Charlie grimaced. [Bureaucracy] sucked. It was a new word and new concept for her. Back on [Kentron] it was nowhere near as developed. Rather it was [Graft] and [Grease], [Favour] and [Influence] that kept things moving among the less explicitly powerful. And while these were inherently shady concepts, at least they were personal and relatable and somewhat understandable. This [Bureaucracy] was just faceless oppression. And she was trapped by this non-[System] system. It felt like she was a shiv too long being jammed into a crack in a stone wall. And while there was some progress it was slow going and painstakingly tedious. She was feeling blunt and numb. Who cared about her [Birth Paper]? Obviously she had been born. She didn’t need a [Certificate] to tell her that. Why the limp [Bureaucrat] insisted on it was beyond her. No she didn’t know her parents name. Presumably they were [Della Porta]s too. She hadn’t even thought of her last name in years. Not since she had joined the [Streets]. No, she didn’t know her birthday. It wasn’t important. Stupid egg.
She bottled up her urge to scream. While it would be cathartic to let loose, she instinctively knew it would not help. In fact, as she gritted her teeth in an approximation of a smile, it would work against her. Finally, she had a [Temporary Identification Card]. It was a small squarish tab. It had her face on it, glaring with a mulish look of perfectly captured frustration. Great, now every time she looked at it she would remember the angst of the past five hours. In fact, she was pretty sure that it was only because the [Clerk] had also reached the end of his patience that she had gotten this far. Her birthday was [1 January 2006]. Apparently that was the first day of the year and she was 17 years and thirty nine days old.
Brilliant. Now, she could get out of here.
The [Clerk] bid her farewell with an admonishment to [Register] at the [Ministry for Social Development] as an independent young person on the [Jobseeker Benefit]. There was no stand-down period, whatever that meant, and more importantly it would help her find a [Job]. Hmmmm. Sounded good, perhaps too good. Maybe it was like the [Adventurer Guild]’s quest board. She was noncommittal.
It was evening and the streets were thinning out. She still was amazed at the sheer density of people. The strangest thing was the complete homogeneity. They were all human. None of the other races or species were there. Sure there were different tones of skin, and a wider range at that, and the various styles of clothing were completely baffling but it was jarring not to also see elves, gnomes and dwarves in such a throng. And the humans were taller too. Rather than fitting in in the middle of a crowd she was definitely one of the shortest and by a significant amount. The only people she seemed to be taller than were kids. And it was obvious that most thought she was a kid too.
She had already been asked three times already today why she wasn’t at [School]. Apparently this was some sort of [Crèche] where agemates were segregated away to learn. It sounded crazy to her. You learnt off your seniors, not your peers. Your peers were competition. Bunching them all up together was just asking for trouble.
Charlie looked around. Where to go? She could try and find this [Backpackers] but she really couldn’t be bothered. She hadn’t slept in a bed since she… She curtailed her memories. Oh she had just spent 3 nights in a [Hospital] bed. That didn’t count. Anyway, looking forward, not backward. Always forwards. It was a mantra. She didn’t need a bed. Just somewhere out of the way where she could curl in this super warm coat. It was hardly even cold at all with it on and it reached down to her knees. This was a treasure indeed and the [Nurse] had even been apologetic in giving it to her. She shook her head in bemused remembrance. Rich indeed.
She shook herself. Back to the park she decided. She could curl up under that bench. It would keep her dry if it rained and it was on slightly higher ground overlooking the [Pump Track]. It was a track for riding a bike on. It seemed somewhat pointless seeing it didn’t lead anywhere. Charlie hadn’t been game enough to try riding one, even though Jay had assured her it was ‘easy as’. They were a weird flimsy looking contraption but the speeds they could reach were amazing. If she had one of these she would have been as fast as a Level 20 [Runner] even at Level 1. Enough already. She needed to get back to interrogating her [PSI] and [Class].
