Skills, Abilities, and Ultimates

There was a pulse of blue translucent energy that seemed to have originated from the center of where we were. When it passed over us I felt a cool sensation permeate my body. The same voice as before began speaking again except this time in a more normal tone of voice.

"You have been chosen by the Dominator of this world to represent your dimension. As an introduction bonus you are allowed to purchase one passive skill, two active skills and/or one ultimate skill. You can access the list of abilities through the command open shop. Before we proceed with the tutorial you must purchase at least one skill. You have all been gifted 1500 gold. spend wisely." After the announcement the voice went silent. We all sit there for a moment in silence before I break the silence.

"Well let's get to it then." I say with a hint of enthusiasm.

Eager to take advantage of this opportunity. "Open shop!" The now somewhat familiar blue screen appears but in a larger format. The "shop" was very well organized even having the ability to filter and search. Just for fun I search for dragon. The screen flashes briefly before a new list appears before me. What I saw made my jaw drop. There were a lot of dragon type skills, and they looked amazing, however the price of the cheapest one was 4000 gold. 'I knew it was going to be expensive but damn that's high.' I erased the current search and decided to filter by price and ranged distance. The list that populated again and this time things were a lot more reasonable.

I scroll through the list, my eyes scanning each skill description carefully. There were a few skills that caught my attention: a skill that allowed me to summon a swarm of deadly bees, a skill that granted me temporary invincibility, and a skill that allowed me to shoot energy blasts from my palms. Ultimately, I decided on a skill called Shadow Step.

Shadow Step allowed me to teleport short distances, making me harder to hit in combat. It cost 500 gold, leaving me with 1000 gold to spare. I could feel the power of the skill coursing through my veins as I made the purchase, and I couldn't wait to try it out. 'Hmm so I have 1000 gold left. let's see if i can find two more skills.'

I decided to search for a skill that would enhance my shooting abilities since I had the pistol at my hip. The list that appeared was filled with various skills, but one caught my eye: Bullet Time. Bullet Time would allow me to slow down time for a moment, giving me the advantage of being able to aim and shoot with greater accuracy. It would be particularly useful against quick opponents. The cost of the skill was 800 gold, leaving me with only 200 gold left to spend.

I decided to search for a cheaper skill, something that would complement my other two skills. As I scrolled through the list, I came across a skill called Stealth. Stealth would allow me to blend into the shadows and move unnoticed, making me a valuable asset in reconnaissance missions. The cost of the skill was only 200 gold, which was perfect for my remaining budget.

With my purchases made, I closed the shop window and focused on the task at hand. The goblin-like creatures were still staring at unmoving still being restrained by the invisible force of the tutorial. I looked around to see that everyone began walking towards me.

I asked, "What kind of skills did everyone get?"

Naomi was the first to answer. "My passive skill is called 'Eagle Eye', and it improves my eyesight from a distance. For active skills, I got 'Whirlwind Shot' that lets me spin my target around 180 degrees if they are hit by me., as well as 'Healing Aura', which forms a healing zone for myself and people near me."

Zillah spoke then. "The passive skill I chose was 'Steady breath', improving my critical hit chance. I also picked two active skills: 'Explosive Hit' that creates a small explosion when I hit something, and 'Smoke Bomb', creating a cloud of smoke to block enemies' view."

Njoya explained next. "'Heavy Hitter' is my passive skill, increasing my strength by 25% for 15 seconds. As for active skills, I received 'Earthquake' which generates a shock wave to stun opponents for two seconds, and 'Charge', allowing me to rush forward and take down hostile targets."

Captain Xander finally joined in the conversation. "My passive ability is called 'Divine Aura', boosting my defense. My active skills are 'Blessed Strike', adding holy damage to each attack.

We all nodded, impressed with each other's choices. "Let's test them out," I said, eager to see how our new skills would work in combat. As if sensing that we were ready the voice returned.

The low, smooth voice continued, "Your passive skills are as natural as breathing. They hum along beneath the surface, and you don't even have to think about them to activate them. Active skills, on the other hand, require a conscious effort - they require you to use the skill. But don't worry, when you purchase an active skill from me, you'll also gain the innate understanding of how to use it. And believe me, with practice, your active skills can grow and evolve beyond what you ever thought possible."

