With a sense of urgency, Cal hastily closed the door behind him. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he once again tried to open it. To his relief, or perhaps dismay, the door remained unlocked.
"Temp, can you rematerialize?" The small chair appeared in front of him, its four legs landing gracefully on the ground. Cal quickly propped Temp up against the door, creating a weak barrier against any unwanted visitors. Finally, he slumped back against a nearby wall, exhaustion and pain washing over him.
Grimacing, Cal pulled out several bandages and began wrapping his injured thigh where the razor-like tusks had left a deep gash. As he took a moment to catch his breath, he let out a heavy sigh.
"This place is nothing but trouble. Temp, why was that class-1 beast so strong?" Cal's soul corresponded to a class-3 warrior, yet that beast had nearly killed him with surprising strength and stealth. “I couldn’t feel any oversoul on it.”
"I have a conjecture, but there are pending items from the guidance system I have received that may clarify." Temp's voice was matter-of-fact as it pulled up an interface to display. Cal could only hope for some answers to this dangerous new world they found themselves in.
[Welcome to Hetar-172, traveler. Per code JE-126642 of the Ostellian accord, combatants are entitled rewards for conquest]
[As user does not already have identification in integrated space, unification with the system guidance protocol has commenced. Hetar-172 guidance is administered through the Hetar-1 electorate council]
[Unification with primary soul commencing]
[Integration partial success]
[Initializing training protocol]
[Training protocol declined - title awarded, Bigshot]
[Initializing cultivation guidance]
[Cultivation guidance declined - title awarded, Mortality]
[Initializing combat guidance]
[Combat guidance declined - title awarded, Noncombat]
[Initializing profession guidance]
[Profession guidance declined - title awarded, Wastrel]
[As user has declined all guidance protocols, user is awarded additional title, Foolhardy]
[Level up: Level 1]
[Level up: Level 2]
[Level up: Level 3]
[Level up: Level 4]
[....]
[Level up: Level 11]
The confusion was palpable in the air, as Cal struggled to understand the strange situation they found themselves in. "Temp, what is this? What’s going on?" he asked, desperately trying to make sense of it all while nursing his wounds.
"During your battle, the system guidance protocol started, and you were unable to divert attention, so the process was interrupted," Temp explained with a hint of concern in his voice.
"Yeah, but what does all this mean - this doesn't make sense. It feels like we are trapped in some kind of game," Cal said, his tone filled with frustration and disbelief.
"Cal, I do not think we are on New Earth anymore," Temp replied solemnly.
"Yeah Temp, I figured as much." A sinking feeling settled in Cal's stomach as he realized the gravity of their situation. Cal thought briefly of his father and sister, and of Sari before quickly returning to Temp’s next strings of data.
"Cal, based on the next set of information, I believe you have not been fully integrated into this system. Let me project additional details that I have access to." A display flickered with new data, somehow visible to Cal through his link with Temp.
----------------------------------------
Name
Temp
Class
Mortal chair (level 11 / 50)
Bloodline
Lineage of Leonidas
Titles
Bigshot, Mortality, Noncombat, Wastrel, Foolhardy
Strength Vitality Vigor Dexterity Intelligence Wisdom Luck Base attributes 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 Total attributes 21 21 21 21 21 21 16
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The words hung in the air, filled with confusion and disbelief. "Temp, what does this mean?" Cal's voice trembled with uncertainty as he gazed at the status screen laid out before him. "Why does it show my ancestor here on your bloodline? Do you even have blood?"
Temp was uncertain in its reply, "I believe during our transportation, your bloodline may have separated from you. This may be why your oversoul was ineffective when we arrived."
Cal's mind raced as he absorbed this information. His ancestor, Leonidas, was listed on the interface before him. The very same ancestor who had passed down his family’s bloodline talent of shifting attributes. He remembered hearing stories of how his family's ancestor paved the way for his clan in Old Earth through this ability to grant himself or his items greater strength, speed or healing. It is one of the reasons Cal’s own family was still in power. They were adaptable.
Leonidas had been a revered figure in tales passed down through generations. As Cal stared at the interface indicating the presence of his bloodline on Temp, he felt a surge of intense curiosity and loss wash over him. Now, faced with this reality, what did this mean for him? And how could Temp have this power? The room fell silent as Cal contemplated the implications of these revelations.
