Kai’s knees buckled as they thudded onto sand. The beam of light winked out of existence — leaving him smothered in oppressive darkness.
He stood there motionless, hands on his knees, heaving in great gasps of hot air that scalded his lungs.
“H-hello?” Kai called out hesitantly.
As his eyes adjusted, he noticed luminous moss that clung on cavern walls. He clutched his chest in barely subdued panic. Legendary start my ass. His bare feet shuffled over warm desert sand as he searched for an exit in the dim light. It wasn’t long before he encountered a large archway with hulking stone slabs for doors. He grunted as he tried to pry them apart with his fingers until they bled. The doors didn’t budge.
Kai stared at the coarse grey stone. Grey, just like my future. This was the second-worst day of his life. In a way, Kai felt relief knowing his parents didn’t have to deal with the end of the world. His shoulders slumped from the guilty thought.
Turning around, he nervously continued to search the cavernous space as despair squeezed his chest. There has to be a way out. I refuse to die here. He’d put all his points into starting location, only to get buried alive. This wasn’t the paradise he’d hoped for.
There must be a secret… and why is it so hot down here?
Sweat dripped down his face as Kai emerged from a tunnel after spending more time exploring. His gaze fell upon a clear pool of steaming water. Surrounding the water like a chemical spill was thick copper liquid with rainbow-sunrise hues. Glowing crystal formations of the same colours erupted from the liquified sludge at the edges of the clear water.
Kai swallowed, his throat dry. Is that water safe to drink?
Occasional bursts of steam startled him when they geysered from the luminous pool, casting shadows in the dim and sandy cavern.
That explains the heat, he thought, wiping his face with his sleeve.
Congratulations, you have discovered the legendary location: Crystal Sanctum of the Elders.
New Achievement: World Wonder (Apex)
“Ah-hah!”
That was one of the first positive notifications Kai had seen. Do achievements give anythi— unobtrusive text popped up as he thought the word.
Achievement: Max
Details: Place 100 points in a single starting bonus.
Reward: 25 stat points
Rarity: Rare (127/10,000)
Achievement: Apex World Wonder
Details: Discover a legendary location.
Reward: Spatial storage ring.
Apex bonus: Upgraded to Unique Spirit Treasure.
Rarity: Mythic (1/100)
Claim: Yes / No
Vital Trait: Apex Explorer (Flawed)
Details: Increased chance of finding or creating interesting locations.
Apex bonus: +1 Choice during discovery.
Fusion: Scales with Senses
Claim: Yes / No
Relief washed over him. He had some stat points after all, perhaps there was a strength stat? Then he could try the door again. His pulse raced, is that hulking stone door the only way out? This is crazy. He inhaled deeply to calm himself.
Kai claimed the Apex Explorer vital trait then squinted down at his feet when they tingled. He flexed all his toes, but shrugged when he didn’t notice anything else; the trait said it would fuse with his senses… whatever that means.
He suspected there were limitations on how many achievements or vital traits could be claimed by the number next to the rarity. Did a lower number mean it was harder to achieve and thus higher rarity? If that was true, it seemed an apex variant was for being first, and was a unique bonus. Kai grinned; he’d been first for both Explorer and World Wonder.
Kai barely hesitated before claiming the ring. I need to consider all my options. His thoughts scattered as a wave of heat warmed his feet. A shining white light similar to the effect he’d seen disintegrating buildings coalesced into a dark metal ring with a minuscule treasure chest on-top.
That… looks pretty cool!
Kai grabbed the ring and examined it, which revealed its properties.
Apex Mimic Ring (Young)
Rarity: Mythic (Spirit Treasure)
Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
Traits: Voracious Pride
Details: Spatial storage.
Raising an eyebrow skeptically, he turned the ring over in his hands. It was incredibly sturdy. He was familiar with bags of holding, but was unsure how a ring could store or mimic things — and what did prideful and spirit treasure mean? Tentatively, he slid the ring on his finger, then removed it. Seems safe.
Kai fumbled around the sand and held a small rock to the treasure chest, then tried some verbal commands: “open, s-store, inventory” — nothing happened. When he pressed the rock closer, the chest unhinged and growled at him like a feral pup.
“Grrrr!”
Kai’s hand darted back as he dropped the rock into the soft sand. The growling stopped as he reached to rip the ring off. Kai paused.
“…Uh, hi?”
No response.
Is this thing going to bite? It didn’t seem hostile anymore. Does pride mean that it doesn’t enjoy having inappropriate things shoved in its… face? His eyes crinkled in amusement, despite his thumping heart.
He’d have to solve the temperamental storage oddity later; it wasn’t like he had anything to store. His eyebrows furrowed. It was an unhelpful item given his current predicament and what he’d sacrificed. However, he was loath to discard such a unique item, even if it might injure him.
Before I do anything else, my highest priority needs to be food and water. Kai circled the basin, hesitant to touch the outer copper-sunrise liquid — or the crystals of the same colour erupting from it. They surrounded the clear inner water of the underwater grotto.
