《The Expanse》 chapter 1 Darion pulled off his blue vest from his retail job and tossed it on a chair in the corner his studio apartment. ¡°Another day as a checkout attendant over.¡± He said to himself as he ran his hand through his hair and headed towards the shower. He gave the messy lived in room a once over before his eyes again landed on the yellow package that contained his headband. He wanted to jump directly into ¡®The Expanse¡¯ since it arrived just before he left for work today. but he didn''t want to stew in his own juices. As he disrobed and started the shower he pressed himself against the back wall till the hot water caught up, and began to ease into the water. As the warm water poured across his shoulders he began to think about everything he learned about ¡®The Expanse¡¯. It was like an mmo in several ways. But it also wasn''t. Because an mmo was a game you played on an electronic device like a computer, console, or a vr headset. ¡®The Expanse¡¯ was like pseudo magic. It somehow astrally projected you into another world where you designed your ¡®vessel¡¯ as the game referred to them and you could either design a skill from a list of variables, or you can pick from a list of skills somehow taylored each individual. Once you actually enter the game it''s just hyper realistic fantasy with monsters levels and experience points. Skills, spells¡­ all that. There was more to it. This game was changing the world. That said, one of the reasons that this retail job didn¡¯t completely blow was; they offered a voucher to pay back the 200 dollar price of the headband it required to play, if you made it to level 10 or tier 1. The headband would paid in either case but if you got a Skill there was a chance that you could make a corporate sponsored team, if that was the case you could cease going on location to the store and start logging play time as hourly wages at a fair higher rate and you got to use corporate sources for gear spell shards. If you didn''t get a tier 1 skill. they still paid off your headband with the caveat that any loot from a dungeon was subject to corporate consideration and must be brought to a corporate location in game for sale and identification, any loot or gear you kept was actually leased to you, but it was an excellent way to get a head start. But if you were terminated the company required you to undergo class regression to tier 0, and your gear was forfeit. Darions stood in the shower shampooing his hair and thinking about his character and what sort of skills he''d be offered. He shivered in anticipation imagining what sorts of skills there were to be had. One of the store associates from the gardening department apparently developed a skill that let them determine lies from truth. He shivered again at the thought. This game could actually awaken powers in a person. Not big blasty powers like in the game, but more subtle passive things like an eidetic memory or that ability to discern truth from lies in the real world. That is what has the world clamouring to play this game. Real pay out real power. And the internet was bursting with videos from in-game. Streamers were making a killing with pop up dungeons and wandering regional bosses. Darion grabbed his towel and began to dry his body before laying the towel across the side of the tub to dry the bottoms of his feet to avoid leaving floor puddles. He grabbed a anime themed t shirt and a pair of basketball shorts and threw them on before flopping onto his couch and reaching for the yellow paper envelope that contained his headband. It felt so strange as he tore the envelope. It wasn''t a flashy box like a prebuilt gaming pc or a console. It was just a yellow paper envelope with a shipping receipt and a small card with instructions printed on it. The headband itself was navy blue with a steel forehead plate with the stylized shape that represented the expanse. ¡°Lets see here¡­¡± he said as he gazed at the instruction card. ¡°Remove The sticker from inside the headband. make sure there are no barriers between the crystalline structure and your skin. Once that is complete make sure to find somewhere comfortable so you do not develop muscle soreness. You will be insensate for approximately 1 hour after initial application.¡± Darion blinked and began to follow the instructions shifting his weight into the couch as he peeled back the sticker and rubbed the back of his hand across his forehead. He stared at it in his other hand before discarding the sticker onto the floor beside the couch. As he placed the headband on his forehead and began to tie it behind his head unbeknownst to him four runes glowed in the four corners of the metal plate. Darion immediately felt drowsy and then his chin dropped to his chest. Darion awoke to darkness all around him except where a nearly nude copy of his slightly doughy body, with its shoulder acne and messy shoulder length brown hair floated peacefully in the blackness. Soon after a screen popped up in his line of sight with a ding that he perceived more than heard. ***** Welcome to The expanse. Glory and discovery await. Do you wish to customize your appearance or skip straight to initial skill selection? Yes. I would like to No. skip ***** Darion mentally took a breath, as much as he wanted to skip straight to skill selection he hit Yes and went into character creation. He made his body tall and athletic with straight blonde hair and blue eyes, he fixed his teeth, to his amazement this facsimile even had scars in the same places. He mentally selected to remove the linen looking boxers that hid his modesty and the body even had a scar on the upper inner thigh. It was then that he realized that if he made all these changes; it would make him seem insecure to all his coworkers that played as well. In the end Darion decided to clear up his skin, round up to six feet, tone, and tighten, but mostly keep his own features. Darion confirmed his selection and with excitement he mentally highlighted the skill selection option. ***** Skill selection. Would you like to view skill options or would you like to create a skill? View. Create. *****This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Darion paused in thought before querying the system. ¡°Is my selection here final or can i go back if I don''t like my options?¡± it was strange speaking without a body, his voice came out sounding like it had light digital distortion applied to it. A box popped up in response. ***** If you do not like your options simply will your window to the opposing option ***** Darion hit the skill selection list and saw 3 skills, he''d read about how there were skills and capital s Skills. At levels 1 3 and 5 a player selects a skill, and based on how the user uses their skills in conjunction at level 10 the player will receive a Class and potentially a Skill, and those were the abilities that could manifest outside of the game. *****
  1. Assimilate
  2. Track
  3. Pick pocket dimension
***** Darion focused his attention on the first choice and a window opened with a more indepth skill description ***** Assimilate: User forgoes assignable stat points or class based stat increases, however user can gain 5% of a slain monster''s highest stat and 1%of its second highest stat so long as it is the same level or higher. Warning: this skill will permanently affect progression. ***** Darion considered the skill for a while, ¡°It could be the Ultimate skill¡­ if you wanted to constantly punch up, but it also meant entire areas would yield no growth after a while. Maybe if it also stole and upgraded skills¡­ but that might be too OP. Maybe if my name was Max.¡± Darion focused on the next skill. ***** Track: passive, tracks and trails will shimmer in the users perception scales with perception stat. Must be passingly familiar with the target and decide to track them. ***** If Darion had a nose currently he would wrinkle it. He moved onto the final skill. ***** Pickpocket Dimension: active skill. If user has the prerequisite mana (1 mana per sqft) and can conceal a non living object item from sight; the object will be sent into a pocket dimension until summoned. Mana used for this is considered reserved and not spent thus wont regenerate until the space is emptied. At which point the mana will be considered spent and may begin to generate naturally. ***** Darion paused to consider what these skills said about him. ¡°System? If I go to the skill crafting screen will I be able to return here to these skills?