Creation: Book 3: Strandbinder Complete!

"No, thank you." Walker said in response to her unique question.

"Are you sure?" The dirty blonde haired woman said with lifted eyebrows, "I'm quite good at it. Veerry good." She suggestively let a part of her thin dress fall off of the side of one shoulder.

"Yep, I'm all good, thank you." Walker responded plainly.

"Ughhh, Awakened." She said, her voice suddenly deepening and sounding more natural than the throaty version she'd just used. One delicate hand fixed the shoulder of her dress, "If you need me, I'll be torturing Hades." Aphrodite walked away with clean strides on the grassy plain.

"Weird." Walker commented.

"You don't know the half of it. But, kudos on declining her advances." Athena said as she turned to look at him with a smile. "Not many, mortals or awakened, can spurn her advances."

"Yeahhh, I grew up in California. Met women like her constantly throughout my life. Girls really. Playing with men's emotions, then running over them emotionally and throwing them away. I'm certainly not saying all women are like that. My mother was a saint, although I didn't realize that until much too late. But women like her....they all think they're god's gift to men....although...."

Athena nodded once with a strange look on her face, "She was Zeus's gift to men in a sense. But they often became quite obsessed with her afterward. It always seemed to me like a piece of their soul was forever missing, as if no other partner in life would satisfy them after a dalliance with Aphrodite."

Walker grunted, "Yeah, I've seen those too. My buddy called them Soul suckers."

Athena smiled, "I'm happy to know that you're not one of them, Walker."

He stretched a weird twist in his back, "Nope. Already went through that phase when I was younger. Jessica. Nowadays, I'm immune thank God." Walker looked around and found everyone busy but them. In the distance he spied Hades walking quickly away from Cupid who was giggling as he chased him, with Aphrodite leap-walking behind them. Dionysus was asleep and Zeus was supervising Minos's garden building with Echidna. Two supervisors to every worker, just like on Earth.

He nodded, "I think we're all good. Stay here for a moment, please." Walker said, then he stepped into the Item system and stepped out a few minutes later holding something. He handed it to her with a closed fist so she couldn't see what it was.

"What's this?" She asked as she took the small item from him.

"It's the closest thing I could find in there to a ping pong ball." He said with a slight grimace as her open hand showed a small brown circular object, "It's made of cork, which they did away with a long time ago on Earth. I didn't see any plastic, which means that we don't have the resource for it yet." He scratched his chin with a thumb, "Although, judging by what it's done to Earth, maybe we shouldn't ever have any plastic."

Athena lifted the ball and looked at it closely, then smiled, "I love it!" She walked over and wrapped both arms around Walker. His body grew a little stiff, as he hadn't felt any real physical affection with another person since Valerie. It truly hadn't been so long ago that he'd been considering marrying her. She was like a ghost, sitting on his mind. But, after a few seconds of her hugging him, he returned the gesture. It was....nice.

"Now, we just need a table, a net, and two paddles." He said with a smile, still enjoying the moment.

"Indeed." A voice sounding just like Virgil said from only a few steps away.

How the hell did he sneak over here? Walker thought.

"Hello Virgil" Walker said as he broke the hug first. "What can I do for you?"

"I am just checking up on you, Creator. Making sure you're staying on task with all of your new..." He looked from the ball to Athena's face before saying, "toys."

If Athena didn't like what he was saying, it didn't show on her face, "I will make sure Walker stays on task."

"Excellent. I will rely on you in that regard, Ms. Athena." Virgil said with a slow nod, before turning around and walking away.

"Is he always like that?" The goddess of wisdom asked as she watched the large brown squirrel head back towards his work.

"No...that was unusual for him." Walker replied, deep in thought. Was he jealous? "But he is right, I have a ton to do. You said Hephaestus is coming out soon?"

Athena nodded, "As soon as the Tree of the Gods matures again."

"Alrighty. He does like to make things...right? Like it says in the old stories?" Walker asked with a little anxiety in his voice.

