Condition Evolution 2: A LitRPG / Gamelit Adventure by Sinclair, Kevin (the best electronic book reader .TXT) 📕

was blown away! Now, don’t get me wrong, this wasn’t the real world I was expecting to get back to, but I still expected some normality. But when you transcend mental barriers and shit, then get faced with a bloody stat screen in your own damn mind, you have to start asking questions!

Name: Shaun Sutherland

Age: 29 GY

Transcendence Level: 24

Strength: 29/1000

Agility: 20/1000

Speed: 25/1000

Intelligence: 40/1000

Constitution: 35/1000

Wisdom: 2/2000

Mental Resilience: 15/1000

Mental Clarity: 2%

Potential: 99%

“Well, that looks pretty shit. I don’t really know what any of it means, but well.. it’s shit,” I said, downcast. I looked over to Ember who was chuckling away to herself and asked, “What?”

She wiped a tear from her eye and composed herself, “Your Intelligence is higher than any other stat, but your Wisdom is two!” She doubled over again, nearly going to the floor in her fit of hysterics. “And Mental Clarity! It’s so true,” she gasped. “That is so you!”

“Seriously, Ember. That’s not fucking funny. How’s it even possible!”

She didn’t reply. I’d lost her to her own little, laughing fit.

Angrily, I snapped, “Come on!” And marched out.

We checked a few more rooms. One of them had a ton of junk in it. Not so much trash, but just random things: I could see a laptop, a bicycle, a tartan picnic blanket and a statue of a dog. They all seemed familiar, without any actual memory of them either. It was a massive room that looked like a supermarket, where someone had run through and pulled everything off the shelves, and then shook it all up. You couldn’t even walk six feet into it.

“You should probably tidy this shithole up at some point,” Ember said, looking around with a mix of awe and distaste.

“Without a doubt. This can’t be good for my mind.”

“We should probably work out how to defend these places,” she said.

“Hmm, wonder if there’s any tricks Ogun can teach us? I’ve a shit load of questions to ask him, like, can we set alarms or traps?” I said, stifling a yawn.

“Think we’ve achieved more than enough today. We should rest and just pick Ogun’s brains tomorrow,” Ember replied, picking up that I was tired.

“Yeah. You’re probably right. Let’s leave it today, but I want to know your stats first.”

“So do I. Let’s go look.”

We re-entered Ember's Mindscape and went to the big screen room. We found her stats just where mine were:

Name: Ember Davison

Age: 25 GY

Transcendence Level: 27

Strength: 16/1000

Agility: 30/1000

Speed: 22/1000

Intelligence: 30/1000

Constitution: 30/1000

Wisdom: 20/1000

Mental Resilience: 40/1000

Mental Clarity: 6%

Potential: 83%

“Right! What in the actual fuck? You’re officially more Intelligent than me, and you’ve more Potential. How does that work?” Ember protested.

“Dunno. But your Mental Resilience is impressive, and I'm ashamed to say I’m massively jealous of your Wisdom and Clarity score.”

“None of that really matters. Except, why is my Potential lower? Can I increase it?”

“Maybe it’s because your stats are higher than mine overall?”

“Not by that much, Shaun. We need to ask Ogun.”

“We will. But not until tomorrow. For now, can you think of anywhere to grab a coffee on this bucket?” I asked. Though, it was anything but a bucket. It was a spaceship out of my wildest imagination.

She grinned at me, “I’m sure we’ll sort something out. Is this my date?”

“For now it is. Just for now. Come on,” I said, as I left the Mindscape.

Ember opened her eyes at the same time. “Probably, the canteen. It’s the only place really. But first, you might wanna clear that blood from your nose.”

“Yeah. Forgot about that. I can’t believe you did it!”

She shrugged with a smile and muttered, “Sorry, I can’t help myself. You’re just so fun to mess with, and you let me get away with it.”

“I might not forever Ember, your pushing your luck.”

She chuckled, “I’ll try to be good. Now, about that date?”

Not five minutes later, we sat in the communal eating area, each nursing a steaming, hot brew from the FSU. There was an awkward silence, but also almost comfortable.

Ember smirked, “Well, you’re a real charmer, Shaun.”

“I’m not good at this. Why don’t you charm me?”

“Ha, brilliant. Thanks for that, Shaun. Have you ever met a less charming person than me in your entire life?”

“You’re amazing, Ember. But, yeah. Charm possibly isn’t a strong point.”

“Well, there’s a start at least.”

“Look, I’m going to be honest. I’m not fantastic at the whole dating thing. I’ve never really done it before. But I do like your company, so how about we just relax and talk, like there isn’t an elephant in the room?”

“Sounds good to me.” She smiled and leaned back in her chair.

The awkwardness evaporated into easy chatting. We talked for a couple of hours, gently covering our lives before Anatoli, but mainly reliving our time there. The awkwardness didn’t resurface until we got back to our adjacent rooms.

“All I’m going to say is…” I cut Ember off. I knew she wasn’t ready for a shared bed situation. And honestly, neither was I. This was my first fully conscious day after nine months in a tub of jelly, flying through space with superish powers, and I wasn’t even sure if everything still worked properly.

“I’d be happy with a kiss. Nothing more for a good while yet,” I said.

“You big, wet lettuce. Come here, then,” she said and laid a big kiss on my lips, then broke it off and sauntered into her room. She turned and blew me another kiss before the door closed.

I slumped physically, like someone had sucked all the air out of my body.

Once back in my room, I threw myself on the bed.

“What a fucking day!” I exclaimed and fell straight to sleep.

C4

Raising the Bar.

The next morning, Ember knocked on my door. It was a strange thing, being woken by someone knocking on a high-tech spaceship door. It just seemed totally wrong, somehow.

“Come in,” I shouted.

“Up and at it, lazy bones. We’re meeting Ogun. Like, now,” she said, entering the room.

“Okay. Give me a couple of minutes,” I replied.

She went back out and I quickly threw