CHAPTER 3
I’m just going to say this right now. Wearing this ring sucks. “Theory” my ass. It feels exactly as Valdus said it would. The moment I put on that ring, I fell face first into the ground. I guess I should have expected that, especially with the kind of stuff I’ve been dealing with recently. I heard some snickering behind me. Damn that Alec! I bet he knew what was going to happen. I’d really like to smack him right now, but I don’t have the ability to lift my arms.
I climb slowly up to my feet, and I noticed that it was extremely hard for me to move. It was like I was being dragged down to the ground by just about every conceivable angle. I noticed that it was getting harder and harder to breathe. My knees felt like they were going to buckle underneath my weight. My feet were beginning to hurt. My arms felt like lead weights. My neck felt extremely strained. It was hard to breathe! Basically, there wasn’t a part of me that wasn’t in pain right now.
“What’s it like?” Alec had stopped snickering, and now had a worried expression on his face after seeing the changes that I was going through.
“What do you think it’s like???” I said dripping with sarcasm. The sound of my voice had changed to something raspy and dry.
“Oh yeah, I suppose that is a stupid question.” Alec looked properly chastened.
“Too difficult…to speak.” My voice was getting hoarse. The resistance affects my vocal cords too!
“Maybe you should take off that ring…”
“…Maybe…Later…first…try…” Dammit! It was really hard to talk.
“Well, if you want really want to, I guess I shouldn’t stop you…you should come back in a month or so. I’m guessing that much time, you should be able to get strong enough for some basic sword training, and then you can take off that ring. You can just get tougher through training and real battles just like everyone else.”
“Okay……thanks…”
“Alright, I have to get back to work. I’ll see you around later. Train hard friend!”
After Alec left, I made the monumental effort to leave the Training Hall. I must have been at most 100 feet away. It felt like it took me an hour to make it outside. It was like I was learning how to walk again. It was hard initially, but it got easier as I followed the “path of least resistance”. I don’t know if anyone who used this ring before me felt it, but there were movements that took less effort. I followed those areas of movement and it was getting easier. I think my ability to walk improved significantly. It was like I was unconsciously correcting some of the poor movements and posture I was making before.
Anyways, both my plan A (Aura Association) and plan B (Training hall) were rejected, so I decided to wander around and check out different shops. There were some interesting shops around the city—things that you wouldn’t really see in our world. There were blacksmiths, weapon smiths, armor smiths, artificers, tailors, and many other shops. Apparently, the invasion cause a return to older times in many things. Essence changed the way people lived their lives. As a result, many professions that had disappeared long in the past, came back in full force. At the same time, modern technology had also bloomed, and many things were run off of dimensional power, instead of electricity. Basically, it was just like using electricity, except it was dimensional power instead. Apparently, electric power was unable to keep up with demand, so 200 years ago, some native person invented it. I have no idea how it works. It just does. I’m guessing governments on Earth are definitely going to want that technology.
I thought about asking one of these shops for a job, to teach me their craft, but I was still too unstable from the ring. There was no way I could do any work properly. It would be a waste of their time to teach me. Plus, I was probably too weak to do most of the work they would require anyways.
I started to get tired from all of the walking and wandered into a small shop on the edge of the busy street. Inside, there were numerous vials filled with liquids. Looking at this, I could only think they were potions. Someone, who I only could assume was the owner came down to greet me.
“Hello sir, how are you today? Can I interest you in some potions? We have Health and Mana potions available. If you would like to special order something, you will have to provide the ingredients, or the cost could be extremely high.” The woman looked like she was about to continue a somewhat long sales pitch, so I decided to interrupt her.
“…Sorry ma’am…I’m new here…so I’m just taking…a look at everything…and trying to learn as much as I can.”
I was definitely getting a little better at talking under those conditions. She took a closer look at me, and her eye’s widened in recognition.
“You’re an Outworlder! How interesting! You’re the first one I’ve talked to! What do you think of our world?”
“It’s okay…I suppose…things are a lot different here…There’s a lot to get used to…”
“Why are you all out of breath? Is everything alright?” She asked me with a worried expression. I bet she was just worried that I would pass out and die in her shop.
