My body jolted straight up as I woke up. I was in pain, the pain radiated over my whole body. The simple act of sitting up hurt so much I had to lay back down. All of my muscles felt over worked and unwilling to respond to my commands. At first I thought the pain that was all over my body was from the chlorine burns. After taking a quick glance at my body I realized some one must have healed me while I was unconscious. There were only three scars from where the skreen impaled my arm.
I was sitting in a very comfy hospital bed with an IV drip set up and connected to my arm. The only sounds in the room were the steady and rhythmic beating of a heart rate monitor along with the lethargic drip of the liquid inside the IV bag. I laid in that bed for a good long while I could have used the nurse call button. Having some time to think to myself just felt better than getting answers right away. Did I really fight and kill two skreen? It didn't feel real. Skreen were amongst the most common of monsters found close to the city if I was remembering correctly. The insect like monsters were strong and the adventurer administration was vigilant about keeping the citizens apprised of nearby threats; there were tons of posters all around the maze like city show all kinds of monsters. Most of the time the posters just told you to find the closest adventurer or administrative building if you ever encountered them along with a threat rating. The skreen was a mid-town ranked monster normally requiring two to three low-town ranked adventurers to deal with one.
“Fuck. Did I really kill two without magic? I should be dead.” I had spoken out loud not expecting a response just as a way to hear my own voice to help ground myself.
“You should be dead. Yet here you are. It's a miracle really.” A voice that sounded like a t.v show butler spoke out from right next to me. A man slowly raised up out of the floor coming from a small puddle as it rippled out from the center. He was dressed in a well cut black suit with a white under shirt purple handkerchief folded into a square sat inside the chest pocket of the suit; an adventure administration badge pinned his shirt. His pasty white skin contrasted itself against the deep black of his suit, his hair was white stripped with even more black and kept in a short cut, a full beard and mustache filled his face out without it. I suspect he would look rather thin.
“My name is Valder Hunst. Young sir you have performed a nigh impossible task taking down two fully grown skreen.” Valder pauses for a moment looking me over. “The strength you showed should be impossible for humans to achieve before they gain access to their magic. Do you understand the concept of magical enhancement?” I nodded, of course I did it was the ability to use one's affinity with their element type to boost their own attributes.
“Yes sir.”
“Good so you also understand that proficiency with one's elemental affinity directly connects with the increase in their boosted strength, agility, constitution, and mental capacity. As you have been cut off from your own magic with the neural implant given to you at birth you should not have been able to perform super human feats. Such as caving the head of a skreen in with your own bare fist. Yet.” He paused, eyes digging into me like he could see my soul. “ Yet that is what you did Mr.Wezts. Now I'm sure you didn't see what you had done to the other beast so let me tell you. After the containment zone was cleared of the chlorine gas me and my men investigated one skreens head was pulverized the other had a hole the size of my head in its thorax. Something like that isn't enough to kill an insectoid monster. Now its head and entire spinal column are being ripped from the body.” I remember ripping the head off. I hadn't realized I did that.
“Is there a point you are going to get to?” Valder smiled and pulled an Infochip from inside his suit, tossing it into my lap. I picked it up my muscles protesting against the movement as I turned the toggle switch on. A translucent blue screen populated my view.
[welcome prospective adventurer. This is a formal invitation to attend Hunt Academy where endless possibilities await you. Please show this to any Hunt Academy staff located throughout Xulun city and you will be escorted to the surface where your new life as a fledgling adventurer will begin.]
Holy shit. Holy shit. HOLY SHIT! Hunt Academy was the number top rated adventure institute. You didn't have to join an institute to become a successful adventurer but it sure helped. In large bold letters under the initial invitation there was more information.
[ This invitation has been modified by. VALDER HUNST . In addition to the invitation we are offering you, sir is a full ride scholarship. Room and board included in addition a weekly pay of 1000 coins to be paid out in digital currency. ]
I quickly did the math in my head. HOLY SHIT! That was more than I make now; but why did he want to offer this to me? It makes no sense.
“Why am I getting this invitation? After what I did I would understand a standing invitation to join the academy but not a full ride with additional money on the side. It makes no sense.” Valder grabbed the chair that was set next to my bed and sat down.
