When next he opened his eyes, the lights were still dimmed.

Nar blinked, staring up at the featureless square of ceiling above him. It was low enough that if he stretched, he could touch it.

“You alright?”

Nar turned his neck, slowly.

The movement felt off. Like there had been a split-second of a disconnect between him wanting to move and his body actually responding to his orders. It was as though he was inside someone else’s body.

“Slowly,” Kur whispered, smiling at him. “It was the same for everyone else. But it goes away quickly.”

“What’s wrong with me?” Nar asked, in the same hushed tone.

Kur shrugged. “We think it's just all the sudden gains. Maybe it just takes a while for us to get used to them. But who knows?”

Nar’s eyebrows shot up and Kur chuckled.

“Yes, gains. And a lot of it,” the party leader told him. “And there’s also a lot of new stuff to go through as well. When you check your notifications, it will trigger all of it.”

Nar nodded slowly.

“And once you’re done, I recommend the blaster. You’ll feel a lot better afterwards.”

“There’s a blaster?” Nar asked, his eyes going wide.

“Oh, yeah. There’s loads of stuff,” Kur said. “Just read through it all, okay? I’ll come check on you afterwards. See how you’re doing and how you feel about those gains.”

A knot formed in Nar’s stomach, and a pall of unease covered his mind.

“Relax. Check it first,” Kur said, reading his obvious emotions. “Everyone was happy with what they got, and I’m sure it will be the same for you.”

Nar nodded slowly. “Alright. Thanks.”

“No worries. Take it easy. We have time. And if you need me, just call.”

With that, Kur got to his feet and silently stepped away.

It was quiet.

Almost unbelievably so after all those weeks under the Pressure.

Around him, he heard the tell-tale sounds of the others still asleep, and for a few moments, he simply marveled at the silence of it all. Especially within his own mind.

However, he couldn’t ignore the growing anxiety that gnawed at his stomach.

Right, Nar thought, when he could delay it no longer. I might as well check it.

He made his UI visible, and focused on the flashing notifications icon.

Instead of the expected list of notifications, a window popped up.

The Tutorial has been completed!

You have learned the basics of combat and that you must work together as a party to succeed.

Your Climb may now proceed.

Rewards:

1. You have been granted a 72-hour rest period in this safe room. Cleaning facilities and toilets are available. A dispenser is available.

2. You have been awarded new gear. Collect it from the dispenser. You may discard your old clothes.

3. You have been awarded a [Climber’s Storage Ring]. Collect it from the dispenser.

4. You have been awarded one level, and gains based on your performance in the Tutorial.

The text changed before Nar even had time to celebrate. Clothes! Food? And a blaster! By the Crystal, had he even read it properly?

The new text focused before his eyes, and Nar kept reading.

You have been awarded enough experience to level up.

You have leveled up!

You have gained:

Strength 11 -> 13

Constitution 12 -> 16

Stamina 11 -> 14

Agility 8 -> 9

Speed 7 -> 9

Aura 32 -> 38

[???] 5 -> 6

[???] 10 -> 13

Attributes unlocked:

Endurance

Might

Instinct

Reflex

Hearing

Sight

You have gained:

Might 0 -> 4

Endurance 0 -> 6

Instinct 0 -> 10

Reflex 0 ->10

Hearing 0 -> 6

Sight 0 -> 5

Gains threshold exceeded!

Attribute points will be applied during sleep!

(Attribute points already applied)

Skill [Strong Attack] was upgraded to [Strong Attack 2].

Skill [Increased Defense] was upgraded to [Quickening].

Congratulations on your Tutorial gains!

For a moment, he stared blankly at the words.

New attributes?

Upgraded skills?

And yet again, more [Aura]?

He was just two points shy of gaining his modifier now.

But everything else… [Strength] gains. A whooping 4-point increase to his [Constitution]? And 3 points to [Stamina]? It was mind blowing! And there were even gains to [Agility] and [Speed].

These were all amazing.

Points to his [???] unknown attributes? He would take them, of course, though he still had no idea what they were, and what he had done to earn them.

