Barry woke, for the second time to the bright shining glow of white light around him. However, this time he had a red demon standing next to him fanning air into his face with its frighteningly sharp tail.
“Oh good, you’re back. Had me worried for a second there. I don’t know if it’s possible to die in limbo, but I sure don’t want to find out. I bet it would be a hell of a lot of paperwork for me,” Gupa said with a grin.
Barry didn’t know if the demon had just made a joke or if it was being serious, but either way seeing the creatures’ sharp triangular teeth this close up was enough to snap him back to his senses.
“Thank you,” Barry said warily as he slowly got himself up and backed away as casually as he could manage.
It was at this moment that he finally took the time to look around at his surroundings. He was in some sort of cube, with each side being around thirty metres in diameter. The walls, ceiling and floor of the structure were all a glowing white, identical in every way. This made it hard to distinguish where one wall ended, and another begun. There were no other objects within the space that he could see apart from himself and the demon, they were truly isolated. Most worryingly though was the fact that there were no windows or doors that Barry could see, he was completely trapped. Turning his attention back to the demon in front of him Barry spoke.
“Gupa was it? You need to give me a second here, I don’t understand what is happening at all, what exactly is limbo, and what do you mean you are going to help me with my second life?” Barry asked in genuine befuddlement.
Gupa let out a long sigh before answering in scattered, rushed sentences, “Well, why don’t I start from the start. You were a mortal human on the planet natively known as earth, in the Delta galaxy, within the Methyst universe. By chance you just happened to be alive at the exact point in time when your planet has been integrated into the wider star system. Up until now your baby planet has been allowed to evolve on its own without outside interference. But like all youngsters there comes a time when you have to grow up and face the challenges of adulthood, and for you and your planets inhabitants, that time is now. Allowing life to grow naturally may seem idyllic, but as I’m sure you can attest to it is rarely fair. Some are born strong, others weak. It is the lottery of life. But from now on that lottery is evened out dramatically, each one of your race is granted the same starting physical attributes. Individual differences like height, looks and weight will still exist, but overall things are much more fair and it will be your own decisions moving forward that will differentiate you from your peers, not some genetic abnormality. You Barry are the perfect example; you were born with a medical condition that put you at a disadvantage in life. But that ailment is no more. Your body is no longer a limiting factor, you have the power to control your future. And limbo is the place where these changes happen and you can start to make your own decisions.”
Barry stared blankly at Gupa for a prolonged time before replying, “I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. So is there, or is there not a heaven and hell?”
Gupa stared at Barry with a dumbfounded look on his face.
“Weird and dumb,” the demon muttered under his breath before answering properly. “That’s all you got out of my speech? What does it even matter if there’s a heaven or hell, you’ve got a new chance at life!” Gupa said. Barry shrugged and Gupa finally answered the question, “No there’s no heaven or hell in the sense that you are thinking of. But there are ways of avoiding true death, although those concepts are so far beyond your understanding or abilities that it’s not even worth talking about at this point.”
Barry listened and smirked internally, glad in a way that he hadn’t spent his time pointlessly praying when there was no heaven anyway. He’d always figured if there really was a god, then he wanted nothing to do with it because what sort of deity would curse someone with a condition like the one he had been born with? However, he quickly shook off his thoughts as he figured he should probably focus on whatever it was that the demon was trying to explain to him.
“Ok, so I almost died, but instead you grabbed me just before that happened and now I have a second chance at life but this time without my disease? And you, a demon, something that I didn’t even think existed, let alone could speak my language are going to guide me through some things that I need to know. Is that right?” Barry verbally surmised.
“That’s about as basic an understanding as is possible, but yes,” Gupa sighed, “Let’s continue.”
“Each being is more or less created equal in terms of potential, despite individual differences in strengths, weaknesses and power all existing. The gods are nothing if not fair after all,” Gupa grinned.
“Wait, the gods? You mean there are gods, I thought you said there was no heaven or hell?” Barry cut in.
“Still with the heaven and hell thing? Let it go boy! Of course there are gods. If there were no gods there would be no integration of planets, there would be no equality, there would be no magic,” Gupa declared.
“Magic?” Barry blurted, nearly falling down again after having only recently got back up.
“Yes magic,” said Gupa with frustration in his voice, “Maybe just let me finish my explanation before cutting in with all the questions,” he snapped.
Barry nodded slowly, as he stared at the little demon expectantly, “Sorry, go on,” Barry said.
“Once integrated the gods grant all mortals access to two distinct forms of power. Soul magic, and soul items. Magic is all around us. In the air, in the earth, in space, and within one’s body and soul. It is hidden to the uninitiated, unable to be felt or accessed by those pre integration. But once the gods decide to integrate a planet, the natives ability to sense and utilise magic is unlocked. The utilisation and potential of magic is limitless but differs between people depending on each person’s individual magical affinities. Affinities are elemental links a person has to a certain form of magic. One’s primary affinity is entirely pre-determined and cannot be changed. Secondary affinities are partly inherited and partly influenced by one’s environment and experiences. Numerous affinities exist, some more common ones include fire, earth, body, dark and beast, but there are many, many more,” Gupa explained, with a smile, as if this was the simplest concept imaginable.
