《Ins and Outs of Nature Magic [Rewritten]》 Chapter 01- New World, New Life That day started out just like you expect. Wake up, eat, go to work. Roge¡¯s routine during work was a bit different than the average, though, working as a programmer for a somewhat small company. After a couple of years though, it felt like nothing special, with the only noteworthy thing that happened was his thoughts on going to the gym. The elevator had broken for a few hours, and his slightly overweight body couldn¡¯t keep up very well with the stairs. He even looked up a few places close to his apartment to possibly join as well. Of course, the noteworthy thing that day was something only he remembered. Working at his desk, browsing reddit as he waited for his code to compile, he started noticing multiple¡­ concerning posts. One or two before his feed started being flooded by nearly the same topic, more or less. ¡°You all hear about the explosion at Carmix?¡± ¡°My friend lives near where that lab exploded and won¡¯t respond.¡± ¡°Some dark storm coming from the Carmix Lab?¡± ¡°What¡¯s this strange dark cloud on the horizon?¡± The last one especially made Roge nervous, as the shaky video showed what looked to be a black sandstorm coming over the horizon. Flashes of lightning quickly lit the otherwise dark scene, the video cutting out and most likely being uploaded before the storm hit. Knowing he was only an hour or two away from the infamous lab, known for it¡¯s shotty work on microscopic machines, Roge decided to head to the balcony of his office¡¯s floor, having to psych himself up for a moment about the 20 floor drop before heading out. Sure enough, what looked like a giant black sandstorm hung on the horizon in the direction of the lab, the flashes of lightning letting him see more than the crummy camera. ¡®Wait¡­¡¯ he thought to himself, rubbing his eyes before looking back at the rapidly encroaching phenomenon. ¡®Wasn¡¯t there a city over there?¡¯ Sure enough, the city, which he double checked the maps on his phone to make sure was supposed to be there, couldn¡¯t be seen with the lightning lighting up the interior. Some lighting bolts he could see from very far away, far enough away for him to have been able to see the city¡¯s silhouette. ¡°What¡¯s up computer man?¡± a voice behind him asked, Roge not turning away from the strange sight. ¡°Saw you running off from your¡­¡± The voice trailed off as his coworker most likely noticed the same thing Roge did. ¡°Maybe we should¡­ get inside¡­¡± Roge mumbled, suddenly noticing the cloud getting taller at a rapid pace. ¡®Don¡¯t they say if a tornado doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯s moving¡­¡¯ was all he had time to think before loud booms reached their ears, Roge and the coworker he couldn¡¯t remember the name of fleeing back into the office. Even inside the floor was practically vibrating with the loud noises coming from the storm, the shaking getting worse and worse as it got closer. ¡®Welp I¡¯m dead,¡¯ was Roge¡¯s last thought, right before his world turned black as night, the sounds of screaming and windows shattering accompanying him into unconsciousness. ~~~ ¡®Rather wish I was dead,¡¯ Roge thought glumly, waking up slowly and reluctantly. It had been a few days since he woke up from the ¡®Nanite Storm¡¯ as he called it, unsure how long he¡¯d been out during it, but knowing it had to have been a while. A few hours couldn¡¯t make the changes he saw in the mirror as he got up from his bed. A bipedal dragon greeted him in the mirror every morning now, looking mostly humanoid minus the face, wings, and tail. Even his hands and feet had only shifted slightly, keeping the dexterous human shape while mostly everything had changed. Strangely enough, the first thing that always caught his eyes was his waist, his new body having apparently taken some inspiration from eastern dragons in how lean and long his torso was. His legs shortened to compensate of course, but it still seemed strange after being an overweight computer nerd for almost all of his life. The next thing that caught his eye was how¡­ *blue* he now looked. Most of his scale color was somewhere in the range of a bright sapphire color, almost shining in the light from his shower the previous night. The only things that weren¡¯t blue were his palms, stomach, and the underside of his tail, which shimmered an almost midnight black. ¡®The tail¡­¡¯ he sighed to himself, looking at the classic tube shape with spines coming out the top. His first day had been a quick introduction into how to not run into things with it. Even then he could still feel some small bruises still healing underneath the scales. His wings weren¡¯t any better, looking like classic bat wings with the light blue on the ¡®arm¡¯ portions and a solid black on the membranes between. If he was honest with himself, Roge still hadn¡¯t gotten used to the things, mainly because he was expected to keep them tucked up against his back. His face he always looked at last, feeling a small flinch at the unfamiliar features. Long, white horns framed a completely reptilian head, his brain coming up with a mixture of a pet lizard and dog to match the overall shape of it. Thankfully, he still had hair, though the darker sapphire color wasn¡¯t his first choice for appearance. ¡®Still don¡¯t have enough for hair dye,¡¯ he complained to himself, taking a brush and trying to style it in something other than a spiky look. He did not succeed. After successfully getting into his clothes in under ten minutes, a new personal record for him, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh at the plain black boots, brown slacks, tan shirt outfit. ¡®Right. Clothes are on that list too¡­¡¯ he mused to himself, glad at least that the slightly chill weather outside allowed him to put on his black, knee length jacket. It made the outfit look a bit *less* plain and boring than it did before, in Roge¡¯s opinion at least. Before heading down to the main room of the inn, Roge feeling a hit to his pride when he thought of the apartment he used to live in, he checked his [Status], reminding himself that this was his new reality, at least for now. A rectangular sheet appeared in front of his face at the thought, having the texture of old parchment paper and the color of dark grey slate. The words on it were all written in a looping, white script, Roge grumbling that cursive had come back to bite him in the ass once again.
Status Screen
Name: Roge Youngston
Age: 28
Species: [Dragonkin]
Class: [Novice Gardener] Lvl. 1
Attributes - [Fold]
[Strength]: Low
[Dexterity]: Above Average
[Agility]: Below Average
[Constitution]: Average
[Intelligence]: High
[Wisdom]: Average
[Charisma]: Below Average
Abilities - [Fold]
[Draconic Breath] Rank 1
[Static Mind] Rank 1
[Nature Magic] This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Rank 1
Skills - [Fold]
[Novice Gardening] Rank 2
[Novice Inspect] Rank 1
Quests - [Unfold]
¡®New¡¯ being a relative term of course, Roge having played quite a number of video games to recognize the layout of his [Status]. He now lived in a world with ¡®magic¡¯, ¡®skills¡¯, and ¡®classes¡¯, Roge even vaguely aware of what [Dragonkin] was from how he looked and some of the classic RPGs he¡¯d played. It, of course, wasn¡¯t real magic, etc. in Roge¡¯s mind. No, the Nanite Storm couldn¡¯t change the laws of physics like that. He was either in some sort of simulated reality, though he really hoped he wasn¡¯t in a Matrix pod, or the nanites had mimicked magic using the vast energy and matter they had access to by changing the entirety of the world. The idea that he was now entirely *made* of the things or they somehow swam through his body made him shiver and move on, closing the little screen for now. Coming down to the main room of the inn, Roge looked around for his ¡®new¡¯ friend, quickly spotting the [Wolfkin] sitting at one of the tables. Fred, whom he¡¯d known in high school and lost touch with, was apparently his best friend in this new version of events. No more programming career or interest in eventually *making* a game in the future. The world had some reason decided to reverse the clock on all those things. Taking a page from the medieval settings straight out of a DND book, everything looked just the slightest bit *old* to the dragonkin. Even the chair he sat on was some design that had been tossed out a few hundred years back. ¡°Hey Roge!¡± Fred cheered, the ¡®wolf head stuck on a man¡¯s furry body¡¯ look thankfully looking a bit more normal to Roge after staring at it every day for the last few days. ¡°Still feeling a bit¡­¡± he trailed off, not-so-subtly signaling to his head. ¡°Yup. Seems everything¡¯s gone for good,¡± Roge grumbled, having decided fairly quickly to feign memory loss to explain his lack of knowledge on the new world. Everyone else had their previous lives erased and replaced with the new one. All except him.
[Static Mind] Having a brain so immutable to outside change, no spell or magical effect can change it. This keeps memories and thoughts intact, even under extreme mental assault. (Holdover from transition process. Mind too highly resistant to change for memory alteration to take place.)
At the very least he got a decent perk out of the exchange, not wanting to find out what mind magic even felt like. ¡°Aw man!¡± Fred whined, his ears turning backwards on his head. ¡°Well, Madam Madrid didn¡¯t give you too hard of a time yesterday, did she?¡± Roge grimaced at the reminder, as his new job didn¡¯t seem too fun at first. Going from working on new projects every week as a programmer to a tender of plants for a tobacco shop sucked hard in his opinion. The only saving grace was the new idea he¡¯d thought up at the end of the day yesterday, the dragon looking at his effects screen and dismissing the usual [Caffeine Dependency] debuff to find he finally got the [Well Rested] buff. ¡°Nothing much to figure out. She seemed really understanding of my memory loss and the task she had set for me wasn¡¯t too hard to figure out.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear man,¡± the wolf huffed, taking a long sip of his morning beer. ¡°Just remember you have that probation meeting today. Wouldn¡¯t want old Paul waiting too long on you.¡± Fred¡¯s grin, which had made Roge flinch the first time he saw it, was a bit on the mean spirited side, though from what he saw and knew of his friend in the alternate ¡®past¡¯, he knew Fred was mostly a good guy. Just really bad at making jokes. ¡°Like your girlfriend had to wait on you?¡± Roge shot back, making the wolf nearly spit out his drink. ¡°What? Was I not a good verbal sparring partner before?¡± he asked, cocking his head. ¡°You were not,¡± Fred coughed, giving the dragon an odd look. ¡°Not sure if I like that yet¡­¡± ¡°Can¡¯t take it?¡± Roge asked with a cheeky grin. ¡°Oh I can take anything mother fucker!¡± ~~~ Roge spent about another half hour with his friend, making conversation and jokes that they hadn¡¯t been able to get into while Fred had been cramming as much information into the dragon¡¯s head the past few days. Checking his [Status] for the time, Roge told Fred he¡¯d had to leave for work, getting up out of the table and leaving the wolf to his drinking. As soon as he left the inn, Roge still couldn¡¯t help but marvel at how different the city looked. Instead of the towering skyscrapers of steel, there were now buildings made of stone and wood. Most were only two stories tall at that, though some were a mix of one and three story buildings, or even higher! At first, he thought there was some sort of manufacturing for the various materials, as everything looked so uniform and clean when he looked at it up close. That assumption had been dashed on the second day when he¡¯d found a group of workers working to make one of the one story buildings into a two story. He¡¯d almost been late for work that day as he saw the various magics at work, what he assumed was mana creating ribbons of color. Most of it was the dark brown of [Earth Magic] on what looked to be big boulders, harvesting a specific amount of the materials and compressing that into bricks. Some more magic was used to adhere the bricks together, leading to a somewhat faster, but much easier process to make the building¡¯s second story. He even suspected the cobblestone streets were made using a similar process, as the stones seemed too smooth on the top. The hundreds of people using the streets in one given moment, still giving Roge a creepy vibe at how many differences people had in this new world. Anything from other animal people to the classic orcs and elves roamed the streets. He even occasionally saw what looked to be a demon, though they quickly went out of view, so he couldn¡¯t be sure. One thing the crowds did not have were humans. He wasn¡¯t sure if that was a regional thing or not, as it was one of the questions he hadn¡¯t gotten the courage to ask Fred yet. Most people wore similar tan shirts and brown pants as he did, only some using accessories like scarves, gloves, etc. to add a bit more style. The only exceptions were what he assumed to be the ¡®nobility¡¯ and ¡®clergy¡¯. People in fancy colors riding in elaborate carriages gave way to the former assumption, while pure white cloaks and white metal armor gave way to the latter. As he people watched on his way to work, he was glad that his increased [Intelligence] had allowed him to instantly memorize the route Fred had shown him on his first day. There weren''t any detailed explanations on the various Attributes, but Fred was able to give him the lowdown on them, for the most part. [Intelligence] was the one he was most interested in, considering it was his highest stat and it determined how easily information could be memorized, as well as influenced how well someone was able to utilize magical power. Hopefully his high Attribute would allow for the experiments he wanted to do that day. ¡®Otherwise I¡¯m stuck at a dead end job for the rest of eternity¡­¡¯ ~~~ This is the more advanced [Status] for Roge that he doesn¡¯t have access to yet, in case people are interested in how the skills and stats align.
Status Screen
Name: Roge Youngston
Age: 28
Species: [Dragonkin]
Class: [Novice Gardener] Lvl. 1
Attributes - [Fold] Skill Slots Used
[Strength]: 7 (0/0)
[Dexterity]: 31 (1/3)
[Agility]: 16 (0/1)
[Constitution]: 24 (0/2)
[Intelligence]: 49 (0/4)
[Wisdom]: 22 (1/2)
[Charisma]: 14 (0/1)
Abilities - [Fold]
[Draconic Breath] Rank 1
[Static Mind] Rank 1
[Nature Magic] Rank 1
Skills - [Fold]
[Novice Gardening] Rank 2
[Novice Inspect] Rank 1
Quests - [Unfold]
Chapter 02- Magical Experimentation ¡°Well aren¡¯t you early!¡± a high pitched voice called out, Roge smiling at the woman at the counter. Madam Madrid was the only other person Roge had told about his ¡®memory loss¡¯, mostly due to the fact that she could tell from his first day that he¡¯d completely forgotten how to do his job. He still hadn¡¯t gotten used to her look, though, the green-skinned woman looking almost sickly to his human-centric eyes. The fact that she was a *short* orc had surprised him at first as well, but the tusks she had were helping with his adjustment. She was one of the fancier dressed people he ever saw, her dress a bright purple with various rings and necklaces adorning her hands and neck. ¡°Wanted to try some things out this morning, so I thought I¡¯d give myself more time.¡± His eyes glanced to the trapdoor behind the front counter as he walked up to it, Madam Madrid having filled him in on her ¡®side business¡¯ after his first day. ¡°Oh if you wanted to peruse¡­¡± she purred, Roge immediately waving her off. ¡°Nope. Plants all the way!¡± She laughed as he headed out back, needing to get started on the ¡®normal¡¯ part of his work routine. The main front of the shop was a tobacco store, similar to one that Roge had worked for when he was in college. Even though the aesthetics of the world had been dialed back by a few centuries, magic had led to the development of *some* modern things, like cigarette packs. They were made in house, of course, instead of in a factory, but the professional way Madam Madrid set up the packs, pipe tobacco, etc. had led him to believe at first that she shipped them in. The first room in the back was the packing station, using various machines to package the various products. Since magic items were very expensive, and Madam Madrid believed in hard work paying off, almost everything was mechanical in nature, besides the drying station. It would take months for the leaves to normally dry, and so she had splurged on a magic item that heated the leaves and seemed to make some sort of temporal field. All Roge had to do was put a batch in the oven-like contraption, and a day later perfectly cured leaves would be ready to grind. Before heading back into the greenhouse, he made sure to pull the finished leaves out of the drying station and set them up in bags to be prepped later. Most of the time, customers came in for specific items, a list of orders kept track of in one of the many books she had lying around. So all Roge had to do was look at it after tending the plants later and prep the upcoming orders. Sometimes he¡¯d need to increase the volume drying in case items sold off the shelves, but Madam Madrid had explained that he usually didn¡¯t have to do that until the weekend. Once the tobacco was sorted and the inside of the drying station was cleaned, he headed back to the greenhouse, letting out a small smile when he saw all of the various plants. The shop didn¡¯t just deal with tobacco leaves, but also various other processable plants, tea and fragrances just to name a few. He honestly didn¡¯t know the names of half of the plants in the ¡®other¡¯ section on sight, though he was quickly getting through the shop¡¯s Plant Dictionary so he¡¯d know how to harvest them. The first part of his duties was his favorite out of all of them, Roge breathing slowly as he summoned his ability forward.
[Draconic Breath] Rank 1 Having the hereditary of ancient dragons, you can breathe out various elements. [Fog Breath] Breathe out a cool cloud of water into the area right in front of you. Wind, size of space, and temperature will effect the power of this sub-ability. Cost: Variable Source: Water-based Scale Color
Soon a thick cloud of mist escaped his mouth, Roge putting a good bit of mana into the ability to let the water saturate the whole greenhouse in one fell swoop. Madam Madrid had sprinklers for the same task of feeding the plants, but considered it less of a cost for Roge to use his ability instead. ¡®Besides,¡¯ she had told him, ¡®It lets you train your ability. Can¡¯t have that thing be at Rank 1 forever.¡¯ Taking a few deep breaths of the now moist air, Roge looked over the plants with one of his skills, looking for any signs of disease in the product.
[Inspect] Rank 1 See more detail on what you look at. Aspects: [Ability] [Sight] Cost: Very Low Magic Specialties: Plant-life ([Nature Magic])
Tobacco Rank 0 Abilities: [De-Stress](R1), [Smokable](R0), [Stimulant](R1), [Toxic](R-1), [Carcinogenic](R-1) Status: Healthy Adult
Roge always sighed when he was reminded of the bad effects on the plant, though that thought was always tempered by Madam Madrid¡¯s explanation on healing magic and the [Constitution] stat. Apparently, with every increase above Average your Con score was, it could negate one negative Rank an Ability had. Considering how expensive [Healing Magic] was, only the nobles or those with high [Constitution] could smoke the plants safely. That didn¡¯t stop some people with lower Con scores from smoking them, however, which rankled Roge every time he saw someone come into the store. Once he was done checking over all of the tobacco plants, his first experiment could commence. One thing that he¡¯d noticed about his [Draconic Breath] Ability was that it could have sub-abilities, as well as the part about it enabling him to ¡®breathe out various elements¡¯. He wasn¡¯t sure why the version of himself that people remembered hadn¡¯t tried something with that before, but he¡¯d been afraid to ask about his ¡®previous¡¯ actions. Too many questions he had would reveal his ¡®memory loss¡¯ to be a falsehood. Focusing once more on his breathing, instead of focusing on his [Fog Breath], he instead focused on his [Nature Magic] Ability. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.
[Nature Magic] Rank 1 Brings you closer to nature and the natural wonders of the world. You are able to effect plant matter at lower Ranks. Rank up to find more applications!
It took a few minutes for Roge to get the right amount of focus on what he wanted, knowing he was on the right track when an earthy, plant taste started forming in his mouth. Stealing a bit from what he knew about various energy-based religions from before, he started getting more and more of a sense of his mana. Rather than a liquid or a cloud, however, it more felt like liquid metal, similar to mercury. Unlike mercury, he could sense a green glow coming from the energy as he slowly filled up his lungs with it. Once he felt like he had the right amount, he steadily blew the magic out, opening his apparently shut eyes to watch the process. Rather than a cloud like he was expecting, the magic flowed out in twisting turns like vines. One might mistake it for fire if not for the fact that it didn¡¯t burn any of the plants. Instead, the plants seemed to grow a bit taller as they absorbed the flames, shaking as they grew a few inches. One [Inspect] and he could tell that his suspicion had turned out to be true.
Tobacco Rank 0 Abilities: [De-Stress](R1), [Smokable](R0), [Stimulant](R1), [Toxic](R-1), [Carcinogenic](R-1) Status: Magically Enhanced (Growth Focused)
Rank up! [Nature Magic] 1->2
Rank up! [Inspect] 1->2
Rank up! [Draconic Breath] 1->2
New sub-ability [Growth Breath] unlocked!
Since he hadn¡¯t let any intent into what he was doing other than to blow out [Nature Magic], he assumed the plants used the energy for more growth. The Rank ups were a welcome sight as well, though he was confused by the [Inspect] one. ¡®Maybe because I cared more about the result?¡¯ he thought to himself. He¡¯d used it countless times on the plants before and hadn¡¯t gotten the stupid skill to Rank up once before that! Shaking off his irritation, Roge moved over to the other side of the greenhouse to look for a specific plant. It didn¡¯t take him too long to do so, the plant familiar to him after he¡¯d first cut a leaf off of it.
Peppermint Rank 2 Abilities: [Detox](1), [Stomach Calmer](1), [Spice](0) Status: Healthy Adult
Roge felt the ridges where his eyebrows would normally be raise as he [Inspected] the plant, having not seen as much information before. He¡¯d spotted the [Detox] Ability before, which made him think of coming to this plant first, but the [Stomach Calmer] one hadn¡¯t been there before. Nor was the Rank of the plant displayed either. Making a mental note of the fact that his Rank up level was similar to the level of the plant, he focused on the one attribute he wanted. [Detox] seemed like the perfect thing he could add to the tobacco plants, as it would most likely counteract at least one of the negative effects in it. At least, if his thinking was correct. After a few minutes of trying out his [Draconic Breath] to pull the Ability into his lungs proved fruitless, he couldn¡¯t put his finger (er¡­ claw?) on what he was doing wrong. He got a sense that he could transfer Abilities between plants, most likely from the nudges [Nature Magic] was giving him, but he couldn¡¯t think of what else to try. That had been his one good idea and it seemed to be a complete failure. As Roge was about to flick the screen out of his face, determined to look at it another time, his finger paused as it hovered over the text. That feeling from [Nature Magic] just got a whole lot stronger, especially when he hovered his finger over the [Detox] section of his [Inspect] window. ¡°Certainly I can¡¯t¡­¡± he murmured to himself, tapping the Ability while thinking about pulling it *out*. Having not expected anything to work, Roge was quite surprised when what looked like a coin manifested right in front of the screen. It dropped to the ground as he failed to catch it, drawing his eye to the peppermint plant and giving him another mini heart attack. The plant looked aged, as though it had been kept out in the sun with no water for several days. Thinking quick, he added a bit more water to it with his [Fog Breath], not even thinking about trying his new sub-ability with how long it took for him to cast currently. Thankfully the plant seemed to perk back up, though Roge would definitely spend more time on it to make sure it didn¡¯t die on him. ¡®Can¡¯t have Madam Madrid docking my pay for killing her plants¡­¡¯ With the plant looking healthy enough and not degrading further, Roge finally looked at the coin that was sitting on the floor. About an inch in diameter, it almost looked to be made of white crystal with how see-through it was, the object glowing with a deep white light. The side Roge could see was stamped with what looked to be a teacup, stylized ¡®steam¡¯ coming off of it on the design. Picking it up, the back had the exact same design mirrored on it, the white pigment clouding the coin slightly so he couldn¡¯t see completely through it. Looking closely at it, it almost looked like hollow crystal with fog moving around on the inside.
Ability Coin Rank 1 Abilities: [Detox](1) The refined essence of an Ability. This coin contains the essence of purifying and detoxifying ailments in the body.
Roge¡¯s eyes widened at that description, his grin most likely sharp with his reptilian teeth. ¡®Just what I wanted!¡¯ He quickly ran over to one of the Tobacco plants right at the corner of the plot, pulling up its status and thinking of ¡®depositing¡¯ the coin into it. Unlike his other first thought with how his magic should work, this one worked first try, his thought of getting rid of a negative Ability spot on.
Magic Tobacco Rank 1 Abilities: [De-Stress](R1), [Smokable](R0), [Stimulant](R1), [Toxic](R-1) Status: Magically Enhanced (Growth Focused), Magically Sated
Magically Sated This creature is full of magic and cannot take any more.
A sigh was let out at the [Status] description, Roge having wanted to add another coin to get rid of the other bad effect. ¡®Whatever. One step at a time.¡¯ Feeling for his mana once again, he could tell that he was a bit low, though that didn¡¯t stop him from [Magically Enhancing] the rest of the plants in the greenhouse. ¡®Need more Abilities after all¡­¡¯ ~~~ Waiting around for his mana to refill, having heard it was mostly a product of his [Wisdom] that determined that, Roge decided to work on the processing of the product he needed to make for the day. Grinding the tobacco, rolling cigarettes, and filling bags took him a good bit of time without magic to assist him, but he was happy for the mundane grind. Now that he was paying attention, he could feel his mana refill over time as he worked. It took him a good few hours to complete all of the orders, most nobles wanting great quantities of packs so their servants didn¡¯t have to roll them themselves. After placing the last label onto the wooden boxes, wondering why the nobles didn¡¯t just bring the handcrafted packs back, he sat back and stretched. His mana was mostly full at that moment, so Roge quickly went back to the greenhouse to potentially get more of their stock of tobacco the same as his test plant. Chapter 03- Highs and Lows With his tail giving a wag behind him, Roge dutifully looked over the peppermint plant, making sure he hadn¡¯t done any lasting damage to it before moving on to the others. Madam Madrid must have gotten a good steal for the plants, as they seemed to barely export the plants to some of the other shops in town. This led to Roge not feeling too bad as he collected four more coins, making sure to give each plant a boost of [Nature Magic] before moving on. This left fifteen other plants for them to take clippings from, the dragon noticing his mana barely going down from the activity. ¡®From my high [Intelligence]?¡¯ he wondered, recalling his boost of all of the plants in the greenhouse taking a lot more out of him. ¡®Better keep an eye on that¡­¡¯ As tempted as he was to drain all of the plants of their Abilities, he tempered the thought so as to not deplete their stock too much. Even five plants being withered as they were, though he noticed the Ability Coin didn¡¯t *remove* the Ability taken, might get him in trouble if he didn¡¯t inform his boss of it by the end of the day. Madam Madrid was a fair woman, but he wouldn¡¯t push things too far. Slotting three of the coins into the plants next to his first took nothing out of the dragon mana wise, leaving one coin left to show off to his orc boss. Once again it removed the harmful Carcinogenic Ability and gained them the Magically Sated status. He¡¯d check back tomorrow to see how fast they lost that, pulling up his inventor screen to pull out his tools. The screen had the same background as his [Status], filled in with a grid of forty-nine individual boxes with a money counter at the top. Depending on what he put into the extra-dimensional space, it would stack any number of items into one box for smaller items, less for larger. He still hadn¡¯t asked how his inventory worked, content with the rather large size of it for the moment. Pulling out his clippers from its slot, he was about to get to work when he shoved the Ability Coin into the inventory to free up his claws. Instead of going into a normal slot like all of his other items had, it instead made a new column off to the side.
Ability Coins
[Detox] 1
As soon as that new addition made itself known, even more popups appeared across his vision, making his eyes go wide.
[Draconic Magic] Ability Unlocked!
[Draconic Magic] Skill [Ability Hoard] Unlocked!
New Class Available: [Draconic Sorcerer]
Blinking *hard* at the new information, Roge looked over at his main [Status] screen, seeing a [+] next to his [Novice Gardening] class that he immediately selected.
[Draconic Sorcerer] Following in the footsteps of the more magical dragons in your lineage, this class gives magical Skills related to hoarding what catches your fancy. Blind Linear Progression Tree
Multiclassing Tooltip: You can select more than one class to put in your active list. The first skill of the class comes automatically, whether you set the class to active or not. Any future skills you can earn by leveling up or learning on your own are only given if a class is in the active list. A class does not rank up if not put onto the active list. Moving a class off the active list is only available once every 10 Ranks, so choose your active classes wisely! Further information hidden!
Add [Draconic Sorcerer] to your list of active classes? [Yes] [No]
Frowning at the last portion of the tooltip, Roge only hesitated for a moment before selecting [Yes] on the last prompt, pulling back up his [Status] and seeing it listed there. There didn¡¯t seem to be any downside at the moment. Besides, the [Ability Hoard] Ability just made him curious as to what other Abilities could be unlocked.
[Ability Hoard] Rank 1 Hoard the Abilities of various creatures or objects for your own end. Aspects: [Ability] [Greed] [Enhancement] Effects:
  • [Extract] an Ability Coin from a creature or object, damaging them in the process. Damage scales with higher ranked Abilities. Difficulty of extraction scales with the Rank of the subject and Ability, inversely scaling with this Ability¡¯s Rank.
  • [Deposit] an Ability Coin into a creature or object. When they reach capacity, Magically Sated status will be applied, duration dependent on rank of Ability and rank of subject.
  • [Store] [Unknown]
  • Further effects [Unknown]
Shaking off his distraction, Roge moved on to harvesting some of the viable leaves from the tobacco plants as part of his work. The Magical Tobacco leaves were put into a different slot of his inventory, making it easy to sort them out from the normal ones. Once he had collected a couple hundred leaves, with twenty being the magical kind, he went back to the front of the store. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°Hey Madam Madrid?¡± he asked tentatively, the orc woman giving him a narrow-eyed look at his hesitant tone. ¡°Uh¡­ can I show you something real quick?¡± ¡°You better not have killed some of my plants again,¡± she sighed, getting up from the desk and locking the front door, the sign on the front stating they would be back in ten minutes. ¡°Uh¡­ no. Again, though?¡± he asked, trailing behind her as she made her way to the greenhouse. ¡°With your Skill Ranks so low, you usually¡­¡± she trailed off, immediately noticing the slightly wilted peppermint and walked over to it. ¡°Well¡­ these don¡¯t look too sick. What did you do?¡± Roge immediately pulled out his Detox Ability Coin at that, Madam Madrid¡¯s eyes going wide as he handed it over. ¡°I uh¡­ got a new Skill.¡± ¡°A Skill or a Spell, boy?¡± she asked brusquely, turning the coin over to see the mirrored side. ¡°A Skill. There are Spells?¡± he asked excitedly, pulling up his [Status] and frowning at the lack of the category. ¡°Only with people in the Church. And outlaws of course.¡± At his confused expression, she continued on with the impromptu lecture with a sigh. ¡°Spells are regulated by the Church, as they can very quickly lead to destruction and mayhem. Even the Flame Mage class can get access to various [Mind Magic] Spells, the category outright banned. Even Skills with that descriptor are put under extra scrutiny.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Roge muttered, feeling his tail fall limp to the floor. ¡°So my probation meetings¡­¡± ¡°Are because of your [Nature Magic], yes,¡± she stated, giving Roge the coin back with a stern look. ¡°What Class did you gain access to?¡± After explaining the Class and its Skill, Madam Madrid nodded her head, jangling the chains on her neck as she did. ¡°Should be fine. Some are going to have issues with the [Ability] aspect, but the [Inspect] Skill has that too, so it shouldn¡¯t be too bad. Just be up front with your parole officer.¡± She gave him a smirk at that, Roge flinching in response. He didn¡¯t want to think about that at the moment, instead moving on to showing the removal of the negative Ability of the tobacco. ¡°My skill says the Magically Sated status should wear off at some point. I¡¯m thinking once it does¡­¡± ¡°You might be able to get rid of the [Toxic] Ability as well. Smart boy,¡± Madam Madrid muttered, tapping at her tusks as she thought everything through. ¡°You collected some of the leaves I assume?¡± At his nod she waved him over to the drying machine, inspecting it for a moment before motioning for him to fill it. ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll get some kind of cleaning skill next, though this should do for now. Fill it with both leaves and we¡¯ll see what difference it makes tomorrow.¡± ¡°Am I uh¡­ after I see if the peppermint is recovered tomorrow¡­¡± ¡°Yes, you can take more Abilities,¡± She waved off the rest of his sentence as he finished filling the machine. ¡°See what other things you can get from them. Just make sure to leave enough mana for the tobacco leaves. We¡¯ll start by removing the horrid [Carcinogenic] Ability and go from there.¡± Turning on the machine for the night, the orc woman clapped him on the back with a wide, tusky smile on her face. ¡°Keep this up and I¡¯ll give you a raise for your troubles. The new product should pay for that and then some. Now to just get you working my side business¡­¡± ¡°Nope!¡± Roge shouted out, nearly banging his wings and tail on the machines when he dashed away from her. ¡°Work¡¯s done for the day. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow!¡± Rushing out of the shop with his scales feeling heated, he barely heard her laughter with how quickly he moved. ~~~ Double checking his [Quests] as he started home, Roge nearly ran into someone as he reached the door of the inn, his mind distracted by the possibilities of his new Class. ¡°What¡¯s the rush Zard?¡± a harsh voice rang out, Roge flinching as he waved away his [Status]. Looking like a humanoid raven with black and red feathers, the dragon couldn¡¯t help the horror he felt the few times he saw his probation officer. Part of that was from having one to begin with, but most of it was from Paul¡¯s fashion sense, his feather color clashing widely with his golden robe robe. [Priests] could pick any colors for their official robe, but this golden one and the previous white one showed that the avian clearly didn¡¯t know what looked good on him. ¡°New stuff at work¡­ sorry¡­¡± Roge mumbled, Paul¡¯s voice reminding him of things he¡¯d rather forget. After waiting a few seconds, where Paul just glared at him, Roge finally got the hint to share his [Status]. He didn¡¯t need to of course, having been told that the [Priest] just needed proximity to pull it up whenever he wanted, but the smirk on the avian¡¯s face told the dragon everything he needed to know on that front. ¡°Let¡¯s see here Zard,¡± Paul muttered, Roge frowning at the casual use of the slur. ¡°Picked up a new Class I see! Very impressive¡­¡± His sarcastic tone quickly trailed off with his voice, presumably reading over the descriptions as his beak somehow expressed a grimace. ¡°What the fuck is this?!¡± ¡°I uh¡­ was trying some things earlier with the plants and got some Skills¡­¡± ¡°Skills my ass!¡± the [Priest] squawked, making Roge back up a step as he got right in the dragon¡¯s face. ¡°This is practically a Spell! If I¡¯ve found out you payed for a [Status] rewrite-¡° ¡°What are you-¡± Roge complained. ¡°Not to mention that I¡¯ve never even heard of this Class! What the hell is a [Sorcerer]?!¡± Roge paused for a moment at that, feeling somewhat confused at the question. ¡°I uh¡­ shouldn¡¯t *you* know that?¡± he asked, bewildered. ¡°Oh don¡¯t take that sarcastic tone with me!¡± A claw was shoved in his face at that, the raven-like man¡¯s hands looking vaguely similar to his own. ¡°I¡¯ll get to the bottom of this and once I do¡­¡± A swat to his face was all it took for Roge to go down, grunting as he failed catching himself and felt a bruise forming on his snout and side. Thankfully, there weren¡¯t any other attacks, the dragon looking up and watching the [Priest] angrily walk away. Roge took a few minutes after that to calm down, his heart thudding in his chest as, with a pained wince, he shifted to sit with his back to the inn¡¯s wall. He almost crushed his tail as he momentarily forgot about it, not even bothering to lean back lest he do the same with his wings. He felt angry at Paul for his behavior, but also angry at himself. Of course he¡¯d try getting new Skills right before that meeting, though he hadn¡¯t guessed it would go that far. Yes his last probation meeting a few days ago hadn¡¯t been good, but Paul at least had been feigning politeness. Minus the name calling, of course. ¡®All because I have Magic,¡¯ He sighed at that thought, feeling the joy of his discoveries earlier in the day start to fade. As with most children, he¡¯d dreamed of one day having magical abilities, before the mundanity of reality took hold as he grew. Programming was fun in that regard, having taken up the profession to better understand how the magic of technology had worked. ¡®Be careful what you wish for and all that¡­¡¯ After he¡¯d calmed himself down, though still laden with a good bit of sadness, Roge got up and headed into the inn to be greeted by a familiar face, one just as reptilian as his own. Chapter 04- Finding His #ERROR In The World ¡°Hey dad,¡± Roge grumbled, slipping his way past the larger [Dragonkin] to sit at a nearby table. The eating area of the inn was a bit busier than normal that night, though it wasn¡¯t that noisy for him to miss his father¡¯s words. ¡°You¡¯ve been avoiding me, Roge. Want to tell me why?¡± Sitting down at the chair opposite, Roge was practically the spitting image of his father, though the dark brown scale color set them apart by a lot for the reptilian man. Wearing the usual tan and brown shirt and pants combo made it even stranger, Roge having to look at his father¡¯s muzzle to not get sidetracked. ¡°I¡¯d rather not if I¡¯m being honest.¡± He bit back his next comment, feeling a sense of disappointment for living in his parents¡¯ inn wash through him. ¡°Have I been missing anything? Is rent due?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± His dad leaned back at that, a suspicious look crossing his face. ¡°Unless you count not buying out all of my drinks every night.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Roge mumbled, Fred apparently having missed that detail in his explanations. ¡°Just haven¡¯t been feeling up-¡° ¡°Roge. Look at me.¡± He hadn¡¯t even noticed he¡¯d started looking off to the side, suddenly looking at his dad¡¯s concerned face. Something in his own look must have confirmed something for the older dragon as he let out a sigh, brown particles of magic coming from his maw. ¡°When did you get the class?¡± ¡°Huh? What are you-¡± ¡°I know you got a Draconic class. What is it?¡± This made Roge pause some more, having not expected for that to be the conclusion his father jumped to. ¡°[Draconic Sorcerer].¡± ¡®Honestly will put off the tougher question for later¡­¡¯ His dad let out a massive sigh at that, rubbing his eyes in a stressed and angry motion. ¡°How long?¡± ¡°Got it today, actually.¡± ¡°Of all of the warnings I¡¯ve given you¡­¡± His father seemed to cut himself off at that, a deep breath relaxing the stiffness in his shoulders. ¡°You sure you want to go down this route? You can still disable it when you get it to rank ten.¡± The worry and kindness in his father¡¯s eyes made him pause, Roge thinking over what the problem could be before deciding he didn¡¯t have enough information. ¡°Once I get it to rank ten¡­ we¡¯ll see,¡± he muttered, looking away from his dad to look at the people happily eating and drinking at the other tables. ¡°It¡¯s not something I¡¯m willing to give up willy nilly.¡± ¡°Okay son,¡± his dad sighed, getting up and patting him on the shoulder. ¡°Your minder knows I assume?¡± His dad looked over the chipped scales on Roge¡¯s face, the smaller dragon feeling uncomfortable at the scrutiny. ¡°He seemed to freak out more over the Sorcerer part. Thought I rewrote my [Status] as the skill it gave had to be a spell, in his words.¡± ¡°Well, considering I¡¯ve never heard of it either¡­¡± His father once again patted his shoulder, moving off towards the kitchen door. ¡°Just be careful.¡± ¡°I will, dad,¡± Roge stated quietly, tears burning in his eyes as he tried not to think of how similar this father was to the previous. ¡®But not the same¡­¡¯ ~~~ The rest of the night went slowly for Roge, moving up to his room after eating a somewhat bland meal. ¡®Dad really needs a cooking class¡­¡¯ After brushing off that errant thought, he moved to his desk, tapping away at the wood as he looked over the various items. The desk wasn¡¯t that big, but his ¡®previous¡¯ self had apparently been trying to stockpile a literal hoard of junk, the shelves reaching up to the ceiling. Half finished wooden figurines, cloth badly stitched together, and many other crafting materials lined the wooden shelves, some so cramped he could barely figure out what some things were. His eyes snagged on a set of paints, though. ¡®He tried so many ways to get other classes.¡¯ He knew it to be fruitless, though. He¡¯d never had any *normal* creative skill, whether that be in art or other matters. The only creative skill he had was in his programming. ¡®And now I can program objects¡­¡¯ Pulling down the small jar of red paint, he pulled up the item description, frowning at how much information he received.
Red Paint Rank 0 Abilities: [Color](R0), [Drying](R0), [Pigment](R1), [Toxic](R-1)
[Inspect] Rank 2 See more detail on what you look at. Aspects: [Ability] [Sight] Cost: Very Low Magic Specialties: Plant-life ([Nature Magic]), Abilities ([Draconic Sorcerer])
He cocked his head to the side at that, confused as to how he could have a ¡®specialty¡¯ that was that broad. ¡®Maybe other people get more descriptive info¡­?¡¯ Looking back at the abilities the paint had, Roge smiled at the familiar Toxic one, understanding that drinking paint was a bad idea. The one he really wanted, though, was the Rank 1 [Pigment], focusing on it intently with no more information forthcoming. Shrugging his shoulder, and jostling his wings and bruised hip as he did, he tried pulling out the [Pigment] ability first, struggling for a moment to get in the right mindset before the coin immediately popped out. Before he could look at its description, the harm to the red paint startled him, as glowing black cracks spread through the liquid paint. Thankfully, he¡¯d placed it on the table first, as he had no desire to touch the destructive energy, the paint condensing and quickly turning to ash.
Jar of Ash
¡°Well that¡¯s helpful,¡± he sarcastically muttered to himself, deciding to get rid of it in the laziest way possible by putting it in his inventory. Where, of course, the ash landed in what he was starting to think of as his hoard, the jar appearing relatively clean in his normal inventory.
Ability Coins
[Detox] This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. 1
Ash 1
He thunked his head against the table at that, frustrated that his [Inspect] couldn¡¯t get anything further out of it. ¡®Makes sense I guess¡­¡¯ he grumbled to himself, trying to focus more on the coin he still had in his hand. This one had what looked to be a brush on its face, the entire coin the exact shade of red the paint was, down to its opacity. Instead of looking like some kind of crystal, it more looked like someone took the paint he¡¯d used and filled a coin mold with it.
Ability Coin Rank 1 Abilities: [Pigment](1) The refined essence of an Ability. This coin contains the essence of a color and replacing colors with itself.
Simple enough to understand, or so Roge thought. ¡®Put it in another object and it changes the color. Don¡¯t know why it couldn¡¯t just say that.¡¯ Putting the coin into his inventory, he pulled down the rest of the paints, finding he had access to the primary colors, red, yellow, and blue, as well as black and white. From the palette stuffed behind them full of randomly mixed paints, Roge assumed that any color could be made by mixing the colors he had. ¡®Could just breed the plants together to make other colors¡­¡¯ Pulling out the [Pigment] coin from all of the paints took him some time, his emotions occasionally coming in and ruining his focus. ¡®Does dad suspect I don¡¯t remember anything¡­?¡¯ Pushing those thoughts off to the side wasn¡¯t healthy, or at least he assumed so, but he needed to concentrate if he wanted the next day¡¯s experiment to go well. Once he was done with the paints themselves, depositing the jars of ash into his inventory to clean them, he grabbed the palette itself, inspecting that to see what he could get off of it.
Painting Palette Rank -1 (Dirty) Abilities: [Color](R0), [Toxic](R-1)
Rubbing his head was going to become a regular thing for the dragon, he just knew it. ¡®Need to stop by a library before work tomorrow or something¡­¡¯ He didn¡¯t know what a negative rank did to an object, as it clearly didn¡¯t make the object more fragile when he tried to bend it. Leaving the mystery for another time, he tried this time to pull the [Color] ability out, leaving his claw and desk littered with ash.
Ability Coin Rank 0 Abilities: [Color](0) The refined essence of an Ability. This coin contains the essence of a color and binding.
¡®Less helpful.¡¯ This coin he decided to try to meditate upon, as that couldn¡¯t be all there was to it. It had what looked to be a glob of paint, though this coin looked even stranger than the others. The main part of the coin was black, so black he was reminded of the ¡®darkest black paint¡¯ he¡¯d heard about somewhere online. A black so dark that practically no light was reflected off of it. This coin was even stranger, Roge suspecting it reflect *no* light at all, as it looked practically one dimensional. The center design of the coin looked like a splotch of white paint, like someone took a dollop of the stuff and gently smacked it into the coin. Even that looked odd, however, like the white *reflected* all light into its purest form. With the fading sunlight, the white seemed to grow dim as well, Roge squinting his eyes as he focused on that thought. ¡®It¡¯s¡­ affected by things?¡¯ Looking at the black color, he shook his head, an idea he had on how it might work being confirmed when two popups showed up, followed quickly by a third.
Rank up! [Inspect] 2->3
Ability Coin Rank 0 Abilities: [Color](0) The refined essence of an Ability. This coin contains the essence of a color. Uses: [Ao] = [A1] + [A2] #DISPLAY_ERROR
#ERROR! Uses category attempting to display non-displayable text! #BUG_REPORT has been sent to an administrator for #DEBUGGING. Priority: Low
Cocking his head to the side, Roge tried to puzzle the confusing text box out. The contents made sense, as apparently he¡¯d tried to get his [Inspect] skill to display things that it couldn¡¯t translate. He still had the idea that had prompted the boxes, as he suspected the abilities in front of the [Color] Ability, [A1] and [A2], would determine its effect, [Ao]. It¡¯s why the paint had [Color], [Drying], [Pigment] in that order. As soon as he¡¯d seen that, it quickly reminded him of coding as he looked at the coin¡¯s description. Name of the function followed by two variables that affect what the function would spit out. Thus binding them together. In the paint¡¯s case, drying would cause the [Pigment] ability to activate, thus changing the color of a painting. It was a bit convoluted, but it made sense. But *why* whatever system ran the boxes *let* him put incompatible information in the [Inspect] box was another story. If something is going to cause an error, just hide it behind the [Unknown] tag he¡¯d seen. Or don¡¯t display it at all. Giving him access to how the box literally *crashed* made no sense. Pulling up the description for the coin once again, the same error occurred in the Uses category, though this time it didn¡¯t show the second message. ¡®This just makes me itch to rewrite this thing. You can¡¯t have an error like that go out to the public.¡¯ Shoving the coin into his inventory, Roge flopped back on his bed as his emotions stewed, too angry to go to sleep in that moment. ~~~ After rubbing his eyes and trying to calm down, Roge gave up and went downstairs and out the back door, deciding some fresh air might help clear his head. The back garden of his family¡¯s inn was more of a practical space than a backyard, the magical streetlights shining a dull orange glow over the picnic tables and fountain. It was more expensive to eat out in the garden, but you got a better view of not only the surroundings, but the city itself. With the sun having just set and still illuminating the west, Roge could get a good view of everything by leaning on the railing at the end of the garden. Since his dad¡¯s inn was parked right on a hill at the edge of the city, anyone sitting there could look over and see practically everything. The clean cut cobble streets criss-crossing the area. Various buildings of stone and wood with multicolored signs hanging from some. But the most eye catching thing was the bay that all of those buildings and roads led to. The water hadn¡¯t been there before the storm, Roge idly wondering why it had decided to divert a whole river to make one. The locals called it ¡®The Wandering Bay¡¯, whatever that meant. It was a beautiful sight for the dragon, at the very least, making him think of how big the world still was, even though he only occupied a small portion of it. The two buildings that stood out from the rest were his most and least favorite places in the city, his eyes drawn right to the sweeping towers of the local Church chapter. It was where he apparently had been forced to go to school when he was younger, glad he didn¡¯t have access to those memories. With how Paul acted, he was scared of the person the storm had made up for his own ¡®past¡¯. Paul hadn¡¯t been¡­ that bad before, maybe a bit too full of himself. But that¡¯s what Roge had liked about the gym nut, always working hard to look his best. ¡®Even when he left me he looked so good¡­¡¯ With eyes once again burning with tears, he moved them to the other large building in his city. That one was more wide than it was tall, taking up a large footprint right next to the main square. He couldn¡¯t see much with the fading lights and distance, but he knew the local Adventurer¡¯s League had many training halls and fields to train up the combatants to fight the monsters in the wilds and dungeons. It was like a true RPG town, in that regard. Excitement always rushed through him when he looked at that building. ¡®Maybe someday I could join. Go on adventures of my own. See more places.¡¯ His mind stuttered when he tried to think of himself fighting, knowing he had no thirst for that part of adventuring. ¡®Probably would need bodyguards¡­¡¯ With that slightly sour thought, he continued to look over the town as he tried to find some calm. The chilly air was just right for him, and the occasional blast of magic coming from both the Church and League popped like fireworks. ¡®I¡¯ll find my place here. Even if I have to make it myself.¡¯ Chapter 05- Colorful Encounters The next day started just like before, though Roge could feel himself becoming more and more used to his new body as the days went on. He even felt comfortable enough to add in his chores for the day onto his [Quests] list.
[Quests] - [Fold]
Today - [Fold]
Library Run 7:00AM Southern Library
Paint Shopping 8:30AM Artist Everywhere
Work 10:00AM-6:00PM Leaf¡¯s Haunt
This Week - [Unfold]
This Month - [Unfold]
As he got dressed, however, looking at one of his plain tan shirts, a thought wouldn¡¯t leave him alone until he experimented some more.
Basic Shirt Rank 0 Abilities: [None](R0)
¡®Okay¡­ so that won¡¯t work.¡¯ There was no ability on the shirt that he could synergise [Color] and [Pigment] with. He was at least expecting something like ¡®[Fabric]¡¯ or something. To help settle his frustration, Roge continued on with his plan, grabbing a quick to-go style breakfast and waving at his wolf friend as he headed out. ¡°Busy day!¡± Roge couldn¡¯t hear anything else Fred said after that, walking quickly towards his local library. ¡®Southern Library¡¯ was vastly unoriginal, but at the very least they didn¡¯t have it on a sign in front of the building, just a sign with glasses and an open book painted onto it. He¡¯d not even needed to know that the library existed beforehand, his [Quests] system leading him to it with the vague ¡®get me to the closest library on my route to work¡¯ inputted into it. ¡®At least GPS is still a thing here¡­¡¯ Once inside, Roge felt a bit lost, his tail drooping as he looked around. *Normally* when he went to a library, they had a computer set up to find a specific book or topic. This one had nothing like that, just the various shelves and the front desk. A glasses wearing elf manned the desk at that time, his large, muscular frame looking slightly out of place as he looked up to inspect the dragon. His skin was even almost human, making Roge feel slightly envious of him. ¡°Need anything?¡± ¡°Yeah uh¡­ I¡¯m needing something to explain item ranks¡­?¡± he asked liltingly, Roge feeling somewhat uncomfortable with the stranger¡¯s full focus. The elf sighed as he looked through an open book on the desk, Roge only catching glimpses of various categories and book titles. ¡°Aisle 22B,¡± the librarian sighed, writing that information down on a piece of paper and handing it to the dragon. ¡°Don¡¯t grab anything from the ¡®Lilting¡¯ series. His books are being heavily disputed right now.¡± With that, he was apparently dismissed, the elf going back to writing something in another book on the desk. Looking up at the signs made navigating the library easy, envying the system over however the library he was used to did it. Because libraries tended to grow or shrink over time, their organization of the shelves themselves sometimes made looking for a particular section hard. He found the section he was looking for quickly in the massive library, heading up to the second floor, going down aisle 2, and finding section B. Unfortunately, the hard part now came, Roge groaning as he looked at all of the *unlabeled* books.