The voice paused for a moment before continuing. "Of course, there's always a quicker route to power - buy more powerful skills. But know that using active skills requires MP or mana points. Ultimate skills are similar to active ones with one key difference - their raw, innate power. Using ultimate skills requires not MP, but essence. Do any of these concepts still elude you?"

The silence that followed was tense until finally, "

No, we understand," I said confidently, eager to put our new skills to the test. "Let's begin the tutorial. The first thing to notice is the health bar above the enemy's head. If you look closely, you can see how much health an enemy has. But be aware the enemy can also see yours as well. The only time you will not see someone's health is if they are more than 10 levels above you. I would recommend you run at that point unless you feel confident in your abilities." The voice trailed off before picking back up. "The creature in front of you is a goblin. It is the lowest rank of its species. They have also been made weaker for this training exercise. Now that the explanation is out of the way let us continue."

As the voice finished speaking, the goblin-like creatures charged toward us. I raised my pistol, ready to take aim, but before I could even fire a shot, Zillah unleashed her 'Explosive Hit' skill, creating a small but powerful explosion that sent the creatures flying backward. Njoya followed up with 'Earthquake', sending a shockwave through the ground that stunned the creatures and left them disoriented.

Captain Xander used his 'Blessed Strike' skill to add holy damage to each of his sword swings, slicing through the creatures with ease. Naomi used her 'Whirlwind Shot' skill to spin one of the creatures around, disorienting it and making it easier for the rest of us to take down.

I was the last in our group to use a skill using my 'Shadow Step', I teleported to the monsters' rear and fired a bullet into its skull. We paused to exchange glances of awe, disbelief, and shock as we realized what had just happened. Everyone's faces expressed their varying levels of astonishment.

The goblin-like creatures lay defeated at our feet, and we were all breathing heavily from the adrenaline rush of the battle. "That was amazing," I said, still in disbelief of what we had just accomplished. "Our skills really do make a difference in combat."

Naomi nodded in agreement. "I can't believe how much more powerful I feel with these new skills. We took down those creatures so easily."

Zillah added, "And we barely even broke a sweat. These skills really do make us formidable fighters."

Njoya chimed in, "But we shouldn't get too cocky. The creatures in this tutorial were weakened for a reason. We need to keep practicing and honing our skills if we want to survive in this world."

Captain Xander nodded in agreement. "That's true. We need to continue training and push ourselves to become even stronger. Who knows what kind of challenges we'll face out there in the real world."

After our moment of victory, the voice from before returned directing our attention to the goblins around us. "Upon defeating any enemy, they will become what they were before their creation 'essence'." After speaking the bodies of the goblins began to crystalize into a ball of glowing green energy and hovered above where they were slain.

The voice continued, "You can collect this essence and use it to activate your ultimate skills and specific abilities. The stronger the enemy, the more essence it will produce. But be warned, collecting essence is not without risk. The more essence you collect, the more you become visible to others who might want to steal it from you. So be careful and choose wisely." Before the voice continued i asked a question after hearing the 'specific abilities' parts

"What do you mean by specific abilities?" I asked. I couldn't see whoever was speaking but I could feel their gaze on me. There was a moment before the question was answered.

"Have any of you used the overview function?" asked the voice? " It would have displayed your character attributes such as name, age, level, class, sponsor, ability and so forth and so on. I thought back to when I was analyzed this morning. I remembered seeing something about Fusion.

"Yes, I remember seeing something about Fusion. It said 'Ability: Fusion' next to my name," I responded.

The voice seemed to pause before responding. "Ah, I see you're pretty sharp. Fusion is an ability that allows you to combine things together. This can be items, or skills, or even people. You really have a magnificent skill. I can't say I've come across anyone else who has it." That feeling of being peered at returned once again.

"If you haven't come across this ability before, how do you know what it can do?" I asked skeptically. The voice chuckled softly. "I am an AI, a being of knowledge and information. I have access to an infinite database of information that includes every ability and skill known to this world."

I nodded, understanding their explanation. "So how exactly does Fusion work? Can you give us an example?" I asked, curious about the potential of my ability.