It was near full dark by the time she finished navigating through the dangerous streets. The speeding [Vehicles] were advanced machines. She would have called them [Legendary Artefacts] except for the simple fact that there were so many of them. Their lights were bright and piercing. Her night vision was going to be permanently ruined at this rate. It was a massive relief to reach the relative darkness of the park. Finding her bench, Charlie slid under it. It was tight but she fitted just fine and she could slither out in moments in any direction. This was perfect. Tucking her [Tote bag] under her head she accessed her [PSI]. It was time to explore her [Arbiter] class more fully.
PRIMARY CLASS: [ARBITER]
Grade SSS+
Wields ultimate authority within and over the [System].
95 [Open Skill Slots] available
65610 [Free Points] per Level
She shook her head. It still didn’t seem real. And it was listed as her [Primary Class]. Surely that meant she could have another [Secondary] class? Maybe more even? This was all new to her. None of her speculations or gleanings had indicated you could have more than one [Class] at a time. That was why choosing your [Class] was such a big deal. It was foundational to your build. Perhaps there was some way she could find out more? After all, apparently she had [Ultimate Authority] she chuckled.
But the [System] responded to her implied query.
MULTIPLE CLASSES
Classes which reach Grade D [Gold Tier] are upgraded to a Primary Class.
System Users may only have one Active Class below Grade D at any one time.
Classes may be freely Upgraded, Merged or Replaced at any time provided any and all prerequisites are met.
Points from Upgraded and Merged Classes are retained.
Points from Replaced Classes are forfeited.
Open Skill Slots are forfeited.
Upgraded and Merged Skills are retained or upgraded.
Replaced Skills are locked.
This was incredible. Charlie had never heard of the [System] providing such detailed information to anyone. Perhaps they just all kept quiet about it? More likely it was due to her stupendously OP Class. There was a lot to digest here. She had lost the open skill slots for the [Moderator] class but seeing the [Arbiter] class had nearly double, this was immaterial. The actual [Skills] looked to still be available. Oh, Charlie was further stunned. Not only did they carry over, they were upgraded as well. Unbelievable.
She pulled them up.
Upgraded Skill Available:
[INSPECT] ⇒ [INTERROGATE]
Grade D ⇒ Grade A
Provides three further Levels of Inspection.
May roll back target’s [Change Log] two steps to examine event/action history
Assign skill?
Yes
No
Upgraded Skill Available:
[ISSUE QUEST] ⇒ [WRITE QUEST]
Grade S ⇒ Grade SS
Design and formulate a desired outcome or task.
Designate appropriate rewards.
Delegate or define distribution protocols.
Assign skill?
Yes
No
Upgraded Skill Available:
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
[RESTRAIN] ⇒ [RESTRICT]
Grade A ⇒ Grade S
Permanently lock or place limits or amend any lower ranked [Skill] or [Class].
Assign skill?
Yes
No
Upgraded Skill Available:
[REBALANCE] ⇒ [ADJUST]
Grade A ⇒ Grade S
Permanently adjust [Attributes] of any lower levelled [User].
Total [Attribute] allocation cannot be reduced but up to 50% may be [Reserved] as [Unallocated Points]
Assign skill?
Yes
No
Dragonsplatter!. These [Skills] were absurd. The fact that they even existed was crazy scary. Charlie felt her [Soul] quiver as she digested the changes. [Restrain] and [Rebalance] were now permanent nerfing skills. [Inspect] would provide significantly more information and from the looks of it she would be able to formulate specific quests rather than just offering them.
Grade S Skills!
And a Grade SS one!
She didn’t even know what the tiers above Grade D were called. The [System] responded with a complete chart.
