Ch-11: Bones of Insight: Gathering knowledge

There was a brief period of blinding light, and then the familiar monochrome scene appeared before Ethan.

It was the same sewer where he had woken up seven days ago. The sound of dripping water echoed around him. The damp, narrow passages were just as he remembered them, though the rancid stench of decay and waste, fortunately, didn't affect him in his skeletal form.

Before he could do much though, Ethan was greeted by the cheerful robotic-holographic guide again.

"Congratulations on surviving your first and most important dungeon delve! You must've understood many things about the system by experiencing it firsthand on your own." it said, it's hand clapping while the word "Subarashi!" floated over its head.

Before Ethan could get a word in, it continued, "And I see that you got some new gooey gears, too."

Ethan nodded, slightly appreciating the guide's exaggerated style after the past few days of bore. "Yeah, I did. But, I have some questions."

In the past seven days, Ethan had figured out a lot about the workings of the System, but there were still things that eluded his understanding.

The first thing on his mind was the optional mission he remembered from his first day—how it had appeared out of the blue. He wanted to understand how the mission system worked.

The guide tilted its head in an affirmative gesture, its outfit changing into that of a 60's teacher with a coat, pants and a tie along with a spectacle to complete the look.

"Alright, go ahead." it said, as pointing stick appeared in his hand while a blank screen appeared behind him.

Ethan started, his ghastly voice filling the silent emptiness of the wet sewer. "I want to ask about the missions. How are they assigned? Are they premeditated? Are they only available in dungeons? Can I get a mission if I work towards something? ...Tell me everything."

The holographic guide looked blank for a second, as if processing his request, and then it began to speak with the same exaggerated flair it always sported. "The missions you receive are categorized into two types." it tapped the stick on the blank screen and the words appeared.

"First, there are the missions assigned to you at the start of dungeon worlds. These missions are premeditated to guide your initial steps and ensure you engage with the dungeon's challenges effectively."

Ethan listened intently, noting the guide's precise phrasing.

"Second," the guide continued, the words changing as he did, "are the missions that appear based on your thoughts and actions. These are more dynamic and responsive to your personal goals and the situations you encounter. Essentially, if you work towards something with enough determination and focus, the system may generate a mission related to that goal."

Ethan's mind raced with possibilities. "So, if I set a specific goal, like finding an infinity stone or defeating Thanos, the system might create a mission for that?"

"Exactly! A show of hands for Mr. Ethan Blackett, everybody." The guide clapped and then another set of claps rang out from the unknown, making it seem like a group of people were clapping.

Ethan didn't react to it, already affiliated with the guide's antics. Then the clapping stopped and the guide continued.

"These missions are designed to be flexible and adaptive, providing rewards that correspond to the difficulty and significance of the task. However, it's important to note that while the assigned missions are relatively vague at the beginning, they evolve based on the information you discover."

Ethan nodded slowly, absorbing this new information. "So, the missions I get at the start aren't fixed. They can change as I uncover more details?"

"Correct," the guide replied. "As you progress and gather more information, the parameters of these missions can shift to better align with your current situation and objectives. This ensures that the missions remain relevant and challenging."

Ethan rubbed his immaculate jawline thoughtfully, his mind wandering back to the mission information he had read about defeating "the" boss, which later changed to defeating "a" boss after he discovered there were other monsters.

At that time, he had thought it was a reading mistake, but now he was sure that it had changed after he found out there were other monsters.

"So, the system adapts the missions based on what I discover?" Ethan asked, wanting to confirm his understanding.

"Indeed," the guide said, its tone bright and encouraging. "The system is designed to support your growth and ensure that you are continually challenged, providing opportunities for you to enhance your skills and gather valuable rewards."

Feeling a bit more enlightened, Ethan decided to ask another question. "And what about the rewards? How are they determined?"

"Rewards are also based on the mission's difficulty and your performance," the guide explained.

"Completing more challenging missions or achieving objectives with exceptional skill can yield greater rewards. This is to incentivize you to take on harder tasks and to perform at your best. And on that note, you just got bonus rewards for your excellent performance in your first dungeon – ignoring the fact that you were a skeleton with unlimited stamina," the guide murmured the last part under its breath.

Hearing that, Ethan's ivory finger quickly extended towards the [Inventory] tab, which opened to reveal an expanded set of boxes. The inventory, previously a 4x4 grid, had now become a 4x5 grid.

"How's that? A good reward, innit? Keep working hard, and they'll be even better," the guide said. Its appearance shifted, now dressed like a corporate boss talking to a diligent worker, complete with a pinstripe suit and a bowler hat, exuding an air of mock professionalism.

Ethan smirked at that, feeling that in some ways, he did feel like a worker—albeit one with massive benefits and only giving back slightly in return. His situation reminded him of Caine from "Acts of Caine."

