The liquid went down like tiny crystals the size of pencil tips. The taste was a bizarre combination of battery acid and milk—an odd mix of harsh texture and unexpected smoothness.
"Hold it," the voice kept saying. It felt like threads were coming inward, but into what, Tyler couldn't comprehend. It felt as though it was a part of him, but a part that wasn't inside—it was outside. Threads pulled in from all different directions, gathering into a swirl, spinning faster and faster.
The light was a brilliant golden yellow, spinning in ways that defied the logic of any physical plane. It wasn't painful, just strange—like he was watching himself from outside himself.
"Hold it," the voice said again as some strings tried to escape that spinning center. Then that spinning center stopped suddenly as the threads stopped pulling in, and the center tightened. "Hold it," the words were felt this time instead of heard.
Density. It collapsed on itself, getting deeper, then—BAM—it started to spin more rapidly again. More threads started pulling in, new colors being drawn in, transforming into the golden yellow until again it stopped. The center was full again, collapsing in on itself before expanding.
This happened six times before it was over. Tyler felt exhausted, but on a level that was beyond physical, beyond mental, beyond himself entirely.
"Good job," the voice said. "I would let you rest, but there is no time for that."
Tyler's eyes—whether they were closed or open—couldn't see, couldn't feel, couldn't hear. The voice was inside him, beckoning him to come back. And there he was.
"Drink this. It will help."
Tyler's eyes were open, back to the nightmare. Back to this void, back to the purple light, back to the darkness. Tyler felt oddly comforted by this strange man; he truly was something beyond what Tyler understood to be possible.
He took the bottle, which was more bottle-shaped than vial-like. The liquid was as clear as vodka with a sugary honey taste that was, for the first time, pleasant in this strange place.
After about four minutes, Tyler's senses started to fully recover. He was beginning to feel like himself again. And he noticed notifications were in his mind, waiting for him.
[Core development successful: Basic Fate Core] [Congratulations your Core has been upgraded to (basic 2)]
The message repeated until it said Basic 6. Wow, Tyler thought—did he upgrade his core 6 times? Was that typical? A part of him felt excited, as if he was something more.
Shaking his head and rubbing his face, he asked Vlad, "What happened?"
"You had an excellent core awakening. You didn't need much of my assistance," Vlad replied, his gray eyes reflecting the golden glow still emanating from Tyler's skin. "Many people need me to force their souls to bind their cores. It's a process that takes a toll on the person. It can be hard to grasp for most, but some, like you, have an easier go at it."
Vlad's orbiting spheres pulsed with renewed energy. "And I see you have reached Basic 6. Now that's an accomplishment. Most get upgrades in this expedited process—maybe two to four—but six? I've only had a few achieve that." He smiled, revealing those unnaturally perfect teeth. "Again, you are full of surprises. It could have something to do with your core type."
He gestured toward Tyler's head. "Open up your Character sheet and see for yourself."
Tyler focused his thoughts, and immediately information materialized in his mind:
[Character sheet] [Subject: Tyler Jackson] [Age: 28] [Level: 4] [Race: Human (Basic 1) (High-Conscious)] [Affinities: Fortune] [Affinity Rating: 14.7] [Core Type: Fate Core (Basic 6)] [Energy: 348/348 Fate]
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[Classes]
[Stats] [Will: 7] [Strength: 5] [Intelligence: 5] [Vitality: 1] [Agility: 3] [Dexterity: 6] [Resilience: 2] [Unbound: 24]
[Abilities] [Skills] [Spells]
Tyler stared at the empty sections for Abilities, Skills, and Spells, feeling a mix of disappointment and anticipation. His energy had increased dramatically, but what good was all that power if he didn't know how to use it?
"It seems you have a high affinity rating as well. I should have known," Vlad said, studying Tyler with renewed interest. "It's above 13, which is very uncommon."
Vlad glanced toward the doorway, a flicker of concern crossing his features. "Okay, I need to make this brief and depart. Henry signed up for this, so he would have known." His voice dropped lower. "Tyler, this is a trial league. It will be held in a dungeon where you will be tested. It is a dangerous test meant to kill most who do not rise up to the challenge."
He leaned closer, the green orbs at his waist spinning faster. "Severen will instantly recognize that you are not Henry when you enter his chambers. He will not have time to question you because this is a spectacle—it is a game. You will need to take up the name of Henry. Severen's pride will not allow him to make a mess of this game, for now."
Vlad tapped his temple. "I possess the ability to read people and their auras with my empathic affinity. Others have similar affinities and may be able to feel your core. It is important you do not share this information." His expression turned grave. "Most people will not be able to discern what kind of core it is, even if they feel it. It's best to lie and say it's a Chaos Core. Some will believe, but most will be curious."
His words came faster now, urgent. "I will give you a spell that you will need to learn as soon as possible. It will help you deceive people, but it's a powerful spell you cannot do at the moment. As your power grows, so will your aura."
"Damn, dude, slow down. That's a lot of shit you're dropping on me," Tyler interrupted, head spinning. "Why do you even want to help me so badly?"
"It's a win for both of us. Take this." Vlad handed Tyler a ring. It was the color of silver with a silver gem on its prong. "This is a simple spatial ring. It can hold items. Its dimensions are 5 by 5, so it's not meant to hold many things. The dimension can only last 4 hours without needing to be recharged."
A scroll appeared in Vlad's hand as he continued talking. "This is a fleeting scroll of Core Deception. It takes your aura and masks it with another. It's an active ability, meaning you need to constantly use it for its effects. It removes part of your stored energy to keep it active." His eyes locked with Tyler's. "Put it in the ring. Bond with the ring. It is important that you keep that ring hidden until you enter the dungeon... Henry."
Tyler did as requested, putting the ring on and trying to remain as serious as he could in this bizarre situation. "Okay, nothing is happening. What do I do?"
"You need to open your threads and release them into the ring. Look inward again."
Tyler did as instructed and saw his pathways, "almost as beautiful as a stripper on a Saturday night," he thought to himself.
"Focus, Tyler," he muttered under his breath. "I have it."
"Now release that energy into your hand," Vlad instructed. "It will feel strange at first, like a tickle or a tingle."
Tyler felt the energy push through his pathways into the ring—a strange sensation, like electricity flowing under his skin but somehow pleasant rather than painful. The ring warmed against his finger, seeming to buzz with a newfound connection to his being. A notification enter his consciousness.
Ring of Minor Holding (Basic Ring, Enchanted) cost 4 energy per 2 hours
- Description: A plain silver band with a quartz glyph stone, 4 hours of storage before collapsing.
- Enchantments: 5 cubic foot storage, no weight reduction, 1 item retrieval/Insertion per turn. Cooldown: short***
I can't act like I'm not impressed. That's cool, man." Tyler marveled at the sensation of the dimensional container—it was strange, like looking into a cabinet of another dimension outside himself. He placed the scroll inside mentally, and it vanished from his hand.
"Nicely done," Vlad said with an approving nod. "I need to make my leave. I've already overstayed my welcome." He straightened his purple cape and adjusted his immaculate suit. "Every hour or so, give it a little energy to keep it stable. You will retrieve some more storage devices from Wormpool so hiding the ring won’t be an issue"
Turning to leave, Vlad paused at the doorway. He looked back at Tyler with a smile that was a little too wide, revealing those impossibly perfect teeth. "And remember what I said... Henry.