A grin spread across my face as I pulled into Chris’s driveway. The familiar sight of his meticulously maintained lawn and the rows of blooming flowers brought a sense of nostalgia. His house, a cozy blend of rustic and modern, stood as a testament to his knack for balancing aesthetics and comfort. He always was a showoff.
"Sim," I began, my voice tinged with excitement, “let's test out these abilities."
"Very well," Sim replied, our connection strengthening by the moment. Her presence in my mind was becoming as familiar as my own thoughts.
“First up, let’s create teleportation. It should only work on places people have been, except at the highest level. Let's put a distance cap on it too, starting at a mile for level 1 and maxing out anywhere in the world, as long as it wouldn't kill them on arrival. Divine tier can be anywhere in the universe, with a two-second buffer to avoid instant death… Actually, if anyone reaches the divine tier, they’ll already be so powerful that we don’t need safeguards."
I chuckled, already sketching out the skill's growth in my mind. "Lower levels can teleport small objects, increasing in size as the user progresses. Mid-tier unlocks multi-person teleportation, with the number of people scaling with level. Divine tier? Anything goes as long as the mana is available.
Objects should be able to be teleported with or without you based on size and level. Mid-tier you can start doing more than a single person at certain levels. The higher the level, the more people you can bring. Divine would allow for anything based on intent and mana availability. Leveling speed will be based on usage and mana pool. I’m starting to understand more about the mana requirements. Even if someone can level up a skill, if their mana pool can’t accomplish the activation, they can’t level it up.”
“Done.” Sim said, her tone efficient and assured. “Our connection is growing every minute, and so concepts you were not considering will become a natural consideration very soon.”
I didn’t want to stop you, but I understood how you wanted the skill made as you thought about it. We could have skipped the end of the description, “Sim said. “I am also sensing the items you want to create. It is possible to create them, but you would still need to utilize our connection for creation. Just think of what you want and I can make it.
The governing laws of the universe are also able to be bent now that mana is available. Once the shield drops, it will begin being introduced as an intrinsic part of everything. At that point, alterations may create themselves. There is a chaotic factor to mana that I correct for, but there is always a chance mana will naturally do something I can’t foresee or stop.”
“It’s so weird that I actually understand what you meant with all that.” I laughed, the absurdity and excitement of it all bubbling over.
A mischievous glint entered my eyes. "So, with this intent thing... can I ditch the voice commands? Like, during a fight? Yelling moves isn't exactly a winning strategy. It’s like, ‘here’s my next move buddy, you’ll never dodge me.’”
"Precisely," Sim replied, her tone even but with a hint of amusement. "Mana responds to intent and willpower. Verbal commands are entirely optional. Most users will need practice to focus their mana, but you, with your maxed-out pathways and our link, will find it a breeze. Just will something to happen and it will happen."
I thought for a moment, a sense of dread came as I thought about something. “Sim, what if I make a mistake out of anger. Like, I will a person to never have existed. Does mana know the difference of true will or momentary feelings? Can an accident like that be undone? I’m not used to this kind of power and I don’t want to do something I will regret later.”
“For most people, it will take millenia to have that kind of power. Your power is at a level where you can undo mistakes within a very limited time frame. Time is a construct, but even I am limited to manipulating it. Mana understands true will and works accordingly.” Sim explained.
With a surge of relief and also confidence, I decided to put it to the test.I thought about where I wanted to teleport and an image came to my mind. It was like the information was just there and I could see where I was going, I knew that the shop was empty, no one was around, and if I completed the teleportation no one would see anything. So I just decided to make it happen "Alright, Sim, the shop is clear. Time to teleport both me and the Hummer straight to bay one.”
Both the hummer and I were deposited in the exact spot I wanted inside the shop – no jolting, no transition, just a blink and I was there. I couldn't resist a cheesy victory jump. I got out of the hummer, arm raised high like a triumphant 80s sitcom character, and I jumped. "HELL YA!" I yelled, indulging in the sheer ridiculousness of it all. It might have been a bit much for being in my forties, but the fun was undeniable.
