It was, he quickly confirmed, entirely about information. Accessing it from his senses, processing it internally, and visualizing it externally in ways that defied Aver's known reality. It needed a name, a designation for his own mental logs. He cycled through possibilities. 'The Oracle System'? Too grandiose. 'Data-Weave'? Too mystical. 'Cognitive Interface'? Too dry. He wryly considered 'Project Overload' given his initial experience. Finally, he settled on a clunky, functional acronym only a data analyst could love: EMMA.
Extraction – pulling raw data from his direct sensory input: sight, sound, even ambient temperature or perceived energy fluctuations.
Modelling – processing that raw data into coherent, visual representations.
Manipulation – interacting with those visualizations via thought: zooming, changing chart types, filtering data sets.
Analysis – the underlying cognitive process of interpreting the displayed information and, potentially, extrapolating trends or predictions.
“EMMA,” he mused, testing the name. “Sounds less like world-altering magic and more like a mid-range enterprise resource planning software suite. Definitely needs a rebranding consult later. Maybe Workshop Incantation Naming Algorithm (WINA)? No, that's worse.” But for now, EMMA it was. Functional. Descriptive. His.
EMMA, he discovered through careful experimentation, was remarkably versatile in its output. He could consciously summon heat maps showing thermal variations in the room, generate bar charts comparing observed attributes (like his failed step-count comparison), render simple line graphs tracking, say, the fluctuating intensity of his Light spell as his mana dwindled, and even create rudimentary 3D wireframe models of objects he was looking at. All projected as shimmering, translucent blue constructs hovering in the air before him.
The truly revolutionary part was the control interface. His own mind. No keyboard shortcuts, no command line prompts, no clunky drag-and-drop. He simply thought about the data he wanted to see and the desired visualization, and EMMA rendered it. A mental 'pinch' zoomed in, revealing finer granularity. A thought could swap a bar chart for a scatter plot, filter data by time, or overlay different datasets. “The ultimate user-friendly UI,” he marvelled. “Zero learning curve on the front-end controls, because the controls are my thoughts. Though,” he admitted after trying to visualize complex mana flows and getting only a confusing blue fuzz, “a decent tutorial or 'Help' function wouldn't go amiss for understanding the backend limitations.” The potential, if he could master it and understand its data sources… “If I could replicate this tech back home…” The thought was staggering.
He also confirmed, after several more cautious experiments ending in mild dizziness, that EMMA operated entirely outside the rune-and-incantation framework Julia was teaching him. No awkward chanting, no complex finger-waggling required for the display itself. It seemed to be a direct manipulation of mana guided purely by his analytical intent. “It’s like I found a root-level access protocol,” he mused, “bypassing the standard magical user interface entirely. Exploiting an undocumented API? Wonder if that voids the warranty on this reality…”
But EMMA, for all its groundbreaking potential, came with significant limitations, bugs and constraints he quickly started logging.
Limitation #1: Mana Consumption. This was the big one. Simple visualizations, a basic chart, a static heat map of the room, seemed relatively 'cheap'. He could maintain them for extended periods while feeling only a minor drain, easily offset by his natural mana recovery. But complexity drastically increased the cost. Requesting detailed analysis, rendering intricate 3D models, or rapidly shifting between complex visualizations drained his internal 'wellspring' alarmingly fast. He learned this (again) when trying to create a predictive model of Edward’s sparring movements based on past patterns. The wireframe model appeared, showing potential attack vectors, but before he could glean any useful insight, the display flickered violently, the familiar dizziness washed over him, and he had to abort the process, breathing heavily. “It's like trying to run Crysis remastered at max settings on integrated graphics,” he sighed, rubbing his temples. “The potential is there, but the hardware crashes if you push it. Except instead of a system freeze, I get acute nausea and the compelling urge to lie down. Need serious optimization or a mana pool upgrade.”
Limitation #2: Data Input. EMMA could only model and analyse what he could perceive. It wasn't clairvoyance. It was augmented sensory processing. He could visualize the patterns in Julia’s footsteps because he could see her walk. He could model the heat distribution because he could feel the temperature variations. He tried, experimentally, to visualize the contents of a closed wooden chest in their room, EMMA rendered nothing but a question mark icon. He tried predicting the outcome of a simple dice game Edward and another guard were playing downstairs (he could hear the dice rattling), the results were pure statistical noise, no better than random chance. “No X-ray vision, no precognition, no telepathy,” he confirmed internally. “Input strictly limited to user's standard sensory apparatus. Guess I'll have to stick to analysing things the old-fashioned way: by actually observing them.”
