The bathroom pass was probably invented by a bored student, most likely in an Advanced Placement Spanish class like mine. Don’t get me wrong, languages are extremely interesting, but the verb conjugation always got to me. Thus, my current trip to the bathroom--in the furthest location from my class possible. Truthfully, it was. I had to pass two other bathrooms to get there. I was walking down the long hallway on the back side of the school, the side that buts up against the soccer fields and the protected county Wetlands beyond it, when a blue box appeared in front of my vision. The box said:
World Evolution countdown activated. Transfer initiated. Evolution will commence in 20 minutes.
Strange. Beyond strange, in fact. At first the random appearance of the blue box startled me, then I realized what it was, or at least what I thought it was, and had to rub my eyes to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. Then I wondered if I was hallucinating. I looked past the box at the other few people in the hall and while I couldn't see a box in midair in front of them, their vision was clearly transfixed on something invisible just in front of them, presumably the same or a similar message to mine. The box disappeared and a small countdown timer appeared in the upper right corner of my visual field.
19:59
19:58
19:57
Walking into the bathroom, I turned on a faucet and splashed water on my face, then looked in the mirror. My own face, my blue eyes, stared back at me with curiosity and concern. I brushed a lock of my long brown hair out of my eyes, then re-did my ponytail as I walked to a stall, shutting myself inside. As the bathroom was empty, I quietly tested out a theory. "Show status window."
A blue box appeared that read:
Status window not available at this time. Please reattempt after countdown timer reaches zero.
Success! While somewhat freaky, in that my world appeared to be changing into an RPG, , recognized by these blue status window that looked similar to game status notifications in PC games I had played before, I had the sudden thought that my greatest dream might be coming true! I could be a real-life RPG character! That first status box mentioned something about a World Evolution--maybe that’s what this is: an evolution of the world into an RPG! An upgrade! A Level-up! Amazing! Observing the countdown timer continuing to tick by, I snapped out of my reverie. I tried a couple other commands including "Show Help Menu," "Show Skill Window," and "Show User Menu." All of the above gave the same blue status screen telling me to wait until the countdown completed. I gave one last try before planning to head back to class. "Show User Manual."
Another blue box appeared.
Full access to the User Manual is denied due to user restrictions. Press the arrow below for limited manual access.
A blinking arrow button appeared below in midair, which I promptly touched, and it worked just like a touch-screen interface. A map appeared leading me to a particular library shelf. I finished in the bathroom with about 15 minutes left on the timer, and walked rapidly toward the library, my long legs taking me there much faster than most. At 6’3, I was one of the tallest students in the school, and it made me quite adepts at track and field, of which I was a long-distance runner and hurdler.
Instead of the usual librarians, I met a short, thin man with curious eyes. I nodded as I passed, and made my way to the bookshelf where the status notification led me. As I arrived at the designated location, the item became outlined on the shelf in blue and the map disappeared.
Looking at the book itself it was actually more of a small hardback booklet, containing only a handful of pages. The cover was a light spring green with gold lettering that said "World Evolution User Guide." I opened it up to flip through for a moment, and as I opened it another status box appeared, obscuring my vision of the book.
+2 Wisdom and Intelligence for locating Evolution Items prior to Evolution Countdown Completion. Item has been permanently added to your inventory and cannot be dropped. Inventory space has increased by 1 permanently.
I was about to read the booklet but decided to wait. Seeing the countdown was at 11:57, I hurried to leave the library and head back to class. "Wait." The strange librarian called after me. "If you are leaving, you will want this, but I recommend remaining here. It will be safer.” He handed me a school map, but this one wasn’t just a simple printed paper--it was laminated and was made of thick paper. I was puzzled, but took it, thanked him, and left. I made my way back into class, which was in an uproar. The teacher, Senora Grabel, had completely lost control over the class. Everyone was talking and shouting and laughing, and one or two students were sitting there completely freaked out--one of them was crying. I sat down and quickly started to read through the User Guide.
"Welcome, User, to World Evolution. To begin, there are some main information points to consider.
1. The rules of science are not all the same as they used to be, and magic is much more prevalent than in the world's previous devolved state.
2. There are a limited number of Safe-Zones located throughout the world. It is impossible to die in these locations. In each Zone, the Zone Warden's word is law provided it does not attempt to cause harm.
