{Short Bonus Chapter To Get This Out Of The Way}
Time hung in perfect stillness.
Kendrick lay on the cold stone slab of his cell, every muscle still humming from the battle. Even the distant drip of water was frozen mid‑cascade. He remained unaware.
Slow, deliberate footsteps echoed through the corridor beyond the iron bars.
He sat up, the scrape of stone against his elbow the only sound he noticed.
A figure glided into view: tall androgynous, wreathed in shifting light that rippled like living mist. It passed through the bars as though they were smoke.
[I am Genesis,] it intoned, voice resonating inside Kendrick's mind. [System AI for all who clear the Tutorial. Congratulations, Kendrick Vale.]
His internal HUD flickered on:
[System Message] Quest Reward: Tutorial Cleared
[System Message] New Interface Unlocked: "Genesis"
Glyphs of pure white light spiraled around Genesis's form as it spoke again:
"In Eleanor, all Ability and Class levels advance only when you allocate your stored experience. Points do not auto‑assign—even mid‑battle—they remain until you choose where to spend them."
Kendrick's fists clenched. He'd felt his hard‑won gains slip through his fingers.
"As your reward," Genesis continued, "you may make one Wish. Your existing blessing from the All‑Father [???] will amplify its potency—within System bounds."
He drew a steady breath. "I wish for every experience point I earn to be multiplied—so I can develop all my abilities swiftly."
The surrounding glyphs flared, then collapsed into a silent burst of white‑gold light that washed over him:
[Wish Granted: Experience Multiplier]
Base Boost: 100,000×
——Restricted to 10× at current Level
Multiplier increases 10× every 100 Levels
Genesis's tone softened. "Your blessing from [???] evolved this Wish beyond the norm. Balance dictates an initial cap, but your gain will escalate as you rise."
Behind the AI, a crystalline chest materialized, etched with revolving runes.
[A Novice Gift Package, bestowed by [???]. It contains the armor prepared for you.]
The chest opened on its own, revealing—
[Blank Canvas ]
- An adaptive plastron of pure, shifting ether and mana‑infused filaments
- Weightless yet unbreakable, molding seamlessly to its wearer's form
- Enchanted as a true "blank canvas," amplifying any physical or magical technique you choose to inscribe upon it
The armor dissolved into motes of radiant energy, streaming toward Kendrick. He felt it weave into his flesh and bone, an invisible second skin humming with potential.
"Bonded," Genesis intoned. "Your armor is now part of you."
With a graceful motion, the AI swept its arms aside. In a flash of light, the cell's walls and bars dissolved. Kendrick stumbled forward as the floor shifted beneath him.
When he steadied himself, he stood on a sidewalk, staring up at the twinkling gems in the night sky of New Sanctum, Ralgora. The sounds of magically enhanced engines flooding the surrounding area as they glided down the street.
Genesis's form glimmered, ready to fade. However, it didn't matter because if you paid attention to the surroundings you would notice that no one but Kendrick was reacting to Genesis's existence.
[Welcome to the surface, Kendrick 'Vale' Harvey. Your tutorial is complete. Your true journey in Eleanor begins now.]
A final system prompt glowed before his eyes:
[Next Quest Available: "Surface Awakened"]
And in that instant, time resumed—and his new life truly began.