Greetings people of Earth, this is emperor Justias the 11th, from the Empire of Natovia. We were identified as a race with a similar overall mindset and justification for life. We extend the warmest welcome to the Grand Schema, as we call it. Following this message will be another that we devised in the ‘month’ we were given to prepare a so-called “First Steps Guide” for your race. Know that we are limited in the length that the guide can be, so it may seem lacking at first. Some of you may have lost loved ones, please know that your world is not over, it’s just simply no longer as you knew it.
Carefully, Ben dismissed the notification, his breath coming out ragged from being overwhelmed.
Below we will list what we deem are the top 5 Need to Knows:
1. Every individual deemed sentient by the Grand Schema has their Core Talent revealed upon being integrated, it should be given as soon as you dismiss this prompt.
2. Now that you are integrated your existence will be subject to the Grand Schema, thereby you will be pursuing greatness by developing Levels, Stats, Skills, Talents, and Grades. Levels increase Health and Mana passively, as well as grant free stat points. Skills can be either actives or passives that enable you to do things to varying degrees of success. Talents are similar to skills but usually more unique and powerful. Finally Grades are similar to Levels but upgrade your entire existence, typically by an order of magnitude. An average level 100 grade 1 is about as powerful as an average level 10 grade 2. Levels in any one grade are infinite as far as anyone can tell, but will become exponentially harder to attain while staying within a grade. You can investigate these further by viewing your “status”.
3. Your world has changed, dramatically. Earth has grown to be over 20 times larger than it was previously. Approximately one Earth month has passed since Earth’s integration, humanity was held in stasis while your bodies and planet became accustomed to the influx of mana that you were all subject to. Excess pockets of mana condensed into dungeons and monsters, while some may have been absorbed by your native flora and fauna, causing it to mutate in unknown ways. Tread carefully but move forward boldly nonetheless, your survival will depend on it.
If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.
4. The Grand Schema is a force of benevolence, its purpose is manifold, but mostly boils down to the maintenance of mana in the universe. You may have felt a sense of power, elation, or explosiveness, followed by an overwhelming explosion. The Grand Schema precedes the wave of Mana exploding out from the center of the universe, and you felt them respectively on their arrival. Mana unmanaged completely corrupts and mutates things in unforeseeable ways, the Grand Schema seeks to prevent it from happening to sentient and conscious beings. Know this: the Grand Schema is not all powerful, it only enables us all to fight for our right to existence.
5. Following this, you will now have access to The Weave. This operates as an extension of the Grand Schema, where points earned through hardship can be exchanged for Levels, Skills, Talents, and much, much more. Skills and talents can be earned through various means other than The Weave, but in the beginning you will receive 100 points. It is advised to use those points for a weapon or skill that can be used to defend yourself initially, as early on after integration, your world will be in its most dangerous state. Land has been remade, cities no longer exist as they were, most will be stranded far from any help.
Move carefully and with purpose, Earthlings, we wish you the best. Our envoys are on their way.
With a heavy, shuddering sigh Ben dismissed the message, only to be met with a breathtaking site. Standing atop a cliff, Ben overlooked a massive sprawling valley, with other cliffs and hills leading down into it. In the basin of the valley lay a wide river that pooled in some areas. Vast greenery carpeted much of the valley, and Ben could make out a few animals and birds with his gaze.
Ben had only the time to hit his knees before the next prompt took precedence.
Core Talent: The Passivist
Pacifist? No! You are uniquely inclined to only develop passive skills. You will be unable to attain or develop active skills, but passives you acquire are twice as powerful, and grow twice as fast. Prerequisites to acquire passive skills are much lower for you.
I’m… In a shitty novel? Ben thought.