A weird awakening, new class and... acronyms?

*Ting!*

Travis heard a dull sound reminiscent of a church's bell, except with a much higher tone. It reminded him of one that jiggled every time he entered the clothing shop in the past.

But immediately, that sound was followed by an overwhelming headache. Hell, what was he doing before this? His memory felt fuzzy as he did his best to fight off the pain and remember. Storm Rogue gave him a quest. Something about an earring in... Autir. But then... something happened at night. There was... some kind of darkness, and a man... someone who had fiery hair and blue eyes... the name of that individual...

"Redion...?" Travis mumbled quietly as he slowly opened his eyes.

Yes, he was called Redion. He... didn't he change his class? There was so much that Travis had to remind himself that he could only groan, slowly getting up from his position. Sluggishly, he looked around.

The cell he was in was at most 4 by 3 meters, 2.5 or so tall. Metal bars blocked the only exit, with a lock in place that could unlock the thing. The walls were of poorly cut cobblestone, many stones sticking out somewhat from what would've been an otherwise flat surface. The light was poured upon them from a torch on a wall near his cell. The ground was chilly but thankfully flat, and he was lying on an austere metal bed with some old, worn sheets.

"Ugh..." Travis lifted a hand to his temple and rubbed. Goddamn. The headaches were the worst.

A bowl with water was next to the bed. Feeling thirsty, he slowly reached for it and drank some cool liquid. Then, as he put the thing down, he started thinking.

'What the hell happened...?' he desperately tried to remind himself. Who was Redion? Why was that important? What transpired before he woke up here? '...didn't he say he was a god? God... of Manipulation?'

*Ting!*

He heard the bell's noise again, just next to him. Quickly turning around, he noticed some weird panel of light before him, blue and with white letters forming into words.

[Your daily quest has arrived.]

"Huh?" what was this? Travis tried to think of some explanation. Could this be Redion's work? "Ugh... I don't have the strength to deal with this. What in the world happened?"

*Ting!*

[Hello. This is Redion's Automatic Level System, 'RAL System' or 'RALS' for short.]

[You became my Apostle and the power of the system is now concentrated on helping you become much more powerful so that you can hopefully win the Apostle's Competition. I'm counting on you.]

One after another, notifications continued to appear, explaining everything about the so-called 'RAL System'. But... Travis soon closed his eyes and lay down. 'This is too much!' a thought appeared in his head as he growled audibly.

The panel suddenly disappeared as if it were a lie when he opened his eyes. Travis rubbed his eyes. He needed to set his priorities straight. First, why was he in a cell? How would he get out? What about his Teacher's quest?

Slowly, as he inspected the structure of the entire cell, he started remembering what had transpired. He got a class change, and his MID stopped working, just as Redion said it would. Then, there was something about RALS activating... some blue panels that the guard didn't appear to see. He got hit by that guard and then woke up in this place... this was not a good situation to be in.

*Ting!*

Suddenly, another notification showed up. A very long one, at it.

[Listen, I could spend the whole day talking about the System, but first, you need to understand a few things.

1. The System is built around the concept of rewards and punishments. Get quests and fulfill them – you'll be rewarded. Fail or abandon them – a penalty will occur.

2. For ease of interpretation, RALS is like MID you know of, but much more sophisticated. All the information you need or want to know will be provided if you ask.

3. Apostle Competition is the event you are a part of as my Apostle. The rules are simple: each of the 13 gods taking part in the event has chosen an Apostle for themselves and granted them a class with abilities that will be closely associated with their attribute, and they will fight to see who is the strongest. As my Apostle, your attribute is the manipulation of the minds and bodies of your targets. Eventually, you'll be able to cast powerful psionic magic or create illusions that even experts won't dispel easily. But, that is eventually.

4. I can't give you much at the beginning. All gods have agreed to only give their Apostles 1 skill each, and in time you will be able to expand upon your skill tree to grow far stronger. On top of that, the speed of your growth will depend on your will to win. If you half-ass it, then even if you fulfill all the quests, you won't grow as strong as you have the potential to.

