Chapter 2

Drew’s vision slowly faded as blackness grew from the corners of his vision and enclosed him. By the time he noticed what was going on, and turned to ask Spock, he found that he no longer had a voice. Or a head. Or anything that would respond to his desire to move. Despite thinking that he was moments away from having a very reasonable panic attack, it never came.

A feeling of floating eventually made itself known to Drew, and a bright pillar of light erupted in his vision.

“Drew Wright, you have successfully been integrated into The System, Congratulations.” Spock’s almost monotone voice called out from a place Drew couldn’t see as his vision seemed to be locked on the white pillar of near-blinding light.

“Ah, my apologies. You may wish to converse, in order to do so, all you must do is direct your thoughts towards my voice,” Spock added in a near-apologetic tone.

“Spock, can you hear me man? I’m blind as a fucking bat and all I see is blackness and a blinding light.” Drew sent out a thought experimentally.

“Affirmative, I can hear your thoughts, Drew Wright. Your soul is currently being held in stasis while The System loads up the species options available to you. Please bear with me for a moment,” Spock replied.

“Are you seriously putting me on hold after you said my freaking soul is being held in stasis? Not cool man, not cool.” Drew sent back, internally shaking his non-existent head. Unfortunately, no reply came and Drew was stuck in the cosmic equivalent of a loading screen, or being put on hold by customer service. If he still had a mouth, he would have been scowling.

“Thank you for your patience, The System will be activating a host of options within moments.” Spock broke the minutes-long silence.

Drew felt a light tug upon his consciousness, or what he assumed to be his soul, and he was soon being forcefully pulled toward the light like some kind of bad after-death sequence in a movie. Upon entering the pillar, he found himself floating, or hovering in place in a room full of monsters.

Not just monsters… there are also fantasy beings in here!

It was then that Drew realized that he could now float around and observe the many statue-like beings that formed rows within the white room.

“Drew Wright, you are now in the species selection sub-system,” Spock explained. “Here, you may view any of the many races before you so choose one that best suits your desires. I am also available to answer any questions you might have regarding these races, however, please be aware that your time here is limited. If your time allotment is exceeded, you will be given random options and sent back to your planet.”

Drew heard what the man had said, but he only half-processed it as he was busy zooming between all the different beings. They were lined up and waiting at attention, but they were unmoving, almost as if frozen in place. He zoomed over to a tall, lithe figure with long golden hair and pointed ears.

It’s a freaking Elf!

Next to the Elf was a short, squat man that looked like he was built from pure muscle. He had a long, well-groomed, and braided beard, with almost beady eyes.

It’s a dwarf, and not the ‘actually exists on earth’ kind either, but a freaking epic fantasy, ‘lives under the fucking mountain drinking beer and blacksmithing’ Dwarf!

Drew paused, something in the back of his mind was tugging at him as his brain finally processed something that Spock had said.

“Did you say I was on a time crunch of some kind?” Drew thought towards Spock.

“Indeed. You currently have twenty-two minutes to select a race, a class, and make use of your boons before being transported back to Earth.” Spock’s voice echoed through the white room.

“Wait, what? That’s no time at all!” Drew practically yelled back with his thoughts.

“My apologies, but I cannot extend the time allotment afforded to you. I recommend you make your selections with haste,” Spock replied.

Great, I finally get to see fantasy races in the flesh and I don’t even have time to ogle them before deciding what race to become. Drew grumbled internally before flashing forward to the next being.

It was a machine of some kind. Plates of metal either covered its body, or fully comprised it, and it looked almost golem-like in appearance. Having no desire to become a tin can Drew moved to the next figure.

A tiny, floating ball of light encompassed the body of what appeared to be a fairy. Butterfly-style wings sprang from its back, and overly large eyes adorned its face like some kind of bug.

Nope, I’m not going to be anyone’s tinker-anything. Drew shook his head internally.

There were hundreds of beings in this room, how was he supposed to figure out what he wanted to choose?

“Spock, there’s too many choices here. Can you help me narrow them down somehow?” Drew asked desperately as he somehow felt the clock ticking down.

“Certainly, Drew Wright. How may I assist you?” Spock’s voice rang out.

