《Illuminaria [LitRPG Fantasy Adventure]》 1 - Last and First Joe pushed harder against the bed railing with his untrustworthy toes. He had diagonaled his body across the hospital bed, scrunching himself over to where he could just about reach the bed controls. Now, he just needed to get his hands to work well enough to hold down the button to raise his head. A golden sunshine lit up the hospice room, and Joe, who had been stuck staring at the tiny holes in the drop ceiling for what seemed like forever, did not want to miss it. He just needed to raise the head of the bed, and he would be able to look out the window. Of course, the tumor on his brain was making the task far harder than it needed to be. His fingers fumbled against the cool plastic, trying to find the less slick feel of the bed controls. Frustration at his physical failings mounted, but Joe shoved those feelings away. As ridiculous as it was for pushing a button to be such a herculean effort, he knew he couldn¡¯t let it get to him. If he let the aggravation take hold, it would only worsen his tremors. That path would leave him stuck counting the holes in the ceiling tiles again. He focused and lifted his leaden arm once more. The array of tubes and wires was not helping. The line that supplied him with his meds kept getting caught in the tangled sheets, causing small pricks of pain from the sticky tape and sharp needle. Even worse was the urinary catheter, which had reached the end of its slack, and was now pulling uncomfortably on his groin. All these small hurts were easily blocked out. They were nothing compared to the agony inflicted by the growing tumorous rock inside his skull. If he could withstand that pain most days, the sting of pulling tape was nothing. It would be worth it to have a chance to look outside. Even though he was already sweating from the exertion so far, he knew he was close. His fingers finally found the trigger to raise the head of the bed, and with a hum, his perspective began to change. He could now see on top of the bedside table again. A picture of smiling faces greeted him, causing him to crack a grin back in return. The bright-eyed Zoe was towered over by a joyous Mia while the goofball, Ripple, had his tongue flopped out of the side of his mouth. For the thousandth time, Joe wished the hospice center allowed dogs. He would give almost anything for one more furry hug or a sloppy kiss from his boy and girls. A painful tugging on his bald scalp began to pull his head sideways. Joe had agreed to allow the Cancer Institute to monitor his brain during these last days. They hoped to uncover some insights into how this type of tumor affected brain functions. Joe didn¡¯t mind wearing the sticky net. He was barely aware of much more often than not lately, and when he was able to focus, the cool wires against his bald scalp often felt good. Today was a good day. He could think today. Not to mention, the sun was shining brightly. He missed the outdoors, so even a good look at it was worth all this struggle. Before he passed on, he wanted to see trees and sky one more time. Feeling a bit guilty for messing up their data, Joe pushed the control button again and felt something pop off his head. Which, of course, sounded the damn alarms. Cora must have been right outside at the Nurse¡¯s Station. She bustled into the room a second after the medical alert sounded. ¡°Joe? What¡¯re you doing? Wait. Let me help you,¡± the dark-haired woman in her mid-thirties declared.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. He probably should have just asked for help in the first place, but his voice had joined the rest of his body¡¯s rebellion against him. In his head, he thought, ¡°Heya, Cora. Sorry. I just wanted to look out the window, but it turned out to be more of an ordeal than I expected.¡± What actually emerged was the single slurred word, ¡°window.¡± The nurse turned toward the large glowing pane of glass before looking back at him with a bright smile. Cora was a sweetheart. Joe couldn¡¯t understand how she could look after everyone on their very worst days and always have nothing but warmth and affection for each of them. ¡°It sure is a gorgeous fall day out there, isn¡¯t it, young man,¡± she exclaimed. ¡°Hold on, Hon. Let me get your lines and leads situated correctly and some more pillows. Then you¡¯ll be able to look out for as long as you want.¡± They both knew that was not actually true. Joe could happily watch the world go by for months, but he didn''t have months. His time to do anything was almost up. Still, he understood what she meant. The staff at Grace Meadows had helped him realize that part of hospice care was not dwelling on his end of days. It was about making what he could of the little time he had left. In minutes, Cora and Dave, who she paged for help, had everything straightened out again and had moved his bed right up the glass. Joe was on the third floor of the hospice center, and the view was spectacular. A decent-sized lawn was surrounded by a couple dozen maple trees, each doing their damnest to outdo one another. Bright yellows and oranges were gorgeous to behold, but two of the trees, dressed in ruby reds, really stole the show. People in coats were walking the paths or sitting on one of the many benches. Some folks sported scarves, but Joe guessed they were more for the enjoyment of the garment than needed for protection against temperature. The day seemed neither cold nor blustery. This would have been a perfect day to take the pups out for a long walk. He realized, at some point, that Dave and Cora had left, and he felt bad that he had not thanked them for this gift. It was strange how much these simple things meant to him. Joe wished he could go and look to find out what was past the ring of trees and over the next hill and beyond. He had thought one day, he would have a chance to explore the world. Yet that had not been in the cards. He had a few years of college before he had to return home and take care of his family. By the time they had passed, his health had begun to fail as well. The state had learned of the environmental contamination too late for Joe. Now, in the care of the Grace Meadows Hospice Center, Joe could only let his imagination take him to the places of wonder his body would never be able to reach. For hours, Joe studied the people below, though he was pretty sure he nodded off more than once. Watching people was one of his favorite activities anyway. He loved guessing what they were thinking and doing. Joe opened his eyes and realized he must have dozed off again. The sun was heading down out of the sky. The number of folks below had dwindled to just three or four, and they were on the move, not sitting on the benches. As Joe watched them hustle along the paths, he felt something detach. He had the strangest feeling; as if he was floating. Like an unmoored boat, he was drifting away from the dock. It was finally time. Time to say goodbye. He would miss Cara and the other caregivers. They were good people who had tried to make this moment easier for him. On the other hand, there was a great deal he would be happy to be free of. He would not miss the smell of the disinfectants or the endless beeping of the monitors. He would not miss the bland food his condition restricted him to. He would not miss this defective shell he had been trapped in either. The headaches and tremors that made every day so much harder than it needed to be. As the world began to slip away, he only had one regret: he wished his pups were here. Just one last feel of soft fur against his skin. The sound of a loving heartbeat. As he took his final breath on Earth, the very last thing Joe expected on the edge of expiration was a popup box.
Do you wish to travel to your preconceived afterlife or journey to Illuminaria?
2 - Who do you want to be? Surprised and more than a bit flummoxed, Joe sent a thought to the floating field in reply. ¡®Ummm. I don''t have much of a preconceived notion of what comes next. I always thought it was just lights out, nothing more. That makes the choice pretty easy, then. What is Illuminaria?¡¯ The text box hovering in the emptiness that surrounded him changed to read.
Further clarification is not recommended at this time. Instruction and optimization are available if you choose to enter Illuminaria. Do you wish to proceed to Illuminaria or to continue to fade from existence?
¡®That might be the most leading question of all time,¡¯ Joe quipped. ¡®Yes, I choose Illuminaria over non-existence. What now?¡¯ The area around him changed subtly. A darkening below him suggested a floor. A circle of lighter gray appeared on the surface of the floor. The pop-up box now read.
Choose a race. This is a fundamental aspect of your pattern creation. It cannot be changed except by extraordinary magical means. You can exert your will to move the list forward or back to see your options.
¡®Choose a race?¡¯ he thought to the boxes. ¡®What the heck is this? Am I joining an RPG for ghosts?¡¯
As it appears you require clarification in order to proceed, the following information is being made available to you at this time. The world of Illuminaria has been opened to qualified spirits of the departed. Illuminaria has existed for many relative centuries prior to the inclusion of the departed. Your experience in Illuminaria will be similar to a role-playing game but from a first-person perspective. Do you wish to continue?
Joe sent back a thought of ¡®Yes¡¯ as he considered the ramifications of that statement. Joe was a huge fan of table-top role-playing games. He had played a couple of the more popular computer-based MMORPGs as well, but honestly, he was really terrible at them. Joe knew he was a clutz and had a bad habit of overthinking everything. Whenever he was supposed to quickly target the monster, attack, and then dodge away, he would invariably scramble up the keystrokes. This meant he¡¯d typically open a random game window or emote some pointless gesture to the monstrosity before getting pounded into paste. His ineptitude with precision controls did not make him an attractive party member, which was fine by Joe. He preferred to play video games solo anyway. Pen and paper RPGs, on the other hand, were his second favorite things in the world. He loved these games because they allowed him to be all different people and let his imagination carry him into new worlds. Where he was a disaster with a game controller, with books and dice, he was a maestro. Even years later, after life had pulled him away from all of his gaming buddies, he heard tales of how they still told stories about Joe¡¯s amazing characters and his antics in those imaginary worlds. If this was a chance to become a new character, one not riddled with responsibilities and disease, then maybe there really was some higher power out there looking out for him after all. Joe couldn¡¯t imagine a better heaven than being given a second shot at life and a chance to experience the world, something his first life had denied him. The initial race option was unsurprisingly ¡®Human.¡¯ When Joe focused on the choice, the circle on the ground became occupied. There stood a Joe that Joe had never seen before. This Joe had his features, but instead of the thin, stooped, bald form he had worn these last several years, there stood a well-built man. He was no Olympic athlete but had a decent array of muscles; he was standing up straight, looking hale and hardy. For all intents and purposes, here was the Joe he could have been without his cancer. He read the human description in the floating window.
Race: [Human], +1 to three attributes of your choice. Racial Abilities: [Enterprising] Enhanced Skill Advancement. [Talent Diversification] +20% chance to meld classes.
There was a lot to unpackage there. Skills were a common game element, but he had no idea what ¡®melding a class¡¯ meant. Knowing he would likely have tons of questions, Joe decided to flip through the races first before getting down to particulars, especially since he was almost certain he wouldn¡¯t pick [Human] as a race. Humans were usually good choices for Min/Maxers, but that was not Joe¡¯s style at all. He had always played for flavor over features. If he was going to get a do-over for his last semi-miserable existence, he wanted to try something fun. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Joe flipped to the following race and was not surprised to see elves were next. If a game had any fantasy aspect to it, you could count on elves and dwarves showing up in the mix of races. Sure enough, dwarves were right after elves.
Race: [Elf], +2 to Dexterity, +1 to Perception. Racial Abilities: [Harmonious] Strong affinity with Beast and Wood magic. [Voice of the Wilds] Can communicate with beasts and plants to the degree that either is able.
Followed by,
Race: [Dwarf], +2 to Vigor, +1 to Strength. Racial Abilities: [Resilient] Resistant to magical effects. [Deep Dweller] Can see clearly in complete darkness.
While witnessing the elven and dwarfed versions of himself was fun, he was not sold on either of these two options. He had played plenty of elves and dwarves already. Having been a gamer for years and years, Joe was skeptical of finding a choice he would want from the standard list; he was a huge fan of homebrewed ideas. In middle school and high school, Joe typically played in multiple weekly games and went to gaming conventions whenever he could. He had played dozens of elves and dwarves, halflings and orcs, and all the other classic racial tropes, even humans, when he had to. While he enjoyed playing almost anything, none of the classic races were something he ever wanted to play exclusively. He spun through his options, hoping to find something that spoke to him. Gnomes were too tiny for his tastes. There were a bunch of gigantic races, such as Jotun or Fomori.
Jotun are the primary Giantkin race. Towering over the other races of Illuminaria, most Jotun stand between 7 and 8 feet tall and weigh between 280 and 340 pounds. Originally hailing from the cold north, members of this race are enured to freezing temperatures and cold-based attacks.
The light-blue-skinned race brought to mind towering figures right out of Norse mythology. The fomori were more brutish in appearance and nature, somewhat ogre-like. While they both were interesting, Joe did not want to deal with ducking through doors or crushing chairs from now on. Joe found himself applying the phrase ¡°from here on¡± to each race he viewed. Many of the anthropomorphic races meant he¡¯d be shedding all the time. Joe had already spent one lifetime dealing with tumbleweeds of dog hair, so he was reluctant to sign up for dealing with mounds of his own shed. Some of the other animal-human hybrids had such strong pack-like or flock-like mentalities Joe felt socially claustrophobic just reading about them. He had been a part of a pack for most of his life, having had anywhere from two to seven dogs throughout his childhood and post-college years. Even so, there was a vast difference between being the caregiver for his four-legged hairy-herd and being confined to being one of the pack members. The insectoid races Joe skipped right over. They were way too alien for him. He flipped through the dozens of options several more times. Still, Joe couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that he was not wowed by the idea of being locked into any one of these forms. How was he supposed to pick one thing to become for the rest of this new extension of his life? Having spent the last few years being locked indoors, trapped in hospital beds, and even imprisoned in his own failing body, Joe balked at the idea of being sealed into another box he couldn¡¯t escape from.
There has been an unexpected degree of resistance. No previous departed has been disinterested in all of the offered races. Customized solutions have been established to meld races when departed spirits were unwilling to pick between multiple options. No existing protocol has been established for no desired selection. Commencing customized solution. Do you accept the customized solution?
Joe realized that choosing was part of the problem. As long as he kept having the option to pick a race, he knew he would be able to think of a reason he might not want it. Accepting this unknown fate was far easier than making that immutable choice. Without looking at the avatar, Joe projected his thoughts to the unseen administrator, ¡®Okay. Go for it. I accept.¡¯ An instant later, he found himself out of the gray limbo. He stood beside a large tranquil pond in a beautiful sylvan setting. The sound of a brook gurgled soothingly nearby. Joe gasped a deep breath of air and marveled at how easy and painless it was to make that inhalation. As far as he could see, his new body looked human, but more importantly, it was strong and healthy. The constant stabbing pain behind his eyes was gone. If this was all just his dying brain winding down, then he was fine with that. This moment, even if it was an illusion, was priceless. ¡®Yet, what if it is real?¡¯ he thought. Joe¡¯s legs wobbled as that realization hit home. It was such a powerful thought that it made him dizzy. Joe swung his head between his knees, gasping big gulps of air. He debated sitting. While the soft grass around the pond looked inviting, Joe had already been lying around for too long. He snapped back upright and peeled off the simple garments he was wearing. Tossing them onto the grassy bank, Joe dashed forward a couple of steps before launching himself into a shallow dive, slicing into the lake¡¯s cool water. As the liquid slid across his body, a single thought rang through his mind. ¡®I¡¯m alive!¡¯ 3 - New Rules Released from the years of pain and delirium, Joe could not recall ever feeling this relaxed. Even though he had no idea what was going on, just being here, free from suffering, was the best day he had had in ages. His mind was as clear as the blue sky overhead. He was floating on his back in a perfect pond, under that perfect sky, utterly at ease. Sunwarmed waters cradled him in their embrace. He would have assumed this was some sort of Nirvanesque afterlife if it weren''t for weird mental messages. Currently, one such notification was hanging out in the corner of his vision, but its contents were locked.
You have received an achievement: This achievement cannot be accessed until you have unlocked your first class.
While his curious nature was having difficulty ignoring the enigmatic alert, this moment was too incredible to waste over such a minor quandary. Simply floating on his back, completely at peace, was worth a million little mystery messages. He had been unable to do anything like this for so long. Having spent years with constant tremors, he never could have stilled his body long enough to find the sublime balance between water and sky. He also would have been unlikely to be able to enjoy it if he had. For the last four years, Joe was forced to choose between drug-befuddled thoughts or blinding pain. In the end, he had to settle for both. The mind-numbing drug, at that point, could only shave the worst off the agony living behind his forehead. Not today. Today, his mind was awake, and the pain was gone. The world around him was so beautiful; he was having difficulty telling himself his eyes were wet just from the waters of the pond. If you had asked him yesterday, Joe would have told you he lost his ability to shed a tear during the chemo years. Once again, not today. Today was a whole new ¡­ everything. Not quite ready to head for shore yet, Joe let his mind wander. This ¡®Illuminaria¡¯ was very Earth-like. Around the lake was a hillside of green grass. He spotted oaks, birch, and pine trees nearby. Yet there were some obvious differences, too. There were several trees that were shaped like maple, which had a very un-maple-like silver bark. Beside them stood a stand of tall, thin trees with leaves that were almost blue in color. Around the shore were wildflowers whose stalks and leaves were built like daisies but had pink trumpets instead of white-petaled circles. One of the birds that flew past was a breed Joe had never heard of before. It had a brassy feathered body and wings, a charcoal gray head, and dark green legs. Another factor was the season. Joe had left Earth during the Fall foliage, yet here, the world had the ripe lushness of spring or early summer. Wherever he was, it was very much like the world he had always known, yet not quite the same. Supposedly, this world was something like a roleplaying game. If that was so, then Joe assumed he had to have some sort of stats and scores. Attributes were a fundamental part of every RPG he had ever played. ¡®Ok, let¡¯s see what I¡¯ve got,¡¯ Joe thought before picturing the words ¡®Character Sheet¡¯ in his head. Instantly, a window popped open before his eyes. The sudden appearance of this blue plane of information directly in front of him startled Joe enough that his head recoiled, dunking his face below the surface. Swinging his body vertically in the water, he sputtered and snorted water from his nose before he was able to give the window his attention.
Name: Joseph (Joe) Morris Race: Changeling Level: 0 Experience: 0 / 100 CLASSES ¡¤ Primary Class: None ¡¤ Secondary Class: None ¡¤ Tertiary Class: None
RESOURCES ¡¤ Health: 25 / 25 ¡¤ Stamina: 12 / 13 ¡¤ Mana: 18 / 18 TRAITS ¡¤ [Anyone] (Racial) ¡¤ [No one] (Racial) ¡¤ ??? (Achievement)
ATTRIBUTES ¡¤ Strength: 0 ¡¤ Vigor: 0 ¡¤ Dexterity: 0 ¡¤ Perception: 1Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡¤ Spirit: 0 Available Attribute Points Unspent: 2 SKILLS (Slots / Filled) STRENGTH SKILLS: (0 / 0) VIGOR SKILLS: (0 / 0) DEXTERITY SKILLS: (0 / 0) PERCEPTION SKILLS: (0 / 0) SPIRIT SKILLS: (0 / 0)
¡°Changeling? Huh? That must be the customized solution. I know what changelings are in folklore; they¡¯re shapeshifters that get left in place of stolen kids. Is that what it means here on this world?¡± Joe worriedly wondered out loud. He was more than a bit leery about being part of some fairy kidnapping culture.
Changelings are beings of Faerie heritage who have been placed among the people of Illuminaria, yet they are not part of any one race. They are not shapechangers so much as they are adaptive. Your racial abilities will allow you to become the unique you that you wish to be, and no one will know the difference.
Changeling: +1 to Perception (Changelings thrive due to their awareness of their surroundings and other beings). +1 to two attributes of your choice (No two Changelings are ever exactly alike). RACIAL TRAITS [Anyone] (Racial) You can gain exclusive traits from any race, ancestry, or order. [No one] (Racial) You are immune to assessment skills and highly resistant to divination magic.
¡°Ok, that¡¯s way better than the baby-swapping from folktales. I can get behind that. Thanks. I¡¯m impressed that you came up with such a good fit for me on the fly.¡±
Customized solutions are part of the reasoning behind incorporating the departed into Illuminaria.
¡°People come up with stuff you never think of?¡± Joe remarked, thinking about how his Game Master would always lament that the players never did what he thought they would. He would write the module assuming they would ¡®go right¡¯ and, sure enough, they would ¡®go left.¡¯
Correct.
¡°From what I saw of the other races, it seems well-balanced.¡±
Unbalanced solutions would be detrimental to Illuminaria.
¡°You would not believe how many designers forget that. Power creep drives me nuts.¡± Joe treaded water for a few more seconds before looking at the empty sky. ¡°You are far more conversant than I was expecting. What should I call you?¡±
Designations are irrelevant. You may think of me as the System.
¡°Really? I guess so. Though I have to admit, it feels weird interacting with an obviously intelligent entity and calling you System or Mr. Help Screen,¡± he scoffed, watching a flock of birds wing their way toward the horizon. ¡°Let¡¯s table that for now. What can you tell me about classes? I have an achievement, but I can¡¯t see what it is until I select a class.¡±
When you make a significant choice, you will be awarded the option of a primary class. At level 10, you can select a secondary class. At level 30, you can select your tertiary class. This initial class, as well as any further class changes, will grant you additional attribute points. Rarer classes and classes with higher mastery requirements will have higher attribute rewards than basic classes.
¡°So, should I hold out for the best first class I can find?¡±
While such is an advantageous practice for later class decisions, only basic classes are available as a primary class.
¡°Bleh. I guess that makes sense, though. I can see players getting themselves in trouble with a complex class right out of the gate. So, I should probably leave my two attribute points unspent until I find out what my first class will be.¡± Joe looked over the screen, finding that most of it made sense. He was accustomed to attributes such as Strength, Dexterity, and Vigor. Perception and Spirit were not ones he commonly used, but he had a pretty good idea of what they were for. The resources, Health, Mana, and Stamina were pretty straightforward. He was sure there were aspects of these he would need to know better, but that could wait until later. ¡°Hey. Why don¡¯t I have any skills? I can think of dozens of things I was good at. I used to be able to juggle one-handed. I was a certified AKC dog trainer. I was really good at Geometry.¡±
Skills in this regard refer to enhanced abilities as part of the system. For example, while your ability to understand the motivations of certain types of animals will help you in general with interactions with such creatures, [Animal Training] is how the system would display that skill if you were to obtain it. Aptitudes carried over from your prior existence are not quantified into your pattern.
¡°How come?¡±
Each person only receives a limited number of skills. Your skills are linked to your attributes. For example, [Identify], one of the most popular skills in Illuminaira, is linked to Perception. You would need to have an open point of Perception to learn this skill. The rarity of the skill determines how many skill points it costs. Common skills cost 1 point. Uncommon 2. Rare 3. And so forth. The linked attributes determine the number of skill points you can have linked to that attribute. For example, if you had a Strength score of 4, you could have up to four points of Strength-based skills.
¡°That is huge,¡± Joe uttered, realizing the implications. In most of the RPGs he¡¯d played, you were awarded skills or skill points that you could spend any way you wanted to. Having to balance skills and attributes would mean he¡¯d have to really consider which skills he was going to train. ¡°How hard is it to drop a poorly chosen skill?¡± Joe asked the empty sky.
While not impossible, doing so can be a difficult or costly procedure. Obtaining the means to untrain skills before reaching your tertiary class is rare.
¡°Ok. Good know, Mister Help ¡­ nope,¡± Joe stuttered to a stop. ¡°I just can¡¯t. You need a name.¡±
I do not, but if my lack of one disturbs you, then I will reply to your chosen designation.
Joe lay back in the water and mulled over names. ¡°So, what do you call the guy who knows everything? Leonardo? Nah. I love Da Vinci, but I¡¯m going to be thinking Turtles the whole time. Holmes. Newton. Einstein. Hawking. Ooh yeah. Hawking. There was a guy who had it far tougher than I did, and was absolutely amazing anyway. What do you think of Hawking?¡±
I think you are enjoying the application of that name for me.
¡°Man. You are so literal,¡± Joe huffed at his unseen companion. ¡°Ok, Hawking, what do I do now?¡±
Go forth and enjoy yourself, Joe. This world is open for you to experience as you wish.
4 - Road Rage Eventually, Joe drove himself back to the shore with strong, sure strokes and flopped down on the grassy bank. After four years of hospital gowns, assisted bathing, and constant exams, the thought of someone coming along and seeing him naked barely registered. He lay back in the sun, letting its warmth dry him, before putting back on his new simplistic garb. The items were better than hospital pajamas, but not by much. He had a pair of tan canvas pants, an off-white linen shirt, a pair of simple leather shoes, and a belt. That was it; not one coin or real piece of gear to his name. Without even the most basic of equipment, Joe had a momentary worry about Hawking having dropped him in a dangerous zone but then dismissed the idea a second later. What would have been the point of saving his soul only to have him get eaten in the first hour he was here? Still, finding civilization before nightfall would probably be a good idea. The sun had moved across the sky while he was in the water, so he assumed there would be a sundown. Having some sturdy walls around him seemed like an excellent idea before creepers started popping into existence around him. Thankfully, the pond was on a hillside. Looking off the side where the ridge had trapped the water, Joe could see down the hill. At its base, a simple road meandered through the scattered trees. He had hoped for a map screen, but either that was not an option or just not available to him, given his current dearth of skills. Other than his character sheet, all Joe was able to open was a Quest screen.
New Quest [Let¡¯s Get Started] You have entered the world of Illuminaria. Choose a direction and select your first class. Reward: 10 gold coins 1 basic toolkit 1 starter weapon
Since one way was as good as the other, as far as he could tell, Joe turned right and started hiking down the wheel-rutted road, looking for whatever the world had to offer him next. As he passed through the first stand of trees, he spotted a dead sapling, still standing with all its bark intact. Joe couldn¡¯t help but smile. Before cancer had canceled his ability to go for walks in the woods, every time he stepped into a forest, the perfect walking stick always seemed to be right there waiting for him. His best friend, Bocie, used to get so mad that, in seconds, Joe would have an outstanding stick while he searched and searched, never finding anything close to as good as the ones Joe magically stumbled onto. He rocked the sapling as close to the ground as possible, listening to the cracking sounds. It was amazing how easy it was to get his new muscles to respond correctly. The thin trunk snapped off just above the roots, and then it was only a matter of a swift strike to his knee to snap the pole to the perfect height. The wood was a little drier than he would have preferred but still strong enough. This staff wouldn¡¯t last too long, but it would suit him just fine for the trek along the wagon road. ¡®Road¡¯ might be a generous term for the path he was on. It was not much more than a set of tracks over roughly level terrain. Joe was grateful for the extra point of contact the walking stick gave him. There were plenty of ruts and rocks which could easily snag a foot. As he walked, Joe tried to imagine what he wanted from this new chance at life. He had been cooped up and curtailed for years. What he now wanted most was some sort of adventure. He had never had a chance to see what his life could have been. He had just gotten his four-year college degree when his family¡¯s world began to fall apart. Joe had not planned on coming home that summer, vacillating between traveling cross-country or heading overseas. He wanted to see more of the world. Out of the blue, Keith, Joe¡¯s youngest brother, fell ill. Very ill. So, instead of traveling, Joe returned home to help his family. Within a year, Keith was gone; his parents and John, the middle of the three brothers, were showing signs of the same illness. The cause was identified as an industrial leak that had infected the groundwater. The whole neighborhood was moved, and a class action was filed, but it was too late, even for Joe. His years at college had lessened his exposure, but his return home had just put him on a slower path to the same inevitable end. Yet now, out of the blue, he had been offered a second chance, a do-over. Even better, it was a do-over in a world where he could pick who he wanted to be. Joe thought through his favorite characters from the various games he¡¯d played. The ones that most appealed to him were his explorer-type characters. He liked playing the scouts, who ranged ahead of the party, or skillful tomb raiders, with their bags of tricks to draw on. He was unsure how the class system worked, but when his chance to choose a class came up, Joe planned to pick something that would allow him to roam around on his own, seeking new places and solving quests. Magic would be awesome, as long as it didn¡¯t make him a glass-cannon. Joe smiled as he pictured creeping through lost temples, plumbing their depths for treasure and adventure. Still lost in thought, Joe crested a particularly large hill and saw people for the first time. Surprisingly, they were in both directions, in front of him and coming over the hill behind him that he had just walked a few minutes ago. Ahead of him, he could see a small farming town maybe half a mile off. It looked like a typical old-world town, with small, quaint houses covered by slate or thatched roofs. Surrounding the homes and barns were fields of grains and grazing pastures. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Behind him, Joe turned to see a rider heading towards him and the town. Sunlight glinted off brightly polished plate mail armor. A gold and white pennant fluttered in the breeze atop a long spear, which the rider was holding vertically. ¡°Hey Hawking, is everyone here from Earth like me, or are there NPCs here too?¡±
Neither supposition is correct. Illuminaria is primarily populated with two creature types: people and monsters. Each has its own growth model. There are no Non-Player Characters. Additionally, less than 1% of the people in Illuminaria were transposed from your world.
