The Manaverse

North Eastern Penthouse

Granite City

Jut came to a few hours later. He slowly opened his eyes, the memory of the violently painful sensation had him anxious. Yet, he felt perfectly fine now, if not better than ever before. He stood, realizing he was covered in a brown, grey tar. Turning on the water, he washed himself thoroughly. Thankfully, he had showered there before so he had soap available.

While he did cleaned himself, the first thing Jut did was feel out his scales. They felt smooth under his touch. He poked the scaled spot on his left shoulder and decided he felt the touch less on the scales than he did on his skin, but could still feel it. Hopefully it would provide a small amount of extra armor. After Jut's self inspection, he scrubbed himself completely. The gunk came off, but it required effort.

He looked at his interface. It hadn't changed much. His resources bars now had text in them, denoting an exact percentage, each sitting at one hundred. The rest of his icons were the same.

Alex. Can we adjust my resources bars to show an exact quantity not a percent?

Yes, but no. Do you really need to know down to the last digit? Because it takes more processing power for me and I would prefer to not.

Jut thought about it. While he would love to know exactly how much HP and Mana he had, he decided he didn't really need to know. Just being able to see the current percent was enough so he could make sure he didn't die.

No. It's fine, Jut told Alex. He didn't want to force them to work harder if they would prefer to leave it as is.

Jut had Notifications waiting for him, but he wanted to get dressed first. He put his armor into his inventory and walked down stairs after dawning a fresh shirt and jeans. Brick was already waiting for him. The man didn't look any different.

"Picked Human, huh?" Jut asked as he sat on the couch.

Brick smiled, looking Jut over. "I did, but it was a title Race. Bohemian Human. It gets five points instead of four and comes with an extra Basic Magic affinity. What did you pick, Beastkin - Drake?"

Jut frowned. How much different would a Drake Beastkin be from his Drakkin Race? Then he shook his head.

"Oh. No. I'm a Drakkin now." Jut explained his Race further in detail, Brick nodding in understanding. "I figured I might as well choose a title Race too and both were non-human."

"Makes sense. Not choosing a title race seems like a stupid choice. I haven't opened my Notifications yet. I'm guessing you haven't either?"

Jut shook his head. "Not yet."

"As it seems we both passed out for hours and I feel good, I am going to check out the store again, possibly the Dungeon if you want to come." Brick said. "Maybe we can run it together."

Jut shrugged. "Sure. Let's use the Orbs we have here then head out. I'll grab the dogs too."

Jut and Brick both sat back into the couch, reading their first official Notifications as Stone Rankers.

Congratulations! You have successfully Ascended to Stone Rank.

Stone Rank grants the following:

Mana Vision - Stone Ranked Beings can see more Lore of other beings and items when examining them.

Increased Healing and Damage Reduction - Normal Rank Damage will no longer destroy your body. Wounds caused by Stone Rank Damage heals quickly as long as you stay above 0 HP.

Access to the Aethernet - You have access to the System's Aethernet. You will be able to access the General Chat and any Public Aethersites through your Lore Book System Feature, or by using a compatible magical device once one is available.

Improved Features - System Features obtained prior to your Ascension will increase is capacity and function.

Combat and Non-Combat Skill Bars - Your Skills have been unequipped with no penalty and may be equipped to your new Bars at your leisure.

Improved Skill - Your Equipped Skill has been upgraded to Stone Rank.

Bonus Attribute Points (AP) - Your Titles have granted you 1 extra Attribute point that is ready for distribution.

See Character Sheet

Jut chuckled, remembering Alex complaining about his choice of name for the informational page as he let his upgraded sheet open.

Name: Jut Zoak

True Name: Kyle Jaxon

Rank: Stone

Level: 0

Race: Drakkin

Guide: Artificial

Guide's Name: Alex

Attributes:

Body 0 +

Mind 0 +

Available Attribute Points 1

Characteristics:

Body: 0

Strength: 11

Constitution: 8

Agility: 9

Available Characteristic Points: 0

Mind: 0

Intelligence: 11

Wisdom: 10

Willpower: 9

Available Characteristic Points: 0

Equipped Skills: 0/5

General Skill Pool: 3/XXX

Skills:

Magical Strikes, Level 0

Monster Harvest

Smithing

Magical Affinities:

Fire Magic

Soul Magic - Monster

Next to the Body and Mind attributes were little plus symbols. Jut poked the one next to Body and a window popped up over his character sheet.

