Marie stirred as the clink of the glass coffee pot and the rush of water from the faucet nudged her from sleep. The familiar routine sounds of Derek preparing another round of coffee anchored her to reality. She peeled her eyes open, not ready to wake.
“What time is it?” she mumbled, the words barely making it past her lips as she fought off the heaviness of her slumber.
“Almost ten,” came Derek’s response, punctuated by the snap of the coffee maker's lid as he set the machine to start. “You’ve only been asleep for about two hours.”
Blinking away the remnants of sleep, Marie rubbed her temples and asked with a hopeful frailty, “Was it all just a nightmare?”
Derek walked over and knelt next to her. “No, it was all very real.”
“I guess you haven’t seen anything?”
“No, it’s been quiet.”
“You can probably get some sleep.”
“Yeah, you're right.” He said with a sigh, looking down into his coffee.
Once in the shower, Derek let the hot water cascade over him, the heat a sharp similarity to the burning rage that burned through him. The hot water seemed to have the opposite effect as it sent the blood clinging to his skin into the shower's drain. The steam from the shower enveloped Derek, a comforting shroud that allowed his mind to drift—a rare moment of respite. As the tension seeped from his muscles, his mental guard fell away, and that’s when it happened. No longer burdened by life and death struggles or by the affairs of monsters.
When he opened his eyes, expecting the familiar blur of the shower curtain and white tiles, he instead saw a window of backlit grey floating in his vision. It was almost jarring, the way it commandeered his vision, overlaying the steamy haze of the shower with its crisp, clear text. It didn’t block his vision nor hinder his sight. He blinked the water from his eyes, but the image stubbornly persisted.
‘Must be seeing things,’ he thought, rubbing a hand over his face.
Yet the grey window remained, still in his vision even if his eyes were covered by his hand. It didn’t matter where his eyes focused the window was always crisp and clear, easy to read. Naturally, he read the window that was reminiscent of internet pop-ups.
Congratulations: Citizen of Earth 91
Dear Citizens of Earth 91,
We are excited to tell you that your planet is now part of the Collective. This is a big step in your world’s history and shows you are ready to work with others in the multiverse.
With this change, everyone will get a personal interface to connect with the Collective’s system. This interface is made to work with your creativity and intelligence, and it will help you unlock new abilities and possibilities.
Your planet is starting a journey that will change your society and how you interact with others in space. These interactions are important for what your planet will bring to our shared future.
As you get used to this new way of life, we hope everyone will work together smoothly. Your help is important in making Earth 91 a strong part of the Collective, creating a positive relationship that is good for everyone.
Earth 91 is poised to engage in an expansive exchange of resources, which is fundamental to the sustained development and well-being of the Collective’s members.
We welcome you with open arms into this new era of interconnectedness and advancement. May you rise to embrace the wealth of possibilities that now lie before you.
You have received a welcome package containing:
100 credits
Welcome Guide (Earth 91 - American English)
System & Interface Guide (Earth 91 - American English)
Small Storage Bracelet (Growth Type)
Spell Book: Mana Cycling
Combat Manual: Standardized Fitness
Derek’s attention snapped to his wrist where a silver bracelet now encircled his skin. It materialized out of nowhere, a thin band with an intricate design that belied its sudden appearance. He turned his wrist over, inspecting it with a mix of wariness and fascination. The bracelet seemed almost delicate, yet it felt solid and unyielding against his skin. He gave it a tentative poke, half-expecting it to vanish as quickly as it had appeared, but it remained firmly in place. With a mental shrug, he acknowledged its presence and decided to examine it later, his focus drawn back by the next window of text that replaced the previous one in his view.
Congratulations:
You have killed 257 goblins and assisted in killing 2 goblins.
Rewards:
3124 experience
259 credits
259 goblins was all that they killed? Seemed like there had been more than that. With the amount of bodies on his property, he wouldn’t be surprised if all the blood killed his grass, but they might not be alive much longer either.
Congratulations:
You have received the title: Goblin Slayer (rank 2)
For killing: 200 goblins
Goblin Slayer: You are a known enemy of goblins everywhere. Warning: Your reputation precedes you.
Rewards:
+4 stat point
Congratulations:
You have gained 7 levels and reached level 7.
+7 stat points
+1 milestone point
Derek Irisson
Level:
7
Titles:
Goblin Slayer (rank 2)
Race:
Human
Classes:
None
Physical Ability:
10
Mental Ability:
13
Emotional Capacity:
7
Magical Capacity:
12
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Passive Abilities:
None
Abilities:
None
Experience:
379 XP / 930 XP
Unused Stat Points: 11
Unused Milestone Points: 1
Derek’s brow furrowed as the interface popped up, an uninvited guest in his line of sight. “Hey, Babe?” His voice echoed off the shower tiles, a mix of bewilderment and curiosity. “Did you see your… uh… interface?”