¡± another screen popped up. ***** Yes these options will remain until picked or tier 1 class selection. ***** Darion willed himself over to the Skill creation window and a new prompt appeared. ***** Most aligned elements space and void Choose two stats: Strength Constitution Dexterity Agility Intelligence Perception Charisma And choose a mythical creature. ***** Darion decided to choose perception and dexterity. After a few more minutes of thought based on an old wuxia novel he read; he chose the mythic kun-peng. A creature known for its adaptability and ability to travel great distances quickly in air or water. ***** Skill Name: Kun Peng''s Void Slip Description: Kun Peng''s Void Slip allows the user to momentarily blend into the void, creating a small, localized distortion in space. This distortion enables the user to teleport a short distance, avoiding attacks or repositioning themselves quickly. Attributes: - Perception: The user must focus their senses to pinpoint the exact location they want to teleport to, ensuring a precise and safe transition. - Dexterity: The user needs to be agile and adaptable to navigate the brief period of disorientation during the teleportation process. Element: Void/Space Thematic Animal: Kun Peng The Kun Peng, a mythical bird said to traverse vast distances, inspires this skill. By channeling the Kun Peng''s essence, the user can tap into the void, creating a temporary wormhole to facilitate their movement. Skill Mechanics: - Activation: The user focuses their perception to select a target location within a short to medium range. - Teleportation: The user briefly disappears into the void, reappearing at the chosen location. - Cooldown: The user must wait for a short period before reactivating the skill. - Risk: If the user''s perception is disrupted during the teleportation process, they may reappear in an unintended location or suffer from temporary disorientation. ***** Darion chose to accept without hesitation. A teleport skill out of the gate was amazing. If he was able to select pickpocket dimension at level 3 and track at 7 maybe he could gain a spatial assassin class. He paused in thought imagining teleporting from roof to roof stalking his target, his weapons stored in a pocket dimension ready to strike. Or a mysterious caped burglar stalking a party through a dungeon only to swoop in with a flare of his cape and make the treasure chest vanish before teleporting away. The darkness began to fade; and before he knew it orchestral music began to flare as a blue sky swam before his vision. His disembodied awareness swooped through forests and valleys where animals and creatures went about their life cycles. The Expanse was massive, and it all looked so¡­ real. Darions awareness flew over some ruins where what looked like a party fighting off some Orc looking creatures supported by some sort of goblinoid creatures. They whipped by as the flight speed increased before he flew over a large walled metropolis and then into a building where a figure lay seemingly sleeping on a cot, his last sight; his vessels sleeping face before more darkness. Darion awoke a moment later, the experience was strange, he felt like himself. His skin itched slightly where the coarse woven fiber of his shirt touched his chest and back. He sat up and set his feet down on the stone floor which was cold. He looked at his hands and gave the skin inside his forearm a pinch, the pain was immediate but somehow muted, he bore down even then he could perceive that it hurt, but it was flat rather than sharp. He looked around the room and it looked real; a light on the ceiling, a stone floor, 3 other unoccupied cots, there was evidence that this room was maintained. other than the three cots there were no other features that stood out about this stone room except no windows. He felt slightly anxious that someone could spawn in here at any moment. ¡°Status.¡± Darion said aloud, and a window popped up in front of him, the placement and opacity seemed to be a matter of will. He toyed with the shape color placement before he focused on the contents. ***** Name: Darion Glassier Age: 25 Race: Human Level: 1 (tier 0) Class: N\A HP: 15 Mp: 12 Stamina: 10 ***** Attributes ***** Strength: 4 Constitution: 5 Dexterity: 7 Agility: 3 Intelligence: 6 Perception: 8 Charisma: 4 ***** Skills ***** Skill Name: Kun Peng''s Void Slip Description: Kun Peng''s Void Slip allows the user to momentarily blend into the void, creating a small, localized distortion in space. This distortion enables the user to teleport a short distance, avoiding attacks or repositioning themselves quickly. Cost: 5 mana per yard ***** Chapter 2 CH 2 Draion studied his character sheet and decided to keep his name. He willed his age hidden, and the attributes shortened. He winced at his stats as they were now; low. Darion wanted to try out his new skill but he resisted. With his luck something embarrassing would happen right as someone spawned in. Instead he stood and began to head for the door. At first it was strange but with a bit of focus that he innately knew was his Dexterity and Perception working together to compensate for the 3 inches of height and his longer arms than he was accustomed to. He was dizzy at first but before long he walked to the door and grabbed the handle without an issue. The hall outside had a rug and a few more doors, he glanced to the left and right. Before a voice called out. ¡°Hello there.¡± An older gentleman said from a desk at the end of the hall. He had dark skin and a gaunt but not unhealthy face; short silver hair and a goatee with sparkling light blue eyes. ¡°I''m Biron and I''m one of the people who oversee newcomers orientation. If you are interested, that is.¡± Darions eyes began to twinkle in anticipation. ¡°Yes I¡¯d love that!¡± ¡°Alright. I''m gonna start with the basics so forgive me if i dont cut straight to the fun stuff. The Expanse started as a game unlike any other, I mean look at everything around us¡­ real as day right?¡± Biron shook his head in reminiscence. ¡° I still remember the first time I logged in; I was one of the initial 1000 free trial entrants.¡± Darions eyes widened and he raised his hand slightly to get Birons attention, ¡°pardon the interruption but you''ve met the founder?¡± Biron chuckled ¡°Founders¡­ there are two of them, I Suppose you are referring to Arthur Slate?¡± Darion nodded without speaking. ¡°Yes I''ve met him several times, he''s quite the character. don''t get me wrong he is currently the highest tier individual in the expanse. I just mean he is not a serious person¡­¡± that last part was said with a wry chuckle. ¡°The founders party usually stays out on the frontier, everyday we get closer to opening the tenth layer. But I digress, apologies for becoming sidetracked¡­ I was saying the Expanse is unlike anything you have ever imagined. It''s not just a game but an experience. This whole city is manned and controlled by real people. no NPCs. in fact in the early days it was often compared to games like minecraft or Ark survival. Jost an open plain of grass with an obelisk in the center.¡± Biron shook his head.¡± The Economy the business ecosystem here in Drendaria is all run by men and women. Who make their livelihoods here. That to say violence and theft are both punished here. Bar brawls do occur and there are guild tensions. What I''m trying to say is that rather than a game with no consequences in the real world, we ask that you treat this more like visiting a foreign country. The system drops a currency that we all use here.¡± wit that he opened a drawer and pulled out a small pouch. Which he pushed across the counter towards Darion. ¡° The sack is a non-bindable storage item; it contains roughly a three foot cube of space that has a plain tier 0 dagger and one of each currency copper silver gold. Each unit represents 10 of the previous denomination. There is a platinum piece but most people aren''t delving far enough out to see those regularly." He reached a hand below the level of the desk and when his hand comes back into view he has a coin that has a silver blue hue in the light. With a wave of his hand the coin vanished. Just then the door to the building banged open and a flustered looking beast kin woman barreled in. she had a chin length bob hairstyle in split crimson and purple with black cat ears. ¡° Mr. Biron I am soooo sorry! I was late logging in.¡± Biron turned towards the beast kin woman with a Grandfatherly smile and stood from behind the desk. He was tall and skinny but the vest and shirt combo with the slacks and suspenders made Darion think of the actor; Morgan Freeman.¡± it''s not a problem Ivy¡­¡± He turned to look at Darion. ¡° If you''d like, we can go on a bit of a tour to wrap up your orientation. It''s not standard procedure but no need to muddle matters by handing you off mid orientation.¡± The leopard girl''s ears flattened and she looked crestfallen. ¡°Are you sure sir? It''s really no problem.¡± Biron shook his head and gestured for Darion to follow. ¡°3 more are in Vessel creation now. they will be shunted to rooms 7, 9, and 18.¡± Ivy¡¯s eyes widened and her ears perked up and she gave a curt nod. With that Darion followed Biron out of the building. This building seemed older and less polished than some of the other buildings along the road. Biron followed Darions gaze. ¡°The reception building was the first system built structure; it is also the only public building that Arthur Slate is the owner of. He expanded its functionality capacity and infrastructure, but not its cosmetics.¡± Darion nodded and then paused, after a moment. ¡°So you aren''t an attendant?¡± the older man smiled. ¡°I''m actually the head of onboarding and one of 9 seated council members.¡± Darion¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°How do you all Deal with the time dilation when you are out of game? It¡¯s something like 3-1 right? 24 hours here is 8 hours on earth?¡± Biron nodded. ¡° tight scheduling mostly, but it helps that I''m one of about 20 lifers in Drendaria.¡± Darion¡¯s eyebrows raised at that statement. ¡°What are lifers?