Progenitor's Burden

The call of "round three, fight!" evoked memories of Mortal Kombat in Sinclair's mind, so he shouted it out himself. If a man shouts in a field and no-one is there to hear it, did he really shout?

Sinclair refocused on the grassy path before him. He progressed more confidently this time, confident in his decision to take measured steps. He kept a vigilant eye on his dwindling stamina bar, which had already decreased by about five percent. Each strike against him shaved off another percentage point. The combined strain from clutching the rock and the repeated blows to his legs instilled a growing doubt within him. Would he even reach the other side with any stamina remaining?

Sinclair didn't feel like he was overly stubborn (although, he really was). He called it being persistent. Well, that's what he told himself. His friends sometimes compared him to an old mule. He was now on attempt twenty-seven; each got a smidge—a technical term—more farther than the last. Twice he had to stop and wait while the lumps on his legs disappeared. Walking over to the little stream nearby helped, and while soaking his legs he received a nice surprise.

Your base stats have changed!

+3 Strength

+4 Agility

+3 Constitution

+3 Endurance

New Skill: Beast of Burden (Uncommon)

Description: You were most likely used to pulling heavy machinery in a past life.

Effects:

Stamina cost is decreased while doing labor-intensive activities.

+4 to Endurance

New Skill: Surefooted (Common)

Description: Your steps, while still heavy, are becoming steadier.

Effects:

Small qualitative increase to stability and balance.

+5 to Agility

A few attempts later, Sinclair delved into the myriad of screens available while he was resting up for the next try. He methodically navigated through each interface, searching for any indication or hint that he had missed on previous looks. Each of these screens only appeared when I came up with the right keyword. I wonder how many hidden features there are that I haven't even discovered yet.

Soon he stumbled upon a 'preferences' screen. He configured it to display a small, informative row on the bottom right-hand corner of his vision. It showed the 'local time' and, beneath that, the 'Earth time.' To his astonishment, he had already spent six hours in this trial world, whereas only a little over two hours had elapsed on Earth. This revelation seemed to confirm a 3:1 time ratio between this dimension and his home planet, which meant he was going to run short of provisions by nine entire days. Well, that's a concern for later. My primary challenge was clear for now: transport that becursed rock across the field.

Another few attempts later and Sinclair's patience had reached its limit. Although his enhanced stats and skills were making it feel lighter, it was becoming a herculean task to transport the Rare Stone across the increasingly hostile field. The attacks, initially just a minor annoyance, were now becoming perilous. They intensified with every step, and he began to see his health decline, bit by bit. The sensation of being ambushed from all sides finally broke him. The barrage toppled him, making him lose his grip on the stone. After coming so far, the instant teleportation back to the start was like a slap in the face. His frustration boiled over.

Determined to fix the problem at the source, he clutched his jacket tightly around him and pulled his twin axes from their holsters. He cast a glare at the seemingly peaceful field before him. If he couldn't walk the stone through by sheer force, he'd pave his way by eliminating whatever was responsible for these attacks.

Walking into the grassland area, he quickly found that the problem was not so much finding them but rather seeing them in time to attack them, or even identify them. His logs continued to merely refer to an unknown creature.

10 Blunt damage received from Unknown Creature

Sinclair's gaze was steely, each breath filled with determination. The once gentle grassy expanse now felt like a battleground filled with unseen enemies. He had tried the gentle approach—a peaceful passage—but now it was time to defend himself.

He became more vigilant with every step, acutely attuned to his surroundings. The weight of the axes in his hands brought comfort; their tremendous, solid presence starkly contrasted with the field's unpredictability. The thought of the hidden assailants lurking and watching made his skin crawl.

As he stalked forward, the undulating movement of the grass betrayed the presence of the 'Unknown Creatures'. Like a seasoned hunter, he noted each ripple, each whisper of movement against the green. It was a game of cat and mouse, but Sinclair was no longer determined to be the prey. I am the cat, the cheetah, the leopard, the damned liger.

The tactic was simple yet effective. He would wait for them to approach, let them think they had the upper hand, then strike with the swiftness of a caffeinated rattlesnake. As the first assailant dared to come within reach, Sinclair's axes flashed in a dance of steel and precision.