Marie’s response was muffled, tinged with the grogginess of sleep. “Interface?” she echoed, her voice rising in pitch as the display materialized before her eyes. “Oh!”
Derek finished showering in a rush. The need to be done was more urgent than his need to relax. Marie padded into the bathroom as he was shutting off the water.
“It’s like a video game…” Marie’s voice murmured as she handed him a towel, wonder seeping into the sleepiness.
Derek, toweling off, paused mid-dry. “Have you ever played a video game?” he asked, the corner of his mouth twitching up in a half-smile despite the surreal turn the night had taken.
Her reply was a distracted murmur, her attention clearly captured by the glowing screens only she could see. “Why do I see two status screens?” Her confusion was palpable, even as Derek grappled with his own set of glowing figures and text.
“What do you mean?”
“Um… Interface share with Derek.” She commanded.
Derek just about questioned her, but it worked, and two status pages opened in his vision. He blinked, surprised by the seamless response to Marie’s voice command.
Marie Irisson
Level:
4
Titles:
Goblin Slayer (rank 2)
Race:
Human
Classes:
None
Physical Ability:
7
Mental Ability:
10
Emotional Capacity:
18
Magical Capacity:
10
Passive Abilities:
None
Abilities:
None
Experience:
189 XP / 447 XP
Unnamed
Level:
1
Race:
Human
Experience:
111 XP / 309 XP
“Our child?” He asked, a note of disbelief in his voice, his gaze locked on the second status screen.
“Looks like it.” She said, sitting on the edge of the tub.
He sent her his status page as he climbed out of the shower.
“I always knew there was something wrong with your emotions.” Marie laughed, poking him in the ribs, a spark of humor in her eyes.
“Yeah, yeah.” Derek said, a short laugh escaping him as he waved away her prodding, the sound a brief echo in the otherwise tense atmosphere.
“Have you used your stat points?”
Derek exhaled deeply, the breath fogging in the cool air of the room as he summoned his interface once more. With a hesitant touch, he allocated five points to his physical attributes. Instantly, a wave of tingling discomfort surged through his veins, as if his blood had turned effervescent. His muscles tensed involuntarily, fibers knitting and expanding beneath his skin with a sensation that was as unsettling as it was painless.
Overwhelmed by the internal upheaval, his legs buckled, sending him crashing to his knees on the hard floor. A second wave, more intense than the first, forced him down further until he lay prone, his hands splayed out to steady himself against the involuntary spasms. His body contorted slightly, muscles bulging and contracting as they adapted to their new potential.
As the transformation subsided, the twitching eased into a series of small, sporadic jerks before ceasing altogether. Derek lay there for a heartbeat, gathering his senses, before pushing himself up. Rising to his full height, he felt a newfound solidity in his stance, a robustness in his frame that hadn’t been there before. There was no pain, only a lingering echo of the force that had coursed through him, leaving him stronger and sturdier.
“Are you okay?” She asked with worry etched into her features.
“Yeah, I’m fine. That was uncomfortable, but not painful.”
“Your bigger.” Marie said, looking up at him, then running a hand along his muscles. “Taller too.”
Her smile was seductive as she looked at his muscles.
“Am I the ‘tall, dark, and handsome’ that you always wanted?”
Marie laughed. “Not quite. You're still as white as always.”
Derek kissed her and moved past her to look in the mirror, and flexed a bit. The poorly defined muscles from before had developed like he had added dozens of pounds of muscle and grew a couple inches. “Oh nice. I like it.”
All of his wounds that had been fresh were now faint scars. The stitches were bloody on the floor. It seemed that his increased physical ability increased his ability to heal from wounds.
“Did you get rewards from the battle?”
“Mhmm.” she replied, in the process of leaving the bathroom. “experience points, a title, and credits.”
“My clothes don’t fit.” Derek said, struggling with a shirt.
“That’s not good.” She said, helping him pull the shirt off. “That means none of this is going to fit.”
Derek put on some loose-fitting sleeping clothes and a hoodie. At least it was something. He moved to the guns to the gun case then moved all of it to the floor against the wall. Once everywhere was cleaned and organized, they sat down to explore their new interfaces and abilities. There was so much to discover, with the books to read and the interface to explore.
After a while, Marie glanced outside at the dim light over the city. “It’s getting late. We should probably start thinking about going to bed.”
Derek nodded, but his stomach rumbled from the neglect. “Are you hungry?”
As he started gathering ingredients, Marie went over to the living room window. She pulled back the curtain, peering out at their yard. It was dark and they couldn’t see anything. Derek was about to cook when a sudden, sharp crack pierced the quiet, jolting them both. The sound was distant yet unmistakable—gunfire. He froze, mid-cut of an onion, as a second shot rang out, followed by a third. The stark reality of their situation snapped into focus.
