Over the next eight months, Pandora had settled into her role as a Sector Lord. The first thing she did was change the name of the Sector to the Caspa Conglomerate. When this Trial for Supremacy was over her friends would be able to make their way to her and the name Caspa was also known to her mom and dad.
Callum, Robert, Asling, Cedrik, and Pythias seemed to be doing well in Callum’s Haven. She’d also been able to get Grandma and Grandpa into Callum’s Haven but the others had all been locked in by their masters and weren’t easily released. Abi and Amanda had been particularly expensive at one billion contribution points apiece. It seemed both were very good at what they were doing and had been recognized as such. The same was true for Desirae and Clarence. Their masters had paid what could best be called an insurance fee to make sure that anyone trying to purchase them would have to pay an exorbitant amount of Contribution Points. While she could have afforded the price for the transfer she knew that utilizing the Sector’s Contribution Points for them would leave the Sector weaker in other ways.
Instead, she had held onto the funds and used only a small portion to purchase education courses that could downloaded directly into her mind so that she would be able to call on a knowledge base similar to her father. For one billion Contribution Points she’d been able to purchase one thousand courses and she’d been absorbing four per day for the last 250 days. There was a lot of information to take in so she’d only downloaded 4 educational courses per day, one every 3 hours. Then she’d rest or talk with Recorder Qamar.
Pandora had spent an additional 100 million Contribution Points to hire Recorder Qamar to act as her Personal Assistant and liaison to the Administrator for the Sector whom she’d only talked to once. Qamar had jumped at the chance after learning her history and had been very helpful in designing an educational plan that would bring her up to a level that would allow her to hold her own, at least educationally, against other Sector Lords. In fact, Qamar was trying to convince her one more time to spend some of the Sector’s Contribution Points for her to purchase an Administrative Class for the Sector.
“But my Lady, you must prepare yourself to deal with the other Sector Lords when they invade,” Qamar said as she sat at the desk in her office and allowed her mind to absorb the fundamentals of intransigent Space and the Energy structures that could be utilized to break through.
Pandora rubbed her temples as she said, “I will not utilize the sector’s stockpile of Collaboration Points for my personal gain any more than I already have. Since that hiccup in the Multitude just over three months ago I have invested most of the Contribution Points into making sure the Sector has a steady flow of basic necessities. We’ve both been watching the Contribution Market. Prices have been getting crazy. We’re making almost a 1,000% profit on our surplus and the economic courses you made me take at the beginning have really paid off. Putting some of that surplus directly back to the workers improved their morale and productivity which of course increased our profits even more.”
“Yes, but…” Qamar tried to interject.
“No Yes, but,” Pandora said. “The Sector is doing fine. My friends are in a town that is well defended and as far as I’ve been able to tell outside of the notice of those on the same planet as them that are trying to take control of the planet. Shoot even the Bear and her cubs that I ran into are doing well. Putting that satellite in geosynchronous orbit so I could keep an eye on my investment was a brilliant idea Qamar.
“Thank you, my Lady, but” Qamar tried again.
“No buts. We are doing just fine. Besides, today marks a milestone. I have finished the first thousand educational courses you told me I needed. It’s time to get a few more under my belt. I can speak every language in the Sector now and have a firm grasp on the basics in many fields of study. For the next little bit, I’d like to learn what my father knew about computers and programming. Please choose the courses that will help me in that field” Pandora said.
“As you wish. How far out would you like me to purchase your course for.”
“Feel free to purchase everything you think I need up to 100 million Contribution Points. After that we’ll only purchase batches of training for a week, two at most,” Pandora said.
“As you wish,” Qamar said. “I will be back within three hours with your next course for today.” When he was done speaking, Qamar vanished.
“Gotta love his enthusiasm,” Pandora said to no one in particular.
Well, he hasn’t been wrong yet, you have learned a lot over the last eight months, Caspa sent into her mind.
You’re right of course, Pandora sent back.
Over the next 11 days, Pandora gained a new understanding of the world her father was a master in. Of course that didn’t make it any more interesting. Programming was, in a word, boring. Still, it was a little interesting in its own way and she could see how programming and the way The Multitude ran had a lot of similarities. The other thing that was interesting was that no matter how many assembler languages there were, computer coding converted what the user wanted into something the machines could process. Pandora had recognized a lot of similarities between the course she had downloaded into her mind and a memory of an explanation her father had given to her mother concerning a computer language the humans of Earth had referred to as Binary. The Multitude referred to it as Trey because there were three states in the language, positive, negative, and null.
Regardless, what she’d learned from the course she’d absorbed seemed to match what her father had told her mom so it seemed that there were a lot of similarities between what Earth had created and what the Multitude currently had. That in itself was quite interesting.
Pandora was jarred out of her thoughts when message prompts bypassed her settings and appeared in her vision
Unregistered and Incompatible System Interface Removed.
