“He hates me!” The man Null now knew to be his father shouted.
“He’s just sensitive, Fostin! Lower your voice. He’s waking up.” the buttery voice he associated with the sweetest milk he’d ever tasted pulled him back to the depths of oblivion.
“I just want my son to love me, Elle. The man whispered. A note of despair lacing his words. They’d been at this same argument for the better part of a year. Null knew what he was doing was technically a grade A asshole move, but at the same time, if he had to be subjected to that memory, then ‘Fostin’ would be okay with a little practical joke. Null cracked an eye open in the direction of Fostin’s voice. He could now almost see more than 20 feet. This time, his mother’s eyes were already locked on to his face. He let a small smirk slip. She frowned before smiling comfortingly.
“Now, null, that wasn't very kind. Your father loves you and just wants to spend more time with you.” she oozed.
To this, Null shifted, snuggling deeper in his mother’s arms.
He needs to love a razor and perhaps a bath. Null thought to himself. And then faded back to sleep.
The system did not unlock for people until their 7th birthday. However, due to Null’s circumstances, he had access to his status, but could not do much more than mull over his stats.
Initial Stats
Name: Null
Age: .5 (total 34)
Class: Baby
Level: 0, 0%
Health: 50 Mana: 0 Stamina: 50
- Physical
- Strength: 10 (+3)
- Agility: 10 (+5)
- Endurance: 10 (+5)
- Mental
- Intellect: 10 (+2)
- Cunning: 10 (+2)
- Resolve: 10 (+2)
- Spiritual
- Intelligence: 10 (+2)
- Wisdom: 10
- Willpower: 10 (+2)
- External
- Charisma: 10 (+2)
- Luck: 10 (+2)
Abilities:
Full Moon (+10 to all stats during a full moon) 2%
Hibernate (Regen is increased drastically while sleeping) 40%
Wireframe (Create a simulation mindspace to test out crafting concepts) 0%
Skills:
None
Soul Marks:
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
Chimeric Origin (???)
Resistances:
System Tech Dampening Disabled (???)
Race: Half-Vulupursyd
Null internally sighed. Being a baby was great and all, but he was pretty sure if the wind blew hard enough he’d take 50 hp of damage and die. As for the world of Orrey- it was okay, their particular location was a bit of an odd spot, but from what he could tell, Golems needed to be in close proximity to an element in order for them to survive. Volcanic ash was apparently rich in resources for them to thrive. So, in Golem terms, he hit the jackpot. He, however, was most certainly not a Golem. Some days, his mother would take him out of the hut to run errands, he’d have to rely on his [hibernate] ability to repair the heat damage to his fragile body. The weekly trips caused his [Hibernate] ability to advance much faster than the rest of his stats. Interestingly, Null, learned that as an ability approached 100% it incrementally increased in potency. He idly wondered if that meant for when he met 100%.
I need a freaking tutorial!
As a baby, Null spent most of his time training his coordination. Being a baby was much like being drunk with a clear mind. He knows his arms should work, but they don’t work how he;d expect. Many times he had knocked a few HP off his health simply trying to have his hand in front of his face. Another odd observation was that his emotional state was all out of whack. Often he'd find himself uncontrollably crying, or laughing, or crying out of anger. As an adult mentally, he knew something as simple as being hungry shouldn’t warrant a meltdown, but try as he might, he couldn't help it.
As the months passed on, Null learned more about his world. The Golems were not exactly shape shifters more than they were elemental adaptors. They had a definitive base form that became imbued with a particular element. A Golem would need to absorb elemental essence in order to sustain. In their base form, they’d need to eat just like humans, but eventually, without elemental influence, they’d wither away in a fashion similar to dehydration. This presented a unique issue for Null. For now, his mother’s milk sustained him, but he knew he’d have to soon figure out a way to eat since he could not absorb elemental essence. He also learned about the language of this world. Apparently there were no different languages, but there were dialects- all a variation of the standard language the system translated. He learned that he was not the first non-golem to be born to an all golem family. This is something, in fact, that was sufficiently common, occurring at least twice in the average Golem/s lifetime. These non-golem born were referred to as ‘system gifts.’ and while recognized as something different, they were otherwise ignored.
Another 6 months and null’s Hibernate Skill approached 99%. He could not wait until his next outing with his mother. Now that he could walk, the skill leveled a bit slower since he had to wait until he went back home to hibernate. This particular outing was to visit the local trapper. After weaning, Null’s mother started frequenting the local trapper to purchase scrap meat. Since Golems didn't really have much need for food, she was forced to be a bit more resourceful. This time, his mother carried him, so he got a chance to [Hibernate]. As they neared the vendor, Null heard a familiar voice, letting him know that he could now select his ability upgrade.
[Hibernate Ability reached 100%. Please choose an evolution: Walking Hibernation- Hibernate while still awake. Regenerate 10% slower, but you no longer need to be in a resting state to activate. Deep Sleep- Hibernation is 25% more effective, but you may not discontinue rest until you are fully regenerated. Gain Invulnerable status while in hibernation. Moonlight Slumber- Blend the power of a werewolf with the vitality of an Ursyd, Gain 50% regeneration during hibernation while the moon is out.]
Null immediately dismissed [Deep Sleep] it seemed like a faustian choice. Life is to be experienced, not slept away for the sake of safety. The remaining two choices were interesting. The [Moonlight Slumber] skill would allow for shorter, stronger periods of hibernation, but what would this mean for mobility and awareness? From what he could tell about Orrey and The System, life was going to be hard. Was it even safe to sleep as much as he does now? What if it’s cloudy outside?
No, too much risk. He thought
That left his only choice. Sure, there's less effect, but… time. Time is the one thing you can’t get back. He could convert that time spent sleeping into understanding his new world. He selected [Walking Hibernation]. A dramatic chime sounded and he felt his mind instantly sharpen. At the same time, the heat intensified, but then quickly leveled out to something just above tolerable. He shifted in his mother’s arms and she let him down.
She smiled at his uncharacteristic lack of discomfort as he hopped around, little arms whirling as he toddled around, babbling to himself. Sometimes, she could swear he had his own language, like he’d been here before. Such a wondrous soul her odd boy was. This would certainly be an interesting life ahead of him.