NOVEL NEXT Chapter 3: Two: Aftermath
Links in the story description.
Patrons:
Dante
rangerbookwyrm
Garret Newbrough
Eli Makaafi
ENJOY THE CHAPTER!
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[Ambusher (LVL 73) x11 Slain!]
+8030 EXP
[Emergency Quest
+1000 EXP
+15 Shop Credits
[Level Up x9 (1->10)!]
+90 Shop Credits
+2
+9 Stat Points
These words appeared in my vision as I opened my eyes. Sitting up with a gasp, clutching my chest, I found myself lying in an endless black void, not dissimilar from that which I dreamt of. Now, however, I was physically there - at least, I was in a similar place, as I didn't see the creature.
"Where am I?" I asked aloud, climbing to my feet and looking around.
"At a crossroads," a familiar feminine voice came from behind me. I spun around to find a dark-skinned woman who had silver hair and eyes. She wore a dress of a similar shade. She smiled softly as I looked at her. "Here, you will make a choice that will change the course of your life; for better or for worse."
"A choice? What do you mean?" I inquired politely and somewhat nervously.
"You've noticed our gift, haven't you? The words in your view, and the ability you used to eliminate the threats to you and your brother?" She asked. I nodded hesitantly. "It is what you would call a system. A metaphysical power that allows you to grow stronger beyond your mortality. It is a godly power, put simply; one I and my colleagues have put everything into. We have long-searched for a host to master its power and fulfill its purpose."
"A system… And you chose me? Wait, what is its purpose?"
The creature appeared behind her, ever-massive with its infinite gaping mouths. A shiver ran down my spine as I looked at it, unable to comprehend its majestic abhorrence. "To destroy the Calamity," the woman responded. "We deities have worked tirelessly to do so, but have only managed to divert it. Only by giving our essence to a mortal can we hope to defeat it and save reality."
Her words during my vision returned to my mind. "You… You spoke to me in my dream… Who are you?"
"I am Polycraea, goddess of connection. It is through my power that the deities - primordials, as you would call us - combined our power to create the system."
"Why me?" I asked.
"The creator, father of all that exists, chose you. For what reason, I know not. Perhaps it will become clear, if you follow this path, but I cannot be certain. All I know is that you are special - uniquely worthy of the power we would give you. Accept it, and you will have our full support."
"You say that like I have a choice," I chuckled.
"You do," she smiled. "You can deny this gift, and return to your life without memories of this conversation or the system. It will be as if you simply mustered up the strength you used to fight those men from within yourself."
"But then I would be dooming reality to consumption by that thing."
"Perhaps," she said. "The creator would choose another, and they would try. But I believe there is a reason he selected you, first. Perhaps it is my own bias, but I believe you are special even among those the creator would select for this task. Either way, the decision is yours to make."
It wasn't really a choice. I couldn't knowingly just step down from something God had chosen me for, could I? She said I could, but I knew she knew I wouldn't. Whatever. I had been given a second chance at life with a good family; I wasn't going to let them die for my own selfishness. "How does this system work?" She smiled again and waved her hand, causing a menu to appear before me.
[Menu]
{Status} -|- {Skills}
{Inventory} -|- {Shop}
{Gacha} -|- {Attributes}
{Quests} -|- {Map}
"I'm sure you know what those all mean, but allow me to explain them, anyways," Polycraea said. "The 'Status' menu is where you'll track your raw strength. The numbers there correlate to your physical and mental capabilities. A general way of guessing how powerful someone is, and your position comparatively, is by level. Someone who is level five-hundred will have more raw power than someone who is level fifty. Still, skills can make up for that distance, and some people have both high level and powerful skills. Never underestimate someone because of their level."