Conversion to the System Standard is Underway.
Please be patient.
Pandora tried to look around and found that she was frozen in place. She tried to pull up her Status Screen but was unable to do so.
Caspa! Caspa! What’s happening, Pandora sent through their mental link.
I don’t know, everything is weird. Your attributes are shifting but your abilities seem to be unaffected. No, they’re not shifting, new attributes are being added. Also, it looks like both of our attributes are stabilizing at 3,076, except for a new attribute called Chaos, which is 33,825, Caspa sent.
What attributes do I have now, Pandora asked.
There was a pause then Caspa sent, You now have 12 primary attributes; Strength, Agility, Dexterity, Endurance, Constitution, Perception, Intelligence, Wisdom, Willpower, Charisma, Luck, and Chaos.
How about my Hit Points and such? Pandora asked.
Right now you have 924 Hit Points and 30,760 Stamina and Mana. You have other attributes as well. Both of us have exactly the same attributes now, it’s really weird. Additionally, the numbers seem to be fading in and out. I’m not sure what that means, Caspa sent.
Don’t worry about it, I’m sure we'll figure out what’s going on in a minute, just piggyback my senses so you can see what’s happening too.
I am, Caspa answered.
Suddenly, Pandora felt like she was being scanned. She felt like her whole body was scanned then realized the scan went much deeper than that as she felt the scan enter her mind and even seemed to take notice of Caspa. It felt like invisible hands reached in, picked up the various parts of her psychic and mentality, looked them over, and then put them back. Then, whatever was doing the scan focused on her mind and reached in and reviewed all of her memories.
A moment later a portal, was called forth, opened and an invisible force reached through grabbed her, and pulled her into the portal. Once through the portal, it closed and she found herself in a 10-foot cube box with white walls on all sides, save one, which was transparent. As she looked out she could see millions of other boxes across from her, all with someone or something inside them. Just as she was about to try to do something a new message appeared in her vision
Conversion Complete. Please review any changes. When you are done physically touch the accept button on this window and the next phase of your existence will begin.
Conversion, what conversion? Pandora decided now would be a good time to see what her conversion consisted of and tried to pull up her Status Screen again.
Name: Pandora
Race: Half-Dragon/Half-Creature of Chaos (Human Doppelganger)
Class:
Age: 2
Weight: 130
Birthday, July 15th, 2031
Soul Core (Combined, Pandora/Caspa): 2
Racial Abilities
“Creature of Chaos” - Your body has been inundated with Chaos. During this process, your will was strong enough to hold your core identity together and permanent changes were made to your body. You May now enter and exit Chaos at will 100% resistant to any further changes.
“Chaos Symbiote” – During your travel through Primal Chaos, a Symbiote attached itself to you. While you do not control the Chaos Symbiote it will react to strong emotions. The Symbiote does not gain experience instead reducing XP gain by 50%. NOTE: As a Creature of Chaos, the symbiote is maintained by your inherent nature, no experience is lost. Once your level is equal to or higher level than the host the Symbiote may be removed safely. NOTE: ERROR The Chaos Symbiote cannot be removed. If the symbiote is removed before this point the host has a 1% chance per level below the symbiote of instantaneous death.
“Shape Change, Shadow Dragon” - This ability allows you to assume the shape of a Shadow Dragon. Cost 500 mana to change to Dragon Form or to Change to Human Form. There is no duration. As a Shadow Dragon, you may utilize Claw, Bite, and Tail attacks as well as Breath of cone of Shadow that will temporarily open a portal into the Shadow Plane knocking anyone within its area of effect to be transferred into the Shadow Plane. As a Shadow Dragon you may enter or exit the Shadow Plane one per turn at will through any shadow you can fit through.
In the Shadow Plane, all physical attacks by you do double damage.
In full sunlight, all attack damage by you is halved.
All damage from light and fire against you is doubled
These negatives only apply while in dragon form.
This Ability increases Strength and Endurance by 1 tenth of your Basic Hits in dragon form. You also regenerate health at a rate of 1/2 your level rounded down per second in addition to any normal healing you might have while within Shadows
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Creature of Chaos Symbiote Racial Ability – “Amalgamate”
Amalgamate - In times of stress, you may try to completely absorb another creature. Doing so costs 99% of your remaining mana. During the Amalgamation, a contest of Wills begins. Your chance of success is equal to your Willpower multiplied by 1000% due to your ability "Creature of Chaos". Should you win the contest of wills the mentality of the creature is absorbed while the spark of will the memories contain is snuffed out. Should you lose the same may happen to you.
Creature of Chaos Racial Ability - “Absorb” Secondary abilities.
Absorb: Magic - Absorb Magic allows you to absorb magic of any kind. So long as you are aware of the magic and willfully accept the magic into your body any magical spell, barrier, or effect may be absorbed.
