The loud sound of a popper going off filled the room's silence. "Congratulations on living~!" Andrea cried out in laughter. Kyte was sitting down in the middle of a table, a cake placed in front of him as everyone else surrounded the young man, his mother sitting right beside him. "You lived! Now we're celebrating!"
Kyte looked unenthused. "Could've just... y'know... had the cake and--"
Dolores put both hands over her mouth and yelled. "Happy day of surviving a horrible illness, Kyte!"
"Oh, God... stop."
Cris, Kyte's mother, shimmied over in her seat before hugging him. The room went quiet once more as he sat there, stunned. Soon enough, he relaxed, putting an arm on his mom's back.
"I'm alive..."
Andrea smiled, sitting down as well. "Only ever heard anything like this from a special few people in the world, including your dad. Apple doesn't fall too far from the tree in this case."
"My dad had this happen to him?"
"Before our time-- before we, your mom and I, knew him."
"I see."
"He was way younger than you when it happened to him, plus, other people who had this happen to them, well..." Andrea shrugged. "Maybe you've got more talent than you think?"
"Talent..." He paused. "In Karma? Like... the powers that Divers have and stuff?"
Andrea nodded. "Yeah. Maybe..." Her face showed a hint of worry for a moment before moving on. "Alright, we have more important things to focus on, like cake!"
Cris smiled at Kyte, pushing away from him to cut the cake for everyone else. Dolores stayed standing for a moment longer, watching before sitting right beside Kyte as well. Dolores's nose twisted in pain. "Oh, you still smell."
Kyte sighed. "It's like a fuckin' skunk shat on me, it's so hard to get out!"
"Well, let's hope a few more washes will be enough for you."
"Yeah."
Andrea began handing out sliced pieces of cake to everyone, and Cris made her own plate before sitting down.
"You two used to be Divers, right?" He looked to Andrea and Cris. "Do you guys have Karma?"
Andrea looked away, groaning. "Oh God, I forgot I told you..." She shook her head. "It... it isn't that big of a deal. Can we--"
Cris nodded. "Yes." She looked at her wife. "You can tell him."
Andrea clicked her tongue. "I don't want it puttin' ideas in his head."
Kyte shrugged. "I'm twenty, also, I always wanted to be a Diver, nothing is gonna change that."
Andrea let out an even longer sigh. "Yeah, we were Divers, and we have abilities."
"So... Divers really got powers like superheroes and stuff?"
"Yeah, except we're not heroes. We're expeditioners. Some do the hero thing, but most just go lookin' where they shouldn't."
"Okay..." Kyte, with a shaky hand, broke apart his cake with his fork, placing a piece into his mouth. "Why don't you want me to become a Diver? I never really bothered asking since I first brought it up, but... now that I have a new chance at life..." He shrugged, visibly confused.
Andrea sighed again. "It's because the job is exactly what I just said. It's a job about lookin' where you shouldn't. Nobody should be goin' in those dungeons. It just causes more problems than it's worth."
"They lead to the Abyssal Plains, yeah?"
"Yeah, that's why! I don't wanna hear it anymore."
"Why is it so dangerous? I've only heard stories but..."
Andrea shook her head, taking a bite of her cake as well. "You know the incident? On the 31st of Malgojo, 2001, a Demon and a Nightmare pair erased an entire city in the Chasseur Collective from existence. Those guys only really come from the Abyssal Plains, especially the type of disasters that decided to grace us with their presence. Your father was there, and that was the day he went missing. Things like that reside in the Abyssal Plains, Kyte. It's why..." She throws her arms out, flabbergasted. "It's why I don't want you going there. I don't want the risk of someone I see as my own child getting fucking erased by some cosmological demon that we can barely comprehend. Does that make sense?"
Cris finally spoke up. "I... don't want you to go either. I may be a Seeker amongst those of our ilk, but... I don't want to lose you. Already had enough of a scare these past three to four years, I don't need another."
