You know, back two-hundred years or so there was only a single moon? Weird to think about, but yeah.

- Lunar Outpost, circa 300 A.O.

Ludus yawned, face aglow with the digital green of his alarm clock. Sunlight was peeking through his windows and he could hear the songbirds chirping outside. Morning on Ludus’ property was a dim affair shaded by the trees.

He found out a super had been killed. Not a hero, or a villain. A working super. Repair, the super who was sent to help with the damages caused by the origination of another super, had been killed last night.

Ludus shivered in the chill morning. He checked VHA’s website. Apparently, they were postponing further repairs until they had more information about the incident.

He listened idly to the news as he ate breakfast. They were being very tight-lipped on the incident as the news reporter had no details to share. They could only confirm that Repair was indeed dead. Men and women were clustering around a crime scene. There were actually a few heroes, identified by their costumes, milling about. No doubt, they had some type of diviner type among them.

It didn’t affect Ludus too much other than instilling a greater sense of caution. Even if he was a super, he was still mortal. He had enough of a reminder of that yesterday. His power, funnily enough, didn’t necessarily make him superhuman in any meaningful way. In all the ways that mattered to rathounds, he was as good as any other mundane, their teeth would just as easily sink into his flesh as any other.

Of course, that didn’t stop Ludus from wanting to explore his power. A constant rush of excitement filled him, an undercurrent of enthusiasm. He was a super. The notion still baffled him. And yet, it was a muted one, tempered by his brush with the rathounds and the knowledge of what types of Quests he might receive. He thought about the robber. A situation like that could easily turn dangerous, no matter the Common Rarity.

He refused to overestimate himself. There was enough historical precedent of new supers falling into that hole in some manner or the other. Revealing themselves, damaging properties, hurting civilians, and even inadvertently killing themselves.

“Gotta be careful, Ludus. You’re not invincible. You’re not Bastion, or Shieldwall. You’re not a paragon. You’re a guy with a video game power. And you’re only level... 3.”

He’d almost forgotten. He’d leveled twice after his close brush in the metro.

Name: Ludus Rowth

Level: 3

Titles: None

Traits: [Lightning Touched]

STR: 4

CON: 5

DEX: 4

AGI: 6

PER: 8

INT: 8

WIS: 8

WIL: 5

CHA: 6

LUK: 4

Stat Points: 3

Credits: 15

Skills: [Lightning Magic], [Acrobatics]

He regarded his Status with some interest. He knew the effects of each attribute instinctually but predicting their tangible effects was another story. He didn’t know to what degree a single point in any attribute might affect him.

And since he knew leveling was an exponential curve, he was hesitant to experiment with precious Stat Points. He only got a single one per level. “Might be better to see if the Shop has anything that gives a bonus to attributes.” He muttered to himself. He could test the effects that way, noting his Credits were displayed too.

He shrugged. “I’ll find out today.”

He had already planned to explore the points of interest on his minimap. He had a general sense of what each symbol meant but he still wanted to confirm them in person. The shopping cart symbol—the Shop, was among the many he was planning on visiting.

He threw on a hoodie and pants. The first stop was Wildgrove Mall, a sprawling shopping center that was just as much a public park as it was retail and restaurant. At the center of the mall, there was the shopping cart icon that Ludus was curious about. He supposed it was as fitting a place as any to put it.

He had 15 Credits that were apparently spent at one of these Shops. He wanted to gauge exactly how much one was worth. With the additional goal of trying to find something that might affect his attributes.

He stepped out of his house and onto fresh soil and grass. It was a short hike to the nearest road and from there he headed downtown. Or, at least, what downtown was for the southern region of Newhold.

Wildgrove Mall was always in bloom. Today was no different. Every building was covered in vines and flowers, forming a lattice above to act as an awning. Large trees, not the giant kind, sprouted up between buildings. Children played among the grass and bushes, chasing small squirrels and songbirds. It was a popular spot to loiter, especially for families.

Ludus wandered through the crowds and found his way into the interior buildings. Grass met clean tile, muddy in places, but he knew the mall was generally spotless. Inside, the mall was just as busy, if not more than the natural portions. The flow of foot traffic took him around in a large circuit to which he eventually broke from, dodging kiosk workers and greeters.

He kept an eye on his minimap. The Shop was located at the center plaza of the mall. When Ludus broke out of the crowd, he scanned the masses. Dozens of groups were taking their seats, laden with their purchases or just tired from the circuit, among the vast seating area.

