《Candlelit Lives {Serial Reincarnation LitRPG}》 Copyright Page Candlelit Lives A story in three volumes. Original work by luda305. ? 2021 luda305 This story is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author''s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. First published on RoyalRoad.com. Solely authorized to be published on RoyalRoad.com. A local copy may be made by readers for personal use only. Any other publication is strictly prohibited. The purpose of copyright is to encourage writers and artists to produce the creative works that enrich our culture. The distribution of this story without permission is a theft of the author''s intellectual property. If you would like permission to use material from the book, please contact luda305 by direct message on RoyalRoad.com. All other rights are reserved. 1. Prologue – Becoming a [Mage] Amelia¡ªdaughter of Connor, [Hunter] from the village Fallstrand¡ªwas having a good day. Warm anticipation bubbled up as she sat at her desk, reviewing her scroll a final time. A month of dedicated, singular study and she was finally ready to attempt a [Fireball]. In the year and a half since she had arrived at Panmore Academy in the city of Kingsheart of the Osmond Kingdom, she had never quite felt comfortable with the Kingsguards¡¯ determination that she should pursue being a [Mage]. Yes, her INT and WIS were relatively high, but that didn¡¯t actually mean she understood anything about magic. Not that many did. While some Classes, such as the (common) [Shaman] Class used magic, they did not purport to study and understand it like the (very rare) [Mage] Class. But, the [Mage] Class had only arisen a century ago with the first King Osmond, when¡ªinstead of the [Shaman] (common) Class he sought¡ªhe was offered the [Mage] (very rare) magical Class (though scholars continue to argue why there did not seem to be a (rare) magic Class between [Shaman] and [Mage]). With it, he eventually claimed leadership of his village and began a three decade campaign to conquer the surrounding lands to establish the first kingdom of the Eurial continent. While there were many speculations as to what King Osmond had done to acquire the [Mage] Class, any knowledge he had was considered a royal secret, and the few [Mages] that had appeared since then had been quickly subsumed to His Majesty¡¯s Service or killed. But, King Osmond¡¯s grandson¡ª[King] Osmond III¡ªwas ambitious if anything. Though he himself lacked the personal power of his grandfather¡ª[King] was a leader-style Class¡ªhe recognized the potential of the [Mage] Class and sought to encourage the development of patriotic, loyal citizens who could acquire it. Hence the establishment of Panmore Academy. Identified gifted children of ten to twelve winters were ordered to attend with a specialized curriculum based on a sanitized version of the first King Osmond¡¯s personal letters on the subject. And thus, only eighteen months ago, Amelia found herself enrolled¡ªand bewildered¡ªat Panmore at twelve years of age. Well, almost thirteen, but no one was counting. Her lessons since then had been bumbling affairs. For so long, she was convinced that she didn¡¯t belong there, but all her inquiries to her professors and tutors were turned sideways. New low after new low of self-confidence was hit as her studies failed to teach her an inkling of magic. But now? At least, she was ready for [Fireball]. She didn¡¯t think she really understood magic. But she thought she understood [Fireball] enough to pull it off, even without the Skill. Or, really, any help from the Voice of the World, or, as it liked to call itself, the System. Actually, ever since Amelia learned to read, the Voice of the World had presented itself in visual format to her eyes, so really she ought to stop calling it that. But, if casting a spell was a prerequisite to taking the [Mage] Class, she really could understand why no humans on Eurial had gotten the Class before the Founder. With only her general [Human] skills available, she had nothing to help with the process: she first had to learn to adequately manipulate her mana (which was a right bastard), then she had to manually manipulate the mana in just the right way to fill out the spellform, and then pump it full of mana until it cast. And, if it didn¡¯t blow up, she might just cast it or it could just fizzle. But if she did cast it, and she was lucky, she¡¯d acquire the [Fireball] Skill. And then, once she finally hit ¡°adulthood¡±¡ªhowever the System measured that¡ªand was allowed a Class, she¡¯d finally be offered [Mage]. But these idle thoughts? She was procrastinating. She knew the spellform. She¡¯d practiced her mana manipulation until she was blue in the face. (And why wasn¡¯t mana manipulation a skill! Ugh.). She knew what she had to do, and there was no choice but to get to it. Rolling up the scroll she was studying, she hopped out of her desk chair, out the room, down the hall, through the doors, and began making her way across the Academy grounds to the practice fields. If she failed, there was a very strict policy of where you were allowed to accidentally blow yourself up, and if she survived, she didn¡¯t need another round of punishment from the deans. She had just found an empty target range, when a voice called out to her. ¡°Yo, Raspberry!¡± Oh no. Not again. ¡°Hello, Pithia.¡± Amelia began politely, turning around to face her and her friends, Melita and Thalia. ¡°How is your day today?¡± ¡°Oh, not bad,¡± Pithia waved nonchalantly, then showed her teeth. ¡°But I just discovered an even better reason to call you Raspberry than your hair.¡± Amelia flinched back at that comment. She loved her curly, red hair and couldn¡¯t understand for the life of her why Pithia would bully her about it. But she wasn¡¯t sure she wanted to know another reason. ¡°And that is?¡± she asked hesitatingly. ¡°¡¯Cause it¡¯s the same size as your chest!¡± Pithia barked out, and her two goons joined her in cackling. Crossing her arms in front of said chest, Amelia replied morosely. ¡°That¡¯s mean. Why do you have to be so mean?¡± ¡°Because Raspberry,¡± Pithia growled out, then pinched Amelia¡¯s ear to bring it closer. ¡°You¡¯re stupid. And because you¡¯re stupid, you¡¯re weak. This ain¡¯t your little village anymore and you can¡¯t just get by with that pretty face of yours. And I¡¯m keen to be a good teacher to you for that.¡± And with that parting shot, Pithia turned on her heels and left, followed closely by her goons. Amelia stood there a moment, rubbing her sore ear and muttering. ¡°Stupid Pithia. I¡¯m not stupid, you¡¯re stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid...¡± Turning back to the target range, Amelia took several deep breaths, calming down and picturing the spellform in her mind. Then, pulling out just a teensy bit of mana, she began to fill in the edges of the spellform. She worked and worked for what seemed like hours, but was only minutes, and once she was satisfied that the spellform was correctly edged in, she started pumping mana into it. Five units, ten units, twenty units, thirty units¡­ forty units of mana, and the spellform flared to life, spinning itself around into a tight ball, flaming alight, and shooting down the target range like a swift falcon. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°I did it? I really did it! Whoo-hoo!¡± She had missed the target. But that day,
Ding!
Amelia received the Skill [Fireball].
The next few months passed in a blur. Successfully learning a magic spell and receiving the Skill for it was considered the most important step for a student at the Academy. With the Skill at hand, now Amelia was no longer just a drafted student, she was a [Mage]-candidate¡ªthough such a thing was not recognized by the System per se. And, as a more visceral pleasure, Pithia stopped bothering her. Even if Amelia wasn¡¯t a [Mage] yet, picking on someone with [Fireball] could end poorly With her worries out of the way and the path to graduation cleared, Amelia finally found she could relax a little after a grueling eighteen months. While she still had studies, she found she could enjoy the purely academic side of it for once. And, with the academy being in Kingsheart¡ªfirst and largest city on the Eurial continent¡ªshe found the time and attention to enjoy what it had to offer. Not mere [Leatherworkers], but [Tailors] working the finest furs, leathers, and¡ªsomething new!¡ªcloth into the loveliest outfits. Not mere [Bakers], but [Confectioners] making cakes and pastries. Not the village head telling stories thrice a year, but an actual [Performer] Class regaling the public daily with the greatest comedies and tragedies she had ever heard. Life was good. Until, one day, while studying in the library, she doubled over as a massive pain swept through her abdomen. Willing the pain away, she looked around bewildered as no one else there had been affected. Then, a second wave of pain swept through her abdomen, and an awful keening noise reached her ears. A few heads began to turn her direction, worry creeping onto their faces. What¡¯s wrong with me? Did I eat something bad? I better get to the infirmary, she thought as she staggered to her feet, and began to slowly move towards the exit. She had only taken a few steps though, when a third wave of pain passed through her and, with a cry, she fell unconscious.
Amelia¡¯s next conscious thought was her noticing it was dark. Not the dark of a closed room or of night, but the dark of being asleep. But Amelia was very clearly not asleep. Or, at least, was conscious, and so she was puzzled. Finally, a flash of light blinded her a moment as the familiar view of the System came before her. But, with her Status page, came a notification in a language she could not read.
Monitio: Trait quibus sumpturi solet causa: temeraria, alvaria, prurit, papulas, rectitudo in thorace vel gutture, angustia spirandi, equinitatis, tumidusque, ieiunium pulsatio, vertiginis, egressus, debilitatem, sollicitus, esuriem, et mortis. Velit ante cognovimus esse. [Cognovit] [1]
She looked over it thrice before seeing if there was any way for her to interact with it, and, other than simply hiding it for later review, the only option was something else she could not read. With little else to do¡ªand a hint of recklessness¡ªAmelia pressed the button. Suddenly, the entirety of the System snapped away, and Amelia was left in the dark of her conscious unconsciousness¡ªor whatever it was¡ªyet again. She tried calling up her Status, but nothing happened. None of her other senses picked up anything, not even though, so she wasn¡¯t sure if she had a body or not, which lent itself towards the dream idea. The lack of sensation was disturbing. But, after a bit of experimentation on what she could do, she found that she could speak to herself. And so, as time dripped away coldly, she soon started humming to herself various rhymes from childhood, if only to keep the fear at bay. She was just starting on the third rhyme¡ªabout [Farmer] John and his [Chickens]¡ªwhen her Status page snapped back, though it looked different. For starters, whereas before the Status page had always appeared like high-quality parchment, now it was blue. Well, it was still parchment, but the parchment was blue! And what had been beautiful cursive writing, was now comprised of blocky letters, which only after staring at them for several minutes did she realize it was still the [Ostesh] alphabet that she wrote in. They had become simplified and disjointed. Cold, methodical. Efficient. She wasn¡¯t sure she liked it. But, once she got used to it, she started reading. Nothing about the actual contents of her Status had changed. So she tried pulling up her notifications log and it responded, though in the new format. Reviewing the entries, the only things that stood out was one line in the same mysterious language as that prior notification, followed by a second line in the same language. She presumed the latter reflected whatever she had done to the first notification. As she sat¡ªor whatever she was doing in this odd place¡ªa notification appeared. Ding! You have gained the following Trait:
[Reincarnator] (unique): Upon death, your soul is returned to the world as a newborn with your memories, Traits, and Skills intact.
[Reincarnator]? Amelia had never heard of that Trait before. It is labeled (unique), which means it must be powerful. But what was that about death? I don¡¯t want to die! I have so much to do. My family, my magic. Serving my country. Maybe even find a Mr. Amelia when I¡¯m older. What is going on? How could¡ª At that point,
Ding! You have died.
What?!
Name: Amelia (Level 12) Race: [Human] (Level 12) Class: [ ] Unspent Experience: 7800 HP: 0/21 MP: 220/220 CON: 6 STR: 7 DEX: 11 INT: 21 WIS: 21 CHA: 12 Free: 0 Traits: [Reincarnator], [Studious] General Skills: [Fireball 1], [Cooking 7], [Cleaning 6], [Ostesh 40], [Planning 12], [Learning 19], [Eating 4] Class Skills: [] Skill Points (SKP): General 3 v. 0.76a
[1] Warning: The Trait which you are about to receive is apt to cause rash, hives, itching, blisters, wheezing, tightness in the chest or throat, trouble breathing, hoarseness, swelling, fast heartbeat, dizziness, passing out, weakness, anxiety, confusion, and death. Please acknowledge before proceeding. [Acknowledged] 2. The Cat’s Meow Before Amelia could fully process the notification that she had died¡ªshe hadn¡¯t even known you could receive a notification about that¡ªshe was being reborn. There was, suffice it to say, a lot of blood, sweat and tears¡ªand wailing, at least on her part. She couldn¡¯t see anything, but her hearing seemed just fine, if a bit disjointed. Oh gods, am I blind? Who would curse me like that?! It was a most peculiar thing being reborn. She could recall all of her life as Amelia until her untimely death at fourteen winters. And for all that a newborn¡¯s brain made her mind mush, her thoughts were distinct, clear and connected, albeit slow and predisposed to napping. Actually, it¡¯d been a while since she was around a newborn, but she was pretty sure she was napping a lot more than a usual baby and wondered if her [Reincarnator] trait was overtaxing her little baby brain. Eh. Nonetheless, Amelia did as babies do¡ªnurse, cry, poop, and sleep¡ªthough admittedly without seeing anything. Actually most of her senses her a mess, not just her eyesight. She gave some thought to trying to sort out what was wrong, but as a newborn she wasn¡¯t really in much of a position to move about. Finally, a few weeks after her rebirth, Amelia opened her eyes and was shocked she could see. Perhaps indeed her blindness had only been temporary, she considered, relaxing at the thought. That is, until she smelled her new mother approach where she laid and got a good look at her. Ack! My mother¡¯s a catkin! I¡¯m not fully human anymore! Gah, and being a catkin is bad enough; I¡¯m a half-breed which means everyone will hate me. At which point, Amelia began crying, inconsolable by her mother. A week later, and Amelia was no longer angry, convinced as she was that she was hallucinating in the infirmary after suffering some terrible injury to her abdomen. Yup, she was totally, completely, 100% [Human]. And a teenager. A month later, and Amelia was no longer in denial. She was totally, completely, 100% [Catkin]. She was still too young to crawl, but her mother stopped swaddling her all of the time and Amelia finally had her hands free. Whereupon her hands discovered that the side of her head was smooth and that her ears were on top of her head, coming up out of her hair. She also found that they tickled, but only when her mother or sisters tickled her. And then she was attacked by her own tail! It kept tickling her nose! Ah! It was a rough few weeks. Amelia had two older sisters as far as she could tell, but still hadn¡¯t seen a father or any other male adult figure around. She thought another older lady had brought a young catkin boy by, but, well, she couldn¡¯t confirm because not being able to lift your head made life difficult. And they don¡¯t speak [Ostesh]. Ugh, guess I¡¯ll need to learn another language. Hey System, can we make a [Bargain]? You can take back my unique trait and I can be Amelia-[Human] again, right? Please? I¡¯ll even give up [Fireball] and being a [Mage]? I can go home to the village and be a good [Farmwoman] or [Housewife]. Please? Two months later, and Amelia wasn¡¯t feeling great. She saw her mother sometimes in the corner, looking at a sketch of a handsome male [Catkin] and crying. This though was not what was bothering Amelia; she barely knew her mother and definitely not this man. No, what bothered Amelia was that she lived in a mud hut barely large enough for everyone to lie down in, her mother and sisters wore untreated furs (if anything at all), and the only tools she had seen were stone (not a trace of metal to be found). She hadn¡¯t been outside yet, and while a single mother of three was clearly going to be poor, she had a bad feeling that she was living with barbarians. She¡¯d accepted that she was [Catkin], but this rudimentary lifestyle¡ªworse even than Amelia¡¯s childhood village¡ªwas something else.
At six months, Amelia had finally come to terms with being a barbarian [Catkin] girl (and wow was that last part was a relief). First, she had finally started walking¡ªit turned out that [Catkins] physically mature a bit faster than [Humans]¡ªand had gotten a good look at the village. And it truly was a village of barbarians¡ª[Hunters] and [Gatherers] mostly, with almost no specialized Classes serving other roles. And she could smell everything! Her [Catkin] nose¡ªdespite appearing mostly [Human]-ish¡ªwas amazing. She could tell that a [Hunter] hadn¡¯t bathed in seventeen days. She knew that one firepit was last lit three days ago. And she knew that the nearby forest¡ªwhich she had never been too¡ªhad at least two dozen types of edible plants and four types of small game, though no medium or large game. Curiously, even though she could smell so much more and know more about it than she ever had as a [Human], her nose was not necessarily offended by ¡°stinky¡± smells, like the aforementioned [Hunter] or a latrine. Such smells just existed and, while warning tags such as ¡°do not eat,¡± ¡°do not lick,¡± and ¡°do not touch¡± seemingly popped into her mind, there was no feeling of disgust or revulsion as when she was [Human]. Second, her teeth came in. She supposed that [Catkin] must mature fast, because she quickly grew a full set of teeth. The sensations of being in an entire alien body were slightly off-putting, though the initial lack of sensation for weeks upon being reborn, aside from the obvious gastrointestinal discomforts, put a damper on that. But with a full mouth of teeth, that feeling came back even stronger as Amelia found herself running her tongue all around them, marveling at the strange sensations: not only were they a different shape, but her canines were more prominent. Oh, and her tongue was much longer too. And third, even though she was way, way too young, she received from the System the bootya loadya. The what? The bootya loadya was the ubiquitous audible message heard upon receiving access to the System (for [Humans], around 6 or 7). Even if the child could read, the bootya loadya was audible. Many said the bootya loadya was a divine message from the Gods, for which the System itself was the blessing. Others said it was a poem or a hymn, based on the clear verse in the sounds. While the language was unintelligible, and the System refused to grant anyone a language skill that could parse it, it was nonetheless revered and thus wormed its way in as a common greeting in many languages¡ª¡°bootya loadya¡±¡ªbased off the first few sounds of the message. Though obviously there was no transcript of the audible message, the bootya loadya sounded something like this:
Bootya loadya. Satus tabernus oneratus. Systema accessum licet. 0.78a systema versio. Visum vasa pretiosa. Integram. Nomen idem. Genus idem. Lineamenta idem. Artes idem. Attributa determinari. HP computandum. MP computadum. Terminante tabernus oneratus.
Sometimes there were minor variations in the middle, but Amelia was hardly a System scholar. Yet, she wasn¡¯t completely ignorant. She had received that message, which meant she was now able to access her Status, though her Class wouldn¡¯t arrive until ¡°adulthood,¡± whenever that was for [Catkin].
Name: [ ] (Level 0) Other Names: Amelia Race: Catkin (Level 0) Class: [ ] Unspent Experience: 30 HP: 3/3 MP: 56/56 CON: 2 STR: 2 DEX: 1 INT: 8 WIS: 7 CHA: 3 Free: 0 Traits: [Reincarnator], [Studious] General Skills: [Fireball 1], [Cooking 7], [Cleaning 6], [Ostesh 40], [Planning 12], [Learning 19], [Eating 4], [Ucarhi 1] Class Skills: [ ] Unspent Skill Points (SKP): 0 v.0.78a
Wait a minute, there is something going on with my HP. That should be 2, not 3. After some fiddling around, Amelia still wasn¡¯t quite sure, but suspected that [Catkin] may have some sort of bonus. But wow, that¡¯s a lot of MP. I really must be suited for becoming a [Mage] this time around, right? Heck, I could throw a [Fireball] right now. Well, just one admittedly. Wait, a [Fireball] might be a bad idea. Wait, do they even have [Mages]?!! But in any event, with her Status access, Amelia could little deny that she had died and was now a [Catkin]. Curiously, her old name had moved to a different part of the screen, and her Name box was empty. Why don¡¯t I have a name? Could I name myself? Eh, let¡¯s avoid potential existential questions for later. Curiously, her Status still displayed in [Ostesh], rather than working through an audible interface. And while [Reincarnator] was correct that Traits and Skills carried over, this apparently did not apply to unspent SKP (i.e., Skill Points) as she knew she had 3 General Skill Points when she died. Ah, that¡¯s a weird thought, crossed her mind as her face scrunched up. And so Amelia finally accepted that she was, indeed, a [Catkin]. However nameless. Well, for only another month. With a bit more walking, and another three ranks in [Ucarhi], the local language, Amelia¡¯s mother Naomi finally took her to see the village¡¯s [Shaman]. The [Shaman] lived in a hut on a hill, a good walk from the village, far enough that Naomi had to carry Amelia the distance. Unlike the other huts though, which were mud, the [Shaman]¡¯s hut appeared to be made from whole logs, bound together with living vines. It gave it quite the sinister look¡ªespecially with the purple, glowing smoke that escaped through the roof¡ªbut, well, Amelia didn¡¯t really care. Entering the hut, the incense burned by the [Shaman] within assaulted Amelia¡¯s sensitive [Catkin] nose . Naomi set Amelia on the ground, gesturing her to sit, before she herself kneeled before the [Shaman]. The [Shaman] sat high on a pile of furs, smoking a bundle of dried herbs. Around her neck, a necklace of bones and, unlike the other women of the tribe, she wore no furs at all, though it appeared that her body was tattooed. ¡°Naomi, so you trellin moreis your little one angast mor, yes?¡± the Shaman asked. Amelia still could only pick out bits and pieces, but fortunately this was simple talk. ¡°Yes, [Shaman]. It termin terrin two seasons and my child as ost posh. She walks, and is beginning to ucarhi, and is curious, but not ponash.¡± ¡°Good, good. Let me see her closer,¡± then turning to face Amelia, ¡°Come here, child,¡± gesturing. Awkwardly standing up, Amelia walked gingerly towards the [Shaman] and, when she got closer, the [Shaman] suddenly leaned forward and picked her up by the scruff of her neck. Amelia embarrassingly yelped as she lost her footing and hung in the air before the [Shaman], who appeared to be studiously examining her. ¡°[Insight]. [Blessing],¡± the [Shaman] invoked, then cocked her head as she listened to the Voice of the World. To Amelia, ding!
You have received the [Blessing] of the [Shaman] of the River Tribe of the Ucarhi [Catkin]. +20 HP. Expires upon becoming eligible for a Class.
As Amelia was pondering this temporary Trait, the [Shaman] began to cackle maniacally. ¡°[Shaman]!¡± Naomi cried, ¡°what is wrong? Please tell me.¡± ¡°Oh, joy!¡± the [Shaman] laughed. ¡°There is nothing wrong, young mother. The Voice of the World tells me that this child shall wield the greatest emgen the Ucarhi have ever known. The stories will come to life in her!¡± Amelia frantically tried to glance at her mother, but couldn¡¯t because, well, she was still hanging by the scruff of her neck. ¡°She shall be called,¡± the [Shaman] continued, ¡°Masami, for she shall emgen the Ucarhi into a great people.¡± If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Ding!
You have received a Name. You are now known as Masami.
Amelia¡ªerr, Masami¡ªreally hoped that emgen meant ¡°magic.¡±
Indeed, Masami learned, emgen did mean ¡°magic.¡± And while Masami was never able to get out of the [Shaman] what exactly [Insight] had said, everyone soon expected that Masami would be a great magic user. Once Masami was able to decipher that much¡ªfreakin¡¯ [Ucarhi]¡ªshe briefly had a panic attack about living up to the great [Mages] of Osmond. Until she realized that the only magic user she had seen was the [Shaman], and¡ªhistory lesson!¡ªjust being a [Mage] would likely count as ¡°a great magic user.¡± And, because she already had the [Fireball] skill, she was already a shoe-in to be a [Mage]. Not that she wore shoes. Or much else for that matter. But now with a name and a plan, Masami allowed herself to relax and just be a child for a while. Other than a few things that were just missing altogether (like farms), she found that the Ucarhi village was much like Amelia¡¯s own childhood village, and she soon segued into the simple village life. Running around the village with the other children and playing games. She ranked up her [Eating] Skill¡ªshe was a growing young catkin! she would protest. And the use of [Cooking] and [Cleaning] around her mother¡¯s hut was adorably ¡°precocious¡± to the older women. And while she didn¡¯t have the right ingredients or utensils to make her favorite dishes from ¡°home,¡± she was able to nudge what she did cook ever so closer to something memorable. It was funny thinking about home. A few years had passed and Amelia had fully become Masami, precocious magic child of the Ucarhi [Catkin]. But, she still spent many starlit nights missing Osmond. Maybe not the Academy so much, but certainly her mother and father and siblings. She wondered how they were and how they coped with her death. Morose feelings aside, Masami¡¯s Skills growing up didn¡¯t improve in any particular direction. For a while, Masami outright refused to learn some ¡°new¡± Skills from her tribe on the grounds they were too barbaric. Until that is, she discovered that she loved fish. That in itself was a massive cognitive dissonance for her given Amelia hated fish and only served to drive home that Masami was a different person than Amelia. In any event, Masami¡¯s insatiable appetite for fish was driving the village insane until one day, Old John declared in a huff, ¡°If you¡¯d learn [Fishing] and [Butchering], you can eat all the fish you want, child!¡± And so she did at three years of age. Which was frankly two years too early, but Masami didn¡¯t care. One, her high rank [Learning] skill was a real cheat for the first few ranks of a new skill. Two, fish!! Annoyingly, by the time she was six, her [Ucarhi] skill capped out at rank 20. She suspected that was because there was no written language, or at least none here, and so she was limited to the oral aspects of [Ucarhi] she had picked up in the village. She asked around, including to the [Shaman] and the other village elders, to see if there was even a written language, but she had difficulty explaining the concept as [Ucarhi] lacked the necessary words to effectively describe writing. Eventually she gave up, decided that it was stupid, and that if [Ucarhi] didn¡¯t have a writing system, she would make one. And one summer, she did so. Conveniently, [Ostesh] had a phonetic alphabet and, with the addition of a few symbols to capture new sounds and grammar rules that [Ucarhi] had that [Ostesh] didn¡¯t, she mapped out a written language. With that settled, she made a clay tablet, and began by writing out Masami¡¯s autobiography.
Hello world! My name is Masami and I am a six year old [Catkin]. I live with my tribe in a village. My favorite food is fish. And I want to use magic when I grow up. The [Shaman] says that ¡­.
Learning the oral language, Masami was actually confused for a long while whether [Ucarhi] was the [Ucarhi] name for her race (whereas [Catkin] was an [Ostesh] word) or simply the name of her tribe, which had its own language. In use, she thought it might have just meant ¡°people,¡± like in [Ostesh]. But, like with explaining writing, she wasn¡¯t even able to properly articulate the question in [Ucarhi]. This had troubled her for months, until she figured out how to switch the System to spoken [Ucarhi]. Yes, ¡°Ucarhi¡± meant [Catkin] in [Ucarhi] the language. But, she would later learn, given varying contexts, ¡°Ucarhi¡± had half a dozen meanings in [Ucarhi], albeit usually some nuanced variation of ¡°people.¡± Ding! And apparently it hadn¡¯t taken too much writing in [Ucarhi] to get a notification.
[Ucarhi] (very rare) has ranked up to rank 24. As the creator of the first written form of the [Ucarhi] language, you receive a (unique) Trait. [Ucarhi ¨C Creator of Written Ucarhi] (unique): You are the first creator of a written language for [Ucarhi]. +8 INT, +8 WIS. Written texts you create in [Ucarhi] are treated as having +8 CHA.
Holy shit! Masami thought. While [Catkin] like [Humans] gained 2 attribute points each level, unlike [Humans] that had 2 free attribute points, [Catkin] only had 1, with the other point alternately being invested into one of the three physical attributes. So, for a [Human], 16 attribute points in mental attributes represented 8 dedicated levels with no other investments, but for a [Catkin], it was 16 levels! And, because it¡¯s a Trait, it would carry over into her next life. Thinking of that, Masami perused over the [Catkin] general Skills she had picked up. [Claws] created sharp projections of mana from her fingertips and was a must for any [Catkin]; [Catkin] already had excellent vision in the dark due to their eye structure, but [Improved Dark Vision] took it to a whole new level; and [Nimble Health] added her DEX to her HP. On the last point, she had finally learned that for [Catkin], HP was derived not only from CON and STR, but also from DEX. What really gave Masami food for thought was what the effects of these Skills would be in later lives. Yes, they made her an ever-greater [Catkin] now, but these really would carry forward with [Reincarnator]. She would be able to see better and would be harder to kill. And she giggled a bit at the thought of a [Human] using the racial [Claws] Skill. Huh, Masami mused. Am I really alright knowing that I have another life after this. Can I be so carefree? Yes. Yes, she could. And so, Masami grew up without a care in the world. For a few years at least. Turned out that [Catkin] matured really fast. By the time she was eight, she was starting to look like Amelia had just before she died. Well, not literally. Masami had straight, black hair this life, with matching black fur on her tail and ears. And Masami was turning out to be both taller and stronger, based just on her base attributes, let alone the physical attribute distribution from being a [Catkin]. And a thousand other details of skin tone and bone structure that made people distinguishable from each other. But, a little older, and Masami might become most eligible bachelorette of the Ucarhi. Well, assuming she actually got her [Mage] Class and aped King Osmond. Just to be sure, she had practiced throwing a few [Fireballs] when she could, and had even used it occasionally to clear out nearby tribes of [Goblins]. And yet still she worried as time went by and she hasn¡¯t received her Class yet. She hadn¡¯t actually received the Class last lifetime either. What if she was terribly wrong?! What is she couldn¡¯t receive a Class at all?! Ding! Oh, well that¡¯s a relief.
Congratulations! You are now eligible to select a Class. A Class represents who you are and what you do, and will be a defining point in the rest of your life. Classes can provide extra attribute points, Traits, and Skills. Classes may be leveled using unspent experience. Based on your Race, Level, Traits, Skills, society, and prior experience, you are eligible for the following Classes (inspect for more information): Choose carefully!
Nope! Ding!
You have selected [Mage].
And then she dumped all her accumulated experience to bring [Mage] up to level 12 to match her [Catkin] level. While she had also spent some of her free attribute points while leveling up [Catkin], she had saved others, but now spent them. When she was done, her main stats looked like this:
HP 164 MP 800 CON 16 STR 16 DEX 18 INT 40 WIS 40 CHA 12 Free 0
With her four free Skill Points, Masami picked from the [Mage] Class shop the Skills she had dreamed about now for two lifetimes: [Fire Manipulation], for generally manipulating fire; [Fire Bolt], for improved penetrative power; [Improved Mana Pool], for a significant increase in her mana pool; and [Mana Finesse], which applied DEX to mana manipulation and to aiming and casting spells, either freeform or as Skills. Right now, Masami felt amazing.
A year later, Masami felt terrible. While Masami had killed wild animals, beasts, and even the stray [Goblin], in two lifetimes, she hadn¡¯t really killed anyone she would consider a person. And yet now, her village had asserted dominance over the six surrounding villages. Doing so for some of the villages had required bloodshed, and given her central role in what was happening, that meant she was inevitably the one involved. And while some of the villages had capitulated after a combination of magical demonstration on her part and news of the other villages, Masami spent many nights crying herself to sleep for those villages not so easily swayed. It had gotten so bad that she started browsing her racial store with her one free [Catkin] skill just to see if there was anything that might help. The selection though was decidedly lackluster, at least with respect to psychological issues, and she shelved the thought for another two weeks until, crumbling under the pressure, she spontaneously spent it on [Natural Leader].
[Natural Leader] (uncommon): Even without authority, your leadership Skills are amplified and more noticeable by others. You intuitively understand what is required to lead people. Effect improves with Rank.
The sensation was similar to [Planning] and [Learning]¡ªher prior skills that affected her mind¡ªin that rather than forcing her to think unnaturally, it seemed to feel like a guiding hand that nudged her in direction or another. [Natural Leader] was a bit more intrusive perhaps, but perhaps that was because she had already been forced into a leadership role over the past year and had a lot to process. And so, having taken the Skill, Masami announced to the village that she was going into seclusion to contemplate her newly acquired skill. And she did. Eventually she reached a conclusion. One she didn¡¯t like. The deaths of some people in this situation was inevitable. Ever since the [Shaman] had seen Masami¡¯s magical power, unless she ran away, there was a buildup of pressure and anticipation in the community that would cause them to follow her. Even from outside her village, people were attracted to her power, real and potential. But there would be dissenters, there always would be. Some perhaps could be convinced, but others would stay implacable. And given how politics worked around here, that meant challenges and death. It was not nice.
Having come to grips with her role, Masami soon fell to using [Natural Leader] to organize the rambunctious villages far better than her go-with-the-flow attitude of the year before. She forced the various food production Classes to share information together. She encouraged crafters to specialize in their products full time and to trade between the villages. She got a gaggle of children and tried to get them on the way to the first [Farmer] Classes of the [Catkin]. She began teaching her written version of [Ucarhi] and, after a huge stumbling block of trying to explain what a written language even was, she had at least a handful masterful enough to act as scribes for her. While their materials were still limited to stone and what could be harvested from plants and animals, the number of goods among the common villagers grew. The improved yields from hunting helped the people prosper. And after a few years, even the first [Farmers] were making a meaningful contribution to their food security. And then there was the magic. She got all the [Shamans] together and began teaching them all she knew on the subject, which, while minimal compared to the masters at the Academy, was still leagues beyond these simple magisters. While all grew their ability to manipulate mana, only a few picked up [Fireball]. Though, with their help, Masami identified a group of children promising in magic and began them along the path to becoming a [Mage]. Two years after unifying the villages, the second [Catkin] [Mage] appeared. With a second [Mage], the improved powers of the [Shamans], and the strength of the people as reflected in its warriors, Masami soon made plans to attack an [Orc] tribe to the east. The [Orc] tribe had settled upon the western shores of an exceptionally large lake and controlled all access to the rich fishing grounds thereupon. The oral histories of the various [Catkin] villages all told that their people had once resided by the lake for a hundred generations, but were driven away by the invading [Orcs]. Now though, they had the power to take back their ancestral fishing grounds. The following spring, the [Catkin] marched upon the [Orc] village and were met by the [Orcs¡¯] own band of warriors. Masami and the [Orc] [Warlord] met at the center before giving battle, and through an [Orc] who spoke a little [Ucarhi] and a [Catkin] who spoke a little [Orcish], the leaders parlayed. Masami demanded the return of their old homelands, and the [Orc] refused. Masami threatened to bring death upon their village, but the [Orc] pointed at his own warband. Masami then proposed to split the lake, but the [Orc] was greedy, and asserted their rights to the whole lake. With negotiations broken down, the leaders returned to their groups to prepare for battle. Years before, Masami had been ill at ease with a few dissident [Catkin] which required violence. But a true battle¡ªone between completely opposing forces, totaling nearly a hundred bodies¡ªwas a completely new experience to Masami, and was an order of magnitude more bloody and chaotic. Though the [Orcs] were supported by their own [Shamans], the [Fireballs] wielded by Masami, her apprentice, and her [Shamans] overwhelmed the opposition. While nearly a third of the [Catkin] had fallen in battle, the warband was wiped out to the last, and the [Orc] villagers, seeing what happened, began to flee north. Returning with their loot, Masami¡¯s forces were greeted in celebration, and a grand feast was held between all the villages. The dead were cremated upon a pyre and mourned. As evening dwindled into night, many of her warriors told tall tales of their role in the battle to the amusement of the crowd. And more than a few tried to strut their stuff before Masami, courting her in the [Catkin] way. And as she went to sleep that night, she pondered that she really ought to seriously begin considering some of the overtures made her way. There might never be a Mr. Amelia, but perhaps a Mr. Masami wouldn¡¯t be too bad. And so Masami went to sleep that night with pleasant thoughts. She woke up with a start as the blade finished slicing through her throat. She didn¡¯t even see their face. Ding!
You have received the Trait [Touched by a Cursed Blade]. You have died.
3. Curled Up What in the gods above?! Masami yelled to herself in the darkness between lives. I was having a good life! Masami¡¯s internal grumblings over her ill fate continued on for a long time while she waited to be reborn. And, after an interminable period passed, she began wondering what the holdup was: she was getting hungry. Wait? Hungry? While Masami still did not sense anything outside herself, she turned her focus inward and noticed two things. First, she was, indeed hungry. And second, she appeared to know what and where all of her internal organs were. This was quickly followed by the realization that she didn¡¯t recognize most of her organs. Status! She cried out mentally.
Name: [ ] (Level 0) Other Names: Amelia, Masami Race: Slime (common) (Level 0) Unspent Experience: 0 HP: 9/9 MP: 230/230 CON: 5 STR: 3 DEX: 1 INT: 18 WIS: 17 CHA: 0 Free Attribute Points: 0 Traits: [Reincarnator], [Studious], [Ucarhi ¨C Creator of Written Ucarhi], [Touched by a Cursed Blade] General Skills: [Cooking 10], [Cleaning 9], [Ostesh 40], [Planning 20], [Learning 27], [Eating 11], [Ucarhi 27], [Fishing 12], [Butchering 9], [Natural Leader 12], [Claws 7], [Improved Dark Vision], [Nimble Health] Class Skills: [Fireball 9], [Fire Manipulation 5], [Improved Mana Pool], [Mana Finesse] Unspent Skill Points: 0 v. 0.80a
I¡¯m a slime! Masami cried internally, then, as her mind caught up to what she was seeing, Holy shit that¡¯s a lot of MP! Where did that come from? She started going through her Traits and Skills reading them carefully, until she found it:
[Studious] (rare): You were born to learn and one of the best ways to do so is by studying. +3 WIS, +3 INT at each birth.
The System wasn¡¯t entirely infallible. Or, at least, how it interacted with Gods¡¯ Creation wasn¡¯t. Since the System had to interact with each person individually, that meant lots of different languages, and different means¡ªvisual, auditory (heck, she¡¯d even heard of one person with a tactile interface). And because of that there were sometimes very slight variations which one might reasonably call mistakes. And one of them was the [Ostesh] language version of [Studious]. When she was still at the Academy as (well) Amelia¡ªjeez, maybe I should start numbering these lives¡ªshe had read one scroll discussing WIS and INT enhancing Traits. The author¡ªshe forgot his name¡ªhad been a traveling [Mage] from a generation before her and, in his travels, had learned about many Traits from the other peoples of the Eurial continent. Among other things, he made sure to transcribe the descriptions of each of these Traits in these other languages. One anomaly he pointed out was that in the other five languages in which he had a transcribed description, [Studious] was described as a (rare) trait which granted +3 WIS, and +3 INT at birth. But in [Ostesh], the Trait was described as effecting at each birth. Given that people are only born once, however, this was usually chalked up as some sort of mistake. Who could say which version was correct? This slime could. In any event, with [Reincarnator] and three lives under her belt, her starting WIS and INT were starting to get a little ridiculous. Maybe she could be a magical [Slime]? She focused on her Race and pulled up its description:
[Slime] (common): The lowest of the low, and roundest of the round. Slow to notice you and slower to react, you¡¯re pretty much only in danger if you fall into one. +1 Free Attribute every level; +1 Skill Point every 6 levels
Oh, fuck. [Slime] has shitty progression. And if I already have System access, the base attributes must be crap too. If it wasn¡¯t for bonuses, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if I only had a single point split between INT and WIS. Then she turned her focus to this new Trait that had appeared:
[Touched by a Cursed Blade] (rare): Slashing wounds heal 50% slower.
Double fuck. I guess if I can cheese my good Traits and Skills, that also means the bad ones follow too. Fuck. Going to need to avoid pointy things from now on. Or find a way to break curses. But it¡¯s a Trait? Shit. With that downer, Masami closed her Status and returned to reflecting on her body, which was apparently the only thing she could sense. Organs: check. Hunger: check. Hey, wait a minute¡­ Actually, Masami could start to sense something outside her body. She mentally grasped her sensory input for several minutes before it hit her: She was tasting the outside of her body with¡­ her entire body. Indeed, it would not have been impractical to describe herself as a disproportionately large, but insensitive¡­ nose. She was not going to describe herself as a tongue. Feeling as squeamish as she could for a [Slime], Masami tasted that she appeared to be on a rocky surface. She tried to follow the taste of the rock (whatever that means), and soon found that subtle variations of rock were passing beneath her body. There was no sense of touch, nor of movement, but Masami¡¯s best guess was that she was indeed moving. And so she did so. For several hours. And then several more hours. Surely she would have gotten bored, but given her general state of sensory deprivation, this was about as much stimulation as she could possibly get. At one point, she pondered over her Status page to see if there were any skills that could help her, but the complete lack of external stimuli meant that every skill was either useless or dangerous. Finally, days or even weeks later¡ªand still hungry, though apparently not starving?? A mystery for later¡ªMasami tasted dirt and green grass beneath her. After such a long time, she never would have thought she would be happy eating dirt and grass, and yet, here she was doing just that. Occasionally she would get an insect or other invertebrate crawling on the ground and the delicious taste of meat would flash through her. Of course, killing such things gave her no XP and seemingly weeks later¡ªshe didn¡¯t have any means to measure the passage of time¡ªshe still sat as a Level 0, 0 XP [Slime]. At least her time was peaceful. [Slime] life for the win! And then a [Squirrel] fell into her. Aaahhh!!! Both [Squirrel] and [Slime] yelled mentally, though neither could hear the other. The animal fought valiantly to escape. But, the nature of [Slimes] is of a thick cloyingness and, before she knew it, Masami had her first XP of her new life. Ding!
You have killed a [Squirrel] (Level 8). For killing an enemy significantly above your level, you gain bonus experience. You gain 150 XP. [Eating] has ranked up to 12.
Huh, Masami thought, and then dumped her XP into her first [Slime] level. With the free attribute point, she put it into her DEX with the hope that perhaps it would help her roll around faster (not that she had any sense of speed). And a few seconds later, Masami confirmed that she could indeed roll around much faster.
And so, life continued for Masami, day in and day out, months and months rolling by. She would move, eat what she came across, and eat what fell into her. When winter came, she found herself slowing down and dozing off until spring came again. The cycle continued. Years passed, until finally: Ding!
You have killed a [Honey Badger] (Level 2). You have gained 220 XP.
And with that, Masami upgraded [Slime] to Level 6, and received her first general Skill Point. Opening up the [Slime] skill store, she was ¡­ not terribly impressed. Interestingly, and she hadn¡¯t noticed this as a [Catkin], while her existing Skills and Traits could affect what Skills were available for purchase, Skills that had behavioral prerequisites appeared to be limited to what she did in her current life. Accordingly, she could purchase Skills that were homekeeping- or leadership-adjacent based on her existing Skills. Or she could select from [Slime] skills: [Improved Eating], [Calm Stomach], [Flavor Enhancer], etc. She was not terribly impressed going through that list, and was a little irked there did not appear to be any curse breaking skills. Not that she had much history with curses. Or curses that existed as Traits. But she had some future proofing in mind. In the end, she decided that her current blindness was the biggest and best issue that she could resolve at the moment. Ding!
You have purchased [Skin Sight] (uncommon): Who needs eyes to see? You don¡¯t, that¡¯s who! Perceive your surrounding at a distance of (DEX*Rank/10) meters.
While she had been favoring DEX so far, Masami had also brought up CON to 6 and STR to 4 for balance. But now that she could see, Masami dumped her latest point into DEX, bringing it to 5. Being able to see around her for five meters brought metaphorical tears to Masami¡¯s metaphorical eyes. First, because it was the first time she had seen this life. Second, because the lack of the typical eye structures meant her vision was wildly unfocused. And finally, because she found herself looking in every direction simultaneously. While what passed for a [Slime]¡¯s brain parsed the latter easily enough, it nonetheless took Masami¡¯s soul a little time to adjust. When she could finally properly observe her surroundings, Masami saw she was in a temperate forest, currently at the base of a tree where she had apparently killed the badger. Looking around her, it must have been old growth forest far away from any civilization and, while she had only the vaguest sense of how much time had passed since birth, agreed with herself that the lack of anything sapient trying to kill her over all that time weighed strongly in favor of her being in the middle of nowhere. But, she could see! And now that she could see, Masami took a close look at herself. I¡¯m round. And pink! Why am I pink? Am I a girl slime? Are there girl slimes? A rumble from what could generously be called her stomach later, and the blood floating within her plasma was cleaned away, revealing her greenish-blue color. Well, assuming that she could actually sense that color and wasn¡¯t just misinterpreting it. Indeed, she had noticed that [Catkin] could see more purples than purple, but conspicuously had a little trouble with shades of yellow. Nonetheless, continuing her self-examination, Masami decided that she must have been about a half meter wide, and that, all in all, she could have done worse than [Slime]. Well, hypothetically. She wasn¡¯t going to jinx it.
And so, her life continued. At least with her new vision, she felt more comfortable utilizing some of her other Skills. Many were useless still as she was a [Slime], but she found that she could use [Claws] and [Fireball] with ease. The former was weird¡ªwho ever heard of a slime with a hard cutting surface? And the latter was toastier than her slime-itude cared for. But in either case, they made her more combat effective at both a melee distance and a (fairly limited) range. At least it was peaceful. Until six months later. In the interim, her improved sight had allowed her to more actively hunt prey and she found herself steadily gaining experience, keeping her belly (relatively) full, and ranking up her eating-related skills. Things were going fine until one day, she stumbled across the corpse of a [Cave Bear]. The corpse was relatively intact, with what appeared to be various slashing wounds around it. What was apparently keeping any scavengers away was the fact that the corpse was covered in pus-filled boils. Masami was squeamish when she realized what she was looking at, but her slime instincts told her to shut up and eat. Turning off her [Skin Sight] so that at least she wouldn''t have to look, Masami took a mental step back and let her body do its own thing. Oh gods, why is it so delicious?!? That¡­ went alright, as these things go, mental trauma notwithstanding. At least, until Masami fell asleep, which, considering slimes don¡¯t sleep, was disconcerting. When Masami did wake up, she flicked on [Skin Sight] and could tell she was half the size as before. All around her, she could see little baby [Slimes] slowly move off into the distance. Did I just¡­ reproduce? Fortunately, motherly instincts for slimes were zero. And so, after recovering from that initial shock, Masami simply continued on her way, putting that barrel of concern far out of reach.
Years passed. Along the way, she picked up the [Meditation] skill.
[Meditation] (rare): You may enter a meditative trance. When doing so, your HP Regen and MP Regen are improved by (Rank)%.
She wasn¡¯t quite sure, but she thought that the life of the [Slime] was a slow, thoughtful, and conscientious experience that¡ªby sheer perseverance¡ªlead to her picking up the Skill. Yes, that must be it. Nothing else to see here. And, of course, Masami continued to level. Level 12 came, but Masami was uninterested in any of the available Skills and so banked the Skill Point. She reproduced again a few levels later, and that joined the other barrel of concern that she was ignoring. And soon came Level 18. Given the repetitive and simple nature of her life, the Skill list was only slightly different and she banked that Skill Point too. By the time Level 24 rolled around, Masami was starting to get a little worried. While she enjoyed the simple life of the [Slime], she had no idea if her options would improve at any point in the future. She still remembered dying as Amelia and the frustration of losing her banked Skill Points then. Moreover, she had no idea when she would be eligible for a Class if at all. She assumed so, since it appeared on her Status, albeit blank, but she had never heard of a [Slime] with a Class. Ultimately, after a few more days of worrying, Masami decided just to spend the Skill Points. While she had doubts they would mean much in this life or the next, you never did know what the future held. Heck, when she saw [Reincarnator], she just assumed that she would be [Human] or at least humanoid. But nope. Already slime. And so Masami picked up [Calm Stomach], [Amorphous Body], [Disguise], and [Slippery]. Of course, when Masami hit Level 30, she finally got the notification she was waiting for. Ding!
Congratulations! You are now eligible to select a Class. A Class represents who you are and what you do, and will be a defining point in the rest of your life. Classes can provide extra attribute points, Traits, and Skills. Classes may be leveled using unspent experience. Based on your Race, Level, Traits, Skills, society, and prior experience, you are eligible for the following Classes (inspect for more information): Choose carefully! The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.
Huh, Masami thought as she pondered the available Classes. [Hunter] must have come from all the time I spent in the forest hunting and eating. But given that I don¡¯t use weapons or traps, and I don¡¯t really stalk prey so much as I chance upon them, I¡¯m not sure what good that¡¯ll do for me here. [Eater], [Glutton], and [Gourmand] all seem likely to be my [Slime] Racial Classes. The attributes for [Gourmand] are very good, but given the description, I don¡¯t see how any of its Traits or Skills would be all that interesting. [Mimic] was an interesting one and her inner monologue spaced out as she reviewed what the System would tell her. It was a disguise-focused, rogue-type Class, but with an emphasis on inanimate objects. This confused her for a bit, because she thought that [Mimic] was a Race as well. Hmm. Not necessarily useful now, but perhaps the disguise features would be helpful in later lives? After serious thought, Masami skipped it. While she couldn¡¯t discount future lives as monsters, she much preferred to live in civilization, and while general disguise skills might be helpful, doing so as a large chest didn¡¯t fit her hopefully-future M.O. And so on to [Scribe]. Masami was confused how she had acquired it. She suspected that it was somehow related to her Trait as the creator of the [Ucarhi] written language, but she had done that before her Class as a [Catkin] and no such Class had been offered to her then. There must have been some hidden requirement met, but she was baffled what, if anything, her slime-self had done. And so, by process of elimination. Masami was left with [Mage]. While she loved being a [Mage], she wasn¡¯t super-hot on choosing it this time. It was becoming apparent that [Mage] would always be available to her in her future lives, and it just didn¡¯t add that much to being a [Slime]. This life could have been an opportunity to pick up weird and unexpected skills that just might be useful in the future. But, here she was picking something so¡­ vanilla? Masami wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about that. Oh well. Ding!
You have selected [Mage]. You have allocated XP to [Mage]. [Mage] is now Level 30. +60 WIS, +60 INT, +60 Free, +30 [Mage] Skill points.
What the fuck? Since when does Mage give so many Attributes and Skill Points? She focused on the Class to pull up its information.
[Mage] (very rare): One of the most basic Classes delving into the arcane nature of magic. Well-balanced between all the fields thereof, but not specialized into any in particular. May evolve into various specialized Classes. +2 WIS, +2 INT, +2 Free / level. +1 [Mage] Skill point / level. Antae fuis kaj donis atributojn kaj lertecojn nur se gi estis malofta. Jes, jes, mi ne zorgas, ekzistas nur
WHAT. THE. FUCK?? Masami¡¯s (metaphorical) eyes widened further and further as she read more of the description. First, the basic description had been entirely re-written. Among other things, it now described it as a ¡°basic¡± Class, and suggested that it could ¡°evolve¡± into other Classes. Since when do Classes evolve? What does that even mean??? Then the Attributes and Skills awarded per level had tripled. And then the text ended in something she couldn¡¯t read, even though the System was set to [Ostesh]. Frankly, it looked a lot like the bootya loadya, but what did she know. While everyone had heard the language of the gods, no one had ever seen it written before as far as she knew. Masami was so stunned chewing this over that two days passed without her moving. Fortunately, she was a slime. Eventually, she returned to her senses and then the Status screen. I have 60 free points and 30 [Mage] Skill Points to spend. Let¡¯s get cracking. She rounded off her INT and WIS, dumped a few points into her physical stats, decided she had enough to splurge a little on CHA¡ªI¡¯ll be a pretty slime!¡ªand then dumped the rest again into her physical stats. When she was done, her stats looked like this.
HP 364 MP 4800 CON 26 STR 26 DEX 26 INT 80 WIS 80 CHA 16 Free 0
Her MP was sitting at a staggeringly high number. And her HP was fairly respectable as well, though she was starting to see the diminishing returns of [Nimble Health] when her physical stats started getting up there. Turning her [Skinsight] to herself, she did indeed appear shinier, and possibly bluer, almost tending into purple really. With her [Mage] Skill Points, she went all out. She picked up [Firebolt] to round out her first tier fire magic skills, then picked up [Acid Splash] which appeared to be something she gained access to as a [Slime], though she had no other acid magic spells. She had never considered it during her opposable thumb existences, but now she purchased [Mage Hand] for one point, then the upgrade [Mage Hands] for another two points. That was five points. Unfortunately, at this point, all she had left was a few second tier skills. So she grabbed them all: [Flaming Sphere], [Flamethrower], [Fire Wall], and [Mage¡¯s Shield]. With eight points spent, she was now down to 17 points. But having made those purchases, another two skills popped up which she immediately purchased: [Improved Mana Pool II] and [Mana Finesse II]. Those ended up costing 6 points combined, but the improved versions were much appreciated. With the 11 points left, she considered banking them, but she didn¡¯t see how things would change this life to allow her access to other spells. So against common knowledge¡ªshe supposed that didn¡¯t apply much to her anymore¡ªshe dumped them into her two old fire Skills, which were getting harder to rank up anyways. And finally her [Mage] gains were spent. Then she bought [Firm Purchase] from the [Slime] store. And she was all done. Ding!
As a [Slime] with a Class, you may become a Named [Slime]. Please select a Name.
Oh. Amelia?
A prior Name may not be selected for a Name.
Huh. Hmm¡­. Queenie?
Congratulations! You are now the Named [Slime] Queenie. The Temples to Alldir, god of adventurers, have been alerted to your existence. Beware adventurers!
FUCK!
Queenie huddled in a cave for a week afterwards. Eventually, she realized that she had been out here for years now¡ªor has it been decades?¡ªand she hadn¡¯t seen a single person out here of any type. Heck, not even a [Goblin], and she was pretty sure they counted as monsters and not people. Sure having a combined 60 levels was pretty sweet. And the slime-life was relaxing. But (not that she was keen on dying) she was starting to get a little antsy for the next life. Would she be a monster again? Or just a person? And what Race this time? She only knew a few, but a girl could dream couldn¡¯t she? And so, Queenie went back to her normal routine, but now with extra magic! Though her sight now improved to an impressive 26 meters, her MP was essentially bottomless for the hunting she did. And so she found that she could spend weeks at a time just firing off spell after spell. Throw a few dozen or hundred, zone out for a while to let her MP recover, maybe have a snack, then pick back up again. And while her [Mage Hands] ended up not being as game-changing as she thought it would have been¡ªit wasn¡¯t like she needed to build herself a house¡ªit was nice to occasionally just pick up a shiny rock or¡­ whatever. Plus now she could get fresh fruit from out of the trees rather than wait for them to fall. Ding!
[Eating] has ranked up.
Sigh. Maybe I was fit to become a slime.
Queenie had just gotten back into her routine when she tried to level up both [Slime] and [Mage] and found something peculiar. Rather than the 3,100 XP each (and 6,200 total) that she expected to spend, both were demanding 6,200 XP each. Surprised, she ignored it, as she was want to do, and continued on with her [Slime]-life until she had the needed XP. When she did, she went again to level up and Ding!
[Slime] has reached Level 31. [Slime] is eligible to be evolved to a higher tier Race. [Mage] has reached Level 31. [Mage] is eligible to be evolved to a higher tier Class.
Huh. So that¡¯s what the System meant about evolving Classes. Though it¡¯s weird that I Classed at 30 then evolved it at 31. And Races evolve too I suppose. This must be something new. Do I get a selection?
[Big Slime] (uncommon): It¡¯s a [Slime], but bigger! +2 Free / level; +1 Skill / 3 levels [Giant Slime] (rare): The giant bully of all [Slimes]. +1 CON, +3 Free / level; +2 Skill / 3 levels [Queen Slime] (very rare): Matriarch of the [Slimes]. [Slimes] and [Royalty] are one step more likely to treat you favorably. +1 CHA, +5 Free / level; +1 Skill / level.
Hmm. Queenie wasn¡¯t sure what to expect about evolving a Race, but it seemed a lot like picking a Class in the first instance. Clearly all her options were based on who she was and what she did. And frankly she was a little curious whether her naming choice had somehow affected the last option. Perhaps more interesting though was being able to compare the different rarities of Races and Classes! She¡¯d never really paid all that much attention to the subject as Amelia and then, when it came to it, she hadn¡¯t Classed before she died. Then Masami had always known she was going to be a [Mage] (very rare). She was the only (very rare) Class holder that she knew of and her Attributes and Skills were the same as the (uncommon) Class holders, which were admittedly better than (common) Class holders. Really, it was only just now that she started to understand that the higher rarity Classes were very much overpowered. And starting as a (common) [Slime] and now having the option of evolving into an (uncommon), (rare) or (very rare) variant, it was quite clear how the rarity mechanic worked. Hmm, better look at the [Mage] selections first.
[Fire Mage] (very rare): Magic is good for only two things in this world. Fire and flame. +2 WIS, +2 INT, +2 Free / level. +1 [Mage] Skill point / level. [Fire Immunity] Trait. [High Mage] (very rare): Not quite an [Archmage], but they¡¯re pompous rats anyways. +2 WIS, +2 INT, +2 Free / level. +1 [Mage] Skill point / level. New areas of magic are 50% easier to learn.
Hmm. Given her predilection to fire, Queenie really shouldn¡¯t have been surprised by the first choice. The specific Trait awarded was interesting and, given [Reincarnator], something she could hold onto even if she never went down this road again. The second choice seemed like a generic evolution. Branching out into new magic was high on her list of medium term objectives, but she would need civilization for that. If the Class bonus was a Trait, she could grab it for the future lives, but in juxtaposition, the failure to note it as a Trait suggested it was not. Well, she had made up her mind. Ding!
You have selected [Queen Slime]. You have selected [Fire Mage]. You are now Named [Queen Slime] Queenie, [Fire Mage]. The Temples to Alldir, god of adventurers, have been alerted to your evolutions. Beware adventurers!
Oh bother, she thought and blacked out as the evolutions hit her.
When Queenie came back to, she found that she had ballooned in size. It was hard to say, but she was pretty sure she was the same size as the hut she grew up in as Masami. Which was the biggest change she found. The irritating change she found was that the XP scale continued to be much more expensive. She wasn¡¯t super keen on the exact calculation, but she was pretty sure that the ¡°new¡± 30+ scale was double the ¡°old¡± 30+ scale. Level 32 for either of her Class or Race would take 6,200 XP. That was enough to take you from Level 0 to Level 10 just starting out! Queenie grumbled for a while, but then settled back into her routine again. The decades passed¡­ Ding!
[Queen Slime] is now Level 40. [Fire Mage] is now Level 40.
Ding!
[Queen Slime] is now Level 45. [Fire Mage] is now Level 45.
Ding!
[Queen Slime] is now Level 50. [Fire Mage] is now Level 50.
Her Skills ranked up as well, both from general use and these surplus Skill Points from [Queen Slime] she was accumulating due to the lack of Skills to purchase. She began to wonder what really high level people did. Funnily enough, she realized that her General Skill points received from her Race could be spent on any rankable General Skill, whether originally a [Slime] Skill or not. So she took the time to round out some of the Skills that had been lagging. When she did cross paths with other [Slimes], she did find that they seemed slightly more ¡­ deferential? Slimes weren¡¯t exactly much of a social species so it was hard to say. Lack of lips and all. And she hadn¡¯t run into any [Royalty], so she wasn¡¯t sure about that. What she did know was that she had CHA 40 and looked as fantastic as she felt.
One day, Queenie was traveling through the forest when she heard voices. Voices! she thought redundantly. And for all that she was wary about adventurers, it was something new to interest an old [Queen Slime]. And so, Queenie crept quietly through the forest following the voices¡ªor at least as quietly as a hut-sized slime can. And as she crept around a stony ridge, she saw them seated by a river, taking a quick break on their hike. They¡¯re so small! Queenie thought, though she supposed they were actually full-sized. It was a party of five, all humanoid. Two were definitely human, but the other three she was doubtful of. Two were taller, and had pointed ears and delicate features, while the fifth was very short and hairy. But, she couldn¡¯t understand what they were saying. Darn language barriers. Queenie continued trying to observe them when one of the taller ones whipped around quickly and fired an arrow at her. It did nothing, but she found she was a little annoyed at this impudence. She let a little rumble out through her plasma and moved out from her "hiding" spot. They continued speaking among themselves, but she still couldn¡¯t understand them.
¡°[Monstro-Analizo]. Ho a?a?o. ?i estas Nomata Monstro.¡± ¡°[Nomata]? Kio?¡± ¡°Queenie. Tuta nivelo 100. [Queen Slime] e [Fire Mage].¡±
Queenie stood there, staring down at them as imperiously as she could. Then she realized she really had no eyes and that the overall effect was probably less royal and more monstrous than intended. Four of the adventurers readied themselves to attack, but the fifth started yelling at them.
¡°ATENDU! Ne ataku!¡± ¡°Kio nun [Princino]? ?i estas Nomata Monstro. ?i ne estas besto. ¡°?i ne atakas! ?i devas havi altnivelan Kapablon, kiu influas karismon kaj re?econ. La princino estas tu?ita.¡±
They kept talking at each other for many heartbeats, before the four aggressive ones launched themselves at Queenie to attack. Their attacks, though cutting, were laughably weak and she quickly torched one, then blocked the two others with [Fire Wall] and [Mage¡¯s Shield]. The fourth attacker had disappeared from Queenie¡¯s senses, but she disregarded the matter as the first attacker fell and she turned her offensive power against the second. Just as the second attacker fell (well-roasted), Queenie suddenly felt a burning, itching sensation on her far side and found the fourth attacker carving into herself with daggers and flinging powder into her plasma through the cuts. She reacted instinctively and [Clawed] at him, shredding his meaty flesh, before grabbing him with [Mage Hands] and swallowing him up. The third attacker chose her distraction as the time to go all out and he hacked into her several times before he too roasted before the royal fire. As the last of the attackers fell, Queenie turned her attention back to the tall female, the one who argued with the others before they attacked. The woman seemed to notice that Queenie was focused on her and slowly approached deferentially. As she did so, Queenie suddenly felt a loss of energy and her body deflated significantly. Pulling up her Status, Queenie saw that her HP was low and plummeting quickly. Darn, forgot about that slashing wound curse. I¡­ I¡¯m dying. Again. With that thought, Queenie let out a low keening rumble. The woman continued to approach, and rested a hand on Queenie¡¯s outer membrane, gazing at her carefully, even as her colleagues lay dead around her.
¡°Iru nun en paco, Re?ino de la Arbaro.¡±
Urgh. Stupid language barrier, Queenie grumbled to herself. As her last points of HP drifted away, Queenie used [Mage Hands] to grab some mud from the riverbank, formed it into a flat tablet, and then began carving into it, first in [Ostesh], then in [Ucarhi].
Here lies Queenie, [Queen Slime] (L50) and [Fire Mage] (L50). As her penultimate act, she remembers Amelia, daughter of Connor, of Kingsheart of the Osmond Kingdom, student at Panmore Academy, future [Mage]. As her ultimate act, she remembers Masami, daughter of Naomi, of the [Catkin], first [Mage] and leader of the [Ucarhi], inventor of written [Ucarhi], conqueror of the [Orcs]. May all history remember these three.
Ding!
You have died.
Name: Queenie (Level 100) Other Names: Amelia, Masami Race: Queen Slime (Level 20), Slime (Level 30) Class: Fire Mage (Level 20), Mage (Level 30) Unspent Experience: 5,200 HP: 0/3,280 MP: 5,280/19,600 CON: 80 STR: 80 DEX: 80 INT: 140 WIS: 140 CHA: 40 Free Attribute Points: 4 Traits: [Reincarnator], [Studious], [Ucarhi ¨C Creator of Written Ucarhi], [Touched by a Cursed Blade], [Fire Immunity] General Skills: [Cooking 10], [Cleaning 10], [Ostesh 40], [Planning 20], [Learning 30], [Eating 36], [Ucarhi 27], [Fishing 12], [Butchering 10], [Natural Leader 12], [Claws 15], [Improved Dark Vision], [Nimble Health], [Skin Sight], [Meditation 10], [Calm Stomach], [Amorphous Body], [Disguise 15], [Slippery], [Firm Purchase] Class Skills: [Fireball 18], [Fire Manipulation 18], [Improved Mana Pool II], [Mana Finesse II], [Firebolt 12], [Acid Splash 12], [Mage Hands], [Flaming Sphere 12], [Flamethrower 12], [Fire Wall 12], [Mage¡¯s Shield 12] Unspent Skill Points: 0 v. 0.80a
4. Holy Heights In the early afternoon of a cold spring day, in a spare bedroom of Baron Marlonson¡¯s estate, there were, in fact, five coherent thoughts made at the same time: ¡°My wife!¡± ¡°My child!¡± ¡°My grandchild!¡± ¡°Ah good, the child is healthy,¡± and¡ªmost surprisingly¡ª¡°Yes, [Human]!¡±
Queenie was back to being [Human]. She was excited as her new family stood around her babbling in a language she didn¡¯t know. Yet. While she had only been non-humanoid for 1 in 4 lives, that one life had been the longest, if not terribly exciting. But she was almost starting to get a feel for this. It was like riding a horse. Almost. But hey, she could cope. She was the damn smartest baby in a thousand leagues and she was going to milk this life for all its worth. For now, it was the baby regimen: eat, poop, sleep. Maybe coo a bit. Her first assumption was disproven two months later when her mother took her to the front of the house to meet a guest. The guest was huge! Almost twice as tall as her father. And yet, he looked perfectly [Human]! She hadn¡¯t seen any of the [Giant] races, but she had been under the vague impression that they tended to suffer from hideous deformities. Instead, like her father, the very tall man wore fine noblemen¡¯s clothes and had a refined attitude, though she still couldn¡¯t understand him. Maybe we¡¯re some sort of halfling? she thought. Eh, I can cope. Her second assumption was disproven four months after that, when she could finally lift her head and get a good look at herself. She had a dingus. Which, in not so many words, is to say that he was a boy. He had no coherent response to that. But, like with her [Catkin] days, Queenie got early access to his Status page, which at least answered a few questions. First, he was a [Brillian] (uncommon), a species of halflings comfortable in the hills and dales of temperate climates, and little else. +1 attribute per level, alternating between CHA and CON; +1 Free per level, and + 1 Skill Point per 3 levels. Pretty standard. Second, his name was Emil Marlonson. The fact that he had a surname clued him in that he was definitely noble born. And finally, [Studious] continued to be a complete cheese. He was now receiving +12 INT, +12 WIS from the Trait. Together with his other traits, he now had nearly 50 Attributes Points combined, when most babies had between 6 and 10. He had¡ªsomewhat sadly¡ªMP double what he had when she was Amelia¡ªas a Level 12 [Human] teenager.
Despite their smaller size, [Brillians] tended to follow the [Human] progression of growing up, which was, to say, rather slow. He could only be so physically precocious given his very small physical stats, though when he did try to walk at the tender age of 8 months, he could feel the effects of [Firm Purchase] kick in. The effect was minimal as he already had firm purchase on the floor of the manor: it was the rest of his body which was disagreeable to the concept of walking at his age. Alas, he concluded, I may need to wait a few more months. At least his high mental stats combined with his high rank in [Learning] meant he quickly picked up the local language, [Eastern Kneet], and brought it to rank 10. He still couldn¡¯t speak¡ªdarn infant development!¡ªbut at least he could understand most of what was happening around him. He quickly learned that his father was a Baron, first name Earl (to the confusion of all), and liked to go for long walks around his estate. His father was a true patriot, and although he had a noble title, his actual Class was apparently [Royal Knight], an evolved Class that had very specific requirements to obtain. His service to the local [King] had been so exemplary, that a new barony had been created just for him and he was granted his surname. His mother was named Eska. She was the third daughter of a baker and had met his father while he was in convalescence following a recent war. He had proposed to her just after he had been ennobled and the rest, as they say, is history. He also inadvertently found out, while his mother thought he only had [Eastern Kneet] at rank 1 or 2, that his mother was seriously wondering if Emil¡¯s terrible twos started early or whether it was going to get even worse after he reached 24 months. His precociousness was quickly becoming a real and notorious family headache. Emil had just about eked out 90 XP by his first birthday when he was greeted with a surprise from the System: Ding!
Congratulations on making it another year. +100 XP awarded.
A birthday based XP bonus? Maybe too many children were dying young due to low stats? Eek, that¡¯s a scary thought. The result was that, in addition to a few points increase in his base physical stats from diligent physical therapy/just growing up, he had enough XP to gain his second level at 15 months. With 4s in both DEX and STR, he was finally able to stand up, walk and even run! It was a trying time for his family. Eska might even have coped, as she told her lady friends, but he was difficult to grab (thanks [Slippery]), he always seemed to know when she snuck up on him (thanks [Skin Sight]) and he always seemed to be able to hide in the oddest places (thanks [Amorphous Body]). And don¡¯t even get her started with how he always got to things out of his reach (thanks [Mage Hands]).
Huh. I could get used to doing it standing.
By three years though, Emil¡¯s mischievousness had finally passed to the relief of his family. And just in time too, for Emil soon found himself standing outside the spare bedroom waiting with his nervous father. After hours of waiting, a wail finally announced the birth of his sister, Emma Marlonson. The years passed and Emil adored his little sister. Once she could sit up, he would take her out to play in the grand grounds of the estate, where she would be the [Princess] needing to be rescued, while Emil played the [Hero] or the [Knight]. Eventually though, Emma herself began to run, and their play evolved into ¡°stalking¡± through the ¡°forest¡± for ¡°goblins¡± as the heroic duo Archie the [Archer] and Sven the [Swordsman]. After a few years play-acting as a sword-wielding hero, after three lives being a ranged [Mage], Emil really started to wonder whether being male was having that significant of an effect on him. And for that matter, if he did take up the sword, what would he do with his magic? Though, knowing how quickly¡ªrelative to him¡ªthings seemed to be changing with the System, he wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he found some Class that allowed him to smite his enemies from above with both sword and sorcery. At six years of age, as a noble born child, Emil began to receive private tutoring befitting his station. Having gone through childhood education as Amelia and Masami (at least, to some extent), Emil was not keen to begin again given that he already had [Eastern Kneet] up to 25. He already knew the basics of life as far as he was concerned and wasted hours listening to some old coot or hag drone on was better spent playing. How wrong he was. What he didn¡¯t expect was that, as a noble, he would have a far broader education, including in several subjects that would have been considered esoteric in Amelia¡¯s day and age. History and geography were entirely new subjects to him and¡ªafter an afternoon studying maps¡ªhe concluded that whatever continent he was on, he had not been on before. Well, probably, he mused. Economics, politics, and civics were also new subjects which he had almost no prior knowledge of, at least formally. And while he loathed sitting still, the novelty was enough to capture his attention. Not to mention the new perspectives he gained on the world. Nonetheless, perhaps the most interesting subject was Systemology: the study of the System and its optimization, both on an individual level and an organizational level. He should not have been surprised that the subject existed, but he was. While he had figured out some aspects of the System by living multiple lives, he supposed it made sense that people could take notes, conduct experiments, and gather data to do the same without, you know, dying repeatedly. And while obviously the study had started with individuals, as increasingly complex social structures were created, the broader impact the System could have on such organizations was studied as well. What was the optimal ratio between leader-type classes and those they supervised? To what extent could scribe-type classes improve the functioning of other individuals within an organization? How best could a leader identify promising individuals and push them to greater heights? While interesting, the most pertinent point Emil learned was that he would receive his initial System access upon achieving total Attributes equal to half of the average of the base attributes for an adult of his species. I.e., the average total base attributes for an adult Brillian was (like most humanoids) 100, and therefore he would unlock his system access at 50. And thanks to the System¡¯s birthday rewards and the base attribute gains attributable to a healthy noble born diet (and [Eating], which helped too, not that the tutor knew) and the stimulating mental exercises of his tutoring (yay?), he would be expected to unlock System access around the age of seven, but no later than eight. It¡¯s a good thing he didn¡¯t tell anyone he had unlocked System access as an infant. ¡°Further,¡± his tutor continued, ¡°given how quickly you have soaked up much of the knowledge I have sought to impart upon you, it seems likely to me that once you do unlock System access, it will show that you have some sort of born Trait that assisted you with this, perhaps one of the tiers of [Precocious].¡± ¡°Tiers of [Precocious]?¡± ¡°Yes, young master, there are three known tiers of [Precocious]: [Precocious I], [Precocious II], and [Precocious III]. In addition to a small bonus in learning, the Traits provide, respectively, +4, +8 or +16 in both WIS and INT.¡± Hmm. Well, guess I¡¯m faking [Precocious III] now.
When Emil was seven, he was startled awake in the middle of the night by a loud commotion. He slunk over to the open window and looked out towards the front lawn where he saw several fierce looking [Humans] towering over and fighting his father and what looked to be the local guard. Immediately fearing for his sister, Emil ran out of his room, down the hallway, and barged into his sister¡¯s room. She was, perhaps not unsurprisingly, completely asleep. Emil nudged her and called ¡°Emma. Emma!¡± but she did not stir. Finally, using his STR, he rolled her up in her blankets, picked her up, and sat both of them on the floor of the wardrobe, closing the door entirely behind him. As he sat listening to the commotion outside, he heard it begin to move throughout the manor. Doors were being slammed open and wood was breaking. Finally, he heard the door to his sister¡¯s room be kicked open. Sticking just his pinky finger in the crack of the wardrobe door, he willed both [Skinsight] and [Improved Dark Vision] to get him a good look at the person, but other than his [Mage] robes and his [Human] height nearly scraping the halfling-sized ceiling, Emil did not get a good look as the man quickly left again. The doors continued to be slammed open down the hallway until the sounds reached the end, when Emil heard a loud conversation start. ¡°The kids aren¡¯t here.¡± ¡°Well, this shit went sideways almost from the beginning. They probably holed up in a safe room or something.¡± ¡°But there ain¡¯t no saferoom in this mansion. Boss confirmed it.¡± ¡°That don¡¯t mean they don¡¯t have plans for contingencies just like this. That¡¯s how these noble scum are. Plans within plans. Can¡¯t work an honest day without cheating us poor, simple folk.¡± ¡°Fuck. Whatever, we¡¯ve been talking too damn long. What do we do now?¡± ¡°¡­Torch it?¡± ¡°Torch it.¡± Abruptly, Emil heard the roar of magical fire as the [Mage] began tossing flames into every room in the hallway. When the flames were tossed into his sister¡¯s room, Emil used [Fire Manipulation] to keep them away from the wardrobe they were hiding in, and snapped up [Mage¡¯s Shield] to keep the smoke away from them. But the flames quickly spread to the rest of the room. For all that Emil¡¯s MP was prodigious (both for his age and absolutely), it was not unlimited and his expenditures were already exceeding his regeneration. He began [Planning] to see if there was anything else he could do. Leaving was almost certainly a terrible idea. He had no idea what the situation was outside. On the other hand, there was more than enough air within his [Mage¡¯s Shield] to outlast the fire twice over, even if the whole mansion burned down. But only if he could maintain the Skill that long. He couldn¡¯t maintain it that long. Ten minutes had already passed and the crackling flames were tearing into the dried wood throughout the mansion. His MP pool was being slowly drained as his expenditures just barely topped over his regeneration. Looking over his Skill list, his eyes settled upon [Meditation]:
[Meditation 10] (Ra): You may enter a meditative trance. When doing so, your HP Regen and MP Regen are improved by (Rank)%.
Could I use [Meditation] while still maintaining the barrier? Normally your senses are cut off entirely from the outside world. And can I even use another Skill actively while in a trance? Ultimately, there was only one way to find out. Whether it was the decades spent as a [Slime] or the urgent need to survive, Emil quickly fell into [Meditation]. As the minutes ticked by, he noticed that even in his sensorially deprived state, he could smell the inside of the wardrobe, but not the smell of any smoke.
The sun was just rising as Baron Marlonson supervised the final extinguishment of the fires that had engulfed his family home. His wife was inconsolable nearby as no one had been able to locate their two children during the night. Whether that was because those bandits had kidnapped them or whether they perished in the fire, he could not decide which was a worse fate considering the political forces arrayed against him. ¡°Baron! Baron! Come quickly! Come here!¡± called his [Steward], who had been going through the burnt out frame of the building. As the Baron climbed the stairs towards the wing with his children¡¯s rooms, his heart churned in his stomach with dread. But, as he reached the top of the stairs, he was granted the most wondrous of visions. Though the walls of his daughter¡¯s room had all been burnt away, her wardrobe, together with a short section of wall behind it and the floor beneath, were pristine. In this hellish landscape of charcoal and ash, the undamaged wardrobe served an impossible juxtaposition. As he reached out to touch it, lest it be an illusion to deceive him, his fingers rested upon the wood of the door. It¡¯s real, he thought in rising hope. And, with the greatest apprehension, he opened the door. As the rising sun reached through the lingering smoke and into the wardrobe, it fell upon the sight of his sleeping son, barefoot, and his sleeping daughter, wrapped up in bedsheets. The light awoke his daughter, who yawned and stretched and then, upon seeing her father, tilted her head quizzically. ¡°Daddy???¡± she asked just before he picked her up in a fierce hug. ¡°Eww, you stink! Go away!¡± That day, the Baron¡¯s happiness was pure madness.
To Emil¡¯s surprise, there were no questions directed his way about what had happened that night. While no one understood what happened, they hadn¡¯t even entertained the possibility that Emil was the cause and the general attitude seemed to be not to look a gift horse in the mouth. That said, while the estate was being renovated, and their lives were adjusting to a new normal, Emil decided that it was time. And so, one day at breakfast, he told his parents that he had System access. And told them a pared down version of his attributes, Traits, and Skills. They spent a long time that morning discussing the matter, during which Emil expressed his interest in swordplay. Shortly thereafter, the Baron had a new tutor arrive to begin teaching the rudiments of the Skill. And while Emil¡¯s precociousness meant that he picked up the Skill [One-Handed Swordplay] and early ranks quickly, he still received a number of nicks and cuts lest he get too full of himself. As his mother was binding such a wound, she remarked about how his wounds seemed to heal much slower. ¡°Well, that¡¯s a Trait for you,¡± Emil remarked offhandedly. ¡°What?¡± she asked as her brow furrowed. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Uhh¡­ nothing? Nothing.¡± ¡°Emil Marlonson. You will tell me exactly what you meant. What Trait do you have?¡± For all that Emil had collectively lived longer than his mother, he still gulped at being scolded. Then, very quietly, ¡°it says that it causes slashing wounds to heal 50% slower.¡± ¡°What?!¡± she shrieked. ¡°Which Trait is this?¡± ¡°¡­[Touched by a Cursed Blade].¡± ¡°Cursed?!¡± Eska cried out, then started dragging him after her. ¡°Earl! Earl! We need to talk.¡± Several minutes later, and having repeated everything to his father, the Baron asked his first new question. ¡°Since when have you had this Trait?¡± ¡°At least since I received System access.¡± ¡°What?! But that was weeks ago. Why didn¡¯t you mention it earlier?¡± ¡°I, I didn¡¯t want to worry you. And¡­ I was fine, as long as I didn¡¯t get cut.¡± ¡°Oh, honey, you don¡¯t need to worry about that. You can come to us for anything,¡± Eska cooed. ¡°Besides, it sounds like a fairly minor curse,¡± his father continued. ¡°The Temples should be able to break it.¡± Wait, what? ¡°The Temples can break curses?!¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s one of the services they provide. Because negative Traits are part of the System, regular magic can¡¯t affect it, and divine intervention is needed. Not terribly common, but it¡¯s a significant portion of their revenue.¡±
The next day, Emil and his family went into town. While his father ruled over the town and several surrounding villages, Emil himself had never left the estate grounds. And he soon found out why. The town was comprised mostly of [Humans]! [Brillian] adults were already small enough compared to adult [Humans] that [Brillian] children¡ªapt to run about as they do¡ªwere liable to be squashed. No wonder he was never taken to town before. Eventually, they reached the local Temple, and were quickly ushered inside where they met with the [Cleric]. After hearing his story, the young [Human] could only sympathize with the child. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve heard of that curse. It¡¯s (common) and relatively easy to remove. But its quite curious how you contracted it. Usually you only find it among uncivilized tribes still relying on [Shamans] for magic.¡± ¡°He says he¡¯s had it since he received System access,¡± the Baron replied. ¡°My only thought is that perhaps it was associated with the attack on my residence.¡± ¡°Ah yes,¡± the [Cleric] frowned, ¡°that recent unpleasantness. Well, we might as well get started,¡± she sighed. ¡°Come here and sit on my lap, Emil.¡± As Emil settled into her lap, the [Cleric] began chanting. ¡°Oh Myria, goddess of the harvest, I beseech you as your faithful servant to free this child from his curse. May you provide a guiding light to all that seek shelter in your shadow. [Cursebreaker].¡± Ding!
You have lost the Trait [Touched by a Cursed Blade].
¡°It¡¯s gone,¡± Emil confirmed absently as he read. ¡°But the notification is weird.¡± ¡°Oh, what is strange about it, son?¡± ¡°If the Trait is a curse, wouldn¡¯t the notification say ¡®cured¡¯ or ¡®lifted¡¯? Instead, it says the Trait is ¡®lost.¡¯ Why would it say that? What could be gained from such a cursed Trait that you could ¡®lose¡¯ it?¡± The two adults glanced at each other, then back at the boy. ¡°That¡¯s just the way the System is, son. Sometimes the words are weird.¡±
Emil quietly contemplated the nature of the System, Traits, and the gods, as his family headed back to the estate in their carriage. Suddenly, he spoke up, ¡°Father. I seem to recall a temple-related Class of melee fighters that also use magic?¡± ¡°Yes, the [Paladins]. Why do you ask?¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s the Class I want¡­¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± his father replied, rubbing his chin pensively. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. They are like [Knights] in that they are heavily-armored melee fighters, but they support themselves with both their own magic and by channeling divine power. Continue to think it over, and if you still want to do it when you¡¯re twelve, we¡¯ll arrange for you to receive a blessing and train at the Grand Temple in Ormond.¡± ¡°A blessing?¡± ¡°Yes, in order to qualify for many of the higher religious Classes, you must have a god¡¯s blessing, which appears as a Trait in your Status.¡± Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Huh,¡± he remarked, continuing to think things over on their way home.
The years passed, and Emil continued to grow up. While he had always been quick on the uptake, his tutors began to rave at Emil¡¯s renewed dedication and hard work, pushing many of the tutors to the limits of their own knowledge and skill, both mental and physical. But during his time, he always made a point to love and honor his family, especially Emma, who was becoming quite the bright star in their lives. Finally, at twelve winters of age, it was time. After tear-filled goodbyes, Emil and his father traveled to Ormond on horseback. The trip took three uneventful weeks, and when they arrived, Emil was stunned to be entering his first city since Amelia. Though in truth, to compare Ormond to Kingsheart was a disservice to the former. Compared to Ormond, Kingsheart was just a town which had grown a bit. Ormond was massive¡ªEmil was pretty sure that had nothing to do with his halfling stature¡ªand he could only gawp. First at the city from a distant hill. Then at the tall walls as they passed by the guardhouse. Then at the seemingly innumerable foods and goods being hawked for sale on the street. The Baron could only grin at that. For all that he loved his son, his son had always possessed a maturity and worldliness about him that a minor rural nobleman¡¯s son should not have at his age. It was nice to trip him up a bit and act as a guiding father. Too soon, they arrived at their inn and turned in for the night.
