Another snippet, posted in advance here. Fell in love with DOTF, still reading it but couldn't resist throwing Tanya snippet of it. You can read the novels but what's cool is they've also started a WebToon.
https://www.webtoons.com/en/action/defiance-of-the-fall/episode-1/viewer?title_no=9661&episode_no=1
I've taken a few liberties with the 'Tutorial Pixies' but since that stuff is explained second hand, I'm not too concerned. Felt it added a bit to the info dump.
Chapter 1
[Initiating System…]
[Welcome to the Multiverse.]
The voice echoed in my head. What the actual hell was going on? I was on my third life after my disastrous assassination mission. This life was by far my favorite. Being reborn in America, in Chicago itself, home to one of the great institutions of economic theory, was a dream come true. Even better, my future knowledge of what companies would strike it big had allowed my family to become comfortably wealthy.
[Planet Earth scanning complete. Low F-grade mass, ungraded energy.]
[Adjusting…]
At nineteen, I was already a graduate of university and planning an enjoyable life of academic ease as I worked on my thesis. My parents had supported me, and had actually listened to my stock tips! My sister was two years younger than I was, and while she had been at times an annoying brat, she had grown on me. Best of all, Being X had not appeared even once!
Naturally, when I started hearing voices in my head about a Multiverse, I was sure it was that charlatan. Seeing me enjoy my third life
[Due to insufficient energy and size, planet Earth will be merged with additional planets drafted for initiation. New values: Low D-grade mass, low D-grade energy. Topography readjusted. Spawn points randomized by cohorts. Wildlife upgrade due to insufficient challenge. Link to the Multiverse System activated.]
The world around me just blinked out and when it returned, I was somewhere else. My first instinct was to prepare for an attack, but it seemed like I had been teleported with other equally clueless people who looked around. To my shock, I saw that there were now two suns in the sky. The temperature was comfortable, which made me immediately suspicious as to what lazy bullshit Being X was pulling. I had already graduated with an advanced degree, and the possible configurations that could allow for this sort of temperature with two stars in a system bordered on the fanciful.
Strange, these buildings look more old-fashioned than modern. And cobblestone, really?
Before I could begin looking to find members of my family, a tiny figure materialized within three feet of my face.
The creature was about the size of a pigeon. It had translucent wings and left faint trails when it moved. Well, when they moved. Apparently everyone got their own personal fairy. It was humanoid and reminded me of a more colorful version of Tinkerbell from the children’s cartoon.
“Hello there, new arrival,” the voice said while looking me up and down. “You seem to be taking this well. I’m Lily, your official Tutorial Guide for the next thirty days. Welcome to the Multiverse Integration Tutorial!”
“This has to be a joke.”
The fairy bobbed up and down. “Many races feel like they are dreaming. Or that they are going mad. Some try to harm themselves. That you aren’t doing any of that means you really are special.” Her body pulsed with light. “Oh my, you are actually The Chosen of the Skies! A title with great promise!”
I blinked. This was a bit surreal. Being X ruining my perfectly good third life with this sort of nonsense made sense, but I hadn’t been killed. And why were other people participating? This whole situation did not seem like his style.
Or maybe that is what he wants me to think.
Before I could say anything in response, the fairy began to vibrate and flash in several colors.
“What’s this? You already have more titles? How strange for a baseline F race…”
“Start from the beginning. What is…” I waved my hand around, “all this? Why are there two suns? Who teleported all of us here and why?”
The fairy stopped its strobe light effect and began what sounded like a pre-planned spiel.
“Very well, Chosen. I am Lily, your assigned Guide. You have been brought to the Multiverse Integration Tutorial because your planet, Earth, has been deemed ready for ascension into the greater cosmos. The System has merged your world with others to provide sufficient energy and challenge. That is why you see two suns now.”
They merged star systems?
I decided to let her finish her speech before interrupting with more questions.
Lily gestured grandly at the plaza full of confused humans.
“You are the lucky ones. The Chosen of Earth. Most species never receive this opportunity. Over the next thirty days you will be tested and given the tools to rise. Those who perform well will bring glory to humanity. Those who fail… well, the weak have never survived integration.”
She had paused, so I figured it was time to get to the heart of it.
“The System? Does it go by a different name? Such as Being X?”
“It goes by many names, but I have not heard of it being referred to as Being X. The Cosmic System. The Ruthless Heavens. The Limitless System. The Throne of Heaven. Most just refer to it as the System. But whatever you choose to call it, just remember it chose you!”
“Why? What is the reason for this? You said that the weak will not survive integration. What could justify such a colossal waste of human resources?”
