《Dungeon Spirit》 Prologue Prologue: The Hollow was an interesting place. It had looked the same for hundreds of years and if the locals had anything to say about it would look the same in another hundred. Arrowheads had been found within suggesting that people had gone there for thousands of years. Once you entered you got this strange feeling of being lost and of being in a crowded part of town, even when you were alone. There were rumors of it being haunted, but most people didn''t seem bothered as they passed through while out exercising or walking their dog. One man was mildly interested however and while out walking or taking pictures he often went to the Hollow. It would be an added bonus if he saw something he figured. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. One spring day some flowers had sprung up and the man went to take a picture. He stumbled and fell and landed face down in the mud. ¡°Dammit!¡± the man said. He started to get up only to notice a root sticking through his arm. ¡°Shit¡± the man said and called for an ambulance. Chapter 1: By a fire in the woods Chapter 1: By a fire in the woods In the woods, in the night, a small fire was burning. Next to the fire sat a man, leaning forward with his hands together. In the darkness surrounding him, just outside what could be seen, things were moving about. Things making no sound. The only sound that could be heard aside from the crackling fire was slow chanting. It had probably been words at some point but the meaning had disappeared and now it was just sound. Out in the darkness a small pale light appeared drawing closer and closer. When it reached the fire it darted up above it, gaining momentum and then circled the fire several times glowing a warmer color before settling in front of the man. The chanting stopped and the man looked down at the spirit hovering in front of him. "What are you doing here little one?" he asked. "... don now..." The man raised an eyebrow clearly not expecting an answer. "...Well, then let''s find out i guess." He reached for a stick and broke it into four pieces before placing them in a square around the orb. "Do you have a name?" "...name..." Nodding the man picked up a bag and started to look through its contents. "My name is Mats and I''m somewhat of a wizard" Mats took out a pouch containing a variety of weird coins and placed one in the square under the orb "This will give you the ability to speak" "..." "First" Mats continued. "you need to imagine yourself, can you do that? "..." "Then imagine an orb floating next to you." "...orb"This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "And finally imagine the rune being the same orb" said Mats while pointing to the coin. "If you can do that you will be able to learn to speak" He nodded, placed his hands in front of himself and continued to chant. "...Speak" The spirit thought. It imagined itself with a small orb next to it and then the small orb being the coin on the ground. A connection was made and a string of words passed trough the its mind. A sheet of paper was being read over and over and over. After a while it stopped and the small orb shined. Mats looked down on the spirit again. "So you were able to do it?" "Yes... I can speak now" "Good, now can you tell me about yourself" "I don''t remember very clearly but I am sure I was human. My name, I have forgotten" Mats nodded again. "I have been asked to summon a nature spirit to take care of this area. You don''t seem to be a one so I''m probably going to be here for a while. I can help with figuring things out for you if you want. See if you can remember something." The spirit looked at him. Probably looked at him at least. "Of course I want your help! I remember aimlessly floating around for a very long time. I''m not going to just pas on this and go back to just floating." The wizard chuckled. "You seam human at least." --- "What is that coin. I can speak now and I''m not even sure this is my language." A tiny light was asking all of life''s questions. "You have gotten a skill" A wizard was answering all of life''s questions. Or at least giving an answer. "Whats that supposed to mean" "Well, First you made an orb witch is a tiny spirit body and then you filled it with spirit. It then became a tiny spirit. It doesn''t have a soul though so its more like it was an empty body. An extension of your spirit body to be more exact." Mats picked up the coin and held it in front of the fire. "Putting spirit into an orb is like putting liquid in a bottle and the liquid you put in was this Rune. Well maybe that was a bad example. I''m talking about mana, magepower..." The spirit nodded. The spirit bobbed up and down. "Think of it like this. If you put fire spirit into an orb you get a fire orb and can use it to light fire. The rune on this coin is made to make your spirit, your mana, into something complex and in this case its a language called common tongue or trade speech" "Sounds convenient" "Nothing of this rings a bell?" "No" "I don''t know were you are from then but its probably not from around here" He took out a new coin with a rune on it and placed it in the square "The square is a trap you can''t move out of. No hard feelings but I''m not taking any chances. Prove that you are human and its another matter." "Another matter as in humans are good? That''s rather optimistic. Are there things here out in the woods i should be worried about?" "It seams we have some things in common." Mats continued with a chuckle. "I can read your spirit well enough to know that you are not that bad. However if are not human but something else i could be wrong." "The rune before you can give you a status if you use it and a status is an orb for reading yourself and your skill orbs. The rune is a thing called a book rune. Flow your mana into it and you can see a book in your head. When you have the skill I can confirm if you are human or not." The spirit did that and a book appeared in its non head. "Skill orbs as in the language orb?" it said while inspecting the book. "Or skills putt into a skill gem or a rune or sometimes a book" "Standard System Book? So its a Skill book? And if I read it i get another skill?" "You can put anything into an Orb and call it a Skill but some skills are more optimized, pure. Skill books are meant to produce very pure skills...if you memorize them." "...Oh" It said non eyeing the tick book. "The Standard System has become so widespread that it is recognized by gods... allegedly. When you read it over and over you will be attempting to connect to a completely pure version, by using my fireplace here." "Are you going to be here for a long time?" "I am attempting to contact a nature spirit, but I got you instead. Chances are I''m going to be here for a while." Chapter 2: Waking up Chapter 2: Waking up A week passed, and the spirit continued to read the book. Faster and faster the book flowed through it and eventually something appeared to stretch out into the fire place and up towards the sky. Or down towards the sky, or maybe inward? The book was mostly gibberish and sometimes pictures or strange meaningless letters but somehow they felt like they were making sense. Mats had explained that you connected to the ether, or spirit world, and got wisdom from it and that the fireplace strengthened the signal. ¡°Wisdom is a better word for it than knowledge at least.