Book Rank 0 Abilities: [Information](R0)
With a swipe at the useless screen, Roge started near the beginning of the section, hoping he could find something useful before he needed to head out. ~~~ He barely made his self imposed time limit, having found so many books that were either too academic or literal children¡¯s books. The one he found was a good in between, though the title made him laugh every time he read it. ¡®Item Ranks for Dummies¡¯. From what he could skim, he knew it was a good pick, grabbing it and heading back to the front. ¡°Checking out?¡± With a nod, the large elf squinted at Roge before using some enchanted machine to print out¡­ ¡°A library card?¡± Roge asked, growing even more surprised as his [Inspect] came up with nothing but question marks. The librarian ignored him, swiping the card over Roge¡¯s book before placing it on an inscribed metal plate. ¡°There. Return it in a week or pay for an extension.¡± A quest notification popped up at that, though Roge swiped it away without looking to look over the card. What looked to be plastic seemed to actually be made of wood, the dragon¡¯s face perfectly printed onto it along with his information and residency address. He wasn¡¯t sure how comfortable he was with people being able to get that information from him, but the strange look from the elf made him leave the library with a quick pace. Stuffing both the book and card into his inventory, the items slotting in correctly for once, he made a quick stop at the paint store to get more and smaller jars of paint. He wanted to confirm his theories on the [Color] ability, feeling slightly nervous if his guess was completely off. In all the excitement of using his abilities and the frustration from the error message, he realized upon waking that the messages hadn¡¯t *actually* confirmed anything with how vague they were. Besides, he was interested to see how it worked if his theory was right. The first part of his shift went by quickly, Roge grinning as each of the plants got even taller from his magic. Moving to his modified tobacco plants, his grin got even bigger, the dragon having to stop himself from dancing at what he saw.
Magic Tobacco Rank 1 Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Abilities: [De-Stress](R1), [Smokable](R0), [Stimulant](R1), [Toxic](R-1) Status: Magically Enhanced (Growth Focused)
He¡¯d been worried that he¡¯d need to grow a whole new plant to get rid of the Magically Sated status, but he was glad to be proven wrong. Even the peppermint plants weren¡¯t showing any signs that they were worse for wear, Roge making sure he sent out his dragonbreath right before pulling the coin out just in case. He was expecting a lot from the peppermint plants, now that he knew he could get rid of negative abilities using [Detox]. Placing the coin into the first tobacco plant¡¯s [Inspect] screen, Roge was surprised when the plant started to glow a faint white color, same as the [Detox] coins. He waited a few seconds to see if anything else would happen, though nothing did as the glow started to fade.
Purifying Tobacco Rank 3 Abilities: [De-Stress](R1), [Smokable](R0), [Stimulant](R1), [Purify](R1) Status: Magically Enhanced (Growth Focused), Magically Stable(R1)
Magically Stable Rank 1 This creature has been modified with magic, leading to a more stable version. Abilities will be harder to add, requiring more focus and mana.
Rank up! [Nature Magic] 2->3
Rank up! [Inspect] 3->4
Rank up! [Ability Hoard] 1->2
Roge wasn¡¯t sure how he felt about all of the popups, looking at them one by one without dismissing them. Sure, he was glad for the unexpected upgrade to the plant, though he still couldn¡¯t look at what the ability *said*. And now that he gained a rank up on [Ability Hoard], the increased difficulty for putting in abilities should be mitigated. But he still didn¡¯t like it, even if he could understand. Just being able to put every single ability he could find into the same plant wouldn¡¯t be feasible or fair. He still couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling of disappointment, moving on to alter the other plants in the same way. Once the four ¡®purified¡¯ plants were done, ¡®Whatever that means,¡¯ Roge moved on to the next one in the line, taking out the [Color] and [Pigment] coins from his inventory. Seeing no need to wait on his new experiment, he pushed the red [Pigment] coin in first, focusing really hard on where he wanted it placed in the list.
Tobacco Rank 2 Abilities: [De-Stress](R1), [Smokable](R0), [Pigment](R1) [Stimulant](R1), [Toxic](R-1), [Carcinogenic](R-1) Status: Magically Enhanced (Growth Focused), Magically Sated
Nodding at the last part, Roge looked at the strange black and white [Color] coin, hoping that because it was a rank 0 coin, he could still add it. At the very least, the first coin he put in worked how he thought it would, all of the colors of the plant being replaced by varying shades of red. The leaves looked the most odd, being almost a blood red in color. Crossing his fingers, he focused hard once again on placement, excitement blooming through him as the coin was accepted and the plant started shining with a red light.
Rank up! [Inspect] 4->5
[Inspect] has gained a new effect!
Tobacco Rank 1 Abilities: [De-Stress](R1), [Color](R0) [Smokable](R0), [Pigment](R1) [Stimulant](R1), [Toxic](R-1), [Carcinogenic](R-1) Status: Magically Enhanced (Growth Focused), Magically Sated Effect: When smoked, the smoke of the leaves of this plant will be red in color.
Scratching his head in confusion, his claw bumping up against his horns for a moment, Roge decided to look at the purified plant once again, as well as pull up the screen for [Inspect] while he was at it.
Purifying Tobacco Rank 3 Abilities: [De-Stress](R1), [Smokable](R0), [Stimulant](R1), [Purify](R1) Status: Magically Enhanced (Growth Focused), Magically Stable(R1) Effect: When smoked, cures the person of one Rank 1 negative status ailment. Can only be used in this way once per day, with no negative side effects from smoking.
[Inspect] Rank 5 See more detail on what you look at. Aspects: [Ability] [Sight] Cost: Very Low Magic Specialties: Plant-life ([Nature Magic]), Abilities ([Draconic Sorcerer]) Added Effects: [Plant Effects](R1) ([Nature Magic])
[Plant Effects] Rank 1 See what kind of effect the plant has when ingested. Rank Requirements: +1 Rank and Effect for every 5 ranks Inspect has.
Feeling himself starting to get a headache, Roge swiped the screens away with an irritated grimace. ¡®More things I have to keep track of? Ranking up an effect inside a skill?¡¯ At the very least he didn¡¯t have to put points into anything, something he¡¯d dreaded in games he¡¯d played before. ¡®Just a standard upgrade when you use it. Hard work means more power.¡¯ Taking a look at the magical plants one last time, mostly to make sure they were all still doing okay, he headed over to the workstation to get started on the day¡¯s orders, stuffing the processed leaves into his inventory to sort out the magical ones. Feeling a bit guilty about working on personal projects during work time, he got started on the day¡¯s orders first, excitement flowing through him as he did so. ¡®Magical cigarettes. Wonder wha- ow! Stupid tail!¡¯ ~~~ Thankfully, the orders Roge had to fill out were minimal for that day, the dragon getting them done within a couple hours. As he was stretching his back, Madam Madrid sauntered into the workroom, Roge giving her a questioning look. ¡°What? You think I¡¯m not going to be here to see what you make, boy?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ fair,¡± he grumbled, pulling out the magical leaves and setting them up to grind. ¡°These are only the first step, though. I improved them further-¡° He cut himself off with a smile as the orc woman rushed into the greenhouse, cranking the machine to get the tobacco to the right consistency. By the time she returned, he was already rolling a few, putting them into one of their standard wooden boxes. He would have called it a pack, the rectangular shape and pulling the cigarettes from the top making it look like one, but the wood apparently made it a ¡®box¡¯ in the system¡¯s mind. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ incredible!¡± she exclaimed, giving Roge an assessing eye as he finished up the box. ¡°Though I¡¯m not sure if I can pay you enough for that work. Mages usually cost so much¡­¡± ¡°Hmm. Maybe hire an apprentice to do this part of the work?¡± Roge asked, pulling up the box in his [Inspect] window.
Leaf¡¯s Haunt Cigarette Box Rank 1 Abilities: [De-Stress](R1), [Smokable](R0), [Stimulant](R1), [Toxic](R-1) Effect: When smoked, calms a person¡¯s nerves.
¡°Thought so,¡± Roge grumbled, handing the box over and letting Madam Madrid inspect it. ¡°Besides removing [Carcinogenic], the product is pretty much the same.¡± ¡°Well, those other plants should make something new. You¡¯re going to do the [Detox] thing to the red plant before harvesting, right boy?¡± Madam Madrid¡¯s words made the dragon perk up, pulling out the paints he¡¯d gotten from the store that morning. ¡°That¡¯s the plan. Think we can get more [Detox] plants?¡± ¡°I like the way you think, boy.¡± With a pat on the back, Madam Madrid let Roge get to his work, the jingling of coins occasionally being heard as she worked the front counter. Chapter 06- Biting Into Secrets Working to get the coins out of the paints took almost no time at all, the dragon smiling at the 3 coins of red, with black, white, yellow, and blue getting 4 of each in total. With the basic colors out of the way, he started working on getting more of the [Color] ability, wondering for a moment if he should have gotten a canvas to see what kinds of abilities it had. A new popup screen distracted him as he was working through the other jars of paints, frowning as he looked at the message.
Rank up! [Ability Hoard] 2->3
Now that he thought about it, he hadn¡¯t looked at the description for the ability in a good bit, filtering through his [Status] until he found what he was looking for.
[Ability Hoard] Rank 3 Hoard the Abilities of various creatures or objects for your own end. Aspects: [Ability] [Greed] [Enhancement] Effects: [Extract] an Ability Coin from a creature or object, damaging them in the process. Damage scales with higher ranked Abilities. Difficulty of extraction scales with the Rank of the subject and Ability, inversely scaling with this Ability¡¯s Rank. [Deposit] an Ability Coin into a creature or object. When they reach capacity, Magically Sated status will be applied, duration dependent on rank of Ability and rank of subject. [Store] an Ability Coin in your hoard. The more of one type you have in your inventory, the more you increase your personal power. [Unknown] Further effects [Unknown] Buffs: [Color]
Ability Coins
[Detox] 1
Ash 30
[Pigment] (Red) 3
[Pigment] (Yellow) 4
[Pigment] (Blue) 4
[Pigment] (Black) 4
[Pigment] (White) 4
[Color] 10
Color Buff Change the visual effect of one of your abilities or skills to one of the primary colors.
¡®That¡¯s¡­ huh?¡¯ he thought to himself, grunting as he read the screens a few times. ¡®So just¡­ [Storing] coins can get me new abilities? Or is it only particular ones?¡¯ The only problem Roge had was the fact that he didn¡¯t have enough paints to get 10 coins for any of the colors, though he did get four more blues just to see if he got a buff at five coins. When no screen popped up, and with a slight sigh, Roge turned the rest of the paints into [Color] coins. He was a bit angry at the fact that he now didn¡¯t have enough to do the amount of plants he wanted, but he reasoned he would just start with one of each instead of four. After putting each of the colors into one tobacco plant each, Roge holding back a chuckle at how odd the colored plants looked, he moved on to see the other abilities he could take from the garden. Unfortunately, while all of the plants had decent medicinal properties, most were just repeats of what he already saw. Yes, [Stomach Calmer] and [Intestinal Calmer] were separate things, but they basically would have the same effect. He thought about asking Madam Madrid about him taking those properties for the buffs, but he decided he would tackle that later. Two plants stood out to him out of the mess, most not necessarily being medicinal plants. He wasn¡¯t even sure why Madam Madrid had venus flytraps, but he shrugged that off as he looked at the two windows.
Creeper Vine Rank 2 Abilities: [Cling](R1), [Strangle](R1) Status: Magically Enhanced (Growth Focused) Uses: [None]
Venus Flytrap Rank 2 Abilities: [Munch](R1), [Sensing](R1) Status: Magically Enhanced (Growth Focused) Uses: [None]
The vines weren¡¯t really a part of the greenhouse itself, just a plant he¡¯d noticed clinging to the outside. But if he combined the two, it¡¯d give him a better idea of how different abilities worked. Besides, having a vine as pest control might be a good item for them to sell. Taking from the venus fly trap first, he [Inspected] the coin, feeling a bit¡­ put off by the description.
Ability Coin Rank 1 Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Abilities: [Munch](1) The refined essence of an Ability. This coin contains the essence of physically eating meat, and gaining nutrients from it.
Definitely not something he wanted a buff for, Roge making sure to give the plant a bit of extra magic before moving on to one of the vines outside. Before he made any adjustments, however, he decided to pull each ability out of two plants, seeing how much the plants could handle the damage by themselves.
Ability Coin Rank 1 Abilities: [Cling](1) The refined essence of an Ability. This coin contains the essence of sticking to and grabbing onto a surface.
Ability Coin Rank 1 Abilities: [Strangle](1) The refined essence of an Ability. This coin contains the essence of grabbing onto something tightly. Uses: [A1] <- [Ao] #DISPLAY_ERROR
#ERROR! Uses category attempting to display non-displayable text! #BUG_REPORT has been sent to an administrator for #DEBUGGING. Priority: Low
He groaned as he looked over the error message once again, flicking it out of the way as he puzzled over the uses section. ¡®So¡­ since the first one was ¡®Ao = A1 + A2¡¯, does this one make it more of a modifier? Like it will lend power to whatever it is put to the right of?¡¯ Since whatever information it was trying to give him was bugged for now, he tried an experiment. Taking one of his blue [Pigment] coins, he turned to another creeper vine, putting it right before the [Strangle] ability to see if it affected things. Besides making the plants rank go up by one, the [Inspect] window didn¡¯t change at all, not that surprising to the dragon as he¡¯d yet to unlock any kind of description for plants. What did surprise him, however, was the physical change to the plant. It seemed pretty tightly wound to the outside of the greenhouse, proved when Roge pulled at one of the unmodified ones and barely got it to move. The modified one, however, wasn¡¯t clinging as hard anymore, as well as its blue color being so vibrant, he couldn¡¯t stare at it for too long. ¡°Theory confirmed,¡± he muttered to himself, moving on to the last vine he could see on that side of the greenhouse and pulling out the [Munch] coin. This one was a ruby red in color, the symbol on it being a set of sharp teeth. He didn¡¯t know how it gave off the impression that the teeth were sinking into the coin, but he would have sworn that¡¯s what they were doing. To not have to look at the coin again, he focused on placing it before [Cling], not wanting to make eating more powerful for the vine. Surprisingly, the vine started glowing once he inserted the coin, a blood red energy coming off the plant before going away. He quickly moved his claw away from the plant at that, noticing each of the leaves splitting into hungry maws and nearly biting one of his fingers.
Creeper Vine Rank 3 Abilities: [Bite](R2), [Strangle](R1) Status: Magically Enhanced (Growth Focused), Magically Stable(R1) Uses: [None]
¡®So¡­ [Cling] and [Munch] make [Bite]?¡¯ he thought to himself while feeling unsure about leaving the apparently ravenous plants out in the alleyway for anyone to see. Pushing the feeling away to think, Roge thought of the only other example he¡¯d gotten. [Toxic] and [Detox] made [Purify], which made sense if you thought about it. Getting rid of a toxin made something pure. Clinging while munching, then, would make each stronger, leading to more of a bite. ¡®But how does it decide when to combine and when not¡­?¡¯ he thought to himself, looking this way and that at the vines. One of them even reached out and snatched a bug flying past, Roge chuckling at the plant¡¯s antics. ~~~ Out of ideas for the day, and feeling like he just needed to check the abilities of more items to get more effects he could use, Roge decided to not experiment more and just continue to work. Tending to the plants and harvesting them used to take a lot longer, his breath ability and his [Novice Gardening] increasing to rank three making the task simpler and faster. Once he had the drying machine filled up for the next day with normal and purified tobacco, he had not much else to do. Unsure what the protocol normally was, Roge went up to the front of the store. He immediately knew he was interrupting something private as he came within range of the conversation, deciding to stay back and listen in. ¡°But I paid up front to have access to him!¡± one voice boomed, Roge not recognizing the voice, though the low pitch and snooty tone made him think male noble. ¡°And when you did, the contract specifically stated *when* you could have access,¡± Madam Madrid countered back, Roge feeling his skin (er¡­ scales?) crawl at her cold tone. ¡°But that¡¯s unfair! My wife is only gone for a few more hours and she said she didn¡¯t want to see it-¡° ¡°That¡¯s not my problem, sir. My employees are only available during certain hours. If you want to hit him up during his shift at the store¡­¡± ¡°No,¡± the noble scoffed. A soft hum soon followed, Roge tempted to take a step back at what was said next. ¡°What about your day employee. I know you said he¡¯s having medical issues, but that dragon was one of my favorite toys.¡± Madam Madrid sighed at that, her jewelry clinking as she lowered her voice. ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s ever going to be back on the market. He¡¯s just gotten adjusted but seems no longer interested.¡± ¡°Well why don¡¯t you work your [Charisma] skills on him. I know-¡° ¡°Enough of that!¡± his boss shouted, her voice white hot with anger. ¡°Out! Now! I¡¯m done with you today. Come back another time for your refund.¡± As squawk was then heard as the noble was presumably pushed out of the front door, the bell jingling as it was opened and closed. ¡°Roge¡­?¡± Madam Madrid called out, causing the dragon to flinch. ¡°Come out, boy.¡± Rounding the corner to the front of the store, Roge looked warily at his employer. He¡¯d gotten several¡­ hints at what her side business was, but nothing that overt. ¡°I¡­ I used to work¡­¡± the dragon mumbled, looking to the trap door hidden behind the counter and feeling hesitant to continue his sentence. ¡°Yes. What do the kids call it? Being a pimp?¡± Roge couldn¡¯t help but snort at that, though his good mood faded quickly. ¡°And yes, you used to work for both of my businesses.¡± ¡°Why haven¡¯t you¡­ asked?¡± he asked, noticing the wince she tried to hide. ¡°Have you used your skills-¡° ¡°Only once, boy. A truth sensing one.¡± The orc woman grinned at that, though Roge was tempted to take a step back. ¡°And you know what? It bounced right off of you. Couldn¡¯t tell if you were faking memory loss or not. And so I decided to believe you, because there¡¯s only one way that I know of to get mental shields like that¡­¡± ¡°But why didn¡¯t you ask me?!¡± Roge shouted out, feeling a bit of anger coil inside of him at being lied to, even by omission. ¡°I just thought I¡¯d been really good at saving, but if I¡¯d been a prostitute before¡­ And popular according to him¡­¡± ¡°Because that¡¯s not how I run my business.¡± She stepped up to Roge at that, tilting his head up and giving him a tusky smile. ¡°People ask to work for me, not the other way around. Besides, how do you think I keep my employees happy with pricks like him requesting their services?¡± At his confused look, she continued, ¡°With [Mind] skills. I help them handle the customers, while also helping them in everyday life. It¡¯s part of their contracts.¡± ¡°And because none of them work on me¡­¡± ¡°I knew that line of work would never be for you without it.¡± Madam Madrid laughed softly at that, rubbing Roge¡¯s muzzle. ¡°When you worked for me before, you always asked to not remember the jobs. That noble only liked you because you were the most customizable. Assertive one day and a total robot the next. Whatever they wanted.¡± Roge sighed at that, feeling his anger calm down some. ¡°Just¡­ no more hiding things. Please?¡± He would need to think over the new information she gave him, his mixed feelings from his views before the storm mixing with how common [Mind] skills could be. ¡°Also¡­ I¡¯m going to be asking you more. About all of that. I want¡­ I want to know what I was involved in.¡± ¡°Of course, boy. And I¡¯ll try not to hide more from you. But you¡¯re going to have to trust me on that too.¡± ~~~ With the heavy revelation, Roge barely saw any of the city on his way home. Walking more on autopilot, he thought over the implications. With nobles involved, even if prostitution was illegal, it was something that they allowed. The fact that she only hired people who *asked* *her* made the whole thing easier to swallow, though he would need to see how she treated her employees. ¡®If they¡¯re being mistreated¡­ I¡¯m putting a stop to it.¡¯ He was so distracted on his way home, his mind going in circles as to how to approach things moving forward, that he didn¡¯t notice the person trailing behind him. Even if he had, their black cloak and the fact that no one could see through the shadows inside the cloak, he wouldn¡¯t be able to know who it was. And that was the point of the Church¡¯s spies. They were never seen. Never heard. Only saw and observed. Still, this particular spy couldn¡¯t help a frown coming across their face, silently thinking, ¡®What is going on with that dragon?¡¯ Chapter 07- Coloring In The Boxes Roge wasn¡¯t sure how Fred knew that he was getting off work early, but the wolf stepped into the dragon¡¯s path with an exaggerated affronted look on his face. He was almost to the stairs leading to the rooms as well, causing Roge to reluctantly sigh as he pulled his friend along. ¡°What was that man? We always hang out in the morning. Always! And you just-¡° ¡°Can you please lower your voice?¡± Roge asked softly, getting the both of them in his room before shutting and locking the door. ¡°I just found out about Madam Madrid¡¯s side business.¡± That made Fred come up a bit short, the wolf calming down a bit. ¡°So I¡¯m assuming from your horrified look, she told you about your previous job?¡± After a nod from Roge, Fred sighed, running a paw through his ears. ¡°Yeah. That was always going to be a lot. Especially with your new ability fucking all of that up¡­¡± ¡°Do you know why I made myself forget?¡± Roge asked quietly, that one part not making much sense to him. He had done *some* acting in high school, having vainly attempted to join some kind of larger social group. It wasn¡¯t too hard to act his way through the scenes, though the director¡¯s favoritism in him made the other students try to push him out. He felt like he could handle some kind of [Mind Magic] if it was all explained to him. The wolf gave him a serious look at that, it looking strange on the usually animated man. ¡°That, I never could figure out either. Had a mind to try and ask you one night while you were working, and got a real tongue lashing from Madrid.¡± ¡°I just¡­ I¡¯m not sure if I can ask her, you know?¡± This seemed to confuse Fred, the wolf tilting his head in an oddly cute manor. ¡°You¡¯ve always been able to ask her stuff. You¡¯re her favorite, for whatever reason.¡± ¡°Yes, I can totally ask my boss why I previously had her remove my memory of my time at her second business,¡± Roge responded sarcastically, his anger sparking once again before cooling into embers. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I even¡­ like sex¡­¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t¡­ everyone like sex?¡± Fred asked in an even more confused tone, Roge not even noticing with the burgeoning idea coming into his head. ¡°Some people don¡¯t. We¡¯re wired differently. Sure I like hugging as much as the next person, but sex just¡­ doesn¡¯t interest me as an activity.¡± Roge paused at that, taking a deep breath as Paul tried to cross his mind. ¡°Some people just see you as broken though¡­¡± ¡°Oh fuck that!¡± Fred shouted, causing the dragon to jump. ¡°Who the fuck told you that?! I¡¯m going to wring their neck so hard gods help me¡­!¡± ¡°They¡¯re not here anymore,¡± Roge stated, waving away that particular issue. ¡°Anyway. I need some time to myself. You mind if we talk in the morning?¡± Fred huffed once before nodding, moving to the door and placing a paw on the dragon¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I don¡¯t see you as broken, man.¡± Roge gave a smile at that, letting Fred head out before locking the door behind him. ¡®Maybe that¡¯s why he had himself forget¡­¡¯ he thought to himself, moving over to the desk and heavily sitting down. ¡®Being ace makes that profession hard¡­ If he couldn¡¯t even come out to his best friend¡­ I could understand. A bit.¡¯ He sighed as his mind once again tried to bring up Paul, Roge moving that off to the side to once again look at the collection of supplies on his shelf. ¡®My previous hoard, I guess. Let¡¯s see what *actual* stuff I can get out of it.¡¯ ~~~ Sifting through the piles of junk, mostly failed art projects, Roge scratched at the side of his head in frustration. Not only did most of the items only have the [None] ability, the rest of the abilities he found were just more color ones. At the very least his previous self really liked blue, allowing Roge to pull up a new buff.
Pigment Buff (Blue) Change the visual effect of one of your abilities or skills to the color blue. Synergizes with Color Buff to allow for any shade of blue, starting from right after Green, to right before Purple.
Roge let out a sigh at that, letting out a pained chuckle at that description. ¡®I don¡¯t even have anything I can use that on¡­¡¯ His thoughts trailed off at that, looking directly at the [Status] screens with a critical eye. Turns out the buff was as simple as desiring for a change, just the buff screen changing to a deep shade of blue with just an inkling of what he wanted. Next he tried the text, finding pretty much any part of the screens could be edited. They even persisted, Roge growing more and more excited as he dismissed a window and brought it back up, the garish color change keeping the same. After a few minutes to make his screens a bit more visually appealing, a rogue thought made him pause at the implications. He¡¯d changed just the *corner* of one of the boxes. Mildly disbelieving it was possible, he began drawing on the various boxes, though he was very restricted on what colors he could use considering only the blue spectrum was fully unlocked. He even wondered if he could do this to other people¡¯s statuses if they gave him access, knowing multiple people who complained about the designs of their [Status] ¡®slates¡¯. It could potentially be another service he could offer. ¡®Maybe I could even change the color of my scales?¡¯ Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Unfortunately, his abilities were the extent of what he could change, his scale color staying the same bright sapphire as normal. He also kicked himself mentally for not thinking about his [Draconic Breath] before, puffing out a few fog clouds with various colors interspersed within them. The more abilities and skills he received, the more he could potentially edit them, especially if he got other buffs that could edit them in other ways. ¡®I wonder how other kinds of hoards work¡­¡¯ he thought idly, rolling one of the black [Pigment] coins between his fingers. ¡®I guess books would give you more knowledge or something?¡¯ He gave a sigh at that, putting the coin back into his hoard and thinking everything over. ¡°I just need more varieties of abilities. That and trying to see how they combine. Could I just¡­¡± His mumbling cut off as he thought more about the plants he¡¯d made that day, slapping his forehead at how he could miss such an obvious fact. ¡°The plant turned red *before* I¡¯d added the [Color] ability.¡± A growl escaped his throat at that, Roge pulling back out the black coin and pushing it into his tan shirt. It immediately turned the exact shade of black as the paint, Roge sighing at how dark it looked. ¡°And now I have to damage it to make it blu-¡° The shirt immediately shifted to the exact blue he was thinking of, Roge¡¯s eyes narrowing as he looked at it. ¡°Why can I¡­ oh DAMN IT!¡± he shouted, covering his mouth in embarrassment a moment later. ¡°¡¯Your abilities or skills¡¯ it said,¡± he grumbled, looking over the two buff descriptions again. ¡°I GUESS because it was a part of my hoard it¡¯s mine, but still¡­!¡± He wondered how far that extended, especially with the thought that he was connected to any of the plants he¡¯d modified. He¡¯d have to check back at work the next day, Roge groaning as he thought about the other abilities the plants have. ¡®Does that mean if I give a plant an ability, a Biting Buff could enhance the creeper vines¡¯ ability?¡¯ His thoughts were going no where at that point, Roge flopping himself down on his bed as his headache started to come back. ¡°One step at at time here¡­¡± he mumbled to himself, cracking his fingers and pulling back up his [Status]. ~~~ Roge got part way through some of his redesign before he got bored, deciding to tell his [Status] to keep to his new ¡®base¡¯ design on any new windows that popped up. ¡®Resetting the default, as it were.¡¯ He¡¯d had a brief thought to try and write everything down by drawing it onto his screens, but unfortunately he couldn¡¯t change the size of the floating boxes, nor could he obscure any information on it. ¡®Would need a writing ability coin for that or something¡­¡¯ Feeling his stomach growl made him realize that he¡¯d yet to have dinner, it being way past the normal time for a meal. Heading downstairs and grabbing whatever leftovers the cook had, Roge stopped in his tracks as he saw a group enter the inn, recognizing their expensive robes immediately. ¡®At least these people have some semblance of taste,¡¯ he thought to himself, sighing once he noticed their eyes lock on him. ¡°Roge Youngston, yes?¡± the priestess asked kindly, Roge tracking her feline body to be more of a tan mountain lion by his best guess. Her robes seemed to be in more practical colors, the brown the exact shade of the dirt and mud outside, as well as it being a lot less ornate than Paul¡¯s. ¡°That¡¯s me,¡± he responded, glancing at the two warriors behind each shoulder. They both wore pure black robes over pure white metal armor, their hoods obscuring most of their features. The last of the entourage was a skinny, short green skinned man, Roge assuming the guy was some sort of goblin. ¡°You mind if we sit down at a table? I just got dinner.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± the priestess acquiesced, waving to one of the tables in the corner. Once everyone was seated, and Roge had his leftovers out to start eating, the lioness pulled out a disk of metal, runes glowing on it as she placed it on the table. ¡°A privacy screen. Mostly for your benefit, as we¡¯ll be talking about some concerning things regarding your [Status].¡± ¡°This is from Paul¡¯s report I assume?¡± Her disgruntled frown made Roge relax a tad, cutting his steak and chewing on it for a moment as she spoke. ¡°Yes. But before that, I would like to introduce us. I¡¯m Constance Richmond, head priestess of the Centerville branch.¡± Roge nearly spat his food out at that, looking at the lioness with wide eyes. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m the highest ranking person in the church for this city. No, I don¡¯t do autographs.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t going to ask for that,¡± Roge mumbled after clearing his throat, feeling the need for a cigarette for the first time in the new world. ¡°Just wondering why you¡¯re here. Unless you share concerns that I altered-¡° ¡°Oh come on lad!¡± the goblin screeched out, the privacy field making it so only Roge flinched at his words. ¡°She¡¯s here about the class you got! And I decided to tag along after reviewing those plants you made at¡­¡± he trailed off, noticing Constance¡¯s sharp look. ¡°Er¡­ ahem. I mean I¡¯m Judson. Judson Marshall. Head alchemist.¡± ¡°He¡¯s quite right in that regard,¡± the priestess stated, turning her sharp look to the dragon as he nervously ate his food. ¡°After having to throw out most of the report Acolyte Paul submitted, there were some concerns that we needed to speak to you about.¡± Roge noticed that the two knights hadn¡¯t gotten an introduction, both unmoving and stoic behind the two priests. ¡°Okay¡­ Pretty round about way to ask for my [Status], but okay.¡± He tried to send his [Status] to them like he had with Paul, feeling a slight tug of rejection as the action failed. ¡°Huh¡­ I¡­¡± ¡°One moment,¡± Constance muttered while Judson gave the dragon an odd look. ¡°Your guardianship hasn¡¯t been transferred yet.¡± After a few moments of fiddling with a screen Roge couldn¡¯t see, he finally felt his [Status] being shared with the two as he went back to eating his food. Both the goblin and lioness quickly fell into silence at that, with Roge feeling confused for all of one moment before he remembered the work he¡¯d done to his sheet. His favorite color happened to be blue, so he¡¯d used his scale color as well as mimicking the texture of it for the background. Gentle loops of black encircled it as well to contrast the normally garish color, Roge having tried to replicate old style mirrors and picture frames he¡¯d seen on TV. Considering how¡­ plain his original was, and after having heard gossip some people had about how boring their sheets looked, Roge assumed his would look rather odd. It might even lead to them figuring he *did* get the information changed on his sheet. ¡®I¡­ may have made a mistake¡­¡¯ Chapter 08- A Productive Conversation ¡°So um¡­¡± Roge mumbled, his food forgotten as he looked at the two priests. ¡°Can I explain before-¡° ¡°No need to Mr. Youngston,¡± Constance interjected, her voice kind as she presumably navigated his various screens. ¡°One of the skills I have is a truth sense. And since it¡¯s not activating on any of the words on yo-¡° ¡°Yo, can you design mine next?!¡± Judson interrupted, the lioness giving the goblin a cold glare he didn¡¯t notice. ¡°This looks so cool, even though I know you only half assed it.¡± ¡°Anyway,¡± Constance said forcefully, the goblin hunkering back down into reading the menus at that, ¡°While yes, the overall design is shown to be a falsehood to my skills, there¡¯s no hint of deceit anywhere else in your sheet.¡± She frowned as she looked over his sheet more, though, her whiskers bunching up slightly. ¡°However, what does concern me is the [Static Mind] ability. How long has it been since you lost your memories?¡± Roge blinked in shock at that, scratching one of his horns absentmindedly. ¡°A week. Maybe a little less,¡± he mumbled, glancing around to make sure the privacy screen was still up. ¡°That¡¯s what I thought. Why didn¡¯t you come to us when it first happened?¡± she asked kindly. ¡°Well¡­ I¡­ uh¡­¡± Roge mumbled, trying to find a way to not lie while also not giving too much away. ¡°Paul¡­¡± The priestess did not look happy as he said that name, Roge taking a deep breath and moving forward. ¡°He seemed so mean during our first encounter and¡­ I wasn¡¯t sure if the church was any better or not.¡± ¡°Man, you sure you don¡¯t want to kick that guy out?¡± Judson grumbled, not earning himself a look for the interjection that time. ¡°It¡¯s being investigated. Clearly Mr. Youngston here was not treated with any sense of decency whatsoever.¡± One of the knights moved forward at that, causing Roge to jump as he¡¯d forgotten both of them were still there with how little they moved. ¡°If I may, High Priestess?¡± he asked quietly, his voice sounding somewhat gravely. Constance looked to the guard and nodded for him to continue. ¡°We had a few reports of a priest assaulting someone out on the streets from this area. Someone is still investigating matters with the witnesses according to the [Guard Log].¡± ¡°Oh. Um. Yeah. He¡¯d gotten a bit upset at my new class,¡± Roge muttered, his hand moving to his mostly healed hip. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to interrupt,¡± Judson interrupted, Constance only letting him with how mad she appeared to be. ¡°Roge, can I have a jar of that ash that¡¯s in your secondary inventory screen?¡± Feeling slightly confused at the request, the dragon slowly pulled out a jar and filled it with one unit of ash, his eyes keeping track of the priestess as she calmed herself down. ¡°Paul is- No. That¡¯s private information,¡± the lioness sighed, angrily scratching one of her ears. The goblin patted her on the shoulder as he tended to his screens, that gesture seeming to help calm her down more. ¡°But rest assured, this type of thing will not happen again. The most I can say is that that bird will not have any public facing job if I can so help it.¡± Even though her anger was not directed at Roge, he still leaned back in his chair at the force of it, looking down and noticing his food still sitting there. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the least we can do for you,¡± Constance said, her tone now mostly back to the gentle way she spoke at the start. ¡°Especially if you dig up a lot of treasures like this,¡± the goblin commented, Roge noting the jar of ash no longer sitting on the table. ¡°The customizations to not only your plants, but also your [Status] screens? If you¡¯re not willing to work *for* the church, I¡¯d be at least willing to fund you getting a side business set up.¡± He tapped a few screens in front of him, the burnt red screens jittering as he did so. ¡°This ash is also interesting. I¡¯m going to have to let it percolate in my inventory for a good bit before I can see what uses I can get out of it.¡± ¡°Go right ahead. My low rank [Inspect] shows me nothing on that¡­ stuff¡­¡± Roge trailed off, now focusing more on the strange sight in front of him, though he could feel something wanting to push his attention to something else. It felt similar to when he meditated on that first [Color] coin, digging to see what the boxes were hiding from him. ¡°Are your boxes¡­ red?¡± he asked quietly, that one simple remark making the feeling to look away even stronger. All four people at the table jerked to look at him, though he wasn¡¯t paying too much attention as the fuzz around the boxes started to sharpen. The alchemist especially looked taken aback, his green skin paling as he saw where Roge was looking. With a flick of his finger, the burgundy box moved off to the side, the dragon not letting it out of his sight as he followed it. Seeing as it was now in arms reach, though, Roge darted a claw out to snatch it, catching it by the corner and flipping it around to look at it.
Anal**is ***cess in prog*es*. **** Re**ini*g: 4 h*urs
Most of it was still too blurred for him to make out, not helped by the cursive writing the boxes loved to use. ¡°Something is in progress? 4 hours¡­ remaining?¡± he puzzled out from what he could see, the goblin swiftly moving over to stand next to the dragon. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°Can you see this?¡± the priestess asked, presumably pulling up one of her own screens, though Roge only looked away for a moment to check. ¡°Nope. Only the red ones. And it¡¯s¡­ hard¡­¡± he ground out, letting his attention waver for a moment to let the box fade somewhat. ¡°Lemme check something.¡± Considering the alchemist could use a skill on something in his inventory, Roge decided to utilize his [Inspect] on the remaining ash in his hoard, only then noticing all of the alerts showing the levels it had gained.
Primordial Ash Dead matter. #DISPLAY_ERROR Used processing units. Uses: hoard_progression(style.possession) #DISPLAY_ERROR
That last error nearly spiked through Roge¡¯s mind as he looked at it, his focus so narrowed that it felt like he almost fell into a deep pool of information. He waved both that screen and the resulting bug report away, feeling a massive headache coming to his head as he thought about what it showed him. He could tell the priests were waiting for him to say something, and he needed to think first before saying something stupid. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s hard to tell, but I think keeping the ash that I put in my hoard has a¡­ binding effect? The text was vague, but it said something about possession, and my buffs rely on me ¡®owning¡¯ a skill or ability to allow their function.¡± ¡°So for the next four hours, you can see my screens?¡± the alchemist asked, Roge shaking his head and inflicting a bit more pain on himself. Soothing waves of healing came over him at that, the dragon looking up at Constance and her worried look as she presumably cast a spell. ¡°Kind of. It¡¯s very clear my abilities *can* work in that way, but don¡¯t *want* to. It¡¯s like¡­¡± he trailed off, wondering how far he needed to explain the impression he got from his class, deciding to leave the errors out of his explanation. ¡°It¡¯s like every idea that I have for how my class should work is correct, but it¡¯s not the *standard* way it''s supposed to be used. Hell, it took me a good day for me to find out about the buffing effects of my hoard, and I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s supposed to be the main feature of the skill.¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t had the time to look anything up yet about the class,¡± Constance gently says, a claw massaging her whiskers. ¡°But from what I¡¯ve read on your screens, I¡¯d agree with you. So I assume it¡¯s to do with your memory loss, then?¡± ¡°Probably? I apparently act pretty differently than before.¡± Roge was about to say more when another burgundy screen popped up in front of him. He immediately noticed the look away feeling, ironically making him focus on the screen more as he tried to puzzle out what it said.
Gl*ss Bott** **king Ra*k *5 Infor****** [H*dde*]
¡°Glass Bottle Making? Is that one of your skills?¡± ¡°Try to pull a coin out of it,¡± the goblin ordered, Roge looking at him aghast at the suggestion. ¡°It won¡¯t hurt me, I have too much health for that. From what I could glean of your skill from my [Investigator] class, you only unlocked a part of it and not the full thing.¡± ¡°Is that¡­ common?¡± Roge asked, looking at the lioness for confirmation. ¡°Very. It¡¯s why rare classes are so rare. Only unlocking part of a class¡¯s potential by not understanding what it should do, or having a limited image of it.¡± Constance did look a bit worried at that, giving Judson a look. ¡°But it¡¯s generally a safe bet to try and expand it when you can by pushing the limits of your class. This feels¡­ unsafe for some reason, though.¡± ¡°Oh it¡¯ll be fine,¡± the alchemist grumbled, pushing the red screen closer to Roge¡¯s face. ¡°Now try!¡± After giving a nod to the overly excited goblin, Roge reached a claw out to the screen, his mind flashing back to the first time he¡¯d pulled a coin out. It had been remarkably easy in hindsight, as if the ability *wanted* to be taken out. The skill, however, fought him every step of the way, feeling more like a fencing match as his headache came back in full force. Trying several different ways to make the skill screen cooperate, including trying to sweet talk it in his mind to no avail, Roge grew frustrated. He knew it was possible, as the back and forth would not happen if it wasn¡¯t. He got the distinct feeling of something not being finished, like when he was behind on a project for school or late in a deadline at work. He could have waited some more time, especially considering he¡¯d only seen the bug reports go out with no update. He could have waited for them to resolve and get a proper, functional class eventually. But he knew he was behind most of his peers, his previous self not caring about ranking up their skills whatsoever. He didn¡¯t even have a second class, for goodness sake, something he assumed was common considering how easy it was for him to get one when he tried. ¡®Besides,¡¯ he thought to himself, feeling his conviction solidify in his chest. ¡®I was never one for the easy road. Bring me all the code you can, system. I can take it.¡¯ With that, he plunged his whole hand into the [Status] box, feeling the resistance abate in the face of his frustration. Instead of going to the other side of the box, his hand seemed to disappear as all four people watching gasped or shouted in alarm. He could feel some sort of powdery substance on the other side, feeling it moving around his hand and making his scales feel hot. Like sandpaper being buffed along them. Grabbing a fistful of it, he went to pull it out only to feel his body lock into place when he tried. For a few moments Roge struggled, thinking that it was the sand stuff itself resisting his movement. He then noticed the others around him were also frozen in place, as well as the feeling that he couldn¡¯t move any part of his body, not just his arm. The only thing he was able to move was his eyes as a new screen popped up in front of his face, the background of it looking like a starry night¡¯s sky.
Care to explain what you¡¯re doing, Roge?
Chapter 09- Call The Mods! ¡®What is¡­ I just¡­¡¯ Roge¡¯s thoughts seem to falter as he reads the box over and over, a chill going down his spine as he thinks about who could be communicating with him. ¡®What is this?¡¯
No, don¡¯t try to answer that. I¡¯m looking over the logs now. Just try to calm yourself while I assess.
Roge suddenly could feel himself breathing again, the dragon closing his eyes and focused on taking deep, measured breaths. ¡®Now I¡¯m officially going insane,¡¯ crosses his mind, another box appearing behind his eyelids not helping with the strategy of calming down.
It¡¯s not that bad, Roge, and you¡¯re not going insane. From what I¡¯ve already read, it wasn¡¯t your idea to break things like this. Though I am going to put points into the ¡®your fault¡¯ category for unlocking this skill in the first place.
¡®I thought you couldn¡¯t read my mind?¡¯ he asked in his head, trying to slow his breathing at the same time to stop hyperventilating.
If I had eyes to roll, I would. Being unable to *edit* your mind is a different feat than being able to simply ¡®read¡¯ it. Though reading is a fairly wrong way of looking at what I¡¯m doing. Now. On to your [Status] screen. I¡¯m giving you access to the adult version here, as no one has yet to mention turning the child features off.
Feeling himself calming down at the fact that his mind couldn¡¯t be changed, Roge looked at the new [Status] screen that popped up. He wanted to frown at it or groan, having a particularly nasty thought about ¡®child features¡¯.
Status Screen
Name: Roge Youngston
Age: 28
Species: [Dragonkin]
Classes: [Novice Gardener] Lvl. 1
[Draconic Sorcerer] Lvl. 1
Attributes - [Fold] Skill Slots Used
[Strength]: 7 (0/0)
[Dexterity]: 31 (1/3)
[Agility]: 16 (0/1)
[Constitution]: 24 (0/2)
[Intelligence]: 49 (1/4)
[Wisdom]: 23 (1/2)
[Charisma]: 14 (0/1)
Abilities - [Fold] Rank
[Draconic Breath] Rank 2
[Static Mind] Rank 1
[Nature Magic] Rank 3
[Draconic Magic] Rank 1
Skills - [Fold] Rank Ability Slot
[Novice Gardening] Rank 3 Dex
[Inspect] Rank 13 Wis
[Ability Hoard] Rank 3 Int
Quests - [Unfold]
¡®What¡¯s with the strike through [Ability Hoard]?¡¯ he asked, pointing the thought to whomever is speaking to him. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.
That is what we are currently going to be looking at. The logic is sound. Why not be able to grant similar abilities towards skills and such by upgrading your skill. The problem comes with the skill itself. It was made in a very¡­ automatic way. Lesser machines trying to give you what you thought you wanted in the class.
¡®So isn¡¯t the solution to just have you and me decide what the class is going to do?¡¯ Roge felt like he needed to be included in this decision making, otherwise whatever admin he was speaking to could just take his abilities away.
That¡­ is a rather excellent point. I was going to design it myself (and no I was not going to take any of your abilities away), but having your input will make things smoother. So! First things first.
[Inspect] Rank 13 See more detail on what you look at. Aspects: [Ability] [Sight] Cost: Very Low Magic Specialties: Plant-life ([Nature Magic]), Status ([Draconic Sorcerer]) Added Effects: [Plant Effects](R1) ([Nature Magic]), [All Seeing] ({Draconic Magic])
[All Seeing] Rank Max See the truth of the world.
¡®That¡¯s¡­ not very helpful,¡¯ Roge complained, flicking the effect screen away with a thought.
I¡¯m taking into consideration the fact that neither of us wants others to know about the truth of the world (which is earning you a lot of grace here). Instead of having to do a battle of wills to see the code, as you have been, you now just turn on or off this effect whenever you want. It will not allow you to see the screens of other sapients by itself, but it will make things break a lot less. It also gives a direct line to me whenever you encounter unexpected errors in the future, as I will be monitoring your [Inspect] log from now on.
¡®That¡¯s¡­ fair I guess.¡¯
Next is your skill. I can¡¯t allow you to get buffs of skills, as that would just give you an unlimited amount of skills you could just take from others. I had decided to make skill coins unavailable, so any opinions you have on the matter could decide things here.
Roge thought about that for a few moments, knowing that being able to swap skills between people would be a problem as well. ¡®So a buff that doesn¡¯t just replicate the effect of the skill could work?¡¯
Exactly. I can see what else you¡¯re thinking in the back there, and I think it¡¯s a good compromise. I¡¯ll be including attributes in that latter category, as well as give both a significant downside.
[Screen Hoard] Rank 4 Hoard the Abilities, Skills, and Attributes of various creatures or objects for your own end. Aspects: [Ability] [Greed] [Enhancement] Effects:
  • [Extract] an Ability Coin from a creature or object, damaging them in the process. Damage scales with higher ranked Abilities. Difficulty of extraction scales with the Rank of the subject and Ability, inversely scaling with this Ability¡¯s Rank. If the object is destroyed by the process, Primordial Ash is created.
  • [Extract] a Skill Gem or Attribute Ingot from a creature or object, lowering that Skill or Attribute by one point per token taken. (Attributes -1 point; Skills -1 Rank)
  • [Deposit] an Ability Coin into a creature or object. When they reach capacity, Magically Sated status will be applied, duration dependent on rank of Ability and rank of subject. Sapient creatures are immune from this effect.
  • [Store] an Ability Coin, Skill Gem, Attribute Ingot, or Primordial Ash in your hoard. The more of one type you have in your inventory, the more you increase your personal power. Every 10 of one coin you have increases certain Buffs¡¯ effects.
  • [See] into sapient creatures that have Primordial Ash in their inventory and consent to the process. The subject can hide as much information on their [Status] as they¡¯d like, as well as being warned of this portion of the Ability when applicable.
  • [See] how your hoard can be used.
Buffs: [Color], [Pigment Buff] (Blue)
¡®So I assume the second [See] effect relates to the code as well?¡¯ Roge asked, wanting to grin at the gems and ingots idea the admin had apparently liked.
That is correct. Normally this powerful of an ability would be upgraded to reach this point, and I can¡¯t justify giving you a higher level in it. So just be warned, this skill won¡¯t get any added effects until rank 15. Also, the cost is not included in the description because it¡¯s so variable depending on how you use it. So keep that in mind as your mana bottoms out for taking so many Glass Bottle Making Gems from such a high level person.
Roge had practically no time to react to that last message, it disappearing as soon as he¡¯d finished reading it. He had other things to worry about, however, his headache coming back full force with the amount of mana it took to pull his hand out of the screen as time started moving again. As the gems dropped to the table, Roge¡¯s head nearly bashed into it too, his breathing labored as he tried to keep however much of his dinner in his stomach. Thankfully, the people around him gave him time to compose himself, the dragon looking up to see both Constance and Judson looking at copies of his screens. He couldn¡¯t see them before when they pulled them up, but he assumed his [All Seeing] effect made him more aware of his status. To bolster that assumption, he also saw pink and red screens sitting in front of them as well, though they looked blank to his eyes. ¡®Right. The ash stuff or whatever.¡¯ ¡°That skill¡­¡± the lioness muttered, finally looking up at Roge¡¯s face. ¡°While I have seen skills as powerful as this, I¡¯ve never seen one so unique.¡± ¡°Damn right it¡¯s unique! I love working with dragons sometimes,¡± Judson hollered, smacking Roge¡¯s knee under the table. ¡°Totally worth ten ranks in that skill. Say, you know what those gems do? My [Inspect] isn¡¯t specialized in them, so I can¡¯t see much more than their name.¡± Roge looked down at the pile of gems in front of him, picking one up to take a closer look at it. It looked like one of those fancy cut gems he¡¯d see all the time in video games, though this one was perfectly clear like glass and in the shape of a potion bottle. Skinny neck with a round body and all. Barely an inch in diameter, the small gem looked fairly simple, but shiny to Roge¡¯s eyes.
Skill Gem Rank 1 Skills: [Glass Bottle Making](1) The refined essence of a Skill. This gem contains the essence of turning raw materials into a glass receptacle for potions.
¡°Looks like it¡¯s one rank of your [Glass Bottle Making] skill. Hold on¡­¡± he muttered, grabbing the stack and shoving it into his hoard to see if there was a buff for ten of the gems.
Glass Bottle Making Buff Use one unit of Primordial Ash to add a glass bottle to your hoard. Synergizes with Color and Pigment buffs.
