Proper flight is hard and tiring, as expected. After only a minute, I felt tired and had to land. And that was only from slowing my descent and never being more than half a dozen meters above the ground. The higher up, the more tiring, after all.

After a quick breather, I change to the water form. The one where my entire body is not creepily transparent. This form is not suited for flying or leaping, of course. At first, I am overly careful whenever I need to stop at a light, and slower than the walking people around me.

I’m really getting a lot of looks, some curious, some mildly terrified, but most looks at me like I’m weird. Don’t worry folks, a couple month down the line you’ll spare this no more a glance than a particularly strangely dressed person. Though, at that point our standards of ‘strange’ might have changed.

With [Force Magic] I can stop, turn or accelerate a lot quicker than I otherwise would in this form, so I slowly get into a rhythm of sorts, waxing and waning my speed. Thus, my average speed increases to that of a light jog.

Just now, I decided to call this form ‘Wave Lord’. All I need is a toga and a trident and I would look like a generic water element humanoid type character. I could call myself ‘The Atlantian’. Ehhh, this isn’t the superhero genre. Then again real life isn’t really any genre, while also all of them.

Keeping on eye on the clock, I make my way towards the military base. Well, it’s not a military base like how you’d usually think of one. It’s roughly the size of a small-ish school, complete with a field for physical activities. And there’s two or three in the city, all bordering to, or in one case in the forest.

Then again, once, when I asked a foreigner what they thought of the city their first response was ‘green’. Trees everywhere, and from a slightly tall building, if you look to the edges of the city you see either the fjord or hills with forest. Or one of the two snakes of buildings that are technically not part of the city, but are totally part of the city.

Ignoring my annoyance at what I suspect is the result of bureaucracy, I surge forth in my watery form, making sure that I won’t be late by keeping an eye on my watch and switching to the jumping wolf tactic when I feel like I might be late.

The result is that a quarter before the appointed time I bound over the street, to the building of the meeting, and enter through the main entrance. There is a reception of sorts. The receptionist, a woman probably in her thirties or forties, smells of some perfume.

I have no idea what that smell is supposed to be, if anything in particular, and the age estimate might be wrong, too.

I walk up to her desk. “My name is Lars Eikeli. I was told to show up here regarding a monster and magic guns…?”

“Eh, one moment.” She taps away at her computer. “I’ve registered that you’re here. Someone should come get you in a moment.”

She looks over me. “Are you…. Supposed to be that hairy?”

“Huh?” I freeze, and feel the slight pull on my tail as its mass wants to continue on its previous path. “Ahh.” I turn to my human form. “Woops, forgot about that.”

“Well, take a seat.” She waves her hand over to a couple simple, but somewhat comfortable-looking chairs across the room. I think she mutters something under her breath, but without the enhanced senses of the wolfkin form, I can’t quite catch it. Come to think of it, I don’t smell that perfume either.

Not long after, I’ve been brought to a small-ish meeting room. The sergeant from that day is also here, as well as a somewhat stern-looking man with a couple stars on his shoulder. According to the nametag on his chest, he’s an Oberstløytnant. The Google-fu I did in preparation tells me that’s one or two ranks shy of being a General.

In addition, there’s a guy not in a uniform. He has some writing implements, so I guess he’s a secretary. Or rather, he’s a researcher-looking person, so I maybe he’s from the National Defence Research Establishment.

We do introductions, and he introduce himself as just that.

“Before anything else, it sounds like you’ve experienced a lot since the Upheaval, as it’s called now. Could you recount what you’ve done since then?”

I start by quickly going over where I was on the morning of the Upheaval, and why. I then talk about how I woke up and had breakfast with the wolves. At this point they ask me why I (to begin with) just ignored them.

I didn’t think of it earlier, but most people would react to waking up like that I guess. For my own part, I’m really not a morning person, and that night I had only a couple hours of sleep. Besides, magical wolves? I must’ve subconsciously thought them to be hallucinations.

I continue my explanation with the rest of that day, unlocking the [System], finding the teenagers and escorting them back to the parking lot, to waiting ambulances and worried families.

The second day after the Upheaval I practiced and learned new abilities, then bought myself some gear and made a wand. Here, I am asked to elaborate on my thought process. They seem somewhat dissatisfied with the answer, but urge me to continue my explanation.

Doing so, I tell about the rest of that day, with the insect invasion and all. The third day I set up my YouTube page, posted that one video, and left. I take a minute to explain my goals for the channel, as much as I have them, and mention the ‘open letter’ type video I have planned.