Limitation #3: Processing Latency. While visualizations appeared almost instantly, complex analysis or predictive modelling based on extracted data took time. Plotting the trajectory of a thrown object was near-instantaneous. Trying to extrapolate complex social dynamics within the Guild based on overheard conversations and observed interactions? EMMA could display the network connections, but running predictive scenarios caused a noticeable mental 'lag', like his brain was buffering. “Running complex simulations takes non-trivial processing time,” he noted. “Feels like executing Python scripts on a Raspberry Pi circa 1999. Need to investigate parallel processing options… or maybe distributed computing. Where is AWS or Google Cloud when you need them?”
Limitation #4: The Privacy Setting. This was perhaps the most frustrating. EMMA's displays were stubbornly, infuriatingly personal. A private light show for an audience of one. He confirmed this during a quiet evening in the library. Julia was engrossed in a dense scroll, muttering about third-dynasty runic variations. William, feeling bold after successfully modelling the library's surprisingly complex airflow patterns (“Mostly to see if I could, and also to confirm my suspicion about that draft near the west window”), decided on a controlled test.
He focused, summoning the simplest visualization he could think of. A single, glowing blue bar representing the number of functional swords he’d personally observed since arriving in Aver (the count was now well over two hundred). Subtlety is key. Don't want to trigger the 'user is hallucinating strange lights' protocol in Subject Julia.
“Julia,” he began casually, gesturing with his hand towards the space just above the table where the translucent blue bar hovered, invisible to her. “Odd question, but… do you happen to see anything… shimmering? Right about… there?” He tried to inject bewildered curiosity into his voice. Performance: Attempting 'Innocent Observer'.
This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
Julia looked up from her scroll, following his gesture with a slightly puzzled frown. She peered intently at the empty air above the table, her head tilting slightly. Then she looked back at him, a polite, questioning smile touching her lips. “See something?” she asked, her voice laced with gentle confusion. “Like… dust motes in the lamp light? I don't see anything unusual, William.”
His carefully constructed casualness deflated instantly. He felt his cheeks flush. Communication Failure: External display output non-functional. Target observer registers null data. He stammered, gesturing more vaguely now. “Uh, no, just… the light… thought I saw a shimmer. Must be eye strain.” Smooth recovery, Shard. Grade: F-. Sounded like a malfunctioning android describing atmospheric distortion.
Julia leaned slightly closer, her expression shifting from confusion to genuine concern. She reached out, her fingers passing directly through the space where the blue bar shimmered only for him. Her hand encountered nothing but air. “William,” she said softly, her voice laced with worried kindness that felt worse than dismissal, “are you feeling quite alright? Perhaps you pushed yourself too hard today? That mana backlash can have lingering effects…”
He hastily dispelled the bar chart, cutting off the mana flow. “No, no, I'm fine,” he mumbled, quickly looking back down at his own primer. “Just tired. Too much reading small script, I suppose.” Retreat execution: Complete. Mission objective: Failed. Conclusion: EMMA display is strictly user-locked. He sighed internally. Projecting data was easy. Sharing it was apparently impossible. “Back to the drawing board. Need to develop a translation layer. Convert EMMA insights into verbal or written reports comprehensible by non-augmented users. Job description: Human data-to-narrative translator. Must be fluent in both advanced analytics and medieval common tongue. Proficiency in wildly exaggerated hand gestures a plus. Should be a breeze…”
Despite these significant limitations, William remained convinced EMMA was revolutionary. Analysing combat in real-time, identifying structural weaknesses, predicting enemy tactics based on observed patterns, assessing material properties, maybe even understanding the deeper mechanics of traditional magic… the potential was immense. He just had to master it. Control the mana cost. Find ways to gather better data. Learn to translate its insights.
He also noticed, with a flicker of both excitement and profound unease, that EMMA seemed to be… evolving. With each use, with each new visualization, it became slightly more efficient, slightly faster, slightly less demanding on his mana for the same task. Visualizations that were initially fuzzy now rendered with sharper edges. Queries that previously caused noticeable mental lag now processed almost instantly. It was as if the system were learning, adapting alongside him, optimizing its own internal processes based on his usage patterns. “Self-improving code,” he thought, the concept both thrilling and deeply unsettling. “Is this inherent to EMMA? Or a reflection of my own growing connection to mana? Or… is EMMA itself learning from me? That's… either incredibly useful or potentially the start of a rogue Skynet AI scenario in a fantasy setting. Probably both.” Another mystery for the rapidly growing 'Investigate Immediately Or Possibly Run Screaming' list.
