Chapter 2

As I and the other person exchanged introductions, I couldn't help but think if I should go by my given name or the new designation provided by the interface protocol. On the one hand, I liked my given name, but on the other hand, this was a chance to re-invent myself. I decided to use the designation, extended my hand, and said, "Thanks for your help. I am Achak." 

The other person raised an eyebrow and asked, "Is Achak your actual name or just your UIP designation?" 

I tilted my head, curious. "UIP? What does that stand for?" 

"The User Interface Protocol. It's quite a mouthful so I figured we should make it into an acronym," he replied. 

I nodded in understanding. "Ah, I see. It's actually my designation. I feel like this is the start of a new life so may as well go all in and remold myself to this new world." 

"Fair enough, I'll use my designation too, which is Etu by the way," the other person replied. 

As we shook hands, I couldn't help but compare Etu's appearance to my own. His black skin, hazel green eyes, faded cut hair, sturdy build, and slightly shorter stature. I, in contrast, have light brown skin, am six feet tall, have gray eyes, shoulder-length silky black hair, and a wiry build. We were both in our early twenties. "Thanks again for your help," I said, breaking the silence that had begun to grow. 

"Yeah, no problem, it seemed like the right thing to do. Plus, after seeing you jump in to save the kid without hesitation. It made me think, what kind of man would I be if I just ran away after witnessing such heroics?" Answered Etu. "Plus, we were all going to have to face that monster eventually, may as well do it together while we were still fresh."

I rubbed the back of my head, feeling a bit sheepish. "Uh, thanks. Actually, I would like to talk to you about the UIP, if you don't mind." 

"Sure, I was hoping to do the same. Did you also become a Glavanized? If so, do you think we can share our attribute screens somehow?" Etu suggested. "It would make things easier if we could."

Our conversation was cut short by someone yelling about a lake they had found. I suggested we wash off the blood and vomit before continuing our conversation. 

As we jumped into the underground lake, I couldn't help but take in the details around me. The sound of the water splashing, the coolness against my skin, the dim lighting of the underground space created by the glowing lichen. It was a surreal feeling trying to associate what was happening and where we were with what I knew as regular life.

The others around us were discussing what they could remember before waking up here. It was as good of a place to start as any. "Do you remember anything that happened before waking up here?" I asked Etu.

"Not really, it's all kind of fuzzy. I remember hearing about a large meteor heading for Earth but after that, nothing substantial," he replied.

"Yeah, me too, hopefully, it will all come back to us soon." I detected a slight accent in his speech pattern and my curiosity got the better of me. "So where is the accent from? If you don't mind my asking. I'm from Puerto Rico, and sometimes my Latin accent comes through." I said awkwardly, trying to keep the conversation moving, which was not my forte.

"Jamaica, but I grew up in Atlanta. Did you grow up in Puerto Rico?" He threw back.

"No, I grew up in Philly. Still, live.. or lived there. I guess I should say. Not sure where we are or how the world looks outside of here, but I think it's safe to say things will be very different out there."

"Yeah, I agree with that. Not sure planes or any long-distance transportation, for that matter, will be operational."

Amidst the chatter, I couldn't help but wonder how much I should reveal to Etu. I had learned the hard way that trusting others didn't always end well. And I didn't know Etu well enough to trust him in any meaningful way. 

After all, Etu had only acted after witnessing my actions. Was that someone I could truly trust? But then again, I reminded myself, that my perspective on the world has always been unique. Perhaps I was being too critical of Etu. I needed to remember that not everyone was as jaded as me, or saw the world the way I did.

I pondered my decision to give Etu a chance despite the doubts. I couldn't deny the fact that he was the only one who had come to help, even though his motives were driven more by logic than anything else, which wasn't even a bad thing. I understood logic way more than emotions and having a friend who saw things the same way in this new dangerous world wouldn't be a bad thing. Also, given the dire circumstances, I think sharing as much information as possible among us will help the most with survival. The quest had called this a crucible, eluding to it being a long-suffering journey if my interpretation of that word was correct.

I realized that we had been quiet for some time now and it was usually around this time that the other party I was talking to would usually start getting uncomfortable and looking for an escape from our exchange. 

Growing up, people always described me as reticent, serious, and wise beyond my years. Honestly, reticent was a good word to describe me. I often had long conversations going on in my head, not the kind that sharing with others was popular, so I never did speak these thoughts out loud. 

However, I never believed the so-called "wise" part. My low self-esteem, instilled by my bastard of a dad and reinforced by my family and toxic friends, has always made me doubt any positive attributes I may possess. 

I've always had a special sensitivity to energies, vibrations, karma, chi, or whatever one may call it. I could always sense people's energies and intentions, even when they tried to hide them. It seemed like no matter what people hid bad intentions behind I could always sense it. This along with my quiet, stoic, and observant demeanor were large parts of what made me an outcast.

