With the meal finished and dishes in the dishwasher, Derek slid into a chair at the now-clear kitchen table. Marie was mopping the floor for the tenth time. He opened the bag of chips. Despite the huge dinner he ate, he was still peckish and the simple act of snacking offering a semblance of normalcy amidst the chaos. Derek settled deeper into the chair, resting his tired body.
With a contented sigh, he browsed through his interface looking at the Collective provided materials. His interface showed the two guides, Welcome Guide and System & Interface Guide, but the spell book and combat manual were missing. Odd, should they have been on in his interface, but he glanced down at the new silver bracelet on his arm. Marie’s looked fundamentally different than Derek’s. Her’s looked like a series of bangles with cute little charms hanging from it. His was a solid band of silver so thin and tight around his arm he almost thought it was a tattoo for how well it fit. It wasn’t uncomfortable either, not like other jewelry that he refused to wear. Bracelets, necklaces, and rings were all too irritating to wear. They either sat wrong, were uncomfortable, or were in the way of his work.
As his mind focused on the bracelet he got a sense of how much space was available and what was stored inside. The only two items inside were the two books and with a thought they appeared in his hand, his hand instinctively opening and turning palm up where the books appeared. That was an odd sensation, his body moved on its own, no that wasn’t right. It was like part of summoning the items from within the storage was for him to open his hand. It just felt like a naturally ingrained part of his mind, almost like opening his mouth when lifting food with a fork.
The books that now sat in his palm were two paper books, they were thin almost like one of those puzzle books in the supermarket checkout line. Unlike the puzzle books these weren’t colorful books showcasing the interior. The paper was akin to parchment with a single title on each both written in English; Mana Cycling, Standardized Fitness.
Sitting one down on the table he opened Standardized Fitness. There were a total of four pages in the book, except instead of an instruction manual, the four pages contained complex runes of arcane origins, not that Derek knew the meanings of any of it. As he flipped through the pages, the runes in the book started to glow and when he reached the final page the magic inside the book built and flowed into his body through the contact points of his hands.
He felt as the magic flowed into his hands, spreading into his body until covering his entire body in the odd magic. His muscles started twitching and flexing uncontrollably, then as fast as it came, it was gone. What a weird sensation, unlike when he added stat points in his physical ability, this was only minorly annoying. Considering that it was for Standardized Fitness, he probably already met whatever standard that meant. Though it would be interesting to see what the book did across humanity as a whole.
With a mental shrug, he picked up the next book, Mana Cycling. Opening it, he found slightly more pages of runes, a total of five pages this time. As he flipped through it, not really paying attention to the content, the magic built until he reached the end. Much like before the magic flowed into his body, but a large portion of it entered his brain and heart. Then information was suddenly in the forefront of his mind and his body was awakened to the mana of the world.
He could feel the concentrated mana, in his body, his core held energy that he had never accessed before. With a push of mental willpower, the concentrated mana slowly moved, spreading down into his legs at a painfully slow pace. It was like pushing thick honey through a straw, it was slow. The results were fascinating, as the mana entered his thighs a warm sensation entered them, and they felt stronger. Like how he felt after a good workout. He got the feeling of being powerful.
Despite the feeling, he released the mana and it moved back up his thighs receding into his core like a rubber band stretched. It took seemingly forever to move, but returning to his core was nearly instant. The book taught him how to move it and gave him a sense for what he should and shouldn’t do, but it didn’t do the work for him.
Shifting his focus to something that would be more immediately beneficial, he opened the interface, accessing one of the documents that the collective provided.
‘Welcome to the ‘Standard Guide for the Collective.’ This guide has everything you need to know as a citizen of the Collective.
You are now part of a new era in our interstellar community. This guide will help you understand and make the most of the many opportunities here.
This guide is more than just words. It invites you to learn about our rich history and complex society. You’ll discover the values and goals that bring together many worlds for a common purpose: to improve our community and ensure the well-being of all citizens.
We’ll explain the main principles of our society, your rights and responsibilities, and our vision for the future. You’ll learn about how our society is governed, the economy, and cultural activities that make our lives richer.
This guide is also a resource for finding services like education, healthcare, cultural centers, and public amenities. It’s a complete guide to help you with everyday life in the Collective.
