Chapter 3 [Attributes and Queries | Kyle]

Though Kyle was pretty sure that only half a minute had passed, he felt like he'd been writhing in agony for hours. Sweat poured from his skin, and his head throbbed from the abuse that his mind had been through. He gasped, dragging in great mouthfuls of air while casting a disdainful glare toward the floating book.

If I have to go through this every time you open… me an’ you are gonna have some problems.

He focused on the open page that had been covered in flame just a moment before. A second border had been burned within the confines of the first, yet this time it wasn't the same charcoal-black color as its counterpart. Kyle moved closer to examine the intricate patterns, slightly surprised when the tome didn't move away.

What is this? Copper? No… it's too brown for copper. Bronze, maybe? Is that… coincidental video game lore?

He tried to study the strange symbols but surrendered his quest for knowledge when he realized they were nothing but gibberish to him. If anything, they looked more like circuits on a board or a complex diagram of some sort than they did some undiscovered language.

Kyle inhaled deeply and righted himself, closing his eyes and taking a moment to come to terms with the current situation. Everything was happening so fast, and his mind was still reeling from the torment the Grimoire seemed to enjoy causing.

He felt like he'd been onto something before he noticed that Slime crawling toward Leah. One of his eyes opened partially to check on her before he shut them again and gathered his thoughts.

Alright. So Leah an’ the kids look to be sleepin’ almost precisely ten times farther away from me than when we fell asleep. Then there are those massive pines growin’ toward the… east? Yeah, I'll go with that for now. It's hard to tell from this distance, but those trees could be ten times as large as normal. No way to know without goin’ over an’ lookin’ at ‘em, but it helps my theory.

It's like we're still on Earth, only… a bigger Earth? Yeah… somethin’ like that. And there are Slimes. And a floating book that lights itself an’ my brain on fire every few minutes. Yeah… This all seems to check out. Makes perfect sense.

Kyle opened his eyes and glanced toward the hills to the south, or, at least, what he would call south for now. A trail of dead grass led off in that direction, likely the path the Slime had taken. And if this really was a larger version of Earth, he wouldn't find much else in that direction, at least not for some stretch. He glanced at his wife and then toward his children, struggling to decide the best course of action.

While casting his eyes this way and that, he noted that the Grimoire never seemed to obscure his vision. It always floated precisely where it needed to so that he had a clear view of both it and whatever he intended to look at.

"Well, that's nifty," Kyle muttered and turned slowly, watching as the book followed his movements. He stroked his beard as he considered what other commands he could give the tome. "How’s about… Page back. Page one. Oh, got it on the second try."

The pages flipped on their own until the first was revealed. Aside from his name and the illustrations running along its border, it was blank. After seeing no prompt waiting, he looked around for the mysterious item, trying not to recall the pain that came with choosing it. He saw something brown on the ground nearby, and shuffled forward to inspect it.

It was a…

Is that… a squirrel..?

He picked up the strange object. It was, indeed, a large squirrel… hooked to a strap… with a zipper running from just between its shoulders down to its tail. It looked to Kyle like a taxidermist had gotten bored and decided to play Doctor Frankenstein with a squirrel and a handbag. The critter still had its head, tail, and all its legs—which had been preserved and stuffed in preparation to mount—but instead of mounting it, they’d shoved one of those pencil pouches in its back—the ones you’d see at any public elementary school.

What kinda backwoods..? Well… If this thing is what I think it is, I'd wear it even if it was dyed pink an’ had flowers pinned behind its ears. Kyle chuckled as he looked over the ‘bag’. Now, how’s this supposed to work? Do I just-

Before he could finish that thought, he caught movement from the corner of his eye. The tome had hovered closer, and words were being scrawled across the first page through some unknown method.

[Appraise Item? Y/N]

"Uhhh… Yes, please," Kyle glanced at the bag and then back to the words, "I’d certainly ‘preciate it."

[Name | Inventory Sqwallet]

[Tier | 1]

[Stage | 2]

[Description | A result of boredom, spare parts, and redneck ingenuity. This sqwallet is capable of storing any non-sentient material. The bearer will feel no weight beyond that of the sqwallet. To withdraw any stored item, simply think of what you wish to retrieve while reaching into the sqwallet, and you will find it in your grasp.]

