Battle OF Grammar: Word Fu!

Chapter 1 - A Beginner’s Guide To Vocabular

An uninhabited island located on the Sea of Verbs was getting destroyed beyond repair due to the overpowered Word Masters who were having an intense dispute there. Both foes were of equal calibre, thus the destructive battle kept on going for a while until a deciding winner was met.

The Word Master who gained the advantage nearing the end of the heated battle was a formidable Demi-Human known as Inkling. She was a Compass Guardian of the northern region of Vocabular. She was considered to be the second strongest among her peers when compared to her eternal rival and Central Compass Guardian, Blue Almighty.

Unlike Inkling who was an alluring Demi-Human, Blue Almighty was of the Dark-Human variety who excelled in Word Fu Martial Arts. The region that he presided over had the most powerful Word Masters, moreover, dangerous villains. Yet he brought them all together to work in harmony using his indomitable strength. Because of this, the other Compass Guardians were jealous of his influence, fearing that his region might become too powerful for them to handle in the future. Hence why they plotted against him to force him into early retirement.

Blue Almighty battled and defeated the combined efforts of several other Compass Guardians along with their most promising prodigies. Only Inkling among the group of Compass Guardians could continue her heated strife against Blue Almighty. 

Inkling transformed into a vast humanoid embodiment of plants after releasing her Ultimate Superpower Words. After her Divine Script activated, the entire vegetation belonging to the uninhabited island became one with her. 

To counteract his eternal adversary, Blue Almighty unleashed his Ultimate Martial Arts Script which expanded his bulky character 40 times its original size, moreover, boosted his physical stats by 120%. The island which once seemed expansive shrunk in comparison to these monstrous entities. 

Blue Almighty and Inkling exhausted the resources of their Vocabulary Pack to bring an end to their eternal squabble. Nearing the climax of their war of attrition, Inkling overpowered her rival using Sly Powered Words. She brought Blue Almighty to his muscular knees then rip out his Letters of Existence from the core of his chest. Inkling mocked Blue Almighty’s pitiful state as she watched him bled his last words or so she thought.

After Inkling left the obliterated island with her defeated allies, thinking that she had claimed the life of her eternal adversary, a strange occurrence took place. Before Blue Almighty lost all of his Letters of Existence, he used his last Creative Word Compilation to transfer his almighty body into a colourful gemstone that he picked up from the shattered island. His consciousness finally faded into the realm of the afterlife, leaving his desperate struggle for survival to manifest. Blue Almighty poured his all into creating an object that could potentially carry out his vengeance in the future.

What came about from the rare gemstone was the bizarre nature of dual connected objects. A sapphire suitcase as sturdy as the universe, also a dull levitating sword that couldn’t even peel an orange. These immortal objects were given unique life by Blue Almighty’s sacrifice. They created their persona from the vague remnants of his broken consciousness. After becoming one, the rare gemstone activated a weird interface that teleported the new entity to an unknown existence.

Shortly after reaching a trans-dimensional space, the new entity was presented with a systematic trail of coding running up and down around a dark expanse. A mysterious voice suddenly spoke,

“Welcome to Vocabular, a splendiferous realm of word-based attributes. In this world, your daily life revolves around the development, consistency, eloquence and the number of letters saved within your Vocabulary Pack. A new adventure awaits you within this vast world. Based on your predecessor’s wishes, you’ve been given a new life with a Vocabulary Pack consisting of the bare minimum of 100-Mundane Letters. Here is an overview of your basic status:”

[Name: Dam Son]

[Gender: Male]

[Age: Unknown]

[Internal Force Type: Multifarious]

[Race: Not Classified]

[Avatar: Stone, Suitcase & Sword]

[Vocabulary Pack: Beginner (0)]

“What is all this? Where am I? Who am I? My consciousness is shuffled. But… I have this strange sensation of wanting to explore life.” As Dam Son tried to get familiar with his new existence, the mysterious voice spoke once more,

“New entity, your form has been successfully processed. Due to the structural hierarchy of Vocabular, your unusual existence might impede your future experience. I’ve taken the liberty to provide you with a suitable Avatar that I think will give you a better experience of Vocabular. Dark-Human has been selected. Your new Avatar will load shortly. Pre-existing language pack will be updated for verbose use. Please enter the Transportation Graph to begin transference.”

Dam Son entered the required field and the voice sounded, “Teleportation to a random spot in Vocabular has been successful. You may now exit the Transportation Graph to commence your brand new experience.”

What came out of the Transportation Graph was a teenage boy garbed in a dark robe decorated with blue and golden linen. At the very centre of his forehead rested a colourful gemstone that surmised his existing consciousness. His abnormal skin texture had grey cracks and a rigid density almost similar to a stone. In place of his ears were many tall strands that continually received the vibration of his surroundings.  Dragging behind him as he entered a wondrous space of mystery was a cumbersome sapphire suitcase.

