Darion stood and stretched, marveling in the feel of his new body. He threw a few punches, shadow boxing and bounced on the balls of his feet. He was fully equipped, he noticed several flashing notices. They were confirmations about his Expanse account and his few fund transfers. He also had a note from Biron, telling him that he made him his official direct Disciple, not just one of the artificer trainees. And when he spawned in to head to the obelisk in the park.
Darion opened the door into a communal area, and followed exit signs until he recognized the lobby of the Artificers guild hall. He bobbed a nod at the desk attendant and headed out the front door, after that he crossed to the park and after asking a few people he made it back to the Obelisk. A crowd had gathered but things were not yet approaching completion, so he looked around until he spotted Biron. The man stood talking to a woman with shimmering mages robes. The hood was pulled back to show a creamy smooth complexion and black hair that gradieated to lavender at the tips, despite her youthful and strong appearance her eyes were sharp and experienced. Near her stood a tall man, broad shoulders and chest narrower waist in a more modern designed armored bodysuit, with a glave, he had short brown hair in a slightly spiky style, with violet eyes. Even in his base tier and level he seemed powerful.
Biron noticed Darion's approach, and stepped towards him with a smile.
“Darion, glad you could make it this, is councilwoman Madrid, and her sponsee Derek.” he turned towards the other two. “Twila, Derek. This is my apprentice Darion.”
The two turned to focus on Darion. Nerves finally setting in. ‘He shouldn't be here, he was just a guy who signed on to play a game.’
Derek stepped forward, his hand extended. Penetrating violet eyes backing a professionally amiable smile. Despite his nerves Darion stepped forward and shook the man’s hand, it was respectfully firm, but not in a dick measuring way.
Before they could exchange words, Councilman LaCroix clapped his hands together. It was loud and created a buffet of air to expand out and ruffle peoples clothes and hair. “Now that all of the attendees have arrived.” He glanced at where Dairion stood. “If the entrants would gather up here on stage we can open this rift and let the dungeon commence.”
Darion and Derek filed towards the stage, Darion expanded his sphere of awareness, and it clashed with two other spheres of perception. One from a green cloaked archer, wearing a mask, and another from a fit woman with hand and foot wrappings as if she were a melee fighter. Once up on stage, he saw the remaining 3 approach. One a muscular barefoot man in shorts and a biker vest. A bald asian man with a sharp chin and a smug look in his eye. The third person couldn't be made out. Visually, they were in full; VValue plate, with a two handed sword, all emblazoned with the VVal-mart starburst.
“Most of these men and women have earned their spot by being some of the best of the best where they came from, and will have a bright future because of this opportunity. Things to know about this space are as follows. If you fall to zero health you will be removed and none of your gains will be kept, so we suggest you all party up to pull the most gains from this experience.”
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Whoever it was in the value armor snorted in derision. The monk looking woman rolled her eyes and the archer subtly shook his head. Darion got the sense that this wasn't going to be a team effort.
Councilman LaCroix placed his hand on the obelisk, and with a surge of power a rift split the air. Darion couldn't help but reach out with his perception backed with his space and void affinities. He could sense that this micro plane was thinner than a sheet of paper, but that it tunneled out into a space so vast his senses couldn't comprehend all of it. When he feared he would be lost a force gently wrapped around his perception, and pushed it back into his body. With a start he realised everyone else was already walking through the portal. He followed them inside. He tried to pull his senses in but he could still feel himself stretching over an instant as he stepped through a plane into the pocket dungeon.
Darion stumbled, but then caught himself. When he looked up the other six entrants were looking at him with varying levels of amusement or derision.
“Sorry, I think that interacted strangely with my space affinity.” Darion nerviou8ly brushed non-existent dust from his pants.”
The bald Asian man spoke. “Hello, my name is Jason. And I will be going this alone. My initial talent and fighting style don't play well with others. Lots of poison and curse energy nasty suff.”
Derek stepped forward and spoke. “I also will be heading out on my own, however once we get out of here I'd like to set up an appointment to train my resistances. I can pay if you'd prefer.”
