Mavis yet again finds himself opening his eyes in an unfamiliar place. However, he could not tell if this "space" that he was currently floating in could be called a place at all.
Everywhere he looked was just pure darkness that was dotted with the brightest stars he had ever seen. The place just seems to be endless, as the darkness just goes on and on.
Mavis was so confused that he forgot to check himself for his injuries. And as he expected, his limbs are still broken all over. He could even tell that the bullet on his head and thighs was still there, but for some reason, he was still alive.
He also noticed that he currently could not feel anything at all. It's like his whole bodily functions have been separated from his brain, and all the pain has been cut off.
The past 24 hours had not been the best experience he had ever had in his life.
First, he was chased for so long that he couldn't even tell, then he was beaten up, then shot, then beaten up again, and then finally got shot again in his head.
'I dare say, getting shot two times a day on separate occasions has not been the most pleasant feeling.'
Mavis was still trying to collect his thoughts, when another message materialized in his peripherals.
[Warning! Detected abnormalities in individual]
[Harmonization has been temporarily canceled to take action towards the certain issue]
After he read those messages. He felt that all the feelings in his body had come back, along with the excruciating pain he currently is being subjected to.
[Beginning the healing process]
Mavis screamed as he felt all the bones on his body being restored to their original arrangement. He wasn't even given a breathing room because next to the list were the Bullets buried in his flesh as they were pulled out by an invisible force.
He wanted to pass out but the healing process has also prevented him from doing that. The only thing he could do was to curse the person who brought him here, which he had no idea at all as to who, or what that might be.
He had screamed and wriggled for so long that his voice became hoarse, but after a few seconds, his voice came back as it was healed too. This sequence repeated constantly until he finally felt his body devoid of any pain.
[Healing process completed]
[The harmonization process has been restarted]
When Mavis finally thought it was over, another wave of pain washed all over him. This time the feeling came inside of him. The part in his navel burned with pain, as he could feel his interior body parts being pushed out by a foreign object. It bloomed inside him and kept growing and growing until it felt like it had properly situated itself.
It feels weird how Mavis thought that he had just regained something that he had lost for a long time. He could also feel that he had suddenly gained the ability to look inside of him. So as his curiosity was piqued, he tried to observe this new body part and noticed how everything fit so perfectly.
The metallic ball on his navel hummed with life as it seems to suck an invisible energy all around him. He also noticed tentacles of nerves were growing and wriggling outside of it, as they lengthen and connect to every part of his body. It invaded his body like vines would, and the thickest nerves that he had observed were the ones connecting his brain and heart.
A new feeling washed over him as his perception of the world completely changed. Along with it is another message from the mysterious and translucent screen.
[Congratulations on your successful Harmonization, Mavis]
[You had now regained access to the essence system and with it, the power to change your fate]
[Achievement acquired]
[Transporting to the tutorial area]
He felt himself "fall" yet again and a moment later, found himself standing in an empty room. The room is painted white all over with bare of any furniture.
He inspected himself, still remembering the feeling of a new energy coursing through his body, and then tried to move it.
The new energy freely dances in his skin, commanding it like some kind of sentient being. Whatever his will, it follows.
'What is this thing?' He thought in amazement.
While he was busy taking all the exciting stuff in. A new presence surges forth that has the strength to bury his meager existence. After that, a light flashes before him as an unexplainable entity appears at that place.
The entity started featureless at first then it transformed into a naked human male. The man looked magnificently beautiful -like what anyone thinks the incarnation of Adam would be. Mavis would have been convinced that this being is just a normal human if not for his lack of genitalia.
The man then looked at him and then spoke. An imposing voice reverberates throughout Mavis's being.
"Welcome to the tutorial, new initiate. I am the overseer of the system. Created by the original 7 to guide a newly integrated galaxy." The fake man said while each word was devoid of emotions. "I will be guiding you throughout your whole tutorial journey, as you acclimate yourself to the rest of the universe."
Mavis stared at the entity with doubt written all over his face. He starts theorizing that he is still alive and is currently being tortured by Julian. 'What kind of psychedelic drugs are they injecting me to be having these kinds of hallucinations?' He thought with uncertainty.
