PftA (Revised) - Chapters 23-26 + Interlude

Chapter 23 – Getting Settled

Unlike storybook returner protagonists, I did not have an eidetic memory about everything I’d ever experienced, nor could I breeze through rifts I may have challenged as part of a game more than a decade before. Needless to say, though the rift seemed vaguely familiar, that familiarity did not give me any kind of edge.

We’d chosen the Nature-based rift with plant mobs, thinking that the Fire wands I had in my bag would be more than enough to keep us from being overwhelmed. Unfortunately, many of the plants proved resistant to Fire-based spells.

They were not resistant to my Space or Time magic.

It was a slog, but I did manage to get a better feel for how to use my newest spell: Pause. I’d contemplated waiting to get new spells until I reached Tier Two in the game, but I figured I’d practiced with a limited grimoire long enough to justify adding a couple of new spells. However, instead of purchasing the spells from the system, I wanted to see if I could learn them myself using the spellforms I’d found in the singular Time magic book I found in the library.

I expected it to be difficult without Lisa’s help, but, unfortunately, no matter how hard I tried, I could not force the mana to form the requisite spellforms without a template. It may have been a limitation of the simulation or the lack of skills such as Mana Manipulation, but without the assistance provided by my Interface Assistant, it would have been impossible. The exercise highlighted the advantage that those with the upgrade had over those without, especially when it came to magic.

The second spell I obtained with Lisa’s assistance was Haste.It created a bubble of dilated time that allowed the target to think and move quicker than my surroundings for a short period.

Both spells were immensely useful for both fighters and support mages.

Since I couldn’t be sure I’d have the ability to gain the spells before upgrading my interface, I decided not to attempt to manually add any more spells to my status. I’d still study and record everything, but there would be no more experimentation – at least for a while.

After offloading our unwanted loot to the nearby merchants who’d set up stalls right outside the circle, we explored the streets for hours in search of something new and exciting. Most of the shops were everyday things found in any city – clothing stores, jewelry merchants, restaurants, food shops, movie theaters, entertainment establishments, and even things geared toward adventuring and magic, like enchanting repair shops and armor dealers.

There were a few oddities – like the themed cafes we’d gone to earlier, levitating platforms, floating islands, and magical dueling arenas, but many of the things I loved most about the Junction were missing. Perhaps that was what this testing phase was about – finding more things to draw people’s interest.

I could easily list several things I remembered from the past, but that felt a little bit like cheating. Besides, those ideas were already going to be brought up by others. Maybe I could develop something new to help regular players and those who would flock to the Junction to take advantage of the time dilation.

“Oh, let’s see what’s going on over there,” Bell said as she grasped my arm and started pulling me toward the center of a park where a group of teens was cheering for a street performer. A young girl who appeared barely old enough to awaken her interface was the performer drawing their attention. Her face was pinched in concentration as two small, illusory fighters duked it out in front of her.

It was an impressive creation, one that was impossible for players to do within the game. It was good that Atlas showed some of what was possible with magic outside of the system-generated spells. It was just too bad nobody would be able to use such abilities until after the reintegration.

“That was amazing,” Bell gushed when the crowd broke apart after the performance. “How did you manage something so complicated? I have a Light affinity, but I’ve never seen a spell that can do something like that.”

The young NPC beamed at my friend. “I practiced. I’ve always been good with Light mana, but I got even better when I awakened.”

“What spell were you using?” Bell asked.

The girl shook her head as she responded, “I wasn’t using a spell. It was Mana Manipulation. It’s a skill that lets me directly manipulate mana. It’s really hard to get, though. My mom taught me when I was little. She’s a Light Mage, too.”

“I wonder if it’s something we can learn,” Bell mused. Not wanting to disappoint my friend, I remained silent. She’d be able to learn such skills after the reintegration happened, but probably not before. I wasn’t sure why Atlas Online only worked for some mana-based skills and not others, but that was well above my pay grade.

After a few more minutes of chatting with the young performer, I finally pulled Bell away from the performer and continued exploring the city.

= = =

“How was your first day?” Mom asked when she returned from her shift at the hospital. Since I’d finished work early, I decided to make dinner for the family. “Oh, that smells good,” she said as she entered the kitchen.

“It was fine. I can’t really describe it because of the NDA, but Dad would have really liked it,” I said with a smirk. It was a small hint, but nothing that could remotely be considered sharing sensitive information.

I’d texted Justin as soon as I logged out, admonishing him for not informing me about range day. He’d sent back a laughing emoji. It was no surprise he’d think I spent the morning miserable, given my childhood views on gun control.

Justin: Did anyone figure out a solution?

Me: Yeah, some used Enchanting, and a couple used Alchemyto make the weapons fire. Alchemy was probably the better option.

It was tough to admit as an Enchanter, but after considering the results, it was pretty clear. While Enchanting the rounds or even the weapons worked fine, it seemed like a lot less effort to modify the gunpowder to make everything work again.

The air gun intrigued me, though, especially when paired with enchanted marbles or beads. Throwing the consumable talismans would probably work fine – that’s what I did for most items that had a localized effect. However, I felt shooting them like paintballs at a target would be much more effective than lobbing each one by hand or using something like a slingshot.

Justin: Nice. It’s good your group found solutions. I’ve heard some are lucky to have one working option after the time is up.

I texted Justin intermittently throughout the evening, hoping the regular contact would keep him from thinking too much about how empty his apartment was without Melony. I think Mom had the same idea because she also regularly sent texts and chats to my brother. Dad mostly shook his head at our behavior, but I suspected he also occasionally reached out to his eldest child.

He was a big softie, even if he tried to hide it from anyone outside the family.

= = =

The rest of the week passed quickly. The first few hours of every beta testing session during that first week included some kind of post-reintegration training scenario, which confused me until I realized that Atlas was working with various world governments. The addition was probably at the behest of whatever government official was in charge of the partnership within the states.

