Tutorial:

Moving away from the [Status Screen], a new [Screen] needs to be introduced. This would be the [Skill Screen].

The name was more than enough for the Core to grow curious. Its curiosity didn't stop at all when the actual screen showed itself within that same instant. It was larger than anything seen before.

Skill-Name

Rarity

Description

Cost

Mana-Sense

Rare

Allows for the user to sense [Mana Currents]

Passive

Mana-Manipulation

Rare

Allows for the user to manipulate [Mana Currents]

Passive

Appraisal

Rare

Allows the user to gather information regarding items or entities

10MP

Oh, the goodies that were gained within the instant it was shown. First off were the names of [Skills]. The Core had seen two of them be acquired, those being the [Mana-Sense] and [Mana-Manipulation]. [Appraisal] wasn’t something it had seen before. Nor did the Core truly understand why it had it. Perhaps instinctual attainment? It would explain the lack of a [Message] sent to the Core about it.

Rarities weren’t something that the Core was too sure about. Focusing on the name itself didn’t provide anything useful, further cementing the fact that it was likely an ability only useful for the [Status Screen]. But it was of no matter, as the Core still had the ability of deduction. Something being [Rare] had to be a good thing since it meant that it wasn’t too widespread. Anything more in-depth than that was closer to guessing than anything else, so the Core refrained from trying it out.

It was with the descriptions that things started to become more interesting, the information gained from them allowing the Core to relate it to the experiences had before the [Tutorial] began. When it had wanted to reach outside itself, had wanted to grasp something that wasn’t a part of itself, the Core had used the skill called [Mana-Manipulation]. The sensation it had during that time, the feeling of something being interacted with, that had been what the [System] called Mana.

The Core might not have realised it at the time, which was surprising since the [System] had outright congratulated it on unlocking the skill, but it already had the skills before. Then, when the Core had been unhappy about not truly knowing what it was doing, wanting to intentionally feel the Mana, it had unlocked [Mana-Sense]. Through will and experience, it had allowed itself to learn an essential part of how to interact with Mana in a more meaningful way. It was incredible, all the confusion about Mana and what is was falling away. Mana was what the world was made of, what the Core was made of, and it had already learned how to manipulate it. Maybe that was why the skill was designated as a [Rare] skill. To do something like that, would require a rare ability, the rare potential of a higher degree. It was only a theory, but the Core had nothing against believing such.

That could have explained why Appraisal was like that, in a weird way. While the Core wasn’t exactly sure it had actually used the skill, the fact that it already it had had to mean something. On top of that, since it was in the same [Rarity] as the other two skills, there was clearly something that it could be used for.

Looking over the description again, the Core became more sure of itself about what the skill entailed. Information could be gained through it, be that of other entities or other… non-entities. The newly created Dungeon-Core had not actually contemplated space being occupied by something other than thinking beings, but the concept made enough sense to be true.

However, this also led to the question of just how the Core was to test out how the skill worked. The Core still hadn’t been able to see much of the outside world, and there was quite clearly nothing from the outside trying to contact it.

… An answer would not be found in the next thousand thoughts. It was a waste of time, in the current moment, the [Tutorial] still having much to offer. However, such a thing did not mean that the Core would leave the subject still, already putting the ideas in the back of its mind, ready to be pulled out when the time was ready. Until then, the entry into the world would continue.

Tutorial:

The [Skill Screen] allows you to access information about any skill you have unlocked. Currently, there should only be a few, but the amount is sure to grow with time. [Skills] can be unlocked by fulfilling specific requirements. These requirements will vary wildly and can be different for each individual. The higher the skill rarity, the higher the requirements will be.

The information was great to have, the Core especially like the information about unlocking skills. It had already seen the power of having two skills in its own repertoire. It had seen what the two skills could do when put together. What, say, would happen when the Core had ten skills to work with?

