The group entered Pioneer Hall’s commons
cautiously, taking in the scene of utter disarray. An overturned
table lay across the center of the room, chairs scattered, and two
students struggled to set another table upright. On a nearby couch,
one student clutched their arm while another applied first aid.
Muffled yelling and pleading came from the kitchen, punctuated by the
sounds of scuffling and objects being knocked over.
Alyx felt the familiar heat of anger rising. She
took a deep breath, centering herself, and placed her heavy makeshift
pack on the table that had just been uprighted. Her team mirrored
her, quietly unloading their packs onto nearby tables. Even so, the
sounds of conflict persisted, and Alyx’s instincts, sharpened from
years of martial arts training under her father, demanded action.
“Stay here,” she murmured, motioning with an
upraised closed fist for her team to hold position. The kitchen’s
chaos drew her in like a magnet.
Inside, she saw the tail end of a brawl. A tall,
wide-chested man had just swung a wild cross hook, sending his
opponent crumpling to the floor. The aggressor—whom Alyx mentally
named Brutus—moved with the swagger of a bigger man trying to
intimidate someone with sheer muscle, not finesse. A glimmer of metal
caught her eye on the central kitchen island. Brutus’s reach for
the knife.
{Careful, Alyx. He’s strong but predictable. Use
Assess to understand his stance.} Willow whispered, the wisp
drifting near her vision.
Alyx activated her Assess talent. A subtle pull
from her Dantian confirmed the skill’s connection. A translucent
window appeared beside Brutus: Alyx used (Assess) with a thought.
[Name: Unknown, aka Brutus]Race: HumanLevel:
1Age: UnknownStatus: Aggressive, Tunnel Vision
Alyx unconsciously noted the Mana bar depleting by
3 out of 11.
'Brutus' picked up a knife, and Alyx acted. She moved in behind him. He was about 6 feet, and the way he
grabbed the knife and transferred it to his other hand told Alyx that he
was right-handed and not used to using a knife, as he held the tip
out away from his body in a forward grip. He advanced towards and
loomed over another guy who was protectively shielding a girl with a
scared look on her face. Alyx silently stalked into the kitchen and
thanked God that she had set notifications to auto-minimize, as, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the notification icon slowly pulsate. Alyx stalked up to 'Brutus,' and sucker punched him in
the kidney, causing sudden and immense pain, or at least should have.
'Brutus' spun and brought the knife down and
cross, but totally misjudged the height of his attacker; his
hesitation was all Alyx needed to cinematically slide-step forward
inside his guard. Alyx caught his wrist with her left hand in an
overhand grip and pulled, stepping backwards while twisting the
bladed hand inside and down to the outside, making 'Brutus' lose his
grip-strength, loosen his hold on the knife. Alyx jerked down abruptly
to further destabilize the brute. This also had the added benefit;
the knife fell out of his hand, and it clattered to the floor.
Alyx kept hold of the brute's wrist and struck a key
point on his bicep to weaken the arm even further. Next, she rapidly
chopped his temple with an open-handed 'knife edge' strike. Alyx then
rolled her strike into a head grab, and brought her right knee up to
make contact with his head while it coming down. Alyx could tell that
with all his strength, 'Brutus' didn't know how to fight. As he
reeled back from the knee strike, Alyx spun inside and under his
caught arm. While under him, Alyx pivoted while bending over for
leverage, throwing the brute over her shoulder.
'Brutus' landed upside down and let out a groan
and went limp before fully falling to the floor with a thud. The
notification icon in the corner of Alyx's vision vibrated slightly, then stilled. And resumed pulsing between yellow and red after a
moment, it vibrated again and then stilled. (I guess it wants me to
look at it.)
The brutal take down happened in less than a few
seconds, and the other still conscious people in the room had barely
enough time to even stand up, let alone start to move out of the
kitchen. The kitchen went silent except for shallow breaths and
Willow’s faint glow.
A timid voice broke the tension. “Is… is he
dead?”
“Probably not,” Alyx said, scanning the
smaller figure she had initially overlooked. “But he won’t be
eating properly for a while.” She turned to the prone man, kneeling
to check his condition.
The frightened girl nearby pointed shakily. “But…
that one was the intruder.”
Alyx froze. “Oh… who is he then?”
“That's Tim Speidle,” the male said.
Alyx’s eyes went wide. “Tiny Tim? Oh, Damn…”
“Yeah...” the guy replied. “Hopefully, he
doesn’t hold a grudge.”
