January 17, 2019, 7:13 pm.

Smacking Rufka, I ask, "was any of that true?"

"Her name was Melcia. Probably," Rufka answers grinning shamelessly before her face sobers. "But honestly? I don't know. Mum really did tell me all that. But it's hard to believe. Crossing the divide without the System. How would you even do such a thing?"

"Have you heard of Thenite Skyscreamers?" I ask Rufka, which is the closest thing that Uthica knew of to the word spaceship. They definitely flew through space.

"As in the Howling Skyscreamers of the Thenite Consortium of Free Worlds? Of course. The Aetherium won't let any-user forget about their victory over the 'mighty sky pirates'. Nevermind that it was centuries ago," Rufka declares, striking a mockingly heroic pose for a moment before shrugging.

"Well, on Earth, we have our own Skyscreamers. But they aren't used for war. I mean not directly. Actually, we have another type of… Nevermind. Point is, we have Skyscreamers that are primarily used to explore. We went to our own version of Ukila once. It was a big deal at the time. But our moon was barren and lifeless, so there wasn't much reason to go back."

"Wait, you're saying Skyscreamers could cross the divide?"

"Uhh. Yeah. You didn't know that?"

"How could any-user? There hasn't been a Skyscreamer on Akilo in centuries. How do you?" Rufka demands with a penetrating stare.

"The System," I answer, tapping my forehead.

"Ah. Right. Sorry," Rufka apologizes, "think we should head inside?"

"Probably," I shrug, holding Smoulder close while gazing up at Ukila.

"I think those 'silver bullets' might be able to cross the divide too. They're like something out of a…" I pause for a second snapping my fingers as I try to think of what the Vausian equivalent might be for the word movie.

"A memory crystal!" I finally declare, proud of myself.

"Yes. Because those are so common, any-user would know what you're talking about," Rufka drolly replies as she hefts herself over the edge, sliding down the side of the building with her earth skates. I watch as Smoulder follows, bouncing off Rufka's shoulder then the wall before landing on a piece of debris leaning against the building.

"What. You're saying you don't use memory crystals?" I ask as I follow them down. My descent isn't nearly as stylish, but I'm still thrilled to be flying.

"Only a copper rank would have the essence to spend on something so…. frivolous," Rufka grouses as I land next to her and Smoulder. I dismiss my flight spell, stepping towards the door.

"Huh. Uthica used them all the time," I point out as I step inside Raz's.

"Yes, well, Uthica was the greatest warrior queen of her time. I'm sure a few essence were nothing to a warrior of her strength."

"How many essence are we talking?" I wonder curiously before I turn to find the others gathered around a new larger table. Roberts offers a small wave as I move to sit beside him.

"More than we gathered today, that's for sure," Rufka answers as she sits between Tipan and me.

"Welcome back," Beth greets us as Raz arrives with meals for the four of them.

"Raz here was just about to tell us what he knows about citizenship," Beth states, drawing a sigh from the short lizard creature.

"I told you, Beth. There's nothing I can tell you about Citizens except that they have special access to resources and locations that aren't available to the general user. You must be a Citizen to be able to learn about the benefits. If a Citizen were to try to tell me any of the details, I literally wouldn't be able to understand them."

"Wow. That's harsh," I note as I order my own food.

"The System has similar restrictions in place for Builders and Creators. It hardly matters. Citizens are as rare as legendary classes," Raz shrugs, his black scales making the gesture hard to follow in the dim light.

"Have you ever heard of a quest that awards Citizen status?" Roberts asks as he carefully sets a napkin in place before starting on his delicious-looking plate of fried bird, mashed tubers and a selection of unknown vegetables.

"Only once. I had a guest who stayed with me shortly after he'd finished his Citizen quest. He'd been unable to share the details, but he told me he'd had to travel to fifteen different core worlds trying to find someone. He complained to me that it had taken him twenty years to complete the quest. He did imply the rewards had been worth it though."

"Wow. Twenty years?" I burst out, "that's longer than I've been alive."

Raz looks at me then, his eyes narrowing as his gaze flicks up and down, taking me in.

"You're younger than I realized. It can be difficult to tell, once a user is integrated. Especially with new species."

"Yeah. Mum complained about that. Thought some users didn't deserve eternal youth," Rufka comments.

"Hmm. Interesting. What happens to users who integrate later in life?" Roberts asks, the reason for his interest clear as he runs a hand through his still grey hair.

"They get younger," Raz answers, "the system gives everyone the same time. But it only counts the time you're integrated."

"What do you mean gives us time?" Beth asks, setting her food to the side.

"Simply that. Every user has 144 galactic standard years of life during iron rank. If you haven't ranked up by that point, you die."