The voice cleared its throat before continuing. "Fusion can be used in a variety of ways. For example, you can fuse two items together to create a more powerful one, or you can fuse two skills to create a new, hybrid skill. You can also fuse yourself with another person, combining your abilities to create an even more powerful being."

" Are the things I fuse together permanent? I asked.

"When using fusion, you should be able to decide whether you want it to be permanent or not. Of course, the essence cost of Permanent fusion is much higher than temporary. Which brings me back to the initial prompt for all of this. The essence of defeated enemies.

"How can we tell how much essence someone or something has?" question Njoya. The voice responded with no hesitation.

"Normally you wouldn't be able to. Aside from basic information you would need certain skills to see more in-depth information."

Captain Xander spoke up, "What skills do we need to see more detailed information on essence?"

The voice replied, "There are a few skills that allow you to see more detailed information on essence. The 'Soul Sight' skill will allow you to see the quantity and quality of essence within a certain radius. You can also use the 'Essence Detection' skill to detect essence and assess its value."

Nodding in understanding, I looked around at the crystalized goblin essence that still hovered in the air. "So, what should we do with this essence?" I asked the voice.

"You can collect it by simply touching the essence," the voice replied. "It will automatically be added to your essence pool. You can then use it to activate your ultimate skills or specific abilities."

Excited by the possibilities, we all reached out to touch the hovering essence. As we did, it was absorbed into our bodies, and we could feel the power of the essence flowing through us.

"Woah!" exclaimed Naomi. "This feels incredible."

"Oh yeah I'm ready to test out my ultimate skill and my ability." stated Njoya.

"Speaking of. What is everyone's abilities?" I asked, having already revealed mine.

Zillah spoke up first. "My ability is 'Elemental Mastery (Level E): It allows me to control and manipulate the elements of nature to my will."

Captain Xander followed. "Mine is 'Dark Avatar (Level E): Grants the user the ability to manipulate shadows and darkness."

Naomi grinned. "My ability is 'Gravity Force'. I can manipulate gravity."

Njoya smirked. "Mine is Last Remnants (Level E): When HP is 50% or lower can transform into a previously defeated foe for 15 secs."

I was impressed with the abilities of my teammates. "Wow, those are some amazing abilities. And to think, we're just getting started."

The voice chimed in. "Indeed, you are. There is still so much for you to learn and discover in this world. But for now, continue on with your tutorial, and remember to practice, practice, practice."

We nodded in agreement, ready to continue on our training.

Once again, the voice responded to our unspoken request. "Now that everyone is at least aware of their abilities let's practice, shall we? Also let's do this one at a time since abilities and ultimate skills can be devastating if not trained properly.

We all nodded in agreement, eager to test out our abilities and ultimate skills. Captain Xander stepped forward first, ready to show off his Dark Avatar ability. He closed his eyes, and the area around us grew darker. Shadows stretched out from his feet, coiling around his body like a writhing snake. As he opened his eyes, they glowed with an eerie light, and he raised his hands, beckoning the darkness to his will. As if on cue, the shadows around us shot out, enveloping a nearby tree and reducing it to splinters.

"Whoa!" we all exclaimed in amazement.

Next up was Naomi, who stepped forward confidently. She raised her hand, and the air around us grew heavy, as if a gravitational force had taken hold of us all. We could feel ourselves being pulled towards her, as if falling into a deep well. Naomi grinned mischievously, and with a flick of her wrist, the force dissipated,

and we all stumbled forward, catching ourselves before we fell.

"That was incredible!" I exclaimed, impressed by her control over such a powerful force.

Njoya stepped forward next, ready to demonstrate his Last Remnants ability. He closed his eyes before realizing something.

"I can only use my ability if I have 50% HP or less." He pointed out. There was a whistling noise before an arrow pierced Njoya's shoulder.

"What the fuck!" he exclaimed. The AI's voice responded with a bit of mirth. "I'm just helping you to activate your ability."

"Could have given me some warning." replied Njoya. We watched as his form shifted and twisted, until he transformed into one of the creatures we fought before.

"Whoa, Njoya, that's pretty cool!" Naomi exclaimed, marveling at the transformation.

The creature stood there looking at its hands, and then after a few seconds, he transformed back into his original form.

