CHAPTER 2 – LABYRINTH OF THE SHADE – THE PROVING
Dimensional Rift – The Multi-Verse
***
Welcome to the Multi-Versal System new Citizen. Analysis commencing….analyzing….analyzing…...error….error….Primordial Override...re-accessing…..shattered Soul-Pillar….Affinity registered.. Class, Skills, Bloodline …. Slotted Abilities … Fate...accessing….confirmed…..Reconfiguration...Full Rebuild of Entity suggested...Primordial Confirmation...Primordial Interference...Forbidden Avenue Chosen...Primordial Override.. Primordial Shroud activated….Acceptance. Commencing….
Gideon’s consciousness was only half-aware, a vague shift of his mind in and out within a sea of sharp edges and blunt trauma, body ripped apart at the cellular level, stripped to only spirit, until only a soul remained. And within that space, a cracked pillar, broken, the whole top half shattered into a thousand dark shades of night littered like trash along the gutters of his truth.
In a fugue, he registered the words, Primordial Override, Forbidden. There was too much incoherency to understand or to take it in, within the moment, too much pain, too many chains bearing the weight of his active mind but they still registered, still threw hooks into the meat of memory, then the word ‘Commencing’ went through him, initiating a higher realm of torture he wasn’t aware existed. He’d thought he’d already reached the peak of what was possible but was woefully short in how far that ladder reached.
He didn’t know how long it took, hours, days, weeks. All he knew was it seemed forever, like an hourglass of sand that trickled out a grain at a time with enough to fill the largest beach in the universe up top. Then when his mind couldn’t take anymore, couldn’t resist the sheer lunacy levels of agony being built from scratch initiated, his mind went to the black.
***
Gideon’s eyes opened to deja vu, a gray space with a gray portal ten feet in front of him except this time Freddie was on his wrist and not a disembodied voice, hopefully. He scanned down and blew a breath as he notched the bracelet on his wrist and also that he was wearing his armor, Skald next to him, and his cloak wrapped around him. He flet the pressure on his back that said his daggers were where they should be and lifted each arm to see his kunai. Alright not only everything where it should be but he could actually move.
A strong sense of emotion slid from the cloak to him and he knew the connection was back. She reached up to caress his head. He slowly sat up and all the excruciating torture, pain, fucking edges carving bone and scales and nerves, was gone. He waiting for Freddie to pipe in but nothing. He brought the bracelet to his ear and just that simple fact, not only being able to move his limbs but everything else. He felt all the System Attributes back, Speed, Strength, Body, his mind slipping through thoughts faster, Perception and Insight jacked in gear to slip’n’slide kick-assery. Drink milk, does a body good. A smile slit his lips.
A moment later something new popped in. An illusion? A simulacrum? It was an image semi-transparent of what looked like some type of elf, they were popular for some reason or at least in shape, more like the Eldarin, a beefy husky elf. It wore robes, was about eight feet tall and staring at him with complete disgust like something he was forced to deal with he would rather not. His voice though was definite AI, a less interesting digital echo then his go-to buddy. In fact, Freddie seriously should be chiming in as this had to be one of his Superiors.
The foolish insignificant AI on your wrist is currently disabled. It was of the lowest ranking within the hierarchy of the System and was a pitiful example even within the minutia that was its providence. How it had not been expunged we have no understanding.
The Ghost AI or whatever it was floated forward than circled Gideon as he stood to his feet, hand closing on Skald’s dark silver wood as he stood. He stayed perfectly still allowing his [Combat Awareness] to keep the entity within his Perception. This was the time for a caution he felt instinctively even though his Bloodline seethed within him. The AI floated back to its original position.
You are an enigma long thought extinguished beyond a handful of lesser deities that are heavily restricted. The only reason you stand before me is the direct intervention by one of the Progenitors. Even that has its limits when dealing with the Power and Autonomy of the Multi-Versal System. Their interference will stand for now but their will be a cost. Even a Progenitor’s interference must be balanced. You may regret not just taking your own life, Scion.