But that [Aura]…

It was all just too much to take in at once, and several seconds ticked by while he re-read through everything.

Right… [Aura], okay, I guess. I will still believe in you Crystal. My faith will remain strong. As for the rest of it…

It was actually pretty darned good. It was amazing even. The most attributes he had gained in one go.

[Strength], [Constitution] and [Stamina], in particular, were exactly what his path needed. And [Agility] and [Speed] were always welcome additions.

But what's up with all these new ones? he wondered.

A new window suddenly appeared above his gains.

Might - Your power to push through all obstacles and reach what you seek. Grants a bonus percentage to all attacks (currently at 1%).

Endurance - Your capacity to withstand, to outlast, to endure and sustain all that is thrown at you. Grants a bonus to damage resistance against all forms and types of damage (currently at 1.5%).

Instinct - Before the mind knows, before the logic asserts, before the rationale is formed, you feel it. In your gut, and in your soul. Ignore your instinct at your own peril.

Reflex - It is the intersection between body and mind. Practice and repetition paving the way to increased reaction speed and ingrained action. You consciously think less, but act faster and better.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

Hearing - One of a Sentient’s five main sensory skills. You can hear from further away and can decipher sound more clearly, even inferring additional information from it.

Sight - One of a Sentient’s five main sensory skills. You can see both further and closer. You notice more, process the information from your eyes faster and more accurately.

What in the Crystal’s name… he thought, stunned.

Nar read and re-read the information before him. Then he re-read it a fourth time, to make sure he wasn’t dreaming.

This can’t be real… Hear better? See better? [Instinct]?

His mind buckled under the impossibility of it all. However, the strange sensations he had felt during his last fight, the warnings, could he not explain them with that new, unlocked [Instinct] attribute?

So that means I was… That I can now sense danger?

He knew that it was something like that. He understood it, not fully, but with a certainty that brokered no doubts or debate. However, believing it was a different story.

So, can I really predict how I’m going to be hit?

Part of him laughed and him roared in joy. It was amazing! It was beyond amazing! It was a gift and a blessing beyond any measure!

The other part of him was still stunned silent.

It may only (only!) be applicable to danger, but, it was still something akin to glimpsing into the future.

Right? Maybe? A little bit?

Or was it just like having a new extra sense, one attuned to danger, rather than sight or hearing or smell?

He passed a hand over his hair. It was confusing to say the least.

He decided to set it aside for the time being and considered the other unlocked attributes.

[Might] and [Endurance]. These are perfect! Crystal Almighty, Blessed be your Everlasting Brilliance! Thank you! Thank you so much!

Stronger DPS and damage mitigation?

It was confirmation that perhaps his path wasn’t as bad a decision as he had thought. Granted, it wasn’t a lot, but as he gained more points in both of those attributes? He could become invincible!

Here was the reward for his persistence and devotion. And he would remain loyal and faithful through his [Aura] test as well. For what else could it be, but the Crystal seeking to correct his ways, and pave the path for greater rewards?

Nar offered a quick Prayer of Gratitude.

Then there was [Reflex].

To make me fight better… Without a shield?

To parry better. To dodge and move faster. Potentially to help him react better to his [Instinct] warnings as well.

It was… Good. It was great even, he couldn’t deny that. However, it wasn’t very tanky.

He couldn’t imagine Gad, or Romilt Ghroumvar, the Insurmountable Mountain of Thorns for that matter, weaving in and out of attacks, parrying and dodging the enemy. They were unmovable in the face of damage, and shrugged it off with their attributes, armor, skills and shields. That was what he was after.

He had only parried and dodged around like he did because he had had no other choice. Because he had no attributes, or armor, or skills or a shield.

He sighed.

You are what you do. And I did what I had to.

Looking at the attribute’s description, he also knew that he would continue to do so. He had no choice for now, and [Reflex] would help keep him alive.

So be it.

It was both a happy development and a bit of let down, and he couldn’t help but feel that he was being a little ungrateful. However, it was not what he had conceived for his path.