A new attribute has been added to your Personal Information; “Magic Levels Absorbed” This attribute can never be greater than your willpower attribute or lower than zero.
Magic absorbed is absorbed as spell levels. The number of spell levels absorbed is determined by the spell level of the magic absorbed. For example, A level 10 fireball provides 10 Magic Levels Absorbed. These spell levels are used for several different abilities. At level 10 you may choose one ability listed below
Absorb: Heal Self/Temporary Hit Point Bonus - The spell levels absorbed may replenish 3 hit points per spell level absorbed. Absorbed levels converted to hit points that go above your maximum hit points provide bonus hit points that fade away at the end of the next combat round. All damage taken during that time is taken by the bonus hit points first. You may only absorb a number of spell levels equal to your willpower from any single source once per combat round. NOTE: This ability does NOT utilize the new “Magic Levels Absorbed” trait. Spell levels are absorbed and immediately converted to hit points then temporary hit points once per combat round.
Absorb: Heal Other/Temporary Hit Point Bonus - The spell levels absorbed may replenish 2 hit points per spell level absorbed. Absorbed levels converted to hit points that go above the target’s maximum hit points provide bonus hit points that fade away at the end of the next combat round. All damage during that time is taken by the bonus hit points first. (May not be used on self). Spell levels absorbed to heal others do utilize the same absorbed spell levels pool as all other abilities described here.
Absorb: Melee Combat Damage Bonus - The spell levels absorbed may be added as a damage bonus to any physical attack you make. The points must be added before the attack is made and only add one point of damage per Magic Levels Absorbed spent. Once spent Magic Level Absorbed points are gone even if the attack misses.
Absorb: Cast Spell - The spell energy absorbed may be utilized to cast spells of an equal level or lower at no mana cost. Each spell cast utilizes a number of Magic Levels Absorbed equal to the spell level to be cast.
Absorb: Burst of Speed - The Magic Levels Absorbed may be utilized to increase movement speed by one Foot Per Second per Magic Levels Absorbed point spent. This may only be utilized once per combat round.
Absorb: Items - at a cost of 33 mana per pound Pandora can absorb any item she is touching and convert it into Magic levels Absorb. Each pound grants One Magic Level Absorbed. NOTE: If an attempt to absorb an item fails due to not having space in the Magic Levels Absorbed attribute, damage equal to the total Magic Levels Absorbed that could have been provided multiplied by 3 occurs in a 10-foot-diameter centered on the object. From 10-20 foot diameter one-half damage. From 20 -30 foot diameter one-quarter damage.
Absorb: Magic Items - at a cost of 99 mana per pound, Pandora can absorb any item she is touching and convert it into Magic Levels Absorbed. Each pound grants one Magic Level Absorbed. Additionally, any charges the item might carry also grant one Magic level Absorbed. NOTE: If an attempt to absorb a magical item fails due to not having space in the Magic Levels Absorbed attribute, damage equal to the total Magic Levels Absorbed that could have been provided multiplied by 3 occurs in a 10-foot-diameter centered on the object. From 10-20 foot diameter one-half damage. From 20 -30 foot diameter one-quarter damage.
Absorb: Memories - for 33 Mana you may absorb the surface memories from the target. This will include everything the target has seen and witnessed within the last hours. How far you can copy memories from the target into the past can be extended at a rate of 33 mana for each additional hour so long as contact is maintained with the target. Also, memories can be reviewed at the time the ability is used or the ability can be used and the memories can be reviewed later. Memories reviewed are permanent and fade with time, as all memories do.
Absorb: Skills - for 33 mana per skill level, you may absorb a skill and utilize it as if it were your own. If you cannot spend enough mana to capture the skill the skill will remain available for a number of combat turns equal to the mana spent divided by 33. For instance, if the Skill were level 11 and only 330 mana were spent, the Skill would be available for 10 combat turns after use and then disappear. This ability cannot be channeled. To capture a skill the entire skill must be captured at once. If successful the target must make Willpower savings throw against a target equal to the mana spent or fall unconscious due to neural shock. They will remain unresponsive for a number of turns equal to the level of skill that was removed.
Absorb: Material Properties - For 99 mana per 100 pounds (Rounded up) of Pandora, so 198 mana in human form or 2058 mana in dragon form Pandora can take on the physical properties of any substance she is touching, including Air. This transformation can be maintained at a cost of 33 mana per additional combat round. All bonuses and weaknesses of the material become true for Pandora while she takes on the property of the substance.
Absorb: Ambient Energy - At a cost of 33 Mana you may absorb energy from the surrounding area and become fully hydrated and fed. This ability is not noticeable and does not affect the immediate surroundings. This ability only needs to be utilized once every 12 hours to remain fully fed and hydrated. There is no limit to how many times this ability can be used.