"That was intense," he said, panting a little from the exertion.

Filled with enthusiasm, I stepped forward to demonstrate my Fusion power. My fingers touched the nearest tree, and a message appeared in a blue box asking if I wanted to do a temporary or permanent fusion. Opting for temporary, I felt a surge of energy course through me as I called forth my ability. The tree began to shimmer and pulse with its own vibrancy; without hesitation, I opened up my mind to the essence of the rocks nearby, merging them together. When I opened my eyes, the tree had grown larger and stronger, with bits of the rock dispersed throughout its trunk. Glad that this attempt went well, I grinned in satisfaction.

"That was amazing!" Captain Xander exclaimed, clapping his hands in admiration.

We all took a moment to catch our breath, basking in the euphoria of our abilities. But the voice quickly reminded us that there was much more to learn and train for.

"Remember to always practice, hone your skills, and be mindful of the power you possess," the voice said. "With great power, comes great responsibility."

We all nodded in agreement, ready to continue our training and explore the vast possibilities that lay ahead.

"Now that you have practiced those abilities let's use those ultimate skills...if you were able to purchase one" stated the AI.

I looked around thinking back to the conversation we had after we purchased our skills. 'I don't remember anyone purchasing an ultimate skill.'

"Did anyone get an ultimate skill?" I asked. Seeing everyone shake their heads I assumed it was a 'no'.

"I thought about it." started Njoya. "But the cheapest ultimate skill cost 1500."

I sighed in disappointment. While our abilities were impressive, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy towards those who had purchased the ultimate skills. They were incredibly powerful, and I could only imagine what it would be like to wield that kind of strength.

But then again, our abilities were nothing to scoff at either. We had already shown great potential, and with more training and practice, we could become even stronger.

"We'll just have to work hard and save up enough essence to purchase our own ultimate skills," I said, trying to lift everyone's spirits. "In the meantime, let's continue with our training and make the most of what we already have."

The others nodded in agreement.

The AI replied to my statement with a clinical, robotic voice. "Just to ensure we are on the same page. The essence you acquire is only useful for your particular ability and ultimate skills--gold is required to purchase any of these." I felt embarrassed as I had forgotten this key information the first time around. So, I hesitantly asked what seemed like the most obvious question.

"Where can we find gold?" I asked the AI.

"There are various ways to earn gold in this world," the AI replied. "You can complete quests, defeat monsters, sell items, or participate in tournaments. The possibilities are endless."

"Sounds like we have a lot of work to do," Naomi said, determination in her voice.

"Yes, but with our abilities and skills, we can accomplish anything," Captain Xander added.

The AI's voice blasted through the air like a thunderclap, shaking us all to our core. "I love the enthusiasm," it said, its words echoing around us, "But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Everything we are doing now is in a controlled environment. When you are up against these creatures or other intelligent life it's not going to be so easy."

"Well not to brag but we are one of the top special forces squads in our country." Captain Xander declared with unwavering pride.

"Ah yes, the 'Dragon squad' was it? Do you think you are the only beings who are trained to fight? There are warriors in other galaxies and other species with the same training as yours. Some worlds already have adapted these new concepts that you find alien. Yes, part of the reason you were chosen is because of your potential but remember you are still raw and inexperienced!" We all felt the gravity and force of the AI's voice reverberating throughout the entire area.

I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease at the AI's words. We had always been taught that we were the best of the best, that our training was unparalleled and that we were capable of handling anything that came our way. But now, faced with the reality that there were others out there who were just as skilled as us, if not more so, I couldn't help but wonder if we were truly ready for what lay ahead.

"Okay, so what do we do?" I asked, trying to keep the tremble out of my voice.

"For now, all you can do is continue to train and hone your skills," the AI replied. "But remember, there will come a time when you need to face challenges that will test you to your very limits. And when that time comes, you must be ready. So, to assist with that we shall undergo one more training exercise."

We all paid close attention to what the AI was about to say. "Earlier you fought a restrained Goblin. Normally Goblins are used as foot soldiers. They aren't terribly strong but a group of them could pose a threat. For this next exercise the Goblins will not be restrained. And there will be more of them so prepare yourselves.