《Pangea: A New World》 Chapter 1: A Candidate is Selected The existence of otherworlders is well documented, from the Great King of the East Dragon Slayer Alexander to High Mage Victorian founder of the magic academy Elysium. Their influence is without doubt, their struggles told in legends around fires across the known world, their home worlds unknown but without exception they represent harbingers of change whether for good or for ill. Among all these legends there is one who indisputably stands tallest, one who¡¯s name for many brings hope and for others only fear. In contrast to the magnificence of his deeds he kept to the humblest of names, forgoing all honorifics to be know simply as Jacob. Volume one of A History of Pangea, His Valor Enzyme Jacob Lockerby woke up to a pounding headache, the consequence of a heavy night in celebration of finally finishing his A-levels, when suddenly a floating screen appeared. *************************************************************************** Congratulations!!! You have been granted the one time offer to transmigrate from your current dull, boring and systemless universe to one of wonder, bounty and growth!! What does this entail? What glorious adventures await you? To find out please read the information below and then make your decision! *************************************************************************** ¡°¡­.what?.....¡± Jacob bolted up with a yelp, blinking his eyes several times and shaking his head only for the screen to remain within his vision. After sitting in shock for several minutes Jacob, fully convinced he was hallucinating, decided to humour his mind and read the rest of the message.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. *************************************************************************** The acceptance of this offer entails transport to a new world, the world of Pangea, a world of magic, adventure and much more. A world where the system governs the lives of everyone, provides clear evidence of growth and most importantly allows you to grow past your limits!!!! Pangea is a world filled with monsters, wonders both natural and manufactured. A world where you can overcome adversary, fight vicious beasts and become the person you wish to be. There will be no clich¨¦ need to fight a demon invasion, no world desperately in need of saving. Instead this world will become your playground, a very large playground. Why should you accept this offer? Your status as an other worlder will grant you with unique and powerful titles, enabling you to reach the pinnacle¡­¡­.. Oh and besides you can¡¯t reject it, so there¡¯s that. Your presence is required to bring change to a world that has laid stagnant for too long, bring ideas from your technological world and spread a new thinking. So what say you? Yes or Yes. *************************************************************************** ¡°What is this *@*?¡± murmured Jacob, not wanting any more to do with this insane hallucination. ¡°No, I do not accept this gracious offer¡± Jacob sarcastically answered, only to be shocked by the appearance of a new message. *************************************************************************** Error¡­¡­¡­.. calculating response Wrong answer submitted¡­¡­¡­. Please answer again. *************************************************************************** ¡°WTF, this my own hallucination why can¡¯t I control it¡± Jacob wondered, getting more irritated he again rejected the offer to only be rebuffed once again. A pattern which repeated itself several times over before he eventually gave in and answered with a yes. *************************************************************************** Congratulations for deciding to accept this opportunity. Please prepare to be transported in 5¡­¡­.4¡­¡­.3¡­¡­.2 *************************************************************************** A bright light appeared, and Jacob closed his eyes in anticipation *************************************************************************** ¡­¡­.1. *************************************************************************** Chapter 2: The Place Between Worlds The existence of system points is rumoured, a mysterious and unknown quantity thought to be rewarded only to those who achieve world renowned feats. Supposedly offering the ability to purchase anything in existence. The truth of these statements will only be ever known to those who stand at the peak, for the rest of us we can but hypothesise. A Beginners Guide to the System, Germain Fitzgerald. Jacob felt the floor disappear from under his feet as the world warped, space seeming to stretch and shift. His body felt as if it was pulled apart and put back together again and again, atom by atom; before a sense of normalcy returned again. Releasing his tightly clenched eyes and looking around in wonder he realised he was surrounded by white, as far as the eye could see. Before panic could set it he received yet another notification. Welcome to the space between worlds. Before moving onto the wide world of Pangea you have the opportunity to spin the wheel of fortune, and be gifted with system points. These points can be spent to learn skills or improve your body and mind to enable an easier transition. Please spin the wheel of fortune when you are ready. Please note your emotions have been forcefully stabilised to ease this process. As he finished reading this message a giant wheel popped into existence in front of Jacob, who hesitantly approached it. Feeling surprisingly calm given the situation and absently noting it must be down to the systems influence; something he felt he should be angry at and yet just couldn¡¯t workup the desire to be. Instead he decided to just spin the wheel, watching it go round and round before landing on 110,457 points. Congratulations you have won 110,457 points this is in the top 0.00001% of points ever won. Status has now been enabled, please view it, and then proceed to the store to spend your system points which will be passed on once you have arrived in Pangea. Titles: Otherworlder Name: Jacob Lockerby Race: Human lvl 1 (0/100) Class (lvl): n/a (unlocked at race lvl 5) Second Class* (lvl): n/a/ (unlocked at race lvl 10) Health: 100% Health Regen: 1%/day Mana Points: n/a Mana Regen: n/a Stats: Strength: 12 Dexterity: 12 Perception: 8 Constitution: 10 Agility: 11 Endurance: 10 Intelligence: 15 Control: 7 Magic Power: n/a Skills: n/a Traits: n/a *As an otherworldly system sleeted individual you have been granted access to a second class. This will be unlocked at race lvl 10. It also hides this second class as well as your title from all but the strongest identification spells. Along with this screen an intuitive understanding of what it meant entered Jacob¡¯s head. He suddenly knew that the average stat for a human from Earth is 10 in everything other than magic power. Focussing on each stat in turn a further explanation on each was provided: Strength: the ability of your muscles to produce force, the exact nature of this will depend on the main activities undertaken by the individual in question. Dexterity: a measure of the ease with which one controls their physical limbs, this interacts with the control stat to give an overall physical control measure.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Perception: a measure of an individual¡¯s ability to perceive their surroundings, both physical surroundings (sound, sight, smell and touch) and magical (enables easier sensing of mana). As well as improving an individual¡¯s emotional awareness. Constitution: a measure of the toughness and survivability of an individual¡¯s body. Agility: a measure of the speed at which an individual can make sudden abrupt changes to their movement. Endurance: a measure of the stamina that an individual has and how quickly they recover, this also boosts health regeneration by 0.1% a day per point, and mana regen by 0.1% of total mana per hour. Intelligence: a measure of an individual¡¯s ability to process new information. Control: relates to the control an individual can exert over their body, mind and magical abilities. Magic Power: a measure of the level of mana an individual has access to. This is locked due to Earthly origins and the lack of mana, the user also has zero magical talent. An explanation for skills and traits was also given: Skills: a list of skills the individual has acquired throughout their life, this includes anything from the mundane (walking) to the magical. Traits: a list of bodily traits of the individual. Jacob who was by this time in a relatively stable mood, if somewhat deflated by his lack of access to magic decided he should look at the store, which appeared as soon as the thought crossed his mind. Skills Traits Stats Items Of the four categories Jacob decided to start by perusing the Traits section in the hope that there was one available to grant him magical talent and as luck would have the following trait existed: High Grade mana affinity: the highest level of magical affinity available, providing 2 to magic power per race level with a base of 10 points. Mana regen is set at 10% of total mana per hour. All mana related skills are 200% easier to learn and level. 65,000 points. He also spotted a similar physical trait: High Grade Physique: the highest level of physical affinity available to humans, this provides 2 stat points per race level to be spent on any of strength, dexterity, agility, constitution and endurance. It also provides base of 3 stat points to each of the above. The host has an innate connection with their body and finds physical related skill 200% easier to learn and level. 65,000 points. Gasping at the prices he managed to fight his impulse to immediately purchase one of these traits instead holding off, in the knowledge that how he spends his points will determine his journey in this new world. Widening his search to find other traits more geared to survival three in particular caught his eye: Enhanced health regeneration (weak 1/10): provides a boost to health recovery. Costs 11,250 points for a 1% boost to health regeneration per day, each 1% thereafter sees the system point cost double. Can level up as the body heals from wounds. Enhanced mana regeneration (weak 1/10): provides a boost to mana regeneration. Costs 11,250 points for a 1% boost to mana regeneration, each 1% thereafter sees system point the cost double. Can level up as mana is regenerated. Tough body (weak 1/10): provides a boost to the efficiency of the constitution stat by 1% per level. Costs 7,500 points. Groaning at the cost of these available traits he quickly moved on to skills, deciding he should focus on those that would enable him to survive in the Wilderness and communicate with others. Settling on: Forestry Novice: grants the user basic knowledge on most common plants found in woods near the user on entry into Pangea. As well as basic navigation and game trail finding knowledge within a forest. Enabling the identification of edible and poisonous plants. 5,000 points. Trapmaking Novice: grants the user knowledge on how to make common traps to catch small time game. 2,500 points. Fighting Proficiency (weak): grants a passive ability which bestows basic instincts towards fighting in order to help the user survive. Enables user to quickly level combat related skills to the peak of the Apprentice level. 2,500 points. Having looked through most of the sections, Jacob realised that high grade mana affinity was perhaps a superfluous choice as it did not raise his immediate survivability. However, in counter to this he was being brought into a new world, one where magic existed wo on Earth would give up what could be the only chance to access magic. Realising this choice was perhaps to hard for him he decided to question the system as to his arrival point, its response was. The user will be placed in an appropriate zone, survival is not given but possible given the users pre-purpose abilities as long as the user works hard. This response solved Jacob¡¯s dilemma, purchasing high grade mana affinity would not drastically reduce his survival chances, and he was still left with enough points to purchase the other survivability focussed options. He purchased all of those traits and skills that he had found so far, except for the High Grade physique affinity. This left him with 5,457 points to spend on items, outfitting himself with a backpack, tent, a couple of sets of robust clothing as well as two steel daggers, rope and a sword among other basic provisions including enough food for a couple of weeks or longer if he rationed his intake. These purchases decided, Jacob was very much focussing on his long-term prospects, with many of the traits not providing a significant early boost but instead would become significantly more powerful as he spent more time in Pangea. Furthermore, he committed himself to magic, unable to distance himself from childish dreams of throwing around fireballs and bending the world to his will. Collecting himself he told the system he was ready to be transported to Pangea, following which the world warped once more as Jacob¡¯s vision went black. Chapter 3: A New World Pangea is a world of vast forests, deep valley, wide oceans, towering mountains and expansive deserts. This variety in terrain is matched only by the variety of life that inhabits it, including everything from the weakest mouse to the mightiest dragon. These wonders of this world are open to any and all brave enough to search for them. This is a world of beauty and adventure, however its magnificence is matched only by the dangers it poses to an unwary traveller. Woe to any man, women or child who venture to places far and near above their rank, for those so foolish shall surely perish. Volume one of A History of Pangea, His Valor Enzyme Waking up to the sound of chirping birds the first thing Jacob noticed was the freshness of the air, he realised he was far removed from the polluted streets of London he once lived on. In a brief moment of respite from the craziness of his day so far, he took in this new world of his. From the towering trees standing high above him to the knee height grass making up the clearing he appeared in. Noticing some berries on a nearby bush he absentmindedly reached for them however his peace of mind was broken when his head