¡± Biron exhaled through his nose. ¡°On earth I am in a medically induced Coma, I have been for over a decade. Earth time. I signed a waiver to permit experimentation towards my condition. Its a miracle really, my daughter, her husband and my grandchildren can log in to visit ev3en my doctors on occasion. But enough about that.¡± Biron gestured towards a large grass plaza where stalls and blankets were set up along the paths with people hocking various wares vied for the attention of passers by. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. This was the experience. In this plaza people lounged on benches or at tables, others trained in open spaces. Others clearly enjoyed picnics. There was a mix of fantasy garb armor robes and cloaks people openly carried weapons. Darion spotted a fantasy cowboy Two revolvers at his hips and a rifle across his back with chaps, rhinestones, spurs, and a mask over his nose. Platinum blonde hair and pointy ears were visible under his cowboy hat. Despite there being a crowd the cowboys eyes snapped to Darion and made eye contact but when he noticed Biron he somehow blended into the crowd and vanished despite Darion not taking his eyes off of him. ¡°Was that a skill?¡± Biron chuckled slightly. ¡°Hehe¡­ yes that was an obfuscation skill. Basically his skill told your mind that he wasn''t important or special.¡± Darions brows furrowed ¡°my perception is one of my highest starting stats, I''d hoped it would have tried to fight that.¡± Biron laughed good naturedly from his belly. It was a warm laugh that spread to others easily. ¡°This isn''t a normal part of orientation but if you are interested.¡± before Biron could even finish Darion was nodded and made to follow. Biron cut off what he was saying and laughed again before heading down a side road towards a huge walled complex. It was splendid and opulent but in a militaristic way. Two guards stood at the entrance holding pikes with matching armor and an insignia on the wall and on the breast of their uniforms was a stylized wolf or fox head with 3 slashes across its nose and eyes. The two guards acknowledged Birin as they passed into the interior. ¡°This is the adventurers guild.¡± with a gesture he motioned towards the parade ground. Teams of people trained formations, some sparred while others looked on, but before Darion could get lost in it all, Biron placed a hand on his back and guided him towards the grand central steps that led up to a massive doorway. Two more guards stood at the entrance as they passed into the building itself. Whoever was in charge of this building definitely paid attention to cosmetics rich dark velvets and gold trim adorned the walls. The rug was somehow both rugged and plush. Suits of armor adorned the corners with banners with the guild insignia hung between soaring stone buttresses. A large desk with several attendants worked through lines of people seeing to a variety of needs. Biron walked to an open attendant who looked bored. ¡°Hello Irma, I am going to make use of one of the council training rooms.¡± the woman; Irma perked up. ¡°Of Course Mr. Biron they are all available so please feel free.¡± Biron waved Draion to follow and headed towards a door to the back he placed the back of his hand on a panel near the door a gem inset above it glowed alongside a ring in the same hand and the door slit open with a low smooth grinding sound. The hallway beyond was far more plain. Drab walls with doors on either side of a long hallway. ¡°These are the training rooms held for the council members. The public ones are rented for a fee. By tier; technically the Founders are two of the nine council members. They never attend and each have 5 votes that are granted to the other in absentia. They let us handle the city''s growth, they just hold the executive veto power¡­ I''m sorry, I''m sure you don''t want to hear about the exciting world of bureaucracy.¡± Biron turned towards a door and it opened with a swish. The space inside was large like a 200 by 200 gymnasium. ¡°This is everyone''s favorite part. System run simulation 26-A¡¯¡± there was a chime and a shimmer in the air. And the room became a swamp. The air got heavier and more humid and began to smell of sulfur and plants. In another shimmer 4 short humanoid figures stood eyes unfocused. They had bulbous heads, uneven features and green skin. primitive weapons made of wood and stone and no armor save loin cloths. Chapter 3 Darion stared in amazement at the surrounding swamp and what were clearly stationary goblins. Before Darion could speak Biron spoke first. ¡°These creatures are standard tier 0 goblins just like you can find roaming outside the safe zone, you won''t gain anything from facing off with them but the reason I brought you here was to teach you about stats, and what part they play. For instance I am tier 3¡± Darion blinked. ¡°You are between level 30 and 40? Doesn''t that place you at the 7th ring?¡± Biron laughed again and nodded but continued what he had previously been saying. ¡± All of my stats are well above a peak earth human, by that I mean Olympic champions or world class martial artists or body builders, and I''m not even a combat class. Go ahead and shake my hand I''m not going to crush it¡­¡± saying that Biron extended his hand, it looked like the hand of an elderly man, but it didn''t shake or quaver. Darion took his hand and it was smooth, slightly cool and seemingly no stronger than a man of his age should be. They shook hands and Darion could even sense a bit of seeming frailty in the older man. ¡°In truth at my worldly age, my physical stat cap is actually lower than average. And because I chose not to make any amendments to my physical form during vessel creation I''m a bit of a glass cannon you might say. But that compounds my point. When your stats exceed 10 which is peak human your stats become conceptual; say you have a 70 in strength you won''t have muscles on top of muscles, but you will be able to conceptually exert forces beyond your physical capabilities. A better way to prove this point.¡± Just after Biron released his hand Darin felt something briefly like a pressure or a sense of unease and Biron blurred and vanished, suddenly the farthest goblins head exploded into a pink mist and Biron was suddenly a few feet past the goblins. Buttoning his sleeve back up, a mist of blood speckled his face and vest and it began to fade away after a few seconds. Alongside the body of the dead goblin. Darion gaped in shock at both the display of capability but also the sheer violence of the act. Darion was still gaping when Biron spoke again ¡° what I did just now is referred to as flaring or pulling my stats. It depends on how you visualize it. When you get a stat over ten they have classes here at the adventurers guild hall that you can take. But you won''t really appreciate the effect until you have between 15 and 20 in a stat. Now the point of this is. If you had a perception at say 20. You could flare your perception and maybe your intelligence and that might, depending on the level and skill of the other person, counter the skill.¡± Darion shook his head as his thoughts swirled through his head. ¡°So tier suppression is a thing?¡± Biron furrowed his brow in confusion for a moment. ¡°What brought you to that conclusion from what I said?¡± Daron glanced over where the other goblins stood. ¡°when you flared your stats i felt a pressure almost like a palpable dread for an instant.¡± Biron exhaled and nodded. ¡° I apologize, I was not trying to do that but I suppose if you had a high perception, you would be more sensitive. yes, Tier suppression is a concern. The founders have rules about not suppressing lower tiers outside of combat, and we keep guards on the lookout to make sure the guilds aren''t bullying merchants or press ganging lower tiers into service.¡± Darion nodded along as Biron spoke but at the mention of Guilds, his eyebrows perked up. ¡°Is it true that The Bloodletters have a feud with the Founders party?¡± Biron almost smiled at the earnest enthusiasm with which Darion jumped into the new topic. ¡°Yes there is some bad blood between the Bloodletters and the founders party. At this point its mostly the Head of the Bloodletters avoiding Arthur specifically. ¡°Running a large city is a complex circumstance that requires a lot of cooperation, and the leader of the Blood letters what trying to create a system predicated by the strongest ruling and creating a society based around strength or arms, And Arthur Slate made his point by killing him on site, to remind him that might doesn''t make right. It would have been a stunning display of hypocrisy, if he didn''t immediately decline sole leadership of this community.¡± Darion¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°Doesn''t he still hold executive veto power?¡± Biron nodded. ¡°They both do, and their seats on the council are permanent. But that was a long argued point on the council¡¯s end because despite Arthur¡¯s reticence to lead this settlement we didn''t want authority to fall into the wrong hands in regards to this new society. However we wanted to create a legal loophole that would allow heads to be knocked together if needed, But that is all I am going to say on this topic for now. If you want you can take advantage of this training room while we are here, I have a council meeting in about an hour, but until then feel free to adjust to your vessel. Just know that you can raise your skills but you won¡¯t gain experience.