《Monolith of Progress》
Prologue
The world can be quite messed up but today, it certainly should take a prize for how messed up it is, because way too much stuf has happend, so let''s start with the beginning.
The day was going normally, not specially bad, and not specially good either, and then it happened, the event that humanity shall forever remember as the one that made everything way too clich¨¦. I was just walking around returning home when for some reason I find myself with my hand touching a big, strange structure. It was black not a black that absorbs all light but a black like polished obsidian reflecting light, I look around and it seems that all kinds of people are in the same situation, some start screaming, others just asking what the hell is happening, quite reasonably in my opinion. I notice that all this time my hand has been in contact with the structure all this time, but when I take it off my hand offers me some resistance, but nothing like how my own mind resisted what happened next because right in front of me a crystal-clear window like object appears in front of me saying:Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.
The System has been implanted in your native planet due to the amount of Progressive Energy reaching the predefined parameters, seeing as the implementation of the system is highly dangerous and has the capacity of eleminating all the species capable of thought, all species with said capabilities are transferred to planets where the system has been integrated and survival is possible.
... Species capable of thought detected: 1
... Planets where Transference has occurred:
"@`!&{%]"
After the System has been completely implemented, every member of your species or descendant of said species will be allowed to return to your original planet. Welcome to the System and may your Image persevere.
Chapter 1
As I see it, this was helps explaning why the people around me were screaming. It is definitely a better reason to be panicking than "Oh no! I am touching a big structure while surrounded by people in the same situation as me". This message essentially meant that the whole species was in danger of being killed, which does not sound... cool. At the very least, thinking about how the other people are, at the very least, made me calm down a little and allowed me to think rationally, to some degree at least.
Which made me consider what the window said, and two questions surged: what is the System and what is Progressive Energy but as soon as I do, another window appears in front of the one already there making the crystal-clear surface which already hard to notice, with the exception of the words themselves, even more unnoticeable than it already was, but giving emphasis on the new message before me.
Your Image questions what the System is, and the System answers. The great System is a tool created in order to give the beings defined as capable of thought, the ability to control the power that is Progressive Energy, which in turn is a form of power that allows living beings to reach new stages in their evolution in ways limited only by the Image of each living being and by the amount of Progressive Energy available.
To access the basic utility of the System, click in the icon below; By doing so you agree to allow the system to access your reserves of Progressive Energy and to direct it in the Branches you choose.
?
Well I guess that''s a reasonable explanation, all things considered, at first I didn''t like the idea of allowing the System that got me into this situation to have access to my energy having in mind how it was described as a limited resource, but then I remembered the fact that if the System is able to do all that I have seen it''s not so amazing to think that the System would be able to get my reserves even if I didn''t want that to happen, that and the fact that having my mind read so seamlessly scared the hell out of me, and it DID say it would only direct the energy as I want it, actually it said it would be directed in Branches I choose, I wonder why it had a capital B, and even why they used the word branches instead of any other, but oh well, wondering about it now wouldn''t help me.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
And I reluctantly clicked in the icon. And as I did another window appeared, but this time the previous one disappeared leaving only:
Calculating and comparing physical capacity to the average of your species...
Analyzing Progressive Energy reserves, building basic directional canals...
Congratulations, you belong to the first 1% of your species to access the System: "System Pioneer I (Species Level)" Branch unlocked
Ok then, I guess that means that Branches are indeed more than a peculiar way to say "however you want", that feels a bit wrong to me, because they are not explained before you have to accept them, but it I still am not some kind of slave that is alive only for Progressive Energy production, therefore I will be happy with whatever I get. And just as finish this train of thought the current window gets replaced by two others, a smaller one and below it a bigger one with some kind of list.
Calculations completed. Your physical capacity has been numbered in comparison with your species average, that average being defined with the number 10; The number 10 means different physical capacity to different species.
Directional canals defined. An amount of Progressive Energy Points has been given to you based on your reserves, Progressive Energy/Progress can now used to advance Branches
Traits Table completed.
