Silas walked through the Town of Beginnings, trying to ignore the occasional "awws" and head pats from passing women. His current form was proving to be more of a hindrance than he'd anticipated.
"There you are! By the gods, I've been looking everywhere for you!"
Silas turned to find a tall, imposing female Dragonkin bearing down on him. Her scales gleamed a deep crimson color. Horns protruded from her forehead. A long tail with spikes as long as daggers came from the end of her tail. Her slitted pupils fixed on him with a mix of relief and anger.
Several people quickly moved out of her way.
"Uh..." Silas began, not sure how to respond.
The Red Dragonkin approached quickly and crossed her arms. "Don't 'uh' me, hatchling. You know better than to wander off in a new town." She bent down, her intimidating presence softening slightly. "Are you hurt? Did anyone bother you?"
As she spoke, a strange sensation flooded Silas's mind. Memories. It was as Seraphine stated. Memories of the past came flooding in like a movie reel that lasted the span of 5 seconds. Everything about this world, about hatchlings, about customs he'd never learned but suddenly understood.
He realized what was happening. In this world, when hatchlings emerged from their eggs, they were assigned a guardian from their clan. An adult to protect and guide them until they grew strong enough to fend for themselves. This Red Dragonkin was his assigned guardian. His clan guardian.
The information felt strange yet familiar, as if he'd always known it but had only just remembered.
"I'm fine, Kirath," he said, the name coming to him from these new memories.
The Dragonkin, Kirath Embertale of the Red Flame Clan nodded firmly. "Good. Still, you shouldn't have wandered off. Unaccompanied hatchlings attract unwanted attention."
"Sorry," he muttered, falling into step beside her.
They walked in silence until they reached a quieter street. Kirath ducked into a small alleyway and finally turned to face him properly.
"You seemed disoriented earlier," she said, studying him carefully. "I was concerned you might have gotten into trouble."
"I'm fine," Silas said, still adjusting to the strange new knowledge in his mind. "Just... taking in the town."
"Well, don't wander off again," Kirath said sternly. "You're my responsibility until you come of age or prove yourself capable of surviving alone." She studied him with narrowed eyes. "The clan elders have high hopes for you. Your egg was... special."
Silas shook her hand tentatively, feeling the strength in her grip. "So you're my... clan guardian?"
"Until you reach maturity or prove yourself capable of surviving alone," Kirath confirmed. "Though at your size and age, that will be some time yet."
More implanted memories surfaced, filling in gaps in Silas's understanding. Dragonkin hatchlings were considered children until they reached their first evolution, usually around level 10. Until then, they required protection and guidance from an adult clan member.
"Do you remember the purpose of your journey?" Kirath asked, watching him carefully.
Silas searched the new memories and found the answer. "To enter the tower, grow stronger, and bring honor to the clan."
She reached into a pouch at her belt and pulled out a small bag, which she handed to Silas. "Here. Your hatching gear. All hatchlings receive these basics to start their journey."
Silas opened the bag to find light leather armor sized for his hatchling body, a pair of claw weapons that attached to his hands, and a few potions.
"The claws should work with your current strength level," Kirath explained. "More natural for a hatchling than swords or staves."
"Thank you," Silas said, genuinely grateful.
"It's clan standard," Kirath replied dismissively. "Now, we need to get you registered for tomorrow's exam. Anyone who wants to enter the tower must pass the tower entrance examination to begin their journey."
As they walked, Silas found himself both confused and fascinated by the memories continuing to surface. They weren't his own experiences but felt like learned information. As if he'd been taught these things but had temporarily forgotten them.
"Have you reviewed your system thoroughly?" Kirath asked, interrupting his thoughts.
"Briefly, just the status page."
"The interface. It's more than just status." Kirath tapped her temple. "Think 'System Overview' instead."
Silas tried the command, and a more comprehensive menu appeared:
[SYSTEM OVERVIEW]
- Status
- Inventory
- Skills
- Quests
- Maps
- Relationships
"This is... different," Silas muttered. The game had similar menus, but they were organized differently.
"First time with a full system, eh?" Kirath said. "Everyone has one since the tower showed up, but no one knows why. It helps track growth, manages skills, access maps when in your in the tower, and track quests."