¡± Darion perked up at that. And glanced at the stationary goblins. ¡°Are they on pause? Will they move if I hit them?¡± Biron shook his head. ¡°No not unless I tell the system to make them responsive.¡± Darion pulled his dagger out of his pouch, ¡° Do these things feel pain?" he asked hesitantly.¡± Biron nodded, ¡°they simulate pain, the ones outside, even forage and hunt for food and at least simulate intercourse. But we have never seen any proof of breeding such as nests, family units, or children. They even squabble and seem to communicate with each other. But they don''t have a language that translates into anything we can decipher. And they will drop everything to attack a human or equivalent. If you haven''t noticed, there are no human language barriers here. We just refer to it as common.¡± Darion nodded and began to center his balance. ¡°How do you use skills? I have my Hud that shows my health, mana and stamina but I don''t see a hot bar for spells or skills.¡° Biron nodded sagely. ¡°That takes some getting used to. But you have to think about your skill, sometimes saying the name helps, other times focusing on what it''s supposed to do can bring up a sort of aim assist. When you selected the skill did any part of your body tingle or feel warm?¡± Darion thought back to the class selection and he remembered a tingle at the base of his skull. Which was strange because he wasn¡¯t in his body at that point in time.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Darion focused on the base of his skull and for a moment he almost lost it. It was like his awareness of the area around himself became more acute even behind him where he couldn''t see. He was aware of the space displaced by everything. He could sense how far he could move with his ability. He released his grasp on the skill and looked at Biron. ¡°Can I show you my skill somehow?¡± Biron nodded. ¡°So long as you realize that you are giving me tactical knowledge of what you can do. I''m willing to help you, but I wouldn''t suggest broadcasting intimate details of your skills to just anyone. Things outside the safe zone can get really nasty.¡± Darion paused for a moment to think about what Biron was saying before he willed his skill description over to the other man. ***** Skill Name: Kun Peng''s Void Slip Description: Kun Peng''s Void Slip allows the user to momentarily blend into the void, creating a small, localized distortion in space. This distortion enables the user to teleport a short distance, avoiding attacks or repositioning themselves quickly. Attributes: - Perception: The user must focus their senses to pinpoint the exact location they want to teleport to, ensuring a precise and safe transition. - Dexterity: The user needs to be agile and adaptable to navigate the brief period of disorientation during the teleportation process. Element: Void/Space ***** ¡°Oho¡­ you got a good one.¡± Biron said as his eyes focused on the screen Darion sent him. ¡°This is good for more than just the versatile movement ability.¡± Darion was nodding as Biron spoke. ¡°When I focused on the area that made the skill tingle it was like I had a sphere of awareness. I could sense even where I couldn''t see but it was like my brain translated it into sight¡­ Am I making sense?¡± Biron chuckled good naturedly and nodded. ¡°That is one of the largest differences about Skills here in The Expanse; they are versatile. And the description at character creation does no justice. Yes you will get a class composed of your 3 Skills, but what it doesn''t say is that it pays just as much attention to how you use a skill and that is what determines this. You see where it mentioned your affinities? The space affinity is interacting with your Perception stat and the range seems like it would be influenced either by your Perception, or the farthest Distance you could teleport using what mana you have. Sorry I don''t have more answers. A lot of this is speculation and experimentation. I am an Artificer, and I deal with obscure parameters and how concepts play together to get certain effects to trigger.¡± Darion blinked and took in everything that Biron just said. ¡°That''s awesome you are a tier 3 Artificer?¡± Darion looked down at the pouch on his belt. ¡°Did you make this?¡± Biron shook his head. No, I have my apprentices make those. But I vet them before they are handed out. Once you hit tier 2 if you practice meditating you can make and sell Aspect shards. Crafters pay good coin for rarer aspects, but a lot of people only want to get stronger at fighting. I can count on one hand the amount of people that have their meditation skill up to their Tier. but I digress.¡± He gestured towards the 3 stationary goblins. Darion nodded and instead of using his dagger he stepped forward and threw a punch at the goblin he''d squared up with previously. The impact was solid and heavy, the goblin sprawled to the ground. He shook his hand then rubbed the knuckles with the other. ¡° I get realism but isn''t this too much for people? How much the violence feels like actual real life violence? Since I''ve been here this almost doesn''t even seem like a game.¡± Biron started to nod, but before he spoke the outline of the door appeared a few paces away, and slid open silently. A powerfully built man strode inside. Biron turned towards the man. ¡°Reginald, to what do I owe this visit?¡± Reginald turned towards Darion giving him an obvious once over, ¡°I heard you''d taken in a pup and I wanted to see what sparked your interest that wasn''t an esoteric blueprint. But I don''t see what the fuss is about.¡± His look became dismissive and unimpressed. ¡°I suppose he is going to be your submission?¡± Biron''s brow furrowed in first irritation however his eyebrows shot up. ¡°Was this meeting the deadline?¡± Reginald snorted derisively. ¡°Always lost in your projects¡­ yes this is the deadline meeting.¡± Biron seemed to ignore Reginald barbs. ¡° something has come up¡­¡± Reginald turned on his heel and strode back out the door closed behind him and vanished. Biron seemed flustered, ¡° what an ass¡­ who was that guy?¡± Darion said as he glared at the space where the door vanished. ¡°That was Reginald LaCroix, the guild master and head of the adventurers guild. How would you like an opportunity? At the council meeting ill put your name forward to go with the councils party. They will all be lv1 tier 0, because that is the dungeon requirement. These dungeons often offer growth items. By that I mean treasures that will aid in your growth. It can be anything from skill shards to technique manuals. To bloodline treasures that can either strengthen and purify or splice in bloodlines from creatures or mythical races ¡± Darion''s brow furrowed. ¡°I''m in! But¡­uh what''s a Technique Manual?¡± Biron nodded in acknowledgement.¡± it''s an ability that harnesses your affinities. It''s something you can use and grow that isn''t tied to your class. But I suppose it might still factor into your first class if you can get one before. But we should cut this short as it stands. We should see what items are in my apprentices'' success piles and get you equipped. Biron ended the simulation and the room returned to its unadorned state and the two of them left the training room. Ch4 CH4 Darion followed Biron back out into the Reception area of the guild hall. A rowdy group of Bloodletters were exchanging barbs with a group from the Gloryseekers guild. Adding to a more lively air. Biron continued to lead him though the tavern area to a series of glass booths large enough to hold 5 adults standing. He stepped into one and gestured for Darion to enter the same booth. Biron placed his signet ring hand on another pad and with a flash and a queer tingling sensation; the area outside the booth was a large sidewalk outside. A large wooded park was across the street. This section of Drendaria was more shaded and walled homes and non-public businesses seemed to populate this region. ¡°Ill tell you a little bit more about what''s going on with this Dungeon run. Though first I feel I must apologize; I may have embroiled you in some politics that may even cascade out to Earth. As you might or might not know, with the revelation that people on the outside can develop abilities from their in-game class, there has been much Debate about the way this game could change the world. That said, The Expanse is getting a ton of attention from corporate and National entities across the globe, and thus we councilors receive a lot of attempts at bribery. I have had many visitors log on to speak with me about marketing opportunities if I only hear their side or vote a certain way in council meetings. Or offering scholarships for my grandchildren¡­ I am rambling. The point is you now have the attention of people in other camps like Reginald LaCrouix. And any other entity that thinks you might have my ear. I will tell you the same thing that Arthur told me. ¡®People will seek to gain favor with you in hopes of getting to me. Accept gifts, make no promises, and if any one crosses the line come to me¡¯.