“ Let’s go over the other functions. ” Said John. “ By tapping on the image of yourself, the status should shrink. This time click on the arrow pointing left. That is the Quest system. ”

 

Taping it, Daniel saw the Quest system in question. It was showcasing three circles. In each circle, one could see a different picture. The one at the bottom had an image of a cartoonish detective on it. The middle one had a city as a picture and the last one on the upper part of the screen had an Earth as seen from space. 

“ I am sure you can already imagine how each group has its own theme. ”  Taking another sip of beer, John explained. “ The one at the bottom symbolizes your personal Quests. The one in the middle represents the place you live in. Usually, it shows a city for city folk, and finally, the upper one is tied to Global events. Go ahead and tap on any of them. ”

 

Doing as told, Daniel immediately saw the conundrum. When he tapped on the Personal Quest a small prompt popped up asking for PP to create a Quest. Could it be?

“ Seeing your face, you can see the problem. ” Commented John. “ As it may have come to you, you need PP to initiate a Quest. For a personal one, it’s easy as it only costs 1 PP, the others though are a different case. For the City or National Quest, depending on the person in question, it costs 5 PP. But to initiate a Global Quest you need 10 PP. ”

“ What are the differences? ” Asked Daniel.

 

“ Personal Quest I probably shouldn’t explain, as it has to do with your own motivations in life. The rewards aside, these are the easiest to complete. ” Explained John. “ The City or National Quest is a mix of your motivations and actual events. And it is at that level that if complete one can gain recruitment tickets. The Global one has no regard for your personal motivations and solely depends on events. Currently, there is one ongoing and has been since the App came into existence. ”

“ Oh, can you tell me about it? ” Asked Daniel with intrigue.

Nodding, John spoke. “ I can since you will also gain a version of it. This quest is named Save the World in my case as I belong to the Lawful Good Alignment and Destroy the World to somebody of the Evil Alignment variety. As for the Neutral ones, for them, it appears as Maintain the World. ”

“ Interesting. Do you go around saving people? Like a Hero? ” 

“ Not really. ” Denied John. “ While I do interfere if I do see something that does not suit my tastes, most of my actions are determined by the missions I am deployed to. Since I belong to the military, I am torn between Maintaining and Saving the World Quest1. Apparently, just because I am fighting terrorists and bad guys who are oppressing people, does not mean I am saving the World and am more maintaining the current structure.  ”

“ But you still maintain your alignment? ” Daniel asked again.

“ Yes. No matter what those in power right now say, I am out there fighting bad people. ” Sighed John as he explained his actions. “ Let’s get back to you and not me. Once your Alignment is assessed, those quests will appear to you. ”

 

Nodding, Daniel asked for further clarification. “ I understood for the most parts. What are the rewards for a Quest done? ”

“ For a Personal Quest, the reward will always be something that will benefit you. ” He replied. “ For the City Quests, it’s a different story. Depending on the Quest and the person doing it, it can go either towards something Good or Evil. Let me give you an example. Once I had this Quest to eliminate a criminal gang. I won’t mention where it happened as it’s not needed. What you need to know was that I had to do it on my own. The Quest cared not if it was easier to do with more people on the job. All it cared for was that my own hands did it. ”

“ Since you’re here you did already, right? What was the reward? ” Curiously Daniel asked.

Frowning for a second, John replied. “ I received the Title; Enemy of Gangsters. Because of the way I did it, I received 1 point in Instinct when fighting Gangsters and Criminals in a city. ”

“ Umm, that doesn’t sound bad, so what is the problem? ” Inquired Daniel.

“ The problem is that aside from basic stat reword I gained the Renown of being their enemy. ” Still seeing an intriguing face on Daniel, John explained further. “ The Title has a passive attached. No idea how it functions, but I am much more likely to make contact with gangsters in a City. ”

“ Oh. ”

“ Indeed, Oh. After that, I had to fight multiple times. ” Again he frowned. “ Once I had enough of it I went and got rid of another gang only to receive a notification that my Title’s effect strengthened. You see, I didn’t want to strengthen the Title by doing a Quest that favored it but it didn’t matter, since I already had the Title. Realizing that fact, the next time I initiated a Quest, my Title received an upgrade of plus 1 to Mind when fighting Gangsters and its name changed to recognize my profile better into Title; Predator of Gangsters. ”

“ So has the attraction effect increased too? ” Again Daniel asked with seriousness as a similar Title could help him catch the one that killed his family.

