The Manaverse

Granite City Mall

11:30 a.m.

Granite City

Kyle spent the next hour of the countdown taking a turn on watch. No other monsters had come their way. He couldn't decide which would have been better. Sure, not having to fight was good. He wasn't even good at it. Yet, having to be alert had his nerves fried by the time his replacement came to take over.

As Kyle walked back towards the refugees, Fredrick pulled him aside.

"You did everyone a great service, Mr. Jaxon." He said, shaking Kyle's hand.

Kyle felt the urge to be modest and push as much praise away as possible. He had been lucky. Nothing he did was a real service to anyone.

"The real heroes were the people who died buying us time." Kyle said somberly.

Fredrick smiled sadly. "That is very true. Please, relax as best you can and let's hope the last hour and half goes smoothly."

The two parted ways and Kyle walked back to his bench. Gunther and Lily were waiting for him there. To his surprise, he had told them to stay and they had. Even his stubborn cat. Now, however, there was someone petting both animals. The fact that neither animal was acting scared or defensive told Kyle the man wasn't a bad person but that didn't stop him from being suspicious.

"Excuse me." Kyle said. "May I help you?" He tried to keep the suspicion out of his tone but did not succeed.

The man stood up straight. He was wearing military fatigues and stood over six feet. He had his blonde hair cut short in the stereotypical buzz cut of soldiers. His blue eyes were soft as he smiled at Kyle and shyly rubbed the back of his neck.

"My apologies. Ms. Wynters pointed over here when I asked where you made base. I'm Brick and I wanted to say thank you. Because of you, we were able to secure all of the refugees. You helped us out quite a bit." Brick said jovially and stuck his hand out for Kyle to shake after a quick open palmed salute.

Kyle shook Brick's hand wearily. "I only did what needed to be done."

Brick smiled and shook Kyle's hand firmly. "I agree, and that deserves all the thanks we can give. Too many have died already."

"Well, I'm glad I could help. I think you soldiers deserve more thanks for watching over the place and seeing to the people's protection." Kyle said, stepping over to Gunther and scratching behind the dog's ears, suddenly feeling awkward.

"Did you train him to be a guard dog or something? I've not seen a dog attack a monster so willingly before." Brick asked, also patting Gunther.

Kyle felt a mix of respect and further wariness. Gunther had always been apathetic towards strangers but seemed quite happy at the moment.

"Not really. He's just always been very protective. He's been strangely more so since this whole thing started." Kyle said, gesturing to the crowd and the situation.

"May I?" Brick asked before sitting next to Kyle who only nodded. Brick settled in with a stretch. "If that's all that's happened, I think that's a blessing. My dog, Jasper, turned into a monster."

Kyle didn't look at Brick or say anything right away, letting the man reminisce in the memory a bit. He would have hated to see Gunther like that.

After the silence lasted a little too long, Kyle asked Brick. "Did you have too..." He hoped the tone of the question filled in the blanks for him.

Brick visibly forced a smile this time. "I did. Yes." He then held out a small stone for Kyle to examine. "This is all I have left of him now."

The small stone was identical to the ones Kyle already possessed. It was blue.

"Any idea what they are?" Kyle asked, showing Brick his four.

Brick shook his head and stood. "I have no idea." The silence laid thick between them. Then Brick continued. "I need to make a round now. Mind if I stop by again after?"

Kyle shook his head. "Not at all."

Brick nodded and walked away. Kyle wasn't sure what to make of the soldier but he was glad for the human interaction.

Kyle leaned back into the bench, sighing. He kept petting Gunther. It was more to reassure himself than the dog. The closer the time came to running out, the more tense he felt. It was excruciating and every second felt like a lifetime while flying by too quickly.

Lily suddenly jumped up onto the bench and made a soft meow, breaking him from his thoughts. She was looking past Kyle and her tail was swishing contentedly.

"What's up?" Kyle asked aloud, turning to face the newcomer.

Elizabeth Wynters was standing meekly behind him. Her mousy brown hair was disheveled and the only red on her face was some dried blood and her flushing cheeks. She seemed more timid than usual.

He took in her appearance in a glance. Her eyes and cheek bones were really the only similarities between her now and her public persona. Yet, he considered her just as beautiful in a different way. Kyle didn't know why, but he felt happy to get to see a glimpse of a different side of her the other two plus million fans didn't get. Like she was letting him in on a secret.

Elizabeth turned a brighter red and stammered. "oh, um, yeah. I just wanted to check in on you, Mr. Jaxon."

Kyle smiled at her. "Call me Kyle. And, while appreciated, I'm fine. Are you doing okay?"

Elizabeth nodded. She walked around the bench. "Mind if I sit?" She asked, not looking directly at Kyle. He gestured his permission with a nod and she sat. "May I inspect your wounds?" Elizabeth looked at Kyle's face when she asked, still scarlet. Again, he only nodded.