"That may be possible Temp, but I have too many questions. I don't even know where to start." Temp's suggestion seemed plausible, but it only raised more questions for Cal. Where exactly should he begin? The overwhelming number of unknowns made his head spin.
Cal followed on, "are you able to use my bloodline Temp?"
"Cal, I believe I may in the future, but I cannot even sense my soul much less exert any meaningful oversoul." Temp paused before continuing, "I was also awarded titles for declining the system guidance, and they have provided me with attribute boosts."
[Bigshot: +5 all attributes]
[Mortality: +5 strength, intelligence]
[Noncombat: +5 vitality, resistance]
[Wastrel: +5 dexterity, vigor]
"These titles appear to have also applied to you, but we will have to confirm when you are fully healed, so that I can compare to your baseline." Temp paused before continuing. "We will have to understand this system guidance protocol further, but it should be a method of training on Hetar."
"Yes, we'll have to think on this."
"Now to answer your previous question, I believe that the beast you faced had an attribute superiority to you despite its weak soul. It may have corresponded to a class-1 soul, but it had a strength attribute much greater. Even though you have a class-3 soul, you were put at a disadvantage. Not to mention, your oversoul did nothing in this battle. If its corpse remains, we may be able to verify this hypothesis."
"Yeah, there may be some way I could have leveraged my soul strength, but right now it feels empty and without purpose."
"Cal, there is more."
[Quest: Hunt! Survive the trial grounds on Hetar-172 and claim victory through slaughter (16 pts / rank 742)]
[Hidden quest: Survive being hunted! You have run into a crafty beast at the beginning of its cultivation journey. That's quite unfortunate given your paltry stats - can you survive? If I were you, I would start the guidance protocol scrub, you can whisk yourself away to safety (1/1) - complete]
[Hidden quest: Hunt a first stage beast (1/1) - complete]
"We have also received tasks from the guidance system. It is quite cheeky, Cal. I believe the system thinks you are a chair. It allows me to collect rewards for these hidden quests - shall I accept them?"
"Hmmm, I don't think the rewards will risk our safety. Go ahead. I have a feeling we may have missed out on some direction by skipping this guidance, but I don't want this system anywhere near my soul if it has power to give and take strength. We know what happened on Old Earth, this seems oddly similar."
"Ok Cal, I will keep system prompts active through our link, so you are able to see any new updates."
[Hidden quest reward: Seat cushion - a comfortable foam cushion]
[Hidden quest reward: Tempering serum - poor quality tempering for furniture that needs some tender loving care]
[You are a chair, right? A mortal, somehow sentient chair defeated a first-stage beast. Marvelous!]
[Defeated an early-first stage beast as a mortal - title awarded, Mortal combat]
[Mortal combat: +2% all stats]
A cushion and small vial magically appeared on Temp's seat out of the void. Cal was excited for something that would help them survive at first, but then shrugged as he saw what appeared. Meh.
Cal went over and held the small vial up, watching the liquid swirl inside like a stormy sea. The scent of damp wood and freshly cut grass wafted to his nose, promising to restore life to any worn and tired piece of furniture.
He read the label, “Apply once daily for minor strengthening. Not recommended for use on biologicals.”
Cal ripped off some more cloth from his frayed undershirt, opened the vial and applied some onto Temp. He wasn't sure how it would help, but he diligently applied the serum to Temp's plain wood finish. As he applied the serum, Cal could feel the rough surface of Temp's wood soften under his touch. It was almost as if the serum was repairing and strengthening the worn-out furniture.
The simple act of polishing Temp was cathartic after having his whole world flip upside down.
Cal's mind was abuzz with questions and possibilities as he processed the implications of his severed bloodline and the mysterious titles they had been awarded. The weight of Leonidas' legacy now loomed over him, mingling with Temp's newfound apparent sentience and the enigmatic system guidance that seemed to dictate their fate on Hetar-172.
He pushed the questions to the back of his mind, fixating instead on surviving long enough for a rescue.
"For now, let me rest - we will have to make another attempt at water again soon."