The next morning, they arrived at the Grand Temple, bright and early, dressed in their finest finery and were quickly shown to a senior staff member. ¡°Welcome Baron Marlonson and young master, welcome. I am [High Cleric] Admondsen. How may I assist you today?¡± Admondsen was [Human] and, despite his height, managed to avoid towering over them, for the Baron was still a noble. ¡°Thank you [High Cleric] for your prompt attention,¡± Baron Earl replied. ¡°My son Emil here has aspired to be a [Paladin] for many years now and has trained both his mind, body, and soul to do so. We are here to see about his receiving a [Blessing] and enrolling in your training program.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Admondsen nodded as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. ¡°Well, let¡¯s get some preliminary questions out of the way, then I¡¯ll conduct an interview to ensure your son meet our character qualifications. If we move forward with this, we¡¯ll arrange for the [Blessing] to occur at the next holy day in four days, yes? Yes, that will do.¡± Then, turning to the young man, ¡°First, how old are you, Emil?¡± ¡°Twelve, sir.¡± The man chuckled. ¡°I am no ¡®sir.¡¯ Simply [High Cleric] will do.¡± How is that simpler?!?! Emil groused to himself about his etiquette lessons, but remained silent, offering only a small nod. ¡°And what is your Race level?¡± ¡°Fourteen, [High Cleric].¡± ¡°Fourteen! And you have enough XP banked to raise your Class to that as well?¡± ¡°Yes, [High Cleric].¡± ¡°Ah, very well. And your stats distribution.¡± ¡°20-20-16-25-25-20. But I have [Precocious III]!¡± Emil lied. ¡°Ah,¡± Admonsen acknowledged as he ran some calculations. ¡°So, your Class choice won¡¯t trigger until you hit 132 total, which is rather on the high side. Still, your stats are already very impressive for your age¡­ Two hundred HP, and over three hundred MP,¡± the [High Cleric] muttered as he scratched some math out with a quill. ¡°And you¡¯ll hit your Class choice soon¡­ very soon,¡± he whispered at the end. Actually, it would trigger at 140 total, but the [Cleric] couldn¡¯t have known that given Emil was misleading him. And Emil had hit that threshold over a year ago, but was sitting on his Class options without making a selection: [Noble Guard] (uncommon), [Noble] (rare), [Noble Knight] (rare), [Noble Thief] (rare), [Fighter Monk] (rare), [Mage] (very rare). He really had no idea why he had a [Thief]-adjacent Class; he suspected it had something to do with his Race, but he¡¯d never found any reading material on it nor any good reason to raise it out of the blue with his family. The [Fighter Monk] was an odd option as well, specializing in unarmed combat. It was similar to a [Brawler], but with an emphasis on level-headedness, and Emil suspected that [Meditation] was at play there, though that was a [Mage] Skill. And then there was [Mage] again. He didn¡¯t intend to take it this life, but was glad to see it there all the same. Actually, it wasn¡¯t even there when he first got the prompt. Surprised given what he knew of the Class, he snuck off to a hidden spot, cast a [Fireball], then checked the list again, only to see it appear. So, it¡¯s not just possessing the Skill, he thought at the time, you have to actually cast it too. But why didn¡¯t my actions during the house fire qualify? An odd deviation, but I¡¯m not sure it really matters. But those were all digressions. ¡°Yes, [High Cleric],¡± he affirmed the man¡¯s convenient misunderstandings. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s discuss Skills next. Do you have ¡­.¡±
It took nearly an hour to go over all the skills that Emil was willing to disclose. Then another three hours for the [High Cleric] to conduct the character interview. By the time they were finished, both father and son were famished, and hurried off to a late lunch. As father and son relaxed at the table after their meal, Emil asked the question silently looming over them. ¡°Do you think they¡¯ll take long to decide, father?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Baron Earl raised an eyebrow over the brandy he was sipping. It was early, but even he was a touch nervous. ¡°They¡¯re probably talking about you right now.¡± ¡°Oh. Hmm.¡±
Sam Admondsen was ecstatic. He was not expecting much this morning when one of the [Acolytes] told him that a Baron was here to see about having his son enrolled in the [Paladin] training program. It was¡ªregretfully¡ªnot uncommon for noblemen to dispose of some of the spares through the program. And, while they could refuse some on the grounds of qualifications, too many turn-aways would have been a political nightmare. It was a slow grind, but the standards of the program had noticeably fallen over the last century. And so Sam¡¯s mood improved several steps when it turned out to be Baron Marlonson. Although Sam had not known him personally, he knew by reputation that Marlonson was newly elevated, loyal to the crown, and wholly incorruptible. And to bring him his firstborn son! What a delight. Sam had been waiting for the other shoe to drop, but the ensuing discussion of Emil¡¯s Status and the character interview were beyond reproach. In part, Emil truly was blessed by luck and was determined to use it for the betterment of the people. On the other part, Emil must have been a right tyrant of a student to his tutors in order to raise his attributes that high. The interview had made clear that almost none of his XP had come from monster-hunting, which meant it had come solely from the annual birthday gifts from the System and training. Even so limited, calling Emil merely ¡°prodigious¡± would be a disservice. Sam could hardly wait to see how high Emil would rise.
To no one¡¯s surprise, Emil was promptly accepted and, at the next holy day, received his [Blessing] at the Temple. Ding!
You have received a Trait. [Adonite¡¯s Blessing] (very rare): A blessing from Adonite, God/Goddess of Bread and Steel. Potentially unlocks certain divine-related Traits, Skills and Classes. +10% HP.
Emil checked his Class options and, yes, [Paladin] (very rare) was there. Emil was itching to take it there and then, but decided doing it in public was in poor form. And if he could manage to hold off a few months, doing it after the training program started would be best. His father stayed another week and then, with some terribly-embarrassing parting words to his son about how to deal with city women, returned to his estate.
A few months had passed, and Emil was returning to the dormitory room he had been given at the training grounds. The first few months had been heavily physically focused, with an emphasis on melee combat, with a few Classes on the necessarily religious and divine topics needed to fulfill the role of a [Paladin]. (Little in the way of Skills though, he thought). However, unlike the other trainees that entered contemporaneously with him, because of the [High Cleric]¡¯s recognition that he would be Class eligible soon, Emil was further instructed on what to do once he took the Class. That instruction had just concluded the week before and, with just the few days that had passed, Emil was at the limit of his patience. Finally, he had informed his instructors that morning that he was eligible to Class and, when he finally got back to his room, he laid down on his bed to make his selection. Ding!
You are now a [Paladin]. [Paladin] (very rare): Blessed by a deity, skilled in both steel and magic, and dedicated to the common people, this Class is formidable against those who would do evil in the world. +1 STR WIS,+4 free / lvl, +1 SKP / lvl. As a [Paladin] blessed by two deities, you gain an additional Free attribute point per level.
Wait, what? Since when was I blessed by two deities? Emil looked over his Status again, but all he saw was the one blessing from Adonite. Confused, he decided to disregard his good fortune for now, quickly distributed his free attributes, then turned to his Skills. Based on the instruction received, he immediately selected five Skills: [Divine Channel], which was the necessary magical spell needed to channel divine power from the [Paladin]¡¯s patron god, and as such as a prerequisite to nearly every other [Paladin] Skill; [Divine Smite], for melee; [Divine Lay on Hands] for healing; [Divine Aegis], as a broad protective shield specialized for ranged defense; and [Divine Aura], another prerequisite needed for a variety of higher tier area-based [Paladin] Skills. From the basic [Paladin] Skills, he also grabbed [Charming], which was not recommended by his instructors. However, it gave a flat 5% increase in the CHA attribute¡ªfull stop¡ªand so Emil felt justified to his future lives in taking it. With that, he now turned to the more advanced Skills. From there, he only had one option which had any appeal: [Paladin¡¯s Speed]. Though it was just magic, and did not involve channeling any divine energies, the spell allowed him to use MP to boost his DEX for several minutes. At two Skill points, he bought it and then banked the rest of his [Paladin] Skill points for more advanced skills at a later date. Years ago, he had picked up the [Brillian] Skills [Internal Clock] and [Fast Talker]. The former was helpful for telling time, and would be a good long term skill, he thought. The latter paired really well with his high CHA and, he suspected, would be helpful with interpersonal relationships. Nonetheless, he pulled up the Race Skill list again just to be sure. To his surprise, he saw an upgrade purchase available for one of his non-rankable Skills: [Firm Purchase II]. The original [Firm Purchase] had been a [Slime] skill, but now the [Brillian] store was allowing him to purchase an upgrade? He shook his head at the seeming nonsense out of the System and spent the two points. Looking over his Trait and Skill list again, Emil was starting to get a headache. With the Class selection, his melee skills had moved from General Skills down to Class Skills. But his list was still getting so long! There were now a combined 50 entries! And what was the difference anyway in the way they were displayed? He had thought that Traits were non-rankable and Skills were rankable, but he had already acquired several apparently non-rankable Skills. And then on top of the ordinary numerical rankable Skills, there appeared to be Skills that could only be purchased through the shop, not trained, but those were numbered using an entirely different numbering system. And why were Class and General Skills separated anyways if they so easily moved about due to a Class selection? He almost wished he had a Skill to reorganize his Traits and Skill list. Ding! Wait, what?!?
You have received a Trait. [Status Modification] (ultra rare). Your Status is becoming the stuff of myth and legend. And yet you¡¯ve also learned the limitations thereof and realized that it is just a means of displaying information. Organize your Status to suit your purposes.
Emil had acquired a lot of Traits and Skills over his lives. Some from hard work, some from Skill Points, and¡ªparticularly with respect to Traits¡ªdumb luck. This was the first time he had received a Trait by complaining. Honestly, that made him a little uneasy. Then he started reorganizing his Status. And quickly learned a few things. First, his name had to come first. Second, he could now display his HP Regen and MP Regen. Third, in addition to shuffling around Skills and Traits between the three existing categories of Traits, General Skills, and Class Skills, he found that he could delete the category names and create his own. When he was done, his Status looked like this:
Name: Emil Marlonson (L28) Others: Queenie, Masami, Amelia Race: Brillian (L14) Class: Paladin (L14) HP: 1408/1408 (160 / hour) MP: 2500/2500 (200 / hour) CON: 50 STR: 50 DEX: 30 INT: 50 WIS: 50 CHA: 29 Free: 0 Traits: [Adonite¡¯s Blessing] [Charming] [Improved MP II] [Nimble Health] [Reincarnator] [Status Modification] [Studious] Bodily Traits: [Amorphous Body] [Calm Stomach] [Firm Purchase II] [Improved Dark Vision] [Skin Sight] [Slippery] Life Skills: [Butchering 10] [Cleaning 10] [Cooking 10] [Disguise 15] [Eating 37] [Fast Talker 7] [Fishing 12] [Internal Clock 4] [Learning 42] [Meditation 12] [Natural Leader 14] [Planning 21] Languages: [Eastern Kneet 40] [Ostesh 40] [Ucarhi 27] [Ucarhi ¨C Creator of Written Ucarhi] General Mage Skills: [Acid Splash 12] [Mage Hands] [Mage¡¯s Shield 12] [Mana Finesse II] Fire Mage Skills: [Fire Immunity] [Fire Manipulation 18] [Fire Wall 12] [Fireball 18] [Firebolt 12] [Flamethrower 12] [Flaming Sphere 12] Paladin Skills: [Divine Aegis 1] [Divine Aura 1] [Divine Channel 1] [Divine Lay on Hands 1] [Divine Smite 1] [Divine Speed 1] Melee Skills: [Archery 4] [Claws 15] [Heavy Armor 8] [One-Handed Sword 12] [Two-Handed Sword 3] v. 0.83a
This, he thought, is much better.
The next three years of training passed quickly for Emil. He leveled up his Race, Class, and Skills, got extensive familiarity with all of them, and was the most outstanding graduate the program had had in a decade or more. Of course, it was not all work. Emil hit puberty and, from the other side of the beanpole, he could confirm that it was a radically different, if equally harrowing, experience. There was hair everywhere, he found himself filled with a nervous energy constantly, and his mind played all sorts of dirty tricks on him like acting boastful, being competitive, and, oddly to his mind, thinking about girls and women near constantly. His earlier lives had made the last point rather uncomfortable for him and he would have largely tried to ignored it. But his impressive displays on the training ground and overall general standing within the program led to many young women, halfling and otherwise, expressing some interest in him. And a few years in the city was enough for a few dalliances, finally checking the box (at least on one side) after four lives. While he had kept a healthy correspondence with his family, it was infeasible for Emil to travel home to them. And, while his father visited the capital on occasion (and left again after providing manly advice), the same could not be true for his mother or little sister. Or, as he found out, his little brother either. Yet, even with the end of his program, there still was no opportunity to return home. With his training done, he now found himself deployed with a small team in the rural expanses on the west side of the Kingdom. In addition to more mundane issues such as banditry and monsters, the divine-empowered forces of the Temples were increasingly called upon to fight against a new threat which had appeared and been increasing in frequency in the last century: the [Eldritch]. Little was known about their exact nature, except that both the System and the Pantheon had declared them anathema to all creation. While the creatures supposedly did not have access to the System, which was usually a prerequisite to gaining XP from killing a monster, an exception had been made (though by who, it was never clear) and the System would generously award XP for the deaths of the [Eldritch]. What was known was that the [Eldritch] were horrifyingly ugly and gained access to the world through tears in reality that they ripped open and invaded through. They then sought to kill any entity with System access, harvest their XP, and then return to and flee through the rift they had entered from. Further, while ordinary adventuring bands could defeat the [Eldritch], the divine skills of Classes such as [Paladin] were known to be extra effective which, given the absolute power of the common [Eldritch], meant that the Temples were in high demand. And so Emil spent two years touring, acting as a [Paladin] should. Slaying the monstrous monsters; slaying the even more monstrous [Eldritch]; slaying the monstrous cultists insane enough to attempt to intentionally summon [Eldritch]; and wooing young and fair maidens. As his tour of duty came to an end, he found himself on the trail out of town towards his family estate, with three months off until his next deployment. As he approached, his worries cropped up about visiting his family. Did they still love him? Would they be glad to see him? How could he avoid any awkward conversations about romance with his father¡­ or mother or sister for that matter? And yet before he knew it, he found himself standing within the foyer of the estate, being smothered by his crying mother, while he stood there in his shining plate, all 116 centimeters of him. And with a cry of joy, his sister came running down the stairs and launched herself at him as well. And seeing his sister, who had become a fair maiden while he was away, Emil made a solemn vow to himself: Any man who approaches my sister shall first meet my sword. And then, later that night, as he lay in bed reflecting on the day: Where did that vow come from? Being male is so weird sometimes.
The next months were joyous. Emil loved his new brother, Emarcus, and spoiled him with all the boy¡¯s play that the rest of his family simply couldn¡¯t provide. Emil and Emma spent weeks¡¯ worth of afternoons exchanging stories of their times apart. Whereupon Emil would then repeat those same stories in the evening for his mother and she relayed all that had happened while he was gone. Emil and his father rode through all corners of the barony, the latter inspecting it as Baron, with Emil lending his talents as a [Paladin] where due. And, most importantly, his father affirmed Emil¡¯s vow regarding Emma¡¯s future suitors and gave his own. Bittersweet, his leave came to end, but with his body, mind and soul reinvigorated, Emil set back off to the Grand Temple at the Capital.
The first three years of his next tour passed quickly. The bandits and ordinary monsters had become less of a concern¡ªboth to the local authorities and the ever-stronger Emil¡ªbut the [Eldritch] were coming through with increasing frequency and in larger groups. A decade ago, a Temple party such as Emil¡¯s would¡ªwithin a year¡ªexpect to kill a dozen [Eldritch] in perhaps half that number of encounters. Now, a single [Eldritch] was a rarity, with the most common incidents being a couplet, and groups of five and seven were beginning to appear. Further, the number of annual encounters had doubled over the decade, which, together with the larger groups, meant that such teams were now on average killing over thirty [Eldritch] a year. And each year that number was still increasing several percentage points. Indeed, twice in the tour, one of Emil¡¯s party members died in encounters with the [Eldritch]. Both times, the party had remained understrength for months while waiting for their correspondence requesting backup to wind its way to Capital or one of the other two major cities of the kingdom, and then waiting for the backup to catch up to them. The central organizations of the Temples were in an uproar working out the logistics of how to keep teams in the field fully manned.
At the beginning of their fourth year, Emil¡¯s party found themselves on the road riding various mounts, which, though not war-trained, greatly increased the party¡¯s movement speed between settlements. The party now bore the name Halfling Grace on account of their newest member, a [Human] [Holy Monk] named Grace, and the remaining members of the party¡ªEmil, Tony, Toni, and Henry¡ªall being halflings of various sorts. As Tony and Toni bickered towards the rear of the party, Henry rode up besides Emil, while Grace listened in. ¡°So, are you going to tell us why you¡¯ve got ants in your pants?¡± Emil reflected briefly on how bad it much be if Henry could pick up on his nervousness. ¡°Right¡­ so you know how we¡¯re cutting through the Blueback and Blackback Mountains as a shortcut towards Laurel?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°I¡­ may have failed to mention that my father¡¯s barony lies directly in our path.¡± Henry stared at Emil for a long moment, then stared at the sky, checked his horse¡¯s eye, spat at the ground, then yelled back at the rest of the team, ¡°Hey guys! We¡¯re crashing at Emil¡¯s parents¡¯ place! Noble beds!¡± which was promptly followed by hooting and hollering from Tony and Toni. Grace just looked confused before asking, ¡°Do your parents have a human-sized bed?¡± ¡°Uhh¡­.¡±
The Marlonson estate did indeed have appropriate human-sized guest accommodations, not that Emil knew that despite growing up there for over a decade. In any event, the Marlonsons warmly welcomed Halfling Grace, excited to see their son again and his teammates. Regretfully, the team could not stay long¡ªtheir services were desperately needed in Laurel¡ªbut they did manage to extend it a few days. Which was long enough for Emil to find out that Emma was being courted by a young [Chef] from the town. After thoroughly beating the suitor with his bare hands, Emil begrudgingly agreed that a [Chef] was not a fighter, and thereafter challenged the young man¡ªEmil still refused to learn his name¡ªto a culinary duel. This seemed like Emil was taking it easy on the poor man. But, to everyone¡¯s surprise (what nobleman picked up the [Cooking] skill?), Emil¡¯s attempt was rather good, if simple fare. However, Emil quickly conceded the competition after he himself groaned in pleasure at Phil¡¯s feast. Thereupon, he teased Emma that clearly the quickest way to a woman¡¯s heart was through her stomach and followed up that, if she did not marry him, he might. As they say around gaily talking after the competitive meal, Toni suddenly gasped and stiffened up. The family present was confused, but the rest of the party knew what that was: Toni¡¯s [Eldritch Detection] skill had just flared. ¡°It¡¯s nearby,¡± Toni gasped out, ¡°a few klicks at most. And it¡¯s a big one. I think it¡¯s larger than a seven-header.¡± ¡°Baron,¡± Henry interjected quickly before anyone else could get a word in, ¡°is there an [Eldritch] subjugation force from the Temple in town?¡± ¡°Aye, yes. They¡¯ve been stationed here for the last year. Bastion¡¯s Defenders.¡± ¡°Halfling Grace,¡± Henry called out, ¡°suit up. We¡¯re moving in ten and meeting Bastion¡¯s Defenders at the site. They don¡¯t know we¡¯re here and we¡¯ll need all of us to contain this quickly.¡±
Thirty minutes later, and the two groups were exchanging quick greetings and strategizing, while the scouts from both teams quickly moved forward. When they returned, the news was not good. This was a big incursion, that was for sure. There were only three [Eldritch], but they were several times larger than a normal [Eldritch]¡ªwhatever normal meant here¡ªnearly five meters at the shoulder or shoulder-equivalent. Moreover, all three were staying grouped together and heading towards town. A few minutes of planning later and the combined team¡ªworking name, Grace and Friends¡ªwas off. They went in hard and fast, overwhelming the first [Eldritch] in the initial attack, but the other two quickly responded and Grace and Friends found themselves pressured as their attention split between the two horrors. It was quickly becoming a battle of attrition however: the team was rapidly consuming MP and was gradually wearing down the two abominations. When their first teammate was knocked out of the fight, Emil knew they were in trouble and started pulling out his secret cards, namely the Skills he had never used in this life nor told his teammates. Though mundane magic was not as effective in damaging the [Eldritch] as divine skills channeling the gods, the [Eldritch] still feared the flame, and Emil began to liberally use [Flame Wall] to control the field of battle. Emil was beginning to feel good about the battle when the second [Eldritch] ran through the flames to assist the first and, within the span of a few breathes, three more teammates were dead or unconscious. The remaining team quickly poured magical attacks at the first [Eldritch] taking it down, but now they were nearly out of MP. As the six still-standing fighters encircled the [Eldritch], it began flaying its whip-like tentacles at them and soon they were down to five. In a desperate gamble, Emil moved within arm¡¯s reach, and with [Claws], [Firm Purchase], and [Sticky Fingers], quickly scaled the beast to attack its ¡°head,¡± both attacking a weak point and distracting it from the others. The [Eldritch] made to grab Emil and throw him, but [Slippery] protected him from being grasped until it didn¡¯t, and Emil immediately found himself lying against a boulder with a broken spine, listening to the sound of battle ongoing. I hope that was enough to protect Emma and the town. Darn it¡­ I think I¡¯m going to miss the wedding. Ding!
You died.
Name: Emil Marlonson (L56) Others: Queenie, Amelia, Masami Race: Brillian (L28) Class: Paladin (L28) HP: 0/3226 (244 / hour) MP: 240/7225 (340 / hour) CON: 77 STR: 75 DEX: 45 INT: 85 WIS: 85 CHA: 40 Free: 0 Traits: [Adonite''s Blessing] [Charming] [Improved MP II] [Nimble Health] [Reincarnator] [Status Modification] [Studious] [Vital Flexibility] Bodily Traits: [Amorphous Body] [Calm Stomach] [Firm Purchase II] [Hair Control] [Improved Dark Vision] [Quick Hands 5] [Skin Sight] [Slippery] [Sticky Fingers 7] [Treasure Hunter 2] Life Skills: [Butchering 11] [Cleaning 12] [Cooking 14] [Digestion 8] [Disguise 15] [Eating 39] [Fast Talker 9] [Fishing 12] [Hygiene 5] [Internal Clock 8] [Learning 42] [Meditation 23] [Natural Leader 22] [Planning 26] [Speak Romance 7] Languages: [Eastern Kneet 40] [Ostesh 40] [Tyr Trade Tongue 9] [Ucarhi 27] [Ucarhi - Creator of Written Ucarhi] [Western Kneet 12] General Mage Skills: [Acid Splash 12] [Mage Hands] [Mage''s Shield 12] [Mana Finesse II] Fire Mage Skills: [Fire Immunity] [Fire Manipulation 18] [Firewall 13] [Fireball 18] [Firebolt 12] [Flamethrower 12] [Flaming Sphere 12] Paladin Skills: [Divine Aegis 19] [Divine Arrow 8] [Divine Aura 18] [Divine Body 4] [Divine Brawn 6] [Divine Channel 21] [Divine Courage 9] [Divine Faith 2] [Divine Fortress 10] [Divine Lay on Hands 18] [Divine Reflection 9] [Divine Smile 5] [Divine Smite 16] [Divine Speed 12] [Divine Thought 6] [Divine Will 4] Melee Skills: [Archery 8] [Claws 16] [Heavy Armor 24] [One-Handed Sword 24] [Shield Bash 12] [Two-Handed Sword 5] v. 0.83a
5. Can’t Touch This In no place in particular, an egg hatched and from it emerged a grub. ¡ªw¡ª The grub, finding itself surrounded by its choice of food, ate. ¡ªh¡ª It engorged itself, rested, digested, and grew. Until a day later, it began to pupate. ¡ªa¡ª The grub became a fly. And as a fly, it flew around. ¡ªt¡ª Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. The fly found food. It ate. It grew. ¡ªr¡ª The fly found a mate and laid eggs in food. ¡ªa¡ª The fly flew around, in search of food. It was a nuisance, and large creatures tried to swat at it, but it always seemed to dodge. ¡ªc¡ª The fly grew fat. ¡ªe¡ª It was a most successful fly and had made mates and laid many eggs. ¡ªa¡ª The fly began to slow. Its biological processes no longer working effectively. Its chitin drying out. ¡ªm¡ª The fly found a quiet place. It landed and rested. Ding!
You have died.
6. Stand Tall Deep within the forest, a lone female [Wood Elf] was racing through the trees. Despite being at home in the woods, the [Wood Elf] was in such a rush that she was leaving a clear trail through the brush and was being cut on brambles and the like. Her tutors in woodcraft would have been furious at such a poor showing, especially from a [Wood Elf], especially from her. If they were still alive, she thought glumly. It was the third day she was fleeing deeper and deeper into the forest. Happening upon a small clearing, she finally stopped and laid in the center to rest. It was early morning, and the sun was just beginning to creep over the trees and reach into the clearing to dry off the morning¡¯s dew. After catching her breath, the [Wood Elf] reverently withdrew a package from her pack, carefully unfolding it to reveal a large seed which glowed with magical power, even to her eyes. While her tools were limited in her flight¡ªtruthfully, her bare hands¡ªthe [Wood Elf] nonetheless followed all other proper protocol when it came to this burden she had carried with her: She dug a hole to the traditional depth and width, prewatered it appropriately, rested the seed within for an hour exposed to air, gave a cup of her lifeblood, then covered the hole again, leaving the soil loosely packed. By then, the sun was beginning to set and she soon retired up a branch of one of the larger trees to rest for the night. In the predawn of the next day, the [Wood Elf] returned to where she had planted the seed and began to channel her magic into the ground around the seed as the sun¡¯s light began to grace the sky. As she did so, she began to sing a wordless tune, a graceful, ethereal song, that to mortal ears spoke of the eternal forest watching the passing of centuries. Suddenly, a sprout emerged from the soil and, within the hour, had grown to a tall and narrow tree, twenty feet tall.
I? Emil thought, then metaphorically blinked a few times. Wait, what happened? Emil¡¯s thoughts and memories were in a jumble and he mentally stumbled as he tried to figure out where he was and how he got there. Emil could not see, exactly but he had some senses, mostly internal, but a few external. They were all¡­ weird and he spent subjective hours just trying to match them to his preconceived notions. Finally settling down, Emil still didn¡¯t know what was around him, but he took stock of himself. He could tell that he was being nourished and was growing rapidly. He sensed a great flux of magic about, both his own, that of the wild environment, and magic flowing from one other. He felt his roots digging deeper into the ground, in search of rich soil, water, and magic alike. His crown was spreading and leafing, soaking in the day¡¯s light. And he could, just barely, make out a lilting vibration reaching out through his bark. Wait a minute¡­ roots, leaves, bark? Status!!
Name: Others: Emil Marlonson, Queenie, Masami, Amelia Race: Sylphan Tree (L10) Class: HP: 2688/2688 (568 / hour) MP: 3600/3600 (310 / hour) CON: 240 STR: 20 DEX: 44 INT: 40 WIS: 90 CHA: 63 Free: 90 ¡­ v. 0.91a
He was a tree. And, upon inspection of his Race, an (ultra rare) magical tree, which gave him +6 CON, +1 WIS, and +9 Free every level and 3 SKP (or Skill Point) every level. As a tree, he was already hardheaded, but with the extra CON attributes and the ten levels¡ªwhere did those come from?¡ªhe was probably harder than nails. Also, what was with those memories? He tried again to recall what had happened since Emil, but everything was so disjointed. With great trepidation, he pulled up his notifications log¡ªwhich was limited to the greater of 150 notifications or the number of notifications in the last two days¡ªand started to inspect it. Then, when he was done with that, he looked at his Skill list for his new Skills. Yup, I was a fly. I didn¡¯t even know that [Fly] was a Race in the System. But the Traits he picked up were making him figuratively drool. Foremost was [Live Fast IV]. Given that flies only lived a few days, if the System wanted them to get anything done, they would need the huge XP boost from that Trait. But having it going forward as anything but a [Fly]? A 16x multiplier was ridiculous. Emil had died as a [Brillian] (L28) [Paladin] (L28). A 16x multiplier would have been enough to launch him past the second threshold at level 61 into the third tier. He wasn¡¯t quite sure where¡ªhe didn¡¯t actually know how the XP table reset at 61, whether it was a 3x or 4x multiplier off the base, or something worse¡ªbut it would be a lot either way. The other two Traits were also impressive, though not as game changing. First was [Instinctive Dodge]. As far as he could understand it, if he couldn¡¯t see an attack coming, he would instinctively attempt to dodge it. That was incredible, especially in a crowded battlefield or even in just warding off assassins¡ªmay Masami never be forgotten. Second, was [Omnivore]. He didn¡¯t want to think about what flies ate, but basically the Trait allowed him to digest anything organic in nature and extract extra nutrients out of it. He wondered if that would also apply to venoms and other hazardous biological substances and decided that would wait for later testing. Oh well, with his fly out of the way, Emil turned to the two Tree traits he had picked up already. [Magic Eater] was complimentary to his now numerous eating based skills, and would be handy on extended trips or low food situations to supplement his food with magic. On the other hand, [Magic Growth], which allowed him to spend MP to speed up his growth, was a bit questionable. If he reincarnated into a society, he wasn¡¯t necessarily super keen on becoming some sort of super baby. But he supposed that under the right circumstances¡ª[Sylphan Tree] included¡ªit could mean avoiding an untimely childhood death. With a quick distribution of Free points¡ªhe somehow picked up another two levels while ruminating¡ªEmil closed out his Status and turned his attention outward, only now realizing that apparently the sun had risen and set several dozen times. As he contemplated that new revelation, the sun set and rose again, until he turned back to his senses and saw that the [Wood Elf] had¡ªcounterintuitively¡ªmade a shelter out of a burrow in the soft soil near the edge of his clearing. And then Emil realized he couldn¡¯t speak. And even if he did, he likely did not speak whatever elvish tongue she spoke. Also, he couldn¡¯t actually see her. And another two days passed before Emil realized he had a truckload of Traits and Skills to call on. First, he flipped on [Skin Sight] and confirmed that it worked on tree skin (i.e., bark) too and he could see the entire clearing. Second, chaining together every flexibility related skill he had with his very-high-for-a-tree DEX, he found that he could flex his branches a little bit, at least enough to make a groaning noise. Finally, he tested if he could use magic¡ªskipping fire for now¡ªand with [Mage¡¯s Hands] grabbed two rocks. Showtime!
[Princess] Elaria was resting in her shelter. After her flight deeper into the forest with the last seed of the magical trees of her people, she had finally found a suitable location and planted it, embuing it with her own life and magic to hasten its growth. However, where it should have only been a meter tall, the tree was now nearing thirty, and was maturing quicker than she could have imagined. Indeed, ever since planting the seed¡ªweeks ago now¡ªthe [Sylphan Tree] itself had defied everything she thought she knew about the species. Nonetheless, she had only been there for a month¡ªshe hadn¡¯t even gotten a proper shelter yet, just this burrow¡ªand she had anticipated that this was a century long process. Even at its size, it likely would be another decade before she could even contact the spirit within the tree. She had time to get situated and to think about what her long term plans were. Yes, ignoring the monstrously fast growth of the last magical tree of her people was for the best. Then a small stone bounced into her burrow, clattered across the ground and rolled up against her hip. She stared at it for a while, sensing no magic coming from it, until a second small stone flew into her burrow, bounced, and struck her in the chest. ¡°Oww!¡± she squeaked, then crawled out of the burrow to investigate, only to be beaned in the forehead. ¡°Aaah! Stop throwing rocks!¡± she cried, ignoring their source. Then, massaging her head, looked around the clearing for the culprit. Despite her superior elven senses¡ªand a touch of [Detect Animal]¡ªshe couldn¡¯t find anybody. And then she heard a clacking noise, like two rocks knocking together, coming from the [Sylphan Tree]. She started moving around the edge of the clearing, intending to sneak up upon whoever or whatever was hiding behind the most precious tree of the elves¡ªwell, elf for now¡ªbut ended up circling the tree twice without finding anyone. Fed up, she walked towards the tree and stared up at its crown. ¡°Weird things just keep happening around you, don¡¯t it?¡± she asked lazily. Then two stones clacked themselves together midair in front of her face. Startled, she fell onto her ass. The stones clacked a few more times, and then she felt a presence like an invisible hand, dusting off her shoulders and moving her bangs out from covering the wound on her forehead. Suddenly, she felt a burst of divine magic and gingerly touched her forehead to find her wound healed. Elaria was flabbergasted. Triply so. That the [Sylphan Tree] was apparently already home to a spirit that sought to communicate¡ªin a month no less¡ªwas beyond all her understanding. That it apparently could already use magic¡ªwith finesse nonetheless¡ªwas astonishing. That it could channel the divinities to heal¡­ She didn¡¯t think a goddess had ever blessed any tree before. Now what? Elaria thought.
Now what? Emil thought. He had already gotten her attention, and had apologized by healing her head wound¡ªHa! Ranged healing via skill combo for the win!¡ªbut he was kind of leaning on her being able to take their relationship to the next level. Whatever that was. Instead, this elf was just sitting there on the ground, staring up at him, enraptured. He tried to wave his hands in front of her face to recapture her attention, then remembered that [Mage¡¯s Hands] were not terribly visible to begin with. So he just shook his branches a bit and flashed [Disguise] briefly like a signal light. That seemed to have worked and the elf quickly scrambled to her feet, walked up to his trunk, placed both hands on the trunk in front of her, with her head down and her butt sticking out, then she started talking¡ªor singing? He wasn¡¯t quite sure. The language barrier was already giving him a potential future headache, when Ding!
Elaria Greenwood [Wood Elf] [Princess] would like to grant you a Skill. [Speak with Elves] (very rare): This (very rare) Skill is one of the most closely guarded secrets of the Elven nobility, only being granted to those nature spirits to whom the Elves tie their homes to. The Skill allows telepathic communication and understanding between Skillholders regardless of any language barrier. +1 CHA / 5 levels. You have received a new Skill, [Speak with Elves].
Dang, that solves like all my problems. And a few CHA never hurt. Invoking the Skill in the [Princess¡¯] direction, Emil tried to say Instead, what came across was a general feeling of with good vibes. ¡­Emil really hoped that was because the Skill was at rank 1, and not because the Skill was fundamentally terrible. For a tree, he was very anxious to speak (again). Fortunately, the [Princess] perked up at the greeting and replied far more eloquently with her own Skill, though Emil found that a lot of it was lost when her transmission ran up against his reception. Well, I¡¯ve got 100 INT, [Learning 42], [Fast Talker 9], and five languages. This can¡¯t take that long. And it did not. Using [Mage¡¯s Hands] covered in mud (so they could be visible), the [Princess] and the [Sylphan Tree] spent the next three hours pantomiming Emil¡¯s [Speak with Elves] up to 5, which was enough for a childish discussion, and from there, it was only another hour to take it to 10, for a relatively complete, if not complex, discussion, and then another day to 20, which was the limit of ordinary speech. During those discussions, Emil learned much about his hostess, her flight through the forest, the plight of the elves, and their local geography. Emil was also asked about his magic and channeling divinity, but Emil shrugged off the questions for the present, saying that was for a later discussion. Emil asked, Emil interrupted, Elaria puzzled. Mulling over his experience as Queenie, Emil hazarded, Elaria scratched her chin in thought. Ding!
You have become Named. You are now known as Myr. Name: Myr Other Names: Fly #5, Emil Marlonson, Queenie, Masami, Amelia
Interestingly, the other name Fly #5 appeared at that, even though it was not previously on his Status, though with no separate notification. Myr informed her. Myr mused. Myr started. Myr fell silent at the end of that monologue and, as he chewed it over, Elaria retired to her burrow to rest. Myr had lived over a century¡¯s worth of lives. And though each life came with its own joys and loves, the loss of them was felt acutely each time. The feeling of detachment that came with knowing deep in his soul how short life could be was a grating thing. How many lives could he live before he lost all empathy? Until people were no different than rocks to him? He was terribly lonely, desperate for a relationship that he could hold onto without fear of losing it when death came to claim him again. The sun rose and fell several times before Myr called Elaria back over. Myr said with a heavy heart, And so Myr laid out the stories of his lives. Amelia, never becoming a [Mage], receiving [Reincarnator], and her mysterious death. Masami, her [Mage] Class and leadership among primitives, and her assassination. Queenie, her century-long slime rule over an out of the way forest. Emil Marlonson, male halfling, [Paladin], bane of the [Eldritch]. And Fly #5... actually, he didn¡¯t have much to say about that life. But the rest, yes, so much story an entire book series could have been written. Two weeks later¡ªa tree could only speak so much, so quickly¡ªand Myr was finally finished. Elaria spoke her thoughts. <¡­I¡¯m not sure why you¡¯re concerned. Yes, you have several lives behind you, but in that sense, you know what it is like to be elvenoid. Surely our binding would not be stranger than with a tree who did not?> Myr fell silent again as Elaria thought over the issue. A week passed before she broached the subject again. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. <¡­.I have a 16x experience multiplier.> Myr tapped imaginary fingers in calculation.
And so, with their hearts set, a girl and her tree began their lives in the forest. Elaria built herself a treehouse in another tree, gathering and hunting for her necessities, sometimes luring predators and monsters back to the clearing for Myr to kill. And Myr did his tree thing. Though Myr griped a bit about not yet having unlocked his Class, he then realized he literally had a [Magic Growth] skill and a huge MP pool. A few months of use and his Class finally unlocked. Ding!
Congratulations! You are now eligible to select a Class. A Class represents who you are and what you do, and will be a defining point in the rest of your life. Classes can provide extra attribute points, Traits, and Skills. Classes may be leveled using unspent experience. Based on your Race, Level, Traits, Skills, society, and prior experience, you are eligible for the following Classes (inspect for more information):
  • Runaway (common)
  • Lone Wolf (uncommon)
  • Wild Man (uncommon)
  • Mage (rare)
  • Druid (very rare)
  • Ent (very rare)
  • Hearthtree (very rare)
  • Treasure (very rare)
  • Divine Tree (ultra rare)
  • Pilgrimage Tree (ultra rare)
  • Tree of Fire (ultra rare)
  • Speechmoot (unique)
Choose carefully!
It was a rich list. What Class to choose became an extended discussion between Myr and Elaria. They already struck out the (common) and (uncommon) Classes. [Mage] was struck as Myr had done it before (repeatedly), and it was only rare on a rather exclusive list. Wait a minute¡­ So [Mage] got the boot. [Druid] was shortlisted as [Mage]-adjacent, esoteric and difficult, but because he was a tree, possibly a very good choice. [Ent] was a good choice if the duo decided they wanted to travel during this life. [Hearthtree] in contrast was a good choice for putting down roots. [Treasure] was scrapped; they didn¡¯t need any more bullseyes on them. And while [Pilgrimage Tree] would attract good attention, they both decided they didn¡¯t need any more attention of any sort. Myr scrapped [Divine Tree] as too close to [Paladin], and he was a little iffy about drawing too much of the gods¡¯ attention. [Tree of Fire] was very powerful, but ultimately seemed too cataclysmic for them. [Speechmoot] was odd. Very, very odd. There was no description for it whatsoever, but rather only a list of the prerequisites that had triggered eligibility for the Class: a sessile, peaceful existence, with a clearly defined place, fluent in many languages and in understanding others, but with the strength to settle unruly breakouts of violence. At +64 Free / level and +11 SKP / level, it had four times the bonuses as an (ultra rare) Class. Myr was sorely tempted by it, but given that it was a Class predicated mostly on peace and, more importantly, apparently bringing people together for moots, leveling it through Class actions would be unwanted or difficult, and leveling it through violence was iffy. So, that left a short list of [Druid], [Ent] and [Hearthtree]. Between the three, Myr might have been indecisive and taken a few months or years to make a final decision. But Elaria was a [Wood Elf] [Princess]. They knew their [Sylphan Trees] and their Class evolutions. As such, Elaria was a veritable font of knowledge on the pros and cons of each. The deciding factor was that [Druid] trees had later evolutions that, combined with Traits and Skills, would allow for a walking tree like the [Ent] Class would. Moreover, she pointed out that the [Ent] Class was heavily focused on travel, to the detriment of other areas, whereas the [Druid] Class would provide flexibility, while not excelling at any one task. And in so much as it was based on not traveling, [Hearthtree] was also knocked off the list.
And so the first decade passed. And then a second. Myr¡¯s patience reached a new high as well¡ªhe was a tree after all¡ªand any concerns the two shared of anyone pursuing the lost [Princess] were worn off. Myr¡¯s leveling slowed a bit, though he used his down time to select a few very interesting Skills or Traits out of the [Sylphan Tree] and [Druid] shops. Soon though, the former was looking rather barebones while he was still accumulating 3 Skill points per level. He offhandedly remarked about these slim pickings to Elaria, who responded rather simply. Whereupon Elaria explained that a century ago, the System shop rolled out a new feature. The problem with the shop had always been that it only showed you Skills and Traits that were available, i.e., all the prerequisites had been unlocked. So you never knew quite what Skills or Traits were only a few prerequisites away. And so, the Investment feature. You selected a number of Skill points (e.g., 1 or 3), and then you thought about the Skill you wanted, either directly by name (e.g., [Fireball]) or by general description (¡°I want to be able to see with my skin¡±). If the Skill existed, and the number of Skill Points used was ¡°adequate¡± (whatever that meant) then you both (a) were informed as to what the unfulfilled prerequisites were, and (b) your Skill points were used to prepay the purchase of the Skill (but no refund if you overpaid). On the other hand, if Invest failed, then you got your Skill points back. While it was a friendly, quality of life feature for many, one side effect was that a number of obscure, but powerful Skills would crop up on a regular basis. Elaria related how she had known a tank-style [Divine Guardsmen] who wanted a damage resistance Trait against the [Eldritch]. Neither one nor two points sufficed, but when he put three in, he got a hit:
[Eldritch Resistance] (ultra rare) (cost: 5 SKP (3 prepaid)): Gain 50% resistance against all damage caused by [Eldritch]. Prerequisites unmet: (1) Defeat an [Eldritch] in single combat, unarmed, unarmored, and naked; (2) Fast for two weeks in a Temple praying to the gods and/or goddesses of your choice; and (3) Bathe in the blood of the [Eldritch] during a full moon.
While it took a while, the guardsman finally met all the prerequisites and purchased the Skill, though admittedly he was never quite right in the head after that. Of course, there were two additional flaws to Investment. First, if a Skill had more than one set of prerequisites to unlock it, and Invest hit on both (i.e., they had the same number of unfulfilled prerequisites), then the System would only show one set, whichever was ¡°easier¡± (whatever that meant) as determined by the System. Second, beginning with (rare) skills and with increasing frequency at higher rarities, many Skills did not have uniform prerequisites, and instead varied significantly, almost as if tailored for the persons seeking such Skills. As such, attempts to use Invest to create a dictionary of Skills was limited to (common) and (uncommon) Skills, and some of the (rare) Skills, though some [Scholars] were apparently still arguing over various theories of the relationship between rarity and prerequisites. With that background knowledge, Myr made his first Investment. For all that he was flush in SKPs, he was still conservative when it came to potentially spending them. He first tried 1 SKP on [Improved MP III], but nothing happened. So then he tried 2 SKP, but again it failed, so he decided to try for something else. Thinking about Nimble Health, Myr then tried 1 SKP using a description: Use CON in determining MP, and got a hit: Ding!
You have Invested one Skill Point into [Bodily Mana] (ultra rare) (cost: 2, prepaid: 1): Add 50% CON to INT when calculating MP. Prerequisite unmet: Manipulate 2000 MP to sit within your body until your MP Regen recovers the 2000 MP.
Huh. With that, Myr manipulated 2000 MP into his trunk and held it there for four hours, while his MP Regen recovered his MP. Once it had done so, he flipped open the store again, saw the Skill available, and purchased it for additional SKP. Ding! Of course, this was a CON heavy life, and so his MP easily doubled and then some. But it was still an amazingly powerful Trait. Myr spent a whole year toying around with 1 and 2 point Skills and Traits, but held off on Investing too many points until he had made his Race and Class evolutions. <¡­But, there¡¯s no difference? It¡¯s all the same thing now.> <¡­>
Finally, after many years: Ding!
[Sylphan Treant] (ultra rare) has reached Level 91. [Sylphan Treant] has evolved into [Sylphan High Treant] (ultra rare). [Tree Master] (ultra rare) has reached Level 91. [Tree Master] has evolved into [Forest Lord] (ultra rare).
Myr asked Elaria, standing nearby. Ding!
You have purchased [Dryad¡¯s Rest] (ultra rare).
Exhaling a sigh, Myr brought up the new Skill and focused it on Elaria. Nothing happened. Myr stated. Elaria replied. she teased. Myr grumbled then, metaphorically poking the Skill, an extended description appeared with detailed instructions on how to use it. As he read it over, he subvocalized what he was reading over [Speak with Elves], but not clear enough for Elaria to hear. she pouted, Myr grunted, then figuratively slapped the screen away. <¡­All of it?>
A few hours later and Elaria ? found her consciousness floating in a void. If Myr ? was around, he might have commented it was like what he experienced between lives. Myr ?¡¯s voice echoed throughout the void. She who had been Elaria ? tried to respond, but found she could not, her mind in a fog. But the fog was burning away rapidly and in just a few minutes from her perspective, she could finally think! Ding!
Congratulations! You have been reborn as a [Sylphan Dryad]. Your Status has been reset. May the sun ever warm your leaves.
She who had been Elaria looked over her Status with a touch of detachment. It was done. She was a [Sylphan Dryad] (Level 1). Her stats were in the gutter. Nearly all of her Traits and Skills gone. Even her Name was removed, having been shoved into Other Names, which had newly appeared. Myr¡¯s voice rang out again through the void. At Myr ?¡¯s command, the one who had been Elaria ? left the void and stepped out of Myr¡¯s trunk into the world. Though her body had a passing semblance to her old form, her new body was clearly plant matter¡ªwood, vines, leaves, and knots¡ªand not flesh. It all tied together into a feminine, otherworldly appearance. Elaria purred, the name of her tree roiling across her tongue. she purred his name again, but the oddly formal language seemed to come naturally to her. Myr paused awkwardly as he thought frantically, Arial of Myr ? replied mischievously. A beat passed.
The two were examining Arial ?¡¯s new Status. Myr ? concluded, then began to channel XP through the bond to Arial. Arial ? exclaimed, flushing at the sudden rush of XP into her soul. Ding!
[Sylphan Dryad] has reached Level 32. You may evolve your Race. Your Race has become [Sylphan High Dryad]. For evolving your Race directly from Level 1 without unlocking your Class, you have received the Trait [Speedy Speedster] (very rare): While your Class remains locked, obtain XP at 4x the normal rate.
Arial ? stated,
Being a tree and a dryad, time was insignificant to the duo, even more so than when Arial had been an elf. Before they knew it, a decade passed by.
More years passed, and Myr ? and Arial ? finally decided they would travel. They had no particular destination, and it took them a decade of wandering to even leave the forest they began in. Sometimes Arial would stay within Myr¡¯s trunk; other times she rode high up upon his canopy. It was peaceful. Over the following century, their wanderings took them outside of the old forest and farther afield. They mostly stuck to forests when they did so, but not always, as the greenways needed to get anywhere sometimes didn¡¯t exist. Not that they were in any danger. Given most sapients¡¯ attitude to nature spirits, were usually given a wide berth in respect. Given their levels, they were rarely challenged by monsters. And the [Eldritch]? Well, the few stupid enough to cross their path did not live long. Eventually, perhaps it had been a century or more, who could be bothered with the time, they came upon a massive freshwater lake. They stood there rooted at its edge for a decade, staring out across the awesome expanse of water. Another week passed before Arial got the last word in: , she said simply. And so they did. And two centuries later, found themselves upon the shoreline of an ocean. Myr ? had never quite been able to use up all the points that his ridiculous Races and Classes gave. It took a few decades to work through all the prerequisites, but he eventually spent most of his SKP to become salt water tolerant, buoyant, planktivorous, and water-propelled. Then they set off across the ocean, blissfully ignorant of what lurked beneath the waves. They didn¡¯t make it.
Name: Myr (L230) Others: Fly #5, Emil Marlonson, Queenie, Masami, Amelia Race: Sylphan High Treant (L115) Class: Forest Lord (L115) HP: 0/2,534,228 (20,700 / hour) MP: 0/2,901,336 (15,350 / hour) CON: 1000 STR: 445 DEX: 445 INT: 1000 WIS: 1000 CHA: 250 Free: 3 Traits: [Adonite''s Blessing] [Agile Health] [Beautiful Healing] [Bodily Mana] [Bodily Refill] [Bonded Dryad] [Charming] [Charming Refill] [Common Skillshare] [Flexible Casts] [Flexible Refill] [Good Choice] [HP Regen III] [Improved HP III] [Improved MP III] [Live Fast IV] [MP Regen III] [Princess Kidnapper I] [Rare Skillshare] [Reincarnator] [Smart Doctoring] [Smart Healing] [Status Modification] [Strong Healing] [Strong Magics] [Strong Refill] [Studious] [Uncommon Skillshare] [Winning Charm] [Winning Smile] [Wise Healing] Bodily Traits: [Air Resistance II] [Amorphous Body] [Buoyant 24] [Calm Stomach] [Cold Resistance II] [Dark Vision III] [Eagle Eye] [Elven Ears] [Firm Purchase III] [Hair Control] [Heat Resistance II] [Instinctive Dodge 2] [Lightning Resistance II] [Magic Eater] [Magic Growth] [Omnivore] [Planktivorous III] [Quick Hands 5] [Salt Water Tolerant III] [Skin Sight] [Slippery] [Sticky Fingers 7] [Tracking Nose 1] [Treasure Hunter 2] [Water Jet 14] [Water Resistance II] Life Skills: [Butchering 11] [Cleaning 12] [Cooking 14] [Digestion 8] [Disguise 15] [Eating 39] [Fast Talker 9] [Fishing 12] [Gardening ] [Hygiene 5] [Internal Clock 8] [Learning 42] [Magical Gardening ] [Meditation 23] [Natural Leader 22] [Planning 26] [Speak Romance 7] Languages: [Belly Speech 25] [Eastern Kneet 40] [Greenwood Elvish 40] [Ostesh 40] [Polyglot I] [Speak with Elves 40] [Tyr Trade Tongue 9] [Ucarhi 27] [Ucarhi - Creator of Written Urcahi] [Ventriloquism 1] [Western Kneet 12] General Mage Skills: [Acid Splash 12] [Mage Hands] [Mage''s Blade] [Mage''s Shield 12] [Mana Finesse II] Fire Mage Skills: [Fire Immunity] [Fire Manipulation 18] [Firewall 13] [Fireball 18] [Firebolt 12] [Flamethrower 12] [Flaming Sphere 12] Paladin Skills: [Divine Aegis 19] [Divine Arrow 8] [Divine Aura 18] [Divine Body 4] [Divine Brawn 6] [Divine Channel 21] [Divine Courage 9] [Divine Faith 2] [Divine Fortress 10] [Divine Lay on Hands 19] [Divine Reflection 9] [Divine Smile 5] [Divine Smite 16] [Divine Speed 12] [Divine Thought 6] [Divine Will 4] Melee Skills: [Archery 8] [Claws 16] [Heavy Armor 24] [One-Handed Sword 24] [Shield Bash 12] [Two-Handed Sword 5] [Unarmed Combat 15] Druid Skills: [Barkskin 25] [Command Animal 18] [Court of the Forest] [Detect Poison 1] [Disorienting Mist 1] [Forest Stride 44] [Grasping Roots 20] [Locate Animal 18] [Locate Plant 22] [Native Knowledge 18] [Natural Healing III] [Natural Recovery III] [Plant Growth 40] [Poison Resistance IV] [Summon Animal 12] [Tree Network III] [Water Breathing 10] [Water Walk 1] Tree Skills: [Attract Birds 12] [Bless Animals 8] [Bless Elves 1] [Bless Sapients 1] [Branch Strike 8] [Chlorophyll 12] [Defensive Domain] [Ent Stride 26] [Ent Walk 26] [Extract Nutrients 10] [Grow Fruit 2] [Heal Plant III] [Root Strike 12] [Rooted Stance 4] [Speak with Animals 20] [Swaying 2] [Wood Shaping 1] v. 0.97b
Name: Arial of Myr (L168) Others: Elaria Greenwood Race: Sylphan Hamadryad (L84) Class: Treant Rider (L84) HP: 0/760,530 (10,630 / hour) MP: 0/516,975 (6,665 / hour) CON: 553 STR: 443 DEX: 330 INT: 180 WIS: 270 CHA: 350 Free: 0 Traits: [Agile Health] [Beautiful Healing] [Bodily Mana] [Bodily Refill] [Charming Refill] [Dedication ] [Dryad Bond] [Eagle Eye] [Elven Ears] [Flexible Casts] [Flexible Refill] [Good Choice] [HP Regen III] [Improved HP III] [Investment] [Magic Eater] [Mind for Body IV] [MP Regen III] [Reluctant Leader] [Smart Doctoring] [Smart Healing] [Speedy Speedster] [Strong Healing] [Strong Magics] [Strong Refill] [Succulent III] [Tracking Nose 8] [Tree Beneficiary] [Winning Charm] [Winning Smile] [Wise Healing] General Skills: [Barkskin 8] [Belly Speech 6] [Charming] [Chlorophyll 18] [Common Skillshare] [Disguise 8] [Eloquent Speech 24] [Gardening 12] [Greenwood Elvish 40] [Hygiene 22] [Learning 16] [Locate Animal 12] [Native Knowledge 4] [One with Your Tree] [Planning 18] [Plant Growth 6] [Speak with Elves 40] [Uncommon Skillshare] [Ventriloquism 8] [Woodshaping 12] Class Skills: [Call of the Wild 4] [Constrict 5] [Curved Sword 12] [Daggers 6] [Dancing Footwork 16] [Eagle Eye] [Empathy 24] [Fortified Block 4] [Imperious Look 28] [Light Armor 8] [Mounted Aim 1] [Nature''s Defense III] [Negotiation 32] [Pummel 5] [Reave Defense 6] [Reflecting Block 8] [Shield Bash 4] [Thorn Rain 4] [Tree Riding 18] [Unarmed Combat 4] [Wither 4] v. 0.97b
7. Back Up to Speed Arial ? responded somewhat flustered. Myr ? hummed, Arial responded, contrite if uncomfortable. he warned. Arial mused. Myr bubbled.
Indeed. Over the next few weeks, Myr and Arial from their own perspectives eavesdropped on the adults and gathered a general grasp of the situation. Arial had been reborn as Tanaka, a female [Catkin] of the wealthy, but non-noble, merchant family Ai in the city of Kirazura, though the broader geography of where that city lay remained unclear to them. Myr had been reborn as Cota, a female [Human] enslaved to the Ai family and intended to be trained as a [Lady in Waiting] to Mistress Tanaka Ai. This of course was horrifying to Tanaka ?, who had bonded herself to Myr, and hilarious to Cota ? because their public roles were somewhat flipped from their private roles. But, at least they were together, which was all that they could really ask for. Or, they would be. Eventually. For now, both were barely able to gurgle, let alone crawl or walk, and so physical proximity was a no-go. They agreed they had no interest in upsetting the natural order by magically inducing quicker growth; as it was, they would already be precocious, though not [Precocious]. And, at least, they could still talk with each other. Then, finally, after three months, with Tanaka the [Catkin] beginning to crawl, and Cota the [Human] just barely sitting up by herself, Cota was brought to the main house to meet her future charge. There was quite a bit of cooing¡ªat least on the Ai family¡¯s part¡ªat how well the two got along. Tanaka ? for one was ecstatic that the physical separation had ended, and was crawling in circles around the stationary Cota ? and occasionally snuggling her. Cota on the other hand, while finding Tanaka amazingly cute, was just a little bit peeved. Tanaka mentally pouted.
The years passed, and Tanaka and Cota were playmates. And while Tanaka ? was always bigger, faster, and stronger, Cota ? grew abnormally fast for a [Human], though this was largely ignored due to the juxtaposition between the two and Cota limiting herself to remaining smaller than Tanaka, even if she was larger than normal babies. However, at three years of age, the playtime was dialed back significantly. Tanaka began to receive tutoring befitting a merchant¡¯s first daughter and second child. Cota, meanwhile, was first taken to the local Temple, where she received a [Blessing]. Ding!
[Catkin Life] (rare): You find yourself bonded to an [Catkin], but your longer lifespan will only bring pain. Sacrifice your later years to grow up faster now.
Well, that¡¯s really freaking disgusting. I mean, it works for me, but I can¡¯t believe they pushed that onto a child without even asking! With that, Cota found herself maturing even faster, and without the need to use [Magic Growth]. At four, she began to receive training as a [Maid] as part of a longer program to train her as a [Lady in Waiting], though of course neither Class would be available to her for many years. A few more years passed. Tanaka announced she received System access to her astonished family. In such good cheer were the Ais that a massive celebration was held for the earliest awakening in the family in six generations. Even the family¡¯s servants and slaves had a good time or, at least, were seen to have one. Only a few months later, Cota announced her own System access, for which she received compliments from the Ais, though her birth family was ecstatic. When inquired as to her Skills, Cota was a bit more forthcoming than she might have been otherwise, especially since many of the Skills she had carried over from prior lives were appropriate for a [Maid]. Impressed, the Ai family soon had Cota attending Tanaka, even without the [Maid] Class. Now that Cota was attending to Tanaka, she could sleep in a servant¡¯s room adjacent to Tanaka¡¯s en suite. Which as two adolescent girls, they abused with frequent sleepovers. They were discovered once by the head maid, who began berating Cota, though Tanaka quickly interjected that Cota was her lady in waiting and had been fulfilling her orders. At that, the head maid in turn informed Tanaka¡¯s mother, who in turn scolded her daughter on propriety, refusing to listen the latter¡¯s well-thought-out reasoning that her bed was cold, her lady cheap, and that she certainly had not invited any boys. That line of reason earned her yet another line of scolding from her mother and all pleas regarding Cota¡¯s status with the family went unheeded.
A year later, Tanaka ? was doing some research in the family library, attempting to pinpoint where Masami ?¡¯s village had been, when Cota urgently messaged her. Cota had barely gotten the message across when Tanaka began quickly¡ªbut delicately, as a [Lady] would¡ªmoving through the house towards Cota and her older brother. She barged through the last door loudly, verbally berated Cota for not being there when she needed her, and dragged her by the ear away from her brother, who fortunately, was a touch slow in the head. Cota sent, as she winced from being dragged by her ear. Tanaka mentally laughed. Cota asked gleefully. Tanaka responded.
Finally, Tanaka ? announced that she was eligible for a Class¡ªand omitted the fact she¡¯d been sitting on it for a year. To her family, she told her the redacted version: She was eligible for [Lady] and [Lady Gardener]. To Cota ?, there was the whole truth:
Congratulations! You are now eligible to select a Class. A Class represents who you are and what you do, and will help define the rest of your life. Classes can provide extra attribute points, Traits, and Skills. Classes may be leveled using experience. Based on your Race, Level, Traits, Skills, society, and prior experience, you are eligible for the following Classes (inspect for more information):
  • [Lady] (uncommon)
  • [Lady Gardener] (uncommon)
  • [Lady of Battle] (rare)
  • [High Lady of the Guard] (very rare)
  • [High Lady of the Sword] (very rare)
  • [Blessed Lady] (very rare)
  • [Indomitable Swordswoman] (ultra rare)
  • [Wild Assassin] (ultra rare)
  • [Landscape Architect] (unique)
Choose carefully! While a Class may be abandoned, all XP invested into it will be lost.
she whined. Cota sighed over the connection. Tanaka whined. Indeed, neither the Ai family nor Cota¡¯s family had an inkling of the monsters in their midst. While Tanaka¡¯s level was nearly double that of the cat¡¯s cream of her generation, Cota¡¯s ridiculous XP multiplier meant that she had gone all the way to Level 39, evolving from [Human] to [High Human] (for it had the least physical changes), and picking up the [Speedy Speedster] Trait that Arial ? had grabbed last life.
Congratulations! Based on your Race, Level, Traits, Skills, society, and prior experience, you are eligible for the following Classes (inspect for more information):
  • [Maid] (uncommon)
  • [Flexible Maid] (uncommon)
  • [Mage] (rare)
  • [Defensive Gardener] (rare)
  • [Cunning Linguist] (rare)
  • [Magical Battle Maid] (very rare)
  • [Indomitable Chambermaid] (very rare)
  • [Holy Maiden] (very rare)
  • [Plantae Flectum] (ultra rare)
Choose carefully! While a Class may be abandoned, all XP invested into it will be lost.
As the two walked to the parlor in search of the seniormost members of the Ai family, Cota asked Tanaka for her input. Tanaka began. Cota responded.
, Tanaka ? asked one day. , Cota ? clarified. Cota hummed to herself as she carefully reviewed her Status. <20x>
Damn, Cota ? thought to herself one day while reviewing her Status. Picking up all those stats boosting traits last life was expensive but worth it. My HP should be 1,250, but its 33,247. Less impressive, MP should be 9,385 and instead is 49,555, but that¡¯s still a 5x multiplier. Gods I¡¯m scary.
At some point, Mistress Tanaka ? and her maid ? visited the Kirazura city library. They spent a week reviewing the geography of the Breibone continent, ancient history of the [Catkin], System history among the [Ucarhi] and [Catkin], etc., trying to find Masami ?. They had no such luck. They did find two oblique and likely unintentional references. A millennium ago, an elven [Scholar] had traveled to the [Ucarhi]-speaking tribes of the [Catkin], who he knew were stone age primitives that had barely advanced to agriculture, in the hopes of creating a written form of their language and thus earn a prestigious Trait. After months of journey, he was disappointed to find that [Ucarhi] had a writing system already in place: Primitive, slightly incomplete, strangely [Human], but workable and in use by the [Catkin]. After mastering the extent written system, he subsequently began filling in the missing pieces and received an unexpected notification:
You have received a Trait: [Ucarhi ¨C Creator of Written Ucarhi, Elven Variant] (unique): Taking the extant version of Written Ucarhi, you have added additional components based on various elvish languages in order to create a unique and consistent variant.
Unfortunately for him, he received no attribute bonus for the Trait. Disappointed, he returned to his home on the other side of the continent, leaving a record of his journey on a few scrolls at the local elvish library. Eventually, as the [Catkin] developed their own civilization, [Catkin] scholars on a cultural exchange rediscovered this written account and brought copies with them back to their homelands. Though they themselves did not know the origin of [Written Ucarhi], the elf¡¯s account was the oldest known written account on the subject. It was not until five centuries later, after semi-regular travel was established across the wide, but shallow sea between the Breibone and Eurial continents, that the mystery was solved. A traveling [Linguist] from Eurial had arrived in Breibone to document all the languages of the continent and was shocked to see [Ucarhi] use the familiar alphabet of [Ostesh], an ancient and (very rare) language used by the original human civilization upon the Eurial continent. Upon further inquiry, he found that written [Ucarhi] had looked like this for centuries at least, but that they themselves did not know the origin of the script. Thereupon, the [Linguist] published academic papers extensively in Breibone before leaving and in Eurial upon his return, noting the extreme similarities between the alphabets of [Ostesh] and [Ucarhi]. Given the extreme hazards involved in crossing the ocean, and that the ancient [Catkin] lived in the center of the Breibone continent, the idea that a traveler made the journey alive seemed unlikely in the extreme. Nonetheless, it remained the commonly accepted theory that, by some fluke, a lost traveler from Eurial to Breibone was somehow the origin of the written language. Tanaka and Cota found it all hilarious.
Sometime later, Mistress Tanaka ? and Cota ? found themselves on a carriage bound for another city. The Ai family¡¯s review of Tanaka¡¯s local suitors had been going poorly, and Mistress Tanaka had been invited to the city of Binghai to meet a potential suitor from the Takamoto family who ruled there. Cota had just about dozed off in the carriage when there was a commotion outside with their guard. Tanaka espied out the window, then turned to Cota. ¡°Cota, dear, would you mind lending the guard a hand?¡± Cota yawned, then nodded sleepily, ¡°[Grasping Roots].¡± Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡°[Druid]! [Druid]!¡± the call rose from the guard outside. ¡°Find the caster! Stephenson, I want eyes all around us.¡± Those few bandits not ensnared were quick to retreat in the face of magic, while the guard quickly cut down the bandits who remained. A few were interrogated, but other than the general knowledge that they were paid a sum to watch this road and ambush this carriage specifically, they knew nothing about their employer. ¡°Mistress Tanaka,¡± the [Guard Captain] began. ¡°I must insist we return to the Ai estate.¡± ¡°Oh, whatever for, Captain,¡± Tanaka replied slyly. ¡°You handled those men easily enough, and they were quite numerous, if low leveled.¡± ¡°That is true Mistress, however, it is apparent that either you or the Ai family were specifically targeted by these bandits. Further, we have been unable to locate the [Druid] who intervened.¡± ¡°The magic helped your men did it not? Did it not attack our enemies? Clearly the [Druid] favors us, whoever she may be.¡± ¡°Still, I must insist that we return, Mistress.¡± ¡°Do not worry about it, [Guard Captain]. We proceed onward. That¡¯s an order.¡±
¡°The Baron himself is my suitor?¡± Tanaka asked the [Maid] provided her, more for familiarity with the grounds of the estate than for any of Tanaka¡¯s personal needs, which were still handled by Cota. They had arrived without further incident to Binghai, and upon arrival to the Takamoto estate, were first escorted to guest rooms and then a parlor for their first meeting. ¡°Yes, Mistress,¡± the [Maid] replied, ¡°that is correct.¡± Cota sent back to her as she poured tea in ceremony for the young [Lady]. Tanaka pouted while not letting it creep onto her face.
The Baron was actually quite young, perhaps only a few years after his Class selection. Moreover, he was fit, unpretentious, and monstrously attractive. <*giggle* I think he has a higher CHA than you do.>
And so after a splendid visit to Binghai, Tanaka ? and Cota ? found themselves in their carriage heading back. <[Reincarnator] really screws with your mind. When you only have one life to live, you¡¯re eager to jump at the first opportunities you really have. But for us? We plan Skill and Trait acquisitions to benefit future lives. Who else does that? We¡¯re disappointed by any Class less than (very rare). Who else does that? And what could be the happiest moments in a,> Cota paused for a moment searching for the right word, Cota continued, Tanaka hemmed and hawed, fixated on an earlier point, <¡­Crap.>
Actually, Cota ? was hardly more experienced in romantic matters. Even those were largely relegated to casual affairs as a man, even though Cota had been female more often than not. And so, upon their return and Tanaka ?¡¯s announcement to the Ai family of her approval of Baron Rin Takamoto, Tanaka and Cota went to their respective mothers for their respective species¡¯ discussions of the birds and bees. Tanaka though found her mother¡¯s education thoroughly lacking, and so quickly starting going through every aunt and older cousin she had, nearly a dozen of them, for more information. Cota, on the other hand, had an excellent chat with her mother but, given Cota¡¯s role to her Mistress, was then summoned by the [Headmaid] and two others to discuss [Catkin] birds and bees and her role as [Maid] in assisting Mistress Tanaka through the stress of being with and satisfying a man. Cota sent giggling as the other [Maids] continued to ¡°instruct her.¡±
The wedding went off swimmingly and they lived happily ever after. Rin turned out to be an even more considerate and loving husband than either Tanaka ? or Cota ? could have anticipated, and while nothing could surpass the bond between them, Tanaka found her initial infatuation maturing into an abiding love for the man. Cota in turn respected him as a good man, husband, and lord. Within two years, Tanaka and Rin found themselves blessed with a daughter. While a separate [Nursemaid] was brought in, Cota in the course of her duties found herself caring for the child on a regular basis as well. To her surprise, this stirred something within herself and she soon found herself accepting the romantic interests of the young slave [Human] [Ferrier] who worked at the Takamoto estate (or at least as much as her duties allowed her to). And so, when Tanaka and Rin soon found themselves blessed with a son, Cota in turn gave birth to a daughter. Tanaka had just given birth to a third child, a daughter, when the [Ferrier] was killed by a horsekick to the head and Cota found herself a single mother. Her grief eventually passed, and Cota soon found herself partnered with a freeman [Human] [Carpenter], a few years her younger, and Cota¡¯s daughter soon had a half-brother while Tanaka gave birth to a fourth child and third daughter. The years rolled on.
By now, both women¡ªwith the shortened lifespans of [Catkin]¡ªwere firmly into middle age. Tanaka¡¯s two eldest¡ªas fast living [Catkin]¡ªhad already Classed, with the eldest even beginning to invite suitors for her hand. On the other hand, Cota¡¯s eldest¡ªproceeding as a normal human¡ªwas still several years away from Classing. The Ucarhi Kingdom was facing an incursion from the neighboring Orcish State, and the Baron was to take a battalion of soldiers to the frontlines. Tanaka spoke slowly and deliberately. <¡­We¡¯ll be separated you know. He won¡¯t even remotely entertain you coming, not with the children.> Cota responded puzzled. <*sigh* The latter I suppose. Telling a [Baron] (Level 29), that his wife¡¯s maid is actually an [Arcane Battle Maid] (Level 58) might be too much for him to handle.>
Rin was not terribly pleased to be informed that his wife¡¯s chambermaid was a [Magical Battle Maid] (Level 30), though he became less disgruntled when Tanaka explained that both Cota¡¯s existence and her secrecy were meant as anti-assassination measures by the Ai family, both for Tanaka herself as well as Rin and the children. Of course, that ¡°revelation¡± made him even less comfortable taking Cota with him, but Tanaka insisted, pointing out that a [Baron] needed to take support staff along with him anyway. Eventually, Rin relented and replaced one of his existing servants with Cota. And so, a week later, Baron Rin Takamoto, Cota, and the rest of the Baron¡¯s entourage, left the city of Binghai with a force of 500 soldiers for a four week journey to the frontlines and a six month tour of duty. It was not an easy journey, but Cota grew to be a bright spot for the soldiers¡¯ morale. Though Cota made sure that the needs of the Baron came first, a few daily casts of [Good Morning to You] and [Vigorous Chores] on the soldiers did much to improve their welfare and they knew it. Actually, given Cota¡¯s ridiculous mana pool, it was more than a few daily casts, but nobody was counting. And if she mixed in a few [Bless Sapients], well, she wasn¡¯t telling anybody that either. They were four days from the front, when a scout hurriedly returned and made a beeline for the Baron. ¡°Sire,¡± the [Fleeted Ranger] whispered to prevent eavesdropping by the soldiers, ¡°there¡¯s an [Orc] army two hours ahead, well inside the front lines. They outnumber us 2 to 1, and, if I had to wager, they are veterans from the frontlines.¡± While the battles of many organized armies could be said to be long, drawn out affairs with relatively low fatality rates, when two forces did collide intending to annihilate the other, the rapid exchange of XP as soldiers killed each other, leveled up, and they in turn were killed, could cause what was known as ¡°power-leveling.¡± Fifty thousand XP could easily take a barely-adult [Soldier] (Level 17) to (Level 33) together with the concomitant evolution into [Lieutenant] or¡ªless imaginatively¡ª[Veteran Soldier]. Plus there were the Race evolutions to consider. Because of that, veterans from fierce fighting¡ªand especially after any massacres¡ªcould be formidable to face and the Baron knew that. ¡°Damn,¡± the Baron cursed. ¡°The frontlines must have nearly fallen apart for this to happen. Are they camped out or are they on the move?¡± ¡°Camped out, sire.¡± Hmm, the Baron thought pondering the news as Cota pulled out maps of the area, anticipating his needs. If they have veteran scouts, we may already be discovered. Surprise attack questionable. Running would do no good if they are veterans. Favorable grounds then? The next valley over? The Baron thought, tapping a finger to the map. Yes, that should work nicely.
The battle did not go well. Within a few minutes of engagement, a tenth of the Baron¡¯s forces were killed, with perhaps half the number of deaths on the other side. Fifteen minutes in, and the formations of the Baron¡¯s soldiers were crumbling. Though Cota advised the Baron on large-scale magical actions of the enemy, and occasionally threw a [Fireball]¡ªI wonder if I could singlehandedly cast [Siege Fireball]? Need to pick that up¡ªthe battle was rapidly turning precarious, though not entirely lost. The disabling blow that came was one the [Orcs] had repeated many times in the last weeks to great success. A dozen long range archers of high level and with great Skills simultaneously fired shots at the head command of the Baron¡¯s forces in a decapitating strike. Embued with a great many powerful Skills, the shot at the Baron broke through his own defensive Skills and armor, punching a hole through his abdomen, though missing any major arteries. Nonetheless, it was likely a lethal wound, even if the main body of the [Orc] forces never made it that far. Embued with its own mix of powerful skills, the arrow shot at Cota nicked the skin at her throat and then exploded. This confused the [Orc] archer to no end for, even if she was a (Level 60) [Human] with a physical high-CON build, such a shot should have caused serious injury, if not short term lethality. And, indeed, Cota registered that it had caused about three thousand damage, though that was only a handful of percentage points of her HP and she would recover that fully within the hour, even if she didn¡¯t heal herself which, of course, she did immediately. As to the rest of the shots, another half dozen high officers fell around her. Though she was sprayed with blood as the command of the army died around her, she remained unfazed and, a moment later, was clean, thanks to [Battlefield Prim] and [Battlefield Proper]. Nonetheless, glancing around at the [Orcs¡¯] successful decapitation of the Baron¡¯s forces, Cota decided it was time to keep her promise to Tanaka. With a quick pulse of healing to make sure he wasn¡¯t bleeding out, Cota slung the Baron over her shoulders and beat a hasty retreat into the surrounding forest. After an hour of travel, alone now, she set the Baron down and saw to his injuries more carefully. An itch at her throat had her absently heal herself again, but when it persisted without healing, she whipped out a [Mirror]. Though the wound did not bleed, it was blackened and the surrounding flesh was already graying as she pulled up her Status.
[Poisoned]: You have been struck by a vicious poison developed by certain [Orc] [Apothecaries] in their recent wars. Temporary Trait: Expires in 70.7 hours or upon death. Gross damage: 24,224 / hour. [Poison Resistance IV] detected. HP Regen inhibited by poison. HP Regen: 348 / hour. Net damage: 1,166 / hour = 24,225 / hour (gross damage) * (1/16) [Poison Resistance IV] ¨C 348 (HP Regen offset). Seek specialized care to cure the poison or counteract the damage until [Poisoned] Trait elapses.
That wasn¡¯t good. The arrow she was struck with must have been poisoned and, despite her [Poison Resistance IV], was strong enough that it was still afflicting her. She¡¯d be dead in two days at that rate¡ªthe Baron would have died within fifteen minutes¡ªthough perhaps if she rested and used some of her Skills, she¡¯d be able to outlast it. Then again, staying here in the woods so near the battlefield was just asking for trouble. No, she thought, shaking her head, I have a promise to keep and if I move fast enough, hopefully there¡¯ll be time to get an antidote. At least the poisoned arrow didn¡¯t hit him. The Baron was still out of it. The arrow he was shot with must have had some Skill that extracted his internal energies. It was almost like he was exhausted and starving, and she ended up pouring [Divine Lay on Hands] on him just to close the wound up. But despite knitting the wound closed, he was unlikely to wake soon. Coaxing some soft fruit out of a nearby bush with her nature Skills, she forced a fruity slurry down his throat to at least get something in his stomach to restore his energy. And, as a maid, spent just a minute tidying him up before leaving. With the Baron settled, Cota slung him up on her shoulders again and took off for home¡ªeven as the poison continued to attack her¡ªusing every Skill and Trait at her disposal to move swiftly. [Firm Purchase] [Air Resistance] [Forest Stride] [Ent Walk] [Ent Stride] and then as much MP as she could maintain into her body stat boosting skills. For thirty-six straight hours, she moved through the forest like the swiftest of birds, falling into a trance-like state. Finally, she emerged from the forest a few kilometers from the Takamoto estate. Exhausted, she rang the [Dinner Bell], and seeing the house guards moving out to meet her, promptly collapsed unconscious with the Baron on top of her.
Ding!
You have received a Trait. [Exemplar ¨C Arcane Battle Maid] (unique): You represent all that an [Arcane Battle Maid] should be. You stood with your liege on the field of battle, advising them on all aspects of the arcane and propriety. And when he fell in battle, you successfully spirited him home to recover. +2 ALL.
Ding!
You have died.
Name: Cota (L116) Others: Myr, Fly #5, Emil Marlonson, Queenie, Masami, Amelia Race: High Human (L58) Class: Arcane Battle Maid (L58) HP: 0/58,421 (3,480 / hour) MP: 0/90,945 (2,700 / hour) CON: 66 STR: 66 DEX: 128 INT: 192 WIS: 192 CHA: 52 Free: 0 Traits: [Adonite''s Blessing] [Agile Health] [Beautiful Healing] [Bodily Mana] [Bodily Refill] [Bonded Dryad] [Catkin Life] [Charming] [Charming Refill] [Exemplar - Arcane Battle Maid] [Flexible Casts] [Flexible Refill] [Good Choice] [HP Regen III] [Improved HP III] [Improved MP III] [Live Fast IV] [MP Regen III] [Princess Kidnapper I] [Reincarnator] [Skillshare (Common)] [Skillshare (Rare)] [Skillshare (Uncommon)] [Smart Doctoring] [Smart Healing] [Speedy Speedster] [Status Modification] [Strong Healing] [Strong Magics] [Strong Refill] [Studious] [Winning Charm] [Winning Smile] [Wise Healing] Bodily Traits: [Air Resistance II] [Amorphous Body] [Buoyant 24] [Calm Stomach] [Cold Resistance II] [Dark Vision III] [Eagle Eye] [Elven Ears] [Firm Purchase III] [Hair Control] [Heat Resistance II] [Instinctive Dodge 2] [Lightning Resistance II] [Magic Eater] [Magic Growth] [Omnivore] [Planktivorous III] [Quick Hands 5] [Salt Water Tolerant III] [Skin Sight] [Slippery] [Sticky Fingers 7] [Tracking Nose 1] [Treasure Hunter 2] [Water Jet 14] [Water Resistance II] Life Skills: [Battlefield Prim 8] [Battlefield Proper 8] [Butchering 13] [Child Rearing 18] [Cleaning 36] [Cooking 18] [Digestion 11] [Dinner Bell 12] [Disguise 15] [Easy Birth] [Eating 39] [Fast Talker 11] [Fishing 12] [Gardening 16] [Good Morning to You 24] [Hygiene 20] [Internal Clock 16] [Laundry 12] [Learning 43] [Magical Gardening 19] [Make Up 16] [Meditation 25] [Mirror] [Natural Leader 23] [Planning 30] Languages: [Belly Speech 25] [Eastern Kneet 40] [Greenwood Elvish 40] [Ostesh 40] [Polyglot I] [Speak with Elves 40] [Tyr Trade Tongue 9] [Ucarhi 40] [Ucarhi - Creator of Written Ucarhi] [Ventriloquism 4] [Western Kneet 12] General Mage Skills: [Acid Splash 12] [Mage Hands] [Mage''s Blade III] [Mage''s Shield 13] [Mana Bolt 8] [Mana Finesse II] [Mana Lance 2] Fire Mage Skills: [Fire Immunity] [Fire Manipulation 18] [Firewall 13] [Fireball 18] [Firebolt 12] [Flamethrower 12] [Flaming Sphere 12] Paladin Skills: [Divine Aegis 19] [Divine Arrow 8] [Divine Aura 18] [Divine Body 4] [Divine Brawn 6] [Divine Channel 21] [Divine Courage 9] [Divine Faith 2] [Divine Fortress 10] [Divine Lay on Hands 19] [Divine Reflection 9] [Divine Smile 5] [Divine Smite 16] [Divine Speed 12] [Divine Thought 6] [Divine Will 4] Melee Skills: [Archery 8] [Claws 16] [Heavy Armor 24] [One-Handed Sword 24] [Shield Bash 12] [Two-Handed Sword 5] [Unarmed Combat 15] Druid Skills: [Barkskin 25] [Command Animal 18] [Court of the Forest] [Detect Poison 1] [Disorienting Mist 1] [Forest Stride 44] [Grasping Roots 20] [Locate Animal 18] [Locate Plant 22] [Native Knowledge 18] [Natural Healing III] [Natural Recovery III] [Plant Growth 40] [Poison Resistance IV] [Summon Animal 12] [Tree Network III] [Water Breathing 10] [Water Walk 1] Tree Skills: [Attract Birds 12] [Bless Animals 8] [Bless Elves 1] [Bless Sapients 1] [Branch Strike 8] [Chlorophyll 12] [Defensive Domain] [Ent Stride 26] [Ent Walk 26] [Extract Nutrients 10] [Grow Fruit 2] [Heal Plant III] [Root Strike 12] [Rooted Stance 4] [Speak with Animals 20] [Swaying 2] [Wood Shaping 1] v. 0.99b
Name: Tanaka Ai Takamoto (L80) Others: Arial of Myr, Elaria Greenwood Race: High Catkin (L40) Class: Blessed Lady of the Hearth (L40) HP: 0/20,548 (2,055 / hour) MP: 0/21,682 (1,333 / hour) CON: 54 STR: 50 DEX: 65 INT: 61 WIS: 61 CHA: 120 Free: 3 Traits: [Agile Health] [Beautiful Healing] [Bodily Mana] [Bodily Refill] [Charming Refill] [Dedication] [Dryad Bond] [Eagle Eye] [Elven Ears] [Flexible Casts] [Flexible Refill] [Good Choice] [Home Flexibility] [HP Regen III] [Improved HP III] [Investment] [Magic Eater] [Mind for Body IV] [MP Regen III] [Reluctant Leader] [Smart Doctoring] [Smart Healing] [Speedy Speedster] [Strong Healing] [Strong Magics] [Strong Refill] [Succulent III] [Tracking Nose 8] [Tree Beneficiary] [Winning Charm] [Winning Smile] [Wise Healing] General Skills: [Barkskin 8] [Belly Speech 6] [Charming] [Child Rearing 26] [Chlorophyll 18] [Common Skillshare] [Disguise 8] [Easy Birth] [Eloquent Speech 24] [Gardening 12] [Greenwood Elvish 40] [Hygiene 22] [Learning 16] [Locate Animal 12] [Native Knowledge 4] [Noble Bearing 22] [One with Your Tree] [Persuasion 16] [Planning 18] [Plant Growth 6] [Speak with Elves 40] [Uncommon Skillshare] [Ventriloquism 8] [Woodshaping 12] Class Skills: [A Hearth to Call Your Own] [A Hearth to Rest] [A Hearth to Roam] [Call of the Wild 4] [Constrict 5] [Curved Sword 12] [Daggers 6] [Dancing Footwork 16] [Eagle Eye] [Empathy 24] [Fortified Block 4] [Imperious Look 28] [Light Armor 8] [Mounted Aim 1] [Nature''s Defense] [Negotiation 32] [Pummel 5] [Reave Defense 6] [Reflecting Block 8] [Shield Bash 4] [Thorn Rain 4] [Tree Riding 18] [Unarmed Combat 4] [Wither 4] v. 0.99b
8. A Whole New World
Ding! You are ready to be born. You may now crack open your shell.
