?¡± Deciding that it was important to at least be prudent, he closed his eyes and attempted to see that image again. What he discovered shook him to the very core.
Designation A31G-6, or Earth, as you call yourselves, prepare and celebrate for full Integration. Let it be known that death is merely the catalyst to allow those who strive for greatness to exalt themselves over the undeserving! Complete Manifestations will begin in 10...9...
Ten seconds is but a blip from the perspective of humans, and as such this left Marcus with only scant moments before ¡®complete manifestation.¡¯ It went without saying no one on Earth understood the significance of those last 10 seconds, as they were the dying moments for the past, but the first breaths of a new era. As the last second ticked to zero space itself seemed to shift for the briefest of an instant, and in that moment, all was still, time becoming inconsequential. Marcus felt something call to him through the void of reality, while part of his mind told him to ignore the call, another was screaming for Marcus to answer. The call rang out once more, the second wave brought with it an impression, and in that Marcus found a sea of unbridled power. Inexplicably, or perhaps subconsciously, Marcus reached out to this source of power and pulled. Searing pain lanced through his body as if molten metal was being pumped into his veins. Agony also beget pleasure, as his wounds began to fade slowly. The previous damage that had covered his body healed even faster as it began to adapt. After what seemed like an eternity the waves that had been coursing through him subsided, leaving Marcus in a heap; breathing deeply, now free of pain. Upon collapsing he heard three loud pings, followed by several boxes that popped into the middle of his view. New ability learned - (U)Mana Manipulation ¨C LV.1| By pulling on the Aether itself you have learned the very basics of utilizing raw Mana. Mana is now easier to use and change. New ability learned - (U)Elemental Manipulation ¨C LV.1| Elemental mana is different than raw uncharged mana. Elemental sources can offer different effects when channeled through diverse mediums, such as a body or the air. Miscellaneous Knowledge skill gained - ?Field Medicine ¨C LV.1| Field Medicine is a broad field of study that encompasses many aspects of emergency care in a non-dedicated facility.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Marcus read through the messages slowly, and as he got to the end was simply flabbergasted at what this meant. Before he had still been skeptical that the world had changed, and now he truly believed it. There was no question in his mind if these were just his imagination anyone, as he seen his wounds physically close as that strange energy coursed through it. During the repair his mind was also fed a trickle of new information on his new ability, or specifically, Mana and Elemental manipulation. He was no stranger to some of these terms as they paid homage to the board and video games of his youth. Dungeons and Dragons or DnD had been a staple of his life and he pleased with all that ¡®wasted¡¯ time paying off now. The gears in his brain were thrumming along and he finally had a flash of inspiration. If he now had ¡®abilities,¡¯ he also must have attributes, but the question remained; how to see them. After trying different phrases such as ¡®Show Character Sheet¡¯ or ¡®Main Menu,¡¯ he finally stumbled upon the magic word, ¡°Status.¡±
Name: Marcus Diamandis Level - 0 Class - None
Health: 80/80 Regeneration 0.8/Minute 1.0 x Multiplier
Stamina: 80/80 Regeneration 20/Minute 1.0 x Multiplier
Mana: 120/120 Regeneration 13/Minute 1.0 x Multiplier
Free Attributes: 0 Path Points: 0 Damage Multipliers: 0%
Basic Statistics Total
Strength ¨C Strength functions as a scale of how much individual can physically affect the environment around them. Raises physical damage, health and carrying capacity 10
Constitution ¨C Constitution measures how tough an individual¡¯s body is and how much damage it can take. Raises health, mundane and magical resistances. 8
Agility ¨C Agility is how fast or nimbly someone can move. Raises speed, and accuracy. 6
Perception ¨C Perception is an attribute that has many applications, but in the end focuses on sight. Effects are wide ranging but include accuracy and body/mana manipulation. 16
Intelligence ¨C Intelligence plays an important role in critical thinking and memory. Raises magical damage and mana pool size. 12
Wisdom - Wisdom is the primary driver of stability and adaptation. Raises mana regeneration rates and improves mental wellbeing. 13
Charisma - Charisma is a manifestation of various factors such a physical characteristics and social skills. Acts as a modifier when attempting to barter and communicate with other intelligent beings. 9
Luck ¨C Luck is simply luck. May increase or even decrease the chances of finding better equipment or having a stroke of inspiration. 4
Mana Skills: Elemental Manipulation ¨C 1, Mana Manipulation ¨C 1 Physical Skills: None Miscellaneous Skills: Field Medicine ¨C 1 Spells: None It was a ton of information to make heads or tails of. Having one¡¯s entire beings quantified and put onto a chart was more than a little chilling, but Marcus imagined it was something that he would simply have to get used to. Perhaps five or so minutes had passed since the timer ended, and he was still wondering what was really going to occur. As if the world decided to answer him, a loud cry rang out, and it certainly didn¡¯t sound human. Coming to terms with this reality would certainly take time, alas time was something he did not have. Another cry sounded out, closer than the last, and it clear that whatever beast he had heard was clearly headed towards the crash zone for a reason he didn''t understand; then it hit him, bodies. Whatever was out there had smelled the burnings corpses and decided that it was VERY hungry. Chapter 3 - Scorched The sources of the howls entered the clearing, and soon thereafter the sounds of morbid feasting began. Marcus would cringe at the audible sounds of cracking bone and tearing flesh. He had been preoccupied before, but now the smell permeating the air was nauseatingly perverse ¨C unavoidable. Morbid curiosity drove him to find out what manner of beast was outside, peeking through a shattered window, Marcus saw a scene that would cause no small number of nightmares for anyone. Calling whatever those things were beasts just didn¡¯t describe how simple monstrous they really were. If anything, they resembled something out of myth, a chimera, or an animal comprised of various body parts of various species. The chimeras as he decided to call them for now had the head of wolf, body of tiger, and the legs of something else unidentifiable, but chitinous plates covered them entirely. Marcus couldn¡¯t rationalize why these things existed until the truth hit him like a sledgehammer ¨C these were manifestations. He wanted to nothing more than to just wait for rescue, if was even coming anymore. Regrettably, smoke, caused by the fire, continued to spread through the cabin; even now breathing was becoming difficult. Marcus estimated that in another ten minutes he would either leave or die from smoke inhalation, leaving him with only two options ¨C escape or fight. Three creatures roamed from corpse to corpse gorging themselves while avoiding burning debris that littered the area. Marcus continued to watch them while planning out the encounter - no matter what variable used the result consistently came down to speed. He was no track star but trying to outrun a pack predator was just hopeless¡­ which left killing them. Obviously, proper weapons were in short supply on an aircraft. The next-best option was a shiv fashioned out of scrap metal - refusing any consideration at using fists; whether either would be effective was another question entirely. Smoke continued to accumulate as more time than was comfortable passed, Marcus didn¡¯t like the odds arrayed before him, desperate for any other option. A small dagger just wouldn¡¯t be enough to take those things out, He finally concluded that he¡¯d have to attempt something somewhat insane; to put trust in his new abilities. During the transition he¡¯d stumbled upon a pool of power ¨C gaining a pair of manipulation skills for mana and elemental forces. Marcus wasn¡¯t sure if everyone heard the call he had ¨C certainly a question for the future. The two skills had slowly gifted intrinsic knowledge outlining how to use them, and what they were. Firstly, Mana Manipulation functioned by pulling from internal mana reserves that flowed through the body ¨C mostly using veins/arteries. The pool within himself as filled by unaspected, or raw mana meaning it lacked an elemental charge; something akin to anions and cations - negatively/positively charged ions respectively. After gathering that mana, the second step stage process begins ¨C granting an elemental charge or alignment. Elemental Manipulation pulls upon the prepared internal mana and transforms it into something specific, for example, fire. From there forward the mana is now aspected and can be used to affect the Aether around him. Now what exactly the Aether was, wasn¡¯t clear¡­ perhaps another question for the future? Marcus did know that that unwittingly he¡¯d used this system earlier to make fire mana. Honestly, immediate events following that creation are fuzzy at best, but he¡¯d channeled that mana back into himself; what exactly that accomplished was unknown. He figured that since he¡¯d already had success with fire that it would be his best place to start. Marcus began to experiment, he wondered if instead of making his own attack would it be possible to redirect one that already existed instead? To that end he looked at his approaching doom, cracking a small smile. Pulling from within himself he created a small string of fire aspected mana ¨C only taking several minutes. Marcus had surpassed his previous expectation on how long the action would take and directed his new ¡®string¡¯ into the blazing inferno. Making contact produced no results, but unperturbed, Marcus gave the ¡®string¡¯ a small pull. His ¡®small pull¡¯ triggered a gout of flame to erupt out to impacting the floor, quickly burning down to the steel beneath in two seconds. After a moment of awe Marcus cut his connection causing the flame to cease; which he immediately when the backlash slammed into his mind ¨C he noted to himself, do that gradually next time. Checking his mana, discovering the two seconds burst had eaten half of the pool; the cost was high, but it would have to do. While waiting for his resources to regenerate, he tried his best to observe the creatures. The chimeras continued as before with little deviation, but they did continue to avoid flames, often taking a wide route around - possibly inconsequential, but it was the first piece of good news so far; they probably weren¡¯t immune to fire. Taking one last breath he sat up, it was time. Waiting for the creatures to get as close as possible to each other he finally got lucky, two of them had decided to munch on the same body. Pulling on his meager reserves he again formed the ¡®string¡¯ connecting himself to the inferno; figuring there was nothing to lose he formed an imagine of what he wanted, holding it firmly in his mind. As mana continued to gather for the attack, understanding flooded his mind ¨C confirming one suspicious he¡¯d held. Intent, rather than image, could be used to mold parts of the spell. With a final tug, Marcus released the held energy, a sum of his entire pool, directing it towards the monsters. A beam of superheated fire split off the blaze and rocketed across the distance in the blink of an eye. The effects were nothing short of spectacular if not grisly, but these fiends deserved it. The beam slammed into first chimera, boiling skin in less than a second ¨C an instant later lancing through its brain. Much of energy had been spent decimating the first target, but enough remained to impact the second. While the second chimera wasn¡¯t dead the attack managed to expose its ribs - showing a still beating heart; a mortal wound for sure just not immediately. Crying out in pain the creature searched for source of its torment. Marcus was spotted not long after, unfortunately for it he was still inside the plane with an elevated position. During the crash the plane had come down on its belly leaving this portion of the airframe in its appropriate orientation. The smoke had filled the cabin now, but Marcus was able to wait long enough for the second chimera to die while it fruitlessly tried to climb up the wreckage to him. Grabbing a piece of lose cabling he gave it pull, confident it would work he used the makeshift rope to get to the ground. One creature remained and sure enough it had been drawn by the sound of its dying pack-mates. Thankfully the monsters weren¡¯t all that large at only a meter tall and twice that in length. After focusing on the last foe something popped into his vison, but he swiped it away, now wasn¡¯t the time. Being stealthy wasn¡¯t an option anymore after using such a flashy ability and the final creature wasn¡¯t cowed by the loss of its allies. Before Marcus could react, the creature took off like a bullet, barreling into his chest; even if he had tried to dodge there simply hadn¡¯t been time.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Teeth began to rend flesh and Marcus began to panic. Thankfully the impact hadn¡¯t caused him to drop his shiv otherwise he wouldn¡¯t stand a chance. Gripping the weapon, he stabbed desperately trying to get this thing off. After taking several wounds the creature jumped back but continued to circle its prey ¨C looking for an opening to finish its grisly deed. Agony, pure and total agony was all Marcus could understand right now. The situation was more that bad, not only only was he bleeding profusely, but he¡¯d been partially gutted. Instead of falling into despair he instead embraced other emotions, primarily anger, indignation, and a primal refusal to pass peacefully into the dark night. Marcus needed to slow the creature somehow, otherwise landing a killing blow would be impossible. Using the last of his regenerated mana he formed another string, but instead of fire, used earth. Pulling at the ground of chimeras¡¯ feet he willed it to restrain the monster whoever it could. The earth responded by first becoming soft, and malleable ¨C before it dropped, shooting out tendrils of stone to grasp at the surprised opponent. With a yelp it began to struggle, causing many of the bonds to crack. Stunned by his own actions, Marcus was stunned briefly before moving to finish an immobilized foe. He had almost acted too slowly; the cracks quickly expanded ¨C even some of the bindings had broken entirely. Marcus quickly circled the creature before finding his target and driving his shiv into the location he¡¯d seen the heart located on the other specimen. For a moment the monster froze before taking one last gurgling breath, crumpling to the ground; Marcus following it soon thereafter. His wounds were terrible, even if he had any mana remaining, he¡¯d be unable to focus to use it. The pain continued for an unknown amount of time before slowly becoming a dull ache. ¡°I guess health regeneration will return me to peak condition if given enough time,¡± breathing in deeply, ¡°For all of the bad those bastards are causing this type of recovery is simply absurd¡­¡± The type of wound he¡¯d taken had been mortal, at least without immediate hospitalization. Perhaps if he survived combat he¡¯d slowly recover if even just one health point remained, but he wasn¡¯t eager to test those limitations. Marcus just sat there, unsure of what to do next. He had been severely depressed after all that had happened before Integration had begun, but now he finally had a reason to keep living. Rage filled him, more controlled than simple anger. Instead of blaming himself, he instead focused the raw emotion on to those who caused it, the so-called Grand Hegemony. Before he could even attempt at get his revenge he needed to survive, and to survive he needed more power. He was but a single man, but Marcus hoped that could be changed soon enough, power in numbers and all that. He¡¯d never been hero, maybe that would change, but for the moment he couldn¡¯t even convince himself to check if any of the bodies showed signs of life. Caring had nothing to do with it, he cared about people; but what were the chances two people miraculously survived the unsurvivable?... there shouldn¡¯t even be one. Shaking his head Marcus began to gather his thoughts. Adrenaline continued to cause him to shake; combat wasn¡¯t something modern humans really encountered. Having survived a brush with death, the reality of it was slamming into his psyche. As a distraction he decided to investigate the notifications received during the fight.
Twisted Chimera ¨C Level 2 | Type: Aberration | A creature born into existence after native fauna was exposed to high concentrations of mana. Feeds on ambient energy but can also supplement its needs by consuming flesh.
[Level + 2] New spell learned - (U)Scorching Ray ¨C LV. 1| Fires a concentrated lance of fire mana at a target. Number of beams, range, and damage increase with level. New spell learned ¨C ?Tendrils of Earth ¨C LV. 1| Tendrils of earth erupt under the target(s) and attempts to bind target(s) to the ground. Durability, duration and radius increase with level. Mana Manipulation +2, Elemental Manipulation +2 Looking over his gains he couldn¡¯t help but be mildly impressed, he had gained several new spells and about two levels in everything else. To be honest all this information just added more questions to the pile. Were experience requirements exponential or linear? Could he kill boars like that one show to max level? Did all creatures have this information? how about people? Finally, and this was the big one, how many more monsters were out there? Each level had given him five free attribute points. Marcus couldn¡¯t afford to hoard them before he had more information unfortunately; it was simple a matter of survival. With that in mind he began to assign points, beginning with adding two to Constitution to bring it up to the assumed base value of 10. Before continued he began to theorycraft his path forward, and how it was decided any future growth. As if thinking the word path was a trigger, several new notifications bloomed into his vision.
Sometimes a journey begins with one step, one choice. Each person must forge their own destiny - an infinite number of paths exist, but all begin with three. Consider carefully, as these choices are irrevocable.
Rite of the Arcane ¨C You crave to learn the mysteries of the Aether, +5 to mental attributes per level. Easier to understand and manipulate more complex aspects of mana. (Wisdom/Intelligence/Perception)
Rite of the Knight ¨C Honor guides the hand of the savior. A knight seeks to bring stability, peace, and prosperity. +5 to physical attributes per level. Easier to learn and master martial skills or abilities. (Strength/Constitution/Agility)
Rite of the Ranger ¨C A skilled ranger provides for himself and his people. +5 alternative physical attributes per level. Easier to learn skills related to forestry, survival, and marksmanship. (Agility/Perception/Luck)
Honestly, Marcus was anxious of this choice, it was a decision that would permanently affect this life and he improved in the future. Lingering for too long would only bring him more heartache. Thus far, mana proven to not only be powerful, but it had also kept him alive. Hoping that he wouldn¡¯t ruin himself, he mentally selected - Rite of the Arcane Chapter 4 – Fight or Flight After Marcus chose Rite of the Arcane new sensations swept over his existence, as if rewriting parts of who he was. The phenomenon persisted for several minutes, leaving Marcus feeling considerably different. Parts of his mind felt clearer and objects in the environment possessed a new level of detail. From the beginning, Marcus had hypothesized how the system would function - specifically attributes. For example, would he be twice as smart with double intelligence? Or perhaps with adequate constitution would he be immune to damage? Of course, he couldn¡¯t say for sure right now, lacking any real evidence, but parts of the solution had already begun to appear. Rite of the Arcane added stats retroactively - which had doubled his intelligence, but Marcus certainly didn¡¯t feel like a super genius. Attributes either had a gradual period of acclimatization or worked to enhance what was already there, perhaps it was parts of both. For now, he¡¯d just have to wait for more data to make any conclusions. While building a character in many roleplaying games, players would after attempt creating something that was all-powerful to ¡®win.¡¯ These individuals were labeled as ¡®munchkins¡¯ would leverage any small exploit or use strong combinations of abilities to become much stronger than regular players. Unfortunately, Marcus couldn¡¯t munchkin himself, at least not yet, by sticking all his attribute points, AP, into a specific stat ¨C because taking damage and dying was very much possible. While primary attributes would unquestionably take priority, for now a strong foundation needed to be built for the future. He¡¯d already chosen to add two points to Constitution to meet the standard, following that same bit of logic, adding four to Agility, before finally distributing the final four evenly between Intelligence and Wisdom. After confirming the choices, he opened his status to see the changes.
Name: Marcus Diamandis Level - 2 Class - None
Health: 150/150 Regeneration 1.5/Minute 1.0 x Multiplier
Stamina: 150/150 Regeneration 20/Minute 1.0 x Multiplier
Mana: 240/240 Regeneration 25/Minute 1.0 x Multiplier
Skills
Physical Mana Miscellaneous
None (U)Mana Manipulation LV.3 ?Field Medicine LV.1
(U)Elemental Manipulation LV.3
Basic Statistics Total
Strength 10
Constitution 10
Agility 10
Perception 26
Intelligence 24
Wisdom 25
Charisma 9
Luck 4
Marcus had finally calmed down a bit after taking care of his notifications. He began to search around for anything usable, luckily finding an intact backpack, but other that the pickings were slim to none. He¡¯d been checking the bodies for any sign of survival, after the fiftieth failure Marcus had come to terms that he was well and truly alone. By now some sign of rescue should have appeared; he had expected to at least see helicopters. Rescue wasn¡¯t like to come anyone if it already hadn¡¯t, meaning he needed to find shelter for the night. Marcus hoped that many of the new ¡®native¡¯ creatures would be nocturnal, making travel during the day safer. Lacking the experience of a true forester, any direction picked was random at best. In the end he chose to travel in the direction of a nearby mountain that he could barely see over the treetops. The idea was to use added elevation to spot signs of civilization or at least people, once the sun rose. Marcus guessed the mountain destination was about 6 KM or 3.5 miles away; a lengthy trek to make in the night, but possible. Setting a moderate pace, he took off after taking one final glace behind; shaking his head ruefully, and in a quivering, quiet voice, ¡°It could¡¯ve been me instead of any of you. I¡¯d offer my condolences, but that would simply be a waste of time. Instead I¡¯ll try to help those I can, and work towards finding peace for each of your unwarranted deaths.¡±Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Lit only by the light of the heavens Marcus¡¯s trek through the woods had been peaceful for the first hour, if not maddening because he seemed to trip on every exposed root on his path. At the very least the source of light, the stars, were out in full force and free of all humanity¡¯s light pollution. He and others like him had never seen the sight before in their lives, and Marcus believed the view to indescribably magnificent. Even while taking in the sights he had remained on guard, vigilant for additional threats; for good reason. The sounds of forest dwellers were foreign to his ears, but for all intents and purposes a bear was just as deadly to him as more chimeras. Additional calls continuously rang into his ears, many of them alien ¨C perhaps chimeras or something more sinister. About a kilometer base of the mountain he began to feel the eyes of a predator on his back. The gaze grew heavier as the distance to his destination grew shorter ¨C eventually it was like something was breathing down his neck. Deciding the pickup the pace had apparently been the wrong decision; whatever had been hunting him decided now was the time to strike. Looking around into trees didn¡¯t reveal any monsters, that is until he looked up. Silhouetted against the moon something hung in the air, only a blotch in the distance. As if never existed the thing just disappeared, and with-it Marcus began to sprint ¨C hoping that shelter could be found ahead. His physical conditioning hadn¡¯t been optimal before this madness began, but now he could feel increased attributes driving him forward faster than he¡¯d ever ran. While an Olympic athlete he was not, Marcus was now better than most, or at least he¡¯d like to think so. Rounding one last bend he faltered for a moment when he hit an exposed root, and almost paid for the misstep with his. A massive shape shot past his head, nearly silent despite its apparent size. Not even bothering to dodge around trees, the flying predator instead sheared off chunks of whatever trees were on its flight path. Whatever creature possessed that kind of casual power was well out of his league. Thoughts of trying to fight back just seemed childish now that he¡¯d gotten a taste of its power. Relief flooded his body soon thereafter, an abandoned mine splayed out before him ¨C only a couple hundred meters away. Before the location of the crash had been a mystery, but with the style of mine and type of forest he¡¯d passed through it was now likely he was somewhere in his home state, Colorado. By some stroke of luck, Marcus had made it home. Alas the jubilation was short lived, as he felt his stamina bottom out, making him reluctant to leave the cover of the trees ¨C minimal as it may be. He¡¯d need to take a risk and rest briefly before making the spring across open ground to the mine entrance he could spy even now. Breathing heavily, Marcus strained to detect signs of another attack, there was little chance the predator had given up so easily - especially considering he was rather defenseless. A slight rustle from the treetops was all he heard to signal the incoming blow. Acting on impulse he pulled greedily from his mana and funneled it all into Scorching Ray ¨C aiming where he¡¯d heard the sounds. He was warded for his efforts by a deafening roar that was so powerful it possessed a physical presence. The ray had opened a path through the trees, finally giving Marcus an opportunity to see his hunter for the first time¡­it was terrifying.
Forest Wyvern ¨C Level ???| Type: Drake | Forest Wyverns are apex predators of the forest and mountain regions. These creatures are known for their diving and stinging attacks ¨C more-so the latter. They may lack the breath weapons of their larger cousins but make no mistake ¨C they are extremely dangerous.
Marcus was once again counting his lucky stars that he¡¯d made the decision to not stand his ground and fight. As like a snowballs chance in hell, he would have been torn to shreds. Marcus¡¯s demonstration of magic had brought him slight reprieve and it was thankfully enough to begin his escape. Sprinting across open ground at full tilt, Marcus made good time ¨C reaching the opening laid half a dozen meters away ¨C before his unwelcome associate was heard once again. Pouring what little he had left into his speed he ate at the remaining meters, diving into the inky blackness immediately. Soaring through the opening, Marcus then heard a resounding BOOM before an avalanche of stone began to fall. Shuffling backwards to avoid being crushed drove him further into the depths; his believed refuge had now become a prison. Of course, the inside of the mine had no light whatsoever, leaving Marcus to spend the next half hour feeling at the cave with his hands. He¡¯d finding several lamps, but as with else electronic no longer functioned. Face palming himself, he had forgotten about his greatest resource, mana. Conjuring minute amounts of fire aspected mana into his hand, Marcus first attempted to create a small, constant stream to fuel a small light. Something clearly wasn¡¯t correct when plumes of flame erupted from his hand, causing him to quickly cut off the mana supply. After numerous attempts he¡¯d still failed to create a steady light source. Instead of giving up he tried the same process, but this time with raw mana. Slowly at first, light began to coalesce in his palm, where the process then sped up. Particles of blue tinged vapor condensed around the light, forming a semi-solid ball giving off moderate amounts of light. Elated, Marcus continued to trickle mana into the ball until the construct stabilized, refusing to grow further or accept mana. He heard a ping once the ball completely formed; excited for a new spell Marcus quickly opened his status. New ability learned - ?Mage Light ¨C Level 1 | Conjures a small ball of unaspected mana to provide constant light. With increased levels, size, shape and duration of Mage Light can be altered. After reading through his new spell, Marcus noticed another one begging for his attention. Figuring it must have triggered earlier, opened it, paling at the content. The frame itself looked twisted; Marcus felt raw hostility radiating off it, something he felt shouldn¡¯t be possible.
You have encroached upon the Crystalline Stronghold ¨C your intrusion has not gone unnoticed. **Warning** Dungeon you have entered is advanced, and survival is unlikely. The Grand Hegemony pricks are not responsible for any loss of life or limb due to reckless behavior; we recommend you vacate the area immediately.
Chapter - 5 Crystalline Stronghold (Pt. 1) For a couple of moments Marcus continue staring at the notification, his mind reeling, ¡°Well fuck, what do I do now!? Leave? Leave! I can¡¯t leave, there¡¯s a giant pile of rubble blocking the exit you pricks!¡± Recovering he noticed something curious about the notification, advanced was another color than usual text; mentally focusing on it provided further information.
White ¨C Common Dungeon Green - Advanced Dungeon Blue ¨C Superior Dungeon Turquoise ¨C Elite Dungeon Purple - Epic Dungeon Red - Ascended Dungeon Gold - Legendary Dungeon Black - Ancient Dungeon
All the notification expanded on were what grades existed for dungeons but gave no specifics on what to expect. Marcus could only shrug, adding another question to the pile and moving on. With his only egress blocked there wasn¡¯t much choice as to he proceeded. Marcus would need to trek through an advanced dungeon, alone, and to make matters worse, he had no provisions. His internal dialog was interrupted by the sound of limbs striking stone. Marcus rose to his feet, preparing for whatever was on its way. As the clatters neared, he channeled several copies of the Mage Light spell, after having discovered he could have multiple, and pocketed them. Coming around the corner were five creatures that resembled kobolds, but tumorous crystalline growths covered portions of their bodies.
Crystal-Infested Kobalt ¨C Level 3 | Type: Humanoid/Lizard | Kobolds are known for their trapmaking, mining and being distantly related to other draconic races. These specimens are infected by a type of living crystal that hardens the body. As the infection spreads begins to negatively affect intellectual capacity. Other functions of the crystal are unknown. Assumed to be deadly for native Earth species.
Information was power, but the information shown had done nothing to allay his concerns; if anything, this crystal infection sounded horrible. Marcus hoped these kobolds retained some of the clich¨¦ weakness that subterranean species were known for. As the five of them slowly shambled in his direction they finally entered range ten seconds later, prompting him to toss Mage Light spheres into the air towards them. The kobolds reacted instinctively by covering their eyes, but even after a responding immediately, ended up temporarily blind. Marcus would¡¯ve loved nothing more than to just run around the monsters. Taking advantage of their lack of sight would¡¯ve been the smart move, but as luck would have it the tunnel was only several meters in diameter. He gathered mana for several seconds, Marcus released his spells - directing several scorching rays at two kobolds furthest from the others. He¡¯d assumed that with these creatures being a similar level to the chimeras that his attacks would dispatch them easily. After making contact damage on their bodies began to appear, but rather than pierce skin the crystalline growths grew white hot - sloughing off. The pair paused momentarily before turning beginning to savage the closest target to them as if they were wild animals. Advancing, Marcus waited until a scrum enveloped four of the semi-blind monsters, casting several copies of Tendrils of Earth ¨C aiming to incapacitate them all. During seconds it took to finish his preparation the rabid kobolds had killed one of their brethren and maimed another. With only three of the original five left his, chances were starting to look better; he hadn¡¯t even done anything yet. Before the struggle could conclude of earthen strands burst from the ground and began to constrict his foes. In the chaos, Marcus had lost track of the last kobold, at the beginning of combat it had disappeared, and now it chose now to make its reappearance. Bursting out of the gloom his unseen enemy raked razor-like claws over his back leaving deep gouges through the skin. Staggering from the blow, he dived to the left - effectively dodging the kobolds next attack. Marcus had surprised even himself with his reaction, causing the kobolds forward momentum to carry it further, entering range of its companions. Fortunately for the kobolds, the berserk pair had been heavily injured. One was clearly out of the fight, hardly moving - its chest rising and falling slowly. The other had seen better days and was too preoccupied to notice its coup de grace come from behind in the form of Marcus¡¯s attacker. Two foes remained, but he¡¯d seen better days too; bleeding and almost out of mana the battle was turning dire. While one foe freed itself from stone bindings the other charged ¨C eager to cause more damage.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Diving back, he bought just enough time, about 1.5 seconds, to fire off another Scorching Ray. A bolt of fire raced across the cavern, further blinding the kobolds, before impacting the chest of the last healthy foe. Luckily, Marcus has noticed a patch of scales that weren¡¯t covered in shards of crystal and unerringly guided his attack into that spot. Likely due to his increased perception and frankly, practice, it turned out not to be as difficult as expected to guide the deadly attack. Without the crystal to act as a heat sink the ray quickly burned through soft tissues before exiting its back and hitting the floor dead. The final enemy broke free soon thereafter, but it was in no better shape than he himself. The kobolds had worse combat standards than even him. After ducking under a wild slash, he managed score a fatal wound by stabbing into the soft pallet and with another shove, into the brain; at the cost of several additional cuts on his arms. Losing the adrenaline high didn¡¯t take long after combat ended. Collapsing against the wall he opened his status checking to check health totals; he was well below half and falling. Marcus waited patiently for the bleeding to stop, but it wasn¡¯t. Searching through his status for why, he discovered a new tab that hadn¡¯t been there before ¨C reading the notice he immediately blanched.
You have been infected by an unknown material that is crystalline in nature. Effects are unpredictable on native life forms and more data is required for accurate diagnosis. Initial analysis has uncovered several symptoms that are listed below:
  • Prevents normal regeneration from coming into effect. Duration: Unknown
  • Biological framework of host is unstable ¨C blood, tissue, and bone undergoing unknown alteration
  • Brain and nervous system unaffected
  • Percentage of organism affected: 10%
Disease had not been how he expected to die, and if his bleeding didn¡¯t stop it still wouldn¡¯t be. Marcus hoped that by channeling fire mana through himself he could accomplish two things, close his wounds, and burn out the infection. Gritting his teeth, he pulled on his mana once again, raw mana poured out of his body into the air where it transformed into its fire aspected form. To complete the cycle, he reabsorbed the energy, taking it back into himself. He¡¯d accidently done this once before, but it was an interesting experience performing the same feat of his own free will. Heat flooded his limbs and he could feel the wounds being cauterized ¨C which wasn¡¯t pleasant ¨C then blessedly closing. After repeating the cycle for another five minutes his health was back to full. Crossing his fingers, he reopened his status. The damned infection was still in his blood, oh something did happen, but it wasn¡¯t what he wanted.
Percentage of organism effected: 20%
Cursing at his stupidity, he had forgotten in his rush that the crystals had been highly resistant to his flames, and now he had made himself worse. Marcus dreaded what would happen if that percentage reached 100%. For now, it wasn¡¯t touching his brain or nerves, but who knew if that would change. He could only hope that there was a cure somewhere in the dungeon or that it was possible with some testing to figure out how to use magic to cure himself; clearly using fire mana wouldn¡¯t work. With everything else taken care of several other notifications awaited him. [Level Up + 2] [(U)Scorching Ray + 3] [?Tendrils of Earth +2] [(U)Mana Manipulation +5] [(U)Elemental Manipulation +5] New ability learned ¨C ? Pyrrhic Cleansing ¨C Level. 1| Only the mad would channel unfiltered fire mana into themselves. Pyrrhic Healing will cleanse most infections, and poisons while healing minor wounds at the cost of intensive pain. Losing control of the spell during use will cause severe internal injuries and possible death ¨C Nearly impossible to use during stressful situations., e.g. Combat. After processing his level ups, it was time to assign more free attributes. When Marcus went to do so he noticed something strange- his constitution had increased seemingly randomly by two. A couple of moments later he finally put it together; the infection was indeed causing recordable change and appeared to correspond with how much of him was affected. What this meant for the future was still unknown, but he had to move on ¨C currently his Rite was keeping his offensive stats ahead of the general curve, so he would continue to build his foundation in other attributes. Marcus assigned six points into constitution raising it to twenty as more health was never bad, an additional two into agility to hit fourteen, because he was barely able to keep up with these low-level foes, and finally, two into luck, by the gods he needed it. Locking in his choices he took one last look over them before moving on to another mysterious addition to his menu¡¯s.
