<table width="624">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td width="156">
Name:
</td>
<td width="156">
Jarek
</td>
<td width="148">
Level:
</td>
<td width="164">
18
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="156">
HP:
</td>
<td width="156">
28/28
</td>
<td width="148">
Physical Defense:
</td>
<td width="164">
16 (+4)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="156">
Strength:
</td>
<td width="156">
20 (+2)
</td>
<td width="148">
Mental Power:
</td>
<td width="164">
11
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="156">
Dexterity:
</td>
<td width="156">
10
</td>
<td width="148">
Agility:
</td>
<td width="164">
10 (+4)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="156">
Perception:
</td>
<td width="156">
20
</td>
<td width="148">
</td>
<td width="164">
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="156">
Mana Pool:
</td>
<td width="156">
41 (+1)
</td>
<td width="148">
Mana Regeneration:
</td>
<td width="164">
20 (+1)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="156">
Available Points:
</td>
<td width="156">
0
</td>
<td width="148">
Coins:
</td>
<td width="164">
0
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="156">
Class:
</td>
<td width="156">
Mana Modulator (D-rank)
</td>
<td width="148">
Profession:
</td>
<td width="164">
Rune Master
(E-rank)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="156">
Titles:
</td>
<td colspan="3" width="468">
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="156">
Skills and Spells:
</td>
<td colspan="3" width="468">
Identify (E-rank)
Mana Modulation (D-rank Core)
Death’s Defier (A-rank)
Mana Sensing (E-rank)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="156">
Affinities:
</td>
<td colspan="3" width="468">
Internal Mana (D-rank Low), External Unattributed Mana (E-rank Low)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="156">
Equipment:
</td>
<td colspan="3" width="468">
Mana-infused Knife (F-rank): +1 Mana Pool, +1 Mana regen.
Orc Helmet (F-rank): +2 Physical Defense
Orc Breastplate (F-rank): +2 Physical Defense
Orc Boots (F-rank): +2 Agility
Orlan Blade (E-rank): +2 Strength, +2 Agility
Interdimensional Pouch (E-rank):
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
As the auction wrapped up, I tried to process everything I had gained. Most notably, I now had a profession and the tools to develop it. I had four rune pattern blueprints:
Durability Rune Pattern Blueprint (F-rank): Necessary to create a Durability Rune Pattern (F-rank). When complete, the Durability Rune Pattern increases an item’s durability. Equipped items with the Durability Rune Pattern add +2 to the owner’s Physical Defense.
Strength Rune Pattern Blueprint (F-rank): Necessary to create a Strength Rune Pattern (F-rank). When complete and equipped, adds +2 to the owner’s Strength.
Proximity Ward Blueprint (F-rank): Necessary to create a Proximity Ward (F-rank). When complete, alerts the owner of any approaching beings within a 10 yard radius.
Interdimensional Pouch Rune Pattern Blueprint (E-rank): When complete, turns a pouch into an Interdimensional Pouch (E-rank). Creates a weightless interior space of 5x5x5 feet.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
In addition to the blueprints, I had bought as many sets of materials to complete each item as possible.
Fortunately, materials were far cheaper than blueprints and professions. I had Stilwark Leather for Interdimensional Pouches, Reinforced Granite tiles for Proximity Wards, and Mana Beads for the Strength Rune Pattern and the Durability Rune Pattern. Since I would be turning the leather into pouches, Samantha also had me buy a needle made of an E-rank metal and a spool of very sturdy thread.
On top of all this, Samantha had me spend down to my last coin on what she called essential goods—a water flask that would refill itself every 24 hours, a compass that would point to the nearest town, a mana-based lighter, and so on.
“And with that, ladies and gentlemen,” Mrinda said, flapping his translucent wings in excitement, “We will conclude the Atropos Schema Hard-mode Tutorial Auction! Don’t forget to reach out to me at the Merchants’ Faction if you need anything in the future. I believe you all have a planet to defend, so farewell, my friends!” Mrinda smiled at everyone, and then in a flash, the world around me disappeared.
<hr>
I reappeared standing on top of my bed in my small apartment in L.A.
I stood motionless for a moment, taking everything in.
I had been thinking, hoping, this whole time that everything was just a dream. But here I was, back in my room, fully decked out in armor, with a sword in one hand and a knife in the other.
If this was a dream, then it was a hell of a long nightmare.
Glancing around my room, I could immediately tell that something was wrong. There were small differences. My tv was gone. My laptop was gone. Even the lightbulbs were gone. The walls were slightly cracked, and several books had fallen out of my bookshelf, lying half-open on the floor. The only light present came from the sunlight streaming through the narrow window in my apartment.
At first, I thought someone had robbed me. But most of the room looked completely untouched.
Samantha? Why does everything look different?
<Congrats on making it back to your world, Jarek,> Samantha said, with her all-too-familiar, fake-positive tone. <The simplest answer is that most electronics and higher technology have been removed from your world by the Atropos Schema. You’ll be hard-pressed to find working computers, cars, planes, electric grids, generators, guns, and so on.>
How—how is that even possible? And why would the Atropos Schema care?