Frowning at the description, and noting the others did as well, it took Roge a moment to figure out what the buff enabled him to do. ¡°Oh! It lets me add my other buff effects to potion bottles. As long as something is considered a part of my ¡®hoard¡¯, I can use them on it.¡± He demonstrated that fact by changing the color of his shirt to more of a mint color, the priests blinking in surprise at the change. ¡°But can¡¯t you just¡­ already do that?¡± the goblin asked, Constance seeming to scroll through the various buffs on Roge¡¯s screen. ¡°Only if I add one of the coins to it. This gives me the ability to just use the ash instead, letting me edit objects without adding abilities to it.¡± Roge jumped up and down at this idea, wanting to find the rest of the crafting related skills so he could edit more objects. He also wanted more modifying buffs like Color and Pigment, hoping he could strengthen or change the objects in other ways too. ¡°Okay, I think that¡¯s enough for now,¡± the priestess cut in, her whiskers wiggling as Roge deflated somewhat. ¡°This meeting wasn¡¯t to brainstorm ideas or delve that far into his class. It¡¯s to reevaluate Mr. Youngston¡¯s probation. I have to cut off the fun at some point.¡± ¡°Speak for yourself. I¡¯m going to try and hire this guy as soon as possible,¡± Judson muttered, waving to the priestess as she gave him another look. ¡°So. From what we¡¯ve seen, and the reports that have been made about Paul, yes it seems like a very powerful class. If you gain access to spells from it, we expect a prompt reporting of it, but otherwise we will stick with once a week meetings to get an update on your [Status]. I don¡¯t see any other need for it, as you seem to be somewhat responsible for the moment.¡± She gave the dragon a look at that last statement, Roge meeting her eyes and nodding. ¡°So since there is some research to be done on your class, and Mr. Marshall here will want to speak to you about a business opportunity,¡± she said, waving her paw to the alchemist, ¡°I will take my leave. Please try to be careful with your powers, Mr. Youngston.¡± Roge opened his mouth to reply, shutting it slowly as Constance quickly got up and left the inn in a rush. Only one of the knights followed her out, the one who hadn¡¯t spoken yet standing guard over the goblin, Roge assumed. He had a lot to think about now with his class, feeling a bit of frustration flare at the other things in his life it was now piling onto. With the idea now in his head of upgrading his skills, upgrading his [Novice Gardener] class seemed like a no-brainer, focusing it more on magically helping the plants to synergize with his second class better. ¡®Even something like Draconic Gardener would be better,¡¯ he mused to himself, finally looking at the nearly vibrating goblin. He wasn¡¯t sure if he had the energy to deal with him at the time, so he¡¯d try and see if they could set up a meeting some other time. Chapter 10- Mixing Magics ¡®Thankfully coffee still exists here¡­¡¯ Roge thought to himself as he brought his mug and plate to his desk, the next morning hitting him like a truck after the previous night¡¯s events. After scarfing down his morning meal, he moved on to [Inspecting] the various items on his shelf, wanting to see if something in the materials caught his eye that he could use at work. Several of the items had¡­ *interesting* abilities on them, but once he moved some of the things to the side and saw the ink and pen sitting in the back of a shelf, he knew he needed the things they gave.
Ink Pen Rank 1 Abilities: [Inscribe](R1)
Ink Bottle Rank 0 Abilities: [Color](R0), [Drying](R0), [Pigment](R1), [Toxic](R-1)
Taking the black [Pigment] out of the ink bottle was tempting, but he instead left it alone to look at the [Inscribe] ability, pulling it out of the pen with no remorse.
Ability Coin Rank 1 Abilities: [Inscribe](1) The refined essence of an Ability. This coin contains the essence of writing something down.
Deciding to stop by the art store once again before work to get more, Roge looked at the pile of ash and the ink bottle. ¡®Now it didn¡¯t say that it had to be an alchemy bottle¡­¡¯ he thought to himself, taking a quick peek at the description for the buff to make sure.
Glass Bottle Making Buff Use one unit of Primordial Ash to add a glass bottle to your hoard. Synergizes with Color and Pigment buffs.
He first tried to see if he could just¡­ add the ash to the bottle by thinking about it. Then if the bottle needed to be put in it. When the ash on the table seemed to not be reacting to his skills at all, he moved on to his second method of testing. Putting the pile of Primordial Ash into his hoard, he then picked up the bottle and tried to infuse it that way. Surprisingly that idea worked, Roge feeling a unit of the stuff traveling down his arms and infusing into the bottle and making it glow blue for a moment. The feeling he had in that moment couldn¡¯t be explained with words, the dragon feeling as though the glass bottle was *him* in some esoteric sense. A long lost friend coming home to the fold combined with gaining a new limb to play with. Placing it on the desk and letting go did not hinder that feeling at all, though he found he couldn¡¯t move it whatsoever. He couldn¡¯t feel anything¡­ special coming from his shirt from the previous day, which meant, in Roge¡¯s mind, that the Primordial Ash did something extra than the description said. Deciding to turn on his [All Seeing] effect to see if he could read more turned out to be a bad idea. It didn¡¯t give him any type of headache, but the amount of pure *code* the ability gave him was almost too much to parse through. Lines and lines of code, some even being in another language altogether, to describe the Primordial Ash. He noticed the hoard progression function appear within the wall of text at the very least. But he didn¡¯t have the mental energy that day to try and parse through the hundreds of lines, instead pushing that project to a later time and looking back at the ink bottle. Strangely enough, when he focused in it, the ink inside the bottle also seemed to be malleable to his ¡®hoard senses¡¯ as he called them, though to a lesser extent than the bottle itself. Changing the color of the [Pigment] property was as easy as thinking about it, the pure black liquid changing to a bright yellow. ¡®Does that mean I can edit a potion¡¯s property¡­?¡¯ he asked himself, contemplating that thought before shrugging and putting the ink bottle into his inventory. Much more expectedly for the dragon, the whole bottle, ink included, went into his hoard menu. Trying the same thing with his dirty shirt, however, found the object in the normal inventory screen. ¡®Really need to add more notes to the ash description¡­¡¯ he thought to himself, hoping that the [Inscribe] ability would help him do that. ~~~ Coming into the shop for his normal shift after stopping by the store, Roge couldn¡¯t help but think of the *other* issue he¡¯d been avoiding thinking about. Thankfully, Madam Madrid seemed content to let him slink out to the back and tend to the plants, the distraction of potentially upgrading his first class to something better brightening his mood. Deciding at that moment to make it more of a Draconic class, which would synergize well with the two styles of magic abilities he had, his first step of enhancing the plants certainly would lead to that. His next step would be to see if he could add his [Draconic Magic] to the [Novice Gardening] skill. ¡®I mean¡­¡¯ he thought to himself, moving his claws through the various leaves, ¡®If it¡¯d be similar to my second class, wouldn¡¯t I just add Nature things to my hoard¡­?¡¯ Strangely enough, the plants didn¡¯t seem to want to budge even after he¡¯d poured some ash into their roots, leaving Roge puzzled as he looked at the [Color] and [Purify] plants. ¡°This doesn¡¯t¡­ these should already *be* a part of my hoard, right? Is it mindset?¡¯ He thought back to his first reaction to having magical abilities, feeling the pure joy leak into his body. ¡®I really¡­ *desired* it. Is that the key?¡¯ Pulling up the code for his Draconic class gave him even less hints, the code thousands of lines long for that one. ¡®Or I could just be limited to one,¡¯ he thought dejectedly, feeling a weight pushing down on his shoulders. He was about to head to the store room to finish the projects for the day when an idea came to his mind, the dragon moving back to the [Colored] plants. He¡¯d already put in the first [Detox] session for each of them, knowing he could change the colors of the purified ones for free, but he wanted the smoke color changed as well. ¡®No need to do things half assed.¡¯ If he couldn¡¯t put his [Draconic Magic] into his first class, maybe adding [Nature Magic] to it could change it. He thought about how he used the [Novice Gardening] skill, feeling that he needed a set of tools to tend to the plants. It felt like something was missing and preventing the skill from working, which is where he started to focus on his magic. He pulled it from his core, like how he usually did when he was preparing to see his [Draconic Breath] ability, but instead, he pushed it towards what [Novice Gardening] was missing. Energy flowed through the part of him that seemed to house the skill, Roge feeling it filling up till it was ready to burst. He wanted to get the strongest upgrade he could get for it, packing as much of his mana as he could before releasing it towards the red tobacco plant. And the plant¡­ disappeared. Along with the dirt it was rooted in.
Upgrade! [Novice Gardening] -> [Farm Hoard]
Upgrade! [Novice Gardener] -> [Draconic Druid]
Rank up! [Farm Hoard] 1->2
Rank up! [Draconic Magic] 3->4
Rank up! [Nature Magic] 1->2 Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.
Rank up! [Screen Hoard] 4->5 [Screen Hoard] has gained a new effect!
Level up! [Draconic Sorcerer] 1->2 5 Attribute points awarded!
Scrunching up his face in confusion, Roge looked at his claw that had been touching the plant. He¡¯d been trying for something like a *regular* druid and somehow, without trying, he¡¯d obtained a second Draconic class. Looking for more information on how exactly that happened, he pulled up the descriptions for his two classes, sighing as he noticed they¡¯d been changed when the ¡®child lock¡¯ had been taken off.
[Draconic Sorcerer] Level 2 [Legendary] Following in the footsteps of the more magical dragons in your lineage, this class gives magical Skills related to hoarding what catches your fancy. Blind Linear Progression Tree Attributes per Level: 5 Skills: [Screen Hoard] Abilities: [Draconic Magic]
[Draconic Druid] Level 2 [Exotic] Following in the footsteps of the ancient druidic dragons in your lineage, this class gives magical Skills related to hoarding the creatures in the wilds. Blind Linear Progression Tree Attributes per Level: 4 Skills: [Farm Hoard] Abilities: [Nature Magic], [Draconic Magic]
Seeing nothing very helpful there, he moved on to his new skill, sighing in relief as it wasn¡¯t as long as his other hoard skill.
[Farm Hoard] Rank 2 Hoard the aspects of nature, combining Nature and Draconic Magic into one. Aspects: [Nature] [Greed] [Enhancement] Effects:
  • [Store] a creature in your hoard. Light, air, and space will be automatically provided, but anything else needed to grow will need to be added.
  • [Harvest] products from the creatures in your hoard. WARNING: Some products require the death of a creature.
Synergizes with [Ability Hoard], allowing you to pull up the [Inspect] window for a creature in your hoard. Synergizes with [Draconic Breath], allowing for the direct application of [Nature Magic] to grow creatures and to keep them healthy.
Roge slapped himself in the head at that, feeling rather dumb as the description spelled it out for him. The first time he¡¯d used mana to fuel his [Draconic Breath] ability, he¡¯d only had [Nature Magic]. Feeling out his mana some more, he could feel both Nature and Draconic aspects to it now, meaning the two magics combined inside his body. ¡®And when you add both of them to Gardener, of course you get [Draconic Druid]¡­ Why did I think my hoard was the only way to add that type of magic to things.¡¯ Looking back at the various plants in the greenhouse and looking at his skill again, deciding that the magical plants would best be stored in his [Farm Hoard]. After transferring all nine of them, as well as taking one of the fertilizer bags to feed them, he looked over yet another list he needed to keep track of, grateful that it seemed to have combined with his previous list.
Screen Hoard
[Detox] 1
Primordial Ash 39
[Pigment] (Red) 3
[Pigment] (Yellow) 3
[Pigment] (Blue) 10
[Pigment] (Black) 3
[Pigment] (White) 3
[Color] 11
[Inscribe] 1
Ink Bottle 1
Farm Hoard
Purifying Tobacco Rank 3 4
Magic Tobacco Rank 1 (Red) 1
Magic Tobacco Rank 1 (Yellow) 1
Magic Tobacco Rank 1 (Blue) 1
Magic Tobacco Rank 1 (Black) 1
Magic Tobacco Rank 1 (White) 1
Units of Fertilizer Left 30
Roge nodded at the sparse, but concise list. He wasn¡¯t sure how many units each of the plants used per day, as well as being unsure how much product they would produce, but it was a good start. ~~~ Moving to the front of the store, Roge tried to walk as casually as he was able. Even though he was not ready to talk about other matters, he still needed to let Madam Madrid know about where the missing plants went. "Hey boss,¡± the dragon said, trying to make a casual smile. ¡°So¡­ my gardener class upgraded¡­¡± ¡°Oh! That¡¯s wonderful darling!¡± she cheered, clapping her hands and jingling the bangles on her wrists. ¡°What did it upgrade to? [Farmer]? [Magical Gardener]?¡± ¡°[Draconic Druid], actually,¡± he muttered, bringing her joy to a dead stop as she looked him over, her green skin turning almost mint as she paled. ¡°So help me, if you unlocked a spell by accident-¡± ¡°No. No. Nothing like that. It gave me another hoard skill.¡± She paused at that, looking slightly confused. ¡°Well¡­ that¡¯s good at least. Never heard of a druid, but from what you can do with the other hoard skill¡­¡± She trailed off at that, giving Roge a thoughtful glare that he turned away from. ¡°It allows you to store my plants, doesn¡¯t it.¡± Roge winced, causing the orc woman to sigh. ¡°I¡¯ve left your regular stock alone and plan to replant the purified versions¡­¡± ¡°I guess you¡¯ve thought this through. But if you don¡¯t follow through, I will be asking for *my* plants back.¡± ¡°Obviously,¡± he said as he waved off her words, looking back to his hoard and taking a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m going to try and harvest from them now.¡± Focusing hard on the [Harvest] section of the skill, he could feel a pressure inside of himself release with the gentle nudging. He only meant to use the effect on the purified plants, and to his surprise, more than the usual amount of leaves appeared in his regular inventory. ¡°So. How¡¯d it go, boy?¡± Madam Madrid asked, the dragon feeling his scales heat in a blush as he realized how that probably looked. ¡°Oh.¡± He cleared his throat at that, trying to appear unfazed. ¡°Fine. Got more than usual out of it, though.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what happens when you have a more powerful skill darling,¡± she tutted, waving him to follow her back to the storeroom. ¡°I assume your fancy new skill has no way to tend to the *normal* plants in my greenhouse, does it?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Roge swore, pulling up the description again and swearing again. ¡°No need to fret,¡± Madam Madrid said, patting him comfortingly on the arm. ¡°Just means I have to hire someone on to do that. Your experimentation is more valuable than your abysmal tending skills.¡± Chapter 11- Planting A Seed After waving him off from the workstation and grabbing the leaves he¡¯d harvested, Madam Madrid pushed him out into the greenhouse. ¡°Work more on your magic plants. Also¡­ make sure to take the bitey one? He¡¯s already scared off too many people from my alley.¡± Roge chuckled at that, the dragon moving out to the alley and grabbing as many creeper vines into his inventory to experiment with later. Even though the names were the same, besides the rank number, he had some sense of *feeling* which plant was which, including an odd sensation from the biting one. It was almost like he could feel the plant moving through the air as it searched for food. ¡®Great¡­ Going to need bugs for that one¡­¡¯ Trying the harvest effect on the vine gave him an odd feeling, like his skill was hiccuping or something. Nothing showed up in his inventory, so he assumed the skill was trying to figure out what it should harvest from it. ¡°I dunno buddy¡­¡± he sighed, wondering if the admin guy was going to interject again. ¡°Better not¡­¡± ¡°Who you talking to?¡± a voice chimed in, making Roge jump and his heart go wild. Turning around revealed the goblin alchemist Judson Marshall, his priest robe traded out for the classic shirt and pants look of the general populace. ¡°Don¡¯t sneak up on me man,¡± Roge wheezed out, trying for several deep breaths to calm his heart back down. ¡°Sorry,¡± Judson chuckled, not looking sorry at all. ¡°Didn¡¯t know you scared that easily.¡± ¡°When my skill is currently giving me a waiting feeling when I tried something with it, that is not the time when I¡¯m focusing on my surroundings.¡± He regretted his sentence immediately, the goblin¡¯s eyes shining as he leaned up towards the dragon. ¡°Oh? What did you try with it? Putting the coins in yourself? No that shouldn¡¯t do-¡° ¡°Going to stop you right there,¡± Roge sputtered, pushing the *very* close goblin away from himself. ¡°It¡¯s a new skill. One I got from upgrading my gardener class.¡± ¡°Oh even better! Now we just need you to get some kind of alchemist class¡­¡± ¡°Maybe later,¡± the dragon muttered, ducking into the greenhouse and feeling a bit of dread as Judson followed him. ¡°Need to get a handle on my current ones before I get a whole new one.¡± ¡°Very fair. So! I assume from the missing plants, it gave you another hoard skill?¡± ¡°Yup. This one manages and harvests plants for me. Don¡¯t know what it does the more I get plants, but I want to make sure I¡¯m not stealing all of Madam Madrid¡¯s plants.¡± ¡°Oh yeah. Don¡¯t mess with her.¡± Judson shuddered at that, following Roge over to the workbench set near the shop entrance to the greenhouse. ¡°So I have a few items I¡¯d like you to take a look at¡­¡± ¡°First things first, I¡¯m doing the items I bought this morning. Man this is going to be a slog¡­¡± ~~~ After filling out his color buffs and getting the inscribe buff, Roge felt pretty happy with himself. Especially when they all seemed to combine together, giving him something decently strong. ¡®Makes sense. A buff from seventy coins is going to be better than ten.¡¯
Colorful Buff Change the visual effect of one of your abilities or skills to any color you desire, with any design. You can also change the shape and size as well, though more active abilities and skills will cost more mana and attention.
He wasn¡¯t sure what the last part meant until he tried to pull the screen closer to read it better. Instead, his action seemed to make the screen and font larger and easier to read. He couldn¡¯t edit the already established words, but he could extend the boxes and add notes to them. He wished for a keyboard to write everything down with, but he supposed direct thought note taking worked better. Of course, Judson could see all of the boxes right away without Roge having to share them, though the goblin explained that Roge still needed to pull them up himself to get the process started. He could just grab the dragon¡¯s screens and interact with them, sharing just giving a copy of his unabridged [Status] for them to poke through. ¡°As one of your guardians, I don¡¯t have complete control. That¡¯d be absurd. For instance, if I did, I¡¯d put some of your free points into strength. That is tragically low for a dragon.¡± Roge glanced at his attributes section, once again feeling odd about his characteristics being categorized like that.
Attributes - [Fold] Skill Slots Used
[Strength]: 7 (0/0)
[Dexterity]: 31 (0/3)
[Agility]: 16 (0/1)
[Constitution]: 24 (0/2) If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
[Intelligence]: 49 (2/4)
[Wisdom]: 23 (1/2)
[Charisma]: 14 (0/1)
Free Points: 5
¡°I assume you also want me to do that so I can get strength skills?¡± Roge asked, having figured out that for every ten points he had in an attribute, he could have one skill linked to it. ¡°Of course! When you start getting more classes, which normally have two to three skills each, if you don¡¯t have a free slot it locks up your ability to get more classes. Level five also gives you another skill once you get to that point in either classes. Even with all your free slots, if you get one strength skill, it¡¯ll lock up all of them.¡± Roge grumbled at that, putting three of his points into strength. ¡°But if I have free points, can¡¯t I just reserve them for when it does lock up? What if I get two charisma skills and I dumped all of my points into strength? I¡¯d be locked until I get at least two level ups from either class.¡± ¡°I mean¡­ you could to it that way.¡± The goblin looked a bit disgusted at that. ¡°But your attributes would be lower for your skills than if you did it my way.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take that. Would rather be weaker than be bereft of choices.¡± Judson guffawed at that, slapping Roge¡¯s arm once again. ¡°Of course you¡¯d say that. You can get get buffs in other ways. Speaking of¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not taking any attribute ingots from anyone,¡± Roge snorted. ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to suggest that. I was going to suggest you take them from monsters. It¡¯s why I want you to take an alchemy class. It usually is a mix of crafting and combat.¡± That interrupted Roge¡¯s thinking for a bit, his eyes narrowing as he realized the goblin was right. ¡°Damn. And alchemy would work best since I could hoard as many reagents as I want.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± A pot thunked against the workstation to punctuate the word, Judson presumably pulling it from his inventory. ¡°Take a look at this.¡± The plant was what looked to be a normal flower, though the petals moved even with no wind. Moving closer, Roge could see that the petals were actually made of flame somehow, prompting him to look at its [Inspect] screen.
Flaming Tulip Rank 4 Abilities: [Flame](R4) A magical flower grown in the hottest climates. Uses: None
¡°I assume this thing looks useless because I have no alchemy classes?¡± Roge asked, the goblin giving him a dirty look. ¡°Precisely. This plant¡¯s petals are the main ingredient for fire bombs. It¡¯s one of the simplest potions to make and this flower should help you get the class.¡± Roge grunted at that, taking the plant into his hoard and extracting an ability coin from it, feeling his mana take a hit to fuel the plant¡¯s recovery.
Ability Coin Rank 4 Abilities: [Flame](4) The refined essence of an Ability. This coin contains the essence of fire and the flames coming off an object.
Roge frowned, looking to the alchemist with a questioning look as he pulled out the coin. ¡°That¡­ doesn¡¯t make any sense. Why not use something with fire or explosions for a bomb?¡± ¡°Because those are more advanced,¡± he smirked, Judson plonking more plants onto the table. ¡°All these plants are used to make the lesser potions, as the more advanced ones require the class to be higher level.¡± ¡°So¡­ they just blow up when they shouldn¡¯t?¡± ¡°No. Your mana can help stabilize potions. It¡¯s better to say your class *stops* them from normally blowing up.¡± The goblin sighed at that. ¡°It¡¯s a common thing younger people tend to think. That the system is sabotaging them. But the more accurate way of looking at it is the system rewards hard work. So the higher level an alchemy class is, the better they get at stabilizing complex potions. Or at least¡­ that¡¯s one of the benefits.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ fair I guess,¡± Roge chuckled, looking over the various plants in front of him. For some reason they were all various types of tulips. There was a light blue one with the [Icing] ability, a purple one with [Acid], and a yellow one with [Spark]. ¡°So¡­ I can already think of a couple things I could try with these abilities¡­¡± he mumbled. ¡°And I¡¯m happy to leave you to that,¡± Judson said, giving Roge one final pat on the arm before heading towards the alley entrance to the greenhouse. ¡°I¡¯ll be coming back tomorrow to see how they¡¯re doing. And once you¡¯re ready for alchemy, just let me know.¡± Roge watched the goblin walk down the alley and out of sight, humming to himself about the advice. While true that an alchemy class could fit quite naturally with his current ones, he was unsure if he should specialize more, or try to shore up his weaknesses. As the goblin said, his strength was abysmally low. The lowest of all his attributes. And he could feel and see it. A lanky body that only didn¡¯t tire because of his Con score. ¡®If I take a more martial class, it would behoove me to raise my strength. Then I could use alchemy in combat better, instead of just throwing bottles around and hoping for the best.¡¯ But as Roge thought more about the problem, putting the flowers into his hoard as he did, he couldn¡¯t help but feel that he wouldn¡¯t fit into a physical attacker. Putting aside the fact that his first two classes were very obviously not combat related, he never felt like he fit in with the gym bros in his everyday life. Going out and getting gains for pains was never something he could get behind. It also made him think of the fact that there might be a lot of physical attackers, meaning he wouldn¡¯t be able to find a proper team. Taking trinkets from the monsters as he killed them didn¡¯t sound appealing either. It would just be a distraction from a fight. Having no decision on that whatsoever, especially with his lack of knowledge on the subject, he pulled out the ¡®Item Ranks for Dummies¡¯ book and set it on the workbench. If he needed more knowledge, then he¡¯d start there. ~~~ Thankfully, the book was very easy to work through, Roge spending an hour going through the beginning chapters. What his [Status] didn¡¯t tell him, and what he probably would have learned in public school, was that items came in ¡®tiers¡¯. Anything rank zero to nine was considered mundane and barely magical at all. Technically, people liked to put the zero ones into the ¡®normal¡¯ category, but as he¡¯d seen with his [Color] coins, the rank zero items still had something to them. The book didn¡¯t go into detail what that something was, but he could feel his mind working on a classification. After all, while he couldn¡¯t edit the words, he could *add* words and classifications to things on his [Status] and [Identify] screens. Anything rank ten and above was considered to be *actual* magical items. Things that radiated magical energy and gave an effect that was at least *decently* powerful. He couldn¡¯t get too far into the first section on magic items, what it called ¡®Rank 10-19¡¯, before he noticed the time. It was two o¡¯clock, three hours before the normal rush at five that came when the adventurers all came back into town from trips. Thinking rapidly on that, he decided to leave the rest of the book for later and shoved it into his inventory. He¡¯d need the relative peace and quiet for his next trip, feeling slightly anxious as he left through the alleyway. He knew snap decisions like that could bite him in the ass, the old ¡®the quickest and easiest answer is usually wrong¡¯ phrase coming to mind. But he knew one place where he could get more information about what class he should get, if he needed one at all. And Judson was right, he did need to go out and hunt monsters for attributes. The best place to get more information on that was, of course, the Adventurer¡¯s League. The place where combat classes got quests to thin out the local monster population. ¡®I just hope I don¡¯t stick out¡­¡¯ Chapter 12- Awkward! As he walked his way through the busy streets, paying attention only minimally as his [Status] guided him, he decided he needed to take the coins from the other three flowers as well. ¡®Can¡¯t forget looking at those¡­¡¯
Ability Coin Rank 4 Abilities: [Spark](4) The refined essence of an Ability. This coin contains the essence of static and the transfer of one energy to another.
Ability Coin Rank 4 Abilities: [Acid](4) The refined essence of an Ability. This coin contains the essence of acid and the deconstruction of solid objects.
Ability Coin Rank 4 Abilities: [Icing](4) The refined essence of an Ability. This coin contains the essence of ice and solidifying of an object.
As soon as he had the [Icing] coin in his inventory, he almost tripped in the middle of the street as a cold feeling went down his back.
Rank up! [Screen Hoard] 4->5 [Screen Hoard] has gained a new effect!
Level up! [Draconic Sorcerer] 2->3 5 Attribute points awarded!
Looking through his [Status] brought up the answer why, the [Icing] buff apparently only needed one coin to activate.
Icing Buff Change the effect of one of your abilities or skills by solidifying the effect.
¡®Is it because of [Nature Magic]?¡¯ he thought to himself, dismissing the screens as he approached the League building. He¡¯d look at the new effect for his hoard later, as he¡¯d want to spend all of his focus on it. The building was even more impressive in person, the main portion of the building looking impressive with massive walls made out of smooth stone. ¡®Earth magic¡­?¡¯ Roge wondered, seeing various graffiti art made of paint and stone shaping. Even the main ¡®entrance¡¯ to the building looked big, it being a grassy courtyard with various places for people to sit and work on skills. He was tempted to see what the trees had for abilities, as the bark was a soft blue, but he forced himself to move on, coming up to the lone counter next to the entrance to the inside portions. ¡°Hey um¡­¡± he said, suddenly unsure of what he was going to say to the lone receptionist. ¡°Is there any way I can get info on what types of roles teams need?¡± She looked up to him at that awkward question, Roge having never seen someone of her species before. She looked to be a human shaped blob of water, her hair more like white mist than anything. Her glasses were at least normal, which she adjusted as she looked up and down at Roge¡¯s normal clothes. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s Adventurer information only. You¡¯d need to sign up and qualify for¡­¡± As she went on with what Roge assumed was newbie information, he let out a sigh. So he¡¯d need to be combat ready and *then* find out what kinds of party members people needed. That seemed counter intuitive. ¡°Sir?¡± he suddenly heard, turning his eyes back to the water lady and realizing she had asked him a question.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°What kinds of classes do you currently have? Honestly never seen a [Dragonkin] around here looking to sign up.¡± She said that last part with a hint of disgust, Roge feeling his scales heat up even while her tone never showed in her polite facial expression. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what they usually can get.¡± ¡°Oh um¡­ A self buffing class and a farming class currently.¡± At her confused face, he took a deep breath as he thought of a way for him to explain. ¡°I store things in my inventory to get power. Right now, my powers allow a farm and various¡­ trinkets. I can even enhance plants to make them have different effects.¡± ¡°Well that¡¯s certainly interesting. Though none are combat related,¡± she muttered, seeming to lose whatever black mood she had when saying the name of his species. ¡°I can see why you¡¯d want to feel things out before picking a combat class. Any you have in mind?¡± ¡°I¡¯m hesitant to take alchemy¡­¡± he said as he looked around the courtyard, thankful the few people who were there were on the other side of the space. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°A strong choice, but one that specialized you more into a long ranged attacker.¡± ¡°Yeah. I like the utility, but having to throw bomb around seems¡­ too flashy for my tastes.¡± He smiled a bit at that, her face showing slight surprise before she pondered what he said. ¡°So it sounds like you¡¯re looking to be a utility member. The bar for that is quite high, though. I can already get the sense that your [Dexterity] is not bad, so trying out to be a ranged member might be easier.¡± She paused at that, looking behind Roge and prompting him to turn around. What looked to be a very tall goblin peered back at the dragon, towering over Roge by at least a half-foot. He assumed they were a hobgoblin of some kind, their sneer making their long nose and ears even more goblin-like. His? skin was a reddish-brown color, almost reminding Roge of bricks. To add to that look, he wore form-fitting leather armor dyed the same color as his skin, Roge twitching as he overcame the urge to redesign the strangely skimpy looking outfit. ¡°Oh uh¡­ sorry,¡± Roge exclaimed, moving off to the side once he noticed the pile of equipment in the adventurer¡¯s arms. Surprise came over both his and the receptionist¡¯s face at the dragon¡¯s apology, the hobgoblin¡¯s face turning into a sneer. ¡°Better be, runt,¡± he grumbled, dumping the various weapons onto the counter. ¡°I need to turn these in.¡± His pissy tone didn¡¯t change much when he said that to the water lady, leading Roge to back off slightly to not get on his bad side. It did not work in the slightest as the adventurer¡¯s eyes immediately went to him again. ¡°Dragons don¡¯t belong here,¡± he grunted, Roge feeling confusion roll through him at the statement. ¡°You better scamper back to mommy and daddy.¡± At that, the conversation was apparently over, the hobgoblin sauntering over to one of the nearby picnic tables where two other goblin-looking adventurers in leather gear sat. ¡°What¡­?¡± Roge mumbled, turning back to the receptionist as she shook her head. ¡°Ignore him. Quinn''s like that with everyone,¡± she said lowly as she kept an eye on the group. ¡°But he did have an excellent point. [Dragonkin] usually don¡¯t apply here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not sure why that is?¡± Roge hesitantly stated, earning him another surprised look before the receptionist¡¯s face went back to professional. ¡°Regardless. I can give you the handbook on utility and ranged qualifications,¡± she said, Roge feeling a bit annoyed at her dodging his question. She placed the two mini-books on the counter, one having an arrow on the front while the other had a fork. ¡°Two silver please.¡± Feeling like he was running low on funds, and finding his inventory only had a few gold left, Roge handed over the money and grabbed the books to be read later. ¡°Thanks¡­¡± he mumbled, trying to give her a smile as he turned around and walked away. ~~~ Not wanting to go too far in case he had questions on the matter, Roge sat down next to a tree in a quiet portion of the courtyard and pulled out the ranged book first. As he poured over everything, cringing hard at the requirement that you be at least level ten in a ranged-style class, he found his minuscule desire to be a ranged attacker get smaller and smaller. It seemed to be more for people who wanted to be hunters and trackers, though Roge felt slightly confused as to the fact that it had no mention of ranged magic. ¡®Maybe mages from the church don¡¯t need to sign up the normal way¡­?¡¯ Not ready to be disappointed by the utility book quite yet, Roge decided to [Inspect] the tree he was leaning on, sighing at the basic information.
Blueoak Tree Rank 0 Abilities: [None] A strong tree that can grow pretty much anywhere.
Feeling like the fact that it was an oak obvious with the acorns hanging from the branches, Roge was about to turn away disappointed when his eyes snagged on the seeds of the tree. ¡®Could I¡­¡¯ he thought to himself, looking around on the ground for an acorn he could try to grow in his hoard. Unfortunately, whoever was in charge of cleaning the courtyard took their jobs seriously, leading Roge to stand up and try and reach for some of the hanging acorns. Unfortunately, they were a bit too far off for him to reach, the lowest branches more than double his height from the ground. He couldn¡¯t even use his inventory to grab them, as that usually required physical contact. With that thought running through his head, he pulled out the bottle of ink he¡¯d attuned to, feeling rough scales move across its surface as he touched it. Deciding to be responsible for once, he placed it on the ground and moved away a pace or two before trying his idea. The bottle immediately went back into his hoard, the test demonstrating to the dragon that anything bonded closely to him acted as an extension of him. ¡®And if that¡¯s the case¡­¡¯ Throwing the bottle at the seeds took a bit of work, Roge constantly looking around to see if anyone noticed what he was doing. He¡¯d picked a spot where the tree blocked his view of the receptionist counter and hopefully hid him, though he wanted to be fast just in case. Getting the hang of his aim, as soon as the glass touched an acorn, he tried to stash it in his hoard, holding back a whoop of joy when it disappeared from the tree. Remembering to put the bottle back into his hoard before it smashed on the ground was a tough task, but thankfully there wasn¡¯t any delay in the actions. He got a total of five acorns before he had to call it quits, spotting some adventurers walking through the front entrance. They, in turn, spotted him, though he tried to ignore them as he pulled out the utility book and sat down. Feeling his mana somewhat drain from putting the seeds in, he was about to start reading when a voice shouted out at him from the group. ¡°Hey Roge!¡± a tall lion called out, his mane practically shining red in the sunlight. He had on the classic leather outfit that he¡¯d seen on a lot of the adventurers, his muscular frame leading Roge to think he prioritized strength in his build. ¡°Oh my gosh, why haven¡¯t you come by recently?¡± That question left Roge feeling a bit cold, slowly getting up as the lion¡¯s team members followed behind. ¡°Oh uh¡­ hey man¡­¡± ¡°Wait. You¡¯re not thinking of signing up are you?¡± the adventurer interrupted, looking at the book Roge was holding. ¡°I thought you said you wouldn¡¯t be caught dead doing that!¡± He looked offended by Roge¡¯s ¡®previous¡¯ behavior, the dragon wincing as he tried to think of what to say. It was at that moment that another voice called out to them, Roge looking back at the entrance to find none other than Fred the wolf jogging up to the group. He was obviously trying to hide the worried look he sent Roge¡¯s way, but the lion clearly didn¡¯t miss it as he squinted at the wolf. ¡°Hey Roge! You okay?¡± Fred asked, his body a blur as he rushed up to the dragon to look over his face. The only thing Roge could concentrate on, though, was the leather armor the wolf wore, which for some reason had been painted a bright, garish pink. ¡°What would be wrong with him, Fred?¡± the lion growled, Roge trying to not look at the large man and feeling a tingle run down his spine. ¡°Look uh¡­ can we talk in one of the rooms? Inside?¡± the wolf asked, giving Roge a knowing look. ¡°This is going to need some explaining.¡± ¡°Yeah. Yeah, let¡¯s do that,¡± Roge quickly added, only adding to the growing concern on the lion¡¯s muzzle. ¡°You¡¯re not dying or anything are you?¡± one of the other adventurers asked, Roge barely focusing on them as he started walking with Fred. ¡°Nothing like that. Just¡­ not something I want to get out,¡± Roge explained, waving them forward as the group followed Fred into a private room inside the League building. Chapter 13- Newb Talk As the group moved into a private area, much to the lion¡¯s confusion, Roge looked over the three party members to distract himself. The lion was the one he looked at the least, feeling the scales in his face heating at the obviously muscular lion. His look of concern and confusion messed up Roge¡¯s feelings even more, leading him to look at the only female in the group. She was very obviously a [Deerkin], her skinny face somehow pretty even while she looked bored. She wore what looked to be thick cloth armor, it styled in a camo color scheme to make her blend into trees better, Roge assumed. What helped that theory was the bow and quiver she had on her back, both faintly shining with magic. The last member of the party was a fit elf, Roge constantly surprised by the general fitness of elves and had been afraid to ask. He didn¡¯t look like a strength class however, the runes on his cloak and the book strapped to his belt leading Roge to believe he was some kind of mage. As soon as he processed that fact, his mind working a bit slower with all of the emotions he was ignoring, he felt a bit of excitement. Another person with magic might help him improve his classes further. ¡°So what exactly is going on?¡± the lion asked, his tone and face grumpy, which strangely looked oddly cute on the man. With a look from Roge, unsure if his face was calm or panicked, Fred placed a paw on his shoulder and turned to the three adventurers. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how to say this, so I¡¯ll be blunt. Roge has the [Static Mind] ability.¡± At that all three people froze, even the bored looked deer giving him a horrified look. Fred started explaining more, telling them about the first day or two and letting them know how much Roge remembered (which was nothing). Not wanting to rehash the information, the dragon looked through his [Status], nodding at the seven free attribute points he had and pulling up his [Screen Hoard] ability to see what the effect was.
[Swap] Rank Max Swap any two Abilities from a creature or object and your hoard.
His smile was small at that, Fred seeming to slow his explanation down and looking worriedly at Roge. It was a good effect, letting him better customize his plants and objects. He¡¯d focus on it later, though, as the three adventurers looked at him when Fred was finished with his explanation. ¡°So you¡­ don¡¯t remember us?¡± the lion asked, the hurt and sorrow in how voice causing Roge to wince and look down. ¡°No. I¡¯m sorry. Were we¡­ friends?¡± ¡°Best friends. Ever since you moved here,¡± the deer woman stated, her worry still apparent even though he looked the most calm out of all of them. ¡°So. Uh¡­ What are your names?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Hops,¡± the elf stated, holding his hand out to shake. Roge took it reluctantly, feeling his body get more and more jittery with the awkward conversation. ¡°Resident [Wizard] of the group, so if you have any magical questions¡­¡± He trailed off at that, letting out an awkward chuckle. ¡°Thought I¡¯d offer, but your previous self never seemed interested in runes.¡± ¡°I mean¡­¡± Roge shrugged, letting a small smile come to his face. ¡°I¡¯d like to at least see how it works sometime. Don¡¯t have any experience obviously, so you might have to go slow.¡± Hops nodded as the deer held out her paw, Roge also shaking it gently. ¡°Marge. I shoot things and keep these two on track.¡± Roge shared her smile at that, the two men giving her affronted looks. ¡°We¡¯re not that bad¡­¡± the lion muttered. ¡°*You* always run in front of things, even when you shouldn¡¯t, and this one,¡± She pointed at Hops, ¡°can¡¯t dodge for the life of him. It¡¯s not about you being men. It¡¯s about you being stupid sometimes. Like I am when I try to go for the eyes. Still trying to break that habit.¡± She stage whispered that last part at Roge, the dragon letting out a small giggle as he forced himself to look at the lion. ¡°Sean. Leader and tank.¡± The word ¡®meatshield¡¯ was coughed by Marge at that, Sean rolling his eyes and cracking a small grin. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ so going to be bad at those names,¡± Roge warned, mouthing the names under his breath. Sean chuckled. ¡°Yeah. Glad that¡¯s not changed.¡± Roge shrugged, unease slowly trickling back in. ¡°Haven¡¯t really worried about it honestly. New person, no comparisons.¡± ¡°That¡¯s an excellent model for how we should view it,¡± Marge stated, elbowing her party members an grinning. ¡°I¡¯ll try to keep it in mind,¡± Sean grunted. ¡°So¡­¡± Roge hummed, glancing back at Fred who was leaning against a wall. ¡°When were you going to tell me about¡­ that?¡± He waved at the wolf¡¯s pink armor, Roge not helping the grimace that came across his face. ¡°Honestly? Probably never. You never really did like our jobs as adventuring.¡± Roge felt confused at that, tilting his head to the side as he looked between everyone. ¡°I mean¡­ I¡¯m fine with the adventuring part, I guess. Don¡¯t know much about it obviously, but I know it¡¯s an important job.¡± Once again, surprise came to the faces of the group, Fred joining in. ¡°I just think your armor looks god awful.¡± Sean burst out laughing at that, smacking Fred¡¯s shoulder as the wolf made a sour expression. ¡°I had to buy it used¡­¡± The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°I mean¡­ I can help with that if you want. What color do you want?¡± He barely glanced at the [Inspect] screen that popped up for the armor, not wanting to mess with any of its combat abilities. He immediately noticed the [Pigment] ability and pulled out his ink bottle, some innate sense telling him that all of the abilities on the bottle were his. ¡°Uh¡­ not black¡­¡± Fred said, confused. Roge rolled his eyes at that, feeling more comfortable in the situation. ¡°I can make it anything.¡± Touching the armor, as he got the sense that he needed to when he tried to activate [Swap], he swapped the two [Pigments] from the armor and ink, turning the liquid a bright pink and the armor a pitch black. It wasn¡¯t two dimensional like the coin, and didn¡¯t last long besides. ¡°Blue? Orange? White? I can even add some detailing.¡± He showed off each color as he said them, feeling the need to keep contact to use his buff. After adding some green vine-like detailing to the sleeves, he let go of the armor, feeling his ability to change it go away, but the pattern stayed the same. ¡°How the hell?!¡± Hops¡¯ voice made the dragon jump for a second, having gotten too focused and forgetting everyone around him. ¡°What kind of class allows you to-¡° The elf was cut off by Marge putting her paw over his mouth, giving him a glare. ¡°Quieter and less demanding,¡± she ordered, Roge giving her a grateful look. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ well it¡¯s hard to explain.¡± He glanced at Fred for a moment, wincing at the baffled look on the wolf¡¯s face as he looked at his white and plant-y armor. ¡°It¡¯s a Draconic class focusing on possession of things. My first one focuses on abilities, so I can play around with them.¡± He pulled out his extra Color Coin at that, so as to not lose the buff, and easily gave it to the elf to examine. ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ this is so¡­¡± He seemed to have blue-screened everyone except for Marge, even Sean seeming frozen as he looked at his plain brown leather armor and pulling out a wooden shield to look at. ¡°So did you decide on what pattern you want?¡± Roge asked Fred, turning to the wolf. He seemed to be coming out of his shock, if the massive grin on his face was any indication. ~~~ Fred, as it turned out, was a scout for the guild, using stealth and movement skills to get the information for notices. So he decided on a black and grey camo pattern, similar to Marge¡¯s outfit, but less green. Sean got in the spirit at that, asking for his leather armor and shield to look the most like steel as Roge could get it. While the dragon couldn¡¯t change it to give the protection properties of steel, he thought the greys he used in the design looked nice, if a bit amateurish. To not lose his [Colorful] buff, Hops offered up a couple of jars of paint to use, the [Wizard] apparently having used them for painting rune traps and the like before.? ? Roge tried to refuse at first, siting the destruction of more mundane materials, but Sean wouldn¡¯t have it. ¡°It¡¯s the least we could do man.¡± Marge and Hops seemed fine with their choice of clothing, thought Marge did ask for her green camo to look a bit more leafy to help with her stealth. Roge wasn¡¯t sure how that would interact with her stealth skills, but he accepted the task, even with his minimal drawing experience. He was even surprised to get a new skill after he was done, feeling confused at why it didn¡¯t come with a class.
[Drawing] Rank 1 Putting designs in your head into the real world. Aspects: [Sight] [Imagine]
¡°Got the [Drawing] skill?¡± Fred asked, his grin widening at Roge¡¯s mildly shocked look. ¡°You¡¯re very obvious about looking at your screens.¡± ¡°Getting used to them takes time you haven¡¯t had,¡± Sean mumbled, giving Roge a comforting pat on the shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m just confused why it didn¡¯t come with a class¡­¡± He was tempted to use [All Seeing] on the skill, but felt it wasn¡¯t the best time for it. ¡°Oh right! Never explained general skills,¡± Fred exclaimed, scratching his neck and looking away. ¡°I can handle that, if you don¡¯t mind,¡± Hops interjected, ignoring the groaning coming from everyone except a confused Roge. "Some skills don¡¯t really need to fit to a class. The best example is the [Inspect] skill. While yes, there are classes that delve into getting information out of objects, [Inspect] and [Drawing] are just too broad.¡± The elf held his hands apart at that, Roge nodding as he listened to Hops continue. ¡°They could fit into so many classes, that they split off into their own group. A pseudo-class if you will. ¡®General skills¡¯ is what it¡¯s usually referred to.¡± ¡°That¡­ makes sense,¡± Roge replied, looking over his [Status], tempted to move the skills into their own categories, but feeling unsure if he could do that yet. ¡°Though I imagine if you have too many general skills, that can hamper class skills.¡± ¡°Right,¡± the elf nodded, though Roge noticed Sean and Fred looking a little bored. ¡°It¡¯s good you have the [Drawing] skill, though. It seems like a meaningful part of your class could improve as you rank it up.¡± ¡°So¡­ thanks for the lesson¡­ Hops?¡± At the elf¡¯s nod, Roge looked to the door, wanting to continue talking but feeling like he was holding up the group. ¡°We can do what you all were originally going to do now. Sorry that took a bit¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Roge,¡± Sean stated, his gentle elbow to the dragon¡¯s side making Roge¡¯s scales feel warm again. ¡°We just have to drop off some loot we gathered today. Got a fantastic haul from the local mines, including some quartz dust if you can believe it!¡± The lion started leading them out of the room at that, the hallways of the guild hall pretty bare. Roge was a bit too worried and nervous to notice the smooth, dungeon-like feel of the architecture when he came in. ¡°I still think we can get an [Artificer] to make us something from it¡­¡± Hops grumbled, Roge looking confused at the statement. ¡°Quartz dust is one of the major ingredients for simple healing items. Potions are the common thing, though¡­¡± Roge didn¡¯t listen to the rest of the lecture, frowning as his mind raced over that idea. ¡°What does an [Artificer] do?¡± he asked, cutting off the elf¡¯s explanation and making everyone look at him. ¡°I mean¡­ I was recommended the [Alchemist] class to improve my build, but if [Artificer] can make potions¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s harder to get from what I hear,¡± Hops responded, apparently not taking issue with the interruption. They¡¯d reached the front desk outside by that point, Roge wondering how long he¡¯d been thinking for, as it only felt like a few seconds. ¡°You have to make your first object in such a way that it bonds to you.¡± ¡°So if I already have a bonded item from a previous class¡­¡± Roge replied, taking out the now pink bottle of ink and giving Hops a curious look. ¡°Oooo! That might work!¡± The [Wizard] seemed excited at that, pulling a sack out of his inventory while the other members of his party put their loot on the counter. ¡°A wand is a good place to start, as making a potion might give you [Alchemist] instead. You have any materials that can make a long, thin pole? We might be able to put it in the bottle in place of the stopper.¡± Roge frowned at Hops for a moment. ¡°You seem to know a lot about this¡­¡± ¡°Well my [Wizard] class is similar, but with runes,¡± he stated, shrugging. ¡°I was going for [Artificer] myself, but I only found out later that [Artificers] don¡¯t use runes. To make their items, they just use magical ingredients.¡± ¡°Alright¡­¡± Roge said slowly, looking at the blueoak trees in the courtyard before turning to the receptionist at the desk. He brushed past his embarrassment at the fact that, while he and the elf had been talking, Sean and Marge had already finished their transaction. ¡°You mind if we cut a branch off of one of the trees?¡± he asked, pointing out into the courtyard. Chapter 14- Electric Fire Anyone? After getting a confused receptionist¡¯s permission, Fred seemed more than happy to use his higher dexterity to grab a limb for Roge. ¡°You made my armor suck less, of course I¡¯m doing it for you dude.¡± Coaching him on how long of a branch the dragon needed, it took a minute or so for the [Scout] to come back down. In his hand was as straight of a stick as he could get, Fred already having taken off the leaves and extra bits to make it easier to work with. With a simple thought, Roge put the pink ink into one of the empty jars he still had cluttering up his inventory and started on the process of making a crude ¡®wand¡¯. ¡°It doesn¡¯t need to be perfect. Just magical enough for the system to recognize that you made a bonded item,¡± Hops said. The rest of the group decided to take the experimentation to one of the outside training areas out the back of the main building, guiding the dragon as he did his work. The quartz dust had a bit of a pink look to it, though his inspect window called it ¡®clear quartz¡¯. Chalking it up to a magical difference, he filled his empty bottle with the dust after putting the bag in his inventory. He wasn¡¯t sure how else to get the dust in, and it was the best way to only fill it up to only a half-inch below where the neck expanded into the base of the bottle. He knew just putting the stick in and hoping for the best wouldn¡¯t work, as it¡¯d most likely fall out. So once they got to the private training area, with straw dummies all over the place, Roge looked over the two items he was trying to turn into one.
Bottle of Quartz Dust Rank 7 Abilities: [Healing](R7)
Blueoak Branch Rank 0 Abilities: [None] A branch of the blueoak tree. Status: Dying Uses: None
Nodding at both descriptions, and kinda glad the branch wasn¡¯t completely dead, Roge blew out a [Nature Magic] fueled breath, causing the others watching to gasp. The hard part was controlling the mana after it¡¯d escaped his mouth, having not done it to that fine of an extent. He even got a rank up on his [Draconic Breath] ability, though he ignore it as he felt the magic slowly doing as he wanted. Placing the stick in the bottle like a cork, he commanded it to start growing into the bottle to help fuse the two together. It didn¡¯t gain any extra mass, simply started reshaping itself into the bottle. Once the stick was thin enough to touch the quartz dust, he commanded it to get thicker until it filled up the rest of the body and neck of the bottle, the end now too big to easily fall out. He even had the stick grow along the lip on the outside of the bottle, securing it even better. Even though it only felt like a few minutes sitting there shaping the branch, when he looked at his clock he noticed a half hour had passed, both Sean and Marge practicing their skills against the dummies. Sean moved around and slammed his shield into his dummy, the straw that flew off at his hits seeming to magically reshape after each one. Marge¡¯s dummy had been riddled with arrows, her eyes concentrated as she aimed. ¡°That¡¯s incredible!¡± Hops exclaimed, making Roge jump at the sudden noise. ¡°What kind of skill was that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a skill. Just¡­¡± Roge tried to think of how to explain it while looking at the wand, feeling okay with the blue and pink design of it. ¡°My [Draconic Breath] ability allows me to put [Nature Magic] into plant life. I simply told the branch what to do with that energy.¡± He felt like he should be sweating after the exertion though, the beginnings of a headache pounding in the background. ¡°Fascinating. Your intelligence must be super high,¡± the elf commented, looking over the ¡®wand¡¯ that Roge had made. ¡°Got any popups?¡± ¡°Just one for the breath ability. I think¡­¡± He trailed off as an idea came to him, the dragon blowing his mana once again into the stick. This time, with the headache feeling stronger with the effort, he had the mana flow up and out the top of the stick, hoping it saturated the quartz dust before spilling out. The item suddenly started flickering with blue flames, the pink dust shining in the bottle as Roge could almost hear a *thunk* noise as something settled into place.
Rank up! [Nature Magic] 4->5 [Nature Magic] has gained a new effect!
[Item Creation] Ability Unlocked!
