《Wordstream》 Welcome all...
Welcome all patrons, to this new reality. In it, you are offered an opportunity to read defining stories, and you may even find yourself a solid investment for any future plans. My entertainment offers you stories of new beginnings. Stories that offer you real multipliers.
We see a screen. All of us. At the same time. Its either a mass hallucination or, this is really happening, and I am terrified. This thing''s voice is booming and it shakes me to the core.
the manager is observing you
Suddenly I feel the weight of a predatory gaze on me. It takes everything I have to remain conscious for the split second. Then, like a wraith, its gone.
Hello little ants! Christmas has come early and you now have an opportunity to see ''reality''! congratulations!!! all ants will be given ¡®page¡¯; a continuous stream of all the actions you take and words you speak created for the sole purpose of entertaining beings of an order far higher than yours is. Isn''t it so fun? You''re gonna get cute little superpowers and fly around like the heroes in your comic books!
Again, another pause, and I look around, fear trying hard to claw its way into my brain and force me to run. the same look is on everyone''s face
So you wanna play???...hahaha Of course you do. after all, your life hangs in the balance and those that cannot adapt...well...they die quite quickly. Anywayyy, here''s the jist of it little ants, you do cool shit, and you get a feat. you merge feats, and you get a litany. You merge litanies, and a patron might give you one of its titles, or lets you build your own. Either way, do cool shit. after all, your ''page'' shows us all the things you do and say. you have three days to get accustomed to your new reality. after that, I will allow the Patrons to start reading your streams.
The shock is evident on everyone''s face. This thing is real and we are all worried. As soon as they can move, people are receiving calls and making them. I still cant believe this is happening. the Professor left to call his family, and many others are walking out to do the same mom''s gonna call any secon-- And there it was. My phone went off, unknown caller id, number ending in -3777 "You okay?" she asks, curtly. "I will be." "Family meeting at home. 8pm tomorrow night, don''t be late." I Hate that place, and I don''t want to go, but this is life or death. "I''ll be waiting obediently." I bite out. the next hour goes by like a blur and I find myself staring out of the window of the family jet, heading to Walvis bay. The city had grown under my mother''s cruel and meticulous hand. Walvis had absorbed Swakopmund, and just became Known as the Bay. Any ship import into Namibia, most likely is on my mother''s legers. the woman doesn''t quite know what the word ''no'' means, but I consider it my Life''s mission to remind her it exists. In the air, I notice a little grey dot, at the edge of my vision. Top left to be exact. It is definitely unnatural, so I know it has something to do with the voice of the blue window everyone saw whilst I was still in class. how do I ope--
wordstream :Vith Kaveko Harrow]> Settings]> Status]> [+1 new message]
Again, my heart slams into my chest, pumping as much blood and as it possibly can, but I chose to remain calm. In these three days I need to find something that allows me to survive. open message...
[dear ant, You¡¯re probably wondering how this whole thing works, and you were smart enough to check your ¡®page¡¯. That¡¯s good. You aren¡¯t useless, and useless people don¡¯t get good stories. Well, here are the rules. Follow them, and you¡¯ll be fine. Don¡¯t follow them, and... well you¡¯ll just have to wait and see. P.S.- system manager] Rules of the Mythos Power System (Simplified for ant brains)
  1. Authors Create Their Own Myths: Power comes from performing extraordinary feats that define their personal legend.
  2. Feats can be distilled into a single ¡®Title¡¯: A Title is given to a litany that has enough feats that it can evolve, Titles fundamentally change their Owners.
  3. Emotions Shape Abilities: The emotions felt during these feats become Attributes, influencing how their power evolves.
  4. Readers Increase Power: The more people who read and believe in an Author¡¯s Myth, the stronger it becomes.
  5. Citations Share Power: If someone significantly contributes to an Author¡¯s feat, they can "Cite" the Mythos and gain a fraction of its power.
  6. A Myth Can Be Stolen or Lost: If an Author loses control of their story (e.g., someone else influences their legend more than they do), they may lose their Myth or even themselves.
  7. Extradimentionals read your wordstream and Offer Power: They grant abilities in exchange for entertainment, but accepting their influence comes with risks. They may not be benevolent.
