The window seemed to pulse with new weight. Traits etched into her identity. The word Cultivation lingered like a promise; her throat tightened. The thought was dizzying, both terrifying and intoxicating. She noticed the finalization button at the bottom of her vision:
[Hero Sheet confirmation: Confirm / Edit]
She flexed her will and pressed the 'Confirm' button. The windows blinked out, leaving her alone in the cold, dark void. For the first time, she felt the faint surge of something vast inside of her, down just below her navel, a small source of energy vibrating with purpose. She probed it mentally and felt it thrum with intent. The flow of mana, restless and waiting.
A 'Br-r-ring' noise sounded, and a new window opened in the darkness and closed just as fast.
[Forerunner Title Activated]
The darkness around Alyx pulsed like a heartbeat, and the silence was broken by a faint hum like a built in the fan, followed by a shimmer of pale blue light pulsed out of her that condensed directly in front of her. Three waves in total; gathered into a small, floating orb that brightened with each wave into a ball of light, not a screen this time, but a glowing wisp of Blue-Gray flame. The sphere bobbed in the air like it was alive, throwing soft glimmers off into the darkness.
Then it spoke, its voice warm but wry.
{“Well, aren’t you lucky. Not everyone gets their own guide Wisp. I’m Willow. You...You’re apparently special with that Forerunner Title and all, must be Alyx. Congratulations, try not to die.”} Willow said.
Alyx blinked. “…You’re… the system?”
The wisp pulsed in amusement, its glow brightening.
{“Not exactly. The 'System' is boring. I’m more like your translator, your … let’s say, life coach with a sense of humor. The rectangular windows? Those are the 'System'. The charming voice in your ear? That’s me.”}
Before Alyx could say anything, another window blinked into view beside the wisp.
[Health, Panache, Mental, and Mana have been quantified. Current baseline established.
Sum of all (Stats) Also known as the hero's focus pool or HFP: ('Physical 3' + 'Mental 2' + 'Social 3' + 'Ethereal 2') = 10
'Vital' capacity are derived from the following: ((Dantian Level) x (Level)) x (Corresponding Stat)
Health: ((Dantian Level) x (Level)) x (Physical) = (1x3)x3 = 9
Panache: ((Dantian Level) x (Level)) x (Social) = (1x3)x3 = 9
Sanity: ((Dantian Level) x (Level)) x ((Mental) = (1x3)x2 = 6
Mana: ((Dantian Level) x (Level)) x (Ethereal) = (1x3)x2 = 6
Regeneration - per 'Vital bar': (('HFP' / 4) +/- modifier) round down: 3]
Alyx exhaled slowly, trying to ground herself. “Okay… health is obvious. Panache is different but understandable; extra or stunt actions, right?
Willow bobbed closer, giving off a faint Blueish-gray shimmer, like it was proud, she asked.
{“Yes, Panache’s your body’s flambouancy fuel tank. Swing a sword, sprint, climb, fight, and you burn Panache. Run out, and you collapse in a sweaty heap. Mana, think of 'magic', or better yet, the stuff that makes magic work. Think of it like brain-battery mixed with raw willpower. Too low, and you’ll feel like someone wrung you out like a dirty dishcloth. As for 'Health'… well, I don’t need to explain what happens when that hits zero, do I? ... Death, it's death.”} Willow finished the last part in a stage whisper.
At the bottom of the window, Alyx saw a note.
[Note: All the vitals regenerate at a certain rate, which can be viewed on the Hero's sheet, and will vary depending on different situations. Some skills may aid any or all of the regeneration rates.
{“Translation: Don’t get stabbed, don’t run yourself ragged, and don’t blow all your magic in one go unless you like face-planting. I'll read between the lines for you here... Learn to Capital 'M' meditate.”} Willow summarized.
Alyx sucked in a breath and looked at the ball of light. “Ok, but what...” Willow continued as if Alyx didn't say anything.
{… The system tracks 4 main indicators: Health, Panache, Sanity, and Mana. As there are 4 different stats 'health' vitals tracked, but in different ways (Physically, Mentally, Socially, and Ethereally). Physical and Social health are the 'Health and Panache', while Mental Health is Sanity, and Ethereal Health is the Mana.} Willow paused as Alyx's eyes had glossed over. So, Willow waited for Alyx to show a sign of comprehension.