Name: Skallabjörn

Description: The Skallabjörn is a remarkable creature resembling a juvenile wolf with distinctive characteristics. The creatures are adorned with a thick, bony plate atop their skulls, resembling the helmets of ancient Norse warriors. The bone plate is not just for show; Skallabjörns use it effectively in hunting, charging at their prey to stun or incapacitate them with a well-aimed headbutt.

Typically found roaming in small packs, Skallabjörns exhibit remarkable agility and coordination, moving with a grace that belies their straightforward hunting tactics. Whilst generally nimble, they become singularly focused—and somewhat less agile—when charging, putting all their energy into the power of their skull's impact.

That skill, Valkyrie's Gaze, was no joke. It gave quite a bit of information. Sinclair was delighted to see he got his first dose of experience from the kill. A new green bar under his screen's red (health), yellow (stamina), and blue (mana) bars in the top right corner.

Enemy defeated x1

Ten experience points awarded

Loot? Yes/No

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A soft glow illuminated the area as a wrapped package materialized out of nothing. Sinclair quickly analyzed its contents and discovered it was some 'common' meat. Despite the underwhelming discovery, a chuckle escaped him. Holding the package, he ambled back to his makeshift camp. This surprise addition to his food supplies was a reassuring backup, especially considering the apparent nine-day shortfall in his provisions.

Sinclair glanced back at his experience bar

Level: 0

Experience to next level: 10/100

An idea began to form in his mind. If he trained with the Rare boulder, enhanced his natural stats, and leveled up by taking on more of these Boneheads—significantly easier to remember than Skallabjörn—perhaps he could upgrade to the Legendary Stone. Hell yeah, that'll get me the big bucks. Or stat gains. Whatever.

Stowing his axes, since he was no longer trying to vent his anger, he got up and hoisted the rare rock up to his chest. Returning to the edge of the field, and almost slipping as he narrowly missed treading on a wildly adventurous frog, he gritted his teeth, ready to begin the march once again. He had a new goal, and it would hurt, but if he could play this right, he could come out of this with more stats than expected, and he would even receive the highest prize level this part offered.

He decided to keep going until the sun started to go down and then rest; that would give him about one and a half hours afterwards to prepare for night's fall. I still need to grab firewood and prepare a sleeping area in the mouth of the cave. If Sinclair had been a bit more honest with himself, he would say it was more of a recess in the rock face than an actual cave but no matter: with the 'cave' wall at his back, and the fire in front of him, he should be able to sleep for a couple hours.

Sinclair's determination was unwavering, but the afternoon truly stretched his perseverance (and he wondered why people said he was pigheaded!). The relentless ambushes tested his patience, resilience and even, on occasion, his resolve. The sharp pain from a cracked patella or the lingering discomfort of a stress fracture in his shin was maddening. Although these injuries healed relatively quickly, they hindered his progress.

For seven grueling hours he trudged on, the Rare Stone in arm. On attempt number bazillion and one—or so it felt— Sinclair found himself a mere fifteen yards from the end of the field. As he approached his destination, the attacks grew in intensity, their numbers swelling to form small mobs. With increased frequency, Sinclair had to stop to fend off these ambushes, desperately wishing he had a third, and even fourth, arm, so he could take his ax to the little gits.

Sinclair achieved one last level-up of the day in an almost comical twist. He inadvertently dropped the weighty stone atop a Bonehead in a frenzied state, sealing its fate and granting him those precious experience points, at the expense of failing the attempt once more.

You have leveled up!

As you are a human, you receive plus one to Willpower and Endurance each time you level up

As you are a human, you receive five free points to spend on the stats of your choice

To level up, please assign your points.

Sinclair scrutinized his status, trying to decipher the mechanics of his progression. He was still at level zero, which sparked a thought. What would happen if he continued to gain natural stats through rigorous training while stashing away the artificially acquired ones from leveling up? A strategy began to form. He could amass and reserve these points for a more demanding situation or when his natural progression hit a plateau. If this worked like pretty much every game ever, he would gain the natural stats at an increased rate because of his rock-bottom level. Determined to exploit this potential advantage, he resolved to employ the newfound tactic, deciding he would level up only in dire circumstances or when faced with insurmountable obstacles.

Reflecting on his intense training session with the Rare Stone, he felt a warm sense of accomplishment. Not only had he witnessed a significant boost to his stats, but he had apparently leveled up twice while brutally murdering twenty-one of the oh-so-adorable little monsters.

Upon examination, Sinclair noted that the two automatic stat gains per level had been, as expected, automatically allocated, and some new skills had appeared.