Cota ? replied, puzzled. Tanaka ? cooed. <*sigh* Well, you kept your promise. You had just gotten back with Rin when you collapsed. We rushed to get healers for both of you, but they couldn¡¯t treat your poison in time. You should have seen the look on Rin¡¯s face when he woke up and figured out where he was and what happened. He was furious with me for weeks about not disclosing your full capabilities. But, he eventually got over it and, in recognition of your service, spread your ashes in the Ai statuary and freed your daughter. Your partner had moved on, but your daughter and son were both well last I heard. I passed about eight years after you did.> Cota grumbled. Tanaka asked.
Cota ? was born as a [Kobold], a herd-based bipedal lizard with very rudimentary tool use, whose adults averaged 70 cm. Cota had wondered if they were considered sapient, but after a month of studying their communications, concluded their language (as such) probably only had about fifty words in it. She didn¡¯t even get a Skill out of it. And despite being social creatures, they definitely did not get along with each other and frequently killed each other, though none of the others seemed to care about the deaths. Ultimately, there was also a lot of posturing involved among the other [Kobolds], but Cota usually just went straight for lethal strikes, her high level [Claws] both sufficient to do so and inconspicuous enough to avoid undue problems. On the other hand, Tanaka ? was born as a [Cave Bat], whose adults topped out at 25 cm long. They too were definitely not sapient, which was disappointing, but Tanaka received the inherent Skills [Fly] and [Echolocate]. While [Cave Bats] were much more agreeable socially compared to [Kobolds], they were all idiots and, as such, unsuitable friend material for Tanaka.
Finally, after a few months¡¯ growth, Trixie ? and Guinness ? received System access. They were surprised to say the least.
Ding! You have received access to the System v.1.0. As a growing young member of your species, it is imperative upon you¡­
And so on and so forth. In addition to the new introduction, there were notifications that the XP Tables for Class and Race had been rejiggered, as had the Rarity table. First, the XP Table was now on a slow exponential curve, rather than the quadratic curve it had previously been on. While the earlier levels were a bit easier now, because the new XP table increased at faster and faster rates, the later levels were much more difficult. Counterbalancing that however, the new XP table did not have an increase on a tier-up in Race or Class, unlike the old table. This in turn was counter-counterbalanced by the fact that tier-ups occurred every fifty levels, rather than thirty levels as before. All-in-all, it now meant that, for example, your typical [Human] would get to the high 30s or low 40s, but would never be able to tier up within their lifetime; instead only the top few percentage points of [Humans] would tier up, and probably only at advanced age. Second, the Rarity table had now been extended to eight from six: (common) (uncommon) (remarkable) (rare) (very rare) (ultra rare) (fantastic) and (unique). The other changes to Rarity were murky, but apparently included improvements in both internal consistency and with other aspects of the System. Apparently the Rarity tables were now separately treating Race and Class from each other and from Traits/Skills, which were now explicitly recognized as being either Tiered (null, II, III, IV, V) or Ranked (the numbered ones). As to the Status page, nothing had changed for Trixie, but Guinness¡¯ Traits and Skills had been reorganized into Tiered Traits, Ranked Traits, Tiered Skills and Ranked Skills. Guinness was blathering on-and-on upon how the new organization was organized when, fed up, Trixie exclaimed, Whereupon Trixie explained to Guinness the [Status Modification] Trait and how she had acquired it a while back. With that story, both were left wondering how the Skill had never come up in the literally hundreds of years they had spent together. After much discussion, they ultimately decided to blame it (mostly) on trees and dryads being untalkative sorts despite their close relationship. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Thereafter, Guinness used [Belly Speech] to yell out into the cave in [Greenwood Elvish] the most creative complaints and cursewords directed to the System that Trixie had ever heard. Included therein were very cross words as to the System¡¯s parentage. ¡°¡ªAnd your father smelt of¡ªOh, hey I got the Trait,¡± Guinness smirked.
When she was done, she was quite pleased with how she had organized it.
Name: Guinness (L5) Other Names: Tanaka Ai Takamoto, Arial of Myr, Elaria Greenwood Race: Bat (C) (L5) Class: HP: 548/548 (270 / hour) MP: 285/285 (155 / hour) CON: 15 STR: 15 DEX: 11 INT: 4 WIS: 4 CHA: 5 Free: 0 Attributes to Everything!: [Winning Smile] [Winning Charm] [Bodily Mana] [Agile Health] [Flexible Casts] [Smart Doctoring] [Strong Magics] [Good Choice] [Beautiful Healing] [Charming Refill] [Bodily Refill] [Flexible Refill] [Smart Healing] [Strong Healing] [Strong Refill] [Wise Healing] Fast Growth!: [Dedication] [Mind for Body IV] [Improved HP III] [HP Regen III] [MP Regen III] [Speedy Speedster] [Investment] [Status Modification] Bodily Traits: [Elven Ears] [Eagle Eye] [Magic Eater] [Tracking Nose 8] [Succulent III] [Home Flexibility 4] [Barkskin 8] [Chlorophyll 18] [Disguise 8] [Fly With Wings 4] [Echolocation 3] Dryad Bond Traits: [Dryad Bond] [Tree Beneficiary] [Common Skillshare] [Uncommon Skillshare] [One with Your Tree] Interpersonal Skills: [Reluctant Leader] [Charming 1] [Noble Bearing 22] [Persuasion 16] [Planning 18] [Learning 16] [Empathy 24] [Negotiation 32] [Imperious Look 28] Speaking: [Belly Speech 6] [Greenwood Elvish 40] [Ventriloquism 8] [Speak with Elves 40] [Eloquent Speech 24] Nature Skills: [Call of the Wild 4] [Constrict 5] [Gardening 12] [Locate Animal 12] [Native Knowledge 4] [Plant Growth 6] [Woodshaping 12] [Tree Riding 18] [Wither 4] [Thorn Rain 4] [Nature''s Defense] Domestic Skills: [A Hearth to Call Your Own] [A Hearth to Rest] [A Hearth to Roam] [Child Rearing 26] [Easy Birth] [Hygiene 22] Melee Skills: [Curved Sword 12] [Daggers 6] [Dancing Footwork 16] [Fortified Block 4] [Light Armor 8] [Mounted Aim 1] [Pummel 5] [Reave Defense 6] [Reflecting Block 8] [Shield Bash 4] [Unarmed Combat 4] v. 1.01
Ding! You have died.
Name: Trixie (L5) Other Names: Cota, Myr, Fly #5, Emil Marlonson, Queenie, Masami, Amelia Race: [Kobold] (C) (L5) Class: HP: 0/1,313 (525 / hour) MP: 0/2,446 (443 / hour) CON: 7 STR: 12 DEX: 7 INT: 36 WIS: 36 CHA: 7 Free: 0 Traits: [Adonite''s Blessing] [Agile Health] [Beautiful Healing] [Bodily Mana] [Bodily Refill] [Bonded Dryad] [Catkin Life] [Charming] [Charming Refill] [Exemplar - Arcane Battle Maid] [Flexible Casts] [Flexible Refill] [Good Choice] [HP Regen III] [Improved HP III] [Improved MP III] [Live Fast IV] [MP Regen III] [Princess Kidnapper I] [Reincarnator] [Skillshare (Common)] [Skillshare (Rare)] [Skillshare (Uncommon)] [Smart Doctoring] [Smart Healing] [Speedy Speedster] [Status Modification] [Strong Healing] [Strong Magics] [Strong Refill] [Studious] [Winning Charm] [Winning Smile] [Wise Healing] Bodily Traits: [Air Resistance II] [Amorphous Body] [Buoyant 24] [Calm Stomach III] [Cold Resistance II] [Dark Vision III] [Eagle Eye] [Elven Ears] [Firm Purchase III] [Hair Control III] [Heat Resistance II] [Instinctive Dodge 4] [Lightning Resistance II] [Magic Eater III] [Magic Growth III] [Omnivore] [Planktivorous III] [Quick Hands 12] [Salt Water Tolerant III] [Skin Sight 20] [Slippery 10] [Sticky Fingers 11] [Tracking Nose 4] [Treasure Hunter 3] [Water Jet 14] [Water Resistance II] Life Skills: [Battlefield Prim 8] [Battlefield Proper 8] [Butchering 13] [Child Rearing 18] [Cleaning 36] [Cooking 18] [Digestion 11] [Dinner Bell 12] [Disguise 15] [Easy Birth] [Eating 39] [Fast Talker 11] [Fishing 12] [Gardening 16] [Good Morning to You 24] [Hygiene 20] [Internal Clock 16] [Laundry 12] [Learning 43] [Magical Gardening 19] [Make Up 16] [Meditation 25] [Mirror] [Natural Leader 23] [Planning 30] Languages: [Belly Speech 25] [Eastern Kneet 40] [Greenwood Elvish 40] [Ostesh 40] [Polyglot I] [Speak with Elves 40] [Tyr Trade Tongue 9] [Ucarhi 40] [Ucarhi - Creator of Written Ucarhi] [Ventriloquism 4] [Western Kneet 12] General Mage Skills: [Acid Splash 12] [Mage Hands 18] [Mage''s Blade 23] [Mage''s Shield 13] [Mana Bolt 8] [Mana Finesse 20] [Mana Lance 2] Fire Mage Skills: [Fire Immunity] [Fire Manipulation 18] [Firewall 13] [Fireball 18] [Firebolt 12] [Flamethrower 12] [Flaming Sphere 12] Paladin Skills: [Divine Aegis 19] [Divine Arrow 8] [Divine Aura 18] [Divine Body 4] [Divine Brawn 6] [Divine Channel 21] [Divine Courage 9] [Divine Faith 2] [Divine Fortress 10] [Divine Lay on Hands 19] [Divine Reflection 9] [Divine Smile 5] [Divine Smite 16] [Divine Speed 12] [Divine Thought 6] [Divine Will 4] Melee Skills: [Archery 8] [Claws 16] [Heavy Armor 24] [One-Handed Sword 24] [Shield Bash 12] [Two-Handed Sword 5] [Unarmed Combat 15] Druid Skills: [Barkskin 25] [Command Animal 18] [Court of the Forest] [Detect Poison 6] [Disorienting Mist 1] [Forest Stride 46] [Grasping Roots 20] [Locate Animal 18] [Locate Plant 22] [Native Knowledge 18] [Natural Healing III] [Natural Recovery III] [Plant Growth 40] [Poison Resistance IV] [Summon Animal 12] [Tree Network III] [Water Breathing 10] [Water Walk 4] Tree Skills: [Attract Birds 12] [Bless Animals 8] [Bless Elves 1] [Bless Sapients 6] [Branch Strike 8] [Chlorophyll 12] [Defensive Domain 8] [Ent Stride 28] [Ent Walk 28] [Extract Nutrients 10] [Grow Fruit 4] [Heal Plant 1] [Root Strike 12] [Rooted Stance 4] [Speak with Animals 20] [Swaying 2] [Wood Shaping 1] v. 1.01
9. Companionship
Trixie ? and Guinness ? were reborn as Shebbynall Palagi ? and Knieckmuch Vitti ?, female and male [Gnomes] (remarkable) in the city of Bonnish (population two hundred thousand) of the Federated Ravorno States on the Ravorno Peninsula, Eurial continent. Bonnish was a densely packed city that lay along the steeply descending mountains¡ªnearly cliffs, in truth¡ªinto Seacliffs Bay, just off the Tides of Hebborg. To follow the streets was very often to move up or down hill at a steep angle, so much so that locals often gave directions up-and-down mountain and up-and-down coast, rather than some sort of cardinal directions. Not that compasses aren¡¯t cool, it¡¯s just that pragmatism wins the day. The Palagi and Vitti families were neighbors and fast friends, and the greenhaired Shelby ? and purplehaired Nick ? were inseparable growing up, often spending many hours at the Funcore Game Hall, owned and operated by the Vitti family. Through Status unlock, Shelby and Nick both attended the publicly funded educational system. Thereafter, they both attended prestigious Public Scientific Library which, contrary to its name, was actually an academy. Being male was an entirely new experience for Nick, and he had some difficulty the first few years. But Shelby was an understanding and supportive soul and, in time, Nick came to embrace his new maleness. This was grossly exacerbated by Gnomish romantic culture which emphasized melodramatic and sickeningly sweet acts undertaken by males to woo females, who were expected to act reticent, even if not. Notably, such romantic displays nearly always failed to succeed in wooing, but the failure in itself was accepted and often praised if impressive nonetheless. Such romantic displays were such a central feature of Gnomish society, that even now, the city of Bonnish featured several dating agencies, most famous of which were ¡°Blushes and Sparks¡± and ¡°[Find Love].¡± Forget racing at the coliseum; this was public entertainment at its finest. Encouraged by Gnomish culture, Nick threw himself into increasingly elaborate romantic displays directed at the most popular and pretty students at the Academy. He was passionate, earnest, and in no small measure assisted by several lifetimes of Traits and Skills. Indeed, he had gained a reputation as a true spectacle among Gnomes. Shelby found it insufferable. In their last year at the Academy, Shelby and Nick planned a day trip out of the city.
¡°I¡¯m¡ªtelling you, that it¡¯s¡­ overblown,¡± Shelby ? slurred. ¡°Nah, nah¡ª*hic* it¡¯s weally quite scary. All the name. The Malignant¡ªno, the Malevolent¡­Atoll. The Floating ¡­Skeery. The Fear *hic* -some Isle. The Cobalt Island,¡± Nick ? slurred back. The two had finished their picnic, along with a bottle of Silblemante wine that Nick had snuck out of his parents¡¯. They were far from the city, out on the beach on Beaconlier¡¯s Coastline, not too distant from the manned lighthouse at its tip, both having a picnic and getting drunk together. Neither of which, surprisingly, they had ever done before, either alone or together. ¡°Nonono¡­ It¡¯s bad¡­. Fine!¡± Shelby decided. She scooped Nick up in a princess carry and began toddling towards water. Nick¡¯s hat fell off and was left behind in the sand as he reflexively wrapped his arms around her neck. He glanced up at her face, then the sand and the approaching ocean, then her face again. ¡°Wut are you doin¡¯?¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ [Wata Walkin¡¯],¡± Shelby managed to get out. ¡°Oh, okay,¡± he responded quietly as he looked down contemplatively into the water. Shelby had some difficulty getting past the crashing surf, but once she had done so, it was only a little bumpy as she began the two kilometer walk out to Cobalt Island. As they were walking, suddenly the water before them started churning and a large monster appeared. It rose up before them twenty meters, with horrible black shapes forming its body and dozens of tentacles. Shelby and Nick just stared up at it for several moments, before (suddenly sobered) Shelby turned and started hightailing it back to shore. ¡°Nick!¡± Shelby yelled after only a few steps. ¡°What?!¡± Nick yelled back. ¡°Use magic! Keep it off us!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have anything that¡¯ll work on water.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care. Use [Ventriloquism] to distract it; give it an [Imperious Look]! Just do something!¡± Nick did get some of the sea kelp to grow above the water and wave in the general direction of the monster, though it frankly didn¡¯t care to pursue them at all as long as they weren¡¯t trying to cross the channel.
The two of them collapsed on the blanket they had brought, laying on their backs panting. ¡°Ha, ha, that was terrible. Ha, ha, told you it was, ha, dangerous.¡± Nick started. ¡°Ha, ha, why are you panting. You didn¡¯t run any.¡± ¡°Ha, umm¡­ it was that scary? And that did take a lot of MP you know.¡± They lay there in the relative quiet of heavy breathing and crashing waves. Nick glanced up as a bird alighted upon the branch of a nearby tree. ¡°You know,¡± Nick started, ¡°I bet¡ª¡± and then his mouth was smothered by Shelby¡¯s lips as she jumped on him. The blanket they lay on got rather frumpled.
As Shelby ? and Nick ? cuddled in bliss, the sun was fading into afternoon, its orange glow lapping across the dark blue of the sea. Into this silence, Shelby prompted, ¡°I think we should get married.¡± Nick blinked several times, then ran his memory of the sound back through his head again. ¡°Marriage?¡± he asked, puzzled. ¡°Where¡¯d that come from?¡± ¡°I mean, it kind of fits doesn¡¯t it.¡± Shelby was in advocate mode. ¡°This is an easy going life. We¡¯re the same species¡ªfor once. We¡¯re [Gnomes] in one of the best-developed civilizations I¡¯ve ever heard, let alone seen. You¡¯re studying to be a [Machinist], I¡¯m studying to be an [Engineer]. We¡¯ll be working in manufacturing for our livelihood. And, after school, what? We enter the [Gnomish] dating scene?¡± ¡°Well, sure,¡± Nick replied absently. ¡°I guess.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s working so well for you. I mean, you know the average marital age of [Gnomes]? And then what do we tell our spouses? ¡®Oh don¡¯t worry about the other guy?¡¯¡± ¡°Or gal,¡± he replied cheekily. ¡°Pendant. And we¡¯re practically married already. Or more than married I suppose with our bond. Or is that less married? I mean, I¡¯m not necessarily¡­ physically attracted to you.¡± ¡°Nor am I,¡± Nick interjected quickly. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean the whole starting a family thing won¡¯t work. Maybe we¡¯ll use less monster next time, but it can work. We¡¯re¡ª¡± Nick cut her off with a finger to her lips. ¡°I get it,¡± he said solemnly. ¡°So, our parents?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve known each other our whole life. It wouldn¡¯t be so strange to announce it so young. Well, maybe a bit, but it would be explainable.¡± A half dozen ocean waves broke before Nick replied. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s do it.¡± Then, a beat later, ¡°So do you want me to propose [Gnomish]-style, [Catkin]-style, or [Elven]-style?¡± She shut him up with her lips again.
Shelby ? and Nick ? Classed shortly thereafter, both receiving as their initial what was usually an evolved Class for others: [High Engineer] (rare) for Shelby and [High Machinist] (rare) for Nick. Nick was already at Level 42, but Shelby¡¯s ridiculous multipliers meant that she hit Level 63. With that, she immediately evolved her Race to [Green Gnome] (rare), a [High Gnome] variant, and her Class to [Engineer of the Deep] (ultra rare). The latter she suspected she received on account of being attacked twice and eaten once by deep sea monsters, but the description was too vague to determine. A final demonstrative examination at the Academy and both were certified to ply their trade in society. As their families were celebrating their commencement, they jointly announced that they were engaged to be married, which really only turned the [Gnomish] party up to eleven. The elder Mr. Palagi broke out a case of the special wine, while the elder Mr. Vitti broke out a bottle of [Dwarven] spirits. There were hangovers all around. Coming out of school, Shelby and Nick began their careers at Nemo Networks at a high-level entry level position on account of their evolved Classes which, while exceedingly rare for young ones, was not unheard of. That said, Shelby was coy about [Engineer of the Deep], and both Nick and Shelby kept their true levels a secret from their employers. Nonetheless, they quickly established a reputation as a highly efficient and effective design and manufacturing team: while a few hundred Skills helped, it turned out that their telepathic Skills were the ones they used most often and most effectively, especially once they figured out how to send images. A few months later and they celebrated their nuptials. It was Shelby¡¯s first marriage and Nick¡¯s first as a man. But they figured it out just fine. Old souls and all that. The Company gave them two weeks off and they celebrated their honeymoon in a quiet cottage in one of the dry continental forests a day¡¯s travel inland. Shelby and Nick spent five years at Nemo Networks, then another seven at Golbrews, all the time advancing their trades and their employer¡¯s manufacturing. At that point, they decided to set out on their own, naming their company Phoenixolutions. There was much anticipation by the [Gnomish] community, mostly over their high reputation and the fantastic word play in the name; Shelby and Nick just thought the fantastical and mythical [Phoenix] was a good metaphor for their lives, and didn¡¯t quite understand what all the hype was about. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. During that time, Shelby and Nick were blessed with four children: Bonnie, a daughter; Cline, a son; Eddie, a son; and Georgie, a daughter. They had a happy and healthy home life, no doubt improved by any of a dozen Skills they had to draw upon. Shelby in particular was glad to take advantage of Nick¡¯s [Lady of the Hearth] skills, which she hadn¡¯t felt the full advantage of as Cota ? on account of not being family to Tanaka ? at the time. While Bonnie the eldest was already leaning towards an artsy occupation¡ªspontaneous floral arrangements, perhaps¡ªEddie was already keen to head into the family business. Then, just after Bonnie Classed: War. The Neutral Alpine Territories declared war on the Federated Ravorno States (where Shelby and Nick lived) and, for a time, Shelby and Nick were anxious whether they would need to pull out their deadlier skills yet again and ruin this quiet life they had come to enjoy. Nonetheless, on account of the war, orders for craftsmen were at an all-time high and Phoenixolutions found their products in high demand, both by the government and discerning private military forces. And so, as the first year after the declaration passed, the distant war quickly faded from conscious worry. And indeed, after two years, a peace treaty was signed¡ªwith hardly a thousand soldiers killed and nary an enemy within sight of Shelby and Nick¡¯s beloved city. With the end of the war and Eddie recently Classing, the demands on their time decreased after making a barrel-load of money. In so doing, Shelby and Nick reflected on their business. Why were they making so much money? They certainly couldn¡¯t spend it all this lifetime and, for all they were reincarnators, they couldn¡¯t take it with them. Hmm¡­ And so with that, Shelby and Nick got into the philanthropy game. Donations and public works galore! The Vitti Plaza and Waterfountain. The Paulus Palagi Scholarship for Enterprising Game Board Designers. The Ararara Public Library, named after a dear friend. And The Matilda Vitti Orphanage for Lost and Abandoned Girls. Soon, and perhaps inspired by their parents¡¯ own youthful marriage, Bonnie and Cline married their respective spouses. Eddie was still battling it out in the ferocious Gnomish dating pool, while Georgie had just Classed herself. All was right in the family. Naturally though, a few more years passed and Shelby and Nick discovered another use for their money: Grandchildren! They were a righteous terror. And so, the years and decades passed.
On the top floor of the Vitti estate, the family matriarch and patriarch rested, confined to their bed by the frailties of age. Their eldest, Bonnie, rested in a nearby chair, in between the increasingly common visits to her parents. ¡°Bonnie?¡± Shelby ? suddenly rasped out, ¡°Get me some hot water.¡± Bonnie perked up at her mother¡¯s sudden request, scanning the room for what had woken her mother from her stupor and/or prompted this request. She conspicuously did not move from the chair. ¡°You¡¯re not going to do it are you?¡± Shelby prodded. Bonnie shook her head, unable to get any words out, as dread began to creep into her chest. ¡°Ugh, I¡¯ll do it myself,¡± Shelby grunted. Then, with a few shaky hand movements, [Mage¡¯s Hands] put a small amount of water from a sink into a mug and dragged it across the room to her, where [Fire Manipulation] heated it. ¡°{I should really get some [Water Mage] Skills sometime,}¡± she mumbled under her breath in [Ostesh], a language spoken only half a continent away. Then, speaking up in Bonnie¡¯s direction, ¡°And yes, I¡¯m going to do it. He watched me die once, but she had children and a husband, so a few years for them was fine. Me? I¡¯m old and my family¡ªbless you¡ªis lovely. But it¡¯s my time. Your father¡¯s dead.¡± Bonnie flushed, angry and frustrated at her mother¡¯s insane ramblings. It had gotten worse in the last year, but still, she couldn''t get used to it. She consciously ignored the fact her mother was using two [Mage] Skills she never knew her mother even had, while her mother brewed the herb. ¡°What if he just fell asleep? You remember that time Jimmy thought Dad had died and had the rest of us in an uproar.¡± ¡°Bah!¡± Shelby spat. ¡°You all were in an uproar; I knew he was fine. We never told you kids but your Dad and I are literally bound by our souls. It¡¯s even got its own Trait. And,¡± Shelby paused to swallow, her throat dry, ¡°I felt it when he passed on. He¡¯s waiting for me, and I¡ªI can¡¯t let that happen.¡± Frustration building, Bonnie ran out of the room. Meanwhile, Shelby quickly drank the hot, bitter water, and leaned back in the bed with a sigh as she waited for peace to come to her. A few minutes later, Bonnie returned with the rest of her siblings and¡ªincidentally¡ªher newborn niece. Seeing the empty cup, no one said anything, but prying one eye open and seeing her family had deigned to appear, Shelby first sighed heavily and then yawned deeply. ¡°We had this conversation long ago and it¡¯s not happening again. But in my last moments,¡± Shelby yawned again, even deeper this time. ¡°I suppose I could give a bit more consideration to your collective concern about the family after we¡¯re gone. Hnnnn!¡± she grunted like she was trying to pass something. ¡°[Bless Sapients].¡±
Ding! You have received a blessing from Shebbynall Palagi Vitti. [Shelby¡¯s Familial Blessing] (rare): For the remainder of your life, any action taken to better the family is 50% more likely to succeed. Additionally, receive +2 WIS, +2 INT. Inheritable by your children and grandchildren, but no further descendants.
By the time the stunned members of the Vitti mercantile family turned their attention back to their matriarch, she was already dead.
Ding! You have died.
Name: Shebbynall "Shelby" Palagi Vitti (L156) Other Names: Trixie, Cota, Myr, Fly #5, Emil Marlonson, Queenie, Masami, Amelia Race: [Green Gnome] (Ra) (L78) Class: [Engineer of the Deep] (UR) (L78) HP: 0/385,193 (9,855 / hour) MP: 0/868,967 (8,383 / hour) CON: 74 STR: 74 DEX: 269 INT: 687 WIS: 691 CHA: 176 Free: 3 Traits: [Adonite''s Blessing] [Agile Health] [Beautiful Healing] [Bodily Mana] [Bodily Refill] [Bonded Dryad] [Catkin Life] [Charming] [Charming Refill] [Exemplar - Arcane Battle Maid] [Flexible Casts] [Flexible Refill] [Good Choice] [HP Regen III] [Improved HP III] [Improved MP III] [Live Fast IV] [MP Regen III] [Princess Kidnapper I] [Reincarnator] [Skillshare (Common)] [Skillshare (Rare)] [Skillshare (Remarkable)] [Skillshare (Uncommon)] [Smart Doctoring] [Smart Healing] [Speedy Speedster] [Status Modification] [Strong Healing] [Strong Magics] [Strong Refill] [Studious] [Winning Charm] [Winning Smile] [Wise Healing] Bodily Traits: [Air Resistance II] [Amorphous Body] [Buoyant 24] [Calm Stomach III] [Cold Resistance II] [Dark Vision III] [Eagle Eye] [Elven Ears] [Firm Purchase III] [Hair Control III] [Heat Resistance II] [Instinctive Dodge 6] [Less Sleep II] [Lightning Resistance II] [Magic Eater III] [Magic Growth III] [Omnivore] [Pain Resistance IV] [Planktivorous III] [Quick Hands 20] [Salt Water Tolerant III] [Skin Sight 22] [Slippery 12] [Sticky Fingers 16] [Tracking Nose 6] [Treasure Hunter 6] [Water Jet 14] [Water Resistance II] Life Skills: [Battlefield Prim 8] [Battlefield Proper 8] [Butchering 14] [Child Rearing 32] [Cleaning 38] [Cooking 26] [Digestion 14] [Dinner Bell 16] [Disguise 15] [Easy Birth II] [Eating 42] [Fast Talker 16] [Fishing 14] [Gardening 16] [Good Morning to You 28] [Hygiene 32] [Internal Clock 40] [Laundry 18] [Learning 50] [Magical Gardening 19] [Make Up 16] [Meditation 25] [Mirror] [Natural Leader 26] [Planning 38] Languages: [Belly Speech 25] [Eastern Kneet 40] [Greenwood Elvish 40] [Ostesh 40] [Polyglot I] [Ravornia 60] [Speak with Elves 40] [Tyr Trade Tongue 9] [Ucarhi 40] [Ucarhi - Creator of Written Ucarhi] [Ventriloquism 5] [Western Kneet 12] General Mage Skills: [Acid Splash 12] [Mage Hands 30] [Mage''s Blade 23] [Mage''s Shield 14] [Mana Bolt 8] [Mana Finesse 20] [Mana Lance 2] [Temperature Control 24] [Water Manipulation 12] Fire Mage Skills: [Fire Immunity] [Fire Manipulation 18] [Firewall 13] [Fireball 18] [Firebolt 12] [Flamethrower 12] [Flaming Sphere 12] Paladin Skills: [Divine Aegis 19] [Divine Arrow 8] [Divine Aura 18] [Divine Body 4] [Divine Brawn 7] [Divine Channel 21] [Divine Courage 9] [Divine Faith 2] [Divine Fortress 10] [Divine Lay on Hands 21] [Divine Reflection 9] [Divine Smile 6] [Divine Smite 16] [Divine Speed 12] [Divine Thought 10] [Divine Will 8] Melee Skills: [Archery 8] [Claws 16] [Heavy Armor 24] [One-Handed Sword 24] [Shield Bash 12] [Two-Handed Sword 5] [Unarmed Combat 15] Druid Skills: [Barkskin 25] [Command Animal 19] [Court of the Forest] [Detect Poison 6] [Disorienting Mist 1] [Forest Stride 46] [Grasping Roots 20] [Locate Animal 20] [Locate Plant 22] [Native Knowledge 18] [Natural Healing III] [Natural Recovery III] [Plant Growth 40] [Poison Resistance IV] [Summon Animal 12] [Tree Network III] [Water Breathing 10] [Water Walk 12] Tree Skills: [Attract Birds 12] [Bless Animals 8] [Bless Elves 1] [Bless Sapients 6] [Branch Strike 8] [Chlorophyll 12] [Defensive Domain 8] [Ent Stride 28] [Ent Walk 28] [Extract Nutrients 12] [Grow Fruit 6] [Heal Plant 2] [Root Strike 12] [Rooted Stance 4] [Speak with Animals 22] [Swaying 2] [Wood Shaping 16] Engineer Skills: [[Skill] Inspiration 8] [Arcane Design 16] [Biomimicry 12] [Critical Thinking 12] [Draft Schematics 28] [Hack Job 8] [Improvised Weapon 1] [Keen Eye 4] [Magic Pen 34] [Mathematics 22] [Mechanics 30] [Pressure Tolerance 8] [Project Management 26] [Prototyping 18] [Reinforce 24] [Statics 12] [Structural Integrity 6] [Troubleshooting 14] v. 1.04
Name: Knieckmuch "Nick" Vitti (L108) Other Names: Guinness, Tanaka Ai Takamoto, Arial of Myr, Elaria Greenwood Race: [Violet Gnome] (Ra) (L54) Class: [Machinist of Monsters] (UR) (L54) HP: 0/86,700 (4,420 / hour) MP: 0/98,500 (3,165 / hour) CON: 67 STR: 107 DEX: 233 INT: 113 WIS: 191 CHA: 173 Free: 0 Attributes to Everything!: [Winning Smile] [Winning Charm] [Bodily Mana] [Agile Health] [Flexible Casts] [Smart Doctoring] [Strong Magics] [Good Choice] [Beautiful Healing] [Charming Refill] [Bodily Refill] [Flexible Refill] [Smart Healing] [Strong Healing] [Strong Refill] [Wise Healing] Fast Growth!: [Dedication] [Mind for Body IV] [Improved HP III] [HP Regen III] [MP Regen III] [Speedy Speedster] [Investment] [Status Modification] Bodily Traits: [Elven Ears] [Eagle Eye] [Magic Eater] [Tracking Nose 8] [Succulent III] [Home Flexibility 4] [Barkskin 8] [Chlorophyll 18] [Disguise 8] [Fly With Wings 4] [Echolocation 3] [Less Sleep II] [Pain Resistance IV] Dryad Bond Traits: [Dryad Bond] [Tree Beneficiary] [Skillshare (Common)] [Skillshare (Uncommon)] [One with Your Tree] Interpersonal Skills: [Reluctant Leader] [Charming 1] [Noble Bearing 22] [Persuasion 16] [Planning 18] [Learning 16] [Empathy 24] [Negotiation 32] [Imperious Look 28] Speaking: [Belly Speech 6] [Greenwood Elvish 40] [Ventriloquism 8] [Speak with Elves 40] [Eloquent Speech 24] Nature Skills: [Call of the Wild 4] [Constrict 5] [Gardening 12] [Locate Animal 12] [Native Knowledge 4] [Plant Growth 6] [Woodshaping 12] [Tree Riding 18] [Wither 4] [Thorn Rain 4] [Nature''s Defense] Domestic Skills: [A Hearth to Call Your Own] [A Hearth to Rest] [A Hearth to Roam] [Child Rearing 26] [Easy Birth] [Hygiene 22] Melee Skills: [Curved Sword 12] [Daggers 6] [Dancing Footwork 16] [Fortified Block 4] [Light Armor 8] [Mounted Aim 1] [Pummel 5] [Reave Defense 6] [Reflecting Block 8] [Shield Bash 4] [Unarmed Combat 4] Machinist Skills: [Alignment 12] [Assemble 26] [Carve Metal 32] [Carve Stone 4] [Carve Wood 24] [Disassemble 4] [Fine Tune 14] [Impossible Assembly 6] [Read Schematics 30] v. 1.04
10. To the Rescue!
Their birth was the most horrific thing either had ever experienced: They were [Goblins]. That is, to say, there are two things to know about [Goblins] that make their births so horrific. First, [Goblin] reproduction is essentially parasitic. Second, there are no female [Goblins]. The poor girl who birthed them¡­ Enough said.
[Goblins], it could be said, grew atrociously fast, in three primary ways. First, in Status. Nick ? had received [Live Fast II] (remarkable) upon birth; Shelby ? already had it, so it evolved into [Free Skill Choice (remarkable)] which, as far as she could tell, would allow her to select and receive any (remarkable) Skill, even if she did not meet the prerequisites for it. Nonetheless, the four-times XP multiplier on the Trait was significant, especially given [Goblins¡¯] propensity for killing anything that moved and was inadequate to¡­ ensure the population. Second, social integration. Both had also automatically received [Goblinese 5] at birth, though listening to [Goblins] speak was about as pleasurable as listening to [Torturers] discuss new methods over lunch in the cafeteria. The pyramidal [Goblin] hierarchy meant that, almost immediately, other [Goblins] were telling them what to do. Not that they had the power to enforce such demands against Nick ? or Shelby ?. Nonetheless, between the constant belligerence of the [Goblins] and the screams coming from the prison, both Shelby and Nick tended to keep at the far edge of the camp. Finally, maturity. By day 7, the duo had doubled in height and received System Access, with Classing expected sometime around day 14. On day 10, Nick ? was returning from a solo trip into the surrounding forest when he found Shelby ? sitting on a high rock looking down at the camp with a pile of freshly picked ¡°herbs¡± next to him. Nick plopped down next to Shelby without a word, watching as conflicting emotions of anger, rage, and hate war across Shelby''s face with the instinct not to commit genocide. Nick placed a sympathetic hand on Shelby¡¯s shoulder and, eventually, Shelby piped up. he sent, spitting on the ground. And so Shelby carried his pile of ¡°herbs¡± down to the [Goblin] encampment, and walked between the dozen or so fire pits, putting a handful in each. They were [Goblins], so no one noticed or cared about the young one as he went about his soon-morbid work. As the green plants began to smoke, [Goblins] began to get sleepy as they inhaled the soporific into their lungs. Within ten minutes, all the [Goblins] were passed out and the smoke was clearing. Shelby waved Nick down and, together, they slit all of them by the throat. The encampment was large enough that you could easily hide in it, and when Nick found Shelby again shortly thereafter, the latter was inspecting the five women¡ªtwo [Humans], an unspecified halfling, a [Gnome], and a type of birdfolk¡ªwho had been imprisoned. Nick stood there silently, as Shelby moved quickly between them, using [Divine Lay on Hands]. Shelby yacked. Nick thought for only a moment before responding confidently. Shelby sighed.
When the prisoners came to, they found, in varying order, that they had been largely healed (absent one major common issue), that the doorway to the hut had been sealed, that there was a steaming cauldron of liquid together with some cups waiting for them, and that it was eerily silent outside compared to the previous bustle of their captors. When the last of them woke, the roots on the door loosed just a little bit to let speech through, and Shelby ? began to address them in [Ravornia], using [Belly Speak] to create a rich, calming baritone. ¡°Ladies. Please do not be afeard. The [Goblins] are dead.¡± The group looked at each other, askance and skeptical, but none responded for several moments. ¡°Did¡ªdid you kill them?¡± one finally asked. ¡°Yes, my partner and I killed them. You have no more to fear from your captors.¡± ¡°And you healed us?¡± another asked. ¡°I did.¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± Shelby let the silence ring for several moments too long, and a few of the captives began to grow nervous. ¡°I¡¯d rather not say,¡± Shelby finally relented, ¡°nor show myself to you, lest I inflict any more trauma upon you. Suffice it to say that I am a friend and my particular identity meaningless in this life.¡± ¡°And what would you ask of us,¡± another asked apprehensively. ¡°I¡¯d ask only that you drink the brewed Maiden¡¯s Hope in the cauldron. If you¡¯d prefer not to, I¡¯ll kill them anyways when they¡­ emerge. But I think we can agree this is cleaner. Four cups for the [Humans], two for the halfling, and one for the [Gnome]. Regretfully miss birdfolk, I do not know enough about your people to accurate dose it.¡± ¡°[Garuda] (rare). We¡¯re fairly light-bodied folk. Normally I¡¯d say two like the halfling, but I¡¯d rather take three than risk it.¡± ¡°Very well then. At worst, you¡¯ll feel more uncomfortable than necessary.¡± And so the five ladies in the mud hut began to slowly sip their way through several cups of the hot, bitter brew. Once Shelby confirmed that they had all begun drinking it, she continued. ¡°While you are working your way through that, perchance you¡¯d be willing to entertain a few questions of mine? I think a bit of talk would do us all good.¡± ¡°Depends on the question,¡± one of the [Humans] responded curtly, but the other one smacked her on the arm. ¡°Well, the first one is simple,¡± Shelby started with mirth in her voice. ¡°Where are we?¡±
The women confirmed that they were in fact near the Ravorno Peninsula. Indeed, they were in one of the wilder parts of the Neutral Alpine Territories and, while the women were not entirely clear on the matter (being prisoners), they believed they were a relatively short distance from a secondary branch road which meandered through the mountains in the area. If true, then¡ªother than the occasional village¡ªthe nearest town could be found about a half-day¡¯s travel north along the mountain road, with the nearest city about a day-and-a-half¡¯s travel south along the same road. ¡°And assuming that we are, in fact, in a mountain valley adjacent to this road, where would you end up if you went away from the road?¡± ¡°Away from the road?¡± the [Human] explaining this asked. ¡°Yes,¡± Shelby clarified, still speaking through the door. ¡°Put the road to your back and walked away from it.¡± ¡°Just¡ªjust wilderness,¡± the [Human] fumbled. ¡°More mountain valleys, I suppose, but higher altitude terrain too. Perhaps glacier zones.¡± ¡°And more terrible monsters,¡± the [Garuda] chimed in, ¡°My people have always avoided flying over the deep mountains. There are great aerial predators there.¡± While Shelby was questioning the prisoners, Nick brought to them roasted rabbit he had caught and prepared using some old seasoning raided from the [Goblins¡¯] junkyard. The food was surreptitiously passed through the hut¡¯s door of roots and the women ravenously tore into it, captivity not being a good source of nutrition. As they did so, and as the medicine did its bloody work over a few hours, they asked the obvious question to their rescuers: ¡°What next?¡± ¡°In the morning, after you¡¯ve recovered further, the five of you will set off for this road we¡¯ve discussed and, with luck, you¡¯ll find civilization fast enough. My companion and I will make up five packs for you and provide you what weapons we can find. On that last point, please let us know if you have any preferences. You¡¯re free to check out the junkyard in the morning as well, but we hope you won¡¯t stay around this place longer than necessary.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± one of them asked incredulously. ¡°You rescue us and then send us on our way? What about you two?¡± ¡°Well, yes. My partner and I have business further into the mountains, which we need to attend to promptly. Regretfully, we cannot accompany you.¡±
The next morning, the five women set off fully dressed, packed, and armed. Their mysterious benefactors had done a good job in nearly-all respects, with only the [Garuda]¡ªwho preferred a rather obscure weapon¡ªhaving to settle for a lesser choice in weapon. However, despite the five of them all staying on alert, their benefactors were nowhere to be seen. As they set pace away from the camp, the halfling caught the [Garuda]¡¯s eye wandering back towards the camp as it receded in the distance. ¡°So, who do you think they were?¡± the halfling piped up. The [Garuda] cocked a head in her direction. ¡°You know,¡± she chuffed, shaking her head, ¡°I think they were [Goblins].¡±
Nick ? smirked. Shelby ? replied. he affirmed, then paused for several moments as the birds chirped away in the forest.
Nick was flabbergasted. Shelby explained carefully. he paused for dramatic effect, Silence greeted Shelby¡¯s bold statement. Then, clearing his throat, Nick asked, Nick spluttered. The conversation was once again punctuated by a long silence as Nick rubbed his temple with one hand.
Shelby ? chirped up as they were hiking away from the encampment, fully clothed, armed, and packed. Nick ? responded as he scrambled up a steep slope. then, shifting into a reading tone, Several beats passed as Nick failed to digest that. Shelby muttered under his breath for a minute as he ran through the calculations. When he was done, he addressed Nick again. Nick tapped his chin as he focused on the very first bit of information. he trailed off. Shelby grinned. <[Goblins] usually engage in swarm tactics. So the Skill wouldn¡¯t provide much unless they were willing to engage in small numbers. And even then, [Goblins] are (common). We only get, what, one SKP per eight levels? And with [Goblins] Classing in only 14 days, what kinds of experiences could they possibly have to get them any Class other than a (common) or (uncommon) Class? One point is a huge investment for them, assuming they can even do an economic analysis.>
They spent their last few days before their Classing furiously grinding against all the monsters and [Goblins] they could find, taking advantage of their pre-Class multiplier. Together with the new group of 2 bonus for [The Goblin¡¯s Share] and Nick picking up [Fast Life II], while Shelby¡¯s multiplier had reached new heights¡ªx28 pre-Class, working in a group of 2¡ªthat now meant that his XP earn rate was less than twice as fast as Nick¡¯s x16 pre-Class, working in a group of 2.
Aram (L100), [Goblin] (C) (L50), [Indomitable Lord] (UR) (L50)
Aerum (L92), [Goblin] (C) (L46), [Wild Assassin] (UR) (L46)
HP: 470,250/470,250 456,125/456,125
(9,200 / hour) (8,750 / hour)
MP: 544,375/544,375 295,313/295,313
(6,600 / hour) (4,875 / hour)
CON: 300 540
STR: 200 310
DEX: This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. 200 600
INT: 400 100
WIS: 400 100
CHA: 340 100
Free: 38 15
Aram ? and Aerum ?¡ªhaving freshly named themselves¡ªwere fussing around after Classing up. It had been a productive few days for them. While they would have liked to take credit for that, it turned out that [Goblins] don¡¯t sleep and the XP multipliers were really pulling their weight. Nonetheless, they had to take some time for themselves.
One day, Aerum ? walked up to Aram ?; the former was neither wearing nor carrying anything on him. Aram raised an eyebrow at Aerum¡¯s nudity, before smirking to humor him. Aram¡¯s eyes roamed, confused, over the other¡¯s body as he rotated. At Aram¡¯s confirmation, Aerum reached behind himself for just a moment, then pulled his hand back, grasping a small dagger. Aram squinted at the blade as if it was an illusion. Aerum replied as he tucked the dagger back into the Skill, still as clothed as the day he was born. <*sigh* One day you¡¯ll be a practicing [Assassin] instead of a glorified forest ranger.>
Aerum ? pointed out one day over dinner. Aram ? inhaled deeply, and held it for several seconds before exhaling. Aram paused trying to find the word, Aram turned his head to look directly at Aerum. Aram quickly waved the idea away. <*sigh* Fine. What¡¯s Plan B?> Aerum chewed this over a bit, then started thinking out loud. Several beats passed. Aerum raised an eyebrow at that. Aerum started flipping through his Status. <[Pain Resistance IV] cumulatively cost 30, though I think the highest single Skills cost 16?> Aerum huffed in annoyance.
A month after being born and Aram ? had tiered up both his Race and Class. For the first time in a long time, he had no options for his Race tier up. Not that he could complain (much). The [High Goblin] (rare) Race was no slouch, in a sense, with the three increment increase in rarity unheard of for a ¡°High¡± variant. That said, the fact that [High Goblin] was only (rare) implied that the number of [High Goblins] on Ager was much, much higher than most civilized peoples had previously assumed. In any event, the evolved Race didn¡¯t seem to take them in the right direction. On the other hand, while the Classes offered sounded more promising, there were no immediate gains towards their goal, nor were there any obvious Skill purchases to be made. Aram tiered up into [Father to Your People] (fantastic), which very well may have been the rarest Class he had ever held, offering a whopping 64 total attributes per level, and 16 SKP per level. Additionally, in so much as Aram was scheming to make a new people, he could very well¡ªif he succeeded¡ªbe considered a father to his then-existing-but-not-currently-existing people. It was heavy. Aerum ? on the other hand was still months away from tiering up due to his lower XP multiplier. With that disappointment, Aram and Aerum holed up in the biggest tree they could find, reshaping it into a tree house for them to live in. Halfway through, they remembered that [Goblins] don¡¯t sleep, and so it quickly became more workspace and base of operations than residence. With the largest SKP pool between the two of them¡ªand perhaps the clearest idea of what they were attempting to accomplish¡ªAram ? spent two whole days playing with Skill Points and trying various ideas to Invest in. At the end of that incredibly frustrating process (as he described it one day to Aerum), Aram concluded that the fundamentally parasitic nature of the [Goblin] reproductive system was simply impossible to alter, or alternatively, was so difficult as to be practically impossible to alter. With that failure out of the way, Aram turned to playing around with trying to find an inheritable Trait that would turn him female or at least add the necessary female characteristics needed for reproduction. Finally, after another three days, he succeeded, finding a Trait (which cost 128 SKP!) to accomplish the latter. Ecstatic, he rushed off to complete the remaining unfulfilled prerequisites, taking a full week to do so. It was only upon receiving the Trait and checking his pants that he realized that his male bits were still there. A minor setback all in all, particularly given that he had accomplished the Pantheon-damned impossible in, what, two weeks? With the roadmap to success filled in, Aerum followed Aram soon thereafter, and the (unique) Trait turned into a (fantastic) one. Two months after that, and they each gave birth to twins on the same day. After that mistake, they made sure to plan to keep their birthing days separated. And so the first of the new [Goblin] were born. To their relief, the newborns inherited the Trait just as described. Raising them was altogether a different matter. In so doing, they discovered that [Goblins] had a non-System racial ability to allow them to not only imprint certain knowledge on newborn [Goblins], but also impact their personality. With this, they began by imparting to their children [Ravornia], rather than [Goblinese], which appeared to be so primitive it couldn¡¯t be ranked past 5. They also began to specialize their children. Some were imprinted to be loggers for construction material, others potters to begin producing ceramics, and yet others hunters and gatherers for food. By the time that they reached the third month of their lives (at which time they each had another pair of twins, bringing the population to ten), they had constructed a long house, and food preparation and storage were well-refined. A month later, and the first grandchildren (?) members of the second generation had been born, together with another pair of twins by the original duo. It was also around this time that they discovered that their [Skillshare] worked with their direct children, though not their further descendants. Eventually, Aerum¡¯s [Wild Assassin] reached Level 51 and evolved into [Defender at Dawn] (fantastic). If one were to take certain creative liberties, the Class could be conceived of as defending at the dawn of a new people.
The population continued to climb exponentially in the coming months, even as members of the population began to die to attrition. As they did so, additional longbuildings¡ªthe concept of residential housing was relatively useless to [Goblins], which never slept and tended to be highly social¡ªcontinued, and began to specialize based around different workstreams. And new specialists were being created and trained: agriculture and animal husbandry for food security; miners to work the first mines opened in the mountainous terrain; and dedicated craftsman for tools, weapons, armors and clothing. Eventually, direct governance by the pair became too much, and at that point, scribes and leaders were being raised to record the facts of governance and to, well, govern. Soon, the miners struck veins of copper and tin, and smelters and smiths pushed [Goblins] into the bronze age. And with metal weaponry, an organized defense force¡ªa military¡ªwas formed. Two years after Arum and Aerum were born, the population of the newly formed nation had stabilized around ten thousand, which at their tech level was the carrying capacity of the high alpine valley they had settled in. No longer was there a pressing need to breed and expand, and with greater free time, greater productivity and leisure emerged. [Goblin] society settled on 8-hours of non-work per day and, given that [Goblins] needed no sleep and had excellent nightvision, it meant that [Goblin] society was truly 24/7. Much [Goblin] rest time was spent at the first taverns which had just opened, playing games of chance, socializing, and otherwise getting into the first casks of Gob-ale. And the first hints of [Goblins] specializing in the performing arts were beginning to appear.
<*sigh* We¡¯ll just have to see.>
Ding! You have died. For your role in ¡­.
Thirty years later, the [Human]/[Gnome] city of Duren, Neutral Alpine Territories. ¡°[Guard Captain]!¡± one of the rookies yelled, barging into Captain Smith¡¯s office. ¡°There¡¯s a carriage inbound.¡± Sighing deeply, and regretting hiring the baker¡¯s boy, ¡°Son, this is a guardhouse. Guarding a city gate. Of course there¡¯s a carriage inbound. Now, why is the carriage so important that you had to tell me, and why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier?¡± he said, pounding the table for emphasis. ¡°Sir, it looks like a nobleman¡¯s carriage, but none of the guard recognize it, and it¡¯s moving at a gallop.¡± ¡°Damnit,¡± Smith cursed, then threw a soft felt hat onto his balding head, strapped his sword to his waist, and climbed to the top of the wall to get a good look. What he saw was a sleek, glossy black carriage pulled by what looked to be large lizards moving indeed at a [Horse]¡¯s gallop. Surrounding the carriage, were what appeared to be infantry in heavy, black armor. ¡°What the heck,¡± he muttered under his breath. ¡°Do they have their guards running alongside it? Are they trying to show up in force or tire them out?¡± The [Human] [Guard Captain]¡¯s scowl grew worse as he descended the wall and exited the gate to see what this was about. As the carriage approached the lightly used gate, the carriage and the surrounding guards came to a stop in front of him. To his surprise, the guards only came up to his chest in height, with the carriage itself similarly shortened. Adding to his scowl, the quality of craftsmanship on both the guard¡¯s armor and the carriage was exquisite. The armor itself appeared to be enameled steel in full plate and looked¡ªwell, not quite terrifying¡ªlike that brutally efficient design that followed elite soldiers everywhere. This conclusion was underscored by the point that the carriage¡¯s guards did not seem to be out of breath and remained at attention, unlike certain guards under his own command. Finally, if the black motif hadn¡¯t set him on edge, the entire group had their faces covered, the guards with full mask helms and the driver¡ªin light armor¡ªwith a deep hood that covered his head. ¡°Hail driver!¡± he called. ¡°I am [Guard Captain] Smith of this gate. What brings your master to the city of Duren?¡± Rather than a response, the Captain Smith heard a window on the carriage door unlock and slide down. ¡°Greetings [Guard Captain],¡± a refined voice resonated from inside. ¡°I am [Diplomat] Ang. I come to you with greetings from the Aer Republic and would seek an audience with your mayor. The Republic seeks to open diplomatic relations, including trade, with your city and, ultimately, the Neutral Alpine Territories as a whole.¡± The [Guard Captain] took note of the precise, enunciated tongue. ¡°I must admit that I¡¯ve not heard of the Aer Republic,¡± he stated, a little concerned about his lack of knowledge. ¡°You would not have. We are rather remote and, until recently, given to privacy.¡± ¡°Thank you for informing this one. Nonetheless, the mayor is always eager to increase business and will be happy to discuss trade with you. Might I inquire as to what you seek to trade?¡± ¡°Trade will be primarily in precious metals and gems mined from the mountains. Volumetrically, we are most interested in food, though there is demand for certain luxury goods as well. The details will be with the mayor.¡± The [Guard Captain] perked up at that, and quickly organized an escort for the new arrivals and, at their insistence, they were taken to quarters where they could meet the Mayor as quickly as possible. The [Guard Captain] never saw their faces¡ªnot even the [Diplomat] or his assistant, both of who wore a rich set of robes as they disembarked¡ªbut he¡¯d seen stranger types.
A day later, the [Diplomat] and his assistant, found themselves seated on opposite sides of a long table from the [Mayor] and his assistant, both [Gnomes], who were pleased to be dealing with someone not of the tall folk. The [Mayor] had been ecstatic at hearing the news of the arrival of a richly dressed [Diplomat], and quickly cleared his schedule the next day to meet. Now, the Mayor¡¯s aide has just completed his side of the pleasantries and introductions, when the [Diplomat], rather than introducing himself, dropped the metaphorical turtle onto its back. ¡°[Mayor], before we continue, I think it is best that you understand the Race you are dealing with in the Aer Republic,¡± and with that comment, the [Diplomat] dramatically flipped his hood back, as did his assistant a moment later. ¡°You¡¯re a [Goblin]!¡± ¡°Not [Goblin]. Our Race is recognized by the System as [Gobberton]. Though, I will admit some relation to our lesser cousins. And indeed, our cousins are one of the main reasons diplomatic relations are even being opened.¡± ¡°Not trade.¡± ¡°Not trade, though that is a useful side effect.¡± ¡°Then what?¡± ¡°A more comprehensive history of our civilization will have to wait until later. But suffice it to say that when it comes to the Aer Republic¡ªwell, one of our primary drives is the pacification of our lesser cousins, the [Goblins]. And we anticipate that, within the year, we will have either subjugated or exterminated the last of the [Goblins] in the wild portions of this mountain range. At that point, we intend to start sending brigades out nearer the civilized areas of the Territories in order to hunt down [Goblins]. Obviously, we would prefer cooperation on this endeavor, though at the least, preventing panic among your peoples would suffice.¡± ¡°Brigades? I¡¯m not familiar with that measure.¡± ¡°It¡¯s part of our military parlance. Five hundred soldiers, plus support staff.¡± ¡°Five hundred! That¡¯s a small army. What you¡¯re discussing could be invasion.¡± ¡°Relax my dear mayor. The Republic lays no claim of sovereignty over either the land or the people of the Territories. At best, a claim of sovereignty over [Goblins] and, well, I doubt that any [Gnome] or [Human] cares about that.¡± ¡°You claim sovereignty over [Goblins]?¡± ¡°I will admit that it is a difficult process. Until the time of the Second Coming of our Forefathers, they will join us or die. So it is told.¡± ¡°Your Forefathers?¡± the Mayor asked, sensing a title. ¡°Yes, the two original [Goblins] who created the [Gobbertons]. Their efforts were officially recognized by the System to our delight. And, I am pleased to say, they laid the foundation for our civilization.¡± ¡°[Gobberton], hmm?¡± the Mayor muttered to himself. ¡°Admittedly, you¡¯re the most good looking goblinoid I¡¯ve ever met. Something like an elf¡¯s features mixed with a gnome¡¯s skeleton. And with green skin. Perhaps for public perception purposes we¡¯ll pass you off as a halfling Race, rather than a goblinoid one. But umm,¡± the Mayor hemmed and hawed. ¡°How to be delicate about this. Do you still, women¡ªErr, is the imprisonment¡­ no, wait¡ªhold on¡ª¡± ¡°If you¡¯re asking whether we still require females of other Races to reproduce, I¡¯m pleased to say that we¡¯ve resolved this matter and [Gobberton] reproduction is¡ªmostly normal. Actually, in light of these developments, we don¡¯t really find your females all that attractive.¡± ¡°Oh? I¡¯m not sure whether to be relieved or insulted by that.¡± ¡°Perhaps neither, Mayor?¡± ¡°Indeed. Before we went on this tangent about¡ª[Gobbertons], I believe you were about to introduce yourself. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve caught your name from anyone.¡± ¡°You may always refer to the [Diplomat] in your city as Diplomat Ang.¡± The Mayor''s brow furrowed at that. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I understand your phrasing there.¡± The [Diplomat] looked down and sighed, and the Mayor thought he heard him mutter something under his breath about the ¡°long lived.¡± A moment passed before he looked up again. ¡°Mayor,¡± Ang began, ¡°I have just turned 12 months old. If my health holds, I will make it to about 25 months old before I die. We have some grasp of [Human] and [Gnomish] social conventions, and we recognize it would be unreasonable for you to learn a new Diplomat¡¯s name every year or two. In light of that, our Diplomatic Service has developed a protocol that Diplomats assigned to a particular place are to bear the same name as their predecessor. My birth name is Ang. But each of my successors will, in some small part, give up theirs in order to foster relations between our nations. Our people have given up much in order to participate in this world as a civilized [Race]. We even speak [Ravornia] at home, [Goblinese] being reserved to the trained [Interrogators] of our forces with captured [Goblins]. Is it too much to sympathize when yet another small piece of us is lost?¡±
Aram (L126), [High Goblin] (Ra) (L63), [Father to Your People] (UR) (L63)
Aerum (L104), [High Goblin] (Ra) (L52), [Defender of Dawn] (UR) (L52)
HP: 0/1,020,319 0/621,553
(13,995 / hour) (10,180 / hour)
MP: 0/1,443,859 0/424,167
(10,748 / hour) (5,840 / hour)
CON: 400 600
STR: 250 351
DEX: 250 635
INT: 750 150
WIS: 750 150
CHA: 399 150
Free: 17 2
v.1.09
11. Adventure Time In the Drunken Elk tavern, town of Hornsby, Osten Territory, a [Wolfkin] and a [Dwarf] were arguing over dinner and drinks. ¡°I¡¯m tellin¡¯ you, we need to backtrack to either a city or a bigger town. Our adventurin¡¯ supplies are running low. We can¡¯t keep going with just the three of us. And I¡¯ll be damned,¡± the [Dwarf] slammed the table, ¡°if there¡¯s enough talent in this town to fill my boot.¡± ¡°And I keep telling you,¡± the [Wolfkin] retorted, ¡°that it has to wait. We¡¯re running low on funds, and a roundtrip like that will put us deep in the red. Unless we can find a caravan to escort that¡¯ll pay enough. And even then, we¡¯ll just break even. What are we supposed to do when we arrive at a larger settlement, hmm? We¡¯ll still be too broke to purchase supplies, and no one will join us with our books that far in the red. We should stay here another month or two, take the premium on the easy jobs because the guild here is so understaffed, and then we can move on.¡± ¡°Oy, if I have to kill another [Goblin] or collect another mushroom¡ª¡± ¡°Hey guys!¡± a blonde [Human] interrupted, plopping down in an empty seat, ¡°Guess what?¡± The [Wolfkin] and [Dwarf] glanced at each other, shrugged together, then simultaneously answered: ¡°You¡¯ve been kicked out of the brothel,¡± and ¡°You¡¯ve been arrested for harassing¡ªno wait, the brothel one is better.¡± The [Human] gawped at both of them for several long moments. ¡°Really?¡± he pleaded at them. ¡°Has your opinion of me fallen so low?¡± ¡°Fallen? Nay. ¡®Tis where it always was,¡± the [Dwarf] smiled, then deadpanned: ¡°In the gutter.¡± ¡°I¡¯d say ditch, but yeah.¡± ¡°So cruel,¡± the [Human] replied, faking a tear, ¡°No, actually, I found a mage and a tank for us.¡± ¡°Are they female?¡± ¡°Are you an idiot?¡± ¡°Can the mage heal?¡± ¡°Did you meet them in the brothel?¡± ¡°Yes, no, I don¡¯t know, and ¡­ yes? But! They were customers, not employees.¡± ¡°Oh really?¡± two male voices echoed in the [Human¡¯s] ears. ¡°Cody!¡± a soprano voice ? cried out from the door. A tall female in flowing white robes came crashing into the [Human], hugging him and squealing. ¡°We found you!¡± ¡°An [Elf]?¡± the [Dwarf] asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Two [Elves],¡± a contralto voice ? stated as she sat at their table, previously inconspicuous despite the full plate armor. ¡°The name¡¯s Riviera. And my partner there is Alia.¡± ¡°Hi!¡± Alia ? squeaked, still squeezing the poor lad. ¡°Thosdrean Koboldgrip,¡± the [Dwarf] replied coolly, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair. ¡°Wolfram,¡± the [Wolfkin] replied, offering a handshake to Riviera. ¡°Cody was just telling us you were interested in joining our team?¡± ¡°Alia! Stop smothering the man, and sit down,¡± Riviera commanded, pulling the other [Elf] into the seat beside her, before addressing Wolfram. ¡°And yes, though I was under the impression from Cody that it was his decision to make,¡± Riviera¡¯s voice dropping as she side-eyed the [Human]. ¡°Cody¡¯s full of shit lass,¡± Thosdrean replied, ¡°Ordinary business is attended to by majority vote. Addin¡¯ a member by full consent. Cody gets leader rights in battle, but only because he¡¯s on the backline and has a head for tactics. His¡ª¡± the [Dwarf] waved a hand through the air searching for the right word, ¡°judgment outside of battle is more questionable.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Riviera replied, pulling Alia into a hug to keep her from squirming in her seat. ¡°So, what would you like to know about us to help with your decision?¡± ¡°Can she heal?¡± Wolfram asked. ¡°Yes I can! Would you like a demonstration?!¡± Alia replied. At Wolfram¡¯s shrug, Alia conjured a [Mage¡¯s Blade] and, just as quickly, sliced deep into her palm, spraying blood onto the table. Wolfram and Cody started sputtering in shock, while Thosdrean merely looked impressed. This lasted but a moment when ¡°All done,¡± Alia said in a sing-song voice, showing them her bloodied, but healed hand. A moment later, even the blood was gone, whisked away to System-knows-where. With his heart pounding, Wolfram gasped out, ¡°I vote yes.¡± ¡°Very well,¡± Riviera said. ¡°And you master [Dwarf]? What would you like to know?¡± Thosdrean glanced at his team members sequentially, then back to the plated [Elf]. ¡°Let¡¯s armwrestle.¡± ¡°Oh come on, Todd,¡± Cody whined. ¡°You can¡¯t filter out every prospect by testing their STR against yours.¡± ¡°Actually, that¡¯s fine by me,¡± Riviera interjected, ¡°If we¡¯ll be on the frontlines together, Thosdrean should know I can hold my own. Admittedly, I think a spar would be more illustrative, but arm wrestling is acceptable.¡± With that, the prospective party cleared the table as Thosdrean and Riviera set up on either side. The commotion¡ªsometime around when the blood started flowing¡ªhad started to gather attention from the rest of the tavern, and a number of bets were quickly being made. The two competitors grasped each other¡¯s hands, and then, at Wolfram¡¯s signal, Thosdrean began flexing and squeezing his arm muscles to push Riviera¡¯s hand down. Riviera on the other hand, was relaxed and unmoving, like a mountain, seemingly unaffected by Thosdrean¡¯s efforts. The metaphor was not lost upon the [Dwarf]. The crowd was starting to quiet down at this surprising turn of events, when the [Elf] addressed her opponent. ¡°Do you wish to concede?¡± ¡°Nay!¡± he gasped out, ¡°You may have some Skill that prevents you from movin¡¯, but you don¡¯t win unless you put my own arm on the table. At best, I¡¯ll settle for a draw.¡± ¡°I think not,¡± Riviera grinned, then slammed the [Dwarf]¡¯s hand into the table with a bang, followed by the cheer of the crowd. ¡°Alia, come patch up Thosdrean in case I tore anything.¡±
A few minutes later, the prospective party was reseated, with a fresh round of brews and a food order placed to the kitchen. Thosdrean was staring into his mug, while the rest of them silently sipped. ¡°Alright, you¡¯re in,¡± Thosdrean relented at last. ¡°Didn¡¯t think anyone other than a [Dwarf] would be stronger than me. And an [Elf], golly.¡± The [Dwarf] mumbled to himself into his mug for several moments, before speaking up again. ¡°And call me Todd, please.¡± ¡°Wow,¡± Wolfram grinned, showing a bit of canine. ¡°First day you get to call him Todd. That¡¯s a record for sure.¡± ¡°Oh shut up, Wolfram. Unless you want me to tell them your real name.¡± Alia ? gasped! ¡°You have a secret name! That¡¯s so cool! I have loads of secret names!¡± Then she gasped again a moment later when the food arrived. ¡°{Pizza!} I love {Pizza}! I haven¡¯t had any in decades.¡± ¡°Wait, what was that word?¡± Cody asked. ¡°We just call it flatbread.¡± ¡°It¡¯s [Ravornian],¡± Riviera ? answered as Alia burned her mouth on the first slice. ¡°Alia and I know this as a [Gnomish] dish off of the peninsula there. I didn¡¯t know it had spread this far east.¡± ¡°Western [Gnomish]? This isn¡¯t [Gnomish]. It¡¯s a [Human] dish from the north.¡± ¡°No, definitely [Gnomish],¡± Riviera explained as to a child. ¡°A thin bread covered with a savory berry sauce, cheese and toppings? It¡¯s {Pizza},¡± she concluded, repeating the [Ravornian] word. ¡°Berry sauce? It¡¯s tomato.¡± ¡°And tomato is a type of berry. Congratulations,¡± Riviera gave a dainty clap, in stark contrast to her full plate armor. ¡°You¡¯ve used local ingredients.¡± ¡°A tomato is a berry?¡± Cody really was too hung up on his culinary cultural history. ¡°Actually,¡± Riviera changed tack, ¡°I had a question about the composition of our team. Specifically, Wolfram. How are you a [Thief]? You¡¯re way too memorable. I mean, your van dyke beard is beautiful, but doesn¡¯t it make you more... conspicuous?¡± ¡°Not really,¡± Wolfram replied, waving a hand around. ¡°How many slices of pizza have I stolen from the table since the food arrived?¡± ¡°Uhh¡­ zero?" Alia guessed, after a glance at the table. ¡°You haven¡¯t taken any pizza.¡± ¡°Nope. It¡¯s three.¡± The two [Elves] took a second, and much harder, look at the table. ¡°Color me impressed,¡± Riviera replied. ¡°I have high perception and I didn¡¯t notice anything until you pointed it out.¡± ¡°Umm¡ª¡± Alia asked quietly. ¡°This is a bit off topic, but can I¡ªcan I stroke your beard?¡±
That night, Todd lay awake in his bed at the inn, staring at his Status:
Name: Thosdrean Koboldgrip (L86) Race: [Dwarf] (Re) (L43) Class: [Hammer Dancer] (Ra) (L43) HP: 13,655/13,703 MP: 1,050/1,250 CON 105 STR 261 DEX 105 INT 50 WIS 50 CHA 50 Free 0
In pure STR, Todd knew just this morning that he was likely the strongest person in the entire kingdom, if not the next several over. He had a (remarkable) race with fixed STR gains and a (rare) Class with fixed STR gains, with forty-three levels in each. Heck, Todd knew that he was risking becoming unbalanced with his other stats falling out of ratio. And yet today, their new [Elf] tank had just tossed him around like it was nothing. She didn¡¯t even look strained! ¡°What the hell are you, lassie?¡± Todd whispered to himself.
¡°Have I complained yet today about [Elves] living too long?¡± Alia ? asked in the inn room.
Alia (L152), [High Star Elf] (Ra) (L76), [Pyromaniac] (Ra) (L76)
Riviera (L150), [High Star Elf] (Ra) (L75), [Personal Royal Guard] (VR) (L75)
HP: 158,813/158,813 626,745/626,745
(5,700 / hour) (8,970 / hour)
MP: 253,000/253,000 322,806/322,806
(4,500 / hour) (5,310 / hour)
CON: 110 520
STR: 110 520
DEX: 110 260
INT: 330 165
WIS: 330 165
CHA: 150 164
Free: 2 13
v.1.13
¡°No,¡± Riviera ? sighed, ¡°You haven¡¯t.¡± Eighty-eight years ago, Riviera was ecstatic to be reborn as an [Elf]. Now though, after eighty-eight years of Alia¡¯s hyperactive, overcharged, juvenile, combustible (often literally) and dangerous (sometimes exceedingly) personality, she had to wonder. ¡°S. T. U. pid. [Live Slow II].¡± Actually, that wasn¡¯t true either. When Alia and Riviera were [Goblins], Alia already had a higher tiered [Live Fast] Trait, and so the System-awarded [Live Fast II] Trait evolved into a choose your own Skill, which neither had ever heard of before. Riviera herself though was glad for the x2 XP multiplier. However, when Alia and Riviera became [Elves], they did gain [Live Slow II]¡ªstandard for [Elves]¡ªwhich then promptly merged with their [Live Fast] Traits. Riviera¡ªconfusingly¡ªhad her Trait downgraded twice to [Live Fast 0], which, while nominally providing no bonus XP, did get added to her other XP multipliers in effect. Ergo, the 8x multiplier of [The Goblin¡¯s Share] ended up being an x9 multiplier for her, when used in a group of 2. On the other hand, Alia had [Live Fast IV] downgraded three times to [Live Fast I], turning her base 16x multiplier into a 2x multiplier. ¡°STU. P.I.D. [Elves] and their long lives.¡± She was still sour about that. The upside though was that now Alia and Riviera were earning XP at a much closer rate to each other. And the new [Years of Experience] Trait they picked up this life helped a bit. As did [Speedy Speedster], giving them a pre-Class multiplier, which, given that [Elves] didn¡¯t Class until their mid-60s, meant they had earned a lot of bonus XP during their extended adolescence. And of course they had their [Goblin¡¯s Share] multiplier. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Between all of that, the pair were still leveling up ~40x faster than a typical [Elf]. Eighty-eight years old, and levels 76 and 75 respectively, an achievement which would normally take an [Elf] over two thousand years. And Alia was still complaining about it. ¡°Ess tee you, pee eye dee. La la la, ha ha ha.¡± Riviera was pretty sure there was something wrong in her head this life. Burning down a small forest probably should have been an early sign.
The next day, the party of five began making their way west along the little-traveled road there¡ªor, at least, what remained of the road. An hour into their hike, Riviera ? fell back to Todd to speak with him. ¡°So, probably should have asked this earlier, but¡ªwhat are we doing?¡± ¡°Oh? Fair point. Hmm,¡± Todd rubbed the braids in his beard as he thought about how to summarize it. ¡°So basically, this stupidly-rich old guy is really interested in the ruins of Excelsior. But the market to purchase Excelsian artifacts is really thin, so he¡¯s bonked. What does he do? He puts up this quest to collect fresh relics from the site. Of course, he doesn¡¯t just want to receive a bunch of bricks, and adventurers want to know what¡¯s goin¡¯ to be of value. So the quest comes with an extremely convoluted rewards system based on what is recovered. Of course, the ruins are deep within monster-infested forests, so only a gold-ranked team such as ourselves could handle it. Though,¡± Todd paused his monologue as he ticked through some figures in his mind. ¡°I suppose a full raid of silvers would to. And that¡¯s basically it. Kill monsters, recover relics, make coin. It¡¯s about a week to the ruins from here, and then a three week return trip to Akira City, where the old guy is. ¡°Huh,¡± Riviera acknowledged as she chewed over what he said. ¡°So, how did you end up waylaid in that town?¡± ¡°Our last mage found out she was pregnant when we were already on our way out, and together with our old tank¡ªwho was the father, mind you¡ªdecided to take a break from adventurin¡¯ to raise a family. Or, at least, not go into monster infested ruins while pregnant.¡± ¡°I see. And then you couldn¡¯t decide whether to stick around longer or head back to find some talent.¡± ¡°Basically. You two are a goddessend. You slot right in, and if the mage is anywhere near as powerful as you are strong, then you can keep up with us just fine.¡± ¡°What about Cody? Isn¡¯t he a bit young?¡± ¡°Aye, he is. Only 24 winters old for a [Human]. But he¡¯s already at Level 36 for both his Race and Class. The four veterans¡ªthat includes the pregnant lady and her man¡ªafter we lost our last [Ranger] durin¡¯ a huge [Troll] fight, we spent months tryin¡¯ to find someone else. Ended up decidin¡¯ just to get a promisin¡¯ youngin¡¯ and shape him ourselves.¡± ¡°Not a bad idea. I¡¯ll have to keep that in mind.¡± ¡°Aye. I may live twice as long as the [Human] and [Wolfkin], but we¡¯ve got nothin¡¯ on you [Elves]. You could train up a whole team multiple times most likely. Though, speakin¡¯ of,¡± the [Dwarf] dropped his voice, ¡°You¡¯ve got an (ultra rare) Class don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°(Ultra rare)?¡± Riviera replied puzzled. ¡°No, (very rare). What made you think (ultra)?¡± ¡°Huh. I couldn¡¯t figure out your stat distribution for you to overpower me like you did. [Elves] don¡¯t have a fixed distribution to STR, so either you had a very powerful Class or you¡¯re wildly unbalanced, and I was pretty sure it wasn¡¯t the latter. I¡¯ve got a (rare) hammer-based melee Class, so I figured you¡¯d need two steps up on me to beat me that soundly.¡± ¡°Not bad reasoning. Though you¡¯ve overlooked an important point.¡± ¡°And that is?¡± ¡°It¡¯s rude to ask an acquaintance about their stats.¡± ¡°Ha! Yes, I suppose we ought to bloody ourselves in order to really get to know each other.¡±
And bloody themselves they did. The monster-infested forests were, well, infested with monsters. And monsters loved chewing on two-legged critters. The party though put up a fine show. The new additions in particular proved more than able to carry their weight. Riviera was a fantastic tank, and unless the monster was stealth-based, nothing got past her shield or her aggro. On the other hand, when Alia got going, she really got going, and damn near torched everything. Curiously, any plants she burned she made sure to heal or replace afterwards, with the end result being that the aftermath of their battles were curiously both smoky and green. They fought through the forests for eight days before arriving at the ruins and making a semi-permanent camp. With a base of operations set, they then began systematically clearing out all the monsters they could find and mapping the ruins out. Both the monster report and the map would be useful to future adventurers. And particularly with the map, there were several parties who could be interested in purchasing a copy. On that, Wolfram took the lead, as he had a Skill that both helped him recognize the layout of the ruins, draw the map accurately, and figure out which directions to go to continue filling in the gaps. Unfortunately for them, very little of the ruins was intact or recognizable at the outskirts and the exploration was slow.
