2 - Prayers and Pistols

Well, Mara was going to be so smug. I had not seen this coming whatsoever and despite our goofy brainstorming earlier tonight, I was not really prepared for something like this. A new message popped up.

[Welcome new user! Your [planet] [Earth] has recently joined the Mana Plane. In order to assimilate you to your new existence you will be given the title Newcomer, given access to the Newcomer Questline, and given more in depth tutorial information.]

[Standby as the system initiates.]

How long was this going to take? And when was I going to find out what it all meant? Did this system come with a user manual or something?

[System initializing…3…2…1…]

[System initialized.]

[Scanning…]

I really hoped Mara was enjoying this. A tingle ran slowly through my body, from my head down to my toes. Concentrating on anything outside of the tingling was difficult. I could practically feel individual organs being scanned one at a time. If I survived I was never going to be able to look at myself the same again.

[Body and Soul compatible with System.]

[Body and Soul meet minimum requirements.]

[Integrating System with user.]

[Downloading…]

Great, it looked like I was going to be installing an operating system directly into my brain! What could possibly go wrong with that?

[Downloaded.]

[Installing System Interface…]

My mind felt extremely fuzzy. Like all my thoughts were slowed down, but hard to access as well. My mind was working on overdrive somewhere in the back of my thoughts where I couldn’t see what was going on.

[Installed.]

[Welcome user.]

The fuzziness in my brain blinked away. I was back to normal. Aside from the whole floating window and system messages of course. That was decidedly not normal. Maybe it was my new normal though.

[As a Newcomer, you have been granted a starting essence to integrate based on your recent life experiences.]

I felt a slight jolt as something heavy plopped onto my mattress next to me. A small ivory looking cube sat on top of my blankets. I felt a pull from it, like it was calling to some primal part of me. I was reaching out for it before I even realized what I was doing. I snatched my hand away.

My phone buzzed next to me. I needed a minute to process everything that was going on, so I picked up my phone off the side table. A message from Mara. I rolled my eyes and opened it up. It was a selfie of Mara holding up what looked like a wooden cube, similar to my ivory cube, with a shit-eating grin stretched across her face.

Why are you holding that!

It’s my essence! From the system.

Mine is wood, what did you get?

I don’t know. I’m not just picking

up cubes that appear on my bed.

Well, that seems short sighted.

How are you going to integrate

your essence if you don’t pick it up?

Why would I even want to do that?

To get stronger and fight monsters.

My system says I can make a confluence

essence that looks kind of like a ranger

or a druid. Some other things too, but

those were the cool ones.

Think I might wait for a better essence.

Do you think someone will trade with me?

If I post it online?

Does the internet even work? I

thought you said that was the kind of

stuff that never lasted after a system

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

thingy showed up.

Totally. I mean we’re texting aren’t we?

Touché.

Oh, yeah. It looks like someone started

a subreddit already. Only a matter of time

before an actual website or ten pops up.

I’ll wait for that I think.

Good luck with that.

Thanks! What did you get?

So, it looked like just touching the cubes didn’t cause any lasting harm. Mara was just as weird as usual. Though that wasn’t as much comfort as I thought it would be. Hesitantly I reached out with a single finger. I hovered over the ivory cube for several seconds before I took a deep breath and reached down to touch it.

[Newcomer, this is a cube of bone essence. It has been chosen for you based on your recent life experiences. Bone essence represents the body and death in many cultures.]

[Essences can be absorbed in order to add that affinity to your soul, bringing you closer to a path toward power. Each essence will grant the user a single skill, spell, or ability. A user absorbs three essences in order to create a fourth confluence essence. Which further shapes your path.]

[Essences can be found by meditating in areas saturated with that kind of mana, or by slaying monsters.]

[Bone essence can lead to confluences like [Titan], [Flesh], [Alchemy], and [Grave]. These are not the only confluences available, only a selection of available paths.]

Ivory was mostly right it turned out. Though bone was slightly different. By focusing on the different confluences, the system seemed to take that as a prompt and gave more information about each one. I decided to investigate a little.

[Titan confluence focuses on strengthening the body above all else. Other essences like [Earth], [Metal], [Endurance], [Strength], or [Durability] combine to pave this or similar paths. Titans have high defense and are often [tanks] for parties.]

[Flesh confluence is all about shaping flesh and bone to heal and change yours and other’s bodies. Other essences like [Blood], [Healing], [Water], or [Regeneration] can lead to this and similar confluences. Those with the Flesh confluence are sought after healers and body modifiers.]

[Alchemy confluence is about creating potions and poultices that can be used in a wide variety of applications. Other essences like [Fire], [Water], [Blood], or [Mercury] can lead to an alchemy confluence. Alchemists are highly valued for their potions and other effects they can cause, including incendiary and explosive devices.]

[Grave and other associated confluences are banned in some cultures because of their association with death and are considered unnatural by many. Other essences like [Dark], [Blood], [Shadow], [Decay], or [Spirit] can tempt some down this path. The Grave confluence empowers its owners with power over death and the dead, making them powerful adversaries and allies.]