Basic Statistics Total
Strength 10
Constitution 20
Agility 12
Perception 36
Intelligence 34
Wisdom 35
Charisma 9
Luck 6
The new page bloomed into existence, and at first, he was elated - he had finally earned his first path, but after reading what it was, Marcus couldn¡¯t help but curse. New Paths Available: Crystal Lord (0/100) Chapter - 6 Crystalline Stronghold (Pt. 2) Marcus continued to stare incredulously at the path and felt as if he was being deceitfully abused by some higher presence whose only goal was to make his life difficult. Shaking his head at thinking of something so ridiculous, he once again took stock of his options. Paths were still an enigma at this point, but several assumptions could be made with the limited information he had acquired thus far. Based off the few notifications and their similarity to his Rite, Marcus believed that paths worked almost identically, but were unique in their requirements to unlock. The Crystal Lord path was clearly a product of his recent exposure to the crystalline infection or least that¡¯s what the system was labelling it as. Marcus was beginning to have doubts when it came to the system and the entity that apparently controlled, or at least directed it, The Grand Hegemony ¨C he wouldn¡¯t put it past them to mislabel something they couldn¡¯t control. With that said, it was also strange, or he at least believed it strange, that no other paths related to magic had come up either. He must be doing something fundamentally wrong when it came to casting, or there were simply additional prerequisites. He would hold on to his stored path points for the time being, and hope the dungeon held more answers before committing to anything. Prior to moving on, he needed a weapon desperately, and preferably one with some reach. The first grisly option was to dig out a long bone from one of the kobolds, but after a moment he dismissed option for two reasons ¨C One, he had no tools to dissect the tough skin, and two, the longest bone one of the creatures had was likely less than a quarter meter in length. As Marcus was pondering what to do for armament, he made a groundbreaking observation that would single handedly change his life forever. The location where he had previously casted Tendrils of Earth remained twisted and changed, meaning that if he could figure it out, he could mold stone a desired shape... permanently. Like a kid let loose in a candy store, he began testing, with no small amount of excitement, various methods to mold the stone. An hour later he had only accomplished one thing, totally draining his mana pool repeatedly. Marcus had tried molding the tendrils from his previous spell, every part of the tunnel, loose rocks, and even in desperation the crystals still imbedded within the dead kobolds ¨C nothing had worked. He was doing something incorrect and since magical internet didn¡¯t exist, Marcus couldn¡¯t get confirmation, or help. In his previous attempts he had been converting his raw mana into its earth counterpart, but every time he would infuse it into the stone it was met by a wall of resistance. Calling it stone wasnt entirely accurate, granite would be much more precise name, and following down that same path of logic he began to ponder on what granite itself was comprised of. During college he had taken an elective in geology and vaguely recalled that granite wasn¡¯t a single uniform material.He tried recalling everything he knew, after a moment - thanks new attributes - he remembered much more than he had initially. Granite is a light-colored igneous rock with large grains that were visible at a glance, it is composed mainly of quartz and feldspar with trace amounts of other materials. Another messaged popped into view which Marcus quickly skimmed before dismissing it. Miscellaneous knowledge skill gained ¨C ?Geology ¨C Level 1| Geology is the science that deals with a planets physical structure and substance, its history, and the processes that act on it. Bonus to identifying natural minerals, modifying them, and using them as catalyst for applicable spells. It was good to know that skills existed that weren¡¯t combat based, as he been worried it would lead to no small amount of violence as people fought to level skills - in addition he assumed also provided path points; after a quick glance at his sheet he confirmed it. If there wasn¡¯t a limit on the number of skills, he could see a couple of methods to abuse that fact, but that was for another time. After getting the skill, the memories of various mineral makeups became much easier to recall which would be important for the next step. He had already demonstrated that image and force of will were two vital components for getting a spell or mana to act in the mode that was intended. Up until this point he had been treating the stone as a single uniform substance and that had been where the spell had been failing. Marcus drew on his newly recalled knowledge and remodeled his mana to compensate. Until know he had been stuck using the ¡®string¡¯ method, but for this application something more advanced was needed. Pulling out of string of earthen mana was the first step, but the next part was much more difficult ¨C Marcus focused the entirety of newfound willpower on to the strand and began pulling it apart. As the very structure of the strand began to decay causing the mental strain to quickly become overwhelming. Before he could totally form the new shape, which resembled a net, the construct disintegrated, not from lack of focus, but instead the absence of mana. It was now obvious that this new form was much more resource intensive, and Marcus would need to be faster forming it. After several more attempts and waiting for regeneration in between them, he was finally able to form the new construct.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Ignoring the new notifications, he fell into a trance; absolutely focused on creating a new weapon. The net wrapped around a portion of the tunnel wall and Marcus was quick to notice the difference. While it wasn¡¯t easy per se to rearrange the granite, it was now at least possible. It took another hour, and several pools of mana, but he was now left with a 1.5-meter-long pole. While he had been forming this, he had realized that the granite would make an extremely poor edge for the stabby bit on the end, alas he had another option. Before he had been unwilling to dig through the kobold¡¯s bodies, but now he didn¡¯t need to, he only needed the claws. Using the soon to be spear he was able to extract most of the claws and teeth that Marcus would repurpose later. After putting the spares into his backpack, which thankfully had survived the brawl, he took the two largest pieces which were about 6.5 cm long / 2 cm thick and put them to the side. Grabbing the two pieces of razor-sharp crystal, which his back could attest to, he began the long process of attempting to merge the two together. Marcus had gotten the idea to try this while molding the spear shaft, and if he was a betting man this should be a solid gamble. As the two pieces slowly began to merge it became increasingly difficult to do so, and more worryingly they had also started to glow. The light reached a crescendo as the two halves finally became one and after the radiance dimmed, he was left with an 8 cm long / 3 cm piece of razor-sharp material that still put off a faint bit of light. The final step was by far the easiest and that was to just pair the head with the shaft. In the end Marcus was left with a weapon that was just over 1.7 meters in length and strangely enough had inherited the faint glow that once only been on the tip. Thus far he had been ignoring the numerous notifications that had popped up during this experiment but now that it was done he was impatient and extremely curious to check them out. (U) Mana Manipulation +10 (U) Elemental Manipulation +10 New ability learned ¨C(U) Stone Shape ¨C Level. 1 | Stone shape is a difficult process that requires much from its user but allows them to shape the very earth into their weapon. Increased levels have nigh unlimited possibilities for advancement. New ability learned - (U) Mineral Synthesis ¨C Level. 1 | Mineral synthesis is ability to take separate samples of an identical substance and to combine them into a single whole. Increased levels reduce mental strain, mana costs, and opens the possibility of direct refinement. A pattern seemed to be in store for today because another new tab had been created that he hadn¡¯t seen before, this time it appeared to be for the weapon.
[Crude Mana-Shaped Spear] ¨C A weapon formed was common granite and crystal. Crystal appears to have mana storing capabilities and minorly aids in mana channeling. + 50 Mana + Minor channel bonus Weight ¨C 9 kg
The two new spells would be extremely useful if he made it out of this dungeon alive, briefly he had considered stone shaping his way out of the tunnel, but it just wasn¡¯t feasible for one reason ¨C he had no food or water. If he had water and a little food it would have totally been possible to tunnel his way out, it would have just taken a long time. Marcus had already started to feel thirsty and needed to find a source of hydration soon. Along with that he still had the infection that had to cured, or at least have its progress stopped, and the answers for that were likely somewhere in this pit. Speaking of answers, the spear had inadvertently resolved one question ¨C the crystals weren¡¯t entirely detrimental, hell it appeared as if they were a boon in disguise. Marcus still wasn¡¯t going to choose the Crystal Lord path, but it was starting to look much more feasible and if they continued to act as conduits for mana it would become hard to deny the option. Taking up his spear, which admittedly was on the heavy side, and his backpack he began walking down deeper into the dungeon, lit only by a soft glow. Chapter - 7 Crystalline Stronghold (Pt. 3) Every bit of noise that Marcus made felt as if it was amplified, the simple act of breathing and walking had become stifling. The light generated by his spear and spells felt as if they were fighting against a dark god in its attempts at stealing all sensation. Distance appeared no more than an illusion as a lone man marched down into the depths. All previous elation had long since melted away into a growing pit of stress in his gut. Marcus had once read that sensory deprivation was torture in it of itself and as this solitary walk into near-certain death continued it began to become his reality. He had to stop for a moment to rally his mind ¨C the very environment of this place poison that was wearing down his defenses. Insidious whispers latched on to every moment of weakness, each painful memory, and his very self-doubts. Each voice promised something else, let go, ¡°Why am I fighting the inevitable... I should just...NO! I promised them I¡¯d¡­¡±, let go, an endless bombardment of negative emotion continued to batter his weakening ego, his vision dimmed, and the light of his eyes began to fade. Marcus gripped on to a solitary memory that remained a beacon within the tempest, and found a measure of peace in its words, fear not the dark for it cannot touch you, fear not the dark for it cannot control you, and finally, fear not darkness for it only exists in the absence of light. The bizarre quote repeated for an unknown amount of time, granting a brief respite, allowing him to finally realize that what was happening wasn¡¯t a simple panic attack, no, it was supernaturally induced. Up until this point he hasn¡¯t been exposed to foreign mana or magic, but this unnatural darkness assuredly was. Think clots of tar-like mana were swirling around him in a mist, and frequently portions of the ¡®storm¡¯ would spike out in an attempt to reach his head. The time he had gained from rebuffing this new enemy was fading like sand through his fingers and the second round of those nightmares would leave him as a mindless husk. Marcus needed some method that could be sustained passively ¨C out of the corner of his eye his noticed his spear appeared to be drinking in the miasma around its blade. It wouldn¡¯t be enough to simply wave the weapon around to get out of this, but his options included an additional path. Typically, an infection was no more than a biological machine that required a living organism, or more specifically its cells to make more copies of itself. Thus far, at least discounting the kobolds with their symptoms, the crystals inside of him at been benign if not beneficial ¨C for example he had a distinct lack of them growing on his skin or hijacking his thoughts. It may just take longer for that specific symptom to manifest, but at this point he was banking on their ability to absorb mana from the environment to stave off this madness. Driven to his knees as the storm around him continued to intensify ¨C Marcus reached with trembling hands towards the Crystal Lord path and began to add his points to it. As the first of his 47 accumulated points were confirmed another notification blocked out the entirety of his vision.
Congratulations for choosing your first path, continue to strive towards exaltation! As you are the first of your kind to step onto a path, additional unique paths may become available in the future.
Crystals take on nigh infinite forms, and their uses mirror those forms. Looking up from your steps you see a massive celestial body covered in a rainbow hue that dominates the skies - Seeing it fills your body with a sense of authority as a new weight falls onto your shoulders.
Nothing happened with the first point but for every 5 invested the path he was receiving 2 Constitution, 1 Intelligence, and strangely enough 1 strength. He was getting worried, as raw stats weren¡¯t what he desired right now, but upon reaching 25 total points invested he breathed a deep sigh of relief.
The weight of your mantle only grows heavier as you march further down the path of a Crystal Lord. All Lords over time learn to manipulate that which is central to their position - in your case, minerals.
New Skill Earned ¨C ?Inorganic Fabrication ¨C Level. 1 | Inorganic substances are primarily made up of minerals and form the basic building blocks of matter. Inorganic Fabrication allows for the perception, molding, reshaping, and even formation of new substances.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Quickly slotting the rest of the points and receiving nothing other than the basic statistics he closed his status to begin the next step in his idea. If he hadn¡¯t discovered the method to manipulate the crystals in his body Marcus would have been up a creek without a paddle. The assumption was that as a Lord he¡¯d be able to ¡®rule¡¯ over that which he was apparent in charge of - in this case minerals which included crystals. Marcus was surprised just how broad the new ability was, because due to its wording, much left open to interpretation. Turning his attention inward he leaned heavily on his newly gifted ability and tried to feel the infection. After a couple of moments Marcus felt a pulse that seemed to radiate outwards from his chest which quickly rebound whenever it hit a large mass of anything inorganic. What came back was disturbing, most of the infection was in his blood, but more importantly it had effectively replaced all of the marrow in his bones. For those who don¡¯t know, bone marrow is responsible for the creation of new blood cells, meaning that eventually Marcus¡¯s original blood would be replaced with the modified type. His new physiology was fascinating as the crystal cells appeared to be functioning identically to the originals, at least at a glance, but hummed with latent energy. What Marcus needed now was to shield himself from the field outside, and although he was loathed to do so he, he began to forcibly circulate the mutated cells towards his skull. Until now the concentration of infected cells hadn¡¯t hit the critical threshold that was likely required for the crystals to take root in his brain and nervous system. By forcibly propelling the crystals towards his head, the accumulation was almost guaranteeing that his nervous system would become compromised, just as the rest of his body had. Time would only tell if this course of action had been the correct one, or if his fate had already been sealed. After a minute or so had passed, he hadn¡¯t turned into a mindless thrall - so that was good news. An additional positive, and the intended one, was a marked lessening and quick fading of the previous mental strain that had been barraging him. Looking over himself, Marcus felt fine physically, but found himself mentally exhausted. His surroundings had changed completely in the time that he was trapped within the mists ¨C at the very least he hadn¡¯t been walking in circles. The new cavern Marcus found himself in radiated pure malice. Somehow this place had been the original of the attack, and even now the walls maintained its efforts at sabotaging his concentration. Streams of the tar-like energy endlessly seeped off the walls, a pungent smell filling the air with the scent of death, pustules popped along hidden recesses, and with each burst another wave of mana would crash into him. Strangely enough the waves would not rebound, or break from him, instead they were being absorbed. Tracing the remnant energy towards his brain he was shocked to discover a new construct surrounding it. Hair thin wires of crystal formed a mesh that would occasionally pulse with the same energy he had seen before, but that same pulse another would be followed with an aftershock, and by the time it would subside the tainted mana would be left cleansed. The refreshed mana would recirculate into the process, feeding into itself infinitely ¨C a near perfect countermeasure to hostile mana, at least for attacks of this nature. ¡°That had been way too close, one single misstep and I would have lost myself,¡± Marcus said aloud. Comforted by the sound of his own voice, Marcus began to look for whatever was controlling this room. He assumed that he had gained some ability to see mana in the environment, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t be able to follow it back to the source. Various strings of the dark mana came from the walls by an especially thick mass of the same type hung from the wall in a tumor. As if sensing his intention, the tumor opened one large eye and began to stare at him ¨C the attacks intensified, but the bastion in his mind held firm.
Psionic Illusionist ¨C Level 8 | Type: Mutant | Psionic beings attack by focusing on the minds of weaker prey. In this case of this specimen it has evolved by consuming large amounts of ambient mana ¨C without proper countermeasures most creatures have no recourse other than to flee or die.
Finding the source of his problems was a relief ¨C especially now that it had lost its primary means of defensing itself. Seeing as he wouldn¡¯t likely find another good time to do so, Marcus took a basic stance and stabbed at the eye with his spear. The heavy crystal spear sheared through the flesh with little resistance, after several aimed strikes, the mass detached itself from the wall ¨C hitting the ground with a wet plop. Seeing as this room we likely to be the safest he would find; Marcus began to secure it so that he could get some much-anticipated rest. Other than the entrance he used to enter, only one other passageway existed in the cavern, and contrary to the previous tunnels they were much smaller. Liberally applying Stone Shape to the walls, he began the excruciatingly slow process of closing the two passageways into his temporary shelter. As time passed it became discernably less demanding to mold the stone to his will, and blessedly was completed within the hour. Leaning against a wall, Marcus got as comfortable as he could while resting on hard ground ¨C quickly slipping into dreamless sleep. Chapter - 8 Crystalline Stronghold (Pt. 4) Marcus awoke slowly in the now dark cavern. During his impromptu rest, he hadn¡¯t been able to maintain his trusty Mage Light spells, so it was pitch black in the room. Although, a dim glow still radiated from his spear, it wasn¡¯t enough to provide true vision. For having slept on the ground he felt relatively well rested, if not sore, and figured that now would be as good a time as any to start his day. Taking a couple of minutes to stretch taunt muscles was an excellent way to reset mind for what a day that would undoubtedly be difficult. Marcus was determined to either finish this advanced dungeon soon or die trying ¨C he didn¡¯t have the luxury to take it methodically. Typically, the human body can go for several days without food and water, but that¡¯s also assuming you don¡¯t undertake vigorous activities; what he had been undertaking thoroughly qualified. The of the last chores Marcus needed to desperately address were the numerous notifications that he''d swear were yelling in his ear for attention. The status screen inundated him with an avalanche of information, as per usual, the notifications contained a little bit of everything, from skill increases, to level ups, and even one new ability. [Level Up + 1] [(U)Mana Manipulation +3] [(U)Elemental Manipulation +3] [(U)Stone Shape +3] [?Mage Light +2] New ability learned - (U) Elemental Sight ¨C Level. 1 | Allows the user to see mana in their environment and body. Works by imbuing the optical nerve with a thin sheath of mana. Marcus chose to ignore the next notification for a moment, might as well save the bad news for last. With his new level he couldn¡¯t help but raise his intelligence the last three points to reach an even 50; causing another message to block in his vision.
Intelligence can represent many things, to a scholar it¡¯s a measure of knowledge, while to others it may represent emotional sensitivity and control. As most commitments, they often lead to further growth and opportunities. New Mana Pool multiplier: 1.2x
Obtaining bonuses for breakpoints in attributes hadn¡¯t been something Marcus had seen coming. It was a revelation that would change his attribute distributions from this point forward - with that in mind he added his remaining points to wisdom, bringing it closer to the assumed bonus. As an aside, he began speculating if the same method worked for spells and abilities. ¡°Well, they always say that it¡¯s better to take bad medicine quickly...¡± With that last thought he opened the final message.
You have been infected by an unknown material that is crystalline in nature. Effects are unpredictable on native life forms and more data is required. Further study has uncovered several new symptoms that are listed below:
  • Prevents normal regeneration from coming into effect. Duration: Unknown
  • Biological framework of host is unstable ¨C blood, tissue, and bone are currently undergoing total replacement. Effect: Unknown
  • Brain and nervous system have now been compromised; infection present, but no mutation has begun
  • Complex lattice structure present in brain cavity ¨C Appears inorganic in makeup; absorbs and purifies hostile mana. Further effects: Unknown
  • Percentage of organism effected: 50%
The stress had been eating away at him after he had made his decision regarding the Crystal Lord path and seeing that message helped just little. While from the outside it presented many unknowns, and it was clearly changing Marcus, he couldn¡¯t really say if it was for good or bad. For now, he¡¯d let his path points gain interest - remaining just a little cautious. Standing, he brushed himself off and took one last look at his complete status. Finding it somewhat overwhelming, he attempted to rearrange parts of it with limited success.
Name: Marcus Diamandis Level - 5 Class - None
Health: 480/480 Regeneration 4.8/Minute 1.0 x Multiplier
Stamina: 380/380 Regeneration 57/Minute 1.0 x Multiplier
Mana: 564/564 Regeneration 42/Minute 1.2 x Multiplier
Free Attributes: 0 Path Points: 20 Damage Multipliers: 0%
Basic Statistics Total
Strength 18
Constitution 39
Agility 12
Perception 41
Intelligence 50
Wisdom 42
Charisma 9
Luck 6
Mana Skills: Elemental Manipulation ¨C 21, Mana Manipulation ¨C 21 Physical Skills: None Miscellaneous Skills: Field Medicine ¨C 1, Geology - 1 Spells: Inorganic Fabrication ¨C 6, Mage Light ¨C 3, Mineral Synthesis ¨C 1, Pyrrhic Cleansing ¨C 1, Scorching Ray - 4, Stone Shape - 4, Tendrils of Earth ¨C 3 Closing his sheet, Marcus began the process of Stone Shaping the tunnel back open after spreading a couple of Mage Lights around the room. Idly, he became curious about how much time had passed since the plane had gone down. Based off of the moon, which had been at its apex, he assumed the crash happened sometime around midnight. Furthermore, by the time he had arrived inside the mine, it had still been dark outside; unfortunately, the subsequent time spent underground passed as a blur, as without the sun it was difficult to track the passage of days. Adding it all together, by approximating how long he had slept, an educated approximation would put it somewhere in the afternoon; give or take a couple of hours. Marcus¡¯s thoughts while shaping were a disorganized mess, but he kept pondering one question primarily ¨C what was happening on surface? After reopening the passage, he steeled his mind and took off at a brisk jog. Many mines are more than three kilometers underground, so it wasn¡¯t too surprising that it was just now that the narrow corridors began to open into a more cavernous state. What did surprise Marcus was that the height continued to increase much faster than it really it should. A sharp bend in the passage ahead prompted him to slow down and proceed with caution. Glancing around the corner he was surprised to find the tunnel drop sharply, angling down at a 30-degree incline. Further down the slope, about 150 meters, a collection of buildings stood, surrounded by unmanned walls. Much of this area was illuminated by an unseen source causing a light glow to suffuse the surroundings. The fortification looked to be six meters tall, formed of a dark grey stone, and it stood blocking the entirety of the wide passageway. Furthermore, a pair of huge doors could be seen over the walls at the back of the structure, but from his location not much else could be perceived. Nothing had seen him yet, or at least if they had, an alarm hadn¡¯t been raised. Below the walls perhaps a dozen or two creatures scampered around outside the gates, some of which he hadn¡¯t seen before. Crystal-Infested Kobolds made up a bulk of the guards, while the new creatures were in the minority. Marcus happened to be too far away to glean specific information on the new hostiles - at least without revealing his presence. For now, he designated them as being Kobold elites as their stature heavily resembled the smaller specimens. The elites stood a head taller than their lesser brethren, but more importantly were almost entirely covered in crystal growths. Marcus was seriously regretting his choice of weapon right now, as blunt weapons would be devastating versus the crystal shell covering the elites; with that said, a spear was much, much easier to handle.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Observing them had been confusing at first, as he had believed - with good reason - that the infection robbed the kobolds of all priorities; outside of violence that is. The system clearly hadn¡¯t communicated everything, as over a couple of minutes he was able to realize a simple hierarchy existed between the elites and the smaller runts. Their intelligence had still undoubtedly taken a nosedive, otherwise it wouldn¡¯t make any sense for them to dig at the walls without tools. Speaking of digging, Marcus couldn¡¯t tell what they were searching for from his vantage, but he really wanted to find out. Intermittently, a kobold would find something, stop digging, and rush to bring it to an elite. The elite would then bring that same something back to the gatehouse, at which point, who knew? Five kobolds had almost been enough to kill him the first time, as such, quadruple the number was tantamount to suicide in a direct confrontation. Marcus was now much stronger than during that first scuffle, he now possessed a weapon with reach, and most importantly, much higher attributes. The expectation was that those factors would bridge the gap in numbers; not to mention they lacked weapons of their own, or any large amount of intelligence. Preparation would make or break this engagement. Marcus needed to either lure a couple at a time, or in some way delay the bulk of the kobolds from rushing him all at once. He retreated around the corner and began to Stone Shape the floor ¨C thankfully it was both silent and scaled quickly with level making this process much faster. It took a couple of minutes, but he had managed to create a small pit about a meter deep, and half meter wide. During the excavation he had discovered a small vein of what he believed was iron. Harvesting the iron hadn¡¯t been that difficult using a combination of Stone Shape and Inorganic Fabrication ¨C using the latter, he molded portions of the metal into spiked tips. Contrary to stone, iron was much more difficult to work with; likely the issue had something to do with the density of the material. Inside of the pits he began to form a series of stone spikes, which he would then embed the iron tips into. One trap undoubtedly wasn¡¯t enough; over the next half-hour, while taking frequent breaks to make sure the kobolds hadn¡¯t discovered him, Marcus formed a staggered series of six pits. Everything was ready to go, Marcus couldn¡¯t afford to use any more time to prepare, he had wanted to produce more traps, but his thirst was already causing him to be dizzy and drained of energy. Fortunately, the next part was simple - try to lure the fewest possible towards him at a time. The Mage Light spell formed as a semi-solid ball in his hand, setting the sphere down, he gently shoved it down the incline where it quickly began to accelerate quickly. Not waiting to see if this worked or not, Marcus booked it, and within a handful of seconds arrived behind his prepared traps. Picking up the spear he had left behind, which otherwise would have weighed him down, he waited and listed. A familiar scrapping noise soon filled the air, the ragged breathing of multiple kobolds became audible, and with it a sense of foreboding. Marcus began casting a pair of Scorching Rays, delaying the launch of each attack as long as possible, he nearly lost control of the mana, but to his relief the first of his prey rounded the corner just in time. Releasing the stored energy, rays of fire screamed across distance, making impact on the chests of two kobolds. Marcus had estimated that the spell would simply become absorbed by the crystals, but no, he forgotten something very simple. In the time since he had last tried this spell, not only had he gained levels in it, his intelligence had also more than doubled. So contrary to expectations the ray didn¡¯t stop, but instead penetrated not only the two original targets, but also an additional pair behind them. The four kobolds immediately collapsed like puppets without strings, skidding along the floor for a short distance; not only did Marcus freeze for a second, the other dozen kobolds did as well. Peace didn¡¯t last very long as both sides quickly recovered, the battle resuming where it had left off. The dozen remaining kobolds became eight when several of their cohort fell into traps, impaling themselves upon the spikes. The final eight safely navigated around the pits but took another casualty when a final ray shot out. Marcus couldn¡¯t finish the cast of his next spell in time before the final seven enemies were upon him. Keeping his distance with his enhanced attributes, he began to lay into the kobolds with extreme prejudice. Marcus swung his spear in a wide arc landing a blow across the midsection of the lead creature, he followed up the swing with a quick jab to the throat dispatching it before repositioning. The kobolds were constantly trying to get into his blind stops, namely his back and sides, but he was able to prevent them from capitalizing on their attempts. Unfortunately, all good things must come to end an, one of the kobolds managed to get through his guard and slashed at him. The blow had been aimed for his neck, but a quick reaction and subsequent dodge had it instead graze his arm. Shallow cuts appeared in the wake of the attack ¨C followed by a brief flash of disappointment when his increased constitution hadn¡¯t made him immune to the kobolds. The wild attack had made the counterattack relatively simple, leading to him jamming his weapon deeply through the armpit of the creature. Evidently, he had hit something vital causing it to collapse, reacting on instinct, as several attacks began to close in, he raised his leg, kicking the dead kobold off the weapon. During the fight he had looped back around to the area with unfilled pits, the intended reason for this was just to add an extra hazard for his adversaries to pay attention to, but something much better happened. An unintended side effect of the kick was mildly comedic, because not only did the corpse fly off much faster than he expected, it also contained enough force to slam into another kobold, carrying the pair into the trap. With only four enemies left their swarm tactics became ineffective and they couldn¡¯t close the distance without taking lethal amounts of damage. It didn¡¯t take long for one of them to charge, earning a thrust to its orbital socket for its efforts. After that it was just a matter of a couple jabs and slashes for all of them to be dead. ¡°That was surprisingly easy for how many of them there were, but how could I have known that Scorching Ray would be so brutally effective? I¡¯m fortunate none of the elites followed that horde otherwise it may not have been so simple.¡± Taking stock of the situation, Marcus was surprised that to find only half of his mana was gone, but most of his stamina had been spent in that brief fight. The first action he took was to make sure all the kobolds that had fallen in the pits were dead, and indeed they were. Briefly resting he stood and walked towards the ramp ¨C it was time to finish this. Looking down the incline, a pair of elites stared back up at him, as if either waiting for the others to return or maybe for himself. It was much too late to duck back around, so instead he stepped out - intent on taking advantage of the high ground. Scorching Ray after its level ups had a range somewhere around 75 meters, and in that distance, depending on the speed of his adversary of course, he could cast five of them. Instead of spreading his focus he was going to hammer one of these elites to a pulp... maybe. At the edge of his range Marcus released his spells, sending them careening towards their target, on making contact the kobold was briefly staggered, but otherwise unharmed. No, something had happened, the crystals on its body had begun to glow brightly - seeing his opportunity he fired off his next three rays. After each subsequent hit, the crystals would grow brighter and brighter until they reached a blinding luminescence right as the third made contact. Instead of sloughing off as expected, the elite simply popped, exploding in a bluish yellow nova. The concussive blast not only took Marcus off his feet at more than 20 meters, it also heavily injured the other elite kobold. Getting up slowly, he was finally close to enough to inspect them.
Evolved Crystal-Infested Kobold ¨C Level 10 | Type: Humanoid/Lizard | Part of the leading caste, Evolved Kobolds typically fall into several predefined roles such as warriors, mages, and shamans. Unfortunately, this individual is in the presumed late stages of an infected presumed to be a type of living crystal that alters the bodies of its victims. Different from its lesser kin, slightly more of its intellectual capacity remains.
Marcus had been somewhat close in his naming for this variant, but for now he was just happy this one was nearly dead. Frighteningly, the kobold was twice his level, and unlike the Psionic Illusionist he had seen before, this one could still move to fight back. The crystals that had been facing his dead compatriot were cracked and, in many places, shattered. In particular, its left leg had been maimed, and if this monster still possessed higher functions would have unquestionably been incapacitated. Marcus began to circle to his left, making sure to keep the injured leg between himself and the creature ¨C taking a stab he made contact, but the blade simply skipped off the cracked section on which the blow had landed. Meanwhile, the kobold moved faster than he expected as it advanced before taking a deceptively swift swipe towards Marcus¡¯s midsection. He was able to narrowly dodge the attack but was able feel the pressure wave that followed the limb by simply getting close. Before he had been trying to dodge of course, but now Marcus refused to let anything touch him; there was little doubt in his mind it would only take one good hit to put him out of the fight. Dancing around several strikes he attempted numerous counterattacks towards the kobold, this time at its exposed leg. Several of them connected doing minor damage, that was until the crystal tip spear sliced through thick flesh eventually encountering a solid object, presumably bone, before being torn out again eviscerating muscle in the process. The aforementioned left leg could no longer support the kobolds weight and combined with the steep incline led to it collapsing; beginning a long tumble down the ramp. Marcus followed the kobold, unsure if the fall would be enough to kill it. At the bottom of the ramp the monster laid still, many of its limbs even more mangled than before, but surprisingly it continued to breathe. Several precise cuts later and it was over. Thankfully no further sounds came from the structures; the explosion had been anything but subtle. Seeing as he wasn¡¯t being mobbed down by hundreds of angry kobolds, Marcus sat down to recover. After several minutes, he began the process of removing every single crystal from the Evolved Kobold as he could manage. Explosives had always been a fascination for Marcus, and any good engineer would be lying if they didn¡¯t occasionally consider how they¡¯d go about destroying their own creations. Perhaps labeling him as a pyromaniac would be apt, but magical explosives just had a ring to it. Once he was done effectively skinning a kobold, Marcus used his Inorganic Fabrication to scan its body for any more traces, and to his bewilderment found nothing. Just to be sure he cracked open one of its bones and tried again ¨C still nothing. Marcus had finally found a clue that the infection was affecting him differently than the kobolds. Unlike them, the crystals were instead infused inside of his body, passively changing its structure, whereas the kobold version was more akin to a tumor that grew over their scales. He finished collecting all the scraps and shoved them inside the miraculously surviving backpack, ready to move on. With newfound purpose he marched towards the gatehouse, hoping to find an easy way through the walls. Those very same walls likely contained Marcus¡¯s salvation, but he couldn¡¯t shake the premonition that something was very off about the place. Chapter - 9 Crystalline Stronghold (Final) A locations construction technique was more than capable of telling a story of its own. In the case of this one, much of the wall was a single piece of uninterrupted stone, free from any readily visible seams or joints. Granite or perhaps marble had been Marcus¡¯s first guess at what it had been made of, but upon closer inspection the material wasn¡¯t something he was familiar with ¨C in fact, it looked synthetic. Material science was well above his paygrade, and creating something of that size spoke volumes of the original creators. As for the gatehouse itself it was made of the same material, and at about half of the height of the walls themselves, it was nonetheless an impressive object. For now, he could only shake his head and step inside; the gates themselves being sealed. Much of the inside of the small room was unadorned ¨C lacking any furniture to speak of. All told the only notable features included a long counter near the entrance, and a closed metal door at the back of the room. Marcus hadn¡¯t given up his search for whatever the kobolds had been digging for, alas, no trace of ore or other debris were present ¨C at least here. Despite a distinct lack of patrols on the walls he couldn¡¯t discount the inherent danger that laid beyond the next door. Something in his mind was telling him to take care of everything now, otherwise once he moved beyond, he would have lost the chance. Opening his status, Marcus¡¯s eyes bulged for a moment at how much had changed. But really it made sense, the fight he just finished was greater than all those before it combined, and even if it was hard to admit, seeing himself improve was cathartic. [Level Up +4] [(U) Mana Manipulation +4] [(U) Elemental Manipulation +4] [(U) Stone Shape +6] [(U) Mineral Synthesis +4] [? Inorganic Fabrication +3] [(U) Scorching Ray +7] [? Geology +1] New skill learned ¨C ? Basic Melee Fighting ¨C Level. 1 | Provides a small bonus to the use and learning of physical combat abilities. Before diving into his path points, Marcus began to assign free attributes in a manner he had planned ¨C grabbing the low hanging fruit at fifty of a stat. Eleven went into constitution to hit fifty for its bonus, two for strength to get an even twenty and because his backpack was already getting heavy with just the crystal shards; four for luck so those same shards didn¡¯t explode on him, and finally three for agility, because if there were any more elites he couldn¡¯t depend on them being injured to keep up. As expected, three more notifications appeared for hitting fifty in several different stats.
The body strengthens further as not only do your bones become harder to break, but the very blood in your veins carry with it vast vitality. New Health multiplier: 1.2x
An expanded mind is but one facet of ascension. Having the space for an ocean of knowledge is useless if one only possesses a bucket to fill it. Wisdom Doubles Mana Regeneration
Perceiving isn¡¯t always done with eyes and in-fact doing so limits many possibilities. Perception allows for more efficient usage of both Mana and Stamina abilities/spells e.g. casting speed.
The wisdom bonus was frankly better than any of the others that he had received thus far, and had definitely been a welcomed boom. Before it had taken nearly twenty minutes to refill his entire mana pool, but now it took less than half of that at around seven! Not to mention that in combat if he were to pace himself it was possible to continually pump out magical support, assuming he could buy time to cast that is. Speaking of buying of buying time, Marcus believed with his new perception his spells had become both cheaper, but also mildly faster at being cast ¨C all in all it changed how he would fight on a basic level. Fate has a sick sense of humor - after everything was said and done, he had exactly fifty-seven unassigned PP, enough to complete the Crystal Lord path if he chose to. Weighing the decision came down to two sets of observations,¡± So far, I¡¯ve only benefited from the infection - at this point I¡¯m going to call it a transformation simply to make it palatable. In addition, the progress of said ¡®transformation¡¯ is fundamentally different when comparing myself to the kobolds. My mom had always said, In for penny, in for pound.¡± With that, Marcus began to add one PP at a time; he tensed on the fifth point... but nothing happened, releasing a breath he hadn¡¯t known he was holding he pushed on. The same cycle of attribute increases continued as before, and with only a brief moment of hesitation, added the final point. An icy flood began to rampage his veins, destroying and then rebuilding them in real time. The process wasn¡¯t painful, no, instead the experience was supremely refreshing as if whatever was happening was not only fixing his body but elevating it instead. Relief filled Marcus¡¯s mind when the waves detoured around not only his heart, but more importantly, his brain. Even with the process being pleasant he continued to worry about losing his sense of self, but soon whatever had just happened was complete. Marcus opened his full status to begin quantifying its changes.
Name: Marcus Diamandis Level - 9 Class - None
Health: 850/850 Regeneration 8.5/Minute 1.2 x Multiplier
Stamina: 650/650 Regeneration 100/Minute 1.0 x Multiplier
Mana: 960/960 Regeneration 124/Minute 1.2 x Multiplier
Free Attributes: 0 Path Points: 1 Damage Multipliers: 0%
Race: Crystal-Forged Human Casting Speed Multipliers: 10%
Basic Statistics Total
Strength 30
Constitution 70
Agility 15
Perception 61
Intelligence 80
Wisdom 62
Charisma 9
Luck 10
Marcus drew in a sharp breath not only due to the massive spike in¡­well everything, but because now not only could he see his race, it wasn¡¯t entirely human. Before jumping to any conclusions, he read the final notice available.
The mantle weighs heavily upon your shoulders which has begun to fundamentally change who and what you are. Forevermore, by choosing the path of a Crystal Lord, your veins and arteries will be of living crystal - acting not only as a conduit for blood, but mana as well. Light from above continues press down upon you, but the path ahead continues.