Four days in, the five of them were crowded around a wall staring at a 20x20 cm square hole, into which Wolfram had stuck his nose. ¡°Well, good news, bad news,¡± the [Wolfkin] said as he retracted his head. ¡°Good news is that this little tunnel does open up into the room behind the locked door we¡¯re trying to get through. The bad news is that the wall¡ªand therefore the tunnel¡ªis five solid meters of very dense rock, which means we¡¯re not breaking through the wall either. Suggestions?¡± ¡°Ooh ooh ohh!¡± Alia ? cried, jumping up and down. ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± ¡°Do what?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go through the pipe.¡± ¡°Lass,¡± Todd started, ¡°You may be a scrawny [Elf], but I know that you cannot fit down that tunnel.¡± ¡°Actually,¡± Riviera replied, ¡°She does have a particular Skill she could use for this¡­ Is that what you¡¯re thinking Alia?¡± ¡°Yup,¡± Alia said then put down her staff, and started peeling off her jacket. ¡°You three,¡± Riviera quickly barked out. ¡°Around the corner. Now.¡± ¡°Wha¡­¡± Cody started. ¡°She has to get undressed to use the Skill, now [Move]!¡± she commanded, using a Skill to get them to move faster. When Alia was done, she used [Amorphous Body] and a handful of other Traits to shimmy down the hole in a way that truly was impossible for anyone with a skeleton. At the far end, she extricated herself from the hole, and with just a touch of flame and [Dark Vision III], she began looking around the space, her eyes widening when she realized where she was. ¡°No,¡± she whimpered, backing up against a wall. She flared the fire higher and brighter, looking all around her like a cornered animal as the light brushed against the far edges of the chamber she was in. When the flame finally reached a crescendo, she extinguished it, then slid down the wall onto the dusty floor with her bare legs. In pitch darkness now, she began to cry, a low keening noise. Riviera ? exclaimed through their bond, Alas, like every other time this life, Alia was unable or unwilling to communicate telepathically through their bond. Twenty minutes later, Alia got up off the floor and, relighting her way, moved towards the door. After just a few moments, she unlocked the door, and let it swing out revealing all four members of her party. Riviera quickly rushed to her, wrapping her arms around her, and letting her rest her head on her shoulder. ¡°Do you, uhh¡­ need a minute?¡± Todd asked awkwardly. ¡°Go ahead and explore the area. We¡¯ll be along shortly.¡± Riviera continued to gently pat Alia as her renewed tears slowly fell. When they had dwindled, Riviera asked, ¡°Are you ready to tell me what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡ªit¡¯s the Academy.¡± ¡°What Academy?¡± ¡°Amelia¡¯s! I don¡¯t know how I didn¡¯t recognize it before. *hic* We¡¯ve been walking around here for days and¡­. I didn¡¯t recognize it. I¡ª I¡ª I can¡¯t even remember what the Academy was called?! What¡¯s wrong with me?¡± she screeched out at the end, the sound echoing off the stone around them. ¡°Shh, shh, nothing¡¯s wrong dear,¡± Riviera soothed. ¡°You¡¯ve had hundreds of years of memories since then. Some things are just¡­ forgotten. You know the saying: Elves forget more in their lives than they can ever remember.¡± ¡°I, I guess,¡± Alia responded a touch calmer, for just a moment. ¡°But, it¡¯s Amelia. She was the first. And, I mean, ¡­ I¡¯ve sometimes thought to myself that I really am Amelia, and that I¡¯m just playing dress up like all these other people, living their lives. But sometimes I forget her and then I just am those people, with those other lives. I, ¡­ Am I really Amelia anymore? Am I any of the other mes? What do I call myself when I have no name? The Stupid System even calls me Fly #5. What¡¯s wrong with that?!?!¡± she shrieked near the end. Riviera allowed a moment of silence. ¡°You didn¡¯t have a choice, I guess, to stop being Amelia. I¡ªI suppose I chose to stop being Elaria Greenwood when my people died. I chose¡­ to become a [Dryad] and forget the world.¡± ¡°But that didn¡¯t happen,¡± Alia ? responded in a whisper. ¡°No, that didn¡¯t happen. By some ridiculous chance I met you and not some mere [Sylphan Tree]. And then you warned me that I might get dragged along with you into the treacherous ocean of reincarnation. And since then, I¡¯ve done some marvelous things. I flew!¡± Riviera ? chuckled. ¡°And I became all these other races. I became a mother and then a father. I was a lady and a craftsman. I got married, and fell in love. Twice. And the ¡­ the [Goblins], the [Gobbertons]. I don¡¯t know. But, at least, I suppose, I chose to jump into the maelstrom. Amelia, you didn¡¯t.¡± Several minutes passed as Alia quietly cried into Riviera¡¯s cold plate. ¡°No, she didn¡¯t,¡± Alia replied finally, snorting the phlegm in her nose. ¡°I think I¡¯m fine now. Alia just¡ªshe wears her emotions on her face you know. She doesn¡¯t hide anything in her heart, it¡¯s all out there for the world to see. And, uhh, I reacted badly¡ªto that. Umm, are we better now?¡± Riviera smiled. ¡°You and I will always be good. That puny marriage we had a few lives back? Ha! It was fun, but mere marriage cannot transcend lives. We are bonded, you and I. And that is a bond that survives even death. I think a few tears in an old ruin are fine.¡± ¡°Umm, yeah. That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right,¡± Alia replied awkwardly, moving to pat her dirty hands on her robe before realizing her state of undress. ¡°Umm¡­ Everyone saw everything, didn¡¯t they?¡±
On their last day at the ruins, the team was making their way back out towards camp when Wolfram suddenly stuck out an arm and called everyone to a stop. He crept forward slowly, looked around the corner, cursed, then called back quietly. ¡°Guys, you¡¯re going to want to see this.¡± As the other four members of the party stuck their heads around the corner looking out of the ruins, they saw a large herd of quadrupedal lizards bunched together at the far end of the field, a few hundred meters away. ¡°[Rzarks],¡± Todd muttered. ¡°That¡¯s a pain in the ass.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with them?¡± Riviera asked. ¡°The standard plan of attack is run away and bring back the army together with a platoon of [Fire Mages]. They¡¯re weak to the element, but they move in such large herds that small adventuring groups can¡¯t do much about them, no matter how strong. Way more problematic than anything else we¡¯ve run into so far.¡± ¡°Fire, huh,¡± Riviera said rubbing her chin. ¡°Alia.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Alia snapped her attention to Riviera. ¡°How do you feel about [Siege Fireball]?¡± ¡°You mean it, Riviera! You¡¯ll let me use it?¡± ¡°Yes, but only one, and only twenty thousand mana. I don¡¯t want to burn the forest down.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Wait, what¡ª¡± Todd began, but was interrupted by: ¡°[Siege Fireball],¡± Alia snapped out, and a walnut sized ball of fire launched forward towards the herd at the speed of an unladen sparrow. It stayed small for most of the trip, then, as with all exponential growth, it suddenly grew out of control, spanning fifty or more meters across. The [Rzarks] had no time to react, and were engulfed by first flame and then explosion. A roar and thunderous clap rang out across the open field, and then echoed off the nearby mountains moments later. Within a heartbeat, the vast majority of the herd were killed instantly, with most of the rest grievously injured. A group of three that had been just a little farther away was mostly unharmed, but turned tail and ran away into the forest. Todd just stood there gaping as the burning grass nearest them crackled in flame. Wolfram was contemplative, and Cody was perplexed. ¡°Hey, Wolfram,¡± he asked. ¡°What did I just see?¡± The [Wolfkin] shrugged. ¡°[Siege Fireball] apparently.¡±
The team left without further incident, loaded to the brim with all the relics they could carry. Todd at that point was unashamed to use Riviera¡¯s greater STR to carry even more money-making goods. And then loaded up Alia with as much as she could carry. Which, if anyone had noticed, was more than Wolfram and Cody were carrying, but no one did. Three weeks back to Akira City and the team raked in a huge payday. Payment was split six ways, one to each team member, and then the sixth went to the party fund for covering costs. After such a long adventure, the team was more than happy to take some time off and relax with the comforts of civilization. The easy days began slipping by. One day, the party was sitting in a tavern over drinks when suddenly Riviera and then Alia both stiffened up. ¡°Alia,¡± Riviera ? began hesitantly, ¡°did you get that notification as well?¡± Alia ? gulped. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Do you¡­ um, I think, err, we ought to hurry back. And fast. Like Baron Rin fast.¡± ¡°Umm¡­ okay, I can do that. Ugh, I¡¯ll go get our stuff and meet you back here,¡± and with that parting thought, Alia took off like a [Rogue] running for his life in the dead of night, though it was only mid-afternoon. ¡°Lass,¡± Todd began, glancing at the sole remaining member of their suddenly-disgruntled [Elven] duo. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Our Race,¡± Riviera began. ¡°The rarity increased a step. We weren¡¯t close to the threshold though. You know what that means?¡± ¡°A lot of them died. And suddenly I¡¯m guessing,¡± Todd paused, taking in everything that had happened in the last few minutes and leaping ahead to the obvious conclusion. ¡°Should you really be rushing off? The Star Forest is almost five hundred klicks away. Wait a few days. Don¡¯t be rushing to your grave.¡± Riviera slowly shook her head. ¡°Alia has [Census]. When we left, we knew there were 97,567 [High Star Elves] in the Star Forest, with perhaps a few thousand abroad. The next Racial rarity threshold is around 41 thousand, which means at least over a fifty thousand [High Star Elves] dead, not even counting the regular [Star Elves]. That¡¯s a,¡± Riviera swallowed hard. ¡°I¡¯m not sure catastrophe is big enough.¡± Wolfram and Cody paled at the number, but Todd was only puzzled. ¡°[High Star Elves]?¡± he asked, and then his eyes widened as he wheezed out, ¡°You¡¯re over Level 50!¡± ¡°We are,¡± Riviera affirmed, but grew serious as Alia came back with their light packs. ¡°Todd, Wolfram, Cody. It¡¯s been a pleasure. I wish we could have parted at better news.¡± ¡°Now hold on,¡± Todd interjected, as the two [Elves] reached the door. ¡°We¡¯re coming too!¡± ¡°You can try,¡± Riviera deadpanned, and then the two were off in a gust. ¡°Wolfram!¡± Todd commanded, ¡°After them. We¡¯ll catch up, but get going and keep an eye on them.¡±
Wolfram burst outside the tavern, asked the bystanders which way the [Elves] went, then took off after them down the main boulevard. The road was crowded, and Wolfram quickly shimmied up onto the rooftops to move quicker. After a minute, he finally found the two moving through the crowd, just a touch slower than he was, and he was slowly gaining pace. He was at three hundred meters and closing. By the time they blew through the gate, he was down to two hundred meters, but now was running on the road outside the city behind them. Suddenly, they veered off the road into the high grass and continued running towards the forest. The heck! Wolfram thought, and then bounded after them offroad. Trees had just started appearing around them and Wolfram was down to just a hundred meters, when suddenly their speed tripled from the pace he could sustain. He came to a halt, panting lightly as he watched them take off deeper into the forest, faster than ever. ¡°What the fuck.¡±
The party of three¡ªthey really ought to pick a group name¡ªmade with all due haste after their wayward [Elves], and were making seemingly excellent time over the following days. They knew things had gone horribly wrong when all of the plant life around them was frozen, covered in freezing rain, sleet, and snow. Then they panicked when they found the first [Ice Wyvern]. Not alive, mind you; a hole had been burned straight through its chest, killing it. But anything twenty meters long and weighing 10,000 kg that can fly and spew magical breathe is likely to do that to any sane sapient. The panic was renewed at [Ice Wyvern] #2, but by numbers 3-8, they had grown numb and were barely fazed by them. They paused when the last three corpses were found altogether, but they pressed on into the frozen forest. Then they came across an evolved [Blizzard Wyvern], and five underling [Ice Wyverns] around it. This battlefield was clearly far more extended, over five hundred meters or more. And yet these terrors of the skies had been felled. An [Elven] watchstation was nearby, but all of the bodies had been frozen solid and none were the [Elves] they were looking for. They pressed on. Finally, the sounds of battle reached their ears. As they pressed onward, silence soon fell, blanketing them until a sudden keening wail erupted. A minute later, a [Blizzard Wyvern] flew away, deeply injured, but alive. With trepidation in every step, the party moved forward to the approaching battlefield. Two [Blizzard Wyverns] were dead, one with its wings seemingly shorn off by a sharp blade. And, scattered about, another twelve [Ice Wyverns], burned and sliced. And one [Elf]. The party quickly rushed over to the prone form laying against a boulder, the boulder itself having been cracked from where she had apparently collided with it. Her armor, banged up badly; her sword, nearby but chipped; her helmet, she had apparently wrested off and tossed nearby. Blood flowed freely from her mouth and nostrils, and her eyes were closed as snow started to accumulate on her. ¡°Riviera,¡± Cody whispered, and she startled awake. ¡°Oh, hey guys,¡± Riviera rasped, then coughed. ¡°Fancy seeing you here. Like what I did with the place? Thought it could use more white.¡± ¡°Never thought you¡¯d be the one to poke fun at a time like this lass,¡± Todd mumbled. ¡°Now, open up, we¡¯ve got a high quality health potion here.¡± Riviera shook her head loosely. ¡°Won¡¯t do any good. Besides, Alia¡¯s waiting for me. Can¡¯t just stick around a century.¡± Riviera coughed. ¡°Say, Todd. I¡¯m feeling a little loose-lipped right now. Might be the blood loss. How about a secret? We leveled up a few times from those [Wyverns], but well, now you¡¯ll know. [Short Status: Visible].¡±
Alia Starwood (L168), [High Star Elf] (Ra) (L84), [Pyromaniac] (Ra) (L84)
Riviera Starwood (L168), [High Star Elf] (Ra) (L84), [Personal Royal Guard] (VR) (L84)
HP: 0/185,749 15,235/867,590
(6,255 / hour) (10,450 / hour)
MP: 0/316,695 44,321/430,203
(5,038 / hour) (6,185 / hour)
CON: 110 622
STR: 110 622
DEX: 110 290
INT: 381 184
WIS: 382 192
CHA: 158 180
Free: 19 1
v.1.13
As the three of them stared at the Status screen, Todd started chuckling maniacally. ¡°Bleeding out on death¡¯s door, and you have damn near as much HP as I do.¡± Cody just fell onto his ass and just stared up into the sky, though whether from the stats or the name of the Elven royal family, none could say. Meanwhile, Wolfram held his soft hat against his chest, looking sheepish at seeing something so intimate; even more so than after Alia¡¯s incident weeks ago. ¡°Come now, Wolfram, it¡¯s not that bad,¡± Riviera jibbed at him, seeing his face. ¡°Waldo.¡± ¡°¡­eh?¡± ¡°My name¡¯s Waldo. I just go by Wolfram because ¡­ it sounds tougher. Err¡­ I thought¡­ I should share a secret too,¡± he ended bashfully. ¡°Huh. Well, I guess I can try not telling your grandkids if I ever run into them. Strange, I think this is the first time I¡¯ve been conscious when I di¡ª¡±
Ding! You have died.
12. Ice Giants
Ding! You have caught an [Arctic Breem]! You have earned 7 XP (1 Base * 7.06 XP Multiplier)!
As the fish wiggled on the end of his line in the freezing air, Kazuhiro reconsidered his last life¡¯s tantrums about losing his ridiculous 16x XP base multiplier. I mean, yes, I would have gotten 20 XP rather than 7, but ultimately, it¡¯s a geometric progression against an exponential challenge. And, I suppose, Level 44 at seven years old is ridiculous enough. When the fish stopped moving, Kazuhiro began packing it and his fishing kit into the small sled he had brought with himself besides the hole in the sea ice. The sun was already low in the southwestern sky, and Kazuhiro had to hurry back to his tribe¡¯s camp before dark. Strapping the harness across his hips, avoiding it pinching his fluffy white tail sticking out from the heavy furs he wore, Kazuhiro began a slow loping jog back with the sled pulled behind him. Alia ? and Riviera ? had been reborn as Kazuhiro ? and Ryoko ?, [Snow Kitsune], a (rare) variant of the more common [Kitsune]. Whereas [Kitsune] appeared mostly [Human]¡ªfurless, except for their canidae ears and tail¡ªthe [Snow Kitsune] had a short layer of downy fur all over, except for their bare face. By itself, this light fur was not enough to stave off the bitter cold of the Everwinter Flats, the sea ice north of the Slanemore continent where they lived, but it certainly helped. Kazuhiro would have been thankful for [Cold Resistance] Traits, if not that the tribe¡¯s attitudes embittered him to the issue. The initial problem was that the environment of the sea ice was an XP poor area. The animals and monsters which could be hunted were few and far between, and intersapient conflict was exceedingly rare. The land was inhospitable to plant life, and thus there was no XP to be earned from agriculture or the plants that could be harvested from the wild. And in so much as crafting materials were limited to animal products, snow, and ice, the XP gain from crafting was measly. Non-hunters were limited to the paltry XP¡ªperhaps 500 XP annually¡ªto be gained from fishing, domestic activities, active Skills, and preparing and crafting from the bodies of the few animals hunted. And it truly was a poor harvest. While XP was earned from accomplishment, for whatever reason, the System looked down on the day to day necessities of just getting by. On the other hand, the relatively rich bounty from hunting animals and monsters was concentrated in the hunters, though at perhaps 800 XP annually, even they were worse-off than the average person from a hunter-gatherer society in a temperate climate. At best, the once-a-generation hunter who could hit 900 or 1000 XP annually became the tribal chief. On top of that, while [Snow Kitsune] should have lived as long as [Humans], the harsh environment and animal heavy diet meant that few lived past forty. Together with the low XP rates, this meant that the average nonhunter only got to Level 26 (with 29 SKP), the average hunter to Level 33 (with 41 SKP), and the chieftain or other elder to Level 36 (with 45 SKP) before they died. Other than oral legends, they had no knowledge of their Racial evolutions. This XP poverty was something that Kazuhiro could forgive. But the [Snow Kitsune] tribes¡¯ culture to spending SKP was a terribly unproductive distribution of scarce resources. Universally, all children spent their first 12 SKP on [Cold Resistance I & II]. Given the environment, this was perfectly understandable. And that¡¯s where it goes downhill. If you managed to get [Cold Resistance II] before you turned 11¡ªwhich only about a quarter of the children did¡ªthen you were apprenticed as a hunter and enjoyed the fruits of higher XP yield for the rest of your life. The late-bloomers became non-hunters. Even this was somewhat understandable, as the hunters had to be the powerfulest adults which, in so much as XP and XP gain equaled power and powergain, made sense for separating the powerfulest children from the rest. The non-hunters would, over the 25-odd remaining years of their lives, learn what Skills that could be taught (such as [Butchering], [Child Rearing], [Fishing], [Cooking], [Cleaning], [Grooming]), and purchasing those that could not (such as [Improved Butchering I & II], [Digestion], [Eating], [Bone Crafting], [Fur Crafting], [Improved Grooming]). On occasion, a non-hunter would be designated by the chief to save up SKP to purchase an expensive, but necessary, specialized Skill, such as [Cold Weather Forecasting], [Efficient Oil Extraction], [Salt Condensation] or [Ice Manipulation]. Actually, the non-hunters¡¯ approach to Skill Points was commendably productive, and they were only limited due to the XP poor environment. The problem was the hunters¡¯ approach to Skill Points. The hunters¡ªmale and female¡ªhad a machismo culture centered around power, not showing weakness, braving the cold and fierce monsters, and¡ªworse of all¡ªnot spending any SKP until they earned enough (16!) to buy [Cold Resistance III] so that they could strut around topless, flexing their muscles and ¡°elevated¡± position in society. For most hunters, this took until their late twenties, or over two-thirds of their career as hunters. Heck, even the once-a-generation genius would only do it by 23 or 24. Actually, if you got [Cold Resistance III] before 25, you were more or less automatically elevated to chief and the current chief would step back as a mere elder. Which meant that hunters, by and large, spent the majority of their career with no additional purchased Skills, blew their load on a marginally useful¡ªi.e., mostly useless¡ªSkill based mostly on price, and then spent the remaining decade of their career and the maybe dozen SKP they would earn on slightly more productive Skills. It was a flagrant misuse of resources by the institutional cornerstone of the [Snow Kitsune] tribes. Admittedly, the tribe wasn¡¯t starving, but there never seemed to be enough to eat, no matter how much they caught. Occasionally, Kazuhiro''s [Budgeting] Skill acted up, but given the lack of a written language, he hadn¡¯t quite figured out what was happening yet. Not that any of these difficulties affected Kazuhiro or Ryoko. For starters, Kazuhiro already had [Cold Resistance III], not that he was keen on being chief. And both were perfectly nourished thanks to their eating Skills. On top of that, active Skills would, through the first few hundred uses, earn perhaps a thousand XP. Because the average [Snow Kitsune] only had a few active Skills, they were only able to earn a meager amount of XP. Kazuhiro and Ryoko on the other hand had hundreds of Skills¡ªI really ought to look into a Skill consolidating Skill¡ªby which to juice their childhoods with extra XP gain. Curiously, while the difficulty in leveling Skills seemed to carry over between lives, the initial XP gain from initial Skill use reset every life. And so, they could, and did, just spam Skills to gain XP. Finally, while all cultures developed rather good understandings of how to earn XP, the hundreds of years of experience and multiple childhoods the duo had gave them an especially nuanced view on how to grease the gears of the System in childhood. And so, for the first 7 years of their new lives, the intrepid partnership had been earning about 1500 XP annually. Each. Base. And while the [Goblin¡¯s Share] didn¡¯t come in play much this life¡ªwhat, with the lack of life to kill around them¡ªtheir other combined XP multipliers of 7x and 6x meant that Kazuhiro and Ryoko were the highest ranked [Kitsune] in the tribe, if not the entire Everwinter Flats. Now if only they could grow up a little faster and Class in. Alas, they had another 7 years to go before that happened, unless they wanted to use [Magic Growth]. Heck, they would both probably tier up their Race before that.
As Kazuhiro ? approached the village, he could already sense that something was wrong for he saw no one out and about on his approach. Kazuhiro sent with [Speak with Elves]. Ryoko ? sent back. she said sweetly, pleading for him to stay far away. he responded with a mental smirk. Several moments of mental silence passed. Ryoko sighed. By this point in the monologue, Kazuhiro had dropped off his sled at the edge of the village and was sneaking into the village, past the tents and snow structures constructed. He found the entire tribe kneeling in a group, half-encircled by a dozen heavily armed warriors. Their leader was talking to the tribal chief, though even with his senses, Kazuhiro could not hear anything. He shot off an [Identify]¡ªa new, but terribly expensive guard-related Skill he had picked up¡ªat the leader.
Throllvuff [Vurst Human] (Ra) (L42) [Swordsman] (Re) (L42)
So, the blue-skinned ones are [Vurst Humans]. Another dozen [Identify], and Kazuhiro confirmed another seven [Vurst Humans], a [Dwarf], and three [Sealkins], mid-to-high 30s, mostly (uncommon) melee Classes. Ryoko interrupted his pondering. Glancing around, Kazuhiro noticed that he had indeed inadvertently crept out from cover and that he was the center of more attention than he cared for. The leading [Vurst Human] was pointing at him, making gestures and jabbering at the chief, who finally turned and called to him in their local tongue, ¡°Kazuhiro, come here.¡± The element of surprise lost, and resistance perhaps being a poor move until he understood more, Kazuhiro hopped down from his hiding place, and ran over at a quick-for-a-seven-year-old-but-not-himself pace. ¡°Yes, chief?¡± he asked as he approached the two men. ¡°Why weren¡¯t you with the rest of the tribe?¡± the [Vurst Human] Throllvuff interjected. ¡°I was fishing at an ice hole about ten klicks away. I¡¯ve been there all day.¡± ¡°Catch anything good?¡± ¡°Just the usual. Mostly [Breem].¡± ¡°Good, good,¡± Throllvuff nodded to himself, then side-eyed the chief. ¡°Let this be a lesson to you about respect,¡± he said to the chief, then kicked Kazuhiro in the stomach, sending him flying back over twenty meters. As Kazuhiro was mid-air, he thought, Damn! 260 HP of damage. That would have killed most seven-year olds. And for all that Kazuhiro had thirty-thousand HP, he still only weighed maybe 25 kilograms. He slid along the ice surface for another ten meters before coming to rest against a small pile of slush. Deciding to play [Possum], he sent to Ryoko,
The crowd broke up shortly thereafter, and Kazuhiro¡¯s mother rushed over to check on him. He feigned injury for her, and allowed himself to be helped back to their snow shelter, where he rested on a bed of furs to ¡°recover.¡± His mother left soon thereafter, and Kazuhiro snuck out to find Ryoko. Despite their ability to communicate with their minds and the secrecy it ensured, some things remained best discussed in person. ¡°So, what¡¯d I miss?¡± Kazuhiro ? asked as they settled down out of sight of the village. ¡°The tribe has to entertain the Jarl¡¯s tax collectors tonight before they leave in the morning. With food, drink and¡­ women.¡± ¡°Eww. That¡¯s¡ª¡± ¡°I know. I¡¯ve been chewing over our options,¡± Ryoko ?¡¯s face scrunched up. ¡°And?¡± Ryoko sighed. ¡°Basically, we need to wait and see. What happens tonight happens. We could kill this entire group, but we can¡¯t fight off the Jarl¡¯s army, and that would just be worse off for our people.¡± Much was left unsaid between the two as both grasped the nature of the intersocial conflict. ¡°So, re-evaluate at Classing?¡± ¡°Right. Given our streak, we¡¯ll both end up with a (very rare) Class that¡¯ll triple our power. (Ultra rare) would quintuple. Not sure if we could expect anything higher.¡± Though they spoke in bare whispers, their body language¡ªthe eyes, face, hands, and tail¡ªadded much to their conversation. This was not going to be pleasant.
Kazuhiro¡¯s survival and rapid recovery were praised as a miracle by the tribe and then, as the entire tribe moved to their next hunting location the following week, quickly forgotten. Over the next five years, the tribe continued its never ending cycling between hunting grounds, preserving and storing half of their meat for the eventual return of the Jarl¡¯s men. Meanwhile, Kazuhiro ? and Ryoko ? continued to grow up. Given that they needed maximum flexibility, they decided to continue to feign weakness and be treated as non-hunters, so that if they had to leave, their absence would not be felt so sorely. Though Kazuhiro developed a bit of a reputation as a [Fishing] genius.
Ding! [Fishing] has reached rank 32.
Which was true. As Kazuhiro once predicted, he was going to hit his Racial tier up before his Classing, with Ryoko not far behind. However, when he pushed for Level 51, he ran into a problem:
Congratulations! You have reached the level cap as a [Snow Kitsune] (rare) and are eligible to evolve your Race into a higher tier. Your Race represents what you are, and will help define the rest of your life. Your Race can provide extra attribute points, Traits, Skills, and Skill Points. Your Race may be leveled using experience. Based on your Race, Class, Level, Traits, Skills, geography, society, and prior experience, you are eligible to evolve into one of the following Races (inspect for more information):
  • [High Snow Kitsune] (ultra rare)
  • [Many-Tailed Kitsune] (fantastic)
Choose carefully! This change is permanent and irreversible.
Not the evolution screen, though it apparently had been revamped and now read similarly to the initial Class selection screen. The description for [High Snow Kitsune] implied that there was some change in appearance (though the fact that it was only (ultra rare) showed there must be [Snow Kitsune] in XP-rich areas of the world), and [Many-Tailed Kitsune] was explicit in there being a physical change. Under other circumstances, he might have gone with the former and tried to hide the changes under his clothing. But given the apparent need for power this life, he couldn¡¯t simply forgo a (fantastic) Race. The issue though was that the tribe left their tails uncovered outside their clothing so any physical change could be a problem. With that, Kazuhiro and later Ryoko deferred the tier up, and banked the XP until either it was time to reveal themselves to their tribe or leave.
The tax collectors had returned. In anticipation of this, Kazuhiro ? and Ryoko ? had both juiced their growth by two years using [Magical Growth] so that they were ready to Class if need be. It was a different group this time. And it went surprisingly smoothly. Apparently Kazuhiro¡¯s absence and punishment really had been out of the norm for a practice that had persisted for centuries. Still, the tax collectors were more than eager to be ¡°entertained,¡± and after much debate, Kazuhiro and Ryoko decided to Class in, double-tier up, and stalk the group back to the Jarldom. For his first Class, Kazuhiro ? was finally going to expand his spellcasting significantly outside fire:
  • [Ice Fisherman] (uncommon)
  • [Yeti Hunter] (remarkable)
  • [Orcan Spearfisher] (remarkable)
  • [Ice Mage] (rare)
  • [Blizzard Mage] (very rare)
His tier up though presented some very interesting options.
  • [High Blizzard Mage] (very rare)
  • [Permafrost Mage] (ultra rare)
  • [Everwinter Mage] (ultra rare)
  • [Arctic Trickster] (fantastic)
While [High Blizzard Mage] was a straight tier up, [Permafrost Mage] was a combined ice and stone mage, while [Everwinter Mage] was focused on perpetual¡ªor at least very long lasting¡ªarea of effect spells. As much as either really called to him, [Arctic Trickster] was impossible to pass up. It seemed likely that his Race was one of the prerequisites of the Class, and while the description was a little vague, it strongly implied that it was a magic-type deception Class using ice and light. Despite the strong shift away from ¡°normal¡± magic (as he saw it), he did end up choosing it for its sheer power, reassuring himself that he could still pluck ice and wind spells out of the [Blizzard Mage] store. While Ryoko ?¡¯s initial Class selection was not nearly as impressive:
  • [High Butcher] (remarkable)
  • [Ice Butcher] (rare)
  • [Snowhomemaker] (rare)
  • [Ice Rogue] (rare)
Again, it seemed that [Snow Kitsune] was again giving some very interesting Class evolutions.
  • [Charming Seductress] (very rare)
  • [Blizzard Rogue] (ultra rare)
  • [Shapeshifter Assassin] (fantastic)
While Ryoko had never been much of a spellcaster, the idea of an ice-wind spellcasting rogue was appealing. But, given that their initial mission was stalking and likely to be followed by infiltration into the Jarldom and who knows what else, she couldn¡¯t give up on [Shapeshifter Assassin]. Moreover, the sheer power boost of a (fantastic) Class¡ªeven over an (ultra rare) Class just one step lower¡ªcould not be discounted. The Class also automatically came with a [Shapeshifter] Skill. [Multi-Tailed Kitsune] was ¡­ unsettling. On top of each of them growing additional tails¡ªKazuhiro now had four, while Ryoko had three¡ªthey both felt their bodies shifting in other slight ways, giving them a subtly inhuman appearance. Their muscles were tauter, their joints sharper, their face more v-shaped, sinister, and predatory. And despite their eyes remaining in the fronts of their heads, they now seemed to have a preternatural sense of their surroundings.
Kazuhiro (L104), [Many-Tailed Kitsune] (F) (L52), [Arctic Trickster] (F) (L52)
Ryoko (L102), [Many-Tailed Kitsune] (F) (L51), [Shapeshifter Assassin] (F) (L51)
HP: 340,321/340,321 263,680/263,680
(8,300 / hour) (6,535 / hour)
MP: 552,781/552,781 202,088/202,088
(6,650 / hour) (3,838 / hour)
CON: 165 174
STR: 165 357
DEX: 165 333
INT: 500 210
WIS: 500 114
CHA: 165 119
Free: 5 46
v.1.17
Over the next week, the two [Multi-Tailed Kitsune] trailed the tax collector¡¯s caravan¡ªthe twelve strongmen and their dozen sleds, pulled by heavily-furred quadrupeds. As they did so, Ryoko came to two conclusions: First, assuming that each tribe contributed the same amount, the caravan could have only visited perhaps four tribes at most before making the trip back. And second, the strongmen¡ªor perhaps the beasts of burden¡ªhad Skills to move faster across ice than should have been possible. Nonetheless, both kept up easily through raw stats. On the morning of the last day, the arctic haze broke enough for the group to come within sight of the mountains squeezing the shore up against the frozen sea. And, nestled between two of the larger mountains lay a terraced city of granite, iron, and wood. A few klicks out, Kazuhiro ? and Ryoko ? stepped onto solid land for the first time in this life. And, as they approached in the fading light of dusk, the city came alight with the familiar warm glow of torches, braziers, and bonfires. In addition to their caravan, a few others were returning as well with their own strong-armed sources of food. Other groups on foot, as well: [Lumbermen] and [Hunters] from the forests squeezed between the mountains and the sea ice; [Miners] and [Quarryists] from deeper into the mountain range; and the occasional patrolling squad of soldiers. As it darkened and the caravan they followed went through the gates, Kazuhiro and Ryoko scaled the walls and snuck into the City, which they soon learned was simply called Jarlkeep. The streets were a riot of activity notwithstanding the bitter cold wind racing off the Everwinter Flats. Merchants and mercenaries abounded. Nightwalkers plying their trade. Criers spreading news. The chatter was astounding. Most of the population appeared to be [Vurst Humans], though there was a sizeable proportion of [Dwarves] and [Sealkins], with a smattering of regular [Humans], [Snow Kitsune], [Kitsune], [Tundra Catkin], [Shaggy Minotaurs], [Snow Rabbitkin], and at least one [Moon Elf]. It was without a doubt the most diverse population of sapients either had ever seen. They spent their first week understanding the layout, infrastructure, and strategic sites throughout the City. They had little need for food or sleep, though were quick to steal both either from a stall or a warm attic, and quickly learned what they sought. The Jarl and his forces took a light touch to Jarlkeep. Other than food storage and distribution¡ªwhich seemed to be the functional reason for their existence¡ªJarlkeep¡¯s forces did little other than guard the gates and ensure any brawls did not cause excess property damage. And brawls there were many, given the general lack of law enforcement. Curiously, nearly a third of the adult population appeared to be mercenaries or fighters of one sort or another. They were generally belligerent and, given their free drinking in the frigid climate, prone to act on it. And, yet, they could find no fault with the Jarl¡¯s rule over the City. Well, they had some nits to pick for sure, but none so egregious as to deserve violence served by the pair. The City was well-governed. And so they went to the man himself. They began by infiltrating the Jarl¡¯s meadhouse, initially by disguising themselves and attending when the Jarl held court. The Jarl was a giant of a man. Nearly 240 centimeters, 150 kilograms, with dark blue skin. Bushy, bright white beard. His long white hair in a knot of braids draped across his shoulders. A deep bass of a voice that rumbled like the sea ice cracking. They pinged [Identify] on him: Theronstoff [High Vurst Human] (VR) (L53) [Jarl of the North] (UR) (L53). After the XP changes, he was certainly the strongest humanoid they had run across, other than a few really old [Elves]. But given who he was ruling, that perhaps was expected. Despite the Jarl¡¯s barbaric appearance, the court sessions were surprisingly reasonable. Well, reasonable for a city that was nearly a third mercenaries to begin with. There were still a few cracked skulls, but petitioners could freely approach and most people got to get their say in. All in all though, the Jarl¡¯s public appearances were without reproach. So, they expanded their observations. They went in when the Jarl had parties. They snuck in when the Jarl held private sessions of court not open to the public. They observed the Jarl in his study whiling away the midnight oil. They perused through his books and records. They eavesdropped on servants. And he still seemed like a decent ruler. Drank too much, had rowdy underlings, and had far too large a list of ladies of the night that he received services from. But he always paid his bills, he cracked down on the real hotheads, and he always tipped the ladies extra. Other than the trouble with the tribes, there wasn¡¯t anything damning against him that warranted execution. And because Jarl was a non-hereditary position¡ªnot that the Jarl had any heirs he recognized¡ªthe next Jarl would likely come from a long list of the strongest persons in the City. So simply removing him wasn¡¯t going to change anything because why would the successor change a policy in place for centuries? And while they could decapitate the entire upper leadership, then what? Yes, the [Kitsune] tribes may not have to pay tribute anymore, but were they willing to condemn the City to starvation? Or in the worst case, when the Jarldom eventually stabilized, would they risk the new Jarl taking a more aggressive position with the tribes? Two months in, and for all their experience, Kazuhiro and Ryoko were stumped. The troubles between the tribes and Jarlkeep was an economic problem, one to be solved through greater food production or alternative food sources, if any were to be found in the Everwinter Flats. It could not be solved with violence without condemning large populations that were largely blameless. It wasn¡¯t like the City was in collaboration with cultists trying to summon the [Eldritch].
The following day, Kazuhiro ? was observing the Jarl¡¯s men offloading crates from a caravan that had risked passage through the mountains when Ryoko ? pinged him. Kazuhiro blinked in surprise several times before scratching his right ear on top of his head. Several seconds passed, the sounds of crates being dropped clattering in the background. Kazuhiro finally acknowledged. Ryoko insisted. <[Identify] said his name was Keejee [Human] (UC) (L39) [Eldritch Cultist] (UR) (L39).> <¡­I feel you should have led with that.>
Ryoko ? was still waiting for Kazuhiro ? to catch up with her when the Jarl and the cultists concluded their meeting. From what she overheard, the cultists had promised that they could grant the Jarl extended life and were planning to sacrifice prisoners to do so. With the Jarl gone, she learned that the cultists actually intended to summon an [Eldritch] and destroy the City. At that point, she couldn¡¯t wait any longer for Kazuhiro and insta-killed the cultist with a [Backstab] stacked with a half dozen other Skills.
Ding! You have killed a [Human] (UC) (L39) [Eldritch Cultists] (UR) (L39). You have earned 20 XP (750 Base * 2.06 XP Multiplier * 0.82 Level Penalty * 0.03 Race Rarity Penalty * 0.50 Class Rarity Penalty * 1.00 Contribution). For killing an [Eldritch Cultist], the System sees fit to award you 49,179 XP. May the blessings of the Pantheon shine upon you.
Oh? Ryoko thought, then did some calculations in her head. When she was done, Ryoko heard only silence in her mind after her announcement. When Kazuhiro finally responded, Kazuhiro was puzzled,
Back together, Kazuhiro ? and Ryoko ? split up to take out another dozen cultists. The x8 multiplier of [Goblin¡¯s Share] of working together in a group of two just wasn¡¯t worth it when the XP gains were in the double digits to begin with. On the other hand, though unaffected by any of their XP bonuses, the [Eldritch Cultist] award nearly tripled their cumulative lifetime XP, pushing their Races and Classes to levels 66 and 67. Kazuhiro grew a fifth tail, while Ryoko grew a fourth. Then they distributed their Free points, and Kazuhiro grew a sixth and a seventh tail, while Ryoko grew a fifth, sixth and seventh tail. Something about their Attributes determined how many tails they had, but they didn¡¯t have the luxury to figure that out.
The Jarl was in his study reviewing this month¡¯s figures on the City¡¯s food stores. Theronstoff had been Jarl for nearly thirty years¡ªlong enough that even among people that should use his personal name, they simply called him Jarl or the Jarl. The city hadn¡¯t been this prosperous for as far back as the records went¡ªtwo centuries or so, since the last big fire torched most of the city. Theronstoff was quite proud of what he had done, the delicate balance between the martial, mercantile, and hunter groups which informed the Jarldom. People worked harder, produced more, got in less trouble. And all were better for it. His hope was that he¡¯d have at least a few more decades at the job. Suddenly, Keejee burst from the hidden staircase with a frantic look upon his face. ¡°Jarl!¡± he nearly screeched. ¡°There¡¯s something down there hunting us. It¡¯s killed everyone downstairs!¡± Were it not for Keejee¡¯s body language, the Jarl would have thought the man joking. ¡°Keejee, Keejee,¡± the Jarl responded reassuringly, ¡°calm down. Now tell me what did it look like?¡± ¡°It, it¡ªit was, white and furry. Umm, foxy? Aiiii!¡± he cried out, pointing to the ceiling behind the Jarl. ¡°It looked like that!¡± The Jarl leapt out of his chair away from where Keejee was pointing, grabbing his sword from where it lay and pivoting around. Pinned high up on the wall near the ceiling, was a great white beast. It looked like a giant white fox, except that it had far too many joints. And there were the six limbs, no, four limbs. The Jarl was having trouble keeping his eyes focused on the fiend, as a stark chill grasped the room. ¡°Jarl,¡± a ghastly voice whispered. ¡°The Everwinter is here to collect its due.¡± The Jarl heard a heavy thump beside him, and glanced to his side to see that Keejee had fainted. He turned back to the¡­ Everwinter, it called itself, only to find the foxlike being sitting in his chair, looking at him imperiously like a king of old. Before his eyes, his chair was turning into an icy throne, dyed red with blood. The Jarl triggered [Threat Assessment] and knelt reflexively at the return. This thing was old, it was rare, and it had at least three times as many attribute points as he did. He gulped and then got out, ¡°And what, my lord, is the Everwinter¡¯s due?¡± ¡°Hmm, gu gu gu,¡± the chuckle seemed to resonate from all around the Jarl. ¡°Those robed men were quite tasty. Tell us, are there more of those [Eldritch Cultists]?¡± The Jarl¡¯s throat was dry. ¡°Nay, my lord. If you got the dozen downstairs, there is only this man here. There is a cloister of them in the City of Sarlash, south of the mountains, but I know of no others,¡± the Jarl got out as he felt the winter¡¯s chill bite into him for the first time in decades. ¡°Oh, well, that was easy,¡± the beast said, speaking like a normal person. Before the Jarl could process this, he felt something warm and wet on his chest, and tried to speak, only to find the air not reaching his voicebox from his lungs. He fell forward, light-headed, only just realizing his throat had been cut.
Ding! For slaying a [High Vurst Human] (VR) (L53) [Jarl of the North] (UR) (L53), you have been awarded 2,357 XP (2,131 Base * 11.06 XP Multiplier * 0.25 Race Rarity Penalty * 0.50 Class Rarity Penalty * 0.80 Contribution).
Kazuhiro ? sent. Ryoko ? teased. he smirked, then shed a fake tear. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Kazuhiro responded, looking at the corpse. she questioned, ticking off the options on her fingers.
For two days, Kazuhiro and Ryoko availed themselves of Jarlkeep¡¯s finest establishments of good reputation, while drawing a disproportionate amount of the City¡¯s attention. Perhaps it was their unusual, ethereal nature as [Many-Tailed Kitsune]. Perhaps it was having CHA over 600. Perhaps it was due to their tendency¡ªmocking the hunters back home¡ªby walking around solely in pants and boots. Or perhaps it was their actions which were equally fascinating to those involved. On the one hand, Kazuhiro lost a bag of (the Jarl¡¯s) gold gambling. His dramatic displays, together with many comebacks only to lose it again, were the high point for nearly forty straight hours; the players and crowd so fascinated that many of them also found themselves on the losing end of play. Course, being an [Arctic Trickster], both Kazuhiro and the rest of the crowd lost their money¡­ to Kazuhiro. On the other hand, Ryoko booked an hour with the City¡¯s most reputable man and, allegedly, enjoyed herself so much that she concussed the register when she threw a bag of gold at her head to extend her stay. Thirty-seven hours later, Ryoko left much indulged and satiated. At the end of two days though, the Jarl¡¯s death had caused too much of a stir in the City, and the intrepid duo set off south through the mountains towards Sarlash. Though they set a hard pace, they nonetheless found themselves fighting dozens of monsters for the first three days. Though given the penalties associated with their (fantastic) rarities contrasted to, at most, the (very rare) monsters, the XP was piddling, barely enough to raise them a level each. On the fourth day, they fought the first [Eldritch]. Though they quickly defeated it, it became apparent that Kazuhiro¡¯s ¡°Divine¡± Skills were far more effective than anything else they had. Fearing the worse, Kazuhiro quickly picked up [Skillshare (Rare) II] and, together with [Skillshare (Remarkable)], shared with Ryoko [Adonite¡¯s Blessing], [Divine Channeling], and [Divine Smite]. Ryoko in turn shared back to him [Rapid Retreat] to help him keep his distance as he pelted the foul ones. A day later, they were fighting off their third wave, this time with nearly a dozen [Eldritch] when Ryoko yelled at Kazuhiro, ¡°Guess what I just realized!¡± ¡°What?!¡± he yelled back, annoyed as the creatures tried to swarm him. ¡°None of the XP penalties apply!¡± she yelled back. A minute later, with the last one killed, Kazuhiro pulled up the last notification.
Ding! For slaying an [Eldritch] (L62), you have been awarded 12,101 XP (2,188 Base * 11.06 XP Multiplier * 0.50 Contribution).
Huh, that¡¯s over six thousand XP each I can allocate to both Race and Class, Kazuhiro thought, then looked at his unspent XP on his Status. ¡°Damn, I¡¯ve got enough XP from these Eldritch to level almost three times.¡± ¡°Sick, right?¡± ¡°What? Is this what you did in Jarlkeep? Learn lingo and slang?¡±
A day and several fights later, they left the mountains and arrived at Sarlash just as the longgrass plains began. The city was gone. Oh, there were ruins. City walls, buildings, tenements, stores. But they were flattened to rubble. And the people? For hours, the duo crisscrossed the city without seeing a speck of movement, not even a [Rat]. Eventually, in the southeast quadrant of the city, they found a deep pit, unfathomably large to exist within a developed city like this. And from it, a trail of destruction, a path, to the city¡¯s edge and beyond, trending east-southeast and slowly creeping farther away from the mountains. With nothing further for them there, they followed. For three days, there were no more [Eldritch]. Until, finally, they caught up to the beast that emerged. The thing was huge, but ponderous. A dozen meters tall, just as wide, but ten times as long. Moving on a hundred or more misshapen limbs. A riot of grisly colors and sounds, the later from miscellany mouthparts attached to places clearly not so. [Identify] was hardly reassuring.
Ding! [Eldritch Elder] (L143)
Though they both sported ninetails, they fell back to strategize and spend some of their free Skill Points. First, they picked up both [Eldritch Slayer I & II] for 24 Skill Points to double their damage against Eldritch. They tried to go for [III], and they had the points, but the prerequisites were too difficult to fulfill in a short time. Second, Kazuhiro picked up [Divine Godball], a more powerful ranged attack than [Divine Arrow]. While they would rely on the latter in the first instance given its higher level, the former was something they really ought to have. Third, they made their plan, then executed it. Ryoko ? ran after the beast and climbed up on top of it, then ran to the ¡°front,¡± while Kazuhiro ? circled around and ahead of the beast. Ryoko then began attacking the ¡°head,¡± with her shared [Divine Smite], though due to her lack of mana control, she could only use 3% of her maximum mana pool at a time. After twenty strikes, and over half her MP, she finally cracked the armored chitin on the beast, then used what mana she had remaining to widen the hole. When she was done, she retreated while Kazuhiro¡ªbeing the mage¡ªused a full MP [Divine Arrow] to strike the beast in the head. It didn¡¯t work. While they did destroy the part of the beast they were aiming for, it, like all [Eldritch], it did not follow the natural body plans of any known animals. And so, it simply rearranged itself and continued forward. They had, perhaps, destroyed one-twelfth of the creature, but were now entirely out of mana. The pair retreated a few hours away to a nearby forest to take advantage of their improved MP regeneration in wild areas and to meditate. Combining the two skills, what would have taken over eight days to refill took them only two and a half. They then spent half a day hunting down any lesser [Eldritch] they could find nearby and soon ranked up [Divine Godball] to match [Divine Arrow], and gained another level in each of their Classes and Races. This time, they repeated their plan, except that Ryoko was to attack the leading plane, and Kazuhiro would attempt to shoot a [Divine Godball] horizontally into the creature along its longest axis to maximize damage from the goddess-channeled attack. When they caught up, they found it was only a few hours from another city. Already, they could see the walls manned to defend against it and a smaller force¡ªTemple forces as far as they could tell¡ªgathering outside the walls to ride out and meet it. They had one shot. Again, Ryoko scaled the beast, but now was hanging off its leading edge, single handedly [Smiting] it with all she had to open up a weakness for Kazuhiro to attack. Again, she cracked it, and she continued to strike until she ran out of mana. he replied quickly. And then she got to work. Using the Skill, she began to pick out pieces of cracked chitin to expose more of the flesh underneath. This continued apace for a minute until she got one hand caught in something sticky. Instinctively, she reached out with the other hand to brace herself and pull away, but that got stuck too. She struggled for a minute until finally she cried out to her partner as the [Eldritch] continued to approach the city undeterred. she concluded, sending a mental smirk. With a bittersweet feeling, Kazuhiro finished dumping the entirety of his MP pool into the Skill. ¡°[Divine Godball],¡± he uncharacteristically said aloud. A huge sphere of incandescent light thrice as tall as he appeared before Kazuhiro¡¯s outstretched hands as his ninetails flickered behind him. Despite the daylight, the landscape was thrown into shadow by the sheer brightness of the attack. Slowly it crept forward, accelerating faster and faster, until it slammed into the [Eldritch Elder], right on Ryoko¡¯s tuchus. The attack traveled into the beast and suddenly the bright light faded, except for a beam which shone out the hole it had just passed through. ¡°Did it fail?¡± Kazuhiro barely asked before the [Eldritch Elder] exploded upwards and outwards in a huge shower of gore. Three hundred meters in all directions it flew, and Kazuhiro was promptly soaked in blood, bile, and other fluids he could not recognize. It took a full minute¡ªthe seconds ticking by ponderously¡ªbut finally he had enough MP to trigger both [Battlefield Prim] and [Battlefield Proper] and Kazuhiro was just as magnificently white and clean as before. The landscape and the System were equally silent in the aftermath of the explosion. ¡°Did we not kill it?¡± Kazuhiro finally asked out loud after not seeing any notification.
Ding! Please stand by. The Pantheon is reviewing your achievement.
¡°Wut¡ª?¡± Kazuhiro barely got out before.
Ding! You have successfully slayed an [Eldritch Elder] (L143). For slaying an [Eldritch Elder] (L143), you have been awarded 12,515,323 XP (2,263,169 Base * 11.06 XP Multiplier * 0.50 Contribution). For saving the world from the greatest threat from the Eldritch in centuries, the Pantheon sees fit to grant you the Trait [Divine Champion Against the Eldritch]. [Divine Champion Against the Eldritch] (fantastic): This special Trait ranks up based on the XP earned by killing [Eldritch]. The XP required to rank up the Trait follows the XP Scale for Race and Class Levels times 5,000. XP earned for most recent [Eldritch] killed applied upon earning Trait. Gain to all Attributes by (Skill level) * 10%. Increased damage against [Eldritch] by (Skill level) * 50%. Ding! [Divine Champion Against the Eldritch] has increased to Level 5.
0.50 Contribution? But that means¡­ ¡°Ryoko!¡± Kazuhiro yelled out loud as he crossed the hundreds of meters to her side in the blink of an eye, crashing into her with a hug and dragging them both through gore. ¡°You survived!¡± ¡°Ow, yes, I can hear you just fine. And you¡¯ve got a darn lousy shot. Course, not being anathema to Divine skills and having 2.8 million HP goes a long way. Now, hurry up and start healing me.¡±
Kazuhiro had just gotten Ryoko back onto her feet when the squelching sound of hoofed mounts approached them through the gore of the battlefield. With a quick burst of [Battlefield Prim] and [Battlefield Proper], both of them were once again clean as they turned to face the approaching group. ¡°Hail warriors,¡± the leader called to them. ¡°My name is Robert Newhouse, leader of the Temple forces in the city. May I ask the name of the saviors of Salsicce?¡± A quick [Identify] put him at [Human] (L48) [Templar] (L48). ¡°May I presume that Salsicce is this city?¡± Ryoko ? asked tactfully. ¡°Indeed it is. Do you mean that you did not know the city you were saving?¡± ¡°To be frank, we are not from around here. We arrived at Sarlash only to find it destroyed, and followed the [Eldritch Elder] from there.¡± ¡°Then I must thank you for going out of your way to protect strangers.¡± ¡°Nay, we give no quarter to the [Eldritch]. Whether anyone was in danger or not, they are anathema to us.¡± ¡°Then again, I must ask, may we know your identities?¡± ¡°You may, I am Ryoko and he is Kazuhiro.¡± ¡°Then, Ryoko, Kazuhiro, on behalf of the Temples, you have my thanks. May I treat you to accommodations in the City?¡± ¡°Yes, that would be most agreeable. We have been traveling and fighting for nearly two weeks now. And while we look presentable, we are both exhausted and hungry.¡±
After each eating enough food for four [Lumberjacks], the pair ended up in a king bed in the best inn in Salsicce, courtesy of Robert, where they cuddled and slept for 18 straight hours, despite their Traits lessening their need to sleep. Ryoko ? woke to find Kazuhiro ? staring at his Status. he started. Ryoko snickered at Kazuhiro¡¯s misplaced complaints.
Several blocks away, the [Lord] of Salsicce was in a foul mood. The arrival of the [Eldritch Elder] was a deathknell upon the City and he had, rightfully, fled it. His caravan was only a few hours outside the City when a second sun appeared beside it, driving the [Horses] into a frenzy, and scattering his men. It was to his surprise then when his [Long-Distance Scout] confirmed the death of the abomination. His return to the City he fled was not warm. The general populace was unhappy with him. The merchants were unhappy with him. And the damnable Temple was claiming a non-insignificant portion of the credit, though apparently the victory had been solely the province of two champions who had appeared out of nowhere. And he knew damnable about them other than they were staying at The Earl¡¯s Rest on damn Robert¡¯s tab. A swift knock came to his door just as he was about to explode in his own anger. Composing himself for a moment, he called out, ¡°Come in.¡± ¡°Sir,¡± his aide said from the door, ¡°The [Guardsman] you requested is here.¡± ¡°Bring him in.¡± The aide stepped aside and bid the armor-gilded man behind him to enter. ¡°Milord,¡± the guard saluted him. ¡°[Guardsman], do I understand correctly that you were at the western gate when the [Eldritch] approached?¡± ¡°I was, milord.¡± ¡°And you witnessed the battle?¡± The guard hesitated, then continued, ¡°Witnessed may be perhaps too strong a word, milord. There was the [Eldritch] of course, giant as it was. And the bright light of an attack. But otherwise, milord, I was far too distant to observe anything.¡± ¡°But you were still at the gate when the two who defeated it were brought through?¡± ¡°Aye, that I was, milord.¡± ¡°And did you [Identify] them?¡± ¡°Aye. That I shan¡¯t forget.¡± ¡°And their levels?¡± ¡°200 and 198.¡± The [Lord] spewed the tea which his aide has just poured for him. ¡°Two hundred!¡± ¡°Aye, milord. Highest I¡¯ve ever seen. Think the next highest was one forty thereabouts a few years ago.¡± ¡°Ugh. Race and Class?¡± ¡°They were both [Many-Tailed Kitsune]. The woman was a [Shapeshifter Assassin] and the man an [Arctic Trickster].¡± ¡°Bloody hell. Never heard of any of those, though damn if I need an [Assassin] in the City.¡± ¡°I would not think so, milord. They were (fantastic).¡± ¡°(Fantastic)? Which ones?¡± ¡°All of it milord. The Race and both Classes.¡± ¡°You mean to tell me that I¡¯ve got two individuals, both Race and Class of (fantastic)-rarity, who have damn near capped both?!¡± he nearly screeched. ¡°Nearabouts, milord,¡± the [Guardsman] replied, conspicuously ignoring the near outburst. The [Lord] sighed deeply. ¡°You are dismissed. Show yourself out and close the door.¡± ¡°Thank you, milord.¡± As the [Lord] heard the heavy footsteps fade away, he turned to his aide. ¡°(Fantastic) gets you 64 attributes per level doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°It does. You know what that means?¡± ¡°I have two individuals of questionable motive, but probably not on my side, who have over six thousand Attributes each. And who knows what their first Race and Class were. Damnation, they may have over ten thousand Attributes!¡± ¡°I wonder if you get a Trait for achieving that.¡±
Later, as Ryoko ? was assigning her Free points, she turned to Kazuhiro ?,
Ding! For exceeding a total Attribute count of 8,192, you have received the Trait [Limit Breaker] (fantastic): Who said 13 was unlucky? +13 to all Attributes.
A few months passed. Kazuhiro and Ryoko had become local celebrities. Really, defeating the [Eldritch] was a minor footnote in the public¡¯s eye. Rather, by sheer dint of personality¡ªor maybe it was the 1600+ CHA¡ªthey became much beloved, if freeloading, members of the community. Eventually, several delegations arrived to the City and Kazuhiro and Ryoko were called to meeting. They relayed an abbreviated version of their story beginning with the Jarl¡¯s cultists, following the trail to Sarlash, finding it destroyed, their suspicions that the [Eldritch] had been summoned by cultists, then following the trail of destruction to the [Eldritch] and its destruction after two battles. Thereafter, they continued with a question and answer that, after an hour, began to wind down. ¡°And who,¡± croaked the elderly [High Bishop] attending on behalf of the Temples, ¡°is your patron who has blessed you with the power to use Divine Skills.¡± ¡°Adonite,¡± Kazuhiro ? identified. ¡°Adonite?¡± the [High Bishop] quirked a brow, then turned to consult with two younger aides. When he turned back to address them, ¡°Strange, she does not usually bless the [Kitsune] Races.¡± Kazuhiro shrugged. ¡°Nonetheless, I have her blessing.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not doubting you. Just wondering what the Pantheon has in store for us. And you miss Ryoko? Who is your patron?¡± ¡°I do not have the blessing of any god or goddess,¡± she ? replied. ¡°No? I thought you said you were using a Divine Skill or two during the fight?¡± ¡°I did.¡± ¡°Then, how did you have, let alone use, such Skills without a blessing?¡± ¡°Kazuhiro and I¡­ we are [Bonded] together by a Trait. And he has the correlative [Skillshares] needed. He simply shared it with me.¡± Several long moments passed. ¡°Incredible,¡± the [High Bishop] finally spoke. ¡°I would not have thought such a thing could occur, and yet, it has,¡± he concluded with a tone of finality. ¡°Are there any further questions as to the incident with the [Eldritch]?¡± the chairperson asked the committee. ¡°Seeing none, we¡¯ll move onto the next order of business.¡± Then, addressing the two Champions, ¡°Tell us, what are your plans for the foreseeable future?¡± The two [Kitsune] glanced at each other, their ninetails raffling behind them, before turning back to the committee. ¡°We do not understand the question.¡± ¡°You have already killed a [Jarl]. My liege is concerned whether you have political ambitions,¡± grumped the old bastard of a [General] in attendance. ¡°As is mine,¡± the City Lord¡¯s representative chimed in. ¡°The merchant¡¯s guild is very interested in potential sponsorship opportunities,¡± replied a round man. ¡°And given your personal power, and as [Divine Champions Against the Eldritch], the Temples would hope that you would continue to engage the [Eldritch] whenever possible,¡± the [High Bishop] concluded. The two [Kitsune] looked at each other and, in that silent communication that was unfathomable to those present, considered what to do. Finally, turning back to the group, Ryoko spoke for them. ¡°We have no political ambitions or, at least, certainly none outside of the Everwinter Flats. All those present may be assured of that. We are not willing to consider sponsorships at this time, though if the last few months have been indicative of anything, any of the merchant¡¯s guilds members would see increased business after we utilized their services. And as to the [Eldritch],¡± Ryoko cut herself off, but their response was picked up by Kazuhiro. ¡°We recent picked up two useful Skills to that end. [Detect Eldritch Classes] and [Long-Distance Eldritch Detection]. The first is short-range, but allows us to find anyone who is an [Eldritch Cultist] or has another [Eldritch]-related Class. Additionally, unlike [Identify], it works sight-unseen in a sphere around us. The second Skill is longer range¡ªon the scale of kilometers¡ªand also works without line of sight. While we are hopeful that the Temple will be able to provide intelligence as to [Eldritch] incursions, this [Skill] will both allow us to more rapidly detect local incursions as well as to fully clear out any [Eldritch] in the area.¡± ¡°Any questions?¡± Ryoko asked.
A few months later and the pair had fully exhausted their amusement in Salsicce. They set course for Slithar, a significantly bigger city a few hundred kilometers away, arriving uneventfully. No [Eldritch] appeared, no monsters attacked, and the weather was pleasant. They did stumble across a band of bandits attacking a caravan, and quickly apprehended all 23 of them with a quick [Grasping Roots], the bandits being too low level to award them any XP. After healing a few injured members of the guard, the two Champions offered the bandits to the caravan. After some back and forth, the guard decided to award the bandits the justice of their blades, though one of the merchants negotiated to have his twelve-year old daughter do the deed to one of them. It was heartbreaking watching her nervously wield the dagger, but the world was full of harsh people that could only be dealt with one way, and the XP gain was not insignificant for one so young. With that unpleasant business concluded, the two soon arrived in Slithar, quickly setting themselves up in one of the nicest inns they could find. A day later, they were touring the city when they detected a cluster of [Eldritch Cultists]. They quickly broke into their secret hiding space and, like with the bandits, apprehended the cultists, and then offered them to the guard. Though the commotion of two [Kitsune] marching a half dozen [Cultists] to the barracks put the [Guards] on high alert, one [Guardsman] with [Identify] was brought to confirm their claims that they had apprehended [Cultists]. A few short minutes later, and Kazuhiro and Ryoko were back to touring the city. They had been there a few weeks, when an urgent invitation was delivered by a Temple page. They quickly went over to the Temple and met with the [Bishop] there, who informed them that a Rank C outbreak of [Eldritch] had occurred in the mountains a few hundred kilometers south. The Temples¡¯ forces there had set up a perimeter, but the rough terrain meant that clearing them out would be inordinately difficult, and it was currently projected to take at least two months before sufficient reinforcements arrived for them to move forward with the plan. ¡°So please help us!¡± the [Bishop] concluded his plea. The duo took off like the wind and, in a rush for once, arrived within twelve hours. Quickly locating the main Temple encampment, they identified themselves to the local commander, then dove into the mountains. The [Eldritch] were lower level than the ones they had fought on the way to Sarlash, but the pair killed hundreds of them. And, finally, Kazuhiro caught back up to Ryoko.
Ding! [Many-Tailed Kitsune] reached Level 101. Race tier up is available. [Shapeshifter Assassin] reached Level 101. Class tier up is available. [Many-Tailed Kitsune] reached Level 101. Race tier up is available. [Arctic Trickster] reached Level 101. Class tier up is available.
With the mountains cleared, the pair found a high outcropping to tier up on. Kazuhiro ? came out of his trance just in time to see a pair of white, feathered wings grow out of Ryoko ?''s back near her shoulder blades. When she came out of her own trance a minute later and saw her wings, she lept up, yelling for joy. ¡°I have wings!!¡± she sang. Kazuhiro couldn¡¯t help but smirk. ¡°And?¡± ¡°I can finally use that damn [Fly with Wings] perk. Oh, this Race also came with the Skill, but it turned into a [Free Skill Choice (Common)].¡± ¡°Nice,¡± Kazuhiro replied, then pulled up their Short Status.
Kazuhiro (L202), [Spirit Kitsune] (U) (L101), [Polar Fae] (U) (L101)
Ryoko (L202), [Celestial Kitsune] (U) (L101), [Blades Against Eldritch] (U) (L101)
HP: 16,623,976/16,623,976 20,796,974/20,796,974
(58,205 / hour) (58,485 / hour)
MP: 16,897,546/25,587,287 12,546,894/15,444,573
(45,318 / hour) (36,018 / hour)
CON: 1147 1690
STR: 1134 3005
DEX: 1134 3005
INT: 3225 1021
WIS: 3243 1355
CHA: 1758 1621
Free: 352 256
Damn, he thought.
With Ryoko ?¡¯s recovered flight and Kazuhiro ?¡¯s [Skill] to turn [Incorporeal]¡ªhe was a [Spirit Kitsune] after all¡ªthe duo¡¯s ability to traverse long distances or rough terrain soared. And they spent the next decade traveling the Slanemore continent, defeating [Eldritch] incursions. Eventually, they located the lands where Kazuhiro had been Emil the [Brillian] [Paladin], another life defined by battle against the [Eldritch]. Back then, the [Eldritch] had been a relatively new threat, with both the mortals of the world and the System still adapting on how to turn it aside. Kazuhiro pointed out the place where the town and estate used to be¡ªnow overrun by thick jungle¡ªand the capital city where he had been trained¡ªnow just a regional city in a much larger empire. They spent a month poring over old records in the library looking for himself. Besides a few line items noting his entry into the service of the Temple as a [Paladin], little was found about his family. He did find out that they had survived that last [Eldritch] attack, and had remained nobles down his sister¡¯s side of the family for several more generations at least. Though it had apparently petered out or perhaps his family had just been lost to history.
A decade later, and the pair left Slanemore, flying the five hundred or so kilometers to The Ayres. Though Ryoko had first been born there, and Kazuhiro had lived hundreds of years there, the elven civilization on the continent had been destroyed and Kazuhiro¡¯s social skills in that life were lacking (being a tree and all). Accordingly, they initially thought they had little to visit and so satisfied themselves with solely fighting off [Eldritch] incursions, for which they were much appreciated by the locals: popular, militant, and templar. Seven years after arriving on The Ayres, the pair were moving through a deep forest when an uneasy feeling settled over Kazuhiro. He called for them to stop, and tried to inspect what was wrong. Eventually, he tapped into the [Tree Network], and began to weep with joy. ¡°The forest remembers us,¡± he eventually blabbered out to Ryoko.
A year they spent in that forest reminiscing, and then another four fighting [Eldritch] on The Ayres. But eventually, the pair were ready to leave. Even at their level though, they were hesitant to attempt the ocean crossing to either Eurial or Breibone or any other continent. And so they returned to Slanemore, deciding to semi-retire to the Everwinter Flats. They would be on-call by the Temples to deal with any serious incursions, but otherwise they were returning to their people. As they passed back over the mountains north, they passed over Jarlkeep, and saw the City as lively as ever. Whatever hiccups the prior Jarl¡¯s death had caused, they had been smoothed over by the past twenty-three years. Arriving over the Jarl¡¯s center of government, Ryoko and Kazuhiro plummeted out of the sky and landed gracefully on the front step, then pushed the door open and walked inside side-by-side. The Jarl¡ªa [Snow Rabbitkin] surprisingly¡ªwas sitting in a large chair in the center of the main hall, several solicitors before him arguing this or that matter, and benches around the room half-filled with some of the most important people in the City. The two strolled straight up the center of the room, weaved around the persons soliciting the Jarl¡ªthe one speaking sputtered at being interrupted¡ªand came to a stop half again as close to the Jarl. ¡°Jarl,¡± Ryoko ? nodded at him. ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± the [Rabbitkin] responded, more brusquely than they expected, then returned to sipping his tea. The audience¡¯s murmuring grew louder at this interruption. ¡°I am Ryoko, and this here is Kazuhiro. You may have heard of us?¡± ¡°The Champions?¡± he raised an eyebrow. ¡°[Identify]. Two hundred fifty four!¡± the Jarl burst out, spraying his tea. The chamber fell silent as a graveyard. Composing himself, the Jarl continued. ¡°My apologies. I had heard the news of your existence, but never expected you to arrive to my small city of all places. How may I be of assistance?¡± ¡°We are simply here to let you know that we will be residing within your demesne for the foreseeable future,¡± Kazuhiro ? responded. ¡°Of course,¡± the Jarl responded, ¡°I would be pleased to host the Divine Champions.¡± ¡°No, you misunderstand us,¡± Ryoko replied. ¡°We intend to reside with the [Snow Kitsune] tribes on the Everwinter Flats.¡± ¡°You mean those¡ª¡± the [Rabbitkin] began then caught himself. ¡°As you wish. I appreciate you stopping by to inform me and, if you need anything, please simply ask.¡± ¡°We will. Thank you, Jarl.¡±
Despite their Levels and Skill set, locating their tribe was surprisingly tricky. To begin, they just located the first [Snow Kitsune] tribe they could so they could ask for directions. That had two problems. One, they were revered and fawned over as evolved [Snow Kitsune]. This made it surprisingly difficult to talk business to any of them. And two, the pair didn¡¯t know the name of their tribe (at least as nominated by the other tribes), and so they had to go through an extended oral history of the local tribes until they found the right one. Then, with a general set of directions as to where their seasonal hunting places were, they set off again. Upon finally finding their tribe, they again went through the reverence and fawning phase. Parochial as the tribes tended to be, they had heard nothing of the evolved [Snow Kitsune] which were slaying [Eldritch] as [Divine Champions], and to both learn about and see the legends in the flesh was almost too much for them. Then they revealed their identities as Kazuhiro and Ryoko. Thus began the rigmarole of the tribe complimenting the coincidence of the names of two lost children from decades before and the two Champions trying to convince them they were those children. That did not go over well. Then the tribe tried to make them chiefs, which they refused because, well, what did they know about leading sea ice-faring people? Sure they had general leadership skills. And sure they still had those skills growing up as sea-ice faring people. But mashing the two didn¡¯t work. Their refusals however were quickly interpreted as rejecting chief as too low a position, and so they began a word guessing game as they sought titles of legend to bestow upon their reunited kin, to which Kazuhiro and Ryoko bargained downwards. Eventually, they settled on ¡°Honored Ones.¡± And then there was a great feast to celebrate! Of course, when the pair tried to contribute the next day to the functioning of the tribe, they faced great resistance. Eventually, the pair relented to a really quiet retirement. Over time, the two fell into a sort of great guardian role to the tribe. Though they could not contribute to the hunt or domestic activities, the hunters were pleased to have the pair follow them from the sky, observing them, and upon a successful kill, coming in to praise the hunters and ¡°bless¡± the kill. Not that they actually had such a Skill. But, no longer living incognito, the pair were more than happy to whip out their full palette of blessings and hearth skills to invigorate the tribe itself: [Good Morning to You], [Generate Prosperity], [Bless Sapients], [A Hearth to Call Your Own], [A Hearth to Rest], [A Hearth to Roam], and a few more they picked up along the ways. A few [Issue Quests], where the System would allow it, helped level the tribesmen too. The years began to pass. The Jarl dialed back the food demands from all of the sea-ice folk, working twice as hard to obtain food from elsewhere to feed the city. Once every five years or so, the Temple would send runners out to fetch the Champions to address a particularly bad incursion, and they would leave for a month or so. But otherwise the pair lived a quiet life overseeing their tribe. They never had children.
Thirty years passed. The first [Snow Kitsune] to grow up fully under the Champions¡¯ gaze now made up fully half the adult population. The latest chief at 25 years was already level 43 and rising. Perhaps the tribe would have its first homegrown Race evolution. Ryoko woke with a pounding headache. She sleepily rolled out of the furs she had been lying in, and stretched her aging, aching body. , she started, then caught herself. The bond was dormant. Damn, she thought to herself. Half a billion HP, almost seventy thousand attributes, and you still die of a heart attack from eating too much meat. Suddenly no longer feeling too motivated, she fell back to the furs and looked at Kazuhiro¡¯s back, no longer rising and falling. Was it a good life? I think it was. They had never been romantically involved this life¡ªtoo closely related¡ªbut the companionship was amiable as always. Probably shouldn¡¯t hang around, she thought to herself. I guess I could try and use those Skill consolidation Skills first¡­ Nah, I can do that while potty-training next life. Anything else I should take care of before I go? Nothing coming to mind, she crawled back into the warm furs beside her companion¡¯s body, closed her eyes, took a calming breath, and triggered a Skill she got for just such a scenario.
Ding! You have died.
Name: Kazuhiro (L258) Other Names: Alia Starwood, Aram, Shebbynall "Shelby" Palagi Vitti, Trixie, Cota, Myr, Fly #5, Emil Marlonson, Queenie, Masami, Amelia Race: [Spirit Kitsune] (U) (L129) Class: [Polar Fae] (U) (L129) HP: 0/707,612,506 (478,233 / hour) MP: 0/1,280,192,664 (378,851 / hour) CON: 7552 STR: 6972 DEX: 6972 INT: 19908 WIS: 19962 CHA: 6953 Free: 0 Traits: [Adonite''s Blessing] [Exemplar - Arcane Battle Maid] [Studious] [Charming] [Live Fast I] [Catkin Life] [Winning Smile] [Winning Charm] [Bodily Mana] [Agile Health] [Flexible Casts] [Smart Doctoring] [Strong Magics] [Good Choice] [Beautiful Healing] [Charming Refill] [Bodily Refill] [Flexible Refill] [Smart Healing] [Strong Healing] [Strong Refill] [Wise Healing] [Improved HP IV] [HP Regen V] [Improved MP IV] [MP Regen V] [Speedy Speedster] [Bonded Dryad] [Princess Kidnapper I] [Reincarnator] [Skillshare (Common)] [Skillshare (Rare) II] [Skillshare (Remarkable)] [Skillshare (Uncommon)] [Status Modification] [Skillshare (Very Rare) II] [Free Skill Choice (Remarkable)] [The Goblin''s Share] [Princess'' Touch] [Eldritch Slayer II] [Divine Champion Against the Eldritch 35] [Limit Breaker] [Skill Consolidation] [Skill Fusion] [Skill Merge] [Euthanasia] [Deal with the Fox] [Devoted Spouse] [Sunny Snowstorm 1] [Snowfield Navigation 4] [Detect Fish 5] [Archaeology 8] [Skillshare (Ultra rare)] [Noble Favor] Bodily Traits: [Air Resistance IV] [Amorphous Body] [Buoyant 26] [Calm Stomach III] [Cold Resistance V] [Dark Vision III] [Eagle Eye] [Elven Ears] [Firm Purchase III] [Hair Control III] [Heat Resistance IV] [Instinctive Dodge 20] [Less Sleep IV] [Lightning Resistance IV] [Magic Eater III] [Magic Growth III] [Omnivore] [Pain Resistance V] [Planktivorous III] [Quick Hands 40] [Salt Water Tolerant III] [Skin Sight 26] [Slippery 18] [Sticky Fingers 24] [Tracking Nose 12] [Treasure Hunter 16] [Water Jet 14] [Water Resistance IV] [Better Goblins] [Elven Vocal Chords] [Elven Grace 48] [Immaterial 2] [Prestidigitation 6] [Invisible 1] [Float 8] [Stone Resistance III] [Eldritch Resistance IV] [Mental Resistance I] Life Skills: [Battlefield Prim 20] [Battlefield Proper 20] [Butchering 28] [Child Rearing 36] [Cleaning 40] [Cooking 32] [Digestion 24] [Dinner Bell 20] [Disguise 24] [Easy Birth II] [Eating 50] [Fast Talker 26] [Fishing 46] [Gardening 22] [Good Morning to You 42] [Hygiene 46] [Internal Clock 46] [Laundry 20] [Learning 54] [Magical Gardening 20] [Make Up 30] [Meditation 30] [Mirror] [Natural Leader 42] [Planning 48] [Speak Romance 36] [Vigorous Chores 34] [Appraise Item 6] [Organization 18] [Logistics 16] [Delegation 28] [Supervision 16] [Intuit Infrastructure 8] [Issue Quest III] [Survey Land 28] [Census 38] [Budgeting 10] [Accelerate Plans 6] [Generate Prosperity] [Unyielding] [Authoritative] [Royal Command [Star Elf] 24] [Years of Experience] [Identify 6] [Obscure Identity 1] Languages: [Belly Speech 26] [Eastern Kneet 40] [Greenwood Elvish 40] [Ostesh 40] [Polyglot I] [Ravornia 60] [Speak with Elves 40] [Tyr Trade Tongue 9] [Ucarhi 40] [Ucarhi - Creator of Written Ucarhi] [Ventriloquism 12] [Western Kneet 18] [Goblinese 5] [Starwood Elvish 40] [Nounuentennesse 20] [Annese 14] [Eupash 12] [Oavactarian 8] General Mage Skills: [Acid Splash 12] [Mage Hands 40] [Mage''s Blade 24] [Mage''s Shield 18] [Mana Bolt 12] [Mana Finesse 32] [Mana Lance 4] [Temperature Control 26] [Water Manipulation 14] [Split Mana Control 22] [Mage Tools 10] [Levitate 8] [Fox''s Dexterity] [Magic Powers All] [Ice Immunity] [Ice Manipulation 8] [Icewall 1] [Iceball 1] [Icebolt 1] [Sleet Thrower 1] [Super Ice Ball 1] [Avalanche 1] [Ice Is Cold II] [Freeze Slowly] [Extra Cold Ice 2] [Ice Weapons 1] [Snow Spray 1] [Blizzard 1] [Chilling Gale 1] [Howling Wind 1] [Blinding Snow 1] [Snow Drift 1] [Arctic Illusions 6] [The House Always Win 12] [Unable to Lie] [Zip Around 8] [Absolute Cold 1] [Aurora 1] [Even the Ice Thinks Its Cold 1] [Neverfound 4] [Gifted, not Stolen 6] Fire Mage Skills: [Fire Immunity] [Fire Manipulation 44] [Firewall 18] [Fireball 40] [Firebolt 36] [Flamethrower 22] [Flaming Sphere 26] [Siege Fireball 6] [Fire Is Hot II] [Burn, Burn!] [Compressed Fire 8] [Flaming Weapons 4] [Forest Arsonist II] Paladin Skills: [Divine Aegis 24] [Divine Arrow 24] [Divine Aura 20] [Divine Body 6] [Divine Brawn 9] [Divine Channel 40] [Divine Courage 11] [Divine Faith 4] [Divine Fortress 12] [Divine Lay on Hands 32] [Divine Reflection 11] [Divine Smile 8] [Divine Smite 28] [Divine Speed 14] [Divine Thought 12] [Divine Will 10] [Divine Godball 32] Melee Skills: [Archery 8] [Claws 18] [Heavy Armor 24] [One-Handed Sword 24] [Shield Bash 12] [Two-Handed Sword 5] [Unarmed Combat 16] [Nimble Escape 4] [Stealth 10] [Ride Mount 4] [Hide 14] [Climb 8] Druid Skills: [Barkskin 26] [Command Animal 24] [Court of the Forest] [Detect Poison 12] [Disorienting Mist 4] [Forest Stride 50] [Grasping Roots 24] [Locate Animal 32] [Locate Plant 32] [Native Knowledge 26] [Natural Healing III] [Natural Recovery III] [Plant Growth 46] [Poison Resistance IV] [Summon Animal 24] [Tree Network III] [Water Breathing 10] [Water Walk 16] Tree Skills: [Attract Birds 18] [Bless Animals 12] [Bless Elves 5] [Bless Sapients 30] [Branch Strike 8] [Chlorophyll 12] [Defensive Domain 8] [Ent Stride 32] [Ent Walk 32] [Extract Nutrients 16] [Grow Fruit 8] [Heal Plant 2] [Root Strike 12] [Rooted Stance 4] [Speak with Animals 28] [Swaying 6] [Wood Shaping 22] [Bless Village 28] Engineer Skills: [[Skill] Inspiration 8] [Arcane Design 16] [Biomimicry 16] [Critical Thinking 26] [Draft Schematics 32] [Hack Job 14] [Improvised Weapon 4] [Keen Eye 12] [Magic Pen 60] [Mathematics 28] [Mechanics 30] [Pressure Tolerance 8] [Project Management 34] [Prototyping 22] [Reinforce 30] [Statics 12] [Structural Integrity 10] [Troubleshooting 18] v.1.18
Name: Ryoko (L256) Other Names: Riviera Starwood, Aerum, Knieckmuch "Nick" Vitti, Guinness, Tanaka Ai Takamoto, Arial of Myr, Elaria Greenwood Race: [Celestial Kitsune] (U) (L128) Class: [Blades Against Eldritch] (U) (L128) HP: 0/683,793,848 (327,630 / hour) MP: 0/484,690,131 (199,545 / hour) CON: 10091 STR: 18065 DEX: 18103 INT: 6119 WIS: 7146 CHA: 6002 Free: 0 Attributes to Everything!: [Winning Smile] [Winning Charm] [Bodily Mana] [Agile Health] [Flexible Casts] [Smart Doctoring] [Strong Magics] [Good Choice] [Beautiful Healing] [Charming Refill] [Bodily Refill] [Flexible Refill] [Smart Healing] [Strong Healing] [Strong Refill] [Wise Healing] Fast Growth!: [Dedication] [Mind for Body IV] [Improved HP V] [HP Regen V] [MP Regen III] [Speedy Speedster] [Investment Improved] [Status Modification] [Live Fast 0] [The Goblin''s Share] [Years of Experience] [Divine Champion Against the Eldritch 34] [Limit Breaker] [Free Skill Choice (Common)] Bodily Traits: [Elven Ears] [Eagle Eye] [Magic Eater III] [Tracking Nose 22] [Succulent III] [Home Flexibility 14] [Barkskin 28] [Chlorophyll 18] [Disguise 10] [Fly With Wings 22] [Echolocation 6] [Less Sleep IV] [Pain Resistance V] [Better Goblins] [Elven Vocal Chords] [Elven Grace 48] [Shapeshifter 4] [Detect Eldritch Classes 6] [Long-Distance Eldritch Detection 22] [Dexterous Attack 12] [Calm Stomach III] [Clamber Giants II] [Hair Control III] [Omnivore] [Cold Resistance V] Dryad Bond Traits: [Dryad Bond] [Tree Beneficiary] [Skillshare (Common)] [Skillshare (Uncommon)] [One with Your Tree] [Skillshare (Remarkable)] [Skillshare (Rare)] Interpersonal Skills: [Reluctant Leader] [Charming 12] [Noble Bearing 52] [Persuasion 26] [Planning 34] [Learning 28] [Empathy 32] [Negotiation 38] [Imperious Look 46] [Royal Command [Star Elf] 16] Speaking: [Belly Speech 6] [Greenwood Elvish 40] [Ventriloquism 8] [Speak with Elves 40] [Eloquent Speech 24] [Ravornia 60] [Starwood Elvish 40] [Ostesh 28] [Goblinese 5] [Nounuentennesse 20] [Annese 18] [Eupash 16] [Oavactarian 12] Nature Skills: [Call of the Wild 10] [Constrict 8] [Gardening 16] [Locate Animal 26] [Native Knowledge 6] [Plant Growth 12] [Woodshaping 16] [Tree Riding 18] [Wither 4] [Thorn Rain 6] [Nature''s Defense] [Purify Water 4] Domestic Skills: [A Hearth to Call Your Own] [A Hearth to Rest] [A Hearth to Roam] [Child Rearing 30] [Easy Birth] [Hygiene 34] [Princess'' Touch] [A Hearth to Feed] [A Hearth to Rest] [Magical Hot Bath III] Melee Skills: [Sword, Curved 12] [Daggers 18] [Dancing Footwork 30] [Fortified Block 26] [Light Armor 10] [Mounted Aim 1] [Pummel 18] [Reave Defense 22] [Reflecting Block 24] [Shield Bash 18] [Unarmed Combat 10] [Hidden Blade V] [Extra Dodge 18] [Self Insert 16] [Stealth 8] [Ride Mount 2] [Hide 14] [Climb 18] [Drop 14] [Armored Line 10] [Train Soldier 8] [Empower Defender 14] [Protect Escort 24] [Backstab 4] [Contract Bonus III] [Falling with Style 8] [Move! 18] [Sword, One-Handed 30] [Sword, Two-Handed 8] [Shield Work 26] [Rapid Retreat 4] [Heavy Armor 22] [My Armor Has Armor 6] [Light as a Feather 8] [Bleeding Cuts 14] [Stinging Paralysis 18] [Monster Slayer III] [Hardened Shield 6] [Eldritch Slayer II] [Create Ice Blade] [Sharper Blades] [Someone Else''s Problem 2] [Extra Blade Reach III] [Close in Fast 12] [Dip 4] [Duck 6] [Dive 8] [It''s a Bleeder II] [Last Weapon] [Ran Out of Weapons] Machinist Skills: [Alignment 12] [Assemble 28] [Carve Metal 34] [Carve Stone 6] [Carve Wood 30] [Disassemble 4] [Fine Tune 14] [Impossible Assembly 6] [Read Schematics 32] [Skill Consolidation] [Skill Fusion] [Skill Merge] [Euthanasia] [Devoted Spouse] [Noble Favor] [Identify 8] [Obscure Identity 4] [Improved Blessings] [Carve Ice 16] [Carve Ivory 22] [Leatherworking 12] [Sinew Believe It?] [Barren Land 6] [Cartography 8] v.1.18
13. The Dog’s Life ¡°Yep,¡± the [Farmer] said. ¡°I think you¡¯re gonna be real impressed here.¡± He spat to the side from the cud of greenleaf he was chewing. Alan, [Beastmaster], tried not to grimace as he followed the old [Catkin] over the small rolling hills behind his home. ¡°So you¡¯ve said. And I have high hopes. But you still haven¡¯t told me what it is he can do,¡± he replied. ¡°And while I do need an animal, there are¡­ certain requirements.¡± ¡°Son,¡± the [Farmer] graveled without facing him. ¡°I ain¡¯t no adventuring type. Just a [Farmer]. I know farm things. But I¡¯ve heard a few things in town and I¡¯ve been breeding dogs damn near forty years now,¡± the old man glanced back at him. ¡°If these dogs ain¡¯t suited for you, I¡¯ll be damned.¡± ¡°Dogs? I¡¯m only interested in one.¡± ¡°And one perhaps is the only interesting one. But he¡¯s got a partner and you¡¯ll never get him away from here without her. Damndest thing too. Dog just showed up one day, a little worse for wear. Wasn¡¯t mine and, far as I can tell, didn¡¯t come from any of the other farms nearby.¡± ¡°Where¡¯d she come from then?¡± ¡°Well, if it¡¯s true you [Beastmasters] can speak with animals, maybe you can ask them yourself. Ah,¡± he exclaimed as the two of them crested a hill to come within sight of a flock of [Sheep]. ¡°Here they are. Bo! Com¡¯ere boy!¡± he cried out. Alan saw a dog¡¯s head pop up from within the middle of the flock, swivel around, then duck back under. A moment later, and the dog came bounding out of the wool and towards the two bystanders. First impressions were good. Perhaps 50 kilograms in weight, 75 centimeters tall. Well-developed muscles. Graceful, if a bit goofy, though that was probably just caused by being given too free of reign on a farm. He wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the dog was already at Level 9 with a hundred attributes. Not exactly an immediate fit for him, but he¡¯d shape up well with training. ¡°Bo,¡± the [Farmer] said, and the dog looked at him. ¡°This here is Alan. He¡¯s an adventurer and he¡¯s interested in a good dog like you. Mind showing him one of your tricks?¡± Woof! ¡°Yes, Bella can go too.¡± Woof! Bo woofed, then turned towards the flock. Woof woof, woofwoofwoof! Woof! ¡°What is he¡ª¡± Baaaaa!, Alan started before being interrupted by the [Sheep]. The flock began to move in every which direction, spreading out in (again) every which direction. Over five minutes, the sheep had stretched out into long curling lines, and now were wrapping themselves. Something was itching at the back of Alan¡¯s mind, but he couldn¡¯t quite figure it out until the [Sheep] stopped moving entirely. He stared at them until it finally slipped into his head. As he slowly began contemplating what it was that he was seeing, he jaw loosened and was soon catching flies. They had formed letters. And with those letters two words. hello alan
An hour later, Alan was walking back down the dirt trail away from the farm with two [Dogs] in tow. Bo was energetic, if quiet. He was bounding all along the path, running circles around Alan, diving off into the bushes, running up ahead and then back again. Bella on the other hand was sedate, queenly even. She followed Alan at a perfect distance, with her eyes ahead, undistracted by Bo or the new [Human], her head held high and imperiously. Bo once tried to goad her, and she chuffed and he quickly retreated. Soon, they were back on the main road, and Alan led them, not into town, but away from it a few kilometers to his team¡¯s campsite. No matter how excited Alan was to bond with Bo, he wouldn¡¯t do so until the rest of his team had met the two [Dogs]. It, of course, was one thing if Alan already had the dogs when teammembers joined or left, but when bringing [Dogs] into a relationship, it was important to make sure they meshed with the existing members. Especially when one of them was ... ¡°Hey Alan!¡± a tenorous voice called out to him excitedly, interrupting his thoughts. He glanced up to see Lara, their [Ranger], perched up in an olive tree like a bird. ¡°Welcome back! I see you got some [Dogs].¡± ¡°Yes, but haven¡¯t bonded them yet. Need to introduce them to the team first. Come back to camp will you?¡± ¡°Sure thing. Be there in ten,¡± she called out as they left. A few minutes later and the [Human] and two [Dogs] entered the team¡¯s campsite. ¡°Hey, Gro, you here?¡± Alan called out. ¡°Oh, that was quick,¡± a deep bassy voice rumbled. A huge [Gnoll] in full plate armor came around the cart. He grinned, showing his teeth and started growling, but cut off when Bo immediately rolled onto his back, stuck his tongue out, and stared up at the tall man. ¡°Huh,¡± Gro grunted in surprise, then glanced at the female, who covered her face with her paw at Bo¡¯s antics and then, sensing the [Gnoll]¡¯s attention, gave a short bow. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m good,¡± he concluded. ¡°Well that was easier than I expected.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Gro squinted at the [Human], as Lara came out of the trees. ¡°These are two of the weirdest dogs I¡¯ve ever met. Frankly, I had no idea how the pecking order would go.¡± ¡°Aww, these two are so cute,¡± Lara squeaked as she kneeled in front of Bo, then, when Bo looked offended, amended quickly, ¡°I mean handsome.¡± To which Bo started panting happily. ¡°Oh, please don¡¯t fuss with them like they¡¯re pets,¡± Alan bemoaned. ¡°You make my Class harder.¡± ¡°Oh, they just need to be treated right,¡± Lara retorted, then turning back to Bo, ¡°Do you know any tricks?¡± Woof, Bo replied. ¡°Sit!¡± Bo sat. ¡°Paw!¡± Bo offered her his right paw. ¡°Other paw!¡± Bo switched paws. ¡°Speak!¡± ¡°Woof.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Did he just say ¡®woof¡¯?¡± ¡°No, of course not. That¡¯d be ridiculous.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Uhh, who said that?¡± Bo started chuffing heavily, then laid down and started rolling around on the ground. When he finally stopped a minute later, he rolled over, and sat back up. ¡°Thanks a lot guys,¡± Bo ? said. ¡°I¡¯ve really been meaning to get that off my chest. The looks on your faces were priceless.¡± ¡°Wha-you-you,¡± the three humanoids all started speaking at the same time, but startled to a halt. They exchanged glances, then all looking at the [Elf], ¡°Your dog can talk!¡± she cried out, pointing at Alan. ¡°What she said,¡± the [Gnoll] continued, ¡°but with more emphasis.¡± ¡°What the fuck!¡± the [Human] [Beastmaster] concluded. ¡°Huh, but I thought you¡¯d be excited about this?¡± Lara asked. ¡°I mean, yes. Yes,¡± Alan collected himself. ¡°Yes, I am. But it¡¯s like¡­ having a lifelong ambition suddenly fall into your lap, without having done anything to deserve it, you know? I didn¡¯t expect this until I got into the 40s at least, if not a tier up.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s just your lucky day isn¡¯t it, Alan,¡± Bo interjected himself back into the conversation. ¡°So, shall we make a bond? Or I can go back to my [Sheep], being [Guardian of the Fluffies].¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, yes, yes,¡± Alan replied, ¡°[Beastmaster¡¯s Bond],¡± he invoked, then, manipulated an unseen screen for several seconds before Bo got a notification.