[Weight | 27.72 pounds]

[Bind Item? Y/N]

"Okay… so it’s like a bag o’ holdin’? Yeah, o’ course." Kyle scratched the back of his head. "I reckon."

Heat began to gather in his mind, and he gritted his teeth, thinking he had made a mistake. Then it was gone before the chill could even move in. This intrusion had been more of a mild warmth than a scorching pain, and when he looked back at the satchel, he could feel a difference. He was no longer holding just any item. No, this was his item.

[List of Bound Items available on page 4.]

Page four? Kyle counted the few pages it had available. Three… Four… Five… The last page is Appraisal, and the first page seems to be a way to… communicate? So, what are the other two?

A new string of words began to replace the last, and Kyle realized that the Grimoire was somehow reacting to his thoughts. He felt his cheeks warm slightly when he realized he hadn't needed to speak audibly for the tome to hear his earlier commands.

Well, at least everyone's still asleep. Now, what's this going on about?

[Page Functions: Page 1; Acts as a means of communication between Host and Grimoire. Page 2; Host's Attributes. Page 3; Map. Page 4; Bound Items. Additional pages produced with every Ability learned. Ability descriptions given on Page 1 upon request.]

Attributes?! Wait… Page two!

The excitement that Kyle had forced away previously returned with a vengeance. Answering his call, the page turned on its own, and what showed on the second page caused his fists to clench and his eyes to shine.

[Kyle | Stage 1]

[Race | Human]

[Tier | 3]

[Exp | 26/100 | 3/cycle]

[Health | 127/130 | 5/cycle]

[Energy | 129/130 | 5/cycle]

[Mana | 130/130 | 5/cycle]

[Resilience | 5 +]

[Vigor | 5 +]

[Vitality | 5 +]

[Force | 5 +]

[Intuition | 5 +]

[Acuity | 5 +]

[AP | 5 (Attribute Points)]

[AAP | 2 (Active Ability Points)]

[IAP | 2 (Innate Ability Points)]

[Note: Attributes are not a direct representation of Host's capabilities. One Attribute Point in any Attribute equates to a two percent increase in Host's corresponding traits. It is up to Host to determine which Attributes influence which bodily or mental functions. Attributes chosen may heavily influence Host's available options in the future. Choose wisely, as there is no going back once a decision is made.]

[For the first 48 hours after the transition, the amount of experience earned from slaying hostiles is increased by a multiplier of two. Time remaining: 42h 36m 51s.]

[After a 24 hour transition period, all surviving Hosts shall receive a summarized description of the state of the world. During the transition period, Grimoire has limited access to System information. Time remaining: 18h 36m 51s.]

[Anomaly detected. Early activation resulting in minimal Grimoire performance.]

[Initiating System Contingency Protocol 99.]

[Higher clearance required.]

[Clearance granted.]

[Grimoire permissions reinstated.]

Okay… That’s… a lot to take in. Just my luck to get somethin’ new an’ it already be broken. An’ this… transition period. Looks like I gotta wait almost twenty hours to find out what's happenin’. Least we won't be left high an’ dry. As fer these here stats… they why I feel so awkward? Kyle reread the notes before turning his attention to his Attributes. He clenched his fists and methodically flexed each of his muscles. If this here’s true, I reckon I oughtta be ten percent… uhh, better… than what I was?

Kyle hopped to his feet and jogged in circles, paying close attention to his body as he did so. His calves flexed, and he felt light on his feet as he sprung forward with every step. After a few short laps around the immediate area, he stopped and dropped to the ground, doing as many push-ups as possible in one set.

Sixteen… Seventeen… Eighteen… Nine-

He collapsed and closed his eyes, trying to control his unsteady breathing. Though it had been an embarrassing performance, he knew he hadn't been quite capable of that little workout days ago. His weight had long outpaced his strength. The few times he had exercised, he'd struggled to jog around the yard once before doing ten to fifteen push-ups.

So… what now? Kyle caught his breath as he looked over his options. Based on this description, these Attributes enhance the faculties of what the uhh… 'Host' already possesses. Not sure I like that word… Host. That mean this Grimoire is some kinda virus? A parasite, maybe? Eh… that’s above my paygrade. Anywhos… would it be better to boost what I'm missin’… or build up what's already there? I mean, seems kinda clear to me since it says these work on a percent basis, but… What would be my greatest strengths out o’ these six—

Huh. Reckon I’m just kinda… goin’ with all this craziness? Prolly ought not be takin’ this as well as I am… Kyle rubbed his temples. Just… roll with the punches like ya always do. Now… what the hell’s with these stats?

