1 A Stone Monkey

[System Activating]

A sound rings out in the blankness of someone's dreamscape. Awakening them from their slumber.

(System? Where am I?)

Responding to his thoughts the system rings out in his mind for the second time.

[You are currently growing in a stone egg.]

(Stone egg?!? What's going on?)

[You have reincarnated as a stone monkey, congratulations!]

(Reincarnated! So I died... WAIT STONE MONKEY!?!)

Memories rush back. Lucas is the new stone monkeys name. He was an average joe living his life when one night after spending some time in a bar, on his way home, he was slammed into by a bus. Leaving a splattered body behind for his family.

(Okay, I died. But that doesn't help with the fact that I'm a damn monkey now! Is there any way to change this?)

[No]

(Well then what's the use of you?)

[I'm here to acclimate and integrate you successfully into the Sidhe. I was left behind by your predecessor Sun Wukong waiting here for your arrival.]

(Interesting... why me?)

[You had one of the strongest souls on earth, a result of reincarnating for countless generations on earth. This allowed you to break through the veil of the Sidhe in your most recent cycle of reincarnation. I sensed a drifting soul and dragged you here into this heavenly stone.]

(I vaguely remember the name Sun Wukong he was famous in China, but I thought that was all fiction.)

[All myths and legends originate from the Sidhe. Originally the veil was thinner allowing humans and mythological creatures to interact. But as time passed the gods judged humans to be filled with bad intentions as countless magical creatures died under their hands. Thus they sealed our world from theirs and withdrew magic from earth.]

(Okay well that's all good and well, although I'm happy I'm here and a little pissed off that I'm a monkey now it doesn't change the fact that I'm stuck in this stone egg.)

Lucas stretched his thin arms out to try and break free but the stone was unmoving.

[You have to absorb the essence of the sun and moon to grow stronger in order to break out.]

(Okay how do I do that?)

[You have to absorb Wukong's memories. He is buried underneath this stone.]

(I can't see anything! How can I absorb his memories if I'm stuck inside this rock!)

[All stone monkeys are born with innate spiritual force, one of the base forces of the Sidhe. Feel inside your heart. Control it with your mind. It's a part of you it shouldn't be too hard.]

Lucas searches inside his heart. He feels a clear essence churning around with the pumps of his heart. He tries to move it outside his body and is instantly floored. Lucas can see, no, sense all around him. It's as if he has opened his third eye transcending what limits normal beings are bound by.

[Good! Now find Wukongs body beneath you and absorb his memories!]

Lucas reaches out with his newfound sense and discovers the bones of a man sized monkey in the ground beneath him. He searches further and finds a sliver of light inside the skull of the bones. He surrounds his spiritual force around the light and instinctively brings it into his skull.

As he does a sharp pain splits into his brain and memories surge forth. Memories of being stuck in a stone egg like he is now. Memories of witnessing and deriving the method to absorb the essence of the sun and moon from an aged wolf as it howls to the sky. Memories of breaking through the rock surrounding him. And then they stop.

(Why did the memories stop?)

[Wukong only managed leave behind a sliver of his memories. Even just that is extremely difficult. The rest you'll have a to figure out for yourself.]

(Bummer, I was hoping to get peerless martial arts techniques.)

And so Lucas begins absorbing the essence of the moon. Slowly a year passes. Lucas' spiritual force has grown to a whole new level. On the four hundred-twelfth day Lucas gathers his strength using spiritual force to strengthen his punches and finally cracks the stone egg. His punches sound out endlessly. Finally the outside of the monolith shows signs of breaking. A pure white gibbon-like young monkey breaks out of the stone pillar. His silvery eyes shoot light into the heavens as he basks in the open sky.

[Hidden Quest: Break Free - completed]

[Reward: Master Tongue]

[Master Tongue (passive): Allows user to understand and speak the myriad languages.]

(Oho, there's things like this?)

[Yes, there are a multitude of quests be they hidden or not that can provide a variety of rewards.]

Before they can discuss further a ton of roars and howls ring out in the night. From Lucas' Master Tongue he can understand things like "I have to get that!" and "The hunt begins!" The animal sounds seem to be getting nearer. Lucas comes to the conclusion that these beasts are after him.

[New Quest: Survive! - in progress]

[Quest Details: a multitude of beast are after your heavenly blood, escape with your life.]

[Reward: ???]

He dawdles no further and breaks out in a sprint surveying his surroundings. He seems to be in a clearing of a gigantic forest with the stone pillar at the center. He runs to the towering trees and clambers up.

A pack of large wolves burst into the clearing. They survey the surroundings and notice Lucas's glowing eyes. They surround the tree he's climbed and begin crazily bitting and clawing at the trunk. "Break the tree down we must feast on that heavenly monkey! It will allow us to transcend quickly!" Each bite and swipe tears large chunks of wood out of the tree.

[The system would like to suggest you use your innate skill transform]

(Transform? How would that help?)

[Your naturally glowing eyes and white fur is easy to spot. At your level you can change your outer appearance but not your form.]

Lucas thinks about changing his appearance and his moon like eyes dull to a dark orange. His fur turns brown. Without wasting a second he leaps into another tree just as the wolves topple the one he was just on. "Quick follow him he's on that tree!" The wolves begin decimating the new tree. Lucas begins jumping from tree to tree making his way higher into the canopy.

"That damn monkey's getting away" From the back of the horde of wolves a wolf as big as a horse emerges. He's got scars all over his body and a clever glint in his eyes. The wolf begins running at a speed that's faster than Lucas. He catches up quickly and leaps into the air. Lucas notices and makes his way higher up the giant trees. Just as he pulls himself up the wolf reaches the apex of its jump and nips at his butt, tearing out a tuft of hair.

"Bastard! That's my fur!" yells Lucas as he continues to climb disappearing from the wolves sight. The large wolf shows surprise in its eyes as he descends breaking branches on his way down.

As he climbs a pair of green eyes are looking at Lucas from higher up. Lucas pauses at the middle of the tree looking down. The wolves seem like specks, if he falls he will surely be paste on the ground. (This isn't even the top of the tree what kind of forest is this?)

As he rests he questions the system. (What other skills do I have?)

[Skills:]

[Stone Body]

[Spiritual Force]

[Transform]

[Master Tongue]

Lucas focuses on Stone Body. Lighting up new information in his brain.

[Stone Body (passive): Your body is as hard and as strong as stone.]

As he is resting Lucas feels a sense of danger creep down his back. "Oh Crap! The quest isn't finished which means I'm not safe yet!" He quickly climbs up a branch but a dark shadow sweeps by creating a sound of metal clashing on metal.

A leopard is perched on a branch near Lucas staring at him in astonishment. "As expected it won't be easy to kill you." A calm chilling voice sounds out. "Why are you after me?" Lucas asks. The leopard stares at him coldly. "You're a heavenly beast. Your blood alone would allow me to transcend a level."

"Transcend? What do you mean?"

"I guess you wouldn't know since you had no parents."

"Hey man, that's cold."

"It doesn't matter you'll be dead soon anyways."

After finishing its sentence the leopard pounces towards Lucas. Lucas in a panic slaps out towards the face of the leopard. Just before the leopard is able to bite him, Lucas's palm reaches the face of the beast. As they connect the leopards' face caves in and its brain matter sprays outward. Its body slams into a tree and falls down to the ground.

On the ground as the wolves are preparing to leave, the leopards body falls in front of them. As they look at the caved in head they feel a chill go down their spine and a few shudder. "Guess we dodged and arrow huh guys."

[Defeated Shadow Leopard: 356 exp]

[Detected host has enough experience to level up!]