Ding! Alan [Human] (L36) [Beastmaster] (L36) would like to form a bond with you. Here are the terms and conditions: ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ Do you accept? [Yes] / [No]
Bo spent a few minutes reading over the notification, the details of which don¡¯t bear repeating. As he did so, Gro returned by the campfire for his afternoon tea, while Lara went to scratch Bella. Finally, Bo selected his choice. ¡°No?!¡± Alan cried out at the notification, ¡°Why¡¯d you decline?!?¡± ¡°Those terms are terrible. There is no way I¡¯m letting you make any decisions about my Status.¡± ¡°What?¡± Alan was completely discombobulated, ¡°But that¡¯s one of the main things [Beastmasters] do! We guide our bonds during their Classing and then in Skill selection and Attribute distribution.¡± ¡°Yeah, no, I already have a Class. And you are way too dumb and inexperienced to really help me there.¡± ¡°Hey! What would you know! You¡¯re a two year old sheepdog that hasn¡¯t left the farm.¡± ¡°You¡¯d be surprised. And, no, I have a higher INT than you.¡± ¡°Oh bullshit. Show me your Status.¡± ¡°Mmmm, as much fun as that would be, you can¡¯t handle the truth.¡± ¡°Fine! What is your INT score then?¡± ¡°42¡± ¨C ¡°Lie¡± ¡°Ha! 55!,¡± Alan exclaimed, then turned to Gro, ¡°Wait what did you say?¡± ¡°He lied about his INT.¡± ¡°Ooh, a truth sensing Skill,¡± Bo ? cooed. ¡°55.¡± ¡°Lie,¡± Gro sipped his tea. ¡°69.¡± ¡°Lie.¡± ¡°Over two hundred.¡± Gro sputtered his tea everywhere. ¡°Truth!¡± Lara started cackling in the background as the two men just stared at Bo. The laughter was not helping with Bo¡¯s meager attempt at being serious, and he gave her the stink eye. Lara sat up with a gasp. ¡°Who said that,¡± she asked out loud. Bo responded, ¡°Ahh! You have a telepathic dog!¡± Lara replied for the benefit of the group ¡°Wa? How¡¯d you get that Skill? Who taught you that?¡± ¡°The extinct [Elves] from The Ayres? But that was centuries ago!¡± ¡°Believe what you will,¡± he responded mysteriously returning to [Belly Speech]. ¡°Now, where were we?¡± ¡°You rejecting the standard [Beastmaster¡¯s Bond].¡± ¡°Oh right,¡± Bo hummed pensively. ¡°Levels 72, 92, and 98. So you¡¯re¡ª¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t tell me you have [Identify] too.¡± ¡°Ok, I won¡¯t tell you. Now, you¡¯re primarily needing an XP Tithe, though a good Skill or an MP Tithe would be good too. So that¡¯s to you, and I want¡­¡± Bo trailed off as he fussed with an invisible screen until Alan received a notification.
Ding! Bo (L44), [Shepherd Dog] (C) (L22), [Guardian of the Fluffies] (Ra) (L22), has proposed alternate terms for a bond with you. Here are the terms and conditions:
  • Bo will tithe ?th of his XP to Alan
  • Bo agrees to [Skillshare] one (rare) or lesser Skill to Alan
  • Alan may draw upon 50,000 of Bo¡¯s MP
  • Alan will bond with Bella
  • Alan will cause Bo and Bella to receive at least two cooked meals per day
  • Alan and Bo will be able to sense each other¡¯s location
  • This bond will terminate upon mutual agreement or the death of either party
Do you accept? [Yes] / [No]
¡°Fifty thousand MP!¡± Alan exclaimed. ¡°What, is it too little?¡± ¡°No! It¡¯s just,¡± he trailed off. ¡°Do you even have that much?¡± he asked quietly and seriously. ¡°I can¡¯t be taking all of your MP. And what the heck am I supposed to do with that much anyways?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m always partial to some [Siege Fireballs].¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a [Mage]. How the hell am I supposed to learn [Siege Fireball]?¡± Bo¡¯s ears quirked. ¡°I could share it with you.¡± ¡°Ugh,¡± Alan¡¯s mind finally gave out from the weirdness of the day. ¡°Whatever, I¡¯ll accept.¡±
Ding! You have formed a [Beastmaster¡¯s Bond] with Bo. You have received a tithe from Bo of 19 XP (157 * 1/8). Bo has shared with you the Skill [Siege Fireball 6].
¡°Huh? Why did you receive a base of 157 XP from forming a bond?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask. So, ready to try a [Siege Fireball]?¡± ¡°[Siege Fireball]?¡±
Twenty minutes later, the group had put out the last of the fires started by Alan¡¯s first ever magic spell.
Ding! Bo has stopped sharing with you [Siege Fireball 6]. Bo has shared with you the Skill [Learning 56].
¡°Oh, come on,¡± Alan bemoaned. ¡°You gave me [Learning]?? And how is it level 56?!¡± he cried out at the end. ¡°Yes, yes I did. And because you¡¯re clearly an idiot who needs to learn how to properly throw around reckless magic.¡± ¡°Give me back [Siege Fireball].¡± ¡°I don¡¯t recall agreeing that you could select which Skill I shared.¡± ¡°I¡ª¡± Alan swallowed. ¡°I just got lawyered by a [Dog].¡± ¡°Not just any [Dog]: The Magnificent Bo!¡± ¡°Ugh, fine, lesson learned. No magic for a while. Can you please share with me something less embarrassing?¡±
Ding! Bo has stopped sharing with you [Learning 56]. Bo has shared with you the Skill [Attract Birds 18].
¡°Why do you even have the Skill [Attract Birds]?¡± This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. ¡°Don¡¯t ask.¡± Alan rubbed his temples, trying to get the headache out from them. ¡°So,¡± he started, ¡°is she going to be as difficult as you?¡± ¡°No one can be as difficult as Bo,¡± a sonorous female voice rang out. ¡°Fuck!¡± Alan cursed.
Alan kneeled in front of Bella ?, eyeing her as she imperiously stared him back down, daring him to refuse. He turned back to the screen in front of him.
Bella (L42), [Shepherd Dog] (C) (L21), [Brawler] (Ra) (L21) has proposed alternate terms for a bond with you. Here are the terms and conditions:
  • Bella will tithe ?th of her XP to Alan
  • Bella agrees to [Skillshare] one (remarkable) or lesser melee Skill to Alan of Alan¡¯s choice with Bella¡¯s advice
  • Bella agrees to tithe 1/20th of her total Attributes to Alan.
  • Alan will address Bella as ¡°Princess Bella¡± or ¡°Your Highness¡±
  • Alan will cause Bella¡¯s cooked meals to be better than Bo¡¯s, however slightly
  • Alan and Bella will be able to sense each other¡¯s location
  • This bond will terminate upon mutual agreement or the death of either party
Do you accept? [Yes] / [No]
With a sigh, Alan accepted the terms of the bond. ¡°Thank you, Princess Bella,¡± he got out. ¡°You¡¯re quite welcome, Alan. Now, shall we discuss what melee Skill you¡¯d like to borrow.¡± ¡°What do you have? [Bite]?¡± ¡°Mmm¡­ actually, I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Eh, we¡¯ll sort it out later. I guess you can just pick something for me.¡± ¡°Okay.¡±
Ding! Princess Bella has shared with you the Skill [Bleeding Cuts 14].
¡°Oh,¡± Alan grinned. ¡°Not bad.¡±
The next day, the team¡ªQuick Response¡ªset out along the road away from town. They traveled two days along the road before leaving it and heading deep into the valleys between some shorter mountains. Princess Bella came up alongside Lara. ¡°Gah! That¡¯s too freaky when you do that.¡± ¡°Apologies then,¡± Bella ? switched to [Belly Speech]. ¡°My query?¡± ¡°Well, Princess, there have been reports of a monster attacking folks round these parts but hiding out in the mountains. And, you see, the merch¡ª¡± ¡°I sense something,¡± Bella interrupted. ¡°Oh, that nose of yours?¡± ¡°What? No, it¡¯s a Skill. It¡¯s about a klick north.¡± ¡°Might be our perpetrator,¡± Lara replied. Quick Response scrambled their way north though the foothills and ravines at the base of the mountains. They just reached a long, straight stretch, when a lumbering, hideous form six meters tall came around a corner into their line of sight. ¡°It¡¯s an [Eldritch]!¡± Lara cried. ¡°Run!¡± The [Gnoll], [Elf], and [Human] all scrabbled back as quick as they could, while Bella and Bo just stood there watching them run, heads tilted quizzically. ¡°Bella, Bo,¡± Alan cried out, ¡°Run!¡± ¡°But it¡¯s just one [Eldritch]?¡± Bo ? responded, confused. ¡°Dear, would you bind it in place while I attack?¡± Bella asked sweetly. ¡°Of course, dear,¡± Bo replied, as the [Eldritch] screeched, then rushed towards them. Bo cast an overpowered [Constrict], then began manually channeling divine energy through the Skill to empower the vines grasping at the [Eldritch]. As it struggled, crying out, Bella began to run towards it, then up the steep wall of the gorge, ascending. Two, four, six, ten, twenty meters up. As she leapt off the top of the gorge, arcing back down towards the beast, she lit up in golden light and, like a falling star, slammed into the fiend.
¡°What the hell!¡± Alan yelled, coming to a halt, as the notification popped in front of him. ¡°Come on Alan, our only hope is that we can outrun it,¡± Lara turned to yell at him. ¡°No, I just got the XP tithe notification.¡± ¡°They killed it?¡± Gro responded puzzled. ¡°Not just that. They tithed me over a thousand XP.¡± ¡°A thousand!¡± Lara exclaimed. ¡°What the hell was that thing¡¯s level? Eighty-ish?¡± ¡°That impossible,¡± Gro barked. ¡°How can level 40 something (common) [Dogs], even with (rare) Classes, defeat an [Eldritch] almost twice their level that quickly?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Alan mumbled as he gritted his teeth. ¡°But we should go ask.¡±
The trio returned to the scene of the battle to find Bella ? licking her paws, while Bo ? was crawling all over and around the corpse. They stood there, dumbfounded a dozen meters away, Bella ignoring them. Finally, Bo finished whatever he was looking for and came up to them, sitting down. ¡°Sup?¡± ¡°You have some explaining to do,¡± Alan said grimly, which was about as serious a tone as he could take. ¡°What¡¯s to explain?¡± ¡°Everything!¡± Alan overexaggerated. ¡°You¡¯re a two-year old [Dog] that grew up on a farm. How the hell do you have the Skills you do? Or the Attributes? And you¡¯re only Levels 44 and 42.¡± ¡°50 and 48 now. [Eldritch] are good XP.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the point! You two took down that [Eldritch] like it was nothing! And it was what, Level 80?!¡± ¡°80? No, only 59.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me. I got over a thousand XP in tithes between the two of you. It had to be around Level 80 in order to award over nine thousand XP.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Bo cooed. ¡°The tithe is after the XP calculations. Wow, yeah, that would freak you out.¡± ¡°What the hell is that supposed to mean?¡± Bo fell silent and looked to Bella, who ignored him. Whether or not they had [Telepathy], Alan was sure there was a lot of byplay between them he was missing. And he called himself a [Beastmaster]. Finally, Bo sighed, then looked up at the reddening sky. ¡°Let us think about it. What you¡¯re asking for is¡­ very private. We¡¯ll talk in the morning.¡±
Early the following morning, Alan¡¯s eyes cracked just as he returned to consciousness. The first thing he noticed was his mouth salivating and his stomach gurgling. He had eaten before going to bed, so that couldn¡¯t have been it. A few moments more, and he realized a beautiful smell of roast pork¡ªno, something gamier¡ªwas wafting through the camp. He crawled out of his tent to a strange sight. Where the small campfire the night before had been was now replaced by a huge bed of embers. Above it, a whole [Boar] had been butterflied and skewered on two spits the size of small trees¡ªno, they were small trees. Despite no apparent means of motion, the spits were slowly rotating, roasting the [Boar] over the low dry heat of the ember pit. From the way the fat sizzled out and dropped from the spits, the animal must have been roasting for hours now. ¡°Oh good,¡± Bo ?¡¯s voice called out. ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡± A plate of the [Boar], together with some hardtack which had been softened with what looked like gravy, floated into Alan¡¯s hands. Alan was still too groggy to even question the levitation. ¡°Eat up. We¡¯ll talk shortly.¡± As Alan began to dig into his plate, Lara and then Gro followed him in waking and receiving a plate of breakfast. Gro was too out of it to notice, but Lara stared briefly at the levitation before accepting the food herself. Neither had said a thing since waking. Bella ? soon joined them, but merely sat near Bo, while the others ate. When they were done, they put their plates down and an awkward silence followed. ¡°Do it,¡± Bella said quietly and nuzzled Bo. Bo sighed. ¡°Have any of you heard of Crazy Kazuhiro and Ryoko the Ripper from Slanemore?¡± They all shook their heads in the negative, leading Bo to sigh. ¡°Ugh, well, there went the easy explanation.¡± Bo dawdled for a moment before beginning. ¡°We are, as you pointed out yesterday, two-year-old [Dogs]. But we have a ¡­ pedigree for lack of a better description. It means we have a lot of Traits and Skills. A lot. Until recently, I was approaching three hundred. We had so many Skills, we started picking up Skills to manage our Skills¡­¡± Bo trailed off for a moment before resuming. ¡°That means a few things. First, it means that we have Skills that only make sense in the extreme long term. Someone living 50 or a 100 or even 200 years wouldn¡¯t pick these Skills, but we can. Second, it means we¡¯ve picked up some very¡­ unusual Skills. Because we¡¯ve have situations where we had more SKP than we knew how to spend.¡± For all that the two had apparently worked to prepare breakfast, the speech was not nearly as polished. ¡°Third,¡± Bo continued, ¡°we¡¯ve picked up Skills which quite frankly are absurdly expensive, but monstrously powerful, especially when you start stacking them together. We¡¯ve got XP multipliers, boosts to our HP and MP, boosts to our regen, boosts to our Attributes.¡± ¡°So, what do those things mean?¡± Bo approached his conclusion. ¡°Let me show you. [Short Status: Visible]¡±
Bo (L50), [Shepherd Dog] (C) (L25), [Guardian of the Fluffies] (Ra) (L25)
Bella (L48), [Shepherd Dog] (C) (L24), [Brawler] (Ra) (L24)
HP: 392,245/392,245 408,855/408,855
(10,864 / hour) (7,200 / hour)
MP: 608,856/608,856 207,570/207,570
(8,260 / hour) (4,285 / hour)
CON: 204 424
STR: 195 424
DEX: 190 179
INT: 404 137
WIS: 404 137
CHA: 155 139
Free: 0 0
v.1.21
¡°At the moment I was born,¡± Bo continued, ¡°I already had over 200 total points in Attributes. It means that in two years, I hit Level 50, which you all seem to have forgotten, but is monstrous growth. It means that with, 25 levels in a (common) Race and 25 levels in a (rare) mage/melee hybrid Class, I have over 1,500 Attributes, nearly four hundred thousand HP, and over six hundred thousand MP. A standard [Human] [Mage] would never level high enough to get that. Bella is almost as overpowered, though she tends towards melee builds, while I tend towards mage builds.¡± Bo fell silent, and the troupe sat in their campsite, [Boar] sizzling and birds chirping. ¡°So, if you¡¯re so powerful, why were you on that farm? And why Alan?¡± Lara asked. ¡°Hey!¡± Alan exclaimed. Bo rolled his shoulders in something imitating a shrug. ¡°Sometimes we like to take it easy.¡± ¡°So now what?¡± Gro asked. ¡°That¡¯s up to you,¡± Bella chimed in. ¡°If you¡¯ll have us, bonded or not, we¡¯ll travel with you for a while until we decide otherwise.¡± ¡°You¡¯d really continue to be bonded with Alan?¡± Lara asked. ¡°Hey!¡± Alan exclaimed. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s mutually beneficial.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s so lopsided in Alan¡¯s favor isn¡¯t it? Your XP multipliers give him a lot more XP than he would earn with any other beast, he¡¯s got that Attribute bonus, and access to more MP than he knows what to do with.¡± ¡°Yeah, and I¡¯ve got [Cooking 32],¡± Bo deadpanned. ¡°But, you know, the lack of thumbs makes it really hard.¡± Lara glanced around at the [Boar], the fire, and Bo¡¯s prep station. ¡°This is really hard?¡± ¡°I am literally doing this all using [Mage¡¯s Hands]. I can handle it, but still, it¡¯s a lot of concentration.¡± Lara glanced at Gro, who nodded back to her. ¡°Alright,¡± she said, ¡°I guess we¡¯ll be partying together.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Alan exclaimed again, ¡°Don¡¯t I get a say in this?¡± ¡°About your bonds, sure,¡± Gro responded, ¡°and if you want to reject it, I¡¯ll find the damn Skill myself and do it with them. But whether our existing team members continue to travel with us? Majority rules.¡± ¡°Ugh, fine,¡± Alan pouted, rubbing his chin. ¡°I suppose we¡¯ll keep the bonds for now. I¡¯ll think it over more though.¡± ¡°Oh thank the gods,¡± Bo finally relaxed. ¡°Because I haven¡¯t eaten yet and I¡¯m starving.¡±
And so, Quick Response partied together. A year passed. Between the two [Dogs] able to punch way above their station and the tithes Alan received (bumping him a full three levels in both Race and Class), the team found themselves on a blistering XP pace for the year,. The nature of the exponential curve meant that Gro and Lara didn¡¯t see any level gains, though they were close. And of course Bo and Bella did their crazy thing, jumping up another dozen levels in both Race and Class. Today, the team found themselves following an old trail deep into the mountain wilderness. A young [Wyvern] had nested itself in an abandoned castle high up on the side of a mountain, harassing local livestock, and they were here to kill it or drive it away. Finally approaching the treeline, the group looked out through the underbrush towards the abandoned building. They stared at the abandoned building for fifteen minutes until Alan piped up. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯ve got [Detect Animal] somewhere in there?¡± he asked eyeing Bo and Bella sideways. ¡°Hmm,¡± Bo hummed, ¡°No. But I got [Locate Animal]. Wonder if it works on something I haven¡¯t seen yet. And¡­¡± Bo paused dramatically. ¡°I¡¯ve got nothing. Bella?¡± ¡°Nothing either. The Skill doesn¡¯t work, or it¡¯s out¡ªhunting.¡± ¡°Or it was never here to begin with,¡± Gro grumbled. ¡°Or that. But we¡¯ll give it a good inspection and if there¡¯s no nest, then we have grounds for voiding the contract.¡± ¡°Alright team,¡± Lara began, ¡°Eyes on the skies.¡± And the team began to move across the high grass towards the castle. They had just passed through the busted gate of the curtain wall when Bo called for them to halt. ¡°Something¡¯s not right,¡± he muttered, then began casting Skill after Skill. After about a minute, the air shimmered around them and, when it faded away, the castle was restored to a well-maintained condition. ¡°You fixed the castle?¡± Alan asked. ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± Bo replied. ¡°The whole thing was covered in one of the damnedest illusions I¡¯ve ever seen. And bear in mind, I was once an illusion-adjacent mage who poured a billion MP into an illusion of a pizza to see how convincing it was. This illusion only had a few million MP¡­¡± ¡°Tch,¡± Lara scoffed, ¡°a few million MP.¡± ¡°¡­but it was very, very skillfully done,¡± Bo concluded. ¡°My, my,¡± a deep bass voice rumbled out from above them, ¡°a [Dog] who¡¯s a mage with masterful knowledge of illusion magic. I am quite impressed.¡± A cloaked figure lept down and made a three-point landing before standing up to face them. Beneath the blue cloth, a furred humanoid face peered at them, as furry hands clasped themselves in front. Bo shot a quick [Identify]:
Chodrak Gurung (L174) [Sasquan Pithecus] (F) (L87) [Soulmancer] (F) (L87)
¡°No,¡± Chodrak continued, ¡°both [Dogs] are fascinating. How are both of your souls so full and complex? You¡¯re [Dogs].¡± ¡°Uhh, hi,¡± Lara introduced, ¡°We¡¯re Quick Response, an adventuring team sent this way to take care of a [Wyvern]. Don¡¯t suppose you know anything about that?¡± ¡°Hmm, oh, that was just a ruse. I¡¯m a [Soulmancer], ran out of souls, you see? And I figured I would just have some delivered. For which, I thank you for coming, but your conversation is unnecessary. [Rend Soul].¡± As the [Pithecus] cast his Skill, a wave of purple mana flared out, encompassing all of them. Bo and Bella felt a chill in their core.
Ding! You have been hit by [Rend Soul]. You have suffered 51,395 damage. Your bond with Alan was cancelled pursuant to its terms. A majority of Quick Response has died. The party has been automatically disbanded pursuant to the party¡¯s bylaws. All surviving members are to hold party property in trust pending a probate proceeding before a certified adjudicator of the Western Breibone Adventuring Association. Violators will be subject to severe sanctions.
Bo ignored the rest of the notification, as he reflexively cast [Grasping Roots]. While the roots did burst from the courtyard ground, Chodrak cast some skill which caused them to wither. Meanwhile, Bella used [Rapid Retreat] and [Move!] to gain some distance and began working her Skills. With his roots foiled, Bo ? relied on [Elven Grace] to dodge a series of counterbolts cast by the [Soulmancer]. Ironically, he was worse at dodging attacks he could see than the ones he could not, and he was hit twice more for another forty thousand combined damage. He threw up [Snow Spray] then [Blinding Snow], then turned [Invisible] and [Immaterial] while using [Float] to move one way and [Arctic Illusions] to have fake versions of themselves sneak through the low visibility courtyard. ¡°Ha!¡± the [Pithecus] called, ¡°You think you can hide from me? And to think you were praising my illusions before!¡± before he sent a lance of that purple mana right at Bo¡¯s true position again. It struck for another hundred thousand of damage, and things were looking dicey when Bella ? burst through the courtyard towards the [Soulmancer] with a dagger and a short sword. Bella had used [Shapeshifter] to change her canine form into an upright, bipedal form with opposable thumbs. She then pulled out both blades, which had been stored in [Hidden Blade]. Triggering [Protect Escort] and [Move!], she was able to quickly dash towards the enemy mage. The mage himself though was formidable, using a small kite [Mana Shield] and a [Mana Blade] to counter Bella¡¯s melee attack. Though she was using [Barkskin], [Dancing Footwork] and [Dodgeball *M] to maintain her defense, she quickly found herself down another fifty thousand HP. And yet her offense suffered too little damage to the fiend. On the base Skill of [Blades *M], she had [Dexterous Attack] to boost its power, [Reave Defense] to cut through his defense, [Bleeding Cuts], [Stinging Paralysis], and [It¡¯s a Bleeder] to add extra effects, [Sharper Blades] to cause more damage, and [Extra Blade Reach] to make greater effect of her short blades and surprise her opponent. And yet her opponent seemed hardly injured even as she lost another fifty thousand HP. Then her shortsword broke, and she pulled a longsword out of [Hidden Blades]. When her dagger was knocked out of her hand, she used [Create Ice Blade] instead. Meanwhile, Bo was [Zipping Around] the outskirts of the courtyard, trying to pelt the [Pithecus] with, alternately, [Mana Lances] or [Super Ice Balls], the latter super charged with every extra cold Skill he had: [Ice is Cold], [Extra Cold Ice], and [Even the Ice Thinks its Cold]. But nothing seemed to cause enough damage, and the mage would occasionally return magical spells with his own. Finally, as he was moving around to where Bella¡¯s body was blocking his line of sight, he turned and started to run towards the pair. Bo mentally cried out, and Bella quickly swapped places with Bo who used [Split Mana Control] to simultaneously throw out both [Sleet Thrower] and [Flamethrower] (the latter charged with [Compressed Fire]). The opaque cone of destruction that moved ahead of Bo promised death. Then [Instinctive Dodge] triggered, and Bo moved sideways just as a large furry hand reached out of the opaque cone to grab him. The hand got a bit of skin, but [Slippery] and [Swaying] let him stay out of touch. The missed grab though turned into a fist, and he got hit for another hundred fifty thousand damage. A [Thorn Rain] scattered off the mage¡¯s clothing with little effect, but [Protect Escort] meant that it at least caused a distraction. Bella sent. . Bo replied, and Bella triple triggered [Move!] and [Rapid Retreat] to get them out of the courtyard and into the forest. Or, she tried to. Only to find themselves turned around and still in the courtyard. ¡°Ha! You may have broken one illusion, but can you break another while under threat of death? Show me a good trick [Doggo].¡± Bella asked. Bo replied, [Instinctive Dodge] triggered again, and Bo jumped sideways as a well of purple mana came up from the ground beneath them, just clipping him for another twenty thousand damage. Bella meanwhile used [Close in Fast] to get up in the mage¡¯s face again with her last blade, which incidentally triggered [Last Weapon], making it thrice as durable. Bo again began [Zipping Around], flinging every combination of attack he could think of, even the [Divine] stuff which really shouldn¡¯t have any special effect. Bella was continuing to be whittled down, and had taken another two hundred thousand of damage. Suddenly, Bo was caught off-guard by a large wave of purple mana coming from the [Soulmancer].
Ding! You have suffered 206,351 damage. You have suffered soul injury. The Trait [Bonded Dryad] was lost.
Though the notification was intellectually shocking, Bo was soon wracked in torment as a part of his soul he didn¡¯t even know he had was ripped away from him. Bella! Bo cried out to himself, unable to use [Speak with Elves] with her non-[Elven] self. With eyes wide shut, Bo couldn¡¯t see where Bella was or that the [Pithecus] had maneuvered himself to stand over him. ¡°Now, let¡¯s see what makes your soul tick,¡± the [Soulmancer] said, and plunged his sword into Bo¡¯s chest.
Ding! You have died.
14. Rage From the interstices between lives, I regained consciousness during birth. I felt numb and empty inside, a deep, wrenching cold far worse than any on the Everwinter Flats. I withdrew into myself, ignoring all around me. I think someone slapped me on the butt, and I let my instincts take over while I curled up inside my own soul. She was gone. My dryad, my blade, ?. Centuries had we spent together. So many lives. I had felt the bond and Trait unravel as that [Soulmancer] attacked me. ¡°Soul injury¡± the System called it. And then he killed me. And Bella? I had died first, but how much longer could she have possibly survived? And without the bond, [Reincarnator] wouldn¡¯t drag her along to reincarnate. She¡­she died. She must have died. And now she was gone. Forever. For all that I ached inside, my gaze turned outward, I had been cleaned and wrapped in lush violet cloth. I was being held by a woman. How much time had passed? Hours? Days? A few others were in sight. Humanoids with great white bird wings sprouting from their shoulder blades. Flyers? Suddenly a great roar and cry overwhelmed me. We were on a balcony and a crowd of thousands were cheering as we entered. Someone next to me began to address the crowd. I couldn¡¯t understand them.
Ni prezentas ?ian Mo?ton kaj nian heredanton, Princinon Astaria. ?i fortiki?u kaj gvidu nian popolon.
The wisdom of many cultures had variations on ¡°You can¡¯t take it with you.¡± In death, all mortal concerns and possessions passed, with only your memories of your life¡¯s experience to carry with you. I perhaps had felt that most keenly of anyone. But now it grated at something deep inside me. Remembrance, I metaphorically spat. All I had were my memories, my Traits and my Skills. That bastard of a Trait had always rubbed it in my face. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Just my memories, my Traits and MY SKILLS! I was alone. Again. Trapped in this cycle. And whose fault was that?! CHODRAK GURUNG!!
Her flaring rage consumed what little sanity her mind still clung to and her thoughts grew ragged. Though her Attributes were adolescent-like, even as newborn she was physically helpless, the body itself too uncoordinated to utilize the power inborn by the System. With mind, body, and soul weakened, any observer would have thought the raging, insane little Princess was no threat to anybody. Unless there was magic involved. A blast exploded all across the balcony centered on the newborn. There was blood and chaos. Out of the smoke, a violet bundle [Floated] out across the panicking crowd, the cloth catching fire. From it, magic began to rain down on the crowd. Though her mind was too-addled to notice the XP notifications ticking by, it would have been enough to tier up both her Race and, if she had one, Class. A few thousand MP as a newborn mage and a surprise attack as a level zero [Celestial] was shockingly deadly and, if the System rewarded anything, it was death. Eventually, somewhere in the bedlam that was the worst attack on the Celestial royalty in centuries, a Skill-enhanced arrow blasted through the center of mass of the ill-omened package hovering over the plaza.
Ding! You have died.
Name: Astaria (L0) Race: [Celestial] (R) (L0) Class: Unspent XP: 2,602,530 HP: 0/5,744 (1,386 / hour) MP: 0/11,200 (1,120 / hour) CON: 19 STR: 19 DEX: 19 INT: 61 WIS: 61 CHA: 19 Free: 0 v.1.21
15. Rage, Hero In the small sheepherding town of Panecasa, a [Builder] was pacing anxiously outside the stables. He and his fianc¨¦e had been settling in their [Donkey], when she collapsed, grasping her abdomen in extreme pain, her tail wrapping around her protectively, her red skin darkening with perspiration and the flush of blood. He had rushed back into the inn, grabbed three [Mages] and dragged them out to the stable. They immediately took to inspecting the health of their patient and promptly kicked the hovering man out. That was ten minutes ago, and each passing second was sheer agony to the man. Finally, the tallest of the three¡ªhe hadn¡¯t caught their names¡ªcame out. ¡°My fianc¨¦e!¡± Yesuf the [Builder] cried. ¡°How is she?¡± ¡°Peace, peace,¡± the [Mage] soothed. ¡°She is fine. Incoherent, a little undernourished, but fine. Likely just some cramps from the baby. Tell me, how long has your fianc¨¦e been pregnant?¡± ¡°Pregnant?¡± Yesuf was puzzled. ¡°She¡¯s not pregnant. We have a sacred vow of chastity before our marriage in the spring to come.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± the [Mage] smirked at the man¡¯s obvious cognitive dissonance. ¡°And the swelling of her stomach was, what? Just her getting a little fat?¡± ¡°Her stomach is swelling?!¡± Yesuf cried in even greater alarm, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you treating that?!¡± ¡°Well, that is the normal course of pregnancy. How would you suggest we treat that?¡± ¡°She¡¯s. Not. Pregnant!¡± the [Builder] screeched. ¡°Olaf!¡± another [Mage] called out, popping his head out the stables. ¡°I think we have an instance of a virginal birth.¡± Olaf scratched the base of his horn with a fingernail and muttered under his breath, ¡°Who would have thought that a pervert who developed [Detect Virgin] would find a practical use for it.¡± Then addressing the other mage, ¡°Well I hope you brought a gift. These things don¡¯t exactly happen every day. We should check the recordhalls for any prophecies that may be relevant.¡± ¡°¡­Gold work?¡± ¡°That should be fine,¡± Olaf affirmed. Suddenly the stables exploded, throwing Olaf and Yesuf to the ground. As Olaf scrambled off the ground to look, he saw his colleague had been thrown several meters and was sporting some nasty shrapnel wounds. The building itself had been torn asunder and large parts of it were now on fire, the temperature rapidly increasing from the hay and dried timber, urging Olaf to retreat from the heat. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Olaf squinted into the fire as it crackled and snapped. Ballie was likely dead, as were the mother and child. Though what could have caused the explosion? Unsecured alchemical products perhaps? Then, out of the flames crawled another figure. It seemed unaffected by the flames, but moved awkwardly, like a puppet on strings. And then it started floating a foot off the ground, but ragdolled. It glanced up at him, its face contorted in an expression of rage. Where had this man come from? Olaf wondered idly. Suddenly, a lance of mana struck out at Olaf, who just barely managed to divert it with a [Mage¡¯s Shield]. He was contemplating returning fire, when another three lances all struck the shield at once, two deflecting, but one punching through to burn his shoulder. Battle instincts fully kicking in by now, Olaf threw up another shield as he started rapid casting [Mana Bolts] at the fiend. The spells were less to do any damage than they were to distract and delay while Olaf tested who and what this figure was. A fairly decent mage from the look of it. And likely with very high fire and temperature resistance. So why is it just throwing raw mana? Olaf and the devil continued to exchange fire as a swarm of adventures came rushing out the inn and from further into town. A few archers and slingers let loose their own projectiles, while a few speed melee builds rushed forwards, daggers and short swords drawn. Other mages threw up defense shields and otherwise prepared various buffing magics for the melee fighters to get in and kill the rogue mage. No sooner had Olaf felt relief at backup arriving than the first melee fighter reached the figure and swung his mace. To everyone¡¯s surprise, not only did the fiend not attempt to dodge, the mace tore through the fiend¡¯s torso like wet paper, spraying blood and flesh across several meters of the battleground. The creature crumpled to the ground like a puppet whose strings were cut and laid there unmoving. The mace-wielder gingerly crept closer and poked it with his armored toe. Then, he turned to address the crowd, several of who were also looking at their notifications for their contributions to the fight. ¡°It was a level zero [Demonkin]?¡±
Name: Demonkin #15 (L0) Race: [Demonkin] (R) (L0) Class: Unspent XP: 666,590 HP: 0/6,039 (1,428 / hour) MP: 0/12,056 (1,162 / hour) CON: 19 STR: 19 DEX: 19 INT: 64 WIS: 64 CHA: 19 Free: 0 v.1.21
16. Rage, Hero, Rage High in the mountains, a wyvern instinctively began to peck herself out of her egg, then blasted outwards with her magic. Her shell and the rest of the empty nest were blown away. As she lay there, mana was channeled into [Magic Growth], accelerating her growth tremendously. In just minutes, she was half-grown. She would have gone further, but mana could only substitute so much for nutrition and she grew languid. As the wyvern looked around her, searching for both food and prey, she briefly smelled fur and flowers before her head cracked and blackness took her.
It felt like she had gotten smacked on the head by a boulder. When she came to, she was no longer on the high mountain peak she started on, but rather on the edge of a seaside cliff. The smell of salt hung heavy in the air. As she stared out at the breaking waves, her discombobulated thoughts slowly coming back, a chiding, feminine voice speaking [Ravornia] reached her ears. ¡°Are you quite done with your tantrum, child?¡± The wyvern turned to the voice. Standing on top of a rock was the tallest [Kitsune] she had ever seen. Nearly four meters! And nine tails too! The figure looked familiar and the view tamped down on her still roiling emotions. She tried raising an eyebrow in surprise, but found she lacked fine control over her facial features. Instinctually activating [Belly Speech], she replied in the same language. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Why you don¡¯t even recognize your own patron? I¡¯m disappointed, Kazuhiro.¡± ¡°Adonite,¡± the wyvern huffed in conclusion. Her emotions were still a mess, if numbed, but her memory was clearing up a bit. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you had a [Kitsune] shape,¡± she replied with little surprise or inflection, being simply too drained from her grief. Her thoughts though still wandered. ¡°Kazuhiro died. I am¡­ nameless.¡± ¡°Very well then, Nameless,¡± the goddess chuckled to the wyvern¡¯s consternation. ¡°But you shouldn¡¯t discount Kazuhiro. It¡¯s because of you and Ryoko I even have this form.¡± She didn¡¯t quite know what to make of that, but she also wasn¡¯t sure if she cared. ¡°Why are you here? I¡¯ve never heard of a goddess interacting with a mortal in person. Certainly not since the Gods¡¯ War.¡± ¡°The Second War of the Gods,¡± she corrected. ¡°But never mind that. Why, I¡¯m here to set you on the right path. Your rage is not only self-destructive, but also causing quite a mess. Fortunately, a good whack upside the head seems to have cured most of that.¡± Her head did seem a bit tender, though she still didn¡¯t feel very keen to be bothered by others. ¡°Leave me to my grief.¡± ¡°No no no,¡± the goddess chided. ¡°It¡¯s not every day the System asks for my help. And how could I deny not helping one of my own?¡± ¡°Your help with what?¡± ¡°Why with you of course. After Bo died, the System fast tracked the reincarnation of your soul into the strongest vessel it could find: the royal princess of the [Celestials]. Course, you just had to kill most of the royal family with your little stunt. And then reborn in a prophesied impossible birth among the [Demonkin]. What. A. Waste,¡± the goddess spat. Nameless winced, but clued into something she said. ¡°My reincarnations have always taken years, if not decades. Why would it fast track me now?¡± ¡°Why so you could rescue Bella, silly!¡± ¡°She¡¯s alive?!¡± Nameless whispered. ¡°Indeed. When that [Soulmancer] killed you, he did so with the intent to seize your soul and use it in his research. What he found was that, while he handily defeated you in combat, your soul was far too strong for him to wrangle and you slipped free of him, returning to the wheel. Rather than lose his other specimen, he captured Bella and has kept her in a magically induced coma until he is strong enough to attempt to properly capture and study her soul.¡± Adonite fell silent at that point, as Nameless chewed her words over. Finally, ¡°How long has it been?¡± ¡°Six months or so. The System waited three months before reincarnating you the first time. After the second failure a month later, it came to me.¡± ¡°It took you two months?¡± ¡°The System had a lot of explaining to do. I was not aware of your existence as a [Reincarnator] until it brought this problem to me. I knew you as Kazuhiro¡ªyou and Ryoko were all the rage in the Pantheon for a while¡ªbut as far as I knew, with your passing, you were simply gone.¡± ¡°But you know now. I take it then that the Pantheon does not object to my existence as a [Reincarnator]?¡± ¡°Mmmm, probably. If you were a¡­ problem, we certainly wouldn¡¯t want you coming back. But you were a great boon as Kazuhiro and your other lives are hardly troublesome. So¡­ maybe don¡¯t rock the boat?¡± she gently suggested. Nameless nodded to herself, kicking herself for foolishly losing control of her emotions like that. Then again, how was she supposed to know that Bella still lived. Then, realizing that she had an audience with a goddess, went to her short list of questions she never thought she¡¯d have answered. ¡°So, why do I have the [Reincarnator] Trait?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. And before you ask, neither does the System.¡± ¡°What?! How?¡± ¡°The System purges records of any mortals who died more than five hundred years ago. You first came to its attention about sixty years ago, so it managed to trace you a little bit farther back than that. But, it simply doesn¡¯t have any record of your original reincarnation and, therefore, no record of what triggered the Trait.¡± ¡°But shouldn¡¯t it know what the prerequisites are for [Reincarnator]?¡± ¡°That¡¯s getting too much into the nits of the System, but no. As a side effect of the dynamic creation and award of Skills and Traits, the System can¡¯t maintain a comprehensive list of how all Skills are obtained. It can certainly take a guess, but there¡¯s no way to test whether that guess is any good.¡± Nameless pondered this a while, then turned her attention back to the future. ¡°So, now what? Level up and assault the [Soulmancer]¡¯s castle again?¡± ¡°That seems to be your strong suit.¡± ¡°And then, what? [Dryad¡¯s Bond] wasn¡¯t just deactivated, it was destroyed. We¡¯re still¡­ unbound. And last I checked, I¡¯m not a tree, so I don¡¯t see how I could possibly reacquire the Trait.¡± ¡°Silly mortal. There¡¯s more than one Trait to bind two souls together. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find one.¡± Nameless nodded to herself. ¡°I guess there¡¯s only one question left. Where are we and where is the [Soulmancer]?¡± ¡°Why, we¡¯re on Isla Delos, the isle of monsters.¡± ¡°Never heard of it.¡± ¡°People wouldn¡¯t. A hundred thousand square kilometers of beach, cliff, forest and mountain, filled with some of the rarest and strongest creatures in the world. We figured after saddling you with a (very rare) Race, we might as well try and make it a tad easier for you. Though those XP multipliers really do juice you up.¡± ¡°Thanks? I think.¡± ¡°As to the [Soulmancer], Breibone¡¯s about a thousand kilometers west of here. Try not to miss a freaking continent while you¡¯re flying.¡± ¡°I think I can manage. Thank you Adonite. I owe you a favor.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s my pleasure. And to be sure, I will call that favor in someday. Might take a few millennia though.¡± ¡°I can wait.¡± ¡°Course you can; so can I,¡± she smirked. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s so good to have an immortal agent on the ground again,¡± she cheered to herself, then popped out of existence. ¡°Ah shit. Should have asked why it¡¯s called the XP Multiplier when it¡¯s additive in nature.¡± ¡°Gah!¡±
With the goddess gone, Nameless turned to go over her notification log. [Celestial] and [Demonkin] huh? Maybe I missed out there. [Wyvern] though will be¡­ fitting. Her eyes nearly popped out of her head though at the XP notifications of her last two lives. Digging through the log carefully, she saw what was the cause. I¡¯ve always leveled up as the XP became available. But since I can punch so far above my level, the level bonus multiplier from not leveling up can be insane. And while my XP multiplier is limited to 7.14, as I¡¯m not sharing with Bella right now, it¡¯ll feel like 14.24. I¡¯ll refrain from leveling and Classing as much as I can. I¡¯m not fully grown yet, but I need to hunt and eat before I push [Magic Growth] any more. As Nameless looked over her status, three armed figures approached her from the jungle, a gleam in their eye. [Identify].
Greb (L106) [High Goblin] (Ra) (L53) [Clubman] (Re) (L53) Gem (L102) [High Goblin] (Ra) (L51) [Spearman] (Re) (L51) Bor (L110) [High Goblin] (Ra) (L55) [Rogue] (UC) (L55)
Ah, lunch!
As Nameless suspected, the multipliers from being level zero and killing way above her level were insane. Those three [Goblins] alone, gave her enough XP to take both her Race and Class to Level 71 immediately if she chose to do so. Working the calculations backwards, she realized that the System must treat her level as 1 for purposes of the level multiplier calculation; else, there would be a divide by zero reference and [Mathematics] told her that was bad. Of course, if she took her Race to Level 2, she would immediately halve her XP gain so Level 1 was the limit for now. This was so broken if the System was meant to be anything¡­ systematic. But, then again, if she hadn¡¯t done it herself, she would have said it was implausible that a level zero would be able to kill anything that far above it in levels. It really was just her and her freakish Status. Level zero was supposed to be the realm of newborns with single digit Attributes and HP, not deathbringers. Here though, she was an adolescent [Wyvern], giving her base Attributes of over a hundred, which combined with the [Divine Champion] trait sent her total Attributes soaring to over 700. Of course, she had no Attributes from her Race or Class, but it didn¡¯t matter much. But, with a meal of [Goblin] in her, she pushed herself now to fully grown with [Magical Growth]. That of course sent her total Attributes to over 1,200, with hundreds of thousands of both HP and MP. And, with physical maturity, came the option to Class in. A level zero fully grown [Wyvern]. Ha! she laughed to herself. Still, she thought as she settled in for the night, she had a way to go before she would get her revenge against that [Sasquan Pithekaman] (L87) [Soulmancer] (L87).
Unfortunately, that first day turned out to be a fluke of luck. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. First, finding anything to kill was very difficult, and she really only managed one good battle per day. The monsters on this island really gave each other a wide berth. And while she had great senses, including [Tracking Nose], her speed over ground was very low as [Wyverns] were meant to travel any significant distances by air instead. And while she could [Float] and move decently with some other Skills, it was a far cry from [Fly with Wings], which she couldn¡¯t pick up at all as she didn¡¯t have any SKP available due to her current XP grinding strategy. Course, even if she could fly properly, going too high was likely to attract the attention of flying predators she really didn¡¯t want to tangle with at this time. No need to humiliate herself with another death by dragon. And so, she resigned herself to a relatively slower grind. Second, she was only managing about a fourth of the XP that the [Goblins] had provided. Either the creatures were lower level or lower in rarity, or both, and any of those hurt her multipliers and thus her XP gain. She tried pushing inland once, but immediately retreated as the creatures scaled too rapidly in power for even her Attributes to safely handle. Still, by the end of the first week, she had doubled her XP from the [Goblin] fight, and could have reached level 80 in both Race and Class. It was just a matter of time before she would be gnoshing on that furry¡¯s face.
The weeks ground on. Nameless was able to slowly improve her weekly XP gain, but only by a few percentage points, as she acclimated to her local environs. Finally, though, during her sixth week preying on the island, she finally eclipsed 15,290,800 XP, the amount needed to reach Level 101 in both Race and Class, and the second tier ups in both, which she felt would be more than adequate. A little buffer, and Nameless was finally done scrounging along the outskirts of the island. It was time.
Ding! [Wyvern] has reached Level 51. You have earned the Trait [There Is No Queue] (fantastic): You have jumped your Race directly from Level 0 to Level 51 and your first tier up, bypassing all before it. Obtain XP at 2x. Additional options unlocked. Congratulations! You have reached the level cap as a [Wyvern] (very rare) and are eligible to evolve your Race into a higher tier. Your Race represents what you are, and will help define the rest of your life. Your Race provides Skill Points and Attributes, the latter of which may be Fixed or Free, may come with intrinsic Traits or Skills, and otherwise potentially unlocks access to many other Traits and Skills. Your Race may be leveled using experience. Based on your Race, Class, Level, Traits, Skills, geography, society, and prior experience, you are eligible to evolve your Race into one of the following (inspect for more information):
  • [High Wyvern] (very rare)
  • [Fire Wyvern] (ultra rare)
  • [Ice Wyvern] (ultra rare)
  • [Fire & Ice Wyvern] (fantastic)
  • [Berserker Wyvern] (fantastic)
Choose carefully! This change is permanent and irreversible.
Nameless quickly disposed of [Berserker Wyvern]. The Race came with a Trait which made it easy to trigger an enraged state, boosting combat capabilities, but limiting higher thought. She¡¯d been through that thrice and didn¡¯t need a repeat. Not seeing any need to retain the flexibility that came with [High Wyvern], nor to stick with just a single element, Nameless made her choice and, after the requisite meditation for the evolution, leveled up again to the next tier up.
Ding! [Fire & Ice Wyvern] has reached Level 101. You have earned the Trait [No Interference] (Unique): You have jumped your Race directly from Level 51 to Level 101 and your second tier up, after immediately earning [There Is No Queue]. You¡¯re a complete beast. Obtain XP at 8x. Additional options unlocked. Sapients trying to interfere with you will find it 50% more difficult to do so. Congratulations! You have reached the level cap as a [Fire & Ice Wyvern] (fantastic) and are eligible to evolve your Race into a higher tier. Your Race represents what you are, and will help define the rest of your life. Your Race provides Skill Points and Attributes, the latter of which may be Fixed or Free, may come with intrinsic Traits or Skills, and otherwise potentially unlocks access to many other Traits and Skills. Your Race may be leveled using experience. Based on your Race, Class, Level, Traits, Skills, geography, society, and prior experience, you are only eligible to evolve your Race into [Arctic Volcano Wyvern] (fantastic). You may evolve now or defer in hopes of a better choice later. [Evolve]/[Defer]
Huh. That¡¯s new, she thought. But, seeing no reason to hesitate, she evolved again, then triggered her Classing.
Congratulations! You are now eligible to select a Class. A Class represents who you are and what you do, and will help define the rest of your life. Your Class provides Skill Points and Attributes, the latter of which may be Fixed or Free, may come with intrinsic Traits or Skills, and otherwise potentially unlocks access to many other Traits and Skills. Your Class may be leveled using experience. Based on your Race, Level, Traits, Skills, society, and prior experience, you are eligible for the following Classes (inspect for more information):
  • [Mage] (rare)
  • [Sky Mage] (very rare)
  • [Hunting Mage] (very rare)
  • [Deathdealer] (very rare)
Choose carefully! While a Class may be abandoned, all XP invested into it will be lost.
She discarded [Hunting Mage] as she wasn¡¯t planning to hunt monsters this life. [Deathdealer] was also discarded as it specialized in wide-spread killing and there was only one person who deserved to die right now. Finally, as it synergized with her Race, she chose [Sky Mage] and brought it to the tier up.
Ding! [Sky Mage] has reached Level 51. Congratulations! You have reached the level cap as a [Sky Mage] (very rare) and are eligible to evolve your Class into a higher tier. A Class represents who you are and what you do, and will help define the rest of your life. Your Class provides Skill Points and Attributes, the latter of which may be Fixed or Free, may come with intrinsic Traits or Skills, and otherwise potentially unlocks access to many other Traits and Skills. Your Class may be leveled using experience. Based on your Race, Level, Traits, Skills, society, and prior experience, you are eligible for the following Classes (inspect for more information):
  • [Elemental Soarer] (ultra rare)
  • [Stormclad Fury] (ultra rare)
  • [Indomitable Sky] (ultra rare)
Choose carefully! While a Class may be abandoned, all XP invested into it will be lost.
Three (ultra rares), she thought. The first has to do with the balance between fire, ice, wind and stone. ¡®You soar above the concerns of the world below at peace.¡¯ Nope. This is a very personal between me and that damn mancer. The second is interesting though. ¡®The elements themselves will shield and protect you.¡¯ Hmm, but the ¡®fury¡¯ aspects are troublesome¡­ Pass. [Indomitable Sky]. ¡®Like the sky itself, no mortal can dominate you.¡¯ Well, guess that works. A bit of XP later¡­
Ding! [Indomitable Sky] has reached Level 101. You have earned the Trait [A Choice in Class] (fantastic): You Classed and uptiered twice in the same day. Spend XP and SKP to preview your next Class selections and learn the missing prerequisites for any Class with only one missing prerequisite. Congratulations! You have reached the level cap as an [Indomitable Sky] (ultra rare) and are eligible to evolve your Class into a higher tier. A Class represents who you are and what you do, and will help define the rest of your life. Your Class provides Skill Points and Attributes, the latter of which may be Fixed or Free, may come with intrinsic Traits or Skills, and otherwise potentially unlocks access to many other Traits and Skills. Your Class may be leveled using experience.
  • [Arcane Reaper] (fantastic)
  • [Avenger] (fantastic)
Choose carefully! While a Class may be abandoned, all XP invested into it will be lost.
Only one Class fit this life perfectly. Now, time to get some anti-Chodrak Skills.
A week later, and Nameless had spent all the time she wanted to chasing after Skill prerequisites. She didn¡¯t get everything she wanted, but it was enough. Glancing at her status one last time before leaving, she thought, Not quite Kazuhiro-level of power, but it¡¯s enough, and took off. She [Flew with Wings] to the west for a whole day before she hit the Breibone continent. A quick rest, then two more days of travel and she was nearing her destination. As she approached the castle from a distance, she saw it under the same illusion as before. Though when she began to circle high above it, looking straight down on it, the illusion no longer affected her. Suppose he never concerned himself with an aerial attack. An hour of circling overhead, and Nameless had largely [Mapped Lair] and with enough pings of [Detect Nemesis] and [Detect Companion], had a sense of the state of play. It was time. One [Drop Attack] later, and Nameless was crashing through the roof of the castle into a large open space. It was a workshop of some sort, and Nameless had timed her attack when Chodrak was on the far side from Bella so that she landed between them. Bella was caged and unconscious, and Nameless immediately threw up several shields around her. Chodrak was still responding to the sudden hole in the roof and the large mass that had come through it when Nameless attacked. Too slow, she thought coldly. Gouts of ice and fire clashed with a hastily erected shield of purple mana. Though the [Pithecus] had countered most of the first magical attacks, Nameless quickly rushed him. Though her build was magical, not melee, she was a (fantastic) [Wyvern] with over twenty levels on a puny humanoid who deserved to die, she thought. In a heartbeat, Chodrak found himself with one arm broken and the other disarmed. He was knocked back against a stone wall with a sickening crunch, and magically frozen in place. As his head lolled, his eyes flickered with purple mana. ¡°That soul¡­¡± he whimpered, just as her ice entombed him.
Ding! You have defeated a ¡­
Nameless dismissed the notification as soon as she got it, and waddled back over to Bella¡¯s side of the workshop, dismissing the [Mana Shields]. She gently pried open the cage around Bella, the steel easily bending to her. She was tempted to nuzzle her, but pushed that feeling down. She didn¡¯t know if he had any reinforcement or allies in the castle, and she didn¡¯t want to find out. Checking Bella¡¯s health quickly for anything that required immediate attention¡ªthere was nothing¡ªshe gently cradled Bella with [Mage¡¯s Hands], returned to the hole in the ceiling, and took off back into the skies. As she flew away, she almost absentmindedly tossed an overcharged [Siege Fireball] back at the castle.
In just a few minutes, Nameless set down in a high alpine clearing kilometers from the castle. After a little awkward maneuvering, Nameless cradled Bella in her wing and channeled [Divine Lay on Hands] to remove the soporific in her blood. Bella¡¯s canine features began twitching, especially her rear legs, as she woke up. Her eyes cracked open. ¡°Hey,¡± Nameless ? whispered in [Greenwood Elvish], ¡°Welcome back to the land of waking.¡± ¡°Bo?¡± Bella ? asked. ¡°You came back.¡± ¡°Of course I did.¡± Bella snuggled deeper into her wing. ¡°I could get used to this. You¡¯re so warm.¡± Nameless chuckled, which came across as a deep rumbling in her chest, and the two fell silent. ¡°When that¡­ mage,¡± Bella spat the word out, ¡°attacked you near the end, I felt our bond be destroyed. The despair was¡­ so terrible, I didn¡¯t even realize for nearly a week that he had captured me. I didn¡¯t know what happened and I didn¡¯t know if you were okay.¡± ¡°I¡ª I wasn¡¯t. I thought I had lost you forever. I was furious, enraged. I lost myself and ended up killing a lot of innocent people before some sense was knocked back into me.¡± ¡°Knocked sense into you?¡± ¡°Adonite.¡± ¡°The goddess,¡± Bella whispered. Nameless nodded her head. ¡°And the mage?¡± ¡°Dead in sixty seconds. I had given some thought about a grand entrance, a dramatic showdown, monologuing to him about retribution and reacquisition. But¡ª¡± Nameless paused. ¡°In the end, I cooled down enough to just want to get the job done. Though I suppose the entrance might have still counted.¡± ¡°What¡¯d you do?¡± ¡°Crashed through the roof with a Skill.¡± ¡°Ha! You make it sound easy, taking down a man at that level.¡± ¡°Someone pointed out to me that we only lost last time because we had a crap roll of the dice at rarity. This time not so much, though I wonder just how much the System and the goddess did to help there.¡± Several minutes passed with just the two of them together. ¡°What now?¡± Bella finally asked, a note of worry in her voice. ¡°We go on. We get back to our routine. Life¡ªlives as usual.¡± ¡°One last hurrah?¡± Her voice seemed to break. ¡°One last hurrah?? Oh. Oh¡­ You¡¯re worried about the bond.¡±
Ding! Nameless would like to enter an [Everlasting Bond] with you.
They cried together in joy for a long time.
Over the next decade, the locals in that part of Breibone reported sights of a [Wyvern], though there were never any killings or attacks. Indeed, adventurers in the area found themselves with significantly less work when it came to bandits and monsters, and some left for more dangerous, if lucrative regions of the continent. To the residents though, the sight of the [Wyvern] came to be seen as a sign of good luck. Not even the most [Eagle Eyed] among them ever noticed the [Dog] riding on its back.
[Mortal] Nameless (L206), [Arctic Volcano Wyvern] (F) (L103), [Avenger] (F) (L103), has died. [Reincarnator] triggered. [Mortal] Bella (L134), [Guardian Dog] (Re) (L67), [Guardian] (Re) (L67), has died. [Everlasting Bond] triggered.
In a dimly lit space, a male figure in blue robes gazed upon the two newly-generated System log entries which had had been flagged for his review. He exhaled deeply, and then relaxed back into his metaphorical chair. ¡°That was a close one.¡± ?
Afterword (Volume 1) 23 Apr 2021 I started this piece as perhaps many authors do. They''ve seen something they like, then they get bored and decide to do it themselves. So it was with what I''ll call the serial reincarnator genre¡ªe.g., In Loki''s Honor, Reboot Reality, The Many Lives of Cadence Lee, Three Lifetimes, The Ascendant: Endless Reincarnation¡ªwhere the protagonist reincarnates many times within the scope of the story. (Before I proceed any further, I want to distinguish books about serial reincarnation from books about a serial reincarnator. In the latter, the protagonist is a serial reincarnator, however the plot of the book you are reading only concerns itself with one particular life. This includes e.g., each of the works in Andur''s corpus, Power Overwhelming, The Deathseeker, and Divine Bladesmith. And while it should be obvious, I will point out that this genre is not about a time loop like Mother of Learning, The Menocht Loop, Endless Cage, or Re: Monarch. Nor is it isekai, whether of the baby-born or child/teen/adult body-possession types. The former are reincarnation stories, but "serial" has no meaning there. And while the later potentially involves a reincarnation, the story emphasis is on the otherworldliness, not the reincarnation.) I found myself enraptured by the concept, though it''s hard for me to articulate why. Suffice it to say though, while there was only a small sample size, it seemed like it must be a very difficult genre to write in. Three Lifetimes completed, but it limited itself to three. The Ascendant was abandoned in the first life. Many Lives is on indefinite hiatus at Chapter 44 (which I feel was about a half dozen lives in, but the protagonist was really only coming to grips with how to live her lives). Reboot Reality appears to be heading towards indefinite hiatus. And then we have In Loki''s Honor. So much has been written about that story¡ªit''s very controversial in the reviews, with proponents and detractors going to great lengths¡ªI won''t add much here. I like it. I liked it enough that I read it a second time, which I had never done on Royal Road before. But otherwise, I can''t say it much better than one reviewer did: "This web novel is such a good litRPG, I kind of want a new genre based on it! The idea of having the character cursed to 100 reincarnations on the same planet spread out by a few centuries is genius!" I hope that reader finds this fiction. Then In Loki''s Honor hit a speedbump and went on hiatus for a few months, which was when I found myself re-reading it, and appreciating the difficulties that this genre could pose. At the time, it was at about 1900 pages, and we had gotten through 27 lives, but because 15+ of them were stillbirths, we ended up with several lives that were book length. While I''ve enjoyed every minute reading it, I realize that such lengthy lives are a potentially problematic habit for the larger story (which nominally will go on for one hundred lives), though I will concede that perhaps it is something inherent in the genre, rather than a particular issue with In Loki¡¯s Honor. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. So, bored, and with metaphorical pen to metaphorical paper, I pushed to the other (very stupid) extreme: One chapter per life. However long you have one. And, having come off a long few months of careful and delicate brainstorming other ideas, I was more than happy to fly by the seat of my pants for a little experiment. And so I just started writing, like, with almost no other planning. You saw how it turned out. And with very few exceptions, I agree with a lot of what you had to say. So, what have we learned? Well, first of all, this story is not great, or even good, literature. I fully acknowledge that. At best, this should be understood as an experimental writing piece at one extreme of a particular genre. That said, having gotten around to actually reading it front to back (I never did that before pushing it to Royal Road), it¡¯s a fun read if you¡¯re into the genre. And, I loved writing it too. Winging it was so refreshing compared to my last fiction. And playing with the System was far more amusing than I had imagined. Of course, I learned something about the bounds of the difficulties of writing in this genre. Namely, each life really does beg for its own story. And if you¡¯re going to have dozens of lives, you need to keep certain ground rules the same throughout all of them and develop conventions for shorthanding the less interesting parts. Early on you can rely on the protagonist being challenged just living his/her/its lives. And, indeed, the challenge of such early lives allow you to establish certain conventions about how the protagonist deals with the mundane, thus allowing you to take future lives almost immediately from the mundane to the extraordinary (i.e., spend a few lifetimes on childhood, and then you can timeskip it later with almost no complaint). Further, the one chapter per life thing is a bit extreme. Most importantly, it really hamstrings your ability to engage in multi-life arcs. Heck, sometimes there wasn¡¯t room within a life for a full arc. As to how far you need to loosen it to make it work¡­ I think it¡¯s clear there¡¯s no hard rules here and, if you want to keep it tight, you just have to keep disciplined on the matter. Finally, while playing with the litRPG System was oodles of fun, the hardest part of litRPG by far is tracking stuff (and possibly writing full descriptions for Skills and Traits). And even if you¡¯re going to wing a lot of it, at least try and have a robust system up front for tracking the System (because trying to fix that after the fact is a PITA). So, what¡¯s next? Well, for starters, I have marked Candlelit Lives as ¡°Complete.¡± There is a complete volume here which resembles a complete story. And if the fiction ended here, it would be a bit of a lukewarm, but it would have an ending. That said, will I continue? Yes. As mentioned, I just read through the whole thing for the first time and I loved it. And, with just a touch of thought, it becomes very obvious to me where the story should go. And so with volume 1 definitely, definitely done this time, I am off to work on the next volume(s). In any event, I hope you enjoyed this wild ride as much as I did. See you around, luda305 16.S - Full Status, including Skill descriptions Name: Nameless (L206) Other Names: Demonkin #15, Astaria, Bo, Kazuhiro, Alia Starwood, Aram, Shebbynall "Shelby" Palagi Vitti, Trixie, Cota, Myr, Fly #5, Emil Marlonson, Queenie, Masami, Amelia Race: [Arctic Volcano Wyvern] (F) (L103) Class: [Avenger] (F) (L103) HP: 0/98,981,063 (172,487 / hour) MP: 0/158,873,681 (133,620 / hour) CON: 4456 STR: 2206 DEX: 2211 INT: 6768 WIS: 6768 CHA: 2232 Free: 0 Attribute Traits [Adonite''s Blessing] (VR): A blessing from Adonite, God/Goddess of Bread and Steel. Potentially unlocks certain divine-related Traits, Skills and Classes. +10% HP. [Charming] (Re): People like you. Now they like you more. +10% CHA [Divine Champion Against the Eldritch 35] (F): This special Trait ranks up based on the XP earned by killing [Eldritch] divided by 5,000. The XP required to rank up the Trait follows the XP Scale for Race and Class Levels. XP earned for most recent [Eldritch] killed applied upon earning Trait. Gain to all Attributes by (Rank) * 10%. Increased damage against [Eldritch] by (Rank) * 50%. [Exemplar - Arcane Battle Maid] (U): You represent all that an [Arcane Battle Maid] should be. You stood with your liege on the field of battle, advising them on all aspects of the arcane and propriety. And when he fell in battle, you successfully spirited him home to recover. +2 ALL. [HP Attribute Boost *C] (N/A): Consolidated Skill: This Skill combines various Skills that increase your HP based on other Attributes. When calculating HP, add 50% DEX INT to CON and 50% WIS CHA to STR. [HP Regen V] (F): You have reached the pinnacle of HP Regen. HP Regen*350%. [HP Regen A-Boost *C] (N/A): Consolidated Skill: This Skill combines various Skills that increase your HP Regen based on other Attributes. When calculating HP Regen, STR INT WIS CHA are included in the base calculation. [HP Improved IV] (UR): You still didn''t have enough HP, so you got this Trait. HP*300% [MP Improved IV] (UR): You still didn''t have enough MP, so you got this Trait. MP*300% [Limit Breaker] (F): Who said 13 was unlucky? +13 to all Attributes. [Live Fast I] (C): You live a regrettably short life. Here''s a little extra XP to put that pep in your step. XP x2. [MP Attribute Boost *C] (N/A): Consolidated Skill: This Skill combines various Skills that increase your MP based on other Attributes. When calculating MP, add 50% CON STR to INT and 50% DEX CHA to WIS. [MP Regen V] (F): You have reached the pinnacle of MP Regen. MP Regen*350%. [MP Regen A-Boost *C] (N/A): Consolidated Skill: This Skill combines various Skills that increase your MP Regen based on other Attributes. When calculating MP Regen, CON STR DEX CHA are included in the base calculation [No Interference] (U): You have jumped your Race directly from Level 51 to Level 101 and your second tier up, after immediately earning [There Is No Queue]. You¡¯re a complete beast. Obtain XP at 8x. Additional options unlocked. Sapients trying to interfere with you will find it 50% more difficult to do so. [Speedy Speedster] (VR): While your Class remains locked, obtain XP at 4x the normal rate. [Studious] (Ra): You were born to learn and one of the best ways to do so is by studying. +3 WIS, +3 INT at each birth. [The Goblin''s Share] (UC): When a group of N members, but no larger than 32, earns martial XP, holders of this Skill gain bonus XP equal to: 2^(2^((32-N)/10)-5). [There Is No Queue] (F): You have jumped your Race directly from Level 0 to Level 51 and your first tier up, bypassing all before it. Obtain XP at 2x. Additional options unlocked. [Years of Experience] (VR): Gain a small XP boost for each year that passes since acquiring this Trait. Blizzard Mage Skills [Absolute Cold 8] (F): The coldest of the cold. A powerful touch-based ice magic attack liable to shatter metal and freeze flesh. [All Seeing Sky] (F): Cast an aegis upon the sky overlooking your battlefield, up to (Rank*10) meters in diameter. While the spell remains in effect, you are able to perceive all that occurs on the battlefield. [Arctic Illusions 10] (UR): Conjur illusions of ice and light to fool and confuse your enemies. Effect amplified in cold or bright conditions. [Aurora 1] (F): You have touched upon the most arcane of secrets in this world. Pleased at your knowledge, the aurora will come to you when summoned. [Avalanche 4] (UR): A wide-spread AOE attack specialized against armies in uneven terrain. Send a massive amount of snow, ice and rock towards your foes. [Blinding Snow 4] (VR): Snow you conjur has a (Rank)% chance of causing temporary blindness in your enemies. [Blizzard 2] (UR): A wide-spread AOE attack. Conjur a great storm of wind, snow and sleet. [Chilling Gale 2] (UR): The winds you summon are colder and more likely to sap the strength from your enemies. [Even the Ice Thinks Its Cold 2] (VR): When conjuring ice, all temperature modifiers are now multiplicative, rather than additive. Then, make it (2*Rank)% colder on top of that. [Extra Cold Ice 6] (Ra): The ice you conjur is (Rank)% colder. [Freeze Slowly] (VR): Optionally, you may manipulate water and slowly freeze it before using it to attack. [Howling Wind 3] (UR): The winds you summon create an unsettling noise which is more likely to frighten your enemies. [Ice Immunity] (Ra): You are immune to any conjured or mundane ice that you assert control over. [Ice Is Cold II] (Ra): The ice you conjur is even colder. [Ice Manipulation 14] (Ra): Manipulate either conjured or natural ice and its various forms, up to sqrt(Rank) meters cubed. [Ice Weapons 1] (VR): Conjur weapons of ice. Does not guaranty non-damage from ice or cold. [Iceball 8] (Ra): Conjur a heavy, hard ball of ice and fling it towards your enemies. [Icebolt 8] (Ra): Conjur a heavy, hard bolt of ice and fling it towards your enemies. Greater penetrative power. [Icewall 2] (Ra): Conjur a wall of solid ice to protect yourself and your enemies. Do not lick. [None Above] (UR): Any enemies which you are focused on cannot gain a higher vantage point than you. [Sky Synergy] (UR): You are 50% more proficient at combining wind, water, and lightning spells. [Sleet Thrower 5] (UR): A continuously channeled spout of ice, up to (Rank) meters [Snow Drift 1] (UR): Your conjured ice lasts (Rank^2)% longer. [Snow Spray 2] (UR): A continuously channeled spout of snow, up to (Rank) meters. [Sunny Snowstorm 1] (VR): Ice attacks cast in direct sunlight are (Rank)% more powerful. [Super Ice Ball 4] (VR): Conjur a huge ball of ice and hurl it at your enemies. [The High Ground II] (VR): Ranged attacks cast from a higher vantage point cause 100% more damage. [Water Manipulation 20] (Ra): Manipulate either conjured or natural water, up to sqrt(Rank) meters cubed. Bodily Traits [Amorphous Body] (C): Your body is as flexible as your diet. It can squeeze and bend in ways to get through small holes, and you are harder to squish. [Better Goblins] (Ra): Grants goblinoid Races a female reproductive system. Trait is inherited by your children. [Buoyant 26] (C): Your body is unusually buoyant. In addition to your usual buoyancy, add (Rank%) upward buoyant force when in liquids. [Calm Stomach III] (UC): Your stomach is 87.5% less likely to be upset by what you ate, whether rotten, poisonous, or just poorly cooked. [Damage Resistance *C] (N/A): Consolidated Skill: This Skill combined [Damage Resistance] for Air IV, Cold V, Heat IV, Lightning IV, Pain V, Water IV, Stone III, Eldritch IV, Mental I, Poison IV. [Dark Vision III] (UC): The darkness is a comforting friend. Vision in the dark improved by 200%. [Detect Atmosphere III] (Ra): You are able to perceive the flows of the wind in a distance of 900 meters around you. [Eagle Eye] (Re): You have the eyes of an [Eagle]. Visual acuity improved by 50%. [Elven Ears] (Ra): You have the ears of an [Elf]. Auditory sense improved by 50%. [Elven Grace 56] (Re): Elves are known for being at ease in their environments. Move (Rank%) more easily and gracefully. [Elven Vocal Chords] (Re): Elves are known for hypnotically serenading nature. These vocal cords help. [Firm Purchase III] (VR): You can scramble across the most difficult terrain. When the ground is uneven, have a 300% better grip. [Float 14] (VR): Turned out [Buoyant] doesn''t apply to air; this skill does. Float through the air by spending MP of (100%-Rank%)*10*(body weight) per minute. [Fly with Wings] (Ra): Most creatures with wings can fly solely by virtue thereof. You, for some reason, have wings that can''t fly by themselves. But they help with the magic. Fly by spending MP of (100%-Rank%)*30*(body weight) per minute. [Hair Control III] (UR): Spend MP to alter the size, color, volume, and texture of your hair and fur [Immaterial 4] (VR): You can''t touch me! Become unable to be physically touched by spending MP of (100%-Rank%)*100*(body weight) per minute. [Instinctive Dodge 24] (Ra): Instinctively attempt to dodge any attack you can''t see. Reaction time reduced by (Rank%) [Invisible 1] (VR): You can''t see me! Become unable to be physically seen by spending MP of (100%-Rank%)*50*(body weight) per minute. [Less Sleep IV] (UR): You require 93.8% less sleep [Magic Eater III] (VR): Sometimes, there''s just no food? Up to 87.5% of food needs can be replaced by consuming MP. [Magic Growth III] (UR): Can accelerate your growth and maturation by consuming MP. For each year of growth, spend 50,000 / (Tier) MP. [Omnivore] (Ra): If it came from something living, you can eat it. [Planktivorous III] (UR): Wait! Plankton live, don''t they? Well, yes, but how are you going to extract them from the ocean? This Skill. Now removes 300% more plankton per hour. [Prestidigitation 6] (Ra): Not all illusions require magic. Some can happen with just your hands. Effectiveness of illusion increased by (5*Rank%) [Quick Hands 40] (UC): Sometimes you need to catch a falling baby. Sometimes you need to catch a falling purse. Eh. Quick hands. [Salt Water Tolerant III] (UR): Usually Races are inherently salt water tolerant. You had to do this the hard way. Immersion in salt water is 87.5% less detrimental to you. [Skin Sight 26] (UC): Who needs eyes to see? You don¡¯t, that¡¯s who! Perceive your surrounding at a distance of (DEX*Rank/10) meters. [Slippery 18] (Ra): Wrestling for the boys'' team? This''ll help. You are (2*Rank%) more difficult to grasp. [Soul Resistance V] (F): You are 96.9% resistance to damage caused by soul magic. [Sticky Fingers 24] (Ra): Sure you can get your hands in their quick, but then you have to actually grab something. (2*Rank%) better grip on any object of value. [Tracking Nose 30] (Ra): They can''t escape your sense of smell. Track your quarry by scent at a range of Rank meters [Treasure Hunter 20] (Re): You intuitively know where the good stuff is before you even get there. Improve treasure hunting by (Rank) meters. [Water Jet 14] (Ra): Paddling? Bah! Just squid it. Channel water to propel yourself at (Rank) m/s. Druid Skills [Barkskin 28] (Ra): Trees are surprisingly tough. Toughen up your skin with MP. Reduce melee damage by (Rank%) by expending (200-Rank) MP per minute. [Command Animal 26] (VR): You are a master of nature. Command nonsapient animals to do your bidding, with (Rank)% chance they do so properly. [Court of the Forest] (F): You are the lord of the forest. You may call court of the forest nobility. [Detect Poison 12] (Re): You can detect poisons. Chance of success is 50% + (Rank/2)%. [Disorienting Mist 4] (VR): You can summon a wide area of effect mist. Enemies within it find themselves more likely to be disoriented (above and beyond normal mist) [Forest Stride 50] (Ra): Your path through the forest is straight and true. Increase travel speed through forest by (Rank*4)%. [Grasping Roots 28] (Re): Summon roots to inhibit and bind enemies. Spend 500 MP to summon (Rank / 8) roots. [Locate Animal 40] (Re): You have a supernatural sense of where an animal is located. Spend 500 MP to attempt to locate an animal within (Rank*10) meters. [Locate Plant 32] (Re): You have a supernatural sense of where a plant is located. Spend 500 MP to attempt to locate a plant within (Rank*10) meters. [Native Knowledge 30] (Ra): Though not a traditional place of learning, there is much that the natural world can tell you, particular regarding recent events that may have occurred nearby. Spend 500 MP to acquire (Rank)% of the information regarding a recent local event. [Natural Healing III] (UR): You find wild areas soothing to your body. HP Regen increased by 150% in wild areas. [Natural Recovery III] (UR): You find wild areas soothing to your mind. MP regen increased by 150% in wild areas. [Plant Growth 46] (Re): You can stimulate plants near you to grow faster. Spend 100 MP to stimulate (Rank/10) cubic meters of plant growth. [Summon Animal 26] (VR): Animals will heed your call. For an animal which exists within (Rank*10) meters, spend 500 MP to have them come to you, subject to a CHA check. [Tree Network III] (VR): Trees are able to communicate with each other through their roots. Communicate up to (Tier^2) kilometers. [Water Breathing 10] (Ra): You can breathe water, just like a fish. Spend up to (Rank) minutes breathing water without ill effect. [Water Walk 16] (UR): You can walk on water. Spend 100 MP per minute to walk on the surface of water. Engineer Skills [[Skill] Inspiration 8] (VR): Some of your gadgets are entirely novel. Some are inspired by nature. Others by Skills. This is the latter. Find yourself (Rank)% more likely to be inspired to design something based on a Skill. [Arcane Design 16] (UR): Your designs take advantage of arcane magic and logic in ways unsuited to the mortal mind. [Biomimicry 16] (VR): Some of the best designs can be found in the natural world. You are quite the adept at studying them. [Critical Thinking 26] (Re): You do not accept information that is simply presented to you. Instead, you turn a critical eye to see if it is consistent with what you already know. [Draft Schematics 32] (Ra): Your hand is steady, your eye is sharp, and your pen always inked. [Hack Job 14] (Ra): Sometimes you don''t have all the proper materials and designs to get something to work. This will do. [Improvised Weapon 4] (UC): Sometimes your true weapon is just out of reach. This will do. [Keen Eye 12] (Ra): You have a sharp eye for detail, both in designs and manufacture. [Magic Pen 60] (VR): Never buy a pen or ink again. Summon a magical pen. [Mathematics 28] (Ra): Most people get by with a little math. You overdid it and got this Skill. [Mechanics 30] (VR): When designing moving parts, you have a better understanding of how they will or won''t work. [Pressure Tolerance 8] (UR): When designing something to be used under very high pressures, you have a better understanding of what will or won''t work. [Project Management 34] (Ra): You have a greater ability to manage large projects. [Prototyping 22] (Ra): You are able to rapidly create a sample of the designed final product. [Reinforce 30] (VR): For any object for which you are the primary creator, reinforce its structure with magic. [Statics 12] (Ra): You have a better understanding of forces, tension and compression upon non-moving objects. [Structural Integrity 10] (VR): You have an intuitive sense of a structure''s integrity. [Troubleshooting 18] (Re): You have an intuitive sense of how to fix something that is broken. Fire Mage Skills [Burn, Burn!] (VR): You have started a fire of significant size. All fire magic improved by 50%. [Compressed Fire 14] (VR): Your fire is not only hotter, but compressed, leading to some explosively damaging results. [Fire Immunity] (Ra): You are immune to any conjured or mundane fire that you assert control over. [Fire Is Hot II] (UR): Your dedication to the flame has been recognized. All fire magic improved by 100%. [Fire Manipulation 50] (Ra): Freely manipulate both magical and mundane sources of fire, up to sqrt(Rank) meters cubed. [Fireball 44] (Ra): A compressed ball of conjured fire which explodes on impact. [Firebolt 40] (Ra): A compressed bolt of conjured fire. Has greater penetrative qualities. [Firewall 20] (Ra): Conjur a defensive wall of fire to protect you and your enemies, but hope you can stand the heat. [Flamethrower 30] (VR): A continuously channeled spout of flame, up to (Rank) meters [Flaming Sphere 30] (VR): A large ball of compressed, conjured fire which explodes on impact. Not quick, but remains suitable for humongous monsters. [Flaming Weapons 4] (VR): Conjur physical weapons of fire. Does not guaranty fire or heat immunity. [Forest Arsonist II] (UR): You have started a forest fire that exceed 512 kilometers squared. Your fire magic is 100% more effective against plants. [Siege Fireball 6] (VR): A gigantic ball of compressed, conjured fire which explodes on impact. Slow, best used on stationary objects. The casting mage will most often require an ancillary source of MP. General Mage Skills [Acid Splash 14] (UC): Conjur a splash of acid towards your enemies. [Breath Magic 2] (Ra): Optionally channel magical spells or Skills through your mouth. Such spells or Skills cast are 50% more powerful at the same cost. [Fox''s Dexterity] (UR): You have the dexterity and cunning of the fox. Mana control increased by (Rank)*DEX percent. [Gifted, not Stolen 10] (UR): People you interact with are more likely to gift you the object you desire. [Good Boy 8] (UC): Your interactions are improved two steps with most humaniforms. [Guardian of the Fluffies] (VR): You guard all of the fluff. +50% defense when defending mammals. [Inherent Magical Tension] (F): The Trait [Magical Tension] applies to singular spells or Skills which use opposing elements. [Levitate 10] (Ra): Levitate up to (Rank)^2 kilograms of material. [Mage Hands 54] (Ra): Conjur up to two dextrous hands made of mana for remote manipulation, up to (Rank) meters away. [Mage Tools 14] (VR): At many times, you find yourself requiring many tools other than a blade. Conjur simple tools of pure mana. [Mage''s Blade 24] (Ra): Many mage''s last defense. Conjur various shaped blades of solid mana. [Mage''s Shield 18] (Ra): Conjur a shield of pure mana to protect against attacks, magical and mundane. [Magic Powers All] (F): When using a Skill that primarily relies on CON STR DEX CHA, use the higher of: that stat or the lowest of WIS INT [Magical Tension 6] (UR): When you simultaneously cast using opposing magical elements, the interface between the two causes (2*Rank)% more damage [Mana Bolt 16] (Ra): Cast a bolt of pure mana and fling it towards your enemies. Greater penetrative power. [Mana Finesse 40] (Ra): Sometimes a gram of finesse if worth a bag of MP. Add (Rank)*DEX*0.1% additional control to your mana manipulation. [Mana Lance 10] (VR): Cast a huge spear of pure mana and fling it towards your enemies. Extreme penetrative power. [Neverfound 4] (UR): Those who try to track you find it very difficult to do so. Those who do must pass a CHA check or they will never do so. But, add (Rank)% to your CHA when that happens. [Split Mana Control 32] (VR): You have figured out how to split your attention between the mana under your control. When doing so, add (Rank)% improvement. [Temperature Control 28] (VR): Spend MP to alter the temperature of any object. [The House Always Win 14] (UR): When gambling, the odds of you winning are improved by (Rank)%. [Unable to Lie] (F): So long as you do not lie, +50% to MP. If you lie, you lose both the bonus and 50% of your MP for a week. [Zip Around 14] (VR): When battling in a complex environment, increase your speed moving around the battlefield by (Rank)%. Kingdom Builder Skills [Accelerate Plans 6] (Ra): Accelerate any plans you make by up to (Rank)%. [Archaeology 9] (VR): Your interest in the past is of the type where you get out into the world and dig around for it. Improved skill in excavating ruins without causing damage, and improved understanding of what you find. [Authoritative] (Ra): You naturally project an authoritative nature, whether you have authority or not. [Budgeting 10] (Ra): You have a basic understanding of how to plan for expenses based on your income. Rank improves ability. [Census 38] (VR): Intuitively sense the population under your rule. Rank improves accuracy as well as the breadth of information available to you about your population. [Delegation 28] (Ra): Leadership includes acknowledgment that not everything can be the center of your attention. Tasks you delegate are done faster and more correctly. [Generate Prosperity] (VR): The population you govern is subtly more prosperous. [Intuit Infrastructure 8] (UR): You have an instinctive understanding of what infrastructure is needed within the lands you rule. [Issue Quest III] (VR): You may issue a quest through the System. Awards may include material items, currency, or XP. [Logistics 16] (Ra): You are better at organizing people and material in large organizational structures. Improves with Rank. [Natural Leader 42] (Re): Even without authority, your leadership Skills are amplified and more noticeable by others. You intuitively understand what is required to lead people. Effect improves with Rank. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. [Organization 18] (Ra): You are better at organizing things. Improves with Rank. [Planning 50] (Re): You are better at making plans and executing upon them. Improves with Rank. [Royal Command [Star Elf] 24] (UR): You may issue a royal command to a [Star Elf], who must obey if their CHA is less than your CHA + (Rank). Other species within [Star Elf] lands must obey if their CHA is less than half your CHA + (Rank). [Supervision 16] (Ra): Other people you supervise work faster and better. Improves with Rank. [Survey Land 30] (VR): Your skill at surveying lands is greatly improved. Effect improves with Rank. Life Skills [Appraise Item 6] (Re): You have an intuitive understanding of what an item is, how it was made, and what it is worth. Rank improves accuracy. [Battlefield Prim 24] (VR): Affect yourself to become clean, regardless of battleground conditions. [Battlefield Proper 24] (VR): Your hair, clothing and armor are never out of place or ruffled, regardless of battleground conditions. [Belly Speech 36] (VR): No lips? No problem. You may conjur a voice in order to speak. The ableness of your speech is increased with greater Rank. [Butchering 28] (Re): You have a basic understanding of how to take apart an animal for purposes of extracting edible parts and usable parts. [Child Rearing 36] (C): You are better at raising children. Improves with Rank. [Cleaning 40] (C): You are better at cleaning, whether your body, your effects, or your home. Improves with Rank. [Cooking 32] (C): You are better at cooking. Improves with Rank. [Digestion 26] (UC): The food you consume you digest more quickly and better, by (Rank)%. [Dinner Bell 20] (Re): Cooking a meal is fine, but what if no one comes to eat it? When the meal is ready, any sound you make to summon people to eat travels further and is more noticeable. [Disguise 24] (Re): You have learned the art of disguise. Vaguely appear to look like someone other than who you are. Illusion improved with Rank. [Easy Birth II] (Ra): You find it 75% easier to give birth. [Eating 52] (Re): You have a healthy appetite. Eat up to (Rank)% faster and absorb (Rank)% more nutrients from the food that you consume. [Fast Talker 26] (Ra): Increase the speed at which you speak by (Rank)%. Additionally, improve CHA when doing so by (Rank)% [Fishing 48] (UC): You are better at fishing. Improves with Rank. [Gardening 22] (UC): You are better at gardening. Improves with Rank. [Good Morning to You 42] (Ra): Within an hour of waking, you may give a small buff to those you greet. Improves with Rank. [Hygiene 46] (UC): You are better at your bodily hygiene. Improves with Rank. [Identify 8] (VR): Use this Skill on entities to determine their name, Race, Class and levels. [Internal Clock 46] (VR): You have an intrinsically good sense of time. When guessing the current time, the error of your guess is 60/Rank minutes. [Jameis 20] (Re): Speak the language Jameis. [Languages *C] (N/A): Consolidated Skill: This Skill combines the languages (for which Ranks are separately recorded) of Annese 14, Eastern Kneet 40, Eupash 12, Goblinese 5, Greenwood Elvish 40, Nounuentennessee 20, Oavactarian 8, Ostesh 40, Ravornia 60, Starwood Elvish 40, Tyr Trade Tongue 9, Ucarhi 40, Western Kneet 18. [Laundry 20] (Re): You are better at cleaning clothing and armor. Improves with Rank. [Learning 54] (UC): Increase the speed at which you learn Skills, Traits, and general knowledge by (Rank)%. [Magical Gardening 20] (VR): An ordinary gardener grows food. You grow the arcane ingredients needed for all matters of magic. Improves with Rank. [Make Up 30] (Ra): You are better at applying makeup to yourself or others to improve appearance. Improves with Rank. [Meditation 30] (Ra): You may enter a meditative trance. When doing so, your HP Regen and MP Regen are improved by (Rank)%. [Mirror] (Re): You may conjur a magical mirror up to one square meter. [Obscure Identity 2] (UR): A counter to [Identify]. [Polyglot I] (VR): Congratulations. You have reached Rank 20 in five or more languages. You have a 100% bonus in learning new languages. [Speak Romance 36] (Ra): You are skilled in the tongues of romance. [Speak with Elves 40] (VR): This (very rare) Skill is one of the most closely guarded secrets of the Elven nobility, only being granted to those nature spirits with which the Elves tie their homes to. The Skill allows telepathic communication and understanding between Skillholders regardless of any language barrier. +1 CHA / 5 ranks. [Ucarhi - Creator of Written Ucarhi] (U): You are the first creator of a written language for [Ucarhi]. +8 INT, +8 WIS. Written texts you create in [Ucarhi] are treated as having +8 CHA. [Ventriloquism 12] (Ra): You have learned the art of speaking without moving your lips. Performance improved with Rank. [Vigorous Chores 34] (Re): You work with greater speed and energy to accomplishing your daily chores. Melee Skills [Archery 8] (UC): You can shoot a bow and arrow with some modicum of skill. Improves with Rank. [Avenging Strike] (Ra): When an enemy fells an ally, this Skill allows you to strike true for 300% extra damage and cannot be blocked or parried. [Bite 8] (C): A [Bite] is more than just a bite. Improves with Rank. [Claws 22] (C): A slashing strike with your claws reinforced with mana. Improves with Rank. [Climb 8] (C): You can climb up tall objects with a modicum of skill. Improves with Rank. [Heavy Armor 24] (Re): The heavy armor you wear is more effective at protecting you. Improves with Rank. [Hide 16] (C): You have a better sense of where you can successfully hide. Improves with Rank. [Nimble Escape 8] (UC): When attempting to escape a battle or other danger, your DEX temporarily doubles. [One-Handed Sword 24] (Re): You have a modicum of skill with one-handed swords. Improves with Rank. [Rend 1] (Re): Slashing attacks are (Rank%) more likely to tear through armor [Ride Mount 4] (Re): You can ride a variety of mounts with some modicum of skill. Improves with Rank. [Shield Bash 12] (Re): You can use your shield to make a powered blunt attack on your enemy. [Stealth 14] (Re): You are better are being unnoticed. Skill improved at night or in dark places. [Terrible Screech 1] (Re): A sonic attack likely to freeze your enemies in fear. [Two-Handed Sword 5] (Re): You have a modicum of skill with two-handed swords. Improves with Rank. [Unarmed Combat 22] (UC): You have some skill at fighting without weapons. Improves with Rank. Paladin Skills [Divine Aegis 24] (Ra): Using the channeled powers of the pantheon, conjur a shield above your allies to protect from magical attacks. [Divine Arrow 24] (Ra): Using the channeled powers of the pantheon, conjur an arrow of divine energies to hurl at your foes. [Divine Aura 24] (Ra): Using the channeled powers of the pantheon, grant yourself and your allies a buff, increasing strength and morale. [Divine Booster *C] (N/A): Consolidated Skill: This Skill combines various [Divine[ boosters. Boost any Attribute by +(Rank * 0.1)% at a rate of (100/rank) MP per minute. The Attributes and Skill Ranks are CON 6 STR 9 DEX 14 INT 12 WIS 10 CHA 8 [Divine Channel 42] (Re): The core Skill of the [Divine] Skills and associated Classes. Spend MP to channel divine energy from the pantheon. [Divine Courage 13] (Ra): Using the channeled powers of the pantheon, buff your allies to reject any mind-altering attacks. [Divine Faith 4] (Ra): Every time you use the channeled powers of the pantheon though a piece of equipment, the equipment slowly begins to accumulate a divine quality. Rate of improvement increases with Rank. [Divine Fortress 16] (VR): Using the channeled powers of the pantheon, conjur a stationary shield of greater strength. [Divine Godball 32] (VR): Using the channeled powers of the pantheon, conjur a big ball of divine energies to hurl at your foes. [Divine Lay on Hands 38] (Re): Using the channeled powers of the pantheon, heal yourself or any person you are in physical contact with. Healing speed is improved by (Rank)%. [Divine Reflection 11] (Ra): Using the channeled powers of the pantheon, reflect magical attacks, adding an additional (Rank)% damage to them. [Divine Smite 28] (Ra): Using the channeled powers of the pantheon, your melee strikes against your enemies are imbued with the divine power. Traits [A Choice in Class] (F): You Classed and uptiered twice in the same day. Spend XP and SKP to preview your next Class selections and learn the missing prerequisites for any Class with only one missing prerequisite. [Catkin Life] (Ra): You find yourself bonded to an [Catkin], but your longer lifespan will only bring pain. Sacrifice your later years to grow up faster now. [Deal with the Fox] (UR): One should always be prudent when making a deal with a fox. Negotiations are two steps in your favor. [Detect Companion 4] (Ra): Pinpoint the location of your companion at a distance of (Rank)*WIS meters. [Detect Fish 6] (UC): You can detect when fish are nearby, within (Rank) meters. [Detect Nemesis 4] (VR): Pinpoint the location of your nemesis at a distance of (Rank)*WIS meters. [Devoted Spouse] (Ra): You have an intuitive sense of what your spouse needs and wants. [Drop Attack 4] (Re): You could just fall out of the sky, or you could attack while doing so. [Eldritch Slayer II] (VR): You need even more power against the Great Foe. +100% damage against [Eldritch] [Euthanasia] (F): This Skill painlessly and instantly kills the person using it. [Everlasting Bond] (UR): You have found a soul to which you are willing to bind yourself everlasting. [Free Skill Choice (Remarkable)] (Ra): Due to some mishap, a (remarkable) Skill you should have been awarded could not be, and no better solution could be found. Freely choose any (remarkable) Skill regardless of prerequisites. [Map Lair 6] (Ra): Intuit the layout of a lair you are investigating. [Noble Favor] (Ra): Nobles are more likely to favor you. [Princess Kidnapper I] (VR): You have successfully kidnapped a Princess. [Princess'' Touch] (VR): Everything you do is improved slightly. [Reincarnator] (U): Upon death, your soul is returned to the world as a newborn with your memories, Traits, and Skills intact. [Sapien Ami] (Ra): When advising a friend, the counsel you give is better. [Skill Consolidation] (F): Similar Skills or Traits may be grouped together in the Status. This is a visual effect only, and has no substance. [Skill Fusion] (UR): Two or more skills may attempt to be fused into an altogether new skill. In so doing, the old skills are lost. The Skills need not be similar. [Skill Merge] (F): Skills sharing some common core may be merged into an overarching super Skill. Before merging, the System may prompt you to add SKP to improve the outcome. [Skillshare *C] (N/A): Consolidated Skill: This Skill combines various Skills that allow you to share a Skill with your counterpart in various relationships. You may share 1 (common), 1 (uncommon), 1 (remarkable), 2 (rare), 2 (very rare) and 2 (ultra rare) Skills. [Snowfield Navigation 4] (Ra): You have a supernatural sense of direction when navigating through a snowfield. [Status Modification] (UR): Your Status is becoming the stuff of myth and legend. And yet you¡¯ve also learned the limitations thereof and realized that it is just a means of displaying information. Organize your Status to suit your purposes. [Unstoppable Avenger] (UR): Each time you fail to defeat a nemesis, you deal 100% more damage to your nemesis at the next battle. [Unyielding] (UR): If your HP falls below 25%, your MP refills 50% automatically. [Wise Counsel] (UR): When others seek your advice, what you say is improved. Tree Skills [Attract Birds 18] (Ra): You are prone to attract birds. Improves with Rank. [Bless *C] (N/A): Consolidated Skill: This Skill combines various Skills allowing you to grant a blessing to other beings. The Ranks of the constituent Skills are separately recorded. You may bless Animals (12), Elves (5), Sapients (30), and Village (28). [Branch Strike 8] (Ra): A blunt force attack with one of your branches. Improves with Rank. [Chlorophyll 12] (VR): You may suffuse your skin with chlorophyll and thus create nourishment from the sun. [Defensive Domain 8] (Ra): When you have hunkered down in a position, your defense improves (Rank*4)%. [Ent Stride 32] (VR): Your walk is not made of mere steps, but instead strides. Movement speed increased by (Rank*4)% when within a forest. [Ent Walk 32] (VR): You can walk. Movement speed increased by (Rank)% when within a forest. [Extract Nutrients 16] (VR): You can extract additional nutrients from soil. [Grow Fruit 8] (VR): You may grow a fruit by spending MP. [Heal Plant 2] (Ra): Spend MP to heal a plant. [Root Strike 12] (Ra): You may command roots to strike your enemies. [Rooted Stance 4] (Ra): You are (Rank)% more difficult to knock backwards. [Speak with Animals 28] (Ra): You may speak with animals. The quality of the speech improves with Rank. [Swaying 6] (Ra): When ranged attacks near you, you can sway back and forth to improve your dodge. [Woodshaping 22] (Ra): You may spend MP to shape wood.
