[35:09:41]

  “So, I assume you knew that was going to happen,” Buck said between deep, steadying breaths. His voice was calm, but his eyes burned with barely contained fury.

  “Of course,” Evander stated, not a tinge of remorse in his tone. “A forced Attunement, at minimum, is quite a harrowing experience. The Root systematically mutates your body at the molecular level. The next Attunement shall be far less…dramatic. It takes significantly more time, but the process is much gentler. Now, if you’ll—”

  Buck didn’t let him finish. He stood, his legs still shaky, and trudged over to the Nexus. With practiced determination, he placed his hand on the stone. It didn’t take long to find what he was looking for. With a simple mental command, he implemented what Bev had called a Proclamation.

  Buck stepped back, looked Evander in the eye, and with a flamboyant wave of his hand, declared, “I, Ruler Blackwood of the Wind River Kingdom, do hereby put you in time-out.”

  “Time-out?!” Evander sputtered, his tiny paws flailing. “I...I am the Mighty Necrohamster Evander don Valerias, Defier of Death, Master of the…”

  Buck tuned him out, already turning to leave. The hamster’s indignant squawking faded into the background as Buck walked away, his head still pounding and his body feeling like it had been put through a blender.

  Up until this point, Buck hadn’t felt the need to implement any of those tyrannical Laws he’d seen flashing in the corner of the Nexus Interface. They’d always seemed like overkill—like using a flamethrower to light birthday candles. But Evander had crossed a line. Until the little rodent decided to provide all the information upfront, he wouldn’t be able to purchase anything from the shop. It was a small punishment, but Buck hoped it would be enough to convey the message.

  Yes, after listening to the descriptions of Attunements, Buck had assumed there would be some backlash. But the pain that had cascaded through him was like an angry tempest, tearing at his very soul. The hurricane of energy that now flowed through him had left him feeling raw, exposed, and…well, he had no idea what it had truly done. He didn’t actually know how close he had come to death, but it sure as hell hurt like a motherfucker. A little warning would’ve been nice

  Buck plopped down on his coyote bedroll, wincing as his body protested the movement. He opened his [Character] menu, half-expecting to see a flashing red warning label next to his name. Instead, there was a new line of information:

  Attunements: Seed of the Gray (Unique) (Rank-Basic)

  As with everything within the Cracked Kingdoms, it seemed that even his Attunements could be leveled up. But, like with his [Abilities], ranking up the Seed from Basic to Common would require some insight into what The Gray actually was. And right now, Buck had no idea what he had gotten himself into.

  Buck peered inward, focusing on the maelstrom of mist that now swirled where his puddle of Source had once been. The change was staggering. No longer was there a trickle—now, it was a torrent, a storm of power that thrummed with potential. He could feel it, a primal, untamed force that seemed to hum in sync with his heartbeat.

  This…this is insane, Buck thought, a grin spreading across his face. Every combat up until this point had been a careful balancing act, rationing his Source like a man stranded in the desert. He’d limited his [Ability] usage to administering killing blows, treating [Step Forward] as more of an escape tool than anything else. But now?

  If his calculations were correct, he’d nearly quadrupled, no… quintupled, his Source reserves. Buck’s little bouts with the coyotes had become routine, but now… they would be like ants beneath his fists. Ants beneath his feet? Whatever. The point was he was no longer scraping by. He was a force to be reckoned with.

  With a smile, he went to find one of the [Abilities] he had been avoiding: [Hand to Hand Mastery]. The description boasted the ability to increase his hand-to-hand skill, which was obvious from the name alone. But in practice, it had consumed Source at a rate that made it completely useless. He’d obviously been missing something. Why would the Root create an Ability that couldn’t be used? It was antithetical to everything Buck had learned about the power-hungry cosmic force.

  Peering into the swirling mists at his core, Buck realized the truth: it hadn’t been the Ability that was flawed. It had been him. He hadn’t been ready.

  With a strained sigh, Buck pulled himself up to a sitting position, his muscles protesting every movement. He glanced at the pines surrounding his little camp. He didn’t know what would happen, but just in case, he figured he should at least try not to destroy all of William’s work. Better to play it safe.

  Buck navigated his internal interface until he found the ability. Taking a deep breath, he activated it.

