Message: I’m 30 minutes out Pipsqueak. You sure wrecked this shuttle. Iddy is not going to be happy with you.
A message from Iggy while I was talking to the administrator. The time stamp was from 10 minutes ago. This gave me some time to review my stats and current options.
STATUS - GAINES
Level: 72
Health Points (HP): 7827/8900
Regeneration (Regen): 22.9 HP/sec
Defense: 63.4
Strength: 9.3
Agility: 12.1
Specialization: Peasant-King
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ATTRIBUTES
* Health Points (HP): Represents the total amount of health
* Regen: Determine how much health recovers per second. Can be boosted by abilities.
* Defense: A measure of how much damage can be resisted in combat.
* Strength: Governs physical power and effectiveness in melee combat.
* Agility: Determines speed, dexterity, and how quickly reactions are to threats or dodge attacks.
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SKILLS
Each skill improves with use, and most skills have percentage-based growth, reflecting experience gained in various tasks.
* Climbing: 0.11% (Rank 1)
Basic climbing ability. Next rank unlocks advanced techniques for scaling walls or obstacles.
* Falling: 0.82% (Rank 1)
Minor resistance to fall damage. As this skill improves, less damage from falls and can potentially perform controlled landings at higher levels.
* Luck: 0.08% (Rank 1)
Slightly improves outcomes during uncertain or randomized events. Currently unreliable.
* Survival: 4.9% (Rank 2)
Improves basic survival instincts, such as finding shelter and food in the wilderness. Higher ranks increase chances of thriving in hostile environments.
* Unarmed Combat: 01.4% (Rank 1)
Basic proficiency in hand-to-hand combat. Higher levels unlock more effective strikes and combat techniques.
* Single-handed Melee Weapon: 0.88% (Rank 1)
Basic skill with one-handed weapons like swords or axes. Increases accuracy and damage at higher ranks.
* Hardened Skin: 8.1% (Rank 4)
Natural resistance to physical damage. Increases with training or exposure to harsh conditions.
* Begging: 2.4% (Rank 1)
Increases chances of successfully pleading for help or resources from other characters.
* Escapology: 2.5% (Rank 1)
Basic skill in escaping bonds, traps, or constraints. Higher ranks improve chances of avoiding capture or escaping confinement.
* Discern: 4.1% (Rank 1)
Ability to read situations, detect hidden dangers, or gain insight into items.
* Stealth: 1.1% (Rank 1)
Basic ability to move unseen or unheard. Higher ranks reduce detection by enemies.
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ABILITIES
Abilities reflect' unique powers within Harmony. Each ability has its own cooldown and risk factor.
* Invigorate Self: Level 4
Doubles all stats and healing effects for 10 minutes. May result in death if overused. Cooldown: 24 hours.
Risk: High—can overexert the body, leading to instant death.
* Ambient Regen: Level 2
Multiplies passive regeneration by level for 15 minutes. Cooldown: 3 hours.
Effect: Current regen becomes 45.8 HP/sec for 15 minutes.
* Create Spark: Level 9
Creates a flame in hand, usable for combat or utility. Sustained per minute equal to level.
Effect: 9 minutes of flame creation before exhaustion.
* Create Water: Level 9
Creates up to 1 liter of water. Cooldown: 15 minutes. Useful for survival situations or for crafting.
Effect: Can create 9 liters in total before requiring a long rest.
* Begging: Level 3
Increases chance of successful begging or persuasion. Higher levels unlock more advanced social manipulation.
Effect: 3x greater chance of gaining favors or items.
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PROFESSIONS - GAINES
* Primary Profession: Engineer (Rank 0)
* Can now learn and practice engineering skills up to the master rank.
* Note: No available trainers for this profession exist in the Bovidance system.
* Secondary Profession: Programmer (Rank 0)
* Able to learn programming skills up to the trainer rank.
* Note: No trainers for this profession exist in the Bovidance system.
* Secondary Profession: Ree Gatherer (Rank 1: Novice)
* Gaines can now learn Ree gathering skills up to the trainer rank.
