Hanging back by the door, Alex signaled Whittaker go into the dining room before him, making sure that he was within earshot waiting for the signal. Whittaker flashed him one last grin before setting their face into a mask of neutrality and pushing the doors open. Nieve was bent over a table in the middle of the room that had a map laid out, and simply raised an arm in greeting. Eira and Yas both looked in the direction of the door, and let out surprised noises at seeing Whittaker come in without Alex in tow.

“What’s wrong Whitt? Where’s Alex, is everything okay?” Yas asked, their tone one of worry having been present throughout Alex’s proceedure.

“Yes, is everything alright? We weren’t expecting you back until evening meal, its rare for you to go easy on a recruit.” Eira chipped in.

“My friends, we may have a problem. All of the power we felt in Alex has diminished to nearly naught. I have had to give him a chance to recover before I attempt the basics again. His will is strong, but it may take far longer than we hoped to get him ready for this fight.” Whittaker responded, ensuring they kept their voice from betraying the plan.

Nieve looked up in alarm at these words, “Whitt, we NEED him for this plan. Going against the council with just us will be basically impossible. We trained with these people, they know how we fight, how we think. Alex was our cornerstone because they won’t ever expect us to have outside help.”

“I know Nieve, believe me. I know the stakes, but I also know recruits, and taking Alex before he is ready will just get us all killed. I will keep working with him for as long as we have TIME!” Whitt shouted the signal word to ensure Alex heard it.

Back in the corridor, Alex was stood peeking through the gap in the door to plan his move and make sure he got his timings just right. Hearing the signal he shoved the door wide and triggered his Jump Charge immediately. Catching sight of Nieve’s aggrieved expression at the news Whitt had delivered, Alex felt a pang of guilt at the deception but knew it was too late to stop now. The power rushed through him and he flew along his predetermined route at incredible speeds. As he neared Nieve, he saw that they hadn’t even registered what was happening yet. He threaded himself past Whitt’s hulking form and stopped directly in front of the table map, bending over in the process and acting like he was examining it. As he came to a full stop, the wind rushed behind him and blew all of the loose odds and ends onto the floor. He put his hand on the map to make sure it didnt fly away as well.

“So, I hear you guys reeeeeally need my help huh? I love to feel wanted, really… heartWARMING.” And Alex broke into peals of laughter at his awful pun. Wiping a tear from his eye, he turned to look directly at Nieve who was stood next to him with their jaw open.

“Alex? What the fuck was that? How are you already using skills like that?” Nieve turned to Whitt again, eyes ablaze, “Him I understand, but YOU,” Nieve went to poke Whitt in the chest, but found nothing but air as Whitt bounced backward out of range. “Whittaker! Why would you make a joke like that at a time like this?”

“Because I asked them to, to get a little revenge on you for when you and Eira nearly froze me to death the other day. Don’t blame anyone but me for this. You gotta admit though, we got you good.” Alex interjected, trying to get Nieve to crack a smile.

From the other side of the table a voice that Alex hadn’t really heard spoke up, as Iclyn stood and pulled bits of debris from their hair. “Alex, perhaps you could explain to us exactly how you have managed to already recieve the Field Knight class from Whittaker. You haven’t even been training together for a full day.”

“Sure. I got my ass kicked for a solid few hours, got a nice big bump in stats, landed a really good shot that put Whitt on their ass instead, and here we are. Man it feels good to be the one with the answers for a change.” Alex smirked, causing Whittaker to hastily turn a laugh into a cough to avoid another scolding.

“A ‘bump’ in stats? What do you mean, raising a single stat after training surely wouldn’t allow you to land a solid blow on Whittaker?” Eira perked up at hearing about Whittaker being put on their ass for a change.

“I mean I got 6 stat levels across 4 stats all at once. I was able to clearly put my training into practice and ended up squashing Whitt’s nose. Look, still got some of their blood on my hand.” Alex displayed the blood on his hand like a trophy.

“That is incredible. There has never been a case of that rapid of a growth, even amongst our Freshlings. Alex, would you be averse to me running some tests on you to determine why this is happening?” Yas breathed, eyes already glazing over at the thought of getting fresh data.

“I can just tell you why that's happening if it prevents me getting stabbed with needles,” Alex shuddered, “But you all need to promise me that it goes no further. Like, even the Veil told me not to tell too many people. Also, I hate to sound insensitive but… What are Younglings?”

The group all looked at each other, then made a kind of half bowing salute kind of gesture, “We swear to uphold your secret lest the Veil strip our connections bare.” As they finish talking, a screen pops into Alex’s vision.

Oath to you made by Nieve, Whittaker, Eira, Yas and Iclyn. Breaking this vow leads to a fate worse than death.

