Eagerness bubbled up inside Ray. His fingers turned jittery, and he was having a bit of difficulty staying still on his seat. He almost laughed. Look at him, acting like a schoolkid who couldn’t wait to get his grubby hands on the latest NFS title.
The screen changed, new words rippling across the blue surface.
[Manual Initiation Override Activated—Step 2: Path Assignment]
Path: Lifeblood Chaos [Legendary]
The divergences in your life have aligned your soul with the direst Aspect in the abyss of the omniverse. Flickers of virulent energy embed themselves in your soul, seeping into your flesh, blood, and bones. The crucible of chaos has taken root at the seat of your spirit. Channel it, and mould life itself in your palms.
* Reputation Bonus at Evolutions: [+50 Chaotic]
* Perk: Riotous Life [Primary stats boosted by 20%]
New Denizen, please complete Step 1.
Interesting as that description was, it wasn’t a lot to go off of. Chaotic energy of life. How exactly was that going to translate to… whatever he would be capable of.
“I have a lot of questions,” Ray said.
For now, Ray agreed. There was still that Ascension Class thing he needed to take care of. But he resolved to get some details out of the disembodied entity before this was over.
[New Denizen Initiation—Step 1: Class Selection]
Please review the following choices for your Ascension Class.
Warrior [Common] [Tier 1]
With a mighty swing of their weapon, the warrior charges into battle, drawing the attention of all foes. Focusing on indomitability, warriors seek to crush foes with powerful blows. Courage is your shield, determination your sustenance.
* Starting Reputation: [+20 Tenacious]
* Primary Stats: [Strength, Vitality: +3 per level]
* Potential Tier 2 Evolutions: Berserker, Vanguard, Paladin
Rogue [Common] [Tier 1]
Swift and silent as the night wind, the rogue moves undetected through the shadows. Focusing on stealth and subterfuge, rogues navigate the world with cunning and guile. Strike from the darkness and harness the ability to turn the tide of battle with just a single, precise blow.
* Starting Reputation: [+10 Cunning, +10 Tactful]
* Primary Stats: [Strength, Agility, Resilience: +2 per level]
* Potential Tier 2 Evolutions: Ranger, Assassin, Bard
Mage [Common] [Tier 1]
Employing the spiritual energy of the universe, the mage weaves spells of unfathomable might. Focusing on their connection to the arcane, mages rely on the forces they call upon to render their foes helpless. Clarity and control are the keys to turning your magic into a weapon unmatched by anything else.
* Starting Reputation: [+20 Possessive]
* Primary Stats: [Intellect, Spirit: +3 per level]
* Potential Tier 2 Evolutions: Warlock, Elementalist, Necromancer, Arcanist, Cleric
Cleric [Common] [Tier 2]
Walking under the light of the divine, the cleric wields holy might to repel foes and shrouds allies with hope and healing. Clerics channel blessings to mend wounds, cast buffs, and support all who walk the same path as them. Steadfast resolve and undying compassion are the true hallmarks of your power.
* Starting Reputation: [+20 Benevolent]
* Primary Stats: [Spirit: +4 per level, Intellect: +2 per level, Resilience: +2 per level]
* Potential Tier 3 Evolutions: Heavenly Apostle, High Priest
Arcanist [Common] [Tier 2]
With great mastery in the mystic arts, the arcanist wields esoteric secrets to carve out a foothold in reality. Employing ancient magic learned from tomes and scriptures, arcanists are beacons of knowledge, power, and authority in a wondrous world rife with unknown dangers.
* Starting Reputation: [+20 Knowledgeable]
* Primary Stats: [Intellect: +3 per level, Spirit: +3 per level, Vitality: +2 per level]
* Potential Tier 3 Evolutions: Archmage, Grand Enchanter
Due to insufficient aptitude, Ascension Class options of higher rarity are unavailable.
New Denizen, please pick an Ascension Class.
“So I can finally make a proper choice,” Ray said. He understood the other important thing that had gone unsaid. All these Paths and Asension Classes and whatnot were supposed to supply him with the tools he would need to climb the tower. “I do have questions I need answered before I can make the right choice.”