5. There are 13 Apostles in total. The Competition is based around elimination, but you're free to go about it as you wish. You can make them submit to you, **** them to yield their position as Apostles, or even kill them. If you want my opinion, I believe the second option is the most viable for you.

6. The time limit for the Competition is 5 years. The Competition will officially begin 13 days from now. During the time you have, you will be able to get accustomed to your new class. If there won't be a winner at the 5-year mark, all remaining Apostles will be transported to an arena for a decisive match.

7. All MIDs will glitch while reading you from now on. Godly power cannot be handled by those small, simple devices, and I can't do much about it. Do remember that without your MID you will have to stay hidden from authorities or trick them (of course, your attribute will make it easy soon enough).

8. Be careful how you go about your power. Being an Apostle of a god doesn't make you invincible. In terms of strength, you're currently as strong as a typical Classless. But don't fret. Patience is a virtue, after all.

9. My advice would be to stay low and try to figure out who the other Apostles are. All the gods have picked people only from this world, but there's no telling who they might be. They may all be in this very city you're in or spread in the world. Also, the Apostles were not limited to just humans. There may be undines, trolls, or other creatures that roam your world.

End of message. Good luck in your quest.]

The message ended, and Travis looked at his hands. He barely understood what was going on. He thought that meeting was a dream, but then it was reality, but then… it wasn't his fault those messages didn't appear 10, no, even 5 minutes sooner!

...

'Be calm.' he reminded himself of Storm Rogue's teachings. 'Emotions are the assassin's enemy.' it was tricky, but he started taking in deep breaths. Thinking this through was paramount. RALS was one thing he could potentially live with. Hell, from how it sounded, it could even be helpful, if anything. The problem, however, was everything else. Firstly, he needed to figure out a way out of this place. Second of all, he didn't know how much time he had left to fulfill the quest he had previously.

2, 3, and 5 minutes passed, and nobody came around. Peeking his head as far through the metal bars as he could, nobody was coming around. Likely, other cells were empty.

*Ting!*

[Now, let's begin a little tutorial on using RALS. I believe you started wrapping your head around all of this a little. Don't worry, if you wish, the System can and will show you all the previous messages you received.]

*Ting!*

[First of all, since RALS has no physical form, you cannot activate it with a device. However, it will respond to your thoughts and/or words. For example, try saying 'Status'.]

"…Status," Travis was **** to do as the message said. Still, if there was nothing to do to plan his escape, he could at least check this RALS thing out.

As his words left his mouth, a new panel appeared in front of him.

[[Name: Travis Salliv
Class: Apostle of Tricks & Manipulation
Level: 1
HP: 100/100
MP: 30/30
WP: 31/210]

[Strength: 10
Agility: 30
Intelligence: 15
Endurance: 10
Wisdom: 15
Sense: 20
AP: 0]

[Possessed abilities: Suggestion lvl.1]

[Current status: No anomalies.]]

*Ting!*

[See? Wasn't too hard, was it now? Well, anyway. There will be time for more explanation later. Just know that this is your new MID. Fancier, better, more complex yet more flexible.]

*Ting!*

[Now, let's try 'Quests'.]

"Quests?" Travis asked.

[Quest log:
[Active quests: 3]
[Completed quests: 0]
[Failed/Abandoned quests: 0]]

*Ting!*

[I'll be brief here. If you choose any of the three, a list will show up. Choose any quest to bring up information about it, including objectives, optional stuff, rewards, and penalties. Try to find your 'Daily Quest'.]

"Uh…" 'It said to choose to see more…' "Active quests."

[Active quests:
[Cecilia's hope]
[Apostle Competition]
[Daily Quest (new!)]]

"…Who's Cecilia?" 'Cecilia's hope… what a strange name.'

Suddenly, without him saying the words, a new panel opened up.

