Recovered records from Fortitude,

Rigor was once a peaceful child. That all changed when his Class befell him. We watched as he surpassed all of our kind. His pursuit of power knew no bounds, his bloodlust and hunger for battle limitless. He now blazes his path but we fear the reprecussions. His actions may doom us all.

Peter stares at the group hiking in front of him, deeply conflicting emotions battling out underneath a stoic mask. He hates himself for the battle raging inside of him but, try as he might, he cannot stop the conflict.

The issues he had been pushing aside for weeks come to the surface with brutal viciousness. His Class will not accept anything different. Two personalities war within him, turning his mind into a battlefield of epic proportions.

On one side is the old Peter, greatly diminished and beginning to starve but still rooted within a strong fortress. The walls are comprised of the memories he’s built up over the twenty years of his life, poorly lived maybe but lived all the same. Garrisoned on those walls are the last remnants of a stubborn personality that refuses to give in. I will not become someone else, they seem to cry out.

Across from the fortress is an endless legion, marching under a strange banner. They stretch as far as the eye can see and their feet pound against the ground in perfect unison, each step sending shockwaves of force into the foundation of the fortress.

The legion moves with a stark efficiency, comprised of three large groups. Within these groups are smaller subsets, each led by the personification of prominent Hungers. The boisterous and outgoing cook roars in front of a crew of vicious men wielding cleavers, the subdued bodyguard stands patiently alongside his silent retinue, and the crafty armorer wails away at a forge whose sparks light up the sky above. These officers report to representations of the three commanders of the legion, each one a representation of the people he cares most about, the same people who march in front of his waking body. His capable and loyal second Craig, the Scotsman who was stranded in a foreign land. Nico, the young boy with the talent for subterfuge and knife work.

And Kat. The woman who had managed to break through his shell. She stands at the head of the legion, her importance to him dwarfing all the others in its majesty and size.

The legion lets loose a massive bellow and rushes forward, a final assault to try and break down the fortress of his old self. They scream at the pale memories, a challenge that goes unanswered. We have come to conquer and we will not settle for less, the legion cries out.

It doesn’t take long for cracks to form within the walls, growing in size as the endless hordes throw themselves against it. Millions of imaginary soldiers die but their sacrifice is nothing compared to the immensity that is the legion. Bodies begin to gather by the walls, only to be used as a makeshift ladders as the soldiers climb on their fallen comrades.

The fall of the fortress doesn’t take much longer. It cannot stand before the might that is legion. The visage of Kat stands in the center of the fortress and slams her palm onto the ground, releasing a shockwave that cascades outwards and destroys any remaining standing structures in the fortress.

The old Peter is forced to watch as his important memories are cleansed. The information within them is retained but any and all emotion associated with them stripped away. He himself is destroyed only moments later, crying into the void that consumes his very soul.

All that is left is legion. Their banner flies above the broken remnants of the fortress, proudly proclaiming the arrival of their lord.

The Warlord has arrived.

Kat watches Peter out of the corner of her eye, concerned about the small signs of conflict on his face. No one else notices the subtle movements but she’s spent enough time with Peter to recognize when he’s troubled with something. This time, though, is … different.

His cheek muscles twitch, quickly rotating between pain and pleasure. One second it seems as if he’s just won a competition and the next it seems as if he has a sword in his gut.

She wants to call out to Craig and Nico but she knows that is exactly the type of gesture that Peter would hate. He’s committed to self-sufficiency, even to the point of being a block-headed idiot about it. She can’t really criticize him that much, however, as she still hunts for her own food outside of the walls of Farringham.

Perhaps that was why they were able to establish a connection. Both of them had adapted to this new world in the same way; self-sufficiency to the detriment of everything else.

They had also realized, in their own time, that self-sufficiency didn’t necessarily mean doing something entirely by yourself. It just meant not needing outside help. As long as you considered a few choice others as part of yourself … well then the boundaries of self-sufficiency opened up immensely.

Just as Kat is about to say something to Craig, Peter’s face relaxes and a pleased look appears on his face. Despite this, she can tell that something about him is different. Gone is the mild hesitancy, the slight doubt that had plagued him since they’d returned to Farringham. Overwhelming confidence has taken its place, giving him an aura of command that she can’t seem to shrug off.

If she’s honest with herself … the feeling is intoxicating. It is as if all elements of weakness have been purged from him and replaced by a more visceral, more solid, version.

Craig and Nico turn around, feeling the change in the air behind them. It may not be a Skill but there is something … palpable about his presence now

“Yah all good boss?” Craig asks, his bushy eyebrows raising up on his face like wriggling caterpillars.

The smile on Peter’s face spreads even wider, tightening the skin around his cheeks. “I’m more than okay, I’m better than I’ve ever been. Cael isn’t going to know what hit him.” Not waiting to hear any of their responses, he marches ahead with a speed they have difficulty matching.

The three fall in line with each other, shoulder to shoulder, and they follow after their leader. None of them are sure what has happened to their leader but they cannot deny the inexplicable desire to follow his lead and command.

Kat smiles.

Electricity dances along my arm as we hike through the forest, reaching the mountain in record time. Whether it’s the my teams increased levels or our subdued understanding of the conflict ahead of us, we all remain quiet during the march, only speaking to give advice or ask for a break.

My reason is a little different from the rest. It’s only been three days since I discovered the Higher Energy – Electricity and I still can’t comprehend how quickly the creation came about. The outside influence of images and concepts helped me to massively cut down on the necessary time. Even better, the overall concept I created was so cohesive that I gained a deeper understanding on the inner workings of the electrical capabilities of my body.

I find myself pulling up the passive Skill to read it again.

