A Price for Power

"Now, you must select the boons you desire," the skeleton said, its bony hand gesturing towards an unseen horizon. "But be mindful, for there is a limit to the amount and quality of benefits you can choose. What is the limit? That's for you to discover. You will have three opportunities to propose your desired benefits. If they fall within the limit, they are yours. Should they exceed it, you must reconsider your choices. And should you fail thrice, fate will choose for you."

"There's another twist," the skeleton added, a sly grin forming on its skull. "You can offer sacrifices to extend your limit. The greater the sacrifice, the higher the limit. But beware, every sacrifice will be exacted at the game's onset; none can be deferred."

Dante's mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. He pondered over the skeleton's cryptic instructions, each word a puzzle piece in this bizarre game. 'Sacrifice everything, gain nothing,' he thought. Such a paradoxical rule – a snare for the unwary.

"So, if I were to sacrifice 'everything', I will end up with nothing," Dante spoke his thoughts aloud, more to himself than to the skeleton.

"Ah, perceptive as ever," the skeleton cackled softly. "Indeed, you've uncovered the first of many snares - a veritable labyrinth of choices and consequences. Choose wisely, Dante. You have all the time in the world, but only three choices, and no further inquiries are permitted."

Dante stood in contemplation, weighing his options against the mysterious limits set by the skeleton. The stakes were high, and the rules were not clear. With each potential boon and sacrifice, he had to tread carefully, his decisions shaping the journey that lay ahead.

As moments melded into minutes, Dante, deep in thought, finally voiced his decision:

"I choose to sacrifice the following," he stated resolutely, his voice echoing in the void:

My Might cannot increase in any way.

My Finesse cannot increase in any way.

My Mystique cannot increase due to leveling, item, or equipment.

I forfeit my left eye, never to regain it.

I cannot equip, consume or use any items.

I cannot level up.

I am bound to a single skill.

The skeleton's grin, etched in bone, acknowledged his choices without a word. Its silent stare seemed to pierce through Dante, reading his unspoken thoughts.

"And what do you wish for?" it inquired, its tone laced with an almost playful curiosity.

Dante responded, his voice unwavering and accompanied by a subtle smirk playing on his lips:

I can always use my only skill, regardless of the circumstances.

My first and only skill summons an Undead Summoner.

My first summon has the ability to level up.

My first summon can learn new skills.

My first summon can equip, consume and use any item.

My first summon will receive all future boons in my stead.

My first summon and I will share its Mystique stat.

My first summon and I are recognized as one entity in this game.

My first summon is forever loyal to me.

My first summon possesses the ability to summon and unsummon me.

There was a moment, brief and almost imperceptible, where the skeleton seemed to react. Its hollow eye sockets, devoid of life, appeared to hold a flicker of understanding, a hint of surprise and amusement at Dante's choice.

Dante paused, his gaze locking onto the skeletal figure before him. The air hung heavy with anticipation. In a voice resonating with a mix of resolve and an unspoken challenge, he declared, "And … you will be my first summon." The words echoed through the empty space around them.

At the last statement, the skeleton burst into raucous laughter. "Clever, very clever," it chuckled. "But you've overstepped the bounds. Reformulate your wishes."

With a hint of disappointment, he pondered for a moment and then altered three of them:

I can always use my only skill, as long as the cooldown and mana requirements are met, regardless of the circumstances.

My first summon can equip, consume and use any item if it meets the requirements.

You will serve as the guiding intelligence for my first summon.

"Denied once more. Last attempt, young one," the skeleton intoned, its amusement tinged with a hint of sternness.

With nerves on edge, Dante made one final change to his last wish:

Your guidance, offered at your will on my quest.

The skeleton's smile grew wider, a crescent in the dark. "Bold gambit, Dante. I admire your audacity.'' He paused and looked at him. The silence that followed ratcheted up the tension.

"Your wishes are within bounds. Begin your journey."

And then, the world dimmed into nothingness, Dante's adventure starting in an abyss of shadows.

As the darkness enveloped him, the skeleton's voice echoed one last time, "Best of luck on your journey, Dante. And remember, I might crack a joke or two along the way – keep things lively for both of us."

Dante, now enveloped in an all-consuming blackness, felt a mix of apprehension and excitement. The game had begun.

