Chương 6: Powering Up

CH 6 - Powering Up Without wasting any more time, Grey walked up the grand marble steps to the floor labeled "Merchant Hall". The grand entrance was spectacular. In the center was a massive statue of what Grey assumed to be Prometheus. A huge man with large muscles, posing like some sort of ancient bodybuilder. An information desk in front of the statue had a tall blonde elf standing there. She was easily seven feet tall and had long pointed ears. She looked much like the fantasy stories he had read on Earth.

I guess mythical stories and fantasies have some truth to them.

"Welcome to the Prometheus' City Merchant Hall. This is the information desk. 10 coins for the basic information pamphlet about what we offer here. We also have a premium information packet for 50 coins that can answer a lot of questions you may have regarding cultivation paths and energy sources." Grey thought for a moment and decided on both pamphlets. He read through each of them carefully. The first had basic directions to different workshops and salesmen throughout the building, and what they had in store.

The second pamphlet was much more interesting. It had details about different types of supernatural resources, basic information on mana, and other sources of strength. The most interesting part of the booklet was learning that he'd get a class wish at level 25. This was a special wish everyone got at level 25; it let you select a class that fits your path. A class helps your affinity and talent towards specific skills.

For example, a person with a fire mage class will find it much easier to cast fire spells than a water mage. Grey flipped through more of the booklet and learned more about the different types of powers. Basically, mana was super concentrated energy in a material form. It could be solid, liquid, or gaseous based on its concentration. Essentially, it was a super versatile battery that could power different spells or skills.

This immediately interested Grey, considering the high energy cost of his shapeshifting skill, but he kept reading to learn more about his options. It turns out that humans don't have any natural affinity for mana. Certain races, like elves, have a mana organ that turns excess energy into mana, and veins that store the mana to allow it to spread throughout the body. Humans, on the other hand, were more attuned to internal energy.

From what Grey could understand, it was basically a super-effective version of Qi from before the Earth joined the multiverse. This is what Jim told him that empowered his attacks as a pugilist. He imagined old martial arts masters with long grey beards flying around on swords. Pretty cool. Some humans could use psychic powers, too. Grey was surprised to learn this existed even before the system. I guess hypnotists weren't all fake.

Intelligent races could utilize technology and cybernetic modification to upgrade themselves mechanically, and anything could utilize aura if it had an overpowering presence or high willpower. It was almost like an ability to intimidate or influence people around you. There were a few other lesser-used, niche systems that some people had, like shamanism, demonic sacrifice, ritualism, or spiritism. He even saw an entry on merging with powerful beasts through "the power of friendship."

The pamphlet enlightened Grey to all the possibilities the wishing system allowed for individuals to gain power. Other than the basics on the different energies, it also mentioned that wishes could attune your body to fit different cultivation methods like mana. Grey opened his map on the basic pamphlet and viewed his options. His first stop felt like the most obvious titled, "Onazar's Seminar for the newly integrated."

When Grey arrived on the floor labeled in the pamphlet, he was impressed by the size of the auditorium. At the podium was a creature unlike anything Grey had seen before. A man with a fish's upper body appeared. Or maybe a fish with a man's lower body? Either way, it was freaky. Other people who appeared near Grey also seemed startled by the strange creature's appearance. Regardless, the creature began its lecture. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

"Hello, I know it might be a surprise, but staring at me like that is rude." The fish turned its body to let its eyes scan the crowd.

"Everybody, I am Onazar, of the Apkallu. A highborn race above your understanding." He tilted his fish nose to the sky.

"Prometheus, the Titan who gifted fire to humanity, has tasked me to guide you through the multiverse and this new wishing system. You might recognize me and other things from your human folklore. This is no coincidence. The isolation of your universe is still affected by the happenings of the cosmos. Desire and strength bleed through the barriers that protect you, leaving stories behind." Murmurs of confusion, disbelief, and excitement from the crowd met Grey's ears.

He even heard a few prayers before the fish man started again.

"Prometheus is of the Titan race… He has some strange fascination with humans. He has used a supreme wish to allow you all to come to this place and learn about your new powers. He hopes that the knowledge he will provide to you will make it so that you don't all die meaningless deaths." The crowd reacted to the word death. Each likely touched by it themselves since the apocalypse started.

