Chapter 14: Results, Rewards, Mystical Encounter!
Dan was just about to join his friends for the rest of the evening, when he received a call from an unknown number. "Hello?"
"Hello, is this Dan Montgomery? this is Tristan from the other day, I was your exam proctor. I'm just calling you to inform you that your results have been posted to you, and should be arriving very shortly!"
"Oh, this is Dan speaking. Thank you Tristan, I'll be right down to pick them up whenever they arrive."
"Well done Dan, most people these days just get a passing grade, you are something else young man!"
"Thank you, I guess, anyways, thanks for telling me."
"Of course, I'll probably be seeing you soon, goodbye for now!"
"Bye!"
So I got 100%, that's what I was getting from that, he sounded really enthusiastic. Dan decided to take the stairs down slowly, just to pass the time, and because he didn't really need to take the elevator anymore. It wouldn't be long before he reached a healthy weight, it would probably take less than 2 months at this point. The loose skin probably wouldn't be around for very long either.
His weight loss journey had been extremely slow before getting his ability, only losing around 1 kg every month or so at most. My article from yesterday morning! It's probably going to be in this week's edition, I can't wait to see it! Aside from that, there's a chance that I'll be getting involved in events sooner than I thought I would. I should ask Angela to teach me that Martial Art of hers, being strong and fast is one thing, but being able to actually fight is another.
Dan continued to think about the whole thing until he reached the bottom of the stairs. He then walked into the Mailroom, and looked around for any letters addressed to Apartment 902.
[Scanning... there are no letters matching these parameters!]
Of course that's a thing, why wouldn't it be? I should start thinking of more things it might have too. Just then, a middle-aged man who looked to be a courier wearing a USPS uniform, entered the mailroom. "Dan Montgomery? I have a letter here for a Dan Montgomery."
"I'm Dan, thank you for delivering this."
"Just doing my job, here you go, enjoy the rest of your night."
The man walked back the way he had come. I did hear the sound of the apartment complex doors opening, now that I think about it, but I just dismissed it. Dan carefully opened the letter, and held it up to the light.
Lauren Harvey
New York Driving Test Centre
New York Driving Test Centre
456 Main Street Brooklyn,
NY 11234
8/24/2005
Mr. Dan Montgomery
297 Lexington Avenue
Hell's Kitchen,
NY 10019
Dear Mr. Montgomery,
We are pleased to inform you that you have successfully completed the driving theory test with a perfect score of 100%. Congratulations on this outstanding achievement! Your dedication to understanding and mastering the principles of safe and responsible driving is truly commendable. This exceptional performance reflects your commitment to becoming a responsible and knowledgeable driver.
Enclosed with this letter, you will find an official certificate recognizing your accomplishment. Please keep this certificate in a safe place, as it serves as evidence of your success in the driving theory test. As you move forward in your journey toward obtaining a driver's license, we encourage you to continue prioritizing safety, following traffic rules, and maintaining a vigilant approach on the road.
Should you have any questions or require further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact our office at Metropolis Driving Test Centre. Once again, congratulations on your exceptional achievement, and we wish you continued success in all your future driving endeavours.
Sincerely,
Lauren Harvey
Test Administrator
I expected that much, now all I need to do is to start taking driving lessons. Dan walked back up the stairs, all the way to the 9th floor. It was a tiring climb, but he felt a sense of satisfaction from doing it. Not too long ago, he wouldn't have been able to even make it halfway. As he was slowly walking up the stairs, he suddenly remembered something. I haven't checked the rewards for my Daily Quests at all! I've probably accumulated a lot of them by now.
I also haven't tested my inventory at all. Dan tried placing his letter into it, and of course, it went right in. Now to check the rewards.
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Quests
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You have successfully completed the Daily Quest: Go to the gym and workout for at least 45 minutes! 11x
Rewards: 4x Low Grade Adaption Speed Boost, 7x Low Grade Evolution Speed Boost, 11x Low Grade Energy Bar.
You have successfully completed the Daily Quest: Go to work at The Front Line every day! (5/7 Days)
Rewards: 1x Medium Grade Adaption Speed Boost
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Interesting, so far I've come across two types of boosts and they're both related to my ability. I wonder what other types there are.
[Stat Boosts]
I see, that's a useful one too. At that moment, Dan heard a weird noise coming from behind him, he turned around, and froze! A golden line was forming in the air, it slowly began to resemble a circle. WHY DO I HAVE TO GET INVOLVED WITH THE SUPERNATURAL NOW? Is this magic? Dan slowly backed away from the large circle forming in the air. However, his instincts were telling him that running would probably do him no good here.
Still, he tried to keep a safe distance, not that it would help him anyways against magic. Once it was finished, it resembled a large, circular portal. It was a portal, Dan could now see through it, and into another room somewhere else. A woman stepped through, her appearance was rather distinct. She had a shaven head, androgynous features, and an otherworldly presence.
