The four options hovered in the grey void of the Nexus, shimmering blue potential against the endless backdrop. Combat Assistant, Syntropy Condenser, Stasis Monitoring, Hub Bandwidth. All good, all useful eventually. But right now? With only 30 hours left?
"Core," I asked, chewing on my lip, "Strategic recommendation. Which of these provides the maximum immediate benefit for surviving the next…," I mentally calculated, "…day and a half?"
::Processing query... Analyzing upgrade parameters against projected invasion scenario...
::Factor: High probability of widespread surface infrastructure destruction (power grids, communication networks).
::Factor: [World Hub] stability is critical for command, control, coordination, and exploit dissemination.
::Factor: Physical contact Awakening method viable but suboptimal for rapid global saturation.
::Recommendation: Option [D: Upgrade [World Hub] Bandwidth (Level 1)]. Ensures continued operational capacity despite potential terrestrial network collapse.
::Addendum: Integrated auto-translation protocols are active within the Hub interface, facilitating communication across all human languages, including previously uncataloged dialects encountered during [Bridge the Gap] quest.
Makes sense. If the internet goes down, the Hub is the internet. And auto-translate? That solves a million potential problems for the quest teams.
"Okay, Core. Initiate upgrade D."
::Command Accepted. Initiating [World Hub] Bandwidth Upgrade (Level 1)... Estimated completion time: 1 hour.
While the upgrade processed, I turned my attention back to the global map overlay. The [Bridge the Gap] quest was in full swing. Green dots swarmed outwards from major cities. Reports flooded the Hub forums:
[RelayTeam_Andes]: Made it to a village near Machu Picchu! Setting up Relay now. Locals... confused but curious. Physical contact Awakening is slow going!
[AussieOutbackCrew]: Found an offline community near Uluru. Showing them the stat screens... they think we're spirits. This might take a while.
[BerlinCrafters]: First [Mana Signal Relay] online! Range confirmed: ~50km. Syntropy infusion was tricky! Awakening pings starting to pop up in the Black Forest!
[NOLA_ContactTeam]: Physical Awakenings successful in bayou communities. People adapting fast. Asking about fishing skills.
Simultaneously, darker, weirder trends emerged. The [Anti-Griefing] protocol prevented direct harm, but human ingenuity (or stupidity) found loopholes. Videos titled "System Pranks Gone Wrong" showed elaborate Rube Goldberg machines designed to drop anvils on unsuspecting Avatars (non-lethal, but painful and humiliating). Someone discovered that while shooting another human didn't work, setting up a tripwire connected to a shotgun did. The AI clinically reported several instances of self-inflicted "booby trap tests" resulting in immediate, painful respawns and significant XP loss. The memes about the underwear layer were reaching new levels of absurdity.
Ignoring the escalating chaos, I refocused on my own training. Another hour poured into the [Human Breathing Technique] and [Basic Martial Arts]. The [Collective Insight] was a roaring river now, accelerating my progress at an unbelievable rate.
[Human Breathing Technique (Master Lvl 25/40)]
...
[Human Breathing Technique → Grandmaster Lvl 1/50]
[Basic Martial Arts (Adept Lvl 28/30)]
...
[Basic Martial Arts → Master Lvl 1/40]
[STR: 15 → 25]
[AGI: 19 → 30]
[HEA: 16 → 25]
[MANA: 20 → 35]
The surge of power was even more intense this time, a deep thrumming under my skin. My senses felt impossibly sharp; I could almost taste the subtle energy shifts in the Nexus hum. My body moved with effortless grace through the katas, each strike carrying palpable force. Grandmaster breathing? Master martial arts? In hours? This growth rate was broken. Absolutely, beautifully broken.
But something was missing. Magic. The Mana Field was active, my MP was full, yet I couldn't do anything with it. I tried focusing, willing sparks into existence like the AI had faked. Nothing. I tried mimicking spellcasting gestures from games. Nothing.
"Core," I asked, frustrated after another hour of fruitless effort, "How do you actually use Mana? The safety tutorials just cover circulation and sensing."
::Syntropy manipulation requires precise application of focused Intent channeled through compatible cognitive pathways ('Skills').
::Standard Acquisition Methods: System grant upon reaching specific Level/Tier thresholds (Unavailable at Level 1), external tutelage (Unavailable), discovering/consuming Skill Tomes (Unavailable), or spontaneous Awakening via extreme duress or repeated specific action (Proficiency).
::Alternative Method: Conceptual Breakthrough (Comprehension). Analyzing fundamental Syntropic principles to 'invent' a skill pathway.
::Recommend continued practice of [Basic Mana Circulation] to improve MANA stat and await System developments or user-driven discovery.
User-driven discovery... So, someone out there had to invent the first spell. Typical MMO logic.
