Second Genesis

Grey blinked. That jolt wasn’t from the ring, it was the feeling he got every time he picked up a weapon in the last ten minutes since he had been brought back to the start of this Tutorial Zone.

Something within him—whatever it was—registered this ring as something he should be able to wield?

’Interesting.’

Grey peeled the ring off the child goblin’s finger and put it on. It didn’t fit onto any of his larger fingers, but luckily it just barely managed to fit onto his pinky.

The moment it did, the ring resized itself and Grey felt a prick.

’Ow, what the hell?’

One second he was thinking if he should start his pimping career now that he had a pinky ring, and the next it felt like a dozen tiny needles had pinched right through his skin down to the bone.

A strong suction force came from Grey’s pinky and it felt like all the blood in his body was going to be drained away. Maybe by now he should have been panicking, but he only sighed.

’Well, on the bright side, at least I found it.’

Just when Grey was about to reconcile with the fact he was moments from dying another gruesome death, the suction force stopped, and then reversed.

—

[Requirements met. Welcome, Prometheus]

—

A flashing screen appeared before Grey for the first time outside of the opening ceremony of the Genesis Games.

’Prometheus?’ Grey blinked.

—

[Enter Introduction Phase?]

[Yes][No]

—

’Introduction Phase? Is that a tutorial? Is it asking me to take one?’

After a moment, Grey shrugged. What did he have to lose, exactly?

From his perspective, this was an item probably left behind by the Producers of the Genesis Games, a Rare Instance. If he could gain access to their system through this ring instead of through the Nexis Suit, that would be a huge advantage.

’How do I click yes?’

Grey didn’t even get to finish the thought before the world warped around him.

—

[Name: Grey Temolt]

[Frame: Prometheus]

[Pending Quests: 1]

-

Stamina: 10/10

Sync Rate: N/A

Energy Reserve: N/A

-

STR: 10 SPD: 10

DEX: 10 INT: 10

END: 10 PER: 10

-

Harmonic Stats: N/A

Free Stat Points: 0

-

Abilities:

Body

Resistances: N/A

Combat: N/A

Enhancements: N/A

Mind

Resistances: N/A

Combat: N/A

Enhancements: N/A

—

[Ability Detected. Modifying Status Screen]

—

[You have awakened the Mind Enhancement Ability {Goblin Warlord Spirit} to Level 1]

—

’Goblin Warlord Spirit? So it was because of the Last Goblin? Wait, is this a screen everyone can see? Or is it unique to this ring? And why are all my stats 10? What does that even mean? Who the hell is Prometheus? And what’s a Sync Rate? Also, a pending quest? When did I get one of those?’

Grey only had more questions after seeing this screen.

Obviously, he knew who Prometheus was from a mythological standpoint, but they couldn’t be referring to the same person, right? It seemed like in this context they had just picked out a name that sounded cool.

But sounding cool wasn’t helping Grey out right now.

A flash of the screen threw his thoughts off.

—

Operation: Spark Flame

Quest Rank: Common

Mission Type: Technician

Loops Remaining: 1

Objective: Craft a Titanframe

Description: Your Prometheus Spirit has been sparked, but it lacks a vessel. Without a vessel, your Prometheus Spirit will inevitably flame out and die along with it. Successfully craft a frame for your Prometheus Spirit.

Reward: Complete Introduction Phase.

Punishment: Flame Extinguishment.

—

’What the fuck...’

Grey was baffled. Craft a Titanframe? What the hell was that? And where would he even start with something like that?

’Loops remaining? What does that mean? And what’s a Prometheus Spirit?’

He wanted to curse up a storm. He needed information in order to complete whatever the hell this quest thing was, but he couldn’t get that information until he completed the quest.

Which sadistic bastard crafted this thing?

Grey took a breath to curse again when his breath became a gurgle. He hacked and coughed, a spike of pain ripping right through his throat.

...

Caldrin the Assistant Producer raised an eyebrow as he stared at Grey’s screen. He had seen a lot of stuff in his day, but he had never seen a candidate freeze in place for such a long time.

Granted, this candidate had blazed through the Tutorial Zone, so maybe they were overconfident in themselves. But Caldrin still found it to be idiotic.

If he just put in a little more effort, he would be among the first to finish. He only had the boss left to go, but he was just standing there.

’What is that ring?’ Caldrin thought with a frown. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

He clicked on a few screens and pulled up an inventory list. The price of running the Genesis Games was steep, so every item was listed and documented. For tax purposes, of course.

However, when Caldrin made it to the bottom of the list of items allocated for that Tutorial Zone and didn’t find the ring, his eyes widened.

’A Genesis Item! This is huge!’

Caldrin’s skin practically bubbled over, rapidly changing color with his emotions as he tapped at another screen.

The only types of items that wouldn’t be listed were those that were born from the Genesis Battlefield itself. Such items couldn’t even be called Rare Instances, they were known as Genesis Instances. When they appeared, they changed the entire landscape of the game itself.

But they were also huge ticket items.

Caldrin skipped right over all the yellow and pink envelopes. He skipped over the red and violet ones as well and went right to a deathly black.

He didn’t want to waste any time and only wrote two words.

GENESIS ITEM.

"NO!"

Caldrin had only just completed the action of sending when Fitz appeared at the entrance of the encampment, raising his bow and loosing an arrow right at Grey’s back.

Grey choked, his eyes finally regaining some clarity as he raised a hand to his throat. He struggled to look back toward Fitz, barely managing to make eye contact with the man.

But Fitz had already notched another arrow, loosing once more.

This one pierced right between Grey’s brows and the world went black.

—

[You have died. Better luck next time. Oh wait, there won’t be a next time. Toodle-oo.]

—

Loops Remaining: 0