"You are, in fact still alive, Mavis, and all of this that you are currently experiencing is also real." The man suddenly said.
Mavis twitched the moment he heard what the fake man had just said. 'Well great. He could read minds. And he knows my name! Of course, he knew.' He thought, then immediately realized that whatever he was thinking right now was also being conveyed.
"Do not be alarmed, as I do not have the intention to hurt or bring any kind of harm to you. My true purpose and only mission is to guide you through the trials that you are about to face." The man reassured.
"That doesn't sound convincing at all honestly. How would I know that my mind isn't being influenced by you?" Mavis said with wariness still in his mind.
"I do not have a way to properly show you. However, I could say that if I had wanted to, I could have easily broken your mind and destroyed your entire sense of self without even putting in any effort. Which I wouldn't do unless I have the reason to." The man said with a straight face.
Mavis felt repulsed by how the man just uttered those words without any emotions. It's like a robot has been put inside a man's body. "Okay... not creepy and overly alarming at all..." Mavis emphasized while he slowly backed away a step, but his mind didn't manage to hide his willingness to listen.
"Now that we have established a semblance of understanding. Let me introduce myself again." The man bowed, then faced, Mavis. "I am the system's ego.
A product of the original 7. I embody the system as it embodies me. You can also refer to me as the guardian, overseer, or protector." It stops for a moment to let Mavis adjust, then continues after a few seconds. "I am here to guide and explain to you the basics of the essence system. So you could properly reintegrate to the old and new reality, that has been stripped from you. Please... open your status by manipulating the wild essence around you, and will it to scan your whole being."
Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.
'There's no point hesitating now, I guess.' Mavis mused as his curiosity had also won over him, and then he followed what the man had said and willed the invisible and alien energy he was playing with, before the man showed up, to cover his entire body.
[Basic Information]
Name: Mavis Vicencio
Race: Human
Class: None
Essence: 0⭐️ (Level 0)
[Attributes]
Strength - 5+1
Vitality - 6+1
Endurance - 7+1
Agility - 6+1
Dexterity - 8+1
Perception - 9+1
Willpower - 8+1
Wisdom - 11+1
Intelligence - 11+1
Unallocated: 0
[Abilities]
Skills:
Spells:
[Achievements]
{Awakening(Common)
Description: You have successfully harmonized with the essence and created your core.
Effect: +1 to all stats.}
Mavis was overwhelmed with the sudden rush of information that had assailed his vision. He read each word meticulously to not miss anything important. He couldn't admit it but he felt very excited messing around with it, as he tried to interpret any of the words written on his.. "status"?
The man interrupted his thoughts, and then properly explained all the confusing words that Mavis couldn't comprehend. "At the top is your basic information. As you can see, it displays the summary of your current name, race, class, and essence. And by focusing them to expand, except for your name. It will show you another screen, which is an in-depth view of each system."
Mavis tried to focus on his race and it opened up another new message just like what the fake man had said.
[Race]
Base: Human
Ascent:
Traits: Varied Growth, Blank Slate, Racial Accord
He focused on each of the individual words which showed their descriptions and uses.
[Human]
Description: The second highest population amongst the seven sapient races. Humans have the most variety of abilities as their nature is all about adapting to their environment.
Effect: Gain the traits. Varied Growth, Blank Slate, and Racial Accord.
[Varied Growth]
Type: Innate
Compatibility: Gifted
Effect: Gain a 10% increase on one or more attributes. The picked attribute/s will depend on the person's innate talent. All mind attributes.
[Blank Slate]
Type: Innate
Compatibility: Gifted
Effect: Gain a chance to awaken a unique trait when certain conditions are met. Replace this trait with the awakened one.
[Racial Accord]
Type: Innate
Compatibility: Gifted
Effect: You can choose 1 trait from all of the other six sentient races and adapt it as your own. This could entirely change the trait to become compatible with the user.
A chain of words and screens filled Mavis's point of view. The first time he encountered the screens was overwhelming and it is still now. He probably would need a lot of time to get used to this new reality of his.