"It is what he lives for. That and Aphrodite of course." She said as she tucked a spare bit of hair behind an ear.

Relieved, Walker looked around, then stepped a few feet away so he was in a clear and open space a good distance away from everything. Stepping into the Item system, he clicked on tools and browsed what came up. After scrolling for a moment, he chose to make a blacksmith's hammer and tongs. The wait time for the magical meter wasn't too long. He also popped in a firepot, which he'd never heard of before. Apparently it was what held the fire, and there was a note beside it saying he would need a Tuyere as well, which was a pipe that connects to it and provides the much needed air for combustion.

The anvil took quite a long time to produce. Judging by the image on his screen, the size of it was massive. He had no idea that they were quite so large. When he stepped back out, it was all sitting neatly in front of him with Athena inspecting the hammer nearby.

"Please let him know this is just the start of what I can get him. The more he makes, the more tools I can trade back to him."

Athena smiled, "I understand, and I will let him know."

Walker smiled back and said a quick goodbye. He walked over to the Creation Instrument and quickly made a smallish and crude couch. Laying down lengthwise so his legs hung off of the arm rests, he worked on his soul, this time aiming from his left shoulder to his hand. It was as painful as always. But, he was still making steady progress and felt his soul loosening up each time he worked on it. It wouldn't be too long until he had his whole upper body done, with the exception of his head for safety reasons.

Walker checked in on Cagna, and helped her with a new series she was working on. Although if he was honest he wasn't helping nearly as much as he was forced to in the past. She was really starting to get the hang of it. Walker made a few changes that included his future plans of which the pink squirrel was naturally unaware.

The Explorer Series: Limited, Special, Complete

Basic milestone- To Find: Explore at least 50% of a singular territory. 1 point.

Apprentice milestone- What is Hidden: Uncover one hidden secret found within a territory. 5 points.

Skilled milestone- Vanguard: Explore a newly raised territory within the first three months of it's connection to Symphony. 10 points.

Advanced milestone- Frontier Footsteps: Enter a portal and a dungeon for the first time. 25 points.

Epic milestone- I Am An Explorer: Explore every village to city in 15 or more territories. 50 points.

Reward: Obtain every milestone to unlock the Explorer title.

He didn't like that it was a little too similar to the Traveling series, but travel and exploration were two different ideas to him.

His changes focused on a few different things. Dungeons were part of his plan to solve his temporal resource issue. He wasn't sure how it would work yet, but he had an inky idea and wanted to study it some more after civilizations starting popping gup. The portal system was a no brainer, but he was going to tie it into territories. Another plan for another day. Lastly, he had titles. It was going to be fun designing that system. Currently Walker was trying to figure out if he'd create limits for them, or allow all them all to be shown at once.

Walker Reed, the explorertravelergladiatorcreator guy.

Food for thought. Maybe there could be an interesting way of merging them. Like the kernel system did with magic. Fire and earth became lava after all. Why couldn't two titles merge?

That could be quite interesting, Walker thought to himself. He put it on the backburner for now, but it was something he would have to think more on in the future.

Walker encouraged Cagna to keep going with her milestones. He also asked her to show him anytime she thought she was done with a series so he could go over it. The pink subsystem assistant didn't know all of his plans going forward, and he wanted to capitalize on already built milestones as each new system came online.

Rimi finally finished his last two starter monsters, with the nearby space now holding bits and pieces of a koala and wolf. The moment he said he was done, Virgil grabbed him and they began to design a monster that could wipe out all of the bugs infesting Remus and Romulus. Walker listened in for a dozen or so minutes, trying to get an idea of how the combiner ability would work. Once Virgil broke it down piece by piece, with a lot of technical jargon that made his head hurt, they turned to one of the empty evolution chambers and began to put it together. Something about a giant combined anteater with wings. Sounded weird, which was probably a good thing.

Walker left them to it and puttered around for awhile. He played in Minos's garden, finally dirtying up his suit, and spent a little bit of time with Athena. When he grew bored, he went through the Item system thoroughly to gain a strong understanding of what they could currently work with for the Territory system, clicking through every menu, before he heard a ding in the back of his mind.