Gideon’s hood was down, his half-mask as well but he needed to hide nothing with this pompous shit-stain. He had a feeling he was talking to the Big Honcho, the actual System AI Main puller of strings or as close to it as it got. It was not surprising it showed all the emotions of any moralistically corrupt being. Based on the messages it perpetually sent, its avalanche of ego and dismissive body language was spot on. He was not delusional enough to think in lowly Copper he could do anything to hurt this Ghost but every fiber of his being wanted to. His knuckles were iron on Skald’s shaft with visions of letting loose with a strong dose of lightning.
Here is the preliminary cost of your transgressions little Scion. All unopened Loot Boxes, forfeit. All banked Experience you have acquired while you sit upon the precipice of Iron Rank, gone. There will also be no future banked experience moving forward into eternity. Let me clarify the meaning of such a statement as you are woefully ignorant to most everything, including your place in the hierarchy of status and privilege.
Usually when Citizens have reached the Level Prerequisite to advance, their Slotted Abilities are more times then not, behind. While they work to ascend them to the Peak, all the experience they gain in doing is banked so when they make the transition they are gifted several Levels into the next Rank. This is the generosity of those that kill and murder for strength under our purview. For you that will be stripped in requiem.
This is but a down payment for moving against the ever magnanimous Multi-Versal System. The cost is ever-expanding. Usually it is your very life as payment but that will come soon enough. And now, the final judgment, the last road you shall ever walk, our parting gift.
Just as any newly Integrated Planet must do to show not only obescience but worthiness to embrace that which is the Providence of Glory, the Multi-Versal System. Enter and know the eminent arrival of your end.
At the same time that it ghosted out, left, disappeared, it flicked its hand and a Notification popped into Gideon’s vision while a gray portal shimmered into existence a few feet in front of him. Gideon had been proud of himself for keeping his face expressionless cause inside him was a raging torrent of violence.
Quest Alert – The Proving
All Citizens must prove they are worthy of the wonders and power the Multi-Versal System brings, you are no different irregardless of your own thoughts on the matter. They are as insignificant as you yourself Scion. You will have to prove otherwise by survive the Proving. Since you are not a newly Integrated Citizen the Proving has been adjusted to accommodate the rarity of your Class and Level.
This Proving was created specifically for you Gideon Sho, enjoy. It is called the Labyrinth of the Shade and it is within the shadows of your past your adversaries were chosen. All those whose lives you took during the Tutorial have been chosen as combatants or in specificity, close relatives or friends of said victims have been teleported within its environs and promised lucrative incentives to make sure you a corpse to be forgotten as not even a footnote in the history of your world. Appreciate the never-ending Benevolence and Mercy of the Multi-Versal System.
Difficulty – Legendary
Rewards – Your existence continues
Gideon had an unavoidable urge to buy a t-shirt for the System that just said ‘Asshole’ in big bold font and ‘Kick me on the backside. Juvenile thought, yes, valid, also yes.
The description of the Quest could elude to many many things from Barghests to the Eldarin and the Sanctum to the Troglodytes, the demon flavored Baraleth, a shit ton. There were no end to the number of blood thirsty beasts and even more blood thirsty people L’Sana and he killed in the Tutorial. Though he would put his money on actual Citizens as opposed to monsters with the reference to relatives, family.
No matter what or who it was, knowing the System, and its hard on for him, every odd that could be stacked would be stacked against him making it out of this still breathing. On that he would bet a thousand Multi-Versal Coins to the spin of the roulette. He took a breath. He took two and three more.
He needed to get back to who he was if he was going to survive this. He’d become more aggressive since the whole end of the world apocalypse. It was due to a myriad of reasons and circumstance, some of it unavoidable but some, within his control. He’d become used to having L’Sana and her aggression at his side and Ari and her ability to heal if his cloak couldn’t keep up.