[Item Creation] Skill [Bonded Tools] Unlocked!
[Item Creation] Skill [Magic Tool Creation] Unlocked!
[Item Creation] Skill [Mana Manipulation] Unlocked!
New Class Available: [Artificer]
With barely a thought and a large smile on his face, Roge accepted the class as an active one before looking at its description, giving a low whistle at what he saw.
[Artificer] Level 1 [Rare] A jack of all trades in the item creation category, an [Artificer] creates a small selection of tools for private use, while making less powerful versions for other people. Blind Branching Progression Tree Attributes per Level: 3 Skills: [Bonded Tools], [Magic Tool Creation], [Mana Manipulation] Abilities: [Item Creation]
¡°You got it?¡± Hops asked, barely hiding his excitement as Roge nodded. He didn¡¯t pay much attention to the elf¡¯s mutterings, pulling up the skill descriptions, as well as the item description, so he knew what he was working with.
[Bonded Tools] Rank 1 Create magic items that are connected to your soul Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Aspects: [Creation] [Tool] [Magic] [Bond] Effects:
  • [Craft] an item that is magically bonded to you.
Current Rank limit: 9 Current amount limit: 1
[Magic Tool Creation] Rank 1 Create magic items for general use. Aspects: [Creation] [Tool] [Magic] Effects:
  • [Craft] an item. If an item¡¯s Rank is stronger than the limit, its Abilities will lose ranks randomly until limit is reached.
Current Rank limit: 1 Mana cost: 10/Rank of item
[Mana Manipulation] Rank 1 Manipulate mana outside of your body. Aspects: [Mana] [Magic] Effects:
  • [Manipulate] mana in the area around you.
Current range limit: 10 cm
Bonded Healing Bottle Wand Rank 8 Abilities: [Healing](R7), [Bond](R1) Effect: Target gains health or loses exhaustion. Amount healed is dependent upon the amount of mana used. Flow Restriction: 70 points per minute
Roge sighed as he saw the simple descriptions, glad for once to get a class that *didn¡¯t* make him go through paragraphs of reading. He turned back to Hops, finding the elf a little too close as he looked at Roge¡¯s new wand. It still looked *mostly* the same as before he pushed his mana through it, one of the main differences being that the powder now glowed with a dull, pink light. The other was the fact that the *entire* wand now felt like how the bottle felt before. In fact, Roge felt an even deeper connection to it, as it was bonded to him with two classes. ¡°You both having fun there?¡± Sean called out, causing both of them to lean back from the wand with embarrassment. ¡°I assume you gained the class Roge?¡± ¡°Yup!¡± he responded jumping up from his sitting position and walking over to the grinning lion. ¡°Watch this!¡± Roge exclaimed, reaching out with the oddly shaped wand and pushing mana through it. Floating through the air like little specks of light, the healing magic sunk into Sean¡¯s chest, the lion jolting as all signs of fatigue started slowly fading away. ¡°That can heal exhaustion?!¡± Marge cried out, suddenly right next to the dragon and making him jump to the side. This, of course, stopped the healing for the lion, who still looked slightly tired from the workout he¡¯d done. ¡°Uh¡­ yeah it can¡­¡± Roge mumbled, causing the deer woman to grin. ¡°Me next, then!¡± she requested, Roge immediately complying as he used up the same amount of mana to heal her. ¡°Too bad you ended up with a healing item first. Means you don¡¯t have any attacking items for a good bit,¡± Hops commented, Roge¡¯s frown quickly flipping to an excited grin. With a thought, he swapped out the [Healing] ability with the [Flame] ability he had in his hoard, the glow at the end of the wand changing to a bright orange. It almost looked like the dust inside was on fire, all three party members jerking away from the sudden flame. ¡°What the hell?!¡± Sean cried out, pushing the other two away from the maniacally grinning dragon. Looking over at one of the combat dummies, Roge pointed the wand at it, an effect almost like a flamethrower coming out the end instead of healing particles. Since the target was a few yards away, and his flamethrower only reached about a foot in front of the wand, Roge frowned as he cut off the mana supply. Ignoring his new friends¡¯ shocked looks, Roge pulled up his [Status] to see if he could do anything else, immediately noticing a new section right below his attributes.
Resources - [Fold] Amount Regen Rate
[Mana]: 275/490 +3.83 per Minute
¡°Hey uh¡­ Hops? Why is my mana now showing on my [Status]?¡± Roge called out, half listening to the elf¡¯s response as he looked through the rest of his [Status]. ¡°Any class that gets some form of manipulation skill gets the stat for it,¡± he responded, the words coming out a bit slowly. ¡°Health and exhaustion are the two others I know off the top of my head¡­¡± ¡°Stamina is also one,¡± Sean commented, his voice more high pitched than normal. Roge didn¡¯t listen to anything else they had to say as he found something he could use in that moment.
Icing Buff Change the effect of one of your abilities or skills by solidifying the effect.
Pushing mana once again into the wand, Roge focused on keeping the fire contained. Solid. The fire raced to follow his command, forming a ball in front of the wand instead of spewing out. He only let ten points of mana fuel it, watching the clock as a total of fifteen seconds passed before he hit the mark. He shoved his will at it then, feeling another point drain out of him as he hoped the compacted mana worked like he wanted. Sure enough, the ball of fire flew a few yards, though gravity quickly pulled it to the ground where it exploded in a ring of fire a few feet short of hitting his target. ¡°This is¡­ going to take some practice,¡± he muttered, looking at the wand with [Inspect] to see why it was taking so long to charge.
Bonded Flame Bottle Wand Rank 5 Abilities: [Flame](R4), [Bond](R1) Effect: Fire shoots out of the end of the wand. Amount depends on flow. Flow Restriction: 40 points per minute
Nodding his head at the straightforward relationship between the rank of the ability and the flow restriction, Roge pulled out his [Spark] coin, looking at it for the first time. It looked like it was made of copper, practically the most normal coin he¡¯d gotten so far. The face on either side showed a simple lightning bolt, though Roge thought it was a shame it didn¡¯t show a storm cloud as well. ¡®Guess that¡¯s for the storm ability or something¡­¡¯ Without a second though, he deposited the coin into the wand, not expecting the blue flames to come back for a few seconds as the bottle portion changed. Instead of just flickering like a normal flame, the now orange and yellow flame seemed to be arcing towards the edges of the bottle. It reminded him so vividly of the static balls that every science teacher would have in their class, excitement flowing through him as he checked the description again.
Bonded Flaming Spark Bottle Wand Rank 9 Abilities: [Flaming Spark](R8), [Bond](R1) Effect: Electricity shoots out of the end of the wand, super-heating the air enough to make it ignite. Amount depends on flow. Flow Restriction: 80 points per minute
As he charged up another ball of the stuff, barely aware of the world around him, Roge noted that it took a little less than eight seconds that time to charge it up with ten points of mana. This ball looked a bit more wild, though, the orange/yellow arcs coiling and churning in his control taking a bit more concentration. Just for the fun of it, though, halfway through he changed the flaming lightning to the color blue, his smile making his face ache at that point. This time, instead of just pointing the wand and firing, Roge pulling back his arm and flicked the wand forward, adding much more momentum to the ball than before. He nearly dropped that wand, as the end was much heavier than the stick portion, but the ball flew much farther than last time. He completely missed that time, though, the ball flying at an angle and hitting the wall behind the target with a large CRACK. The electricity spread out about a foot from the impact site, though most of the scorching of the wall was centered at where he hit. ¡°Definitely going to need more practice,¡± he stated, turning to the three adventurers and shrinking back at their focused looks. Hops looked like he wanted to dissect the dragon apart, scribbling in a book so quickly that Roge was surprised the book wasn¡¯t catching on fire. Marge grinned as she held her quiver, apparently having waited for Roge to glance her way as she moved forward and pushed it into his hands. Sean, meanwhile, looked at Roge with a curious smile, his eyes practically shining with pride. The dragon had to look away at that, nearly dropping the quiver as he looked to Marge. ¡°Can you improve my arrows?!¡± Chapter 15- Guardian Counseling Roge barely glanced at the screens telling him about his rank ups before dismissing it, giving the deer woman a wide eyed look. ¡°Well I uh¡­¡± ¡°Oh don¡¯t overwhelm him,¡± Sean chuckled, grabbing the quiver and getting a glare from his team member. ¡°We¡¯ll improve his aim first. *Then* we¡¯ll work on making magical gear.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a smart move,¡± Hops stated, rubbing his chin and looking Roge up and down. ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard, the bonded items he makes will be more beneficial if he can properly use them. What exactly were you doing there to change the effect, though?¡± Roge sighed at that, moving over to a nearby wall and sitting against it. He spent a few minutes explaining how the coins worked, Hops looking at the [Color] coin while he did. While Roge no longer had [Flame] and [Spark], he still had the plants that he could use to get more, and he explained that too. He strangely felt comfortable with the party, though he could admit to himself that he was being a bit selfish. The more he talked about his skills, the more he knew they wanted him in their party. ¡°I wonder though¡­¡± Hops muttered, tapping the coin with his fingers. ¡°Can you put the skill gems into your plants to grow more?¡± Roge blinked at that, pulling up his [Status] to reread things. ¡°It doesn¡¯t say I *can¡¯t*. I guess I¡¯ll have to try that when I have more plants to use. Doesn¡¯t seem to matter what abilities I put in, so I¡¯ve been thinking of using the magic flowers to grow the coins, and use the other plants for experiments. Keeps things organized on my sheet.¡± ¡°Well for now, let¡¯s improve on your accuracy,¡± Sean said, standing up and holding out his paw to help Roge get up. ¡°Knowing how to hit is one of the most important things of being an adventurer.¡± ~~~ They spent the next hour or so showing him tips on how to hit the target better, as well as having him moving around while doing so. Getting good angles was, apparently, important for hitting things, especially when he¡¯d move to moving targets. ¡®Hopefully I don¡¯t have to fight too many things,¡¯ he thought to himself, resting his claws on his knees as he felt his mana bottom out. ¡®I just need more abilities and skills¡­¡¯ Being almost completely out of mana made Roge feel very tired, the dragon not realizing that his mana also seemed to fuel his attributes to an extent. A mental fog also proceeded the resource running out, making it harder to think while he waited for it to refill. He asked Hops about that, though it was surprisingly Sean who answered. ¡°Oh yeah. And the more attribute points you have, the more it effects you. Imagine going from forty strength to practically nothing. Feels like your muscles are about to shrivel up and die.¡± Roge looked confused at that, tilting his head as he pulled up his attributes.
Attributes - [Fold] Skill Slots Used
[Strength]: 10 (0/1)
[Dexterity]: 31 (2/3)
[Agility]: 16 (0/1)
[Constitution]: 24 (0/2)
[Intelligence]: 49 (3/4)
[Wisdom]: 23 (2/2)
[Charisma]: 14 (0/1)
¡°How¡­ What¡¯s your attribute totals?¡± he asked, feeling a bit overpower as he counted up his. ¡°We¡¯re around level five in all our classes, so the usual is around a hundred depending on what you started out with for our level,¡± Hops responded, his face seeming to stiffen at the question. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I only have one class worth of points at level three. And I have over one-sixty.¡± He didn¡¯t mention the fact that he still had 7 free points left over, the party¡¯s eyes widening cluing him into the fact that his stats were irregular. ¡°Wow! Maybe starting out late has advantages?¡± the elf asked, earning a slap to the back of his head from Marge. ¡°Sorry!¡± ¡°It¡¯s certainly more than expected. But you¡¯re going to need it if you want to round out your skills,¡± Marge commented, giving the dragon a serious look. ¡°A dex based combat class would be best. Possibly one to do with ranged attacking. How many free slots do you have in con?¡± Roge held up two fingers at that. ¡°Well getting a basic tank class wouldn¡¯t harm anything either,¡± the deer woman said, adjusting her bow and quiver strap as she thought. ¡°Something to give you health and damage mitigation will make you less squishy. Even me and Hops have one, though it¡¯s the lowest level of our classes.¡± Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. ¡°Sorry,¡± Sean chuckled, his party members each giving him a smirk. ¡°I tend to defend well, but if we get overwhelmed, it¡¯s a good idea to have one. Usually every adventurer gets offered one in the course of their work.¡± ¡°Of course, a healing class would work best,¡± a voice called out, Roge swiveling around to find a purple skinned elf in a light yellow priest robe in the entrance to the training space. He had a peaceful smile on his face, calmly walking over to the group as they each gave him an assessing look. ¡°Who are you?¡± Sean mumbled, taking a step forward to place himself in front of everyone. ¡°Apologies,¡± the elf said with a bow, looking right at Roge with his calm eyes. ¡°Harold Robbins. Roge¡¯s new probation manager.¡± That didn¡¯t seem to calm the adventurers at all, each of them frowning and giving him glares. ¡°The last one wasn¡¯t very good,¡± Marge commented, Roge feeling nervous at the tension in the air. ¡°From the reports I read, he was, in fact, so bad I recommended kicking him out,¡± Harold stated, tension quickly morphing to surprise. ¡°And if he¡¯d learned about your new [Artificer] class? I can¡¯t imagine what we¡¯d have to do regarding his actions.¡± ¡°Is it¡­ banned?¡± Roge muttered, the elf giving him a reassuring smile at the dragon¡¯s nervousness. ¡°Not at all. In fact, it¡¯s enough that, if you gain another non-mage class in the same line, it would release you from probation entirely.¡± Roge felt massively confused at that, his face scrunching up and causing Harold to sigh. ¡°It¡¯s because your classes are trending towards magical skills,¡± Hops interjected, giving Roge a wink. ¡°Mage is usually the first thing to unlock if you have magical abilities. But since all three classes are based on using that magic for skills¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no reason to monitor me?¡± Roge asked. ¡°Exactly young dragon,¡± the elf cheered, his calm demeanor soothing the rest of Roge¡¯s worries. ¡°Spells can be quite dangerous, and from the reports I¡¯ve gotten, that wand of yours is dangerously close to that.¡± Roge¡¯s grip tightened on his wand, the bottle glowing slightly at his emotions. ¡°But it¡¯s not close enough to get me in trouble?¡± ¡°If it did, we¡¯d have to ban all [Artificers] outside of the church. Which doesn¡¯t help anyone.¡± The cleric¡¯s face hardened at that, sending a shiver down Roge¡¯s spine. ¡°But if you delve into making [Mind] items, then we will have to crack down on you. They¡¯re banned for a reason.¡± ¡°Do you have a list of the banned stuff?¡± Sean asked, moving slightly in front of the dragon. ¡°I can bring it to young Mr. Youngston tomorrow. It¡¯s standard practice.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll also write anything down that¡¯s not in there,¡± Roge conceded, rolling his shoulders to get rid of the tension in his wings. ¡°The way my classes interact-¡° ¡°Also acceptable. We just ask you destroy any items we deem dangerous.¡± Harold paused at that, his face softening to a kind smile. ¡°Though since you can change your items on a whim, we might just ask that you swap it out and not use it.¡± Roge nodded. ¡°More than fair. I was planning on keeping notes in my [Status]¡­¡± ¡°Ah yes. The Colorful buff. Please use it to list any updates to keep things more private.¡± The smirk on the elf¡¯s face looked a bit out of place, as was the chuckle. ¡°Now. I came here to check on reports of a potential mage, and I¡¯ll let the League know you¡¯re not going to be a problem. Since the Head Priestess asked me to give you advice, and I have some time on my hands, would you like me to recommend a healing class you could take?¡± ~~~ They talked for quite a while on Harold¡¯s suggestions, Roge feeling his mana recover quickly as they went over the options Roge could take without getting himself in trouble. It was unlikely he¡¯d get a spellcasting healing class, but as the apparent drow put it, ¡°You can¡¯t be too careful with these things.¡± The class they decided on was one that Roge hadn¡¯t even considered at first, the dragon quietly looking over the class in the book Harold was lending him.
[Dodge Magician] Level ? [Rare] A class focused on dodging and magic item use. They use their superior dodging, throwing, and magic item skills to confuse and distract enemies. Blind Branching Progression Tree Attributes per Level: 3 Skills: [Magical Dodge] (Agi), [Magic Tool Efficiency] (Int), [Throwing Proficiency] (Dex) Abilities: [Movement Magic]
¡°[Self Healing] is an option when you hit level five,¡± the drow stated, seeing Roge¡¯s confusion on why it was considered a healing class. ¡°There are two types of healing classes, and since your wand seems to already focus on others,¡± He waved at the now pink glow to Roge¡¯s wand, ¡°Being able to heal yourself is a massive boon. It¡¯s also a con skill, as are most of the skills down that branch.¡± Looking at the skill trees that had been discovered, Roge found Harold to be exactly correct. The healing branch of the tree focused more on bolstering the body, increasing con and agility with buffs. ¡°That looks¡­ perfect,¡± Roge muttered, finding one flaw in the section of the book. ¡°But how do you unlock it?¡± ¡°Oh this book is just the general overview. Books that tell people how to get classes are kept under strict lock and key.¡± Roge frowned at that. ¡°It¡¯s because no two people are the same. You got the [Artificer] class from using the bond between you and your bottle. You could have easily gotten another Draconic class instead. Or someone else might get it from dumping a potion on a book.¡± ¡°Did someone actually-¡° ¡°It¡¯s all about intent,¡± Harold interrupted, giving Roge a stern look. ¡°As long as you intend to get a dodging class that uses magic items, you¡¯ll get, if not [Dodge Magician], something similar. If you want to heal yourself with that class, it narrows it down even more. Just focus on the *goal* you want with the class while performing the actions.¡± A hand landed gently on Roge¡¯s shoulder at that, looking back to see Sean with a dejected look on his muzzle. Apparently, he¡¯d not gone back to training like Marge and Hops did, being close enough to hear. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you¡¯re going to have to learn this all again, Roge. Don¡¯t be afraid to ask us these questions too.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Roge muttered, feeling extra glad the heat in his scales didn¡¯t make a visual blush. ¡°So does that mean you want me on your team?¡± ¡°Of course, buddy. Not just because you¡¯re a good fit.¡± The smile the lion gave sent butterflies racing through Roge¡¯s stomach. ¡°I¡¯ve promised time and again to be here for you. And you never took me up on that before now. Your face when using magic? I¡¯ve never seen that face on you before. You always seemed¡­ sullen. Angry at the world.¡± Sean¡¯s breathing hitched at that, the sad look on his face almost too much for the dragon. ¡°Do you know¡­ why? I was like that?¡± ¡°You never opened up to us like that.¡± The lion huffed at that, Roge¡¯s face burning more at the wind it created. ¡°You were a good friend, don¡¯t get me wrong. But without that burden? I¡¯m confident you¡¯ll be an even better one.¡± ¡°I swear to god, if you¡¯re flirting with Roge AGAIN!¡± a shout went out, Fred coming back into the training grounds with a massive frown on his wolf-like muzzle. That caused Sean¡¯s paw to move away from Roge¡¯s shoulder, the dragon unsure if that was a good thing. ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem to mind now.¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t need more complicated shit busying up his life-¡° ¡°I think I can speak for myself,¡± Roge stated, surprised at both him speaking and the calm tone he was able to make. ¡°I don¡¯t mind it. But¡­¡± At that he looked to the side, embarrassment creating a massive lump in his throat. ¡°I¡¯m not¡­ I mean¡­ relationships take time and effort¡­¡± ¡°You need time to get acclimated,¡± the cleric spoke calmly, Roge having forgotten Harold was there for the whole thing. ¡°Take things as close to one step at a time as you can, Mr. Youngston. Your friends and I will be here while you settle in more.¡± With a nod, the drow cleric stood up, smoothly gliding out of the training area without another word. ¡°Who was that?¡± Fred asked, Roge sighing as he realized the stealthy wolf had slipped out at some point without him noticing. ¡®Am I going to have to explain that stuff again¡­¡¯ Chapter 16- Ruining Lunch and WHY! ¡°Why are spells and mages so¡­ regulated?¡± Roge asked, fiddling with his claws so he didn¡¯t have to look his new friends in the face. They¡¯d spent another hour training Roge up, though he¡¯d only gotten marginally better at hitting his target while moving. At the very least he¡¯d gotten a few upgrades in his [Bonded Tools] and [Mana Manipulation] skills, making it so he could control the magical effect within about a foot of his wand. Yes, his powers were a bit OP, but he couldn¡¯t see why the church even cared. ¡°That¡¯s a simple, yet complex question,¡± Hops said, Roge looking to the elf as he sighed and sat down next to him. The group had moved their break out to one of the picnic tables in the front courtyard to get to actual seating. ¡°The simple answer is that they grow too powerful. Endanger people. And so the Church has to step in to protect people. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t explain you,¡± he continued, pulling out his dinner from his inventory. ¡°You can grow massively powerful. But you don¡¯t have one of the drawbacks of being a spellcaster. Something you nearly avoid by binding the abilities in objects as [Artificers] do.¡± ¡°Drawbacks?¡± Roge asked quietly. ¡°I¡¯ll get to that,¡± Hops responded, waving the question away. ¡°One of the major things is that spellcasters don¡¯t have spells granted to them by a class. [Spell Construction] has been seen in all mages as a skill, and is one of the hallmarks that they¡¯re on the edge. ¡°It starts out okay. They make bigger and more powerful spells, balanced with their class. But over time¡­ Their spells start to ask for things other than mana.¡± The elf grimaced at that, biting into what looked to be a nut bar. ¡°Even the most comforting spells, ones that don¡¯t harm anyone, start to ask for components. Twigs. Coins. I¡¯ve even seen a spell in a book need freshly cut grass of all things. It always starts out with little things, though.¡± Roge noticed each of the party members shutter at that, his scales turning cold as his imagination went wild. ¡°It doesn¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°It does. Blood is usually first. Then actions that hurt people. Sacrifices. More and more to fuel the most powerful spells. And by that point they¡¯re level fifty or more in the classes.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t they just-¡° ¡°Stop?¡± Hops asked, cutting the dragon off. ¡°Because then their class doesn¡¯t level. The constant reminder on your [Status] that you¡¯ll never grow more powerful in magic. The classes cut you off from other magical classes.¡± ¡°Some have tried to work around the costs¡­¡± Marge muttered, having not touched her food. ¡°And it always comes to the same decision in the end. Kill someone, or get stuck.¡± Hops took a large bite of his bar at that, his gaze dark and distant. ¡°The things I¡¯ve heard? Most people won¡¯t do it. But the Church has to watch out for the others. The people who can and will hurt people to be more powerful. ¡°[Artificer] is one of the classes that just barely goes into spellcasting territory. But because you bind the effects in an item, there are drawbacks to it. And that seems to keep the class from demanding the horrible things.¡± Roge sat and digested that for a bit after Hops stopped speaking, the rest of the team quietly finishing their meals. He was grateful he hadn¡¯t gone down the spell route, shivering at the options a class would give him for components. But he was also confused. Why did the system do that? Why make a series of classes have such an obvious and horrible downside. That didn¡¯t seem like balance to him. For all of the faults he levied at the way the robots ran the world, they obviously wanting things to be fair. Balance things out where his previous world did not. Yeah, there were bad people in the world. And yeah, things didn¡¯t always work out alright for everyone. But at the end of the day, his classes and what he¡¯d heard about everything pointed to one thing. The system wanted things fair. Like a game master for a tabletop game, making sure every player could have their turn. ¡®So what makes spells so different¡­¡¯ ~~~ The group waved Roge off after that, his question having soured the mood somewhat. They¡¯d planned to have a week off to help him out before he went to take the League¡¯s adventurer test. He wasn¡¯t sure he needed that long, but his new friends insisted he was still *terrible* at aiming. He could only hit the target once every ten shots, and they barred him from aiming the magic after it left his wand. ¡®If you always hit something within range because you can control it, you¡¯ll be toast if another creature has a better range than you,¡¯ Marge had said, her words tumbling in his head as he reached his parents¡¯ inn. Logically she was right, but trying to hit the target was frustrating. Not to mention, he¡¯d needed to focus on moving and trying to get a new class. ¡°Hey Roge,¡± a strict voice called out, the dragon jumping as he turned around. ¡®Oh god¡­¡¯ ¡°Hi mom,¡± he muttered, looking the cat woman in the eyes before turning away. The blood red eyes with white fur creeped him out the first time he saw it. Not to mention the fact that she was just the same as she was before. The exact same person he¡¯d escaped from. ¡°What have you been doing the past few days? The sales have gone down,¡± she pouted, walking around him to get to the counter. Her loud, stomping footsteps jarred his teeth as he followed behind her, wondering how she could look mostly healthy and still sound heavy. ¡°Been busy working on some projects¡­¡± ¡°Well we need you to start helping around more if you¡¯re not going to be spending money here.¡± Her tone was mild, but with her voice not changing much, Roge could still hear the barely hidden rage behind her voice. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not sure I have time for that.¡± He quickly set his mind to work overtime, pulling up the first excuse he could. ¡°Madam-¡° The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Oh that fat brute? Maybe you shouldn¡¯t work for such a skanky person.¡± He flinched hard at that, her volume starting to rise. ¡°Mom¡­ she¡¯s been good to me. I¡¯m not talking about this with you.¡± He started to walk away, feeling his tolerance meter for his mother reach rock bottom when her next words made him freeze. ¡°Well fine. We¡¯re just going to have to start charging you rent. One gold per week.¡± She scoffed. ¡°I don¡¯t get why your father lets you freeload, but it ends now.¡± As Roge only got paid about fifty silver every week, he suspected she knew he couldn¡¯t pay. ¡°I can¡¯t affor-¡° ¡°Well of course you can. Just take more of those slut jobs, and you¡¯ll be fine.¡± That made him turn around towards her, a growl wanting to escape his mouth. ¡°Oh stop it Roge. You make good money with those jobs. It¡¯s all that matters.¡± Not wanting to say something he¡¯d regret, Roge marched up to his room and slammed the door, his rage leaking out of him as tears formed in his eyes. That¡¯s always how she¡¯d been, and he was sad she didn¡¯t change. She was only ever happy that he did well because it benefited her. Every class project either a failure he¡¯d get ridiculed over, or a success on her part for raising him. He¡¯d fled his mom¡¯s house at eighteen to escape the scorn, and he wasn¡¯t surprised his other self had been ¡®moody¡¯ until he came along. ¡®One gold¡­¡¯ he thought to himself, pushing the sad and angry thoughts away so he could work through the problem. ¡®I¡¯m not paying a dime to her, so I¡¯ll just find my own place. Dad probably doesn¡¯t even know she¡¯s doing this.¡¯? With that goal set in his mind, and seeing the sun setting outside, he pulled up the money portion of his inventory, finding 3 gold, 29 silver, and 41 coppers in it. A thought to change his previous thought from ¡®dime¡¯ to ¡®silver¡¯ crossed his mind before he refocused. He was unsure of how much rooms in the rest of the city cost, but he could easily find someplace cheaper than a gold per week. ¡®Probably bigger too¡­¡¯ ~~~ The next morning, after spending way too long the previous night packing up all of his stuff into his oversized inventory, he set out to work on his projects first. He¡¯d needed to repay Madam Madrid¡¯s trust and get her some magic items that she could sell. First thing on his list as he walked to work was to make all of his tobacco plants purified, wanting the potential buffs they¡¯d see in the cigarettes to apply to his colorful versions as well. His harvesting of the biting creeper vines was still chugging along with no results, so he harvested from the other plants, nearly filling his inventory in the process. He saw many leaves and petals from the various plants, but the main thing that filled things up was the seeds. Each plant produced a different amount of seeds, Roge curious as to how he could effect the numbers in the future. Of the four to eight seeds he got from each tobacco plant, he planted two in his hoard to up his supply, feeling good about the numbers. He also made sure to replant each of the one to two seeds he got from the flowers as well.
Farm Hoard
Purifying Tobacco Rank 3 6
Purifying Tobacco Rank 3 (Red) 3
Purifying Tobacco Rank 3 (Yellow) 3
Purifying Tobacco Rank 3 (Blue) 3
Purifying Tobacco Rank 3 (Black) 3
Purifying Tobacco Rank 3 (White) 3
Creeper Vine Rank 1 5
Creeper Vine Rank 3 1
Flaming Tulip Rank 4 2
Icing Tulip Rank 4 2
Spark Tulip Rank 4 3
Acid Tulip Rank 4 3
Blueoak Tree Rank 0 5
Units of Fertilizer Left 30
¡®Well¡­ at least the fertilizer isn¡¯t going down yet.¡¯ Seeing the list wasn¡¯t as helpful as he thought, though, feeling the plants with better detail just by focusing. He was pulled from his thoughts when he reached the art supply store once again, moving through the shelves until he found the ink section he¡¯d missed before. Thankfully, they had each of the primary colors he needed, as well as each color coming in a similar potion-style bottle that he could use. Buying five of each, he quickly moved on to get to the smoke shop, feeling his full inventory bulging against his back. ¡®Not doing that again¡­¡¯ To alleviate some of the magical burden, he started pulling out the various colors from the inks and placing the ash and coins into his hoard. That resulted in all twenty five bottles taking up one space instead of five, the four empty spaces making him feel a tad better. He decided to forgo binding them to his hoard, instead filling each with a touch of the quartz dust his friends had given him. He¡¯d been given two sacks worth, and by asking his inventory to fill up each bottle with what it needed for a non-bonded wands, his [Magic Tool Creation] skill obliged. It used a lot less that way, only filling each bottle with about an inch of dust. Sure, he wouldn¡¯t be able to make all of the wands right away, his five trees surprisingly giving him five branches he could use, but at the very least he could show the items off to Madam Madrid. See if she had any idea where they could be sold. He¡¯d need to actually focus to do the crafting, though, so he decided to enjoy the sights as he walked up on the Leaf¡¯s Haunt. He wasn¡¯t paying enough attention, however, as he nearly bumped into someone as he walked in the front door, frowning at the wide eyed look the human gave him. He hadn¡¯t seen any human up close before then, finding their looks so alien that he had a hard time looking away. ¡°Roge! My sweet!¡± the human cried out, rushing forwards and hugging the dragon very forcefully. It was at that moment he recognized the voice, finding his heart plummeting. ¡°Please tell me your work will start back up soon,¡± they cried, Roge finding a weeping man snuggled up to him for some reason. The same man that had been trying to buy him a day or two prior. ¡®Oh shit¡­¡¯ he cursed to himself. Chapter 17- Future Sales Roge felt his brain freeze up as the human continued to cry, forcing away the impulse to use his new wand to force him away. He was saved from making a decision as the human was ripped out of the embrace, floating through the air and landing in front of a very angry looking orc woman. ¡°Roge. Storeroom. Now,¡± she growled, the dragon immediately following her commands and rushing into the back. He ignored the shouting conversation as he continued to the greenhouse and sat down at the workstation with a huff. To take his mind off the matter, he used his [Draconic Breath] on the plants to help juice them up before returning to what he was doing in his inventory. Pulling out five bottles filled with dust and the four types of petals he¡¯d harvested from the flowers, he started work on what his [Magic Tool Creation] was telling him. Once he was paying attention the previous day, he found that the skill had what he called a ¡®recipe¡¯ built into it from him making a bonded tool. In fact, it had three, one for each of the types of variations he¡¯d made to it. The first he got started on right away, pulling out one of the blueoak sticks and putting it into the opening of the bottle. His harvest effect had already stripped the slip off branches and leaves from the stick, leaving plain, smooth wood he could use. Once it corked the bottle well enough, he blew [Nature Magic] right at the stick, ignoring the popup of that ability ranking up as he focused on growing the stick how he wanted. It took him far less time to make it, mostly from his [Mana Manipulation] skill. He even figured out he didn¡¯t need to use his breath ability when he had to add more energy to the creation. ¡®Better still use it, though, for the rank ups.¡¯ After five minutes of focusing, the item lit up with blue flames, telling him it was complete. That and his skill ranking up in the process as well.
Healing Bottle Wand Rank 1 Abilities: [Healing](R1) Effect: Target gains health or loses exhaustion. Amount healed is dependent upon the amount of mana used. Flow Restriction: 10 points per minute Requirements: [Mana Manipulation]
Sure, the item was crap compared to his bonded wand, but any person could use it as long as they had the skill. Which made it infinitely more sellable. Moving on to the next two, he placed three of the five fire petals into one of the bottles before sealing it, while two flame and two spark petals went into the other one. A few minutes of breathing mana on them and shaping the wood made the two magic items glow with blue flames as well.
Flame Bottle Wand Rank 1 Abilities: [Flame](R1) Effect: Fire shoots out of the end of the wand. Amount depends on flow. Flow Restriction: 10 points per minute Requirements: [Mana Manipulation]
Flaming Spark Bottle Wand Rank 1 Abilities: [Flaming Spark](R1) Effect: Electricity shoots out of the end of the wand, super-heating the air enough to make it ignite. Amount depends on flow. Flow Restriction: 10 points per minute Requirements: [Mana Manipulation]
Satisfied with the result, he placed them off to the side before pulling his flaming spark wand out. He still had two of the spark petals left, but he knew he couldn¡¯t make a wand out of them before making his bonded item have it first, due to the only recipes showing up being from what he¡¯d already made. So he decided to inspect the petals, smiling at the description showing exactly what he expected.
Sparking Tulip Petal Rank 1 Abilities: [Spark](R4) A magical flower grown best in the middle of a storm. Uses: If made into tea, provides a slight boost to electricity resistance.
He paused as he saw that last part, furrowing his brow as to why it didn¡¯t show up for the plant itself. Peeking at the plant¡¯s [Inspect] box, he saw it showed up there too, distracting him enough to pour over his [Status] to find out why.
[Nature Magic] Rank 5 Brings you closer to nature and the natural wonders of the world. You are able to effect plant matter to some extent. Synergizes with [Mana Manipulation]. Able to control nature mana from any source. Subject to rank disparity. Added Effects: [Skilled](R1)
[Skilled] Rank 1 Skills that effect Nature or use Nature aligned mana are treated as if they are 5 Ranks higher than they are. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Rank Requirements: +1 Rank and Effect for every 5 ranks [Nature Magic] has.
¡®So¡­ if [Inspect] is treated as being rank eighteen¡­ then the next sub skill is going to relate to what effects brewing the items has?¡¯ he guessed, feeling unsure about his assumption until he got [Inspect] to fifteen. Either way, he extracted the spark coin from one of the petals, swiping up the ash for later use and looking back at his wand. It took only a moment of focus to swap the flaming spark ability for spark, unlocking a new recipe for him to use later. Using one of the icing petals in the same way took only a moment as well, Roge not wanting to loose the icing buff by using the coin. Surprisingly, though, once he had more than one type of icing coin, his hoard finally showed the rank for each coin, though it went away as soon as he made an icing wand.
[Icing] (4) 1
[Icing] (1) 1
¡®I can live with that,¡¯ he thought to himself, moving on to the acid version of the wand before turning back to his two remaining bottles of quartz dust. He had three types of petals, though he was down to one of each with the sparking and icing ones, so he couldn¡¯t use those. ¡®Or¡­ can I?¡¯ he thought to himself, placing the rank four acid coin and the rank one spark coin into his bonded wand. His negative assumption was proven wrong as the wand lit up with blue flames, the dragon feeling elated at the item¡¯s description.
Bonded Explosive Bottle Wand Rank 6 Abilities: [Explosive](R5), [Bond](R1) Effect: Electrified acid flies out of the end of the wand, making an explosion when outside of your [Mana Manipulation] range. Amount and size depends on flow. Flow Restriction: 50 points per minute
Roge frowned at the wording of the effect, not wanting to mess around with explosions a foot away from the end of his arm. Especially not in a greenhouse full of plants. He promised himself he¡¯d test out the icing buff on it later, but at the moment he swapped it back out for the healing effect just in case. He couldn¡¯t make a non-bonded version with only one of each of the petals (and he wasn¡¯t sure if he should even sell such a dangerous product), so he moved on to making an acid wand and another healing wand. The extra healing wand he swapped out the healing ability with the leftover rank one icing coin, leaving him with one of each of a healing, flame, flaming spark, acid, and icing wands to potentially sell. He knew he could have made the regular spark wand, but he thought that the combined effect would work better to show that a combination wand was possible. These were made to show off potential new products for Madam Madrid of course, though he suspected she would refer him to another shop. Wands didn¡¯t exactly fit in a smoke shop, though he had several ideas for other magic items when he could make more variety. ¡°Roge, I am so sorry,¡± Madam Madrid said as she walked in through the door, the grinding of her teeth sounding as the dragon looked at her. ¡°I had to call the guard on him, though the most I was able to do was to ban him from the store.¡± Roge sighed at that, not looking forward to when he head to head out for training. ¡°That¡¯ll have to be good enough. Thank you, Madam.¡± Her face softened at that, patting Roge on the shoulder and looking at the wands. ¡°Anytime my boy. Now. Are these¡­ new plants?¡± ¡°Oh! No, sorry,¡± Roge stated, pulling out the harvested leaves and placing them on the workstation. ¡°Still working on making new plants and don¡¯t have anything more then purifying and colored purified ones.¡± The orc woman nodded for him to continue when he paused, fanning his claws to showcase the wands. He understood her confusion, as all of them were upside down with the bottle resting on the table. ¡°These are wands.¡± He demonstrated the glowing pink one by pushing mana through it, the pink particles small as they slowly healed Madam Madrid¡¯s exhaustion. ¡°Wait¡­ all of these¡­¡± she trailed off, Roge assuming she [Inspected] each one as her eyes unfocused. ¡°I mean, they¡¯re really weak, boy. It shows promise, though. What class did you get to make them? That priest alchemist said he was trying to get you his class.¡± ¡°[Artificer],¡± he replied, grinning at her shocked look. ¡°Hops recommended I get it, and since I recently picked up a buff that lets me bond glass bottles to my hoard¡­¡± ¡°I assume that lets you get the class easily?¡± At Roge¡¯s confused look, she sighed. ¡°Son, I¡¯ve only researched classes that work in my business. I don¡¯t have time for random researching for no reason.¡± ¡°Fair, I guess,¡± the dragon huffed, handing each of the wands to Madam Madrid one at a time. ¡°I thought you could see if any of you business contacts would be interest-¡° ¡°Of course I can help with selling them,¡± she huffed, Roge giving her a dirty look for interrupting him. ¡°Oh don¡¯t look at me like that. You don¡¯t think the sprinklers are magical? Or the drying machine? I happen to know a [Tinkerer] who has a magic item shop, and I pay him to fix things when they wear down.¡± ¡°Fair again,¡± Roge chuckled, pulling out the rank one icing coin to fidget with. It, surprisingly, had what looked to be an ice cube on it instead of a snowflake. ¡°I promise the next tools I make will be able to be sold here. I¡¯m planning on making a throwable potion, which I think I can easily turn into things like magical fertilizer, scented oils, etc.¡± ¡°All of which could be useful, yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just not sure when I get my next bonded item slot. I¡¯m limited to one right now,¡± he said, grabbing his better healing wand, ¡°and so anything I make for other people has to be a bottle wand. But once I can make more than one, I can make other types, which unlocks more recipes.¡± ¡°Oh! And I also have some seeds for you,¡± Roge excitedly stated, pulling out the now empty sack that used to have the quartz and putting the seeds in. ¡°Seventeen regular, two red, 2 yellow, three blue, four black, and three white. That should make it so you can propagate them yes?¡± ¡°Oh this has already been worth it sweetie,¡± Madam Madrid cheered, exchanging the bag of seeds for six wooden cigarette boxes. Besides the colors, they all looked the same, the spread starting at uncolored wood, and going through the colors of leaves he¡¯d handed off the previous day.
Leaf¡¯s Haunt Purified Cigarette Box Rank 3 Abilities: [De-Stress](R1), [Smokable](R0), [Stimulant](R1), [Purify](R1) Effect: When smoked, calms a person¡¯s nerves. This product also cures the person of one Rank 1 negative status ailment. Can only be used in this way once per day, with no negative side effects from smoking.
Leaf¡¯s Haunt Purified Cigarette Box (Red) Rank 4 Abilities: [De-Stress](R1), [Color](R0), [Smokable](R0), [Pigment](R1), [Stimulant](R1), [Purify](R1) Effect: When smoked, calms a person¡¯s nerves. This product also cures the person of one Rank 1 negative status ailment. Can only be used in this way once per day, with no negative side effects from smoking. The smoke will also be red in color.
¡°That¡¯s exactly what I was expecting. You planning on advertising them today?¡± Roge asked, tapping a finger on the boxes and feeling tempted to take them to use for himself. He¡¯d been an avid smoker before, but after seeing the effects the previous boxes had, he didn¡¯t dare. ¡°Of course dear. Got enough for several boxes of each.¡± She waved at the boxes on the table as she inventoried the leaves and wands, giving Roge a smirk. ¡°Though I expect you to pay for any more than those. A silver each. Speaking of¡­¡± Madam Madrid tapped on one of her screens, the dragon noticing the coin count in his inventory go up by fifty silver. ¡°There¡¯s your pay for the week. Don¡¯t spend it all in one place.¡± ¡°Thank you Madam,¡± he muttered, only frowning once she¡¯d turned her back to him. ¡®And now to try and find some place that will cost half of that or less¡­¡¯ Chapter 18- Nerd Speak Finishing up his work with the plants, both in his hoard and the greenhouse, Roge walked out of the side entrance to avoid the dangerous customer, finding a pleasant surprise waiting for him. Snow. It was coming down lightly, but snow nonetheless. He didn¡¯t think it was cold enough for that kind of weather, only feeling mildly chilly with no visible signs of breath, but maybe the machines ¡®magically¡¯ kept the snow together or something. It seemed to be sticking to the ground just fine, anyway. Pulling up his clock, he noticed that it just ticked over into December, a warm feeling suffusing his chest. ¡°Christmas¡­¡± he muttered, letting out a deep sigh as he banished the thought. No doubt the holiday didn¡¯t exist anymore, which made his footfalls feel a bit heavier. It was his favorite holiday after all. Arriving at the League building with no issues, Roge walked over to his adventuring group who had gotten there earlier. ¡°Hey guy. So¡­ I¡¯m having a bit of an issue with¡­ expectations¡­?¡± ¡°Not sure what that means,¡± Sean chuckled, chewing on some jerky as all three looked at the dragon, ¡°but we¡¯ll help however we can.¡± ¡°It feels like it shouldn¡¯t be¡­ cold enough for snow¡­?¡± Roge questioned, noting the snow coming down a bit heavier and slightly coating the ground. Luckily, each picnic bench was under the canopy of one of the blueoaks, leading to their undercarriages being mostly snow-free. ¡°Um Roge? It¡¯s freezing right now,¡± Hops commented, Roge noting the elf shivering even as his cloak glowed and put off heat. ¡°It¡¯s your species. Focus on that like you would with your class,¡± Sean recommended, the lion also not looking too cold. Roge did as he was told, however, frowning as the screen popped up.
[Dragonkin] Dragonkin are the most magical of all races, linking themselves to the powerful dragons of old. Magical powers come easily to them, though their temper, greed, and curiosity tend to be their undoing. Effects:
  • Start with one random magic ability.
  • Start with the [Draconic Breath] ability.
  • Vastly increased resistance related to scale color.
  • Strong affinity to magical classes.
Draconic Descriptor: Draconic powers tend to focus around possession and hoarding of things the dragon values. The more powerful the idea behind what they hoard, the more powerful their abilities. Scale Color: Scale color is moderately determined by a [Dragonkin¡¯s] parentage. It determines what kind of [Draconic Breath] they start with, as well as their resistance type. Sapphire Scales: Resistance 75 to water, ice, and cold effects. Weakness 75 to fire, explosion, and heat effects. Increased affinity for water, ice, and cold related items.
¡°Well that explains a few things,¡± Roge grumbled, feeling the air around him but again only feeling a slightly chilly breeze. ¡°Besides the normal magic, breath, and hoarding stuff, apparently sapphire dragons are water and ice aligned. So I have a resistance.¡± ¡°Ooo! We [Beastkin] have a twenty percent resistance to cold effects. What do you have?¡± Marge asked, both her and Sean looking comfortable in their slightly thick coats. ¡°¡­Seventy five?¡± he murmured, causing Sean to nearly spit out his jerky. ¡°To water, ice, and cold. Balanced with a seventy five percent weakness to fire, explosions, and heat.¡± Sean cursed at that, giving the dragon a pitying look. ¡°Really good for winter, but no wonder you always hated the summer.¡± ¡°Well, I also have an increased affinity with items related to ice, water, and cold too. So I guess that explains why the icy coin only took one to get a buff.¡± Roge tapped on his muzzle at that, feeling his mind churning a bit better now that he was around his friends. ¡°Means I should really focus on getting ice, water, and cold aligned nature stuff¡­. Right?¡± ¡°You should also try and get some fire stuff too,¡± Hops recommended, Roge having to move away from the elf at the increased heat from his runed jacket. ¡°Shore up your weaknesses. Sure it probably will take more to get the buffs, but right now even my jacket is causing you problems, and it¡¯s at a comfortable temperature for me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ fair,¡± Roge grumbled, pulling up his inventory and looking things over. ¡°I unfortunately have no resources to get it. And I need to be saving coin right now¡­¡± ¡°Well-¡° ¡°Why do you need to save coin?¡± Marge interrupted, Hops frowning at being cut off. ¡°Oh I need to move out in the next few days,¡± Roge stated, attempting to wave away their concern but apparently only seeming to add to it. ¡°Since I¡¯m no longer drinking at my parents¡¯ bar, my mom-¡° ¡°Oh that BITCH!¡± Sean snarled out, Roge flinching at the anger radiating from the lion. ¡°She¡¯s kicking you out?¡± ¡°Worse. Charging a gold a week rent.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ what in the¡­¡± Marge sputtered, even Hops looking dangerously pissed at the information. ¡°Guys. It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll just find a new place that doesn¡¯t cost as much.¡± Roge sighed as he thought about it, looking to the entrance to the courtyard. ¡°I actually wanted to end training early to-¡° ¡°Fuck that,¡± Sean growled, looking Roge right in the eyes. ¡°There are spare rooms in the apartment building we live in. We¡¯ll get you a place.¡± ¡°But¡­ I mean¡­ Aren¡¯t they expensive?¡± ¡°Five silver a week bud,¡± Marge sighed, grimacing at Roge¡¯s surprised look. ¡°How¡­ how is it that cheap?¡± ¡°It¡¯s for upcoming and existing League members. We sign you up today for a future test, and you¡¯ll be accepted right away.¡± Hops pulled out a book after saying that, writing something down quickly. ¡°I¡¯ll handle the paperwork and I just need you to look it over and submit it.¡± ¡°And we¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re ready for the test with training,¡± Marge said, giving Roge a kind smile. ¡°Though the accuracy training is mainly so you¡¯re a shoo in. Any Utility member who can heal like you can is already most likely to get in on principle.¡± ¡°And I¡¯ll have a talk with your mom later,¡± Sean growled, calming down with some deep breathing. ¡°You need to pick up your stuff?¡± ¡°Already packed.¡± ¡°Damn. How big is your inventory?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to answer that,¡± Hops interjected, giving Sean a glare. ¡°Your number of inventory slots equals your [Intelligence], with your [Strength] determining stack size. It gives too much-¡° You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ¡°Ten [Strength] and forty nine int,¡± Roge stated, earning him a simultaneously disapproving and wide-eyed look. ¡°Yeah I know, it¡¯s not balanced at all¡­¡± ¡°How much is your wis?¡± the elf asked, breaking his own statement from earlier, which Roge found slightly funny. ¡°Twenty three.¡± ¡°Jeez, your mana capacity is huge. I have ten less in both, and I still rarely run out.¡± ¡°Wait. You have [Mana Manipulation]?¡± Roge sat up when the elf grimaced, a smile growing on the dragon¡¯s face. ¡°You do know the items I can make just require that to work, right?¡± ¡°Well I can¡¯t just ask you for-¡° Roge didn¡¯t let him get much further, standing up on the table and looking up at the branches on the tree. He still couldn¡¯t reach with his claws, but throwing up a solidified ice blade from his wand cut off a nice sized branch that he quickly smacked with his wand to put into his inventory. He intentionally aimed for a very thin branch, only funneling one point of mana into the ice blade. He expected it to take the normal ten seconds a rank one ability had, but it barely took a second. ¡°Flow is ten times faster¡­¡± Roge muttered, getting distracted for a moment and swapping the rank 1 coin for the rank 4 icing coin. He still kept his solidifying buff, meaning his increased affinity was a straight ten times multiplier to the ability. Grabbing the rank 1 coin from his last icing petal, he added it to his wand, confirming his hypothesis when the ability on the wand went from a rank four to five instead of making two of the same ability. ¡°Roge¡­?¡± Sean asked, giving the dragon a concerned look. Considering he¡¯d frozen after grabbing the branch, he thought it was a valid concern. ¡°One sec¡­¡± he mumbled, pulling out the branch and looked it over as he sat back down. It was easy to find an offshoot that was long enough for what he needed, snapping it from the main branch and shoving the rest into his inventory. He then pulled out one of his prepped bottles, giving Hops a cocky smile. ¡°So. I can either make a straight up healing or acid wand for you, limited to ten mana per minute and which can only spray the effect. Or¡­¡± Roge looked at Hops¡¯ robes as he trailed off, his head tilting at the elf¡¯s confusion. ¡°Or we could try and add your runes to this bottle to make it better. Unless runes don¡¯t work on magic tools¡­¡± ¡°They do,¡± Hops confirmed, his expression turning thoughtful. ¡°I can¡¯t get around the flow restriction that well, maybe increasing it by ten points.¡± He pulled out another book at that, the elf flipping through what looked to be rune definitions. ¡°Any way I can learn those?¡± Roge asked, briefly distracted once again. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. [Artificers] have never been interested in my runes,¡± Hops chuckled, finding the page he wanted and looking through it. ¡°After you complete the wand, I can add ten to the flow restriction. That¡¯ll take up the stick portion entirely, though, so I can only put two other runes on the bottle portion. One obviously to increase the rank of the ability by one, but the other¡­¡± ¡°Do you have anything with ¡®solidifying¡¯ in the description?¡± Roge asked, not being able to look too closely with his aversion to the elf¡¯s heated cloak. ¡°I¡­ hmmm¡­¡± Shockingly, the book had a glossary at the back, Hops, flipping through the pages a few times before he settled on one particular rune. ¡°I¡¯ve looked at this before. Never experimented with it and it seemed useless¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s how I make the balls,¡± Roge explained, reading off the description for the icing buff. ¡°Solidifying seems to take the effect and compress it into a sphere. Though I haven¡¯t experimented with much else regarding it¡­¡± ¡°So a flow increase, a rank increase, and a solidifying rune?¡± Hops asked, turning to the other two party members who just looked really confused at their talk. ¡°Since Roge is going to have his multi-effect wand, what effect would we need?¡± ¡°Well¡­ uh¡­¡± Sean stuttered, while Marge took a deep breath. ¡°You¡¯re always leaning down to make your runes or drawing them on rocks.¡± She turned to Roge, the deer lady giving him a wink. ¡°We¡¯ve had to tell him not to do that in combat. Half the time his runes come out wrong and explode in his face. That¡¯s the biggest problem, but I¡¯m not-¡° ¡°Perfect! What do you use to make the runes?¡± Once hops pulled out what looked to be a metal stylus, Roge immediately grabbed it and [Inspected] it.
