In Krall, the southern region of Kartha, West of Mannea—the motherland of the Lei Realm.
Moko and Terayla walked into a round open area that stretched a hundred meters from one reach to the other. It was barren of people or Domains but was brimming with nature. Trees surrounded the massive region like a circular wall. Birds flew around the vicinity. Dandelions and daisies peppered the area, dancing in the serene breeze. Rocks ranging from foot sizes to boulders were embedded in the plain.
A narrow path of gravel and dirt divided the field evenly. The two abandoned the road and went on the grass, traversing over to rest near a small body of boulders. The cats followed along and hopped on rocks to rest as well.
Terayla collected random pebbles that could fit in her tiny hands. The vast scenery of an empty field awaited her as she tossed the rocks playfully. One got sent hurling by all the effort she could exert. The child grunted with each heave and sway, chucking another one in the same direction. But they barely reached a few feet, rolling more than they were suspended in the air. After finishing her first batch, she skipped on the grass and searched for more. She ran back to Moko and continued throwing, repeating this cycle again and again.
Moko had other business to do. He sat on the ground, leaning against the largest boulder. Holding his Cookie, he observed the screen displayed in his view.
10,232 Cookies
10.0 CpS
Owned: Buy: Upgrade: Cursor – 100
Cursor – 1.379 Million
Cookies Reinforced Index Finger
– 100 Cursors
“It’s here,” Moko mumbled, looking at the numbers. Based on the presentation, he knew what this kind of milestone meant. He clenched his Cookie, feeling the rush of blood making him light-headed. –Can I finally Upgrade my Cursor?
In the middle of his thoughts, his body surged with a feeling of nostalgia. The situation from a while back felt oddly similar to this, the feeling of cluelessness that came with exploring his System. It was 20 days ever since he got his cursor.
His finger wavered in the air, half-reaching to the screen as the tip pointed at the box. The clear font with the alluring words to Upgrade his Asset invoked a desire to interact with it.
Moko took a deep breath and pushed his fingers at the [Reinforced Index Finger – 100 Cursors] box. When his finger touched the transparent surface, nothing registered. Staring at the place he touched, he realized he had missed the box by a slight millimeter. He clenched his teeth and covered his face. A deep grunt escaped his mouth.
Terayla heard the frustration emanating from him, stopping her playtime and turning around. She watched Moko flail around, seeming to have lost control of his sanity. Concerned, she called him. “Moko?”
He quickly composed himself, slapping his cheeks and clearing his throat. The feeling of putting all his drive and spirit into a single click and then vainly missing it was a nasty feeling. It rose something within him. Another taxing exhale left him and he tried to be calm for her. “It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”
She tilted her head. Her red eyes peered at him, watching his expectant gaze at his screen.
Moko clamped his mouth shut and lifted his finger again. After a period of collecting the will to press it again, he pushed his finger forward and tapped on the screen’s surface—this time hitting the box.
A light pop tickled his ears, and a drastic change overrode the field of light. Numbers shifted and the names have altered. His eyes darted, seeing an instant flicker of variation on the screen. He analyzed from top to bottom the things that changed:
11,021 Cookies
0 CpS
Owned: Buy: Upgrade: Cursor – 0
Tier I
Cursor – 100 Cookies ??? – 200 Cursors
“Are you looking at your System again?” Terayla asked. She walked up and observed him, intrigued. “Did something happen? You have a funny face.”
“Yeah,” Moko nodded, his eyes never pulling away. He couldn’t close his mouth. Not now. There was a great attachment to the sight of Tier I written beneath [Cursors – 0]. Though confused, it was a change he progressively understood by the second. He lost all the cursors he had accumulated over the past three weeks. The absence of all the Assets he owned weighed upon him. He huffed. –At least I still have all my cookies.
Moko got up from the floor. Terayla stepped back and kept her curious eyes on him. He lifted his hand and tapped on the screen, purchasing his very first cursor again.
(–100 Cookies)
+1 Cursor
0 CpS → 1 CpS
Upon the purchase, his eyes froze. He had to blink twice to see what he was seeing. Something felt off. He thought to himself, –No decimals? Where’re the decimals?
Half-bewildered and half-baffled, he purchased a couple of more cursors.
(–110 Cookies)
+1 Cursor
1 CpS → 2 CpS
(–121 Cookies)
+1 Cursor
2 CpS → 3 CpS
“No way,” Moko pressed his palm behind his head. Again, he purchased more, unable to believe what was happening.
(–134 Cookies)
+1 Cursor
3 CpS → 4 CpS
(–147 Cookies)
+1 Cursor
4 CpS → 5 CpS
(–162 Cookies)
+1 Cursor
5 CpS → 6 CpS
“Moko, what’s wrong?” She asked. “No more cookies?”
“No, it’s not that…” The numbers were not the same as before. Moko blew a hefty breath out of his lungs, trying to calm down. –The production multiplied by 10.
