《World Core AI》


 Chapter 1: Creation (Part 1: Introductions)

    DING¡­ DING¡­ DING¡­


    The bell ringing woke me from my haze as it signalled the end of class ¨C something I should have probably paid attention to. It couldn¡¯t be helped, I had something else on my mind and was excited to get home. At least it¡¯s history, so I can just read up on it later.


    A small smile surfaced as I saw the teacher curse under her breath. She was always so paranoid about time, always working on an optimised schedule and never letting anyone or anything disrupt it.


    I was late for her class once, and it was the scariest experience of my high-school career. She never said anything, but the look she shot me was enough to give me the perfect attendance award. Quite an achievement, considering that it¡¯s me we¡¯re talking about.


    ¡°You may leave,¡± the teacher said with a defeated sigh. The only good thing about her timeliness was that it applied here too.


    I slid my books into my bag and finished packing up quickly.


    As I zipped up my backpack, an androgynous voice resounded from next to me, ¡°1.7 seconds. That¡¯s a new record!¡±


    I grinned triumphantly at my best friend as I grabbed the strap. A mischievous smile greeted me in return.


    At least, I think ¡®he¡¯ is the right pronoun. Sam is the most androgynous person I¡¯ve ever met. It¡¯s so bad that he became known as ¡°Genderless¡± and is considered to be the school¡¯s seventh mystery.


    ¡°Miss Grove, I want a two-thousand-word essay about paying attention,¡± said the bitch as she stepped back into the classroom, swiftly pouring a tub of ice water on my weekend plans.


    ¡°Ha?!¡± I yelped in horror and shock as my body stopped moving.


    ¡°I expect to find it on my desk first thing in the morning,¡± said Miss Bitch, I hoped she was joking despite the serious tone, ¡°and don¡¯t hide it like you did last time. If I have to look for it, you¡¯ll come back for a thirty-six-hour weekend detention session.¡±


    I felt my jaw drop in disbelief. Snapping my mouth shut angrily, I shouted, ¡°You can¡¯t-¡±


    ¡°I can,¡± interrupted Ms Bitch in a matter-of-fact tone, ¡°and I will.¡± Her words were followed by a glare that would cow even the most seasoned veterans into submission.


    I nodded vigorously, knowing that my life depended on the mighty Asura acknowledging my surrender.


    The Asura smirked triumphantly and turned to leave. I began to breathe again, only now realising that I had stopped doing so. She acknowledged my surrender, and now I¡¯m free to live another day.


    ¡°Ash, let¡¯s go,¡± Sam called to me, snapping me out of my fear-induced daze.


    ¡°Ah, yeah,¡± I agreed absently.


    I swung my bag over one shoulder and tailed Sam out the classroom. As we walked down the hallway I caught up with her ¨C I mean him ¨C and we walked side-by-side.


    ¡°So,¡± started Sam, ¡°care to tell me why you¡¯ve been so distracted all day?¡±


    Averting my gaze playfully, I began to whistle. Or rather, tried to, the skill still eludes me.


    Sam grinned mischievously and asked, ¡°Does it, perhaps, have something to do with why you want me to come over until Monday?¡±


    ¡®She¡¯ was spot on, but I wanted to continue the play and mess with her. I looked back and tried to change the topic, ¡°So I see that today you¡¯re wearing¡­ both?¡±


    Pants. Skirt. You can choose only one. What happened to common sense?


    ¡°This is why I said you were ¡®distracted all day¡¯, took you seven hours to notice,¡± ¡®he¡¯ said pointedly.


    I sighed at my friend¡¯s antics, giving up on convincing ¡®him¡¯ to follow something as foolish as common sense. Still, I¡¯m curious about how she ended up wearing both.


    ¡°Why though?¡± I asked, prouder of successfully changing the topic than curious about the new topic.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t make up my mind,¡± admitted Sam nonchalantly, ¡°so I just took both.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± I said with a smirk, ¡°You¡¯re wearing the boy¡¯s tie, so you¡¯re predominantly male today.¡±


    ¡°Suck it, bitch!¡± he/she shouted as she/he pulled up the pants¡¯ hem to reveal leggings.


    I facepalmed as per the appropriate response. We were probably getting plenty of attention from the surrounding members of the go-home club, but I¡¯ve long since become accustomed to the stares. Hanging out with Sam tends to have that effect ¨C I¡¯m talking about both drawing attention and building resistance to it.


    ¡°Anyway!¡± shouted Sam, ¡°Back to the main topic, you still haven¡¯t told me why I have to come over for the entire weekend.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll see,¡± I said, trying to sound as mysterious as possible.


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± ¡®he¡¯ said indignantly, ¡°but I still want to hear about it first.¡±


    ¡°Want,¡± I said like a wise wizard, ¡°not need.¡±


    ¡°Just tell me, or I won¡¯t come,¡± ¡®he¡¯ said flatly, though I felt the playfulness hidden in his voice.


    ¡°Fine, fine, I¡¯ll tell you,¡± I said in a begrudging tone that was probably as real as my mom¡¯s F-cups¡­ Which means ¡®completely natural, even though nobody would believe it¡¯.


    ¡°Haha, I win!¡± exclaimed Sam.


    ¡°¡­ My dad got his hands on a fresh World Core,¡± I whispered so that only Sam would hear me.


    After a few steps, I realised Sam was no longer next to me, so I turned to look for ¡®him¡¯. Sam was frozen mid-stride, staring at me with ¡®his¡¯ mouth wide open.


    That didn¡¯t last for long though, ¡®he¡¯ snapped out of it and quickly caught up to me.


    ¡°Really?¡± Sam asked in doubt.


    ¡°Yep,¡± I replied casually as if it was only natural.


    Sam scrunched ¡®his¡¯ eyebrows for a moment and asked, ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± I said, ¡°Do you remember what my dad does for a living?¡±


    ¡°He was a programmer of some kind, right?¡± Sam asked, seeking confirmation.


    ¡°Can¡¯t we just skip this?¡± I asked tiredly, now eager to spill the beans.


    ¡°NO!¡± shouted Sam defiantly.


    I sighed and playfully said, ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll do it your way?.¡±


    ¡°You started it, so it¡¯s technically your way,¡± retorted Sam.


    ¡°Whatever,¡± I said as I rolled my eyes, ¡°Do you still remember who my dad works for?¡±


    ¡°Uhhh¡­¡± ¡®he¡¯ hesitated, ¡°Nexus Networks?¡±


    ¡°Correct!¡± I tried to imitate a game show host, ¡°And who can tell me what Nexus Networks is most famous for?¡±


    Sam grinned knowingly, but we were interrupted before she could answer.


    ¡°BZZZT!¡± voiced the ginger approaching from the left, while imitating a buzzer, ¡°World Cores!¡±


    ¡°Correct!¡± I exclaimed, ¡°Congratulations contestant Ryan, you have earned five points!¡±


    ¡°Hey Ryan,¡± waved Sam in a light greeting.


    ¡°Wassup dude¡­ette?¡± he greeted back, becoming confused by Sam¡¯s attire halfway through.


    ¡°An indecisive morning,¡± I explained, ¡°apparently.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ see¡­¡± he said cautiously, silence ensued as it sunk in.


    I suppose now is a good time to mention that Sam and I come from very different cliques. When we¡¯re not together, Sam hangs out with the nerds, while I hang out with the, let¡¯s say, fun guys. That said, our social circles merged at some point, probably because of me and Sam. It¡¯s been over a year, and people still ask Sam if it really happened.


    Ryan is from my side of the ¡®family¡¯; he¡¯s a delinquent through and through. He¡¯s fiercely loyal though, and stands up for his buds no matter what. I¡¯ve always liked that about him. His temper can be quite problematic though, often sending him into an unstoppable rampage. Strangely enough, he never gets angry for himself, only for others.


    On the other hand, the quiet glasses girl two steps behind us, Jessica, comes from Sam¡¯s side of the family. She¡¯s a nerd to the core, a complete bookworm and trivia fanatic. Whenever one of us has a random thought she will explain it to us ¨C it¡¯s the only time she ever really talks. We avoid letting that happen though, her response to ¡®what is quantum computing?¡¯ was rather traumatic for the delinquents. Even now, she¡¯s clutching several books tightly to her chest¡­ isn¡¯t that a university textbook? Eh, whatever.


    On a side note, I remember Ryan saying something about a girlfriend earlier this week. Now that it¡¯s on my mind, I can¡¯t help myself.


    ¡°Oh yeah,¡± I said stiffly, failing my attempt to change the topic naturally.


    ¡°Hmmm?¡± he grunted in response, apparently having missed my botch up.


    I began my approach, ¡°The other day you mentioned a girlfriend¡­¡±


    ¡®Success! Zone reached!¡¯ I thought, only to hear Sam snort beside me.


    ¡®Shit, incoming fire, take cover!¡¯ I thought before saying, ¡°I wasn¡¯t really paying attention at the time, can ya¡¯ give me a quick recap?¡±


    ¡°I was actually dodging the topic at the time,¡± he said shyly, ¡°so it¡¯s no surprise you can¡¯t remember the details ¨C I didn¡¯t give you any.¡±


    I smiled wryly and said, ¡°I don¡¯t suppose that means you¡¯re more willing to tell us now?¡±


    He smiled back at me defiantly and declared, ¡°You ain¡¯t getting nothing outta me!¡±


    ¡°Double negative!¡± chimed Sam playfully, ¡°That actually means ¡®You are getting something outta me¡¯!¡±


    Unwilling to accept the logical case made by Sam, Ryan denied it, ¡°It won¡¯t work like that!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± said an unexpected participant, Jessica, calming Ryan down surprisingly fast. ¡°They deserve to know,¡± she said as she stepped up to Ryan.


    Taking me completely by surprise, Jessica lowered a hand from her books and gently grabbed Ryan¡¯s hand. She blushed shyly as their fingers entwined.


    ¡°I s¡¯pose you¡¯re right,¡± he conceded as his cheeks reddened.


    I stared at the couple in shock, then after a few seconds, I turned to Sam so that I could share my disbelief. The look Sam gave me was the epitome of ¡®Seriously bro?¡¯


    ¡°What¡¯s with that look? Did you already know about it or something?¡± I asked Sam dubiously.


    ¡°No,¡± said Sam, ¡°but you¡¯d have to be practically blind to have not seen it coming.¡±


    Bullshit. There¡¯s no way you could have expected those two to become a couple. They¡¯re polar opposites!


