Kael had never been the type to start conversations with strangers. That required an entirely different type of person. The type that was currently speaking to him right now.
“Back when I was your age, I would have spent my time with my friends, and not breaking the law like some sort of criminal!”
He sighed internally. He had never met this man before, and the guy was already making assumptions about him. Not like he knew that the only reason Kael was doing community service was because he stole a pack of gum from a gas station, not murder or whatever the guy thought he did to get community service.
As such, he ignored him. Such accusations didn’t deserve a response.
Of course, he regretted taking the pack of gum. Not because he suddenly thought stealing was bad, but because it seemed even the smallest thing could be blown up into something massive. He had been on the news for A DAY. For stealing gum.
“Are you ignoring me? Didn’t your parents ever tell you to respect your elders?” The old man spit out.
Kael decided he didn’t want to deal with this anymore and clocked in for the day, walking away with one hand in his pocket and a rake in the other. He needed to put the rake back in the park’s shed before he left, or else they’d probably arrest him on the spot, or something. He didn’t really know, nor did he care.
Halfway to the shed, he froze in place. Every single cell on his body seemed to be screaming at him, overwhelmed. He had no clue what was happening, but his mind overloaded, and he dropped to the ground, barely managing to spare an internal acknowledgement of pain.
It was as if his body had suddenly started experiencing every feeling one can have, at the same time. It was coarse but smooth, hot and cold, along with other feelings he couldn’t describe, not even to his own mind. His mind tried rationalizing, but it was dedicating too much processing power to not dying due to the sudden influx of sensations.
And as quickly as it had started, it stopped. It was like cold water had washed over his body. He suddenly felt calm, alert. Still overwhelmed, but not nearly as badly.
And then a holographic screen appeared in his vision.
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Name: Kael Henwick
Age: 19
Class: Unassigned
Level: 1
Gender: Male
Stats:
Strength: 8
Agility: 9
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
Dexterity: 11
Wisdom: 10
Intelligence: 11
Perception: 21
First Time Information:
Welcome to the Horizon System.
The Horizon System is a visual representation of power that allows its Users to focus their strength in order to protect the planet from the Eclipse.
On Eclipses, Otherworldly beings come to Terras [Earth] in order to conquer it. If Terras is conquered, all of its native denizens will die.
Additional Knowledge:
The Eclipse as you know it is a mere reflection of its power.
Monsters from the Eclipse remain after the Eclipse.
The Power Level of Eclipse monsters varies.
Eclipses Will Now Occur Weekly.
The average value for humans in each stat is 10.
The Eclipse draws Near.
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As his eyes darted across the screen, questions filled his mind. Why was his perception so high? Why did it call Earth Terras?
But as he finished, he promptly made the decision that none of those questions were important right now. But why did he make that decision? Well, he made that decision due to what he saw in the sky.
In the place of the sun, there was a solar eclipse. But not a normal solar eclipse. It honestly was a marvel to admire.
Stars dotted the sky, each glistening with the heat of a thousand fires. Each seemed to glow in a way they hadn’t before. It was like looking at a picture, each one brightening the sky just enough that he managed to glimpse planets and asteroids that were in the way. It had also felt like the sky was magnified. He should not have been able to see some of the asteroids drifting lazily through the sky, but it felt as if they were closer than they actually were.
In that place he sat, silent and tall, a testament to the wonder the sky brought him. Shooting stars coursed through the sky by the minute, never a dull moment in this new sky. But the centerpiece of all of this, what triggered his decision the moment before and the decisions afterwards, was the Eclipse. The moon seemed to magnify the sun even further than the sky had magnified the other stars, and the eclipse seemed to be multiple times larger than normal, with a natural lens flare being caused by the light hitting his cornea just perfectly.
Golden streams of light whipped out of the eclipse like tendrils, each acting more like a cosmic tentacle than fire. And at the center of it all, a moon, gently lit by the blazing heat of the sun, as if he could see the detail of each and every crevice on the surface of the moon.
As wondrous as the sight was, Kael spared no longer than a moment to look at it. If he had read the system properly, it wouldn’t be long before he was attacked by something.
As if to punctuate his thoughts, screams began resounding out from the city. He silently thanked the city for building the park so close to the edge, as otherwise he would have likely encountered a monster sooner than he would have wanted.
He spared a thought towards going back to his apartment, but decided against it. It was too risky. He had nothing important in there anyways.
He stood up, before stumbling. He was overwhelmed again. He spared a moment to acclimate, before he grasped the rake tightly. He had heard a branch snap right behind him. The hair on the back of his neck rose, and he spun quickly, rake facing the threat.
There was no threat. It was the old man.
“Funny prank, kid. But your newfangled technology doesn’t scare me!”
“That wasn’t me,” Kael replied, trying to keep calm.
“You can’t trick me, I know your tricks!” the stranger jabbed.
Kael sighed. If the old man wasn’t willing to accept the truth, he didn’t care. He walked away.
The old man took a step towards him, before collapsing to the ground, headless.