"The skills menu tracks your skills, from here on out. You can see how skilled you are at one discipline compared to a number via the rank and file displayed next to it. There are ten basic ranks, emblemized by the letters I through A - I being the lowest - and one-hundred files per rank, which are simply displayed as the numbers one through one-hundred. Reaching a higher rank is as easy as reaching one past one-hundred in that rank's file. Skills themselves are divided into two categories; passive and active. Passive skills are just that, possessing effects that apply to you constantly. Something like sprinting would be a passive skill, as it increases your base running speed. Active skills must be activated to provide their effect. The Adrenaline Rush skill you got from the starter package would be an active skill, only lasting for thirty seconds."
"The Inventory menu needs no introduction beyond this: Spend Shop Credits or complete Inventory Quests to get more slots and expand the slots' volume."
"The Shop menu is pretty simple, too. Anything you sell for Shop Credits, you can buy for whatever I decide it's worth, independent of what your kingdom's economy thinks it's worth. There is also a special shop where I can sell special things to you directly. There's also an auction house function, but you'll see what that is when the time comes."
"The Gacha is just that, a multi-universal gachapon that you can spend Gacha Tokens to roll. It's menu is self-explanatory enough, so I'll just give you some advice. Take out Ultra Rare drops, because the chance of you drawing them are slim-to-none and it cuts down the price by ten percent."
I was about to say something to comment on all of what she had said, mostly to myself, but she continued.
"Attributes are essentially a self-upgrade tree. You can obtain attribute crystals from quests and through the gacha, which you can use to upgrade yourself one aspect at a time. Say you obtain an attribute crystal with superhuman strength; you can use it to apply an incremental multiplier to your strength stat. That same crystal could contain a special ability, such as telekinesis. You can use it for that purpose to add modifiers to its accompanying skill or to other skills."
"The Quests menu tracks your quests, missions, and jobs. If you purchase a business, you will be able to view every aspect of it from there."
"Finally, the Map menu shows you a map of the are you're in, the world, and any dungeons you find yourself in. A minimap is available, if you want it, though it is limited by field of vision. Markers appear for every person, regardless of any invisibility, as it tracks their souls. Unless you come across a competent soul mage, you'll know whenever someone is near you, so long as they are within your line of sight," Polycraea finished. I had done my best to keep up, and I was pretty sure I got everything. Still, it was a lot to take in.
"...Okay," I said tentatively. "Common sense applies, I guess."
"Indeed," Plycraea nodded. "The quests will guide you towards becoming stronger, so follow them. Don't be afraid to turn them down, however, if they go against your morals. You can delete quests if you ask."
I couldn't help but feel like she was trying to make me see the whole 'chosen by God' thing in a different light by giving me choices elsewhere, which made me feel a bit bitter. Still, I accepted the knowledge with a nod, glancing back at the creature behind her. "Before you send me off... what is that?"
"It is called the Cataclysm," she stated, and a chill immediately ran down my spine. It owned that title as a name, definitely. "It consumes realities, and is currently heading towards the one we occupy. We deities have been holding it back for millennia, yet it still progresses. So, we went to our father and he told us to get you and give you our power using this medium."
I sighed, pushing down my frustration at being chosen for this task in return for gratefulness at having a second chance at life, and nodded. "Okay. I'll kill this thing. I don't like how I was essentially extorted into this, but I understand that if God chose me, he probably had a reason. If nothing else, I'll do this to protect the family he gifted me with."
"Thank you for understanding," Polycraea bowed. "Your cooperation was unexpected by many of my fellows; it seemed they underestimated your kindness."
"It's not kindness," I corrected her. "It's protectiveness. I don't like seeing innocent people get hurt. Not because I'm some hero, or something; I just can't stand it when bad people win."
"If that's how you want to see it," she shrugged. "I'll be waking you up now; you can figure out how to use the system on your own. Me or my colleagues may be in contact in the future. Do your best."
I didn't have time to even open my mouth before she had snapped her fingers, and I was blasted backwards into my waking body. I sat up with a gasp, hand moving to my chest, which ached uncomfortably. Bandages had been wrapped around my chest and leg, and an adhesive patch covered my left cheek. Aside from that, I was wearing only my silk underpants. It appeared as though my wounds were still present - the pain certainly was. I remembered how it felt to be numb to it for what felt like ninety seconds. A three-times perception booster and absolute pain immunity?