As you peruse this guide, we encourage you to envision your role in this grand design. Every citizen is a vital thread in the fabric of the Collective, and your unique talents and perspectives are valued contributions to our shared narrative.
We welcome you with open arms and look forward to your active participation in the ongoing story of the Collective. Here’s to the journey ahead, filled with learning, growth, and the unity that defines us.
Welcome, and may your path within the Collective be prosperous and fulfilling.
Part 1: What is the collective?’
Derek’s eyes stalled as the dense paragraphs blurred into words too grand and formal to retain his drifting attention. It was like reading a textbook. The grandiose language and lofty ideals of the Collective were irrelevant compared to the immediate dangers they had just faced. He let out a groan of complaint. His exhaustion and impatience were getting the best of him. He needed something to help him survive, not some nonsensical document that gave a multiversal history lesson. The Collective, whoever they are, aren’t going to save him. They seemed like they were actively trying to eliminate the human race.
“Ugh, I don’t have time for this,” he muttered under his breath.
With a pragmatic flick, he switched to the interface guide, seeking the tangible knowledge that would help him against the uncertainties of this new world.
‘Welcome to the System & Interface Guide. This guide will help you understand the system and get the most out of your personal interface. This tool is designed to fit into your life easily and improve your connection with the Collective.
Your interface is a great piece of Collective technology. It’s made just for you, matching your way of thinking and creativity. It opens up a whole new world for you, acting as a personal assistant and showing you all the great things you can now do.
This guide covers everything about your interface. You’ll learn how to use it from the start, how to handle it every day, and what to do if you have problems. It will help you make the most of your interface.
You’ll find out how to look after your personal information, connect with others, use Collective resources, and enjoy special applications made just for you. There are also tips on keeping your interface safe, private, and working well.
This guide is the key to unlocking a lot of new possibilities. It will help you be more productive, connect better with others, and grow. Get ready to see all the amazing things your interface can do and how it changes your role in the Collective.
Let’s begin the journey into this new frontier of technological symbiosis
Part 1: What is the System?’
Derek quickly looked through the manual, learning about the different ways people could set up their interfaces. Each interface looked like a digital version of its user, having custom areas for notes, reminders, and lists. He set up his interface to look like his well-organized tablet. He was amazed by how adaptable the system was, better than any tech he had used before. However, he realized that the real test of its power would come from actually using it. Thinking this, he started to try out what it could do.
With a mental nudge, he summoned the interactive help function. ‘Interface help. Communication Uplink,’ he commanded, his voice steady, eager to dive deeper into the practicalities of this new tool. The interface responded.
System Query
Query: Communication Uplink
There’s an uplink port for the interface. First, go to settings, then communication, and finally uplink interface. After that, connect it to the external uplink.
Derek followed the instructions, and a small box, looking like an open cardboard box, appeared on his interface.
Use the small box to connect to the external uplink. Note: A physical connection only works while the uplink is stationary. Any movement will terminate the connection.
Derek hesitated for a split second, the virtual box hovering in his interface. With a mental shrug, he dropped his phone into the box. It was held suspended before his eyes, as another window appeared.
Uplink Request Initiated
Would you like connect your interface to Earth 91 Earth Based Radio Connection subscriber number: 14492418234-45 and establish a permanent connection?
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
yes / no
“Yes.”
The phone fell apart into sand-like pieces and spilled to the floor, a cascade of digital grains that once formed his connection to a now old world. As the metallic parts clattered across the floor, he caught Marie’s glare out of the corner of his eye, her disapproval clear even without words.
Connection Successful
Scanning network for all available information. Please wait.