Then, I noticed something strange. i could tell I was still in control, but there was nothing underneath me. I was floating!
Panic flared, but before I could scream, a voice filled my head just as my feet finally hit the floor.
“Yes, Mike. That just happened. You can control your movement, even stopping mid-air. Flight is completely possible as well. You can adjust gravity, manipulate object density, even create new elements. This is what I've been nudging you towards – manipulating the fundamental laws of the universe. We need to harness this to prepare for the system implementation.”
“There's more about the shield failure," Sim continued. "When I tailor pathways to individuals, I can adjust for unforeseen factors and biological rejections, guaranteeing a 100% success rate. But with a system-wide implementation creating over 100 trillion pathways in people, animals, and some plants, the success rate plummets to 82.53%. If I can't adapt on the fly, some pathways will complete, some will mutate, and some will explode destroying the intended recipient."
My mind raced for solutions. How do we account for millions of possible mutations? I thought. “Is there a way to increase your speed of imparting pathways? What if we use the remaining mana that’s already past the shield to create as many successful pathways as possible right before it drops, lowering the failure rate? How about a mass culling, maybe we can get rid of all the horrible people that do nothing but cause problems. The world has had its fair share of evil. We can withhold pathways or, frankly, eliminate certain people before things change. I hate the thought of taking lives without reason, but some people have already given more than enough reasons just to wipe them from the earth. True evil deserves…" My voice trailed off as Chris's truck rumbled to a stop.
“I think I got it” I told Sim “I still need to have you do the creation of items and skills, but I have access to anything I can think of. Can you read my thoughts fully yet? Talking to myself around others isn't exactly discreet? When I’m around other people I don’t want them to think I’m crazy because I’m talking to myself.”
A familiar voice echoed in my head. "This has always been possible, Mike. I was allowing you to adjust to your new reality. Figuring things out on your own was key to avoiding overwhelm."
Chris entered, immediately zeroing in on what he thought was a malfunctioning garage door. “I played along. Having some trouble?" I asked casually.
"The sensor must be busted," he muttered. “It didn’t notify me when you pulled in.”
"We'll troubleshoot it later. Come over here."
Chris, turning from the opener he was just inspecting, started walking towards the workbench, but his steps faltered mid-stride. His gaze locked on me, intensity building with each step closer.
"What's with the look?" I asked, catching his bewildered expression.
"Mike?" he blurted. "What the hell happened to your face?"
Sim's voice echoed in my mind, a timely reminder about mana's rejuvenating properties. My body, she explained, was now in peak condition, reflecting my physical state from two decades ago. No wonder Chris looked like he'd seen a ghost.
"Damn it!" I swore aloud. "Completely forgot about that side effect. Well, this might not have been the surprise I planned, but hey, your reaction is priceless! Surprise! Now you’re the only one that’s fat and old.”
A mischievous glint entered my eyes. "Remember all the crazy stuff I thought I saw last night? The stuff you called hallucinations? Turns out, I wasn't losing my mind and I didn’t hit my head. I have magic Chris… “MAGIC!” I screamed as I lowered my voice a little, I still made sure to talk as condescending as possible. “Like Harry Potter magic! You muggle. Yep, I looked it up. I know what a muggle is now.”
Chris looked at me like I was crazy. He knew something was up but no way in hell was he gonna believe I could do magic. He probably wouldn’t believe anything without proof. So I teleported behind him by the door he just walked in and said his name.
“Hey Chris, I’m over here now.”
He spun so fast I hoped he was going to fall on his face. His eyes were bigger than I thought was possible for someone with such a tiny head. “What the….” He said as he fell over backwards from spinning too fast. He started to do a crab walk backwards trying to get as far away from me as possible. So I teleported behind him again and put my hand on his shoulder. “You can’t get away from me. Hahaha, this is awesome dude. Exactly the reaction I hoped you’d have.”
