You have received the skill: Hellish Procession (Epic) for defeating the Hellish Urisflay. This skill will become available after class selection, as long as you choose a class compatible with the skill. You can also give this reward to Party Member Zahra Mansour.
I awoke to the crumbling ceiling shifting above me, a large chunk landing on an operating table similar to the one I had been on earlier today. I don’t know what time it was when I woke up, the blaring emergency lights had finally stopped, however that had plunged the room into darkness. It was confusing for it to be basically night, but I remembered the windows outside had gone completely dark as well. Something had happened outside to block out the sun, but that was the least of my problems.
Wait. How am I alive right now?
Not only had the weird bear thing cut me in two, it had done so easily. But there was no pain. In fact, I felt better than I had in a long time. My migraine was gone, and the piercing pain in my chest was replaced with a warm, flowing sensation. In general I felt loopy, almost more forceful than waking up from the anaesthesia. Somehow I wasn't dead, but it was still a struggle to focus my eyes. It felt like nothing had hit me at all, even though the wall that had once separated the MRI machine was gone, debris blasted around the room. Then I saw it.
One of the bear’s legs, lying on the ground maybe 15ft away from me. It looked like the bear had been whipped across the room, leaving a line of destruction in its wake. I couldn’t see it from where I lay, and I couldn't hear anything. Somehow, I survived.
My breath caught in my chest as I had a sudden rush of clarity.
Zahra.
I got to my feet before I knew it, no trace of the paralysis as I leapt towards the door, and where the cart had collided into Zahra. It came into view, the cart had been pushed on its side, and the pool of red blood below it had completely dried. Zahra wasn’t there. I quickly looked around, hoping she was somewhere within the room, but no luck. I cursed as I opened my menu. If she was on this floor, she would show up. As I went to open the map, I heard the sound of footsteps in the hallway approaching the massive hole to the room. They were quieter, more dainty. I held my breath as the figure turned the corner.
It was Zahra, but she had changed. Long silver hair replaced her buzzed haircut, shining in the dark ever so slightly. I could see more of those silver-like veins on her cheeks, but her eyes remained the colour of an old oak tree, unwavering as she moved towards me. I looked down in shock as she walked on two legs towards me. In place of her amputated leg was a near perfect replica of her other leg. It was a dark silver colour, light blue veins underneath which flashed under her torn gown. She had tied it around herself in a makeshift skirt, but we really needed to find some clothes.
“Levi?” Her voice was hoarse, like she’d been crying. I held my arms out to her as she moved closer.
“Zahra! Are you oka-”.
I couldn’t finish my sentence as I stared at my limbs like a dumbass.
Arms? Holy shit. I hadn’t noticed in my panicked search for Zahra, but my right arm was back. It was silver like Zahra’s but otherwise it felt like real flesh and bone. I continued to check myself out and I noticed both my legs had been replaced with this silver biology, right up to the new, massive scar across my abs. It felt weird to look at, but otherwise it literally felt like I was in the body I had been born with, so much so that I hadn't noticed.
Zahra noticed my shock as she got closer, embracing me and leaning her head down onto my shoulder. “I thought you were dead. I couldn’t touch you. The system said you were undergoing “adaptation” or whatever, and that… well that you could die. You’ve been unconscious for a bit. I…” She paused, looking down at her left side.
“You… saved me, I think. I was nearly dead when you sent that group request, which came just in time. I could… feel myself breaking. It was terrible. But when I accepted your party request, it said it was sharing your rewards, and then I passed out. When I woke up, the menu said ‘Adaption Complete’ and I had my leg back. And I guess my elbow? That cart really messed me up. I’m guessing it took longer for you because there was more to… create.”
I leaned back from her hug, finally taking in my new body. It felt almost too good to be true, but I opened my menu and moved over to my stat page, showing the little blue 3D model of myself illuminating the entire room. Not only did I have my right leg back, but my left eye had changed colour to silver, matching the long hair that I finally realized was mine as well. It was just like Zahra’s. I tried to pinch the ‘skin’ on my new right arm, and it stretched and stung just like normal. It even felt warm to the touch, which was slightly unsettling
“After you saved me, I was able to get to the item. The golden light was coming from my chest, and when I opened it, I was able to share the reward with a party member, so I clicked you to send the invite. The textbox called it an ‘Ardolon Symbiote’, so that must be what caused this.”
A sudden shiver went down my spine. Where was the bear? Were there other enemies to worry about? Zahra saw the worry on my face, my eyes planted on its single hairy leg on the floor. She smiled, and pointed towards the back of the room.
“I don’t think we have to worry about danger right now. Whatever you did, you destroyed that thing. The map has green check marks over the building now, and there haven't been more monster attacks. Unfortunately, a lot of people are having trouble understanding what's happening, and I’ve seen a few people leave for food or water… and they haven’t come back. No one has. It's really bad out there Levi, there's like a dark smog covering the sky and there's hardly anything we can use here. Whether we like it or not, we’re gonna have to figure out what's going on and what to do next.
