Second Genesis

[Magnetic Hero Package]

[Download Progress: 100%]

—

’Magnetic Hero? So it was related to the Mental Enhancements he had...’

—

[Module Available]

—

Grey was about to click through when he thought better of it. Standing out here in the open when a big commotion had just been triggered was stupid.

’Let’s go inside the safe room first.’

It was about time he got to use one of these for its intended purpose. Hopefully he could enter.

Grey walked up to the outpost and pressed a hand against a door fairly well hidden along its base.

—

[Enter Safe Room?]

—

Grey gave his consent and the world warped around him. When he entered, he found himself face to face with a familiar frog-like humanoid. However, Grey didn’t know if it was the same one or not.

It wasn’t like he could tell the difference between two monkeys, so who was he to say that he wouldn’t have had equally as hard a time telling the difference between two frog humans?

That was, until, he saw an equally familiar name tag.

Barkeep Ji.

After some thought, Grey strolled right up to the barkeep.

"You know me, right?" Grey asked.

The pill-shaped pupils of the barkeep blinked.

"Yes, I recall. Tutorial Zone 1132-234. Participant Grey Temolt."

Grey nodded. "Are you the same barkeep that appears in all safe rooms?"

"No. I was decommissioned after the tutorial ended and then reassigned once this outpost took shape. Congratulations." Barkeep Ji said with a croak and smile. "I was somewhat worried about you after you ran out without completing the tutorial, but it seems it paid off."

Grey’s gaze flickered.

There was something very odd about this world. There were a lot of characters and moving parts that worked just like a video game, but they also seemed so much more real.

He had already seen that some of these NPCs could be manipulated, like that apartment overseer old lady. But then there were some like the rat technician who needed a little bit more massaging.

It was like some of these NPCs were given more RAM than others, and Grey had a feeling that if that was the case, then it was also certainly the case that those allocated with more RAM would be more important.

The question was... what reason did a barkeep that had only seen him briefly have for recalling his existence?

If all he had said was Grey’s name, that was fine. But the fact he went out of his way to mention Grey’s exact situation was... interesting.

It wasn’t exactly a smoking gun, but Grey was trying to find every advantage he could. If he wanted to survive, especially before he could secure himself more lives to lose, he was going to need to understand the mechanics of the Genesis Games more.

"I see. What happens when you’re decommissioned? Do you just go to some big waiting room?" Grey asked.

"It’s hard to say." The barkeep’s answer was significantly more clipped this time.

"Is that so? So you’re not like us Genesis Participants? You aren’t ferried in from the outside world?"

"The Genesis Games are my home." Barkeep Ji said succinctly. "Would you like a drink? You are the benefactor of my outpost, so you may receive complimentary meals and drinks of a Proving tier to your heart’s desire."

Grey raised an internal eyebrow. Did the frog man just change the subject on purpose? Or was he just trying to let Grey know about his benefits?

"Proving tier, hm?"

"Yes. Participant Grey may be unaware since you skipped the tutorial, but the Proving tier is considered the entry tier of strength. This is followed by the Established tier, and then the Vector tier."

—

[Name: Captain Terran]

[Vector Class]

—

Grey had already learned this, but that didn’t stop his memory from recalling Captain Terran’s status screen.

But it was all very confusing. What decided the tiers? His own status screen didn’t even have a designation on it.

"What does it take to reach the Proving tier?" Grey asked.

"Ah, this." Barkeep Ji smiled. "To reach the Proving tier requires stepping onto a Neural Frame Path. The details I cannot give you in this present state."

"In this present state?"

Barkeep Ji only smiled in response, but Grey could swear he saw just the slightest light of intelligence in his eyes. Whether that intelligence was more than the barkeep was letting on, or just the same as everything else, Grey had no idea.

"So, barkeep."

"Hm?"

"What exactly can you help me with other than food?"

"I am able to help you understand the finer details of information you’ve received from the tutorial."

"That is it?"

Barkeep Ji smiled again.

Grey looked at the frog man for a long while but then eventually just tapped at the bar.

"Alright, give me a drink, then."

"What would you prefer? Something with an acute stat boost? A stamina replenisher? Or something to satiate your hunger?"

Grey raised an eyebrow. ’Now this... could be convenient.’

...

Grey ended up just having a normal drink—non-alcoholic. Apparently these madmen not only had drinks that could elevate your stats for a short time, but they also came in alcoholic and non-alcoholic varieties.

As much as Grey didn’t mind himself a couple shots, he needed his head on straight right about now so he could find out what this Cyber Warp wanted to hand over to him.

—

[Module Available]

—

Sitting in a private safe room with white and steel walls he also had complimentary access to, Grey finally felt it was just about right for him to start.

His mind clicked for him.

—

[>Magnetic Push (Mind Combat)]

[>Magnetic Pull (Mind Combat)]

[>Magnetic Resonance (Mind Enhancement)]

—

Three modules lined up for Grey.

’Magnetic Push? That’s the one the spear dude was using, right? He must have not finished downloading the full thing and only managed to learn the first? But how exactly do you learn these?’

Grey was about to press when he suddenly hesitated. Something that Barkeep Ji said clicked into place for him.

’Wait. If I choose this, doesn’t that mean I’m setting my path?’

It didn’t seem like it. Grey had other Enhancements—namely, Goblin Warlord Spirit—but also a few others.

However, the way Cyber Warps worked was different. It had to download because it would make internal changes to your Neural Frame. It was very invasive when you thought about it.

And if Grey was correct, this was probably what it meant to step into the Proving Class.

...

As Grey was wondering what he should do, a familiar trio was walking toward the outpost.

At their lead was a small redhead who currently ranked third across their Zone.

Stella.