LTSV - Harbingers of Change - 6 (Patreon)

[Welcome to the Hunter Network System, Samira Bellamy! Congratulations on your Awakening.]

“Fuck!” Mira hissed as she was forced to rearrange her entire understanding of the universe she’d landed in on a dime. She’d thought she was in a Soap Opera setting, but this was something much, much worse.

[The Hunter Network System is designed to support Hunters like you as you defend your home world from extraplanar incursions knowns as Gates. You qualify as a First Generation Hunter for your home world of Cybele and have been tasked with protecting your world and your people from the incursions of magical mutates and other multiplanar predators. Fortunately, the materials and byproducts obtained during this disaster are in high demand in the other inhabited zones of the Universe and interested parties have cooperated to create the Hunter Network System as a fast-action response initiative to stabilize Spontaneous Incursion Zones. All Spontaneous Incursion Zones occurring with the Milky Way Galaxy automatically fall under the guidance and protection of the Altiviri Triumvirate, granting Cybele automated onboarding into the Hunter Network System, subject to an annual tithe of 1% GDP (Gross Dungeon Product) that will be automatically deducted from all Dungeon earnings prior to release of payment. As Hunters, you are incentivized to collect loot and materials through the use and cultivation of your new enhanced abilities. Gain levels and earn rewards while also protecting your loved ones!]

[You have entered the Class F Dungeon 284F. To leave the Dungeon, you must defeat the Dungeon Boss who guards the Exit Gate. You have 48 Hours to defeat the Dungeon Boss before a Dungeon Break occurs and the denizens of this Dungeon escape through the gate to assault your world.]

[Stand by for your Personal Evaluation and Class Assignment.]

Mira seethed, looked around to make sure she was alone, and started to look for cover.

On the face of it, a Gate Hunter Fantasy was not that much different from a Soap Opera. The people were still proud, reactive, and they all pulled insane stunts seemingly without consequence. There was no downtime between crises and you had just as much of a chance to get deceived by someone's evil twin. The difference was, the violence was far more intense in a Gate Hunter Fantasy and you had to deal with the constant anxiety from an unreliable environment.

The light flash, combined with the different terrain she found herself in, suggested this was a Portal-type System Invasion, rather than the kind where aliens or demi-gods called Constellations killed off most of the population except for those that they’d cherry-picked to try and survive in the monster-infested wreckage left behind for their game-show style entertainment.

Adra was nowhere in sight and Mira was pretty sure that meant he hadn’t been grabbed by the portal. There had been other people close to her, but no one else had appeared with her when she landed on this curb.

“He is going to be furious,” Mira hissed as she darted towards the cover of a box truck that had been tipped over on its side with the back busted open. "I will hear no end of this when I get home."

She approached the truck with caution, just in case something was denning there, but it was empty except for a few busted cardboard boxes. Good enough.

Mira took cover inside and started transferring the food and water she still mercifully had on her into the cotton net shopping bag she’d picked out. It had a long and sturdy colorful woven strap and could be worn as a crossbody bag. Mira had pictured being able to shop hands-free, but this would do too, she guessed. Her Turms bag was going to be useless here. It could hold her pocket book, sunglasses, and some lip balm, but that was it.

As she finished her inventory, another series of pop ups jumped into the middle of her range of vision, layering over one another as they appeared.

[Starter Class Assignment Complete!]

[Congratulations! You qualify for the Mage starter Class.]

[Mages exert control over the raw, untouchable forces of the universe through their intellect and exceptional mana control via spellcasting. Why worry when you can light your problems on fire with your mind? Well, maybe you should worry a little bit because a Mage’s firepower is tempered by the delicacy of their bodies. The term Glass Cannon was made for you. You may be able to take out an entire army of Goblins at range, but just one of them could probably take you out with a rusty butter knife if you let it get too close.]

[ERROR.]

[Prior metadata detected. Synchronizing previous Hunter biometrics.]

Mira was a little relieved to see it say ‘Hunter’ and not ‘Player.’ They were significantly less likely to be playing some sick intergalactic gameshow, if the System was identifying her as a Hunter.

[ERROR.]

[Archived experience exceeds the level cap for this phase of Integration. Level reduced to 1]

Alright, nevermind. ‘Integration’ was never a good sign. If the System was an altruistic force in this setting, it wouldn’t have a level cap or refer to this as an ‘Integration.’ ‘Integration’ implied some otherworldly force was imposing their shitty reality on one of their cosmic neighbors. The reasons for this varied, but it was almost always because they were being overrun by native monsters and needed to force someone else to catch their overflow.

[Congratulations! You qualify for the Archmage starter class.]

