Chapter 1953: System Seed Maker
-----
Ding!
[Congratulations! You have successfully created a [Small System Seed Crystal]!]
[You have learned the Skill: [System Circuit Creation – Tier 1: Level 1/10]]
[You have acquired the Title: [Novice System Admin]. This title increases System Manipulation and Creation Proficiency by 25% and reduces System Seed Creation Exhaustion by 30%.]
[The [Living Ink Slime: Obsidian (Tier 1)] has successfully awakened his System Status!]
[As the creator of his System Seed, you have become Obsidian’s Master.]
[You have completed the achievement: [Create a System Seed and Share It!]]
You have successfully created your own System Seed—not for a foreign System, but for one born from your own hands. Unlike typical System Sharers, you are a true System Creator, making you a far more valuable asset to the expansion of the Andromeda System and its offspring programs.
[Rewards: 5,000 System Points. Choose 1 Skill from Obsidian.]
"I can choose a Skill from you, lil’ guy?" Elayne asked, surprised. Achievements were still something new to her. "Let’s see... what’s your status first?"
-----
[Player Name]: [Obsidian]
[Titles]: [None]
[Race]: [Living Ink Slime – Tier 1]
[Level]: [0/100]
[Talent]: [Living Ink Body (B)] [Shapeshifter (A)]
[Health]: [2,000]
[Mana]: [5,000]
[Strength]: [500]
[Defense]: [300]
[Magic]: [800]
[Resistance]: [500]
[Agility]: [700]
[Luck]: [300]
[Charm]: [500]
[Skills]:
[Body Transformation – Tier 1: Level 1/10]
[Imaginarium Essence Gathering – Tier 1: Level 1/10]
[Lesser Fantasy Creation – Tier 1: Level 1/10]
[Slime Body – Tier 1: Level 1/10]
-----
"Huh, so those are my options..." Elayne murmured, reading through the skills. "They’re all interesting... Imaginarium Essence Gathering sounds useful, but I think I can already do something similar. Lesser Fantasy Creation feels vague—what does it even do? And Slime Body... would it give me a better body than the one I have now? There’s also Body Transformation. I can change shape already, but I can’t stray too far from my original appearance. This could be a real advantage."
She thought for a moment, then asked the Fragment for his opinion. He showed clear interest in Imaginarium Essence Gathering but suggested Fantasy Creation might prove more valuable.
"One of the powers these strange new beings possess is the ability to somehow give life to fantasy and fictional stories or characters," he explained. "Perhaps that power is inherent to every being born from Living Ink—including Obsidian."
"Hmm..." Elayne nodded. "Alright, I’ll try it."
Ding!
[You have chosen to learn a Skill from Obsidian.]
[You have learned the Skill: [Lesser Fantasy Creation – Tier 1: Level 1/10]!]
"It’s done... but I don’t feel any different. It must be an active skill."
Elayne quickly tried to activate it, yet nothing happened.
"Ah, nothing..."
"...Perhaps it requires certain conditions," the Fragment offered apologetically.
"No, it’s fine." Elayne smiled. "Obsidian, come here."
The little slime leaped into her hands. She focused and cast Lesser Fantasy Creation on him.
The result was immediate.
FLUOSH!
The wobbly, slimy body began to shift and reshape itself, rapidly transforming into a small humanoid figure—an adorable fairy!
She had pale skin, long flowing green hair, and shimmering golden-green butterfly wings. Her body was adorned with wooden roots and vibrant flowers, and she wore a delicate dress made of leaves.
"Wow! She actually became a fairy?!" Elayne exclaimed, eyes wide with wonder. "How does this power even work? Did she take shape from my own imagination?"
"Maybe. Maybe not," the Fragment replied. "It is quite curious. Simply ’imagining’ something may not be enough. There must be something deeper—something more meaningful—to this fantasy."
"Meaningful..." Elayne whispered. "Emotions. Memories. Experiences... bonds."
The little fairy hovered excitedly around her. Obsidian seemed astonished by his new form. He tested his wings and shot through the air with incredible speed. He also wielded Nature Magic effortlessly, conjuring long, sharp wooden roots that left both Elayne and the Fragment stunned.
The transformation was temporary, however. After five minutes, Obsidian quickly reverted to his original slime appearance.
"Was that fairy someone you knew, Master?" he asked.
"No, I’ve never seen her before," Elayne replied thoughtfully. "It seems the creations from Fantasy Manifestation are drawn from our bonds with fiction and fantasy—things that aren’t ’completely real’ in our world. The embodiment isn’t always an exact copy... but rather what it represents. That fairy... she resembled a fairy version of Planta, my Avatar."
"Huh?"
"Yet she was also quite different," Elayne added, nodding. "How intriguing... From what I can tell, Imaginarium and Fantasy respond strongly to bonds, experiences, and emotional attachments."
"I see...!" The Fragment nodded eagerly. "So if you gave it a book, it wouldn’t simply copy it?"
"I’m not sure yet. This seems to be the basic form of its embodiment," Elayne explained. "The Canvas Bleeds probably occur most often in places tied to strong fiction and fantasy—locations filled with deep emotional attachment. Old manga stores, museums... even subways where people once gathered every day. The key is human emotion and attachment. Our desire to escape reality, the passion we pour into these fictional worlds and beings because we want them to be real... Though I suppose it differs for everyone. Some might manifest something close to the original, while others create their idealized version..."
"I see..." The Fragment nodded again, clearly impressed. "Incredible, Master! You’re a true genius to figure that out so quickly!"
"I’m only just beginning to understand it," Elayne laughed softly. "But I do have a rough idea of how it might work. I feel like Imaginarium is constantly spreading. Whoever created it is using this power to reshape the world. Perhaps some people will rise to the challenge and wield this mysterious force to protect us from the dangers of this new era... or perhaps they will use it for evil, to satisfy their own selfish desires."
"And which side will you stand on, Master?" the Fragment asked, his voice tinged with curiosity.
"I don’t know..." Elayne sighed, a complex mix of emotions flickering across her face. "Although part of me hates what I’ve become, another part of me enjoys it. I... I like getting stronger. I enjoy adventuring. I even relish a good fight. Using magic, learning new Skills, growing more powerful—it all makes me feel truly alive, something I had never felt before... before BNLO."
"..."
-----