  8. All Stories Have an End: An Author¡¯s Mythos is not infinite. How they shape their legend will determine how it ends.
That¡¯s the core of it¡ª write your legend, grow through feats, be shaped by emotions, and gain strength through belief.
Settings? Status? These are new, and the damn system manager didn''t say anything about them. At my mental mention of them, two new screens open up.
[Status ¨C Vith Kaveko Harrow] Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Mythos Title: [Not available] Feats: [uncompleted] Litany: Initial Spark: Effect: , Attributes (Emotions Tied to the Mythos): Loneliness (core), Anger (auxiliary), Current Readers: 1 Citations: None (No one has contributed to your Mythos yet.) Patron: (No Offer)
[settings] Heir permissions]> Citation permissions]> VFX visibility: Patron management]>
I look closely, and immediately turn off the special effects visibility. The less information people have about my ability the better.
[Turning off VFX visibility may reduce the amount of readers and patron interest. Does the USER wish to proceed?]
[+3 Notifications]
I agree, and.. Of course nothing happens, but the toggle of the VFX ability turns off. I then think about the notifications. There is way more happening here than I am aware of. open notifications...
Notifications]>
So feats are like mini quests huh.
[you do not have enough readers to offer quests.]
I can offer quests? How deep does this system go¡­ though I wish my notifications just popped up By themselves. That would be nice.
[+2 notifications]> <[the nine-tailed fox] has started reading your stream>
so I can somewhat tailor my interface to my own needs.. That is good to know. It seems that many people are in denial. The air hostesses all seem calm, but there is tension in their eyes. I keep looking out of my window, planning the things that are going to happen to the world, and how terribly people are going to suffer. I think about the chaos waiting for all the people in this world in the next three days. A pit forms in my stomach, and it registers. Many are going to die the day after tomorrow. The thought, like a parasite, begins to eat at my brain. It eats away at my logical thinking, and it eats away at the remaining¡­wait. What is that? I look at another plane, confused. Aren¡¯t planes meant to fly far apart from each other? Its unusual, so press a button that shows my the Jet¡¯s radar in my seat, and before I could pull it up, I hear¡ª ¡°Everyone brace yourselves!¡± Then there¡¯s an explosion, and suddenly the world is spinning. Blue and brown blend into a sickly grey and I don¡¯t feel the chair I was sitting on just seconds ago. My eyes water, and I can''t breathe quite well. I''m falling. I feel the lurching empty feeling in a rollercoaster ride, but this time it¡¯s a thousand times worse. Its accompanied by dread. What is this¡­ I spread my limbs and they begin to catch the air. My muscles are burning, my arms feel like they¡¯re going to be ripped off, and my legs are one wrong twist away from breaking I¡¯m¡­alone. Finally the sky and ground stop smearing together in streaks of grey, and i can make out the two of them. My torso is screaming at me and I can barely see with all the air rushing up to meet me. No one can help me¡­ I look around, hoping to find something to grab onto, but I''m met with debris that even has the audacity to cut me while I¡¯m in the middle of dying. If I don¡¯t learn how to fly right now, I¡¯ll die. I see flashes of my life. Moments where I chose not to act, using the excuse of a strategic retreat. You cant retreat when gravity is pulling you to your death¡­ something¡­ anything¡­ I feel a flood of adrenaline in my chest. My heart slams hard against my creaking ribcage. Though consciously unaware, my body knows¡­ my body welcomes it.
+1 Notification
I can make a myth. I activate the system and access my [status] I can make myself wings. I focus hard, on one feat, willing it into the slot of my litany¡­. It fails. I can live. I try again, focusing on anything I can use. I see the feat: the wings that cover and I look at the other feat: first of the hidden ones. Merge all feats!!!
