Vivid Stars Online

At first, I was worried that I’d made a terrible mistake. The surge of Psi energy was running rampant within my body, making changes as it went. However, as I focused my senses on what was happening, I realized that the energy was being controlled.

Whatever the throne had pumped me full of was guiding the chaotic energy, forcing it to conform to specific patterns. It’s like a template, I realized as I watched the process. A pre-designed pattern that my very being is changing toward.

I didn't know how long the process took, though I was aware of the light level around me dropping. While it felt like days had passed as the changes progressed, it could have just as easily been mere seconds.

Oddly, it wasn’t a painful process, more of an itching sensation than anything else. I wonder if my stats are helping with that. It would make sense if the Psionic Aspirant got the stats that were required to survive such a change.

Then the process halted, completing as swiftly as it had started. I blinked my eyes back open as the feeling returned to my body. Darkness greeted me, the omnipresent light that had filled the entire facility now gone.

Notifications flashed in the corner of my vision, and I ached to check them. First, however, I needed to find my companions and make sure they were alright. Something had clearly changed while I was out of it.

I could vaguely see light reflecting in through the door, so I activated the torch on my watch and made my way out of the room. My body moved smoothly as I did so, all stiffness from my ordeal already faded.

In fact, I felt amazing, as if the lingering injuries from the journey had all been healed. Leaving the room, I came across Linnea and Elana sitting on their bedrolls just outside.

“Jared!” Elana shouted, jumping to her feet and engulfing me in a hug. “You made it!”

Just behind her, Linnea stood as well, waving at me with a smile. “A lot of strange stuff started happening after you sat in the chair. None of it ever left the room, however, so we decided it was safest to wait out here. That was hours ago.”

I wanted to ask what kind of odd things had happened before Elana distracted me.

“So did it work?” she said as she slipped away from me.

“I think so,“ I responded with a wide grin. “I’ve got some notifications to go through, so I'll let you know for sure in a minute.”

With that said, I couldn’t wait any longer. Pulling up the first notification, I began to read it over.

Trait Gained

You have gained a new Psionic Ability trait

Trait: Item Attunement(Initiate) has been added to your character sheet.

Trait Upgraded

Due to utilizing an Arkathian Ritual, your Psionic Ability has been upgraded

Trait: Item Attunement(Initiate) has become Item Attunement(Acolyte)

Quest Progression Detected

We have detected that you have completed a later stage in the Path of the Psion

Would you like to skip all intermediate stages?

Warning: No rewards will be granted for skipped stages.

I let out an enormous sigh of relief as I finished reading the three notifications. I had done it, I had actually progressed forward. While I was itching to read what my new ability did, I focused on the quest progression first.

To me it wasn’t much of a choice, If it got me out of going back down to that cave, I didn’t really care what I might miss out on. Besides that, I was sure there would be something good awarded for actually getting my ability.

I confirmed the quest progression and was greeted with another pop-up a second later.

Quest Complete

Congratulations on completing the quest: Psion (Path of the Psion)

Rewards:

200 XP

Class Upgrade

Advanced Path Access

Before I could really process the rewards, yet another pop-up followed after it.

Class Upgrade Detected

By acquiring your first Psionic Ability and completing Path of the Psion, you have achieved the promise of your class Psionic Aspirant. Your class will now be upgraded to Psion.

Your highest secondary stat (Toughness) will be upgraded to a primary stat.

Huh, I thought as I read the latest notification. I hadn’t been expecting the class upgrade, but it made a lot of sense. You're not really an aspirant after you’ve achieved something after all.

The stat upgrade was amazing as well. Primary stats got two points per level, doubling the amount of free toughness I’d get. If that’s retroactive, it will put my toughness way higher than the others. I think it's time to figure out what each stat does and start upgrading whichever of the other two is more useful.

First, however, it was time to find out what my ability actually did. Pulling up my character sheet, I found it within the traits section and opened the full description.

Item Attunement(Acolyte)

A Psionic Ability focused on the manipulation of individual items. A user of this ability is able to attune to a single item at a time. Once attuned, an item’s Existence may be modified through an exercise of will and the expenditure of energy.

Warning: As you lack the skill to utilize this Ability, its effects will be greatly decreased.

That could be useful I guess, I thought as I read it over. While I’d kind of been hoping for something flashy, like the ability to set enemies on fire with my mind, this seemed like it could have a lot of potential. Depending on what exactly I could do with it, I might have ended up with a very flexible ability.

The warning also reminded me I’d been saving my level up in case this happened. I’d suspected that a skill would be required to use whatever ability I received and it seemed I’d been right to wait.

Dismissing the ability description, for now, I started my level up. As I was moving to an odd level, the first step was to select a new class skill. Sure enough, there was now an Item Attunement skill unlocked on the list.

Grinning, I selected it and completed the level-up. I saved my two free skill points, for now, I would spend them when I had a better idea of what I was lacking. With my level-up out of the way, I checked over my entire sheet to see where I was at.

