“Ingram’s Orb?” Alex said out loud and turned the slightly larger than a golf-ball sized thing around in his hand. As Alex looked at the new orb, V.V. was still flying all over the place in an attempt to avoid the other orbs. Alex was just about to contemplate the status window for the little ball in his hand more when V.V. rushed past him again.
“Alex! Call the other orbs off! Damnit!” V.V. yelled as she buzzed by Alex once again.
“Damnit?” Alex said, still feeling off after waking up from another forced slumber. He didn’t understand why V.V. was being so animated but he knew he needed to stop the newcomers from chasing V.V.
“Stop! Come here!” Alex croaked out a yell. In addition to reigniting a splitting headache, he was now discovering that he was extremely parched.
The three orbs that had been chasing V.V. relentlessly, stopped in their tracks and quickly flew back to hover above Alex in their customary circular pattern. He looked up but had to squint as the sun was cutting through the thick canopy above him to land directly in his eyes. He watched as these other three orbs moved in what he knew was a protective pattern above him. The orbs all seemed to have their own unique colors as opposed to his own orbs. Excluding the murky red orb in his hand; there was a dark green orb, a light blue orb and an off-white orb that was the closest to looking like one of his Orbs of Leporids.
“What… are these things?” Alex asked out loud, hoping V.V. could shed some light on the situation without himself having to think too terribly much.
“I believe they are either upgrades or replacements of your Orbs of Leporids. Also, you could have called these little monsters off me a bit quicker.” V.V. said, but with more emotion and life than he had ever heard come out of the little ball before. To Alex, V.V. seemed almost like a completely different… person?
“V.V, are you Ok? You seem… different. Not in a bad way or anything but… uh.” Alex said and then felt he was stumbling over his words and his head was still not happy that he was even awake, let alone talking.
“Ok? zzHmm… Yes. I believe that’s the correct answer. Yep. Are you Ok, Alex? V.V. said, questioning her own state and then deciding she was pretty great actually.
“Uh… My head hurts a bit, and other parts too, but mostly my head at the moment. Glad you’re Ok though.” Alex managed to get out while his mind attempted to race in so many different directions. V.V, new orbs here, old orbs gone, head splitting, still deep in a forest, floating in the sky, the sky… class… Class!
“Class!” Alex semi-shouted as his head and body fought against his ability to shout.
User: Alexander Ingram
Class: Orb Caller
Level 1: 0/100
Exp: 2655
Class options are currently available.
Explore Class options? Y/N
“Hell yes! Finally. Err… uh… How do I, uh, use it…” Alex delightedly exclaimed and immediately came down from his excitement.
“Use what?” V.V. asked while in the midst of floating around and examining the other orbs.
“My Class. How do I use it. How do I level it up and stuff. What’s a Class Option?” Alex said, staving off the pounding in his head long enough to get his questions out.
“Ah. Hmm… I’m not sure how you’re supposed to use your class but as far as leveling and Class Option’s; I’ve got you covered.” V.V. gave up on looking the new guys over and floated down to Alex’s eye-level.
“To level is simple. Will or tell the System to put your accumulated experience where you want it. While I’m not sure what your Class Options will be, just do the same thing. Will or tell the System to access them; it’s not rocket science.” V.V. said and floated off to look at a mushroom by a nearby tree.
Alex was stunned. Something was very different about V.V. indeed. They were like a completely different being. The companion he knew was almost chronically stoic. This new V.V. was almost bubbling over with personality in comparison to before. In addition to the new exuberance, they also seemed less interested in Alex on the whole. They didn’t seem to not care about him but there was definitely a new curiosity in them that wasn’t there before. And when did they know about rocket science?
“Uh… Yeah, sorry. Kinda obvious I guess.” Alex said, somewhat embarrassed by V.V.’s jab at his oversight.