“Wow, okay then. Thanks y’all, guess I should tell you that all Nexian Humans get increased levelling speed in most of what we do to make up for the fact we have been cut off for so long. The Veil said its to help us catch up with the rest of the universes.” Alex explained sheepishly.

“That is… A very generous bonus. No wonder the Veil told you to keep it to yourself. Most people would be more than a little jealous of such a gift. I’m a little jealous myself to be honest.” Whittaker nodded at their own honesty.

“Indeed, Alex you were right not to tell us until we made that oath. You can always trust us, but at least you know we cannot act in bad faith now. I would highly recommend not telling anyone else outside of your realm for now though.” Nieve smiled at Alex.

“Thanks… Still unsure on what Younglings are by the way?” Alex winced at his question, still not sure how appropriate it was to ask but dying to know more about the Fridigians and their culture.

“That is not an easy thing to describe Alex. We appreciate how patient you have been with us about all of this. I’m sure we appear very strange to you. How about we get some food and try to give you some information the help. Especially as it may be useful in helping you come up with strategies for the battles ahead if you know a little more about us.” Nieve turned and led the way towards the kitchen area.

Over the next few hours, the group of Fridigians proceeded to give Alex a crash course in their culture. Younglings was the name they gave to those newly inducted into the Frigidian forces. At the age of 15 any Frigidians that showed promise were drafted into service for the planetary forces. They were used to prevent any incursions into occupied towns from wildlife etc. To ensure all recruits start on a level playing field, they all willingly submitted to a mind suppression, forgetting their lives before recruitment until they finish their service once they reach level 100. This generally only took around 5 years, and once their service was ended, they would be released back to their previous lives. Alex found this a little… extreme, but decided it wasn’t for him to judge.

They explained how Frigid Earth had a much smaller population compared to its Nexian counterpart, and was run by an elected council, with each area electing its own representative once every 10 years. This was where so much of the unease came from, as each council member was generally a well respected member of their community, so for one of them, or even all of them to be involved in what was happening was a disturbing occurrence. When Alex asked about the last elections, none of the group could really remember much about it, as it had occurred before they joined up. This also stuck out to him, but again he held his tongue.

The main council compound was located to the North of the little compound they were hiding out in. Whittaker took charge of explaining the layout of the town that the compound was situated in whilst Nieve and Eira laid something out at the back of the room. The main plan was to try and infiltrate the town and meet up with their contact in the compound, as they had apparently got important information that was integral to getting to the bottom of everything.

“That really isn’t much of a plan, but it’s a start. Something about everything you’ve said to me so far doesn’t sit right. Whatever we do when we go in, please make sure you all keep yourselves safe. I haven’t known you all very long, but I feel more at ease here than I did with most of my friends back home.” Alex attempted to put voice to some of the concerns he had, but realised that without potentially putting his foot in it, there was no way to do that fully.

“Don’t worry Alex,” Whittaker began, “The 4 of us have known the contact for a long time. We trust them, they are the only reason we have been able to operate and find you.”

Alex just smiled and nodded, this reassurance not doing anything to alleviate the voice screaming “trap” in the back of his mind. “So, obviously I am a VERY long way behind the rest of you in terms of levels and stuff. Is there an easy way to remedy this before we go in?”

Nieve cleared their throat from behind him, causing him to turn and actually pay attention to what they and Eira had been doing. Laid out on the tables was a huge array of what appeared to be USB sticks made from ice.

His confusion obviously apparent, Eira took pity and began to explain. “These are elemental unlocks. They allow anyone with the correct affinity to gain access to the base manipulator for that element. All Frigidians are only able to harness the power of the Frigid cold, but you Alex, you should be able to learn more than just that. As a product of the Nexus, all affinities should be unlockable to you.”

“Wait, you mean like, magic?” Alex was shocked.

“I suppose that's a fair comparison based on your own universe. But these don’t teach spells, they imbue you with an understanding of the base element. How you use this knowledge is how you will be able to help us. Ability to manipulate fire, for example, will be a complete game changer against any normal Frigidian as you can potentially nullify our entire offensive arsenal.” Nieve answered, smiling at the dawning look on Alex’s face. “Levels matter, and we will be making sure to target any dens of wild animals on the journey to help level you up before we get there, but your versatility will be our key.”

Alex let his eyes wander the tables, and could almost feel the elements trapped in these devices. He could feel the cold, the breeze, the heat and the loamy power of the ground all warring for their place. He thought about how each could be used to augment himself, not just used for maximum outright power. Wind could make him lighter, or faster. Fire could augment the heat of his muscles during a fight, improving his power for short bursts. Cold could be used to keep his injuries from causing too much pain, acting almost like anaesthetic. The ground was always a constant, and he could easily see how using it’s power could help him keep his defences up, unable to be uprooted, like a tree in the forest.