Samantha sighed. <For the how, it’s one of the differences in your world now that you’ll just have to accept. The Atropos Schema has spread its natural laws to your dimension by expanding its Domain. The Schema is a mana-based system, and it is prejudiced against non-magical technology, so it basically edited out all the technology in your world.>
<What used to be impossible is now commonplace. If you’re confused about the disappearance of technology, then you’ll probably want to sit down when I tell you all the other changes that are going on. Magic is an obvious new change to your world, and monsters are already being teleported into your world as well.>
I didn''t sit down. I started pacing, back and forth, from my desk--missing my computer--to my living room, where my mounted TV should be. My TV and my computer, both the most expensive things in my apartment, the only two things I had ever splurged on in my life, were gone.
Samantha, of course, continued as though this were par for the course. <Another important change to the very fabric of reality is Luck— Luck is a hidden stat, and if you can raise it, then you are more likely to encounter fortuitous events and get better loot. You’ll have a bit of a boost with Schema Missions, too.>
That still makes no sense, I thought back. As usual, Samantha was quick to move on to her next topic—Luck—but I was still caught up on losing technology. I’m sure you can do the exact same things using mana or modern technology. Right? Why bother removing our technology?
<Theoretically, the higher technology from your world could be useful when it comes to exploring other dimensions, or escaping the Atropos Schema’s Domain without leaving mana trails. The Atropos Schema is fairly adept at tracking mana-based dimensional breaches, but a teleporter or spaceship that is not based on mana could allow someone to sneak around without the Atropos Schema noticing.>
It took me a moment to fully focus on what Samantha was saying, and then something clicked.
Is that how your vial was placed in the tutorial?
<As I mentioned earlier, I don’t actually know how it happened. But if I had to guess, I’d say yes, someone probably entered your tutorial using mana-free technology. Anyway, we could talk about this all day. Honestly, you need to work on getting your priorities straight. Aren’t you hoping to find your brother and sister? Where are they?>
They live in Boston, Massachusetts, I thought back, despondently. The other side of the country. My priorities have been straight this whole time. No planes, no trains, no cars--how the hell am I supposed to get to Boston?
I wanted to punch a wall, but Samantha had mentioned “monsters entering your world” a dozen times already. I couldn’t see or hear any monsters yet, but that didn’t mean they weren’t around. I wouldn’t mind punching a monster right now, actually. But I didn’t want to follow Samantha’s combat shadow.
<Alright,> Samantha said. <Let me give you a bit of an overview of how your world works now. Your world has been broken into categories and subcategories. The biggest, most general category is naturally your World. Then the World is broken into a number of Zones. Zones will generally be the size of continents. The Zones are broken into Regions, and the Regions are broken into Districts. If we were lucky, your family would be in the same Region as you are in. But it sounds like that’s not going to be the case.>
Samantha paused to let that sink in, and then continued. <Districts are controlled by a Town’s Mayor. Regions are controlled by a City’s Lord. If you control a Capital City, then you control a Zone. If you control a World City, then in the Schema’s eyes, you control the World.>
This was good stuff to know, although I wasn’t sure yet how it would connect back to my family.
<Anyway, tying this back to your family,> Samantha continued, anticipating my frustration. <You saw the Town Tokens and the City Token at the auction, right? Once people build a Schema-recognized town using a Town Token, the mayor can purchase a Teleportation Circle from the town shop. With the basic Teleportation Circle, any towns in the same Region could connect, as long as their circle is set to public.>
I took out the compass that Samantha had encouraged me to buy. A compass that would point to the nearest Schema-recognized establishment.
The compass pointed to the west.
<But a town with a Teleportation Circle wouldn’t be enough. The Teleportation Circle inside a town will only allow you to travel to locations in the same Region. You would need to find or develop a city, so that you could travel to other Regions.>
I glanced briefly out the window. I lived in an apartment in South Central Los Angeles. I was on the third floor, which gave me some sense of safety, considering the approaching monsters.
The streets were ominously empty. I couldn’t see anybody, anywhere. No monsters, no people. I could see cracks in the street, as though there had been a massive earthquake, and several buildings around me had collapsed.
Samantha was giving me too much information. I’d just take things one step at a time. First, find a town.
I started gathering anything that seemed remotely useful from my apartment. I had a seldom-used hiking backpack in my closet, which I stuffed with boring things—a some clothes, a set of cooking knives, a pot and a pan, an extra water bottle, matches, and the like.
I still felt like hiding the existence of my magic pouch when I could, so I was going to wear my backpack as I explored.
<Before you go, I would recommend you practice your profession here, since this seems like a fairly safe location,> Samantha said. <The ability to sell a second Interdimensional Pouch would be huge. Additionally, the longer you wait here, the more likely a closer town will appear—closer to you, or closer to your family. It is extremely unlikely for a Teleportation Circle to open up so quickly near your family, or near us. Give it a day or so. Then a town might appear closer to where you are.
I thought about it. Excited as I was to find my family, Samantha was right. And for once, it seemed Samantha was advocating for the safer option.
I discarded my packed bag on the ground, opened my pouch, and started taking out the necessary materials to make a Proximity Ward.
It was time to see what my profession was all about.