The table that was out stretched dealt with strange nonsensical cards that looked completely alien. The person that was dealing the cards spoke up grabbing the attention of the seven players arrayed at the table.
"All, call any heroic achievements to raise?" The dealer asked. The seven assembled players each pulled out a card from their hands and placed them face up on the desk.
"Hero Jussl the Vagrant" one stated throwing down a card with the visage of smiling jester on a pile of Corpses, and by the small shifts in the faces of the others it wasn't a good card.
"Pft, I raise, Guernamellion the Fourth Sanit" the one across from the previous one stated and third card showed a Lion headed warrior in the heat of battle.
"John the Deathless", a simple character with a farming scythe surrounded by a field of alien crops received a look of surprise from the collected. However the next player smirked as he threw down a card that caused the others to gaff.
"Murder the first god-killer" it depicted a figure covered in thick black cloth and thin pale skin holding a radiant being by its throat.
"I got Vuesh the Slick" the player seemed dismayed as he placed down a card of short athletic warrior evading a horde of enemies.
"Rough buddy, I however have a decent card, Xe Zhào the Imperialust, an elf with long pitch black hair stood on the top of a high peak overlooking a field of fallen enemies" the others nodded along as if in thought.
The final player without a word slowly pushed forward a card depicting a humanoid his face was obscured but two other figures one was like a Shadow and another floated above both.
"I levy Kien Daemon of The Depths" the figure spoke and then the dream faded away as I entered the thick miasma of dreamless sleep. Until I resurfaced again.
This time it was just me and well me.
"So is this trippy from your perspective too? Or is it just me?" I asked breaking the silence.
"I mean kinda most the time I sleep trying to even move around in the Divine Plains costs so much energy, Oh and I've taken over managing the prayers and requests you were choosing the most expensive options each time with the exception of one" the radiant me stated yawning halfway through.
"Oh, well thank you, kinda been busy staying alive" In replied sheepishly as I had completely forgot to think about why I hadn't received any prayers.
"How about yo?" I asked turning towards the the shadowy version of me.
"Nothing truly kinda new here, and the realm of Paradox is maddeningly hard to navigate not so much as move around" the eldritch version of me stated.
"Okay so how is this all going to work, are we three separate people. Like this is giving me a headache" I asked trying to see if they knew more.
"Based on my experiences we are the exact same person stretched across three separate Plains, which causes delays in shared thoughts and such." The Radiant one stated.
"Okay cool but can please pick a name to call each other?" The Eldritch me asked
"How about you call me out last name Noble, the mortal us can take Kien and you can take our—" he was cut off by the eldritch me.
"No, that won't work that's not names work in Paradox to Bestow or to claim a name is a special thing the more power and connection you have to the name the better, my naming will come later, until the Eldritch will work as it a description of something" Eldritch explained looking over at Noble.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
"That works, now any Idea why we're here..." I asked before receding back into dreamless sleep like a movie rendition of a bad trip.
I drifted off for an unknown length of time before I felt the Inky black shift into a warm comfortable light as I felt myself awaken with a small spider curled up by my side.
...
[Racial Update]
You have gained a subsidiary race [Eldritch Entity] beings of Paradox they represent conflicting ideas and forbidden Knowledge, you have yet to combine with a paradox so many of your racial Traits are blocked.
...
[Racial Trait Gained]
You have gained the following traits inherent to your race.
[Mental Corrosion]
Racial Trait
You have the ability to enable a passive ability to inflict your understanding of Paradox's onto enemies at or below your level without skills and traits capable of negating this ability.
[Summon Taint]
Racial Trait (Locked)
You have the ability to summon Eldritch Spirits imbued with your paired paradox. The stronger your comprehension of your paradox the more powerful they become and those that survive for long enough periods of time can become subservient Entities.
[Reflection of Abyss]
Racial Trait
You can summon the part of you stretched into the Plain of Paradox to be at your side, although you have a shared Mana and health pool.
[Click Here to see More Traits]
(4/4 Locked)
...
[Racial Quest]
Your Sub Race [Eldritch Entity] has granted you a quest!
-[Bind Paradox]
Racial Quest
Requirements:
[Bond to a Paradox]:(0/1)
Rewards:
[Partially Unlocked Racial Traits]
...
I didn't bother opening the screen to see more off the table goodies, the racial Quest was a given but it gave zero direction. The two abilities I actually had one was useless until I paired with a paradox and the other was gold. Another me even sharing a health and Mana pool was massively op. Then my mind turned back to that card game the last player had played me, against what sounded like renown heroes. I didn't know what the game was but I was definitely on edge.
Anastasia stirred against me as she looked up at me before she began to jump up and down on my chest.
"You're awake!" Anastasia yelled.
"How long was I out?" I asked leaning my head back on my makeshift pillow and began to rub my eyes in a circular motion.
"Kinda pointless to count days in a cave, but I think it was one week roughly" Anastasia stated and then as I began to shift, my whole body was stiff as I leaned back.
"What happened while I was out?" I asked as I pushed Anastasia off my chest while ruffling her head.
"Let's go up to the situation room" Anastasia stated as she sped off, jumping down from my bed and out the door. Sighing I sat up and exited my room. The ruins had been repaired fully, stone work was immaculate, collapsed hallways and walls stood proud and at every interval a group of puppets stood in full regalia, the metal was of a questionable quality but the metal work itself was impressive.
Moving up the hallways I passed a few Giants each one paused as they watched me then the adults gave a nod of their head and the children gave me a curtly nod before moving on their day. Finally I made it to the room and the map had changed, the Ogre territory was completely empty the area surrounding the palace was marked with various landmarks including a triubtary of the lava river in a recreation of the area the lava islet fortress was.
"The Giants have been busy" I stated as I moved closer the map.
"Yes they are trying to preserve the great world of their people for future generations" Anastasia stated neutrally. My attention was turned to the mega fortress in the Yeti territory surrounded by a series of forts and low walls intent on slowing an army.
"As you can see the Yeti have bunkered down but they have done it very well, and it seems like your arrival has forced them to push forward, their armor has been impressive." Anastasia admitted and unsheathed a dagger. The male was clearly Yeti but the technique had improved and their were fewer impurities.
"This is a problem, besides I don't want to spend anymore time here" I placed down the dagger.
"Okay don't forget about your training with the Elderessa" Anastasia reminded me as I nodded before, I moved on to the balcony. The land below the cliff face was filled with random buildings, below the tall figures of the Giants moved about. I was going to finish off the Yeti, march to war then solidify my gains before moving on to the fourth layer of the Tutorial.
Breathing out I began to stretch out as I released the tension that was building up for the last week.
...
In the realm of Paradox
...
Ugh, this place was just shitty, I mean everything was at odds with one and another. My only power I had was by forcing an understanding upon my environment. However to change something you have to understand or at least to do it reliably. In order to use a door you had to understand what room you where trying to enter.