3. Multiple Status commands can be used to provide information on the Akashic Display, the series of blue boxes you have already seen. These commands can be verbalized or thought. The main Status displays are as follows:
Status Window
Skill Window
Inventory
Quest Log
Help menu
User Guide
Other status displays may become available under certain circumstances.
4. Certain actions unlock skills or increase vital statistics (stats). Stats and skills cannot be erased, although certain items, spells, Users, and other actions can alter them.
5. These changes are permanent and cannot be reversed. This is not a game, there is no “do over.”
6. Each User is given 5 inventory slots on Evolution. It is possible to obtain additional slots by absorbing Inventory cubes dropped from Users who have died. Each cube will contain the total inventory slots of the dead user along with all of the items contained in their cube, and can be used to increase one’s own inventory size.
7. Additional User Guide data can be obtained through experiences, and this guide will automatically update as new data is obtained during life experiences. This guide can also be copied by touching it and saying "Duplicate." Each user may only possess one copy.
8. Except under special circumstances, death is final.
9. Good luck! You will need it.
+1 Luck from the Evolution for finding this User Manual.
After reading this, I had about 8 minutes left, and a few thoughts formulated in my mind:
1) The status boxes and User Guide suggested I was now in an RPG, however strange or fantastical that may seem.
2) This world is probably not as safe as I might hope, as RPGs in all reality are plagued with monsters and even Player Killers(PK) in Player-versus-Player settings (PVP).
3) The strange librarian seemed to know something. His comment about the library being “safer” couldn’t have been a coincidence. It might be a Safe Zone.
4) I needed a weapon and fast.
5) Anything I could do to get a head-start would be a wise move. If this is a game, players start out with limited resources. Discovering this beforehand allows me to gain extra resources.
I grabbed my book bag, put it on, instructed my friend Dee, short for Denise, who sat next to me, to do the same. She began to question, but I simply stated “I have special knowledge about this and you need to trust me. It could mean life or death. Follow me or stay, but I am leaving.” To her merit, she stood up and grabbed her bag. Together we raced out of the library. We ran down the hallway toward the gym, which unfortunately for us was on the other side of the school. I was a runner, she was not. I got there in two minutes, but she was left far behind. I began to rummage furiously through the gymnasium supply closets, and found what I was looking for -- the Baseball team’s gear, including metal bats and baseball helmets. By that time Dee had breathlessly arrived and I handed her a helmet. “Put this on.” I commanded, donning one as I spoke. I then pulled out four bats, handing her two. “Run to the library as fast as you can, and don’t stop until you get inside. Go find the librarian when you get there. I will be right behind you.” She nodded and left.
I rummaged around a little bit more, keeping an eye on the timer. I found what I was looking for: the archery club’s locker. I quickly grabbed three bows and slung them onto my back. Grabbing as many arrows as I could fit into as many quivers as I could hold, I took an armful of them and the two bats and took off sprinting toward the library. I had not more than a minute left, and I determined to make this my fastest running time, ever.
I made it back to the library with 0:06 seconds left. The beady eyed man was standing there holding the door open to me, with Dee standing behind him. "Quickly!" He shouted. I dashed in and collapsed on the floor as he slammed the door behind us. Panting, and dragging myself off the floor, I watched the last few seconds count down.
0:04
0:03
0:02
0:01
0:00
World: Evolution Activate!
A shrill noise sounded everywhere, and a blinding light flared outside, which I could see through the massive panels of glass against the outer wall of the library, which overlooked the soccer fields. My vision had spots for a few moments, but as my vision cleared I looked and everything was different. The librarian was now wearing leather pants and a leather vest, with a white shirt underneath. He had multiple pieces of jewelry on his hands and wrists which I had not noticed before either. The view outside had totally changed. Dark clouds blanketed the sky and a massive wind was blowing. Trees were being uprooted and thrown and I saw one of the soccer goals slide across the field before taking off in the air. To say I was shocked was an understatement. It was like the whole world outside was undergoing an unprecedented shift. I could feel tingling on my skin, like even I was being affected somehow by its energy.
"Do not worry.” A calm voice behind me said. “You are in a Safe Zone, one of few in this area, and the Evolution’s destructive powers cannot reach you here. I know you have many questions but I am limited in what I can share at this time. I recommend you read your user manual. It is in your Inventory.”
