Chương 2: System Hack

"Are you sure you want to do this, son?" WARHOL asked his only son, Lance. He knew what the boy's answer would be, but he couldn't stop asking. Lance rolled his eyes.

"FOR THE LAST TIME, DAD, YES!" It was his turn to sigh.

"Very well. If you're committed, and I do mean truly committed, then let's get this over with... we have a long road ahead of us."

"Dad," Lance said, putting their hand on his shoulder as he smiled.

"I am at the top of my class at the academy. I saved you from the Mind Slop parasite, and I am your son. I am ready." That was all Warhol needed to hear. No more time for pleading or bargaining. That time was passed. Now was the time for grinding. Warhol brought his son down to the basement. It was filled with boxes of old holiday decorations and one too many spiders for his taste.

"The basement?" Lance asked, confused.

"We're going to hack the System in our basement?" Warhol grinned.

"Sort of..." He brought his son before a part of the wall covered in rock-n-roll posters signed by their various band members. Without regard for the value of the posters, Warhol ripped the posters from the wall, revealing a faint sigil underneath.

"What... is that?!" Lance asked, disbelieving. Warhol didn't answer. He waved his hand in front of the sigil, and it pulsed golden light. A rumble came next and part of the wall slid away, revealing a secret staircase.

"Come. We haven't much time." His son was brought down to a large cave. A place filled with weapons, tome piles, scrolls, maps, and all manner of animal harnesses, not to mention potions, herb gardens, and alchemic glassware. A shining sparkling glimmer floated throughout the air, one which reacted to their presence and glowed at their approach.

"Whoa..." Lance uttered.

"This, son, is my secret lair. I call it 'the grotto!'" Lance scoffed.

"I've heard better names. Here I thought you were cool."

"Everyone's a critic." Warhol directed his son over into the center of the cave where a dais was engraved within the floor.

"Stand on the dais, son and I will reveal to you the secret of my power." All the fun of discovery intensified within Lance's face. One day, sooner rather than later, his son would realize the seriousness the situation. For the time being, he allowed that joy in his boy's face to persevere. He remembered how excited he had been when he realized the sort of power that hacking the System gave him. Lance walked on the dais's exact center; the dais filled with energy in response to his son's spirit pressure.

Screens of shaded light-energy, some colored blue, others red, appeared around Lance. Each screen would be filled with visuals and text about the Celestial System.

"Son," Warhol began.

"Tell me what you know about the System. I don't need an entire history lesson, just the basics on how society's chosen champions use the system to defend our world from evil." For a moment, Lance stuttered, unexpecting to deliver a lecture.

"Oh, well... it's like this, I guess... people train their whole lives in an aspect of something they are good at and they pray and worship the gods. If after so many pious years their God deems them worthy of a blessing, they might become an acolyte of that God and receive that God's System." Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

"Very good. That's all correct. How does a Champion use this Celestial System to defend our world from evil?" he prodded.

"By following their God's tenants, they perform actions within the world. These actions grant them 'blessings,' which as you know, is just the fancy thing that everyone calls 'experience,' or simply XP," Lance explained, using his fingers to create air-quotations where appropriate.

"Once they accumulate enough 'blessings,' they 'level up.' Once they level up, they are granted a 'Boon Point' to reinforce their body and / or spirit. Whichever they feel is most noteworthy. With repeated crusading, they earn more levels, reinforce themselves, and enact the Gods' true judgement."

"That is all accurate, son." Warhol stared into his son's eyes.

"Is there no way to earn more than one Boon Point at a time?" Uncertainty crept into Lance's voice as he spoke.

"No...?"

"That is correct. The Celestial System as a whole is set up so that only one point is given per level up. Such is done to ensure that mortals give their whole lifetime to the practice of their God." Warhol paused.

"So, what if I told you, that is not entirely correct?" Lance's eyes bulged at the implications.

"You can't be serious..."

"Oh, but I am, son... I am. You haven't been lied to, don't worry. One Boon Point per level up for the worthy. That much is iron clad. But I found a way." Warhol waved his hand again, shining coming from his skin; in response, the colored screens before his son glowed, displaying new information.

"Long ago, while I was on a crusade for my Patron God, Jeva, the Over-Aspect, I had the unfathomable luck to encounter someone long thought lost. The Trickster God, Faux. I won't drag my story out. In short? I saved Faux a load of headaches and he was so thankful, he granted me a gift."

"The secret to your power...?" Lance interrupted. Warhol smirked.

"Yes, son. The secret to my power." He waved his hand again, the screens changing information again, this time about his secret.

"What you're seeing on the screens is a rough drawing I did of my gift. It is called the Omni-Forge. It is a spiritual artifact of Faux's own creation. It allows the user to receive upwards of ten Boon Points per level up. Not only that, but it also grants the user the missed Boon Points they would have earned for every previous level up earned had they the Omni-Forge earlier. I think you can tell what happened next." Lance shook his head.

"Yeah. You put a bunch of points into your magical affinities and wham, the super-being we know today was born!"

"More or less. But yes." Another wave of his hand.

"What you do not know, son, is that the Omni-Forge is a tool that I can use on whoever I desire. It can grant me its gifts, and I earn so many points per level, but I can also use it to modify the Celestial System of others I deem worthy. You want to help me fight the coming scourge? Then, your only hope will be in allowing yourself to be augmented by the Omni-Forge. You have only started your journey, son. Once I modify your System, there is no turning back. I ask you, then, one final time — are you ready?"

Was LANCE ready? What a ridiculous question to ask again.

"Of course. I am ready, father."

"Then prepare yourself, son! For I am about to use upon your fragile mortal body, a tool of unparalleled power!" his father's body blasted radiance. Lance reasoned it must've been the 'Omni-Forge' activating. Light filled The Grotto, a warmth coming with it. Softly, he felt something push against his body, his very spirit.

"Do not fight the feeling, son. Allow it entry, allow it purchase." His father glowed even brighter, the warmth turning to heat, as if he was standing by a roaring fire. He followed his dad's instructions. He lowered his inhibitions and let the heat enter him: he breathed of it deep, imagined the heat and his body as one, and felt his hair stand on edge. His whole body shook but not in pain. In radiance.

Lance opened his eyes and saw his System activate: [System Override Initiated: Identifying Modification Tool: System Ready to Receive Modification]. His breathing he kept steady and he continued to imagine himself and the heat as one-in-the-same. It filled him with comfort, as if the Omni-Forge was some long-lost spiritual sibling. Or a limb he hadn't noticed he had gone his whole life without but now had been returned to him.

[System Modification Identified: Omni-Forge {Boon Point Enhancement Sub-Script}: System Modification Complete: Standby for Re-Initialization...] One final time, he breathed in, then out, then a blast of fiery light erupted from his mouth, his eyes, probably other orifices too, not that he saw. Lance fell to his knees, hard. He had been in the air without even realizing it. He took a moment to gather his breath. All of the hotness and light had vanished.

A lot of residual heat remained within the cave, but even now, seconds later, the heat had drained significantly. On shaking limbs, Lance rose again.

"I feel... great!" Warhol grinned.

"As you should. Bring up your Heads-Up-Display, son. We have points to allocate."