After another couple of teleportations and him freaking out, he finally calmed down enough to ask an actual question instead of just mumbling or saying it’s not possible.
“I’m not sure how you’re doing this but you need to show me how to teleport too. That’s awesome!”
I spent the next 20 minutes walking him through the events of the previous night. What happened this morning when Sim came back online, and what happened to Peaches when she got her mana pathways. I left out the part about the tumor. I guess I just forgot when I was explaining everything. To my surprise, he managed to sit quietly through the entire explanation. He gave me some pretty weird looks at times but never actually said anything.
At the end of my explanation, I also asked Sim if she was able to communicate with him since he already has his mana pathways. She immediately spoke out loud to both of us.
“I am able to communicate fully as long as the pathways have been completed. I completed Chris’s pathways while you were on the phone 53 minutes ago.”
Chris looked at me, ”Is that why you were acting stupid on the phone? I could hear you laughing.”
I got a big grin “Yep, that’s why your knee and back doesn’t hurt anymore either. You’re welcome.” I said in as much of a snarky tone as I could muster.
“Your body’s healing everything that was wrong with it. It’s one of the benefits of mana. You’ll also revert back to your optimal body. It might take a little more time for you because your pathways are just starting out but you’ll feel and look younger and younger as time goes on.”
“It also healed Peaches. I found out she had a tumor and would have died in a couple years so I had Sim do her pathways immediately.”
“Okay, this is crazy. You really have unlimited powers? What all have you tested? Like can you literally do, Anything?” Chris asked
At this point, I knew he was going to think the same way I did when I first found out. He would want little things at first before he realized how big of a scale we were actually talking about. So to stave off any more questions I told him to follow me out back.
In the back of the shop, there was an old Ford truck he had been working on for years. It was in pretty beat up condition, even after years as his project. When we were standing in front of it, I turned to him and smiled. He looked at me with a confused look on his face. I stuck my hand out towards the truck just to be dramatic and said “repair”. The next series of events was the exact same thing that happened in my kitchen. We watched the entire truck float into the air and disassemble itself. Each piece was reverted back to its optimal new condition, including the paint, and then reassembled itself. All the missing pieces were now back. In front of us was what looked like it belonged on a show room floor. A brand new 1938 Ford pickup.
Chris was in absolute shock. The first thing out of his mouth was exactly what I thought he would say. ”Do you know how much we can get for this thing now?”
I laughed. He was falling into the same mindset I had, thinking too small. I turned to him. “So, I also forgot to tell you, I kinda manipulated the crypto market and I have almost a billion dollars now. I figured we would need some money for what I have planned.”
“Shut up ” he said. With complete disbelief plastered across his face.
I pulled up my banking app and showed him my balance. While I was doing this I thought to Sim, ”Will you transfer $10,000,000 to his account and block the whole government monitoring thing like you did for me please.
After my balance showed and I finished laughing at his facial expression, I told him “I just transferred $10,000,000 into your account too. That way you can quit your job and help me with the preparations.” I don’t think I have ever seen him pull out his phone so fast. He had to check his account. Neither of us had ever been rich. We live comfortably now, but it was a brutal road to get there. So when he started to kinda tear up, I just called him a baby and started walking back into the shop.
When I got back into the shop, I stood in front of the hummer. I did the repair skill on it and watched the awesomeness again. This was the main reason I wanted to come to the shop. I needed a place that wasn’t out in the open to test a few things. Chris walked back in as the hummer was floating in pieces.