Terrestrial connection - Success
Satellite connection - Success
Communication network connection - Success
Internet network connection - Success
ONION network connection - Success
Hidden networks connection - Success
Root system interface hub connection - Success
Data upload - Success
Earth 91 systems purged - Success
Data aggregation - Success
Data compiling - Success
Data compression - Success
Data filtering - Success
Removing advertisements, SPAM, malware, and sabotage software - Success
Removing false/malignant information - Success
Removing non-sentient based information - Success
Cleaning repository - Success
Redesigning Quest System - Success
Submitting Quest: Lionheart - Success
Submitting Quest: Cultivation or Die - Success
Submitting Quest: The Little You In Me - Success
Submitting World Quest: Purify Evil quest - Success
Submitting World Quest: The No True God - Success
Submitting World Quest: Dante’s Inferno - Success
Submitting World Quest: The New Pantheon - Success
Submitting World Quest: Survival of the Fittest - Success
Submitting World Quest: Monster Hunter - Success
Submitting Legendary World Quest: Tower of Power - Success
Submitting Legendary World Quest: Top of the World - Success
Submitting Legendary World Quest: The Darkest Depths - Success
Submitting Legendary World Quest: What Lies Beneath - Success
…
Submitted Quests Generated: 1,649,528 - Success
Root Interface Updated - Success
DNS redirected - Success
Hosted Services Online - Success
Updating Interface (See patch notes v.9232.245.1522.040000.1224.1424 for details)
Interface updated
Root Interface Hub updated for all citizens of Earth 91.
Update forwarded to the Collection administrators.
Completed.
The list of quests scrolled by so fast that he couldn’t make out any of the text. Derek paused, the list of completed updates scrolling before his eyes in a blur. The weight of what he’d just initiated settled in his chest. He got that same feeling that one gets when running a command on a critical piece of infrastructure and immediately regrets it. He’d changed something fundamental, and the ripples of that change were just beginning to spread. It was a lot to take in, the interface now a deeper part of their world than he’d expected. Marie asked a question, but Derek was too involved to hear it.
System Update
You have successfully updated the interface. Thank you for your service to the system. May your endeavors be fruitful and bountiful.
Reward:
10,000 credits
+2 stat points
Marie’s voice pierced the silence, a lifeline back to the present from the depths of Derek’s absorption in the interface. “Uh, did you just receive an interface update?” There was a tremor of uncertainty in her words, a blend of wonder and worry that resonated in the space between them. Her eyes, reflecting a complex dance of emotions, were fixed on a point in the void where only she could see the interface’s revelations. “And I got a quest.”
Her simple words hid deep turmoil. Fear and fascination flickered around her eyes, showing her inner battle. The quest, once just an idea, now felt like the shared burden of carrying a child.
“Yeah, I think I caused it,” Derek replied not looking away from his own interface.
He explained the sequence of events, from the uplink to the disintegration of his phone, all while trying to grasp the magnitude of the interface’s integration into their lives. Derek explained how to add her phone to the interface and hers did as well, but the clean freak in her did it over the trashcan. Derek did the same thing with his iPad. All the information that was on both his devices was now on his interface. He opened an internet browser and started navigating between pages. Every single website had been trimmed down and optimized.
While he worked, he remembered her quest. “What quest did you get?”
Derek paused as the quest details for ‘The Little You In Me’ settled on his interface. The clinical description contrast with the intimate reality of pregnancy struck a chord within him. It was one thing to face the unknown as an individual, but the system’s acknowledgment of their future child added a new layer of gravity to the situation. He glanced at Marie, her focus on her own interface, unaware of his protective surge. The system might track progress in cold numbers and milestones, but he understood the flesh-and-blood stakes all too clearly.
Quest: The Little You In Me
Congratulations on achieving the biological function of procreation. You are now tasked with the mundane yet challenging endeavor of gestating a new human. Monitor the biological vessel, sustain adequate nutrients, and prepare your home for offspring.
Offspring receives one-tenth of bearer’s experience.
Reward:
Healthy Offspring
Full Recovery Potion (Restricted)
Apprentice Artifact: Cradle of Life (rank 19)
Title: Bringer of Life
Quest Status: In Progress
Fetus Health: Normal
9.28 / 41.12 weeks
Fetus is currently experiencing stress.
Fetus is lacking potassium.
Marie’s fingers hovered over her interface, a flicker of hesitation in her eyes before she reread the quest notification. The words ‘The Little You In Me’ glowed softly against the muted grey box. She read the quest details, each word etching a mix of wonder and trepidation into her heart.
The system treated her pregnancy like a quest, as if she in a vast cosmic game. This clinical approach felt intrusive, yet the clear structure it offered was strangely comforting. When the interface mentioned ‘fetus health’, she found herself holding her abdomen in a protective gesture.
In the silence of the room, with Derek absorbed in his own thoughts, Marie felt a solitary kinship with the tiny life inside her. The interface, with its cold precision, had unwittingly bridged a gap, connecting her to the baby in a way that was both alien and intimate.
