CHAPTER 13: A FRIEND APPEARS
Jenna considered the message carefully. “What do you mean, ‘would I like to meet them’? Do I get a choice in the matter?”
No member of the training grounds is forced to interact with others.
“Is it in my best interest to meet others?”
Insufficient data.
“What data are you missing?”
You have not interacted with another human since entering the Training Grounds. As a result, insufficient data exist to model whether you are more or less capable when interacting with others.
“Is it a requirement to meet others in order to delve the rift?”
Yes.
“Then I would like to meet others.” Even as she spoke, Jenna realized that she needed to clarify something, “wait, does this space still remain private for me?” If it didn’t, she was going to need to sell all of the Hardened Glass now.
Each student is given the option to have their space be designated fully private or open.
“I would like my space to be private,” she said, before realizing that she hadn’t asked if she was allowed to change the designation later or even what the designations meant.
Preference stored. Please proceed through the door.
“When does the rift open?”
The rift will open tomorrow after meal time. If you would like to delve with a team, you will all need to state your party plan before that time.
Jenna hadn’t even considered that. She didn’t have to delve alone. She could find people to delve with, or potentially even find the friends she had from school.
As she considered it more, though, she seemed felt keen about the prospect. All of the training that she had done up to that point was focused on a single person in melee with goblins. While having a teammate might be nice to reduce how much of the combat she needed to do herself, it also meant that she would be sharing the rewards.
“I just realize that I never asked,” she said, “how does delving a rift increase my Magic capacity, and is it still a good choice for me to delve a rift?”
Direct information about contents of rifts prior to first delve forbidden.
“What about whether or not it remains a good choice for me to delve a rift.”
Imprecise query. Most choices that have opportunity for growth can be considered good choices. Best guess: is delving the Welcome Week Rift the optimal use of my time, or would I be better served filling my time with a different set of activities? Accept guess?
Jenna wasn’t sure how to feel about the fact that the Pyramid told her why her question was imprecise. Rather than dwell on that, though, she considered the Pyramid’s framing. It seemed reasonable enough, as it tended to, “guess accepted.”
Guess accepted. Insufficient data to determine if it would be optimal, but current projections show it as more optimal than any activity you have pursued up to this point in the Training Grounds.
“Should I delve alone or with a group?” Even though she felt like the answer was alone, Jenna still wanted to make sure that she wasn’t going to be making a mistake by going into the rift alone.
There are no general principles for how First Tier Rifts should be delved.
That was an annoyingly vague answer. Still, it supported what she wanted to do, so Jenna supposed that it was clear enough. She stepped through the door that would lead her to others.
Immediately, Jenna was overwhelmed by the number of other people that she saw. She knew intellectually that more or less every twenty year old in the world chose to climb the Pyramid. But, as she was becoming more and more aware, knowing and understanding were two very different experiences.
She wasn’t sure what the cultural norms were here. Was it uncouth to talk to the Pyramid in front of others?
“Is there an etiquette guide or anything?”
Other than the Rules and Regulations all students agree to follow, it is up to each Year to determine their own social norms.
That wasn’t helpful.
While Jenna stood, half panicking at the number of people in front of her, she didn’t notice someone come up to talk. Thankfully, the Pyramid hadn’t tried ambushing her with anything yet. It meant that her instinctual reaction to a surprise was still jumping back, rather than swinging.
“Are you as nervous as you look?” Jenna realized that the question was directed at her. She stared at the person who had decided to talk to her.
“I’m sorry, what did you say?” she asked.
“That came off wrong,” the small woman in front of her grinned sheepishly, “my name is Rita,” she said, holding out a hand.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
“Jenna,” she replied instinctively, holding out a hand.
“What Schools are you learning?” Rita asked.
“I’m focusing solely on Enchanting,” she replied, unsure why this stranger had chosen to approach her. The other woman seemed to be waiting for something, and Jenna considered whether or not to engage in continuing the conversation. After a moment of thought, she realized that the downsides to continuing the conversation were minimal, and the downsides to not continuing the conversation could be massive.
She wouldn’t want to develop a reputation as mean among the people that she would be spending the next decade with, after all.
“What about you?” she asked.
Rita chuckled, “sorry, I’m just so glad that I’m not the only one who is having to relearn how to talk to other humans after the past three weeks.” Seeing Jenna smile, she continued, “I’m focusing on Illusions,” she continued, “though depending on what Spells I get access to, I might end up branching into something else as well.”
