by Cosimo Yap
There isn’t much you can do. Anyway, moving on. You see before you spiritual, blood and technological psionic abilities. These are the three main categories psionic abilities can be divided into.
Alan watched as the slime leapt forward in slow motion, continuing to listen to Eve’s explanation.
First you have the blue so called “spiritual” power that you see surrounding Kitana’s blade. Spiritual as in the power of one’s fighting spirit, not ‘ooooh there’s a scary ghost’ spirit. This is what most people think of when they think of psionic ability, a sort of magic that bends forces to the user's will. In the case of spiritual power, psionic energy is essentially the same thing as mana. All of Aurora’s attacks you’ve seen so far have been spiritually based. It is the most common form of psionic power, with about 75% of all psionic users using this type of ability.
Alan watched as Kitana took a step forward, and with a downward slash unleashed a magnificent arc of blue energy that cut through the slime’s membrane like butter. The energy continued travelling straight through the slime gelatin until it crashed into one of the three black nuclei. Alan saw a momentary shield arise in front of the nucleus, then break under the attack’s pressure. The nucleus flashed, from black to white to purple to blue before it finally exploded.
Eve continued the lecture, ignoring the awesome display of power.
I believe Void’s earlier attack was a subset of spiritual power, dependent upon a god’s energy, but I’ll give the lesson on the so-called gods another time. Just think of it as an energy banking system where acolytes and priests give up energy to a god, but then at a later time can call upon the gods to provide energy to them. How these gods actually work within the Game is a rather complicated issue that hasn’t been quite worked out.
The slime started to reform the tear that the blade had caused, but before it finished Aurora pointed her stake tip forward at another nucleus. A red beam of light shot out like a death laser. It completely incinerated all the slime it passed through, obliterating it from existence, unlike Kitana’s attack which had simply cut through the substance. It hit a nucleus as well and immediately vaporized it, continuing to pass through the slime like nothing. It continued all the way out the other side of the slime, and Alan watched the beam fade away into the distance.
Anyways, moving on to psionic abilities tied to blood, which I will depict as red within the game. While most of all spiritual psionic abilities can be learned by anyone with sufficient talent, blood abilities are generally hereditary, only usable by the race that trains in them, and only if they have the correct bloodline. It varies from species to species, but generally the blood forms a sort of catalyst and/or energy source to power their psionic abilities.
While generally these abilities are more powerful and more easily used than spiritual psionic abilities, there are weaknesses associated with this method, such as the need to be able to easily draw blood. Blood is also a limited resource, and it takes longer to regenerate than energy, even in-game. It can also be hard to use when fighting in space. Futuristic solutions that replace blood is not sufficient for such abilities. Instead, it has to be blood created by the user’s body, so there is a long “cooldown” associated with such abilities. Blood based abilities account for perhaps 15-20% of user’s powers. Most of the Predecessors’ psionic abilities are blood-based.
Sidestep, crouching beside Alan, launched his attack immediately after Aurora’s. He began sprinting forward, then started to move faster and faster until his movements were blurred even from Alan’s perspective. His feet, legs and hands all glowed a bright green as he charged straight into the slime. This was not teleportation, but speed. His hands began to claw through and scoop away the slime’s insides, flinging it to the side as Sidestep made his way through the membrane.
In an instant, he reached the final nucleus. All of the green energy condensed onto his hands, forming a claw-like shape. Sidestep began striking at the nucleus rapidly, thousands of blows raining down on it each second. It wasn’t long before the shield around it failed, and the last nucleus was destroyed.
The final category of psionic powers, technological, which accounts for the final 5-10% of user’s powers. Started by experiments trying to augment people’s psionic abilities by energizing them, a new branch of psionic energy was created. This technologic/psionic hybrid type ability usually involves a risky operation that allows for a person’s psionic energy to better merge and interact with technology, or at least that’s the general idea.