    ¡°It was so obvious,¡± Sam said tiredly, ¡°Ryan always asked Jessica for help, even when he wasn¡¯t in trouble. She also offered him help when he didn¡¯t need it. They were finding every excuse to spend more time together. What surprises me, is that it took this long.¡±


    ¡°W-when d-did you figure it o-out?¡± stuttered an embarrassed Jessica.


    Meanwhile, my mouth was flapping open and closed like a goldfish as I searched for a way to refute it. She was right, it was obvious, how did I not notice?


    ¡°Well,¡± started Sam, ¡°I suspected something was going on quite a while ago, but it only clicked when I saw the longing gazes you exchanged¡­ at the start of the winter holiday.¡±


    ¡°Hah?¡± gasped Ryan, ¡°But that was last year¡­ like eight months ago!¡±


    ¡°Nine and a half,¡± corrected Sam, ¡°That¡¯s why I was surprised it only happened now. You two have been trying to figure out how to ask each other out for longer than most relationships even last.¡±


    Nine months!? Crap, that¡¯s a long time¡­ And I didn¡¯t notice? I feel like an idiot.


    ¡°Caty incoming, four o¡¯clock¡± warned Sam after glancing back, ¡°T-minus three¡­ two¡­ one¡­¡±


    I heard rapidly approaching footsteps as Sam counted down. At the very last moment, I twirled around with a back step and caught a superman punch in my palm. Using the attacker¡¯s momentum against them, I spun around and pulled them into a downwards corkscrew before throwing them into the pavement.


    My attacker crashed into the ground and tumbled into the bushes adorning the school gate. She popped back onto her feet like lightning, if you didn¡¯t watch her crash then probably would have missed everything.


    ¡°Nice moves!¡± she yelled approvingly as she gave me an enthusiastic thumbs-up. The only evidence of our violent exchange were the leaves stuck in her fiery red hair.


    Caty is a brawler, she loves to fight close and personal. Her dad taught her military hand-to-hand combat, and they spar quite often.


    You might assume she¡¯d be a delinquent with that kind of disposition, but she avoided us like the plague at first. Actually, she avoided people in general. She didn¡¯t connect with the rougher elements because she was scared of the friction her passion, robotics, would create.


    Her forceful personality would have also been problematic among those with similar passions, the nerds. This created a vicious cycle where she had nowhere to go¡­ until our group formed, that is. She bridged the gap between my subordinates and Sam¡¯s dependants, allowing their relationships to evolve from basic cooperation to proper friendship.


    ¡°Any damage?!¡± I called out.


    ¡°Just a few scrapes, nothing much,¡± she said as she approached, dusting herself off but missing her hair as she did so.


    ¡°Really? Looks bad,¡± said Jessica worriedly.


    ¡°Meh,¡± grunted Caty, ¡°had worse.¡±


    She is, of course, referring to the scar I gave her when we first met. That fucker started at her chin and claimed an earlobe. Ahhh, now that was a fight to remember. She¡¯s been trying to claim victory ever since and not once has she succeeded.


    ¡°Much worse,¡± I confirmed with a smug grin.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get you someday!¡± she said with determination.


    ¡°Doubtful,¡± I snorted, ¡°You should just give up now and settle down with a nice guy somewhere.¡±


    And I mean it; Caty is an attractive girl, she should have no trouble finding a guy. Some might find the injury off-putting, but I think it works well with her sharp features ¨C it gives her a powerful and independent vibe. Overall, I think the scar compliments her striking looks quite well. The only problem with her finding a guy¡­


    ¡°Oh, come on Ash,¡± she moaned. ¡°You know I¡¯m into girls,¡± she said suggestively and winked at me.


    Yep, she¡¯s gay. Well, at least I have a fallback plan if I can¡¯t catch a guy for myself.


    In truth, I wouldn¡¯t mind going out with her if she seriously asked me out, but I¡¯m not looking for a partner at the moment. Also, I¡¯m quite happy with where our relationship is right now; I¡¯d rather not change things unnecessarily.


    ¡°I am well aware of that fact,¡± I said, ¡°Next time you go after my ass I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll make that scar symmetrical!¡±


    Well, that came out poorly, as evidenced by the muffled giggles around me. And it sounded so cool in my head?


    After they stopped laughing at me, I broke the silence and said, ¡°I see we still have a few members missing.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± started Caty, ¡°Richard and Robin got caught by the teachers, and James is trying to talk them out of it... Said they¡¯d catch up later.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I consented, ¡°but that still leaves Skye unaccounted for¡­¡±


    ¡°She sent me a message earlier,¡± said Sam, ¡°Family business, she¡¯ll meet up with us at your place after settling things.¡±


    ¡°Is this another ¡®your friends are a bad influence!¡¯ thing?¡± I asked tiredly.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t sound like it,¡± Sam replied.


    ¡°Oh well,¡± I sighed, ¡°at least everyone has confirmed they¡¯re coming.¡±


    ¡°Ya did say ¡®You¡¯ll regret it if you skip it¡¯ after all,¡± interjected Ryan with a wry smile.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°Ah-huh,¡± grunted Caty in agreement, ¡°Though personally, I¡¯d still like more information than ¡®Come to my house this weekend. The whole weekend, Friday to Monday morning (Bring clothes!). You¡¯ll regret it if you skip it!¡¯¡­ I mean like, I¡¯d never miss a chance to be with you, but I wanna know what¡¯s going on.¡±


    I grinned playfully and cooed, ¡°I¡¯ll keep it a surprise for now?¡±


    ¡°I have an insight already,¡± said Sam with an evil smirk.


    My eyes went wide open, and I silently mouthed ¡®Noooooo!¡¯ with false shock.


    ¡°Ash¡¯s dad,¡± she started, pausing for dramatic effect, ¡°obtained a fresh World Core!¡±


    After a few steps, Sam and I realised the others had fallen behind. We turned around to find our friends, and they all stood frozen in shock with open mouths.


    ¡°This is kinda fun,¡± muttered Sam.


    ¡°Right?¡± I agreed playfully.


    A few seconds later, the dazed trio came to their senses. They hurried up to us filled with questions, but I interrupted them before they could ask anything.


    ¡°Save your questions for later,¡± I said with annoyance, ¡°My dad will fill you in once we¡¯ve all gathered, let¡¯s not make him repeat himself.¡±


    Everyone begrudgingly agreed as a variety of accepting words and gestures echoed around me.


    Unable to focus on anything else or ask questions, the rest of the group watched me inquisitively as we walked on in silence.


    Fortunately, the awkward silence was quickly disrupted as a black limousine rolled up next to us and matched our pace. The tinted window lowered to reveal a gorgeous blonde girl wearing a dress that accentuated her generous E-cup rack. Her lips parted into a toothy grin, flashing pearly white teeth as she called, ¡°Need a ride?!¡±


    Oh, the benefits of having super-rich friends!


    ¡°Count me in!¡± I yelled.


    She said something to the driver, and the limo stopped. You know, like, right there, not giving a damn about blocking other cars or being in the middle of nowhere. Being escorted by armoured SUVs tends to let you do that without recourse.


    An old butler with grey hair stepped out and gracefully opened the door for us, but I ignored him and leapt into the limo.


    ¡°Skye!¡± I shouted excitedly and abruptly hugged the blonde.


    ¡°Ashie!¡± she yelled, earning herself a slap on the back. A hard one. ¡°Whyyyy?!¡± she complained.


    ¡°I told you not to call me that,¡± I growled.


    ¡°Uuuu¡­¡± she whined tearily.


    I almost felt bad when I realised that her dress had an open back and there was a bright red mark, but she deserved it.


    Skye is a bit of an anomaly in our group. She belonged to the popular clique once upon a time. Pretty, sociable, and rich¡­ everything needed to be considered ¡®popular¡¯ and then some.


    I can¡¯t remember how she first got involved with us, but I remember her saying something about us being ¡®real¡¯ when we asked. The other popular kids threatened to stop talking to her over it, but Skye told them off, she cut ties there and then.


    ¡°That¡¯s gonna sting,¡± Sam commented as ¡®he¡¯ stepped into the vehicle.


    I turned back to the rest of the group climbing into the limo as I let go of Skye. It took a few seconds and a variety of cautionary and apologetic grunts for everyone to get in.


    The first thing spoken was, despite expectations, not someone checking for stragglers.


    ¡°Took you guys long enough,¡± said Skye cheerily as she glanced between Ryan and Jessica.


    HOW!? They aren¡¯t even sitting next to each other! Is she clairvoyant or something? Is this a standard skill for a popular kid?


    ¡°Whether or not they¡¯re sitting next to each other is irrelevant,¡± snorted Skye, ¡°They changed their statuses to each other''s names and added a bunch of hearts, it¡¯s cute. And, yes, this is a standard skill.¡±


    ¡°When did they do that?¡± I asked, but suddenly realised there was a more pressing issue to ask, ¡°Wait, I said that out loud?¡±


    Everyone nodded.


    Uuuu¡­


    ¡°Is¡­ this everyone?¡± Skye asked with a little confusion.


    ¡°Yea, the others said they¡¯d catch up later,¡± said Sam, ¡°Last time I checked, they were still stuck in school.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± muttered Skye before sliding open the small window to the driver¡¯s section, ¡°Benjamin.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Milady?¡± asked a blonde butler as he appeared through the window, leaning in from the passenger seat.


    ¡°Please send a car to for the rest of my friends,¡± Skye said commandingly.


    ¡°At once, Milady!¡± responded the butler.


    When we first hung out with Skye, we found their level of detail rather questionable, but her serv- I mean attendants, have never failed to deliver¡­ Or maybe they have, and that¡¯s why she has a different one each time I see them.


    And no, I don¡¯t mean that she has different people following her every day, I mean ¡®each time I see them¡¯...


    ¡°Ah!¡± muttered Skye in realisation before she opened the window again, ¡°Maribelle.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Milady?¡± asked a brunette maid as she appeared through the window, leaning in from the passenger seat.


    Wasn¡¯t it a blonde guy sitting there?


    ¡°Please retrieve my virtual dive gear,¡± Skye said.


    ¡°At once, Milady!¡± responded the maid.


    ¡°Yuki. Please take us directly to Ash¡¯s house,¡± Skye continued before closing the window.


    ¡°Yes, Milady!¡± came a woman¡¯s voice from the driver¡¯s side.


    Wait¡­ what happened to the old guy that opened the door for us?


    Skye closed the window and said to me, ¡°Everything is sorted, we can go to your place without worrying.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I nodded in response.


