The Tests
I returned home after the quick job and put the other three recovery jobs on the side burner, I have to get packed for my work trip tomorrow. Though this work is pretty simple all things considered, Just vending at a convention. So its not all that exciting. I prepare for the day and go to sleep early
The next couple of days are fairly uneventful, I made it to the airport without an issue, got set up at the event, and it was a successful week for sales. Then I returned home, and figured that now would be the perfect time to figure out how this whole system thing works. I've put it off for long enough. And I need to figure out these abilities, and just how far they can go. at least for now that is.
I pull out the com device and hit the button to take me back to the ship, might as well test that out first. I close my eyes and the next time I open them, almost a blink later, I'm standing on the pad of the transporter room 'Neat, so it does in fact work. Fantastic, Lets get down to business, Lex Keep a running tally on how long I spend on a task, and the gain to the skill or stat"
[Understood, What will be the first thing you intend to work on?]
"Lets go with the language, I would like to try to level that up" With that said I go up to the bridge and begin getting settled in and studying the Theron language. I loose myself into the study for several hours before I take a break and get up to stretch.
"Status"
[User: Alex]
[Age: 28
[Race: Human]
[Form: Human(M)]
[Level: 1]
[HP: 180]
[SP: 100]
[XP: 0/1000]
[Stat Points unallocated 2]
[Skill Points unallocated 2]
[Stats]
[Strength: 13.001]
[Agility: 10.01]
[Dexterity: 13]
[Constitution: 10.01]
[Body: 8.02]
[Intelligence: 12]
[Wisdom: 11]
[Charisma: 12]
[Luck: 7]
[Knowledge Skills]
[Language: Theron (written)] Level .7 (up .4 level)
[Survival: Basic]
[Active Skills]
[Shifter] Level 1
--[Available Forms: Human (M/F)]
[Dance (Latin Ballroom)] Level 2
[Analyze] Level 1
[Passive Skills]
[Analyze
[Titles]
[Child of Luna]
Some new information was available such as the unallocated points which I assume came with the apparent level up. That and the gain to the language.
"Lex, how long was I working on the language?"
[It was about four hours you spent on it, and every hour gained a percentage of a point. It would seem that once you spend a few more hours on it you should gain the level]
I nod as I decide to make that final push to gain the first level of the language, as it will undoubtable help with some of my future plans. And after just a few more hours the tell tale ding and the notification appears.
[Knowledge level up, Theron written language +1 xp +20]
I decide to test out the new knowledge for how well I understand it, and so I pull up a technical file with the help of Alexia, as I only have a basic understanding of the written language, the equivalent to I would say around a first or second graders understanding. Sure enough I can read the words but many of them are unfamiliar and I don't understand them. So I try out to see what those skill points I received are. I allocate both of them to the Theron language.
[Requires 1 skill point to be allocated to the spoken language of Theron, do you wish to allocate?]
I indicate my acceptance, I feel a bit bummed at this, but at the same time, I have never heard this language spoken before, so learning to speak it like this? Why certainly. Who can say that they learned a language in just the matter of a few days? I feel a slight flood of information into my head and the small things that were seeming to cause some problems with my understanding of the written words, and I also seem to understand how to pronounce them as well.
I also wonder if there is a way to pull up just the skills without the whole screen every time. 'Skills'
[Knowledge Skills]
[Language: Theron ] Beginner Level 2
[Survival: Basic]
[Active Skills]
[Shifter] Level 1
--[Available Forms: Human (M/F)]
[Dance (Latin Ballroom)] Level 2
[Analyze] Level 1
I return to trying to read the technical manual. Its a little more clear, but there are aspects of workings of it that are beyond me, however I can now understand the words used and so I understand that the device functions off of a multitude of different scientific principals, Such as quantum mechanics, Things I have really no experience whatso ever in. But an Idea comes to mind, I wonder about whether or not I can use unallocated skill points to learn information that I haven't studied before. However as skill points seem to be allocated at level ups, and they don't seem to be that many on each level up.
I decide to allocate the two status points to body, Just because I like rounded numbers. Once I accepted the change, I felt a shooting pain through my body, and a dire need to go to the bathroom. However halfway to the bathroom I collapsed and blacked out.
[you ok? I've been trying to wake you for the past two hours. but you wouldn't respond after that blackout.]
I want to groan from the lingering pain, however I notice I am not in any pain. But there is a horrid stench from me that makes me rush to the bathroom and strip the clothes off and take a shower. I pause at the mirror though as my reflection catches my eye. Before where there was some excess fat and such, Is now lean and trim. I wish I had a scale now, because If I had to guess, I would think that I lost some twenty to thirty pounds. I step into the shower and begin to think over what just happened.
'Lex, What would you say happened to me after bringing my body score up to 10? I Know I wasn't this lean before coming up here nor before passing out, I'm guessing that pain and the blackout had something to do with me upgrading those stats?'