“Wow, so this is my Avatar? My language creation has been upgraded also.”

The Dark-Human that had just appeared out of a Transportation Graph was strangely observing his created character. After feeling settled with his appearance, he started glancing around his picturesque environment.

“So this place is… Vocabular?”

Dam Son was amazed by the enchanted settlement before him. It was a splendiferous territory formed out of the pages of an almighty book large enough to blanket several hundreds of acres. Tall towers were everywhere, also, flourishing vegetation coupled with floating structures kept hovering by Blessed Pages. The wind currents which permeated the space carried visible letters of vibrant W’s.

“Wow, what’s this?” Dam Son tried reaching for the bold wind that had just brushed past his face but his reaction time was too late to grab hold of it. “No, it’s gone. I wanted to ride on that windy W.”

“I missed my chance.” Finished eyeing his surroundings, Dam Son received a strange compulsion to walk towards the entrance of the beautiful settlement. He dragged his sapphire suitcase behind him.

“I was given life recently. My existence itself is quite bizarre. Somehow I have broken memories about this place yet I’ve never been here before. I think that the gem infixed into my forehead is what causing this mental confusion. Who am I? What is my purpose for living? I’m hoping that I will come by these answers eventually.”

While in thought, Dam Son strolled through the entrance of the settlement, setting foot into a strange world.  “I need to accommodate myself to this new environment, but where should I start? Everything is so… confusing.”

A busy throng of people of various shapes and sizes brushed by Dam Son on a paved road. He was nervously walking while shifting his observing eyes around. He sauntered through an area rife with multifarious emporiums; a place where lots of wares were being bought and sold, moreover, the contract of certain services were being exchanged. Eventually, he stumbled over a smithy where multiple Mundane Letters were being mixed into a hot bath of lava by a muscular middle-aged bald man.

“What is that person doing?” Dam Son became intrigued by this peculiar sight, thus he motioned his legs closer to the viewing window of the smithy. “I don’t mean to be inquisitive.” He garnered the bald man’s attention.

“Huh?” With just a glance, the bald man already ascertained Dam Son created nature. “You there… you’re one of them Dark-Humans, correct? Did you come to refine some Mundane Letters or do you wish to purchase some of my leftover Molten Nouns? I heard your kind find it appetising.”

“Huh?” Dam Son was at a loss as to what the bald man was referring to. “Mundane Letters? Molten Nouns? What are those?”

Hearing this ridiculous enquiry, the bald man couldn’t help but reply with a suspicious question. “Might you be pulling my chain, young man? You think that your prank is funny?”

“No, I was just…”

 “Get away from my shop if you’re not interested in making any purchases! Damn Dark-Human. I should have never entertained you as a customer.” The bald man shut the smithy window in Dam Son’s face.

“What is with that man? Did I trouble him somehow?” While retreating from the smithy, Dam Son accidentally bumped into a stray floating sheet of intelligent paper.

“Hey! Watch where you are goin,g knuckle-head!”

“Huh, sorry! Sorry!” Dam Son bowed two times while issuing an apology to the intelligent paper. The passer-by on the street thought that he was weird. “Please forgive me for bumping into you mister, ahm… paper? Am I correct in assuming this?” 

 “Call me Papyrus!” The intelligent paper answered boastfully. “Unlike my doppelgangers, I’m the best at what I do”

“And what is that exactly?”

“Huh?” Hearing Dam Son’s weird enquiry, Papyrus folded the tip of its upper edges into a pair of ears then went closer towards him. “Say, you don’t look like you’re from around here. For a Dark-Human you’re acting way too polite. What are you, a newborn pup?”

“I was recently created so I don’t know much.” Dam Son responded truthfully.

“Is that so?” Papyrus circulated Dam Son observantly. “Well then, you are in luck, newborn. Maybe it was destiny that you bumped into me today.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I might be able to help you get accustomed to the ways of Vocabular. You see, I am a consistent Guide of knowledge, a storehouse of innumerable data. If there is anything you want to know just ask me.”

“Really? Then…” Dam Son got cut off before he could finish speaking.

“But being your detailed dictionary doesn’t come cheap. If you wish to acquire me you will have to pay just like everyone else. I assume you are already familiarized with our barter system?”

“Barter system? What is that?”

“You really are a newborn, aren’t you?” Papyrus didn’t expect Dam Son to be so well uneducated. “At least tell me that you know what Mundane Letters are?”

“Mundane Letters?” Dam Son remembered something on his profile. “I’m not sure if they are similar but I do have 100 Mundane Letters.”

