Immediately upon saying that, waves of agony seared his body, inside and out. Once again, if there was a ground, he would be sprawled out on it. Clenching his jaw so much from the pain he felt, some of his teeth cracked, his muscles tore from flexing them beyond what they could handle, and he almost blacked out. The pain felt like it lasted for hours.
While his body was going through its own apocalypse, Alex felt his mind… expand. He could feel and see the mana more distinctly, and his senses increased in their range. The mana around him became so much clearer, and he didn’t understand how he hadn’t realized it was space mana. It was so obvious to him now, so apparent, and so much.. his. The space mana felt like it was made for him, born for him, and was a part of him.
Warmth and comfort flowed into his body; pain was whisked away, relief flooding through him. The damage he did to himself from the pain was healing quickly, muscles reconnecting and growing stronger, and he felt his entire existence was being remade. Stronger, faster, more durable. Life and mana swirled around him as he became more sensitive to it. He knew if he fought that commander right now, he would have won easily.
“Good. You made it through your first evolution without losing consciousness. You did well. The first is always the most painful. The body of an unranked, joining the ranking scale, is a difficult process. And as a Progenitor, yours is more painful than most, though a lot less messy.” Archy said to him as he caught his breath and savored the moment of pain relief.
“How would it be messy?” Alex huffed out.
“When someone evolves, their body rejects the impurities inside. This usually produces a rather vile-smelling fluid that seeps out of the person's skin. That doesn’t happen to you, because you're a Progenitor, and you have no impurities. But that also makes it more painful because you don’t have that fluid to ease your pain. It acts as a minor anesthetic and a sort of grease, reducing the pain a little as things change more easily.”
“I see… So more pain in exchange for not stinking after. Maybe that's a good thing.” He chuckled. Still refusing to think about all this mind-blowing information. One step at a time.
“Oh, it definitely is. Wait until your friends go through it. You’ll want to burn anything that fluid touches. Now, go ahead and examine your notifications, and then we’ll discuss them.”
Alex did just that, pulling up his notifications, and he checked the first one.
Congratulations, you’ve reached level 10!
+15 free stats points gained
Congratulations, you have ranked up to Bronze!
Achievement earned:
Ahead of the Pack
You are ahead of everyone in your tutorial and were the first to rank up to Bronze.
+5 to all stats and SP earned
Achievement earned:
Planetary Powerhouse I
On your entire Prime Planet, and new residents planned to come after the tutorial, you have been the first to rank up to Bronze.
+5% to all stats and SP earned
Congratulations, Progenitor, you have unlocked the Third of your racial abilities.
Will of the Universe (Racial Ability)
You have reached the Bronze rank, unlocking the truth of what a Progenitor values most. Willpower. As such, your willpower will both challenge and test you, boosting all stats by 40% of your base willpower. The journey of a progenitor is not for the weak or unmotivated, as it also reduces your leveling speed. Quality is more important than simply being higher-level. You will need 250% more experience than normal to level up, and experience from anything below you is greatly reduced.
Congratulations, Progenitor, you have unlocked the Fourth of your racial abilities.
Space Magic (Racial Ability)
Space Magic is the key to everything for a Progenitor. It is who they are and what they live for. A Progenitor without Space Magic would be a Swordsman without a sword. This ability unlocks your inherent self, infusing you with spatial mana and allowing you to manipulate it. Space Magic will naturally alter everything you do and everything you already are. You must learn and experiment to see what this entails.
Holy shit, that’s a lot to take in. Two achievements, more stats for level 10, and two racial abilities. I don’t know how I feel about Will of the Universe… sure, my stats will all jump, but that 2.5x more experience needed is going to suck. That [Space Magic] ability, though, feels so amazing, I feel it everywhere.. coursing through my body, the air, all of it. It's like I’m breathing it, it's a part of me, more than ever before.
“I see you checked them. Now that you’ve unlocked your Space Magic, you're a true progenitor, not only one in name, but now one in spirit and power. Any questions about what you see, young Progenitor?”
“Can you explain about racial abilities and normal skills? Are racial skills unique to me?”
“No. Every race in the Universal System has racial abilities. Though yours will be more powerful than others, and you’ll have more than most. This is simply because of how much more powerful your new race is, compared to, say, a human. Your friends will all gain racial abilities too when their time comes. Usually, at least one is unlocked upon evolving to Bronze for most species in the universe, though some may have them earlier.
That is the inherent difference between a skill and an ability. Normal skills, like [Power Strike] or [Fireball], comes from classes. Abilities come from the person themselves, typically from their race. You’ll also occasionally hear the term spell, but thats just a different name for skills. The Universal System doesn’t differentiate. But sometimes denizens like to say Skills or Spells, as if they’re separate things. They are not. A [Fireball] would be both a skill and a spell.
And about species. For your general knowledge, humans are more adaptable and versatile, as reflected in their racial abilities. They aren’t the most powerful, but they are the most adaptable and diverse of any race, a jack of all trades if you will. That’s a fun fact for you.” Archy said with a smile; he clearly enjoyed acting like a teacher and dispensing knowledge.