“Yeah, so what’s the difference between all these races here? Like I see an Elf and a Dwarf, but how are they different, what makes them special? What I mean to ask is this, is there something about the Elf that makes it superior to other races here, or any downsides… that sort of thing.” Drew questioned quickly.

“Elves come in many varieties; however, each sub-race has an intrinsic knowledge of mana and magic,” Spock answered in a very educational tone.” They have an easier time manipulating spells, and modifying them. Additionally, they are agile and extremely long-lived. At your current Grade, you could expect to live to about a thousand years old before dying naturally. Their downsides, as you say, would be that they do not have a high natural constitution or toughness, and thus, are frailer than the Dwarves you mentioned.”

“Great, so there are differences then. Pros and cons, etc. If I give you some qualities I’m interested in, can you help me filter some of these choices to save time?” Drew asked.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

“Certainly, Drew Wright. What are your requirements?” Spock asked. There was a quaver to his voice that almost sounded like inflection or interest.

Wow, calm down buddy.

Drew already knew one thing that he wouldn’t take for granted, something that he wanted more than anything else. It was an absolute necessity for him to survive the coming apocalypse and collapse of society, and without it, he’d be screwed.

“I’d like a race that is immune to mental illness of any kind. I currently suffer from a major anxiety disorder which can be crippling at the worst of times. I never want to experience that again. Ever. Also, it’d be great if the race dealt with mental and emotional trauma well. I assume there’s going to be a lot of death and dark shit, and I don’t want to break because of the things I see,” Drew replied resolutely. For him, this was a must even if he had to forgo becoming a badass Dwarf or a near-immortal Elf.

Spock replied immediately. “Understood. As a side note, all mental and physical illness will be healed upon System Integration, however, this doesn’t prevent further, non-genetic related damage from occurring afterward from new trauma. I can guide you to a race that will be more resilient to such trauma. Adjusting parameters now.”

Wait… everyone is going to be healed? Like… cancer, dementia… paralysis? Holy shit…

“Parameters adjusted.” Spock’s voice rang out as the hundreds of statue-like beings disappeared in a flash, leaving only a handful left. The first, and closest to Drew’s field of vision was the machine man.

“I also don’t want to be a machine of any kind. I’d prefer flesh and blood. I’d like to remain looking as human as possible, and it’d be cool if I lived a long time. Oh! If any of them can see decently in the dark that would be great too… I assume bad shit is going to happen at night time.” Drew quickly added.

“Understood, please wait one moment,” Spock responded.

Living in a rural area for the last few years had taught Drew one thing. Critters came out at night, and some of them were not friendly. Coyotes weren’t too bad as long as they weren’t starving, but bobcats were real assholes.

He’d been attacked by one near dusk when he wasn’t paying attention. Thankfully, it had been a young one and Drew had managed to scare it off by screaming and throwing a tree branch at it, but if monsters and magically infused beasts were going to become the new reality, he wanted to be able to see in the darkness to defend himself and his family.

“I have one race that meets all your requirements; however, it is not one that is normally chosen upon newly integrated worlds,” Spock replied after a pause.

“Oh, why’s that?” Drew questioned.

“Selecting it as your new race requires the use of one of your boons,” Spock answered bluntly.

“Is that a bad thing?” Drew asked.

“Not necessarily, Drew Wright,” Spock replied. “Boons may be used to select advantages for Progenitors and their token holders. For some, this means a race with greater stat growth potential such as the one in question, other times, boons are used to select additional or advanced abilities, or starting equipment. Boons may be used for almost anything, as long as it generates a minor to moderate advantage to survival.”

“Ah, so it’s like feats or talent points. Yeah, go ahead and show me the race,” Drew replied. If he could have shrugged, he would have. If a race had everything he wanted, then he would personally consider that an advantage.

A flash of light flared and when it cleared, a single figure stood in front of Drew’s hovering position. It was lithe, like an elf, but had extremely pale skin to the point that Drew was surprised that he couldn’t see any veins poking out. Its features were handsome, but gaunt, as if it lived a hard life with little food, yet it was still well-muscled, but not in a body builder way. It appeared almost human, if it wasn’t for the short-pointed ears.

“What am I looking at here, Spock?” Drew asked.

“To inspect something, focus your sight upon it and allow your desire to learn its truths flow through you,” Spock replied.

