As Dave watched the weapon disappear into thin air, he squealed with joy like a kid on Christmas. Most people think of fantasy as summoning a fireball or calling lightning to strike enemies. No matter how powerful someone is, they can't do much with a heavy bag on their back. That's why many games have inventory systems.
'Now, how do I summon it back?' As Dave pondered, he saw the instruction that after registering an item, the user can summon and dismiss it just by thinking about it. His eyes widened with excitement, and he quickly reached out his hand, trying to summon the saber. As described, the saber materialized from white sparks.
'Amazing, now I don't have to carry anything physical anymore,' he thought, registering the gun as well. Then he read the rest of the instructions: to unregister an item, tap it three times. After going through all the instructions, he decided to explore the other apps, eager to see what else this strange interface offered.
'Hmm... Where should I start? I know what a map is. Should I begin with the Monster Compendium?' Dave was eager to see all the different types of monsters and what they could do. Sure, they are terrifying and could kill him violently, but his gamer instincts told him to memorize as many monsters as possible so he could fight them easily when he encountered them. Determined, he selected the Monster Compendium to begin his research.
With battered breath, he selected the Monster compendium. What he saw was not what he expected. There was basically nothing there; only two categories: Basic monsters and Core monsters. Under Basic monsters, there was just one entry: that weird crab-rabbit thing he saw, which almost tore his finger off. He was stunned but chose that creature's picture anyway.
Crabbit: A common monster found across the floating islands. They are very weak; even a ten-year-old could kill one with a stick. They are most famous for their jumping ability; they can leap as far as 3 meters. They are considered very delicious, and since they reproduce quickly, many people enjoy eating them.
'What, do people eat that thing?' The thought grossed out Dave. Wanting to move on, he selected the next category, which also had only one entry.
Spizara (Forest): Spizards are considered some of the top predators on the floating islands. There are many variants because few creatures can threaten them, so they have evolved in various environments. The core mutations of the forest variant include web-weaving, poison enhancement, and wall walking.
'Mutations? Does that mean I have to kill these core monsters to gain their abilities?' Dave shuddered at the thought of that nightmare creature he encountered in the forest.
'I don't even feel confident about surviving another encounter with that thing. There's no way I can kill it. And what's up with this compendium? Does it only record monsters I've encountered? Doesn't that make it useless?' Dave was disappointed but decided to check out the Equipment compendium as well, and his previous excitement faded.
The equipment compendium's icon was a pair of crossed swords with a round shield on its back. With a heavy sigh, he selected it. As expected, only two items were registered there. Unlike the previous one, this had seven categories: common, uncommon, rare, very rare, epic, legendary, and mythical. They're similar to many game equipment categories. He then clicked on the first item—a curved sword with a white background.
Saber (Common): A saber is a curved, one-handed sword designed for heavy slashing rather than piercing. It's a very balanced sword and easy for beginners to handle. It's weak against heavy armor and poor at thrusting attacks.
'Just as I thought, it's a normal sword, nothing special. Let's look at the next two.' Dave then clicked on the image of the gun.
9mm Glock (Common ): Glock is a modern semi-auto pistol. Lightweight, durable, fast, and accurate, but lacks stopping power and penetration. It's great for beginners.
'Hmm... Both are beginner weapons. That makes me even more curious about the two strangers I met in the forest. Who were they, and what were they doing there?' He sighed heavily again—many questions, no answers. 'Let's check out the other apps.'
The map icon was an island with a pointer on top. When he opened it, he saw the entire map of Peach Island. He zoomed out to view the other island, but it was covered in fog, as if access was restricted. Unlike the compendiums, at least this one provides a full map—even if you have to visit different areas to see everything.
Now, only the skill catalog was left; the icon was a simple brown leather-bound book with the word 'Skills' written on it. When he opened it, he was overwhelmed by the list of skills it offered; there were thousands of skills ranging from basic tasks like cooking to very advanced topics like nuclear physics. As long as one has coins to spare, they can learn any skills. The coins it costs differ from skill to skill; basic cooking costs only 100 coins, while nuclear physics costs a whopping 100,000 coins.
He felt cheerful again and wanted to test this app, so he looked for a suitable candidate. Soon, he found a few; they were all different types of martial arts. Out of hundreds, he picked the first three that caught his eye. The first was basic swordsmanship, costing around 300 coins; the second was kalari, a martial art from his hometown that uses various weapons and isn't limited to just swords, costing about 800 coins because it's more complex; the third was basic kung fu, which he liked because he watched martial arts movies as a kid, and he chose it for that simple reason, costing 500 coins.
'Hmm... Now, which one should I buy?' he finally decided to play it safe and purchased the cheapest option, basic swordsmanship. When he selected it, a confirmation screen appeared. When he clicked 'Yes,' he was suddenly hit with a massive headache. This was different from when he ate the mushroom; it felt like someone was forcibly injecting all sorts of knowledge into his head. Fortunately, it ended just as quickly as it started.
It was a strange feeling, like recalling a long-forgotten memory. He wanted to test his new skills, but something else caught his attention. It was the browser. As a modern person, he usually looked for information online, so he decided to try it. The browser icon was the letter 'L', with a floating island behind it.
When he opened it on one of the recommended sites, there was a link to a forum titled 'Lucid 101,' and he clicked it. The page was created by someone named 'The Chosen One,' a strange name, but that wasn't important because it answered many of his questions.
First, what is Lucid? Lucid is a shared dreamscape; people from all over the world visit it every day while they sleep in real life. There are two ways to access it: the first is by being a natural lucid dreamer, who after years or even decades, ends up here. They are called 'Naturals.' The second is through a special training method that enables quick access to Lucid. This method is much faster than being natural and can be learned within a few years. Those who follow this method are called 'Legacies,' usually because they come from a family that has various information on Lucid or are people working for them.
Dave was confused because he was neither a Natural nor a Legacy, so how did he end up here? The mushrooms he ate weren't mentioned anywhere either. He decided to keep reading. The second question was titled 'What are mutations?'
Mutations are special powers granted by Lucid. They help users reach peak human potential. For example, you can be as strong or as smart as a human can possibly be. These powers make you the best human version, not something beyond human.
So how do you become something beyond? That's where core mutations come into play.
Core mutations are gained by slaying core monsters and taking their cores. Cores are small, marble-sized crystals found near the monster's heart. They can be consumed to gain three abilities of the core monster. Some core abilities, called 'core mutations,' need additional support from normal mutations. For example, the gliding ability of the Spizara (Mountain) needs the mutation Super Adaptability or Peak Human Dexterity because humans aren't evolved to glide or control their center of gravity while in the air.
These mutations are helpful, but one still needs to learn how to use them properly. Not all mutations require support. For example, the regeneration from Spizara (Aquatic) increases natural healing to an incredible level—you could even regrow a lost limb, though it would take at least a month. You can only have one core mutation at a time, so choose carefully. If you consume another core, it will boost your health, stamina, or spirituality, depending on the core type.
Finally, what is spirituality? Think of it like mana or magic—a resource you can consume to use your abilities. It regenerates over time, and the more you have, the longer you can use your powers.