In the solitude of the void, a wisp of amusement tinged the skeleton's tone, an ancient chuckle echoing in the silence. "What an intriguing game you've begun," it murmured, a sense of anticipation threading its words. The skeletal form lingered, its presence almost palpable in the stillness, before dissolving into the darkness, leaving a trail of intrigue and the promise of a lively adventure ahead.

***

Dante stood enveloped in darkness, an underground cavern in this new world. An eerie light emanated from luminescent mushrooms dotting the surroundings, casting ghostly shadows and creating an otherworldly ambiance. He felt a sense of disorientation, the last moments with the skeleton, whose name he had forgotten to ask, now a distant memory. 'He should be around here, considering my final wish,' Dante mused, scanning the dimly lit cavern.

His first realization in this surreal landscape was the absence of his right arm, a startling discovery that threw off his balance and added a layer of discomfort. Coupled with the loss of his left eye, his depth perception was significantly impaired, further skewing his balance. 'Hope all this is worth it,' he thought, a mix of uncertainty and determination swirling in his mind.

A voice, distinct from the familiar timbre of his skeletal chess companion, resonated through the cavern. It was slightly feminine yet not quite, with a monotone quality that seemed both alien and detached:

"Welcome to your new world, welcome to The Game."

"This will be your tutorial, akin to a simple dungeon in RPG games. Given your background in gaming, no further explanation is necessary for this event."

"To view quest objectives, stats, and allocate any boons received during induction, check your status window. Best of luck."

Left alone in the cavern, Dante wondered how to access the status window when suddenly, a holographic display materialized before him. It had a familiar layout reminiscent of classic RPGs: Inventory, Status, Equipment, Skills, and Quests. The interface was intuitive, responding to his thoughts rather than physical interactions – a feature he found intriguing yet would need time to adapt to. His inventory was empty, with a vague limit indicated in the corner, its nature yet to be revealed.

He moved to the Status section, which displayed minimal information:

Name: Dante Fellan

Class: Undead Summoner

Level: 1

Health Points (HP): 30

Mana Points (MP): 27

Might: 6

Finesse: 6

Mystique: 8

Essence: 9

The Equipment section listed potential gear, all currently blocked:

Right Hand (Blocked)

Left Hand (Blocked)

Headgear (Blocked)

Armor (Blocked)

Gauntlets (Blocked)

Greaves (Blocked)

Accessory 1 (Blocked)

Accessory 2 (Blocked)

'At least I know what can be equipped,' Dante thought as he moved to the Quests section, which listed a straightforward objective:

Main Quest: Defeat dungeon boss to complete the Tutorial

Finally, he explored the Skills menu, eager to discover his capabilities. The section was divided into Active Skills, Passive Skills and Learn Skills. With Current Skills empty, he navigated to Learn Skills and found:

Available Skill Points (SP): 1

Available Skills:

Summon Skeleton Warrior (Rank 1 (R1) Level 1 (L1)) (Cost: 1 SP): Summon a rank 1, level 1 skeleton warrior to fight by your side. Limit: 1, duration: 300 s, MP cost: 10, cooldown (CD): 180 s.

Conjure Bone Weapon (R1 L1) (Cost: 1 SP): Summons a rank 1, level 1, one-handed (1-H) bone mace. Duration: 300 s, MP cost: 5, CD: 180 s.

Conjure Bone Armor (R1 L1) (Cost: 1 SP): Summons a rank 1, level 1, bone armor. Duration: 300 s, MP cost: 5, CD: 180 s.

Limited options, and only one true summoning skill. 'No real choice then,' Dante concluded, selecting the skeleton warrior.

Active Skills: Summon Skeleton Warrior (Rank 1, Level 1)

Dante noted that 'rank' and 'level' were distinct in skill progression. As with everything in this new reality, these were concepts he would have to explore and understand in time.

He stood still for a moment, uncertain whether his boons from the induction would activate automatically. But to his relief, the air around him began to stir, a sign that his guess was indeed correct.

...Detected that no choice can be made pertaining to boons as only one outcome is possible. Executing boons...

Skill: Summon Skeleton Warrior (Rank 1, Level 1) has been changed to skill: Summon Undead Summoner (Rank 1, Level 1).

Mana cost of skill: Summon undead summoner has been reduced to zero.

Summon the entity to continue acquiring the boons...

Dante braced himself, the weight of his decision settling in. He was about to meet the entity that would be his constant companion, his guide and ally in this strange new world. The air grew colder, a chill that seemed to emanate from the very essence of the void around him.

"Come forth," He commanded.