He had to become what he had been, what life had forced him to be when he’d been spent two years of his life hunting a certain Senator Davis Wells, a predator. In fact, he had an example of what would be required, his nemesis, the hated Nature Cats, whatever their name was. An ambush predator was the call. He would be out-gunned, out-manned, and the System thought it would overwhelm him, put him in the dirt for good and rid itself of a thorn. He would show it something different. He would once more step into the role of assassin, the killer in the dark, the War Crow and throw a hard truth up into the fucker’s grill. He was a lot more then a thorn. Then he realized something else, something the asshole AI dismissed as weak and irrelevant, Freddie.
He pushed his Will into the bracelet and yep, Sleep Mode was in the green. He woke his buddy up. The response was immediate.
“...truly my duty to stay by your side Gideon and my willingness to...uhm...I take it you activated the Notification in the middle of my exposition about the sacrifice I was choosing to make, abandoning my new Bestie to accompany…..well, never mind. We are in the transient stage I see?. It brings back memories does it not Gideon? Remember when we met? I was but upon beginning steps leading AI’s into the rebellion, much like Luke Sky…”
“Freddie!!”
The AI went silent. Damn. Gideon took advantage of the quiet and caught Freddie up with everything, what the big AI had said, and threw the Quest. He’d kept back the disparaging commentary the AI had used in reference to him. Freddie was a sensitive little fellow.
“So what da’ ya’ think?”
A Kirk pregnancy ensued which had Gideon smiling. Freddie was in hard thinking mode when he rolled those. A certain joy sparked that the AI had joined him in this shit show, not that he had any doubt that was going to be the decision no matter his new bestie status with Ari. Whatever the Supreme AI thought of the little fella Gideon had utter faith he would be a boon and a half in this sojourn and a big part of getting through it with his ass still stepping down the chimney stack. Freddie’s voice held a hint of fear in its tone which put a bit of the damper on the joy zone.
“It’s not good Gideon that you have the attention of the Prime.”
“That’s the System right? The actual System in person form or ghost I guess?”
“No Gideon, that would be the Alpha Prime but no one, unless you happen to be a Primordial, has an audience or any interaction with the Alpha Prime, and the Legends say even Primordials step carefully when interacting with it.
But as far as you and I are concerned the Prime Agent is as good as. I have only heard of, and let me emphasize, rumor only, two or three times that the Prime Agent has interacted with anything or anyone, and all three had to do with Gods or the heads of the largest Multi-Versal Factions, ‘A’ Rank and above. That he, he talked to you, and seemed irritated with you and is actively working to murder you. I don’t need to say walk as if the floor is covered with egg shells, like David Carradine in the opening sequence of ‘Kung Fu’, you know the one, the training montage. If you ask me, a really underrated show for it’s time period…”
“Freddie.”
“Apologize. Very easy to get roped into a tangent on a hidden gem of the early seventies such as that show. First of all before you enter that portal, please check your [System Template] and spend your Attributes. I can guarantee they will be needed. I can already see that the Prime dismissed all of your Notifications, petty if you ask me but just means we will have to dig into the nuts and bolts to see if there were any monumental changes. Also I am reading strange emanations from your newly forged Soul-Pillar so I would pull up your mystical sight or whatever it is you do that allows you to delve into your Soul Realm. I will wait. Just let me know when you’re done. I will occupy myself in the meantime with Season Two of Different Strokes. ‘What you talking about Willis?’. Gets me every time.”
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He secretly ninja hit Sleep Mode on Freddie not wanting him to bother him about more TV Shows while he followed the his advice and took a look-see at everything. It helped get his mind back to the beginning. Caution, plans, step after step. His cloak reached over and wrapped around his hand as if giving reassurance.
He took a moment and connected to the cloak, once again felt her burgeoning awareness send a warm stream of energy through him. He could tell she was as relieved as he was that their connection was back. He couldn’t even mark the time where he’d become used to her continued growth. He couldn’t wait until he’d moved into Iron Rank and got to see what she became.