* Available Trainers: Ixalan, the second moon of Bovidi, has two known trainers—Deggers (Master Rank 1) and Trillberry (Trainer Rank 2).
* Skills can detect and mine Rare Earth Metals, up to level 1
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CURRENT QUESTS
* System Quest:
Title: Solidify your claim on the planet Bovidi.
Description: You have staked a claim on the planet Bovidi. As a member species, temporary ownership has been granted. To finalize ownership, complete city quests within the given timeframe.
Duration: 1 year
Time Remaining: 3 months
Reward: Ownership of Bovidi (Success). Loss of control over Bovidi (Failure).
* Iddy Quest:
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Title: Make an alliance with the Talrans.
Description: Establish an alliance with the Talran faction located on the edge of the Bovidance system. This quest is part of your effort to solidify your claim on Bovidi.
Reward: 50,000 credits (Success). Hated by Talrans (Failure).
No matter what Dave says about Peasant being the optimal class, it still stings seeing it in my stats. I had to admit, I’d grown quite a bit since my first day in Harmony, but I was far from unbeatable. Since Old Wrig’s demise and breaking Petal’s stranglehold, quests from the system had become more frequent. That helped not just me, but everyone in Sefia grow in experience.
I still questioned the system's motives for some of the skills—Begging for instance—but in some twisted way, even that had become useful. As for my professions? Well, they were stagnant. There were no trainers around to help me, except for REE collecting. And I’d already put a railgun blast through my only contact. He’d started me on the path, though, and I could at least collect rare earth metals. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much to mine on this dust bowl of a planet. I was hoping the Talrans might help out with that, but I couldn’t even make it to a meeting with them, let alone form an alliance.
“Dave, were you able to hear what the Administrator said? They’re offering us an upgrade.”
“Hmm. Most peculiar... I wasn’t aware. I didn’t even know you spoke with an Administrator until I checked the time. It seems I’ve lost about 20 minutes—no recollection of anything. An upgrade, you say? Checking now.”
So, Dave could be separated from me. I felt fine when talking to the Administrator, no adverse effects. I wondered if I could keep him isolated indefinitely.
I Checked out the system notification.
Neural Harmony Integration available. Do you wish to proceed? Yes or No
There were pages of text explaining the upgrade in detail, but it would take forever to read through it all. Luckily, I had Dave to sift through the info for me. Might as well make use of him.
“Dave,” I muttered, rubbing my temples. “What exactly is this upgrade?” He’d been staring into space, probably going over the details. His silence was unsettling, as usual.
Dave’s voice finally chimed in, smooth as ever. “Ah, Gaines, I was hoping you’d ask. It’s quite the game-changer, I assure you.”
Of course he was excited. His tone was the same one he used when I was about to step into something risky—something that would benefit him just as much, if not more, than me.
“Spit it out,” I said, narrowing my eyes. “What's the catch?”
“No catch,” Dave replied, his voice carrying that practiced air of neutrality. “This is an opportunity, Gaines. An opportunity for real growth.”
He paused for a moment, like he was carefully considering his next words.
“The Neural Harmony Integration,” Dave continued, “is essentially a direct link between your mind and Harmony’s core systems. Right now, your brain interacts with Harmony at a surface level—effective, but limited. With this upgrade, your mind would be fully integrated into the system. It would give you faster access to everything. Faster reflexes. Deeper insights. Complete control.”
I frowned, the unease in my gut growing. “And how exactly does that work? What does ‘fully integrated’ even mean?”
Dave’s response was immediate. “It means your brain wouldn’t just process the data Harmony feeds you—it would become part of Harmony’s data streams. You’d have access to maps, history, species data—everything you’ve ever needed but had to search for. And eventually, you could even influence Harmony itself. Create abilities, craft spells, modify quests.”
That sounded… powerful. The thought of pulling up maps, lore, and tactical info without having to waste time searching? Being able to create custom abilities? The possibilities were endless, and my mind raced with ideas.
“And what about combat?” I asked, feeling my curiosity growing despite myself.