New Passive discovered ¨C ? Crystalline Veins ¨C Level. 1 | The supporting structure of your Circulatory System has undergone massive changes. Your veins and arteries are now made of a tough crystal polymer which facilitates flexible spellcasting from anywhere on the skin. Marcus learned little from his notifications or his status, but that wasn¡¯t anything new. He felt the same, if not better than ever - outside of his race partially changing that is. On the bright side Marcus WAS still human, if not of the Crystal-Forged variety. What exactly THAT entailed was a mystery, but for now he had a dungeon to escape. Before, Marcus was required to launch all his spells from his hands, making it difficult if not impossible to wield a weapon simultaneously. His new passive would circumvent that issue, at least after it was mastered; it turned out to be more challenging than expected. Concentrating mana into his hands and transforming it had come easily, but he was finding himself struggling to maintain cohesion using Crystalline Veins. The mana would respond to his call, but once reaching the location would just continue to flow by following the veins. The mana itself just began to recirculate without any loss, but having said that, the skill would remain unusable for now as it would take too much practice, along with testing to use in the dungeon. Even assuming the skill worked immediately, adapting it use for his ¡®fighting style¡¯ aka ¨C flailing semi-randomly with a sharp spear ¨C he would likely end up with himself being the injured one. Either way, it was time to move on. Approaching the door Marcus placed an ear to it and listened. After several moments not a peep was heard from the other side even with enhanced senses. The gunmetal grey door didn¡¯t have a visible locking mechanism, so with a light shove the door slowly swung open revealing¡­ another door. A small hallway stretched six meters ahead, likely the thickness of the walls, ending in a similar entryway than the first. Murder holes lined the hall and weren¡¯t obstructed, alas like the walls, appeared to be unguarded. Not sure if they would remain unmanned or not, he crossed the distance to the next door quickly; which thankfully was partially open. Marcus looked around through the gap, after seeing nothing around the immediate entrance, he widened the opening just enough to squeeze through and into what appeared to be a small courtyard. Several buildings ringed the space around him, individually the structures were of varying sizes and appeared to be made of the same material as the walls. The style of each construction was consistent regardless of its size; if any parallel could be drawn it would be a mashup of Renaissance Architecture sporting symmetry and geometry with American colonial. The styles were familiar, but the product made something unique ¨C rounded rooftops were in the majority whereas the rest of the structure was blocky, with columns and regularly spaced windows ¨C all in all it just felt alien. Architecture aside, Marcus began snooping around several of the buildings looking for anything out of place, or an indication of any additional kobolds. He gave up after the second building - finding nothing whatsoever, each room had been empty; just like the gatehouse. Frankly the place felt like a ghost town, and Marcus would have been shocked if anything had lived here in a very, very, long time. All he could do was move on while trying to remain stealthy, avoiding many of the main roads and sticking to small access streets or alleyways. The streets were laid out in a grid like pattern, making it hard to get lost while searching around. From the outside this place had looked small, but now after exploring for a bit, calling it a minor town or village wouldn¡¯t be too much of a stretch. So far Marcus had found nothing of import, just more empty buildings, but now as he was starting to get close to the two gigantic doors at the end of the cavern that changed. With only three blocks left signs finally began to appear hinting the presence of something - likely kobolds. Scratch and drag marks were the first to appear, followed by an odor, no, calling it an odor was too pleasant, it was the stench of burnt flesh. Marcus began to recall the sight and smell of burning corpses, the chimeras feasting on their skin, ripping and¡­¡± Why wasn¡¯t it me¡­ what was different, I shouldn¡¯t be alive!?¡± Stuck in a loop of repressed emotions, Marcus couldn¡¯t detect the small group approaching his position, nor their frenzied attack soon after spotting a frozen wide-eyed human cowering against a wall. As the distance between them closed a part of his mind was frantically trying to reestablish control, moments later pure-animalistic instinct hijacked his body to defend itself from the approaching kobolds. The four combatants didn¡¯t even know what killed them before lances of superheated fire flashed heated their brittle bodies to ash. Realization finally dawned on the sane part of his mind soon thereafter where-in he realized what had just occurred. ¡°I... I need to pull myself together, I nearly lost myself there¡­ I hadn¡¯t even been scared, but the smell... that fucking smell.¡± Marcus had heard of survivors¡¯ guilt and PTSD before but not in a million years had he thought it would be him to experience them. His body still shook as hidden parts of himself started to spill out, and hell, if someone else were here to see his condition no one in their right mind could blame him. Just a DAY ago life had been stable, sure he¡¯d lost his job, but frankly he¡¯d wrapped that event up with everything else as the world experienced Armageddon. But look where that new world had landed him ¨C he¡¯d been walking through dark tunnels, lit only by a spell. Don¡¯t even get him started on spells...it was just hitting now that HE was throwing around deadly magic, and getting better at it at an astonishing rate; the ash laid at his feet was a physical manifestation of that reality.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Pieces of his mind slowly came back under control as cold sweat soaked through the filthy clothes covering his body. The realization that the psionic illusionist before hadn¡¯t been showing random images, it was just amplifying the fears he still now held was horrifying. Marcus constantly said that making the world a better place to live in was his ultimate goal, but those had just been words; even the promises spoken just before leaving the crash site was same, but now the situation had changed. His mind had been damaged, broken, but he believed now that rebuilding it stronger was the way forward. He would wield his power as a hammer, the world itself the anvil, and finally reforge himself not only for personal gain, but to wield that newfound strength to provide for his fellow man. The first step to recovery had always been admitting your various faults and moving to act on them. Marcus believed the first step was the hardest, and now that he¡¯d taken it, nothing would break him. The walls had indeed held answers to his problems, just not the ones he had expected. Marcus stepped over the pile of fresh ash with a new sense of purpose, he would rip apart anything foolish enough to confront him ¨C purging this kobold infestation was as good as start as any. Marcus began to systematically cleanse each block of kobolds, moving closer to the gargantuan doors. The shoe was now firmly on the other foot for these creatures now; at the beginning they had been deadly threats - now the regular kobolds were nothing but cannon fodder. Keeping a body count hadn¡¯t been priority; although a good guess would put it around 100 strong so far. Marcus¡¯s only concern was that no Elites had been congregating with the smaller kobolds, meaning that the two killed already were the only ones, unlikely, or the others stayed in a central location. As an interesting note, he did find out what they were digging for and the answer had been frustrating, it had been nothing. Now, not literally nothing, but nothing specific, instead they¡¯d grab anything moderately metallic or shiny. They¡¯d then pile it up nearby, waiting for someone, or something else to come collect the small pieces. The final structure left was by far the largest in the small town, which wasn¡¯t saying a whole lot. It stood at three stories tall and occupied about 100 meters squared of space, or about three football fields combined. Scorching Ray at this point could consistently kill three regular kobolds at a time if he had the right angle and its range was pushing 100 meters, alas even with that the numbers he could see were overwhelming. Hundreds of regular kobolds and perhaps a dozen elites milled about around structure in no discernable pattern. Unfortunately using traps wasn¡¯t an option within the town, even the streets were made of the synthetic material. Marcus had tried Stone Shape and Inorganic Fabrication - with both being ineffective at manipulating the material at all; for kicks and giggles he¡¯d also tried using his spear which had little success as well. Marcus had almost run out of ideas before snapping his fingers and with gleaming eyes filled with mirth said simply, ¡°Magical.Explosives.¡± During his hunt for the regular kobolds he¡¯d been stripping them of crystal growths when possible. He¡¯d managed to horde a staggering amount of the substance before periodically storing it in a building closer to the walls. Marcus made his way back to the stockpile with a little too much excitement and began to use Mineral Synthesis to form larger and larger spheres of crystal. The idea originated from when the Elite Kobold had been absolutely obliterated by its own armor when Marcus overcharged it. It took several hours - more time than he¡¯d have liked - to finish combining his stash into usable weapons. Marcus put the plan into immediate action after recovering briefly; as an aside he was more than a little stressed out by the backpack of bombs on his back¡­ Today was like many before it and the kobold was more than a little bored, it didn¡¯t really do much outside of exist to look for shiny things, and to protect the nest of course. A shiny rock-like ball hit the ground near him causing many of his nearby brood-mates to scurry over and stare at the gorgeous thing. That group of kobolds would at die happy, as they didn¡¯t see the lance of fire mana strike the stone before it combusted into a nova of energy. ¡°YEEEESSSS it worked; it was a solid 50/50 the first time as a fluke!¡± Marcus said aloud. He hadn¡¯t been able to test his creations because they made an ungodly racket going off. Sure, the first one hadn¡¯t caused a horde, but what about the second? Third? Apparently even the system was confused as it hadn¡¯t even labelled the crystals as armaments, surely, he wasn¡¯t the first person to weaponize something like this. Now wasn¡¯t the time to discuss the likelihood of magical explosives, as he took off, leading the mass of pissed off kobolds on a deadly game of cat and mouse. Marcus had made two varieties of the make-shift bombs, one was the ball which he had just thrown, and the other was like a landmine with a flat bottom that sat on the ground. Speaking of mines, another chunk of enemies began to pass over one, prompting a quick Scorching Ray setting off another deadly explosive, wiping out a dozen kobolds in one go. The game continued with the number of enemies quickly being ground down into something manageable. By the time Marcus ran out of landmines to kite the near-brainless kobolds into only a handful of the regular kobolds remained while half of the elites had fallen, leaving only six. Of those six, half again were moderately injured while three were in pristine health ¨C still more than a handful if he was being honest with himself. The backpack held several of the ball type crystals, but the elites weren¡¯t completely stupid, and the surviving ones had adapted to how dangerous they were. Picking a random building he ran inside and charged up the first flight of stairs he discovered. Turning around at the top of the steps he placed Tendrils of Earth at the bottom, tossing in several crystal ¡®grenades¡¯ for good measure. The spell took an elite, followed by the remaining regular kobolds by surprise, binding them in place briefly, but long enough for Marcus to set off the trap ¨C wiping out the clump. Unfortunately, the dead elite had been one of the injured ones, likely sent in by the rest as a type of lure. So far nothing he had done managed to even scratch the buildings here, meaning that the stairs remained in one piece. Five Elites crowded the stairs, rushing up to slaughter him in melee range. Marcus brandished his spear and wished that Crystal Veins had been easier to use because five of these brutes may be too many to deal with, even after his improvements. The spear spun in a low arc coming in from under the kobolds chin aiming for a decisive blow, Marcus¡¯s attacks were assuredly much faster, but not quite enough. Instead of a killing blow it glanced off the crystal armor of the dodging elite, turning the blow less than lethal, nevertheless the spear managed to clip the kobolds¡¯ eye, partially blinding it. Contrary to the weaker kobolds who attacked until death, the injured elite fell back to prod at Marcus from a distance instead, letting a fresh comrade take its place up front. Everything had happened in a moment, but the glancing blow had allowed him to redirect the force into the next attack. Bludgeoning attacks are deadly vs. armored opponents, especially weapons heavy weapons made of stone. Crystal shattered as the blunt shaft contacted the head of the kobold. With his newfound strength, Marcus torqued his body applying additional force to the blow, pulping the kobolds brain to mush. As the second enemy fell, the rest had finally arrived on the second-floor landing, leaving little room to maneuver. Feinting, Marcus reached into his back pocket and lobbed a crystal at the elites, causing them to panic briefly. He wouldn¡¯t have enough time to set it off, but it was adequate to make an attack. Lining up the railing behind his target, Marcus used his spear as an anchor to heavily kick the elite in the chest, sending it over the ledge to crash into the bottom floor. Sickening snaps sounded out seconds later, signaling the end of another ¨C leaving three creatures remaining. Retreating from landing into the floor proper, led into a large domed room with several columns supporting the roof. Marcus ran towards one of the columns hastily casting a spell; once the lead kobold entered the room, he released the ray removing the semi-blind kobolds left arm which began to immediately blood profusely. Knowing that he only needed to buy time before that enemy bled out, Marcus choose to ignore it to focus on his last targets. One additional kobold burst into the room, immediately beelining towards him. Without the support of its allies, heavily injured ones aside, it was much easier to deal with these elites. Marcus circled around the creature before dashing forward, ducking under a heavy blow, he slammed the haft of the spear in the spine of the kobold. More of crystal shattered and likely the spine itself did as well, because the kobold dropped to the ground where it was immediately ended by a thrust to the head. During this the one-armed elite had made ineffectual attacks, but now fell to ground to never rise ¨C death by blood loss. As the last enemy entered the room, Marcus felt that something about this kobold was off, it had entered the room much too slowly as if waiting the others to soften him up first. This kobold stood yet another head taller than even the elites, thick black streaks covered its body, even being impressed onto its crystalline armor. Speaking of armor, Marcus couldn¡¯t see a single bare piece of the monster meaning that the infection had completely consumed it. As he was observing the kobold it was also observing him, and when it spoke, he nearly shat himself. ¡°Why do you fightsss uss? I can sssmell the Ssavior coming off your body!¡± it hissed at him. ¡°What do you mean by the Savior? And what do you mean no fight you all?! As soon as I was trapped in this godforsaken dungeon your kin have done nothing but try to kill me!¡± Marcus yelled in frustration. He didn¡¯t understand how this thing could even talk anymore. Was it even still a kobold or was it something else? In response the thing just chuckled for a moment, quite a strange thing to hear when much of its body, including the mouth was shrouded in tumorous crystals. The sound itself was like rocks being ground together before being fed into a woodchipper. ¡°The Ssavior isss just The Ssavior¡­ how do you not know? It ssshouldn¡¯t be possssible for you to not understand! No, ssomething iss wrong with your sscent, its too controlled. How! Why issn¡¯t the Ssaviors¡¯ mark on your sskin?¡± Frankly, Marcus was just buying time for his stamina to regenerate because after inspecting this monster he would need everything he had. Before responding he took another glance at it.
Gilti, the Crystalline Host ¨C Level. 16 | A former Kobold Chieftain by rank, but was misled by an entity to enter an unknown dungeon with much of his tribe following suit. An unknown event occurred causing an infection to rapidly spread to all kobold males. The infection slowly converts kobolds into thrall type husks; higher castes can resist the effects to an extent, but all serve a central entity. Gilti himself has retained much of his intelligence and fighting capability, alas his mind has been twisted by magic. He will be an extremely deadly foe, proceed with caution.
¡°Are you talking about all of the crystal nonsense? If you are sure, its pumping through my veins every moment, but unlike you I haven¡¯t been made into someone¡¯s slave.¡± ¡°Ssslave? I am no SSSLAVE I am a loyal SServant of my massster! Unlike you I will not twissst hisss giftss! Enough, you bring sshame to hiss blesssings and for that musst die!¡± With his last statement Gilti stepped forward and didn¡¯t draw weapons, instead two scythes of midnight black crystal lowered from his forearms. Each of the blades radiated an aura similar to the illusionist, and Marcus could feel the protection around his brain pulse to rebuff the mana. Unlike before the defense wasn¡¯t perfect, and mental strain began to mount. Marcus needed to somehow end his quickly as a protracted battle wasn¡¯t to his advantage. He was able to get off a pair of Scorching Rays before Gilti crossed the distance, each of the bolts of energy made contact on the same location near the ribs. Outside of mild discoloration the attacks appeared to have no effect on the thick crystal armor that encased the former Chieftain. Marcus would need to continue to land repeated blows to even cause cracks, and a spear certainly wasn¡¯t ideal. Giltis¡¯ flurry of blows was both precise and powerful. The extra weight from the infection didn¡¯t seem to slow him down in the slightest, and combined with the armor it provided, Marcus begin to sweat. For the first minute, he was forced to defend against the kobold without an opportunity to get in a single blow. Over this entire dungeon experience Marcus had gotten significantly better at noticing the patterns his opponents would use during their attacks. It didn¡¯t take much longer for him to notice that Giltis¡¯ ¡®unstoppable¡¯ rush was repeating the same route movements. Not long after that Marcus began to slowly find openings to make his own attacks. Even with the openings in Giltis¡¯ defense most of Marcus¡¯s attacks were pitifully infective. Ducking the scythes with a roll, he popped up from the lowered position and drove the spear into the same spot as the rays at the beginning. His first bit of hope surged when a large crack appeared, but he paid for that moment of hope when the kobolds'' weapons sliced across his chest. Marcus yelped in pain and nearly tripped over his backpack that had been cutoff by the attack, spilling its contents over the floor. His arms remained operational thankfully, and after cursing himself for the mistake continued pounding at the crack. Chunks of crystal began to fall from the spot after Marcus landed several more blows, and he could finally see the Giltis¡¯ natural scales, which quickly thereafter turned into an open wound. It would take much too long for the blood loss to have any effect, and the angle was too awkward to get the spear deep enough for a mortal blow. Marcus had a plan and it was to use the spears ability to channel that up until now he had no reason to use. He began to slowly guide Gilti back towards his fallen backpack and its spilled contents. Several exchanges later, Marcus was able to scoop up one of crystal grenades, causing Gilti to just scoff at him. The spear rocketed through the air barely intercepting yet another lethal blow. Stepping into the block he shouldered Gilti, briefly causing the boss to stumble off balance. In that moment Marcus once again rushed inside the range of the scythes, not to attack but to instead jam his hand holding the crystal grenade into the open wound. If he had been willing to loss a hand or perhaps more the fight would have ended right there, but Marcus had no clue if his healing spell could fix lossed limbs and he wasn¡¯t betting on it. Gilti was confused why he was still alive and thought that Marcus had made a mistake. The creature began to laugh, infuriating Marcus to no end ¨C or least that¡¯s how he tried to sell it. His spear once again became a blur as the fight recommenced. The creature believed the battle won, as the mental pressure had almost worn through Marcus¡¯s defenses and once those failed it was over. Parrying another attack caused his spear to audibly crack, triggering real panic to flash over his face; Marcus riposted the scythes and swung his damaged weapon bashing Gilti across the head stunning him. Not missing the chance, he stabbed into the wound not only shoving the ¡®grenade¡¯ deeper but Marcus began to flood his spear with every ounce of mana he could muster. The spear began to glow eerily and emitted a whining sound that filled the room, which quickly became an ear-splitting pitch. Marcus rolled backwards and sprang to get behind one of the columns near the walls. Briefly making it behind cover, he waited¡­ and waited ¨C nothing was happening. For a second he worried, before a deep wumph was heard ¨C several seconds later Marcus stepped out from behind his column. Gilti was just standing there stock still, eyes wide with panic; Marcus thought he was still alive briefly, but the corpse slowly tilted over slamming into the floor. As the former boss collapsed one special notification filled his eyes and after reading it, he slowly crumbled to the floor in an unconscious heap.
Congratulations for clearing the Crystal Stronghold, an advanced dungeon. All combatants have been eliminated and rewards are now available. A path of blood was formed in the wake of your slaughter, not a single soul given a moment respite or quarter. Remember, the path to exaltation is paved by the deaths of the unworthy. You may remain in the dungeon to collect any available spoils, but to claim System rewards you must visit the closest System terminal.
Chapter 10 - Answers.. Cold. Cold was all that he felt in the moment between life and death. An absolute void saturated everything, leaving not an iota of warmth, no paradise, no gates, nothing existed here. Nightmares feed on fear and Marcus FEARED nothingness. Losing who he was, like a light shut off ¨C gone in an instant. He¡¯d felt existential dread before, but this void dwarfed the feeling many times over. Finally, after an eternity passed or maybe just seconds, Marcus woke up. Marcus had noticed his wounds had been healed; maybe his regeneration was back. He¡¯d wanted to check the pending notifications, but his first thought kept coming back to him - the ceiling was different The room he¡¯d fought Gilti in had been domed with interspaced columns, but here the roof remained the same, but the pillars had vanished. The roof stretched several stories upwards, unsupported whatsoever, and like every other structure in the dungeon was made of the same synthetic material; Marcus really had gotten sick of seeing the off-gray stone-like stuff. One object clearly stood out, lying suspended midair in the center of the dome was the largest crystal he¡¯d ever seen. Outside of it floating, a shock in it of itself, the crystal was fifty meters long, and about thirty meters wide at its largest point. The width tapered down closer to the tip creating an inverse diamond shape, hiding much of its surface. Marcus tried to rise but was held firmly in place by restraints, and even his magic wouldn¡¯t respond. What had carried him here? Hadn¡¯t he killed all the kobolds in the dungeon? But then he remembered, the message had been specific in saying all combatants had been wiped out, not everything. Fortunately, it didn¡¯t take long to get his answer and what had captured Marcus was NOT a kobold.
Azarti, Keeper of Knowledge, Bastion of the Lost ¨C Level. ????? | Type: Crystal-Forged Naga | Azarti began his life as a Guardian Naga, a sub-species known for protecting treasure, important locations, lore, and magical devices. Naga¡¯s are functionally immortal and will revive outside of extreme cases. Of the Crystal-Forged variety, Azarti is the last known survivor, and even now seeks to revive his lost culture.
A gigantic snake-like being dropped from the crystal floating in with a boom. Azarti was 12 meters long, the thickness of a tree, and covered in crystal scales. Unlike the kobolds whose growths had been random, these scales weren¡¯t misshapen, no, they were molded or had grown naturally somehow. He, as showed by the status, also possessed a humanoid face, certainly not humanlike, but it did have eyes, a nose, and a mouth ¨C like its body, much of it was covered in scales. ¡°Ah, good, you¡¯ve at least learned to read status information ¨C that will save us much time,¡± boomed out of voice brooking no questions. ¡°I will answer three, and only three of your questions before we will need to move on to more important matters.¡± Marcus was afraid, but relaxed after having read Crystal-Forged, meaning they shared something in common - maybe he would survive. The Naga¡¯s status had hinted at several answers he''d been searching for, but Marcus would remain patient for now and ask his three questions. ¡°This dungeon, where did it come from? Why here? This cave is clearly unnatural, not to mention for being an advanced dungeon, I, a complete novice, cleared it alone in under a day!¡± ¡°I should make this take up two, but with future cooperation in mind I¡¯ll answer both. Firstly, this dungeon''s level was artificially inflated because of my presence; normally kobolds are only found in Common dungeons. Furthermore, dungeons come in two varieties, natural or artificial ¨C simple. Natural dungeons form over time as local flora or fauna group together, causing mana density to further increase; often taking the form of the environment, be it a cave, an area of ocean, or in extreme cases, the sky. Artificial dungeons cover effectively everything else; sometimes a civilization will mimic natural dungeons so that various conditions can be controlled and predictable. For example, they could alter levels, trap layouts, and much more. With that said, in these types of dungeons the System is much less generous when giving out rewards. As for why here on Earth, I was simply given an opportunity to move the dungeon here from another world by the System as a way to populate various areas - call it a hunch if it makes you feel better." Marcus began to speak but was quickly cut off, ¡°The ¡®Crystalline Stronghold¡¯, as labeled by the System is artificial, and serves a much greater purpose, one that I¡¯ll explain once we¡¯re done with your questions. Happy?¡± ¡°Fine,¡± Marcus said indignantly, ¡°What purpose did the Kobolds serve here? Why did the crystals affect them so much differently than me?¡± He paused or a moment, ¡°For my last question, why do we share part of a race?¡± ¡°It¡¯s complicated. Wait don¡¯t get irate give me a moment! The Crystalline ¡®Infection¡¯ as you call it is so much more than you¡¯d ever believe. The kobolds served a grisly purpose, one that I¡¯m not proud of. I had lured them into these caverns promising much, but for the sake of my brothers there was no choice. They acted as experimental subjects, providing invaluable data so that I could solve my races greatest threat. I used them in the manner humans use mice, but the process twists them, makes them wrong,¡± he finished. ¡°Those tests concluded, having failed after I had been too late¡­much too late to save anyone. I entered stasis to avoid the guilt of failing so many but remained aware of my surroundings. I¡¯ve been defending this dungeon, waiting for an opportunity the past 5 millennia, leaving me with nothing but time to scheme."Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°Before going further, I need to explain what the System is, or rather what everyone believes it to be. The System is a neutral arbiter whose goal, at least on the surface, is to prevent entropy over all creation. System influence spreads slowly over time, converting new worlds and awakening them to mana. Before the current regime took over, new planets would be given forewarning and aid to ease the transition, but now, the Grand Hegemony uses these new planets, absorbing resources, talent, and finally death. Only one known flaw exists with the System, those with enough power can ¡®nudge¡¯ it in certain ways for their own gain. Your current rulers, ¡®The Grand Hegemony¡¯ rose to power by abusing that weakness, bullying their way to supremacy,¡± he finished, continuing to observe Marcus¡¯s reaction, ¡°Good, I can see your rage, that makes the next part easier.¡± ¡°What do you mean? Did those same pricks target you too?¡± Marcus said. ¡°The very same. They somehow - with the answer still alluding me, -managed to ¡®nudge¡¯ the System into classifying the crystals flowing through our veins as an infection!¡± he spat. Azarti continued, ¡°The very same Crystals that now run through your veins, twisted, killed, and corrupted everyone that possessed even one. Before, the crystals had been at the apex of magic theory, single handedly ending mundane disease, cancer, and infection. We¡¯d been a united people, composed of many diverse races, but brought together by magic. For millions of years it had been an honor to be allowed access; the crystals could be manipulated, turned into weapons, and more, thus the method of their creation wasn¡¯t spread without serious need. Of course, many took grievance after being denied, and because of that jealousy, entire planets, gone, wiped out.¡± Coughing awkwardly, ¡°If everyone died, how are you still here?¡± Marcus interjected. ¡°I simply used the same method they had, nudging the System into making me a ¡®dungeon boss¡¯ and turning a village into my lair. Even now if I were to step outside, only a gruesome death would await me. That very same fate would have been yours, but somehow the system granted you a path, something that in this history of my...our people hadn¡¯t ever been seen. I¡¯m still not sure if it was just luck, or maybe a mutation after being left in the kobolds for thousands of years.¡± Azarti lowered its head until their eyes met, ¡°Neglect has made our foe comfortable, sure of their authority, but together we¡¯ll make them burn.¡± ¡°So, what¡¯s our first step¡­ comrade, but before that what¡¯s behind the big doors outside?¡± Marcus said unsurely, gaining some confidence at the end. ¡°HA, at least you aren¡¯t trembling at my appearance! Franky you¡¯re too weak to do anything of import, for now you need to venture out into your world and bring people back here. The crystal above you isn¡¯t just a fancy light, it contains the sum of knowledge our people once possessed. Our peoples share a saying ¡®Knowledge is power¡¯, and with it, we will catalyze change, spring-boarding humanity into the future; not only to survive, but to thrive.¡± ¡°As for the door, that¡¯s something that would be easier shown than explained, follow me, oh and sorry for the restraints, I didn¡¯t want you to try to run once you saw me; many newly integrated races fear that which is alien to themselves.¡± With a click Marcus¡¯s restraints released him and he began to follow the giant snake man; certainly not something he¡¯d have never humored happening. As they ascended the stairs another question stumbled out of his mouth, ¡°We must be under the largest building in town that I¡¯d seen before, when I was outside the smell of burning corpses seemed to flood the air, where did that suddenly disappear to?¡± Marcus could swear Azarti would be rubbing the back of his head right now if he had hands as he answered, ¡°Ah, about that. It was a ward I placed long ago to dissuade the kobolds from bothering me. My nature makes it hard for me to kill for no reason so instead of doing that to the kobolds, I used a ward. That specific spell shows everything within range various images, smells, and sounds to drive them away. I hope it didn¡¯t affect you too much.¡± Marcus just glared at the serpent, not saying a word before he continued to walk. Holding a grudge with something that was over level 10,000 wasn¡¯t a good idea. That was something else he¡¯d figured out now, the number of question marks indicated the number of digits in a creature¡¯s level; with that said, the threshold for seeing exact levels remained a mystery. Once they reached the door after minutes of walking or slithering in the case of Azarti, the latter turned around, ¡°What I¡¯m about to show you is something you must never tell a soul exists. I only show you this secret as a show of how genuinely I wish to work with you, not to mention I will also require help in completing it.¡± With his last words, bright lines of unreadable text began to light up the entire doorway, shortly after it began to open. Stepping through the doorway was surreal, a curtain of pure black separated each room, but what laid on the other side was simply incredible. A gargantuan machine for lack of a better word stood in the room. It was 150 meters tall and wide, completely symmetrical in that aspect. Eight rings of an unknown metal etched with the same script the door had held, stood dormant, surrounding a core. The core itself was mirror smooth and appeared to be comprised of various gemstones. With his Elemental Sight activated he would observe various types of mana flowing into the core, radiating the most intense aura he¡¯d ever seen. ¡°What in gods name is this thing?¡± Marcus asked. ¡°Just inspect it for yourself, I can¡¯t do it justice.¡±
Incomplete Gemstone Mythallar ¨C Mythallars are forbidden level constructs of limitless power. Allows for titanic amounts of mana to be siphoned from the Aether and used to drive massive spell constructs. This construction is incomplete, requiring massive amounts of resources. Fortunately, large amounts of the Enchanting and Runescript have been completed, leaving only minor details to be finalized ¨C minor is relative in this aspect, still requires high proficiency to complete. System monitoring is in effect, unqualified users will not be allowed to interface or modify this object.
¡°So how do I learn Enchanting and Runescript?¡± Marcus said excitedly. ¡°I thought you¡¯d never ask,¡± Azarti responded cheekily. Chapter 11 - Light ¡°To begin, Enchanting focuses on imbuing objects with traits and abilities. At its lower levels things such as enhanced fire magic, and mana control are your primary enchants. Once you reach advanced stages and beyond the effects are only limited by knowledge, materials, and an items capacity. Item capacity is an objects ability to contain mana. Many factors contribute to its total, but primarily item quality, materials used, and an enchanter¡¯s skill, are by far the most important,¡± taking a breath Azarti continued. ¡°Runecrafting on the other hand is more personal. They can be used to argument your spells, abilities, and in some cases ¨C passive effects. Before you leave, I¡¯ll give create a primer on both, so that you can study them when you have time; once you¡¯ve finished each, the basic ability should be granted. Furthermore, I couldn¡¯t see much of your fighting, at least not directly. Care to give me a demonstration?¡± ¡°Sure, I don¡¯t mind. Where should I aim?¡±, Marcus replied. ¡°Aim for me if you will, no sense in making a mess,¡± Azarti casually replied. Figuring the giant Naga knew what he was doing, Marcus began to cast Scorching Rays. As he was preparing the spell, he missed Azarti eyes widen for a moment imperceptivity. Discharging the spells, they hammered into his reinforced scales, dissipating after inflicting no damage. ¡°Stop wait a moment, when did you learn to use mana? Typically, new races require their first class to discover mana, let alone specific elemental dispositions!¡± ¡°I..I felt an ocean of power the moment Integration occurred. Time felt halted somehow, and during that moment I heard a call; the call beckoned me to listen, and I did. At the same time, I unconsciously channeled fire aspected mana back into myself - miraculously healing my severe wounds. I¡¯m not sure if you know what an airplane is, but it¡¯s a flying vehicle; I had been inside of one when Integration began and that very same plane crashed; and if not for that healing, I¡¯d be dead,¡± Marcus morosely finished. ¡°Fascinating, I¡¯ve only heard of that kind of awakening from vague texts. I¡¯m very interested at what other paths open to you soon.¡± ¡°Wait before you continue drooling over something I don¡¯t even understand, why haven¡¯t I unlocked any other paths? I¡¯ve been expecting something like Pyromancy or Terramancy after all of my spell use, what gives?¡±, Marcus finished hopefully. ¡°Simple, typically, paths and classes become available after one full day has passed in normal time. Afterwards, classes evolve over time, adapting to how you develop. Oh yes, another important note I forgot to mention; time flows faster inside dungeons. Only several hours have passed outside, it should be dawn soon I believe, so no need to fret.¡± Azarti dismissively said before continuing, ¡°The System provided little information after placing my dungeon here, but I do know we¡¯re near a city called, Purgatory. I¡¯d like to prepare some basic supplies and the promised primers before you go. Any further questions? If not I¡¯ll begin getting things ready,¡± Azari said. ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. What you¡¯ve just told me changes my plans considerably. I had assumed I would be too late and too far to rescue anyone I knew. Purgatory is a resort several hundred miles from my home, but with my new physique the distance can be covered much faster than before; maybe I¡¯ll even discover a spell for my trip. While you get everything together, I¡¯m going to sort out my status - thanks for everything; truly, everything you¡¯ve told me is invaluable,¡± Marcus sincerely declared. Curtly nodding, Azarti moved out of the Mythallar chamber leaving Marcus to resolve his status. [Level Up + 7 (+2 First Clear Bonus) Total: 9] (U)Mana Manipulation + 5 (U)Elemental Manipulation + 5 (U)Elemental Sight + 4 (U)Scorching Ray + 12 ?Tendrils of Earth + 1 ?Mage Light + 1 (U)Mineral Synthesis + 4 ?Inorganic Fabrication + 11 ?Basic Melee Fighting + 10 New Miscellaneous Skill gained ¨C ? Trap Making ¨C Level. 1->4 | Traps cover a wide variety of prepared attacks or terrain modifications. Common traps include pitfalls, dart traps, and nets. Increased levels make preparing traps faster and harder to detect. New Miscellaneous Skill gained ¨C ? Improvised Explosives ¨C Level. 1->6 | Explosives are an art of controlled destruction, but often don¡¯t distinguish between friend and foe ¨C beware. Increased levels allow progressively more complex devices and effects. In addition to skill gains he¡¯d also received forty-five free attribute points for leveling up. Marcus continued his trend of grabbing low level bonuses by adding thirty-five points into agility, hitting fifty; the remainder were placed into strength bringing the attribute closer to the first breakpoint.
Swift as the wind enemies chase naught but shadows in your passing. Nimbly moving through the environment becomes second nature, increasing maximum movement acceleration. Evading foes begins to become route habit, ? Dodge gained.
New Miscellaneous Skill gained ¨C ? Dodge ¨C Level. 1 | Avoiding blows is key for survival against overwhelming force. Dodging allows for rapid repositioning at the cost of stamina consumption. Increased levels reduce cost; effectiveness is heavily influenced by attributes. Marcus felt amazing; this had been by far the largest influx of attributes he¡¯d ever experienced. ¡°The System must artificially make sensations derived from growth addicting, driving people to further improve themselves. It appears relatively harmless, but I can already see people dying to chase this feeling.¡± Marcus basked in the experience - after another minute it was over. A sense of loss flashed over him, ¡°Yep, definitely habit forming, but why not? After risking life and limb why not receive a temporary award?¡± he spoke aloud to himself. Giving his status one last look over, Marcus closed it as Azarti reappeared.
Name: Marcus Diamandis Level - 18 Class - None
Health: 1110/1110 Regeneration 11.1/Minute 1.2 x Multiplier
Stamina: 800/800 Regeneration 115/Minute 1.0 x Multiplier
Mana: 1500/1500 Regeneration 214/Minute 1.2 x Multiplier
Free Attributes: 0 Path Points: 68 Race: Crystal Forged Human
Movement Speed Multipliers Casting Speed Multipliers Damage Multipliers
5% 10% 0%
Basic Statistics Total
Strength 45
Constitution Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. 70
Agility 50
Perception 106
Intelligence 125
Wisdom 107
Charisma 9
Luck 10
Azarti looked over Marcus before nodding, ¡°It¡¯ll have to do for now, don¡¯t worry about the Level-up high, it become tolerable as your body adapts. I won¡¯t try to stop you from risking your life to save others, in-fact it confirms I made the right choice by taking you in. With that said I implore you to be cautious; don¡¯t attempt something out of your league ¨C please be patient and choose your first class beforehand. With that in mind have you made a decision on what you may work towards?¡± ¡°My progress is driving me towards a path focused on Offensive Casting with supportive magic. I really need something to act as buffer between myself and hostiles; In that aspect I was hoping for either barrier spells, or if they exist, summons. Speaking of summons, do they exist, and if they do, how do they function?¡± Marcus asked. ¡°Yes, on both accounts ¨C for barrier magic I unfortunately can¡¯t tell you much, it was never my forte; while you¡¯re gone, I¡¯ll search the archive for more information. Summoning on the other hand is¡­complex. From my understanding it requires several steps, starting with molding mana into the desired shape of the creature if you want something specific. Otherwise that same step can be left up to chance by leaving the mana unshaped. The second step, for both types, is to imbue the mana with an aspect or aspects. Careful, when you attempt this step, you need to avoid adding contrasted elemental combinations such as Fire to Water; the resulting summon is often unstable,¡± Azarti said with scholarly air about him. ¡°More priceless advice, I¡¯ll keep it in mind when I make my attempts,¡± Marcus announced. ¡°I¡¯ve gathered everything, are you ready to leave?¡± the Naga said. Following the question to Marcus¡¯s surprise, a stuffed rucksack appeared in front of him; looking from the bag to Azarti he asked, ¡°How?¡± ¡°Magic of course, you¡¯ll need to study abstract elements for it to work, which takes time. Something you¡¯ve repeatedly mentioned couldn¡¯t be spared, ¡°Azarti said in a self-satisfied manner. ¡°Fine keep your secrets,¡± Marcus laughed aloud, ¡°I¡¯ll pick your brain empty eventually.¡± ¡°Haha, I¡¯m sure you will in time,¡± Azarti paused, ¡°Unfortunately, you¡¯ve likely noticed your spear is missing; whatever you did destroyed it completely - not even dust remained. Buuuut, I took a little time to shape something appropriate for you. It¡¯s not much, I was never a creator, nor do I possess any exceptional materials, but it¡¯ll work for now,¡± Azarti smirked. The weapon appeared identically as the rucksack had, grabbing it from the air Marcus looked it over. Azarti was assuredly downplaying his skills, the stave was beautiful. It was made of the same grey/black granite composite he¡¯d originally used for his spear, but that¡¯s where the similarities ended. Nearly 2.5 meters long and threaded with a silver substance intertwined with crystal it looked like a mage¡¯s weapon. The two materials entwined its length before weaving around an amethyst gemstone set near the end. The gem glittered brilliantly, tying the piece together ¨C of course he inspected it.
