Alistair ran his hands through his short hair, digesting the current information overload presented.
He wished he had a whiteboard to write it down; as he did so, a whiteboard appeared on the wall, looking precisely like the one in his station.
“Okay, how does that work? Why is there a whiteboard there?” He asked as he rubbed his nose bridge.
The old man turned his head and looked at the whiteboard before answering.
“As I said before, this is your soulscape. It is on the outermost layer of your soul. You have full control over it and can change anything you want. What you see is simply a representation of what you want to see in a Home or resting place. You will be able to access this place later on whenever you choose. However, keep in mind time dilation is also in effect. The world outside is moving much slower than inside here, and you will be defenseless.” The elderly man said in an emotionless tone.
After his explanation, he turned his head back to Alistair, his body shifting and twisting for a fraction of a second before fixing itself.
“If I can control everything in here, I should be able to make another screen and let it automatically take notes of what I want,” Alistair thought. And as soon as he did, the screen appeared to note things following his thought: Akashic? Grades? Universes plural? The list went on as fast as he could imagine it.
After a few minutes, Alistair turned his attention back to the other screen that was still open.
“Why is my name and age marked down as a question mark? Alistair finally asked.
“You get the choice to change your name and choose your age. Your chosen name will be displayed if somebody successfully identifies you. Consider it carefully because you will most likely live with that name for the rest of your life unless something drastic happens, so choose wisely. You may add or change your Surname later, usually when creating a Bloodline. As for age, it's just visual changes. You will have the same life expectancy as others in your grade.” The elderly man said the last words in a more severe tone, which made Alistair perk up a bit.
Alistair considered for a moment whether he wanted to pick an alias or a different name but immediately discarded the idea. Age, however? He did not mind turning back the clock. Alistair was in his early thirties and considered 24 the year he was physically and visually the most impressive.
As he thought about it, this also meant that his family members would get that option. This would make finding them much harder, especially if his mother or grandpa were suddenly younger-looking than himself.
Ultimately, he decided to stick to his decision and set his name as Alistair, leaving the Surname open and changing his age to 24. His hairline fixed itself, and his face slimmed. Alistair noticeably lost a bit of bulk, and as he turned, there was a mirror behind him just as he desired, inspecting himself, his younger self looking back from the mirror, and after standing there for a few seconds, he turned around.
“Alright, what are these Grades, and what is the Akashic Record?” Alistair asked.
“As mentioned before, the Akashic Record is the overarching system you find yourself in. It contains all records and paths. It is not unusual for a planet outside the system to not even have a term for it. Still, in simpler terms, it is the universe’s memory containing all there is and has been, and even what might be like words, thoughts, events, and emotions, that encompass all entities without exception. It is one of if not the most complex concepts to comprehend fully, but you can use it just fine without understanding it fully.
Grades reflect how powerful you are by measuring your mastery over concepts and the quantity and quality of records. In short, to increase your grade, you require sufficient records.”
Alistair pondered for a while, gazing out at the aurora borealis in the distance. The floating window on his right side automatically added everything he had been told and his own interpretation of it.
“I wish I had a feature like this when I had to write my reports.” He thought, smiling to himself.
“You mentioned concepts a lot. Can you elaborate on that a bit? How do I gain records and levels?” He considered asking about the benefits of higher grades but reconsidered and pushed it down on the priority list.
“There are endless amounts of concepts. In simple terms, concepts usually refer to things you would consider schools of magic. There is the concept of fire but also a concept of heat and a concept of flames; these concepts are often related and similar. However, a flame could be cold or not even made of fire. Keep in mind most concepts are combinations of others. By increasing your understanding of them, you may learn to control them. Still, almost every individual has a different affinity for certain concepts that are closely related while showing no talent for others. Every progenitor of this universe will be informed of their strongest affinity. In your case, it is kinetics, so you find it easier to master it and its related concepts. Of course, there are ways to figure out if you have an affinity for something or not, but I am not permitted to tell you how.” The elderly man rattled down, and Alistair thanked the stars that everything was being recorded.
Alistair frowned at that, but he was quite excited about the prospect of kinetics.
“As for how you gain records and levels, levels mostly reflect your quantity of records but are also slightly affected by their quality. You gain records through your actions; the more extraordinary, the better the chances of obtaining titles that reflect your achievements and improve the quality of your records. Once you obtained a sufficient quantity and quality of records, you will level up. The most common way to acquire records is through combat. This new reality is one of kill or be killed, and you will always be at odds with something or someone and faced with challenges.” As the elderly man finished, Alistair wondered just how much time had passed, and as soon as he did that, a timer appeared on the wall, showing he only had a bit over 2 hours left, ticking down second by second.
Alistair could think of many ways to use such a concept, and for a while, Alistair just imagined what he could do with such magic. His mind raced with great ideas but had to stop himself because he did not know how magic worked yet. But the prospect excited him, and sadly, the Avatar did not answer any questions about possible magic applications.
Shifting his attention back to his status, he opened his stats tab and then expanded the RPG stats, "Huh?" He thought. But as soon as he read the details of the different stats, he found them to be a poor label, and as soon as he thought about it, the stats terms changed into ones that he considered much more accurate.
