Chapter 15: Stat Sheet
Her voice trailed off, and her tiny eyes suddenly widened, trembling as if she'd just seen something impossible.
"Dots?" Elias asked, his tone sharp with concern. "Dots, are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."
Before she could answer, Elias's world lurched. The plate he'd been washing slipped from his hand, shattering on the floor with a crash. But he barely noticed it as his vision blurred, colors swirling around him. The kitchen vanished, replaced by an infinite expanse of soft blue light that felt both alien and oddly familiar.
"W-wait," Elias stammered, turning in place. "This is... this is where we talked the first time. Why did you pull me here again?"
"I didn't," Dot whispered, her voice barely audible. She floated motionless, staring straight ahead. The faint blue glow reflected on her face, revealing the form of an old man limping toward them. His lab coat hung in tatters, streaked with dried blood that clung to his grizzled beard. He leaned heavily on a cane, each step deliberate and slow.
"Well," the man said, his voice rasping with age, "it's good to see you again, my Ikona. I trust it didn't take too long to activate and find a host."
Elias stared, his mind struggling to process what he was seeing. "Who... what are you?" he demanded, noticing the faint glow of his shard illuminating the man's figure.
"I am sorry, host," the man said, his tone calm but unyielding. "I cannot answer your questions—not until you prove yourself worthy. As we speak, the other ninety-nine are receiving the same message."
"Ninety-nine?" Elias echoed, his fists tightening at his sides.
The man tapped his cane once, and Elias felt a pressure build in his chest. "The shard has activated your core metrics: Strength, Speed, and Intelligence." A faint display materialized in front of Elias:
{ Requirements Needed to Advance }