(–178 Cookies)
+1 Cursor
6 CpS → 7 CpS
(–195 Cookies)
+1 Cursor
7 CpS → 8 CpS
(–215 Cookies)
+1 Cursor
8 CpS → 9 CpS
(–236 Cookies)
+1 Cursor
9 CpS → 10 CpS
As he purchased more cursors, something confused him. –Wait, so all I had to do was first buy an Upgrade to start this rapid production? It sounded like my parents started right off the bat with theirs. Maybe it’s because of their Dual System. But then again, they said it themselves: I’m the weird one.
Moko sighed, keeping these thoughts in his head. He hummed to himself as he proceeded to purchase all the cursors he could afford with his cookies.
(–260 Cookies)
+1 Cursor
10 CpS → 11 CpS
(–286 Cookies)
+1 Cursor
11 CpS → 12 CpS
(–314 Cookies)
+1 Cursor
12 CpS → 13 CpS
(–346 Cookies)
+1 Cursor
13 CpS → 14 CpS
(–380 Cookies)
+1 Cursor
14 CpS → 15 CpS
(–418 Cookies)
+1 Cursor
15 CpS → 16 CpS
(–460 Cookies)
+1 Cursor
16 CpS → 17 CpS
(–506 Cookies)
+1 Cursor
17 CpS → 18 CpS
If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
(–556 Cookies)
+1 Cursor
18 CpS → 19 CpS
(–612 Cookies)
+1 Cursor
19 CpS → 20 CpS
(–673 Cookies)
+1 Cursor
20 CpS → 21 CpS
(–741 Cookies)
+1 Cursor
21 CpS → 22 CpS
(–815 Cookies)
+1 Cursor
22 CpS → 23 CpS
(–896 Cookies)
+1 Cursor
23 CpS → 24 CpS
(–985 Cookies)
+1 Cursor
24 CpS → 25 CpS
(–1,084 Cookies)
+1 Cursor
25 CpS → 26 CpS
921 Cookies
26 CpS
Owned: Buy: Upgrade: Cursor – 26
Tier I
Cursor – 1,192 Cookies ??? – 200 Cursors
“What the…” Moko stood stiff, unable to articulate himself. His mouth shook. His finger twitched. Flabbergast was written all over his face. Before he could express any more of his astonishment, his System was ready to purchase another cursor.
1,213 Cookies
–This is too much. The grip on his Cookie tightened. The multiplier was unusually high. Maybe it was typical growth for Systems in the Lei Realm; he just couldn’t take it all in right now. –It’s so weird. They’re clicking my Cookie when they’re not physically outside. How are they doing that? Whatever it is, their strength multiplied because the Entity production increased. Either that or the System got more fragile. Have the cursors become stronger? That sounds more reasonable. Then something sparked his mind. –If that’s the case…
“Terayla, I’m going to test my cursor on the boulder.”
“Again? You did this a lot of times. Are you bored?”
He shook his head. “I’m just trying out an Upgrade I bought. I’ll explain to you later. Make some space for now.”
Terayla nodded, walking with Moko as they parted from the cluster of rocks. “Can I play with the cursor after?”
“Sure,” he said, tapping on the screen to extract an orb and attaching it to his fingertip.
(–1 Cursor)
26 CpS → 25 CpS
He put his System in his pocket.
With eyes at the faraway target, he lifted his arm behind him. And swinging his arm across with might, he sent the orb toward the boulder at elevating speeds. In mid-flight, the ball lengthened and flattened, manifesting itself into a cursor and contouring with a blanket of light. The hurling object whipped across the air, coursing in a straight line with unwavering advance.
As it settled closer and closer, the cursor cracked the surface of the boulder. A loud ringing impact erupted like a clash of metal against a solid material. Small bits of rock fragmented and scattered from the impact. Dust exploded from the hit and flew away in the wind. The cursor immediately lost momentum. It spun chaotically and descended to the floor.
A small crater formed on the rock, going a mere inch deep. But even with that underwhelming outcome, it was enough to tell what had changed.
Moko furrowed his eyebrows, his eyes fixed on the spot he struck. Terayla had covered her ears from the ringing impact. But once subsided, she looked at the spectacle.
“Terayla, when was the last time I hit that same boulder?” He asked.
She looked up at him. “Um… Yesterday.”
“And what happened that time?”
“Nothing. The cursor did nothing.”
(–1 Cursor)
25 CpS → 24 CpS
Moko pulled out another orb from his System. His sight stirred up ahead, gazing at the colony of trees fencing the perimeter. One particular tree caught his view and he chose it as his next target.
He lifted his hand behind him. He folded his lips and flexed his limb far out. The movement was slow and steady. Strength built up in his upper body. Terayla stepped away, seeing a stern look on his face. It was going to be a full-blown toss.
With a large breath, he swiped his arm downward. His wrist snapped and the finger thrust outward. The orb got sent hurling toward the tree with greater speed. It flew in a straight and undisturbed line. A faint whistle emitted as the ball transformed into a radiant cursor. The rate at which it moved was frightening. It became a blur. Winds couldn’t steer it off course. Moko already felt his heart trembling.
