Chapter 1: Within the Crystal of Stillness
Darkness. Not of the eyes, but of the self. A sensation of compression, as if consciousness itself was being restrained from within.
A flicker of electricity danced through what might have been nerves. Tremors rippled across a formless awareness. There was no body yet—only thought, only reaction.
Then... a glimmer. A distorted reflection on a curved, translucent surface. It wasn't sight, but recognition.
He was suspended—inside a floating crystal. Beyond it: endless gray mist. No direction. No sound.
He had no name. No memory. Just this thought:
**"I have been... born."**
---
A translucent screen blinked into existence before him:
```
SYSTEM BOOTING...
```
A voice—not human—declared:
> "Primary energy unit... verification in progress..."
New screen:
```
[Energy Bank: 0 / 100 QP]
Available Actions:
- Awaken Form
- Observe Surroundings
```
He reached out, but the screen was inside him—responding not to touch, but to intention.
A system. A guide. Or a jailer?
---
He selected "Observe Surroundings."
The screen responded:
> "Current medium: thermal stagnation. No chemical activity. No biological presence. Environment: Negative Charging."
He tried "Awaken Form."
> "Requires 10 QP to initiate primitive form."
Ten QP? How?
All things, it seemed, required **energy**.
---
He noticed condensation on the crystal's walls—heat?
Somehow, he recalled: "Thermal energy equals molecular motion."
He focused, channeling awareness into extraction.
Then:
```
+10 QP Acquired
Thermal Gradient Absorbed
Action Unlocked: Awaken Fog-Form
```
A shiver of success.
---
He selected "Awaken Fog-Form."
The crystal cracked, and his being melted—no longer solid, now a cohesive mist.
> "Mobility Unlocked. Max Speed: 0.3 m/s."
```
Form: Mist-Type Proto-Being
Energy Bank: 0 / 100
```
He moved. Slowly, but **freely**.
---
As he exited the crystal, the air shimmered with dense, smoky energy.
A light—distant, fast—shot toward him.
Red screen:
```
WARNING:
Unknown Energy Source Approaching
Estimated Impact: 14.3 seconds...
```
---
Chapter 2: First Energy Clash
He fled—0.3 m/s, the limit of his current form.
The system calculated:
```
Distance: 42.6 m
Impact Time: 9.3 seconds
Recommendation: Jump Off Energy Cliff (10m Drop)
```
A choice. No guarantees. He jumped.
---
He fell. Behind him, light exploded—erasing the crystal.
```
Kinetic Surge: +6 QP
Potential Energy Drop: +4 QP
Total: +10 QP
```
The system glitched:
> "...D-detected external da—damage..."
Even the system was vulnerable.
---
A calm screen appeared:
```
New QP: 10
Open Store? [Yes/No]
```
He entered the store:
* Morph Upgrades
* Mobility Enhancements
* Passive Sensors
He chose: **Radiant Pulse** — a directional pulse to detect surroundings.
---
He moved into land pulsing with faint light—breathing moss covering stone.
The pulse returned—an elevated signal.
He climbed.
---
He found a carved structure. Ancient. Alive with echo.
Touch.
```
Residual Movement Energy Detected
Absorb? [Y/N]
```
He absorbed.
```
Passive Skill Acquired:
Micro-Motion Threads
Allows interaction with kinetic memory in old matter.
```
---
"Can I... become human?"
The system replied:
> "Relative stupidity detected. Insufficient energy to become a cockroach."
He frowned. "Are you mocking me?"
New prompt:
```
Purchase Available:
Primitive Motion Upgrade – Speed: 0.5 m/s
Cost: 15 QP
```
He grinned. "Then I start with speed."
---
Chapter 3: The Fog and Bone Refinery
Glowing moths spun above—a thermal chaos in motion.
Too fast to catch.
He needed a way to **draw** energy, not chase it.
---
The moths avoided a cold rock—heat feared loss.
Idea. He gathered bone pipes and crystal shards.
The system responded:
> "Manual Energy Assembly Initiated. Primitive intelligence noted."
---
He constructed a spiral funnel of bones with a crystal core.
He waited.
```
Passive Energy Extraction Active
+1.2 QP/min
```
Success. **Sustainable energy.**
---
Time passed.
```
Energy Stored: 50 QP
Genetic Core Upgrade Unlocked
Selected Path: Body ▸ Blood Pulse (Early I)
```
A new system:
> "Internal Circulation enabled. Decreased reliance on environment."
---
He felt a heat surge.
A pulsating core formed within.
```
Vital Core Formed
+25% Efficiency
Internal Storage Enabled (Max: 200 QP)
```
He now **generated**.
---
Through the mist, a pale moon appeared.
He whispered:
> "Maybe... this isn't a prison. Maybe... it's a world worth building."
---
Chapter 4: Stone Memories Echo
Internal flow guided his steps.
```
Internal Flow: Stable
Mobility Bonus: +10%
Sensory Range Expanded
```
He could now feel patterns in the fog.
---
Curved stones. Ancient runes.
Touch.
```
Echo Detected
Class: Ritualic
Activate Threads? [Y/N]
```
\[Y]
---
Ghostly figures moved in circles. Power surged between them.
> "Spatial activation site. Likely portal ignition."
A past civilization... **lived here.**
---
In the center, a flicker remained.
```
Chaos Fragment Detected
Class: Low – Unstable
Absorb? [Y/N]
```
He did.
---
System glitched:
> "...Processing... Anomaly... Escalating..."
New interface:
```
Security Level 1 Lifted
Unlocked: Instinct Protocols
```
Raw, primal skills were now available.
---
A stone map. Energy nodes. Arrows.
Text etched faintly:
> "Pulse… Threshold."
```
Potential High-Energy Zones Identified
Suggestion: Investigate
```
A distant light blinked.
**Something was waiting.**
---
Chapter 5: Meeting the Steam Salamander
### Scene 1: The Heat in the Air
Approaching a new map node, warmth surged.
```
Pressure Spike
Thermal + Kinetic Energy Detected
Possible Source: Steam Lifeform
```
Something was near.
A salamander—transparent, with boiling inner tubes.
When approached—**steam blast**.
Defense, not aggression.
---
Discharge Interval: 23.1s ± 1.1
```
He watched. Used micro-threads to trace its rhythm.
Anticipation became strategy.
---
Crystals. Rocks. A containment ring.
The blast reflected.
```
Steam Energy Captured: +14 QP
Subtype: Thermal-Kinetic Pulse
```
**He extracted, not destroyed.**
---
The salamander approached.
Touched the trap.
Light flickered from its tail—toward him.
```
Primitive Communication Detected
Translate? [Y/N]
```
\[Y]
---
A slow, deep pulse echoed inside:
> "You... do not take. You... create.
> **Watcher sees.**"
He couldn't understand it all.
But something… **had acknowledged him.**
A new mark glowed on the crystal.
---