Congratulations!!! You have merged three feats into a single
I don¡¯t spend any time thinking about the ability. There is no time to think. I need to get away from all the parts flying around and cutting me. I have to remain focused. If I use an arch, fly down first, then even out slightly, just enough to escape the big stuff that¡¯s coming down, I might just make it. I pull my limbs towards me and dive. I hope this works¡­ slowly but surely, I start moving faster than the pieces of plane, engine and furniture all surrounding me. I can barely see, but I keep diving, and I watch the earth rush up to meet me. Almost time¡­.. I look around, searching for an opening, there! I see a gap that I might fit through and open my wings only slightly. Just enough that I can cut through, between a chair and a spinning propeller. I make it through, but there''s a big gash on my right thigh. Still dying!! Move!! Move!!! Move!!! I spread my wings and then start weaving through the remaining debris. Dry arid land, with sparse trees seems undisturbed ahead of me. I look above me and behind me to see propellers, chairs, steel beams and all kinds of random broken pieces of the plane impaling the ground in my path. I veer off to the right, banking hard in the hopes that I leave the trail of chaos following the broken plane. I hear a whooshing sound, and after the sound of wet concrete, I pass out. Now, to survive. I wake up to pain. I try moving my shoulder and it doesn''t work. It seems dislocated. My head rings, and I can''t see quite straight. But I''m alive. I get up and look around. There¡¯s no building anywhere near me. Just savannah, sparse vegetation, and yellow sand. I''m alive, but I''m not out of the woodwork yet. I look at my thigh. The massive gash that was there is no longer bleeding, and there''s a scab over it.
You have been gifted a (minor) healing potion by [the wandering soul]
Huh¡­ even though I say thank you, I know that you¡¯re getting entertainment from this. I look up for a moment. ¡°Thank you.¡± I said to the sky , knowing that they would hear it. Parasites.
[the wandering soul] observes you happily
So there is a form of interaction that is available. I think, then look around. Open status¡­ I say mentally.
[Status ¨C Vith Kaveko Harrow] Mythos Title: [Not available] Feats: [not available] Litany: Curious, First of the hidden ones, with Africa¡¯s wings that cover 100 worlds. Initial Spark: Wings, formed of Namibian sand Effect: The user¡¯s wings are made of brown-red crystal, with feathers that are durable and flexible. Activation time: 5/5 min (0.7143/hr regen awake)(1.667/hr regen sleeping) Attributes (Emotions Tied to the Mythos): Loneliness provides an agility boost when flying alone, and reduces visibility to those looking at the user, gently bending light around the user. Fear injects an immediate, reactive force that sharpens maneuverability and ensures survival in moments of danger. Defiance serves as the catalyst for transcending limits, a hidden surge that defies gravity and the expectations of both nature and society. Current Readers: [33] >[GrandmaGamer42],[ToasterThief99],[CerealKillerCrunch],[DadJokeChampion],[404UsernameNotFound],[ProfessionalProcrastinator],[I_Swear_Im_Working],[CoffeeAddict_24_7],[SleepyButOnline],[JustHereForMe],[CtrlAltDelirious],[NachoAverageUser],[SpaghettiOnMyShirt],[PineapplePizzaDefender],[BoredAndScrolling],[ActuallyAFerret],[MildlyInterestingGuy],[CantThinkOfAName],[SubparNinjaSkills],[TypingWithOneHand],[YeetAndDelete_87],[MyWiFiIsTerrible],[LowBatteryPanic],[UnpaidInternIRL],[IsThisThingOn?],[EchoChamberResident],[SarcasmLevel1000],[Thewanderingsoul],[Theninetailedfox],[DefinitelyNotASpy],[OverthinkingEverything],[WhyAmIStillAwake]... Citations: None (No one has contributed to your Mythos yet.) Patron: (No Offer)
I Look at the trail of smoke in the sky and follow it. There might be supplies. The yellow sand looks like gold when bathed by the sunset. It is pretty distracting, so I stop stalking and begin my trek. The night has fallen. Critters are moving around and I''m starting to stress. The wings are retracted, but I can''t move my right arm, and the gash on my leg has me walking with a very clear limp. I can smell sweat and metal. I come up on some debris and a few limbs. So this is what a human being looks like when there''s no life in them¡­ I stare at the bodies. They are mutilated. Not a single one is kept together. All of them are separated. Head from shoulders, legs from torso, at some point I even see a pair of legs with a bloody spine attached to it. So bones aren''t supposed to be completely white huh¡­ I pause, and then I feel my stomach act up, and I hurl. Its bloody, disgusting, and painful. I need to focus. I''m here for food. I hurl more,...and water¡­and a first aid kit for my.. GRRRRR.. I hear a deep, resonating growl coming from behind me, and I freeze. The moon is shining bright, but not bright enough to show me the shape of whatever beast has discovered me. Of course. With all this blood, there''s no way nothing comes to see it.. I pause and scan the area. Every shrub looks like it could be hiding a fanged animal now. I''m at a buffet¡­ standing on the plate of food everyone wants to eat. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. A mass of black leaps out from behind a small rocky outcrop and catches me flat footed. Its maw is massive and filled with fangs the length of a single finger. Those fangs get heart-stoppingly close to my throat, before my wings are out, blocking them
>You have activated your spark. >emotion inclusion: Fear.