Lastly, [Hearing] and [Sight].

These have to be the attributes that Jul has. It’s crazy… I never even thought about my senses getting better. But, aren’t these scout attributes? Or do we all get them?

He didn’t complain, of course. How could he?

[Hearing] and [Sight] were as useful to him as [Agility] and [Speed]. In a pinch, they would even prove crucial.

However, he couldn’t help but feel that his path’s direction had shifted somewhat. He had expected it to be straightforward, a mix between Romilt Ghroumvar, the Insurmountable Mountain of Thorns and Nar, Who Is One With The Wind. The image in his mind had been simple, yes, a big shield and a strong weapon, but it was what he was going for. Now, he felt with a sinking sensation that he was veering off course, heading perhaps a bit closer towards Nar’s side now. And he wasn’t sure if there was anything he could do to prevent it.

The replacement of his skill, [Strong Defense], with [Quickening], only compounded that feeling.

Current skills:

Strong Attack 2 - an attack that does an extra n * 0.45 damage, where n is your current [Strength]. Costs 12 stamina.

Quickening - for three seconds, your [Reflex], [Agility] and [Speed] increase by (n + m) * 0.15, where n is half your [Agility] and m is half of your [Speed]. Cost 15 stamina.

(All resulting numbers are rounded down)

[Strong Attack 2] was just a straightforward, slightly more expensive, upgrade to his [Strong Attack]. With a higher damage modifier of 0.45 instead of 0.35, plus his increased [Strength], it was obvious that he had been right from the start. The skill started out weak, but would progressively get better and better. It still wasn’t much, but he could see the payoff coming as he leveled up.

[Quickening] however…

Faster, more agile and better reaction speed, he surmised.

That was basically what it was, and the bonuses granted to him were nothing to sniff at. Whenever he used [Quickening], he gained a full 8 extra temporary points to his [Reflex], [Agility], and [Speed].

If anything, it was nothing short of mind blowingly amazing. In fact, he didn’t yet fully comprehend just how much the skill would accelerate him by, other than by “a lot”.

However, it did somewhat confirm his concerns that his path was changing into something else. Something he didn’t quite understand. Nor want.

All this, just from not having a shield? But what else was I supposed to do? He asked himself.

Rather than stronger and sturdier, the original goals, due to his forced, more agile and desperate fighting style, the System was adding faster and more agile into the mix instead, and Nar didn’t know what to make of it. Or how to feel about it.

He sat up.

It was all a bit much.

Maybe he could do with a blasting, like Kur had mentioned. Clear his mind, and clean himself up a bit.

Now that he thought about it, he suddenly felt disgusting. He couldn’t take being in that filth that coated him anymore.

He scanned his surroundings and finally got to look at the safe room.

Two familiar tubes and an unknown metal rectangle were set against one of the walls. The first was the toilet, the second, the blaster, which meant that the last one had to be the dispenser.

Oh, thank the Crystal!

He had no idea how much food he was being granted, but he had a feeling it would be enough to last him until the next dispenser, at the very least.

The sight of it eased his shoulders, and untensed a bit of the knot that had formed in his stomach, concerning his gains and path.

At least he wouldn’t starve now. He had made it, and it was one less thing to worry about. A vital, crucial one at that.

The door of the blaster slid open, and Tuk stepped out. The trugger looked very happy and pleased with himself, and quickly noticed Nar staring at him.

The ring tosser beamed at him from across the room and made his way towards him.

“Hey, man! Glad to see you’re finally awake!” Tuk whispered as he joined him. “That was some sleep.”

Nar looked around the room in confusion. Other than Kur and Mul, who were talking quietly in one of the corners of the room, Tuk and now Nar, the remaining three were still asleep.

“Everyone’s been in and out of it,” Tuk explained, squatting next to him. “Not much to do here, you know, once you’ve gotten yourself sorted. You’re the last one actually up.”

Nar nodded, now understanding what the trugger meant. Then, he froze.

“What is that?” he said, pointing at Tuk’s chest.

