Lawrence is frustrated, mostly anxious but frustrated. He sighs, as he walks down the red carpeted halls. Not only had some unknown person accessed the administrator section of the system, but Marco lost significant resources in an attempt to remove a slight annoyance. He claimed it was the fault of one crew member. Jack was his name if remembered correctly. But now Lawrence has to report this problem to Victor, one of the Originals. The same Victor who is also a member of the ruling council.
Lawrence stops at a fancy wood double door. The dark oak and intricate design made him nervous to even touch it. Glancing at the few papers he was holding. He fixes his tie and takes a deep breath before pushing the doors open.
Stepping into the vast room gave him a feeling. A feeling of smallness. Like being tiny in comparison to a giant. Which Lawrance assumes is the point. In the middle of the room is a desk. The desk elevated slightly. Sitting at the desk was a man. The man was large, muscular. Middle aged, judging by his greying and trimmed beard. His hair was brushed back, giving a professional appearance. His exquisite suit and tie added to the image.
“Speak.” the man demanded.
“Yes, Victor,” Lawrence responded, his face a practiced blank, appearing calm and confident.
Victor only glares, a look that makes anyone under it feel like an insect waiting to be squished for its insolence of entering one’s home.
“I have two things that need to be brought to your attention. First, someone has accessed the system admin permission.” Lawrence began.
“So, the Originals access it all the time.” Victor said, his practiced glare morphing into one of slight confusion.
“Yes, but the admin privileges were not accessed by any of the Originals. We have confirmed this using the system logs.”
Victor's face gets red, clearly enraged at the thought of someone else accessing powers that should only belong to a few. “What did they do?” Victor asks in a tone beginning to boil over.
“Nothing sir, it seems they were stopped by the voting in system settings. Luckily they haven't found any of the ways to change their system. We should still have control over their memories and system faculties.”
“Good, do we know who it is?” Victor asks, sounding more calm.
Lawrence can't help but think about Victor's childish mood swings. He hesitates before speaking, “no, we don't know who it is. As you know we can't see names of admin users until they register their system as part of our organization.”
Victor's face grows dark “Put whoevers available on it” he said, voice flat.
“Yes sir, but due to the efforts in the east our forces are significantly limited.” Lawrance showed no reaction to Victor's sudden tone change. For Lawrance, Victor's tone changes are as common and frequent as flowing water.
“Send Lockland” Victor holds his hands in front of his face appearing contemplative.
“But Lockland doesn't understand the word restraint.” For the first time in the conversation Lawrance's natural face changes into one of surprise. “He might destroy half the town. If that were to happen it will have a negative influence on our control of the area, it may even push people to join the enemy.” Lawrence continued.
“We need to find them before the other Originals do. This outsider, if used correctly, may bring about a shift in power.”
“I fail to see how this outsider is so important.” Lawrence asks, face now back to its usual neutrality.
“Think about it, this outsider has the ability to access admin privileges, only Originals can have access.”
“You think they are another Original?”
“Hahaha, that would be ridiculous, Originals are those like me, who were part of the company that designed the system. Before we died we had a device implanted in our bodies that gives us special privileges.”
“Like access to admin privileges.” Lawrence said, finishing Victor's thought.
“Exactly.”
“But, I'm still confused about one thing. If they can access admin then why can't they be an Original?”
“I'm not sure, but I know every Original and each one received one of the devices. We also kept records of everything like materials bought, used, or broken so I don't think it's possible he has one. My best guess is he hacked it while he was alive or created his own device, though it's unlikely.”
“The system has impossible security. It's not feasible that anyone is able to hack it.”
“Which is why I don't know how they're doing it. We must find whoever this is in order to answer that question.”
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“Yes sir.” Lawrence begins to walk out before he glances down at the papers he was carrying. On the top is a report regarding Marco’s mistakes. Shit. “um, sir.”
“Speak.” Victor ordered, reminding Lawrance of the first problem he had to bring up just minutes earlier.
“This is about the other topic I was needing to bring to your attention. Marco and his crew lost a significant amount of spirit energy in a fight yesterday.”
“Who?”
“Marco, one of the men you had bully new spirits in hope they would join our cause to gain the power we offer.”
“Right the project I put in place to bring in new spirits with a desire for strength. So one of my subordinates lost a fight. Why aren't they fighting new spirits as ordered?”
“It's a story but to put it simply they kidnapped a new spirit using handcuffs…”
“They what?” Victor exclaimed, cutting Lawrance off, "their job is to kill them once, maybe twice, not kidnap them using a restricted item!” He roared.
“They kidnapped a new spirit and attempted to remove them permanently. The new spirit broke out of the hand cuffs and proceeded to kill them.”
