It was still dark out when I opened my eyes. At first, I just turned around and tried to go back to sleep, but after tossing and turning for what felt like hours, I gave up.
‘System, what time is it?’ I asked, hoping to hear the good news that the sun would go up soon.
[System is unable to give accurate information about current time.]
‘What? Why not? Aren’t you also a personal assistant that can keep track of those things?’ while I frowned, I also got to my feet and carefully felt the ground in search of the waterskin that I filled before sundown. The last thing I needed was to fumble the ceramic pot and break it, losing all my water in the process.
[User has yet to come in contract with a clock or made any calculations to understand the current time. Without the proper timekeeping data, System is unable to give accurate information about current time.]
‘Oh… ok. Can you tell me how long I slept?’ If I wanted to keep track of the time, I would need a clock. Maybe one of them survived the explosion. If not… do I remember how to make a sundial?
[User slept for 8 hours and 23 minutes. Then proceeded to stay another 40 minutes laying down.]
‘Huh? 40 minutes? Felt longer,’ I mumbled in my mind while drinking the water.
There wasn’t much I could do right now, in the middle of the night. Any noise would alert whatever was around to my presence. So, I decided to start my yoga routine, mostly to see how much I could move my body. After two hours, I realized that I was better than I expected, but worse at the same time. First, there were a good two-thirds of positions that were simply impossible to do. Some were just a matter of stiffness. All the flexibility I worked so hard on maintaining was gone, at least in my torso. Others almost made me scream in pain. They hurt almost as much as it hurt when I used the pole to get up here.
It was clear that I overestimated my condition from yesterday. Maybe all the constant use of {Body Regeneration} had some sort of numbing effect, or it only made me comfortable with the small movements I was making. After all, even the clothesline I set up was close to the ground. There was no need to raise my arms too much. It will still take some time for me to get to the point where I can move around properly.
That being said, there was enough information to understand how to recover Energy. In simple terms, I had to eat. Depending on the meal, the recovered Energy would come somewhat quickly. If it was something that took longer to be digested, the recovery would take longer, but it would be more spread out. For instance, eating the honey gave me short bursts of energy every few minutes for about 2 hours. While the jerky took around 1 hours to start showing its effects, and gave me a consistent stream of Energy for the next 6 hours or so.
The one strange thing about this was the actual quantity. I wouldn't get a slow up tick in Energy as one would imagine. Instead, it was a burst of a full point of Energy on certain intervals. At least I didn't have to worry about wasting Energy if my reserves were already full. The System explained that without the {Energy Storage} skill, any excess would be converted into SP and help me level up. However, now every extra point of Energy was going to that skill, refilling the storage for when I had to use.
Thinking about what else there was to do here before sunrise, I opened my status to check the level progression.
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Current level - 5
Progression to next level: 45.3%
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‘So that 45.3% is talking about going from level 5 to 6. Correct?’
[Correct.]
‘System, wasn’t the {Energy Storage} skill supposed to be increasing my level? Why is this basically the same as yesterday?’
[User did not activate the option of using the Energy inside the storage to level up. In addition, any Energy acquired during user’s sleep was added to the storage instead of being used in the creation of more SP.]
‘Oh? Ok… let me see the storage then.’
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Energy Storage - Passive - Fledgling
Reserved Cost: 1 Energy
Every life needs Energy, and those in harsher conditions are able to store said Energy for when they need the most.
Units of Energy stored: 75/100
Energy recovered: 1 unit every 10 minutes.
Energy to SP current conversion: 6.67% per unit.
Time required per unit conversion: 1 hour.
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‘So… 13 points of energy from the time I went to bed to now. Plus the three I used while still up… Yeah both the jerky and the honey gave me 8 points each. Is that the default rate? Like all food will give that same amount of energy?’
[Unknown. System does not have enough data to give a response.]
‘System. It says the Energy to SP conversion is 6.67%. What does that mean? That I get a level every 2 hours? That’s 13% and I need to get 10% of my body filled with particles to level up, right?’
[The information about leveling up is correct. However, the 6.67% refers to the current progression to the next level. Or, in other words, how close user’s body is to having 60% of cells reinforced by the system particles. When considering the 10% for each level, the percentage referred by the skill would be 0.667%.]
‘Ok’, I said and continued my yoga. It was the only thing I could do now, and staying still would drive me crazy.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
Usually, during this kind of exercise, one should meditate, but there was still something in my mind that I just had to figure out.
Was I a puppet for the Eaters? Or was I going to turn into one of them? Asking the system is useless right now, if it says yes, I’ll freak the fuck out. And if it says no, I’m going to assume it’s a lie. Before going there, I need to think.
If I was a puppet, what benefit does that bring for the Eaters? They can, maybe, use me to find more humans? I mean… sure, but as far as I’m aware, that’s never been a problem. Every merchant and traveler that stopped by the village always mentioned how hard it was to hide from the Eaters. The amount of stories that I heard about small villages or groups that thought they were safe only to be suddenly swarmed by the creatures could fill up a book. And our village was hidden, almost no one came by. Even then, I heard all that. So… no? Yeah, no. There is no reason for the Eaters to use me as a puppet. It doesn’t make any sense. It’s too much effort for little to no benefit. And how do the skills fit into that? They don’t. There is no reason for me to be able to use {Compression} if I was just a puppet. It would be better to just let me go and follow me. Healing, yeah, that’s helpful, but the rest doesn’t fit.