Place 1 Attribute Point into Body?

Yes No

Jut approved the placement and had to reconfirm the choice.

A sensation flooded through him. He felt his body change slightly. His muscles and tendons throbbed like he had just worked out and he felt himself become just a little more dense. The sensations passed and he looked at his stats again.

Attributes:

Body 1

Mind 0

Available Attribute Points 0

Characteristics:

Body: 1

Strength: 12

Constitution: 9

Agility: 10

Available Characteristic Points: 2

Mind: 0

Intelligence: 11

Wisdom: 10

Willpower: 9

Available Characteristic Points: 0

Now the Body Characteristics had little plus symbols by them and the ones by the Attribute section were gone. Jut smiled and repeated the process by putting another point into agility and constitution, bringing them up do eleven and ten respectively. This time the sensation was less, but it was still a rush he wanted to experience again.

The next window was his quest to Ascend being completed.

You have competed a [Quest].

Quest: Ascension to [Stone Rank]

Objective: Perform the [Ritual of Ascension] on yourself.

Rank: None

Rarity: Abundant

Difficulty: Easy

Description:

Perform the [Ritual of Ascension] while you stand inside the [Ritual Circle].

Use a [Spark of Ascension] to power the [Ritual].

Reward:

1 General Skill Upgrade Token - Stone Rank.

On the heels of that quest completion notification was a new quest. It was his first official Stone Rank quest, too.

You have been granted a [Quest]

Quest: Gather Manaether

Objective: Obtain 3 Sparks of Ascension - Stone Rank

Rank: Stone

Rarity: Abundant

Difficulty: Easy

Description:

Gather 3 Sparks of Ascension Stone Rank. 0/3.

Reward:

50 Mana Chips

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

Jut guessed the great rewards from before had come to end, seeing the measly fifty chip prize. He shrugged, knowing he had a quest or two left to see before he was done.

You have been granted a multipart [Quest]

Quest: Find Out What Happened

Objective: Discover why the Monsters awaiting redistribution attacked the Slatewell Safe Zone

Rank: Divine

Rarity: Unique

Difficulty: Very Hard

Description:

You have asked the Goddess, Ophelia, why your Safe Zone was attacked. It is up to you to claim your answers, with a little guidance

Objectives:

Speak to Randel Ashton. (Complete)

Speak to Daniel Carry 0/1

Reward:

1 General Skill Upgrade Token - Stone Rank. Accept Decline

Accept Decline

Dan? Why him? Jut hadn't spoken to Dan since he left the grocery store so long ago. He shrugged, glad to know the man was alive and accepted the quest. Another one didn't pop up after. Maybe she'll give me another one after I speak to Dan? Jut had expected a Champion quest. Too bad. He tried his best to not dwell on the fact that Randy's last words were part of the quest and how he would have to see the man's name every time he opened his quest log.

Jut looked out the large windows of their penthouse. The sun was just barely beginning to show over the horizon, turning the sky a red and pink color, the colors refracting through the blue barrier. How was it right that the sky was so bright after all their losses? Shouldn't it be raining?

"Ready?" Brick asked, holding a Skill Orb.

Jut turned to him. "Yep." He pulled up his inventory and blinked. It had doubled in size, now sitting at forty total squares. He pulled out his available Skill Orbs, setting them on the table before him. He reviewed his currency while he was pulling the six orbs free. He was sitting on a nice stack, but knowing some of his coins came from his dead friends made him enjoy that fact much less.

Copper Coins: 18

Silver Coins: 1

Gold Coins: 737

Mana Chips: 354

Mana Fragments: 3

Mana Shards: 1

Mana Stones 0

Mana Gems: 0

Jut and Brick each had three General Skill Orbs and three Random Skill Orbs. The white of the General Skill Orb was the white of snow and reminded Jut of television static in the way it floated there, trapped in sold Mana. They looked at each other and nodded before they absorbed their respective orbs.

Jut shivered as he continually absorbed all six orbs back to back, the sensation of new Lore surging his mind. Afterward, he felt like he had just gone back to college and sat through a long lecture, his head swimming. He proceeded to read the Skill Acquisition Windows back to back as well. He had an intrinsic understanding of his new Skills and how they worked, but wanted to read the System information for confirmation. He had absorbed the General Skills first so he read them first.

