With a sudden blink, lush alien wilderness enveloped the group. Luminous purple and blue flora glowed along the babbling creek flowing into a large lake they now sat beside. Seth scrambled to his feet in alarm while Ian cautiously inspected a shimmering emerald plant. An earthy floral scent tinged the cool alien air.
“Well I'll be damned,” Marshall murmured in awe. "That's one hell of a change in scenery.”
At Calvin’s feet, Freya whined softly. “It’s okay girl, we’ll figure this out,” he soothed, ruffling her fur. The vigilant husky seemed to sense the group’s underlying fear.
Can you explain the tutorial to us? Calvin asked the system.
SYSTEM INITIALIZATION TUTORIAL. THE SOL REGION HAS BEEN INITIALIZED INTO THE SYSTEM VIA SYSTEM SEED 4,913. THE SYSTEM SEED IS RESPONSIBLE FOR PROLIFERATING NANITES THROUGHOUT THE REGION.
NANITES ARE THE INTERFACE BY WHICH ALL THINGS INTERACT WITH THE SYSTEM. ALL STANDARD BIOLOGICAL AND NON-BIOLOGICAL OBJECTS AND ENTITIES HAVE BEEN PERMEATED BY THE NANITE FABRIC, GRANTING ADDITIONAL CAPABILITIES BEYOND WHAT WAS PRESENT BEFORE THE SYSTEM INITIALIZATION.
THE TUTORIAL IS MEANT AS A TRAINING GROUND TO PREPARE YOU FOR COMPLETE INITIALIZATION INTO THE FABRIC OF THE SYSTEM. FOR THE NEXT 60 CYCLES, YOU WILL GAIN POWER, ABILITIES, EQUIPMENT AND KNOWLEDGE REGARDING THE SYSTEM AND YOUR PURPOSE WITHIN.
PLEASE NOTE, WHILE THE TUTORIAL IS HEAVILY REGULATED BY THE SYSTEM TO BE TAILORED TO NEWCOMERS, IT SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED SAFE. DEATH IS NOT ONLY POSSIBLE, BUT LIKELY FOR ALL BUT THE STRONGEST. YOU HAVE BEEN INFUSED WITH BASIC KNOWLEDGE REGARDING MINOR PROFICIENCY IN PRIMITIVE WEAPONS AND MINOR PROFICIENCY IN COMBAT. THESE PROFICIENCIES WILL BE ENOUGH TO BEGIN YOUR TUTORIAL. FURTHER POWER WILL NOT BE GRANTED WITHOUT PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENT.
YOUR GOAL OVER THE NEXT 60 CYCLES IS TO SURVIVE.
YOU MAY SEEK ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING THE FOLLOWING SUBJECTS:
NANITES
SYSTEM
Explain Nanites. Calvin commanded.
NANITES ARE A MICROSCOPIC ARTIFICIAL ENTITY GENERATED BY THE SYSTEM. THESE NANITES CHANGE THE FABRIC OF REALITY FOR ALL THINGS WITHIN THEIR AREA OF INFLUENCE, GRANTING SYSTEM CONTROLS TO ALL LIVING AND NON-LIVING THINGS. ALL ENTITIES WITHIN THE NANITE FIELD ARE GOVERNED BY A SPECIFIED SET OF RULES ESTABLISHED BY THE SYSTEM. ALL BIOLOGICAL AND NON-BIOLOGICAL LIVING ENTITIES ARE MEASURED BY THEIR PROGRESS ON THEIR PATH TO POWER.
THROUGH NANITES, THESE ENTITIES GAIN PROGRESS THROUGH EXPERIENCE, AWARDED THROUGH SYSTEM CHALLENGES. EXPERIENCE IS A MEASURE OF ONE’S PROGRESS. REACHING HIGHER LEVELS OF EXPERIENCE GRANTS BONUSES TO ONE’S POWER THROUGH ACCESS TO ADDITIONAL ABILITIES, STATS, AND OTHER REWARDS AS GRANTED BY THE SYSTEM.
