"Shit," Leo groaned. Waking up for the second time this day didn't seem much better than the first time. He rolled onto his back and opened his eyes in one go, instantly regretting it as bright light filled his vision. He cursed and quickly shut his eyelids.
Where the hell am I? Just as the thought entered his head, the memories hit him like a falling brick.
The red light, screaming, and the pain… oh man, the pain. He shuddered. There had to be some explanation for all of this. Maybe he slipped, knocked himself out, and his mind decided to make up excuses for those events.
No. Leo shook his head. It was too real.
"It indeed was, Human." A voice echoed through… well, something.
Inch by inch, Leo slowly opened his eyes again, this time letting them get used to the stabbing brightness. He had to see and find out who managed to address his thoughts.
"Here," the voice that sounded almost like his own — Just more dead? Indifferent? Calm? Something like that — came from behind.
Leo climbed to his feet, his gaze first falling on the wall in front of him. It was bright like a star but covered in crimson glowing stains that slowly grew, consuming more and more of the wall.
He gulped and turned to face the rest of the small square room. All of the walls were the same, and yet, in the center of the closed chamber stood a lone silver table with two chairs on each side. One remained empty, but the other was already claimed by a very familiar figure.
Eyes widening, Leo took a few steps back, his hands raising instinctively. "Why in the hell do you look like me? Who are you?!" He shouted, two pairs of gray eyes connecting as the two inhabitants of the room locked gaze.
His exact clone, as there was no other way to describe the person on the other side, just motioned to the empty chair while maintaining his — its? — completely stone-cold expression.
"Take a seat, human. We have much to discuss, and your soul can withstand my presence only for so long," the clone spoke again, his voice never wavering.
Shakily, Leo moved forward, more out of confusion and curiosity about whatever was happening. He even pinched himself a few times, hoping it was just another of his unique dreams.
Mild pain shot through his arm, and yet he never woke up. Something is wrong. I never had any control in my dreams and this is way too realistic. Maybe those people on the net are right, and this really is some sort of illness? Hallucinations maybe?
Eyes still on the clone, he took a seat, quickly scooting a few feet away from the table.
The clone sighed in the first show of emotion. "I mean you no harm, User… Now, I don't need you to believe that what you see is real. What I need from you, is to listen carefully to everything I say. Like it's the last thing you are going to hear. Time for believing will come once you leave this place."
Leo narrowed his eyes. The clone didn't make much sense, but its tone alone made him wary. As much as he wanted to believe this to be just another dream, there was also no harm in humoring the being in front of him. Not that he had much of a choice as waking up seemed impossible.
"This place. What is it?" He decided to ask. They had to start from something.
The clone nodded and spread his arms. "This is your soul in the middle of its awakening. Although to be more specific, we're sitting in an isolated space claimed by the System, an entity I'm a part of, where it is currently adapting to your Essence. And before you ask, I took this form to lessen the pressure on your soul so we can have more time to talk. It's a standard procedure."
Leo blinked at the terms used in an unfamiliar setting. "Hold on for a damn minute. Soul? Essence? The System?"
As if the clone didn't hear him, it just continued. "Approximately two hours ago, the First Cataclysm of the 64th Outbreak took place. It changed your entire Universe. The release of Void Essence twisted everything in its path while the System attempted to save as many as it could. You, User, belong to about ten percent of beings of this Universe that managed to last long enough for the System to reach them and force their Awakening. A small number, I know, and it will only get worse."
Leo stiffened, his mouth suddenly dry. "W-what?" He stammered out, the thoughts of everything being a dream momentarily forgotten. "Ten percent? What about the rest?"
When the clone hung his head low, he fought the sudden urge to vomit. "I'm truly sorry, User," it said, the stone-cold tone vanishing.
"The remaining population will suffer a fate worse than death. They will become twisted by the Void, transformed into creatures from your darkest nightmares. From now on, their only goal is to evolve, hunt, and grow stronger from the Essence that fills the air. Voidlings, the System calls them, one of the main threats you will encounter once you go back."