[Cecilia's hope

Cecilia, also known as Storm Rogue, has tasked you with retrieving her other enchanted earring from the hands of Eden Goldhilt, who resides in Autir.

Objective: Obtain the earring Storm Rogue spoke about and deliver it to her.

Time remaining: 32 days.

Reward: 25 stat points. Greatly increase your affinity with Cecilia. Cecilia will teach you a new skill.

Failure penalty: Cecilia will refuse to teach you any further. You will be penalized by the System. Penalty severity: low]

…what did he just read? Storm Rogue was 'Cecilia'? Travis closed his eyes. No, he couldn't believe it. Could it be true?

Moreover, why didn't RALS respond at all? It did continue the moment he chose 'Quests', so why didn't it say anything now? 'Didn't it say that it was an automatic system? So, it must be like a golem.' He nodded to himself. 'It will probably only respond once I choose this 'Daily Quest' thing.'

He put a hand on his chin. RALS was a tool with pre-recorded messages for him - that much he understood. He was taking part in elimination with other Apostles - that much also made sense to him. So… what should he do now? Comply with the System, and then what? How would he get out? When would that happen? He only had 32 days to finish Cecilia's quest, and that was only assuming that RALS was not lying to him.

'Alright, so… let's try it. Daily Quest.' he thought, and as he expected, a new panel appeared.

[Daily quest: To become strong.

Do any 3 of the following:

42 squats (0/42)

62 push-ups (0/62)

4750-meter run (0/4750)

600-meter swim (0/600)

Optional: Use any skills at least 42 times (0/42)

Time remaining: 13 minutes and 5 seconds

Reward: 3 stat points, 1 'Full recovery'. For completing all 4 conditions, gain an additional 2 stat points.

Optional reward: 1 random low-tier item of the 'Utility' type.

Failure penalty: You will be transported to Penalty Zone, and 'Penalty Quest' will begin. Penalty severity: high]

*Ting!*

[There you go. Daily quests (or DQ, whichever you prefer) reset at midnight every day, and you will have 24 hours to do them. This is the best way to gain stat points. The workout will also help your body. The penalty for skipping Daily Quests typically is set to 'high' or 'very high' to compel you to finish them. Types of activities required and their amounts are random within specified confines. There are always three required conditions, one additional, and one completely optional. Rewards will change a little for all of them. Do note that there are single-use rewards, such as 'Full recovery' or 'Complete Stealth'. Those rewards can appear multiple times, but you can only hold 1 of a type at a time.]

[Very well, I believe this is the end of the tutorial. There's more that you can learn on your own. You can access any panels by deciding your thoughts or words toward their names, like 'Skills' etc. Take care to grow strong.]

This was unusual. Just what was the 'Penalty Zone'? Travis couldn't wrap his head around it. He understood that going there wasn't good, but how bad could it be? He looked at the requirements quickly and sighed.

'I'm going there anyway.' he mused. There was no way for him to finish the quest. First of all, he did not even have 15 minutes to do so. And even if he had the time, he had no way of making a run of nearly 5 thousand meters in total. That additional condition wasn't good either, as Travis couldn't swim. 'Maybe I should at least check out this skill of mine. Skills, Suggestion.' He thought the command. Weirdly enough, he was already getting a little accustomed to this RALS thing. Maybe Redion made it specifically for him?

[Suggestion lvl. 1

Implant a suggestion in mind of the target. The suggestion's power depends on skill level, your Willpower, the target's resistance to mental magic, and how conflicting it is to what the target believes to be acceptable.

Cost: 15 MP, 1 WP]

Travis' heart sank. Sure enough, this skill didn't seem half bad, but… was 31 WP a lot? Or was it just a little? How does he gain more of it? Does it recharge like mana? Or does he have to meditate...?

Wait… wasn't it said that RALS would answer his questions?

"RALS," he started. "What is WP?"