Ludus couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary. He found an open table while he glanced around, curious. Going by his minimap, he was right on top of the Shop.

Then it was as if he mentally bumped into something. Like his brain had turned a corner and found a helpful sign. In his mind, invisible to anyone else, he saw the Shop.

Or rather.

New Shop: [The Wildgrove Cornucopia] (Scarce)

A specialized location dealing in all manner of products native to the Wilds. Rich fruits and vegetables, carved wildwood tools, exotic herbs, and more reside within. Nature-themed Articles in abundance.

To any observer, Ludus was leaning on a wooden table, watching the moving crowd as one might do when resting or waiting. In actuality, he browsed the Shop. The [The Wildgrove Cornucopia] lived up to its description.

His mind’s eye beheld thousands of options. Ludus wrestled with what representation worked best for him. At first, it was a simple menu. A list of categories with said items neatly organized. That changed as he was suddenly presented with a tray of small cubes, each one an item for sale. He looked on, amazed, taken with the novelty.

He thought about magical foci, considering that the idea of a real wand was new to him. What other things existed?

His [Wildwood Wand] had a similar variant for sale. He picked up a small cube, a clear, weightless thing that housed a wooden scepter. So tiny in his hands, and yet he had the perfect sense of its weight and length.

He blinked, staring at the thing that fit between his finger and his thumb.

Item: [Wildwood Scepter] (Common)

A scepter carved of a tree from the Wilds. Wildwood is a prime medium for spellcasting, conducting mana through stronger grain and superior vitality than any other mundane wood. The resultant scepter acts as an ideal focus for beginners.

- 3% increase in spell efficacy

Price: 8 Credits

The description was identical, save for the replacement of ‘wand’ with ‘scepter’. The price put things into perspective, however. In terms of Credits, he was dirt poor. Of course, the dreams of being rich made him look into what else [The Wildgrove Cornucopia] was selling.

As he mentally regarded the categories they stretched into dozens of options, expanding or shrinking as he focused on each one. All the while, his outward appearance remained unchanged. An aspect of his power he was quickly finding more and more apparent. It was as if the mental effort of interacting with any part of his power, be it his Status, a Shop, or regarding any other message, was non-existent. If he had the ability to juggle, he could’ve done so while simultaneously inspecting any number of items for sale in the Shop without missing a beat.

“Pretty cool.” He said to himself. He was grinning. Who wouldn’t be excited?

He filtered by lowest price, wondering what kind of things sold for a single Credit.

The answer, or answers, appeared on a platter in front of him. A small pile of transparent cubes, each housing, roughly, the same type of thing. Baskets of apples, oranges, mangoes, pineapples, etc. Fruit, vegetables, herbs, spices. Forest products. And it was a damn good deal considering how fresh everything was, as if each had been harvested at their peak and chosen among the Wild’s best.

The majority of these items were food. Ludus couldn’t find an argument as to why they wouldn’t be sold cheaply here. Food was in abundance in Newhold strictly because of the heaps of produce that came out of South Hold exports. The southern PAT, even with the edge of its effect on South Hold, produced enough to feed the entire city. More rare were the meats from wild deer and other game animals that could only be found outside the walls and into the Wild proper.

Those were here too, albeit going for a little more than a single Credit. That was understandable as they were considered luxury foods considering the dangers mundane people had to go through to hunt them. Packaged in leaves, strangely. The baskets too were woven things, as if hand-crafted from the land.

Even things like firewood, oil, and paper, were for sale. He spotted furniture, building materials, and more. It gave him a much-needed context on how strong a Credit was. At least, in relation to forest products, but he got the gist.

Idly, he wondered if non-Articles could go into his inventory. He put his hand in his pocket and his phone disappeared with a negligible effort of will. He had his answer. He grinned. “Cool.”

While he regarded the shop, he also watched the shoppers go by.

He added another filter, sorting by things that directly affected his attributes by a flat number.

The prices shot up. Now, he was looking at things that went up to 20 Credits at the minimum. He browsed them, quickly understanding there was indeed a theme to the Shop.

Item: [Wildwood Helmet] (Common)

A helmet carved of a tree from the Wilds. Wildwood is notoriously denser, more durable, and hardier than most normal woods. While somewhat unwieldy, it serves well enough as protection against mundane attacks.

