The transports set out, rolling across the vast stony lands. Decrepit and torn structures moved past us at a steady speed, half-swallowed by dust and silence. Everyone had settled in, so dozing, others staring at nothing.
Ysor was seated beside , her head leaned on my shoulder as she took a gentle nap.
Her breathing was even. As if we weren’t sitting in a transport full of strangers, one of whom had the highest potential of recognizing us.
Sleep pulled at too, a heaviness behind my eyes that I couldn’t shake. But my paranoia wouldn’t allow it.
How could I sleep knowing that a friend of Vorn was here, that I could easily be noticed? It was even worse if word had already reached them that I was gone. If Vorn knew, then his associate might already be on the lookout.
And everything felt more suffocating because there was nothing I could do about it here. The best I could manage was to sit still and reach the Crucible of Giants, then once we were in the mine, I would find a way to escape with Ysor.
Having to just sit and wait sucked. I felt like I would have been less paranoid if I was at the very least walking with my own two feet, making progress I could feel in my legs instead of trusting the rumble of wheels beneath .
’Or should I take my chances surviving the wilderness?’
That was a stupid idea, one I wouldn’t have considered if my head was in the right space. In fact, this was proof to myself that I was spiraling. Entertaining thoughts I would normally discard in an instant.
Knowing this, I inhaled and exhaled silently. Forced my shoulders to loosen. Then I summoned my Class info, as provided by the Axiom.
[Axiom Status]
[Na: Axel Rubravis]
[Main Class: Hollow]
[Sub-Class: Weapon Novice] (Inactive due to low rank)
[Rank: Mundane] (Awaiting Evolution: 20:34:12)
[Stage: Transcendent]
[Attributes]: [Strength:10], [Agility:10], [Vitality:10], [Spirit:10], [Perception:10].
[Essence: ~ ] (Section unavailable until after Evolution)
[Class Trait]: [Absence]
[Sub-Class Skills]: [Appraisal]
This was my class window, and it confird I hadn’t been hallucinating at any point. The Class I gained from killing Desmond was there, staring at like a ghost of the degenerate boy.
I studied the parts that seed bolder. They were written in a way that made them outshine the rest of the information on my status. Taking a closer look, the underlying details had faded to near-transparency, while the new information layered over them burned brighter and more insistent.
’I suppose this is due to the pending evolution...’
I gave the Class one last look and then focused on sothing else.
’Enter Axiom Dinsional Store.’
The mont I issued the ntal command, a feminine voice answered inside my head. It was very different from the voice that had conveyed the Class Evolution information to . Warr. Almost conversational.
[Welco, to Axiom Dinsional Store]
[Since you’re using the Dinsional Store for the first ti, I will give you a brief of all that you need to know]
[Dear Transcendent Axel, I am Alora, your Axiom-designated Dinsional Store Virtual Attendant]
[The Axiom Dinsional Store is a virtual shop run by the Axiom, only accessible to people who have been Established into their Class]
’I know that... but what I didn’t know is that we get Virtual Attendants...’
[You are a Transcendent, hence you are a VIP client, this gives you the right to have your own designated Virtual Attendant]
’Does that an you’re also the one telling about my status and stuff?’
[No. I exist to attend to you in the Dinsional Store alone. In the Store, we sell different things, these things are called Vestiges; they are items provided by the Axiom Dinsional Store. They exist as stable coherent forms—equipnt and consumables defined into reality.]
[There are four categories of Vestiges; Armants, Catalysts, Foundations and Keys]
As Alora explained, I followed along, though these were not things I didn’t know.
The Academy had ingrained every piece of knowledge about the Axiom into us until we were ready for Definition. But I listened nonetheless.
’I can’t rely on their information alone.’
[Armants, are weapons, shields and armors. Catalysts are consumables that provide temporary effects. Foundations are permanent enhancents which are very rare and expensive. Keys are Access titles for restricted Vestiges or Dinsional Locations, they are even rarer and more expensive. Having a key ans, as long as you don’t sell that key, you will have the effect that cos with the key.]
[So, Dear Transcendent what would you like to spend your precious hard-earned D.Es on today?]
’Ah... keys?’
Those were not sothing the Academy had taught us. A whole category of Vestiges, and they’d never ntioned it.
’As expected, I can’t rely on their knowledge...’
I paused, thinking about what to ask. Then sothing ca to mind.
’Can I see the frequently purchased Vestiges across all Dinsions?’
[Sequencing Input...]
[Please wait a mont...]
The sequencing took longer than I expected. I figured I might have asked for quite the task, but what I wanted was to see what Defineds usually depend on once they beco Established.
It was curiosity, but I also felt like it would help know what to expect from others if things went wrong.
The input was still being sequenced even after two minutes. I tore my gaze from the system and studied our surroundings instead.
Earlier there had been the torn structures, the ruins, but now the transport had carried us into a woodland. Trees flanked the path on both sides, their leafless branches twisted towards the sky in wrong angles, like limbs frozen mid-convulsion.
I didn’t know exactly how a tree was supposed to look. I hadn’t been privileged enough to see many, and the ones in front of looked nothing like what the Academy had described.
’They were supposed to be full of life and bring fresh air... how does sothing this ugly bring fresh air? Or maybe these were Undefined too, and lost their original purpose along with everything else...’
Undefinition and Definition affected everything and anything equally, as far as it was part of nature. Part of our reality.
The transport vehicles were moving at imnse speed now, their tires crushing stones and anything solid with furious ease. Nothing stopped their acceleration.
Until sothing did.
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