Absorb: Kinetic Energy - Kinetic Energy may be absorbed and converted into Magic Levels Absorbed (MLA). 33 Mana to activate ability and 33 Mana per object’s kinetic energy that is absorbed. Every object that strikes has all momentum sucked out of the object. Melee weapons or projectiles will all come to a dead stop. The number of MLA absorbed is equal to the speed of the object in Miles per hour divided by 10. Objects traveling less than 10 miles per hour are automatically stopped as long as 33 Mana is spent per object. Note: This Ability can be utilized to absorb falling Damage.
Absorb: Mana Conversion - MLA can now be converted into Mana at a rate of 1 MLA for 33 Mana.
Permanently Absorbed Abilities
“Telepathy” - You may make a mental link with any creature you can see or any creature that carries a focusing object you have created for that purpose. This ability allows for both verbal and full sensory communication if that is desired. Additionally, this ability can serve as a vehicle for other mental or spell-based attacked
“Ambidextrous” - You may make attacks from any limb as if it were your dominant hand. You do not receive an off-hand penalty when attacking with a weapon in each hand.
Attributes
Strength 3076
Agility 3076
Dexterity 3076
Endurance 3076
Constitution 3076
Perception 3076
Intelligence 3076
Wisdom 3076
Willpower 3076
Charisma 3076
Luck 3076
Chaos 33,825
Karmic Luck 0
Primary Stats
Carrying Capacity 19,994 lbs (9,069 kg)
Hit Points: 924
Base Health Regeneration
1 per second
Stamina 30,760
Base Stamina Regeneration
154 per second
Mana: 30,760
Base Mana Regeneration
32 per second
Movement
Normal Running Speed: 39mph, 57fps
Standing high Jump: 4 feet
Note. Falling Damage is not mitigated by maximum jumping Distance.
Base Attack
Unarmed Base Attack: 4
Max Damage: 1538
Critical Damage Maximum Damage x2
Skills:
None
Pandora reviewed the information and then found the tabs for her combined form with Caspa and her Dragon form. Her attributes increased to 6,152 each with her Chaos Attribute increasing to 67,650. The only major difference. In her human form, she had 1,848 hit points. In her Dragon form, she had 25,872 and she could fly. Damn, she could fly fast. Her ground speed was only 70 miles per hour but if she had some space she could fly incredibly fast, which made no sense with everything she knew about aerodynamics now. Her flight must be magic-based then.
Her Stamina and Mana were both at 61,520. Additionally, her Hit Point Generation was still only 1 point per second in each form. Her Stamina regeneration was 308 while her mana regeneration was 63. So her dragon form was still pretty powerful and her absorption secondary abilities were still quite versatile and powerful.
Pandora closed her Status Screen by hitting the “Accept” button and looked out to see others near her doing the same. Just as she was about to try to talk to someone else a series of prompts appeared.
Welcome to the System.
Individuals acquired from the Multitude have had the subversive System edits removed. This includes all titles and adjustments.
Attributes have been awarded in a range of 1 – 10. Where 1 is the lowest and 10 is the highest for a normal member of your species. A 5 in all attributes would indicate that you are a completely average individual.
Abilities, if any, will be adjusted to System standards. Please review these abilities in your Status screen and review any changes. Some abilities may not work as they did before.
Everyone’s Class has been removed, as have all Class abilities associated with that Class. You will need to choose a new class and begin progression to earn abilities again.
Finally, you may choose your starting location. Each individual will be given three choices based on your initial scan and attributes, you must choose within 60 seconds or one of the locations will be randomly chosen for you.
The Three locations you can choose from are:
Dungeon World
Labyrinth Entrance
Random World has just been incorporated into the System.
Pandora looked over the choices and chose to go with a Random World that had just been incorporated into the System.
You have chosen to transfer to a Random World recently incorporated into the System.
Chaos Attribute Noted
Chaos Attribute is larger than your Luck Attribute.
Randomization commencing.
Randomization finalized.
Temporal Restrictions lifted
System Restrictions lifted.
Transfer commencing
Pandora watched as a black portal opened before her and stayed dark for a long time before a small dot of white light started as a pinpoint in the center of the portal and widened. She had the distinct impression that she was falling toward whatever was on the other side of the portal. Ironically, this is exactly what happened when an unknown force picked her up and transferred her through the portal. In a moment she found herself standing on the corner of a busy intersection with humans all around her and buildings that reached up into the sky all around her. As the portal closed behind her she realized all the signs nearby were written in English. A moment later she heard a gasp of shock and looked to see a woman looking at her with a hand over her mouth. At that moment she looked at everyone looking at her, then looked down at herself and realized that was naked. Butt ass naked on a new world, well she had been born this way once, why not a second time?