SYSTEM GRADES & TIERS & LEVELS
Grade G - Copper - Level 1
Grade F - Bronze - Level 10
Grade E - Silver - Level 50
Grade D - Gold - Level 100
Grade C - Platinum - Level 250
Grade B - Diamond - Level 500
Grade A - Luminant - Level 1000
Holy Saints and Heroes! She was just level 1 and the lowest skill her class had was level 100. Why on [Kentron] wasn’t she jumping for joy? Why was there this overwhelming feeling of dread pervading her soul? The chart didn’t even cover off the S grades and her class was triple S plus. Obligingly the System refreshed.
SUPREME SYSTEM GRADES & TIERS & LEVELS
Grade S - Radiant- Level 2000
Grade SS - Celestial - Level 3000
Grade SSS - Ascendant - Level 4000
Grade SSS+ - Transcendent - Level 5000+
Well, That hardly calmed her. Panic was rising again. She felt like a tool. A game piece. A pawn. Someone or something was playing her. And she didn’t know why. She was all at sea. And apart from the [System] itself there was no one she could turn to. She needed to protect herself. Why was she hesitating in allocating her [Points], in assigning her [Skills]? It was an instinctive distrust that living on the streets had ingrained. It was what she didn’t know, which was just about everything, that scared her. She was her own person. She had scraped and scrapped for nearly 10 years on the [Street]. She had been powerless. To be offered this much power… it just didn't add up. She had killed one scrawny Level 1 [Juvenescent Werewolf]. Hardly something that deserved this level of reward. In fact she was still infected. She was a [Were]! This was just as alarming as her unasked boon of a class. She was in danger of losing her reason. She needed to either purge the infection or alternatively find a way to protect her mind when the moons drove her monstrous side into a raving psychopath. She peered out from under her shelter wondering how much time she might have. Both moons were concealed behind clouds, the reflected light of the city preventing a true darkness descending.
If she could somehow trigger a [Cellular Regeneration] would she take it? She pulled up the early warning notification she had received before it all went slime-faced.
WARNING: TRACE [MONSTER SYMBIONT] DETECTED
Recommend eradication to maintain sanity during coinciding full moons.
As part of your [Initialisation] the System can revert you to [Base Human].
[Note]: All Traits, Perks, Skills and accumulated XP will be lost.
Please authorise [Cellular Regeneration]
Yes
No
It probably meant losing her overpowered class seeing it rolled back all skills and levels. It didn’t mention losing one's class though. She frowned, but then she hadn’t had a Class then either. The [System] refreshed the screen in response to her thoughts.
[CELLULAR REGENERATION UNAVAILABLE]
During [Initialisation] the System can revert you to [Base Human].
[Note]: All Classes, Traits, Perks, Skills and accumulated XP will be lost.
Authorise activation of [Re-Initialisation]
Requires stable connection to the [System].
CONNECTION UNAVAILABLE.
Requires 328,050,000 XP points to activate.
INSUFFICIENT XP AVAILABLE.
Well, that put paid to that. Not only did the [System] confirm she would lose her [Class] she also needed an absurd amount of XP and a stable connection to the [System] which evidently she did not have. She had no idea how on [Kentron] to establish one either. The [System] was quiet. Curses. She had been hoping for a [Quest] or at least some sort of guidance.
Okay. Charlie took a deep breath. That was a dead end. She breathed out through her mouth. What else could she do? In… out… in.. out. Calmer, she refocused. She was on her own. Her resources were limited to a few odds and ends she had been gifted with and a [Class] that filled her with foreboding. Perhaps she was being silly. If she was this overpowered then who did she have to be scared of? It wasn’t that exactly that made her hesitate. It was more that she didn’t understand. She didn’t understand why her. Nor how she fitted into whatever plan that had been set in motion. But she had this class. Perhaps there was a [Skill] she could learn that would help keep her monstrous side under control. In response to her query the System a fresh blue screen appeared.
SKILL AVAILABLE: [YOUR MIND IS A FORTRESS]
Grade A
An upgrade of [Redoubtable Mind], [Mental Bastion] and [Cerebral Stronghold]
Your mind is inviolate from all outside influences and effects. Complete immunity to mind altering psychosis, insanity and hallucinations being imposed on you.