They are much harder to use in a solid state. The leopard trails around me. It¡¯s eyes tracking me with slow and deliberate menace. The way it moves is mesmerizing. If it wasn''t trying to kill me, It would look so cool. It watches and growls deeply.
>[404UsernameNotFound] is watching intently >[ProfessionalProcrastinator] is excited to see battle >[WhyAmIStillAwake] is bloodthirsty and watching you >[TheWanderingSoul] is watching you
The Leopard pounces again, and I wrap myself in my wings, but can''t quite get them to move fast enough, and I feel a freight train¡¯s worth of weight push me right onto my ass. I scramble up fairly quickly, but the beast is right there, going for my neck again. This time, I roll over, and it just nips my foot, leaving a jagged gash in the sole of my sneaker. The leopard then goes back to prowling. Its eyes relay one message¡ªyou are food, and I am hungry. The beast pounces again, but this time I''m ready. Wait¡­. Wait¡­ It is less than a meter from me, when I just gently jump up, to make sure my feet aren''t connected with the floor¡­ NOW!! I bend the needle tips of my metallic wings and wait for the beast to land right on them. It does, and it howls. It''s the sharpest howl that I have heard, and it runs through me¡ªa reminder that even Prey can become a predator. Even a tiny little ant can kill an elephant. The euphoria runs through me and I feel pain in my cheeks. Not done yet¡­ I pluck a metal like feather from my wings, stab the Leopard in the neck, and drag the weapon across its flesh. That should do it.
>[404UsernameNotFound] expresses more interest in you >[ProfessionalProcrastinator] is excited to see the death of a great hunter >[WhyAmIStillAwake] is interested >[TheWanderingSoul] is watching you proudly.
>[404UsernameNotFound] sends you [1kg] of clay. >Multiplier 17x activated. [1kg] is now [17kg] >[404UsernameNotFound] smiles at your wings
I look up and say thank you, before holding my breath and looking into the main body of the plane, to find a broken terminal, and a few pieces of uncooked meat and my metal thermos. Thank goodness. I think, before quickly grabbing the thermos and meat, then limping off. I take off my shirt, and wrap the meat and thermos in it, before checking how much time I have left on my Spark. I wish I had Psychopathy sometimes. I think to myself, as I look at a dismembered leg that has a shoe that isn''t destroyed on it. I quickly turn away from it, and activate my wings. Two hard flaps had me high enough that the dead bodies looked like insects and the blood looked like smudged red crayon. I took off in search of a river. They flowed into the ocean, and if I flew along the coast long enough, I would get to a city. From there, a single call will take me home. A few flaps later, and I''m moving fast. The wind rushes past my skin, and the cold bites into the hole in my trouser, where the cut on my leg was. My wings start to feel slightly unresponsive, so I very quickly take the hint, unwilling to fall out of the sky again. I tuck in slightly, tilting myself forward and begin my descent. Of course, it''s unwieldy, and I find myself face planted, but ironically, the impact relocates my shoulder. And i can move my arm again. Its going to take a while, but as I make my way home I''ll practice. For now, i need to find somewhere to sleep. A big tree did a good job, and to my luck, no more leopards attacked that night. *** The wind roars, rushing past me as I push myself higher, wings flaring wide to catch the updraft. My back wings flex, minute adjustments still too big. Cultivating a flying instinct isn''t easy. These big guys don''t always listen¡­they¡¯re still unwieldy. The smaller set on my calves twitch in response, counterbalancing, but I can feel the misalignment. I wobble midair. Not good. I grit my teeth and shift, angling downward¨Cnot too steep, Not too shallow. Do it ¡®just right¡¯. I adjust my wings, pulling back at the last second. My feet hit the ground hard. The impact shoots pain through my legs, and momentum forces me into a stumbling run. With sneakers scraping against the dirt, and I barely stop myself from face-planting. Again. I exhale, irritated. It¡¯s an improvement. But this isn¡¯t good enough.