You have learned a [Skill]

Skill: Walking

Rank: Normal

Type: General

Cost: None

Duration: Passive

Range: Self

Effect: Reduce the consumption of Stamina while walking by 50%.

This skill can not be upgraded or equipped.

You have learned a [Skill]

Skill: Mounted Riding

Rank: Normal

Type: General

Cost: None

Duration: Passive

Range: Self

Effect:

You gain the ability to easily ride a Normal Ranked Mount. This includes all System designated Normal Ranked Mount Animals, Vehicles, and Artifacts.

This skill cannot be equipped.

You have learned a [Skill]

Skill: Firm Footing

Rank: Normal

Type: General

Cost: None

Duration: Passive

Range: Self

Effect:

While both feet touch the ground, it is 50% harder to knock you over or force you to move your feet. You have a 25% increase in the ability to keep your balance while on rough terrain while moving slowly.

This skill cannot be equipped.

Next were the Skills he acquired from the Random Skill Orbs.

You have learned a [Skill]

Skill: Mana Restoration Aura

Rank: Normal

Type: Aura - Buff

Cost: None

Cast Time:

None

Cool Down:

None

Duration: While Active

Range: 10 Meters

Effect:

You and your Party Members who are within range regain Mana 10% faster out of combat and 2% faster during combat.

You have learned a [Skill]

Skill: Magical Strike

Rank: Normal

Type: Special Attack

Cost: Low Mana

Cast Time: Instant

Cool Down: 2 Minutes

Duration: Next 1 Attack

Range: Self

Effect:

The next strike you make against an opponent is considered a [Special Attack]. [Special Attacks] made by you deal a low amount of extra [Magical Damage] to the target.

You have learned a [Skill]

Skill: Herbalism

Rank: Normal

Type: Material Gathering

Cost: None

Cast Time: None

Cool Down: None

Duration: Passive

Range: 20 Meters

Effect:

You can see and sense useful Normal Ranked herbs and plants and the best way to gather them.

Jut rolled his eyes. The walking skill... He guessed there was a reason why the shop keep told him about it. It must have been just that common. He knew he'd get major use out of it, but he was bummed it wouldn't ever get any better.

The same was true for the Herbalism Skill. While Jut would not object to gathering herbs as he hunted, he would much rather have received Mining. At least he could sell the herbs at the shop and anyone who got a crafting skill to use them would be able to buy them.

Mounted Riding sounded interesting, but not knowing where to get a Mount made the Skill moot just then.

Jut wasn't sure, but he was pretty confident that Magical Strike was a down grade of his current Skill, Magical Strikes. If his Skill had been upgraded when he ascended as well, then he doubted he would use the new one. Such a waste.

So, the only two Skills Jut was happy about was the Aura Skill and Firm Footing. While he believed the latter was a better skill for someone who wanted to tank damage, like Brick, he knew he would put it to good use. He activated his Aura and Brick immediately looked at him in surprise.

"Is this feeling coming from you?"

"What do you mean?" Jut asked. He didn't feel anything new.

"I used this new Skill, Stone Skin." Brick said, holding out his arm. With a ripple, his skin shifted into a hard stone texture. "It's kind of like your skill but defensive. It increases my resistance to physical damage by a large amount as long as it's active. Anyway, as soon as I activated the skill my Mana dropped by a few percent before I deactivated it. Next thing I know, I felt a warm, comforting sensation and my Mana started going up faster than before. I also have a buff "Mana Restoration." Brick was grinning. "That's you, right?"

Jut nodded. "Yeah. That's my Aura. It restores less Mana during combat though, by a lot."

"That's still awesome. Anything else we should do before we head out? I want to see if they have a Tank Skill Orb I can buy."

Jut shrugged. "I only have to equip my skills, but I want to do that after I have more and better choices. If the skills only upgrade when we Ascend, I don't want to choose poorly."

Brick nodded. "I have other features to test, but we can do that later. Let's get out of here."

Jut agreed and called the dogs. They trotted out of the hallway and waited eagerly by the door, Gunther's nub wagging furiously.

Jut and Brick both chuckled at the dogs, each petting one of them as Brick opened the door. Jut was relieved to see the Nox was moving with alacrity, at least more than before. Both dogs sped into the elevator as it opened for them.

Jut sighed at the technical marvel as they rode the expanded car down to the first floor before having to ride the next one down to the exit. He felt like it was going to be a long day as he walked into the early morning light, a slight chill on the breeze telling him autumn was right around the corner.