Barry was feeling overwhelmed and confused by the information, but he didn’t want to interrupt the demon again. Additionally, he was starting to believe that this might actually be real as he doubted his brain was capable of coming up with such far-fetched concepts.
“Soul items are a physical tool or weapon linked directly to one’s soul. They can grow, adapt and evolve with their wielder much like one’s soul magic. The gods grant each individual the choice of one of five weapons or tools. These will include the four items for which the gods deem you to have the greatest natural potential. The fifth option is a lucky dip of sorts, where a random item of varying potential will be selected for you. Once selected, the item is bound to your soul, and it cannot be changed easily. Additionally, the process of selecting a new soul item has many drawbacks. Each initiate, that’s a term to describe a newcomer to the concept of magic, can only be bonded to one soul item,” Gupa added.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“Through mastery and usage of your soul magic and soul item you will gain experience which, once a threshold has been reached, will lead to the levelling of that particular stat. These soul magic and item stats, as well as other pieces of information can be viewed by accessing what is known as your status screen. If you focus your mind, you should find you can mentally picture your status screen. The gods are nothing if not logical and organised, and you are fortunate that they have granted you access to such a useful and easily accessible display of personal information,” Gupa said whilst nodding his head. “These statistics represent the quantifiable evidence of your power and abilities. The first major stat listed is your power level, which is calculated as the mean value of your soul magic level and soul item level and is the simplest way of assessing a person or beasts’ overall strength. For each soul magic or item level gained you will earn soul points which can be invested into specific stats that are seen further down the screen, personalising your growth and eventual class choices.”
“Am I in a video game or something? This is sounding weirdly similar to some RPG’s that I used to play when I was younger. Stats, levelling, items, magic, this just can’t be real,” thought Barry as Gupa powered on with his informative rant.
“Next I will describe soul stats,” Gupa declared, ignoring Barry’s muddled looks”. “Your soul stats are where you can invest your accumulated experience points to advance yourself. Soul stats are divided into two key categories: physical and mental stats. In each category there are four individual stats that can be improved. Physical stats relate to your physical abilities and prowess. Within the physical category is vitality, strength, stamina, and dexterity. Investing in vitality will improve one’s durability, total health, and health regeneration. Strength relates to one’s power output and the effectiveness of their blows. A higher strength level, as the name suggests, makes one stronger and more capable of inflicting physical damage. Stamina represents one’s energy levels and physical endurance. With a high stamina stat one can exert themselves for extended periods without tiring, they will also be able to regenerate energy quicker. Finally, dexterity relates to the swiftness of one’s movement. High dexterity leads to greater agility and an improved ability to avoid being struck.”
“Mental stats on the other hand relate to one’s mental capacity and fortitude,” Gupa continued. “Within the mental category the four individual stats are mana, perception, manipulation and willpower. Mana represents the pool of magical energy accessible for one’s abilities. Some magical abilities have a minimum mana requirement, and without adequate mana stores you will be unable to utilise your magical abilities at all. Perception relates to one’s ability to detect the world around them. High perception improves one’s danger sense, ability to identify incoming enemy attacks and the ease with which one can detect treasures or traps. Manipulation relates to one’s ability to influence others, altering their decision making and thought processes in a variety of ways, even allowing complete obedience and mental enslavement at higher levels. Lastly, willpower represents one’s mental defences. A high willpower protects against external manipulation and improves one’s internal thought processes and determination in challenging situations.”
“Ok, now this is just getting ridiculous thought Barry, “Stats, level ups, and magic...” “This is exactly like a video game,” he blurted, unable to internalise he thoughts any more.
Gupa frowned at the comment, shaking his head in disagreement. “I have studied your races habits human and I am familiar with these things you call video games. I will admit that from what I have learned of these video games there are most definitely some similarities between the progression systems. But let me assure you that this is very much not a game. Your actions and decisions moving forward will have real consequences, and death in this life is final. There is no respawning once you have perished,” Gupa huffed. “Now, we really must push on for our time together is limited. Why don’t you try and access your status screen so you can visualise what I have been explaining. Calm your mind and search inwards, you should find the page appear in your thoughts,” Gupa insisted.
Barry had so many questions, but he chose to bite his tongue and do as he was told. Closing his eyes he focussed his thoughts. With surprisingly little effort Barry found a screen suddenly appear in his mind, filled with information.
