A detailed drawing depicts a majestic, leafless tree with a vast root system mirroring its branches. [https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXettYeRhnTvqQwMGOFgs_SQRymMiPcu7QkUBLPT0HyJcZSDO-DpRmffks-QoyzU113JS2cB4ZwH-GBpfSrbOIdwRLBRKrAfXiM9z3SXi14XAVHMTdT2XnXzMLSF-9YmMKN0Ap2rt08fOVIgpumBN8xrzuVu?key=ydQkOJdag5XUl5PwiJ-eyPnV]
Alice stirred, her senses slowly returning. She lay on the cold hard ground, a blanket draped over her. Her head throbbed, and she groaned softly as she tried to recall anything useful.
Lifting her head she looked around, disoriented. She was in an unfamiliar place, a rectangular stone room of decent size with rough gray walls, and not a single window. Soft light emitted from a glowing line where ceiling met wall. Beside her, on a small tray, waited a bowl of steaming soup.
Unable to ignore the tempting aroma, Alice reached for the brown ceramic bowl and took a sip from the side. The soup warmed and comforted her, and it helped to ease her headache. It tasted of savory meat, wild rice, and vegetables, pureed for easy drinking.
As she drank her soup, she tried to piece together what had happened.
She remembered playing baseball in the park. She went to get the ball, and—
Her head screamed in protest. She’d hit it hard, it seemed. She must have passed out and somehow ended up here.
But where was “here”? And who brought her the soup?
Alice finished the soup and stood, feeling a little more steady on her feet, and quite cold. Beneath the blanket she wore nothing! Where were her clothes?!
Some folded blue cloth sat on the ground beside leather sandals, the items partially covering strange runic symbols etched into a series of interconnected circles carved into the stone. She didn’t want to think about those symbols quite yet, or why she had slept atop them.
The folded cloth turned out to be a set of blue silk robe and loose pants, both embroidered with a wave pattern. Beneath the clothes were two small garments made of a black cloth, some soft and stretchy material. The boxer briefs and tank top both seemed far too small at first glance, but slipped on with ease and proved surprisingly comfortable as they stretched to fit her form.
The lightweight pants seemed far too long, with an incredibly deep inseam. Both the waist and leg cuffs were of a similar stretchy material to the undergarments, however. After some trial and error she determined they were designed to fit a range of body sizes and inverted the cuffs so a fold of pant cloth looped her ankles. Pulling the pants up to an appropriate inseam, the elastic waistband covered her entire torso, so she folded it down twice until it comfortably hugged her waist.
The robe fit her well enough, the front flaps closing with two inner ties on each side such that none of the tanktop below was on display. The sleeves felt odd and unusual to her, flaring out at the elbow and ending halfway to her wrists. The robe’s skirt reached her knees, with slits on both sides all the way up to her hips.
Lastly, she was left with a long strip of sturdy blue cloth. Not knowing what else to do with it, she tied it like a martial arts belt, having spent a fair amount of Saturdays at the same dojo her brothers attended, until she hit middle school and the twins got interested in MMA. After a year of taking “kiddie” MMA classes she realized that, while useful, they taught martial arts as a sport. From there she went on to take classes focused on more practical self-defense techniques, often learning moves not allowed near an MMA ring for being too “unsportsmanlike.”
The sandals were a bit complicated, but she figured them out. The trick had been to first loosen the leather straps before slipping her feet through them. That figured out, she took them off. She’d rather fight or run barefoot than in new sandals, if it came down to it. She worried it might, given her apparent captivity.
Altogether the ensemble of thin, breathable silk seemed stylish yet both comfortable and durable while permitting unrestricted movements. After assuming a few stances and practice kicks she had to remind herself she wasn’t in some martial arts movie, but in some strange stone room for reasons unknown.
Dressed, she turned to the closed stone door of her…she hoped it wasn’t a cell. Crazy people who kept stone cells in their basements didn’t tend to feed and clothe their prisoners, but her situation made little sense.
A push confirmed the door did not, in fact, swing open.
Nothing aside from her head was sore, so she probably wasn’t violated or abused or anything like that. That was good. Bad that she even had to consider it, though. Why take her clothes, only to give her weird fancy ones? Why lock her up? Why the freaky runes carved into stone, like some sort of magic circle? If some weirdo thought they could sacrifice her, well, she’d go down fighting.