He frowned, slightly vexed by the line that said the Host had to determine what each Attribute did for themselves. Some of them seemed… somewhat straightforward, but he would have preferred more detail. Sure, there was always the option of waiting and learning from others, but that experience multiplier only lasted for a limited time, and he could feel his inner gamer screaming at him for sitting still.

I’m… not sure I like this setup. What happened to Strength an’ Agility? Bit o’ Defense maybe? Well, I guess this Resilience oughtta be somethin’ like Defense. But if that’s the case, then what the hell’s Vigor? Vitality? Force… Prolly Strength? Why ain’t it on top? Strength is always on top. An’ nuttin’ here looks anythin’ like Agility or Dexterity. No Perception.

These two… Intuition and Acuity. Bothuv’em mean somethin’ to do with the mind and perception… Maybe I oughtta work from the bottom up? Mana… Energy… Health… If I look at ‘em that way. These two here oughtta have some kind o’ magical property. If it moves up… an’ Energy is like Stamina… then that oughtta mean Force an’ Vitality have somethin’ to do with Stamina. Leaves Vigor and Resilience for Health.

Hmm… That’s a lot o’ speculatin’, but some of it makes sense. Vigor an’ Vitality both mean somethin’ long the lines o’ recovery. I’d bet my left nut on it that’s how they work. Right, so we’re gonna say Resilience is Defense. Vigor is HP Recovery. Vitality is Stamina Recovery. Force is Strength. Intuition… Perception, maybe? Acuity… Also, Perception? Gah. Ain’t there an owner’s manual?

Ughh…

Kyle ran his hand across his face. Acuity didn’t seem like such a bad idea. He grew giddy at the thought of magic when looking at his Mana, but what good would that do without knowing how to use it?

Intuition and Acuity? They sound great an’ all, but I ain’t got no way o’ knowin’ if they actually work like Perception. But… I definitely think they got somethin’ to do with Mana.

He hadn't forgotten the Grimoire's warning. Whatever he chose now would affect his future choices—though he couldn't be sure what that meant, exactly. What he did know was that he had to put his family first.

As fer the others… He gazed at Force for a full minute before turning to look at Leah. I wish you’d wake up. Be easier to make my mind up if I knew what you thought about all o’ this mess.

Stroking his beard, he pictured Leah's reaction and thought about the choices she would likely make. He knew without a doubt that she would go for Force, despite her own feebleness.

Kyle chuckled at the image of his slender wife dressed as some barbarian. That was all it took. With that image, his decision was made. There was no doubt in his mind that the feisty, stubborn, impulsive woman snoring away beside him would build the same as her role-playing characters. So, he would do the same and place himself between his family and whatever troubles they may face.

For now, he'd add some points to Resilience. He was a pretty hefty guy, and he was no stranger to pain, so hopefully, he and the Grimoire looked at that stat with similar definitions. As for the possible recovery stats, he was intrigued… and he hadn’t missed the five per cycle recovery of all his ‘prime’ stats. Kyle wasn’t sure what a ‘cycle’ was… but he had a gut feeling that that’s all he’d recover in a full day.

I hate that I'm basin’ my assumptions here on games an’ novels. He cracked his knuckles. Alright, quit pussy footin’ or you’ll be here all day. What else could Resilience be other’n defense in this situation? An’… think I’ll put a couple in Acuity. It’s magic, an’ if it makes me see better‘n that’s all well an’ good, too.

"Add three points to Resilience an’ two to Acuity, please," he tensed as he spoke, unsure what to expect. The ink began to sway, and the note below his Attributes churned until a new message emerged.

[+3 Resilience]

[+2 Acuity]

[All choices are final. Do you wish to proceed? Y/N]

Kyle took a deep breath, "Yes."

His body grew cold. The icy substance concealed within his mind burst out and spread through every inch of his being. At the same time, his muscles spasmed and warmed rapidly. Rather than vying for dominance, the two contrasting auras seemed to work in harmony as they danced within him. It was… rather uncomfortable and, thankfully, didn't last long.

