Evolution. A species' ability to change and adapt to its environment. Evolution has always been the key factor in determining how well any sentient race would fair in life. On earth, after nearly 5 billion years, some form of life would evolve into what would become known as.. humans.
Humans were an especially peculiar race. Possessing virtually no inherent defense nor offense, humans had no choice but to adapt to survive. They grew smarter. They built that which did not exist before. The human brain was a marvel possessing unprecedented capabilities in the animal world. Through evolution humans became the apex predators of earth. Given enough time and dedication, humanity could master the seemingly impossible. Bodies and minds often pushed the boundaries of what was physically possible. For anything which did not kill them.. would only make them stronger.
Vincent sat resting with his back to the large obsidian pillar.. a small fire roasted some type of blue meat a few feet in front of him. Typically one would never want to light a fire in an enclosed cave; However, whatever abnormal substance gave this place light also seemed to devour any smoke that rose to meet it. A convenient albeit strange property.
It had been nearly seven days since he had managed to pilfer the bounty of meat and he had been steadily devouring it ever since. It was the first meat he had eaten in a month, and it was pure ecstasy. He was sure now the system somehow enhanced flavors because.. he was certainly no chef and this cooking method was rudimentary at best, yet it tasted like the best food he'd ever had. After eating the curious meat for the first time a few days ago, something strange had occurred. He got a system notification.
Congratulations! Meal: tender roast consumed!
All stats retored!
All regenerations doubled for the next 24 hours!
He shook his head. The amount of items that doubled regeneration was astounding. Even the fruits, nuts and berries he scavenged provided a flat healing at least. It was probably for the best though. If he had to rely on his natural regenerations to restore his stamina and health he'd have to take frequent breaks lasting for hours at a time. Performing tasks was getting easier by the day, but running and engaging in strenuous activities for an extended period of time was a whole other beast still. His progression would have been ridiculously hindered. After finishing cooking his food he ate his fill and stored the rest. Moving to the other side of the pillar, near the flowing blood of Gaia, Vincent sat to begin meditation. He decided it was time to Consolidate his stat gains.
Welcome: Vincent.
Level: 1
XP 0/1000 (0%)
Class: N/A
Health: 2200/2200
Mana: 1500/1500
Stats:
Strength: 10
Endurance: 22
Vitality: 11 (+1%)
Intelligence: 15
Perception: 10
Agility: 10
His intelligence and perception had risen a bit but other than that his attributes remained largely unchanged. He wasn't worried about that, however. It was his two newest skills and his new perk that really interested him.
Skill: cooking (common) mix together a plethora of edible ingredients to create a tasty meal! At higher qualities, some foods may have restorative properties and even give you permanent stats! Quality of ingredients greatly affects outcome. Due to the 'common' rarity a small bonus per level is given to flavor and restorative abilities of items cooked by the user. Receives a minor bonus from intelligence, perception and Agility. (Passive skill)
On the first day after having made it back to the cave with the ridiculously large and heavy elk, he made quick work of skinning and gutting the whole thing. He kept most of the carcass for lateer use in crafting, and began cooking about a third of the meat. Almost immediately once the flame hit the meat, he had unlocked the cooking skill. The skill itself was relatively straightforward and it came with an immediate feat and perk.
Connoisseur: this grants fundamental knowledge in cooking, crafting and alchemy. Also allows user to more easily find and identify Ingredients for cooking, crafting or alchemy. +5 Intelligence and Perception
After having read the description he knew there must also be an alchemy skill. It was difficult but he eventually managed to unlock it by breaking off tiny pieces of the crystals he had found and mixing them with Gaia's blood. The system, likely due to his new perk, was a huge help in this regard. When he used the identify ability on the crystals or his plants the description was a little more detailed. It didn't give him any concrete numbers but it explained enough. He inspected the red one first, then the blue one, which was nearly identical.
Health crystal: used as the base ingredient in health potions.
Mana crystal: used as the base ingredient in mana potions.