That was also likely why they had us delve rifts in the Junction with modified firearms twice, regardless of our specialty. It was… loud, and wearing hearing protection was counterproductive since it muffled the sounds of approaching threats. Not wearing the protection made our ears ring, which also caused us to struggle with hearing hostiles drawn by the excessive noise.

The best way we found to resolve the issue was to have a healer – Mesmer, in my party’s case – cast AOE healing over time spells, something he struggled to do consistently due to the mana cost, especially with everyone being temporarily suppressed to level one.

Thankfully, enchanted weapons didn’t make much noise as long as they used something other than explosions to project the rounds. However, keeping up with the demand when enchanting the rounds was challenging. Engraving the firearm itself reduced costs significantly, but we still had to keep the enchantments powered. Still, we got through it with only a few injuries.

The rest of the time, we were free to explore the Junction. At the beginning of the following week, we submitted our thoughts and recommendations for the growing city, and Jaxson informed us that World Junction would be our primary testing location for the next few months. He also let us know that we were free to complete our contracted hours anytime during the week as long as we didn’t miss the mandatory meeting every other Firstday at dawn in the lobby of the Beta Promenade.

Since it was too difficult to keep up with the variations between time zones for all of the testers while also considering time dilation, Jaxson had shifted the meetings to orient completely on ‘Atlas Time.’

I spent part of my time with Bell and the others and part of it in lone exploration. I had settled into a routine. My day was effectively split into four parts – early morning exercise and training, beta testing, family time, and in-game training/party delving.

I was disappointed that neither the Mages’ Academy nor the Enchanter’s Academy had opened for business yet within World Junction. However, I did manage to find a library with a considerable section on magic – including three books on Time magic! I eventually started spending part of my beta testing time researching magical theory. The rest was usually filled by exploration of the expanding city – including the rifts located within.

I also copied other magic-related books into my interface for future guide articles, having Lisa separate everything into easy-to-digest segments. I couldn’t publish anything I found there until after World Junction was released and the library was made public, but that didn’t stop me from preparing everything. I certainly had no intention of violating the NDA I’d signed, especially not to share information that would be available in a matter of months.

After a few real-world weeks, I’d gotten comfortable with my routine and looked forward to starting school within the Junction in a week. I’d reached Tier Two in the game, and my Enchanting skill had seen a noticeable increase with my improved mana concentration. Things were going well overall.

I finally felt like I’d reached a good balance and was on the right path to becoming stronger and better rounded. I had a tentative plan for the reintegration and felt confident I could keep my family alive through the transition.

Life was good.

Chapter 24 – Second Round of Testing

“You don’t have to go with me,” I reminded my mother again as we walked to my car. Since it was just the two of us, we’d decided to take mine since it was the only one in the family with a self-driving feature. It was also significantly cheaper to operate than my mom’s gas-guzzling crossover.

“It’s nearly four hours away! Of course, I’m coming with you!” she exclaimed, almost affronted that I would have suggested she let me go alone.

Though it was my car, my mom got in the driver’s seat and started programming the route to the Atlas facility in Kansas City. While I’d only been actively working as a beta tester for four weeks, it had been over a month since my last ‘physical assessment.’ With school starting the following week, I wanted to get it out of the way now instead of waiting until the weekend.

Besides, testing day counted as a full workday, so it wasn’t like I would miss out on anything.

“I’m a big girl,” I replied as I buckled the safety harness. Though it was more restrictive than safety belts on older model vehicles, I liked the feeling of security the four-point harness provided much better. “Besides, I thought you couldn’t take any more time off.”

“That was a month ago. I’ve earned enough to take the day off, at least for the first check-in. Hopefully, they get the St. Louis office open soon.”

I nodded. St. Louis was much closer than Kansas City, and she’d probably be fine with me going there for work physicals. I pulled the satchel I’d brought onto my lap and began digging out crafting supplies once we started moving.

“What are you working on this time?” Mom asked as she eyed the items in my hands. I’d shown her some of my prior creations, even occasionally getting her involved in the process since she liked crafting so much.

She had the tendency of finding hobbies or new interests and obsessing over them for a month or two before completely losing interest and moving on to the next thing. It was why the game room I’d shared with Justin had transformed into a mixed-up crafting area after he moved out. It was convenient for me now, but it had been annoying in the timeline before.

“I’m working on making runic jewelry and art pieces,” I answered, showing her the templates I’d made using the family’s 3D printer that was, coincidentally, stored in the craft room I had largely taken over since I returned. “I usually use a combination of engraving and burning for these, but I don’t want to pull out a soldering iron in a moving vehicle.”

I went through my process, showing her how I carved the small tiles from prepared pieces before adding the runes. Working over a small cloth tray to catch any loose particles, I deftly carved out a design that was actually a small mana regeneration formation. I added several small flairs without the help of the small template I’d made. They did nothing for the enchantment but made the design look more appealing and artistic without harming anything.

“This is really pretty,” she complimented when I handed her the finished piece. I hadn’t bothered sealing it with oil yet since no reagents or mana had been added to make the item anything more than a pretty trinket. Without those additions, that was all the talisman would ever be since carvings in wood were not enough to move and direct mana.

After giving it some thought, I’d decided to pass off my early preparations as an artistic interest, even going as far as adding bails to several pieces to make them easy to attach to a necklace or other jewelry. I planned to slowly create these skeletons of enchantments until the reintegration, which would allow me to quickly finish each piece once I had the needed materials.

When we finally pulled up to the Atlas branch office, looking over the distantly familiar location felt odd. It wasn’t quite déjà vu since the surroundings looked very different from what I remembered, but it was similar enough.

Outside the small building that housed the branch office was a large clearing with one of those large, white event tents often seen outside mega stores when they started selling fireworks before the Fourth of July. The last time I’d been at this location, there was a large, swirling purple portal in that exact location, surrounded by a large, multi-story building.