Kyte visibly hesitated to continue speaking, but he spoke anyway, looking both his mother and Andrea in the eyes. "But... I want to know anyway..." He sighed, "I didn't ever press it because I knew of my situation, but... I... I want to know now. At least... try to convince me. Why shouldn't I go? Give me a reason."
Andrea gestured to Kyte. "Wasn't what I said enough of a reason?"
"No, definitely not. Aren't those things a dime a dozen? What's to say I'd ever encounter monsters like that? If I have so much potential, shouldn't I at least be fine enough to run away? I'm not an idiot, y'know?"
Dolores furrowed her brow, a massive wad of her cake stuffed into her mouth. "No, yer definitely an idiot. Remember the bear?"
"Yeah! And I beat the bear's ass!"
"Yeah! And you almost died! Idiot!"
"Huh!?"
Andrea groaned again. "Alright, if you need convincing, then I'll convince you. Is that good enough?"
Kyte turned to look at her again. "Yeah."
Andrea took a deep breath, then sighed, leaning into her seat. "I'll have to start from the basics to really help you understand, okay?"
"Go ahead."
Dolores put a finger up. "Also, how do you think you're gonna become a Diver lookin' like that?"
"Obviously, I'd train! It's not like I'm jumping into being a Diver like an idiot!"
"Hm~? Okay~." She shrugged in a mocking gesture.
"You..." Kyte growled.
Andrea huffed. "Okay... so... do you know the rankings for Disasters, Divers, and Karma?"
"There's a Karma ranking?"
"Yes-- do you know the Disaster ranking?"
"Like, for the creatures from the Abyssal Plains?"
"Yes."
"I know it exists."
"Okay, so, to start. Disasters are listed between their Classifications and Rankings. Their Classifications act as more of a size category ranking for these monsters, which is used in tandem with their overall Ranking. Their Classifications, from lowest to highest, go from Diminutive, Compact, Fair, Giant, Mammoth, Titanic, and Colossal. Regarding ranks, they go from Scavenger, Beast, Monster, Sentient, Tyrant, Nightmare, and Demon. Size and ranking mean everything here because a Nightmare that's Compact could actually be generally pretty easy for your average Diver, yeah?"
"Okay..."
"So, a Diminutive creature is probably going to be really annoying and pack a punch, but, in turn, they barely have any advantages over someone bigger. High chance you'll win in a confrontation with a Diminutive Disaster, no matter how durable they are. Fast, can be a bit of a threat in the right circumstances, but generally, anybody can handle them-- it helps that most Diminutive disasters don't really go above a ranking of Sentient." Andrea stretched a little before continuing. "Compact is a bit more dangerous, despite its small size. You still might have a height advantage, but they're still fast, and can be cunning in the right circumstances, plus, exceptionally more durable than their smaller counterparts. Everything is of an equivalent exchange, though in this world, so in general, if they're fast, they aren't very durable, just like... normal, I guess? If they're durable, that means they're slow as shit."
"There had to have been some like, really scary guys who were small, right?"
"It's okay, Kyte. Just because you're small doesn't mean that you can't be scary." Dolores gave Kyte's shoulder a little pat.
"You've changed your tune, haven't you, Doll?"
"Yeah, but being bigger is always an advantage, no matter what. No matter how much power you might be able to hold, the world is ruled by height advantages. Of course, any height has its negatives and positives, and any weakness should definitely be exploited if you find one. Big creatures crash harder, small creatures struggle to hit the vulnerable spots of a taller creature. You get my point."
"I think I do."
"Then, there are Fair creatures. They're a bit of a toss-up. They can either be the scariest fuckers you've ever met, or the most weak, normal monsters you've ever laid your eyes upon. To put things in perspective, any Disaster above fair can be any of the ranks, Demon, or otherwise, which is why I'll go over the significance and meanings of each ranking real quick--" She cleared her throat. "Scavengers aim to... well... Scavenge. They don't go out of their way to fight. Some can be exceptional in power, but there's always a reason why they resort to scavenging rather than hunting for their own prey. They're dumb, and they don't like fighting, it's good to keep those two things in mind-- well..." She paused. "Most are dumb, but you get the point."