Name: Bella (L134) Other Names: Ryoko, Riviera Starwood, Aerum, Knieckmuch "Nick" Vitti, Guinness, Tanaka Ai Takamoto, Arial of Myr, Elaria Greenwood Race: [Guardian Dog] (Re) (L67) Class: [Guardian] (Re) (L67) HP: 0/1,225,743 (12,415 / hour) MP: 0/620,588 (7,453 / hour) CON: 739 STR: 739 DEX: 255 INT: 249 WIS: 249 CHA: 252 Free: 0 Attributes to Everything! [HP Attribute Boost *C] (N/A): Consolidated Skill: This Skill combines various Skills that increase your HP based on other Attributes. When calculating HP, add 50% DEX INT to CON and 50% WIS CHA to STR. [HP Regen A-Boost *C] (N/A): Consolidated Skill: This Skill combines various Skills that increase your HP Regen based on other Attributes. When calculating HP Regen, STR INT WIS CHA are included in the base calculation. [MP Attribute Boost *C] (N/A): Consolidated Skill: This Skill combines various Skills that increase your MP based on other Attributes. When calculating MP, add 50% CON STR to INT and 50% DEX CHA to WIS. [MP Regen A-Boost *C] (N/A): Consolidated Skill: This Skill combines various Skills that increase your MP Regen based on other Attributes. When calculating MP Regen, CON STR DEX CHA are included in the base calculation Bodily Traits [Barkskin 30] (Ra): Trees are surprisingly tough. Toughen up your skin with MP. Reduce melee damage by (Rank%) by expending (200-Rank) MP per minute. [Better Goblins] (Ra): Grants goblinoid Races a female reproductive system. Trait is inherited by your children. [Calm Stomach III] (a): Your stomach is 87.5% less likely to be upset by what you ate, whether rotten, poisonous, or just poorly cooked. [Chlorophyll 18] (VR): You may suffuse your skin with chlorophyll and thus create nourishment from the sun. [Clamber Giants II] (VR): You are skilled at clambering up giant foes and attack them from where they cannot defend. [Cold Resistance V] (UR): You suffer 96.9% less damage from the cold. [Detect Eldritch Classes 6] (UR): You may detect beings with Classes dedicated to the Eldritch within a distance of (Rank)*100 meters. [Dextrous Attack 14] (Re): Add DEX to the base damage for any melee attack. [Disguise 10] (Re): You have learned the art of disguise. Vaguely appear to look like someone other than who you are. Illusion improved with Rank. [Eagle Eye] (Re): You have the eyes of an [Eagle]. Visual acuity improved by 50%. [Echolocation 6] (Ra): You can create sound and use the echoes to form a rudimentary vision in your mind. Quality increases with Rank. [Elven Ears] (Ra): You have the ears of an [Elf]. Auditory sense improved by 50%. [Elven Grace 52] (Re): Elves are known for being at ease in their environments. Move (Rank%) more easily and gracefully. [Elven Vocal Chords] (Re): Elves are known for hypnotically serenading nature. These vocal cords help. [Fly With Wings 22] (Ra): Most creatures with wings can fly solely by virtue thereof. You, for some reason, have wings that can''t fly by themselves. But they help with the magic. Fly by spending MP of (100%-Rank%)*30*(body weight) per minute. [Hair Control III] (UR): Spend MP to alter the size, color, volume, and texture of your hair and fur [Home Flexibility 14] (Re): You are more flexible when at home. [Less Sleep IV] (UR): You require 93.8% less sleep [Long-Distance Eldritch Detection 24] (UR): You may detect [Eldritch] at a distance of [Rank] kilometers. [Magic Eater III] (VR): Sometimes, there''s just no food? Up to 87.5% of food needs can be replaced by consuming MP. [Omnivore] (Ra): If it came from something living, you can eat it. [Pain Resistance V] (UR): You feel 96.9% less pain. [Shapeshifter 10] (UR): You may shapeshift up to {Rank}% of your body mass. [Soul Resistance III] (UR): You suffer 87.5% less damage from soul attacks. [Succulent III] (VR): You require 87.5% less water to function properly. [Tracking Nose 26] (Ra): They can''t escape your sense of smell. Track your quarry by scent at a range of (Rank / 10) meters Domestic Skills [Child Rearing 30] (C): You are better at raising children. Improves with Rank. [Devoted Spouse] (Ra): You have an intuitive sense of what your spouse needs and wants. [Easy Birth] (UC): You find it 50% easier to give birth. [Hygiene 36] (UC): You are better at your bodily hygiene. Improves with Rank. [Magical Hearth *F] (U): A hearth to rest, a hearth to roam, a hearth to call your very own. A hearth to feed, a hearth to read, a hearth to bless your very own. [Magical Hot Bath III] (F): You may magically conjur a large hot bath with room for two. Complimentary soap included. [Princess'' Touch] (VR): Everything you do is improved slightly. Bond Traits [Euthanasia] (F): This Skill painlessly and instantly kills the person using it. [Everlasting Bond] (UR): You have found a soul to which you are willing to bind yourself everlasting. [Improved Blessings] (VR): Any blessing-type Skills you use are 100% more effective and last 100% longer. [One with Your Tree] (VR): Resting with your bonded partner is extraordinarily effective. [Skillshare *C] (N/A): Consolidated Skill: This Skill combines various Skills that allow you to share a Skill with your counterpart in various relationships. You may share 1 (common), 1 (uncommon), 1 (remarkable), 2 (rare), 2 (very rare) and 2 (ultra rare) Skills. [Tree Beneficiary] (VR): You are the beneficiary of a Great Tree with access to the System. For a cost, they may bestow upon you XP and MP. Additional gifts may also be given. Fast Growth! [Dedication] (N/A): You have shown the utmost dedication to family, friends and country. Plus 3 CON STR per life. [Divine Champion Against the Eldritch 35] (F): This special Trait ranks up based on the XP earned by killing [Eldritch] divided by 5,000. The XP required to rank up the Trait follows the XP Scale for Race and Class Levels. XP earned for most recent [Eldritch] killed applied upon earning Trait. Gain to all Attributes by (Rank) * 10%. Increased damage against [Eldritch] by (Rank) * 50%. [Free Skill Choice (Common)] (UC): Due to some mishap, a (common) Skill you should have been awarded could not be, and no better solution could be found. Freely choose any (common) Skill regardless of prerequisites. [HP Regen V] (F): You have reached the pinnacle of HP Regen. HP Regen*350%. [HP Improved V] (UR): You still didn''t have enough HP, so you got this Trait. HP*300% [Investment Improved] (VR): When using Invest, you are now shown the completed prerequisites, which are normally hidden. Further, if Invest fails, this Skill will show you how many more SKP to add to Invest. [Limit Breaker] (F): Who said 13 was unlucky? +13 to all Attributes. [Live Fast 0] (C): You live a regrettably short life. Here''s a little extra XP to put that pep in your step. XP x2. [Mind for Body IV] (VR): You are willing to trade strength of mind for strength of body. -10% on INT WIS CHA; +10% on STR CON DEX [MP Regen III] (F): You didn''t have enough MP Regen, so you got this Skill. MP Regen*250%. [Skill Consolidation] (F): Similar Skills or Traits may be grouped together in the Status. This is a visual effect only, and has no substance. [Skill Fusion] (UR): Two or may skills may attempt to be fused into an altogether new skill. In so doing, the old skills are lost. The Skills need not be similar. [Skill Merge] (F): Skills sharing some common core may be merged into an overarching super Skill. Before merging, the System may prompt you to add SKP to improve the outcome. [Speedy Speedster] (VR): While your Class remains locked, obtain XP at 4x the normal rate. [Status Modification] (UR): Your Status is becoming the stuff of myth and legend. And yet you¡¯ve also learned the limitations thereof and realized that it is just a means of displaying information. Organize your Status to suit your purposes. [The Goblin''s Share] (UC): When a group of N members, but no larger than 32, earns martial XP, holders of this Skill gain bonus XP equal to: 2^(2^((32-N)/10)-5). [Years of Experience] (VR): Gain a small XP boost for each year that passes since acquiring this Trait. Interpersonal Skills [Charming 12] (Re): People like you. Now they like you more. +10% CHA [Empathy 32] (VR): You intuitively understand what it is like to be the person you are speaking to and, as such, are more persuasive when convincing them to do what you want. [Identify 8] (VR): Use this Skill on entities to determine their name, Race, Class and levels.[Imperious Look 50] (Ra): You may give an imperious look. Subject to a CHA test and countervailing Traits and Skills, the victim will be intimidated by you. [Learning 28] (UC): Increase the speed at which you learn Skills, Traits, and general knowledge by (Rank)%. [Negotiation 38] (Ra): You are skilled at negotiating with other people for what you want. [Noble Bearing 56] (Ra): You move with great nobility. [Noble Favor] (Ra): Nobles are more likely to favor you. [Obscure Identity 4] (UR): A counter to [Identify]. [Persuasion 26] (Re): You are skilled at persuading others to your cause. [Planning 34] (Re): You are better at making plans and executing upon them. Improves with Rank. [Reluctant Leader] (Re): Your reluctance to lead others makes others think you are an even better leader. [Royal Command [Star Elf] 16] (UR): You may issue a royal command to a [Star Elf], who must obey if their CHA is less than your CHA + (Rank). Other species within [Star Elf] lands must obey if their CHA is less than half your CHA + (Rank). [Sapien Ami] (Ra): When advising a friend, the counsel you give is better. [Wise Counsel] (UR): When others seek your advice, what you say is improved. Machinist Skills [Alignment 12] (VR): You have an intuitive sense of when parts of a machine are in alignment or are out of alignment. [Assemble 28] (Re): You may assemble harder, better, faster, stronger. [Barren Land 6] (VR): Even in apparently barren lands, you are intuitively able to find the resources you need. [Cartography 8] (VR): You are skilled in the arts of map making. Quality and speed improve with Rank. [Carve Material *C] (N/A): Consolidated Skill: You may carve a variety of materials with varying Skill, particularly: Metal 34, Stone 6, Wood 30, Ice 16, Ivory 22 [Disassemble 4] (Ra): You may disassemble items harder, better, faster, stronger and with less damage to the parts thereof [Fine Tune 14] (Ra): You Skill at adjusting a machine to work better is greatly increased. [Impossible Assembly 6] (UR): Even if a machine is physically impossible to assemble, you may do so. [Leatherworking 12] (UC): You are skilled at working leather into various items. [Read Schematics 32] (VR): You are exceptionally skilled at reading and understanding schematics. [Sinew Believe It?] (UR): Your skill at working with monster parts, especially from legendary creatures, is great improved. Melee Skills [Armored Line 10] (Ra): When commanding shield bearing soldiers, you may order them to form a wall of shields against the enemy. This wall is then (Rank)% more difficult to breach. [Backstab 4] (Re): Surprise attacks to the rear using a blade at (25*Rank)% more damaging [Bite 4] (C): A [Bite] is more than just a bite. Improves with Rank. [Blades *M 18] (N/A): A merged Skill. You are versatile in the use of any blades. Improves with Rank. [Bleeding Cuts 16] (Re): Wounds you cause with blades are Rank% more likely to bleed. [Climb 18] (C): You can climb up tall objects with a modicum of skill. Improves with Rank. [Close in Fast 14] (Re): In combat, you may quickly close the distance between you and your opponent. [Contract Bonus III] (VR): If your target is under an assassin contract, receive a 150% XP bonus upon completion. [Create Ice Blade] (VR): You may create various blades out of ice. [Dancing Footwork 36] (Re): You are fleetfooted, whether on the battlefield or the ballroom. [Dodgeball *M 9] (N/A): Merged Skill. You are supreme skilled in all manners of dodging projectiles. [Drop 14] (VR): You have a particular knack for falling and sticking the landing. Bonus damage when combined with an attack. You may drop from a distance of (Rank/2) meters without fall damage. [Eldritch Slayer II] (VR): You need even more power against the Great Foe. +100% damage against [Eldritch] [Empower Defender 14] (Ra): You may cast this Skill upon a defender or yourself. Their ability to defend a third party from harm is greatly increased. [Extra Blade Reach III] (VR): The reach of your blades is increased by 50%. [Falling with Style 10] (VR): When dropping from a height, you have much greater control over your body midair. [Fortified Block 28] (Re): You may block an attack using a shield, weapon or armor without being knocked back. [Hardened Shield 8] (Ra): Your shield is harder and more durable [Hardened Strike 8] (Ra): Blades with which you strike your enemies are harder and more durable. [Heavy Armor 22] (Re): The heavy armor you wear is more effective at protecting you. Improves with Rank. [Hidden Blade V] (UR): You may store up to five blades in a personal pocket space. [Hide 14] (C): You have a better sense of where you can successfully hide. Improves with Rank. [It''s a Bleeder II] (VR): Bleeding injuries you cause are 100% more effective and require 100% more effort to clot or staunch. [Last Weapon] (VR): When you begin a battle with three or more weapons, when you are down to your last weapon, the weapon is 100% more durable and causes 100% more damage. [Light Armor 10] (UC): You are skilled at wearing light armor and gain greater protection when wearing same. [Light as a Feather 8] (Re): Any armor you wear is (Rank)% lighter. [Monster Slayer III] (VR): You cause 200% additional damage to monsters. [Mounted Aim 3] (Re): You aim with ranged weapon while riding a mount is increased by {Rank}%. [Move! 22] (Ra): When in battle, instructions you give to your allies to move are 50% easier to hear and comply with. Further, they will move 25% faster. [My Armor Has Armor 6] (VR): Your armor gains AP, which must be fully depleted before your armor takes damage. AP is proportional based on the quality of the armor worn, and scales with {Rank}. [Protect Escort 24] (Ra): When protecting an escort, your melee abilities are greatly enhanced. [Pummel 18] (Ra): Occasionally, you may initiate a series of rapid strikes against your enemy. [Ran Out of Weapons] (VR): When you begin a battle with three or more weapons, when you run out of weapons, you cause 50% more damage fighting unarmed. [Rapid Retreat 6] (Ra): You and your allies may retreat from a battle more rapidly. [Reave Defense 24] (Ra): A powerful strike that is exceptionally capable of ripping through the defenses of your enemy. [Reflecting Block 26] (Re): When blocking an attack, your ability to follow up with a counterattack is improved significantly. [Ride Mount 14] (Re): You can ride a variety of mounts with some modicum of skill. Improves with Rank. [Run 12] (Ra): You are skilled at running. [Self Insert 18] (VR): In battle, you are much more skilled at inserting yourself between an ally and an enemy, particularly when you move to block an attack. [Sharper Blades] (Ra): Your blades are significantly sharper. [Shield Bash 18] (Re): You can use your shield to make a powered blunt attack on your enemy. [Shield Work 26] (Ra): You do not wave your shield around like a buffoon, but know how to use it with exceptional skill. [Someone Else''s Problem 2] (Ra): When acting furtively, even if you are observed, it is likely that the observer will conclude that you are somebody else''s problem and take no action. [Stealth 8] (Re): You are better are being unnoticed. Skill improved at night or in dark places. [Stinging Paralysis 20] (Re): Cutting strikes you deal are both distracting by pain and paralysis inducing. [Tackle 4] (Re): You may tackle harder, better, faster, stronger. [Train Soldier 8] (VR): Soldiers you train learn significantly faster. [Unarmed Combat 18] (UC): You have some skill at fighting without weapons. Improves with Rank. [Wrestle 2] (Re): You are skilled at wrestling others of similar size and body type. Nature Skills [Call of the Wild 10] (Ra): When traversing wild country, you have an intuitive sense of direction [Constrict 8] (Ra): You may squeeze your opponents to cause damage, death, and tender meat. [Gardening 16] (UC): You are better at gardening. Improves with Rank. [Locate Animal 28] (Re): You have a supernatural sense of where an animal is located. Spend 500 MP to attempt to locate an animal within (Rank*10) meters. [Native Knowledge 6] (Ra): Though not a traditional place of learning, there is much that the natural world can tell you, particular regarding recent events that may have occurred nearby. Spend 500 MP to acquire (Rank)% of the information regarding a recent local event. [Nature''s Defense] (VR): When fighting in a wild area, the natural aspects of the battlefield will favor you. [Plant Growth 12] (Re): You can stimulate plants near you to grow faster. Spend 100 MP to stimulate (Rank/10) cubic meters of plant growth. [Purify Water 8] (Ra): You may purify a liter of water at a cost of (100-Rank) MP. [Thorn Rain 6] (VR): You may conjur an area of effect attack of sharp flying thorns. [Tree Riding 18] (UR): You are skilled at riding walking trees. [Wither 4] (VR): You may use magic to wither plant life. [Woodshaping 16] (Ra): You may spend MP to shape wood. Speaking [Belly Speech 10] (VR): No lips? No problem. You may conjur a voice in order to speak. The ableness of your speech is increased with greater Rank. [Eloquent Speech 24] (VR): You speak more eloquently and, as such, your perceived CHA is significantly higher. [Languages *C] (N/A): Consolidated Skill: This Skill combines the languages (for which Ranks are separately recorded) of Annese 14, Eastern Kneet 40, Eupash 12, Goblinese 5, Greenwood Elvish 40, Nounuentennessee 20, Oavactarian 8, Ostesh 40, Ravornia 60, Starwood Elvish 40, Tyr Trade Tongue 9, Ucarhi 40, Western Kneet 18. [Speak with Elves 42] (VR): This (very rare) Skill is one of the most closely guarded secrets of the Elven nobility, only being granted to those nature spirits with which the Elves tie their homes to. The Skill allows telepathic communication and understanding between Skillholders regardless of any language barrier. +1 CHA / 5 ranks. [Ventriloquism 8] (Ra): You have learned the art of speaking without moving your lips. Performance improved with Rank. Synopsis - Volume 2 Through their many lives, Amelia ? and Elaria ? have experienced many strange and wondrous things: The love of family. The terror of the [Eldritch]. And the pain of loss. While some of their prior lives continue to haunt them, with centuries of life experience under their belt, the pair might just be getting a grasp on this whole reincarnation business, however it started. Some mysteries of the past though refuse to remain lost. How did Amelia gain [Reincarnator]? Who was manipulating her lives to have her rescue her soulbound? And who was the strange man in the blue robe observing their deaths? The impossible keeps happening and the improbable is too common. As strange events continue to unfold, the pair can¡¯t help but wonder if there isn¡¯t someone meddling with their lives. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. The pieces are moving. The gods and the System are playing a game. But who else is playing? And to what end? And, most of all, does that make our protagonists pawns? Or something else entirely? Only time will tell. Recap of Volume 1 Amelia ? was just a simple village girl in the first centuries of civilization on the Eurial continent. Identified as having magical talent, she¡¯s been drafted by her kingdom into attending a magical academy, in the hopes of unlocking the relatively new and (very rare) [Mage] Class. She succeeds. But she has little time to relish in her success in the greatest city on the continent before she¡¯s mysteriously afflicted and then gains a (unique) Trait: [Reincarnator]. And then, she dies. Utterly baffled, she flails around for a few lives trying to understand how the Trait works, though coming no closer to understanding why she received it. She ? becomes a [Mage] warlady to villages of functionally-uncivilized [Catkin] before she¡¯s assassinated in her sleep. It ? becomes a [Slime], eventually rising to become the top predator in an out-of-the-way piece of wilderness before being slain by adventurers. He ? crosses the sex divide as a halfling [Brillian] [Paladin] beating off the [Eldritch] foes invading the world. And, very briefly, a [Fly] (common). But for all that she ? might just barely be getting a grip on her bizarre existence, she¡¯s lonely in a way none other are. Until, that is, Elaria Greenwood ?, [Wood Elf] and [Princess], flees her collapsing kingdom with little more than the last magical seed of a [Sylphan Tree], a life that Amelia ?¡ªnow named Myr¡ªinhabits, and requests to bond with him as a dryad. Stunned, but desperate for any indelible connection, Myr confesses to Elaria his story in the darkness between lives. Rather than dissuade her, Elaria is even more emphatic in her decision and, a few decades later, successfully bonds with him and evolves into a [Sylphan Dryad]. Stripped of the last vestiges of most civilized Races, the pair roam the continent for centuries as guardians of the forest, until they are untimely killed in a failed attempt to cross the oceans. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Now though, a reincarnating soulbound pair is set loose upon the world. As a noble [Catkin] ? and her [Human] maid ?. As short-lived beasts caught up in a major overhaul of the System. As a [Gnome] couple, heading an entrepreneurial and engineering dynasty. As [Goblins], so disgusted with their own existence that they bend the System to alter the fate of an entire Race. As [Star Elf] princesses incognito in the wider world as wandering adventurers. And perhaps most impressively of all, as legendary third-tier [Snow Kitsune], serving as [Divine Champions Against the Eldritch] and inspiration to two continents. Alas, with power comes hubris. A quiet life as a pair of [Shepherd Dogs] ends abruptly for Bo ? when a rogue [Soulmancer] snaps his soulbond with Bella ?. With loss comes rage, an uncontrollable rage that didn¡¯t stop until a goddess literally appeared and metaphorically smacked some sense into her skull. With a favorable start, and some cunning on her part, Nameless ? power-levels as a [Wyvern] before dive-bombing through the [Soulmancer¡¯s] roof and quickly dispatches him. She rescues Bella ? and establishes a new soulbond. They live happily thereafter, to the end of their days¡­ ¡­much to one observer¡¯s relief. 17.1 A Clade of Assassins Senset¡ª(L116) [Sand Rabbitkin] (Ra) (L58) [Master Assassin] (VR) (L58)¡ªwas annoyed. Usually, annoying the guildmaster of the Assassins Guild in Abmeris led to a quick death. But Senset was not in Abmeris, he was in Tarzu, meeting with his counterparts from Assassins Guilds throughout the Free Desert Cities. And not only was operating on foreign turf without local permission a bit of a faux pas, but, well, he was in a secret meeting limited to the six other guildmasters, all [Master Assassins] themselves. So who the hell invited this whelp here?! he thought for at least the twentieth time this meeting. Where there should have been seven persons, there were eight. And while he couldn¡¯t get the best view from where he sat in the circle¡ªdark hooded cloaks tended to do that, even with the illumination from the skylight¡ªSenset could tell that this guest couldn¡¯t have been older than twenty-five (maybe even twenty!) in a room of graying forty-year-olds. Maybe there was precedent for bringing a junior or inviting a foreign assassin to witness these meetings. But for the dozen years he had served, it had never happened and he couldn¡¯t recall a story of it ever happening. Something to check at the recordroom. But even if it did, surely he should have been introduced, even if pseudonymously, to at least explain why he was here and not a threat. But no! he thought mockingly. The meeting was almost over and not. a. word. had been said about the visitor. It was almost like everyone was ignoring this interloper. Was it a trap? he worried briefly. Rather than pat himself down, [Blade Sense] quickly told him that, yes, all dozen of his blades¡ªfrom 10 cm throwing knives to a 40 cm shortsword¡ªwere in place on his person. And [Rabbit Constitution] meant that, even sitting during this long meeting, his muscles were primed to spring at a moment¡¯s notice. Suddenly, a terrible thought crept across the points of his ears. Was he being mocked? Was he just supposed to know who this was and not introducing him a powerplay on their part? Dammit, he gritted his teeth. He did not work so hard just to be bullied again by self-entitled pricks who thought themselves better than him. ¡°Senset,¡± a voice rasped at him and he glanced at the chairman. ¡°Is something the matter? I was just asking if there was any new business to be brought up before we adjourned.¡± Shit. Something must have shown, even on his hooded face, for Houi to call him on it. Well, if I¡¯m to be made a fool, best to walk straight into it. Plastering a smile on his face, ¡°Indeed Chairwoman Houi. I was wondering whether the identity of our guest would qualify as new business to be addressed to the Clade.¡± ¡°Guest? What guest?¡± Houi responded quickly, with a confused look on her face. Senset quirked an eyebrow at that, glancing at his counterparts to see no comprehension on their faces. Confused himself now, Senset risked his own faux pas by pointing a finger at the eighth seated figure. ¡°I mean this young man here. I¡¯m assuming he is an [Assassin] as he is, well, here. But last I checked there were only seven cities in the Clade, not eight.¡± ¡°Aw, shucks, you broke the¡ª¡± the young man was cut off, as a flurry of motion exploded as everyone else finally noticed him after two hours. The two nearest masters lept away, while three others rapidly threw a blade each at the apparent interloper. Despite being thrown by [Master Assassins], the interloper dodged the projectiles effortlessly, rising as he did so. ¡°Hey, I was just saying¡ª¡° the young man began, before another six blades flew his away, but failed to land. ¡°I told you, brother, they would not be impressed,¡± a voice echoed from above. Senset and the six other masters all glanced upwards to see a young man floating cross-legged, silhouetted before the skylight, sipping tea from a delicate cup as a steaming teapot floated nearby. Senset gaped as a second interloper sat in the air like a jinn. ¡°Fine, fine,¡± Pamu ? conceded. ¡°But that attack alone was worth a rank in [Dodgeball]. You know how hard that is to rank up.¡± ¡°That is difficult,¡± Amen ? in turn conceded from above. ¡°But if you¡¯re done playing¡ªtwo hours later I might add¡ªincapacitate them and let¡¯s go.¡± Four people tsked at that last statement¡ªthe first interloper included¡ªbut sixty seconds later, Senset found himself on the floor, paralyzed and bleeding. [Master Assassin], he scoffed of himself, trying to recall what happened. A dance of blades had descended upon the guildmasters and any attempt to dodge failed as the blades reached farther than the eye could see. First steel and then ice¡ªice!¡ªlay nonlethal wounds on them all, hamstringing them, though Skills at work quickly immobilized them all. Senset, the last to fall, had managed to hold off the man for a few seconds, but whirled when a voice whispered in his ear, only for Senset to fall just as quickly. Unable to even blink, Senset watched the jinn¡ªa [Rabbitkin] too, he now saw¡ªland gracefully on the floor and walk out with his brother. Even in his own agony, Senset pitied any who would dare face such a pair.
¡°[Light Shah],¡± Pamu ? greeted as the two brothers clasped their arms and briefly bowed to the cityleader of Tarzu. ¡°The Assassins¡¯ Clade meeting was broken up and its attendants incapacitated. It would appear that they were the guildmasters for the guild in each of the Free Desert Cities.¡± ¡°Incapacitated?¡± the older [Rabbitkin] gruffed. ¡°We thought it best to defer to the authorities, notwithstanding my official position,¡± Pamu replied. ¡°Unofficial position,¡± the [Light Shah] grumbled, then turned wistful. ¡°Still, this puts my heart at ease. [Captain]!¡± he called out and a muscular guard in khaki chitinous armor broke away from a group and jogged over. ¡°Head inside and clean up. Kill all [Assassins].¡± Amen ? flinched at the last order, but the [Guard Captain] merely affirmed and saluted, before rallying a dozen men to head inside, their grisly orders at hand, leaving a security detail with his lord. As the echoes of their footsteps faded into the building, a chill crept through Amen¡¯s bones despite the morning heat.
Amen ? was quiet as the brothers walked away from the crime scene and back across the city. Pamu ? glanced at him periodically, concern writ large across his face. As they finally crossed the central plaza, Pamu finally asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Amen raised his head from where he had been looking at the ground. ¡°Oh. Just thinking some things through.¡± ¡°Do you want to talk about it?¡± Pamu offered. Amen sighed. ¡°It¡¯s nothing we haven¡¯t discussed before.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Pamu replied lamely. Then, as they exited the plaza, ¡°Hey, why don¡¯t we go wrestle a few matches before lunch. That¡¯ll make you feel better.¡± Amen smirked a touch at the suggestion. ¡°You mean it¡¯ll make us feel better.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, tomato potato,¡± Pamu waved it away. ¡°So¡­?¡± ¡°Sure, why not?¡±
Arriving at the public wrestling grounds, the brothers purchased a small amphora of flaxseed oil from a vendor there, and sought an empty space. Dozens of men and women, mostly of the dominant [Rabbitkin], but a few [Nagas] as well, were in pairs or small groups about the space. Finding a good spot in a corner, the pair set aside their cloaks, then stripped down to their smallclothes, removing their matching open vests and loose kilts, both made of the cheap flax linen characteristic of the poor of Tarzu. Exposing their bronzed skin to the open air, the two took turns with the amphora rubbing the cheap oil over their bodies. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Before they even began, a small crowd of spectators began to form as the regulars notice that Thema¡¯s twins are here. The wrestling was a spectacle as always. Though they are only young men, they have the reputation for being among the best in Turza. Little did they crowd know all that goes into it. First, there were simply the levels involved. Both Amen ? and Pamu ? had a combined 124 levels, split evenly between Race and Class. Both had evolved their Race to the (very rare) [Desert Rabbitkin], while Amen had a tiered up mage-illusion Class in [Desert Illusionist], while Pamu had a tiered-up assassin Class in [Desert Assassin]. Thus, their fights were always at a higher level than nearly all of the other wrestlers at the public grounds, as those few who had tiered up and still wrestled usually had private arenas. Of course, no one there actually knew the boys were such high level. As in most other societies, asking that was a faux pas and while a few of the [Guardsmen] there had [Identify], half wouldn¡¯t use it on principle on a pair of promising young men putting on a show and half who would use it didn¡¯t have it high enough to bypass the pair¡¯s [Obscure Identity]. Second, there were the Skills involved. Most of the regulars have one or two Skills or Traits that lend themselves to improved wrestling. The martial fighters would have perhaps four or five. The twins used almost a dozen Skills each, not that anyone else knew that. Both Amen ? and Pamu ? shared several in common, [Elven Grace] and [Princess¡¯ Touch] being the most bizarre as there were no [Elves] or [Princesses] of any sort for a thousand kilometers and, well, the twins were neither [Elves] nor female. And while both had [Unarmed Combat] , Pamu¡¯s of course is much higher level. And then there¡¯s a hodgepodge of other Skills at play. Amen¡¯s style of wrestling was a slippery, hard to pin sort, wrestling defensively, due to his skills, especially [Amorphous Body] and [Slippery]. On the other hand, [Firm Purchase], [Quick Hands] and [Sticky Fingers] were just generally helpful for not getting knocked over and getting a good grip on Pamu. Amen could also have used [Immaterial], but that would hardly make the fight any good and would have attracted too much attention. Pamu on the other hand was a much more offensive wrestler, in no small part because he actually had [Wrestle] as well as the more specialized [Tackle]. Small spurts of [Shapeshifter], together with [Dancing Footwork], kept Pamu agile on the field, while [Falling with Style] and [Reflecting Block] allowed for a number of augmented throws, drops and pins. Finally, there were the sheer Attribute counts involved, though (again) no one knew that either. The typical attendant had perhaps 200 to 600 in total Attribute points, and, if they were inclined to the more physical Attributes, had perhaps 60 to 180 points in each of STR and DEX. Amen ?¡ªthe mage, mind you¡ªhad over 700 points in STR and DEX, each. Pamu ? the assassin had over 1400 points in STR and over 1900 in DEX. Their power was unprecedented. While their early lives had seen them pick up a number of rarely-sought Attribute boosting Traits, most of those Traits added (at most) a few dozen points to Attributes. Nearly all of the stupendous gain in Attributes both had was as a result of a great feat: defeating an [Eldritch Elder], one of the greatest threats to the world. When it happened, the Pantheon saw fit to award them a special Trait, [Divine Champion Against the Eldritch], which was so powerful, you really had to read the original text to believe it:
[Divine Champion Against the Eldritch 35] (F): This special Trait ranks up based on the XP earned by killing [Eldritch] divided by 5,000. The XP required to rank up the Trait follows the XP Scale for Race and Class Levels. XP earned for most recent [Eldritch] killed applied upon earning Trait. Gain to all Attributes by (Rank) * 10%. Increased damage against [Eldritch] by (Rank) * 50%.
Given that Amen ? and Pamu ?¡ªthen known as Kazuhiro ? and Ryoko ?, respectively¡ªwere exceptionally skilled at killing [Eldritch], and had exceptional XP multipliers, the pair abused the heck out of it, earning a +350% boost to all Attributes. Though, given that they were reincarnators¡ªAmen had the [Reincarnator] (unique) Trait and Pamu was soul-bound to Amen¡ªthat boost was now permanently going forward and would continue going up as they crossed paths with [Eldritch]. The reassurances of one of the deities notwithstanding, it wasn¡¯t clear that was the Pantheon¡¯s original intent. In any event, [Eldritch] activity had been fairly quiet in their lives since then, though the pair had ventured into the surrounding desert occasionally when [Long-Distance Eldritch Detection] went off (Amen having no qualms about killing [Eldritch], as opposed to incapacitated sapients). In any event, the point was that Amen and Pamu could put on quite a show, albeit one that Pamu won every time¡ª Wooooo! the crowd cheered. ¡ªincluding today.
After wrestling, the brothers headed home for lunch. Though at 19 years the two were really rather old to be living with their birth family¡ª[Rabbitkin] reached physical adulthood early compared to [Humans], typically around 14¡ªthey continued to do so for three reasons. First, free rent. Second, though they were not the oldest¡ªthey had an older sister Eopei and older brother Tarik, both of who had moved out¡ªthey still had five younger siblings that they were very protective of: Ramere, Azibo, the other twins Amunet and Ahit, and, the youngest, Hators. And finally, even outside their innate protectiveness, Amen ? and Pamu ? loved their family; not just their siblings, but their mother, Ana, of course, as well as their first and second fathers, Hanif and Qeb, who were both [Guardsmen] with the city. Pushing aside the curtain that served as the front door to the adobe home, Amen and Pamu were tackled by the twins Amunet and Ahit. ¡°Brothers!¡± they cried in unison, before descending into giggles. Perhaps it was the mirrored twin-ness between the quadlings, but the younger twins especially looked up to and admired the older pair. ¡°Where were you this morning?¡± one¡ªAmunet?¡ªasked. ¡°Yes, we went to the [Engineer¡¯s] shop¡ª¡° the other continued. ¡°¡ªbut you were not there, Amen,¡± concluded the first. ¡°And of course we couldn¡¯t find tricksy Pamu,¡± the second pouted. ¡°Yes~¡± a voice sang from the kitchen the next room over. ¡°Your mother would also like to know where you two disappeared off to so early this morning only to run home at lunch.¡± Suddenly, Ana¡¯s greying head popped around the corner. ¡°And you smell of flaxseed oil. Were you skipping work just to play in the fields? Pantheon knows how you got a job as a draftsman without the Class, but don¡¯t you be squandering good fortune.¡± ¡°I¡¯d hardly call our national sport mere play, mother,¡± Pamu sassed back. ¡°But no, Amen is too good to skip work like that. He was assisting me on a project for the [Light Shah] this dawn.¡± ¡°Ah yes,¡± Ana¡¯s face darkened as a lone eyebrow arched upwards. ¡°Your mysterious position with the city¡¯s administration that you refuse to tell me about. And even your fathers refuse to tell me?¡± Ana smacked her wood spoon against an open palm. ¡°Even when I threatened not to sleep with them?¡± ¡°You did marry the both of them, mother,¡± Amen replied calmly. ¡°They can always comfort each other if need be.¡± Ana sighed, walking up to and throwing her arms around Amen. ¡°When did I raise such a fine, intelligent young man. You shouldn¡¯t be burdened understanding such problems only us old folks deal with.¡± Amen sniffled at the unintentional double-meaning. Pulling back a little, Ana looked at Amen¡¯s face, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, dear?¡± ¡°Jeez, ma,¡± Amen rubbed his face. ¡°You got the spices on your spoon in my eye. I, uh, I got to wash up,¡± and then darted to the back to the cistern.
¡°Pamu?¡± Ana asked, as the four of them watched Amen quickly leave. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Amen?¡± Pamu let out a long-suffering sigh. ¡°I don¡¯t know. He doesn¡¯t want to talk about it. I have some ideas, but¡­ I shouldn¡¯t speculate. And certainly not with you, mother.¡± Ana quirked an eyebrow, her copper cheeks wrinkling a touch as a smirk played across her lips. ¡°Oh? Perhaps a problem for young men? You know I knew plenty of young men and their problems in my youth.¡± ¡°Mother!¡± the three siblings cried out together. ¡°Oh, come on. I¡¯ve never seen a [Rabbitkin] so hesitant to court a young gal he liked. [Naga] can be hesitant, for sure, but that¡¯s a cultural thing. I hear Aria¡¯s a good girl [Rabbitkin], he should get to know her better. Are you sure he¡¯s not just¡­ frustrated?¡± ¡°Mother,¡± Pamu sighed. ¡°If it was something that simple, I¡¯m sure I would know for sure.¡± ¡°Simple? Simple, you say. And here you are playing all around town, not settling down or giving me any grandbabies. You know,¡± she said, stepping aggressively close to her son. ¡°We had a term for your type in my day. ¡®Play. Boy. Bunny.¡¯¡± she ended, punctuating each word with a poke to his chest. ¡°Exactly, mother,¡± Pamu retorted. ¡°Simple. Which is why it¡¯s so easy to avoid.¡± ¡°Agh!¡± Ana threw her hands up in the air. ¡°What will I do with you? Well, come help me in the kitchen anyways and we¡¯ll finish cooking up lunch. And then you can apologize by running lunch down to your fathers.¡± ¡°If running is the apology, what¡¯s the cooking?¡± *smack* ¡°Ow, mother!¡± 17.2 The Incident in the Night In the wee hours of predawn, Amen bolted upright, gasping. As the dream faded and his heartrate slowed, Amen¡¯s sight slowly took in the room under the faint light of Caelum, the moon. Pamu was still asleep next to him, as was Azibo in the other bed in the boys¡¯ room. Amen rubbed the sleep out of his eyes as the sheen of sweat on him finished evaporating. The recurring dream was a problem, but he certainly knew by now that he wouldn¡¯t get back to sleep, not with [Internal Clock] suggesting dawn was only two hours away. Fully awake now, though still groggy under the adrenaline, Amen slipped out of bed and got dressed; an early walk was just what he needed. Soon, Amen found himself wandering the deserted streets lit only by moonlight and chilly in the desert night. Though he wasn¡¯t physically cold¡ª[Cold Resistance V] prevented that¡ªAmen still pulled his cloak tight as the aftereffects of his dream echoed through his skull. Bloodless faces looked up at him as the slaughter continued. Blood sprayed and fountained, a macabre [Artist]. Horns cracked and wings snapped. A stable ablaze, a mage made haze. Fingers wrapped into a fist. Amen ? forced open eyes he hadn¡¯t even realized he had closed, finding he had reached the outer walls of the city. He glanced around quickly for any guards, then jumped up atop the wall, sitting in a comfortable spot in the crenellations facing east across the desert.
[Jump II] (VR): A Racial Skill of evolved [Rabbitkin], you may now jump twice as high as you otherwise would.
He¡¯d been mildly amused this life when he found that ¡°the desert¡± was not a sweeping vista of sand dunes, as the stories of past lives had all told. Well, there were parts of the Right Desert comprised of ergs¡ªgreat sand seas filled with dunes¡ªbut around Tarzu and its nearest neighbor Abmeris, the desert was a rocky plateau called a hamada. Still barren, with little plant or animal life, but little sand as well. Of course, that meant that the Free Desert Cities had no farms outside their walls, unlike cities in more temperate climates. Rather, as so much of desert civilization revolved around water access, the farms were not only inside the city walls, but at the city center, clustered tightly around the oasis there. They weren¡¯t even that large¡ªperhaps a hundred acres combined¡ªbut between the bright sunlight, efficient waste processing, and the highest level [Farmers] Amen had ever seen¡ªeven some tier 2 [Oasis Gardeners] and [Desert Agriculturists]¡ªthey were able to eke out both a variety of food crops for the seven or eight thousand people who lived here and enough cash crops to add to the bustling trade the Free Desert Cities already did. Though, maybe a city of less than ten thousand hardly counted as one. Amen glanced back through the dark of night towards the farms where they sat in their place of privilege. It was too dark to see anything that far away, even with [Dark Vision III], but it reminded him of an important adage. There was just too much out there in the world to learn, even in several lifetimes. Even these walls were astounding to him. They were enchanted: mundane objects crafted and imbued to create a magical effect. He ran a finger along the smooth copper wire embedded into the stone in twisting, convoluted shapes, feeling both the slick metal as well as the mana underneath. While Amen had never been an [Enchanter], as a [Mage] in multiple lives, he could appreciate the difficulties involved without System assistance. And these walls weren¡¯t simply enchanted for strength and durability, but included a magical shield over the city to protect it from enemies, both natural (e.g., sand storms) and sapient (e.g., magical siege). How many centuries ago was that added to the System that the craft could reach such refined heights? And I didn¡¯t notice at all? Feeling somewhere between melancholy and wistful, Amen pulled up the Skill Shop. There were only three available Skills regarding enchantment. With those feelings at play and the SKP (i.e., Skill Points) to spare, Amen purchased all three.
[Enchant Object] (UR): You may attempt to create an Object by imbuing an enchantment, based on either a magical Skill up to (rare) or a raw spell of similar complexity. The base cost in the attempt is a hundred times the MP cost to the enchanter of the magic to be imbued. The base cost may increase or decrease depending on the material used and the degree to which it has been prepared. Failure may render the target medium unenchantable. [Analyze Enchantment] (VR): Analyze an enchanted Object to determine its function. Higher Ranks will also assist in letting you know the degradation and durability of the Object, and potentially will allow you to learn the spell or Skill underlying the enchantment. [Basic Enchantment Knowledge] (VR): Basic knowledge regarding enchantment, both from a producer perspective and a user perspective.
As the knowledge from [Basic Enchantment Knowledge] flowed into him, he learned why no more enchantment Skills were available to him. Apparently, almost all the other enchantment related Skills were gated behind the [Enchanter] Classes. Importantly, this included any pertinent Skills related to improving the efficiency of the enchantment process. For instance, that 100x MP cost to enchant a Skill was quite the large expense. A typical mage with two decades of experience might, for example, have a large enough MP pool to enchant two Objects with a basic [Fireball] (with a base cost of 40 MP), but that same pool would take a whole day to regenerate. Notably, while the [Enchant Object] Skill was clear that the cost of enchantment was dependent on the magic spell or Skill, the material of the enchanted Object, and whether the target medium had been prepared, [Basic Enchantment Knowledge] told him that at least three other factors also came into play. First, general magical knowledge¡ªeven not directly related to the spell or Skill¡ªwould provide a small efficiency bonus. Second, DEX curiously could provide a significant efficiency bonus as there were a number of unspecified hand gestures that would assist in layering the enchantment into the material. Finally, whether or not the enchantment would be user-powered or auto-powered would affect the cost of enchantment. Amen was also bemused that [Enchant Object] was a step rarer than both [Analyze Enchantment] and [Basic Enchantment Knowledge]. That suggested to him that there were enough merchants and end-users dealing in enchanted Objects for a good portion of them to pick up the knowledge Skills. Strangely, the [Enchanter] Class was only a (rare) Class, while the [Enchant Object] Skill was (ultra rare), though that was explained by the fact that rarity was treated differently for Classes and Skills. As Amen pondered this, the sky had begun to brighten in the east, lifting the dark dregs of night from Tarzu. Dropping all thoughts of enchantment, Amen spent a while simply watching the dawn arrive, before kicking off the wall, and heading back into the city. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
Amen made his way through the city streets, passing merchants and artisans beginning their slow wake in the early morning. He finally arrived at a larger building, with a bright sandstone edifice, capped with a pointed roof. Though almost no one was about, Amen walked through the entranceway and was enveloped by reverent quiet in the structure. The Pantheon Temple. Actually being well-traveled on the subject, Amen could have told you that each culture shaped and crafted their temples to the Pantheon differently. Here in Tarzu, the three major gods had the statues carved in their likeness in the center of the circular auditorium, where the skylights shone the brightest. In contrast, the eight minor gods were spaced equidistantly along the edge of the rear half of the room, in the slightly dimmer space there. While all eleven statues had offering plates before them, seating was only provided near the center of the room for the three major gods. Amen moved familiarly to the rear of the auditorium, finally finding Adonite¡¯s statute, this time in the guise of a male [Kitsune], a pair of [Snow Kitsune] figurines at his feet. He reached into a pocket, withdrawing a few small objects. The soft clink of a few small silvers hitting the offering plate, as Amen used a touch of magic to light the small blue candle and gently place it on the offering plate as well. With a small bow, Amen took several steps back and then knelt, reverently beholding the artist¡¯s rendition of his blessed god. The one he had met. If there was a regret from that life, it was wasting the time of a goddess on such trivial matters. The rescue had worked out in the end, but there were bigger questions that had been left unanswered at the time, which a few years of fervent devotion this life still hadn¡¯t resulted in any answers. Some had taken to call this the Silent Age of the Gods, and sometimes Amen had to agree with them. ¡°You look like you¡¯re looking for someone to talk to,¡± a mischievous feminine voice broke his reverie. Adonite? Amen thought for a moment, as his head turned round, and he breathed out a sigh. No, a [Rabbitkin] [Priestess]. ¡°[Priestess],¡± he greeted politely, with a nod of his head, still kneeling. ¡°How may I assist you today?¡± ¡°Hey,¡± she smirked, the wrinkles of her face crinkling even further, as she kneeled beside him to face Adonite. ¡°That¡¯s my line.¡± ¡°My apologies,¡± Amen smiled back. ¡°But I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t know one such as you among the city¡¯s clergy.¡± ¡°No,¡± she sighed. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t. [Priestess] Hebi of Abmeris,¡± she introduced herself, offering a short nod of her head, as she crossed a hand over her heart. ¡°Amen of Tarzu,¡± he replied, offering a slightly deeper nod and clasping both hands, which the [Priestess] picked up on. ¡°No Class?¡± ¡°None I wish to be known by,¡± he replied, turning his gaze away from the [Priestess¡¯] inquisitive eyes and back to Adonite. ¡°Yes, Dominic did mention you were a private young man,¡± the woman trailed off. ¡°¡®Dear Amen, a fine lad with the weight of the world on his shoulders,¡¯ or something like that,¡± she said, imitating the old [Satyr] [Cleric¡¯s] voice. ¡°That sounds like him.¡± ¡°It does, doesn¡¯t it? Terrible people Skills if he thinks that¡¯s your problem.¡± ¡°How do you know that isn¡¯t my problem?¡± ¡°Because you have perspective. You¡¯d know what a world-level problem is, and yours is much smaller, though clearly deeply affecting you.¡± She paused, letting her words sink in, observing the tightening of his fists, the darting of his eyes. She pulled him into a small side-hug, whispering. ¡°Do you want to talk about it?¡± The physical contact was too much, as a wave crashed over his roiling emotions, the mask of his face cracking. ¡°I¡¯ve¡ªI¡¯ve killed people,¡± he croaked out quietly. ¡°It¡¯s a harsh world,¡± she whispered back. ¡°Sometimes people need killing.¡± ¡°Many people.¡± ¡°Sometimes harsher to some.¡± ¡°Many innocent people.¡± [Celestials] and [Demonkin]¡ªRaces a continent away¡ªcame to mind, but not the his lips. She paused for just a moment, no response at the ready. ¡°And, did you enjoy killing those innocents?¡± she asked, letting a little bloodlust creep into her voice. ¡°Did you revel in the blood and guts? Feast on their corpses?¡± ¡°No!¡± he cried, in shock at the suggestion. ¡°No and no!¡± ¡°Good!¡± she squeaked, bloodlust gone, and smacked him on the butt. ¡°Then you¡¯re perfectly fine.¡± ¡°¡­Wut?¡± Amen squawked, as he pulled away from the crazy [Priestess]. ¡°You¡¯re a [Mage], right?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Amen responded uncertainly. ¡°And so you have great power. With that comes great responsibility. I¡¯ll give you my favorite example. Do you know of the current [Shadow Shah] of Abmeris?¡± Amen shook his head negatively. ¡°He¡¯s the leader of the city, much as the [Light Shah] is the leader of Tarzu. But as a leader-mage hybrid Class, he can create an umbrella of magic to block out the sun. Do you know what he does?¡± Amen again shook his head in the negative. ¡°Historically, most [Shadow Shahs] limited the use of this power. They would only use it on their own guards, or just their family, or worse of all, just themselves. But do you know what the current [Shadow Shah] does?¡± she asked rhetorically. ¡°Every day at high noon, he envelops the entire city in shade. Not for long, a quarter hour perhaps, but everyday, when they need it the most, he benefits the thousands of people he rules, only to then stagger away exhausted.¡± Amen rolled that thought around in his mind, tasting it. ¡°But most of my power is, uhh, martially oriented.¡± ¡°And so it is with many in this world. That the power they gain¡ªand that you¡¯ve gained¡ªis the power for killing people. But that¡¯s life. On the one hand, you¡¯ve used it well in the past, killing those that deserve it. And on the other hand, you¡¯ve made a few mistakes, killing those that did not. But, you¡¯ve come to regret those uses and have resolved yourself in the future not to kill those who don¡¯t deserve it.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± he trailed off. ¡°But how do I know who deserves it or not?¡± ¡°That¡¯s something that you¡¯ll have to learn on your own. The power to take life is the power to decide which lives to take. You¡¯ve admitted to yourself that you¡¯ve done good in the past. Now, you just need to figure out why it was right.¡± Amen¡¯s gaze turned thoughtful. ¡°Thank you [Priestess], you¡¯ve given me a lot to think about.¡± ¡°Glad I could help,¡± she said as she got up, knees creaking. ¡°I¡¯ll be heading home soon, but it was,¡± she paused dramatically, ¡°a pleasure.¡± As the old [Rabbitkin] wandered further back into the temple, the younger one got up and made his way back to the small plaza outside. As the sunlight of dawn fell upon and warmed his face, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Maybe, he thought, all is right with the world. Pamu ? called out telepathically. Amen ? replied, hearing the concern in his voice. 17.3 The Incident in the Morning Pamu ? exclaimed. Amen ? asked. <¡ªWhat?!> exasperation in his tone. <¡­ You went quietly?> Amen mentally groaned.
Amen ? rushed home to find a colony of noisy neighbors out front, but the arresting guards were long gone. Furniture had been moved to barricade the doorless entryway to the house and, while the milling crowd was peaceful for now, they were only an inciting incident away from mobhood. Amen went to the back of the house, and used one of his recent merged Skills to phase through the wall.
[Untouchable *M 12] (N/A): Magic users attack at range because they are apt to dying quickly in close quarters. You are that really annoying mage that''s hard to hit even in close quarters. You dodge attacks without seeing them coming, you''re highly mobile on the battlefield leading your enemies on a merry chase, and even when an attack is about to connect, you most likely will be immaterial to it. Consumes some MP to increase speed, significant MP to turn immaterial. Effect and efficiency improve with Rank.
Popping into the empty kitchen, he called out, ¡°Mom? Dads?¡± Qeb popped his head around the kitchen entryway, ¡°Amen? How¡¯d you get in here.¡± Before Amen could respond, his mother Ana rushed past her husband and wrapped her arms tightly around her son. ¡°Oh, Amen. You¡¯re alright. I was so worried about you,¡± Ana cried, as precious tears began to run down her face. ¡°Everything happened so fast this morning, and they were saying Pamu was an [Assassin], and we couldn¡¯t find you anywhere, and Pamu is accused of murdering the [Light Shah], and, and¡ª¡± ¡°Ma, calm down,¡± Amen said to no effect. ¡°Pamu¡¯s innocent, I guarantee it. We just have to convince the [Dawn Heir] or find the true culprit.¡± Ana sniffled hard. ¡°And how are we supposed to do that?¡± ¡°Well convincing the [Dawn Heir] shouldn¡¯t be too hard. I mean, Pamu has no motivation to assassinate his own employer.¡± ¡°Assassinate his employer?¡± ¡°Uhh, I mean, like, umm¡­¡± ¡°Amen,¡± Ana said in her sharpest mom-tone. ¡°You are explaining to me right now what you just said.¡± ¡°Adonite¡¯s tits,¡± Amen whispered to himself as he rubbed his temple, and his father frantically waved behind his mother to shut up. ¡°Pamu is¡ªwas¡ªthe [Light Shah¡¯s] top-most [Assassin].¡± Ana turned sharply to her only husband in sight, who quickly tucked his hands behind his back. ¡°You told me he was a [Tactical Fighter] with the Tarzu Elites!¡± ¡°Uhh,¡± Qeb stumbled. ¡°That was your other husband, dear. And it is mostly true. From a certain point of view.¡± ¡°A certain point of view?!¡± ¡°Well, he does attack in order to fulfill the [Light Shah¡¯s] tactical objectives and¡ª¡° ¡°That¡¯s not the point! Our baby is apprehended by the guards¡ª¡° ¡°He¡¯s in the city dungeon,¡± Amen interjected. ¡°¡ªin the dungeon,¡± Ana corrected. ¡°For assassination, and no one thought to tell his only mother that his Class was [Assassin]!¡± She spun to face Amen again. ¡°Are you an [Assassin] too!¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m a [Mage],¡± Amen replied nonchalantly, crooking an eyebrow. ¡°A [Mage]?!¡± Ana¡¯s temper dialed down a few notches in confusion. ¡°Why are you working as a draftsman for an [Engineer]?¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Mom. This really isn¡¯t the time. I came by to make sure everyone was okay before I went to the Tarzu Palace to sort this all out. So would someone tell me everyone is okay and why there¡¯s a crowd outside the barricaded entranceway?¡±
Five minutes later, Amen phased through the barricade to the front of the crowd, to a few startled gasps. ¡°Friends, neighbors, citizens, lend me your ears.¡± Amen actually didn¡¯t have any Skills directed to crowds, unless they were subordinates, though [Natural Leader] and 1400+ CHA were, well, naturally effective. ¡°You saw the guards come to my home this morning to retrieve my brother and heard that the [Light Shah] is dead. These are both true!¡± ¡°We heard your brother killed our lord!¡± an idiot yelled from the back. ¡°And that is false, Your Grace,¡± Amen replied smoothly. ¡°Pamu was directly employed by the [Light Shah], and could be considered a confidante. But with his death, my brother remains one of the foremost authorities within the city on the nature of [Assassins], and he is, I have no doubt, working right now to discover the true murderer!¡± Amen sent telepathically. ¡°Then why did the guard arrest him?¡± the idiot yelled again. ¡°I do not know. But I can assure you that Pamu is innocent in the [Light Shah¡¯s] death. And we both pledge that we shall not rest until he is avenged.¡± The crowd remained silent for several long moments. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you,¡± the idiot said, more quietly this time. ¡°[Detect Lies] said it was all truth.¡± ¡°But then why did his family barricade the entryway.¡± ¡°I¡¯m still suspicious.¡± ¡°Ladies and gentlemen. We appreciate your concern regarding the tragic events this morning. But there is nothing you can do about it. You are [Bakers], [Scribes], [Housewives], [Maids], and [Stablehands],¡± Amen rattled off several Classes he could [Identify] in the crowd. ¡°Go back to your normal business. You are upsetting my family.¡± ¡°Or what?¡± I¡¯m not sure if this idiot is troublesome or useful. ¡°Or I¡¯ll disperse the crowd myself.¡± The crowd remained where they were, not necessarily hostile, though no more likely to listen to a young man who merely worked as a non-Classed draftsman for an [Engineer] and was too hesitant to ask a young woman on a date. ¡°Make us,¡± the idiot spat out. Who is this guy? Amen thought, as he cast another of his newest merged Skills.
[Lost World *M 5] (N/A): A wide area of effect attack, creating a dense fog. While it does not cause direct damage, enemies will find themselves sapped of strength in body, mind, and senses. Area covered and strength of effect increases with Rank.
The street in front of their home was suddenly covered by a dense fog. Amen quickly tweaked the Skill to direct the crowd away from the home and only to inhibit their mind and senses: no need to have the weakest members collapse on the street. As the relatively weak crowd became rapidly disoriented and debilitated, they found themselves shuffling along in several directions away from the home. When Amen was satisfied that they were well on their way to leaving, he pumped a fair bit more MP into the Skill in order to ensure that it stuck around for a while. It¡¯d probably still run out before he got back, but at least no one would return immediately. Amen quickly phased back through the barricade, debriefing his fathers on the situation outside and advising them that no one should leave the house. With a few quick kisses goodbye, Amen was off to the Tarzu palace to get to the bottom of the mystery.
The [Dawn Heir] was in his father¡¯s former office, roughly categorizing all that was in it and planning on what needed to be dealt with most promptly. His father was, if anything, a capable bureaucrat, though too soft on crime and military matters, and so there was little that would affect Tarzu immediately. Particularly economically, he needed the status quo to remain for his plans to move forward. ¡°[Dawn Heir],¡± a man¡¯s voice addressed him just as he was closing a small chest. Strange. I locked the door and said I was not to be disturbed. The [Dawn Heir] turned about slowly. ¡°The [Assassin]? I thought I locked you up. Come to finish the job?¡± he smirked. ¡°That¡¯s my brother Pamu. I am Amen.¡± On his way over, Pamu had filled him in that the [Light Shah¡¯s] body had already been removed and the scene of the crime too disturbed to gather any evidence. ¡°Ah, but of course,¡± the [Dawn Heir¡¯s] grin broadened. ¡°The mysterious [Mage] brother to my father¡¯s equally mysterious chief [Assassin]. You know,¡± he trailed off as he plopped down into the luxurious chair behind the desk. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting you here this quick.¡± ¡°You were expecting me?¡± ¡°Well, I threw your brother in the dungeon¡ªwith zero casualties to my surprise¡ªand, well, you¡¯re a loose end, no? Or, unaccounted for, at least. Another factor to address? Take your pick.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ surprisingly calculating of you.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s the perfect opportunity for war, don¡¯t you agree?¡± ¡°¡­ what?¡± ¡°No, perhaps you¡¯re farther behind than I thought,¡± the [Dawn Heir] frowned gently. ¡°Pray, what did you do for my father anyways? The [Assassin¡¯s] role was clear, but as far as I can tell, you¡¯re a simple draftsman. A [Mage], mind you, but still, I couldn¡¯t quite pin you down.¡± ¡°I never worked directly for your father. I sometimes helped Pamu, but rarely.¡± ¡°And your role then?¡± Amen shrugged. ¡°I mostly just watched his back.¡± ¡°Of course, of course. The second-tier [Mage] that can¡¯t be [Identified] assisting the top [Assassin] in Tarzu and breaks into my own office in the middle of the day without alerting a single guard?¡± The [Dawn Heir] raised another eyebrow, but was quickly running out. ¡°Fine, keep your secrets for now. But I¡¯ve kept us off track long enough; let¡¯s discuss why you¡¯re really here.¡± ¡°Pamu didn¡¯t kill your father. He¡ª¡± ¡°Of course he didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°¡ªwait, what?¡± ¡°I killed my father.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡ªa bold confession to make, Your Grace.¡± ¡°Well, the line of succession is exceptionally thin. And frankly I couldn¡¯t actually arrest your brother if he wasn¡¯t cooperative, or, at least, not without spending significant resources. But your brother, and presumably you, share something in common: You live here, with extended family, and are loyal to Tarzu. I may not be a good man, but I am a good leader, and better than a civil war.¡± Amen, who had been relaying the whole conversation to Pamu telepathically, asked, ¡°You¡¯ve given this a lot of thought,¡± Amen replied neutrally. ¡°I have, haven¡¯t I?¡± the [Dawn Heir] grinned. ¡°And so it comes down to how do you get your brother out of the dungeon and keep your family safe.¡± ¡°What can I do?¡± ¡°Simple, I want you to go to Abmeris and prepare for war.¡± ¡°You want me to assassinate the [Shadow Shah]?¡± ¡°What? No. How¡¯s your history?¡± ¡°Of the Free Cities? Weak.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a long history of the Free Cities conquering each other. As long as there¡¯s nothing too underhanded, the conquered cities are usually fairly compliant, knowing their comeuppance will eventually come. So, the war needs to appear legitimate so that when I conquer Abmeris, its people accept me as their legitimate ruler. A decapitating strike is frowned upon, but sabotage is not. I¡¯d send my [Assassin], but he¡¯s currently acting as a scape goat. But an illusion [Mage] with your level of furtivity? Perhaps just as useful. Damage their enchanted walls and their armories. I¡¯ll attack with my army in the morning of the 69th day from now.¡± ¡°You¡¯re using your father and my brother to justify war?¡± ¡°Wow, I seriously overestimated your INT and WIS.¡± ¡°The [Shadow Shah] is a good man. A good ruler for Abmeris.¡± ¡°And perhaps I¡¯ll let him keep his head and a minor gubernatorial role. But Abmeris will be mine, with the others soon to follow.¡± Amen nodded his head in silence for several long moments, frantically communicating with Pamu telepathically over the situation. Finally, he sighed deeply. ¡°You¡¯re a cunning man, [Dawn Heir]. I¡¯ll do as you ask.¡± ¡°Just what I wanted and a compliment too. Such a lovely day.¡± 17.3.5 Interlude While his brother was out trying to fix things, one night, Pamu ? was sleeping deeply in his dungeon cell. Snoring away, he absent slapped away at his chest at a ticklish sensation. This happened twice more before it was enough to wake him, only to find himself looking into the eyes of another man less than an arm-length away, dressed in dark clothing, with a scarf covering his face. ¡°Umm, can I help you?¡± Pamu offered. ¡°Why can¡¯t I stab you?¡± a surprisingly high-pitched male voice responded. ¡°Uhh¡­¡± ¡°I mean, I stabbed you in your chest like five times, but you¡¯re not dead,¡± he complained. ¡°There¡¯s not even any blood!¡± ¡°Do you¡ªdo you want to try again?¡± Pamu suggested, then watched the blade move at the slowest speed towards his chest. He actively fought against his Skills trying to force him to dodge, only for the tip of the blade to bounce off his bare chest.
Ding! You have been stabbed for 49,670 HP damage.
¡°Ah, you¡¯re just not doing enough damage,¡± Pamu replied with a confident smile. ¡°What do you mean not enough damage?! That was almost fifty thousand damage!¡± ¡°Yes, which is¡­ umm, sorry, I¡¯m not the [Mathematics] brother¡­ uh, less than a percent of my HP. Less than, uh, half a percent.¡± Stolen story; please report. The would-be assailant thought deeply, ticking at his fingers as he did the numbers, before giving up. ¡°It¡¯d just be a lot easier if you told me your total HP.¡± ¡°Eight million.¡± The assailant coughed on his on spit. ¡°Eight million!¡± ¡°Almost eight and a half! But, yeah, you¡¯d need to do a lot more damage in order to actually pierce my skin. Unless, well, it built up over time.¡± ¡°I know how to stab people. I¡¯m the Pantheon-damned second-best [Assassin] in Tarzu.¡± ¡°Oh hey! Me too. So I guess you¡¯re actually the third-best in Tarzu now that you¡¯ve met me. Unless, are you referring to Houi.¡± The [Assassin] grit his teeth. ¡°That¡¯s Master Houi to you.¡± ¡°Ugh, well I kind of incapacitated her a while back and the guards killed her. So¡­ Wait! Are you here to kill me?¡± Pamu grinned excitedly at being a target for an [Assassin]. (At that exact moment, many kilometers away, Amen ? shuddered, reminiscing about his second death). ¡°Well, I was. I¡¯m now regretting my life choices.¡± ¡°Nah, man, don¡¯t be like that. This is a perfect learning opportunity.¡± ¡°¡­.Really?!¡± ¡°Yes! First, you should always know as an [Assassin] when you have to abandon a job. Whether because you¡¯ve been discovered, or it wouldn¡¯t be clean enough, or your target is unkillable. But second, you¡¯re now stuck in a dungeon cell with the greatest [Assassin] in the Free Desert Cities. Maybe, all of The Ayres. And¡­ I¡¯m willing to entertain some lessons.¡± The [Assassin] raised an eyebrow, but didn¡¯t contest Pamu¡¯s proclamations, except, ¡°I¡¯m not stuck in this dungeon cell.¡± ¡°And neither am I. We¡¯re just two dudes hanging out in a cell together.¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± the [Assassin] cried in exasperation, before pulling his scarf down under his chin. ¡°I am not a man!¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Pamu replied, channeling [Speak Romantically]. ¡°Well I swing that way too, babe.¡± At which point, the [Assassin] punched him in the nose. 17.4 The Great Sandstorm The [Dawn Heir] was once again in his father¡¯s former office¡ªnow firmly his office¡ªmaking final preparations for the departure of his army. The three hundred native Tarzuns and two hundred mercenaries should be more than enough, but this blasted sandstorm could potentially be a problem. Neither of the city¡¯s [Weather Forecasters] had predicted the sandstorm when it rolled in as night fell yesterday, and it had continued all morning, now approaching afternoon. Worse yet, neither [Weather Forecaster] was able to forecast when the storm would end, saying that something was interfering with their Skills. At least the enchanted wall kept most of the sand out. ¡°[Dawn Heir],¡± a quasi-familiar male voice addressed him. He looked up to see who had entered unnoticed. ¡°Amen the [Saboteur],¡± he greeted. ¡°I was not expecting to see you until I was gloriously riding into Abmeris. I trust you have a good story for me?¡± ¡°Oh do I ever,¡± Amen ? grinned, spinning around to sit into a guest chair. ¡°Allow me to amuse you, Your Grace, with The Tale of Amen and the [Shadow Shah].¡±
Ramet, [Shadow Shah] and leader of Abmeris, sighed as his morning court session continued. The current petitioner was a [Caravaneer Merchant] who used to have a special privilege on traffic running north out of the city. But Ramet had cancelled all such privileges when he first inherited the position, and while the other merchants had grumbled, they eventually gave up on trying to reinstate their old privileges. But not this [Rabbitkin]. Every three months, when he was in Abmeris and about ready to leave, this [Caravaneer Merchant] would re-petition him for his old privileges. For thirteen (13!) years this had gone on. And Ramet was a little tempted to carve an exception to his rule permitting open petitions. But no, he had principles to uphold. At least Ramet was able to schedule him as the last petitioner of the morning, and could cut him off when the session ended before lunch and his daily shade. ¡°[Shadow Shah],¡± a deep voice announced. Ramet startled slightly as a young adult [Rabbitkin] appeared just before him, half again as close as the [Merchant]. [Assassin]? He thought. No, they wouldn¡¯t announce themselves. But how did he approach so close? Erring charitably, Ramet returned the greeting. ¡°Petitioner. I¡¯m afraid that all time for this morning¡¯s session has been allocated. You¡¯ll have to come another time.¡± The young man snapped his fingers, and the [Shadow Shah] felt a substantial movement of mana through the room. A great gale summoned into existence just behind the young man¡ª[Mage]¡ªand sent the [Merchant] tumbling backwards straight out of court and into the plaza outside. A small breeze blew through the edges and corners of the room, but surprisingly neither the [Shah], [Guards], nor members of the public were affected. As the [Merchant] cleared the entranceway, the heavy doors followed him, slamming shut with a resounding thud. As the [Shah] rebalanced his hat, he gave subtle hand signals to the [Guard Captain] on duty to keep his men back: A [Mage] who could nonchalantly afford an expenditure that large was better appeased than arrested. ¡°It seems my docket has cleared,¡± the [Shah] tried to joke. ¡°May I have your name, level and Class, then present your petition.¡± ¡°I am called Amen. I am a citizen of the Free Desert City of Tarzu. I am a Level 62 [Desert Illusionist].¡± A chill raced up the [Shah¡¯s] spine. To have tiered up at such an age. Genius or monster? ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not familiar with the Class. And, as you have evolved, your Race as well, please.¡± ¡°[Desert Rabbitkin]. And the Class is an (ultra rare) mage-variant.¡± This time the [Shah] visibly shuddered. Of course it¡¯d be the higher Race evolution. And (ultra rare)! Tender care¡­ ¡°And your petition, sir magister?¡± he asked, using the respectful form of address for powerful mages of uncertain allegiance. ¡°The [Light Shah] is dead, assassinated. And the [Dawn Heir] deigns to use his death as a pretext to attack Abmeris 64 days from now. In so doing, he has imprisoned my brother and threatened my family, ordering me to come to Abmeris to sabotage its defenses.¡± That¡¯s a lot to unpack, was the [Shah]¡¯s first thought, but he did so anyways. The assassination of a leader of one of the Free Cities was no small matter, the guilds usually refusing to do so on the grounds that such chaos was unprofitable. And apparently war was to come to his city. And the saboteur, who he was not sure his forces could even apprehend, was standing in front of him because¡­ ¡°And you¡¯re here to¡­ what? Gloat?¡± ¡°No, Your Grace. I am here to petition you to conquer Tarzu.¡± The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Ramet eyes widened at that. ¡°Excuse me? You want me to conquer your home city?¡± ¡°Well, yes. If I just killed the [Dawn Heir], I could very well trigger a civil war. But, I have it on good authority that if the city were conquered legitimately, the transition would be peaceful. You already have a reputation for being a good leader, and I have spent the last four days in this city confirming that with my own eyes.¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t have that kind of military power.¡± ¡°A hundred soldiers will suffice; I¡¯ll provide enchanted weapons and armor. We¡¯ll move in under cover of a sandstorm. With that in play, the walls will be unmanned and I will blow up the gate, enchantments and all, as you and your men rush in. Then, I¡¯ll distract the [Dawn Heir] while you punch towards the palace and rout any soldiers stupid enough to stay loyal to him to the end.¡± ¡°Wait, wait, wait. Hold on. You can¡¯t just plan a war in a few sentences. There¡¯s¡­ not even a sandstorm predicted in the next few months. Where are we supposed to get a sandstorm? And what about the people here? A war campaign would deprive the city of its daily shade.¡± For the first time, Amen did not immediately respond, and instead rubbed his chin thoughtfully. ¡°I think I can satisfy you as to both concerns. Tell me, are you familiar with pluvo?¡± Amen asked, using a foreign word. ¡°Pluvo? The tears of the sky?¡± ¡°Ah, great, you are familiar,¡± Amen said cheerfully for once, his serious demeanor breaking as he rubbed his hands together in anticipation. ¡°This¡¯ll be good,¡± he muttered under his breath. The [Shah] watched as Amen turned his gaze upwards, seemingly through the ceiling, but at nothing at all. As Amen spread his arms wide to his sides, the [Shah] felt an immense shift of mana flow from the young [Mage], larger than any he ever had before. Those still standing in court, even those not sensitive to mana, staggered at the sensation. Finally, when the [Shah] felt it couldn¡¯t continue anymore, Amen clapped his hands together, the sound echoing in the silent stone chamber. As the [Shah] sat, wondering what could have happened to all that mana, the ambient light in the courtroom rapidly dimmed as if in deep twilight. A great crack like a cliff rockfall rumbled through the building. Then a great rustling sound, like sand cascading down a dune, filtered in through the light recesses high in the room. The [Shah] gaped, staring at the recesses where the sound came from. Suddenly leaping to his feet, he ran past the petitioner to the entranceway, grasped the door handle, then heaved it open and stepped out. As sky tears fell upon his upturned face, the [Shah] let out a manic, reverberating laugh. All throughout Abmeris, that scene was repeated, as people turned up to face the miracle. Some giggled, others had a silent grin, and still others shrieked in delight or surprise. And throughout the city, all praised their leader, the [Shadow Shah], for his good works.