Were they laying the groundwork for the portal already? It seemed a bit early, though I’d, admittingly, never been involved in creating an interplanetary spatial portal before. The process might have taken multiple years to accomplish.

Dismissing my curiosity since I could do nothing to satisfy it, I entered the Atlas building with my mom following directly behind me.

A few people were already waiting, most chatting or playing on their phones while wearing comfortable outfits designed for exercise. I signed in on the Atlas tablet and sat down to wait, noting the sign declaring that new testing groups would start every even-numbered hour.

I checked my phone and saw it was only a quarter shy of noon. We were lucky in our timing, it seemed.

A few more beta testers arrived before the top of the hour, and we were all taken back as a group when the Atlas representative appeared from a room near the back of the foyer. Mom and the others who were left waiting were allowed to borrow a headset to play while we did our assessments, though she declined since she was in an unsecured location.

She was a bit weird like that.

“Alright, this is the same battery of tests you should have taken last month, so there should be no surprises. We’ll do a round in real life, then transfer to World Junction and finish the assessment there. Any questions?”

When nobody said anything, the representative immediately started giving individual instructions, guiding us to whatever equipment he wanted us to use for that rotation. We’d all been forewarned, so nobody needed to change clothes before the assessment. By the time the first part was done, I was panting, and my limbs felt like Jello.

“Man, I hate running so much,” I groaned from the heap in which I’d collapsed upon finishing.

“Walk it off,” a nearby tester said as he offered me a hand. “You need to cool down, or you’ll be worse off tomorrow.”

As much as I wanted to ignore the Good Samaritan, I couldn’t bring myself to, so I allowed him to pull me to my feet before forcing myself to walk at a moderate pace around the indoor track. The worst part was that my suffering wasn’t even over. We had to do it all again virtually for some odd reason. Maybe they were comparing our performance with that of our baseline avatar.

I was pretty sure making us push ourselves like this should violate the torture clause in the Accords.

After the physical portion, we were given a chance to clean up and have some refreshments before being administered several mental tests. Some were like the IQ tests I’d taken before, while others appeared to gauge how quickly we processed information. It wasn’t the same series of tests as before, which was good if for no other reason than providing variety.

Not all the assessments were completed electronically; about half were given on physical paper or verbally. It had to make compiling the results much more difficult, but who was I to say anything about their methods? They probably had reasons for everything.

Perhaps there was some old monster dictating everything from the background, demanding all sorts of odd data that nobody else understood the purpose of. I’d met researchers like that in the other timeline. They were a strange bunch – reminiscent of the stereotypical mad scientists who only cared about the data and not how they got it.

The Accords were probably the only thing keeping those weirdos from torture and mass murder in the name of enlightenment.

The physical portion in-game was just as bad as the one in real life. My muscles tightened and heated the same way, breathing was similarly challenging, and the dizziness from over-exertion was indistinguishable from what I’d experienced a short while before.

Having done both back-to-back for the second time, I could confidently say there was no identifiable difference between the two scenarios. It was a testament to how well the DIVE gear connected our minds to our simulated avatar.

After a completely different series of mental assessments, we were finally at the last test for the session. Before logging in, they’d had us test our haptic suits to make sure no electricity was bleeding through since it would mess with the last test’s data. I hadn’t felt electricity, though my mind had started playing tricks on me there at the end.

I could have sworn I felt a twinge of mana, but it was so weak I’d dismissed the sensation. Now that I was considering the last test – an energy sensitivity test – I was starting to wonder if maybe the sensation had been real. I already knew Atlas somehow used mana instead of electricity to power the equipment.

Could I be perceiving it already?

I mentally shook my head, pushing away the small bubble of excitement I’d felt at the thought. It was much too early for that to start happening. Besides, the mana density was probably so low it wouldn’t matter anyway. With so little energy available, even if I could sense it, there wouldn’t be enough to do anything with.

Ready to finish this session and head home, I stood in my designated alcove and waited for the energy density to change. I’d sensed it during my first test, though it wasn’t until after several rounds. I had no idea if that was good or bad since we weren’t supposed to discuss the details of our individual tests with anyone – not even other beta testers.

I didn’t think that was for any operational reason but more of a personal privacy thing. It also hadn’t been in the NDA, so I guess, technically, we could discuss it. However, Rhona had specifically mentioned keeping the results to myself after the test. Since Justin never asked, it made sense that it was one of those office-culture things.

None of the other testers were visible, though I knew they were waiting for the assessment to start in the adjacent alcoves. I attempted to meditate as warm air currents flowed gently around my avatar. The small details they managed to work into the simulation were truly awe-inspiring when I took the time to consider them.

I could feel the mana density growing almost immediately, and a sense of warm pressure quickly increased, pressing against me from all sides. Before I could signal my detection of the energy, the incorporeal Fitmon on my wrist vibrated lightly, drawing my attention. I looked down and was surprised to see the faint band that used to make up the game’s representation of the manatech was now glowing brightly.

“Uh, what’s happening?” I asked myself more than any potential observers as the opening to my alcove sealed over, enclosing me within the small space. My heart started to beat violently, and I was sure it had to be pounding in the real world as well. The gentle heat I’d felt within the pressure increased, causing my body to flush with a teenage hot flash.

What was going on?

“Excuse me! I think my test is malfunctioning!” I called out, getting more nervous with the lack of response. My body is safe, I told myself. My mom was waiting for me outside; everything would be fine. It was probably a glitch or something. That was the whole point of having testers, right?

Yes, I nodded to myself. It would be fine. There was nothing to worry about. I took a deep breath, working to calm my thoughts and center myself.

Everything was good. They’d figure the glitch out, and everything would be okay. Atlas cared about its employees. There was absolutely no reason to worry.

Chapter 25 – Just a Small Glitch

“Emie?”