“Sorry…training is tough…increased gravity on body at the moment…”
“Ah, I understand. You’re under the effects of a gravity ring. It takes a bit to get used to, but I haven’t seen anyone’s voice get affected to that point. Strange…” Thankfully she understood the circumstances that I was in. It seems like using a gravity ring is a somewhat common method to increase strength.
“I’m really weak…need to train with a ring for a while…too weak to train there…I was told to go back, when I’m stronger.”
“You should try to talk normally. It’ll help you get used to it faster.”
“I’ll try!” I’m trying to talk as normal as I can, even though my voice is still raspy.
“By the way, I was just wondering, would you like to become an alchemist? I could teach you everything I know. Our army will need lots of potions to keep them battle ready. You don’t seem to be the fighting type…if you would like to avoid battle, this is a good route.” She was looking at me, not with pity, but interest. She even made a convincing argument. I really wasn’t cut out for battle. On the other hand, she don’t know me. There was no reason that she should want me as an apprentice. I wonder what she wants.
This was interesting. She is offering me a job. Even though I don’t want it, it’s difficult to refuse.
“Sorry, I can’t accept that class. If I was born in this world, I would seriously consider it. However, I am an Outworlder. In my own world, I probably would have been weak forever. I was normal in every sense. I have an ordinary appearance, average intelligence, and a weak body. When your Gods summoned me here, they gave me an opportunity to change myself. Unlike my world, the rules of your world allow me to change. I want to be strong. Even though it’s painful, I will work hard and get stronger, and learn as many skills as I can before I’m no longer able to come back here.” Damn, all that talking really tired me out. I was about ready to cough out my lungs.
“Here, drink some water. All that talking must have completely dried out your voice.” She was looking at me with a wry expression.
The Alchemist looked at me with approval. "I understand where you are coming from. At first, I was annoyed and struggled a lot with being an alchemist, but as I spent more time learning and practicing, I found that I was much better at it than all of my peers. I know I will have contributed greatly to the war with all of my potions, so I have no regrets about not being on the front lines.”
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“If it was just about helping this world, I wouldn’t mind, but my world will be attacked by these creatures too in a year. I have to get stronger to survive in my world too. Working as an Alchemist won’t help me get stronger.”
“Just because a job sounds weak doesn't mean it’s actually weak.” She stated. She looked kind of annoyed with me. “For example, Alchemist is a “D Rank” profession. You might think that’s weak, but if I want to, I can make hundreds of poisons and easily kill people. I can also make explosions that could easily bring down this city, if I had enough materials, and I have the ability to set up all of the explosives to explode everywhere at the same time. This job is mainly a support one, but it can be used for a great destructive effect. It’s limited primarily by the need for materials, preparation, and the ability to effectively use what we make. It’s also quite a bit easier to master and control. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that people are weak because of a low ranked job. There are no worthless professions, only worthless people.”
This was definitely food for thought. Essentially, when it came to job, I should ignore any information on ranks.
“Even a gardener is dangerous. Even though they don’t control plants directly, they carry tons of different seeds on them, and infuse them with Aura to grow rapidly and release poison, or fight on their behalf. Every class is probably combat ready. Darius, may he suffer a cruel and horrible death, was taking advantage of your lack of knowledge.”
Dammit! I have to watch out for the freaking Gardener??? What’s next? The janitor, who’s capable of using their sludge attack and cleaning skills to bring down crime?
“Anyways, take a seat. You’re looking a bit tired from all of that talking. While you’re resting, why don’t you try out that puzzle? It’s good practice for future labyrinths and other stuff.” She pulled out something that looked like a three dimensional puzzle. It had what looked like a couple hundred small pieces.
Hmm, might as well.
“Sounds fun.”
So I tried my hand at the puzzle. Before I say anything else, I want you to understand that I am really good at puzzles. They are my favorite games. I’ve played hundreds of puzzle based games of all sorts, from video games to jigsaw puzzles. So when I saw this new kind of puzzle, I was completely immersed.
It was almost a shame when I finished the puzzle, as it was very clever. All of the pieces were loose, unless snapped together at once in a very particular arrangement to give a sculpture of a man reading a book.
I was feeling a lot better after the puzzle and it turns out that I unconsciously relaxed and controlled my breathing while I was doing the puzzle. I was so absorbed in the puzzle I didn’t even notice. It’s a bit easier to breathe now, although there’s still a ways to go.