started to burn, almost as if his brain was frying, a feeling which went away as quickly as it started. Leaving Jacob with not only a terrible headache but also a feeling of remembering that which he had once forgotten. Knowledge of plants around him came to the forefront of his mind realising the berries he was reaching for, which looked so appetising, where in fact poisonous to kill him. The danger of these berries ensured the reality of his situation quickly struck home, he was now on a foreign planet, alone, with little idea how to survive. His rumination was interrupted by a system message before he could dwell for too long on the reality of his situation. Welcome to Pangea!! Data download of skills has been completed, purchased traits have been applied to your body. You have gained the achievement ¡°World Traveller¡±, you have been awarded 1,000 race xp. Congratulations your race has levelled up to level 2, you have been granted 3 free stat points. Congratulations your race has levelled up to level 3, you have been granted 3 free stat points. Congratulations your race has levelled up to level 4, you have been granted 3 free stat points. Shocked by the multitude of messages Jacob took the time to update his status page and allocate these new stat points, as his new-found perspective on the potential dangers of this world was very much in the forefront of his mind. These stat points could mean be the difference as he treads the very thin line between death and survival. In fact, he very much regretted the humongous quantity of points he¡¯d spent on High Grade Mana Affinity which could have been otherwise spent on increasing his survivability. An affinity he currently had no idea how to use. This new-found sense of his own mortality, brought his vulnerability into the forefront of his mind now that the system imposed calm had disappeared. He thought of his family and friends he had left behind, as while by no means an extrovert neither was he an introvert. Instead he gathered to his side a small but close group of individuals that he was proud to call his friends. Friends, family, a brother, a sister he would now never see again. Jacob closed his eyes as grief washed over him, memories of those lost to him passed through his mind. Jacob remained in this state, with his eyes closed for quite sometime recalling that which was now lost to him. Slowly ever slowly a determination emerged, a determination not to give in to despair. That he would take what has been handed to him, and make something from it. Take this chance on a new planet and act in such a way that those he knew on Earth would be proud of him for.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. With that in mind before reopening his eyes he took the time to enshrine his memories of those important to him, times spent together but in particular their appearances. Anchoring his mental stability with his past experiences. After a long time he finally opened his eyes finding himself kneeling in the clearing, with the knee height grass brushing agaisnt his quads while it slowly swayed in the gentle breeze. The breeze which Jacob once again noticed brought with it the sounds and smells of the forest, in particular a sense of clear air missing the pollution that existed on Earth. A pollution Jacob had become so numb to he didn¡¯t even realise it existed until it was no longer there. A quick scan of his surroundings completed he quickly focused on the goal of survival, enshrining it very much at the forefront of his mind. He decided to allocate the status points he received; with three going to each of perception, constitution and endurance. Perception to increase his awareness of the world around him, constitution to increase his durability and lastly endurance to enable him to recover more quickly. The feeling of allocating stat points was intoxicating, he could feel the changes occurring in his body filling him with strength and vitality, sounds became clearer and smells sharper his body filled with new found health as aches he never even knew existed disappeared. A quick look at his status page confirmed the changes that had taken place. Titles: Otherworlder Name: Jacob Lockerby Race: Human lvl 4 (300/800) Class (lvl): n/a (unlocked at race lvl 5) Second Class* (lvl): n/a/ (unlocked at race lvl 10) Health: 100% Health Regen: 1 to 2% per day Mana Points: n/a to 180 Mana Regen: n/a to 12% per hr Stats: Strength: 12 Dexterity: 12 Perception: 11(8) Constitution: 13(10) Agility: 11 Endurance: 13 (10) Intelligence: 15 Control: 7 Magic Power: 18 (0) Skills: Forestry Novice, Trapmaking Novice, Fighting Proficiency Traits: High Grade Mana Affinity, Enhanced Health Regen Weak (1/10), Enhanced Mana Regen Weak (1/10), Tough Body Weak (1/10) With a decisiveness belying his sedentary lifestyle on Earth, Jacob headed to nearest the tree climbing it to gain an understanding of the lay of the land. Upon reaching the upper boughs he realised just how quite high up he was, precariously perched on rather thin branches Jacob was startled by yet another notification which brought a pleasant surprise. Congratulations with the help of your title you have gained the skill Climbing (novice). For learning your first dexterity-based skill you have gained +1 dexterity. Smiling to himself, he scanned the horizon for any signs of civilisation. Coming up short, all he could see was trees expect for a nearby hill which promised a better view. With a destination in mind he carefully headed back down the tree, picked up his backpack and set out, keeping an eye out for edible plants to stock up on. Reaching the bottom of the hill only a few hours before dark, Jacob decides it is better to spend the remainder of the day exploring the surroundings, in the hopes of finding a water source as his system bought water was nearing its end. With little luck and the sun starting to set Jacob settled with finding a place to sleep, deciding on a nearby tree he climbed up to a relatively stable branch and tied both himself and his bag down, attempting to get comfortable which proved rather difficult for an individual used to soft beds. Author¡¯s note: Titles: Otherworlder Name: Jacob Lockerby Race: Human lvl 4 (300/800) Class (lvl): n/a (unlocked at race lvl 5) Second Class* (lvl): n/a/ (unlocked at race lvl 10) Health: 100% Health Regen: 2% per day Mana Points: 180 Mana Regen: 12% per hr Stats: Strength: 12 Dexterity: 13 Perception: 11 Constitution: 13 Agility: 11 Endurance: 13 Intelligence: 15 Control: 7 Magic Power: 18 Skills: Forestry Novice (1/10), Trapmaking Novice (1/10), Fighting Proficiency, Climbing Novice (1/10) Traits: High Grade Mana Affinity, Enhanced Health Regen Weak (1/10), Enhanced Mana Regen Weak (1/10), Tough Body Weak (1/10) Chapter 4: An Endless Sea The endless forest derives its name from the evergreen trees that make up the majority of its trees. The largest known forest in explored Pangea, yet despite centuries of exploration many secrets remain hidden in its depths. Dangers and opportunities in abundance are available for those brave enough to enter its heart. Volume one of A History of Pangea, His Valor Enzyme Waking up with a sore back, Jacob curses the stupid system that brought him to this world in which he has to sleep in a tree in the middle of nowhere. However, his mood quickly brightens when on reaching the bottom of the tree he spent the night on he receives a notification. Congratulations Climbing Novice has levelled up to level 2 (1). The acknowledgement of direct growth is one thing he prefers about this new world. With a newfound smile he sets out to the top of the hill at a run attempting to dodge around and over obstacles at the last moment. An attempt to imitate free running videos he saw on Earth, Jacob is testing to see if natural stat growth can occur by pushing his body, as well as hoping to learn a new skill. After several breaks he finally reaches the top of the hill having made pretty good time and is afforded a stunning view, of an alluring endless sea of green to the horizon over the opposite side of the hill. With his heart in his throat just how alone he is hits home, the isolation weighing down upon him threatening to make him give up. Despite the beauty of this world Jacob is missing home, his friends but most of all his family. Despite the overwhelming sense of loneliness that he initially feels, slowly a newfound excitement rises in Jacob. Staring out at this endless expanse Jacob begins to understand how old explorers on Earth must have felt, the thrill of the unknown, the chance to explore something new and the chance to learn of things beyond anything once could imagine. With this almost hypocritical mix of emotions Jacob turns to look at where he came from and much to his delight can see the forest edge, appearing roughly two days travel away, back past the glade he initially entered this world in. Out beyond the forest¡¯s edge is an azure river meandering across a plain which continues to the horizon and beyond, and despite the lack of civilisation in his view the river brings with it renewed hope both in aide of survival and in eventually finding civilisation of some sort. This hope brings forward new questions, while Jacob imagines there must be civilisation on Pangea its form could be one of many. He wonders whether it will be of the form of ancient Earth, a place of brutality and rule by the strong, a world where might makes right or will it be more peaceful in keeping with the natural beauty of this land.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Taking a moment to settle his thoughts Jacob ponders his plan of action, deciding to head back towards the glade he arrived in and spend a few days there stocking up on food, setting traps on some of the animal trails he witnessed as well as finding a water source. With a sense of purpose Jacob begins the journey back down the hill again at run, met at the bottom with the lovely surprise of a new skill. Congratulations! Due to your dedicated practice and agile movements through the forest you have gained a new skill, free running novice level 1. This is a dexterity and control-based skill. As your first control-based skill learnt you have gained + 1 stat to control. Congratulations for reaching this milestone and learning your first two skills. You have been rewarded with 100 race xp. The remainder of the trip back to the glade was uneventful, however because of his new-found determination to move at a run Jacob arrived there with plenty of daylight left to explore the surroundings. Expanding outwards in concentric circles Jacob managed to find four game trails on which he could set up his first traps thanks to his forestry skill. Making use of wire he bought from the system store he first cut it into smaller pieces, of roughly 3 feet in length, with which he created a small loop at one end twisting it to allow it to hold its shape. Passing through the other end of the wire through the slip-knot loop, he fashioned a noose with four of these smaller pieces of wire. Next he found four sturdy sticks which he secured the wire to leaving around a foot of wire between the stick and the snare. Tugging the wire to ensure it was properly attached, he placed the sticks in the ground nearby to each animal path. Lastly, he angled the noose at about 6-8 inches above the ground, aiming to catch a rabbit mid jump as they hopped a long. When caught the noose should shut tightly and kill the rabbit. His traps set up he also managed to find a small stream to meet his water needs, finally content with a pretty successful day, Jacob headed back to the glade and as usual headed up into a tree to sleep in for the night. Authors note: Titles: Otherworlder Name: Jacob Lockerby Race: Human lvl 4 (400/800) Class (lvl): n/a (unlocked at race lvl 5) Second Class* (lvl): n/a/ (unlocked at race lvl 10) Health: 100% Health Regen: 2.3% per day Mana Points: 180 Mana Regen: 12% per hr Stats: Strength: 12 Dexterity: 13 Perception: 11 Constitution: 13 Agility: 11 Endurance: 13 Intelligence: 15 Control: 8 Magic Power: 18 Skills: Forestry Novice (1/10), Trapmaking Novice (1/10), Fighting Proficiency, Climbing Novice (2/10), Climbing Novice (2/10), Free Running Novice (1/10) Traits: High Grade Mana Affinity, Enhanced Health Regen Weak (1/10), Enhanced Mana Regen Weak (1/10), Tough Body Weak (1/10) Chapter 5: A Fight for his life For unknown reasons the system rewards struggle and hardship. Fighting for you life is the prime example, in a situation where you must expend your all to survive skills will level more quickly. This has led many to unbelievable heights of power yet many more to their deaths. Any experienced individual will tell you that the system is neither good nor evil, it helps sentient races to achieve their aims. It provides a route to power for all, whether their intentions are to murder, rape and pillage or serve, protect and heal. This has led to the emergence of several shady organizations justifying their existence on the back of religious beliefs that if the gods intended us to be good, as subjective as that is, then they would not have provided classes such as thief, rogue or bandit. Of Adventurers and the Road they Walk, Anonymous ex-Adventurer Congratulations due to the vigorous activities you have taken over the past few days you have gained the following stats: + 1 Endurance, + 1 Strength, +1 Dexterity, +1 Agility Groaning, and lethargically stretching the acknowledgement of his efforts over the last few days helped ease Jacob disgruntlement with sore body. Despite having lived a fairly active lifestyle on Earth, as individual who enjoyed sports, the level of exercise required to live in the Wilderness was drastically greater. Now more at home in the forest moving with greater ease and grace across the rough ground, Jacob quietly hums to himself excited to see if he has caught anything. He heads out to check the traps he laid last night, hopeful that he could be having his first self provided meal on Pangea. The first three traps unfortunately come up empty but as he approached the final trap, he heard a squealing sound, and when it came into sight lo and behold, he had caught a very much panicking rabbit. As he approached the trap, it suddenly freezes and crouches, stock still it starts to shiver in fear staring right at Jacob. Its eyes seem to pierce into his soul begging him to let it go bringing up Jacob short. As a member of the modern world he had never taken a life of an animal despite eating meat for his entire existence. More to the point the trap which had been intended to kill the rabbit had not, instead leaving it to suffer since it was caught, a rather abrupt introduction for Jacob into the cruelty of the natural world. All of a sudden doubt crossed his mind, unsure if he had what it takes to kill, albeit a non-sentient being, in him Jacob slowly approached the rabbit. Reaching out to grab it, his hands shivered as they took hold of the rabbit, feeling the softness of its fur. Reflexively he stroked the rabbit muttering calming words to it as he paused, uncertain over his next actions. In a trance his hands move up towards the rabbit¡¯s neck, no longer shaking as he steels himself for what he must do, and with a quick snap he twists the rabbits head. A crunch accompanies the movement as the rabbit¡¯s head sits at a disturbing angle its body going through the last throws of death. Once back in the clearing Jacob robotically goes through the motions dictated by his Forestry skills, cutting open the rabbit from its neck all the way along its belly, the rabbits innards spilling out into the hole he dug to bury them in. Rinsing out the rabbit before proceeding to skin, and finally skewer it over the fire. The task completed he finals notices a blinking notification: Congratulations on catching and processing your first skill you have been rewarded 50 race xp! With the sun barely reaching it¡¯s zenith, he tucks into the first substantial meal he has provided for himself in this new world. Having been rationing himself on nuts and system bought food, he feels full for the first time since this mad adventure began a great help for his mood. Debating what to do he heads out to explore a bit more of the surrounding area looking for new areas to set up traps.