Skill: Alchemy (uncommon) mix together a plethora of ingredients to create a potion that may be consumed to cause a variety of effects! Quality of ingredients greatly affects outcome. Due to the 'uncommon' rarity a small bonus is given to the effects and duration of crafted potions based on skill level. Receives a minor bonus from intelligence, perception and Agility.
After unlocking his new ability he spent a few days experimenting. His trial and error led him to discover that if he crushed the crystals they dissolved much better into the blood making more potent potions. The better the ratio of water to powder, the less sentiment there would be once the potion was finished. It took him hours to find just the right ratio to maximize his effectiveness. He also discovered that he could mix the red and blue powder, resulting in a purple concoction. He chose not to however, as the effects of the resulting potion were drastically reduced. The combined total of restored mana and health was only half of what a pure red or blue potion would restore on their own.
Mixing the ingredients didn't take long, but he wished he had better tools than regular old tupperware. Thankfully all the containers were large enough to qualify as 'large' potions. He wasn't sure what the exact amounts were. Large was apparently around a quart. He also discovered you didn't have to drink all the potion to gain its restorative effects. If you drank half a large potion, you got half the healing effects and the other half was saved with the rest of the liquid. He was sure if he had better items, like a cauldron and flasks perhaps, he could not only mix the ingredients better but also cook the potion.
While performing alchemy the system explained that cooking potions maximizes the effectiveness by energizing the potions. Taking some of the teeth of the elk he had cooked, he crushed them as best he could and tried adding the powder to a health potion. Sure enough, adding other items and materials acted as a catalyst causing the potions effects to either be increased or diminished depending on the success of the potion. It was truthfully impossible to tell what items had what effects at this point but he was sure he would learn things as he went.
He took a quick glance at his list of skills which had been steadily growing by the day
Skills:
Predatory instincts (uncommon) lvl 24
Identify (common) lvl 23
Complete tranquility (epic) lvl 7
Smithing (common) lvl 18
Farming (common) lvl 24
Sneak (common) lvl 20
Improved dash (epic) lvl 3
Cooking (common) lvl 11
Alchemy (uncommon) lvl 17
Closing the window a frown danced across the man's face. He couldn't help but notice he didn't really have any offense abilities. He barely had defensive ones. He supposed that was only natural. One had to learn to survive before they could dare challenge the creatures of the jungle.
He stood and brushed his hands together. No matter the difficulties he would become the king, he vowed. But there was much to do. The strongest potion he had been able to make only restored 1000 health and 200 mana. He supposed the effects were pretty high considering he started at skill level 1. But he was also working with what he inherently knew were extremely high grade ingredients. He currently had three health potions and two mana. He also kept some of Gaia's water and some cooked meat for emergencies.
What was currently in his storage was the last of the meat and his entire supply of crystals was depleted. It was time to leave the safety of his sanctuary once more. He didn't know if he had just gotten unlucky or what the hell but everything here was un-comically over-leveled and all of the materials were ridiculously high grade. If he didn't know any better he would say he had somehow spawned in an end game area and was now desperately struggling to survive somewhere he had no business being.
Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.
How else could you explain the current situation and the lack of other people around? He hadn't even come across anything remotely resembling human remains. He was making his way toward the light of the outside world when he paused as a strange urge struck him. Perhaps it was instinct or perhaps, an increase of skill levels but Vincent had a slight bit of Intuition he didn't possess before and wanted to try something before he left his cave.
Glancing over at the few plants that were growing in his makeshift garden he brought out some of the animal remains he had processed for alchemic purposes. Making his way over to the garden he dug a fresh plot of dirt. There he implanted his last remaining strawberry, but before covering the precious, sweet fruit with soil he sprinkled some of the monster remains over top.
Congratulations! Large amount of skill XP received! The plant: Strawberry has been successfully fertilized! Yield will be slightly increased once full grown!
Vincent's eyes widened. 'Farming, Cooking and Alchemy.. Huh.. How about that?' He chuckled.
Exiting the cave he stepped out into the blistering sun and began his trek through the chest high grass. He was seriously considering cutting a large path from the mouth of the cave to the entrance of the jungle but the grass grew back just as rapidly as the dirt so it was a moot point unless he got some kind of ability to control plants...