Cris spoke up. "Scavengers can also be intelligent. As intelligent as a monster, actually."
"Really?" Andrea asked, looking to her wife.
Cris nodded. "Remember? Kaliminoks."
"Oh... yeah..."
Cris turned her attention to her son. "Lanky creatures, they're a type of Scavenger that lays traps. They aren't strong, but that's what the traps are for. They can use their body's feathers, unwinding them into silk to be used as powerful traps. They can be killed pretty easily, but if you're stuck in one of their silk traps, their beaks will finish the job-- or... rather, their tongues?"
Andrea shivered. "Yeah, those freaky fuckers had like... weird razor tongues that could dig out yer insides!" Andrea shook her head. "Point still stands, though. Scavengers aren't very strong, or at least, aren't very tricky to deal with." Andrea kissed her teeth rhythmically, attempting to find where she left off. "Oh! Okay, so next are Beasts. Beasts are dumb, but strong, that's about it. The larger the Beast, the stronger and harder they are to deal with."
"So like..." Kyte spoke up. "What do you mean? Like a... I can't think of a dumb animal." He whispered to Dolores.
She shrugged. "There are a lot of dumb animals."
"No, there isn't."
"Crows are pretty dumb."
"No, they fuckin' aren't!"
Andrea waved their argument to the side. "Beasts just mindlessly eat shit! That's the point. They don't care what it is or how they do it; they do shit through brute strength alone. They're common, dangerous, and powerful. The thing is, they can be countered pretty easily, mind you. Human ingenuity is great for Disasters with the Beast ranking."
Kyte averted his gaze to the table. "Crows are actually really smart. They actually have great cognitive abilities, comparable to those of a seven-year-old. "
Dolores smirked. "That sounds pretty dumb to me."
"No! That's actually very intelligent for an animal, thank you very much."
Dolores chuckled. "I know, I'm just messing with you."
Andrea gestured to Kyte. "Are you paying attention?"
Kyte sighed. "Yeah, I am."
"Okay..." Andrea sighed in sympathy. "Then, there are Monsters. Monsters like to inflict pain. They like to dominate whoever they're fighting. They have the intelligence of a Wolf, or some other pack animal-- they also... well... hunt in packs. Or at the very least, lead packs of Beasts. These guys... they're terrifying if you don't know what you're doing. They have the strength and intelligence to back whatever the hell they're doing, so nine out of ten times, it's better to run. If they're weak enough to fight, try to find a group to help you."
"Sounds more like you're giving me advice than shunning me from trying to be a Diver."
"Shut up, next are Sentient Disasters. Sentient, and whether they're strong, is completely determined by their Classification. Avoid them at all costs unless you know you can win. They can either have massive packs following them, or they're stronger than they try to make themselves out to be. They're smart after all, as smart as a human. Luckily, they normally have Karma, but if they do... well, any Disaster that uses Karma is of the last three categories. Tyrants, Nightmares, and Demons.
Andrea reached across the table to get herself another slice of the cake they bought.
"So... to get into Tyrants, Nightmares, and Demons, I have to go over Karma Rankings. You all know Diver Rankings, right?"
Kyte cocked his head to the side. "I think? I have a general idea."
"Alright," Andrea sighed. "For the sake of teaching, I'll go over it and then go over ranks between those like your mother and me, okay?"
"Go ahead, I'm loving this." He looked over to Dolores. "Do we have anything saltier?"
Dolores nodded. "Yeah, we have some leftover spaghetti." She mumbled back, getting up to get it for him.
Andrea took a deep breath. "Okay, so... Divers, from lowest to highest in terms of potential strength, start from Initiate, then Newborns, Greenhorns, Scouts, Hunters, Adepts, and then Infamous. And with that, I'll start with Karma Rankings." A beat, "We start as Citizens, everyone does. Simply put, someone who has no clue how to utilize Karma has an output that goes out into the world, influencing it quietly, without the knowledge of even doing so. It's how Nightmares and Demons even persist to begin with."