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Going further towards the edge of the forest than he has yet to explore, he hears a rustling from behind some bushes. Shrinking back against a nearby trees, his heart pounds as a black boar steps out of the shrubbery snorting as it spots Jacob. Its hackles are instantly raised, as it freezes its charcoal colored eyes locking with Jacob¡¯s who notes it is covered in short wiry hair giving it a mean look. Unsure of how to act Jacob hesitantly backs up, slowly drawing his sword as he recalls story of people being mauled to death by wild boars on earth. As the boar makes no other movement, Jacob unconsciously lets out a sigh some of the tension in his body lets up, only to be instantly replaced by a resurgent fear as the boar paws at the ground readying to charge him. Unsure over what action to take, his fighting proficiency skill kicks in causing Jacob to stop his slow retreat, instead readying himself for the boar¡¯s charge. Planning to jump to the side and swipe at the boar as it passes him by. All too soon the quiet of the forest is broken as the Boar lets out a sequel, bunches its hind legs and pushes off quickly accelerating towards Jacob. A strange calm overcomes Jacob, as he faces his first fight for his life, his breathing slows, his mind clears, and his sight narrows until only himself and the boar are left. Dodging to the left at the last moment he swipes out with his sword grunting as he impacts along the boar¡¯s line of charge striking its face and right flank, drawing blood. Thankful for the sharpness and quality for the system bought blade in line with the suggestion of fighting proficiency Jacob quickly spun around and backed up creating some space between himself and the boar. The boar slid struggling to come to stop quickly but looked more irritated than particularly hurt by the cut along its side. As he was charged again Jacob reacted in a similar way as to before, again scoring a solid strike against the boar. This time however his dodge was not as well timed, and Jacob took a glancing blow from the boar at the same time a gash opening up along his right hip and losing his grip on the sword. Thankfully his sword managed to cut deeper this time, causing the boar more than just an irritant, the new wound bled freely dripping blood onto the ground. The boar moving more haggardly, but still very much on its two feet as Jacob drew his two daggers. A game of cat and mouse ensued, a war of attrition between the two waiting to see who would tire and slip up first, while Jacob was unable to get back to his dropped sword without risking an injury. Throughout this period Jacob becoming more confident managed to score a few hits with his knife but dealt fatal wounds. He became more and more panicked that he would be unable to outlast the boar, deciding to make a run for his sword which was lying at the base of a tree. As Jacob turned to make a run for it he could hear the boar closing distance between the two, as time seemed to slow down the seconds stretching on, each breath lasting for an eternity. Sliding the last few steps to the sword Jacob gripped his handle turned and braced his sword into the ground, placing himself behind it just in time. As the boar impaled itself on the sword which pierced between its ribs striking its heart, its momentum carrying it forward and into Jacob¡¯s chest with a loud crack. Jacob was knocked back hearing a crack as the board hit his chest and sent him flying into the tree on which he hit his head. Stars appeared in his sight, as he landed on his back the boar on top of his legs, the sky seeming to spin he struggled to sit. The very act of exerting enough effort to sit was too much as he failed and his vision slowly dimmed. Authors note: Titles: Otherworlder Name: Jacob Lockerby Race: Human lvl 4 (450/800) Class (lvl): n/a (unlocked at race lvl 5) Second Class* (lvl): n/a/ (unlocked at race lvl 10) Health: 100% Health Regen: 2.3% per day Mana Points: 180 Mana Regen: 12% per hr Stats: Strength: 13 (12) Dexterity: 14 (13) Perception: 11 Constitution: 13 Agility: 13 (11) Endurance: 14 (13) Intelligence: 15 Control: 8 Magic Power: 18 Skills: Forestry Novice (1/10), Trapmaking (1/10), Fighting Proficiency, Climbing Novice (2/10), Free Running Novice (1/10) Traits: High Grade Mana Affinity, Enhanced Health Regen Weak (1/10), Enhanced Mana Regen Weak (1/10), Tough Body Weak (1/10) The Plan Hi Guys, this not a chapter but a I thought I¡¯d let you in on my plans for this book. Chapter 6: Recovery Meditation is the process of training your mind to focus and reprogram your thoughts, this stabilises the body and leads to enhanced physical recovery. At least it is for the average person. For those with magical talent meditation is so much more. It represents the door that must be crossed to pass onto the path of a wielder of the arcane it provides a sense of peace enabling the subconscious mind to come to the forefront and the conscious mind to probe the depths of the body and find enlightenment. Or so says many mystical tomes, which are steeped in lore and superstition. In reality what those of us who have learnt magic from a more practical perspective realise, is that meditation while very important is merely a method by which to train the mind to ignore physical sensations. This is important because it allows other sense to come to the forefront, key is that from this the brain can finally interpret mana sense. It is the absence of other distractions that frees mage to begin on the path to finding their internal mana source. Mediation the fundamentals, Archmage Ricard Griffenheart Jacob wakes up to the stink of the boar having soiled itself in its death, his body sore all over but particularly his chest and ribs, of which he suspects a few are broken. Before moving he gingerly tests his body slowly pushing the boar¡¯s carcass off him, when a blinking in the corner of his vision makes him aware of pending notifications. *************************************************************************** You have taken damage, health at 50%. Rest is recommended. Congratulations you have defeated Boar lvl 4. You are awarded 50 class xp.¡­¡­¡­¡­ No class found xp lost. Congratulations for defeating your first foe. Your fierce fight has yielded the following results: You have been awarded 200 race xp! You have gained the skill Dagger Mastery Novice (1/10) You have gained the skill Dual Wield Mastery Novice (1/10) You have gained the skill Sword Mastery Novice (1/10). As your first strength-based skill you have been awarded +1 strength. *************************************************************************** Realising the darkening sky Jacob knew it would be a bad idea to remain next to the boar¡¯s carcass, especially while injured as it would only attract predators which in his current state could be deadly. With no time to process it he had no choice but to leave it behind as he slowly limped towards his clearing after gathering up his weapons and kit which had ended up strewn around the area. Just as the sun was dipping behind the horizon and the shadows lengthened Jacob made it back to his base, where he had a quick meal consisting of nuts, before rinsing off with what water remained and then heading to bed in the safety of a nearby tree for a fitful night¡¯s sleep. Waking up with the rise of the sun Jacob, slowly makes his way down to glade before heading out to check his traps for any game and to refill his water supply, a process which is quickly becoming routine for him. Unfortunately he returns empty handed, and with little else to do and in pain he decides to investigate magic, with little idea of where to start he thinks back to myths on Earth. Remembering that many mystical forces are associated with meditation he decides to start there.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Settling himself in the middle of the glade, he begins with his eyes wide open just taking in the space he resides in. Noting the sight of the trees swaying in the wind, the occasional bird crossing his vision and the noise of the forest. The leaves rustling as if the forest is whispering to him, the call of animals as they go about their day. He then takes a few deep breaths, in through the nose and out through the mouth gently closing his eyes as he exhales, before allowing his breathing to return to its natural pattern in and out through the nose. He brings his attention to the physical body, the weight of his feet and legs on the floor, his hand on his legs. Slowly he scans down his body, starting from the crown of his heading noting but not engaging with physical sensations, whether the tightness and pain in chest as his chest gently rises and falls in line with his breath or the throbbing of his hip. Viewing these sensations as if a third party aware of them but unaffected, just being present in the moment he focuses on his breath drawing the air down deep into his stomach. He spends the next 30 minutes in this state just present in the moment and he emerges more refreshed, at peace and determined despite not feeling his mana. A determination only strengthened by the notification: *************************************************************************** Congratulations! You have learnt the skill Meditation Novice (1/10). Each level in this skill will boost your regeneration rates by 0.1%. For learning your first intelligence based skill you have been awarded +1 Intelligence. *************************************************************************** Meditation now served the dual purpose of helping to speed up his recovery and let him begin on the road to magic, because despite his lack of success Jacob was convinced that this was the correct route to harnessing his mana. He had no rhyme or reason for this conviction other than the deep-rooted sense that he was on the right track. The next day Jacob decided he felt well enough to return to the site of his fight with the boar and see if there was anything left process. He set off focusing on his senses for any signs of danger, as while he was yet to meet any predators he was sure some must live in this forest. As he neared the sight of his fight, he paused listening for the sounds of any movement. Hearing nothing he approached closer only to find carcass that had been picked mostly clean with a few birds, similar to Earth¡¯s ravens picking the last few bits of meat from the bones. With little to scavenge Jacob decided to head back after taking a few sharp bones that he could incorporate into his traps. With little else to do Jacob quickly settled into a routine of checking his traps, meditating and filling his water among other daily tasks. Alongside skinning and smoking the odd rabbit that he caught. His recovery coincided with several skill level ups: *************************************************************************** Congratulations your skill Meditation Novice has levelled up to level 10 (1). Meditation novice has evolved to Meditation Apprentice 1. Meditation now provides a 1% boost to regen rates plus 0.2% per apprentice level. For learning your first Apprentice level skill you have been awarded 100 race xp. For learning your first Apprentice level intelligence skill you are awarded +2 Intelligence. Congratulations your skill Enhanced Health Regen (weak) has levelled up to level 2 (1). Congratulations your skill Trapmaking Novice has levelled up to level 3 (1). Congratulations your skill Forestry Novice has levelled up to level 3 (1). Congratulations your skill Climbing Novice has levelled up to level 5 (2). *************************************************************************** Authors note: Titles: Otherworlder Name: Jacob Lockerby Race: Human lvl 4 (750/800) Class (lvl): n/a (unlocked at race lvl 5) Second Class* (lvl): n/a/ (unlocked at race lvl 10) Health: 100% Health Regen: 2.3% per day Mana Points: 180 Mana Regen: 12% per hr Stats: Strength: 13 (12) Dexterity: 14 (13) Perception: 11 Constitution: 13 Agility: 13 (11) Endurance: 14 (13) Intelligence: 18 (15) Control: 8 Magic Power: 18 Skills: Forestry Novice (3/10), Trapmaking (3/10), Fighting Proficiency, Climbing Novice (5/10), Free Running Novice (1/10), Dagger Mastery Novice (1/10), Dual Wield Mastery Novice (1/10), Sword Mastery (1/10), Meditation Apprentice (1/10) Traits: High Grade Mana Affinity, Enhanced Health Regen Weak (2/10), Enhanced Mana Regen Weak (1/10), Tough Body Weak (1/10) Update Hi Guys, I had some additional free time this week so managed to go back over the posted chapters and update them, taking into account some of the comments and sugegstions for improving the sotry so far. These have not affected the overall story in any way, but I believe they add depth to Jacob''s character and go into a bit more detail about his actions, as well as extending the quotes at the begining of each chapter. So no need to re-read them unless you want to as they will not affect the story in any way.