She took his exposed arm and started to examine the many small cuts and slashes he'd acquired on his way to the mall. Most of them had stopped bleeding shortly after they happened. Only a few were having trouble after being reopened during his flight from the minotaur.

Elizabeth spoke while she pulled out medical supplies to treat his wounds. He didn't interrupt her, letting her get out whatever she needed to say.

"Thank you for protecting everyone. Most people would have run. This may sting." Elizabeth applied a liquid to his wounds that did sting a bit, but Kyle didn't react.

"No need to thank me, Elizabeth. I didn't do anything. If you hadn't exposed the monster's throat, we all would have been in trouble."

"It was the least I could do. I just wish I had better aim." Elizabeth said softly as she dabbed at Kyle's wounds some more before bandaging one particularly deep cut.

The two sat in a slightly awkward silence while Elizabeth treated his wounds. Once finished, they made eye contact and her face filled with color before she stood and turned to leave, commenting as she went. "I'll come check on those again later, once the countdown ends, okay?"

Elizabeth didn't even give Kyle time to respond before she was gone. He just shrugged and went back to watching the timer.

Kyle did notice Lily acting strangely. The tabby was intently watching Elizabeth as she went about her own business, the cat's tail swaying gently.

"Want to follow her around?" Kyle asked with a laugh, not expecting an answer.

To his surprise, Lily looked at him and nodded, the look of wanting a treat on her feline features. It made Kyle stop and blink.

Then he laughed. "Okay, okay. Go ahead. Just don't wander off too far and come back later, okay?"

In a blink, Lily hopped down off the bench and began following Elizabeth around. The e-girl noticed the cat, but didn't say anything, giving Kyle a small smile before treating more of the wounded soldiers and refugees.

Kyle fed Gunther and set some food out for Lily. Then he waited, watching the countdown timer tick by. His anxiety built at about the same speed as the timer counted down.

When there was only five minutes left on the timer, both Brick and Elizabeth approached Kyle. He gestured for each to sit. The three of them sat in silence and watched the timer it counted down.

00:00:03

Kyle felt every muscle in his body tense.

00:00:02

Kyle could feel both Brick and Elizabeth tense around him, too.

00:00:01

Both Lily and Gunther nuzzled into Kyle, ready for anything to happen. They must have been able to sense their human's discomfort.

00:00:00

The countdown timer blinked a few times before vanishing. Then, nothing happened. For long moments, absolutely nothing happened. A rage built in Kyle quickly. After all they had been through, there was nothing at the end? He had expected something, anything.

Just as everyone in the food court started to fidget or complain, the "it" he was waiting for finally happened.

Only what Kyle would call a pop up window appeared in his vision about as far away as he usually held his phone. It was white with black text. Before he read the text, he looked past the translucent window at the crowd. They had all fallen silent. Everyone around him, including Brick and Elizabeth, had far-away stares as if they were reading something.

Turning back to the text and shrugging, Kyle began to read for himself.

Congratulations!

If you are reading this, then you have survived the Initialization Process of the [System].

This is very exciting and it means you have the chance to not only survive, but to thrive in this new world.

Next

Kyle focused on the word next, just as he had done at his apartment complex. The window changed.

Quest Complete!

Quest Survive

Objective Survive for 25 hours - 1/1

Rank None

Rarity Very Common

Difficulty Very High

Description You must survive for 25 hours while the [System] finishes initializing

Reward System [Guide]

1 [Mana Stone]

1 [Skill Orb]

Knowledge of the nearest [Safe Zone]

Okay

This time, when Kyle selected Okay, his vision blurred. He blinked a few times before he could see again. When everything came back into focus, he could see a couple translucent symbols in his vision.

One looked like a gear and was in the bottom left. Another was a stick figure, right next to the gear.

There were also red, blue, and green bars in the top left corner. He assumed they stood for health, mana, and stamina respectively but that didn't make sense. He wasn't in a video game.

Blinking rapidly, Kyle tried to make the items fade away, to no avail. Before he could try something else, a weight settled on his lap.

Looking down, there was a perfectly round orb the size of his fist next to a twenty-sided die the same size without numbers. Each side of the die looked to be made of the strange stones Kyle had in his pocket.

While looking at the orbs, the symbols in his vision went fully invisible. They reappeared again when he looked for them.

"A skill orb and a mana stone, huh? Are the images in my vision the guide?" Kyle asked no one as he looked from the orbs in his hand to the symbols in his vision and back again. The symbols disappeared everytime his focus shifted away from them.

A blinking exclamation point appeared next to the stick figure. Kyle frowned and concentrated on it. It opened another one of the message screens.