Though the feminine voice was soft, I flinched at the sudden noise. After spending several long minutes trying – and failing – to log out while receiving no response to my queries, I’d stopped calling out or attempting to access my interface. I opted to sit on the floor in silence instead as I considered my predicament.

“Miss Rhona?” I said, connecting the voice with my remote boss. I had only spoken with her once since leaving Florida, but I was confident in my identification.

The walls surrounding me sank into the ground, all evidence of their existence disappearing as the gray stone floor rippled and smoothed into a solid piece. The rest of the furnishings and dividers had likewise disappeared, leaving me and my boss alone in the large, empty room.

Standing a few yards away, the blue-eyed woman looked nice in her long, tailored skirt and decorative mint-colored top. The clothes were similar to what some of the upper-class, non-combat professionals within the Alliance wore. However, her garments were embroidered with an unfamiliar crest repeating along the hems. It was nothing like what she usually wore.

The tension around her eyes and stiff movements betrayed her presentation of confidence as she made a sweeping gesture toward a newly revealed wall with several ornate doorways housing swirling portals within. “Let’s go somewhere more comfortable.”

I followed my boss through the middle portal, noting the intricate runic enchantments engraved around the frame and along the floor. She wasn’t showing any signs of hostility, and this was a virtual world, so there should be no reason to worry. She was probably there to address the fact that I couldn’t log out and my interface wasn’t working. The experts at Atlas should have no problem solving whatever glitch had stranded me there.

My constant self-assurance did little to keep my nerves in check.

Upon exiting the portal, I could immediately feel the shift in my environment. No longer was I within a comfortable, indoor setting. The salty breeze flowed gently around my body as the afternoon sun warmed my face while I examined my new surroundings.

We were standing in the middle of an arrival platform overlooking several small shops lining the boardwalk of a beach with impossibly white sand. The ocean was more teal than blue, and the whitecaps contrasted sharply as they frothed atop the crashing waves.

I looked behind me, verifying the portal leading back to World Junction was still present. Though the scenery was picturesque, I did not want to become stranded in some small pocket space within the game.

“It’s a separate instance,” Rhona said as she stepped off the platform and headed for one of the small cafes nearby. “I thought it might be a good place to have a private conversation since nobody else should be able to access the space. It’s one of the special locations we’ve built for those interested in getting away from everything.”

As soon as we settled into a pair of chairs at an outdoor patio table made of what appeared to be driftwood, a waiter arrived with a set of menus. “No need,” she said, waving the menus away. “We’ll take two hot chocolates with extra whipped cream and a sampling of your desserts.”

My eyes widened slightly. “How did you know what drink I like?”

She smiled thinly. “My interface can access records from testing. I just looked up what you normally ordered in places like this.”

Her interface. That certainly opened up a line of questioning; multiple, perhaps, if I addressed the level of monitoring. But it wasn’t like testers didn’t know they were being monitored while in the Junction. How else would they keep up with when we were actively ‘working’ and when we might just be doing our own thing?

Still, I needed to ask something before addressing any of the peripheral stuff. “What happened earlier? Why am I blocked from logging out or looking at my status?”

My boss sighed tiredly and rubbed the bridge of her nose. “This wasn’t supposed to start happening for at least a couple more years. Even our first testers weren’t expected to break through for another year and a half, at the earliest.” She looked at me critically before musing, “Why are you different? Is it the strength of your Time affinity?”

I felt a chill go up my spine at her comment. She hadn’t answered my question, so I looked back at her with confusion, hoping to hide my growing discomfort. There was no way I was walking into that trap, especially not with the chance that she had some kind of lie-detection skill.

“Break through what?” I replied with a question.

Before she could answer, the waiter returned with our order, placing everything on the table before swiftly departing. It was much quicker service than I would ever expect outside of a virtual environment.

However, a slight twinge of my intuition told me that time within this instance was going much faster than usual, exceeding even the maximum setting within my VPS. It was the first such twinge I’d felt since my return. Though it was just a hunch, my post-reintegration years had taught me to trust my instincts regarding Time and Space-related feelings.

With the waiter gone, she started talking.

“Things are going to be different when you log off this time,” she said as she broke one of the cookies into small pieces and let the pieces fall onto the dessert plate in front of her. “It’s probably easier for me to start at the beginning, but before that…”

She brushed the crumbs from her hands and held them out. An Atlas tablet materialized in her hands a second later, the screen already pre-loaded with a document. She handed it to me.

“I need you to read through these two addendums and sign them with a mana pen. I will also sign since these contracts are as much for Atlas as you. Both will be system-enforced, so they go beyond whatever local contract laws might be in place.”

My heart stuttered at the phrase ‘system-enforced,’ and I suddenly felt like I was back in my original timeline. It was disconcerting, to say the least.

I wanted to question her about what ‘system-enforced’ meant, but something stopped me. Pushing past my feelings of discomfort, I read through the first addendum. It changed my original employment contract, extending it to three years with a generous raise in salary, one that increased each year. My group designation would change from ‘Gamma’ to ‘Gamma Omega’ – something I’d never heard of – and I would be guaranteed a slot in the Omega group at the end of my new contract.

That meant whatever this Omega group was would be relevant after the reintegration, even if it was a year before it happened. If I remembered correctly, the ‘Space Exploration’ expansion for Atlas Online was released during the summer of 2033 – almost a year before most of the world gained access to their neural interfaces.

There were no new releases after that since most players had already shifted to Atlas’ other popular new release, a separate game called ‘Apocalypse Earth,’ which had been released the winter before. If testing concluded after the space expansion's release, any additional contracts would have to be for something else. I was curious about what it could be.

I scanned through the rest of the contract, which essentially guaranteed acceptance into any Universities or Academies within the Junction for any higher learning I wanted as an employee, without restriction. It also clarified that all current or future Omega group members were authorized free, on-site housing.

