Liz slapped her palm onto the transparent rectangle.
"Yes! Yes! Accept!" Her hand swiftly came into contact with the System message... and promptly swished through without an ounce of friction.
Error.
Liz froze.
Model of user inaccurate. Prediction of the Void's actions straying by 73%. Recalibrating...
"What happened? W-why is it breaking?" She turned to the cloaked Acolyte, panic slowly rising in her voice.
A simply nodded, muttering to themselves. "Ah, yes. I suspected that this would happen. It should stabilize in a second."
A breath later, it did, flickering back to the transaction she had seen before.
Transaction - Third Level
Mark: Mark of the Healer*
*Unknown modifications to be made. Further proximity required for accurate readings.
"What did I do?" She gripped her legs, which were currently aching with phantom pain. "How did I break it?"
"No, no, you didn't do anything wrong. The System simply isn't built to handle this sort of thing. While an incredibly large number of people participate in the first and second tiers of transaction, the third is done by such a small minority that the Order never bothered to fully tune the System to its intricacies. Instead, they just send people like me to speak to them."
Liz took a deep breath, rereading the System message. "... Is that why you're you're helping me?"
"In part, yes. You had a very high likelihood of accepting the third transaction, and you were also an anomaly compared to the usual suspects. Most everyone else on your world is getting a speech projected into their minds by the other Acolytes."
That was interesting. A creeping thought emerged at the back of her mind, but she pushed it down for now. Instead, she asked the obvious question.
“So only I know about the third transaction?”
A shook their head, briefly revealing a lock of argentine hair. "No, you're just in the rare minority that actually considers it. Well, I suppose I should say the rare minority that considers it and might manage to survive past their first week. After all, what sane person willingly trades away a fundamental piece of themselves for just a chance of attaining their greatest desire?"
Liz paused. "A chance?"
"Of course. The Void would never just give something like that to you. You see how the Void's Mark offers the power to heal yourself, rather than just offering to heal you? The Void empowers you, but it will never do your work for you."
She nodded. "So why am I an anomaly? How is the Mark being changed?"
A swiped in the air, and a myriad of System screens appeared before her. Glowing eyes flitted between several different messages, and their hands continued swiping, getting rid of dozens of screens just for new ones to take their place.
"How interesting. It seems that the thing you value most in yourself has degraded in value, and thus the Void is reluctant to make the trade. However, it looks like it'll allow it, under the condition that your Mark is somewhat weakened. Unfortunately, this also means that it's unlikely any System results will be accurate."
Liz gave a frustrated sigh. "Well, can you give me anything to go off of?"
The Acolyte turned back to their System. "Hmm... Usually when this happens it involves restrictions being placed on your power. The raw force of healing will likely be much less than normal, and you may be locked out of a specific facet of healing, such as bone or blood. You could also only be able to heal during the day, or have your healing deal damage to yourself in the same breath that it heals others. However, the restrictions will never prevent you from ever achieving your ultimate goal. So, as I'm guessing you wish to heal yourself, you would be able to do that. It might just be slower or less efficient"
"I — I see."
That made some sort of sense, with what A had told her about the Void's 'ideals'. However, with all the uncertainty surrounding it, it might be better for her to just take a Lesser Mark. Actually...
"A, are there any Lesser healing Marks?"
A screen appeared before her again.
Transaction - Second Level Mark Cost Mark of the Cleric 12 Years - Remake Yourself Every Month Mark of the Carnimancer 3 Years - Non-Meat Food is Poisonous Mark of the Alchemist 8 Months - Colorblindness ... ...
"There are many, but none of them will be able to heal nerve damage immediately after acquiring the Mark."
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Liz sighed. She supposed that she would have to take the risk. "What would I be giving up in this exchange?"
The Acolyte laughed. "How am I supposed to know what you value most in yourself? Only you and the Void would know that."
"Right." Of course. In her excitement, she had almost forgotten about that part.
But what about her did she hold the dearest? Her first thought was her life, but she dismissed it after a moment. Living without her legs was barely living at all, and after everything she had been through, she had grown almost accustomed to death. Plus, she didn't even know if the Void would accept that as a valid answer to the question. How would it let her accomplish anything if she were dead?
