Arthur froze in his tracks, his heart pounding in his chest. Before him stood a strange, pulsating purple entity, seemingly stationary yet exhibiting an odd, rhythmic motion. Sensing danger, Arthur discreetly retreated behind a nearby tree, his senses heightened by the surge of adrenaline coursing through his veins. His body urged him to flee or remain hidden, but his injured feet protested the former. He chose to stay concealed, all the while questioning his belief that he was still in Belgium.
Perhaps, he considered, this place could be an abandoned mining outpost, as the purple object could resemble a weathered metal lantern swaying in the wind. Minutes dragged on, and the enigmatic purple figure refused to budge. Arthur contemplated bypassing it and continuing along the river, but a flicker of hope emerged. Could this be the first sign of civilization in this damned forest? He decided to cautiously inch closer for a better look.
Guided by the cover of trees, he advanced with deliberate care. As he drew nearer, the details sharpened, revealing that the mysterious entity was, in fact, a colossal flower. It bobbed to the wind's rhythm, a far cry from the lantern he had initially hoped to find.
His previous assumptions were all shattered. Such a huge, pulsating purple flower certainly did not exist on Earth, let alone Belgium. Yet, despite his broken worldview, relief washed over him – at least it wasn't some fantastical monster. As he approached the flower, the air thickened, creating a shimmering aura akin to the heat rising from sun-baked asphalt. His breath grew shallow, and oxygen seemed scarce. Panic welled up within him, but when he attempted to flee, a sudden swiveling motion triggered oppressive darkness that encroached upon his vision.
With previous experience in handling blackouts, Arthur dropped to his knees, minimizing the impact of his fall as he succumbed to unconsciousness.
When he regained consciousness, discomfort gnawed at his stomach, his head throbbed from dehydration, and he felt generally unwell. However, his breathing had returned to normal, and the overwhelming atmosphere had somewhat subsided. He surveyed the surroundings, but the towering purple flower had vanished. Struggling to his feet, he made his way to where the flower had been, only to discover a purple-tinged crystal resting on the ground. Any remnants of his belief that he was still in Belgium had now dissipated entirely. He had been transported to a mystical world, devoid of any status or safety, vulnerable to monsters, thirst, and starvation.
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As he picked up the crystal, he gazed into its shifting colors, witnessing the capture of a tempest within its depths. Slowly, the storm morphed into the image of a sprawling industrial magitech landscape, complete with chimneys, trucks unloading materials on conveyer belts, and energy plants emerging from the ground.
A sudden, piercing bell rang through his mind, and an interface appeared before him.
Interface Name Arthur Title Slave To Baron Dalan Attunement Crafstman Sub-attunement Magitech Industrialist
Attuned skills
Data Analysis: LVL 1
Schematics: LVL 1
Mana manipulation: LVL 1
As Arthur delved deeper into the interface, his attunement shimmered like a vibrant white star within the sub-constellation of Magitech Industrialist. This constellation comprised seven stars, three of which represented his attuned skills, while the other four remained dormant. Each skill star was surrounded by orbiting specs, one emitting a green glow. Focusing on one star, he revealed a solar system with the skill star at the center, and other grayed out planets and moons orbiting it.
Solarsystem: Data Analysis Solarsystem: Mana Manipulation Solarsystem: Schematics Inspect-planet: Green: Inhabitants dedicated to understanding their environment and materials, allowing the attuned to gain insight into their surroundings. Fledgling-planet: Green: Populated by fledgling mages, it was colonized by a hierarchy of mages. Attuned individuals were susceptible to mana from the constellations. Wood-planet: Green: Inhabited by nature-centric beings, this planet granted access to nature-based schematics
Zooming in and out between stars proved mentally taxing, intensifying his headache. He decided to review his interface, which now included a summary of each planet's status beneath the corresponding skill. Surprisingly, his "Inspect" skill had already reached level 4 without any active inspection. His curiosity about the "Magitech Industrialist" sub-attunement increased and whilst trying to zoom in on the constellation, the headache overpowered him, and he blacked out once more.