“Aha!”

Tuk stood up and did a little twirl.

“It’s the new gear! Do you like it?”

Nar gaped at the sleek looking, tight fitting, gray clothes. A hexagonal pattern of darker gray ran across its entire length, all the way down to the shoes.

“Shoes too?” Nar breathed.

Tuk chuckled. “Yep. And you get five of each! Fife shirt. Five pants. Five pairs of shoes!”

“Five!” Nar nearly shouted.

That was more clothes than he had ever owned at once!

“And they feel better than anything I’ve ever worn,” Tuk said, feeling the material over his stomach. “But I’m not sure about the tightness… I hope this isn’t what people wear up there. A little revealing for my tastes…”

Nar nodded, still trying to come to terms with his sudden turn of fortunes.

“By the way, get the new gear first, man. I went in the blaster first and then I had to walk out in my old clothes,” Tuk said, shaking his head. “I had to blast again. No way I was getting dressed in the new stuff like that… Everything I brought out of that cubeplant just felt nasty. I got rid of it all.”

Nar’s jaw dropped. “You what?”

Tuk nodded.

“Once you get your new gear, you’ll understand. We’re never going back to those old, tattered things, man. That’s all in the past.”

A sudden yawn took the trugger by surprise.

“Damn! You see what I mean? Not that I mind though. Have a lot to make up for.”

Nar nodded. Again, he was shocked. To throw away all your perfectly good clothes because they were a little dirty? It was nothing the blaster couldn’t fix!

“Anyways, do as I say, and get your stuff first. You’ll thank me for it. Oh! And having the ring will help a bunch.”

“Right….”

Tuk laughed at Nar’s uncertain expression. “Enjoy yourself, man. It’s going to be fun!”

“Uhm, thanks?” Nar said.

With a last grin, Tuk left in search of a spot to lay down in.

As for Nar, the ring tosser had stoked his curiosity.

He got up to his feet and paused, staring down the length of his body.

The movement had been so… Effortless.

He had forgotten what it meant to be well rested. And out of the Pressure.

Marveling at how light and easily his steps carried him forward, Nar made his way to the dispenser.

So, how does this work? He thought, standing in front of the metal panel.

That dispenser was a completely smooth sheet of metal. No buttons. No holes or drawers. Nor even a display was visible on it. It was just a bare sheet of metal, built into the wall.

Thankfully, a window appeared.

You have been granted a storage ring.

A storage ring allows you to store almost anything in your possession in a safe and convenient manner.

Each storage device contains a set number of slots and a weight limit on how much it can carry.

You can only store stackable, exact same types of objects in a slot. Your current slots limit you to 99 items per slot.

Your ring will be supplied to you already containing all of your other rewards.

The window blinked off, and a small, thin section of the dispenser slid outwards.

Nar reached forward and closed his fingers around a simple looking, matt, dull gray ring.

It was smooth and cool to the touch, and not a single blemish was visible across its surface.

Hesitating, Nar slid it into the middle finger on his left hand. He had no idea if that was the right place for it, but at a glance, it seemed to be the likeliest candidate. He didn’t know if the ring was going to interfere with his fighting, so that ruled out his dominant hand, and the middle finger seemed the safest option.

The ring slid in easily, and he startled when it suddenly tightened around his finger.

Nar shook his hand. It didn’t hurt, nor did the ring budge from where it was. The band of metal had simply adjusted itself to the size of Nar’s finger. That meant that maybe he could wear it on a different finger, and it would always be safe. However, he still thought the middle finger was the safest option.

A tab popped up, interrupting his examination of the metal band.

Climber’s Storage Ring

Uncommon

The Climber’s Storage Ring allows its wearer to store and retrieve items from within, in what is called an Inventory. Items must be non-animated objects.

To store, touch the item to the ring and think “Store”.

To see a list of items stored, focus on the ring and think “Inventory”.

To retrieve an item, focus on the ring and think of the item you want to retrieve, as well as the quantity, like so, “Take X Item”, where X is the quantity desired.