Inscription Pen Rank 1 Abilities: [Inscribe](R1)
¡°Thought so.¡± ¡°Wait! That¡¯s my only¡­¡± Roge immediately ripped out the coin, the pen¡¯s ash scooping up into his inventory as the dragon felt his hoard ability rank up once again. The others went quiet and still as he moved on to making the healing wand, finishing up within a couple minutes to Hops muttering to himself. ¡°Last step,¡± Roge muttered himself, swapping out the rank one [Healing] ability with the [Inscribe] one, smiling as blue flames danced on it¡¯s surface.
Inscription Bottle Wand Rank 1 Abilities: [Inscription](R1) Effect: Draw on any surface. A drawing¡¯s duration depends on the amount of mana used. Flow Restriction: 100 points per minute Requirements: [Mana Manipulation]
¡°Done!¡± Roge excitedly shouted, handing over the now ink filled bottle wand to the elf, only to flinch back at his glare. ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°This better be go-¡° he growled, Hops freezing as he looked at the description. ¡°It¡¯s the same! But more temporary! What the hell did you-¡° Roge, feeling a fire of indignation light in his chest, snatched the wand back and channeled mana into it, moving it through the air and leaving behind a shining green line as he did. He only needed to glance at the solidifying rune and command the green lines to move, the wand feeling his intent as he did so. With a bit of extra mana, he didn¡¯t even have to move the wand, the mana powered [Inscription] ability making the rune snap into place. He then flicked it towards the snow a foot away from the table, feeling his [Mana Manipulation] rank up and extending his range just enough to reach the snow. He felt a bit smug as the snow rapidly rolled up into a ball, though he quickly deflated at their shocked looks. ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me you used a buff¡­¡± Hops whined, practically drooling over the wand now. ¡°Nope. *Any* surface includes the air,¡± Roge stated, drawing some more green lines in the air. ¡°Changing the lines to form the rune was just sending intent towards the wand, no buff needed. Though I did have to activate the rune on itself first, so it kept its shape as I pushed it around.¡± He demonstrated that by pushing the random squiggles, finding only the portions he concentrated on moving. ¡°If the inscription solidifies, you can push it all as one unit.¡± ¡°Why is the flow so high though?¡± Hops wondered, looking closely at the wand. ¡°Not sure. Unlocked that recipe just now, so¡­¡± He flinched as he found his answer, the skill description having changed, as well as him losing a hundred points of mana instead of ten.
[Magic Tool Creation] Rank 4 Create magic items for general use. Aspects: [Creation] [Tool] [Magic] Effects:
  • [Craft] an item. If an item¡¯s Rank is stronger than the limit, its Abilities will lose ranks randomly until limit is reached. If ability is not magical, flow is increased by a factor of ten.
Current Rank limit: 1 Mana cost: 10 per Rank of item (variable)
Resources - [Fold] Amount
[Mana]: 328/490
¡°Tool creation got expanded. Non-magical abilities get their flow and cost boosted times ten. So a hundred flow added to the item, and the cost to make it is a hundred mana.¡± ¡°Yikes, that''s a lot. Even more when you can get higher rank items¡­¡± Hops grumbled, grabbing the wand from the distracted dragon¡¯s claws and trying his hand at it. It took almost no time at all for him to figure out how to draw out the solidifying runes, though he needed to look at the page more than once to perfect it. His ¡®ink¡¯ was a light orange in hue, Roge feeling the ridges above his eyes go up in shock. ¡®Is that¡­ fire?¡¯ Hops then solidified and shrank the rune, sizzling as it placed itself on the body of the bottle. Two more runes, and the wand was fully inscribed, both of them surprised when they noticed the flow going up by another two hundred points. ¡°So the times ten applies to runes?¡± Hops muttered, Roge nodding his head. ¡°Makes sense. Ten each rank at two. Plus ten for the rune is thirty. Times ten to get its flow of three hundred.¡± ¡°Okay enough,¡± Marge yelled, smacking the two of them on the backs of their heads. When she got behind the dragon, he hadn¡¯t noticed, feeling his face heat up in embarrassment. ¡°Too much nerd talk. Go off by yourselves for that. We need to get training! Roge¡¯s housing is on the line.¡± ¡°Right, sorry,¡± Roge muttered, getting up and trailing behind the deer woman. Chapter 19- Tanking by Dodging Once the training session was over, Hops being included in it as apparently chucking floating sigils was different than chucking stones, Roge asked the elf to fire paint at him. Yes, he needed to get better at aiming his magic tools, but in order to get the [Dodge Magician] class, he also needed to dodge. So using the inscription wand, Hops would launch little paint spheres at Roge, not harming him in the slightest, but everyone could see where he got hit. It made the dragon think of paintball, but even safer, though that analogy made him get drenched in several layers of orange paint. Even as he got better at focusing, he found the movements felt slightly off, his low [Agility] probably the issue, as was Hops¡¯ guess. He¡¯d need to raise it higher to get any use out of dodging, and at that point he felt like a tanking, con class might work better. ¡°One sec,¡± Roge called out, Hops lowering his wand and huffing. ¡°You¡¯re not going to get any better without better stats, Roge. Why not put the points in-¡° ¡°Or I could just go with a con class,¡± Roge stated, his breathing coming in gasps before he had the thought to heal his exhaustion. ¡°Come on, Roge. The logic is sound,¡± Sean encouraged, taking his own break to cool off. ¡°Even dodging is going to be hard to level with me in the party. A pure con skill is going to be glacial. And you need all your skills to go up five levels to level up the class, as you know. It¡¯ll slow down the progression of your class.¡± He in fact, did not know that, but it was good information to have. Meant his single skill classes would level up easier, as well as just being generally stronger. ¡°I just don¡¯t get why I¡¯m not getting it¡­¡± he grumbled, earning a laugh from the rest of the group. ¡°Oh don¡¯t laugh. I got my other classes ridiculously easily. Dodging attacks and using magical tools should be *easy* to get. I desperately want both.¡± ¡°And since you¡¯ve only been around for a week, having important memories to draw from should be easy. Yeah¡­ that doesn¡¯t make sense¡­¡± Hops mumbled, Roge freezing as he thought about what the elf said. ¡®Maybe it¡¯s because dodging the normal way is not something I¡¯ve wanted for a long time?¡¯ he thought to himself, knowing that magic related things were good wants to pick from since he¡¯d wanted magic since he was a kid. ¡®Do I need¡­ magical dodging? What would that be¡­?¡¯ As he thought some more, a sudden noise made him jump, his heart pounding in his chest. Marge had a sheepish expression on her face, her practice dummy on fire. ¡°My bad. Mistook one of my enchanted arrows for a normal one.¡± As he felt his heart rate slow down, Roge latched onto the feeling that he¡¯d had when the sound had gone off. Fight or flight. Wanting to jump to another location to avoid danger. ¡®What if I could just¡­ jump to another spot. Does teleportation exist?¡¯ he asked himself, looking over at Hops and thinking it over for another moment before deciding, ¡®No harm in trying.¡¯ ¡°Hey Hops? Can I have another one?¡± The elf turned to Roge and shrugged at the request, gathering a single point of mana at the end of the wand and firing it forward. Instead of tensing his muscles and focusing on the physicality of movement, he instead thought of just the movement. Like changing a character¡¯s position in a video game by adding a few numbers. Just a short JUMP- The next moment was a swirl of feelings; nausea, movement, and colors were tasted across his tongue. An instant that felt like a few seconds of compression. Swirling into another location, the moment over as he flopped to the ground. Not because of any remaining feelings from the experience, but because of the sheer shock that blue screened his brain. The popups he received from that stunt didn¡¯t bring him out of his temporary fugue state, but the slap to the face certainly did. ¡°Ow!¡± Roge shouted, placing a hand on his muzzle and wincing at the forming bruise. ¡°What was¡­¡± He trailed off as he finally noticed his prone position, his three friends crouched and looking down at him worried. ¡°Oh. Uh¡­ that was¡­¡± ¡°So cool!¡± ¡°Too dangerous!¡± ¡°So dangerous!¡± three voices called out when he trailed off, causing him to wince as he slowly sat up. ¡°What exactly did I¡­ do?¡± he asked, somehow the calmest of the group in that moment. ¡°I just remember wanting to dodge and then¡­ movement?¡± As he tried to recall the experience, it kept slipping from his mind, like oil on water. Like a dream only half remembered. ¡°You straight up appeared about a foot to the side of where you were!¡± Hops exclaimed, that dissection look back in his eyes as he wrote things down. ¡°Movement is inaccurate though. There was no time in between you being in one spot and being in another. I have never heard of this!¡± Roge blinked at that statement, looking to Sean and Marge to see both of them calming down after the dragon appeared to be fine. ¡°People haven¡¯t done¡­ teleporting before?¡± ¡°Tele¡­ port?¡± Sean sounded the word out, Roge feeling ice traveling down his spine at that. ¡°Never heard of it. Is that what the¡­ skill? Is it a skill?¡± the elf suddenly asked, looking a bit worried. Roge looked at the first notification at that, hoping it looked like he was double checking it rather than looking at it for the first time.
Rank up! [Mana Manipulation] 4->5 [Mana Manipulation] has gained a new effect!
[Spacial Magic] Ability Unlocked!
[Spacial Magic] Skill [Dodge Jump] Unlocked!
[Spacial Magic] Skill [Magic Tool Control] Unlocked!
[Spacial Magic] Skill [Mana Manipulation] Unlocked! [Mana Manipulation] already unlocked. Skill will level up both classes. Rank up! [Mana Manipulation] 5->6
New Class Available: [Transposition Magician]
Roge completely forgot about the question at that moment, looking up at them feeling a bit scared. ¡°¡­Has anyone heard of [Spacial Magic]?¡± he asked quietly. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Spacial? As in space? Like a room?¡± Sean asked, Roge expecting Hops to pipe in when the elf shook his head. When Hops was equally lost as the lion, Roge knew that didn¡¯t bode well. ¡°No. I¡­ gimme a sec.¡± He cursed his terrible luck as he had to pull up paragraphs once again.
[Transposition Magician] Level 1 [Legendary] A class focused on teleporting and magic item use. They use their superior dodging and magic item skills to confuse and distract enemies. Blind Branching Progression Tree Attributes per Level: 5 Skills: [Dodge Jump], [Magic Tool Control], [Mana Manipulation] Abilities: [Spacial Magic]
[Spacial Magic] Rank 1 Brings you closer to the fabric of spacetime and moving things within it. This grants you a mild form of telekinesis. Weight Limit: 1 lbs.
[Dodge Jump] Rank 1 If you sense an attack towards yourself, you may teleport up to your [Mana Manipulation] range limit. Aspects: [Spacial] [Evasion] Effects:
  • [Dodge] an attack you can sense by teleporting.
Mana cost: 1 per meter traveled, minimum 10
[Magic Tool Control] Rank 1 You¡¯re better at manipulating magic tools. Aspects: [Mana] [Tool] [Magic] Effects:
  • [Increase] flow restriction by 5%.
He had only thought to pull up [Spacial Magic] due to clicking on everything in his class description, feeling tempted to look up other abilities but holding off on it. ¡°Hey Hops¡­¡± he muttered, the elf raising an eyebrow through his shock. ¡°I¡¯m going to need you to write all of this down¡­¡± After copying out all of the ability descriptions, Hops having more experience writing out faster than any of them, the group silently looked at the information in awe. Sure, the tool control skill wasn¡¯t anything to sneeze at, but the other skill and ability made Roge want to test them out. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen wording like this on a skill¡­¡± Marge muttered, tracing a finger over the dodging skill. ¡°It¡¯s exact, but also vague. Leaves more interpretation for the system to activate it, which you want in a skill but¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand half of what it is saying,¡± Sean grumbled. ¡°¡®Fabric of spacetime¡¯? A room isn¡¯t a shirt.¡± ¡°Are you getting a better sense of it, Roge?¡± Hops asked, tracing over the wording. ¡°I know you don¡¯t have a lot of experience with it, but the system generally tries to make sure you understand things if you try hard.¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± Roge mumbled, trying to find a way to vocalize it. ¡°Do you know about two and three dimensional grids? For math?¡± ¡°Mostly,¡± the elf shrugged, leading Roge to sigh. ¡°Like let¡¯s consider your body to be the center of the universe. So you¡¯re zero feet away from yourself in every direction. That wall,¡± he said, pointing to the south wall, ¡°Is however many feet south of you, but zero feet east or west of you. So you mark the area, or space, in a grid by relating how far away it is from everything.¡± ¡°With you so far.¡± ¡°Now have magic that can manipulate that. Not sure why it calls the grid a fabric,¡± he lied, ¡°but it allows you to manipulate that grid. The distance between things. Where things are in relation to you.¡± Tossing a random shirt from his inventory, he focused on it with his new ability and halted its fall to the ground. ¡°Like this. It¡­ takes a bit of focus, but I can tell that shirt to stay the same distance from me in the same direction.¡± ¡°And so when you dodge, you tell everything to move so you¡¯re in a different place?¡± Marge asked, Sean still looking somewhat lost as he stayed silent. ¡°More like I move myself in relation to the ground,¡± Roge said, patting the grass. ¡°Alright. Enough,¡± Sean grumbled, looking at Roge with an assessing look. ¡°Roge seems fine. He got another weird class with awesome abilities. But more importantly, you can dodge. How much mana do you have?¡± ¡°Forty,¡± Roge grumbled, freezing when he looked back at the frozen shirt. ¡°The telekinesis drains my mana. Not sure by how much, and the number isn¡¯t changing but¡­¡± ¡°Makes sense,¡± Hops said, waving off the inquiry. ¡°Any magic ability like that does.¡± ¡°So we rest and then test out the dodging?¡± Marge asked, looking at her quiver with a smile. Roge groaned at that, everyone else chuckling. ~~~ As they waited to practice more dodging, Roge went off to the side to process, while also mentally kicking himself to check his ability descriptions. If he was to progress, he needed to use everything at his disposal.
[Draconic Magic] Rank 2 Wield the power of dragons. Your leveling speed is increased. Anything that is bonded to you through your Draconic classes is considered ¡®you¡¯ in regards to effects. Anything that has been in your hoards is considered ¡®yours¡¯ in regards to effects.
[Item Creation] Rank 1 Items can be made using [Magic Tool Creation] if the item has been made with [Bonded Tools]. This is displayed as recipes within [Magic Tool Creation].
[Mana Manipulation] Rank 6 Manipulate mana outside of your body. Aspects: [Mana] [Magic] Effects:
  • [Manipulate] mana in the area around you.
Current range limit: 1.09 m Added Effects: [Shaping](R1)
[Shaping] Rank 1 Mana can now be shaped with more control. More solid magical effects are easier to shape.
As excited as he was for the ability to shape his mana, not realizing the effects he¡¯d already sensed had been from his abilities irked him. ¡®Well now that I know, I can upgrade them. The [Nature Magic] effect is pretty good and I might get more things like that.¡¯ Feeling like it wouldn¡¯t hurt too much, he pulled out his healing wand and swapped it to the flaming spark effect. Feeding only one mana into it made a very small effect, the blue lightning only the size of the end of his finger, but he could play around with that. Shaping the unruly lightning was nearly impossible, sensing that at most, the new effect would make it easier to aim within his range. Once he used the icing buff, though, it was as simple as thinking to change its shape. A coin was his first thought, the shape a bit indistinct, but he assumed that would get better with rank ups. Next he tried a lightning bolt shape, giggling a bit at the blue color. ¡®This might not help much with combat¡­ but this will be so much fun¡­¡¯ Chapter 20- An Open Flame and New Ideas The testing of his new dodge skill wasn¡¯t as weird for Roge as the first, the dream-like sensation of being moved fading more and more rapidly every time he did it. It also turned out that what constituted an ¡®attack¡¯ mainly seemed to be based on intent. If an [Inscription] paint blob was fired at him and Hops didn¡¯t *think* of it as an attack, his skill wouldn¡¯t activate. Same with Sean pushing him over. An intentional attack, no matter if it would deal no damage or not, always activated it and made Roge feel excited. He could only teleport within line of sight, but he forgot how big of an angle that was. Even just being aware of a spot out of the corner of his eye made it a valid target. Once he was expended of mana once again, the group headed out, Sean grabbing Roge as he tried to walk in the direction of the inn. ¡°We¡¯re going to see about getting you a place near us,¡± the lion huffed, Roge feeling his scales heat up at forgetting. ¡°Right. Sorry. Lot¡¯s of th-¡° He was cut off when a jolt went through his body, Roge grunting as he felt an odd burning sensation accompanied it. ¡°What¡­¡±
[Harvest] processing complete! Creeper Vine Rank 3 -> Grappling Vines Rank 5
Integrating¡­ Synergies found between [Symbiotic] and [Farm Hoard]!
¡°Roge? Roge?!?¡± Sean cried out, supporting the dragon as he nearly collapsed. Hops and Marge seemed worried too, the former writing out a complex rune and the other pulling the group into a semi-private alleyway. ¡°Something¡­ weird¡­¡± he grunted out, the painful sensation getting stronger as his mana seemed to disappear. ¡°[Inspect]¡­!¡±
Grappling Vines Rank 5 Abilities: [Attach](R3), [Strangle](R1), Symbiotic(R1) Status: Magically Enhanced (Growth Focused), Magically Stable(R1) Uses:
  • [Grapple] onto a target within 10 m.
  • [Rappel] to any [Grappled] target.
Synergizes with [Farm Hoard], allowing nutrients to be gathered from the host body while inside the hoard. Allows the plant to [Grapple] from the hoard, centered on the user¡¯s hands.
It was hard to focus, but as soon as Roge read the synergy, he immediately looked to Hops, who seemed rather confused at the rune he made. ¡°Food. Nut bar. Now,¡± he grunted, the overall pain slowly being replaced by a gnawing hunger. The elf immediately obliged, pulling a few bars out of his inventory and handing them to the dragon. Once he¡¯d crammed four down his throat, Roge was handed a large waterskin that he drank heavily from, gasping as he felt better and better with every sip. ¡°What did the rune say?¡± Roge asked, assuming it was an assessment one. ¡°And I need to learn those runes.¡± He tacked that on at the end distractedly, feeling a bit out of it but slowly feeling better. ¡°I¡¯ll teach you,¡± Hops chuckled, keeping a spare bar out just in case. ¡°It said you were mana, nutrient, and water deficient. Which I¡¯ve never really seen all together like that before.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Sean growled, Roge tilting his head up and finally noticing he was seated in the lion¡¯s lap. ¡°I.. Uh¡­ It was a plant,¡± he squeaked out, clearing his throat and trying to calm down. ¡°The one that¡¯s been stuck on harvesting the last few days. It finally worked, though by changing the plant.¡± Hops drew out his journal at that, Roge giving him the box word for word. ¡°So it¡¯s a grappling rope?¡± Sean asked, seemingly content with the dragon in his lap for the moment. ¡°Basically. I think¡­¡± Roge mumbled, holding his hand out towards one of the walls of the alley. With a thought, the vine sluggishly leaped out, with Roge wincing. ¡°Used up some mana for that¡­¡± He looked at the now black vine, the ¡®stem¡¯ looking like a rope with several vines wrapped around each other in a spiral, he assumed for stability. The end was less of a venus flytrap mouth and more of a grasping claw, the ¡®nails¡¯ looking more like thorns. The stem was about the width of his fingers, while the end abruptly widened to be the size of his whole hand. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ creepy,¡± Sean muttered, his voice vibrating through Roge¡¯s wings. After allowing Hops to sketch it, the group just mainly trying to calm down if the deep breaths were an indicator, Roge pulled it back inside his hoard. ¡°Less useful with the teleportation¡­¡± Marge mumbled, though Hops quickly shook his head at the deer woman. ¡°Not necessarily. He can¡¯t really teleport onto anything above him without appearing in the air, and he doesn¡¯t have the strength to keep falling like that. These, while useless for lateral movement, is good for height. Plus they can be used anytime.¡± ¡°Thanks for the food,¡± Roge stated, carefully getting up and stretching. ¡°I could use a really big nap, so if we could get going? Can¡¯t experiment with it with an empty mana pool.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Sean said, still clearly worried and keeping a close eye on the dragon. ~~~ Roge mostly stayed in his own head at that, feeling a little put off by whatever decision mutated his plant. Sure, he could eject it from his hoard to not have to eat more often, but he wished he¡¯d been given a choice in the matter. ¡®I would have fed it¡­ sometime,¡¯ he thought to himself, knowing he was lying after seeing that he still hadn¡¯t bought the insects it could have fed on before. To not make the same mistake, he decided to add checking on the plant food every morning to his quests list, having gotten into the rhythm to pull it up every morning. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°So you¡¯re finally filling up your empty room? I¡¯m glad!¡± a voice cheered, the words pulling him out of his introspection rather quickly. A man who looked to be made of living flames looked to the party members, all three looking a bit sheepish. They were at the main bar of a tavern, Roge shocked he hadn¡¯t noticed them entering. ¡°Empty room?¡± he asked quietly, quickly putting two together and huffing out a bit of fog. ¡°So you weren¡¯t just getting me a place ¡®nearby¡¯?¡± The elf pulled out a book and started reading, while Marge disappeared up the stairs. This just left Sean, the lion looking less sheepish than he should have. ¡°So¡­ yeah. That¡¯s how it¡¯s only 5 silvers. We have a spare room and you can split rent.¡± ¡°And you didn¡¯t just ask why?¡± Roge growled, rubbing his eyes as he felt his frustration build. ¡°We thought you wouldn¡¯t accept it.¡± *That* extinguished his frustration, Roge sighing and looking up at the sad looking lion. ¡°Previously? Dunno. Now? I¡¯ll take anything I can get Sean. You opening your door for me is appreciated.¡± Sean blinked in shock for a moment before seemingly dismissing the feeling with a nod. ¡°Right. That¡¯s fair. I¡¯m sorry Roge.¡± ¡°No apology needed. Do you guys have a kitchen?¡± he asked as he started walking towards the stairs, Hops peeking over his book while Sean took the lead. ¡°Nope. But breakfast and dinner is included in rent. We¡¯ve just been refusing the fourth meal.¡± ¡°Still. A four bedroom for twenty silver a week? I feel like I was being robbed at my parents¡¯ place.¡± Roge paused at that, thinking things over before blurting out the question. ¡°It is a hundred silver to a gold, yes?¡± ¡°Yup. Same all the way up from copper, silver, gold, and platinum,¡± Hops replied, heading to a door near the stairs, the hallway somewhat sparse. ¡°And here¡¯s our room.¡± The door had a ¡®202¡¯ written on it, Roge marking that in the notes in his [Status] so he wouldn¡¯t forget. The door led to a pretty cramped living room, two three person couches sitting in a ¡®V¡¯ and facing a fireplace. It was currently out, though Marge stood right in front of it, feeding it logs. Pulling out an orange metal plate from her inventory, she tapped it against the logs to seemingly no effect. ¡°My lighter ran out. Can I have a recharge?¡± she asked, Roge intercepting the handing over of the item and looking it over.
Runed Copper Plate Rank 2 Abilities: [None] Runes: [Alight](R1), [Battery](R1)
Since Marge presumably didn¡¯t have [Mana Manipulation], Roge decided to not make a wand for the task, instead filling it up with some of his regenerating mana and handed it back. ¡°Don¡¯t waste it. I got it.¡± Pulling out his wand and swapping it to [Flaming Spark], he moved over to the logs and set the tip of the wand onto it. Considering how low his mana pool was, checking to see he had three points left, he used that bit to snake the flaming electricity over and around one of the logs, quickly catching it alight and hoping it spread to the others. He quickly backed away from the flame, the heat prickling his scales even from the couches. ¡°Thanks,¡± Marge muttered, flopping onto the couch with a sigh. ¡°Any chance you can make something I can use that¡¯s better than that lighter?¡± With an offended look to the [Wizard] elf, who did not share his look, Roge was about to say something when said elf interjected. ¡°I can¡¯t make much more than the plates. It¡¯s okay Roge.¡± ¡°Still. While I think I might be able to in the future, be nice,¡± the deer stated. Roge sat on the other couch right next to the lounging Hops, Sean giving them all a smile before heading to his room. ¡°Oh I think we can fix that now,¡± Hops muttered, pulling out one of the lighters as well considering it had the same rune. ¡°This is a rune of both storing mana and lighting objects on fire. If you could put the [Alight] ability onto a wand, I can put the battery rune on it. Not sure how strong I can make the rune, but a recharging or transfer rune can pull from the user to activate. Then, with a touch rune, we can bind it together to make a magic item that doesn¡¯t need to be charged, and doesn¡¯t need [Mana Manipulation].¡± Roge¡¯s mouth slowly opened more and more as he spoke, the dragon feeling excited by the possibilities of them working together. Though there was one hiccup. ¡°Why couldn¡¯t you do that with the place¡­?¡± ¡°It has only one rune slot. Have an effect that makes it so two can go onto a one slot item, but the wands can take three.¡± Hops placed the plate onto Roge¡¯s lap at that, giving him a significant look. ¡°Fine.¡± It took them a good twenty minutes to make the wand, Roge constructing the wand and ability, while Hops inscribed the runes when the dragon was done. Roge even changed the color of the wood to be a forest green, with the bottle containing what looked to be a candle flame due to the different ability.
Lighter Wand Rank 9 Abilities: [Alight](R1) Runes: [Battery](R4), [Recharge](R4), [Touch](R0) Effect: Electricity shoots out of the end of the wand, super-heating the air enough to make it ignite. Amount depends on flow. Flow Restriction: 10 points per minute Recharge Restriction: 10 points per minute
Roge tilted his head as they finished it, feeling the recipe lock into his creation skill as it ranked up as well.
Rank up! [Magic Tool Creation] 4->5 [Magic Tool Creation] has gained a new effect!
[Additional Recipe] Rank 1 Gain any recipe of your choice. Recipes Available: 1
¡°That¡¯s¡­ vague¡­¡± Roge muttered, handing over the lighter to Marge. ¡°I got the [Additional Recipe] effect and-¡° ¡°Oh that¡¯s so good!¡± Hops cheered, his hands moving across his invisible screens. ¡°We can just present you with a magic item, and you can duplicate its recipe! What do we want to go with though¡­¡± ¡°¡±Potions,¡±¡± Marge and Roge quickly said, both chuckling at Hops¡¯ confused look. ¡°If I can make potions without using up a bonded slot, I can make things I can throw if needed,¡± Roge explained. ¡°He can also easily make healing potions we can use in emergencies,¡± Marge added, the dragon giving her a confirming nod. ¡°Ingredients are a lot less expensive than buying the potions outright.¡± ¡°Alright, alright. That¡¯s fair,¡± Hops grumbled, pulling a potion out from his inventory and handing it over to Roge. Just a glance at it gave him the recipe, Roge waving it away as he thought about it. ¡°It needs a petal of a plant I don¡¯t have and quartz dust suspended in water.¡± He noticed their dour expressions even as his grin got wider, Roge feeling practically giddy. ¡°But considering I have an extra spark and acid tulip, and it needs a healing tulip, I think I know how I can get one.¡± Chapter 21- Missing The Obvious While he was excited to get started on making healing potions, Marge commented on how tired he looked, and so Roge begrudgingly did the healthy thing and went to his room. Each room was about the same size, as far as he could tell, each containing a rather nice looking bed, desk and chest to keep his items in. The whole room was a good bit bigger than his last one at the inn, including the closet space. As he was unpacking, he frowned at the clothing he owned, having forgotten to colorize all of them to make them look nicer. Even his jacket, which had a few holes in it, he noticed, didn¡¯t look too fantastic with it¡¯s solid black cloth. Scrolling through his inventory and finding his excess of [Pigment] coins, he decided to at least make his clothing look better before getting some rest. Counting them out, he had ten shirts, ten pants, and his jacket that he could add color to. He had barely enough for it, feeling a bit worried that his red coins stood at only ten. But it was worth it to spend time designing the patterns he wanted on his clothing. At the end, he felt exhausted, climbing into bed and falling asleep within moments, waking up feeling more refreshed and relaxed than he had in a while. Getting dressed in a burgundy shirt with a black, stylized paintbrush in the center, dark blue pants that he artfully made to look like jeans, his black and grey gradient jacket with a blue border around the edges, and his black boots. He quickly added a coin to to change the shoelaces and bottom the same dark sapphire blue as the jacket, feeling confident and comfortable in the outfit, even as he had to maneuver his clothing around his wings and tail. ¡®Baby steps.¡¯ Hops was the only person out when he left, the [Wizard] pouring over notes in a book before looking up at the dragon, surprise quickly taking over his face. ¡°Damn. You buy a new outfit?¡± ¡°Nope. Just redesigned the old ones. Whatcha looking at?¡± ¡°Going over my notes of how to improve your classes,¡± the elf said, Roge giving him a suspicious look. ¡°No need for that look. I do this with everyone, and my [Investigator] class helps me intuit more things than the average person.¡± Roge let out a sigh, giving Hops a grin. ¡°Fair, I guess. Whatcha got so far?¡± ¡°Well, from what you¡¯ve said about the buffs, I¡¯ve got a few items for you to try buying.¡± He handed over a piece of paper with a rather large list of items, Roge¡¯s eye-ridges going up as he tried to skim it. ¡°But that¡¯s mostly for the future. The first ones you want to get is [Glow] from the magic candles, and [Fog] from the fog bombs.¡± ¡°Any particular reason?¡± ¡°Well, we know with [Icing], that you got a solidifying effect to your skills, which helps your combat effectiveness since you can throw them. I already suspect that [Acid] will give you a liquid or corrosive buff, so all we have left is gas and rays to fill out the roles usual spells do.¡± Roge grimaced and felt his tail flick, finally looking away from the screen he¡¯d been copying the list into. ¡°Is that wise? Making myself look like a spellcaster?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be fine,¡± the elf waved off. ¡°With the church not arresting you over it, that should appease most. The advantage outweighs it, with you being able to fill the role of a spellcaster.¡± ¡°Which is?¡± Roge asked, placing the list in his inventory. ¡°They mainly can do three things. Buffing. Debuffing. Attack. Normally artificers can only do one of those things at low levels, and only with one effect inside those categories. I can do that to a lesser extent with my runes, but there aren¡¯t any buff and debuff runes that I can apply directly to people. Only items.¡± ¡°So why have me fight at all?¡± Roge frowned, crossing his arms. ¡°I can heal, which you can¡¯t do I assume?¡± Hops shook his head at that. ¡°And if I can get buffs and debuffs, attacking seems like a waste to focus on first.¡± ¡°Simple. Everyone needs to be able to fight. Or else you die more often than not.¡± That pulled Roge up short, grimacing as he thought of how vulnerable someone would be if they couldn¡¯t defend themselves. ¡°Attack and Defense are the base things an adventurer needs, and the Utility test still includes them. We still have four to five days to shore everything up, and you healing will most likely let you pass mostly anything.¡± ¡°I guess that¡¯s fair,¡± Roge grumbled, dialing his head back to the start of the conversation. ¡°So besides the buffs, which is just me buying items and growing plants with other elements, any other suggestions?¡± ¡°Yup. And it¡¯s something you¡¯d have thought of eventually.¡± Hops pulled out a rather odd book at that, the cover looking like solid wood, with artful branches carved into it. ¡°A guide to working with [Nature Magic] and associated classes. It doesn¡¯t have your class, but the sub-abilities are of particular note.¡± ¡°Such as?¡± the dragon asked, putting the book in his inventory for later studying. ¡°[Druidic Touch]. It¡¯s a fairly basic sub-ability, but it¡¯s the foundation of a lot of the druid classes. It also allows you to unlock the magical abilities of mundane plants.¡± Roge¡¯s eyes widened at that, his mind immediately going to his Blueoak saplings. ¡°How hard is it to get?¡± He pulled the book back out before seeing Hops wave it away. ¡°From what the guide says, you have to pour your nature aligned mana into the plant with the intention of examining and powering it. Commune with the plant and learn what *it* wants to be, then enhancing that.¡± Hops was barely finished before Roge immediately pulled out one of the Blueoaks, noting it landing with a blueoak planter box and soil. It was already a good five feet tall, its branches leafy and healthy, the dark teal leaves the classic bumpy shape Roge was familiar with. Placing a claw onto the trunk of the tree and suffusing it with his mana was not an issue whatsoever. He even felt his [Mana Manipulation] tick up a notch, though he pushed away the notification as he closed his eyes and focused. He already knew how to ¡®examine¡¯ things, feeling his [Inspect] skill pulse and activate. Communing with the plant was harder, Roge knowing that brute force wouldn¡¯t do anything but harm the tree. He needed to be slow and methodical. Send warm and pleasant feelings of welcome. It reminded him of when he¡¯d tried dabbling with stage hypnosis as a teen, the meditative process similar to what he¡¯d heard about regarding communing with nature. Those tree sound videos helped him relax more often than not, so he used those feelings as he focused. ¡®Hello¡­¡¯ It wasn¡¯t exactly words that Roge felt in that moment, his mind just interpreting the feelings that way. ¡®Are you going to hurt me?¡¯ ¡®No,¡¯ he responded, feeling a long forgotten part of himself ache. ¡®I want to protect you. Hoard you. Help you grow to help me grow.¡¯ ¡®A wise choice,¡¯ the tree giggled, Roge hearing its leaves rustling. ¡®I¡¯d like something in return, though.¡¯ He furrowed his brow at that, feeling unprepared. ¡®What is it?¡¯ ¡®I can feel my siblings in you. I want us to be together.¡¯ Roge thought hard on that request, poking his [Farm Hoard] to see if that was possible. To his surprise, he had a lot more customization with the storing effect than he expected. He¡¯d been putting everything in its own space, but he could add everything together in a more natural way, like the plants were growing in the wild. It asked him what kinds of environments he wanted to make, Roge picking the open field option for now. He saw interesting things like caves and deserts, though he had no plants to fill those at the moment. ¡®Do you mind if I include everyone?¡¯ he asked, feeling confusion coming from the tree at his question. ¡®I have vines and flowers that I¡¯m cultivating.¡¯ ¡®Flowers are lovely! Yes, bring everyone there. I will awaken the others!¡¯ At its agreement, Roge felt a connection form between the two of them. Light and tenuous, but it was there. He put all of the plants in his hoard into the field section he decided on, feeling that he could not have more than one environment at a time. Several dings chimed in his ears at that, Roge putting the blueoak into his hoard before looking at them, a grin coming to his face.
Rank up! [Nature Magic] 5->6
Rank up! [Inspect] 13->14
New sub-ability [Druidic Touch] unlocked! The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
[Druidic Touch] Examine and empower basic plants, bringing out their mystical properties and form bonds with them. Cost: Variable Source: [Nature Magic] Requirements: [None] Ability plant
¡°Got it!¡± Roge cheered, jumping when he found Marge and Sean suddenly on the other couch, everyone grinning at him. ¡°When did you get here?¡± ¡°A few minutes ago. You got the sub-ability Hops was telling us about?¡± Sean asked, Roge giving him a nod as he read the text out for Hops to copy. ¡°So what does the window say now about it?¡± the elf asked, Roge pulling that up was well and whistling at the more complex box.
Bonded Magical Blueoak Sapling Rank 5 Abilities: [Strength Boost](R1), [Wisdom Boost](R1), [Constitution Boost](R1), [Thunder](R1), [Bond](R1) Status: Magically Enhanced (Growth Focused), Bonded Products per day when [Harvested]:
  • 1 [Strength Boost] Branch
  • 1 [Thunder] Leaf
Hoard Effects:
  • [Unknown] (6/10)
  • Further [Unknown]
¡°What in the world¡­¡± Marge muttered, Sean looking shocked as well while Hops just looked very focused on his writing. ¡°I¡¯ve never gotten¡­ OH GOD DAMMIT!¡± he swore, having been scrolling through his hoard and finding one anomaly. He double checked, and found the only other item that was more complex was his wand, but *only* when he had it in his hoard.
Healing Bottle Wand Rank 8 Abilities: [Healing](R7), [Bond](R1) Effect: Target gains health or loses exhaustion. Amount healed is dependent upon the amount of mana used. Flow Restriction: 10 points per minute Hoard Effect: None
Roge smacked himself on the forehead at that, feeling like a massive idiot as things were put together. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Hops asked, the party members all looking very concerned at the dragon. ¡°I didn¡¯t even think about the fact that *every* coin I get comes with the ash. That the ash is used to bind things to my hoards.¡± At that, he focused on spending some of the ash, feeling frustrated when one unit was consumed and one of the coins split off from the others.
Bonded Ability Coin Rank 2 Abilities: [Pigment](1), [Bond](R1) The refined essence of an Ability. This coin contains the essence of a color and replacing colors with itself. Bonded: This coin cannot be removed from the hoard, and counts as 2 coins for hoard effect requirements. Hoard Effects:
  • Pigment Buff (Red) (11/10) (10 Red [Pigment])
  • Colorful Buff (74/70) (Any 50 [Pigment], 10 [Color], 10 [Inscription])
  • [Unknown] (11/100) (100 Red [Pigment])
After reading out that box as well, Hops grimaced in understanding. Missing something that was obvious in hindsight was apparently a familiar friend to the [Wizard]. ¡°I was wondering why your abilities seemed to be missing information. It¡¯s because it¡¯s included in *other* parts of your class, hidden behind using it in certain ways.¡± ¡°Gimme a sec¡­¡± Roge muttered, bonding coins on mass to make sure he didn¡¯t lose his buffs. Thankfully, the list didn¡¯t *completely* split off the bonded coins, just adding on their number to the one column.
Screen Hoard
[Detox] 1
Primordial Ash 62
[Pigment] (Red) 5, 5B
[Pigment] (Yellow) 5, 5B
[Pigment] (Blue) 6, 5B
[Pigment] (Black) 6, 5B
[Pigment] (White) 6, 5B
[Color] 5, 5B
[Inscribe] 5, 5B
[Glass Bottle Making] 5, 5B
[Flaming Spark] 1
[Explosive] 1
[Icing] (5) 1
[Icing] (1) 1B
Bonded Healing Bottle Wand 1
Farm Hoard
Purifying Tobacco Rank 3 6
Purifying Tobacco Rank 4 (Red) 3
Purifying Tobacco Rank 4 (Yellow) 3
Purifying Tobacco Rank 4 (Blue) 3
Purifying Tobacco Rank 4 (Black) 3
Purifying Tobacco Rank 4 (White) 3
Creeper Vine Rank 1 5
Grappling Vines Rank 5 1
Flaming Tulip Rank 4 2
Icing Tulip Rank 4 2
Spark Tulip Rank 4 2
Acid Tulip Rank 4 2
Healing Tulip Rank 1 2
Blueoak Sapling Rank 0 5B
Units of Fertilizer Left 30
That¡¯s when he also noticed each of the oaks was now bonded to him, remembering the oak he¡¯d spoken to saying that it would talk to its siblings. Apparently that meant that he wouldn¡¯t have to do anything to bond them, giving him the now known hoard effect as well.
Tree of Life Resistance 1 to poison, illness, and vitality draining effects.
¡°And now the oaks just gave me a resistance¡­¡± Roge muttered, sending the other team members into a question asking frenzy, though he didn¡¯t answer them as he stewed in his own incompetence, also ignoring the waved away messages about increasing his Nature and Draconic magic, along with his two hoard abilities as well. ¡®I knew that the Draconic classes are all about hoarding. And I didn¡¯t even look into binding the coins or doing anything dragon-like with my treasure¡­¡¯ He rubbed his face as Hops calmed Sean and Marge down, the former looking very happy for the dragon, while the other just looked concerned. He¡¯d address them in a moment, breathing deeply to calm himself down. ¡°Okay. So what should I bond?¡± the dragon asked, turning to Hops. The elf had a wry grin on, pulling out his notebook to get started on listing everything in Roge¡¯s hoard and what effects he could get. Chapter 22- Discrimination and Christmas Cheer After conversing with both Hops and the blueoak saplings, the latter being able to communicate with him even inside the hoard, they figured out that the already magical plants, like his flowers and vines, couldn¡¯t be bonded with at that time. Considering the restriction of the sub-ability, the elf assumed that ranking up his [Nature Magic] could change that in the future. Either that, or trying to get a [Bond] ability coin, which they all found out couldn¡¯t be swapped or extracted without the bond itself coming into danger. While yes, everything had mana flowing inside of it, abilities apparently came from strengthening the plants with dense mana. It was something only either sentients could provide, or there had to be some kind of dense magical phenomena near a plant. Luckily, the farmed plants nearby were kept relatively magic-free, besides the medicinal plants. So Roge put a note in his [Quests] to visit the local farms to see if he can get any other new plants for his hoard. The next thing they tried was harvesting the various plants he had to see if he could get more buffs, the blueoaks not minding when he used the effect on them. He saved the tobacco plants for later, not wanting to fill his inventory, especially when he had the next two days off. He¡¯d do it later while dropping off the leaves at the Leaf¡¯s Haunt. Roge felt very excited by the haul, listing them out to the side of his inventory to keep track of them in a list.
Bottle of Quartz Dust (1/4 Filled) 19
Sparking Tulip Petal 7
Acid Tulip Petal 13
Blueoak Branch 5
Blueoak Leaf 5
Flaming Tulip Petals 16
Icing Tulip Petals 8
Healing Tulip Petals 9
The first thing he tried was the [Sparking] ability, taking them out and binding them one at a time to see when he¡¯d get a buff, which he got at five bonded coins, totaling the ten he expected. He then did the same with the [Acid] coins, feeling pleased at the two buffs.
Sparking Buff Change the effect of one of your abilities or skills by moving the effect faster.
Acid Buff Change the effect of one of your abilities or skills by liquefying the effect.
¡°Should¡­ should we try for the flame buff?¡± Roge asked, Hops pausing his writing to give Roge a questioning look. ¡°The icing buff appeared with only one rank one coin. So if my relationship with fire is reversed¡­¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s probably going to take a hundred of them,¡± Hops continued, letting out a frustrated sigh. ¡°Yeah hold off on that for now. Check your healing and blueoak stuff, then we¡¯ll get going.¡± Roge nodded, finding the healing coins just as easy, though when he looked at the blueoak materials, he came up short.
Healing Buff Change the effect of one of your abilities or skills by making a harming effect less painful.
Magical Blueoak Branch Rank 1 Abilities: [Strength Boost](R1) A branch of the blueoak tree. Status: Dying Uses: None
Magical Blueoak Leaf Rank 1 Abilities: [Thunder](R1) A leaf of the blueoak tree. Status: Dying Uses: None
¡°Um¡­¡± Roge muttered, receiving a sigh from Hops as he once again pulled the elf from his writing. ¡°Would the effect of the [Thunder] ability be better for my wand, or the potential buff?¡± After pulling out another book and rifling through it, Hops¡¯ frown became even more pronounced. ¡°Now that¡¯s a hard one. It produces a sound, which is already good, but I assume it¡¯ll also work well with your sparking attacks. On the other hand, if you could make your attacks act more like sound¡­¡± ¡°The latter,¡± Marge offered, both of the magic users looking to her in surprise. ¡°You can get more later, and making *all* of your attacks act like sound is better than one sound attack.¡± ¡°Fair,¡± Roge chuckled, grabbing the coins and binding them to himself.
Thunder Buff Change the effect of one of your abilities or skills by making it act in a wider area as a burst effect.
¡°And it did exactly that!¡± Roge cheered, earning him a high five from a quiet Sean. ¡°Now all of my attacks can be area of effect.¡± Moving on to the strength related ability, Roge grinned widely when it popped up at ten again, giving Hops the descriptions to write down.
Strength Boost Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Increases the force your muscles do, as if your strength score was 1 higher.
¡°And the strength boost gives me¡­ more force to my muscles?¡± ¡°That¡¯s actually really good!¡± Sean enthused, giving Roge a light punch to the shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s not going to increase your slots, but it will make you stronger as if you raised your strength.¡± ¡°And if we assume ten more will give you a boost to that,¡± Hops added, writing his thoughts down as well, ¡°then we can increase that even more. If we find all of the boost abilities¡­¡± ¡°I only have to spend points if I need the slots,¡± Roge finished, feeling his wings and tail sag. ¡°Is this¡­ too powerful?¡± ¡°I mean¡­ we know dragons get stupidly powerful,¡± Marge commented, her playful expression falling away at Roge¡¯s hurt one. ¡°It¡¯s not a bad thing.¡± ¡°And I assume there isn¡¯t like an elf, lion, or deer specific class?¡± Roge grumbled, looking up when no one replied to his comment. All three party members looked to be in deep thought, multiplying the dragon¡¯s confusion. ¡°Has no one ever tried?¡± ¡°Well¡­ the whole point is to meditate on hoarding power when getting a class,¡± Hops slowly stated, tapping his wand on his chin. ¡°What aspect would fit with the rest of us? Dragons are the only ones who have that lore.¡± Roge opened his mouth at that, a couple of things coming to mind regarding lore behind their species. He then snapped it shut, wondering how he¡¯d explain where he got the information from. It would put his whole secret in danger, and he wasn¡¯t yet comfortable with the party to tell them about what he could remember. ¡°Anyway, we need to buy you some stuff,¡± Hops grumbled, getting up from the couch and stretching. ¡°And continue training,¡± Sean said with a smile, the lion heading straight to the front door. All three moved quickly to get their breakfast meal, Roge trailing behind with a sour look on his face. ~~~ Training that day was a bit different for the dragon, most of it spent getting used to the added effects his buffs gave him. Especially when they figured out he could use more than one on a single spell effect. That meant that his go to attack, his solid fire lightning, could move even faster depending on how much mana was used in that effect. The thunder buff also made the landing of the attack go off like a firework, sending flaming sparks all throughout the air. Even the liquefying buff was very useful, as the liquid effect did not go away as fast, leading to the fire and lightning slowly eating away at the dummy. Even the healing buff, which seemed useless, could make it so monsters wouldn¡¯t target the dragon in combat, as the wounds seemed ¡®not that painful¡¯ when he used a small spark to shock Hops. They¡¯d be more worried about the charging shield user than a magic user who seemed to not do that much damage. After their training was done, Hops dragged the dragon off to the main market square to the east, leaving the lion and deer woman behind. Seemed the [Wizard] knew where everything was from memory, quickly showing up to their first stop of a fellow artificer. ¡°Hey Hops!¡± the man called out, shocking Roge upon first seeing the massive human. He looked to be nearly seven feet tall and thinner than what looked healthy, his dark brown skin contrasting with his blue eyes and blonde hair. ¡°Haven¡¯t seen you around a lot!¡± ¡°Hi Hurst. And yeah, been training this guy here,¡± the elf responded, pointing to the still flabbergasted dragon. ¡°Never seen a [Firbolg] before lad?¡± the shopkeep asked, causing Roge¡¯s scales to heat in a blush. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Can honestly say I haven¡¯t seen a [Dragonkin] up close either. What can I get you?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ we were wondering if you had any magic candles and fog bombs for sale?¡± Roge asked, once again feeling like something he didn¡¯t know was rearing up again. ¡°He¡¯s an [Artificer] too,¡± Hops commented, causing Hurst to give the dragon an assessing look. ¡°Makes it even better in my eyes, lad. Just as long as you have complimentary classes to work with.¡± The tall man looked around the shelves behind his counter, Roge only then noticing that the ¡®shop¡¯ was more a waiting area with seats off to the sides. The actual items were all behind the counter, probably to stop kids from blowing themselves up. ¡°Here we go,¡± Hurst huffed, pulling down two boxes. The first box was filled with what looked like normal candles, the other filled with dark grey balls about the size of Roge¡¯s palm. ¡°You got [Identify]?¡± Roge nodded, touching one of each of the items and looking over the screens, feeling a bit of inadequacy travel up his spine.
Magic Candle Rank 10 Abilities: [Glow](R9), [Battery](R1) A candle that glows under its own power. Cost: 5 silver
Fog Bomb Rank 10 Abilities: [Fog](R10) Disperses a cloud of fog when struck against any hard surface. Cost: 1 silver
¡°Expensive,¡± Roge muttered, earning a glare from the shopkeep. ¡°Not that that¡¯s a bad thing. I just¡­ only have enough for one of each if I want to keep on budget.¡± The glare softened at that, especially when Roge pulled out six silver coins and held them out with his claw. After taking one of each of the items, Roge had the feeling Hurst wanted them to leave, giving a short ¡°See ya later,¡± to Hops. ¡°Are dragons¡­ why do people¡­¡± Roge muttered to the elf, earning him a sigh in return. ¡°Tonight. Not in public,¡± he replied, dragging Roge down the street. ¡°Next is the farms. See if you get a buff from those while we¡¯re walking?¡± The dragon nodded, grateful for the distraction from his brain trying to tell him that the crowd around them were giving him dirty looks. He extracted the coins in his inventory and bonded them to himself, feeling a bit better when they both gave him the buffs they¡¯d wanted.