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. In other news tomorrows chapter is on schedule and is promising to be the longest one yet!!!!! Have a great day! Chapter 7: The plains of Azeroth Prior to the collapse of the Azeroth Empire, it covered an expanse which now comprises the fractured lands. Within this area lie the plains of Azeroth, so named after the former kingdom which spread out from them. Characterised by the head height grass an unexperienced individual can easily become lost within this veritable sea of grass. However for those who know how to navigate, these grasslands provide both wonder and opportunity. Plenty of game calls them home, one only needs to find it in order to benefit. It was a mastery of these plains that enabled the Azeroth, once a disparate group of nomadic herdsman to form one of the most powerful empires these lands have seen after they were united under one of the greatest conquerors of all time. That is under the leadership of ?gedei Khan, a man who took a relatively weak an unknown clan into the undisputed ruler of the plains, and even further abroad. His was a life full of violence and yet he gained a reputation for being a fair and meritocratic ruler, as long as you bowed to his iron fist. Volume one of a History of Pangea, His Valor Enzyme Recovery complete Jacob decides that he should begin his journey to civilisation. After checking his provisions and the state of his equipment he removes all traces of his time in the clearing, scattering the remains of his fire pit and scours the area for anything he may have dropped. Preparations complete with a last look around his home for the past two weeks, Jacob squares his shoulders turns and leaves for the river without a look back. He is ready to move form surviving to living. Upon reaching the edge of the clearing he for the first time comes face to face with the head height grass, which sways in the wind producing a gentle thrumming. Presenting a challenge Jacob was unsure of how to respond to, that of keeping his direction. With little choice Jacob climbed the nearest tree and made note of the sun¡¯s position in the sky relative to where the river was. What little preparation he could do undertaken he headed into the grasslands, on high alert in this new environment. The constant noise provided by the swaying grass provided both a boon by hiding his movements but also reduced his awareness of his surroundings. Over the course of the day Jacob¡¯s vigilance wavered as the lack of danger enabled him to let his guard down. As the day heated up Jacob began to feel drowsier further depleting his awareness, a nearly fatal mistake as he stumbled directly into a small green creature. Freezing Jacob noticed a small, roughly 4 foot tall green humanoid. It¡¯s face was covered in warts and distinctly ugly, with vicious incisors peeping out its mouth. Noticing Jacob it spun around to face him, hissing and bearing its teeth at him swinging a pointed stick at him. This afforded Jacob a good view of the creature and a chance to properly assess it. He noticed it appeared much like a goblin described in many of the fantasy books of Earth, with long pointed ears, unkempt hair and four long delicate looking fingers with sharp nails on them. The shock of the vicious fa?ade caused Jacob to jump back in fright, drawing his sword as fighting proficiency kicked in, helping him to calm down. With a more focussed mind Jacob, noticed the blood dripping from its mouth and the deer carcass on the ground before it, with its throat ripped out. Along with a portion of the deer¡¯s antlers sticking out of the goblins shoulder, clearly a wound hurting it and hampering its ability to manoeuvre. Without warning the goblin, as Jacob was now referring to the creature in his mind, charged at him trying to jab him with its spear. Instinctively Jacob jumped to the side batting the spear away with his sword, then resetting himself with the sword on guard in front of him warding off any further attacks. He managed this not a moment too soon as the goblin with nary a pause for breath seemingly emboldened by Jacobs lack of aggressiveness launched itself at him, in a vicious attack. This time instead of backing away Jacob caught the goblin off guard by stepping into its attack, closing the distance between the two. This brought Jacob to close for the goblin to effectively use its spear, Jacob wanting to retaliate had to settle with a kick to the goblins side, as his sword was out of position due to his inexperience, eliciting a grunt from both of them and sending the Goblin back a few steps. More wary of Jacob the goblin slowly approached, as they each circled each other before the goblin dropped its spear and launched itself at him. Unable to get his sword up in time Jacob was forced to drop it and bring his arms up in an effort to ward off the goblin. Both of the went tumbling as the goblin impacted Jacob, they fought to get on top of each other, with Jacob coming out the loser. He could feel the goblins long nails scrapping across his skin, cutting through his clothes and into the muscles along his back. Jacob reached down to his waist pulling a dagger out of his sheath with his right hand while trying to minimise the goblins movement with his left, before ramming the dagger into it¡¯s side, prompting a flood of green blood to flow from this wound. This damaging blow dealt by Jacob weakened the goblin greatly, as Jacob began to plunge his dagger into it repeatably, managing to push the goblin off of him and getting on top of it in turn. Its resistance weakened as it lost more and more blood, eventually it fell still leaving a Jacob panting and covered in green blood.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Collapsing to the side Jacob fell onto his back, taking a moment to revel in being alive as the adrenaline from the fight wore off. He began to feel the cuts along his skin as he became more aware of his bodily sensations, to distract himself from these pains he looked at his gains from the fight: *************************************************************************** Congratulations for killing Goblin level 4. No class found, class xp lost. Sword Mastery Novice (1/10) upgraded to (3/10) Dagger Mastery Novice (1/10) upgraded to (2/10) Tough Body Weak (1/10) trait upgrade to (2/10) due to copious amounts of damage received. Constitution stat efficiency now boosted by 2%. *************************************************************************** While helpful for measuring the growth of his skills these did not represent a substantial power up. The increase in his tough body trait was welcome but slightly daunting as it suggested that before it became particularly powerful he would be required to go through a lot of pain and injuries. This incident knocked complacency out of Jacob, who now realized that he was not alone on this plain and needed to be more careful in the future. Regretfully looking at the deer Jacob decides not to take it¡¯s carcass as the recent fight highlighted his need for mobility, furthermore he had a stockpile of food that should last him the better part of a week. To make the deer non-perishable he would require a fire to smoke it, which was dangerous to do as it would attract any other nearby goblins. After checking the goblin over he found nothing useful except for a few copper coins, which he took in the hope that they were useable currency before continuing his journey on to the river in a much more careful fashion. While walking Jacob focused on moving carefully and quietly, watching his footsteps to minimize the noise he makes while maintaining a constant awareness of his surroundings. A state of mind greatly helped by his meditation practice. Through out the rest of the day he came across several other lone goblins, sneaking around all but one of them. As the sun started to dip Jacob kept an eye out for a safe camping spot, eventually settling on a dried-up stream which had a slight overhang providing a minimal level of cover, even if it was fairly exposed. Settling in for the night after scouting the surroundings for any nearby goblins, of which there were none, Jacob proceeded to check his notifications. *************************************************************************** Congratulations, your skill Sword Mastery Novice (3/10) has levelled up to (4/10) Congratulations, your successful attempts to sneak around enemies and constant efforts to minimize the noises you make while moving have earnt you the skill Stealth Novice (1/10). This skill represents your ability at moving unnoticed. *************************************************************************** As usual he began his daily meditation practice by settling into the space around him, softly making note of the noises of the plain, before tuning into the physical sensations of the ground against his legs and the ache from the scratches from his fight with the first goblin. Moving onto a focus on his breath, in and out through the nose drawing in the air deep into his lungs, pushing his diaphragm down. While this session started as any other, he made a breakthrough as he reached a sense of peace beyond any he had previously managed. Along with this came of feeling of being at one with the world, a neutral bystander to his own body. As this feeling spread his could feel a warmth seeping out from his navel, an ethereal feeling of something that he had yet to feel but was a key part of his being. Reveling in this new-found sense of self, he passed many hours just enjoying the trance before slowly exiting his meditation to the most exiting notification he had yet to receive. *************************************************************************** Congratulations, your skill Meditation Apprentice (1/10) has levelled up to (4/10). Congratulations you have gained the skill Mana Sense Novice (1/10), at this level it allows only internal mana to be sensed. As your first magic related skill learnt you gain +1 Magic Power. Congratulations you have gained the achievement, The First Step. You have begun the first step of many to becoming a true mage, a wielder of the arcane. 50 race xp awarded. Congratulations you race has levelled up to level 5, you have been granted 3 free stat points. For reaching Human lvl 5 your first class spot has been unlocked. Please proceed to the class selection window to view your available classes. *************************************************************************** Jacob¡¯s status: Titles: Otherworlder Name: Jacob Lockerby Race: Human lvl 5 (4) (0/1600) Class (lvl): unlocked Second Class* (lvl): n/a/ (unlocked at race lvl 10) Health: 100% Health Regen: 2.3% per day Mana Points: 180 Mana Regen: 12% per hr Stats: unallocated - 3 Strength: 13 (12) Dexterity: 14 (13) Perception: 11 Constitution: 13 Agility: 13 (11) Endurance: 14 (13) Intelligence: 18 (15) Control: 8 Magic Power: 21 (18) Skills: Forestry Novice (3/10), Trapmaking (3/10), Fighting Proficiency, Climbing Novice (5/10), Free Running Novice (1/10), Dagger Mastery Novice (2/10), Dual Wield Mastery Novice (1/10), Sword Mastery (4/10), Meditation Apprentice (4/10), Stealth Novice (1/10), Mana Sense (1/10) Traits: High Grade Mana Affinity, Enhanced Health Regen Weak (2/10), Enhanced Mana Regen Weak (1/10), Tough Body Weak (2/10) Chapter 8: Class Selection Classes are a fundamental facet of the system, they gift their holders with a boost to their talent in the related skills, by way of a skill levelling speed boost. Alongside this they provide additional stat points as they are levelled, although the quantity varies by tier and rarity. The primary reason for such a focus on classes is that they are far easier to level and provide more immediate benefits than levelling ones race. This is because related actions can allow a class holder to gain class xp, whether crafting plate armour for a blacksmith or killing monsters for a ranger. Race xp on the other hand is given for achieving feats recognised by your race to represent growth and success within your race. It is therefore relatively easy to gain race xp initially whether it is cooking your first meal, killing your first monster or learning your first skill. As these low hanging fruits are taken race xp becomes harder and harder to obtain. Classes offered on reaching the requisite race lvl are offered on the basis of your skills, as skills are the crystallisation of your actions. They are what you have worked towards in your life and therefore taken into account of by the system before it offers you classes to pick from. Contrastingly traits do not appear to affect the classes one is offered the reasoning for this has perplexed many scholars over the years. Perhaps the most accepted answer is that traits are obtained not through ones own actions and are instead gained at birth or bestowed upon yourself through luck. They do however impact your ability to learn specific skills thus it is your use of said traits which determines your skills and therefore your class. This ensures that a powerful trait does not immediately lead to an equally powerful class, instead no matter your traits one must work towards their classes. A Beginners Guide to the System,Germain Fitzgerald. Excited by this sudden development Jacob quickly brought up his status checking it over: *************************************************************************** Titles: Otherworlder Name: Jacob Lockerby Race: Human lvl 5 (0/1600) Class (lvl): unlocked Second Class* (lvl): n/a/ (unlocked at race lvl 10) Health: 100% Health Regen: 2.3% per day Mana Points: 180 Mana Regen: 12% per hr Stats: unallocated - 3 Strength: 13 Dexterity: 14 Perception: 11 Constitution: 13 Agility: 13 Endurance: 14 Intelligence: 18 Control: 8 Magic Power: 21 Skills: Forestry Novice (3/10), Trapmaking (3/10), Fighting Proficiency, Climbing Novice (5/10), Free Running Novice (1/10), Dagger Mastery Novice (2/10), Dual Wield Mastery Novice (1/10), Sword Mastery (4/10), Meditation Apprentice (1/10), Stealth Novice (1/10), Mana Sense (1/10) Traits: High Grade Mana Affinity, Enhanced Health Regen Weak (2/10), Enhanced Mana Regen Weak (1/10), Tough Body Weak (2/10) *************************************************************************** Jacob pleased with his recent growth, decided to check out the classes he has available to him before deciding his future path. *************************************************************************** Available Classes: Ranger Novice (Tier 0) ¨C a ranger specialises in travelling long distance on their own, across all different types of terrain. They make use of many survival skills, enabling them to remain in the wilderness for months on end without returning to civilisation. In combat the specialise with the use of bows and daggers. This class provides a 10% levelling bonus to the relevant skills. +1 stat point to either dexterity, endurance, control or perception every 4 levels. Woodsman Novice (Tier 0) ¨C a woodsman is specialised to thrive in the wood, whether stalking prey or harvesting plants. This class provides a 10% levelling bonus to the relevant skills. +1 stat point to either dexterity, endurance, control or perception every 5 levels. Swordsman Novice (Tier 0) ¨C one who specialises in the use of the sword, they have just begun on the long road of mastering the sword. This class provides a 15% levelling bonus to the relevant skills (must be to do with usage of the sword but includes relevant footwork techniques for example). +1 stat point to either dexterity, endurance, control or strength every 4 levels.