    ¡°Okay,¡± said Skye as she turned away from me, ¡°that¡¯s enough Caty, get away from there and let the lovebirds be together.¡±


    ¡°Muu¡­¡± pouted Caty. She puffed out her cheeks. It was almost cute, but her scar¡­


    Scratch that, it¡¯s pretty cute despite the scar.


    ¡°Caty¡­¡± said Skye pointedly, but Caty didn¡¯t move.


    Skye sighed and said, ¡°Look, I know the couple upsets you, but you¡¯re acting like a child.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand,¡± sulked Caty.


    ¡°Caty,¡± said Skye calmly, but a hint of anger had leaked into her voice, ¡°Don¡¯t be jealous of the couple. Five people have confessed to you in the last month.¡±


    Really? I didn¡¯t hear about that.


    ¡°T-that''s¡­¡± stuttered Caty in a trembling voice while sending glances my way, ¡°I-I¡¯m not into guys!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that excuse is not going to work,¡± said Skye flatly, ¡°three of them were girls.¡±


    Caty squirmed around in her seat. But these chairs are so soft, they¡¯re high-class luxury items, how can she possibly be uncomfortable?


    Caty looked at me and weakly said, ¡°Ash, I¡­¡±


    ¡°Quiet down and get over here! Ash, move up for Caty!¡± barked Skye.


    ¡°Huh? OK¡­¡± I consented and shifted over.


    Caty looked confused, but slowly made her way over anyway.


    While Caty approached, Skye leant into me and whispered, ¡°She¡¯s a keeper.¡±


    I looked at Skye with a raised eyebrow, a little confused, as I made myself comfortable again.


    As Caty reached us, the limo started moving sooner than expected and made Caty fall towards me.


    My reflexes are brilliant, so it was easy to grab Caty¡¯s shoulders, spin her around, and throw her into the space between Skye and me.


    Caty sat upright, looking forwards blankly with her hands balled up in front of her chest, replaying the last few moments in her mind in an attempt to understand what just happened.


    I feel like Skye clicked her tongue, but it was probably just my imagination.


    ¡°So, what do you think of the unlikely couple?¡± I asked Skye.


    ¡°Can you really use the term ¡®unlikely couple¡¯, Miss Grove?¡± remarked Sam sarcastically.


    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± I snorted.


    Sam sighed and said, ¡°Have you seen your own parents?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a pairing that never fails to amuse me,¡± commented Skye wistfully.


    ¡°... I like your mom,¡± muttered Caty softly.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s the end of this conversation,¡± interrupted Skye, ¡°we have arrived.¡±


    Almost immediately after that, the door swung open and a suave middle-aged butler with brown hair said, ¡°We have arrived. Milady, this way please.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Adrian,¡± said Skye courteously as she stepped out.


    The rest of us followed in single file and ended up in a cluster on my driveway. The bricks were hot from the day¡¯s sun, making the water feature built up against the wall look rather enticing to play in.


    My house is nothing spectacular, just a cosy two-story home with a rustic vibe, but my parents are pretty well-off¡­ nothing compared to Skye¡¯s family, but we have enough garden space for a small sports field.


    The garden is full of plants and trees, making it a mini-forest with a clearing in front of the house. My parents like the view and I like running around through the trees. It was a great place to play as a kid, and Sam would probably agree.


    ¡°Should I quickly fetch my gear?¡± asked Sam.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said, ¡°See you inside. We¡¯ll go on ahead.¡±


    ¡°See you,¡± said Sam with a casual wave as he walked towards the water feature.


    He climbed up the water feature and hopped over the wall into his garden with practised movements. Meanwhile, we were just reaching the front door. A car rolled into the driveway while I was busy fiddling with the keys.


    I glanced back at the sleek silver Mercedes and muttered, ¡°Mom¡¯s home.¡±


    Sure enough, a beautiful woman stepped out the garage and flicked her snow-white hair back. Her wide hips swayed seductively as she sauntered towards us. With each clack of her red high heels, her bountiful bosom jiggled enticingly. Connecting it all was a waist so thin you¡¯d doubt it could withstand the burden of her perky F-cups.


    The white hair is apparently a genetic mutation, one that¡¯s more ¡®recent¡¯ than ¡®rare¡¯. The first recorded case of natural white hair occurred less than two hundred years ago, and the mutation can be tracked to a single ancestor.


    Strangely, that ancestor is not recorded in any official databases, but her steps could be clearly traced through social media archives. She appeared and left the genes all over the show, I have no idea how she did that while being a woman, but it¡¯s not something I¡¯ll ever think about much. What was her name again... Tima? Tama? Something like that.


    Anyway, this white hair is a trait that I inherited¡­ sorta. Usually, the hair is white from birth if the gene is present and active, but mine was raven black until I was thirteen.


    When my hair first started growing out white we suspected it was genetic, but there were no known cases of it kicking in after birth, so we attributed it to Marie Antoinette syndrome. A few years later, I had some blood tests done and we discovered that it really was the gene, and mine was abnormally active.


    Having hair that was half white and half black looked weird, so I got it trimmed, leaving only the tips the original colour. Since then my hair has grown a little longer than I would like it to be, reaching the middle of my back, but the black tips were too cool to get rid of. I wasn¡¯t a keen on dyeing it either.


    ¡°Hey mom,¡± I said as the woman got near.


    ¡°Hey sweetie,¡± she cooed in response.


    She is a gorgeous woman, but that¡¯s something I¡¯m used to. What caught my attention was something else entirely.


    ¡°You¡¯re home early¡­ So, you did a bunny girl shoot today?¡± I asked, noting the skintight bodysuit and fishnet leggings.


    Sam once told me that ¡®he¡¯ would be horrified if ¡®his¡¯ mom ever came home in that kind of outfit, but nothing feels off about it when you grow up with it happening almost every day.


    My mom is a gravure model, one of the best in fact, so it¡¯s literally her job to dress up in sexy outfits. She stars in pornos from time to time, but she¡¯s as faithful as they come. That¡¯s a line she refuses to cross, and she gets violent when someone else tries to cross it. Apparently, she once had to bite it off to get the message across.


    ¡°Bikini warrior, actually,¡± she corrected me, ¡°but we did a promotional special at the end.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± I muttered in acknowledgement before looking sceptically at my keys.


    I¡¯ve tried all of them, twice, but none of them worked, and the door isn¡¯t opening. It should be this golden one with an H on it¡­ I¡¯ll try this key one more time just to be sure.


    ¡­ Nope.


    Maybe it¡¯s already unlocked and is getting stuck? That¡¯s a common problem with wooden doors. I¡¯ll just force it open.


    ¡°Uh, sweetie, we changed...¡± mom said, and suddenly panicking, ¡°WAI-¡±


    SNAP!


    Hm? I definitely heard something break, but the door is still standing. Let¡¯s try again.


    CRACK!


    Still? Again!


    POP!


    ¡­ Since when do doors sound like breakfast?


    ¡°Sorry, I missed that. What were you saying?¡± I asked as I lowered my foot to the ground, slowly resetting my stance after the three-hit barrage.


    Mom sighed and tiredly said, ¡°We changed the lock today.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± I muttered.


    Oops.


    ¡°Here¡¯s your new key¡­ though it¡¯s pointless now,¡± she sighed while passing a silver key to me.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I apologised, feeling guilty, ¡°I¡¯ll fix it later.¡±


    In my family, the rule is ¡®you break it, you fix it¡¯. You only got into trouble for failing to take responsibility, we¡¯ve worked this way for as long as I can remember.


    Over the years, I¡¯ve become quite good at patching up the house, and dad is rather skilled in repairing ¡®water¡¯-damaged electronics. Mom, on the other hand, has an incredible knack for convincing Caty to do it - calling in favours is perfectly fine, so why not?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± mom said, ¡°you¡¯ve got more important things to do this weekend. You won¡¯t have time to do it. I¡¯ll just call some professionals.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be quick,¡± I said, ¡°ten to fifteen minutes.¡±


    ¡°If you hadn¡¯t managed to rip the entire door frame out the wall, then maybe,¡± she said with a mixture of amazement and resignation.


    Entire door frame?


    Crap, that¡¯s a pretty big hole. I thought I had ripped it off the hinges at worst¡­ Let¡¯s leave this one to the professionals?


    ¡°Come on guys,¡± I called to my awestruck friends, beckoning them inside as I crossed the rubble.


    Maybe ¡®sturdier doors¡¯ aren¡¯t as secure a choice as mom believed.


    Skye quickly trotted up to me and hesitantly said, ¡°Uh, Ash, you have always challenged my understanding of human limits but this¡­ are you sure you¡¯re human?¡±


    ¡°Um, yes? What else would I be?¡± I asked, wondering whether she was serious or sarcastic.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± mumbled Skye, ¡°But, if you¡¯re sure¡­¡±


    I rolled my eyes and said, ¡°Come on, we¡¯re wasting time.¡±


    My friends quickly followed me inside and through the house to the living room. My father was already there, typing away on his laptop with laser focus.


    ¡°Sup dad,¡± I greeted him.


    ¡°Hi, honey,¡± he returned, ¡°I thought I heard the door being broken down.¡±


    ¡°She managed to rip the entire door frame out the wall,¡± interjected my mother tiredly.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Impressive. Well done, honey,¡± he said with a hint of pride.


    ¡°Don¡¯t praise her for it!¡± mom retorted, ¡°If anything, you should be scolding her!¡±


    ¡°Heh? Ah, uh, you shouldn¡¯t break down the front door?¡± he said half-heartedly, pretending to be too distracted by his laptop to pay proper attention.


    Mom was keenly aware of his antics and gave him the cold shoulder, crossing her arms and pouting as she turned away.


    ¡°Mom,¡± I said bluntly, ¡°He¡¯s not paying attention, the silent treatment won¡¯t help for a few hours.¡±


    I heard my friends chuckle, but I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be laughing out loud when they see my mom¡¯s solution.


    Mom looked at me and sighed, ¡°You¡¯re right Honey.¡±


    She walked in front of him and stood still for a moment before bending forward. She lightly rested her breasts on the rim of the screen, flaunting her impressive cleavage in his face, and waited silently.


    Yep, as expected, my friends are all laughing out loud, though I didn¡¯t foresee Jessica rolling on the floor.


    Within a minute dad had stopped tapping away at his laptop and was directing a captivated stare at the creamy orbs in front of him. He reached out towards the juicy fruits, but they suddenly moved away, breaking his daze.