- CON +1

Price: 24 Credits

Item: [Furhide Jacket] (Common)

A furred jacket suited for winter weather crafted from the hide of some thick-skinned animal. Beyond providing warmth, the hide is extremely durable, affording good protection.

- CON +1

Price: 32 Credits

Item: [Clearstone Glasses] (Common)

A pair of glasses made from glass-like stone found in the Wild’s rivers. To look through one of these stones is said to mimic gazing through clear waters.

- PER +1

Price: 22 Credits

And so they went.

Ludus was a bit hesitant to walk around with some of the Items offered. In video games, one didn’t really consider their equipment so long as the bonuses were all there. In reality, he was about one hundred percent certain walking around with a wooden helmet under his hoodie would draw eyes. If not exactly outing him a super, then certainly as plain weird. He made a conscious effort to avoid doing both.

Of course, he’d be tempted to sacrifice normality if the bonuses were just that good. [The Wildgrove Cornucopia] being a Scarce Shop, meant that the highest quality Articles it afforded matched that Rarity. If one of them were a pair of clown shoes that made him super fast, then he’d go to clown school.

Although people might mistake him for Clown. He frowned. The idea was that if the benefits outweighed the absurdity, then he had to take it, didn’t he? Perhaps not. Drawing unwanted attention and VHAs eye was not on the list of things he wanted to do.

He shook his head, considering the Shop. He was surprised by it. Somehow in awe of a Scarce Shop, given that he had a sense for the sheer unlikelihood of it—and it was an unlikely occurrence. But also somehow… offended?

He was in Newhold for crying out loud and it was only a Scarce Shop, on the outskirts of one of the most well-known PATs in the world. What other Articles might he find in the other PATs? Newhold wasn’t the only place in the world affected by PATs, it was just the only city crazy enough to call it home. The Changed Lands, however, were not the worst of them. Even if their formation was particularly unique, they certainly could be considered mild in comparison to some of the worst that existed.

What if he visited the Moon? Or the duplicated one? Maybe the Perpetual Volcanoes halfway across the world? How would his power classify The Bubble? If it could at all?

His Trait was a higher Rarity than the Shop. He supposed a rarer Shop might be somewhere less accessible which… was understandable, he conceded. The fact a high-ranking shop was so available was a boon he was certainly taking for granted. All he had to do was walk downtown, he considered the sheer rarity of just that. Perhaps [The Wildgrove Cornucopia] was exactly where it belonged.

After all, there was the [Wildwood] Dungeon not a few miles in any direction. The huge trees pockmarking South Hold all held an entrance to it. And that was certainly a fittingly Epic Article. It was hard to look anywhere in Newhold and not see those trees, so long as you were looking south.

Ludus chuckled, shifting his focus back to the shop. Though he had an innate sense of these things, he still wanted tangible observations. He wanted to see the difference between Rarities, if in nothing else but Items.

He’d seen the Common ones already. With the filters still set, he placed it in ascending order of Rarity. A platter of small cubes appeared in the portion of his perception that dealt with his power. Neatly organized.

He plucked them off one by one, regarding each.

Item: [Shadewove Cloak] (Uncommon)

A woven cloak made of a peculiar, naturally occurring plant from the Wilds. The strange fabric has a tendency to darken in sunlight, matching any reaching shadows nearby. The effect only strengthens in the night.

- AGI +2

- 5% increased camouflage during the day

- 20% increased camouflage during the night

Price: 84 Credits

Item: [Wayfinder’s Telescope] (Unusual)

An optical instrument vital for scouting out the land. Its lenses are made from glass-like stones found in the Wild’s rivers. A wisp of the Wild touches the telescope, infusing it with some remnant of a bird.

- PER +4

- When equipped allows the use of the [Eagle Eye] Active

Price: 1094 Credits

That one Ludus paused at. An Active was the ability to perform remarkable feats in an immediate way. The knowledge filled his mind, perhaps having been there the entire time. Generally, they were born from related Skills, but it seemed that was not always the case.

He could use them through Items as well.

“No indication of what [Eagle Eye] actually does though.” He muttered. “And the price shot up.” He noted.

Quest: [Rats of South Hold] (Unusual)

Newhold is home to many oddities, among them the pesky rathounds of the Wilds. As prolific as their regular counterparts, with all the durability and hardiness of cockroaches, while simultaneously matching the size of medium dogs. A colony lives somewhere in South Hold, eliminate or sufficiently cull its numbers.