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Scout Novice (Tier 0) ¨C an individual who specialises in sneaking around to gather information and inform their or their party¡¯s decisions. This class provides a 10% levelling bonus to the relevant skills. Mana Initiate (Tier 0) ¨C an individual who has just learnt to sense mana and is yet to truly begin on the path of mages. They do not qualify for any other mage class. This class provides a 5% levelling bonus to mana-based skills. +1 stat point to Intelligence or Magic Power every 10 levels. *************************************************************************** A quick scan through these classes caused Jacob¡¯s sense of elation to quickly deflate, these would not provide the extreme and quick power boost he was hoping for. Instead they provided him with paths to power, extremely long paths. Sighing over this disappointment Jacob forced himself to discard these negative thoughts, stopping what had the potential to become a negative thinking loop and instead focussed on the available classes. The first class he discarded was that of mana initiate, which although to do with magic, provided such a pitiful bonus that it was illogical to take. Especially in the context of the learning boost from his title, he realised it clearly reflected his low number of mana-based skills given the only one he has is mana sense is at a low level. The next class he discarded was Woodsman, which appeared too specific for his needs providing boosts in only the forest. In fact, it seemed like a more specialised but weaker version of the Ranger class, which would offer a skill levelling bonus on what appeared to be a wider set of skills alongside providing more stat points. Moving onto scout, the title and description seemed to mainly suit sneaking around and had less of a combat focus. While this would be a very helpful class to have in a party; Jacob as a lone individual required more in the way of defensive and offensive skills. This really left a choice between Swordsman and Ranger. Swordsman provided the highest skill levelling speed, probably due to the narrower nature of its focus. While the idea of being a superb Swordsman able to deal large amounts of damage to his enemies appealed to Jacob, the downside of picking this class is the lack of survivability it offers outside of a fight. By contrast the Ranger class seemed most well suited to his current predicament, lost in a foreign land he needed all the bonuses to survival skills he could get. The ranger class seemed perfectly suited to a situation such as his, as it provided a benefit to combat as well as more general use skills. Jacob also had the option of not picking a class, in the hopes that raising his skill levels would cause the system to offer new and improved classes for him to pick. However there was no guarantee that this would be the case, nor was waiting for a class a particularly tempting idea. His own mortality having been roughly placed in front of him since arriving on this world meant Jacob was loath to lose out on anymore class xp if he fought and killed anything. While he needed any boost he could get to his survivability, choosing a class now would help hm level his skills more quickly and correspondingly improve his survival chances. Going through his decision process Jacob decided that his mind was set and so he made his choice. *************************************************************************** Congratulations for picking the class Ranger (Tier 0). You have been granted 150 race xp for this achievement. A hidden function of your title Otherworlder is revealed. For making it to race lvl 5 and filling your first-class slot you may choose one of the following skills: Pathfinder Apprentice ¨C you have an improved sense of direction, once a destination has been decided on you rarely lose your way, provided a minimal level of knowledge. Monster Knowledge Apprentice¨C you will require knowledge of the many dangerous monsters you will come across on your travels. This skill will provide a basic level of knowledge on low level monster¡¯s strengths, weakness and the uses of their body parts. Heightened Senses Apprentice¨C a skill reserved for only those Rangers with access to mana, normally this must be learnt in conjunction with mana manipulation skills. Your title however provides another way of learning this, you will be able to so inherently although the mana cost will be doubled. Costs 10mp every 5 minutes when active. *************************************************************************** These three practical skills provided Jacob with a conundrum, Pathfinder would help him find the river and hopefully civilisation from there since the chances of losing his way now that he had spent a day avoiding goblins was particularly high. Basic monster knowledge would help with any monsters, goblins included, that he came across and would help him when fighting them as well as enabling him to make the most out of their bodies. Finally, Heightened Senses would help him avoid predators in the grasslands. None of these skills came with guarantees that they would accomplish what he hoped they would however, with the little information he had Jacob felt that Pathfinder would be the most useful. This is because the river was key to his plan to find civilisation, as he knew that many towns on Earth were built near rivers because of the easy means of transport they provided as well as a reliable water source. Steeling his mind to the consequences Jacob picked Pathfinder and was pleasantly surprised by the new feelings that came with it. He could now locate where the forest and river where in relation to his current position and he knew that no matter how many turns he took to avoid goblins this knowledge would remain with him. Happy with his choices Jacob had managed to push off the despondent mood which creeped up on him when he realised classes did not offer an immediate boost to path. Instead he now felt filled with a desire to grow stronger and looked forward to travelling the path to strength that would enable him to feel at ease in this world that had so far endeavoured to kill him. Turning to his unallocated stat points Jacob decided to leave them unallocated as he was unsure where to spend them. Instead he opted to go to sleep with a plan to look over his options tomorrow as well as to hopefully reach the river by the evening. Authors Note: Titles: Otherworlder Name: Jacob Lockerby Race: Human lvl 5 (150/1600) Class (lvl): Ranger (Tier 0) Second Class* (lvl): n/a/ (unlocked at race lvl 10) Health: 100% Health Regen: 2.3% per day Mana Points: 180 Mana Regen: 12% per hr Stats: unallocated - 3 Strength: 13 Dexterity: 14 Perception: 11 Constitution: 13 Agility: 13 Endurance: 14 Intelligence: 18 Control: 8 Magic Power: 21 Skills: Forestry Novice (3/10), Trapmaking (3/10), Fighting Proficiency, Climbing Novice (5/10), Free Running Novice (1/10), Dagger Mastery Novice (2/10), Dual Wield Mastery Novice (1/10), Sword Mastery (4/10), Meditation Apprentice (4/10), Stealth Novice (1/10), Mana Sense (1/10), Pathfinder Apprentice (1/10) Traits: High Grade Mana Affinity, Enhanced Health Regen Weak (2/10), Enhanced Mana Regen Weak (1/10), Tough Body Weak (2/10) Chapter 9: A Taste of Magic What is mana? A question many great minds have grappled with throughout the history of our land, and yet it is one which as of now remains unanswered. Some theorists argue it is the force which binds all of existence together, that from which we came from and to which we will all one day return. Others, in particular clerics, argue that it is a gift from the gods to help raise us up to more than we once were. This controversy however is not the focus of what I write here, instead this book aims to endow you with a knowledge of the fundamentals of magic. Unless you are one of the vastly lucky or talented individuals who have the ability to cast spells chantlessly using only their will, you will have to have a thorough and proper understanding of magical theory in able to effectively cast magic. Only after hours of strenuous practice may you rise to the ranks of those who can cast while uttering just a word. Those who reach the heights of chantless casting are figures who stand at the top of this world, not for the skill itself but rather the endless hours of practice it represents. I do not write this to discourage your enthusiasm, instead this a warning to those of fickle heart. The path of an Archmage is a long one, be prepared, for the pursuit of magic is one which encompasses your lifetime. A treaty of Magic,Archmage Ricard Griffenheart the Great Waking up to a vastly different soundscape to the usual sounds in the Forest Jacob started his day with a quick breakfast while checking his notifications. *************************************************************************** Congratulations! Due to recent strenuous activity and awareness of your surroundings you have gained the following stats. +1 End, +1 Strength, +1 Control, + 1 Perception. *************************************************************************** This enabled Jacob to start his day with a sense of accomplishment before heading off towards the river with the help of his new Pathfinder skill. Paying vastly more attention to his surroundings than he did yesterday Jacob utilised his stealth skill to avoid any further encounters with goblins, earning himself a couple of skill levels. Reaching the river just after midday, Jacob let out a sigh of release, as simple as it sounded he had managed to complete his goal of getting to the river. Not only had he done so but one the way he had snuck past several vicious goblins and even beaten one in a fight. Reflecting on the recent past Jacob realised just how far he had come. After a quick break he headed further downstream, driven to final reach some resemblance of civilisation. Arriving at a pool in the late afternoon Jacob decided to camp here for the night given the trees ringing it offered a safe resting place. Furthermore this was Jacob¡¯s first time to clean since arriving in Pangea, as he all of a sudden realised just how much he must smell. Placing down his backpack and stripping off, Jacob stopped just before approaching the pool seeing his reflection for the first time since arriving in Pangea. The person staring back at him was at the same time both still recognisably him but also vastly different. On Earth Jacob while not in amazing shape had always been fairly sporty, however he always carried some extra weight with him, a bit of chub if you will. The Jacob staring back at him from the pool however was not only leaner, but also slightly bulkier gifting him a defined and athletic look. A look which complemented his now chiselled jaw which was if anything moving to looking gaunt. His piercing blue eyes finally reached his hair which was relatively unkempt its golden colour showing through the copious levels of dirt that marred it. Shaking his head Jacob stopped his vanity session and dived into the pool. The cool refreshing water sluiced the outermost layer of dirt off Jacob, as he relished in the novelty of submersing himself in the water. Scrubbing his skin red it took Jacob the better part of 30 minutes to finally feel clean, by which point he was starting to shiver. Climbing out of the pool Jacob lay in the remainder of the days sun to dry off before washing his dirty clothes which truly reeked. With most of what had become Jacob¡¯s favourite day on Pangea coming to an end, he had a quick supper before settling in for the night.