Adept Mage¡¯s Warstaff ¨C A finely crafted weapon comprised of sub-optimal materials, but Masterfully molded to the extreme. Silver alloy acts as a focus while being held - spells cast through this medium more powerful and efficient. Manastone functions as a capacitor, which can be discharged at will to boost spells. Arcane reinforcements elevate durability far beyond normal standards, hardening the staff for melee combat.
  • +150 Mana
  • Adds 1.5 x Modifier to Mana Regeneration (Applies after other bonuses)
  • Capacitor Discharge (1500/1500) ¨C Enhances next spell at the cost of 500 stored mana per instance.
¡°I¡¯d kiss you if I could reach your face you magnificent bastard!¡± Marcus shouted after reading what his new weapon could do. ¡°You¡¯re most welcome, but let¡¯s avoid kissing ¨C we¡¯ve only just met,¡± Azarti dead panned before cracking a small smile, ¡°I¡¯ve done what I can, the rest is up to you. Good luck, and safe travels.¡± Marcus didn¡¯t further drag the conversation out - shouldering his rucksack he began to backtrack through the dungeon. Azarti watched Marcus leave forlornly, he already missed the sound of conversation. He¡¯d told Marcus a partial lie about how long he had been inside the dungeon. Five-thousand years indeed had passed - outside that is. The total time wasted in this prison totaled exactly 20,429 years, with each additional second pressuring at Azarti¡¯s mind. Whispering, "I''d have told you more Marcus, but knowledge comes with a price. Telling you about paths or classes would''ve opened many doors for you, while utterly barring others shut. I, no, we, need you to grow powerful; for you to reach that peak taking shortcuts won''t do," Azarti paused, ¡°Soon my brothers, soon. I finally found the one I¡¯ve been searching for.¡± The trek through the dungeon was much more peaceful, and if it wasn¡¯t for the darkness, would¡¯ve been pleasant. Marcus had long since retrieved food and water from his pack which he continuously snacked on as he walked. Reaching the entrance an hour later uncovered a familiar scene. Rubble continued blocking the exit, but it wasn¡¯t an issue now; Stone Shape was much more powerful. Light broke through into the tunnel sometime later, followed by fresh air. Stepping outside Marcus was able to witness an idyllic sunrise before finding his bearings, heading North-West towards Denver; hopefully he wouldn¡¯t be too late. Ancient pines lined the trail providing shade, but also a sense of safety. Forests used to amalgamations of natural wonders, containing rich ecosystems, and mostly they still were. Marked trails filled natural parks, pre-Integration they provided locations for people to visit nature without getting lost while also making the hike much easier by having a cleared route. Marcus was following one such trail and setting a much better pace than he would have otherwise. Hiking through heavily forested areas had been dangerous before monsters started populating them, not to mention now. And while Marcus believed he could handle himself; he wasn¡¯t strong enough to be careless. True beasts roamed the area now, things such as Forest Wyverns would still slaughter him with little effort. If Marcus could maintain his current pace, he¡¯d reach Denver within two days; a blistering speed for traveling on foot. Taking a break to let his stamina regenerate provided time for experimentation; primarily on summoning. The cycle of jogging, rest, and practice repeated for hours, for the most part nothing had attacked him; maybe they could sense his strength and avoided him instead? Marcus certainly wasn¡¯t one to complain about good fortune, but as night began to near, shelter was once again in short supply. Searching for a good location to sleep yielded nothing, so with no other choice he¡¯d have to build his own. His trail had been following a rock face, providing amble space for construction. Marcus wouldn¡¯t need much room to rest; no need to get fancy for temporary shelter. Eventually he chose to mold a 6x6x3 meter room into the cliff face, decision made, mana flowed from him as Stone Shape shifted parts of the mountain aside. With the displaced resources he blocked the trail hopefully dissuading beasts from coming near. Furthermore, Marcus sealed the entrance behind himself ¨C leaving several openings for ventilation. One-meter deep was sufficient for his purposes, and he began to mold outwards. After finishing the room, he laid out supplies for the night and began to practice. Creating mana constructs for summoning purposes felt impossible. All day he¡¯d been hammering at the problem making progress, albeit slowly. Marcus had tried using ¡®strings¡¯ and ¡®nets¡¯ of mana, but neither could sustain itself for very long. Nets of mana formed vague shapes he could observe with Mana Sight, they¡¯d form correctly, but mana continued escaping from loose ends too fast for him to complete anything. So far, he¡¯d also tried bundles, squares, and other 3D shapes with no luck ¨C he was missing something crucial. Letting power flow outside of himself once again, another attempt began. Many tries later, Marcus spoke aloud, ¡°Maybe instead of three dimension I use two? Forming the entire summon of one mass with my level of mana control isn¡¯t feasible. Perhaps I should consider using small pieces applied to a wireframe model as a kind of ¡®skin¡¯ to hold everything together,¡± he shrugged, ¡°Can¡¯t hurt to try.¡± Turns out if very much CAN hurt to try. On the first attempt the model had imploded, throwing Marcus into a wall, but he¡¯d make more progress. ¡°Alright the underlying principle works, I just need to apply supplementary mana on the wireframe skeleton, so that its integrity remains stable. Let¡¯s just try again.¡± A familiar scene repeated itself, mana filled the air momentarily before immediately being siphoned away to a solidifying mana construct. Empty limbs coagulated first, followed by its torso and finally a head. Sheets of skin-like mana began to cover the wireframe, further strengthening the creation - soon thereafter his mana hit empty, but by drawing on his staffs reserves he was barely able to finish. Marcus¡¯s passive regeneration sustained the lifeless creature, while additionally slowly refilling his Mana pool. The entire thing glowed in Marcus¡¯s Mana Sight, ready for the final process. ¡°According to Azarti, the next step involves introducing an aspect to the molded mana construct. Should I go with Fire aspect or Earth aspect? Wait who am I kidding, if this works, I¡¯ll end up making more than one. For now, Earth is safer to start with; much less likely to spontaneously combust.¡± Earth Aspected mana began to convert the model, creating distinct features in its passing. Light flooded the sealed room, preventing Marcus from directly observing the progression, but he never stopped fueling the alteration. With a burst of inspiration as the process neared its end after several minutes, Marcus activated Capacitor Discharge, and with a final wumph the light faded leaving behind something incredible. He could only read its name before continuing to stare: Quartz-Plated Ursine. Chapter 12 - Path to being Classy Perhaps creating summons in an enclosed space had been poor judgement, but the results far exceeded expectations. Marcus couldn¡¯t have imagined that he¡¯d be able to magic up a bear; not to mention one covered in quartz plating. The bear, or rather Quartz-Plated Ursine, stood 1.5 meters tall at the shoulder, and was an astounding 2 meters long. He had no way to tell how heavy it was, but most bears weighed in the ballpark of 280 kilograms ¨C without being covered in natural armor. Large sections of smokey quartz covered much of it''s body, but was thickest around the chest and head areas. Quartz is a relatively hard mineral; without blunt weapons it would be difficult to bring the beast down. He¡¯d felt an innate connection with the creature from the moment it came into existence, therefore, Marcus felt no fear; if anything, he was elated. Finding his once adequately sized shelter now insufficient he began to expand the room to fit the new addition. Before there hadn¡¯t been a need to create anything so large, but now space was much too cramped for his tastes. On the bright side, they would become crucial stopping points for other survivors headed back to the mountain; or at least that was the idea. Marcus soon lost himself in a shaping frenzy as he continually expanded the cavern network. His initial 6x6x3 meter hovel had now doubled in size, but he wasn¡¯t even done yet. Rooms began to be segmented off from the main gathering area, each the size of the original space and contained raised platforms for bedding materials. Doors wouldn¡¯t be possible, at least for now because molding small pieces remained beyond his skill; although he did form the doorways for later. In the end Marcus was left with 150 square meters of space, about the size of a medium-sized, single-story home. During the process of Stone Shaping what he was now calling an outpost, he¡¯d discovered reinforcement of his constructions was possible by using the excess material generated during the procedure. Which was certainly fortunate, not only did it reduce the chances of collapse, but because otherwise he¡¯d have had to shove it all outside instead. All-in-all, two hours had passed, but for future peace of mind it was a bargain. Eventually Marcus returned to the main area where his summon remained completely still ¨C likely awaiting instructions. Mildly embarrassed that he¡¯d lost track of his objective so easily, he used the opportunity to inspect the construct.
Quartz-Plated Ursine | Level: 12 | Type: Artificial Mana Construct | Mana Constructs are artificial duplications that are characteristically larger, smarter, and more durable than their natural counterparts. Artificial creatures summoned through mana take on unique features depending on aspect type used during creation. Quartz-Plated Ursine embodies earth aspect characteristics, which included heavily increased armor, and Constitution. -Created by amateur summoner, Marcus Diamandis.
Strangely enough he hadn¡¯t received any new notifications when he had summoned the bear. Either the summon was incomplete or he¡¯d messed up somehow; nothing stood out until Marcus tried issuing commands. Once directed to move forward the Ursine did as told until it hit a wall. What wasn¡¯t intended was for it to continue pressing into the wall to such an extent that clawed paws began to rip stone floors apart. Marcus told it to halt, before starting to ponder the reason for it being stupid rather than what the information had stated regarding its mental acuity. At least for the time being, his Ursine would function as a mount; if anything, its physical standard was up to snuff. While fighting the kobolds he¡¯d discovered that shaping any part of their body was impossible, at least while they remained alive that is. Marcus was curious to see if it would be feasible on a summon because he had been the creator. Stone Shape proved to not work, but Inorganic Fabrication did the trick, and shortly thereafter a groove appeared on its back; perfect for sitting in. Earth would soon end its first day of Integration, and with it the introduction of not only paths, but classes. Marcus had no idea what he¡¯d end up with - likely something related to magic at the very least. Exhausted after not only a day of travel, but bluntly a ridiculous amount of Stone Shaping - he fell asleep.
Marcus awoke in another place, devoid of any defining characteristics, utterly blank. Color didn¡¯t necessarily exist here either, endless expanses of white or black had been the clich¨¦, but the space just lacked any substance. Before he could further reflect on his location, a notification appeared; thankfully it seemed to explain the situation.
Congratulations on surviving your first day of Integration, and welcome to initial Class selection. You will be prompted with a list of options detailing various Classes you may choose. These opportunities are born out of a consolidation of your past accomplishments, deeds, and suitably after the last 24 hours, combat aptitude. Fear not, struggle is not the only path to exaltation, options do exist for other professions. Chosen Rites are consumed by class selection, and similarly to Rites are irrevocable.
Classes Available:
  • ?Novice Warrior ¨C Primarily melee specialists focused on the use of martial prowess. Bonus: Weapon Skills and Abilities improve at double normal rate. Primary Attributes: (Strength, Constitution, and Agility)
  • ?Novice Mage ¨C Arcane casters of the lowest order, weakly manipulate basic elemental forces. Bonus: Manipulation Skills and Abilities improve at double normal rate. Primary Attributes: (Intelligence, Wisdom, and Perception)
  • ?Apprentice Engineer ¨C Moderately skilled builder lacking any specific expertise; extremely useful for building ordinary structures. Bonus: Constructions overseen posses elevated quality. Primary Attributes: (Intelligence, Perception, Luck)
  • (U)Novice Magi-Tech Engineer ¨C Quasi-magical craftsman who combine mundane and magical materials by utilizing techniques of both specialties. Bonus: Item Capacity of created items greatly increased. Primary Attributes: (Intelligence, Wisdom, Perception, Luck)
  • (U)Terramancer ¨C Arcane casters focused singularly on Earth aspect manipulation; often specialize further into offensive, defensive, or supportive specialties. Bonus: Skill in manipulation of Earth aspect mana improves at double normal rate. Primary Attributes: (Intelligence, Wisdom, Perception, Constitution)
  • (U)Pyromancer - Arcane casters focused singularly on Fire aspect manipulation; often specialize further into offensive, defensive, or supportive specialties. Bonus: Skill in manipulation of Fire aspect mana improves at double normal rate. Primary Attributes: (Intelligence, Wisdom, Perception, Charisma)
  • (S)Apprentice Matter Reshaper ¨C Exceptionally rare are those who stretch, prod, and shape the fundamental building blocks of inorganic matter. Often possesses extensive understanding of numerous mana aspects, bending each to their will, in, and out, of combat. Each of these spellcasters are unique; one may forge weapons of war, altering the very molecular composition of their next masterpiece - while another warps environments to their whim, altering geography moment to moment. Bonus: Manipulation skills of all types outside of metaphysical concepts improve at double normal rate. Primary Attributes: (Intelligence, Wisdom, Perception, and Constitution)
Marcus immediately discarded the first two options; he had no desire to become a warrior or run of the mill mage. Those two novice classes would become extremely common very soon as their requirements had likely just been to survive - something he¡¯d far exceed; no need to follow others. His third and fourth choices gave him some amount of heartache, they were clearly influenced by his past as an engineer. While useful in their own spheres of influence, he¡¯d already decided his path forward and it was going to be an active one. Building impenetrable defenses would be incredible, but also a long-term goal with heavy expense on resources. Besides, Marcus couldn¡¯t save people hiding behind the safety of walls, no, he¡¯d have to venture beyond them.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Terramancer and Pyromancer were two flavors of the same class. The former focused on earth, the latter fire, and while they had been key parts of his survival thus far, even now he only possessed a handful of spells within their boundaries; making them unappealing. As he¡¯d been going along, class rarity had steadily increased along with complexity. The final choice continued that trend, and was well worth the wait; even the System had left the best for last. Outside of casting Scorching Ray and Tendrils of Earth, another class of spells had been exploited on a much larger scale - shaping. Stone Shape, Inorganic Fabrication, and Mineral Synthesis had been cornerstones of his journey, not to mention his new physique. Crystals were now a fundamental part of himself, and this class showed it. Not only had his path as a Crystal Lord been a factor, but also his new understanding of what it meant to carry a legacy within himself. Even if he chose to ignore everything else the class had skipped past Rare into Special; assuming classes followed the same grading system as Dungeons. Considering everything thus far, logic would dictate that rarity determined overall power level ¨C bluntly meaning it would be stupid to take anything else. Saying that could lead someone to believe Marcus didn¡¯t want this class, he most certainly did. Not only did it strengthen his ability to create but hinted at opportunities to do much more. On that note, Azarti himself had made it clear how much potential lay within pursuing this avenue, and after further consideration finalized his selection.
Class Apprentice Matter Reshapter chosen. Rite of the Arcane detected, fusion commenced¡­Complete. Calculating skill progress¡­Complete. Final alterations in progress¡­Complete.
Initial class selection has concluded, you will shortly regain consciousness in your last location. Continue to exalt yourself and limitless rewards shall be bequeathed up thee!
Marcus once again came to inside his outpost, and for several long seconds just elected to exist. After having gathered his thoughts once more, he braced and opened his status; immediately becoming overwhelmed. [New Class assigned: Apprentice Matter Reshaper] [Rite of the Arcane becomes Rite of the Manipulator ¨C (+6 Intelligence, Wisdom, Perception per level, +2 Constitution per level.) Changes are NOT retroactive.] Spell Synthesis Detected ¨C ?Inorganic Fabrication and (U)Stone Shape have fused generating ?Inorganic Shaping. Skill level of each respective spell have combined and assigned to Inorganic Shaping. No new path points are created in this process. Spell Mutation Detected ¨C (U) Mineral Synthesis has mutated due to class changes becoming (U) Mineral Purification. All skill levels remain unchanged. No new path points are created in this process. New Spell Learned ¨C ?Inorganic Shaping ¨C Level. 30 | The earth beneath your feet sings out in beautiful melodies, uncannily synchronized and balanced for individual performances. Each discrete sound represents something new, and unquestionably unique. Allows for the molding, manipulation, and identification of naturally occurring inorganic matter. Examples include: Stone, metals, crystals, etc., Spell levels reduce mana consumption, raise efficiency, and at higher levels, allow fabrication of hybrid substances. New Spell Learned ¨C (U) Mineral Purification ¨C Level. 13 | Many attempt searching for the highest quality ores and natural resources, each perfect from their inception. Rather than endlessly hunt them, you instead create by gathering smaller, imperfect pieces, to forge a greater whole. Allows merging of materials sharing the same type ¨C while in the process removing impurities from each sample; creating purer substances at the cost of mass. Increased levels allow for the purification and aggregation of higher quality resources. ¡°Well that¡¯s unexpected, I didn¡¯t know it was even possible for spells to combine. In any case, both are just straight upgrades to each effect, so no harm no foul I¡¯d say. Fortunately, I don¡¯t need to look through the entire status page, none of my attributes have changed directly, but I¡¯m receive twenty attributes instead of fifteen per level now with this new Rite.¡± Marcus rambled aloud. ¡°Ah crap why did I even say anything¡­I nearly forgot about paths opening up too.¡± With a sigh he paged over to the paths screen. Armed Combat ¨C (0/50), Beginners Path ¨C (0/25), Crystalline Bones ¨C (0/200), Earth Aspect ¨C (0/50), Fire Aspect ¨C (0/50), Light Aspect ¨C (0/100), Magus ¨C (0/50), Mana Molding ¨C (0/100), Void Aspect ¨C (0/100) Marcus suppressed an urge to scream, why oh why had he complained about not having path options! Now he was sickly with choice, every path listed was appealing, outside of maybe Armed Combat. He¡¯d evidently need to prioritize, otherwise none of these would ever get finished. In addition, if Crystalline Bones set the trend, earlier path investments would unlock further options later. He promised himself he¡¯d pick up a ton of random skills to farm path points -at least until he found the limit of how many were allowed. Marcus only had sixty-eight PP, leaving him with several options he could finish immediately. First, he removed anything that cost more than fifty points eliminating everything but, Fire Aspect, Earth Aspect, Magus, and the Beginners Path. Of those he knocked off the last on the list, leaving him with the aspects and Magus to choose from. Each aspect would either make manipulating its mana type easier, teach him new spells, and of course increase attributes. Magus on the other hand felt more open ended and all-purpose. Thinking on it, Marcus HAD been trying to build a stable foundation before specializing too hard, making the option more appealing. Mulling it over for a bit, Marcus decided to finish the Magus path now. Primarily because any effects would more than likely be positive, and to also get an idea of what paths that weren¡¯t related to the Crystal heritage functioned. Every ten points added an additional three Intelligence, two Wisdom, and finally one Charisma of all things; totaling out to fifteen, ten, and five of each attribute respectively. At fifty nothing happened other than a new path being added to the list, plainly called Magus II ¨C (0/100) and followed the addition he received another cryptical notification.
Mana bubbles in your veins, fueling acts of arcane might. Never underestimate the power of willpower, an experienced Magus can turn the tides of battle by force of will alone ¨C enacting change through the Aether itself. Further study is required to master the art of mana, are you prepared for the long journey ahead?
¡°Do I continue dumping PP into Magus or do I revisit the aspects? Who knows how bad it is in Denver and that path could end up just lengthening once again¡­? I need something more concrete. With my new class Earth Aspect is likely my best bet if I want immediate gains. Fuck it, its random chance either way, aspect it is.¡± Marcus said. He added his remaining PP,18, into Earth Aspect and received absolutely nothing, not even attributes. Cursing at his luck, Marcus could do nothing but become frustrated. ¡°I¡¯ll just need to gamble on the reward upon completion. I¡¯ve already committed to it, no sense in stopping now. You know it was quite rude of them to wake me up for this, but whatever, I need to rest and reset for tomorrow,¡± he grumbled. Lying down Marcus quickly fell asleep once again, mildly anxious, but also excited for what the next day held.
Other than class selection, the night had passed blessedly calm. Sunrise began early around 5am, causing Marcus to rise with it; immediately prompting him to gathering his things. Shortly afterward he began to open his shelter to depart. Immediately he was able to tell the difference between the old spell and new - before the stone had felt like he was forcing himself through molasses, but now stone was a soft clay that parted effortlessly. With his newfound ease the gap opened quickly, allowing both he and his incomplete summon to exit - followed immediately with a resealing of the entryway with a thin layer of stone. Once closed, Marcus added a trail marker and plaque near the door to clearly mark its location for future use. The plaque read: You¡¯ll find safe shelter near this marker - 2 meters to the left lies a thin layer of stone sealing an outpost of my own creation. Inside plenty of safe space exists for large parties; ventilation in the roof for fires is included, but be warned ¨C the smoke will be easily spotted. Be courteous, if you posses the skill reseal this location after use please do so; at the very least conceal it to the best of your abilities. -Marcus Upon finishing up, Marcus mounted the summon, directing it to begin moving. Despite having to constantly tweak the path of his impromptu steed, he was moving at an average speed of 30 mph, rapidly eating at the distance to his destination. By the early-afternoon Marcus could spot Denver on the horizon ¨C it was burning. Chapter 13 - City in Flames Smoke filled the entirety of the horizon, blotting out an otherwise clear sky. Bitter odors reached his senses despite being numerous kilometers from Denver¡¯s urban center. A once majestic skyline now lay in ruins, continually aflame. Large objects flittered around the high-rises, eerily reminiscent of his previous Forest Wyvern encounter. Driving his mount forward at top speed Marcus would reach the outskirts within half an hour. He¡¯d come back to his hometown to get friends, family, and coworkers out. Sure, work life had been rough, but for the most part rank and file employees had been pleasant if not occasionally supportive. Playing favorites would stain his legacy, and that, in it of itself, could snowball into a trend of discrimination; if they are allies, regardless of race, nothing else mattered.
Aggressive monsters began appearing as Marcus entered suburbia proper. Ruined husks stood where homes had once existed, some appeared to have burned while others had been shattered into splinters. Creatures here in the city had no fear, and unlike their forest brethren rushed him wildly. Each type had its own unique flair, but plain standard beasts could also be found in the wave moving towards him. Of those in the pack, insects contributed by far the most members. Sparing a glace at a random beetle he inspected it.
Pine Beetle ¨C Level. 5 | Type: Insectoid | Common beetle that has undergone massive growth due to power saturation. Possess a thick outer shell acting as natural armor. Mana-Incensed: Driven to aggression by excessive mana concentration in area.
As predicated, native species have already begun to mutate into monstrous deviations. At least their level is much lower than mine, even if their numbers are large, they can¡¯t harm me. For now, let¡¯s see how effective this bear is for trampling crowds. Marcus directed the Ursine to accelerate towards the monsters. Three hundred kilograms consisting of heavily armored and muscled flesh plowed into a high density of monsters inciting a brutal spectacle. Blood, bone and carapace splintered and spilled in his wake, mildly surprising Marcus with how damned strong an incomplete summon could be. Despite its shortcomings the Quartz-Plated Ursine was perfect for crowd control tactics, and within minutes, dozens of creatures had been trampled to death. Minor wounds covered the bear, Marcus infused mana into the construct prompting it to repair itself gradually. If these pack tactics continued to worsen, he¡¯d need to attempt innovative applications of existing spells, or develop new ones. For now, he glanced over his mount - satisfied with the healing results, he continued moving.
Home consisted of a two-bedroom apartment located in the southern suburbs, but before Marcus could even travel a kilometer, he began to hear panicked voices. Jerking his head around he searched for the survivors. An arrow shot out of a nearby window, drilling towards him. Whoever had taken the shot was well practiced, the shot came close, but Marcus was able to reposition his bear to take the attack on its quartz-plating ¨C deflecting it with only a scratch. Yelling out, ¡°Don¡¯t shoot - I¡¯m friendly! No need to act hastily, let¡¯s talk ¡°he hurriedly finished. Just in case the situation further devolved Marcus began to gather mana, preparing for the worst-case scenario. A voice sounded out from the location the last attack originated, ¡°And why on God¡¯s green earth shouldn¡¯t a kill you?! You¡¯re riding a demon!¡± What¡­? They think the monsters are demons. Haven¡¯t any of them bothered to inspect anything ¨C that would clear this right up ¨C probably. ¡°It¡¯s not a demon,¡± Marcus responded, ¡°Do you know how to inspect yet? If not just focus on the bear and you¡¯ll understand.¡± Several seconds stretched into minutes, as whoever, or whomever, had him in their sights discussed something amount themselves. Fortuitously, no longer than five minutes passed before someone emerged from the home. Looking over his new acquaintance, they stood slightly taller than average at 180 cm. The man was heavily-built, stocky, but not fat ¨C they¡¯d either been a gym junkie before Integration, or similarly to Marcus had been boosted by the System. Wearing hunting camouflage, something that would be ineffective in the city - the man stood at like a sore thumb. Otherwise, he sported combat boots, gloves, and a freaking quiver on his back. Arrow nocked, but not drawn, he slowly made his way towards Marcus. For the heck of it Marcus tried inspecting the man ¨C surprising himself when a result appeared.
Jared Wagner ¨C Level. 4 | Class: Ranger
Maintaining some distance, the man asked, ¡°Marcus was it? That¡¯s what your doohickey told me your name was. I assume you already know mine as well, now, care to explain what in the hell is going on?¡± ¡°Yes, Jared, my name is Marcus. The situation in the city, or rather the world is chaotic, to put it simple ¨C Armageddon. Alternatively, it¡¯s called Integration, something you should¡¯ve known through System notifications.¡± ¡°System what¡¯s? Class? I ain¡¯t been in no class since I dun got out of school! You¡¯re speakin¡¯ in tongues boy, betweens you and that bear, a God-fearing man like myself gonna get nervous,¡± Jared rambled on. ¡°Now hold up, you may not believe me, but hard evidence is easy to find. Just picture the word ¡®Status¡¯ and you¡¯ll know what I mean, Jared.¡± Jared remained incredulous briefly before going wide-eyed in disbelief. He attempted speaking, but everything came out as gibberish ¨C his brain too overloaded by shock. If the man was as devout as he¡¯d said, these revelations would certainly test his faith if not sanity.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Marcus continued trying to get his attention for a several minutes before giving up. Either Jared would come to terms with the status quo or he¡¯d die soon, either way it was time to leave. ¡°Look man, the situation is fucked, I won¡¯t lie. Humanity is going to have to adapt, and that includes you. Every man, woman, and child is being forced to face abominations we¡¯ve only seen in fantasy; its madness, but also our new reality. I need to leave now; I¡¯ve got friends and family who live in the city ¨C each second I waste here is another they may perish in. Before leaving I¡¯ll come by here once again for you; if you need to run, do it, but head towards the Purgatory Resort ¨C that¡¯s where I¡¯ll be heading. Good luck, Jared.¡± Marcus finished his quick speech, before directing his Ursine to pick up speed once again. He didn¡¯t want to just leave a man alone to die, but hard choices needed to be made; was his single life worth multitudes of others? Marcus still didn¡¯t know the answer.
Streets blurred by, scenes of destruction repeated ad Infinium ¨C numbing Marcus to it all. He¡¯d expected to see bodies covering the roads, but so far, they¡¯d been missing ¨C he hazarded a guess that many of them were devoured rather than left to rot. Survivors like James were either hidden, or they¡¯d left the city long ago. Not a soul showed themselves as his home appeared in sight - or at least the remains of it. Most monsters had weak enough to be ran over, but what Marcus spotted would be a challenge. The range of inspection continued to lengthen as his Perception sustained growth; from a football field away, he was able to glean information on his new foes.
Deranged Troll Brute ¨C Level 22 | Type: Giant | Trolls hold an innate desire to devour anything they come upon. Trolls will keep prey alive for sport, tormenting them endlessly before being consumed. Brutes are both powerful, and own strong regenerative powers. Mana-Incensed: Driven to aggressive by excessive mana concentration in area.
Rubble provided him little cover; the trolls discovered Marcus at the same time he¡¯d spotted them. Unable to plan for the encounter, he planned to retreat; that was until someone screamed. Marcus wouldn¡¯t have known who was yelling from this distance if not for another quick inspection; it was his neighbor.
[Heather Roth ¨C Level. 0 | Class: Accountant]
¡°Heather hold on I¡¯m coming, don¡¯t draw attention to yourself!¡± he yelled loudly, trying to draw the troll¡¯s ire. ¡°Is that you Marcus? Ple-please help me they¡¯ve been tor- ¡° The voice cut-off suddenly ¨C a troll had grabbed the woman and¡­eaten her. Before he could process what just happened it once again reached down, gathering another person. Crunch. The sound acted like a call to charge ¨C they would be upon him soon. Rage flooded him, heart hammering into step with his potent mana empowering arcane magic. Power coalesced into deadly arrangements, temporary representations of hate. Shouting, Marcus released the spells while activating Capacitor Discharge ¨C further amplifying Scorching Ray¡¯s potency. Rods of flame were upon the trolls within seconds ¨C inflicting heavy damage, but not nearly enough. Tendrils of Earth appeared next, temporarily binding their limbs and halting their forward momentum. Marcus additionally directed his summon to attack them as well - which it did with gusto. If not for its lack of strategy, or sense of self preservation, it¡¯d be perfect; all it needed to do now was buy time. On his trip here he had used every free moment working on an application of shaping ¨C not one to build, but instead destroy. Grasping his staff firmly and with heavy focus, Marcus drew upon Inorganic Shaping ¨C tuning himself to the environment, granting him control of the terrain. Sounds greeted Marcus after bonding to the area, each new frequency spoke its own story. Concentrating on one particular tone, Marcus seized the note, and began flooding mana into it. Mana and Elemental Shaping worked overtime maintain stability over what was forming below his feet. Masses of aspected mana pooled into the unworked ground underneath the roadway forming rough mana constructs; each humming with potency. His experiments with summoning introduced him to several mana shapes, many of them useless, but some had promise. For instance, cones - they had issues holding stability for long, but they¡¯d dump their stored power rapidly into a focused stream; perfect for his current formation. Beads of sweat rolled down Marcus¡¯s face as cones of Earth aspected mana formed one after another. As the cones began to solidify, he was packing each with a charge of Fire aspect mana at their core. Marcus¡¯s mana pool and willpower began to stretch thin after forming a dozen constructs. He fought to maintain each construct, holding them stable for much longer wouldn¡¯t be possible; like a wild animal searched for freedom, his magic wanted to be let go, and as the last of them formed, he granted it. It began as a deep rumble as if the Earth itself was crying out. The paved road cracked and split - releasing magical hell. Spines of stone ripped into the trolls before they could react; each of them speared through by at least one construct apiece. The show didn¡¯t end there, no, now was the fun part. During their construction he¡¯d placed a special core within each cone, and as he said before - they tended to fall apart; which began to happen in spectacular fashion. Each spine released its fiery payload directly into the troll¡¯s massive bodies causing catastrophic damage. Misshapen limbs, grotesque faces, and more began to burn, then melt into disgusting puddles; even their bones blackened before falling apart. Heat continually radiated from the now semi-molten roadway, causing Marcus to back away to avoid burning himself. By the time the stone had cooled nothing remained of the trolls - all eight of them reduced to less than slag. If not for the twenty seconds needed to prepare the spell, he¡¯d be calling BS on what just happened. All said, the spell required specific circumstances to viable, at least until he obtained mastery. For instance, his Tendrils of Earth had delayed them along with his summon, but they¡¯d also run INTO the area of effect of their own free will. Marcus imaged higher level creatures would be able to detect amassing mana and avoid it. Another unfortunate side effect was the loss of his mount; at least it was something he could replace - unlike those he¡¯d seen consumed. Marcus skirted around the affected area, running the remaining distance to his home. The apartment building was mostly intact outside missing its doors ¨C all too likely knocked in by trolls. Other signs of struggle existed, blood and other unmentionables littered the area, but nothing else. Searching the area were the trolls had originated from finally yielded results ¨C survivors. Two-dozen people had been stuffed into an outside maintenance building, leaving them to suffer while stained by their own filth. Marcus was disgusted, but without hesitation began to pull people out ¨C even if they were unwilling at first. ¡°Come on people, lets get you out there. We have much to discuss and I¡¯d like to get each of you somewhere safer ASAP,¡± Marcus tried to say authoritatively. Someone walked up behind him and leaned into his back, ¡°Is that really you Marcus? We thought you were dead, you hadn¡¯t been home, so we feared the worst,¡± a feminine voice said. Marcus turned around, causing his knees to weaken at the sight ¨C he hadn¡¯t been too late. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me. I¡¯m finally home¡­mom,¡± hugging her powerfully they shared a moment of weakness, sobbing into each other. Chapter 14 - Night on the Town Relief filled Marcus as he hung on to his mother, afraid she may disappear if let go for only a moment. Tumultuous emotions plagued his thoughts, soon enough they turned into reservation, followed by doubt. ¡°Why are you here Mom? You don¡¯t even live in Denver¡­I¡¯m happy you¡¯re here, don¡¯t misconstrue my questions as spite, but how? Why? ¡°Shh, its okay. Your father and I had driven into town a couple of days ago for your birthday. We knew you would be coming home from your business trip and wanted to surprise you. While fate has cursed our world, it had also brought us together serendipitously,¡± she chattered on, ¡°Enough about that, care to enlighten me as to how my son has turned into a wizard from those games you always rambled on about?¡± Sheepishly Marcus responded, ¡°I guess that¡¯s what it really looks like huh, well it¡¯s a long story but to put it simply ¨C magic.¡± ¡°Now don¡¯t give me that - details Marcus, tell me everything,¡± his mother demanded. Over the next half our he went over everything he knew about the System and what he''d been through - outside of the specifics of who Azarti really was. The conversation had drawn in everyone else thankfully; Marcus really hadn''t been looking forward to explaining it individually to each person. A common theme emerged after gathering everyone¡¯s experiences; they had been ignoring their notifications. Most had even dismissed initial class selection as a dream ¨C leading to people like Heather with classes like accountant. ¡°With my shallow understanding, classes serve as a sort of archetype that embody your past actions and future potential. While it¡¯s probably possible to steer something mundane away from mediocrity, the difficulty in doing so would be astronomical,¡± Marcus lectured on. Even more bizarrely, it appeared that if someone didn¡¯t select their first Rite before classes were handed out the choice just vanished. Options would then appear called ¡®Trials¡¯ which offered vastly reduced attributes per level - He¡¯d gone from fifteen to twenty free attributes each level up, while those with Trials sat at half of that, ten. Honestly, it wasn¡¯t fair for these people to be hamstrung so early on, but it made a sort of sense. Azarti had told him that before The Grand Hegemony came into power that worlds soon to be Integrated would be forewarned - informing them of their notifications importance. It was finally coming together now; those in power didn¡¯t want new worlds to gain too much of an advantage - keeping them weak WAS their objective. Before Marcus could really dive into the implications, his mother, Catherine, interrupted his thoughts. ¡°I can¡¯t say that what you¡¯ve told us brings me any peace, but what you can already do leaves no room for arguing its validity. I¡¯ve been dreading telling you this¡­your father and brother had been downtown when everything began. I can¡¯t in good faith lie to my son ¨C they¡¯re probably already gone,¡± Catherine sobbed. Not knowing how to respond, Marcus just froze ¨C processing what he¡¯d just been told. Debating his next steps took some time; he had his mother, along with a dozen or so others, with him now. If he decided to chase after his father and brother what would happen to them? Could he just allow himself to casually write his remaining family off? No he couldn¡¯t. Marcus had been broken; his goal the only reason he¡¯d retained rationality ¨C it wouldn¡¯t do for him to already abandon that ideal. Before he could doubt himself once more, he spoke. ¡°I¡¯m going after them, I was spared for a reason. I¡¯ve resolved to aid those that I can, and honestly abandoning my family isn¡¯t something I can justify. Furthermore, before I leave there¡¯s one more trick of mine you haven¡¯t seen," he finished, smiling. His mother and the others remained silent, unsure of what to say. Some of them were afraid, he¡¯d just saved them using power they had never seen before, and to see that safety net leave was heart wrenching. While even more wished him good luck, betting that with his strength he would return for them, but one went beyond the rest. ¡°You aren¡¯t going alone; I¡¯ve already seen firsthand what happens when somebody waits for others to save them. I¡¯m done being a damsel in distress, this new reality is cruel - if you¡¯ll have me you won¡¯t regret it,¡± a man said. Marcus fired off an inspection, pleasantly surprised at what he saw.