“Sim” I said out loud so Chris could hear the conversation. “I have a few ideas for items I want you to create and install in the hummer instead of just repairing it. First, I want to change the engine to a mana fueled motor and transmission. Make it have power enough to hit a really high rate of speed very quickly but also be able to tow a lot of cargo. I also want inertia dampers so you can’t tell you’re actually accelerating. I’m going to give this to my youngest son, so make it a high tier motor. He’s a firefighter right now but I have no idea what he’ll do after the system comes. I just want him prepared. I don't need a vehicle anymore. I really don't want him to have to defend it from people trying to steal it all the time so make everything able to be hidden. I also want everything upgradable. I have no idea what he’ll need in the future but let’s make a ton of upgrades available through the system shop. Actually, make it bondable so no one can steal it. If we put anything divine in it, he would probably be killed for it so just make that not possible. How about a recall function as well. Create a recall skill for anything able to be bonded. You can figure out the levels for that.
Second, I want a mana storage device instead of a fuel tank that takes mana from the environment to always keep it filled. So this will never run out of fuel but he can also use the stored mana if he needs to. Have the recovery rate be reasonable but nothing crazy. Third, make every part of this really dense but light. He’s not the best driver and I don’t want it getting beat up if he hits something. And lastly, add a shield that can be activated to block physical and magical attacks. Also make that upgradable but the shield should be at least mid tier to start. Make sure the whole thing will run off the stored mana without draining his. Also fireproof and air tight so underwater will eventually be an option. Was that a good enough explanation?”
Sim hesitated for just a moment and said “Yes, I have the designs ready for each aspect and will begin now.”
What happened next was not like the normal creation process. It could have all been done instantly but I’m pretty sure Sim wanted us to watch the process to help with our grand scale understanding. Sim not only created and modified each component better than I intended, but she also made the exterior look almost like a futuristic Batmobile. She had the creation process happen like the repair skill did and each part flew into the air before either disappearing or floating down into the correct position.
“Okay, that is officially the coolest thing I have ever seen,” Chris said. “I take back every bad thing I’ve ever said about the hummer.”
“Let’s test it out” I said.
“We can’t just pull that out on my street. “Chris said” My neighbors have cameras and I’m pretty sure they saw you drive up. If we pull out and it looks like this, they’re gonna be over tonight asking questions.
“Just hop in.” I told him. “We’re gonna teleport far away because I want to see what this baby can actually do.”
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Once we both got in, we just sat there in shock. Everything had changed. Instead of normal gauges, it had a type of glowing blue display orb on a clear display screen. The dash looked like a cross between the interior from the Enterprise in Star Trek and the most futuristic holographic interface any movie director could think of. The seats were upholstered in a sleek, black material that seemed to mold perfectly to our bodies, offering unparalleled comfort. The ambient lighting around the interior was a soft, cool blue, creating an almost otherworldly atmosphere. The display orb projected various holograms in mid-air, showing real-time data about the hummer’s status, speed, and even a 3D map of the surrounding area. The clear display screen was not just a touch interface but a fully interactive holographic console.
There were activation buttons and compartments, each labeled with glowing, neon inscriptions. A cup holder in front of each seat, elegantly designed, seemed to adjust automatically to the size of any container placed in it. One button labelled ”Mana Converter” caught my eye; it pulsed with a soft, rhythmic glow, suggesting it held some significant function. Another tiny button, almost hidden but clearly marked “Entertainment,” intrigued me.
There were also several compartments seamlessly integrated into the dash and doors, which opened and closed with a mere thought, revealing storage spaces that seemed larger on the inside than the exterior suggested reminding me of Time Lord logic from Doctor Who.
In the center console, a sleek control panel featured various knobs and switches, each with a distinct function, from climate control to advanced defensive mechanisms.
The whole setup was nothing short of astonishing, combining luxury, advanced technology, and a hint of the magical elements I was still getting used to.
Once we sat down, a soft, almost soothing voice emanated from the dashboard. ”Good morning, Mike. Good morning, Chris. Would you like to manually drive, or should I complete the trip for you.”
Chris and I exchanged an incredulous look. This was beyond our wildest expectations. Simultaneously, we blurted out, “Awesome.”