Conductive Body (R-4) Lvl 1: Your body has been altered to increase its electrical conductivity. As a result, any electricity that flows from within your body is more easily controlled and directed. These effects will increase with Passive Skill Level.

It was only because of this passive Skill that I was able to create Electrical Discharge so quickly. I’d been playing around with the feeling of withdrawing Electrical Mana and decided to try having it run down my Mana Blade. I’d expected some sort of lightning blade but I’d gotten a discharge instead, the blades serving as a conduit.

Ever since then, I’d gone back to my Flawed Lightning Bolt skill, seeing if this new Energy was the missing piece I needed. Unfortunately, mixing the already volatile combination of Manas with Electrical Mana turned out to be an … explosive combination that had taken off a significant portion of my Health.

The incident convinced me that I won’t be able to create Lightning Bolts with electricity alone. From what I remember from my education, as well as some concepts from who knows where, lightning is actually a highly conductive plasma channel through which an electrical current flows. Without the ability to manipulate or create a plasma channel, I’m better served focusing my efforts elsewhere.

With that thought in mind, I pull up my Way Points and admire the huge amount that I’ve managed to accumulate over the past month. I’ve been saving them up for some of the larger Ways, as the cheaper ones are not very useful for my new Class.

Ways: Way of the One with Mana (0/600), Way of Forgotten Knowledge (0/500), Way of the Old World (0/500) Way of the Returned (0/350), Way of the Motionless (0/300), Way of the Gunslinger (0/250), Way of the Novice Psionic Mind (0/200), Way of the Arcane Weapon (0/150), Way of Elemental Destruction (0/150), Way of Elemental Creation (0/150), Way of the Randomly Chosen (0/100), Way of Discovery (0/100), Way of the First Evolution (0/100), Way of the Traveler (0/50), Way of the Candidate (0/50), Way of the Staff (0/25)

Way Points: 395

A quick thought removes the ones I no longer consider relevant and appropriate to my growth. While I want to invest in each one, Way Points are getting harder and harder to earn as my Skill Levels continue to grow. That means the value of each point is increasing and I can’t waste that on errant Ways that won’t benefit me.

The new options are far more relevant.

Ways: Way of the One with Mana (0/600), Way of Forgotten Knowledge (0/500), Way of the Old World (0/500) Way of the Returned (0/350), Way of the Motionless (0/300), Way of the Novice Psionic Mind (0/200), Way of the First Evolution (0/100), Way of the Randomly Chosen (0/100), Way of the Candidate (0/50)

Even with the more streamlined and appropriate list of Ways, I struggle with my choice. One with Mana sounds interesting, especially now that I understand my growth will depend heavily on my ability to build up a diverse set of Higher Energies. Forgotten Knowledge is a risky idea, as the knowledge could either be extremely beneficial or completely irrelevant. Old World seems somewhat vague but it relates to the core of my entire Class. Motionless is … interesting. Given that it appeared when I discovered Motion, I suspect it will unlock some sort of inverse ability, which could be extremely useful. Psionic Mind is also extremely useful, as my Telepathic abilities have proven themselves extremely useful. However, the Skill isn’t exactly synergistic with the path of my Class.

Then there is First Evolution, Randomly Chosen, and Candidate. All three of them are cheap and probably won’t offer too much of a benefit but they have just enough going for them that I’m not instantly ruling them out.

I stare at the screen for a while as we march through the hills that had been our home. We pass Alejandro’s cave and I almost miss his wistful gaze with my head buried in my Status Screen. Our next landmark is Hakim’s glade, the place where he first discovered the catalyst to his growth. His face fills with pride and the faint hint of light peeks out from his shoulder.

It takes me a while, but I’m finally able to come to a decision. Investing the hundreds of points into Latent Talent is what allowed me to unlock the Class that I have now and I’m willing to bet the other extremely expensive Way will also be extremely beneficial.

With that thought, I invest all 395 points into One with Mana.

Your mind opens up to the deeper mysteries of Mana. You get a glimpse at the power that lies beyond your understanding as a tiny portion of it flows into you. The whisper of possibility begins to fester in your brain. Reward: + 100 Mana.

The whisper in your mind grows, hinting at capabilities beyond your understanding. What does it mean to truly control Mana? Are the intricacies of a Skill something that you can control? What does it mean to be ‘One with Mana’? Reward: INT +3, WIS +3, WILL + 3

I read the notifications and, for the first time, actively consider the question posed to me by one of the notifications. What … what does it mean to control Mana? I manifest a ball of pure Mana in my hand and gaze at it, wondering what this strange energy really is. How am I manifesting it into the world? Am I only able to exhibit control over this energy due to my Skill? Or did I receive the skill in recognition of my ability to control Mana? But then why did a skill level up improve my control?

My head goes in this circular loop for a few more moments, lost in the thoughts of what a Skill really is and how it affects me, before an arm comes down on my shoulder, bringing me back into the moment. Shaking my thoughts away, I find Alejandro staring at me, pointing up at the sky to show me how dark it has gotten.

Leadership instincts take over as I turn to Carmen. “Do you see anything coming at us within your limit?”

Her eyes glaze over for a split second before she shakes her head. “Nah, we’re good for as far as I can see. Thank god, I want a good night’s sleep.”

Trying to sound like an inspiring leader, knowing that it is the only way she’ll even consider listening to my orders, I respond. “We’ll take the night in shifts. I want someone up at all times on watch, just in case they try to ambush us.”

She looks at me with frustration and petulance in her eyes but I meet them and refuse to back down. To my surprise, she nods her head after a few seconds. Whether it’s from tiredness, knowing that I won’t back down, or, perhaps, her developing a measure of responsibility, I’m just glad it worked.

All I know is that the last thing I wanted to do is argue. Hakim offers to take the first shift and I fall asleep the second my head hits the ground.