“Holy crap!” Adric exclaimed aloud at the dozens of messages scrolling by. Then he realized how dangerous they could be as distractions, “Thank goodness I learned how to silence those during combat.” After thinking about it momentarily, Adric started reading the messages from the beginning.
You have received damage to one of your lower extremities. Movement speeds are reduced by 27% until the wound is healed.
You have been poisoned! Your life energy, cognitive function, and mobility have been impaired.
You have slain Goblin Archer Level 2. Experience earned.
“This System thing details every single action I take during combat? Exactly how powerful is this System?” Adric quickly realized he was just a tiny speck in an infinite multiverse with untold trillions of inhabitants. The fact that he had already been tested and visited by one of the administrators out of the billions of people on Earth served to humble him significantly. With a newfound respect for his new reality, Adric continued through his messages.
You have crippled Goblin Warrior Level 3.
You have crippled Goblin Warrior Level 2.
A Sparkbolt has struck you! All movement speeds are reduced by 10% for 3 seconds.
Congratulations! You have acquired Lightning Magic resistance Tier 1 Level 1 [Locked]. You will now receive slightly less damage from lighting magic. This resistance will be unlocked upon full System integration. You have reached the maximum allowable level in this skill until it is unlocked.
You have defeated Goblin Warrior Level 4. Experience earned.
Ding! You have leveled up! Race, Human, has leveled up to level 2. You have received 3 attribute points and 1 skill point. All attribute points are banked until the User chooses a class. No class options are currently available.
Adric stopped reading in surprise. “Levels? Like in an RPG game?” He wasn't so surprised as he was excited, “This means I might be able to quantitively increase my overall power and abilities past the level of a normal human…assuming this System is set up that way.” He thought about it for a minute and decided his reasoning was correct. Why else would the messages say he acquired attribute increases?
Congratulations! The User's System interface is now unlocked. Please choose the type of interface from the following options:
Option 1: Basic interface
Cost: Free
Description: A non-modifiable interface that will display only basic information when opened.
Option 2: Standard interface
Cost: 100 SC
Description: A modifiable interface displaying the User's energy levels in real time. In addition to basic information, status effects will be shown when the main screen is opened. Two additional user-defined data points may be added to the real-time display for 150 SC each.
Option 3: Advanced interface (Recommended)
Cost: 1000 SC
Description: A fully modifiable interface with the real-time display of the standard interface. Three user-defined data points may be added to the HUD at no additional cost; additional data points may be added on a cost-plus basis. Users will receive one each: spell, ability, weapon, and item quick access slot embedded in their HUD. An item inventory will also be available on the main screen for 250 SC.
Note: User must advance past Tier 1 for additional interface options.
Not knowing what else to do, Adric chose the free option by mentally thinking, ‘Option one.’ He was immediately presented with another message.
Congratulations on taking your first step as a System Interface User! Class options are now available in your interface. Please select a class to begin your progression. Warning: Once chosen, your class cannot be easily changed; choose wisely.
“Okay, so how do I pick my class?” Adric thought. But when nothing popped up in his vision, he decided to finish reading the rest of his messages before figuring out anything else. So, he went back to scrolling. He skimmed the next several damage and kill messages from his fight in the kitchen but stopped at the ones describing exactly how close he had been to dying and what Hex had done to save his life.
Warning! You have received a mortal injury. Your recovery level is insufficient to sustain your life at your current exsanguination rate. Immediate first aid is required within 3 minutes to prevent death.
Adric read the warning several times. He had been three minutes from dying and still survived. He wondered if it had been the wound in his chest bleeding internally or if the poison had an anticoagulant effect. “Probably both,” He reasoned, looking back at the messages.
You have received 1 application of Remedy. The poison effect has been lessened.
You have received 1 application of Healing Tincture. Internal bleeding has slowed; exsanguination in 6 minutes.
Adric looked at the time stamps on the messages and nearly choked when he realized that had Hex waited only a minute longer to act, he would be dead. He felt better about saving her life now and absently wondered what her notifications would say about him saving her.
He continued skimming over the messages describing what Hex had done to save him; Adrick was worried the fox girl might still be bleeding internally and wanted to make sure he had done enough between the bandages and healing tincture to stabilize her. Finally, he sighed and relaxed when he finished the group of notifications. Judging from what he had just read, he was confident that he had done enough for Hex and that she would survive.
Pulling out one of the rolls of bandage material he had looted, Adric examined it while turning it over in his hand. He spoke to the small white ball, “So this little thing acts as a superficial coagulant and sealant while the healing tincture does the same internally with the added benefit of speeding up the body’s natural healing rate exponentially for a short period…fascinating.” Adric could think of many times these two products would have come in handy during his years as an assassin.
