Turning back to see the tour guide, Milah's mouth gaped open in disbelief. "Your skill is now stage 5? It seems you've progressed accidentally.
I didn't realize giving you a job that didn't exist would elevate you to this rank," he sighed, rubbing his temples as if to process the unexpected development.
"Your attachment skill seems..." He trailed off, glancing at the text that materialized out of nothing and floated aimlessly:
[Adaptive Evolution]
The air around them seemed to shimmer slightly as the text materialized, drawing Leonardo's attention.
Milah's eyes flickered with a hint of curiosity. "Well then, that seems brilliant for your new job," he practically snickered, though his voice betrayed a hint of nervousness.
[Adaptive Evolution: Adaptive evolution is the ability to undergo rapid and targeted evolutionary changes in response to environmental stimuli or threats. This skill allows the individual to develop new physical, mental, or biological traits that enhance survival and effectiveness in various situations.]
"Wait, can I adapt to dying?" Leonardo asked, blushing at his newfound skill. His heart raced with a mix of excitement and apprehension.
The thought of evolving to avoid death felt like an overwhelming paradox, one that challenged his understanding of life and mortality.
The tour guide looked at Leonardo flatly. "No," he said, his tone brusque. "Everyone has to die at one point; a story has to end." He stood up from the chair, and as he did, the world around them began to shift.
The vibrant colors of the peach tree and the soft rustling of leaves faded away, replaced by the opulent surroundings of Milah's office.
The transition felt like being gently pulled through a veil, with the scent of blooming flowers giving way to the rich aroma of polished wood and aged parchment.
"Well then, these are your current skills," Milah said, his voice echoing slightly in the grand room adorned with ancient artifacts and intricate tapestries.
Name: Leonardo Thatcher
Age: 16
Story Skill: Tour Guide Practical Officer, Stage 5
Attachment Skill: Adaptive Evolution
Unwritten Skill: Priest: 3 unwritten skills
Title Skill: [Uninvited Guest], Champion Stage
Rasvian Control: Rank: Adept
Leonardo looked at this in awe. Each skill description seemed to glow faintly, their significance slowly sinking in. "You didn't explain Rasvian. What is that?" he asked, confusion evident.
Milah's expression shifted, his eyes narrowing slightly. "It's a long story," he replied, dripping with sarcasm.
He leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled together as if contemplating how much to reveal. The room's lighting seemed to dim slightly, adding a dramatic flair to his words. He seemed almost to enjoy the power he held over Leonardo's understanding.
"Wait, what?" Leonardo responded, frustration creeping into his voice.
"I'll tell you later."
"You're acting-"
"I'm acting?"
"No, but you could at least tell me anything?"
"How about you do a quick tutorial, per se," Tour Guide Milah said, smirking a bit.
"You'll reach a city soon. It's big, so don't die from shock."
"City?"
"Anyway, it will take time before the big boss," Milah pointed upwards, "will accept my complaint." Dragging Leonardo out of the room, he said, "Go do your job before it's too late," smiling as he closed the door.
"What does he mean 'do my job'!" Leonardo cried out back to the door, which was no longer there.
The room that had been there before began vanishing, replaced by the museum's extraordinary walls. The transition was abrupt, the office's grandeur replaced by the museum's endless expanse, filled with a faint hum of energy and the distant echoes of countless stories.
Leonardo wandered for a while, not knowing how to use anything in this space. He felt a profound sense of isolation. "I miss Ronald," he said softly, his voice barely a whisper in the vast emptiness. The museum, an infinitely expanding space filled with Rasvian energy, had an almost ethereal quality to it, the air shimmering with latent power. The walls seemed to pulse with life, the very fabric of the museum woven from the stories it contained.
He stumbled upon a floating text that explained the uses of Rasvian energy:
Three main uses- he skipped a line
Building.
He stopped reading from the text that randomly appeared in front of him. "Building?" He looked confused, his mind struggling to grasp the implications. "I mean, you'd think I would say creation?"
A sudden wave of destruction expanded, transforming the entire space around him into chaos. The ground trembled, and the air was filled with a deafening roar. He gagged, feeling nauseated. "Not another one," he muttered, clutching his stomach as the world spun around him.
The destruction was like a violent storm, ripping through the fabric of reality itself, leaving Leonardo disoriented and terrified.
As the chaos subsided, he found himself in a new section of the museum. The shift was disorienting, the once-stable ground now replaced with a bustling cityscape. The transition felt like being torn from one world and thrust into another, the sensory overload almost too much to bear.
[A City in the Museum of Stories] it read.