    ¡°Now that I have your attention,¡± scowled my mother, ¡°Everyone¡¯s arrived. You should start telling them about the plans for this weekend.¡±


    ¡°Not everyone is here,¡± called Sam as he entered the room, ¡°Three of us got caught up in something and are running late.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll fill them in when they get here,¡± dad said, ¡°If anything, the staggered start times will be good for variety. The second group of teens participating with this core will only join us next weekend, but it¡¯s still a good idea to do some intra-group staggering.¡±


    ¡°So we¡¯ll start immediately?¡± I asked with slight annoyance.


    ¡°I thought you were super excited for this?¡± dad asked quizzically.


    ¡°I am,¡± I grunted, ¡°The history teacher told me to write a two-thousand-word essay.¡±


    Dad laughed lightly and said, ¡°Oh her, she does like giving that sort of punishment. Don¡¯t worry about it though, I foresaw this keeping you very busy over the weekend, so I organised for some official letters from the company. None of you have to worry about homework, the letters will excuse you from any work or activities given to do over the weekend.¡±


    I nodded solemnly in acknowledgement, but inside, I was doing an embarrassing victory dance.


    ¡°Going back a little,¡± said Skye, ¡°You said we won¡¯t be the only people participating? There is a second group?¡±


    ¡°There are three, actually,¡± dad corrected her, ¡°Each of the groups will cover a different part of the world¡¯s history. You guys are the first group, you will be known as the ¡®Ancients¡¯, and your decisions will shape the very landscape of the world.¡±


    ¡°What about the other groups?¡± asked Skye, ¡°What will they do?¡±


    ¡°The second group will be known as the ¡®Elders¡¯, and they will shape the history of the world¡­ You¡¯ll still be present, but shaping history is mainly their job,¡± dad said.


    Skye continued her line of questioning, ¡°And the last group?¡±


    ¡°They will be the playable races¡­ after they¡¯ve established themselves of course,¡± dad responded with a wry smile.


    Skye nodded to confirm her satisfaction and let him get moving again.


    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s get started,¡± dad said with a welcoming smile, ¡°Everyone, find a seat. Ash, help me hook this up.¡±


    He rose from the couch with his laptop and walked towards the flat screen on the wall, I followed closely behind him. After setting his laptop on the cabinet, he plugged the charger in and pulled out an HDMI cable.


    We¡¯ve had enough movie nights for me to know the drill, so I stepped forward to dismount the TV from the wall. Lifting it up off the brackets and away from the wall, I presented the rear input panel to Dad. I held the TV in place while he worked, and put it back on the wall once he was done.


    Most TVs have a minimal selection of easily accessible connections on the side, keyword ¡®most¡¯. This one doesn¡¯t, I suppose that¡¯s why they were selling it so cheaply, they were probably clearing out unpopular stock.


    Anyway, I let dad finish setting up on his side and joined my friends on the couches. There was an open space next on the nearest couch, so I plopped down next to Sam.


    ¡°What drinks would everyone like?!¡± came mom¡¯s voice from the kitchen.


    ¡°Hot chocolate!¡± replied Ryan instantly. Then he noticed Jessica tugging on his shirt and added, ¡°Times two!... And add cold milk!¡±


    How considerate.


    ¡°Coke for me!¡± I yelled.


    ¡°Pepsi please!¡± shouted Sam with a face of challenge.


    Really Sam? You¡¯re practically an elitist Coke addict, the last time you drank anything else was months ago!


    ¡°I¡¯ll have Tab!¡± called Caty in a feeble attempt to join the war.


    ¡°Sebastian, please prepare a cup of Earl Grey for me,¡± said Skye in an eloquent voice, somehow managing to drastically raise the tension.


    ¡°At once, Milady!¡± responded the butler.


    ¡°What about Skye?!¡± mom called, ¡°Ah, never mind, the maid is already here!¡±


    Maid? What happened to ¡®Sebastian¡¯?


    We all sat in silence with me, Sam, Caty, and Skye exchanging glares.


    After a few tense moments, a butler appeared and said, ¡°Your tea, Milady.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Jiles,¡± responded Skye courteously.


    Jiles? What happened to the maid? Wait, didn¡¯t I ponder something very similar


    very recently?


    ¡°If you mind it, you lose,¡± muttered Sam nonchalantly.


    That¡¯s true, it probably is best to ignore it.


    Mom followed just behind the butler with a tray of drinks. Sam and I quickly grabbed our relevant canned cold drinks, but Caty pouted because of the absence of Tab.


    ¡°Sorry, we don¡¯t usually buy Tab,¡± mom apologised, ¡°I brought you a Fanta instead. It¡¯s what you usually ask for, so I figured it was a safe bet.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± replied Caty with a smile.


    Mom smiled back before turning to dad, ¡°Your coffee, dear.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± dad replied as he focused on his task, ¡°Just put it on the table.¡±


    Mom obliged and gently put the mug on the table before going to deliver the last drinks.


    She walked behind the two-seater that Ryan and Jessica chose, but suddenly turned around and put down the tray. She fiddled with something on the tray for a moment before turning back to us and lowering a single, extra-large mug into the lovers¡¯ pink space and casually saying, ¡°Hold this for me.¡±


    ¡°Kay,¡± Ryan responded automatically, grabbing it on instinct.


    With the mug in Ryan¡¯s hands, my mom took the liberty to plop a cutesy, heart-themed, double-straw into the drink.


    What¡¯s with that mischievous face?! You¡¯re a grown woman, not a gossiping teen!


    ¡°Alright, pay attention everyone!¡± dad called, ¡°You can ask your questions later. Shall I start by explaining the situation?¡±


    With a glance, I confirmed that everyone was focused on dad and gave him a nod. Mom softly hugged him from behind, and silently enjoyed his warmth. Stupid couple.


    He took a deep breath before starting, ¡°In summary, Nexus Networks decided to take their world cores a step further, and they asked several of us, developers, to help. The reason they chose to do that will become clear as I explain the situation.


    Nexus Networks produces highly specialised quantum supercomputer units. Initially, they had to construct the units on-site, which made obtaining these units a costly and challenging endeavour. The massive array of highly sensitive components also made transportation risky, and not worth the cost.


    Realising the problems with trying to spread his technology, the founder changed his plans from manufacturing to networking. This way he could capitalise on the facilities he had already built, and thus ¡®Nexus Networks¡¯ was created.


    After some time, their technology progressed, and Nexus Networks created quantum-entangled communication hubs. The new technology allowed limitless and instantaneous data transmission, regardless of distance.


    The company quickly gained a monopoly on global networking as they installed public hubs around the world. Their technology quickly evolved enough for private citizens to have hubs installed within their own homes. At this point, the world as a whole relies on Nexus Networks for their networking needs.


    No one is sure who started it, but someone suggested using their quantum computers for gaming. More specifically, for MMOs. They theorised that the incredible computing power of their quantum technology could produce much more realistic worlds than anything on the market.


    Following that thread, Nexus Networks began developing various things related to this idea. With the help of numerous medical groups, they developed the virtual dive gear, and the returned focus on their computing units allowed them to shrink the technology even further.


    Various developments led to the creation of the ¡®World Cores¡¯. Modular, transportable units that simulated entire worlds. People could-¡±


    ¡°Dear,¡± mom interrupted, ¡°We all know this history. Skip to the important parts.¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± dad muttered guiltily before continuing, ¡°Here¡¯s the crux of it all; with their newest advancements, Nexus Networks has decided to visit their roots and do something new with their World Cores. They¡¯ve decided to try and network some World Cores, creating a universe rather than a world.¡±


    My friends all stared at him with wide-eyes after the last part. Up till now, world cores have only ever hosted a singular, isolated, world.


    Dad grinned and continued, ¡°You see, the company wants to set up it¡¯s first ¡®universe¡¯ using twenty-five cores in total. They also wanted to ensure variety, so they¡¯ve distributed the experimental cores to a selection of very different groups.


    Most of the groups are professionals with a lot of experience developing worlds, but they also wanted teams without any experience to participate. That¡¯s why they sent one of the cores to me; they knew I had a daughter in her teens and asked me to form a group of teenagers.


    Of course, the usual tools used for building worlds would be beyond you. The company realised this and decided to modify the Terra Nova system for compatible linked-¡±


    *PBBBT!*Half the room spat out their drinks.


    By ¡®half¡¯, I mean Sam, Ryan, and Jessica. Skye held back at the last moment, so I¡¯ll call it three and a half out of seven.


    ¡°The Terra Nova system?!¡± yelled Sam with a mixture of shock and awe.


    ¡°The one where you shape the world predominantly by living in it? Yes,¡± replied my father smugly, ¡°The physical, magical, and technological laws are locked to certain settings for the sake of synchronicity, but some leeway has been made for variation between worlds. The settings were adjusted to make it versatile but also balanced.


    The development of all the worlds will happen over the course of several weekends, but they won¡¯t be anywhere near as busy as this one. You¡¯ll be spending twenty hours a day inside after all.


    We¡¯ll begin with at six o¡¯clock with a twelve-hour dive. The system will be running Directed AIs for your avatars and will only simulate isolated and applicable regions, so we can turn the time acceleration up several thousand times despite your conscious presence.


    This first session will probably be the most important as it will decide who you and your people are at their core. After the session, I will fully activate the continent. By the next session, much more of the world will be generated and included in the simulation.


    Before we start, I¡¯ll explain the various adjustments that have been made to the system for all the external groups like yours. Make yourselves comfortable and gather your wits, you¡¯ll need to consider your options carefully, and the explanations will be long and complicated.¡±

 Chapter 1 (Part 2: System)

    ¡°I¡¯m recording this so that everyone can review my explanations during the relevant setup stages. I suppose the latecomers can watch the full recording when they arrive¡­¡± dad mused before asking, ¡°Is everyone ready?¡±


    We all nodded in confirmation.


    After getting our approval, he jumped straight into it, ¡°Firstly, to keep it interesting, six ¡®factions¡¯ have been created and will be standard to every external group. The race that you raise will be born from one of these factions. Certain factions will be at war with each other by nature, and members of the same faction will feel kinship on an instinctive level.¡±


    ¡°Wait a second,¡± interrupted Skye, ¡°You said that like each of us will have a race, but somehow I got the impression that there won¡¯t be just one way to start¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll quickly expand on that,¡± dad replied, ¡°You will start with a group of, um... malformed beings. There are several bases to choose from, ranging from simple ones such as ¡®Humanoid¡¯ to more interesting ones like ¡®Spectral¡¯. Some will also have subcategories, but I¡¯ll expand on race creation when we actually get there.