Your Spark grows: Activation time +2 min
I shake out my arms, roll my shoulders, and kick off the ground again. The motion is smoother than before¡ªmy wings respond quicker, the stabilizer wings keeping me from wobbling too much. Their fine tuning really helps with adjusting to the random gusts of wind. This time, I adjust my trajectory sooner, feeling how the air shifts around me, how my wings interact with it.
>[IOwnManyRavens] joins your stream >[IOwnManyRavens] is disgusted by your flying. >[IOwnManyRavens] sends you a gift. Would you like to open it?
I twist midair, testing how much control I have over my rotation. My wings hesitate¡ªthen snap into place. Yes. Better. The ground rushes up again, and I focus. This time, I extend my legs earlier, angling my calves to act like stabilizers. My back wings flare wide, catching just enough air to slow me down without stalling. My feet hit the dirt, and for a moment, everything holds¡ª Then my balance wavers. I still have too much momentum. I stumble forward, but it¡¯s only a few steps this time before I catch myself.
>Your spark grows.
I laugh breathlessly. That¡¯s the closest I¡¯ve gotten to a clean landing. Not perfect yet. But close. I can feel it¡ªone more push, a little more control, and I¡¯ll have it. So I launch myself up again, only for my wings to vanish, retreating into their hiding place on my back. Shit.
>Spark deactivated >Activation time: 0/7min
The ground is so glad to have me back that it kisses me¡ªhard.
>your Spark grows >[IOwnManyRavens] is irritated with you. And looks at your wings with anger. >your readers are laughing at you.
>Congratulations on completing the feat: First time flyer >Your spark grows >[the wandering soul] smiles at you fondly
Homecoming. It has been two days. No food, barely any water, and a lot of exhaustion. I''m finding it hard to focus, and I can barely activate my Spark now. Any time now¡­ I keep telling myself, fighting against despair. It pours over me like black sludge and I am reaching a point where there is nothing left to fight it off with. Boss your mental state is deteriorating rapidly I¡¯ve stopped using my wings, and I find the separation I am forced to experience from the sky is draining. I¡¯m becoming alarmingly less resistant to the depressive effects of my situation. The sun, once a great friend, one I meet happily in the clouds, has transformed into a nemesis that beats against my skin with rays of blistering heat. Hold it together man.. I say to myself when I find myself staring at the sky with a lump in my throat. I look at my thermos empty... i think to myself and just sit down.
>[404UsernameNotFound] laughs at you >[TheShepardOf100] looks upon you worriedly >[TypingWithOneHand] is deeply intrigued by your stream
I chuckle after reading. They truly are just watching me die. And they seem happy about it. Like they¡¯re watching a damn movie. I can barely hold in the laughter. It makes my situation so ironically absurd. 33 beings watching me die, and all they can think about is how good the story is. You¡¯ve met the conditions to activate your hidden Emotional attribute.
Activating emotional attribute: Defiance (on)
A quiet stubbornness fills me. An urge to flip all of ¡®em the bird. An urge to show them that I am more than just entertainment, and that I should be someone they fear. Someone they can only show their good faces too. Someone with real power.
>You have begun a new (Major) feat: Defying all odds >>>Feat: Defying all odds; synchronizes with Emotion: Defiance (+ constitution stat unlocked) >[UnderworldCEO] has joined your stream >[CunningRavenMind] has joined your stream >[SecrecyIncarnate] has joined your stream
It''s then I feel it, like a second wind. Energy bubbling to the surface of my previously exhausted body. Sitting in the shade, under this baobab tree, strength returns to me threefold.
