Chapter 4: Hints of the Past
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Shivering from the chilly air, Atlas hurriedly swept the screens back to the main status. His quick perusal needed to be sped up, so after checking that the “Titles” tab was still lit, he opened it with some impatience.
{Titles}
[Standard of the Bear]
You have received the blessing of the Bear.
Fight with honor. Destroy your enemies.
+ 10 Power
(This Title is Upgradeable)
[Legacy of Terra]
The ancient Homeland has been found. The lost Blood has awoken. Find the Answers hidden and the old Words spoken.
Begin the Road to Infinity.
[Do Not Go Gently]
You have faced death and refused its embrace.
Today is not the day you die.
+4 Power, + 4 Fame
(Grants the skill: [Reach Beyond])
[Monster Slayer (Solo)]
Alone, you have killed an enemy at least five levels higher than yourself.
+1 Power, +1 Fame
Now this… was odd?
Some of them made sense. Like, at least now he knew for sure that the wolf he’d essentially suplexed off a waterfall was dead. Apparently, they wouldn’t have any kill notifications in this tournament. Too bad, it could have helped keep track of things.
And the [Do Not Go Gently] title also fit with his traumatic recent memories. He’d been… angry. No, it was more than that.
When he was standing on top of the raging waterfall, a giant wolf grasped in both hands and his injuries screaming in pain, he’d felt something within just… snap. Like a barrier that had always been there, but was suddenly destroyed. Power had flooded him, a rage that demanded it be satiated.
Though not completely certain, Altas felt the [Reach Beyond] skill would probably give further hints on what exactly had occurred in that moment.
Of course, there was first the issue of the other titles. He could recall a vague impression in his mind of a colossal creature, and a dream shrouded in fog. That must have had something to do with the [Standard of the Bear], but it still felt like the title was unusually beneficial. Well, he’d have to figure out the whole setup with whatever Power and Fame points were, but even so; it felt like the title gave quite a lot compared to the other two. And it was upgradeable! However, once again, there was no clue on how to accomplish such an upgrade.
Finally, the only title that didn’t give anything. In fact, [Legacy of Terra] sounded more like a riddle than a benefit. Altas read over the description a few times, but could eventually only shake his head. Maybe it would make more sense in the future. He then moved on to skills, which naturally showed the one already mentioned.
{Skills}
[Reach Beyond]
You tread the path of one who has seen the Gates of Death and refused to enter.
Now reach beyond the Void and demand retribution.
This skill can be activated once per day to receive a bonus to all attributes. Bonus is increased if health is below minimum limits.
Atlas stared at the words floating in front of him. Not quite the skill he was hoping for, to be honest. Still, an adrenaline shot before you die could be useful… potentially. It would definitely require testing. Without any kind of reference on what exactly attributes might do, there was no way to know how good the skill was.
Weirdly, now that he had read the description, he was vaguely aware of the ability. It felt close to his heart; a small orb of energy that if activated would flood his body with power. If he focused, he could begin the process even just while sitting down.
Well, at least he wouldn’t be shouting out catchphrases and skill titles while dancing around in circles during combat. He’d never been a fan of anime or comics that had characters scream what they were about to do, even if it made sense in that medium. Way too easy to exploit in real life. Of course, he still wasn’t entirely sure that this was all real.
Oh, it certainly felt real! The cold wind picking up and chilling his skin, the frozen earth slowly soaking in his still slightly bleeding wounds; even the quiet calls of some bird in the distance all created an absolutely vivid sensation of reality. But… aliens? A galactic tournament? Status screens? All of it combined just gave Atlas the feeling of whiplash. It would be easier to imagine that this was all due to a car accident, maybe one that had thrown him into a coma.
And yet something, maybe intuition, told him that was wrong. This had happened. He really had just been thrown, literally, to the wolves. And if he didn’t hurry up, he really would freeze to death here on the ground. So, shaking his head, he tried to focus. If gaining attributes could help him throw a wolf off a cliff, maybe it could help him heal up his wounds.
Deciding quickly, he returned to the attributes tab and threw three points into Vitality. Hopefully, it would do something. Otherwise, his future looked pretty bleak.
Immediately after confirming his decision a jolt of electricity flooded his body, causing him to collapse to the ground. It stung at first, a harsh pain that seemed to target his nerve endings. Within a few moments, however, the pain turned into a comfortable sensation similar to a full-body massage. Every bruised muscle and broken bone was soothed, each wound that crossed his skin feeling as if it had been pumped full of anesthesia.
The pulse covering his body eventually dissipated, leaving behind an almost drug-like high. Slowly, Altas stretched out, feeling his taunt muscles and improved bone structure. Now, he’d never been interested in the medical field, not once. No, that was definitely Lexi’s cup of tea, so to speak. But he still knew enough to understand that what had just happened would be considered a miracle back on Earth.
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Standing up, he began shaking each limb, getting the last of the tingles out of his system. He felt fantastic, like he’d just finished an easy warm-up and gotten out of bed with a good night’s sleep at the same time.
“Ok, now we’re cooking.” A grin stretched across his face. The sense of doom that had been slowly encroaching fled, his mind feeling both refreshed and aware.
A closer inspection of his surroundings showed nothing more than an empty forest, but Atlas felt confident that wouldn’t last. After all, the only open quest he had was still Survival. He needed a weapon, and thankfully there was no shortage of trees nearby. Naturally, in a forest, there are bound to be branches. Find a big enough branch, and you have a club. Get a club, and unga bunga, here be cavemen. It was time to finish leveling up and get on the road.
The only screens that hadn’t been opened yet were Power and Fame points, and he could only hope his small amount was worth something.