"The integrated multiverse is a place where cumulative desires and wishes of all beings clash. Only wishes that are truly deserving shall ever come to fruition." Onazar paced at the podium.

"For example, some hope to chase immortality. This is the starting line for all such wishes that seemed impossible before the integration," the strange fish man Onazar gestured to the tower as he finished.

"Immortality?" someone said. Murmurs of excitement and confusion swept through the crowd. As they reached a crescendo, the fish man Onazar interrupted.

"Aah, yes. Immortality. Godhood. A goal many have wished to attain. A goal far fewer have ever reached. You mortals are crazy for it. There are many ways to attain immortality. I'm sure many of you have already tried wishing for immortality, only to find your (F) grade wish wasn't nearly capable enough. There are many paths to immortality or godhood. However, the means to ascend to the heavens can only be found through demonstrations of your paths. It is not something wishful thinking can do for you." Immortality?

Godhood? Grey frowned. Sounds like a curse in disguise. Could he really bear an endless life? Yet as his eyes scanned the towering colonnades and the strange crowd, something stirred inside him. The world is changing. And I wished I could change. This is my chance. With the conclusion of Onazar's lecture, Grey headed to his next stop from the pamphlet, "The Starlight Sect". When he arrived, he hesitated. The rundown booth looked shabby, and the guy running it seemed sketchy.

After declining to join the sect several times, the bald sect member at the front of the shop explained that different people had different potential for cultivating internal energy. For 10 coins, Grey could check his potential. He paid up and held his hand on a strange orb to see if internal energy was a fit for him.

"Not good, sorry, man. I take it back; you can't actually join us. Your potential is trash." The orb was barely glowing. Not surprised, it's not like I ever meditated before, and I've never done martial arts. Grey convinced the bald guy at the shop to let him purchase two manuals: Starlight Body Tempering Manual (F) and Starlight Qi Sensing Technique (F). The guy said that with his potential, he's better off not buying it, but Grey had a feeling that learning all he could about each system would benefit him.

Leaving the shop now with only 380 coins remaining, he went over to the magic store that the pamphlet recommended. Another elf was there. He was less tall than the female elf at the front info desk, but his chin was held just as high and haughty. I guess it might be a race thing for them to be prideful. The elf had a lot of interesting things for sale. Spell manuals, mana crystals, staffs, ritual paper, and ink, all kinds of things that Grey had no idea what to do with.

Grey knew he didn't have the correct organs or anatomy to utilize mana like an elf would, but even humans could use mana crystals. He didn't like the idea of being stuck using a finite resource for his attacks, and if he needed crystals, he could always just buy them. So, he opted not to buy any spells for now. He thought about using his shapeshifting ability to make his body similar to an elf's, but he had no confidence in messing around with his anatomy on that scale.

He didn't even know where he would start to make such a big modification. The store had a bookshelf that housed most of the spell scrolls and other basic magic information, but none of it interested him. Before leaving the store, something caught his eye.

"What's in those?" he asked. The elf followed Grey's gaze and brought out the dusty stack of books from behind the desk. The elf read off the titles of each book: "Elemental theory. Golem crafting for dummies. Elementary inscriptions, Elven anatomy, Common Monster Anatomy, Wand crafting, Basic alchemy""I'll take them all. How much?"

"Not so fast there, human. You can't afford them."

"What? I have almost 400 coins on me?"

"100 coins each." Shit. I would have liked them all. I need Elven anatomy. I also think elementary inscriptions or basic alchemy would come in handy, but I don't have any alchemy equipment. And I really can only afford one.

"Elven anatomy, and Monster Anatomy." The elf gave him a puzzled look, but continued with the sale.

"I won't ask why you want an anatomy manual on elves... Just get out of here." Grey awkwardly stepped out of the shop and glanced at all that he had gotten. Human Anatomy Manual (F), Starlight Body Tempering Manual (F), Starlight Qi Sensing Technique (F), Elven Anatomy Manual (F), and Monster Anatomy (F) Grey had a good feeling about his gains. He could learn a lot from these different books and utilize his knowledge to upgrade his body using his shapeshifting ability.

He was left with only 180 coins, but that was still more than most people walked in with. His final stop for the day was a dwarven workshop labeled "War".