“I’ll be honest with you. After seeing what you did I was excited to find the man who did that. I wanted him, I wanted to take and train the sanitation worker, turning him into a fine adventurer. But when I questioned that ork-halfing and found out a seventeen year old boy was the one whom had killed the skreen I didn't just want you under my tutelage I needed to have you. I have trained many men and women and looking at you now I can see the spark of greatness.”
This was all a lot to take in. I remained quiet for a while. Valder didn't seem bothered by the awkward silence in the room.
“Okay I guess it's not really a question for me is it, this is what I always wanted. I want to go out and see the worlds. Help people in need and make sure no one ends up in the situation I was after my parents died.” The memories of my dead family fill my head and I can feel tears begin to well up in my eyes.
“Good,” Valder said, standing up and walking to the doorway. “I will go get a doctor so they can look over your condition. Then we can start the discharge paperwork. Once you are out of this hospital we will go to the surface and get that implant removed.” With a nod I relaxed back into the bed and just waited.
Valder came back soon with a doctor. After a quick exam the doctor seemed surprised to find I had healed so fast even with the healing magic applied to me.
“He is good to be discharged. Will you be signing his paperwork? We couldn't find any next of kin.”
“I am not his kin. But yes I will be discharging him today.” The doctor opened his mouth to protest but shut it after Valder pulled out his adventurers badge and presented it to the man,
“Understood sir I will get the nurses to button everything up while me and you fill out the appropriate paperwork.”
This hospital was efficient. Not even an hour later I was already walking out into the regular hallways of Xulun city. Valder led me to a parking garage a few floors up from the one the hospital was on. Valder's car was of a model I had never seen. It was sleek and black almost a complete pointed oval shape save for the four tires. The doors slid up and into the roof Valder waved for me to get in. He had a strange sense of power emitting from him. When I had fought the skreen I could feel a similar power. I wasn't really able to wrap my mind around what that feeling was, however being near the skreen had made me feel small and weak. Being near Valder made me feel like. Like I was a new born still attached to my mother.
“So Rin.” I jumped at him suddenly addressing me, we had already driven out of the parking garage and into the chasm.
“Normally you would have your mother or father tell you about the implant removal process however. Since I am the one that will be with you today I shall give you a small insight into the process.” He paused waiting for me to respond. I just remained silent, giving him a curt nod.
“Once your implant has been removed you will most likely be overwhelmed with mana, this can lead to mana sickness. You will get an intense sense of vertigo, your body may also experience a sense of physical displace. Remain calm when this happens if you fill to do so it may have catastrophic results.”
“What do you mean catastrophic”
“Worse case your body will try to expel the excess mana creating an unknown magic effect. “
“Is that what happened during the cataclysm?” Valder nodded, turning down another street as he raised up the buildings heading towards the surface.
“I assume if you remained in school you would have learned of this. Typically it is taught in your last year as you get closer to getting your implant removed.”
“ I had…other worries.”
“ Quite true, One final thing. You may find that you have an affinity for more than one element, this is a natural occurrence and happens often in strong individuals. If this is the case for you the mana sickness will be much worse.”
I nodded in response. There were a million things going through my head. It was all too good. It really felt like I was dreaming and this might be some nightmare. Like at some point I will just be naked in front of all my old classmates there laughing and snide comments making me want to retreat back home.
The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.
Valder was content with driving the rest of the way in silence; he would respond when I asked him a question.It wasn't long before we arrived at the administration building, Valder parked his car out front in the grass courtyard a security officer came up to yell at us and Valder talk with him. I tuned the conversation out looking up at the clear blue sky. It was amazing on the lower floors you could never see the sky unless you were jumping the chasm or getting dangerously close to falling into it. Even then most of your view was a few buildings and a small patch of sky the size of your thumb. Here it was a sea of endless possibilities. The space elevator that led to Xulun space port pierced the sky in the center of the city. Bubble generators were mounted on the sides hundreds of feet up. The bubble shield gave the sky an unnatural shimmer to it.