Glow Buff Change the effect of one of your abilities or skills by making it act as a ray. Effect may change depending on several factors, including what the effect is made of.
Fog Buff Change the effect of one of your abilities or skills by making it into a cloud of aerosolized particles.
After letting Hops write the descriptions down, they were mostly silent as they walked to the edge of the farmlands, the fields completely encompassed by the wall in the distance. Roge was surprised by the variety of plants that were in the area, his claw twitching as he itched to take everything into his hoard to see what would happen. ¡°Can I help you with something?¡± a deep voice asked, Roge feeling slightly small as the second giant of a man walked up to them. Probably around seven and a half feet, the grey skinned bald man was the opposite of skinny, looking like he had worked every day of his life going by his large build. Roge was distracted by the man¡¯s lack of a hat or coat when Hops responded, giving Roge a bit of a glare. ¡°We¡¯re here because Roge here unlocked a Druid class,¡± the elf said, Roge mostly getting his face under control and nodding. ¡°He needs a variety of unenhanced plant seeds.¡± ¡°With a budget of a gold,¡± Roge added, the man¡¯s scowl never really going away and making him very nervous. ¡°Any plant?¡± the man asked, Hops looking to Roge as well for the answer. ¡°I¡¯m mainly looking for tree seeds, if you have any? Preferably with fruit?¡± He had to think fast for that one, wanting to get a renewable source of food with the plants and seeing a grove near the wall. ¡°Maybe a pine¡­?¡± he muttered, looking around at the snow covered fields and noting a couple of pines. ¡°Have apple, cherry, and pine seeds I can sell,¡± the man huffed, waving them over to a shed nearby. ¡°Can only afford to give ten of each. Thirty silver altogether.¡± Roge looked to Hops before agreeing, the normally talkative elf looking very nervous around the huge man. ¡°That works.¡± Trading the coins for a sack of different seeds, the two made haste away from the farms, Hops giving a sigh of relief. ¡°That guy must have [Intimidate] or something!¡± the elf complained, Roge mostly focusing on putting the pine cones, apple seeds, and cherry pits into his hoard. He felt his blueoaks welcome the strangely named plants, the ¡®Lime Pine¡¯, ¡®Gold Apple¡¯, and ¡®Yellow Cherry¡¯ seeds fitting in well enough. ¡°And another thing,¡± Hops continued, Roge having missed most of what he said. ¡°I thought you were immune to mental effects! What was that?!¡± ¡°He just seemed really scary,¡± Roge mumbled, the blueoaks pulling too much of his attention with how much praise they were giving him for getting so many other trees. ¡°Oh. An emotion attack. Makes sense,¡± the elf grumbled, dragging Roge along who finally finished his conversation with his trees. ¡°I¡¯m surprised he wasn¡¯t selling more pine trees,¡± the dragon muttered, looking back at the rapidly disappearing fields. ¡°Why would he? The candle industry usually just sells in winter.¡± Roge stopped Hops at that, a rare chill going down his spine as they almost slipped in the dusting of snow on the cobblestones. ¡°Do¡­ I mean¡­ doesn¡¯t something happen next month?¡± Roge asked, wondering if he would faint. ¡°Well yeah, there¡¯s Christmas. But why would you need a pine tree for it?¡± Roge did end up slumping at that, feeling too tired to answer the elf¡¯s questioning look as he contemplated a Christmas without pine trees. ¡®What kind of holiday did it turn into¡­?¡± Chapter 23- Pink Panic After quickly calming down and explaining to Hops that it was just anxiety over not knowing something, which was half true, he got the full story of what Christmas was like. He still felt a sinking feeling that his favorite holiday didn¡¯t exist anymore, but he felt a little reassured as the elf spoke. Apparently the feast still existed, though it was at the end of December, lasted three days including one day in January, and didn¡¯t involve gift giving. Instead, people painted various drawings on their homes in the beginning of the month, to be inspected by the city government in a sort-of contest. Though, as soon as Hops mentioned it was to celebrate the winter solstice, Roge felt slightly confused and asked for clarification. Turns out, there were thirteen months instead of twelve, an extra month having been added between June and July called Midsummer, when the summer solstice was celebrated. Each month had exactly twenty eight days, minus December that had twenty nine for the solstice. Leap years occasionally made it thirty, but by that point Roge started feeling a headache coming along. He waved off more of Hops¡¯ explanations, grateful that they¡¯d just arrived at the nearby alchemy shop. ¡°Well well well! Been dodging me Mr. Youngston?¡± the shopkeep called out when they entered, Roge smiling at Judson, the Church¡¯s head alchemist. ¡°Why exactly do you run a shop?¡± Roge asked, dodging the question while looking around at the various alchemical items littering the shelves. ¡°It¡¯s my side job. Half of my stock goes to the Church, but I found people really need an expert [Alchemist¡¯s] touch.¡± ¡°Well I¡¯m an [Artificer], so no need to try and convince me more.¡± The goblin grumbled at that, rolling his eyes and stepping down from the chair behind the counter. ¡°Figures. What apparatuses do you need? I assume that¡¯s why you¡¯re here?¡± ¡°Strangely enough, we need a cauldron,¡± Hops interjected, though most of the elf¡¯s focus was on the various products. ¡°Roge just got a potion recipe and we need to-¡° ¡°WHAT?!¡± the goblin screeched, making both Roge and Hops flinch back at the high pitched noise. ¡°How does an [Artificer]¡­ That doesn¡¯t make any sense! The class is too broad!¡± ¡°I um¡­ got the additional recipe effect. Should it¡­ not have worked?¡± Judson snapped his mouth shut at that, looking to be in deep thought before sighing. ¡°Yeah that¡¯d work. Potions are magic items, so it¡¯d fall under the category. But damn Mr. Youngston. How did you get at least five recipes before rank five?¡± He paused at that, smacking himself in the face. ¡°Oh. Your broken Draconic class.¡± ¡°Pretty much,¡± Roge chuckled, pointing to the door to the back of the store. ¡°So¡­ cauldron? And anything else you think we¡¯d need? I¡¯m going to try the same trick with the healing potion to get the elemental potions too.¡± ¡°Alchemical bombs,¡± Judson grunted, getting more of Hops and Roge¡¯s attention at that. He walked into the back to get the items, raising his voice to still be heard. ¡°Yes, a good choice to have. If you finagle them enough once your cap is above one, you can even use them to make resistance potions.¡± Roge looks to Hops with a grin, the elf having a similar excited expression. ¡°That sounds amazing.¡± ¡°Yeah, well, you¡¯re not going to get any of the bonuses an [Alchemist] gets,¡± Judson replied, coming back out and placing a small, gallon sized cauldron on the counter. It was a solid black, Roge assumed cast iron, with a tap at the bottom to fill bottles. ¡°No bulk making, so you¡¯re going to be limited to ten potions at a time. No modifications to recipes to enhance the effects. And no advanced alchemy like distillation and such. Just basic potions of each tier. You good with that, dragon?¡± ¡°Should be fine,¡± Roge muttered, a few ideas how he could bypass that already coming to mind. ¡°So this puppy,¡± the goblin said as he smacked the cauldron, ¡°Is self heating. Needs mana to function, but you already have that I assume?¡± At Roge¡¯s nod, he pulled out a large wooden spoon, the grain almost pitch black. ¡°Alchemically treated spoon. Doesn¡¯t react when you cook.¡± The last item he pulled out was a leather bound book, which Roge raised an eye-ridge at. ¡°Recipe book.¡± ¡°But the recipes are already in my skill¡­¡± Roge muttered, earning him a glare from the [Alchemist]. ¡°And how do you expect to be able to share recipes?¡± Roge frowned at that, earning him a sigh. ¡°You¡¯ve unlocked potions and another item. While you can¡¯t learn recipes about other magical items, you *can* with the ones you already have. Trading recipes is the cornerstone of [Item Creation]. Bind this book to that ability, and all your recipes will be written down automatically. Then, we can trade copies of our recipes, and I can give you the bomb recipes. That way you don¡¯t have to experiment.¡± Roge stared wide-eyed at the book at that, his mind churning before glancing at the cauldron and spoon. ¡°Should I try and bind these too?¡± ¡°Well duh,¡± the goblin huffed, giving Roge a sharp smile. ¡°You use any tools for your other item?¡± ¡°Nope,¡± Roge said, pulling out his healing wand. ¡°Just made it by hand.¡± ¡°Lemme see,¡± Judson said, grabbing for the wand. Not seeing any harm in it, Roge handed it over, the goblin looking at it with a critical eye. ¡°Seen interesting wands before, but this takes the cake.¡± After a few minutes of looking at it, which Roge took to look over the three items he¡¯d be buying, Judson finally looked up and gave Roge a smile. ¡°I¡¯d recommend taking it to a glassblower though. It¡¯s useful I¡¯ll give you that, but try holding it from the bottle end and see how it feels.¡± Roge blinked as he took his wand back, taking the advice and holding the bottle rather than the stick. It was a bit awkward, the teardrop shape not fitting in his claw well, but he quickly funneled his mana through it to see what would happen. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Immediately, the bottle shone even brighter, his nature mana quickly transforming into healing mana and suffusing the blueoak branch. The effect that came out seemed brighter than before, though Roge used the same amount of mana as before if the flow stat not changing was any indication. ¡°Thought so,¡± Judson smugly said, Hops moving over to take a closer look at the wand himself. ¡°Blueoak tends to strengthen anything it¡¯s made out of, so I suspected it¡¯d help here.¡± Roge tilted his head at that, remembering the [Strength Boost] ability the branches had. He also remembered that while before he couldn¡¯t alter the shape of his bonded items, since he¡¯d tried, he¡¯d gotten a few other effects he could now use. With the acid buff, the glass quickly felt like putty, molding to his hand and shifting to his design. He pushed a good bit of the clear quartz from the bottle to the tip of the wood, solidifying it into one big chunk while making the branch taper off on the end. The rest of the dust stayed in the ¡®bottle¡¯ portion, looking more like a vial attached to the base of the wood, most of the glass forming a comfortable grip around the wood. What he was left with was a thin, elegant wand the size of his forearm, quartz dust glowing in a vial on the base, a glass grip right above that, and the wood tapering off before transitioning to a pure quartz crystal. ¡°By gods dragon. How in the bloody hells-¡° Judson was cut off by Roge flicking the acid buff description over to him,? ? the goblin rolling his eyes. ¡°What a broken ass class¡­¡± ¡°So how much do I owe you?¡± Roge asked, chuckling as Hops snatched his wand to look over. ¡°Twenty silver for the cauldron, five for the spoon, and the recipe book is on the house. I¡¯m beginning to think I¡¯ll be getting more out of you that way.¡± Roge quickly handed over the money, putting the cauldron and spoon in his inventory before looking at the plain looking book. ¡°Don¡¯t over think it. Just fill it with your mana, and [Item Creation] will do the rest.¡± Placing a claw on the leather, Roge did exactly that, pushing his nature, Draconic, and spacial mana into the book, feeling a flutter in his chest as popups ensued.
Rank up! [Item Creation] 1->2
Rank up! [Spacial Magic] 1->2
Rank up! [Draconic Magic] 3->4
New sub-ability [Recipe Book of Holding] unlocked!
[Recipe Book of Holding] Have a physical book with all the recipes and effects you¡¯ve hoarded. Allows for the copying of recipes into and from other recipe books. Can hold an infinite amount of recipes, and a recipe can be pulled up with a thought. Can be placed in a hoard for safe keeping. Source: [Item Creation], [Spacial Magic], [Draconic Magic] Requirements: [None] Ability plant
Roge groaned at those popups, Hops giving a wide eyed look while Judson just had a confused one. ¡°I assume it¡¯s *normally* supposed to be called ¡®Recipe Book¡¯?¡± ¡°Did¡­ did you not get that¡­?¡± Judson asked, looking down at the book and jerking in surprise. Instead of a leather bound book, it now more resembled a hardbound tome, with a blank coin, gem, and ingot arranged in a circle on the cover. Roge willed it to flip open, thinking of his healing potion recipe, which it quickly flipped to, showing what looked to be a baking recipe. He then flipped to the effect list, finding it listed all of the effects he knew about, though since he currently had all of them, it didn¡¯t show him much. Flipping over to the healing wand, it had also apparently updated with his new wand design, showing the elegant wand instead of the clunky bottle tipped one. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ How did¡­¡± Judson grabbed one of Roge¡¯s screens, looking over the ability and groaning. ¡°[Spacial Magic]? What the fuck is that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ complicated.¡± He pulled up the ability and skill description so the goblin could look over it, willing the recipe book into his hoard for safe keeping. ¡°And now I have to try to get a class with that¡­¡± Judson muttered, giving Roge a glare. ¡°You going to be giving the information on how you got it?¡± ¡°Have it all written down,¡± Hops responded, putting a hand on Roge¡¯s shoulder and dragging him towards the door. ¡°I¡¯ll send it to the Church to look over.¡± ¡°You better!¡± ~~~ Hops dragged Roge all the way to their training room, looking a bit frustrated as he immediately got started on writing. Roge dutifully continued to work on his aiming and moving around, Marge giving him a questioning look which he just shrugged at. By the time training was done for the group, Hops finally closed his book and answered their questioning looks. ¡°I¡¯m trying to write down a guide for getting some of the stuff Roge has been getting,¡± he sighed, giving the dragon a half-hearted glare. ¡°I knew people with your condition got weird abilities, but you¡¯ve gotten so many odd ones. Besides, like the [Alchemist] expressed, people are going to want to figure out how [Spacial Magic] works. I¡¯ve never seen it before.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fair,¡± Roge muttered, kicking some snow out of the way as they entered the League¡¯s front courtyard. It had already fallen to night by that point, the training going late due to the late start. ¡°I¡¯m not *trying* to frustrate you.¡± ¡°We know,¡± Sean said gently, putting a paw on Roge¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You haven¡¯t done anything wrong.¡± ¡°At the very least, you¡¯ve done things completely right.¡± Hops gave Roge a grin at that, the dragon chuckling before noticing something odd. The light from the streetlights was a soft yellow-orange color. ¡®So¡­ why does Hops look so red-¡® All his thoughts ground to a halt as Roge looked up at the sky, it being a perfectly clear night for once. He couldn¡¯t see very many stars, but he could see the crescent moon quite clearly. Even as his friends started asking his what was wrong, he couldn¡¯t look away from the bright pink moon staring at him, only broken out of it when Sean clapped a paw around his face to block out the sight. ¡°The moon is¡­ pink?¡± the dragon muttered, looking at his friends with a bewildered look that they all mirrored. ¡°Well yeah. December has the Pink Moon. Did no one ever mention that?¡± Marge asked, giving the moon a normal, curious look. ¡°It has¡­ other colors?¡± Roge asked, feeling the panic attack he¡¯d been avoiding about how much his world changed finally building up in his chest. Over the moon of all things. ¡°Well yeah. Starting with January, theres the Crimson, Red, Orange, Gold, Yellow, Lime, Green, Teal, Blue, Royal, Violet, Purple, and Pink moons. Each full moon has a different color, and since we¡¯re coming up on December¡¯s full moon, it¡¯s Pink,¡± Hops explained, only Sean¡¯s paw rubbing Roge¡¯s back keeping him from panicking fully. ¡°Oh. Okay¡­¡± he muttered, looking back up at the moon and taking deep breaths. It looked quite pretty, actually, though the stark pink light messed with the colors of things a bit. ¡®Really hoping this is not a sign I¡¯m in a Matrix thing¡­¡¯ he thought to himself, allowing his friends to cart him back to his home. Chapter 24- Youre Not Alone Roge remembered about harvesting his tobacco plants when he woke up the next morning, his emotions feeling worn out as he quickly left the shared room. He wondered if his extreme reactions the previous day were from his pushing those emotions to the side too often, finding he didn¡¯t care very much as he sat at the tavern¡¯s counter. He even shoved away a couple of notifications he¡¯d woken up with, not even bothering to look at them as he looked to the tavernkeep. Even the man made of living flames failed to get a reaction from him as he requested breakfast. ¡°How¡¯re you feeling?¡± a voice said next to him in the middle of his meal, Roge looking to see Sean seated next to him with a concerned look. ¡°Like shit,¡± the dragon grumbled, shoveling more food into his mouth without tasting it. ¡°That tends to happen when you repress your emotions.¡± Roge gave the lion a glare at that, though it quickly softened as the numb feeling snuffed his anger out. ¡°You want to talk about it?¡± ¡°Not really. You wouldn¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°Then help me to. Someone has to be there for you Roge.¡± The dragon felt a spark of another emotion at that, feeling his eye prickling with tears. Sean wrapped him in a hugs at that, causing Roge to let out a small gasp. ¡°It¡¯s so hard,¡± he mumbled, taking a deep breath to calm himself. ¡°Not knowing anything. Being constantly surprised by unfamiliar things. I just want to move on with my life.¡± He left the rest of it unsaid, how he felt like an ant under the thumb of a machine. Sure, he *felt* like he had agency, but they¡¯d change the color of the moon. Was his mental immunity a lie under that kind of power? ¡°You know you can ask us anything. We¡¯re here for you.¡± ¡°I know. It¡¯s still hard, though.¡± Roge sniffled at that, letting the sadness and anger wash through him. ¡°And I don¡¯t want to fall apart on the streets like that. People already don¡¯t like me.¡± Sean sighed at that, a small growl vibrating through Roge. ¡°Yeah. Hops mentioned that. Seems we¡¯ve neglected something important.¡± Roge listened to the quiet growl as Sean continued to speak, telling him of the history of [Dragonkin]. Apparently he was the only one they¡¯d heard of who wasn¡¯t a noble, the powerful Draconic classes allowing dragons to rise to the top of the hierarchy. Due to the prestige and power that dragons tended to accumulate, arrogance and rudeness was commonly seen as an innate trait. Nothing good came when a dragon visited someone¡¯s shop. There was even a competition being held during the next solstice celebration, the dragons in the capital vying for a place in the royal advisers cabinet. The King, a very old and massively powerful dragon, hoarded the strong from each generation and placed the weak in noble positions in other cities. Roge felt surprised that he hadn¡¯t met the other dragons in the city, but Sean explained that they generally kept to themselves. Only the servants were seen around town, fulfilling orders for the ruling class. ¡°That¡¯s so¡­ unfair,¡± Roge whined, Sean guiding him up to their private room once people started filtering into the tavern. ¡°People just expect me to be mean? Stuck up? Just from looking at me?¡± ¡°I know. We¡¯ll help you through it. I promise,¡± Sean grumbled, leading Roge to sit on one of the couches. ¡°You¡¯re not alone in this.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Roge muttered, wiping his eyes with the sleeves of his jacket. ¡°Being alone would just make everything worse.¡± He spent a bit longer just being held by the large lion, accepting the comfort and letting his sadness and anger drain away. ~~~ Once Roge felt ready for other things, he pulled away from the lion, pulling up his hoard screens and activating [Harvest]. As he scrolled through his gains for the day, he decided to pull out one of the packs of cigarettes that Madam Madrid had given him, Sean giving him a disapproving look when he noticed it. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Made it non-toxic,¡± Roge said, lighting the end with his flaming spark wand. He picked the blue ones to start on, the smoke a nice shade of neutral blue as it came off the end and out of his snout. Feeling the calming effects spread through him, and opening the window next to them to let the smoke out, he tried planting all of the seeds he¡¯d gotten from his plants. He stopped when he felt a heavy, pulling sensation, looking over his plants and products with a frown.
Farm Hoard
Purifying Tobacco Rank 3 6
Purifying Tobacco Rank 4 (Red) 3
Purifying Tobacco Rank 4 (Yellow) 3
Purifying Tobacco Rank 4 (Blue) 3
Purifying Tobacco Rank 4 (Black) 3
Purifying Tobacco Rank 4 (White) 3
Creeper Vine Rank 1 5
Grappling Vines Rank 5 1
Flaming Tulip Rank 4 9
Icing Tulip Rank 4 7
Spark Tulip Rank 4 10
Acid Tulip Rank 4 8
Healing Tulip Rank 1 9
Flaming Tulip Seed Rank 4 1
Icing Tulip Seed Rank 4 3
Acid Tulip Seed Rank 4 2
Healing Tulip Seed Rank 1 1
Blueoak Tree Rank 5 5B
Blueoak Seed Rank 5 5
Lime Pine Sapling 10
Gold Apple Sapling 10
Yellow Cherry Sapling 10
Units of Fertilizer Left 30
Bottle of Quartz Dust (1/4 Filled) 19
Flaming Tulip Petals 57
Icing Tulip Petals 38
Sparking Tulip Petal 49
Acid Tulip Petal Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. 33
Healing Tulip Petals 49
Flaming Tulip Seeds 19
Icing Tulip Seeds 14
Sparking Tulip Seeds 24
Acid Tulip Seeds 16
Healing Tulip Seeds 21
Blueoak Branch 21
Blueoak Leaf 17
Blueoak Bark 15
Blueoak Root 13
Blueoak Acorn 11
Counting everything took a minute, but Roge soon realized he could only have ten of each plant in his hoard. Any more and it felt like he was going to burst. Pulling up his [Farm Hoard] didn¡¯t show him anything, leading him to think it was a restriction that just wasn¡¯t said. At the very least, he had tons of petals to play with, grinning as he looked through the blueoak materials he was able to get.
Bonded Magical Blueoak Tree Rank 5 Abilities: [Strength Boost](R1), [Wisdom Boost](R1), [Constitution Boost](R1), [Thunder](R1), [Bond](R1) Status: Magically Enhanced (Growth Focused), Bonded Products per day when [Harvested]:
  • 1d6 [Strength Boost] Branch
  • 1d6 [Thunder] Leaf
  • 1d6 [Wisdom Boost] Root
  • 1d6 [Constitution Boost] Acorn
Hoard Effects:
  • [Tree of Life] (15/10)
  • Further [Unknown]
He felt his existing blueoaks welcome the new seeds, feeling their bond with him grow. He¡¯d see what he might be able to get from them later, as the bond felt really slow at that moment. In the meantime, he deconstructed five each of the bark, root, and acorns, binding them to himself and feeling the effects go through him.
Wisdom Boost Increases your ability to make connections to the world, as if your wisdom score was 1 higher.
Constitution Boost Increases health and durability, as if your constitution score was 1 higher.
Attributes - [Fold] Skill Slots Used
[Strength]: 10 (11) (0/1)
[Dexterity]: 31 (3/3)
[Agility]: 16 (1/1)
[Constitution]: 24 (25) (0/2)
[Intelligence]: 49 (3/4)
[Wisdom]: 23 (24) (2/2)
[Charisma]: 14 (0/1)
Free Points: 17
Resources - [Fold] Amount Regen Rate
[Mana]: 490/490 +240 per Hour
Looking at his stats with a small grin, he decided to bind another five of each of the roots, wondering if the reward increased linearly or exponentially. Thankfully, it seemed to give an extra buff every ten, rather than needing to go up by twenty or thirty to reach the next one. That put his strength at twelve, constitution at twenty six, and wisdom at twenty five. ¡°Welp. Those boosts from yesterday are going to just keep getting better,¡± Roge commented, Sean turning and giving him a smile. ¡°Every five coins, I get another boost.¡± ¡°We really need to find the other ones¡­¡± Sean grumbled, Marge coming out of her room as he said that. They had to explain what happened with the boosts, including Roge¡¯s limit on plants. ¡°Though it seems to be only with the same species?¡± he remarked. ¡°Probably will go up when your skill hits ten,¡± Marge said, the deer woman lounging perpendicular on the other couch. ¡°Tends to be how that stuff works.¡± ¡°Makes sense. Otherwise my buffs would just grow out of control. This way, I can only use so much.¡± Roge thought on that for a moment, letting out a sigh. ¡°And I can¡¯t do too much. These will be useful in potion form too for you all. Speaking of¡­¡± He pulled the coffee table closer to his couch, placing his new cauldron and recipe book onto it with a large grin. ¡°Let¡¯s see what potions I can unlock today.¡± ~~~ After flipping the book to the healing potion recipe, while hia party members went down for breakfast, Roge made sure to look through all of the steps first. Shockingly, he¡¯d already done one of the steps, that being putting the quartz into bottles.
Novice Health Potion:
  • 3 Liters of Water
  • 20 Healing Petals
  • 10 units of Pure Quartz Dust
  • 10 Bottles
Heat water to a rolling boil on highest heat. Put 1 unit of quartz into each bottle. Lower water heat to lowest setting and stir in petals. Stir until fully incorporated, and let sit on lowest heat for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, turn off heat. Pour 0.3 liters into each bottle, making sure to cork each and shake after filling. While settling, the liquid will appear to be a bright red boiling liquid. DO NOT TOUCH OR PUT IN INVENTORY WHILE IT IS SETTLING! Each bottle should be a blood red color after settling for 5 minutes, with no dust floating in the liquid. Drink to heal 4d10 Health.
Seemed simple enough, though Roge found out quickly that it was not. While the inside of the cauldron had line indicators for one to four liters, he had forgotten to get any water for the process. As he was about to head out and get some, an idea occurred to him. ¡®What if I just use my breath ability?¡¯ After focusing on his fog breath for a few seconds, he blew it out into the cauldron, making sure that he didn¡¯t spill any of the gas onto the floor. Thankfully, since his fog was colder than he air around him, it sank right to the bottom where he tried his next step. Using the acid buff to liquefy the effect. The cloud condensed right into water, splashing a bit in the container before settling right at the one liter mark. After checking his resources, he found that he¡¯d used exactly ten mana for the process, repeating it twice more to get almost exactly the three liters required. That is when he turned on the heat, pulling out a random bowl his previous self had, the required petals, the spoon, and the ten bottles of quartz dust. The rest of the process went pretty smoothly, though Roge nearly forgot to turn down the heat before adding the petals. On the one side of the cauldron were three runes, each labeled as ¡®Low¡¯, ¡®Medium¡¯, or ¡®Hot¡¯. Touching one would switch the cauldron to that setting, while deactivating any of the other runes. Tapping an active rune would shut the whole thing off, Roge grinning at the utility of it. While he didn¡¯t have a timer or anything, his [Status] did have a clock on it, which allowed Roge to keep track of the ten minutes needed for the petals to cook. Overall, the cooking process smelled like strawberries for some reason, though Roge didn¡¯t mind the smell. After all of the bottles were filled and corked, each sizzling and shaking slightly, he put the cauldron and spoon back in his inventory, hoping that he¡¯d be able to magically clean them. ¡®At least time doesn¡¯t pass in there¡­¡¯ By the time the party came back up from breakfast, Roge was already done with the ten potions, leading to him get all of the notifications he¡¯d ignored the previous day.
Rank up! [Nature Magic] 7->8
Rank up! [Farm Hoard] 3->4
Rank up! [Magic Tool Creation] 5->6
Rank up! [Item Creation] 2->3
[Cooking] Rank 1 Create concoctions meant to be consumed. Aspects: [Sight] [Recipe] [Food]
Warning! [Dexterity] Skills over max slots available. Class acquisition locked until [Dexterity] reaches 40.
Attribute points needed: 9 Attribute points free: 17 Using free points to unlock Class acquisition.
¡°Why the frown?¡± Sean asked, Roge looking up and giving the lion a quick smile. ¡°Nothing too bad. Just got a cooking skill and it locked everything up.¡± ¡°Oh shit. Do you have the free points for it?¡± Hops asked, clearly going over the numbers in his head. ¡°Did that automatically. Dexterity now up to forty without me doing anything. Just wish I could choose whether or not to spend my points, but I guess that¡¯s fair.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good thing to know!¡± Hops crowed, pulling out another of his books and writing the information down. ¡°Anyway, you all are here just in time for me to make bombs!¡± Both Marge and Sean gave him dirty looks at that, the dragon chuckling. ¡°The [Alchemist] said it was possible. So I¡¯m going to try it out.¡± That was when Roge remembered Judson¡¯s promise of giving the recipes, but he shrugged as he extracted the needed coins from his petals. Chapter 25- Healing, Bombs, Blight, Oh My! The first ones Roge tried was the three boosts he had, pulling out the coins to look at them briefly. The strength one was a slight tan color with no logo on it, though it felt a good bit heavier than the normal coin. The wisdom one was more of a dark brown with what looked to be roots growing on its surface. Finally, the constitution coin looked almost exactly like the acorn he got it from in color, the top an earthy brown with the bottom being a light tan color. ¡®Wonder if they¡¯d look different if I got them from other sources¡­¡¯ Roge wondered, swapping out the [Healing] ability in the potions and comparing them.
Novice Health Potion Rank 1 Abilities: [Healing](R1) A bottle of weak health potion. Drink to gain its effects. Effect: Heal 4d10 Health
Novice Constitution Potion Rank 1 Abilities: [Constitution Boost](R1) A bottle of weak constitution potion. Drink to gain its effects. Effect: Gain 5 [Constitution] for 10 minutes.
Novice Strength Potion Rank 1 Abilities: [Strength Boost](R1) A bottle of weak strength potion. Drink to gain its effects. Effect: Gain 5 [Strength] for 10 minutes.
Novice Wisdom Potion Rank 1 Abilities: [Wisdom Boost](R1) A bottle of weak wisdom potion. Drink to gain its effects. Effect: Gain 5 [Wisdom] for 10 minutes.
Roge immediately flipped to the recipes that were added to his book while Hops looked over the potions, detailing to the others what their effects were. Unfortunately, he found that to use the branches, roots, and acorns to make the potion, he¡¯d have to grind them up first. The book mentioned a mortar and pestle, which just sounded exhausting to him. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Sean asked, causing the others to look at the dragon. ¡°Need to grind up things for these potions. Just not looking forward to that extra step. The recipe¡¯s otherwise the same.¡± ¡°I mean¡­ we should be able to get you a magic grinder,¡± Hops muttered, Roge looking at him in surprise. ¡°It¡¯s nothing more than a metal plate that you put a bowl on top of, but it should work.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief,¡± Roge muttered, pulling over four more of the healing potions and swapping them out with the elemental coins.
Novice Fire Bomb Rank 1 Abilities: [Flame](R1) A bottle of weak fire potion. This weakens the glass of the bottle, making it release its contents into the air when struck against a hard surface. Effect: Deal 2d10 Fire damage upon exposure to air. Range: 15 m
Novice Ice Bomb Rank 1 Abilities: [Icing](R1) A bottle of weak ice potion. This weakens the glass of the bottle, making it release its contents into the air when struck against a hard surface. Effect: Deal 2d10 Cold damage upon exposure to air. Range: 15 m
Novice Electric Bomb Rank 1 Abilities: [Spark](R1) A bottle of weak electricity potion. This weakens the glass of the bottle, making it release its contents into the air when struck against a hard surface. Effect: Deal 2d10 Electric damage upon exposure to air. Range: 15 m
Novice Acid Bomb Rank 1 Abilities: [Acid](R1) A bottle of weak acid potion. This weakens the glass of the bottle, making it release its contents into the air when struck against a hard surface. Effect: Deal 2d10 Acid damage upon exposure to air. Range: 15 m
¡°Pretty basic, but not bad.¡± Surprisingly, Marge was the one who commented that, huffing when Roge gave her an odd look. ¡°Don¡¯t give me that. I have skills that help with *ranged* weapons, and these are under that category. Besides, if you get a recipe for magic arrows, you could totally put these potions on the end instead of a normal arrowhead.¡± ¡°Besides, I can put timed triggers on the bottles,¡± Hops interjected, taking the four bombs and putting them into his inventory. ¡°That way they can go off no matter what. And Marge has a timing skill that lets her know when to most effectively throw things.¡± ¡°Then¡­ why do you throw runed rocks?¡± the dragon asked, causing Hops to blush. ¡°He doesn¡¯t like feeling useless,¡± Sean muttered, leading Roge to blush as well. ¡°The inscription wand will do fine now for ranged attacks,¡± the elf waved off, pulling out said wand and giving the bottle on the end a frown. ¡°Though¡­ can you¡­¡± ¡°I got it.¡± Since he¡¯d made the wand, his buffs apparently still considered it ¡®his¡¯, which let him transform it into the glass grip version that apparently was more efficient. Once Roge was done, he handed the wand back to a grinning Hops, who immediately went to work on putting runes on the bombs. ¡°So¡­ should I also try the [Thunder] ability?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t,¡± Hops muttered, still focused on inscribing. ¡°Sound bombs tend to have greater ranges. So it¡¯s more likely we¡¯d get hit by it too.¡± ¡°Fair enough,¡± Roge chuckled, getting up from the couch and stretching as he dismissed his [Magic Tool Creation] ranking up. ¡°Well the last three potions are yours to take. I have my enhanced healing wand, so they shouldn¡¯t be needed, but-¡° You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡°Better safe than sorry,¡± Sean said, giving Roge a pat on the back. ¡°Time to head out for training.¡± ~~~ During the training sessions, the group had constantly told him that training by itself would make ranking up skills slow. Even then, Roge still felt happy when a bunch of his skills ranked up at the end of the training, even earning him a much needed level up.
Rank up! [Bonded Tools] 4->5 [Bonded Tools] has gained a new effect!
Rank up! [Mana Manipulation] 7->8
Rank up! [Dodge Jump] 1->2
Rank up! [Magic Tool Control] 1->2
Level up! [Artificer] 1->2 3 Attribute points awarded!
After their training, Sean decided to go with Roge back to the farms, just in case the gruff man with the intimidation skill was still there. He wanted more trees to experiment with and he wouldn¡¯t be deterred this time, walking up the fields with the lion right behind him and snow crunching under his boots. Thankfully, there was another person in charge that day, though she was just as tall as the previous giant. She looked the most inhuman to Roge, her face almost bat-like with sharp teeth that showed when she smiled. Even her voice was very gravely, though her kind tone shone through. ¡°Good afternoon young ones. What can we do for you today?¡± Thankfully, Roge was starting to feel more and more comfortable with the inhuman people in town, giving her a bright smile. ¡°I¡¯m here to see about getting some tree seeds. I stopped by yesterday and only got a few¡­¡± The woman¡¯s expression soured at that, letting out a sigh and waving for the two to follow her. ¡°I¡¯m assuming you met my husband. Tall guy? Grey skin?¡± At Roge¡¯s nod, she let out another sigh. ¡°Yeah, he can be¡­ rough with some people. I¡¯m glad you came back at least.¡± The more Roge listened to her speak, the more he found he liked it. She spoke with perfect diction and poise, most likely to be understood with her odd mouth shape. It let him relax even more as they were lead to one of the orchards. ¡°Thankfully it wasn¡¯t too bad. I have resistances to mental effects,¡± the dragon commented, earning another toothy grin from the woman. ¡°Name¡¯s Roge, by the way.¡± ¡°You can call me Lesa, young one. Now,¡± she stated, the group having reached the trees. She patted one of the trunks. ¡°What trees do you have? And may I ask where you¡¯re planting them?¡± ¡°Well I¡­ I have blueoak, Lime Pine, Gold Apple, and Yellow Cherry, so I don¡¯t need those¡­ but¡­¡± Roge felt his face warming up, unsure how to respond to the other question. ¡°He has plant magic,¡± Sean interjected, giving Roge a kind smile. ¡°And Draconic magic.¡± ¡°Ah. You keep them in your inventory?¡± she asked, her face souring. ¡°A specific portion. My oaks asked for a grassy field, which I can somewhat recreate in there to give them the best opportunities.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ very good, actually,¡± she said, her face softening as she looked to the trees. ¡°Too bad you don¡¯t need more apple trees. This baby is not long for this world. But if someone with plant magic¡­¡± Roge frowned at that, looking to the tree and noticing a good portion of its leaves seemed blackened and burnt. ¡°A fire?¡± ¡°Unfortunately no. [Inspect] it if you please.¡±
Gold Apple Tree Rank 0 Abilities: [None] Status: Diseased (Fire Blight) This flowering tree produces sweet fruits. Effect: [None]
¡°Fire Blight?¡± Roge asked, earning him a sigh from the farmer. ¡°Precisely. It is a common disease, but still devastating to our fruit trees. We¡¯re going to have to burn this one to keep it from spreading in the spring.¡± Roge felt a pinprick of loss at that, placing a claw on the tree as well and feeling for what was inside. He immediately recoiled at the emotions he could feel from the dying tree, pain, nausea, and exhaustion rolling through his body. But that wasn¡¯t what he recoiled from, having felt his [Druidic Touch] land upon a second organism in the tree. An organism that wanted to consume and spread. It didn¡¯t feel evil or anything to Roge, but felt like the sense of a predator devouring its prey. Feeling like he had to do something, his heart pounding as adrenaline rushed through his veins, Roge touched the tree again, focusing on the second entity in the tree. He wanted to pull it out, but not infect his own trees, having felt the first hints of the plants waking up all day. Thankfully, while he couldn¡¯t make another environment, he could make a separate space like the old ones he used for his plants. He just needed to make sure he didn¡¯t kill the tree with what he was doing. Nature mana poured out of his mouth as he went to work, taking care to go slow with the extraction process. Any hint that the tree was hurting more, and he slowed down, slowly clearing the infection even as his mana dipped to just above half. Once the infection was cleared, he looked up at the leaves of the tree, finding them not fully healthy, but at least back to how he assumed they should look in the winter. He found it curious for a moment why the apple tree even still had leaves in the winter, but that was soon overshadowed by a wave of exhaustion that pulled him to the ground. Thankfully, Sean was there to catch the dragon, giving him a worried look that cleared when Roge gave him a smile. ¡°How did you¡­ the tree is healthy¡­¡± For once, the farmer¡¯s voice was muffled and mumbled, shock at the healthy tree softening her careful diction. ¡°I pulled the disease into my hoard,¡± Roge commented, feeling around in his hoard and finding the disease still separate from his other plants. He even found that he had bound it in the process of extracting it, feeling its exuberance of getting a chance to feed on his mana. It also had more of a hive mind instead of a single mind, Roge suspecting the disease was a colony of bacteria from the way it felt. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ can you do it more with other diseased plants?¡± She sounded excited at that, though her energy dampened when she noticed how tired the dragon looked. ¡°Took a lot out of you?¡± ¡°Just give me a minute. I can do one other tree, but after training with my magic earlier¡­¡± The farmer nodded at that, her sharp teeth coming back with a vengeance as she looked over the apple tree. ¡°I¡¯ll pay you for it if you-¡° ¡°No need. I can already see some uses for the disease, and that¡¯s payment enough,¡± Roge rebutted, a tired grin on his face as he looked over the Fire Blight¡¯s description.
Bonded Magical Fire Blight Colony Rank 1 Abilities: [Blighting Fire](R1) Status: Magically Enhanced (Growth Focused), Bonded Products per day when [Harvested]:
  • 1d6 Units of [Blighting Fire] dust.
Hoard Effects:
  • [Unknown] (2/10)
  • Further [Unknown]
~~~ Thankfully, there was only one other sick apple tree, the Fire Blight having gotten to it later than the first tree, leading to Roge not feeling as tired after extracting it. ¡°Expect me back tomorrow,¡± Roge stated, shaking a hand with the large bugbear woman, learning her species from a whispered comment from Sean. ¡°I¡¯m only going to be able to hoard a max of ten of each disease, but if it causes less plants to be harmed, I¡¯ll do it.¡± He didn¡¯t mention the other benefits for himself, ignoring the rank and level up notifications at that moment.
Rank up! [Farm Hoard] 4->5 [Farm Hoard] has gained a new effect!
Level up! [Draconic Druid] 3->4 4 Attribute points awarded!
¡°We¡¯re happy for that young one,¡± the farmer, Lesa, stated, looking over her fields and orchards with a sad look. ¡°We lose so many of our babies to diseases every year. Even a little bit can help.¡± Roge gave her a nod and a smile, waving as he walked back into the city with even more tree seeds in his hoard.
Grey Ash Seed 10
Ironwood Seed 10
Dark Spruce Seed 10
Bright Orange Seed 10
Pink Sugar Maple Seed 10
Chapter 26- More Upgrades! Getting a grinder cost Roge a whopping one gold to buy, though he found it worth it. Adding an extra step to the potion making process wasn¡¯t fun, but it was better to actually make the potions rather than using his hoard skill. It would balance out his classes a bit better in the long run, after all. ¡®Speaking of..¡¯ He thought, pulling up the bonuses he received from [Farm Hoard] and [Bonded Tools].
[Magical Bonds] Rank 1 Bond with a magical plant species in your hoard, increasing its effects. Number of Bonds: 1 Rank Requirements: +1 Rank and Effect for every 5 ranks [Farm Hoard] has.
[Bonded Tools] Rank 5 Create magic items that are connected to your soul Aspects: [Creation] [Tool] [Magic] [Bond] Effects:
  • [Craft] an item that is magically bonded to you.
Current Rank limit: 9 Current amount limit: 2 Added Effects: [Additional Recipe](R1)
[Additional Recipe] Rank 1 Gain an additional recipe of your choice per Rank. Recipes Available: 1
¡°Well¡­ this should make Marge happy,¡± Roge commented, pulling Sean¡¯s attention away from the crowded streets. ¡°I have a bonded slot open, and I got another recipe slot on top of it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Sean said, the lion giving Roge a pat on the shoulder. ¡°So I¡¯m guessing the recipe is going to be arrows for her?¡± ¡°Yup. Should be easy once I take a look at her stocks.¡± He hummed as he looked at the new bonded slot, feeling at a loss as to what to fill it with. ¡°Do you have any ideas for what the next bonded item should be?¡± ¡°Not sure. Not much of a magic guy myself.¡± Roge frowned at that, looking to Sean and getting the distinct feeling of mana from him. It wasn¡¯t really a feeling he could pin down, which probably meant a smaller mana pool, but like he could feel the energy inside himself, he could also feel it from the lion. ¡°Why not? Don¡¯t you have a magic ability?¡± ¡°What? No, Roge. Purely martial based abilities here.¡± The dragon frowned at that, not being able to get a taste of what flavor the mana was. ¡°Hey, did I ever tell you how I got the glass bottle buff?¡± he asked, an idea coming to his mind. ¡°No¡­ something to do with the Church, right?¡± Roge quickly explained the extra feature of the primordial ash, Sean¡¯s eyes widening at Roge pulling out the skill gems. ¡°You want to take my skill levels?¡± ¡°No, not at all. I want to see if I¡¯m right about you having mana.¡± He swapped out the quartz with ash in one of his bottles, pulling it out of his inventory and showing it to Sean. ¡°If you having the ash gives me some connection, then if you don¡¯t have mana, I should be able to feel it.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I need ten of those, then?¡± the lion asked, causing Roge to blink. ¡°That¡¯s usually how your buffs work.¡± ¡°Fair point.¡± Roge found that he could put two units of the ash in one bottle, filling up a total of five of them and frowning at his dwindling bottle stocks. ¡°We need to buy more bottles. Also other crystal dust for the bombs.¡± He¡¯d noticed in that moment that the recipes for the bombs actually did not include pure quartz, instead requiring other gemstones. He assumed they had elemental properties the potions needed, coming back to the present and handing over the five bottles to a waiting Sean. ¡°Each contains two.¡± Once all five were in Sean¡¯s inventory, a weird feeling suddenly suffused the dragon. It was like he could constantly feel where Sean was in relation to him, noting that even if he turned his head, he still knew where the lion was. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ odd. I can¡­ feel you?¡± ¡°How far does that sense go?¡± Sean asked, his smile a bit too wide while Roge focused on the feeling. ¡°Just a general sense of where you are. Lemme see if..¡± He trailed off, focusing on that faint sense he got from the lion before. It now was in sharper focus, the languid energy barely moving in his body clear to the dragon. Even as Sean moved him out of the way of running into someone, the dragon continued to focus on the flavor of the mana, finding it to be a fairly light flavor. It almost glowed on his tongue, a bright, sweet flavor that he finally identified. This system seemed to agree with him, pulling up a screen to show it.
[Latent Light Magic] Rank 0 Able to see into any corner of the world, [Light Magic] users use light to uncover hidden truths. They use light to burn their enemies and heal their allies.
¡°[Light Magic],¡± Roge said, Sean¡¯s attention jerking back to the dragon. ¡°It¡¯s rank zero and says ¡®latent¡¯.¡± ¡°That sounds¡­ cool Roge. But I wouldn¡¯t be able to use it, remember?¡± ¡°Are you kidding?! Light would be amazing for a tank!¡± Roge exclaimed, blinking as he noticed them walking into their inn. ¡°I can even see right here that it could lead to healing, burning, and sight related effects. It would mesh so well with you being a tank.¡± ¡°Inside,¡± the lion grumbled, Roge keeping his mouth shut until they joined Hops and Marge in their room. ¡°How can you not be excited about this? What¡¯s your main tanking class?¡± Roge asked, the two other party members glancing up at the slightly rude question. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°[Knight]. But listen-¡° ¡°That¡¯s even better! I bet it could evolve into a paladin class! Or maybe even something totally different!¡± ¡°What¡¯s¡­ a paladin?¡± Hops asked, Roge freezing as he realized that the fantasy class from Dnd might not exist in that world anymore. ¡°I uh¡­ I don¡¯t¡­¡± Roge fumbled, struggling to come up with an explanation while Sean looked more accepting, strangely. ¡°That strange intuition you have?¡± the lion asked, leading Roge to give him a confused look. ¡°You always seem to have¡­ ideas regarding everything. And it mostly works, even when we don¡¯t think it should.¡± ¡°If it could be used to upgrade our classes¡­¡± Hops mumbled, once again pulling out his note-taking book. ¡°Explain everything.¡± Once Roge and Sean had gone through what the dragon had done, everyone sat back to think over the implications, Marge snapping to bring Roge¡¯s attention to her. ¡°Gimme.¡± He rolled his eyes as he used the old quartz sack to give her ten units of ash, feeling his awareness of her blossom just like Sean¡¯s still did. It didn¡¯t take him too long to find her mana, the slow energy almost wispy and light.
[Latent Wind Magic] Rank 0 Floating on the winds of fate, users of this magic control the very air itself. Nothing that breathes can hide from them, and the very trees warn of their passing.
¡°[Wind Magic] sounds scary¡­¡± Roge muttered, Marge sitting back and thinking on the information. ¡°Roge?¡± Hops abruptly asked, the dragon giving him a questioning look. ¡°Try stimulating the mana? You said it¡¯s barely moving, yes?¡± ¡°Yeah. Mine is constantly churning in my body even when I¡¯m not manipulating it. You think that¡¯s why it doesn¡¯t show up?¡± ¡°Oh yeah. My fire mana does the same thing. Here.¡± Hops handed over another empty sack for Roge to fill, his ash stores now going down to a worrying thirty two. ¡°You see now?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ woah¡­.¡± Roge mumbled, watching most of Hops¡¯ mana flying around in his body. Almost like it was a living flame. ¡°Wait¡­¡± He also saw some of the mana not responding, piquing his interest as he felt it out.
[Latent Illusion Magic] Rank 0 Showing people something that doesn¡¯t exist, or hiding something that does, illusion users shape reality to look as they¡¯d like.
¡°You have two types of mana?¡± Roge squawked, Hops leaning forward in excitement. ¡°My screen says its [Illusion Magic]¡­¡± ¡°No wonder illusion runes work so well for me,¡± the elf said as he slapped his forehead. ¡°Do as I said, though. Try to stimulate the magic in me first, then the others if they want. ~~~ While Roge was trying to feel and effect the mana in the elf, Sean and Marge discussed what arrows the dragon could make for her. Marge wanted one of everything, while Sean recommended she stick with a few to make it easier to fight consistently. He was glad for the hard discussion, as sensing the mana inside another person was one thing, but actually coaxing it to activate was quite another. He eventually had to close his eyes with a claw pressed against the Hops¡¯ chest, the elf also meditating to hopefully improve the odds. Just thinking of it moving didn¡¯t work, as well as asking or trying to grab it with his own mana. Frustration quickly built, Roge absolutely sure he *should* be able to effect it, as why else would he have the power. ¡®Dragon¡¯s manipulate and hoard things after all, so why¡­¡¯ He paused at that, feeling a little dumb as he changed his approach. He pushed in a small bit of his own mana again, Hops moving slightly in discomfort. Then Roge mixed his mana with the illusion mana, not *trying* to move it, but *commanding* it to move. To *activate*. With as much force behind the feeling as he could muster, feeling that same pushback that he felt when he was pushing through screens before, the mana finally relented. The illusion mana became just as active as Hops¡¯ fire mana, bursting in his chest and causing the elf to gasp. ¡°You did it!¡± he cheered, a smile on his face as he looked at a screen Roge could also see.
[Illusion Magic] Ability Unlocked!
That was the moment that Roge could feel something else, the fire and illusion mana condensing in Hops¡¯ core. Trying to fill something and¡­ failing? Like he was pushing back against the feeling. ¡°Stop,¡± Roge commanded, his mana still inside the elf and halting the flow. ¡°Relax. What is your body telling you?¡± ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know,¡± Hops muttered, his body seemingly frozen. ¡°Your mana-¡° ¡°No. I mean I don¡¯t know what its trying to do, so I can¡¯t help it.¡± Roge paused at that, taking a closer look at everything and letting out a sigh. He was about to speak when he noticed something. This time inside himself. His core was filled, like Hops¡¯ core was supposed to be. But it was filled with both Draconic and Nature mana. But no Spacial mana. ¡®And what do those two magics have in common¡­¡¯ ¡°What are elves known for?¡± Roge asked, ignoring the rest of the room to hyper-focus on his friend. ¡°Well¡­ they¡¯re good with magic,¡± Hops hummed, Roge matching his slow breathing precisely. ¡°They commune with nature. Even without nature magic, we have a high affinity with it.¡± ¡°Right. Pull up the species info.¡± Roge grabbed the screen as soon as it popped up, looking over the information and smiling.
[Elf] Elves are tied to the magic of nature and forests, their thirst for knowledge and understanding of the natural world above the rest. They have a natural affinity with the world and gaining knowledge, though their longevity tends to make them disillusioned to the modern world. Effects:
  • Start with two magic abilities, with one tied to the natural elements.
  • Start with the [Elven Step] ability.
  • Vastly increased resistance to elemental magical effects.
  • Strong affinity to research classes.