[Archmages are similar to Mages except they are every bit as physically vulnerable as their base class; described as less ‘Glass Cannon and more Glass Nuclear Warhead.’ Where Mages have to rely on a static list of spells and can only gain new spells at random through leveling or by purchasing new spells in the System Shop, Archmages create the spells. Archmages gain vast reservoirs of mana and enhanced mana regeneration. Archmages also have exceptional endurance when it comes to splitting their focus and maintaining their concentration. The only caveat; an Archmage’s mana reserves come at the cost of having no access to pre-generated spells nor the ability to buy spells. Every spell an Archmage casts is their own unique creation limited only by their imagination, stamina, and ability to visualize.]

[Congratulations! You qualify to Multiclass as a Summoner.]

[Summoners are specialist magic users who have the ability to forge bonds with and call for aid from multiplanar allies. We don’t know how you did it, but you have friends on the other side and they’re ready to come play. Note: This class is recommended only for use as a sub-class as primary class Summoners experience a high mortality rate at lower levels.]

[Your status sheet has finished generating.]

[Name: Samira Bellamy | Preferred Name: Mira

Titles: None

HP: 80 | MP: 200 | SP: 140

Banked Experience: 0

Age: 23 | Sex: Female

Primary Class: Archmage | Level: 1

Spells: None

Subclass: Summoner | Familiars: Ghost Drake Collective (Callname: Penelope)Subclasses do not level. Summons are limited only by your mana capacity and the willing participation of your contracted familiars. Please note: Only ⅓ of your mana reservoir can be used in a single summoning.

Attributes

Fighting: 15

Agility: 10

Strength: 8

Endurance: 14* | Base: 9 (+5 from Primary Class)

Reason: 20* | Base: 10 (+10 from Primary Class)

Intelligence: 20* | Base: 10 (+10 from Primary Class)

Psyche: 25* | Base: 15 (+10 from Primary Class)]

Alright, so this was a FASERIP System and not one that used Str-Dex-Con-Int-Wis-Cha. It looked like a normal, human base value attribute was around a 10, according to these metrics. Mira had penalties to strength and endurance. That would align with her physical condition. Her intellectual capacity and memory were just fine, but it looked like she was getting boosts there from her class.

That 15 in fighting was surprising and the System gave no explanation for why it had adjusted her number there, but it wasn’t like she didn’t know how to fight. It was just that she hardly ever had a body that could do it—and she might not now, either. Samira hadn’t been fit and that was reflected in her strength and stamina.

As an experiment, she cast a basic fire spell that she’d used often in the past. The first attempt farted out about halfway through flickering into life on her palm and then System sent her a pop up that read [Visualization Failure.]

Her second try was more successful when she concentrated less on the feel of spell casting and drew a mental picture in her mind’s eye. A small spell circle popped into life in front of her hand. The spell language was not how she would have written it, but it seemed functional. The language was a little clunky and unimaginative; sort of like if Generative AI had been asked to compose the spell. A dart of yellow flame shot out from her palm and scored a burn on the inside of her box truck shelter.

[Congratulations! Firedart has been added to your spell list and will be available for purchase from other spellcasters in your market who qualify to learn this spell.]

On Mira’s third attempt, she pictured the spell circle as she would have written it.

Spell language was pretty similar to coding software. The most basic version was a series of ‘if-then’ statements, but you could combine effects by making adjacent statements that shared certain elements. You cast the spell by flowing mana through the statement, like water through a network of pipes. A little mana was always lost or absorbed in the process, so making the ‘network’ more efficient resulted in a more powerful spell with less mana waste.

Mira’s results were promising. The dart was about the same size, but the flame was blue and punched a hole through the metal sheet wall she aimed it at.

[Congratulations! Firedart (Advanced) has been added to your spell list and will be available for purchase from other spellcasters in your market who qualify to learn this spell. Your previous Firedart spell has been reclassified as Firedart (Basic).]

‘Interesting’ Mira thought to herself. So, she would be able to use her own spells and use the System to cobble together anything whose formulae she couldn’t visualize on the fly.

She tried to cast a few more spells. The two Firedarts hadn’t even scratched her mana reservoir. She added both basic and advanced versions of ‘Icedart’, ‘Joltdart’, and ‘Stonedart’ that way. Her head started to hurt after a little while and she realized that, while she hadn’t been consuming any noticeable mana, her stamina had gone down and stayed down.

[HP: 80 | MP: 200 | SP: 30]

Curious, she watched the stat board as she cast another spell; Icedart (basic).

Her mana flickered down briefly to 197 before rebounding up to 198 and continuing to climb back to 200. Her stamina was unchanged—so that was the other limit to crafting new spells. It consumed her stamina and at a voracious rate, too. Eight small spells had consumed almost all her stamina and her stomach was growling, despite the fact that she’d eaten recently.

Mira didn’t really want to get into her supplies already, but her hunger was sharp and the kind that could easily turn to nausea at any second. Sacrificing a protein bar, a watermelon spear, and some lemon water to the cause seemed like the lesser of two evils.