I was still winded, and started pacing around the area just inside the library entrance to slow my heart rate and breathing, which were still pumping rapidly from my sprint. After the storm subsided, as did my racing heart, Dee began to pick up the scattered mess of arrows that had spilled from their respective quivers when I collapsed. I was a bit confused at the inventory reference, then remembered what I had read in the User Guide about inventory slots, and how I hadn’t been able to access status windows before, and it all clicked in. "Show Inventory!" I called out. A small game-style inventory box appeared in midair in front of me. I touched my hand to the book-icon that represented the User Manual. As I did so, I could feel the book under my fingers, so I grasped and pulled. It came out easily. Closing the inventory with a word, I flipped through it briefly. It was the same as it had been a few minutes prior.
“What’s that?” Dee asked.
“It’s a User Manual.” The even-stranger librarian explained. Dee must have had a confused look on her face, because after a pause he explained further. “I am a User. You are a User. We are all Users.”
“Oh. So Users are people then.” Dee said contently.
“No, not people, but beings. People, or humans, as you call yourselves, are only one race of User. There are many more. For example, I am a Tuatha De Danaan, one of the beings you often call the “Fair Folk” or the “Leprechauns.” While we don’t randomly hand out gold like your mythology states, we do have ways of appearing and disappearing, and the Fair Folk have traveled on and off this planet for thousands of years.”
“Wait, you’re a leprechaun?” I exclaimed. “That’s not possible.”
“Says the guy who followed a blue screen that only he can see to find a book on a shelf titled ‘World Evolution User Guide.’” he rebutted, “and for someone who doesn’t believe in leprechauns, you seemed to move awfully fast to obtain that archery equipment and those helmets and bats. I’m a leprechaun. The problem is that what you think a leprechaun is like is not exactly what we are like. Although, I do love a good practical joke.” He smiled. “And where are my manners? My name is Bardon Danu. I am the Zone Warden of the Library at your service. Please, come in further and make yourselves at home, at least for now. I expect that we will start to have others join us soon enough. I know this is a lot to take in, but take a few minutes to review the User Manual.”
We turned toward the library desk, which was located in the center of the massive mostly-rectangular room that was the Library. As mentioned before, the far window showed the sports fields, and the center was mostly filled with rows upon rows of bookshelves. To the left was a series of computer stations, and to the right were groups of tables for studying and research. Beyond both the computers and the tables, on the far sides of the room, were comfortable sitting areas, with couches, recliners, large stuffed chairs, and an occasional beanbag chair. The room itself had vaulted ceilings that spanned three stories in height overlooking the room.
Denise and I walked past the library desk on the right toward the tables, and sat down next to each other. We huddled together over the thin booklet and began to read, her for the first time and I for the second. After completing this pamphlet, I touched it and said "Duplicate." A second copy appeared in midair next to it, which Denise took and placed in her inventory. We turned back to the Zone Warden.
"I presume you have many questions, but first I have a gift. It is not often I see ones as resourceful as yourselves, especially to obtain a User Manual prior to Countdown completion. As such, I would like to give you each a single skill of your choice within my means."
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
"Do you mean like a game-skill? I asked. “Can I get something that lets me use magic or heal or identify or repair?"
"Yes, all of the above are possible, and more, but there are limits to what the rules will allow me to do, and I also cannot teach you crafting skills I do not know."
"What magic do you know?" Denise asked. "And is this seriously like one of those roleplay games? That’s what the User Manual made it sound like. Those have never been my thing. They’re much more up your alley, Perry.”
"I know a variety of magics, but if magic is your desire, I will teach you Mana Manipulation, a prerequisite for any magical skill."
Denise agreed, and Bardon placed his hand on her forehead. His hand emitted a rainbow light for a few moments, then he moved his hand and Denise stared off into space again, presumably reading a status box, then she began to jump up and down, excited. "I can use magic!"
Turning to me, Bardon said, "And what would you like, Peregrine?"
"I am somewhat torn, to be honest. I want to use magic, but I think an Identify-type skill would be very useful, and is sometimes hard to get. Also, healing skills are very useful too. What do you recommend?"
"I recommend Mana Manipulation, as Light-based and Nature Magic are the branches of magic that perform healing. As for Identify, you should be able to learn it here today if you apply yourself."