“All good. This thing's definitely poisonous.” V.V. said as she poked at the mushroom that was now puffing up little clouds of spores. Alex watched his little companion extend what looked like a small needle-like blade towards the mushroom and start to prod it. His thoughts about everything else paused while the mental picture of the T-1000 danced across his mind. Please don’t be an evil version sent from the future to kill me…
“So… uh, what happened while I was passed out?” Alex said, thoughts of messing with his Class temporarily on hold while he determined if his little companion was about to stab his brains out.
“No idea. I think I passed out as well. Very odd, seeing as I don’t sleep. After I came back to myself, I saw that you were unconscious and attempted to wake you. Your new little buddies there attacked me, and we tussled around for a while. I eventually got them to let me wake you up, I bonked you and then we raced all over the place again. Synopsis complete. I wonder what would happen if we fed this thing to some squirrels.” V.V. explained and then her attention wandered back to her mushroom curiosity.
“So… a lot. You woke me up… Ok. Not trying to kill me immediately at least…” Alex said and mumble-whispered the last part to himself.
“Hmm?” V.V. half-acknowledged Alex.
“Nothing! So, Class stuff! Woo!” Alex scrambled to deflect. He thought Class Options and a new window presented itself to him.
Orb Caller: Class Options
Summon Level 0: 0/100
Enhance Level 0: 0/100
Elements Level 0: 0/100
Utility Level 0: 0/100
“Ooh. Nice. So… how… Nevermind. Summon.” Alex started to ask V.V. what they clearly thought was an obvious question and if he took just a few more moments; it was obvious to him as well.
Orb Caller: Class Options: Summon Category Description
Summon: This category focuses on summoning more orbs for the User to utilize. Passive and Active abilities pertaining to Summoning are acquired from this path.
“Very nice. Enhance.”
Orb Caller: Class Options: Enhance Category Description
Enhance: This category focuses on enhancing summoned orbs the User controls. Passive and Active abilities pertaining to Enhancements are acquired from this path.
“Mmmk. So it makes the orbs stronger I guess. Elements.”
Orb Caller: Class Options: Elements Category Description
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
Elements: This category focuses on gathering elements into the Users orbs. Passive and Active abilities pertaining to Elements are acquired from this path.
“Kind of repetitive… I’ll take what I can get though. Still sounds cool. Utility.”
Orb Caller: Class Options: Utility Category Description
Utility: This category focuses on incorporating useful non-combat abilities into the Users orbs. Passive and Active abilities pertaining to Utilities are acquired from this path.
“That’s… vague…” Before Alex could say anything more, V.V. was no longer examining the mushroom but was instead right in front of Alex’s face.
“Gyaaa. V.V! Don’t appear so suddenly in my face. Please. Jeeze.” Alex shouted and would have scrambled back if he wasn’t already against a tree. His other orbs twitched at the alarm in his voice but went back to floating around him once his voice calmed back down.
“Your ability gives access to Utility upgrades?” V.V. said while hovering even closer to Alex’s face. Fierce curiosity came through the voice of his metallic companion.
“Ye..Yes? But it doesn’t say what kind of utilities. It just says non-combat abilities.”
“Alex, of the four paths you mentioned; Utility has the most potential for a stable future and immediate survival.” V.V. said with a serious tone that Alex was not used to.
“Even more than Elements?” Alex wasn’t convinced that he needed a dish washing orb over a flame spitting one just yet.
“Alex. In order from least to greatest usefulness: Elements, Summon, Enhance, Utility. This is the order I highly suggest you focus leveling your paths towards.”
“Why are you so impressed by Utility? What if its ‘Dish Washing Orb’ or ‘Juggling Orb’ or...” Alex started to complain and hypothesize but V.V. cut him off.
“…No. Utility will always start out with something useful. ‘Shelter Construction Orb’ is far, far more likely to appear before ‘Juggling Orb.’ It’s also more likely to be a skill that can be melded to a single orb than a whole new orb.” V.V. said, exasperation bleeding through her robotic twang a bit.
“Melded? Like equipped to one of them?”