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. The next morning Jacob was awoken by noise of a series of grunting noises, startled awake Jacob spotted four goblins surrounding his second set of clothes which he has left on a rock to dry. The goblins were sniffing his clothes, seemingly in an attempt to catch his scent, luckily they were not too far away from Jacob and he counted four in total. They started to wander in his direction, just slightly downstream of the pool next to a faster flowing section of the river. Without much time to think Jacob quickly came up with a plan, deciding to slowly climb low enough that he could drop from the tree without harming himself. He planned to drop down on top of he goblin at the back of the group, and hopefully hamstring the next goblin in line before they can react. After that aware that he had little chance of survival Jacob thought he would just have to make a run for it, separating the goblins out before fighting them separately. Silently and using the leaves to hide himself Jacob snuck out along a branch in line with the goblins approach, freezing as the first one passed under him. As the last goblin passed underneath him, he dropped from the branch pointing his sword down which pierced the back of the goblins neck as he fell on top of it. As the body fell forward, he left his sword buried in the ground, rolling forward and pulling out his daggers attempting to make two quick slashes through the hamstrings of the next goblin in line. Retreating quickly to the corpse of the first goblin he sheathed a dagger and retrieved his sword into his dominate right hand. Unfortunately, his attempt to hamstring one of the goblins did not go as well as planned, scoring barely two weak hits that only just penetrated the goblins fairly leathery skin. This left Jacob facing three goblins, so he quickly took off dodging round them and heading downstream still holding to the what he realised was an increasingly slim hope of civilisation. As he sprinted off the three goblins chased after him, thankfully the one he scored a hit on started to lag behind. Knowing that he could not keep moving at this pace Jacob turned and sprinted back at the leading goblin, taking it by surprise and buying himself a few seconds to fight it without interference from the others. In a desperate attempt to keep it off balanced he launched the dagger he still gripped in his left hand at it, which by some miracle found its mark, albeit contacting the goblin with the handle. The dagger achieving its purpose Jacob managed to land a solid blow to the goblin¡¯s chest, opening a gash across its stomach. Absently Jacob noted the blood and guts that slipped out, however his attention was quickly taken by the next goblin in line which had closed in on him during his brief moment of inattention. Throwing himself sideways Jacob attempting to avoid its spear jab, he was only partially successful, the spear catching him in his left shoulder. With a grunt the adrenaline coursing through Jacob allowed him to persevere through the pain, as he raised his sword up cutting off the Goblins left hand, before he could deal a finishing blow the enraged goblin jumped at him knocking him to the ground. Losing grip on his sword with the goblin attempting to strangle him Jacob had to resort to his final knife stabbing the goblin over and over before managing to push its limp body away from him. He was met with the snarling face of the final goblin stabbing down at his face, reacting quicker than he thought he could he rolled away, before pushing himself up and taking a few quick steps to gain some space. Bring his hands up Jacob realised he was now empty handed, his confidence in defeating the final goblin dropped. He slowly backed away only to stumble and fall flat on his arse, as the goblin made a leap for him. In desperation Jacob, screamed and thrust his hands out in front of him to ward the goblin off. This action was accompanied by his will reaching out to that warmth in his stomach, which roared up through his arm in response and released a wave of concussive force which hit the goblin causing its chest to cave in as it was sent flying back into the river. This was the last sight Jacob saw as he once again passed out, succumbing not to physical exhaustion but the burning pain that was left behind following the warmth¡¯s passage up out of his navel and through his arms. Authors Note: Titles: Otherworlder Name: Jacob Lockerby Race: Human lvl 5 (150/1600) Class (lvl): Ranger (Tier 0) Second Class* (lvl): n/a/ (unlocked at race lvl 10) Health: 100% Health Regen: 2.3% per day Mana Points: 180 Mana Regen: 12% per hr Stats: unallocated - 3 Strength: 15(13) Dexterity: 14 Perception: 12(11) Constitution: 13 Agility: 13 Endurance: 15 (14) Intelligence: 18 Control:9 (8) Magic Power: 21 Skills: Forestry Novice (3/10), Trapmaking (3/10), Fighting Proficiency, Climbing Novice (5/10), Free Running Novice (1/10), Dagger Mastery Novice (2/10), Dual Wield Mastery Novice (1/10), Sword Mastery (4/10), Meditation Apprentice (4/10), Stealth Novice (3/10), Mana Sense (1/10), Pathfinder Apprentice (1/10) Traits: High Grade Mana Affinity, Enhanced Health Regen Weak (2/10), Enhanced Mana Regen Weak (1/10), Tough Body Weak (2/10) Chapter 10: Haven The fractured lands comprise most of the land that was once the Azeroth Empire. It is a low levelled land where the majority of its peoples levels are derived from the death of other sentients, mainly humans. It is a place for outcast, criminals, refugees and those seeking a new life. This melting pot of the desperate and wicked has given rise to numerous warlords all fighting it out for there minor piece of this once great land. A place filled with violence, the majority of those who rise to the top are despicable and willing to do whatever they can to gain and maintain their power. In this context the rise of Lord William the Merciful was a threat to the stability of their power. No longer was it a choice between two bad options, Lord William offered a fairer society where those who worked hard could succeed. This was a dream borne from the suffering of his formative years, when he watched his village slaughtered in front of his eyes as two local warlords bickered over territory. By some miracle he survived and clawed his way to the top, naming his capital Eden a naming convention which followed through to the satellite towns. Lord Williams rise is a well documented one, it is not this rise that we are concerned with, instead it is the events that happened in one of his out of the way villages, a place by the name of Haven that a legend was born. Volume one of a History of Pangea, His Valor Enzyme Garrick hummed as he padded into Haven, his posture and purposeful walk betraying his confidence as a man no stranger to violence, assured in his ability to deal with anything life should throw at him. A confidence well earned in his 50 years of life in which he managed to pull himself up to the level of a Tier 3 Ranger which while nothing special in the wider world was pretty impressive in a back-water village such as Haven. A broad-shouldered man from constant hours of wielding a sword and bow, standing at 6 foot 2 inches he broadcast an intimidating image. With his long dark black hair kept in a ponytail to keep it out of his eyes, eyes which had seen many horrors alongside many wonders they only severed to add to his inapproachable aura. An aura seemingly at odds with the friendly greetings he garnered from many of those he passed, as he was in their eyes a respectable if somewhat reticent individual. Someone who in the five years he had lived in Haven never once failed to help a neighbour out when asked, while also recognised to be the villages¡¯ best hunter. Garrick was brought out of his ruminations by a young boy, who¡¯s name he could not remember, sprinting over to him.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°Garrick, Garrick, Garrick!!¡± shouted the out of breath and excitably young child. ¡°The Elder wanted to see you as soon as you got back into Town!¡±. Chuckling to himself over the lad¡¯s eagerness Garrick thanked him, before swiftly moving on. He was never one to particularly enjoy the company of children, even if he could appreciate their enthusiasm. As he moved through the village, he wondered what the Elder could want from him, normally he was summoned to be sent out on scouting or hunting missions to check on some rumour of a nearby beast. Before heading to the centre of the village where the Elder¡¯s house is situated, he passed by the butcher to drop off the deer he killed on his hunting trip. While he could gut, clean and butcher the deer himself it was a waste of his time when there was a consummate professional willing to do so. As he entered the store the Butcher, a rather large man by all accounts boomed out ¡°Good day Garrick!! I¡¯m assuming you want that good ol¡¯ deer over your shoulder cut up?¡± ¡°Aye Mattias, that I do. The usual price?¡± responded Garrick. ¡°That¡¯s why I like dealing with you Garrick, you waste no time bargaining when we ya know full well you won¡¯t be getting a discount. It¡¯ll be 5 coppers as usual please.¡± Garrick proceeded to hand over the deer and three copper coins, the rest due on collection. Garrick left the store, his business quickly concluded and headed towards the central building in the village, the only stone building in the entire village. The door swings in as he is welcomed in by Jean the Elder¡¯s niece, who he has looked after since her mother died. Muttering a greeting to Jean he headed straight to the Elder¡¯s office, pulling up in front of the Elder he asked ¡°You needed me?¡±, in a somewhat disgruntled tone as he had been out most of the day and was looking forward to a relaxing afternoon. ¡°Yes, Yes I did. I have some troubling news to share with you, and a request; the village needs your services. We have had some troubling reports from some of the outlying farms upriver of the appearance of goblins. I¡¯m sure I don¡¯t need to tell you what a danger this poses, we all know the virility of these vermin.¡± ¡°On that line I need you to head up river and to find their base, we need to assess whether to prepare for an attack on our home or whether we should send out a raiding party of hunters. Will you take on this responsibility?¡± Swearing to himself, as Garrick was hoping for a few days of rest he answered in the affirmative, as knowing that he is the most appropriate person to take on this task as the villages highest levelled ranger. ¡°I¡¯m glad you are willing¡± responded the Elder, ¡°one last thing I have a trinket for you. It allows one-time message transmitted, from it to its counterpart which I have. Please do only use it in case of an emergency, that is once you¡¯ve found the goblin base and only if you decide they are enough of a threat to potentially wipe this village out if left unchecked. I¡¯ll trust your judgement on its use¡± said the Elder essentially placing the villages next actions in the hands of Garrick. Feeling the weight of this responsibility on his shoulders, Garrick knew he would need to set off the next day, so he quickly left after making his goodbyes. He headed around the village to stock up on arrows, food and other basic provisions using the coins gifted to him by the Elder from the village coffers as a reward for taking on this task. Chapter 11: Goblin Village Goblins are particularly vicious monsters, but it is not this that is their defining feature it is instead their virility. Allowing them to overcome their relative weakness through sheer numbers. A minor infestationcan turn into a threat great enough to wipe out a village in a matter of months. Left for longer they can even build up large enough hordes to threaten small towns. Thankfully despite their rudimentary intelligence they struggle to organise their society into any productive form, limiting their societies to only the most basic forms of civilisation; acting in a manner little removed from that of 5 year old children under no supervision. Despite a lack of fully-fledged intelligence their formation and use of basic tools has led to much controversy over the morality of exterminating them whenever found. The most commonly accepted arguement, wherever humans bother to debate this question is neatly summarised by his Valor Enzyme in ''Volume one of a History of Pangea'': "Humans should attempt peaceful interaction with sapient species. Those species with which communication is possible and peaceful interaction is succesful in at least one known case should therefore be given the benefit of the doubt. Wherecommunication is possible but peaceful resolutions have been lacking, there must be a realistic threat to human life to warrant extermination". The latter is a case which holds with goblins that is they represent enough of a threat to our own lives to make this more an issue of practicality than morality. While all attempts at negotiating with goblins have so far failed, they seem to only respect the rule of the strong. Compendium of Monsters, Jonathan the Scholar Garrick set off early the next day heading up the river Rhine quickly losing site of Haven. He remained a few 100 metres away from the river, out of eyesight expertly using the tall grass to hide his movements. His experience and skills ensuring he was heading in the right direction. He continued in this way for a couple of days before spotting signs of goblin activity, the first hint of a goblin village being built was the goblin scouts he encountered. Deftly avoiding them, to avoid detection, he headed away from the river into the plain following them to what appeared to be their base. Arriving at the edge of a clearing a primitive village came into view, mud huts with grass thatched roofs filled the majority of the clearing, with more under construction. Garrick could see a couple of hundreds of goblins running around, but more worrying was the five hobgoblins he spotted over the day he spent watching the village. Hobgoblins as evolved forms of goblins were both more vicious and cunning than their unevolved counterparts. This combined with a strength a several magnitudes than the average goblin meant they were worth many times their number. The village constituting a much larger threat than initially expected Garrick made the decision to use up the one-time communication trinket and inform the Elder about this goblin tribe, as he knew that their numbers could double in a couple of weeks. At which point they would potentially be able to wipe out Haven if left unchecked. Taking out the communication trinket Garrick crushed it and sent off his message to the Elder, that the village should prepare for a siege and that he planned to stay and watch the village for a little longer to get a better estimate of their strength before returning to Haven to help preparations. Garrick¡¯s final suggestion was the preparation of a hunting group which should head out and wait for by the river which he would then lead to raid the goblin tribe and hopefully not only weaken them but also incite them into action before their numbers grew to large. Garrick spent the next few hours scouting the village out, making note of which huts the hobgoblins had claimed for their own as well as the goblin breeding pits where. Goblins as very fertile creatures tended to give birth to litters of eight to ten babies, these would then be placed in a breeding pit where they would be left to themselves for a day, the survivors would then be removed and grow to maturity in as little as a week. This was the true danger of goblins combinedwith the ability of goblin mothers to go through all the stages of pregnancy in as little as half a week if provided with sufficient food.