I leaned forward, my excitement palpable. “Let’s do manual drive this time. I plan on testing the capabilities. Before we go I want to see how everything works. What are the capabilities?” I asked, my voice barely concealing my eagerness.
“I am the onboard AI,” the voice replied, its tone calm and reassuring “I have been installed to be capable of utilizing all functions with or without user input. I have the users’ safety as my number one priority at all times. Should an issue arise, I will automatically protect the occupants by any means necessary. Although I do not currently have any offensive capabilities.”
Chris and I were hanging on every word, the reality of this advanced vehicle slowly sinking in.
“I am unable to ignore any direct command should the user not wish me to perform a specific action,” the AI continued. “The vehicle currently has a top speed of 1,000 miles per hour. Acceleration is instant as I am also equipped with full inertia dampeners. These are always active for comfort and may not be turned off.”
Chris whistled low. "A thousand miles per hour... that's insane. That's like 200mph faster than the speed of sound."
A small smile crossed my lips. “Dude, that’s faster than you reaching for the last Twinkie.”
As Chris reached up to hit me a ding played from the dash and got us both to look back at the AI orb.
The AI continued as soon as we were paying attention again. I started to wonder if Sim had built in countermeasures for my ability to become distracted. “I have a built-in astral storage device available to bonded user. The total storage space is 20x20 and can be utilized by touching any part of the vehicle. The current capacity of the mana storage is 2,000 mana points. This will refill matching the current bonded owners rate plus 20 mana per second. Should mana be depleted, the vehicle will safely stop and determine the exact duration needed until mana storage rises to an appropriate level to complete the trip. Once available, the operator will be given available options for resuming. Authorized operators may also transfer mana from their mana pool to the vehicle’s storage. Mana will be available to transfer to the bonded owner upon request within 500 ft of the vehicle.
I marveled at the capabilities, imagining the endless possibilities.
"There is an anti-tracking ability built into the outer shell," the AI continued. "This will protect against any current means of tracking besides direct line of sight. Cameras, satellites, drones, radar, even the advanced technologies the military may still create to spy with, will not be able to detect this vehicle."
Chris raised an eyebrow. "That's some next-level stealth."
“The tires have been upgraded to include an alteration mode. Should the need arise the tires will be immediately converted to any need for terrain. Currently, tires, tracks, wings, mana flight engine, and floatation devices are available.”
I couldn't help but grin. "This thing is practically unstoppable."
The AI continued, "A full shield blocking all physical and magical damage has been installed and will be activated as needed to protect the occupants or upon manual activation. The cost of shield activation is 1,000 mana points and has a current duration of 10 minutes. Additional time can be added for 100 mana points per minute. This is able to withstand all damage up to the approximation of epic level. Greater detail of defensive capabilities is available and further explanation can be obtained upon request. Should higher damage be inflicted, the shield will lose durability and fail. The exterior is completely fireproof and is air tight. Once upgraded, underwater mode will become available.
The vehicle is equipped with a self repair option but may not be used until mana capacity is upgraded to 4,000 points and the rate of mana restored is upgraded to +100 per second. Once activated the time to complete the repair process is dependent on damage and consumes all mana obtained until full functionality is restored. Estimates can be given prior to activation contingent upon A.I’s functionality.”
Chris was shaking his head in disbelief. "This is like something out of a sci-fi movie."
“The front windscreen has a monitor mode that allows for constant surveillance. Currently capable of monitoring up to five miles in all directions, notifications will appear on the front display. Zooming is available upon request. Entertainment mode allows for each occupant to be placed in a mental simulation of their choosing. Current simulations include a movie theater with every movie ever made, a gaming room with every console and game ever produced, and a meditation chamber with instructions on advancing current meditation practices. Entertainment mode may also link with other capable vehicles or items for joint simulations. Please note that unless upgraded, simulations may be monitored with high enough mana expenditure.”