The [Manaetheric Stream] is a natural force in the [Manaverse] that flows from the center of existence. It's very substance alters whatever it touches.

Next

Beneath the words, there was a cartoon panel of a bird that was hit by an oddly familiar wave of rainbow energy. The cartoon bird then evolved into a monster version of itself in the next frame.

This made Kyle remember how the monster dogs and cats didn't really look like a specific breed of dog or cat past their coloration. Instead, they looked like how a generic cartoon pet would look made real. He set the thought aside for later.

Kyle concentrated on Next.

Some time ago, Beings who learned to channel this force devised the [Manaetherical System] to control the rapid growth and evolution caused by the Stream. While implementing this regulation, these [Deities] implemented the [Path of Ascension].

Ok

This time, the image below the text was one of a rainbow wave that washed over three obscured figures. They made Kyle feel small despite being the size of his palm and images on a popup screen. The three figures began to make the wave bend and move by gesturing with their hands. Try as he might, Kyle couldn't make out any details of the beings despite the layer of the rainbow energy becoming thinner in places.

Kyle concentrated on the OK. The immediate change of topic floored him.

The [Path of Ascension] will help you through your first two Ascensions to [Copper Rank]. Once there, if you wish to retain your [System Guide], you will have to pay an equivalent [Ascension] cost for your [Guide] for every rank moving forward.

Okay

There was no image this time. So Kyle continued through to the next screen.

"I am going crazy. It's official." He murmured aloud as the new words appeared.

"You're not the only one." Brick said merrily. "I'm right there with you, but don't wake me up."

Elizabeth sounded annoyed. "What is this System? A third rate anime?"

"If it is, I want to stay forever!" Brick said with excitement. "Did I miss the isekai bus?"

Elizabeth rolled her eyes and Kyle focused on the next window.

You have been granted a [Quest].

Quest Travel to the nearest [Safe Zone]

Objective Reach the nearest [Safe Zone] alive

Rank

None

Rarity

Abundant

Difficulty

Very Hard

Description A [Safe Zone] has been formed nearby. You must reach the [Safe Zone]

Reward

10 [Mana Chips]. Type: Varied

This [Quest] is not voluntary and has been accepted on your behalf.

Ok

Kyle sighed as he concentrated on Ok. Elizabeth was rolling her eyes and Brick had a grin on his face. He couldn't make out their windows at all, but they were clearly still reading. He could also make out many people scoffing or laughing in disbelief around him. It seems he wasn't the only one having a hard time swallowing something so ridiculous.

Every [Ascension Rank] obtained unlocks 1 [System Feature]. [System Features] are free to use at will and are there to make life easier. Once chosen, the feature selected may not be changed.

Some [System Features] are automatically unlocked for beings inducted into the [System]. As an extra boon for not being born into the [System], you are granted 1 [System Feature] and all [System Features] will be unlocked at [Copper Rank]. Future generations will never receive this bonus and [System Feature Unlock Tokens] have a very low spawn rate. Choose your [System Feature] now.

Choose wisely as features improve upon Ascension.

Okay

Kyle didn't get to concentrate on okay this time. Instead a new window opened over it. It was a list.

Spacial Inventory

Personal Map

Contact List

Communication System

Lore Book (Obtained)

System "Heads Up Display" (Obtained)

Spirit Guide (Obtained)

Mount Slot

Pet Slot

Spacial Armory

Race Change

Sub Race

Kyle was skeptical, but considered every option carefully. He realized that if this was all a delusion, making a choice wouldn't hurt. If it wasn't, he didn't want to waste the bonus.

The words were a bold white on a plain black background. That is, except for Lore Book, System Heads Up Display and Spirit Guide, which were blacked out. Kyle guessed the translucent symbols in his vision were the "System Heads Up Display", or HUD. He was curious what the other two were exactly.

Kyle turned to Brick. The screen went invisible as he focused on the soldier.

"Pick a feature yet?"

Brick smiled as his eyes focused on Kyle. "Not yet. Just got there. Have three of them blacked out?"

"Yeah, The HUD, the Guide and the book. You?"

"HUD, Inventory, and Guide. I can't wait to find out what they are exactly. Think I'll choose the Map." Brick looked almost giddy.

Despite looking annoyed still, Kyle could see a small smile around the corners of Elizabeth's lips. She was trying harder than he was to remain skeptical. She added her information without focusing on the boys.

"HUD, Pet Slot, and Guide. I want the inventory."

"Me too. This bag is annoying." Kyle said, making up his mind. The only option that seemed straightforward and useful for him at that moment was the inventory. He just hoped he would get access to more of the features later. He made the selection and the window vanished. Then nothing happened. There were no more windows or notifications.

"That's it? Talk about a limited tutorial." Brick said, sounding disappointed.

Kyle couldn't help but feel the same way.