(The Next Day, The Real World, Arc Ship)
On the second day of the two day long new years festival, the entire Arc Ship received an unexpected announcement from the ship's operators.
"Operator Announcement : Attention all passengers! Attention all passengers! This is a high priority announcement–"
An emotionless voice blared over the speakers, as for a second everyone aboard the ship paused whatever they were doing and focused on what the ship operator had to say.
Since this was the first time that the ship operator used the term 'High priority announcement' everyone paid additional attention to it, so as to not miss any small detail about it.
"The Arc Ship will now enter the 'Rainbow Stream'...." The operator said, stressing on the words 'Rainbow Stream' for enhanced emphasis.
"The 'Rainbow Stream' is what we call the river of mana flowing through the universe and once we enter this stream of concentrated mana, the environment within the Arc Ship will observe a sharp change," The operator said, notifying all passengers that they were about to witness a sudden change in environment.
"While Earth was a planet that was outside the nourishing zone of the 'Rainbow Stream', planet Terra Nova, resides within it.
Hence, the ambient mana atmosphere that you are about to witness shortly, can be considered as a sample of what you can expect when we reach planet Terra Nova" The operator said, as his words caused everyone within the ship to feel excited for the upcoming change.
For humans, mana was almost like a fantasy concept.
While they used mana within the world of Terra Nova, not many actually believed that mana was a real force, with an actual tangible presence.
This was partly because Earth was a planet that was completely devoid of mana, which made the common man completely unaware of its presence.
If moisture present in the air could be equated to mana, then Earthlings lived in a desert which had never seen rain before, which made them completely unaware about the concept of humidity and rain formation.
However, if moisture present in air was like mana, then the rainbow stream was like an endless tropical forest where it showered heavily 365 days of the year.
"Attention, all passengers, this next bit is especially important–" The ship operator said, as he tried his best to make sure that everyone absorbed the next words coming out of his mouth with utmost sincerity.
"As we enter the 'Rainbow Stream,' the ambient mana will start interacting with your bodies and you will start observing minor changes happening to your physical bodies over the coming days and months.
Please rest assured that this process is completely natural and expected as while Earth was a planet devoid of mana, which did not allow you to realize your full potential, in the presence of mana, your latent abilities will begin to awaken!!" The ship operator said, as his words caused every passenger's heart to flutter with excitement momentarily.
"The ambient mana in the Arc Ship's atmosphere will gradually transform your physique, and you may start noticing visible physical changes over the next few weeks," the ship operator announced, his tone steady and reassuring.
"These changes will align your bodies with the abilities and characteristics of your in-game characters in Terra Nova. However, please be assured that these transformations are nothing to be worried about. They are a part of your adaptation to the new environment and will serve to enhance your capabilities."
The operator's words were carefully chosen to dispel any fears that might arise among the passengers in the coming days.
With the Arc Ship entering the mana stream and the passengers' bodies undergoing significant physical changes, it was crucial to provide this information in advance to prevent any potential chaos and hence the Ship Operators were compelled to make this announcement to ensure everyone was well-informed and prepared for the transformations ahead.
"However, it is important to note," the operator said, his tone growing sterner as he continued with the announcement, "that the ankle monitors placed on each of you will limit the amount of mana you can control.
This is a safety measure to prevent any potential misuse of your newfound abilities as while you will be able to perform the skills and abilities you possess within Terra Nova, now in real life, the monitors will inhibit any actions that could harm others or cause destruction within the Arc Ship." The operator said, as all eyes immediately glanced downwards towards one's ankle monitor, which served as a reminder of the constraints that balanced their new burgeoning powers.
"Any attempt to use your abilities for malicious purposes will be met with severe consequences as the safety and well-being of everyone aboard the Arc Ship is our top priority!
We sincerely expect all passengers to adhere to these guidelines and to only use their newfound abilities responsibly. However, if one breaks these rules, they will be left incapacitated or dead by the ankle monitors— "
The announcement concluded, as the ship operator ended the announcement with a threat that warned all passengers about the consequences of misusing their skills.
**********
This announcement came as a massive shock to everyone aboard the Arc-Ship, as nobody seemed to have expected that their in-game abilities were going to carry over to real life.
Within the world of Terra Nova, they were all powerful warriors and mages that could summon water out of thin air and create powerful flames with a snap of their fingers.
To most, these seemed like abilities limited to the virtual world, however, now that they knew that it was going to carry over to reality, everyone felt immensely excited for the same.
"Holy shit! This changes everything…. If the skills and physique that we possess within the game will now carry over to reality then 'Terra Nova Online' is not just simply a virtual game anymore, but rather an extension of reality itself!
It's all real!
Humans can now potentially fly and become demi-gods.
It's all fucking real! How cool is that?" A common passenger said, as his excitement mirrored the emotion of what everyone aboard the Arc Ship was feeling precisely.