Status Screen:
General stats:
* Race: Human
* Power level: 1
* Class: None
Soul magic stats:
* Magic level: 1
* Primary affinity: None
* Secondary affinity: None
Soul item stats:
* Item level: 1
* Item name: None
Soul stats:
Physical stats:
* Vitality: 1
* Strength: 1
* Stamina: 1
* Dexterity: 1
Mental stats:
* Mana: 1
* Perception: 1
* Manipulation: 1
* Willpower: 1
Titles:
* None
Other:
* Free points: 10
Skills:
* Expert linguist
* Inspection
“This is awesome,” beamed Barry as he studied the list of information before him.
Sure enough, he could see his soul magic, soul item, and soul stat levels. Additionally, there was much additional information listed that he still didn’t understand. What was most confusing were the three coloured bars at the top of his vision. One red, one green and one blue. However, before he could open his mouth, Gupa cut in.
“I’m going to assume you have found the status screen given you have been standing still and looking forward blankly for the past minute or so. You’re going to want to shake that habit as soon as possible otherwise you’ll be a sitting duck.”
Barry blinked, bringing his attention back to the demon and nodding in affirmation. “What are those coloured bars at the top?” Barry asked.
“Those represent your health, stamina and mana stores. Should your red health bar reach zero you will most likely die. If your green stamina bar is fully drained you will feel sluggish and be unable to move around much. And if your blue mana bar empties you will be unable to use magic,” Gupa explained.
“Note to self, don’t let the red bar disappear,” thought Barry.
“I will now detail the information provided on the status screen that we have yet to cover,” Gupa declared. “Race is fairly self-explanatory, you are a human, this has not changed, for now at least. Classes on the other hand are something you will not be familiar with. The gods will first grant an initiate the choice of five different classes when a power level of ten has been reached. Your selection will impact stat point allocation per level and also the abilities you can learn as you grow. It is vital that you select a class that resonates with you and reflects your strengths and interests in order to progress along your chosen path. Bottlenecks in development and growth are common, particularly in those who select an ill-fitting class. Upgrades to your class will become available at regular intervals through your journey, should you survive long enough and continue to progress.”
Barry was a little startled by the raw comments. He still had some doubt that this was all actually happening. But if it was real, he was quickly realising that it was not going to be an easy road. The way Gupa spoke made it sound like just surviving was an achievement and consequently, Barry’s feelings of apprehension and anxiety were overpowering the few moments of excitement he felt when the demon mentioned things like magic and abilities.
Gupa was not dissuaded by Barry’s frowns and confused looks, instead he pushed on with his speech with unwavering enthusiasm.
“Titles are permanent boosts to one’s stats,” Gupa explained. “They can often be obtained through completing challenges, defeating powerful foes, and by achieving certain impressive feats. Although there are numerous other unique methods of obtaining them. They are not visible to other initiates and can often be the difference in strength between individuals of a similar power level.”
“Ok, good to know,” thought Barry.
“Within the ‘other’ section of your status page you will find miscellaneous information that doesn’t easily fit into the other categories. You should see that you have ten free points available to be distributed throughout your soul stats as you desire. All initiates are granted this initial power boost. You may choose to allocate them at any time. However, I would recommend waiting until you have your soul item and have discovered your primary affinity before you do so, as these may alter your decisions. We will get to those tasks shortly,” Gupa explained.
“Finally, you will see your skills listed at the bottom of your status screen. Skills are abilities that can be learned through a variety of means that usually provide unique benefits in battle, crafting or other tasks. There are infinite skills that can be discovered and mastered, and they can even be upgraded to become more useful and powerful over time. All initiates are granted the skill expert linguist from the start of their journey, which allows all intelligent and sapient beings to communicate with each other regardless of race or language differences. Additionally, individuals of every species will begin their journey with a unique race skill. Humans like yourself are granted the race skill known as inspection. Inspection is an ocular skill which allows you to identify the power levels and highest skill stat of other beings just by focussing on them. It also gives information on items and their uses, and if you have the skill, you can often sense when someone uses it on you. To be honest, it’s not the best skill compared to what some other races have access to. It has its uses, but all species are able to identify items and power levels of creatures through physical touch, so just doing that through sight generally doesn’t provide a huge advantage,” reasoned Gupa.
Barry frowned at Gupa as he had his race skill ridiculed, especially considering that to Barry, it sounded extremely useful. “So if inspection isn’t so great then what are some other races skills?” he asked.
Gupa shuffled sheepishly at the question which looked odd to Barry given the intimidating persona the demon normally portrayed.
“Unfortunately, I cannot provide that information, it is something you will have to discover yourself,” Gupa mumbled.
“Well it seems a bit of a shitty comment to make if you’re just going to leave me hanging like that,” Barry chided, before bringing his hand up to his mouth in regret at his snappy outburst towards a creature that could likely tear him apart with little effort.
Thankfully it didn’t seem like Gupa was offended by the comment. Gupa was the first to cut through the awkward silence as he spoke with a cough.
“Anyway, shall we get to the good part? Let’s find out your soul item and magical affinity!” Barry simply responded with a wide grin and an agreeing clap of his hands.