“Wait, what? How did you do that so fast? It’s been less than 15 minutes!” The shopkeeper was really surprised. I wasn’t.
“I’m good at stuff like this. It’s not a big deal. It actually took me longer than I thought it would.”
“Do you know how hard that puzzle is? Do you know how many people have tried to solve that puzzle? DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE ACTUALLY SUCCEEDED???” The woman was yelling and getting extremely excited. I don’t know what happened, but apparently I’ve done something unbelievable.
“Ummm, no, not really. A lot?”
“I would guess that over my time in this shop, over 10,000 people have tried that particular puzzle. Only two other people have ever solved this puzzle. One day, a really old man saw the puzzle and was interested in it. He sat there for about a week before he was able to figure it out. He smelled like really bad, like you can’t believe. The other person was myself. I spent a few weeks figuring out the solution to the puzzle. You! You just stroll in, and bam! Solved the puzzle, just like that, at such a young age. It makes me rethink my entire life…”
“Is that puzzle really that special?” I was a bit doubtful. I mean I know I was good at puzzles, but I didn’t know that I was THAT good. Does that mean I'm super awesome? I'm going to go with "yes, it does" as my answer. That or I’m a huge nerd. Nope. I’m awesome.
“That puzzle you just did has many other shapes it can take. Dog, cat, apple, bird, plate, and many others, but none of them are perfect. Only the one where the man reading the book is a complete and prefect sculpture. Since you solved it on your own, you will probably see one of its special effects. Look! It’s starting now!”
The sculpture started glowing and rose into the air. A huge light shot out of statue, and hit me in the chest. I was gone from the shop into a completely white room. In front of me was a screen.
You have solved the Legendary Puzzle of Solomon!
The Legendary Puzzle of Solomon is a puzzle that subconsciously attracts people with the ability to think outside of the box and find the best solution to a problem. Only those who are the cream of the crop, however, can actually solve this puzzle. You have the honor of solving this puzzle! No cheating has been detected in any corner of your mind, body, or soul. As a result, for solving the Legendary Puzzle of Solomon, you are allowed to choose one of the following rewards.
* 100,000 Units of Essence – Receive essence to improve your genome
* Mind Awakening – Mind will be awakened. Needs to be nurtured with essence.
* S-Ranked Ability – A random S ranked ability will be bestowed along with full knowledge and control
* S-Ranked Genome Change – A random S ranked creature’s genome will be fused with your own, result in changes to body.
* S-Ranked Weapon – A strong weapon
* S-Ranked AI enhancement – the most advanced AI will be implanted into your brain to help you
* Second Body – A second body that shares the same consciousness. If your original body dies, this body can replace the original. The body will be identical to the one you have at this moment.
* Compendium of Knowledge - All the Knowledge of Arecia
Wow, there are a lot of choices.
Alright, I have to pick one of these as a reward. The ultimate goal is survival in both worlds! Arecia and Earth! Anything I can’t take back is out! I’m taking out the S-Ranked Weapon, S-Ranked AI enhancement, and Second Body. I’m making an assumption that I can’t take any of those with me. The second body would be nice, but it doesn’t help me right now. A second weak body isn’t helpful. That leaves me with:
* 100,000 Units of Essence – Receive essence to improve your genome
* Mind Awakening – Mind will be awakened. Needs to be nurtured with essence.
* S-Ranked Ability – A random S ranked ability will be bestowed along with full knowledge and control
* S-Ranked Genome Change – A random S ranked creature’s genome will be fused with your own, result in changes to body.
* Compendium of Knowledge—All the Knowledge of Arecia
Next, I’m going to remove the genome change off the list. It’s random, so I don’t want to end up as a slug human or something equally uncool. It’s just not worth the risk. If I was going to splice my DNA, I would have to choose it myself.
I don’t think I’m going to take the Compendium of Knowledge either. It’s not that I don’t want it, but rather that I’m too weak to have it. If people find out that I have all that knowledge about Arecia, I might end up imprisoned and pumped for knowledge for the rest of my life, in both worlds. To be blunt, I’m just too weak and poor to have it. That leaves the following:
* 100,000 Units of Essence – Receive essence to improve your genome
* Mind Awakening – Mind will be awakened. Needs to be nurtured with essence.
