1:42
1:41
1:40

Marcus stared incredulously at the countdown that was in front of him, reminding him that what he thought just happened did, in fact, just happen.

As the final seconds ticked down on the clock, he thought about what the impossible announcement had said.

Attention residents. Momentarily, your universe will undergo System Induction.
As a gesture of good faith, Seeds will be distributed randomly throughout your world, allowing you to opt into the System after induction has begun.
For additional incentive, several Early Adopter packages have been prepared for those of you who choose to do so.

Should you choose to do so, local residents may choose an appropriate Representative to appeal for Safe Zone status for your universe at the next System Forum.

Good luck, and welcome to the System!

 WARNING: After System Integration is initiated, this region will be populated with System Entities that may or may not be hostile towards local residents.

If you choose not to opt into the system, it is strongly recommended you evacuate to the nearest appropriate Safe Zone.

As the clock hit zero, a formless pulse of energy seemed to spread from everywhere at once, engulfing everything as the planet was integrated, along with the rest of the universe.

As the pulse of energy faded, a glowing violet orb appeared in the air without Marcus noticing. As it fully formed, it fell from the air, striking Marcus on the head.

Thank you, Marcus Grey for opting into the System!
Achievement Earned: First! (Eroa) - Be the first resident of your celestial body to opt into the System!
Receive Early Adopter Package (Superior)

Early Adopter Package (Superior)
Class Selection Token (Superior) x1
Class Enhancement Token (Superior) x2
Familiar Selection Token (Superior) x1
Familiar Enhancement Token (Superior) x2
Free xp x10000

Use Class Selection Token (Superior)?

Taking a deep breath, Marcus struggled to come to grips with what exactly was going on. Screw it. Show me what you’ve got. He thought. Sitting around isn’t gonna do any good anyway, might as well figure this out.

Superior Class gained: Steward

Stewards build and maintain fortresses in order to protect their lands from the monster hordes that spill forth after Induction. They bridge the gap between non-combatants and adventurers by providing a safe haven to both.

 Gained Skill Establish Fortress I (1 Charge Available)
Gained Skill Contractor I
Gained Skill Dominion I

 On Marcus’ left wrist, a silver watch appeared as he gained his class, while his mind was filled with knowledge of what his skills were, and how they worked. The watch, he knew, was his inventory. It was a dimensional space that could store all of his items, including those he’d just received from his Early Adopter Package.

With the knowledge of exactly how his Establish Fortress skill worked, Marcus knew that he’d need to find somewhere suitable to make use of it, as he was limited to having a single Fortress, and if it ended up being taken over or destroyed, he’d face a massive penalty trying to start over again.

Looking around the area, Marcus sighed. He had been hiking in the mountains, using his vacation days to get some time away from the grind, never expecting something like this to happen, but now, he was torn on what he should do. Right now, he was actually in a great location to make use of his skill, as he was next to a lake situated nearly 600m above a forest valley, with a sheer cliff on two sides.

Adding on to his dilemma, he knew what his skills did, and combat was not something they included. He hadn’t forgotten the warning about potential hostiles the system gave, and with what he knew of his Establish Fortress skill, it would level up by defeating monsters. Friggin’ monsters. Marcus sighed inwardly as he puzzled through what the best decision was, before suddenly getting a call on his phone.

“Marcus! Are you safe out there?” His brother David’s voice came across the phone. “This system thing is nuts man, you should come back home right away!” Hearing his brother’s voice, Marcus sighed in relief before replying. “Everything is fine out here, Dave. In fact, I think you should bring Lucy and the kids this way. I got a Class from the system, and with it came a bunch of knowledge about what’s going on. Pretty soon it won’t be safe in the city, but if you can get to me, I can make something that’ll keep us all safe.” He said.

“Class?” Dave asked, unsure. “Yeah. It lets me make a big damn fortress. Problem is, I can only make one, and I can’t move it. When monsters start showing up, would you feel safer up a mountain or trapped in a city?” Marcus heard an uncomfortable groan from the other side of the phone as Dave worked through his indecision.

“Dave. The only people I love more in this world than you is my nieces. I wouldn’t tell you to come here if I wasn’t 110% certain it was the right call. You gotta trust me, bro. If we’re out here, our family is safe. I promise.” At these words, a relieved breath came from the other end of the phone before Dave replied. “OK. I’m getting Lucy and the kids in the car right away. Love you bro. See you soon.”

Marcus looked down at his watch after he hung up the call, tapping on the Familiar Selection Token (Superior).

[Select Familiar Role]
Combat
Support
Utility
Overseer (Granted by Steward Class)

Looking at the list, Marcus selected the Overseer option without hesitation. It’ll probably make managing things easier, based on the name alone. He thought.

