System Break

Retching is not my favourite pastime and it was the second time today that I hurled my guts out onto the forest floor. My eyes watered as I piled dry sticks onto the mass of flesh. It was too heavy to drag off the creek, so we decided to dam it up, and it turned from a dam to a diversion within an hour.

The smarter thing to do was to chop it up, but we lacked hacksaws and if we didn't burn it who knows what could happen. New trolls sprouting from its hacked off arms, and more from its legs?

The core became visible, it was buried deep inside its flesh between its stomach and groin. It was humongous, it was bigger than my head. Within its depths I could see deep shades of swirling blue and it felt like a rubbery ball.

"How would you eat this?" I imagined choking on it. An anaconda could manage it, but a man or Svartalfar would need a flip top head and massive neck.

Gisael peered at it. "A way would be to feed it to the land core and then retrieve small beads. Eat it slowly over days."

Ailen's eyes widened. Sakaala was busy trying to get the smell out of her nostrils with her face buried in the stream a mile away.

Talila stood next to me and held my elbow as we watched the troll burn, while Gisael kept throwing on larger logs and traveling further each time to find one.

"Can we go?" Ailen asked.

Talila gripped my arm with both hands, then lay her head on my shoulder. "The core is valuable maybe we should take it back together."

Ailen looked at her, then me and grinned. "So, we wait."

We waited until the troll was nothing but ash and an orb. Gisael and Talila took the core back to Mother leaving us to clean up what we could before returning.

"I didn't sign up for this," Sakaala said.

I hefted a large rock. "Let's get the stream flowing at least."

Ailen used a leafy branch to brush the ash from the creek bed. "We can't fix everything, and the forest will heal itself I think."

Sakaala sighed. "I'm going to log out tonight. Take a day off."

Ailen clenched his fist and stared at her. "You can't. You promised to stay for a month -until we got established. We're in before everyone and need every skill point."

"But it's like work. Are you happy here?" she asked me.

I laughed. "You have no idea."

Ailen grinned. "I have an idea."

I shook my head. "No, not that. In the real world I can't walk. I was in a helo accident."

"Really?" Sakaala approached me and put her hand on my back.

"Wow," Ailen said. "Can I ask you something?" he said and glanced at Sakaala.

"Want privacy?" she asked, and he shrugged.

She grinned at her brother. "I think I know. You want him to let you have Talila.

"Well. I should have one, shouldn't I? And I can't have you and Gisael is too, you know."

"Just do it," I said.

He raised an eyebrow. "Force myself on her?"

"No, don't be stupid. Just make the moves and only stop if she stops you. She's basically you're superior so she'll put you in your place if it's not wanted."

"Aww little brother is growing up."

He poked his tongue at her then asked me, "What were you on the outside?"

"What happened to staying in character?" I sighed and said, "I was in special forces and then I was in accident which shattered my back. I've only ever been a soldier and a wounded vet. I'll do anything to stay in here. You don't know how much you appreciate the use of your legs, until you lose them."

"I can imagine."

"No … you can't."

Ailen sighed and said, "I'm done." He watched the water begin to flow down its original path.

"Us too." Sakaala said although I did most of the work. She looked at me, "Don't leave me behind."

"Then keep up," I said and began to run.

She quickly caught me, scowled, and then giggled when she realised, we weren't running that fast. "I'm so fit now."

My eyes looked her up and down. "Yeah."

She punched me playfully in the arm. "Now I know you're an alpha there's no way that's happening."

"Really?"

Ailen chuckled. "He's right. You basically ogle him all day."

She whined, "Don't gang up on me. Not fair."

I resisted the urge to ask how old she was. I didn't want to know. I really didn't.

"Aren't you curious about us?" Ailen asked.

"Nah. It doesn't really matter."

"So, if you I told you I was rich it wouldn't matter?" Sakaala said.