Small items will appear in the user's ring bearing hand. Larger items will appear on a sufficiently clear and spacious surface, in the vicinity of the ring wearer. If there is no space available, the retrieval operation will be canceled without consequence.

Storage

● Six slots of stackable items (must be of the exact same item type).

● Limit set to 50 lbs in weight across all items.

Note

● Special modifications have been made to this ring. Crackers and jell-o will always count as one unit, no matter their state, and the unfinished crackers and jell-o will always be retrieved first.

Nar's jaw dropped.

A smaller, narrower tab appeared above his ring. In it, the six slots were evident, and he instinctively knew what all the small icons within it meant, as well as their quantities.

5 shoes. 5 shirts. 5 pants. 50 crackers… 80 jell-os! My Crystal…

He almost shouted in joy!

Even going at his new accelerated rate of eating, the food within the ring would still last him for well over a year!

Four seasons… Four whole seasons. No, even longer! With this I can… I could…

The smile died on his lips.

Many of the adults, including his dad, had starved for weeks at a time, to give the three Unclean Climbers the ten crackers each.

Starved.

Yet, now, here he was, with enough food to give a quarter each to two hundred people. All of it within that one tiny ring. And that was ignoring the jell-os.

Was there really that much food to go around?

The Unclean starved, yes, but the other workers weren’t that much better off either. Food and drink had always been, if not downright scarce, at least treated with the utmost respect. However…

He glanced at the others.

There were eight of them in Kur’s party, and each of them had been given fifty crackers. At least he assumed so, and he had no reason to think otherwise. And that being the case, just how much was there, concentrated in their hands, in that tiny room?

His new brain’s capabilities spat out the answer for him.

400 crackers, at least. 1600 quarters… My Crystal. Was there always this much to go around? Why did we all starve then?

He covered his mouth.

Why did his dad and other Unclean starve still?

He stared down at the ring on his finger, and felt bile at the back of his throat.

“You alright?” Kur whispered.

Nar startled and looked behind him. Kur and Mul had apparently finished their conversation, and while Mul had headed back to check on his sister, Kur had come to check on him.

“Everything okay with your ring?” Kur asked. “If you’re wondering about the empty slot, don’t worry. We figured it was meant for our weapons.”

“Oh… Uh, yeah,” Nar said, looking down at his ring, hoping to mask his expression. “B-But Gad has her shield too. You as well.”

“She has seven slots,” Kur said. “Same as me. Two of them are empty. Or were.”

“Ah. I see. That’s… That’s nice.”

While the others starved, down in their hole, he could eat like… Like… He didn’t even have the words for it. And for once, the System did not supply any new ones to him. Nar felt that it should have. Not even the knowledge of time tracking had shaken him as much as the obscene quantities of food he now held within that ring.

“It will be awesome to not have to lug those things around anymore,” Kur said, carrying on, oblivious to Nar’s thoughts. “Though I reckon it will take some practice getting used to the ring. Especially for weapons. We need to get those out fast, you know?”

Nar nodded slowly.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Kur asked, frowning.

“What? Yeah. Yeah! I just… Need a good blasting, I think.”

Kur nodded sagely. “Go on then. It’s awesome. Better than anything back home.”

“Can’t wait…” Nar muttered.

“Oh, also, there’s a little drawer that you can open. You can throw all of your old clothes in there. They won’t fit in the ring anyways.”

“I-I’ll just keep them in my pack!” Nar said, the words bubbling out of him.

Kur shook his head. “Jul’s insisting on keeping hers too, for some reason.”

He chuckled at Nar’s expression.

“I thought the same when I read the notification. Why would I ever want to get rid of my clothes, right? They’re just a little dirty… But wait till you check out the new gear. That will change your mind pretty quick. It did for me.”

“Hmmm,” Nar made, non-committedly.

“Go on, see for yourself. And after you blast, make sure to eat something, then go back to sleep. We need all the rest we can get. If this was just the Tutorial, then I don’t even want to think about what waits for us out there, in the real thing.”

“Will do,” Nar said, grimacing.