Pulling up the overlay, he noticed the system designer went from the grey color it had turned when he started the item system, to its usual white with black edges.

It was time.

Walker clicked on System and quickly used the search option, picking out the Item and Level systems. He merged both before he moved on to another one he knew he'd need for his territory system to work. Walker clicked on the Adaptation system. It had a gold border, which Walker hadn't seen when perusing the system designer before. It's description was....unexpected.

The Adaptation System:

A system designed and created by a member of the Alpha protocol council since the beginning.

This system allows for entities to be given a lesser form of the alpha protocol.

Flexibility: Medium

Difficulty to modify: Extreme

Resources used: Variable

Limits: The Adaptation system can only be used by Sapient creatures. Non-sapient entities will be unable to select from the varied options, and will be unable to understand the consequences that are attached to them.

Note: This system is based upon the alpha protocol and its numerous systems

"Designed by the council huh....hah!" He said with a laugh as in the distance Virgil stopped his work. "I'm totally going to make this better than you ever could."

Walker smiled to himself and noticed Virgil come running over and decided to wait for him. When he arrived, not out of breath in the slightest, he asked, "Walker...what are you doing?"

"Woullddn't you like to know my friend." Saying so, Walker looked at the overlay update.

Would you like to merge these systems with another before finalizing your choice?

Yes/No

Walker clicked no.

.....Analyzing.....

...

You are about to merge the Leveling system, Item system, and Adaptation system together.

Preview provided:

The Leveling system is a numerical tracking system that progressively moves a selected entity or community through a series of pre-designed operations. The item system provides options to entities for the manifestation of anything they can create within ambient magical limits. The Adaptation system is a series of tasks and systems that allow an entity to create their own personal environment within pre-designed limits.

Combining all three will allow the Creator to build a system that....error. Unknown configuration.

"I'll ask again." Virgil said in a stressed voice, his eyes shifting from looking at something on his screen and staring at his Creator, "What are you doing?"

"I'm combining the Level system we made, the Item system, and the Adaptation system so that we can finally get our Territories!" Walker replied back in an excited voice. Neus cheered nearby where he had been talking to Cagna, and they both walked over. Rimi even left his weird jumbled ball of goo in the evolution chamber to check out what was happening. They all grouped around him as he looked at the overlay.

Would you like to merge these systems together?

Yes/No

Virgil continued to look at his screens then back at Walker.

"Well?" Walker asked as he looked at his first assistant.

Virgil's shoulders slumped a little as he said, "Go ahead."

Confirmed

.....

.....

.....

...Merging...

It didn't take this long before, Walker thought to himself.

...

....

Merge Complete

...Analyzing...

...

New system found

The Adaptivelevelingitem System is now ready to be....error

Error.

.....

.....

Private message from an Alpha Protocol Council Member detected.

....Retrieving....

Hello Creator.

What an interesting use of your System Link ability.

To merge our crowning achievement, the Adaptation system, with an item creator and numerical valuation system? And to power it by simply using ambient magical potential? Wondrous.

Do you know what you have created here yet? I assume you do not. It is no matter, as we will help you on your way to achieving greatness.

Keep innovating Dante. Keep coming up with unique ideas.

You are my favorite in this rendition.

Always push forward, for you will receive the rewards for your work.

- - -

Alpha Protocol changes occuring.

System renamed to The Territory System by the Alpha Protocol Council.

System AI upgraded from basic to intermediate by the Alpha Protocol Council.

System AI upgraded from intermediate to advanced by the Alpha Protocol Council.

Any restrictions on the Territory system have been lifted by the Alpha Protocol Council.

.....Analyzing.....

The Territory system is now ready to be used.

"What in the fuck." Walker said after reading through it all.

"Indeed. That exceeded even what I thought they..."

Walker turned to Virgil with some heat in his eyes, "You knew? You knew they were watching?"

"I...." Virgil couldn't seem to get the words out. "I...."

