Within the forest lies a mansion. A very well sized mansion. It has everything one might need to live, along with anything one might want to entertain themselves with. What I am currently focusing on is a particular man on a balcony overlooking the pool of his absurdly sized backyard. Rich idiots like this man are the ones I make the most money from. A brown haired balding man in his late 40’s with a tubby belly and the look of a man who never had to work a day in his life, yet was weighed down by the responsibility of choosing what to wear in the morning. The look of a total scumbag and acted like one too. Everyone at this party is rich, you can tell just by looking at their clothing, yet he treats them all with a subtle sense of superiority that you only find in those either truly great, or truly horrible.

  For over 40 minutes I have watched him, hidden within the branches of an old tree that the man, this Elias Grensworth, never seemed to care enough about to chop down. Right now is the perfect opportunity. However, I must be careful. So far I have taken note of 28 security officers patrolling through his yard and home. I need to either 1: make a distraction, or 2: make sure they don't notice the kill.

  Looking around with as little movement as possible, I take note of where the guards are. The backside of the mansion has a large pool. The balcony of which Elias is located looks down on this pool, where the guests, mostly women, walk around the pool sipping champagne and speaking like rich people do. Condescending shits. 4 guards are within view of my quarry, and there is nothing that I could make a good distraction with. Elias is currently leaning against the balcony, looking into the forest, though not near me. He wouldn't see me even if he looked in my direction. My mask is currently completely black, and every inch of my skin is covered. In the twilight, mixed with the shadows of the branches and leaves around me, I'm nothing short of invisible. I suppose I need to go with option 2 then.

  I take out the bullet I want. This bullet is perfect for my purposes. If found on the ground, it won't look like a bullet at all, just a crushed chunk of metal. I load it into my rifle and take aim. Then I wait. And wait. And wait. Until he is finally in the position I wanted him in. Perfect shot.

  Click. BANG.

  The sound is far quieter then one might expect, due to the design of this particular gun. It makes little to no sound, and what sound it does make is directed in the opposite direction in the shot, so only I ever heard it. The man crumbles against the railing. The bullet slams into one of the stone pillars making the wall. If the bullet hit a glass window, that would have been bad, so I waited until he leaned down in a way they allowed the bullet to simply hit the stone and clank into the ground. To my surprise and satisfaction, the bullet bounces, then falls off the railing, into a fireplace below. I had wanted that to happen, but it doesn't always. Now the only evidence is a corpse with a hole from ear to ear, piercing his brain.his corpse leans against the balcony in a way that doesn't make it very obvious he is dead. To a casual glance, it would simply look as if he had too much to drink and was leaning against the balcony for a moment.

  Now, it's time for my great escape. Slowly, I fold up my gun and, piece by piece, I put it all back as it was on my backpack. I slowly slide down the tree and hole the fence. I put my helmet back on, then get into my motorcycle. Time to get the hell out of here and get paid.

  I grin, then take off at full speed. No more need for stealth. The people there will likely hear the motorcycle, but they can't see me, and will likely assume someone at the party left. Well, they wouldn't be wrong. Someone at the party did leave. Just, not someone that was invited. Reaching into my backpack, I pull out my phone. I click on a number labeled “customer service”. 1 ring, then 2.

  “ Have you completed the task?” A deep, female voice echoes through the phone.

  “That is correct.” My tone is casual though flat as I fly through the streets, though I don't go past the speed limit by more then a few kilometers per hour.

  “Good, good. We thank you for your service.” The voice says again, her voice as flat as ever. I've grown to call her the “Contractor”. It fits, as she gives me my contracts, I do them, then another fat check gets stuffed into my account. Speaking of which-

  “My payment?” I say expectantly.

  “Already transferred. Will that be all today?”

  “Yes. Send me any new jobs the normal way.” With that I hang up the phone and tuck it into my bag again. I reach down and pull the sheet off my licence plate. If any officer saw one of these on my license plate, I'd be in deep shit for sure. It's time to get home, then I have school tomorrow.