¡°So those farmers down there. They are people, right? Not monsters?¡±
Correct. They are people. They have the same attributes as you, utilizing the same class system as you do for advancement.
Joe stumbled to a stop, trying to wrap his head around that information. This was a complete shift from thinking this was a game. If everyone was really a person, then this was an actual world. There would be no automaton-like sprites, mindlessly performing the same actions over and over. Each being he met would have its own goals and growth. He looked back at the knight, speculating on what type of quest the warrior might be on. The mounted cavalier was closer than he expected. Joe wondered how long he had been standing in the road as he worked out this new huge shift in his current reality. Watching the horse''s gait, Joe guessed the rider would pass him before he reached the closest farm. He wasn¡¯t overly thrilled about encountering an armed rider before having the security of witnesses around him. When the knight was just some wandering NPC, he wasn¡¯t worried. But now that Joe knew no one was following some master script, it meant he could get killed in his very first interaction. That would be terrible game design, but since this seemed less and less like a game, it could happen. If everyone he met had agency, then he had to wipe the idea of this being a standard computer game from his thinking. Joe took a breath to calm himself. Good manners should carry him through, he hoped. Joe kept glancing backward, yet the closer the rider got, the more on edge Joe found himself. Suddenly, a notification flashed in the corner of his eye. It was rapidly followed by two more. Each one felt more demanding than the one before it.
Someone has failed to assess you.
A Knight of Amberwroth has failed to assess you.
A Disciple of Phealti has failed to assess you.
He threw a look over his shoulder, spotting the knight, who was now about fifty yards away and closing. Joe could clearly see the man¡¯s face bore a thunderous scowl as he stared at Joe. The armored warrior had lean, angular features and a close-cropped beard. If not for the disdainful sneer, he would have been supermodel-level handsome. Breaking out in a nervous sweat, Joe tried to stop looking back and concentrate on the closest villagers. The first farmhouse had chickens ranging around a fair-sized barn. A teen girl was dropping hay from the loft into a small cart her father was manning on the ground below her. Clothes hung on a line, fluttering in the light breeze. Between the farmhouse and Joe, a boy was picking berries from a large bramble patch by the side of the road while his dog lay belly up in the sun a few steps away. It was such a classic pastoral scene that Joe felt his tension ease. That was until the thumping of hooves on turf, sounding just behind his back, caused him to clench his shoulders. Joe turned and smiled up at the man, hoping to diffuse whatever was causing the nobleman to look so annoyed. Which didn¡¯t work at all. If anything, the rider¡¯s face grew grimmer. ¡°Your name, vagrant?¡± the knight demanded, stopping his warhorse at Joe¡¯s side. While the common-sense part of his brain bellowed for Joe¡¯s attention, an instinctual flare of anger surged through Joe. He had grown up in rural, small-town America. He knew all five of the local police officers personally. Heck, he had helped Sherrif Noonan paint his garage one summer for comic book money. None of those men and women would have ever spoken to someone with such hostility without any cause. Before he could stop himself, Joe scowled right back at the pretentious prick. ¡®NOBLEMAN!¡¯ Joe mentally shouted at himself, quickly smoothing his features. It was too late; the damage was done. Joe could hear the knight¡¯s gauntlets and reins creaking and grinding in his grip. The man¡¯s face reddened darkly, and his glare reached epic proportions. ¡°Good afternoon, sir. My name is Joe. Joseph Morris,¡± he replied as politely as he could. ¡°Where do you hail from, and do not lie. I will know,¡± the armored warrior snarled. Between the impossible question and the man¡¯s inexplicable hostility, Joe stammered for a second. ¡°I ¡­ I ¡­ I just got here,¡± he finally settled on. ¡°Newcomer,¡± the warrior hissed as if the word hurt him to utter. ¡°Very well. I shall not gainsay One Above, but know that his protection is not eternal. Your kind are not welcome under the sight of Phealti, the Lawhammer. Begone and be quick about it, outlander.¡± With a thump of his heels to the charger¡¯s ribs, the knight cantered away as if trying to distance himself from Joe as quickly as possible. ¡®What the hell was that!¡¯ Joe fumed, feeling himself glaring at the steel-clad back of the rider. ¡°You didn¡¯t mention that I would be hated for coming here, Hawking. That would have been nice to know.¡±
That was an unfortunate occurrence, Joe. The followers of the deity Phealti are sworn enemies of beings from other planes, such as feyfolk or demons. This knight has extended that edict to those who have undergone transference. Additionally, even with your [No One] ability, the knight could sense something of your fey-based heritage. A gifted ability from the God of Order.
¡°So you¡¯re saying that was a fluke.¡±
Correct
¡°Okay, Hawking. But just so you know, that took a lot of the shine off your new glossy Illuminaria.¡± 5 - A Significant Choice Starting forward again, he watched the disgruntled knight ride down to the base of the hill, approaching the spot where the youth and his dog were by the bramble patch. Joe tried to shove away the sour taste the knight had left him with, but unwarranted scorn was a tough pill to swallow. At the rider came up on the pair, Joe couldn¡¯t help but whisper, ¡°Piss on him for me, boy,¡± to the farm dog, who was rolling to its feet. The hound took one look at the rider and seemed to like him no better than Joe did. It leapt to the edge of the lane and let loose a chain of loud, warning barks at the knight. The horse stared down the hound, too well-trained to shy away from the farm dog¡¯s warnings. Joe was too far away to hear what was said, but the knight snapped a command at the boy. The young man began extricating himself from the briar patch to get to his dog. But, before the youth could make it out of the tangle, the rider¡¯s impatience won out. Responding to a twitch of the reins, the warhorse turned and lashed out with an iron-shod hoof, kicking the dog so hard it flew into the thorn-filled berry patch. The rider just lifted his head and rode on, ignoring the howls of pain and cries of the child. Joe had not run in years, but he found himself hurdling down the slope toward the boy and the wounded dog, his walking stick tossed away to improve his speed. He had worked with vets before and had seen more than his share of injured animals. That kick could easily be lethal. The only positive point was that the dog was still yowling in pain instead of silent. Sadly, those sounds were fading as Joe slid to a halt at the edge of the thorns. The boy, who looked to be about ten, had reached the dog who lay just inside the thicket. The dense briars must have caught the canine. While painfully prickly, that flexible wall probably saved the dog''s life. ¡°Here, pass him to me, kid. What is his name?¡± The boy looked up through his tears, seeing Joe for the first time. ¡°Buck. Buckle. Buck.¡± ¡°Okay. As careful as you can, lift him up and pass him out to me. We might be able to do something for him.¡± Ignoring the sharp thorns, the farmboy slid his arms under the wounded hound and dragged himself towards Joe with a sorrowful determination. Joe winced as he watched the thorns grab and dig into the youth, but the boy had just a few feet further to go, and Joe knew Buck needed help badly. Joe pushed forward and found the thorns were even worse than he anticipated. They lanced right through his light linen shirt and leggings, cutting furrows in Joe¡¯s limbs and belly. Ignoring the lacerations, Joe stretched out his arms for the hound. He could already tell the dog had broken ribs. Hopefully, those broken bones had not punctured anything. As Buck was eased into Joe¡¯s arms, his hopes were dashed. He could see the skin of the dog''s belly was darkening to a deep purple. It was too soon for that to be bruising. Joe guessed that meant there was blood under the surface of the skin, internal bleeding. He sliced himself further as he backed out before carefully lowering the hound to the grass beside the road. His mind raced to think of anything he had learned that would help. Although he had plenty of second-hand knowledge from the nurses and his friends at the veterinary clinic, Joe had no actual medical training. There had to be something he could do for Buck.
New Quest [Save Buckle] Buckle cannot be saved by ordinary means. You could save him by becoming a Healer. Will you accept Healer as your Primary Class? Reward: BiteBark
Joe scowled at the screen. The Healer class was nowhere near the top of his list of preferred classes. It was close to the bottom. That was exactly the sort of class he didn''t want. It was not a self-sufficient ranger or shaman. It was not a highly versatile magical one like a mage or druid. Healers had magic but almost no versatility. It was also a class that would make him completely party-bound. A solo healer just didn¡¯t work. Being stuck depending on others would be like stepping back into his old life, having to have others care for him. To top it off, Joe had more than enough illness and injury over the last few years. He respected the nurses and doctors who had treated him, but he did not want to be one of them himself. He would much rather put that world behind him and start something new.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. ¡®Damn it!¡¯ he swore under his breath. Looking at the fading dog and crying boy, Joe knew he could not live with himself if he declined.
You have acquired Healer as your Primary Class. You have gained the following traits. [Awakened] +2 to Spirit. You have gained 2 common spirit-based skills. [Healing Touch] Heal a target for 2 health plus 2 points of Health for each skill rank you have with this skill. Cost: Modest Mana | Range: Touch. {Life} [Heartfire] Create a spectral campfire. Any living being in Close range of the manifestation regains 1 point of Health for each skill rank you have with this skill every minute. The fire lasts for one hour. Undead creatures in this area will take damage instead of gaining health. The flames radiate a gentle aura of warmth and comfort. They will not burn their surroundings or living creatures. Cost: Moderate Mana | Range: Close. {Brilliance} [Nimble] +1 to Dexterity. You have gained 1 common dexterity-based skill. [Simple Weapon Aptitude] You are proficient with basic weapons, such as clubs, daggers, handaxes, and staves. Your damage and parry rates increase with each skill rank you have with this skill. Passive {Expertise} You are now level 1. You have gained 1 unassigned attribute point.
A bloom of light appeared a foot away from where they were kneeling, and another pop-up window flickered for his attention, but Joe ignored both. He placed his hands gently on Buck¡¯s side and willed the healing to begin. He felt a sense of warmth gather into his fingers, hovering just up against the skin of the wounded dog. The power stopped there, not advancing any further. Joe looked at the battered ribcage and tried to imagine it whole, but he didn¡¯t know enough about anatomy or medicine. Panicked, he narrowed his focus to just one small spot of skin, the torn flesh ripped in the outline of a horseshoe. ¡°Close the wound,¡± Joe growled. And it did. Before his eyes, he saw weeks of healing transpire in a second.
You have restored 2 points of Buckle¡¯s health. You are unable to determine Buckle¡¯s current health. Your skill [Healing Touch] has increased to rank 1.
Joe suddenly felt a little dizzy, which he somehow knew was due to his decrease in mana. He had never had a resource below 100% before, except for a few stamina points from the dash down the hill. Tired from running was something he was familiar with. This was different. The blurry sensation passed after a second, and Joe willed another burst of healing into Buck. He looked at the spot where he could see a broken rib and cast again.
You have restored 4 points of Buckle¡¯s health. You are unable to determine Buckle¡¯s current health. Your skill [Healing Touch] has increased to rank 2.
Again, the lightheaded feeling returned and faded quickly. Joe popped up his resources and saw he had only used about 10% of his mana. He had plenty more healing, but he wanted to try his other abilities as well. Both he and the boy were covered in stinging thorn slices. Looking at a spot next to the three of them, Joe pointed and willed it to catch fire.
You have summoned a [Heartfire]. Creatures close by during the next hour will gain healing over time. Your skill [Heartfire] has increased to rank 1.
A ring of small stones appeared on the ground, and a bright bundle of flames began to dance within them; a sense of warmth and wellness radiated from the campfire. Joe could feel the pain from his cuts start to fade away. While [Heartfire] worked on all three of them, Joe decided to give Buck at least one more. The dog was breathing easier now, but it still gave small whimpers of pain after every breath. Joe tried to imagine applying the warmth to the area just behind the hound¡¯s ribs. This was harder to picture, but his first two heals helped guide him. After a few seconds of concentration, the restorative magic followed into Buckle¡¯s side
You have restored 6 points of Buckle¡¯s health. You are unable to determine Buckle¡¯s current health. Your skill [Healing Touch] has increased to rank 3.
Buck looked considerably better, but Joe still thought the dog was hurting. Not sure what to target, Joe gently spread his hands across the batter area. ¡®Here goes nothing,¡¯ he thought and tried once more.
You have restored 5 points of Buckle¡¯s health. You are unable to determine Buckle¡¯s current health.
When this last healing resulted in less health restored, Joe guessed either Buck was at full health or his fledgling magic had done all it could. Which was a good thing because his head would not stop spinning. Joe actually felt a tad nauseous from the vertigo of his lowered mana. ¡®I am going to have to get used to that,¡¯ he thought. He flopped back onto the grass, taking deep breaths. Just as the dizziness abated, he was shocked by a very wet slap to the face. He opened his eyes to see a pair of smiling faces. One human, puffy-eyed and grateful. The other drooling and swaying side to side due to its heavily wagging tail. 6 - Not Done Yet 6 - Not Done Yet Joe felt wrung out, not physically. It was the tiredness you felt after completing a rough exam or after a stressful event. He was mentally weary. As the boy and Buckle were having a mush session, Joe took a minute to shake away the cobwebs clogging up his head. When the fogginess cleared, he looked at the pair and spoke. ¡°Hey, guys. How¡¯s everybody doing?¡± ¡°Thank you, sir. You saved Buck!¡± ¡°We both did,¡± Joe countered. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t gotten him out of there, I don¡¯t know if I would have been able to help him in time. My name is Joe. What is your name?¡± ¡°Rhiley. My name¡¯s Rhiley Dellham.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you, Rhiley. And you too, Buck. Okay, let me up,¡± he said, giving the dog a gentle nudge to the side so he could lever himself to his feet. His body rose so smoothly that Joe almost overbalanced himself. It was going to take some getting used to having muscles that just did what you wanted them to without a fight. The extra dash of vertigo from the lingering mana-loss wasn¡¯t helping either. ¡°Woah,¡± the boy exclaimed, stabilizing Joe¡¯s wobble. ¡°Are you alright, mister?¡± ¡°I¡¯m good. I just stood up too quickly,¡± he replied, finding his balance again. As his head cleared, he looked around. The knight had vanished over the next hill, and it seemed Buckle¡¯s howls had not alerted the boy¡¯s family. Due to the lay of the land, the berry bramble was not in sight of the house and barn. Since it was just him and a very grateful native, Joe figured now might be a perfect time to get some basic information. ¡°So Rhiley. I¡¯m a stranger to this area. What town is that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s Crowfield. Not really a town, sir. It is just a village.¡± ¡°No need for the sir, Rhiley. Joe¡¯s just fine by me. Unless that will get you in trouble with your parents. It was sirs and ma''ams when I was in school, too,¡± he disclosed, earning him a smile from the boy. ¡°Is that where you learned to heal, Mister¡­ Joe? In school? Did you go to one of the academies?¡± ¡°Nope. Buck is the lucky recipient of my first healing ever. I just picked up the ability a minute ago.¡± ¡°Are you a Newcomer?¡± the boy asked, seeming to notice Joe¡¯s outfit for the first time. ¡°Well, I am definitely new to the area, but why do I get the impression that Newcomer means something more to you guys than just a foreigner?¡± ¡°Newcomers are those who have been brought to Illuminaria by the One Above. They are warriors and scholars from another world.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m no warrior and not much of a scholar, but the rest seems pretty on the nose. Does this happen a lot? You know, people being reborn here in your world?¡± ¡°Not really. You are the first one I¡¯ve ever seen, but every year, we celebrate Soultide. That¡¯s the holiday all about Newcomers being brought to Illuminaria. There is a big feast and a dance, and stories of the Newcomers are shared. It¡¯s a lot of fun.¡± That made sense. Joe couldn¡¯t figure out why both the knight and Rhiley had immediately jumped to Newcomer, even though under 1% of the population was from Earth. A standing holiday about those who crossed over would keep that tiny group from being easily forgotten. ¡°The One Above told everyone that Newcomers were arriving and established Soultide. I¡¯ve always wanted to meet one,¡± ERhilet beamed. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you too, Rhiley. So who is this One Above.¡± ¡°Oof. That¡¯s a big question. The One Above is the one who shapes us and gives us our advancements. He made the world, and the people, and the monsters, and the beasts. He also does all the quests.¡± ¡°So, he¡¯s god?¡± Joe had a hard time with religion on Earth. It was hard to accept there was a divine plan behind the death of his whole family and so many of his neighbors. ¡°Nope. Gods are totally different. The One Above is bigger than the gods in some ways but not in others,¡± the young man hesitantly explained. Seeing Joe¡¯s confused face, he added, ¡°You should talk to one of the Town Elders. They could explain it much better than I can.¡± ¡°Will do,¡± Joe conceded, letting the boy off the hook. He was also not in the best frame of mind to listen to the answer as a number of flickering indicators in the corner of his eye were trying to get his attention. Joe realized he was going to have to get used to those signals quickly, though he wasn¡¯t too worried about it. If he could block out the dozens of monitors and bedside conversations, dealing with the notification distractions would be a piece of cake. ¡°Hold on a sec, Rhiley. I need to read something. Is that ok?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the One Above,¡± the young man announced. ¡°Go ahead. Let me know what you get.¡±
You have successfully completed [Save Buckle].This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Do you wish to accept your quest rewards now?
¡°Yes, please,¡± Joe thought back. A few feet away, one of the two balls of floating light that had appeared when he was healing Buck popped. A potion bottle filled with an ivory liquid flipped up into the air and landed by Joe¡¯s feet. Joe picked it up, but he had no idea what it was. ¡°What did you get?¡± Rhiley asked. ¡°Got me, kid.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have [Identify] yet? Wow. You are new. Everyone takes that one.¡± ¡°Got here an hour or so ago, give or take. This is all new to me.¡± Joe moved to the next window.
Achievement: You completed your first quest. You have gained 1 unassigned attribute point. Your actions have awarded you the following choice of Traits: [Martyr] You chose a path you did not want for the betterment of another. When you use an ability to help an ally, you can sacrifice up to 10% of your Health to add up to 10% to the ability¡¯s effect. [Vivacity] Muscles are good, but magic is better. +10% to mana recovery.
Joe was pleasantly surprised. It looked like there were rewards for completing landmarks as well. He looked at the two options and easily made the choice. He already had regrets over picking a class that was so party-dependent; he did not want to make it even more so. Also, MAGIC! Who would pass up an opportunity for more magic?
You have selected [Vivacity]: +10% to mana recovery.
There was another one of those glowing balls, so he figured he should grab that one, too. He had a couple more notifications, and somehow, he instinctively knew which one of them was related to the second glowing orb.
You have successfully completed [Let¡¯s Get Started] Do you wish to accept your quest rewards now?
When he accepted, that ball of illumination popped as well. Instead of a single item, this orb sprayed a handful of coins, a small satchel, and a large wooden staff into the air. Joe managed to get a hand up, but the staff still cracked him painfully on the arm as it spun to the ground. ¡°Ow!. As much as I appreciate the item-spray nod to Diablo, that is going to get old quickly. Rhiley, can you help me find the coins? There should be ten of them.¡± Finding the gold pieces in the tall grass was a bit difficult, made even harder because Buck thought he should help the search as well. When they had them gathered, Joe looked into the satchel to find what looked like a fantasy first aid kit: plenty of bandages, soft cord, a needle, thread, as well as some tins and packets of herbs. Unfortunately, nothing was labeled. That ¡®Identify¡¯ skill was looking better and better. Adding the vial and the coins to the bag while picking up the staff, Joe gave the last alert his focus.
Achievement: You have had a profound instance of serenity upon your transference to Illuminaria. This pivotal moment has awarded you the following choice of Traits: [Meditationist] You can add [Meditation] to your list of selectable skills. [Gifted] +1 unassigned attribute point.
Joe knew immediately which one he wanted. For years, every holistic caregiver he ever had had tried to get Joe to learn how to meditate. And for years, Joe had failed spectacularly at it. The whole ¡®empty your mind¡¯ instruction was an immediate prompt for his brain to start thinking about everything under the sun. Maybe getting that skill would fix his overactive brain, but Joe seriously doubted it. Besides, he had just learned that attributes were key to learning new skills. He would much rather have more options than a skill that, in his past life, he had found utterly annoying.
You have selected [Gifted] +1 unassigned attribute point.
¡°Not a bad start.¡± Turning to the boy beside him, Joe asked, ¡°So Rhiley, what¡¯s next?¡± ¡°Now, can you come and heal my mom? She cut her hand last week, and even though she put a poultice on it, the cut just won¡¯t get better. It¡¯s all swollen and oozy.¡± ¡°It must be infected,¡± Joe assumed. Remembering how difficult it was to heal Buckle, Joe worried he would not be able to visualize how to heal Rhiley¡¯s mother. Still, he should definitely try. ¡°Let¡¯s give it a shot. Lead on, McDuff,¡± Joe quipped, uttering one of the commonly used lines from his old gaming sessions. The farmhouse was two stories tall, fashioned from light-colored timbers. The downstairs was built around a large central fireplace. The upper floor was built into eaves, with two dormers facing forward, most likely the children¡¯s rooms. Rhiley threw open the front door, announcing, ¡° Ma! Ma! I found a Healer for you,¡± as he waved for Joe to enter the home. Stepping inside, Joe could clearly see that Rhiley¡¯s mother was very sick. She was bundled in blankets, seated right beside a roaring fire on a beautifully warm day. The woman¡¯s skin had a waxy sheen to it, and her eyes were glassy. Joe drew in a deep breath. All of a sudden, what he was doing hit him. Healing Buck had been a spur-of-the-moment decision. He now was actually taking responsibility for someone else''s wellbeing. If he messed this up, he might make her worse. That fear had landed on a firm resolve. For years, others had cared for him. Now, he had a chance to pay some of that care back. The lost look on her face was one he had seen too many times before. That glassiness that came from being unable to think clearly while something was destroying you from the inside out. The fog which often led to the loss of hope. Once hope was gone, things almost always got worse. Joe pushed all those memories and doubts away. He now had something beyond all the years of medical training the doctors on Earth had. Joe had magic. He was not using toxins to kill part of her while trying not to kill all of her. He was not cutting out some part of her while trying not to cut out too much or too little. Joe had straight-up, raw healing. It did not need to make medical sense. It just had to work. Which meant he just had to try. ¡°Buck up, Joe,¡± he commanded himself.
New Quest [Septic Slice] Sarsa Dellham cannot be saved by ordinary means. Use your skills to save her. Reward: Talisman of the Medic
7 - Unforgiving Injury As Joe and Rhiley eased his mother''s bandaged hand out from under the blanket, a deep voice spoke up from the doorway behind them. ¡°Excuse me. May I help you?¡± Joe turned around to see a broad-shouldered man standing in the open doorway. One look at him, as well as the young woman at his side, it was immediately apparent these were Rhiley¡¯s kin. Both children took after their father far more than they resembled the feverish woman in front of Joe. ¡°Da, this is Joe. He is a Healer. He healed Buck. I brought him to see if he can help Mom.¡± ¡°Buck? What happened to Buck?¡± Rhiley¡¯s sister asked in a worried voice. Before he lost Rhiley to retelling the ¡®Saga of the Briars,¡¯ Joe spoke directly to the older man. ¡°Hello Mister Dellham. I am going to see what I can do for your wife. Can you tell me her name, please?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Sarsa,¡± Rhiley blurted. ¡°Sarsa Dellham,¡± the man intoned at the same time as his son, adding, ¡°Whatever you can do would be greatly appreciated, Master Healer.¡± Extending his hand, ¡°It¡¯s just Joe, Mister Dellham. I am about as novice a healer as one could ever find, so Master is serious overkill.¡± ¡°Well. Anything would be helpful. I¡¯m Konren,¡± The man replied with the grip of a man who had worked hard all his life. It was rough-skinned and far stronger than Joe¡¯s, but the clasp had no hint of challenge. Turning back to the ailing woman, Joe let out a nervous puff of breath. In the background, he could hear Rhiley begin the story of their meeting. Tuning out the boy, Joe took her bandaged hand. Even though the swathing, he could feel it was warm. ¡°Hello, Sarsa,¡± he began, unsure if she was focused enough to hear him. ¡°My name is Joe. I am going to see if I can mend this wound.¡± He slid his hand up to the flesh of the woman¡¯s wrist. He probably did not need actual skin-to-skin contact, but he figured it was better to be safe than sorry. Summoning his healing, he felt it rise to his fingertips. Instead of focusing on the wound specifically, which was still wrapped under a sodden mass of bandages, Joe instead desired to bolster her strength. He knew all too well the delirious fog of fever and pain. With this healing, he wanted to promote a general wellness. His magic wavered for a minute, unsure what he wanted, until Joe pictured one of his good days, a day when he was strong enough to sit up when his mind was clear. As he filled his mind with that memory, he felt his spell respond, sending a rush of vitality flowing from him into the woman.
You have restored 8 points of Sarsa Dellham¡¯s health. You are unable to determine Sarsa Dellham¡¯s current health. The underlying cause of the damage still remains. Your skill [Healing Touch] has increased to rank 4.
Color flushed into her cheeks. Drawing a deep breath, she immediately became more alert. Blinking, Sarsha glanced at Joe with a questioning look. Clearly, she had not heard him or registered his presence until now. ¡°Hi, Sarsa. My name is Joe. I became a healer today, and you are my first patient. Well, first human patient, at least. Let¡¯s try that again.¡±
You have restored 6 points of Sarsa Dellham¡¯s health. You are unable to determine Sarsa Dellham¡¯s current health. The underlying cause of damage is preventing any additional healing of this type.