She’d tried to find the baseball, then fallen down. She remembered falling, and then—
Pain radiated from behind her eyeballs, down to somewhere deep in her chest. She…nope. She wasn’t going to throw up that tasty soup.
She remembered colors dancing. Endings and beginnings. Impossibilities manifesting outside reality. A dissolving baseball.
She massaged her temples. The pain hadn’t been quite so bad this time.
It had been one heck of a nightmare. A bad trip? Had someone roofied her at Maria’s party? Maybe she was still dreaming? Maybe her whole life had been a dream, and she was finally awake, Matrix-style?
Looking around the room once more, Alice noticed the soup bowl wasn’t the only thing on her tray. Beside it sat a spoon atop a cloth napkin, plus a folded sheet of paper with something scribbled on it.
She blinked and squinted as another twinge of pain assaulted her head. Rubbing away involuntary tears, she focused again on the note.
“To My Temporary Guest,” the first line read.
That seemed…promising.
“Beneath the ever watchful gaze of the System, the gods' final miracle, I affirm, to the best of my knowledge, the veracity of the words contained herein.”
That seemed…less so.
The letter continued on the inside of the folded page, the writing tiny and cramped:
> Imagine my surprise when, during the course of my research into the void between realms, I discovered the life signs of not just a living being, but another human! One not from Arcadia, if my scans were to be believed!
>
> Knowing you had but moments, I acted with utmost haste to retrieve you and preserve your life using a Rod of Stasis in conjunction with my own abilities. Having prevented your immediate dissolution, you passed out immediately upon your admittedly abrupt arrival into this realm. I then had to undo the damage to your physical body with a Potion of Renewal, as I feared a lesser potion might not undo all the damage, leaving you with lingering injuries.
>
> Yet, despite the potion remaining effective in your body (as it will remain for a day from the time of ingestion) you began to seize and bleed from every orifice. Utilizing several diagnostic tools at my disposal I determined your mind had begun to shatter, possibly due to what you might have experienced while traversing the void, as I have come to call it. I can only imagine what you might have witnessed, and hope you are able to share your experiences with me in due time.
>
> Having already invested in your survival, I resolved to do all I could to ensure you remained among the living. With an appropriate item from my personal collection, a seed from the first steelbloom tree, I beseeched the System for an emergency intervention. At my direction it converted the seed into your first System bond, a mental bond wherein the System infused your mind with the essence of the seed of the steelbloom primogenitor, a species of tree generally agreed to favor the concepts of Resilience, Growth, and Retaliation. All good Attributes to incorporate into one’s mind, I assure you.
>
> Most important for you, during the formation of your mental bond the System brought your mind, body, and spirit back into harmony, as it does when creating any System bond.
>
> In short: As your mind grows in power through the aid of the System, it will do so along the Steps you take along the Paths you choose, based on concepts which resonate with your mind, now infused with the essence of a rare and powerful species of tree.
>
> It is up to you how you choose to walk your Path, of course, but I highly recommend you consider first investing in a Step of Resilience devoted to protecting your mind. While your general mental resilience will increase as your mind increases in power through the System, a process known as Leveling Up, it is best to have strong defenses to protect yourself from all who prey on those with weak mental defenses. In general, all who can aim to improve their mental defenses for this reason.
>
> Given your new potential for mental Resilience and mental Retaliation against any attackers, you should have little to fear from such attacks should you choose to walk such a Path as you Level Up mentally.
>
> This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
>
> As for Growth, it is a highly sought after Attribute for any System bond, capable of forming Steps which accelerate one’s Path to Power, among other benefits.
>
> Regardless of the potential of your nascent Steelbloom Mind, I would apologize for making such a decision regarding the creation of your first System bond without your input; however, it was a choice between letting you die or making the choice for you, which seemed like no choice at all. As such I chose the best available option I had available to create your mental bond. To do otherwise would have been to do you a disservice.
>
> Know this: Had my own daughter been the one dying before me, back when she remained unbound, I would have given her the same treatment as I did you with the resources I had available today.
>
> In happier news: Your choices for physical and spiritual System bonds remain undecided. Both are widely considered to be more important to one’s overall strength than their mental bond, often relegated to little more than a stabilizing influence to balance out any potential issues with one’s other bonds.