One day, he thought, he would also escape whatever chains held him and emerge free, especially in this world where he could potentially become a god. Although it would still be nearly impossible, given the scale of it.

Ethan then remembered that the guide could hear his thoughts to some degree, prompting him to glance quickly at it. However, it seemed oblivious to his treacherous thoughts, still waiting for him to respond.

Ethan mentally sighed in relief, though he couldn't understand how the guide hadn't picked up on his musings. Still, instead of continuing that line of thinking, he responded to the guide's previous question.

Closing his inventory, he said, "Alright, that clarifies a lot. Thanks."

"You're welcome!" the guide chirped, changing back to the teacher's attire. "If you have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask."

A few questions whirled in Ethan's mind. He sorted through them and finally decided to ask about the most recent and important development. "Can you tell me about the 'Evolution' system and how it works? I have a few things figured out, but I still don't know everything, especially how to evolve."

The guide's expression shifted to one of scholarly enthusiasm, it adjusted his glasses and started. "Ah, the Evolution system! Quite fascinating, indeed. Let's delve into it."

"Typically, normal monsters follow predetermined evolutionary paths. These paths can sometimes interconnect and merge with those of other monsters of the same type. For instance, the paths of plant-based monsters may intersect and merge at certain points in their evolutionary journey. The same applies to undead creatures and other types of monsters," the guide explained, its holographic form gesturing animatedly as if lecturing a classroom full of students.

"This system starts with a wide array of species and variables at the lower levels. However, as you progress, some paths merge, while others end abruptly, never reaching the higher tiers. Therefore, there aren't as many top evolutions as there are at the lower levels."

The guide paused for effect, its blue dot-like eyes changing into stars, showing excitement. "We call this the Evolutionary Network, due to its branching and converging nature."

"There isn't a single apex evolution to maintain balance within the system. But you, Ethan, should consider yourself quite fortunate. All your evolutionary paths reach the top due to your 'Evolutionary' perk. This means you can break this balance. Unlike other monsters who follow random routes without knowing where they'll end up, you have the unique ability to create your own custom evolutionary path—two of them, in fact. With some ingenuity, you can potentially reach the apex."

Ethan's mind buzzed with the possibilities as the guide continued, "Moreover, these evolutions can be enhanced with added ingredients. This means that you can augment your chosen paths with special materials, increasing their power and versatility."

Ethan's curiosity piqued, he asked, "What do you mean, adding ingredients to my evolution?"

The guide's eyes changed into stars at the prospect of another detailed explanation. "Ah, excellent question! You see, adding ingredients to your evolution means you can incorporate external elements—such as creatures, magical totems, or items—into your evolutionary process. These ingredients strengthen both your soul and body, depending on their nature."

The guide continued, "For example, you might use a creature with the ability to use blood related powers to gain a blood-related skill, absorb the magic of a totem, or acquire the abilities of a specific item. However, not every item or totem is a viable ingredient. But, almost all types of creatures can be used."

Ethan's mind raced with the possibilities as the guide elaborated. "These added ingredients don't change the basis of your evolution; they simply add extra skills. So, you'll retain the core attributes and strengths of your chosen evolutionary path while enhancing your capabilities with these additional powers."

Ethan's thoughts surged with ideas about how he could evolve and become stronger in the future, especially considering the myriad of magical items and creatures in the Marvel universe.

The prospect of acquiring unique abilities from the mutants, aliens and the self proclaimed gods along with the multitude of serums, artifacts from the Kamar-taj, the Collector and the Grandmaster, filled him with exhilaration.

Moreover, he also had access to dungeon worlds, which added nearly infinite amounts of items to further augment his evolution.

Noticing Ethan's contemplation, the guide's attire changed again. It stroked its long white beard, a strange sight against its otherwise robotic head.

Its style seemed reminiscent of those Chinese sages from the cultivation novels Ethan read in his past life.

"Remember, Ethan, this system gives you the tools, but it's your creativity and strategy that will set you apart. Use your resources wisely and think ahead. The potential is vast, but it's up to you to harness it."

'Set you apart'—from whom? Ethan wondered, but then he recalled "ZYA" which symbolised the number of different universes and his designation as participant number #001, indicating the existence of other reincarnators across those various universes.

'Perhaps someday, I will meet them.'

"Any last questions before I leave you on your own?" The guide asked, twirling his pointer stick, now back in his teaching attire.

Ethan thought carefully, then remembered the [Gacha].

"Tell me about Gacha. How it works? What type of items can I get? Etcetera, etcetera."

The guide paused, the stick transforming into a long scroll which unrolled itself mid-air, displaying a diagram of the Gacha system.

"Ah, the Gacha," the guide began, pointing to various parts of the diagram that had materialized in the air. "This mechanism allows you to obtain items, summon cards, skills, potions, and more, from all the worlds under the One Above All's domain. At its core, the Gacha is a roulette wheel of possibilities."