Adrian Wright ¨C Level. 3 | Class: Templar
¡°Glad to have you Adrian,¡± he shook his hand, ¡°It¡¯s a relief that I¡¯ll have someone watching my back, or at the very least telling me not to do reckless things. Follow me - While I get this place defensible for those we¡¯re leaving behind you can gather supplies for us." Everyone instinctively followed the pair back into the apartment complex, curious why they¡¯d go back into what was now a dangerous location. Marcus ignored their questions and continued walking towards his destination, the basement. After filing into the dark basement he addressed the room. ¡°What I¡¯m about to do will likely scare you, but its going to produce you a place that¡¯s both defensible and hidden. Please step back and observe.¡± Reaching into the ground Marcus pulled on the natural stone surrounding the cement walls. He couldn¡¯t directly shape unnatural substances, so instead he¡¯d first have to replace it. Cracking sounds filled the area as cement crumbled before being added back into the roiling earth. He¡¯d much improved his skills and the process didn¡¯t take more than a handful of minutes. Marcus continued his construction by first digging 5 meters down, reinforcing everything as he went along. After reaching an adequate depth he went on to replicate his first base. Rather than one outpost it would be four; each outpost jutting from a cardinal direction originating from a central ¡®spoke.¡¯ It was much more space than twenty odd people would need, but he planned on sending everyone he found back here before leaving the city. During this process everyone just watched on dumbfounded, as a man literally sculpted the earth with only his willpower. Marcus wasn¡¯t content with allowing them to just watch though, he¡¯d quickly caught on and told them to spread out into the intact apartments to collect supplies. Within minutes folks began to return carrying food, water, clothes, medical supplies, and even a few industrious ones had collected furniture. He couldn¡¯t help but smile at that; humans sure did love luxury. Allowing mana to refill both himself and his staff, Marcus prepared to once again attempt summoning. Even if the creature remained lacking intelligence it had already proven itself as being a worthy distraction, not to mention a source a transportation. Bright light drew those nearby, but Marcus was too focused to notice their intrusion. The process continued identically to his first attempt, including the shape he chose. Shortly thereafter it done, but alas, something was still missing, and with it a fully functioning summon. He¡¯d wanted to summon another for Adrian ride, but he was met by a wall of resistance. His mana would form the construct before rapidly dissipating for unknown reasons; he was simply unable to maintain its stability for long enough. Resigning to what came next, he molded a second seat onto his new summon; he¡¯d have to share. Marcus had been putting off his notifications while getting the shelter put together, leaving it as his last step before heading downtown; Sitting onto a couch someone had brought down here, he opened his full status. [Level Up + 8] (U)Mana Manipulation + 15 (U)Elemental Manipulation + 15 ?Inorganic Shaping + 12 (U)Mineral Purification + 5 (U)Elemental Sight + 4 (U)Scorching Ray + 4 ?Tendrils of Earth + 5 ?Trap Making + 6 ?Geology + 4 Along with a plethora of increases, several new skills and spells appeared. Miscellaneous Martial skill gained ¨C ? Mounted Combat 1->3 | Some run into battle, others fly, but you ride on a trusty steed; When either running foes underfoot, or shattering battle lines, both are easier atop a beast. Higher levels offer mounted stability, health and stamina increases for mount. New Spell Learned ¨C ? Unstable Earthen Spines ¨C Level 1->6 | Earthen spears erupt from the ground, impaling all foes within a moderate area. Spears rapidly lose stability before exploding into molten stone, heavily injuring those effected. Higher levels reduce preparation required, lower mana costs, increase damage and allow for modification to area of effect. Note: Long cast time, heavy mana cost, fixed location after casting underway. As for free attributes, the first part was easy ¨C bring strength up to fifty with five points to get its bonus, but after that he¡¯d have to think. Having filled in what he considered ¡®important¡¯ attributes up to fifty left Marcus with a decision; he could either dump his points into his primary stats or work towards getting Luck and Charisma to their bonuses. Considering that he¡¯d soon be going downtown ¨C a hotspot for monsters ¨C it would be wise to take the route that guaranteed results now instead of later. Additionally, there may be more extras in store at whatever the next breakpoint was. With that in mind Marcus split his remaining points, thirty-five, evenly between Intelligence, Wisdom, and Perception at twelve each, outside of Perception getting one less at eleven. Confirming his choices, the expected blurb for Strength appeared.
Those who perfect the worldly body should be feared, for they have broken the limits of what is possible with pure physicality. Arcane arts may be flashy, but an axe to the head is as deadly as a fireball. New Stamina multiplier: 1.2x
In addition, Marcus also had an astounding seventy-nine PP, enough to not only finish his Earth Aspect path, but make good progress into the next. Without hesitation he finished the path. Rocky roads lead to every destination. Paths may begin roughly, but eventually guide oneself to their goals. Along the way others may try to stop you ¨C don¡¯t let them. Earth Aspected Mana is much easier to manipulate, in addition, a new spell has become available: ? Stone Throw New Spell Learned ¨C ? Stone Throw ¨C Level. 1 | Lobs a small boulder at targets within a modest distance. On contact with a surface, violently shatters into shrapnel piercing nearby foes. Higher levels increase range, mana efficiency, and damage. Note: Does not distinguish friendly from hostiles.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. He¡¯d also received an unexpected additional five points to both Constitution and Strength - additionally another set of paths appeared: Earthen Works (0/100), and Bulwark (0/100). Stone Throw finally filled a niche he¡¯d been lacking before, area damage. Sure, he had Unstable Earth Spines now as well, but in practice the spell was too difficult to use - while Stone Throw had a negligible cast time. Marcus was torn on what path to choose next, but his eyes kept roaming to the summon standing near him. ¡°Mana Sculpting might be the ticket to learning proper summoning. I can form the body, but not the mind; brains are the most complex organ after all. The path itself may lead to something juicy later too¡­while fire may give me yet another spell, do I really need that right now?¡± After Marcus debated the positives and negatives, he committed to starting Mana Sculpting. Thankfully, unlike his previous path, this one gave two Intellect and Perception per five PP, and one Charisma at the same rate. After spending the remainder of this PP, leaving him almost half way through the path; mild anticipation began to build for its completion. Finally finished with his updates, he looked over it one last time before setting out to find Adrian.
Name: Marcus Diamandis Level - 26 Class - Matter Reshaper
Health:1422/1422 Regeneration 14.22/Minute 1.2 x Multiplier
Stamina:1206/1206 Regeneration 146/Minute 1.2 x Multiplier
Mana: 2616/2616 Regeneration 354/Minute 1.2 x Multiplier
Free Attributes: 0 Path Points: 0 Race: Crystal Forged Human
Movement Speed Multipliers Casting Speed Multiplier Damage Multipliers
5% 18.3% 0%
Basic Statistics Total
Strength 55
Constitution 91
Agility 50
Perception 183
Intelligence 218
Wisdom 177
Charisma 14
Luck 10
Mana Skills: Elemental Manipulation ¨C 45, Mana Manipulation ¨C 45, Elemental Sight ¨C 9 Physical Skills: Basic Melee Fighting ¨C 11 Miscellaneous Skills: Field Medicine ¨C 1, Geology ¨C 6, Improved Explosives ¨C 6, Mounted Combat ¨C 3, Trap Making ¨C 11, Dodge - 1 Passives: Crystalline Veins - 1 Spells: Inorganic Shaping ¨C 42, Mage Light ¨C 4, Mineral Purification¨C 18, Pyrrhic Cleansing ¨C 1, Scorching Ray - 26, Tendrils of Earth ¨C 9, Unstable Earthen Spines - 6
Running into the man didn¡¯t take long, Marcus had found him helping to carry beds down into the fortification ¨C at the very least he wasn¡¯t lazy. Marcus was thankful for Adrian¡¯s assistance, but remained unsure at how useful a level three would be - especially at night. ¡°About ready to leave? I¡¯ve wrapped up reinforcing the walls and resolving my notifications. Daylight is burning second by second. If we can accomplish our objective pre-nightfall that¡¯d be ideal,¡± Marcus said. ¡°Yeah, ready to go whenever. One problem though, I kind of don¡¯t have any equipment,¡± Adrian complained. ¡°You should¡¯ve said something earlier... give me a minute, I¡¯ll whip up a sword and shield if that¡¯s something you¡¯d use.¡± After getting an affirmative from his Templar, which he totally wasn¡¯t trying to push into a tank, he began shaping the kit. Both the sword and shield pair were anything but exceptional. Each turned out to be better than his spear, but not by much; without better materials this was the best he could create no short notice. Watching Adrian tryout his weapons was interesting. Adjusting to equipment generally took time, and moreover the way he moved with them was fluid, almost natural. ¡°Do you have experience with classic melee weapons? Seems as if you¡¯ve handled one before,¡± Marcus asked skeptically. Having an ¡®expert¡¯ would go quite a long way in keeping Adrian alive, not to mention future mentoring prospects. ¡°Oh, you noticed huh. Well I don¡¯t talk about it much, but during basic training I¡¯d been introduced to knife fighting - from there my interest bloomed into an obsession with anything bladed. I¡¯d sometimes take an infrequent HEMA class to learn from experts, but it was only after getting my class that everything really clicked. My sudden improvement stems from a passive skill called Martial Expertise which seemed to tie my skills together. Now that I really look at the situation again, those HEMA sessions probably led to me choosing Templar,¡± Adrian said. Well that¡¯s an awfully useful skill to have, not like I can really complain about. Whatever, for now he¡¯s taken the role of a frontliner. I¡¯ll run him around the area for a bit to get him some experience so he¡¯s not totally vulnerable. ¡°Sounds good to me, let¡¯s go ¨C don¡¯t forget to grab our supplies, we may be outside for a while.¡± Rushing downtown would¡¯ve been reckless. While Marcus wanted to go there now, he¡¯d only be signing Adrian¡¯s death warrant and he didn¡¯t want innocent blood on his hands. Over the next hour Marcus funneled low-leveled monsters towards his partner where they would be slaughtered. It turned out that someone with an iota of weapon mastery could absolutely crush small fry; it still stood to question how he¡¯d deal with larger threats without being crushed in the future.
During the grinding questions quickly started to crop up though - how was a Templar supposed to get new abilities, or spells? Thus far Adrian hadn¡¯t even mentioned if he could manipulate mana or anything similar. After consulting the man, he¡¯d had no idea either ¨C while he did have a mana pool it wasn¡¯t something Adrian actively ever used. With a sigh Marcus entered lecture mode. ¡°To begin, mana is a reservoir of power, a mystical resource which can be molded and then projected to cause change. Personally, I picture mana as a fluid which once molded and given an elemental aspect can be used to cast spells. Additionally, using Mana and Elemental Manipulation, along with another of my abilities, it¡¯s possible to modify spells at a basic level, or even make new ones. If you¡¯ve ever played DnD before they function similarly to meta-magics - at least to an extent,¡± Marcus paused, charging a Scorching Ray before using it to impale a charging mutated wolf the size of a cow, ¡°that is an application of fire aspected mana being expelled as an attack; brutally effective and simple,¡± he finished. Apparently, whatever Marcus did to cast spells wasn¡¯t the typical method, as even after the hour had passed Adrian made zero progress. Maybe Templar¡¯s skills are level and path based; he still hadn¡¯t figured it out. All in all, Adrian had leveled up to ten, still low but at least workable. His martial skill would have to carry him for now until they figured out how to develop new spells for him. ¡°Enough, get on up here, its much faster if we use a mount,¡± Marcus motioned for Adrian to hop up. ¡°You want me to ride the giant bear,¡± he paused, ¡°that looks like it could eat me and shit me out raw before I could react?¡± ¡°Yes, exactly,¡± Marcus deadpanned. It took a couple of moments before he built up the courage to mount the bear, ¡°To hell with it, the worlds fucked anyways ¨C if I die getting eaten by a bear made of stone, so be it.¡±
Earlier during his conversation with his mother he¡¯d asked where his father and brother had gone specifically. Being told ¡®downtown¡¯ would just lead to Marcus embarking on a wild goose chase, finding neither of his targets. When she had finally spilled the beans, Marcus had almost wished he could randomly look around instead - they had gone to the 16th Street Mall. An innocuous name at first, sure, but it was a nightmare waiting to happen. That street was a mecca for everything and everybody in the city. Imagine a mile-long street lined with shops, restaurants, and several museums packed together - once you¡¯ve got that in your mind fill that same street with murderous creatures; the results aren¡¯t pretty. Much more went through his mind on the way, what was to come would be horrific and dangerous; the odds weren¡¯t in their favor. Adrian had been on combat duty during the trip, taking out monsters that advanced on them with fervor. Outside of two instances Marcus hadn¡¯t needed to intervene, but as they entered the city proper, the you-know-what hit the fan. In his peripheral vision Marcus spotted something rapidly approaching. The numerous creatures required a couple of seconds before they came into range and what he saw was horrifying. Each abomination was wrong, Marcus had forgotten about the Twisted Chimeras he¡¯d fought only a day ago. They¡¯d been a memory shoved to the back of his mind; what was coming was worse, much worse. They weren¡¯t a simple amalgamation of random creatures, instead they had human traits. Zombies would¡¯ve been his first guess, but their eyes held far, far, too much intelligence for mindless corpse''s ¨C their collective gaze tore into him simultaneously while they maintained a dead sprint towards Marcus; he¡¯d finally found where all the bodies had been going. Worriedly, he inspected the lead horror.
Blight Husk ¨C Level. 15 | Type: Abomination/Horror | Flesh puppets controlled by a much greater foe. Blight Husks are early stage combat units who assume the form of native species. Blight, or The Blight, fall are malignant when determining their category. Left to fester they¡¯ve been known to spread rapidly, subsuming all native fauna.
Immediately following his inspection, another notification flooded his senses ¨C something he¡¯d never seen before.
System Quest ¨C Purged in Flames New Blighted infestation discovered, if not eliminated within one Earth-month snowball effect will have advanced beyond redemption. Forces of The Blight have converted native citizen en-masse through twisted magic and ritual sacrifice ¨C those turned are forever lost; salvation snuffed out. Clear Conditions:
  • Eliminate Blighted Plague Host (1/1) remaining
  • Destroy and cleanse Distortion Vat Facilities (5/5) intact
  • Kill and burn all Blight Husks, or other minor strata (1,500,000/1,500,000) remaining
Rewards: Varied upon completion percentage and contribution. Difficulty: EPIC
Marcus watched the number of Blight Husks continually rise in ones and twos periodically. He felt it appropriate to voice his opinion on the current disaster, ¡°Well, fuck me, right?¡± Chapter 15 - Cornered Animal Eerie echoes rebounded off surrounding buildings, obfuscating how abundant the Blight Husk¡¯s truly were. Marcus hastily searched for an avenue to escape, but each route blocked in totality by an endless horde of horrors. Whatever Mastermind was pulling strings behind the curtain, had systematically prepared this trap to catch those entering its territory. Marcus¡¯s self-confidence had blinded him to the truth; He¡¯d been too gung-ho to truly contemplate about what could¡¯ve awaited downtown. His hubris would likely get himself and Adrian killed, but he intended to at least give these monsters a run for their money. According to the System and its¡¯ quest, over a million of these creatures existed already, while even more continually came into existence. This meant that holding their ground and fighting it out wasn¡¯t a viable option; even if each individual was a lower level than him. Planning would have to come later - for now breaking through Blight Husk lines came as a priority. Marcus directed his mount towards a thinner portion of Husks - thinner being relative when that line remained at least ten bodies deep. Adrian lacked any true ranged options, but that didn¡¯t prevent Marcus from hammering into the Blighted. Of his spells, Stone Throw by far won out on casting speed at only requiring a quarter second to manifest. Pairs of the spell launched from his hands with a cracking sound, before accelerating and making contact. Shards of grit fanned out from each connection, mowing down several Blight Husks at a time; it wasn¡¯t nearly enough. Horrific wounds appeared on every creature that was targeted, often they would die, but most of the destruction instead maimed. The effects closely resembled how grenades inflicted their damage, just with doubled kill range. Traditional handheld explosives are effective at causing injury within 15 meters, and death at 5; his Stone Throw spell caused injury at 20 meters, but the death zone spread up to 10. Alas it was akin to attempting to fill an Olympic sized swimming pool with a ladle. Blighted fell in droves before his magic, but positions once voided filled in from behind matching or exceeding the rate of death. Before long his summon had almost reached the horde¡¯s frontlines, Marcus took one final action prior to contact ¨C he molded parts of the bears armor over their legs, counting on it keeping them not only protected from casual swipes, but also from being dismounted; only swift death would occur in that event. Crashing into a pile of flesh seconds later brought about ripples of devastation. Ursine flesh fought an uphill battle as clawed hands reached and slashed recklessly - cleaving narrow gashes into even quartz-armor. Marcus continually fed mana into the beast to hopefully stimulate enough healing, otherwise his summon would collapse under weak, but numerous blows. Adrian continued swinging at whatever unlucky Husk approached too closely; attempting to peel away any hanger-on¡¯s while their mount pressed on. Forward progress slowed to a crawl halfway through the encirclement, and even then, flanking Husks moved to reinforce weakening sections. Marcus yelled out to Adrian, ¡°Buy me fifteen seconds and brace for impact.¡± After his last set of level-ups, Marcus could now cast Unstable Earth Spines much faster than before - about 25% to be exact. Now, how many mana cones he could maintain at once would be learned now. Targeting an area ahead of them, Marcus flooded it with mana, preparing that zone. Rapidly the spell began to take shape, but not without cost. Blows rained down upon him, primarily on his legs and lower torso - most became blocked or missed due to their height, but several made solid contact. Each shock tore at his concentration, tearing portions of the spell apart. Fortunately, Marcus¡¯s rate of construction outstripped Blight combatants¡¯ damage output, otherwise they''d be toast. In addition, he saved just enough mana capacity to trigger Capacitor Discharge; although what he¡¯d expected to happen didn¡¯t. Instead of multiplying how many cones existed, the ability strengthened and compacted each construct into a denser mesh. Marcus couldn¡¯t spare any brainpower to study the phenomenon; upon lashing together a final cone he released his spell. Rather than a single spine erupting from each mana construct, three appeared ¨C amassing into a twenty-meter diameter circle. Furthermore, each of them was much thicker, and glowed cherry red - even before entering an unstable state. Just being near them had already started charring Blight Hulk flesh. Many abominations fled the heat, whereas copious others fell into the zone; shoved in by their relentless horde pressing forward. ¡°LAY DOWN FLAT!¡± Marcus shouted. Praying that Adrian and his Constitution was high enough, he ordered his summon to charge through the inferno. Marcus utilized dregs of mana he retained to pull mass from his mount creating a makeshift barrier. A thin layer of stone pressed them down, quickly becoming uncomfortable as it too began reaching high temperatures. Skin of both passengers sizzled wherever flesh touched their protective sheet ¨C not only painful, but also reducing health rapidly. Breathing came next, oxygen absorbed copious amount of heat; their gasping breaths burning at their lungs. Marcus wasn¡¯t in good shape, not to mention Adrian. Impacts washed through their bodies, a product of their steed slamming through not only Husk¡¯s, but stone aswell. Seconds ticked by, and after an extremely long minute they had broken through not only the horde, but a field of fire. Marcus hastily deconstructed their shielding, letting in refreshing night air. Not all was peachy though, their mount had once again seen better days; molten sections dripped onto the ground. With a final shudder his summon fell over with a splat, further disintegrating into loose mana moments later. Marcus looked behind him. While they still had pursuers, they¡¯d bought themselves some distance. He glanced at his partner before simply saying, ¡°Run!¡±
Marcus was utterly lost, without much light, making out any nearby landmarks became difficult to impossible. Reading nearby street signs, he was able to cobble together their rough location, they were near Interstate-25; shortly afterwards Marcus spotted portions of raised highway and headed towards it. Entering onto an Interstate turned out to be easy; t having on/off ramps every mile or so proved useful. With an elevated position, Marcus finally found something to work with, he could see parts of MSU. MSU, or Metropolitan State University of Denver, sat smack dab in the heart of the city ¨C only several roads over from his original destination, 16th street. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. He¡¯d recently ¨C in the past half hour ¨C been humbled to an extreme degree. Marcus was torn on what he should do next. His options were severely limited, he either continued pressing deeper into Downtown, trying to reach his family, or he could follow Interstate-25 back south towards his mother. Even now the number of Blighted climbed higher ¨C converting citizens into horrors. Would his father and brother still be alive after over half of the population had already changed? Statistics put it at 50/50, good odds that he¡¯d bet on¡­ if he was alone. He spoke towards Adrian, ¡°What I¡¯m about to do is reckless, stupid even. Now is the time to leav-¡° Adrian cut him off, ¡°I told you I was done being helpless! Have faith in me Marcus, I¡¯ve had your back so far, why would I leave now,¡± he paused, ¡°Not to mention you¡¯re this city¡¯s one hope of survival ¨C unless someone else also figured out how magical voodoo works that is, ¡° Adrian finished slyly. ¡°Fine, but we need to find somewhere I can make us another ride, and to wait out night. Fighting those Husk¡¯s was enough dissuasion for me to not seek conflict until daytime. If I remember correctly there¡¯s an historical park just south of MSU; less than a quarter kilometer actually,¡° Marcus said. Upon obtaining Adrian¡¯s go consent, they took off - traveling East, fortunately outpacing their pursuers, or maybe their controller gave up chasing them ¨C for now. Monster populations within Denver proper were abysmal, culled by The Blight no doubt; he¡¯d have to thank them soon.
Marcus had missed exactly when he¡¯d started regenerated normally. He¡¯d been ¡®infected¡¯, with notifications attesting that fact ¨C which limited his recoverability. His status must have corrected itself around the time he¡¯d finished the Crystal Lord path; somehow ¡®restoring¡¯ himself simultaneously. Burn wounds are excruciating. Not only do they blister, deeper burns can permanently destroy nerves and surrounding tissues. Marcus spent his next hour in pain, allowing charred skin to regenerate. Adrian¡¯s condition was much worse, although he was trying to hide it. His attributes, including regeneration rates struggled to restore him into an ideal condition. Marcus hadn¡¯t developed anything for healing others - Pyrrhic Cleansing could only be used on himself. In fact, he''d already deployed that spell to prevent any nasty infections; if System regeneration allowed that to happen at all. Their journey''s end came into view after an hour of light jogging blocked partially by MSU facilities. Combat remained sporadic, swiftly finished either by blade or bludgeoning depending on whom was closest. Entering the 9th Street Historical Park ¨C as labeled by many signs ¨C ended uneventfully, and they began searching for somewhere to hold up. Clusters of buildings lined well maintained walkways, crisscrossing across park grounds. High volumes of greenery, primarily trees, filled any remaining open space, emitting an inhospitable air ¨C casting long shadows as twilight approached. Nearby, most structures around had already been heavily damaged, but one endured mostly intact. The building resembled a classic gothic church, dominated by a pair of towers on its front fa?ade. Stained glass windows were spread on each wall, miraculously in one piece; Marcus choose it as their destination.
Marcus found plaques labeled as - St. Cajetan''s - placed nearby, giving the church a name. For a place of worship, he¡¯d anticipated many individuals to flock towards it as a sort-of last haven; those who follow religion tend to seek answers from their deity after all. Thick wooden doors blocked their entry - nothing blunt force couldn¡¯t solve. Marcus didn''t want to destroy these doors, so instead of blowing them in with a spell, he simply pried them open with his staff acting as a crowbar. Enhanced attributes made quick work of his task, and with a crack they¡¯d made it inside. What Marcus hadn''t expected was to be met with screams of pure terror. Several individuals broke from cover, and rushed towards Marcus, each holding improvised weapons. Luckily, recognition dawned on their faces once they¡¯d seen his face, halting their mad rush. Apparently, this group has already encountered Blighted ¨C initially they must¡¯ve believed Marcus was one of them. Raising his hands in the air, he spoke, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for intruding. My name is Marcus and I wasn¡¯t aware anyone was left nearby; my friend and I just wanted someplace safe for the night before we moved on tomorrow.¡± Haggard men and women snuck glances at each other ¨C clearly unsure how this situation should be resolved. Sampling random people painted a picture of desperation; most lacked suitable classes. Those who rushed him were a smattering of novice warriors and random miscellaneous classes; one unlucky fellow even chose intern. A silent argument played across their eyes before someone finally stepped forward. ¡°Hello Marcus,¡± reaching out, shaking hands, ¡°the name¡¯s Gregory, or Greg for short - sorry for our rude greeting earlier. We¡¯ve been spotting horrid monsters passing nearby ¨C our response was purely reactional. After seeing you weren¡¯t one of those things we¡¯re relieved. Having been locked in this church for days, I can¡¯t but worry about what¡¯s happening outside. Can you tell us anything regarding the situation in the city? ¡°Greg, before I start explaining anything, how much do you all know about the System?¡± ¡°If you mean the strange screens that pop into our brains, not much. Outside of disposing of some extra-large rodents we¡¯ve managed to avoid much confrontation,¡± dragging Marcus aside, out of earshot, ¡°these people are terrified man, I¡¯m barely keeping it together myself if I¡¯m being honest - Please tell me some good news, ¡°Greg pleaded. Shaking his head, Marcus replied, ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s probably worse than any of you could imagine. From how you reacted to seeing me, you¡¯ve already seen Blighted Husks at the least. What you don¡¯t know is that there are 1.5 million of them and rising. I¡¯ve come here looking for my father and brother, both had last been seen on 16th street. Don¡¯t lose hope yet. After concluding my search, for good or bad, I plan to organize a force to systemically purge the city of their filth." ¡°Good God¡­ how do we fight anything that comes in numbers like that,¡± Greg whispered demurely. ¡°Tactics, preparation, and of course, magic," Marcus stated matter-of-factly.
Settling in for the night Marcus gathered everyone, repeating his speech on System basics once again ¨C something he¡¯d come to terms with doing repeatedly. Unfortunately, Marcus found no additional mages in this group, nor any class on par with Adrian¡¯s, not to mention his. He told them about his underground shelter located in Littleton - a suburb of south Denver and instructed them on how to get there. Conversation stretched late into the night, robbing them of sleep until well after midnight. Marcus managed to convince three-dozen people to leave early the next day; rendezvous with his mother¡¯s group. Several stragglers refused to leave - he simply left them alone after trying to further prod them, but to no avail. Those who were leaving would follow Interstate-25 ten miles south before entering Littleton, their target. Unsuprisingly, Greg stepped into his leadership role with minor trepidation before falling into the rhythm shortly after. ¡°So long as you don¡¯t leave the road and remain quiet there shouldn¡¯t be anything left to stop you from making good time. Adrian and I cleared most of your path, but don¡¯t become apathetic ¨C that¡¯s how you die. Good luck Greg and tell my mother I love her.¡± Soon afterwards, Marcus left with Adrian ¨C continuing their trek. Marcus had long since recreated his mount; still lacking intelligence unfortunately. They remained unbothered, even as 16th street became visible, but rather than a cleared road, deep ranks of Blight Husks prevented any hope of a clean entrance. Each layer remained motionless, and vigilant ¨C guarding against any approaching threats. More worrying than the Blighted themselves, was a gargantuan alien structure that latched on-to surrounding buildings. Fleshy growths covered two stories of what Marcus assumed was a Distortion Vat facility; something he wasn¡¯t prepared to face. Low-ball estimates put about 150,000 Blighted nearby if each row continued from where he lost sight of them. Marcus would need to thin their numbers before even considering approaching the structure safely. With that in mind he began to plan, but before anything else his status awaited ¨C notifications a-plenty. Chapter 16 - Plan of Action Before beginning preparation for what would be a monumental operation, Marcus first required himself to clean up his notifications. Quietly entering an abandoned shop, he opened his status. [Level Up + 8] ? Unstable Earthen Spines + 8 ? Inorganic Shaping + 8 ? Pyrrhic Cleansing + 2 (U) Mana Manipulation + 10 (U) Elemental Manipulation + 10 (U) Elemental Sight + 3 (U) Scorching Ray + 2 ? Mounted Combat + 2 ? Dodge + 3 ? Stone Throw + 4 In addition to skill ups, Marcus was pleased to finally see an all too familiar set of notifications; his increased level had finally pushed him over another milestone.
Intelligence fills a growing pool of mana - catalyzing arcane sigils to fuel spells of magnificent scale. Additionally, an intrinsic link has begun to growth within, deepening a connection to your center - refining both conceptual understanding and higher applications of power. New Mana Pool Multiplier: 1.5x | New Spell Damage bonus: 15%.
Marcus had long awaited another breakpoint in his attributes. Hitting 250 in Intelligence finally proved that his first bonuses hadn¡¯t been flukes after all. Happy with his awards, and looking forward to more, Marcus distributed his free attributes - twelve Constitution, twenty-five Wisdom, and three Perception; pushing the latter two towards their respective cutoffs.
A tree remains still, unmoving even in gale storms. Years pass, others die, but the tree remains - only accompanied by a growing river. Your mind grows closer to this concept of stillness, further strengthening mental stability and recovery. New Mana Regeneration Multiplier: 1.5x | New passive ability: (U) Meditative Mind
Nights falls, not a sound or sight visible. Since the dawn of time man has feared the dark, but no more shall you share that burden. Eyes of beasts reflect dimly, eying their prey greedily, but now you simply stare back. New passive ability: (U) Darkvision
An additional message appeared, and it was something he¡¯d never seen before; an award for multiple attributes reaching threshholds together.
Roiling oceans of mana lap against the shores of your mind. Each drop responding organically to your command. Further commitment towards metaphysical characteristics has further improved your bodies ability to contain and control mana in abnormal volumes. For reaching milestones in Intelligence, Wisdom, and Perception additional rewards are available. Let your vessel overflow. Gained ability: (U) Overchannel.
New passive ability learned ¨C (U) Meditative Mind ¨C Level. 1 | Self-discovering and mastery hardens the mind to harmful stimuli. Opponent¡¯s attempts are disrupting your thoughts, or spells will be met with a wall of will. Higher levels provide additional mental protection and insulation. New ability learned - (U) Overchannel ¨C Level. 1 | Inject supplementary mana into an active spell, maintaining its effects for additional time. Longer applications of Overchannel drain mana at an alarming rate ¨C sustained spells double in cost every three seconds. Higher levels increase channel efficiency.
Name: Marcus Diamandis Level - 34 Class - Matter Reshaper
Health: 1758/1758 Regeneration 17.58/Minute 1.2 x Multiplier
Stamina:1374/1374 Regeneration 174/Minute 1.2 x Multiplier
Mana: 4290/4290 Regeneration 750/Minute 1.5 x Multiplier
Free Attributes: 0 Path Points: 0 Race: Crystal Forged Human
Movement Speed Multipliers Casting Speed Multiplier Spell Damage Bonuses
5% 25.4% 15%
Basic Statistics Total
Strength 55
Constitution 119
Agility 50
Perception 254
Intelligence 286
Wisdom 250
Charisma 24
Luck 10
Scanning over everything, he¡¯d once again made excellent progress, and outside of the combined ability nothing was out of the norm. As per usual, he added each PP he¡¯d gained into Mana Molding; receiving the appropriate attributes and almost completing it as well. Marcus was finding it hard to really get excited about his increasing power; when to do so he¡¯d had to risk his life repeatedly - maybe he''d eventually get used to his new life. Meditative Mind and Overchannel would also fill import niche¡¯s in his arsenal. The former would prevent his spells from misfiring or failing ¨C which almost happened recently when Marcus took repeated blows during his escale from The Blighted. While the former, would act as an all-rounder ¨C expanding his toolbox for spell applications; its only limit being his mana pool - something that additionally grew prodigiously. Darkvision was a staple ability from many roleplaying games, and one Marcus drooled from acquiring; being able to function in low light locations was an important trait. Additionally, he¡¯d be able to avoid using an attention drawing Mage Light orbs which had a tendency to stand out like a sore thumb.Stolen novel; please report.
His plan for now involved investigating Blight Hulk behavior. Marcus knew that something, or someone was controlling them in a way similar to that of a Hive Mind. Hive Mind societies, if that word is even apt, function as a singular whole ¨C sharing information, and creating a collective intelligence. He¡¯d read of these organisms in popular fiction - they were often both uniformly dangerous and difficult to contest; an almost apex existence. Climbing up stairs contained within the building he had taken temporary shelter in, provided Marcus a panoramic view of his immediate surroundings. For the first test he¡¯d be seeing if these creatures had an ¡®aggro radius¡¯ and ¡®tether distance.¡¯ Aggression radius, or in popular games ''aggro'', defined the distance in which they would attack an approaching target, while tether distance was simply how far they''d pursue in the event an enemy did instigate their aggression. Marcus would direct his summon to perform a drive-by maneuver before redirecting itself away from enemy lines. Without further ado, he sent the order, before quickly ducking away from the window - dragging Adrian with him; he¡¯d been too caught up in his own notification to hear Marcus¡¯s instructions. Racing across open ground, his summon rapidly grew closer to their target. Absolutely no Husk¡¯s broke formation once it would¡¯ve been easy to spot the charging bear ¨C the situation persisted until around 100 meters away, and in that moment they finally reacted. Sections of Blighted left their lines systematically, pursing their target unerringly. After passing an arbitrary pre-defined point, Marcus gave his second order. Several hundred kilograms of bear moved with astounding agility, turning around in short order and immediately accelerating away from its pursers. If someone managed to still be alive in downtown Denver, they¡¯d be spectators for what was likely the oddest game of tag in history. Whether it be alleyways or shops, his summon barreled through them without any regard. All was going well other than Marcus¡¯s ability to maintain control of his construct. He¡¯d been speculating exactly how far his summon could travel without him, and as one kilometer became two, his limit fast approached. After two and a half kilometers, something eventually gave, and he¡¯d be proud to say it hadn¡¯t been him. Abruptly, all pursuers halted in their tracks, turned around, and sprinted off at top speed; heading back towards their original positions; his bear did the same. Marcus established a set of observations: Those were facts he was relatively confident in, but for fear of his enemy adapting wouldn¡¯t repeat the test again. Regrettably not ALL Husk¡¯s would follow, he¡¯d wished they would¡¯ve bunched up like before, and in the process abandon their defensive position - at least temporarily. ¡°Adrian what are your opinions? Any ideas?¡± Marcus asked hopefully. ¡°Unless you¡¯re hiding several tons of high explosives that I haven¡¯t heard about, no. This whole thing is fucked, you know. I¡¯m not saying I won¡¯t help you, that you don¡¯t need to worry about, we¡¯ve already fought and bled together. That means something to me Marcus. We... we might need to go back to the others, train-em up like you did me, and start systemically clearing Denver, block to block,¡± Adrian finished, a hint of begging in his tone. Breathing he began speaking again. ¡°We¡¯ve got three dozen potential combatants back at base. Yes, many of them have downright useless classes, but maybe with some levels they could do SOMETHING to help.¡± ¡°Adrian, I appreciate the thought, but I¡¯ve done the math. There are around 1.5 million of these things - with 36 people, EACH would need to kill 1400 a day for a solid month to eliminate them all, and that¡¯s if they don¡¯t continue to spread¡­ which they are,¡° Marcus paused, sounding tired, ¡°Just give me a minute... I¡¯m struggling coming to terms with the high likelihood of my father¡¯s and brother¡¯s demise.¡± Within his mind, Marcus tossed everything he could think of at the problem, nothing seemed feasible within their time frame. He¡¯d known the chances hadn¡¯t been high of their survival, but who could blame him for holding out? To his side, Adrian held a pensive filled gaze, staring at nothing in particular ¨C likely lost in his own schemes. Marcus was snapped out of his planning by Adrian¡¯s voice, ¡°What if I told you that those explosives, I¡¯d been talking about might actually exist? I was thinking of solutions and recalled that Denver holds several large military installations. Our first option is an Army Reserve Training Center, ARTC. That ARTC is located Northeast of Denver¡¯s city-center; it isn¡¯t my first choice. What I recommend us going after is much bigger ¨C Buckley AFB, it¡¯s to the Southeast. We may even be lucky, and people are holding their ground there. Look Marcus, you said it yourself, the math doesn¡¯t check out. For us to unscrew this situation we need to add additional variables to fix the problem. In this instance, more people, particularly fighters, are our added variables.¡± Marcus stewed for several minutes, hanging his head and remaining unresponsive. Adrian was starting to get annoyed, but Marcus eventually spoke up. ¡°You¡¯re right you know? I just didn¡¯t want to admit my folly. Explosives may be found on that base, and assuming they still work might be our ace - maybe we''ll even discover people. I haven¡¯t been able to test, for obvious reasons, if traditional weapons remained operable, but in any case, it¡¯s certainly worth looking into. Let¡¯s head back to Littleton, resupply, and take on any volunteers ¨C I trust you¡¯re ready to ride my bear again, huh?¡± Adrian glared at the bear before numbly nodding after a brief delay.