"Wait, so I'm going to live to be like a hundred and sixty?" I ask incredulously.

"Approximately. Assuming you don't die from other sources, of course. Naturally, most users don't die of old age at iron rank."

"This is true. Even most risk-averse K'tharn decide to start attempting to break through into copper once they only have a decade of life left. Since they don't really know how to handle themselves, many of them die without success," Tipan supplies casually, as if discussing the weather.

"Well, as fascinating as the idea that we're all going to live for another hundred years is, it sounds like it's going to be a long time before any of us have to worry about it," Beth points out as she leans forward. "There are more immediate matters that require our attention."

"Indeed. Such as this Demo. Do you think there was a fifth?" Roberts asks, setting his fork to the side as he speaks.

"I didn't see any signs that anyone else had been in the circle. I'm more inclined to think they have nothing to do with us," Beth answers, a couple loose strands of her fiery hair falling over her face as she shakes her head.

As Beth tucks the loose strands back into her loose ponytail, I ask, "are we doing the Citizen quest?"

"There's nothing we can do yet. Rufka mentioned getting assistance from her friend. With her help, maybe we'll figure out a way to deal with Ivicka once we're finished with the Dungeon. If not, we'll need to run."

"How fast is she?" I turn to Tipan. With my new flight spell, I can't help but wonder if I could outrun her.

"That depends. When she has Asterix, her bonded dragon, she is capable of incredible speed. Faster than I've seen you fly. Without Asterix, she's rather slow. For a copper rank."

"What're you thinking, kid?"

"I have a mass flight ability that I can take if we level up. Then, when we finish, we can run instead of teleporting away."

Tipan tilts her head to the side, tapping her chin as she thinks. "Hmm. I don't believe it would be enough. Not for all of us. Unless the ability was unusually fast, the spell's speed would be too low while she's with Asterix. If we were able to keep her away from Asterix for an hour or so we'd be able to disappear. Unfortunately, I've no idea how we could do so."

"What if we…." Roberts starts asking as we continue discussing for the next half hour. Unfortunately, we're not able to come up with anything. The closest we come to a decision is we'll wait and see.

Beth's meal looked so good, I decided to try it myself. While I'm eating and we're talking I invest another point into Resolve, bringing it up to thirteen. Only like 30 more points until I'm at Rufka's recommended ratio. After checking the time, I decide to invest another three points in Resolve which leaves me with nine points.

Which is still more than I need, so I put another five points in. Now my Resolve will be twenty-one by morning. A solid start.

As I assign the points, I order two plates of wings and more blue fruit juice while checking my current balance of essence. I've got just over a thousand essence. Since this conversation isn't going anywhere, it's time to do some shopping.

Excusing myself, I head for the bathroom. Closing the heavy door, I see myself for the first time since I accepted my class.

It feels like I should be drastically different, but other than some dirt on my outfit, I basically look the same as I did this morning. There's no dark cloak or swirling galaxies floating within my eyes. I almost wish there were. Then at least I could see the reason Josh is afraid of me.

Sighing, I decide to take advantage of the bath. That's what it's here for right? Much like the shower upstairs, I don't have to create my own water. There's a set of runes at one end which I'm able to tap, which fill the tub with either hot or cold water. It's rather quick too, only taking half a minute to fill the large tub.

Copying the new runes into my journal, I lay back inspecting the mirror. A mental push is enough to bring up the system menu.

"Anti-Corruption System Activation detected. Re-configuring Menu. Please choose from one of the following options.

Access Inventory Anti-Corruption Subsystems Change Preferred Spells Class Advancement Essence Conversion General Ability Shop Personal Room Customization Raz's Repository of Artifacts, Armours and Other Useful Things Set Return Point.“

Huh. A new menu option for anti-corruption. The system really takes this seriously. Before I start browsing, I figure I should let the others know about this. But since I'm in the bath, the only one I feel comfortable contacting is Beth.

"Hi, Beth. I'm in the change room and when I accessed the menu a new anti-corruption option appeared. I thought you'd want to know," I inform her as I enjoy the languid feeling of the warm bathwater.

"Really? One second, I want to see for myself," Beth responds as I'm holding my arm above the water catching the droplets before they can fall. When I realize what Beth said, I duck my body beneath the surface as Beth approaches the door.

"I'm not really….." I trail off as I feel Beth move into the room. But she doesn't appear in my view. Even though I can track her movement with my new sense, I realize we're in a layered space. The room is in the same place for both of us, but it's also displaced. I guess that explains why there's only one change room door.

"Whaddya know. There really are new anti-corruption options," I hear Beth say through the link.