Focus, was it? The only thing there for Ray to focus on were the words themselves. So he squinted at the spot where it detailed the stat information for every class and imagined they actually explained what they were saying instead of assuming he had been an avid gamer.
Lo and behold, more information did indeed pop up.
[Information Request]
Below are the primary stats all Denizens make use of and their exact descriptions.
Vitality
Determines how much health a Denizen may recover upon sustaining damage. The higher the Vitality, the more wounds and other debilitating conditions can be healed. Low Vitality can only be used to heal a small cut, but very high Vitalities can restore entire lost limbs.
Resilience
Determines the flat damage negation, from most sources, that a Denizen can negate before sustaining any damage. Low Resilience will provide little to no defence at all, relying on the Denizen’s natural physical durability and constitution, but high Resilience can shrug off an avalanche.
Strength
Determines how much physical power will be generated by the Denizen when performing any interaction. Higher levels of Strength will allow greater control of the power generated. The main determinant of damage for physical classes.
Agility
Determines the physical speed with which the Denizen can perform interactions. Higher levels of Agility will allow greater control of the Denizen’s speed.
Intellect
Determines the mental acuity of the Denizen. The main determinant of damage for casting classes. Higher levels of Intellect increase the speed with which the Denizen’s mind can process stimuli.
Spirit
Determines the spiritual connection between the Denizen and the Omniverse. Higher levels of Spirit increase the capacity for Mana, the usable form of spiritual energy, and attunes the Denizen to the Omniverse more closely.
Ray huffed a breath. Alright, most of that looked familiar. He wasn’t unfamiliar with RPGs—KOTOR was still his first gaming love—but he had wanted to make sure this System meant the same thing when it had started talking about stats.
While most of that looked familiar enough, Ray was still certain he would be better off when he could test certain things. Just what level of a wound he could recover from and how much damage he could negate, and the like.
Especially because he was pretty certain he wasn’t picking any of the Tier 1 classes.
Control.
How better to control a battlefield than as a caster who could pelt whatever spell he wished? But first, he focused on one other aspect of everything he had been shown so far.
[Information Request]
Reputation
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Points earned through achievements accumulate different reputation metrics. The Denizen is rewarded for crossing certain thresholds in any metric.
Ray frowned. It didn’t clarify what exact kinds of rewards he would be receiving, but he supposed that would be clear enough in time.
Ray pressed his lips together for a moment. Only Common offerings. Forget Rare and Epic classes—as he expected them to go, with how rarity rankings he had seen in other places—he hadn’t even received an Uncommon option either. That was a little disappointing. “The decision was easy. Not a lot of great options.”
Ray snorted, focusing on Arcanist. “That’s right.”
“But not the least?”
[New Denizen Initiation—Step 3: Vocation Selection]
Please review the following choices for your Vocation. Your Vocation will be your guide during your journey. It will form the basis of your Objectives and will provide you with a roadmap for your ascent.
Calculating Available Vocations based on aptitude and choice…
Tower Climber [Common]
Tower Settler [Uncommon]
Tower Cartographer [Rare]
…
Secret Vocation unlocked: Tower Conqueror [Epic]
New Denizen, please select a Vocation.
Ray breathed in sharply. There was no further information about any of these Vocations. Even when he focused on them, no new words popped up. Interesting that it talked about Objectives. Were those like quests? “Let me guess, more information will be revealed about them later.”
There it was again. The same question. As though he was a rat in a Skinner experiment and questions about his desire were his trigger phrase.
But the damn System was right. It was giving him exactly what he wanted.
What better way to exert control over the world he was about to end up in than by conquering it for himself. Although, that did beg the question… “If I conquer this Tower of yours, instead of simply climbing to the peak, will I be responsible for everything within it?”
That smiling sensation emerged again.
Ray laughed. “You sound like I’ve already made my decision.”
“I might have,” he admitted. “But that still depends on a few answers.”
Ray sat straighter. It helped that the jittery excitement at seeing his Path had faded for now. “From everything I’ve seen, it looks like not everyone is going to get the same experience as me. Denizens who are eligible. And then you mentioned picking me specifically. My questions is, does that mean only specific people will end up in the Tower? Or will everyone?”
“Then I think I’ve got all I need to decide. I pick Tower Conqueror.”
