Forged By The Apocalypse - A LitRPG With Draconic Potential

Volume 3, Chapter 8, p13

Upon the Great Tree’s arrival in a new sector of unclaimed space, a gargantuan burst of pure mana, Essence and Dao are released. Of course, the Great Connection is much more than just an infusion of magic, but at its base, assimilation with the System and the Tree which guides it is little more than a seeding event. The unknowable Tree’s wisdom is grand, and though this process is very costly to its power in the short term, the returns are likewise vast.

The estimation is that around ten trillion levels worth of Essence is fed into the new star system, galaxy or universe which the Tree finds within Nothing. This action is followed by enough mana to rewrite reality, quite literally. Together, these propellants create the foundation needed for the final, most important piece. Dao, the truth of all things is distilled and diffused throughout the new portion of creation.

The playground of wonders created by these events had led to the growth and arrival of some of the most powerful factions and individuals upon the Great Tree.

I threw the book across the room with more force than necessary, but like everything System-made, the tome was much sturdier than pretty much anything previously found on Earth. With two solid thuds, the book hit the wall and then the floor of my personal bedroom. “A playground of wonders?” I scoffed. “It’s the fucking apocalypse.”

Not only was it completely asinine that it took two and a half books to get to the actual introduction of the System which the books promised, the attitude was grating. Everything about the System, the Tree which created it or the effects of its presence was treated with the reverence I normally saw aimed at gods. I guess when gods are a real thing, you have to worship something even bigger.

I traipsed across the room slowly and picked the book up, sliding it into my inventory. Stretching, I tried to appreciate the beautiful place around me. The System had mostly matched the architecture of Earth, specifically a grand french mansion, but there were points that differed. It was in these differences that I could see a small glimpse of the wonder the System supposedly promised. Crystalline filigree and decoration around the window frames caused beautiful thin rays of light to bounce around the bedroom. With a flick of mana through a larger chunk of crystal in the bed frame, I altered the light in the room.

It had taken me a while to decide which room in the Chateau I wanted to be mine. I finally settled on an east facing room with large windows. While sleep wasn’t as necessary anymore, the act was therapeutic and I had come to enjoy waking up with the sunrise. Even if the dawn was only twenty minutes away, I tried to find the time to close my eyes. Sleep came quite easy, my almost absolute control of my mind allowing rest with no effort.

I looked around the room, desperate for something to continue distracting myself with. I was hiding. It had only been a day since I gave my “grand speech” to the people of Ascentown. I told myself that it was time I finally devoured some of the library which I had taken from the Guild Hall. It was something which needed to be done, but even then… I was definitely hiding.

Introduction to the System one to four. I had tossed volume three, but I had read themall back to front a few times. They weren’t particularly thick tomes, but I would definitely pass them over to Tom. Others should be reading these. Maybe Julianna, if she still wanted to talk to me. They would be great for her school. Despite my embarrassing outburst, I did want to help people. I wanted them to be safe. But the System wasn’t so kind.

Volumes one and two focused mostly on this fact. Description after description of the factions, movers and shakers upon the Tree and where the power lay. Money, entertainment, food and warfare. The Tree as a whole was just like any culture, but these were universe-spanning empires, not franchises of a restaurant. However, the scales at which things supposedly existed in this new frontier were unfathomable.

The Essence, for example, was just one of the huge numbers at play. It would take every person on earth reaching level one hundred and forty two or three to reach the amount of energy given to our universe. The question of life on other planets felt a little like a forgone conclusion, but I doubted even a tiny fraction would reach that level. However, that such an expense of energy would be repaid was also clearly a done deal.

Essence was the officialtm name for the energy given off by monsters when they were killed or gathered by the professionals when plying their trades. Once enough is gathered around the soul, a layer is added, known as a level. At certain thresholds, of n+thirty, starting at zero, were the Grades. Level thirty, eighty, one hundred and fifty and so on. Ad infinitum, according to Introduction to the System volume two.

The value proposition for the Tree, Yggdrasil, the Greater Connection, whatever, was fairly simple. Input a fertilisation of Essence, mana and Dao, mix them all up with a chaotic introduction to the living creatures of that universe and then, as they grew stronger, they would create their own Dao. Every new form of understanding was desired, every viewpoint on the same subject was valuable. Upon death, all things return to the Tree, and the Dao which came back served to strengthen the Tree all the more.

That’s what the books suggested, at least. It was obviously impossible to know how true everything in the books were, as they were from the System itself. That meant they were likely to be propaganda of some kind. Still, it was a good and productive way to pass the time while avoiding real responsibilities.

“So,” a voice from the doorway said, “how’s the studying going?” Naea had initially joined me in my reading session but complained that it wasn’t as fun as just getting the information straight from the System. Naea, it turned out, hated books. I simply shrugged and told her to go find a dungeon if she wanted. While the idea clearly tempted her, she had stayed close by and checked in periodically instead.