"Uhm. Yeah. I'll talk to you later," I say as I disconnect. Now that I've informed Beth, I intend to enjoy the rest of my bath in privacy. Then I 'unslot' the rest of my party members. I'd rather not know when everyone is using the bathroom. I wonder if I can set it to turn on and off every time I leave the rest area.

Knowing that Beth is probably investigating the anti-corruption options, I pull the menu up for a little light shopping as I'd originally intended when I came in here.

Going through Raz's store again, I purchase several outfits I passed up the first time. They wouldn't have fit before, but with my ability to tuck and fold any outfit using Metal Manipulation, my wardrobe is now a lot bigger.

I have four complete outfits, not counting my poor onesie. That's almost as many as I had on earth since I didn't really need many outfits.

At home, if I really wanted to change it up, I could just borrow some of mom's clothes. As long as it wasn't one of her cocktail dresses, she was happy to have me wearing them. Though if she saw me, she'd give me one of her remarks such as, "that looks almost as good on you as it does on me, sweetie. I really do have the best taste, don't I?" It did discourage me from wearing her clothes if I knew she was going to be around.

Most of my own weren't fancy. Easier to keep mom from disappearing them that way.

With my new outfits obtained, all of which I transferred directly to my inventory, I switch my attention over to exploring class advancement. I probably need one of those progression points to do anything, but I'm still curious.

Cataclysm Seed - Class Advancement:

Progress Class Level. (Requirements complete.) Advance Class to next rank. Refine Class to next rarity.

Huh, I meet the requirements to level?

Focusing on level progression brings up a new menu.

Cataclysm Seed - Level 2 Progression Requirements:

Minimum Attributes: Agility = 5. Endurance = 5. Intellect = 10. Spirit = 10. Perception = 10. Resolve = 10. Minimum Skill Levels: Mana Manipulation = 10. Temporal Manipulation = 10. Spatial Manipulation = 10. Fire Manipulation = 10. Water Manipulation = 10. Wind Manipulation = 10. Lightning Manipulation = 10. Stone Manipulation = 10. Earth Manipulation = 10. Metal Manipulation = 10. Ice Manipulation = 10. Twilight Manipulation = 10.

"Would you like to progress to level 2 for one class progression point?"

Well, I've got even more reason to balance my attributes now. If this pattern continues, I won't be able to get to level three until I raise my endurance from five to ten though. At least the rest of the requirements seem easy.

While I'm certain I don't have a class progression point, I decide I may as well try to confirm anyway. Since it's asking.

When I do, I receive a notification indicating that I have insufficient progression points to advance my class at this time.

Yeah. That's what I thought. I do notice the system now adds a helpful counter under my attributes. Right under integration points, there's now a spot indicating progression points, of which, I have zero.

Oh well, it was worth a try.

Curious to see if I can check the requirements to advance my class to copper, I prod the option leaving me pleasantly surprised when the menu changes.

Cataclysm Seed - Copper Advancement Requirements:

Minimum Attributes: Strength = 90 Constitution = 90 Agility = 105. Endurance = 105. Intellect = 125. Spirit = 125. Perception = 125. Resolve = 125. Minimum Skill Levels: Mana Manipulation = 125. Temporal Manipulation = 125. Spatial Manipulation = 125. Fire Manipulation = 125. Water Manipulation = 125. Wind Manipulation = 125. Lightning Manipulation = 125. Stone Manipulation = 125. Earth Manipulation = 125. Metal Manipulation = 125. Ice Manipulation = 125. Twilight Manipulation = 125. Flight or Shifting = 125 Minimum System Quests Completed: Survival - Stage 1 - Survive for 30 days. Minimum Lesser Iron-grade Dungeons Completed: Combat Dungeons = 0 Training Dungeons = 1 Puzzle Dungeons = 5 Scenario Dungeons = 5

"Class section updated for easier tracking of advancement requirements."

Wow. When Rufka mentioned that you needed to have your attributes maxed out I didn't think about just how maxed that meant. Or that I'd also need to max out so many skills and complete so many dungeons. At least the survival quest should take care of itself.

On the plus side, apparently, I've got over a hundred years to get there. When I think about it that way, the requirements don't seem that bad.

Ha. I only just got my class today yet I'm already thinking about advancing it to copper. Shaking my head, I adjust the temperature of the water by channelling fire mana into it directly as I move on.

Since I'm already perusing the menu, I give the Refine Class option a quick glance. It has two options listed, which is impressive. I didn't expect to find anything under this menu.

Cataclysm Seed - Class Refinement Options

Black Cataclysm Lotus. Crimson Cataclysm Lotus.

Interesting. I wonder whether they'll show me any details.