* S-Ranked Ability – A random S ranked ability will be bestowed along with full knowledge and control
Any one of those three things would be extremely useful in my current situation. The essence would remove my current weakness, and bring me to new heights. I would be able to start hunting creatures very soon and be first in line on Earth as the strongest!
The S-Ranked Ability should be something useful as well. If I could control fire, water, or any element really, I could gain essence really fast! It would be even better than just directly taking essence. If the random ability ends up being something that isn’t offensive capabity…well…I’m sure it’ll still be insanely useful to get essence. All abilities should be useful, just like all professions are dangerous.
The Mind awakening…I’m not sure what the heck that is, but strangely, I am leaning towards selecting it. The description is really vague, but if it’s on the list with everything else, it should be very valuable. The reason I’m thinking about it is because the description says it needs to be nurtured with Essence. That means it should be something that has growth potential! It might be even better than an S-Ranked Ability! The only problem is that it probably starts off really weak and useless. Of course, I’m making another assumption here.
Basically, I’m trying to decide between the S-Ranked Ability and Mind Awakening. One of them has the potential to be useful in the short and long term, while the other might have the chance to much more amazing in the long term.
I think I am going to go with the Mind awakening for the same reason I’m not choosing the Compendium of Knowledge. An S-Ranked ability is just too eye catching. People on Earth may decide to hunt me down, and force me to do their bidding. Especially early on, when everyone is weak, people will do anything to get an edge and have all the power. No doubt, the government will force me to join them, “or else” because they will feel threatened by me.
The Mind Awakening would improve slowly, and it won’t be able to catch people’s attention right away. Later, when it starts showing all it’s effects, everyone will be much stronger, and I probably won’t be forced to do anything that I don’t want to do. Plus, by then, hopefully I’ll be too strong to make any enemy out of. Also, I’ll be able to nurture my mind with essence from both Earth and Arecia, so it’ll grow even faster.
Basically, I’m just making excuses because I want to take the gamble that the Mind Awakening will be worth it in the long run. So I selected it.
It hurt. A lot. I regret everything.
I don’t know how long it lasted, but I passed out at the end. Imagine the worst headache of your life times a thousand. It hurts so bad that you want to dig out your eyes, so that you can stab your brain, to end everything and just stop the pain. That’s how bad it was.
I woke up to the Alchemist looking over me all shocked.
“What happened? Why did you pass out? Did it have something to do with your rewards?”
I just nodded, numb from my experience.
“Damn, what did you choose? No, don’t tell me. It’s against the rules to share that kind of information among people of our group. Everyone is offered different rewards anyways.”
“Our…group?” I croaked out.
“Of course you don’t know. You’re a Puzzle Master now, just like me and a various group of individuals. But a new puzzle master…and an Outworlder too…this is unexpected.”
She thought for a while. I took the opportunity to rest and recover from my ordeal. Thankfully the pain is gone. Just thinking about it makes me sweat. I don’t feel any different. Did the awakening do anything?
“I would like to offer you a job here. I think this would be a good opportunity for you. You need to learn more about this world in a safe environment. I can teach you basic alchemy. I also know many people that can help you learn whatever you want. If you take this job, I can provide you all of your meals and place to stay here, along with an extremely modest salary. By doing this, you can learn some skills while you adapt to that gravity ring. I won’t ask for a permanent position or anything either. You are a puzzle master. You won’t be able to stay in one place, even if you tried.”
“What do you get out of this?” I was curious, because this deal sounded too good to be true.
“Puzzle Masters can be powerful forces.” She gave me an evil grin. “Also, I need an assistant. Don’t worry, you’ll be earning everything you get, and then some. There’s a reason I haven’t been able to keep an assistant for long! Mwahahahahaha!”
Her evil laugh was scaring me. She hasn’t done me any harm, but it felt like that would change if I took this job.
“Why haven’t you been able to keep an assistant?”
“Because, they have to try out all of the poisons I make, to make sure it’s potent enough and has been made correctly.” She was smirking at me. “Don’t worry though, I’ll make sure you have the antidote to everything so you don’t die. Probably.”
Errr, I don’t think I want to do that. Tasting poisons everyday sounds like a painful process, and I’m already undergoing one of those with this ring. On the other hand, Alchemy can be very useful, and I need a safe place to experiment with my awakening. And she is a veteran Puzzle Master. Maybe I can get some advice on how I should proceed.
“I’ll take the job.”