“Hmm, I’ve heard that about humans before, too. Interesting it's true in the universe. So my Space Magic was a racial ability, you were right. It says that it would alter everything I do. Do you know what that means for me?”
“A bit. I won’t explain every way I believe it will affect you. You should learn by yourself. But I will say that, for a Progenitor, space magic will change everything you do because every cell in your body is infused with it. It's as part of you, as air or water is to a human. You can’t escape it, or you can't avoid using it. It will alter your current and future skills, or let you change how they work. A small example... Your fire magic skill will no longer be just fire mana. When you use it, it will be tainted with space mana, too. How that will change your skills, you’ll need to figure out.”
“That’s… disconcerting. I assume I can’t test any of them here?”
“You cannot. While you feel as if you're here, your body isn’t. You won't be able to channel your other mana types while here. Though you could familiarize yourself with your Space Magic a little.” He responded and then added, “We have been here for some time now. While only a few seconds have passed back in your tutorial, your friends are still fighting. They will need you soon.”
This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
“Agreed, they weren’t doing so well last I checked. Will I see you again?”
“Of course. As the only Progenitor I’ve seen in a while, you’ll be stuck with me for quite some time. And remember what I said about the device, you must purchase it after the tutorial, so I can send you a few allies. They will be able to help you in many ways, especially in a new world like yours.”
“Got it. Destination Portal Homing Beacon. DPHB. I’ll remember. That’s if I survive this tutorial, that is.” Alex chuckled.
Archy smiled. “You will. You're strong Alex Everett, I’ve seen it already. I also know you're struggling with the changes that your personality has undergone. Do not let it overwhelm you, nor what I’ve shared with you today. Focus on moving forward and accepting your new reality. Now go, kill your enemies and protect your friends, just as a Progenitor should.”
“Uhhh… How do I leave?”
The old man raised his hand. “We’ll speak again soon. Get strong, survive, and continue your Path.”
“Wait, I forgot to ask, what's a Path?”
There was that cheeky grin again on his face, then he snapped his fingers, and everything went black for Alex.
Alex felt a burning sensation, not the kind when you pee, but the kind caused by fire. The kind of fire that was burning on his arm right now.
“SHIT!” He screamed, jumped off the goblin commander's body, and fell to the ground.
“Stop, drop, and roll!” he chanted, rolling around on the ground. “Why the hell was I on fire?!” He yelled to his friends, who were all just staring at him.
“Uhhh.. I don't know, man. You just spontaneously combusted.” Sam replied, not making eye contact with Alex.
“I what? I’m not a god damn compost pile, Sam! People don’t just spontaneously combust!” Sam refused to make eye contact with him, looking sketchy as hell.
Alex narrowed his eyes in suspicion and said, “You hit me with a fucking fireball, didn’t you?”
Sam choked on air, coughed, and began to sweat a little. “W-w-whaaaaaaaaat?” He stuttered out in a high-pitched voice, trying to look surprised. Clearly failing. “I wouldn’t do that maaannnnn, we’re bros. Two peas in a pod. Brothers in arms. Peanut butter and jelly.”
“He also called you an asshole and lazy,” Derek said nonchalantly.
Sam gasped as he stared at Derek, feeling shocked and betrayed.
Derek just smirked as he deflected another sword with his shield.
Before Alex could say anything else, an arrow whizzed by his head. Forgetting they were there, he turned to look at all the goblins.
Quickly, before moving to engage, he checked his new stats. His body felt like a high-tension spring, coiled and about to explode. He could feel more power than ever before. The evolution also fully healed him. His arm was free of its stone cast and back in fighting shape.
Alex Everett
Race: Progenitor [Bronze]
Level: 10
Profession: Progenitor’s Path
Class: Progenitor’s Path
Stats
Strength: 40 (42)
Agility: 40 (44)
Endurance: 31 (34)
Toughness: 34 (41)
Perception: 28 (33)
Wisdom: 31 (37)
Intelligence: 31 (41)
Willpower: 36 (40)
Free points: 15
Essential Skills: Basic Skinning
Skills: Stealth, Earth Magic, Power Strike, Fire Magic, Wind Magic
Racial Abilities: Eyes of the Cosmos, Celestial Control, Will of the Universe, Space Magic
Achievements: Fighting up I (+5% All Stats), Ahead of the Pack (+5 to All), Planetary Powerhouse I (+5% All Stats)
Equipment worn: Sword of Alex Everett(+2 all), Ring of Intelligence(+1 int), Ring of Wisdom(+1 wis), Armored Leather leggings, Boots of the Kobold Kings(+1 agi, +1 per +1 End), Cloak of Zhiva(+3 int +2 tough +2 per), Knight's Halfmail(+1 tough +1 agi), Warrior Gloves, Amulet of Spell Control(+4 int +3 wis +2 will), Vambraces of Deflection(+2 tough),
Holy shit. My new base stats are insane… most doubled or almost did, some tripled, and I have 15 unused points. The percent bonuses and raw stat bonus from those achievements, and my new willpower bonus ability, drastically changed it all. Pretty much everything has changed. Stats, level, abilities. Alex quickly thought, only a second passing.
Time to test out the new me!