Stats: Str -> Power [11] Increases physical and magical damage as well as general speed and the ability to lift heavy things.
Provides a small bonus to self-healing and stamina recovery. Int -> Mental [12] Increases magical capacity and determines the quality and quantity of mana [MP], increases memorization and comprehension capacity, and increases spell power by a large degree. Dex-> Control [11] Increases motor skills and magic and energy control by a large degree and increases the ability to concentrate by a moderate amount, with a large impact on the efficiency of [SP] and [MP] usage. Con -> Body [11] Increases robustness and vitality of the body, with a large impact on [HP] and [SP] capacity, moderate impact on damage reduction and environmental & magical resistance, and large impact on self-healing. Wis -> Mind [11] Increases the defense of mind and soul, as well as mana regeneration by a large degree, and also increases the number of tasks possible at a time. It also significantly heightens the efficiency of attacks targeting the minds and souls of others. Perc -> Senses [11] Increases reaction speed and fine control of senses like visual, smell, etc., by a large degree. It also increases instincts to a large degree, with a small bonus to [MP] and [SP] expenditure reduction.
After a glance, he notices that his [Mental] stat was one higher than all the other stats.
“All of my stats just changed their labeling, and my mental is one higher than all the other stats. What is this about?” Alistair asked but suspected he already knew the answer.
“Your labels changed because your comprehension of them has changed or even grown considering your increase in [Mental]. Everyone sees their records differently based on their interpretation and comprehension. Your mental capacity increased because your comprehension has grown since your body reformed. Increasing your stats naturally without level-ups is possible but is usually a hard and slow process.” The elderly man said in a different tone than his usual monotone one. Still, Alistair could only guess at the System Avatar's emotions.
Alistair continued asking questions about interpretations. The system did not show outright incorrect things, but it could be imprecise and misleading if one's comprehension was lacking, and the old man refused to give pointers on what is correct or the average of some things. Alistair would have to figure it out for himself, like everyone else.
With a glance, he noticed the timer was already down to little under one and a half hours. He had spent too much time thinking theoretical stuff and quickly continued his line of questioning.
“How high is the cap for increasing my stats outside of levels?”
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
“I can not answer that,” the old man said in his monotone voice again.
“Alright, are there more things you must tell me before the time runs out?” Alistair asked, glancing over the change of tone.
“Yes, you should pick up a starting skill because you have a small selection of suitable ones available right now, and you will be offered new skills in intervals. As you progress through your grades, you will gain between 3 and 5 options at a time. Skills you do not pick can be picked later unless you gain a mutually exclusive skill. However, unlike future skill acquisition, the skills you are offered right now will not be added to the unlearned skills list. Still, they may show up in the future. You will also be given a weapon of your choice and some basic armor. Be warned if you do not pick a weapon or skill in time, they will be randomly assigned to you.”
Sensing urgency and nervous excitement, Alistair immediately opened his skill tab.
Skill Choices: Tier: Skill Name: Description: [Rare] Appraisal Imparts knowledge of materials and their related concepts to a medium degree.
allows the user to recognize the value and uses of objects, materials and Natural treasures [Common] Gunnery Proficiency Increases [Power] and [Control] when using firearms by a small degree.
imparts knowledge of the use of firearms [Common] Ranged Proficiency Increases [Power] and [Control] when using any ranged weapon by a small degree.
imparts knowledge of the use of ranged weapons [Common] Melee Proficiency
Increases the overall proficiency, [Power] and [Control] by a small degree when fighting in melee combat. Imparts knowledge of the use of melee weapons. [Inferior] Kinetic Control Increases control and understanding over Kinetic energies to a minor degree.
Looking at the skills on offer, Alistair thought about their immediate and future uses and noticed a trend among them and some overlap. "Most of these seem relatively passive, and are firearms not ranged weapons?" Alistair thought to himself before asking the question aloud.
"Are firearms not considered ranged weapons?" Alistair asked, confused.
"Firearms are considered ranged weapons." The elderly man said curtly.
"Can you elaborate on why there is an overlap and the meaning of it?" Alistair prodded.
"No, I cannot," The elderly man said, slightly frustrating Alistair.
"Okay, then what's with the Rarity tags? Can they be improved after the fact?" Alistair said, hopeful to get an answer to this question.
"Yes, improving and changing skills is one of the ways you can increase your records." The elderly man responded.
"Alright! Kinetic control is suddenly a lot more alluring." Alistair thought.
"Can I learn to control kinetic energy or, for that matter, magic without a skill?" Alistair probed.
"Yes," the elderly man said. Alistair noted how the answers became shorter or were denied more often over time: "Perhaps I am digging deeper than I was expected to?" He mused.
"How can I learn to control magic or other concepts?" Alistair asked.
"Practice," the elderly man said.
"Practice how?" Alistair muttered, growing a bit frustrated.
"I can not tell you that." The elderly man said curtly.
"Am I running out of questions? Is there a limited amount?" Alistair probed, his frustration mounting.
