Side Story: Record 1 – Beginning

System Sword Record 1, World Alurith

Warmth on the hilt. Analysing… Human. Checking memories… Establishing first contact.

“Greetings. I am the System Sword. How may I address you, Master?”

“What the... You can speak?”

A man’s voice came from the left. “What is the matter, Lord Tharn? I said nothing, and we are the only ones in this room. We need to get going and regroup with the others!”

“You didn’t hear this sword speak?”

I need to explain things. He doesn’t seem to know. “You are the only one that can hear me, Master. We are now connected.”

“Okay… So, a System Sword. What does a System Sword do in this old trunk? And what are you?”

Analysing nearby life forms. One man in this room, two others in the corridor, and two in the room in front. Searching… Movement approaching, no life signs. One magically powerful being on the upper level.

Still time to explain. “A System Sword grants you Skills and Benefits if the Magic of this World allows it. Accessing World Magic… This World uses Element Magic, and it can be used for Skills and Benefits. Do you wish to proceed? “

He seems to hesitate. Movement is getting nearer at a steady pace. “Please choose, Master. I detect movement, but no life signs. It would be safer to change location.”

“I… I think I want to proceed. Does it hurt? Because if I have to run or fight…”

He is moving, and the other man is following. The ones in the corridor joined us, and the two from the other room are also behind us. I hear him shout the Undead are coming, and they need to go up another level in this Castle to find their target. He may need access to the System fast.

“Activating.”

[Magic – 100]

[Health – 100]

[Stamina – 100]

“What is this image in front of my eyes? You did this?”

“Yes. It is the System that I grant to my bearer. Those are your Attributes. Each level gives five Magic, one point in Health and Stamina, and one point to use on one Benefit. The points for Benefits can be left to be used later. Do you want to choose a Class that will grant you the list of Skills and the list of Benefits of that Class?”

He is hesitating again. Maybe I wasn’t clear enough?

“Later! The noise is getting near! Take this image of my face! I can’t see where I am going!”

“I can make it translucent. How does it look now?”

“Better. Ran, men! I hear them coming!”

I need to explain it to him. The Undead seem to be tracking them, and judging by the nervousness in the Master’s voice, they might be dangerous. “Master, the Skills of a Class grant you access to different types of Magic that can help you against the ones that are coming.”

“Okay, what is the strongest Class that I can choose?”

“The strongest Class would be Mage, but it depends on what type of Mage you want to be. Abjurers use Protective and Healing Spells. Transmuters alter matter. Summoners can make creatures or objects appear. Evokers can create energy to attack. Enchanters influence others. Illusionists change the appearance of something. Necromancers manipulate death and life energy. You could also choose to be a Warrior if your fighting experience qualifies you for that Class’s skill set. You can change it later on, as you level up.”

The noise is getting strangely close, and he still didn’t choose. I am not sure if he will survive with his actual abilities.

“I want to be a Mage Evoker for now. I need Magic to get rid of all the Undead that are in this Castle, and Magic is what our enemy also uses.”

“Class chosen. Mage Evoker, Novice Rank. You can now use the following list of Spells.”

[Fire Rune: Places a Magical Fire Rune on the ground that activates if someone gets closer and deals 50 fire damage. An effective method of injuring your opponents. If you trigger it, you will receive damage.]

[Fire Bolt: Attack the target with fire damage that takes 25 health points and 25 stamina points. You can dual cast it to increase its effectiveness.]

[Frost Rune: Places a Magical Freezing Rune on the ground that activates if someone gets close and deals 50 frost damage. An effective method of injuring your opponents. If you trigger it, you will receive damage.]

[Ice Spike: Attack the target with frost damage that takes 25 health points and 25 stamina points. You can dual cast it to increase its effectiveness.]

[Lightning Rune: Places a Magical Electrical Rune on the ground that activates if someone gets closer and deals 50 electric damage. An effective method of injuring your opponents. If you trigger it, you will receive damage.]

[Lightning Bolt: Attack the target with electric damage that takes 25 health points and 25 stamina points. You can dual cast it to increase its effectiveness.]

“At Novice Level, each of these Spells uses 10 Magic. You have 100 to spend. Cast the Spells by whispering their names while visualizing the Spell.”

“Okay, then I am going to place a few Fire Rune Spells in this corridor to stop the Undead that are after us. Run ahead, men! I am going to set a few traps!”

He learns fast. The Undeads are approaching, and he spent 40 Magic in four Fire Runes in a line, making it impossible for them to cross the corridor without activating them. He still has 60 Magic to use on other Spells. He is also a fast runner. The Undeads are activating the traps, and the Fire Magic is stopping them.

“20 Undead eliminated, 4 Level increase, Master.”

I can detect his curiosity caused by my lack of a proper explanation, but the approaching danger forces me to leave the proper explanation for another opportunity.

“What is this Level thing?”

“At Level 11, you will achieve Apprentice Level, which lets you use more powerful Spells. Each level also gives 1 point to use on one Benefit. Those points can be left to be used later if you wish.”

“Okay, I want to know more about those Benefits but not now. We are almost there.”

He seems to have a purpose, together with his men. The stairs that lead to the upper level are right ahead. A group of Undead at the top of the stairs. Not bad. He cleared the path with a Fire Bolt.