NANITES ALSO GRANT ONE THE ABILITY TO MANIPULATE REALITY THROUGH THEIR CLASS AND AFFINITIES. THIS CAN MANIFEST IN A NEARLY UNLIMITED NUMBER OF WAYS, DECIDED SOLELY BY ONE’S CLASS AND AFFINITIES. ONE MAY LEARN TO INCREASE THE POWER OF THEIR STRIKES OR GENERATE LOCALIZED CHANGES IN MATTER SUCH AS THE SPONTANEOUS CREATION OF FIRE.
FURTHER INCREASING YOUR POWER AND THUS INTEGRATION INTO THE NANITE FABRIC WILL INCREASE YOUR CONTROL AND ABILITY TO MANIPULATE NANITES.
As Calvin parsed the inhuman tutorial, apprehension mounted. This was no game - their lives were at stake in an utterly foreign test.
Amy looked at him with concern “Is this some sort of fucked up nightmare?” she asked, “None of this makes any sense. Nanites?"
“I’m not sure. Let’s wait for Marshall and his group to finish up and we’ll come up with a plan. We’re going to need to explore a little. We have water here, which is good, so maybe we’ll set up a camp and try to scout out the area a bit.” Calvin said.
Calvin squeezed her hand supportively. "We'll figure this out together," he promised.
Marshall finally came about and looked over to Calvin. “Yo, we’re screwed aren’t we?” he said half-jokingly. Mostly to cope with the fact that he had no idea what in the hell was happening. "Alien nanite fabric controlling reality. And now we're all graded on some cosmic curve?"
Calvin chuckled knowingly and relayed the plans. They would set up camp here near the water and check out the surrounding area. Maybe there would be more answers nearby.
They decided that Calvin and Marshall would go scouting and gather information for the group. They'd keep an eye out for anything that might help them understand where they ended up. The rest of them would remain in camp until they learned more about their surroundings. With Seth being a cop, having him stand guard with the group seemed reasonable.
Calvin knelt beside Freya, gently stroking her fur as he prepared to leave for the exploration with Marshall. Amy stood nearby, watching the interaction.
"Hey, Freya," Calvin spoke softly to the Siberian husky, "I need you to stay here and keep an eye on Amy and the others, okay? Guard the camp for us."
Freya, sensing Calvin's serious tone, tilted her head and offered a low whine, as if understanding the importance of her role.
"You're the best watchdog we've got, girl," Calvin continued, a warm smile directed at Freya. "I'll be back soon, and we'll figure out more about this... system thing together. Just be a good girl and keep everyone safe."
As Calvin stood up, Amy approached with a concerned look. "Are you sure it's a good idea to leave her behind?"
Calvin nodded, glancing back at Freya. "Yeah, for now. We don't know what's out there, and I want her and you guys to be safe here. Once we have a better understanding of this place, we can all venture out together. Freya will keep you company, won't you, girl?"
Freya, now seated proudly, wagged her tail in response, seeming to affirm her commitment to the task. Amy gave a hesitant smile, appreciating the reassurance.
"Alright, Freya," Calvin said, patting her head one last time, "guard the fort. We'll be back soon."
Freya sat tall, embracing her new guardian role. As Calvin and Marshall departed, Freya's ice-blue stare followed their retreating forms until out of sight. Then she settled in, alert and ready to defend her makeshift pack.
Sunlight speared through the alien canopy, dappling the moss-carpeted forest floor in emerald and gold. Chirps like plucked strings echoed from unseen creatures, blending with the gurgling melody of a hidden stream. Beneath the vibrant spectacle, Calvin and Marshall moved with wary steps, their senses stretched taut. The serenity was a deceptive mask; this uncharted landscape buzzed with an underlying tension.
"Got any ideas what's out here, Marshall?" Calvin's voice rasped, a nervous edge betraying his bravado. "System seeds, nanites, and now this tutorial. I'm at a loss."