Thinking about his former life, Adric realized why Hex had chosen him. He had been considered one of the best in the business when he retired, so it stood to reason she would have picked him. Not only was his skillset a grade above most, but he also knew he had more empathy toward people than most in his line of work. Most of the people Adric interacted with outside of his job would never believe the gentle and soft-spoken man was, in fact, a killer for hire. For Adric, it was simple; he didn’t mix work and play. It wasn’t like he particularly liked or disliked people; he looked at them as he did himself, as lost souls trying to make their way through life the best they knew how.
Shaking himself from his thoughts, Adric returned to his messages, determined to get through them quickly to figure out how to choose his class.
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You have crippled Goblin Heavy Spearman level 3.
You have crippled Goblin Heavy Spearman level 2.
Your group has defeated Goblin Heavy Spearman Level 3. Experience earned.
Your group has defeated Goblin Archer Level 4. Experience earned.
Ding! You have leveled up! Race, Human, has leveled up to level 3. You have received 3 attribute points and 1 skill point. All attribute points are banked until the User chooses a class. No class options are currently available.
Adric skipped to the end of the fight and passed the loot notifications, stopping when he arrived at the last of his messages. His jaw dropped when he read it. “So that is what Seraph meant when she said she was giving us a gift!” He exclaimed in his mind. He reread the messages to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating.
Ding! You are being suppressed by a supreme being! All motor and cognitive skills are reduced by 97.4%. Continued exposure to the being’s energy will result in death within 5 minutes.
Congratulations! You have acquired Suppression Resistance Tier 2 Level 1 [Unlocked]. You have achieved a rare feat and managed to resist the supreme will of a being infinitely more powerful than yourself. Plus 3 attribute points to wisdom. Plus 2 attribute points to strength. Your mind is made of steel and body iron; they are yours alone to control; no longer will the multiverse's trifling mental and physical magics hinder you! Continue to expose yourself to devastating powers to increase the level and effectiveness of this resistance. Note: All other resistances will be slightly more effective based on the level of your Suppression resistance, as this resistance is the highest form of energy-based resistance.
“I hope I never have to endure that kind of agony again,” Adric thought after reading the description of his new resistance. Unfortunately, it sounded like he would have to if he planned on leveling it. He only wondered how much it would help and was slightly annoyed that there was no percentage or number telling him how the ability functioned.
Some notifications mentioned he had gained titles and would need to choose a class and check his status for more information. “I wonder why I got the titles Progenitor and First Blood?” He thought but figured he would find out soon enough, hoping Hex could shed some light on the subject.
Finished with his notifications, Adric looked at the sleeping woman on his couch and was surprised to see she was awake and staring at him. He gave her a weak smile and asked, “How are you feeling?”
She returned his smile but winced as she did so. With a slight whine, she said, “Everything hurts. Why is pain so constant for this body?”
Adric chuckled and responded, “Pain is your body’s way of telling you to stop what you are doing before you damage it.”
She sighed, “I know; I just wish it wasn’t so constant.”
Adric shrugged, “It normally isn’t, but something tells me constant pain may be the new normal.” He looked at her seriously and asked, “Speaking of the new normal, did you know the system administrator was a Prism Vixen? And is that why you chose your body?”
Hex looked confused, “Yes, but how do you know what she is?”
“You should check your system messages,” he responded, “she visited us a little while ago. I think she was intending to kill us, but I cannot be sure, and she obviously didn't, so there's that. She; Seraph is her name, by the way. Anyway, she did something to us that made us stronger, at least I hope it did. She also seems to think you planned all this somehow and then erased your memory.”
Adric paused for breath and to let his words sink in. Hex’s yellow eyes were like saucers, and she looked like she would be sick. Still, after a few seconds of rapid breathing, she visibly calmed, and her eyes took on an unfocused look, which Adric now knew meant she was checking her messages. Her mouth opened and closed several times as she read as if to say something, but she didn’t speak.
After a little while, she jerked her feet off his lap and sat up quickly, focusing on Adric, surprising him. Hex sounded panicked when she asked, “You didn’t choose a class yet, did you?!” Then she grasped at her chest and let out a high-pitched whine. “Ow, it hurts…”
“No…I don’t know how…” Adric responded slowly, suspicious as to why she cared so much. He gently pulled her hands away from her chest, saying, “Don’t irritate the bandages; I don’t know how well they are stuck to your fur, and I didn’t have time to shave your chest.”
“Oh, thank the System,” Hex sighed in relief, allowing her hands to be pulled away. Seeing his confusion, she explained, “Your class will determine how you progress for the rest of your life. It is not something to be chosen lightly. For example, suppose you want to be a strong front-line fighter who relies on nothing but brute strength to survive. In that case, you might pick a class like Heavy Warrior, and as you progress in levels, the class will give you more strength until you reach a point where you can slice a boulder in two with a sword."
Adric nodded along. Hex’s explanation sounded much like role-playing games, but he had difficulty processing the real-world implications of cutting through stone with strength alone.