I could hardly believe my ears. "So, we can basically watch or play anything we want while we're on the go?"
"Correct," the AI confirmed. “Both the exterior and interior have been upgraded to include chameleon mode. This allows for a holographic appearance change to both interior and exterior with up to five stored images of users choice. Touching any part while in chameleon mode will feel just as the holographic image shows but consumes mana at a varying rate to maintain illusion. A recall function has been added to teleport the vehicle to any spot chosen within 100 feet of the bonded user. Increase vehicle level to increase capabilities or purchase upgrades from the system shop once available.”
“Holy balls Batman” I said, shaking my head in amazement. “Sim, I told you I didn’t want him to be killed over this thing. This is another crazy high tier item.”
The AI’s capabilities seemed limitless, each feature more impressive than the last. Chris and I were like kids in a candy store, and I could already see the wheels turning in his head as he imagined the potential uses for our newly upgraded hummer.
Sim replied instantly. “During creation, I felt a desire through your intent to include each of these items. Your subconscious justification was that the chameleon mode would allow him to alter its appearance so as to not attract attention until he was sufficiently powerful to stay safe. He can also safely give the vehicle to anyone and recall it on command.”
A confused look fell upon my face. “You know my desires now? When did that happen?”
“Immediately upon request of the alterations our link improved and is now almost complete. The process of item creation as well as skill creation will be extremely efficient from now on.” Sim replied out loud so Chris could hear this as well. I believe she wanted him to grasp the depth of our connection.
I grinned at Chris, then teleported us to the middle of the Sahara desert.
Chris looked out the window in utter shock., his eyes wide as he took in the vast expanse of sand stretching out in every direction. His jaw dropped, and I could see the disbelief etched on his face. It was one thing to hear about teleportation, but another entirely to experience it firsthand.
"Welcome to the Sahara," I said, my voice tinged with amusement.
Chris turned to me, still stunned. "Are you kidding me? This is insane!"
I chuckled. "Yeah, I think it'll take some time for you to get used to this. Honestly, I'm still in disbelief, and I'm the one doing it."
We sat there for a moment, letting the reality of our situation sink in. The mundane lives we had lived were now a thing of the past. Mana had changed everything, and the world was on the brink of transformation. For most people, it would be a mix of excitement and fear. The unknown always had that effect.
As the heat of the desert sun began to beat against the outside of the hummer, I turned to Chris with a thoughtful expression. "After living our lives in the same mundane existence as everyone else on earth, this is going to be a shock for a lot of people. Most won't get to experience the really cool stuff like we do, but there's bound to be at least some excitement about the changes. Well, that, or fear."
Chris nodded, his gaze shifting back to the endless desert outside. "Yeah, I can see that. This is... a lot to take in."
I floored it and launched off a sand dune. A little track symbol was visible when we were stopped but now that we launched in the air, a set of wings appeared where it was. The sensation was surreal; we didn’t feel a thing. The inertia dampers worked perfectly. It was like the windows were just screens and we were watching a movie.
After launching off the dune, I looked down and the steering wheel had gone from a sleek almost race car looking circle to two handles on each side with the ability to pull and push to adjust our height. As we got higher I noticed that we were not slowing down. “This thing can fly too? I thought the wings were just glide wings?” I said.
The onboard A.I responded instantly. “When combining the wings with the mana flight engine, it not only allows for takeoff but also allows for continuous flight. Was my initial explanation not clear on this?”
“No, now that I think about it, you were perfectly clear. I was just in awe at how awesome everything was. I kinda zoned out.”
Chris leaned over and whispered to me as if he was trying to hide what he said from the A.I. “I even remember that part stupid.” The grin on his face is what made me bust out laughing.
We played for a little bit and I noticed that the mana storage and recovery were staying equal. The mana tank always stayed full. I was going to ask about it but then remembered that mana recovery is tied to the user's mana and I have pretty much unlimited mana right now. I did ask about the usage so I can relay it to Jeff when I give it to him.