But, I was also overly empathetic to others, sensing when a helping hand or a shoulder to lean on was needed. And often, even as a child, I would go out of my way to let others know they mattered whenever I felt sadness or despair from them. The dichotomy of my stoic personality and my empathetic nature was something that others could never understand, and in truth neither did I.

The irony of this wasn't lost on me either. The strictness and hardness of my quiet and introverted demeanor was just something I was born with. To hear my mother tell it I hardly ever even smiled as a baby. That and the loving sweet person who listened to others' problems, provided advice and comfort, and always seemed to know what to say, were just too different from each other for people to reconcile with one person.

As I grew older, my family and others sought my advice and support, but always kept me at arm's length. It was a strange dynamic, one that even my, very few, real friends had noticed. One friend had explained to me once that my intuition seemed almost psychic, paradoxically, making people both creeped out and drawn to me. And that my good nature and hardened exterior were so diametrically opposed, that most people just didn't know what to make of me.

Ironically, my good nature led me to become oblivious to the ill intentions of others for a time, making me naive and blind to their true nature. At least that's what I had always told myself, the truth is that I saw the red flags, but convinced myself that I was overreacting. That my intuition was too driven by past traumas making me sense or see things that weren't there. It wasn't until recently that I learned to, both, be in the moment but also listen to my intuition. 

As I grew older, I found a balance between these heightened senses and my understanding of the world. In the end, I remained true to my original personality, reticent and guarded, but always with a sharp mind and a keen intuition. And also, kind and empathetic whenever appropriate or possible without losing track of what my intuition was telling me.

Overall, my sensitivity shaped my life in many ways, both positive and negative. And now, faced with a new ally in a dangerous situation, I'll have to rely on my senses and intuition more than ever to navigate the situation and stay alive.

Etu and I had been sitting quietly by the lake while my inner turmoil worked itself out. It seemed he had also been working things out in his head, making the quiet comforting for both rather than awkward.

As my inner turmoil settled down, my thoughts turned to the UIP and my eyes lit up with excitement and curiosity. "Did you also receive a skill with your galvanization?" I asked, my voice full of anticipation. 

We hadn't had the chance to fully explore the UIP, but we were eager to exchange our findings and start building a database. 

Etu nodded, a grin spreading across his face. "Yes, I got Fireball with it," he replied, his eyes shining. "It's a common skill in popular media, it uses mana as a resource," he added.

"Have you figured out how to pull up the stats screen yet?" I asked him.

 "Not yet. I guess this is a good time to check, though" he replied and uttered "Attributes," then shook his head. "Nothing."

"Hm, try stas or status maybe," I mentioned.

"Stats… Display… Status." He commanded in rapid succession. On the third try, he smiled while staring at the space in front of his face. 

[Designation: Etu Health: 200/200 Mana: 20/20

Level: 1 (2/100)

Soul: Mature

Race: Human

Genus: None 

Species: None

Affinity: Combustion 

Strength: 10

Constitution: 8

Endurance: 8

Agility: 6

Dexterity: 6

Wisdom: 6

Free Points: 4

Skills: Fireball]

"Status," I commanded a second later realizing that it had worked.

Curious about the differences in our skills, I asked, "So your skill uses mana?" My eyes scanned my attribute screen, noticing that my skill used essence instead. "That's weird, mine uses essence." 

Etu was intrigued by the possibility of different energies, "Do you think it could be based on religion, race, or maybe it's different for each person?" He asked.

I shrugged, "Not sure," and suggested, "We should probably compare line by line to see if there are any other differences." 

In comparing our attributes, we discovered that we also had different starting attributes, which made sense considering our different body types. Etu was stocky like a bodybuilder, while I was leaner like a runner. 

"So aside from the different attribute numbers and resources for the skills, we also have different soul ranks," I recapped. 

Suddenly, the peaceful atmosphere was shattered as two Barbed Tongue Coquis entered the cave and attacked. 

It was terrifying fighting the monsters, but at the same time, I was excited to test my skill and see how effective or not it would be, "Time to test these skills," I muttered. 

Etu, on the other hand, was nervous as he prepared for combat. "Shit, how do we even use these skills?" He yelled over the frantic screams of the others. 

Despite our initial nerves, it didn't take long for us to defeat the two monsters. Although, we didn't get much rest since not long after they fell more and more of the monsters began appearing from the shadows, almost as if by magic. As we looked around, it was clear that we were in a life-or-death situation. The romanticized idea of a video game-like interface quickly faded, replaced by a sense of urgency and fear. 

The carnage caused by the monsters sobered and grounded us in reality. We quickly realized that we would have to fight until our last breath, with no chance of escaping unscathed. We were reminded that this was no game, but a brutal fight for survival.