“Yes and no. More like fused to them. It will become part of whichever orb you select. Once melded, that particular skill or ability will become part of that orb from then on. That is how similar abilities have operated throughout the System in the past. Your Class is odd though, so maybe yours works differently.” V.V. explained and began to hover up to the other orbs once more.
“Ok. So I can’t have every orb learn everything and once one of them knows something, they’re stuck with it.”
“Essentially.”
“Gotcha. Uh, what if one of them dies?”
“Dies? Ah. No. They’ll only die if you die. They can be destroyed but you can just resummon them when you have enough strength.”
“Oh, that’s great actually. Does that apply to you as well?”
zzSigh
“Alex. I’m not one of these things.” V.V. slightly bonked against one of the rotating orbs.
“I’m just as alive as you are. There are tons of spells, skills, abilities, etcetera, that can keep me from dying or even bring me back from the dead to an extent. Ultimately, if I die, I die. That being said, I’d say I’m much harder to kill than you are. So you shouldn’t stay up at night worrying over me kicking the bucket when you’re one misplaced step from falling into a death pit.”
“A death pit?”
“Or tripping over a stick and breaking your neck. Walking sideways into a pointy branch that skewers you ear to ear. Stuff like that.”
“V.V, what’s going on? You’re so much different than you were before we both passed out.” Alex said, concern now starting to bubble up.
“Hmm. I do feel different. I noticed almost immediately after I awoke that my connection with you was stronger and lesser with the System. I also feel more me I suppose. Odd but not unwelcome.”
“…So, something with my Class did this?”
“Probably.”
“You seem extremely unconcerned by your new… uh… self.”
“I considered it after waking and decided that it’s not a negative occurrence overall. The only downside being that I’m less aware of the System than I was before. Bummer.” V.V. said and bumped another orb off their path just to watch it speed back up into its original spot.
Sigh
“What about the System are you less aware of? Please stop messing with the orbs.” Alex asked, now feeling that V.V.’s maturity level had plummeted.
“Hmm. Before, I was able to access vast amounts of knowledge just by reaching out to the System but now it’s almost like a memory. I have to try harder to find the answers to questions that took me no time at all before this new change.” V.V. said and doing as Alex asked, stopped messing with the orbs and started wandering off towards her favorite mushroom again.
SIGH
“Welp. That’s definitely going to bite me in the ass eventually. What is this strange language on this ancient door V.V? No idea Alex but I bet I knew before your Class scrambled my brains.” Alex lamented. He wasn’t sure how he felt about new V.V. but he would just have to try and go with it. Just keep going with all the things was becoming his life motto.
“Utility. Add one-hundred experience.”
Orb Caller: Class Options: Utility
Utility Level 1: 100/1000
Orb Skill: 0/1: Dome of Protection: Can create a dome to protect the User from minor environmental elements. The dome can be constructed up to 5ft high and 5ft in diameter.
Durability: 100
Defense: 5
Orb Passive: 0/1: Wound Care Aura: A togglable aura that will slowly clean wounds of both debris and disease.
Quality: 1
Range: 1ft
“Oh nice! Two skills. I thought I’d only get one. What's Quality do?” Alex said excitedly. V.V. meandered back over to Alex.
“That’s good. Pick two of your orbs to carry those skills from now on. Also, Quality is how effective something is. It's essentially the level of that skill or ability.”
“Ah, gotcha, thanks. It takes nine-hundred more experience for another level. That’s crazy. Can I check the other three paths since they only take one-hundred experience?”
“You don’t need to ask me for permission, Alex. zzHaha. It is enough that you’re willing to listen to my advice from time to time.” V.V. said, more jovial now than any other time. Alex felt that he was having new V.V. emotional whiplash.
“Ok. Well then. Summon, Enhance, Elements, add one-hundred experience to each.”
“Just a reminder that you don’t have to say all of that out loud.” V.V. said while once again poking her mushroom. Alex was sure their little eye was rolling at him.