It was honestly a bit much. While the school part wasn’t a significant change compared to my old contract, it did remove the caveat about meeting requirements for entry. If I was reading this correctly, I could go to Harvard – for free – if Harvard opened a virtual campus within World Junction, with no admission requirements.

That was crazy.

I also noted the contract specifically included admission to academies. Did that mean I could attend the Mages’ Academy without completing several quests to meet the requirements?

And the pay. Why was Atlas offering to nearly double my salary after only a month? What had the glitch done that made them respond so generously? It made me worry that something had happened to my physical body. Was my body paralyzed or injured somehow?

“I can tell you’re concerned about something. What’s wrong?” Rhona asked.

Trying to reign in my worries, I quietly said, “I just don’t understand why you’re offering so much.”

Some of the tension left my boss’s body as a genuine smile appeared on her face. “That’s easy to answer. I value you. Atlas, as an organization, values you. The second document is the updated non-disclosure agreement. I need you to sign that before we can discuss why or what happened, but the new employment contract is not required for answers. If you want, you can stick with your current contract until it expires.”

I switched to the new NDA and read through it quickly. “I don’t see much difference between this one and the first one I signed,” I said.

“That’s because they are essentially the same. This one is just system-enforced,” she replied, using the term again.

Since I shouldn’t understand what it meant and she had mentioned it twice now, I asked. “What does that mean? What system?”

I wasn’t surprised when she just shook her head. “I can’t tell you until after you sign.”

Being trapped in the game, I could do little else. Rhona and Atlas Inc. weren’t asking any more of me, only demanding I agree to keep Atlas’s secrets under a system agreement instead of relying solely on mundane repercussions. While I’d never tried to violate such an agreement, I knew those who made such contracts through the system were physically incapable of breaking them.

That’s what system-enforced actually meant. The system itself would intervene if someone knowingly attempted to violate the agreement. Trying to find loopholes by writing information down and carelessly leaving it for others to see also wouldn’t work since the system would know the contractee’s intent.

While there were probably ways to get around it, I wasn’t concerned. The limitation on the NDA only lasted five years or until permitted by the contract holder. It was the same thing I’d already signed, just enforced. Not signing it now would probably cause more issues than anything.

I picked up the mana pen. “Just direct a little mana into the pen and sign your name like you normally would,” Rhona said. I followed her instructions before flipping back to the first addendum. If I was going to have a system-enforced contract keeping me silent, I was definitely getting the added benefits.

After I signed both documents, Rhona took the pen and signed on the line marked for her, finalizing both with a flourish.

“Great!” she said with a beaming smile. “I’m so glad you signed them. I was worried about figuring out what to do with you and how to explain it to your family if you refused.”

Chapter 26 - Answers

I froze at my boss’s ominous comment, causing Rhona to laugh. “I’m sorry. I’m just kidding,” she said with a giggle before adding, “Mostly.”

“Mostly?” I asked with a raised brow.

“Well,” she began, “if you’d refused to sign the new NDA, I’d probably have had to put you under an actual geas, which I really dislike doing. Besides, my Mind affinity is pretty weak, so using it for something like that isn't easy, even at my tier. Working together for mutual benefit is always the preferred option.”

“You say that like the game is real,” I said as I picked up one of the pastries on the plate, fighting to keep my hand steady. “I still don’t understand what happened during testing. Can you please explain what is going on now?”

As much as I wanted to ask more about her tier and the geas, her admission of being a Mind Mage kept me silent. Mind Mages weren’t the worst, but I was leery of them due to the potential for abuse. Only those with the strongest affinity to Mind magic could read minds, but it wasn’t like I could trust that Rhona had told me the truth about that.

However, I’d probably already be in trouble if she could read minds since I’d met with her more than once while in Florida. I had no defense against her magic either. At least, not yet. I had to assume she could gauge emotions, but maybe not within the simulation. Still, I’d need to proceed as if she could.

The normally energetic woman shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “Do you remember the introduction to the game when you first logged in?”

I nodded. I remembered it very well. Was she going to ‘read me in,’ as my dad would say? It seemed like that was the path she was taking. Surely, they didn’t do this with every beta tester. Then again, something had obviously gone wrong, or I wouldn’t be sitting in a virtual tropical location eating pastries with my boss.

“Well, it’s true—all of it. Everything the video said about the colonists and the study regarding life without mana is true. Earth has reached a point where the world will become uninhabitable unless the mana siphons are removed.” She paused to sip her now cool chocolate drink, giving me time to process her disclosures.

Knowing she could, at a minimum, read my emotions, I mustered as much confusion and shock as possible. Not being an actress, I had little faith in my ability, so I focused on my feelings toward the conversation as a whole instead of the revelations she was sharing.

A moment later, she continued, “I am a Researcher and Administrator for the Atlantis Alliance and part of the group responsible for ensuring the humans of Earth are ready for the coming reintegration. We’ve been seeding lore by inspiring creators with dreams of other worlds for decades, hoping to familiarize your civilization with the rest of the universe. A few years ago, we started increasing our efforts, reaching out to world leaders and influencing those we could, leading us to the present.”

I couldn’t help but frown. “How did you manage to get politicians to go along with anything? They are notoriously difficult to work with.”

At my question, she smirked. “Why do you think there are Mind Mages among us?” A shadow crossed her face, and her proud expression dropped. “While I abhor trampling on free will, the alternatives were unacceptable. Some agreed without intervention, requiring only a geas or system contract to keep in line. Others…”

After trailing off and leaving the implication hanging, she suddenly smiled. “Anyway! Atlas Online was the culmination of our efforts and is meant to provide a deeper familiarity with Alliance culture than mere stories while also providing an opportunity to train skills and get a feel for what might be possible.”

“Why are you telling me all of this?” I asked, voicing the question that dominated my thoughts.