"Mana Manipulation it is then, please, Mr. Bardon." I replied.
He repeated the same procedure for me as he did Dee, and I had a status window appear as well.
You have learned Mana Manipulation, a skill that allows you to use magic.
I plied Bardon with more questions, including some understanding of how skills are obtained, which are accomplished through repeat actions, skill books, special events, or direct impartation as he did with us. Direct impartation is possible only those at the Master Level or higher in that skill. Bardon explained the race-system and Drops system, as well as the Resurrection process.
As Bardon explained to us earlier, each living being is considered a User, including insects. Each race is able to evolve, almost limitlessly, although evolutions require certain conditions be fulfilled to occur. For example, the length of time and level of experience needed for a single ant to become large enough or intelligent enough to combat a humanoid is inordinate, and thus rarely happens. Drops are much like they are in games, whereby each opponent we killed in combat would drop special items out of their inventory. In addition to drops, other items could be stolen or taken from others regardless of whether they are dead or alive, provided they are not soul-bound to that person and are external, such as in their pockets or around their neck.
Resurrection is a tricky one, as it is very UNLIKE most RPGs. Resurrection only occurs if someone has the passive God-skill "Return Life," or "Resurrection." The former skill is in regards to oneself where the latter is able to revive others.
Bardon also explained a bit of what happened to the school and surrounding world, albeit minimal details. He explained that part of the Evolution process was a very Darwinian procedure where the most fit survived. At the time of the Evolution, all other races are given the option to move over to this world through a one-way portal.
As it turns out, the school had basically been transformed into what I would call a Dungeon, and hallways and other rooms were being taken over by other races. As the newest Evolved world, Earth was prime real estate to take over and Humans, among other beings, were in the line of fire. Outside the building was much the same, although with a higher level of danger due to the space allowing for larger and more dangerous races to spawn. In reality, it seems this same thing was happening all over the world, and it really was a race for survival. Bardon explained that at times a weak race would leave their own world seeking shelter and at other times a strong race would come seeking conquest. In other words, anyone and anything could have crossed over to our world.
As he explained this, I realized that the Library was empty except for the three of us. I asked him about it and he explained. “Unfortunately, the magic of the Safe Zone makes it impossible for anyone to exit or enter for an hour after the Evolution has occurred. For your own psychological benefit, I have occluded the windows to the hallway and made this room soundproof as well, so that you will not have to hear the plight of many of your classmates.”
“What do you mean ‘plight’,” Dee asked.
“Quite honestly, slaughter.” Bardon replied. “I have been through 6 different Evolutions, and they are bloody. They are violent. Creatures with far more power than you appear in this world and take over. Their means of “takeover” usually involves killing those already present. There are some who survive, and that is part of why the Organization created Safe Zones--so ones like you can survive long enough to have a fighting chance. No matter how many times I live through this process, I have never gotten used to it. I lost my beloved sister and both of my parents in our own Evolution, and the skills we learned were to survive. That is why the Tuatha De Danaan are known for their ability to hide, even in plain sight. It was the difference for us between life and death, and still, many of us died at that time. Evolutions are a fact of the universe, but I do not pretend to think that this universe is kind.”
“What, so we just wait in here while everyone else dies?” I shouted. “That’s not good enough!” I dashed over to the door and yanked the handle. It didn’t budge. “Unlock this now!” I raged.
“As I said before, this cannot be undone. The magics that govern the Safe Zone close this room for an hour after Evolution, with no one going or coming. If not, the Evolution itself would destroy the magics of the Safe Zones, and there would be no safe place for anyone. Those who make it through the first hour will have a chance at survival. There is no other way. I might add that the way you made it here, it didn’t sound like you told too many other people about what you suspected, or what you read in the User Guide either. If you have to blame anyone, you might start by blaming yourself. That single secret might have caused other people to come here too, and they also might have made it through the Evolution. As it is, usually less than 20% survive the first hour, less than 10% the first day, and the numbers usually go down from there until they level out.” I stopped pulling at the handle and walked back toward them, defeated. I felt I couldn’t accept this, but Bardon was right. I didn’t say a word to anyone but Dee, and I ran out without thinking of anyone else but the two of us. As it was, our Spanish room was just around a few corner from the Library and it would have been easy for the whole class to evacuate here as a safety measure.