He pointed to a section labeled 'Items' with vivid illustrations of weapons, potions, and various tools. "Items can range from 'Common' to 'Legendary', denoted by their background color." A list of colors denoting item rarity was displayed beneath the illustrations:

- Colorless background for trash-grade items

- White for common items

- Green for uncommon items

- Blue for rare items

- Purple for epic items

- Sparkling gold for legendary items

The guide continued, "At your current level, expect 'Common', low-tier items. Over time, as you advance and upgrade the Gacha, the quality and rarity of items will improve."

The guide's stick moved to another section marked 'Summon Cards,' showing images of various characters. "Summon cards allow you to call upon 'named' entities or companions from other fictional worlds to aid you. Initially, these will be street-level characters, but over time, you can summon beings like Superman or Goku."

"Summon cards create a copy of a named character from a parallel world," the guide continued, "who is at most as strong as peak human level. As for the lower limit, it can even be a fly, if it's named. The cards are divided into stars with 1 star cards being able to only summon street level characters while higher star cards are able to summon higher powered characters.

"After using a character summon card, another card will appear representing the character, which can be stored in the inventory. After summoning them, they will be 100% loyal to you, though they can't be forced into self-harm or suicide. And forcing them to act against their core ideologies might cause them to go rogue."

Ethan's non existent brows furrowed. "What if the summons are complete psychos or supervillains, like Joker or Carnage? They might be loyal and unable to harm me, but they could still act on their own. What happens if they do something I don't like and I can't make them stop?"

The guide nodded, acknowledging the concern. "A good question. Summons can be unsummoned and stored in your inventory in case of emergencies. However, this should only be used as a last resort since unsummoned characters have a cooldown period of one year before they can be resummoned.

"Alternatively, if you don't want the summon to occupy your inventory space, you can permanently unsummon it. Another thing to note is that you are limited in the amount of summons you can gain. The limit is three at your current level which can increase in future."

Ethan understood and then asked, "What about their lifespans? Will they die if a summon is old? Can summons be enhanced using things from this world?"

The guide sighed, seemingly fatigued by the barrage of questions, but answered patiently. "Summons are connected to this world through you. They won't age or die of natural causes as long as you are alive, although they can be killed. And yes, they can be enhanced by technology or magic from this world, provided it's compatible with them."

Ethan nodded, thinking about the potential to make even weak summons strong with the right tools.

Next, the guide highlighted a section titled 'Skills.' "Skills can be acquired through the Gacha, providing you with new abilities or enhancing your existing ones. The level of these skills will start low but can be incredibly useful."

The stick then hovered over 'Potions' and 'Miscellaneous.' "Potions can heal, temporarily enhance abilities, or grant unique effects, sometimes even permanent ones. Miscellaneous items can be almost anything, offering a wide variety of utilities."

The guide rolled the scroll back up with a flick of his wrist. "However, understand this: the Gacha is currently at level 1. Its offerings are modest, and its true potential is yet untapped."

"How do I upgrade the Gacha?" Ethan inquired.

"An excellent question," the guide said, his eyes twinkling as he stowed the scroll away. "Instead of conventional currency, the Gacha requires time as its currency. The first upgrade will occur after a few years of use. This ensures you are not overwhelmed by high-tier items early on, forcing you to grow and adapt to your surroundings first."

"So, I have to be patient," Ethan noted.

"Precisely," the guide affirmed, nodding sagely. "Patience, resourcefulness, and strategic thinking will serve you well. Any further questions?"

Ethan shook his head, most of his curiosity about the system sated. "No, I think I'm good for now."

The guide gave a final nod, his form shimmering slightly. "Very well, Ethan. Remember, my student, the journey ahead is long and filled with challenges. Use your gifts wisely, and never stop learning. Farewell, for now."

With that, a string of letters floated above the guide, accompanied by the pop of multiple party poppers.

"Farewell Mr. Guide, you were the best," the words spelled out, sparkling in mid-air.

"Oh! Thank you, thank you so much. I hope I taught you well." The guide took off its spectacles and wiped his facial screen of digital tears.

Ethan stood there, jaw slightly agape, watching the guide exit through a door that materialized behind it. As soon as the guide stepped through, the door vanished, leaving Ethan alone in the damp sewer.

The sound of skittering rats and the pattering of water echoed around him, grounding him back in the reality of his situation.

Finally, he decided to use the gacha…

_____

2800 words

A/N: Hope you weren't bored by the info dump, if you were, sorry, they won't be done in the future.

I only did it here because it seemed like the most straightforward approach, as the system won't have much instructions or the like, since it's quite rudimentary.

And there are still things, a lot of things in fact, for Ethan to figure out in the future by himself.

Next chapter is Gacha use, Slight spoiler:

He is going to get a character summon and an item summon, guess the character and suggest some items, which can be regarded as low leveled but still somewhat useful.

Thanks for your patience…