Every Participant in the selection of the next Divine is a descendant of one or more divine aspirant who reached at least the Ruthenium level of Divinity.
“And what does that mean?”
There are ten levels of Divinity: Dirt, Copper, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Palladium, Rhodium, Ruthenium, Iridium, Osmium, and Orichalcum.
“Not gonna remember that.” He muttered. “And what level of Divinity did Kukulkan reach?”
Osmium.
That seemed… impressive, TJ supposed. Nearly the top? “And does this Kukulkan bloodline come from the Feathered Serpent Kukulkan? Like… Quetzalcoatl?”
The Feathered Serpent, the god of the skies and winds, the long path between the spirit and the body, worshipped as Kukulkan, Quetzalcoatl, and Qʼuqʼumatz, the father of the Mayan, Aztec, and K’iche.
So yeah. That Kukulkan. TJ’d heard some stories about the Mayans and Aztec from his Nana, but she’d mostly talked about the big G God. He wasn’t even really Mexican, this many generations down mixed with so many other races. He was just… TJ. But, if he needed to be like something, a flying feathered snake god wasn’t too bad a model to take into this apocalypse or whatever it was.
“And how do I harness Kukulkan’s Bloodline?”
If one desires to seek the Path of the Neophyte, then the Participant must divine and seek that path without initial assistance. If one qualifies, takes the first step without Divine or Systemic guidance, they will receive further instruction. The Divine will only accept some, while others still must seize that Divinity of themselves. Participant Thiago Jorge Harris IV’s only guidance will come from within.
“Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun times.” TJ habitually censored himself. Then, for the first time since he’d regained consciousness, he fully took in the area around him.
Pine trees, scrub brush, mountain, clouds overhead. The sun was still rising, it was maybe 10 am? Didn’t smell like rain, no creek nearby, unsurprising since he was still in Arizona, and he just had a half liter water bottle, some goldfish, and a granola bar in his backpack. His grandpa’s trusty can of chew he kept with him habitually was the closest thing to medicine he had, and tobacco had always been disgusting so he wasn’t going to touch that. No animals or people nearby… right?
“HELLO!” TJ shouted. “ANYONE THERE? I might need help. Might be crazy too.” He muttered at the end. Only silence answered his call, and TJ tightened his backpack across his shoulders and looked again for the nearest mountain peak. As near as he could figure, he was halfway up one of the rolling mountains of the Tonto Rim, and it would be a hike of 30 minutes or more to reach the top. With his sweat drying and the brisk wind picking up, TJ didn’t want to hold still, and seeing what was around him would be his best bet to survive. His arms and chest uncontrollable quivering in the cold, TJ began his ascent.
The mountain had no path as far as TJ could tell, and the hike sucked. He was grateful that he’d taken special care to get back into some semblance of good shape in the past year, since he’d really let himself go after Mari’s death. If he were still that 250 pound five foot seven guy, he’d never make it up there. Left alone in his thoughts without a curious toddler’s questions, TJ couldn’t help but wonder if maybe he’d fully gone off the deep end.
“Never been crazy before,” He muttered, looking around for a path that didn’t take him through the scratchy bushes. “Maybe today’s the day. Hope not…” Somehow, the emotions he’d had artificially squashed and the Status Sheet he could still pull up kept TJ reasonably sure that he hadn’t completely lost the plot. “Just not Shutter Island. No need for any of that.” Too preoccupied with talking to himself, TJ was entirely unprepared for the sudden attack.
With a yip and snarl, a coyote lunged out of the nearby bushes, and TJ was so surprised by its attack that he basically fell to his ass without resistance as it bit deep into his calf.
“Son of a–!” He screamed, the instant pain shooting adrenaline through his system. With a clenched fist, TJ smashed the nose of the coyote, and it yelped in pain as it released him. The coyote, so unnaturally aggressive, stepped back and began circling TJ as it growled low in its throat. TJ scrambled to his feet, his shredded calf crying in agony as he tried to protect himself.
“I’m way too big for you to kill.” TJ tried to reason. “Get the hell outta here and I won’t hurt you.”