She couldn’t help but marvel at the paradox of it all — the life she carried was reduced to data points and yet, those same data points made the pregnancy undeniably real in the face of their surreal circumstances. The quest was a lifeline, in a world without OBGYNs and hospital care.
If this was the new world, then she would navigate it with the same determination she applied to every aspect of her life. She would ensure the ‘biological vessel’ — her body, she corrected with a wry twist of her lips — received everything it needed. For her child, she would be both shield and sanctuary.
As the fetus’s status updated in real time, Marie felt a surge of protectiveness. Stress? On her child? The system’s intrusion suddenly felt personal, a challenge to her capability as a mother-to-be. She would not let a machine dictate her child’s well-being.
The room was quiet, except for the sounds of Derek’s constant shuffling. Marie leaned back, allowing herself a moment of peace amidst the chaos. She would be the Bringer of Life in a world of uncertainty, and she would start by ensuring the little heartbeat within her thrived, no matter what the future held.
“Huh,” said Derek. “So, it looks like the system will be tracking the pregnancy as we go. Could be handy.”
Derek was immersed in the interface, the seriousness of their predicament hanging over him. Then, cutting through the silence, the dishwasher chimed to signal the end of its cycle. The ordinary sound, at odds with the day’s chaos, drew a chuckle from him despite the circumstances.
“Of all the things to survive the apocalypse,” Derek quipped, glancing at Marie with a wry smile, “it’s the dishwasher’s insistence on telling us it’s done. It’s like it’s proud of itself, oblivious to the fact that the world’s changed.”
Marie looked up, a smirk playing on her lips despite the tension. “Well, at least we know something still cares about clean dishes.”
The brief exchange, a shared moment of levity, allowed them a breath of relief before they returned to the weighty matters at hand.
After a couple of hours, Derek had the interface operating as he desired, and he allocated his remaining stat points; five more points into physical and on a whim three into magical. As those points took hold, so did the hunger that became a beast clawing at his insides. Despite the several meals he had consumed, a gnawing hunger persisted.
As the points settled into his being, Derek’s muscles tensed, a sensation like electric currents threading through his veins. His skin tingled, each hair standing on end as if charged with static. His bones ached, fibers and tissues knitting together with newfound strength, expanding beyond their natural state.
Derek Irisson
Level:
7
Titles:
Goblin Slayer (rank 2)
Race:
Human
Classes:
None
Physical Ability:
20
Mental Ability:
13
Emotional Capacity:
7
Magical Capacity:
15
Passive Abilities:
None
Abilities:
None
Experience:
379 XP / 930 XP
Unused Stat Points: 0
Unused Milestone Points: 1
When the sensation subsided, Derek found himself still seated, but the chair beneath him creaked in protest, straining against his increased mass. His hands rested on the table, seemed more defined, stronger. He eyed the interface’s milestone point allocation page while he went to the kitchen to retrieve the peanut butter jar, to which he ate with a spoon.
“Physical seems the obvious choice,” he muttered, but hesitated only for a moment, considering the long game.
Milestone Ability
Ravager:
Activates an ability to shrug off all but the most damaging blows for thirty seconds while doubling your physical ability. Can use once every 24 hours.
As the ‘Ravager’ ability integrated into his being. Derek felt a profound connection to the word itself. It was like a part of his being resonated with the word. He didn’t understand why. To ravage was to destroy. It was a contrast to who he tried to be. Derek understood that growing things was more satisfying and healthier than destroying. It took time to grow, it only took seconds to destroy. Regardless of his personal feelings, the word echoed through him. The word itself held the weight of violence and destruction that was now part of him.
“Where does the power of the interface come from? The Collective? Or was there some higher power that wanted to help humanity survive?”
Would this power actually help him survive? Or was there some malicious intent behind the integration with the Collective? With a sigh, he tried to release his mental tension. He was only getting more questions than answers. Derek closed the interface and. The room around him felt stifling. It was like the house was trying to contain him.
Derek’s eyes lingered on Marie. There was a subtle tremor in her hands as she put the dishes away. The room’s silence seemed to amplify the smallest of sounds. She seemed to be lost in her own thoughts, but her anxieties and worries were apparent through her body language. Derek stood, made his way over to Marie, and pulled her into a hug.