"All races in the universe have 3 starting traits that differentiate them from one another. What you're seeing right now is the starting traits of all humans. Some of them already had an immediate effect, however, some still need some proper conditions to unlock. For now, let us go over the other parts of the system." The fake man further explained, while reassuring him.
Mavis nodded in confirmation and then focused on the class tab this time. Which opened up a new screen.
[Class]
Main:
Diverge:
Characteristics:
He thought another row of the screen would assail him again, but it just showed an empty list. He was just about to ask the system ego when it suddenly spoke again.
"The class branch of the system is only accessible for the 7 sapient races of the universe. Humans are among those. Your main will unlock the characteristics that you could pick and determine the attributes that could be increased. Do not worry, for this part, you will also be given ample time to choose. Let me explain the essence branch first before picking a class, shall we?" The man asked.
Mavis listened closely then nodded yet again. He didn't want to miss any of the words that the man said and take all the explanations to mind, then finally proceeded to open the Essence tab.
[Essence]
Rank: Inferior
Level: 0
Star:
"The last branch of the system is the Essence. It is the main determinant of a person's power. For starters, you are currently at 0 stars, which is where everybody starts. And each star has a maximum level of 100. The moment you reach that level, you'll be able to create a star by condensing the essence that you have accumulated in your core." The man stopped for a moment and then got closer to Mavis. "Everything may be confusing for now, but as you progress and explore the rest of your power and the universe, bit by bit. Everything will become much clearer."
Mavis yet again couldn’t ask any questions before the man would just explain anything that he would think of asking and reminded him yet again of his current predicament. He was at the precipice of death before all of this, and everything just felt so surreal.
"Don't worry, Mavis. You're not the only one feeling that type of emotion. I am currently conversing with the rest of the Humans, that are eligible for the trial, and you're one of the few who have easily adapted to the reintegration." The man said, with another interruption.
This put another confusion in Mavis's mind. 'Does that mean everyone is also currently experiencing what I am going through right now?'
"Yes." The man answered.
Mavis just looked at him. 'Right... mind reading.' He couldn't help but sigh and simply accept everything as a fact.
The man spoke again for the final time. "What I've told you is merely the basics of what the essence system could truly bring to the table. It is limitless and faultless in guiding you toward your path to ascension and diversion. But keep this in mind. The system is not a tool that would hold your hand, as it still requires true effort and action to gain a proper reward." The man finally floats away and then says it's parting words. "That's it for now, everything that I have and hasn't gone over will be explained in this book."
A thick book suddenly appeared from its hand, then magically floated to Mavis, which he caught in return.
"You could call upon me anytime you have any questions. You would also be provided with the proper living arrangements and some necessities, so you could have a basic idea about the truth of the universe and for your future trials." After its words, it had simply vanished like it wasn't there.
Mavis could finally relax, then was startled again when furniture started appearing in his empty room. There were beds, tables, and even a fridge, and he also noticed a new door leading to a bathroom. And finally, a countdown right above the center.
[1st Stage-Trial
6 days:23 hours:39 minutes:46 seconds]
The countdown is pretty much self-explanatory. 'I guess the system ego wasn't lying when it said I would have ample time to prepare. For now, though, I just want to lie down and forget all the things that have just happened.' Mavis then moved towards his bed, and took a much-needed rest.
----------------------------------------
He woke up thinking that what happened was all just a dream, however, the reality seemed to differ from his expectations. He was still in the windowless white room and the countdown loomed above the center.
[6 days:8 hours:47 minutes:25 seconds]
He just took a full 15 hours of sleep and he is now feeling a little peckish, as well as having the urge to go to the toilet. And maybe a bath as well. So as a normal human being would, he took care of all his business first before tackling the biggest elephant in the room.
After he was ready and fully rejuvenated from yesterday's endeavor. He took the thick book lying beside his bed and opened it. He read through the first few pages, then finally saw something that caught his attention.
[Attributes are innate ability that each person inherently possess. They represent the physical, mental, and magical prowess of the individual. Each attribute goes hand in hand and requires balance to achieve a better result in their quality. There are two types of attributes, which are body and mind. The body consists of strength, vitality, endurance, agility, and dexterity. While the mind consists of dexterity, perception, intelligence, wisdom, and willpower. Having the dexterity as a dual type. Below are the attributes and what they represent.
