Limitless Path

It was a warm Saturday in the fall, just like countless other warm fall days. At least, it would have been, were it not for the fantastic and terrible change just about to happen.

Elizabeth Bell at that time was just a normal girl, living in a quiet suburb attached to one of the larger cities in the northeastern United States. There wasn’t really anything particularly special about Elizabeth, or Beth, as she preferred being called; at least, according to her own opinion of herself. Others might disagree with such an idea; certainly, those who would face her in the coming years and live to tell the tale would profess a vastly different opinion.

Beth was best described as lanky, being rather tall for her age, as she was already just about five foot, eight inches at the age of seventeen. She had deep black, shoulder-length hair that seemed to soak up light, like a curtain dyed in blackest ink. Though she never really put much stock in it, her parents had commented often on how pretty she was. She had a very symmetrical oval face, full and well-defined lips, and dark green eyes that possessed a deep luster. She assumed it was just her family trying to be positive regardless of the reality of the situation.

This morning she had decided to poke around in the little wooded lot behind the cul-de-sac that her family home faced. The lot was around 15 acres, and was owned by one of the Bells' neighbors, a polite but slightly mysterious older gentleman that even her parents referred to as Mr. Jones. He had told the children at the end of the neighborhood they could play there, but that they must be careful when they did.

Beth, despite spending most of her time indoors, enjoyed exploring the area and wandering around to see if she could find anything interesting. She particularly enjoyed looking around the small jut of rocks in the middle of the little wood that had a number of interesting smaller rocks and stones scattered around it.

As Beth continued to look around, the sky suddenly flashed, transitioning from a brilliant blue to a deep crimson. As she looked up in shock, the sky again shifted, becoming a bright, crisp lavender. The whole world seemed to freeze for a moment as an even stranger thing than the sky changing colors happened; a mysterious square filled with text appeared in Beth’s vision.

{Welcome to the Path. Earth’s introductory period has just begun. Congratulations on embarking on your new journey.}

Beth looked at the screen in wonder. As someone who played video games, this screen bore a familiar look to it, but it was still startling to suddenly see it floating in front of her. She reached out her right hand and waved it at the screen to see what would happen, but it passed right through. Bemused by the screen, she looked around to see if the world was really going mad. As she did so, she noticed something glimmering on the ground a few feet away and stepped over to it.

Looking down, it looked like a piece of crystal dropped on the ground, about twice as big as if Beth curled both her hands into fists and pressed them together. The crystal was rectangular and gave off a faint silver glow, almost in the way a fire would radiate heat into the air. Its luminescence seemed to hold an almost overpowering attraction, and Beth couldn't help but pick it up.

As soon as the crystal was in her hands, the attraction seemed to subtly morph. Almost like the thought was her own, Beth had an intrinsic desire to touch the crystal against her head. And so, she did, touching the end of the gently shining silver crystal against her forehead.

The world went dark.

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But the very next second, Beth found herself standing in a warmly lit room. She looked around in shock.

Wasn't I just in the woodlot. What is this? Beth thought, her head slashing back and forth, trying to take everything in.

The room was what looked like a library, at first glance, or perhaps it was some kind of office, as Beth noticed the large desk in front of her. The walls to her left and right were nothing but bookshelves which were packed to overflowing with books, scrolls, papers, and even more crystals seeming similar to the one Beth had just picked up. The wall in front of her was full of shelves as well, but also had three towering windows looking out over a rough ocean, where a billowing storm approached from over the horizon.

The room was warmly lit by four fixtures that Beth could only think of as crazy chandeliers, seemingly hovering in the corners of the room without being attached to the ceiling. They produced a bright, pure, and golden light that gently coated the room in a warm radiance. It let her clearly see the large desk in front of her was carved from some sort of beautiful dark wood. Behind the desk, sitting on an equally ornately carved chair, was a tall woman with long, lustrous silver hair.

The first thing Beth noticed about the woman was just how pretty she was. From the silver hair to the symmetry of her face to the way her eyes seemed to glow…

Glow? They're glowing. And golden. And her pupils don't look normal. Beth thought, starting to get a little overwhelmed at this point.

"Relax child. You are in no danger here. Certainly not from me." The woman in the chair spoke to Beth. "Certainly not anymore," she murmured, much more quietly.

"Sorry miss, but I don't know what's going on. What's happening?" Beth replied.

"Come child. Sit," the woman said.

"Sit, but-" however, before Beth could say any more, a large, well-padded chair appeared in front of the desk. "OK, that was…cool."

She walked forward and hesitantly sat on the magical chair. Looking at the mysterious woman from closer, Beth realized that her eyes were strange not just for possessing glowing golden irises, but also for the fact her pupils appeared to be a kind of starburst, a deep red fractured pattern with spikes extending out to the edge of her iris.

"That's somewhat better. I would be remiss in not offering you a drink, but this is just a fragment, and we should be about business," said the woman.

"OK, what do you mean ‘a fragment?’ What's really going on? Am I dead?" asked Beth.

"No child, do you not know what a Memory Crystal is?"

"No, please, if you know, can you tell me what's going on?"

The strange woman sighed deeply. "Just to confirm this, but what level are you child?"