  <{(0)}>

  Class is boring as always. It doesn’t mean I won’t do it, though it does mean I don’t put my heart and soul into it. I don’t go out of my way to study and get a shining report card, but when there is work in front of me, of course I will do it. Having a decent education is fairly important by today's standards. I respect those who respect education, and I value having knowledge. Over the past few years, there have been severe major overhauls in the school system. Nowadays, everything you do in school, you don’t have to go to school to do. Kids are expected to do their work no matter where they are thanks to virtual reality letting you just pop a headset on and find yourself in a virtual classroom to do schoolwork in. Tests are usually performed within school approved virtual reality headset as well, as it basically eliminates any chance of cheating, and provides instant feedback when it comes to grades. Though, you still have to show up for some classes, Phys ed being a prime example. I personally took the advanced option, which cost me 200 dollars to take. Worth it in my opinion. Money is not a problem for me, and it gives me more credits towards graduation. I took both 10-1 and 20-1 for all 4 classes in grade 10, only managing to do this due to a few online courses letting me chew through my tenth grade courses in half the time the school expects me to, letting me get more credits and finish early.

  One of the downsides to this, however, is neither of my friends are in my class. They're both in 20-1 while I’m chilling in 30-1 for math, social, english, and science, as well as a few high credit courses. I’m on track to graduate a year early, which is something few ever manage to accomplish.

  {An error has been detected.}

  I freeze up. I just heard something. And saw something. In front of me, a translucent box floats in the air. Nobody else seems to notice it.

  {Correcting error. This may take some time, please stand by.}

  Another box. My brain instantly kicks into gear, trying to figure out what is happening. I raise a hand.

  “Yes, Jakob?” My math teacher, Mr. Kiloway nods to me.

  “Can I please go to the bathroom?” I ask, adjusting my body language subtly to convey restlessness. I have picked up on a few subtle things like this, which help when questioned by the police. Conveying emotions subtly through little ticks usually flies by the radar for most, but still affects them.

  “Go ahead. You have 10 minutes.” The man waves me off, turning back to the woman he was helping with some equation. Now with permission, I turn and slip out of the classroom, making my way towards the bathroom. All the while these boxes follow me around. It's so damned annoying, yet also so interesting I could salivate over the possibilities as to what it is. Some sort of ethereal thing, it’s clear. I can’t physically touch it, and nobody else seems to be able to see it.

  I get to the end of the hallway and slip into a bathroom stall. The nice thing about these stalls is that they have thick walls for some reason. Nobody can see nor hear in unless I’m particularly loud about my thoughts.

  {Correcting error:20%}

  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  What error? This seems to be an automated response. I’m starting to feel a little dizzy. I lean against the wall of the stall, yawning. Maybe heading home for the day would be wise. I Make my way out of the stall and slip out the back door of the school. I think one teacher saw me leave, but I was casual about it, and I’m wobbling in a way that makes me look a little ill. I feel a slight tugging on myself as I make my way to the parking lot. I get onto my motorcycle and turn the key. I begin to drive. My driving is fine, though a bit wobbly. I feel like I’m in two places at once.

  It takes a little careful driving but I make it out of the school zone. That tugging sensation is getting stronger. Far stronger. Dammit.

  {Correcting error: 40%}

  40 percent now. This feeling has something to do with these translucent boxes, that much is obvious. Turning onto the highway I start to drive. I’m not heading home. I’m heading to the hospital. This feeling is not normal, and I might be going through something. Maybe a blood clot in my brain or something. Giving me hallucinations and this dizzy spell. Maybe… maybe driving isn’t a good idea. Maybe I should pull over.

  {Correcting error: 60%}

  It’s closer. And my driving is getting worse. I’m on the highway dammit, I can’t be zig-zagging like this. I focus all my energy on driving, just driving. A few vehicles are around me as I go, and I notice a few drivers looking at me with more than a little caution and worry as I just try to keep going. Gotta keep going…

  {Correcting error: 80%}

  I hear the horn of a semi truck in the far distance. A truck is driving behind me, honking at me. Gotta keep going. Gotta make it. Ignore the dizziness. I’m only a few minutes away.