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. As Garrick was about to leave he noticed a flurry of activity in the village, a particularly tall hobgoblin came out and seemed to be concerned over something. Unable to understand the goblins communication, Garrick decided to remain and watched as this hobgoblin organised a group of goblins under a smaller hobgoblin and sent them out to search for something. Intrigued and knowing this presented an oppurtunity to kill one of the hobgoblins while it was separated from the majority of the horde Garrick decided to follow along behind them. He also hoped for the opportunity to see what had got their leader so worked up. Maintaining a consistent position behind them until they reached the river he was still able to notice a goblin corpse before them thanks to his enhanced perception. Quickly moving ahead of them while remaining under cover, he noticed a further two goblin bodies alongside an unconscious human. Cursing to himself he was unable to leave this man to his fate, and without time to move him and hidethe trail he quickly decided he would have to fight these goblins. His Tier 3 Ranger class alongside his experience gave him confidence in his ability to come out of this confrontation alive. As he came to this decision the goblins had noticed the first corpse, at which they lost all semblance of order and rushed over to investigate leaving the hobgoblin behind. This gave Garrick an unexpected opportunity to ambush the goblins while they were separated form their more powerful counterpart. Without hesitating he grabbed several arrows in his left-hand, the hand holding his bow, and drew his bow sighting on the lead goblin. His arrow, which he released in the moment of stillness between two breaths, flew true piercing through his targets eye killing it instantly. Continuing this motion he fluidly transformed into drawing another arrow and sighting at a second goblin, this time taking it through the throat. By this point the goblins had noticed Garrick and recovered form their shock and charged towards him, leaving him time to release only one more arrow. Garrick shot at the goblin furthest away from him to maximise his time fighting the other two without the hobgoblin, again his archery skills enabled him to hit and kill the goblin in one. Dropping his bow and arrows he unsheathed his sword as he moved towards the goblins, sidestepping the firsts strike and cleanly beheading it in one movement while closing in one the final goblin. He rolled under the thrust of this second goblin, getting within the reach of its spear and burying a dagger into its armpit piercing its heart. Feeling the thrill of the battle, Garrick stood up and stared at the hobgoblin which was approaching him with much more caution than the goblins. It was armed with a single large club that it wielded in one hand, waving it around like it weighed nothing a testament to its strength. With care the two opponents circled each other, each respecting the others strength, time seemed to stand still as the relative peace between the two was shattered as the Hobgoblin growled and swung at Garrick. He swiftly backed up as blocking a strike like that head on would have been folly before attempting to get inside the hobgoblins reach. Unfortunately the hobgoblin was able to react quickly enough to ward Garrick off, stopping him from retaliating. This game of cat and mouse continued in stalemate for a few minutes as neither foe held an advantage. With time ticking Garrick knew he could outlast this hobgoblin having got a measure of its strength however time was not on his side as the longer this fight went on the less time Garrick would have to take the unconscious male elsewhere and hide their tracks. Deciding to take a risk Garrick slowly started to move less smoothly, imitating a fighter running out of stamina. This emboldened the hobgoblin who renewed its efforts to attack him as Garrick attempted to lead it unto the more uneven ground nearer the river. At which point his plan paid off as the Hobgoblin stumbled providing the opportunity he needed, giving it no time to recover he body checked it, sending it tumbling backwards. With his opponent on the floor Garrick slashed its thighs disabling it for good, before finishing it off with a quick cut across the throat. Taking a moment to recover his breath Garrick proceeded to loot the bodies, gaining a few coppers and a silver coin for his troubles as nothing else was worth taking before preceding over to the unconscious man. The first thing Garrick noted was the youth of the individual seeming to not be older than 18 alongside his smooth skin evidence of a pampered life. Swearing to himself Garrick, who had been hoping for at least a somewhat combat seasoned individual, realised that he had likely saved a runaway noble who would be unwilling to help Haven in its defence from the goblins. Despite his annoyance Garrick got on with collecting the nobles belongings, the quality of his weapons only giving further credence to Garrick¡¯s thoughts. Once he had collected the majority of the nobles belongings he hefted him over his shoulder and proceeded to move off downstream taking care with his steps to leave no trace of his passage. Chapter 12: Humans
Overdrawing oneself is perhaps the most dangerous action a mage can take, in doing so a mage exposes their mana channels to more energy than they can handle. This causes injuries and potential scarring which can impede their future abilities. This can take the form of decreased mana efficiency, reduced mana capacity or in the worst case a sealing of all mana in its entirety. These risks represent potential sacrifices that most mages are unwilling to make, those few who do overdraw tend to do so in only the direst of circumstances. While the negative consequences are well known there have been fewer but equally important lucky cases. In these cases the mage in question may actually experience a boon to their strength, the overdrawing providing benefits to one of the many aspects it can also damage. Perhaps the most powerful benefit from surviving overdrawing lies not in these passive abilities but instead in the even rarer cases when it grants the survivor a skill. Skills gained in such a way are few and far between and so little is know on what they provide. From a personal perspective I have only come across one such skill user, and while I do not know exactly what this individual was granted, suffice to say their skill represented an ability to overcome almost unsurpassable odds. A treaty of Magic,Archmage Ricard Griffenheart the Great As Jacob blearily came to it, the first sensation he noticed was that of his aching body. While there was most definitely a physical side to it, that of the wounds inflicted by the goblins and the ache of sore muscles, more poignant was a new type of pain. A pain which seemed to trace channels throughout his body, mimicking where that hot sensation had flown. This heavy soreness sapped both his will power and physical abilities seeming to sit half way between a physical injury and a tiredness of the soul. The fog of a deep injury forced sleep slowly started to clear as Jacob¡¯s surprise at being alive slowly worked its way to the forefront of his mind. After he had passed out in the open next to the dead bodies of the goblins he had expected to be attacked in his sleep even if his injuries did not finish him off. Eventually Jacob who had until this point been staring at the sky realised two things. One he had passed out against a tree, while he was now lying flat with no tree above him, and secondly that he had yet to check his immediate surroundings. The latter he realised was perhaps the most important as he had seemingly been moved during his unconsciousness. Slowly and carefully to avoid alerting whoever had moved him to his newly awakened state Jacob moved his head side to side. becoming aware that he was once more within the plains of grass, and then as he looked to his right he saw a back of who he could only describe as a human man, hunched over and working on something. His movements clearly not as stealthy as he anticipated the man said something in a gruff voice in a language that Jacob could not understand. Worried that his lack of understanding may lead to aggression on the part of this stranger Jacob put his hands up placatingly and said ¡°I don¡¯t understand you, do you speak English?¡±. Clearly the stranger did not as Jacob¡¯s question was met only by an extremely blank face looking at him as if he was an idiot. The next few moment passed with a few more attempts at communication, all of them ending in failure. All they managed to achieve was get across each other¡¯s names. This was Jacob first meeting with a fully sentient creature on Pangea, a man he now knew was called Garrick. Introductions over they settled into a silence enforced by this inability to communicate while Jacob checked which of his belongings Garrick had picked up. They consisted of most of his equipment, notably all of his weapons were present however he second set of clothes was missing. Putting this down to the fact that he had left by the pool drying he had no other choice than to accept them as lost. Jacob jumped as he was brought out of his own world by a hand placed on his shoulder. Garrick then moved off and motioned for Jacob to follow him. With no other choice and unwilling to part with the only human he had yet met Jacob followed Garrick, hoping that he could trust in him. A hope strengthened by the simple fact that Garrick had already had an optimal chance to kill him when he was unconscious.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. The remainder of the day passed uneventfully as Jacob followed in Garrick¡¯s purposeful footsteps. Helping to set up a basic camp when they reached where Garrick had deemed appropriate to camp for the night. Jacob enjoying his first peace of the day realised he had notifications he had yet to look at. *************************************************************************** Congratulations! You have defeated 4 goblins, and earnt 400 class xp. Congratulations! Your class Ranger (Tier 0) has levelled up to 2 (1). Congratulations! Your class Ranger (Tier 0) has levelled up to 3 (2). You have taken damage taking you to 50% of your maximum health. You have the status affect mana burnt for overdrawing your mana channels. Mana is sealed to 1% of total mana. This seal lifts at a rate of 1% per day. For surviving this outpouring, you have levelled and gained the following skills: Mana Sense Novice has levelled up to level 6 (1) You have gained the skill mana manipulation novice level 1. This represents your skill ????in manipulating your mana. You have just begun on the path of a true mage and your ????control is currently limited to internal manipulation of your mana. You have gained the skill Overdraw level 1. This allows you to use all of your mana at ????once to either super charge a skill or release a blast of pure mana. Using this skill will ????result in a week of weakness during which your mana will be locked to 5% of its ????maximum and all physical stats will be reduced by 10%. Levelling this skill will reduce ????the draw backs. In addition, for your luck in surviving an event which has been the death of many you ????have been granted 500 race xp. Congratulations in the course of your struggles you have achieved the following skill level ups: Dagger Mastery Novice levelled up to level 5 (2) Dual Wield Mastery Novice levelled up to level 4 (1) Sword Mastery Novice levelled up to level 7 (4) For undertaking strenuous recent activity you have been awarded the following stats. +1 dexterity, +1 agility, +1 perception, +1 endurance, +1 control. For exerting control on your mana beyond what your skills would suggest you have been awarded +1 control. For emptying your mana in its entirety, you have been awarded +1 magic power. Your trait tough body (weak) has levelled up to level 3 (2) due to the recent physical damage you have taken. *************************************************************************** Having looked through his notifications Jacob was once again filled with a sense of satisfaction that came with acknowledgement of his improvement. He also noticed Garrick grinding a series of herbs into a paste, as well as mixing some with water. When Garrick noticed his questioning look he beckoned Jacob over and motioned for him to rub the paste on his injuries as well as take a drink of the tea like substance. As soon as he had done so Jacob noticed his aches and pains fading as well being notified by the system that he was experiencing the effects of a herbalremedy which boosted his natural healing. This herbal remedy would help him to recover 25% of his health overnight, something for which Jacob was grateful as while not restoring him to perfect condition he would at least be somewhat combat ready. Jacob nodded his thanks to Garrick before trying to communicate once more. He motioned towards several objects including the fire and spoke their names getting Garrick to name them in his language. The evening continued on in this fashion as Jacob attempted to begin learning the local language. Authors Note: Titles: Otherworlder Name: Jacob Lockerby Race: Human lvl 5 (650/1600) Class (lvl): Ranger (Tier 0) lvl 3 (100/400) Second Class* (lvl): n/a/ (unlocked at race lvl 10) Health: 50% Health Regen: 3.6% % per day Mana Points: 220 Mana Regen: 13% per hr Stats: unallocated - 3 Strength: 15 Dexterity: 15 (14) Perception: 13 (12) Constitution: 13 Agility: 14 (13) Endurance: 16 (15) Intelligence: 18 Control: 11 (9 ) Magic Power: 22 (21) Skills: Forestry Novice (3/10), Trapmaking (3/10), Fighting Proficiency, Climbing Novice (5/10), Free Running Novice (1/10), Dagger Mastery Novice (5/10), Dual Wield Mastery Novice (4/10), Sword Mastery (7/10), Meditation Apprentice (1/10), Stealth Novice (3/10), Mana Sense Novice (6/10), Pathfinder Apprentice (1/10), Mana Manipulation Novice (6/10), Overdraw (1/10) Traits: High Grade Mana Affinity, Enhanced Health Regen Weak (2/10), Enhanced Mana Regen Weak (1/10), Tough Body Weak (3/10) Chapter 13: First Impressions The language of the Costermongers is not the easiest language to learn it is however the widest spread. The Costermongers a group of travelling merchants who hawk goods of all manner, some even run travelling circuses have spread their language to the point it is often known as common. This nomadic lifestyle of theirs means the people, as they call themselves, have reached pretty much every corner of civilised land. It is for this reason their tongue is so widely spread and known as the trader¡¯s tongue. It provides a common language for those from all countries and is learnt by all but those on the lowest rungs of society. This language is especially important for nobles who require it to negotiate trade deals and navigate the politics of faraway lands. It is such an important language that it is viewed as one of the foundations of a noble¡¯s education, no self-respecting family would allow their children to rename ignorant of this language. Volume one of A History of Pangea, His Valor Enzyme Garrick found himself sitting on a log, hunched over sharpening his daggers facing away from the noble when the noble woke up. He could hear the slight change in the nobles breathing and the quiet rustling of the noble¡¯s clothes as he tried to move silently. Garrick decided to give the man sometime to come to terms with his changed surroundings, not wanting him to panic. Once he thought enough time had passed he turned around to face the noble and asked ¡°What are ya doing all alone out hear in the plains?