"Level? You mean like in a game? I'm not a game character though."

"Think ‘status screen’ in your mind, like a screen from one of those games of which you speak."

Beth felt the mysterious lady might have a few screws loose, but she played along as she thought status screen. As soon as the thought finished, a screen appeared in front of her, just like the screen she had seen before.

Name

Elizabeth Anne Bell

Class

-

Level

0

Strength

5

Dexterity

6

Endurance

4

Intelligence

8

Wisdom

7

Titles

-

Skills

-

Wealth

0c

"What is this? Why can I see this?!" Beth exclaimed, again trying to push the screen with her hand and having it pass right through.

"That is your status screen. What you are seeing represents much, though not all, of who you are. You are able to show it to others as well. Think about allowing me to be able to view it as well."

Beth did so and the mysterious woman seemed to shift the focus of her attention slightly.

"Hmm…a brand new Awoken. Not particularly surprising, but you have a good bit of intelligence it seems," the woman commented with a very slight frown. "Man plans and the universe shifts regardless. Still, I should explain some things to you. Let us proceed as such. I will introduce you to some of the basics of the Path and then you may ask me some questions. Afterward, I will give you a brief explanation of who I am and what this is. What do you think of that, child?"

"I still don't know where I am. I am really still alive?" Beth asked, still with some trepidation making her voice waver.

"Ah yes, let us start there. First of all, my name is Liveria Sophia Amara Yenllewen. You may call me Miss Liveria. This space where we are right now is an old study of mine from many years ago. You are present here because you picked up and activated the Memory Crystal I left as the heart of my Inheritance. When you made a connection with the crystal, likely by touching it to your heart or head, it brought you here. This is just a memory, and I am just a fragment of who I was. You are not dead, and in fact, are standing or sitting wherever you were when you touched the crystal.

"Time in here does not pass the same as time outside. You do not need worry that you will spend time in here with me and wake up some different day. As long as we do not tarry too long, you will wake up within the same moment as when you entered here."

"You mean we're frozen right now?" Beth asked, eyes widening slightly.

"In a manner, yes. Time compression is one the greatest parts of all that is introduced with the Path. It can be dangerous to do it too often, but it is also one of the ways great clans and empires have built up such strong foundations over the eons. Being able to enter a space like this and learn from an expert can be a huge boon.

"Look at this room. This was my study over a millennium before I Ascended. You can see all the crystals on the shelves, which are just a part of what I owned at this time. Some of these crystals contain the equivalent of hundreds of years of condensed knowledge; imagine having to spend real time learning such things. Even with shortcuts in the crystals, you would die of old age before you had absorbed a fraction of the knowledge you needed to walk the Path."

"I'm sorry Miss Liveria, but you keep talking about the Path, but what is that?" Beth interrupted when Liveria paused a moment.

"Ah yes, maybe I should really start at the very start," Liveria replied with a very slight upward curl of her lips. "It really is strange at times, how the Path works. What I refer to as the Path is a system that has existed for many eons. This system that we call the Path is used to encourage growth and evolution. If your world was really just incorporated today, you will see great changes over the next few years. There will be a period as your world adapts to mana and transforms, during which time more mana will flow into your world until it reaches a critical threshold at some point. That point is different for different worlds, but even a low mana world is far different than what you will have been used to. Such a world, for instance, will be flooded with beasts of a magical nature.

"When you fight such beasts, you will gain experience. As you do so, you will level up. As you level you will, of course, become stronger. But, so too will the beasts and monsters you face. This is important as your world fills with mana. The more mana your world contains, the stronger the beasts that will roam it. Even if your world does not become very mana dense, there will be beasts roaming it that could easily level one of your current cities. You understand the need for at least some few of your world to grow strong?"

Beth was more than a little overwhelmed.

What is all this? Why is this happening to me? Maybe this is just a bad dream I'm somehow having. But then why did it happen in the middle of the morning? Beth thought.

"So, this is all real…but why our world? And why now?" Beth asked.

"The Path spreads to new worlds over time. The entire multiverse is not yet under its influence, but depending on how long it has been since I made this crystal, at least two-thirds of this universe is controlled by the Path. Your world was likely inducted as nearby worlds have been inducted and stabilized, so the Path has now spread to your world.

"As such, there are now new dangers present. But with such dangers come new opportunities. You can seize these opportunities and grow in strength, protecting who and what you love. Or you can live in fear, relying on others to do the work for you. Not everyone must fight, but only those who fight may truly become strong," Liveria replied, a touch of sympathy softening the golden glow of her eyes.

"Well, that's a little harsh. I kinda like to fight, but what about people who don't?" Beth replied with a deep frown.

"People who don't want to fight do not have to, of course. But if you do not fight, you do not grow stronger. And when someone much stronger than you tells you what to do, you cannot really say no, now can you?"

"So don't fight and stay weak. I've had a little experience with being on the receiving end from just the kind of people you're talking about," Beth replied softly, looking down at her hands in her lap. Memories briefly stole her focus; a dimly lit room on a cold day and raised voices, slights and bumps while walking hallways, and too loud whispers of a disparaging nature as she passed groups of other girls. Just some of the many memories that could come to mind of why she preferred her own company, but she shook them off as the woman resumed speaking.