As I was lost in my thoughts, Bardon continued to speak. “I am sure you have many more questions, and a lot to take in and mentally digest, but we must get started at the important things. The longer you wait to train, the harder it will be for you and for anyone with you. Your world has turned upside down, and you cannot act and live the same as you used to. Earth has now become a war zone on a multi-planar, galactic scale, and only those who are strong or are able to escape or hide come out on top in the end. If you want to become a survivor, then I can help you, but only to a point. Before venturing out from here, you need to obtain a few skills, the first of which is Identify. It will help you understand the value of objects, as well as the power level and ability of other Users.
He had us open our book bags and look closely at each item for a minute or so, thinking of all the characteristics associated with that item and observing it with a fresh eye, trying to notice the minute details. After that period of time, if we saw a blue status box appear, we could then move to the next item. He directed us each to a table to spread our items out, and suggested we switch tables when done.
He set us to our task, then pulled out a book and began to read. I stared at him. “How can you read at a time like this?” I asked.
“Habit, I suppose.” He said. “Besides, like I said, I’ve been through this 6 times already. It’s not new to me. And I already have the Identify skill. Your world, however, has always been a source of fascination. If I can’t change anything, I might as well enjoy a good book.” With that, he wordlessly turned back to his reading. I couldn’t help the feelings of disgust I felt for myself at that moment, watching him sit there and read a book while people were outside dying, but this was still all too surreal. I looked over at Dee and could tell she was having her own internal turmoil. In all honesty, we both were having trouble focusing.
“Do you really think it’s as bad as he says?” Dee quietly asked me.
“I have to imagine. I mean, as crazy as this sounds, I saw the status boxes, and you did too. We saw that crazy storm outside, and everything else, including the User Guide, only confirm what I think we both know deep down. Everything has changed.”
“I’m kind of scared.” Dee admitted.
“Me too, but in a way I’m also kind of excited. I mean, honestly, this is the kind of thing I always dreamed would be cool to have happen--for life to become like a game. Now that it’s becoming real, it is hard to believe. I think all we can do right now is push past the fear by just focusing on the task at hand. Let’s try to Identify this stuff and get the skill, and then we can figure out what to do next.” Turning my gaze back to my belongings on the table, I started with my house keys. After around a minute a status box appeared.
House Key: key to the Bell household.
I continued this for my wallet, school books, pencils and other school supplies, then moved on to my Track uniform and the other random items in my bag: mini sewing kit, pocketknife I forgot to take out of my bag from last weekend's camping trip, three hairpins, two rubber bands, a pair of shoelaces, toothbrush, lavender and peppermint essential oils, and a paperclip. Each item provided a blue status box with minimal data. I also did this for the baseball helmet, bats, and archery supplies I brought.
Denise and I switched tables and repeated these actions. Nearing the end of her supplies, I gained a blue status box that said
You have learned Identify. This skill allows you to identify the animate and inanimate, including objects and Users. Mana cost: 5 mp
Denise apparently got the same status because she turned to me smiling. Calling up my skill window I observed that Identify and Mana Manipulation were both ranked at Beginner 1 0%. While it gave me another few questions for Bardon about skill ranking, I suggested we re-Identify all of our items again. I had almost completed my table of belongings when I ran out of mana. "Hey, I am going to meditate and see if I can sense mana, as well as see if it helps refill mana or gain me a skill. It usually exists in most games, so it probably does here too.” Dee had run out of mana as well, but she opted to pull out a book and read instead. 20 minutes later, I couldn’t handle meditating any longer. My mind was still in a whirlwind, and while I normally would have settled down into a somewhat serene state, I could tell I wasn’t anywhere close. However, my mana had refilled about 2/3 of the way, so I continued to Identify the remaining few items on my table. Dee put her book down and joined me. When we finished our own belongings, we switched. When we ran out of mana, I meditated again and she continued reading. The second time I could still only last for fifteen to twenty minutes, but I could tell that my mind had stopped racing and my thinking had settled. I had just gotten to that “peaceful calm” feeling inside my body when I felt the need to stop again. I completed the items on her table, and was rewarded with my Identify skill reaching 26.2% in experience. I was disappointed at what I felt was slow experience growth, but as I thought more about it, in-game the exp. grown was very gradual as well. After all, if after that short time I had already hit Level 5, in a few hours I would be a Grandmaster. No, slow and steady it would have to be.