Moreover most of the grass here served as a natural cover which, when combined with his Sneak and camouflage, did wonders keeping him safe from any stray predators that may have followed him into the field. Most creatures must not have been able to withstand the intensity of the sun because they often turned tail immediately upon exiting the jungle. Or maybe it was the creepy cave with it's ominous golden energies. Who knows?
He wasn't sure how long he'd been exploring, but it must have been hours. He couldn't help but shake his head at how little he had truly seen of the jungle before. Normally he was running for his life, not having any time to try and understand the various creatures and objects he passed in his travels. Now, with his new perk Connoisseur at least giving him some insight into what materials were used for what purpose, he noticed countless little details he had missed before.
He found dozens of red and white mushrooms that would restore health. (about 50 points a piece) he also found some green and black ones that serve as the base ingredient for a potent toxin. The last group of mushrooms he found were merely labeled as a source of food and were either brown or grey. The optimistic young man located large clearings full of nuts and berries that also served as a diverse source of nutrition.
Really, the only thing he had never been able to find another source of was the water; Gaia's blood. There was the unwavering fountain flowing from the pillar in the cave, and the much less potent, natural creek he had found on his first day exploring..
He shuddered remembering his initial integration to the system and all the PTSD that came with surviving that first day.
He supposed it didn't matter, even if he did find another source of water he would probably avoid it. He imagined the more ancient and powerful beasts stayed within a short distance to monopolize them. He wasn't really sure which direction he was going as the sun was never visible from the jungle. He knew that the crick was a straight shot into the jungle from the cave. The dragon was located to the left of the jungle's entrance, and the Fang a slight bit further in the same direction. His current direction took him to the right of the jungle's entrance. The lighting was barely passable, and some areas were completely pitch black. He typically avoided those as well.
It was never possible to tell how far exactly from the edge of the jungle he traveled. Other than the primary entrance Vincent had found, the rest of the outer edge of the jungle was blocked off by thick thorns, roots and trees in all directions. Once entering this place he could only ever exit by finding the opening he came through. He was beginning to get a sneaking suspicion the jungle was in the shape of a dome. Which also begged the question; if he continued walking through the grass rather than entering the jungle.. could he bypass it entirely and find what lies beyond? He wasn't sure he could survive the heat long enough to do so.
The further Vincent walked the more he noticed a familiar stinging in his eyes. It was as if his predatory instincts and identify were being activated for the first time all over again. He frowned, clutching his eyes. It was becoming difficult to see. He was way too far from the cave to safely hide. If he was attacked here while distracted he would no doubt perish. Vincent used his improved Dash to move fifty feet straight up in the air, angling himself so that he landed with an ungraceful thump and a slight wobble on a high up tree branch. The branch was wide enough for him to sit cross-legged and assume his favorite meditative position. He hoped no stray animals found their way to his crook among the trees while he prepared for whatever came next. He didn't have to wait much longer. Just as the burning began to reach a level akin to soap in the eyes, a message appeared.
Congratulations! Skill: predatory instincts has increased to 25!
Congratulations! Skill: farming has increased to 25!
Congratulations! 2 new trials available!
Would you like a tutorial on trials? Y/N
Vincent blinked rapidly. The pain had instantly subsided. This was the first time the system had ever offered to explain something in the form of a tutorial and it was trials nonetheless. Something that had been vaguely referenced by the system only once, and that was when he had apparently been given a free reward... Naturally he clicked yes.
Tutorial selected.
The blue screen filled the entirety of his vision and a slew of information passed.
Trials are tests that first become available upon meeting certain conditions or reaching prerequisite skill levels. Each trial is unique to the individual and no two skills progress the same. It is possible for skills to evolve and or branch through trials. It is possible to unlock various permanent upgrades through trials. Most trials can be attempted an infinite number of times, however, dying in a trial results in a real death. Any skills evolved or gained through trials will not consume any Nectar/Soulspace. Time does not move while an individual is in a trial. An individual cannot initiate a trial while in another trial. An individual cannot initiate a trial during combat with the exclusion of exceptional circumstances.