The pair walked off. Alyx followed. She found
James and whispered, “Did we find any rope or restraints?”
“I don’t think so,” he said, leaning close,
“but we have something. Don’t ask why—we’ll talk later.” He
winked and disappeared out of the doorway. She stood looking at Tim
and the other one on the floor, long enough to see her mana bar tick
up a couple of ticks.
{Use what you have at hand. Control the space,
Alyx. Your team will follow if you establish the perimeter.} Willow
advised.
Alyx left the kitchen and stood just outside, shut the kitchen door, and surveyed the commons. Chaos persisted,
students moving, supplies scattered, but she could feel the subtle
pulse of the dorm’s energy. This could be theirs to claim.
A familiar figure came around the corner. Alyx
couldn't help but use her new talent on Stacey; (Assess) Alyx thought
with intent.
[Name: Stacey Ann Rusten]Race: HumanLevel:
1Age: 19Status: Stressed, Annoyed
The translucent window clung to Stacey’s figure
as Alyx observed, just like it had with Michael earlier. No matter
how Stacey shifted or moved her gaze, the window tracked her,
hovering stubbornly. When Alyx looked away, the window remained. When
she looked back, it was gone. (Interesting…) Alyx noted.
{“Focus, Alyx. Observe and maintain control.
Keep the others safe.”} Willow whispered.
Stacey’s eyes flicked toward another two
students sitting nearby. Instinctively, Alyx activated her Assess
talent.
[Name: Harper Vanderfield]
Race: Human
Level:
1
Age: 19
Status: Wounded, in pain
Alyx debated for a split second and cast (Assess)
on Lilly as well.
[Name: Lilly Gaissen]
Race: Human
Level:
1
Age: 19
Status: Concerned, Frightened
Alyx's thoughts started to swim, and she could feel
the headache about to blossom in her mind, behind both of her eyes.
She looked to her vital bars; Health: 9, Mana: 6, Sanity: 6, Panache:
9
“Well?” Stacey’s voice snapped Alyx out of
her analysis, sharp with impatience.
“‘Well, what, Stacey?” Alyx’s tone was
exaggeratedly calm, laced with an edge of exhaustion. Her thoughts seem
slowed as if she was trying to wade though a pool of Jello in a white
dress that needed to stay clean.
“What is all THIS?” Stacey gestured broadly to
the bulging backpacks and supplies strewn across the table.
Breathing in, Alyx tried to hold it together;
“These, Stacey, are our supplies,” with an emphasis on the name.
“Supplies are how we’re going to survive what’s coming next.
Or do you really think the power is going to stay on forever? Have
you even been outside? Do you even know what is going on? Do you even
know how Harper got hurt?” Alyx pressed, her voice firm but
controlled.
“I don’t know, she must have fallen or
something,” Stacey said dismissively, flinging her hand up as if
these questions were beneath her concern. “But with Tim, we won’t
have to worry about that too much.”
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
At that moment, James returned from down the hall,
offering Alyx one of the pairs of handcuffs that he had with a quiet,
almost knowing grin.
Alyx accepted the restraints with a faint smile
and licked her lips at a fleeting memory. “Yeah? Well, about that…”
she murmured and walked away, heading back to the kitchen. The
intruder was beginning to stir, but resistance was minimal as she
quickly secured his hands behind his back.
A disbelieving gasp came from somewhere near the
doorway as Alyx assumed she would; Stacey had followed her into the
kitchen.
“What happened to Tim?” Stacey called out,
though no one paid her question any mind. Alyx focused entirely on
restraining the intruder.
Once he was seated and secured, the man, Tim,
groaned pitifully.
“Ouhwa… Wha; wo… my… hurts? Ow… ohh…”
he muttered, clicking his jaw into place with another groan. “Dam!
What hit me?”
“Tim?” Alyx asked, disbelief in her voice.
“Damn… what happened to you? How did you get so huge?”
“Uh, Alyx? Nice to see you. Yeah, it’s me,”
Tim said, chuckling through the pain. “Short version: I dumped everything into that 'Physical' stat… basically all physical... It
might’ve been a mistake.” He shook his head. “But.. what the
hell hit me? Did anyone see it?”
“I’m sorry, Tim. I didn’t know it was you. I
thought you were attacking the others,” Alyx apologized.
“You?! HAHA! Damn, girl! You hit like a freight
train!” Tim laughed, a deep, booming sound that filled the kitchen.
Alyx grinned, her tension easing. “Years of
training and applied physics.” She glanced at him, relieved. “I’m
glad you’re okay. That crack sounded nasty.”