¡°I¡¯m afraid that is as much as I can do right now. Let¡¯s get these old bandages off and look, alright?¡± ¡°Thank you, Sir,¡± Sarsa replied. ¡°It already feels much better. So do I. I was so tired today. I felt like I was sleeping even when I was awake.¡± ¡°I know exactly what you mean,¡± Joe stated earnestly. He had had many such dazed days. ¡°Is she healed?¡± Konren asked, his voice heavy with emotion. ¡°Not fully, no. Sorry. I can bolster her health, but the infection is still there. I don¡¯t know how to fix that yet. I only have two spells. I used the first one as much as I could, and the other won¡¯t help us. I think I need a Cure Disease-type spell. I am very new to this. How do people get new spells in this world?¡±The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°In this world¡­ ? You must be a Newcomer.¡± ¡°I am. And a very new Newcomer, to boot. Just a couple hours now,¡± he said as he untied the sticky cloth knot. The bandages were soaked with puss. ¡°You guys are the first people I have spoken with since I got here ... not counting a surly knight.¡± ¡°Well, we are very grateful for it,¡± his patient replied. She began looking around, switching to that typical mom-hostess mode. ¡°Have you eaten? It is the least we can do.¡± ¡°First, I want to unwrap this hand and take a look. That and food might not go well together.¡± Joe pulled a layer off and felt the wrappings bind in a snag. ¡°Alright. This is going to be a bit of an ordeal. Let me know if I hurt you.¡¯ Sarsa nodded, and Joe worked out the knot. As the layers came off, they became more sodden. The slick ribbons of cloth felt oily against his skin. Once upon a time, this would have grossed him out, but Joe found he wasn¡¯t bothered by it at all. A small chuckle slipped loose when he realized that there was a weird bright side to chemotherapy. He was pretty much incapable of being grossed out by bodily fluids anymore. When he got down to the puffy skin, he needed some warm water to soak off the last of the cloth. Nella, Rhiley¡¯s sister, brought a bowl filled with water from a pot that had been heating by the fireplace. Together, they eased off the last of the sodden cloth strips. Nella was not as immune to the feel and smell, but she was determined to help her mother. She soldiered through her queasiness and followed Joe¡¯s instructions. Across the room, Konren had a hand on Rhiley¡¯s shoulder, watching Joe and Nella work, though who was comforting who could go either way. The wound had originally been a knife cut, a simple kitchen accident, though it was deeper than your typical knife knick. If Joe had gotten here a few days ago, he probably would have been able to cure it. Joe swung his satchel around and looked in again. Oddly enough, he found that even though nothing was labeled, he somehow had an instinctive feel for what each container and packet was for. He found salts that might be able to draw out the infection, but the wound had progressed to the point where Joe felt that was a long shot. The veins around Sarsa''s hand and wrist were dark under her skin. Still, soaking in the salts would be better than doing nothing. They might help slow down the infection. Joe was pretty sure she needed a better form of healing than he possessed. ¡°I¡¯m going to need a bigger basin and more warm water,¡± he told Nella. ¡°We can try to soak the wound, but I think I am going to have to find a stronger spell. Where can I go to look for one?¡± ¡°The General Store often has a small stock of skill crystals,¡± she replied. She scowled while thinking and then continued, ¡°I can''t remember ever seeing any healing skills there. Mostly the common stuff like detects and minor wards. There would be plenty of agriculture and crafting skills, too, but I¡¯m pretty sure those are not what you are looking for.¡± ¡°What about a temple? In most ga ¡­ in my world, temples, and the clergy were often associated with healing.¡± ¡°Maybe in the big cities, that is how it works,¡± Konren stated. ¡°Out here, we only get an occasional hedgemage or herbwife that comes through every now and then.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have a real Healer around? Not at all?¡± Joe asked incredulously. It was hard to imagine a town, even just a village, not having a doctor of any sort. ¡°Hard to keep one here in Crowfield,¡± the man answered ruefully. ¡°This region is a very modest zone. There are no great threats, but there is also ain¡¯t much opportunity for advancement. Any of our young folk who have picked up the healer¡¯s path end up stagnating in such a mild region. They all moved on to a bigger city long before they reached their second class.¡± ¡°Well then, let¡¯s hope the General Store has something useful.¡± Joe was about to ask for directions until he recalled that the whole village consisted of only a couple dozen buildings. The General Store surely wouldn¡¯t be too hard to find. Konren must have read his first thought, though. ¡°Rhiley can show the way. If you two take the apple bushel to the general store for me, I¡¯d be happy to let you have the store credit for them, Joe. Both to help if you find something to heal my wife and to give you a profound thank you for all that you have already done.¡± Joe was uncomfortable with compliments, and so was about to shrug off the farmer''s words. At the last second, it dawned on him that the man wanted to express his gratitude. He could recall many times when he had thanked a nurse only to have the gratitude gently dismissed as part of their job. That wasn¡¯t the point. The gratefulness was his way of accepting Joe¡¯s help, meaning it would be rude to refuse it. ¡°You are welcome, sir,¡± he acknowledged, rising to his feet. Nelle stayed with her mother, holding her good hand. ¡°I am happy I could help as much as I could. Even if we don¡¯t find anything right away, I¡¯m pretty sure I can keep it from getting worse with the spells I have.¡± Scratching his chin, Joe added, ¡°I¡¯m pretty new to all this, but an infected wound has to be something a healer should be able to tackle. If we don¡¯t find something, I can try getting some more levels.¡± ¡°Advancement is always a good thing. Though most of us here find we are happy with a slow pace toward ten. Not many folks are higher than that around here.¡± The large farmer switched his focus to his son. ¡°While you¡¯re in the village, I need you to go to Kadric Tinker and pick up yer mom¡¯s copper kettle. Kadric said he would fix it yesterday. He¡¯ll have a job for you to cover the cost of the repairs. Do that once the Healer does not need you any further.¡± ¡°Ok, Da.¡± the boy affirmed, as he hopped over to give his mother a light hug. Heading for the door, Rhiley gave his thigh a slap to call Buck. ¡°Ready, Joe?¡± 8 - Giant Store A few minutes later, the pair were walking down the road with a heavy wicker bushel basket swinging slightly between them. It was filled with bicolored apples. Joe and Rhiley were both happily crunching on one of the crisp fruits. Even though their heights were drastically different, a clever bit of engineering negated the issue. A ring of rope was tied through each handle about two feet long. This added a foot to Joe¡¯s grip. With Rhiley holding the basket handle and Joe holding the rope loop, the basket ended up just about level between the two of them. At first, Joe was worried about the young man tiring out carrying the forty-pound basket to the village. After a few minutes, he realized the young farm boy was struggling less than he was. Which was especially sad because Rhiley didn¡¯t even have a class yet. The system only became available once a child reached the age of twelve. ¡®Well, that is a bit embarrassing,¡¯ Joe thought. ¡®I may be investing some of my assigned points into Strength and Vigor, just so I¡¯m not such a wimp.¡¯ The village of Crowfield was as quaint and pretty up close as it had been from the hillside. Most of the houses had flower patches or window boxes. The road was made of hard, packed dirt with no mires of mud or filth. The houses were almost all one or two stories, though a few had a third floor. The people were dressed in simple apparel, but the clothes were well cared for and clean, at least as much as one could be expected from a farming community. Villagers waved to Rhiley and called greetings by name. They seemed to take no particular notice of Joe, but he could tell they were curious about him all the same. Every few seconds, he received another,
Someone has failed to assess you.
He couldn¡¯t blame them. Joe knew how small towns were. Everyone noticed the out-of-towners. To be fair, he was looking right back at everyone around him as well, though he lacked the skill to glean any additional information. He was amazed to see such a variety of races right there in front of him. Humans seemed to be the most common, but only barely so. There were elves that seemed to glide as they walked. The dwarves did just the opposite. The bearded pair by the blacksmith shop seems to trudge with every step. A satyr was working at a loom on his porch across from a reptilian woman who was plucking deadheads from her garden. A being with bark-like skin and fern-like hair waved to Rhiley and then turned back to speaking with a feline-looking neighbor. An avian man with owlish features and a bright orange vest glided through the trees to land on the village green. As he and Rhiley walked into the center of the hamlet, a tiny boy, only a few inches over Joe¡¯s knee, dashed up to them. The young man had a shock of brown hair spiking out at all angles and a spring to his gait. ¡°Hey, Rhy,¡± the kid exclaimed in a voice that somehow did not match his childish stature. It was too gruff for someone seemingly so young. With a quick sidestep and darting fingers, the boy flicked an apple up into the air over Joe¡¯s head and caught it on the other side of his body. ¡°Thanks,¡± he said to Rhiley, looking Joe over but not addressing him.¡°I¡¯m heading to the fishing hole with Kip. Let me know if you want me to find you a pole.¡± Surprisingly, even though he clearly gave Joe that look of an assessment, no notification popped up for it. ¡°Just don¡¯t take Mister Dudley¡¯s pole again, Kaid,¡± Rhiley replied. ¡°That got me in trouble last time. And sorry. Can¡¯t. I am helping Joe today. This is Joe. He healed Ma. ¡­ Well,¡± Rhiley drawled out that last word. ¡°He made her better. We are going to try and find a spell he can use to fix it all.¡± ¡°So, no fishing,¡± Kaid huffed, looking a bit sad. Turning to address Joe directly for the first time, he added, ¡°Well, hope you find what ya need, Mister Joe. I just got back on Missus Dellham''s good side again. Be a shame ¡­¡± The strange boy¡¯s words faltered off as the diminutive youth realized the rest of that sentence would have been awful for Rhiley. ¡°Um. Nevermind. Um. If you do get some free time, Rhy, come find me by the river.¡± Pole in hand, the small figure dashed off. Joe caught an embarrassed facepalm just before the kid disappeared behind a stack of hay bales.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°That is Kaid,¡± Rhiley explained. ¡°He is a lot of fun.¡± ¡°How old is he?¡± Joe asked, trying unsuccessfully to mentally match the boy''s mannerisms and voice to his minuscule physical frame. ¡°I don¡¯t know. He¡¯s a gnome, so it''s hard to tell with them. They grow up slower, and they live a really long time. I think he is probably around your age, but he gets along better with us kids than he does with grown-ups. I think it¡¯s a gnomish thing. ¡­ Or it could just be Kaid.¡± A few strides further brought the two of them to the general store. It was one of the biggest buildings in the village. Even though it appeared only to have two floors, it surpassed the height of the three-story building across the street. It was colorfully painted in burgundy red with yellow trim and bore a huge front porch. Two large windows flanked the double doors, displaying fabric, ceramics, and other such wares. Open-top barrels held hoes, shovels, and rakes. As the pair neared the open doors, Joe could smell the interior even before he crossed the threshold. Cinnamon, honey, and earthy herbs were all mixed together on top of a dry greenhouse smell: maybe seeds, or fertilizer, or both. Rhiley shouted as he entered the store. ¡°Hello, Missus Eldauk, I have the apples Dad picked for you,¡± Even though the boy bellowed his news within feet of other shoppers, there was not a single sour look. As a matter of fact, an elderly man tousled Rhiley¡¯s hair with a friendly grin. If Joe had shouted like that in a store when he was a kid, his parents, and the patrons would have been far less pleased. The culture here must be much more communal and outgoing than the more reserved public manners where Joe had lived on Earth. Joe missed a step with Rhiley as a towering Jotun woman stepped out from behind a set of shelves. Joe had seen the Jotun option during the race selections, but there was a big difference between reading about it and coming face to face with a seven-foot-tall woman. The only reason he hadn¡¯t seen her was because the shelves were built on her scale, each one close to ten feet tall. The giantess was wearing a blue dress with an apron over it. Her overgarment was covered in pockets, each one probably as large as Joe¡¯s satchel. It was obviously as functional as it was for keeping her clothes tidy. ¡°Good morning, Rhiley. How is your mother?¡± she said in a rich voice. It was deep but still feminine. ¡°She¡¯s much better. Thanks, Missus E. This is Joe. He is a healer, but he just crossed over today.¡± ¡°A healer,¡± she exclaimed, her azure eyebrows rising. "And a Newcomer. That is wonderful. I don¡¯t think we have seen one brought by the One Above in twenty years." Her face settled into a smile that gave Joe the feeling of calculation as if there was something more behind the words that followed. "I am Gurda Eldauk. My family runs the General Store. If you need store credit, I am sure we can come up with an arrangement. Potentially, your healing for goods here at the market.¡± Her immediate, direct enthusiasm aroused Joe¡¯s telemarketer sense. She was a bit too quick with that offer. While she very well might be being straight with him, this felt suspiciously like one of those cold-call sales pitches that popped up on your phone. As hanging up was not an option, Joe tried disengaging. ¡°That is a very nice offer, Missus Eldauk. This is all very new to me. I¡¯d like to get my bearings before making any deals just yet. If that¡¯s ok with you?¡± ¡°You will find that the Clan of Eldauk is one of the most respected families in this community. The benefits of partnering with us are quite well-known. Just ask young Rhiley here. Why, for that bushel of apples alone, his father is gaining six gold as credit here at the store,¡± she extolled. ¡°Oh, but Da is giving the credit for the apples to Joe for helping Ma, Missus E. he is going to look to see if you have any skill crystals that might be good for him. Maybe something he can use to make her all the way better.¡± ¡°Very well,¡± she replied. Joe could tell she was not yet done trying to employ him, but after glancing back at the customer she had been helping, she decided to put her pitch aside for the moment. ¡°Joe, the crystals we have are there in that case. See that red leather book there,¡± she stated, pointing to a volume on the wood counter over the curved glass display case. ¡°You will find the prices of each crystal written in there. When I am done weighing seed for Admeadeon, I will come back and get any you are interested in.¡± As the towering woman headed back around the shelf, Joe and Rhiley stepped up to the case. It was filled with stubby crystal points about three inches long and an inch and a half wide. There were five colors of crystal, which Rhiley stated were associated with the five attributes. The Strength crystals were red. Green for Vigor. Dexterity stones were yellow. The crystals for Perception were true blue, and the Spirit ones were violet. The crystals also had metal bands that were wound around them. Most had a single copper band, but a fair number had two bronze rings. There were two skill crystals that had three silver bands. Joe guessed that the bands indicated the rarity of the skills inside the stones. Taking up the book and sitting down on an unopened barrel, Joe started leafing his way through the little red ledger. He could barely contain his excitement. These skills would be his first real set of choices in Illuminaria. He had ten gold coins and six gold credits to spend on them. This was really the best day ever. 9 - Shopping for Skills The first skill Joe picked was a no-brainer. The sheer number of times a customer tried and failed to assess him as he leafed through the leather-bound catalog suggested that [Identify] must be as popular as Hawking had mentioned. A skill that everyone took probably had to be a necessary one. As a bonus, at the price of one and a half gold, they were the least expensive skill in the book. Since he already had a point in Perception, Joe would not have to spend any of his unassigned attribute points. After that, he started looking for skills related to healing. Unfortunately, the only one he found was a crazy expensive spell called [Close Wounds], which, when Joe compared it to [Healing Touch], was not even as good at the healing spell he already had. The only other spell that was even close to his class was a weird veterinary spell that also worked on people. It was an uncommon vigor-based skill called [Efferous Endurance]. While it didn¡¯t heal injuries, it was a solid boost for another resource: stamina. Even though it was only half as effective on people as it was on beasts, Joe could see it being a big boon. Thankfully, it was priced more like the agricultural spells instead of [Close Wounds], costing three gold pieces. Joe added it to his mental list alongside [Identify]. After that, he was a bit stumped. Nella had been right. The book was filled with mostly crafting skills. There were quite a few basic fighting skills listed as well. When he got to the last page, disappointed, he turned back to the beginning and started again, just in case he had missed something the first time. He hadn¡¯t. The answer to helping Sarsa was not here. Joe closed the book and turned to the glass-faced display. The case was also sorted alphabetically like the book, which made it very easy to see what skills the General Store had available. The first crystal in the case was a purple Alchemy crystal. Joe could easily see how alchemy and healing would be a great synergy. Unfortunately, it was one of the most expensive starter skills in the store. The bronze-banded crystal cost sixteen gold pieces. That was exactly what Joe had. Putting all his money into a single skill seemed like a terrible idea. There were others in the A¡¯s, but the first B caught his eye. [Batter] was a basic attack skill that worked with bludgeoning weapons, a quarterstaff, for example. If Joe needed to level up to get a better healing skill, then in most RPG-type games, that meant hunting monsters. While he knew this world was not actually a computer game, from what Hawking and Konren had said, it sounded like this practice might still be the case. Joe had no problem spending a point into Strength so as not to be completely surpassed in might by the kid at his side. ¡°Hey Rhy. How good is [Bash]?¡± Joe asked, pointing at the red shard. ¡°It''s ok. But it only works with smashing weapons. [Bash] does more damage than the all-around weapon booster skills, but I think more people take [Power Attack] or [Swift Strike] because they work no matter what weapon you are using.¡± ¡°That makes sense. Since the weapon aptitude skill I have covers any simple weapon, then maybe I should get one of those skills.¡± The downside he discovered was those skills were more expensive. While [Bash] was only three and a half gold, [Power Attack], the strength-based version, was twice as expensive. The dexterity-based [Swift Strike] was a better deal at four and a half gold. Still, Rhiley¡¯s logic was sound, especially coming from one so young. Joe would have to wrap his head around the fact that talking skills was a regular topic for people who lived their lives by them. Unless he really didn¡¯t have the coins for it, he would go with one of the more versatile skills. Probably [Swift Strike].If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Joe started looking for a bargain at this point. The one that he liked best was a blue crystal for a skill called [Coin Catcher]. This skill caused the loot that came out of the reward globes or monster corpses to fly into pouches and packs instead of flipping off into the weeds or cracking him in the head. Joe didn¡¯t really need this one, but it was one of those quality-of-life skills that would take an annoyance out of the game. He could also see it coming in handy if he had to grab loot in a hurry. He allotted two gold pieces for this one, bringing his total to eleven with [Swift Strike], more if he took [Power Attack]. The rest he would need for gear. That thought cemented his choice for the Dex-base skill. He¡¯d have to accept being weaker than a ten-year-old for a while longer. He wrote down the four skill names on a slip of paper by the case and headed to the front of the store where Missus Eldauk was wrapping up a sale with her customer. As Joe reached into his satchel to grab his coins in, he couldn¡¯t find them. He had wrapped the coins in a small strip of bandage so they would not be clinking around in his bag but the bundle was gone. Joe emptied the satchel on the counter, but there were still no coins. When he looked over at Rhiley, he saw the boy¡¯s face change from concern to red-faced anger. ¡°Son of a muckback mimic! That jerk!¡± the young man swore. Turning on his heel, the lad stormed out of the store at a fast clip. Joe scooped his healing materials back into his bag as quickly as he could and followed the boy outside, but Rhiley had a large lead on him. Joe caught a glimpse of the youth at the edge of town, heading for a river in the distance. Jogging after the boy, Joe passed a large number of curious faces. He hoped none of them would think he was chasing Rhiley for some nefarious purpose. That would be a terrible way to start his time in the village. Thankfully, none of them stopped him. A few minutes later, Joe found himself running down a trail between two fields. For most of the way, he could see Rhiley until the boy reached a band of trees lining the river. The farmboy vanished between the trunks before Joe could catch up. He had to stop and panted for a bit, looking forward to the upcoming increase in Vigor. Joe was tempted to spend the points now and help his endurance, but he decided to play it safe in case his coins were gone for good. When the sounds of young voices yelling erupted from his left, Joe set off again. Jogging through the trees, he finally came up on Rhiley shouting at Kaid at the end of a small dock extending from the shore. A third child was sitting on the end of the raised planks, looking very uncomfortable. ¡°HE HEALED BOTH OF THEM, KAID! BUCK AND MY MOM! AND YOU TOOK EVERYTHING HE HAD!¡± Kaid had his hands up, and his face flushed with anger. This caused the girl beside the two to perform some sort of magic. With a hand gesture, a flicker of green motes swirled around her body, shirking and morphing her form. A moment later, a bullfrog sat on the boards while her pole dropped into the water. With a loud ribbit, the girl, now frog, leapt away, vanishing into the stream. Still on the dock, Rhiley seemed to tower over the diminutive gnome. Yet even with the farm boy¡¯s extra size and muscles, something told Joe that if this actually turned into a fight, Kaid was the more dangerous of the two. He doubted it would. The gnome¡¯s expression was miserable, bordering on tearful in the face of the young farmer¡¯s wrath. ¡°I didn¡¯t know Rhy. How could I? He was just some doofus stranger strolling through town. Of course, I¡¯ll give ¡®em back. Look, there he is,¡± Kaid mewled, pointing at Joe, who had reached the end of the pier. ¡°Here you go, sir. Force of habit. I¡¯m sure you understand.¡± The little scoundrel lobed the wrapped coin bundle, arcing it to Joe with a near-perfect throw. ¡°We good, Rhy?¡± he pleaded. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. Come on. No more hard feelings. I got us a couple poles and a jug of Apple Jack. Can we please let bygones be bygones?¡± ¡°I got my money back,¡± Joe confirmed. He gave the tied packet a shake, adding, ¡°It¡¯s all there, right?¡± When Kaid nodded back furiously, Joe shrugged. ¡°Then I¡¯m good. Rhiley, you can hang with your friend here. I¡¯ve got some shopping to do.¡± Still staring daggers at the tiny waif, Rhiley huffed, clearly still pissed. ¡°No, I¡¯ll stick with you if you don¡¯t mind, Joe. I have to go see Mister Tienker anyway.¡± Leaving the crestfallen gnome on the dock, the pair hiked back to the general store. Joe had originally thought he would be annoyed at having to trek back to the village, but it had been a while since he could just go for a walk. Even though it was just an about-face, he found himself smiling as they walked. Hiking along this path, with the breeze ruffling the fields of grain on either side of him, was one of those simply beautiful moments that could catch you off guard. Joe found that he didn¡¯t even mind Kaid¡¯s sticky fingers, considering how much he was enjoying just being outdoors again. Side by side, he and the young man reentered town, vectoring straight back towards the general store. 10 - Initial Improvements After Joe had purchased the four crystals he had picked out, he moved to the large porch that spanned the whole front of the store. Rhiley was talking to his neighbors, almost assuredly giving them the skinny on Joe. That was fine. Maybe it would cut down on all the failed [Identify] notices he was getting. The young man had already explained how to learn a skill from one of the crystals; he just had to grip the stone tightly and concentrate on activating it. Easy enough. Joe started with one of the blue ones since he already had an open Perception point. He gave the shard a squeeze, and in a second, he felt it vanish from his palm while, at the same time, a block of knowledge imprinted itself into his mind.
You have learned the common skill: [Coin Catcher]. This skill allows you to gather your rewards in close range and kinetically store them into a container on your person. If the items will not fit in the container, they will appear at your feet. Cost: Minor Stamina | Range: Close. {Force}
Joe was momentarily surprised as he thought he had grabbed the [Identify] stone. It made no difference as he had planned to learn both. Or at least he thought so at first until he saw a new notification appear.
Achievement: You learned your first non-class skill: [Coin Catcher]. This action has awarded you the following choice of Traits: [Good Fortune] Bigger bounties. +5% to coin loot. [Signature Skill] Who knows how far this can go? +25% chance to Advance [Coin Catcher].
Joe noted that he did not get an extra attribute point for this achievement. That made sense. He couldn¡¯t expect every advancement to give free points. Joe took a minute to think about this choice. An additional 5% to loot sounded like it could add up to some serious coin. On the other hand, [Signature Skill] sounded plain awesome. He had no idea how the simple loot collection tool would improve, but he was excited to find out. He had a momentary musing on what options he would have received if he had learned [Identify] first. Considering how many folks had that skill, it was likely a common achievement. Joe kind of liked getting the more unusual option. Now it was time to spend his free points. Seeing no reason not to finish Perception, he added a point to the attribute. As he did so, the world ever so slightly seemed to shift into better focus. There were so many things happening when he received his points with his class that he hadn''t noticed the change, but this time, just sitting outside the general store, it was very obvious. Across the street, the sign for the bakery snapped into focus. The smell of bread and pies increasingly filled the air. The grain of wood under his butt was suddenly more apparent. Rhiley¡¯s and Gurda Eldauk¡¯s voices from inside the store behind him became clearer. None of these were huge changes, but in that second, they were very noticeable. ¡°Woah,¡± Joe breathed. Excited, he wanted to try Dexterity next. He had always had a knack for throwing things, darts, frisbees, baseballs, even spinning cards into a hat. Grabbing a small rock, Joe flicked it at a lantern post at the edge of the road. He still had the concept of how to fling a pebble from his old life, so his body complied as he expected, managing to knick the timber with the small stone. Then he added one of his free points to his Dex. Sure enough, he felt limberness flow through him. He was just a fraction more sure of his movements. He flicked a second pebble, and it hit almost precisely where he wanted it to. Joe bounced his feet back and forth on the step in exhilaration, sending a drumming stomp out into the village. He didn¡¯t care who noticed him acting like an idiot. Not only was he healthier now than he had been in years, he could fundamentally get even better with each advancement. It was one thing to understand the idea of increased stats conceptually. It was a whole new level to actually feel it. His last two points immediately went into Vigor. Because his stamina was full, he did not experience instantaneous revitalization. Even so, he generally felt great, as he had just woken up from the best night''s sleep of his life. Joe knew he was grinning like a loon, but again, he didn¡¯t care how many odd looks he was drawing from the locals. Actually, he noticed many of them were smiling back at him. It was like those looks an aunt or uncle would have when a younger relative did something noteworthy. News of a Newcomer must be spreading. Watching Joe experience the joy of the system for the first time was something they seemed to find endearing.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Speaking of the system. ¡®Hawking, this is amazing. Thank you, man! I ¡­ I don¡¯t even have words for this.¡¯ There was a longer pause than Joe expected before the window appeared.
You are very welcome, Joe. Your positivity is promising.
¡°We have got to work on your conversational skills someday, Dude,¡± Joe sent back with a mental laugh. Still chuckling at Hawking¡¯s stiff reply, he turned his focus to the skill stones again and learned a second one.
You have learned the common skill: [Identify]. This skill allows you to use your sight to assess creatures and objects to determine their designation and some general information. The more ranks you have with this skill, the more information you can glean. Additional ranks with [Identify] can pierce through the obfuscation that comes from level disparity or anti-assessment skills such as [Deception]. Passive | Range: Extreme. {Calculation}
Not that he was really expecting one, but he checked to see if this act had earned him another achievement. It didn¡¯t. Joe also noted that Hawking¡¯s responses had two different feelings to them. Most of the notifications had an almost clinical, formal feel to them. Kind of like an automated response. But the times he was directly replying to Joe felt different. There was a clear presence behind those messages. This last one was one of those canned text notifications. He focused on the yellow stone and received another one of the impersonal alerts.
You have learned the common skill: [Swift Strike]. You can empower your melee attacks to inflict additional damage and improve their chance to break through defensive deflection techniques. Your attack damage and deflection penetration increases by 3% plus 1% for each skill rank you have with this skill. Cost: Minor Stamina | Range: Touch. {Inertia}
With each skill he learned, Joe noticed something new. So far, all of his skills had a different last word at the end of their descriptions. He hoped he was not doing something wrong, spreading out his skills across whatever these groups were. {Life} made sense for his [Healing Touch] spells; so did {Force} for the telekinetic [Coin Catcher]. He was a bit more confused by {Brilliance}, {Expertise}, {Calculation}, and {Inertia}. He had already spent his attribute points into Vigor, so he didn¡¯t think it was worth changing tracks just yet. Still, it didn¡¯t hurt to ask. ¡®Hey, Hawking. Can I ask you another question? I don¡¯t want to bug you if you are busy.¡¯
I am always in a state of constant activity, yet I am fully capable of accommodating your inquiry.
Joe smiled as this window held that unique presence he associated with Hawking, instead of the more generic system messages. ¡°Okay. Thanks. What are the words in the braces at the end of skill descriptions for?¡¯
Those are known as Affinities. Every skill is associated with one of these 210 affinities. Every person and monster has their own aptitude with individual affinities. Choosing skills for which you have a strong connection to the correlating affinity will grant you greater usage of that skill.
¡®That would have been good to know. I have no idea what my Affinities are.¡¯
There are seers who can read your affinities for you. You can improve your strength with an affinity through use and focus, especially those engaged at early levels.
¡®That¡¯s something then. So the ones I have now, unless I seriously suck at them, should be fine.¡¯
To ease your mind, you do not ¡®seriously suck¡¯ at any of the affinities you currently have skills for, including the one you have in your hand.
¡®Okay. Thanks again,¡¯ Joe thought back to Hawking before focusing on the green prism in his hand.
You are attempting to learn the uncommon skill [Efferous Endurance]. You have not met the requirements for a bronze-level skill.
Joe stared at the clinical-feeling notice. He scratched his head, puzzled. The only prerequisite listed in the book was he needed to already know one husbandry or healing skill. He had two: [Healing Touch] and [Heartfire]. ¡®Now what? Why can¡¯t I learn this one?¡¯
You need to have at least ten ranks in one skill before you can assimilate an uncommon skill crystal.