“The System gains strong cultivators. The multiverse is a dangerous place, Human. Weak races are devoured. Strong ones expand. You are being given a chance to become the latter.” She leaned in slightly, her voice dropping to an amused whisper, “Most of your kind will die in the coming weeks. The weak always do. But you… you might actually be interesting. So pay attention.”
If this was a plot by Being X then it was so convoluted that I had no easy way to determine how to best obstruct him. I knew that beyond the human understanding of science, there existed entities, devils in the case of Being X, that were beyond our understanding. I always knew he wasn’t omniscient or omnipotent, else why would he complain about how difficult his job was? Why get so irrationally angry at my thoughts? There was a real possibility, especially with this talk of a Multiverse and the casual power to merge worlds that what was happening was something Being X had never intended.
I’ve seen neither hide nor hair of him since starting this life… I’ll keep my guard up, but let’s see what this creature has to say.
“I’m all ears. I would prefer to live, but you are also using terms and phrases I don’t quite understand. How does the System benefit from cultivators? You are using that term in a way that is different from the standard definition of farming.”
The fairy laughed. “Oh, you are a smart one, aren’t you?”
I didn’t like her tone, but waited for her to continue.
Seeing that I wasn’t reacting the fairy explained.
“Cultivation is the process of drawing Cosmic Energy into your body through meditation and refining your body, typically with the help of a manual. You’ll be given an F-grade manual and I’ll teach you how to do that when I finish explaining things.”
The fairy paused, then continued in a slightly more serious tone.
“The System exists to expand the multiverse. It trains strong cultivators because strong worlds push outward, claim new territory, and spread the System’s influence. Weak races are culled so their energy can be used elsewhere. Afterall, why bother with primitives that can’t improve themselves? That is the simple truth behind everything you will experience here.”
Ugh. This sounds like some sort of death game. As much as I enjoyed the Battle Royale film, I don’t want to actually live in anything similar!
“So, humanity will be culled if we don’t perform?”
“Yes! Not because the System will erase you, but because other races will. And since your planet was so primitive and tiny, you’ll be sharing this new D-grade world with other races.”
The fairy blinked in a couple of different colors before laughing.
“I’m being too dire, maybe not all of you will be wiped out. Some might be used for slave labor!”
Joy.
“Aww, I see by your expression you aren’t happy. But you do not need to worry about all that. You are one of the Chosen of Earth! You get me as your guide and get to experience the Tutorial. You will be tested, tempered, and given the tools needed to rise and take your place in the Multiverse.”
[The First Tutorial Mission begins in five minutes]
“See? Aren’t you lucky, you get hands-on training through the Tutorial System!”
I felt a surge of panic. What was this mission going to be like?
“What will our task be? Where do we get equipment?”
The fairy laughed. “You’ll find out soon! Plus you’ll get your rewards right after and I’ll be able to explain how they will help you going forward.”
“Lily, you are to be my guide based on what you previously stated. Give me more information about this task I’m getting assigned.”
She flashed a few different colors.
“This is the Tutorial, relax.” She sighed. “And to think I had such high hopes. You were doing so well about taking the news. I can’t really help you until you complete that first mission. But almost no one ever dies in it, just don’t panic.”
I stared at her incredulously.
“My family, are they here? Can I help them complete this mission?”
The fairy tilted her head in consideration.
“I don’t know if they are here or not. Less than ten percent of humanity was chosen to take part in the Tutorial.”
I grimaced and scanned the crowd. I didn’t see anyone I recognized and the noise pollution was getting bad as some people were shouting while others were crying.
“You phased into existence before my eyes. If I give you descriptions and names, can you find them?”
She shook her tiny head.
“No, can’t be done. I’m here to serve as your Guide. I am here to teach you about the Multiverse. I’m not here to run errands.”
I steepled my fingers and considered her for a few moments before making my pitch.
“Your role is to prepare me for the Multiverse. As a Guide, you are literally here to help me. If you lower my total stress by reassuring me about the fate of my family, does that not help your goal? If I am truly ‘Chosen’ and your role is to help prepare me for the challenges ahead, and if I assure you, knowing my family is safe will help with that, are you not obligated to do so?”
“Nope!”
And then the little shit winked out, and I once again felt the universe blink and found myself somewhere completely different.
***
After the universe blinked I felt a wave of energy flow over me. It felt a bit like accessing my magical circuits in my second life, but also completely different. Whatever it was, it had done a number on my body.