Somehow, he’d almost expected the coyote to pipe up and say sorry or something. Instead, it snarled and lunged back in for another bite. This time, TJ was ready and kicked hard up into its chin. Its teeth clacked together, and he swore he saw some chips of white fly away. The canine stumbled, surprised, and TJ thought about giving it the chance to flee, but no. This was real, and even if the Tutorial or whatever wasn’t, this coyote probably had a pack. He couldn’t let it draw more here if only one of them could hurt him this much.
“I’m sorry bud.” He muttered before stepping forward and delivering an even stronger kick into the coyote’s ribs. He felt bones crack as it flew back a couple feet. Then, with a heavy heart, TJ stomped once, twice, then three times on the coyote’s neck. After the third stomp, a little window appeared in front of TJ.
Coyote, Level 0, Slain. Experience gained. Experience stored until acquisition of Class or Occupation. Zealot Class acquisition requirements progress: 1/5
If he could trust the notification, then the coyote was dead. Well, it definitely was, even before he got the System’s little notification. The scavenger dead, TJ squatted down and looked at it. Coyotes weren’t really dangerous to adults, especially not alone. They never attacked, so why this one, why now? The Tutorial being the cause wasn’t a bad possibility, but TJ needed to instead focus on progress. They never used to attack like this, and TJ hoped it wasn’t rabid. That new fear instilled, TJ checked. Its mouth wasn’t frothing, there wasn’t any sign of disease, though it was a little skinny and maybe mangy. The “wilderness survival” merit badge he’d gotten as a teenager in Boy Scouts didn’t tell him how to identify diseases on a smushed coyote skull.
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That thought while observing the creature that he’d killed sent TJ’s stomach to tumbling. He swallowed hard, trying not to lose any moisture or nourishment, and after a couple of deep breaths through his nose, the nausea faded to a more manageable discomfort. On the bright side, if he couldn’t figure out how to become a Neophyte, he was progressing towards becoming a Zealot.
TJ fought to keep his feet, his bleeding calf aching and screaming in protest, but he couldn’t sit down now. If he did, it’d be harder to get up the mountain and see what he could find. But before he went… did he want to bring the coyote’s body? He didn’t have any firemaking equipment, so he probably wouldn’t be able to cook it without a ton of effort put into making a fire by hand. And was it even safe to eat coyote?
“Hey, can I do anything with this body?” TJ idly asked the System, thinking about days playing RuneScape and making leather armor from cows.
Most materials can be processed into equipment, artifacts, accessories, or other items, though all have varying levels of utility and value. To learn the value of the pelt, meat, and other parts of the coyote corpse you have, gain a related Skill or be taught by an experienced Tutor.
So it might be worth something. Might not. As he looked down at the corpse, the blood trailing from its nose and mouth almost made him leave it, but TJ steeled himself and picked it up. He’d be pissed if he somehow lost an opportunity to keep himself safe and get back to Junior, just because he felt a little squeamish. Not wanting to keep it in his hands, TJ peeked into his mostly empty backpack, pulled out the pack of goldfish and granola bar while leaving the can of chew in the zipping side pocket, put the food in his jacket’s big pocket on the belly, and finally dumped the corpse in the backpack.
It wasn’t too large, as coyotes go, but it didn’t fit neatly in the pocket, and TJ eventually had to resign himself to stuffing it in and forcing the zipper closed. Then, with a grunt, he put the now much heavier backpack back on. The blood running down his leg began to slow and clot, and TJ took a quick look at it. Though painful, the coyote’s bite hadn’t gone too deep, and with the cold air combined with whatever the body usually does to mask pain, he could continue his hike.
The next twenty or so minutes it took for TJ to reach the peak were much more cautious and attentive than before. After all, if a single coyote had been willing to attack him like that, what would happen if he ran into a herd of javelinas, or a mountain lion? Both were uncommon here in the central mountains of Arizona, but they’d been seen before. Thus, TJ’s eyes were constantly peeled for anything that approached while his ears strained to pick up any unnatural sound.