Joe hung his head. ¡®Are you kidding me!¡¯ It was a bit of a letdown, but Joe was in too good a mood to let it get to him. If the Illuminaria system worked at all like the MMORPG games he was familiar with, those early ranks were usually pretty easy to get. Hopefully, ten wouldn''t take him very long. Looking over his shoulder, he noticed Rhiley still speaking to the giant shopkeeper. Missus Eldauk¡¯s words replayed in his head. She had been willing to pay him to heal. Given how shrewd the merchant seemed, Joe guessed that meant there was a demand for healing. After catching his young companion¡¯s eye inside the store, Rhiley quickly disengaged himself from his neighbors and trotted out onto the porch. ¡°Hey Rhy, I can¡¯t learn this one yet,¡± he stated, waving the bronze-banded shard. ¡°I don¡¯t have ten levels in anything yet.¡± ¡°Aw, sorry, Joe. I should have thought of that,¡± the young man apologized. ¡°Want me to see if Missus Eldauk will take it back so you can get something else?¡± ¡°Nah. I like the spell. How about we go the other route and level up my [Healing Touch]? Want to help me find some patients?¡± Rhiley¡¯s smile was all the answer he needed. 11 - Level Up Joe carefully took hold of his seventh patient¡¯s heavy, dwarven hands. Thornon¡¯s arms, from his elbows all the way to the tips of his fingers, looked inflamed and swollen. The blisters were angry and red. Thornon Kinbrow was a tanner. Joe had no idea what the process was that turned animal hides into leather, but whatever it was, it had done a number on the craftsman¡¯s skin. Joe moved the man¡¯s arm into a spot of sunlight that made its way through the canopy of leaves overhead. In the brighter light, the arm looked even worse. This was one seriously stoic dwarf. If Joe¡¯s arms were half as bad as these looked, he would not be sitting passively on the log waiting for Joe to start healing. The pair sat in the center of Crowfield on a circle of well-tended grass that encircled a massive oak tree. The trunk of the tree had to be at least ten feet wide and was marked by many large runes. Originally, Joe thought the sigils had been carved, but after a closer look, he saw that the bark had been shaped, not cut. He had no idea what the symbols did or meant, but they had that flowing cursive style that made one think of Tolkien¡¯s elves. He guessed they were to promote the great tree¡¯s health. It sure was healthy. And huge. The oak provided a welcome shade over much of the green. There were several benches around the lawn. To one side of the lawn, a stage had been built. Rhiley and Joe had set up on the other end of the common where a campfire ring was surrounded by several large sitting logs and a few wooden plank lawn chairs. Joe had placed a [Heartfire] flickering in the ring of stones which gave off its passive heal to anyone nearby. Joe was perched on a low stool that Rhiley had borrowed from somewhere. The three-legged seat allowed him to sit close enough to see what was going on with his patients and touch them with his healing skill without Joe having to kneel or both of them having to straddle one of the sitting-logs. ¡°Is this normal, Thornon ?¡± he asked. ¡°Not typically. No,¡± the squat man answered in a voice that was almost exactly what Joe expected from a dwarf. It was deep and a bit gravelly. The stout man¡¯s wide chest adding a rich timber to his words. ¡°It can happen now and then,¡± he continued. ¡°Some of them beasties out there are still dangerous even after they be dead. This here comes from a Foulgut Wyrm. I was braining the hide and, next thing I knew, my hands were all a-blistered. When my wife heard Rhiley announcing ye be a healer, she told me I had to get out here and see ya. Guess she was tired of me moaning bout the house.¡± Before Joe tackled the odd injury, he wanted as much information as he could get: ¡°What¡¯s a Foulgut Wyrm?¡± ¡°They be poisonous little burrowers. Maybe three feet long. Four ta six inches wide. The worst part about em is how toxic they be. Ain¡¯t got no natural predators up here on the surface since anything that eats em dies. Their hide can be used for some great poison-related gear, but ya have ta be very careful when ya handle it. Or ya gotta be a dwarf,¡± the tanner stated proudly. ¡°I¡¯ve skinned dozens of them before without a problem. That last one musta been specially toxic.¡± ¡°Let me start with a basic healing first,¡± Joe related to the charcoal-haired dwarf. ¡°I have some antivenom in my bag we can try as well if this doesn¡¯t work.¡± Joe activated his [Healing Touch], but for the first time, it seemed like it might not work at all. The spell seemed to splash up against the dwarf¡¯s skin. Instead of moving into the arms, the warm energy bunched up further and further on the surface of the thick arm. To Joe, it felt like he was pushing against an inflated beach ball. There was a barrier there that was blocking the healing spell. Just as he was about to give up, the obstruction gave way, allowing his healing magic to flow into Thornon. ¡®That was weird¡¯
You have restored 12 points of Thornon Kinbrow¡¯s health. You are unable to determine Thornon Kinbrow¡¯s current health. The underlying cause of damage still remains. Your skill [Healing Touch] has increased to rank 6.
Joe was hit by a couple of different impressions at once. The first was confusion regarding the blockage he had encountered, until an idea occurred to him. When he read about the dwarf race, it said something about them being resistant to magic. Joe had assumed that meant harmful magics, but maybe it was all magic. That would be rough if your race was resistant to helpful spells as well. The other sensation was an almost giddy feeling that was growing inside him. For the last couple of patients, he had started to develop this pending sense of excitement from somewhere. It felt like, at any second, something great was about to occur. Stolen story; please report. Joe could feel a wide smile spread across his face, even though he had no idea why he was grinning. Not sure what to do about this weird elation, Joe tried his healing again. The spell hit the same barrier before finally pushing through it. This time, when it did, his growing sense of anticipation became a burst of euphoria. A cascade of lights erupted around Joe, and a triumphant note of music rang out.
You have reached level 2. You have gained 1 unassigned attribute point and the following trait and skill. [Aware] +1 to Perception. You have gained 1 common perception-based skill. [Assess Wounds] You are able to analyze and identify ailments and determine the relative health of those around you. Passive | Range: Extreme. {Calculation}
You have restored 8 points of Thornon Kinbrow¡¯s health. His current health is at 93%. The underlying cause of damage is preventing any additional healing of this type. Your skill [Assess Wounds] has increased to rank 1.
¡°Congrats, son,¡± Thornon exclaimed, giving Joe a friendly thump on the shoulder. ¡°I can tell by the look on yer face ya just advanced, didn¡¯t ya?¡± ¡°The look on my face ¡­ You didn¡¯t see those lights or hear the that hunting horn?¡± ¡°Nope. That just be for you, though for us dwarves we get drums,¡± Thornton explained. ¡°Just like how we don¡¯t see each other slates unless you choose to share em.¡± The tanner was still beaming at Joe. Leveling must be something these folks celebrated. ¡°What level does that make ya now?¡± ¡°Two. That was my first level up.¡± ¡°Well then! I double my congratulations. Ya always remember yer first. Hopefully, ya won¡¯t be too disappointed it came staring at my gnarly mitts.¡± ¡°Not at all. That was amazing.¡± ¡°Yessiree. The One Above sure do make it a joy to advance. Careful though. Some folks get addicted to that feeling and go hunting levels so hard they bite off more than they can chew.¡± Joe could understand that desire. Leveling up was such an incredible high. He noticed that his mana had been completely refilled. His health and stamina had been at full already but he imagined that they would have refilled as well. It took a second for him to shake off the exhilaration and get back to business. ¡°Well then, it looks like it falls to me to give ya yer First Cascade gift.¡± Cascade was a perfect word for the flow of energy, lights, and elation Joe had just experienced. ¡°It be a tradition. When a youngin levels for the first time, somebody on hand shares a skill with em. Since ya be stuck with just me, that honor is mine.¡± A window appeared in the air in front of Joe. He knew it must be Thornton''s version of his notification screen, but it looked vastly different from the ones he had been seeing so far. Joe¡¯s were two-dimensional translucent blue rectangles with a plain white text. The one from the dwarf looked like a ghostly gray slate chalkboard covered with black angular lettering. The characters reminded Joe of dwarven or Germanic runes. Joe looked over the ¡®slate,¡¯ noting he could only see a limited number of sections. In the first section he could see Name, Race, and Level, which was 13. For Experience, he just saw question marks. For Resources, he could see the tanner¡¯s Health, which was currently 295 out of 371. There was an asterisk there, too. When Joe focused on the mark, the word ¡®Poisoned¡¯ popped into his head. Stamina and Mana were also question marks. The dwarf¡¯s classes were also obscured. The last two sections, Traits and Skills, had dozens of items. Joe looked down the skills list. Many of them were grayed out, which Joe realized were any skill that required something he didn¡¯t have, such as Shield Expertise for most of the dwarf''s defensive skills. The other ones he couldn¡¯t pick were any non-Vigor skills above common rarity. Since he only had one free point to spend, he could only take a basic skill or a Vigor skill. Joe had a momentary regret of spending his last skill point. If he had two free points now, he might have learned his first uncommon skill since he was not learning it from a skill crystal. Throton had a fair number of uncommon vigor spells, but no rare ones, which might have been possible with Joe¡¯s two open Vigor points and his one free point. Looking at them he didn¡¯t see any he liked better than [Efferous Endurance]. Back to the list, Joe was both excited and a bit chagrined. At least half of the skills he could learn were crafting or harvesting skills, which might be something Joe picked up later, but not something he wanted right now. He liked the sound of [Combat Intuition], [Long Strike], and [Stalwart]. Joe found his eyes drifting over to the Traits section again and again. There were some truly awesome sounding traits on the list. Only the one¡¯s that were marked Achievement were grayed out. ¡°Hey, Thorton? Would you mind if I picked a trait instead of a skill?¡± ¡°Traits don¡¯t work that way, son,¡± the broad-faced man remarked, shaking his head. ¡°The only traits ya can pass on to somebody else are Heritage or Fellowship traits. You and I ain¡¯t kin. And since ya be brand new to the world, I doubt you have joined any of the orders I belong ta. That¡¯s why my traits are all gray for ya. I¡¯m surprised you can even see them. That ain¡¯t normal.¡± Joe looked again and stated, ¡°But they¡¯re not gray. They¡¯re just as clear as the skills I can take.¡± The dwarf face scratched up in confusion. He leaned in closer, peering directly into Joe¡¯s eyes. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yeah. Really.¡± Dumbfounded, the tanner sat there, his damaged arms still in Joe¡¯s hand. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be a chunky nugget,¡± the confused dwarf swore. 12 - A Gift of Iron ¡°Well, this sure is a new one for me. Do ya mind if I take a look at your slate? Maybe I can figure out how ya be doing it,¡± the dwarf asked. AS he spoke, Throton immediately held up a hand. ¡°Now ye should know that I¡¯m only asking ''cause we already be sharing. Ya may not know this yet, but don¡¯t you go asking folks about their messages from the Giver of Quests or their slate. It be rude to push folk regarding what they get from the One Above. You can share all ya want, just be careful about asking.¡± Joe was a little nervous about showing his screen to someone, but all Joe¡¯s instincts told him that Thornon had been straight with him so far. He willed his window to be visible to the dwarf and waited, hoping he had done it correctly. While the man¡¯s gaze swung to where Joe¡¯s window hung in the air, the tanner looked more perplexed than ever. ¡°How in tarnation did ya get yer [Deception] so high already? Everything here is just a blur. Not even yer full name. It just says ¡®Joe.¡¯ That¡¯s it. The whole slate and just one word.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any deception skills,¡± Joe answered. As the words left his mouth, everything just clicked into focus. He knew the answer to this latest riddle and why he was able to see the dwarf¡¯s traits as available options for him. ¡°I know what it is, Thorton. I only have two traits myself, and I think both of them are at play here. One prevents me from being assessed; the other one says I can gain traits from any race, ancestry, or order.¡± ¡°You don''t say,¡± the bearded man drawled. ¡°Well, that sure would do it. Thems are interesting traits. Ain¡¯t never heard of someone starting with anything like that. Still, it clears things up.¡± The tanner took his arms back and, with a grin, stroked a hand down his beard. ¡°You, boy, are going ta get the matron of all First Cascade gifts. This be the one I gave my son. It¡¯s by far the best trait I have. Can ya see [Iron Mind]?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± It was on the dwarf¡¯s trait list, followed by the word ¡®Heritage.¡¯ ¡°Scan it ta see what it does, and then grab it. Ya won¡¯t be sorry.¡± Joe read the description and immediately agreed. It sounded like an amazing trait. He focused on it and felt a copy of the ability transfer to himself.
[Iron Mind] You have major metal resistance against Domination and Confusion effects.
He could not be happier. One of the powers Joe hated most to get hit by in role-playing games was mind-control and mind-altering attacks. Not only could they take you out of an entire encounter, sometimes they turned you into a liability for your whole team. Suddenly, your party had to fight you, as well as the siren or vampire or whatever it was that was now dominating your character¡¯s mind. ¡°Thank you, Thornton. That trait is amazing!¡± ¡°Aye, but we ain¡¯t done yet? Healers be a precious thing in the world, and I ain¡¯t never had a chance ta pass along some good ol¡¯ dwarven trait to one of ya beanpoles before. Let¡¯s do another one. See [Forge Born] that will give ya major fire resistance, too. Grab it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not too much?¡± Joe balked. ¡°It ain¡¯t like I lose the trait. I¡¯m just sharing it with ya. Go on. It¡¯s yours.¡± ¡°Ok,¡± Joe exclaimed. Who was he to argue with more free traits? He locked his attention onto [Forge Born] and willed into to come over to his sheet. Yet, instead of an influx of fire resistance, Joe was hit with a spike of pain lancing through his skull. He immediately had a flashback to his tumor, causing his heart to race in an instinctive panic. A notification saved him from completely freaking out.
You have attempted to use [Anyone] in rapid succession. This trait requires a significant cooldown before reuse.
While the explanation calmed his nerves, it didn¡¯t help his head. He felt like he had just gulped down an entire milkshake at once: massive brain freeze from hell. ¡°Ow. Ow. Ow!¡± Joe groaned. ¡°Can¡¯t use it more than once at a time,¡± he muttered to the concerned craftsman. ¡°Sorry, son. I thought it might not work. We can¡¯t pass on Heritage traits to our kin more than once a level. Should have known the One Above was not gonna let you become a demigod by absorbing every trait you could find.¡± He tugged his beard with a sheepish look. ¡°Granted, the pain to the noggin is a new one. Apologies.¡± ¡°None needed,¡± Joe said, opening his mouth wide to crack his jaw and pop his ears. ¡°Now we know. I¡¯m going to need a minute. Here, take this.¡± Joe reached into his bag and grabbed a tin of antitoxin. ¡°Smear that on your arm. It should finish what my healing could not.¡±If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Well, ain¡¯t that kindly of ya,¡± the dwarf proffered, rising to his feet. ¡°Ya gonna be alright?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Joe replied, flopping off the stool onto the soft grass. ¡°Just gonna lie here and put my head back together for a bit.¡± Joe heard the tanner chuckle, followed by the sound of some coins dropping into the tip bowl Rhiley had put out for him. A moment later, the man¡¯s heavy footsteps tromped off. While he was used to headaches, there was definitely something different about the one he had here in Illuminaria than those from his old life. It was as if all the mental callouses he had built up over the years were gone. This new brain seemed far more sensitive than the broken but heavily-weather thing he had left behind by his transference. He had noticed a mental discomfort whenever he spent mana. The more mana he expended with his two spells, [Healing Touch] and [Heartfire], the more his head began to throb. Once, when he had gotten the pool down to its dregs, he was even swamped by a wave of vertigo. On the plus side, when he had cast those last two [Healing Touch] spells on Throton, he had not felt much of anything at all: far less discomfort than when he first cast his initial heal on Buck. Hopefully, spellcasting was something he just needed to exercise to get used to how it felt to expend mana. He cracked open an eye and saw that three elderly women had taken seats around his [Heartfire]. They were chatting quietly amongst themselves. When one of them noticed his attention, she threw him a bright smile, dipping her head to him in thanks. He nodded back before closing his eyes for a minute more. Not yet ready to face the world, Joe figured it was a good time to see what level 2 looked like.
Name: Joseph (Joe) Morris Race: Changeling Level: 2 Experience: 101 / 310 TRAITS ¡¤ [Anyone] (Racial) ¡¤ [No one] (Racial) ¡¤ [Iron Mind] (Hereditary) ¡¤ [Signature Skill] (Achievement) ¡¤ [Vivacity] (Achievement)
RESOURCES ¡¤ Health: 22 / 29 ¡¤ Stamina: 65 / 65 ¡¤ Mana: 30 / 30
ATTRIBUTES ¡¤ Strength: 0 ¡¤ Vigor: 2 ¡¤ Dexterity: 2 ¡¤ Perception: 3 ¡¤ Spirit: 2 Available Attribute Points Unspent: 1 SKILLS (Slots / Filled) STRENGTH SKILLS: (0 / 0) VIGOR SKILLS: (0 / 2) DEXTERITY SKILLS: (2 / 2) ¡¤ [Simple Weapon Aptitude] (C) rank 0 ¡¤ [Swift Strike] (C) rank 0 PERCEPTION SKILLS: (3 / 3) ¡¤ [Assess Wounds] (C) rank 1 ¡¤ [Coin Catcher] (C) rank 0 ¡¤ [Identify] (C) rank 3 SPIRIT SKILLS: (2 / 2) ¡¤ [Healing Touch] (C) rank 6 ¡¤ [Heartfire] (C) rank 3
CLASSES ¡¤ Primary Class: Healer ¡¤ Secondary Class: None ¡¤ Tertiary Class: None
¡°Not bad,¡¯ he thought. ¡®My Health is still terrible. I was hoping those two points in Vigor would help more.¡¯ He was pretty sure the boost to that attribute would start paying off when he got some more levels under his belt. Looking at the relatively few traits he had, he noticed the traits that just awarded attribute points, such as Nimble, Gifted, or Aware, did not show up in his list. Climbing back to his feet, Joe gave himself a solid stretch and then walked up to the trio around the [Heartfire]. ¡°Hi. Sorry about the wait. What can I do for you?¡± A woman with a fan of silvery feathers on her head replied, ¡°This lovely blaze is all I need, sir. Thank you for it. It feels wonderful.¡±
Chinnana Leebreeze: Sylph-kin: Seamstress/Talismanist 13
That explains why Joe did not recognize her race. Sylph-kin must be a half Sylph. None of the options Joe had been offered had been mixed races, but Hawking had mentioned that hybrids were a thing. After just now finding out what Changeling was capable of, Joe had no complaints about the option Hawking had made for him. Sure, his [Anyone] trait wasn¡¯t something he could use every day, like many of the racial abilities he had seen, but when he could use it, it had the potential to give him significant bonuses. Joe nodded back to the feather-maned woman and gave her companions his attention. They both mirrored her sentiment; they were quite fine with just the [Heartfire], but the faun pointed over Joe¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Looks like your next patient is arriving now, young healer.¡± He turned to see Rhiley leading an even more elderly woman across the green. She was spreading her weight between a stout cane and the boy¡¯s shoulder. Joe returned to his stool, waiting for Rhiley to finish crossing the green with the matron. He could not stop smiling as he composed himself for his next patient. He was healthier than he could ever remember feeling. He was gaining skills and abilities. To top it all off, karmically he was paying back the huge debt he had accrued when the world had to take of him. Joe wasn¡¯t sure how much he really believed in karma, but he knew it felt great to start balancing out his past. 13 - Turn Back Time As Joe looked at the woman being led across the town green by Rhiley, he noticed he could see an aura around her. It was a gray aura with dark red areas around her joints. He looked at Rhiley and found his aura was a bright blue. Spinning his head to the trio of ladies, he saw they also had auras. Most were a pale blue, but the eldest, the faun, also had a red to pink around the knuckles of her hands.
Seesae Skipheel: Saytr: Baker 9 Your skill [IAssess Wounds] has increased to rank 2.
The aura sight was from his newest skill: [Assess Wounds]. ¡®Arthritis,¡¯ Joe wondered, looking at the joints of both women. If so, that would mean the red was an indication of pain or injury. Blue must mean health. The brightness of the Rhiley''s aura suggested a robust health, whereas the pale blue of the older women suggested a lesser degree of health. The woman, all shrouded in gray, must really not be doing well. She was clearly even older than Seesae.
Madina Spooner: Human: Cobbler/Ratcatcher 11 Your skill [Identify] has increased to rank 4.
She appeared to be in her seventies, and even with both a cane and a great deal of assistance from the farm boy, her gait was slow and unsteady. ¡°Greetings, ma¡¯am. How can I help you?¡± Joe asked. ¡°Just my rheumatism. Ain¡¯t nothing to be done for it. I¡¯m old, and I know it.¡± ¡°You should let him try, Missus Spooner,¡± Rhiley interjected. ¡°He¡¯s really good at fixing folks.¡± ¡°So ya keep saying, but old bones are old bones. They ain¡¯t something ya heal.¡± ¡°Actually, I¡¯m not so sure about that. All those painful joints look like damage to me, and damage is what my spells work on. Would you mind if I tried?¡± Joe offered. ¡°It won¡¯t cost you anything if it doesn¡¯t work. Honestly, it won¡¯t cost you anything if it does, either. It¡¯s up to you if you want to pay. Today, I am helping out anyone who wants it, whether I get paid or not.¡± ¡°That is very nice of you, young man. Very well. Let¡¯s see what you can do. I already walked all the way over here thanks to your insistent young helper here,¡± she replied, giving Rhiley a pat on the shoulder. She settled down on the log in front of him, leaning her cane against the seat. Joe inched his stool closer before reaching out and casting his basic healing spell. This time, it was significantly easier for him to engage his healing magic. Until now, he had been trying to guess where to apply the energy and trying to picture in his head what he wanted to happen. With [Assess Wounds], he could now see right where his magic needed to go. He could watch the aura shift colors, which further helped him direct the healing.
You have restored 14 points of Madina Spooner¡¯s health. Her current health is at 68%. Your skill [Assess Wounds] has increased to rank 3.
Joe could see the gray aura around Madina start to gain a hint of blue as a small smile crinkled the edges of her mouth.
You have restored 14 points of Madina Spooner¡¯s health. Her current health is at 81%.
You have restored 14 points of Madina Spooner¡¯s health. Her current health is at 94%. Your skill [Healing Touch] has increased to rank 7.
Just for good measure, Joe topped her health pool off.
You have restored 7 points of Madina Spooner¡¯s health. Her current health is at 100%.
