Chapter 2: Past – Zach

Chapter 2: Past – Zach

ACT I Zach

First Kill

Zach glanced at Ryun. His friend was tightly grasping his sword and looking into the distance with a blank expression on his face. He could tell that he was looking at something, but Zach saw nothing. A part of his mind realized that Ryun was looking at the screens in front of his eyes, and he remembered his own dream, the conversation with a being that called itself the Dealmaker. Zach was still not convinced that it had been real, but the message still inside his vision welcoming him to the Framework was pretty convincing. So many things were going through his mindfear that all of this was real, worry for his family back in the city, and worry about Melody, Linda, and Henry, who had arrived before them. All signs pointed to a situation that resembled the stories and shows that Ryun liked to watch. Zach had never really been into themhe was more of a comic-book guybut Ryun had tried to get him into the genre nonetheless. Zach could see that Ryun had already embraced what had occurred. The sword was a dead giveaway. A part of Zach wanted to slap his friend on the head and beat some sense into him, to remind him that this was a serious matter, and him acting as if it was the best day of his life was inappropriate.

But the small grin on Ryuns face made Zach more afraid than waking up in the forest.

He could see that Ryun hadnt even thought about what this meant for his mother back home, or for all the other people in the world. To him, this was a game. But Zach was too shocked himself to speak up. Ryuns actions spurred him to act as well. He remembered the instructions from the Dealmaker and dismissed the welcoming message. Next, he brought up his own stat screens.

Name

Zacharia Gardner

Race

Human (EarthIteration Seven)

Titles

/

Essence

150

Strength

8

Dexterity

8

Vitality

8

Endurance

9

Intelligence

7

Wisdom

8

Class

Swordsman (U)

Level

0 (0/100 Essence)

Combat Ability

/

Movement Ability

/

Support Ability

/

Active Skills

Strike (0/10)

He had bought the Class that cost the most from those that had been available to him. An uncommon ClassSwordsman. It had cost him eight thousand and five hundred Essence, and with what he had left he purchased a skill, leaving him with one hundred and fifty Essence. It was strange; he seemed to know how to strike, but it wasnt anything special, not any kind of attack. It was more of a sense of an action. How to strike better, whether with a weapon or his fist. He was completely lost. Ryun was much better at this stuff than him. From what he had gleaned from the conversation, leveling required Essence, which could be obtained from various sources. Seeing as he had enough to reach the first level, he spent them.

Deposit 100 Essence into your Class? Y/N

He pressed Y and a moment later his Essence number went down all the way to fifty.

We should keep an eye for them, but our first priority should be finding a way back to the city. I am sure that there will be an organized effort to deal with all of this.

Right, Ryun said. If there are now monsters in the forest We should probably use the Essence we got as the reward.

Zach nodded. Yeah, good idea.

The first thing Zach did was look at the shop screen. From what the Dealmaker told him, if he wanted to purchase something from him, he could use the shop; if he wanted to make a deal he had to use the Visit option at the top, which would send him to the Dealmaker directly. He didnt know how exactly that worked, but he had no desire to go back to that dark place. Instead, he looked through the shop. He could only look through what was called the basic shop, as other tabs were locked for him. He went through the list and picked up a simple sword for two hundred Essence, opting for a curved sword that resembled a katana. After that, he saw a small pack which looked to be filled with some basic necessities: a water bottle, a first-aid kit, a small tent, and a sleeping bag. It cost one thousand Essence, but he had no idea where they were and if they would be able to get back home before nightfall, so he picked that up as well. As soon as he pressed the Finish Transaction button, the two items materialized in front of him.

Ryun looked surprised at seeing them, but then he nodded. Oh right, the shop. I should probably get a pack, too. Then his eyes got the same faraway look he saw before.

The rest of his Essence Zach put into his Class, letting him level to level nine, and putting almost half of the Essence to level ten. He felt a strange heat go through his body, but it was gone quickly. His twenty-four free points he put into vitality and endurance, half and half. He didnt know yet what the stats meant, or how much impact they had, but the feeling of the monster biting his leg was still inside his head. As soon as he put the points in he felt a lot better, almost as if he had suddenly recovered. He untied his leg and saw the woundit was still there, but it was no longer bleeding and it didnt seem to be hurting as much. He took out the first-aid kit from the pack and the water bottle and did all the work again, now cleaning the wound. Ryun helped him re-bandage it before he did the same for his hand. After he was done, he looked at his stat screens again.

Name

Zacharia Gardner

Race

Human (EarthIteration Seven)

Titles

First Kill

Essence

0

Class

Swordsman

Level

9

Combat Ability

Piercing Stab

Movement Ability

/

Support Ability

/

Strength

19

Dexterity

27

Vitality

20

Endurance

21

Intelligence

7

Wisdom

8

Active Skills

Strike (0/10)

Once he was finished, he looked at Ryun, who was sitting down with his eyes closed. Zach could feel a strange kind of energy coming off from him, but he couldnt quite grasp what it was. Then Ryuns eyes opened and he looked at Zach.

I guess I am a Cultivator now, he said with a grin.