>User can now use [clay] to increase [constitution]
I then, in single motion, stand up, and yell. ¡°I¡¯M NOT DONE YET YOU BASTARDS!¡± on the top of my voice, and my notifications begin pinging rapidly.
>[IWalkOnWater] is observing you
>[IWalkOnWater] is observing you
>[IWalkOnWater] is observing you
I am filled with hope.. Extraordinary hope. The kind that fills you with determination and grit. Like an infinite wave. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. The savannah, so daunting, just a few seconds ago, suddenly seems like a child. Alright. Let''s go find a watering hole. I take off my jacket and my wings burst out of my back. They feel alive... almost..sentient. I think to myself before kicking off the ground as I take off, thrusters pushing me skyward. I can''t tell you any more, but you aren''t too far off boss. My wings are nearly vibrating with energy, eager to taste the sky once again.
>Activated spark >>Defiance attribute in effect
I¡¯m horizontal, moving the fastest I have moved since I got these wings. Happy that I don''t have to slow down to avoid drying my eyes out. The plates at the edge of my wings vibrate. They want to fly hard and fast. I feel the eagerness in every feathered twitch - my wings want to soar. I pull my wings against my body,together forming the shape of an arrow. The air starts to give some more, and I shoot forward, even faster. The yellow grass turns into a blur, and soon gives way to sand. Sand as far as the eyes can see. You might want to head back to the ground boss, you¡¯re low on activation time. Thanks Ari. Any time. I turn off my thrusters and spread my primary and auxiliary wings watching as the plates at the edges flare out, catching as much air as they can. I feel them pull hard against my back, and the ground no longer looks like a blur. Feeling confident, I spin to face the sky and arch, rushing, head first, towards the ground. In my dive, I pull my primary wings tight against my body, only using the auxiliaries to manage my direction. Once I feel like I''m close enough, I quickly spread my wings, and feel them catch my weight. The stabilizing pair are correcting slight air currents hard and fast, leveling me out, and managing what my bigger wings can''t. After a hard flap to kill the last of the momentum I was carrying, I land, I wonder how fast I was going. Would you like me to display that boss? You can do that? Yes. Just like I''ve been minimizing your status window and showing you a function bar at the bottom with your spark¡¯s activation time, I can do the same with your airspeed. Yes please. I say excitedly, before pausing to stare blankly at the horizon. Do you think they¡¯re looking for me? Who? My family. I ask. The heat is suddenly too unbearable so I take off the helmet, holding it to my side as I walk west. My limp is gone, but there''s a ghost of pain that still seems to sit in my shoulder. It must be connected to my heart, because I feel it prominently when I think of things that are painful. I believe it is safe to assume so. If I had a son, I would do everything in my power to find him if he got lost. I wonder if she even thinks I''m her son. I find a tree, and sit under it, slightly dejected, but still determined to find my way home, if only to see my younger brother, and make sure he¡¯s safe. Boss, you might want to look at the horizon. I think I¡¯m seeing dust being kicked up. A vehicle is heading in our rough direction. I look up, and sure as the sun is shining, There''s a cloud of dust behind a shiny white speck. That''s a car! Could we be close to a town or something? Finally, I can get back to civilization. Boss...you just got a message from one of your readers. Its [IOwnManyRavens]. They are offering you a gift that will give you 10 extra minutes of flight time. What does it want. Take a look:
>[IOwnManyRavens]: don¡¯t take the easy way out boy. Use those wings more. Entertain me more. I want to see you suffer the harshness of the desert. >[IOwnManyRavens] offers you a contract. >>>terms: you receive: shard(+1): +1.25/hr ability regen , you offer: entertainment and murder! Kill more predators! Survive the desert!
that¡¯s... I¡¯ll be in the wild once the system fully goes online. I can¡¯t do that. Boss, you can only reject a reader¡¯s requests 1 of three times... Shit. Damn system. Accept the contract Ari. Boss are you¨C JUST DO IT!
>Congratulations!!! You have Accepted your first contract. You will receive your rewards upon its completion. > Congratulations!!! You are the first to accept a contract in this system instance! You have received a boost to your feat: against all odds. > emotional attribute: Defiance is now your secondary emotion. And has been upgraded.
Congratulations Boss... sorry you''re stuck out here for longer.