[HP: 80 | MP: 200 | SP: 50]

“I wonder if there’s an inventory?” she wondered aloud as she put away her lemon water. She nearly bit her tongue as another popup assaulted her.

[You have discovered the Inventory Panel!]

[You have earned 100 XP for being the first Hunter to activate their Inventory. Your name has been entered in the CybelanRecord. Your name will live on in history! Work hard to uncover new aspects of the System for your fellow Hunters and earn more rewards.]

[Special Reward: Spatial Bag - 10 slots]

[PLANETARY ANNOUNCEMENT: Hunter Samira Bellamy has discovered the Inventory function of the Hunter Network System. All Awakened Hunters will now have access to 10 units of Spatial Storage through the Hunter Network System.]

Samira startled backwards, almost dumping her water as the last alert came through. Unlike the other System windows, this one came with noise. A firecracker and trumpet noise assaulted her ears. “Sonuvabitch!” she whisper-shrieked.

More of those pale blue motes spawned and glommed together to form a little messenger type bag made from thick, stiff chocolate brown leather. It shimmered a little when she picked it up and turned it this way and that in the light.

“If there’s an inventory then can I inspect this?”

[You have discovered the Universal Skill: Inspect!]

[You have earned 100 XP for being the first Hunter to activate a Universal Skill. Your name has been entered in the Cybelan Record. Your name will live on in history! Work hard to uncover new aspects of the System for your fellow Hunters and earn more rewards.]

[You have earned 10 XP for being the first Hunter to activate the skill Inspect. Your name has been entered in the Cybelan Record. Your name will live on in history! Work hard to uncover new aspects of the System for your fellow Hunters and earn more rewards.]

[Special Reward: Spatial Bag - 10 Slots.]

[PLANETARY ANNOUNCEMENT: Hunter Samira Bellamy has discovered the Universal Skill: Identify. All Awakened Hunters will now have access to the skill Identify (Basic) at Level 1.]

[Special Reward: New Skill - Identify (Advanced)]

This time she was braced for the noise and it didn’t startle her as badly.

Mira put an experimental rock taken from the ruined street into her spatial storage bag. It was a big rock, but it added nothing to the weight of the bag. She dumped the spatial bag out again and relocated all her belongs and groceries into it. She kept the net bag out because there was a slight delay between reaching into the spatial bag and finding the thing you were looking for, like the bag had to go find it.

“Um…” she held up the bag and after she focused on it, bearing in mind what she wanted to know, a little call out in the style of the System pop ups appeared.

[Spatial Bag - 10 Slots: This is a medium sized artifact, popular among neophyte Hunters. The weight capacity of the bag is unlimited and what can enter the bag is limited only by what can fit through the aperture in its entirety. Features - Weightless: items placed in the bag will not add to the carryweight of the bag itself. Preservation 1: the decay rate of items placed inside is reduced by 50%. Temperature Control: items placed in the bag will maintain the same temperature as when they were added to the bag. Value: 500 GP.]

Alright, so this System was set up to reward innovators. Mira thought hard about what else she’d heard the System mention to see if she could cash in on any more resources and hit upon the obvious.

“Show me the System Shop,” she said out loud and was once again swarmed by pop ups.

[You have discovered the System Shop!]

[You have earned 100 XP for being the first Hunter to activate their Shop Interface. Your name has been entered in the CybelanRecord. Your name will live on in history! Work hard to uncover new aspects of the System for your fellow Hunters and earn more rewards.]

[Special Reward: 100 GP]

[Special Reward: Premium Executive Status with CUBE]

[PLANETARY ANNOUNCEMENT: Hunter Samira Bellamy has discovered the Shop function of the Hunter Network System. All Awakened Hunters will now have access to the General Store through the Hunter Network System. Note: Specialty Shops must be unlocked individually through Class Achievements and Leveling.]

[PLANETARY ANNOUNCEMENT: Congratulations! All Awakened Hunters and Unawakened Individuals will now have access to the Central Universal Banking Entity through the Hunter Network System. All accounts will be subject to the oversight of The Altiviri Triumvirate. Financial fraud, theft, and extortion utilizing CUBE systems and facilities will be prosecuted to the full extent of Central Universal Law and a commensurate bounty will be placed upon the offending party. Any appeals must be directed to your Triumvirate Representative via the Hunter Network.]

Mira was interested to know what benefits she got from ‘Premium Executive Bonus’ status, but before she could actually clear the popups in her face to look at the actual shop window that had spawned underneath it all, another planetary alert came through.

[PLANETARY ANNOUNCEMENT: Hunter Cecelia Newman has discovered the Communications function of the Hunter Network System. All Awakened Hunters will now have access to the Social Tab through the Hunter Network System.]

Almost a split second later, a new popup had sprung up in front of Mira’s face. This time it had a different kind of message.

[You have a message request from Cecelia Newman. Will you accept? Yes | No]