Trial(s) available:
journey of the soul seed (farming lvl 25)
Sixth sense. Skill evolution. (Predatory instincts lvl 25)
Vincent hesitated. In his excitement to discover something new, he wanted to immediately begin one of the two trials. He knew in his mind, however, that carelessness was what almost cost him his life when he was ambushed by the Fang. He instead decided to return to the cave for now and to gather as many materials along the way as he could.
Upon reaching his destination, Vincent couldn't help but giggle at his fortune. Perhaps these trials were the secret to gaining the kind of power needed to contend with the likes of the dragon in this blasted place..? He was curious about this Nectar and Soulspace business as he had seen it referenced twice now by the system, but all attempts to dig deeper into the word yielded no results. He figured it was best not to dwell on a puzzle that currently seems unsolvable.
Entering complete tranquility once more beside his nearly full-grown crops, Vincent contemplated which trial he should begin first. It didn't take him long to decide. Predatory instincts had been his first and arguably most valuable skill. It had been the only thing that had kept him alive against such impossible odds. Besides, he had always had strong instincts, and a chance at a free upgrade seemed a little too tempting for him to pass up. He wasn't sure how he felt about the fact that dying in the trials resulted in dying in real life, but he figured he faced death on a daily basis anyway so to hell with it. With that he began the trial: Sixth Sense.
His world faded to black, his body becoming weightless. Everything seemed foggy and disoriented as the world slowly came back. He wasn't in the cave anymore. Or the subways of New York. He was home, in the hallway of his old apartment. He wasn't sure how he knew, but he just knew it was a little over a year ago. He drifted like a ghost through the door of his apartment and over to his coffee table. On it sat a newspaper, with coffee stains on the bottom corner.
The front headlines of the paper featured a hit and run homicide. Two adults were hit by a drunk driver on their way to their son's for new year. Vincent's parents' names were at the center of the article. A lump formed in his throat. He tried to swallow but it was as if his physical body wasn't even there. He noticed a pair of pink flip-flops under the table. His girlfriend's, at the time.
His ghostly form slid toward the bedroom, feet not even touching the floor. As he did so little details made themselves known to him. He tried to look away but he couldn't. An extra pair of shoes that shouldn't have been there.. A strapless bra strewn across the couch. A pair of jeans discarded haphazardly before the bedroom door which was wide open. Audible moans and gasps came from the beckoning doorway. Vincent's face flushed. He remembered it as if it were yesterday.
He rounded the corner and as he did so his hands clenched into fist, heart caught in his throat. The two people in the bed immediately noticed the new presence. They threw themselves apart and back against the frame of the queen sized bed. They made to cover themselves with the comforter but it was an effort in futility. Vincent had seen enough. He ran. He was faintly aware his now ex-girlfriend and one of his closest friends, Sam, were screaming for him to wait so they could explain but he couldn't be reasoned with. He was seeing red. He had to leave before.. before.. he did something he'd regret.
His phone received numerous missed calls and texts that night. He didn't care. He couldn't breathe. He knew.. he felt like he had honestly always known. Selene was way out of his league. She never had any business giving him the time of day. He was insecure and anti-social. He never had any wild ambition or drive, as long as he had enough to get by and some privacy he was content. And Sam.. Sam was the popular jock type. Confident and outgoing. The man wanted to go places in life, unlike Vincent.
If he thought back on it, more often than not if Selene was around, Sam was as well.. There was no way he hadn't noticed the lingering stares. The heavy tension. He had simply chosen to ignore it all.
He also sensed something the day his parents were hit. He didn't know how but his gut told him.. something was horribly wrong. That was a few months ago. He supposed.. he had always had a sixth sense.
He was driving, tears turning his vision into bright streaks of light. The speedometer continued to rise. 40..50..60..70.. the world was ripped away once more and darkness settled across his body. He felt his consciousness returning.