“Oh, for sure,” Tim replied, rubbing his side.
“Got a ‘debuff’ now, says it’ll linger a bit.” He eyed the
intruder, still cuffed. “What are we doing with him?”
“Leave him,” James said from the doorway.
“He’s restrained, and there’s only one exit from here.”
The rest of the kitchen was cleared, leaving only the
restrained intruder and Alyx’s group. Stacey’s voice piped up
again, sharp and insistent. “Excuse me! I will not be ignored!”
Alyx ignored her, turning instead to her group.
“Who had the emergency kit? Harper, what happened to your arm?”
“I think James has it,” Breyanna said. James
immediately rifled through his bags.
Harper stayed silent. Lilly explained for her:
“She sprained it when that idiot shoved her into the table hard
enough to knock it over.”
Mariana stepped forward. “I’m studying sports
medicine… can I take a look?” Harper nodded. Lilly gave a small
step back. Mariana carefully examined Harper’s arm, muttering under
her breath. “Stupid window…” Alyx mentally noted to remind
everyone about the settings page later.
“Yeah, it’s just a sprain. James, bring me the
pain meds, please,” Mariana instructed. James nodded at Alyx and
went to retrieve them.
“Fine then, whatever,” Stacey muttered,
clearly irritated. “Those two I’ve seen before… but wait,
aren’t there two of you? And those three—who are you?!”
Alyx passed Stacey, ignoring the indignation
radiating from her, and approached the table stacked with supplies.
Pulling out a chair, she sat down, taking a moment to gather her
thoughts. Notifications buzzed in the corner of her vision, and she
mentally clicked them closed while keeping a wary eye on Stacey.
{Alyx, remember, attention is a resource. Use it
wisely. Not everyone deserves it.} Willow stated
Alyx exhaled slowly, letting the words sink in as
the room buzzed with murmurs and soft rustling of supplies
being sorted. Even with chaos around her, she could feel control
returning—one small piece at a time.
“Fine then,” Stacey muttered, voice tight.
“Wait… weren’t there two of them?”
Alyx ignored her, gathering her thoughts sitting
at a table, finally allowing herself a moment to plan. Notifications
flickered discreetly in the corner of her vision. Willow pulsed
reassuringly, hovering nearby.
{You lead here, Alyx. Your choices define this
space.} Willow advised Alyx
The commons slowly quieted, a tentative calm
settling in. Alyx surveyed her team, mind already racing through
contingencies. Supplies organized, intruder contained, and their
perimeter somewhat secured—this was the moment to solidify their
claim. Alyx leaned back, exhaling. The fight was over, but the real
work—planning, training, and leadership—was just beginning.
{“There are several notifications. Would you
like me to group similar ones and remember the setting for
later?”} Willow asked, her tone neutral but edged with a hint of
amusement.
“Sure, Willow, lay it on me,” Alyx confirmed
['Bing' – Notification: The following skills
have been proven and may now be specialized.]
Physical Skills:
Acrobatics, Combat Defense, Constitution, Martial Arts, Stealth, Survival.
Mental Skills: Observation,
Social Skills: Politics,
Intimidation, Leadership
Ethereal Skills: Meditation, Domain
['Bing' – New Abilities Gained]Rank G:
AssessRank G: Quick Attack
['Bing' – you have gained enough experience to level up!
Congratulations! You
have gained enough experience to level up. Since this is your first
time leveling up after Hero creation. All your past experiences will
be consolidated; 300 XP and 300 KP will be added to your
current total of 153 XP and 15 KP for a total of 453 XP and 315
KP.
As a Human, you gain. +10 Kysmit Points per
level and +1 to any Attribute of your choice.]
{To officially 'Level-up', you will need to meditate and apply
your experience points. Each level costs the level's value x100
to purchase. Example: since you are already level one (everyone
starts a level one – anyways...), to get to level 2 is 200 xp, then
to advance to level 3 it would take 300 more experience points.}
Willow explained.
The moment Alyx opened the level-up notification,
a tingling spark ignited low in her core—where she somehow knew her
Dantian resided. The knowledge was hazy, instinctual, like a
half-remembered dream, but undeniable.
The sensation spread outward, rolling through her
body like a slow tidal wave. Tingling gave way to heat, a steady,
smoldering burn that climbed her frame. It wasn’t pain—it was too
smooth, too consuming. Later, she would recall her mother once
speaking of chakras as the energy centers of the body. At the time,
she had dismissed it. Now she felt them flare alive one after
another, starting in the Root and moving up to the Sacral, to the Solar Plexus, then the Heart, surging into her Third
Eye and finally bursting through her Crown Chakras.