If unsuccessful, a person’s ability to use psionic powers may be permanently damaged. As Sidestep demonstrates, it allows for powerful technologically based powers to arise. As the psionic energy is in fact energized through technology, it requires a charging source of some kind instead of naturally recharging, and is thus costly in terms of energy.
Now, of course there may be general outliers, or even those who use a variety of abilities from different branches of the psionic powers, but those aren’t too important. The ability that Elissandra displayed was of this type I believe, and if I am correct, she uses a combination of all three branches of psionic abilities, which would explain how she was able to become one of the most powerful psionic ability users in the game. Her daughter Aurora has demonstrated both spiritual and blood-based abilities, but I don’t believe she can use technological psionic abilities, at least not yet.
The gigantic mess of slime and gelatin crashed to the floor, much of it spilling off the sides of the stone walkway, and a message popped up before Alan.
x2 Bonus XP for slaying a monster over 100 levels higher than you!
Level up!
Eve continued the lesson as Kitana, Aurora and Sidestep, all dripping with sweat and exhaustion began to recover themselves from the attacks they had unleashed.
Now, the rank of a psionic attack can generally be determined by how it looks. The lowest form of attack is a small colored ball-type energy attack, at rank F. The next rank is generally being able to manifest an element, like actual fire or ice, or lifting a small, singular object up with telekinesis. At rank D, you began to have AOE attacks, manifestations of walls of flame or ice. Rank C psionic attacks are generally the same, just larger in scale and more powerful, almost as though you could control the elements at will.
At rank B energy begins to manifest itself in the form of a gas, glowing like you just saw. These types of attacks are generally overwhelmingly powerful. Energy liquefies at rank A and these types of attacks are able to be used in ship vs. ship combat, though they often require the concerted work of multiple psionics. That is also an issue with some of the more special psionic abilities; it is difficult to find people whose powers mesh well with yours. Finally, energy is rumored to become solid matter at rank S, capable of forming nuclear-like explosions and attacks. And that concludes the basic overview of psionic attacks. Any questions?
Um, not really, other than how am I supposed to get that sort of attack?
Extremely advanced and powerful technology, or some sort of miracle weapon.
Alright, cool. Thanks for letting me know that.
No problem.
Rolling his eyes, Alan deactivated hypercognition and then looked up to find Sidestep and Aurora staring at him.
“Um, sorry I wasn’t much help that fight, you guys can have first choice of the loot that the boss dropped, I don’t really need anything as I didn’t contribute much,” Alan said, eyes downcast, looking abashed.
“No, it’s not that, though I think I’ll take you up on your offer,” Sidestep said, “It’s just I think that as you’ve seen our ultimate moves, you should share what yours is.”
“My ultimate move?” Alan repeated.
“Yeah, we’re all friends here that will be working together in the future, right? The more information we know about each other’s capabilities the better. What’s your special ability?” Sidestep asked.
“Um, well, I don’t exactly have an ultimate move, I was ready to accept
my fate and die.” Sidestep snorted, but Alan continued, “And... and even if I did have such a move, I’m sorry, but I don’t think I’d share it with you. My master or, well, my knight, Phantom told me not to divulge information to anyone, and that includes you.”
“Oh, so that’s the way it’s gonna be then, is it?” Sidestep said, taking a step towards Alan.
“Drop it,” Aurora said in a commanding tone. “It isn’t important, and Phantom is secretive. Not even I am sure what he does.”
“Yes milady,” Sidestep replied in a somewhat exasperated tone. He turned around and went up to the nucleus he destroyed, examining what it dropped.
Aurora turned to stare at Alan. “I do trust that you will not share what you saw with anybody.”
“Of course,” Alan said.
“Very good then,” Aurora responded, smiling brightly at Alan, who blushed slightly, looking away.
He found Void standing right next to him, somehow making his way within an inch of Alan undetected. Void whispered, “Remember you can always tell me and the bunny gods your secrets.”
“No thanks,” Alan said, backing away. He quickly walked over to Kitana.
“So, um, nice job! Where did you learn that attack, by the way?”