Thinking back to what they did before, Walker said, "Of course, the Alpha Protocol Council is always watching."

"Yes." Virgil said with obvious strain.

Walker thought it over for a long moment while watching Virgil's eyes, "And of course, all assistants have to report to the Council whenever a Creator does something unique."

"I...."

"Advanced Assistants that is."

"Yes, although it is not only when they do something unique."

"So, you have a schedule for reporting."

"Yes."

Walker asked another question, "Why was the Council so interested in this system in particular?"

Virgil's face turned red. "Primmm...."

"Primitive?"

"Maaaa...."

"Primal man?" Walker said, completely clueless. By this point Virgil's face was turning purple.

"Magic?" Rimi supplied.

Virgil nodded and started breathing again. "Priii...."

"Magic...magic.." Walker said, thinking fast as he watched his friend's face. It looked like someone was punching him in the face as it became very splotchy with different colors. "The only resources I know of are Magic, Temporal, the Creation Instrument materials and...ah. Primordial energy." Walker said, snapping his fingers. "It's because the Adaptive system uses Primordial energy, or the energy of Creation, doesn't it."

Virgil nodded, his face looking extra relieved as some of the coloring receded. Walker kept going now that he'd seen a window of truth.

Walker's mind latched onto what he thought Virgil was going to say, "But because we merged these specific systems with it, and we used a modified Cosmic Genesis system which uses magic instead of time as a resource, we've completely gone around the requirements of the old Adaptation system once it merged. So, in essence, we broke the old alpha protocol system that requires either time or creation energy."

"Yes!" Virgil burst out. "Any tinkering with the fairly unmodifiable Adaptation system is strictly NOT ALLOWED!" He took a quick breath, "But, with the restrictions lifted, and your use of a modified Cosmic Genesis system holding a pre-designed AI, you have shucked off any restrictions the system once had. Like your self-regenerating cells, it is an odd confluence of combinations that has lead to a whole new way of looking at the protocol." He took another breath and looked right at his Creator, "Walker, this could lead to a whole new rendition right away! Your merger and modifications might lead to the end of the fourth rendition, and the beginning of the 5th!" He yelled out at the end.

"But...why?" Walker asked in confusion. He knew renditions had a beginning and an ending, but nobody had explained why they did.

"Because! Anytime a rendition has a huge breakthrough from one of the Creators, and the current protocol reaches its natural end, that rendition ends. Then, the council begins to use the last rendition's new systems and inventions. It has happened four times that I am aware of." Virgil held up a single finger, "The first rendition ended with the introduction of magic by itself, not to mention Alma, the original word for soul power."

"The what?" Zeus said from near the tree. Virgil ignored him.

"Although magic was a difficult to gather resource, that will likely change."

"Because of our accidental modification, Overwhelming magical discharge?" Walker asked.

"Exactly so!" The brown squirrel took a deep breath and held up another finger, "The second ended with the introduction of assistants. Allowing more participants than ever before, and increasing the alpha protocol's size by thousands, tens of thousands, maybe even hundreds of thousands over time. The council, since the beginning, had always wanted the lesser endowed in regards to intelligence for their groupings."

"They wanted dumb people?" He looked at the ADVANCED assistant, "Wait a second."

"Indeed. You are not as burdened by knowledge and quick-wittedness, thus you have no idea about what CAN work, so you are more willing to take a chance on something a genius level intellect would never consider." Virgil held up another finger, "The third ended with the invention of the Temporal subsystem. The ability to control and modify time using primordial energy was a massive breakthrough, and the person who did it now sits....sits....damn."

"Can't say?" Walker asked. Virgil just shook his head, "No worries buddy, keep going."

"Thank you. It is very likely that your breakthrough here, with the focus of magic rather than the energy of Creation as a fuel, could have massive ramifications. I am speaking of your system influencing all future renditions. Not only that, but if they find an easy way to really change how the protocol is run, they may decide on starting up multiple renditions at the same time. It is huge Walker, absolutely huge. Magic as a focus rather than the draining and use of primordial energy is just as large a push as the control of temporal energy."