The more Ray had conversed with this entity, the more questions rushed to the tip of his tongue, desperate to come out.
The Tower of Forging. Everything he could want would be there, according to the System. Truths included.
“Then I guess I’m ready for…” He hesitated. All the emotions that had seeped out of him during his interview now slowly began rearing their heads. The slight jitteriness returned. A sign not of excitement this time, but of a heavy anticipation. “For the Tower.”
[New Denizen Initiation Complete]
Congratulations. Your initiation into the Omniversal System has now been completed. You have been assigned starting gear and are now ready to face any challenges that lie ahead of you.
Please note that your Character Status is ready for your review.
New Denizen, prepare to be transported to the Tower of Forging.
Character Status? Ray really ought to check that, but everything was disappearing again. His heart began to pitter-patter, and he swallowed. Time for the Tower.
But as all the white faded to black, he realized he had no idea when he would be able to speak to the System so candidly again. The same intuition from before told him that he wouldn’t have access to it in quite the same manner he’d had in this room.
Now or never, for all Ray knew. So he blurted out the question that tugged him the most.
“System,” he said. “Are you in control of… of everything that’s going on? Or are you being controlled by something?”
That smile he felt from the System was back again. But this time, it turned into laughter.
Ray snorted. “Well, that’s one way of saying I’ll probably never have the same level of control as you.”
The whiteness disappeared. So did the words, and the strange blocks under and before him too. Ray wasn’t sure how or when, but he found his feet resting on what felt like solid rock, its uneven, grainy surface contouring the soles of his new sandals.
Ray blinked in the darkness. Other sensations had returned too. An earthy odour in his nose, the feel of a slight draft across his face and hair, the weight of cloth on his shoulders and arms. Hurray for not being naked any longer. He couldn’t see much, though. Everything was dark.
[New Denizen Tutorial]
Welcome, New Denizen, to the Tower of Forging. You have been transported to a tutorial zone at the edge of the First Floor of the tower. Please review your objectives and proceed as you see fit.
Calculating objectives based on [Path of Lifeblood Chaos] and [Tower Conqueror]…
Objective 1: Defeat 20 Feathered Imps [0/20]
Objective 2: Earn a Map Fragment [0/1]
Objective 3: Exit the Marauder’s Caves [0/1]
Hidden Objective 1: Defeat the Feathered Fiend [0/1]
Personal Objective 1: Obtain a Talisman [0/1]
WARNING: Due to your possession of a [Legendary] Path, you have been placed in a [Tier 7] tutorial zone.
New Denizen, go forth and begin your conquest of the Tower of Forging!
Ray blinked his eyes a few times. Tier 7 tutorial zone…
Well, that was hopefully less of a death sentence than it appeared at first glance.
At least most of his objectives made sense, more or less. Although, he wasn’t sure what a Talisman was for. Capital “T” Talisman. Sounded important.
It was starting to settle in that this was real. That everything he had experienced so far—was still experiencing—was his new existence. Ray was almost tempted to laugh. If he thought about it from an outside perspective, it seemed so insane.
Teleported to a white room where he had been able to pick strange abilities that he could now supposedly use? Talking to an entity calling itself the System? Being inducted into an omniverse of all things? Wisconsin, and the rest of the Earth, being converted into a bunch of sky-high towers?
The fuck?
Speaking of abilities, Ray recalled that he had access to a Character Status. He was about to take a peek at it when a noise made him go still.
Ray could only describe the sound as a crackling snap. Like something with a hard beak was snapping its mouth rapidly. It reminded him of a shoebill’s clacking call, just not as loud or machine-gun-like.
The noise was loud, close, but also not in his immediate vicinity. Whatever was making that sound wasn’t at his exact location. That meant he had a bit of breathing room to check his—
All Ray got was the briefest sensation of air shifting over his head. Then his assailant was on top of him.
A distraction. The noise had been a distraction to fool him.
Ray was thrown to the ground, sharp claws piercing through his robes and digging painfully into his skin. The creature had landed on him with the force of a falling cupboard. Its staccato clacking cry was right in his ears, ringing in symphony with its brethren’s a little farther off.
The first slash across his face made him freeze for a millisecond. The danger. It was real.