Marshall scratched his jaw, brow furrowed. "Man, I've seen some wild things, but this? This takes the cake. I haven't got the foggiest."
A rustle in the undergrowth froze them. From the foliage, a creature emerged, a grotesque amalgam of insect and reptile. Iridescent scales rippled like armor, and venomous-looking spikes glinted in the dappled light. A glowing red aura pulsed beneath its segmented thorax
“Holy shit!” Calvin cried, stumbling backward and tumbling into the undergrowth.
Calvin's heart hammered against his ribs. He looked around frantically for anything to use as a weapon while he tried to scramble to his feet in a panic, his eyes settled on a sharp-looking branch nearby. "Get back, Marshall," he muttered, the words trembling slightly. The beetle hissed, its mandibles clicking menacingly.
The creature lunged forward towards the still fumbling Calvin, pushing him back down as he tried to bring his new weapon up to defend himself. The beetle was positioned on top of Calvin, snapping its mandibles toward Calvin’s face as he desperately held it back with the branch in his hand.
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This damned beetle was strong, and they were truly screwed.
Marshall in a desperate panic, picked up a large stone from the brush nearby and hurled it with everything he could muster at the beetle. The stone smashed right into the side of the beetle’s chitinous face causing it to stumble sideways off of Calvin.
The insect, clearly enraged turned all of its attention towards its most recent aggressor.
I just screwed the pooch didn’t I? Marshall thought.
Marshall, now the focus of the beetle’s ire was utterly defenseless. He had no weapon since he just threw it, and he was practically standing right in the open.
“Calvin, a little help buddy!” He called out, knowing full well that neither of them were in any way prepared to deal with the new brand of hell they’d found themselves in.
Calvin, now back on his feet, set his mind racing for solutions to this mess. He was not a fighter, hell none of them were. Yet here they were an hour into this new system and finding themselves in a desperate struggle against something that would have previously inhabited his nightmares.
His fear bound itself inside him like a knot, threatening to freeze out his thoughts and stop him dead in his tracks. With immense resolve, he willed himself to rush forward, knowing that Marshall had just saved his ass and had found himself utterly boned.
Calvin swung the branch down against the creature’s back as hard as he could, smashing against the creature’s hard carapace, shattering the end of the branch into splinters. The beetle retaliated with a swipe of its spiked leg, tearing a furrow in Calvin's shirt, and drawing a shallow gash across his chest. Pain flared, but he gritted his teeth, wildly rolling away before the next attack could land and end his tutorial just like that.
Marshall found himself near a rocky outcrop beneath some nearby trees, finding both shelter and some more improvised weapons to bring to bear. He began hurling rocks, sticks, moss, probably bugs…whatever he could find to keep the creature’s attention split between him and Calvin.
This whole thing was going sideways and they needed to end this fast. The Spinecharge Beetle had every advantage against them. It was a higher level, clearly faster, stronger, and ultimately better equipped for a brutal life in this unforgiving place.
A frantic thought flashed through Calvin's mind. "Marshall, this thing's shell is too tough, we need to find a weak point! Aim for the belly!"
Marshall, now equipped with an utterly ordinary fallen tree branch, braced himself and gave Calvin a nod. Calvin swung hard at one of the creature’s legs smashing it with a sickening crunch as Marshall frantically charged into the beetle from the other side. He jammed the branch into the creature’s side and shoved as hard as he could, stumbling forward into the dirt as he did.
The strike was effective. The beetle stumbled back against its injured leg and toppled onto its back, its nasty little legs waving madly about trying to right itself. Calvin was on it in a second. He let out a primal scream as he stabbed his shattered branch down hard into the creature’s abdomen. The crudely sharpened end ripped a deep gouge into its body in a spray of ichor and gore. The beetle was toast. Its injuries were incredible, however the group did not relent. They were completely overtaken by their panic and rage. Marshal was slamming his branch into the creature's body in a fit of anger, fracturing pieces of its body and cracking the poor beetle like an egg. Calvin now on his knees, continued stabbing over and over, knowing the creature was dead but unable to stop himself.