“ Sort of. ” He replied. “ Now it says that the Title projects fear into the gangsters so they are more likely to stay away from me. There is a catch though, and that it only works in a city where I have eliminated a gang. Otherwise every time I enter a new city I am bound to attract them. ”

 

“ To be honest, it doesn’t sound that bad even if it brings you trouble.” This time smiling at John, Daniel remarked. “ You know that age-old saying, The greater the Power, the greater the Responsibility. ”

“ Sigh, that saying is sooo definitely overused. ” Shaking his head, John added. “ It’s not like I am alone and I have a feeling that you will join me there too, soon. ”

“ Maybe. Tell me how that additional stat works? ” Dodging the topic, Daniel asked.

 

Taking a sip of beer, John considered his words. “ It’s hard to explain it in words. To me, since that Title increases Instinct and Mind now, it feels like I gain focus and desire I never had before when fighting them. The interesting part is how I snap into that focus and desire for their destruction when I declare them my enemy and that I am going to eliminate them. After that, as I observe and plan everything, it’s like ideas come to me out of nowhere. I know it’s just my mind processing the gathered information better, but it’s truly interesting going over them once I am done and the focus vanishes. ”

Definitely will need to get my hands on a Title like that. “ Ok, is there anything else about the Quest system I need to know? ”

Thinking for a second, John replied. “ If there is something I forgot, then it’s not important, as you will figure it out on your own. Then let’s start with the most interesting part of everything, abilities. Take your phone and go back to the primary screen and tap the right arrow. ”

 

Doing as told, Daniel arrived at a new screen. This one showcased a hexagon with a small hexagon on each end, and each of them held images. The upper one had an arm with lots of muscle shown on it. The upper left one showed a similar arm, but this time it was enveloped by something. The one below it showed an arm with an open palm and above it, a wrench floated. The upper right showed the same arm but more with a metallic sheen to it and the one below it only showed the same arm, with no implication to what it meant. Finally, at the bottom, the image showed a star. 

 

Observing and not understanding what they all meant, Daniel touched nothing and just waited for John to explain it. Seeing that, John started. “ That is the Power System, but I like to call it the abilities tab. Anyway, as you can see, it’s divided into six parts. Each one is a specialization and corresponds to one stat that you have. ”

“ Stat? ” Thinking for a second he realized what it meant and tried to connect them. “ The upper one is Body, and the lower bottom one is Luck. The others though are harder to figure out. ”

“ Indeed, if you don’t tap them it’s harder to know, so let me explain. ” Said John. “ The arm with the muscle is Enhancement and just like you thought, it connects to the Body stat. The upper left with the arm being coated by something is Emission and its corresponding stat is Instinct. The one below it, with the floating tool, is Manipulation and it corresponds with Mind. The upper right one with the metallic arm is Transmutation and its corresponding stat is Will. The one below it that just shows an arm is Conjuration and its corresponding stat is Wisdom and lastly we have the star, the Specialization. It corresponds with either Charisma or Luck in your case. ”

“ So an Enhancer, Emitter, Manipulator, Transmuter, Conjurer and finally the Specialist. ” Repeated Daniel for better confirmation. 

“ Once you have been assessed, after your next nap, a category will unlock for you. ” Said John. “ Remember how I said that Life Essence can be learned and manipulated directly? ” Nodded Daniel. “ Well, even if you do that, you still won’t be able to create an ability, as it needs to be done through this. While Life Essence fuels an ability, the fact is it’s not just Life Essence. ”

“ Then what is it? ”

“ Remember where your Core is? ” Immediately it clicked to Daniel. “ Oh. An ability is a mix of Life Essence and Soul? ”

“ Yes. An ability manifests when your Imagination meets the Soul to materialize it and with Life Essence to fuel it. ” Explained John. “ While you can use Life Essence without the Soul, you can’t manipulate the World around you, hence the Core’s purpose. With it, you create an ability that suits your needs and desires. ”

“ You mentioned imagination? Does that mean I can imagine anything? ” Hearing that, John smirked as if he knew that question would be asked.

Nodding and shaking his head, he explained. “ In theory, yes. You could imagine, let’s say, a sword that slices through everything. Once that imagination reaches the Soul, the Soul will need fuel to do what is imagined, and there lies the crutch of everything. The energy needed would skyrocket to achieve it. Even if you make it, an ability that works on that principle would suck you dry in seconds. Always remember this. What ability you make depends on your need and fuel requirement, so always go for something handy but ultimately if it comes down to when you have no more fuel, you can do without.  ”

 

“ I see. I suppose the categories are there for a reason? ” Asked Daniel.

“ Yes. ” Nodded John. “ Each category has its strengths and weaknesses. Let’s start with Enhancement as it is the most balanced one. The simple word enhance says it all to be honest but there are perks to it. Unlike the other categories, an Enhancer loses the ability to externalize his ability. Remember this, external does not mean it’s not possible to affect things outside your body, it just means that if you make an ability, to affect something it has to be through touch. But if you consider an Enhancer’s effect then it’s simple. ”

“ You mean it enhances the body’s statistics? To what degree? ” Inquired Daniel.