Suddenly I remembered that the message I heard the tail-end of in the operating room should be somewhere in my menu. After a few minutes of searching, I found it in a subsection labeled “announcements” in the book menu. There were also the two monster descriptions and the symbiote item. Zahra told me she had already listened to it while she waited for me to wake up, so I grabbed a stool and played the message.
“Hello, and welcome to system initialization. In accordance with the Universal Treaties of the Inner System, sub-section 5774 on Research and Development against Universe-Level threats, your planet has qualified for Outer-Universe system integration due to meeting the following 2/3 minimum criteria:
- [MET] Planet population contains a median intelligence higher than 2, capacity for language, communication, and compatibility for system integration possible.
- [MET] The entity (The Graxis Institute) which applied for the planet’s S.5774 hearing has identified and proven to the Inner Universe Council 2 key points:
- A threat or entity categorized at level 8 or higher aims to destroy the planet within one star cycle.
- The threat has been given the designation of “The Void” by The Graxis Institute.
- The Void is categorized as a Universe-Level threat, which is the maximum risk category associated with planetary destruction.
- The planet’s population has no way to escape or defend itself from Universe-Level threats. The planet’s destruction will contribute to strengthening the threat, so it is in the best interest of the Inner-universe to integrate the planet into the System and attempt a rapid increase in the population’s System levels.
- [NOT MET] Planet population contains at least ten level-6 entities, with ability for Interplanetary travel.
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
In an 8-1 decision in favour, the council has decided to approve the Graxis Institute’s request for Outer-Universe System Integration of Planet #50,765,378,254 designation, “Earth”. The Graxis Institute maintains responsibility for maintaining research records and other information regarding the integration process. The Graxis Institute thanks you for your assistance in preventing the decimation of the universe.
Soon, the System will begin to transform your planet, creating the opportunity to rise in power. Due to the high level of The Void, the Graxis Institute has created high-level specimens to release onto ‘Earth’, along with whatever the System creates. Higher-tier System rewards for defeating these specimens will be available, along with accelerated leveling.
WARNING: Combat with Graxis Specimens must be undertaken with extreme caution. Specimens are typically stronger than their System level. They are scientifically engineered for the sole purpose of evolving to combat the Void. Specimens can be identified by the tag ‘S.A.I’, or “Symbiotic Artificial Intelligence” given by the System.
Did Graxis create that bear creature then? Who the fuck are they? Was this ‘Void’ going to destroy Earth? My head spun from the information, but I snapped out of it as the screen shifted and the narration paused. A different symbol appeared.
A voice continued the message, this one distinctly different from the System’s neutral tone to convey information. This voice was gruff, reverberating in my head like a constant bass. Even through the muddled recording, I could make out a significant edge to his words. I listened more intently than over, hoping for some kind of information or connection that this message could provide.
There will be a variety of ways to pursue power, with the more risky opportunities providing more generous rewards. In 24 hours, you will be able to choose a ‘class’ based on your inherent skills and talents, as well as how many System creatures you have defeated. Rare and powerful options will be available to those who do more than just survive and hide. Once you have picked a class, you will be able to access more functions of the menu, but there will be a new announcement detailing this after the class selection process ends.
Do your best to survive, get stronger, and force the System and Graxis to acknowledge your ability. Prove your worth and destroy the Void once and for all. Forget your previous lives, your planet, everything you find familiar will disappear. It will be hard to believe, but we take no joy in what is about to happen.
However, it is necessary for the greater good of the universe.
For your own good, and the good of the universe. Do not let this opportunity, and the blood sacrificed to make it, go to waste.
Prime Graxis Research Director, Adaptive Technologies Division.
Tal’vac of Institution 7
I stared in awe at the absurdity of what I was reading. I could feel my pulse rising as the situation finally set in. These bastards were using us for an experiment, and they didn’t care if we were exterminated in the process. I looked up to see how Zahra was doing with this information. She was… quieter than usual, and I could tell the events of the last 24 hours were weighing on her heavily.
“Are you… feeling okay? I know that's a stupid question but…”
“It isn’t stupid, Levi. I appreciate it. I’m just really overwhelmed. There's no way to contact my family and I'm really worried about them. I’m not even really thinking about this… ‘symbiote’ thing and my new leg. It just feels so weird, like a dream or a nightmare. I don’t really know which.”
“I’m sorry.” It all felt so heavy, and I couldn't really read the expression on her face. I was so scared of losing her, but I couldn't say it. It never felt right.
“Don’t apologize. We’re both still alive because of what you did, and it's kinda hard to be mad at the guy who's responsible for your new leg. Although I could have done without the fateful encounter with Cart-san”. I couldn’t help but laugh at the reference. Zahra was a big fan of anime, and the memes she saw all the time. It was actually funny how many shows started with the protagonist getting domed by a truck, like Japan was terrorized by some guy trying to deliver Pokemon plushes on time in a Fedex.