Exhausted, bruised, and panting, Calvin and Marshall slumped over, collapsing onto their backs. The once tranquil forest now echoed with the fading hiss of their fallen foe. In the silence, they stared at the grotesque pile of chitin and gore, a grim testament to their harrowing victory.
EXPERIENCE REWARDED ACCORDING TO CONTRIBUTION.
CONGRATULATIONS ON DEFEATING YOUR FIRST CHALLENGE OF THE TUTORIAL. WITHOUT TRUE EQUIPMENT, YOU MANAGED TO SURVIVE AN ENCOUNTER WITH A LEVEL 5 SPINECHARGE BEETLE. YOU WILL RECEIVE A ONE-TIME REWARD FOR THIS ACHIEVEMENT.
A mysterious chest materialized near the corpse of the slain beetle.
"Did that treasure chest just appear out of thin air?" Marshall asked. "Hey! Robo boss! Got any more of those you can send down?" Marshall cocked his ear toward the sky as if he was listening for a response.
"Guess not," Calvin said, "Let's crack this open and see what's inside."
LOOT ACQUIRED:
Spinecharge Beetle Carapace: A durable material suitable for crafting.
Spinecharge Beetle Spikes (x6): Sharp spikes that can be repurposed as makeshift weapons.
Primal Essence (x3): Essence extracted from defeated creatures, potentially useful in crafting.
Spinecharge Spear: A makeshift spear fashioned from the beetle's carapace and a sturdy branch.
Thorned Javelin (x3): Ranged weapons crafted from the beetle's spikes, suitable for throwing.
Marshall perked up at all the loot they found in the chest. "Score. Not sure what we're going to do with most of this crap, but the weapons might certainly come in handy."
He looked over at the beetle and shuddered, "Though, let’s… not do that again. I’m pretty sure I pissed myself."
“I hate to say it pal, but I get the feeling this was just the appetizer,” Calvin said grimly. “I have no idea what the hell is going on, but we’re stuck in this tutorial for at least two months. Let’s collect all this crap, see what might be useful, and get our asses back to the group. I’m getting the sense we’re entirely unprepared for everything about this place.”
Calvin recalling the previous notification about experience, focused inwardly and asked the system - what do these experience points mean?
CALVIN HAWKINS
Level: 0
Race: Human
Grade: F
EXPERIENCE:
Current Experience: 150/300
ATTRIBUTES:
Health Points (HP): 68/100
Mana Points (MP): 50/50
Stamina: 51/75
STATS:
Power: 8
Toughness: 7
Speed: 11
Control: 6
Can you explain the stats to me?
THE VALUES INDICATED FOR POWER, TOUGHNESS, SPEED, AND CONTROL ARE A MEASURE OF HOW EFFECTIVELY YOU CAN EMPLOY NANITES WITHIN THESE VARIOUS CATEGORIES.
POWER IS A MEASURE OF YOUR PHYSICAL STRENGTH. AS THIS INCREASES, SO DOES THE PHYSICAL POWER YOU CAN EMPLOY.
TOUGHNESS IS A MEASURE OF YOUR DEFENSIVE CAPABILITIES. AS THIS NUMBER INCREASES, YOUR ABILITY TO RESIST DAMAGE INCREASES AS WELL. YOUR MAXIMUM HP IS DETERMINED BY YOUR PROGRESS IN TOUGHNESS. TOUGHNESS ALSO GREATLY INCREASES YOUR STAMINA.
SPEED IS A MEASURE OF HOW QUICKLY YOU CAN MOVE. AS THIS NUMBER INCREASES, YOU CAN MOVE FASTER AND FOR LONGER PERIODS. A HIGHER SPEED RESULTS IN SLIGHTLY INCREASED STAMINA.
