Aegaeon woke up not knowing where or even who he was. Surrounded by a forest of pine trees he groggily stood, it was at this point he noticed the words blazing across his vision; “Welcome to the new world Traveler! Everything you once knew is now gone. This world is one of many that has been created, your purpose is to survive. Good Luck!”

Shortly after reading this, more words flashed across his field of vision, with a headache from exhaustion and shock, he read what followed. “Due to the presence of monsters and the added likelihood of death, all citizens of this new world are capable of growth beyond understanding. You have a Status Screen that you can access showing your traits and abilities. These are initially crossed over from who you were before. Many will fall, most will survive, few will thrive.” It was with this note of finality that the pressure in Aegaeon’s head was too great and he passed out.

Waking a few hours earlier, Aegaeon expecting his thoughts of a new world to be from a dream, but finding himself in a forest brought a sense of dread. This new world was real. Before looking for a way out of the forest, Aegaeon first thought to check what this “Status Screen” was. Merely thinking it brought that text back up in his field of vision. It was with translucent black lettering that he read;

Status Screen:

Class: N/A

Level: N/A

Skills:

N/A

Paths:

N/A

Aegaeon sat for a moment in the warm dirt of the forest and considered what was happening. Besides the last few days of his life before this “New World” stuff sprung up, he couldn’t remember anything. He knew he was smarter than most people and thought that his status Screen reflected that. It seemed his abilities lied primarily in the mind. But he also realized that would need to change in order to survive here.

“Fetch!” Aegaeon just realized that he had no idea how where to go and it was starting to get dark. He was concerned about the monsters that the notifications talked about and started to look around for anything he might use. As he started running around a notification popped up: New Skill:Sprinting. Skills increase with use, and affect stats. Efficiency of skills increase with level. Skill Level 1

This made Aegaeon stop. It couldn’t be this easy could it? Wanting to test the parameters of these skills he started to run, wanting a gauge on skill increases and effects. He immediately noticed that running was easier, and even though he still got winded, he was capable of running faster and farther than he initially thought. Sprinting increased to Level 2

While enjoying the feeling of running through the forest, Aegaeon stumbled across a clearing, he felt the need to sit since he had been running for a while and decided this was as good a place as any. While laying in the sun spot, Aegaeon considered this new life of his. While thinking of the possibilities of Skills and Levels and Stats Aegaeon received another notification: New Skill: Deep Thought. As you ponder different circumstances, you will find more clarity in mind. Effect increases with skill level Skill Level 1

This seemed to be a huge increase from sprinting’s ability to increase stats and Aegaeon was grateful for it. While considering the effect Deep Thought could have on his stats. He thought that he could essentially have unlimited brain power in this new world, if there was no cap on the stats of course. While considering the possibilities he was delighted to find another notification: Deep Thought increased to level 2. It was at this point Aegaeon thought to check his Status Screen again to get a grasp of the layout.

Status Screen:

Class: N/A

Level: N/A

Skills:

Sprinting Lvl:2, Deep Thought Lvl:2.

PP: 2

Paths:

N/A

Noticing a new addition to the screen Aegaeon focused on the PP section, a notification popped up “PP is the equivalent of Power Points. As Skill levels increase PP will be added, these points are spent on paths that can award new Skills or Stat Bonuses.

Aegaeon felt the breeze from the warm summer air blow across him as he rested in the clearing. His legs hurt from the running but that soon reduced to a full throb. Aegaeon considered his options, he could continue running through the forest in hopes of finding others, or he could try and develop more skills. Before he could decide however, a low rumbling across the clearing was a heard.

Aegaeon was trying to find out what was coming before a stampede of what looked like massive hogs came barreling through the trees, they immediately noticed him and took aim. At this point, he did the only thing he could; he ran.

With the hogs close on his heals, Aegaeon just sprinted for all he was worth. He quickly noticed there was a “Lvl 6” hanging above each hogs head but that didn’t matter once he saw the tusks protruding menacingly from below their eyes.