Jared Hope

Class: Psion

Level: 5

XP: 320/1500

Statistics:

Brawn: 0

Toughness: 18

Agility: 0

Perception: 0

Mind: 5

Will: 10

Free points: 2

Skills:

Archeology level 1

Translation level 1

Pistols level 2

Psi Sense Level 2

Short Blades Level 1

Item Attunement Level 1

Traits:

General:

Database of Alien Languages

Psionic Abilities:

Item Attunement(Acolyte)

Status:

Uninjured

Energy Well: Full

Yep, the toughness upgrade was retroactive. It’s way out in front now so I can focus on another stat for a bit. Looks like Psi Sense leveled up as well at some point. I must have missed the notification.

While it was nice to see my improvements, it was the extra bit in my status that drew most of my attention. It had to be related to having a Psionic Ability. The description mentioned expending energy, come to think of it.

Sinking to the ground, I tried to focus my attention inward. Using Psi Sense, I was able to feel around, locating a swirling source of energy within myself. Instead of flowing throughout my entire body, it was tightly contained in the center of my being.

That must be the Energy Well the sheet’s talking about, I mused as I examined it with my senses. It had the feeling of containment, as if I was keeping something dangerous locked away until it was needed.

With nothing else to compare it to I couldn’t be sure how much energy I had in there. It felt like quite a lot, however, the well blazing in my senses now that I was aware of it.

I guess the only thing left is to try it out, I thought with a grin. Figuring that I should let the others know before experimenting, I looked up to see them both gazing at me intently.

“So?” Linnea asked, her tone impatient.

I winced as I realized I’d been leaving them hanging. “Yeah, I got an ability all right. My class changed to Psion as well. I’m about to try it out for the first time if you want to watch.”

While they both nodded with interest, they also began inching further away from me. I couldn’t blame them, even I didn’t know exactly what was about to happen.

Deciding to try something simple first, I drew my dagger and placed it on the ground in front of me. The first test is to see if I can do this at range or if I have to be holding the item.

Focusing on the dagger, I tried to activate the ability. I wanted to see if I could do it intuitively before I started trying to shout out the name or something dumb like that.

For several long moments, nothing happened. Then I had an epiphany and focused on channeling some of the energy out of my Well. It flowed out and burst from my chest, floating over to the dagger.

As it reached the blade, a new presence suddenly snapped into my mind. It was as if the dagger was part of me, almost like gaining another limb. In front of me, faint purple light flowed over the blade, shining in the darkness.

“Something’s happening,” Elana shouted excitedly from across the room. Apparently no longer worried, she rushed over to get a closer look.

“Yep,” I responded with a beaming grin. “Don’t get too close though, I’m about to start trying things for real.”

Once she’d backed off a bit, I returned my attention to the new presence in my mind. Since it felt like having another body part, the first thing I thought of trying was to move the item. Focusing on it intently, I visualized it moving to my outstretched hand.

I expected it to float over telekineses style. instead, it blinked out of existence and reappeared on my palm. I felt the energy level within my Well sink as it moved. While I didn’t have any exact measurements, it felt like a few percent of it was gone.

“Neat,” I said, turning to the others with a grin. This I could work with. Gone are the days when Jared lost his weapon all the time, I mused, already excited by the possibilities.

I examined the dagger, trying to come up with other things to try. As I did so, I noticed it had a few nicks and scratches on it. I hadn’t actually sharpened it in some time.

I wonder, I mused as began visualizing a new image. In my mind, the dagger was becoming whole, every imperfection fading away. Energy flowed from my Well to the blade, transforming it before my eyes.

Just as in my mind, the scratches and nicks faded away, leaving the dagger looking as good as new. A check on my energy levels showed that had used a lot more, with roughly a tenth of it now gone.

Pushing further, I focused on the blade becoming sharp. Sharper than it had ever been before. This was harder to view with my real eyes, though I could feel the changes happening with my Psi Sense.

Grinning, I tested it on a shred of fabric hanging off my pants. The blade cut through the material smoothly, with an ease I was sure it didn’t have before.

So I can summon items to myself and make at least minor changes to them. I wonder if I can send them away.

I focused on a point at the edge of our light, trying to imagine the dagger appearing there. Nothing happened. No energy was drawn, and the blade didn’t move. Damn, I thought with a sigh. Maybe if I upgrade the ability again?

From the notifications I’d received earlier, it was clear that the abilities had multiple levels. It only made sense that upgrading it further would unlock more capabilities.

One more thing to check, for now, I thought as I turned my focus to where my gun sat beside Linnea’s bedroll. I reached out toward it with my mind, but was blocked by a feeling of resistance.

On a hunch, I released my connection to the dagger. Once I’d done so and the presence faded from my mind, I could reach for the gun and envelop it in energy. So one item at a time for now as well.

With a small flex of my attention, the gun appeared in my hand, draining a little more of my energy. As much as I wanted to keep testing my ability, I’d now used more than a quarter of the energy I had available.

Deciding that it would be best to save the rest until I at least knew how fast it returned, I holstered the gun. “So, where’s the light?” I asked, looking at the surrounding darkness. While the little piece of the corridor we were in was fairly well lit from our watches, the rest of the hallway was pitch black.

“The power on this level is all gone,” Elana replied, looking worried. “I tried routing more up and I can’t. I’m a little worried that the facility's using it all for something.”

That was concerning. Nodding, I responded, "We’d better head down a level and check it out.” We’d already given our enemy too long to make preparations, I didn’t want to give it any longer.”