The Interface was a pedestal with a pink crystal surface. It glowed a little, reminding
"Just place your hand on the crystal, and your options will appear in the air in front of you. Just tap what you want to use. Its really quite intuitive," Millie''s dad told Kyle.
Kyle nodded, then placed his hand on the crystal. There was a hum, and a light screen appeared in the air in front of him.
<table style="width: 90.0249%">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 35.1247%">
Name: Kyle Montegomery
</td>
<td style="width: 28.7413%">
Level: 9
</td>
<td style="width: 32.3874%; text-align: center">
Identify (System)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 35.1247%; text-align: center">
Level Up
</td>
<td style="width: 28.7413%; text-align: center">
Skills
</td>
<td style="width: 32.3874%; text-align: center">
Classes
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
He tapped skills.
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 91.6459%" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 48.591%; text-align: center">Skills</td>
<td style="width: 48.591%; text-align: center">Available Skills</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 48.591%; text-align: center">Anything you can do, I can do better (Unique)</td>
<td style="width: 48.591%; text-align: center">Aiming</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 48.591%; text-align: center">Tracking</td>
<td style="width: 48.591%; text-align: center">Tracking</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 48.591%; text-align: center">Battle Focus</td>
<td style="width: 48.591%; text-align: center">Battle Focus</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 48.591%; text-align: center">Sneaking</td>
<td style="width: 48.591%; text-align: center">Sneaking</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 48.591%; text-align: center">[Empty]</td>
<td style="width: 48.591%; text-align: center">Cooking</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 48.591%; text-align: center">[Empty]</td>
<td style="width: 48.591%; text-align: center">Mana Sight</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 48.591%; text-align: center">[Empty]</td>
<td style="width: 48.591%; text-align: center">Mana Manipulation</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 48.591%; text-align: center">[Empty]</td>
<td style="width: 48.591%; text-align: center">Milking</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 48.591%; text-align: center">[Empty]</td>
<td style="width: 48.591%; text-align: center">Identify</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 48.591%; text-align: center">[Empty]</td>
<td style="width: 48.591%; text-align: center"> </td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Kyle selected Mana Manipulation, Identify, and Mana Sight, then confirm. A box that he''d never seen before popped up after the confirmation notice.
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 97.182%; text-align: center" colspan="2">
Attention!
Unique Skill Anything you can do, I can do better incomplete.
Merge with Mana Sight and Mana Manipulation?
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 48.591%; text-align: center">Yes</td>
<td style="width: 48.591%; text-align: center">No</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
"What are the differences?" Kyle said, mostly rhetorical.
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 97.182%; text-align: center" colspan="2">
Attention!
Unique Skill Anything you can do, I can do better incomplete.
Merging will complete the skill, but other skills will be lost and changed.
Merge with Mana Sight and Mana Manipulation?
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 48.591%; text-align: center">Yes</td>
<td style="width: 48.591%; text-align: center">No</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
With a bit of trepidation, Kyle pressed yes. There was a flash, and the Interface went dark for a second, then the slight glow gradually returned. Kyle set his hand on the Interface again, and selected Identify.