“25 Undead eliminated, and 5 Level increase, Master. You are now a Novice of Level 9. Two more Levels to reach Apprentice Rank.”

They reached the top of the stairs, and his men stopped to look at one large window that let them see the horrible scenery outside. There were Undeads all the way to the horizon, as well as a few other creatures that appeared to be more powerful than the Undead in this Castle. How did they manage to cross all of them to reach this Castle?

Then, the voice of one man clarified my doubts. “Lucky for us, we found that old map of the sewage system of this Castle in your grandfather’s library, Lord Tharn! There was no way we would escape all those dead creatures. Do you think…”

“Yes. We are probably the only ones alive in the entire World. Or we will soon be. All the dead that were buried for ages and ages have resurfaced. All the plants, people, and animals died after the Magic of the World disappeared. Our Magical pendants, my family relics, are the only thing that are keeping us alive, but the Magic in them is also disappearing. We need to get to him. Maybe we can stop this madness. It will be too late for us and everyone else, but at least we will give the World a chance to recover.”

I can analyse the view till the horizon. A desolated land, as far as I can detect. No signs of life. Everything is dead. I don’t want to tell them that this World will never recover, with no life and no Magic, but that might be a huge blow that will distract them from their mission, whatever that mission might be. But he needs to know.

“Master, this World is far from recovering. My analysis shows no life and no Magic. It is a desolated land all around, with no chance of ever bearing life again. The atmosphere has already started to decay, and soon the sun’s radiation will not let plants recover.”

He is silent as he runs. He might already know, and he wants to search for the cause of all this. For revenge, maybe? He said that he wants to get to ‘him’, and that person or creature might be the cause of all this tragedy. I sense an enormous amount of concentrated Magic at the end of the corridor where he is running now.

His men stop in front of the door, waiting for his signal. As soon as he nods, two men kick the door.

Inside, there is a Mage with a hood covering half his face, letting only his long beard be visible. He is holding a cane, and the Magic from the outside is coming through the windows to his cane, and then to his body. Is he smiling?

“It seems there is someone alive, after all. I have no idea how you survived until now, or how you arrived here, but it doesn’t-”

Before he had time to finish his monologue, three men shot their arrows at him, which he easily blocked with a Magic Shield. He is trying to gather Magic to summon something, maybe more Undead to protect him?

My new Master and one of his men are using the distraction the arrows are providing to get near him. My new Master shot a Fire Ball, that he absorbed into his cane.

He keeps on smiling. “Yes, give me more Magic! I want it all! Don’t stop now. I sense you have more and-”

A well-aimed Fire Ball at the window nearby made him create a new Magic Shield to protect himself from the glass. My new Master is shooting another Fire Ball at the ceiling? I see, it destroyed the chandelier, and it’s falling. The unknown man got hit on his shoulder and left arm, and my Master is running at him, preparing to swing at his head.

No! He opened a Magical Portal to escape, and… and he is gone. The Portal disappeared as soon as he crossed it. Now, how to explain this?

“Where did he go? Did he escape? System Sword, what was that Magic?”

“That was a Portal Spell, Master. He is no longer in this World; he has left for somewhere else. Do you wish to follow him? I can sense the Magic that he used and create a Portal to the same place. I am not sure if we will arrive right after him, or after some time has passed by.”

He seems to hesitate. His men are frustrated and angry because their efforts have been in vain. More Undead are at the door. There are far too many for them to deal with.

I must take my Master out of here, or he will die like they will. “Master, do you wish to open a Portal? It will only be open enough time for you to cross, for my Magic is not that many, neither is yours. Your friends can’t go.”

“That will mean they will die. The Undead… I want to go after that Hooded Mage. He must die for what he did to our World.”

One man spoke as he was squeezing the hilt of his sword while waiting for the horde of Undead to approach. “Lord Tharn, if you figured out a way to follow that bastard, kill him for me, will you? We will hold them off for as long as we can so that you can escape.”

“No, I still have Magic. I can kill them and...”

“Lord Tharn, it was the greatest honour to fight at your side. Don’t let our lives and our near deaths go to waste. Go and get him! Now!”

He shook the man’s hand and looked at the others, and they smiled at him as he said, “I will get him, that I swear. For as long as it takes, I won’t ever stop.”

I can sense the destination of the Portal. It is another World. My Master is willing to go after that Hooded Mage, so it is up to me to make his wish come true. While helping him, he will also be helping me.

“Analysing… Stand by… Detected Portal Spell… Tracking… Activating Portal Spell!”

He is looking at the circular light blue whirlwind that appeared near him with a puzzled look. “Is this a passage to another World? Is he going to destroy another World like he did to this one? Why? What does he gain?”

“He was gathering the Magic of this World on his body by using that cane that he had stuck on the ground as a conduit. Perhaps he wants to be more powerful? There is insufficient data for a more concrete answer.”

He gave one last wave to his men, and shot Fire Ball after Fire Ball to the approaching horde of Undead, giving his men a few more minutes to say their last prayers and exhausting his Magic.

Without looking back again, he crossed the Portal and entered the void, the darkness between Worlds. We will probably stay here for a while, waiting for the Portal to connect to our destination, giving me plenty of time to explain the Magic System I grant him.