  His eyes widened in shock as he watched a hologram of pure aquamarine light materialized in front of him. It was humanoid, its form composed of the same honeycomb-like pattern as his [Guard] ability. But unlike [Guard], this figure moved.

  Buck stared, dumbfounded, as the hologram bowed to him.

  It bowed.

  “What the hell is this?” Buck muttered, unable to suppress a laugh. “Am I in a kung-fu movie now?”

  The hologram didn’t respond. Instead, it turned away and fell into a fighting stance, one foot forward and one back. Its movements were slow and deliberate, as if submerged in water. Buck watched, transfixed, as the figure went through a series of punches: two jabs, hooks, and uppercuts.

  But something was off. The hologram’s movements were…wrong. Not incorrect, but unnaturally slow, as if it were demonstrating each motion for a complete novice.

  “Oh,” Buck said, realization dawning. “It’s teaching me.”

  The hologram finished its routine, then flickered back to its original position. With another bow, it began the sequence again.

  This Mastery skill was meant to teach Buck how to punch. Well, no time like the present. He pulled himself to his feet, his muscles screaming in protest. Carefully, he positioned himself next to the hologram, waiting for its round of attacks to finish before mimicking its stance.

  It felt awkward. Try as he might, Buck couldn’t replicate the hologram’s movements with any semblance of grace. His punches were clumsy, his footing uneven. It proved to him that up until this point, he really had just been swinging wildly and hoping for the best.

  But that was the point, right? This Ability wasn’t just a power boost—it was a teacher, a guide. And like with all of his [Abilites], it was currently at the Basic Rank. If he could rank it up, what would it teach him next? Advanced techniques? New fighting styles? The possibilities were endless.

  Buck deactivated the ability, collapsing back into bed with a groan. This wasn’t the time to get too far into training. His body felt like it had been run over by a truck, and his mind was still reeling from the day’s events. Training could wait. For now, he needed rest.

  As he lay there, staring up at the makeshift roof of pelts, Buck remembered something else: he’d received other rewards after completing his Attunement. With a flick of his mental interface, he pulled up the notifications, curiosity outweighing his exhaustion.

  [Attuned]

  The Path to Ascension is rife with strife. For many races of the Cracked Kingdoms, you're just too gods damn weak to make it to the top. Introducing... fundamentally changing your body and spirit to fit your goal! Tattoos, Smatoos, paint your insides with an ethereal force you don’t understand.

  Reward: +1 All Stats

  First!: +1 All Stats

  [Attribute Hoarder]

  First Echelon Players are meant to use this time to explore their future. Experiment with Skills and Abilities. Find a path that suits them for when they join the Climb. You ignored that and became a monster, filling yourself with over 100 Attribute Points before you even evolved. Wild, who could've helped you with that?

  Reward: Main Attribute +2 All Stats +1

  First!: Main Attribute +2 All Stats +1

  Looking at his [Character] menu, Buck found he’d gained a whopping 21 Attribute Points from his [Attunement] and the two [Titles]. This increased his overall strength by nearly 15%, and as Buck focused on his body, he could feel the difference. His muscles felt denser, his movements sharper. If this were pre-integration, he’d be the strongest human alive— outmatching professional bodybuilders in strength and surpassing Olympic sprinters in speed.

  It was pretty exhilarating. In just a few weeks, he’d evolved into something beyond human. And that wasn’t counting his near-omniscient hunting and tracking abilities. What would happen if this Attribute reached 50? Or 100? The possibilities were dizzying.

  Buck couldn’t help but feel a twinge of guilt about yelling at Evander. The hamster was insufferable, but he was also the closest thing Buck had to a guide in this twisted world.

  “Don’t mean to intrude,” William said, gently floating into camp. His translucent form shimmered in the fading light, his ghostly hat tipped low over his eyes.

  “You could never intrude,” Buck said, half-smiling. “That hamster, though… he just gets on my nerves.”

  “He’s quite skilled at that, ain’t he?” William said, forcing out a little laugh. But then he paused, his expression turning serious. He clearly had something important to say. Buck waited, giving him the space to speak on his own terms.