Hex noticed his look of disbelief and continued her explanation, “I’m not saying you would be able to do that right away, but as you progress through the centuries, your power will greatly increase. I'm trying to say that once you start down that path, you must stay with it for at least one hundred levels. Every one hundred levels—”
Adric held up his hand to stop Hex and asked incredulously, “Wait! Centuries? I’ll be lucky if I make it another fifty years at my age.”
Hex shook her head but responded with a question, “Have you chosen your interface?” When Adric nodded, she said, “Think ‘Status,’ and it should display for you.
Adric did as Hex instructed, and a translucent screen popped up in his vision. It was a concave rectangular holographic projection displayed about three feet in front of him. When he looked at Hex, the display didn't move with his sight like the System messages but instead stayed fixed in the air in front of his body, hovering over his coffee table.
Seeing Adric’s look, Hex pointed at his display, and then an identical one popped up in front of her. She explained, “The free option doesn’t let you hide your information from others. It’s only fair you see mine too. Now I will explain what I meant when I said centuries; if you look at the vitality attribute on your screen…”
Adric looked at his status screen.
Status:
User Designation: Adric Cay
Species: Human (Mortal); Tier 1, Level 3
Title(s): Prepper; Progenitor; First Blood
Class: None
System Credits: 0
Free Attribute Points: 3 (Banked Points: 6)
Free Skill Points: 3
Vital Energy: 64
Physical Energy: 74
Magical Energy: 74
Attributes:
Strength: 7
Vitality: 3
Agility: 4
Perception: 5
Intelligence: 5
Wisdom: 7
Abilities (Passive / Non-Combat):
Progenitor Linguistics
Meditation; Tier 1, Level 1 [Locked]
Abilities (Active / Combat):
Archery; Tier 2, Level 1 [Locked]
Small Arms; Tier 1, Level 1 [Locked]
Skills (Passive / Non-Combat):
Deconstruction; Tier 1, Level 1 [Locked]
Skills (Active / Combat):
None
Spells (Support / Non-Combat):
None
Spells (Active / Combat):
None
Resistances:
Lightning; Tier 1, Level 1
Suppression; Tier 2, Level 1
“Okay, so help me out here,” Adric said, then asked, “Why do some skills say locked and others, like my resistances, don’t? Also, what are the differences in tiers?”
Hex pointed at his free skill points and said, “Resistances automatically unlock, but any active skills and spells must have the pathways opened by the System. You can do this by spending your free skill points. Just beware that tier two skills and spells will take many more skill points to unlock than single tiers.”
Adric nodded, then asked, “So how do the tiers work? Are they like an upgrade in power and functionality?”
Hex nodded, saying, “Yes, very much so,” she held up a hand, saying, “There are five mortal tiers,” she folded one finger down with each tier she named. Tier one is considered the beginner or novice tier. Sequentially, there is the intermediate tier, the advanced tier, the master tier, and finally, the god tier.”
Adric scoffed, “God tier? Really?”
Hex smirked at him with a raised eyebrow, her fox ears twitching a little, “Adric, you have already met a god tier today.”
The thought of Seraph sobered Adric up quickly, and he frowned. Still, he admitted, “Yeah, you’re right, I suppose. She was—is terrifying.”
“She wasn’t actually here either,” Hex said, “What you experienced was a small projection of her power. Had she arrived in person, I’m not sure this planet would have survived…unless she has supreme control over her aura, which she might.” Hex tapped her chin, thinking out loud, “She is over five billion years old…so she might be in full control by now…but still, she wouldn’t be able to come here in person with her responsibilities as the administrator…”
“Five billion years! You have got to be joking!” Adric exclaimed.
“Oh, sorry, just thinking aloud,” Hex said, shaking her head, "But I am serious though. With each tier comes a longer life span," She pointed at herself, "I am a Prism Vixen; this body is genetically modeled after Seraph, who evolved from an Eska Vulpes to the first Prism Vixen. Her evolution changed her so much that she became a completely new species in the eyes of the System, so she was given the privilege of naming her race." Hex waved her hand dismissively, "Anyway, as a Prism Vixen, my current life expectancy is around two hundred solar cycles until I reach tier two, and then it will increase to maybe six hundred. Each tier after will add more and more years until tier five, where there will be no limit.” She pointed at Adric, “You will live at least one hundred and fifty years as a human under system rules at tier one. The same will go for you as you advance through the tiers. But, as I was saying about your vitality attribute, the higher it is, the more you can add to your current lifespan within your current tier. For example, you have three points in vitality, so right now, you can estimate an additional thirty years added to your tier-one lifespan. So take one hundred fifty and add thirty, then subtract your current age; that should be a close estimate of your life expectancy right now.”
Adric wanted to believe her but still found it hard to comprehend. He decided not to worry about it for now. Instead, he focused on his current situation: how to survive the coming days. He glanced at Hex and asked, "How do I choose a class?"
Hex smiled when a class window popped up in his status window at his thought. She said, “That’s how.” Then, Hex pulled up her own class options. There were decisions to be made.