After about a minute of waiting, Willow sensed Alyx starting to come around and continued. “Wait, you forgot about Sanity. Why is that being tracked?” Alyx asked.
{“The other stat 'health'; 'Mental', is more esoteric and not as prevalent in use as the others are. Sanity is the body's...hmm.... 'Cognitive Stability' protects you from chaos and... other things. You have not gone insane, yet have you? I just hate it when a good mime goes to waste. For further explanation of the Baseline calculations, see the system's help section or just ask me later...”} Willow stated with a knowing tone in the wispy voice and tone.
Alyx pinched the bridge of her nose. “This feels like there is a lot to take in. So is this all real?”
{“That’s because it is, darling. Welcome to your new normal. Post-apocalyptic chic; like Fallout meets a Renaissance fair, but with a lot more fireballs and way less toilets.”}
Another window snapped into being.
[System Tutorial initialized and ready to start.
Default HUD Interface toggle activated. ]
{“Here we go. Think of this as your trial by fire. You’ll learn to fight, to fall, and hopefully to stand back up again. I’ll keep score, the [System] will keep track, and if you’re lucky, you might even survive long enough to thank me. Trust me, you don't want to skip this.”}
The first thing Alyx noticed was the different bars, boxes, and icons that sat along the bottom of her vision, soft but unignorable, as they just showed up.
She blinked, unsettled. “What the hell is this?”
{“Alright, rookie, listen up. This is your heads-up display or 'hud' for short: on the lower left, those bars are your lifelines: Health, Panache, Sanity, and Mana. Lose track of them, and you’re a smear. If you look at your Hero Sheet, you may be able to deduce that your stats have a large role in all of the bars sitting over there in the corner of your vision. Physical is tied to your Health, Panache is your Social, Mental is your Sanity, and Ethereal is your Mana. All of them have nuances that we do not have time to go into right now, but I need to tell you, Mana, it isn’t just a stat. It’s what happens when all of you stop fighting yourself.
Going on, the bottom center are the boxes for Skills, Abilities, Talents; you’ll slot them in this 'Hot Bar' when you’re not 'in combat', AKA no panicking, for a visual representation of skill “cool down” or skill readiness. Lower right? That’s system chatter and notifications. Try not to drool on it, okay?”}
Semi-transparent data pulsed around her vision. Red, Green, Amber, and Blue; for Health, Panache, Sanity, and Mana, respectively. Each bar throbbed with a rhythm, adjusting to her breaths and movements. “HUD interface has a toggle? Does that mean I can turn it off?” Alyx asked.
{“Sort of, it is like couture eye wear, but think of them as your new limbs. Treat them like they matter, because they do. If you close your eyes, you can see that they disappear, but they are not 'turned off'; they are just not backlit. It would suck if it was still there when you closed your eye at night, wouldn't it?”}
Alyx flexed her fingers. The HUD responded, faint flickers rippling across the bars.
[System Note: HUD is fully operational. All actions, points, and status effects will be displayed in real-time. Vitals will be simulated for the tutorial.]
{“And just so we’re clear: some of your Skills, Abilities, or Talents will bend this HUD to your favor. For example, the Skill: Local Area Knowledge- That’ll pull up a map when you’re lost. When your survival 'skills' are trained up, it’ll trail your prey like neon breadcrumbs. It’s not going to make life easy, but it’ll tilt the odds. Welcome to your new reality. Alive enough to get you killed if you’re sloppy.”}
Alyx focused on the Tutorial screen and selected
[System Tutorial starting in 3, 2, 1 … Please stand by.]
Alyx swallowed hard, steeling herself. “Fine, it's a tutorial, that can't be too bad, let’s do this?”
The wisp twirled in a lazy arc, pulsing brighter with glee.
{“That’s the spirit. Try not to scream too much. It ruins my glow.”}
The void quaked beneath Alyx’s feet. The obsidian floor liquefied and hardened again, reshaping into a slick stone patterned with glowing blue veins that pulsed, in some type of grid. The air was heavy with copper and ozone, like the aftermath of lightning.
Her skin prickled. Neon lines carved themselves into the black horizon, stretching upward into skeletal skyscrapers, fractured and unfinished.