“Anyway, the clocks that are still working say it's close to 5:30am, with the class options opening up at 9. Before we do anything else, what does your stat sheet look like? Mine has completely changed, and I’m not really sure what to make of it. It looks like new limbs aren’t the only thing the symbiote changed between us.”
We both opened our menus to compare stats, our little 3D avatars floating in the air. I was shocked to see some major upgrades, especially to my health. Was this all from the symbiote? It did say that it took weaknesses and adapted to them, but it seemed that there were a lot of different areas it had impacted. Either way, I looked at the new stats:
Strength: 14
Dexterity: 11
Intelligence: 10
Spirit: 8
Health: 15
Luck: 2
Health went from tied for lowest stat to my highest stat. I did feel better in general, like my body was more energetic than I'd felt in a very long time. It was hard to know what the stats translated into, but it was good they were going up. I quickly looked at my status bar, and noticed the single notification had changed. It now said nothing about my cancer, instead it just said it had “recently adapted with a symbiote, providing extra powers”. I wish it wasn’t so vague, but whatever. I smiled that my Intelligence had gone up, hopefully it was something i could keep increasing. The brain fog was slowly leaving, and I was really enjoying the clarity. Maybe that was also the adrenaline slowly pumping through my body, keeping me focused and on task.
Zahra’s stats had improved a lot as well. She was boasting a 17 in Dexterity, 14 in Health, 13 in Intelligence, and 15 in Spirit. Her strength and luck hadn’t gone up at all, however, staying relatively low. It was weird, watching her move as gracefully as she did while my brain struggled to comprehend the new limb. Regardless of how it felt, the look would take some time getting used to, and I was sure Zahra was feeling the same tension. Zahra didn’t have any other notifications in her menu, but I did on the stats page. As I clicked it, it opened a submenu called “Skills”. Inside, there was only one skill which had caused the notification, one I had seen once before.
Force Resonance (Epic Physical Skill)
When you receive damage from an attack or spell, you may store the energy to add to your next strike. The energy can be stored for 1 second. If you do not expend the force, it will dissolve. Damage storage time length can be upgraded upon level-up.
I stared at the skill description, replaying the moment the Urisflay nearly killed me. The skill had activated right before my fist grazed one of the bear’s mouths. Somehow, that had allowed me to defeat the creature, or rather, nearly obliterate it. I showed Zahra the skill which she geeked out over, although she was a bit upset that her menu was lacking in something similar. My mind was going 100 miles an hour, trying to comprehend all the new information at once. It appeared to be a powerful counter skill, but dangerous. I had only killed the Urisflay because it cleaved me with such disastrous force, that when I touched him after the skill activated, the monster was destroyed. I didn’t feel good about it. What if I was struck with multiple little attacks? Or an attack so powerful that I was knocked unconscious, or worse?
We continued, walked over to the Urisflay’s leg, and noticed it had a description:
Urisflay Leg
At some point, this was attached to a rather angry, furry warlord. Said warlord carried many weapons, food, and random items which could have helped you! However, it's hard to loot when there isn’t a body. Well, at least you have the leg! It tastes like turkey, which are now very different creatures. Do not piss off the turkeys, it’ll go even worse than an old man begging human-sized geckos to spare him. The lowest on the totem pole aren’t typically that sympathetic, especially when threatened by a murder-hungry devil bear.
Effect: Eating recovers 30% health. Cookable.
What the fuck? That description was absolutely about Mr. Henderson, taunting me with his memory. I shook my head and moved to pick up the leg, which prompted the textbox to appear, asking if I wanted to add the item to my inventory. I clicked yes, and the leg disappeared, reappearing in my menu with a little furry leg icon. It felt like a video game with the menus, and even though that was comforting a bit, I was still on edge. ‘Graxis’ or whatever was messing with me, but I needed to stay focused. I asked Zahra how many people were still at the hospital.
“Probably close to 60? Mostly staff, a lot of the patients either dipped when things started exploding or died from the bear or gecko things. There were more of the little shits downstairs, but they handled it pretty well. We’ve been raiding the cafe but there isn’t really enough food. Maybe we have enough for a few days? I’m not sure, it's been a mess and it's pretty disorganized down there. People are upset and scared, and there's been a few fights. I’ve kept my distance for the most part, but there isn’t much else here. ”
I nodded, staring at the map in my menu, where dozens of blue dots littered the first floor.
“Let’s see what we’re working with. Maybe some of the staff have a better idea about what's happening. Either way, it sounds like we can’t stay here. And I need to find some clothes, damn it.”
I ignored the breeze from my gown as we moved down the stairs, and towards the Children’s wing of the hospital.