She motioned toward the glowing line around my wrist, representing my Fitmon. “You awakened your affinities and activated your neural interface early.” She held up a hand to halt any questions. “The ambient mana density on Earth still isn’t high enough to activate the nascent neural implants present in most of the population, which is good since we hope to have the interfaces spread to everyone before it reaches that point.

“We’ve been slowly reducing the amount of mana siphoned from Earth, letting the density gradually build over time to reduce potential complications through acclimation. As an Atlas Online player, you are naturally exposed to more mana since your equipment uses it to operate. Even so, it shouldn’t have been enough to cause your implant to activate already.”

She looked directly into my eyes, ensuring I focused on her next words. “Yet, that is exactly what happened during your sensitivity test. Your interface somehow initialized in the real world, even though it should be impossible at this stage of the process. It doesn’t make any sense.”

My stomach dropped at her declaration. She was right. It didn’t make sense. Nothing like this had happened during the last timeline, and I’d played Atlas Online just as much then, possibly more. Aside from the testing done by Atlas, the only thing that had changed was my increased affinities after my return – that and my return itself. Could traveling through time have somehow caused my interface to activate early? Why hadn’t it activated as soon as I arrived if that was the case?

I had so many questions, but nobody I could ask. It wasn’t like there was a how-to handbook for time travel or anything. There were barely any books at all on Time magic. The only one with less information was Fate. Even Arcane, Soul, and Void magic had more data available!

Well, maybe not Arcane. But the other two were certainly well documented.

“So… you’re an alien?” I asked, ignoring the potential implications involving my affinities. Rhona’s focused expression shifted to one of faux affront.

“While I might fit the definition of an alien, I am just as human as you are. We may even be distantly related since your ancestors came from allied planets,” she said with a smirk, not bothering to pretend to be offended.

I rolled my eyes and chuckled at Rhona’s comment. Seeing her acting more relaxed naturally made me relax as well. Maybe Mind Mages were the worst.

“You mentioned your interface earlier. Does that work in the game too?” I asked before pushing ahead with another question. “Also, if my interface is activated in the real world, why can’t I access anything now?”

“Your external status is automatically suppressed while within the simulation. I had your game status suppressed until I could explain everything. As one of the overseers for this simulation, I can shift my avatar between my true status and the false one while immersed. You will not have the same ability, though you will be able to see your true status if you upgrade your interface in real life and in the game.”

My eyes grew wide at her comment. Had she just recommended I invest in the upgrade? It would certainly tie up my experience points for a long time. I might not manage to cover the cost before the reintegration happened if ambient mana levels were as low as she implied.

Seeing my expression, my boss’s smirk shifted into a genuine smile. “Yes, you can really upgrade your interface. The benefits are even more pronounced outside the game. The skills you gain in the simulation will also be much easier to obtain in the physical world, though spells will not. Unfortunately, the simulation that makes up Atlas Online was created as a skill trainer and does not work properly for magic.”

“So I can learn and practice skills in-game, and they will show up on my real-world status?” I asked, confused since my status had been empty the first time my interface activated.

Her face scrunched. “Not exactly. If you learn Smithing in the simulation, you’ll still need to demonstrate that skill in the physical world for the system to acknowledge it. Simply thinking through the information may be enough for things like knowledge skills. For skills that rely on action, you’ll need to perform that action to add the skill to your status.”

“Also,” Rhona gave me an apologetic smile. “Your game avatar automatically reset with your awakening. I managed to transfer your possessions to your new avatar since it didn’t seem fair to strip you of everything. But I could do nothing about your avatar resetting since your mana signature has changed. That’s the other reason I needed to redo the contracts. Also, we’ll need to re-register you at Beta Promenade before you log out.”

The peripheral sounds seemed to increase as the silence between us built for several moments.

“So, magic is real,” I said in summary as I looked at the crashing waves nearby. They looked and sounded so real. I only let myself zone out for a moment before bringing my gaze back to the brunette sitting across from me. She was no doubt assessing whatever thoughts or emotions she could perceive. It was a good thing I was still pretty freaked out, even if it wasn’t for the reasons she might assume.

“It is,” Rhona replied calmly.

“Can you tell me more about affinities? How are they decided? Do they limit what spells we can cast?” I asked. If she was willing to answer my questions, I might as well ask about some things I’d never gotten good answers about. Ros had been a fount of knowledge, but even that was limited since he hadn’t attended further schooling after his primary education.

Regardless of how in-depth the former noble’s pre-awakening education was, it couldn’t cover everything.

“Affinities are usually shared within a family, often passed down the line with each generation. However, that isn’t always the case. Seeing how affinities manifest in a world that has existed without mana for hundreds of generations will provide a lot of information that even the Alliance doesn’t know,” she admitted with a twinge of excitement. I could see the researcher in her manifesting.

“Elemental affinity is usually measured on a scale of zero to a hundred, with zero representing absolutely no affinity for an element – something that is nearly impossible – and one hundred representing a perfect affinity for an element. Affinities don’t register in the system unless they reach a score of sixteen, with anything scored sixteen to thirty-nine considered to be a weak affinity. A standard affinity ranges from forty to seventy, while strong affinities score between seventy-one and ninety. Exceptional – of which there were very few – encompasses ratings of ninety-one to one hundred. However, nobody in this realm has ever reached an affinity score of one hundred.”

“Do you know what mine are? Do I need to get retested?” I asked, curious about the depth of their testing.

Rhona made a swiping motion, and a screen appeared in front of me, displaying my affinity scores.

͠ ͠ ͠

Time: 91%

Space: 84%

͠ ͠ ͠

“Those look really high.”

“That is an understatement. Your Time affinity might barely qualify as Exceptional, but any exceptional affinity rating is…well, exceptional. Most people in the Alliance only have one affinity, and the likelihood of it reaching Exceptional is vanishingly small, even if they start with scores at the higher end of Strong. The higher one’s affinity score, the more difficult it is to improve. Your scores certainly came as a shock when I saw them earlier.”