The plane rumbled, stone cracking. A shape tore free from the shadows, smoke weaving into a too-thin humanoid with ember-red eyes like hunger.
Her scream froze in her throat. Instinct shoved her body sideways, dodging out of reach. Claws scraped sparks where she’d stood.
[Skill proven: Combat Defense]
Specific Skill unlocked: Dodge
{“Look at that. You didn’t face-plant. Congrats, and you’ve earned yourself your first skill. Don’t let it go to your head.”}
A glimmer formed across the ground. A staff—oak, worn, and humming faintly, as though it had been waiting. For a split moment, Alyx had a pang of regret that it wasn't her HEMA sword. She knew the staff, but she loved the sword. The weapon on the ground changed. Where the staff was, now was a sword. Much like the sword she uses to practice. It looked worn but cared for, plain but still functional. Alyx didn't waste any time and seized it.
“What the ...” Alyx said out loud.
{“Oh, the system works off of intent. The system assessed the total hours you have spent with a weapon and gave you a staff, but your passion for the sword affected the option algorithm to force the system's choice to what you wanted... Impressive.”} Willow the wisp said while it bobbed up and down. When she picked up the sword, a window opened up telling her the stats of the tutorial weapon.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
[Item acquired: Training 'Hand and a Half' Sword]
Item type: Blade
Weight: 1.5kg
Condition: Training
Cost: NA
Dismissing the window and only half listening to Willow, Alyx grabbed the weapon and, with well-practiced ease, got into a known fighting stance and was ready. The shadow lunged again. She swung and felt an unexpected type of resistance, like what she thought cutting through very thick or dense gelatin would feel like. Light burst down the blade, as the creature popped and unraveled into smoke.
[Skill proven: One-Handed]
Specific Skill unlocked: Edged
Alyx’s breath hitched, exhilaration shaking her voice when she said, as a feeling of practised familiarity ran through her. “It’s like the world is rewriting me in real time.”
{“Exactly. You’re a patch update. Try not to crash the system.”}
Another shadow charged. Alyx was startled but not caught off guard. Reacting, she grabbed the hilt of the blade in both hands. Turn-stepping, she exhaled as she swung with power from her hips. Heat bloomed in her chest, down her arms, and spilling into the sword as she squared off with her target and brought the training sword down with both hands. Alyx noticed a blue-greyish light emanating from the blade as it cleaved into the shadow. The strike landed with searing exertion she felt through her bones and a slight “pop” as the shadow burst like a bubble and faded away
[Skill proven: Two-Handed:]
Specific Skill unlocked: Edged
[Ability discovered: Power Strike. Cost: Mana: 5 | Panache: 2 ]
Alyx collapsed to one knee with the strike, chest heaving and hollowed. Her gaze darted to the HUD: Health 13/13 | Mana 6/11 | Panache 11/14
“Mana ... and Panache?” she rasped. “Why both – drained this time?”
{“Yes, Arcane juice comes from your Mana pool. Run it too low, and your body will raid Panache to keep the lights on. Burn through that, too? It’ll eat at your Health too. Think jumper cables clamped to your brain and ribs; nasty business. If you are spending just Panache, though, running that low, you will just be exhausted till it has recovered.}
“If I had time, I could meditate to speed up the recovery time?” Alyx assumed.
{“Yes, who told you? Oh, wait, I did. Way to go, me.”} Willow mocked. {“Look alive, more are coming.”}
When Alyx looked, the wisp warned just as three sets of eyes appeared in the darkness.
Alyx wasn't caught 'flat-footed'; however, her weapon was not at the ready when the first of the new group appeared, dropping her guard was something a new fighter would do, and Alyx berated herself for only a second. (Stupid move, Aly. Focus, here comes the first one.) She stole a glance at her vitals and noticed her health was fine, her mana was almost to half, and panache was down acouple points. Her Mana and Panache both seemed to regenerate a point or two since the last attack. Not much, it was going to have to be enough.
Time seemed to slow, and a rushing sound filled the background in Alyx's ears.