Her second thought was her sanity. That would have been ironic, being healed of her physical disability only to lose control of her mind. And unlike death, a loss of sanity truly did scare her. Her mind was her identity, just as much as her body was. What if she transformed into someone that she barely recognized? A monster?
But that was the thing that she was the most afraid of losing, not what she valued most. While she had always had a clear sense of identity, it wasn't as if her mind was anything special.
So what did make her special? She thought back to all her happiest moments, from her years of training to her first half-marathon. The bombing of Reaver Stadium had felt like it had ripped a piece of her away, and she was starting to realize why.
What in herself did she value most?
Liz blinked, an answer beginning to form. "My talent."
It was the last thing her parents had left her, and the only reason she had managed to make it so far in running. Proving it was the only reason she had wanted the record at all. She sat up straighter, the revelation coming upon her.
It was slightly bittersweet, realizing that her answer was something that she had no control over, but she felt a wave of elation as well. In a sense, she wasn't losing anything with this trade.
She turned to A. "How do I get the Mark?"
"Ah, just in time." The Acolyte gave her a nod of approval. "In about a minute, the void will spike, and you'll feel your connection with it grow. As soon as that bond reaches a peak, you'll be fully engulfed, and then you can will the Void to remake you."
"Alright." She bit her lip, trying to ignore the phantom pricks shooting through her immobile legs. It felt as if the injury knew that its time was limited, and it was therefore using its last seconds to cause her as much pain as physically possible.
"Is there anything else you can tell me?"
A met her eyes. "Do you know how to re-open your status screen?"
She shook her head.
"If you need to bring up anything you have access to with the System, just will it to appear. And send your status to me after, will you?"
She did as she was told, sending the screen over to the cloaked Acolyte.
Status - Elizabeth Sayler Titles: None Threat Level: G- Marks: None Credits: 0 Strength: 3(16) / 94% Dexterity: 2(18) / 92% Spiritual Strength: 14 / 85% Endurance: 12(23) / 98% Perception: 10 / 55% Spiritual Capacity: 13 / 73% Constitution: 5(16) / 91% Cognition: 16 / 83% Spiritual Regeneration: 23 / 99%
"Hmm... your talent really is phenomenal. I'm assuming that the Void will only take your physical Affinities, which is great for you because of your 99% Affinity for Spiritual regeneration. With that, it shouldn't matter as much how inefficient your healing is, because you'll be pumping out healing energy like there's no tomorrow."
Liz grinned at that. Losing some physical prowess but gaining badass magical powers sounded like a fair trade in her book.
"Other than that..."
The walls around them surged with black, and A hurriedly pulled her status up again.
"Credits are the only 'objective' currency within Void-incorporated worlds, but even then the amount of credits you get for defeating voidspawn is highly dependent on some unknowable factors. As a general rule, though, taking more risks will reward you with more credits, and sometimes the Void will even give you special items for your troubles. Don't be too risky, though. Unless you're with a large group, it's generally ill-advised to go into any areas with a threat level higher than your own."
Liz took a deep breath, trying not to panic at the thought of being enveloped by the Void again. "Got it."
"And in the long-term, it's best to find a city or some other gathering of humans. Voidspawn are drawn to places with a higher population, and survival is much easier with cooperation. Cities often also contain ley lines, which are high concentrations of Void that you'll need to use for any further trades."
A thick pressure started permeating the air, and A casted a quick glance around them.
"Remember that there is more than one path to power, and that even if it feels weak at first, any Greater Mark is still capable of incredible things. While Affinities can certainly change, I wouldn't hedge my bets on you being able to reverse your deal with the Void that easily. Instead, focus on your strengths and take advantage of what you know. Knowledge is power."
The Acolyte scratched their head, muttering to themselves. "Alright, that's about all I can tell you. Just between you and me, though? Pay close attention to the feeling of the Void's healing rushing through you. That will help you advance upon your path."
Liz opened her mouth to thank them, but before she could, the Acolyte stepped backwards, leaving her alone in a sea of pure black.