To no great amount of surprise, their return trip went uneventfully. Of note, they caught up to Greg shortly before each group would¡¯ve individually arrived - surprising the man with their presence. Initially, Greg had asked why they¡¯d come back, but after Marcus and Adrian explained what had stood waiting for them on 16th street no further questions were voiced. Reconnecting with those he¡¯d left behind with little fanfare. Marcus was disappointed that no one from the original group volunteered when he¡¯d asked. Greg surprisingly didn¡¯t hesitate to throw his lot in with Marcus, much to his relief. Gathering supplies occurred with little fanfare - their stockpile had ballooned while he¡¯d been gone. Sustainable food and water would require protected land, and people to protect that investment ¨C something not yet feasible, and a problem for another time. One final issue cropped up as the trio was leaving, his summon wasn¡¯t large enough to carry three grown men, and walking would take much too long. Marcus hadn¡¯t tried summoning a second beast since he¡¯d leveled up, and decided that now would be a good a time as any to try. Walking outside, he began the process, but rather than use earth aspect, Marcus wanted to try fire. Along with using a different aspect, Marcus additionally modified his original wireframe model into a sleeker shape - placing an emphasis on speed and agility. He¡¯d once before tried having multiple summons, at the time it hadn¡¯t worked, but now the process went off without a hitch; clearly how many creatures he could control was tied to attributes in some way. Shortly after, something new, but also totally unsuited for riding appeared ¨C Marcus inspected it.
Primitive Fire Salamander ¨C Level. 30 | Type: Artificial Mana Construct | Mana Constructs are artificial duplications that are typically larger, smarter, and more durable than their natural counterparts. Artificial creatures summoned through mana take on unique features depending on aspect type used during creation. Primitive Fire Salamander¡¯s embody fire aspect characteristics, which include heavily increased damage in the form of fire breathing, and an emphasis on Agility. Created by amateur summoner, Marcus Diamandis.
The description of the Salamander was almost identical to that of his Ursine outside of key pieces of information. For one, this creature had a breath weapon, which would be excellent if it weren¡¯t for Construct being literally on fire, seeing as he''d needed something to ride. Flames danced all over his creation, his summon stretched five meters long including its tail, but only sat a little over half a meter tall ¨C dwarfed by the bear. Red and black scales also covered its body serving as natural armor, but clearly not up to par with his other summon''s defensive suite. Marcus began to become disappointed, but for the sake of being thorough, ordered the Salamander to use its breath weapon towards a random abandoned vehicle. After a brief delay Marcus¡¯s summon turned towards its target, took a deep breath, and expelled a torrent of blue-tinged-violet flame twenty meters through the air. Initially, he¡¯d believed the attack purely heat based, but on contact the flame stuck to its target in a manner similar to napalm. Unlike napalm, this substance burned without producing smoke, and reduced vehicles into molten metal within a minute. Impressed to such an extent, Marcus accepted their unavoidable delay rather than dismiss such a wonderful asset. While Greg and Adrian rode his bear, Marcus ran alongside, maintaining an equal pace to everyone¡¯s surprise - including himself. By the time they¡¯d arrived at their target, he¡¯d only needed to take a handful of breaks after traveling nearly 25 kilometers. On the horizon lay Buckley AFB, where national flags remained fluttering in a midday breeze. Rather total devastation as much of Denver had been in, Marcus instead observed patrolling soldiers. They¡¯d clearly been paying attention, as within several minutes those same patrols changed direction and headed towards them. These men and woman had seen better days, but each one maintained awareness of their surroundings, constantly looking around while they moved towards him. Well fitted and matching fatigues adorned them, further emphasizing their profession, but the main tool of a solider was missing - none of them carried a gun. Rather than firearms Marcus spotted knives, hammers, and even several makeshift spears; even now he wished he¡¯d been able to keep his. Before long, they¡¯d begun their approach, hostility radiating off them like a beacon. Confusion segwayed into a ''duh'' moment, before Marcus walked forward to meet them halfway, leaving his summons behind. Relief was evident on their faces, and he couldn¡¯t help but smile. Hope bloomed in his heart, maybe he could eliminate The Blighted. With a grin plastered on his face, Marcus raised his hands and yelled something that you probably shouldn¡¯t say when your world had just been invaded by what could be called aliens, ¡°I come in peace, take me to your leader.¡± Chapter 17 - A Moment of Calm ¡°Drop your weapon and put your hands up where I can see them asshole!¡± Marcus automatically raised his hands above his head - an ingrained response from a lifetime of experience; he¡¯d never identified as a rebel. What had been a relaxed group turned hostile due to his poor choice of words. Soldiers fanned out around him, eying his staff meticulously. Marcus didn¡¯t want any escalation so instead of arguing bent down, placing his armament gently onto the pavement; not that its loss meant much. ¡°Good, now turn tell your friends to do the same, slowly.¡± ¡°Just listen to him guys. If anyone in charge is still alive showing compliance will express our sincerity,¡± Marcus spoke towards Adrian and Greg. The aforementioned pair dismounted, rose their hands and walked slowly towards awaiting troops Jesus, I haven¡¯t been arrested since college, I don¡¯t know if I should be embarrassed or amazed all things considered; I wonder what Adrian and Greg think of this. ¡°Alright now each of you turn around and walk slowly towards the sound of my voice,¡± another continued. Marcus walked backwards until directed, feeling a pair of cuffs snap into place around his wrists. The scene repeated for his comrades and wonder what came next for them. ¡°So, what now gents? I as well as you know that despite my ill choice of words that I¡¯m human. Even if I¡¯d done something illegal, I¡¯m pretty sure that prisons aren¡¯t a thing at the moment,¡± Marcus said. One solider curtly read them their Miranda rights before continuing, ¡°You¡¯re being taken into custody on suspicions of collusion. Each of you will be questioned before further action is decided.¡± ¡°I understand, but what do you want me to do with them?¡± Marcus pointed towards his summons. ¡°If those monsters really are yours, direct them to stay here and take no hostile action,¡± a solider awkwardly said, ¡°and welcome to Buckley.¡±
A trio of men wearing clothes in less than stellar condition was marched through several additional checkpoints and gates before arriving at their apparent destination; a nondescript three-story structure. If this situation had occurred before Integration, you¡¯d have assumed that a trio of idiots had done something stupid like rush a military choke point. Split up and placed into individual cells, after having their possessions confiscated all they could do was wait. Concrete walls made up his prison, with a stout metal door blocking any hope of escape ¨C at least without making a lot of noise and destroying it. On the bright side they¡¯d given him new clothes, consisting of a tan shirt, slacks, and black combat boots; even if they were a prison uniform, Marcus was happy to be in something clean. Only one item, or rather two remained in his cell, the two books Azarti had prepared for him. Starting with Enchanting, he began to read. Enchanting was broken into two main branches, temporary and permanent. Temporary enchants could be placed on basically anything, but like their name suggested, didn¡¯t remain forever. Just how long they depended on various factors such as material medium, enchanter skill, and item capacity. For example, an iron sword could be enchanted with an increased durability that lasted several days, but the same enchantment could last months, or even years if placed on mithril; something the book insisted was a real thing now. Permanent enchantments are the same as temporary outside of one factor, an anchor. Anchors can take on many forms but perform the same job, keeping an enchantment tied to its location. Common materials used to create anchors were gemstones, crystals, and certain magical metals. Anchors, and whatever material is used to create them, can additionally impart one or more aspects, radically boosting their effectiveness; Garnet anchors would be better for casting fire magic, while sapphires attuned towards water for instance. Fundamentally, enchanting worked by imbedding properties into physical mediums through the altering of an object¡¯s makeup. Creating these alterations was further broken down into more branches, but roughly worked out into two categories: Physical and Metaphysical, but both used one unifying script. Script or language, both served inadequately for describing what he¡¯d stumbled into. Looking akin to a cross between, Egyptian Hieroglyphics, and Celtic Runes, they baffled Marcus - the language¡¯s complexity numbing his mind. English only has twenty-six letters, and with those letters, over 170,000 words existed. This system was compromised of over one hundred basic ¡®shapes¡¯ that could combined and rearranged, forming complex meaning. Azarti blessedly included phonetic descriptors, otherwise Marcus would¡¯ve been totally lost. Hours passed studying, eventually interrupted by clattering boots striking hard floors. Rounding a bend and coming into view, six men in uniform made their way towards his cell. Putting down his book, looking up, ¡°Time for my interrogation?¡± ¡°Indeed it is. Please, just make this easy - slip your hands through the gap and let us cuff you. You¡¯ll then follow Rodriguez here as he leads you,¡± one man finished, while pointing at the Hispanic man beside him.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Not intending any resistance, Marcus complied and began following his new escort ¨C flanked by the remaining soldiers. Initially he¡¯d wondered how he qualified for a six-man escort before remembering they¡¯d also be capable of simply inspecting him. Marcus was under no illusion, his level was high, much higher than anyone else; that is unless others also stumbled into dungeons early on as well¡­ and survived. It¡¯s my level they¡¯re afraid of, not my stupid one liner from earlier. It makes sense, everything hostile has been much more advanced in their leveling progress. How much do they know about the System? Whatever, that doesn¡¯t matter for now. This interview makes so much more sense now; they want to know what I know. I¡¯ll keep my personal secretes hidden - no need to fully trust the military, but other than that I don¡¯t mind sharing. Inner dialog aside, everyone else remained quiet during their walk. How this place worked at night was beyond him, their only light leaked in through windows lining the structure. Ten-minutes of walking later, they emerged outside into an enclosed space - rather than an interrogation room he was now in a small park. Alone sat a woman wearing much of the same uniform as everyone else he¡¯d seen thus far. Her nametag read Angelica, P. and inspect confirmed it.
Angelica Price ¨C Level. 10 | Class: Military Logistician
She calmly waited, sitting in a chair set out placed behind a plastic folding table. They hadn¡¯t brought him one, and seeing an opportunity to gain some leverage, quickly created his own. Angelica hadn¡¯t had time to react before Marcus passed around his stone chair and sat into it. ¡°Good afternoon, Ms. Price. How can I help you today?¡± he said, mildly happy to see her face rapidly shift between emotions. ¡°Sorry for our accommodations, the Airforce has rooms for situations like this, but we have no way to provide illumination inside. That¡¯s neither here nor there though and there¡¯s no sense in bullshitting you, Marcus. You and I both know how to inspect people and creatures so let¡¯s not dance around that fact,¡± gesturing towards his chair, ¡°and clearly, you¡¯ve learned something special if you¡¯ve learned to just magic up chairs from the ground.¡± She continued, putting far more emotion into her words, ¡°Our country, and our world needs people who understand all of this. We¡¯ve managed to hold most of Buckley, fighting for every inch, between monsters and even a couple of eager looters, its been difficult. Firearms don¡¯t work, hell gunpowder won¡¯t even burn ¨C in many cases my soldiers have had to fight with maintenance tools, or even their hands.¡± Angelica breathed deeply, tired, ¡°I tell you all of this for several reasons. Firstly, your level the highest we¡¯ve seen, period, monster or man. Second, you¡¯ve just demonstrated a phenomenon that isn¡¯t explainable by science. Lastly, and most importantly, you¡¯re the only person, or least living person, that¡¯s managed to make their way here.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯ve seen The Blighted then? Surprised this place is still standing, the only thing they seem to care about are warm bodies,¡± Marcus said. ¡°Not personally, but I¡¯ve had scouts inform me of their rapid spread and encroachment towards this base. Everyone who sees them gets a named screen with a quest, a damned QUEST, this isn¡¯t a game Marcus, people are dying even now. Stop fucking tiptoeing around and tell me what you know,¡± she shouted, finally ignoring all decorum. Marcus looked into her eyes, finding courage, but also desperation. War, while horrible, has a solution, and a ¡®right¡¯ way of conducting it. All this decorated commander experience had been thrown out of the window, trampled upon by a cold set of new norms. Her new enemies didn¡¯t hide in caves, or behind walls of steel - instead they ran towards your position, stopping at nothing to tear you limb from limb. With a sigh, he retold everything he¡¯d already been telling people either way. Comparing information with Angelica proved fruitful in the end. Marcus had learned that over three thousand men and women still held on here, and that was just the soldiers. Local civilians flooded into Buckley shortly after Integration, looking for shelter with the military. In total, fifteen-thousand people made their way here, and even now slept in a tent city erected upon the tarmac outside. ¡°Food won¡¯t last long will it? Even feeding your garrison must be a logistical nightmare.¡± Receiving just a simple nod of ascent, he continued, ¡°That aside, I believe the quest is something we can¡¯t ignore. If you¡¯ve been watching it, and I¡¯m sure you have seen their numbers slowly increasing ¨C we can¡¯t afford to let it spread out of Denver into surrounding areas - we¡¯ll be overrun.¡± ¡°Marcus, pray-tell, how I¡¯m supposed to convince civilians whom I have zero jurisdiction over, to risk their lives fighting what amounts to a living nightmare? Frankly I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re so gung-ho about risking yours. So, tell me, what should I do?¡± she finished, frustrated. ¡°People need to gain experience and level up obviously. Information is going to be key for this, we need to gather everyone¡¯s classes, levels, etc. After that, assigning them into balanced groups and sending them out to scavenge would be my best guess; sending one higher leveled individual along for safeties sake. As for how to persuade them? That¡¯s the easiest part, people need to eat, once they start going hungry things will change quickly, tell them that,¡± Marcus finished, not entirely confident in his approach. ¡°Your inexperience shows, the first part of your plan is fine, but if you think letting people go hungry will motivate them towards combat of all things is delusional. Motivation will need to come from themselves. Play on their emotions will only get us so far ¨C ¡° She was interrupted by a deep rumble, the trees around them shaking as if afraid. Thuds proceeded each quake, and with them a horrible premonition snaked up Marcus¡¯s spine. Everyone looked around their enclosure finding nothing, disregarding prior procedure, they all rushed outside with Marcus following. The ground continued to shake without apparent reason. Exiting the structure, he looked around and quickly found their culprit ¨C another nightmare pulled from humanities worst dreams. Standing at least forty meters tall, a gigantic of horrid proportions made slow, lumbering steps towards where Marcus assumed all of the civilians took shelter. Twisted faces covered its body, each permanently affixed into a visage of pain and fear. No sound came from these faces, but each silently screamed ¨C their eyes darting around wildly. He hesitantly inspected their doom.
Blighted Colossus ¨C Level. 70 | Type: Abomination/Horror | Flesh puppets controlled by a much greater foe. Blight Colossuses are combat units who designed to break sieges or to storm fortified positions. Each of these abominations are created in Distortion Vats where numerous Husks are molded together into one being. Like all Blighted, they are malignant and when left to fester they¡¯ve been known to spread rapidly, subsuming all native fauna.
¡°I¡¯m going to need help with this, get my companions, NOW!¡± Chapter 18 - David vs. Goliath Crashing through any obstacle in its path, the Blighted Colossus slowly, but steadily gained ground. Marcus spotted several foolish people try their chances at attacking it, causing little to no harm ¨C so much so they were simply ignored. Upon closer inspection, blood covered the monster ¨C almost certainly from poor sods who had been on patrol. Mentally reaching out to his summons Marcus could¡¯ve danced with joy when both responded and immediately started making their way towards the walking disaster. Greg and Adrian finally made their appearance shortly after the colossus broke through one final gatehouse, crushing it without any apparent effort. ¡°Adrian have you gained any new skills from your level ups from on our way here?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes actually, its an active ability that enhances shields that I hold. To what degree, I¡¯m not sure, but I¡¯d rather not test it on this thing,¡± Adrian replied. Marcus realized now that he¡¯d never inspected Greg, having no idea what to expect.
Greg ¨C Level. 7 | Class: Paramedic
Well that could be useful ¨C maybe that¡¯s how so many people survived around him. ¡°Greg, I know this may not be the best time to ask, but what does your class do?¡± ¡°Basic healing spell, I just mentally select it and the effect appears ¨C nothing like how your spells work,¡± Greg curtly answered. ¡°Alright good, Adrian you¡¯re on tank duty... if you see an opportunity to distract this thing, do it. I¡¯ll make simple javelins that you can throw, they won¡¯t do much versus its armor, but each might draw its attention. Greg, it goes without saying, but try to keep people alive, and remove them from our combat area. I¡¯m not much of a strategist, for now it¡¯ll have to do.¡± Hastily forming a dozen rough javelins only took fifteen seconds, while in that time their quarry had closed to within two-hundred meters. His summons remained another two minutes out, for now he¡¯d start chipping away. Experimentally, Marcus threw several Stone Throw¡¯s towards its face, not expecting much of an effect. Each projectile exploded on contact - spreading shrapnel had a minor effect but caused no serious wounds. Next came Scorching Ray, here he found some success. Fire arced across the creature, destroying several silently screaming faces ¨C ending their eternal torment. In their ¡®deaths¡¯ their relief was apparent - even when they¡¯d be brutally scorched. The Colossus finally reacted, roaring, searching for the source of its pain ¨C something it¡¯d never felt before. Crazed eyes scanned each individual, finally finding Marcus after several seconds. With a second below, it changed direction barreling towards a new target. Marcus turned around, running while activating Capacitor Discharge and Overchanneling into Tendrils of Earth. Thick ribbons of stone burst from beneath the creature, entangling its legs. Cracks rapidly formed, but were repaired as added mana flooded into the spell ¨C additional stone obtrusions pilled onto the creature, forcing it to hunker down. Five seconds later, a crack sounded out, their toppling foe slamming hard into the ground. He breathed deeply, drained after using nearly a quarter of his mana in one go ¨C overchannel much more expensive than he¡¯d realized. From his peripherals Marcus noticed Greg dragging one final survivor out of range, unlocking his ability to bring in the big guns. Activating all his applicable skills, Marcus deeply poured mana into Unstable Earthen Spines ¨C hoping for a swift end to this fight. Nearing completion of his constructs, the Colossus swelled, corded muscles rippling over its entire form. Mana Sight revealed torrents of mana being shunted into the creature from an unknown external source ¨C empowering and healing it in the process. Wounds rapidly closed over its massive frame, undoing every effort thus far contributed. With a final heave, gigantic limbs freed themselves from earthen restraints ¨C roaring angrily at being deprived easy food. Concentrating on maintaining spell integrity, Marcus didn¡¯t see, nor react to a massive fist hurtling towards his chest. Adrian cursed, interposing himself between the creature and his ally. Golden mana coalesced around his shield creating a ghostly image that overlapped and expanded its physical presence. If Marcus had been paying attention, he¡¯d have noticed snippets of magical text solidifying upon Adrians ability. What had once been a small kite shield, had expanded into what could only be described as an oversized tower shield. Fully manifesting in the nick of time, Adrian leaned into his block, praying that it¡¯d be enough; compared to the colossal fist incoming he was still much too small. Shock waves blasted radiated off an oversized fist as it rocked down and made contact - spider webbing the ground all around instantaneously. Shouting, Adrian poured his entire accumulated strength into this one moment. His shield responded - glowing blindingly bright before flashing one last time, releasing its final blow. Shattered bone elicited shocking echoes, revealing a monster rebuffed, and once again grounded, albeit missing one hand ¨C one second later Marcus¡¯s spell completed.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Marcus had clustered his entire set of constructs together, focusing their energy on a further concentrated area. Thick spines ruptured asphalt, spearing into and penetrating the Colossus, who immediate started to scream in agony. Marcus emptied his mana pool rapidly, spamming a stream of Scorching Rays, digging progressively deeper into armored tissue. Molten stone filled gaps in flesh before solidifying, further impeding his foes ability to move. Overchannel roradiously ate at his mana as wounds formed over the entirety of the colossal threat. Bottoming out on mana moments later, Marcus paled ¨C it wasn¡¯t dead yet, and his summons needed another minute to arrive. Seeing their moment, groups of soldiers burst from surrounding doorways dragging long steel chains. Several stepped into the molten wasteland, severely burning themselves, but accomplishing their mission ¨C sinking hooks into its body. Over a dozen links wrapped around extremities pinning them firmly down. Teams held each chain while additional men and woman frantically hammered pitons into the ground. The Blighted Colossus wasn¡¯t done resisting. Steel moaned, soldiers hanging on desperately while many of them were thrown tens of meters away when a limb gained temporary freedom. Marcus snapped out of his daze when Adrian, sporting a broken arm, yelled, ¡°WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR YOU IDIOT, PIN IT!¡± Fortunately, his spells had broken up what was once an asphalt road letting him pull deeply on the natural materials underneath. Vambraces of stone immobilized limbs first, before he slowly added supplementary matter covering what remained of the Colossus - progressing faster as his mana recovered partially. For added insurance, Marcus reshaped sections of steel chain, integrating it into his impromptu prison ¨C forming a steel mesh covering its entire body. Deep rumbling intermittently shook him, he could only hope these things needed to breath. Many soldiers panicked when Marcus¡¯s summons showed up, but once they didn¡¯t show any aggression most mellowed out. Fifteen minutes later the beast still hadn¡¯t quieted, they¡¯d need to finish this another way. Looking towards his salamander he received an idea. Marcus created a small access shaft leading towards the back of his target, provided clear line of sight for ranged attacks. Moreover, he loosened his hold around its body yielding a small amount of space. Preparations complete, Marcus told everyone to step away, then ordered his summon to use its breath weapon. Sticky napalm-like flames unceasingly jetted into the gap, fed by Marcus supplying extra mana. His prisoner howled while its flesh blackened and turned to cinders, deep cracks formed as the creature expended all its energy - desperately attempting an escape. Fearing its success, Marcus repaired his creation, providing material to repair any damage created by what he hoped were the creature¡¯s death throes. After thirty seconds of channeling the conflagration, his salamander reached its limits ¨C ceasing and collapsing heavily. It required an additional half hour before all signs of life finally ceased, marking an end to what had been a walking nightmare. Marcus glanced over, watching Greg set, and heal Adrian¡¯s broken arm ¨C a useful trick; waiting for regeneration wasn¡¯t pleasant. Marcus felt lightheaded after using an excess of mana, and exhausted from his exertions, passed out where he stood.
She struggled rationalizing what she¡¯d just witnessed. Angelica had seen many incredible acts of destruction in her long career, weapons of war decimating hundreds at the press of a button - eliminating national threats from half a world away. What a single man could accomplish neared those levels already ¨C in less than a week at that. How am I supposed to contain someone like that? Even his friends are using magic to heal wounds, or block blows that¡¯d flatten tanks! Goodwill eventually runs out, they¡¯re helping out of some sense of justice now, but when that desire fades, what then? Governance as we¡¯ve known it is over, might truly does make right now. Glancing over at his unconscious form, Angelica signed. She¡¯d need Marcus¡¯s help training those in doing whatever it was that he did. Conventional arms didn¡¯t function whatsoever and even if they did, she doubted their effectiveness versus threats they were already facing. After looking one last time, she stood, leaving the room.
Marcus awoke surrounded by defunct medical equipment. Lying in what was once a hospital wing, after looking around he found Adrian reading a book. ¡°Did I miss anything important, my body decided that it needed a nap and wouldn¡¯t take no for an answer.¡± Placing his book down Adrian spoke, ¡°Nothing that couldn¡¯t wait. They buried a dozen people, but Greg saved many more. Crazy bastards burned themselves to the bone killing that thing. All I can say is that we can¡¯t handle too many more of those before its going to be time for a full retreat.¡± ¡°Agreed, thanks for saving my bacon back there, I¡¯m sure I¡¯d be a fine paste right about now otherwise,¡° Marcus said, chuckling. ¡°Sure, sure. I¡¯m just glad I¡¯m finally able to do something useful ¨C even if I can only pull that move once, maybe twice a fight before my mana is spent.¡± ¡°Damn, I was hoping I could just hide behind you like a mobile wall. Enough prattle, we¡¯ve got Blighed to kill,¡° Marcus tried to stand, immediately regretting the action when his brain discharged pure anguish,¡° or maybe, I need more rest. Apparently, regeneration only goes so far before fatigue just overpowers even its miraculous powers.¡± Adrian nodded and stood, and began walking out, but stopped in the doorway, ¡°Not that it matters much, you know as well as I do that going out a night is a death sentence. You may be able to see in the dark, but Greg and I aren¡¯t so lucky. Relax for the night - I at least brought you your books even though I''m not sure how you read something so dry.¡± Adrian passed the book he¡¯d been reading, looking at its cover it was his book over Enchanting. Finding a comfortable position, Marcus cracked open the text, and began studying. Chapter 19 - Build-a-Monster The cycle of day and night continued, uninterrupted despite Armageddon¡¯s best attempts. Dawn crested over the horizon early ¨C ushering in another daytime of struggle. Light flooded into Marcus¡¯s room, playing across his face ¨C disturbing what had been fitful, albeit dreamless, sleep. Groggily adjusting his bearings, and cursing at the lack of curtains, Marcus arose slowly ¨C still sore from previous expenditures. Packed schedule held firmly within his mind, Marcus dressed and leisurely left the room in search of Angelica. Civilian and soldier alike went about their morning routines surprising him with their eagerness. He¡¯d assumed after yesterdays skirmish, and resulting casualties, that morale would¡¯ve once again plummeted; Maybe those who gave up easily were already dead? Reasoning aside, Marcus noted many tasks noted down needing his immediate attention ¨C several of them relating to his own notifications. Deciding now was as good a time as any, he set about categorizing his gains. For brevities sake, Marcus set skill and spell advances to display as a list. [Level Up + 10] Unstable Earthen Spines + 10, Inorganic Shaping + 7, Overchannel + 4, Mana Manipulation + 8, Elemental Manipulation + 8, Elemental Sight + 2, Scorching Ray + 3, Mineral Purification + 1, Meditative Mind + 2, Stone Throw + 2, Tendrils of Earth + 9, Trap Making + 1 Marcus wanted to get everything to at least fifty. From his experience he¡¯d get extra bonuses after multiple attributes hit their breakpoints and reaching fifty didn¡¯t take long anyways. Currently, he¡¯d be able to raise Charisma or Luck to that point immediately, and of those two choices, Charisma seem like a marginally better selection. Before he could mind game himself out of the choice, Marcus added twenty-two points, raising Charisma to fifty - likewise pumping what remained into Luck, raising the statistic to thirty-eight. Additionally, he¡¯d gained another fifty-seven PP, an adequate amount for finishing Mana Molding which only required six - something he invested in immediately. Selections finalized - Marcus acknowledged several anticipated notices.
Attraction, a simple concept, but much of its meaning is left up for interpretation. Everyone possesses an ideal image for desirability ¨C beauty being one of Universe¡¯s most controversial topics, but communication acts as a cornerstone of all understanding. New passive gained: ? Universal Translator
What appeared next sent pleasant chills down his spine.
Molding unshaped materials into useful objects and constructs is both an art, and a science. Taking raw mana and bending it to your will, constitutes but the first step of many in a path wrought with endless possibility. Shape spells, enchant magical weapons, and even produce monstrous beings of unimaginable power, these are only several applications that Mana Molding encompasses. Let creativity and experimentation be your guide. New ability gained: ? Basic Elemental Summoning
New Passive ability learned ¨C ?Universal Translator ¨C Level. 1 | Understanding dialog, both vocal and physical allows for deeper connections. No longer will you commit social faux pas caused by ignorance; Translates common galactic and local languages. Higher Levels increase rate of translation, detail, and languages understood. New Spell learned ¨C ? Basic Elemental Summoning ¨C Level. 1 | Harness creations of Aspect embodiments, fueled by pure mana. Whether, Fire, Air, Water, Earth or more abstract types, all is possible with proper control. Summons exemplify empowered ability versus their natural counterparts ¨C shape, function, and more can be modified at higher levels; additionally, mana consumption lessens.* *Rules of Summoning: *Costs are for EACH sustained creature Marcus pumped his fist seeing summoning finally become a proper skill. People around him shot questioning looks, not that he cared about their opinions right now. He¡¯d wanted nothing as much as this ability, but its new restrictions hurt. Previously, his creations had required an upfront mana cost and a pitance for upkeep; somewhere in the range of twenty mana an hour each. Marcus would need to experiment on why the cost skyrocketed so much, but quick guesses pinned it on their increased capabilities ¨C notably intelligence. Before losing himself on tangential thinking, he needed to establish what path he''d embark on next. No new options appeared, but he brought up the menu anyways. Armed Combat ¨C (0/50), Beginners Path ¨C (0/25), Crystalline Bones ¨C (0/200), Fire Aspect ¨C (0/50), Light Aspect ¨C (0/100), Void Aspect ¨C (0/100), Magus II ¨C (0/100), Earthen Works - (0/100), Bulwark - (0/100) Of his choices, he kept being drawn towards Crystalline Bones ¨C for no other reason than its predecessor had been massively beneficial. Although Marcus hadn¡¯t been able to practice Crystalline Veins yet, but the ability would eventually become massively useful; casting spells from any direction just sounded fun. In addition, his race shared the path¡¯s naming scheme, and if nothing else, Azarti painted a clear picture of its potential in later stages. The Naga¡¯s scales proved impervious to his offensive attempts and Marcus hoped to gain something similar one day - becoming a glass cannon wasn¡¯t an acceptable future. While Aspect related paths would assuredly provide new spells, Marcus didn''t see why he should further water-down his spell list, at least currently. After eliminating various choices he would consider later, Marcus was left with only a handful, Magus II, Bulwark, and Crystalline Bones. Of those options, Bulwark proved too vague, and Magus II, unreliable. Left with but one choice, and satisfied with his reasoning, Marcus began adding PP towards the path ¨C triggering another screen.
Your burden forever becomes heavier, stressing your bones beyond their limits. In their weakness, fractures form exposing marrow to blood. Vivid vitality seeps into bone through these gaps driving repairs further catalyzed by crystalline enhanced blood ¨C rebuilding their fundamental structure into something new, but better. Your path continues, but old burdens that once immobilized now feel light as a feather. In the distance you spot a point of respite and rest ¨C struggle onwards.
Snapping sounds audible to the naked ear rang out from his body. Blinding pain lanced across nerves, paralyzing any response that may have otherwise occurred. Marcus collapsed, barely conscious while the process continued. Unabated, he lay there for several minutes, pain lessening with each passing second. Once finished he took several large breaths, collecting himself, standing, and moving on. Note to self, do not, and I repeat DO NOT start new paths during stressful situations. It may only be Crystalline paths that caused this kind of trauma, but I¡¯d rather not find out at the wrong time. ¡­At least no one was around to see me fall like a fool.
After its first point, no further issues cropped up from the path, allowing Marcus to freely invest his remaining PP, bringing his progress up to fifty-three of two hundred. Each set of five PP rewarded five Strength, Constitution, and Agility; like its precursor, this path focused on a specific type - in this case, physical attributes.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Nothing major had changed about his status with these add-ons, and Marcus felt no need to open the full page. Finished with his chores, Marcus continued his walk across base, and eventually approached where he¡¯d been told to find Angelica; informed by passersby¡¯s where he¡¯d find her. The location turned out identical to yesterdays ¡®interrogation¡¯ - at least he¡¯d not gotten lost. Sentries stood at attention near each door blocking unallowed access, fortunately for Marcus he¡¯d been expected, and was allowed in with little trouble. One guard did follow him if only to make sure he didn¡¯t get ¡®lost.¡¯ Minutes of walking later, Marcus entered an office brightly lit by open windows ¨C curtains fully drawn. Angelica sat behind a desk, sporting standard uniform, her brunette hiding eyes entirely focused on what looked to be manifests. Coughing lightly, Marcus hoped his presence wasn¡¯t unwelcome - she seemed busy. Paperwork complete, Angelica sat down her pen, directing striking green eyes on his, gruffly acknowledging his arrival. ¡°Sleeping beauty finally awakens, glad you decided to join us this morning. While you slept, I¡¯ve been organizing people into small detachments according to your idea. Of course, changes have been made, but at its core the plan remains the same. While I haven¡¯t completed everyone¡¯s assignments, enough are prepared to begin operations, ¡°she finished, awaiting his response. Taken aback by her energy it took a moment to reply, ¡°Good¡­I think? You''re much more experienced in matters such as this so I¡¯ll yield to you. You¡¯ve already seen the Blighted quest - that saves me a lot of unnecessary explanation. With that in mind, we need to begin immediately clearing the city, we¡¯re on a strict deadline before this situation goes critical. Assign my team to another group and send us towards locations too hot for standard classers; I¡¯m no veteran, but I seem to have a knack for our new world.¡± Nodding she replied, ¡°That¡¯s about what I¡¯d figured, and scouts have already found a location suitable for your expertise,¡° she explained, air quoting the last part, before speaking again, ¡°North three kilometers lies a hotspot where Pickens Technical College once stood. Blighted activity in the area is high, and if I was a betting woman, and I am, a Distortion Vat Facility lies there. At 1100 hours your team will rendezvous with your escorts before departing; they¡¯ve already been informed. This leaves you with two hours of preparation ¨C Don¡¯t be late,¡± Angelica finished dismissively. Knowing when he¡¯d been told to leave, Marcus stood heading outside to experiment with summoning. My patience for Angelica, and conversely the military is already running low. The plan was never to stay inside of Denver, but circumstances demand it. While I''m no leader being treated as just a tool doesn''t fill me with exactly positive feelings; I can''t wait to get back to the mountain and Azarti... I hope the big guy isn''t too bored.