The woman in front of him seemed wholly transformed. She sat up straight, looking at Joe with bright eyes. There was no trembling or crookedness to her hands. Her aura glowed a healthy blue. It was still a light blue compared to Rhiley¡¯s aura, but it was definitely blue. Joe sensed Madina still had some lingering stiffness even though he had healed her to full health. It seemed that not all of the body¡¯s damage vanished under his spell immediately. It had to work through the retreating harm organically, which took a bit more time.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be,¡± she exclaimed, rising to her feet and drawing Joe up with her. ¡°I have not felt this good since before you were born, son. I can¡¯t believe it.¡± Joe found himself enveloped in a bony but fierce hug. From behind his back, he heard the trio of women clapping for Madina. ¡°This is a gift, my boy. A beautiful one. You are truly blessed to be able to give it,¡± she muttered in his ear. Looking spry and elated, she released the embrace and stepped back, her face taking on a very determined look. ¡°Come, walk me home. I have something for you.¡± She laid her hand over Joe¡¯s arm and gave him a tug back in the direction she came from. When she first crossed the green to him, Madina was leaning heavily on Rhiley. Now, her grip on Joe¡¯s arm was light, just enough to steady her in case she tripped. Rhiley trotted up next to Joe. ¡°While you go do that, I¡¯m going to head to Mister Tienker¡¯s. He lives right over there,¡± the boy stated, pointing at a house down one of the lanes off the village square. ¡°He¡¯ll probably have me muck out his henhouse,¡± he added, looking less than thrilled by the idea. ¡°I¡¯ll find you in an hour or so.¡± ¡°Ok. See you soon, Rhy.¡± The farm boy headed off in the direction he indicated while Joe walked Madina back to her home. ¡°You could make an awful lot of goodwill with your ministrations, young man. Just to give you a word of caution. You should make sure to get yerself square with Lord Amberwroth and maybe even the Eldauk clan. The Baron collects his due from any business that operates in Crowfield. Not actually charging folks was a clever idea. He will have a hard time taxing gifts offered freely.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t really a plan to dodge taxes. I have only been in Illuminaria for less than a day. Neither Rhiley nor I had any idea what to charge, so we decided to let people pay me what they thought was fair.¡± ¡°Well, then, you were inadvertently clever. Amberwroth shouldn¡¯t have much of a leg to lean on, but that don¡¯t mean he won¡¯t try. You keep building goodwill. If and when he sends that thug of his, Sir Groven, you just mind yer manners. They¡¯re a prickly pair.¡± Reaching her front porch, Madina continued to advise Joe. ¡°As for Gurda and her boys, they are good people, but Gurda sure hates to see gold slip into anyone else¡¯s pockets when she thinks she can get a cut of it. Ya might want to drop her an extra coin or two early on. You¡¯ll find a few drops of honey now, will save ya in the long run. Gurda has a long memory. If you plan on being in Crowfield for any length of time, you¡¯ll find out how being on her good side can pay off. ¡°Now sit yerself. I¡¯ll grab ya a slice of pie. I may need a minute to find what I wanted to give ya.¡±
After about twenty minutes of Madina rummaging around in cabinets and drawers, she finally exclaimed, ¡°There ya are.¡± She lifted a very ordinary-looking gray stone out of the drawer. It appeared to be a typical beach stone, a smooth, flat oval, about an inch and a half long and less than an inch tall. When she brought it closer, Joe could see that a spiral of tiny runes had been carved onto the top of the rock. ¡°This be my [Slow Stone]. One of my nephews is crafty with earth magics, and he made this for me during one season when we had a terrible year with rats. Them varmints got into everything. I used to be a damn good throw in my younger days. How it works is ya concentrate on a target, then toss the stone next to it while ye whisper the command word,¡± she said, pantomiming tossing the rock. ¡°The word is ¡®Udaan.¡¯ I think it means slow in the language of stone and earth,¡± Handing him the enchanted stone, she added, ¡°If the stone hits, or even lands within a few inches of the critter, the rock slows it way down. Moves as if they were swimming through molasses. Now, the bigger the target, the shorter it gets slowed for. For a rat, ye got all the time in the world ta trap it. I once held a dog in slow for a couple a minutes. Ye¡¯d only get a few seconds fer a person and maybe a blink for something bigger.¡± ¡°How do you recharge it?¡± Joe asked as he flipped the stone over in his grasp. ¡°It be earth magic. Bury it for a couple of hours, and it will fill its mana back up.¡± Madina took his pie plate and placed it in the sink. When she turned back, she added, ¡°Unless you got a good Earth affinity, then you should just be able to fill it with your mana.¡± ¡°That is on my to-do list. Find out what affinities I¡¯m good at,¡± Joe admitted. ¡°We ain¡¯t had an aura-reader in town since Kardie Murman passed away in ¡®63. Boyd Elmut, the hedgemage, could do it for ya for pretty cheap, but he left last week. Won¡¯t be back for a while.¡± She sat down next to Joe, looking at the stone she had handed to him. ¡°Why not give it a shot? You can learn if ya got one affinity strength now. After sitting around for years in my junk drawer, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s empty. Just think of yer mana going into it.¡± Not seeing any reason not to, Joe tried to do just that. Similar to how he pushed his healing magic into a body, Joe imagined doing the same with his raw mana. It was surprisingly easy. In a matter of seconds, almost his entire mana pool had vanished into the small rock. Joe had to clip off the flow quickly so as not to drain his last point. Of course, the speedy mana drain sent a spike of pain erupting from behind his right eye. Pushing the heel of his palm into his eye socket, he grunted, ¡°That¡¯s a greedy little thing. Drained my whole mana pool.¡± ¡°That quick?¡± Madina exclaimed, sounding shocked. ¡°Well then, you now know one damn strong affinity, son. It should have taken several minutes just to fill a few points. You must be exceptionally good at Earth magics.¡± ¡°I hope that is a good thing,¡± he quipped, still rubbing his head ¡°Sure is. Earth is a solid affinity to have. It ain¡¯t quick, but it¡¯s great for defenses when fighting and for making buildings.¡± ¡°Good to know.¡± Shaking the worst of the pain away, Joe looked his benefactor in the eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t thank you enough. I¡¯ve never had a magic item before. This is pretty amazing.¡± ¡°Well, don¡¯t go expecting all too much of it. It ain¡¯t anything too grand. Still, back when my hands didn¡¯t shake, I had a whole bunch of fun with it. As good for a prank as it was for a rat-catcher.¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to trying it out. Can I help you with the dishes?¡± ¡°No, no. You¡¯ve given me a spring in my step and two good hands again. I may give all my dishes a good scrubbing now that I feel like a young lass once more,¡± she announced, looking at her shelf of plates and bowls. Giving him a second hug, she added, ¡°You go back out there and share that gift with the rest of the folk in town.¡± Joe smiled and hugged her back before exiting the house and returning to his stool. He refreshed the [Heartfire] and then turned to a willowy-thin elf who had been waiting for him. With a pained look on his face, the man was clenching his left hand in his right. ¡°Hiya. I¡¯m Joe. Let me take a look at that for you.¡± 14 - Suit Up Joe ran out of mana for the third time. The pinching headache and lightheadedness were getting more bearable as he continued working with his mana. The more he utilized his spells, the more he strengthened whatever aspect of himself housed that energy. A single casting had no effect on him anymore. Only when he was down below half mana did his discomfort become painful. He was out of mana this time, thanks to a trio of builders coming over together for healing. The team had lost control of a wall timber, resulting in a sprained back, a broken finger, and a crushed foot. The bruises were easy to fix, but the bones were not. Joe¡¯s healing did not seem to work well on bone. The best he could do was essentially glue the fractured pieces together and then add splits so the body could finish the repair on its own. As he needed some time to refill his mana, Joe decided to take a break and spend some of his newly acquired funds, which the tip bowl had seriously augmented. He counted the coins and found that his tips added up to a fantastic amount, just shy of thirty-three gold pieces. Joe had decided to give Rhiley a quarter of the tips since the boy had found his first patients, which is how they got the ball rolling for his improvised clinic. Pulling out eight gold for the Dellhams and tossing in the five gold he had left over, Joe had about thirty coins to spend. As he had been working, Joe couldn¡¯t help but notice how most of the crafters seemed to be gathered on the west side of the town green. From where his stool had been placed, he could see a bookbinder, a jeweler, a cooper, a glassworker, and a potter. He knew Thorton¡¯s workshop was further down the road; tanning was a stinky occupation. There were two workshops situated right across the street from each other that Joe had noticed a while ago, one of which was going to be his first stop. Each had a sign shaped like an armored breastplate. The one on the left used steel for its sign. The other was bound in leather. The best part was the rival armories somehow gave the impression they were facing off against each other, just by how they were constructed. The taller, elegant, elven leatherworking establishment appeared to look down on the heavy, dwarven construction across the lane. The blocky stone armorsmithry seemed to be glowering back across the street. Joe wondered if this world would have the stereotypical animosity between the two classic fantasy races. As heavy armor was not an option for him, Joe skipped the dwarves and headed into Aelladon¡¯s Armor and Apparel. The room was filled with the smell of leather and oil. Leather vests, chest pieces, and bracers covered the room. Armor, from full suits to individual items, was on display. Pouches, bags, satchels, and packs hung on hooks throughout the store. An elf dressed in an impeccable ensemble of greens with royal purple accents looked up from a ledger and then stood to greet Joe. ¡°Welcome to Aelladon¡¯s. Is there anything I can help you find?¡± ¡°I am looking for some light armor but working on a tight budget.¡± ¡°And how tight would that be,¡± the elf asked, seeming to glide more than walk up to the healer. ¡°I have around twenty gold for armor,¡± Joe said, wincing. In tabletop games, the classic studded leather he started most of his light-armor characters with usually cost between twenty-five and fifty gold pieces. He had no idea what he could get here in Iluminaria for that much. He wanted to leave a third of his coinage for the rest of the basic gear he¡¯d need. ¡°Not to worry. There is quite a bit we can do with that amount. I have several leather suits that you could afford. I¡¯m sure we can find one you will like. They will not be anything terribly special, but I will guarantee their quality.¡± He led Joe to a section of fairly simple leather armor. Most suits consisted of a stiff leather chest piece and layered panels over the shoulders. Some had pants; others had heavy leather kilts. Aelladon helped Joe into and out of several pairs, but Joe hated how restricted he felt in the armor. ¡°New armor is always stiff at first,¡± Aelladon stated, watching Joe grimace as he tugged and twisted in one suit after another. ¡°Might I make a suggestion? I have many sets of used armor that I have bought off adventures over the years. I buy them from individuals who wish to upgrade to something better or have looted something they don¡¯t need. While they will not have the suavitude of new armor, they will be considerably more comfortable as they have already been broken in. As a bonus, you may get more value for your coin, though I cannot ensure that the suit will last as long as one of those made here in this workshop.¡± Towards the back of the shore, the elven craftsman had three racks of armor that were clearly more worn than those up front. Many had signs of repairs or mismatched replacement pieces. The first one Joe tried on felt better. Having been softened through use already, Joe did not feel like he was being strapped into a stiff, straight jacket. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°A number of these older suits have some small competency charms built into them. I have many new suits with those charms as well, but I¡¯m afraid you would not have been able to afford them. With these used suits, I see no reason why we could not come to an agreement on the price. That one there offers a small resistance to poisons.¡± ¡°Well, that could be helpful. Do any of them have an enchantment to make them more comfortable? I have never worn armor before. Where I come from, I have always worn soft, loose clothing. The leather is making me feel a bit claustrophobic.¡± ¡°In leathers no. Many suits of heavy armor have that enchantment, but I don¡¯t recall ever seeing it in a suit of light armor.¡± ¡°It¡¯s ok. This suit is better. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll get used to it over time.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± the armorsmith exclaimed. ¡° I think I may have just the thing for you.¡± He spun about and scanned the racks until he spotted his target. With a flourish that seemed inherent to his natural grace, Aelladon pulled out a dark blue gambeson. It looked like a slightly puffy jacket made of suede. When he handed it over, Joe was surprised to find that it was cold to the touch. ¡°A gambeson will feel far less restrictive. I only have the one, as they are more commonly crafted from linen or wool instead of suede. Typically, one would buy a gambeson from a tailor.¡± Joe kicked himself mentally. He should have thought of that. Gambesons were historically far more common than the leathers found in RPGs. ¡°What makes this piece special is that some clever crafter figured out a rather elegant solution to the problem that these suits of padded armor tend to be on the warm side when worn. Sewn into the padding are dozens of tiny pockets that contain small frost dragon scales. If you look inside, you will see,¡± the elf stated as he slipped his long fingers into the fold of blue suede and withdrew a small pale scale about the size of a coin. ¡°Not only do these keep the occupant from overheating, they themselves offer an additional degree of protection.¡± As he slipped the scale back in, he continued speaking, ¡°I think at one point, every one of those pockets had a scale, but many have been either broken or lost over time. There is still enough to keep you cool in the coat, but you may want to track down more scales if you want the full protection the suit was meant to provide. I think this is something you will be quite comfortable in.¡± Joe tried on the gambeson and found it felt completely natural. It was like wearing a jacket, one that kept him cool instead of warm.
[Pocketed Blue Gambeson] (Item: Armor, Chest - Common) This padded armor provides moderate defense to your upper body.
¡°I like it. Thank you. Is it too expensive?¡± ¡°Not at all. Suede gambesons are not very popular. Cloth is less bulky and easier to repair. I have not had anyone else look at that coat in over a year. You can have it for eight gold pieces.¡± ¡°Really? Thank you.¡± ¡°No need, young man. Now, let¡¯s go look at something for your legs.¡± This was another process, as Joe found leather pants just as uncomfortable. Eventually, he and Aelladon settled on a pair of very light charcoal gray pants with a heavier set of studded leather tassets to protect his thighs. High boots would cover his calves. While this setup would leave his knees exposed, Joe was willing to chance it, at least until he became more comfortable in armor. The tassets cost him four more gold. This left Joe with plenty of funds to get a good set of boots. Sticking with the pre-broken-in, hand-me-down section Joe started looking for ones in his size. Almost all of these had minor enchantment as the elf did not keep unenchanted used boots unless they were exceptional. Joe wanted a pair with the Dryness or Mending enchanted into them, but there were none that fit him. Eventually, he settled on a pair of green and gray boots that felt great and were dirt cheap. While they did have a tiny spell woven into the boots, both of them felt it was a pretty silly enhancement.
[Leather Boots of Side Squeak] (Item: Feet - Common): Minor defense. Can move the sound of your footfalls up to a close distance from your feet.
¡°What does a close distance mean, Aelladon?¡± he asked, walking the aisle in his new foot gear and really loving how they felt. ¡°Close is roughly five yards from you. Would you like the other range definitions as well, Joe?¡± ¡°Please.¡± It was amazing how helpful people became when they put together you were a Newcomer. While those transferred from Earth were exceptionally rare, the yearly celebration, often with gifts from Hawking, or as they called him, the One Above, meant he had been openly welcomed by everyone. Well, everyone except for the knight on the road, who he learned was the Sir Groven Madina had warned him about. Aelladon explained the range names the system used started with ¡®Self¡¯ which only affected the caster. Then there was ¡®Touch,¡¯ which was what it said: someone or something touched by you. Next was ¡®Immediate,¡¯ which was about a foot from the point of origin. The elf added that casting from your hand meant that the range started at your fingers, not your torso. ¡®Medium¡¯ was around twenty yards, ¡®Long¡¯ a hundred, and ¡®Extreme¡¯ was a crazy thousand yards. The last range was ¡®Sight,¡¯ which was what it suggested. The elf said that, with the best of conditions, it might reach two or three miles. Joe glanced into one of the tall mirrors as he was heading for the door. He stopped and looked again. He was surprised to admit that he looked pretty amazing in his new armor. Now that the boring starter clothes were covered by the deep blue coat and dark gray leggings, he felt less like an outsider and more like a brand-new character. Joe gave himself a nod and a smile before heading off back to the General Store. 15 - A Momentary Lapse of Reason Having only spent fifteen gold at Aelladon¡¯s, Joe still had fifteen left to buy sundries. On entering the General Store again, he came face to face with a grim-faced giantess. ¡°Back again, Sir Healer. I see you took my advice and yet took the idea for your own without me.¡± ¡°Sorry, Missus Eldauk,¡± Joe apologized, more than a bit intimidated by the seven-foot-tall scowling woman. ¡°I was mostly interested in learning how my spells work. I was by no means trying to set up a conflicting business. Can I make it up to you by spending the gold I was gifted here in your amazing shop?¡± ¡°That is laying it on a bit thick,¡± she rebuffed, but her frown dissipated before Joe¡¯s eyes. With a sigh and a shake of her massive head, she composed herself back into the gracious shopkeep. ¡°Of course. What can I get for you?¡± ¡°I need the basics. Rations, a knife, some rope, ¡­ ah, a backpack ¡­¡± ¡°Might I suggest a Standard Adventurer¡¯s Kit? It comes with a backpack, belt pouch, bedroll, a cloth bucket, four candles, flint and steel, fifty feet of rope, a hooded lantern with three pints of oil, a hand axe, a knife, a cloth sack, a bar of soap, a ball of twine, needle and thread, a pair of torches, a waterskin, a whetstone, and enough trail rations for seven days. The kit will cost you eighteen gold pieces. I¡¯ll even let you pick the knife.¡± Joe groaned. Of course, after already annoying one of the town''s more prominent figures, he was offered the perfect package, and he had to either haggle or delay until he could get the last three gold coins he needed. Haggling seemed like a bad idea at this point. Joe considered dipping into the coins he had set aside for Rhiley and his family, but that felt wrong somehow. ¡°I only have fifteen on me at the moment, but I should be able to get the rest by the end of the day. I¡¯ll come back then. Thank you,¡± starting to turn back toward the door. ¡°Not so fast, young man. I am still open to negotiations. All afternoon, I had a slew of business walking through my door from neighbors whom I rarely see. Seesae, Chinnana, and Hannura all came in and practically cleaned me out of yarn.¡± Joe recalled that two of those were the ladies who had been enjoying his [Heartfire] earlier. He had not gotten around to id¡¯ing the third woman. ¡°Even Maddy Spooner showed up and bought a new scrub brush and basin. It seems that someone has been as effective as a warm-spiring day at getting folks to start some new projects. While I might have made a larger share of coins sponsoring your ministrations, I cannot complain about the day''s sales at all. Under this light, I am quite willing to give you the kit and even throw in a rain skin for what you have and one simple favor.¡± Gurda Eldauk was hard to read. Her words were generous, but seconds ago, she had been completely intimidating. This was one woman Joe would not want to debate with. It was no wonder she was one of the town¡¯s leaders. ¡°Um. What¡¯s the favor?¡± Joe asked, being careful not to agree to anything. ¡°That you do all that you can for Sarsha Dellham,¡± the giantess uttered earnestly. ¡°This is a small community, and she is dear to all of us. You have shown yourself to be a generous man with your gifts; I would be remiss to be no less openhanded in return.¡± ¡®Not at all what I was expecting,¡¯ he thought. Even so, he was very relieved. Handing over every coin he had, he and the towering Jotun walked the aisles together for a few minutes, putting together his adventurer¡¯s kit. The rain skin turned out to be a poncho-like garment made from a waxed tarp-like material. Joe let her pick the knife, since she clearly knew more about them than he did. She selected a simple hunting knife with an ivory antler handle. All loaded up, the backpack was heavier than Joe would have liked. The one stat he had skimped on so far had been Strength, and he was now regretting it. He lugged his haul back to his healing spot and dropped the pack off his shoulders with a relieved sigh. He very well might be spending that free point soon. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.
Joe lay on his back in the soft, cool grass of the village green, nursing a slight headache. He had exhausted his mana once again. As word spread that a healer was in town, more and more folks visited his site through the afternoon, mostly with minor health issues that would not seem to go away on their own. Teeth were a common problem that Joe was getting better at. The hard, enameled material was impervious to his magic, but Joe found he could at least ease the discomfort by calming the nerve below the tooth. Without [Assess Wounds], this would have been impossible. Being able to see the point of pain allowed him to soothe the ache away, something that would have been almost impossible if he were healing blind. He told his patients that these heals were not permanent fixes, but they were happy to have whatever amount of time the spell gave them without the sore tooth. Joe had left a [Heartfire] burning nearby for anyone who came by, but it would not help his head. At least this time, the dry, gritty, pinched feeling did not show up until he had drained his mana down to below 5%. At the moment, he was thanking [Vivacity], which allowed his mana to recharge more rapidly than would have without it. He knew he was getting better at healing and casting spells, though he wondered why the system put a penalty on casting at all. Maybe it was to teach casters the vulnerability of low mana. Maybe it was to make it comparable to the other pools. Low health had physical pain. Low stamina had exhaustion. It made sense that low mana would have some type of discomfort, too. Joe felt, with a bit more practice, the mental fatigue would not be as rough on his head as it had been so far. Just like how people learned to dismiss the little body aches or push through tiredness when exercising, he was pretty sure he would get to the point where his mental aches would be ignorable, too. He just hadn¡¯t gotten to that point yet; hence this latest sprawl on the grass. Joe planned on wrapping up his impromptu clinic soon, anyway. Rhiley had returned an hour or so ago with the mended kettle. He had guessed correctly as to what job he would be given. The boy had small downy feathers caught in his hair and reeked so badly of chicken dung that Joe sent him home to wash and change. He would follow the young man shortly, both to check on Sarsha and because the Rhiley had offered him a place to sleep. Joe had considered staying at the inn, but he had a superstitious qualm about that idea. Even though Crowfield seemed like a sweet, sleepy little town, Joe could not count the number of D&D games that had started with the new players entering an inn just before all hell broke loose. He was pretty sure this world wasn¡¯t so formulaic, but it seemed silly to tempt fate. Another reason was that Joe was kind of peopled out at the moment. He had already had more ¡°human¡± contact in the last few hours than he had had in years back on Earth. Staying at the inn would put him center stage for the night. While the villagers had been nothing but nice to him, Joe was enjoying this quiet moment alone, with nothing but the green grass and the waning sun. At least he was until a boot jabbed him sharply in the ribs. ¡°The village green is no place for vagabonds. Arise and begone, outlander.¡± Joe cracked open an eye. He knew that tone and voice, but with an aching head and after an exhausting day, the man¡¯s station completely failed to compute in Joe¡¯s mind. To be fair, it had been a really crazy day. In the last few hours, he had died, been reborn, learned magic, and gone from a terminally-ill patient to mystical healer. His world had expanded from a tiny bubble around himself to potentially infinite possibilities. He had met and talked to more people in this short span of hours than he had in longer than he could remember. His mana-woozy head registered the sour face looming over him, but in that momentary lapse of reason, he completely spaced out the implications of the man¡¯s rank. ¡°Grover! Long time no see.¡± Joe babbled, still looking out of only one eye up at the man¡¯s smartly armored form. ¡°It is Sir Groven, you impudent vagrant,¡± the knight barked with another kick, this one a good deal more menacing than the last. Thankfully, Joe knew the next pulse from the [Heartfire] would take the sting from the strike any second now. ¡°Technically, since I now have coins, I think that upgrades me from hobo to traveler.¡± ¡°I will not tell you again,¡± the furious cavalier growled. ¡°Get up and leave.¡± ¡°Jeez, Grov,¡± Joe exclaimed, getting to his feet. ¡°I really hope you are not part of the Welcome Wagon here in Crowfield. ¡®Cause you are not very welcoming.¡± Joe did not even see the blow. He was just straightening up when his left cheek exploded in agony. His head turned so abruptly that he heard a repulsive snapping sound coming from his neck. Black blotches and blinding flares of light filled his vision as he tumbled back to the earth. 16 - Imperious Ire ¡°How dare you address ¡­,¡± the raging nobleman screamed before his voice faded away. And then it returned as the bloom of health radiated out of the [Heartfire] a few feet away. ¡°... insolent manner, you worthless mongrel!¡± Joe couldn¡¯t move while the furious knight frothed over him. His whole body was unresponsive. He could only hope that another kick was not forthcoming. Joe looked and saw he had a single point of health, which meant that he had been dead a second ago. Again. For the second time on the same day. Feeling like an utter idiot, all he could do was lay there waiting for [Heartfire] to release another wave. He was afraid to try and use [Healing Touch], fearing it might provoke Sir Groven again. Joe knew he had gotten lucky with the timing of the [Heartfire]. One more strike and it would be the end of him. ¡°I am not some backwoods bachelor to be treated with disdain by the chaff and chattel. The House of Suttrel has served the peerage of Amberwroth for centuries. Stand worm. So that I may show you the folly of your offense.¡± ¡°He can¡¯t, Sir,¡± a braying voice cried out. ¡°You have nearly slain the young man. He is a newcomer. Freshly crossed. I¡¯m sure he meant no insult.¡± Joe thought it might be the elder faun, Seesae. ¡°Then he is ill-suited for this world if he believes he can besmirch his betters and not hang for the impertinence,¡± the armored nobleman growled. ¡°His actions have earned him a place in the Master¡¯s dungeon tonight, and if I have any say in the matter, he shall meet the gallows on the morn.¡± ¡°That would be ill-advised, Sir Groven,¡± a deep yet familiar voice interjected. ¡°This man has been brought to us by the One Above today ¡­¡± ¡°So he claims. He reeks of the vile realm of fey. I say he be a spy of their wicked courts.¡± ¡°Then you must have dealt him a tremendous blow. To fell an agent of the fey with a single backhanded strike is no small feat, Sir Knight.¡± In the long pause that followed the jotun¡¯s statement, Joe realized his magical campfire was about to release another pulse. While Joe could barely move, he did note that one of his hands was trapped under his leg. He used that contact to cast [Healing Touch] as surreptitiously as he possibly could.
You have restored 18 points of your health. Your current health is at 65%. Your skill [Healing Touch] has increased to rank 9.
As a horrid popping sensation of vertebrae realigning themselves filled Joe, Sir Groven finally broke his long pause, for the first time, sounding a tad unsure of himself. ¡°Well, I had not expected the interloper to be quite so fragile,¡± the cavalier stammered, ¡°but it does make for a clever ploy on their part.¡± ¡°Or he could be what he says he is,¡± Gurda countered. ¡°A newly minted gift from the One Above to our community. A blessing of trust from the Giver of Fates, a trust that you have now shattered. Woe be to the House of Amberwroth should you be wrong.¡± Voices from all angles murmured their agreement with the giantess. Joe was still afraid to turn his neck but he cracked open an eye to see dozens of feet standing in a ring around them. Looking as far up as he could, he saw both faces he knew, but many more he didn¡¯t. It seemed as though the majority of the small community had flocked from their homes and now stood beside their neighbors in a resolute ring around him. ¡°Is this man in your employ, Madam Eldauk?¡± Groven Suttrel inquired. ¡°He is not,¡± she answered. It was clear she was about to add more but she was cut off by the soldier, who had refound his confidence. ¡°Then what concern is it of yours? He likely is taking money from your coffers. Take this rabble and disperse. I will dispose of this huckster.¡± ¡°Did you not hear me? This is no snake-oil salesman. This man is truly gifted with the hands of a healer. I have seen the benefits of his gifts. A goodly number of Crowfield¡¯s citizens have had their ills lifted this day.¡± Her more fervent tone shifted to a softer, more reasonable voice as she added. ¡°Why not chalk up this ill encounter and a mishap of poor judgment from a Newcomer? I am quite sure the young man has learned his lesson. Is that not correct, Joe?¡± Spitting out dirt and grass, Joe managed to grunt out a muttered ¡°Sorry¡± before wincing due to the wave of torment issuing from his jaw.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°See. He is contrite and already well chastised. Any further abuse would surely be excessive,¡± the deep-voiced jotun assured. A long tense pause filled the green until, finally, the nobleman spoke again. ¡°This is the very last time I will forgive his insolence. I have endured his ill-mannered judgment and familiarity once already. There will not be a second stay of execution. If you hunger for his hedgemage healing, then I suggest you teach him his place here in Duskrug.¡± As man¡¯s seething footfalls stomped away and Joe no longer feared an immediate retaliation, he clenched his hand, causing his fingers to touch his palm.
You have restored 10 points of your health. Your current health is at 100%. Your skill [Healing Touch] has increased to rank 10.
It sure didn¡¯t feel like 100%. Joe¡¯s jaw was in agony. Pain, it seemed, wasn¡¯t instantly healed away, even if the body was technically repaired. It would take a little while before the ache faded completely. Unfortunately, that meant his face was going to feel like it was on fire for a while longer. The only plus side to this completely idiotic lapse of judgment was that he finally hit ten ranks in a skill. He received two in a row, in fact. That only seemed to happen on the first couple uses of a new skill. Gaining skill ranks was clearly influenced by the situation in which the skill was used. Joe was beginning to think that the more it mattered the more likely a skill was to rank up. He had thought he would hit ten ranks with [Assess Wounds] first, given that he could just look at everyone around and check out their state of health. Yet he only ever seemed to gain a rank when he was assessing someone he was actually about to heal. If he didn¡¯t really care about the answer, then spamming assessments did not result in skill gains. He stretched his jaw and found where the point of impact was. A sharp throb brought his hand to his mouth, both in a pain-reflex and to check for loose teeth. As he wiggled one of his molars, he glanced up at the circle of villagers surrounding him. Front and center was the giantess, who looked both concerned and annoyed at the same time. ¡°I warned you, Joe Healer. The aristocracy of this kingdom is not to be trifled with. They are a proud and waspish caste. What possessed you to be so flippant with a fortieth-level Knight of the Golden Edict?¡± ¡°Sorry. Culture shock. My country does not have kings and knights. We have politicians and policemen, who only get as much respect as they earn. No freebie groveling required.¡± ¡°Well, you were surprisingly lucky you did not get yourself killed.¡± ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I did get myself killed. At least for a second or two,¡± he mused, continuing to stretch his neck. The gasps around him caught his attention. The villagers were all staring at him with a mix of emotions that Joe couldn¡¯t read. ¡°What? What did I say?¡± ¡°It be an old fable: ¡®Death and the Fool¡¯,¡± Thornon replied. Joe carefully turned his head to see the dwarf standing behind him. ¡°It be told every Soultide. Let¡¯s see; the short version of the parable goes: ¡®The Fool was reborn both babe and man. After Death had let him go once already, he met Reaper again that day. Death said, ¡®Walk with me and know peace. Walk from me, and be born anew.¡¯¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been wondering what would happen if a newcomer died the same day he or she crossed into Illuminaria,¡± the soft voice of the slyph-kin, Madam Leebreeze, stated. ¡°You are the first I have ever heard that has done so. Well, the first not to stay dead, that is. There are sad tales of Newcomers dying on their first day and the dark days that follow each untimely killing of one of the Quest Giver¡¯s chosen.¡± ¡°Which is why Sir Groven¡¯s actions have brought us all here in defense of your folly, Joe,¡± Gurda huffed. ¡°We do not wish to see Crowfield so cursed by your untimely death.¡± Joe clamped down on the flippant ¡®Oh, I thought you cared¡¯ remark that almost escaped his mouth. This was not the time for tension-wrought humor. These people had literally just saved his life. ¡°What do your scrolls say?¡± asked a young man who Joe did not recognize. This comment was hushed by a number of those present. ¡°Scrolls?¡± Joe asked. ¡°Yer slate, Joe,¡± Thornton supplied. ¡°Henrick¡¯s ill-mannered question was asking if ya have any word from the One Above?¡± ¡°Oh. Let me check.¡± Sure enough, Joe had several windows at the edge of his vision, which he had failed to notice with everything else going on at the moment. Once he became aware of them, he somehow knew exactly which one referred to the topic the villagers were referring to.
New Quest [The Fool¡¯s Second Death] You have unlocked a Prophetic Quest. Choose between the following options. ? ??
Two symbols appeared in the window. The first was a coin bearing the face of a skull on it. As Joe looked at it, he immediately thought of the Greek myth of Charon and the coin for the dead. The other was a tarot card depicting a skeletal knight holding a large flag on the back of a horse. The card made Joe think of Sir Groven with his steed and banner. This caused him to almost instinctively reach for the coin, but he stopped himself. There was more here than his prior achievements. Joe could feel a heaviness in the air, as if the world was watching this choice. Joe looked away from the enigmatic options and addressed those anxiously waiting around him. ¡°I have been offered a choice,¡± he said out loud to no one in particular. ¡°My options are definitely related to death. Thank you all for saving me, but I may need a minute to sort this choice out by myself. I promise I will explain it when I know more.¡± Joe saw most of the Crowfielder¡¯s nod and murmured something about him being wise to ponder this message. A few looked disappointed, but they, too, were led away as the group dispersed to give him room to think. As the green emptied, Joe walked over to his borrowed stool. He dropped a [Heartfire] by his feet, even though he was at full health. The fire¡¯s warmth helped soothe his throbbing jaw. Sitting back down, Joe pondered this latest and, so far, his most portentous choice. 17 - Two Deaths and a Bundle of Boons After a few minutes, Joe was almost certain that the coin was the equivalent of an extra life. With that token, if he died again, he would be revived automatically. That was a huge temptation. Hawking had already stated that resurrection was possible, but to have a ¡°Get out of Death¡± card right off the bat would be outstanding. Especially considering dying did not seem to be that difficult. He had already managed it once in his first few hours here in Illuminaria. This forced him to really consider the tarot card. He felt like the choices were of equal significance. If so, then what could be as good an extra life token? Joe did not know much about the tarot, but he did know that the Death card was not actually about death. He had a girlfriend who was into tarot, and she always got pissed off at movies that would slap down the skeletal rider card, backed by ominous music, to foretell death and doom. One time it happened, she scoffed loudly at the screen, declaring, ¡°Death is about change, you morons! Not about getting murdered!¡± That fact had stuck with Joe. So, if the coin was a return to life in this form, could the card be a change to something new? Hawking had already given him a custom race. Could the card be a chance at some other custom option? ¡®Why not ask him?¡¯ Joe thought. ¡®Hawking, what can you tell me about this quest?¡¯
Prophetic quests are awarded during extraordinary circumstances. You are under no obligation to participate. Only one of these options will begin the quest; the other is merely a commensurate reward for unlocking the quest¡¯s potential. You have surmised correctly about [Charon¡¯s Seal]. It will allow you to return to life once, fully healed, regardless of the level of damage to your pattern at the time.