While Identifying our Items we discovered that our Spanish Language textbooks had become Skill Books, books that we could use to learn the Spanish Language. We had to ask Bardon how to use them though. He briefly looked up from his book and said, “How do you learn anything normally from a book?”
“Read it?” Dee guessed.
“Exactly. Read the book and you’ll get the skill.” He had a twinkle in his eye, and I had the feeling there was something he wasn’t telling us.
“So the ONLY way to learn a skill from a skill book is by reading it?” I clarified.
He smirked, grinned wider, then said, “Since you asked, no, it’s not. The faster way is to put your hand on the book and say ‘Learn Skill’ and you will learn it too.”
“Then why would you tell us to read the whole book then? It’s a LONG book!” I complained.
“Hey, I’m a leprechaun. I already told you I like practical jokes.” Bardon replied.
I was a bit blown away at how thoughtless that was, as I could have wasted an hour or two of time reading through a Spanish book when I could simply touch the thing and learn the skill, but I was happy I had seen through his trick. I’d have to pay closer attention when talking to him in the future. Placing my hand on the book I said “Learn Skill.”
You have learned Spanish. This skill allows you to speak and understand Spanish. Due to the level of the Skill Book, additional proficiency has been added.
On a whim, I went to the Languages section of the Library and began to Identify the various skill books. In under 5 minutes I had learned the following: Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, French, German, Russian, Latin, Dutch, and as lame as it might sound, Klingon.
Due to multiple language skills learned, they have been upgraded into the Languages skill. Additional changes have been made to the skill and all proficiencies have been averaged.
Due to learning ten skills in a short period of time, you have received the Title “Quick Study.” This title allows the User to acquire all new skills 10% faster.
For learning ten skills in under ten minutes, +10 to Wisdom, +5 to Intelligence. For being the first in this Evolution to accomplish this, +3 to Luck
Wow! All these stat gains, just for learning skills! This is amazing! I excitedly called out “Show Languages Skill.”
Languages Skill, Beginner 2 - 17% (Passive): this skill allows the User to learn and retain languages. Proficiency Level is displayed and measures the level of Language understanding. Higher Language skill increases the speed at which Proficiency is acquired. Through this skill, languages can also be learned by direct impartation, or hearing it spoken or reading it without prior understanding.
Languages:
Spanish
Italian
Japanese
Portuguese
French
German
Russian
Latin
Dutch
Klingon
Looking at my watch, I noted the time, and over an hour had passed since we came into the Library. The doors should be able to open. I cleaned up my belongings, putting them all back in my bookbag, and put the bag in the inventory. The full bag took up only one slot. I was able to put three of the four quivers of arrows and one bow into the remaining slots, grabbed a bat and donned my baseball helmet, then walked out through the Library doors. All was fairly quiet--eerily quiet. Looking down the hall I could see piles of debris. I opened the classroom door to one of the rooms across the hall from the Library, and was shocked at what I saw: blood and bodies everywhere. In the center of the room was a large wolf with grey fur who looked at me, snarled, and leaped toward me. I slammed the door right before he hit it, but he was moving forward with such force that his head slammed through the door.
-180 hp
Grey Wolf has been stunned for 5 seconds.
I took my bat and started bashing his head with it. I was both scared and angry that this wolf had tried to kill me and had killed an entire room full of people. Status notifications continued to flood past my vision.
-84 hp
-76 hp
Critical Strike! -173 hp Grey Wolf has been stunned for 5 seconds.
For hitting in the same spot, additional damage is added. -105 hp
This continued for a minute or so until I got another notification:
Grey Wolf has died. You have gained a level.
I rushed into the Library without looking back, heart practically beating out of my chest.
Status Window NamePeregrine BellAlignmentNeutralLevel1GenderMaleRaceHumanInventory Spaces6TitlesNoneFame0Infamy0Health (HP)630 / 630Health Regen rate0.5/secMana340 / 340Mana Regen rate0.2/secStamina320 / 320Stamina Regen rate0.2/secSustenance100% / 100%Strength 12Wisdom13Agility12Intelligence16Dexterity10Vitality13Luck3 - -Credits: ---