Your ReGS and Core have evolved to Level 1.

You have gained 1 Attribute Point.

You have gained access to one Ability.

Please assign the Attribute point to complete the process.

Body 1 + Mind 1 + Soul 1 +

Uggghhhh. Do I have to wake up to the Blue Screen of Death every single time I pass out? Nothing to it but to do it. Time to play twenty questions with Mr. Talkative over there.

James looked up to see a not at all concerned demigod coming back into the room and putting the practice mats back in their usual places.

"Hey, Prometheus. Am I going to pass out on every level? That could get really inconvenient."

"No, just the first one and the major milestones where bigger changes take place. It will be pretty rare in the future." Prometheus could have been talking about his tax deductions instead of life-changing events.

"Well, which Attribute should I boost? I haven't thought of a long-term plan."

"The only one you can right now. There is a restriction in place that makes Body your only choice at level one."

James sat up and immediately regrets that decision as the room spun slightly. "What do you mean I have to pick Body? Why didn't you or the stupid tutorial tell me about any restrictions? What if I had a plan, and this messed it all up?"

"What would be the point of telling you? Any normal person is going to be level one in the first hour of summoning. It was all meant to be covered together." He didn't roll his eyes, but if a tone could roll eyes, this tone was doing so to the point of corneal damage. "Just say System Restrictions. I'll answer at least some of your questions after that. The less stupid questions, at least."

"System Restrictions"

ReGS User Restrictions

No Attribute can be greater than Body until Body is Level 5

No Attribute can be greater than 4x the user's lowest Attribute.

Sub-Attributes are locked until Attribute is Level 5

"Why the restrictions, and why didn't you tell me about them?"

"They would have just distracted you. It was unnecessary. Now improve your Body, so you don't die to a stiff breeze." Despite his dislike of having no options, James didn't even argue and just tried to touch the screen. As his hand slid through yet again, he sighed heavily.

"Assign Attribute Point Body."

Everything in him seemed to wiggle for lack of a better word. His bones creaked, and his muscles moved. He felt tired and more than a little hungry, but James was pleasantly surprised by the lack of pain. No, not just the absence of pain, but the fact that he felt great. Still, some priority items needed to be addressed.

"I feel stupid saying these ReGS prompts out loud. There has to be another option."

"You don't have the ability to interface properly with it yet. At Mind 3 and Soul 2 you will have the mental and spiritual strength to do it with thought. Until then, you are stuck with the verbal menu like everyone else."

James looked himself over as much as he could with his hobo armor still being worn. "Okay, so am I crazy bodybuilder strong now? I didn't even get abs out of that upgrade. If I've doubled my strength, I should probably have gotten abs."

"You are about fifty percent stronger. You were weak enough before that it won't magic muscle definition into place. You still have to earn that. Upgrading an attribute raises both the floor," Prometheus pointed at James, " and the ceiling of said Attribute." A thumb back at himself sealed the deal and continued to do wonders for Jame's ego.

"We are in magic land. I thought there would be magic muscles. So why are there restrictions?"

"This isn't the first version of a system that we've designed. It's the fourth. I'm not talking about the other systems today, so don't ask. The others had ... flaws. It was decided to optimize for survival on this build."

"Well, I appreciate that." James truly did appreciate surviving. It was one of his new favorite things to do now that he had rediscovered thinking. He hoped to add eating to that list at some point. "But, hypothetically, how would attribute points lower my chance at survival?"

"Your Body needs to be strong enough to carry out the Mind's instructions and contain your Soul. If the Body can't keep up with the Mind, every sensation carries more force than it can handle and is agony. Your thoughts will outpace your ability to execute them, and you'll be a stumbling wreck. The energy needs for your nervous system will deplete you within hours."

Prometheus's tone was grim. It didn't sound like he was speculating on these topics. His frown had deepened slightly, and his eyes narrowed as well. Even James felts his enthusiasm for answers wanes somewhat in the face of these thoughts.

"When the Soul reaches about five times the Body, most people just exploded. They were still the lucky ones. The mutations that took place on the rest were almost as bad as the eldritch. You can safely stack the Body Attribute, but then you're just a big dumb lump with no abilities. They died to the first fast and smart opponent."

James thought about it for a couple of minutes. Those were all really terrible outcomes that would definitely hinder survival. Knowing human nature, he was pretty sure that without hard limits, people would ignore it. Most people wanted to be a glass cannon or an unstoppable juggernaut. Everyone thought they were special.

Well, I'm special. I definitely would have ignored those to be a smart super magic man. And, I probably would have exploded. Check that; I definitely would have exploded. Big Badda Boom.

James shook his head to clear his train of thought and started to stand back up. Without the mats in place, the floor was pretty hard and cold. There was no sense in staying there longer than necessary.

"So what now? Do we cover Skills? Do we pick out a team name and a theme song?"