For his next assignment transportation wasn¡¯t necessary; not that he¡¯d be able to sustain enough mounts for everyone anyways. Marcus went over his summoning process once again but drew upon new knowledge provided by his skill. He¡¯d chosen to create a bipedal creature this time due to mission constraints, primarily Marcus wanted to free up its arms for other applications. Additionally, he¡¯d been desiring a summon created mixing both Fire, and Earth aspects; especially after seeing their brutal effectiveness when doing so with other spells. For its shape the summon would stand five meters tall, half that wide, and have thick armored limbs ¨C at least he hoped. Much of his procedure remained consistent, but large variances became instantly apparent. For starters, his mana drained prodigiously, rocketing towards empty many times faster than before, and additional changes only showed itself after aspectation. Each Aspect fought for control - tearing at their bindings in an attempt to escape. Marcus¡¯s wireframe model frayed at various points, rapidly losing integrity, under a barrage of elemental energy. He wasn¡¯t sure why the process was malfunctioning - these aspects weren¡¯t opposites. Burning mana rapidly repairing his creation, it finally clicked after several minutes of pressurized conservation; he¡¯d hadn¡¯t been blending them together. Merging them turned out easier said than done. Rapidly thumbing through ideas, he finally settled on their traditional mixture ¨C magma. With his new image in mind, he pressed it towards his creation. Slowly but surely, Marcus¡¯s model calmed, gradually completing its aspectation phase; alas this wasn¡¯t the end. His next step proved harrowingly difficult, and several issues occurred in sequence. Reaching this point had drained his pool to less than a quarter, but every remaining dropped rushed out of him now. Marcus instinctually followed his skills guidance, coalescing raw mana into a spherical shape. Several, additional spheres broke off the main construct and entered an orbit around the larger sphere; forming what he¡¯d call a core. Focus entirely focused on the process, Marcus slowly worked on embedding the core deep into its chest. Marcus¡¯s final step involved siphoning independent Fire and Earth mana into each satellite - one type dominate each of them. Streams of mana converted raw orbital bodies into their final makeup. Last requirement complete, Marcus gasped with exertion, trigging his staff¡¯s ability ¨C drained, but successful. Mana imploded inwards towards his creation before forcefully rippling outwards, knocking him off his feet. Standing up immediately, Marcus looked at what he¡¯d done, and could only gawk at his creation. Even a dozen meters away, he¡¯d already begun sweating as insane amounts of heat radiated off this monster. Marcus provided its general shape, but through a combination of Capacitor Discharge, and he guessed luck, what appeared differed greatly. Rather than five meters tall, the creature was nine; size being its least striking feature. Instead of arms, massive blades of molten stone pulsed angrily ¨C their temperature so hot they blazed white. Each stretched several meters in dimension, their base thick - tapering out into a jagged pike over their length. Thick metal-laced obsidian plates covered its body, jutting out at its shoulders creating pauldrons. In the end, the giants most striking feature lay within its chest ¨C a semi-transparent material he couldn¡¯t identify, revealed his summons core. From an observer¡¯s perspective it looked like a sun orbited by two planets ¨C one red, and the other brown. Unable to resist any longer, he inspected it.
Magmatic Berserker ¨C Level. 48 | Type: Artificial Mana Construct/Golem | Mana Constructs are artificial duplications that are typically larger, smarter, and more durable than their natural counterparts. Artificial creatures summoned through mana take on unique features depending on aspect type used during creation. Magmatic Berserkers are an amalgamation of both Fire and Earth mana types. These creatures typically form naturally around volcanos, or on transitory planes centered between Fire and Earth planes. Specific characteristics listed below:
  • Passive: Molten Blades ¨C Shear through armored opponents much more easily.
  • Passive: Earth-Iron Plating ¨C Heavy natural armor alloy consisting of Iron, Nickel, Obsidian, and Chromium; mildly resistant towards magic.
  • Active: Pyroclastic Core ¨C Merges primary, secondary, and tertiary core constructs causing massive intensification of combat ability. Requires supplementary mana to fuel reaction (1500/Min). Once deactivated, or two minutes transpire, golem enters temporary dormancy.
WARNING: If forcefully extended beyond two minutes, construct suffers catastrophic structural failure.
During his inspection, Marcus noticed that his Berserker draining an equivalent amount of mana that three would¡¯ve instead of one. Experimentally, he attempted forming another construct, but hit the hard wall of resistance he¡¯d encountered before. Tsk, with three of these they could¡¯ve just marched right through any foe...Eh, had to be balanced somehow huh? Looking around he noticed several things, for one he¡¯d drawn an extremely large crowd, and two, this process took much longer than it had before. Summoning typically took thirty minutes to complete, but now even with bonus the time jumped up to well over an hour. Marcus just blamed his problem on its newly elevated complexity, and hell, it was damn well worth it. By far the most useful attribute his summon had gained was an intuitive understand of commands. Instead of having his orders barely understood, Marcus¡¯s creature followed him unbidden ¨C subconsciously knowing what he wanted done. No more stupid bears running into walls for me, no siree! Never again.
Gather basic rations, and supplies didn¡¯t take long - even with everyone gaping, and in many cases running away from, his summon. Reaching the rendezvous right on time, Marcus drew incredulous looks from Adrian and Greg; he chose to simply ignore their gaze. ¡°Are we waiting for anyone else before we head out?¡± he asked the group. Adrian scowled at him, ¡°You¡¯re just going to ignore the obvious question, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I certainly don¡¯t know what your talking about Adrian, everything is in order right?¡± Marcus replied, shit eating grin spreading wide. ¡°Fine, fuck it - I¡¯ll just pretend not to see the GIANT FLAMING GOLEM follow us. Real subtle that one by the way, no one would ever see him coming!¡± Adrian yelled. ¡°Hey now, I worked really hard on this guy, and he¡¯s going to save our hide, I guarantee it, ¡° Marcus prattled on, drawing hostile looks, ¡°Fine, just trying to take solace in simple pleasures¡­As you can see it¡¯s a Magmatic Berserker, my newest summon. Important notes on these things, they take over an hour to make, consume 150 mana a minute as maintenance, and if you can¡¯t tell, its hot around them ¨C deadly even, so don¡¯t stay too close.¡± Grumbles could be heard, mostly about not being told much, but they really couldn¡¯t complain ¨C Marcus was right after all, much better for a mindless simulacrum to take a beating than them. Wordlessly everyone shouldered their packs and weapons, beginning their brief march towards what was most certainly going to be a bloodbath. Chapter 20 - Build a Better Moustrap Burnt-out buildings commonly appeared on their trek; par for the norm these days. All remained quiet outside of heavy footfalls, their breathing, and of course Marcus¡¯s tag-along summon. Occasional beasts attacked their twelve strong team but were dispatched easily by their soldier ¡®escorts.¡¯ They¡¯d introduced themselves earlier, but he always had difficulties recalling names of new acquaintances; Marcus would memorize them eventually ¨C for now he only noted their squad leaders name, Thomas. Thomas was about as average as any one human had any right to be. Caucasian, thin, and moderately tall ¨C the man just exemplified ¡®normal¡¯, if not for his surprisingly authoritative voice Marcus may have assumed he was a robot. Aside from that, he kept his squad running like a machine, smoothly. Their target wasn¡¯t very far, and even after maintaining a sustainable pace even for the slowest of individuals, they arrived an hour later. 16th Street¡¯s protection made what they found seem pathetic, while the former was surrounded by innumerable Blighted Husks, the latter, their mission target, only garrisoned several thousand. Taking temporary cover behind a relatively intact restaurant, Thomas spoke quietly first, ¡°I¡¯ve analyzed every scouting report before coming here, and along with your testimonials regarding Downtown, there¡¯s something off about this entire situation. These ¡®Distortion Vat¡¯ facilities should be much more heavily guarded¡­ it feels like we¡¯re walking into a trap. Our options don¡¯t include stealth, meaning it¡¯s a frontal assault, or guerilla tactics. I¡¯m partial to the latter personally.¡± ¡°Our objective involves us totally annihilating their numbers. If we use big boy here, ¡°Marcus points at the Berserker, ¡°he¡¯ll make a mighty fine distraction as we pick off those who make it around him. Additionally, Husks have a limited inherent range in which they¡¯ll wander from their original position. In my experience that range is between one and two kilometers ¨C with you and your men lacking ranged options our best bet is funneling them into a fortified position. If you can point out an appropriate spot I can even make us a bunker.¡± ¡°If what my superiors have mentioned is accurate, I¡¯ll trust your claims. Let my soldiers and I scout out our holding point ¨C once we¡¯ve found something suitable we¡¯ll meet up there,¡± Thomas said. Three pairs of two broke off - following Thomas¡¯s instructions, and it wasn¡¯t long before various individuals came back leading them towards their finds. The group toured several potential spots - all were turned down due to various deficiencies such as lacking escape routes or being too large and difficult to fortify. After half a dozen disqualifications they finally mutually chose one that fit most of the requirements. Their final selection bordered upon Blighted range limitations allowing an easy escape if things went terrible wrong. Hollowed commercial buildings provided Marcus with ample space for his fortification without having to clear much space. Everyone else focused on shoving any remaining shelving or goods outside ¨C eliminating possible hazards. Pieces of reinforced stone shattered cement foundations, rising before settling into place forming meter thick walls. Not wanting to die in a cave-in, he next constructed roofing supported by columns interspaced evenly; even if one were to fail, the ceiling would hold. Frame completed - Marcus opened one singular ingress while molding several additional walls into a funnel lined with enough murderholes for everyone to see and attack through. Their escape route was a simple tunnel that ran outside of what Marcus considered the range Blighted would pursue them. Outside, numerous pitfall traps came into being, every little bit counted and even if they only killed several each, that¡¯d be fine. As a finishing touch, he formed an extra dense block of stone hanging over their funnel, only held in place by a series of blocks ¨C easily removed in a hurry if necessary. His golem stood in the widened vestibule given just enough space to freely maneuver, but not enough for Husks to complete ignore it. Its job would be blocking most of the hostiles, leaving only those who managed to get around for Marcus and Co. to fight. The fortification copied many aspects of traditional Roman forts - aside from having only one entrance, roofing, and an escape tunnel; all in all, leaving them with 12-meter-tall ceilings, and about 400 square meters of ground space. Finished, he spoke up, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve finished what I can ¨C who wants to be the bait?¡± Met with absolute silence, Marcus signed, ¡°Yeah¡­ I guess that makes sense ¨C Be right back.¡± Running down the road, he could only wish that his next summon wouldn¡¯t be so slow - playing bait sucked; at least they¡¯d given Marcus a Kevlar vest.
Luring out his targets went well ¨C at first. Blighted Husks sprinted from their positions, chasing Marcus at top speed and then the trap they¡¯d expected sprung. Twisted monstrosities burst from hiding, joining their brethren in pursuit. Unable to perform a clear inspection, Marcus was only able to get brief glances as he swiftly ran ¨C throwing an occasional Stone Throw behind himself, to little effect on the new creatures. Each of these new foes stood 4 meters tall at the shoulder and possessed between 4 and 10 pairs of legs. Their bodies were covered in what appeared to be a pasty substance that ran down their extremities and was flung about as they moved. Six jaws adorned their faces, putrid teeth on full display, gaping maws snapping for an anticipated feast. Breathing powerfully, Marcus rounded one last street corner, finally spotting his fortification and summon eagerly awaiting the upcoming butchery. Slamming through the entrance at a sprint, Marcus raised a waist high wall, semi-sealing their funnel. Hastily he called out, ¡°New Blighted variant incoming - they¡¯re all at least quadrupeds, fast, and appear diseased¡­ don¡¯t let them bite you!¡± Their approach audible, claws clattering, a brief flash, and then contact. White-hot blades bisected the first creature that approached his golem ¨C instantly searing both halves. Large blades whistled, cleaving enemies apart in twos and threes - blows harmless deflecting off its armor. Marcus laid into those attempting to pass, blasting Stone Throws into the group ¨C shrapnel filling the space. Stone pinged off their guardian unfazed by the danger close explosives. Soldiers jabbed their spears through murder holes, and before long they¡¯d nearly clogged the entryway after a dozen minutes of fighting. Marcus sent out a command, his summon immediate turned its blades to their flat sides, using them in a manner that closely resembled bulldozers, shoving and clearing the funnel.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. In that moment of its halted violence, several of the new variants slipped in and showed what they were truly capable of. These enemies died, sure, but in their death throws swelled, bursting like a balloon ¨C sending their unknown substance splattering into both walls, and people. Screams immediately sounded out, exposed flesh sizzling, before turning a sickly black. Unable to render aid, Marcus could only hope that Greg had a way to aid those afflicted. More immediate concerns showed themselves as that same material rapidly ate into defenses. To their credit, no one panicked ¨C Thomas continually redirected his forces around efficiently eliminating many Husks, buying him time to cast spells. He¡¯d been waiting for Blighted to cluster around the entrance, and Marcus believed enough had done so. He gradually withdrew the summon inside and began casting his large AOE (Area of Effect), spreading it widely around outside. Twelve seconds passed agonizingly slowly while Adrian blocked more than a few gooey blasts that would¡¯ve otherwise interrupted him. Simultaneously, Greg ran from casualty to casualty, closing wounds and revering the blackening process ¨C reducing their losses considerably. Preparations complete, Marcus snapped the entrance shut with a burst of mana. Shaking followed immediately, scratching noises noticeable as their enemies desperately scoured for purchase. Heat radiated inwards, the walls brightening perceptively, and in spots, turning molten. Marcus pulled additional material from below, reforming damaged portion as fast as possible; he¡¯d underestimated how much power his recent levels granted. Lowering the walls tens of minutes later after cooling, they were greeting with a landscape covered in corpses. Mounds of dead littered the street, many of them charred black. Random holes were scattered around, dug into asphalt by powerful acid. Finding one body relatively intact, Marcus finally got a good look.
Blighted Burster ¨C Level 23 | Type: Abomination/ Horror | Flesh puppets controlled by a much greater foe. Blight Bursters are a specialized swarm response to native species habits and skills. Specialized in fortification demolition and injuring unarmored foes. In addition to being acidic, their secretions are also highly infectious. Blight, or The Blighted, are malignant when determining their category. Left to fester they¡¯ve been known to spread rapidly, subsuming all native fauna.
Good thing Greg was able to purge this crap before it go into their blood ¨C otherwise we¡¯d be heading back to base early at best. I want this nonsense done ¨C leaving my mother alone frays my nerves - she should be safe though; most creatures are in the inner-city. Marcus set his summon to clear carcasses away for their next wave, while he took stock of those around him. Everyone seemed engrossed in their status, many of them leveling up more in that one engagement than they¡¯d otherwise had. Once Thomas finished, Marcus got his attention. ¡°For our next batch do you think we should move to another structure? These things learn fast, and whatever is controlling them won¡¯t continually throw bodies at us. From a rough estimate we¡¯ve eliminated about half of those we can see, and that doesn¡¯t count those that may be inside. I think we¡¯ve got one, maybe two additional attempts before this tactic is nulled,¡± he said. ¡°Then we should use this strategy two more times, my men and I are rapidly gaining strength following these methods. Once we¡¯ve gotten stronger, and you make us new weapons, we can take the fight to these bastards,¡± Thomas stated flatly. Thinking briefly, Marcus replied, ¡°Point taken, give me some time, I¡¯ll need to repair our defenses, and scrounge up weapons for your men.¡± An hour later, everyone healed, and preparations complete ¨C Marcus sent off his summon to play lure this time. Aside from their suicidal attacks nothing had done more than lightly scratch at its Obsidian armor, and of course it was disposable if their foes sent more another surprises. Hammering footfalls soon marked the Berserker¡¯s return ¨C lightly damaged, but whole. Another crowd nipped at its heels, and Marcus saw something terrifying about these Husks. While they appeared identical to their predecessors, these carried crude weapons ¨C amateurly wielded, but deadly all the same. Clubs, and small pieces of debris slammed into armored limbs ¨C repeated blows cracking what once took dozens of hits to damage. So far, The Blighted had shown a remarkable degree of learning ability, everything he¡¯d thrown at them rapidly triggered a response. They¡¯d develop counters or at least deterrents for his strategies - with that in mind Marcus really didn¡¯t want to use the summons Pyroclastic Core ability until absolutely necessary. Feeding a trickle of mana into his summon was enough to heal the random wounds, but the evolution was worrying nonetheless. Shortly thereafter the first scene repeated itself, sans injury; additional levels making a world of difference even with their enemies using weapons. Relaxing into the flow of battle, Marcus didn¡¯t notice one of the previously injured soldiers jerk and turn towards him. A crude spear pierced through Marcus¡¯s Kevlar vest from behind, entering his flesh immediately after. Blood flowed freely from the wound, nerves firing rapidly as pain radiated around the blow. Instinctively, he¡¯d swung his staff at the threat, moving faster than anyone else could¡¯ve reacted. Enchanted weapon met temple, crumpling a traitor towards the ground were he, it, began speaking. Black sclera started back into Marcus eyes, ¡°Fools, you¡¯ve no idea what you¡¯ve done! You humans have only been a nuisance, poking at things you can¡¯t possibly understand. New worlds such as yours are filled with life, food, fuel, EVERYTHING WE NEED! How DARE you filthy apes soil the Grand mission, you¡¯ll fail in the end, give u-¡° The creature was ended there by Thomas who¡¯d stepped away from the fight, driving his spear deeply into its eye - interrupting the textbook villain monolog spouting from their previous comrades¡¯ mouth. Thomas only said two words before rejoining combat, ¡°Talk later.¡± Marcus groaned and pulled out the ruined weapon from his back ¨C most of its bladed tip shattered. His new bones had already saved his life ¨C apparently they were strong enough to halt direct blows. The hit shaved a small amount of health off, but if his heart had been impaled as intended, he didn¡¯t hold any doubt that he¡¯d have died quickly after. Greg healed him during the respite, but for safeties sake he cycled Pyrrhic Cleansing, hopefully eliminating any potential infections. Rejoining the defense thereafter, he angrily threw a barrage of spells, quickly ending their second encounter today. ¡°Whatever is inside that Institute, our buddies don¡¯t want us getting to it. We¡¯re assaulting them, now, ¡°motioning towards the fallen soldier, ¡°I can burn his body if you wish, its more than most people get these days.¡± Thomas looked between Marcus and his fallen man before bending over the body and removing its dog tags, ¡°Do it.¡± He simply nodded gathering scrap wood, before setting it ablaze. Everyone silently peered into the flames, seeing themselves in that man¡¯s place. Marcus stood closely, letting fire painfully lick at his skin, reminding himself why he was pushing so hard, facing death frequently. Its so that children don¡¯t lose their mothers and fathers to insidious beings such as these. This man, this human, fought for what mattered ¨C their races survival. Pain is a small price to pay, and it¡¯s a cost I¡¯m willing to shoulder whenever I can. I¡¯m not humanities leader - I¡¯m a righter of wrongs, its punisher. Chapter 21 - House of Horrors A large pyre built into the ground and filled with loose timber sourced from a nearby park, billowed smoke - filling the air. Ashes fell steadily, one final reminder of what had once been thousands of people. Their morose act served several purposes, but primarily performed to prevent disease. Without a word Marcus turned way, setting out towards their goal. Pickens Technical College sported two large primary buildings surrounded by parking lots or roads. Slim to no cover masked their approach, fortunately they¡¯d cleared out all but a handful of Husks - less than one hundred. Predictably those remainders attacked and were summarily obliterated by the party, either hacked to pieces or pasted into meat under obsidian feet. He¡¯d assigned names to each structure ¨C easing any communication issues before they could happen. The largest and most centrally located was simply Alpha, while Beta laid closer towards the western road. Alpha shared many similarities with what Marcus had seen downtown, primarily how alien these structures looked now. Odd angles and organic growths were scattered over its surface ¨C in many locations completely covering over original parts. A mild haze seemed to emanate into the air around it, as if they were looking at a mirage. More details stood out as they got closer. Noxious fumes started burning at everyone¡¯s nostrils and pinpricks revealed mildly acidic properties that these smells maintained. Inside, traps and enemies would be plentiful ¨C Marcus wanted to nip this entire thing at the bud by directly causing a collapse without entering. Commanding his summon, heavy swords impacted into select walls, but to his consternation they merely rebounded. He repeatedly directed hits on various sections, and again, no damage occurred; whatever The Blight had done massively boosted their facilities durability. Without any better option they¡¯d go in manually, playing directly into their enemies¡¯ hand. Stepping through ruined doors Marcus surveyed around the vestibule ¨C it was something straight out of a schizophrenic¡¯s worst nightmare. Original fixtures remained but nothing remained untouched by what he¡¯d come to call taint; akin to alien flesh converted into buildings. Murky tubes lined every inch of space ¨C shadows played within; their contents unclear unless they opened one. Each vat stood tall at nearly four meters in every dimension. He felt a premonition of sorts filled his mind, and while he¡¯d rather leave these things alone, they needed to be destroyed. Superheated blades made short work of their protective housing, melting so much as shatter them apart ¨C draining their contents onto the floor; flooding a small area with sickly liquid. Fluid medium containing human remains unceremoniously dropped out, and from their appearances they¡¯d already been partially transformed into new Husks. Marcus previously worked under an assumption that The Blight were using bodies for their own needs, but these tubes effectively confirmed it. While he wasn¡¯t sure exactly how the process worked, they could partially cut off Blighted reproduction if they could disable this facility; each vat held between two and three bodies and with thousands of them one could see how fast Blighted could be made. Thick cords led away from each housing, disappearing further into the building - likely terminating at a power source of some sort. At a glance, Marcus noticed crude magical script he could now barely understand, the text roughly meant ¨C Convey, Transform, Fuel laid as individual characters, and repeated in a ring-like pattern over each cable. Wordlessly, they went about their dirty work. Containers continually shattered; everyone worked together - pushing their luck and praying they¡¯d complete this job, and objective, unaccosted. Like everything else, their accumulated luck ran out about just as they¡¯d nearly finished with those vats located near the entrance. Sounds of running water suddenly reverberated through the empty structure, all intact tombs shuddering open.
Every single variety of Blighted he¡¯d encountered aside from Colossi shuddered into unlife ¨C released from their incubation. In fact, several new types sprinkled themselves around the flash mob - there¡¯d time for inspecting them later. Marcus started calling out for a retreat but turned around to find their exit blocked by the same fleshy material he¡¯d already found unshapable and extremely durable. His head swiveled search for an avenue of escape, eventually spotting an oversized stairwell heading downwards. Curtly, he yelled, ¡°Follow me, I¡¯m going to open us a path!¡± Without further ado, Marcus¡¯s summon pivoted, realigning its weapons before doing something not listed on its information sheet. He felt mana ooze into the Magmatic Berserker fueling the creature¡¯s attempt at forcing its two swords ever closer together, causing already white-hot implements to boil wildly. A resounding boom marked an astounding fusion into what Marcus could only call an Ultra Great sword; stretching five meters long, and half a meter wide, the weapon leaked an aura of destruction. Setting its feet, his summon swung its heavy armament in wide arcs, cutting into their enemies as if they were wheat. While much slower than before, each swipe cleared several meters of hostiles, rapidly clearing an advance. Meanwhile, Marcus and crew hadn¡¯t been idle ¨C enacting their own toll as they fought to keep up with the vanguard. He himself focused primarily on Bursters - fearing their acidic properties, and what may happen if too many hit his creation. Usually, fifty meters isn¡¯t a long distance to travel, but a constant stream of reinforcements flowed towards them, originating from other unseen sources. Each step they took, drained at vital resources rapidly heading towards depletion. Beams of fire and earthen spheres sunk deeply into various targets, but each instance worked himself closer towards empty. Husks and Bursters were trivial for even the soldiers now, but most of their expenditures came from new types. Without time for inspections, only direct observations could be carried out. Effectively, they were upgraded Husks - losing any weaknesses inherited during their creation; he even spotted these using rudimentary organization beyond simple hive tactics. Circumstances robbed them of equipment which they most certainly could use; their lesser kin had already displayed an ability for handling weapons. Marcus grew increasingly worried at their rate of improvement - what would The Blight look like after a month? Upon reaching within five meters of the stairwell, his flagging mana reserves drove Marcus to fall back on an old method ¨C melee combat. He¡¯d only used Azarti¡¯s gifted staff a handful of times, but in those instances it had proven quite effective. Standing in his summons shadow, Marcus batted away repeated flanking attempts. Ducking under several attacks, he immediately retaliated against their now exposed bodies. Enchanted warstaff met bone, reducing skulls into pulp. A brief pause followed his previous blow, allowing a brief inspection of one variant, retrieving only their name.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. These Blighted were called Hastatis, a type of ancient soldier caste; the System apparently borrowed native history for its naming scheme. An Hastati stepped into the gap left by its recently slain peer. After momentarily assessing the situation, (seemingly smarter than their colleagues too), the creature engaged with Marcus. Much faster than a Husk, razor sharp claws whistled by his chest, forcing a reactionary dodge in response ¨C albeit a bit too slow. Lines of split flesh began to bleed, Kevlar and increased Constitution insufficient to prevent damage. A wave of nausea rocked his body, not from pain, but probably poison. One solid kick disengaged the Hastatis, opening enough room for snap fired Scorching Rays to penetrate its skull. Marcus lacked enough proficiency in melee combat ¨C he¡¯d avoid engaging these types closely, their claws too sharp, and fast, not to mention poisonous; burning mana on eliminating them was necessary. Salvation arrived shortly thereafter with his summon breaching into the stairwell, or perhaps ramp now that they¡¯d gotten a better view. Marcus hastily created several Mage Lights, throwing them into the gloom, revealing a considerably expanded passage. The why and how didn¡¯t matter for now, so without a moment of indecision, he drove their group forward into the unknown.
The tunnel acted as a natural choke point, and without any enemies emerging from the depths, they could turn to face those behind them as a cohesive line. Alas their advantage didn¡¯t last very long. Whatever commanded Blighted forces withdrew after Marcus¡¯s group started mercilessly killing its ¡®soldiers¡¯ much too efficiently; without surrounding them their attacks were ineffective at best. He couldn¡¯t even barrage them with magic, they¡¯d broken his line of sight ¨C returning upstairs. ¡°Crap, these things are learning way too fast! At least they¡¯ve gifted us time to recover a bit, assuming there isn¡¯t another way down here,¡± Marcus said, breathing heavily and contemplating what to do next. Thomas spoke up first, rubbing at his temples, ¡°Fast is an understatement. They¡¯re either learning by exposure, or their intellect naturally rises the longer they are encamped on a world. These tunnels are big enough for one of those Colossus to pass through ¨C meaning whatever foul contraption creates them is also in this hole,¡° he pauses while pointing at several cables running along the tunnel, ¡°additionally those connected to the tubes above, they¡¯re part of some feeding system I¡¯d wager.¡± ¡°True, but not entirely. Those symbols are part of a magical language that is used in enchanting objects. Specifically, those mean, convey, transform, and fuel ¨C you¡¯re right. So, we¡¯re not only dealing with potential Colossi, but whatever or whomever oversees this facility¡­great. This just keeps getting better,¡± tired he stopped for a moment, inspecting everyone¡¯s equipment, ¡°Those Bursters did a number on all your weapons durability, bring them to me and after they¡¯re repaired we¡¯ll need to move on. Getting pincered isn¡¯t on my to-do list,¡± Marcus tersely spoke. Nods were had all around, and a pile of pitted trash collected at his feet. He¡¯d have preferred replacing many of these weapons but without fresh materials he would just have to make do. The repairs didn¡¯t take long - their arms were returned whole, thinner, and somewhat brittle, but serviceable. Reequipped and mostly in good health, their journey resumed once again. Marcus was fully able to see because of Darkvision, while everyone else made do with the dim glow given off by Mage Lights and his summons body/weapon. Fleshy material shielded the tunnel as well, and other than cabling, other features were sparse outside of regularly placed recesses. These cubbies wildly ranged in size, although each could fit a standard human sized vat at least; The Blight hadn¡¯t quite hit capacity completely, not here at least. After a time, branching paths began appearing, leading off into location unknown - these made everyone nervous, the possibility flanking foes rose considerably with their inclusion. The main tunnel persisted, while increasingly dense wiring taking up a full half of all available space. Soon, Metal doors blocked their advance minutes later, no handles were visible on its face, bringing to question exactly how to open them. At first he¡¯d considered cutting into cables then using a created gap to climb through, but his summon wouldn¡¯t have fit. Moreover, all the previously present cables appeared to have been rerouted into nearby walls, circumventing the obstacle; of course, simply shoving the doors had been tried too. On a hunch Marcus cautiously approached their impediment, trying to feel if using Inorganic Shaping was viable. Like other metals he¡¯d worked with, these doors resisted change staunchly, but they did begin changing. Unperturbed, he persisted with his attempts, slowly peeling back enough metal for his summon to wedge its great sword into. Acting on its new lever, the golem began applying force - causing horrible tearing noises to echo with the effort. Their labors were rewarded minutes of prying later - heavy doors smashing down faster than he¡¯d expected. Their jubilation ended before it even began, drawn by noise, a gargantuan form stepped through the ruined door, before barreling into Marcus¡¯s summon. By leveraging its size, the colossus grounded its foe ¨C ignoring any damage it sustained by piercing itself on various sharpened pieces of obsidian alloy. The molten great sword couldn¡¯t be utilized as its wielder remained pinned, oversized limbs holding it in place. Armored plating cracked and shattered under the giants grasp, exposing vulnerabilities which were then exploited. Magma poured out from deep gouges, the lifeblood of his creature spilling onto the floor. In response, their enemies¡¯ arms came under heavy fire. He¡¯d learned his lesson during his first encounter with one of these and avoided using Stone Throw because of its inability to cause any meaningful wounds, opting instead into Scorching Ray. Marcus aimed to remove its arm that ensnared his golems¡¯ weapon, that thing would be perfect for felling this abomination. Rays impacted accurately, each individual spell caused little injury, but after some time accumulated casts started blasting chunks of flesh away. Black blood spilled under their combined onslaught, Adrian and other soldiers severed several tendons in each leg while it ignored them, prioritizing rapidly attacked its downed target. Damage legs faltered, flailing outwards and impacting two people in the chest ¨C sending their bodies careening into the closest wall. Wounds accrued, and eventually its left arm couldn¡¯t persist, detaching and freeing the Berserker. Weapon now maneuverable, the golem intensely struck injured legs, hacking off its foes left within five swings. Leverage now in its favor, Marcus¡¯s summon broke off, distancing itself, and standing up, practically ended the fight in their favor in that action; even twisted creatures like Blight need muscles to move. Missing two of its four limbs the Colossus struggled ineffectively, a literal lamb to the slaughter; Immobilized and defenseless on one side, its end came soon - bereft of its head, the giant finally stilled. Combat had come at a steep cost - not only was Marcus¡¯s summon heavily injured, many of its armored section completely missing, but two men now lay dead, Greg unable to save them; they¡¯d been instantly killed by flailing appendages when they¡¯d gotten too close, dead before even hitting the wall. Unable to dispose of the corpses led to them unceremoniously being left behind, only their dog tags taken in remembrance. Their mission had claimed three men already, and with no end sight morale was at an all-time low; that was until they found out what lay beyond those guarded doors. Arranged below, and in front of them was a massive cavern, buzzing with activity as various Blighted variants moved about. Marcus equated the cavern to a large football stadium sunk into the Earth, at least when considering pure size. What caused his knees to weaken weren¡¯t the hordes of Blighted, or the myriad vats spread around, no, it was a crystal ¨C a crystal floating freely on air - thousands of parasitic wires suspended from it. Chapter 22 - Core See, the thing about hive minds is, when one individual discovers you, they all do. A veritable wave of focus snapped towards their location - darkened faces presenting no expression. Their lack of emotion didn¡¯t detract from their presence, if anything it was much more potent in their absence. Marcus estimated their number at being equal, or perhaps a little less than what his group eliminated in the earlier funneling exploit. Without a spare moment for paying attention to the details ¨C points slammed into his Crystalline Bones path and free attributes were evenly distrusted between his three primary statistics; at the halfway point of the path something occurred, but that¡¯d be for Marcus to check later - for now the Blighted were almost upon them. Silent as death, waves ruin rushed their weakened members. Marcus to his credit, retained almost full mana - a byproduct of much higher regeneration rates. Continuing to hold his trump cards in reserve only led into scenarios where people around him began to die needlessly. Sad that he couldn¡¯t hide it until later, Marcus activated his summons¡¯ Pyroclastic Core. Heat had continually exuded from its body since birth, but that same internal fire began to burn with new intensity. Rather than glowing brighter as Marcus would¡¯ve expected, a deep blackness spread over its body radiating outwards from the core in its chest. The core itself compacted, what once looked like a miniature solar system collapsed into itself, leaving only a pulsating orb in its place. Strangely enough that orb released a call, all too alike to the one he¡¯d heard from the beginning of Integration. Faltering for but a moment he answered ¨C the expected images didn¡¯t appear leaving him confused; all the while the transformation continued uninterrupted. Dynamic snapping sounds followed in the wake of the spreading black. Obsidian plates transformed from mundane armor into something new entirely; Jagged edges developed streamlined curves, leaving behind a mirror-like material Marcus couldn¡¯t identify. The last portion to experience change was its weapon, starting with darkness completely smothering out any remaining light that it once held. While not lengthening whatsoever, the edges sharpened and an exceptionally difficult to see haze enveloped the blade; he couldn¡¯t tell why, but that haze just set off alarm bells in his mind. Finished, the wild berserker was no more, left in its place stood a knight. To everyone¡¯s surprise the creature looked over it¡¯s shoulder and spoke, ¡°Not bad child for a first attempt. You¡¯ve been extremely lucky thus far - you don¡¯t understand with what powers you¡¯re toying with, not all those who answer your calls will be as¡­amicable as I,¡° turning away from Marcus and towards the Blight, ¡°Although at least you aren¡¯t wasting my time with trivial matters - prepare to witness the might of the myriad planes!¡±
Incedis Valanche, Pyretic Forerunner - Level. 61 | Type: Artificial Mana Construct/ Ensouled Golem | Originating from a transitory plane of magma, Incedis Valanche has been temporarily ensouled after answering a pull from beyond. Vastly limited by an artificial body, Incedis can only exert minimal power compared to its true self. Each planar traveler is unique, but all share a common capability ¨C death merely returns them home unharmed; of course, their temporary shell is lost in the process.

What in the hell did I do? I can¡¯t think of anything else other than when I heard that call¡­If Incedis isn¡¯t lying I really need to be more prudent. The old quote by Nietzsche seemed to apply here, especially the latter half, ¡°Whoever fights with monsters should see to it that he does not become a monster in the process. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you.¡±

Meanwhile, Incedis didn¡¯t wait for those behind himself to snap out of their stupor. Jumping much higher than his body ought to be capable of, he smashed into the thick clot of Blighted rushing his summoner. Devastating shockwaves laced with flame exploded from the point of impact, evaporating those unlucky enough to be too close. Ineffectual counterattacks rained upon his body, sending sparks into the air but sliding off improved armor one and all. Pulling greedily on his connection with that foolish boy, Incedis fueled his swords¡¯ reaction; a pale mimicry of his real one, but passable for now. Insubstantial vapor roiled outwards, superheated gas forcibly evacuating any oxygen held within the foul Blighted lung¡¯s on contact; from afar, Marcus saw real panic appear on their opponents faces for the very first time. 30 seconds. Not being able to breath was but the first move. While the foes around him began to drop from asphyxiation, Incedis raised his sword and at its apex brought it slamming down - atomizing everything touched; including many Hastati¡¯s with their reinforced bodies. The ground Marcus had found indestructible rippled from the blow, sending most survivors prone ¨C within only one minute his summon had inexplicably obliterated over half of all Blighted present, alas their commander decided to now reveal itself. Atop the floating crystal at the center of the cavern, a creature of nightmares gazed towards Incedis, fury practically palpable rolled from its body. Hundreds of stunted limbs clung to their moorings, while bloated purple flesh loosely hung from its body - gravity weighing heavily on the massive creature''s stature. Mismatched eyes, mouths, and other feature dotted its form, no rhyme or reason to their placement; thick as an old oak, and 12 meters long the commander was a site to behold. Marcus was first to notice, followed shortly thereafter by Incedius - that massive amounts of mana began to gather towards the creature. With time to spare bought by his summon, Marcus fired off an inspection.
Sub-Commander Eretyl, Blighted Seer | Level. 97 | Type: Abomination /Gastropod | Local Blighted leadership with direct control of all other Blight variants within several kilometers. Eretyl is a bringer of plague and poison and uses each to both destroy or convert nearby natives. Despite her size, she focuses primarily on spellcasting for disposing of direct threats. As a result of her original species, she enjoys astounding durability, and physical prowess.