Colony destroyed: 0/1

Rathounds killed: 3/500

Rewards: Random Unusual Item

So the reward from his [Rats of South Hold] would be, give or take, equivalent to this? In other words, the value of this Article roughly matched the effort needed to dispatch a colony of rathounds. It didn’t seem right. Going by the math, it was equivalent to dealing with 72 robbers, which he tentatively put as markedly easier than extinguishing one of Newhold’s most prolific pests. Probably.

But, then again, he supposed there was a spectrum of Unusual Items. Sure enough, the [Wayfinder’s Telescope] was among the cheaper ones for sale and its effects seemed underwhelming even. He browsed, amazed at some of the options, wondering if saving up for any which one might be worth it at all.

Then he came to the Scarce Items.

Item: [Seven Clover] (Scarce)

An accumulation of improbability. Even among the Wild’s varied exotic mutations and evolved species, sometimes the most mundane variants are the most cherished. A seven-leaf clover, touched with the Wild’s vibrancy and life.

- 12% resistance to harm when in forested areas.

Price: 6450 Credits

Ludus blinked at that. Some of the bonuses he beheld were deceivingly simple. If it weren’t for the fact the Rarity implied some greater effect, he wouldn’t have considered it deeper. However, his mind supplied the context. ‘Harm’ was a broad term. In the exact context of this Article, it was that same broadness it referred to.

He whistled lowly. “A catch-all term for all physical damage.” He said. “But only in forested areas. That would be a powerful Item in the [Wildwood].”

He hummed, not so much balking at the price since he felt it reasonable, but deflating at it. He browsed a bit more, nothing went over 11,000 Credits but a few came close.

It was good to be at least somewhat familiar with the type of bonuses he could get from Articles. There were things that were more traditionally in line with RPG games like flat bonuses and percentage bonuses to attributes, and then there were bonuses to things he wouldn’t have thought of like efficacy and harm. Even conditional effects like the ones that occurred depending on the time of day or depended on him being in a forest were new.

He wondered if South Hold counted as forested.

Time passed as he explored the Shop. Eventually, he had to stop browsing, too entranced by the Skills category. There were things along the lines of [Survival], [Bushcraft], [Camouflage], and more. Nothing neared his own [Lightning Magic] and sure enough, there wasn’t any [Nature Magic] among the choices either. He could only assume magic-type Skills might be a little rarer.

The prices though, being as Skills were more powerful Articles, were rightly inflated. None of them were in his price range, even at the lower Rarities.

Now, he observed the Items that would affect single attributes. He couldn’t afford them, he was a few Credits off, but the decision to sell his [Steel Pipe] was an easy one. It put him at 20 Credits. Just enough to buy one of the cheapest Items to affect his attributes.

Item: [Flexwood Armband] (Common)

A band of flexible wood designed to fit around the arm at the bicep. The wood retains tension and can stretch a surprising amount.

- STR +1

Price: 20 Credits

He chose it for a number of reasons. Eventually, he’d do experiments with each attribute, but he assumed Strength would be the easiest to measure. He figured he could translate its effect to the other attributes.

He bought the Item with a small confirmation and it appeared soundlessly in his inventory. When he wordlessly equipped it, it appeared under his hoodie and on his arm. He felt its effects immediately.

It was ridiculously subtle. The effect, despite that, was as obvious as being doused in a bucket of water with how familiar he was with his body. He underestimated how accustomed he was to his usual body because the moment he put the armband on he felt a new strength in his limbs. Not much. Notable was being generous, it was barely that.

It was a small boost and nothing more. A respectable increment. It wasn’t nearly close enough to make him superhuman. “But with enough bonuses.” He grinned. “It’s possible.”

Knowledge filled his mind. He had no attributes past 10 but anything exceeding that number was already considered superhuman. It didn’t mean he could go around lifting cars, but it definitely meant it was more than a mundane could do.

He sat back. He needed to set goals. His power was extremely versatile, flexible like his new armband. He realized, instinctually, he needed a direction.

In gaming terms, he needed to decide on a build. He wasn’t sure if that truly applied to his power because while it seemed based on a video game, life was anything but. Still, he could see how he’d be limited by spreading himself out. A Stat Point every level was not much.

He looked at his Status.