Alyx had knowingly thought through her sequence of attacks... (sidestepped the first shadow's lunge and swung the sword upwards from the lower right to the upper left; across its body. Pivot spin and follow up with a spinning back-hand striking with her off hand to the second lunging shadow, meanwhile, I will use the momentum I have built up and pivot off my left leg for a round-house kick at the third shadow. This will leave me lined up perfectly to finish with a double-handed downward slash from the upper right to the lower left on the fourth shadow.) Then, as a bad ass action sequence played out, Alyx flicked her sword clean of imaginary blood and returned to her ready stance. Breathing hard with the battle, Alyx heard a slight “pop ... pop, pop, pop”.
Alyx looked at her status bar again. Health 13/13 | Mana 7/11 | Panache 8/14, (that only took 4 Panache?) Alyx thought. A notification flickered open.
[Specific Skill Increase: One-Handed - Edged]
[Skill proven: Dual-Wielding:]
Specific Skill unlock: Brawl
Smoke started to coalesce, and shapes gathered together. First four, then six, no, a dozen, red eyes stared at her. Lined up like bowling pins; row after row. Out of nowhere, rage clawed its way up Alyx’s throat, and she screamed. Her mana gathered in her chest like before, but traveled down both arms. She jumped up into the air and brought her sword up over her head. The mana flowed into the blade as she slammed it down, laying the blade on the ground as she landed in a kneeling position, pointing to the lead shadow. In the direction of the leap and strike, the ground erupted; shards of “earth” were ejected from where they were previously at rest and flung into the pack of shadows. The world cracked. Shockwave. Shadows tore apart in an instant.
{Strike! Rack them up and knock them down!} Willow yelled!
[Talent discovered: Cone of Shockwave: Mana Cost: 7 | Panache Cost: 4
- minimum skill requirement of Dual-wielding 3 not met, tutorial override granted:
Cost doubled Mana 14 | Panache 8
Insufficient Mana - supplemented with Health
Insufficient Panache – Health condition compromised.]
She fell forward, vision fading. Her bars bled out: Health 4/13 | Mana 0/11 | Panache 0/14. Alyx’s vision blurred, and her head swam, and she had trouble reading the window. Tasting a warm coppery liquid in her mouth, Alyx spit out blood.
{Oh, um, that, that shouldn't be possible. Yeah, that's not good.} Willow announced
[Survival Trial Complete. Actions logged.
Hero Creation sequence unlocked.]
Alyx didn't feel it when her head hit the ground. She came to, cheek sticky against cold stone. Red streaked her spit. She forced herself to her knees, dizzy. “Not just…. It took something else...” spitting blood, glaring at the bars. “What... the hell just happened to me? Why do I feel like I got wrung out and thrown down a flight of stairs?” Willow accessed the Alyx’s system logs and showed her by displaying the combat log screen, but to Alyx it seemed just words and numbers, her head was still spinning, and she new she couldn’t focus, she just asked Willow to summarize it.
{“Yup. You went big; the system had to dip into your health to cover the bill. Silver lining? You’re not a corpse. Yet.”}
Alyx barked a bitter laugh.
[System Access: Combat Log Retrieval…]
Restricted Talent Used: Shockwave (Edge Weapon) Mana Cost: 7 (14) | Panache Cost: 4 (8)
Requirements – costs doubled.
Mana Insufficient – Health
Applied to cover – Condition applied
Panache drained –Condition applied
Debuff Conditions applied to Hero Status.
Debuffs Applied:
Mana Depletion 1: Warn Hero by lowering Visual Acuity.
Panache Depletion 1: Warn Hero by decreasing action accuracy
Temporary Vital Status:
- Health: 4/13
- Panache: 0/14
- Sanity: 11/11
- Mana: 0/11
“Ah, Translation?” Alyx asked, still winded.
{“You nuked your mana bar, sucked your Panache tank dry, and the system decided to keep the lights on by bleeding it out of your health pool. You’re alive, but you paid for it in bruises, blood, and brain fog. Honestly? You should be impressed you’re still standing, well, lying down, well, at least not dead. “See? It's not all doom, just… mostly.”}
Alyx sat up slowly and got to her feet even slower. She nodded weakly. The HUD logs flickered closed, clinical and merciless.
“I was meant to go through this, wasn’t I?” she asked.
{“Pretty much. It is a 'trial' run. Rougher than advertised, maybe… sorry about that. But at least you didn’t die in the tutorial.”}
That last bit stuck with Alyx, “Others have died because of the tutorial?”