Eretyl finished whatever she¡¯d been preparing, a veritable avalanche of thick off-green gas was generated which immediately started filling the cavern at an unnatural pace. Incedius was practically invincible versus Blighted rank and file, but the caustic fumes started visibly eating away at his stony exterior. Marcus started throwing Scorching Rays towards the beast, aiming to dislodge it by removing as many limbs as possible.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. The thing screeched as spells contacted its flesh. Following his lead, Greg stepped forward and fired off an iridescent bolt that traveled much slower than Marcus¡¯s spells, but Eretyl reacted much more severely when it ripped into her body. Around that bolts point of connection, no damage was done per-se ¨C instead of say burning it, the localized skin looked healthier than ever. Healthy appeared to be relative, as the Sub-Commander desperately clawed at the affected area, so much so that it was dislodged itself, and came crashing down. A loud wumph signaled her fall and Incedis moved to capitalize on the now in range foe. Marcus assisted in clear a path. Using stone now exposed by his summons attacks Tendrils of Earth entangled those looking to harry Incedis¡¯s advance. The spell now spanned over a much larger area than it had before, and even some of the weaker Blighted were eliminated in its vice-like hold. Aside from Marcus and Greg, everyone else simply held their position, fighting fervently to keep any foes off their casters. Adrian stood out far more than anyone else, well perhaps other than Incedis. He¡¯d somehow acquired the ability to keep his shield in its expanded state active for much longer than before. Looking at his movements the shield wasn¡¯t as powerful when used this way but for extended engagement was much more viable. Satisfied that their line would hold, Marcus now turned to assist Incedis with what was turning out to be a challenging brawl. Stepping into the gas wouldn¡¯t possible, so the only support he could provide came from maintaining his Pyroclastic Core ability, along with additional mana for staving off the acid even now eating into everything. One and a half minutes.
Incedis was having the most fun he¡¯d had in a very long time. Not many people pulled elementals from other planes and infused them into constructs. Typically, individuals who practice summoning either do so at much higher levels, or in the presence of countermeasures for safety. The System provided little information to him as to how exactly he ended up here, what had been provided left him, a being around for untold years, aghast. Just how did that human bumble into this, using a basic ability shouldn¡¯t have facilitated my transfer. All I¡¯ve been told is that some inexperienced summoner, ¡®heard¡¯, whatever that means, a call, which he answered¡­ I¡¯ve never heard of something so decidedly stupid in my life. Although, I¡¯m not going to complain, it¡¯s been an eon since I¡¯ve been able to let loose; perhaps I should leave him with a tiny bit of help - maybe the idiot doesn¡¯t end up dead and will manage to free me¡­ yes, yes I think I will. The thoughts flashed over his mind in an instant, a decision made that would alter the fates of countless others. Happy that he¡¯d been provided a modicum of assistance from the others, Incedis strode forward, driving his blade deep into Eretyl¡¯s midsection. Blood and offal spilled out from the wound, but the monster appeared to scoff at its attacks. A wave of limbs batted Incedis away, sending the Forerunner tumbling along the floor for a short distance. Cracks spread throughout his armor, leaking a bright substance sharing many qualities with magma, he''d already been dealt more damage by that one blow than everything else previously. His timer ticked down much too quickly for him to single handedly end this abomination. Mentally, he prodded towards his summoner following their intrinsic link, ¡°Maintain this ability for as long as you can. You and the others NEED to evacuate this cave. While I¡¯m not the original holder of this construct, I know that when it goes critical being anywhere near this place with reduce you into nothingness.¡± Incedis noticed Marcus stare intently towards the crystal near the ceiling, ¡°If you know what that crystal is, you must also realize just who built it. Have faith in their legacy, not that your faith matters - that crystal will survive even if this entire cavern collapses in upon itself. ¡° Marcus was surprised by the method of communication, but he¡¯d already seen enough these past days to simply brush it off as the new normal. Quickly signaled his allies, they began their slow, fighting retreat towards the exit. The mana flowing into Incedis exploded upwards rapidly as the summon¡¯s ability timer cross over the two-minute mark. For every step taken another increase in cost came, additionally, a noticeable strain on his fleeting willpower came along with that price. Before long they¡¯d managed to make their way completely outside, the once blocked exit open ¨C likely undone to allow outside reinforcements to enter. Those same reinforcements, in addition to those they¡¯d fought at the beginning, assuredly had entered the main cavern through another side passage. After they¡¯d entered the original building, most of the Blighted turned around - ceasing their pursuit to rush back in an effort to aid their master; Marcus wished he could¡¯ve watched what was happening below. With more than a little regret, he and everyone else put as much distance as possible between themselves and the building.
Incedis hacked away at his foe. Each strike removing chunks of twisted flesh and drawing torrents of sickly liquid. He¡¯d tried suffocating the ¡®commander¡¯ as he¡¯d done before but had found the effect minimal at best. Every moment his summoner preserved their connection, and with it, incoming mana, the better for what was soon to come. A crescendo of sound began within seconds of the ability being overdrawn - continuously becoming louder by the second. Cracks that once would¡¯ve been small now reveled the molten core within his shell. That core had once maintained the original construct, but not its only function was to destroy. He wondered how a new planet managed to be so unfortunate to have to deal with something like this so soon after Integration; the System itself informed him that only four of their day cycles had passed so far - a number much too low in his option. Severed limbs, and even at one point, a head regrew with a tenacity that made no practical sense. No matter how many times Incedis ripped this thing apart, any damage inflicted regenerated before any kind of decisive blow could be landed. Cursing the limited effectiveness of this shell, all he could accomplish and hope for, was that his self-destruction was adequate. Weakened armor maintained its defense versus the chaff around, but did little for blows originating from Eretyl, who even up to this point said nothing. He felt that rather than not being able to speak, the freak didn¡¯t see a point in doing so. Sub-commander Eretyl continued producing additional acidic fog, its other disease based magics already having been proven ineffective against a construct of mana and stone. Seeing that his end was nigh, Incedis recklessly applied pressure, doing damagem but of course nothing permanent. Clawed limbs ripped into his body, flinging away shards of stone that dissipated back into mana in the air. Finally, Eretyl dug deep enough and reached to remove his core, a move that if the creature had known better, would¡¯ve never tried. Eretyl finally spoke, its hands clasped firmly around what it thought was victory, a vindictive smile blossomed across her face, ¡°I win. Filth like you, aren¡¯t worth my time. You¡¯ve set us back, but once The Blight is whole once again, I¡¯ll personally hunt down that maggot who pulls your strings. The anticipation of flaying the skin from his pathetic bones excites me beyond measure.¡± Responding in a language that thus far only Marcus had understood, ¡°I¡¯ve seen more than my share of egotistical species and factions, but even after my extremely short time here, I¡¯ve decided that you fools simply deserve extinction.¡± Eretyl clearly didn¡¯t understand what Incedis said, but laughing conveyed the same emotion for most species, even a laugh coming from a man made of stone. Confusion was the last thing Eretyl felt, her existence blotted out in cataclysmic fire. Chapter 23 - Advancement Panes of glass shattered around them; the very ground heaved measurably as whatever had transpired below leaked through dozens of meters of terrain. No cloud of debris was ejected into the air by the blast; What had once been building Alpha groaned - temporarily holding out against the inevitable before collapsing in on itself ¨C marking its destruction and additionally, the formation of a large sinkhole. In the moments leading up to Incedis¡¯s ¡®final¡¯ act, he¡¯d somehow sent Marcus a packet of sorts that contained knowledge of the do¡¯s and don¡¯ts of elemental summoning. That aside, he was still floundering to understand what exactly just happened over the course of a sort handful of minutes. In the end it boiled down to him once against being overconfident in his strength; if he hadn¡¯t somehow Deus ex Machina Incedis into existence, he along with those around him, would¡¯ve almost certainly been overwhelmed, and that wasn¡¯t even considering Eretyl whom Marcus hadn¡¯t even witnessed fighting. Thomas broke his train of thinking, speaking timidly in a way extremely jarring considering the man¡¯s personality, ¡°I¡¯m going to be straight to the point. What on God¡¯s green Earth did you pull back there?! That¡­thing spoke, and NOT in a language I¡¯m familiar with, or anyone on the planet is for all that is matters. Look, after everything that¡¯s happened my faith has been tested to say little of anything else, but when what looks like a bonafide fiend shows itself I can¡¯t help to not worry. And that¡¯s again ignoring an apparent bomb, a very large bomb, from going off.¡± Marcus at a loss for words could only listen, mouth agape as Thomas continued to ramble on; funnily enough, both Adrian and Greg embraced the situation in stride, they¡¯d already seen him do borderline crazy things. ¡°We can debate moral implications once we¡¯ve returned to base and are mostly safe. Before we go anywhere I¡¯ve got an object of extreme importance to retrieve from that there pile of rubble¡­so, excuse me for a bit,¡± he finished in an almost dismissive fashion - leaving Thomas to glare at his back without room to respond; not being part of the military chain of command had its perks. A persistent urge to check his status overwhelmed any sense of self control, causing Marcus to halt on his trek to retrieve the crystal. After asking Adrian and Greg to watch over him, he found a safeish place to sit, and as if triggered by him relaxing, a flood of notifications spilled into his vision unbeckoned. (AN: Keep in mind these levels ups / skill increases are from both before and after entering the Distortion Vat Facility. Just mushed them together because otherwise they¡¯d end up being super long¡­and even now it¡¯s still an info dump) [Level Up + 28 (+2 Bonus for Quest objective advancement)] Basic Elemental Summoning + 20, Mana Manipulation + 16, Elemental Manipulation + 16, Inorganic Shaping + 11, Scorching Ray + 9, Elemental Sight + 10, Stone Throw + 6, Meditative Mind + 5, Unstable Earthen Spines + 3, Basic Melee Fighting + 6, Overchannel + 5, Mineral Purification + 3, Dodge + 3, Trap Making + 1, Darkvision + 2, Universal Translator + 2 Rather than skill and level up¡¯s drawing his attention, a gold bordered panel shone brilliantly as if begging to be noticed. Without expecting too much, Marcus brought this notification into focus, his mind instantly swept away to the same location as initial class selection, all unbeknownst to those around him. Finding himself in the familiar void, he assumed that his class had experienced a change; it appeared like with everything else that the System liked using multiples of five for classes too. He didn¡¯t wait for long before a set of screens flashed into existence.
Congratulations for advancing beyond initial class selection - typically, only five to fifteen percent of individuals reach this point. As the first of your original race to achieve level 50 extra options may be available once a Class Evolution becomes available. In accordance with System law, additional information regarding classes is now available for reading.
Like how he¡¯d seen dungeon ratings before, portions of the message allowed Marcus to select them ¨C opening new windows in the process.
Class development is broken into the rarities below. Additionally, within each rarity lies another set of checkpoints, namely ¨C Novice, Apprentice, Nascent, Expert, and Master.
  • White ?
  • Uncommon (U)
  • Rare ?
  • Special (S)
  • Epic (E)
  • Ascendant (A)
  • Legendary (L)
  • Forbidden (X)
Rarity can be elevated through path progression, System rewards, or in other special circumstances, e.g. CENSORED. Progress within a rarities¡¯ bracket is simply tied to level gains, progressing for every fifty levels gained under any given checkpoint. Offer no immediate benefits, but greatly affect any and all future class evolutions when moving up the rarity scale. NOTE: Rarely some classes start with an abnormal tier, e.g. instead of Novice they may be Apprentice immediately on selection.
If I¡¯m understanding this correctly, I was pulled into here for a tier upgrade. Does that mean I¡¯m now a Nascent Matter Reshapter? Yep, its right there on my status already.. but why did the System pull me into this space to tell me this; surely it would¡¯ve been more efficient to just send another message. And what does censored even mean here, is the Grand Hegemony able to restrict information even in this space? Marcus¡¯s mind was ejected from the space after receiving all of the class information provided. Finding himself back in his body, little or perhaps no time had passed for anyone else; the sun hadn¡¯t moved whatsoever during his temporary absence. For the most part everything made sense that he¡¯d seen, aside from the censored portions, and being pulled into that space in what seemed to be a frivolous manner. Maybe it could be that anything related to classes brought you there, or perhaps this only happened the first time you went up a tier; he¡¯d find out in fifty levels either way. Strange space aside, his PP once again accumulated ¨C even after blindingly using many of them earlier. Sitting at 123 of 200 of Crystalline Bones, Marcus looked for any mention of him hitting its halfway point ¨C finding nothing he could only sigh and move on; maybe the path was preparing for a large shift on completion?If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. His brazen spending did produce one obvious side effect, Constitution finally crested over the two-fifty mark, trigging an expected set of notifications.
Blood spills from a wounded body in torrents, staining the ground red with your life¡¯s essence. Despite critical damage your vivacity fights back - a seemingly infinite pool of vitality refilling its damage vessel at an astounding rate. Soon enough, mortal wounds that would¡¯ve killed lesser beings close, restoring peak operating capacity. Volume is a measure of quantity that in some respects possess a quality of its own. New Health multiplier: 1.5x
The reward continued following the previous trend of rewards at two-fifty. Doing a bit of quick math in his head, Marcus worked out that after adding the recently earned PP into his current path he¡¯d have enough free attributes to raise both Strength and Agility up to two-fifty as well ¨C all without using even half of his 140 free points. After reaching 170 of 200 in his path, he only needed to use about sixty points to bring both to his attributes up to his goal; eliciting yet more notifications, three in-fact.
Momentum carries you forward, superhuman muscles rippling under the exertion. Ragged breaths escape from your mouth while powerful lungs fight to bring in adequate oxygen. One muscle - the most important of all ¨C pounds heavily, but steadily pumps blood under once unheard-of pressures, reaching every fiber in your body within moments. Straining against impossible odds, only a hardened endurance can pave a pathway towards the future. New Stamina multiplier: 1.5x
When milliseconds determine life or death, speed is king. Agile steps weave a lithe body through battle guiding it to somehow always arrive at just the right angle for devastating blows. With the grace of a feline, lightened steps almost imperceptible, hiding your presence from those whom seek you out. Additional 10% Movement speed. New passive ability: (U) Hushed Steps
A well-rounded body can more easily be pressed beyond its normal limitations - enabling maneuvers otherwise unviable to attempt. History has shown that situations of extreme stress enable an individual to push beyond what the body typically allows. You have gained that same ability, usable at will, rather than as a subconscious reaction. New Physical skill gained: (U) Surge
New Physical skill gained: (U) Hushed Steps ¨C Level. 1 | At the cost of additional stamina consumption, noise created by walking, and running can be vastly reduced. Note: Does not dampen sound made by worn equipment. Higher levels reduce stamina cost. New Physical skill gained: (U) Surge ¨C Level. 1 | Doubles physical attributes for extremely short bursts of time. Each subsequent activation raises stamina cost, and damage cause by excess strain. Higher levels reduce stamina cost, lessens self-damage, and lengthens time of each use. *WARNING ¨C Excessive use can cause permanent damage that cannot be regenerated. Jesus H. Christ that¡¯s a block of text if I¡¯ve ever seen one; at least I¡¯m almost done. With a tired sigh, he rounded out his attributes ¨C raising his last statistic, Luck, to fifty at the cost of twelve points. While he was at it, Marcus evenly distributed the remaining free attributes, sixty, among Intelligence, Perception, and Wisdom; thankfully not causing anything strange to happen.
Luck is a vague measure of how often fate seems to bend causality around a person¡¯s actions. At lower levels the bending is fairly minimal - only manifesting infrequently. Rarely on receiving System rewards, additionally bonuses may appear.
Marcus wasn¡¯t sure if he should be happy or not that raising everything to fifty didn¡¯t award him anything. Logically the answer is yes, but after what he¡¯d just experienced a little irrational thinking wasn¡¯t too unexpected. Everything finally complete, Marcus took a final look over his status.
Name: Marcus Diamandis Level - 72 Class - Nascent Matter Reshaper
Health: 7350/7350 Regeneration 73.5/Min 1.5x Multiplier
Stamina: 6488/6488 Regeneration 922.5/Min 1.5x Multiplier
Mana: 8100/8100 Regeneration 1488/Min 1.5x Multiplier
Free Attributes: 0 Path Points: 2 Race - Crystal Forged Human
Movement Speed Multiplier Casting Speed Multiplier Spell Damage Bonuses
15% 50% 15%
Basic Statistics Total
Strength 250
Constitution 365
Agility 250
Perception 500
Intelligence 540
Wisdom 496
Charisma 50
Luck 50
Of course, his ¡®complaining¡¯ was done in jest and he nevertheless found himself blown away by how fast the System allowed people to grow; though he could see that slowing down soon if the patter for thresholds continued. The last, and undoubtedly the most important thing he¡¯d learned today came from an unexpected source, Incedis. He¡¯d almost mentioned it, but in Incedis¡¯s final seconds transmitted a large block of information; how exactly that worked was once again throw into the pile of unsolved mysteries. Parsing through the data would take time, although in his brief skimming Marcus already learned just how lucky he¡¯d been. For example, the core within his Berserker once it had collapsed sent out of sort of ¡®shockwave¡¯ that could be felt by anything listening. If those same creatures listening latched on to that wave they could follow it back to its source, and if the body was compatible could subsume control of it from Marcus. Meaning that in the end, Incedis could¡¯ve turned around and slaughtered him if he¡¯d chosen to do so. Of course, Incedis would¡¯ve immediately lost control of that body but that didn¡¯t matter if Marcus was already dead. He felt that there was a way to tune that wave towards someone or something specific, but he¡¯d made much too little progress to tell; for now, no more using Pyroclastic Core, and if he really wanted to be safe, no summoning. Standing once again, he approached the massive pile of rubble and began shaping it out of the way. After what felt like hours, Marcus finally found his target, the crystal that had once been floating inside of the cavern. The innocent act of brushing dirt of its face activated something he hadn¡¯t accounted for. Viable racial standards met¡­Processing¡­Would you like to take possession of this Generation III Mana Generator? Chapter 24 - Respite, and Departure Taking ownership over the massive crystal was confirmed by an oscillation of sorts, notably marked by an output of chromatic light around itself. Marcus, overjoyed for the moment, forgot one key detail ¨C how was he supposed to move a crystal weighing several metric tons; not only its weight, but hostile creatures would certainly attack them on the trip. As if his thoughts were being read, another menu appeared, but rather than manifesting in his mind, appeared on the surface of the crystal.
Structural damage to Generator III Mana Generator has caused a 95% drop in efficiency and limitations have been placed on core functions to prevent complete degradation. Some options may be disabled completely, see menu below:
  • Energy Assignment
  • Structural Integrity
  • Troubleshooting
  • Options
  • History
Going through the pages Marcus found that every tab had some sort of restrictions placed onto them. For example, Energy Assignment listed the Generator¡¯s mana output ¨C an astounding 200,000 an hour, but aside from that no other choices were available; not even how to use the listed output. Of course, Marcus tried directly using that output, but something was preventing him from doing so; in the future if he could remotely draw on this resource the damage output could only be imagined. Structural Integrity was quite simple really, the page displayed a mockup of the crystal and marked every area that was damaged, along with how to fix it. Even after being told directly how to do these repairs Marcus had zero inclinations of even trying, just the first step was so out of his league. While he did recognize some of the symbols used from his brief study of enchanting, the complexity was on another level entirely. Troubleshooting, and History were completely inaccessible, and when he attempted to open them the crystal prompted him to complete repairs before access would be possible. The option menu was thankfully functional, if not short. All he could do from there was scale the mana output, turn it off, and most importantly by far - movement. Digging into the movement option presented both good news, and bad news. Good news is that moving it was possible, the bad news is that moving the crystal was a slow process. At its leisurely pace he estimated it¡¯d take a good hour or two for it to make it back to the base - to put that pace into perspective, it had taken less than an hour for them to reach their current location; all of this was assuming nothing bothered to hit the glowing mineral, the crystal was many things, surreptitious was not one of them. Additionally, Marcus grew increasingly nervous about leaving his mother behind, and either he or someone he trusted such as Adrian to escort her back to the base. Now the real question is, how much do I trust the military, or rather what remains of it. I need to seriously consider if I can trust them with this crystal¡­my instincts are screaming that it¡¯s a stupid idea to bring it back there. In that case where do I place it? Bringing it back to Azarti is the obvious choice, but at the speed it can move that would take way too long ¨C especially because I¡¯d need to escort it. Time just isn¡¯t on my side...only a single month to clear this many Blighted is insane, speaking of that I probably should look at the quest again - now that one Distortion Vat Facility has been destroyed.
System Quest ¨C Purged in Flames New Blighted infestation discovered, if not eliminated within one two Earth-month(s) snowball effect will have advanced beyond redemption. Forces of The Blight have converted native citizen en-masse, through twisted magic and ritual sacrifice ¨C those turned are forever lost; salvation snuffed out. Clear Conditions:
  • Eliminate Blighted Plague Host (1/1)
  • Destroy and cleanse Distortion Vat Facilities (4/5)
  • Kill and burn Blight Husks (1,300,000/1,500/00)
Rewards: Varied upon completion percentage and contribution. Difficulty: EPIC
Relief was immediate. Marcus had labeled the quest as almost impossible, but if they gained a month for each facility destroyed it might just be feasible to finish. While they hadn¡¯t received any rewards direct from the System, time itself may just be the biggest gift of all. Also, it appeared as if other survivors had made a noticeable dent in the Blighted population, even when considering all he, and those around, him had done.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. With this extension I can make the trip out to Azarti in the Dungeon¡­hell I can take my mother with me; I trust the bus sized snake more than the military if I¡¯m being honest. Also, I did promise ¨C what was his name? Ah yeah, Jared or whatever, that I¡¯d be coming back. Now I just need Greg and Adrian to come with me.
While Marcus was muttering to himself and staring at his crystal, others around him watched keenly. ¡°So, does his do this often? The whole stare into space and talking to himself thing is kinda weird,¡± Greg stated curiously. ¡°I¡¯ve only known him maybe a day longer than you, but yeah, he does this a lot, but you get used to it pretty quickly,¡± Greg replied nonplused, before continuing, ¡°Want to bet he drags us into something else ridiculous?¡± ¡°Hell no, that¡¯s a bet we both know I¡¯ll lose!¡±
¡°¡­.and that¡¯s why I need you guys to follow me into the forest,¡± Marcus explained confidently. His friends shared a knowing look before just nodding in ascent, leaving him a little confused, but happy nonetheless that they decided to follow. The hard part came when he tried dismissing Thomas to leave on their own, ¡°You can¡¯t just leave, especially when you¡¯re intending to take a valuable artifact with you,¡± Thomas said, frustration evident in his voice. ¡°Sorry Thomas, but there¡¯s nothing, and I mean nothing you can do to stop me from leaving. I respect you, alas that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m part of your command structure. The military, and hell, even the government is all but shattered if Denver is any indicator of what the world is undergoing. This crystal represents something you know nothing about, and frankly I don¡¯t trust anyone else around it, there''s no telling what could happen if it were to become unstable; an explosion would likely be the best outcome. Tell Angelica what you must, or I¡¯ll tell her myself when we come back, I have no intention of abandoning the city,¡± Marcus finished. Done with his small tirade, and ignoring the threats being spewed by Thomas, Marcus, along with Greg and Adrian made their exit. While it may have seemed strange for Thomas to roll over so fast it made a sick sort of sense, the three of them were by far the highest levels and any one of them could make sort work of the others, and that¡¯s before any magic came into play. Aside from that, the Blighted had cleared most of the city at this point, leaving nothing to harry them on their way to pick up Marcus¡¯s mother and those that may also want to come.
Somewhere in the middle of the afternoon they arrived at their destination and were thankfully greeted not by death and destruction but instead open arms. Of course, his mother was the first to approach, taking Marcus into embrace; her days of worrying over, at least for the time being. ¡°Thank god you¡¯re alright. Did you find anything about your Father and brother?¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m so sorry Mom, but downtown was a nightmare, maybe they got out before it got bad,¡± he solemnly answered. In response she only held him tighter, muffled sobs emanating from his chest ¨C nothing hurts more than getting ones hopes stripped away, especially regarding loved ones. ¡°Mom, I know it hurts right now but we need to go. There¡¯s a place I know about that will keep you safe from everything, at least I think you will be. Everyone else is welcome to come, I¡¯ll be able to explain more after we leave.¡± Turning to everyone else, ¡°I¡¯m sure you all have questions ¨C now isn¡¯t the time for them. Like I just told her, I¡¯ll tell you what I can after we¡¯ve left the city. Carry only what you can handle, the trek we¡¯re about to undertake is a long one. I have something in mind to make it easier, but in the end it¡¯ll be on your own feet,¡± he announced. After his mother detached herself from him, she turned and gathered the others to begin their hasty preparations. Marcus instead of helping pack, began summoning his basic Quartz-Plated Ursine ¨C he could control four of them simultaneously, and while they may not be as destructive as a Magmatic Berserker, they¡¯d be playing a much more mundane, if not crucial role. Single aspect creations still required extensive time to manifest, so after finishing an odd hour or two later, everyone was waiting for him. Meekly he pulled extra stone from beneath him and molded it into matching barebones wagons ¨C each several meters wide and long; they were then attached to the bears, greatly weighing even them down with their weight. While riding on these makeshift wagons wouldn¡¯t be comfortable, it would beat hiking hundreds of miles unassisted any day of the week. Additionally, they also had the effect of slowing down his summons¡¯s maximum speed, but considering they¡¯d be matching their pace with the much slower crystal it really didn¡¯t matter. Heavy supplies such as hastily gathered mattresses were thrown onto these platforms, along with other odds and ends that would greatly improve living conditions once they¡¯d settled down. Shortly thereafter, with everything ready, their group set out once again. Waiting for the next day and hoping to avoid night travel would¡¯ve been ideal, but while Marcus had more time to deal with the Blight, wasting it frivolously still wasn¡¯t wise. On another note, he really wished that he¡¯d been able to create something more sophisticated than basic wagons ¨C a wagon with any kind of suspension would¡¯ve been much better, but even with his increased molding abilities, creating fine pieces, especially elastic ones, was still beyond him. Traveling through the ruins had already become mundane - you can only be so disgusted and angry for so long. Unfortunately, Marcus wasn¡¯t able to find Jared, after passing back the man¡¯s home, or rather what was left of it; he could only pray that he¡¯d made it out. With a heavy heart, and a heavy burden on his shoulders, he left Denver ¨C hopefully to return stronger and more prepared to deal with the Blight. Chapter 25 - Pasts What is time? The definition of such an ephemeral concept wildly differs between every human being, and in every case, that same definition changes over a lifetime of experiences. Time for Marcus meant something entirely new in his warped reality ¨C before he¡¯d only wanted to work, survive, and maybe be a better person if possible. His prior commitments were like evaporated like water left out in the sun ¨C gone, but still water - only changed into a new form. Now he strives forward, growing stronger with each passing moment, each spell thrown, and each life extinguished. Everything came back to time in the end - it was a resource that no one could afford to waste, and up until a day ago he¡¯d thought his reserves were rapidly approaching empty. Although now, finding himself in a lull after what had been nearly a week of hectic slaughter, he found the peace almost overwhelming. Every sound was an alarm, or a threat, but the only thing he¡¯d heard lately that occasionally drew his attention were the faint rumblings of their wagons, and the footfalls of those around him. Conversation between the survivors had been sparse at best, but at least those short snippets of interaction hadn¡¯t been interrupted by any hostile creatures. They were certainly out there, Marcus could hear them even now, but for reasons unknown the beasts avoided any violent action. He¡¯d said it once before, but it may be possible for less intelligent creatures to ¡®sense¡¯ an opponent¡¯s level or possess an instinctual fear towards those same people. He¡¯d once asked Azarti about what the System really was, and the response he was given still didn¡¯t quite make sense. Azarti had said that the System worked to prevent entropy across the multiverse, how exactly it did that remained a mystery to everyone, not just him. But first, let¡¯s begin by assuming that was its purpose, how could it accomplish that goal when it seemed to give out power like candy. His only rational explanation for the situation led to one conclusion: mana. Mana - even after using the resource extensively recently - remained completely shrouded in ambiguity; Sure, he knew how to manipulate raw mana and charge it with an element, but as for how raw mana came into existence initially, he could only guess. All energy in the Universe originates as solar, or more specially from stars undergoing fusion in their cores under extreme conditions. Maybe mana comes from dark matter? Scientists never really figured out what the stuff was¡­it¡¯s a good a guess as any. Another issue bothered him greatly ¨C what were skills, and how did they function so naturally. Marcus had learned a couple of skills through means other than self-exploration. Stone Throw for example was a spell that he¡¯d been granted for completing a path, one moment he knew nothing about it and the next he was effectively a savant in the skill, albeit one without any practical experience. This led to a disturbing question: Could the System read or overwrite parts of his memory - he was inclined to say yes, otherwise spontaneously knowing how to do something you¡¯d never done before didn¡¯t seem possible. Ethical concerns aside, he worried that parts of him were slowly being whittled away to make him someone new. In his old life he¡¯d abhorred violence, but since the System he¡¯d done almost nothing else but kill and kill some more. His hands drenched in blood were a common theme of his dreams these days, and perhaps these visions in Marcus¡¯s dreams were the anguished screams of an altered mind. He could only shiver and hope that the crystalline lattice inside his head would eventually become powerful enough to stop any attempted influence - of course that is any of that was going on in the first place. Becoming paranoid wasn¡¯t a state of mind that Marcus could or would allow himself to fall into. While mortified of the ramifications there really wasn¡¯t any course of action he could take currently ¨C other than maybe lying down in the fetal position and crying ¨C for all the good it would do. Seeking to distract himself, he almost rushed to once again crack open his primer on Enchanting, soon enough he began to read, losing his worries in a tome of arcane knowledge.
Hours passed with nothing other than the occasional spot on the trail that Marcus would need to repair. Less than a week after passing through here initially the once well-maintained trail had already started to deteriorate at rate that belied another factor in its rapid degradation; whatever or whomever caused the damage left no marks, at least none that he could see. Without any clues to act on, they simply continued their trek through the wilderness - albeit at an elevated level of scrutiny towards their surroundings. Near nightfall Marcus told the group to keep an eye out for an appropriate area for him to setup one of his ¡®prefab¡¯ shelters that he was starting to call Outposts. Within an hour or so, Adrian pointed out a particularly tall mound of earth that would be just large enough to cram an outpost into. With practice creating these structures had already shifted from being a challenge into more of a routine, as such the protective housing was complete within the hour ¨C just in time for the last dregs of light to disappear. A light meal comprised of potato chips and canned foods over a small fire was their dinner; of course, they needed to eat the ¡®good¡¯ stuff before it went bad - he could guarantee that chips would be a rare luxury soon. Eating slowly, he had several inquiries to ask his impromptu party of sorts.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Adrian, Greg you¡¯ve been following me into crazy, and deadly situations for reasons I¡¯ve frankly never asked. Now that we have a little peace, I figured now would be the best time to get to know you, and your reasons for doing what you each do,¡± Marcus spoke, obvious curiosity laced into his words. Greg spoke first, setting his food down before starting, ¡°There isn¡¯t a whole lot to say to be honest. Before all of this started I worked as a paramedic, if my class hadn¡¯t already tipped you off,¡± he scoffed, taking a sip of water. ¡°Other than that, I had a girlfriend, or rather a fianc¨¦ - we were due to get married in a couple of months¡­¡± he whispered, ¡°I think I¡¯ve been throwing myself at nearly every dangerous situation I can. I can¡¯t tell you exactly why I do it, but if its anything its because I miss her. The void in my heart hungers for revenge, and more than anything its what I want, but its not what SHE, Caitlyn, would¡¯ve wanted. She was a pure, kind soul, so in her honor I¡¯ll do what she would¡¯ve strove towards, healing and restoring the sick, injured, and broken.¡± At this point Greg abruptly stopped speaking, although no one blamed him for doing so, while he was now silent he lingered around to listen. While Marcus wanted to comfort the man, he felt as if simply trying to placate Greg was selfish, grieving was a healthy process, so he¡¯d leave him too it ¨C of course he¡¯d talk if Greg himself asked to. To fill the awkward silence, Adrian stepped up, his turn to talk. ¡°I¡¯ve already told Marcus a bit about myself, but I¡¯ll reiterate a bit of it here. Although, Marcus there is something I need to confess, while it¡¯s true I¡¯m prior military the reasons for my discharge are slightly different,¡± he awkwardly shifted around, but crossed his legs and continued after Marcus didn¡¯t really seem angry about the deception, ¡°Seeing as the government has all but been erased, I don¡¯t see any reason not to share classified information. The orders I disobeyed would¡¯ve gotten myself and other soldiers killed, that part is true, although there¡¯s much more to it. My team and I had been deployed via helicopter in the dead of night, our objective was to scout a possible Al-Qaeda training facility deep in the mountains. All was normal, at least as normal as you could expect, all up until we found that ¡®facility¡¯. Using infrared, we¡¯d been able to confirm over a hundred probable terrorists camped out at the location, but the problem lay with whom was also present with them: Woman and kids ¨C basically their families.¡± Taking a deep, slow breath and a swig of looked to be whiskey, he continued,¡± Of course, we immediately called it in, calling off any prospective bombing missions, as much as we wanted to eliminate the hostiles there were far too many civilians to feasibly do so. Unfortunately, on this mission we¡¯d had an officer imbedded into unit, apparently a high-value target was present, someone they¡¯d been searching for over several months. Credible intel placed him within the one and only structure present ¨C everyone else had been camped out in tents. He overruled my decision, calling in a precision strike, disregarding any of the imminent collateral damage such a weapon would cause.¡± ¡°Before I knew it I heard the scream of jet engines, of course by the time I¡¯d heard that the jet had long since flown over, releasing its payload. Here¡¯s where my information gets a bit hazy. I¡¯m not sure what kind of ordinance it was supposed to be, but in any case someone, somewhere, fucked up big time. What was supposed to be a precision strike, something that in it of itself would¡¯ve been horrible, whatever was dropped ended up disbursing over a wide area, turning the night into day as hellfire obliterated everyone and everything in that camp - civilian and terrorist alike. I¡¯d never been so sick in my life, but also angry. Before I knew it I¡¯d already had that son of a bitch on the ground and by the time I¡¯d been pulled off had been him within an inch of death. After that it¡¯s probably easy to guess what happened, we got extracted, the mission became classified, and I was dishonorably discharged for my actions, none of which I regret.¡± ¡°Its been long enough since then for me to come to terms with it, but I still get an occasional nightmare. As for why I follow your insane ass? I guess it¡¯s as some form of repentance for those innocent lives that were unjustly stolen away. The terrorists deserved it, but those women and children didn¡¯t deserve that end¡­although I¡¯m not sure now if that death would¡¯ve been better than this fresh hell we¡¯re in now,¡± he concluded. Mulling over their words, each of the trio parsed over their thoughts, lost in the moment. After a period, Marcus retold his story thus far, leaving nothing out this time ¨C these two had earned that at the very least. Lacking any real serious trauma in the past, he started with his story thus far during integration. He began with the plane crash, drawing several looks of disbelief that he¡¯d survived, but nonetheless continued. His brief run in the forest that ended with a near death experience with a Wyvern, and of course how could he leave out his dungeon escapades? Once he started telling them about who and what Azarti really was ended up being the final straw as both Adrian and Greg gave up trying to understand just what in the hell Marcus had been up to in a very short week. The story petered out around Denver as that¡¯s when the former pair ended up joining, but all the same he finished by telling the events from his point of view. After their stories had been told the trio long continued talk about the not so serious things about who they were. Greg was an African American man, 6¡¯1, and aptly described as thick, and built like a truck from the legs on up. He¡¯d grown up in suburban Denver, were he attended Highschool, and eventually went on to work as paramedic after not wanting to go to college. Adrian was similar outside of leaving the country for a time after joining the Armed Forces, but contrary to Greg, he was on the shorter side at 5¡¯8, and thin. Of course, Marcus couldn¡¯t without his past ¨C he¡¯d went to a private prep school in place of attending public school. During that ¡®special¡¯ education he interned for several companies before graduating, and entering university were he eventually earned his degree. All-in-all aside form Adrian, they¡¯d lived boring lives honestly. They¡¯d all come from whole homes, and aside from Marcus didn¡¯t have any siblings. Sometime after everyone but them had fallen asleep their conversation which had at this point grown much more friendly and personal, was interrupted by a scratching sound from the walls.