    The initial biology can be altered somewhat to make room for whatever you have in mind, but they will be crude and undeveloped regardless¡­ though they will evolve as you guide them. Whatever this group develops into, will be your race. The possibilities are endless.¡±


    Skye continued questioning him, ¡°What happens if our¡­ tribes grow too big and become unsustainable? Or if we simply need to get rid of some rabble?¡±


    ¡°Then deal with it,¡± dad snorted, ¡°But be careful; if the group splits during the establishing stages, then the unguided parts might become a feral race. It¡¯s less of a concern after your race has found its place in the world, but still a concern nonetheless.¡±


    ¡°And how, exactly, are we supposed to ¡®guide¡¯ these groups?¡± Skye asked, ¡°I¡¯d like to know exactly what our role in all of this is.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll explain exactly what you¡¯re expected to do, and how you¡¯ll do it, later,¡± dad said. ¡°I want to explain the inner workings of the system first, that way you can digest the complicated stuff before you make your decisions.¡±


    ¡°What will our goals be?¡± Caty asked, ¡°Quests of some sort?¡±


    ¡°Objectives, huh? That¡¯s probably a good place to start,¡± dad nodded to himself, ¡°Each faction has several ¡®styles¡¯ which function as your objectives. These ¡®styles¡¯ aren¡¯t as clear, and to the point, as a quest objective would be, they¡¯re open to interpretation. The finer points of what they mean to your race¡­ you¡¯ll have to figure that out yourself.


    As long as the Core¡¯s AI deems it a plausible interpretation, you¡¯ll be rewarded. By ¡®following¡¯ your relevant ¡®styles¡¯ you can earn something called ¡®EP¡¯-¡±


    ¡°-EP?¡± Caty interrupted.


    ¡°I was just getting to that,¡± dad said, ¡°EP, or ¡®Evolution Points,¡¯ can be used to promote growth, accelerate developments, alter biology and do various other things to further or improve your race. The options and costs are both dynamic, so they will change as your race does.


    EP will only apply to you until the end of the second weekend. It will change into something slightly different afterwards, but I¡¯ll explain the changes then. Don¡¯t worry about forgetting to spend it though, I will give all of you some time at the end of each session to funnel all of your points where you can.¡±


    ¡°What happens if we don''t spend it?¡± asked Ryan.


    Dad ignored him and kept on talking, he must be annoyed at all the interruptions, ¡°EP isn¡¯t the only way to improve your race. They will naturally develop in the direction you take them; If you depend on subterfuge to survive, then they will become adept at sneaking. If you depend on force to survive, then they will become stronger. If you depend on tactics and cunning, they will grow more intelligent... that kind of thing.


    Before you teach your group how to survive, however, you¡¯ll need to choose your starting circumstances and modifiers. There are three primary categories to balance between; People, Environment, and Dangers. Also, several ¡®aspects¡¯ lie within each of those categories, and each aspect has four ¡®factors¡¯.


    It¡¯s hard to put these factors into words, but I¡¯ll try phrase it simply¡­


    There are two parts to each of these factors; ¡®quality vs quantity¡¯, and ¡®baseline vs potential¡¯. Putting a name to every factor is impossible, but I¡¯ll use the ¡®Population¡¯ aspect of ¡®People¡¯ to demonstrate.


    Can you agree that putting points into the ¡®Baseline Quantity¡¯ of your ¡®Population¡¯ would naturally increase the number members you start with? And that investing in ¡®Potential Quantity¡¯ would improve your ability to expand your race over time instead?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said cheekily.


    ¡°Shut up,¡± dad growled before resuming, ¡°And let¡¯s not forget about quality! Investing in the ¡®Baseline Quality¡¯ of your ¡®Population¡¯ would mean fewer losses, especially early on!


    ¡­ But nothing good comes easy, so giving them some room to grow by investing in your ¡®Population¡¯s Potential Quality¡¯ is a good idea. It might even let a hero or two appear when things get desperate.¡±


    Sam happily chimed, ¡°I will be the legendary hero, kicking evil-¡±


    ¡°SHUT UP!¡± dad shouted.


    ¡°Sorry¡­¡± Sam repented.


    Dad took a deep breath to calm himself and continued, ¡°The way you set it up will heavily affect your survival tactics, so think it through. If you are unsure of anything, you can ask during setup.¡±


    ¡°What about-¡± ¡°SHUT UP NOW!!!¡± ¡°...¡±


    Well, that was harsh¡­


    Don¡¯t give me that teary face, Sam, that was all on you.


    ¡°Sorry, he¡¯s still in work mode,¡± mom said apologetically. Dad also looked at Sam worriedly.


    A moment later, he gasped like he¡¯d suddenly remembered something, ¡°Ah... let me talk about modifiers and variables before it slips my mind.¡±


    Oh hey, look at that, he really did just remember something!


    ¡°In the original system, every aspect was accessible right from the start,¡± he continued, ¡°but that¡¯s been changed for you guys. You won¡¯t have to spend hours scrolling through that monster of a list to find what you¡¯re looking for.¡±


    ¡°Is there a voice command system to make things easier?¡± asked Skye.


    ¡°Finally,¡± dad sighed with relief, ¡°an intelligent question¡­¡±


    Skye smirked as Sam pouted.


    ¡°Yes and no,¡± dad said, ¡°You can buy voice command assistance with EP, but it¡¯s not cheap. So yes, a voice command system does exist, but ¡®No¡¯ is probably the appropriate answer to your question.¡±


    ¡°I want to talk too¡­¡± mumbled Sam dejectedly.


    ¡°Not now, shush,¡± dad barked, ¡°Now, you will only see three aspects of each category at the start. The rest will be left at the default modifier of +0, but they will be unlockable and changeable with EP¡­ both positively and negatively. EP income has also been increased to accommodate this new usage.


    There are three variables associated with modifiers that you need to be aware of; Assisters, Restrictors, and Distorters. Most factors and aspects will have more than one variable associated with them, and it can change depending on whether the modifier has a positive or negative value.¡±


    ¡°How will we know what is influenced by these... ¡®Distorters¡¯, and what not?¡± asked Skye eloquently.


    ¡°You can look up the associated details if you want,¡± dad replied, ¡°but you don¡¯t need to think too hard about it as the system will track everything for you. The cumulative totals of all your variables will be neatly compared in the top corner, allowing for quick review. The factor and aspect tabs will also be tagged accordingly.¡±


    ¡°What will the tags look like?¡± I asked, noticing that he might miss this detail.


    ¡°You can personalise the display details,¡± he said, ¡°but by default; a green star for Assisters, a red chain for Restrictors, and yellow cyclic arrows for Distorters.¡±


    ¡°Do we really need to know this?¡± Sam asked, the rolling of her eyes almost audible in her tone.


    ¡°The reason you need to be aware of these variables,¡± dad responded, ¡°is that they will affect the cost of altering modifiers. If the given alteration would make the variable totals more even, the cost will be reduced. If the alteration would make things more unbalanced, on the other hand, the cost will be increased. The greater the imbalance, the greater the effect.¡±


    ¡°Why is balance important?¡± asked Ryan with a puzzled expression, ¡°Isn''t the whole point to become the strongest or smartest?¡±


    ¡°There are diminishing returns on modifiers, but not on variable accumulation,¡± dad replied, ¡°That makes focusing everything on one thing generally unwise¡­ Keep an eye out for aspects and factors that have an advanced unlock state; being able to tweak the variable influence, can be a powerful tool.¡±


    ¡°I am not certain that I have a proper grasp on the concept...¡± Skye said sadly, ¡°can you provide us with any examples for clarification?¡±


    ¡°Examples? Sure. Let¡¯s see... The ¡®Hostile Presence¡¯ factor is associated with the ¡®Restrictor¡¯ and ¡®Distorter¡¯ variables because while it makes survival more difficult, better resources also come out of conquering the challenge.


    Conversely, just about anything related to taming would only be associated with the ¡®Assistor¡¯ variable. Sure, you might die while trying to tame cute wolf you found, but there¡¯s nothing inherently problematic with the ability to tame something.


    Now, the two examples I¡¯ve given you are ¡®Hostile Presence¡¯ and ¡®Taming¡¯. As you can imagine, this is a good combination focus on; you¡¯ll be able to keep all three variables balanced while gaining far more advantages than disadvantages. Lots of things have synergies, use them to get an edge on the competition.¡±


    ¡°So, the best way to go about things is to focus building synergistic advantages like that?¡± mused Caty.


    ¡°You¡¯re not wrong in reaching that conclusion,¡± dad conceded, ¡°but actually doing that would be a bad idea.¡±


    ¡°... Why?¡± Caty asked with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°The AI will reward resourcefulness, but punish abuse,¡± dad said grimly.


    ¡°Abuse?¡± Caty questioned.


    ¡°Can a tribe survive by only taming and nothing else?¡± dad retorted, ¡°Obviously not, but this synergy makes it possible.¡±


    ¡°How, exactly, would the system punish this ¡®abuse¡¯?¡± Skye asked.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± dad started, ¡°It would target your weak points, or throw you into a situation where you can¡¯t utilise the synergy. In the example I gave you, the AI might cause a famine and make feeding your pets difficult, or spread rabies.¡±


    Several of my friends stared at him in horror, and he calmly took a sip of his coffee in the silence.


    ¡°I think this goes without saying,¡± dad said after putting his cup down, ¡°but certain modifiers, such as ¡®Population¡¯s Baseline Quantity¡¯, will be locked after your initial setup.¡±


    That much was obvious. Still, I suppose there¡¯s no harm in affirming it.


    ¡°Alright, now that that¡¯s taken care of,¡± he said, ¡°let me explain the parts that EP was originally used for-¡±


    ¡°Wait, I want to go to the bathroom-¡± ¡°You can wait,¡± he interrupted, cruelly denying Sam¡¯s innocent request even though she was rubbing her legs together.


    Sam¡¯s face of despair was priceless, and my Skye seemed to think the same.


    Skye, you can drop the innocent act, I saw that smirk.


    Oblivious, dad continued his speech, ¡°The most visible thing you can do with EP is forced mutations¡­ If you want angels, this is just about the only way to get there. Humanoids are just not built for flying, but divine intervention and a little magic might make it possible.


    Forcing such mutations to occur, however, can be very costly.