"Okay..." Dolores placed a plate of spaghetti out for Kyte. "Thank you."
"To become someone versed in Karma, you have to first become Maladaptive-- like Maladaptive Daydreaming. Those who are Maladaptive go into a state called 'Trance' to activate their abilities. The problem is, they're essentially unconscious the whole time, so their ability is never used to its fullest potential, plus... without control, it could mean that whatever Sleeper is doing this could inadvertently hurt the people around them, and... quite simply, that's a liability. But, at this point, you've essentially unlocked the capabilities of utilizing the four fundamentals of Karma."
Dolores's eyes light up. "I've heard of this."
"You have?"
"From... uh..." Dolores hesitated. "My dad told me about the four fundamentals a while ago."
"Ah, yes." Andrea gave a solemn nod to Dolores. "Yeah, at the Maladaptive stage, you can at the very least utilize your primary fundamentals to their most basic applications. At this stage, you're relying solely on techniques rather than your ability, essentially. Of course, going into a Trance has its benefits, but... You can't exactly control your actions whilst in this state."
Kyte glanced at Andrea and at his mother. "So... everyone starts here?"
"Yep, essentially. Additionally, being Maladaptive means that the Karma that naturally leaks from your body starts to become concentrated around yourself-- a tad more controlled, I suppose, which leads us into the Awakened. The Awakened have their abilities, and can control them, simple as that. Post-Awakened are those who have seen the full grasp of their abilities and push them to their fullest potential. And then, there are people like me, Multi-Faceted. Your mother is a bit better than me at Karma, though."
Cris shrugged. "I am considered a Seeker, which is a rank above her. I'm not that strong physically, but I know various advanced techniques that being a Sleeper can provide."
"Multi-Faceted just means that you can use your ability, and the remaining fundamentals to their fullest, even if you aren't as experienced, or capable of fleshing them out as much as the fundamentals that make up your abilities can. Very useful in a pinch, it means I have a large repertoire of techniques at my disposal.
"Seekers, even without the means to become Dreamers, have the capabilities to use more advanced techniques that only Dreamers can typically commit to, despite not being a Meta Sleeper. So, techniques like Floor, Lucid Dream, Shared Dream, or Oneirogenesis are at my disposal. These techniques are much easier to familiarize yourself with, though if your ability already has some capability to do them on their own, for example, 'Floors'."
"A floor is essentially just a big AOE that's focused on yourself."
Cris nodded. "Floors expand the reach of your ability out into a range that surrounds you. You can narrow it or control it in various ways, but in general, it has to center on you, the main body. Then there are Lucid Dreams-- you focus your energy to surround yourself with your own will. Someone like a Lucid Dream is only used if someone utilizes something like a Daydream on someone, or a Floor. Shared Dreams are inflicting someone with your will, and Oneirogenesis is the act of healing oneself through your own Karma, almost like a reverse polarity within oneself in an act to heal their dream, or will-- if one's will happens to have been damaged. Speaking in general terms and logic, of course. It's more often than not just used to restore cells and the like."
Kyte waves his arms. "That's what you tried using on me when I got sick, right?"
Cris nodded. "Yes, it was."
Andrea cut in. "And then there are the guys who are above it all, Dreamers. They can use all fundamentals and have abilities that go far beyond what is typically possible. The most determined of them all. They epitomize a battle of will against their opponents. Whose ideals will win first? That's their gist. Their ideals and dreams are given physical form, and whoever has the strongest will is the most powerful of them all. Daydreams are essentially them making their actual dreams manifest into reality. They can vary from a sure-hit effect nightmare, a game, a mass charm effect, a massive trap, a memory played out in real time, or an ability that can strip away the abilities of whoever is inside it. Et cetera."
Kyte blinked. "Dad was one of these people?"
"The strongest of these people."
"What... happened?"