“The System is a by-product of a greater existence, known to most as The Great Tree. The Tree, Yggdrasil, The Great Connection, whatever you call it, it’s a real thing. The books were fairly clear that The Tree is existence, but wrapping my head around that was confusing enough I had to make myself a diagram.” Taking up some space on a wall, a large canvas was filled with a chaotic drawing of a mostly symmetrical tree with an arrow pointing to a random area within the roots.

“Worlds, galaxies and universes like my own were floating in an emptiness called ‘Nothingness’. This ‘Nothing’, which is a thing, creates worlds, and The Tree frees them from the inevitable death of such a timeline. Sucking through the Nothing with its roots, the Tree gathers new planets and seeds them with power. The System that arrives on the planet is that power. Then, those on that planet grow stronger and in turn, fertilise the tree with their eventual death.” Reciting off the basics, Naea nodded along. She knew all of this instinctively and it was actually her wide knowledge base which made me want to learn more. For Naea, it was good to talk about it because the knowledge wasn’t cemented in her mind until we did.

The more I looked for specific answers, the more it seemed like they wouldn’t be found in books. There was more to learn, always. However, most of the information about Dungeons, magical systems and the like basically amounted to “you can’t expect anything, ever, for any reason. So don’t try.” Which felt about right. The System rewarded action and repetition much more than being given an answer.

“You sound like a perfect little encyclopaedia,” Naea pretended to sniffle with pride. Then she turned her large eyes on me and tilted her head in that way which told me she had something difficult to say. I groaned but knew what it was going to be, so I didn’t make her actually say it. At Naea’s silent insistence, I left Home Base. I expected to see anger, but I actually felt more welcomed by people than before. Naea looked strangely smug, flying next to me.

“I thought they’d maybe hate me or something, I don’t know.” Instead of the glares or anger I had expected from the people I basically called useless, there was an energy of reverence. Sure, they seemed intimidated by me, but no one seemed upset. After I realised that my anxiety was all in my head, it was easier to see just how busy everyone was. “Dang, who lit a fire under their asses?”

To my right, an unexpected friend joined the conversation. “They don’t have time to hold a grudge. You were right, even if they didn’t want to hear it.” Luke sidled up and fell into step with me as we meandered through Ascentown. I avoided looking at Luke in favour of watching the new storefronts and homes being built. The System could do a lot of the heavy lifting, but there was a corps of builders that would be very mad if I took away all of their work. I bought the general store for materials from the System, but was told not to do so again without asking.

Who am I supposed to ask though? I thought to myself. Isn’t this my Outpost?

Eventually I did give Luke a once over. He still looks rough, but better. Noticing me looking, he held up the food in his hand. It smelled wonderful and I was just about to ask where it came from. With a big, slightly rice-filled grin he wiggled the food, dropping a little. “Magical burrito. It’s like a health potion in a tasty Mexican package.”

“A health potion? So eating the food makes you feel better?” Genuinely curious, I did get Luke to point out the food stall he had purchased it from.

“Ah, so he doesn’t know everything!” I could tell from the look of surprising and excitement on Luke’s face that this was a true revelation. The fact he knew something about the System that I didn’t make him happy. With a flourish only possible with magic, he removed a small bottle from his inventory and threw it to me. “The new shop you bought helped people get the last things they needed to really crack some of the bottlenecks for crafters, you should check it out.”

I gave it a quick look, but it was pretty much what I expected. “Not going to lie, I expected a red potion, not a green one.” Even as I spoke I felt like I was ignoring the elephant in the room, so I gathered up my courage. “Uh, yeah. Of course I will. Hobbies are definitely more important now than they used to be… Look, are you-”

“Seriously, I don't want to talk about it.” Luke’s snappy answer came back quickly enough I knew it was rehearsed and also, quite likely a lie. Seeing that I wasn’t going to leave it at that, he shook his head. “I’m fine when I’m awake.”

“That works for now but while we need less, you still need some sleep. I’m trained to be a therapist if you need one, so don’t be scared to ask.”

“HA! Sure, sure,” Luke laughed a little too hard, which stung a bit, “I’ll be alright.” Even though he had been through a wildly traumatic experience, I believed him. The System, or attributes or whatever it was, made dealing with the craziness easier. Made things seem more natural or less traumatic. Probably a Will attribute thing. I gave Luke his space and inspected the potion properly.

Item - Health Potion

Simple, brewed by a novice.

Effect: Small magical wound healing, Increases natural recovery by a massive amount for a short time.

The packaging left something to be desired, simply a test tube with a plug in the top, but the liquid within was truly magical. A thin, see-through re potion jiggled within. If I strained, it was possible to see some magical effects going on within, the faint traces of healing magic. It swirled easily, no thicker than water. Impressed, I placed it into my inventory.

Wow. There it was. In no uncertain terms, humanity had taken a step forward into the new era by being able to craft this. The upper limit didn’t exist, and while that made me shudder, the health potion in my hands gave me hope. There really was a lot I didn’t know. I knew that learning more and more was possibly just as important as raising my levels. Which meant I needed to talk to the evil robot attached to my soul.