He didn’t know how long he was running, and notifications kept popping up but he ignored them. With his heart pounding and his lungs burning, he found a depression in the earth and figured he could trick the hogs; unfortunately when he dived into the depression the hogs saw it coming.

After jumping over the groove the stampede turned sharply and faced Aegaeon again. In a moment of desperation Aegaeon threw his hands up was surprised to find a bolt of energy fly from his hands and strike the nearest hog. It collapsed, but that didn’t prevent the other hogs from jumping over their friend and continuing the chase. Aegaeon was surprised at this new ability but again, was pressed for time; now was only a time to act. And so he ran again.

While in pursuit, the Hogs were intermittently blasted by a shot of energy from Aegaeon’s hand, but he soon couldn’t fire the shots anymore. Fear pressed to panic as Aegaeon remembered that the notifications stated many would die, he didn’t want to die. He didn’t know why he wanted to live, but he knew he didn’t want to die.

Because of fear, Aegaeon wasn’t counting how many he stopped with those weird blasts of energy. He didn’t think it mattered. But he was slowing down, and that filled him with dread. He quickly checked his Status Screen to see what was going on with his stamina and mana. Both were out.

Since he was still running he figured that when these went completely down he was resorted to his stats. And his agility and endurance had increased but he didn’t have time to piece together how much. It was on his last leg of running that he realized these hog beasts probably can’t climb trees.

At first he jumped aimlessly at a large pine tree but finding himself close to the rutting beasts he pushed himself to climb higher. He couldn’t think of a time he felt more exhausted, but even his rudimentary memory from before this new world was starting to slip from his cognition. He agonizingly climbed the branches taking care to not fall and be trampled or gored by tusks.

Unfortunately he was now stuck. Aegaeon found that these hogs, weren’t hogs at all. They didn’t look like wild pigs. They looked like a cross between a hog and a zebra. Having black strips crisscrossing over their brown bodies. Their tusks were much larger than a hogs, and they were significantly more persistent in tracking down their prey. And so he waited.

After an hour, Aegaeon slapped his head out of embarrassment; he had forgot about those energy blasts and his status Screen. He went to check the notifications and was taken aback by how many their were;

Sprinting increased to Lvl 3

Sprinting increased to Lvl 4

Sprinting increased to Lvl 5

Sprinting increased to Lvl 6

Sprinting increased to Lvl 7

Deep Thought increased to Lvl 3

Deep Thought increased to Lvl 4

New Skill: Mana Blast, a rudimentary skill that can blast foes with energy. Cost and effect depend on skill level. Skill level 1

Mana Blast increased to Lvl 2

Mana Blast increased to Lvl 3

Sprinting increased to Lvl 8

New Skill: Careful Climbing, as you climb you are able to see safer routes and have more control over body movement. Effect increases with skill level. Skill level 1

Careful Climbing increased to Lvl 2

Aegaeon then checked the Status Screen to avoid doing the numbers in his head.

Status Screen:

Class: N/A

Level: N/A

Skills:

Sprinting Lvl:8, Deep Thought Lvl:4, Mana Blast Lvl:3, Careful Climbing Lvl:2

PP: 13

Paths:

Path of the Initiate Mage 0/10, Path of the Racer 0/10, Path of Ideologies 0/25.

Seeing so much at once gave Aegaeon a headache. He thought this “new world” would be impossible to follow due to the number of notifications that would come his way. Thinking of it he wondered if he could reorganize his Status Screen or at least the way that notifications worked. After thinking of it, he wondered if he could compress the information. Immediately he gained another level in Deep Thought and felt an odd shift. His next notification didn’t show any change as he went up the one level.

Deep Thought increased to Lvl 5

Focusing on the problem at hand; Aegaeon took to slowly whittling down the heads of boar things at the base of the tree. It was either due to stupidity or the hunt, but the boars just kind of took it. They were rutting at the tree aimlessly while Aegaeon finished them off with Mana Blast. Unfortunately it didn’t level again.