    If it¡¯s an evolution that would happen without intervention, then it might be better to invest EP into accelerating natural mutation instead. It takes much longer for the effects to roll in, but the changes will be much cheaper and less unbalanced in the end.¡±


    He took a moment to breathe, calm himself, and drink some coffee.


    He looked into his cup quietly for a moment before saying, ¡°Babe, would you mind quickly warming this up for me?¡±


    ¡°Sure thing, Dear,¡± mom chimed. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek before taking his cup.


    Speaking of which¡­


    TSSS!


    ¡°Why are you only opening that now?¡± Sam asked me with a skew look, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you forgot about it¡­¡±


    ¡°Ahaha,¡± I laughed nervously.


    What are you talking about? There¡¯s no way I forgot about it.


    ¡°You forgot about it,¡± Sam nodded affirmatively.


    ¡°Lies,¡± I retorted, ¡°and you know it.¡±


    ¡°Mhmm,¡± hummed Sam with narrowed eyes.


    Ignoring Sam¡¯s stare, I raised the can to my lips.


    Right before the can made contact with my lips, a glimpse of Sam¡¯s jealous gaze inspired me.


    ¡°You know what,¡± I said as I lowered the can, ¡°I¡¯m not actually all that thirsty¡­¡±


    ¡°Then you should give it Sam,¡± commented Skye.


    My god¡­ Skye, why does your evil smirk look so terrifying?! I applaud you for catching on to my scheme, but now I already feel bad for it.


    ¡°I-I¡¯ll take it off your hands¡­¡± came a hopeful voice.


    I turned to the source and¡­ No¡­ Sam... Not the kitty face¡­ You know I can¡¯t resist those upturned eyes¡­ I can¡¯t do this to you! I won¡¯t be able to face you tomorrow if I do! Stop! Please! I¡­ Must¡­ resist¡­


    ¡°Here,¡± I said as I handed Sam my drink.


    Caty¡¯s jaw dropped in horror as she watched my will cave in.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Sam said with a smile brighter than the sun.


    I looked away guiltily, holding my head in shame as Sam downed the drink.


    ¡°Puhaaa!¡± Sam gasped in satisfaction after finishing it mere seconds later, ¡°That really hit the spot! Thanks, Ash!¡±


    I¡¯m a monster.


    ¡°Anybody want more drinks while I¡¯m in the kitchen?!¡± mom yelled from the kitchen.


    No¡­


    ¡°Coke please!¡± called Sam happily while swinging her legs.


    Please¡­ No¡­


    ¡°Anything else?!¡± mom yelled, ¡°... I¡¯ll just bring the bottle over there then!¡±


    Oh god¡­ What have I done¡­


    ¡°Let us continue in the meantime¡­¡± said my father, ¡°We¡¯re short on time, so let¡¯s get on with it¡­ The most important thing you can do with EP,¡± he said, ¡°is buy various upgrades and boosts. These things are similar but different. Upgrades are permanent, and boosts are temporary. I¡¯ll try and use some examples to make it easier to understand...


    Boosts are mostly things like ¡®Heightened Strength¡¯, which obviously gives greater strength, but there are some interesting ones like ¡®renaissance¡¯ that are harder to describe... You can also apply weaknesses, but I won¡¯t go too much into temporary upgrades as they explain themselves when you¡¯re picking them. The only thing you should be aware of when planning temporary upgrades is ¡®recursion¡¯.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Sam asked before my mother arrived with a two-litre bottle of Coke and several glasses. ¡°Oh, thanks!¡±


    ¡°You can take a boost and make it manifest whenever certain conditions are met,¡± dad said. Sam filled a glass to the brim with Coke as he spoke, ¡°You¡¯ll pay a once-off cost that is more expensive than the standard version of the boost, but it¡¯ll activate whenever said conditions are met, and you can even improve it later.¡±


    As my dad spoke, the contents of Sam¡¯s glass quickly disappeared down ¡®his¡¯ throat.


    ¡°The more specific the conditions, the more you¡¯ll potentially get out of your points,¡± he continued, ¡°Adding weaknesses can make upgrading the benefits easier, so that¡¯s something to consider seriously. If you¡¯re trying to create vampires and rule the night, for example, then you might want to have various powerful boosts that apply ¡®in the dark¡¯ and weaknesses that apply ¡®in the light¡¯.


    Most situational buffs and debuffs are gained this way, but you will also encounter similar perks within permanent upgrade trees, so stay- hey¡­ are you OK?¡±


    I¡¯m so sorry Sam, I didn¡¯t mean for it to turn out like this...


    ¡°I¡¯m just¡­ quickly going to the bathroom,¡± said Sam, trembling as ¡®he¡¯ lifted himself off the couch.


    Beads of cold sweat gradually appeared on Sam¡¯s forehead as ¡®she¡¯ desperately held it in. Sam tried ¡®his¡¯ best to run, but it turned into a totter. ¡®He¡¯ made ¡®his¡¯ way towards the bathroom.


    ¡°The handle¡­¡± dad muttered fearfully before leaping to action.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    This is why I¡¯m a monster¡­


    ¡°NOOOO!!!¡± Sam wailed as ¡®she¡¯ desperately tried to turn the door handle. Within seconds, ¡®she¡¯ had resorted to banging on the door and screaming.


    I¡¯m so sorry Sam¡­ It¡¯s all my fault... I broke the handle this morning¡­


    ¡°Here!¡± dad shouted as he held the window open, ¡°You can do it out the window!¡±


    Does he think ¡®she¡¯ has to puke?!


    Sam froze, then slowly turned to him in complete horror- No, it was closer to pure terror¡­ Caty wore the same expression, understanding the severity of the catastrophe unfolding before her.


    The room suddenly became deathly quiet. Nobody knew exactly what, but everyone felt that something had just gone terribly wrong - this was confirmed by Sam¡¯s face going even paler.


    Sam slowly sunk to the floor, curled over into a kneeling foetal position, and screamed at the top of ¡®her¡¯ lungs. After emptying all the air from ¡®his¡¯ body, ¡®he¡¯ became an incoherent mass of sobs and wails.


    That was when mom appeared out of nowhere with a¡­ What is that even? A curtain?


    She stepped forward into a crouch in one smooth motion and wrapped the curtain around both Sam and herself. The curtain covered both of them without even coming to a stop, it kept twirling around them.


    Not even two seconds later, mom whipped the curtain off them a big statue reveal. She tossed the curtain aside and stood proudly. Sam sat behind her in confusion, struggling to comprehend why ¡®he¡¯ was suddenly wearing a miniskirt, crop-top, and high heels.


    That looked much cooler than it should have¡­


    ¡°That looked much cooler than it should have¡­¡± Caty muttered.


    My thoughts exactly, Caty.


    Sam pulled the waistband of ¡®his¡¯ skirt and paled before muttering, ¡°Even my underwear¡­¡±


    ¡°Now then,¡± mom said nonchalantly, ¡°let¡¯s get back on track.¡±


    ¡°Uh, okay¡­¡± dad muttered, still a little confused.


    Everybody made their way back to the living room and returned their seats, and we were ready to resume much faster than expected.


    Sam, though, was still perplexed about the outfit change and clearly had mixed feelings about it.


    ¡®A compliment might help Sam find peace.¡¯ With that in mind, I turned to Sam and said, ¡°Your outfit¡­ Really suits you?¡±


    ¡°Why did that sound like a question?¡± Sam complained.


    ¡°It really suits you!¡± I exclaimed, attempting to cover up my mistake.


    ¡°I agree with Ash,¡± Caty said while eyeing Sam¡¯s thighs, ¡°It suits you surprisingly well.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m with the girls on this one, Sam,¡± Mom nodded, ¡°You¡¯ve got great legs¡­ you should really show them more often.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Sam trailed off, still unsure how to feel about it.


    ¡°Accept our compliments and move on!¡± I said in a commanding tone.


    Sam straightened ¡®her¡¯ posture, saluted, and said, ¡°Sir! Yes, Sir!¡±


    Not the response I was expecting but whatever, it¡¯ll work.


    ¡°Good,¡± I nodded, feeling oddly satisfied. ¡°As you were.¡±


    Dad chuckled at my little joke, but it seemed to have gone over everyone else¡¯s heads¡­ Oh, wait! Caty is rolling her eyes.


    ¡°Now that we have dealt with that issue, let us continue with the debriefing,¡± dad said, ¡°Petty Officer Grove.¡±


    ¡°Petty Officer?¡± Sam commented, ¡°That¡¯s pretty low¡­¡±


    ¡°Is there a problem,¡± dad said before grinning, ¡°Major Silvestre?¡±


    What?! Sam has a higher rank than me?! Daaaaaaad!


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Sam replied smugly, ¡°General.¡±


    ¡°Why does Sam have a higher rank than me?!¡± I shouted indignantly.


    ¡°Probably because Sam has a cooler surname than you,¡± Caty Shrugged.


    Dad¡­ it''s your surname too¡­


    ¡°An excellent observation,¡± dad said in a cool voice, ¡°Commander Phoenix.¡±


    ¡°Is that even from the same ranking system?!¡± I yelled.


    ¡°Nope,¡± Caty stated with a wry smile, ¡°but I¡¯ll accept the rank anyway.¡±


    ¡°Stop getting distracted,¡± mom growled, ¡°You have an actual job to do.¡±


    ¡°Ah, right,¡± dad muttered, ¡°Let¡¯s get back to the explanation.¡±


    Not wanting to waste even more time, everyone quietly leant forwards in preparation.


    ¡°Before we were interrupted, I had just about wrapped up boosts,¡± dad said, ¡°So I¡¯ll continue on the upgrades note¡­ This part is quite complex, so pay attention and don¡¯t interrupt. Everyone ready?¡±


    After a unanimous nod, dad started explaining, ¡°Permanent upgrades are the most intricate thing you can handle with EP, and unfortunately I¡¯ll have to go quite in-depth with the topic - especially to convey all the pros and cons. It¡¯s quite deeply influenced by the different factions, and your faction will be your most significant choice.


    Most permanent upgrades have tiers, though there are exceptions. The first few tiers always having a linear unlock system, and there are several ways an upgrade tree can develop from there. The rules can also be very unique to the tree in the case of the more powerful ones, but certain patterns will usually occur.


    In simple terms, there are three basic types and three basic rule sets. ¡®Direct¡¯, ¡®Variable¡¯, and ¡®Branching¡¯ are the basic types while ¡®Linear¡¯, ¡®Pooled¡¯, and ¡®Conditional¡¯ are the basic rule sets.