"No, but I am not allowed to share certain information with newly integrated individuals for their own benefit," the old man said in a severe tone.
"Okay, how is not answering me to my benefit?" Alistair asked curtly.
"If you were told everything, it would detract from the records you could gain by discovering them yourself. It may even give you an advantage over others who fail to ask the same questions." The elderly man said, tilting his head for a second before snapping back straight immediately.
Alistair was taken aback for a second and then took a moment to look at his long report on the side. He did get a lot of information, and he felt he had a much better understanding of what was going on than a mere hour ago, but looking at the clock, Alistair noticed he was down to roughly 1 hour and 20 minutes now.
Thinking of his weapon choice, he saw a lot of little windows he could swipe to the left with an image of a weapon and a short description.
"Can I try the weapons out?" as soon as he said it, a sword appeared hovering just before him.
"Never mind," he mumbled as he grabbed the sword by the hilt, making practice swings.
He could switch the weapons with a thought, so he kept changing them and testing out how well he did with different weapons. Alistair had a lot of practice using a shield; sadly, the only option with a shield was a short sword; he would have preferred a hatchet.
"Is there any chance I can switch one weapon for another so I can wield a hatchet and a shield?" Alistair inquired.
"No," the avatar responded to Alistair's annoyance.
"What can I expect to face when I get out there?"
"There will be challenges and monsters, but your new body will enable you to face them,"
Alistair questioned the elderly man some more. The situation reminded him a little of the Isekai genre, which he was not exactly a fan of. The buckler and shortsword were not exactly his first choice, but they were the best given the selection. The avatar did reassure him, however, that he would have the chance to find different weapons. The elderly man was always annoyingly vague and refused to elaborate on many of the more detailed questions Alistair had.
"How many grades are there, and how do I recognize them?" he asked as he swung a halberd. Nice feeling but too large..." he concluded. This particular halberd had a far too long shaft, and the elderly gentleman had refused to shorten it to a reasonable length.
"The Grades go from 10 to 1; after that, one reaches G for Godhood. You recognize them by their presence, and you will be able to [Sense] their overwhelming power. There are some thresholds within grades where you gain certain benefits besides an increased maximum age, like the need to eat and sleep vanishes and the loss of organs you no longer need, and, of course, the ability to regrow limbs and survive even the loss of your brain." The elderly gentleman said with what felt like a smirk.
"That was a lot more information. Again, I suppose this kind of knowledge is not secret and more of an incentive to increase your grade… also survive the loss of my brain?!" Alistair thought with a shocked expression painted on his face.
"Wait... godhood?" he said with a skeptical tone.
"Yes, becoming a god is usually an affirmation of one's path, bringing it to the pinnacle, and very few individuals manage to reach godhood. Some Gods are created during the integration, usually embodying the religions and beliefs found on a planet with an enlightened species. These are called natural gods and are usually on the lower end of the power spectrum as far as gods go due to a lack of quality records."
Alistair glanced at the clock and decided it was time to make a call on his skill and weapon choice. He picked a shortsword with a large buckler, mostly because of the buckler, as he had a lot of practice with shields from guarding the local football matches. Also, the shortsword seemed unnaturally sturdy and made of a weird metal, the same as the buckler. He then decided to pick the Kinetic Control skill despite its [inferior] rating. A momentary surge of knowledge swept through his mind, accompanied by a sense of familiarity.
For a moment, Alistair considered punching the wall to see if he could spread the kinetic energy but remembered that he could not feel pain in the soulscape, so it would have to wait.
Walking over to a bookshelf, he pulled out a blank leather-bound book. None of the books seemed to have any title or content. All the pages appeared to be blank. With a thought and some concentration, the report he had written on the floating screen was transcribed into the book, and he put it back as the title reads 'My Initiation'.
He gave his status another look over, checking the rest of his tabs, discovering he had a title:
Titles: Tier: Name Effect: Origin [Unique] Progenitor Of A New Universe
+10% to all stats
Bonus skill: [Myriad Language Comprehension]
Provides an individual with Heritage Records.
Provided to all initiates of a freshly Integrated universe, for the lack of heritage Records.
Skills: Tier: Name: Description: [Unique] Identify Allows the user to identify objects and other individuals by displaying their names and any insight available. [Unique] Myriad Language Comprehension Comprehend all languages of the myriad races. [Inferior] Kinetic Control Increases control and understanding over kinetic energies to a minor degree.
Unsurprisingly, the bloodline tab was empty. Having a few minutes left, Alistair let his gaze wander across his soulscape; his status had been checked, and his report was stored. He felt ready, but there was one crucial question to ask:
“Is there any way to help my family and friends?” Alistair asked hopefully.
“No, you cannot help anyone but yourself for now.” The elderly man said coldly
Alistair slumped into the couch, dejection evident as he rested his head against its back, his gaze fixed on the ceiling. In a fleeting moment, the countdown displayed, signaling that only 10 minutes remained. Alistair pondered the potential repercussions of figures ranging from dictators and criminals to politicians and even TikTok creators returning to Earth with superpowers. "Earth is fucked," he concluded with a heavy thought.