Location Unknown

Ophelia floated in her divine realm in her regular form. She was watching over all the Safe Zones at the same time. The doom and gloom was very depressing. Even those Zones that didn't have catastrophes happen during the first phase were heartbreaking. The people would recover though. She was already seeing signs of it.

Her Champions were all doing as she told them too, resting. All except for Jut. She watched as he went right back to work. He and his friend were called out to by a few of the Safe Zone hunters while on their way to the System Shop and began helping to haul more corpses to the Graveyard.

That child. For that is exactly who anyone under at least a thousand was to her and the other deities, children, just learning to make their way in this System. He was going to burn himself out.

Ophelia was just pondering her new "Friend" some more when a sickening feeling surged through her. She scowled at the portal that formed in her realm.

The opening doorway was pitch black, almost absorbing the light around it. Enyalios.

To Ophelia's surprise, the God of Death, Destruction, and Chaos emerged in his regular form, a red demon with blue horns.

"What do you want?" Ophelia asked before the other deity could say anything.

"Come now, Ophie, don't be like that. It wasn't my fault that massive Kraken emerged at Seafoam City and wiped it out. They had people warning them and I didn't even issue a quest to assist the beast." Enyalios said in mock sympathy.

Ophelia's presence reported to her that Enyalios was being truthful, but she still scoffed at him. "That doesn't explain your foray into my Realm."

Seeing her glare, Enyalios straightened and cleared his throat awkwardly. He knew better than to truly provoke a Divine Ranker in their own realm.

"I'm here to only gloat a little and mostly to say your quests during the initial week were very well done. I have been a Prime Deity a few times and very few Life Primes do so well their first go around."

Ophelia's features softened. She could sense his sincerity. She knew of Enyalios prior to his stepping foot through the first portals and for him to give a compliment, especially to a rival Prime, was rare. She felt honored and suspicious.

"Thank you, I guess." Ophelia said, leaning back into her conjured chair. Along with her chair, a table and identical chair appeared. "Want to sit and have some food?"

Enyalios' eyebrow rose. "We no longer require sustenance and you choose to indulge in some anyway? Any reason? This wouldn't be Buff worthy food, not for us." He said, looking over the chicken tacos as they appeared, still steaming, on the table.

"It's pre-System food from Earth, so it doesn't give any buffs." Ophelia said. She picked up one of tacos. The tortilla was shaped like a bowl. The chicken meat was marinated, shredded and coated in a cheese sauce. There was a mixture of beans with a dollop of "Sour Cream". The only reason Ophelia could even replicate the recipe Jut had given her while they chatted was because he had allowed her access to the Lore of him making them. She couldn't help the small sound of delight she made with her first bite.

"Well...if it makes you sound like that when you eat it... I might just have to try some." Enyalios said, picking up one of the tacos as he sat in the second chair. The chair shifted from the soft white with gold-trimmed cushions she had made into a black chair with red stitching. The demon took a bite. Ophelia watched as he chewed.

Enyalios' expression went from curious, to processing, to delighted in short order. "Oh, wow. This reminds me of Anilack Multched Octpi Egg Salad, only warm, and not fishy. Who gave this recipe to you?"

"Just my Granite City Champion." Ophelia said without thought.

"Oh. I so didn't think I would win that Safe Zone. The previous owner of that building really prepared well." Enyalios said offhandedly.

Ophelia scowled at the demon again. "You haven't won the Zone yet."

Enyalios smiled wickedly. "Sure I have. You know just as well as I that a Safe Zone established in the first year requires at least one million, maybe one and half million, Ascendant Beings to survive."

"What about Starinfell?" Ophelia put her hands on her hips. "It had half the numbers of Granite City and it survived. Hell, it became that world's capitol for over five hundred years."

Enyalios chuckled condescendingly. "A singular event that hasn't been replicated in over one hundred thousand cycles. Relying on a fluke for your hope are you?"

Ophelia retorted quickly, unhesitatingly. "Something done once can happen more than once. You know this too. We'll just have to see how it plays out."

Enyalios' eyes went wide at her confidence. After a long while, he shrugged. "You are right. We shall see. May I have more tacos?"

Ophelia nodded and the two Prime Deities continued to watch their Champions, eating chicken tacos.

"These are so good. I'll trade you for a copy of the recipe Lore." Enyalios said. Ophelia grinned. She knew of at least three recipes of his she had heard of. She hoped to at least get two of them.