Chapter 12: The Wolf that howled at the Moon
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Chapter 12: The Wolf that howled at the Moon
In the center of a misty plain stretching from one horizon to another, a translucent dome sat. It seemed immaterial, a simple aether film protecting the interior from the sun's radiation.
"A soap bubble?" was Priam's first thought. The portal had spit him out moments before, right before the protection.
Under the dome, Priam could see buildings. There seemed to be some commotion inside, and potentially human forms were forming groups. Despite his high perception, the dome prevented him from seeing what was happening.
Priam took a breath, trying in vain to shake off his stress. Refusing to lie to himself, he admitted that he was afraid of the proximity of other humans. He didn't know his place in this post-apocalyptic society. He didn't even know if he wanted to be part of it. But maybe my family is right here!
He held his hand forward, but the barrier stopped his advance. He tried to penetrate the protection for a few seconds without success.
"The path seems blocked off this way... There must be an entrance somewhere else."
As he turned around, he noticed that the grass was green. He was almost surprised that he had gotten used to the blue color of the grass endemic to Elysium. One gets used to everything...
While stretching to get rid of the urge to vomit - a side effect of the portal -, Priam took a few steps to get used to the new gravity. His body felt lighter than in Elysium, and the sensation was very uncomfortable. He felt as if he was lifting off the ground every time he accelerated a little. It is going to be problematic to fight. I'll have to get used to it...
To make matters worse, the aether density was much lower than in Elysium. Priam felt like he was running out of oxygen at a high altitude. No matter how hard he tried to breathe, the air didn't agree with him. The young man panicked a little, wondering if he would ever be deprived of traveling to worlds with too little aether.
But if the amount of aether annoyed him, the familiarity of the place made him smile. He recognized the trees, the insects, and even the stars and their constellations. In broad daylight. Stopping short, Priam looked up.
There, next to a single familiar sun, suspended alone in that black sky, was the Earth. The Earth he never thought he would see again. Well, rather a crescent. The part illuminated by the sun was visible, and it seemed, even from its distant position, that it had changed somewhat. But it was Earth.
Priam understood the environmental awareness of the astronauts when they saw the Earth from space. This beautiful planet was just a big pile of rock and metal on whose surface life had developed by incredible luck. Against the black background of the cosmos - the celestial body on which it was located must have had a thin atmosphere - Earth seemed fragile. A desire to protect it won Priam's heart. He wanted to protect the Earth and the humanity it had given birth to.
Blinking at the sun, Priam laughed as he suddenly realized something. It's so obvious!
"I'm on the moon?!" he exclaimed.
It seemed impossible. The vegetation, the atmosphere, the temperature, and the few clouds in the sky were all evidence that he must be wrong. Even the gravity was too high. But he felt he was right.
Uninterested in his deductions, the System manifested itself.
ANNOUNCEMENT
Welcome to the first meeting.
During this week of reunion, a renewed Moon welcomes humanity.
Share, communicate, and explore to defeat your enemies together.
Break free from your chains.
Aspire to a future for humanity.
Your other quests are paused during the Meeting.
Main Quest: Reunited Soon?
Humans are sheltered in domes distributed on the surface of the Moon.
All of them? No, the fighters, protectors of humanity, must prove themselves.
Investigate the threat. Eliminate it.
Priam was not worried. When his vitality had exceeded 100, a qualitative difference had occurred. He was not only healing eleven times faster than an average human. The real value must have been around twenty-two times faster. Coupled with the fruit he was currently digesting - which also boosted his regeneration - he would be completely healed before the end of the day. The wound itself did not prevent him from moving.
Before continuing on his way, Priam reviewed the fight. He should have won effortlessly. The System hadn't even bothered to give him a few skill levels as his display had been so pathetic. Let alone three wolves, if Priam learned to react and control his weapon well, he would have the ability to trounce an entire pack.
Using his physical advantage, he should have attacked first. The spear had not helped him and even made him lose his balance. Once in close combat, he had lost it, but it would have been ineffective anyway.
"If I want to use this weapon, and I do because some fights require reach, I must master it. Using a weapon you don't know is a big mistake."
Priam promised himself that he would start training with the spear as soon as possible.
"My last mistake was to panic and react instead of acting. To react is to go with the flow of the enemy. I would be dead if those wolves had been more numerous or stronger. I need to become proactive and get some experience."
Priam got up slowly and began to wield his spear. For the next half hour, he went through a series of moves. Forward attack, cutting attack, step to the side, turn around, blocking,... Priam wanted to become familiar with the weight of his weapon. His leg was hurting, but he used the pain to remind himself that every mistake had consequences. Dying stupidly for lack of training was unbearable for him. He knew nothing about handling a spear. A spearman would undoubtedly have been outraged by his exercises, but Priam was convinced it was better than nothing.
Suddenly, in the middle of a particularly classy combo - in his opinion - Priam turned around. He had heard a scream. A human scream.
Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0)
PHYSICAL:
Force 58
Constitution 77
Agility 90
Vitality 112
Perception 66
MENTAL:
Vivacity 75
Dexterity 46
Memory 29
Willpower 44
Charisma 36
META:
Meta-affinity 8
Meta-focus 16
Potential: 140
Tier 0
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Chapter 12: The Wolf that howled at the Moon
In the center of a misty plain stretching from one horizon to another, a translucent dome sat. It seemed immaterial, a simple aether film protecting the interior from the sun's radiation.
"A soap bubble?" was Priam's first thought. The portal had spit him out moments before, right before the protection.
Under the dome, Priam could see buildings. There seemed to be some commotion inside, and potentially human forms were forming groups. Despite his high perception, the dome prevented him from seeing what was happening.
Priam took a breath, trying in vain to shake off his stress. Refusing to lie to himself, he admitted that he was afraid of the proximity of other humans. He didn't know his place in this post-apocalyptic society. He didn't even know if he wanted to be part of it. But maybe my family is right here!
He held his hand forward, but the barrier stopped his advance. He tried to penetrate the protection for a few seconds without success.
"The path seems blocked off this way... There must be an entrance somewhere else."
As he turned around, he noticed that the grass was green. He was almost surprised that he had gotten used to the blue color of the grass endemic to Elysium. One gets used to everything...
While stretching to get rid of the urge to vomit - a side effect of the portal -, Priam took a few steps to get used to the new gravity. His body felt lighter than in Elysium, and the sensation was very uncomfortable. He felt as if he was lifting off the ground every time he accelerated a little. It is going to be problematic to fight. I'll have to get used to it...
To make matters worse, the aether density was much lower than in Elysium. Priam felt like he was running out of oxygen at a high altitude. No matter how hard he tried to breathe, the air didn't agree with him. The young man panicked a little, wondering if he would ever be deprived of traveling to worlds with too little aether.
But if the amount of aether annoyed him, the familiarity of the place made him smile. He recognized the trees, the insects, and even the stars and their constellations. In broad daylight. Stopping short, Priam looked up.
There, next to a single familiar sun, suspended alone in that black sky, was the Earth. The Earth he never thought he would see again. Well, rather a crescent. The part illuminated by the sun was visible, and it seemed, even from its distant position, that it had changed somewhat. But it was Earth.
Priam understood the environmental awareness of the astronauts when they saw the Earth from space. This beautiful planet was just a big pile of rock and metal on whose surface life had developed by incredible luck. Against the black background of the cosmos - the celestial body on which it was located must have had a thin atmosphere - Earth seemed fragile. A desire to protect it won Priam's heart. He wanted to protect the Earth and the humanity it had given birth to.
Blinking at the sun, Priam laughed as he suddenly realized something. It's so obvious!
"I'm on the moon?!" he exclaimed.
It seemed impossible. The vegetation, the atmosphere, the temperature, and the few clouds in the sky were all evidence that he must be wrong. Even the gravity was too high. But he felt he was right.
Uninterested in his deductions, the System manifested itself.
ANNOUNCEMENT
Welcome to the first meeting.
During this week of reunion, a renewed Moon welcomes humanity.
Share, communicate, and explore to defeat your enemies together.
Break free from your chains.
Aspire to a future for humanity.
Your other quests are paused during the Meeting.
Main Quest: Reunited Soon?
Humans are sheltered in domes distributed on the surface of the Moon.
All of them? No, the fighters, protectors of humanity, must prove themselves.
Investigate the threat. Eliminate it.
Priam was not worried. When his vitality had exceeded 100, a qualitative difference had occurred. He was not only healing eleven times faster than an average human. The real value must have been around twenty-two times faster. Coupled with the fruit he was currently digesting - which also boosted his regeneration - he would be completely healed before the end of the day. The wound itself did not prevent him from moving.
Before continuing on his way, Priam reviewed the fight. He should have won effortlessly. The System hadn't even bothered to give him a few skill levels as his display had been so pathetic. Let alone three wolves, if Priam learned to react and control his weapon well, he would have the ability to trounce an entire pack.
Using his physical advantage, he should have attacked first. The spear had not helped him and even made him lose his balance. Once in close combat, he had lost it, but it would have been ineffective anyway.
"If I want to use this weapon, and I do because some fights require reach, I must master it. Using a weapon you don't know is a big mistake."
Priam promised himself that he would start training with the spear as soon as possible.
"My last mistake was to panic and react instead of acting. To react is to go with the flow of the enemy. I would be dead if those wolves had been more numerous or stronger. I need to become proactive and get some experience."
Priam got up slowly and began to wield his spear. For the next half hour, he went through a series of moves. Forward attack, cutting attack, step to the side, turn around, blocking,... Priam wanted to become familiar with the weight of his weapon. His leg was hurting, but he used the pain to remind himself that every mistake had consequences. Dying stupidly for lack of training was unbearable for him. He knew nothing about handling a spear. A spearman would undoubtedly have been outraged by his exercises, but Priam was convinced it was better than nothing.
Suddenly, in the middle of a particularly classy combo - in his opinion - Priam turned around. He had heard a scream. A human scream.
Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0)
PHYSICAL:
Force 58
Constitution 77
Agility 90
Vitality 112
Perception 66
MENTAL:
Vivacity 75
Dexterity 46
Memory 29
Willpower 44
Charisma 36
META:
Meta-affinity 8
Meta-focus 16
Potential: 140
Tier 0
Chapter 12: The Wolf that howled at the MoonIn the center of a misty plain stretching from one horizon to another, a translucent dome sat. It seemed immaterial, a simple aether film protecting the interior from the sun's radiation. "A soap bubble?" was Priam's first thought. The portal had spit him out moments before, right before the protection.Under the dome, Priam could see buildings. There seemed to be some commotion inside, and potentially human forms were forming groups. Despite his high perception, the dome prevented him from seeing what was happening. Priam took a breath, trying in vain to shake off his stress. Refusing to lie to himself, he admitted that he was afraid of the proximity of other humans. He didn't know his place in this post-apocalyptic society. He didn't even know if he wanted to be part of it. But maybe my family is right here!He held his hand forward, but the barrier stopped his advance. He tried to penetrate the protection for a few seconds without success. "The path seems blocked off this way... There must be an entrance somewhere else."As he turned around, he noticed that the grass was green. He was almost surprised that he had gotten used to the blue color of the grass endemic to Elysium. One gets used to everything...While stretching to get rid of the urge to vomit - a side effect of the portal -, Priam took a few steps to get used to the new gravity. His body felt lighter than in Elysium, and the sensation was very uncomfortable. He felt as if he was lifting off the ground every time he accelerated a little. It is going to be problematic to fight. I'll have to get used to it... To make matters worse, the aether density was much lower than in Elysium. Priam felt like he was running out of oxygen at a high altitude. No matter how hard he tried to breathe, the air didn't agree with him. The young man panicked a little, wondering if he would ever be deprived of traveling to worlds with too little aether.But if the amount of aether annoyed him, the familiarity of the place made him smile. He recognized the trees, the insects, and even the stars and their constellations. In broad daylight. Stopping short, Priam looked up.There, next to a single familiar sun, suspended alone in that black sky, was the Earth. The Earth he never thought he would see again. Well, rather a crescent. The part illuminated by the sun was visible, and it seemed, even from its distant position, that it had changed somewhat. But it was Earth. Priam understood the environmental awareness of the astronauts when they saw the Earth from space. This beautiful planet was just a big pile of rock and metal on whose surface life had developed by incredible luck. Against the black background of the cosmos - the celestial body on which it was located must have had a thin atmosphere - Earth seemed fragile. A desire to protect it won Priam's heart. He wanted to protect the Earth and the humanity it had given birth to. Blinking at the sun, Priam laughed as he suddenly realized something. It's so obvious!"I'm on the moon?!" he exclaimed. It seemed impossible. The vegetation, the atmosphere, the temperature, and the few clouds in the sky were all evidence that he must be wrong. Even the gravity was too high. But he felt he was right.Uninterested in his deductions, the System manifested itself. ANNOUNCEMENTWelcome to the first meeting. During this week of reunion, a renewed Moon welcomes humanity. Share, communicate, and explore to defeat your enemies together.Break free from your chains.Aspire to a future for humanity.Your other quests are paused during the Meeting.Main Quest: Reunited Soon?Humans are sheltered in domes distributed on the surface of the Moon.All of them? No, the fighters, protectors of humanity, must prove themselves.Investigate the threat. Eliminate it.Priam was not worried. When his vitality had exceeded 100, a qualitative difference had occurred. He was not only healing eleven times faster than an average human. The real value must have been around twenty-two times faster. Coupled with the fruit he was currently digesting - which also boosted his regeneration - he would be completely healed before the end of the day. The wound itself did not prevent him from moving.Before continuing on his way, Priam reviewed the fight. He should have won effortlessly. The System hadn't even bothered to give him a few skill levels as his display had been so pathetic. Let alone three wolves, if Priam learned to react and control his weapon well, he would have the ability to trounce an entire pack.Using his physical advantage, he should have attacked first. The spear had not helped him and even made him lose his balance. Once in close combat, he had lost it, but it would have been ineffective anyway. "If I want to use this weapon, and I do because some fights require reach, I must master it. Using a weapon you don't know is a big mistake."Priam promised himself that he would start training with the spear as soon as possible. "My last mistake was to panic and react instead of acting. To react is to go with the flow of the enemy. I would be dead if those wolves had been more numerous or stronger. I need to become proactive and get some experience."Priam got up slowly and began to wield his spear. For the next half hour, he went through a series of moves. Forward attack, cutting attack, step to the side, turn around, blocking,... Priam wanted to become familiar with the weight of his weapon. His leg was hurting, but he used the pain to remind himself that every mistake had consequences. Dying stupidly for lack of training was unbearable for him. He knew nothing about handling a spear. A spearman would undoubtedly have been outraged by his exercises, but Priam was convinced it was better than nothing.Suddenly, in the middle of a particularly classy combo - in his opinion - Priam turned around. He had heard a scream. A human scream.Status: Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0PHYSICAL: Force 58Constitution 77Agility 90Vitality 112Perception 66MENTAL: Vivacity 75Dexterity 46Memory 29Willpower 44Charisma 36META:Meta-affinity 8Meta-focus 16Potential: 140Tier 0
