A frail woman with pale skin entered the room. He could see her collar bone. Her hair laid gently on her shoulders.
"I heard that you are headed for Royal Magic Academy." The woman said.
She expected him to be more excited. The academy is a big opportunity. Any low born citizen would kill to be his in shoes. A chance to improve their status. Even a low-ranking title is better than no title.
He was still struggling with the whole situation. He was just in a world where magic was the thing of fiction. Now here he is in a world where it is as normal as breathing air. Truthfully his head was still spinning.
"Master Desmond this is your chance to leave the Lowlands behind. Your chance to make your way in SkyVill." She added.
His face still had the same puzzled look. Eventually the frail woman gave up and left him alone.
"System"
[What is it]
"What did she mean by Lowlands and SkyVill?"
[Simply put the Lowlands is where you are now. SkyVill is a system of flowing Islands. Only high-ranking nobles, royalty, and academy students are allowed in SkyVill.]
His jaw dropped.
"Islands floating in the sky that has to be bullshit" he thought to himself.
[It isn't. You would be able to see them if not for the veil separating the two.]
At this point his head feels like it is going to explode. He stared out the window. His stepmother and sister were still having drinks. They must have gotten cold.
Flames danced along his sister Eliza's fingertips. They swayed back and forth. The scene was beautiful but also frightening. Eliza placed her hand under the pot. Before long steam poured from the spout.
[Hey Desmond]
"Yeah"
[Consider this your first lesson. Open the status screen. There is a shop option I forgot to mention. Do you see it? It should be just under the storage section.]
"Yeah, I see it"
[Click it. There should be something called RP. Do you see that.]
"Yes"
[Okay click where it says puppets.]
Click!
"Okay"
On the bright cyan screen there was multiple types of puppets to choose from. Humanoid types, Beast types, and those that simply looked like shapes. He scrolled through them. Some were extremely pricey. For example, one humanoid type is 40,000RP. That's way out of his price range. He has 500RP to start with.
[Okay so right now you can only afford one Generic Type. Those are the ones that look like 3D shapes. Generic Types have an advantage though. Where you only get one humanoid or beast type with each price. Generic Types come in a pack. Case and point the four spheres in front of you]
He nodded slowly. So far, he thinks he has a grasp of things.
[Can I move on]
"I think so"
[Okay once you pick your puppet type you have to pick an Initial Spell. Think of that as your puppet's starter spell. You can equip your with more but that takes more RP and skill upgrades. Right now, you can afford two starter spells. I recommend search and either fireball or stone blast.]
Generic Type Sphere: 400RP
Fireball: 50RP
Stone Blast: 50RP
Search: 50RP
He rubbed his chin with hand. It may not seem like it, but this is a crucial decision. One that could affect his ability to defend himself. After a few minutes of deep thought his mind was made up.
Puppet: Generic Type Sphere
Initial Spells: Search and Stone Blast
[Your puppet has been added to your storage. You should give it a name. Naming it will make it easier to summon.]
He typed the word Orbit on the cyan screen.
[Say the name]
"Orbit!" Desmond muttered.
Four obsidian-colored orbs materialized beside him.
[Good now for the fun part. Open the window have them float over to where your stepmother and Eliza are sitting.]
There was a loud creaking sound as the window opened. He gave the order. He watched as Orbit followed his orders.
He could hear every word they were saying. He could see the beads of sweat dripping from his sister's forehead.
[This is your Link skill in affect]
It is definitely a bit disorienting. Seeing through Orbit made him a bit dizzy. He stumbled around trying to find his footing. He just barely made to the bed before collapsing.
The sky is pitch black. The garden is empty. A breeze is coming through the window that was left opened. His bag is still unpacked. He scrambled to his feet. His head was still pounding.
"What the hell happened to me?"
[It was your first time using Link, so it took a toll on you. You need to use it more to build up a tolerance.]
There is a knock at the door. To his surprise it was Eliza. They stood there staring at each other for a while.
"Well, are you going to invite in or just stare at my face?"
He really wants to be left alone but admittedly he is curious.
"Why is she here? "Desmond thought to himself.
He stepped aside allowing his sister to enter. She looked around for a second before making her way to his desk. Eliza pulled the chair out. She sat facing the bed.
"Sit down little brother." Eliza ordered.
His curiosity is still getting the better of him, so he complied. He sat on the bed looking at Eliza.
"Listen I will only say this once. You are not safe here or at the academy. My mother wants you dead. She hates you. You're my brother and unlike our other siblings I don't want anything to happen to you. My mother has arranged for you to be attacked at the academy. Listen carefully it is important that you DO NOT under circumstances attack your attackers. She called in a favor from a high-ranking noble house. They will spin the story to make it look like you were the aggressor. When you are attacked run to the most populated area. Make sure you are seen. Okay?" Eliza said.
Eliza rose to her feet and headed for the door. He didn't have time to process, ask questions, or responded. Before he could find the words Eliza disappeared down the hall.
"Why would my stepmother want me dead? I haven't done anything to her." Desmond said in his head.
Most of his night was spent tossing and turning. Eliza's warning played over and over in his head. Not only did his stepmother want him dead but his only siblings wanted him gone.
The first light of sun broke through the curtains. His eyes are heavy. His body feels like he carrying a 500-pound boulder on his back. God he would kill for a soft bed.
His room door is forced opened. Nolan is standing there in the hall. The man is so big that he had to duck to enter the room.
"It's time to leave Master Desmond."
He grabbed his bag from behind door. He threw whatever he could in there. Nolan led him to a stone archway.
"Hold your acceptance letter up." Nolan commanded.
The black seal began to shimmer. The envelop started to get hot. All of sudden a portal opened in front him.
"Bye and good luck." Nolan said before he pushed Desmond into the portal.
Next thing he knew he was in the middle of a busy street. There were merchant stalls everywhere. People shouting and rushing around. He did his best to weave his way through the crowd. He crashed into a man.
The man was old. He had a walking stick. He wore a dark green shirt, black pants, and black shoes. His beard was long and braided. Desmond had knocked the man's books to the ground.
Before the old man could tear into him Desmond kneeled down to the gather books. The older gentleman stood there watching.
"Thank you, young man" The old guy said.