    The more exciting and potentially powerful upgrade trees can¡¯t be likened to basic ones. These trees are called ¡®Dynamic¡¯, ¡®Compound¡¯, or ¡®Hybrid¡¯ and don¡¯t necessarily follow the basic rules¡­ You¡¯ll have to figure out how each one works yourself, but I¡¯ll expand on the basics enough to give you something to work off of.


    Anyway, as a rule of thumb, each tier will cost more than the last but also be more powerful in return. Completing a skill tree to the very end will often give incredible benefits, especially in synergy with other trees¡­ The ¡®Vitality¡¯ and ¡®longevity¡¯ trees, for example, can potentially grant you either access to the ¡®Immortality¡¯ upgrade tree, or a simpler ¡®Immortal¡¯ racial attribute.


    Quick side note, upgrade trees always have higher potential than their similar racial attributes, but they start off weaker.


    Just to give you guys a baseline of the essentials so you can intuit the rest, I¡¯ll expand on the basic groups of upgrade trees and touch on the advanced ones.


    ¡®Linear¡¯ trees tend to stop dealing with a given tier as soon as you complete it and focus only the next tier. Sometimes you will have a choice between slightly different options along the way - you should consider everything carefully as your choice will usually be irreversible and limiting. There¡¯s a pretty common exception to this, but I¡¯ll explain it in a moment. Regardless, these trees tend to give the most reliable returns on the investment.


    ¡®Pooled¡¯ trees, on the other hand, allow you to eventually obtain every single perk. Usually, you¡¯ll unlock the next tier after you invest enough points in the previous tiers. The freedom to unlock every perk of the tree might seem great, but it comes with a tradeoff. Pooled trees tend to return far less benefit for higher costs when compared to linear trees.


    Now, there¡¯s a very common hybrid which combines the best of both types. It¡¯s so common that it is a considered ¡®Standard¡¯... Basically, it¡¯s a linear upgrade tree, but you can still buy the alternative options for an increased cost. The specifics vary from tree to tree, but they¡¯re generally not too hard to figure out.


    Lastly, ¡®Conditional¡¯ trees are just that. There are conditions related to every part of the tree. In return for needing to meet these annoying requirements, the perks tend to be overwhelmingly more cost-efficient. If having some of the most potent perks wasn¡¯t enough, these trees will often grant you perks without needing an EP investment at all!¡±


    ¡°Dear,¡± mom interrupted, ¡°You¡¯re getting too excited.¡±


    ¡°Ahem!¡± dad coughed, ¡°Right, now that you¡¯ve got a grasp of the most common rules, I¡¯ll explain the basic structures. You¡¯ll generally be able to figure out the full structure with time.


    The first is ¡®Direct¡¯. This is the simplest and is practically the basis of all predictable progression. The benefits are set right from the start and can¡¯t be changed much. The benefit of this structure is that you¡¯ll know what you can get out of it later.


    The second structure is ¡®Variable¡¯. This is what we call it when the upcoming perks are subject to change in any way, but only when the circumstances and relevant changes are predetermined. In the case that it¡¯s not predictable, it¡¯s usually labelled ¡®Dynamic¡¯ instead.


    The last structure is ¡®Branching¡¯. This is essentially the name for when ¡®Swords¡¯ derives into ¡®One-handed swords¡¯ and then into ¡®Short swords¡¯... that kinda thing¡­ It works both ways, so combining a bunch of resistances into a single more manageable one also falls under this group.


    And, to quickly wrap this section up, the advanced elements you should be aware of¡­


    ¡®Dynamic¡¯ is essentially when the system generates the potential perks based on whatever factors. These perks tend to be very useful for your group and will generally harmonise with the way they operate. The benefit of these perks is that they are inherently personalised for you, but the problem is that you can¡¯t plan for them.


    ¡®Hybrid¡¯ is essentially when different rules or structures are mixed and matched in the same place. I can¡¯t explain it better than that.


    And finally, a ¡®Compound¡¯ upgrade tree is any upgrade tree that has other upgrade trees within it. You¡¯re highly likely to encounter a few of these while studying weapon arts and working with resistances.


    Please note that the same upgrade topic can appear in a variety of ways, this is because the system only generates the upgrade trees as they¡¯re needed. The types of trees that appear will be heavily influenced by your faction, so consider everything carefully.¡±


    ¡°So, we will be improving our groups as a whole using upgrade trees, that much I understood,¡± Caty started, ¡°But what will the eventual players do? How will their levelling system work?¡±


    Dad smiled and said, ¡°Upgrade trees also appear in various places, namely at differing levels of grouping. Ranging from racial to individual, and everything in between. Empires, tribes, clans¡­ they all use upgrade trees.


    Future players will also use upgrade trees, but they will spend EXP instead, only racial upgrades use EP. You¡¯ll even use them on a personal level yourselves.¡±


    Caty nodded to show that she understood.


    Dad leaned back and took a deep breath before continuing, ¡°That¡¯s it for the workings of upgrade trees, let me move on to the most important part; Factions.


    As I mentioned earlier, there are six factions in total - half are neutral, and the other half are not. This brings me to the inter-factional conflict. If we split the factions in half, into the neutral half and the non-neutral half, the three factions within any one half will always be at war, their very instincts force them to hate each other.


    It¡¯s not hard for a neutral group to get along with a non-neutral group. They usually make great friends and allies in fact. Any faction can form friendly relationships, but it won¡¯t be easy between factions from the same group.¡±


    ¡°Uh, before you go on¡­¡± Ryan trailed off.


    ¡°Yes? What is it?¡± dad sighed.


    ¡°Jess wants to ask something,¡± Ryan stated.


    Jessica panicked at that, she obviously expected Ryan to ask whatever it is for her.


    ¡°I see¡­ What would you like to ask, Jessica?¡± dad said while putting on his friendliest smile.


    Jessica was still looking at the floor in embarrassment, which was good because my dad¡¯s smile is fucking creepy.


    ¡°C-can we start together?¡± Jessica asked shyly.


    ¡°¡­ Sure, I suppose I can sort that out for you,¡± dad said, ¡°Assuming you don¡¯t choose conflicting setups, that is. I¡¯ll need to contact my superiors first, but they¡¯ll probably approve of creating a dual-race group. Hell, they might even get excited by the concept - it hasn¡¯t exactly been done before.¡±


    ¡°T-thank you,¡± Jessica mumbled.


    ¡°Anyway,¡± dad said, ¡°the six factions...


    The factions can be split into two groups, neutral and non-neutral. The relationships between the factions are easy to understand.


    A race will be inherently friendly to other races from their own faction, and hostile towards races belonging to the two other factions from the same side of the divide.


    Of course, the relationship system isn¡¯t that simple, and it crosses the neutrality division.


    You will also have a choice of affinities, and your affinity will affect relationships in the same way as factions but to a much smaller degree¡­ That¡¯s on the assumption that you don¡¯t pick one of the more interesting affinity options.¡±


    ¡°There are a few foreign terms in your description,¡± Skye frowned, ¡°What are affinities?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m about to explain affinities,¡± dad replied, ¡°but factions and affinities are closely tied to the relationship system. You have to know about all three to understand how any of them work, so just listen to me for now and ask questions later.¡±


    Skye nodded in consent and dad continued.


    ¡°In a nutshell,¡± dad said, ¡°Affinities are a sub-faction system that can grant you access to another faction¡¯s abilities. Their purpose is to make the factions more exciting and varied.


    You will have five options for your affinity which will differ slightly depending on your faction¡­


    Picking one of the three non-conflicting factions, IE one of the factions from the other half is a pretty solid choice. You will gain access to a much broader set of options with very mild efficiency, effect, and cost penalties. You will also take up one of their styles, leaving you with four styles to follow. This is the option we predict will be the most popular.


    Alternatively, you can focus on a smaller but more efficient ability pool by doubling up on your faction and affinity. This will significantly improve the abilities granted by your faction, but you might find your options very limiting in some situations. You will also get cost reductions on style-supporting changes and improvements.


    If you prefer having a variety of options, then you can leave your affinity ¡®Open¡¯. This will allow you to access the abilities of all three non-conflicting factions with moderate penalties. Additionally, you will have to drop one of your faction¡¯s styles and pick up one from each of the others, leaving you with five styles to follow. EP income from your retained base styles is boosted, and income from the added styles is decreased.


    That kind of setup allows you to capitalise on enemy weaknesses, and leaves you with less of your own, at the sacrifice of overall strength. Please note that your relationships with other races will be fragile as a side effect of this affinity.


    Now, the fourth option is kinda different¡­ we call it ¡®Embodiment¡¯.¡±


    ¡°What a self-explanatory name,¡± Sam comment sarcastically.


    ¡°It¡¯ll make more sense once I¡¯ve explained it,¡± dad returned wryly. ¡°In essence, you choose an element or concept to represent and control. Fire, wind, lightning, death¡­ victory¡­ Whatever you can think of. Some concepts will be open to interpretation, of course.


    On that note, an embodiment of fire would control fire and be healed by it, and the case is similar for every embodiment. The concept itself will also be added as one of your styles if you choose to do this.


    You understand all that?¡±


    ¡°I think so,¡± Sam nodded.


    ¡°Right,¡± he returned the nod, ¡°Then I¡¯ll be continuing¡­


    The last option is a bit of a wildcard, it¡¯s the only one that allows the mixing of conflicting factions. This strays a little from the idea of Affinities, we call it ¡®Hybridization¡¯.¡±


    Caty asked, ¡°How is it different from the other affinities?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± dad started, ¡°Imagine a race¡¯s factional alignment as three parts their faction and one part their affinity. They are more one thing than any other. A hybrid race, on the other hand, is split right down the middle instead, into two independent halves.¡±


    ¡°And how does that change gameplay?¡± Caty asked with a frown.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯ll have to deal with two sets of potentially conflicting styles for a start,¡± dad said contemplatively, ¡°and the two parts operate separately.¡± After a moment of thought, he shrugged and said, ¡°The mixing is pretty unfiltered, so you end up with some pretty severe circumstances in addition to the ridiculous potential.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I get it¡­¡± Caty trailed off.


    Dad sighed before starting to speak, ¡°You have full access to both sets of perks and abilities. The only problem is that the two sets are more or less mutually exclusive¡­ Imagine this; There¡¯s a small business that¡¯s owned by Corporation A. The business gets resources from, and naturally, is managed by Corporation A.