“Guess even the surface is caged in.” I mumbled to myself. Valder had talked the security officer down and they were now just chatting animatedly. My skin tingled with heat, the sun was high in the sky and for the first time I could feel it on my skin. I could really feel it, it felt like a warm blanket fresh from the dryer. Memories of my father pulling a fresh blanket from the dryer filled my head and a smile played across my face. Valder and I headed inside the magic control administration building, it was a tall building about fifty stories tall. The implant offices were located on the first floor sharing space with a magic tools shop. We approached the front desk and I stepped forward, fishing out my identification chip from my pocket.
“I’m here to get my implant removed” The woman behind the counter looked up glancing over her glasses, she was an elf easily identified by the pointed ears. No half elf her ears were slightly rounded at the top, her long brown hair was in a braid laid over her right shoulder.
“Is this your legal guardian? Place your ident on the counter so I can get the process started. There is a one to two hour wait.” She said looking over to Valder. Valder pulled out his own identification chip along with his adventurers badge placing them next to my own identification chip.The clerk grabbed them placing each identification chip into a scanner.
“I was hoping we could jump the queue if that's not too much of a problem.”
“We can't allow that here you two are goin.” The clerk stopped speaking as she looked over Valders adventurer badge.What was on there everyone who looks it over seems to freeze before giving in to whatever Valder wants. The clerk hastily handed back our identification chips. She grabbed a small phone.
“Professor Alverez please make your way to the reception desk.” Not even a minute later an orkish man walked out from a closed door behind the reception desk.
“ Miss Lodina I am very busy today I'm sure whatever it is you want it can wait “ The man. Professor Alverez talked with a fast and harsh tone. He was adorned with gold and silver rings, sometimes two to a finger, a single nose ring dangled between his tusks. An adventurer administration badge was pinned to his white lab coat.
“We need you to remove Rin Wezts implant today.” said The clerk Lodina
“I don't do those procedures Miss.Lodina. You know the research I do is very important and I can't take time away from it.” Said Alverez. Valder spoke up before Lodina could respond
“ Good evening Al. I am sure you can pull yourself away from your research long enough to do a simple procedure.” Said Valder. Alverez his eyes going wide as if he hadn't seen Valder standing right in front of him. He groaned.
“Valder, you can't just go throwing your weight around whenever you want something.”
“Can I not?” Valder said with a mischievous grin, his voice going up and octave playfully. “ Is that not what it is for, if I were to go off of how you act and what you say? My technomagical findings for this city and the success it has brought along with my contribution…” Alverez cut Valder off with a wave.
“Fine, fine, fine come with me.” Alverez turned around and walked back through the door. He came out of putting a hand in his pocket while scratching his bald head. Valder and this Alverez guy must have a strained history. There was tension in that conversation. It was almost hostile. I thought to myself as I followed being led into a small room, the only furniture was a cart with medical implements and a computer on top and a single recliner.
“Sit, normally we knock you out cold, however it will be faster if I use my healing magic to minimize the pain and heal the incision point as I work. Do you consent to this?” Alverez was already putting latex gloves over his hands. I sat down. I didn't want to feel pain right now. I already hurt all over so what was a little more pain if it meant I could get to my goal even just a little bit faster.
“ Yes “ Alverez nodded to me as he walked behind me pushing the cart with him. A bubble of water formed around my head and I started to panic, gripping the chair's arm rest. My heart was beating fast and I tried to hold my breath so I didn't drown.
“Don't panic Rin, that is just Alverezs magic, he is a triple, that bubble is a simple combination of water and wind magic.Breath; let the water in.” Valder had spoken but the sound was muffled by the water. I couldn't hold my breath anymore and gasped for air water flooded into my mouth and into my lungs.But that isn't what actually happened it was as if the moment the water left its bubble it evaporated turning into fresh clean air that I could breath.
The process was fast and there was barely any pain. I could feel when he cut into my skin but it wasn't a sharp pain, it was more dull and I could feel the separation of my skin more than I felt the actual cut. When Alverez pulled out the implant I hardly noticed. The water bubbles evaporated into mist just as Alverez handed me a bucket. I looked at him with a questioning gaze but still took it.
“wh…” I immediately puked, water and blood filled the bucket. A screen popped up in my view. It was similar in design to that of the infochips.