The rush hit like lightning and held like fire.
Her back arched involuntarily, breath caught between a gasp and a
scream. Euphoria swallowed her awareness whole—minutes of bliss
packed into seconds. When her senses finally returned, she found
herself panting, body trembling, skin slick with sweat.
As the ecstasy faded and clarity returned, another
notification slid into view.
['Bing' – New Addiction Debuff Added: Leveling
High]
Leveling HighPower: 3Duration: Temporary:
- (Resistible)Resistances: ('Mental Stat' Resistance - Addiction
trait severity) vs Power.Detox: Resistance Check per day reduces the 'power' of addiction.Effects: Leveling High – Humans are
notoriously susceptible to this condition. At low levels, euphoria
from leveling overwhelms the mind, lowering the Wits attribute by -1
per level gained at once. If Wits is reduced to 0, the user will
gain Addiction – Leveling High as a negative trait. Once afflicted, the level of the Addiction will reduce the Hero's available Focus Pool
per level of affliction.
{“Oh, right. There’s also that,”} Willow
drawled, her light flickering in amusement. {“Honestly, you humans
are so fragile... It’s almost entertaining.”}
Alyx thought about the notifications and leveling
up and concluded that with her forerunner title, it was
vitally important to unlock or 'prove' all the skills, talents, and
abilities she could. Although as she kept thinking about it, the only
skills she had “unlocked” were the skills she already had. This
thought led to wondering if others had the forerunner title and how
rare the “mythic” tag really are, and if those whom have it are
still even human.
Alyx was startled back to herself. As someone
cleared their throat and just made that sound, Alyx knew it was Stacey,
“Ahem, if you're done.” With her face still flush Alyx glared at
Stacey, if looks could kill. James said, stepping in and touching Alyx, “You good, Sweet? You gave us all a fright, you look possessed or
something with the arching and glowing. The beautiful agony
impressionism; 10 out of 10 darling. On core.” James continued, but
in a lower voice. “Don't get me wrong, it was hot. Jordyn is even a
touch jealous, really.”
“Well then, now that you are done. Maybe we can
finally get some answers.” Stacey said with her normal attitude of
perceived importance.
“What the hell do you think has been going on,
Stacey?”Alyx stressed the word 'you' in the question and continued,
“The fucking apocalypse! That has happened! And it seems that we
are all inside a game-like construct. Have you even been outside
yet?” Alyx yelled at Stacey.
“What is it that you do here, Stacey? I mean, other than getting all up in other people's business.” Alyx took a
breath and waited for Stacey's rebuttal.
“I... I went and got Tim.. When the
intruders....” Stacey haltingly said
“The question was fucking rhetorical!” Alyx
snapped back with just a hint of a whine to her voice, like she was
trying to teach a 5-year-old math that they clearly don't want to
learn, what 3+1 was.
“Rude, much?” Stacey demurely said
“How did they get in, anyway?” Breyanna asked
when Alyx fell silent, clearly holding back the majority of her anger.
“They pounded on the door, saying that something
was chasing them and begged us to get in,” Stacey explained as she
looked over to Harper, then back again. Clearly, there was something
that they were not saying, but Alyx really didn't care how they got
in. As it turned out, no one else did either. They had got in and did
what they did, and that was that. Alyx noticed that Harper, at the
mention of how the intruders got in, lowered her head even more, as if in
shame for something.
Alyx stood up with intention: “What are you
going to do now?” Stacey questioned Alyx's actions.
“For fu-uck sake, Stacey! All I did was stand
up.” Alyx attempted to stay calm, failed, and continued. “You are
so far up in my business that I feel we should just kiss and get it
over with.” Stacey was taken aback and didn't retort, so Alyx kept
on going. “If you must know... 'Karen,' I am going to talk to the
prisoner and then go out and find more survivors and get more
supplies.
Stacey said under her breath, but Alyx still heard
it. “My mom's name is Karen.” Alyx held her tongue for once, but
still thought . Alyx took the out,
snatched a restaurant-sized can of peaches from the supplies they
brought in, and walked towards the kitchen, looking at Tim, she said.
“Go get him, please.” With out hesitating, Tim ducked into the
kitchen, coming out a moment later, “He was already standing by the
door.” Tim said, holding the prisoner's shoulder.