¡± He was met by a confused face, as the noble replied in a dialect he had never heard before. Garrick realised this young man was either from very far away or not a noble. Garrick had spoken in the trader¡¯s tongue, a tongue spoken widely across these lands, a tongue that nobles were drilled into learning. The lack of response was thus telling of this young man¡¯s isolated life suggesting he came from a land so far away it boggled the mind to think of the distance or he was in fact not a noble. After a few more attempts in a couple of different languages were met with failure Garrick gave up trying to communicate, only getting the name Jacob out of the man. After giving Jacob some time to check his belongings Garrick tapped him on the shoulder before moving out. He couldn¡¯t afford to miss the rendezvous with the hunting party, which was two days away. As Garrick led the way he started to activate a rare skill of his that enabled him to get the measure of a fellow traveller. The most notable sense he got from Jacob was that of innocence, a rare occurrence in a world as violent as this. Alongside this was a sense of trustworthiness despite the lack of communication, and it gave Garrick hope that Jaocb would be able to provide another sorely needed sword in defence of Haven. The rest of the day passed uneventfully as Garrick gathered herbs along their walk that when combined into a paste could help increase health recovery. After reaching a suitable camping place Garrick went straight to work at creating a healing paste, Jacob needed to be in as good a shape as possible when the hunting party met them. After all Garrick could not spare the time to guide Jacob back to the village, it was his job to thin out the goblins before their numbers got too large. Offering the paste to Jacob, he mimed putting it on the injuries hoping to get across its use, and at the same time attempting to teach Jacob the language of the Castermongers. Gesturing at his wounds and various appendages.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Garrick spent the rest of the evening teaching Jacob some words in Castermongerian repeating their names as Jacob pointed at different objects. Requiring little in the way of Garrick¡¯s attention he started to also put together a plan for the next 2 days until the hunting party arrived. In essence he needed to test Jacob¡¯s combat readiness as despite seeing the aftermath of his fight with the goblins Garrick was unsure as to his level of skill. Uncertainty was only likely to lead to someone¡¯s death in a situation as dangerous as this, one in which Jacob would surely be required to fight alongside him. He therefore planned to test Jacob¡¯s fighting skills first thing tomorrow, as well as seeing if he could fire a bow and arrow. Plan decided on he kissed his lucky teardrop charm and said a quick prayer to Wodem the good of nature before activating Camp¡¯s Perimeter, a skill which would notify Garrick of anything dangerous that came within a 50 yards radius of their campsite. The next morning Garrick woke up with the Sun as usual, he began to prepare a light breakfast of trail mix. He decided to give Jacob the extra sleep as he looked like he could use it after a tough couple of days, and only woke him up once the mixture of berries, oats and water was cooked and ready. The ice broken between the two of them last night, Garrick attempted to broach the topic of sparring. Unfortunately, communication attempts where still somewhat lacklustre resulting in a farcical attempt by Garrick of acting out sparring. A show which Jacob enjoyed immensely, cracking the first smile he had in days. Preparing to fight Garrick drew his sword and motioned for Jacob to attack him with all he had. He noticed his movement spoke of a novice sword user, with only a minimal of training leading to Garrick to frown as Jacob rushed in too quickly swinging his sword diagonally down from over his right shoulder. Garrick nimbly dodged to the side, merely thrusting his leg out tripping Jacob as he was unable to arrest his momentum skidding along the ground face first. Jacob got up gingerly and approached Garrick much more hesitantly this time, eliciting an approving nod from Garrick. While a poor swordsman he could at least pick up and learn from some of his mistakes, giving Garrick hope that he may not be entirely useless. The next passage resulted in a flurry of swings from Jacob, all of which Garrick calmly and fairly easily parried, blocked or avoided. Garrick had to admit he was grudgingly impressed with this young man, who despite only sparring for 20 minutes, albeit with Garrick only defending, who had shown a noticeable improvement. He clearly had some level of natural talent. Deciding to take things up a knotch Garrick started to counterattack, making his swings rather noticeable and telegraphed to give Jacob a chance. He noticed an immediate change in Jacob¡¯s posture who instantly became more wary, crouching slightly and attacking with more hesitance. Once again as Jacob settled into this new rhythm he grew increasingly more comfortable and seemingly learnt very quickly. However this learning speed while very helpful worried Garrick, who thought that Jacob may become increasingly complacent. He therefore judged Jacob¡¯s next swing, closing the space between the two so that he could parry it up and duck under the attack. He swiftly swept Jacob¡¯s legs from under him dropping him on his side while simultaneously ramming his pommel into Jacob¡¯s gut. This was met with a pained gasp and a glare, causing Garrick to quickly back off to show he meant no further harm. He decided to give Jacob some time to rest while he strung out his bow to see Jacob¡¯s skill. The majority of the morning and early afternoon, post lunch, preceded in a similar fashion as Garrick tested Jacob¡¯s non-existent archery skills, hand to hand fighting and dagger skills. While by no means great at any of them Jacob showed a proclivity for picking things up quickly and learning at a speed that almost belied the mind as far as Garrick could tell. In fact rather than learning something new it seemed as if Jacob was merely remembering something he had previously learnt but somehow forgotten. Garrick decided that if this continued he would put Jacob through an intense sparring programme for the remainder of the day and until the hunting party arrived, or until Jacob was no longer able to continue. Chapter 14: No Pain No Gain Jacob was in a world of pain, not only from the wounds he had sustained over the past few days but also from the intense sparring and testing that had occurred for the entire morning and the early afternoon. Garrick had finally allowed him a brief moment of respite, seeming to have forgotten that Jacob was strongly injured. The sparring was not without benefit however leading to numerous gains for Jacob. It seemed that fighting with a skilled individual and receiving helpful pointers led to good growth, especially when combined with the bought skill fighting proficiency. At least judging by Garrick¡¯s obvious surprise and happiness. Jacob turned his attention to the plethora of notifications he had gained over the morning. ********************************************************************************** Congratulations your skill Sword Mastery Novice has levelled up: 7 --> 10. Sword Mastery Novice has reached it peak level (10/10). Skill has evolved to Sword Mastery Apprentice (1/10). As your first strength based apprentice tier skill you are awarded +2 points to strength: 15 --> 17. As a skill relevant to your class you gain 250 class xp for this achievement. Congratulations you have gained the skill Archery Novice 1/10. Archery Novice has levelled up to 3/10. As your first perception and agility based skill you have been awarded +1 to both: Perception, 13 ¨¤ 14. Agility 14 --> 15. Congratulations your skill Dagger Mastery Novice has levelled up: 4 ¨¤ 9/10. Congratulations you have gained the skill Hand to Hand Combat Novice. Hand to Hand Combat Novice has levelled up to 5/10. For spending a significant amount of time injured and healing the Trait Enhanced Health Regen (weak) has levelled up 2 --> 3. ********************************************************************************** These notifications represented not insignificant growth for Jacob, who decided to go through his status page, he noticed he had three unallocated status points. Given the current lull in activity he decided that now was as good a time as any to spend these points. Despite the rapport he had built with Garrick he did not yet feel fully comfortable around him, the obvious difference in strength meant a lot. Jacob therefore needed any slight edge he could get, just in case things went sideways. These thoughts combined with an awareness of the recent goblin fight lent Jacob a sense of urgency.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. A quick look at his status page confirmed that his constitution and control were lagging behind the rest of his stats. Given their importance for sword fighting and receiving damage and based on his wish to survive Jacob decided to allocate two points to constitution and 1 point to control. ********************************************************************************** Titles: Otherworlder Name: Jacob Lockerby Race: Human lvl 5 (650/1600) Class (lvl): Ranger (Tier 0) lvl 3 (350/400) Second Class* (lvl): n/a/ (unlocked at race lvl 10) Health: 77% Health Regen: 4.6% % per day Mana Points: 220 Mana Regen: 13% per hr Status Effect: Mana Burnt (99% of Mana locked, lifts at rate of 1% per day). Stats: unallocated - 0 Strength: 17 (14) Dexterity: 15 Perception: 14 (13) Constitution: 15 (13) Agility: 15 (14) Endurance: 16 Intelligence: 18 Control: 12 (11) Magic Power: 22 Skills: Forestry Novice (3/10), Trapmaking (3/10), Fighting Proficiency, Climbing Novice (5/10), Free Running Novice (1/10), Dagger Mastery Novice (9/10), Dual Wield Mastery Novice (4/10), Sword Mastery Apprentice (1/10), Hand to Hand Combat Novice (5/10), Meditation Apprentice (4/10), Stealth Novice (3/10), Mana Sense Novice (6/10), Pathfinder Apprentice (1/10), Mana Manipulation Novice (6/10), Overdraw (1/10), Archery Novice (3/10) Traits: High Grade Mana Affinity, Enhanced Health Regen Weak (3/10), Enhanced Mana Regen Weak (1/10), Tough Body Weak (3/10) ********************************************************************************** With a grin Jacob closed his status page after noting his health was at 77%, a combination of natural regeneration and the herbal paste. With no idea how long this break would last Jacob decided to spend the time meditating in order to gain the boost to his regeneration as well as hopefully level it up for a long term benefit. As Jacob dropped into the slightly familiar trance like state, he gained a clearer picture of his internal structure. The pain from his injuries became clearer but at the same time more distant, he could feel his body working on repairing them. The blood pumping around his veins. This sense of clearness was contrasted with the near complete lack of mana that he could sense. His status page was not lying when it said that Mana Burnt locked 99% of his mana away from his use. Afraid from doing more damage he merely observed the sluggish cycle of mana around his body, falling into a deeper and deeper sense of bliss. He was suddenly brought back to awareness by a nudge from Garrick who looked impatiently at him. Garrick gestured for him to get up and pick up his sword. Wearily getting to his feet Jacob knew he was in for another round of rough training. The remainder of the day was spent in a variety of training, taking a break only when necessary. Jacob wanted to complain at the gruelling pace but the language barrier barred this from being an option. When he tried to just sit down and not move Garrick merely forced him up even going to the extreme of starting to just straight out attack Jacob. Despite this rather aggressive behaviour Jacob could not seem to work up too much anger at Garrick despite the hellish training continuing on the next day, due to the urgent and earnest aura that surrounded Garrick. Furthermore Jacob¡¯s tangible rate of improvement after the first day made him more and more willing to take part. Any gain to his skills was an increase in survivability, and the dangerous nature of this world had been very much highlighted to Jacob.