[That would seem likely, It also gave me some more information about the base stats for you, at least what would be considered average. As your weight before was slightly above average, now It is closer in line with what your medical professionals would consider to be an average healthy weight for someone of your age and height. It also indicates like what we thought that a rank of 10 in such stats is the Average for humanity, and anything above it would be above average.]
I finish up the shower while contemplating this. This goes well above any level of science that I am familiar with, and practically supernatural in origin, But how does that saying go again? and sufficiently advances society would seem like magic to a lesser advanced one?
Considering that all this tech that I'm seeing is something that exists, I'm not part of a society that is backwards enough to think that its magic, I just know that the technology is far beyond us at present.
I smirk at the though though, At present indeed, But I have a spaceship at my disposal, and AI that implanted itself in my head, and a supernatural ability now to gain skills and knowledge. The only thing I'm lacking are funds and well... knowledge, but the knowledge bit, I can rectify that with funds.
'Lex, can the food printer in the meeting room make things other than food? say like precious metals?'
[It has the capability to yes, but why would you need such things?]
'Why for a crazy Idea I just had to fully utilize the features of this ship, and to make more money. Not to mention bring humanity rocketing into a great new age. I laugh, Its just a shame this whole game like system doesn't give me any quests.... Or maybe it does? I haven't bothered checking this out....Quests'
[Quest Log...None]
'Well what else could I expect.... but It is there, I wonder how I will get quests or generate them...Well I will have to play around with that and figure it out. Maybe I can just will certain things into quests?'
I figure there's nothing to loose from giving it a go, and I start to deeply contemplate my tasks that I came up with and how to go about doing them.
*Ding*
[Main quest line started, Lead Humanity into a new age of technology. You have taken it upon yourself to learn technology that far outpaces what your society is capable at present. Your desire to make science fiction into science fact is a noble desire.
Tasks:
Learn about the concepts that enable the space ship to operate, to include a breathable generated atmosphere,
Artificial gravity, computer technology and engine technology.
sub tasks:
Gain knowledge skills in Electrical engineering, Quantum mechanics, Astrophysics, Mathematics, Aeronautics, Computer Science, Computer Engineering and Structural Engineering.
XP for each sub task completed 100 with bonuses based on speed, XP for completion of Main quest line 100000 xp]
I brighten up at the quest notification, Apparently If I will it hard enough I might just generate myself a quest Maybe I can do the same thing for dailies as well? I contemplate what I should do for daily quests and figure I will go with the standard workout dailies, and focus my mind on that and after a few minutes I'm rewarded for my success.
[Your will to self improvement is only matched and exceeded by those whom have had such a drive since childhood to be the best in their chosen fields, whether it be athletics or academics. They however do not have the same level of benefits as you and will eventually fall to the wayside by your prowess.
Task: Increase all physical stats and mental stats to 12
Sub tasks: Run 10k, do 1000 sit-ups, 1000 pus-ups, 500 burpees, and 1000 pullups every day. Read in excess of 300 pages of any kind of book, study the proverbs of your civilization and other civilizations, Completion of daily tasks will award 50xp per task with diminishing returns every week, completion of main task will award 1000 xp for each stat raised.]
Well, that's something. And a heck of a workload. But I Guess I will get started on these right now to see what benefits Will come from this. I head to the Transporter room, without bothering to get dressed, I set the transportation destination to my house and initiate the transfer as I stand on the pad.
After arriving home, I go get dressed in my workout clothes and do the first thing on the list, Go run 10K, the one thing I have not done in awhile, but with my body not having the excess fat on me anymore, how hard can it be? I spend a few minutes warming up then leave the house and start jogging.
I get about two hours into the Jog, well I say Jog but after the first hour It was hard to continue so I started a swap between running and Jogging, I'm huffing and trying to catch my breath, my legs no longer able to carry me, though I'm almost back home so I decide to check my progress. 'status'
[User: Alex]
[Age: 28
[Race: Human]
[Form: Human(M)]
[Level: 1]
[HP: 200]
[SP: 200]
[XP: 70/1000] +70
[Stats]
[Strength: 13.003] +.002
[Agility: 10.03] +.02
[Dexterity: 13]
[Constitution: 10.03] +.2
[Body: 10.04] +2.02
[Intelligence: 12]
[Wisdom: 11]
[Charisma: 12]
[Luck: 7]
[Knowledge Skills]
[Language: Theron] Basic Level 2 (level up +2)
[Survival: Basic]
[Active Skills]
[Shifter] Level 1
--[Available Forms: Human (M/F)]
[Dance (Latin Ballroom)] Level 2
[Analyze] Level 1
[Passive Skills]
[Analyze
[Titles]
[Child of Luna]
I look at the change in the stats and realize that it will probably take a long time to complete that task of raising my physical and mental stats to 12, even if I already have some stats at that level. But even a little progress is still progress. I cant expect myself to become superhuman overnight now can I?
Once I get inside I contemplate what to do for the main task. And I have an Idea, a little crazy, but it will also give me some practice, I hope, in one of my other abilities that I've found no use for currently.