The clone's words beyond the first sentence barely reached his ears. He became frozen like a statue for a moment, with only four words echoing in his head like a never-ending song.
Fate worse than death…
Lily, Nick, Adam, Mom, Dad, Edward. Hell, even Ava. Leo swallowed, still trapped in the prison of his own creation. They are fine; this is just a stupid dream or hallucination. There is nothing to worry about.
Yet despite this hopeful mantra filling his mind, he could do nothing to stop the deep-seated terror from settling in his gut.
It can't be. They are alive. They are fi- Shit!
Leo reeled back, touching his stinging cheek. He instantly snapped towards the clone, watching as it lowered its glowing hand.
"You have to calm down, human!" The entity growled. "Nothing is certain. Your friends and family might still be alive. It had happened many times in the past."
Might. They might be alive. He flinched. The word 'might' just barely calmed his raging emotions that threatened to burst like a waking volcano. Suddenly, the matter of this being a dream didn't seem too important, not when there was even a tiny chance that something had happened to his family.
Leo took a deep breath and gave the clone a nod. "Fine. Continue, but please at least tell me what is this Essence you keep talking about."
The doppelganger gave him a hard stare before raising his palm.
"That's agreeable as it's essential knowledge," it replied, its voice again turning cold. "Essence had many names before and after the System. Mana, Chi, Ki, and Chakra are just a few of them. It's the energy of the whole Multiverse. Everything has it, be it inanimate or animate. However, those with a soul can store Essence inside it. The thing is that non-awakened beings cannot regenerate their Essence, and when it ends, so does their life."
Lights swirled above the clone's palm, slowly forming an image of a human body. The entity made a few more movements with its hand, and instantly, a crimson light — The same color as the stains on the wall — entered the image.
Looking at the mass of crimson, the clone continued. "Soul stores and strengthens your Essence."
Nodding towards the image's head, it continued. "Mind is responsible for control, including regeneration."
The crimson light pulsed as it covered the entire image. "Essence then flows through the entire body, where it's utilized to perform feats you can only dream of."
The clone waved its hand, snapping the image out of existence. "The System just calls it Essence Manipulation, but throughout the Multiverse, many call it Magic, Sorcery, or the Arts of Soul. The secrets of Essence know no limits, and I could spend years explaining only a small part of them… However, that is not a subject for today; let us move on to your interface."
So pretty much a weird energy that makes you a superhuman. Got it. Leo sighed and shot the clone a blank look. Interface?
"Just focus on bringing it out."
Right, just focus on it. He snorted, only for his eyes to widen as a wall of text appeared in front of his vision. "What the fu..."
Name: Leonardo Brown
Title: N/A
Evolution Stage: I - Tainted Human
Class: N/A
Job: N/A
Rank: N/A
Might Tier I (5) | LB: 0
Grace: Tier I (8) | LB: 0
Vision: Tier I (6) | LB: 0
Mind: Tier I (7) | LB: 0
Soul: Tier I (4) | LB: 0
Ether: 0
Traits: Tainted (Uncommon)
Racial Skills: Universal Linguist (Unique), Identify (Unique), Essence Manipulation (Common), Drain (Uncommon)
General Skills: N/A
Leonardo Brown… Been a while since anyone called me that. He grimaced, scanning the wall of text. It definitely resembled some of the roleplaying games he played in the past. Although he was by no means a specialist in gaming to understand everything the status provided.
Title, class, and rank seemed somewhat self-explanatory, or so he hoped. The two last attributes also made some sense thanks to the clone's explanation about Essence. The rest though? He had only some inkling as to what they did, same with skills and the one trait.
And what in the hell is the 'LB' next to the attributes? More questions. Leo raised a hopeful eyebrow. "Can you explain what some of this means?"