¡®My what? What is my pattern?¡¯
Your pattern is the design of who you are. Your memories, abilities, physical and mental characteristics, etc. Magic, such as curses and diseases, can alter your pattern while you are alive. If you die, your pattern is placed into a state of stasis. Your pattern can be resurrected as long as it remains intact. Corruptions, such as necromancy, will render your pattern unable to be revived, though it will allow for an alternate form of reanimation. The [Charon¡¯s Seal] will remove all pattern damage if you use it to return to life.
¡®That sounds pretty huge. What about the other option?¡¯
The other is the [Mark of Death], also known as the Thirteen Omen. You have correctly surmised it pertains to change, not death.
That was awfully vague. ¡®But what does it do?¡¯
You have received all the information available on this subject at this time. Choose between the following options. ? ??
Joe had encountered plenty of ¡®Extra Life¡¯ mechanics. This one seemed like it was not just a free life, but it might also save him from becoming an undead or something else that might mess up what Hawking called his ¡®pattern.¡¯ The more he thought about it, the more he came to the conclusion that the coin was probably the more valuable of the two. The card, on the other hand, was the one that engaged the prophetic quest; which meant it was likely the more important of the two. Joe stared at the two options for quite a while. A complete ¡®Get-out-of-screwed¡¯ token was priceless, even if it was only a one-use item. Yet even though his head wanted it, his heart didn¡¯t. Living with a safety net would make him feel like he was cheating. Already, he had learned that he couldn¡¯t treat this world like Earth. Where Joe had grown up, there were no caste-systems, but he could no longer operate under that mentality. He knew he would have to immerse himself into this world to thrive in it. Having a do-over chip would always leave him one out for an unrealistic choice. On the other hand, embracing this land¡¯s mythology and lore by accepting this Thirteenth Omen, felt more like accepting a quest than taking a cheat. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Joe decided to gamble on the card. The window disappeared in a swirl of light. The spray of glowing motes flew to the inside of his right forearm. There, they swirled onto his skin and formed into a tattoo appearing to be a five-petaled flower with the Roman numerals XIII stamped in the middle. The ink was a blue so dark as to be almost black. Little flecks of light winked within the lines, which Joe thought resembled a starry night sky. Having stared at the card for the last fifteen minutes, Joe knew the flower was the one from Death¡¯s flag, and 13 referred to the tarot card¡¯s number.
You have received the [Mark of Death]. Your destiny is bound to the aspect of change.
¡®Well, that¡¯s momentous sounding,¡¯ he thought as he waited for more. Yet it seemed as though Hawking wasn¡¯t going to give him any further answers as to what he had just agreed to. ¡®Really? That¡¯s it?¡¯ He waited, but his only reply was literally the crickets chirping from the grass. With a heavy sigh, Joe turned to the other windows waiting for him.
You have advanced a Healer Skill to rank 10. You may now learn Bronze-ranked skills from items.
That meant he could learn [Efferous Endurance]. He thought about grabbing the crystal, but he decided to look at his other two windows first.
Achievement You have advanced your first skill, [Healing Touch], to rank 10. You have gained 1 unassigned attribute point. This action has awarded you the following choice of Traits: [Altruist] Healing those in need. Healing spells on others provide 10% more health. [Survivalist] You can¡¯t help others if you¡¯re dead. Healing spells on yourself provide 10% more health.
Those options made perfect sense. He had raised his [Healing Touch] skill from zero to nine by healing everyone else, but he got to the last level, knitting his broken neck back together. While Joe had to admit that healing others had felt good, he knew that he would prefer to do some adventuring alone if he had a choice. Without anyone else to rely on an extra 10% to his self-heals might mean the difference between life and death. Even though he felt a twinge of guilt for being selfish, Joe chose [Survivalist]. The last window was a bit of a surprise.
Exceptional Achievement You have received a hostile blow that inflicted damage equal to 100% of your maximum health and survived the encounter. [Punching-Bag] Did you consider ducking? When reduced to 0 health, you can retain consciousness for up to 0.5 seconds per point of Vigor you possess. Cooldown: Long [Folk Hero] With a little help from my friends. When you are supported by a crowd, you can spread the damage of one attack against you per encounter between all willing participants.
While he would rather be a folk hero than a punching bag, Joe chose the more insulting title. Both would keep him alive, but Joe didn¡¯t feel great about the idea of others taking damage for him. He would much rather rely on his own healing. Finally, he took out the bronze skill crystal and learned the skill.
You have learned the uncommon skill: [Efferous Endurance]. This skill boosts a beast¡¯s maximum and current Stamina by 10% plus .5% for each skill rank you have with this skill. Additionally, Stamina costs are reduced by 20% plus 1% for each skill rank you have with this skill. These effects last for 4 minutes per casting. You must be touching your target. If your target is not a Beast, these values are halved. Cost: Moderate Mana. - {Beast}
[Efferous Endurance] appeared to be a very solid skill. With a high Spirit build, which Joe could see his character becoming, being able to trade mana for stamina meant he could keep up heavily strenuous tasks for far longer than your average person ever could. If the rarity of the skills was an indication of how strong it was, then Joe realized taking dozens and dozens of common skills would just turn him into a Jack-of-all-trades. He had played table-top RPG systems where you had tons of character abilities, but you were never a master of anything. Joe much preferred to be specialized. You wanted enough other skills not to be a one-trick -pony but not so many that nothing got your focus. Joe resolved to pay attention to skill rarity as he turned to the remaining windows waiting for him.
Achievement You trained your first bronze skill: [Efferous Endurance]. This action has awarded you the following choice of Traits: [Optimization] Simple gifts are often the best ones. +1 unassigned attribute point. [Beastmaster] Make your beasts the best. Your animal companions will gain an attribute point each time you gain one.
Considering Joe had no animal companion, he almost immediately selected [Optimization]. This thought was immediately followed up by a wave of longing for his pups. Just because he did not have one now, Joe could not imagine a life where he would not have a dog by his side. Additionally, when he stopped to think through the math, Beastmaster represented a potentially huge pile of free points, just not for himself. Even though [Optimization] made much more sense at this moment, Joe decided to invest in the future. 18 - Who is Where Joe got up, stretched, and began to pack up. He returned the stool to the craftsman who had lent it to Rhiley for the day and grabbed his pack. There were still quite a few villagers hovering around the edge of the green, but between them and him stood the giantess, standing like a monolith with arms crossed. Joe had planned to thank Gurda for her intervention already, but it was clear she was waiting for him. Her commanding presence was keeping the others at bay. ¡°Hello Missus Eldauk. I want to thank you for saving me from Sir Groven. That would have gone much worse for me if you and the others had not gotten involved.¡± ¡°I did warn you, young man,¡± the giantess scolded. ¡°I do not know where you are from, but around here, the nobility are not to be trifled with. They have heritage traits and allegiance experience chains that give them huge boosts to their levels and abilities. A child of a noble house is often stronger than anyone else in an entire village. Some of those children are true terrors: incredible strength and very little restraint. Thankfully, the Amberwroth children are grown and are abroad.¡± ¡°Yeah, I messed up. Don¡¯t have the social reflexes you guys do regarding nobility yet.,¡± he replied, annoyed at himself for his lapse of focus and the blunder it created. Still, by dumb luck, he gained something from it. Looking at the tattoo on his arm brought Gurda''s attention to the mark. Her eyes grew wide. ¡°Do you know what it means?¡± he asked. ¡°Not exactly, but I have seen such a mark before. The star-filled ink is unmistakable. When I was a young lady, I saw the war hero Jamac Rukaloo. My family was in Falconspire, the capital of Duskurg. He was riding in a chariot, shirtless, waving at the crowd, showing off his powerful build and making us young girls swoon,¡± she remarked with a far-off smile on her lips. ¡°Over his heart, he had a tattoo like yours, though his was far larger. It, too, was etched with ink made of stars and night. It was in the shape of a shield with wings over it and the number seven. It is said that ever since he received that symbol, Jamac became the strongest man in all of Illuminaria.¡± Her gray eyes locked onto Joe¡¯s. "I wonder what greatness your mark will bring you,¡± the jotun mused. ¡°I got my mark from getting curb-stomped. I¡¯m not sure I want to be the world''s greatest punching bag.¡± Joe muttered, thinking of the achievement that had come with the blow that had killed him. Joe looked down, scuffing his foot through the grass in embarrassment, only to have a large hand slip under his chin and lift it back up to reconnect their gazes. ¡°I do not think the One Above gives such marks to those without great potential. I think many surprises will come from your life, Joe Healer,¡± the giantess stated with a stern conviction. Joe had a hard time meeting her eyes. Changing the subject, he asked, ¡°Can you tell me about the One Above?¡± ¡°That is a difficult question even for a native of Illuminaria,¡± she stated, releasing his chin. ¡°We know she is not a god, but, in many ways, she is as great or greater than the gods. I have heard her called the ¡®Sentience of Reality,¡¯ and that term fits as well as any other.¡± ¡°That is pretty good. It matches what I have seen so far, too,¡± Joe confirmed before questioning one aspect of her explanation. ¡°Her? The One Above is female?¡± Joe had not gotten that impression in his conversations with Hawking. ¡°No, but that is how she feels to me. I know my brothers refer to the Giver of Fates as ¡®He.¡¯ I think each person feels the presence of the One Above in their own way.¡± That made sense to Joe as Hawking felt male to him. A cold, clinical one, but still male. ¡°So is she, he, a god?¡±Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°No. The One Above has no demands of us and will not allow churches or causes to be created in her name. She merely seeks to catalog and inform us of our growth and encourage us to greater strengths with quests and rewards. I think most people secretly hold her in some reverence, but it is not something we say out loud, as the One Above does not wish to be venerated.¡± ¡°But there are gods here too.¡± ¡°There are, but most of the gods are distant things, not as active as the One Above. They may give boons to individuals or to communities. Sometimes, they will answer prayers or not at their whim. One should never count on their gifts. There are a few classes that increase that connection between mortal and immortal. They are the exceptions that can rely on their aid.¡± ¡°Do they ever speak to people?¡± ¡°Those whose class is bound to a god, yes. Otherwise, such a divine connection is very rare.¡± Gurda looked towards the edge of the town commons as she spoke. If anything, more villagers had gathered there in the last few minutes. Joe had so many more questions but could tell that Gurda was itching to go and speak with her waiting neighbors. The town leader had gotten the scoop on what would surely be the news of the day and wanted to capitalize on it. Such a power move, very much fitting the domineering woman. Even with all the ideas in his head, it occurred to Joe that he did not have to get his answers right now. He was no longer living his remaining days on a stopwatch. As long as he did not pull any more bonehead moves as he had with ¡®Grover,¡¯ he had all the time in the world. This thought brought a smile to his face. Joe put the rest of his questions aside and focused on the here and now. ¡°I¡¯m heading back to the Dellham¡¯s for dinner. Do you have any suggestions as to what I can bring? I¡¯d like the gift to be part thank you, as well as a fitting addition to the meal.¡± ¡°Well, if I know Sarsa, I would guess she will make her famous meat pies and apple cobbler. If she is still too ill to cook, then Neela will likely grill a chicken and bake a pie. In either case, how about a jar of chutney from TideTern? It will complement either meal, and the colorful glazing on the jars makes them a pleasant gift. There are several jars on the counter by the front door. They cost two silvers. The door is still unlocked if you would like to get one.¡± ¡°You are really good at this. Gift-giving was never my strong suit. Thank you again,¡± Joe said with the utmost sincerity, putting a pair of silver coins in her hand. He was still dubious about letting Gurda manage his healing career, but she was generous with her time and help. Joe waved and trotted over to the general store. It was obvious which jars she meant. He picked the one he liked the colors of best. It had swirls of blue and green with a yellow band around the neck of the jar. It made Joe think of the sun over a lake, much like the one he had swam in just that morning. He waved to the knot of villagers, and he left the store and received many back. Their smiles made him feel good about his day in Crowfield. Many of the folks around Missus Eldauk had been either treated by him or seemed close to someone he had helped. He was starting to see that maybe his class could be as rewarding as the explorer-type he would have picked on his own. The walk was not too far, and the evening was pleasantly cool. Even so, about halfway there, Joe was starting to feel the toll of the most unbelievable day of his life. Life, death, rebirth, magic, assault, blessings. All in a handful of hours. Joe found his footsteps trudging forward in a shuffling slog. He was both elated and exhausted. The elation was carrying him onward, but he realized he might be able to counter the exhaustion. He cast his newest skill.
You have increased your maximum stamina to 105%. Your skill [Efferous Endurance] has increased to rank 1.
An almost electric burst of energy washed through his body. Joe straightened up fully, rolling his shoulders and settling the pack squarely on his back once again. Where it had felt like the backpack had been dragging him down a second ago, it now was a negligible load. ¡®Woah! This must be what a shot of adrenaline feels like,¡¯ he thought. He tried to roll his staff over the back of his hand, but while he had the gumption for the trick, his dexterity was not there yet. He sheepishly retrieved the quarterstaff from the weeds beside the road, promising himself he would practice that move tomorrow. Staff in hand, he picked up the pace and began jogging down the country road leading to the Dellham¡¯s farm. Bursting with both energy and joy, Joe couldn¡¯t contain the exuberance he was feeling any longer. Letting the revelry of this new existence run wild, his jog turned into a goofy bouncing dance along the rutted road, while silly songs by the Dollyrots songs played loudly in his head. 19 - Midnight Visitor Joe reached the farm as the sun was just about to reach the horizon. Konren Dellham was by the barn finishing up his work. He gave Joe a wave and signaled for him to head into the house. Joe knew he probably could have just walked in, but it felt rude, so he stepped onto the porch and knocked. From inside, Buck¡¯s loud voice made sure anyone who hadn¡¯t heard the knock would know there was someone on the porch. A moment later, Nella opened the door for Joe. She gave him a small, shy smile and moved out of the way. ¡°Hi, Nella. How is your mom doing?¡± ¡°Much better, Joe. I used the salts you left and soaked the hand one more time. I wasn¡¯t sure what to wrap it in afterward. The bandages were soiled, so I used a clean handkerchief.¡± ¡°Good idea. Don¡¯t worry, I have more bandages. I¡¯ll rewrap it,¡± he remarked as he entered the house. The smells in the room were amazing, and Joe¡¯s stomach took that moment to remind him he had been active all day without much more of a meal than an apple, as well as a bite of bread and cheese that Rhiley had scrounged up later in the afternoon. A loud gurgle caused Joe to blush, which had the opposite effect on Nella. For the first time, she dropped her youthful uncertainty and became the host of the home, showing the signs of the woman she was growing into becoming. ¡°You must be starving,¡± she stated with a bright smile. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard a grumble that loud in a long time.¡± ¡°I am, and it smells incredible in here. What can I do to help?¡± ¡°Go wash up and call in my father. The wash barrel is on the edge of the porch. Rhiley and I will get the table set. We can wake Mother when everything is ready.¡± After scrubbing his hands, face, and arms, he relinquished the barrel to Konren and went in to check on Sarsa before the meal. Now able to see her aura, Joe had a much better idea about her state. While there was a bit of red on her palm, the more disturbing color to her health aura was a miasma of black shadows coiling away from the wound. If red was wounds or damage, black felt to him like sickness, toxins, or corruption. If the infection had been closer to the surface, Joe might have considered trying to lance it and push the gunk out. This was not a simple abscess anymore. The black tendrils seem to reach all the way up to her armpit. The best he could do right now was to keep bolstering her health until he leveled enough to get a curative spell.
You have restored 5 points of Sarsa Dellham¡¯s health. Her current health is at 63%. The underlying cause of damage is preventing any additional healing of this type.
Sixty-three percent maximum health could not be good. The infection must also be deep in her bloodstream. After dinner, the family and Joe talked for a while. Joe found he could layer a [Heartfire] inside an actual fire so everyone was able to shed the aches and pains of a working day on their farm. He knew they had questions for him, and he had a whole book of things he wanted to ask as well. Even so, try as he might, Joe could not stop yawning. Konren took charge and told Joe to take Rhiley''s room. The boy was happy to sleep by the fire with Buckle. Joe thanked them for the meal and hospitality. He climbed up the stairs to the small room in the eaves and kicked off his boots. The moment after he pulled the covers over his shoulder, the newly minted healer was sound asleep.
Joe¡¯s dreams were not restful. Filled with binding tubes and masked physicians, he was being shackled into a hospital bed. He kept trying to tell the faceless hospital workers he did not need them anymore, that he was healthy, and that he could heal on his own now. Maybe better than they could. No matter how loud he screamed at them, the shadowy clinicians either could not or would not hear him. They kept coming with needles and IV bags full of poison. He would shrug one off, only to have three more take their place. He pushed them off and tried to run, but the hospital blankets entwined his ankles, tripping him. Suddenly, in his dream, one of the medical specters balled up a fist and punched him in the face. The pain and incongruous action were so jarring that they snapped him awake.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. He was in a dark room. So dark he could not see his hand in front of his face. There was no ambient light coming from street lamps or illuminated business signs. Joe had never seen such complete darkness before. He grasped the covers tightly. In his hands were not industrially woven hospital blankets; instead, he could feel a hand-stitched quilt. At that moment, it all came back to him. He remembered dying and Hawking, Rhiley and Buck, the Dellhams and Crowfield. He knew where he was. He let out a sigh that chased the last of the nightmare away. When he reached up to rub away the phantom pain in his nose, he winced when his fingers found an actual tender spot. Becoming aware of his body, he felt something beside his neck. He reached and found a hard round object. Realizing he had the ability to create light, Joe picked a spot on the floor and cast [Heartfire]. He then looked at the object, which turned out to be a small pebble. ¡°Good. You¡¯re awake,¡± a hushed voice declared from the window. ¡°You ok? That was one dozy of a nightmare.¡± Startled, Joe turned to see the tiny gnome perched wide-eyed on his window sill.
Kaid Ward: Gnome: Juggler 5
¡°Kaid? What time is it?¡± Joe replied, also keeping his voice down so as not to wake the Dellhams. ¡°Not rightly sure, Mister Joe? It¡¯s after nightfall and before dawn.¡± ¡°Right. Clocks. Probably not very common here,¡± Joe speculated as he yawned himself a bit more awake. ¡°Oh, the town¡¯s got some. I don¡¯t. Neither does Rhy and his family, but there are a bunch in Crowfield,¡± the small visitor whispered proudly. Joe didn¡¯t have the heart to tell him that he had come from a place where there was a clock in every room, as well as each person typically had several on them between wristwatches, cell phones, and their medical tablets. ¡°Ok, Well, thanks for waking me from that nightmare, but I¡¯m a bit confused as to why you used a rock.¡± ¡°It was a little, tiny pebble,¡± the little prowler replied defensively. ¡°Sorry about that, but you were groaning and flailing around. Big people make me nervous when they are acting normally. Full-blown, giant-man, night-horrors are not something someone of my stature should get up close and personal with.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fair. Well, thanks for saving me from the dream, even if it required a missile attack,¡± Joe replied, rubbing his nose one more time. ¡°So, what¡¯s the reason behind the midnight visit, Kaid?¡± ¡°I know how you can help Rhy¡¯s mom, but you have to keep it a secret,¡± the spritely figure hissed. ¡°Ok, before we get to the ¡®how,¡¯ explain the ¡®why.¡¯ I¡¯m not a fan of keeping info from good people unless there is a damn good reason.¡± Joe swung his legs off the side of the bed and stretched, cracking his back. ¡°The reason we have to keep it quiet is because we have to go see Granny Growlbee. Granny is the Witch of Brandy Mere. Not the evil, haggy, boiling-babies type, either. I like her,¡± the small gnome rambled in a hushed but speedy voice. ¡°But, for as long as everyone can recall,¡± Kaid¡¯s explanation galloped onward, ¡°the Haydalls, Missus Dellham¡¯s kin, and the Growlbees have been feuding. Nobody even seems to know why anymore. They just can¡¯t get past whatever that old grudge is.¡± ¡°Ok, but why me? If you get along with her so well, why can¡¯t you get her to make something to heal Sarsha?¡± ¡°I tried that. Granny owes me a big favor, and I tried to cash it in for an elixir that would heal Missus Dellham. Granny made one, even though she knew it was for a Haydall, but Rhy¡¯s mom wouldn¡¯t take it. Thankfully, Granny took the potion back and reinstated my favor. See what I mean? She is nice like that.¡± Joe¡¯s brain was starting to unfog, but the little man¡¯s avalanching explanation was a bit rough to follow after being snapped awake from a nightmare. ¡°Still a bit lost, Dude. Why me again?¡± ¡°Oh, sorry. I figure this time, we trade the favor for a spell. I needed somebody who has people healing magic. I was going to try this with the herbwife, but that lady hates me. I stole one thing from her like four years ago, and she¡¯s still pissed about it.¡± ¡°So we go see a witch, get a cure disease type skill for me, and you give up your favor. What are you getting out of this, Kaid?¡± ¡°Rhy¡¯s my friend,¡± Kaid whispered, with a heaviness in his small voice. The little man sighed and looked out the window, speaking to Joe without eye contact. ¡°I just don¡¯t get along with you giants very well. Kids, I get. And Rhiley¡¯s a great kid. He tries to put on a brave face, but I seen him when he thought no one was looking. He is really scared. If we do this, and we keep it quiet about the whole how we got it done part, he won¡¯t be scared no more.¡± Joe stopped himself from uttering the autocorrect that tried to escape his mouth. The tiny gnome was being open with him in a way that sounded like it was very out of character for the small ruffian. Joe was pretty sure Kaid''s ethics were dubious at best, but he clearly cared about Rhiley. ¡°Ok. I¡¯m in. Are we leaving now?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be daft. That will either cause an uproar when they hear you leave or worry when they find you gone,¡± Kaid scoffed. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in the morning. I¡¯ll explain that I have a secret plan to Rhy then. He won''t be happy that he can''t come, but he can¡¯t. His dad would kill me for bringing him that far out a town before he¡¯s unlocked his first class.¡± ¡°Get some rest, Big man,¡± the sneak added. ¡°Big day ahead of us tomorrow.¡± Joe was about to retort, ¡°I was resting before you woke me up,¡± but Kaid was already gone from the window sill. Sighing, Joe slid back under the covers. This time, it took far longer for him to drift back into sleep. 20 - Knives on the Road The walk to Brandy Mere took them past the small lake where Joe had entered this world. So far, throughout their hike along the country lane, Kaid has kept up an unending discourse about everything and nothing related to Crowfield. Most of the diminutive man¡¯s anecdotes ended with one reason or another for why the villager being discussed was currently angry with him. The funny thing was Kaid fully admitted to the small acts of larceny that got him in trouble with his neighbors. He just didn¡¯t seem to have any real remorse for his petty crimes. The gnome had shown up late in the morning to get Joe, who had somewhat foolishly risen with the Dellhams. Joe didn¡¯t usually mind mornings, but between the interrupted sleep and the fact that a farmer¡¯s morning started before dawn, Joe was definitely dragging. Thankfully, [Efferous Endurance] was better than espresso. After a boost to his stamina, he had energy to spare. After a couple of hours into their hike, they had left the fields behind and were beginning to reach a more forested region. Undergrowth and shrubs had closed in around the wandering road they were following. It was here that, for the first time, the small man cut off his chatter and suddenly grew serious. ¡°What skills do you have, Joe?¡± he asked. ¡°Direct healing,¡± Joe replied. ¡°A heal over time. Some assess skills. An endurance boost I¡¯m using right now. I also have an expertise with simple weapon skills and [Swift Strike], but I haven¡¯t had a chance to level either of them up yet.¡± ¡°Aw, slug-shit. I¡¯m sorry, man. We should have sparred back while we were still in the safe zone around town. This next part is going to suck for you. If you go with your strength, you¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°Wait, what?¡± Joe blurted. ¡°What¡¯s going on? What¡¯s my strength?¡± Looking around, Joe found he was alone on the road. ¡°Same as every other healer,¡± whispered a small voice from somewhere in the bushes beside the lane. ¡°Not dying.¡± ¡°I got you. Just keep healing. Trust me,¡± the gnome¡¯s voice hissed from the shadows.
Kaid Ward has invited you to join his party. Accept / Decline?
Joe accepted the prompt, but doing so didn¡¯t give him any idea where the little man had vanished to. He was standing all alone on the trail. A slight rustling off to his right had him spin in that direction, but a moment later, the bushes to his left shook as well. A small evil cackle creaked from behind him, causing him to whirl around in that direction. Joe tried to take up what he thought might be a defensive stance with his staff, but to be honest, he had no idea what he was doing. After being taunted in circles for what seemed like an eternity, a short spear launched its way out of was hurled from the bushes. All he could do was try to dodge it, unsuccessfully. The spear pierced his shoulder, sending a shockwave of pain through his body.
A Bosket Goblin has injured you. You have suffered 3 points of damage.
Suddenly, this became far too real. Joe stared at the length of wood sticking out of his flesh, dumbfounded. Yet, instead of shock, his brain jumped to math. He had just lost 10% of his health to a goblin spear. Yanking out the weapon, Joe slapped a heal onto the wound. Which was complete overkill. Between his ten ranks in [Healing Touch] and the bonus from [Survivalist], each dose of [Healing Touch] would almost completely refill his whole Health pool. This is what Kaid meant. Joe did not have to worry about knicks and cuts. He had to worry about either A) running out of mana or B) a fatal strike. Well, there was a C), too, being in too much pain to react anymore. Because having a frigging spear lodged into his shoulder hurt like a son-of-a-bitch. Where the spear had struck was no longer bleeding, but his shoulder still felt stiff and throbbed with a dull ache. Even though he had developed a heavy pain tolerance over years of agonizing decrepitude, being able to heal more than he could be damaged might still not be enough. If he stacked up too many wounds, he might not be able to push the pain away. Aware he was not prepared for the sickening agony of being impaled, Joe swiveled around, looking for the next attack, only to find it was already heading for him. He managed to bat away with his quarterstaff, earning him his first combat skill level.
Your skill [Simple Weapon Aptitude] has increased to rank 1.
This window flickered past his vision in an instant as if knowing he was too busy to stop and read it. The notification style must change for combat situations. He knocked away a second missile; this time, it was a dart. Not one you would find in your local pub either. This thing was over half a foot long, with a clipped flint end instead of a needle point. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. ¡®Two out of three,¡¯ he thought, immediately jinxing himself. As he knocked number four away, another one, hurled from behind him, lanced into his thigh.
A Bosket Goblin has injured you. You have suffered 2 points of damage.
Joe swore loudly and with great vehemence, keeping his attention focused on the many rustling bushes. He marshaled all the tricks he had learned to deal with pain and paid attention to his one job, not dying. He left the spear alone for a second and dropped a [Heart Fire] at his back. He knew the flames were harmless but hoped it would deter his attackers from charging up behind him and running him through. It also might save his life again. Scanning the bushes, he faked a grab at the spear still stuck in his leg. Sure enough, another pair of spears were launched at him. This time, Joe hopped hard to the left out of the way of both missiles. He made sure to keep his weight on the unimpaled limb. The jarring motion caused the small spear to saw its way out his leg, painfully.
The Bosket Goblin has further injured you. You have suffered 1 point of damage.
