Once again, Adam found himself alone in the darkness. However, this time he was accompanied by pain.
Adams' head was a mess. Now that he was out of imminent danger, the weight of the last couple hours truly settled in. Over roughly 3 hours, everything in Adam’s life had been changed. Everyone he knew was trapped in an egg of light, he and at least one other person, Professor Greymore, had been sent into a death trap where they had to run away from literal MONSTERS, he had watched multiple people die horrific and violent deaths, hell he had even managed to kill a monster! With a piece of bone!
Being saved by Luisa in the second wave and seeing the young man in the tree gain his sponsorship changed his way of thinking and gave Adam two goals. The first was to gain a sponsorship and escape the trial, and the other was to find Luisa’s family and deliver her last words. He had no idea if he was going to be able to complete the second goal but he was determined to at least try.
He had no idea how much time had passed since he received his sponsorship and was thus removed from the trial, but he somehow knew that time HAD passed. The excruciating pain of broken bones and open wounds was now a dull ache accompanied by an ungodly itching sensation.
There was something else that seemed off as well. The darkness he found himself in felt… different. Rather than feeling like he was floating in the void of space with no sense of his physical form, this time, he felt like he was hovering above the ground in a dark room.
Adam attempted to reach out for something to grab and immediately regretted it as the pain in his left arm flared from the first wound he got during the trial: the pierced hole through his bicep from the boar skull. He hissed in pain and stopped searching for anything in his surroundings. His surroundings could wait, right now he wanted to know what would happen next now that he was out of the trial. He concentrated and tried to summon the previous system message but was taken aback when the space around him lit up, showing multiple different system screens worth of information.
CONGRATULATIONS!
You have gained a status upon your world that few others will achieve!
You are now a FORERUNNER OF EARTH.
Less than 2% of your planet's population have been given the opportunity to become one of the Forerunners and less than 1% will successfully achieve it!
So I'm a 1%er now? Adam pessimistically thought. Everyone ALWAYS loves the 1%... Other than the fancy title, does that even benefit me in any way? He went back to the first screen and checked to see if he had missed something and saw a single sentence at the bottom that he had not noticed before.
NOTICE:
Individuals that have gained this title are rewarded with a special bonus upon completing the activation of their Mutiversal Status.
After he read that final line, the screen faded and was replaced by one of the others, this one was the same as the screens from the trial and had a pale gold color to it.
You have received your Sponsorship Rewards.
High Lord Yarutash Equinquill has bestowed upon you a unique reward.
Would you like to accept your rewards?
YES / NO
Warning:
It is recommended for the Forerunner to complete their Multiversal Status Awakening prior to accepting a reward. Accept at your discretion.
Interesting… The system message was oddly kind. Previously, the system seemed to just provide information, rather than advice. Maybe one of the many screens that floated before him would give him answers to some of his questions.
Adam decided to follow the system's recommendation and held off on accepting his Sponsorship reward. With a thought, the gold screen drifted to the side to be accepted later. A new message moved in to replace it.
Forerunner Adam Abrams, please think the phrase
“Multiversal Status” or simply “Status” to begin the process of awakening.
Notice:
Individuals that enter into the Integration Stasis are forcefully awakened to mana. Mana is the essence of life throughout the multiverse. The ability to manipulate this essence means that the individual has awakened.,
This really is like the stuff Henry would go on about, he thought, Looks like I need to talk with him about this stuff when we get out of this stasis. STATUS! Adam shouted in his own mind. One second later, the screen morphed in front of him. This status was interesting because it digitized information about himself in a way Adam had never thought possible. His status read:
Name
Adam Abrams
Species
Human
Level
1
Pursuit
?
Class
?
Physique (Stage)
N/A
Affinity
?
Strength
5
Dexterity
3
Vitality
4
Arcana
3
Pursuit Specialty Stat
?
Class Specialty Stat
?
Damn, I know I don’t really do much, but those stats seem really low. While some of the status was filled in, other parts were marked with glowing question marks. Some of the status was self explanatory but Things like Pursuit, Class, Physique and Arcana were a mystery.
