It's been two days, and Reager and the crew were heading for Eden. The current Earth capital ruled by a government, which was an Oligarchy, formed 78 years ago, two years after the M anomaly when the past governments collapsed in response to the new and transformed world around them. The same happened to the Mars colony but was a lot less severe than it was on Earth.
Magic had changed everything from flora, animals, geography, and even humans. Mountains rose and toppled. Ordinary deer were now an average height of 2 meters with flowers that, depending on the season, grew on their far more massive antlers, making them just under 3 meters high with fur that had stripes that glowed when fighting back threats.
Humanity was now separated into seven races Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Beastman, Dusk Elves, Lizardkin, and lastly, dragonkin that were because of their appearance, mostly called Demonkin. Within the newfound government of Earth, humanity enslaved the other races coining them the term demi-humans.
At first, many didn't agree with the decision of their new government, but they slowly disappeared, leaving no one to voice an argument over this new form of slavery. Captain Reager, born 40 years after, didn't like the view of slavery, but out of concern for his family kept his mouth shut. Reager knew that his government was corrupt, and his higher command was too, but if there was anyone he could voice his opinion too openly, it was Dr.Martens.
Reager was 23 when Martens helped him evacuate and save the city of Cardamis and threw the credit for it his way, and for the next 12 years, they were like brothers.
Over the past few days, Reager had been in contact with Captain Candice I Manne while she and her troops prepared for their joint mission. They discussed many things, such as how she located Dr.Martens. Revealing little to nothing and always attempting personal small talk that had nothing to do with the mission. Reager often ended the conversion with an excuse, which was noticeably just a way to end the conversion once it got uncomfortable.
"Please, for the last time, Candice, can we please talk about how you found Dr.Martens. This is very important I spent the last five years away from my family looking for him. I just like to know his location and how you found him." Reager says while speaking with a heavy Asian accent he adopted from his parents from a very young age.
Feeling that her advances were clearly going nowhere this time and Reager's constant pleading pleasing her, she finally relents and says, "Ok, Listen. Listen. About a few days ago, some city guards were in pursuit of what they believed was a pouch snatcher, which lead outside the protective walls, so a request was made to the adventurers guild. They sent a party out to investigate where the supposed thief ran too since it was night, and many more high leveled monsters roam then.
On the monitor in front of Reager, a picture appears of what looks to be an old hatch door leading to an underground bunker that was built way before the M Anomaly. It was covered with vines and bushes that effortlessly hid the door that was only revealed due to the deep footprints that led to it.
Reager looked at the screen as if something was off about how this picture looked. Cautious as this wouldn't be the first time he was led to a trap, he asks, "How do you know that Martens is here and this isn't just a well-hidden bandit hideout?"
"Because everything underneath the hatch is unscannable with both magic and tech. It's like it's a black spot that wants to be seen. And according to the records, the only person capable of doing such was Dr.Martens, who didn't share the method with his sadly now-deceased colleagues," says Candice looking to her left and right before leaning forward.
"I believe he wants to be found but why I don't understand," She whispers, giving Reager a hint that she doesn't want others to hear out of distrust for some of her crew unlike Reager and his crew on the Ezio.
Before she could say anything else, the monitor that Reager was on beeps in a cheery tune. Knowing that this tune was his daughter ringtone for when she calls, he quickly says thanks and hangs up on Candice.
Looking cheerful, he picks up the call and says, "Hey, how's my baby girl?"
The monitor now showing a video of a young Asian woman with fair skin and hair that reached down her back with a joyful expression on her face says, " Hey dad, I'm not a baby anymore. After all, I'm 19 and a second class magi-knight at level 20, so I think I can say I'm grown."
Now smirking playfully, "Now Alice, you will always be my little girl just like that fat hamster you insist on calling cute despite it barely fitting on the hamster wheel behind you."
They both laugh and talk for a while for hours on end.
.............................
Meanwhile, In the forest, Malik had brutally punched holes in, dismembered, and eviscerated the horde of 3 and a half meter tall creatures that were rushing him earlier. Around Malik was a field of blood, gore, and the stench of death. Feeling bored and relaxed that he's gotten to run around and play, he sits on the back of one of the creatures and looks up as his menu appears with Dr.Martens face on it.
"Glad to see your 'gasps for air' having fun. It's time you learn 'gasps for air' about the world outside this 'gasps for air' virtual reality. While I speak, you'll continue training but with different enemies this time," Dr.Martens says, typing with one hand.
Malik's menu disappears and a before him a group of 30 child-sized little green men around him, making a circle holding savage-looking spears, shields, small stone blades, and slings.
" Yayy new more grunts," says Malik in the best sarcastic tone he could muster using the ghastly robotic voice of his that made him sound like a ghost in a machine.
"Now Malik, use your menu 'gasps for air' and think about the {add tabs} tab and add both the skills and abilities tabs," says Dr.Martens as he watches Malik in awe.
Malik looks around and sees that the little green men stand as if waiting for something. He pulls his menu up and hears two separate footsteps running toward him from in front of him and behind, and everything slows like before. He quickly adds the tabs to the menu and puts it away.