The possibilities were large and wide, yet there were clearly a lot of things to do before it could do anything similarly large. It had taken so long for the Core to figure out how to attain the two skills it already held so dear. How long would it take to do it again, to gain knowledge it had never touched before? It would take more time than it could think, more time than it had currently lived.

Not that it was given up entirely, though. Like many times before, the Core was already trying to devise plans on how to gain a skill or two. Sure, it likely wouldn’t prove to be successful instantly, but that wouldn't be the same in the future. The Core knew that it was patient, and patience would be had when it came to power. It wanted more yet it also understood that it was restricted. Though, when the restrictions fell away? That was when it would become impatient.

The ideas fell back into its mind as the new screen showed itself.

Tutorial:

There is a third and final screen which you will need to be aware of. This is the [Title-Screen]. Like its name would hint at, this screen shows off your current title and the other titles in your collection.

The Core hardly allowed itself to tense up before making the next screen show itself. There wasn't much to know instantly, making it better to simply skip over to the information with more quality to it.

Title-Name

Rarity

Description

Effects

Dungeon-Core

Uncommon

You are born from Mana, molded from Mana, and allowed to think through Mana.

Increase Wisdom by 2

Ancient One

Legendary

You are older than the earth the entities stand on, yet you are still able to walk among them. For that, you have the respect of all

Increase Wisdom, Intelligence, and Willpower by 20%

Looking over it instantly, the Core wasn't surprised by the title at the top. It was called a Dungeon Core, after all. It would make sense to have a title that referred to it as such. The description, on the other hand, was more interesting than the name itself, the text heavily implying how it had been created. Mana had created it? Was Mana alive? Did it have a mind of its own? Could the Core talk to it? Mana seemed to be a very old concept, so there was a strong desire to see what it had heard and seen.

The effect was nice enough as well. An increase in the Wisdom stat was always welcome, after all. Since the Core had started with ten, an increase of two would allow for a twenty percent overall increase. Just how would it affect the Core?

Something to check for another time. For now, the Core simply looked past the effects of the first title, going down to the second title it had. It was quite peculiar it had two to start with, but the Core wouldn't question it.

… Was Ancient One also a variant of some kind? The Core knew that not all beings were Cores. However, all were a part of themself. They were each One. And, for whatever reason, it seemed that the Core was older than what it was supposed to be. Looking at the [Rarity] of the title, it had to assume as much. [Legendary] had to be a positive trait. And the effects that came with the title? They were better than anything seen before. A twenty percent increase had to mean good things.

The Core briefly tried to focus on the last title to see if additional information could be gained. And while this endeavour turned into one big failure, something else did happen because of it.

[Title] has been changed!

Your new title is: [The Ancient One]

While not the intention of the Core’s actions, there was no remorse over the outcome. A new addition to the list of changes was always welcome, though the Core wasn't too sure how it worked. The system overall was confusing with too many loose ends that needed to be checked. Focusing on one of the [Skills] did nothing, yet focusing on one of the [Titles] allowed for them to be changed. The Core would not have minded more information in the [Tutorial] surrounding techniques like what had just been witnessed.

However, it just had to make do with what it could. Instead of moping about what it likely couldn't have, the Core instead looked forward, ready to explore what there was to see. Thinking back on the last time it had seen its own status, the Core could remember seeing an empty space where a Title could be. Was there a chance that it had changed?

Character Screen

Name:

-

Gender:

-

Level:

1

Class:

Core

Race:

Core

Title:

The Ancient One

Health:

110/110

H-Regen:

0.1/sec

Mana:

130/130

M-Regen:

0.12/sec

Stamina:

-/-

S-Regen:

0/sec

Basic Stats

Strength:

-

Wisdom:

12

Vitality:

10

Intelligence:

12

Dex:

-

Willpower:

12

Noting how easy it had been to bring the Screen forth, the Core looked to the Title slot. It had already been filled with the Title it had focused on moments before, fitting in as if nothing had been changed. Looking to the [Basic Stats], the Core found all the Mental stats to have been changed around. However, there was no obvious change in its immediate mental state. Maybe the effect was too small? The Core couldn't be sure.