By concentrating on the left side of the status sheet, a series of smaller screens popped up over the top of his personal information. Adam was taken aback by the amount of information provided in each section.
Name
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N/A
Species
This section of your status denotes one's species. It is possible for this to change.
Level
Through actions associated with the individual's Path, they gain experience. This experience is translated into a leveling system, digitizing an individual's growth.
Pursuit
When a being first awakens to mana and gains access to the Multiversal System, they choose from a number of available Paths of Pursuit. These Pursuits are directions that a being can choose to grow. When choosing a Path to pursue, the awakened individual is given 5 options to choose from.
This is the first important decision that an individual makes as they pursue growth via the system.
Class
Once an individual progresses down their chosen Path to Level 5, they select their Class. The Integration System analyzes the Integrated individual during the first 5 levels and curates between 3 - 5 different class options for them. These options are based on how the person thinks, utilizes mana, their combat ability/experience and general demeanor. As an individual grows, they have the opportunity to evolve or solidify their Class as they further their personal Pursuits.
Physique (Stage)
This section of the Multiversal Status denotes when an individual surpasses the base level of or alters their species. Through this acceptance, they undergo a qualitative and forceful augmentation to their species, which shows up on their Multiversal Status in this location. Every Physique can be broken down into Stages, though they differ depending on the Physique. When a being surpasses the highest stage of their Physique, they can potentially evolve their Species and is known as a Peak Stage Physique. That said, not all Physiques are capable of evolution without specialty catalysts. A Peak Stage Physique that has the ability to evolve can be chosen to evolve in place of your class at the designated class evolution levels. Some individuals choose to do this repeatedly, eventually creating a new species.
Affinity
This section of the Multiversal Status shows if an individual is predisposed towards a specific form of mana. There are a nearly unlimited number of affinity types though, not all individuals learn what they are predisposed to.
Strength
This stat quantifies the amount of force an individual can exert. Strength directly correlates to the damage dealt with melee weapons.
Dexterity
This stat quantifies an individual's fine motor skills, coordination and ability to react.
Vitality
This stat quantifies an individual's constitution and stamina. Additionally, an individual's vitality can determine their ability to recover and rejuvenate the body as well as the body's physical resistance to harm.
Arcana
This stat quantifies an individual's amount of available magical power, magical resistance and magical insight. Mana is the name of the energy source that is directly related to this stat.
Pursuit Specialty Stat
This stat is unique to individuals that share a Pursuit.
Class Specialty Stat
This stat is based on the class an individual selects when they select their class at Level 5.
The amount of information provided by the system almost felt awkward. Why was there so much here? While Adam was obviously no expert on the system, he had noticed that so far, it left most things up to the individual to figure out for themselves.
Then Adam had a thought. What if it gave this information so freely because it was given to everyone? So far, he had only experienced the trial to become one of the Forerunners of Earth. Becoming a Forerunner was noted by the system to be a very exclusive thing, meant for the “chosen few” as it were. Hell, throughout the trial, messages kept reminding him that the participants needed to prove themselves.
Maybe, I have so much information because I’m a Forerunner?
This led him to question some of the information provided. Was the system being completely transparent here? Or was it giving just enough information for an awakener to get by? He would have to keep these things in mind so he could talk to someone else about it after the stasis ended.
Adam dismissed the descriptions provided by the system and focused on one portion of his status sheet: the Pursuit. It was the only portion of his status that was still glowing and obviously required his attention. I wonder what my options will be?
Scanning the Awakened now…
Once he had concentrated on choosing his Pursuit, a massive screen opened. This one was structured differently from the others and was split into five different portions. Once they had stopped spinning there were five different Paths of Pursuit for him to choose between, two of which were marked as “Compatible Paths” while the other three were marked as “Chance Paths”.
When Adam concentrated on the Compatible Paths and Chance Paths markers, an intuitive feeling washed over him, depositing an impression of the two terms directly into his mind. Compatible Paths were exactly that, Paths of Pursuit that the system had deemed compatible for the awakened being, whereas the Chance Paths were Paths of Pursuit that were a complete gamble as the system didn’t deem the awakened being as compatible with the essence of that path. Adam got the impression that while a Chance Path was a gamble, it did not mean that a person couldn’t be successful on that Path, it was just harder initially.