  After a moment, William floated down to sit beside Buck, his ghostly form hovering just above the ground. “Evander…” he began, then hesitated. “I’m thinkin’ Evander’s bein’ punished by the Root. Hells, it's probably why he got himself sent to us as a Quest Reward.”

  Buck raised an eyebrow. Where was this coming from? Sure, the little guy had one hell of an attitude problem, but Buck had always assumed it was because he was some prince or royal necromancer. Before Buck could respond, William continued.

  The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

  “Well, I don’t rightly know all the ins and outs,” William said, his voice drawlin’ low and steady. “And you’ve met the fella— he’s tighter-lipped than a rusted whiskey barrel, no matter how much I prod or pester. But the more I learn ‘bout this here world, the more it don’t sit right with me. Us gettin’ such a know-it-all first Citizen? That just don’t feel natural. And then there’s the way he near ‘bout blew a gasket when he found out we was startin’ at Level 1. It all adds up, young pup. I reckon the Root done stuck him here as some kinda divine punishment.”

  Buck thought about it for a moment. It fit. Evander had a perfect plan for Buck to grow to a level that wouldn’t draw too much attention. At every step, the hamster had the exact answer Buck needed, even preparing for a future Buck couldn’t yet see.

  “You’re right,” Buck said with a sigh. “I may have been too hard on him. But I’m not running back that Proclamation just yet. If I’m gonna run this Kingdom, I need to know everything. And that doesn’t just include the whole Attunement mess. That information about the [Leaderboard]? It’s useless to us right now. Hell, man, I don’t even have a pair of pants. We need to make those decisions together, as a team.”

  William’s face lit up, his ghostly form glowing a bit brighter. “Alrighty then. I’ll talk to him.” He rose, a smile spreading across his face. “Out here, you earn respect through actions, not just words. In my eyes? Both of y’all have done a mighty fine job of earnin’ that respect. The little guy’s been workin’ day and night to get stronger, just like you. And hey, he might not say it, but you gone done and impressed him. Keep it up.”

  Buck smirked. “Yeah, well, he’s got a funny way of showing it.”

  William chuckled, then grew serious again. “That being said, he did ask if you’d do a favor for him. Seems like you’ve gotten mighty strong with those punches of yours, but the hamsters hoping you could stop blowin’ the heads off the beasties you be huntin’.”

  “Why’s that?” Buck asked, tilting his head.

  “Well,” William said, scratching the back of his ghostly neck, “Evander gettin’ pretty good with that [Animate] spell of his, and his [Necromancy] skill is growin’ too. Unfortunately, you can’t raise anything from the dead if you blow a hole through its skull. He recommends goin’ for the throat. Said it’s easier to fix up. Oh, and start with somethin’ small. Those coyotes are still too high level.”

  By this point, William had fully risen and was clearly ready to get back to work. “I’ll leave you to it. Good luck figurin’ out what your Attunement does. I’m still far from gettin’ my first, but if you find out anythin’ that might make it less…painful, I’d really appreciate it.”

  With that, William floated off, leaving Buck once again alone in his little corner of the camp.

  Buck sighed, running a hand over his scalp. “Great. Now I’ve gotta learn how to not kill things too hard.”

  He again activated his [Hand to Hand Mastery], the hologram materializing. Falling into a rhythm with its slow, deliberate movements, Buck focused on mimicking its punches and footwork. It was awkward and frustrating, but he knew he needed to shore up his skills. If he was going to start collecting corpses without turning them into mush, he’d have to get creative.

  “What a world,” Buck muttered, throwing another punch. “What a freakin’ world.”

  —

  [A Reminder. Ruler Blackwood. I do not decide what the Root creates]

  “I know that, Bev,” Buck said, standing over a three-meter hole in the ground. “I’m just saying, did it need to be so…well stinky?”

  Buck had felt bad about how far he’d taken things with Evander just a few days prior, so he’d set out to properly complete the hamster’s request. When Buck had created the trap to kill the [Kingfisher Herons], he remembered seeing some large rodents stalking around the southern forest. Rightfully, he’d assumed they would be low-level creatures, perfect for practicing his [Hand to Hand Mastery] while providing Evander with the corpses he needed for his [Animate] Spell.

