David at least thought he knew what to expect. As a system box appeared in front of his eyes he realized he was off base.

  The others were all stirring impatiently and given that nothing was happening he awkwardly grinned then confirmed he wanted to proceed.

  Then the messages started appearing, the others reacted, so they saw them too.

  “Dude! We aren’t even in the safe zone. This is so cool.”

  “Wait, what? David are you sure this is a good idea?” The second comment came from Carl and as David actually read the notifications he saw why.

  [REWARD FOR QUEST COMPLETION: SAVE YOUR PEOPLE 3 AVAILABLE]

  [YOU ARE WITHIN RANGE OF YOUR OBELISK – PRIORITIZING RESOURCES FOR DOMAIN INITIATION]

  [YOU ARE OUTSIDE OF RECOGNIZED SAFE ZONES - ATTACKS ARE POSSIBLE]

  [ALERT – SYSTEM PROTOCOL TRIGGERED BY ADMINISTRATOR. INITIATING CONFERENCE]

  [YOU WILL LOSE AWARENESS OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS DURING CONFERENCE AND CONFERENCE WILL TERMINATE EARLY IF YOU ARE ATTACKED]

  [ENTER CONFERENCE SQUIRE?]

  “Look, can you all see the conference invitation?”

  There was a general chorus of agreement.

  “So, we pick our poison. Either here where things are somewhat private or in the safe zone where it’s less dangerous. I figured here so we could test our stuff out and maybe keep the power up a secret for as long as possible.”

  Before the others could respond Charlie came back.

  “Come on! Let’s go meet the Herald!”

  Sarah and Carl surprisingly were the ones who spoke in favor.

  “It’s a risk, but I agree with David. Keeping things under wraps if we can is worth a lot.”

  “Y’all need to remember that we ain’t video game characters, I don’t like being vulnerable but I figure it’s a good trade to hide an edge.”

  Camila gave David a long searching look then nodded and closed her eyes. As the others started accepting the invitation David gave his assent and his vision shifted to white.

  He found himself in another of the neutral white spaces akin to the tutorial, only this time there were immediately things to see. Each of them had a virtual image; it took him a moment to realize what was going on as all of them looked – off.

  Their heights were identical, and the other’s features didn’t quite line up with his memory of their faces from seconds ago. David got the impression that he was taller than the others by a big enough margin that he could notice it. They were all draped in toga like robes of a grey, almost silvery material.

  Sitting on the air watching them was the image of the Herald. The same alien form; eight limbs. Six of them resembling arms and two great wings with black and silver patterns. The three eyes watched calmy – two solid black and one silver, high on the center of the forehead.

  The others were turning and examining themselves, obviously surprised by each other’s appearance and trying to figure out, in the absence of mirrors, if their appearance was different too.

  Fascinating, welcome humans of Earth to the first true system sponsored conference on your planet. I am aware that it is customary to have speeches and ceremonies to mark a historic first. However, that is not advisable given the location selected by the Squire.

  Everyone froze. Their strange surroundings forgotten they unconsciously started to cluster together as the very clearly alien outsider became the focus of attention.

  Do not be alarmed. While I am only becoming familiar with your species the behavior of social animals when threatened is universal. I am here as an ally and, if you are willing, to offer you advice. This would not normally be possible, but we are cut off from the Lords and Ladies, this gives me some leeway.

  Charlie couldn’t contain it any longer.

  “Dude, this is SO cool! You are actually here and we can speak with you? This isn’t a recording?”

  His voice sounded deeper than David expected causing him to look sharply at the young man, confused for a second.

  “Charlie, did you do something to your voice? It sounds deeper.”

  His voice sounded completely normal. Charlie turned and looked at him replying.

  “No, but dude. You did. Along with the whole being taller than the rest of us. No fair!”

  Again, his voice sounded deeper. Before the whole meeting could be derailed The Herald projected it’s thoughts.

  You are unfamiliar with this form of communication. None of us are actually here. Our systems interface with the wider System features in the Obelisk and we project a self-image into this space. The System handles projection size and clothing based on titled rank and species standards respectively. The other details of your avatar and speaking voice are defined by your perception of yourself. For instance, a system user currently missing a limb would still appear complete here, unless their self-perception had shifted to encompass the loss of course.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  Our time is limited as your location is not secure. System protocols require steps be taken to minimize risk for conference users.

  David nodded then spoke again.

  “Thank you, Herald. We agreed that it would be advantageous to get your advice and help with tailoring our rewards to allow us to work together effectively going forward.”

  Indeed, I am also grateful for the opportunity to observe your interactions and continuing support, especially for one of the few titled system users on your planet, is a core function of titled administrators.

  Given the lack of guiding Lords and Ladies, a situation which is unusual in the extreme, I will start with the very basics, apologies to the Squire if this is familiar.

  Do you know what a Domain is?

  When everyone shook their heads, the Herald continued.

  A Domain is the extension of your system outside the confines of your body, nothing more, nothing less. This has one obvious advantage as construction of the domain, like construction of your internal system, is when expense is incurred. The base domain effects are then constant and free. Additionally, skills can be developed which use the existing domain to achieve greater external efficiency.

  One of the largest advantages that groups of system users have is the development of overlapping synergistic domains and related skills.

  “So, it’s like aura powers, that makes sense.” This time at least Charlie let David speak first. The Herald then asked them the question that David had been waiting for since they arrived in this space.

  May I analyze your systems and builds to identify logical synergies?

  David wasn’t sure how much of this was the Herald being polite. How much was it asking them all because it needed to ask him due to his bloodline, and how much was actually needed. Still, he replied calmly.