He could die.
Ray struggled instinctively. It was abundantly clear the monster was trying to bite his face off, so he closed his eyes and slapped his hands over his eyes and mouth. The skin on the back of his hand started tearing apart under the assault. His robes were shredded, blood spraying out of dozens of cuts and gashes from a storm of claws.
The push that threw off the creature was thoughtless. So was the scream. Visceral as the pain running livid over his body.
Ray was on his feet in a heartbeat. His heart was jackhammering so fast, he could have suffered a stroke. The creature scuttled and cried, ready to attack again.
What were his options? What could he do? This asshole hadn’t even let him—
With a piercing shriek, the monster flew at him. He still couldn’t see well but his attacker’s form was a blur of deeper darkness in the gloom.
He dived to one side. The monster collided with the rocky wall just behind him. Had it come for his face again?
Ray didn’t understand much of what was going on, but he got what he had to do. The creature had recovered already. Was once again attacking, its vicious clacking preceding its violent charge. Heading straight for his face to the exclusion of all else.
He socked it with an uppercut, sending it flying back.
Ray wasn’t much of a fighter. He had no martial arts training, and what little he knew of fighting was from watching silly kung-fu movies and wrestling matches. But some things were ingrained in a person in a life-or-death situation. The need to live, to survive, gifted the simple understanding of how to beat back danger.
Plus, the way he had thrown the creature off earlier proved that it wasn’t too big. Strong, evidently vicious as a bear on drugs, but not too big. Thankfully.
The monster was already recovering, but Ray jumped on it this time. There was no time for thought. All he could do was act. So he rushed the creature before it could recover and began stomping as hard as he could.
Ray’s mere sandals weren’t the best for stomping something’s head in. But that didn’t mean he was going to baulk. Even when the sole broke, when the monster’s struggles started tearing through the skin of his legs.
Even when it bit off one of his toes.
Ray screamed. He kept on stomping, though, cutting off his pained shriek. Survive. Survive. If he stopped too early, he’d be signing his death warrant.
He hadn’t claimed a fucking legendary Path just to end up dead in the first minute of his tutorial.
It wasn’t working. No matter how much he stomped, the monster just kept clawing and biting at him. Why wouldn’t it die?
Ray growled at it. It clacked back, just for a second, before he stomped his foot down on its head again. That skull was too durable. Frustrated, he tried a different tack. He jumped. An instant later, he landed with his kneecap bashing the monster in the head. It should have cracked its skull. The monster was clearly in pain, going by the way it continued howling.
But it still wasn’t dead.
Then the creature pushed him off. It was coming at him, again. Relentless in its viciousness. Determined to claw his life out through his face.
Ray found himself grappling with the creature. They twisted and turned, clawed and fought. He had no idea how many wounds he suffered. The pain was a whirlwind of agony all across his body now. But so long as he didn’t let the thing reach his vitals, he could survive.
At some point, Ray managed to get the creature in a headlock. It helped that he was fighting an animalistic beast, not another human being. He squeezed. And squeezed. Even as the creature’s shrieking threatened to burst his eardrums, as the skin on his arms was peeled off, as flesh and blood dripped off his limbs. He squeezed as hard as he could. To survive. To not die.
Ray was still squeezing when the notifications came in.
[Enemy Defeated—Feathered Imp]
Tier 6 Monster: Feathered Imp [Level 3] x1
Essence: +180
[Level Up!]
Reward
* +3 Intellect, +3 Spirit, +2 Vitality, +4 allocatable free stats.
* New Spell: Basic Perception [Tier 1] [Utility]
* Basic Perception has been converted to Lifeblood Sense by Path of Lifeblood Chaos.
Essence to Level 3: 80/150
[New Personal Achievement—First Kill!]
You’ve killed your first foe! Ensuring survival sometimes needs drastic measures, and you’ve proven you won’t shy away from them.
Reward
* New Catalyst: Talisman of the Otherworld [Tier 2]
* Reputation: +10 Tenacious
Ray fell back, covered in blood, racked with eviscerating agony, barely able to breathe. So close to dying, but at least he had already completed one Objective. He would take the win.
Then he got his second achievement. Despite the pain, he smiled.