Adam’s options were as follows:
Path of the Academic
While weak in body, those walking the way of the academic make up for their lack of physical strength in mental acuity. Scholars seek the answers hidden deep in the universe.
Individuals that wall this path tend to focus on concepts and research over all else. Collectively, they are seekers of knowledge and most general magic users originate from this path.
Path of the Academic Specialty Stat: Cognition
Compatible Path
Path of the Beast
One who journeys down the Path of the Beast connects to the natural world in a way unlike any other. Those that walk this path have been chosen to safeguard the world from the hubris of enlightened civilization that would work against natural order. It is believed that the mythical beasts of old all originated from individuals that walked the Path of the Beast
Individuals that walk this path are forever changed, gaining skills that center around the creation of their own physique, transforming their bodies at will and increasing their bestial nature towards their goals. This pursuit is exceedingly rare, and only able to be chosen by individuals that have a high compatibility with it, as designated by the system.
Path of the Beast Specialty Stat: Instinct
Highest Compatible Path
Path of the Traveler
Travelers are students of the path itself. They follow the nebulous routes set before them.
Individuals that walk this path focus on the journey and where it leads over all else. Trailblazers and pathfinders alike fall into this Pursuit.
Path of the Traveler Specialty Stat: Direction
Chance Path
Path of the Artist
Though the world prioritizes function, it still finds necessity in art. Artists follow their muse along an often difficult path.
Individuals that walk this path see the world differently from others. Closely associated with crafters, artists have skills that are driven by their creative vision alone.
Path of the Artist Specialty Stat: Vision
Chance Path
Path of the Nurturer
Nurturers offer comfort to others in a foreign and dangerous world. While they take many forms, their end goals are often the same.
Individuals that walk this path are devoted to helping others. Healers, cooks, therapists and many others all walk this path, using their abilities to build others up.
Path of the Nurturer Specialty Stat: Empathy
Chance Path
Adam was a little bit confused. When he thought about the Pursuits and Classes and stuff, he assumed that it would be really clear cut with terms like fighter or mage. After seeing that the Pursuits were classified as different Paths he again thought that things like Path of the Warrior would pop up. These five options were definitely not what he expected from such a brutal systemic change to the world they all lived in now.
At least some of them were easy to understand. The Nurturer was clearly meant to be a supportive path in life. The Artist was confusing with its abstract nature. The Traveler was interesting because it felt like a path that was focused towards exploration. As a man that had been walking the Path of the Academic prior to the advent of the system, a Pursuit of its kind was oddly comforting. Additionally, the fact that Academics tended to produce many magic uses was a major point in its favor. However… Path of the Beast was really intriguing.
Firstly, Path of the Beast seemed to be something that was relatively rare in the grand scheme. If Adam was interpreting the system correctly, it was a path that could only appear for those that had Compatibility with it, meaning, it could not be a Chance Path for anyone.
The Path of the Beast also had something that spoke to Adam on a deeper level. If he were to walk this path then he would become some kind of shapeshifter. If there was one thing that he learned during the previous trial it was that monsters were absolutely terrifying when you had to face off against them. The only time when his fears had been pushed aside was at the end of the third wave when he had let his rage and primal instincts take control. When the hunger for survival was so strong that he became the aggressor.
It had been the first time in his life that he had let himself give in to anything other than rational thought. Even when he had lost himself in sadness or fear, there was a part, deep inside himself that understood the logical reason for his sadness or fear and allowed them to rule him in those moments.
Adam knew instantly that he wouldn’t be able to let himself take a path that the system had not deemed compatible for him. That left him with a choice between the Path of the Academic and the Path of the Beast.
The Academic would most likely allow him to stay away from danger, maybe casting spells when he gained a class in the future, but the Beast pulled at him in a way that honestly scared him. He couldn’t help but think about the rush he had felt when he killed the scalecat just before he was sponsored.
After thinking his options over, Adam went with his gut and chose his path.