¡± He had said while he was taking a brake from his chanting. The forest had no guardian and the wizard was attempting to summon a replacement. They needed to be fairly strong and experienced otherwise the situation could become worse. He spent the nights chanting and the days sleeping and chatting with his new companion, explaining things or talking about the weather. There were many things they could try to get the spirit to remember its past but the best was the System Book. If it had used the Standard System before it would get its old information back. If not it should at least show some useful information. It was the safest bet and the system was very useful anyways. ¡°I can tell that you are not an undead. But if I''m wrong for some reason, I might have to send you on. Just so you know, there might be a not so very kind reason for your missing memories.¡± ¡°That sounds...¡± It thought for a moment. ¡°The main reason I''m trying to get my memories back is because I''m curious. That doesn''t sound like an undead. I...just feel...¡± It trailed of. ¡°It doesn''t sound that way but you never know. Just thought I should warn you that things might not be very pleasant.¡± On the ninth night the orb shined and it was suddenly complete. ¡°Finally!¡± Mats chuckled. ¡°It took a long time since you''re not in the best shape physically.¡± ¡°...Seven days without puns makes one weak. Oh! I could create a skill for lame puns¡± ¡°Would it get better or worse if you leveled it?¡± ¡°Both!¡± it shouted in high spirits¡° So what now? I just say or think status?¡± The skill orb shined and ate him. ---
STATS
LEVEL 3 Constitution 3
Strength - Intelligence 3
Dexterity - Wisdom 3
RACES
Human(spirit), Spirit(human),Human Spirit
CLASSES
---
ABILITIES
---
SKILLS
Language: Common Tounge
STATUS SCREEN STANDARDSTATUSSYSTEM
NAME --- RACE Human Spirit*
Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡°A status is an orb that surrounds your spirit. It can work like a shield or like a helper for your other skills. They are hard to make so you usually get them from someone else. I don''t know how to make one for a spirit and if you get them from someone else there is always the chance of being manipulated. Making orbs and putting peoples souls in them, as you can guess, is a way to some more... unkind magic. That is way I had you make yours yourself. Good job in making it so fast.¡± Mats was smiling. ¡°And you didn''t tell me this before because?¡± ¡°If a person makes a skill that controls themselves... it will be very powerful.¡± He said with a wide grin. ¡°...!¡± The spirit said something very rude. ¡°No, but it''s way I didn''t explain this beforehand. I don''t think you would have been as diligent if you knew that you could be making the shackles to enslave yourself with.¡± ¡°How do I know I didn''t.¡± ¡°You don''t. It''s all a matter of trust. You are just a tiny spirit lost in the woods. Its not healthy to not be aware of that.¡± Mats was having a blast. ¡±...¡± ¡°Now, now, don''t be like that and let''s have a look at your status. I''m sure I know what it says already.¡± Mats picked up the coin used to gain the status. It had laid there for the past week. The spirit thought it was odd. It had been here the whole time and had not even looked at the surroundings. Having no problem with sitting in the same spot was strange to. It realized that something had changed. He realized that something had changed. The status. ¡°A status is often used as a means of identification.¡± Mats said. ¡°They usually get to see just a bit of it but I should bee able to see all of yours¡± He pushed the coin up to the spirit. ¡°Hm...It''s as suspected. What probably happened is that you used to be a human who got separated from their body. Your spirit-body left your body and became a spirit and then instead of dying, which would be the common result, you stabilized. It''s what I gather from looking at the races section. It''s not that uncommon with wizards or shamans so maybe you were one.¡± ¡°You''re a wizard Harry¡± the spirit mumbled, not sure way. ¡°When you stabilized you were essentially reborn and that''s way you have no name. Any questions?¡± ¡°Whats with the stats and level?¡± The spirit was eyeing them and wondered way the level was there. ¡°Your level or rank as it also is called, is something innate to creatures with souls. When you increase it you become stronger in certain ways. Usually you cultivate it by meditation but there are lots of methods.¡± ¡°So you make your soul stronger?¡± ¡°Probably, but people usually don''t. It''s easier to increase other stats instead. A stat is a type of skill that is made to mimic the level. If you have a bunch of them you get most of the benefits of levels and can cover up for the benefits you don''t get. It''s what most people say anyway. It''s a natural versus man made sort of thing. Though you should increase your level because it helps you remain yourself. Magic can have some nasty effects and a status break can be pretty nasty.¡° The wizard stood up and started putting some more wood on the fire. ¡°The stats included in the Standard System are fairly safe to use, so don''t worry¡± It had started to darken and he was getting ready for another night. ¡°Oh, and Classes are skill orbs made to put other skills on. They are like tiny bonus spirits with their own levels. Skills can also have levels but abilities don''t. But I''m rambling. Now that you have your status you are healed in a way. You should think of what you want to do next.¡± He kicked the square sending the sticks flying into the wood were the shadows of the trees grew darker by the minute. The spirit could see now and was not sure it had before. And the forest did not look nice. For some reason. A reason the tiny spirit did not know. Call it a feeling. ¡°There is something out there.¡± ¡°Yes, lots of somethings.¡± They were quiet for a minute, listening to the crackling fire and the wind between the trees. The moon had become brighter then the sun whose last light could be barely made out between the trees. Mats looked at the spirit and was pondering something as he began to speak. ¡°I said that but... I should have said what you could do next.¡°