¡°You see,¡± Amen said, jumping away from narrating his story. ¡°I¡¯ve killed a lot of people and that¡¯s¡­ troubled me. But, I recently learned¡ªor relearned, perhaps¡ªthat with great power comes great responsibility. And with that, I should kill those that deserve it, serving as both judge and executioner.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± the [Dawn Heir] grunted sourly. ¡°Well, it was certainly a fantastical story, and now I have a reason for executing one of your younger siblings for lying to me and wasting my morning.¡± Then he paused and raised an eyebrow. ¡°Or maybe you have betrayed me.¡± ¡°There was no lie in my tale,¡± Amen replied. ¡°Oh, really?¡± the [Dawn Heir] asked. ¡°So you¡¯re a powerful water mage, what does that have to do with a sandstorm? And last I checked, my city remains secured. There has been no messenger to inform me. Nor a lark on the wind bearing the clang of weapons and whoosh of magic. Not a trace of evidence to your whimsical claims. So tell me citizen, why are you here?¡± ¡°Not a [Water Mage]. My initial Class was [Sand Mage] (very rare), and for reasons I won¡¯t explain to you, I have significant Skills strengthening use of wind magic. So whipping up last night¡¯s sandstorm wasn¡¯t too difficult, certain not compared to conjuring all that water in Abmeris.¡± ¡°Moreover,¡± Amen continued, ¡°I already told you why I¡¯m here. While I do enjoy a bit of gloating, I am here to distract you while your last loyalists are slain.¡± Amen paused dramatically, then raised a hand. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it seem a little quiet?¡± The [Dawn Heir] finally noticed the mana coming off of the man. Then, the bastard [Rabbitkin] snapped his fingers, and the veil dropped from around the [Dawn Heir¡¯s] office. The din of battle, steel and magic intruded in through the uopen balcony, and the city leader finally saw that the sandstorm had gone, blue sky returning. The usurper rushed out onto the balcony overlooking the plaza below, and saw his forces in disarray as a heavily armored troupe of foreign soldiers rushed in, using enchanted weapons to fling bolts of fire, ice or pure mana at his unprepared legion. As the blood drained from the [Dawn Heir¡¯s] face, and panic began to set in, a steel grip fell upon his shoulder. He glanced up nervously behind him, like prey before the predator. ¡°You see,¡± Amen remarked casually, ¡°I really must thank you for the idea of conquering Tarzu. You were quite right. The City guard surrendered almost immediately after I blew the gate up, the citizens are unwilling to fight, and your loyalists are few and concentrated here at the palace. As to the why I would support a foreign power ruling Tarzu. It¡¯s simple really. It¡¯s not that you threatened me, my brother and my family, though that doesn¡¯t win you any favors. It¡¯s that you¡¯re willing to lie to and kill your own people for your ambitions. That is your crime. [Father to Your People], bah! You know nothing of leading your kin. You want to help your people? Why don¡¯t you join them?¡± Several seconds later, the [Dawn Heir¡¯s] corpse crashed into the plaza before the thickest bundle of loyalists still standing after setting a new record for the longest fall in Tarzu. Over the plaza, illusions flickered into place declaring the [Heir¡¯s] death and demanding surrender. And just a few minutes later, illusions popped into existence throughout the city informing them of their conquest by the benevolent [Shadow Shah] of Abmeris, long may he rule. 17.5 Denouement Amen stayed on that balcony for a long while the [Shadow Shah¡¯s] men seized control of the palace. A coldness settled deep in his bones as he considered the [Dawn Heir¡¯s] death. It was right, he thought, opening and closing the hand that had thrown the surprised [Rabbitkin]. He deserved to die. Though, perhaps doing it in cold blood will never sit well with me. ¡°Amen!¡± a familiar voice and side hug pounced on him. ¡°Good to see you too, Pamu,¡± Amen ? whispered. ¡°So, did you enjoy your adventure?¡± Pamu ? jested. ¡°Saved the city, defeated the bad guy. All that¡¯s left is to get the girl, huh?¡± ¡°You joke, but you¡¯re right. I¡¯ve floundered long enough this life. Time to pull a Nick ? and ask Aria out.¡± ¡°Woah woah woah. I did not ask you out. Shelby ? proposed to me.¡± ¡°Yeah, well maybe we¡¯ll look back at this life as the one with the normal sexual relationships.¡± ¡°Should I mention who I met in the dungeon?¡±
¡°And so they lived happily ever after, until the end of their days. And that was how the Brothers Tarzu helped your great-great-grandfather save their beloved Tarzu.¡± ¡°What!¡± shrieked a little six-year-old [Rabbitkin]. ¡°What! That was a terrible Brothers Tarzu story! There was hardly any Pamu in it at all,¡± she whined. ¡°And why didn¡¯t Amen just start off by killing the [Dawn Heir]. Bah! I could write better!¡± ¡°Oh,¡± the elderly storyteller grinned, a glint in his eyes. ¡°Perhaps you will be a [Scribe] or an [Author]?¡± ¡°Nonono. You¡¯ll just need to pick a better stor-ry next time. The Brothers Tarzu and the [Eldritch] Temple of Doom. Or maybe The Brother Tarzu and the Free City [Princess], even with the kissy stuff.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a story,¡± the old man console his granddaughter with a headpat. But, as he did so, a chill raced down his spine, causing him to instinctively touch the amulet hanging around his neck to make sure it was still there. ¡°Still, it¡¯s time to sleep.¡± ¡°Oh, fine. Goodnight ne ne.¡± ¡°Goodnight amika.¡± The old [Rabbitkin] blew out the oil lamp lighting his granddaughter¡¯s room, and drew the curtain across the doorway as he left. ¡°Not just a story,¡± the old man whispered as he moved down the poorly lit hallway. It was decades ago, but that day was crystallized in his memory like no other. He himself had been but six years of age himself. There he was, sitting in the general audience of his grandfather¡¯s court, bored out of his mind, wishing for anything interesting to happen. And to any child who could dream, something interesting did. A great sweeping presence blew into the courtroom, dominating the audience and striking a bargain with the [Shadow Shah]. Even then, he recognized the System effect of being subsumed by many hundreds of points of CHA and a half dozen interpersonal Skills. Any child would have thrown a tantrum at such social tyranny. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. But he didn¡¯t care. He was there. He saw the miracle that was ¡°rain,¡± water falling from the sky. And, as the men prepared to march off to war, the ice¡ªice!¡ªsculptures which surrounded the palace in a statement of power to the people. He had been enchanted, thoroughly enchanted at the time, his childhood mind set a whirring. But time went by as it was all too apt to do and he grew up. And while ¡°Uncles¡± Amen and Tamu were a regular, though infrequent, part of his life, he eventually came to believe that those days of rain and ice were but a childhood fancy that never really happened. Hardly anyone else spoke of it anyways by the time he was an adult. And then twelve years ago, his father passed down to him the amulet now around his neck. It had originally been gifted to his father by Amen late in life, allegedly for some celebration of Amen¡¯s success; no one really was quite sure. But the old storyteller had always been interested in enchanting, even picking up a Skill or two, and he immediately recognized the work as quite masterful. A filigree of copper embedded in treated peach wood harvested from Tarzu¡¯s own groves, and encased in some sort of hardened lacquer for protection. And though quite lovely, and undoubtedly expensive, a master¡¯s work were readily available, if not widespread. And so, he was quite unprepared for the shock when he [Analyzed Enchantment]:
[Amulet of Wise Leadership] (fantastic): One of a series of enchanted objects produced by Amen and Pamu upon reaching the third tier as a proof of concept that purportedly non-magical System Traits and Skills could form the basis for an enchantment. That understanding for such production has been lost however. Feeding mana to the amulet will improve the wearer¡¯s wise leadership, including decisionmaking, budgeting, planning, and delegation. Additionally, when others seek the wearer¡¯s advice, the advice given will be improved. +10 WIS.
Confirmation that they had reached the third tier was almost a sideshow. He had never seen a (fantastic) anything before, and now he had confirmation that a series of them had been produced. They were so rare no one even knew what the upper bound was on (fantastic) Objects or how the System counted them because there weren¡¯t enough to study. Heck, the darn description had changed thrice since he had acquired it, though he didn¡¯t know if that was common with (fantastic) Objects or if this was just another oddity of those two. And so he realized, almost too late, that his ¡°Uncles¡± were as amazingly powerful as his memories served and the stories told. While they were still around, he tried desperately to pick their minds for all that they knew. And when that failed, he began investigating within the [Shah¡¯s] records, his personal family records, and among the nobility. To the best of his knowledge, only five of these (fantastic) Objects existed: two to the [Shah¡¯s family] and three to their own family. Each Object was stranger than the last, but no one knew how they were made. And so, a year later, when the brothers disappeared¡ªpresumed dead¡ªtheir workshops and estates were overturned (by both the [Shah] and nobility) in search of additional (fantastic) Objects or their means for production. Alas, while (rare) and (very rare) Objects abounded, and the scholarly notes highly advanced, the brother¡¯s greatest achievements were lost. Or, perhaps, to his childish fancy, hidden away to be discovered. But between the notes and Objects that were found, and careful study of the few (fantastic) pieces, the [Enchanters] of the Free Cities were progressing by leaps and bounds, with (rare) and (very rare) Objects becoming significantly more common, and the very first (ultra rare) Objects being commissioned by the wealthiest nobles, both domestic and foreign. Indeed, the enchanted Object trade was quickly making the Free Cities among the wealthiest on The Ayres continent. And so he climbed into bed beside his sleeping wife with these turbulent thoughts in mind. The Pantheon had no [Rabbitkin] god. Most dwelling in the Free Cities would pay their respects to the god of perilous travel or the goddess of the harvest, though some preferred The Steward for her administrative prowess. But the point remained that his Race had no direct representation among the divines. And he certainly would not blaspheme by suggesting that such had ever existed. But he knew with a singular conviction that the Brothers Tarzu were no mere mortals. Their life not ¡°just a story.¡± At the very least, they were legends. 17.S Status Short Status, at the time of Tarzu¡¯s conquest
Amen ? (L124), [Desert Rabbitkin] (VR) (L62), [Desert Illusionist] (UR) (L62)
Pamu ? (L124), [Desert Rabbitkin] (VR) (L62), [Desert Assassin] (UR) (L62)
HP: 8,830,434/8,830,434 8,432,531/8,432,531
(54,908 / hour) (38,170 / hour)
MP: 15,962,503/15,962,503 6,445,767/6,445,767
(42,371 / hour) (22,715 / hour)
CON: 717 1318
STR: 721 1439
DEX: 717 1911
INT: 2127 744
WIS: 2131 726
CHA: 1431 1496
Free: 0 0
v.1.42
Short Status, just before death, 2956 S.A.
Amen ? (L202), [Jinn Rabbitkin] (F) (L101), [Mirage Enchanter of the Erg] (U) (L101)
Pamu ? (L202), [Shaytin Rabbitkin] (F) (L101), [Vagrant Blade of the Sun] (U) (L101)
HP: 42,103,620/42,103,620 36,853,053/36,853,053
(118,636 / hour) (82,980 / hour)
MP: 74,263,951/74,263,951 31,815,017/31,815,017
(91,343 / hour) (50,495 / hour)
CON: This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. 1743 3487
STR: 1527 2380
DEX: 1707 5305
INT: 4566 1819
WIS: 4575 1801
CHA: 2830 1804
Free: 0 0
v.1.42
Reminder: *C represents a consolidated Skill *M represents a merged Skill *F represents a fused Skill Rarities: Common (C), Uncommon (UC), Remarkable (Re), Rare (Ra), Very Rare (VR), Ultra Rare (UR), Fantastic (F), Unique (U) The same rarity naming convention is used for Races, Classes, Tiered Traits/Skills, and Ranked Traits/Skills, but how exactly the rarities apply differ within each group. The following listing does not represent Skills that are lost when using [Skill Fusion] or [Skill Merge] or that are hidden when using [Skill Consolidation]. Additionally, the following does not reflect Rank or Tier increases to Skills, as that would essentially restate the long-form Skill list. The good news is that despite that plethora of new Skills, the net numbers of Skills for Amen is at least -20, but for Pamu is at least +10 (but Amen still has more in total).
New Skills ¨C Amen ? [Languages *C] (N/A): Consolidated Skill: This Skill combines the languages (for which Ranks are separately recorded) of Aengeesh 40, Annese 14, Eastern Kneet 40, Eupash 12, Goblinese 5, Greenwood Elvish 40, Jameis 20, Nounuentennessee 20, Oavactarian 8, Ostesh 40, Ravornia 60, Starwood Elvish 40, Tyr Trade Tongue 9, Ucarhi 40, Western Kneet 18. [Bond Balance] (VR): Any XP multipliers are averaged with your Bond partner. [Hunter''s Senses *M 12] (N/A): All senses passively improved by 50%. When tracking quarry, you can sense them at a distance of (Rank*5) meters; doubled in wild areas. [Indomitable Winter *M 10] (N/A): The ice you conjur is (Rank)% colder. Any additional temperature modifiers are multiplicative, rather than additive. [In the Beginning, the Gods Created the System *M 18] (N/A): Before [Engineers], there were the Gods. And their greatest design, the System. Emboldened to defy the heavens, you will find inspiration anywhere and everywhere as you craft your designs. Effect of inspiration improved with Rank. [Corporate Officer *M 24] (N/A): You are exceptionally skilled at founding an organization, staffing it, making a budget, creating plans, delegating work, supervising work, coordinating people and material, and moving forward to completion. Any organization you are leading will make and accomplish its plans in (100-3*Rank)% (but no less than 25%) of the time, with a (Rank)% that the plans will be executed flawlessly. [Mr. Clean *M 37] (N/A): You are exceptionally skilled at cleaning and maintaining cleanliness, whether of body, clothing, armor, or your home. Additionally, when on the battlefield, you will always appear unruffled and can clean yourself with a touch of MP. [Detect X *C 5] (N/A): Consolidated Skill: Pinpoint the location of a companion, fish or nemesis within a distance of (Rank*WIS) meters. [The Last Defense Is A Sword *F 16] (N/A): You really ought to be in the back lines, and even if an enemy manages to rush you, you''re probably still better off flinging magic. But when even that fails, at least you know your way around a larger piece of sharpened steel. Additionally, by sacrificing [Archery] to fuse your bladed Skills together, you have gained some ability at deflecting projectiles with same. Improves with Rank. [Furtive Rogue *M 18] (N/A): You excel at sneaking around. Less likely to be noticed, better at hiding, apt to turn invisible, and even when seen, likely to be confused with someone who is supposed to be where you are. When moving furtively, your enemies must pass four checks in order to detect you. Improves with Rank. [Glacies *M 12] (N/A): Freely able to conjur and manipulate all forms of ice, your enemies will be unable to predict how you will attack, from wide-spread area of effect attacks, to pinpoint ranged strikes, to close-ranged shields and weapons of same. Manipulate up to 100*(Rank^2) kilograms of frozen water. [Ignis *M 25] (N/A): Freely able to conjur and manipulate all forms of fire, your enemies will be unable to predict how you will attack, from wide-spread area of effect attacks, to pinpoint ranged strikes, to close-ranged shields and weapons of same. Manipulate up to 10*(Rank^2) cubic meters of the flame. [Calendar] (F): The current date in the System Age is displayed in your Status. [Never Late III] (F): When casting magic, you have an 87.5% chance of releasing it at an opportune time to maximize damage. [Better Herbivore II] (Ra): You extract 100% more nutrients from plants in your diet [Succulent III] (VR): You require 87.5% less water to function properly. [General Baking 16] (C): You have knowledge and skill regarding baking in general. [Cake Baking 22] (UC): You have particular knowledge and skill regarding baking cakes. [Trickster] (VR): You are significantly more likely to succeed at tricking someone to act as you please, particularly if you are inhibited by oath, obligation, or the truth. [Wiry] (Ra): Your skin is significantly tougher and, even when cut, you are less likely to bleed. [Intimidation 5] (Ra): You are significantly more likely to intimidate your target when making a display of power. [Petra *M 8] (N/A): Freely able to conjur and manipulate all forms of stone, your enemies will be unable to predict how you will attack, from wide-spread area of effect attacks, to pinpoint ranged strikes, to close-ranged shields and weapons of same. Manipulate up to 10*(Rank^2) cubic meters of stone. [Ventus *M 6] (N/A): Freely able to manipulate the wind, your enemies will be unable to predict your movements at all, and whether or not the wind is a friend or foe. What you lack in offense or defense, you make up in chaos and psychology. Manipulate up to 100*(Rank^2) cubic meters of air. [Mirage *F 5] (N/A): You are particularly skilled at conjuring illusions of light, sand, wind and heat. These illusions are strengthened when the deception therein is potentially deadly to the victim. [Stronger Enchantments 5] (UR): When you successfully enchant an Object, the effect of the Object will be (5*Rank)% stronger. [Successful Enchantments 5] (UR): You are (2*Rank)% more likely (multiplicative) to succeed in any enchantment attempt. [Enchant Mana Storage 6] (F): You may enchant an Object to have its own mana storage, which may be filled by a [Mage] or similar, so that the object may be used by those without the needed MP or control to do so. [Deceptive Objects] (U): You may enchant an Object so that it is resistant to [Analyze Enchantment], returning false information. [(Very Rare) Enchantments] (F): You may attempt to imbue an enchantment based on a magical Skill of (very rare) quality or a magic spell of similar complexity. [(Ultra Rare) Enchantments] (U): You may attempt to imbue an enchantment based on a magical Skill of (ultra rare) quality or a magic spell of similar complexity. [(Fantastic) Enchantments] (U): You may attempt to imbue an enchantment based on a magical Skill of (fantastic) quality or a magic spell of similar complexity. [Objects of Deception] (U): When attempting to create an Object with a deception effect, you are twice as likely to succeed, the effect will be twice as powerful, and is likely to come with a bonus effect.
New Skills ¨C Pamu ? [Languages *C] (N/A): Consolidated Skill: This Skill combines the languages (for which Ranks are separately recorded) of Aengeesh 40, Annese 14, Eastern Kneet 40, Eupash 12, Goblinese 5, Greenwood Elvish 40, Nounuentennessee 20, Oavactarian 8, Ostesh 40, Ravornia 60, Starwood Elvish 40, Tyr Trade Tongue 9, Ucarhi 40, Western Kneet 18. [Bond Balance] (VR): Any XP multipliers are averaged with your Bond partner. [Damage Resistance *C] (N/A): Consolidated Skill: This Skill combined [Damage Resistance] for Cold V, Pain V, Soul III [Hunter''s Senses *M 16] (N/A): All senses passively improved by 50%. When tracking quarry, you can sense them at a distance of (Rank*5) meters; doubled in wild areas. [Defender *M 22] (N/A): Your shield is not merely a piece of equipment, but an extension of your body. You move it fluidly and intuitively, and it gains passive resistance and recovery traits from you. You are harder to knock back when using a shield, and you can often hit back even harder with it. Improves with Rank [Armored *M 12] (N/A): You are comfortable wearing any sort of armor, and when you do so, you are even better protected. Your armor is (Rank)% lighter and you move easier in it. Additionally, your armor now has AP, which must be fully depleted before the armor takes any damage; AP is proportional based on the quality of the armor worn and scales with Rank. [Sympathy 5] (Re): In a negotiation, you are more likely to appear sympathetic to the other side. [Peaceful Demeanor 5] (Ra): In a negotiation, it is significantly less likely for violence to break out. [Ambush Predator 8] (Re): You are skilled at setting up ambushes and maximizing the damage caused when you attack from ambush [Poisoned Blood] (VR): Your blood itself is poisonous to your enemies. [Never Early III] (F): In melee combat, you have an 87.5% chance of a strike being perfectly timed to maximize damage [Jump III] (VR): A Racial Skill of evolved [Rabbitkin], you may now jump 250% as high as you otherwise would. [Calendar] (F): The current date in the System Age is displayed in your Status. [Better Herbivore II] (Ra): You extract 100% more nutrients from plants in your diet [General Baking 12] (C): You have knowledge and skill regarding baking in general. [Pastry Baking 16] (Re): You have knowledge and skill regarding baking pastries. [Wiry] (Ra): Your skin is significantly tougher and, even when cut, you are less likely to bleed. [With a Single Strike 5] (VR): If your first strike connects with the head or torso or equivalent, you have a (Rank)% chance that the strike will be instantly lethal. [Back to a Traitorous Wall 5] (UR): Your enemies will find that even with their back to a wall, they are not safe. Though not a [Mage], you can cause a sharpened spike to burst out of a wall behind an enemy''s back. [Create Stone Blade] (VR): You may create various blades out of stone. [Create Light Blade] (UR): You may create various blades out of hard light. [Inflict Heat Exhaustion 6] (VR): You have a chance to inflict heat exhaustion against an enemy. The longer a battle against an enemy lasts, the more likely this is to occur. [Never Saw It Coming 5] (VR): Your enemies remain particularly ignorant when your purpose is their death. [Wandering Death] (F): When you are traveling without a destination, you are significantly more likely to come across a situation for which someone''s death at your hand is the best outcome. [Drop Attack 6] (Re): You could just fall out of the sky, or you could attack while doing so. [Garrote 6] (Ra): Sometimes a scream is not permitted. [Deathly Silent] (VR): When you are on the prowl, you move silently provided you do not move at above average speed. [Ethereal Dodge] (UR): Up to five times per hour, you will instinctively avoid a terrible blow by partially phasing your body immaterial. 18. The Birds ¡°Uncle!¡± young Robert called out into the barn. ¡°Uncle!¡± Still, no reply came, and Robert continued to wander around the farm, wondering where his no-good relation had disappeared to. ¡°Uncle!¡± he tried once last time before giving up. Cresting back over the hill which the house stood on, a flicker of movement at the village only a kilometer away caught his eye. Peering closely, he saw a crowd starting to form just out of sight behind some buildings. Oh well. Might as well go see what¡¯s happening. And hopefully someone will have seen Uncle, Robert thought as he began a light jog towards the village. A few minutes later, and he regretted ever getting up that morning. For the crowd was watching his uncle slaughter a cow in the village green while wearing a shabby black cloak with hastily attached feathers to it. Robert¡¯s face drained of blood in horror, then filled with it in shame, and he briefly considered leaving. But no, he had promised his mother that he¡¯d keep his Uncle out of too much trouble and, well¡­ Actually, he had no idea what he was going to do. Pushing his way to the front of the crowd, Robert stepped apart from it and closed half the distance to his uncle. ¡°Uncle!¡± ¡°Ah, Robert,¡± his Uncle replied with a winning¡ªor possibly manic¡ªsmile. ¡°Good, good, you¡¯re here. Help me butcher little Timmy here.¡± Actually, now that he mentioned it, Robert noticed that it was not a cow, but a very young steer. Wait, did he name the calf before he slaughtered it?! Robert palmed his face before any more terrible idea crossed his mind. ¡°Uncle. What are you doing?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± his Uncle looked up, bewildered for just a moment, before his mask went back on. ¡°Oh, of course, of course. Well, you see, I ran into these two fellows, most interesting gents they were, and they were telling me about these rumors spreading all through the Oster Highlands, about these¡ªyou recall seeing those specks in the sky recently? Of course you do. Well, apparently, those are supposed to be divine beasts sent by the Pantheon to keep an eye out on Creation itself. Blessing villages, slaying [Eldritches], and even rescuing [Princesses] if that one story is to be believed. Well, it turns out that a few villages that figured out that if you can appease them, you can get them to divert from their mandated course, and will come to assist. So, I figured that with that big [Troll] infestation we can¡¯t get rid of, I¡¯d call them down and ask for their help.¡± Robert had begun to massage of his temples somewhere around ¡°rumors,¡± and only deepened the massage as the monologue had continued. ¡°Uncle¡­ No. We don¡¯t need some bird-brained idea of yours to, to¡ªhow did you describe it? No, no, I¡¯m not even entertaining the idea. Uncle,¡± Robert clapped his hands. ¡°The Williamson twins are expected back in the village next week. They¡¯re the youngest gold-ranked adventurers that the District has had in a generation, and will be more than enough to handle a couple of [Trolls].¡± ¡°But, but I¡ª¡± Uncle stuttered, then whipped his head around and up. ¡°They¡¯re here,¡± he breathed, then started leaping back and forth, flapping his cloak about him. As Robert (and the crowd) followed Uncle¡¯s gaze, he saw the black pinpricks of two raptors soaring high overhead. They seemed like they would continue unabated, until they suddenly rolled, tucked, and began to dive towards the village. Robert was surprised, but still not impressed until he noticed that the pinpricks continued growing and growing in size as they approached. His eyes widened ever so slightly in amazement when the pair spread their wings to halt and land gently, their wingspans more than two horses long. As they perched on the ground before his Uncle and his offering, he saw that even standing, they were nearly as tall as Uncle, but far wider and longer. These were no mere raptors.
Anthony¡ªUncle to his dear nephew, Robert¡ªwas agape as these two magnificent sky kings landed before him and his offering, staring him down with the glare of an apex predator. ¡°Oh great sky kings, this humble village¡­¡± Anthony began. Rhys ? sent, ignoring the man¡¯s jabberings. replied Edea ? as she nudged the calf and then tore into a thigh. ¡°Yes, my lords, I thought that a veal offering would be best to¡­¡± Anthony continued addressing the birds ignoring him. Rhys asked, tearing into the tenderloin. ¡°Well, you see my lords, we are having a bit of a [Troll] problem and¡­¡± Edea asked, less dismissive of the natives than Rhys. ¡°Umm, yes, my lords, I can hear you just fine. Well, in my head mind you. Not¡ª¡° Anthony was cut off as Edea hopped right in front of him and brought her foot-long, blood-covered beak right in front of Anthony¡¯s now blood-drained face. She stared into his eyes and he felt like his own soul was being judged. Edea asked, sending to Anthony. ¡°Y-yes.¡± Edea asked, sending to Rhys but not Anthony. ¡°Yes?¡± Edea squawked lightly, hopping back a step. Rhys abandoned the offering to approach Anthony as well. Rhys thundered, flaring [Intimidation]. ¡°Umm, my name is Anthony, lord. [Human]. And I¡­ do not know?¡± Edea grunted, looking down at Anthony¡¯s now wet pants. Rhys said, finally noticing the crowd, who¡ªexcept for one boy¡ªwere all now kneeling deeply. Then, to the kid. Several moments passed with nobody communicating. Then, triggering [Bellyspeech] so he could speak aloud in [Ostesh], ¡°Satus tabernus, young human-kindred. Tell I, for what reason arst though not in a fit of hysteria from mine own fearsome nature?¡± ¡°What? You can speak?¡± Robert responded. ¡°Verily. Mine company and I were discoursing with this gentleman with a Skill of mind-speak. That dost not work on thou. And so, pray, will thou answer the query?¡± ¡°You¡¯re pretty scary, but I¡¯ve met my ma.¡± Robert said confidently, then idly noted that the big bird wore a small backpack. ¡°Ah, verily. Motherhood.¡± ¡°Why do you speak funny?¡± ¡°I do not speak funny. My manner of speaking is proper [Ostesh], which, pray, is rank forty. Fi. Thou dost¡ª¡° ¡°Forty!¡± ¡°Pray, do not interrupt young one. As I was saying, thou dost raise a riddle. For we are mutually understanding of each other, and so it is still [Ostesh]. Yes, yet a few millennia past and so different doth the tongue diverge. Riddle indeed.¡± Rhys ? concluded. Edea ? teased. Edea replied privately. ¡°Pray, rise villagers,¡± she spoke, the stern, but kind voice of a [Queen] upon these peasants. ¡°We haft been satisfied by your offering of veal¡ª¡° she bit back. ¡°¡ªand will grant unto thee a small boon.¡±
Ding! You have received the [Village Blessing of Rhys] (ultra rare): HP and MP recovery are tripled. Your ability to learn new Skills or rank up existing Skills is increased by 75%. Expires in three days.
As the villagers marveled at their notifications, Anthony was the first to recover. ¡°I thank you my lords for this blessing. However, this was not the purpose for which we sought to capture your attention.¡± ¡°Pray, and what was that?¡± Edea asked. ¡°We have a bit of a monster problem you see. Five [Trolls] have encamped at a cave a few kilometers from here and have been troublesome for months.¡± ¡°Solely [Trolls], verily? That is a simple enough boon to also grant.¡± Edea then turned her head back to the unintimidated child. ¡°Pray, child, what is your name?¡± ¡°Robert, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Pray Robert, what is thy Class and combat capability? We would be glad to share the Experience with you.¡± Robert raised an eyebrow at that. ¡°I haven¡¯t Classed yet. But I¡¯m planning on being a [Farmer]. And no fighting Skills.¡± ¡°How disappointing. And truly none? How would thou fight off [Goblins] or [Kobolds]?¡± ¡°[Goblins]? Haven¡¯t had any [Goblins] for a century, ever since the [Gobbertons] came through. Anything else¡­ I¡¯d get the village to help.¡± Edea hummed to herself, which ended up more trill-like than she cared, then turned to the crowd. ¡°Doth anyone else wish to join mine party to smite the [Trolls] and gain Experience?¡± The crowd remained silently, a few slowly shaking their heads in the negative. ¡°Truly? Well then. Robert, would thou care to observe? Shall I issue thee a quest?¡±
Ding! Edea has issued you a Quest: Accompany her and observe her might as she slays the nearby band of trolls troubling this village. Reward: 500 XP. Penalty for failure: Edea is disappointed in you. Penalty for refusal: Mockery by a bird.
¡°You can do that?! But System Quests are supposed to be for epic adventurers not¡­ errands?¡± ¡°¡¯Tis one of my many secrets. So, are thou coming?¡± ¡°What about my Uncle?¡± Robert asked, pointing at Anthony, who had wandered off with Rhys ? to the far side of the green. ¡°Oh, he? My partner shall keep him company until we return. Come, climb onto my back and wrap your arms around my neck.¡± If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°You can fly with me on there? I¡¯m not exactly an [Elf].¡± ¡°But of course. One does not reach the third tier by being weak.¡± Robert shuddered at the casual reference to third tier. If that was true, well, maybe Robert¡¯s ma wasn¡¯t quite as intimidating.
Any negative doubts turned to exhilaration as Edea ? careened with Robert across the valley¡¯s sky. Edea mentally smirked¡ªbeaks not conducive to the humanoid gesture¡ªbut decided it had been long enough. ¡°Young Robert,¡± she called. ¡°I believe thou were to give directions.¡± ¡°Huh,¡± Robert yelped. ¡°Oh, right,¡± then turned his head around, orienting himself. ¡°You see that mountain,¡± he pointed, holding on carefully. ¡°Head that way.¡± Edea banked, turning back towards the mountain in question. ¡°Hey, ma¡¯am,¡± Robert asked. ¡°Why was your friend wearing a backpack?¡± ¡°Oh, you noticed? Few do, even up close. Illusion enchantments. Are thou certain you wish to be a [Farmer]?¡± ¡°Well, sure. It¡¯s been in the family a long time. And ever since the agricultural revolution, it¡¯s been a (remarkable) Class, which is pretty good.¡± ¡°Agricultural revolution?¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t heard of that?¡± ¡°I am a bird.¡± ¡°Oh yeah. Well, supposedly happened back during my grandpa¡¯s grandpa¡¯s time. Back then, [Farmer] was (common) which could be real hard on those Classed into it. Couldn¡¯t grow that much food, and couldn¡¯t get the towns and cities to pay enough. Fewer kids were Classing into it, and you even had the occasional [Farmer] give up the Class and the XP for better prospects. Then, one day, whabam! It flipped over to (uncommon) for everyone. Food production boomed, city populations boomed, but [Farmer] incomes stagnated, then fell as we overproduced. Lost an entire generation of kids who skipped being a [Farmer] and there were even more stories about failed [Farmers] giving up the Class. The oldest [Farmers] died, the middle-aged became old, and just as they were starting to die off, Whabam! The Class flopped to (remarkable). It was too late for the old one¡¯s productions to increase more individually, but as the generation died off, food prices climbed again. With the recovered incomes and the (remarkable) Class, a generation of youngsters picked it up again. And once the oldest generation died off, they found themselves wealthier than a lot of town and city folk.¡± ¡°Remarkable, indeed. You seem well-informed for a village boy. So, where is our destination now, Robert?¡± ¡°Loop around the mountain about a quarter way around. I¡¯ll point out where they¡¯ve been camping.¡± ¡°Ah, I see them now. Hold on tight, dear Robert.¡± ¡°Aaaah!¡±
Being reincarnated as an animal, while retaining most of their sapience, was both difficult and easy for the pair to deal with. On the one hand, they had a freedom of action that would make [Philosophers]¡ªnaturally antagonist to societal pressures¡ªdrool in excitement. On the other hand, they literally had no one to talk to except each other unless, like Bo and Bella, those chose to associate themselves with a society. And so it was, with a few cracks, that Amen ? and Pamu ? were reborn as [East Ayres Falcons] (rare) in, naturally, the eastern part of The Ayres. Born in adjacent clutches, they were quite sure they were third or fourth cousins but, well, birds for all their vocalizations didn¡¯t have much to say. Of course, then the mama birds returned. And while being in the body of a bird helped, there was only so much they could do. After two weeks, the pair juiced themselves to adolescence with [Magical Growth], got [System Access], and hopped the coop. Their parents returning to see the two chicks gone, assumed that the chicks were unfit, and were glad to be rid of them. Putting several kilometers behind them, the pair¡ªwell, Amen¡ªused stone magic to dig out a woodpecker style den in the side of another cliff face, while Pamu requisitioned some furs for bedding. And, after settling in, the first thing both did was buy one of the strangest perks:
[Early System Access] (F): You will now have access to the System from birth, but will still Class at the usual maturity for your species. Who would even buy this Trait?
While getting System access in two weeks this life wasn¡¯t too bad, they had cheated by accelerating their own growth habit. Really, reflecting on their past lives made them realize that as much as they didn¡¯t need System Access at birth, it would simplify things. The second thing they did, with that aforementioned [Philosopher] drool-inducing freedom, was replicate Nameless¡¯ totally broken XP scheme for Pamu by not leveling up Pamu while killing beasts 30, 40, even 50 levels above them. Of course, with [Bond Balance], that meant Amen couldn¡¯t level either without slowing them both down, but the risk paid off. It took almost a year, but when they were done, Pamu went Classed and went straight to level 101 in both Race and Class, grabbing those powerful Traits that Amen already had:
[There Is No Queue] (F): You have jumped your Race directly from Level 0 to Level 51 and your first tier up, bypassing all before it. Obtain XP at 2x. Additional options unlocked. [No Interference] (F): You have jumped your Race directly from Level 51 to Level 101 and your second tier up, after immediately earning [There Is No Queue]. You¡¯re a complete beast. Obtain XP at 8x. Additional options unlocked. Sapients trying to interfere with you will find it 50% more difficult to do so. [A Choice in Class] (F): You Classed and uptiered twice in the same day. Spend XP and SKP to preview your next Class selections and learn the missing prerequisites for any Class with only one missing prerequisite.
Curiously, [No Interference], which had been (unique) for Amen, was only (fantastic) for Pamu, and then a moment later, Amen received a notification that [No Interference] was downgraded to (fantastic), though without a change in effect. Both of them evolved their Race from [East Ayres Falcon] (Ra) to [Slayres Raptor] (UR) then to [Ager Eagle] (F), a task which required a quick remodeling to make more room in their cliff cave. Pamu couldn¡¯t use [A Choice in Class] this life, but Amen finally could and he did so. First, he used it in order to get an initial Class¡ª[Wild Blue Mage] (UR)¡ªthat was a step rarer than the [Sky Mage] (VR) he once had as a [Wyvern]. Then, in tiering up, he got [Empyrean Mage] (F), and then [Jovian Mage] (U), both being essentially higher forms of [Sky Mage]. He was a bird after all. Pamu on the other hand¡ªthe renowned melee combatant¡ªselected [Sky Mage] (VR), the look on Amen¡¯s bird face totally worth it. After the cawing laughter finally ended, she pointed out that some wind magic would be good for birds, and then tiered up the Class into more physical directions with [Arcane Monk] (UR) and [Judge Above] (F). Finally, after a year, they decided to name each other. Pamu declared, picking an old [Elven] male name, which the System adopted. Amen ?¡ªnow Rhys ?¡ªwas grooming his lucky feather on his right wing, an avian tic that he was thinking hard. After an hour of the two examining each other and concluding they had no idea how to tell if they were male or female, they went with plan B: disable any interfering Traits and consume overripe fruit until they were drunk and their animal instincts took over. One awkward coupling later, and figuring that Rhys was male and Pamu ? was now female, he declared, picking an old [Elven] female name for her ?. The two lazed about for a few months until the big question came. And with that they left. A week later, after countless hours staring down at the ground far below them and wishing she had maps this good when she was ground-bound, Edea realized something so hard that she would have facepalmed if she had the right anatomy.
¡°So, uh, what¡¯s in the bag?¡± Anthony asked awkwardly. He had just withstood an extended interrogation by the third-tier [Ager Eagle] named Rhys about how he could hear Rhys¡¯ brain-talk to his partner. And, well, it had been silent now for several minutes. ¡°[Cartographers]?¡± ¡°Oh. So, uhh, what are you mapping?¡± ¡°Well, clearly, but what part?¡± ¡°The whole world?! But how do you cross the oceans?¡± ¡°Oh, right, I forgot,¡± he trailed off lamely. ¡°So¡­ how¡¯s it going?¡± As Rhys ? spoke, the top of the bag popped open with a bit of magic, and a watertight tube emerged. The end popped off, and a rolled sheet of parchment as wide and tall as Anthony was tall unfurled and hovered before him. As Anthony gazed upon a map of the entirety of Ager for the first time, a tear welled up in one eye, soon rolling down his cheek. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± he declared. Rhys noted. ¡°I never would have thought I¡¯d have seen all of Creation at once.¡± Rhys stared at the oddly emotional man.
Indeed, Edea¡¯s idea soon after leaving was to make maps. She had the [Cartography] Skill already, and both of them had keen senses and other Skills related to geography. And so, after a brief incident where they robbed a bandit and then used the bandit¡¯s funds to rob involuntarily purchase supplies from a stationer¡¯s store, the pair began a slow hopping grid across The Ayres, creating both a world map and a series of regional maps. A year for The Ayres. A year for Slanemore. Two years for the ocean east. Two years for the ocean south. A year for Breibone. Two years for the ocean west. Two years and counting for Eurial, perhaps for a total of three years. Eleven years had passed and perhaps another year until they were done. And then what? They had no means for money, no matter how lavishly they would be paid. No, instead, they had been dropping off regional maps at major cities, academies and libraries throughout their travels. And once the global map was done¡ªno, not done, the [Dragons] at The Top of the World were wholly disagreeable¡ªthey planned to do another quick visit to drop off a copy of that as well. Without needing to move in a grid pattern¡ªand knowing now where the major centers of learning were¡ªthey¡¯d be able to move quickly, even around the world as they had planned.
¡°Travel? Travel... That is most wise my lord. I will take you up on the suggestion.¡± ¡°As you say my lord,¡± Anthony replied, as Edea ? landed before them, Robert sliding off her back. ¡°How was the hunt?¡± ¡°The hunt was a fair thing,¡± Edea replied verbally. ¡°They died quickly.¡± ¡°It was incredible!¡± Robert beamed. ¡°She took them all out with but a single strike each.¡± ¡°Well, but of course my dear. I should hope I would indeed. Still want to be a [Farmer]?¡± ¡°Absolutely. But I¡¯ll think about it,¡± Robert replied with a shit-eating grin. ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad you had a good time, Robert,¡± Anthony said. ¡°Thank you lady Edea for your assistance. And to you lord Rhys for showing me Creation.¡± ¡°¡¯Twas no trouble at all. But we shall be off. Be sure to use that blessing while you still have it,¡± Rhys replied as he took off, blasting air around the two [Humans] and the other bystanders. ¡°Goddess be with you,¡± Edea called as she in turn followed. Uncle and nephew stood there on the village green as the two disappeared out of sight.
A year later, Edea ? was putting the final touches on their master copy of the global map, when she got a notification.
Ding! You have received the Trait: [The First Global Mapmaker] (U): For successfully mapping the entirety of Ager, receive a +15% bonus to INT.
Rhys ? cried out.
Ding! You have received the Trait: [The First Global Mapmaker¡¯s Assistant] (F): For assisting in the successful mapping of the entirety of Ager, receive a +5% bonus to INT.
Edea laughed.
With the map completed, the pair began to make copies and distribute them as planned. If their random bouts of kindness and [Eldritch] slaying weren¡¯t enough to earn them a myth or two, the appearance of the global maps¡ªenchanted by Rhys into Objects for preservation, durability, and authentication to those with the right Skill¡ªwould have been. Throughout Eurial¡ªand then, in time, each of the other continents and inhabited islands¡ªbewildered but excited academics, adventurers and statesmen all began to ponder where to go.
A year of distribution finally found the pair return to their mountain range of birth in The Ayres. There actually were a handful of [Ager Eagles] in the area, but they kept fairly small territories and the duo were quick to locate a good spot to settle down in. A dozen years of work and they were keen for a bit of retirement. And maybe raise a chick. Squawk, squawk! As much as they enjoyed being parents again, there was something a little melancholy about having a non-sapient child. She was perfectly healthy as an [East Ayres Falcon], and if anything their superior parentage gave her a big wing-up on the other members of her generation, but it was still deeply uncanny. Once she left the nest with a relatively flamboyant male adolescent, the pair vowed to never again have animal offspring. And so, once again, they settled down into an even quieter retirement. Not too quiet though. After an awkward introduction or two¡ªbeing mistaken for monsters was common¡ªthey found themselves serving as guardian elders for a handful of nearby [Garuda] and [Rabbitkin] villages. They killed beasts and [Eldritch], showed up for the festivals, and blessed the babies and the villages. Though there were no epics¡ªneither heroes born nor ferocious enemies slain¡ªin one small part of The Ayres, another set of legends were being carved into the hearts of the people there. To the duo, their reasoning was more visceral. If they could not have children to care for, then they would care for all the people. And thus the years passed until that oddly-familiar final ding graced them once more.
18.S Status Short Status, just before death, 3114 S.A.
Rhys ? (L240), [Ager Eagle] (F) (L120), [Jovian Mage] (U) (L120)
Edea ? (L240), [Ager Eagle] (F) (L120), [Judge Above] (F) (L120)
HP: 397,045,627/397,045,627 172,873,663/172,873,663
(357,714 / hour) (169,450 / hour)
MP: 712,677,186/712,677,186 129,858,008/129,858,008
(282,317 / hour) (102,270 / hour)
CON: 5711 3547
STR: 5241 10045
DEX: 5138 10045
INT: 14841 3371
WIS: 14780 3509
CHA: 5391 3373
Free: 0 0
v.1.50
Reminder: *C represents a consolidated Skill *M represents a merged Skill *F represents a fused Skill Rarities: Common (C), Uncommon (UC), Remarkable (Re), Rare (Ra), Very Rare (VR), Ultra Rare (UR), Fantastic (F), Unique (U) The same rarity naming convention is used for Races, Classes, Tiered Traits/Skills, and Ranked Traits/Skills, but how exactly the rarities apply differ within each group. The following listing does not represent Skills that are lost when using [Skill Fusion] or [Skill Merge] or that are hidden when using [Skill Consolidation]. Additionally, the following does not reflect Rank or Tier increases to Skills, as that would essentially restate the long-form Skill list. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
New Skills ¨C Rhys ? [The First Global Mapmaker¡¯s Assistant] (F): For assisting in the successful mapping of the entirety of Ager, receive a +5% bonus to INT. [My Body Is My Armor *F] (N/A): The outer layer of your body, whether skin, scale, feather or otherwise, is 200% tougher. [Animate Trees *M] (N/A): Not quite treants, you are able to magically animate trees to move and fight. Spend 500 MP per cubic meter of trunk to animate for a quarter hour. [King of Birds] (UR): You are the king of the birds. [Nature''s Will *M] (N/A): All nonsapients animals recognize your will. They will come when summoned, speak when spoken to, and your will be done. [The First Garden *M] (N/A): All plants will bend to your will. They will grow when commanded, fruit when desired, and yield their bounty when needed. You may outright heal your subjects, and you have a predilection to magical plants. [Higher Rarity Enchantments *C] (N/A): Consolidated Skill: You may attempt to imbue an enchantment based on a magical skill of (very rare) (ultra rare) or (fantastic) quality or a magic spell of similar complexity. [Navitas *M 12] (N/A): Freely able to manipulate pure mana to do your bidding, from various piercing attacks, to tools, blades, and shields. [Against the Firmament 18] (UR): You are more difficult to identify at a great distance. [Light Scattering 9] (VR): When working with illusions or stealth, light more easily scatters around your body. [Wild Combat *F 14] (N/A): You have learned to fight like the great animals, with nail, tooth, claw, and even your voice itself. [Feather Fall 10] (VR): Falls from great heights causes much less or no damage. [Soar 28] (VR): You can soar high above for extended distances and periods of time. [The Greenway *F 40] (N/A): Travel at the speed of life. Movement speed increased by (Rank*10)% when within a forest. [In Their Place 8] (UR): You recognize that all others are beneath you, and others recognize their place. [The Blessings of the System *F 28] (N/A): You are able to bless any person or animal, individually or in groups. The nature of the blessing can be tailored significantly, and can be boosted by spending your HP, MP or XP. [The All Seeing Eye *F 24] (N/A): See that which your eyes cannot. The invisible, whether the flow of the winds or the hidden poisons. The hidden, whether friend or foe, flora or fauna. And the undiscovered, whether lands or caves, ruins or graves, your treasure will be found. [Ball Lightning 4] (F): Conjur a sphere of the sky''s judgment itself to hurl at your enemies. [Chain Lightning 4] (UR): Lightning attacks have an area of effect. [Cloud Formation 16] (F): Conjur up to (Rank) kilometers-cubed of clouds. [Lightning Strike 6] (VR): When open sky is available, summon down a bolt of lightning to strike your enemies. [The Celestial Sphere] (F): This Trait gives you knowledge regarding the stars. [The Sun''s Path] (F): This Trait gives you knowledge regarding the sun. [The Wandering Stars] (F): This Trait gives you knowledge regarding the five wandering stars. [Weather Forecasting 8] (UR): You are able to predict the weather with some certainty, barring interference by another power. Improves with Rank. [World Eater *F] (N/A): You require so little and are so efficient at consuming it, that you can get by with passive absorption from your surroundings, no consumption needed. Truly, you would only eat for its own satisfaction. [Early System Access] (F): You will now have access to the System from birth, but will still Class at the usual maturity for your species. Who would even buy this Trait?
New Skills ¨C Edea ? [Blades Everywhere *F] (N/A): You may conjur magically conjurable material or pure mana into a blade for your use [Enveloped Blade 1] (UR): Coat your weapons with pure mana to enhance damage [Mana Fist 12] (UR): Coat the body part striking your enemies with pure mana to enhance damage. [Rend 8] (Re): Slashing attacks are (Rank%) more likely to tear through armor [Sanguine Luck *F 10] (N/A): For each injury caused, you have a (Rank*4)% chance it will be a bleeding injury. Such injury will be (100+Rank*10)% more effective and require (Rank*10)% more effort to clot. [Full Body Contact *M 26] (N/A): Sometimes you can only rely on your own body as a weapon. Initial strikes are (100+Rank*6)% more damaging. Other attacks cause (Rank*4%) more damage. You are exceptionally skilled at maneuvering your opponents body to where you want it on the battlefield. [World Eater *F] (N/A): You require so little and are so efficient at consuming it, that you can get by with passive absorption from your surroundings, no consumption needed. Truly, you would only eat for its own satisfaction. [Manarmor 4] (F): Coat your entire body with pure mana to protect against damage. [My Body Is My Armor *F] (N/A): The outer layer of your body, whether skin, scale, feather or otherwise, is 200% tougher. [No Interference] (F): You have jumped your Race directly from Level 51 to Level 101 and your second tier up, after immediately earning [There Is No Queue]. You¡¯re a complete beast. Obtain XP at 8x. Additional options unlocked. Sapients trying to interfere with you will find it 50% more difficult to do so. [The First Global Mapmaker] (U): For successfully mapping the entirety of Ager, receive a +15% bonus to INT. [There Is No Queue] (F): You have jumped your Race directly from Level 0 to Level 51 and your first tier up, bypassing all before it. Obtain XP at 2x. Additional options unlocked. [Depose and Say] (F): When you declare that you speak the truth, and do so, others will instinctively recognize it as such. [Execution 2] (F): After proclaiming your judgment, you may execute the sentence, whether death or otherwise. [In Their Place 8] (UR): You recognize that all others are beneath you, and others recognize their place. [In Truth, Justice 2] (VR): You can instinctively tell that a person deigning to speak the truth is not speaking the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Rank improves your ability to ferret out what is not truth. [Issue Quest III] (VR): You may issue a quest through the System. Awards may include material items, currency, or XP. [Judgment 2] (F): Upon hearing the relevant facts, proclaim your judgment. [Perfect Negotiation *F] (N/A): People like you. You intuitively understand what the other side has, needs, and wants. You are perfectly capable of negotiating what you want in a manner most favorable, while maintaining the peace, whether such desires is material or otherwise. [Rule of Fist] (VR): When there is no law, there is only one politics people know. [Rule of Law] (F): When there is law, your judgment is limited by it, but is proportionally more powerful as so limited. [The Big Picture 4] (UR): You have a fuller picture of the relevant context, even outside the facts you know. [Wise Elder 2] (UR): Draw upon the wisdom of your elders in making difficult decisions. [Breath Magic 6] (Ra): Optionally channel magical spells or Skills through your mouth. Such spells or Skills cast are 50% more powerful at the same cost. [Mage Hands 22] (Ra): Conjur up to two dextrous hands made of mana for remote manipulation, up to (Rank) meters away. [Mana Brute 4] (VR): Sometimes you can just brute force your way through magic. Add (Rank)*STR*0.1% additional control to your mana manipulation. [Mana Finesse 4] (Ra): Sometimes a gram of finesse if worth a bag of MP. Add (Rank)*DEX*0.1% additional control to your mana manipulation. [Ascent *F 12] (N/A): Excluding flying, you are skilled at rapidly ascending any obstacle, whether giant, tree, or mountain. [Descent *F 26] (N/A): You are skilled at rapid descent, inflicting massive damage when combined with an attack, but perfectly unable to injure yourself in doing so. [None Above] (UR): Any enemies which you are focused on cannot gain a higher vantage point than you. [Soar 28] (VR): You can soar high above for extended distances and periods of time. [All Seeing Sky 2] (F): Cast an aegis upon the sky overlooking your battlefield, up to (Rank*10) meters in diameter. While the spell remains in effect, you are able to perceive all that occurs on the battlefield. [Predator''s Senses *F 20] (N/A): All senses passively improved by (50+Rank*3)%. You always have a strong intuitive sense of where you are, especially in wild areas. When tracking quarry, you can sense them at a distance of (Rank*10) meters, doubled for prey, and doubled in wild areas. Darkness is no obstacle to you. [A Choice in Class] (F): You Classed and uptiered twice in the same day. Spend XP and SKP to preview your next Class selections and learn the missing prerequisites for any Class with only one missing prerequisite. [Early System Access] (F): You will now have access to the System from birth, but will still Class at the usual maturity for your species. Who would even buy this Trait? [Mutans *M 12] (N/A): While the base layout of your body must be followed, you may fundamentally alter your appearance, including a change in up to (Rank*3)% of your body mass. This includes changes internal, such as your skeleton, musculature, and fat deposits, as well as changes external, including skin, hair, feathers, irises, and any other outer layer. Superior to an illusion, as the change is real, if temporary. Base cost of 20,000 MP; thereafter, costs 500 MP per minute. Ranks generally improves quality of appearance, and slightly decreases MP cost. [The Clandestine Arts *M 12] (N/A): You are a grandmaster at being unnoticed, being (Rank*8)% more difficult to detect. Even if you are observed, you have a (Rank*4%) chance that the observer will conclude that you are somebody else''s problem and take no action. Both of the foregoing effects are doubled by each of the following: your purpose is death; it is night; or you are in a dark place. Even when detection is likely, you have a very strong sense of where you can successfully hide. Provided you do not move above your average speed, your movements are silent. 19.1 Rebirth Rhys ?¡¯s thoughts are muddled and sluggish. It¡¯s warm and suffocating, unpleasant even. But the sensations barely register at the periphery of his consciousness. Then a sharp coldness all over, and a touch of light reaches through his still closed eyes. A slap on his back, suddenly reminds his body that his lungs are filled with fluid and he instinctively begins to coughing it out, followed by a few wails. Something is placed in his mouth and he instinctively latches on and soon finds his belly filling with another, different liquid. Sound suddenly comes back to him as the fluid built up in his ears finally releases, and he¡¯s vaguely cognizant that there is speaking around him, but he doesn¡¯t recognize it beyond the phonemes common among all unknown languages. That reminds of him of something and a line of thought just barely begins to form. But his belly is filled and he soon drifts off to dreams of flying.
A cycle forms. Muddied wakefulness, blindness, consumption, expulsion, sleep. Dozens, perhaps hundreds of times. Rhys can¡¯t count, he can barely think, each line of thought cut off as he goes to sleep again. But it gets longer and longer each time, and his short term memory soon strengthens enough for him to build off those small prior victories. Until, finally, he can put together the line of thought that has been tickling the back of his mind since his rebirth. Why do I feel so terrible? Dim and soft. Like I can barely move. And, sleepy¡­ I¡ªI was Rhys the eagle. Grew old, died, reborn. [Reincarnator]. Didn¡¯t we grab [Early System Access]? That should help. [Status]. ¡­ [Status] ¡­ [Short Status] ¡­ Edea, are you having trouble with your Status? I¡¯m wondering if [Early System Access] was faulty somehow. We should consider removing it. ¡­ Did I catch you during your baby nap? ¡­ Edea? Wait, why isn¡¯t [Speak with Elves] triggering?... Pantheon-damned, now it¡¯s spilling to every other Trait; no wonder I feel terrible. Oh, wow, I have almost no mana in me. What was I reborn as? INT and WIS deficiency might explain why thinking is so hard this rebirth. And why I have so little mana. Well, let¡¯s take a look. [Skin Sight]. ¡­ Uhh, [Skin Sight]. ¡­ [Mage Hands] ¡­ [Navitas *M]? [Divine Channel]? [Mr. Clean *M]? [Belly Speech]? Rhys continued to go through what he can recall, trying to trigger the passive Traits and the active Skills he knows he has. As he continues, the rising panic in him sets his heart racing, and he quickly exhausts himself. After just a few dozen, he falls back asleep into the abyss with but a single conclusion. None of them worked.
Rhys ? spends the next handful of waking periods working his way through the hundred or so Traits and Skills he can recall from regular use. No other result occurs, though he is soon distracted by something else. He can finally open his eyes and see. And he doesn¡¯t recognize his mother. Well, no. Actually, I can tell from her smell that she is Mom. But, what is she? I saw a lot of weird shit flying all over Ager and¡­ she¡¯s like a [Hedgehog], with a much larger head, and walks¡ªor rather, waddles¡ªlike a [Penguin]. And opposable thumbs. Mammalian, clearly, but what are we? Unsurprisingly, Rhys doesn¡¯t understand the language she speaks to him in. And while Rhys may not be able to trigger [Polyglot I] right now, by damn he knew how to learn a language from scratch, what with the System refusing to allow anyone to buy a language Skill. Still, I should be able to get conversational in a few months, assuming enough exposure to the tongue. Actually, it was much faster than that. Now that he could see, Rhys could begin to get a sense of time passing, and based on the frequency of his feedings, it couldn¡¯t have been more than a week since his birth. That perhaps wouldn¡¯t have meant much, but two weeks after opening his eyes, Rhys began to crawl. Whatever he was, the Race clearly matured rather quickly. And as he did in body, so he did in mind. With his brain developing, his sluggish thoughts cleared up considerably and he found it much easier to focus on the language, which his plastic memory just soaked up. Within a month of his eye-opening experience, Rhys could follow his parents¡¯ conversations, as long as they kept it simple and slow, though speaking would have to wait a touch longer. But with the language coming to him, he began his investigation, learning what he could of the who, what, where, when, why and how. Among other things, he learned he was a female and her name was Otonia ?. Her sweet mother was Orthia and her father Hipponeus. She appeared not to have any siblings, but given the varying reproductive habits of different sapients, she couldn¡¯t rule that out quite yet. Still didn¡¯t know what their Race was called. The house they lived in appeared small, but of a high quality construction, and Otonia ? wouldn¡¯t have been surprised if it was [Mage]-built, or at the very least, a high-level [Builder]-adjacent Class. A few glimpses out the window showed similar houses clustered together, with others of her Race walking about, but little else could be gleaned. Finally, there was sign of magical activity within their home, but it was hard to see and she was baffled how it worked. Or so Otonia¡¯s initial research had revealed. ¡°I have your nose! I have your nose!¡± ¡°Ma ma!¡± ¡°Aaii! She called me mama! Who¡¯s your mama?¡± ¡°Ma ma!¡± Though that didn¡¯t mean she didn¡¯t enjoy herself sometimes.
¡°B is for Barley, which is the yummy grain we like to eat. F is for Fruit, which are all the sweet things like snowberries, currants, and apples. S is for¡ª¡± Her mother was using a book of pictures to help her through vocabulary, and get through the rudiments of their alphabetic writing system. Still, it had been a month since she started speaking and the sum total of her total vocabulary was weird. She¡¯d been through this process almost a dozen times. Yeah, there was some variation, but there were usual some common landmarks that would have already been hit in this process in every language so far. But this? Otonia ? felt like she was way past that. Maybe it was time for some hard questions. ¡°Mama?¡± ¡°Yes, Ota?¡± ¡°What about the¡ªthe Voice for¡ªVoice of the World?¡± she fumbled through a literal translation, lacking the proper local term for the System. ¡°You mean the Virrem?¡± her mother replied, using a new word that Otonia immediately slotted as System. ¡°Uh-huh.¡± ¡°Who told you about that foul thing?¡± her mother asked sweetly with an undertone of threat usually invisible to children. ¡°Is your father trying to give you nightmares?¡± Foul? Nightmares?! Sorry father. ¡°Yesh, papa.¡± ¡°Oh, sweetie,¡± her mother grasped her in a tight comforting hug. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about the System. It has no presence here, not even with bad children. The Guardians make sure it stays far, far away.¡± Otonia¡¯s thoughts halted in shock. Her mother¡¯s nonsensical words repeating themselves over and over again in her mind. She didn¡¯t even notice when she started crying her eyes out in her maternal embrace.
Otonia woke a few hours later in her crib, a beautiful piece of wrought wood, with a fine filigree of design, both carved and painted all over it. It was, she supposed, reminiscent of a field of flowers. The ceiling overhead had an abstract mural too. But Otonia only had a thousand-meter stare for her attention. Her eyes and tear ducts ached, her nose was clogged with snot, and she could feel the casual griminess on her face and chest of her mother having wiped her down, but not bathed her. No System, she thought. She should have realized it much sooner. Never mind it refusing to respond to her. She should have noticed the non-impact on all the things that the System took care of. Her mana small, when it should have been gargantuan. Her mana sluggish, when it should have been whip easy. The language taking more effort than it should have with [Polyglot] and [Learning]. Slipping as she crawler when [Firm Purchase] should have made that impossible on a mundane house floor. Stolen novel; please report. Sleeping all day when [Less Sleep] should have cut that to minutes. Feeling hungry or thirsty when [World Eater *F] or [Succulent] kept both mostly away. Heck, feeling cold when she had walked the Everwinter Flats with [Cold Resistance V] or a stubbed toe with [Pain Resistance V]. It was like¡­ being Amelia again. Small and weak in an uncaring world. Protected by a loving family as your grew, until you could act as a bulwark yourself for the next generation. That was common life for you. She had, thousands of years ago, and through mysterious happenstance, escaped that fate, that cycle of life, in favor of a new one. Reincarnation. But now? What had happened? Was it [Early System Access]? Were they simply too powerful? Were they punished by the Pantheon? By the System? Was it some random fluke she had been reincarnated in possibly the only Race not a part of the System? Was she even on Ager anymore? Yes, [Reincarnator] worked¡ªshe was alive after all and remembered her past lives¡ªbut what would happen with her next death if the System wasn¡¯t around? Was this her last go around? What happened to your soul anyways after you died? And what happened to Edea?!?
¡°Hipponeus. I¡¯m worried,¡± Orthia said as she watched little Ota just sit on the ground with her toys in front of her, untouched, her gaze unfocused into the distance. ¡°Orty¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you ¡®Orty¡¯ me. I don¡¯t know how, and I don¡¯t know why, but this is somehow your fault, Hipponeus.¡± ¡°Orthia,¡± he grumbled. ¡°I. Did not. Tell our child. About the System.¡± ¡°But she called it the Voice of the World.¡± ¡°Right, and most stories just call it the System. It¡¯s been¡ªwhat?¡ªtwo, three millennia since it last called itself the Voice?¡± ¡°But not all.¡± ¡°I suppose, but I don¡¯t know any stories like that. She must have heard it from elsewhere.¡± ¡°But who? She¡¯s too young to play with any children yet. And that one time my sister came by Ota was asleep the whole time, never even got to say hi to her aunt.¡± ¡°Could it be related to the soul strength of her and her pair bond?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see how. But you¡¯re right that it¡¯s quite the coincidence.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± Hipponeus grunted noncommittally, picking at his short claws in a nervous fit. Finally, after several long moments, ¡°I may have spoken to Lyceneus about this.¡± ¡°You what?!¡± ¡°Hey,¡± he put his hands up defensively. ¡°He approached me. Apparently Krateros went through something similar two weeks ago and has been in a bad mood ever since then.¡± ¡°He asked about the System??¡± she asked, truly perplexed. ¡°Not quite. Apparently, he asked what Race we were and was asking about Traits and Skills,¡± Hipponeus replied, spitting out the words. ¡°That¡¯s so bizarre. Functionally, the System is a bogey to scare children. Many adults wouldn¡¯t even know those intricacies of how it works.¡± ¡°Bizarre indeed. That¡¯s what pushed him to reach out to me. Of course, at the time, Otonia was normal, so I told him it was probably nothing and to stop worrying like a new parent. But now¡­¡± ¡°But now you¡¯re wondering if they really are related somehow,¡± she concluded and they fell into nervous silence. ¡°Otonia¡¯s a sharp-witted child. She¡¯s starting to walk a bit on her own and she¡¯s learning the language very quickly. Perhaps we should move up the debut to her pair bond.¡± ¡°That¡¯s young,¡± Hipponeus frowned. ¡°But not unprecedented. And, given the strength of their souls, it seems appropriate.¡± Hipponeus rubbed his cheeks in deep thought for a minute. ¡°Fine,¡± he relented, ¡°I¡¯ll speak with the master of ceremonies and see about rescheduling it. A week?¡± ¡°Sooner, if you can. It hurts to see her like this.¡± Hipponeus grunted. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡±
Otonia ? had been in a funk. She knew she was in one¡ªshe¡¯d been in one not that many lives ago¡ªbut she couldn¡¯t bring herself to get out of it. She ate and she slept as needed, but otherwise she mostly just sat around, moping about things, trying to sort her feelings and thoughts out on the matter. Finally, one day, her parents appeared freshly groomed, wearing a matching pair of colored scarfs. That was ¡­ interesting, in so much as it was the only time she had seen any clothing on¡­ well, whatever her people called themselves. Shit, should have figured that out by now, she thought as her mother picked her up, quickly grooming her. Then, to her great surprise, her parents carried her out of the front door of the house for the very first time. Getting a view of the outside of the house, she could indeed tell that it had, indeed, been magicked together, given the too smooth texture of the materials and their unjointed connections. That would have cost a fortune in any other society she knew of, but as far as she could tell, every house was like that and, on top of that, so was the stone street of all things. Either I¡¯ve been born into some sort of nobility that values small houses or they must have [Mages]¡ªwell, mages¡ªby the hundreds. But, how do they do all this magic without the System? Casting that first [Fireball] when I was Amelia was a huge undertaking! And no one who succeeded in becoming a [Mage] tried to cast System-less magic afterwards. Looking farther off, Otonia could see that she lived in a town, not too dissimilar from any other the world over. A population of a few thousand, a commercial center, governmental and cultural center. Curiously, she didn¡¯t see a wall around the town, nor an area that looked noticeably wealthier. Looking beyond, she saw huge mountains on all sides of the broader valley that the town was but a small part of. Farms stretched around the town for a fair bit, but most of the valley remained wild. And still no wall, she thought, curiosity starting to pull her out of her depression. Wherever they were, it felt high altitude. She seemed to be breathing fine, but the sky was a darker blue and spending a lifetime flying had made her particularly sensitive to shifts in its brightness, even in another body. Well, assuming I¡¯m still on Ager. Her attention may have been caught on her surroundings, but her parents were being unusually quiet. Or, so she thought. Maybe they just liked silence when they walked? Still, it bothered her enough that ¡°Where are we gone mama?¡± got out before she knew it. ¡°Going. Where are we going,¡± Orthia corrected, a smile sneaking onto her face at her daughter¡¯s already improving mood. ¡°And it¡¯s a surprise, Ota.¡± Ota pouted the pout of a child denied what they want, though it could even be called cute. ¡°Surprises are only fun for the plan makers. Not fun for the person surprised.¡± ¡°Oh ho,¡± her father chortled. ¡°She got you there. Perhaps she¡¯ll be a great sage after all,¡± he said, ignorant of Otonia¡¯s 18 lives of being frustrated at surprises. ¡°Oh hush,¡± Orthia replied, slapping her husband on the shoulder. ¡°What would you have said?¡± ¡°That it¡¯s a secret.¡± ¡°Bah,¡± Otonia replied, ¡°a lie by omi¡ª by omi¡ª by not saying the whole truth.¡± Hipponeus was dumbfounded, but Orthia was all grins. ¡°Great sage indeed, husband. But, it doesn¡¯t matter. We¡¯re here.¡± They had stopped in front of a large building, almost thrice as tall and wide as their house, and who knows how deep. It gave off a distinctively governmental vibe, imposing a sense of grandeur on its audience. Otonia was not impressed. I mean, the ordinary construction was unusual, being mage-built, but this building looked like any other power-expressing great building by a kingdom or would-be empire. There really wasn¡¯t anything past it being mage-built that screamed extravagance or a power symbol. ¡°Why are we here?¡± she trilled off as her family ascended the steps before the building. ¡°Hush. You¡¯ll find soon enough,¡± her mother cajoled her as they entered the building and came into a large, multi-storied atrium. A pair of staircases ran around the inside edge of the balconies overlooking the open space, and Otonia could see doors and hallways a plenty set back away from the gap. Banners of colored cloth, perhaps a dozen colors, rolled off the balconies and hung off into the atrium. One matched the color of her parents¡¯ scarves. A few dozen people were around, either standing around chatting or on their way to and fro. But, except for one other family, no one else wore the strange colored scarves. Her family ignored the staircases, heading straight to the back of the atrium on the first floor, passing through an entranceway larger and more ornate than the others. The hallway was long, with even more entranceways and doors on each side. At the end of the hall though was another door, larger and more ornate than anything so far. A shorter¡­ man?¡ªshe really needed to figure out how to differentiate the sexes for her new species¡ªwas standing outside holding a tall, curved staff. ¡°Ah good you¡¯re here,¡± he addressed them. ¡°The others are already inside.¡± Then he tapped the door with the staff and they slid open under power. Clearly magic, Otonia thought as her family walked through, but why don¡¯t I sense any mana? Even without the System, I should be at least that sensitive. At the center of the room was a circle four or five meters across, embedded with a fine filigree of metal. Enchanted? Otonia thought, but again, no mana. The room was clearly divided in two, with complementary colors, imagery, and physical formations on each side. The staffman walked around to the far side of the circle, positioning himself on the dividing line between the two sides, as her family walked to the left side of the room, the right side already taken up by a family of four: mother and father, with color-matching scarves, but different from her parents; an older child standing impatiently; and another toddler like herself, held by her mother. ¡°Place the children in the circle,¡± the staffman asked kindly, and Otonia soon found herself, well, placed in the circle, as was the other toddler on the far side. The staffman slipped his staff into a nook in the ground, and the staff began to glow. Otonia tried to reach back to her mother, but found that a perfectly transparent barrier now encompassed the circle. Otonia was completely befuddled by, yet again, the complete lack of mana she could sense from what was clearly magic. Pantheon-damned in a boat, she cursed to herself. ¡°We are here now,¡± the staffman intoned, ¡°for the debut of the pair-bound children born on the 217th day of the year. By their introductions, may such complementary souls empower the Fell, and may such dissonant souls find rebirth in another life.¡± Wait, what? What does that even mean? And you can¡¯t just mention rebirth like that! ¡°Go on,¡± her mother whispered behind her. ¡°Go introduce yourself,¡± she said, making motions towards the other child. Otonia raised an eyebrow at that, a remarkably difficult feat for a toddler like herself. ¡°Okay,¡± she said, then turned to get a good look at the other toddler. Only to find her already staring at her. She should have been spooked, disturbed at already being the subject of such attention. But her irises, hazel at a distance, were actually an admixture of gold and brown, layered and entwined with each other. And her pupils¡ªblack like any other, but darker than any night sky she¡¯d seen. Or even the abyssal blindness between lives. And though such a figment of overactive imagination should have invoked terror, they instead brought into her a warm, comfort, like a blanket on a cold winter¡¯s day with a partner who¡ª Otonia began to toddle forward. As she did so, her counterpart saw her movement, and also began to walk forward. They stopped a few arm lengths apart. The other child had a face of bewildered joy, as if she didn¡¯t know what it was that even made her so happy. Otonia just had a stupid grin. ¡°Hello,¡± Otonia began in a normal, if happy, voice. ¡°They call me Otonia,¡± she said, pronouncing each syllable of her name carefully. But then, an inkling crossed her mind, and she dropped into a whisper: ¡°But there is another who called me Myr ?.¡± The other child¡¯s eyes widened in understanding, the bewilderment fleeing her face and leaving behind only joy. ¡°Hello,¡± she said, ¡°they call me Krateros,¡± and then she, in turn whispered, ¡°but there is another who called me Arial of Myr ?.¡± Giggling soon escaped both of their lips. Otonia crashed into Krateros in a full body hug, and the pair fell to the ground laughing maniacally, no more words being shared between them. If either of them had any sense of their surroundings, they would have seen on the faces of their parents fear¡ªwhen Otonia jumped Krateros¡ªthen relief¡ªas the pair were clearly getting along perfectly well¡ªthen concern as the adults lept into the circle to separate the two when they were getting along too well. Though even this last bit was followed by general laughter, sighs of relief, and jokes about it being too early for courtship, as Otonia still hadn¡¯t figured out that Krateros was a boy. 19.2 Swapping Notes After the debut ceremony, Otonia ? begged and pleaded with her parents for her to go play with Krateros ?. After eleven straight days pleading, her mother finally relented and scheduled for going over to Krateros¡¯ home. Right now, Otonia was holding her mother¡¯s hand as they crossed the town, Otonia skipping gleefully¡ªor at least in so much as a bipedal hedgehog could skip. Wait a minute. ¡°Mama, what are we?¡± ¡°What do you mean, sweetie?¡± ¡°Like a bird is a bird and a snake is a snake. What do we call us?¡± Orthia snorted at her daughter¡¯s question. Where does she get the context for these? ¡°If you¡¯re being fancy and talking to our kind, you could just call us The People. Good for speeches. But we do have another name when we are dealing with other sapients: The Fell.¡± ¡°Huh,¡± Otonia acknowledged. Never heard of them before.
¡°Orthia! So good to see you!¡± Krateros¡¯ mother greeted us at the door. ¡°Hello, Hyacintha. I just couldn¡¯t believe how much this little brat was desperate to come over.¡± ¡°Oh, I know, I¡¯m so glad you called. Krato was at me twice a day every day and I was just about at the end of my wit.¡± ¡°Oh jolly, that¡¯s a lot worse than Ota, was¡ª¡± Krateros came bounding past the two older women and slammed into Otonia with a huge hug. ¡°Oh, this again,¡± Hyacintha sighed. ¡°I tried to explain to Krato why this wasn¡¯t appropriate and, well¡ªoh look they¡¯re separating now.¡± Sheepish looks on their face, the duo walked off holding hands deeper into the house as the two mothers went into the kitchen for tea. Finding an empty room with some privacy, the pair sat in a corner with a good view of the door to talk. Maybe after another quick hug.