“You didn’t know what they were before?”

She shook her head. “Not until you awakened. The system we use for the simulation can usually tell what someone’s affinity will be but not its strength. That can only be determined at or after awakening.”

“How can someone improve their affinities?” I asked, hoping for some kind of guidance on the topic. It wasn’t the first time I’d heard of the possibility.

I’d discussed it with Ros after noticing a slight increase in my affinity scores when we registered with the new Adventurers’ Guild on Olym. He hadn’t been able to tell me how to improve them – aside from immersing myself in a mana well matching my affinity – and he didn’t recommend that method since it often led to death for anyone without the right affinities. The only reason he knew that method worked was because it was how he’d gained the Arcane affinity.

Unfortunately, that event had also killed his best friend.

“The normal ways – meditation and practice,” she answered somewhat dismissively. “It’s hardly worth the effort for most people, though.”

My thoughts went back to her earlier statement. “You mentioned it was nearly impossible for someone to have an affinity score of zero. Does that mean everyone has at least some affinity for every element?”

If so, that would explain how people used general spells that clearly used elemental effects – like Self-Heal, which almost certainly used Life and Time to function. Things like Conceal were just weaker versions of Light and Shadow spells of the same name. Perhaps this was why.

Rhona waved her hand in a ‘so-so’ motion. “Technically, but not functionally. While someone might have an affinity score of five for Fire, it wouldn’t make them capable of casting Fire spells other than the general Spark. That’s one reason general spells are much more mana-intensive than their elemental counterparts.”

“As far as spells go,” she continued as I considered her comments, “I recommend you only purchase one spell per affinity and use the remaining three slots to buy general spells like Identify. Learning general or utility spells without system assistance is possible, but it will be much harder since you won’t have a connection to an element guiding you. The first elemental spell is just used to jump-start your connection and understanding of your element. After that, you’re better off developing your own spells or intent casting instead of relying on the system.”

I couldn’t help but stare openmouthed at my boss. I’d never been given guidance like that – ever. Then again, by the time I met anyone who knew better, it was already too late to change anything. I’d suffered from making poor choices the first time, hitting my five-spell limit for Tier One within the first week and finding myself unable to purchase any new spells.

I’d only lucked into figuring out new ones, even with my connection to Space and Time giving me an intuitive understanding of how to use them. Now that I understood the system wanted us to figure out how to cast spells independently, the limitation made much more sense.

“Can I manually cast and learn spells using spellforms in real life? I managed it with my upgraded interface helping me in the game.”

My boss's eyes twinkled with amusement. “That is good to know, and I don’t see what not. That’s part of what we learned at the Mages’ Academy, and the simulation's representation of spellforms should be accurate. Let me stress the word should, though,” she said, getting serious. “Atlas Online was not developed as a magic trainer, nor was its predecessor. And be very careful with using magic in the physical world, especially if there is any chance someone might see you or encounter the remnants of your testing. The existence of magic falls under the NDA, so you need to make every effort to protect that secret until the rest of the world is made aware.”

I nodded solemnly. It wasn’t hard to understand the problem with having a potentially rogue element capable of throwing a wrench into the Alliance’s plans. In fact, I was a bit surprised she was willing to let me leave, given the security risk I now posed.

“I’ll be sure to be careful,” I said honestly. “Is there any way—”

“No,” she said, cutting me off. “You can’t tell Justin or your parents. Nobody that doesn’t already know. However,” she added more softly, “that may change in time, depending on how things progress. You’ll likely get some concessions as the first native to naturally awaken, but it will take a while for those concessions to be relevant. Potentially years.”

I considered her words before nodding. “Okay, so learn magic, but don’t get caught. Learn skills, but don’t be overtly supernatural. Keep my head down until everyone knows the truth…and then what?”

“And then whatever you want. Several positions will become available for promising natives after the reintegration occurs. You may be offered one of those if you do well enough.” Seeing my facial expression, she laughed. “Or not! You can always do your own thing if you don’t want to take a prominent role in the transition. I’m sure several Mage Academies would accept you on a full scholarship, especially if you manage to learn spells without system assistance. Several factions in the Alliance would be interested in recruiting you based solely on your affinities. You’d likely have little issue joining a sect if that lifestyle appeals to you…”

I’d only had a few interactions with sect members, but nothing stood out. I didn’t witness any arrogant ‘Young Masters’ or ‘Young Mistresses’ or anything like that, but I’d heard they existed. Then again, we had our own versions here on Earth – like the entitled prick at my school.

In actuality, I didn’t know enough about real sects to form an opinion.

“Sects like in cultivation novels?” I asked. When she nodded, I added, “Is Qi a thing? Is it Ki? Chi? I’ve never been sure.”

Rhona chuckled. “No. They use mana and experience just like everyone else. But they are a lot more martially oriented than most others. Aside from the actual cultivation part, it’s pretty similar to what you’ve probably read.”

That was interesting, and something I hadn’t known before. But I had no desire to live as part of a wuxia novel, so I’d probably skip the whole sect-scene.

Redirecting the conversation, I said, “You mentioned Mage Academies. I saw one in the Junction, but it’s not open. Can I get access to that? Would it even be worth it if the game isn’t set up to train magical abilities or spells?”

“You can get access, and it most certainly isworth it. If you’d like to check out the Enchanter’s Academy as well, I can set that up for you, too. The first set of ‘tester’ classes won’t start for either Academy for another seven weeks, but I can certainly grant you access to their libraries and ensure you are approved for early admission. You were already marked as a candidate for testing both facilities based on your interests.”

I grinned, excited for the chance to gain access to what had previously been restricted information. To top it off, she talked about paying me to do so! What an amazing job!

We discussed potential classes of interest the two academies might offer before the conversation drifted back to my real-world status and the impacts of the game. I learned that the game system’s AI could not see our true statuses, even when logged on. It was the Interface Assistant – Lisa, in my case – that controlled access.