Nodding, John answered. “ Yes, the ability increases your statistics and of the things you want. As for the degree, it depends on the user. The first thing you should know is that each category has special perks that depend on the person who unlocks them. Before I tell you more, remember this, even if you have unlocked a different category as your starting point, you can unlock the others as you advance. The problem is that when unlocked you won’t gain the full effect of the unlocked category. ”

“ Right, let’s talk specifics. ” John continued his explanation. “ I don’t mind telling you this, but I started as an Enhancer, so I can tell you about it the best. As a natural Enhancer, I can enhance my body once and every category I unlock after I gain another stack if I want. ”

“ So if I am following you, that means that you can enhance your body for a total of 6 times? ” Asked Daniel for more clarification.

Nodding, John continued. “ In theory, yes. As I have only unlocked 1 category, I can only enhance my body twice. But even that is ridiculous. ” There he stopped for a second. “ You see, every enhancement increases my stats for a short time. So right now when I use it and if I am going all out with it, I can get 4 times stronger than a normal human. I am sure you can imagine what that means in a fight, but you won’t get the full picture. ”

“ Full picture? Wait, you don’t just gain strength, but reflexes, stamina endurance, and even brain functions too? ” Flabbergasted Daniel realized the implications. You literally, became superhuman. 

“ Cough. That sounds amazing. Are there any restrictions? ” With a hurried aspect behind his question, asked Daniel.

 

“ Of course there are. Everything has restrictions. ” Sighing, John explained. “ The basic restrictions are the stats themselves. You can only enhance what you have, so if your stats are low, the result will be low as well. I am constantly exercising and trying to increase my Body stat. It’s hard to increase your basic stats, that’s why Quest and Titles are important. Another restriction is time. The higher the Body stat the longer I can use it without repercussions and another restriction is that the higher the number of enhancements I use the shorter the time frame. ”

“ For Enhancement, that about sums it up. ” Added John. “ Let’s go over Emission. ” Seeing a nod from Daniel he went on. “ Unlike Enhancer, Emitter is all about using your ability. If you want to enhance your body, you would need to unlock said category. The same applies to the other categories too. A natural Emitter gains a special ability called Sphere of Perception. In the first rank, it displays an ability with which you can sense your surroundings. I do not have it unlocked but from what I have been told, with it, you can perceive the shape of everything in a radius of about 33 feet (10m). It’s expensive as hell at that range but you can lower the range for less cost. Everybody that unlocked the Emitter category gains the ability to use externalized abilities, but the SoP, as it’s called, gains only half the range of an innate Emitter, and one can’t change its range at all. Similar to how an Enhancer can enhance his body 6 times, SoP increase in size with every rank by another 33 feet(10m). And last, how and what ability one creates depends on the user.”

Daniel nodded at that statement, and John continued. “ The third category is Manipulator. As the name implies, one manipulates stuff with it. How and what you manipulate depends on the person but a natural Manipulator has no limits on what his ability can manipulate unlike those that unlocked it. ”

 

John stopped there for a second. Immediately, a realization and horror-stricken face appeared on Daniel. He became speechless, and the only thing that moved was his mouth as opened and closed. At least until he came to himself and the anger that he had suppressed all this time bubbled forth. 

BANG 

Was heard as Daniel’s hand slammed on the table. Its sound carried around the bar. Alongside the pain it caused to his hand, Daniel raised his voice, and it was full of menace. “ Please, tell me you’re joking? ” 

Immediately, John raised his hand and spoke to the few customers and the barkeeper. “ Sorry, I will make sure that it won’t happen again. ” Facing John again he spoke. “ Calm down for now. Anger won’t make it go away, and I was serious when I said it. ”

 

Glancing around, Daniel noticed their looks and swallowed his anger with deep breaths. “ I am sorry for disturbing you. Won’t happen again. ” Not bothering to check what they thought, he faced John with eyes that said he better explain everything he knew.

 

“ Like I said before. Manipulators can manipulate anything, whether it be some physical tool, animal, or human in this case. ” Said John. “ How depends on the person again, but due to the category being connected to the Mind stat, which represents the brain, one’s efficiency at manipulating anything skyrockets, including one’s own body. ”

“ And you think a Manipulator caused my situation. ” Still some menace in his voice, Daniel asked for confirmation.

Nodding, John explained. “ If what you told me last night is true, then it is highly likely it was done by a Manipulator. Otherwise, you would need a very, very, very depraved mother to defy her own instincts as a mother and kill her own child. Especially if that child is young, like in your case. ”

Thump. 