Silas selected the Skills menu, curious about how this world handled them.
[SKILLS 5/10]
- Increased Experience (Uncommon) - Active
- Beast Tongue (Common) - Active
- Overflowing Charisma (Rare) - Passive (Cannot Disable)
- Skill Weaver (Super Rare) - Active
- Accelerated Recovery (Legendary) - Passive
"Only ten skill slots?" Silas asked, surprised. In the game, players could have dozens of skills.
Kirath nodded. "At your level, yes. You'll unlock more as you grow stronger." She gave him a measuring look. "Skills can be obtained through skill cards. They are earned through quests, trading, or monster drops."
As they walked through the marketplace, Silas spotted a stall where a small crowd had gathered. A merchant was displaying a glowing green card on a velvet cushion.
"Going once, going twice... sold to the gentleman in blue for 50 bronze coins!" the merchant called. A man carefully took the card, which dissolved into light when he touched it.
"What skill was that?" Silas asked.
"Minor Fire Resistance, by the look of the glow," Kirath said. "Common quality, but useful for the early tower floors."
"About entering the tower," Silas began. "Is there a registration process?"
Kirath gave him an odd look. "Of course there is. You can't just walk into the Tower of Babel. There's an entrance exam first."
Silas stopped in his tracks. "Entrance exam? There wasn't..." He caught himself. "I mean, I didn't know about an exam."
"The Examination Hall. Tests are held every three days. Next one's tomorrow."
"What kind of test is it?"
"Two parts," Kirath explained. "First is the aptitude assessment. They test to see what class you're suited for. Some people already know their class, and others find out during the test."
Silas nodded. This was new. In the game, players just picked their class.
"Second part is a combat test," she continued. "A proctor will evaluate you in one on one combat. It's just to make sure you can survive the first floor."
"What happens if someone doesn't have an aptitude?" Silas asked.
"Everyone has something," Kirath assured him. "You could have an aptitude for a rare class, a legendary, or even a common one."
"How do I register for the exam?" he asked.
"Through your system," Kirath said. "Quest menu. The tower offers it automatically to everyone in town without tower access."
Silas checked his quest menu, and sure enough, there it was:
[Available Quest: Tower Entrance Examination]
[Difficulty: Varies by applicant]
[Reward: Tower Access, Beginner's Supply Pack]
[Accept?] [YES] [NO]
He selected YES, and the quest was updated in his log.
[Active Quest: Tower Entrance Examination]
[Objective: Report to the Examination Hall tomorrow at dawn]
[Progress: 0/1]
"All set?" Kirath asked.
"Yes," Silas replied. "What should I do until then?"
"First, equip those items I gave you. Then we'll find lodging for the night." Kirath's tone left no room for argument. "You need rest before the exam."
Silas equipped the gear through his inventory system. The light armor fit perfectly, and the claw weapons attached to his hands with surprising comfort. They weren't much, but they were better than nothing.
Kirath led him to a modest inn where she secured two rooms—one for each of them. "I'll be next door if you need anything," she said. "I recommend reviewing your skills and getting familiar with those claws before tomorrow."
Alone in his room, Silas lay on the bed staring at the ceiling. Everything was different from the game. The entrance exam, the limited skill slots, the natural aptitudes. He wondered how much would change as he climbed the tower.
He spent some time practicing with the claw weapons, getting used to their weight and reach. They extended his natural striking range and would provide better damage than his bare hands.
As evening fell, a knock at his door announced Kirath with dinner—a simple but hearty stew and bread.
"Eat," she instructed. "You'll need your strength tomorrow."
"Can I ask you something?" Silas ventured.
Kirath nodded, taking a seat in the room's only chair.
"What was so special about my egg?"
"Your egg was discovered by the clan scouts. You were alone and your egg was diffent from the rest of the eggs. Our clan are typically always red. But your egg was silver."
"My egg was Silver?" Silas asked, curious about the information.
"Yes, silver eggs haven't been seen in the area for a couple of decades."
Silas thought about the information, curious that maybe his hereditary skill could be related to the silver egg he was hatched from.
Kirath left the room, leaving Silas to his thoughts, as he dozed off.