Titles were interesting, but the Core knew that it had gained as much as it could from them. While time could be spent wondering why the latter title was there, to begin with, it knew that answers would be far and few to come. Going forth yet again, the Core allowed the next window from the [Tutorial] to come around.

Tutorial:

While you might only have one title at the current time, certain feats will allow you to gain more. Many have triumphed due to their title's effects, so it might be a good idea to get a good one.

A good one had already been gained. Or, it might have been one. The Core wasn't sure, only knowing that the first Title it had was marginally worse than the one it had equipped for use. However, the promise of more titles to come was not something that went entirely under the Core’s peripheral. There were many things that could be done. Would it gain a title from working more with Mana? Or maybe doing something it hadn't done before with Mana?

Maybe if it grew skilled enough with something, it could be seen as one of those [Feats]. The Core wasn't exactly sure what a [Feat] was anyway, but it was sure they would be hard to complete. Focusing on the part of the message brought nothing, so the Core simply resigned itself to continuing with the [Tutorial], ready to gain some other information. If it was lucky, there was a chance it would even explain it.

Tutorial:

You have now completed the Tutorial. Due to this show of intelligence, you will be granted [5] attribute points to spend as you desire. Use them wisely.

Or maybe the Core would be indirectly informed that no further information would be shared. There were some minor feelings felt from the message put out, though the single being able to feel them was without any desire to show them off. Nothing was in a jumble, and the Core was ready to continue within a few hundred thoughts.

Unassigned attribute points? From what was said later in the message, the Core was wary about interacting with them. It knew that simply focusing on would likely bring them forth to be seen, yet it also knew that focusing on them had the potential of doing something that wouldn't be good. The Core didn't want to risk it.

So… there it was, without a [Tutorial] to keep it within the same kind of thinking-space. There was nothing that critically required its thoughts to be filled. Instead, it could think about whatever it pleased, nothing holding it back from doing just that. How wonderful an experience.

Going through its memories, the Core thought back to the first issue that still hadn't been figured out. It had wanted to gain access to the outside world. And it had done so, in some form or another. It had sent a pulse of Mana outside, and it had gained a taste of what it now knew to be a Mana Current. Just what was inside this Mana Current, what it felt like, and how it moved was all too much, for now, the Core not having paid attention to it at the time. And, before, there would have been no chance to repeat it, with other tasks having a higher priority. Oh, how things had changed.

Manipulating Mana was surprisingly easy. The Core may have had trouble at the start, yet such issues were non-existent now. After a mere hundred thoughts spent grappling with the issue of how it had felt to interact with Mana, it had been as easy as making the thoughts themselves. Inside the Core itself, at least. When the [Mana-Sense] was used in conjunction with [Mana-Manipulation] it became possible to see just how much Mana there already was inside. It was like a small series of pools, everything in a trance-flow, moving with a pattern that refused to ever stop. It was mesmerizing, even if there was no understanding of why it did what it was doing.

The Core was able to manipulate the flows easily, a push here and there creating endless consequences both before and after in the loop. Yet each push only had an effect for so long, the paths created after the fact growing weaker and weaker with each loop until it simply returned to what it had originally been like. It was something the Core could have watched for a thousand thoughts without getting bored, only thinking of why the original pattern was the way it was.

Not that it actually did so, the ability to do more than simply watch and observe being much more interesting. And while it now knew the general pattern of what Mana did when within itself, there was not much information about the outside. And… that wasn't something that the Core could accept on any meaningful levels. No, it couldn't accept it at all.

And so, with the might of all that was important, a burst of Mana was sent into the outside. It was like a swirl of… colours, waves, and so many other things. For the briefest of moments, everything could be seen for such a long distance, the Core’s sight being longer in one direction than it was wide. And the things it could see? It was more varied, brighter, and everything else in between. The inside could not amount to anything that could be seen outside. It needed more. It needed so much more.