He decided to push it slightly during one late-night session. He focused on recalling the sparring drills with the Guild trainees he’d observed earlier that day, attempting to overlay predictive trajectories onto a mental replay. Task: Model projectile motion and close quarter combat vector analysis based on observed combat data. Complexity: Moderate-High. The familiar translucent blue display shimmered into existence, rendering wireframe figures in motion. He felt the now-familiar drain on his mana, but it felt… cleaner, more controlled than before. The visualization held steady. He mentally zoomed, tagged attack patterns, tried cross-referencing with his rudimentary mental database of adventurer stats…
Suddenly, a new element overlaid the display. It wasn't a visualization he'd requested. It was sharp, crisp, almost like text on a screen back home, rendered in the same ethereal blue light, accompanied by a faint, internal ping sound that seemed to resonate directly in his skull.
[System Notification] Threshold Reached: Experience Points 1000/1000 Level Up! User has reached Level 1. +3 Unallocated Stat Points available. New Title Acquired: [Novice Magic Analyst]
William stared, utterly confused. The wireframe fighters vanished as his concentration shattered. What the…? He blinked, rubbing his eyes, certain it was a stress-induced hallucination or a visual artifact from mana strain. But when he focused again, the notification remained, hovering placidly in his field of vision, superimposed over his small room.
“XP? Level Up? Stat points? Titles?” His mind raced, frantically cross-referencing this impossible input with decades of absorbed Earth culture. “This… this is straight out of a game! A LitRPG! Is this whole reality… quantified? Are there health bars I haven’t noticed? Am I supposed to be grinding low-level mobs?” The sheer absurdity of it hit him, followed by a wave of dizzying, analytical excitement that eclipsed even his first successful spell. A system. A quantifiable, progressive system underlying his abilities!
He mentally prodded at the notification. Query: Stat point allocation interface? Query: Experience point source breakdown? Query: Title effect parameters?
The initial notification faded, replaced by a simpler display, almost like a character sheet header:
William Shard Level: 1
Title: Novice Magic Analyst (+5% Mana Regeneration Rate)
Unallocated Stat Points: 3
Status: Nominal (Minor Mana Fatigue)
Okay. He took a deep, steadying breath, forcing down the urge to laugh hysterically or check over his shoulder for hidden cameras. Data confirmed. User progression is quantifiable via XP/Level system. Stat points are allocatable resources. Titles provide passive bonuses. Mana Regen boost… very timely, actually. He immediately thought back. Where did the XP come from? Casting Light? Using EMMA? Analysing Edward? Surviving the wolves? Surviving Harrison? The possibilities were overwhelming. Requires systematic testing to determine XP triggers.
The realization slammed into him. EMMA wasn't just a visualization tool; it was the interface to his own progression within this world's rules, however strange they might be. The “evolution” he'd noticed wasn't just efficiency; it was leveling up. This changed everything. His path forward wasn't just about practice. It was about measurable growth, optimizing stat allocation, acquiring beneficial titles... It was a system he could potentially analyse, understand, and exploit.
This revelation added a new, consuming layer to his experimentation. He spent hours... meticulously documenting his findings in a small, leather-bound journal... creating his own personal grimoire of EMMA's functions and his own quantifiable progress.
He even began developing his rudimentary ranking system for others with renewed purpose, assigning numerical values... A crude system, admittedly... But it was a start. A framework... hoping I don't guess wrong when a troll comes charging...” He fully believed in Sun Tzu’s philosophy... And now, he realized with a jolt, EMMA might provide the system to truly know myself, and eventually, the enemy. Provided he could figure out how to get their stats displayed, and providing he had sufficient data.
Two intense weeks passed... honing his skills... expanding his knowledge... painstakingly began to master his newfound abilities... He was still a novice... But he was no longer the helpless outsider... A hybrid. A data analyst wielding magic, Level 1.
Finally, word arrived... Borin had secured a meeting with Lord Marshal Sir Gerald... The time for action had come. Showtime, William thought, a mixture of apprehension and excitement churning in his stomach. The new variables, levels, stats, titles, added layers of complexity he hadn't anticipated, but also a framework he understood. Let's hope my beta test went well enough… because I'm pretty sure this is going live.
William Shard - Character Sheet
- Level: 1
- XP: 0 / 1000 (Towards Level 2)
- Title: [Novice Magic Analyst]
- Effect: +5% Mana Regeneration Rate
- Class: Magic Analyst
Stats:
- Strength: 15
- Agility: 18
- Magic: 20
- Vitality: 12
- HP (Vitality *10): 120
- Mana (magic / 2 * 10): 100
- Unallocated Stat Points: 3
Skills:
- Swordsmanship: Basic
- Magic (Conventional): Basic
- EMMA System: Basic
- Language (Averian Common): Basic
- Healing / Regeneration: ??? (Unknown - Nature Undefined)
Normal Person (for reference)
Strength: 10
Agility: 10
Magical power: 10
Vitality: 10
Mana: 10