The A.I responded. “As long as the shield is not activated and chameleon mode is disengaged, the mana usage does not exceed the current mana recovery rate without the user's additional recharge rate. If entertainment mode is not currently active and the storage device has no contents, our current mana usage would only be 16 mana points per second in flight mode. If we were at full occupancy, all users were in entertainment simulations, and the storage device had all slots filled, we would be utilizing 50 mana points per second.”
“That’s awesome. It will never use any of the reserve mana unless you were to activate the special abilities.” Chris said, clearly impressed.
I let Chris fly around for a little while. He thought it was the coolest thing. At one point, he put his phone and wallet on the dash and tried going up and down to see if he could get them to float. He finally remembered, “Duh, inertial dampeners.” He grabbed his wallet and phone, put them in his pocket, and wouldn’t look at me as I laughed.
After we played around for a little longer, I said” Chris, let me drive. I have an Idea. We may not have a chance to do something for a long time so I want to try now.
He looked at me with a mix of curiosity and excitement. I placed my hands on the steering wheel, and with a determined thought, I teleported us to the moon.
The scenery outside changed in an instant. The endless expanse of the Sahara was replaced by the stark, gray landscape of the moon. Craters of various sizes dotted the surface, and the earth hung in the black sky above us, a brilliant blue and white marble.
Chris's jaw dropped as he took in the view. "No way... We're on the moon? This is insane!"
I couldn't help but grin at his reaction. "Yep, buckle up. We're about to have some fun."
I floored the accelerator, and the hummer surged forward. The low gravity made everything surreal. We launched off the edge of a crater, soaring through the air with a slow, graceful arc. The inertia dampers ensured we felt nothing but the thrill of weightlessness was still there.
"Weeeeee!" I shouted, feeling like a kid again. The hummer touched down on the other side of the crater with a gentle bounce, and we continued our mad dash across the lunar surface.
Chris looked at me as if I was an absolute idiot but then whooped in excitement beside me. "This is amazing! We're driving on the freaking moon!"
We sped around craters, kicking up clouds of lunar dust. The hummer's tires adapted to the rough terrain seamlessly, giving us the perfect balance of speed and control. Every jump looked like it was in slow motion, and each landing was as smooth as if we were on a cushion of air.
I took us to the edge of a particularly large crater and paused. "Hold on, Chris. This one's going to be epic."
I gunned the engine, and we rocketed off the edge, soaring higher than before. The hummer seemed to hang in the air forever before descending gently to the crater floor. We hit the ground with a soft thud and kept going, the vehicle's systems adjusting flawlessly to the lunar environment. I kept the wings retracted to get the full effect instead of just flying over the surface.
After several more exhilarating jumps and sprints, I finally brought the hummer to a stop on a flat expanse. We both sat there, catching our breath and taking in the surreal beauty of the moon.
Chris turned to me, his eyes wide with wonder. "Mike, this is... I don't even have words. I still hate you, but Thanks for this."
I smiled, feeling the joy of sharing this incredible experience. "Dude, we’re just getting started. One of the perks of having magic, I guess."
With a satisfied sigh, I teleported us back to the shop. The familiar surroundings felt almost mundane after our lunar adventure, but the memory of our moon drive would stay with us forever. We got out of the hummer, still buzzing with excitement from our extraordinary joyride.
“Alright, now I’m gonna test something else.” I put my hand on the hummer and willed it into my ring. It vanished.
Chris's eyes widened in shock. “What the hell did you do now?”
“I put it in a storage ring. I forgot to tell you about that. Hey, by the way, I have a storage ring.” I said, chuckling. I actually have an extra one the system created that shares the same storage. If you’re gonna help me do all this, I should probably give it to you so we can easily share stuff.”
I pulled out the other ring and handed it to Chris.