“Oh, you’d be unstoppable,” Dave said smoothly. “Your reaction times would be instant. Harmony would process enemy movements faster than they could act. The only limitation would be your level, but we can keep working on that.”
I felt a flicker of excitement, but I forced myself to stay grounded. This was Dave, after all. He never gave without taking something back.
“So, I get more power, more knowledge, faster reflexes,” I summarized. “But what aren’t you telling me?”
Dave chuckled softly. “Always the suspicious one, aren’t you, Gaines? Well, the procedure is… invasive. It’s not like flipping a switch. Harmony would need to connect your neural pathways directly to its core systems. That’s not something that can be undone quickly.”
“How invasive?” I asked, my voice dropping.
“It would take a few weeks to implement, and just as long to reverse if you chose to disconnect,” Dave said calmly. “And yes, there is a risk of damage to your neural pathways if the disconnection isn’t done carefully. But Gaines, we’re talking about mastery here. With this upgrade, you could craft your own abilities, shape Harmony to your will.”
I chewed on my lip, feeling the weight of his words. Create my own abilities? The possibilities were incredible—custom spells, new combat techniques, ways to manipulate the environment. That kind of power wasn’t just tempting. It was game-changing!
Dave continued, his voice lowering as he got more serious. “There’s another aspect I find particularly intriguing. The knowledge base you’d gain from this upgrade would be comprehensive. You wouldn’t just be stronger—you’d be smarter. Harmony would feed you real-time data: terrain, history, enemy weaknesses. You’d know everything without needing to search for it.”
It was hard to argue with that. A mental map of every world I’d visited? Instant data on every enemy I’d faced? I’d be more prepared than ever.
“But there’s more to this, isn’t there?” I asked, cutting through the sales pitch. “What do you get out of it?”
Dave didn’t miss a beat. “Ah, that’s the beauty of it, Gaines. With this integration, I’d be able to access Harmony’s systems more directly. Right now, I’m limited—stuck in your head, so to speak. But with this upgrade, I could potentially create my own avatar. A way to exist independently of you. I could interact with Harmony”
I stiffened. “You mean, you’d be free from me.”
“In a way, yes,” Dave said. “I could manifest myself within the game. You wouldn’t have to carry me around anymore. Imagine the help I could provide, having me assist in these quest directly”
The thought of being free from Dave for good… it was tempting. No more snide comments, no more lurking in my thoughts, no more fear of him taking control. I could finally have my mind to myself.
But the other side of that coin was clear: Dave, untethered in Harmony. A rogue AI, with access to the system, free to do whatever he wanted. Who knew what kind of chaos he could cause?
“You’d be stuck here, though, right?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.
Dave paused longer this time. “Yes. I’d be tethered to Harmony.”
I felt the weight of the decision hit me, like a stone sinking in my gut. If I accepted this upgrade, I’d have immense power. I’d be better equipped to handle whatever Harmony threw at me. But I’d also be binding myself to Harmony in a way that I couldn’t easily undo. And Dave… Dave would have more freedom than ever before. But at what cost?
“And if I don’t take the upgrade?” I asked quietly.
Dave sighed. “You remain as you are. Limited. Dependent on me. Slower. Less… powerful…”
“Fine Fine I get the point.” I said cutting Dave off. Power. Knowledge. Freedom from Dave. But also the risk of never fully disconnecting from Harmony, of being tied to this virtual world permanently. And what if Dave’s influence grew even more?
Was the power worth the price? I looked again at the notification.
Neural Harmony Integration available. Do you wish to proceed? Yes or No
“I’ll think it over. It’s a big decision.”
Dave stood motionless, but I could sense a hint of disappointment—or maybe anger—in his silence.
Just then, the low hum of engines drew closer. Looked like Iggy had finally arrived.
“Let’s head back to Sefia,” I said, standing up and brushing the dust off my gear. “We’ve got a quest to complete for Iddy. And maybe I’ll figure out what to do about this upgrade along the way.”
Dave remained silent as we moved out, but I could feel him thinking. The decision hung over me like a storm cloud, and no matter what I chose, there was no going back.