  {Correcting error: 90%}

  My bike swerves. I hit a rock. I go flying. All around is just air. I can’t touch anything. For a moment I’m airborne, then the semi comes. I see it inches from my face before everything goes black.

  {Error corrected. Relocation complete.}

  <{(0)}>

  It takes a few minutes to realize I haven’t blacked out. Or, at least I don’t believe I have. All around is nothingness. Not blackness, or darkness, or even whiteness. Just utter nothing. Nothing, and a single screen in front of my face.

  {Relocation to universe 0.5 “The core” has been completed. You have been reintegrated into the system. You may choose a skill, a Technique, and a Mutation to begin your journey with.}

  Immediately, a list appears in front of me. A huge list, a vast list. I don’t understand what is going on. Where am I?”

  {Jim: You are in the integration space.}

  I blink for a moment. This screen has a name attached.

  “Did you just read my thoughts?”

  {Jim: What do you think?}

  “I… fair enough. Where is this?” I gesture with my arms to all around myself.

  {Jim: I just told you}

  “You did, but you didn’t tell me much.”

  {Jim: I told you all I know.}

  I sigh.

  “I guess, could you tell me what this is and what is happening to me?”

  {Jim: This, I do know. You are from another universe, as I believe you have gathered.You are being transferred to this universe, as your soul is aligned with this universe more so than the one you were in. However, you have not lived with the system your whole life and therefore have almost no skills. You may gain some due to titles obtained on entrance due to past feats.}

  “Titles? Skills? This sounds like a video game or something.” I say flatly. “What are they?”

  {Jim: You get titles from accomplishing something, which may award you something. They sometimes give bonuses as well. Skills are power ups, abilities, or affinities that can’t be classified as techniques.}

  “Alright. So, can I choose any from this list here?” I look over the list. I read over a few until one catches my eye.

  “Does this say “Mind magic affinity”?” I frown. “Magic?”

  {Jim: Yes, magic. Will you choose this skill?}

  “Might as well.”

  {Skill gained: Mind magic Manipulation(Medium)}

  “Now for techniques… I'll go with this one.”

  {technique gained: Basic weapons mastery(Low)}

  “Now for mutations.” I frown. “What’s a mutation?”

  “A change in your body, usually positive, which grants you specific set abilities.” A voice, powerful and old, speaks behind me. I turn to find a figure, completely white, staring down at me. I can’t make out their form. Only two deep red eyes are visible, their gaze piercing through me. They look almost… reptilian.

  “What are you?” I frown, but don’t take a step back. I get a sense that if this person had ill intent, they would’ve made it known by now.

  “I am the one who will take you to the place you were meant to be.” is the only response I get from the… I think he’s a man. I’ll go with male for now.

  “Well, that doesn’t sound ominous at all.” I say flatly. “So now I have 2 helpers? What am I supposed to call you?”

  “You don’t need to call me anything. You will know who I am next time we meet. But that will not be for quite some time.”

  “Are you really going to drill riddles into my ears?” I mutter. “How about you make yourself useful so I don’t accidentally choose an extra layer of skin as a mutation or something, if that is a real thing.

  “It is.” The figure answers. I’ll think of him as Red for now, just to put a name to his face. Or, well, his eyes, since I can’t make out his face.

  “Oh, wonderful. All I’ve ever wanted in this world is a second layer of skin.” I say sarcastically, scrolling through the options. A few catch my eye.

  “Don’t pick that one.” Red says as I read through an option that mutates my nervous system, making it more advanced.

  “Oh? Why not?”

  “It will overwhelm your mind as it is too weak for such high levels of sensory input. A mutation to the nerves is a good idea in the future, but not now.” Red explains.

  ‘“Ey Jimmy, can you confirm?” I called out to the box.

  {Jim: Firstly, that is not my name, and secondly, yes, I can confirm.}

  “Wonderful.” I clap my hands together once, then keep scrolling. I stop at a mutation to my veins. “Unliving blood veins?” I frown, reading it over.

