An overwhelming number of notifications were arrayed before Glade, broken down in a manner that was optimal for him to review. Not that he really wanted to go through the messages. There was a reason he had become a field operative instead of a desk officer. He hated anything to do with paperwork, especially email.
Not knowing what else to do, he began with the first category - Domain of the Eight.
Welcome traveler! Due to your incapacitation upon entering the Eight’s Domain, Leonard, Not Moron, provided consent for your integration into dimension 008. Placement on Veil will commence once awarded boons are expended. You now have access to your status page and logbook. Other abilities can be unlocked or discovered through personal advancement. You are now eligible to be granted rewards respective to the standards established by the Eight.
Note: During testing and evaluation of your corporeal form, the system adjudicators have confirmed compatibility, creation, and integration of all eight elemental mana pathways. While pathways have been successfully created, they remain closed to encourage personal advancement.
“Leonard, not Moron?” Glade asked, raising an eyebrow toward Kedryn. There was more to unpack from the notification beyond the fact he finally had access to the Kid’s real first name. But that could wait. There was a story behind the notification. A story he would very much like to hear.
The Corporal cleared his throat with a grimace and tried to dismiss the statement as nothing to be concerned about. Glade wasn’t buying it and began questioning the young man until Kedryn caved.
It took some time, but at long last, the Corporal recounted the tale in halting stutters and mumbles. And for the first time in what felt like days, Glade smiled.
Did Kedryn’s explanation make him question his sanity? Beyond a doubt.
Did it annoy him to no end that Kedryn had made such a serious decision on his behalf? Absolutely.
Did hearing the entirety of what Kedryn had gone through raise his opinion of his new charge? Grudgingly, yes. But it also brought him a small measure of hope that the adjudicators, or whatever the hell those puff balls were, obviously had a sense of humor.
After Kedryn’s retelling of what happened, both men sat in companionable silence for a time, the sizzling meat from their makeshift frying pan the only sound.
“Thank you,” Glade said, finally breaking the silence, “for saving my life.”
There really wasn’t anything more to say. Kedryn had pulled through and reacted during an incredibly complex situation. His actions deserved to be recognized.
“Does that mean you will stop calling me Kid?” Kedryn asked, his face brightening.
“Don’t push your luck,” Glade responded with a chuckle before turning back to his notifications.
As pulled up the next message, in the moments between thoughts, the Corporal’s real name again faded from his mind.
Congratulations! You are the 12th sentient from your dimension and the 77th sentient to enter the Eight’s domain. Truly, fortune smiles upon you to achieve such accomplishments. You are granted a minor boon for each achievement.
Congratulations! By being offered to the Eight for research and evaluation you are granted a minor boon.
Note: Due to the unauthorized infringement into your mindscape by one of the Eight during the evaluation and subsequent healing of your corporeal form, you are granted a moderate boon.
Number of minor boons granted: 3
Number of moderate boons granted: 1
Note: Any boon granted must be used prior to placement on Veil.
Glade barely acknowledged the notifications as they didn’t exactly provide any new information. The context was straight forward enough. He had been given some form of reward simply by falling through a hole in space where he ended up a guinea pig for some kind of powerful entities. He could even remember the names that belonged to the annoying voices that had both saved his life and probed his mind.
Credos, the one with the gravelly voice that had quite literally shoved a tentacle of mist into his skull, and Acumen, the pretentious adjudicator who really needed a punch to the face.
Setting his frustration aside, Glade mentally prioritized finding out as much as possible about these self-proclaimed adjudicators. There was no telling how important these creatures were and what they were capable of.
Glade moved on.
Warning! Designation Glade, you are attempting to absorb concentrated mana of the Eighth Plane to force advancement of telepathic synapses. This attempt has been blocked by the Adjudicators. Forcing growth without the requisite attunements, skills, and abilities will cause significant damage to your corporeal body and psyche!
Memories of being bound by golden threads in a celestial paradise flashed before his eyes. More specifically, memories of breathing in said threads of mist. The warning made sense. Breathing in foreign substances was not only dangerous, but idiotic. But it wasn’t like he had done it on purpose.
The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.
Of course, if Vlad had been there, he would have encouraged the behavior.
Glade continued to read.
Warning! Designation Glade’s use of an unknown ability is overriding protocols that prevent non-deific sentients from processing concentrated mana.
Warning! Synaptic failure imminent. Authorization of minor boon to prevent corporeal degradation and cognitive failure of Designation Glade authorized.
Calculating…
Glade furrowed his brow. That didn’t sound good.