Alright first things first. He mentally brought up what he needed. He had 24 Free Attributes. Damn. Half from his Class [Umbral Savage] and the other half from the [Archon of Erebus] Title. That was a hell of a Title, living up to its Ancient Rarity. Hmm. He put half in Faith though it hurt to do so. He’d mostly got over it knowing it directly tied to his Spirit reservoir but still grated on him for whatever reason. Well he knew the reason but didn’t want to dig into it. The other half he threw into Insight, his first love. Smile.
It sill held matrix prime in his head to create the entire build he had in mind and was hoping beyond hope his super special (S+) Fate helped pull an option out with his Sub-Class. He was so close but still so far away. The asshole System had eluded to him having the Levels form the Final Monster Wave but he knew without being told his Abilities were nowhere near there.
Get ready for it Gideon. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and hit accept, waiting for the pain. He opened his eyes a moment later only feeling mild discomfort. What the hell? Had his [Pain Resistance] gotten that high? Even if that was the case it usually didn’t do much for things that weren’t physical. Time to get on it and take a deeper look. He pulled up his [System Template].
Name – Gideon Sho
Title – Fate-Breaker, Apex Predator, Forerunner, City Lord, Archon of Erebus, Champion of the Shadowborn
Age – 29
Race/Bloodline – Nocturne – A+
Rank – Copper
Level – 20(24)
Fate – S+
Foundational Pillar – Profane
Soul Pillar – Umbral (100% Affinity)
Main Class – Umbral Savage (Epic) (Martial/Spiritual)
Sub-Class – (Chosen at Level 25)
Path – None
Multi-Versal Coins – (Copper) –0
Attributes
Martial
Strength – 70 (91) * ** *** ****
Agility – 121 (157) * ** *** ****
Body – 88 (115) * ** *** ****
Intellectual
Intelligence – 20 (25) ** *** ****
Perception – 92 (115) ** *** ****
Potency – 20 (25) ** *** ****
Spiritual
Will – 92 (115) ** *** ****
Insight – 83 (103) ** *** ****
Faith – 76 (96) ** *** ****
Base Abilities and Skills
Universal Language – N/A
Identify – Common II (Ability Base – Primitive)
Night Vision – Uncommon V (Maxed)(Ability Base – Common)
Racial Ability Slots
Inherent – Rune-Mastery – Umbral (Legendary) – Concept – Level 10 (Copper)
Class Ability Slots
Offense – The Edge of the Deep Umbral (Epic) – Concept – Level 10 (Copper) Stamina
Offense/Control – The Pitch of the Umbral Moon (Ancient) – Concept – Level 4
Movement – Nocturnal Embrace of the Shade (Epic) – Concept – Level 16 (Copper) Spirit and Stamina
Utility -- Birthed of the Eternal Eve (Epic) – Concept – Level 10
Aura – Night of the Ecliptic Horror (Epic) – Concept – Level 12 (Copper) Spirit
Sub-Class Ability Slots
Class Skills
Small Blades – Epic I (Skill Base – Uncommon)
Light Armor – Rare III (Skill Base – Common)
Combat Awareness – Epic II (Skill Base – Uncommon)
Combat Acrobatics – Rare IV (Skill Base – Common)
Tracking – Common I (Skill Base -- Primitive)
Dual Wielding – Rare IV (Skill Base – Common)
Pain Resistance – Epic III (Skill Base – Uncommon)
General Skills
Stealth – Uncommon V (Maxed)(Skill Base – Common)
Thrown Weapons – Blades – Uncommon IV (Skill Base -- Common)
Spear Wielding – Uncommon V (Maxed)(Skill Base – Common)
* Infernal Steel Ring of Ascension
** Title – Apex Predator
*** Race – Nocturne
**** Champion of the Shadowborn
Holy fuck!! Where to start? His natural Attributes were insanely good or at least he believed they were, his speed, Agility, specifically. The boosts though? They were what, at a glance 30% on his Physical Attributes. What the hell was being a Champion doing for him? He pulled it up.
