“There is o thing before we tihe cloaked figure said, raising one arm outwards. “This extra assistance I provide, a tool to more easily uand your ow poce within this world. Knowledge is power, and this will aid you onto the path towards uanding yourself and your abilities, whies before uanding all else. And using that knowledge, form a path to power that only you walk.”

  As I watched, it brought its other hidden arm forwards. In a swift movement it struck, sending more than a dozen droplets of what looked like molten silver into the air. Aether fred white, and suddenly the droplets started cirg each other, arraying themselves int. Metal spread, and suddenly they had formed a bracelet made of a series of silvery balls, held together by glitteriallic twi floated over to me and the guide spoke again.

  “Take it and pce it around your dominant wrist. It will enable you to leverage your innate and awakerengths into a form that is easy to uand, uo you. Though whether you truly harness such power as lies within depends on your own efforts and fortune.“

  I nodded and picked up the bracelet from where it was hanging in the air. It was cold to the touch, almost as cold as ice. As I slipped it over my wrist the fiery energy rushing through my body surged, focussing on my wrist. I jolted in shock as the silver droplets melted, seeping into my wrist, ice meeting fire. “This is safe right?” I asked nervously.

  “Of course, no harm will e to you by this bracelet. For now, it merely uses aether to augment your perception, allowing you to internalise your information in a form that is easy for you to uand. The exact meism is plicated, and it would serve no purpose to expin it, nor could you prehend it yet.”

  Charming. Though I guess this is all o me so I ’t really pin. As the feeling in my wrist melted away, I spoke. “So, just what do I do now?”

  “trate on your wrist and thehe feeling arises, direct your senses inwards, to feel your very essence. When you do this, information will be rendered into a format that you uand.”

  That seems difficult. Still, I guess it’s simir to when I started to absorb aether, so it should be possible. Oh well, here goes…

  I let my mind dwell in my wrist, trying to recapture the feeling, but for several minutes nothing happened, except I felt a vague prig itch throughout my body. “This is still pretty hard.”

  “If I had forced the more damaging path upon you, you would be able to do this instinctively, without effort. Yet your heights would be mere shadows of those that growth bring, your long-term potential imperfect. Persevere, ahe flow of energy within you. Guide it to your wrist and pool it there. Your sind should direct this flow. Only when you and it as easily as breathing will you have reached the stage where you start to exceed those who have taken the easier path, and find your own longer, higher road to asd.”

  Yep, still talkative. I let out a long sigh and tried again. The heat withirembled, and I wasn't sure whether I was just imagining it, but it seemed like the warmth was diminishing, just a tiny, almost unnoticeable fra. As I tio will my mind into my wrist, I was sure. The heat was slowly fading away. In trast, my wrist was itg, cold prickles stabbing me, causing a vague disfort.

  Nearly got it… I think. After what seemed like an hour of struggle my wrist fred cold, a ring of silver threads encirg it. Momentary pain fshed at various points in my body, from my lower body, heart and through to my head, but it quickly diminished, leaving only phantom echoes behind.

  “Now, move your mind and will inwards. Feel your nature and express it.” The figure decred.

  As I did so my mind was filled with silvery words, f the above image. It was amazing how clearly I could see it, almost as if it was really there.

  [Material Statistibsp;[Intangible Statistibsp;Might38??? Fortitude35??? Intellect67??? Resilience63??? Acrity43??? Precision64??? Aether85???

  [Material Skills] [Aetheric Skills] White CordRank 1First NodeRank 1[Intangible Skills] [Perceptive Skills] Self-ExaminationRank 3

  [Level] 0As I looked at the silver letters, I couldn’t help but ugh excitedly. “Man, this is just like a game. I suppose that makes sense as you did say it will be a form easy for me to uand. After all, I’ve pyed loads of games, and even worked on a few.”

  I trated on the word ‘Might’ and as I expected further information was dispyed, just like a tool-tip menu, if it was made from glowing mercury that was hanging in the air in front of me.

  Might – An expression of physical power and force, muscle strength and so forth, as expressed as a pertage of the maximum human possibility when sidering a human who has not mastered Aether.

  “Yeah, that’s pretty easy to uand too. I didn’t think I’d be so below average physically though. I mean, I know I’m a bit out of shape…” I couldn’t help but feel just a bit down at the harsh judgement of my physical skills. Who cares how weak I am now though, this is still damn y thoughts that this was just a dream were fading, as how could I have such a long aailed dream while somehow being aware of it?

  Fetting about my lowly physical evaluation I looked at the other information in turn.

  Fortitude – An expression of stamina, durability and the body to resist disease and so forth.

  Intellect – An expression of intelligehought-processing ability, insight, memory and so forth.

  Resilience- An expression of willpower, resistao mental stress, internal band so forth.

  Acrity- An expression of thought-processing speed, mental rea times, speed of graspiernal stimulus and so forth.

  Precision- An expression of dexterity, nerve-rea speed, fior trol and so forth.

  Aether- An expression of Aether capacity, Ether-draw speed, Aether version rate and effid so forth.