  But, as with all things in the Cracked Kingdoms, it was easier said than done. The rats proved to be elusive and tricky prey. While they were lower-level beasts, ranging from Level 4 to 7, they were far more cunning than Buck had anticipated. His previous hunts had sharpened his survival instincts and made him more comfortable in life-or-death scenarios, but these rats were a different breed entirely.

  The coyotes were straightforward—strength/dex pack hunters who relied on their speed to take down their prey. The herons were dex/int hunters that used some sort of wind-based abilities to slice through any attackers. But the rats? The rats were just assholes.

  While hunting one of the herons, Buck had spotted a small clump of brown fur skittering beneath an exposed root. Not wanting to miss the opportunity, he finished the heron with an unceremonious [Punch] and gave chase. The rats had proved to be a worry hunt, having some sort of [Ability] or [Skill] that hid them from the preternatural sense that was provided by [Basic Hunter]. Unable to feel the beasts when he got close, Buck was forced to track them the old-fashioned way. Well,… sort of the old-fashioned way.

  He wasn’t entirely without help. Buck sent out Mr. Seeker to scout the area while he investigated where the rat had disappeared underground. He hoped to find clues to help him level up his [Tracking] skill. Even without the passive boost from [Basic Hunter], Buck could pick up the trail—though the rats proved to be wily opponents.

  They left very little behind in ways of evidence, and if it weren’t for Mr. Seeker's assistance, Buck could’ve spent weeks out here searching. As he examined shallow claw marks in the dirt, Buck got a ping from his Minion. Rushing over, he was dismayed to see that while Mr. Seeker had indeed spotted a rat, it had lost track of the creature almost immediately.

  This process repeated for hours. Buck wasn’t even sure if he was following the same rat anymore. The one consolation was that it proved excellent for leveling his [Tracking] skill, pushing it to level 12 in half a day. Unfortunately, it didn’t grant him a new [Ability], and Buck could only assume that was due to its higher rarity. Until now, he’d received an ability between Level 5 and 10 for most of his Basic Skills. This was the first Common Skill he’d spent any time leveling—other than [Running], which felt like a gimme from Bev. He didn’t expect that one to amount to much.

  Just as Buck was about to give up, luck finally came his way. While sitting in a clearing, taking a break from the oppressive chase, Buck pulled out a chunk of dried coyote jerky. As he chewed on the stringy meat, a large brown rat emerged from behind a tree, its beady eyes locked on the snack.

  Buck grinned. “Well, ain’t you a sight for sore eyes.” Gods, was William rubbing off on him?

  As with all beasts he had encountered, calling this creature a “rat” didn’t do it justice. It was the size of a beaver, complete with the large incisors stained orange like rusted blades. Its brown fur was matted with some sickly green substance that he couldn’t identify, but Buck noticed something else as its eyes gazed hypnotically at the piece of dried meat. Its tail, shaped like a rat's, stretched out behind it and into the underbrush. It had to be a full meter in length, maybe two meters, and as he watched it, it began to pull itself back towards the creature. Gods, it was like a tape measure getting slowly sucked back into its body. Too much time had passed, and quickly, Buck cast [Identify] and dashed forward.

  [Rodents of Totally Normal Size]

  Basic Beast

  -Level 5-

  These simple creatures that wander the southern forests within the Wind River Kingdom strive for one thing and one thing only: the flesh of their enemies. Ferocious to no end, their mighty jaw strength allows them to crush through the very bones of their prey. That's you, by the way, the prey. Don’t let them bite you.

  Buck was grateful for Bev’s warning because, to his surprise, the rodent pounced at a speed that could only mean Dexterity was its highest Attribute. Planting his foot, Buck dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack. But the rat had a trick up its sleeve.

  Its long, ringed rat tail swiped out, stretching out of its body as it swiped at a nearby tree, altering its trajectory mid-air and launching itself back toward Buck. Buck watched in horror as the rodent’s glistening maw opened wide, ready to latch onto him. But Buck had a few tricks himself.

  It had taken Buck hours to figure out exactly what [Gray Mist] actually did. It drained a significant amount of Source when activated, but there were no obvious outward changes. Unlike his other abilities, which had immediate, visceral effects—like the crackling energy of [Punch] or the lightning-fast dash of [Step Forward]---this one was subtle.

