Tutorial guide, Virgil

There was a flash of light that blinded Dante for a moment. When his eyes adjusted he could see he was in a large open space. The ground beneath his feet was lush green grass and soft dirt. Off to his left about a dozen feet was a sizable lake, ringed by a few dozen tree's. Oddly he could not tell what kind they were.

It was then that the trees began to rustle Dante saw his mother step from the tree's. Dante was wildly confused, only to have his attention torn away by another sudden flash of light. Dante rubbed his eyes and blinked a few times. After a few seconds his eye's readjusted, but his expression became one of even greater confusion and disbelief. There standing less than a dozen feet from him, was his dad.

"Dad?" "Dante?" It took his father's eye's a little bit to adjust. In that time his mother had spotted them and jogged the hundred or so feet to them. Dante called out, "System?"

That feeling returned, the feeling of something stirring within him, and then the feeling of loss. However, this time the feeling was a bit more substantial. What came forth was the shining, golden, androgynous figure that he had seen on the Tv only about 3 minutes ago. That was not all that had changed, he got a blue box. Then several more.

Congratulations! Through repetition of a specific action you have unlocked a new skill!

You have unlocked the skill, "Summon Guide"

Dante read the blue box as his father and mother stepped over to read the blue boxes over his shoulders.

Summon Guide (C)

Summon an avatar of the system to help guide you along your journey. Variable cost / duration

Congratulations, through your discovery of the skill, "Summon Guide", you have started down the Road of the Wizard. 1 RP input into the Road.

You have unlocked the skill, "Mana manipulation" Lvl. 1

Mana manipulation (C) Lvl. 1

Manipulate the mana within yourself to achieve a desired outcome. Variable cost / duration

Dante's face was once more one of admiration and curiosity at what some of it meant, so he could ask some of those questions later. Looking to his left and right to see his parents, he then faced forward and addressed the Guide, he had summoned. "Can i share the boxes with them?"

"Please elaborate, there are a few ways I could answer the question as is, and some are contradictory." The guide said in his usual androgynous voice, "Can i give them copies of these notices for them to read?"

A small smile crossed the figure's golden face, "Yes you can. Simply think about the boxes multiplying to the number you need, then hand the extras to those you wish to share them with."

'Seems simple enough.' Dante thought, and each blue box became 2 and then 3. Dante mentally moved the extras into groups, grabbing them and handing each to one of his parents.

"I see you are a perceptive and wise individual. Those are good qualities that will surely help you in the times to come." Dante paused for a moment, then asked his first of several questions, "Why are we all together?"

"You are together due to the fact that you are a family. Individuals in relative proximity to one another are kept together during the tutorial as to avoid certain issues from arising. You are certainly also wondering why even though you all selected different difficulties you all arrived in the same place. This is not an error I assure you."

"You are all in the Normal tutorial area. Everyone starts here even if they select higher difficulty settings. Those that select the higher difficulties like you and your father..." It said whilst motioning to him and his father with its hands. "The purpose of the tutorial is not to be a cruel death trap where you are thrown into the thick of it immediately. As those like you two advance through and complete the normal tutorial the road to the next will open to you. If you choose to walk it. The tutorials are meant to give you all at least a chance against what is to come."

Dante pondered those words for a moment, before his father chimed in. "What exactly is coming?" The guides smile faded and became grim, he turned to Dante, "May I access your mana pool?"

Dante was thrown, "Sure?" he responded hesitantly. It felt like his stomach had dropped, he felt almost hollow and his mind became fuzzy. He was surprised when the notices popped up.

Your summoned guide has been granted access to your mana pool.

Warning! Your mana pool has been exhausted! Please rest and allow it to replenish.

Your skill, "Summon Guide", has grown stronger. New possibilities have become accessible.

Your skill, "Mana Manipulation" has gained experience.

The air shimmers around each of them, forming, moderately sized, greyish translucent boxes around each of them. The guide became two individuals, and then three. Each copy of the guide was stepped into the created boxes around each of the family members.

"What's... happening?" Dante asked as he sat down on the grass, the guide sitting down in front of him. "With each level of difficulty you choose greater amounts of information that becomes available to you. I'm sorry for how you are feeling right now. Mana exhaustion is never fun. But please know this was necessary."

Dante turned his head to the left and right to see his mom and dad talking to their own copy of the guide. The thing was he saw their mouths moving, but could not hear them. "Before we get started can I call you something other than a guide?" To a small degree the golden figure's warm smile returned, "I would be grateful for such an honor."

Dante smiled because he knew the perfect name, "I will call you Virgil." The guide now known as Virgil smiled ever brighter, "My name is Virgil." A notice.

You have chosen a kind, name by which to address your guide.

Your influence with the system has increased somewhat.

Your skill, Summon Guide, has begun to change. Will you allow it?

"Yes." Dante confirmed much to Virgil's joy. Dante was greeted by another notice.

Your skill, Summon Guide, has become, Summon Virgil.

Summon Virgil

You expend mana to summon, Virgil, an avatar of the system.

Virgil acts to help guide you along your journey. Variable cost / duration

"So what's coming?" Dante asked as he tried to get his mind straight. "Monsters. Those beings deemed too evil in their natures to be accepted into the standard, player system, were deemed to be monsters. So, a new system was created for them. The monster system."

"Are they what that notice said would come with your arrival?" Dante asked as he rubbed his eyes and yawned. "Yes but only in part. New monsters have already begun to spawn upon your world due to the presence of mana."

The fog upon his mind was slowly clearing, "So what is there going to be a monster in my house when i get back?" His voice tinged with agitation. "Doubtful but not impossible. Allow me to correct a possible misunderstanding. Most monster's do not come from mana alone. Certainly very few in a world so new to the system. Though with your population...Anyway most monsters you will encounter were once animals that have become monsters in the presence of mana"

Dante thought about that prospect for a moment, "Does that mean people's pets will be monsterizing?" "Unfortunately yes, but that is an unlikely outcome. One's pets often accompany them into these tutorials from my records before my departure. Thus i have allowed such actions."

"Why is it not likely?" Dante watched as the boxes around his mother and then his father dissipated. His father pointed to himself and his mother and then pointed into the distance. Dante followed where he was pointing and in the distance he saw what appeared to be a large stone wall, with what he assumed to be men manning it.

Dante nodded to his father indicating that he understood. The guides outside his box had merged to become one. They seemed to address his father and remained standing in a moment of hesitation. Father and son locked eye's, before his father and mother departed hand in hand, heading toward the wall in the distance.

Dante watched for a moment as they walked away, and as others joined them. He saw hundreds, thousands of other people walking towards those walls. Another notice appeared.

Normal tutorial zone #A7550B has reached its capacity of 10,000 participants.

This tutorial zone will now close.

Time dilation Initiating. Time differential has been set to 1000:1

Initiating!

Dante felt as the world seemed to shift. He felt as if the world fell out from under him. He felt as the darkness creeped into his vision and the only thing he could hear was the voice of the system guide in his head. "Sleep well and enjoy what you have earned. I will answer your questions when you awake." Dante heard the ding of a notification, but could not read it before the embrace of sleep took him.

Due to your increased conductivity to mana, and your entrance into an area of high time dilation you have acquired the following skills.

Mana Sense (Unc) Lvl. 1

You sense the mana in the environment that surrounds you.

Time sense (R) Lvl. 1

You have experienced an abrupt change in the flow of time and have recognized it. Slightly increase proficiency with time related skills and magic.