Marie’s voice, once filled with strategic planning, now carried a thread of urgency. “Do you hear that?” she asked, her gaze shifting towards the window.
Derek nodded, setting aside the knife, his attention now fully on the world beyond their walls. The distant echoes of chaos crept into the room, a stark reminder that their reality. It was time to switch gears from planning to action, from the safety of their home to the uncertainty outside. He joined her next to the window.
The area directly around their house seemed clear for the moment. But the distant cracks of rifles and pistols told them the violence was spreading. Derek stepped out on the deck just under the eave so that the rain didn’t soak him. Gunfire was coming from every direction. It didn’t seem like the neighborhood was affected; he must have wiped out most of the surrounding area. The distant sounds of screams and gunfire echoed through the heavy silence that had settled over the house. It was an eerie, unnatural quiet - like the held breath before a plunge.
“Gunshots,” he confirmed, his voice low. “Nothing we can do. We’re both exhausted and going out there in the dark is going to get us killed.”
Derek pulled her into a side hug, the weight of the situation settling over them like a shroud. The night was no longer just a backdrop for recovery; it was alive with threats that wouldn’t wait until morning.
Deciding to step out on the deck, he opened the door. The acrid tang, a metallic scent that hinted at the ozone and copper, smell of decomposing corpses nearly knocked him over, but the most shocking thing was that the bodies were mostly gone, slowly disintegrating into a black mist that eventually faded into the atmosphere. The black mist seemed to absorb the light like a fog, giving the deck a grim ambience.
“Apparently, the bodies are dissolving into a black mist.” Derek sighed as he slammed the door shut in a hurry to block the smell. He locked it before going back to his cooking.
Marie looked up at Derek, eyes wide. “What do we do?”
Derek’s expression was stern as he finished chopping the onion. “The first priority is food and rest, then we secure the house, and after that we can figure out what is going on.”
Marie nodded, steeling herself. They had survived the initial monster attack together. Now it seemed they would have to weather a different storm. But with Derek’s strength and her support, she had faith they would persevere. They would face this new threat side by side, come what may.
“I think we need to get out there and kill everything we can find.”
If Derek hadn’t been focused on his cooking, he would have seen Marie’s face go pale as she processed the implications of what his words meant. More killing, more levels, more strength. A violent cycle that never ends and Derek didn’t seem bothered by the violence. He had at first, but something had changed in him and she missed it. The initial hesitation he had when killing and then his sudden desire to clear the neighborhood. Then now, there wasn’t an ounce of hesitation in him. He wanted to kill them. Something dark appeared in him. Something either new or something buried so deep she hadn’t ever conceived of the idea that he had such a bloodthirsty trait.
Marie watched Derek move, a silent observer to the changes unfolding within him. The man who had hesitated at the sight of blood was now a calculated killer, his hands as steady as his gaze.
It was a subtle shift, one that had crept up on them both, but it was there—in the set of his jaw, the newfound confidence in his stance, and the way his eyes no longer flinched at the mention of violence. She pondered this new Derek, trying to reconcile the man she knew with the one he was becoming. Was this who he had always been, deep down, or was this world peeling back layers she never knew existed?
She kept these thoughts to herself, letting them simmer. There was no room for doubt or fear, not when survival was on the line. But as she watched him, a part of her mourned the innocence they had both lost, even as she prepared to embrace the strength they would need to face the days ahead.
Derek’s gaze lingered on the simmering pot, the aroma of chili verde mingling with the tension in the air. He set the bowls down with a clink that seemed too loud in the silence following the distant gunfire. Then sat the four quesadillas, and a sandwich stacked high with meat on the table.
“Have you thought about where you’re going to be putting your stat points?” he asked, his voice steady but carrying an undercurrent of the day’s strain.
Marie paused, her hand hovering over the skillet as if the weight of her decision was tangible. “I have seven points...” she began, her tone contemplative, “thinking of physical to twelve. It seems like ten is the baseline. Then three in mental, and the rest in magical. I’m going to hold on to the Milestone until I understand how it’s used. How about you?”
Derek leaned back in his chair, the wood creaking slightly under his newfound weight. “Hmm. Probably Physical, and I’ll hold on to a few until I understand the overall effect. Might want to fix the emotional,” he mused, his eyes not on the food but on the darkening world outside the window.
They ate quietly, the only sounds being the occasional clink of utensils. The heavy awareness of their changed world hung in the air, understood in each look they exchanged and in the silence that filled the spaces between them.
As the last light faded from the sky, Derek finally broke the silence, his voice low but resolute. “We’ll need to be ready for whatever comes next. Rest, then we plan.”