“Impossible. The only ones who can remove the energy from cuffs are the ones with classes designed for the task. He didn't have one of those classes, right?”
“No, judging by the way he manipulates energy according to the report, it sounds like he has a unique class.”
“A unique class. Only Originals can give someone a unique class. Keep an eye on this guy, he may have powerful backers.”
“Sir.”
“That was stressful,” Max monologues.
I wasn't expecting to make it out alive. I was lucky enough to catch two of them off guard, Even more lucky that all of them except Jack were scrubs. Encountering them was unlucky, yet surviving was pure luck and not much else. Max internally chuckles at the duality of it all.
In that small room the door was blocked by three men with swords, one with a knife and lightning powers, and one more beginning to grow a ball of water in his hands. It had all been luck. The luckiest part however was gaining a class after absorbing the fire mage’s spirit energy.
You have received the unique class energy manipulator.
You have the ability to manipulate energy outside of yourself. You may transform your spirit energy into whatever form of energy you desire.
Accept Yes/No
‘Yes’ absolutely yes. The second I agree I can feel the spirit energy in the air around me. Trying to draw it into myself does nothing. The Kung fu guy charges at me aiming a foot to my mid section. Dodging, I try to figure out this new power before I'm overwhelmed by numbers. I grab ahold of the spirit energy in the air. I grab as much as I can, only about two or three feats worth. Moving the energy to my arm I spread it out before squeezing it together. It hardens making a see through barrier, with numerous small lines of static electricity jolting through it. Moving my arm around the barrier stays in place. My idea was to make a shield, guess it's only stationary, and temporary as I watch it disappear. Well this can at least help me block attacks.
The mage in the back flattens the water ball and launches it. The water blade whips through the air at speed. Forming a barrier, I watch the water blade smash into it shattering the shield and dispersing the water blade. The water blade made out of energy soaks everyone in the room. Now soaked, Jack looks angry; he uses his lightning speed and dashes at me knife in hand. Swinging the knife down at blinding speed, I jump away. Falling back was what Jack was waiting for. He points his finger and a bolt of lightning flashes from his finger tip. Not able to dodge as fast as Alex, I form another barrier. The barrier is not able to handle the power, it shatters. The lightning bolt not done hits me in the last millisecond, stunning me.
Jack walked up to me with his knife. “Not so tough without a surprise are you?”
Ignoring him I focus on the lighting energy filling my body. It's wild, crazy, bouncing around my body. Ignoring the ground entirely. It's strange, lightning likes to go from wherever you touch it to your heart then the ground. Plus I don't have muscles to freeze so why would I be stunned. I have an idea. Filling my body with spirit energy has an interesting effect. It kicks some of the lightning out of my body like there isn't room for it. But, that doesn't get all of it out. I don't have enough spirit energy. Guess I'll try my new ability. Mentally reaching in I try to take hold of the lightning energy. Just like with the cuffs, I can't. Guess I'll try the same thing as I did with the cuffs. Focusing on the spirit energy while ignoring the snickers and jabs from the bozos gathering around me. I study the lightning feeling, how it moves and its consistency. Changing my spirit energy into an energy exactly like the lightning I take hold of it. The lightning became more consistent and tame. The stun effect neutralized, I stood up, body filled with all the lightning elements I could manage. The world slowed, not much but enough. slowly, or maybe it's my speed, their faces turn to surprise, again. Sword in hand I slice at Jack first. Jack’s reflexes as fast as lightning dodges. Next target Kung fu guy, who is standing right next to Jack, takes the full hit. Dispersed into nothing, leaving behind a faint glow. Not giving up my advantage, I swung three more times leaving only Jack and I with a room full of glowing fog. Jack reaches out a hand and before he can absorb any energy, I grab it. Pulling the energy away from Jack, I begin absorbing it myself.
Spirit energy
100/150
Spirit energy is one fifty? Maybe I leveled up? Returning my attention to Jack he looked confused. I have to admit that confusion suits him well. The way he looks makes confusion natural on that face like it belongs. Deciding that leaving would be beneficial, I started backing up, stepping towards the door. Jack notices, he flashes to block the door. The smug look on his face makes him so punchable. So I threw a punch, this one much faster than the first time. The punch assisted by now one hundred spirit energies worth of lightning element. The speed not even my eyes could spot. In one second there was my hand and jack blocking the door. The next no jack, an area filled with glowing fog, and my arm disintegrating in an electric filled burn.
Spirit energy
30/150
Maybe I went overboard. Can I regrow my arm? Looking at my missing arm I decide to throw spirit energy at the problem. Shoving around ten into where my arm should be it grows back good as new… I wonder if Emily is going to make dinner again? I thought, while absorbing Jack's energy and exiting the small, gloomy room.
Spirit energy
40/155