[Processing…

WP means Willpower. It is a hidden stat. It is a way to measure your spirit's strength and will affect most skills that rely on altering other creatures' minds. Typically, you gain 50 WP every day, but the amount may change depending on different factors, such as skills or equipment.]

But before he had any time to ponder, he heard the sound of footsteps. Turning his head around, he saw a large shadow appear left of his cell. The rhythmic sound echoed in the stone halls for a few seconds until the person didn't stop just before Travis' cell. The guard was nearly 2 meters tall, wearing heavy leather armor and a large visage, obstructing his head. In his hand was a ring of keys, one of them quickly inserted into the keyhole. Scanning his condition, the man marched inside.

"Get up," he commanded shortly.

Travis knew what awaited him: a fast trial. People who made counterfeit MIDs were treated very harshly by the authorities. MIDs were manufactured by the country's offices and sold at a price. They were also mandatory and generated good profits for the country's treasury. Counterfeits were not easy to make and tended to be more expensive than the official documents, but they were worth the trouble. Those who got fakes escaped the need to sign as the kingdom's residents.

He got up, head down. He walked over to the guard. The man pushed him into the corridor, urging him to go forth. Travis didn't fight; there was no point. Even if he managed to overpower the guard, the Inspector who would investigate him would most definitely be a Mage, at least level 40. If he could've escaped silently earlier, it would have been a different story, but now that person was probably on standby, expecting him to emerge.

On the bright side, he could probably get away with a fine. It would probably amount to as much as 500 gold pieces, but it was better than being sentenced to ****.

Yeah, out of all the options, just complying was the best.

Slowly, he went up some long stairs, and after standing in a room far up (at least 3 levels above the jail) he was greeted by a small woman. She seemed at most 155 cm, somewhat anorectic, with white hair of waist length emphasizing her almost-albino skin and violet robe that covered her body from neck to feet. Sitting in a chair, she was fidgeting with a golden bracelet on her left wrist. Her face was twisted in a pouting expression.

Her green eyes were full of annoyance as she said, "Finally up," she pointed to her left. "Sit down," her voice was delicate, but it also had a bit of aggression to it. Travis felt a trickle of cold sweat travel down his spine; she didn't seem to be in the best mood. An angry Mage was a dangerous Mage. The guard was standing on standby, but the man could easily imagine that he would be more than happy to reach for his sword.

Travis listened to her, going to his right and sitting in a wooden chair, hands on the table. He looked at her with tension as she also took her seat. A few seconds of silence elapsed until she got hold of a bag hanging on her chair and searched inside it for a moment before bringing out an orb made of glass.

It was about 15 cm wide. Inside, something blue was swirling. Travis felt his heart sink. It was Orb of Truth, one of the artifacts sometimes used for interrogation. Its presence meant that they were taking this situation seriously.

Mage looked at Travis fiercely. She definitely didn't want this talk to take long.

*Ting!*

[Warning! You have only 5 minutes left to finish your 'Daily Quest'!]

Bad news, bad news all around. Travis only wished that he could disappear. No, all this was going wrong from the very beginning! How would he go about this?

"Place your hand on the orb," she commanded briefly, and he promptly did. "Who are you?"

"…Travis Salliv," He replied quietly, and the orb emanated a white color for a short moment.

"What's your class and level?"

"I'm level 1…"

The woman looked at him with a little surprised expression, seeing the white glow. She frowned after a moment.

"And your class?"

Travis looked to his side, avoiding eye contact.

"Listen, I don't want this to prolong into eternity. Just tell me your class, and we'll move on."

"…" 'Shit. Think think think! Isn't there anything I can do?!' "It's… a little complicated," 'Try to play on time. I can't tell them what my class is.' he glanced to his right again, looking at the timer go down.

[3:31]

He needed to stall more. He would be going to Penalty Zone anyway, so he wanted to go there without spilling any information. Maybe he would have some time to think of something in there. Anyway, he didn't even know how that place would work. Well, anywhere would be better than where he was now.