Outwardly I still looked quite similar to the way I had before, but I felt strength and vitality practically radiate out from me. Every step was assured like I was currently running a reflex enhancement suite. I felt raw power in my limbs and I knew that I was almost certainly twice as strong as I had been even though there was only a slight increase in my muscle tone.
There were nine other people with me, but before I could say hello to my comrades, a voice chimed in my head.
[Tutorial Mission 1: Survival]
Objective: Defend the camp.
Participants: 10
Time Limit: 60 minutes.
Reward: Variable based on contribution and performance.
Mission will begin in 30 seconds.
I took an immediate stock of my surroundings. There was a roaring campfire where we were spread equidistant around. Behind us was a low three-foot wall. It was dark, no sign of a moon or the two suns. There were buckets which held multiple weapons. Swords, axes, spears, and what looked like some javelins. I was tempted to go for a ranged weapon, but without any knowledge of what I would be facing I grabbed a sword. A man in his 30s picked up an axe while the other eight were milling around confused.
“The mission starts in seconds, grab a weapon and spread out along the wall!” I snapped at them with the voice I had used in my second life on countless battlefields.
It did the trick and they soon scrambled for weapons, just as the enemy came.
I wasn’t proficient with swords, but I was with shovels and they weren’t all that different. When facing dog-sized rats scrambling over the wall it didn’t take much skill to slash at them. My newfound strength and superior reflexes made my first kill laughably simple. The man with the axe scored a kill as did a couple of the others.
One young man screamed and dropped his spear and got bit for his troubles. I glided forward and with a lunge skewered the humongous rat and then slashed another rat coming up over the wall before returning to my own section. The kills came rapidly and easily. A few times we had a breach from one of our less competent fellows, but everyone here moved with an easy grace of an athlete. Whatever the System had done, it had also seemed to improve our natural abilities by a hefty amount.
Some wounds were taken by others and after a lull I had the wounded rip part of their own clothing to apply pressure and bandages to it. Nothing was life-threatening, at least not yet.
“So, where is everyone from?”
One other person was from Chicago with four others being from elsewhere in America. The other four were from Asia and South America. Only one person didn’t speak English, though for three of them it was a second language. The last person spoke only Chinese, but had just followed along with what we were doing.
We heard skittering and the next wave of rats were upon us. This time, there was no element of surprise and I did not need to hurry over and help anyone else. I was getting used to wielding the sword and was enjoying the fact I had far more stamina than I should. Whatever the System had done to alter our bodies, I was really enjoying it.
“This is crazy,” one woman said, “how am I able to do this?”
“You are just swinging at a critter who is having to climb over a wall,” the man with the axe said with a shrug. “It isn’t hard and doesn’t take any real know-how. We’ve been given some sort of stimulant or boost.”
No kidding. I feel like a million bucks. I feel like I’m strong enough to shatter a protective film with one swing.
The final attack came and it was another round of pitifully simple slaughter. It was like I was back in Dacia. When the last rat was finished off, the System spoke.
[Tutorial Mission 1: Survival. Completed.]
Performance Evaluation: Good.
Rewards will be distributed upon return to the Tutorial Hub.
I once again found myself in the cobblestone town with two suns. I wondered briefly where the System had taken us. Had it been another world? Another part of the world at night? These questions weren’t nearly as important as other ones, but they nagged at me.
“See? And you were worried!” Lily tittered, her form blinking all the while. “Not even any serious injuries!”
The fairy floated closer, a look of smugness affixed on her features.
“Now let me show you how to view your rewards and status. It is very simple. Just think the word Status clearly in your mind.”
A blue screen appeared in front of my eyes.
Name: Tanya Degurechaff
Level: 3
Class:
Race: [F] Human
Alignment [Earth] Human
Titles: Defier of Gods, Indecipherable Anomaly, The Eleventh Goddess, Devil of the Rhine, Chosen of the Skies.
Strength: 12
Dexterity: 20
Endurance: 14
Vitality: 19
Intelligence: 17
Wisdom: 17
Luck: 13
Free Points: 4
Nexus Coins: 150
What is an F human? What are these titles? Does the System know about my past lives?
I was quite confused and asked Lily to explain each menu item.
“First off is your name, that’s your name.” She fluttered about and used a sing-song voice that grated at my nerves. She continued in a less obnoxious cadence.
“Your level is three. You leveled up twice in the tutorial. Good job! Your race is a human. The [F] stands for the grade of human you are. Every human is that grade and only the best will be able to advance beyond it. Your alignment is that to your planet and being a Chosen of humanity. As far as your titles, you can see what they do yourself. Huh, those are some really odd ones. But since you’ve done nothing yet to earn them, they were somehow acquired before joining the Multiverse. The System detected your past deeds and applied those titles.”