'Those pop-ups when I woke up in the void mentioned stat points and gacha tokens... Might as well use them while I'm alone,' I thought, ignoring the pain in my chest from the stab wound that had literally crossed my heart. The heart itself was perfectly fine, but the flesh between the center of my sternum and a spot right next to my spine all had How do I open the menus?' "Status...?"
[Status]
-Information-
Name: Alistair Eil
Titles: N/A;
Race: Human; Beastkin (Cat);
Age: 8
Level: 10 (30/1000)
Class: N/A
Subclass: N/A
Job Class: N/A
-Stats-
Mana Status: 2600/2600 (+2%/m)
STR: 14
DEX: 16
CON: 12
END: 14
INT: 26
WIS: 20
CHA: 15
LCK: 15
Stat Points: 9
"Cool," I commented on the method of access. Perhaps I could use my thoughts, too, to remain discreet. I inspected the numbers and came to the conclusion that I was pretty weak. My best stat was, unsurprisingly, my intelligence. I had a pretty good education in my previous life, having gone to a private academy, where I excelled among my classmates. That compounded with my education here, starting at three-years-old, which focused on more diverse disciplines. It wasn't any shock that my intelligence and wisdom were higher than my physical stats; I was only eight, after all.
'I need to be stronger if I want to protect my family against more threats like that assassination attempt... and the Calamity... I can't let anyone else get hurt because of me.' I refrained, however, from allocating my points. I wanted to see if physical training could up my stats before dumping any stats into them. Nodding to myself, I brought up the gacha menu.
[Gacha]
Gacha Tokens: 3
{Options}
Current Price Multiplier: 1.0x
Special Draw Chance: 7.5%
{One Draw} (1GT)
{Five Draws} (4GT)
{Ten Draws} (7GT)
I thoroughly explored the menu before coming to my conclusions. I could alter what I got from the draws to alter how much the price was, at the cost of removing large swathes of the rewards. By removing Ultra Rare drops as Polycraea suggested, the price of five draws went down to three tokens, so I purchased it.
[Gacha Drawn x5!]
3x Mundane!
2x Special!
[Mundane Gacha Drops:]
1x Military Multitool (Normal)
1x 6c Pen Box (Normal)
1x Digital Alarm Clock (Normal)
[Special Gacha Drops:]
Skill:
1x
'Warp Gate?' I questioned mentally, bringing up my Skills menu.
[Skills]
-Active-
-Passive-
The user can generate dark fog that acts as an amorphous portal between two locations. The user must picture these locations, or have their specific coordinates in mind. They can choose how objects and persons that enter the portal will exit the other.
'Ah, Kurogiri's quirk from My Hero Academia,' I realized. 'Having the ability to create portals between any two locations I can think of is overpowered, not to mention its uses in combat.'
I thought about activating the quirk, and sure enough a cloud of mist started dripping from my left hand. I pictured the air right in front of me and stuck my other hand through it, poking myself in the nose through the portal. It felt kind of funny on my skin - chilly, but not uncomfortable.The point at which my wrist disappeared into the portal felt kind of fuzzy, which lingered for a moment after I pulled my hand out. I didn't want to attempt closing the portal while my hand was still in it - that seemed like a good way to end up bleeding out.
I turned my legs over the side of the bed and moved to stand, only for pain to shoot up my leg, followed by a numbing feeling. I ignored it and stood, making my way to the room's door. I needed to know where I was, and I could create a portal to the castle as an escape, so there was no risk in me going to check this place out. I had to make sure my family was safe, no matter my condition.
I pushed out through the door and found a couple of the town guards standing there. I knew they wouldn't leave me unguarded, so I expected this. They regarded me with shock before kneeling. "Your Highness! You're awake!"