<table style="width: 90.0249%">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 63.866%" colspan="2">
Name: Kyle Montegomery
</td>
<td style="width: 32.3874%; text-align: center">
Level: 9
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 35.1247%; text-align: center">
Strength
</td>
<td style="width: 28.7413%; text-align: center">
10
</td>
<td style="width: 32.3874%; text-align: center">
HP: 28/28
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 35.1247%; text-align: center">
Dexterity
</td>
<td style="width: 28.7413%; text-align: center">
11
</td>
<td style="width: 32.3874%; text-align: center">
Mana: 22/22
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 35.1247%; text-align: center">
Constitution
</td>
<td style="width: 28.7413%; text-align: center">
15
</td>
<td style="width: 32.3874%; text-align: center">
Stamina: 28/28
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 35.1247%; text-align: center">
Speed
</td>
<td style="width: 28.7413%; text-align: center">
11
</td>
<td style="width: 32.3874%; text-align: center">VP: 22</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 35.1247%; text-align: center">
Intelligence
</td>
<td style="width: 28.7413%; text-align: center">
12
</td>
<td style="width: 32.3874%; text-align: center">Titles:</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 35.1247%; text-align: center">
Creatively
</td>
<td style="width: 28.7413%; text-align: center">
20
</td>
<td style="width: 32.3874%; text-align: center">Otherworlder</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 35.1247%; text-align: center">
Charisma
</td>
<td style="width: 28.7413%; text-align: center">
10
</td>
<td style="width: 32.3874%; text-align: center">Champion of Creativity</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 35.1247%; text-align: center">
Available Stat points: 1A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
</td>
<td style="width: 28.7413%; text-align: center">
Available Skill Slots: 6
</td>
<td style="width: 32.3874%; text-align: center">
Available Classes: 1
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Kyle pressed Skills, and the Skill screen came up.
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 91.6459%" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 48.591%; text-align: center">Skills</td>
<td style="width: 48.591%; text-align: center">Available Skills</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 48.591%; text-align: center">Anything you can do, I can do better (Unique) (Complete)</td>
<td style="width: 48.591%; text-align: center">Aiming</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 48.591%; text-align: center">Tracking</td>
<td style="width: 48.591%; text-align: center">Tracking</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 48.591%; text-align: center">Battle Focus</td>
<td style="width: 48.591%; text-align: center">Battle Focus</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 48.591%; text-align: center">Sneaking</td>
<td style="width: 48.591%; text-align: center">Sneaking</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 48.591%; text-align: center">Identify</td>
<td style="width: 48.591%; text-align: center">Cooking</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 48.591%; text-align: center">[Empty]</td>
<td style="width: 48.591%; text-align: center">Milking</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 48.591%; text-align: center">[Empty]</td>
<td style="width: 48.591%; text-align: center">Identify</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 48.591%; text-align: center">[Empty]</td>
<td style="width: 48.591%; text-align: center"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 48.591%; text-align: center">[Empty]</td>
<td style="width: 48.591%; text-align: center"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 48.591%; text-align: center">[Empty]</td>
<td style="width: 48.591%; text-align: center"> </td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Pressing on his unique skill, Kyle finally got a description of what it did.
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 98.5536%; text-align: center">Anything you can do, I can do better (Unique)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 98.5536%; text-align: center">
This skill is unique to the otherworlder.
Unique skills come to otherworlders when they come to this world, a skill that mirrors their personality, drive, or desires.
This skill allows the user to learn a skill after using it just once successfully. It also allows one to learn a skill merely by watching someone else do it. This was initially restricted to physical skills only, but has since been merged with Mana Sight and Mana Manipulation, completing the skill and allowing it to copy both physical and magical abilities. If mana is pushed into the skill, Mana Sight is active beyond seeing skills. Seeing skills with Mana Sight is always on.
(Skills must still be slotted in to be used.)
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Kyle stared at the message. He read it again and again. "That can''t be right." He turned to Millie''s dad. "Can I see you use Inventory?"
"I guess?" Millie''s dad reached out, a cloud of purple gathering around his hand, from which he pulled a sword.
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center">
Skill Requirements Met!
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center">
Inventory Available
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
"That is utterly ridiculous," Kyle said. "I can apparently learn skills by watching people do them."
"Wait, what?" Millie''s dad said. "What about this one?" He snapped his fingers, creating a small flame spontaneously.
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center">
Skill Requirements Met!
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center">
Spark Available
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
"Spark? I presume that it starts fires..." Kyle said.
"You''re right, that''s ridiculous," Millie''s dad said. "Here, I''ll show you the rest of the Standard Array."
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center">
Skill Requirements Met!