{“Nope, not yet atleast.”} Willow replied suspiciously fast.
Alyx groaned when another window opened.
[Your Skills, Talents, Abilities, and Spells, including any developed or discovered in the tutorial, have been recorded and will be available to you during level-up, as options for starting skills for your local population. Your decisions will shape more than your own fate; they will help define your people.]
The neon cityscape dissipated, and Alyx’s eyes narrowed.
{“Although this isn’t just about surviving, Alyx. It’s about leading. You’re the Forerunner. No walking away from that. Not if you want anyone else to make it.”}
Her lips pulled into a shaky smile as she thought (This is what Blade Runner would be like with magic.) And she was already part of it. “Willow, what happened here, to earth? Wait.... no, where did the system come from?
{“Chin up, rookie. That was just a construct. Your world’s still out there, it's just much, much worse. You’ve got work to do.”}
Alyx took a deep breath, and with a sigh, she thought, (Another damn window).
[Tutorial Complete]
Alyx didn't have enough mental fortitude to think the word “close”. It just seemed to do it by itself, like it had become second nature by this point. Alyx noticed the training sword disappeared along with the tutorial world.
“Now what?” Alyx asked.
{“Now, you wake up, 'Alice', and welcome to your new reality.”} Willow said
Alyx's vision swam as a head-rush crashed into Alyx, and her world faded to black. “But wai..” Alyx got out before everything faded to (you didn’t answer ...) She finished before she was out.
// note to the reader. The following is a “crunchy” section for those readers who like numbers. Go ahead and skip to the next chapter.
[Current Hero Overview]
Name: Alyx Vayne
Titles: Hero (Common), Forerunner (Mythic)
Race: Human - Level 3
(Humans gain Per Level a+1 to any already “unlocked” Specific Skill (of choice), and +10 KP)
Background: Monk (Monks gain a +1 to Attribute: Athletics). Monks are skilled pugilists with limited (by choice) weapon knowledge,
Reputation: 1
Fame: 0
Kysmit Points: 313 / 440 kp
Experience: 1,300 xp
[Stats / Attributes] Stat = {Attributes/3}
Physical: 3 {Athletics 4; Body 3; Strength 3}
Mental: 2 {Instinct 2; Perception 3; Wits 3}
Social: 3 {Arbitration 3; Rebuttal 3; Mental 3}
Ethereal: 2 {Conviction 2; Focus 3; Quintessence 3}
[Vitals] - ((Dantian Level '1') x (Corresponding Stat)) x (Level '3') =
Health: (1x3)x3 = 9
Sanity: (1x2)x3 = 6
Panache: (1x3)x3 = 9
Mana: (1x2)x3 = 6
Regeneration - per 'Vital bar': (('HFP' / 4) +/- modifier) round down: 3]
- Some Vitals may require skill or other external factors to regenerate
[Traits]
Cultivation - Granted by Title: Hero
Dantian Rank: F1 (DV2 = [D4 action modifier])
Meridian Formation - Mana channels established
Natural Armor [physical]: +1
[Abilities]
None
Purchasable -
Power Strike (Edge Weapon): 1KP (tutorial unlock)
- Activation Cost: 5 Mana | 2 Panache
[Talents]
None
Purchasable -
Cone of Shockwave (Edged Weapon): 1KP (tutorial unlock)
-Activation Cost: Mana Cost: 7 | Panache Cost: 4
[Skills]
Physical Skills:
Acrobatics: 3
Combat Defense: 3
+ Dodge: 1
Constitution: 1
Martial Arts: 3
Stealth: 1
Survival: 2
Mental Skills:
Observation: 1
Education: 1
Language: Common (Read/Write): 1
Language: Common (Spoken): 1
Medicine: 1
Social Skills:
Deception: 1
Deliberation: 1
Discover Information: 1
Gaming: 1
Intimidation: 2
Leadership: 2
Politics: 1
Ethereal Skills:
Cultivation: 1
Domain: 1
Weapon Skills:
Dual-Wielding: 3
+ Brawl: 1
One-Handed: 3
+ Edged: 2
Pole Weapon: 3
Two-Handed: 1
+Edged: 1
Thrown: 1
Archery: 1