He limped back close to the magical fire, feeling the warm aura ease the lingering soreness while he waited for the next hurled attack. Instead, in a ring around him, figures began to push out of the brush on the sides of the road. Either his enemy had run out of missiles, or they had determined that hurling spears from cover was not going to win the fight. Seven small green-skinned humanoids stepped out onto the trail. They had the classic goblin appearance: big ears and sharp, jagged teeth, crude weapons, and tattered scrap armor.
Bosket Goblin: Level 1: Goblin, Ambusher
Brandishing his staff, Joe tried to keep them back or at least where he could see all of them. When they reached the road, the biggest of the goblins looked around as if counting. He held up a hand at the cadre of green marauders present and barked a command at the nearby bushes. Joe had no idea what he was saying in his guttural language, but no new critters emerged from the brush. Maybe a couple of his thugs had run off. In both games and folklore, goblins were rarely ever brave. With an unhappy grunt, the biggest of the small men stalked closer to Joe. He had a long knife that looked like it had been sharpened far too many times.
Bosket Goblin Boss: Level 3: Goblin, Leader: 34/34
The brute lunged, and Joe swept his staff in an arc, causing the boss to hop backward. Surprisingly, the goblin looked smug instead of unhappy at his attack being interrupted. Joe realized why a second later as a pair of slashes cut into his legs.
A Bosket Goblin has injured you. You have suffered 2 points of damage.
A Bosket Goblin has injured you. You have suffered 4 points of damage.
Joe healed this time. He wanted to be sparing with his mana, but since he had such a ridiculously small health pool, he had to keep it from dropping too low. And above all, the long cuts really hurt. From there on, it was much the same. The goblins¡¯ main trick seemed to be coordinated attacks. Like a pack of wolves, one would harry the prey while another would do damage. Joe¡¯s limited combat skills didn¡¯t have any good answers to this problem. The only thing going for him was the goblins'' attacks only inflicted minor wounds. Their spears were little more than sharpened sticks, and their blades were a mix of broken swords and discarded kitchen utensils. As long as he could keep the six little monsters from tackling him, he had a decent chance of surviving this encounter. Over the next minute, he healed the stabs and cuts sparingly, blocking as many as he could. His new armor turned some of the grazing blows into scratches, but even better, his ability to parry really started to improve.
Your skill [Simple Weapon Aptitude] has increased to rank 3.
His first block against the thrown spear had been mostly a lucky swing. Yet after non-stop attacks from the five little bastards, he now was consciously interposing the long wooden shaft effectively. He still had not figured out how to attack yet, but it was amazing how the skill¡¯s advancement was actually making him block more effectively. He used [Healing Touch] every couple of wounds and even burned an [Efferous Endurance] to make sure he didn¡¯t slow down. So far, his mana was holding. If Joe didn¡¯t have [Vivacity], he would have been in far worse danger. He could heal as fast as they were harming him. He was covered in blood, his new armor would take hours to repair, and pretty much every inch of his legs and torso was in agony. Even so, he was pretty sure he could outlast the four remaining goblins. Joe hopped over the fire. This put the pack of goblins in front of him. As they circled around the flames, Joe healed himself again quickly. It was at that moment the little brigands suddenly realized there were only three of them left. Looking around and growling hostility, they glared at Joe, trying to figure out how he had taken out half of their pack when they clearly had him on the defensive. ¡°It wasn¡¯t me, guys,¡± Joe gasped through his adrenaline and pain. The trio looked perplexed until a dagger flipped from the underbrush and embedded itself squarely in the middle of one of the goblin''s foreheads. The creature crumpled to the roadway, leaving just the big goblin and one last shrimpy thug. Muttering and hissing, the pair began to back away from Joe. As the smaller goblin was about to slip back into the bushes, it suddenly stiffened and let out a gurgle. The short marauder fell forward onto its face, revealing two deadly lacerations on either side of its spine. ¡°Do you want the boss?¡± Kaid¡¯s voice asked, unseen from the shadows. ¡°Want him for what?¡± Joe replied, still very frazzled. A deep sigh slipped out of the concealing brush, followed by a pair of daggers that slammed into the neck of the goblin boss. As the green mugger keeled over, Kaid stepped out of the foliage onto the trail, holding a thick, jagged dagger. The tiny man had completely shed his friendly, childish demeanor. The gnome gliding out of the brush was a stone-faced killer, through and through. Joe was spared seeing him use that wicked blade as Hawking announced the end of the battle.
The Bosket Goblin Boss has died.
21 - That Could Have Gone Better ¡°Oh shit. You¡¯re a mess,¡± the little ruffian exclaimed, looking at Joe with an expression mixed between shock and horror. As quickly as that, the deadly duelist vanished, and the impish young man returned. ¡°Sorry that took me so long; I had to stay unseen. If they knew I was out there, they might have stopped toying with you and tried to kill you quick.¡± ¡°That was toying with me?¡± Joe groaned, leaning heavily on his quarterstaff. ¡°Yeah, actually, even though it probably didn''t feel like it,¡± the small man stated, wincing at Joe¡¯s bloody state. ¡°All of their attacks were aimed at your legs or arms, or they were grazing attacks. If the sadistic green shits had really wanted you dead instead of having fun tormenting you, they would have been stabbing you in the vitals.¡± ¡°Yay, for me,¡± he wheezed back to the gnome. Joe had to close his eyes and breathe. He could still feel the ghost of every wound he had just suffered through. The wounds were now closed, but their pain had not yet faded away. ¡°Though can I tell you, you did really well with your first fight being an ambush and all. Nobody goes out into monster territory with zero ranks in combat skills,¡± the gnome slapped his thigh in self-admonishment. ¡°Stupid,¡± Kaid hissed at himself before adding, ¡°I even knew you were a Newcomer, and I messed up. Shoulda helped you rank up before we left.¡± Looking up at Joe nervously, the tiny fighter pleaded, ¡°Please don¡¯t tell Rhy. He¡¯s still pissed at me for knicking your stash.¡± ¡°Not blaming you, Kaid. I should have thought to prepare as well,¡± Joe consoled. ¡°Though I have a question for you. How the heck does a level 5 juggler one-shot a whole pack of goblins? I know most of them were just level one, but still. That was insane.¡± The gnome sputtered a nervous laugh. ¡°Um. You didn¡¯t actually believe that [Identify], Joe? I mean, your [Deception] is so much better than mine. I can¡¯t even mask my name yet, but you are. You must have something crazy good to be as hidden as you are. Here, look again.¡±
Kaid Ward: Gnome: Whisperblade/Mountebank 11
¡°If I were you, I¡¯d do like I do and put up lies. Leaving your scroll completely blank is just going to make people look harder.¡± ¡°Ok, that makes way more sense. I couldn¡¯t figure out how you were taking them out so easily. Especially the boss,¡± Joe remarked, finally pulling himself up straight. He was still incredibly sore, but the pain was getting more manageable. ¡°I didn¡¯t actually get a boost to [Deception]. I have a racial trait that blocks assessment in general.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s different. I wonder if you should learn [Deception] anyway. Might curb questions about your skimpy info.¡± Kaid''s face scrunched up into a puzzled expression as he thought about his words. ¡°Though would that even work? The trait might hit first, in which case the [Deception] would be useless.¡± The little man shrugged eventually and added, ¡°I couldn¡¯t say. I¡¯m crappy at build mechanics. Something to worry about later. Let¡¯s loot the gobs, and then let me see your staff skills before we go any further,¡± Kaid suggested. ¡°You take the boss and these guys. You had the awful job of holding their attention. I¡¯ll get the grunts in the bushes since I had the easy part of sneak-attacking distracted gobbies.¡± Looking down at the dead child-sized body of one of the smaller goblins at his feet, Joe felt a shudder run up his spine. In his head, he knew they were vicious goblins, but his heart and stomach were not so rational. The last thing he wanted to do was start manhandling the smelly, blood-soaked corpse. He knew that looting bodies was a core mechanic of every RPG since the beginning of time, but double-clicking a screen and getting in there with your bare hands were two totally different things. Joe blew out a breath of air and stepped up closer to the bloody body. He noticed the corpse had a slight glow around it. As he focused on that aura, Hawking sent him a message.
You have permission to loot the Bosket Goblin. Do you wish to loot the body?
¡°Does that mean I don¡¯t have to touch it? Will it loot everything or just valuables?¡±
The Loot function will provide you with processed valuables appropriate to the creature being looted. These items will not necessarily be the items the creature has in its possession. Do you wish to loot the body? If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
¡®Hell, yeah,¡¯ Joe thought joyfully to Hawking. Instantly, the body vanished and was replaced with a glowing mote, much like the one that had appeared when he saved Buck. Instead of being almost white, this shimmering orb was red. Joe touched the light, and it popped. Thankfully, instead of spraying its contents everywhere, the coins and materials swooped through the air and slipped into his new backpack.
You have acquired 6 copper pennies, 1 bronze bit, and 2 silver shills. You have acquired a knot of goblin hair and two leather scraps. Your skill [Coin Catcher] has increased to rank 1.
Joe slid the pack off one shoulder and hesitantly looked inside. He really hoped he was not going to find two bloody chunks of goblin hide and a ball of oily black hair. Happily, that was not the case. The leather was neither goblin flesh nor was it part of the little thug''s armor. It was a square bundle, about eight inches in length and width and roughly three inches thick. The packet was made up of clean leather pieces bound by leather thongs. The hair, too, was not a greasy mat. It was almost like a ball of coarse black thread. It seemed the loot he received was a synthetic representation, not actual body parts or possessions. He moved to the next five smaller goblins, picking up another handful of pennies and a few more bronze and silver coins. He found five more leather scraps and two more hairballs. He also looted three goblin teeth, a jar of very weak poison called Oil of Illness, and something called a Star-Iron Pendant. The pendant was nothing more than a gray metallic nugget that had a hole drilled through it for the leather thong. Lastly, he moved to the goblin boss.
You have looted the Bosket Goblin Boss. You have acquired 8 bronze bits, 3 silver shills, and 4 gold pieces. You have acquired one [Keen] rusty knife, and one common Goblin card.
¡°Hey Kaid, What¡¯s a goblin card do?¡± ¡°The boss had one. Nice!¡± the small man cheered as he stepped back out onto the road. ¡°They are a short-term summoning item. Mostly found on mob leaders. You can summon a gobbie for a few minutes and have it perform one task for you. Some of the higher cards are pretty amazing. I heard a guy pulled a djinni card from an air elemental boss. He got wishes!¡± ¡°Wow,¡± Joe had and his mind immediately started to think back through all the game wishes he had made with his high-level characters. In table-top games, wishes always had to be so carefully worded, or the GM would find a way to ¡®Monkey Paw¡¯ it. As Joe was musing about wishes, he noticed he had an alert from Hawking waiting for him.
Achievement: You have survived your first combat. Your conduct has awarded you the following choice of Traits: [Thick Skinned]: Get tough enough to take your beating. Minor Physical Damage Reduction [Pacifist]: It is a hard road to always stay your hand. +70% to support abilities. *Note this trait will be lost if you willingly inflict physical harm on another being.
The [Pacifist] bonus was huge. So good that he considered it. On the other hand, Joe knew that he would eventually want to be able to play solo at times. He would want to be able to explore this world by himself. Even though he enjoyed working with Kaid, the thought of having to be forever in need of a partner or team gave him indigestion. Minor resistance did not sound nearly as good as the major resistance [Iron Mind] gave him, but physical damage was a constant threat. He assumed mental attacks would be a rarer occurrence. Reducing the amount of damage he took could only be a good thing. Joe chose [Thick Skin]. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get you fixed up first, and then we should spar to get you comfortable with that big stick you are flailing about,¡± the small man said with a smile to offset the jibe. He pulled a curly wand out of a tube he had hanging on his belt. With a swish and flick, he activated the item, sending a ball of orange magic at Joe. Joe didn¡¯t feel anything affect him, but he felt like his pants squirmed on his leg. Looking down, he watched the tears in the leather close up as if they had never been torn. The blood stains vanished as well. ¡°Ooh,¡± Joe crooned. ¡°I have got to get me of those.¡± ¡°Oh yeah, a [Wand of Renewal] is a must; this one only works twice a day. I have been saving up for a better one,¡± the gnome declared as he restowed the curly stick in its case. ¡°Ok, Joe. Come at me,¡± the short knife-fighter bid as he lowered himself into a fighting crouch. Given how small he already was, Joe had a minuscule target. He didn¡¯t hold anything back from this blow. He was certain there was no way he would be able to seriously harm an eleventh-level combat-focus scrapper. Gripping the far end of the long shaft, Joe whipped the staff in a long arch toward the waiting gnome. For good measure, he added [Swift Strike]. He felt the skill impart an almost electric current flowing from his palms along the weapon, accelerating the speed of his swing. The force added to his attack was such a sharp alteration that it caught Joe unprepared. Instead of having the shaft sweeping toward the spot he was aiming at, the weapon pulled free from his grasp and went whirling away into the underbrush. Kaid looked back and forth between the spot where the quarterstaff had vanished into the brush and Joe¡¯s face. His stunned expression spoke volumes. ¡°Wow,¡± he breathed in an incredulous voice. ¡°We really do have our work cut out for us.¡± 22 - Bewitching Introduction ¡°So, how wedded are we to the quarterstaff, Joe,¡± Kaid asked after about ten minutes of sparring. ¡°Why?¡± Joe panted. Even with [Efferous Endurance] active, trying to keep up with the blindingly fast little man was exhaustion. ¡°Cause you really don¡¯t have much of a feel for it,¡± the gnome stated, flipping and catching his daggers between alternating hands. Joe could see why he used [Juggler] as his fake class. ¡°If you are sticking with it, then you have to spend some points on Strength. Your Dex is ok for your level, so your block is passable, but without any Strength, your attacks are awful.¡± ¡°But don¡¯t I need to save my two free skill points for the spell we want to get from the witch?¡± Joe worried. ¡°You gotta be close to third-level, right? You¡¯ll get a new free point then.¡± Joe was close. Very close. He had earned almost as much experience in that two-minute battle against low-level goblins than he had all day healing. ¡°If there had been a couple more of those guys, I would have leveled already. I can feel that leveling energy starting to build up.¡± Joe¡¯s skin was tingling, that hallmark sign a new level was close. ¡°That is such a great feeling,¡± the ruffian confessed with a wide smirk. ¡°Then spend just one point into Strength, and you¡¯ll have two left over after you level. That will be enough if her spell is an uncommon. There is no way it would be a rare, so you won¡¯t need three free points.¡± ¡°OK,¡± Joe conceded, moving one of his free points into Strength. The change was unmistakable. Suddenly, Joe was aware of his body in a new way. He could feel his muscles grow a bit. When he moved and flexed his arms, there was an ease that had not been present a second ago. Unable to resist, Joe lunged with the staff, sending the rounded wooden point lancing towards Kaid. That motion, which would have been awkward a moment ago, felt right now. He had the muscle in his legs and back to balance his forward reach. His fingers and arms held the weight of the extended pole right on target. Of course, he still missed the nimble little rogue by a mile, but at least this time, it felt like a proper attack. ¡°So much better,¡± Kaid beamed. ¡°Ok. Round two. We¡¯re going to go faster this time.¡± ¡°Faster?¡± Joe groaned. ¡°Aww, man.¡±
When Kaid felt Joe was no longer hopeless, they decided to push on toward Brandy Mere. Joe knew the word ¡®mere¡¯ meant a very shallow lake, and that is just what they found an hour later. They had left the road shortly after their training session and had been following what was likely a deer path through a section of light woods. When the pair stepped out of the trees, Joe stopped short. Before him lay a stunningly beautiful lake. In the water, brightly colored wading birds could be seen standing in the middle of the massive pool. The birds looked like orange and yellow herons with spikey crests of feathers on their heads. Looking at the birds nearest to the far shore, they almost seemed like bobbing flames floating on the water.
Phoemingo Shorestrider: Level 4: Beast: Striker
In the center of the mere, a trio of grass-covered mounds rose up out of the water. Each one had some form of decoration or building on it. One had a gazebo with a large brass telescope pointed at the heavens. Another had a beautiful tree with scarlet leaves adorned with hanging lanterns. White wicker chairs and a table were placed beneath the red boughs.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. On the largest of the mounds was a house. It looked a bit like a cute little Victorian home, except for the fact it was almost completely covered in brambles and ivy. Whole walls only gave peeks of bright lavender clapboards beneath the sheets of dark-leafed vines. A covered porch broke out of the thorny jungle, the only large area where the ivy¡¯s rampant growth had been curtailed. A few of the tall windows looked like they had been cleared as well. It presented the oddest combination of quaint and sinister at the same time. The sinister was greatly enhanced when Joe spotted things moving and scuttling among the dense foliage. Joe knew that, in his old life, his phobia of spiders, even the most common house spiders, was irrational. Here in Illuminaria, he was pretty sure it was no longer an unfounded fear. One of the skittering forms he caught a glimpse of was the size of a large dog.
Vine-Cloak Leapers: Level 9: Beast: Skirmisher
The calm wonder he felt on first viewing the tranquil lake vanished in an instant. As a shudder ran down his spine, Joe began to question this current course of action. He knew there was no way he was going into that house with labrador-sized spiders lurking in the ivy overhead. ¡°Come on,¡± Kaid called. The gnome was standing on a raft that had been tied to a log standing in the water a foot from the shore. ¡°I¡¯m sure she has spotted us. Let¡¯s go meet Granny Growlbee.¡± ¡°Are we going there?¡± Joe asked, pointing at the overgrown house. ¡°Yeah, Why not?¡± Kaid replied until he noted the trepidatious look Joe was directing at the infested vines. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be such a baby. I¡¯ve been here plenty of times, and the spiders have never bothered me once.¡± ¡°All the same, do you think she would mind if we met her at either of the other two islands?¡± switching his gaze between the gazebo and the table under the red tree. Kaid stopped and gave Joe an odd look as if he did not understand the question. ¡° Uhh, I guess so. I¡¯m not really great with people, but I guess it would be ok,¡± he finished with a shrug. ¡°I¡¯ll chance it. I think fainting or shrieking on her doorstep would be much worse than the assumption she needs to come and meet us. Let''s head for the tree. It looks like there are more chairs there.¡± Kaid had a long pole, but the water was shallow enough Joe could help with his quarterstaff. As they were about halfway there, a woman stepped out of the house and looked at them. The beautiful young lady was wearing a bright yellow sundress. Her long black and green scarf floated in the wind behind her. Her hair flowed back in the breeze as well, long black tresses with highlights of violet weaving through the locks. Her skin was so pale that Joe wondered if she had albinism or just a serious aversion to sunlight. She was so much younger than Joe had expected. He had been anticipating an older woman due to the name ¡®Granny.¡¯ The winsome young lady stepping from the spider-infested home looked barely old enough to be someone¡¯s mother, let alone grandmother. ¡°Oh, it looks like she likes you,¡± Kaid stated mirthfully. ¡°She got all gussied up for ya.¡± Seeing where they were headed, the maiden walked out onto the lake to meet the pair. Joe could not tell if she had a path that was right at the very edge of the surface or if she was actually walking on the water. A dulcet voice flitted from out of the air around them. ¡°Don¡¯t spoil my amusement, Kaid. What is the fun in being a witch if one cannot dress the part.¡± The lass stood at the edge of the red tree mound waiting for them, hand on hip, her hair floating in the breeze. It took Joe a second until he realized that the air was calm and still. Yet there she was, her dress and dark black tresses being epically stirred by some unknown gusts of wind. ¡®Is it all an illusion?¡¯ Joe wondered to himself. ¡®Is she really an old grandmother instead of the lovely young maiden waiting for us on the shore?¡¯ ¡°Not to worry, Madam Growlbee. I take very little of what Kaid says to heart. It is nice to meet you. My name is Joe Morris.¡± ¡°Well, I am happy to welcome you to my home, Master Morris,¡± she stated with a bright smile as the raft slid up to the small hill. ¡°And Illuminaria as well,¡± she added with a twinkle in her gorgeously captivating eyes. 23 - The Witch of Brandy Mere Joe could feel her charming effect wash over him. Her voice was so sultry-sounding it sent shivers down his spine. Yet even though he felt like a tongue-tied teen, he wasn¡¯t worried that she was trying to dominate him. [Iron Mind] was not reacting to her bewitching presence at all. She was playing with him, and it was pretty clear she was watching to see how he would react. Would he fight back? Would he get creepy? Would he fall apart under her charms? Joe decided not to make the same mistake he had with Sir Groven. He would not contest her charming efforts, just as he shouldn¡¯t have pushed back against Grover¡¯s bullying demeanor. Better to play along with her than try and counter her. He was the one coming to her for a favor. And she was enjoying putting on the show. Like the lady said, if you had such magic, why not savor it? Joe returned a warm smile, stating, ¡°Just Joe, please,¡± as he stepped onto the grass. ¡°How is it that you know I am a newcomer? Is there something about me that gives it away?¡± The young woman laid her hand gently on his arm and ¡®allowed¡¯ Joe to lead them to the white wicker seats under the scarlet tree. ¡°Well, in my case, my morning omen told me a Newcomer would come and ask me a favor when the sun was high in the sky. Since we are getting close to midday, and I am already well-acquainted with your guide, I made the assumption that you were my Newcomer.¡± Her smile was utterly captivating. When she lifted the teapot, one that had definitely not been on the table a second ago, Joe could barely process that simple gesture. He could not help but be distracted by the elegance of her features and movement. Thankfully, Kaid¡¯s snicker broke him from his captivation. Joe shook his head and saw that the table now bore a tea set, cups, and some snacks. There was a plate of pink wafers and another bearing a couple of freshly sliced apples. The chairs had acquired red cushions that Joe had not noticed on his way across the water. Joe pushed down on the cushion and felt the soft pressure one would expect from a pillow. Granny Growlbee¡¯s smile grew a tad wider as she watched him test the veracity of what his eye saw. ¡°Your magic is amazingly subtle,¡± Joe flattered. ¡°I didn¡¯t even see all this appear.¡± ¡°Why, thank you. Such a clever compliment. You acknowledge my manipulation but with generosity instead of apprehension. I think I like you, Joe Morris,¡± she stated, giving him a winsome smile before turning to his small companion. ¡°What have you brought me, Kaid?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t know him all that well, but he seems like a good guy. I think he can help me recash in my favor, if that''s ok with you, Granny.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see why not,¡¯ she answered. As she did so, Joe noticed her eyes seemed to slide gently through hues of rich color. One moment, they were the deep purple of amethysts; the next, they had the aqua green of a tropical ocean. ¡°What can I do to repay my obligation?¡± the mystical lass inquired. It took Joe a second to stammer out, ¡°Rhiley¡¯s mother is very sick¡­.¡± ¡°Rhiley¡¯s mother. You mean Sarsa Haydall?¡± she huffed, her eyes now deep golden color. ¡°Well, technically, Sarsa Dellham, but yes, it is the same person,¡± Joe countered gently. In stating her name, Joe¡¯s mind conjured up the image of Sarsa, hurt and confused. It was such a poignant contrast to Granny Growlby¡¯s playful charms that it broke Joe fully free of the witch''s enchanting appeal. The glamours slipped away, giving him the resolve that he needed to stay focused. ¡°Kaid said you made him an elixir for a serious inflection, but because of the family situation, it was rejected. I was wondering if you have a spell that could perform the same task that I could learn from you in exchange for the favor Kaid is owed.¡± ¡°That is a very reasonable exchange. One I cannot easily see a way to decline,¡± she replied demurely. The lovely witch lowered her eyes to her steaming cup, and Joe could swear he saw the wisps of vapor caressing her full lips. ¡°It is not as though I wish the poor woman to suffer, but the Haydalls have much to answer for,¡± she uttered in a soft voice.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Joe was about to recant his request, realizing how callous it was to place this delicate young lady in such a difficult position. Yet before the words escaped his lips, he felt a stirring from [Iron Mind] for the first time. A shiver of cold precision swept through his consciousness, banishing Granny¡¯s ¡®poor little girl¡¯ charm. It didn¡¯t feel like she was trying to fully enthrall him so much as to gently push him away from this request. Even so, it was enough to awaken the dwarven trait. ¡°Be that as it may, Maam, as a healer, I must try and do everything I can for my patient,¡± Joe announced firmly. As he made this statement, Joe realized he had spent way too much time around doctors over the last few years. Somehow, he had picked up their rhetoric. ¡°Very well. I accept,¡± she exclaimed sharply, sitting up straight and placing her cup on the table. ¡°Still. Great Gran Growlbee would skin my feet should I give such a gift to a Haydall without stacking the scales somewhat in our favor. So how do I balance such welcome manners and an old debt with just enough spitefulness to keep my great-grandmother from turning me into a dun-cow?¡± With long purple nails, she plucked another cube of sugar from a small ornate bowl and dropped it into her cup. Stirring the drink, she seemed to think while throwing shy looks through her lashes at Joe. He was ninety percent certain she already knew what she wanted to ask but was enjoying how much she was still able to fluster him. ¡°How about this?¡± she finally stated, tapping a glossy red nail against her cheek. ¡°I do need saddleleaf. In the grasslands just north of the Mere, you should be able to find plenty of the plants for me. It has broad, dark green, leathery leaves. Get me a dozen good-sized leaves, and I will provide you with a witch¡¯s restoration skill.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it? Just go grab some plants from over there?¡± Joe asked, pointing across the water. A small foot kicked him lightly under the table. He looked to see Kaid pointing his thumb in almost completely the opposite direction. Joe had to admit that even though he had always had a strong sense of wanderlust, he also admitted to a pretty terrible sense of direction. Even when he had a cell phone, it was bad. The one time he visited NYC, he ended up walking almost a mile in the wrong direction, even though the streets there were numbered. He had given up playing Minecraft without a map mod since he invariably lost his base anytime he went exploring. He was certain Illuminaria had a map skill and wondered if it would be worth spending an attribute point on. His musing was cut short as the Witch of Brandy Mere replied. ¡°The Dourfore is a dangerous stretch of wood. All manner of fell creatures lurk there. The task I am giving you is hazardous enough to appease my callous kin, but since I like you, Joe, I have a hint that should lessen your danger greatly,¡± she stated, leaning in close to whisper almost conspiratorially. ¡°Saddleleaf likes the light and so will grow on the outer edge of the forest. You will not need to venture into the dark depths of the woodland.¡± She delicately placed her hand on his arm and matronly added, ¡°Nor should you. While even the perimeter of the Dourfore has its perils, they are far fewer and more surmountable than those that lurk in darker depths of the forest.¡± ¡°Thank you, Ma''am. We will be careful. As for my reward, you did not say I would get Cure Disease. Is there another name for the skill?¡± ¡°Well, you are asking for a skill that a healer might possess. I am a Witch. Our restoration talents have many comparable skills, but they are not exactly the same. Our [Pestilence Purge] is quite similar to a Healer¡¯s [Cure Disease], but if you wish for a spell that targets infections, then you may want [Dispel Rot] instead.¡± ¡°That makes sense. Ok. You have a deal.¡±
New Quest [Hazardous Harvest] Gather 12 Saddleleaf Leaves from the Dourwald. Reward: 1 New Skill
Joe accepted the quest, noting that Hawking had even listed Granny Growlbee¡¯s offer as the reward. He turned to the gnome beside him. ¡°So what about you, Kaid? Are you coming with or heading back?¡± ¡°You are not quite as hopeless with your stick there, Joe, but you ain¡¯t quite ready to go solo. I¡¯ll come with you if ya want me to.¡± ¡°I would. Thanks,¡± Joe clapped a hand on the tiny man¡¯s back. Kaid looked like he was going to dodge the gesture, but the little guy was hemmed in by his chair and the table. The gnome¡¯s expletive sigh as Joe¡¯s proportionally huge hand thumped onto his diminutive torso spoke volumes. ¡°Sorry,¡± Joe uttered. Kaid gave him an eye-rolling shrug, and the pair returned to the raft. As they pushed off the shore, Joe kept finding his eyes turning back toward the small, low island and the enchanting young woman watching them go. Eventually, Kaid¡¯s wet pole poked him in the back, getting his attention. Joe realized he had been just standing there with his staff in his hands while Kaid was doing all the work by himself. Joe dropped his eyes to the lashed logs and began shoving the raft forward across the water in time with his companion. As they slid across the lake, Joe couldn''t help but scoff at his behavior, acting like a schoolboy with a crush on his teacher. 24 - Tall Grasses As the pair poled across the shallow lake mostly in silence, Joe found himself lost in wonder as he took in the beauty around him. In the last few years, he could have someone take him outside on good days. The hospital had a Serenity Garden, which was nice, but it was a small spot of carefully tended nature amidst tall clinical buildings and saturated by city air. He found some peace there but there was no way it could compare to what was around him now. They were sliding the raft across smooth, still waters. Below the surface, Joe could clearly see the waving streamers of lake grass. Fish and turtles would flicker away from their poles, disappearing into the floating vegetation. On the surface, the fiery-looking phoenix-flamingos picked their way through the water on their long, red, stilted legs. Above that, a panorama of pastoral trees and fields stretched beautifully away from the edges of the mere. Even further up, a bright blue sky slid fluffy clouds from one horizon toward the other. They were aiming for a spot of shore on the grassy side of the watery expanse where a large field and a thick copse of trees intersected each other. The Dourfore, the woodlands, was definitely dour-looking. The trees were packed together, blocking out the light and creating a lair of tangled shadows. The border was marked by woven patches of deep red brambles. ¡°Don¡¯t get near that stuff,¡± Kaid said when he saw Joe looking at the crimson briars. ¡°That¡¯s Blood Thorn. It¡¯ll drain you dry in under a minute.¡± ¡°Good to know. Thanks,¡± Joe replied as he stepped off the raft onto the muddy edge of the lake. Thankfully, his new boots were water-tight; Joe hated having wet feet. ¡°Anything else we need to watch out for?¡± ¡°Gnaw Rats. They¡¯re big and mean. Worst part is their coats are mottled yellows and greens. Makes them damn tough to spot in the grass. They¡¯re fast, too. They can burrow into your gut in seconds. Get them off you as fast as you can, Joe.¡± Kaid took a deep breath. ¡°Now, this is the bad part. If they dig in, you gotta stab em before they burrow too deep, even if it means stabbing yourself. Keep that goblin knife handy.¡± ¡°That sounds awful,¡± Joe muttered as he pulled the raft further from the water. Kaid hopped over the marshy edge and stood at the edge of the tall grass. ¡°So what does saddleleaf look like? I know it¡¯s big and dark green. Anything else?¡± ¡°It¡¯s pretty common stuff, so we shouldn¡¯t have to look too hard. The leaves look like mittens about the size of a plater.¡± The gnome held his hands about two feet apart. ¡°Oh wow. That big. That should make it easier.¡± ¡°Yeah. If we find some leaves, one of us harvests while the other one stays on lookout. This should be a skip on the lawn. Just don¡¯t make the mistake of going into the trees even if you think you see some saddleleaf in there.¡± The gnome stated emphatically. ¡°It won¡¯t be. It will be a wisp. Will-o''-wisp mess with your head. They show you what you are looking for. If you follow one, you¡¯re toast. So don¡¯t.¡± Kaid pushed aside the long grass stalks that were taller than he was. Joe followed into the waist-high vegetation. Unable to see Kaid, he watched the stalks sway, revealing the gnome''s path through the high grass. They were making a loop toward the woods, around an area filled by a wall of deep scarlet brambles. Once they had moved past the Blood Thorn patch, they could start looking for the saddleleaf. Kaid would appear periodically when an occasional bush thinned the grass. The rest of the time, Joe was following the unseen swishing sounds in front of him. Finally, they reached the border of the trees. Joe stuck to the grassy edge and began to look for the large leaves. Which was almost impossible, given that the grass was now above his waist. He had to search by sweeping his staff through the stalks. When he heard a rustling to his left, Joe figured it was Kaid until the stalks parted, revealing a large, glossy black shape a few feet away. It was a beetle. A really big beetle. One about the size of a labrador retriever. Green highlights allowed it to blend into the tall weeds. Once in plain sight, there was no mistaking its hard chiton and massive mandibles. Joe had a second to assess the creature before it charged.