“So it knows what I did?”
“No, it knows the impact of what you did upon your essence.”
I looked at her suspiciously but dropped the matter.
“What do these titles do?”
“Just think Titles like you thought Status!”
Defier of Gods: Defied a deity in a deity’s presence. Immune to the effects of Mind Control.
Indecipherable Anomaly: The System cannot define the soul anomaly. Immune to skills and abilities that allow Mind Reading.
The Eleventh Goddess: Become a legend. Become a myth. All stats +1, all stats +5%.
Devil of the Rhine: Prove your superiority over a critical series of battles. Dexterity +5, Vitality +5.
Chosen of the Skies: Chosen for the tutorial. All stats +5.
“To make sure I absolutely understand what is going on. Because of my actions before joining the Multiverse, the System read the impact those actions had upon my essence, and then modified my body and gave me certain immunities?”
“Yes! See? This isn’t so complicated at all. I knew you could do it.”
I glared at her and then asked about the mission rewards and what was next.
“Through the System. Just think! Now, as you look, keep in mind your Title bonus has already been applied to your stats.”
[Tutorial Mission 1: Survival. Completed.]
Performance Evaluation: Good.
Nexus Coins: 150
Tutorial Title Bonus: Additional +1 to stats.
F-grade Cultivation Manual
Skill Choice
“Okay, that’s great. Now, explain what these stats do and how these bonuses are calculated.”
“So bossy! The stats are straightforward. Strength is how much physical force you can exert. Dexterity is how agile and quick you are. Endurance is your resistance to damage while your Vitality is how quickly you can recover from injury and resist poisons. Intelligence is how powerful your spells will be if you choose that route, while Wisdom will aid you in Dao comprehension. Luck gives you the ability to sense danger and opportunity.”
“And skills?”
“Yes, since you survived your first mission, you get to choose a free skill. All because you are the Chosen of Earth!”
“Right, but what do they do?”
“They do all sorts of things! Gaining a skill engraves it on your essence and then you can use it as easily as breathing! Well, depending on the skill, some require mana. Others require you to have a weapon. I can give you Basic Sword Mastery, but it won’t do any good without a sword!”
She told me the list of options. For almost all weapon groups there was a basic mastery version. From swords, spears, axes, bows, and more. When I asked about guns, she made a face and said no, and guns would not help me progress. The bow seemed like a good choice for my preferred style of fighting, which was not up close and personal. However, there were more than just basic combat mastery skills.
There was also Minor Healing, Fireball, Power Strike, and a dozen others.
I looked at her intently. “How effective are these skills? How strong is Fireball compared to a normal flame? How much mana does it consume? How often can I use it before I run dry? And can I gain more skills later, or is this the only one I get?”
Lily blinked, and for some reason I got the impression she wasn’t used to being asked these questions.
Was she new?
“Fireball is common for people who want to eventually learn the Acolyte, Elementalist, or Pyromancer class. It can kill one of the rats you killed earlier. You can get more skills later, but that depends on you. You are the Chosen of Earth! I can’t really advise you, because the System wants you to be bold and follow your own path, but I can say you will likely only have one skill for most of the Tutorial.”
“Class?” I asked.
“At Level 25, you get to pick from one of five classes. What you do will help the System determine what classes you’ll have access to. Some of it is luck, but if you do well,” her voice took on a slightly deeper tone, “which I’m sure you will, then you may get more than just common class choices.”
I frowned. “Is there a list of classes available? What are the prerequisites and benefits?”
The fairy frowned at me. “That is beyond the scope of the tutorial. You aren’t a particularly promising species, so I doubt you’ll even get to select a class before the end of the Tutorial.”
I quirked an eyebrow.
“Uh, well exceptions do exist, after all, you are the Chosen of Earth! Your race is really not impressive… now, but with this fantastic opportunity, I’m sure you’ll be able to excel!”
I obtained more information from Lily and learned that the Tutorial would be for thirty days and most days would involve going on a mission. I was tempted to take a non-combat specialized role as I dearly wanted to remain behind the frontlines, but that would make me dependent on others and their talents. Unfortunately, the world was full of people who were not equipped to handle the types of combat encountered. Members of the military, at least the spear tip, would probably handle all this fine, but that was a minuscule percentage of the global population.
Damn it. Well, if I have to fight, I’ll at least do it at range.
I selected the Fireball skill and then used my Free Points to up my Intelligence stat by four.
“Now I’ll teach you how to use your manual of cultivation. Races like yours aren’t very good at it, but I’m sure if you try real hard, you’ll make some progress!”