"You should not set any skills. You aren't qualified for anything good yet, and you will regret the choice. They have requirements to be set as official Skills and a cost to acquire. If you wish to switch them out, not only will you have to pay the cost for a new Skill, but if you have not mastered them, then you have to start them over from level 1." Prometheus looked pretty serious while talking about it.

James nodded his head. Prometheus may have been a shoo-in for the dryest instructor ever, but he wasn't stupid or malicious. There was no point in ignoring warnings from a demigod who had acted in his best interest so far. James was already starting behind the eight-ball with his natural abilities. He didn't need to make his life more difficult than it already was, but he was too curious to entirely let this go.

"How would I know what Skills I've unlocked?"

Prometheus sighed deeply and paused before speaking. "I suppose if I don't show you, you'll no doubt do something idiotic trying to figure it out by yourself. Stay here."

With that, he left the room, shutting the door quietly behind him. James did not have long to spend on introspection before the door reopened, and his favorite grumpy giant came back through with a stone pillar over his shoulder. At first, James thought it was the same stone that had torched him inside and out with the imprinting. As he fought through an involuntary shiver, he took a closer look.

The pillar did indeed look the exact same, but the stone was jet black. The golden script was there in a double helix pattern going from the bottom to the top. Prometheus hefted it off his shoulder with no apparent effort and set it on the ground in the corner of the training room, away from the glass cases. The pillar gave off an almost inaudible click as it made contact with the ground. Prometheus dusted off his hands before turning back to look at James.

"This is a Godstone," Prometheus stated simply.

James stared at it for a moment. "Okay. It's very impressive. Sincerely. What does it have to do with skills."

"This is how you acquire Skills and later Classes. You simply put your hand on it and follow the prompts. The good news is without the shards to pay for the Skills, you won't be able to do anything too stupid. We learned our lesson in version two and don't do credit."

James stopped his stride and looked over at Prometheus.

"What are shards?"

"Shards, or more accurately Eldritch Shards, are the crystalized essence found in powerful Eldritch monsters found inside warped gates. To answer the next question, warped gates are holes to pocket dimensions that bridge between here and the Eldritch. It is their primary means of invading our territory and what you humans will be directly fighting the most. We'll cover it later. Let's focus on the matter at hand. Touch the stone."

James turned and finished walking towards the stone. He reached out and hesitated just before touching it. Memories of burning agony consumed him for a moment before he managed to make himself touch it. As soon as he made contact, James felt a small pulling sensation from inside before the familiar blue screen popped into his view.

Welcome to the ReGS Skill and Class Shop Skills Classes

Jame's hand started to rise before he caught himself. This time he had managed to remember before it was over waist height so he supposed it was a noted improvement. "Skills," He spoke aloud, still feeling a bit ridiculous for doing so.

Welcome to the ReGS Skill Shop

A new scan is required before continueing.

James felt a cool sensation that started at the crown of his head and passed down to the soles of his feet. It was mildly uncomfortable at worst and he became a little embarrassed at the cold sweat and increased heartbeat that his nervousness had caused.

Please Select One Purchase Skills Set Skills

"Purchase Skills."

Please select a Skill to see more detailed information Name Type Rank Cost Lesser Strike Active Common 1 Shard Lesser Block Active Common 1 Shard Flurry Active Common 1 Shard Minor Bludgeon Resistance Passive Common 1 Shard Minor Slashing Resistance Passive Common 1 Shard

"Lesser Strike," James said and visibly frowned when nothing happened. With a long-suffering sigh, he said, "select Lesser Strike."

Lesser Strike Æther cost lesser +1 Body added to attack for (SL*2) Seconds Purchase? Return?

"Return." James spared a moment to shoot a look at Prometheus. Unless it was literally a matter of life and death he was going to get that mental selection ability as soon as possible. If anything, Prometheus smirked slightly as if reading Jame's thoughts. "Select Flurry."

Flurry Æther cost lesser +1 Mind to physical speed for (SL*2) seconds Purchase? Return?

"Return. Select Minor Bludgeon Resistance."

Minor Bludgeon Resistance Æther cost initial - moderate | passive - minor Reduces bludgeoning damage by [(Body*.1)*(.5*SL)]% Purchase? Return?

James just stared. He may not have known much about anything right now, but these options were all pretty lackluster.

"Dismiss." James sounded pretty dejected. His previous battle high was gone. After everything he'd been through, he'd hoped for something a little bit special.

Prometheus's face softened by half a degree. "There are ways to get better ones. That's just what you've qualified for so far. We'll talk about all of it soon." The big guy almost smiled. It was close. "There is one benefit to summoning the menu. You should have felt the Ætheric draw from your soul to your core. Being able to affect your Æther manually is the first step for a mage."

With that last tantalizing comment, Prometheus walked to the door and left it open. He gestured towards James and then the open door. James stared for just a moment before levering himself up and moving to leave. As he moved to go, Prometheus added, "Go to your room and rest. I'll come to get you for your meal. Combat and leveling up can take a lot out of you when you are so low level.