Nothing appeared to assault him by the time TJ reached the peak of the mountain, where he took shelter sitting behind a pine tree that had fallen some years before, looking at the rot. It was enough to keep the wind off of him, though, and TJ took the opportunity to take a couple mouthfuls of water. There wasn’t any water or snow in sight, so he couldn’t say when he’d be able to refill his water bottle. Actually…
Three peaks over, the crest of a higher mountain had a smattering of snow across it, though TJ suspected that it might melt in the rising sun, so if he wanted to use that to refill his water bottle, he would need to hurry over there. As for other things down the mountain, he couldn’t see any cabins or homes, no lights or fires, just pretty featureless forest. From where he came, TJ couldn’t see anything,
“Shit.” He cursed to himself. He’d hoped to see some relic of humanity, because even if there wasn’t anyone there, there could be food, a change of clothes, or something. Instead, his next best course of action seemed to be to go to the snow, and at least get some more water there. With a groan, TJ rose back to his feet and resumed walking towards the next peak, trying his best to keep from descending more than absolutely necessary.
Keeping his wits about him, TJ continued to question and wonder. This Divine System, what is the Throne, what did 20,000 years have to do with God or gods or whatever? When he got no answers, instead he asked a question that maybe he should have a while ago.
“What exactly do all these attributes mean? Strength and Agility are pretty straightforward but what exactly is the difference between Vitality, Endurance, and Toughness?”
In addition to the mechanics listed, all attributes additionally influence different Skills. Vitality is directly tied to HP and its regeneration, and the greater the quantity of Vitality, the more difficult the Participant is to kill. Endurance is directly tied to Stamina and its regeneration, and the greater the quantity of Endurance, the more difficult the Participant is to be exhausted. Toughness is directly related to the hardiness of the Participant, and the greater the quantity of Toughness, the more difficult the Participant is to wound.
That made sense, he supposed, but still he wasn’t sure. But since he knew now, he quickly pulled up the top of his Status Sheet.
Health Points (HP): 87/100
Mana Points (MP): 70/70
Stamina: 69/80
So the bite that coyote had given him… if he was bitten just seven more times, he would have died? And after all this hiking, TJ would have said that he was more tired than just 15% or something. Regardless, though, he continued looking down the attribute list. According to video game logic, Wisdom and Intelligence were like, magic power and mana points?
Wisdom is directly related to the proficiency of the manipulation of the divine, and the greater the quantity of Wisdom, the more powerful the divine workings of the Participant. Intelligence is directly tied to MP and its regeneration, and the greater the quantity of Intelligence, the faster the Participant will regain MP.
Perception seemed pretty straightforward. Need to see and hear what’s going on around you. TJ neglected to get a breakdown on Perception from the System. Willpower and Fixation, though…
Willpower is directly related to the mental hardiness of the Participant, and the greater the quantity of Willpower, the greater the Participant’s ability to resist adverse mental and divine effects. Fixation is directly related to the Participant’s ability to embody and focus on the effects of the divine, and the greater the quantity of Fixation, the more easily and enduringly will the Participant be able to channel certain divine abilities.
Ok, Willpower generally made sense. But Fixation… it seemed like it was a bad thing that TJ only had one, and, stranger still, looking at the Class descriptions again, none of them mentioned Fixation as a necessary attribute at all.
By default, all Participants’ Fixation starts at 1. Some, due to their Bloodlines, are granted an additional boon to their starting Fixation attribute.
“Wait, so some Bloodlines give attribute bonuses? That’s crap!” TJ grumbled as he slipped over a dirt-covered stone.
The Kukulkan Bloodline grants a +1 to Strength, Vitality, Endurance, Toughness, and Willpower upon Systemic Integration.
“Totally cool and normal that some Bloodlines give attribute bonuses.” TJ immediately replied. “Wait, so does my Bloodline better lend itself to Neophytes? And what are the usual numbers in any given attribute for a person?”
Those of the Bloodline of Kukulkan gain bonuses that are well suited for Neophytes and Zealots. Barring outliers, the greatest quantity of an attribute at the time of Systemic Integration is 10.
“But… I’m not the healthiest guy who’s ever lived. I get sick and whatever. I don’t–”
TJ cut himself off. Something was rustling behind him, scrabbling up the same dusty path that he’d just slipped and nearly fell climbing. His heart leapt to his throat, and he turned around.
“Oh. Shit.”