Grassward Stag Scarab: Level 1: Vermin: Brute: Vigor
Without thinking, Joe used one of the moves Kaid had taught him, stabbing the end of his staff towards the beetle, more like a spear than a quarterstaff. The creature crashed into the tip of the pole, sending a shockwave through Joe¡¯s arms and nearly knocking him on his ass. There was a loud crack that Joe feared was his weapon breaking, but a screech from the massive insect indicated the sound was its chiton breaking, not the wood. A spatter of pale goop ran down from under its eye as it shifted its head, sliding the staff away from the wound. It continued to shove forward, pushing Joe back through the grass. Joe tried to dig in his feet only to have the bug-propelled staff in his hands start to lift him upward. Knowing he would be off-balance any second, Joe was not sure what to do.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Going on instinct, Joe kicked off the ground, attempting to vault himself up over the beetle, which turned out to be a terrible idea. He found out why pole-vaulter poles are flexible, not rigid. The unbending staff skid off the hard shell of the creature and onto the ground. The giant scarab shoved the bottom backward as Joe jumped. He managed to get a couple of feet off the ground but no higher. He would have come down on his back had the creature not plowed straight onward, sweeping the staff from the ground and placing its carapaced body under Joe¡¯s feet. Joe managed to plant a foot on the creature¡¯s back, even taking a second step forward before his boots slid on the hard shell. He came down hard on his butt, right on the back of the beetle. With an aching ass, Joe was basically riding the stag scarab backward. Groaning, he half-jumped, half-shoved himself off the carapace, more on instinct than by plan. As he was sliding off its shell, the stag beetle spun around in a lightning-fast whirl. Joe''s haphazard dismount saved him. Had he still been seated on the bug¡¯s back, he would have been thrown into the weeds and probably fallen in a heap. Even so, the edges of the giant insect¡¯s shell had pointed barbs that ripped a large tear in Joe¡¯s thigh. The Tasset had blocked a bit of the damage, but not all of it.
A Grassward Stag Scarab has injured you. You have suffered 4 points of damage.
He hopped backward as the stag beetle reoriented and scuttled straight for him. Joe decided to jump again, this time in a more logical sideways leap. He avoided the mandibles but again was caught by the barbs on his sides.
A Grassward Stag Scarab has injured you. You have suffered 5 points of damage.
Immediately, he bounded to the side once more, this time spinning himself so he would land facing the massive bug. The beetle skittered in a circle, trying to find Joe. Just as it locked onto him, it took a second staff blow to the face. This time, Joe added his skill to the blow.
Your skill [Swift Strike] has increased to rank 5.
The staff accelerated, capitalizing on Joe¡¯s twirling momentum. He felt the shock of the staff blow travel up his arms. Thankfully, his attack managed to stun the insect long enough for a final [Swift Strike] enhanced blow to kill it. As the beetle fell, Joe was greeted by a chorus of horns and a scintillating flow of illumination. A wondrous warmth flowed through his body, removing all his fatigue and injuries. Unlike Joe¡¯s healing spell, it removed all the lingering pain as well. There were no ghosts of wounds-past at all. He felt amazing.
You have slain Grassward Stag Scarab. You have reached level 3. You have gained 1 unassigned attribute point.
Joe had been expecting the new free attribute point, but he wondered about the lack of a new skill. ¡®Hey, Hawking? What¡¯s with the single point at this level?¡¯
Not every level provides the same number of attribute points. At every level from 1 to 10, you will receive one unassigned attribute point. This rate of growth will diminish as you reach higher levels. Additionally, on even levels for this range, you will receive the option for a class skill. Whenever you receive a class skill from leveling, you also receive the attributes required for that class skill.
¡®¡®Ok. I had been hoping for more, but one is better than none. Thanks.¡¯ Joe saw he had an additional alert: a new achievement.
Achievement: You have just soloed your first monster. Your actions have awarded you the following choice of Traits: [Hobbler] It¡¯s all about the footwork. Your successful empowered attacks reduce your target''s movement speed by 15% for 10 seconds. [Bug-Slayer] Ugg bugs! +15% damage to vermin.
This was another easy choice in Joe¡¯s mind. Bonus to a single creature type didn¡¯t seem worth it. Additionally, these beetles were fast. If Joe could slow them down, he might be able to avoid more wounds. He assumed that ¡®empowered attacks¡¯ meant those he had infused with [Swift Strike] or another such skill if he got one. As he grabbed [Hobbler] and was about to loot the beetle¡¯s corpse, it occurred to him that Kaid had not shown up during the fight. Worried, Joe jumped straight up as high as he could, hoping to see further in the long grass. Nothing caught his eye. He quickly engaged [Coin Catcher], coming away with a few copper pieces and some beetle chiton before wading through the long stalks in the direction he had last seen the little man. Joe debated calling out to Kaid, but he was afraid that would attract monsters though. As he now was on his own, calling enemies to him was the last thing he wanted. He crept quietly forward for a few minutes, keeping his eyes peeled for beetles, rats, or Kaid, but not finding any of them. He did manage to stumble across a patch of fat-leaved plants. The leaves were just as they had been described. The dark fans looked a bit like Elephant Ear Hosta, but the big leaves had a pair of mismatched lobes that made them look like mittens. He was about to grab the goblin knife off of his backpack when he heard a rustle in the grass a few feet away. Sweating with tension, Joe suddenly had a moment of inspiration. While shuffling his feet, he activated the minor enchantment in his boots. No sound came from under his soles, but a louder-than-expected grass crackling echoed from around a dozen feet off to his left. Two screeches answered the illusionary sound. Joe watched as two lines part the wavering stalks, converging on his phantom footsteps. He had two beetles and one missing gnome to deal with. Joe took a deep breath and readied himself for another fight. 25 - Bite Me Joe had a brief hope that the two bugs would attack each other, but he was not that lucky. He watched the grass lines converge and then move off from their intersection. To Joe, it seemed like they were looking for whatever had alerted them. Each one took a slightly different path. Thankfully, neither path was toward where Joe was standing as perfectly still as he possibly could. Joe was pretty sure he could survive two beetles, considering he made it through a whole pack of goblins. Still, he wasn¡¯t 100% certain. Those mandibles looked incredibly strong and sharp. So far, he had only been wounded by their carapaces. He was a bit dubious about finding out if one of those scythe-looking jaws was able to take off his leg. Thanks to Joe¡¯s additional height above the tall grass and his old love for geometry, a plan started to form in his head. He and the beetles had sort of a ¡®Y¡¯ pattern going, with the spot of the fake footsteps being the center point. If Joe got the right angles, he could earn himself a few seconds to engage one of the insects while the other one was distracted. Joe picked a spot off to his right and behind himself for the side-squeak. That line would bring one bug straight to him and the other onto grasses yards away. If he timed it correctly, Joe might be able to kill one quickly, avoiding being double-teamed entirely. He readied the quarterstaff and [Swift Strike] and wiggled his feet again, sending the sound to the spot he had chosen. The reaction was immediate. This time, Joe was certain that the phantom sound had been amplified, just as the actual sound from his feet had been hushed. Both creatures charged straight toward the illusionary rustling. Joe had lined it up perfectly. With over ten feet between them, Joe watched the line of parting grasses from the closer beetle open right in front of him. As the bug skittered into sight, Joe swung as hard as he could, aiming right for the brutish bug¡¯s forehead. With [Swift Strike] accelerating the blow, its impact was devastating. A chunk of carapace that had been the monster''s head cracked off and launched like a line drive through the grass. Joe was splattered by the goop the bug had instead of blood. His hands stung from the force that traveled through the shaft, but it was worth it to see the beetle crash into the weeds, dead from a single blow. Joe hopped to the side as the other beetle whirled and dashed toward the spot where its counterpart had just been slain. The beetle shot past Joe, who quickly sent a ghost-sound rustling behind the bug. Joe had planned to use that moment of the enemy¡¯s confusion to get ready for the next beetle-charge, but a wave of vertigo unexpectedly washed over him. His eyes slipped out of focus, and his head felt like it was stuffed with cotton. A second later, the cold sharpness of [Iron Mind] dispelled the fugue. Joe saw the goop all over his hands and felt more on his cheeks. He had a split second to wonder if that was the cause before he got back into the fight pose the gnome had shown him. This time, because he was off balance from the blurriness, his staff was too low. The insect parted the grass again, and instantly, its mandible clamped shut around his weapon, effortlessly yanking it out of his grasp. Joe had a stupified moment as he realized every other weapon: the hunting knife, a handaxe, the goblin knife, even the torches that could serve as a club in a pinch, was stowed in the pack on his back, out of reach. ¡®Idiot!¡¯ he swore at himself. He dodged another snapping strike from the monster¡¯s long mandibles. The only trick Joe could think of was the same one he had used on the goblins. Looking at the spot between himself and the giant insect, Joe activated [Heartfire]. It worked even better than it had with the goblinoid marauders. The bug screeched and dashed away, not stopping for the entire time Joe was able to see its path through the grass. Grassfires must be a huge threat to them. Joe started wiping the gunk off himself, but instead of feeling less loopy, he felt the metallic presence of [Iron Mind] becoming more forceful. He looked himself over and noticed that he had something stuck to the sleeve of his gambeson. It was a large spiny burr, about the size of a grapefruit. He tried to rip it off, only to find it stuck to his hand.
Siren Seed of the Beguilburr: Strong cumulative Domination effect.
¡®Cumulative. That is not good.¡¯ Joe thought. Checking himself further, he found three more stuck to his ankles. His [Iron Mind] trait had probably blocked the first couple before he was even aware of them, but if each burr added to the strength of the domination effect, it is no wonder they were overwhelming the powerful dwarven trait. Joe tossed the hooked burrs away before leaning on his staff and letting loose a deep sigh. He still had to find Kaid, and now on top of beetles, rats, and deadly thorns, there were also mind-controlling burrs in the grass. He quickly looted the beetle corpse, gaining more small round pieces of carapace shell. He tried to loot one of the burrs but found [Coin Catcher] did not work on them, even after he smashed it into bits. All that he found in the seed pods was something he identified as ¡®Pollen of the Beguilburr.¡¯ There was achievement waiting for him. Joe was grateful for getting all these ¡®First X¡¯ advancements quickly. He was stranded in this plain of tall monster-infested grass with his companion lost somewhere out there. Any help was appreciated.
Achievement: You have just killed your first monster with a single blow. Your actions have awarded you the following choice of Traits:This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. [Tactician] That was a good plan. Increase your Calculation affinity. [Ambusher] Sneaking is not cheating. Add [Stealth] to your learnable skills list.
This choice was not so straightforward. [Stealth] was one of those super useful abilities. Rogue and hunter-type classes benefited the most from it, but Joe had found that, sooner or later, every character needed to sneak past something. On the other hand, Calculation was an affinity he had skills in: [Identify] and [Assess Wounds]. Joe promised himself he would figure out more about how affinities worked and what his only affinities were as soon as he got a chance. Without that knowledge, he felt he was making this choice blind. What finally settled the decision for him was that he was pretty sure he could find a [Stealth] skill crystal somewhere. He didn''t think raising an affinity would be as easy. He selected [Tactician], hoping it would reveal more about how affinities worked. Unfortunately, having just leveled, he was fully healed, so [Assess Wounds] was useless. There was also nothing new or interesting in the middle of this expanse of grass to identify. ¡®Except for the one thing I¡¯m here to collect,¡¯ he acknowledged.
[Saddleleaf] (Item: Reagent - Common) These leaves provide minor enhancements to health and growth-type enchantments or crafting. {Verdant}
Joe smiled. He had never seen an affinity connected to an object before. He checked his gambeson again and saw it had the addition as well.
[Pocketed Blue Gambeson] (Item: Armor, Chest - Common) This padded armor provides moderate defense to your upper body. {Defense}
His newly improved Calculation affinity was enhancing his [Identify] in a tangible way. As he looked around for something else new to assess, another spin of vertigo overwhelmed him, followed quickly by the chilling sensation of his mental defensive trait. Joe looked down to see two of the burrs were somehow back on his boots. A third one was creeping toward him, moving creepily like a sea urchin. ¡°Damn it!¡± he swore, a bit louder than he had intended. ¡®These things are worse than ticks,¡± he thought. As Joe reached down, yanking them off again, the grass beside him parted, revealing a set of sharp, mottled-green mandibles. The sharp, blade-like jaws sliced across his shin. Joe managed to avoid being trapped in the beetle¡¯s pincers by awkwardly stumbling away from the creature. The burr¡¯s fogginess was making him clumsy even with his trait. Joe¡¯s staggering dodge turned into a full-fledged tumble onto the ground. Knowing he was doomed on his ass, Joe made a wobbly effort, awkwardly getting himself back up onto his feet. He glanced down at the bleeding tear in his pants, spotting even more burrs on his legs. If each burr added to the strength of the domination effect, it is no wonder they were overwhelming the powerful dwarven trait. Strangely enough, after so many years of heavy doses of painkillers, Joe was no stranger to trying to function in a fog. Granted, it had never been in a fight for his life before, but his muddled head was still clever enough to make a new plan. Joe slipped out of his pack and grabbed as many burrs off him as he could, making one big sticky mass. Clearly, the burrs wouldn¡¯t naturally stick to the beetles, but he betted the bugs were more susceptible to them than he was. When the insect spun back toward him, Joe knew this was going to hurt, but he let it bite. As the bug chomped down on his leg, he jammed his hands right up against the creature''s forehead and held them there. In no time at all, the confusion was whisked clear of Joe¡¯s thoughts by [Iron Mind]; at the same time, the beetle stopped still. The handful of burrs, even splitting their controlling effect between the two of them, were more than enough to stupify the large insect. Its mandibles grew slack, releasing Joe¡¯s deeply slashed leg.
The Grassward Stag Scarab has injured you for 7 points of damage and has inflicted the {Bleed} condition on you. You will continue to lose health over time until the condition is removed.
Joe¡¯s pant leg was immediately soaked in blood, but his hands were currently busy. It is likely he didn''t actually have to heal with his hands, but now was not a great time to start experimenting. He needed to keep the burrs in contact with the creature. It took a bit of effort, but Joe managed to scrape the burrs into a sticky chain that looped around one of the pincers. When he got the two ends connected and worked one hand free, he clapped it to his still-gushing leg.
You have restored 18 points of your health. Your current health is at 100%.
Joe could have healed a much bigger wound, but he was happy he didn¡¯t need to. The healing removed the {Bleed} condition as well as repairing the damage. His leg still throbbed, but he could now focus on killing the beetle. Joe grabbed his hunting knife from the outside of his pack and finished extricating his remaining hand from the band of burrs. As he was about to dig out his hand axe for some bug-chopping, he noticed the beetle drunkenly turn and begin to amble off. Curious, Joe resheathed the knife and slung the pack over his shoulders again. Even though he had to take a few steps closer to the monster to retrieve his staff, the bug ignored him, trudging slowly away as if on auto-pilot. Joe followed at a distance. The huge bug continued to move in a zombie-like waddle, moving in a perfectly straight line. The grasses were growing higher in this direction, now halfway up his chest, but Joe could plot their path. It was headed to a point further from the Brandy Mere but angled towards the Dourfore woods. Thinking about the behavior, Joe had an idea of what might be going on. The burrs could be connected to a main plant, the actual Beguilburr. The sticky seeds'' job was to enthrall creatures and force them to travel back to the mother plant. It explained why he had only encountered beetles so far. Kaid had mentioned rats, but Joe had not seen any. While the burrs would not naturally catch on the bug¡¯s smooth carapaces, a rat would not be so protected. Any furred predators in the area would easily be burred and enslaved. So, too, would people wearing items of cloth or leather. Joe was afraid he now knew what had become of Kaid. 26 -Baleful Burrs Joe followed the shuffling bug through the tall grasses. The stalks had continued to grow until they were obnoxiously reaching his chin, with the occasional ones whose seedheads were hitting him in the face. It felt like he had to spend half the time brushing pollen and chaff off his cheeks and from his eyes. If the beetle had not been walking in a straight line, Joe would have lost it ages ago. He had picked a landmark tree in the Dourfore to aim at, a huge dead oak, but the high vegetation was even making that difficult. Joe was starting to get the claustrophobic feeling of being deep in a cornfield and not being sure which was out. At least a cornfield had rows to orient on. Here in the vast high grasses, Joe had to keep jumping to make sure he was still on track. Eventually, he stumbled onto a small island in the sea of stalks. A single large boulder stood on the plain. The lone rock was an irregular trapezoid that started at Joe¡¯s knee on the low side and rose up to his shoulder at its highest point. Around the stone were a few scruffy-looking bushes that assisted in pushing back the seemingly endless grass. Just getting his face out of the spiky fronds of weeds was a relief, but he also realized he could use the boulder as a perch. Joe scrambled up the slope and stood up, now far above the swaying surface of vegetation. It took him a minute of searching until he eventually located his target, or at least he hoped it was. Something was slowly plodding through the grass in the direction Joe thought they should be heading. He couldn''t see it all, given the height of the grass. Even so, the line through the stalks was headed right for the massive skeletal oak he had picked as a landmark, so the odds were good he was on the right track. From his lookout stone, Joe was able to see more than the path of the trudging bug. He could also see the edge of the Dourfore, what had to be the source of the burrs, and the gnome he was searching for. At about a hundred yards away, he could see the small man clearly enough to discern he was standing motionless, but it did not look like he was currently being harmed. Joe was afraid that the Beguilbnurr would be like the Bloodthorns his companion had mentioned, but it didn¡¯t look like he was touching any of the spiky roots around the tree¡¯s trunk.
Mesmeric Beguilburr: Level 4 {Elite}: Plant: Controller: Spirit
Joe was not sure specifically what an ¡®elite¡¯ monster was, but it sounded like something that would be tougher than its level suggested. The tree in question was only about twenty-five feet tall. Huge fuchsia-colored fronds spread in a canopy over a fat, twisted purple trunk. At the intersections of the long thin leaves, Joe could see dozens of the brown spiky burrs hanging in the joints. On the ground at the base of the trunk, a mass of tangled thorny roots formed a ten to fifteen-foot web across the ground. The roots were covered in small bones and decaying rat carcasses. Kaid stood just outside this ring of death. ¡®So, it¡¯s a pretty simple plan. I have to sneak up and grab Kaid and run away without picking up too many burrs,¡¯ Joe surmised. The problem was the concentration of burrs would surely be at their thickest the closer one got to the main plant. Joe had gotten to five burrs before he started to feel loopy. He doubted, even with [Iron Mind] working overtime, that he could handle ten or more. Joe slid down to the middle of his stone island, where there was a comfortable spot to sit. Somehow, he would have to find a way to prevent the burrs from sticking to him, but Joe did not have metal boots or something similar. Joe emptied out his pack, looking for anything that might help him. The waxy rainskin was promising, but Joe realized that as soon as he cut it and started wrapping it around his legs, there would be edges for the burrs to catch on. There was the lamp oil, but Joe worried about coating himself with flammable substances on general principle. As he sat thinking, his eyes just sort of staring off into the middle space, his attention snagged on a set of large leaves under the bush he was looking at. He had forgotten to grab the first set of saddleleaf leaves, preoccupied as he was with following the beetle. He grabbed his knife and climbed off the rock. All four of the bushes around his boulder had the plants, so Joe was able to harvest more than he needed. The extras might be worth something to Gurda Eldauk. After he climbed back up onto his spot on the rock, he noted even that brief sojourn into the grass had earned him a new burr. Joe yanked it off and stood, preparing to hurl it away but stopped; the burr still stuck to the skin on his hand.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Kaid was gone. The beetle had made its way into the spikey roots and was writhing in pain, but there was no sign of Kaid. Joe looked and looked until he finally noticed a line of parting grass. The path led right from where the gnome had been standing and was aimed straight toward where he stood. ¡®Oh, crap!¡¯ Joe had not even considered the Beguilburr puppeting its minions; that is, besides calling them to it. In hindsight, it made sense. It explained why it hadn¡¯t started feeding on the little ruffian already. It might use its thrall to gather additional food until it was burnt out, then feed on it. ¡®Does this make it easier or harder?¡¯ Joe wondered as he ditched the burr. On the one hand, getting Kaid away from the evil tree was now easier. And the stupefied beetles had been really slow. Yet on the other, the thought of pulling burrs off a possessed, eleventh-level knife-fighter seemed like a really, really terrible idea. Joe quickly repacked his gear. This time, he made sure to add weapons in accessible places so he would not be helpless if he lost his staff again. Starting with a tube of chitinous beetle leg and wrapping it in leather and bound with hair, Joe fashioned a very simplistic sheath for his oversharpened goblin knife. That joined the hunting blade on his belt. He found a set of loops on his pack where the hand axe could be hung and drawn easily. On the other side of the bag, he slipped a torch into the corresponding set of loops. Joe noticed that the torch had a built-in striker. He would not need a flint and steel to get it started. He would just have to pull a pin from the starter and rap the end of the torch into something, and it would light itself, kind of like a strike-anywhere match. The [Slow Stone] went into one of the small pouches and was hung off his belt beside the two knives. Joe tried to think of anything else he could do to prepare. He had the BiteBark, but the potion had such a short duration he figured he should save it until he knew what he was dealing with.
[BiteBark] (Item: Consumable - Common): This potion will thicken your skin, giving it the toughness of tree bark. You will gain moderate resistance to {Piercing}, {Slashing}, and {Bleed} physical attacks for 1 minute. One use. {Fortitude}
He had another idea and looked to see if he could find any information about Kaid. Sure enough, there was a Party screen.
P A R T Y Name Health (Current/Max - %) Stamina (Current/Max - %) Mana (Current/Max - %) Conditions
Kaid 86 / 89 - 97% 178 / 429 - 41% Enthralled
Joe 31 / 31 - 100% 89 / 91 - 98% 36 / 36 - 100%
While Kaid¡¯s health looked fine, his stamina was surprisingly low. He assumed he couldn''t see Kaid''s mana because he had no skill that would affect someone else mana pool. As Joe watched, the thief''s stamina dropped another point. He stood again and found the waver in the reeds was not that much closer and still trudging forward. Standing and that slow pace could not explain that much stamina loss; fighting the domination effect must be eating through his energy reserves in an effort to break free. If Kaid tired too much, he¡¯d pass out. That could help considerably, but Joe feared that if Kaid started to get to the end of his Stamina, the Beguilburr would recall him and force the rogue into its roots. Joe checked on Kaid¡¯s progress one more time, finding he still had a few more minutes. The little man was not moving quickly. Joe knew that plans almost never survived first contact, still, he should try and do everything he could before getting up close with the gnome-of many-knives. ¡®What else can I do?¡¯ The biggest worry still was too many burrs. Joe should be able to outrun the plodding gnome if it came to it, but not if the Beguilburr overwhelmed [Iron Mind]. Grabbing them by hand meant they were now stuck to your hand. Joe needed a scraper. Looking at the bushes, Joe hunted until he found a good ¡®V¡± of reasonably thick branches. The best he could get was one less than an inch thick; these were only shrubs, after all. Gabbing the handaxe, he chopped out the whole section, leaving a good inch below the connection point. He cleared the extra twigs and cut the thicker stalk to about two and a half feet long and the other one to about five inches. This gave him an angular ¡®J¡¯, which he could use to hook off burrs. He stashed his makeshift crook with the strike-anywhere torch and grabbed his staff. It was time to lure in Kaid.