James walked through the door and then, being unable to help himself, half-turned back. "So no team name then?"

The door didn't slam in his face, but it was still shut pretty firmly. With a little laugh, James walked down the hallway and turned towards his room.

James was curious, but his body still felt a little out of whack. He was tired and jazzed at the same time, with the weird bumbly coordination almost every teenager would recognize. He just hadn't gotten used to his new body yet. Once in his quarters, James sat down and poured himself another cup of water. He'd never seen the pitcher filled, but it was full once again.

You gotta love the magic pitcher. Top ten magic items so far. I think I've only seen about five so far, and one of those imprinted on my soul. Hang on as long as you can, pitcher!

He drank his glass and then went to take a quick shower. With all the fish gunk and sweat washed off, he laid down for on his little pallet. He thought back over what had been a whirlwind of a day. He thought of the ReGS and what it would mean for him in the future. He tried to come up with some questions that he needed to be answered, but James didn't even know what he was missing. Slowly and without meaning to, he fell asleep.

***

The world was bathed in shadows. It seemed filled with an undefined motion that he couldn't quite perceive. The only light was shining feebly down from overhead, centering James in a hospital bed. Nebulous dark figures moved around him, some seeming to stop and interact briefly before moving on. None of them seemed real, though, like the copy of a copy of a silhouette. Looking up, there was a woman at the foot of his bed. James could not see her face, but she was the only thing in focus except for himself.

He instinctively reached for her, feeling the IV needles in his arms pulling, tearing. There are were many needles. Still, he reached for her, a need that could not be turned off welling up from somewhere inside. He tried to speak but has no voice, so he continues to reach. She turns and walks away without a word.

The light overhead starts to dim and flicker. Its dying flutters syncing up with the staccato beats of his heart. Time seems to jump around fitfully, no longer content to flow in place. There were more and fewer needles. There were padded cuffs on his arms. There was a pill in his hand, over and over again. The world shatters into razor-sharp shards that cut deep and draw no blood.

***

James woke up with a start, still sitting in the chair. Tears were flowing down his cheeks, and silent sobs wracked his chest. He brought his hands up to his face and cried into them, pain welling up from somewhere deep inside. He didn't know why, so he didn't think about it and just cried.

About five minutes passed, and the well of tears seemed to be drying up. James didn't know what that dream was about or where the bone-deep sadness had come from. At least it seemed to be fading. He was a little freaked out by it all, but he also felt a little bit lighter.

There was a quiet knock on the door. James quickly wiped his hands across his face a few times to unsuccessfully hide the fact that he'd been crying. Prometheus walked in with a covered dish in hand and shut the door behind him. He set the plate in front of James and pulled out a chair for himself. Thankfully he said nothing else.

James realizes that he was surprisingly hungry, considering that breakfast was only a few hours ago. He lifted the lid with slightly shaking hands, a little steam escaped, and he looked down.

Sweet Googly-Moogly. It's not fish. Everything is worth it. All is right with the world.

The plate had a simple-looking flatbread with a few wilted greens and a browned piece of meat. It looked like fowl, but he wasn't entirely sure. James wasted no time picking it up like a giant taco and taking a bite. The greens were a bit bitter, and the bird was oily and more than a little gamy. It tasted like salt was the only seasoning used on it. It was pure ambrosia.

"So what now?" James mostly mumbled this between stuffing his mouth with whatever is on his plate. Fortunately, Prometheus seems to understand.

"Now you finally meet Tiamat. Your leveling-up provided enough extra energy for her to reincorporate."

"So she was she a ghost? Was it a Patrick Swayze style ghost or a glowy blue ghost?"

"I already know what mashed-up pelican looks like. Chew and swallow before talking." Prometheus had the kindergarten teacher tone out, and James was forced to privately admit that in this case, it was warranted. "No, when the gods are weakened, they just disincorporate into whatever their medium happens to be. In this case, the Eastern Sea."

Taking a chug of water to swallow a rather large bite, James cleared his throat. "What do I need to do. I'm kind of nervous. I've never met a god before."

"She's a goddess." Prometheus could be so incredibly literal. "You've met a demigod, and look how quickly you became comfortable enough to waste their time with stupid questions." The eyebrows lifted at the end.

"True." James didn't see the need to argue as Prometheus is essentially correct, again.

"Finish your meal and then go through the blue door. Knock first. You won't be locked in anymore, so manners matter. Make good decisions. Try to not ask stupid questions."

With that, Prometheus stood up and took the empty dish from the table before exiting the room. James didn't even realize he'd finished it until he saw it in his instructor's hands. He made a mental note to cross pelican off the list of animals he'd never eaten. James felt it was a safe bet that the list would get a lot of revision in the future.

He took a moment to let the food settle slightly and get a much-needed belch out. A quick stretch to pop some joints, and he stood up. He felt more coordinated with his new body already. He pushed in his chair and headed towards the door.

There's no time like the present. Let's meet the new boss. At least I get to meet this one. I never met the old boss.