“ Damn it. ” Again Daniel slammed his hand on the table, only this much softer. Again he asked. “ Are you sure? ” 

“ While not 100%, it is likely that is the case, at this point. ” Replied John with some sadness in his voice. “ I do not know under what parameters one can unlock a category but as usual, a human’s actions can go either towards Good or Evil. I have witnessed good people being Manipulators. ”

Taking one last deep breath, Daniels’ anger vanished and his calm voice came out. “ I see. I am sorry for my outburst. Please continue. ”

 

“ Ok. ” Nodded John. “ It’s a bit blurry what one gains when one unlocks Manipulation, but increased control of yourself and your ability is a normal happenstance. Now I will tell you about the other 3. Transmutation is the category where your ability gains the ability to mimic physical properties. How and which you mimic depends on the person again, but a natural Transmuter has no limit on what to mimic. There is an inherent cost in doing it and it depends on the material in question. Those who unlock Transmutation gain the same ability but are restricted by the inherent ability they have already created. Another facet of Transmutation is that its stat, which is Will, influences your ability and its base Power. The higher your stat, the stronger your ability will be when it interacts with other people and their abilities. ”

 

“ Are you talking when two abilities interact, the one with the higher base wins? ”  Asked Daniel.

“ In a confrontation, yes. ” Confirmed John. “ But it depends more on the ability in question and how the ability works than raw power. ”

 

“ Alright, go on. ” Nodded at the request. “ Conjuring and Emission are two sides of the same coin. They are very similar and at the same time different. Unlike an Emitter, where one externalizes one’s ability, a Conjurer will manifest one’s ability. A conjured ability can interact with the physical world and even normal people can interact with it. I don’t know the inherent differences that entail both a Conjurer and Emitter but usually, it falls into the category of different methods with the same result. One inherent quality of Conjurers is that with each new unlocked category they gain one ability slot. ”

 

“ So they can have a maximum of 6. Alright. Anything else? ” 

Shaking his head, John explained. “ No. Now, let’s finish this with the last category, the Specialist. ”

“ Ok, what is special about this one that it has taken on such a name? ” Asked Daniel in curiosity, as Luck would influence this category in his case.

 

“ So far I have not met anybody with Specialization as the starting category and if I had I didn’t notice the difference. But later when you tap on it, a prompt will appear and tell you this. Specialist abilities are unique interactions of the user with the World. ” Said John. “ How and what counts as unique I do not know, but I met a few people that unlocked that category. From what I have been told, those who unlock it have no control over how that category will interact with their ability.  ”

“ Are you saying it’s random? ” Inquired Daniel.

“ Maybe, maybe not. But in my opinion, what ability manifests depends on the user’s psyche more than on the user’s capabilities. ” Replied John. “ Now, since I have explained the base of the ability system, let’s talk about more advanced stuff. After your category is unlocked and after you have created your first ability and before you are ready to unlock the next category, you need to think hard in which direction to travel. ”

“ Why? Are there more special interactions? ”

“ Yes, there is one, in fact, the most important one. I don’t think I have mentioned what happens when one unlocks Enhancement. Did I. ” Thinking for a second about it, Daniel shook his head. “ There is a reason, and it’s this. Imagine you started with any of the other categories and you unlock the Enhancement one. What will happen to it after you unlock the 3ed, 4th, 5th, or 6th category? Will that one enhancement be all you gain or will there be something more? ”

 

With that question posed he sent Daniel into his thoughts. Thinking about everything so far told to him, it came to him. All of it had to do with the number six. The number of stats, the way the abilities are tied into each other, and to their maximum potential being six. 

“ I think I understand what you’re talking about. ” Answered Daniel. “ You're saying that the inherent order of an ability taken will determine the maximum amount of potential each category will exhibit. So as long as you are not a natural Enhancer, the maximum number one will enhance one’s body is 5 times. The same should apply to the other categories? ”

 

“ Yes. Depending on when you unlock Enhancement determines the amount of enhancing one will be able to achieve. ” Replied John. “ For Emission, the maximum range of SoP, for Manipulation it’s a bit hard to say but it should be the number of objects affected, for Transmutation, it’s the amount of transmuted material, and for Conjuring the number of abilities or their effects on one ability. As for Specialists, it could be any number of things. ”

“ And that would conclude our discussion for the abilities part, I think. Ah, there is one more thing. The more versatile an ability, the weaker it will get. To get around that problem, it’s possible to place restrictions on your ability and its interactions. ” Added John. “ It’s not that hard to get the hang of it, and now I am truly done. ”

 

“ And the perks shop? ” Asked Daniel as only that part was left. 

“ If you open it once, you will understand. So there is not much to say about it. ”

 

Nodding, Daniel retreated into his thoughts for a bit, but soon after he closed the App and faced John. “ Tell me more about your experiences since you gained the App. ”

Shrugging at that part as if he was used to it. John began. “ Sure. So where should I start? Ah, I know. Let me tell you about… ”