"But....then why was the reward so small?"

"You are complaining about the rewards! You do not understand what this is! Pahh!" He threw his hands in the air. "You do not have any rewards yet because you still have not proven your system can work. Do that, and watch your rewards come in....oh, here we go." Virgil said in an unsurprised voice. Walker was still looking at him as his overlay updated.

.....Scanning.....

...Error...

....

New tasks found!

...Error...

The words kept writing over themselves again and again, as if the council was writing the task live as he watched.

...Error...

Tasks updated!

Territory task given: Activate the Territory system: Series 1

...Error...

Territory...Error...

Tasks updated!

Territory task given: E-Establish the first territory: Part 1

No description provided

Territory established: No

Reward for completion: Variable.

Secondary reward for completion: Decided by the Alpha Protocol Council

Walker noted that the secondary reward was new. He didn't like that the Council was going to be watching this so closely, as they were just starting to figure out how the Territory system would work. He stopped looking at the update and turned back to Virgil.

"So this thing we've made may end the rendition run and start up a series of others?"

Virgil heaved a sigh, "Indeed." He said in a much more relaxed tone of voice, his energy seeming to be spent. "It is likely that the Council will siphon your ideas here, including your leyline system you built so long ago, and incorporate a series of tasks into the Territory system. By giving it to Creators at the start of their protocol, they will gain the same ability you now have. To create evolving and dynamic environments for every city, chosen by the entities themselves, rather than being reliant on the Creator to make it for them."

"But why? What's the point of all of this?" Walker asked with anger. "You're saying I just created a system that allowed for thousands, millions more people to be taken from their lives and thrown into the protocol? Why is this happening? What is the point of all of the protocol's in the first place?"

"I...do not know Walker. I'm sorry."

He noted that there was no pause in Virgil's speech. He really didn't know.

Walker grunted and sat down on his crappy couch. It wasn't very comfortable. Everyone watched him closely to see what his reaction would be, and he was very aware of it. Rather than descend into another depression spiral, he focused on what he could do right now, at this very moment.

"Hey Neus," he called out to the green squirrel.

"Yes Walker?"

"Are you ready to accept the Territory system?"

The green subsystem assistant suddenly looked a little nervous, "I..uh. Yes."

"Great," Walker said with no inflection to his voice, and with no celebratory gestures, he dragged Neus over to the system. The green squirrel paused, then grew in size immediately until he was a match for Cagna.

"Oh what the fuck now."

"Hey, no fair!" The pink squirrel said in protest.

"You merged three systems, Walker." Virgil pointed out.

"Okay, but Cagna and Rimi didn't grow this much with the Leveling system." He pointed out in return.

"Hrmm," Virgil hummed to himself. "That is an excellent point. Perhaps it is because of the system's complexity more than anything else. My assistant database had said that subsystem assistants grow based upon the number of systems they gain. That would appear to be incorrect. We will need to study this further. Please grant Neus access to the Item system."

"Uh......fine." Walker replied in a surly voice.

They all watched, including Neus himself who was staring at his feet, to see what kind of reaction would happen as he was added.

...There was none.

"Excellent. Our hypothesis is sound then. It is not the system that grows the subsystem assistants, but the downloaded information packets they receive. With each new download, they grow in size. Neus here." He gestured to the green squirrel, "Did not grow because the Item system within the Territory system is not so different from the current Item system you have. No new download, no new growing, to put it simply. I will update the assistant database as soon as I possibly can." He walked away from Walker, Rimi quickly following him, as they continued to talk about different systems together.

Walker looked over at Neus, who sat on his butt still staring at his slightly larger than before feet. "Sooo uhhh," Walker began awkwardly, "You ready to get started?"

It took a moment for the green squirrel to realize he was being spoken to, but once he did, he hopped to his feet quickly and said "Yep! Lets do this! Yahhh territories!"

"Okay then." And with a serious face, Walker stepped into the Territory system.