"Yes-" I coughed, sending rockets of pain all throughout my body originating from my chest- "Where are my parents and brother?" My voice was somewhat hoarse.
"Y-you shouldn't be up and about, Your Highness! You were terribly injured during the ambush, and it's only been two hours since the surgeon finished!"
"Where is my family?" I asked again, frustrated. "Lead me to them, now."
"Y-yes, Your Highness," one of the men stuttered, setting off down the hall. I followed after him with a limp, while the second guard followed me. "This is a clinic on the edge of the square you were attacked in, Your Highness... You, your family, and your surviving entourage were moved here for immediate treatment, though your wounds were the most grievous..."
"Are they okay?" I asked.
"There were eleven casualties among the guard, but everyone who survived did so with minimal injuries, except for yourself."
I was saddened to hear that so many of our guards had been killed in the attack. They had families, just like I did, and it was my fault they were there. No amount of compensation could replace a loved one. 'I'll make sure their families are safe, too,' I narrowed my eyes, determined. "Who knows of my injuries?" I asked.
"...Everyone, Your Highness; the attack was witnessed by the whole of Crava, including your fight at the end."
'Shit. They all saw me get stabbed through the heart and survive, which will be hard to explain away,' I sighed. "At least nothing else happened..." I muttered.
"Th-that's just it, Your Highness... I saw it, myself - a golden light wafting from your skin, as if gold had turned to vapor and was escaping your pores… Like a god had taken control of your body… I was stationed among the cleanup crew, and I heard the townsfolk claiming you have been blessed!"
"Blessed?" I hummed. The concept of being blessed wasn't new to me. It was a legend about figures of great importance to the world, whom the gods would bless with a fraction of their power. Those people were generally much stronger than those around them, and had a great impact on the world as a whole. It wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing if everyone thought I was blessed; it would help explain away my sudden growth in power.
[Title
You have been blessed by the Almighty God. EXP gain increased by 25%; EXP with Light and Holy-type skills doubled.
'Awfully convenient,' I quirked an eyebrow before a cold look came across my face. 'This will help me get stronger.'
"Here we are," the guard in front of me said as we came upon an open doorway. "They left to have a conversation with Madam Havri a few minutes before you came out of your room."
"Thank you," I said, stepping into the room they indicated. Indeed, mother and father were sitting at a table inside the room, their backs turned to me. Across from them sat the surgeon, Madam Havri, while Sir Poltira stood by the window. He was looking down into what I presumed to be the square, keeping watch. Madam Havri immediately noticed me and stood, rushing towards me.
"Is something wrong, Madam Havri?" Mother asked, turning around only to gasp when she saw me. "Alistair! What are you doing awake? What are you doing up and about?"
Madam Havri pressed a hand to my chest, using sensory probes to test my wound. It hadn't been healed completely, likely because it was dangerous to do so when major organs were involved. Smaller, more focused healing spells were required for such tasks, and that took time. My attention only lingered on the surgeon for a moment, however, before returning to my parents. "I've had a vision. I know what the creature from my dream is, and I have been told that I am the one who must stop it. The Calamity."
A shiver ran down the spines of all four adults in the room as they heard that name. They didn't know why, but even hearing the entity they had seen pictured in my drawings named as such sent primal fear reverberating through their bones. "Everything appears to be in order... I... think I shall step out for a moment," Madam Havri said, swiftly exiting the room.
"What are you talking about, Alistair?" Aedon asked, regarding the sensation he had felt with reverence. Names had power, and that one had shaken him even in passing.
I looked at Sir Poltira. "I need you to swear this conversation to secrecy, Sir Poltira. If what I am going to share becomes commonly-known, I can say with certainty that billions upon billions of people will suffer."
"I swear, My Lord," Sir Poltira stated without hesitation. "On my life and honor."
I nodded and looked back to my parents. "The guards told me of a rumor stating that I was blessed by the gods. They are correct. I spoke with Polycreaea, goddess of connection, and she told me I've been chosen to host their power in the mortal realm. With time and effort, I may become powerful enough to defeat the Calamity."