“Just 100? Is that all consist of your Vocabulary Pack?” Papyrus almost produced a livid seam in its folding. “You’re such a poor fellow. But don’t fret, 40 Mundane Letters is just the required amount for you to purchase me. Just convert them to Q-currency and I’ll be yours for life. This is an affordable deal for you. Other Guides out there charge way more than I do, plus I can offer you the experience of my previous owner who recently perished. Don’t pass this offer up, you will eventually need to acquire a Guide anyways.”

“What do you mean?” Dam Son asked again very curious.

“Are those the only words in your limited vocabulary? Just purchase me then you will know everything you need to.” Papyrus told him.

“Are you sure?”

“Well, of course. Do I look like a scammer to you?” Papyrus showed off its truthfully smooth surfaces.

“Alright, I believe you.” Dam Son knelt and interacted with a numerical interface atop his sapphire suitcase. “Suit can you convert 40 Mundane Letters into Q-currency?” The zipper opened up, pouring out the square equivalent of 40 Mundane Letters in Q-currency which was 80 Q-currency.

“Sweet!” Papyrus didn’t wait for them to be handed over, it swooped down with a vicious thirst then gabbled up all of the resplendent Q-currency which seamlessly integrated into its thin surfaces.

After assimilation, Papyrus magically produced another sheet of paper and handed it over to Dam Son. “Sign here, newborn. This is legitimate proof that you own me until the day you die.”

“Oh? I just sign here?” Dam Son utilized the remaining Mundane Letters from his Vocabulary Pack to sign his name on the sheet of paper.

“Transaction complete.”

“That’s it?

“Yep, so your name is Dam Son? From now on I will educate you on Vocabular’s customs. Hold out your hand.” Papyrus wrapped itself around Dam Son’s arm. It became almost transparent. Many lines of unreadable characters were assimilating inside his body.

“This is…?” Dam Son felt a whole lot of new information integrating with the Wisdom Stone implanted in his forehead. He was slowly becoming more and more aware of Vocabular’s societal construct.

In Vocabular, Word Masters dominated the unwritten hierarchy. They were influential figures who set the way of conduct for lesser intelligent beings. Word Masters were comprised of certain categories such as Word Mages, Word Augmenters, Wordsmiths and Word Fu’s.

Words Mages were ordained to be the strongest among its categorised companions due to the advanced Vocabulary Pack that was required to activate Magical Scripts. Magical Scripts could bend the fabric of Vocabular’s laws to such an extent that it could alter the living conditions of most inhabitants.

All sorts of species resided in the vast world of Vocabular, many of which practised the ways of Word Mastery to gain more influence by becoming higher on the unwritten hierarchy.

Word Augmenters shared a close similarity to Word Mages. The only difference was that they utilized Blessed Weapon Scripts which needed at least an intermediate Vocabulary Pack to initiate.

Wordsmiths were the refiners of Mundane Letters, turning them into powered verbs, nouns or adjectives that were required for script activation. Mundane Letters were the common source of a Word Masters’ Vocabulary Pack. These were the fundamental letters that most Powered Scripts were generated from. Wordsmiths were necessary importance for Vocabular’s unique development.

As for Word Fu Masters, many classed them as basic or non-essential Scripters who mostly depended on the modification of their bodies using Martial Arts Scripts to fight. Most beginners of Vocabular gravitated towards this category if they didn’t own the necessary intermediate or advanced Vocabulary Pack needed to learn the other classes.    

Dam Son was learning a wide array of other things but his downloading of knowledge was cut short when his Papyrus ran out of batteries suddenly. Its folding came undone from Dam Son’s arm.

“Ahf! Ahf! I can’t continue the quick upload anymore… my stamina is running low. Newborn you need to refill me with sustenance for me to share quickly attempted knowledge. Otherwise, you will just have to learn in increments, which isn’t so bad either.”

Dam Son stared at Papyrus who curled upon his shoulder, looking haggard and pale. “You look really depleted. What do you need to recharge your batteries?”

“Letters Ink. You can find them at any Guide Maintenance Store. But you are currently unfit to purchase any.”

“Huh, why is that, Papyrus?”

“Why do you think, newborn? You’re too doggone poor to afford anything essential in Raixom territory. The basic Letters Ink cost 300 Q-currency. If we convert your remaining 54 Mundane Letters, it will only come out to 108 Q-currency. See what I mean? First, you need to upgrade your Vocabulary Pack’s Mundane Letters.”

“You must have a brilliant idea to do so, right Papyrus?” Dam Son depended on his leafy friend for answers.

“Of course I do! It is my duty to aid my master in the best way possible.” Papyrus replied with a tout air of hubris. “The best way for you to evolve your Word Mastery is to join one of Vocabular’s renowned academies. There so happens to be a competent academy here in Raixom. Follow me, I’ll show you.” Papyrus hovered off Dam Son’s shoulder then began showing him the way.

“Alright!” Dam Son was excited to broaden his horizon by learning the intricate ways of Vocabular.