The two of them chatted for a little longer, conversation stilted on both sides. When Rita left, Jenna realized that she had already forgotten what the woman looked like. “Is there a way that you can project name tags above people I have met already so that I don’t forget names or people?”
Yes. As an Enchanter, though, this will force a Mandatory Project in your Sixth Year. Accept Bargain?
That was an unfamiliar option. “What would the Mandatory Project be?” she asked. She would almost certainly say yes, but it felt important to not agree to something without knowing the terms.
It would be an Enchantment to replicate the same effect you are requesting. You would be required to produce two of the Enchantment, one for yourself so that you don’t rely on a crutch outside of the Pyramid, and one to replace the Enchantment being provided here. Accept Bargain?
“Is there a cost in points right now?”
No. Name retention services are provided upon request to students in order to improve relations. Data suggest better relations lead to more years spent learning on average.
“Then I agree,” Jenna said, “bargain accepted.”
Bargain accepted. Grimoire Spells adjusted to make Bargain plausibly accomplished.
Jenna realized that she might have made a mistake. “Did I just make my climb more difficult?”
Query imprecise. Best guess query: did my affinity for Spells within the Grimoire reduce significantly as a result of this Bargain? Accept query?
“Query accepted.”
No.
With the new Enchantment activated, Jenna could see Rita moving around the crowd of people. She realized that it was nearly time to eat her meal. The stress of meeting new people had distracted her from how much time was passing.
Jenna figured that it was probably a good idea to try and get to know Rita better, if only because she was the only person she’d met in the Pyramid so far. With as many people as it had hosted, she didn’t think the odds were good that she would run into anyone that she knew from before. More than that, though, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to.
They had all been content to fail at climbing the Pyramid. Sure, some of them claimed to be ambitious, wanting to reach for the Eighth floor, but that was it.
“Can you point out others who want to climb high?” she muttered under her breath, “also, is there a way for me to ask you questions without talking?”
Queries imprecise. Best guess one: Are you willing and able to mark out the climbers who are projected to reach at least the same year as me? Best guess two: Are there methods readily available to me which would allow for nonverbal queries? Accept guesses?
“Guess one accepted,” Jenna replied, “I’ll need to think more about what I’m actually trying to ask with the second.”
Guess One Accepted. Yes. Would you like the other students predicted to reach at least Year Eight to be marked in your vision?
“Yes,” Jenna replied. There was a flash of light as the Enchantment she had to see names changed somehow. To her surprise, it seemed like nothing was different after the light faded. As she scanned through the crowd, they all looked the same. “Is no one here projected to reach the Eighth Floor?” she asked, shocked.
Query seems to rely on inaccurate information. Please explain logic.
“Everyone here looks the same. No one is glowing or anything.”
Why does this imply no one is projected to reach Eighth Year?
Jenna paused at that question. What else could it mean. Understanding slowly bloomed, and she asked, “is everyone here expected to reach their Eighth Year?”
Information appears accurate now. Query appears to be phrased to not answer desired question. Best guess at implied query: are students grouped by what Year they are expected to make it through? Accept guess?
“Guess accepted.”
Yes.
Jenna considered that. If she had known that her performance in the first three weeks would determine her cohort, she would have tried harder to improve the Pyramid’s estimation of how high she could climb. As she thought for a moment longer, though, she realized that there was nothing she would have done differently. After all, her goal was to climb the Pyramid, which it also knew. If it didn’t believe that she could yet, that just meant that she needed to continue to push herself harder.
Still, that did raise some disturbing implications, “what happens if your projection changes?”
Students are reseeded after each rift until few enough students exist for a single cohort to exist.
That was good at least. She wasn’t going to be associating with people who would drag her down. If she managed to push further or if they fell off, the rift would reveal it.
Jenna had been moving as she asked the Pyramid questions, and she had nearly made it to where Rita was sitting. The woman turned around as Jenna passed the last group between them, and she smiled. “How did you find me?” she asked.
Jenna’s Status:
Jenna Fredrickson First Year Spells Known: First Tier: Hardened Glass Expected Years Completed: 7 Prediction Confidence: 40% Points: 40 Qualified to Ascend to Next Year? Yes