"I don't know. But I know one thing. A Tyrant requires at least an entire group of people like me, that's also considering, and hoping that there is a Seeker in that group as well. Of course, it isn't all true. Not all strength is equal, but my point is that, even with all of this power that we have... the disasters in those dungeons, on average, have so much more. If we're lucky, at least only four seekers need to be called in for one Tyrant. For a Nightmare, it's a toss-up. They can either be the strongest fuckers alive or the weakest. What Nightmares have isn't just powers similar to a Dreamer, but it's the fact that they have cheat abilities that can circumvent some of the bullshit we can throw at them. It's also the fact that they can summon Waking Nightmares as well, similar to Dreamers. All of them can..."
"What's needed for them?"
"A Dreamer, if you're lucky. At most, three Dreamers had to be called. Not like Dreamers also can't just turn into a Nightmare at a moment's notice either-- though, rare."
"And then...?"
"Demons?"
"Yeah?"
"Don't even try. You'd need at least an entire armada to take a single Demon down." Andrea sighed, scratching her head. "We'd need like... five if we're lucky?"
"Five, what?"
"Dreamers. Maybe a couple dozen seekers-- if we're lucky, again. Then we'd need literally anyone who's a Diver who has Karma to attempt to help as well. Only the strongest, of course."
"How do you know that?"
"You ever look at a history book? Plus... our first encounter with a Demon... Let me rephrase. We had all encountered a Demon before. Me, your mother, Token... If it wasn't for Token even, we all wouldn't have survived-- you wouldn't have been born, Kyte."
"What happened?"
"We met it..." Andrea paused. "The Gate Demon. The first ever expedition that sent all of us to that Tower..." She sighed. "I think it finally submerged fully around... last year? We only knew it as an anomaly back then-- not a tower. We were sent to sail over there since it was for sure connected to the Abyssal Plains-- only knew it was a Tower in 2009 by the way." Andrea chuckled. "It doesn't change the fact that, when we got there, we were met by... this... thing..."
Cris sighed as well. "It put Token out of commission for a couple of years and scarred the Crimson King."
Dolores's eyes widened. "The Crimson King!?"
"Yes, the second strongest in the world."
"The strongest now..." Kyte mumbled. "Do we even know if Dad is still alive?"
Andrea shook her head. "No, we don't." She proceeded to lean back into her seat again, scratching her head. "I hope all of what I've been saying puts things into perspective, though."
"It doesn't..."
"What?"
"Honestly... even if all of that is true... I still want to try it... Becoming a Diver."
"Godamnit. Kyte... no--"
Dolores raised her hand. "I could try going with him? Keep him in check?"
"Not you too..."
"No! I don't want to become a Diver... I... I just want to help Kyte."
"Both... Neither of you should do this. Humans weren't meant to go into that place... into... y'know what I mean."
Kyte leaned forward in his seat, attempting to push himself off from the table to make himself seem taller. "But I want to... it just makes me want to do it more..."
Andrea waved away his comment. "Whatever. You're going to have to start recovery, so maybe you'll get over this shit during that time or something."
"I won't."
She knew he wouldn't, but that fear, that sickening feeling still lingered within her stomach. The feeling that she felt on that very day, staring down a Demon for the first time. The only other Demon that was recorded into the annals of history was Laplace, the Demon of Death and Time.
In an age that pre-dates Lnoch, after the Age of Blades had ended, a Demon from the Abyssal Plains revealed itself, now untethered by the chains that had bound them during the Age of Blades itself, warring across the entire continent. Their immense power changed the landscape in its entirety, but soon enough, someone arose to face the beast.
The First Dreamer, raised by the God of Dreams themselves, faced Laplace in battle, slaying the beast personally. They were of an ancient race of that time, now thought to be extinct, the remnants of their kind only being seen amongst the Faurnalties of the future.
A Demon much weaker and pathetic than the one who had ruled all those centuries ago, before the Age of Dreams... something like that is enough to put even the strongest of humans on their ass. That would make anyone feel sick, weak to the knees. There are things stronger than them? One could only imagine.
Please... don't become like your father... Andrea thought to herself.