Elijah remembered drifting to sleep thinking about how he needed to take off early for Annual Training the next day. He had woken up to, this. And he didn’t want to think too hard about what the rest of that meant. Thankfully, being trained as a Guard Medical Specialist and years as a paramedic prepared you for, if nothing else, surprises. Maybe not this specific kind of reality shattering surprise, but it was still significantly better than no training at all he imagined. He took a second look at the screen this mysterious entity had shown him and tried to do what his training demanded, assess the situation.

Status

Name: Elijah Gabriel Nguyen

Class: NA, Level 0

Race: Human, Level 1

Constitution: 115

Resistance: 102

Resilience: 104

Strength: 92

Endurance (G): 116

Dexterity: 88

Intelligence: 103

Wisdom: 114

Acuity: 98

Perception (L): 78

Charisma: 100

Luck: 98

Evolution Points: 250

Class Experience: NA

Racial Experience: 0/100

Skills

Scarification Tier 1

Self Regulation Tier 1

Endurance Hunter Tier 1

Hysterical Strength Tier 1

Enhanced Charisma Tier 1

Jack of All Trades Tier 1

“It appears my greatest strength, according to this, is my staying power. I need to capitalize on that. Would you please bring up the Racial Traits again Voice? Without the long description please.”

“Of course, Seed 166.”

“It would be best to admit that if I do this I am probably going to get hit. A lot. I am going to need to increase my endurance even more most likely. Please spend 40 EP to upgrade Endurance Hunter and Scarification to Tier 2.”

As he said the words, he felt something throughout his body. Not painfully, but like when you feel a shiver run its way down your spine, expanding and spreading to his limbs as well. When he looked at the menu again, the words had changed.

Racial Traits

Evolution Points: 210

Scarification: Tier 2 (Tier 3 cost: 30 EP)

Self-Regulation: Tier 1 (Tier 2 cost: 20 EP)

Endurance Hunter: Tier 2 (Tier 3 cost: 30 EP)

Hysterical Strength: Tier 1 (Tier 2 cost: 20 EP)

Enhanced Charisma: Tier 1 (Tier 2 cost: 20 EP)

Jack of All Trades: Tier 1 (Tier 2 cost: 20 EP)

“Hard to say how much that changed, but our traits put us on top on Earth. Hard to imagine they would be worthless here. I need to ration the rest though. At minimum I need three things. A weapon of some kind, something to protect myself, and a way to fix myself up. I didn’t see any guns in the item shop and I’m not about to run around with a sword and no training. I also didn’t see a healing spell, but the shop had basic medical supplies for fairly cheap. It also listed health potions, but those might be outside my price range. I should probably save some points for food and water as well in case I can’t find any wherever I end up after this timer finishes counting down.”

“Well, if I am going for outlasting my opponent, I think that armor spell is probably the way to go when it comes to protecting myself. I imagine that will up my survivability a lot, and maybe it will help me out with deciding on how I am going to deal with attacks. Voice, please spend 50 Evolution Points on Common Armor Spell.”

“Matching Armor spell to existing magical element. Error. Individual is not an awakened mage. Preparing to awaken magical abilities. To ignite your own magic, you will be exposed to Primordial Chaos for one minute. An element will be awakened within you according to elemental aptitude.”

“What?”

“Chaos Gate opening in 3”

“Could we please wait on this? Give me a chance to prepare.”

“2”

“Should I hold my breath or something?”

“1”

“Well, thank you for the countdown I guess.”

A tear appeared in front of Elijah. And through it, Elijah could see everything. Not just everything that was, everything that could be and everything that could never be. The pure wonderful, terrible impossibility that the ever-shifting scene showed him forced his eyes shut. Then he felt the tear envelope him. What followed was one of the worst and best minutes of his life. His skin burned as his bones froze, all while his heart told him he was enveloped in the embrace of a lover, then sitting on his father’s lap and eating his mother’s home-made cooking. It was ecstasy. It was torture. It was impossible. And then it was over.

When Elijah felt Chaos recede, it took most of the memories of his time there back as well. One small spark was left, however, a spark that settled inside him and began to color something within. Previously unnoticed veins of power running throughout him came alive, and were slowly colored a deep red. A small alert sounded and a new type of window opened. Appearing across the air in front of him as though written in fine calligraphy, he was informed of his new status.

Luck activated! You have gained access to the Deeper Magic Blood Magic. Access to Beginner Blood Magic Spells has been opened. At this time the following spells have been granted.

Blood Blade: Create a blade from solidifying either your own blood or blood around you.

Bleed: Cause existing wounds on a creature to deal additional bleed damage.

Sacrifice: Utilize the health of yourself or other creatures instead of mana to cast spells.

Additional Spells can be discovered through practice or research.

Your Common Armor Spell has been attuned to your Mana and affected by your heartfelt need at this time. Congratulations! You have unlocked the spell Blooddrinker Armor - Beginner. In addition to slightly increasing your defense, this armor will drink the blood from its surroundings to strengthen itself and heal its user. Drinking large amounts of blood from one individual will result in increasing bleed damage to and drastically increased defense against that individual.

“Well now. That is a disturbing spell set, but exactly what I need. I wonder what it says about me that I apparently have a high aptitude for Blood Magic? I might have to rethink my stance on a sword at this rate. Still, I need a better way to deal damage. Or at least something to make using a sword safer until I am more capable with one.”

“Please show me the Abilities Menu again voice. I still have enough for another purchase or two, but I need to think first.”

Abilities

Evolution Points: 160

Enhanced Mind (Basic) – cost 50 EP

Enhanced Physique (Basic) – cost 50 EP

Extended Senses (Basic) – cost 50 EP

Meditate (Basic) – cost 100 EP

Armor Spell (Common) – cost 50 EP

Aura Spell (Common) – cost 100 EP

Bolt Spell (Common) – cost 100 EP

Enhancement Spell (Common) – cost 50 EP

Awaken Second Magic Aptitude – cost 1500 EP

“It would likely be best for me to purchase a Bolt spell. That seems like the main offensive option. An Aura spell would probably be my other option. Hopefully it would let me fight more effectively close range, and if I am serious about learning to use a sword it might be the way to go. Yeah, the more I think about it the more I like that plan.” Psyching himself up, Elijah remembered the points he had already spent. “Plus, there is the fact I already set myself up to take hits. Kind of a waste if I then go on to shoot everything from one hundred feet away with a bolt spell. Guess that’s that. Voice, please spend one hundred Evolution Points to unlock Common Aura Spell.”

Your Common Aura Spell has been attuned to your Mana and affected by your image for its purpose. Congratulations! You have unlocked the spell Blood Roil Aura. Opponents who enter the range of this spell will feel their blood agitate and rile within their veins resulting in sickness, distraction, and decreased coordination.

“Well. I guess that settles it. Definitely a solid base to be some kind of sword wielding endurance fighter.” With that in mind, Elijah spent forty-three points on a common grade short sword and common grade set of leather armor, saving the last seventeen points for food and water emergencies.

After he got used to wearing his new armor and at least making basic slashes with the sword, he spent a while practicing his abilities. Unfortunately, with-out an opponent or sparring partner he couldn’t get a good feel for his abilities or actual combat effectiveness. Knowing there wasn’t much more he could do with the current situation, he decided it would be best to rest for the coming ordeal. So decided, he went to sleep asking the Voice to wake him up when he only had an hour left on the countdown.