Elven Descriptor: Elven powers tend to focus around how the universe actually works, and the way magic enhances that. The closer their knowledge is to how the world works, the more powerful their abilities.
¡°Your [Wizard] class. How does it work?¡± Roge asked, keeping his slow breathing synced with Hops. ¡°I use the rune language of the world to make effects.¡± ¡°And doesn¡¯t that mesh well with the Elven Descriptor? I assume the runes come to you more easily.¡± As the dragon said that, he could feel the magic inside Hops gravitate more towards his core. Like the understanding helped it to fill a hole. ¡°Well yeah. The runes tend to work a little better when I have them work *with* natural effects, rather than on their own.¡± ¡°Like they enhance the natural way the magic of the world works.¡± At that, Roge lost all control of Hops¡¯ mana, it filling and shining out of that part of himself. With a gasp, the elf looked at the new screens that popped up, Roge recognizing them instantly.
[Elven Magic] Ability Unlocked!
Upgrade! [Runesmithing] -> [Elven Runesmithing]
Upgrade! [Wizard] -> [Elven Wizard]
¡°And there we go.¡± Chapter 27- Taking a Chill Day ¡°What the hell?!¡± Hops shrieked, Sean and Marge jumping up from the other couch in alarm at the noise. Roge meanwhile, was grinning massively at his own popups, excited for the power boost.
Rank up! [Draconic Magic] 4->5 [Draconic Magic] has gained a new effect!
Level up! [Draconic Sorcerer] 3->4 5 Attribute points awarded!
Rank up! [Screen Hoard] 8->10 [Screen Hoard] has gained a new effect!
Level up! [Draconic Sorcerer] 4->5 5 Attribute points awarded!
[Storm Magic] Ability Unlocked!
[Storm Magic] Skill [Storm Body] Unlocked!
As Hops explained the effects Roge had unlocked, the dragon first looked over his [Draconic Magic] effect, blinking at the odd power.
[Draconic Aura] Max Rank The power of your Draconic magic grows, and you can display that power for others to feel.
¡®Like I¡¯d want that¡­¡¯ he thought to himself, moving on to [Screen Hoard]¡¯s effect.
[Divide] Rank Max Things in your hoard now show the total amount of ranks you have of an item (Rank 0 counts as 1 for this calculation). You can also take one coin out of any rank up to the maximum available to withdraw.
That one was a bit tougher to puzzle out, but once he pulled up his [Ability Hoard], he understood.
Ability Hoard
[Detox] 1
Primordial Ash 32
[Pigment] (Red) 5, 5B
[Pigment] (Yellow) 5, 5B
[Pigment] (Blue) 6, 5B
[Pigment] (Black) 6, 5B
[Pigment] (White) 6, 5B
[Color] 5, 5B
[Inscribe] 5, 5B
[Glass Bottle Making] 5, 5B
[Flaming Spark] 8
[Explosive] 5
[Icing] 5, 1B
Bonded Healing Bottle Wand 1
[Sparking] 5B
[Acid] 5B
[Strength Boost] 10B
[Thunder] 5B
[Glow] 9B
[Fog] 10B
[Wisdom Boost] 10B
[Constitution Boost] Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. 10B
[Healing] 7
Instead of having ¡®one¡¯ ¡®rank five¡¯ coin, for example, when he deposited it as ¡®five¡¯ ¡®rank one¡¯ coins, allowing him to better keep track of how powerful a coin would be. He could even withdraw ¡®five¡¯ ¡®rank one¡¯ coins, but come out with ¡®one¡¯ rank five¡¯ coin. It would make things so much easier for his bonded wand as well, as he could fill it up with every element he had access to.
[Storm Magic] Rank 1 The power of rain, wind, and lightning empowers you. Your attacks can be imbued with the power of storms. Synergizes with [Mana Manipulation]. Able to control storm mana from any source. Subject to rank disparity.
[Storm Body] Rank 1 The power of storms fuels your body. Aspects: [Storm] [Lightning] [Rain] [Wind] [Enhancement] Effects:
  • [Fortify] your body with the natural elements. Any weather related effect, if it would damage you, is instead absorbed and used to fuel your mana. Subject to rank and resistance disparity.
¡°Hey! Roge!¡± Sean yelled, pulling the dragon out of his contemplation. The lion seemed¡­ angry, which made Roge dismiss all of his screens to better pay attention, especially since the lion was looming over him. ¡°Sorry. What wee you saying? I got a lot of-¡° ¡°What the fuck was that control you had over Hops?!¡± Sean snarled, Roge flinching at the depth of the anger in his eyes. He glances over to the elf at that, Hops looking frustrated, though with whom Roge didn¡¯t know. ¡°I uh¡­ Control? You mean when I moved his mana?¡± ¡°No, Roge. You commanded me, and my body obeyed,¡± Hops muttered, still not opening his eyes. ¡°I¡­ I did what?!¡± Roge screeched, backing away from the elf and falling off the side of the couch. Thankfully, he didn¡¯t smack his head, though he did yelp at the sudden twisting of his wings and tail. ¡°When you told my mana to stop, my body did as well. Every question you asked and command you gave my body did on its own. I didn¡¯t have any control over those actions.¡± Hops finally opened his eyes, Roge backing away even as his glare was directed at Sean. ¡°And now that he knows that, you can see he¡¯s not going to do it without my permission.¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather you take my ash out!¡± Roge shouted, earning his surprised looks from Sean and Marge, and a sigh from Hops. ¡°I¡¯m not into controlling people-¡° ¡°Lie,¡± Hops grunted, the others¡¯ surprised looks directing to him. ¡°But that¡¯s neither here nor there. The point is that, now that Roge is aware, he¡¯s not going to take advantage of it.¡± ¡°But what if someone takes advantage of him?!¡± Sean growled, clearly still upset by the situation. ¡°If they could control him with his [Static Mind] ability, they could easily take control of us anyway,¡± Hops countered, rolling his eyes. ¡°And do you think I had no control? I could have resisted if I wanted to, and I¡¯m glad I didn¡¯t. Elven classes are not a thing in the history books.¡± ¡°Still voting for everyone to remove it from their inventories,¡± Roge chimed in, for one being the one ignored as Sean and Hops stared each other down. ¡°I¡¯m down to see if he can unlock a deer class for me,¡± Marge stated, looking the most calm out of all of them. ¡°Especially if he unlocks [Wind Magic] alongside it.¡± Sean still didn¡¯t look happy at that, seeming to keep the same reservations about controlling abilities that Roge did. ¡°I still don¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°Then you be next,¡± Hops said, earning him a glare from the lion. ¡°See if you can resist. See how it feels to unlock a racial class. I¡¯m very happy with mine, especially considering it¡¯s a [Legendary] class.¡± That, if anything, made Sean¡¯s eyes soften, the lion giving Roge a reluctant look. ¡°Fine.¡± ~~~ Turns out that Sean could resist, very easily in fact. Any hint of resistance was so strong that it pushed Roge right out. That made both of them feel better about the process, even if it did make it take much longer.
[Leonine Magic] Ability Unlocked!
Upgrade! [Shield Mastery] -> [Leonine Shield]
Upgrade! [Knight] -> [Leonine Knight]
¡°Got it!¡± Roge shouted, breaking away from the lion as he flopped back onto the armrest of the couch. ¡°Damn that was hard¡­¡± ¡°Okay. This is awesome,¡± Sean grumbled, looking away from his screens to give Roge a small smile. ¡°Just don¡¯t abuse it.¡± ¡°Of course not,¡± Roge scoffed, noticing Marge practically vibrating out of the other couch. ¡°Give me a bit. It feels like my will is stretched thin.¡± ¡°You push yourself too hard,¡± Hops grumbled, the dragon giving him a glare for the comment. ¡°You do! You constantly stretch the limit of what you can do, to the point where you shut down earlier today.¡± ¡°We¡¯re thinking that, after you upgrade my class, we take a break for the next day,¡± Marge said, waving Sean off of the couch and taking a seat next to the dragon. ¡°But there¡¯s so many thing-¡° ¡°Nope. Break time,¡± Sean affirmed, Roge grumbling about being ganged up on. ¡°We were already discussing it after this morning. Anything you need, one of us will go out and get. You can tend to your hoards all you want, cook potions if you want, but no pushing boundaries. Got it?¡± ¡°Fine¡­¡± Roge grumbled, remembering his soiled alchemy tools and sighing. ¡°Do you have a cleaning rune Hops?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± At that, Roge plonked his spoon and cauldron onto the table, the elf giving him an eye roll. ¡°Now me!¡± Marge shouted, a rare wide grin on her face. ¡°Let¡¯s see what I get!¡± ~~~ After unlocking Marge¡¯s two types of magic and upgrading her class, Roge decided to use the newly cleaned utensils to make more potions and bombs. They wouldn¡¯t let him try for other recipes, and Marge had to run out and buy a lot of potion bottles, but it was still worth it for the dragon. She even got the crystal dust he needed for the recipes, needing amethyst for the spark bombs, lapis lazuli for the ice bombs, topaz for the fire bombs, and, strangest of all, black tourmaline for the acid bombs. All of that brewing gave him another rank in [Magic Tool Creation], his grin teased at by Sean when it appeared on his face. Blowing out a raspberry, he moved on to the boost potions, making three of each. He didn¡¯t want to make any more, as his supply of acorns was dwindling rapidly. Besides, one potion for each person was good for the moment, though Roge kept the bombs for himself. The idea to strap bombs to the end of arrows wouldn¡¯t leave him, though he was banned from experimenting with it at that moment. ¡°Alright! Time to go out and socialize!¡± Sean said, grabbing Roge around the waste and carrying the dragon out the door. ¡°Hey!¡± Marge and Hops just chuckled at Roge¡¯s misfortune, the dragon feeling his muzzle practically burning with a blush as he lay over Sean¡¯s shoulder like a sack of potatoes. ¡°Can I at least know where we¡¯re going?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± Roge grumbled some more as he pulled out another blue cigarette, deciding that the lion would be fine with a bit of harmless smoke. When they got outside, he got many looks, increasing his embarrassment and increasing his need for the smoke. He hadn¡¯t even noticed the sun set and the moon come out with his cooking taking up a good bit of his focus, the pink crescent larger and brighter than before. After only a few minutes, Sean finally released the dragon, placing him down in front of what looked to be a fancy restaurant. They even had outdoor seating, which the lion immediately gravitated to. ¡°Dinner¡­?¡± he squeaked out, grateful when Marge and Hops sat down to join them. ¡°Yeah. Sit down. Relax over good food. You need it.¡± Roge could feel a bit of himself unwinding at that, sinking into the open chair just as the server came to give them menus. Thankfully, the chairs had a hole in the back to accommodate his wings and tail, a soft smile coming to his face at that. ¡°Thanks guys,¡± he said quietly, grabbing the menu to hold up and hide his face. ¡°Of course my Dragon,¡± Sean purred, coughing when he realized what he just said. ¡°Any recommendations?¡± Roge squeaked out, hiding behind the menu even more. ¡°Try the mushroom steak. It was your favorite,¡± Hops muttered, a wide smile on his face as he looked between the two. Roge did in fact order the steak, finding it to be just as delicious with different taste buds. Conversation flowed a little bit better after the rocky start, the active adventurers regaling Roge with the stories of the places they¡¯d gone to within the past few years. Tales of monsters slain, to the towns they¡¯d explored along the roads. They¡¯d even gone to one of the nearby cities at one point, though Marge seemed to dislike their treehouse based architecture. Roge wanted more information on it, though, finding the trees to be hundreds of feet tall with the city largely consisting of buildings attached to the middle of the trees with wooden bridges spanning the entire complex. His stomach flipped at the description, though Sean assured him that there were safety measures in place to keep people from falling. They also spoke of a ruin they wanted to visit in the nearby forest, a place apparently called Koganusan. There were rumors about the town that Hops had uncovered, all about a town dug into the side of a cliff. All of the recent rumors talked about screams coming from the area, as well as the road being lost under the surrounding basalt landscape. Roge didn¡¯t feel as comfortable with that, knowing lava generally made the rock, but he¡¯d be willing to go visit it with them if he had the appropriate gear. After all, he pointed out, his ability to absorb weather effects did not extend to magma. Overall, the evening was fun, Roge laughing over and absorbing all of the stories with glee. He didn¡¯t even flinch when they showed him a map of the area, showing the he definitely wasn¡¯t in Kansas anymore. After all, he still had a home. He still had friends. And he had a goal to work towards. To become as strong as possible. Chapter 28- Intermission The palace halls were made from the purest of white marble, each pillar and tile smoothed to perfection. The only spots of color were the various stands with trophies and the long, red carpet down the center. Each trophy was different from the last, some showing glowing, rune enchanted swords wile others shows heads of various creatures. The most prized trophy was kept right above the throne, showing a red scaled dragon head. It looked practically alive, especially when the eyes followed anyone walking down the carpet to the King¡¯s throne. So one was to look upon the King and his throne, so there was wild speculation on what it was made of. Anyone who dared a look had the thought immediately ripped out of their heads and replaced with nothing. Even the King¡¯s looks were like that, though people knew he was a dragon with brilliant ruby scales. His voice only left behind the words he spoke, but not the tone or pitch he spoke them in. A messenger walked the carpet to the King, keeping his head down as to not have the unpleasant holes in his memory. Speak. ¡°Yes, my King,¡± the messenger replied, bringing papers out from his inventory. ¡°There are several reports of some of the candidates¡¯ hoards-¡° Next. ¡°We¡¯re seeing an abnormal increase of Lord Tarcon¡¯s exports of novice potions-¡° Sigh. Anything of importance? ¡°There is one¡­ odd report my King,¡± the messenger said, flipping to the last page with a calm, blank look. ¡°A report of five Draconic classes from Centerville.¡± Go on. ¡°Sorcerer, Druid, Wizard, Knight, and Archer.¡± I have not heard of the first two. ¡°Neither have our scholars, my King.¡± The messenger paused at that, looking uncomfortable for a moment as he pulled out another page from his inventory. ¡°If I may be bold my King¡­¡± You may. The messenger was surprised when he was allowed to remember a chuckle, though the sound escaped his mind. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. ¡°Most of the scholars deemed it coincidental, but both the Sorcerer and Druid classes received an aura at the same time. It¡¯s led me to believe that-¡° Both belong to the same person. Quite interesting. Do we have any spies in the area? ¡°Only one junior member, tasked to look after the reject,¡± a voice responded, the messenger jumping as they¡¯d not been aware one of the advisers was present. Send One and Thirteen. They should be able to handle the four prospects. A low, purring sound rang out. Four new dragons? How interesting. And right before the Solstice Competition. I¡¯m looking forward to this¡­ ~~~ ¡°What do you mean you can¡¯t find who is making the potions?!¡± a voice rang out, causing the maid to flinch. She¡¯d been recently hired at Lord Tarcon of Centerville¡¯s Mansion, and she hadn¡¯t gotten used to the spoiled copper dragon. The same dragon who upended the desk in his study, splashing cold tea all over the maid¡¯s dress. Thankfully, the enchantments around the bookshelves activated to keep the fragile tomes dry. ¡°I¡¯m sorry my Lord,¡± she muttered, her fox-like ears pinned to her head. ¡°The messengers stated that the merchants who are selling them aren¡¯t revealing their source.¡± ¡°I swear, if it¡¯s that damn orc woman again I swear to the heavens I¡¯ll¡­¡± The rant went on for a while, the maid using the time when the Lord was distracted by burning his desk to slip out of the room. ¡°You must calm yourself,¡± the butler stated, an elven man stepping out of the shadows to give his charge a critical look. ¡°Everything in this city is mi-¡° ¡°Your King¡¯s, correct?¡± the manservant corrected, causing Lord Tarcon to blanch. ¡°Of course. Including me,¡± the Lord muttered, looking down at his desk and sighing. ¡°Thank you Robert. That does make things quite simple for me.¡± He pulled out a stack of papers and a rather ornate pen at that, sitting down on the plush couch and starting to write at the coffee table. ¡°In other news, my Lord,¡± the butler stated, making the ruined furniture vanish with a touch, ¡°we have finally found the adventurer who caught your eye on their way out of town last week.¡± ¡°Ah! That lion, yes. Such a pretty treasure.¡± The Lord was momentarily distracted from his writing as he stared off into the distance. Licking his chops, he fully focused on the butler, his Cheshire grin on full display. ¡°Who was he?¡± ¡°Sean Obrien, my Lord. Level five party and registered as a tank. We were about to procure information that stated he has a Knight class-¡° ¡°Oh he is perfect!¡± the dragon interrupted, giggling as he went back to his paperwork. ¡°Have an invitation be sent out for a ball. Might as well make it during the Christmas feast. I will lure him in then.¡± ¡°Yes my Lord,¡± the butler murmured, taking some of the papers and leaving the room. He could hear the giggling of the dragon all the way down the hall, his professional look not wavering in the slightest. Chapter 29- Final Preparations Roge sighed as he woke up, stretching before moving over to the mirror in his room. He¡¯d brought it with him from his parents¡¯ inn, mostly so he could remind himself of his new body every morning. More and more the bright sapphire scales, wings, tail, and reptile snout looked like they belonged. Even his sleek, toned look didn¡¯t look half bad, Roge rubbing a claw down the black scales on his belly. While he felt a little sad about the growing familiarity, he mostly felt relieved. ¡®It¡¯s not like I¡¯ll be changing back any time soon.¡¯ After getting dressed in a forest green shirt, one he had modified to be a gradient to a lighter green near the collar, black pants, his black and blue jacket, and his similarly colored boots, he walked out into the common area of his group¡¯s room, smiling as he looked over his progress that week.
Status Screen
Name: Roge Youngston
Age: 28
Species: [Dragonkin]
Classes: [Draconic Druid] Lvl. 4
[Draconic Sorcerer] Lvl. 5
[Artificer] Lvl. 2
[Transposition Magician] Lvl. 1
Attributes - [Fold] Skill Slots Used
[Strength]: 10 (12) (0/1)
[Dexterity]: 40 (4/4)
[Agility]: 16 (1/1)
[Constitution]: 24 (26) (1/2)
[Intelligence]: 49 (3/4)
[Wisdom]: 23 (25) (2/2)
[Charisma]: 14 (0/1)
Free Points: 25
Resources - [Fold] Amount Regen Rate
[Mana]: 490/490 +250 per Hour
Abilities - [Fold] Rank
[Draconic Breath] Rank 4
[Static Mind] Rank 1
[Nature Magic] Rank 8
[Draconic Magic] Rank 5
[Item Creation] Rank 3
[Spacial Magic] Rank 2
[Storm Magic] Rank 1
Skills - [Fold] Rank Ability Slot
[Farm Hoard] Rank 7 Int
[Inspect] Rank 14 Wis
[Screen Hoard] Rank 10 Int
[Drawing] Rank 1 Dex
[Bonded Tools] If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Rank 7 Wis
[Magic Tool Creation] Rank 9 Int
[Mana Manipulation] Rank 9 Dex
[Dodge Jump] Rank 3 Agi
[Magic Tool Control] Rank 4 Dex
[Cooking] Rank 4 Dex
[Storm Body] Rank 1 Con
Quests - [Fold]
Work Mon-Fri 10:00AM Leaf¡¯s Haunt
League Test Today 5:00PM Adventurer¡¯s League Building
It had been a mostly chill week, as his party members forced him to take a break from his experiments. They hadn¡¯t stopped his dodging and accuracy training, of course, but with all of the changes in his life, Roge was glad for the calm. There was one thing he did want to try, and as he sat down on the couch, he gave Hops, the [Elven Wizard], a soft glare. ¡°Now I know you guys said not to experiment-¡° ¡°Yes. We did,¡± he replied raising an eyebrow as he looked up from the journal he was writing in. ¡°But! There is one thing I want to look at.¡± At Hops¡¯ indignant look, the dragon held up a claw. ¡°It¡¯s something simple. And will help with the test.¡± Roge pulled an apple out of his hoard at that to bribe Hops, having not been allowed to even magic up the plants he had. Didn¡¯t stop the others from wanting the apples and oranges he occasionally picked. Roge was very glad he¡¯d picked the Golden Apple trees, the apple he tossed over looking like it was gilded in gold, like in video games. Turned out to be some kind of sap that hardened to that signature shine, and it was really funny when the elf casually took a bite of the poisonous looking fruit. ¡°Fine,¡± Hops grumbled, taking a few more bites out of the apple. ¡°Which one is it?¡± ¡°The Fire Blight,¡± Roge said, pulling out his potion brewing cauldron, a blueoak branch, and his bonded wand. He¡¯d been tracing a design all along the exposed wood of the wand that week, making sure to not nick the glass handle or the quartz crystal on the end. ¡°Whatcha trying to do?¡± the elf asked, Roge ignoring the odd word choice as he placed the blueoak in the cauldron to make sure he didn¡¯t burn things down. ¡°Make a longer lasting campfire,¡± the dragon replied, swapping the healing of the wand for the [Blighted Fire] coins, which he¡¯d found out were purple in color with a flame embossed on both sides. His wand instantly turned a similar shade of purple, so dark it almost looked black. Roge would have laughed at the cliche if it didn¡¯t look so cool, the base of the wand flickering with the odd dark light.
Bonded Blighting Fire Bottle Wand Rank 9 Abilities: [Blighted Fire](R8), [Bond](R1) Effect: Target loses health over time, burning away from the outside, in. Amount of damage dealt is dependent upon the amount of mana used. Flow Restriction: 80 points per minute
¡°*That¡¯s* what blighted fire looks like?¡± Hops asked, quickly using his own [Inscription] wand to draw out a description and image in his journal. Roge had changed the former bottle on a stick style wand for the more elegant design for the elf, something he appreciated as he used it more like a pen. The base color of the wand could only be a dark orange, something Roge suspected was because of Hops¡¯ [Fire Magic], so the elf had stashed some inks in his inventory to do full color work. Dipping the wand in the inks changed the color he could draw with, and it also allowed him to mix colors together on the page to get the right shades. ¡°You¡¯re getting better at that,¡± Roge murmured, looking over the drawing of his blight wand that looked almost exactly like the real thing. ¡°Of course. Got a few skill level for it over the past week,¡± Hops said, waving at the cauldron. ¡°Now start the experiment.¡± With a nod, Roge started with just the basic effect, pointing the wand at the stick and firing. The resulting purple flame was a bit large, and he had to cut the flow for it quickly, but the purple and black flames quickly consumed the wood like he wanted. A merry fire cracked as it ate away at the material given, though it did it a lot slower than a normal fire would. Even though the flames seemed about the normal size, the stick wasn¡¯t even completely on fire as they watched the embers slowly spread across the dry wood. ¡°It feels¡­ just as hot,¡± Hops muttered, writing things down more furiously. ¡°But it¡¯s almost like its eating the wood rather than burning it.¡± Roge felt his eye-ridges raise at that, surprised as he noticed it too. Instead of making coals that would heat and burn slowly, ash was slowly sloughing off the stick wherever the flame spread. ¡°Makes sense. It¡¯s a magical fire based upon a disease. So even though it¡¯s fire, it¡¯ll consume something like a disease.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have to experiment to see if it¡¯s more fuel efficient,¡± Hops muttered, looking up when Sean the lion man entered the room. ¡°Later. First we gotta get breakfast.¡± Roge turned to the lion man with a smile, Sean¡¯s mane flowing around his feline head as he smiled back. Roge could finally admit to himself that he didn¡¯t know what he was doing with his tall, muscular party member. He knew Sean probably knew that Roge had a slight crush on him, but the dragon also suspected that the lion didn¡¯t know he was ace. That was going to be a hard explanation to go through at some point, Roge¡¯s idle thoughts about soft fur mostly in reference to the warm hugs the lion gave. When he¡¯d blinked out of his thoughts, the two men rolling their eyes at the dragon staring off into space again, Roge put the now full of ash cauldron back into his inventory and followed them downstairs for breakfast. ~~~ Roge took a deep breath as they arrived for training before Roge¡¯s test, his snout buried in the materials book for what was expected of him as a Utility Adventurer. Marge had been leaning more towards him becoming a Ranged member like her, the deer woman constantly trying to get him to make more magical arrows for her. The group decided against it however, as Roge¡¯s jack of all trades style along with his huge inventory made him ideal for Utility. Not to mention the way he could pump out as many magic items as he had materials for, making the team better in the long run. The amount of money he¡¯d made that week selling his potions through Madam Madrid that week spoke for itself. ¡°So¡­ I did have another idea,¡± Roge said when they arrived at the practice room, raising his hands at Sean¡¯s dour look. ¡°It¡¯s not anything serious. I just decided what my free bonded item slot and recipe are going to be. And it¡¯ll help with the test.¡± ¡°Watching you,¡± the lion muttered, Marge giving their antics a giggle. ¡°What did you decide on?¡± ¡°Magic cards and arrows,¡± the dragon replied, wincing at the excited squeal from the deer woman. She rushed over to him with her superior [Agility], holding out a basic fire arrow. Usually she used rune-inscribed tips, but ever since she found out his additional recipes effect could grab a recipe from a mundane magic item, she¡¯d been carrying the things around. ¡°Why cards?¡± Hops asked, both him and Sean looking confused at the choice. ¡°Two reasons,¡± Roge replied, absentmindedly pulling out a chair and table to set the arrow and his recipe book on, earning him jealous looks at his big inventory. ¡°One, cards are good to have one time effects on. Like lighting a fire or something I don¡¯t want to use a potion with. Light little magic trinkets.¡± ¡°And the other reason?¡± Sean asked, earning him a grimace from the dragon. ¡°Another memory thing?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Roge said, feeling bad as he lied to his friends. They¡¯d all, apparently, assumed that some things of his Draconic heritage or his [Nature Magic] whispered things to him occasionally. It was honestly a better explanation than the truth, which was that Roge suspected they were all playing some type of twisted game to the tune of the machines controlling the world. He just remembered how the world was before the micro machines took over. ¡°Have you heard of¡­ Tarot Cards?¡± he asked softly, getting confused looks from everyone. He¡¯d remembered only a little bit about the divination technique, but considering his [Nature Magic] seemed to follow in the old druids¡¯ footsteps, he¡¯d try making a deck. ¡°I feel like I can do something with a deck of them¡­¡± ¡°You mean like playing cards?¡± Hops asked. ¡°No. Something¡­ magical¡­¡± he muttered, fiddling around with the arrow in his claws. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can make, anyway. But first.¡± He activated his additional recipes slot to look at the magic arrow, glancing at the recipe to see what he needed to do. Sure, he could have taken mundane arrows and added coins to them, but then only his [Screen Hoard] would gain experience. This way, making arrows for Marge to use would benefit one of his lower leveled classes instead.
Fire Arrow x1:
  • 1 Bottles of Novice Fire Bomb
  • 1 Magical Blueoak Branch
  • 1 Ash Samara
  • 1 Unit of Ash Sap
  • 1 Pink Sugar Maple Leaf
Combine sap, samara, and bomb potion quickly in a bigger flask and seal. WARNING! LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF TIME THE POTION IS IN CONTACT WITH FRESH AIR. Wait 10 minutes for the mixture to harden into an arrowhead. If not in the desired shape, it can be cut and sharpened easily. Only hard impacts will activate the effects. Shape the branch into a straight, cylindrical shape, around 0.5 m long. Split the leaf in half and adhere to the end for the fletching. Make sure to etch a notch in the back of the shaft as well for the bowstring. Drill a hole in the top of the shaft with a similar cylinder jutting out of the base of the arrowhead. The attaching point of the arrowhead should be bigger than the hole in the shaft. WARNING! DO NOT HAMMER THE ARROWHEAD IN. CHANCE OF EXPLOSION HIGH. Deal 4d10 Fire damage upon striking a target.
Roge rolled his eyes at the recipe, chuckling to himself as the others looked it over as well. ¡°Well that¡­ is something pretty much only you can do,¡± Hops commented, laughing along with the dragon. ¡°It practically assumed you can shape the wood and can already make bombs.¡± ¡°Yeah, I noticed that,¡± Roge sighed, rolling his eyes at his book. ¡°It gives me recipes with techniques I already have access to. You should have seen Judson¡¯s healing potion recipe. It requires some weird moss he gets from the forest.¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ curious how it¡¯s going to make an arrowhead, though,¡± Marge muttered, reading through the recipe again. ¡°I¡¯ve sharpened arrows before, so I should be able to do the shaping¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s find out!¡± Roge crowed, pulling out five of his glass bottles with a smile. He¡¯d been waiting to try some of his shaping abilities all week, and the large flash he needed was a perfect opportunity. Chapter 30- Diseased Arrows... Just What We Need... The first few times he tried shaping the bonded bottles did not go well, as Roge could only really shape the liquid glass by hand. The rest of his team started practicing their new skills while he worked, the dragon deciding to take a break to watch. Each had their main classes upgraded with Roge¡¯s help with added effects based upon their species. Marge¡¯s [Cervid Archer] class upgraded her movement ability to [Nature Stride], apparently making her better at running across natural surfaces like fields and rock. It did nothing in the city, but the deer woman had been excited for how it was going to improve when they went out on their first adventure together. Hops¡¯ skills now worked even better when he made runes replicate natural effects, boosted even more when he used Roge¡¯s plant-based bombs. He¡¯d hooked himself and Marge up with multiple runed bombs that they could throw during combat to start out, buying multiple books to make sure his runes followed what was naturally found out in the world. It was fascinating for the dragon, as he was told that runes were all taken from magical monsters and animals rather than made up by people. Magical skills and abilities would make the monster grow a rune on them, either as a design on fur or a literal growth on an organ. That was apparently why Hops went out on the adventures, to find new runes he could use. Finally was Sean, the lion¡¯s abilities the strangest of them all. Whereas before he was a decent enough tank with his class, the [Leonine Knight] class improved that massively for him. The species information had been all about nobility, justice, and protecting the pride, so it was no surprise to the dragon that the class would follow that route. Sean¡¯s shield skill had a buff that effected the entirety of the party, drawing all of a foe¡¯s attention to him like a taunt video game skill. It even ran off of how well the party¡¯s defenses were, so it would theoretically train their defensive skills as well. Roge was also excited to see how his [Light Magic] would work with the class, wondering if it would make another class based around healing and attacking with light, or if it would give better options for the Lion¡¯s current classes. He had to remind himself to have them try out adding light mana to some of their skills, knowing it¡¯s how he upgraded his gardening skill before. Even funneling mana through an aligned object would help the ability improve on its own and give more effects. That thought brought him up short as it sparked an idea, Roge pulling out a couple of blueoak branches and getting to work. With his [Nature Magic], he could shape them to a degree, which he used to make a cast for the shaping of his new bottle. He even used the existing arrow to make the shape of the head, though he had to remove it to make the portion of the arrowhead that would attach to the shaft. Once he had a wooden mold and made it a half foot tall, he got to work shaping the glass bottles to the shape, finding the process vastly easier. What he ended up with was an oddly shaped straight flash, but one that, when the mixture solidified, would make sure the arrowhead maintained the correct shape. He likened it to a mold more than anything, keeping most of the wood around the flask for aesthetic purposes, though using some of it to make a molded cork for the top. The shape wasn¡¯t perfect, but it was good enough for his first try at making the arrow, pulling out the ingredients he¡¯d need for it. He started with the longer part of the process, placing a freshly harvested samara into the bottom of the flask. He always called them windmill seeds as a kid, the helicopter-shaped seeds always flying in the wind during spring. Next went in the ash sap, curious as to how it would solidify the potion he poured in right after. He took the warnings seriously and corked the flash immediately, noting the boiling reaction the mixture started to have. Shaping the shaft took no time at all, the wood easily following his commands to turn into a straight cylinder. The hole and notch on each end was simple, as was attaching the severed leaf, as he could just tell the shaft to grow around the stem. While he left the bark on the branch so the brighter wood wouldn¡¯t stand out, he smoothed it as much as he could, knowing bumps would lead to inaccurate arrows. The potion was done while he was smoothing out the bark, deciding to stop as he knew he¡¯d never get the shape perfect. As for how he knew the reaction was done, the bonding of the flask to his hoard made it simple to pay attention to when the potion hardened simply by feeling it. Popping open the cork and shaking out the bright orange arrowhead, Roge was surprised at how nicely shaped it was, finding the outline to not be too bumpy. It needed sharpening anyway, so getting it that smooth was just a plus in his eyes. Commanding the wood to grow around the base of the arrowhead secured it in place, finishing the odd looking arrow. With an orange head, the darker blue shaft, and the grey leaf fletching, it certainly stood out. But the effects spoke for themselves in his opinion.
Fire Arrow Rank 1 Abilities: [Fire Arrow](R1) An arrow that burns on contact. Effect: Deal 4d10 Fire damage upon impact.
¡®I mean¡­ it is mine, right?¡¯ he thought to himself, reaching out to the arrow and trying to change the color of it, using his colorful buff. Surprisingly, it worked, allowing him to change the arrowhead and shaft to a pure black. He then made the leaf fletching a bright orange, knowing that that was the main part Marge would see when taking out an arrow to use. ¡®And now¡­ to make the others.¡¯ ~~~ "What do you mean you ended up with seven types of arrows?!¡± Sean growled out, earning an embarrassed look from the dragon. ¡°Well¡­ I went with the normal four, then with [Explosive] and [Flaming Spark]¡­¡± ¡°And finally with the blight. What does that one do?¡± Hops asked, [Inspecting] the various arrows.
Diseased Arrow Rank 1 Abilities: [Blighted Fire Arrow](R1) An arrow that causes a poisonous disease on contact. Effect: Deal 1d10 Fire damage upon impact. Cause Blighted Fire Debuff (1d10 Fire per minute)
¡°It calls it a disease?¡± Marge asked, looking very excited. ¡°It¡¯s a tree disease. Well¡­ now a magical tree disease,¡± Roge commented, shrinking from Sean¡¯s stare. ¡°It just means I have to make the various potions-¡° ¡°This was very dangerous,¡± Sean growled, earning him a look from Marge. ¡°What happened if he mishandled one of the materials? We don¡¯t have a cure disease potion.¡± ¡°Probably do,¡± Roge commented, holding up his hands when Sean¡¯s eyes narrowed even more. ¡°I have the [Purify] ability from the tobacco. Do you want me to try and make it into a potion?¡± Sean sighed, rubbing the sides of his muzzle before growling out a, ¡°Yes.¡± The dragon quickly got to work at that, pulling a [Purify] coin from one of the tobacco leaves they were going to deliver to Madam Madrid later in the day. Swapping it out with the healing on one of Hops¡¯ potions gave him exactly the effect he wanted.
Novice Cure Potion Rank 1 Abilities: [Purify](R1) A bottle of weak cure potion. Drink to gain its effects. Effect: Cures 1 Rank 1 negative status ailment.
¡°There you go. And now I have something else to show at the test.¡± Sean grumbled at that, letting out a sigh before grinning at the dragon. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Fair point Roge. I guess break time is over for you, if you can make things like that.¡± Roge was about to pull up his sheet at that before Sean held up a paw to stop him. ¡°But no binding trees. We¡¯ll do one of those a week. You got rid of one of each like I asked, right?¡± ¡°Yes, dad,¡± Roge grumbled, looking over his plant list and sighing while Marge and Hops laughed. No matter how annoyed he felt, it made sense. Not only would he forget about certain powers if he got a bunch at once, but Hops had warned him that getting too high of a power boost could be harmful for one¡¯s health. Something about exploding like a bomb made of mana or something. ¡°Pick one you want to bind for tomorrow. I think it¡¯ll be a good treat for passing the test.¡± ¡°If I pass the test,¡± Roge grumbled, feeling the antsy feeling come back at the thought of the test later that night. To distract himself, he looked over the list of treasures he had in his hoard, feeling quite proud of the things he had.
Ability Hoard
[Detox] 1
Primordial Ash 32
[Pigment] (Red) 5, 5B
[Pigment] (Yellow) 5, 5B
[Pigment] (Blue) 6, 5B
[Pigment] (Black) 6, 5B
[Pigment] (White) 6, 5B
[Color] 4, 5B
[Inscribe] 5, 5B
[Glass Bottle Making] 5, 5B
[Flaming Spark] 8
[Explosive] 5
[Icing] 5, 1B
Bonded Healing Bottle Wand 1
[Sparking] 5B
[Acid] 5B
[Strength Boost] 10B
[Thunder] 5B
[Glow] 9B
[Fog] 10B
[Wisdom Boost] 10B
[Constitution Boost] 10B
[Healing] 7, 5B
[Blighted Fire] 8
Farm Hoard
Purifying Tobacco Rank 3 9
Purifying Tobacco Rank 4 (Red) 9
Purifying Tobacco Rank 4 (Yellow) 9
Purifying Tobacco Rank 4 (Blue) 9
Purifying Tobacco Rank 4 (Black) 9
Purifying Tobacco Rank 4 (White) 9
Creeper Vine Rank 1 9
Grappling Vines Rank 5 9
Flaming Tulip Rank 4 9
Icing Tulip Rank 4 9
Spark Tulip Rank 4 9
Acid Tulip Rank 4 9
Healing Tulip Rank 1 9
Blueoak Tree Rank 5 10B
Lime Pine Sapling Rank 0 9
Gold Apple Sapling Rank 0 9
Yellow Cherry Sapling Rank 0 9
Fire Blight Rank 2 10B
Grey Ash Tree Rank 0 9
Ironwood Tree Rank 0 9
Dark Spruce Tree Rank 0 9
Bright Orange Tree Rank 0 9
Pink Sugar Maple Tree Rank 0 9
Units of Fertilizer Left 7
¡°That¡¯s going to be hard,¡± he groaned, wanting to figure out so many of the potential buffs he had. ¡°Why allow me to do that if it¡¯s dangerous?!¡± ¡°One of the many mysteries,¡± Hops replied. ¡°Like why working out too much can hurt. It¡¯s just a fact of life.¡± Roge facepalmed at that, holding back giggles so as to not try and explain why he found that funny. ¡°Can I at least try the cards now?¡± ¡°After your accuracy training,¡± Sean dictated, smiling at Roge¡¯s groan. ¡°Hey we train mostly every day too. It¡¯s the only way to stay on top of our abilities and skills.¡± ¡°No, I get it,¡± Roge growled, pulling out his wand and swapping it to what he was calling ¡®paintball mode¡¯. Using the [Pigment] coins made for a lot less damage for the guild to have to clean up due to the effect being largely temporary. Besides, he could still use his various buffs to swap around what kind of attack he was using. They quickly found out that the glow buff was going to be the main thing he used, forcing almost all of his attacks into a straight line that extended past his manipulation range. The fog buff was best for creating a smoke cloud for cover or running away, while the thunder buff was useful against a hoard of enemies. Acid and Icing were both used for shorter range fighting, as the former made the effect a damage over time effect, while the later made the effect pack a better punch. All of the various buffs were combined with the sparking and healing buffs, which made all of his attacks faster and take less aggro. Of course, he also used his colorful buff to make all of his attacks some shade of blue, liking the color a lot better and making it so he could distinguish his attacks from enemy attacks. Turning the blight effect blue made it even stranger, the fire looking radically different with the black streaking through and around it. That one he kept purple after fiddling with it during training, deciding it was too confusing with three flame like attacks to have them all be the same color, but have different effects. ¡®Hopefully, they assume that if something is purple, it¡¯s going to cause a debuff,¡¯ he thought to himself, getting back to running around and throwing various magics at the dummy. Chapter 31- Changing Reputation Since they¡¯d started the training earlier in the day, around lunch was when they decided Roge would visit the Leaf¡¯s Haunt, though the dragon had made a habit of going in through the back to avoid unpleasant customers. There, he dropped off the leaves and seeds he¡¯d collected from his tobacco plants and looked over the various plants in the greenhouse. He¡¯d considered getting some of the plants to get more buffs, but he ultimately decided not to. Most, if not all, of the plants Madam Madrid had could be found in the nearby forest. When they were picked up directly from the wild, they also didn¡¯t have any magical abilities, so Roge could take full advantage of that. The only plant no one knew how to get was the elemental tulips, though Roge had an idea from where they could be sourced. From what he¡¯d been told, they appeared in very mana dense areas related to their element, but normal tulips could be found pretty much anywhere. He suspected that, if he found random mundane flowers on his journey, he¡¯d see what abilities he could unlock and eventually grow out of the need for the basic plants. Of course, he¡¯d keep them just for their potential buffs, but plants with more natural abilities would most likely be stronger, and thus gain him more materials per day. Lighting up one of the blue cigarettes, laughing slightly at the blue tinted paper that Madam Madrid had her new employee start using, he walked through the inner greenhouse door. The new employee was a teenage minotaur, the quiet man never giving his name and working diligently on the various orders and tending the plants. Roge honestly approved of his silent work ethic and care for the plants, the dragon only having a green thumb due to his breath ability. He made sure there were no customers before coming out onto the main floor, looking around at the new shelves with a smile. ¡°The color ones have really hit it off, huh?¡± he asked, earning a chuckle from the orc woman. The wooden packs displaying a rainbow of colors now took up half of the shelf space in the store, the curative effects of the cigarettes a big hit with her client¨¨le, for obvious reasons. ¡°Of course darling,¡± Madam Madrid replied, getting up from her stool behind the counter and giving him a once over. ¡°If you ever decide to make other smokable plants though¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Roge grumbled, still a bit salty about the forced break. ¡°They¡¯re letting me do more tomorrow, so I¡¯m definitely making some various boost tobacco plants.¡± He paused at that thought, letting out a small chuckle. ¡°Basically cheaper potions that are better to use in town. Judson¡¯s not going to be happy.¡± ¡°Oh he¡¯s thrilled,¡± Madam Madrid said, going around and organizing the boxes to look nice. ¡°He¡¯s been able to jack up the prices of the potions, since they¡¯re only really useful towards adventurers. Kept asking when we¡¯re going to have stronger stuff.¡± ¡°I can¡­ try and see if I can boost it?¡± Roge said, looking through his plants. ¡°I¡¯ll use some of tomorrow¡¯s harvest. But I think there¡¯s going to be an upper limit to that sort of thing.¡± ¡°That magically stable condition right?¡± the orc woman asked, to which Roge nodded. ¡°Any way you¡¯d be able to get around that?¡± ¡°Maybe if I find a higher rank plant with the smokable ability?¡± ¡°Not going to taste like tobacco, hun.¡± ¡°But it¡¯ll heal people better if need be. The stronger stuff isn¡¯t about taste or habit, it¡¯s about healing. Same with the buffing ones.¡± Roge shrugged at her disgruntled look, feeling a bit put on the spot. ¡°I don¡¯t make the rules here, boss. And I can recognize a trend when I see one. I can try and see how much [Purify] I can stuff into them, but I¡¯m betting, since they started out at rank 1, they¡¯re going to fill up fast.¡± ¡°I see your point darling,¡± Madam Madrid grumbled, sitting back down on her stool as another customer came in. Roge went over to the window to finish his cigarette, noticing the blue smoke making the room a bit hazy. ¡°Ugh. Inconsiderate, man,¡± the customer complained. Roge gave him a sheepish grin, using a bit of his [Spacial Magic] to waft more of the smoke out the window. ¡°Sorry about that.¡± ¡°Damn dragons,¡± the man grumbled, Roge getting distracted by his cat-like head for a moment, causing his reaction to be delayed to the comment. He narrowed his eyes, feeling a bit of anger brewing up before an idea came to him. ¡°You like those packs?¡± Roge asked, noting the lime green pack the cat was buying. ¡°Yeah? So what?¡± he asked gruffly, his fur standing up on end at Roge¡¯s attention. ¡°I¡¯m looking to workshop new effects for it. There something you¡¯d really like?¡± The cat looked to Madam Madrid, who just gave him a serious nod. The cat seemed to soften at that, especially when the total for the pack only came out to fifty copper per pack. ¡°You think you can make other flavors?¡± Roge¡¯s thoughtful frown seemed to spur him on, the customer taking an excited step towards the dragon. ¡°Or maybe give it a high? More energy?¡± Roge pulled out his recipe book at that, finding it a lot better to take notes in when he could search for what he wanted. ¡°Fruit flavors work?¡± the dragon asked, already thinking of trying to reduce apple juice to add the flavor to cigarettes. ¡°That¡­ actually sounds good,¡± the customer admitted, cocking his head to the side and looking Roge up and down as he wrote more ideas with his wand. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ not one of Tarcon¡¯s kids, are you?¡± Roge looked up at that, looking very confused. ¡°No¡­ my dad and I moved here a while back. He owns one of the inns nearby.¡± He tapped the butt of his wand against his snout at that, glancing at Madam Madrid with a concerned look. ¡°Have I been a bit of a¡­ recluse?¡± ¡°Considering people usually consider you one of the Lord¡¯s sons? Hell yes,¡± she replied, the customer looking between them confused. ¡°But¡­ but the solution to that is just¡­ going out and getting to know people,¡± he grumbled while rubbing the base of his horns. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ¡°What is going on?¡± the cat man asked, causing Madam Madrid to give him a look. ¡°I lost my memories a few weeks back,¡± Roge grumbled as the cat man¡¯s face fell in sympathy. ¡°And I¡¯m finding my previous decisions to be¡­ maddening sometimes.¡± Roge couldn¡¯t handle the pity and looked back to his recipe book, tapping his wand against it. ¡°So flavor, increasing de-stress and/or stimulant. So far, so good. Anything else you think people would be interested in? Anything to do with the smoke or-¡° ¡°Naw man, that¡¯s good,¡± the customer mumbled. ¡°I¡¯ll set up a suggestion box,¡± Madam Madrid offered, both men turning to look at her. ¡°In case people have requests. I¡¯ll make sure they know it might not be possible. Also, I¡¯m vetoing any hard drug effects.¡± ¡°Already on board with that,¡± Roge agreed, giving the cat man a smile. ¡°If I have success, products should be up in the next week or two.¡± ¡°I look forward to it, man.¡± ~~~ Getting Madam Madrid¡¯s permission to grab enough leaves to get nine of each [Stimulant] and [De-Stress] coins, Roge left the store to look over his plants, not liking the bright sun that day as he looked over his hoard. He really didn¡¯t¡­ *need* to tell the others his plan. After all, the rank of the plant didn¡¯t seem to affect when he got the buffs, like his coins. Only the variety and number of plants did that. So he decided to bite the bullet and plant eighteen of the purifying seeds, placing one stimulant coin in half of them, and the de-stress one in the other. They, of course, made him focus and cost a lot of mana, as well as becoming magically sated for the day. But if he could increase the effects of the plants gradually by planting more seeds and only adding coins to some, he could have different ¡®effect levels¡¯ like vaping products had. Looking back at his stats for his hoards, Roge also made a note to use some of the colored leaves tomorrow to get the color stuff up to his friends¡¯ limit. If they let him unlock one or two per day, he wanted to see how much adding more to those buffs would do. He also deconstructed a lot of his petals and other plant matter on the way back, wanting to cleanly put everything up to the limit. One thing he forgot, however, was the multiplier the [Icing] coins had, accidentally pushing the buff up to the next tier.
Icing Buff II Change the effect of one of your abilities or skills by solidifying the effect. Density: 4x smaller than original volume
¡®I¡­ really hope they don¡¯t get too mad¡­¡¯ he thought to himself, stopping by his favorite food stand on his way back to the League. Once he dismissed his windows and finally calmed down his excited feeling regarding the new density portion of his buff, he noticed the looks he was getting from the various people around him. Looks of disdain and avoidance were everywhere when he bothered to look. But that day, he¡¯d decided to change that, even when he got to the front of the line and the cook gave him a sour look. He looked to be an air elemental, with wisps of wind moving around their short, blonde hair and their skin tinged with yellow. This was the first time that Roge would be ordering by himself, making the dragon¡¯s legs feel a bit numb. ¡°Hi,¡± Roge said cheerily, trying to be a bit brighter than before. The stares had usually gotten to him, causing him to be a bumbling mess when he¡¯d gone to that stand before with his team. ¡°I¡¯d like four ham, egg, and cheese bagels please.¡± He could see the steam coming off of the cooking meat, which reminded him that everyone else was probably much colder than he was if it was mildly chilly for him. ¡°Twenty silver,¡± the man gruffed out, Roge feeling his face want to sour at the exorbitant price. Instead he looked up at the sign, which clearly said fifty copper for one, and gave a sigh. ¡°It¡¯s actually two,¡± Roge rebuffed, causing the cook to turn around in annoyance. ¡°I know you usually charge more for nobles, but I only get paid fifty silver a week. I can¡¯t keep coming back if I¡¯m getting overcharged.¡± That stopped the cook in his tracks, annoyance fading away to confusion. Roge continued at that, taking a deep breath to steal his courage. ¡°I know it seems like I¡¯m lying, but I¡¯m not. Ask Madam Madrid how much she pays me.¡± At the name drop, the cook¡¯s confusion turned to surprise, his posture straightening at the orc woman¡¯s name. ¡°You work for Madrid?¡± he asked, glancing at the cooking food and starting to prepare Roge¡¯s order. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Another burst of surprised looks from both the cook and crowd. ¡°I recently got some [Nature Magic] classes and have been modifying the plants.¡± Roge shrugged. ¡°Felt bad about selling products that were slowly killing poor people who couldn¡¯t afford healing.¡± The more he talked, the more everyone around seemed to be warming up to him, though the attention still made him feel jittery. Thankfully, the wind elemental cook soon handed over a bag with the sandwiches, Roge giving him a smile and placing three silvers down on the counter. ¡°Thank you. I really enjoy your food,¡± the dragon said, placing the bag into his inventory and hurrying off before anyone could react. ~~~ ¡°You did what?!¡± Sean growled, leaning closer to Roge who had a look of resignation on his face. ¡°You have to be careful, Roge! You make too many mistakes like that, and you could pass out from too many magical changes. Where did it happen?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ in front of the stand I bought these from,¡± Roge replied, talking around the sandwich he was currently cramming into his mouth. Sean growled low at that, all while Marge and Hops chuckled and shook their heads. ¡°I¡¯ll be more careful, I swear. It¡¯s just¡­ having one thing that behaves differently from the others is¡­ really disorientating.¡± ¡°We can give him that,¡± Hops said, finishing up his writing. ¡°He made sure to not get any more buffs with the other plants and coins he added. And he has good ideas for things that can improve others, not just his personal power.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean,¡± Roge grumbled, earning himself an eye roll from Sean. ¡°We¡¯re worried that you want to cram too much power into yourself too quickly, Roge. Of course we¡¯re going to be worried about you becoming too selfish.¡± Sean huffed as he said that, making Roge feel a bit guilty about things. ¡°Oh lay off guys,¡± Marge butted in, the deer woman moving to sit next to the dragon. ¡°He specifically used an extra recipe for arrows for me. He¡¯s making sure to try and get better wands and potions both me and Hops can use. And I¡¯m betting he¡¯s gunning for other things for you Sean. Right?¡± ¡°Well¡­ yeah¡­¡± Roge mumbled, finishing his sandwich and leaning his elbows on the table. ¡°Trouble is, anything that I¡¯ve found builds up your defense at the cost of your movement. Plus, you don¡¯t have [Mana Manipulation] yet.¡± Sean was about to cut the dragon off, but Roge continued ahead anyway. ¡°So I was going to see about adding coins to your armor and shield. But¡­ the only thing I have is the boost. And I don¡¯t think adding a bunch of con boosts to armor is going to help much to protect you. So I wanted to see what the other trees would give. I¡¯m pretty sure we could hit the jackpot with some of them.¡± Sean fully thought over that while Hops and Marge grinned, the lion giving both of them a sour look. ¡°Fine. That makes sense.¡± ¡°Besides, I already have my healing wand. Since I¡¯ll be utility, all I have to do is watch for when you need heals and stay out of trouble.¡± Roge shrugged, a grin forming as a smile cracked the lion¡¯s muzzle. ¡°I¡¯m always thinking about how I can help you all. You¡¯ve helped me a lot already, and I want to return the favor.¡± ¡°Friends don¡¯t count favors,¡± Sean said, the dragon blinking at the familiar quote. ¡°They just show up.¡± Roge nodded in silence at that, pulling out his wand and fiddling with it. ¡°So¡­ does that mean I can use my wand to make more combined coins?¡± Hops laughed hard at that, Sean sighing and rolling his eyes. ¡°With supervision.¡± Chapter 32- Even More Final Preparations After a brief time of experimenting, Roge only found one new combination, though he did find new uses for the boost coins.
