“Did I hear you correctly?” Fiona asked, unconsciously tapping her fingers on the table.

  “You sure did!” I explained how my aspects of the System worked, getting a variety of expressions from the people around the table.

  Dennis blew a tone from his trunk, “That is wild. You really don’t get stat points from level ups?”

  “I really don’t. Still get the skill choices, though. Honestly, eating magic items has been the best way to get stat points because of the static growth, but those don’t give experience. I also think I get less experience if I don’t help with the fight, which explains why I didn’t gain that much from Jarrod. The System is weird sometimes.”

  Sarah pulled a Control Sphere from under the table and rolled it my way. I scooped it up and held it up to examine it. The energy coming from it was odd and didn’t feel like any affinity I’d felt before.

  Control Sphere. Uncommon. This sphere is one of two hundred across the Tutorial City. When enough are gained under the control of a single group, allows the leader to create a protective bubble that improves the rate of experience gained by those within in preparation of the final stage of the Tutorial. Holders of a control sphere can create openings within an existing bubble.

  As I read, I felt an odd pull on my perception, the strange affinity surged, and a secondary paragraph appeared beneath the description.

  SUPER SECRET SYSTEM MESSAGE: Hey All-Devourer! Guide 26 here! I can’t tell you how difficult getting this message added was! Don’t eat the spheres! Put them all into your Soul Chamber! Be sure to get all 200!

  Quest Updated!

  Quest: Forced Teamwork.

  Objective: The monsters about the tutorial space have grown stronger and now wish to gain control of the spheres. The protections that were in place have faltered, and you are in danger. To regain protective bubbles, you must team up and get at least 50 control spheres together.

  SECRET OBJECTIVE: Gather all 200 Control Spheres into your Soul Chamber.

  Control Spheres within your Soul Chamber: 0/200.

  Control Spheres Controlled by You: 94/200.

  Total Control Spheres Controlled: 200/200.

  I stood up. “Well, Bethany, I’ll let you get to your business. I also won’t be eating the spheres, but storing them in my soul chamber for safe-keeping.”

  “I don’t know what that is, but that may be a problem. Over 40 of the spheres are out with scouts to fight monsters as they try to get into the bubble.”

  The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  “Well, I’ll get the ones I can and see what happens. How many are on the pedestal?”

  “Fifty-one,” Sarah answered.

  With a thought, I opened my mouth and tossed in the sphere, willing it to enter my soul chamber. “Okay, carry on.” I promptly left the war room.

  There were only a few people left milling around the platform and pedestal as I entered the square and hopped up. The pedestal could rotate like a lazy-susan, and I set it to gently spinning. Using all four of my arms, I grabbed sphere after sphere and tossed them into my internal storage space. A few of those around ran off to tell others, and a small gathering had formed as I popped the last two into my mouth. I checked the updated quest.

  SECRET OBJECTIVE: Gather all 200 Control Spheres into your Soul Chamber.

  Control Spheres within your Soul Chamber: 52/200.

  Control Spheres Controlled by You: 94/200.

  Total Control Spheres Controlled: 200/200.

  As you have surpassed 50 Control Spheres into your Soul Chamber, you can grant administrative access to bubble control to others without the need of holding a Control Sphere.

  “NOICE!” I shouted, scaring a few folks around me. I immediately gave full administrative access to Bethany, who I could hear from the war room.

  “What the System fuckery is this?!”

  Laughing a bit, I leapt over to the building that held the war room and climbed a few stories up, pulling open a window and entering the mostly empty room. I sat in its center and entered meditation. The spheres had been set neatly onto shelves that had formed in the space along one of the walls.

  “Where did you suddenly get all of these?” Tree asked as I looked over them all.

  “Well, I sort of gained control over a group of survivors.”

  “Did you find your missing friends?”

  “I sure did! Ready to look through some class and race skill choices?”

  “Not yet. Did you feel the oddity of the energy coming from the spheres?”

  “Yes, and it grew stronger when I received the secret message about them that updated my quest entry.”

  “Good. I’ll need more time to study them to give a more concise answer as to what I think it is. There exists a theory concerning the nature of how the System gives and empowers skills. It posits that the System scans your records and gives options that would assist in advancing those records. This explains the idea that you gain skill options that are related to what you have been doing, how you’ve been utilizing current skills, et cetera.”

  “What does that have to do with the spheres?”

  “Well, the System must use some method of scanning you, right?”

  “I have no idea, but that makes sense.”

  “Can I try something?” Tree flashed excitedly.

  “What are you planning?”

  “I’ve been developing a theory of my own that there is an originating affinity, but I’ve had no way of testing it until this chamber.”

  “Like System affinity?”

  “I find that name appealing. May I use it?”

  “Sure?” I said, only very slightly concerned. Tree flashed appreciatively and it began to unravel around me, forming a ritual circle made of shifting runes glowing a pale yellow. “Are you sure you want to possibly annoy the System?”

  “The System has no emotions.”

  “That we know of! But the Guides do, and aren’t they manifestations of the System?”

  “I know little of the Guides. The circle is almost ready. One thing for you to do, then let’s look at your skill choices.”

  “Class first?”

  “Acceptable.”