Juist then the woman with the wrapped hands and feet and the archer in green stopped up. He paused to let her speak first. She was American and spoke in a casual yet forceful way. “Yeah if you're down I'd like to do that too. But why wait, doesn't this place have time dilation? I'm a healer. You can raise your skills and so can I. And we can all raise our resistances. I mean those of us that want to of course.”
The Archer stepped forward. “I'm an alchemist who deals in poisons, I would also like to train my resistances. I can make antidotes and healing potions too. I have been training alchemy and herbalism to wait for this event.”
The woman laughed. “Names Ilia and I've been grinding my healing and hand to hand combat skills. Have you all noticed you make levels faster in skills you actually possessed on earth? Like it doesn't just dump a back log of skills on you but you level wayyy faster in things you already know how to do.”
Derek and the archer nodded in interest, but the man in the biker jacket and shorts shook his head. “Yall are nuts… the names Carl built I'll be heading out. I make bombs. That's not really a team fighting style, and I'm not interested in self mutilation for stat growth.” with a wave he headed off towards some nearby hills. The man in the full VValue plate. Scoffed and then looked between the group. “No.. we have to stay together. I as the liaison of the adventurers guild I will naturally lead the party.”
“Yeah, no… Jason said…”
“Man fuck off…” Ilia said.
“Aren't you Skip Wrightwell, the heir to VVal-mart?” Derek asked. “You have no claim to leadership, you are the same level and tier as us, there isn't any reason to follow you. Can you even fight? Or did you just have daddy front you the best enchanted gear your RnD team could cook up?”
“I can fight! I'll prove it to you!” the armored man said, in a huff. “You there in the cloak and black, spar with me. First to yield or knock the other from their feet!”
“Ok Spark time to talk about stat quantification, what's the range?” Arthur said from where he sat on the ground.
“ Well you are just above average in most areas, as to seem like a quick learner. there is enough between you and the peak of human potential that you will be a hit at bars, but always have imposter syndrome in front of your peers or those who are truly near the peak.”
“Thanks… I more so meant, explain tiers to me.”
Spark made a throat clearing sound and began. “The tiers are an energy system meant to gradually condense mana into higher forms of energy with greater control over the physical world. We will begin talking about stat expressions. As you level up your body will be saturated with potential, this is a complex meta application of energy, because as much as your physical form is saturated with mana on a cellular level from your core to become more durable, you become greater as a spiritual being as well. Which means that when your stats exceed your body's raw physical capabilities, you can begin to express this excess potential. I would suggest keeping your perception on par with whatever physical stats you take, because with perception comes proprioception. Or the ability to gauge distances as well as spatial awareness and how much force is required to perform an action. But more importantly is the ability to disburse momentum and anchor you in place when opposing forces with greater mass or velocity. Such as stopping a moving train without crushing the hull. Your spirit backed by the excess potential in your aura contends the forces. Now that is all well and good when dealing with objects without a sentience, but when dealing with people or beasts, it's a contest of will and power, because a higher tiers person or beast can exert their will and negate some or all of your spiritual force. Now in the greater multiverse it's considered excessively and a show of weakness to punch down stages. But for now we will only deal with the mana condensing stage which are the first 10 tiers. Once you reach tier 10 you will condense your mana core into an either core. Once you can control even a single mote of Eather, you will start to create a domain, before your domain gains a concept, all you can do within your domain is control the mana, which means enemy spells and other lower forms of energy are subject to your control. Now once you hit tier 5 that half way point you will go through a refinement where your body will shed all impurities, including genetic defects and injuries, you will have a class refinement, your spirit will have a greater effect after that point. But for now just take one of your stats up above 10. Which is your species maximum potential. Last thing I'm gonna say about the tier 5 transformation is that if you have or find any bloodline treasures you will want to absorb or consume them before this point for the best effect. Bloodlines are as much spiritual as they are physical since most bloodlines come with bloodline memory and knowledge passed down, thus you want those to be present when you go through refinement.”
Arthur nodded and thought about his stats, “so is charisma, emotional and social intelligence and force of presence?”
The light ball bobbed in place. “Yes, it can be given positive or negative weight by your intent, charm vs intimidate.”