Time continued to bleed away. I split my focus: monitoring the [Bridge the Gap] quest map overlay, practicing my martial arts and breathing (pushing both skills further into their new ranks, stats climbing steadily), and occasionally attempting futile mana manipulations. The map was almost entirely green now. Relay signals flickered online in the most remote corners of the globe—the Amazon, Siberia, the Sahara. Blue waves of physical Awakenings had washed over isolated islands and mountain villages.
Then, with roughly T-minus 10 hours remaining, a massive notification flared across my vision, echoed instantly on the [World Hub].
[WORLD QUEST COMPLETE: BRIDGE THE GAP]
Success! System connection established for 99.8% of the global human population!
[All Sapient Life on Planet Terra Now Connected to System Network. Full Planetary Integration Phase Complete!]
Reward (Planetary): Global Syntropy Generation Increased! New Planetary Ability Slot unlocked! Nexus Environment Control upgrade options expanded!
Reward (Individual): All quest participants granted significant XP bonus based on contribution!
[Humans Awakened] counter now updating with final figures: 8.1 Billion+
A cheer seemed to erupt across the [World Hub] forums. Despite the looming threat, humanity had achieved its first global objective. We were united, connected, all of us online.
::Full System Integration milestone achieved. Analyzing new core functions... Nexus Environment Control upgrade options confirmed available.::
We did it. A moment of profound relief washed over me. Almost everyone is in. We have a chance. But the clock was still ticking. Ten hours.
It was right then, amidst the global celebration and my own brief moment of hope, that the notification popped up, flagged urgent by the AI. Not an Invader alert, but a [World Hub] forum post rapidly gaining traction.
[User: Eldrin_The_Wise_77]: IT WORKED! GUYS, IT WORKED! FIREBALL! I MADE A FIREBALL!
[Post Body]: Okay, so I've been playing D&D since the 80s, right? Always played wizards. When the Mana Field activated, I started trying everything. Incantations, gestures, focusing crystals (just quartz I found, lol). Nothing. BUT THEN! I remembered basic sympathetic magic theory AND the breathing technique. You gotta feel the heat, visualize the Syntropy resonating with thermal energy, then shape it with your will using the circulation skill! Took me HOURS, almost passed out, MP drained instantly, but I made a spark! Then a flicker! Then an actual, tiny, wobbly FIREBALL! It hit my wall, barely singed the paint, but IT WORKED! Proof attached!
Attached was a shaky video. A middle-aged guy, looking utterly exhausted but ecstatic, focused intently, hands trembling. A tiny ball of orange light flickered into existence, wobbled for a second, then shot forward and dissipated harmlessly against a poster-covered wall. It was pathetic. It was glorious.
The AI's voice was sharp.
::ALERT: User #3,742,011,999 ('Eldrin_The_Wise_77') has successfully achieved Conceptual Breakthrough.
::First Terran user-defined Syntropic Manifestation: [Basic Fire Manipulation (Proto-Skill)] detected.
::Analyzing methodology... Confirmed. Valid application of Syntropic resonance and Intent shaping.
::Recommend immediate observation and potential reward protocol initiation to incentivize further user innovation.
I stared at Eldrin's post, reading his description again. Feel the heat... visualize Syntropy resonating... shape it with will... circulation skill... It sounded like a mix of meditation and wishful thinking, but the video didn't lie. And the AI confirmed it.
Okay, focus. I closed my eyes, mimicking the intent Eldrin described. I practiced the [Mana Circulation] skill the AI had provided earlier, feeling the subtle flow of Syntropy within my Avatar. Then, I tried to visualize heat, drawing on memories of bonfires, stovetops... resonate. I tried to push that feeling, that concept of heat, into the Syntropy flowing through my hand.
Nothing. Just a faint warmth in my palm.
Shape it. Will it. I tried again, focusing harder, picturing a small ball of fire like Eldrin's video. My MP drained slightly, but only dissipated as unfocused warmth. Frustration prickled. This is harder than Eldrin made it sound. What am I missing?
I reread his post. Circulation... shaping... intent. Maybe it wasn't about raw power, but control. I slowed my [Mana Circulation], focusing on a tiny point in my palm, visualizing the Syntropy gathering there, resonating only with the concept of 'ignition'. I didn't try to force a shape, just the spark.
A tiny orange flicker popped into existence above my palm, vanishing instantly. But it was something. Hope surged. I tried again, sustaining the focus, gently coaxing the resonance...
[Skill Gained: Basic Fire Manipulation (Novice Lvl 1)]
A faint warmth spread through my mana pathways as the skill settled. Yes! The moment it locked in, my [Collective Insight] passive roared to life for this specific skill. Suddenly, I wasn't just fumbling; I understood. Thousands, maybe tens of thousands of people, inspired by Eldrin's post, had already replicated his success in the minutes since he'd posted. Their experiences—the successful visualizations, the failed attempts, the subtle shifts in focus that worked—flooded my mind.