¡± Darion took it all in as they walked in silence for a few moments. ¡°So this Dungeon is an opportunity for countries and corporations to get someone with a better advantage and potentially stronger powers? Don''t get me wrong, that was half the reason I saved up to buy a headband. Was to see if I could get an ability. But I can''t imagine any Skills that could turn the tide of a military engagement. Just stuff like a perfect memory or the ability to memorize and index books in an internal library. Or someone where I work can tell the truth from lies.¡± This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Walter Osprey, the leader of the Bloodletters, at tier 4 he Received a Skill that highlights weak points on a target. As well as An innate danger sense, according to public record when he''s not in game he''s a soldier of fortune overseas where that large country is trying to annex the smaller one. It''s a matter of public record; of his skills. but his guild constantly brags on him and his real world prowess at the adventurers hub tavern.¡± ¡°So does that mean that I could use the part of my skill that boosts my perception in the real world?¡± Biron shook his head ¡°no because it interacts with your stats and concept. Neither of which exist outside of the expanse.¡± Biron and Darion crossed a gated courtyard into a large building. The interior was more like a lab you''d see in a movie with redundant checkpoints, clean room equipment and labs with large glass windows and people on various levels of personal protective gear. Ranging from full body hazmat looking suits to someone with just safety glasses in another room with a manual chisel. ¡°Wow this is way more modern and less esoteric then I was expecting an artificer''s lab to be.¡± Darion said as he followed along behind Biron. Biron used his ring to bypass another sliding door before responding. ¡°These are just apprentices preparing materials, the work rooms are all in the lower levels so we can contain any mishaps. And to the modernity of all of this¡­ we discovered that if you have higher level crafters or artisans present they can effectively design the layout of buildings and replace or suggest other materials. This glass is etched with runes that make it dense and energy repellent. They made their way into a hallway that looked like a modern office building with cubicles. Each desk had a typewriter sort of device. ¡°No computers yet?¡± Darion asked. ¡°Yes and no. no personal computers yet but we do have data analysis, advanced 3d modeling via illusions, and i''m working on a hand held communication apparatus.¡± ¡°Like a smartphone?¡± Daron asked as they rounded a corner. Biron paused at a large wooden door. His hands slid over the surface in a pattern that made no sense to Darion. ¡°I suppose it will contain similar functionality. But it will be neither cellular or a phone.¡± Ch5 The space they walked into was far larger than expected, but did fit the arcane strangeness Darion was expecting. A large polished desk sat in the center of the room encased in a square of that enchanted glass. All around the massive room were strange multi armed devices standing above magic circles where objects floated in containment fields. Some evil looking book, a skull and sword with a completely shattered blade that none the less seemed to have all the pieces floated as if whole aside from slight separation of each shard of the blade. Biron moved to open the door to the glass cubicle the back half liked with bookcases. The books looked new but in an older style. Hard covers in a variety of colors with cloth and metallic inlay lettering. ¡°Ok¡­ but where did all the books come from? I swear you all can bring stuff from earth here.¡± Biron glanced up sharply but then his expression smoothed out at Darion''s clear awe and wonder. ¡°The head librarian is a tier 2 scribe with a Skill that lets him copy the contents of a book into his mind on earth. Another skill that he has here in the expanse lets him transcribe any book in his mind palace onto a blank. We''ve been paying him quite the fee to gather works from earth and transcribe them onto blanks. Arthur fabricates a new stack of blank books every time he stops into the city. His tier 0 lv 1 skill is an amazing utility ability. It lets him spend stamina to instantly complete anything he knows how to do like¡­ book binding. We put all the ingredients in the room and then in a flash we have piles of blank books in various colors.¡± Darion''s brow furrowed ¡°how does that work?¡± ¡°This is all publicly known because when he recruited the first 1000 he used and explained his ability. But initially it was called caloric completion; it''s a space and time affinity. It lets him expend the amount of energy it would take to perform a task. Took the energy and completed it instantly. His example was folding 10¡¯000 origami cranes in an instant. The caveat is that he needs to fully understand and visualize the entire process.¡± ¡°Ok, I can see the time aspect at play but what about space?¡± Darion pointed out. ¡°Well.¡± Biron chuckled. Say he wanted to expand the stamina to walk back here. He¡¯d envision a casual stroll, and the route back¡­¡± Biron left off the end. ¡°Then he''d just appear at his destination?¡± Biron pursed his lips and nodded. ¡°Exactly. Now let me go through the stores real quick.¡± he pulled out a 3 ring binder. ¡°How do you imagine yourself fighting? Do you have any combat training like martial arts or¡­?¡± he glanced from his binder up at Darion who had taken up the seat on the visitor side of the desk. ¡°Close to midrange short blades and throwing knives.¡± ¡°All right, so light armor, short blade, throwing knives.¡± Tied to a silk ribbon that hung from the binder like a book mark was a silver ring, something about it hummed in his senses like a ball tension around it. ¡°Is that a spatial ring?¡± Darion asked in excitement. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°Let''s call it a stable prototype, I wouldn''t take this one to the field, if it were damaged the space uncompressing would be catastrophic. We have system granted storage rings and other storage treasures, but crafting our own will be a technological breakthrough that will advance the city stone. Biron placed his hand on the ring; and on the table top appeared a vest, pants, gloves, and boots. They all shared the bat black and gray color with the multi pocketed nature of modern tactical gear. The pants had shins with some sort of firm but flexible plating under the surface; with ties at the knees and ankles to make sure the plates sat in the correct position while moving. The vest was similar. Lots of pockets and plating to cover vitals. The gloves had unobtrusive studding on the knuckles with finned ridges on the sides; the top of the forearm seemed to have a light metal under the leather surface, with loops that looked like you could affix a knife or dagger sheath. Darion raised a hand and finger hesitantly, ¡°do you perhaps have a hooded cloak and mask in there? I apologies if I''m overstepping-¡± Biron waved his hand to cut him off. ¡° No no¡­ outfitting you is literally the least thing I could do. I don''t think you understand what I''ve gotten you into. But we will go over that after we outfit and equip you. I have a special something that I have been developing with the help of the founder, it''s not to his combat style even if it''s to his taste. Biron moved past Darion. ¡°Wait here a moment.¡± Biron left the clear cubicle and around out of sight. Darion looked at the gear piled on the desktop, as he pulled on the elbow length gloves they magically resized themselves to fit snugly but not cut off circulation. The door behind Darion opened again and Biron walked back in. A metal disk clutched in his hand, the edge seemed to be a blade all the way around, with an S shaped center handle creating a yin yang type pattern. After a moment Darion realizes it was a chakram. ¡°This was made with some of Arthur¡¯s space affinity. Since that is an affinity that you share. It seems like a fitting weapon. He handed it to him alongside a strap to hang from his belt. Drop some blood on it and bind it to yourself. This and your gear he gestured towards the table, will bind to you even on death. They have sizing, self repair and cleaning enchantments they are all made with tier 2 materials except the Chakram, those are 8th layer materials. The weapon has two spatial abilities attached, the chakram will return to hand when thrown. And you can also send yourself to it. ¡°Both of which are redundant, with Arthur''s first talent.¡± Biron nodded in response and pointed at Darion. ¡°Got it in one.¡± Darions brow furrowed. ¡°But I can teleport too with my initial talent.¡± Biron held up a finger like a professor. ¡°About that¡­ I think you should keep that under wraps. Use the weapons teleport, and pass off your ability as a perception Talent rather than a spatial one. That way in a pinch¡­¡± ¡°Then I have a backup escape plan!¡± Darion exclaimed. Biron nodded. ¡°Bind your gear and we''ll talk a little about the mess you are in on my behalf.