  With a mental push, Buck activated his new ability: [Gray Mist]. A now familiar tremor ran through him as the storm of Source within his core surged to life. Buck raised his arm to block the rodent, but instead of impact, he watched as the beast passed straight through him, slamming headfirst into the tree behind.

  It wasn’t until he used it in combat that Buck understood. When activated, [Gray Mist] transformed his body, turning him into, effectively, a cloud of mist. This allowed all attacks to pass through him, doing no harm. The downside? He couldn’t interact with the physical world while in this form. It required constant mental focus to shift between corporeal and most states, making it tricky to master.

  But that wasn’t all. During the first fight, a coyote had dashed through his mist form and collapsed in weakness behind him; Buck had been baffled. The description of the Attunement provided a hint: “With whispers cold that bind and break, It seeks to weave its dark design, reclaiming power once divine.” It seemed that The Gray was absorbing the very life force of Buck’s enemies.

  As foes passed through him, Buck felt stronger. He wasn’t exactly sure what was happening, but he was able to deduce that whatever The Gray took from his enemies, it would give to him. Unfortunately, the boost wasn’t permanent. After each fight, the gray mist would dissipate from his skin like fog under the morning sun.

  But that didn’t matter now. Buck watched the mist coil around the rodent, sapping its strength. Once gleaming with menace, the creature’s beady eyes dulled as its life force was drained. The Gray never killed its prey—it left them weakened, ripe for the finishing blow.

  Swiftly, Buck grabbed the creature, clamping a hand around its neck. Activating [Punch], he felt a rush of energy surge up his arm. With a sickening crunch, the rat’s windpipe collapsed.

  Stowing the corpse in his Inventory, he was surprised it had been split into two distinct items.

  [Inventory Updated: 1 x Rodent of Totally Normal Size Corpse]

  [Inventory Updated: 1 x Embryonic Goo]

  [Empbryonic Goo] (Common)

  Increase [Alchemy] Level to learn more

  Whatever the hell was covering these rodents would sure bring a smile to Evander’s face. Evander. Buck had to figure out what he would do with the little hamster. He could only hope he would understand why he had to do what he did. Evander was not unlike the rodents he was now hunting, ignoring the obvious hamster and rodent comparison. These rats were cunning. They wouldn’t put themselves in danger unless they knew the reward outweighed the risk. Maybe he could use that the next time he went home.

  That led to the absolutely wretched, stinky hole Buck stood in front of. The rodent he’d killed had clearly been drawn to the coyote meat he’d been chewing on. Buck could hunt them efficiently by placing pieces of it out whenever Mr. Seeker spotted a rat.

  But it wasn’t enough. He’d noticed that the rats would occasionally take the meat and return from whence they came. Curiosity had gotten the better of him, and he’d followed one back to its apparent lair.

  The entrance to the lair was a gaping maw in the earth, exuding a stench so foul it made Buck’s eyes water. The ground squelched underfoot, sticky with a thick, gooey substance that clung to his shoes. Inside, shadows flitted about— a veritable horde of grotesque rats, their bodies slick with the [Embryonic Goo] that dripped from the walls.

  [Congratulations! You have discovered [Rats Nest](Dungeon - Common)]

  “Nope,” Buck said, backing away. “Sorry, Bev. There’s no way I’m crawling into that gooey hell hole.”

  [Power and Fortune await within, Blackwood! Strength that you will need if you are to Survive What Is Coming]

  Buck paused; while Bev may have a funny way of getting him to do things, she wasn’t a liar. If she insisted he enter, it would be truly foolish of him to ignore her wishes.

  “Fine,” Buck sighed, “But I’m not going in yet. If you're going to force me into another elaborate cave system, I need to prepare.”

  [Compromise, Accepted]

  Buck didn’t leave immediately, he still had a job to do. Thankfully, the smell of the sweet coyote flesh was all he needed to lure some of the rats out. One by one, they emerged, drawn by the promise of an easy meal. For an entire day, Buck farmed the little creatures, luring them out with bait and dispatching them with a flash of gray mist and a crushing [Punch].

  He lost count of how many of the little monsters he killed, but as he was returned to camp, he couldn’t help but notice the experience he’d gained.