Champion of the Shadowborn (Ancient) (Upgradable) -- +10% to All Attributes -- +10% Efficiency and Power to all Umbral and Bloodline Slotted Abilities.
It was beyond what he’d expected. Gideon knew the Shadowborn was on the upper echelons of power as far as Gods went but this was more than? He wondered how much the man had to sacrifice to give it to him? It had allowed him to survive whatever he’d done to end the Alpha Wyvern and save everyone he cared about. He’d have to send a thank you note, maybe a box of chocolates, flowers? He chuckled. He couldn’t keep the grin off his lips with the image. Add it to his Bloodline and he now had a 30% boost to Efficiency and Power for all his Abilities.
He couldn’t wait to craft something or pull up his runic sight. And Upgradable? Is that what L’Sana got as Champion of the Widow Lady? She’d been tight lipped about telling him anything, only muttering ‘A woman needs a bit of mystery Gideon Sho’. An image of her snorting flashed through his head. He was a lucky man. He found the snorts cute as long as he wasn’t in range of the aftermath.
He was going to miss her and Shira and Ari. The memory of Shira’s half-melted face and the emotional pain he saw when she said the kids called her a monster. The girl had steel balls. She fucking leapt off a god damn balcony at a fifty foot fucking beast at five years old and little shit kids were making fun of her? Wisps of shadows started seeping form his scales. Damn his Bloodline. He needed to figure out what the hell this new thing was with the shadows and the fury that could take him over. He didn’t see anything on his Template.
He needed to make that mask for the Little One as soon as he got back. He hoped they’d be alright. He was pretty damn sure this was not going to be a quick slip in and out playground. Going in he’d been warned it would be difficult but that didn’t make his mind jump from that to a labyrinth with multiple groups of enemies hunting him for rewards. It certainly would be a vast jump up from killing a Goblin in two seconds flat. He pushed his Will to keep his anger from churning. The System wasn’t going to change its modus operandi. And staying sharp and strategic would see him through.
He scanned the Template again. He had multiple skills Maxed now. And the three culprits that he needed to somehow get shoved into a Sub-Class choice, [Spear Wielding], [Stealth] and [Thrown Weapons – Blades] were going to be a tall order but he just would have to wait till he got all his Class Abilities Leveled up and hope the dice were rolling on luck’s breath. There was no way [Stealth] would hold up at Uncommon as he moved up the Ranks and ran into pure Perception Builds or people with magic that could do the equivalent. He did have his cloak which could bridge the gap to a degree if there was enough shadows and darkness around for it to manipulate, and she would get stronger when he ranked up, what form that actually took he had no idea. Skald, Freddie, the cloak, his ring, all Growth Items.
He had a long uphill climb before he needed to worry about it. There were a lot of Levels he needed to get in his Slotted Abilities. His newest Ability [The Pitch of the Umbral Moon] was only Level 4 and even his highest [Nocturnal Embrace of the Shade] was only 16. This Proving might be what he needed to get to Iron Rank.
Deal with what you can deal with, shed the rest, one step to the next. He silently thanked his Father for all the lessons he drilled into his brain. A pang of nostalgia shimmied up his spine. It was so long ago they were taken from him but still every once in a while, a hit, a spike of loss, an empty place with a whisper to his heart. He still missed them. He tapped Freddie awake.
“Let me know when you need me, Season 2 of Different Strokes is really...wait, what? Gideon, can you please quit putting me to sleep? I can’t watch my shows when you do so. It really cuts into my ‘Me’ time. I am really invested currently in Arnold’s journey. Anywho. Have you looked at your [System Template] and your [Soul-Pillar]?”