"It's more important to me that you're good enough to keep me alive and in here. I dunno what your deal is but they can cut me anytime they think I'm not useful."

Ailen's mouth twisted and his eyes darted upwards. "We might be able to help." I peered at him and he waved his hands. "No promises."

We picked up the pace and Sakaala struggled. She complained, "Why can't I be automatically good at this?  Like tree-run, or qi-arrow."

"We have to work on our skills sis."

I stood atop a boulder and held out my hand to Sakaala, she jumped and reached for it and I pulled her up. Then we jumped off and ran together. "Yeah. Did you notice skills level slowly the higher they get but abilities start at L1 and never move. Not yet."

Skills

.

-General-

Running, 29.44

Climbing, 33.19

.

-Survival-

Navigation, 20.12

Forest, 19.93

Plains, 9.85

Foraging, 17.45

Tracking, 12.29

.

-Combat-

Melee, 17.45

Defence, 9.98

.

-Crafting-

Fabric, 3.15

.

My progression was coming along slowly but surely. With all the fighting and training melee made a huge jump, where plains survival and fabric crafting barely moved at all.

"It's like a report card."

Ailen nodded. "I noticed that too. No freebies in here. In some games you get experience from killing monsters and then put it into skills. In this one, you only progress by doing. And a skill or ability doesn't appear until you discover it. I think that's why alpha testers like you, who discover new abilities, are the most important."

Sakaala giggled. "You discovered a whole race - they must love you."

"I dunno about that. They kept me out a day while deciding remember?"

Sakaala pouted.

"Come on, we need to get back." We picked up the speed and pushed Sakaala all the way home.

We arrived back just in time to see Mother add the final portion of the troll's core. She turned and beckoned us over.

"You have done well children of the forest. Can you feel the strength of our land core?"

Ailen and Sakaala nodded.

Mother's gaze was upon me and I could see the beating heart inside the tree. The bright blue core was condensed in the trunk, but small streams followed it down into the roots.

It felt good, like what I imagined a safe and loving home felt like. "Impressive." I said, not wanting to show my softer side.

She looked into my eyes. "What can you see?"

I pointed. "Bright blue glowy stuff, centred here and spreading in thin lines down the roots."

Gisael and Talila gasped. Mother smiled sadly and nodded. "You are unique Benzhi."

Ailen looked at me with both eyebrows raised and Sakaala merely smiled.

"What does this mean?" Talila said. Her face expressed fear and uncertainty.

I was becoming frustrated with their vague concerns. "Okay. Okay. Enough with the bullshit. What's go your vines in a twist?"

Mother shooed everyone away until we were alone. She patted the ground, I sat facing her and she took both my hands in her.

"You are special in our world. Is it not so in yours?"

I shook my head. "Hardly. I was good at sports and I took to the army like a duck to water, but so do a lot of people."

"There is no great secret we're hiding from you. Many will recognise this ability you have to see qi with your eyes. There may come a time where you hide this and another where you use it to influence different peoples. I will teach you until you outgrow me." She said the last with a tinge of sadness.

"Mother. I'm so happy here you don't have to worry about my loyalty. No matter how strange I seem. I got your back."

She laughed and it was the most melodic sound. It rang through the forest like a birdsong.

"I know not some of your words, but I understand, and I am glad. Keep working hard, Gisael, I and everyone will rely on your strength. Like today."

A shook my head. "It was nothing. We were a team."

She shook her head but smiled. "Do not lie to me. I know what you did." She stood and I followed suit.

"We have enough strength to call for artisans. They will be from the clan and not new recruits from the gate keepers. Unless you think we should?"

I was shocked that she asked for my opinion, but I shook my head. "Not now. Maybe later. I think your clan will suit us best."

I remember what the technician told me, and I put the upgrade qi strike into the quick slot. And when I pulled up the UI a couple of things happened.

Unique Affinity Unlocked Qi Sight

Ability Unlocked Qi Blade L2