>
> In my custody I have one particular option I suspect will interest you greatly, a beast I captured some time ago. It will remain preserved in stasis until I find just the right person interested in utilizing its full potential and agreeable to my terms. Like you the beast is not native to Arcadia, but unlike you it came here under its own power, traversing the void through means of portals it created using its innate magics.
>
> I studied the portals it creates extensively before putting the beast into stasis, such that I can say with confidence that one who spiritually bonds with the beast will eventually be able to also create portals capable of spanning the void, should they choose to walk such a Path. I am currently seeking someone interested in walking such a Path and suspect you might be one such person, should you wish to return to your home. But, more on that later.
>
> After ensuring your recovery I chose to gift you the necklace which allows you to read this message, as neither of us wants you to spend the next several years of your life unable to properly communicate.
>
> This particular necklace is a creation of Gnomish origin, however many variations exist as its like are useful for any who wish to communicate with the varied species across Arcadia. It is said such items are practically required wear within the sprawling subterranean megacities of the depths, however within the seven cities, the Final Bastions of Humanity, such devices are mere curiosities for most, and priced as such.
>
> In my opinion, the Gnomish translation artifacts are of superior make. Those who communicate with you will seem to you as if they do so in your native tongue, and when you communicate you will, automatically or at your own discretion, either use the same tongue used to address you, the common tongue used by those nearby, else the assumed native tongue of the one you address, swapping languages if necessary to facilitate successful communication. In situations where you are unable to properly communicate due to physical limitations, the necklace itself can directly broadcast your intent.
>
> The necklace can determine which method to try first, else you can focus your intent and the necklace will use the method you desire. Likewise, at a thought you can disable the feature translating all into your native tongue or any of the necklace’s other functions should you desire such.
>
> Any initial slight discomfort experienced was the result of the necklace categorizing your language to aid in its translations. I am told the device came from a trader who spent some time in the undercities. Thus, it was said to contain a sizable knowledgebase of languages spoken across Arcadia. Certainly, I have encountered no difficulties during its use when studying otherwise untranslated materials. As I wore it for a time myself, its grasp of the human tongue used in the seven cities should be unparalleled.
>
> When encountering unknown languages, there will be a period of learning before its translations become reliable. The more samples it has to decode, the faster it can learn.
>
> Note: The item is not sentient, merely a device capable of collecting, collating, and interpreting large amounts of language related knowledge.
>
> As a common security feature favored by the Gnomes, unless you focus on it the necklace will remain undetectable to all, including yourself. Do not attempt to dismantle the device for any reason, as such tampering tends to render Gnomish works forever unusable.
>
> Lastly: I must address an uncomfortable topic, one of repayment. While I chose to save your life of my own accord, I do not run a charity. As a firm believer in the concept of equivalent exchange, I require swift compensation for the valuable resources expended during your successful recovery.
>
> This is not an attempt to extort you, merely a statement informing you I shall do what I must to extract an appropriate amount of reimbursement from you by whatever means I deem necessary, as is well within my rights.
>
> That said, I remain hopeful we can resolve this matter in a civilized manner.
>
> Your debt to me consists of: one Potion of Renewal of equivalent potency (at least 100,000 credits to purchase), one seed from the first steelbloom tree of equivalent potency (at least 100,000 credits to purchase), and one large mana core of average quality to account for all mana expended during your recovery (at least 1,000 credits to purchase).
>
> Note: I am neither charging you for my labor nor my time, nor for the various incidentals used during your recovery.
>
> Interest will accrue at the standard rate for short term loans, to encourage a swift and speedy repayment (a 1% * 2n rate, where n=the number of seasons since the loan was given; a more than reasonable rate, if paid off in a timely manner).
>
> If you wish to leave your current room, you must agree to a System-backed contract stating you acknowledge a debt to me in the amount mentioned above. If you fail to agree I will be forced to take additional steps to convince you of this requirement. Neither of us want this to become necessary, I assure you.
>
> That said, I am not without compassion and recognize the difficulty of your situation. I will see you introduced to a place where you can both earn the means to clear your debt and educate yourself about the particulars of this world, including various means through which you can improve yourself so as to increase your earning potential. I suggest you start with a basic introduction to the System.
>
> It is my hope that we can work together in the future. Thus, I would prefer we remain on agreeable terms. Consider the debt a test, if it helps, for in part it is. Should you prove capable of paying off the debt in less than a year, we can discuss my terms for providing you with the portal beast so you might spiritually bond with it, thus starting you on your path home and getting me a step closer to completing an endeavor of great personal importance.