“Hold on, don’t put it on yet.” “Sim, can you…”I started but then stopped. I already knew that she had completed making the analysis skill I wanted her to give Chris and that she had already added it to his abilities.
“We really need to finish the basic part of the system so when we give someone a skill they at least get notified and know what it does.” I said. “When we hit a high enough bond that you know how I would build the system and the reasons behind each decision, will you just start creating it and let me know if you get stuck? I’m pretty stuck on a few things about it and don’t know which way would work best for everyone, so I’m sure you’re going to see that during creation.”
I turned to Chris and explained, “You’ve just been given the analysis skill. All you have to do is touch the object you want to identify and push your intent into the skill. Then a little box will pop up with its description.”
It took him a few tries to understand how to will intent into a skill, but he finally got it and the description appeared above the item. His eyes widened as he read the text floating in the air.
Item: Astral Storage Ring of Light - Match Set
Rank: Divine
Requirements: None
Capacity: 1000x1000
Durability: Unbreakable
Boundable: Yes
Mana: +500 MP / Second
Healing: +500 HP / Second
Stat increase: +100 to all stats
Skills: Astral Shield / Storage
Shielded: Yes
Description: This set of storage rings was touched by divine light. They are capable of storing items and spells up to divine grade without using extra slots per item or damaging durability. The paired set is linked together through a personal Astral space so either ring may access the same storage. All stored items will experience a 1:1,000 time dilation. Living objects may be added but will experience a decrease of health per second at the rate of 1 health point per 1,000 seconds. The wearer of this ring is also granted the skill Astral Shield. This allows both wearers to activate the shield by thought. When active the shield surrounds the wearer and automatically stores any object or spell that touches the shield within the ring. If a living object touches the shield, they will experience a stun lasting 15 seconds. If the stun affects someone wearing a storage device, all unshielded contents will be transferred to wearers. If there is no space available. Objects will be dropped instead of stored and the previous storage device will be destroyed.
“Damn” he said after reading through the details. “I’ve never been big into gaming but this thing seems a little overpowered.”
I watched him with a grin, feeling a sense of pride in what we were accomplishing. “Welcome to the new reality, buddy. There’s a lot more where that came from.”
Chris turned the ring over in his hands, still in disbelief. “This is going to change everything. I mean, we can do anything with this, right?”
“Pretty much,” I said, feeling the weight of those words. “But with great power comes great responsibility.” We both looked at each other and laughed. “Okay Peter.” Chris said while shaking his head. “Yeah, I get it. But still, this is freaking awesome.”
We both laughed, the excitement of the moment still at an all time high. We were standing on the brink of a new era, one where the impossible had become possible, and the future was filled with endless potential.
“Yep, I agree. That’s why I told Sim to not create anything like this for anybody else. I can use them because I’m the admin and part of the system now, but normally there would be requirements and you wouldn’t be able to put it on. While you’re helping me before the system activates, slide it on and let’s get to work. Well, you should probably call and quit your job first. You won’t have time for it anymore with what I have planned.”
A thought occurred to me and I hurried and asked Sim a question.
“Sim, is it going to hurt him to have +100 to all stats with brand new mana channels?”
Sim took a second before she responded. “I just ran a scan and calculated some scenarios. I recommend we disable that particular feature of the ring for anyone below level 20. His body may be able to handle it but because that is such a large increase over his current stats, none of the possibilities end up in his favor.”
“Okay, add that to the ring's requirements.”
As I nodded my head I had a horrible thought. If someone else has access to mana already, did Sim create anything else I should know about?
Just as I was about to ask Sim that very question I had a strange feeling. I couldn’t really explain it. It was almost like I could feel a strange power coming from in front of the shop.
All of the sudden the front door of the shop flung open and I heard, “Hey dad.” I was frozen with utter amazement and shock. My eldest son that I hadn’t seen in almost two years was standing in the doorway. “Alec?”