Home Sweet Home

The Journey home began normally enough, riding through the quiet country roads in the scorching mid-afternoon sun.

After about 10 minutes of pushing my body hard, as I was trying to get home as fast as I could before anything crazy happened. I could sense something strange happening to my legs and glutes.

Hey Dart, What's with the refreshing pulses of energy running through my body?

[The host is feeling the effects of uncontrolled Vital energy absorption. This will help to improve parts of your body as you exercise and temper them.]

Sweet move aside, Thor! Lee Long destroyer of noobs is here. Lee got lost in a little waking dream for a moment, imagining himself smashing mountains with a punch and destroying comes with a kick.

So Dart, how do I control this Vital energy?

[Vital energy can be cultivated in a controlled manner if the host develops a set of moves and trains them daily. Different training sequences will direct the energy to develop certain aspects of your physical body. One sequence might focus on pure strength, another on pure speed etc.]

Dart, what would you suggest I focus my training on?

[I would suggest you work on a set of moves that improves every aspect of your body at the same time. As the host only has an average affinity for utilizing Vital energy, it is hard to become a powerful body cultivator. An all-around strong body will help with the cultivation of your strongest aspect, that being Elemental energy.]

Dart... you're telling me I should become a jack of all in body cultivation!

Well, that sucks! My dreams of punching monsters into wet soggy mist will have to die before they could even be born.

[Yes, that would be advisable]

Dart, will high elemental affinity offset my lack of physical prowess?

[Yes, the combination of a strong physical foundation and high elemental law comprehension is an excellent way to gain power for example wind affinity to increase speed or earth to increase defence.]

Oh well, I must go online tonight and try to come up with something. Maybe some Thai-chi with some other stuff mixed in.

Looking around for the first time in a while, I seemed to have auto-piloted myself more than halfway home. Looking up just as I was passing the local zoo.

Lucky I don't work there. The poor people will most likely have to deal with flying tigers that shoot lightning from their eyes in a few months. Good thing the higher energy doesn't seem to have done much yet, maybe they will all have time to hand in their two week's notice. I chuckle to myself as I ride past.

Hitting the outskirts of town, I notice the supermarket my best friend Josh works at. I should go let him in on my little secret, maybe Dart can help him out with a little analysis. While I'm there I could do with more supplies... never know what might happen over the weekend.

Locking my bike up outside the employee only entrance and pulled up Josh's number up on my phone and called him.

"What's up with you Lee? I'm super busy at the moment!" Josh said as soon as he picked up the phone sounding harassed.

"I'm at the side entrance Josh come and open the door for me I need to grab some supplies." I replayed back to him in my best demanding customer voice.

"I'm only an assistant manager here Lee, you'll get me fired man!"

"Come on Josh I'll let you in on a big secret if you let me into the stores to grab a few bags of food. I might even help you out with some of this energy stuff."

"LEE, Don't tell me you got a Sys.."

"Be quiet! don't let the world know dude never say keywords when you're on the phone the AI's are always listening.

"I'll be there in a minute you paranoid idiot," Josh said hanging up the phone

Five minutes later a 6ft 4 blond beanpole of a guy opened the side door.

"Get in here Lee we better be quick, it's getting crazy on the shop floor... we can't stock the shelves fast enough it's like they think the worlds going to end tomorrow... that 67% guy said we had 130 years to sort this out." Josh ranted while blocking the door so I couldn't follow his opening demand.

"Ya, I didn't see any flying elephants when I went past the zoo we should have time to sort ourselves out."

"Anyway about your system what can it do!? Tell me it's something cool like an upgrade system... or can you eat random things and power up?"

"Nope, it's only a Rank-D system all it does is measure my status and give advice on cultivation paths. oh, it can analyze other beings for me as well want to know what you have an affinity with?"

"Well, that sucks. I guess you won't be an overpowered face smacking character then. Ok, inspect me and tell me my fate, Lee."

Dart Inspect Josh here and let me know his energy affinities.

[Inspecting Target "Josh"]

[No System assistant detected]

[Higher Energy that resonates with the Target.

Resonance with Vital Energy (Body Tempering) - Poor

Resonance with Psychic Energy - above average

Resonance with Elemental Energy Law's- Average

Soul energy: Below Average

"Well, Josh, my system can detect four types of energy. Oh, and its name is Dart. You have Poor and Below Average in Vital and Soul energy, so no bodybuilding or soul-stealing for you! On the upside, you have Average in Elemental Energy Laws and above average in Psychic energy. So remember there is no spoon!!"

"Well being able to throw things around with my mind or becoming pyrokinetic would be cool. what about you, Lee?

"I'm just good at elemental Laws and maybe soul but that's complicated. Let's get inside so you can help me grab some food. I need to get home before this place is torn apart by angry panic shoppers."

"What do you need, Lee,"?

"Just noodles lots and lots of them I have plenty of fresh food at home just no dry foods that will last awhile. Some dog food for Jasper. I must try to keep him happy in case he turns into a demon dog."

"Good luck with that mate I'm glad I don't have any pets," Josh says pushing three carrier bags of Noodles at me and a bag of dog food.

"Ok, I'm off Josh! You look after yourself if this place goes to hell, get out and get home. Your job's not worth getting torn to pieces over.

Loaded down with more weight than before, I struggled the last two miles home. Unlocking my front door, an exuberant Pug greeted me by the name of Jasper.

"What's up Jasper, how has your day been? I see you didn't burn the house down while I was at work your such a good boy!" I say to Jasper as I dump the shopping bags in the kitchen and scratch him behind his ears.

I gave Jasper his dinner and turned on the television to watch the news "I wonder what crazy crap people are getting up to" I say to Jasper... (who ignores me as he's eating.)

Riots more riots, protests, people demanding action. Idiots all of them... how is any of that going to help with anything at all? It's just going to force governments to put troops on the streets and not to protect against monsters that don't even exist yet. They will have to stop people from hurting themselves and others.

Turning off the television, I boot up my PC and open up Metube to start my exploration of Vital energy stances. I Hope Dart can tell me if they do anything at all or ill, just be flailing around in my living room to no purpose.