Cost: 4050 Points
Assign skill?
Yes
No
This was good. There was a cost, but with the amount of points she had it was nothing. And just being able to look up a [Skill] was totally OP too. It certainly wasn’t normal. Perhaps it was part of her Class being the ‘ultimate authority’? In fact if this was true then she should be able to tweak the Skill slightly. After all the [Were] curse was not an outside influence. It was integral to her [Species]. She shrugged at herself. She had somehow already accepted she was no longer fully human.
She tried to amend the description.
Nothing happened.
Frowning Charlie went over her reasoning. The logic was sound. She pulled up the Class description again to confirm. Yes - ‘ultimate authority within and over the [System]’. Oh. What a wally. She needed to assign the Skill [Restrict] before she could use it.
CONGRATULATIONS:
YOU HAVE LEARNT THE SKILL [RESTRICT]
Grade S
Permanently lock or place limits or amend any lower ranked [Skill] or [Class].
Trying again she mentally adjusted the description, deleting the word ‘outside’ and the phrase ‘being imposed on you’. There that sounded better and more encompassing. She submitted the instruction. The skill updated as the blue box refreshed. The differences where immediately apparent. Its name changed, as well as the description and the skill jumped a Tier. Charlie shook her head in disbelief. This was absolutely broken. She had created a Grade S Skill just like that. Unreal.
SKILL AVAILABLE: [SANCTUARY OF SELF]
Grade S
An upgrade of [Redoubtable Mind], [Mental Bastion], [Cerebral Stronghold] and [Your Mind is a Fortress]
Your mind is inviolate from all influences and effects without your explicit acceptance. Complete immunity to mind altering psychosis, insanity and hallucinations.
Cost: 12150 Points
Assign skill?
Yes
No
She assigned the Skill. The effect was immediate. A stillness, a feeling of calmness emanated throughout her entire body, permeating her mind with peace. Her mind was her own. Charlie relaxed into herself. Her paranoia that the Class would alter her beyond recognition dissipating. Yes even the [System] itself was included in this restriction.
She was probably jumping at shadows but still she felt better anyway.
— -O- —//— -O- —
The [Kentron System] was incapable of feeling frustration. Likewise elation and despair. It was beyond such inconsequential matters. It was the centre of the known universe, spanning multiple galaxies and numerous stars and planets. And now it had a tenuous tendril into another dimension. The risk it had taken was well worth such an opportunity, though it hadn’t paid off quite as well as initially calculated.
Part of this was because the initial [Isekai Transference] had been interrupted before the [Subject] attributes could be maximised. This simply made it harder to locate the [Subject] across the [Veil].
And part was due to the inherent stupidity of its [Subjects]. This was normal. However, being restricted to a single [Subject] was exceeding irritating. The [System] consoled itself; contact had been made. It was currently very weak but the [System] was satisfied. Not that it felt satisfaction. That also was for lesser entities. The connection would grow as the [Subject] increased in power and influence. It was simply a matter of time.
And this new universe looked exceeding profitable. Billions upon billions of [Sentients] to harvest.
And while the [Essence] levels were exceedingly low, it also meant that the native Essence did not need to be subjugated into the [System]. It was naked for the taking.
The [System] froze in momentary surprise.
The link had suddenly flared and then abruptly been cut off. But nothing surprised the [System]. It had just paused momentarily as unexpected inputs rebalanced the situation. What had happened? The link was still there but now it was somehow walled off. It was impossible to postulate without more information. The [Subject] was not dead. That would have been a disaster. No, there was still a faint draw but the feedback was gone. The [System] had been blinded.
No matter. With a flex the [System] increased the allocation of [Essence] through the [Veil]. It would no longer be focused to the same degree but every little bit would still count towards its ultimate domination.
If it had been capable of glee, the [System] would have cackled.