Strength - Represents the amount or quality of physical power you can exert and the capacity of weight you can carry.
Vitality - Represents your physical health, regeneration, and the ability to recover your stamina.
Endurance - This represents the amount of beating your body can withstand and how long it can last through continuous assault.
Agility - Represents your ability to move quickly and easily, as well as your ability to balance and stay upright.
Dexterity - This represents the connection and coordination between your mind and body, especially when it comes to hand-to-eye coordination.
Perception - Represents your ability to see, hear, or become aware of something through the senses.
Willpower - Represents how well you can control your mind and restrain impulses, as well as your ability to resist and impose mental influences.
Wisdom - Represents your ability to process memories, mental health, and how well your mind can recover from mental strain.
Intelligence - Represents how well your mind can calculate and process information. Increases mental clarity.
The body attributes are required to access aura, while the mind attributes are for mana. They are two distinct energies that have been derived from essence. They could complement or counter each other and are both required in certain abilities to exceed the limitations of the user, which their innate attributes could not overcome.]
'That's why my mind felt a lot clearer and my body stronger when I acquired the system. It had the power to change my entire being if used right. Then in the future, it might be possible to lift things that are 5 times or even 10 times heavier than me. This proves yet again what the man had said, that the system is limitless. There's also the mention of mana and aura, which is something I would need to have an in-depth discussion with the system ego, later on.' Mavis moved on from his fantasy a few minutes later before turning the page again. This time, the page tackles the abilities section of the system.
[Abilities are powers that you can acquire either by learning them manually or through the system's help. There are 2 categories and 2 types of abilities.]
There were a lot more words under it, but Mavis just moved on for now and went to the next. Which are achievements.
[Achievements are titles bestowed by the system when an individual has achieved a certain goal, as a way of recognition towards that individual's efforts. Achievements have permanent buffs and effects that could give the user certain benefits.]
He skimmed the parts that were a bit complicated for now as well because he couldn't contain his excitement anymore about what classes were supposed to be. So without wasting any more time, he willed the wild essence around him to scan his being and immediately went over to the class tab.
[Main Classes:
Warrior
Description: Class that requires fewer abilities. They mostly have skill-type abilities that complement their main Attributes and are proficient with melee weapons.
Effect: Gain +1 to Strength, Vitality, and Endurance every level up. Gains a 10% increase in all warrior characteristics compatibility. Gain access to Warrior class characteristics.
Rouge
Description: Class that has a balance of spell and skill-type abilities. They use a mixed bag of spells and skills, as well as melee and range weapons to gain advantages over their opponents.
Effect: Gain +1 to Agility, Dexterity, and Perception every level up. Gain a 10% increase in all rouge characteristics compatibility. Gain access to Rouge class characteristics.
Mage
Description: Class that focuses on spell casting. They have the most number of spells from the 3 main classes. They fling spells from afar and have a variety of spells to assault their opponents.
Effect: Gain +1 to Intelligence, Wisdom, and Willpower every level up. Gains a 10% increase in all mage characteristics compatibility. Gain access to Mage class characteristics.]
He's already having a headache about which class he should take. They all seemed good to his eyes and he wasn't keen to pick one out of impulse.
He first went through the warrior class. He noticed that it mostly raised the attributes that he had the lowest value of, so that was already a bad sign. He's also not the type of fighter that would confront the enemy face-to-face, which he could tell by the description of the class, so for now he skipped that one.
Next is the Rouge. This one's leaning more toward his taste in combat. The word range and the increased attributes mean he could just keep his distance with his speed and pepper his enemies with attacks. It could be a potential pick if the mage class weren't to his taste.
The mage class though is straight right in his alley. The fact that he could finally use his brain to outsmart and outgun his opponents truly synchronizes with his soul. The class could also further increase his already high-value mind attributes, and to be honest, when he read the description of the class, he was already determined to pick it. He just thought over his other choices so he wouldn't regret it.
So with all that done. He had convinced himself to finally make the right choice and picked the mage class right away.