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center">
Status Available
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center">
List Inventory Available
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center">
Mana Sight Available
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center">
Mana Manipulation Available
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Kyle went back to the Interface and pulled up Skills, slotting in the whole Standard Array except Mana Sight. Mana Manipulation would allow him to do skills without needing to use a skill slot, but Mana Sight was literally built into his skill now. Nothing else he had available felt useful. He confirmed, then went to level up. He could have done classes, but Kyle really didn''t want to deal with an extra level of craziness right now. Plus, with only one option, he wanted to find some additional options to provide a backdrop of possibilities.
Kyle nodded, then placed his point in intelligence. He felt like it was fairly likely that he was going to be using mana a lot in the future.
<table style="width: 90.0249%">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 63.866%" colspan="2">
Name: Kyle Montegomery
</td>
<td style="width: 32.3874%; text-align: center">
Level: 9
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 35.1247%; text-align: center">
Strength
</td>
<td style="width: 28.7413%; text-align: center">
10
</td>
<td style="width: 32.3874%; text-align: center">
HP: 28/28
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 35.1247%; text-align: center">
Dexterity
</td>
<td style="width: 28.7413%; text-align: center">
11
</td>
<td style="width: 32.3874%; text-align: center">
Mana: 22/22
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 35.1247%; text-align: center">
Constitution
</td>
<td style="width: 28.7413%; text-align: center">
15
</td>
<td style="width: 32.3874%; text-align: center">
Stamina: 28/28
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 35.1247%; text-align: center">
Speed
</td>
<td style="width: 28.7413%; text-align: center">
11
</td>
<td style="width: 32.3874%; text-align: center">VP: 22</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 35.1247%; text-align: center">
Intelligence
</td>
<td style="width: 28.7413%; text-align: center">
12
</td>
<td style="width: 32.3874%; text-align: center">Titles:</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 35.1247%; text-align: center">
Creatively
</td>
<td style="width: 28.7413%; text-align: center">
20
</td>
<td style="width: 32.3874%; text-align: center">Otherworlder</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 35.1247%; text-align: center">
Charisma
</td>
<td style="width: 28.7413%; text-align: center">
10
</td>
<td style="width: 32.3874%; text-align: center">Champion of Creativity</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 35.1247%; text-align: center">
Available Stat points: 0
</td>
<td style="width: 28.7413%; text-align: center">
Available Skill Slots: 1
</td>
<td style="width: 32.3874%; text-align: center">
Available Classes: 1
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Now, what are these Titles? Kyle thought.
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 98.5536%; text-align: center">Otherworlder
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 98.5536%; text-align: center">
This title is exclusive to otherworlders.
Provides translation to the native language of the otherworlder, and translates their speech to the language of the ones they are speaking to.
Provides a unique skill to the otherworlder when they come to this world, that mirrors their personality, drive, or desires. This skill supplants their innate racial skill.
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 98.5536%; text-align: center">Champion of Creativity</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 98.5536%; text-align: center">
This title marks you as a champion for the God of Creativity.
Benefit: maximum natural value for personal best stat increased from 20 to 25. (stat: Creativity) Also grants access to the victory point quest system if the title Otherworlder is possessed.
This is only with regards to natural stat value, and the maximum it can reach through training. Stats gained through levels are unaffected.
When chosen as Champion, the god may replace the racial or unique skill of the champion. Original skill: N/A
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
"Champion of Creativity seems rather useless," Kyle said, thinking aloud. "All it really does is give me access to the game I didn''t ask to play."
He checked out the rest of his skills, and learned that Tracking was both a passive and active skill, if he pushed mana into it, then the tracks and trail of a quarry would glow. Battle Focus was strictly passive, it would help focus his mind on the fight when in one, and Sneaking was similar to Tracking. If he pushed mana into Sneaking, he and his gear would shift colors towards that of the background. The remainder of the skills did exactly what they sounded like, the Standard Array being a simple group of skills. Kyle closed the Interface windows, and walked back over to Millie''s dad.
"Thank you for helping me," Kyle said. "Where to next?"