An excerpt from ‘A Treatise on how Genesis Condemns Outliers’ by Unknown Author

Anyone who has been to a Dungeon World has seen come across beings that don’t fit within Genesis’s conventional norms for life. These beings* are refused the opportunity to join a wave, refused the ability to leave their new home, and even refused the ability to gain a class. They are forced onto massive worlds and subjected to the life of an animal. Is this terrible enslavement worth the growth opportunities they afford those of us lucky enough to be considered worthy?

*Dungeon worlds also contain mindless beasts but this Treatise refers to the intelligent beings such as the Spirits of Lochlaa.

I exit the cave shortly after, walking into the sunlight and feeling confused. Despite my accomplishment and gains, I am no closer to making my way back home. My boundless curiosity overrode my focus on completing the requirements but I’m not disappointed with my choice. All I can do is hope that, in the long run, the decision I made today will lead to more increases in power.

I begin walking back to the novice Zone, watching the sun slowly descend towards the horizon. I’ve had more than enough conflict for the day and I need to plan out my next steps. Which of the two leaders do I attempt to take down first? Rolarch would be a more difficult fight but I’d be able to play to my strengths, setting up traps and luring him towards a kill zone. If my traps aren’t enough, however, I’ll be ripped apart. Meanwhile, Shssiss represents a new challenge, a fighting style that is almost similar to mine.

I lose myself in thought and find myself back at my familiar tree, climbing up onto the branches and leaning back against it to stare at the stars. Thousands sparkle above me, more than could ever be seen from my old home, and their beauty is breathtaking. They may not be the same stars that the ancient explorers saw but the sentiment that they exude is the same, hinting at a universe filled with wonders beyond my imagination. Genesis had brought the human race back into an era of explorers.

I wake up the next morning and stretch my body, finally paying attention to the combat notifications from the battle the day before. They’ve begun to become commonplace and I quickly glance at them before shutting them down with a thought. I’d gained 6 levels in Ball of Oil, 4 in Chilling Wind, 3 in Pain Resistance, Freezing Beam, and Effortless Presence, 2 in Mana Infusion and Elemental Mana, and 1 in Climbing. There are two, however, that stand out and causes me to raise my eyebrows.

You have discovered the Skill Combat First Aid Lvl 1! You have taken the first step in your understanding of healing the body. Bandages may be the simplest form of treatment but they are treatment all the same. Increased skill level increases knowledge of acceptable forms of treatment.

You have reached Lvl 50 in Mana Manipulation! Your dedication to the pursuit and understanding of Mana has paid off. You find your control growing, allowing you to discover nuances that had earlier eluded your senses. Mana +100. Control of Mana has increased.

The First Aid Skill is useful but I am far more interested in the implications of Mana Manipulation. I let myself sink into Effortless Presence and pull a small portion of my Well out into the world. The ease of which I’m able to control the Mana through this unstructured exercise is surprising. Previous attempts, especially my first attempt to access it, had always made me feel as if I was wrestling with the force, bullying it with my will to accomplish the goal that I needed. Now, however, it feels as if I am able to coax it out easily, the Mana responding to my desires in a far more responsive manner.

Time for a little experimentation. My goal of defeating Albasalas had taken so much of my focus that I’d stopped trying new things to focus on leveling up my known Skills, something that I intend to rectify going forward. While those Skills are powerful and useful, I know that the only reason I’m alive today, apart from Faul’s teachings, is because of my curiosity and willingness to try things. If I hadn’t discovered Mana Bullet, hadn’t made the mistake that gave me Mana Infusion, and hadn’t managed to create all my Mana Skills, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I would be dead. Experimentation and adaptation is the foundation of my survival.

I take a moment to consider both of my future opponents before I try anything. If the information I’ve received is true, then Rolarch will be a slow but unstoppable opponent, requiring me to use traps and guile to defeat him. Meanwhile, Shssiss will be a quiet strike, killing me if I’m ever caught unaware. The time dilation effects of Effortless Presence and my own Field, when combined with Mana Infusion, will hopefully be enough to keep me alive. I can’t assume that however. Albasalas had mentioned something about burning away the brush that hides them though. If I’m able to completely remove the potential of an ambush then I should be able to handle the minions in Shssiss’s zone.

Deciding to expand upon that train of thought, I conjure a Fireball and let it rotate slowly in my hand. The Air keeps everything tightly condensed while the Fire within dances with an almost anticipatory glee, wanting nothing more than to escape and wreak havoc. What would happen if I used the Air to feed that destructive force instead of keeping it constricted?

Taking a large chunk out of my Well, I begin to create a massive wall of Fire Mana, keeping it held back with my mind. It tries to fight and escape, but the destructive nature cannot resist my iron willpower, building up higher and higher. Right before I reach the tipping point of control I take all the last bit of the extracted Mana and convert it to Air, pushing it forward and into the flame.

A massive semi-circle wall of fire, 7 feet tall and 14 feet wide, erupts outwards with a sharp crack and into the air, pushed forward for about 10 feet before the Air runs out and the flames dissipate from the lack of fuel. A smile breaks out on my face, elation experienced for a brief second in Effortless Presence before flowing away, as the notification appears and my weapon against Shssiss is created.

You have discovered the Skill Wall of Flame Lvl 1! Forcing your enemies backwards and devouring all in its path, let fire cleanse the way ahead so that nothing will stop you from reaching your goal. Cost: 100 Mana. Increased skill level will increase the force and size of the Wall.

Having accomplished my first goal, I sit back against the tree and watch the sun begin its slow arch through the air and consider my next objective. While Field and the time dilation will be beneficial, I can’t assume that Mana Infusion will be enough to keep me alive in the event of an ambush. I need something that I can activate instantly, something that will defend me or at the very least keep me alive long enough to flee.

The next few hours were spent on this idea, a host of different ideas attempted. My thought was to use Air Mana to increase my Dexterity so that, when combined with Mana Infusion, I could dodge any attacks. Unfortunately this didn’t work as I planned, the first trial causing an explosion of Air that launched me off the tree at a disconcerting speed, the subsequent fall removing 50% of my Health. The second resulted in strong winds flowing over my skin, doing nothing but ruffling my clothing and hair. The third, and final, attempt had me skirting with death, almost suffocating as the Mana gathered all the air, and thus the oxygen, in my Field towards my feet. Thankfully it dissipated quickly and I was able to breathe before I passed out.

I take a break from all the experimenting to calm down and focus on my meditation. It is within this calm state that I realize I haven’t truly experimented with Earth Mana, only using it to create Ball of Oil. With this in mind, I begin pulling Mana from my Well and layering it on top of my arm, imagining a temporary set of armor similar to those worn by knights in the past. Holding the Raw Mana around the lower half of my arm, I initiate the change to Earth Mana and watch as it is converted, a rough-hewn gauntlet of stone forming around my hand and wrist.

You have discovered the Skill Stone Armor Lvl 1! You no longer submit your body to the damages of battle, instead using the power of earth to defend yourself. Cost: 85 Mana. Duration: 2 Minutes: Increased skill level increases durability and duration.

With these two skills created, I know that my first opponent must be Shssiss. I look up into the sky and notice the sun beginning its descent, the day fast approaching its end. I’ll have to put off my start until tomorrow. I’m hoping that the information and location provided to me by Albasalas will decrease the amount of time it takes me to clear the zone but I know that safety and caution are the only things that keep me alive.