Kyle clenched his teeth when it was over, unsure whether he wanted to jump in an icy bath or lay down and bake in the sun. It wasn't a dissimilar feeling to having a high temperature, yet he was full of energy and completely healthy. Curious, he looked at Page Two to see what had changed. He was happy to find that the Grimoire listed what each point had done.

[Health | 167/170 | 5/cycle]

[Energy | 129/130 | 5/cycle]

[Mana | 140/140 | 7/cycle]

[Resilience | Host has discovered new traits. Resilience increases Health (+10)]

[Acuity | Host has discovered new traits. Acuity increases Health (+5), Mana (+5), and Mana Regeneration (+1/cycle).]

Hmm… Seein’ as Health went up so much from Resilience, I think I made the right call there. But, Acuity… I was right that it was tied to Mana somehow, but what in the world does ‘Perception’ have to do with Health? Guess I’m wrong about it meanin’ that. I don’t feel like I can see any better.

In fact, I don't feel any different at all… Kyle looked at his hands curiously. His skin had reddened during the process, but it was already back to normal. As for his new Attributes… he wasn't sure how to test whether anything had been improved. Shrugging, he turned toward his daughter, still sleeping peacefully nearly a hundred yards away, and started walking.

"Page one," he murmured.

As he walked, Kyle considered what he should ask his Grimoire and wondered whether or not it would respond. Glancing back at Leah, still snoring peacefully despite all the ruckus he'd made, he voiced one of his greatest concerns.

"Any way you can tell me why everyone’s still sleepin’? Is my family going to be alright?" he asked quietly. Though Kyle knew he should be able to simply think his questions, he was growing rather fond of talking to the book. Scenes of ordinary folk avoiding quirky old wizards played in his mind, and he laughed at himself, only stopping when he noticed ink pooling in the center of the page.

By golly, it worked!

[Humans are incapable of harmonizing with this greater world. All Humans must undergo a change, where each cell is modified to accommodate the surrounding energies. The adjustment takes approximately twelve hours for Humans, and most start to wake another twelve after that. That estimate varies slightly between subjects.]

Subjects? Kyle frowned. "Will my family have to go through that pain that I felt? And why am I awake?"

[Your transition was unorthodox. You were awoken early due to an imminent threat to your Health. You obtained Experience before your body was reconstructed, and it was forced to undergo those changes all at once to accommodate it. Your family is experiencing a similar process, though much slower. They will not share the pain that you went through while being rapidly forced to adjust.]

That's a relief.

Kyle covered the distance faster than expected and stooped to lift his daughter. Her dirty blonde hair covered her face and shoulders, and she didn't even stir in his arms. He smiled and began the walk back to Leah, looking over his daughter again for any cuts or bruises before turning back to his Grimoire. He was surprised to find the page had changed.

[Human | Stage 0]

[Health | 100/100]

"Woah," Kyle chuckled and looked at his daughter again. "Why’s this here just say 'Human' an’ not Maeve? An’ why is her Health only a hunnerd? Mine was a hunnerd thirty when I first looked."

[Without Wielding a Grimoire, your daughter cannot bind her name. As to your second query, your daughter is still at Stage 0. Each Stage provides additional Health, Energy, and Mana.]

"I see… So that thirty I got is ‘cause I’m Stage One…" Kyle watched his Grimoire for a minute before asking, "Are you sentient? There’s no way those answers are pre-programmed."

He'd begun to have that suspicion after his first question. Sure, the answers the Grimoire gave seemed detached, but they were too on-the-nose.

[That answer would differ from person to person or race to race. Based on your knowledge, I believe that the simplest way for you to understand would be to regard me as an artificial intelligence. Unfortunately, I can not answer all of your queries. Though I am programmed with some base information. Due to your unfortunate Awakening, I was granted access to the System’s information grid, but only at the lowest clearance. Even if I had full clearance, the information granted would be limited. In most cases, I learn as you do, when you experience certain phenomena for yourself. An example of this would be how your Attributes affect what you call your ‘prime stats’.]

"I see," Kyle considered this for some time, even reaching his wife and laying Maeve next to her before speaking again. He was already walking toward his son before he asked another question. "Do you know if my theory was right? Is this place like Earth but larger?"

[That is accurate. This greater world is similar to your Earth, though larger and untamed. Further information will not be available until after the transition period.]

"I see. Can ya show me page three?" he asked, and the pages turned twice, revealing an almost blank sheet. Kyle took note of the fact that the backs of each page were blank.

