Chapter: 10 Realms?

Erik woke up the next day with a mix of emotions.

He went downstairs and went outside to look over it all—trying to take it in, to settle himself down. It was the same kind of nerves he got when he was just about to go on deployment. But now there was no talking to anyone else to see what would happen next. This was the big leap for him.

He walked for about an hour or so before returning to the house.

“Erik, Erik!” Rugrat yelled, running around the house in a panic.

“I’m here, dude. What’s up?”

“Shit, ah, nothing, sorry—didn’t know where you were.” Rugrat calmed down. “Thought I’d missed you already.”

Erik could only pat Rugrat on the shoulder awkwardly.

They ate some food stuffing themselves as much as they could as they didn’t know when or where they might get their next meal.

“Time to get suited up?” Rugrat asked.

“Yeah,” Erik said.

They grabbed their vests, pulling them on, checking their loaded magazines, their weapons, then gathered their guns together. Erik was hauling two gun bags with a pistol on his chest and his personal rifle hanging from his vest.

They helped each other get their rucks on, checking the other out.

They checked the time and got situated inside their tubes, affixing the extra overhead storage.

“Fuck I hate the waiting part!” Rugrat yelled from his tube.

“And it hates you!” Erik yelled back, bracing his weapon.

Erik heard a wrapper being opened.

Erik laughed.

“Twinkie?”

“You know it!” Rugrat yelled back .”Twinkies will never die!”

Erik shook his head he was about to say something else when he suddenly closed his mouth. The air felt different, as if it were suffused with power. “Looks like this is it!” Erik yelled.

Rugrat was startled. He turned and ran out of the compound, his massive frame carrying him beyond the gates and to his rental truck.

Erik felt an almost tugging sensation on himself, mana, it’s now familiar cool but also comfortable feeling surged through the workshop creating s dust cloud around the two.

A light appeared underneath Erik’s feet and above his head, the magical circles were being created.

“See you on the other side, brother!” Erik yelled.

“Come on then!” Rugrat yelled into the skies.

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Abnormalities found.

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Foreign weapons found.

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Rules and Regulations being checked

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Light surrounded Erik, everything seemed to disappear as he knew he was somewhere else but he couldn’t move, his every movement locked down.

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You may choose four of the following weapons to accompany you.

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Erik looked at a new screen that showed all of his rifles, pistol, machine guns and the rest. His heart was hurting as he had to pick four of them. He picked his 6.8 personal rifle strapped to him, his 1911 pistol, Big Momma Bullpup Anti Material Rifle and his favorite shotgun with a heavy heart.

The Mana surged and Erik’s world changed.

He dropped slightly, Erik ripped on a pull tab, cutting the straps around the sylinder, they dropped outwards, gear pouring out everywhere.

Erik raised his rifle, scanning the area.

“Rugrat!” He yelled out.

“Good!” Rugrat yelled back.

They were in a forest but it didn’t look like any that Erik had seen back on Earth. There were massive mountains in the distance that shot through the clouds.

The forest olooked to be untouched with colors that one woulnd’t see in a normal forest.

There was sa fog moving over the ground with random glowing lights appearing in the forest.

The two of them looked around, checking that there was nothing around them.

They lowered their guns and looked to one another just as a screen jumped up in their visions.

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Welcome to the Ten Realms!

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You have been randomly selected to join the Ten Realms. One may choose to ascend the Ten Realms, thereupon making a request to the Gods of the Realms.

Only those who are Level 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, and 90 may ascend to the next realm.

Fortune favors the strong!

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Quest: Welcome to the Ten Realms

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Requirements: Reach Ten Realms Totem (Marked on map)

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Rewards: Guide to the Ten Realms

Minor ring of holding

Minor Mana recovery potion

Minor Stamina recovery potion

1000 EXP

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Quest: Opening the Fourteen Gates

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Congratulations! You have opened your first Mana gate, unlocking this quest.

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Requirements: Clear all of your fourteen gates (1/14).

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Rewards: +1 to Mana Regeneration base stat.

Undergo Mana body rebirth.

+14,000,000 EXP

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You have reached Level 1

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When you sleep next, you will be able to increase your attributes by: 5 points.

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0/300 EXP till you reach level 2

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You have learned the spell: Minor Heal Wounds. Your spell book has been updated.

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You have learned the spell: Blood Force. Your spell book has been updated.

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You have learned the spell: Simple Organic Scan. Your spell book has been updated.

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You have gained a Map! Do you wish to accept this gift?

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YES/NO

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Erik dismissed the screens with a thought. Rugrat and Erik walked closer together, their eyes still scanning the area.

“Looks like a bunch of this didn’t come through when we were on Earth, must only work here. You see one of the screens talking about experience?”

“Yeah, get three hundred and we can be level two’s. Those circle things must be mana gates, mine said, two,” Rugrat said.

“Mine said, three,” Erik said, confirming it to them both.

Rugrat pulled the earpiece out from his ear.

“Other than all the cool new gadgets, it looks like electronics don’t work.”

“We’ve only got four guns each and all of these supplies in the middle of nowhere,” Erik said, his body was tense but he still felt some relief.

“Well we aren’t dead, I’d say that right there is a good stat,” Rugrat chuckled, the adrenaline still simmering in his veins.

Erik started chuckling and then laughing.

“Fuck,” He said with a sigh, letting out all of his worries and fears.

“Ten realms, doesn’t sound so bad, sounds kind of interesting,” Rugrat said.

“Fortune favors the strong, .little overbearing ain’t it?” Erik asked.

“Guess we’ll have to find out, I’m going to use that map thing,” Rugrat said.

“Alright,” Erik kept an eye out as Rugrat accesses his character sheet, is actually appeared in the air he noticed. Before, the information on their character sheets had only appeared to them. There was no way tyo share it other than telling or recording it.

Erik still couldn’t read it, but it showed that things were clearly different here.

Erik’s body felt right here, it was like he had been at high altitude and was now coming back down to the sea, getting his first clean breath of air.

“So, we’re in a forest of some kind, got a Mountain range going from North to the East. Got some signs of a dirt road it looks like. There’s a marker leading to a city called Chonglu. Weird, this map is like GPS located, got a path to the main road and everything, or I can move the path if I want to. Says that it’s about sixty kilometers away,” Rugrat said.

“Three day hike?” Erik said.

“Yeah,” Rugrat agreed.

Erik looked at his watch. No idea what time is like here, though my watch seems to be working.” He said realizing how checking his watch on some other planet was not going to work.

“Lets get situated, sort the gear then head out in a day or two” Rugrat said.

“Agreed,” Erik said.

“Welcome to the ten realms,” Rugrat said.

“If you’re the welcoming committee I need to get a damn ticket the hell out of here.” Erik said, relaxing a bit.