“Is there any downside to learning them all if I can? Will they counteract each other or anything?” Alex asked, making sure he wasn’t missing anything in his assumptions.

“Not that we are aware of, but remember, we only have power over the Frigid, and none of our race have ever had first hand experience of the other realms power.” Yas answered honestly.

“Well then, shall we see what I can access? Let’s have some fun!” and with that, Alex reached for the first of the little devices. Picking it up, he realised he had no idea what to do next. Just as he was about to voice this aloud, his interface flashed.

Power vessel located. Affinity present, integration starting…

Alex felt his head snap back outside of his control, and expected more pain to hit him. He was pleasantly surprised to feel a warm sensation radiate up his arm, and suffuse his entire being, over in just a few seconds.

Influence over the Inferno attained. More Power vessels within vicinity, proceed with integration?

Hell yes, keep ‘em coming Veil! He thought to himself. Over the next minute Alex did indeed learn he had an affinity for not only the elements, but also time and gravity. He also learned that the way the powers coexisted within him was simply a case of the shared space merging where they touched. Fire and water became steam, fire and earth became metal et cetera.

Full integration achieved. New class unlocked: Maelstrom. First recorded appearance of class, 1000 EXP granted. First Nexian to unlock class, data recorded. Thank you Alex.

Everything absorbed, his head dropped back down and he opened his eyes. The Frigidians now found themselves looking at a kaleidoscope within.

“Alex? Are you okay? What happened?” Nieve edged closer, remembering what happened the last time Alex had unlocked power.

Alex turned his gaze towards them, and broke into a small smile. “You are looking at the first Maelstrom in existance. I unlocked a whole new class!”

All of the Frigidians stared blankly back at him until Iclyn spoke. “Well then, it appears we may have an even bigger advantage than we thought. Congratulations Alex. What does the class entail?”

“I have full integration of all base affinities, plus power over gravity and time apparently.” And to illustrate his point, he thought about reducing the hold gravity had over his body. He floated up to the ceiling of the room, and flipped so that his feet were flat, then just proceeded to walk around on the roof.

Whittaker burst out laughing at this casual display of a power that none of them had even realised could exist. “Alright show-off. Get back down here so we can finish this meeting and get back to training before we head out in a couple of days!”

Alex pushed off the roof and started floating back down, when all of a sudden he just fell the rest of the way and landed hard on his face.

“Owwwwwww… what the fuuuuuck…” He moaned, seeing his health bar had dropped to a third, and his stamina was completely empty. “Guess I should pay more attention to my stamina now that I have things that can actually drain it…”

New class gravity skill created: Gravity Manipulation. Drains 10 stam/sec.

“Oh nice! I made a new skill.” Alex remarked, sounding like he had a cold as his nose and lips were all swollen.

Everyone just looked at him before joining Whittaker in laughing. Yas walked over and helped him up, chuckling the whole time. Shaking his head to clear it, Alex saw his stats page was blinking. Opening it, he realised he had reached level 4 in his new class already. His HP had doubled, and he was now level 6 overall which was a nice little bump for just a few minutes work. Taking a quick look at the stats gained per level in Maelstrom he saw that he gained 2 flat HP per level plus half of his Vitality score, as well as +1 Power and Mentality. He realised that this complemented his Field Knight gains quite nicely, giving him a nice balance of damage and health. Closing the panel, he turned his attention back to his friends who were all waiting patiently for him, knowing exactly what he had been doing.

The rest of that day was split equally between talking over tactics and training with Whittaker on his Field Knight abilities. By the time he eventually flopped back onto his bedroll that evening, Alex was completely exhausted. He had gained another few stat increases, spread across Vitality and Power. 2 more points in each. He pulled up his stat page for a proper look now that he was alone and able to take in all of the changes.

Name

Alex Colt

Stats

Class

Species

Human(Nexus)

Power

9

Field Knight 1: HP Gained 10+Vit, +2 Vit per lvl

Age

27

Vitality

8

Maelstrom 4: HP Gained 2+0.5Vit, +1 Pow +1 Ment per lvl

Level

6 (Bonus Active)

Finesse

3

XP

1/100

Mentality

6

HP

40

Judgement

1

Stam

60

Charm

1

“Not bad for just a couple of days… Hopefully this boost I have will allow me to catch up nice and quickly over the next few. I’ll have to ask Whitt if we can go and train on something that will actually give me some experience, see if I can actually get each of my classes to at least 10 before the plan starts…” He mused to himself as he slowly lost his grip on consciousness for the day.