Part 8: SYSTEM CODEX UNVEILED

I paused in the shadowed corridor just past the Vault Archives exit, every rune-chiseled slab around me humming low like an expectant audience. My Shardblade lay sheathed at my side, but for the first time I felt more burdened by questions than by steel. If I was truly going to survive beyond Sanctum trials, I needed clarity—an owner’s manual for Velmira.

I keyed my HUD command without ceremony.

“HUD, display System Codex.”

The air rippled. Overhead, a translucent panel unfolded, casting pages of text and schematics in shifting light. A mechanical whisper filled my mind:

“Accessing SYSTEM CODEX V1.0… Please stand by.”

─── SYSTEM CODEX V1.0 ───

1. CORE ATTRIBUTES & STATS

Strength (STR): +10 HP/pt; +2 Shardblade Slash dmg/pt; “Stalwart” –5 % dmg reduction/STR

Agility (AGI): +5 Evasion/pt; +2 Prism Shot dmg/pt; “Wraithwalk” 10 % vanish/20 s (Rogue only)

Mind (MIN): +10 MP/pt; +2 Trace Pulse dmg/pt; “Mind Shield” +1 debuff resist/pt

Will (WIL): +1 anomaly resist/pt; –1 s status-duration/pt

Max HP = 50 + (STR×10), Max MP = 30 + (MIN×10)

Hmm. Interesting. This really looks like a game. I should’ve paid more attention to my character builds. It seems like I’m building one now.

I gave it a long thought. Whenever I played role-playing games, I would max out a stat for the character, depending on its class.

Say I choose a mage, I would usually max out INT because that would increase my mana and magic damage. Sure, it’s hard in the beginning, but you reap the rewards at the end.

Should I also do that here? Judging by my earlier scuffle, that wouldn’t be too smart. I can’t just stand in one place to cast a spell. Do I even have spells? I need a well-balanced character that will give me the flexibility to move around while packing enough punch to beat these monsters.

Ugh. I hated building stats like this. They always turn out so mid at the end.

Well Lyric, there’s no reset here. You only have 1 life. I haven’t tried dying yet. I did not want to find out.

2. CLASSES & PROGRESSION

Nullborn → no Name, no Class (spawn in Hollow Lobby)

Warrior (default Trial pick) → unlocks Shardblade skills

Exile Candidate (refuse system quests) → flagged “Invalid,” Exile path opens

Fractureborn (survive Scar Nexus) → gains Fracture Pulse (AoE)

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Ashvowed (memory-forge complete) → Spiral Sigil, Sync Breaker

Shardwalker (Core breach) → Primal Sync Pulse, Catalyst role

Flamebound Vanguard (Cathedral Convergence) → Flamebound Wrath ultimate

Each level grants +3 Attribute Pts & +1 Skill Pt. XP thresholds: 60, 200, 450…

Wow I really started from the bottom huh. Guess I got lucky.

3. ITEMS & CRAFTING

Code Shard: dropped by Nulls/Errors; weapon component

Memory Vial: restores lost fragments; key for Trials

Shardblade: class-bound primary weapon; crafted by Sera

Sync Token: zone-hack privileges; gained via Reflection/Root Node

Pulse Core Fragment: powers system hacks; salvaged from conduits

Fragmented Shardblade: 3× Code Shard + 1× Pulse Fragment; unlocks Fracture Pulse

Admin Override Key: opens sealed Archives doors

Ashvowed Emblem: faction recognition; grants rebel perks

Memory Scroll: lore & side-quest decoder

I better make sure to save all those items. You never know when they’ll come in handy.

4. MECHANICS QUICK-REF

Attribute Screen: auto-pop on Name Trial completion

Quest Log: tracks Main/Tutorial/Daily objectives

Skill Pop-up: appears upon ability unlock

Loot Pop-up: on mob defeat or chest open

Reputation Meter: shows faction standing changes

Achievement: milestone unlocks with title & XP

5. ZONE BREAKDOWN

Tier 0 – Root Node: locked heart; true Names stored

Tier 1 – Shard Sanctum: relic halls; Trace archives (current)

Tier 2 – Hollow Lobby: unstable spawn zone; deletion pending

Tier 3 – Scar Nexus: blood-forge trial; memory-echos

Tier 4 – Fracture Fields: overlapping realities; high danger

Tier 5 – Sync Verge: terrain fails to load; sync ghosts

Outer – Black Cradle: forbidden; rumored recycle bin

6. SPECIAL TERMS

Nullborn: glitch-born entities with no identity

Exile: those who refuse system assignment; must survive unsanctioned

Ashvowed: Exile subclass, Spiral-forged memory warriors

Shardwalker: proto-class unlocked by Core breach (Lyric’s path)

Catalyst: anomaly capable of rewriting protocols

Sync: code integration ratio; high = power, low = erasure risk

Harmony Trigger: system pulse forcing obedience

Charter of Remembrance: post-rebellion constitution guaranteeing Name Rights, Memory Sovereignty, Class by Choice, Mercy Clause

Ugh. I have a headache. I don’t suppose there’s any potion of some sort in here.

The Codex panel snapped shut as though I’d never opened it. My vision cleared, my mind was buzzing. I’d just ingested everything Velmira’s creators felt I needed before claiming my life here.

A final system message blinked:

TUTORIAL COMPLETE.

Enter Hollow Lobby (Tier 2) and join live candidates

Proceed? [Y/N]

I mean, do I have a choice? I tapped [Y], and with a pulse of neon light, the Sanctum walls dissolved. Beyond lay a yawning cavern of half-finished code and the ghostly shapes of real players, Nullborn like me, each brandishing their freshly named Handles.

My heart kicked. This was no sandbox tutorial. Real alliances, real rivalries, real consequences.

Game on, Garcia. Let’s make some history.

I stepped forward into the chaos of the Hollow Lobby, where Velmira was laid bare.