The clone shook its head before motioning towards the walls. "The System gave you enough tools to learn independently, and we don't have much time left. The process is over halfway done."
Wait. What process? His brow furrowed as he followed the clone's gaze, not really sure what he was looking for. The walls were still there, no surprises there, but the crimson stains— His Essence, Soul? — now covered over half of the previously bright surface.
"What? You mean the walls?"
"The Awakening process," the clone corrected. "As soon as your Essence consumes every surface of this room, I must depart. Now…” Leo's eyebrows raised slightly when he noticed the small grimace on the doppelganger's face. "We have two last matters to discuss before my time runs out. Your race and class selection."
Reading between the lines, he flinched, "I heard this tone before. What's wrong now? Wasn't the news of my family's possible demise enough?"
Once again, the clone ignored him, its gaze hardening. "You're part of a small percentage of the remaining survivors that were unlucky to absorb too much Void Essence before the System could reach them and jumpstart the Awakening process. As a result, your evolution stage isn't listed as an 'Awakened' variant, but a 'Tainted' one."
The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
Leo swallowed hard. "Yeah. That doesn't sound too good…Am I going to die? Just like that?"
I refuse to accept that…
"No, you won't," the clone announced, giving him a chance to let out a heavy sigh. "At least not if you play your cards right. Think of your race and then bring out the description of your 'Tainted' trait. Those two things should explain almost everything."
Taking a deep breath, Leo did just that.
Tainted Human (Stage: I)
A sub-variant of Awakened Human cursed by the power of the Void. Due to absorbing too much of Void Essence before your awakening, the corrupted power couldn't be fully cleansed from your being. It will fight and consume you if you don't satiate its hunger.
Effects:
Causes some physical changes. Grants Tainted trait. Soul Effectiveness: +5% +2 Free Attribute points per class level. Mutations: Locked.
Your time is limited.
Because that doesn't sound ominous at all… And physical changes? What does that even mean? He grimaced as a shiver ran down his spine. The chain of bad news was slowly making him feel just like after that night ten years ago.
Can't give in now. He shook his head and pulled up his trait's description.
Tainted (Uncommon):
A blessing within a curse. You are the Tainted One. Fight and consume or be consumed. In the Void, only the strong survive… Can you?
Effects:
Requires a constant supply of Pure Void Essence to stop the curse from spreading. Limit Break: +1 Soul, Might, and Grace per level when satiated. Various negative effects applied if the curse begins to spread. Grants Drain skill.
Somehow this doesn't make me feel any better. Leo thought as his fists clenched under the table. This trait only confirmed how bad the situation was. At least now I know what the 'LB' stands for. Even if it just adds another question...
"How do I survive?" He asked instead. Limit Break, whatever that was, could wait.
"Exactly like your trait explained. Adapt," the clone stated coldly. "Or in other words, consume and evolve. The System gave you the ability to extract Pure Void Essence from every Voidling you've killed. The rest is up to you. Use this ability or die."
"Consume and evolve..." He murmured, head hung low.
Not that long ago, Leo managed to put the worst of his past away, years of therapy and the support of his foster family, finally helping him accept what happened. And yet here he was, with the possibility of his world, his family being gone, hanging above his head.
"No," he whispered. Even if the world changed, he would go out there and survive. His situation might look quite bleak, but he had to use this chance and at least try. For his family. For his own sake. He owed himself that much.
Leo nodded, swallowing his fears. "Alright then. What's left?"
The doppelganger returned the nod, its lips curling into an almost unnoticeable grin. "Class selection. It's probably one of your most important decisions. After all, a class will be the main tool in your journey. Just remember that classes are here to guide you, not limit your learning capabilities. Anything is possible as long as you try."
With a flick of its wrist, letters began to form between them. "Here, have a look and decide. Be quick. Our time is running out."
The letters stopped moving, forming a simple list of classes and their very short descriptions.
Warrior
Way of the Blood. Show your enemies no fear and face them head-on. Be the unmovable shield and the deadliest blade for your foes.