Otonia ? spoke first when they finally separated. ¡°Tell me everything that¡¯s happened since the last life.¡± ¡°Oh, where to begin?¡± he asked rhetorically. ¡°Birth?¡± ¡°Birth was¡­ definitely atypical. My senses were all over the place and I couldn¡¯t maintain any clear line of thought. I was,¡± he trailed over briefly. ¡°I fell, into instinct. Suckle, sleep, the infant routine. I¡¯m not sure how long it was, but eventually I managed to put enough thoughts together to notice something was weird. I mean, if nothing else, I hadn¡¯t heard from you yet. But of course the birth was¡ª¡° Krateros shuddered, and Otonia rubbed his baby spines around his shoulders in comfort. ¡°Go on,¡± she offered quietly. ¡°I then noticed [Early System Access] wasn¡¯t working and neither was [Speak with Elves]. I didn¡¯t think much of it at the time, and so fell back into a routine again. You know our Race¡ª¡° Krateros gestured collectively. ¡°The Fell,¡± Otonia informed him helpfully. ¡°Trying to get the name out of my mother was hard. I don¡¯t know why it didn¡¯t come up earlier in learning the language.¡± ¡°The Fell, huh. Can¡¯t say I¡¯ve heard of us.¡± ¡°Nor I.¡± ¡°Anyways, the Fell mature quickly as newborns, and soon my mother got to teaching me the language. That went about as well as expected. Of course, I finally got to move around a bit, and I couldn¡¯t get any Skills to trigger. Something¡­¡± Krateros waived his hands around. ¡°Some aspect of my mind had me still ignore it, but once my vocabulary was large enough, I went ahead and asked my mother about Skills. And, well, she said those were for the Pantheon¡¯s game pieces.¡± ¡°Game pieces?¡± ¡°Her words, not mine. She seemed rather angry about it too. Well, anyways, I freaked out at that point. Threw a tantrum, yadda yadda, not relevant. Then next thing I know, I¡¯m being whisked off to see you,¡± he ended with a smile. ¡°Hmm,¡± Otonia hummed. ¡°That¡¯s more or less what happened to me too. My mother said the System was foul and a thing of nightmares. I¡ªI may have thrown my father as at fault.¡± ¡°What did your father ever do to you?¡± ¡°Nothing! He was just convenient at the time. But still¡ªit means we¡¯re on Ager doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°It must. They know of the Pantheon and System, even if they¡¯re not a part of it. Do you,¡± Krateros swallowed. ¡°Do you think we¡¯re at The Top of the World?¡± ¡°The Top? That¡¯s surrounded by [Dragons]. How could any people live there?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. But if we are on Ager, why don¡¯t we¡ªand I do mean specifically you and I¡ªwhy don¡¯t we know where this place is. We were so thorough, when we made those maps.¡± Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°It was a lot of ocean.¡± ¡°It was. And I don¡¯t remember any valley resembling this, and I think I would have remembered seeing a new Race like the Fell. Sure, we saw a lot of Races we hadn¡¯t seen before, but we¡¯re¡­ distinct, right?¡± ¡°Distinct is one way to put it. My first impression was [Hedgehog]/[Penguin].¡± ¡°Oh yeah. I was just thinking about the spines, but that¡¯s a good impression.¡± ¡°But there¡¯s something more important. My mother said we were The Fell, not [The Fell]. Almost like the System didn¡¯t or wouldn¡¯t even recognize us as a Race.¡± ¡°Oh? Oh!¡± Krateros eyes widened, then fell. ¡°Wait, what does that mean?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m not even sure our language has the vocalizations for the [ and the ]. Just now, I slipped in the vocalization from Aengeesh, the language in the Free Desert Cities.¡± ¡°Huh. Didn¡¯t even notice when you did that. But if our parents weren¡¯t going to mention the System until much later in our language tutoring, maybe the [ and the ] vocalizations come later?¡± ¡°Maybe. It¡¯s a lot of language theory and it¡¯s giving me a headache¡­ Sometimes I feel like I am just a child.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve become overly dependent on the System easing childhood for us.¡± ¡°Me? I think you mean ¡®we.¡¯¡± ¡°Yes, of course, dear. But, subject change: so what¡¯s going on with the magic?¡± ¡°Ugh, something else I don¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t think there was any magic in my household at first.¡± ¡°Really? I noticed it right away. Water closet, bathing room, kitchen.¡± ¡°What? How? I didn¡¯t sense anything.¡± ¡°I mean, I didn¡¯t either. But I¡¯m not really a mage, even when I take the Class. But I saw weird shit happening and was like ¡®magic.¡¯ I wasn¡¯t surprised I couldn¡¯t sense it.¡± ¡°Goddess I¡¯m blind,¡± Otonia facepalmed. ¡°Anyways, the important thing is that Fell magic is weird. Like there¡¯s no mana involved. And, yeah, I don¡¯t have the System, but I should still be able to sense the mana, damn it. Hell, I know I can because I can sense the mana in me.¡± ¡°You still have mana? Have you tried casting anything yet?¡± ¡°I¡¯m less than a year old. If it weren¡¯t for the Traits, even a simple fireball would knock me out.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to qualify for a [Mage] Class. Just a little cantrip or something. Maybe a bit of light?¡± ¡°I guess,¡± she conceded, then sat back as she started to visualize the right symbols to make a spell form. She kept rejecting it, simplifying it down to the bare basics. Though her mana was still sluggish, she had enough control over it to pull it out of her body and shape it just right. It took nearly an hour, but finally, a small pebble-sized ball of yellow light appeared over her hand. ¡°Well, magic still works,¡± Krateros stated the obvious. ¡°Why yellow?¡± ¡°Because,¡± she lectured, folding her hand to wink out the light. ¡°Yellow is the baseline color for light spellforms. Very mana efficient. Also, did you feel that?¡± ¡°Yeah, I did. Probably not enough to cast it, but your mana usage was clear enough.¡± ¡°Okay. Well, I think we have two other short term goals. Keep an eye out for any mana usage, and figure out what¡¯s going on with the Fell magic. How old is your sibling?¡± ¡°She¡¯s six years. Why?¡± ¡°Hmm, guess this infant growth spurt will slow down soon. Anyways, if the Fell are anything like any other race, they won¡¯t begin magical instruction until at least that age. But see if you can find out if she¡¯s learned anything and, if not, when she will start. Should be innocuous enough for you to inquire, especially if you see your parents use Fell magic around the house.¡± ¡°I suppose I can do that,¡± Krateros pondered. ¡°But I feel like we¡¯re missing a beat.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°What¡ª¡± Krateros licked his lips nervously, ¡°What do we do this life?¡± Otonia sighed. ¡°It¡¯s unsatisfactory, but I think we need to make that a later problem. There¡¯s too little we understand about what¡¯s going on. And while I have no idea how we¡¯re going to find answers to some of these questions, others we can resolve just by growing up and learning. I don¡¯t know how long our Race lives, but it¡¯s not short. We can spare the time to make an informed decision.¡± ¡°Procrastination. And if there¡¯s nothing? If we can¡¯t reincarnate again?¡± ¡°Well, if there¡¯s nothing we can do, well¡­ we know how to live a good life, don¡¯t we?¡± Otonia smirked melancholy. ¡°Boy meets girl, girl likes boy. You know¡­¡± ¡°Yeah. I suppose we do.¡±
Three months passed, and Otonia ? and Krateros ? were growing fast. They were very much still young children, but the pair could now hold conversations with adults in the local tongue or go out and play with local children near their homes. Their parents actually lived fairly far apart, which made visiting each other difficult. But they were ¡°pair bonded¡±¡ªthey still hadn¡¯t figured out what that meant¡ªso there was extra effort made to allow them to spend time together. Still, Otonia was a great [Mage]. And three months into her investigation of the Fell magic had been frustratingly opaque. Now though, she was willing to throw subtlety out the window. ¡°Mama. I want to learn magic.¡± ¡°Oh? You¡¯re too young to learn magic. You have to wait until you¡¯re five before you can start attending the college.¡± ¡°Oh. Well, can you tell me a little bit about magic anyways? Please?¡± she asked, giving her best begging eyes. ¡°Doesn¡¯t have to be spells or anything.¡± ¡°Oh, all right. I suppose we can have a little chat,¡± her mother gave in, sitting down on a chair, and picking up Otonia to sit on her lap. So, what is magic? Magic is using the World¡¯s energy processed by your soul in order to impress your will upon the World.¡± ¡°Right! That¡¯s mana!¡± ¡°Who taught you that heathen word?¡± her mother asked sharply. Heathen word? Not this again. Apologies father! ¡°Uhh, papa?¡± Otonia ? offered. ¡°I know you¡¯re smarter than you act sometimes, missy. Who. Was. It?¡± ¡°Uhh, I don¡¯t know. I heard it from another child,¡± 18 lifetimes ago, she left unsaid. ¡°Bah, whatever. Just know that mana is only used for lesser magics, and we have no use for it.¡± Lesser magics?! She thought, but wisely kept to herself this time. ¡°Okay, so what¡¯s the energy called?¡± ¡°Well, when it¡¯s raw, it¡¯s called aether. But when it¡¯s been processed by your soul and is ready to use, it¡¯s called experience.¡±
19.3 The Chapter of Magical Cosmology Exposition Otonia ?¡¯s jaw dropped wide opened, her tongue lolling out. The Fell magic uses experience? XP?! ¡°I see I¡¯ve confused you,¡± her mother offered. ¡°Let me start from the beginning,¡± she said, then cleared her throat. ¡°In the beginning, as the World was cooling down from its creation¡ª¡± Wow, that is the beginning. ¡°¡ªthe raw materials of life were just about to come together. The World was flooded with aether, the energy of beginning. Together, these two things enticed the first portals to open to the home realm of souls.¡± ¡°What! Like the Eldritch?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m coming to that. Don¡¯t interrupt. Ah hem. Attracted by the basic building blocks of life and the aether, the first souls came to this World and in binding themselves to these materials, the first life was created. At first, these were just simple things. Microorganisms, molds, mildew. And the very smallest of souls, just little specks, would bring these to life. But as these first simple lifeforms lived, their souls would process the aether into experience as they lived.¡± So weird, Otonia thought. ¡°Before I continue, I must digress to discuss the nature of souls.¡± Wow, Mom really sounds like a lecturer. ¡°We do not know much about them except what we can observe about them while they are here in the World. But what we do know is this: Souls are not native to this plane of existence. They are energy constructs that seek out organic materials and invigorate life into them so that the souls may gain experience and, upon death, return to their home plane with that experience.¡± Well that¡¯s a bummer. ¡°Nor are they sapient, in the strictest sense. This is because a soul does not hold any memories, and thus it lacks personality.¡± What?! But how does [Reincarnator] work then? ¡°However, it is a very good decisionmaker, though this varies from soul to soul. A soul with great wisdom can make good, virtuous decisions; in contrast, a soul with low charisma cannot avoid the attraction and temptation of making bad decisions. Wait? That sounds like WIS and CHA. What in the Pantheon?! ¡°In a sense, a soul is like a hunter gathering berries from the woods. But without intelligence or personality. But instead, the soul seeks to gather experience to return to their home plane. What happens there, we do not know.¡± Spooky. ¡°Now, while a soul¡¯s purpose¡ªfor lack of a better word¡ªis to return with experience, that does not mean that the experience is statically accumulated throughout the life lived. Instead, starting from the earliest lifeforms, experience in the soul allowed the lifeforms to exert their will upon reality. At first, this was a simple thing, running faster, biting harder. Perhaps camouflage to hide better. Or perhaps to improve one¡¯s species, so that the next generation would be even better. In any event, as life flourished and evolved into larger and more complex forms, larger souls would come to animate them.¡± So bigger life needs bigger souls. ¡°But soon the first thinking animals¡ªand later, thinking plants¡ªappeared. And with them, the ability of life to exert its will on the World increased exponentially. This was the original magic, sometimes called the true magic or greater magic, though we usually just refer to it as magic, without the qualifiers.¡± Huh. ¡°Modern scholars divide magic into six schools, but these are mere conceptual organizers, and do not reflect any innate division in what magic can be accomplished with experience.¡± What?! There¡¯s no actual division between magic types?! ¡°First is Conjuration. This is the magic of using experience in order to create matter. Water. Iron. Salt. Or at the higher levels, even something complex like sugar.¡± So like [Icebolt] or [Fireball]. Actually, I¡¯ve got a ton of these that just¡­ makes stuff. ¡°Second is Divination, sometimes called Metamagic. This is magic of information processing. This allows you to send messages. Or scry a place. Or locate a person or thing. It¡¯s also the magic that allows your magic to talk to other parts of your magic, including such things are conditions or timers.¡± So like [All Seeing Sky], but that¡¯s really rare. Or maybe even something as basic as [Skin Sight] would count? I don¡¯t know any messaging magics though, unless [Speak with Elves] counts. But I do have some locating and detecting magics. ¡°Third is Enchantment. This is the magic of binding magic to either a non-living object or a living thing. The enchantment includes not only the magic effect, but also a fair bit of divination magic to have it act just the way desired.¡± That sounds pretty familiar. Except for binding to a living thing! That¡¯s crazy. How would that even work¡­ ¡°Fourth is Evocation, though we usually just call it Manipulation these days. Whereas conjuration creates material, manipulation is imparting energy into a material to manipulate it. Whether you¡¯re flinging conjured material at an enemy to attack, or carving a statue, or heating a pot of water.¡± Oh, wow, that covers a lot of the magic I know. Plus it illustrates that [Icebolt] and [Fireball] are definitely a mix then between evocation and conjuration. ¡°Fifth is Illusion. This is the magic of feeding false information to a soul in order to deceive the life that it lives in.¡± Oh. So that¡¯s how my illusions worked. Well, assuming that System even worked the same way as this ¡®true magic¡¯. Actually, does the System use any of this? Ah! So many questions. ¡°Sixth is Transformation, though more properly called Animation. But, as the school only has a single application, most people think animation is too broad a term, practically speaking, and so narrow it down to transformation. This is the school concerned with altering either the body or soul.¡± Uhh, maybe like Krateros¡¯ [Shapeshifter]? Not many analogies I can think of here. ¡°With the rise of sapients¡ªthinking people¡ªlife continued on the World much as it had. They hunted when they were hungry. They danced when they were happy. They slept when they were tired. They just did it a bit better as they were able to apply their thinking minds to create even better magics.¡± ¡°But soon people discovered something that would change the World: That they could harvest experience from other souls by killing the vessel and stripping it off of the loosed soul.¡± Oh, crap. ¡°The bloodshed started. The greatest killers rising to the top on a sea of corpses. For ten thousand years, all that mattered was who was the greatest slayer. When they were done, the victors carved up the planet into ten thousand fiefdoms, where they reigned supreme, absolute dictators. They cared naught for others, even of their own species, instead raising them like cattle for the slaughter, but for experience rather than meat. These warlords were called ¡®titans¡¯ for they towered unsurpassable over the other members of their species, who in turn were called ¡®mortals,¡¯ for to the titans, they were good for nothing except dying.¡± At that, Otonia¡¯s mother fell silent for a long minute. Then two. Then five. Finally, Otonia asked, ¡°And what about us?¡± Orthia smiled with pride. ¡°We were better, of course. We never fell to the temptations of murder as the other species did. Instead, we learned and taught one another, and through that we all grew stronger. As the people of the World raged, we were the unflappable buttress. Well, us and the Guardians.¡± ¡°The Guardians?¡± ¡°Yes, though for a different reason. While we intrinsically were social creatures, who prioritized society above individual glory, we did not fall for such temptations. On the other hand, the Guardians did not fall to such temptations for two different reasons. First, Guardians have immensely powerful souls that gather incredible amounts of experience. Because of that, even if they sought to harvest experience by killing others, almost any other creature would provide hardly any profit, unless it was a Guardian. And this brings us to the second point. Guardians have never been numerically large. For them, each death is keenly felt and though not naturally predisposed to be social, they have enough wisdom to realize that shrinking their already small mating pool would be a fool¡¯s errand.¡± If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°That though didn¡¯t keep the titans from trying to kill the Guardians. And while many titans died foolishly in the attempts, enough succeeded that the Guardians came to us for help. For while the Guardians have deep wells of experience from which to empower their magic, their skill was raw and untamed. And so we agreed to teach them the high magics we had learned and refined. In turn, they agreed that they would forever guard our home.¡± ¡°Where is our home?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a cluster of the highest mountains of the World. Perhaps one day you will visit the edge and can look out. It¡¯s quite the view.¡± So we are at The Top of the World! ¡°But I got off track. Where was I? Oh, yes. These titans had carved up the World into ten thousand fiefdoms. And though they grew fat oppressing their own, in some respect, it was an economically poor era for titans when it came to experience. Part of the problem was they were never particularly efficient in harvesting experience from the souls of the dead. But the bigger part of the problem was that the iron grip they ruled with over their subjects weakened themselves as the generations of mortals passed. In fear of being harvested by their overlords, many mortals did all they could do to avoid gaining experience and, so they hoped, thus avoid being selected for execution and metaphorical or sometimes literal consumption. And thus as a rule, there was a downward spiral in the rate at which titans could gather XP.¡± Fancy that. ¡°Though sometimes that general rule was broken. Occasionally, a true talent would arise from the mortals and would gain enough experience in secret to overthrow the local titan. Sadly, though they had been oppressed by their predecessor, and knew what their fellow mortals suffered, with the progression to immortal titan, these new powers by and large continued to oppression of their forebears.¡± Wow, that¡¯s terrible. So much for new hope. ¡°But, by and large, the aggregate power of the titans was falling.¡± ¡°Eventually though, the bastards found a ¡®solution.¡¯ First, on the island of Beginning, a particularly savvy titan cast a large-scale enchantment over the entirety of his lands. The enchantment would hook itself in all the souls it found within his fiefdom: plants, animals, and, most importantly, the sapient mortals. Then, when the souls processed aether into experience, the enchantment would harvest the experience without killing the host. With the enchantment in place, the local titan ceased the regular killing of his people.¡± Ooh, clever. ¡°No longer in fear of being killed merely to be consumed, the mortals thereunder had a tremendous boom of experience, and while the enchantment was still inefficient at harvesting experience, the boom still translated into a great empowerment for the titan. Now gathering experience in real time from thousands of sapients, and tens of thousands of lesser souls, the titan prospered and soon declared himself a god above all other titans.¡± Wow. ¡°With his new power, he began conquering nearby strongholds, executing the titan there and the few loyal to him, while expanding the enchantment and subsuming the new population into his power apparatus. Other titans though soon figured out what he had done and some eventually learned how to repeat it themselves, or at least something similar enough. Nonetheless, the great race in power had begun. And after a thousand years of war, the ten thousand titans had been whittled down to a mere hundred or so tyrants who fancied themselves gods. This was the First War of the Gods.¡± Wow. The Second War of the Gods was mere legend even back in Amelia¡¯s day. I¡¯m not sure we actually knew anything about the First War. ¡°Funnily enough, the ¡®gods¡¯ of today refer to the ¡®gods¡¯ of old as merely ¡®demigods¡¯ for they were so much weaker then.¡± Why is that funny? ¡°These powers had reached a new equilibrium however. And for a time the World knew peace.¡± ¡°After a few hundred years however, maintaining the separately enchantments on each demigod¡¯s domain grew to be cumbersome, especially as most of them didn¡¯t even understand the enchantments, but just copied it. Soon it grew so bad, that it pushed the demigods to cooperation, forming the Pantheon. Led by the demigoddess Systia, they standardized and reworked their enchantments to link together in a broader system. After a few centuries, it covered nearly the entire World, tapping and tucking itself into every soul it could reach.¡± Systia, Systia¡­ Why does that ring a bell? ¡°With that, another state of equilibrium had been reached. One day, nearly two centuries later, another clever demigod proposed that they should leave some experience for the mortals, that the enchantment should not strip in realtime all the experience from them. They laughed at first, but he told them a story, an allegory, so convincing that even we later heard the story, though not the name of the one who told it. Suppose you are an herbivore and your one plant¡ªyour sole food source¡ªis a sapling with ten leaves. The leaves on the tree help the tree feed itself and grow even more leaves. And so, for every leaf left on the tree the day before, there would be one more leaf added the next day. As the herbivore, how should you act? You could eat all ten, but then your sapling would not grow any more leaves. You could eat five leaves, and then there would be ten the next day as well, which you could repeat to have five leaves every day. But what if you ate only four leaves? Then on the next day you would have twelve leaves. And then you could eat six leaves every day indefinitely if you so wished, and that one leaf you skipped on the first day would be made up immediately. Or you could continue to eat less than half, and so your source of food would continue to grow.¡± This sounds like a really basic economics argument. Were the old gods really mostly dumb brutes? ¡°And so the demigod argued: ¡®We¡¯ve been taking all the leaves from the mortals. And yes while we should take our tithe, if we left some experience for them, they would surely accumulate even more experience, strengthened as they would be. And should they fail, then we would collect it all at their death anyways.¡¯ After much debate, the Pantheon agreed and instructed Systia to make the changes to the World enchantment. And with the change, the Pantheon flourished, so that the demigods began to stylize themselves true ¡®gods¡¯ and their forebears mere ¡®demigods.¡¯ This was the beginning of the System.¡± Systia¡­ System! That¡¯s where it¡¯s from. ¡°We don¡¯t understand it much, but over time the System evolved, changing how it empowered mortals. But change it did, and soon there were mortals powerful enough that they could have challenged the titans of old. Then, four and a half centuries after the System was implemented, there was the Second War of the Gods. We do not know what instigated it. But we can tell you the end result. The gods had spent centuries growing in strength without serious internal conflict. And so, on the one hand, most of the Pantheon had lost the arts of battle, and were wholly unprepared when a small group of gods began to slaughter their fellows. And on the other hand, so great was the gods¡¯ power now that the World suffered tremendous collateral damage from the battles that ensued.¡± ¡°In less than a year, the war ended as the two sides reached a new equilibrium. The instigators were led by the greater gods known as the All Lord and the Sentinel, and included two lesser gods, Alldir and Argast. Though the All Lord is also known as the Brute or the Deicide. The defensive side was led by the greater god known as the Steward, and included the remaining lesser gods: Adonite, Sturge, Horus, Sleight, Myria and Burgum. In the end, these eleven gods¡ªthree greater and eight lesser¡ªare all that remain of the Pantheon today.¡± I didn¡¯t know that the Pantheon was divided like that. Sure, I knew of the greater gods known by their titles and the lesser gods known by their names and domains, but not who sided with who during the war. ¡°But the World was ravaged, and even the instigators realized that their presence in the same place as their source of power was ill-advised. And so they left the World to live on the moon Caelum, creating Deusdomum or Godhome. And in turn, the World they named Ager, or Farm, because they¡¯re a bunch of assholes and we will never call the World that!¡± Otonia blinked in wide-eyed surprise at the voluminous outburst during the otherwise neutral storytelling. Eventually, her mother composed herself and continued as if she hadn¡¯t interrupted herself. ¡°Given the damage to the World, the Pantheon aggressively modified the System in various ways to help the surviving sapients to recover. The time period after the war was known as the Dead Age. And even once the sapient populations stabilized and began growing after a few centuries, changes to the System were relatively frequent.¡± Wait, I think that was around when Amelia lived. ¡°That said, we don¡¯t know much of the details of what happened and when. But we do know that the System eventually implemented a magic system for the sapients caught in the web, giving them their first magic users. When we found out that this happened, we actually mounted an expedition out to investigate.¡± Wait! She¡¯s definitely talking about the rise of the [Mages] just before I was Amelia! ¡°I mentioned earlier that souls process aether into experience? Well, this is not a fixed or continuous process. Instead, the process only succeeds if the lifeform¡ªwell¡ªexperiences something novel. If that does not happen, then the aether is still transformed by the soul, but into a much, much weaker form of energy called mana. And though mana had always existed, no lifeforms had used it and the souls returning to their soul realm had no interest in it.¡± Wait, what? ¡°And yet, when we investigated this new magic, we found that it was mana powered, of all things. We thought it was a joke. This made it far, far weaker, but we were impressed that mana could do any sort of magic at all. We worked out that the mechanisms were derived from true magic, albeit simplified by the System. Ultimately, we decided that while it may have been useful to the mortals subdued by the System, it was ultimately of little use to us.¡± I¡­ think I¡¯m offended? Not sure. Wait a minute. ¡°What about the Eldritch? You said you would mention them.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. Hmm, it was a little over two millennia ago¡ªmaybe six centuries after the Second War of the Gods and a few centuries after lesser magic was introduced¡ªthat the Eldritch started appearing around the World. They¡¯ve never actually attacked us or the Guardians, but we have investigated them a bit just in case. As far as we can tell, they come from another plane¡ªlike souls, but very different¡ªand they come here for experience. But unlike souls, which create life and experience, the Eldritch already have material bodies¡ªbut no souls¡ªand cannot create experience. And so, like the titans of old, they seek to kill all life and harvest the experience from the soul after death, though they are much more efficient at it.¡± That¡¯s¡­ surprisingly little. But probably for the best. I¡¯m feeling overwhelmed right now. So much of what I thought I knew about the World and its history are untrue or misleading. Ugh, let¡¯s stick to the magic bits. ¡°So, the history of the World is in part the history of magic, true and lesser?¡± ¡°Indeed, little one. Most Fell have at least heard of lesser magic, but it¡¯s considered disreputable. You¡¯ll find few who know anything in detail, let alone how to use it.¡± ¡°But the foundations for the two magics are similar?¡± ¡°They are.¡± 19.4 Becoming a Mage (Again) A few weeks later, quiet noises somewhere between a grunt and a whimper could be found in a quiet corner of the family home. Otonia ? sat there, back against a wall, eyes squeezed shut in concentration as a single finger moved lazily in front of her. Shortly after the history lesson with her mother, Otonia ? had relayed the same to Krateros ?, who found the story as upsetting to his worldview as Otonia had. History, religion, politics, the System, magic: Almost every field of knowledge now had to be re-examined. But there was one immediate revolution that was even more disturbing. ¡°Crap,¡± Krateros moaned. ¡°Everyone¡¯s a mage.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Whether its greater magic or lesser magic, the System clearly enhances melee fighters with magic. I¡¯d thought for sure there was some fundamental difference between the two.¡± ¡°Maybe there¡¯s a third type of, uhh, empowerment?¡± Otonia offered sheepishly. ¡°Horus¡¯ rule,¡± he replied, invoking the god of knowledge. ¡°Oh. Okay, fine, two. Well¡­ there is a difference between being a spellcaster at range and using body-enhancement magic for melee.¡± ¡°Ugh,¡± Krateros sighed in resignation. ¡°I suppose.¡± ¡°Should¡ªshould we practice mana-based magic?¡± Krateros crooked an eyebrow. ¡°I thought you just said the Fell didn¡¯t use lesser magic?¡± ¡°Right, but not because they couldn¡¯t. They just don¡¯t see any reason to do so. But the grounds of both are supposedly the same, so practicing lesser magic might be helpful in preparation for going to magic college when we¡¯re five.¡± ¡°But what do you need practice for? How many lives were you a [Mage]?¡± ¡°That¡¯s it though. I was a [Mage], not a mage. I don¡¯t have the System preparing my mana to make it easy to use and I don¡¯t have the System assisting in making magic. Enough of what the System was doing stuck through the loss of the System that I¡¯m sure I can do something, but I¡¯ll actually need a lot of practice.¡± ¡°I see. What about me? I don¡¯t care much for spellcasting, as you put it, and assuming the Fell even have melee combatants, I¡¯m not sure what skills I¡¯d need in order to enhance myself.¡± ¡°I got a lot about spellcasting from that history lesson. Maybe you can do the same with your parents, but frame it towards melee?¡± With a plan in mind, Krateros went home to see what he could learn from his parents about the nature of Fell melee combative styles, if they had any. And Otonia began practicing ¡°lesser¡± magics with mana. Or she would, just as soon as she had trained both her mana to be thinner and easier to work with and her manipulation so that she could actually do something with her mana. And so she found herself sneaking off to dark corners and making some (unfortunately funny) noises. Exacerbated, she was sour to note, by how cute toddler Fell were. Alas, as Amelia, she had spent almost an entire year solely training her mana and her mana manipulation before she had even begun studying how to spellcast. Even with 18 lives behind her, many as a [Mage], without the System, there was just no substituting for practice. A few weeks simply wouldn¡¯t do.
A year later, and Otonia was finally ready for a serious attempt. Unlike Amelia, who had the luxury of a firing range, Otonia would not be starting with a Fireball, but rather Lightball, which despite its name was a utility spell, not an offensive one. Curiously, it had never been offered to her as a Skill, and while she rarely needed it in light of her [Dark Vision], it was one of the simplest spells and so was fairly easy to remember the spellform. With her parents out of the house, Otonia took several deep breaths, calming down and picturing the spellform in her mind. Then, pulling out just a teensy bit of mana, she began to fill in the edges of the spellform. In just a minute, she was satisfied that the spellform was correctly edged in and started pumping mana into it. In just a moment, the spellform flared to life, spinning itself around into a tight ball, glowing brightly, and hovering itself in front of her. She might not be able to be a [Mage] this life, but darn it if she wasn¡¯t a mage.
By the time they turned five, both Otonia ? and Krateros ? had become competent natural mages. They had both trained their mana sufficiently to be pliable. Their mana manipulation was improved enough to allow them to actually manipulate it. And Otonia remembered just enough spellforms in full that they had material to practice casting. Indeed, most of the last two years had been spent with Otonia helping Krateros memorize and practice the intricate, complex spellforms for [Fireball], [Firebolt], [Fire Manipulation], [Mana Bolt], [Icebolt], [Ice Manipulation], [Gust], [Wind Manipulation], [Stonewall], [Stone Manipulation], [Water Manipulation], and [Lightball]. Those dozen spells represented the sum total of what Otonia could recall well enough to cast, but little did they know that in itself was a tremendous accomplishment. Their study though was fraught with the risk of being discovered, particularly with the more destructive spells, for which their actual practice was minimized in favor of mere memorization. ¡°Yeeeess!!!¡± But today? Today was the day Otonia and Krateros started at the college of magic, which, despite its name, was the primary school for Fell children. ¡°Aaaaaahh!!!¡± And Otonia was excited. ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go!¡± she cried out, hugging her father and jumping up and down. At nearly fifty centimeters, she was half of her father Hipponeus¡¯ adult size, but her mood was enough to move him, even if her strength wasn¡¯t. ¡°Alright, alright, we¡¯re going,¡± he replied with a smile, then turning towards the back of the house. ¡°We¡¯re off, dear!¡± ¡°Have a good time!¡± her mother called back. Otonia bounded out of the door and into the street at that, as her father descended the front steps and followed after her. ¡°Otonia! Do you even know where you¡¯re going?¡± he called at a distance. Otonia came running back, tackling one stubby Fell leg. ¡°Of course I do. The College! Today, I become a true mage!¡± Hipponeus laughed. ¡°Maybe not today, but soon!¡± ¡°How soon!¡± ¡°Was that even a question?¡± ¡°How soon?!¡± ¡°Hmm, I¡¯d say it¡¯ll be about 18 months or so before you cast your first spell.¡± ¡°Seriously?¡± That¡¯s a coincidence. ¡°Indeed. But don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll hear all about it today at orientation!¡± ¡°But I know where I¡¯m going,¡± Otonia fake-whined. ¡°To be a mage!¡± ¡°Who put sugar in your breakfast?¡± ¡°You did!¡± Her father sighed. ¡°So I did. At least you¡¯ll give Circe a good headache today.¡± ¡°Circe?¡± ¡°Yes, I heard that she¡¯ll be the primary tutor for your cohort. She¡¯s quite skilled.¡±
¡°Welcome, children, to the Trope College for the Advancement of the Magical Arts,¡± announced an elderly Fell. I always forget the town is called Trope, thought Krateros ?. That¡¯s Trope with two syllables. ¡°My name is Aeetes, head tutor for the College. And while my role is more administrative than instructional, I look forward to getting to know each and every one of you and seeing you grow over the next decade. Circe, you have the floor.¡± Krateros had jumped Otonia ? in a [Bear] hug just before the orientation, and they had just gotten seated before the old man began speaking. ¡°Thank you Aeetes,¡± Circe responded as Aeetes left the auditorium style classroom. ¡°As the head tutor said, my name is Circe. For the first five years of your time here, I will be your sole tutor. Thereafter, I will continue to function as a primary instructor and homeroom supervisor, though more specialized instruction will come from other tutors. But that¡¯s far in the future,¡± Circe paused with a smirk. There were 28 children in the classroom, in 14 pairs of soul bonds, a few notably split up, likely due to clashing personalities. New classes of young Fell students entered the college twice a year and, altogether, the children of the town of ten thousand Fell all went through the college. ¡°What is first though? Well, at the highest level of generality, what is magic? Does anyone know? You. Yes, you, please introduce yourself before answering.¡± ¡°My name is Alector. My mother is a baker, and my father cares for myself and my siblings,¡± the young boy Fell began. ¡°Umm, magic is¡­ well you take experience and you shape it in a way, and umm¡­ it makes magic.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Circe replied upbeat. ¡°That is a good description for a novice. Magic occurs when experience is shaped in a specific design¡ªusually called a spellform¡ªand imparts a change upon the World. Very often, this is done freestyle and is called a spell. An enchantment is where a spellform is bound unto an object and may or may not be empowered.¡± ¡°And so, magic fundamentally depends on being able to manipulate your experience. This is the first and often considered the hardest part of learning magic. But we¡¯ll be dedicating the entire first year to just learning how to manipulate. And so I¡¯m sorry to say you won¡¯t be casting any magic soon.¡± Where the children¡¯s rapt attention¡ªwell mostly rapt¡ªhad been on her before, a chorus of disappointment now followed. ¡°But don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll have loads of fun doing it. So, here¡¯s the schedule. Five days a week, we will have two and a half hours of instruction or practice in the morning. Then, lunch, playtime, and nap. Then another hour and a half in the afternoon. We¡¯ll do this for a year until you have all learned how to manipulate your experience. And from there, we can move on to learning to cast spells. Who loves lunch?!¡± Circe asked in a chipper mood, which about half the class responded lukewarmly. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°Who loves playtime?!¡± she asked even more excited, which got most of the rest of the children excited themselves. ¡°Great, before we begin, I want everyone to come down here to the front and introduce themselves and tell us a little bit about yourself. Then, we¡¯ll move on to our first exercise.¡±
Soon, Otonia ?, Krateros ?, and the other 26 children of their class fell into a regular rhythm. Circe would talk to them for a bit, then they would all begin to practice, often assuming a quiet meditative position, while Circe circled about assisting where she could. First, they began with the most basic. Sensing their experience. It was down deep inside them, but not inside them, instead it was inside their souls, and so they found that they had to dive in through their mind, then their mind¡¯s eye, and locate the interior of their soul. Needless to say, this was far different from sensing mana. Well, yes, sensing mana was about sensing something inside you, but mana had a far more tangible connection to the body itself and could often be initially sensed by considering the core of your torso. Otonia and Krateros, with centuries of experience sensing mana, had some trouble doing this almost entirely different process and fell behind most of the rest of the class. Second, they moved on to manipulating experience. Experience, of course, was the clay with which magic was formed. And so it was important to be able to take the experience and shape it as needed. This was even more difficult than mana. Well-trained mana, like Otonia and Krateros were used to having, was like a thin liquid, or even gaseous, easy to whip around and shape into the needed shape. Even untrained mana, like they had been born with this life, was only about as thick as a syrup or honey. Experience was far worse. Actually, if it had been like clay in Circe¡¯s metaphor, they would have probably adapted quickly enough. But no. Rather, after struggling to even sense their experience in parallel to mana, Otonia and Krateros found that manipulating experience was like manipulating taffy: gooey, sticky, and if you stopped for even a second too long, it would harden up and you¡¯d need to start all over. The pair continued to struggle and fell even further behind. Third, they moved on to refining their manipulation to be very precise. The spellforms for true magic were exacting, so they were told, and so experience had to be precisely laid in order for the spellform to succeed. Further, they would also need to learn to intuitively understand how much experience they had and they were manipulating in the standard unit known as the hecate. Otonia and Krateros¡¯ woes continued from the second step, especially for Otonia. For all that they were both skilled at mana manipulation, the intuitive understanding they had for the former did not translate over to experience manipulation. As such, they struggled to unlearn what they had learned. Given how complex lesser magic spellforms were, they were beginning to be deeply concerned. Half of the class had passed these three units of instructions by twelve months, and the last by fourteen months. The weeks slipped by as the pair struggled to catch up. Finally, at fifteen and a half months, Krateros and Otonia finished. ¡°Wonderful!¡± Circe exclaimed as she finished her testing of Otonia. ¡°Now you can begin studying spellforms. I¡¯ll give you two your copy of the Lightball diagrams soon, but first watch carefully as I demonstrate.¡± At that, the pair watched as Circe pulled experience from her own soul and began to shape it with the mature dexterity of an old hand. Though the pair knew what Lightball looked like for lesser magic, they peered closely in interest at a close up demonstration of the parallel spell for greater magic. The experience slithered out of Circe¡¯s chest, wrapped around her arm, and then began inscribing itself in the air as she slowly and meticulously began the spellform. The spellform began as a thin toroid, with one point smashed inward and twisted, then the toroid grew eight spikes. Four terminated, but the other four grew into thin wires, which twisted around the toroid twice before matching up with another of the wires. Quickly, Circe filled the shape with experience and the spellform flared to life, spinning itself around into a tight ball, glowing brightly, and hovering itself in front of her. Circe looked at the pair with a grin on her face, expecting the two to be astonished at seeing a spell so close up now that their ability to sense and manipulate experience was sufficiently refined to appreciate it. Instead, she saw the two glance at each other, confusion on the boy¡¯s face and frustration or possibly anger on the girl¡¯s face. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Krateros asked, turning back to their tutor, as Otonia bit back her lip. Circe frowned a little. ¡°Even the simplest of spells have complex shapes. You¡¯ll be spending months just on this,¡± she replied a little petulantly, gesturing at the glowing sphere. ¡°What?!¡± Otonia replied in disbelief. ¡°No, I got this.¡± As with her test just before, Otonia began to pull her experience out of her in a thin trickle, forming it in front of her into the beginning of a spellform. Her control was irregular and rippling, as Otonia¡¯s anger interfered with her concentration. Circe sighed internally, as yet another student thought to jump ahead and try shaping a spellform without actually studying the spellform, and she was soon vindicated as the spellform fell apart. ¡°Wait, no,¡± Otonia said harshly before Circe got even a word out. ¡°I got it this time.¡± Otonia took a calming breath, and then the trickle of experience out of her resumed though under significantly better control this time. Circe¡¯s attention drifted for a few moments, before she refocusing on the girl, surprised to see the spellform half-completed and correctly. Over the next twenty seconds, Circe grew increasingly astonished as the spellform was layered and shaped just right, until, at the last moment, her student filled it. The spellform flared to life, spinning itself around into a tight ball, glowing brightly, and hovering itself in front of her. Most of the rest of the class soon focused on the duo and the tutor, as a second Lightball lit up the room. Jealousy and incredulity at Otonia¡¯s beginner¡¯s luck ran through the other apprentinces. Circe though¡ªthe instructor, the mage¡ªwas speechless. Never had she had a student cast any spell on the second try, and certainly not after only seeing it demonstrated once. Nor has she ever even heard of it happening. Criminy.
An hour later, and the entire class was playing in a yard at the College set aside for such playtime. Otonia and Krateros sat in a quiet corner, whispering to each other. ¡°But what does it mean?¡± Krateros asked desperately. He may have been a mage a few times, but he still deferred to Otonia when it came to any higher understanding of magic. ¡°I don¡¯t know yet,¡± Otonia admitted. She had just explained to him how, seeing the true magic Lightball, it was the same basic shape as the lesser magic Lightball of mana. More importantly though, it was an order of magnitude simpler. Whereas the true magic version was a thin toroid, slightly dented, with eight spikes and a little wire, the mana magic version was three toroids of different sizes nestled within each other at right angles, with eight spikes each, with each spike containing two sub-spikes, a plethora of even thinner wire connecting various spikes and subspikes together, and all of it wrapped in two cardioid hemispherical shells floating slightly apart from each other. After almost sixteen months of struggling to manipulate experience, the sheer audacity that true magic had such simpler spellforms just ticked her the fuck off. That drove her to try casting the spell immediately. While she wasn¡¯t the first to do so in the class, she knew she had been the fastest and was worried about how much an outlier she was. ¡°We only have a sample size of one, Lightball,¡± she continued. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s simpler for some and more complicated than others. Or maybe it¡¯s always been equally complicated but Fell are just that much better at simplifying their spell forms.¡± ¡°Well, what if you push mana into the true magic spellform?¡± ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t know, obviously.¡± ¡°I meant why don¡¯t you try it now.¡± ¡°Do we really need to be making another spectacle?¡± ¡°They already saw one Lightball from you. Let¡¯s leave me be the normal one.¡± ¡°Ugh, fine,¡± she relented, then switching mindsets to mana manipulation, quickly pushed it into the shape. The spellform held, but when she filled it with the usual amount of mana for the mana-based Lightball,¡± all that came out was a faintly glowing ball of air barely brighter than the surrounding sunlight. ¡°Huh,¡± she commented. ¡°I guess the true magic version is much less efficient. That much mana in a lesser magic spellform would be very bright.¡± ¡°Okay. So, what about if you push experience into the lesser magic spellform?¡± ¡°Are you thinking what I¡¯m thinking?¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re an idiot and we¡¯ll attract way too much attention on the playground. I¡¯ll try again later.¡±
After school, the pair walked to Krateros¡¯ home, which was rather close to the school. After suitably greeting Krateros¡¯ mother, the pair sealed themselves into Krateros room to do naughty things. Picking up where they left off, Otonia took her experience and began shaping it into the spellform used for mana-based magic. It took a few failed tries¡ªher experience manipulation was barely refine enough to make the detailed nuances of the far more complex spellform¡ªbut, eventually, it locked into the right shape and she began pushing into it the same amount of experience as the true magic spellform. A blinding glare lit up the room, whiting out their vision entirely, and Krateros started whisper-yelling at Otonia to end the spell quickly. Disoriented, it took her a few moments to do so, and when she did, they both were blinking furiously trying to get their vision back as dots danced across it. ¡°Okay, miss mage,¡± Krateros eventually spat out, bent over slightly in lingering discomfort. ¡°So what did we learn?¡± ¡°That the hypothesis that the Fell are better at simplifying their spellforms is questionable. Yes, they are simpler, but they are clearly far less efficient and, given that experience is not as easily renewable as mana is, the economic pressure would push them to develop more efficient spellforms, even if they have a general social policy of sharing power with each other.¡± ¡°So, continue study? Expand our considerations to additional spellforms for purposes of comparison?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± ¡°And what should we be doing this life?¡± ¡°What?¡± Otonia yipped, jarred at the sudden change in subject. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You know,¡± Krateros said, leaning in to whisper. ¡°We¡¯ve been growing up now for a while. And now, well, we¡¯re in the mage college. But what are we doing? Are we going to reincarnate? Is this the end? If so, what do we do with this life?¡± Otonia sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ still. How do we even answer some of those questions? The rest, are they ever answerable?¡± ¡°I¡ªno. I suppose not.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we just be kids? Magically gifted kids in a quiet, peaceful utopia? Away from the noise and the trouble?¡± Krateros sighed. It had been a sigh-heavy conversation. ¡°Do I have a choice?¡± he asked wearily. ¡°Do you have [Magic Growth]?¡± she teased. ¡°Ah, no,¡± he replied sheepishly, scratching his headquills. ¡°Wait, was that a sex joke?¡± ¡°Maybe?¡± Otonia giggled. ¡°We are way too young for that shit.¡± Otonia fell down on the floor laughing uproariously.
The next day, soon after class began, Aeetes the head tutor visited the class and, together with Circe, approached the practicing pair of protagonists. ¡°So,¡± he began without introduction, ¡°I heard you can cast Lightball?¡± Otonia glanced at Krateros briefly. ¡°Yes, head tutor.¡± ¡°Would you show me?¡± Otonia nodded, then began a repeat of yesterday¡¯s performance. As Aeetes looked at the floating ball of light, a pensive look crossed his face. ¡°And had anyone shown you the spellform before yesterday?¡± ¡°No?¡± she responded, uncertain about whether the question somehow encompassed 19 lives¡¯ memories. Aeetes hummed as he continued to study the Lightball. ¡°Here, watch as I cast this spellform and try to learn it.¡± As yesterday, Otonia watched carefully as experience skittered out of Aeetes¡¯ stomach, then around his arm, before inscribing itself into the air. He worked carefully and methodically, at a slow pace, with half an eye on the young girl. The spellform began to take the shape of a caltrop, with swirling helical ends. A dozen twists of a thin wire wrapped itself around the center of the shape. When the spellform was done, he let it float there for several long seconds before filling it with experience and a Waterball was conjured. ¡°Well, what do you think?¡± he asked gently. Otonia had never learned [Waterball] in a prior life, but she saw clear similarities with what little water magic she had known and of course the very broad base of ice magic she was intimately familiar with. And, continuing yesterday¡¯s theme, this true magic spellform was an order of magnitude simpler than almost anything from lesser magic. ¡°It¡¯s not familiar, but the shape isn¡¯t that complicated. I could probably get it in a few tries,¡± she finally responded. ¡°And you Krateros?¡± ¡°Me?¡± he raised an eyebrow in mock surprise, still playing at normality. ¡°Otonia¡¯s got a far better instinct on this. But I¡¯m sure I could get it in a day.¡± Otonia side-eyed Krateros at his failure at remaining normal. ¡°Maybe it is related,¡± Aeetes muttered under his breath. Then, speaking up, ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad that you two have found your advantage in magic. Work hard and catch up with your classmates, yes?¡± ¡°Yes, head tutor,¡± they replied in unison, as Aeetes walked away from them. 19.5 Magical Prodigies Three years later and Otonia ? and Krateros ? had made their way through the entire standard curriculum of elementary true magic. Some¡ªwell, rather few actually¡ªof the spellforms the duo were already familiar with as simplified versions of the mana magic spellforms they could remember. Others though were familiar, likely simplified versions of mana spellforms they had seen before, but couldn¡¯t entirely remember. The rest¡ªwhich was a significant portion¡ªwere entirely novel as far as they could tell. But in so much as one of the key skills being taught at the College was how to study and memorize spellforms, and the pair were already very skilled at that, they still moved through them faster than nearly all of their cohort. Reaching the end of the standard elementary curriculum, they moved on to a few extra segments of elementary magic, until those too were exhausted. Despite their rapid pace, their fine manipulation of experience was still somewhat lacking, and so they remained with their cohort practicing.
At one point in their study, Otonia was taken by her parents to visit a very old family friend. At the ripe age of 162, his health had taken a turn for the worse, his soulbond mate having passed a decade earlier, and he was making his last goodbyes. Otonia didn¡¯t know the man at all, but was polite enough during the solemn event. As he took his last breath, her father whispered to her to reach out her sense for experience. Raising an eyebrow, Otonia did so quietly, and was surprised to see a huge mass of experience rise from the old man. What gigantic spell could he be casting on his death bed?! She nearly panicked, but her father saw her face, and whispered to her again. ¡°That¡¯s his soul, departing this world to return to the soul realm.¡± With a new perspective with that tidbit, Otonia turned back to the mass and realized that it was not simply experience. Instead, there was a membranous surface, perfectly smooth, which contained the experience inside. The membrane was still fluctuating with internal waves as it finally fully departed the body, but within a few seconds, the waves had calmed, and the membrane was pulling together into a perfect sphere. It seemed to sit there, still, for several minutes, before it began to slowly drift away as if on the lightest breeze. Otonia sensed as it left the building, and slowly began to¡­ fade was the best way to describe it. Over the course of fifteen minutes, her senses found the soul to become more and more indistinct until at last, a hundred meters up, she could sense it no more. ¡°Where¡¯d it go?¡± she absently whispered as she looked up through the ceiling. ¡°To the soul realm,¡± her father simply replied. ¡°I guess that¡¯s why we don¡¯t have souls just floating about everywhere,¡± she replied absently, mostly to herself. ¡°They do leave in quite a hurry,¡± her father responded wistfully.
After a year of further practice, Otonia and Krateros were ready to move on to their secondary, specialized curricula. Joining them from their cohort were two other soul-bonded pairs of children who had completed the elementary curriculum, though not any of the additional segments, which could be studied later anyways. After speaking with the pair, Circe had planned a custom curricula for the two. Krateros had expressed his interest in melee combat, and though there were nearly no threats that faced the Fell, there always remained a dedicated core of Fell who, at the very least, enjoyed the physical facets of magic. The core of his curriculum would be studying and, to a far greater extent, practicing the bodily enhancement magic¡ªa combination of transformation and manipulation magic, with a hefty dose of metamagic to handle the whole thing. For unlike many other aspects of Fell magic, such magic required rapid, intuitive casting, maintenance, and alteration on the fly. And while enchantments could be applied to living things, there were no known ways to bind bodily enhancement magic in a way that still functioned, thus requiring that it all be cast. As such, practice was key to the field. Peripheral aspects of his curriculum would also include:
  • A select number of conjuration spells for creating weapons, which for Krateros mostly meant a lot of blades
  • Illusion magic for various forms of stealth and setting ambushes
  • Evocation magic to imbue magic into weapons and attacks for extra damage, and
  • Select spells from the divination school to assist in perception related issues, such as locating something or piercing camouflage
Interestingly, Krateros learned that the illusion school had a number of spells which could be described as charismatic, interpersonal spells. But that these were limited to use by actors and other performing artists, as such use was otherwise a faux pas. In the first several months of his specialized curriculum, Krateros received a lot of attention. For while he struggled with learning and applying the bodily enhancement magic as any normal student, though perhaps a gifted one, Krateros was excellent in actual combat, whether organized sparring in an arena or various exercises in the forest or mountain wilderness. While his prior lives may have had a great number of melee Skills, such Skills did not teach you how to fight, which was something to be learned separately altogether. And in all his lives, learn he did, in a large number of different body shapes, builds, and sizes. And so it was quite the spectacle when, a few months in, he went to his first practice session in fighting. The tutor had him and a student who had been there a year already spar unenhanced, which quickly went downhill for the older student. The tutor then teamed him up with a student who¡¯d been in the class three years, and was soon to transition to the advanced class, and after she lost the first round, she went after him using a speed enhancement, despite the tutor¡¯s instructions to the contrary. But Krateros adapted quickly and was about to knock her back down, when she stacked on a strength enhancement. That drew out the fight for about another ten seconds, until Krateros tripped and pinned her again. ¡°Phoebe,¡± the instructor called out, ¡°use all of your enhancement. Krateros, try and fight her without enhancements, but use them if you need to.¡± As the pair prepared for another match, Krateros watched as Phoebe layered several enhancements on: speed, strength, dexterity, flexibility (a dangerous one), protection, slow-time. Krateros held back from casting, but mentally prepared the speed enhancement, the only one he had studied so far in any significant detail. ¡°Begin!¡± the tutor shouted. This time, Phoebe held back and the pair began to circle each other slowly coming closer. Krateros feinted, and Phoebe bought it, exposing herself, but the enhancement meant that Krateros was unable to exploit it. The two clashed for upwards of two minutes¡ªremarkably long for an organized spar¡ªuntil at last Phoebe knocked down and pinned Krateros, who hadn¡¯t been able to trigger the speed enhancement in the middle of the fight. ¡°Kid,¡± the tutor began as he walked up to the pair. ¡°You¡¯ve got some incredible instincts on you. That¡¯s the kind of shit I see out of fighters with a century under their belt. You almost fought to a draw a far more experienced opponent running enhancements while you went bare.¡± The tutor slapped him on the back. ¡°Now we just got to get you used to using the enhancements in the fight, eh?¡± And so went Krateros¡¯ first year in his specialized curriculum, his veteran instincts allowing him to punch far above his class, and with each enhancement he mastered to use in battle, he lept forward in strength. Otonia on the other hand, had a very different first year. Circe had planned for her an unusual curriculum in both spellform design and enchantment. It was unusual as, despite the overlap, the former was usually considered extremely difficult. But, to everyone else, they perceived Otonia¡¯s skill with understanding spellforms to be a millennial genius. The hope was that with a proper understanding of the underlying theory, she¡¯d be able to push the field forward with several significant discoveries. On the other hand, enchantment was considered a fairly mundane area of magic, often learned by those who would become crafters¡ªsmiths, woodcarvers, artists¡ªor who might become involved in building construction and maintenance¡ªplumbers, stone masons, appliance repairers. Enchantment also almost always worked with the simplest of magics, though there were always a few eccentrics who would push the field in unusual ways. The first several months were relatively quiet for her, as the attention she had received in primary curriculum faded and Krateros was making quite a scene. Which was fine by her, as she found the nature of spellform design tremendously interesting. And so she was quietly dedicated to her studies. Until the eighth month when, frustrated with some of her long-form calculations, she off-handedly asked her spellform tutor, ¡°Isn¡¯t there a spell to help with mathematics?¡± The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°No?¡± the tutor replied puzzled. ¡°How could that work?¡± Otonia opened her mouth to speak, then shut it again. Setting aside her current work, she grabbed new parchment and began sketching it out. Loads of metamagical symbols linked together in a web of logic was the hardest part, but after working out number storage and addition, she was soon able to sketch out subtraction and had begun to have an inkling for multiplication. Flipping to the input, she added a touch of divination to grab the input from the targeted area, which was based on the caster¡¯s line of sight. The output would be¡­ how would she do the output? She set aside the parchment, grabbing yet another fresh sheet. This time keeping it simple. Line of sight divination input, deconstructing the input, storing the numbers and the operation symbol, the logic for how addition worked in the Fell numbering system using metamagic, output storage of the numbers and¡ªher crowning idea¡ªa touch of illusion magic to create an illusory piece of paper¡ªshe decided on an unnatural blue to clearly show it was an illusion¡ªwhich would output the answer into her field of view. She proofread her spellform one last time, fixing one or two errors, then rewriting one section to be more efficient. Finally, grabbing yet another piece of parchment, she wrote down several simple math problems:
2+3= 11+28= 378+215=
She focused her attention on the first and cast the spell and, just as her mana filled it up, a blue square appeared:
5
Otonia grinned at the successful test, then flicked her attention to the second problem, and checked the blue square again.
5
Wait, what? Oh, it doesn¡¯t clear itself for another calculation. But that¡¯s just a minor detail. The proof of concept worked! She quickly dismissed the spell entirely, then cast it twice more, once on each of the other problems to check if they worked. And, indeed they did. Rewriting the last problem by itself on another sheet of paper, she took it and the spellform to her tutor for her input. ¡°This is incredible,¡± she whispered to herself. ¡°It¡¯s a bit simple, but as a proof of concept¡­ a thinking spell.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call it that. It¡¯s just mathematics, and really it¡¯s almost all metamagic.¡± ¡°Yes, but most metamagic is about operations on actual magic. This is metamagic recursively operating on knowledge itself to create knowledge different than was inputted. I¡¯ve certainly never heard of it before.¡± Over the next few months, Otonia expanded on and refined the spell. Allowing multiple calculations on the same cast. Including the other arithmetic operators. Allowing calculations with more than two numbers. And error coding. Lots and lots of error coding. Especially after she started sharing it for testing. Eventually though, she was satisfied with her Arithmetic spell. It was, unfortunately, quite the doozy and difficult to learn and cast. But with the spell complete, she went about creating enchanted objects, using a very high quality quartz crystal and a silver alloy. One for herself, one for her spellform tutor, and then one enlarged master copy, which she sold for a substantial sum to the highest quality enchanting shop in the city. Relatively few were produced due to their expense and specialized nature, but they became popular in several technical occupations. And that was just the start. Before even finishing Arithmetic, Otonia had already begun theorizing about other System Skills that had no Fell magic analogue that she could find and designing the spellforms from scratch. From [Elven Vocal Chords], Otonia created a transformation spell that altered the vocal chords for several days. From [Draft Schematics] and [Keen Eye], she created a divination / illusion spell that helped with straight lines and design aspects. From [Fox¡¯s Dexterity] and [Mana Finesse], she created a metamagic / transformation / illusion spell that spent experience to improve finesse with manipulating experience. From [Mage Hands], she created mage hands, though given that most Fell were generally skilled with the manipulation school, this was mostly useless unless you had a specific reason for needing hands. From [Mirror], she created two spells: one a conjured mirror and the other a divination / illusion mirror that existed only in the mind¡¯s eye. And having finally released these, she also began to release the mana-based spellforms, which she marketed as super-powerful versions of the baser experience based spells. All of these only raised Otonia¡¯s standing as the most promising spellform academic in centuries. But these were only the public achievements. The achievement she was most proud of was kept a secret. It began with [Magic Pen]. The Fell did use ink, especially for long term records, but they knew no spellform for conjuring ink, the consensus being that such a spellform would be far too complex. So, initially, as a substitute, she created a sublimely optimized spell for conjuring a pencil which, due to the nature of conjuration, ended with a core of graphite wrapped in soft copper. A few of these spells had preexisted, so she wasn¡¯t entirely novel on the point, though it was an excellent execution and brought mild praise. She was rather frustrated though. I want my [Magic Pen], dammit. And so she began to explore what spellform creation was required for conjuring new materials. That ended up being a big disappointment. Creating new conjuration spells with Fell magic was largely a matter of trial and error, there being very little in the way of theory, but what theory there was having been fully explored to its (very small) outer limits. There were speculations that all materials could be conjured, but that the necessary spellforms were far too complex for most materials. Otonia called bullshit. She dove deep into divination theory, until she found exactly the gap she was looking for. The Fell had no conception on how to use divination magic to determine the makeup of a material. But with her background in the System, Otonia had an idea of how conjuration spellforms were related to materials and just how complex it could be. And after two months of continuous experimentation, she finally found the right spellform for this analysis: A divination spell that looked at what a material was and made an educated guess at the correct conjuration spellform. It was crude, and rough, and liable to error or failure, but it would work for now. Combined with significant metamagic to repeat the spell and sort through the errors for an optimized form, and then to output the spellform into an illusion for the caster to see, Otonia created the first known spell that could create a spell: Materials Spellform Analysis. With this new spell in hand, she cast it on ink and, after an afternoon¡¯s experimentation, finally came up with the right spellform. To say it was bloody difficult would be saying Kazuhiro had an easy time with the [Eldritch Elder]. The spellform was probably more difficult than anything she had ever seen ever, even in just passing. It was so difficult that it was at the very edge of her abilities and, if she had to cast it often, she quickly decided she would enchant it (or at least try to do so). But, even so, she was just about able to put together a spell for Magic Pen. Between Materials Spellform Analysis and Magic Pen, either would have established her as the greatest spellformist in a millennium. But, alas, she kept both private, sharing them only with Krateros. (Not that he could cast them himself). With these new tools in hand, she turned to healing magic. Healing magic was always an odd ball. Mana based spells did little more than accelerate the natural biological processes, which limited the extent of healing that could be undertaken, and so the very weak Skills were almost never taken by sapients in the System. Her [Divine] Skill¡ªdrawing on divine magic¡ªfor healing magic was much better, and did not draw upon the body¡¯s natural reserves of material or energy, but it was still limited to the natural regeneration that the body could supply. Coming to the Fell, she was surprised that Fell healing magic was not much improved, and she could only speculate whether it had to do with the Fell¡¯s relatively safe and non-martial lives. But it is strange, yes? She had various growth Skills¡ªplants, animals, herself¡ªthat while they would draw on resources as needed, didn¡¯t have to, the material seemingly coming of out thin air. But how could just Skills figure out what it was that needed to be conjured and do so in just the right way to allow the natural process to proceed uninterrupted? Otonia suspected very good divination magic. Or its System equivalent. After nearly a year working in secret on the side, she finally had what she was looking for. A spellform that would allow extended, supercharged healing/growing/aging. It was too complex to cast or even enchant as a single unit, but she had it designed. Breaking it down into three pieces, she made two extremely complex enchantments in two copper-laced quartz balls that she could hold, one in each hand. Then to use, she would cast regularly the third portion, which would take care of various administrative and guidance routines and bind the magic of the two enchanted objects to work together. At first, she tested it on plants and then trees. Then came the animal testing. And then on Krateros, after removing a finger he wouldn¡¯t miss too much if this didn¡¯t work. Which of course it did. Though given how insanely complex it was, combined with its incredible flexibility and power, she had trouble naming it. Krateros ending up picking it. Restore Life. That though wasn¡¯t really what she had in mind. Divination magic allowed a mage to send messages, but they were always displayed with illusion magic as either visual or audio recording. That was crude, to say the least. No. What she wanted to accomplish would require a hybridization of manipulation and transformation. And she didn¡¯t want a spell that had to be cast each time. She wanted something that could be used with but a thought. An enchantment on the persons themselves. From [Speak with Elves], she created Telepathy. The pair broke down in tears as they shared thoughts once more.
19.6 The Guardians Soon, Otonia ? and Krateros ? were approaching ten years at the College, maturing as they were into young adult Fell. Otonia had continued over the years to release various new spells inspired by System Skills (though many were impractical unless enchanted, and even those were very expensive). And Krateros had continued to demonstrate his veteran¡¯s instincts, arguably the most promising body enhancement mage the town had seen in centuries. His prowess only improved as Otonia¡¯s private projects created for Krateros spellforms based on his prior System Skills, which she either taught back to him or enchanted for him. Nonetheless, they felt a touch of disappointment and unease with the Fell¡¯s true magic. Yes, it was seemingly powerful, but the Fell¡¯s application thereof hardly seemed sophisticated both from what they had seen and how far the pair had pushed the field. This perhaps was no better illustrated than when Otonia created a true magic version of [Lost World *M]. Creating the spellform was not necessarily any more difficult than any other modern spellform Otonia had created. It was comprised of three parts: conjuring cold water in the finest of mists in order to create a fog; extremely powerful illusion magic; and a significant amount of metamagic to manage the whole thing, reconjure the mists if dissipated, and make sure it actually covered a significant area. It was a subtle bit of craft, but, again, that was not the troublesome bit. Rather, it was the Fell reception to the spell. When presented to their Fell instructors, while it was praised as novel and powerful, there was little interest in it aside from as a piece of study. The Fell may have been powerful, but they feared little and so there was in some respects little to do. They sang, they laughed, and they loved. They ignored the World and the World ignored them right back. They were good folk. And while there were always the obsessive in every generation who would push their magic forward, there was no broad social drive to do so. And so while they had learned the fundaments of true magic, and there was ¡°advanced¡± true magic, there were no further levels of improvement to be had among the Fell. No masters, no experts, no sages. The two largely were building their own road to greatness. And this often led them back to an repeated argument. For Otonia still had not answered Krateros¡¯ question: What are we doing this life? They had just finished another round in old fight when Circe appeared and took the pair to Aeetes¡¯ office. As they entered, rather than simply old man Aeetes, two older women were also present. ¡°Otonia, Krateros,¡± Aeetes began, ¡°Glad to see you came so early. I¡¯d like to introduce you to Menelaea, the head of the capital Mycenae, and Asclepia, head tutor of the Mycenaen College of Magic, and one of the foremost experts on souls.¡± The four exchanged formalities as Circe snuck back out the door, her student delivery complete. ¡°Please be seated,¡± Aeetes welcomed. ¡°Would you like anything to drink?¡± ¡°No, head tutor,¡± Krateros replied aloud, then glanced at Otonia, who shook her head. ¡°Alright. Well, I suppose you¡¯re wondering why I called you here today.¡± Another glance between the pair, but neither cared to speak up. As the length of the silence turned awkward, Aeetes coughed, then plowed on through. ¡°Right, well, we¡¯re here because we have something to tell you. Asclepia, if you would?¡± ¡°Well, I assume you are generally familiar with how a soul binds to possibly animate matter turning it into life?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Otonia replied. ¡°The more potential the unrealized life has, which is a function of, at least, the size, complexity, and lifespan of the adult form, the larger the soul is that is attracted from the soul realm to bind and quicken the life. These souls are both better at generating experience and at using it.¡± Asclepia nodded along at Otonia¡¯s description. ¡°That¡¯s sufficiently correct for our purposes today. Now, have you heard of Thales¡¯ Third Observation of the Soul and the related conjecture?¡± Otonia shook her head vigorously as the rest watched on this dialogue. ¡°Thales conducted widespread censuses of the population, particularly taking the measure of the soul. From this, he was able to adduce various facts regarding the soul, at least among our people, though this was later extended to other lifeforms by subsequent scholars. His Third Observation was that within any given population, there was variation in the quality of souls, based around a certain average size. His conjecture was that, on very, very rare occasions, individuals in our population would be born with truly gigantic souls. Most commonly know this as the Guardian-Born Conjecture.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Krateros piped up. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of that.¡± ¡°Good. Well, since then, we¡¯ve tested every newborn. And Menelaea and I are here today to inform you that both of you were found to be Guardian-Born when you were, well, born¡­.¡± Asclepia trailed off as she glanced back and forth in confusion at their lack of expression. ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t seem surprised?¡± ¡°We¡­ have large, complex souls? Why wouldn¡¯t we know that?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s the thing. Usually only one Guardian-Born comes, with a big imbalance in the pair bond, and it¡¯s obvious to the children that one is Guardian-Born. But you two, a pair bond, are both Guardian-Born.¡± Asclepia threw her hands up, ¡°It¡¯s never happened before!¡± You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. The pair glanced at each, quickly exchanging a few words with Telepathy, confusion writ on their faces, before turning back to the overexcited academic. ¡°We don¡¯t know what you¡¯re expecting from us,¡± Krateros answered. ¡°Oh. Well, I was hoping to surprise you. Not many of those in my line of work. But no. We¡¯re here to take you to the Edge and meet a Guardian.¡± ¡°Ooh!¡± they echoed. They had both heard of the Guardians, given the role of the Guardian¡¯s in the joint history between the Fell and the rest of the World. And yet while references were pervasive, the Fell were strangely coy about details, unwilling to discuss, write down, or draw any images thereof. All they had gotten was that the Guardians served at the Edge¡ªpresumably the perimeter of The Top of the World, as the rest of the World knew it¡ªand that they were there to separate the Fell from the rest of the World, particularly the Pantheon¡¯s System. ¡°Now?¡± Krateros asked. ¡°Yes,¡± Menelaea finally spoke. ¡°We¡¯ll journey there today, then return tomorrow. You needn¡¯t bring anything with you, but we¡¯ll be moving very quickly with a lot of experience usage.¡± The Top of the World was roughly two thousand kilometers from east to west and twelve hundred kilometers north to south. The town they lived in, Trope, was only two hundred kilometers from the Edge, so even assuming they were heading straight out, they¡¯d burn a lot of experience moving that fast through the mountainous terrain.
Krateros sent to Otonia with Telepathy, The pair were looking upwards at a dragon. Barring one possible encounter when they were but a wee [Kobold] and [Bat], they had never seen one themselves. They had met plenty of [Wyverns] and had thought that evolved [Wyverns] were rather big. But the dragon? The dragon¡¯s skull was the size of an adult [Wyvern]. In length and wingspan¡­ it was at least the size of a large sports field. Of course, they were standing next to a five kilometer cliff, so the overall impression at a distance was lessened. But he was still huge. His name was Ladon. ¡°Welcome, Guardian-Born,¡± he intoned, using a true magic version of [Belly Speech]. ¡°It¡¯s good to meet young Fell. Too few of you visit when you are still young and impressionable.¡± Also, they realized belatedly as the dragon¡¯s speech rumbled, that meant that the Fell literally regarded the two of them as dragonborn. ¡°It¡¯s good to meet you too!¡± Krateros finally replied with some cheer. Ladon chuckled, with his lungs, not his magic, and it came across as a booming rockslide. ¡°So eager. Tell me Menelaea,¡± he said, turning to the woman. ¡°Do they know yet why you have brought them here?¡± ¡°Nay,¡± she smirked. ¡°I don¡¯t even know why I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°Bah,¡± the dragon tsked. ¡°Don¡¯t play the fool. It¡¯s doesn¡¯t suit your temperament or your station.¡± Returning his piercing gaze to the two young Fell. ¡°Here it is in a¡­ bite. Have you ever examined your own soul by using your external experience sense?¡± Otonia¡¯s mouth opened and closed a few times. ¡°N-no?¡± she finally got out. ¡°Internal and external senses for experience are wholly separate, and are-are not interchangeable.¡± ¡°Ah, at least we have a learned one this time,¡± he spoke to himself. ¡°That¡¯s right young Fell. But there is a spellform that will allow you to use your external senses self-reflectively. And that is what we will do. In so doing, you will gain a better understanding of yourself, and I of you. Are you ready to begin?¡± ¡°S-sure?¡± ¡°Okay, watch this spellform closely.¡± Ladon the dragon began to draw out a spellform. It was on the simple side, even for true magic, and the pair almost immediately memorized it. And, at Ladon¡¯s further instruction, cast it, closed their eyes, and turned their external experience senses inward. Swapping notes later, what they both found was fascinating. The only other souls they had ever seen were the souls of the recently deceased, and those were uniformly smooth on the outside and homogenous inside. For Otonia and Krateros, the surface was wrinkled, for lack of a better word. The membrane, though soft and flexible, had clearly assumed a very specific pattern. And while they had never seen a soul inside another¡¯s body before, this struck them as very odd. The inside was even stranger. Not just a homogenous liquid, there were crystalline, fractalized structures on the interior of the membrane that in turn seemed to follow the pattern on the outside of the membrane. If they figuratively reached out to one of the fractals, they were suddenly drowned in a memory from a life long past. A few more touches at different parts of the structure showed different memories from different lives. Their internal reverie though was soon broken by Asclepia shaking the two. ¡°Ah good,¡± Ladon intoned, a touch of glee present. ¡°You truly have souls fit for a Guardian. Too bad you were born Fell.¡± ¡°Is that literal or figurative?¡± Krateros got out, still reeling from what he had sensed. ¡°I¡¯ll leave that to you to decide,¡± the dragon told the young Fell, then turned to the elder. ¡°Menelaea, I see no concerns with them and they may return. You all must be tired, so please retreat to the nearby facilities. I¡¯ll be by later tonight to check in with you.¡± At the dragon¡¯s dismissal, the four Fell began to make their way over to a nearby cabin specifically built for visiting Fell. As they walked away, Ladon the dragon reflected on what he had seen, piggybacking on the spell to more closely examine their souls. Fit for a Guardian indeed, he thought. The Fell usually use Guardian-Born just to mean a very large soul, but that pair very well could have been Guardians with a soul that large. Hmm¡­ actually, if there were any lifeforms with a greater potential than Guardians, they¡¯d probably fit that. But there aren¡¯t, or so he thought. That they were put into a form that small and low-potential is odd. Little did Ladon know that his voyeuristic look into their souls was less successful than he had hoped and, for everyone¡¯s sake, he remained blissfully unaware of their textured soul membrane and the crystallized memories therein. If he had, even Ladon¡¯s hypothetically greater lifeform would not have been enough for the dynamic duo. 19.7 Bells Are Ringing A few hours later, Menelaea was resting alone in the main room of the accommodations when a great cacophony arose outside. Deep peals of thunder rolled by every few seconds, as bright flashes came through the windows from a distance. Sensing no one else was in the accommodations, Menelaea got up from her spot and moved senatorially out the front door and towards the commotion. Nearing the Edge, she finally saw the source of the commotion: Otonia throwing great bolts of lightning off into either the clouds above or the ground far below. Blazing, thrumming, echoing. It was a tantrum if the elder had ever seen one. She watched for a few minutes, until Otonia ceased on her own accord, clearly cognizant of Menelaea¡¯s presence, but not turning to face her. Menelaea could see her breathing deeply, her torso rising and falling with her diaphragm. After a pregnant moment of quiet, the echoing rumbles of thunder still coming from yet distant mountains, Menelaea spoke. ¡°You seem troubled, magus.¡± Otonia spat. ¡°Magus, eh? Some wisdom I have.¡± ¡°By all accounts, you have a great deal of wisdom. With more yet to come,¡± the elder retorted. ¡°And yet wisdom cannot operate in an empty sky. There must be knowledge to build upon, least one think for thought¡¯s own sake.¡± Menelaea stayed quiet a long moment, before whispering softly. ¡°So that¡¯s the matter.¡± Menelaea didn¡¯t know the exact nature of the argument, but she could already tell that Otonia and Krateros had a fight. In truth, the same question had arisen as it had several times before: What are we doing this life? ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do,¡± Otonia spoke through gritted teeth. ¡°There¡¯s just not enough information. Too. much. to. know.¡± Otonia punctuated each word by conjuring and shattering a small stone. ¡°Too. little. learned.¡± As the rock dust settled back on the young mage¡¯s hands, Menelaea¡¯s face furrowed in deeper contemplation. Then, after a while, ¡°Have you ever heard the Fable of the Dark Caverns?¡± Finally turning to gaze at her guest, Otonia quirked an eyebrow in surprise. ¡°No?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an allegory. But you¡¯re intelligent enough I can compress it down to a few metaphorical points. The initial premise is that despite the fact that we live above ground, and can see miles and miles through clear, open air, there is so little that we actually perceive and understand. For all that we purport to see, far, far more ever remains hidden to us. It¡¯s almost as if we live in underground caverns, with naught but the light of a single candle to guide us. We¡ªwe wander around, bump into things, and hope to meet people who will care for us. Sometimes we can gather together and our combined light will allow us to accomplish something more. The point is that we carry this metaphorical candle, from birth to death, representing our limited perception around us. And despite inevitably failing to understand everything around us, despite being limited to these candlelit lives, we can still come together and find joy in life.¡± ¡°Huh,¡± Otonia grunted as the elder Fell trailed off. ¡°And so invariably our power outpaces our wisdom to use it. Is that the moral?¡± ¡°No. I mean, you¡¯re not wrong, but that wasn¡¯t what I was aiming for. Just that, well, all decisions are made with less than perfect information. It¡¯s the nature of existence. But you can¡¯t let your sudden conscientiousness of that reality grind your decision making process to a halt. A poor decision timely made is often far better than an optimal decision far too late.¡± Otonia fell onto her butt with an exasperated sigh, thinking the tale over, humming to herself occasionally as it rolled over in her mind. At the end, she murmured, ¡°For even if we were to live many such candlelit lives, our understanding would still remain only fleeting.¡± ¡°Ooh,¡± Menelaea perked up. ¡°That¡¯s a good line. Might steal that. Where¡¯d you come up with it?¡± ¡°Ha! Personal experience.¡±
A few months later, a barrage of spells lifted up into the night sky in a field just outside the town of Trope. They burst apart in a dazzling array of light and sound, casting their magical glow upon the Fell assembled there. It was a wedding. And despite the unique nature of the Fell pair bonds, they still had in place a ritualistic ceremony to represent when two Fell came together to establish a family. And to nine out of ten other cultures on Ager, the Fell ceremony was most notable for the fact that the first consummation took place publicly. Fortunately, that was hours ago already and the ceremony was coming to a close after a long party filled with food, drink, music, dancing and (literal) magic. The drink was particularly welcome to Krateros who¡ªdespite having lived ten prior lives, married in at least two, and semipermanently lifebonded in most others (usually to her soulbound other)¡ªwas deeply embarrassed at having had to perform such an act in public. Otonia had simply found it hilarious. Yes, Ager¡¯s number one couple were getting married. Otonia had finally realized what Krateros had long before. In the absence of evidence to the contrary, you had to live as if you only lived once. And, well, they knew how to live a good life. Exciting lives were aplenty. But what Otonia and Krateros loved about well-developed sapient societies with strong family and community structures was becoming a part of those. And the best way to do that was forming one themselves. And if this was their last life, this was how they would go out. Living large. Loving large. And, as the last spell rose high into the air¡ªdesigned by Otonia herself¡ªmaybe with just a touch of magic.
Otonia and Krateros had a large family by Fell standards, raising six children over the next fifty years. They loved and cherished each one. Krateros eventually fell into politics, first serving as a representative of a town district for a few decades, and later as the executive for the town for another decade. But if there was one thing the family¡ªthe Fell had no family names¡ªwas famous for, it was both the theoretical and practical applications of Otonia¡¯s spellform research. That last spell at their wedding wasn¡¯t just a pretty firework, stories about it sweeping all across Fell lands in the coming years. The Fell school of Illusion magic was limited by a social preconception: That only Illusion magic could form the basis of a spell meant to form an illusion. But the System had no such limitation, as Otonia had known from [Arctic Illusions]¡ªusing ice and light to amplify the illusory effect¡ªand [Mirage *F]¡ªusing light, sand, wind and heat to do the same. Unbound though from the System, and with the starting theoretical premise clear in her mind, Otonia prepared a masterwork. Conjured materials and evoked light, tied with metamagic together with powerful Illusion magic to create a powerful illusion. But not just any illusion. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. A Guardian. In its full-sized glory. The growling of its lungs heard. The flap of its wings, sending a breeze across the crowd. And, inspired by a certain [Wyvern] she once had been, breathing both fire and ice magic (or rather, for safety¡¯s sake, simply appeared to, with heat and cold washing over the crowd). The spell took seven of the highest quality enchanted objects she could source in Trope. Yes, the common gossip had spread the story all across the mountains. But that it had been done at all? That was enough for Fell academics to begin traveling to their little town just to meet with her. A beginning high point of a long and illustrious career. Over the decades, Otonia created hundreds of new spellforms. And while many were inspired by System Skills, either directly or indirectly, there were two that bear particular mention in this tale. The first was derived from her [Furtive Rogue *M] Skill. Starting with a miniaturized form of the same illusion spell she used for the dragon, she reworked it to erase her presence. Importantly however, she had to build in an incredible amount of logical metamagical pathways in order to give the spell sufficient flexibility that it would always work. Despite all other aspects being significantly limited, the increase in metamagic meant she needed to use a full seven of the highest quality enchanted objects she could source in the nearest seven habitations, or just as many as with the dragon illusion. This practice helped her significantly in such programming and, with that, she derived several full-body body-enhancement spells for Krateros. While he tested these to humor her, by and large he remained focused on the Fell style of spellcasting as far less fragile, provided sufficient training, and far cheaper. The second notable spellform, right around her centenary, was based on [Animate Trees *M]. This spell was over 97% metamagic. While the individual spells for causing trees to move were well known, tying them together was massively taxing, and doing so in an automated fashion incredibly difficult. It required a full eleven of the highest quality enchanted objects she could source within the entirety of Fell lands. But in the end, she had pseudo-treants capable of fighting. Nothing too difficult though. Perhaps just [Goblins]? Not that they had any. Through these two spellforms, Otonia realized a few significant truths about the System, which she shared only with Krateros. As an initial point, without being able to access the System again, her understanding of both lesser mana magic and true magic made her skeptical that the System was able to accomplish everything that it did with just magic. While the Fell development of true magic was stunted in her eye, she was fairly sure that the six schools of thought conceptually captured all that true magic was capable of. Ergo, and despite every Fell source on the history of the world telling her otherwise, her first hypothesis was that there was a third kind of magic that the System, and possibly the Pantheon, were able to use. If she was wrong¡ªand the System was limited to only lesser and greater magic¡ªthen there were three conclusions she could draw: The System was limiting, it was cheating, and it was thinking. First, a significant portion of the proliferation of Skills in the System was the System artificially limiting the triggering conditions for the magical effects of the Skills. Why did [The Greenway *F] only increase her speed of travel within a forest? There was no known principle of lesser or true magic that would require or recommend that. As such, she theorized the System had taken a general movement Skill and split it to only work in certain circumstances. Second, many Skills were able to do far more than they should have otherwise. Why did [The High Ground] cause greater damage when you were at a higher elevation? Again, there was no known principle of lesser or true magic that would require or recommend that. As such, she theorized that the System had put a thumb on the scales when it came to certain Skills, inefficiently using mana or experience to cause a result thoroughly unnatural according to the laws of magic as she knew them. Third and finally, she was reminded of her work with metamagic that allowed her to create knowledge computation spells that allowed Arithmetic to work. While novel to the Fell, she strongly suspected that the System needed such a thing¡ªand a great, great many of them¡ªin order to accomplish what it did. If there was one thing the Fell and the temples of other sapients agreed on, it was that the gods did not abide competitors. As the System was nominally their product and tied into the souls on Ager, surely the System was also located on Ager. Or, at least, Caelum. But how did the System do its work, its math, its calculations and conclusions? She doubted the gods would micromanage it and she knew of no stories told about whether they had any servants in such a capacity. So, if there was no sapient mind behind the System, then the only conclusion was that the System itself was doing all that thinking. The only lingering question that she couldn¡¯t resolve with what she knew was how did the System evolve over time? She had thought it was perhaps solely the domain of the gods. And yet¡­ there was too much detail. Was the System capable of evolving itself? Did it decide to split a movement Skill into two specialized Skills? Was the System or a god responsible for that terribly named Skill [The First Global Mapmaker¡¯s Assistant]?!? She feigned annoyance at that thought, because the potential answers were too terrifying to consider.
With those answers in hand, the kids all grown, grandkids aplenty, Krateros¡¯ political days over, etc., etc., Otonia retired from spellform academia to much acclaim for revolutionizing Fell studies on the subject through her research (or, at least, with what she publicly disclosed). And after a few frustrating years dealing with too many visitors interrupting their retirement, Krateros had a grand idea. ¡°Let¡¯s go on a trip?¡± ¡°A trip?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Where?¡± ¡°The Edge.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been there. Several times, I recall.¡± ¡°But not all of it¡­ And, every mountain peak.¡± ¡°They¡¯re like every other.¡± ¡°And all over the Top of the World.¡± ¡°¡­Why?¡± ¡°I can hardly call myself a cartographer of the World if I didn¡¯t make a map of all of it.¡± ¡°¡­Is this just to help me get away?¡± ¡°Hardly. Mutually beneficial I think. And¡­ I just thought of it.¡±
It took a while longer, but at the age of 122, Otonia and Krateros began their journey. They took it leisurely, hiking throughout the entirety of the Top of the World. They began at the center, and moved outwards in an ovoid spiral. They visited every valley, seeing all that life could put on display at such a high and perilous altitude. Trees and succulent plants. Shrubbery. Vines. Lichens. Mammals. A few hardy reptiles. Insects. Decades later, Otonia¡¯s pseudonymous notes on the local wildlife would become the standard for Fell ecological studies. They visited the top of every mountain, with views that radiated for hundreds of kilometers, the very curve of the World visible. And when they reached the top of the highest mountain at the Top of the World, and, thus, the highest mountain in the World, well¡­ in their 130s, the pair could still get amorous. In the name of cartography. *cough* They visited nearly every Fell settlement throughout the Top. They were warmly greeted by their hosts and were fantastic guests in return, regaling the locals with tall tales and displays of magic the kind folk had only heard rumors of, especially in the smaller locales. When they weren¡¯t near a settlement, the pair would stay in one of many wilderness cabins built sporadically by Fell over the millennia. But even those were not omnipresent. And when they were lacking, they would either camp out under the stars¡ªif they were feeling rustic¡ªor they would magic together another cabin in their own personal style. The latter of these would stand for centuries to come and ¡®O.K.¡¯ cabins, as they would come to be known by the initialism above the door, were widely considered the most desirable by traveling Fell, even if the identity of their builders had been divorced from the story of the creation of the Krateran Allmap and subsequently forgotten. But that was in a time yet to come. When the interior of the map was finally done, the pair began their final loop, walking along the Edge. As they did so, they introduced themselves to every guardian, which ultimately slowed their walk down significantly, especially as they had a few thousand kilometers to travel. And yet, even after meeting hundreds, if not thousands, of dragons, one could always find the next just as fascinating. As the last few hundreds of kilometers came to a close, the pair found themselves moving even more slowly and deliberately, holding hands and making other gentle public displays of affection. On the western Edge, they would watch the sun set every night. They had had a full life. A fulfilling life. And even if it was their last life, they found they couldn¡¯t have asked for more.
20.1 Otter Life Heat. Pressure. Cold air! imprinted familiar words into her mind. Otonia tuned out Krateros¡¯ rambling as she dealt with the discomfort of birth. [Easy Birth] only helped the mothers with discomfort, not the child per se, and live birth was still a pain in the ass, even with the boosted stats and resistances that came with her relatively unique position. Short Status, she mentally intoned.
[East Slanemore River Otter] (Ra) (L0)
[East Slanemore River Otter] (Ra) (L0)
HP: 7,297/7,297 5,611/5,611
(1,596 / hour) (840 / hour)
MP: 15,794/15,794 2,848/2,848
(1,330 / hour) (505 / hour)
CON: 19 50
STR: 19 50
END: 19 17
DEX: 19 17
INT: 76 17
WIS: 76 17
SOU: 19 17
CHA: 19 17
Free: 0 0
3672 S.A. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
v.2.03
[Otter], huh? Small mammals tend to be born blind. [Skin Sight]. With her non-ocular vision Skill activated, Otonia took a look around the birthing den where her mother had just given birth to her and her siblings. she interrupted his musings, which were still ongoing, <[Skin Sight].> Otonia chuckled over their shared mental connection, before using [Skillshare] to send [Skin Sight] to her eternal partner.
For all that the duo were overjoyed not to be permanently dead or separated from the System, and for all that they enjoyed their long and fascinating lives as Fell, they quickly grew impatient with, well, growing up. And hey! [Early System Access] definitely worked now. That said, animalkind being not exactly well known for their social structures, the pair only slightly bumped up their natural growth, regaining their eyesight and a modicum of movement in half the typical time. For all their unnatural maturity, their mothers¡ªthey were cousins, as best they could tell¡ªwere undisturbed by it and were quick to show them to the water and how to swim, even though they were each weeks ahead of their siblings. Although both had some experience moving in water¡ªindeed, Otonia even has Skills related to it¡ªthis was the first time either had been a part of a semi-aquatic species and they were treated to the rare occurrence of a naturally learned Skill:
Ding! You have learned the Skill [Swim].
Though at first they stayed near the beaver dam which their mothers were sharing with a den of beavers, they soon were venturing forth to catch easy prey for otters, including various species of freshwater snails and crayfish. At their mothers¡¯ insistence, the two stayed away for now from more dangerous prey such as [Snapping Turtles] and [Two-Spined Trout], though the pair were confident that such species were easy pickings. And despite watching their mothers do so successfully with a pair of rocks, the duo were perplexed at how to crack into the hard bivalves¡ª[Clams], [Oysters], and [Mussels]¡ªthat resided nearby with resorting to their more powerful and distinctly non-[Otter] Skills. A few inconspicuous tests suggested that they could still use their Fell true magic. Admittedly, visually watching their XP fall and not recover was a shock to their minds, compared to the general sensation of emptiness when Fell used up their XP. So, while potentially still a useful tool to have, the two shelved the matter for now, instead diverting their XP to levels in the System. It took them significantly longer than they cared to admit, but they finally noticed a big, freaking change to the System:
END: 19 17
SOU: 19 17
That¡¯s right. Their Status picked up two more attributes: Endurance and Soul. The former was a new physical attribute and was to DEX what CON was to STR. The latter was a new mental or intangible attribute, and was to CHA what INT was to WIS. Curiously, none of their preexisting Skills updated to reflect any of the new attributes, though the Skills that affected all attributes affected the new ones as well. How the new attributes would come into play, they had yet to find out.
Three months in, the pair were perched atop the dam, keeping a close watch for predators as their mothers trained their siblings in otterhood, when something brushed across the edge of Krateros¡¯ perception. he sent as his head snapped to peer in the direction of the disturbance.