>
> This might seem unfair to you and your situation, but I regard my goals as more important than yours, whatever they might be. If you are incapable of seizing the power required to clear such a debt within a reasonable timeframe then I have no use for you. After three years, to recover my losses I will sell your debt to another, for them to do with you as they will to extract the necessary compensation.
>
> I need someone with the drive to grow fast and thrive, someone who can survive the unknown.
>
> Note: While some believe wealth brings power, wealth comes to those with true power. Focus on gaining strength, not credits.
>
> I hope you are a reasonable person capable of recognizing the potential benefits of agreeing to my terms. This is a unique opportunity for you to gain access to knowledge, resources, and guidance, which will undoubtedly be invaluable as you navigate life in this unfamiliar realm.
>
> While your previous realm may be beyond your reach at this time, the Paths before you remain many.
>
> When you are ready to form our System contract, place your palms against the door to your recovery room.
>
> With Sincere Anticipation Of Your Triumph Over All Present and Future Trials,
>
> Archivist Xylvan Cypheron of the Runic Council
Alice sat in stunned silence, her mind reeling from the revelations contained in the letter. The implications were astounding—if the letter was to be believed. She was no longer on Earth? Her mind had been infused with the essence of some kind of tree?? This guy thought she owed him how much???
She read through the letter again, trying to make sense of everything.
As she sought the necklace around her neck she became aware of its unfamiliar feel and weight. The fine silver chain held a banded ring of silver which wrapped around the edge of a smooth, shiny silver disc with a clear gem embedded in its center. It reminded her of a CD, if thicker and half the size. Whatever it was, she assumed it was built for function over form. No wonder they had the thing hide itself. Gnomes? Was that translation accurate?
When she tried willing the necklace to stop translating for her, the letter became incomprehensible, covered in dense rows of unfamiliar markings made of straight lines and angles, not a single rounded letter to be found.
She had sat down at some point while reading, and now she tossed the gibberish aside to hug her knees to her chest and tried to calm her breathing.
After a good cry, she centered herself and focused on the important bits of news.
She wasn’t dead.
There was hope.
Magic was real.
This guy—she would assume Xylvan was a guy’s name until proven otherwise—claimed to have a way she could get home. Maybe. Eventually.
Uncrumpling it, she read through the letter again, focusing on the particulars.
IF she would AGREE to OWE this guy what seemed like A BUNCH OF CREDITS, THEN IF she PAID him back IN UNDER A YEAR, THEN he would DISCUSS his OTHER TERMS for giving her the THING SHE NEEDED to START her on a PATH HOME.
Whatever his goals were, he needed someone both strong and desperate enough to agree to help him accomplish his goals—goals that required realm hopping if she wasn’t mistaken, else he wouldn’t be treating the portal beast so dearly.
All that aside, if she paid him back in under a year then the outrageous ballooning interest rate didn’t matter. And if she couldn’t, well… If there was one magical path home that meant there had to be others as well.
She’d figure something out.
Heck, literally the first person she encountered in this world had something of use, right? That meant there had to be other things out there she could “spiritually bond” to get home, right? He couldn’t be the only one interested in studying such things, right?
She’d figure something out.
As she processed the overwhelming information, reading through the letter again and again, a mixture of emotions washed over her—somber acknowledgement she had been mere moments from death, grudging gratitude for this Archivist's intervention, annoyance he would use expensive items to save her only to charge her for their use, curiosity about the world she found herself in, and a growing determination to do whatever it took to find a way home, if only to let her parents know she was okay. She’d be fine; heck, she was excited to see what all this world had to offer—magic!?—but they would worry themselves crazy not knowing what had happened to their “baby” girl.
She just vanished from the park, as far as anyone knew. There’d be a search, with cops and dogs and volunteers in a line walking through the trees looking for any sign of her—hopefully no one else fell into that portal to the void, or whatever it had been. Her face would be on community billboards, milk cartons, and countless news articles by the time she got back home. She needed to let her parents know she remained among the living, else they’d worry themselves to death over her unknown fate. At least her brothers would be around to help maintain her parents’ sanity.
Finally calm, Alice felt a sense of anticipation mingled with uncertainty for the future.
She had a contract to make.
After that, it seemed she’d have to figure out this System business, then decide on a physical bond while learning to grow the seed in her head.