My own nascent understanding combined with that torrent of insight. I held out my hand again, the process feeling almost intuitive now.
[Basic Fire Manipulation (Novice Lvl 2/10)]
[Basic Fire Manipulation (Novice Lvl 3/10)]
...
[Basic Fire Manipulation (Novice Lvl 5/10)]
A small, perfectly stable [Fireball] hovered in my palm, radiating gentle warmth. It wasn't powerful, but it was controlled. The Insight stream was already showing me variations, potential efficiencies...
"Core," I grinned, feeling the thrill of discovery, "Reward protocol. Send Eldrin_The_Wise_77 the unique Title [First Mage of Terra]. And maybe a System message thanking him? Give him a little boost too, something fitting."
::Acknowledged. Issuing Title: [First Mage of Terra].
::Granting Unique Passive Effect (Title-Bound): [Terra's Attunement] – Slightly increased MANA regeneration while within Terra's Syntropic Field.
::Public commendation posted to [World Hub]. User innovation successfully incentivized.
(Scene Cut: Eldrin's Perspective – Brief Snippet)
Somewhere in a quiet suburban home, Eldrin stared blankly at the System notification that had just popped into his vision.
[You have been granted the Unique Title: First Mage of Terra by World Master Glitchfinder!]
[Title Effect: Terra's Attunement – Passive MANA regeneration slightly increased.]
[Your contribution to Terran System knowledge has been recognized. Well done!]
His jaw dropped. First Mage? World Master Glitchfinder... the streamer? Granted him...? He shakily opened the World Hub forums, his fingers trembling as he typed a single word into the reply box under his original Fireball post.
[Eldrin_The_Wise_77 ]: FIREBALL!
The post appeared, his username now adorned with the glowing, golden title. Immediately, the reactions flooded in.
[Reply_User1]: WHOA! Title?! How'd you get that??
[Reply_User2]: ?! Glitch gave you that?! JEALOUS!
[Reply_User3]: Upvoted x1,000,000! Teach us your ways, O Wise One!
[Reply_User4]: Dude's gonna be OP. Calling it now.
Eldrin leaned back, a wide, slightly manic grin spreading across his face. Maybe this apocalypse wouldn't be so bad after all.
(Return to Leo's Perspective)
Heh. Looks like Eldrin got his reward. I chuckled, seeing the forum reaction pop up on one of the AI's screens. Good. Let people see that discovery pays off.
"Now," I continued, turning back to my own [Fireball] skill and already analyzing the [Vector Note] that appeared with it, "Let's refine this. Simplify Eldrin's method. Make it faster, easier, less reliant on D&D lore. Create the idiot-proof tutorial. Now."
::Acknowledged. Synthesizing optimal beginner [Fireball] technique... Generating Tutorial... Done. Posting to [World Hub].::
The reaction was instantaneous. Within minutes, thousands reported successfully creating sparks or tiny fireballs. My Insight stream for [Basic Fire Manipulation] surged, feeding me data on common mistakes, minor variations, efficiency improvements.
"Core, update the tutorial! Incorporate this new data! Streamline it further!"
::Acknowledged. Iterating... Posting [Fireball Tutorial v1.1]...::
More successes. Faster learning times. My own skill, fed by the Insight of millions practicing, leaped rapidly through Novice rank.
[Basic Fire Manipulation → Apprentice Lvl 1/20]
But even as the Hub celebrated humanity's first magic spell, a sobering analysis flashed from the AI.
::Combat Effectiveness Projection: [Basic Fire Manipulation (Apprentice Rank)] vs. Tier 1 K'Tharr Drone (Level 40). Result: Minimal Impact.
::Damage Output significantly lower than standard Terran kinetic firearms.
::Recommendation: Prioritize distribution and familiarization with conventional weaponry for remaining pre-invasion timeframe.
::Magic development remains critical long-term exploit, but suboptimal for immediate tactical necessity.
Right. Cool as it was, a Level 1 Fireball wasn't stopping a high-level alien warrior. Our breathing technique boosted physical stats—that synergized with guns and melee. Magic needed time we didn't have.
"Okay, Core," I commanded, suppressing my excitement about magic. "New directive. Use the Hub. Coordinate with remaining global military and emergency services. Get every functional firearm, every piece of ammo, every blade, distributed to Awakened population centers. Post basic weapon safety and proficiency tutorials—pull them from military archives. The next ten hours are about arming up and digging in. Get everyone practicing the breathing technique and basic combat drills if they can. Magic is secondary. Survival is primary."
::Acknowledged. Realigning planetary priorities... Disseminating armament and fortification directives...
The map overlay shifted, green quest dots replaced by red weapon caches and blue defense points. The frantic energy of discovery turned into grim preparation.
The clock kept ticking. T-minus approximately 10 hours.