He sees one of the little green men in front of him running at him with a spear and shield. He quickly shifts his foot under one of the dismembered forearms of the 3 and a half meter tall creatures and kicks it at the small green man.
The small green man tries to block the arm but is sent flying backward with his spear being tossed upwards. With a meter between him and the little green man behind him, Malik dashes for the spear that is still slowly falling and grabs it with his right hand. Catching the spear facing down, malik turns and throws it backward at the little green man.
The little green man attempts to guard as well, but is helpless as the spear pierces the shield it had and nails it to the tree 8 meters away from Malik and outside the encirclement. The other little green men look on with absolute horror but still raise their weapon with what low will power they have left.
"Now look at your stats tab 'gasps for air' where you'll find information on yourself," says Dr.Martens as he looks on in astonishment at how Malik fights. Dr.Martens has been in the field with some of the best fighters and have never seen such combat prowess in his 40 odd years of living.
Malik opens the tab in his head while waiting for the next unlucky monster to run-up.
[Name:Malik ????]
[species: ????]
[Level:1]
-Health:100
-Stamina: infinite
-Strength: 1,205
-Mana: 2,000
-Agility: 60
-Intelligence: Unmeasurable
-Wisdom: 50
-Dexterity: 320
-Mana regen: ???
Malik looked blandly at his stats as he could already guess they looked something like this after seeing the carnage around him. Although his unmeasurable intelligence stat did shock him a little. He didn't even need the number from his strength stat to tell him how strong he was; it was apparent from how he tore the creature from before in half.
"Your stats are indeed 'gasps for air' monstrous, but this lets you see your strengths, weaknesses, and how much you improve 'gasps for air' once you leave the VR. Your current stats are a representation 'gasps for air' of your stats. In reality, go easy when you are out so you won't destroy anything. For ' gasps for air' now open both of your skills and abilities tab." Said Dr.Martens as he wears a proud smirk on his face as if his expectations were surpassed by all beliefs.
Malik opens both tabs while taking a step back and moving forward by another step, dodging rocks thrown by the slings used by 3 of the little green men with little to effort. The menu opens with both the skills and abilities menu combined.
[Skills and abilities:8]
-Combat Lvl: 10/10
- Exp gain multiplier of 100
-Absolute intelligence Lvl:???
-Accelerated Thought Process Lvl: 3/3
-Dispersal Lvl: 1/1
-Meta crafting Lvl:???
-Almighty magic: ???
-Analysis: 10/10
Looking at these skills answered many of Malik's questions on how he knew about certain things, but now many more questions rose as he was left dumbstruck at some of his skills. Not by what they were but how he could have been made to have them. The skills menu quickly changed to that of the doctors face as his jaw was dropped only being raised slightly by his oxygen mask. Dr.Martens staring at Malik.
"Your a basically god," Dr.Martens says with a low voice.
With the thought of his overpowered skills in hand, he asks Samantha how to use magic, and her words were simply, "Simply command you attanites with your will they will collect the mana around you and then make it into what you want as long as you have the mana. Also, side note, if you want, you can use your Attanites like a weapon or make weapons out of them."
With this in mind, Malik wanted this simulation to be over as he had questions that Martens had the answers too. Without a second thought, He a pretty good idea of how to get rid of the remaining little green men that he used his analysis skill on to reveal they were called goblins.
Malik spread his arm wide to his sides and willed every Attanite that he was made of to disperse to his surroundings covering everything that was around him up to a 10-meter diameter. Making it appear as if the entire area was engulfed in a highly dense black cloud of Attanites blinding the goblins. The goblins were panicked, making sounds and calling out to each other.
Soon without warning, the cloud of Attanites began to rotate within the 10-meter perimeter that it had made. At first, the goblins were spooked trying to find a way out but were blocked by the spinning cloud wall of attanites, so they hurdled together. Without any sign of change, the goblins began to be shredded apart by the very cell without them noticing. One looked at its comrade and saw the very flesh on him disappearing and screamed. With this, they all began screaming nonstop as the pain they once didn't feel was now the only thing they could feel. Feeling more anxious to ask Dr.Marten the question that plagued him, Malik Spun his Attanite as fast he could, and half a second later, the screaming stopped, and Malik willed his Attanites back together with him in his armor and looked around. The very Earth under the10-meter diameter had been carved perfectly into a 26-inch deep circle.
"Dr.Martens yo get me out, me and you need to have a little chat. Like you not telling me everything and sooner or later with these skills and abilities, I'm gonna figured it out. Haha So yea I,'m giving you the chance to fill me in before I get pissed," Malik says with his ghastly electronic voice, his eyes blazing red.
On the other side of the monitor Dr.Martens, the girl sitting next to him, and 02 look on in both extreme awe and fear at what they all just saw. 02 looks the doctor with eyes of concern as if she's asking him if he is sure about this letting this monster out.
Dr.Martens looks as if he hadn't had any fear at all and looks at 02 and says, "Let him loose."