The pointer finger aimed at the side of the tree. Upon contact, the entire tree rattled. Leaves shook and branches quivered mercilessly. The trunk shattered, breaking into pieces and exploding. Even the deepest part of the flesh got torn. A loud pop expelled as the cursor shoveled a substantial amount of wood from the body. The cursor rebounded and flew in a new direction. The first impact wasn’t enough to stop it, and it landed behind a tree.
Moko saw an unusually large crater, far bigger than his usual creations. He was silent, and his arm was awkward in the air. Terayla pressed her little hands on her head. Her eyes were closed. The cats ran off in the opposite direction, hiding behind some rocks. When she opened her eyes, she looked up to meet Moko’s.
“That was strong,” she said, whispering.
He scratched his head. Despite the destruction left on the tree, it still remained rooted. “Huh. It took one cursor to make damage that required about… 15 cursors. That’s strange.” –I thought it would be by multiples of 10. As effective as it is in digital production, it should also apply to the physical characteristics. Maybe not. Maybe I got stronger. That could be the reason.
Terayla wandered off into the distance, running to grab the cursor near the boulder. She then trailed away down the field to where the second cursor was. Her figure vanished behind some trees. Amidst her departure, Moko was occupied with his own thoughts. He grabbed his Cookie from his pocket.
3,829 Cookies
24 CpS
Owned: Buy: Upgrade: Cursor – 24 (+2)
Tier I
Cursor – 1,192 Cookies ??? – 200 Cursors
–Is there any way for me to find descriptions or anything that helps me know what I’m doing? The Upgrade “reinforced” the cursors, but it didn’t say anything else. Are Upgrades actually in multiples of 10? But what about when the cursors become physical? Everything is an assumption except the Entity production. But even that is confusing without explanations.
He sighed, “Man, this is useless. And here I thought we’d be okay traveling, but surviving out here is harder than we thought. If only my System had Applications… I could only dream. Wanderers told us not to go to Mannea right now—as if we could at this rate.”
There was a faint sight of an arm waving in the distance. Moko looked up to see Terayla holding two of the cursors in one hand, but her other one was lifted high. She seemed to be calling him to come. He wondered what she was asking him for. So he walked to her.
She spoke no word because of the large gap between them. But inching bit by bit at a slow pace, Terayla whined and ran to him. She grabbed and tugged his hand.
“Hurry!” She shouted, eager and loud.
Moko felt her hand pulling on his fingers. He walked faster, letting the child guide him. “Where are we going? You look serious.”
“I found someone,” she said, pulling and pulling. “It’s a boy. He looks like he’s hurt.”
“Hurt?” His tone became less nonchalant. “How hurt?”
“Very!” She left him and sprinted back into the forest. Her figure disappeared behind the trees again.
Moko’s expression grew stern. There was uncertainty that what she said was true. He never encountered someone who’d be very injured, not in the Lei Realm. But when it came to Systemless people, it was certain. Death by harm wasn’t impossible.
So he picked up the pace this time, concern worrying his face. It took him a moment until he entered the densely populated region. Pushing away branches and stepping on the path she took, he got onto a narrow road of gravel and dirt.
“Moko!” Terayla shouted from his right.
He turned and saw her running at him again. She grabbed his hand and dragged him down the path. Moko saw a little figure appearing from over the bushes. Taking the road and turning a corner, he spotted a little boy on the ground.
A pool of blood leaked from the child. It seeped out and stained the floor. Moko’s pacing walk turned strict and desperate. His eyes widened and his heart sank. He noticed the blood trailing away from the road and into a random group of shrubs. The sheer amount of redness coating the ground haunted him. It was so overwhelming that he had to step back, imagining this was an illusion. But smelling the metallic stench permeating and the soft panting from the boy, he knew this was reality.
Moko didn’t care about where the kid came from. He ran up to him, slipping from Terayla’s grip and getting on his knees.
“Hey!” He shouted, keeping his arms up and unsure of what to do. The boy’s face was pale, his breath weak. When he pulled up the shirt to see the source of the bleeding, he spotted a deep cut beneath the ribs. Moko hissed.
–What do I do?! I have nothing! Moko had to think of something. He recalled leaving all the belongings near the boulders. Even if he’d grab them, there was nothing but food and water. The crimson blood soaking the floor was recent. He couldn’t waste any more time.
Moko tore a part of his traveling cloak and made it into a ball. Pressing it on the wounded site, he carried the boy in his arms. He lifted him effortlessly and used his chest to press against the ball of fabric.
His eyes darted around the environment, finding what to do next. Terayla was beside him, her face troubled and tensed.
“Terayla,” he said, “where is the closest Domain?”
She stammered in her words, flinching from the seriousness in his voice. “U–Um, right there.” Pointing in nothing but a long stretch of green, Moko nodded.
“Could you guide us?”
Terayla struggled to respond but said with effort, “Okay!”
The cats began running far. Their tails were lifted up, their bodies low. In a second, they vanished behind the trees. A couple took the road; the rest went to find the closest Domain in search of help—or anyone who could help the boy.
Terayla ran next, shifting her head one time and then another time. She whimpered, running with her little feet with eyes wide open. Behind her, Moko followed with the boy in his arms. Together, they traversed onward, trusting the guidance of Terayla and her cats.