Orb Caller: Class Options
Summon Level 1: 100/1000
User Skill: 0/1: Combat Orblet: Summons a Combat Orblet to fight for the User.
Durability: 250
Physical Attack: 17
Duration 5 minutes
Enhance Level 1: 100/1000
Orb Skill: 0/1: Boost Defense: Target self or other for a minor boost to defense.
Defense Increase: 5
Range: 5ft
Duration: 5 minutes
Orb Skill: 0/1: Boost Attack: Target self or other for a minor boost to defense.
Attack Increase: 5
Range: 5ft
Duration: 5 minutes
Elements Level 1: 100/1000
Orb Passive: 0/1: Flame Aura: Permanently embody the essence of Flame.
Quality: 1
“Wild… Hmm, User Skill and what’s an orblet? I wonder why it didn’t just give it directly to me. I have to meld it to myself or whatever.” Alex talked to himself while looking over his new paths.
“Alex.”
Flinch
“Ugg… V.V. what’s up?” Alex said after jumping for who knew how many times at V.V. saying something right next to him without making any prior noise.
“Would you mind trying to use one of the Orb Skills on me?” V.V. said, more curious sounding than greedy as far as Alex could determine.
“I’ll use them all on you if you think you can use them. Which skill do you want?”
“I don’t particularly want any of them but I’m curious about something. Try using Boost Defense on me.”
“Uh.. Ok. Let’s uh…”
“Just focus on me and say meld Boost Defense. Or of course, think it.” V.V. said and Alex was sure he saw the little black pupil do a little whirl to mimic an eye roll. Snarky marble.
Alex thought what he wanted to happen. He focused on V.V. and willed the System to add Boost Defense to V.V. He wasn’t sure it would work but to his slight surprise, a new window popped up.
Invalid Target for Orb Skill: Boost Defense
“It says invalid target.”
“I thought as much. As much as I may look like one of these marbles; I’m not one.”
“Ugg… I get it V.V, I understand you’re a sentient being and not a tool. I’m sorry.”
zzSigh
“Alex. You’re not following the line of logic that I was attempting to lay out for you. If I cannot use an orb because I’m not one, then maybe I could use something else. Something like a User would use, maybe?”
“Oh… Yeah… I got it. Are you a User though? I’m still not completely sure what a User even is I guess.” Alex began to ramble then he saw V.V.’s eye do a little twitch and he reeled himself back in.
“Right. Combat Orblet.” Alex said, focusing on V.V. as his designated target.
“You could have just said tha…” V.V. started to go in on Alex once more but stopped speaking and began to vibrate.
“V.V?” Alex asked as his little companion vibrated violently right next to his face. He was about to reach out to touch her when all four of his orbs shot in between himself and V.V. The red orb had left his hand without him even realizing it. Alex was about to tell the orbs to back off when a pulse erupted from V.V. It was violent enough to tumble Alex onto his back and send his four protectors flying in different directions. As he sat up on his elbows he could see that V.V.’s shaking was fading away.
“V.V?” Alex said once more.
“Ugg. That was wild.” V.V. said after getting control of her body once more.
“Fuck, I’m glad you’re Ok. The orbs freaked out and got between us. I thought you were going full T-1000 for a second there.” Alex said as his orbs returned to hovering above him in their regular pattern.
“I am in fact, not a Terminator, Alex. The orbs react to your emotions faster than you can feel them from what I’ve observed.”
“How do you know what a T-1000 is? Also, how do you know about Rocket Science?”
“Hmm… Inconclusive. Regardless, observe.” V.V. said this and then…
Zzsk
A sizzling noise occurred and in front of V.V. and there now floated a small black marble. This one was the size of an actual marble as far as Alex could tell.
“Is that a…”
“Combat Orblet, correct. It reacts to my will.” V.V. finished Alex’s thought for him, and he watched as the black marble began to zoom around V.V. It was like V.V. was a tiny silver sun and the marble was their planet.
“Ok. That’s actually pretty awesome.”