She wore a colourful and mystical attire, adorned with symbolic accessories. She exuded a sense of wisdom and had a serene demeanour. Ok, this is weird, she doesn't seem hostile at the very least, just curious. Don't panic Dan, that won't do any good here. "Hello? Who are you? Did I do something to offend you?"
The questions came pouring out, much to the amusement of the woman standing in front of him. "Interesting, you don't seem too frightened by my appearance, you really do adapt quickly. You are an anomaly Dan Montgomery."
"This is all very well, but who are you exactly? And how am I an anomaly exactly?"
"I am The Ancient One, I am the Sorcerer Supreme of Earth-90473, not that I'd expect you to understand all of that. My role is to protect the Earth from mystical and magical threats. I also oversee this Earth's timeline, and you don't seem to fit in anywhere. One moment, you were of no relevance, destined to be normal, and the next, you start developing powers. You've been playing a much more active role than you were supposed to. Not that you knew any of this of course."
Dan was a little confused, to say the least, but he was starting to piece some things together. I always thought I was going to be normal, but as soon I gained these powers, I felt as though would have some larger role in this world. I was no longer just another cog in the system, I'd broken loose, and achieved things that I couldn't have imagined doing before. "Indeed, it seems that you are aware that something changed."
"Yes, I can read your mind, but that is of no consequence. I simply came to determine whether you were a threat to this reality, it seems that you have no ill intentions at least. Still, Adaptive Evolution could be a dangerous weapon in the wrong hands. When you are ready, come and seek me out at this address."
She handed Dan a business card that appeared out of nowhere, Dan took it with some trepidation. One side had a phone number on it, which he carefully memorised. The other side had the words, "New York Sanctum" elegantly embossed in golden letters. Below the title, in fine-print, the address "177A Bleecker Street, Greenwich Village, New York City" was delicately inscribed.
Dan looked at her information window then, and was immediately impressed.
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The Ancient One
Real Name: Yao
Abilities: Master of the Mystic Arts, Time Manipulation.
Physical Appearance: Elderly yet dignified and powerful presence, cloaked in mystic attire. Eyes emanate wisdom and otherworldly insight.
Personality: Wise and enigmatic, Guardian of mystical knowledge and balance, committed to protecting the fabric of reality.
Affiliation: Masters of the Mystic Arts, Kamar-Taj
Occupation: Sorcerer Supreme
Outfit: Robes adorned with mystical symbols and artifacts.
Extra Note: Yao is very surprised to discover your "scrying" ability.
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Dan immediately blanched, wait, you were able to detect that?
Yao smirked at him, holding in her laughter. "Of course I did, scrying is a rare ability and a very powerful one at that. I am curious about what you found out though!"
Dan realised that there was no point in hiding information, she's know if he was lying or not anyways. He read out all of the information, and Yao managed to contain her shock.
-- (POV: Yao) --
To be able to discern all of that information is no small feat! Another dangerous ability when left in the wrong hands!
-- (POV: Dan) --
So, what's the plan now? I don't really have any plans to stir up any trouble, I know how that usually ends up. Once you deal with the smaller fish, a bigger fish shows up. After that, the bigger fish's all-powerful father shows up to finish the job.
Yao laughed at Dan's analogy. "That's definitely an interesting way of putting it, very accurate though. I can tell that you're telling the truth, I won't be taking up any more of your time. I expect that we'll meet again soon enough. There's a few otherworldly events coming up in around 7 years, but who knows how the timeline will be affected now that you're a part of it. You have plenty of time to prepare for that."
Why warn me then? Wouldn't that affect the timeline in some way?
"It won't cause any major changes at this juncture, there will definitely be a few inconsequential changes due to our meeting, but that's about it. I'll be taking my leave now Mr. Montgomery."
With that, she exited through another circular portal, which quickly sealed itself before disappearing. Dan had been holding his breath during those last few moments, and he breathed heavily for a couple of minutes before catching his breath.
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Your body has been come within close proximity of Eldritch energy. Adaption process is now underway!
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The Hidden Quest: Meet the Ancient One before the main story, has been completed!
Rewards: 1x Superior Grade Boost, 1x Sling Ring
Sapience has increased by 1!
Constitution has increased by 1!
Luck has increased by 5!
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Those were some significant increases, I'm not surprised that this was a hidden quest. it seems that successfully surviving an encounter with with The Ancient One greatly increased my luck! A Superior Grade Boost? That must be a higher tier than the Hight Grade Boost, without a doubt. What the hell is a Sling Ring? I guess I'll find out soon.
This is the last longer chapter, as well as the last end of chapter note for a while probably. All chapters will be around 1k words long, with 2-part chapters being 2k words split into 2 chapters. I already had most of this chapter written before I went on my break from writing.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
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