¡± Darion followed up and bonded his gear. From what he could see he looked like an assassin. The chakram was an interesting choice as it was both a throwing and melee weapon. He moved around but the cloak did not impede his range of motion. After securing his new weapon in the clap on his belt he settled into the seat across the desk from Biron who took his own seat. ¡°Now where to begin¡­ ah alright we have covered how The Expanse is on a lot of radars on earth. That being said, those powers will do what they can to gain as much control of a strategic resource, in this case The Expanse and its ability to manifest skills in the real world. So right now there are world powers and corporations who are sending people in, to get strong, overtake the leaderboards and take up as much clout and real estate as they can get. So as you can see that us seated council members, much like in the real world with lobbyists and government officials. Now where this Pop Up dungeon comes in, is a reward for achieving milestones in the progress of the city. We agreed to each pick an entrant. I know that 4 of the 7 for sure sold their slot to the highest bidder. And I''ll find out what I can about their candidates at the meeting. Either way you are going to be partying up with elites with a lot of backing. The political system as it stands is each one of the council members ahs their own camp full of backers and supporters hoping to get a piece of The Expanse. Except for me that is, because I don''t log out I rarely leave my lab unless there is an official function. Though to be honest i lean towards the founders out of gratitude for getting some semblance of my life back. ¡°So I''m assumed to be backed by your camp in this political landscape. And since you are mostly unassailable i will be seen as a channel¡­¡± Biron started to stand. ¡°I have to head over to the meeting, you are welcome to wait here in my office though I''d ask you not to touch anything; or you can explore the city, Just stay out of any trouble will level you.¡± Ch6 Darion stood back out on the street and looked at the large central park that was across the street from the Artificers lab. According to Biron this is the far side of the park with the market. He didn''t really need to shop for gear any more, but one of the things he always heard about The Expanse; was the experience of eating. Darion followed the route of streets that outlined the massive central park. Until he returned to the building he spawned from. And the market that took up this portion of the park. Various cards of a variety of rarities lined blankets. Darion followed his nose, and before long the sights and smells of a variety of stalls that were owned and operated by people with cooking classes! The smell of bacon caught Darion''s nose and he headed to a stall where a small crowd had gathered, a Hispanic looking man in a stained apron stood over a large steel griddle, just as Darion walked up he seemed to peel and dice a potato in a angle motion, he then cracked a single egg and a slice of bacon and before the crowds eyes he cooked up those 3 items into a mountain of food a pile of fried potatoes and eggs, and a pile of bacon that looked as if he fried up a whole slab rather than a single slice. The cook began to a\dd peppers and onions. And then started to throw tortillas onto the griddle. Just as Darion began to become excited about a breakfast burrito, there came a tap at his shoulder. Darion turned to see a remarkably handsome middle aged man flanked by two enforcers, they wore modern looking clothing but likely enchanted for defense. Stitched into the breast of their suits were the double Vs of Value mart (VVal-mart), the corporation for whom I worked retail back on earth. ¡°Are you Darion Glassier?¡± the man asked in a neutral tone. ¡°I am, but what is this about? I''m not playing on work sanctioned time.¡± ¡°I am Randal Carrington, I''m a tier 2 Arbitration knight. I have been sent by home office to enforce that you cease any goings on with Council member Briggs, we already have deals in place with Council member LaCroix. Any actions you take from this point could endanger agreements for delves and treasure rights with the guild. So you see-¡± As he spoke Darion felt the moment he began to flare his charisma. At first it made his demands seem reasonable, like he should obviously make way for the corporation''s agenda. Because he was a team player. And he was a part of their team. But the second Darion felt that dread of tier suppression; it pissed him off. He recalled that his Talent pulled on his space affinity and applied it to his perception and dexterity. He tried to pull on his void affinity and apply it to his perception and charisma. He felt the cold energy trickle in, the sensation reminded him of an ex girlfriend of his who could suck blood through the surface of his skin but not leave a hickey, something about what he did was pulling void energy through a membrane, the cold electric sensation trickled through his pathways and settled on his eyes and vocal chords. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. He could see the auras around the three men, some part of him translating the synesthesia he was seeing into what stats they were flaring. The two men were low level pulling on all of their physical stats, but putting a fair bit into their own perceptions. When he spoke though he watched his voice shatter and dissolve the affect the Arbitration knight was emitting. Darion''s brows furrowed. ¡°Did you just try to suppress me? Did you just flare your charisma at a Lv1 Tier 0.?!¡± his voice was raised and he was causing a commotion. The man''s lips pursed, and again he tried to suppress me, and again this void aura dismantled his intent. One of the men moved forward to snatch Darion by the arm. He couldn''t react or resist. but once the man had grabbed on he poured that electric cold onto his physical stats. The man was still physically stronger than Darion but the spiritual weight of his stats was gone, and then he began to scream. The enforcer jerked away, staring at his hand, all of the skin visible and sleeve were both gray scale, the sleeve began to disintegrate. Showing more grayscale skin underneath. ***** New talent added. Hunger of the void: You have discovered a new talent through experimentation with your affinities. Hunger of the void is a Dangerous talent, for a time you may channel the void into your stats skills and abilities, this Talent will degrade that stats utilized unless it is regularly fed. However if the hunger of the void is kept fed it will aid you, if you feed the Talent the bodies of your fallen foes and any loot cards the void will consume their potential You may utilize this potential as a conceptual bonus that can be applied to anything that can channel the void. **WARNING** Void energy is anathema to Aether and creation aligned concepts. If this Talent is allowed to grow, it could destabilize your Universe. See Caretaker, the system will allow you to remove this talent and offer you an equivalent. Hunger of the void consumed 4 strength Hunger of the void consumed enchantment self cleaning. You have gained 6 potential. Potential can be used to over-flare a stat or ability by 10% percent for 1 action or 3 minutes whichever is faster. Potential uses may stack but the allotted time will not. ***** Before the group from VVal-mart could take another action, several city guards pushed their way onto the scene. An overwhelming presence pressed down on Darion and the 3 men. To Darion''s current senses it was like a blue gray fog stetted over them. The three men dropped to a knee, but the void aura around Darion dissolved the intent in a small bubble around him. Just then Darion saw his Potential begin to tick down 1 every 3 seconds. Once it hit 0 he felt a sting and his nose began to bleed. He cut off his talent, and blackness was all he knew Ch7 Darion awoke in a cell on a cot. He was alone in the Cell but outside Biron was just coming into the Holding area. He looked pissed. Darion had to remember that this man was a local authority figure and that he told Darion to keep his nose clean. He was fully prepared for an ass chewing. Which was why Darion was surprised when. "Are you alright Darion?¡± were the first words out of his mouth. ¡°I came over as soon as the meeting ended. Reginald had to gloat. But I understand if this is at odds with your livelihood. You can keep the gear. I understand if you want to withdraw.¡± Darion began to shake his head. ¡°No¡­ honestly I''m glad this happened before they got any contractual obligations on me. And I doubt I''ll be keeping my job anyhow. Whether it was in game or not they are going to say I assaulted that man. The enforcer who grabbed me. So I might as well still go. Maybe I''ll make enough that I can sell some coin or rare cards and hit one of those guilds who do real world payouts for in-game money and gear.¡± Part way through Darion''s explanation Biron began to wave his hands and shake his head, ¡°No no no¡­ this is at least partially my fault. Let me sponsor you. It will mean a political allegiance, but for the most part I follow the Founders intentions for this place. Arthur Slate is a friend, and I''m on fairly good terms with Kris as well. You will likely get to meet them throughout our association. I will assign you a personal room in my facility, the compound has a personal space that you can access and a respawn area that isn''t the public Obelisk. Darion stood and smiled, just then the door opened and a large man with a shiny bald head and a massive black beard. ¡°oh good you''re awake.