"You will need to toughen yourself child. The weak have never prospered. You might think me cruel for talking this way, for being so direct, but life is often like that. I can at least offer you some assurance; you will be fighting monsters and beasts far more than other Wayfarers," Liveria explained in a slightly warmer tone.

"Is that true? Why wouldn't people just fight each other?" Beth asked, her voice regaining some strength.

"It is true, child. It is possible to gain experience from killing other Wayfarers, but it is considered a waste. Beasts, particularly at low levels, have much greater vitality and magic reserves compared to sapient beings. It is a part of this vitality and magic that is converted to experience from killing the beast, and how you level and increase at least some of your skill proficiencies.

"That is not to say that there is not violence and war on the Path. Greed eternally rests in people's hearts, and there are always those who would use violence to gain what they want. But to protect your wealth and yourself, always remain wary of others. In regard to wealth, you will find a new currency has been introduced by the system, one that is universally trusted. You understand these things child?" The Empress' gaze was suddenly like a vast tide washing over Beth's spirit.

"Y-yes, I understand. What is this feeling? Are you making the room suffocating? How can you do that, it's so cool!" Beth responded, a small gleam in her eye.

The pressure suddenly disappeared instantly; an ocean dried up in a blink. "Yes, well, it is something you learn to control as you grow stronger. I do not believe I have ever heard anyone call it 'cool' before." The woman blinked and ran a hand through her long, lustrous hair.

"Let me finish with one last thing; an explanation of the tiers," she continued.

"What do you mean by tiers?" Beth asked with a slight frown. "I've played some games with something like that. You mean people have some kind of ranks other than level?"

"Correct; it is a general grading system for coins and skills. The only exception to these tiers are weapon skills, such as Swordsmanship, and crafting skills, such as Blacksmithing. They are graded by the old ranks of Apprentice, Journeymen, and so on. Otherwise, the ranks are as follows; first is copper, then silver, then gold, and finally platinum for the base metals. Afterwards is diamond, which is also considered a minor pinnacle for skills. Just as diamond coins are rare and highly valuable, so are skills that have been polished to such a level. After diamond are the three most widely known magical metals; mithril, orichalcum, and adamantium. These are quite rare, both in terms of coins and skills."

"I take it coins aren't very easy to get? So, if it's hard to get coins, wouldn't people attack each other for them instead of experience?" Beth asked, tapping her chin with a finger.

Liveria interlaced the long, smooth fingers of her hands on the dark-wood desk in front of her as she explained. "Coins are difficult to gain, child. You will find they are quite valuable, particularly silver coins, as most of your trade early in your journey will be measured by a few silvers, at the greatest. As to killing other Wayfarers, you are only rewarded with a part of their wealth. Most of their coins disappear, so murder for the sake of pillaging wealth is foolish."

"So, people, um, Wayfarers, they don't fight?" Beth asked, the tapping increasing in cadence slightly.

"No child, they do fight. As I said, people are greedy, they will try to take what they want instead of justly earning it themselves. There are also the arenas. Every world either falls under the jurisdiction of the Combat Ranking Association or its own hegemon but with CRA representation. They regulate combat between Wayfarers, coordinate with magistrates, justiciars, or local law enforcement to hold Wayfarers to account, and provide a grounds for testing and improving oneself, among other services."

"So, they're like duelists who are also police?" Beth asked, the tapping assuming a quick rhythm.

"Perhaps something similar. Because of the vast wealth and network they control, they work with or even assume the duties of law enforcement to punish Wayfarers who step out of line. Another very simple lesson for you, child: wealth IS power. In fact, I recommend you seek out the Association fairly quickly. As most people on your planet reel about in confusion from the shock of initial integration, actually beginning to train and fight will put you years or even decades ahead."

"This is a lot of information, to be honest. Will I even remember any of this when I wake up."

"Yes, child, when you awaken in a moment, the memory of this talk will stay clear in your mind. You will also have many memories contained deeper within your mind that you cannot access until you grow stronger. Lastly, other than those old memories, a gift, as the first part of my inheritance. Stretch out your right hand," Liveria's eyes glowed a bright, pure gold.

Beth stretched out her right hand slowly, but hesitated when her arm was halfway extended.

This might be a bad dream, and this might be a dumb idea, but I want the kind of strength…the kind of light she has. And with that thought, Beth shoved her hand forward until her arm was fully extended.

Liveria's…phantom?...grasped Beth's hand. The inner light radiating from Liveria's eyes exploded in intensity and Beth instinctively shied away, but it was like the light shone through everything, a silver ocean of pure fire that stretched beyond the edge of time. Matter was no barrier to it, that infinite and bright wave of unmitigated power. It was warm at first, making Beth feel whole in a way she never had, but suddenly, a searing pain like a molten brand pressed deeply into her right forearm. Beth tried to jerk her arm away, but it was as if her right arm was held not in Liveria's hand, but the jaws of some impossibly powerful vice. The pain didn't lessen but flowed up her arm and into the center of her chest. Beth tried to scream, but there was no sound.

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