Ch. 3 - Death World (II) (Patreon)

Statement: New User Detected. Initiating Versewalker Imbuement.

The voice seemingly came from inside his head and was monotone, and male. Felix gasped as the sphere of light flew into his chest. It felt like he had just sunk beneath the waters of a perfectly warm bath. He felt giddy and laughed as he felt a tickling sensation all over. He saw a whole kaleidoscope of colors before the light faded. A small message appeared in his vision, just like he was reading from a computer screen, at the top of his line of sight.

The announcement faded after a few seconds. “That’s the basic one. Everyone gets that.” He heard the distinct sound of a zipper bag opening.

Query: Decide Affinity.

“What’s an Affinity?” Felix asked.

The woman responded, chewing something as she spoke. “That’s your first Magic/Power type. Your Core is currently level one, so you can’t choose something crazy powerful, like Time or Space. Something simple. Most people choose Fire, for some reason.”

He was intrigued now. “Okay…let’s do something fun. Gravity.”

Answer: Not Available for Core Level 1.

“Damn.” He stood there, thinking. “If I’m going to be traveling across the Multiverse, I need something that can work in all types of environments.” This is so hard, he thought. But he knew that this choice would be very, very important. It would need to be something that could help him survive anywhere he ended up.

The implication of having a Core that leveled suggested that he could obtain more later. That meant he would need to do something, fight something, or solve some problem – just going off of the knowledge gleaned from years of video games. What was the most useful feature of games? That’s it! He smirked, “I want to be able to find things I’m looking for easily.”

Statement: Detection Affinity selected.

Felix didn’t feel any different. But, out of the corner of his eye, he saw an odd box. He tried looking at it, and it stayed in the same spot. It was a bar. Like on a heads-up display for a video game.

The woman’s voice responded, slowly turning from boredom to curiosity. “Try asking where something is.”

“Okay…Ummm…Where can I find some food?”

Answer: Confirmed. Using Detect Object.

A thin, gold line began about two feet in front of Felix before turning up towards the moss. So that’s like my Mana, he thought, as the Anima bar decreased.

“Wait a second,” Felix stated. “I can use magic?!”

“Depends on the ‘Verse. In a Fantasy one? People there will think that you’re using whatever magic system they are using. If in a more Sci-Fi ‘Verse? It’ll be seen as some form of technology they’ve never encountered, called Powers. Your (P) Multiverse Adaptation Talent will ensure you blend in.” The woman’s voice was mildly amused, but there was a hint of excitement that seemed barely held back. “You can find other Affinities by interacting with other ‘Verses.”

I can do magic, he thought. Felix felt a surge of joy rush through him, “I want to find something unique nearby.”

Answer: Confirmed. Using Detect Object – 10 Anima. Error. Not enough Anima.

“Wait ten minutes. I’m going to get a snack.”

Felix sighed and sat down on the bench. He pulled out the weird alien glass stuff and found some wires on the back. He reasoned that it was some type of panel or computer screen. Time passed, the bar refilled, slowly, and then when it was full, it emptied once more. Another golden line appeared in front of him. The line pointed directly toward the brazier. He stood over it and tried to figure out what it was.

Query: Do you wish to identify?

“Yes. Identify whatever this is.”

Answer: Confirmed. Using Detect Substance – 10 Anima. Error. Not enough Anima.

Well, I have nothing better to do, Felix thought. He continued to fiddle with the various pieces of alien objects, trying to figure out what they were. He connected a few of the wires and the panel glowed with a dim light before the electronics seemingly shorted out. I’ll have to use the Detect Substance thing on this later.

When his bar filled, it emptied once more. Felix could hear a cellophane wrapper being opened in the background. “You get one Anima every minute. The same for Vigor. Health regenerates one point per day instead of each minute. Don’t let that hit zero. If that happens, you die.”

The reality of the situation crashed into Felix, momentarily forgotten in the giddiness of getting honest-to-God Magic. He could die here and never make it home. He was who-knows-where and had no clue when he was going to get home. He was brought out of the slight melancholy by the Core’s voice.

Statement: Substance identified. Caustic acid that can cause flesh-melting burns.

If only I had a way to pick it up, he thought.

[Achievement Unlocked: Identified a harmful substance]

“And what are these Achievement things?” he muttered under his breath.

Her voice faded for a moment before coming back, as if she was pulled away from a phone and returning to it. “Do something special and you get a Talent. Some Talents are passive, like your Multiverse Adaptation, and some are Active, meaning they are limited in Charges per day. You can ask your Core for more information. Over time it will develop a personality. But for now, think of it like a generative AI.”

“Right. Mind telling me your name while I wait for this Core thing to talk again?”

“Just call me your Observer. After your Core is ignited, I’m only going to check in with you now and then.”

Statement: Core Imbuement Completed. Query: Decide Class.

“Oh…This one is fun.” The woman’s voice was laced with genuine enthusiasm as if this was her favorite part of the process. Which implied to Felix that he wasn’t the first of these Versewalkers. “This is going to determine what Skills you get access to. You can find new Classes as you explore the Multiverse and accomplish tasks for the System. For now, you get either Animancer – focusing on Magic/Powers, or Warrior – amplifying your physicality.”

I want to be versatile enough to survive any situation I’m thrown into, so then my best bet is Warrior.