Effects:
Grants necessary skills and knowledge to begin your path as a warrior. Offers Warrior's Body trait. +3 MIGHT, +1 SOUL per level.
Mage
Way of the Essence. Show your enemies your control and decimate them with the power of your soul. Grind them all to dust.
Effects:
Grants necessary skills and knowledge to begin your path as a mage. Offers Enlightened Mind trait. +2 MIND and SOUL per level.
Assassin
Way of the Shadows. Show nothing and leave nothing behind. No one is safe from your blade. The shadows welcome you.
Effects:
Grants necessary skills and knowledge to begin your path as an assassin. Offers Assassin's Grace trait. +2 GRACE, +1 VISION, +1 MIND per level.
Ranger
Way of the Arrow. Show your enemies your skill and blow them apart with your aim. Your eyes see everything. Well, almost.
Effects:
Grants necessary skills and knowledge to begin your path as a ranger. Offers Ranger's Eyes trait. +2 VISION, +1 GRACE and MIND per level.
To be honest, Leo expected more complicated choices, especially with everything going on. Instead, he received a list of four pretty straightforward classes. Well, almost straightforward.
The descriptions only gave the most basic information and clues about what he could expect from each class. No more, no less. He could make assumptions going by the names, though he still felt like it wasn't enough to make such an important decision.
At least now I have some ideas about the purpose of the three remaining attributes.
"I take it you won't tell me what the 'necessary skills' are?" Wishful thinking at this point, but it couldn't hurt to ask.
As the doppelganger shook its head, Leo scowled. "Right…" He murmured and went back to the list.
He had to make a decision and hope that it would be the right one…
Warrior was instantly out, in his opinion. Rushing head-on towards unknown enemies in an unknown situation went against the prime principle that the clone was constantly hinting at
Survival.
So yeah, no suicidal charges for him. Or so he hoped...
With one option out, his mind traveled to the Mage class. It certainly could be interesting to become a sorcerer, but again, how did this class help him survive? With no knowledge about Essence Manipulation, he couldn't just go and predict what abilities he would gain.
No, too many unknowns. Leo shook his head. Besides, the clone just told me that a class doesn't limit my ability to learn other skills. Magic, or whatever it is, will still be within my grasp.
Nodding, he looked at his last two choices. Assassin and Ranger.
Both options were good when it came to helping him survive in a dark world. One would grant him the ability to stealthily make his way around the world, while the other offered long-range combat capabilities.
Unfortunately, as he read the description of Ranger class once again, Leo grimaced.
Way of the Arrow. Yeah, no thanks.
A few years back, Lily tried to introduce him to a few unique sports disciplines, and archery was one of them. This particular tryout didn't go too well. He could remember how he completely failed every attempt at even copying the proper grasp of the bow, and the less said about aiming, the better.
As such, he hated anything that could shoot arrows with heated passion. His face always turned sour when anyone mentioned it. No amount of persuading could ever make him grab a bow again.
Hell, even now, he could still recall his sister's laughter after they left the archery range…
Leo quickly pushed those thoughts away as a nasty frown began to spread on his face. Don't go there, not yet. She's fine, she must be.
Closing his eyes, he released a deep breath. "I choose Assassin."
"Are you sure? There's no going back."
Leo nodded. "I am. If the System has a similar definition of Assassin as my world, it is my best bet on survival."
Besides, where the hell would I find a bow and arrows...
"So be it," the clone responded, and the list of classes disappeared, only to be replaced by a few new lines of text.
Assassin class gained.
Trait: Assassin's Grace received. Skills: Vital Strike, Stealth, Dagger Mastery received.
Leo expected more information or even some rush of knowledge like the class description said, but there was no such thing. He pretty much felt the same as a minute ago.
Furrowing his forehead, he addressed the clone. "Wasn't I supposed to gain the 'knowledge of how to begin my path?'"