The simulation masquerading as a game was specifically designed to ensure users’ private statuses were not compromised. That was why the spells and skills someone had didn’t automatically transfer into the simulation.

After a few more minutes of discussing the simulation’s limitations – especially regarding mana-based abilities and spells, Rhona finally pulled the conversation back on topic. I was fine letting it wander since I was learning many things I’d never had the chance to learn in the previous timeline. But apparently, our time was running out, even with the added dilation.

“One last thing. As someone who has naturally ‘awakened,’ Atlas Inc – under the authority of the Atlantis Alliance – will support you in slowly growing over the next few years by granting you access to some of the low-level rifts we are currently curating. However, I doubt you’ll be able to reach Tier Two before reintegration without some serious effort on your part. Regardless, any advancement will benefit you. Like I said before, you matter to me, and you matter to Atlas as an organization. We will do whatever we can to support you. All we ask is that you keep our secrets and help us ensure the reintegration goes as smoothly as possible.”

Interlude 3 – A Hidden Diamond

In a seventh-floor office of a modern building overlooking the beach, a lithe woman with brown hair and blue eyes removed a piece of manatech that looked a lot like wrap-around sunglasses. She sat the advanced item on a nearby shelf and exited the small alcove housing her immersion equipment, re-entering her main office.

With a sigh, she sat behind the large desk and activated the crystalline tablet with a pulse of mana. The woman heaved another weary sigh, seeing the alert for Emie’s breakthrough still prominently displayed alongside her affinity scores.

Thank goodness the old elf had no access to this section of the database. Had he seen reports of Emie’s early awakening, she had no doubt the Researcher would have yanked the girl from her life here to become his newest test subject before discarding her once he squeezed every bit of data out of her that he could.

The brunette woman pinched the bridge of her nose, enjoying the slight pressure that worked as a light counter to her building headache. She knew she should probably report the development to the old elf, but Rhona had no desire to lose a potential asset just to fuel Sir Eri’Non’s unending curiosity. Besides, seeing how she progressed ahead of her contemporaries would provide plenty of insight that would undoubtedly offset whatever data he might lose.

Had it been possible to do such testing here on Earth, there would be no issue. Unfortunately, the only location nearby capable of performing the requisite tests was Sir Eri’Non’s ship. Removing Emie from the planet during the transition would preclude her return until after the reintegration by Alliance protocol. That was not something she wanted to do.

Not only would she be giving up a potential asset, but it would upset her brother and family. Mercer was already struggling with his wife leaving him. He was one of the good ones, so she wanted to avoid causing him more pain if possible.

After scrolling through the newest data received by her tablet, Rhona stood and stretched. She spent entirely too long sitting down at this job. With hours to go until the testers started logging off, Rhona headed to the basement to let off some steam. She didn’t bother with the elevator, using the stairs to descend faster than the mundane technology could carry her. As a Tier Seven human, she could easily run faster than the fastest racecars could drive.

It was almost disheartening to see how limited everyone on this planet was.

Usually, she waited until later in the evening to delve into the MT2 rift they artificially formed and kept powered beneath the building. After the morning she’d had, Rhona was ready to tear into some low-level beasts with her bare hands. At her level, even blindfolded and weaponless, nothing in that rift was much of a threat.

She considered the talented girl she just spent hours talking to in one of the vacation destinations they were designing for World Junction. The girl had already learned spells using spellforms found within the simulation. It was an approach that some of her Mage Academy counterparts used – minus the simulation part. They’d had access to physical resources at the Academy, of course.

And upgraded interfaces.

Technically, Emie had used her upgraded interface as well, but she had no training on the subject, so it was still quite noteworthy.

It really was too bad the simulation didn’t register and train spells. If it could, the girl would have been formidable by the time the rest of the mundane planet awoke.

Rhona changed her clothing to something more appropriate for delving while standing outside the exit, using her spatial ring to automatically equip her desired items without manually changing her attire. It took more mana than she’d like, but it wasn’t horrible. The rift crystal in her pendant did a lot to offset the extreme lack of mana.

She couldn’t go around casting a lot of spells or anything. Still, it was more than enough to make up for the occasional use of magic while keeping her from feeling like she was suffocating.

Being on this planet would have been unbearable without it.

She stomped through the enchanted doors that kept the mana contained within the rift room and nodded toward the lone guard stationed outside the rift. Rhona didn’t bother speaking to him. There wasn’t really anything to say.

As she stepped through the swirling rift portal leading to the second-strongest rift currently on the planet, the Atlas supervisor continued to consider the first Earthborn to naturally awaken and the conversation they’d just had.

Emie had been remarkably accepting of the situation, almost overly so. The older woman had barely needed to apply any mental effects, only gently influencing her to be receptive to the idea and trust in Rhona as a person who cared. It wasn’t like she didn’t care, after all.

Being a Mind Mage meant she was very in touch with her feelings and motivations. Sometimes, Rhona felt she cared too much about the population of this research planet. Feeling the inner negativity some of these people carried made her wonder if it was even worth it to bother preparing them for reintegration.

So many would likely violate the Accords in the initial chaos, functionally locking themselves to this planet and cutting off any hope of meaningful growth.

But seeing someone like Emie reignited her hope for the study. If there was one diamond hidden, surely there were others. The only other person of real interest she’d found was a boy with a Fate affinity. While his affinity was epic, his personality left a lot to be desired. He had been marked as clearly unsuited for recruitment because of it. In his case, she felt the assessment had been accurate.

That hadn’t stopped her from offering him a position, though. It was good that she’d fixed that hole in the programming to alert her when epic affinities appeared, regardless of their assessment rating.

That was her job, after all. She was there to find and procure talent for the benefit of the Alliance.

It was just too bad Emie’s older brother didn’t have the same potential she had.