That was a lot to take in. It looked like at least two confluences could lead to a solo build. Titan seemed a little more physical than I might like. Chances are I’d have to wade in with weapons or fists and feet in order to fight anything though. Grave reminded me of some of the necromancer builds I’d played in various games before. The idea of raising minions to fight for me was slightly more appealing, though I did understand people being uncomfortable about it. Plenty of people were already uncomfortable with my regular job though and that didn’t bother me anymore.

Speaking of my regular job, why did I even need to worry about absorbing essences? It’s not like I was required to clear dungeons or anything like that. Let someone else deal with all that. I was sure there would be plenty of dorks, weebs, and nerds like Mara ready to jump into that particular meat grinder if it even came about.

I put the cube on my side table and sent a quick text to Mara to tell her about my essence then turned my phone off and lay back down. I didn’t think I could really focus on my book anymore tonight, so I turned off the light and scooted down my bed to lie all the way down. I tossed and turned for a while before sleep finally found me. My dreams were chaotic and dark, full of monsters and other terrors that I quickly forgot upon awakening, my heart racing.

The next morning I found out all the cubes hanging over the cities had vanished in that flash of light last night. Maybe they were raising the mana levels or something for the system. More stuff for the talking heads to speculate about.

I took my essence with me to work. I don’t know why, but some part of me could not bear to be parted. Maybe because I hadn’t wholly turned down the idea of absorbing the essence.

My day at work went about like most days did. I worked on prepping a body for their upcoming funeral while I waited for clothes to be delivered by the family. At lunch I received a new message from the system.

[Users of [Earth] be warned that your [planet] integration has been shifted due to unstable mana levels in your [galaxy]. Dungeons have been added to your [world] ahead of schedule to absorb the excess mana. Monsters have spawned in the wild. Newcomer questlines are being updated.]

[Newcomer Questline: Absorb one Essence]

[Newcomer Questline Rewards: System generated book of user’s choice:

* Basic Bestiary

* Dungeons 101

* Beginner Essence Intro

* Common Confluences

* Uncommon Confluences

* Body and Soul Advancement: The Rank System]

[Newcomer Questline: Kill ten monsters. Monsters can be most often found in dungeons, but also spontaneously spawn in areas saturated by mana.]

[Newcomer Questline Rewards: One Essence of user’s choice:

* Metal

* Healing

* Spirit

* Mercury

* Blood

* Fire

* Strength

* Decay]

I dismissed the messages and I got ready for the funeral this afternoon. The viewing had been happening since late morning. Soon I’d be headed out to the cemetery with the rest of the funeral home staff. We were a small funeral home and most funerals called for all hands on deck.

I drove the hearse at the front of the procession with Darcy. Lucy and James drove the lead car behind the police escort. We crept through town on our way to one of the more historical cemeteries in our county. There were people buried there since the first white settlers had arrived in the area hundreds of years ago.

There was a little chapel on the grounds that some people preferred to use for their wakes and funeral viewings, but not very often. The grounds sprawled for several acres before running up against a small copse of trees on one end and someone’s field of cows on the other.

When we showed up this time though, something felt off. The usual quiet peaceful air wasn’t present when I stepped out of the car. I couldn’t quite place my finger on what was bothering me, but something was pinging my radar very loudly. I wasn’t the only one as I saw several of the mourners looking around warily.

Then suddenly the ground began to rumble at our feet. I’d never experienced an earthquake before, but I didn’t know what else this could be. Seemed like the world wasn’t done thrashing in its death throes.

[Users of [Earth] your [planet] has begun to fracture under the strain of excessive mana. Larger pieces will become their own [realms] within the Mana Plane. Smaller pieces will be reconstituted in [36 hours].

[User, your piece is set to reconstitute. Find the nearest portal station to be moved to a safer location.]

[Mana disruption levels high. Monsters spawning.]

Fuck…of course.

A roar sounded from not nearly far enough away. I turned in a circle, eyes wide, looking for the cause. Several hundred feet away stood a hunched figure. Its arms seemed to stretch to the ground, its back hunched, shaggy hair swung below its shoulders.

It opened its mouth wider than humanly possible, long canines flashed as another loud roar echoed through the air. Then it was charging toward us. It ran like a gorilla the knuckles of its hands propelling it forward at breakneck speed.

The closer it came, the uglier it seemed to get. It was naked and its skin was grey and sallow like something sickly. Its teeth were yellow and chipped, drool hung from its mouth. Behind it several more seemed to appear from behind some of the mausoleums and crypts scattered around the old cemetery.

Suddenly there was a loud crack that echoed in the air and the monster, whatever it was, crumpled over itself and skidded across the ground. I looked over and the preacher, this tiny old woman with dark robes and a bible in one hand, had a large pistol in the other and began to quickly pivot and fire into the monsters coming at us. I stared in awe as this little wizened woman blasted away at these hideous things until none of them stood and there was silence all around. None of the monsters had gotten closer than twenty yards from us.

The woman beamed at all of us, “I figured after that message earlier that it might be a good idea to be better armed. The Lord helps those who help themselves you know.” I just nodded at her.

Many of the mourners were huddled behind their cars, hands over ears, panicked looks on their faces. I noticed I had my hand buried in my purse, gripped around my essence like it would protect me. Which maybe it would, but not the way it was right now. Maybe I needed to absorb my essence after all. Or get a gun apparently.