Congratulations! Skill: predatory instincts (uncommon) has successfully evolved to skill: sixth sense (rare). Skill level will be maintained.
Skill: sixth sense (rare) Allows the user to sense danger and determine how best to avoid it. Also allows the user to determine the weakness of foes. Gives the user a general idea on how best to improve. Due to the 'rare' rarity, gain a small boost to all effects with each skill level. Perception grants a small boost to this skill. (Passive skill)
Vincent slowly opened his eyes and sighed. That was.. unpleasant. He hoped every trial he faced wasn't revisiting shitty memories. Nothing breaks quite like a heart. They had been together for six years. The experience had left him lost and uncertain. And the betrayal from his childhood friend left him bitter and untrusting. And his parents.. their killer was never found. The cops barely even tried. They died instantly. No witnesses for miles around. Not much more to say there. He would never get closure. At the time it had all been too much..
But in the wake of having been sucked into the system all of his past worries somehow felt like small, distant memories. Sure he still felt the stinging from the death of his parents, especially on silent lonely nights, of which there were many. And certainly the pain of betrayal was one he would never forget.. Yet it was hard to focus on those things when every day the vast majority of his mental capacity was spent on survival.
Life was unfair but the way he saw it he either learned to live with the pain or.. he gave up. And that simply wasn't an option.
He didn't waste any time selecting the next trial deciding he needed a damn distraction. Hell he would take a 1v1 with the dragon at this point.
Trial: journey of the soul seed (farming lvl 25)
Trial selected.
The trial began much like the first one with his consciousness drifting away from his body and into a black void. This time, however, Vincent was deposited in a lush field of flowers and bright green grass. A refreshing breeze and euphoric smell filled the air. There was an immediate difference in the overall feeling of the atmosphere. This trial certainly wasn't a memory. The vegetation stretched on as far as the eye could see.
Approximately fifteen feet in front of Vincent a small glowing object was gently bobbing up and down. Vincent strode forward and bent down regarding the object with a curious eye. Upon closer inspection it appeared the object was a small seed with a tiny root growing out of the bottom. From the shell appeared to grow a small stem with a single leaf on the end. The object was glowing in a faint, golden light.
Without much thought to the consequence, Vincent reached out and grabbed the cute little thing. As soon as he did so the system presented him with a choice.
Congratulations! You have acquired a soulseed! (Unique) based on your stats and achievements, choose between the following evolutions for your soul seed:
Soul-bound companion.
Soul-bound weapons and armor.
Vincent raised a brow. He had never seen unique used as a rarity before. He assumed that meant no one else would be able to achieve this result because it was unique to his circumstances. In any case he was left with a difficult decision. On one hand weapons and armor could be a great boost to his suitability and honestly seemed like the obvious choice. But.. he couldn't help thinking of all the possibilities that would come with having a companion that was magically bound to him or whatever. Plus if he were being entirely honest with himself, even he was beginning to feel mighty lonely these days.
He chose the companion.
Congratulations!
Soul seed: Soul-bound companion selected.
Your companion will be infused with a piece of your soul!
Companion has half of all its progenitors stats and all skills/skill levels.
+
Companions level and evolve separate from creator
Vincent was immediately satisfied with his choice. It appeared that the companion not only got half of Vincent's own growth in stats, and all his skills, but the companion gained power on its own as well. He hoped it would serve as a powerful body guard if nothing else.
As the cave came back into existence around him Vincent frowned. In front of his eyes the soul seed was taking shape and he wasn't overly impressed with what he was seeing. It was a literal copy of him, made of emerald green vines. He crossed his arms and sighed. As the creature fully finished forming it mimicked the man.
This caused him to chuckle a bit which the thing did too. It was him but it wasn't. It was a little more cartoonish. Vincent wouldn't say he himself was ugly, but he wasn't a male model by any means. His copy however was downright cute. 'This might not be too bad..' He thought, beginning to plan for the coming days ahead. Already he could feel his sixth sense, hard at work. He knew what he needed to do next to achieve the maximum growth results given his current capabilities. He needed to get his alchemy skill to level 25.
End of chapter 6.