Kitana shrugged. “You’ve seen me use it before in the tutorial, right? This was an improved version. The psionic energy and martial arts I learned fused to form some sort of sword arts.”
“Oh, cool. By the way, um, what did the slime drop?” Alan asked curiously.
Kitana lifted up her hands, showing a circular black crystal about the size of a small coin and a bottle of slime with a small red nucleus, looking subdued.
“Ooh! Now that might be worth a pretty penny,” Void said, appearing once more right behind Alan, looking over his shoulder at the items Kitana was holding up. “The black crystal probably holds a platinum mark’s worth of energy, while that bit of slime or whatever it is might be worth something as either a pet or resource gatherer, depending on its ability to gather energy.”
“Yes, it was rather odd that we faced resource gathering slimes and Spiderbots that multiplied, wasn’t it?” Alan asked lightheartedly, though he was secretly feeling rather depressed he had said that he had given up his loot rights.
Void shrugged. ”I wouldn’t call it odd, exactly. Monsters and the like adjust to their surroundings. Look about you, do you see any food? I don’t think so. Thus, you have the self producing Spiderbots that can eat scrap metal, and these slimes that absorb energy. It makes perfect sense.”
“Um, right.” Alan replied.
The nuclei Aurora and Sidestep had slain dropped the exact same items, and after a short break, they continued up the ramp the slimes had dropped from with the help of icy steps Aurora created. At the top they found a large platform, with a cage at the center, probably where the slimes had been released from.
Eve had Alan try out his different forms of vision, and sure enough he detected an invisible path that branched out from the platform, similar to the path that he had found when he first entered the Abyss Labyrinth.
“Well, looks like that’s it, better head back now,” Void said.
“Um, if it’s okay, I’d like to look around a bit, you guys can head back without me,” Alan said, trying to appear unconcerned.
“Oh, know something about the secret pathways?” Void asked. “Don’t bother, it's a dead end. Trust me, we’ve tried.”
Well, that sounds surprisingly familiar, Alan silently said to Eve.
“Um, I’d still like to try to go down the path myself. I want to try to gain some sort of trap detection skill,” he responded.
“Hmm, alright,” Void said, “Just remember, it’s your fault if you die! I won't be here to save your ass. I’ll head back with the others, and have someone wait for you to return. It might be a few hours though, so don’t get too impatient. The creatures shouldn’t respawn anytime soon. Probably.”
Void then turned back the way they came, Kitana, Sidestep and Aurora walking with him. Aurora sent Alan a questioning glance right before she left with the others, but Alan simply shook his head.
Once the others were out of sight, Alan stepped onto the hidden pathway, activating his power armor’s basic invisibility. It was time to find some treasure.
Chapter 19
Alan progressed slowly and steadily. Unlike the last time he had tread down a hidden path, he did not simply rely on Eve’s directions and assistance. Instead, he attempted to navigate through the traps and puzzles without help. Eve would occasionally bring up a warning or complete a task for Alan, but the number of obstacles Alan was able to get through on his own surprised him.
After stepping through a hidden trigger before Eve could even warn him, Alan learned the value of patience. He managed to dodge most of the lasers that shot from the wall at him, taking minimal damage, but from that point on prudently examined his surroundings. After waiting too long at one intersection, Alan learned the value of haste. A giant boulder descended from the sky, crashing onto the ramp behind Alan, triggered by some unseen timer. He had to follow Eve’s directions to barely avoid being squashed like a bug. (She had solved the simple astrological riddle in 2.71 microseconds, whereas Alan had been sitting there trying to figure it out for over 15 minutes.)
A few hours later, Alan finally made his way to a cube-like structure. Only slightly worse for wear, he had gained a basic rogue ability, Trap Detection (Rank F). He wasn’t sure if this structure looked like the one he had been to earlier, as then he had been blindly following Eve’s directions. Now he could see.