Black Cataclysm Lotus - Rarity Refinement Requirements:

Minimum Skills Unlocked: Unknown. Minimum System Quests Completed: Unknown. Minimum Dungeons Completed: Unknown.

Ha. It's like my Paradox class all over again.

At least it's not too surprising. They told us that people have a hard time advancing their class to epic. I imagine part of that is having to figure out how to do so in the first place.

I quickly check Crimson Lotus, but predictably, the results are the same.

Crimson Cataclysm Lotus - Rarity Refinement Requirements:

Minimum Skills Unlocked: Unknown. Minimum System Quests Completed: Unknown. Minimum Dungeons Completed: Unknown.

I wonder if the requirements are revealed once I complete them or if there's some other way to reveal them. I don't have a quest for it, but maybe I need to do research or something. At least I've got general hints from what Wyonna told me about unlocking the knight classes. And unlocking more skills is probably important.

Hehe. I'm doing it again. Now instead of thinking about advancing to copper, I'm pondering how to 'refine' my class.

I consider going through the general ability shop and the anti-corruption subsystems, and I give them a brief glance. Maybe there will be something to help Wyonna. But there's nothing that immediately pops out to me. I'll go through them properly in the morning, but it's been a long day and what I really want to do…

What I need to do, just for a moment, is to play with magic.

Creating a ring of fire, I float it over my bath, bringing it closer to the surface. As the water starts to boil, Smoulder suddenly leaps through the ring, landing on the far side of the tub with a smug feeling of victory emanating from her.

Amused, I create a second ring of burning fire which I place further along the tub.

Smoulder only takes a second to hop through both rings before looking at me smugly.

Okay, challenge accepted.

I reach out, grabbing the stone and earth I keep in my pack while also grabbing the metal from my discarded clothes.

Mentally, with my magic, of course. No need to get out of the nice, luxurious bath. Once I have all the mana-expensive materials in front of me, I start creating a more challenging obstacle course for Smoulder.

At first, I create simple platforms of earth, ice, metal and stone, with rings of fire, lightning and water for her to leap through. But it poses her no challenge, completing the course with ease. Even when I place a ring where it shouldn't be possible to get through, she succeeds by using the wall as a springboard.

If I thought I was getting smugness from her before, now it's practically Astral-grade.

Deciding I can up the challenge further, I start reshaping the platforms. I start with the earth platforms, which become mud with the addition of a little water.

The application of fire makes for slightly molten stone platforms which, thanks to her fire resistance, won't harm Smoulder, but should be like the mud making it harder for her to gain traction. Plus, they look cool.

Halfway through, I realize I might not have the chops to pull off as many different platforms and rings as I want to do at once. Not while making them rotate or shift back and forth as well.

Accepting I'll have to make a couple changes, I continue. Next, I add metal platforms imbued with a hint of lightning to shock her slightly and ice platforms with a steady invisible wind to make them even more treacherous. Then, because I doubt this would be enough to hinder Smoulder at this point, I change the platforms' shapes so they're round and a couple will rotate slowly.

The final course starts at one edge of the tub and floats in the air all around us, a two-meter radius floating circle of elemental platforms. The only components remaining are the rings that will direct Smoulder along. I wonder if there's a subsystem for something like this?

Shaking the thought off, I add the rings of fire and lightning. As the rings come into place my focus begins dropping rapidly.

Urging Smoulder to start, she tears through the course, nearly making it to the end but the small shock from the metal plate surprises her, causing her to fall into the tub.

But that doesn't discourage her. Smoulder swiftly swims back to her starting position, dries herself off with a little bit of flame-on action, then starts again. It takes her three more attempts while costing me over a hundred and fifty focus to successfully complete the course.

When she sits beside me this time, it's not a sense of smugness she sends my way.

No, this time Smoulder sends me a sense of satisfaction and gratitude.

Totally worth it.

Deciding I've played around long enough, I stow my materials back in my pack, climbing out of the bath while leaving the water where it belongs. It's amazing being able to dry myself so easily without a towel.

I don't know if it'll ever get old.

After getting dressed, I head back to the common room where I find Rufka, Roberts and Tipan.

Joining them, I order yet another meal. When I first arrive, Tipan is quiet, Rufka is subdued and I'm worried that Josh has disappeared and might be avoiding me. Yet Roberts stays us all out of our heads, sharing stories of when he used to coach his daughter's little league team. We spend the next couple hours playing Astra's Stride, billiards and even a game of cards bought off Raz for five essence. All while listening to Roberts regale us with his tales.

When I make my way to bed, I'm not worried about anything. Barely shucking out of my clothes, I zonk out the moment I hit the bed.

It's been another long day.

But we made it through.