"...Come here, honey," Rel said, walking over to me and grabbing my head. She, too, sent diagnostics probes into me - this time, focusing on my brain. I allowed her to do so, knowing she was perfectly capable of detecting mental maledictions and outside influence in the mind. She gained a perplexed look and backed away a step, obviously having found nothing to indicate I was lying or had any mental illusions placed upon me.
I turned my hand over, and the multitool I had gotten was suddenly in my hand. I tossed it towards my father, who moved to catch it, only for a black, misty portal to appear along the item's trajectory, while another appeared on the table next to him. The item instantly went between the two positions, landing on the table with a loud thump. "I am now capable of receiving items from beyond our reality through my blessing, though the rate at which I can do so is extremely limited, storing items in an infinite pocket void without any equipment, and creating portals within ten meters of myself. Those are just three of the things I have become capable of since speaking with the goddess."
Aedon picked up the multitool and inspected it, pulling it open with a blink of surprise and inspecting the various extensions within. The precision of it was beyond most craftsman, even elite smiths; the parts were simply too small. And the soft, somewhat sticky material wrapped around the handles... Nothing like it existed. The proof was in the pudding, as they had heard me say. I possessed no Spacial affinity, which didn't make it impossible to learn how to create portals, but without an incantation? So easily? Without having put any time into learning it?
"I believe you," Aedon said.
"You do?" I asked, mildly surprised. I half-expected them to call me crazy and get a mind mage to inspect my memories, which is what my father would've done if I came to him saying such things in my previous life, but in the heat of the moment I had forgotten that my new parents were wildly different that my old ones.
"Of course we do, Alistair," Rel said. "It's clear to see that you're passionate about this, and I can tell that you believe what you're saying down to your very core. Even if the idea of what you said is a bit... out there... you've given us proof, and your conviction speaks volumes."
I scowled and looked down at my feet. "If only conviction was enough to get anything done."
"You… blame yourself for yesterday's events?" Sir Poltira analyzed, recognizing the look on my face from his own in the mirror.
"Of course I do!" I exclaimed, suddenly angry. Not at him, but at myself. "We wouldn't be here if not for my asinine birthday celebration! Those men- they would still be here if we just decided to stop celebrating such childish things. So what if I'm a year older? People are dead now, because I wanted to eat some cake and ice cream, and be showered with gifts by people who only see me as a way to increase their own political leverage!"
The three adults were left in shock after hearing the words that came out of my mouth. Mother sniffled a little bit before bursting into tears, snatching me up in a hug that threatened to crush my ribs and rupture my wound. "It's not your fault," she said. "The only people to blame are those who attempted this subversion of our authority! Unless you had something to do with that, then the guilt of our guardsmen's deaths rests on someone else's shoulders!"
"She's right," father said. "You are not to blame for what happened yesterday. As for the birthday part, it's important to remember how long you've been on this world because your time here is a gift. Indeed, the responsibility of a station such as ours is immense, and the challenges that come with it aren't financial, but societal. There are many people who will see you as a tool to make themselves more powerful, but at the end of the day, we must navigate that treacherous land for the sake of those under our care. It is our burden to bear as leaders of a nation."
"For what it's worth, I've faced your dilemma a dozen times in my life," Sir Poltira spoke. "Not just a dozen men, but hundreds have fallen because of decisions I have directly made. I see no fault in your actions. As Her Highness said, the only people who should feel guilt about yesterday's events are those who plotted it. We did everything we could, in the moment. Now, we are responsible for seeking vengeance for those men by bringing the perpetrators to justice. You did a good bit of that, yourself, yesterday. Eleven of those perpetrators will never know the warmth of sunshine ever again."
'Right, I killed people,' I thought. 'No, they we're evil men, intent upon killing me and my family. They deserved to die.'
"Thank you," I said meekly.
I was so glad to have this new family.