Name: Dominic Brian
Title:
Race: "Human"
Level: N/A
Job:
Progress: 7
Endurance: 7
Recovery: 11
Fitness: 6
Reaction: 12
Agility: 8
Perception: 10
Branches:
"Transferred" [0/5]
"System Pioneer I (Species Level)" [0/5]
Advertisement
Chapter 2
"It seems that I really need to work on my fitness", that''s probably the first thing I thought. It''s not like I didn''t know, but it still kind of hurts when an all-seeing System basically says so to your face.
After that came the realization that the way in which the System allowed me to "evolve" was peculiar to say the least, it basically allowed me to become a super-human by just selecting some things in a window that may or not be just my imagination, although at this point that is highly unlikely.
Anyway, it would seem that these choices may very well be the thing that define how long I survive, at least how long I survive in this world, which may or may not really exist, but again, at this point that is highly unlikely. But continuing my logic excluding that possibility, my first step would be learning how much an upgrade really counts, followed by finding water and food although I doubt how I would complete the last one if this is another planet, but thinking like that would be only self-destructive so I will leave on the list of to do things.
Then let''s get somewhere I can focus, or in other words, somewhere without people screaming, although the screaming has lowered down in comparison to when the first message appeared, so that''s somewhat commendable, I guess.
I start to move away from the structure, and just keep walking in the clay colored land for some minutes, when I see in the horizon something tall, and rectangular, unnaturally rectangular. I start moving in that direction, a bit faster than before, my legs fueled by my curiosity, until I notice something really disturbing about that "rectangular thing", namely the fact that it is a building, a building like the ones that humans make, in planet where there shouldn''t have ever been humans.
Suddenly the last two points in my to-do list sound a lot more viable, and my mind lights up with understanding, of course there must be life here I mean, the System did say that I was transferred to a planet where the System was already integrated AND survival was possible and the best way to ensure survival is by having other people surviving with you which means that humanity isn''t alone. At least that''s what it seems to me but the only way to confirm this theory would be going in the direction of that building, which is quite problematic because there''s a valley filled with trees between me and said building, which would also mean that I am not at sea level, not helpful at the moment but worth archiving in case it does become.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
Faced with the fact that I won''t reach that building any time soon I sit against a tree and take a small break. Which is when it dawned in me that the existence of trees is important. The System said that humanity can survive in this planet and we need water, therefore there is water in this planet. Having in mind that this planet is reasonably similar to Earth and there is water it''s reasonable to think that the tree I am currently against has access to water, which is something I need. More trees should also mean more water therefore I really need to go to that valley. But first let''s start doing the first point on the to-do list, I focus on the window that had been on the left corner of my view since I started walking, but as soon as I do so it immediately goes to the front of my view.
At the moment I have 7 "Progress" as they call it and I''ve got six of what I would call atributes but it is called a trait list, so... yeah, but first of all I want to try something, I also have two Branches, both with "[0/5]" after their name, so first of all I want to try advancing one of them the question was which, the one I got for accepting the system seamed special but I have no idea what it refers to, the transferred one on the other hand probably had something to do with this planet, therefore it was probably more helpful, I hope. I clicked on the name of the Branch and a window appeared on top of it.
Adding Progressive Energy to "Transferred" Branch:
Progress: ? 1 ?
Confirm | Cancel
I thought of giving only one point but then the investment probably wouldn''t do anything, because of that I added five and confirmed.
You completed the "Transferred" Branch...
Radiation Resistance increased.
Toxicity Resistance increased.
You are a transferred, as your Image struggles to accept your new reality, your body adapts to your new environment and you survive another day.
Radiation Resistance Trait unlocked. Defined as a sub-Trait of Endurance.
Toxicity Resistance Trait unlocked. Defined as a sub-Trait of Endurance.
And as soon as that message appears, I feel an incredible itch all over my body, followed by a rising pain, the itch quickly disappears and is replaced by a surge of warmth followed by unnatural cold and then nothing, nothing besides the pain which had risen to dangerous levels until even it started to subside, leaving me only with an understanding of the dangers of the System seeing as even using its basic functions was dangerous, besides that there were also some questions like how sub-Traits work and for some reason I was also left with an unpleasant thirst.
Chapter 3
th
st
thstStolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.