"Complicated?" the woman tilted her head a little, her long hair brushing on the table. "I request elaboration."

Looking at her again, Travis noticed that her skin wasn't as pure as it seemed at first. There were sleeping bags under her eyes, and one of her ears was tilted downward a little more than the other. Although she was devoid of any freckles, there were tiny signs of blemishes on the back of her cheeks, just next to her temples. Was she having a difficult time taking care of herself? Or was she overworking herself?

She gritted her teeth visibly and asked again, "What do you mean by 'It's complicated'?" she must've been tired, eager to finish this talk as soon as possible. Wait… couldn't he use that?

Travis' thoughts went back to his only skill. <Suggestion> depended on how much WP he had, but he was willing to bet that this woman's mental resistance was close to none. In her current state, she would likely be susceptible to manipulation of any kind.

He remained silent, instead preparing the spell. The moment he felt ready he commanded his spirit. '<Suggestion>.' he felt his mana sap away, and there was a little tingling feeling at the level of his heart. Was this what WP draining felt like?

<There's no point in asking him again if he won't talk anyway. Better move on, I want this to end already.>

For some reason, he felt something in the depths of his mind. He couldn't see it, but he sensed… some presence right in front of him. After a split second, he understood: he was feeling this woman's mind. For a short moment, the spell he made circled the being he was feeling as though looking for any holes in its structure. And suddenly, he felt how it slithered away from his grasp and disappeared inside. He knew what it meant: the suggestion connected with her consciousness. It worked.

And he got his confirmation quickly as he noticed the woman huff a little air in frustration.

"Have it your way. I was trying to help you," she shook her head a little. "Who made your MID?"

"…it was made by Central Fornian Authority Service in Silvana."

Mage's eyes widened as she noticed the ball glowing in white color. So far, this man was speaking nothing but the truth. How could it be? Did the guards capture him mistakenly?

…No. She was sure that there was more to it. MIDs made by officials couldn't just break. It was most definitely counterfeit. Then… was the Orb busted? That wasn't possible. It belonged to her. She always took great care to make sure it was in top-notch condition.

Then how could it be? Perhaps... it wasn't either the Orb or the man. Maybe she gave him too much leeway in the way he responded.

[1:03]

Travis looked at the timer with a bit of tension in his spirit. He needed to stall more, but he knew this woman would probably want to ask some direct questions now.

"Are you a Psion?" she asked, her voice stern. In the corner of her vision, the guard who stood still until now appeared to flinch.

Travis felt his heart sink for a moment but breathed a sigh of relief once he realized what she asked. There was hardly any hesitation from him as he answered, "No."

The orb emanated a white color, and the woman frowned again. Was she not expecting that?

"Are you a Hexer?"

"No," the orb glowed white in response.

"Am I a dragon?"

"No," white again. 'What kind of question is that?'

"Then how did your MID break?!" she yelled at him, visibly agitated.

"Like I would know," and suddenly, the orb started glowing red for a moment. It was a lie.

Travis felt his heart sink again, but this time for real. He wasn't prepared for this. The woman's green eyes widened in response. It looked almost like she wanted to smile as she asked, "Did your MID glitch?"

"...yes," white color.

"Do you know why?"

"I don't," the Orb glimmered with red. Dammit. This was going haywire faster than a speeding carriage.

The woman smiled momentarily. She held the upper hand now, and she knew it. She parted her lips, but… before another question managed to escape her mouth, the earth rumbled a little. Visibly startled, she looked at the guard, who got a hand on the pommel of his sword. Their gazes met, and without a word more, he rushed out of the room to check what was happening.

She looked around, noticing how Travis looked to his right, straight at the window. She ran over and stole a glance outside. However, seeing nothing out of order, she grabbed him by his arm.

"Get up. I'll get you to sa--" she didn't finish the sentence as suddenly the floor beneath parted into black nothingness. In the next second, she and Travis disappeared, leaving only the Orb of Truth on the table, nothing out of place except the lack of them.