The doppelganger nodded. "Just like any other change you are required to go through, the gift of knowledge will arrive once you leave this place."
Suddenly, the entire room shook, and the chairs and table disappeared. Leo just barely managed to stay upright.
It's done. A soft gasp left his lips as he scanned the room's walls. There is no more light left, only the crimson, my Essence. He spun around and faced the clone, whose form began to shimmer, the tip of its fingers slowly turning into specks of light.
The clone gave a small bow. "Do not worry, User. The time has come for me to depart. You made your choices, and the Awakening process is finished. I wish you luck, Leonardo Brown…"
"No, wait! There is still so much I need to know!" He shouted, trying to reach out, only for his hand to pass through the clone.
"True, there is much more you should know, so much more every survivor should know," the fading entity whispered. "But there is no time left. I can only offer you a piece of advice that saved many in the past."
"The world you know is dead," the clone continued. "Voidlings will get stronger with every day and hunt everything unique in their sight. If you ever hesitate, you will be left behind, consumed by the never-ending Void. Only the strong survive; you better realize this quickly, or you will die like many before you. Use the time you have left here and adapt, User… Adapt or die."
Frozen in his place, Leo gulped but gave a firm nod as the entity faded out of existence. Never during their conversation did the clone use such an oppressive tone. And as his mind replayed the entity's advice, the flame that held the hope of this being just a dream almost died out.
Adapt or die. He repeated and slid down against the nearest wall.
Despite listening to Lily's various conspiracy theories, he never expected shit like this to happen. In movies and games? Definitely, but in real life? No, this entire situation went against everything he ever believed in.
I have to be ready. Leo opened his eyes. Even if this is just another dream, I have to be prepared. I have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Nodding, he summoned his status once more. It was high time to find out what everything there meant.
Just like the clone instructed about class and traits, he thought about the other attributes and statistics, hoping to learn their full roles.
It didn't work, well, not really.
Leo only managed to confirm what the rank meant — his roughly estimated power level, currently sitting at F- — and how the evolution stage and class worked. Apparently, he had to achieve some sort of milestones or complete tasks to evolve and reach a certain level with his class to advance it.
Interesting, but it didn't explain much.
He also attempted to investigate the mysterious, half-grayed-out Ether, but the System refused to give any information about it.
Just great. Leo groaned. Let's just see what all the skills and traits do. No way the System can keep this knowledge away from me.
Thankfully, it didn't.
Universal Linguist (Unique):
With a vast Universe comes a wide array of languages. To help achieve communication between different civilizations, the System created this skill for most survivors.
Effects:
Grants the ability to understand almost every spoken language in the Universe. Be wary that any written form of a foreign language is still mostly beyond you. Cannot be obtained again if lost.
Vast Universe? The ability to understand almost everything? Okay, useful. Leo admitted. However, he had to pity all those people who worked hard to learn multiple languages.
Shaking his head, he moved on to another skill.
Identify (Unique):
The most common tool of every System user. Created by the System to help the users with finding the way along their journey.
Effects:
Allows you to discover details about certain parts of this new world. The efficiency of this skill improves with your Vision and Level. Cannot be obtained again if lost.
Is this the tool the clone spoke of?
Almost instantly, he attempted to use this ability, though without success. No amount of forceful thinking and shouting worked; it was like the ability wasn't available to him yet.
Maybe it isn't. Leo frowned, and as if to answer his question, everything around him shook.
Climbing to his feet, his eyes widened as the crimson glow of the room dimmed. In a matter of seconds, the color gave way to the darkness.
His back hugged the wall behind him as another tremor shook the room. He tried to move, to maybe escape whatever was happening, to no avail. His body refused to listen to any command, leaving him a passenger in his own body.
A moment later, out of nowhere, an unknown force slammed into his body, earning a weak groan from him. Leo had no strength to fight the next strike and just let the darkness claim what was left of his consciousness, the clone's last words suddenly ringing in his head.
Adapt or die.