[Ghent] appeared in full caps, practically in front of him. "Argh, I already see it," he told the text. The letters hovered for a moment longer before fading away, leaving Leonardo to take in his new surroundings. The city was unlike anything he had ever seen, a blend of advanced technology and timeless architecture.
[Good] it responded, vanishing the next moment. He had been in the museum a while ago reading a text explaining the various uses of Rasvian energy.
Now he was in a city filled with towering, futuristic structures. The buildings seemed to stretch endlessly into the sky, their sleek designs a testament to advanced engineering.
A train station hovered in the sky, with most of the city suspended above the ground. In the center stood a monumental tower that seemed to pierce the heavens, [The Stem]. Surrounding the city was an expanse of endless grass and mountains, their natural beauty contrasting sharply with the urban sprawl.
He walked around aimlessly, observing the [crossroads] and [stoplights]. "Uh, thank you, text," he said, embarrassed it had to explain everything for him. The streets were alive with activity, people of various shapes and sizes moving with purpose. He saw something zoom past him in a blur, the motor engine roaring, grey gas trailing behind. "What is that?"
[Car: A wheeled motor vehicle used for transportation, typically powered by an internal Rasvian-based engine]
"Wow," he continued watching as it drifted away in a cloud of smoke.
"Are there any more text?"
**[• Sedans: Traditional passenger vehicles with separate compartments for the engine, passengers, and cargo.
SUVs (Sport Utility Vehicles): Larger vehicles designed for off-road capability and more cargo space.
Coupes: Cars with a sporty design, typically with two doors. Convertibles: Cars with a roof that can be folded down or removed.
Hatchbacks: Cars with a rear door that swings upward, providing access to the cargo area. Electric Cars: Vehicles powered entirely by Rasvian motors and batteries.]**
"OOOOH?! There's actually more." He looked at the gloves that came with the suit and clenched them.
"My new goal is to find all the types of cars," he said to himself happily, standing in front of the crossroad next to the stop sign with multiple people waiting for it to turn green. No one paid him any mind, their faces a blur of indifference.
The variety of cars was astounding, each one a marvel of engineering and design.
"Must be mad," someone in the crowd said.
"Yeah," another replied.
Suddenly, two girls approached him as he begins walking. "Hi," one of them said, her voice commanding, making him step back a bit. Leonardo, who was approximately 5'1"—a normal height in his era, even considered tall—was flabbergasted by the attention.
He was so caught up with the city, focusing on its intricate details, that he had completely forgotten how tall people were here. These girls were ridiculously tall, towering over him like giants. He felt like a child standing next to them.
"What are those?" he blurted out, trying to mask his nervousness.
[Humans living in the city]
"They're so tall," he said nervously. His voice was barely above a whisper, but the girl and her friend seemed to catch every word.
The other girl, who introduced herself, giggled. "You are really short," she said, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. She was even taller than the last girl, and both of them had an ethereal grace that made Leonardo feel clumsy in comparison.
As he walked through the bustling streets, he passed a myriad of shops, each more extravagant than the last.
The people wore vibrant, intricate clothing, some of them cursing him as he accidentally bumped into them, a sprawling metropolis. The city's sheer size and the constant flow of people overwhelmed him.
Tall skyscrapers rising with different lights to them
"It really is big."
He stumbled into an open square, where a grand fountain sprayed water in intricate patterns. The buildings around him were adorned with futuristic designs, blending seamlessly with elements of classical architecture. The blend of old and new was mesmerizing.
He could see flying vehicles zipping through the air above, and holographic advertisements of a woman with brown hair talking about a new idea floated in mid-air, displaying everything from fashion to technology.
Feeling a bit more composed, he continued exploring, his eyes wide with wonder. He passed through market stalls where vendors sold exotic goods.
The air was filled with the aroma of unfamiliar spices and the chatter of people in different languages. Each stall was a feast for the senses, offering everything from alien fruits to handcrafted artifacts that glowed with their own inner light.
He then stopped to ask the text, "How am I understanding them?"
[Immediate language translator]
He continued walking, pausing to ask if there was a king.
[No current king; the current ruler is one of the 21 gods, who leave jurisdiction to 5 sages and a tour guide.]
"Sage sounds fun, seems like another ranking," he mused. The atmosphere changed, reminiscent of when he had been in his earlier world staring at the moon. He appeared to be in a trance again, continuing, "Everything just got harder." He sighed, walking towards the enormous tower at the center of the city, [The Stem].
"Welcome to the Skyway Hub," the conductor said cheerfully through a microphone to the crowd waiting to enter the train. Most people were on their phones, not paying attention to the speech.
On the other hand, Leonardo paid attention to every possible detail. "You'll need to get through here to reach the floors of The Stem," the conductor finally said.
Leonardo listened intently, his ears absorbing every word.