[New skill obtained]
[New skill obtained]
[New skill obtained]
[New skill obtained]
[New skill obtained]
[New skill obtained]
[New skill obtained]
“What…what is this “ both men looked at me
“What is what?” Alverez said.
“Don't you two see this infochips screen?” Both men just looked at each other then back at me.
“No. Do you feel any sense of vertigo or nausea right now” Alverez said he grabbed a large mana crystal from under the cart.
“I don't. I feel fine, aside from a small headache.” I said
“ Strange, you should have some form of mana sickness right now. Place your hand on this crystal it will let us know your elemental affinity. Just pour some mana into it. It should be hard at first like moving a muscle you haven't moved in years.” I did as I was told, placing my hand on the crystal and trying to use my mana. A new window popped up.
[ This item is restricted. You can not use this item for its intended purposes due to skill. ‘magically inept’]
“ What the fuck is a magically inept skill. How can I have a skill that tells me I don't have a skill? What even is a skill, this isn't a video game.” I looked to Alverez and Valder for an answer. They were just both looking at each other with confusion clear on their faces. Alverez was the first to speak, Valder seemed to be trying to parse the information in his head.
“ You said there was an info window in front of you. Can you access more information from it?”
“I can try.”
I looked through the list of my new skills.
[ Skill: Magically inept. Due to your body's physiology being incompatible with mana, you're unable to use internal mana. Using manacrystals as a source of outside magic grants a twenty-five percent bonus to all attacks and healing properties. Magically based attacks against you will have a fifteen percent damage reduction. In addition, all magical buffs and healing effects will have a ten percent buff.] Well that buff makes no sense but if it helps, I'm not going to question it. I continued down the list of skills
[ Skill: Artificer. Items crafted by you have a ten percent durability buff, items made by you have a twenty-five percent damage and defensive buff.]
[Skill: physical evolution. This skill allows for the accumulation of experience points gained through physical activities once enough experience points are gained, you will gain a level. Levels will give you stat points to be distributed amongst the stats. Strength, dexterity, and Constitution. Current stat points gain on level up two. If this skill is paired with mental evaluation stat points gain value increase from two to four.]
[Skill: Mental evaluation.This skill allows for the accumulation of experience points gained through mental activities once enough experience points are gained, you will gain a level. Levels will give you stat points to be distributed amongst the stats. Intelligences, wisdom, and spirit. Current stat points gain on level up two. If this skill is paired with physical evaluation stat points gain value increase from two to four.]
Well that was nice. This is really starting to feel like a video game.Maybe I died after my fight with the skreen or I'm in a coma and this is how my brain is coping with my own death.
[Skill: Overclock level 1. This skill allows you to temporarily increase your native stats allowing for physical and mental abilities to increase beyond your current level. Once this effect ends stat will slowly decrease back down to native level over the course of one hour This skill can be imparted on magical objects allowing for mana to be spent at a dangerous rate. This skill has a twelve hour cool down if used on your self. This skill has a one hour cool down if used on magical objects]
[Skill: interface. This is a utility skill. Interface allows access to otherwise hidden information. New tabs have been added to your interface. Stat sheet, skill sheet, inventory, equipment interface.]
[Skill: mark of the void level unknown. This skill has been obtained however you do not meet the requirements for the skills use all information about the skill will remain unknown until requirements are met.]
Once I was done repeating everything to Alverez and Valder they both just stood there unsure of what to say. Valder was the one to speak up this time.
“ No magical abilities. This is the first case the universe has ever seen since the cataclysm happened if I'm not mistaken.” Valder turned to Alverez to confirm.
“It is. Boy it seems in an attempt to adapt your body has evolved to give you the strength you would otherwise lack in this world to survive. It might be similar to how an additional elemental evolution can occur in those who have experienced intense trauma. My best guess is that when you fought those skreen while your restriction implant was still in place your body reacted subconsciously and it gave you the power to survive.”
What am I going to do now? Without magic can I really be an adventurer. Can I. Achieve my dreams. Could I use these skills instead? Physical and magical evolution both sounded great even if the magical evolution seemed like a contradiction to the magically inept skill. And the interface skill really made this feel like a video game. My thoughts drifted as I went over all my skills again Valder and Alverez talked amongst themselves. My life and these new abilities seemed to have greater meaning to the two of them.