  “Yes, with the usual caveats.”

  Charlie, Mark and Katie just agreed once he did. Camila stared hard at the Herald and waited while Carl asked the obvious question.

  “What are ‘the usual caveats’? Should we be worried about this?”

  “You all know I have a bloodline, which isn’t standard. I always ask the Herald to share everything it learns, as well as providing it’s full interpretation of its findings to me.”

  Squire David Murphy is correct. This request is also interpreted as a request for contextual advice and assistance. This is provided in the absence of the Lords and Ladies.

  Carl nodded. “I’ll be wanting those caveats too then. Also, discretion, I don’t want no details of me searchable in some Obelisk database like I’m some Criminal.”

  Accepted.

  Camila spoke then. “I’ll take the same caveats please.”

  For some reason she sounded hesitant about addressing the Herald.

  Finally, Sarah spoke. “Herald, can David access information about other Obelisk users?”

  Yes.

  “What is the threshold for accessing this information?”

  Obelisk ownership or sufficient System rank. Those with the rights can delegate access to subordinates.

  “Thank you. Under those terms I may be willing to proceed after one final question. What is sufficient System rank?”

  To access information from an Obelisk one does not own requires greater rank than the Obelisk owner. In this instance any titled System Knights could access information from this Obelisk.

  “Thank you. I’m happy to proceed with all the agreed Caveats. I would also like to make clear that all these Caveats apply to all of us. Is this acceptable?”

  David was struck by just how much like a lawyer Sarah sounded right now. He filed that away to ask about later. The Herald didn’t seem to mind.

  This is acceptable, as long as each of you gives your consent for the final agreement.

  After a chorus of agreement they were all scanned. Only in David’s case was the silver eye deployed to scan him with the Heralds’ probing of his bloodline clearly taking more effort than simply reading system statuses.

  Once it had completed its scans the Herald continued.

  You are all early in the development of your systems, this will limit the functionality of your domains in the short term but can lead to benefits accumulating in the long term. I can provide each of you with suggestions for areas to prioritize in your immediate growth and will do so with individual messages to maintain the requested user privacy unless you wish to have a group discussion?

  Camilla responded first. “This will take forever if you stop to have a group chat over every one of us in detail. Messages please.”

  Everyone nodded in agreement once she started glaring at them.

  Very well, this seems wise given your circumstances. Based on the recommendation I am sharing and the skills you have acquired I do need to confirm how you each see your roles in a combat group.

  The Herald stopped and waited.

  Camila went first. “Hitting things, being mobile.”

  Charlie followed her. “Ranged damage, fire, magic.”

  Sarah spoke calmly “Ranged damage, crowd control. Ice magic.” When she got a look from Charlie she responded. “Girls play games too…”

  Carl went next. “I like shooting stuff. I guess that makes me ranged, but I also want to be tough enough to keep going – like a Marine or proper solider I guess.”

  Katie spoke quietly. “I guess I’m the Tank, tough, close fighting. Defensive rather than damage dealing.”

  Mark went next. “Close protection and Healing. Off-tanking Paladin basically.”

  Finally, it was David’s turn. “Magical support, mainly focused on crowd control but I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty as part of the main line. I’m also the person best equipped to manage a larger fight due to my access to extra information.”

  Thank you. As you grow in strength your roles will become better defined as you customize your systems. For now, my recommendation is as follows. Each domain should have as its foundation one resource from your system. Further development can broaden and deepen that connection, this will create immediate benefits and allow for synergy.

  Charlie, Sarah, you should focus your domains on Magic. This will allow you to develop active Magic based skills supported by your domains and improve Magic recovery within your surroundings for allies.

  Camila, Carl and Katie you should focus your domains on bodily support. This will allow you to develop active Stamina based skills which extend beyond your own bodies and boost the Stamina recovery of allies.

  Mark, you should focus your domain on Health. This will allow you to develop active Health based skills beyond your own body to support your team. It will also allow you to develop more effective healing options as your skills progress and promote Health recovery in allies.

  David, you are the most complex case. Your bloodline is sufficiently integrated with your system to allow you to develop a bloodline-based domain. The benefits of this are unknown but likely to be unique to you. I would recommend that you develop your domain focused on your Spirit resource.

  However, this will provide no baseline bonuses to those lacking this resource and the unusual external and quantized nature of the resource means that the foundational attribute of resource recovery granted by such a domain won’t occur as normal.

  This will give a good distribution of resource recovery when you are close together. Further, based on your current attributes I will tune your domains to reinforce each of your strongest attribute linked to the appropriate resource in your allies. While only a small fraction of the level you enjoy this will still effectively improve all your marked allies. Even those lacking the appropriate resource will gain some benefit as their bodies can expend the flux of unusable resources generated by your Domain’s foundation. You will have to develop significantly before further passive features are practical, developing active features can be undertaken.

  Everyone immediately agreed and the Herald spoke calmly.

  I will end the conference and initiate the upgrade. The energies involved are a great deal higher than previous rewards. As you are outside the safe zone, I will initiate upgrades at maximum possible speed to allow you to move again freely soon. Some Obelisk functions will be interrupted while this occurs. As you will be physically immobilized while the domain stitches onto your system, I will provide you each with a sub-instance where you can handle other System rewards and integrations while you are stuck.

  David, do I have your consent to proceed?

  David nodded. Then he found himself floating in darkness. A moment later the buzzing began in his ears. Then the itching started. Finally, to his relief, system messages appeared in front of his eyes.

  He had other upgrade choices to make.