Congratulations! Beyond all reason and disregard for personal safety, you have ingested highly concentrated, pure mana from the Eighth Domain. Ignorant though you may be, this was a rash choice and has drawn notice of the Adjudicators. May you survive the trials to come. Regardless, the Eight have arrested the degradation of your corporeal body and psyche by using a minor boon on your behalf to guide the ingested mana to open your Astral Mana Channel. You have been granted an attunement of the Astral Elemental Sphere!
Say what now?
Congratulations! You have gained a Spark level of attunement and have taken your first step to become an Astral mage. Spirit, mind, aura, and mana manipulation are among some of the pathways to power within this sphere of magic. As an Astral mage at the Spark level, you are granted the following:
Spark (Astral): You are now able to create the smallest form of magic - a spark - of pure astral mana. Spark may be synergistic with other skills and specializations. Spell Level: 0. Cost: 1 mana. Cool Down: NA.
Stunned, Glade read the last prompt again.
“Sir,” Kedryn asked. “Are you ok? You look... nonplussed.”
“Nonplussed?” Glade replied absently, still processing the latest notification.
“Well, it means confused…”
“Why not just say confused then? Seriously, no one uses nonplussed in their day-to-day vocabulary. And in answer to your question, yes. I am baffled about what I’m reading.”
“Maybe I can help?” This last request was asked in the tone of voice Glade could only associate with a child asking if they could be involved in whatever the grownups were doing. What kind of home had Kedryn been raised in to make him need so much validation? His bet was on intentional neglect. Having spent the last few hours with his newest charge, Glade could empathize with the poor boy’s parents.
“I’ll admit, I can use some… information,” Glade began, bracing himself for the verbal onslaught of gaming theory and unsolicited advice. “These latest prompts are telling me I somehow overrode some protocols, breathed in some magical mist, and needed the fragments to intervene. If the prompts are to be believed, I can… use magic?”
Glade’s last comment came out more as a question than a statement.
“Maybe you could read your prompts to me?” Kedryn urged.
Not seeing a better way to inform the Kid, Glade read his prompts aloud while ignoring the voice in his head screaming - Abort! Oddly, the voice sounded a great deal like Mother’s.
Five minutes later, Glade was already regretting not listening to his inner voice. Kedryn insisted on dissecting every phrase of his notifications while providing in-depth commentary on each line that went well beyond his comprehension level.
“So, what exactly is an attunement?” Glade asked after a lengthy speculation session.
“To be honest, I’m not sure,” Kedryn replied. “I believe it has something to do with a person’s aptitude in a specific sphere of magic. I’ve asked Riya about it, but she says she can’t explain it to us. Something about her not being qualified. But I’m more interested in that mysterious ability you mentioned. Do you know what it is?”
“All I see on my status screen is unknown,” Glade responded while seeing an opportunity to break away from the conversation. “Maybe the remainder of my notifications will help shed some light.”
Without waiting for a response, Glade pulled up the next messages.
Due to your stubborn resolve to ignore the Eight’s warning and continue your masochistic actions of ingesting pure mana, the Adjudicators have expended an additional minor boon to direct the ingested mana in order to increase your attunement level within the Astral Elemental Sphere.
Congratulations! You have gained a Sympathetic level attunement in the Astral Elemental Sphere. As such, you are awarded the following:
Aura Sense. This allows the user to read auras. All things have an aura, from the tiniest grain of sand to the greatest of worlds. This skill grants you the ability to interpret targeted auras. Of all known identify skills, aura sense is the most reliable as there are few that can mask, or change, their aura. Cost: 5 mana.
Congratulations! Advancing your attunement level from Spark to Sympathetic in less than a day is a notable achievement, even though this was a result of the adjudicators being forced to intervene to save your life (again). As such, you are awarded a spell within your attunement rank which may be selected whenever you decide to read these notifications. Which, by the rate you are going, will be never. You are far more likely to die from mana poisoning due to your ignorance and blatant stupidity. In the off chance you do survive before you run out of boons, you may choose between the following:
Mana Manipulation: Manipulate mana at the fundamental level. Synergistic with other spells, skills, and specializations. Spell Level: 1. Cost: 10 mana. Cool down: 10 minutes. The number of mana types and area of influence affected is determined by the caster’s skill level, attunement, and level of mana channels.
Astral Light: Create a ball of astral light. Spell level: 1. Cost: 3 mana +1 mana per ten minutes to maintain light. Cool down: NA. Sphere of illumination determined by caster’s skill level, attunement, and mana channel level.