Name: Ludus Rowth

Level: 3

Titles: None

Traits: [Lightning Touched]

STR: 4 (+1)

CON: 5

DEX: 4

AGI: 6

PER: 8

INT: 8

WIS: 8

WIL: 5

CHA: 6

LUK: 4

Stat Points: 3

Credits: 0

Skills: [Lightning Magic]

Off of his Status alone, a single glance told one story. One that he wasn’t averse to either. A mage. He already had the [Lightning Magic] Skill, something he knew was a boon in manipulating magic.

The next step would probably be working towards a related Active or Passive relating to [Lightning Magic]. Ludus wasn’t exactly sure how to get them beyond an instinctual requirement of using his magic. Or pursuing the [Lightning Born] Quest. The latter he quickly decided he was in no position to do. Craggy Rock wasn’t somewhere he could visit on a whim.

He shrugged, if that was the case then he needed to find somewhere to practice. That would then be his next immediate goal, to become more familiar with his magic. It might even align with the original reason he came out today.

He glanced at his minimap. The symbols were oftentimes obvious, explicit. A Quest being available as a stylized Q, the Shop as a cart icon, or a Dungeon as some stylized door. However, the majority were question marks, which dominated his map.

He headed to one of these mystery locations. It was in the mall and required only a short walk. Joining the crowd, he kept an eye out for the location as indicated by his minimap.

When he neared, he was surprised to find the icon morph on his minimap. It turned into a symbol of two automatic doors entwined with leaves. A Dungeon.

He blinked, staring at the fountain ahead of him. A stone statue of two trees was spouting water. It dribbled down stone branches, causing the peaceful lilypad pond to ripple with the droplets. Koi fish swam about, their image distorted by the disturbed water. Shoppers sat here and rested, enjoying the peace, the setting bringing with it an understandably muted quality to the mall’s bustle.

Then there was the Dungeon entrance, of course. A shining green portal. It stood—floated—above the pond. No one reacted to it except for Ludus. Only he could see it.

New Dungeon: [Overgrown Mall] (Uncommon)

An abandoned shopping outlet taken over by nature. An entire ecosystem revolving around empty stores and the open areas of a once bustling mall. Dangers lurk within.

Recommended Level: 7

- 10% greater chance to encounter nature-aligned Articles

He paused, looking around, before taking a seat on a bench nearby. The mall had many cameras and this particular rest area was being watched. He would’ve been more disappointed had he actually met the level requirement. It wouldn’t be conducive to keeping a low profile if he disappeared in the middle of the mall.

He rubbed his chin. “Probably best to visit the mystery locations that are more secluded.”

When he left the mall, it was with a promise to return and try that Dungeon eventually. In the end, he wandered around South Hold, careful of where he walked and how he acted, but always on the lookout.

Common Quests were actually fairly easy to complete, as he supposed they should be. He ran into a number of them. Unfortunately, none of them he could do while staying anonymous so most of them were declined. It was the simple method of ‘letting go’ mentally. The Quests disappeared after that.

It was when he came to an abandoned alley, not so different from the ones leading to the trainyard, that he found something interesting. Right over a manhole.

New Dungeon: [Newhold Sewers] (Common)

A sprawling underground network of drains and tunnels designed to carry off Newhold’s excess water and waste. The tunnels connect many points across Newhold, housing strange creatures beyond the regular pests inherent to sewers.

Recommended Level: 1-10

- Multiple entrances and exits

It was a floating portal again. This time, as if to reflect its Rarity, it was a grey color. He noted that Dungeons seemed to have various effects similar to Items. The [Overgrown Mall], for example, had an increased chance to encounter a certain enemy. This one’s quirk seemed to be similar to the [Wildwood], multiple entrances and exits.

Ludus was certainly within the recommended level range. He was only level 3 though so he was the lower end. He wasn’t naive enough to think the place would have a linear progression. Chances were he’d be in danger of being attacked by things that were considered a higher level than him from the start.

It was a calculated risk. Danger was something that followed supers. Ludus groused but he already knew his answer. He wanted to test his power and get stronger. That didn’t come without some risk and he knew that. At least here it was minimal so long as he was careful and it wasn’t as if he had no protections.

“Don’t overestimate yourself, Ludus. Slow and steady.”

He took a breath, feeling lightning in his hands.

After making sure there was no one and nothing watching, he stepped through.