[Selection Made: Warrior]

[You now have access to several Class Skills]

“Ha! I told you he would pick Warrior! Jax! You owe me lunch! Oh, by the way, Felix, those Stat increases repeat each time you take a level in the same Class.”

Felix’s shirt began to rip slightly at the seams. He glanced down to see that his arms had gained a few inches of circumference, and much more muscle definition. His legs did the same, and his pants felt much tighter around the thighs and calves. His eyes adjusted slightly as well, the astigmatism he had been putting off getting glasses to fix suddenly vanished. His breathing became much easier, and he sucked in deep lungsful of air. Several bars appeared stacked on top of each other in the corner of his vision, alongside the Anima bar.

That tells me how much I’m injured? That’s useful. Felix still felt a small pulse of pain from his scuffed legs. He winced slightly as his leg began to itch from it beginning to scab over, and he resisted the impulse to reach down and alleviate the discomfort.

Wait a second, he thought as the small text faded. I can heal myself. How do I do that?

Query: Do you wish to activate Regenerate?

“Yes.” The pain almost instantly disappeared as he looked down and pulled up his pant leg. The skin was completely cured, and he felt no tingling or pain. Even the scar from falling off a bike that was on his calf was gone. “Do I have to ask you to do it each time?”

Answer: You may state aloud or think of the name of the Skills to use them. Magic/Power effects may also be activated similarly, or I can determine how best to use your Affinity to create an effect to accomplish an objective. CAUTION: You may only create five different uses of an Affinity.

“What’s Vigor?” he asked.

“That’s what you use to fuel your Skills. In your ‘Verse’s video games, it’s like a stamina bar. But we don’t use that term.” The Observer stated.

He heard the scratching and growling of the monster that had been stalking him on the other side of the crevice. It was trying to get into the chamber. “Let’s hurry this up,” he whispered.

Statement: Core Preparation Completed. Query: Decide on starting Weapon.

“A gun,” Felix replied nearly instantly.

Statement: Further specification is required.

Felix was about to say pistol but stopped himself. I’d need ammunition. And if I’m jumping across multiple realities, I can’t guarantee I will have the means to buy or create it…even if I knew how. Something simple would be better. Something that humans across Earth use every day. “A knife.”

Answer: Confirmed. Short, bladed weapon designation selected.

A simple steel knife appeared in Felix’s hand. It had a straight edge on one side, and the other side was tapered, with a simple tactical-grip hilt. It was at least ten inches in length from hilt to tip.

Query: Decide on starting Armor.

“Something that is protective but lets me still dodge and move around.”

Answer: Confirmed. Light Armor designation selected.

Felix’s clothes were replaced with a bodysuit that was covered with metallic plates on the vital areas and an accompanying helmet with an enclosing visor. The growling grew louder and began to echo into the room. An enormous, clawed appendage shoved itself into the crevice that Felix had come from. He felt a knot in his gut. Whatever that thing was, was about to get into the room. He was, quite possibly, about to die in a cave underground in God-knows-where.

Statement: Final Confirmation before Core Ignition – Review your Status Screen, then state [Confirm / Revise].

The Operator spoke up once more, “Normally, on a Core Level increase, you’ll have your Health, Anima, and Vigor refilled. Not this first time though.”

“Why?”

“Your body can only handle so much strain before the Core ignites.”

The crack in the wall slowly widened, and the bear-like mutated monstrosity slowly carved away at the rocks preventing its entry. “Confirm,” Felix whispered as he crouched behind the brazier, hoping the monster wouldn’t see him or would just leave. His grip on the knife was faltering because of the sweat running down his body from the primal fear of impending death. The thought that he might die here overshadowed all the other awesome things he just had become capable of.

Statement: Core Igniting.

Felix felt his chest heating up. It was a burning, searing pain that forced him to grip his chest and fall to the ground. Sweat began pouring off him and he swore he could see steam escaping. But just as quickly as it started, it stopped, and he felt his heart beating strongly, each pulse pushing energy through his limbs and filling him up.

Finally! All is not lost; the unconquerable will remains. The voice in Felix’s head changed from a somewhat mechanical and dull tone to an energetic and voluble one. There was a level of regality to the voice, as if they were better than others, or held themselves above other people. An inflated sense of ego. Still male but filled with a seductive flare and honeyed undertone. A convincing voice.

“Damn it! I thought we put that Core into storage. Jax! Get the Administrator on the line!”

It has been so long since I got to stretch my wings. I’m-

“Introductions later,” Felix whispered back as he stared at the crevice where the bear-thing was making more gouges along the walls, tearing away the rocks barring its entry. “What should I do?”

Use your Aggressive Alchemy. Hold your hand over that acid. Say or think of the Talent name. The voice was fast-talking, almost like a lawyer, and expressed a mix of elation and panic.

Felix crouched just enough to put his hand over the brazier full of caustic acid and muttered the name of the Talent, “Aggressive Alchemy.” The black substance ascended towards his palm and formed three small spheres that were coated with some clear substance. He turned his hand over, and the spheres alighted on his palm.

Don’t die. I go back to Hell if that happens. Just listen to me and we’ll survive.

His heart was pounding harder than it ever had before. His throat went dry, and his vision narrowed. He gripped the knife firmly as the interior of the suit’s glove grew damp with the rivulets of sweat that poured off him in his fear.

I’m not going back there. You will live. Get ready!

Next Chapter >