CONTROL IS A MEASURE OF YOUR ABILITY TO COMMAND NANITES TO ALTER PHYSICAL REALITY. AS THIS NUMBER INCREASES, YOUR ABILITY TO CONTROL NANITES TO MANIPULATE REALITY INCREASES. THIS WILL ENABLE YOU TO DEAL MORE DAMAGE THROUGH NON-PHYSICAL MEANS. IN SOL FICTION, THIS IS CLOSELY RELATED TO MAGIC. CONTROL ALSO DETERMINES YOUR MAXIMUM MP.
Calvin and Marshall found themselves stumbling back into the camp around 30 minutes later. Freya, being the best guard dog she could be alerted the camp to their approach. They were a miserable sight. Calvin was wounded and bleeding, and both of them were covered head to toe in a foul slime. Calvin’s beard was laden with twigs and moss, his clothes a ragged, shredded mess.
Amy and Seth ran over to them, concern evident in their approach.
Calvin and Marshall dropped the pile of bug parts and loot onto the edge of the camp and promptly seated themselves in the dirt.
“What the hell happened out there Cal?” Amy asked in a desperately worried tone. Seth’s eyes immediately scanned the edge of the forest, seemingly expecting danger to come hot on the returning group’s heels.
“We got jumped by the alien version of my nightmares. Some big ass bug called a spinecharge beetle. Honestly, we barely made it out of there. Marshall saved my ass.” Calvin said as he nodded over toward his new battle buddy.
“Saved your ass? I’m pretty sure you saved mine. That was a really dumb idea throwing my only weapon. Thanks for having my back out there man. This place sucks.” Marshall said. The shock of the battle beginning to wear off, and the weight of their new lives creeping in.
Freya seemed torn between excitedly greeting Calvin’s safe return and being offended by the putrid smell wafting from his ichor-covered tatters.
Marshall worked his way over to Calvin, doing a quick assessment of his wounds. “Well, lucky for you, I think you’re going to live. Assuming you don’t get a nasty alien goo infection in this wound. Let me try and patch you up a bit.” He used what sparse materials they had around to fashion some quick bandages out of torn strips of cloth. “Good as new!” He quipped, bringing some levity back into the camp. “Huh…” Marshall mused. “Our freaky robo-boss just gave me some experience for patching you up.”
“Experience?” Amy asked. Not having played nearly as many games as the others, this concept was entirely foreign to her. Frankly, it should be foreign to everyone, but here they were.
“Yeah, it appears we’re being awarded experience for our actions here in this god-forsaken place. If I had to take a guess, I’d say this “tutorial” is a sort of proving ground in this system. I’m going to assume as we get more experience, we’ll gain more levels, and hopefully become stronger and more capable. That beetle we fought was level 5, and I’m guessing there’s far worse out there.” Calvin explained. “This place is certainly scary as shit, but I have a strong feeling we’re going to need to continue fighting and gaining power before it gets even scarier.”
Amy had a frightened look to her as she pondered the implications of what Calvin was saying. “We’re going to have to fight more of those things? There’s no way. I don’t fight. I can’t fight. You guys look like you’ve been to hell and back!”
Freya let out a low whine and settled over next to Amy, clearly sensing her distress.
“I don’t see any other options,” Marshall said grimly. “We’ll take it slow, watch each other’s backs, and get through this together. We picked up some stuff from that last fight, and I think that’s going to get us a good head start. We know now that there’s a pile of shit waiting for us out there, so we’ll be more careful and choose our battles a little more wisely. Maybe we don’t go and piss off the roided out bugs next time, eh Cal?”
The fire crackled, casting dancing shadows on the faces around it. Each flickering flame held a question mark, a silent reminder of the uncertainties that lurked beyond the camp's flickering border. The night deepened, a symphony of unfamiliar chirps and rustles filling the air. In the hushed anticipation, one thing was certain: their adventure had only just begun.