It was miraculous what a difference sight could make. Whereas before the Abyss Labyrinth had been an unknown, inhospitable dungeon, it now seemed more like a clean, orderly facility to Alan. Gone were the shady pathways, the ever encompassing darkness. In their place Alan was able to see well maintained metal roadways, connecting the overall facility in a logical manner like detailed circuitry. While there was still a depth which Alan could not penetrate all around him, he had plunged into the darkness before, it was no longer unknown.
Boldly, Alan strode up to the doorway that blocked his path, noting the letters and numbers painted onto the wall. Consciously, he attempted to find an AI presence to interact with. His mind immediately thought of the Connect ability he had gained, and he felt his subconscious activate some protocol. A faint presence began to power up. Alan sent it a message immediately.
Greetings.
… Systems Initializing. Error. Warning: Limited Power.
Greetings Traveler. Warning: Main Systems Offline.
Right, can you let me in? I have something that contains some energy, and wanted to test it out. Alan held up the crystal he had received earlier.
Energy signature recognized. Hypothesis: Enough energy for five months in Low Power Setting. Adequate… for now. Please follow the designated path. Traveler set as friendly. Please do not fire upon defensive structures and workers. Sector 3 Chief Warden will guide you on how to deposit the energy.
Resuming Power Savings Mode. Estimated remaining power supply for limited functionalities: 3,000 years. Please contact the Authorities and repair or supply a permanent power source, Traveler. Current threat level: Gamma.
The connection ended. Alan’s quest failed to update, but he did receive a notification that he was now on friendly terms with the Abyss Labyrinth, which hopefully meant the wardens wouldn't attack him. Alan pushed against the doorway in front. This time, as a whirling of gears sounded, Alan could see a metal tunnel extend outwards from the structure, downwards to his right.
Not questioning it, Alan proceeded forwards. This central hub area looked to be in somewhat better repair than the one he had been in earlier. A few metal desks and tables remained, while the screen held fewer cracks. There was a flicker of light as the screen suddenly flashed to life, displaying what Alan assumed to be a map.
The hub that he was now in was a green circle. Hundreds of other circles were display
ed as well, showing a vastness to the dungeon that Alan couldn’t quite comprehend. If he was reading it right, this map was equal in size to North America. Eve let Alan know that this was only a portion of the facility. One of four red squares was shown to be Alan’s destination, roughly 50 miles away.
Um, we aren’t expected to walk there, are we?
Eve sent a mental shrug. Proceed down the path provided.
Sighing, Alan went into the corridor open to him. As he made his way to the end of the hallway, he found himself in front of a metal slide. Remembering his earlier slide, Alan hesitated.
Um, how fast is this thing gonna go? And how am I going to get back? I have a limited food supply and time. Isn’t there somewhere closer or some other entity that can take this power crystal?
Proceed as ordered, an unknown voice told Alan.
Taking a deep breath, Alan decided to continue. What was the worst that could happen?
You die and lose your power armor in addition to the quest item, levels and new abilities, resulting in servitude to the Black Rose Guild and Icewolf for the foreseeable future, Eve sent.
WHAT? Alan furiously thought, as he began a rapid descent, the panels below him negating friction.
You asked, Eve replied. I considered this update prudent, despite the rhetorical nature of your question. I thought you may have forgotten that Rank A items and above always drop upon death.
I did… Alan silently fumed as worry began to set in as he began hurtling through space. He wanted to take risks, but this was a bit much. It turned out that he did not want to see what was in front of him. Unlike what he had previously surmised, the metal tunnel he was sliding down was not an ever-present fixture in the facility. Instead it was being constructed before his eyes, assembled seconds before he reached the spot, pieces appearing from points unknown.
This would have been fine, or at least not so nerve wracking, if he had been proceeding at a sane speed, but apparently the unknown entity that had constructed the facilities had a different idea of safe. Alan truly began to panic as a large missile shot by the opening in front of him, narrowly missing the constructing ladder-way of doom. Unable to take it any longer, he shut his eyes, concentrating on the feeling of his dropping stomach, trying to avoid thoughts of nausea and dropping into the abyss.