  “That would be a good option.” Red nods approvingly.

  “But why? It says that it works with… death mana? Do I have death mana?”

  “It is one of the two mana types your soul is most closely aligned with, yes.” Red tells me.

  “What’s the other type?” I ask. If mana is magic, then I gotta know what I can do. I have no idea how death mana works, but I might as well know the name of things to research and experiment later.

  “Creation.” I pause.

  “Creation?”

  “Yes, creation.” Red nods. He nods a lot.

  “That sounds… more than a little useful.”

  “It is.” Red nods, then chuckles. “So, are you selecting the mutation?”

  “You two are the only actual information I have for this, and I guess I have no other choice.” I shrug. “Hit me.”

  {Mutation gained: Unliving blood veins(C)}

  “Now that you are done, it’s time you take a look at your status, then head out into the world.”

  “My status?” I ask, confused. A screen appears in front of me.

  {Name:Pyro Akabis

  Level:1/50

  Titles:Cold-blooded, Enigma, Broken, DEATH, Other-worlder

  Strength:3.15

  Durability:3

  Speed:3

  Stamina:3

  Intelligence:3

  Essence: 2000

  Class:None

  Species:Inhuman[1/5]

  Skills: Strength(Low), Mind mana Manipulation(Medium)

  Techniques: Mana manipulation(F), Mind mana manipulation(D), Basic weapons mastery(E)

  Mutations:Unliving blood veins(C)}

  I had so many questions at the time. Firstly, my name isn’t Pyro, It’s Jakob. Secondly, what is “Essence” and why is it so high? Thirdly, what’s with the stuff in my status I didn’t purchase?

  I never get to ask those questions. Everything turns to nothing, and all I feel is pain.

  <{(0)}>

  Many universes away, within my home in the Great tree, I pause. I raise a skeletal talon to hush my young champion, who has been giving me a report on recent arrests, and turn my skull southeast. I just felt an energy I had hoped to feel. It was broadcast outwards for but a single moment, in a way Abhor and Snowstorm’s energy didn't, which made it harder to find them. However, the location of the energy made my non-existent heart drop. The steel badlands, also known as New Camica.

  “Pyro is there.”

  Name:Snowstorm

  Level:50/150

  Age:16

  Titles:Frostbreaker, knowledgeer, study master, Tier 2 evolution, Humanify FREEZE

  Strength:150

  Durability:150

  Speed:150

  Stamina:150

  Intelligence:172.5

  Essence:1,009

  Class:Frostbane boxer(Epic)

  Soul weapon:Frostbane gauntlets

  Species:Frostwing demi-wyvern

  Skills: Heat vision(low)Uncommon, Greater enhanced intelligence(medium)Rare, Enhanced knowledge intake(medium)Uncommon, cold resistance(high)Rare, photographic memory(Medium)Rare, swimming(low)Common, split thought(Low)Rare, body temperature reduction(Medium)Uncommon, ice mana manipulation(medium)Rare, Mind magic affinity(Medium)Uncommon, heat shift foundation(Low)Uncommon

  Techniques:Swimming(D), Mana manipulation(C), Mind mana manipulation(D), Ice mana manipulation(C), Mana claws(C), Ice spear(C), Iceout(D), Icicle hail(D), Mind bridge(D), Ice mana barrier(C), Heat shift(D), Mana bolt(D), Mana sense(D), Mind mana manipulation(D), Illusion mana manipulation(E)

  Mutations: Knowledge intake stomach(B), Multi-Mind system(A)

  ...

  Name:Pyro Akabis

  Level:1/50

  Titles:Cold-blooded, Enigma, Broken, DEATH, Other-worlder

  Strength:5.25

  Durability:5

  Speed:5

  Stamina:5

  Intelligence:5

  Essence: 2000

  Class:None

  Species:Inhuman[1/5]

  Skills: Strength(Low), Mind mana Manipulation(Medium)

  Techniques: Mana manipulation(F), Mind mana manipulation(D), Basic weapons mastery(E)

  Mutations:Unliving blood veins(C)