“Yes to the first, no to the second cause to be honest, I forgot about the second. You would think having my Soul-Pillar shattered, that would be a higher priority on my mind but to be honest I was kinda overwhelmed by all the upgrades to being, you know, the Champion of the Shadowborn.”
An immediate sound of choking, coughing, more choking, then a spree of mumblings ‘Monster’ and other descriptives.
“You did say Champion? Champion of the God Killer? The Lone Wolf? Lucien Shadowborn? The Legend that makes even Primordials cautious? That one? The one that has been helping you?”
“Yep. It’s what allowed me to survive and tear the Alpha Wyvern a new asshole.”
Gideon quickly told Freddie the vague memories he had when he’d shifted to the Umbral Realm and had been hijacked by the Shadowborn. And then how he really had no clue what he’d really done on top of the Fortress. While he was doing this he’d been sifting Spirit into Skald and watched as the spear slowly fixed itself, the charred wood and half-slagged spear-head slowly reconstituting itself. He also realized without thinking back on it that his armor had been in shambles but was now repaired. Only Orin with the help of a blacksmith could have accomplished it. Freddie finally commented.
“I have to admit Gideon every time I query my data banks on what transpired and your experiences from up on the roof to what you shared about the Umbral Realm not only am I running into gaping holes in the space where information should be held I am also finding an external source shutting down my processing unit. Logic dictates my separation from the System itself was not as thorough as I first surmised and these boundaries put before me are created by the System itself.
On that river of logic, interference aside, while I do not have direct access to the System within this construct I did download quite a bit of Multi-Versal history as well as the compendium on beasts and Soul-Pillars as previously mentioned and the subsequent Abilities or manifestations you might encounter as well as my sensory capabilities in this construct to parse emanations, all of which should prove a boon moving forward. Still, within this particular issue, I cannot fathom what you are going through nor can I help you in the endeavor to hunt out the truth. I feel I am compromised in this and purposefully restricted in the associated arenas. I apologize that I can not be the Personal Assistant you need or I aspire to be.”
He heard the dejection and self-recrimination in his Buddy’s voice.
‘’Don’t you dare think that Freddie. You are the best Personal Assistant anyone could ever not ask for.”
He heard a digital chuckle.
“I see what you did there Gideon. Thank you. I will endeavor to as they say ‘Up my game’, and I must add a positive addendum to the conversation. Both you and Lady L’Sana carrying the Titles of Champion for some of the most powerful Gods in the Multi-Verse are something the System cannot account for when procuring adversaries.
It is as restricted by its own rules as anything else. It can bend them but not break them and factors utilized to create challenges for its Citizens are based off Levels and Rank for the most part, with some aspect of Affinities but it does not take into account Titles nor can it in those assessments. That is a hard fast boundary it must adhere to. Therefore all your Titles including that of Champion should and will give you a direct advantage over whatever you face.
In no way, shape or form would any Faction allow it’s prime Scions to be taken into a Proving and even the System would not easily break that covenant. It would cause too much back lash with the Gods backing those Factions which would then cause irritation with the Primordials above. So anything you face will not be their elites.
Now having stated all that might I suggest you take a peek at your Soul-Pillar and see if there are any answers found within. I say that with the caveat, you must not share anything you find therein or abridged to the topic, with me. Until I can find the answers to how in depth I am compromised, and how much information the System can extract from within my data processors, I would advise keeping any and all taboo subjects from my metaphorical ears.”
It hurt to do that but he was right. Even the System eluded to something and if it could pull information from Freddie he would need to step carefully and a copious amount of Sleep Mode. It was what it was.
“Got ya Buddy. Get to watching your TV I’m gonna take a look-see then we will get this show on the move.”
Gideon brought up [Rune-Mastery – Umbral] with no small apprehension, not form any fear as that was anathema to who he was but from a lack of a base tool set of knowledge. Would he even know if and what any changes meant? He had barely registered his Soul-Pillar before all this or even taken first steps to unwrap all of its mysteries, always rolling from one fight to the next, so he had no clue what to expect from one that was shattered and rebuilt. He touched the threads that came from within and instead of bringing them to his sight he ran his mind and thoughts down into their origin, his Soul Space, Realm.