  At least I’m above average in intelligend dexterity, although I guess I’m not as smart as I thought I was. Still, I’d have been really depressed if my scores there were low as well… so I guess my weaknesses are in my physical abilities. If I’d have known they would be this important I might have done more sport, like my sister. Oh well, got to work with what we have. There’s still more information to look at…

  However, when I tried to look at the Intangible Statistics, all I got was ???. Turning back to the cloaked guide I asked it what was going on.

  “It is simple. Intangible Statistics are a non-Material part of one's being and are thus usually only something that be uncovered when you gain enough aether to surpass a purely physical existence. Almost everyoarts from a state of nothing, only when you have accrued enough power to leave this zero behind will you unlock your intangible abilities. However, it is not unusual to only have a small amount of these attributes. Some even have none. Do not be disappointed if you have but little.”

  “Okay, that makes sense… I guess.” I replied. “So in the way my abilities are described, I guess that means when I reach level one? Oh well, time to check the st few bits on my … I guess it would be my character sheet?”

  White Cord- An inplete Silver Cord, with poor Aether efficy. As distance from the Material body increases more Aether is ed. Travelling distanore than a few miles from the Material form is not reended as it may damage this body due to attenuation of Aether through the poor e.

  First he Aether tre of the body ected to the Silver Cord. This has only retly been opened and has poor efficy.

  Self-Examination- The ability to assess Skills and Statistie possesses in parison to a standardised level. Sihe Skill has increased in Rank it provide additional information about the nature of Skills or Statistics possessed, yet due to its current low level, many Skills and Statistics will defy measurement and knowledge.

  “I guess Self-Examination is like appraisal, which is a standard fantasy skill that gets overpowered quickly. But it seems it only works on me. What’s up with that?”

  “While the Astral pne is a realm of information, and thus finding out the mas of the multiverse is possible, one must have a firm grasp of knowledge to access this. I imparted to you a fra of knowledge I had gathered and pced it within the bracelet you have absorbed. This enables you to examine yourself and uand the knowledge. You should always seek out further knowledge and uanding wherever you , as this will be both your power and your prehension of the wider multiverse, and if you drink deep of the water of knowledge, and spread the soil that is power, perhaps you grow insight far surpassing the initial specks of wisdom I have bequeathed you.”

  Okay then. “I think I get that. I suppose I should thank you then, for yift. But I ’t help but wonder what you might be getting out of this generosity?” Just look at my sixty-seven pert Intellect go!

  “A fair question. My Master has no desire to see this world fall to ruin, and though he is prevented from ag directly, he believes that doing nothing would be foolish, only strengthening his enemies aing tless is die. He sends us to find promising didates to impart brief wisdom to, which if limited in scope, be permitted. Others of course also do this, though perhaps for different ends. Besides, should you excel and save your world, wheime es you will no doubt remember this boon, and be prepared to join my Master’s fa.”

  “I guess that makes a lot of sense…” I agreed. Though just what limits their master so, preventing other helping hands? Suspicious, if you ask me. I’d like an answer. “So, if Earth is newly ected and weak, then what is stopping other more experienced people such as you from ing down and taking over or wiping us out before any of us get a ce to grow our power and defences?”

  “There is a sensus between the great Powers of the peting fas, that other than some small guidand gifts at the beginning, these worlds are not to be touched until certain ditions are met, or enough time has passed. Of course, there are always those who would try and break such rules unnoticed, but by and rge you will have a period of grace to acclimatise yourself to the Boundary world, and above it, the Astral. It is not trivial for us to act against that, even if we wish it so.”

  So it’s kind of like noob prote in those online games eh? Ohat isn’t absolute as well. I guess I’ll o be careful about getting ganked or scammed… oh mighty sixty-seven pert Intellect, please defend me!

  “We must hurry.” The cloaked figure interrupted my thoughts. “For uhe agreement I have but this oime to guide you. You have already depleted some of your aether, and we have two tasks to ideally aplish before your aether runs dry.”

  I could feel that there was less heat in my body than before. It hadn’t dropped by a lot, but it was definitely a difference I could feel. “All right then. So what are these tasks? Quests already, I’m getting hyped up.”

  “The first task is to establish your Territory, setting up an Anchor in the Boundary that allows you to gather ether a your trol. Without such Territory you will nress, instead merely stagnating as a helpless bystahe sed task is to gather enough strength to leave your zero state behind and truly begin to unlock your uential.”

  “A Territory?” Man, that sounds bad-ass. After all, all I own iy is a tiny apartment. Hell, I don’t even own that, I’m only renting. Although I suppose I shouldn’t say reality, if this is also real… what was it they called it… ah, that’s right, the Material world. “How does that work?”

  “You must gather a signifit quantity of ether to create an Anchor. Ohis is in pce, as much as you found your own abilities to be in a form you prehend, so too will your Territory be represented in such terms, with the fragments of knowledge I bequeathed you able to aid you in your first faltering steps towards your own path. So, shall we begin? Your time is decreasing.”