¡± the man said in a deep voice. ¡°Apologies for earlier, when whatever was holding back the guardswoman''s aura ended the full force of a near tier 3 bore down and it was more than you could take.¡± Darion nodded. ¡°I was wondering if I died¡­ glad I didn''t, but that''s been my luck lately.¡± The large man grabbed the cell door and with a clank the door unlocked. ¡°You are free to go, I¡¯m Tank Emmerson, sergeant in charge of this district.¡± he slid the door open and stepped to the side. Darion left the cell and. ¡°I hope we meet under better circumstances next time. Did you have any questions about what happened?¡± The large man shook his head. ¡°No, we have a solid accounting of what occurred, you were not at fault. Likely value mart will opt to pay you out to not press charges since that would make them vulnerable to censure. They were solidly in the wrong. Granted this won''t have any bearing on any response out of game.¡± Darion nodded and he and Biron headed out. ¡°The dungeon will be tomorrow when you log back in. if you log in around the same time as you did today. Now, for the rest of your session today, I could teach you the skills of an Artificer, now the title can be deceiving. It''s my class but it''s also a skill like smithing or tailoring. I could teach you the meditation skill. Or we can go back to the guild hall and we could run some simulated dungeons. To make up for not being able to get out there and level.¡± Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Darion nodded his head and took some time to think about what he wanted to do. It was true, he did want to get out there and grind away, but with as real as this felt, it felt more like he was beginning a new life not just playing a game. He mulled over what had been discussed, and decided that as much as he wanted to get to grinding. ¡°How about we work on meditation, and after I''ve learned that Skill, let''s see about at least some combat training with my sphere of perception.¡± Biron nodded and the two of them went down a new series of corridors to a room filled with pillows, there was a residual scent of incense, not like any he¡¯d smelled; Yet still relaxing. ¡°Alright get comfortable, make a nest, kick off your boots. Sit or lay however is most relaxing.¡± Biron walked Darion through meditation, until he received the skill. It hastened the regeneration of expendable resources and gave him access to his inner core, where for now all he could do was see his core, and the patterns for the Talents that had been etched into it by the system. Afterwards they returned to the Adventurers guild, and into the Training room. Darion stood panting, his hands on his knees, dripping sweat. ¡°Jesus fuck¡­ that was what the Founder did by himself? 9 goblins and then Gorilla warfare with a whole village?¡± Biron clapped. ¡°Yes, but he was leveling the whole time. And his first talent is a little too overpowered. Consider that his abilities aren''t even tied to mana. They are tied to stamina and calories. Now I know your day is about to end but the last thing I want to tell you is to practice applying your Affinities to everything you do. Meditation will make that easier. But that is a way to strengthen yourself. All this will go into your class when you form it at Tier 1.¡± With a final nod and thanks Darion willed himself out of the Expanse. Everything went black; and he was on his couch in his studio apartment on earth. He got up and stretched, he felt completely rested and awake as if he got a perfect night''s sleep. He didn''t even need to pee, and sure enough 8 hours is all that passed. Moving around was actually kind of strange, he''d adjusted to his new height and now everything felt off. Darion grabbed his phone, likely the most expensive thing he owned. and after inputting his pin he saw that his access to all the associate apps had been locked out, and his final pay week was paid out for his scheduled hours. Upon going into his inbox he found the termination email, citing conflict of interest and not upholding company ethics in a public forum. Followed by an offer to settle for 10k cash but 30k gold within the Expanse. The current going rate was almost 15$ in gold. Darion turned his tv on, connected his Android smart box with a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, and got onto his browser. He created his Expanse account and entered his name, and with the headband serial number associated with him he linked his Them tube account, after a few email confirmations. He emailed the settlement request stating he wanted 60k gold and no cash compensation, to which they immediately accepted, which means he could have likely asked for more. He sighed and got dressed. He needed to go return his vest and any other ppe assigned to him. And maybe grab some groceries while he was there. After a day of running errands, he returned home and showered again before checking his Expanse account, upon seeing the 60k he then went to a guild exchange and sold 30k in gold for¡­ his jaw dropped and his brain short circuited. As soon as the confirmation went through 450,000$ hit his account. He immediately went to the irs website to calculate if he owed taxes. After doing some figures and crunching some numbers he knew how much he needed to set aside. After his shower Darion settled down for another dive. And after the darkness faded he came to in a stark room with a bed and a desk. Ch8 Darion stood and stretched, marveling in the feel of his new body. He threw a few punches, shadow boxing and bounced on the balls of his feet. He was fully equipped, he noticed several flashing notices. They were confirmations about his Expanse account and his few fund transfers. He also had a note from Biron, telling him that he made him his official direct Disciple, not just one of the artificer trainees. And when he spawned in to head to the obelisk in the park. Darion opened the door into a communal area, and followed exit signs until he recognized the lobby of the Artificers guild hall. He bobbed a nod at the desk attendant and headed out the front door, after that he crossed to the park and after asking a few people he made it back to the Obelisk. A crowd had gathered but things were not yet approaching completion, so he looked around until he spotted Biron. The man stood talking to a woman with shimmering mages robes. The hood was pulled back to show a creamy smooth complexion and black hair that gradieated to lavender at the tips, despite her youthful and strong appearance her eyes were sharp and experienced. Near her stood a tall man, broad shoulders and chest narrower waist in a more modern designed armored bodysuit, with a glave, he had short brown hair in a slightly spiky style, with violet eyes. Even in his base tier and level he seemed powerful. Biron noticed Darion''s approach, and stepped towards him with a smile. ¡°Darion, glad you could make it this, is councilwoman Madrid, and her sponsee Derek.¡± he turned towards the other two. ¡°Twila, Derek. This is my apprentice Darion.¡± The two turned to focus on Darion. Nerves finally setting in. ¡®He shouldn''t be here, he was just a guy who signed on to play a game.¡¯ Derek stepped forward, his hand extended. Penetrating violet eyes backing a professionally amiable smile. Despite his nerves Darion stepped forward and shook the man¡¯s hand, it was respectfully firm, but not in a dick measuring way. Before they could exchange words, Councilman LaCroix clapped his hands together. It was loud and created a buffet of air to expand out and ruffle peoples clothes and hair. ¡°Now that all of the attendees have arrived.¡± He glanced at where Dairion stood. ¡°If the entrants would gather up here on stage we can open this rift and let the dungeon commence.¡± Darion and Derek filed towards the stage, Darion expanded his sphere of awareness, and it clashed with two other spheres of perception. One from a green cloaked archer, wearing a mask, and another from a fit woman with hand and foot wrappings as if she were a melee fighter. Once up on stage, he saw the remaining 3 approach. One a muscular barefoot man in shorts and a biker vest. A bald asian man with a sharp chin and a smug look in his eye. The third person couldn''t be made out. Visually, they were in full; VValue plate, with a two handed sword, all emblazoned with the VVal-mart starburst. ¡°Most of these men and women have earned their spot by being some of the best of the best where they came from, and will have a bright future because of this opportunity. Things to know about this space are as follows. If you fall to zero health you will be removed and none of your gains will be kept, so we suggest you all party up to pull the most gains from this experience.