[SCHEMA] You have now received what the SCHEMA system has determined to be the minimum amount of information necessary for survival in the Greater Galactic Civilization. The next section of the BEGINNER TUTORIAL is designed to familiarize USERS with the three general areas of combat utilized by the SCHEMA system. Many USERS who translate into the SCHEMA system have already developed certain combat skills that require no further instruction in order for them to gain the necessary SKILLs that will allow their ABILITIES to transfer into the SCHEMA system.

You may have noticed that some memories of your former life have begun to return. This has been done strategically to help you make required decisions. While the exact circumstances of your former memories are still obscured, the SCHEMA system has and will allow those related to the subject matter to filter in. the SCHEMA system is here to help!

The SCHEMA system has determined that you have sufficient combat SKILLs to ensure an above-average chance of survival should you decide to leave the BEGINNER TUTORIAL at this time. Considering only your innate combat SKILLs and ABILITIES, the SCHEMA system has determined that the chance of survival should you do so now is 28%. Average survival rate for most planets transferring into the SCHEMA system is 25%. Do you wish to end the SCHEMA system BEGINNER TUTORIAL at this time? WARNING! Should you decide to remain in the BEGINNER TUTORIAL, you will lose any chance to gain any experience that might have been earned from your combat SKILLS and ABILITES above that awarded for the completion of the BEGINNER TUTORIAL. This may result in the loss of significant experience and the chance of gaining more than the one level awarded!

You would think that after a morning filled with almost nothing but (literal) Earth-shattering shocks that I’d be immune or at least inured to more, but you’d be wrong. 25% survival? That’s 75% of eight billion souls! That was SIX BILLION PEOPLE wiped out! And we weren’t even at war!

“How can you justify that?” I shouted. Six billion people dead or soon to die, but to you, it’s just Tuesday! How can you just sit there and tell me that like our lives mean nothing? I was shaking with rage.

[SCHEMA] The SCHEMA system was designed an put into place by the most intelligent and compassionate representatives of the most Elder Races in the Galaxy. Without the SCHEMA system, the chance of survival for the Human Civilization approaches as near to zero as makes no difference. The SCHEMA system is here to help!

I just stood there burning with a level of anger that I had never experienced before. Only the fact that I had no physical outlet upon whom to inflict it kept me from, I don’t know what, some sort of berserker rampage. Something. Without even thinking about it, I turned and punched the nearest tree with every bit of my pathetic 1 STRENGTH.

The result was as painful and damaging as you might have guessed it would be. Damaging to me, that is. I pulled in my already swelling fist and hunched over it as if I could protect it from my own stupidity. The pain was outstanding, but it accomplished one thing, I regained enough of myself to at least allow speech.

“How do you know that? Can SCHEMA see the future as well as read minds?” scorn dripped from every word.

The SCHEMA system employs the most powerful and advanced modeling system ever conceived by sentient minds. While no sentient life form has ever been found that can reliably see into the future, since the inception of the SCHEMA modeling system, no event has occurred that was not predicted by the SCHEMA system, first. SCHEMA is not the enemy of Humanity.

I’ll be the judge of that, I thought sourly, and who confirmed that things are all going according to what SCHEMA predicted? Confirmation? Or self-fulfilling prophecy? I wondered. I took several deep breaths, holding them and releasing them slowly through my nostrils until my pulse slowed down and the hottest part of my anger passed.

*DING*[i]

The chime of an incoming SKILL or ABILITY notification almost undid me, but just then, my hand throbbed, and I managed to keep my breathing steady until I calmed once again. Anger definitely had a place in the world, but it had a time, too, and I knew that now was not the time.

*DING*[ii]

*DING*[iii]

I blew out my breath explosively. “Could you PLEASE stop with the notifications for just a minute until I get myself under control here? They are definitely not helping!”

[SCHEMA] Audio alerts of incoming notification muted until further notice. NOTE! Information on Translation Die-Out is extremely upsetting for many USERs, but the SCHEMA system has determined that this information, while not vital for survival, is important for understanding the role of SCHEMA in the Greater Galactic Civilization.

It has been noted that you have experienced a more robust reaction than average. We have determined that while true and necessary, the information may not have been imparted in an optimum manner. NOTE! It has been decided that the SCHEMA BEGINNER TUTORIAL system is at fault! It is within the purview of this section of the SCHEMA BEGINNER TUTORIAL system to offer you compensation for your physical and emotional distress. Your injuries will be healed without cost to you! Additionally, at the end of the BEGINNER TUTORIAL a choice of rewards will be offered from which you may choose. The SCHEMA system is here to help!

I was getting mighty tired of hearing that the murderous SCHEMA system was here to help. “When all else fails, resort to bribery, is that it?” Still, I was never one to turn down a good bribe when my life was on the line, so I let it go.

I hadn’t noticed, but while SCHEMA had been blathering on about how special and “helpful” it was, the throbbing in my hand had faded away. Now, I noticed a warmth spreading down my arm. When it reached my hand, it jerked and I felt several sharp pains as bones moved and joints snapped back into place.

“OW! Has the almighty SCHEMA system never heard of local anesthetics?” I straightened up and shook my hand, which now felt just as good as it always did.

[SCHEMA]: SCHEMA system healing, in all but the most severe cases, occurs at such a rapid pace that applying an alchemic anesthetic is contraindicated. You have now regained full use of your hand in far less time than it would have taken an anesthetic to wear off.

Typical, I groused internally. Sensing my mood, SCHEMA wisely decided to ignore my pique and move on.

The final section of the BEGINNER TUTORIAL concerns SCHEMA system CRAFTING SKILLs. As with combat related SKILLs, many USERS already have ABILITES that will easily translate into the SCHEMA system.

The SCHEMA system has determined that you have sufficient combat SKILLs to ensure an above-average chance of survival should you decide to leave the BEGINNER TUTORIAL at this time. Considering both your innate combat and your relevant CRAFTING SKILLs and ABILITIES, the SCHEMA system has determined that the chance of survival should you do so now is 35%. Do you wish to end the SCHEMA system BEGINNER TUTORIAL at this time? WARNING! Should you decide to remain in the BEGINNER TUTORIAL, you will lose any chance to gain any experience that might have been earned from your combat and CRAFTING SKILLS and ABILITIES above that awarded for the completion of the BEGINNER TUTORIAL. This may result in the loss of significant experience and the chance of gaining more than the one level awarded!

At this time, you may choose to skip the combat section of the BEGINNER TUTORIAL and go on to the CRAFTING section of the BEGINNER TUTORIAL. You may also elect to leave the BEGINNER TUTORIAL completely at this time. Do you wish to skip the combat section of the BEGINNER TUTORIAL, or do you wish to end the BEGINNER TUTORIAL at this time?

[i] [SCHEMA] Congratulations! You have learned the new SKILL Meditation! Meditation is an essential prerequisite in both MANA and SPIRIT regeneration and manipulation!

[ii] [SHEMA] Congratulations! You have acquired the ABILITY STRATEGIC THINKER! +1 CHARISMA

[iii] [SCHEMA] +1 WILLPOWER