Drew didn’t have eyes to squint, but he imagined himself focusing upon the figure in front of him and wondering what the hell it was, and he focused on that thought with intensity. Within a second, a box of text popped up within his field of vision.

Race: Dhampir (Rank-F)

Historically a rather rare race in the vast multiverse, the Dhampir are produced from the union of a mortal such as an Elf or Human, and of a Vampire. Vampires very seldom choose to reproduce in this manner, as most of their kind consider it distasteful to do so. The outward appearance of the Dhampir is varied and dependent upon the mortal parent. Common themes are pale skin, black or gray-white hair and a strong, yet agile figure. Like the Vampire parent, Dhampir are effectively immortal from birth, and quickly stop aging upon reaching peak physical maturity. Dhampir are extremely resistant to any kind of mind suppression or mental trauma, and have an extremely heightened regenerative anatomy. They are born with the passive skill [Darkvision] which allows for excellent visual sense in lowlight environments. Additionally, they are resistant to poison and corruptive effects. Dhampir may consume either food or blood for sustenance, however blood will also increase regenerative effects of both health and stamina.

Per Level Bonus Attributes: +1 STR, +2 VIT, +2 END, +2 TGH, +1 AGI, +1 PCT, +1 Will

Requirements to select: 1 Boon

Drew stared at the wall of text for several moments while reading over the description of the species in front of him, but his brows furrowed as he considered several points The System had mentioned.

“Do you have any questions, Drew Wright?” Spock queried.

“Actually, yeah. So, I have a wife, and we uh… haven’t had any kids yet. Would this race lock me out of having children? I mean, Vampires are kind of undead right?” Drew asked.

“If your wife is of Human, Elven, or Dwarven descent, then yes, you may reproduce should you so choose,” Spock answered flatly.

Drew let out an internal sigh of relief. He’d hate to give up this race, but if it meant he could never have kids with Amber he’d have chosen something else in a heartbeat. Thankfully, it didn’t come to that.

“Time is running out, Drew Wright. Please keep in mind that you also need to select a mortal parent to base the Dhampir on. If you still wish to resemble a human, I’d recommend choosing either that option, or an Elf,” Spock said helpfully.

“Do humans have any pros and cons to them like the Elves do?” Drew asked.

“Humans have no negative nor any positive bonuses or traits inherent to their species. Compared to Elves, they have slightly higher base constitution and toughness, but they lack the Elves superior agility and intrinsic understanding of magic. As a Dhampir, you will have Darkvision regardless of the mortal parent you choose.” Spock said in his ‘school teacher’ voice.

Alright, so if that’s the case I think I’ll go with the Elf parent. If using a token is reliant upon a person trusting me completely as Spock said earlier, then my only option is to go the magic route. If I’m going to look different, then the only chance I have at convincing my wife and mom of what is happening, is showing off some magic spells. I doubt a strength build would have the same wow factor that could give credence to what I say is true.

“Okay, last question… am I going to look like this guy specifically, or can I change some things around?” Drew asked as he eyeballed the almost overly-gaunt figure. He really would prefer to look a bit more human. He could live with the ears if he had longer hair, but he also didn’t want to look so… starved.

“Indeed, any race you choose may be customized within acceptable parameters.” Spock’s voice echoed throughout the room as Drew viewed the figure in front of him.

This is going to be a biiig change…

“Alright, I’ll choose this race then.” Drew sent the thought to Spock.

“Excellent, please standby. Also, please note that you have twelve minutes remaining. As the customization options load, I recommend you already having an image of what you’d like to look like in mind.”

Right. New look.

He had never been ugly per se, but Drew was fairly certain that everyone had aspects of their appearance that they disliked. If he was to do the bare minimum, he’d get rid of the gut that he’d grown since hitting his thirties. His torso was also a bit long, while his legs were a bit short, and his face…

Spock coughed pointedly and tapped his wrist.

Shit, I nearly forgot about the time limit… no time to play The Sims, I need someone’s form I can copy… and quickly.

I need to already have an existing template, an already near-perfect image in my head to work off so I can get to the part where I choose a class and spend my remaining boons. The question is, who do I model myself after?

Lucky, I watch a bit of TV…