¡± Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Whoever it was in the value armor snorted in derision. The monk looking woman rolled her eyes and the archer subtly shook his head. Darion got the sense that this wasn''t going to be a team effort. Councilman LaCroix placed his hand on the obelisk, and with a surge of power a rift split the air. Darion couldn''t help but reach out with his perception backed with his space and void affinities. He could sense that this micro plane was thinner than a sheet of paper, but that it tunneled out into a space so vast his senses couldn''t comprehend all of it. When he feared he would be lost a force gently wrapped around his perception, and pushed it back into his body. With a start he realised everyone else was already walking through the portal. He followed them inside. He tried to pull his senses in but he could still feel himself stretching over an instant as he stepped through a plane into the pocket dungeon. Darion stumbled, but then caught himself. When he looked up the other six entrants were looking at him with varying levels of amusement or derision. ¡°Sorry, I think that interacted strangely with my space affinity.¡± Darion nerviou8ly brushed non-existent dust from his pants.¡± The bald Asian man spoke. ¡°Hello, my name is Jason. And I will be going this alone. My initial talent and fighting style don''t play well with others. Lots of poison and curse energy nasty suff.¡± Derek stepped forward and spoke. ¡°I also will be heading out on my own, however once we get out of here I''d like to set up an appointment to train my resistances. I can pay if you''d prefer.¡± Juist then the woman with the wrapped hands and feet and the archer in green stopped up. He paused to let her speak first. She was American and spoke in a casual yet forceful way. ¡°Yeah if you''re down I''d like to do that too. But why wait, doesn''t this place have time dilation? I''m a healer. You can raise your skills and so can I. And we can all raise our resistances. I mean those of us that want to of course.¡± The Archer stepped forward. ¡°I''m an alchemist who deals in poisons, I would also like to train my resistances. I can make antidotes and healing potions too. I have been training alchemy and herbalism to wait for this event.¡± The woman laughed. ¡°Names Ilia and I''ve been grinding my healing and hand to hand combat skills. Have you all noticed you make levels faster in skills you actually possessed on earth? Like it doesn''t just dump a back log of skills on you but you level wayyy faster in things you already know how to do.¡± Derek and the archer nodded in interest, but the man in the biker jacket and shorts shook his head. ¡°Yall are nuts¡­ the names Carl built I''ll be heading out. I make bombs. That''s not really a team fighting style, and I''m not interested in self mutilation for stat growth.¡± with a wave he headed off towards some nearby hills. The man in the full VValue plate. Scoffed and then looked between the group. ¡°No.. we have to stay together. I as the liaison of the adventurers guild I will naturally lead the party.¡± ¡°Yeah, no¡­ Jason said¡­¡± ¡°Man fuck off¡­¡± Ilia said. ¡°Aren''t you Skip Wrightwell, the heir to VVal-mart?¡± Derek asked. ¡°You have no claim to leadership, you are the same level and tier as us, there isn''t any reason to follow you. Can you even fight? Or did you just have daddy front you the best enchanted gear your RnD team could cook up?¡± ¡°I can fight! I''ll prove it to you!¡± the armored man said, in a huff. ¡°You there in the cloak and black, spar with me. First to yield or knock the other from their feet!¡± Ch9 Darion looked left and right at the others who were watching, then at the armored form of the VVal-mart Heir, he pointed at himself. ¡°Yes, dolt. I was talking to you.¡± Darion shrugged. ¡°Fuck it then¡­ we ball.¡± The other 4 stopped what they were discussing, to watch the unfolding spectacle. Skippy dashed towards Darion his hand going up over his shoulder to draw his two hander, his boots glowed a spearmint green. Darion guessing that this must be a movement enchantment from he grieves. He dropped his hand low and tossed his chakram underhand at the approaching heir. It flew past his hip with a twist of his waist. somehow his derisive snort carried through, and in a burst of speed he drew his sword and slashed, But Darion wasn¡¯t there any more. What everyone else saw was Darion throwing his Chakram past Skippy¡¯s hip and appear behind him holding it. In several whip-like movements Darion threw his chakram at the back of Skippy''s helmet, the back of his knee, each hit had the weapon reappear in his hand after impact. After the knee shot Darion pivoted as Skippy lost his balance. As he moved he transferred his weapon to his other hand and reached up over his shoulder to hook the bottom edge of Skippy''s helmet with all four fingers of his right hand, pulling the already off balance man into a one armed shoulder throw, helm first. For a moment while so much of their bodies were in contact, Darion was limbed in a toxic purple light. Skippy''s armor began to crumble as he flew through the air naked and confused. It must have been a set because even the under amour deconstructed after the hunger of the void consumed the enchantments placed on it. ***** You have consumed the enchantment Double str You have consumed the enchantment Double Dex You have consumed the enchantment Double con You have consumed the enchantment Double agi You have consumed the enchantment Double int You have consumed the enchantment Double per You have consumed the enchantment Double cha You have consumed the enchantment Bulwark You have consumed the enchantment Dash This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. You have consumed the enchantment Life steal You have 20 potential As you have won this contest you are awarded 30% exp to the next level. ***** Darion glanced up from his display window to see everyone shielding their eyes, including a Carl who must have seen things about to go down and returned. ¡°Oh god¡­ no one needs to see that." the man said before stripping off his tactical shorts and tossing them over the prone Skippy¡¯s naked form. Clearly the man was compensating for real life. He had blonde hair, blue eyes, a sculpted physique, and¡­ something else that was most likely exaggerated. The man just stared for a few moments before the truth kicked in. and in a flash he was on his feet trying to pull the shorts on while spewing insults and complaints about his gear being destroyed. ¡°You idiot! Do you know how expensive this armor was?! It was a prototype! I was lent this set! You will pay for this! You fucking peasant! You fucking retail worker! My family owns you contractually!¡± Carl stood there now in his heart patterned boxers, looking like he was torn, regretting helping this buffoon and not wanting to have seen his junk. He turned to the other 4 who had been watching ¡°can you believe this guy?¡± he thumbed at the raging Scion. And then at Darion who was still just standing there. ¡°So uh¡­ what''d I miss in the fifteen seconds I was walking away?¡± Ilia thumbed over at Skippy. ¡°That Dipshit proclaimed himself the party leader because of his ties with the Adventurers guild. We told him to fuck off.¡± Then she pointed first at Derek and then Darion. ¡°Derek asked him if he could even fight. And he Singled out that guy to make an example. You came back right before the fight started.¡± Just then Skippy must have built up enough steam because he charged Darion again with his two handed sword raised. This charge was far more awkward without his doubled stats giving him unnatural grace speed and agility. Suddenly his sword glowed a sky blue. And Skippy split into 4, in Darion ilia and Jake¡¯s spheres of perception they saw which clones were mana shells and which actually contained organs and a core. Without missing a beat, Darion dashed in at the real Skippy. no enhanced senses other than his perception. He used the forearm plates and ridges to parry the flat of the descending blade towards the ground. As his waist rotated he dropped his Chakram, placed his left hand to push the blade down before making a fist with the right hand and then reversing the rotation into a full on leaping uppercut. Skippy arced gracefully through the air before landing squarely on his head. As the hunger of the void was still active Skippy¡¯s sword was no more and now he had a pale washed out spot on his jaw. The remaining five let out an audible oof. ¡°You shoulda just took his head and been done with it.¡± Ilia said to Darion. ¡°I know,¡± he said as he looked at something in the middle distance before standing and dusting himself off. ¡°But that corporate shitbird had enough ties on the outside that if we let him die first he will get to tell the story. And i didn''t want to give him the advantage¡­¡± Derek and Ilia began to laugh and Carl shook his head in disgust. Jake just stood at the back watching. ¡°We''re streamers. I know how real this place feels. You wanna apply logic and normal concepts. But everything that has happened has been recorded and Streamed.¡± Carl shook his head. ¡°That may be true but now it would just be cold blooded murder. I''ll take responsibility for this asshat... If he dies throughout the course of things he dies. But I''m not ok with murking an unconscious person even if they are a Corporate shitbird as Darion said. Any how.¡± he said as he slung Skippy over his shoulder. ¡°Continue with your self betterment through mutilation or whatever it was you were gonna do before.¡± and with that Carl once again strode off.