Receive Nexus Core (Superior)

 Marcus watched as a violet crystal orb, much like the one that had struck him on the head earlier, formed. “Master Grey, I’m here to assist you however I may.” An androgynous voice echoed from the orb as it pulsed with light.

“H… Hey. So, you’re my Familiar?” Marcus asked, puzzled as to what a glowing ball could do. “Yes, Master Grey, and I understand your confusion. As an Overseer type Familiar, I need to be installed in a facility in order to manage it. Despite my present limitations, I shall do my best to answer any and all questions you might have.” It replied. “I’m aware that your class is Steward, and you have yet to create your fortress. If you like, I can also assist you when using the skill, to ensure your fortress fits all of your needs.” It said.

“Well, that sounds good to me. I’m going to need to give you a name before we get started. Any preference?” He asked the orb. “I leave it in your hands, sir.” “Alright… Let’s go with Alice.” “Thank you for naming me, Master Grey. I shall do my best to not let you down.” Alice said, her voice having shifted to sound more feminine.

“If I may suggest something, sir. Before you cast the skill, you could use a Class Enhancement Token to upgrade it to a Superior skill.” Alice said. Oh yeah, let’s see what we get out of that. Marcus thought to himself before selecting the token with his watch.

Select Class Skill or Trait
Establish Fortress.

Establish Fortress I has been enhanced to Establish Fortress I (Superior)!
Additional upgrades will be available. Fortresses start with additional Upgrade points. Fortresses able to construct (2) Special Upgrades.

 Wow, yeah. I’d have felt horrible if I didn’t do that beforehand. Marcus thought. “Alice, should I use the second enhancement token on the skill again?” He asked, wondering if it could become even better.

“Enhancing it again would certainly provide a benefit, sir, but you might find a skill you need one for later, and enhancement tokens, especially of Superior quality are quite rare.” Alice said. “Also, once I’ve been installed in the fortress, you can use a familiar enhancement token on me, and I would be able to provide additional benefits as well.”

Well… No sense wasting more time. He thought. Establish Fortress.

He activated the ability, and a pool of light seemed to spill across the mountainside, centred around his current position. “Alice, can you arrange it so the walls extend from the cliff face above to the one below, and then stretch as far as possible towards the opposite side.”

As Marcus watched, walls began to rise out of the ground before his eyes. The wall facing down the mountain looked like it was made of two interlocking T shapes. The first gate was set such that anyone approaching would have to pass between the wall and then make a 90 degree turn in order to go through it, then turn 90 degrees in the opposite direction to pass through a second gate.

Designate Fortress Name

Marcus was momentarily stumped as to what exactly to call his newly minted fortress, but thinking back to the times he’d spent camping in the area with his father and brother growing up, he figured giving it the family name couldn’t hurt. Greywall.

Fortress ‘Greywall’ completed.
Achievement Earned: First Operating Base (Eroa) - Be the first resident of your celestial body to construct a System Base!
Receive Structure Enhancement Token (Advanced) x1
Receive Free xp x3000

 Achievement Earned: Structurally Superior (Eroa) - Be the first resident of your celestial body to produce a Superior quality System Structure!
Receive Structure Enhancement Token (Superior) x2
Receive Free xp x8000

 Marcus passed through the gates as he checked on his rewards, amazed to see a large fortified keep situated near the lake, now well protected by the outer walls. “Master Grey, you can control some functions of your fortress through your watch currently, while others require you to be within the Keep at the moment.” Alice spoke as he walked towards the large building. “If you install me within the Keep, you’ll be able to access and manage the fortress regardless of where you are through our connection.” She finished explaining as he made his way up to the large fortified structure.

The keep’s interior was modern, and while the structure was designed to be defensible, it wasn’t lacking in comfort. At the end of the entry hall was a lift, the only way to access the rest of the interior without passing through heavily reinforced doors. Marcus rode the lift to the top floor, where he emerged in a small reception room that lead further into an office.

Install Nexus Core (Superior) - Alice?

Marcus received the prompt as he entered the office, and agreed to the prompt, excited to see what would happen. The violet crystal orb lifted from his hand, rising to a mount that appeared behind a previously invisible hatch in the office ceiling before once again closing up.

Achievement Earned: A Nexus Connects Us (Eroa) - Be the first resident of your celestial body to deploy a System Network!
Receive Nexus Enhancement Token (Advanced) x1
Receive Free xp x3000
 
“Master Grey, I’m now able to control Greywall within the limits you permit. I’m also connected directly to your system interface, and can assist you with recommendations when you require.” Alice’s voice echoed within Marcus’ mind after the integration completed.