I explain in some more detail the parts that led up to fighting the [Basilisk], quest and (presumed) new plant species and all. Since they ask for my account of the fight, I go over it, and then finish off shortly summarizing yesterday’s crafting and experimenting, and then my travel here.

At this point, a few topics are decided upon. They want to hear more about my Quest and crafting, the ‘open letter’ proposals, and the original goal of mine to get the [Basilisk]’s mana crystal.

We start off on my quest, and I explain it in full detail, adding my speculation on what it will require as well as the effects of finishing it. I then take out the Force Rod (Mk.2).

“In short, if you hold this part, then press the ‘trigger’ here, if will apply force to whatever you point it at. I made it quite weak for safety, but don’t point it at anything breakable.”

I also bring out a small mana stone, similar to the one taped to the end of the Rod, and put it on the table. I quickly demonstrate it’s use, then the spell which it emulates, and then hand the rod to the sergeant.

We discuss, or more like, they ask me questions regarding the Rod and other artifice, and the making of them. I don’t answer all of them, some because I simply don’t know, but for some questions I simply don’t want to share the info.

The researcher seems increasingly frustrated by this, so I tell him that knowledge is valuable, and that I would happily share it for the right price.

As we enter the door to the refrigerated room the [Basilisk] is stored in, and I let out a gasp and take a small step back.

“Not good with gore?”

I ‘turn off’ my Aspect attunement, an action I’ve found out increases my perception of all aspects, though not nearly to the degree actually attuning to a specific Aspect does.

“No, the… aspects… I…”

I stretch out mental ‘feelers’ almost tasting the aspects surrounding me. A clear tinge of Ice, fading remnants of Earth from the [Basilisk] parts, mixed with that from the walls and ground on the other side of those. The now familiar buzzing from modern life’s pervasive electricity.

And Poison and Decay, the latter so strong it makes my skin crawl, the former making me lightheaded. Still, not one to let such things pass, I carefully try to get a feel for them, equipping my healing abilities and being ready to attune to water, should it get too strong.

A hand on my shoulder grabs my attention. “If you can’t handle it, you should leave.”

“I’m fine. I was just captivated by the Aspects here.”

As the man retracts his hand, the researcher speaks up. “Which Aspects are here?”

“Earth,” I attune to it and form the stone scales. “Ice,” Though new, it is similar enough to known aspects that I can cover myself in jagged Ice spikes.

I drop my attunement. “As well as Poison and Decay.”

Though I feel very close to unlocking those, even if I had unlocked them, I would not cover myself in the like I do for almost every [Aspectian] ‘spell’.

“It’s the latter two that made me stop. They feel… Uncomfortable.”

I return home much the way I left earlier today, if a little bit more skilled, and with the addition of a fist-sized [Mana Crystal] in the small backpack. I’ve also got a couple agreements, including a contract stating I must share any discoveries I make with the crystal, and a meeting regarding possible other contracts.

One of those would be teaching a currently non-existing research team about the [System], abilities and some magic theory. Or rather, lacking proper research what I can share would be experiences, observations and hypotheses. Hmm, mental note: I might get research funding from somewhere if I come up with a good hypothesis on magic or the [System].

Parallel with that, they will consider setting up a magic division, as well as integrate [System] abilities where applicable. From my part, in addition to the research thing, that means answering questions about the [System] from a panel of sort.

The panel would be tacticians and military command. And, with clear irritation from the Oberstløytnant, quite possibly politicians. Oh, and I would hardly be the only person with experience.

For one, they said it would take a while to prepare, so before that they want research to start, and also some troops to unlock the [System] and military-related abilities. Insight from people who actually has military experience would be prudent, after all…

In short, I’m going to have to meet with the military several times the coming months or so. But hey! It’s work, sorta. I get paid! I haven’t actually had any paying jobs besides small tasks for pocket money before, and it feels pretty good.

Earned today: Very likely future income from military contracts, as well as the Aspects of Ice and Decay. I’m not going to do anything in depth with Decay until I learn more about [Aspectian], would rather not accidentally give myself necrosis, or worse, kill myself.

On the other hand, I also got one large (largest so far at least) mana crystal, and a way to get funding for research and experimentation about magic. The catch is that I need to make a presentation about the would-be project, the most important parts being costs, how long it should take, and of course why it’s worth funding.

Having spent the last five days with things going on all the time, and in hindsight, the first three of those could very well have been my last, I heat some frozen pizza and just sit down in front of the computer. Feels like it’s been ages since I did this, but for the most part I’ve actually kept up with the series I watch and read in the lulls between action.