Right then. Option number 2. The system is a tool that turns me into an Eater. Or that uses me as a hatching pod for one. Wasn’t there a wasp that laid its eggs inside other insects’ bodies? Great going, Cass. It’s not like you already have nightmares about being eaten alive. Add that one to the list. I rolled my eyes, taking a deep breath and changing to the warrior pose.
Ok, ok. Think. If the parasite idea is right, can I even do anything about it? Not really. Unless I’m in the mood to cut myself open and see what’s inside. Not going to happen. I just survived that, I don’t want to go through it again. And it also doesn’t explain {Compression}. How was I able to change the size of that pole?
Reaching towards the metal rod, I use the skill again, changing its size to that of a dumbbell.
“I never saw a metal one,” I mumble while looking at the diminutive pole in my hand. Usually, any training equipment we had in the village was made out of wood, or just a very large rock.
The system was kind enough not to ask anything about it as I started to do some bicep curls. My arms were mostly fine, so this was an exercise I still could do. And, thanks to {Compression}, the rod kept its weight. It should be close to 20 kg [44 lbs]. Carrying this one handed would be a struggle before the system, and it still was, but not as much. As continued to work out, my mind returned to the previous internal struggle.
Right, if I’m turning into an Eater, or hatching one, how could this skill help me? The Eater seemed to be able to stretch its body, maybe it’s something related to that? But I can’t use the skill with my own body. Or would this be a way for the creature inside of me to be smaller and then burst out? Again, this doesn’t seem to work on my own body. And even if it did, why would the tiny Eater give me that ability? It just doesn’t make sense. Actually, there is one thing I never asked the system about. Let’s start with an easier question.
‘System, is there a way for me not to create more SP? Like stop the progression to the next level?’
[User can slow down the progression to next level by spending Energy. However, just as some Energy is required for user to move, a small portion of Energy is always supplied to the creation of SP.]
‘Minimal? So I can’t stop it completely?’
[Correct. The only way to stop the creation of SP completely is with the death of user.]
Now for the hard question. But let’s phrase it in a way it the system won’t be upset, ‘Ok. Another thing then. Is there anyway for me to lose the system? Like if something stole it, or I had to give it up?’
[Once integration with System had been complete, it cannot be undone.]
I nodded and focused on my own thoughts again. So the system was with me forever. Then again, this could easily be a lie, but I doubted it. It could, allegedly, create particles, control my body on a molecular level, and access my memories. If it could do all that, it made sense that it was mine and mine alone. Or I was its.
There was also a third option, but that one was useless to think about. If I was dead and this was all in my mind, then there was nothing I could do. Instead of worrying about that kind of thing. You know what? While I figure this out, I should enjoy the ride.
‘System. Can you make the {Energy Storage} level me up? Using the conversion thing that’s part of the skill. But do it only one level. After that, let’s go back to adding energy to the storage.’
[Acknowledged. If user desires to level up quicker, System advises user to eat breakfast.]
I glanced out of the cave and finally saw the initial rays of sunlight. It was a nice moment to eat. Just as that thought crossed my mind, shadows appeared in the forest. It was hard to see them, and there was no noise following them, but they looked like tentacles reaching out to anything in the vicinity and retreating back to a large amorphous creature.
Having lost my appetite, I spent the next few hours basically doing the same thing. Yoga and working out, but this time out on the terrace to be basking in the sun. Even if I wanted to level up, I still triggered {Body Regeneration} a few times to continue fixing my body.
Much later I was able to have a meal. One surprising thing was that I recovered less Energy with the same amount of food this time. At first I was worried about diminishing returns, but the system explained that it was due to my workout. I was spending more Energy to just exist, so there was less to be converted into particles.
Still, about 9 hours later, in the middle of the afternoon. The system played a cheesy upbeat tune in my mind, making me jump in surprise.
[Congratulations user Cassandra for the level up. Current level 6. 1 attribute point available. 0 skills available.]
‘We need to discuss your taste in pranks. And in music,’ I huffed, gathering myself again.
[System attempted to lighten the mood. User’s negative reaction has been added to the data bank.]
‘I hope that doesn’t mean you are saving that to watch it later,’ despite that, I was curious. It was the first time I was going to level up. At least while I was conscious, and I really wanted to know how that worked.
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Cassandra Ydorf - Level 6
Titles: Enduring Heart
Tier 0
Mind 1 - Body - 6
Memory - 4 Energy - 2/4 (1 Reserved)
Skills - 4/4
Quick Tier 1 Evolution - Passive
Energy Storage - Passive - 1 Energy
Body Regeneration - Active - 1 Energy/ 10 minutes
Compression - Active - 1 Energy/ 5 uses
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1 free attribute point available.
Choose where available SP should be focused:
Body Mind
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I didn’t get any skills this time, which was fine. Even if I did get one, I don’t know if I wanted to change the ones I had. And the free attribute point had to go to Body. That would help me heal faster, and I need to be close to peak condition before trying to leave this place. The surprise was the increase in Energy. According to the System, all those 4 attributes started off at 1. Then, at levels 2, 4, and now 6 my energy increase by 1. So maybe at 8 I would get another point. My Memory started at 3 and went up to 4 at level 5. Neither of us really know what that means. The issues of being the first one to test something.
After confirming that this extra point would go to Body, I continued my training, and decided to use {Body Regeneration} instead of saving SP to level up. I had been eating more than I expected, which meant my food would run out soon. If that happened while I wasn’t even in a state to gather some fruit from the nearby forest. I was as good as dead.