Page three showed a tiny green line and a single black dot. It only took a moment to piece together that the dot was his location, and the green line was where he'd walked back and forth between his wife and kids. That was confirmed once he reached his son, Rowan, and his dot was sitting at the end of the green line.

"Page one."

[Human | Stage 0]

[Health | 100/100]

Rowan seems to be doin’ fine too. Kyle picked him up and trudged back to where Leah and Maeve were sleeping. He grimaced. I hope Greyson was with his mom last night. If he was stayin’ with a friend, it'll be hell to track ‘em down. Damn. Why couldn't this have happened while he was still with me over the weekend?

"Will Leah an’ the kids have their own Grimoires once they wake up?" he asked, looking around for possible threats as the pages turned.

[Their Grimoires will only be revealed after they Awaken. Awakening before the transition period ends requires earning experience through a means other than natural absorption.]

"Natural absorption?"

[All beings absorb experience at a specific rate from the world around them. In turn, the world absorbs what it needs through said beings.]

"Ahh, so that experience per cycle diddy…" Kyle shifted Rowan in his arms, sighing in relief at the boy's lack of response. Thanks to his Grimoire's explanation, he was almost afraid to wake him up before the twelve-hour period had ended. “Speakin’ of, how long’s a cycle?”

[One cycle is one full rotation of the planet. In other words, one day. Similar to your Earth, days are 24 hours.]

“I was afraid o’ that,” he murmured before glancing at his Health. I have a lot more than I started with… but at only five Health a day I’ve already almost burned through today’s recovery.

After laying Rowan down next to Leah, he stood and studied his surroundings once more. He could see clearly for miles in any direction, with only the hills to the south obscuring his vision. His gaze followed the Slime's trail that led from that direction.

"What other critters are awake? Won't folks be slaughtered before they even finish their adjustment?" Kyle squinted his eyes, yet nothing was moving as far as he could see. The stillness was… unsettling.

[Most hostiles in the current Phase are Tier 1. Tier 1 hostiles only have a three-hour adjustment period--many should have already awakened. Humans are a Tier 3 existence. Other Tier 3 beings will experience a similar adjustment period to the Human race. As for Tier 2 races, they will take twice as long as Tier 1, but half that of Tier 3.]

"Phase? Tiers..? Nevermind. Will something else show up to attack us?" Kyle asked worriedly.

[What you experienced was unusual. During the transition period, no creatures should be able to leave their Domain. The Slime that assaulted you is a Tier 1 existence, and, likely, the seal placed on its Domain was somehow damaged.]

"So, this… Domain south o’ here… Is that the only thing threatenin’ my family?" Kyle scratched his chin and stooped near the Slime's remains. Then, not wanting his kids to stumble across it, he carefully scraped the remaining goop into his sqwallet—which he still hadn’t completely come to terms with.

[Requesting System direction.]

[Guidance granted.]

[All Domains within the Host’s District aside from the Slime Domain are functioning at one-hundred percent capacity. The only threat to Host’s family are the escaping Slimes.]

Okay… What’ll be best for them? Kyle stood by his family for a few minutes. Should I wait here ‘til they wake up? Just… stand here an’ wait for more Slimes to attack..? Then what? That ain’t an option. Leah would kill me if I just let these things attack the other folks an’ she found out about it. I can’t be everywhere at once, an’ I just ain’t got the stuff to drag the whole damn neighborhood over here so I can look out for ‘em.

He looked toward the south, where he could clearly see the hills. They weren’t that far. Walking, he could reach them in a little over half an hour, maybe less. Jogging—Kyle shuddered at the thought—he felt that he could reach them in twenty minutes.

"So, as long as I can keep those creepy crawlies from getting’ over the ridge there… everyone here’ll be safe?" he asked. I can hold the lil’ buggers off… an’ I might learn a thin’ or two while I’m at it… I can’t protect nobody if I don’t know what’s what.

[Yes. The threat will only become more difficult to neutralize if it is allowed to run rampant.]

"That settles it, then," Kyle stood and cast one final glance toward Leah and the kids. He’d put himself between them and the Slimes, and not a damn one would make it past him. As long as he was alive, he’d make sure that they were safe.

Kyle hung the sqwallet over his shoulder and started walking south, following the trail of dead grass that led over the distant hill.