What intrigued him about his new skills was that each appeared to have a level, which appeared after the name of the skill. This suggested that they had evolved during his ordeal in the field. Did my earlier skills not display these levels because they were new? Assumedly, these new skills were fast-tracked due to his persistent struggles in the field, thus they had arrived with levels already attached.

Your base stats have changed!

+6 Strength

+3 Agility

+5 Constitution

+5 Endurance

+1 Luck

New Skill: Dual Axes (Common)

Description: A foundational skill that allows the user to wield a pair of axes effectively in combat.

Level: 3

New Skill: Medium Armor (Common)

Description: A foundational skill that allows the user to wear medium armor effectively in combat

Level: 4

New Skill: Improvised Weapons (Uncommon)

Description: A foundational skill that allows the user to use improvised weapons in combat.

Level: 1

Sinclair's mind drifted as he prepared his makeshift camp for the night ahead. The day's events replayed in his head, from the exhilaration of fighting, to the frustration of repeatedly being knocked off balance by the little bastards.

As the cool evening breeze rustled the leaves, Sinclair was surprised to feel an ache of loneliness. He was very accustomed to a solitary existence, living where he did, but he still found himself missing the camaraderie of his friends—their playful banter, the shared laughter, and the way they had each other's backs, always. Their presence would have made this journey a lot more bearable. Right, enough sentimentality. Let's make something burn.

He gathered armfuls of firewood, using his axes to split logs into manageable pieces for burning, along with offcuts and twigs for the initial kindling. As dusk settled in, he decided to freshen up and he leapt into the nearby stream. AAAAAIGHEEEEE, that's so freaking cold, how is this not frozen over? The icy shock left him shivering, so he hurriedly sprinted back to his camp, eager to be enveloped by the warmth of his blazing fire. I think my genitals just shrunk so much they've gone inside me.

He set about cooking his meal, the delicious scent of searing meat filling the air. Wow, those little bastards smell great! As he waited for his food to cook through, Sinclair gazed at the astounding view. The sun painted the sky in hues of orange and red as it dipped below the horizon, leaving behind a serene, starlit canvas. He wrapped his jacket tighter around himself, reflecting on his journey thus far. With determination burning in his eyes, he whispered, "This is only the beginning." With that, he sank into a deep, restorative sleep, eager to face the next day's challenges.

*****

Heroti was, as usual, glued to her system screen, observing Sinclair's activities.

She suddenly spoke out loud, "Come look at this. His stats are increasing at an unprecedented rate. It looks like the seed took hold without causing a rejection event, and our changes are proving even more effective than I anticipated." Heroti couldn't help but keep staring at the stats and skills Sinclair was gaining. She had no problem with how fast he grew since that was somewhat expected. She had a problem with how the worlds were being generated.

"He will need to take some time to integrate such changes so he can fully use that strength or else they are just wasted numbers." Kafor noted.

They had put in specific parameters to generate the training realms, but it looked like they had been greatly altered without their input. They now more closely resembled the strength challenges performed by Vikings on the planet over a thousand years ago. This surely had to have something to do with the entity watching Sinclair.

"It shouldn't be possible, but it's as plain as day," Heroti complained, "we spent all that time designing tutorials. With trainers and guides and somehow this progenitor is taking part in something more akin to a nightmare."

Kafor responded, surprised, "It looks like he only has what the system is explaining to him, and we know how much the system does not like to give out information unless coerced."

"And there was also that tiny glitch when he tried to lift that last rock. I can't tell what was done, but there was a sudden noise which caused the human to stumble and step forward, giving him no option but to continue with the heavy stone. And yet, he has not backed down. He is marching across the field over and over again. He is killing the spawns and looting them for hours on end. Something is messing with our tutorial, and we need to find out what."

After being caught off-guard by the broken mana nodes and pre-existing ley lines, the two DragonKin had downloaded as much of Earth's history as they could find. Scanning the planet with in-depth scanners would take time, and said scans were still processing. Hopefully, the results would give them a better idea of what was happening here.

Kafor went back to his station doing research into the ley lines, so Heroti tried not to disturb him. The mana nodes were set to be re-seeded tomorrow. They would use the existing ley lines and nodes, removing one piece at a time and substituting in a working version. The nodes were self-governing and would either grow new pathways or repair and reuse the old ones. That could give them more information on why this strange little blue planet was in such a unique condition.