    But there¡¯s a problem¡­ The business is also owned by Corporation B. This means the business will have to live up to the expectations of both Corporations. You can imagine the hell of figuring out what to do when the two Corporations have different interests¡­


    Fortunately, both Corporations hired the same person to oversee the business, so they manage to stay coordinated. That doesn¡¯t stop the two Corporations from expecting different things from the business, and the business will have problems if it strays too far from either¡¯s expectations.¡±


    Caty stroked her chin in thought. After a few seconds she looked up and said, ¡°Okay, I kinda get it¡­ Am I right in assuming that EP earned from one side can only be spent on that side?¡±


    ¡°That is correct,¡± dad nodded, ¡°you¡¯ll have to manage several resource pools.¡±


    ¡°Sounds difficult,¡± she remarked.


    ¡°It is, but the sheer potential is more than worth the headache. I mean, can you imagine an entire horde of legend-class individuals marching towards you? It¡¯s a terrifying image.


    Your inter-racial political situation will be a problem though, it will be rocky at the best of times. You will have many enemies and very few friends, so you¡¯ll be in a pretty tight spot even if your race is properly united.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s why you call it a wildcard?¡± Caty mused, ¡°They are the enemies of the world, strong enough to threaten even warring species into peace?¡±


    ¡°Something like that,¡± dad said with a wry smile.


    ¡°Alright, I think I¡¯ve got it¡± Caty nodded, ¡°You can continue.¡±


    KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK


    ¡°No, he can¡¯t,¡± I remarked sarcastically.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get it,¡± mom said, ¡°You can continue in the meanwhile.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll get it,¡± dad said as he stood up, ¡°If it¡¯s who I¡¯m expecting, then it¡¯s for me anyway.¡±


    A few seconds later dad moved¡­ what was once the front door, aside.


    When did they even prop that back up?


    Anyway, on the other side of the hole was a guy my age holding a stack of paper. He absent-mindedly handed the papers to dad while looking at the debris in wonder. Dad thanked him before coming back to continue explaining to us, not caring to explain what that was about.


    As he walked back towards us, he began, ¡°I¡¯ll start with the neutral groups.


    First up is ¡®Natives¡¯. This faction exists at the centre of the world, they are the representatives of the land, they are the face that outsiders will see. Native¡¯s styles are dubbed ¡®territory¡¯, ¡®trade¡¯, and ¡®civility¡¯.


    Power-wise, Natives have various magics, enchanting, etc. Essentially whatever you¡¯d imagine a classic mage or sorcerer doing. This power set synergises with others to create new classes of magic.


    The possibilities were left quite open, so achieving a state of ¡®few but powerful¡¯ with natives is just as possible as ¡®weak but many¡¯. If you choose this faction, you will see ¡®Linear¡¯ upgrade trees most often, almost exclusively in fact.


    The second neutral faction is ¡®Legends¡¯. This is a group that lives in myths and tales, they¡¯re powerful and reputable. Their styles are called ''domain'', ¡®superiority¡¯, and ¡®renown¡¯. Of course, you can fight the system in favour of quantity if you really want to¡­ If you choose this faction, your upgrade trees will be mostly ¡®Conditional¡¯.


    Regarding abilities, the Legend faction relies on unique racial powers. These have to be developed over time and usually manifest as types of enhancements, but can be some of the most effective tools in the system. Other power sets will influence the manifestation of these abilities but do little in the way of raw empowerment.


    The last neutral faction is called ¡®Horde¡¯. Individually, the members of this group are the weakest among the factions, but as a group, they form the most terrifying forces in the world. This is a bit of a complex group to play with since they tend to develop lots of divergent sub-races and hybrid upgrade trees. Their styles are ¡®collect¡¯, ¡®cooperate¡¯, and ¡®devour¡¯.


    Horde¡¯s powers are, unfortunately somewhat limited. They have minor telepathy which allows them to coordinate with incredible precision, but not actually talk to each other with it. This telepathy is available for upgrading right from the start. Other than that, all their reproductive and co-operation upgrades are beefed up while their individual abilities are lowered.


    ¡°We just want to play already,¡± Sam moaned, ¡°let us figure it out for ourselves. We aren''t pros anyway.¡±


    Dad sighed and said, ¡°I also want to move on to the next stage, but this choice is irreversible and will have lasting consequences. There are no do-overs. You don¡¯t want to make the wrong decision and be stuck with that forever, do you?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Sam said in defeat, ¡°I suppose not.¡±


    ¡°Thought so,¡± dad said wryly, ¡°Anyway, moving along, the non-neutral factions¡­


    First, ¡®Chaos¡¯, an invading group. This group exists to cause havoc and indulge in their desires. Their styles are dubbed ¡®treasure¡¯, ¡®whim¡¯, and ¡®ruin¡¯. You can liken them to demons and other such things, but there¡¯s no guarantee it will turn out like that. This faction gets bonuses and discounts on boosts and recurring boosts but suffers from much costlier permanent upgrades.


    Chaos¡¯ strongest point is their destructive powers, and use corrupting or manipulative powers as the circumstances require. They also have accelerated natural healing rates, to the point of even regrowing limbs, but it¡¯s impossible for a third party to practically heal them in return. You can spend EP to lessen that drawback, but there isn¡¯t much point in doing so. The synergies of their powers are kinda hard to describe concisely since the effects are so varied.


    Next is ¡®Order¡¯, another invading group. This group strives to control the world and turn it into a utopia. Their styles are ¡®virtue¡¯, ¡®law¡¯, and ¡®hierarchy¡¯. Order is usually a good thing, but this group takes it too far. This faction will have almost exclusively have ¡®Pooled¡¯ upgrade trees, and the ¡®weakness¡¯ elements of boosts are locked to them.


    Order doesn¡¯t have any proper straightforward attack methods. Their powers are more oriented towards utility, but there are plenty of ways for those skills to aid you in battle¡­ Precognition, for example, allows you to sense a few moments into the future. They also have restorative powers that can keep you fighting for longer, and their cleansing powers can erase hostile magic. They also have a variety of defensive abilities to keep them alive for longer, making them very effective tanks¡­ and poor assassins.


    Lastly, we have ¡®Harmony¡¯, the protector group. This group strives to support and protect the world itself. Their styles are dubbed ¡®perception¡¯, ¡®preservation¡¯, and ¡®symbiosis¡¯. This group will mostly see ¡®Variable¡¯ upgrade trees and gets great bonuses from territory-based buffs.


    Harmony specialises in using the resources around them to cast their spells, allowing them to perform well beyond their personal limitations. They can manipulate their environment - be it ashes and toxic fumes, overgrown plant life, or even the barrier between life and death. As they adapt to a particular environment, their power over it will grow dramatically, but they¡¯ll also lose their ability to control other places and things.¡±


    ¡°It only makes sense that your faction would be a permanent choice,¡± Skye started, ¡°But I¡¯d like to know if you can, in any way, alter your affinity later on.¡±


    ¡°Kind of? It depends on your choice of affinity,¡± dad responded, ¡°If you choose one of the three compatible factions as your affinity, then you can improve your attunement to it with EP later. Hybrid races can also purchase certain affinities, up to a maximum of two, later on, to make up for the restriction made during initial setup¡­ Otherwise, you¡¯re limited to adding weakened versions of Embodiment.¡±


    ¡°Weakened versions of embodiment?¡± Skye asked, ¡°As in, similar in every way, but weaker than the Embodiment affinity you can take up during setup?¡±


    ¡°Pretty much,¡± dad nodded, ¡°You¡¯ll get the extra style, but it¡¯ll generate less EP.¡±


    ¡°While we¡¯re on the topic,¡± Caty said, ¡°How would it work for Hybrids? Would they only be able to spend their EP from the extra style on the Embodiment?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a reason Hybrids can take up two affinities,¡± dad responded, ¡°Each one you pick up is tied to one of the factions that make them up.¡±


    ¡°Even if they have lots of political tension, wouldn¡¯t running two races¡¯ worth of resources on one make hybrids completely and utterly OP?¡± Sam asked.


    ¡°Not really,¡± dad shrugged, ¡°It¡¯ll take them a while to unlock everything, so they¡¯ll be less developed in the end. The heightened level of power isn¡¯t too severe for political tension to offset.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay,¡± Sam muttered, ¡°Fair enough.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Silence.


    ¡°... Is that it?¡± Sam asked dubiously.


    ¡°For this part, yes,¡± dad said, ¡°The rest is either irrelevant at the moment, or intended to be figured out along the way¡­ Though I suppose you¡¯ll want to know the actual schedule for the weekend.¡±


    ¡°That would be much appreciated,¡± Skye remarked.


    ¡°To start with, we¡¯ll pass around this tablet,¡± dad said as he held the tablet up, ¡°One-by-one, everyone will decide on their factions, affinities, and other setup factors. After that, we¡¯ll all enter a linked virtual space and repeat the process for modelling your race¡¯s initial appearance.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be faster to just have us all do it at the same time?¡± Sam asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s for the sake of having an open discussion,¡± dad replied, ¡°Although some of the groups are geared more towards being a business operation and will probably work that way, your group here is meant to be a social operation.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Sam muttered.


    ¡°Anyway,¡± dad said, ¡°We¡¯ll have dinner after that and give the system a chance to generate the world.  Then, at 9PM, we¡¯ll start the first session¡­ Beyond that, you¡¯ll spend pretty much the entire day inside. You¡¯ll get three breaks a day, two hours each for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± Sam shouted, ¡°That¡¯s four hours of ¡®break¡¯ time. What about sleep?¡±


    ¡°There isn¡¯t any time planned for sleeping,¡± dad replied.


    ¡°What?¡± Sam¡¯s jaw dropped, ¡°But that¡¯s like¡­ eighteen hours a day!¡±


    ¡°Your maths is correct,¡± dad responded with a hint of sarcasm.


    ¡°What about reality confusion?¡± Skye asked, ¡°Spending so long in simulated reality could certainly confuse us.¡±


    She¡¯s got a point, that could be really problematic.


    ¡°That¡¯s a real concern, and the higher-ups didn¡¯t overlook it,¡± dad answered, ¡°We have implemented certain countermeasures for issues like that. Unfortunately, scheduling all the necessary sessions for every group was a rather messy affair¡­ We had personal plans to deal with, technical requirements, and a project deadline. From a business point of view, there was very little that could be done about the schedule.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s understandable,¡± Skye said.


    Dad snorted derisively and said, ¡°Yes, understandable indeed.¡±


    After a moment of silence, dad looked up and said, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s have a quick question and answer session about the system before we move on¡­ Do you guys have any questions?¡±