“Turtle up, stay defensive and safe. I’ll handle the goblins!” He yelled to his friends.
There are twelve of them left, including the two shamans. Not going to lie, I’m excited for this.
Alex grinned and activated his Wind Magic enhancement. The mana came easier than normal, much more effortlessly and smoothly. His wind enhancement also boosted his speed much higher than before; he could feel it. Even without pushing the enhancement higher, it was much more effective.
Pulling his sword out of the goblin commander’s body, he extended the wind enhancement to the blade, too. The weapon out in front of him, he slashed it through the air. An arc of wind magic, unlike any he had seen before, was sent out. When it hit the skirmishers, it cut two of them in half with minimal resistance before going off into the forest.
What the hell... It looked and felt way different.
Switching to fire on his sword, he did it again. Sent an arc of fire towards the raiders and warriors. Who happened to be near Derek. He watched and focused on the fire mana as it soared towards the goblins. It seemed darker than normal, the slash was larger, and he could feel something off with it.
Is that.. Spatial mana inside and wrapped around the fire arc? It's not a normal slash or arc of elemental mana anymore. The [Space Magic] ability is leaking spatial mana into my wind and fire mana slashes. Or is it the opposite?
He did it again. Alex launched another fire arc before the first one even hit them. By this point, most of the goblins were standing around, staring at him. Not understanding what was happening. Fear leaked from them as they couldn’t take their eyes off Alex.
That’s new... when I swing my sword, wrapped in mana, small traces of spatial mana also envelop it, and it's like I’m… cutting space? The blade uses the spatial mana within it to tear space open. Then the fire, or elemental mana, pours into the new empty area, filling it. The space “wound” is then launched forward. However, that works.
The best way to explain it is a rift or a tear? I’m cutting open spatial rifts with my sword and launching them at my enemies, filled with elemental mana. The rift is improving my old sword mana slashes, keeping the mana more contained. Plus, the added spatial mana is increasing the destructive power inherent to the element; an example being the wind's cutting power.
How the hell do I even know this? Since evolving, my brain feels so much quicker. Is it my intelligence boost? No... I don’t think so. I think it's my progenitor race. It’s like my comprehension of mana is on another level, especially related to spatial mana. I have an innate understanding of how it works.
Almost no time had passed while his thoughts went wild with this information. The fire rifts, as Alex decided to call them, finally hit their intended targets, and it was devastating. These fire ones lacked the cutting power of the wind rifts, but they still burned and exploded. The two fire rifts had taken out 5 of the melee goblins, igniting them in a fiery explosion. They burned fast and brutally.
Derek barely got out of the explosion unscathed, hiding behind his shield, which blocked most of the heat. He did have some steam rising off his armor and shield, though. Alex almost roasted him.
Shit, my bad. I didn’t expect that.
Over half of the remaining goblins had already been killed by Alex, and he was barely even trying. Changing the fire to wind on his sword, he ran towards the remaining goblins. There were two shamans, one warrior, two raiders, and one skirmisher. Still enveloped in his wind enhancement, Alex was a flash of movement. His friends couldn’t even track him. He just disappeared and reappeared near the warrior and raiders.
Swinging his sword, he cut through them with ease. His sword went straight through their shoddy armor and flesh, wind enhancing the blade's cutting power. Three swings of his sword left three more dead goblins.
Sprinting forwards, Alex went for the last skirmisher, ignoring the shamans trying to attack him. Their spells were too slow to land. Now behind the skirmisher, he kicked it in the ass, launching it into the air, and then stabbed his sword into its chest.
Finally, all that remained were the two shamans. They kept looking around, unsure what was happening, expecting other goblins to help them. But they were all dead. He picked up the dead goblin and threw it at the shamans.
Ah, that felt nostalgic, just like the kobold dungeon.
He followed in behind the corpse, blocking their sight of him. Once in range, he easily decapitated one of the shamans before they could react, and then he stood there staring at the second. Waiting to see what it would do, out of curiosity.
The shaman quivered, knees clattering against each other as it stared at the other headless shaman's body. Alex sheathed his sword, crossed his arms, and just stood and waited.
It took a few more seconds before the shaman snapped back to reality, deciding to go out swinging. It summoned that black cloud that had cursed Alex once before.
“Nope, not this time.”
He raised his arm, wind mana condensing in his palm, and then propelled a wind blade at the shaman. The higher wind pushed the curse away, while the blade he shot cut off both of the shaman’s hands. They had been close together, channeling the curse.
It screamed in pain while it flailed its arms that were now stubs. Blood flew everywhere from the bleeding stumps. Alex simply smiled. He enjoyed his newfound strength and the pleasure of making this creature suffer for hurting his friends. He slowly walked towards it, channeled a massive amount of fire mana into his hand, and placed it on the goblin's shoulder. The creature burned to ash in seconds.
Hey all, I hope your enjoying the story!
Remember... if you want more bonus chapters, Follow, favorite, rate or review! We're rank 5 on RS now!
We have a low amount of ratings... please RATE ME <3
Our next bonus chapter will be RS top 3, or 2k followers.
You can read 15 chapters ahead on
and join me on !