{Fame Points}
Available: 5
As a participant of the 257th Grand Tournament, you are currently restricted to only Stage 1 pre-approved items. Number of items available will increase as trials are completed.
You may choose between the following categories:
[Weapons]
[Armor]
[Tools]
A marketplace? Or, Atlas considered, it was more like a merit system. Complete quests, get points, purchase goods. Looking further, each category expanded into a small item list.
[Weapons]
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Stone Age Spear -
A spear made from driftwood and chipped stone.
Quality - Basic
Cost: 1.5 FP
Stone Age Club -
A club made from a large piece of driftwood.
Quality - Basic
Cost: 1.5 FP
Stone Age Sling -
A sling made from a single piece of animal sinew.
Quality - Basic
Cost: 1.5 FP
Stone Age Knife -
A small knife made from driftwood and chipped stone.
Quality - Basic
Cost: 1.5 FP
[Armor]
~
Stone Age Hide Shirt -
A shirt made from the untreated hide of a beast.
Quality - Basic
Cost: 1.0 FP
Stone Age Hide Leggings -
A pair of leggings made from the untreated hide of a beast.
Quality - Basic
Cost: 1.0 FP
Stone Age Hide Sandals-
A pair of sandal wraps made from the untreated hide of a beast.
Quality - Basic
Cost: 1.0 FP
Stone Age Wooden Shield -
A shield made with several large pieces of wood lashed together with animal sinew.
Quality - Basic
Cost: 1.5 FP
[Tools]
~
Stone Age Hatchet -
A small hatchet made from driftwood and chipped stone.
Quality - Basic
Cost: 0.5 FP
Stone Age Pick -
A small pick made from driftwood and chipped stone
Quality - Basic
Cost: 0.5 FP
Clay Pot -
A small pot made of hardened clay.
Quality - Basic
Cost: 0.5 FP
Fiber Bindings -
Small strips of fiber tightly wound together. (x5)
Quality - Basic
Cost: 0.5 FP
Everything looked fairly awful, but that was par for the course at this point. After taking a second to consider, Atlas quickly bought a hatchet, pick, clay pot, and bundle of fiber bindings. Survival was the main quest, not killing x amount of creatures, so tools were more important at the moment. Next, he grabbed some sandals and a stone knife. He considered the leggings, since he was running around basically naked at this point, but decided to wait. He would have a better chance of making fire with the knife, and he could always purchase clothing after the first night. He saved the last half-point for the moment.
After every purchase, a surge of energy manifested on the ground beside him. Each item took about a second to materialize, almost as if it was being 3D printed at that moment.
Collecting his various purchases, Atlas was suddenly struck with a horrible realization. He had no sheaths or belts. Thankfully, four years of Boy Scouts came to the rescue. Utilizing the fiber bindings, which were each about three feet long, he finagled a few odd-looking straps and harnesses to carry his gear.
Then came the sandals. Horribly uncomfortable, but better than walking barefoot at least. Taking a few steps over to the river, he filled the pot full of fresh water. There was no lid, but it was better than nothing. He’d just try not to slosh it around too much while walking.
Lastly, he focused on the Power Points screen. If FP was the currency for items, what would Power buy him?
{Power Points}
Available: 15
As a participant of the 257th Grand Tournament, you are currently restricted to only Stage 1 pre-approved items. Number of items available will increase as trials are completed.
You may choose between the following categories:
[Attributes]
[Skills]
Only two categories this time, but he really didn’t care. This was exactly what he was hoping for! Hopefully, the prices wouldn’t be too ridiculous.
[Attributes]
~
Might: (0)
Cost: 2 Power
Agility: (0)
Cost: 2 Power
Vitality: (3)
Cost: 2 Power
Intellect: (0)
Cost: 2 Power
Wisdom: (0)
Cost: 2 Power
Resolve: (0)
Cost: 2 Power
It seemed fairly straightforward, but Atlas wondered if it would stay that way. Since his Vitality already showed the amount he’d added from his level gains, maybe there would be a price increase after a certain number was reached. Or maybe buying attributes was separate from receiving them naturally? No way to know yet, and he didn’t want to purchase anything until after he checked the available skills. He did try not to get his hopes too high. It was still early days after all.
[Skills]
~
Basic Thrust:
Rush forward with a sudden burst of speed, adding 2x damage to any piercing attack.
Skill Rank: Basic (Upgradeable)
Cost: 3 Power
Basic Dodge:
Leap to the side while avoiding incoming damage.
Skill Rank: Basic (Upgradeable)
Cost: 3 Power
Basic Slam:
Increase the weight of your strike, adding 2x damage to any bludgeoning attack.
Skill Rank: Basic (Upgradeable)
Cost: 3 Power
Well, it could be worse. Feeling like he’d already wasted enough time sorting through the various screens, Atlas quickly purchased all three skills. A sharp buzzing sensation filled his head, immediately comparable to the worst brain freeze he’d ever gotten. Grunting in pain, he knelt and gritted his teeth until the sensation passed.
After carefully standing, he waited for the dizziness to leave. The skills (once ingrained) seemed to work instinctively. Contained in his memories, he felt the same sensation of knowledge that his first skill had given him.
After shaking his head and cracking his neck, Atlas went ahead and activated [Basic Dodge] for the first time. Not such a good idea. His leg muscles tensed accordingly, and before he could stop himself, his entire body had been thrown straight into the tree to the side. Sputtering and coughing from the sudden overwhelming scent of pine needles, he quickly crawled out of the branches.
“Ya. Great start there buddy. The entire world is watching, and you go and do that.” Atlas mumbled to himself.