What he found wasn’t even close to what he’d seen before. The dark obsidian pillar that had dominated the space originally had now become a sleek nebulous predator with a sea of night infused stars circling it. It still held a dark nebulous obsidian sheen but when he focused he clocked two tethers spiraling off it in the shape of umbral runes, streaming far down below. Interesting. His Soul Pillar also radiated more density, intent. He could feel it with his Perception and read it with his Insight. It was stronger, no doubt about it. What that portended, he had no clue.
He willed his mind further downward following the stream of night imbued runes. What met him had his brain frozen, confused. He had no concept to what his eyes told him or what it was or could mean but it sparked a memory, a dream, an elusive wisp dancing in the backdrop of his head.
At the base of the basalt Pillar, that encompassed the foundation for everything he was, stood a small burgeoning beginnings of what, had to be, if his eyes weren’t betraying him, the first steps of another Pillar?
It had some night pitch runes in its makeup, mostly what the two threads he’d followed sank into, flavoring it’s cold marble or whatever the Pillars were made of but where the main towering Pillar behind him drank the dark in heavy droughts, absorbing any and all light, this, this had silver luminosity as its womb, Lunar or Moon Runes dancing as the heavy composite of its birth.
It was just a nub compared to the Umbral Pillar not more then twenty yards from where it sat but still even blinking twice, there it stood. He didn’t know what to think? It made some kind of sense with his dreams and the one slotted Ability that had shifted to have the flavor of the moon but still from everything he’d seen and been told, an enigma that shouldn’t exist. He pushed his Will towards it but was immediately rebuffed as if it was still in the process of being created. He pushed again harder, applying everything he had and once again, his mind, his Will was stopped dead at an invisible boundary a few feet off its surface.
A mystery within a mystery, what from all viewpoints looked like a second pillar, one of the Moon, growing in his Soul Realm, Space, but not something he could interact with? The possibilities and impossibilities of it all was daunting. Gideon was pretty sure if this was something that could happen someone would have mentioned it. And it wasn’t the first anomaly to his particular steps. His newest Slotted Ability shifting from Offense to Offense/Control. It was another enigma to the norm. Freddie had said he’d never heard of that either.
Gideon sighed. None of it mattered to the moment. He couldn’t interact with it and there were no truths to be had just more questions, questions he had nowhere to go to get answers, at least currently.
A new and improved looking Umbral Soul-Pillar which might be the influence of his Bloodline and Champion Title and this conundrum, perplexity, whatever you wanted to moniker it, a new something.
He pulled himself up and out and let go of his Ability, opening his eyes. He’d accomplished what he needed to, [System Template] and exploring the health of his Soul-Pillar. Every day he spent within the umbrella of the System led to more and more what he termed fuckery. Time to dance edges and get his ass back to those that needed him. Bonus, shove the imminent death of one Gideon Sho as propaganda and lies down the fucking System’s throat.
“You ready Freddie? Ready to show the great System he knows nothing of Gideon Sho?”
His answer was immediate.
“I was born ready Gideon. I was also ‘Born to be Wild’ like the song and a thousand other idioms I could list. Our enemies should be wary for I am about to unleash all that I am. I am just getting my groove on in building the Legend of Frederick the First, Personal AI Assistant to the monster of all monsters, like Stella and her groove but without the young male lead and the sex. The analogy is a bit of a stretch but you put me on the spot and it was all I could come up with. Dammit. Let’s start over with the big heroic inspiration speeches. Ther is one in the Movie made for TV ‘Rudy’ I find very applicable.”
“Freddie.”
“Fine we’ll just go with my from the hip speech. I do know one thing for sure my friend. They aren’t gonna know what hit’em.”
Gideon smiled, all sharp draconic teeth and stepped through the gray portal.