He was considering his options when he noticed water dripping from the craggy roof. He explored the rockier parts of some of the walls until he found one covered in moisture from the steam. He watched water trickle down into the sand. Is the steamed water safer to drink? He braced himself as he licked water off the hot stone wall.
Tastes fine… please let there be no bacteria. He removed his shirt and rolled it into a log shape, placing it at the base of the slick wall. After a moment of hesitation, he did the same with his sweatpants, leaving him wearing plain boxers and his new ring. That should give me enough safe drinking water.
Getting a feeling for what mental commands did what, he simply thought of stats to bring up that information. The intent seemed to matter more than the word. He was getting used to this.
Name: Kai Allan
Race: Human
-Titles-
None.
-Achievements-
Apex World Wonder, Max.
-Vital aura-
Level: 1
Free stat points: 25
Mind: G-Mortal (0/20 stats)
Thought speed, memory, mental resistances.
Body: G-Mortal (0/20 stats)
Strength, vitality, endurance, and agility of your muscles, organs, and bones.
Senses: G-Mortal (0/20 stats)
Perception, dexterity, sight, smell, hearing.
-Vital traits-
Apex Explorer (Flawed, Senses)
1/10 vital fusions slotted.
-Soul aura-
None.
-Aura traits-
None.
0/10 aura fusions slotted.
Kai was slightly insulted at being classified simply as mortal, but focussed on the stats instead. They were understandable, although different from what he was familiar with. Vital aura looked related to level and stats, so perhaps it was like experience points. The 0/20 implied once he placed 20 stats into that attribute, it ranked up?
The heat was making it hard to think clearly, and he was unsure what traits, fusions, or aura were; he’d deal with those later. Kai returned his focus to escape which meant upgrading his body for strength. His face turned sullen as he stared at his sweaty hands. Will it be enough to pry apart the giant doors?
Kai confirmed 20 points into his body stat. Adrenaline surged through his veins. Looking down at his arms and legs, he chuckled with nervous energy. He could feel a static tingle as strange energy soaked into his body. He watched his muscles grow slightly. The heat in the room no longer seared his lungs. He inhaled, his lips were no longer dry when he ran his tongue over them.
His feelings of euphoria retreated as a rising tide of nausea aggressively replaced them, the sensation growing and growing. He clutched his stomach as he tried resisting the urge to throw up. He failed. Collapsing to his hands and knees, vomit and noodles sprayed out of him. Red-brown pus oozed from his pores, coating his skin in filth and staining his boxers as his body purged itself of impurities.
The mimic ring unhinged its treasure-chest-maw, as if tasting the ghastly stench in the air, before sending him a mental feeling of disgust, and snapping shut.
Apex Mimic Ring - young, has suffered unknown pride damage.
That can’t be good. Kai glared daggers at the ring as he sprang to his feet, the unfamiliar power of his improved body launching him several feet in the air before he landed. He could not help but grin, even as he wiped blood and pus from his face with the back of his hand.
“So you c-can communicate?” Kai asked. When he received no reply, he shrugged and pulled up his body stat.
Body: F-Awakened (0/40 points)
5 stat points to assign
Pain is weakness leaving the body, he reminded himself. A teaching had never felt so true, yet so disgusting. He cleaned up as best he could — which really just amounted to wiping his hands and arms on his stained boxers. After a moment of contemplation he peeled his boxers off his skin, wrinkling his nose as he buried them shamefully in a corner like a dog. Washing them crossed his mind, but he didn’t want to dirty his only source of water.
If I get out of here alive, soiling myself won’t be part of the heroic story I tell.
Kai’s fists twitched with nervous energy. With no better test-targets he glared at a soft sandy portion of the cavern wall, keen to test the effects of his upgraded body.
…How do I position my hand?
He clumsily lashed out with his flat hand, more wrist than palm slammed into the defenceless earth.
He winced then blinked as the wall concaved inwards from the force his muscles bore and dirt peppered his chest. The result was nearly a one-foot crater. He gaped at the disembowelled wall — then at his tender wrist as he flexed it, annoyed at himself. That was not the proper technique, but what was?
Kai was so deep in thought that he didn’t notice the disturbed earth rumble far beneath him.
A smile dawned on his gloomy face after a few more failed punches; he judged his body to be substantially stronger and faster than before. Worth it.
With only 5 free stat points, there was nothing else he could do. He didn’t know how many stats he gained per level. He didn’t know how much experience he needed either, if there even was experience. While this new Earth had game mechanics, it was far too real to be a game.
Kai squinted as he shuffled through the dark tunnels towards the hulking stone doors. Reaching the rocky archway, he dug his fingers into the small crevice between the meaty slabs of stone and pulled with all his might. The coarse stone didn’t make his fingers bleed this time, but he still could not budge them. He slumped his forehead against the slabs while his heart raced.
I need more… Something here makes this place legendary, and the only place left to explore is below that water. Kai cringed as he slogged back to the suspicious basin.