Bonded Frost Fire Bottle Wand Rank 3 Abilities: [Frost Fire](R2), [Bond](R1) Effect: Freezing fire shoots out of the end of the wand. Amount depends on flow. Flow Restriction: 20 points per minute
Bonded Strength Boost Bottle Wand Rank 9 Abilities: [Strength Boost](R8), [Bond](R1) Effect: Target gains a temporary +8 to [Strength] for 8 minutes. Cost: 16 mana
Roge sighed at the first one, it being obvious once the [Flame] and [Icing] abilities combined. The problem with it was that he was never sure when he¡¯d get a realistic outcome or a video game outcome with the combinations, especially considering the experiment he was planning on doing with [Icing] and [Blighted Fire]. But his friends pulled him away from the experimenting, wanting him to get started on the card idea he had. ¡°I still don¡¯t see how it could be useful,¡± Hops commented, watching Roge as he pulled out one of the blueoak branches. ¡°It could not be. We¡¯ll just have to see,¡± Roge replied, focusing on the branch and making it grow into the shape he wanted. The first card he¡¯d make would not be a weapon, he knew that, but past that, he was unsure of what effect he wanted to make. At least he could get started on the shape, as a rectangle with rounded edges was easy for him at that point. He once again kept the bark on the outside, smoothing it out to a shine while still keeping the grain. It was bigger than he was expecting, about the size of his hand, but it would still work for what he needed. He stopped at that point, looking at the blank card as several ideas came together in his mind. The fact that when he made the fire arrow, it changed the ability. The evolution of the creeper vine. Abilities could change depending on what process you put them through. He wondered how much of his mana exhaustion last week had been from the vine sucking up his mana, and how much of it was used to upgrade the plant using his [Farm Hoard] skill. Either way, he pulled out the last idea that he had, a [Flame] coin. They were the concentrated essence of abilities, and each one had two distinct features. Something etched in the center and the color of the coin. If he could mimic that, while giving the cards enough magic, Roge felt like he could make something new. And he knew exactly what to start with. The painting of the card ironically took him longer than his original shaping, the art he made on the card¡¯s surface needing to be spot on. The face of the card had a campfire on it, Roge wanting the colors to be exactly right for the flames. Once the drawing of a campfire was done, he carefully pushed the [Flame] coin into the card, focusing intently on not just [Screen Hoard], but also [Bonded Tools] and [Magic Tool Creation]. He didn¡¯t want to make a card that blew up or caught on fire. He wanted a card that, when activated, would give him a campfire. He¡¯d had so much fun with the campfire tokens when he¡¯d played Dnd, and he thought that having that in card form would be a happy medium. The system seemed to deny him that at first, the coin stubbornly staying outside of the card. He wasn¡¯t sure what he was doing wrong, but he tried to push harder to no avail. It even felt like the skills were trying to tell him something, but he was unsure what until he looked at the one that was screaming at him. Or, to be more specific, he turned on [All Seeing] and looked at what was wrong with [Bonded Tools]. It almost immediately gave him a headache, looking through the lines and lines of code that he barely understood. It might take him days to read through all of it, and he¡¯d only understand small chunks. Thankfully, as he was scrolling through the code, he found one spot that was out of place. A spot that had red text instead of white.
#ERROR Exit Code: Insufficient AFJ826ff02 Missing AFJ826ff02 Missing AFJ826ff02 Missing AFJ826ff02 Missing kyV49DSSov Missing kyV49DSSov Missing kyV49DSSov Missing #ERROR Exit Code: Static Mind
Roge looked at that line confused for a moment until he saw the last line. ¡®So it can¡¯t¡­ give me the information it¡¯s supposed to?¡¯ he thought to himself, remembering that Static Mind prevented his mind from being changed. ¡®Why can¡¯t it give this to me in text box form then?¡¯ He jumped as a new text box appeared at that, the admin apparently summoned once again by another error.
Excellent suggestion.
[Bonded Tools] Message Insufficient Materials. Missing Materials:
  • 4 Blueoak branches
  • 3 [Flame] Coins
¡®Thanks¡­ I guess¡­?¡¯ Roge thought, not hearing any more responses from the strange starry box. Moving on from the mini heart attack that box had given him, Roge pulled out the four branches and three coins, confusing his party members as he focused once more. This time, he succeeded, though he wished he hadn¡¯t as his already low mana bottomed out from making the card. He barely kept himself up as he watched the four coins and branches fractured into glitter and absorb into the card. He felt like it was a bit much until he looked at his drawing again and froze. It wasn¡¯t just a campfire anymore, as two people were seen embracing behind the flames. He couldn¡¯t see any details of them, though, only knowing one person looked a bit blue and the other yellow. On either side of the campfire and people were a total of four wooden posts with what looked to be crystal tips. And what made him freeze the most was the words painted on the top and bottom of the card. ¡®IV¡¯ and ¡®Wands¡¯. ¡°Oh my god¡­¡± he mumbled, finally looking up from the card with an exasperated expression. The other three were looking closely at the card as well, all of them showing confusion. ¡°So¡­ it¡¯s a divination card? Not what I thought you¡¯d go with,¡± Hops commented, prompting Roge to [Inspect] the card.
The Bonded Four of Wands Rank 5 Abilities: [Divination](R4), [Bond](R1) Effect: This card represents community, home, and celebrations.
¡°No. That¡¯s not what I meant to do at all,¡± Roge grumbled, flipping around the card to look at the back. ¡°And of course it decided on that¡­¡± he grumbled, noticing the sapphire dragon decal on the back. ¡°What is it¡­ supposed to do?¡± Marge asked, prompting Roge to look at the card again in confusion. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°Hold on,¡± he muttered, pulling out his recipe book and flipping through it to the card. It detailed the process he just went through, but at the bottom is where he found his answer.
Can be used in a divination ritual, and this card represents community, home, and celebrations. Due to it not being bonded to a practitioner, it can also be a one-time use item to summon a campfire for up to 16 hours.
¡°I have to make it un-bonded,¡± Roge grumbled, pulling out another five blueoak branches and four coins. Turning one branch into the card and decorating it was simple, since he had the design from the previous card. Enchanting it took only a moment as well, and he was left baffled at how different the description was.
The Four of Wands Rank 1 Abilities: [Campfire](R1) Effect: Place in a circle of stones to make a campfire that lasts up to 16 hours.
¡°That¡¯s¡­ so good Roge!¡± Sean cheered, Roge looking at the lion in surprise. ¡°What? Making a campfire is hard work sometimes.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re going to make other cards to have utility effects?¡± Hops asked, looking over the new card with a smile. ¡°For once I¡¯m going to advocate skipping training for him to make more cards. It¡¯s going to sure up his test.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do that,¡± Sean said, nodding and leading the conversation on what effects they¡¯d need for adventuring. ~~~ After Roge had recharged a bit, they¡¯d decided on three more potential effects for the cards, Roge making each in quick succession now that he was informed of what he was missing. He was allowed to make up to seventy eight bound cards, one for each of the tarot deck, or so Roge was led to believe. Who knew how many other cards there could be here. The card to fill waterskins needed five [Icing] coins and, weirdly enough, five copper coins. It made sense after the card was done, showing itself as the five of cups, though Roge felt a bit bad about losing his increased icing buff.
The Five of Cups Rank 1 Abilities: [Refill](R1) Effect: Refills up to five waterskins with clean drinking water.
The next card was all about making traveling easier, which felt like a nebulous concept, but it seemed to work out. It required six of the sparking coins, as well as six iron nuggets, which Sean thankfully had some laying around in his inventory.
The Six of Swords Rank 1 Abilities: [Traveling Winds](R1) Effect: Increases movement speed for traveling for 8 hours. Effect ends if combat is initiated.
The last card was the more difficult one, not only needing fifteen [Acid] coins to make, Roge having to dip into his petals for that one, but also requiring bedrolls. It didn¡¯t specify an amount, so the four decided to contribute one of each for each card, finding the card to be well worth the sacrifice when the non-bonded card was revealed.
The Queen of Pentacles Rank 1 Abilities: [Mobile Camp](R1) Effect (1/day): When placed on a stable, flat surface, this card summons a camp for 4 people. This includes tents set up with bedrolls inside and the tools needed for cooking. It also summons a stone circle for a campfire. If any creature besides the people within the area of the camp enters the camp, an alarm rings out, waking anyone within 50 m. The camp will last for up to 16 hours, fading into nothing and needing to charge for at least 8 hours before being used again.
¡°Sean, go out and get as many iron pellets as you can,¡± Marge commanded, the lion quickly rushing off to buy the materials. ¡°The wood and copper are easy enough to get,¡± Hops muttered, writing everything down furiously. ¡°Is it going to be too much for you, Roge? To supply both potions and these cards?¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t be too hard. I get enough for like, two sets of potions on average. So sacrificing some of that for these cards isn¡¯t too much of a waste.¡± ¡°Good. Good. Now make these wands as well,¡± Hops stated, shoving over a piece of paper. ¡°Your bonded wand is fine for yourself, but you¡¯ll want to show off that you can make the other kinds without having to swap.¡±
Purify Bottle Wand 1
Flame Bottle Wand 1
Icing Bottle Wand 1
Sparking Bottle Wand 1
Acid Bottle Wand 1
Healing Bottle Wand 1
Flaming Spark Bottle Wand 1
Frost Fire Bottle Wand 1
Strength Boost Bottle Wand 1
Constitution Boost Bottle Wand 1
Wisdom Boost Bottle Wand 1
Blighted Fire Bottle Wand 1
Roge nodded, setting up each wand and waiting five minutes in between to regen mana. The only ones he had trouble with were the boost wands, needing to grind the materials they came from to put in the bottle. Luckily, he only needed one of each, as branches and acorns were a lot bigger than petals. Once he was finished, it was just a few hours before the start of his test, feeling a familiar nervousness come back. Thankfully Sean had gotten back at some point with bags of iron nuggets, lending the dragon a bit of comfort. ¡°You¡¯ll do fine,¡± Hops commented, the dragon giving him a small smile. ¡°I know. Doesn¡¯t stop the feeling, unfortunately.¡± ¡°Well how about we take your mind off of it. Any plans for what your Christmas mural is going to be?¡± Marge asked, the dragon feeling his mind blanking for a moment before remembering the tradition. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Wish I could use an inscription wand, but since it¡¯s only permanent in my recipe book¡­¡± ¡°Your drawing skill isn¡¯t too bad, right?¡± Hops asked with a frown. ¡°Only at rank three,¡± Roge replied, noting that his [Bonded Tools] skill had gone up to eight without him noticing. ¡°You can only go up to rank nine for your wand, right?¡± Sean asked. ¡°So what would a rank ten or higher inscription wand look like?¡± Roge paused at that, thinking it over before nodding. ¡°You¡¯re thinking it might become a permanent effect? Makes sense. When do I get an increase in rank?¡± ¡°When the skill rank hits ten,¡± Hops replied, giving Roge a secretive smile. ¡°You¡¯re going to get a lot with it. I¡¯m very much looking forward to seeing what added effects you get too.¡± Roge grumbled as Marge and Sean snickered, wanting to know more about what he was going to get. ¡°And you-¡° ¡°Still not going to give specifics,¡± Hops stated, waving off the notion. ¡°Besides, you might get something different. I¡¯ve heard it¡¯s rare to have as many additional recipes as you have at your level.¡± ¡°It is indeed,¡± a voice called from the entrance to the training yard, everyone looking towards it to see the purple skinned drow, Harold. ¡°Oh don¡¯t look so surprised. Of course they¡¯d have me here for Mr. Youngston¡¯s testing day.¡± He wore a more formal looking purple cloak that day, though it was a lighter color than his skin. ¡°Afternoon Mr. Robbins,¡± Roge said, fishing out the book for the test and flipping through it. ¡°I think I have every part down pat?¡± ¡°As I expect you would,¡± the drow said kindly, moving over and picking up one of the bonded tarot cards. ¡°Are you moving into divination?¡± ¡°Not really. Here¡¯s the unbound version.¡± Harold blinked upon [Inspecting] the other card, looking it over with a furrowed brow. ¡°Now, trinkets I can get behind. What a marvelous effect. From where did you get the idea from?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Roge stalled, letting out the first thing that came to mind. ¡°It was¡­ more just seeing the runed plates. I wanted something more portable and with more effects. And now that I know intent can change things, it might let me make other kinds of wands as well.¡± ¡°So, spells without the danger,¡± Harold commented, Roge feeling defensive when the elf held up a hand. ¡°It¡¯s a good way to do it. The recipes won¡¯t become tainted in the same way, and you can act like a fully functioning mage. It¡¯s a path a lot of people have gone down before. ¡°Now.¡± Harold stood up at that, looking to the exit of the private training yard. ¡°We should check in early for your test. Come along Mr. Youngston.¡± Roge got up and collected his things, his friends giving him encouraging looks as he followed the priest into the building. Chapter 33- The Killing Test ¡°So you¡¯re the [Dragonkin] I¡¯ve been hearing about,¡± the tester said, Roge barely paying attention as he looked up at the creature. He always had a bit of trouble with the tall races, being not used to seeing people over seven feet. This lady looked like a large hippo, though her outfit made her look professional somehow, with it being a nice black suit. The only part that didn¡¯t exactly match was her boots, which looked more like work boots than anything. ¡°Mr. Youngston?¡± ¡°Oh! Sorry¡­¡± he said contritely, feeling his scales heat up as he refocused. ¡°I just¡­ still not used to the height differences¡­¡± ¡°Right,¡± she said as she looked over a book she¡¯d placed on the table she was interviewing him at. ¡°Lost your memories a few weeks back. Honestly, if you weren¡¯t going to sign up with Sean¡¯s group, we¡¯d have said no right away.¡± ¡°That makes sense,¡± he replied, earning a surprised look from her. ¡°I have no common sense. So I¡¯d be in danger every time I go out.¡± The tester gave him an assessing look at that, glancing over to Harold who was writing down Roge¡¯s current character sheet. ¡°Well. Very sensible. My name¡¯s Leta Ponce, and I¡¯ll be your tester. First order of business is food. I see here your intelligence is high for your level, but your strength is lacking. This would mean that, while you can carry a bigger variety of things, your inventory still fills up rather quickly. Do you have any other powers that can assist with that?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Roge replied, grabbing the apples and oranges he¡¯d harvested earlier that day. ¡°I have a farm that is tied to my inventory. I only currently have these two fruits, but if I get more, my party won¡¯t go hungry at least.¡± After a confirming nod from the priest, Leta nodded and wrote the response down. ¡°Very useful. While we¡¯re on the topic, what kinds of materials does your farm produce right now?¡± ¡°Mostly crafting materials. I have the basic alchemical bomb plants in there, and the other plants I¡¯ve used to make magic items.¡± He pulled out one of each of the bombs he had in stock, watching the league tester look each of them over. The interview went on for a good bit there, Roge displaying his fog breath and tarot cards to show that he could assist with making water. Shelter was no issue, as the card and his ability to summon his trees from his hoard was good enough for it. Leta even noted that his large inventory size could also be used for tents, reminding him to not solely rely on the magic items for things. ¡°Now that the basics are out of the way, we move on to lockpicking and other mundane treasure finding tasks.¡± Leta pulled a rather ornate looking chest out of her inventory, placing it on the desk and giving Roge a smile. ¡°I know not a lot of people have learned the skill-¡° ¡°Done!¡± Roge cheered, the lid of the box smoothly lifting open. He had to explain his [Spacial Magic] at that, and how he could use it to move objects. Over the past week, he¡¯d even found out that he could faintly feel whatever he was manipulating, so the latch on the inside of the box was easy to find and manipulate. That was when Leta looked directly at the written out portions Harold had for Roge¡¯s [Status], her face showing surprise briefly before becoming professional after she was done. ¡°So from your [Artificer] class, I assume you¡¯ve made useful magic items?¡± Roge quickly laid out all of his wands, even including the lighter he and Hops had made to show their synergy. After a while of looking them over, Leta asked if he had anything stronger, which was when he showed off his bonded wand. ¡°I can make the effect go up to rank eight,¡± he commented, showing off the painting portion of the wand. He then showed all of the recipes he had, mainly to show the healing and cure potions he could make that his party members could use without [Mana Manipulation]. Next was scouting, which Roge didn¡¯t really have anything for. He showed off his grappling vines to show he could easily get to high places, ¡°but I feel like a scout needs movement and sneaking techniques, which are not my forte.¡± ¡°No one is good at everything, Roge, you¡¯re doing fine,¡± Leta replied, picking up the boost, healing, and blight wands. ¡°And I see here that you have the next two categories down of healing and buffing/debuffing. Only two more to go.¡± For some reason she shook her head in exasperation at that, confusing the dragon. ¡°Follow me,¡± she ordered, standing up and leading Roge out the side door, where a training yard was available. Roge immediately pulled out his wand at the figure standing in the yard, the reddish-brown hobgoblin still looking like he wanted to punch Roge in the face. ¡°Why¡­?¡± he asked, remembering the comment the adventurer had made on his first trip to the league. ¡°Oh, Quinn volunteered for the physical part of the test,¡± Leta stated, earning her a frown from the dragon. ¡°I¡¯m not sure-¡° ¡°Let¡¯s just get this over with,¡± Quinn growled out striding forward as Leta moved off to the side. As soon as she was out of range, the hobgoblin rushed forward with incredible speed, Roge¡¯s habitual actions being the only thing that saved him from failing immediately. As he¡¯d done with Sean dozens of times, he pushed slightly on his opponent with his [Spacial Magic], not only slowing him down but also pushing the dragon back a few steps. They¡¯d tested, and found out that if he couldn¡¯t outright stop an attack, he could at least transfer some of the momentum to himself. In practice, it looked more like Quinn hit a wall connected to Roge and pushed the dragon back with it. It gave Roge just enough time to get into his fighting stance, holding his wand back to make sure it wasn¡¯t a target for weapons. The first punch whiffed entirely as Roge transported as far as he could, which was two meters behind the hobgoblin. Due to his momentum, Quinn continued to move forwards, utterly confused as to where Roge went. ¡®Well, since this is the defense/offense hybrid test, let¡¯s test some things out.¡¯ He swapped the [Inscribe] ability in his wand for [Frost Fire], even using almost all of his [Flame] and [Icing] coins to make it as strong as possible. This made it easy to get one point of mana in about a second, Roge spitting the rather large ball of freezing fire at his opponent. Not even waiting to see it hit, as it quickly left his manipulation range, Roge took a few steps back, pushing himself against the ground with his telekinesis. Looking back up, though, he could see that he¡¯d not done as much damage as the thought, a bit of frost showing on Quinn¡¯s armor. Dashing forward, the hobgoblin got another face full of magic before Roge once again teleported, this time to the side as Quinn whipped to look directly behind him. ¡°Over here!¡± Roge cried, having used the second or two Quinn looked around to charge up a two mana frost fire ball. His taunt wasn¡¯t actually a rookie mistake, as Quinn was still in his manipulation range. The ball hit him right in the face as the hobgoblin turned towards the dragon, causing the adventurer to scream out as his face froze over. Expecting the fight to be over by that point, Roge was surprised when Quinn dashed right at him, hitting Roge directly in the stomach with a hard hit. The dragon felt something tearing in his stomach, even as he tried to teleport out. Surprisingly, it still worked during the attack, either that or Quinn was about to attack again. Either way, Roge crashed hard into a nearby wall, coughing up blood as he heard the stone crack. He only had a moment to transfer his wand over to healing, noting it was laying on the ground nearby, before Quinn came in again, forcing the dragon to teleport. Falling to the ground back where his enemy had punched him, Rob grabbed his wand with his telekinesis, teleporting away once more as he healed himself. Doing two bits of magic was hard, but he pulled it off as he ¡®dodged¡¯ two more attacks as his body healed up. Once it didn¡¯t feel like he¡¯d fall to the ground, he swapped to his flaming spark wand, blasting out a hit of the hot electricity with no modifiers. This made the hit on Quinn very painful, the hobgoblin jerking as the electricity stunned him. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Roge had intentionally used his healing buff to lower the pain of his frost fire, wanting Quinn to not realize how much he was being cooled down. Now with the sudden temperature jump and the stunning effect of the electricity, Roge could have kept going until he died if he wanted. After a few seconds, he let Quinn flop to the ground, keeping the adventurer alive for the most part. He¡¯d proven his point, and if he killed Quinn, Roge would have been in trouble rather than passing his test. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ how did¡­¡± Leta mumbled, watching Roge as he healed himself back up to full. ¡°Was that your dodging skill?¡± ¡°Yeah, it uses up a lot of mana,¡± Roge commented, moving over to start healing his opponent. ¡°Ten for each one until I can go further than ten meters. Then it¡¯s one mana per meter.¡± ¡°That¡¯s insane. I¡¯ve never seen anyone with a skill that just¡­ instantly moves them somewhere else.¡± ¡°Told you he was special,¡± Harold murmured, holding out his book for Lena to see. ¡°The skill is only at rank three by the way.¡± ¡°Rank five now,¡± Roge grumbled, looking over his gains with a shocked face.
Rank up! [Dodge Jump] 3->5 [Dodge Jump] has gained a new effect!
Rank up! [Magic Tool Control] 4->5 [Magic Tool Control] has gained a new effect!
Level up! [Transposition Magician] 1->2 5 Attribute points awarded!
Rank up! [Screen Hoard] 10->11
Rank up! [Bonded Tools] 8->9
Rank up! [Mana Manipulation] 9->11 [Mana Manipulation] has gained a new effect!
Rank up! [Spacial Magic] 2->3
¡°I gained seven skill ranks, one ability rank, and one level¡­¡± Roge muttered, earning a shocked look from Leta and a concerned one from Harold. ¡°Which means he was trying to kill you,¡± the priest stated, looking over and giving the still unconscious hobgoblin a dark look. ¡°Training doesn¡¯t give those numbers, especially a two rank increase to a skill.¡± ¡°I¡­ I get that much from just defeating a foe who¡¯s trying to kill me?¡± Roge asked, dumbly looking at his popups again before dismissing them. ¡°What do I get for killing someone?¡± ¡°The same actually,¡± Leta said, taking a deep breath and letting her professionalism come back. ¡°That¡¯s good to know. Incapacitating is better than killing,¡± Roge commented, feeling tempted to look over his gains, but wanting to do it elsewhere as Quinn started waking up. ~~~ The finalizing of Roge¡¯s test had to wait over an hour, as Quinn had been questioned about what he was thinking during the test. As a very scary man in a black cloak asked the high-looking hobgoblin questions, Roge tried to ignore them and look over his upgrades, feeling a grin come to his face at them.
[Mana Manipulation] Rank 11 Manipulate mana outside of your body. Aspects: [Mana] [Magic] Effects:
  • [Manipulate] mana in the area around you.
Current range limit: 3.08 m Added Effects: [Shaping](R1), [Reentry]
[Reentry] Rank Max Mana that you produce, if it leaves your range, can be manipulated again if it comes back into your range.
[Extended Reach] Rank Max You can now [Dodge] up to twice your [Mana Manipulation] range.
[Swapper Slots] Rank 1 Reserve a state that your magic tools have in a slot. Swap to that state at any time with a thought. Uses up materials for that state when saved. Slots per Item: 1 Rank Requirements: +1 Rank and Effect for every 5 ranks [Magic Tool Control] has.
Roge grinned at the upgrades he received with his rank ups, immediately pulling out his wand and saving the rank eight healing ability to its slot. Now, instead of concentrating on what he wanted within his hoard, it was massively easier to swap to the healing wand. Just a hint that he wanted healing, and it just naturally swapped over. He obviously couldn¡¯t test out any of the other effects, but he was still happy nonetheless. He hadn¡¯t even known that if mana went back into his range, he couldn¡¯t control it. Now it was a non-issue for him. ¡°You okay Roge?¡± Harold asked, the dragon looking at the drow with a huge smile on his face. ¡°Got three skills to the next threshold.¡± Roge showed the screens so the priest could write all of them down, taking a deep breath as the magic settled inside of him. ¡°I¡¯m just glad he wasn¡¯t very skilled. Going after me like that over and over just let me continue to heal.¡± ¡°His lowest level is six Roge,¡± Leta interjected, causing the dragon to look up in surprise. ¡°His max is nine, though we may not let him go out on missions to teach him a lesson after that.¡± ¡°But¡­ did I just especially counter him?¡± ¡°You counter a lot of things,¡± Harold said, looking up from his book with a small grin on his face. ¡°Being able to dodge that many times, and that far away, makes your ranged style so much better for you. The only time it wouldn¡¯t work well is if you¡¯re fighting a group, but even then, you¡¯d still be able to get high ground if you have some around. The only weakness you have is either someone faster than you, can outlast your mana, or group around you where you can¡¯t teleport up.¡± ¡°And those scenarios are why you have your team.¡± Leta gave him a grin at that, the hippo woman counting out on her fingers. ¡°Marge can handle the agile foes. Sean can keep groups off of you, and Hops can assist with attacks to help you last longer.¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not the strongest person in my party,¡± Roge mumbled, earning him a chuckle from both people. ¡°No. But you specialize where it¡¯s important and generalize everywhere else,¡± Harold stated, putting a hand on Roge¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m really excited to see how well you do in a few years. You¡¯re going to be a monster. In a good sense.¡± They both left him alone at that, Roge thankful that they seemed to notice that he was a bit overwhelmed. He needed time, especially since he was going to be getting his test results soon. He wasn¡¯t expecting to pass with flying colors, but he wanted to see where he could improve. Chapter 34- Christmas Every Day The hippo league tester came back after a while with a smile, Roge feeling a bit nervous at how well he passed. ¡°No need to look nervous,¡± she commented, sitting beside him on the bench and bringing out some papers. ¡°Honestly, I think you¡¯ve gotten the best score on record.¡± ¡°Really¡­?¡± Roge asked, looking mildly confused. ¡°Of course!¡± She cocked her head to the side and looked at him before a wide smile came across her face. ¡°The minimum requirement is that you pass at least three of the tests, Roge.¡± Even though she said it gently, her words still rocked the dragon to his core. ¡°But¡­ wait¡­¡± Roge muttered, pulling out his guide and looking it through. After skimming the requirements, he frowned as he noticed no verbiage on how many of the requirements he needed to pass. ¡°You should really add that to this thing¡­¡± he muttered, having been worried for nothing, apparently. He thought his lackluster scouting ability was the thing that might not get him accepted. ¡°It¡¯s not something we broadcast, and we do ask that league members keep it a secret for a reason.¡± She leafed through the papers and nodded at one particular one. ¡°While yes, you did not pass the scouting section, that just means that it¡¯s best for you to pare up with a team that *does* have a scout. And the team you¡¯re going to join has two.¡± ¡°Two?¡± ¡°Marge, for obvious reasons, and Hops. The elf has a surprising knack for finding information about various creatures, which is part of a scout¡¯s job.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Roge muttered, finding the reasoning made a lot of sense. ¡°And the other categories?¡± ¡°Spectacular.¡± She let out a chuckle at that, flipping through a few more pages. ¡°Your strongest suits are, surprisingly, offense, defense, and healing. If not for the last portion, we would have recommended you try the rest of the test for a ranged fighter.¡± ¡°Well¡­ that¡¯s not exactly my strong suit,¡± Roge stated, rubbing a claw on one of his horns. ¡°While yes, I¡¯ve been practicing-¡° ¡°And for how long have you been practicing? A week?¡± Roge nodded. ¡°Most fighters don¡¯t have that level of accuracy. Your high dex helps, but having a knack for spatial awareness is more necessary.¡± ¡°I guess that makes sense,¡± he conceded, feeling embarrassed by the compliment. ¡°And the way you can outfit both your [Archer] and [Wizard] with magic items useful in combat? The item creation portion is *supposed* to be just for the cards you presented. Having a mobile weapon crafter on hand is fantastic. ¡°And so, you pass with flying colors. We hope to see good things from you.¡± Stashing the papers in her inventory, the tester brought out what looked to be a brown leather wallet. Roge took the item and flipped it open, showing one of the sides showing his information like a driver¡¯s license, while the other had a rectangular metal badge. It showed a single star in the center with a sweeping etching of the league¡¯s crest. It was mostly a simple design, showing a stylized A and L inside a shield-like shape. What interested him the most, however, was the color of the metal. It was a deep red, crimson color. ¡°The color¡­¡± he muttered, briefly glancing over the ID with his name, picture, and Utility designation. ¡°Crimson Rank. Means you¡¯re on the bottom of the totem pole. As you go up in level, your ranking goes up through the colors of the moon.¡± Roge barely remembered what all of the colors were, but nodded along with her explanation. ¡°Once you get to level six in all of your classes, come back to get your badge upgraded. Each mission is rated for each badge color, so you won¡¯t be put in too much danger right off the bat.¡± ¡°Got it. And¡­ thank you,¡± the dragon muttered, holding out his claw for the hippo woman to shake. ¡°No. Thank you, Roge,¡± she replied, giving his claw a firm grip. ¡°We expect great things from you and your party.¡± ~~~ Once Roge left the main entrance of the League building, he was accosted by his friends, Fred showing up and excitedly asking questions as well. His description of the test was given while they walked to one of the nearby benches, the dragon sitting down heavily with a sigh as he got to the combat portion. ¡°I knew that guy was a bit of a loose cannon, but still!¡± Sean growled, Roge giving him a wry look. ¡°I was fine. Even if he did do a lot of damage, I can heal and the tester lady was right there.¡± ¡°Leta,¡± Hops corrected, Roge looking away from the elf¡¯s playful glare. ¡°I¡¯m bad at names sometimes¡­¡± he muttered, earning chuckles from the group. ¡°Besides, it gave me enough to level up my dodging class, so I call it a wash.¡± ¡°Well I¡¯m glad things went well for you,¡± Fred stated, clapping Roge on the back with a grin. ¡°Though that means I¡¯m going to cream you in the Christmas competition.¡± At Roge¡¯s confused look, Marge let out a bit of a chuckle. ¡°We¡¯re going to be out a lot in the next month to get you acquainted with how the nearby forest works. Not much time to set up a mural.¡± ¡°Right,¡± Roge muttered, disengaging mostly from the conversation to think over that topic a bit. While yes, Christmas was still a massive celebration, he still missed the various traditions he¡¯d do every year, even though a lot of them were done by himself, for himself. Setting up a tree in his apartment was a bit of an issue, as well as decorating both it and his living room, but it still brought a good bit of cheer to his favorite holiday. While he was thankful for not having the repetitive Christmas music playing on loop like it did when he worked retail during college, he would take them over what he had now. He¡¯d heard that bards existed in this new world, but the songs they sang tended to be stories rather than the ¡®normal¡¯ music he was used to listening to. Other than that, no music was present of any kind, which saddened the dragon greatly. ¡°Are you¡­ humming?¡± Sean asked, pulling Roge out of his introspection. All of his friends were looking at him at that moment, Roge feeling heat fill his face. ¡°Oh uh¡­ sorry,¡± he muttered, having realized he¡¯d started humming his favorite Christmas song. ¡°Don¡¯t apologize, man,¡± Fred said, slapping Roge on the shoulder. ¡°Which song was it? Didn¡¯t think you listened to bards.¡± ¡°I uh¡­ It¡¯s something I heard¡­ somewhere¡­¡± Roge stuttered, trying and failing to think of how he¡¯d know the song. An idea came to him at that, Roge frowning at how bad it was but deciding to press on. ¡°Gimme a sec.¡± He pulled out his wand and swapped out the ability, half filling it with [Spark] and the other half being [Thunder]. He¡¯d tried the combination before to see if he could get lightning, but the two hadn¡¯t combined. Luckily, he knew of another way he could use them, summoning a point of the effect and solidifying it into a ball. The ball hung in the air, buzzing and humming with a strange sound, which he then tried to modify. He knew from a couple of movies and videos that electricity could be used to make music, though generally the small sparks made the wrong types of noises. Thankfully, the sound magic of [Thunder] allowed him to change the pitch and tone a lot easier, mimicking a C scale that he¡¯d learned when playing the piano as a child. ¡°Woah!¡± the others gasped, Roge looking up briefly and grinning at their shocked looks. Focusing back on the little ball, he made another to work as the ¡®drums¡¯, it taking almost no time at all to set up the beat. He wasn¡¯t sure how he could pass it off later, but at that moment, he just wanted to hear some music. He was surprised at how easily the lyrics came to him, each one flowing forward as he sang. Even though he¡¯d never sung in his dragon body, it came to him after a line or two. He even had a larger range than he¡¯d had before, his friends giving him confused smiles as he got to the Santa line. He continued on with the song anyway, feeling his tail wiggling as he really got into the song and a smile formed on his maw. It was hard focusing on the magical effect to make the background music, and it didn¡¯t sound like the song actually did, but he still continued with enthusiasm. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. All until he got to the bridge, feeling something coming over him as he sang. Blue flames formed around his clothes and the magic music became even easier, but he didn¡¯t care. All he could feel was the excitement and joy from the song as he stood up from the table. The shouts of surprise from his friends didn¡¯t faze him, singing and laughing as the background music fleshed out more and more. Finally, when he hit the last chorus, a burst of energy flowed through him, Roge looking down at his clothes as he continued to sing. While the general shape of the clothing stayed the same, the design certainly had not. His jacket was a little longer, music notes peppered along the edges in stylized designs. They flowed through the rainbow, framed by the signature blue he originally used and arrayed on blue staff lines. His shirt changed to a Christmas-y red with white trim on the bottom, though thankfully his pants stayed a solid black. They did have slits on the sides at his ankles, though, showing off his boots, which had a rainbow pattern instead of the blue on the bottom part. His music nearly faltered as he noticed the rainbow decals, though he barely felt his confusion over the joy the song made him feel. Looking up, though, he realized why it used rainbows. The two orbs had multiplied, turning into various musical notes all shining with a rainbow of color. He truly had the proper background music the song deserved, like he was singing at a karaoke bar. The song soon ended, though, the floating magic notes slowly fading out as the song came to an end. ¡°ROGE!¡± Sean barked out, causing the dragon to flinch back as the lion walked up to him. ¡°Are you okay? Why the fuck did you get a mage class like that?! After all the work we put in!¡± The lion was growling and nearly foaming at the mouth in anger, Roge backing up quickly as fear obliterated the joyful feelings from the song. ¡°Back off,¡± Hops growled, somehow shoving the knight away and standing in front of the dragon with a stern look. ¡°What do your popups say? [Bardic Mage] is very dangerous-¡° ¡°I¡­ didn¡¯t get [Bardic Mage],¡± Roge mumbled, causing everyone to freeze in place as they stared. Marge and Fred were still at the table, having barely got up when they froze in surprise. ¡°What did you get, then?¡± the elf asked, pulling out his journal and preparing to write.
[Bardic Storytelling] Ability Unlocked!
[Bardic Storytelling] Skill [Perform] Unlocked!
[Bardic Storytelling] Skill [Musicality] Unlocked!
[Bardic Storytelling] Skill [Emotional Clarity] Unlocked!
New Class Available: [Otherworldly Bard]
Warning! [Charisma] Skills over max slots available. Class acquisition locked until [Charisma] reaches 20.
Attribute points needed: 6 Attribute points free: 30 Using free points to unlock Class acquisition.
Roge froze in place as he actually read the notifications, feeling his body go cold. He¡¯d only skimmed it to see if he¡¯d gotten a mage class when he¡¯d interrupted Hops. Now he could see that he¡¯d gotten another *very* odd class. Only Hops¡¯ worried frown caused him to continue, though the elf didn¡¯t write any of it down when Roge started with the title of the class. ¡°Other¡­ worldly?¡± Sean muttered, seemingly calmed down. ¡°And no spell skill¡­¡± ¡°Descriptions. Now.¡± Hops barked, Roge obliging and pulling up the various descriptions.
[Otherworldly Bard] Level 1 [Unique] A class focused on telling stories and singing songs from another world. Blind Linear Progression Tree Attributes per Level: 7 Skills: [Perform], [Musicality], [Emotional Clarity] Abilities: [Bardic Storytelling]
[Bardic Storytelling] Rank 1 The power of telling a good story. Gives the ability to alter clothing to match the story being told. Amount and degree of clothing customizations increases with Rank.
[Perform] Rank 1 Tell a story to an audience. Aspects: [Emotion] [Oratory] [Magic] Effects:
  • [Make] a performance, captivating the audience and communicating the emotion the story should invoke. Works strongest with music.
[Musicality] Rank 1 Making music beautiful and pleasant to hear. Aspects: [Emotion] [Music] [Oratory] [Magic] Effects:
  • [Tune] your voice and effects to the proper notes and tone.
  • [Put] on a visual show, range determined by [Mana Manipulation].
[Emotional Clarity] Rank 1 Feel the emotions of your story. Aspects: [Emotion] [Oratory] Effects:
  • [Express] the emotion of your story, drowning out other emotions you would normally feel when you [Perform]. (Feelings are not suppressed and will be felt normally when [Perform] ends)
After Roge read out all of the boxes, he jumped when a purple hand grabbed one of his screens, the dragon only noticing the priest, Harold, at that moment. ¡°Fascinating, Mr. Youngston,¡± the drow mumbled, looking over the class description. ¡°Now this¡­ makes a lot more sense.¡± ¡°It¡­ does?¡± Roge asked, feeling a bit lost. ¡°Do you know how people with [Static Mind] normally act?¡± the priest asked rhetorically. ¡°They have no sense of what anything is. They lose even the basics of common sense and generally have only muscle memory to guide them. But you. You have knowledge from another world trickling into you. Helping you along where our world matches up. Am I correct in assuming that young man?¡± ¡°I uh¡­ basically?¡± Roge squeaked out, a convenient explanation coming to his head. ¡°It¡¯s more¡­ like I suddenly woke up here after living another life. I thought about telling people but¡­¡± He looked over to his friends, surprised by the support from most of them. ¡°Roge, you¡¯ve known us for a week,¡± Sean stated, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms. ¡°Of course it would take a while to confide something like that with us.¡± ¡°I was afraid it¡¯d make me sound crazy¡­¡± ¡°And without proof, it would,¡± Hops said bluntly, Marge and Sean giving him a look at that. ¡°What? You¡¯ve heard the stories of people going insane after getting [Static Mind]. Seeing people that aren¡¯t there. Being under elaborate delusions. Without this class and the song he sang, I would be thinking he went nuts.¡± ¡°And it was quite a beautiful song as well,¡± Harold continued, giving Roge¡¯s new outfit a look up and down. ¡°I assume it was about the other world¡¯s version of Christmas?¡± ¡°*That¡¯s* why you freaked out!¡± Hops shouted, smacking himself in the forehead as he did. ¡°The holidays are probably so much different over there, right?¡± ¡°I just¡­ Christmas was my favorite holiday.¡± ¡°So tell us what it was like,¡± Sean murmured, gently hugging an embarrassed dragon from the side. ¡°Maybe we can figure out how to do some of it here.¡± Chapter 35- Planning Crafting For The Tank Thankfully, early on in Roge¡¯s explanation of Christmas, Hops mentioned the changes to Roge¡¯s wand, suggesting he could use them to better *show* the others things instead of describing them. Roge had idly wondered where some of the visual effect was coming from, and it was apparently from his wand upgrading during the song.
Bonded Bardic Bottle Wand Rank 9 Abilities: [Musicality](R4), [Visual Flair](R4), Bond(R1) Effect: A bardic instrument for making song and wonder. Using mana, you can make sound and visuals to accompany the story you are telling. Flow Restriction: 40 points per minute per effect (80 total if using both)
¡°I will never understand why abilities upgrade¡­¡± Roge muttered, earning a chuckle from Hops. ¡°This one is easy to explain. At least for [Bardic Mages], one of the requirements is to have an instrument that they use as their focus. A focus is where the information for their spells are kept and called from, similar to your recipe book. When they gain the class, the instrument gains the abilities needed for bards to make their performances and stores the stories they tell.¡± Hops shrugged at that, giving Roge a smile. ¡°Yours works similarly, but instead of it being a repository of your stories, it¡¯s all instead memories you¡¯re calling forth. And you channel those stories through the wand.¡± ¡°So¡­ basically like how my [Artificer] class works? Taking something from inside myself, and casting it through a magic tool?¡± ¡°Right. I assume you added [Spark] and [Thunder] to the wand?¡± Roge nodded. ¡°So your class basically replaced those with the new abilities. Those two might still combine to make something else, they just might need a higher rank to do so.¡± ¡°Okay, enough!¡± Marge interjected, earning her smiles from the magic users. ¡°More about this Christmas thing! And why pine trees?¡± Showing them what Christmas trees and decorations looked like took no time at all, though he couldn¡¯t really explain how it was all done without magic. His friends seemed to think the lights were all magic items, which Roge didn¡¯t correct. He could tell Harold wanted to ask about it, but the priest kept silent as he continued to the gift giving and songs that would be sung around the holidays. ¡°Honestly, I prefer our Christmas,¡± Sean grumbled, earning him a sigh from the dragon. ¡°Less muss and fuss, and you get a big meal! This other world¡¯s holiday sounds like it¡¯d be expensive.¡± More complaints kept piling up at that, especially since the images Roge could create were hazy at best and were bad at details. It didn¡¯t bother the dragon, though, feeling the fun and peaceful feelings of Christmas washing over him. After some more explaining, Roge was interrupted by some more popups, though these ones surprised him some with how quickly they came.
Rank up! [Perform] 1->2
Rank up! [Musicality] 1->2
Rank up! [Emotional Clarity] 1->2
Rank up! [Bardic Storytelling] 1->3
[Emotional Clarity] Rank 2 N/A
¡°That¡­ levels up fast,¡± Roge commented, moving over to his stat sheet and looking at it confused. ¡°Why does one of my skills not fill up a skill slot?¡± he asked, earning wide eyed looks from everyone. ¡°That¡¯s not good,¡± Fred commented, the wolf¡¯s ears pinned back in worry. ¡°It means the skill comes with some kind of drawback. Which one is it?¡± ¡°[Emotional Clarity]. It makes it so I feel the emotion of the story stronger.¡± ¡°Watch over-leveling that one Mr. Youngston,¡± Harold cautioned, increasing Roge¡¯s worry. ¡°From the sound of it, it doesn¡¯t activate all of the time, but using it to not feel bad emotions can be just as damaging.¡± ¡°I can see that,¡± Roge muttered, feeling tempted to tell another story to not feel his current nerves as much. ¡°I¡¯ll keep it in mind.¡± ¡°Well, I should be heading out now,¡± the drow said, standing up and holding out a hand to shake. ¡°Congratulations, both on joining the league and getting your new class. I¡¯ll be by soon to dissolve your probation.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Roge breathed, shaking the priest¡¯s hand. ¡°If you couldn¡¯t even get Bardic Mage, there¡¯s no issue young man. Just make sure to stay safe out there. The world can be a dangerous place.¡± With that, the priest walked out of the courtyard, Roge watching him as something seemed to release in his chest. No more being watched. No more fearing what power he might unlock next. Just the slow gain of power and magic that he could use to improve the world and his life. ¡®Next stop? Bed.¡¯ Roge certainly felt like he had enough excitement for one day, looking up at the pink moon with a smile on his face as he got up to go home. ~~~ When Roge put on his clothes for the next day after showering, he found that his new [Bardic Storytelling] ability activated right away, adding the same alterations to his other pair of pants. His shirt didn¡¯t change at all, still being a gradient from dark to light purple from the top to bottom, but he assumed that was because he wasn¡¯t in the middle of a performance. ¡®At least my jacket and boots don¡¯t look too bad,¡¯ he thought to himself, going out and sitting on one of the couches. Activating a harvest felt almost natural to him after incorporating it into his morning routine, smiling as his materials all bumped up. When he¡¯d gone and delivered the batch of leaves the previous day, Madam Madrid had let him know that her stocks were good to go for cultivating it on her own, so he¡¯d only need to stop by with anything new. He hadn¡¯t told her about the test, but he knew she knew and he¡¯d have to visit her that day to let her know he might not be around much. ¡®Going to miss interacting with her every day¡­¡¯ To distract himself, he decided to [Inspect] the leaves and seeds, just to see if anything had changed.
Purifying Tobacco Leaf Rank 3 Abilities: [De-Stress](R1), [Smokable](R0), [Stimulant](R1), [Purify](R1) Effect: When smoked, cures the person of one Rank 1 negative status ailment. Can only be used in this way once per day, with no negative side effects from smoking.
Purifying Tobacco Seed Rank 1 Abilities: [Purify](R1)
Roge froze as he noticed the seed ability, groaning when he looked over the other seeds and found that each of them had a rank one ability as well. Looking at the colored seeds showed that they only contained their respective pigment abilities, leading him to wonder how they picked and chose which ability the seed had. ¡®Well¡­ might as well start taking coins from the seeds, since the petals and leaves have other uses¡­¡¯ Once he was done getting more of his coins back to the amount he wanted, he started up by making more of the potions he¡¯d need for Marge¡¯s arrows. When he saw how hard the rain was coming down outside, he was tempted to use the rainwater instead of his breath, but he decided against it and got to work. The four basic element ones and the fire blight ones were simple for him to figure out, but he frowned when he noticed how many he¡¯d need for the other potion types. Just like with his wands, it required more petals overall, each hybrid needing fifteen of the suckers. He could make one type, but be completely out of the other types. Thankfully, Marge had vacated her room by that point, Hops sitting next to the dragon as well now that he¡¯d looked up. He also ignored the popups he saw, wanting Marge¡¯s opinion first before he looked at them. ¡°Hey Marge?¡± he called out, the deer woman looking up from the sharpening of her normal arrows. He got distracted for a moment thinking of making her more normal arrows before he refocused. ¡°I don¡¯t have enough petals. Would you prefer more explosive or electric fire arrows, or would you want me to make you some frost fire ones?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you just swap the abilities around?¡± she asked, Roge letting out a sigh. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t level my creation skill, though I think I just got it to ten. So that might not matter?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the hoard skill at?¡± Hops asked, looking up from his book. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°Eleven.¡± ¡°Then make them first,¡± the elf recommended, looking back down at his book as he spoke. ¡°Better to only start doing swaps when they¡¯re both even, due to being able to get the hoard ranks through other methods.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯d want the frost fire,¡± Marge decided, Roge giving her a bit of a smile as he swapped things around to unlock the potion recipe. That¡¯s when he noticed the popups again, grinning widely at what it said.
Rank up! [Magic Tool Creation] 9->10 [Magic Tool Creation] has gained a new effect!
Rank up! [Item Creation] 3->4
[Magic Tool Creation] Rank 10 Create magic items for general use. Aspects: [Creation] [Tool] [Magic] Effects:
  • [Craft] an item. If an item¡¯s Rank is stronger than the limit, its Abilities will lose ranks randomly until limit is reached. If ability is not magical, flow is increased by a factor of ten.
Current Rank limit: 10 Mana cost: 10 per Rank of item (variable) Added Effects: [Additional Recipe](R2), [Additional Crafting](R1)
[Additional Crafting] Rank 1 Gain an additional novice crafting skill of your choice per Rank. Skills Available: 1
¡°That¡¯s¡­ overpowered¡­¡± he muttered, drawing the attention of the deer woman and elf. ¡°A free novice crafting skill?¡± ¡°Knew you might get that!¡± Hops crowed, earning him a dirty look from Roge. ¡°The skill is never going to upgrade beyond novice, so you¡¯ll never be quite as good as a master artisan. So it balances out.¡± ¡°But¡­ I can use my [Nature Magic] to shape pretty much anything¡­¡± ¡°Anything related to nature,¡± Hops corrected as the dragon let out a sigh. ¡°Still a big thing, but not as much as you¡¯d think. Plus, once you pick the skill, you have to level it up to ten to reach the next level in Artificer. So I¡¯d hold off on it.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ yeah¡­¡± ¡°You know what you¡¯re going to choose?¡± Marge asked, looking towards Sean¡¯s room. ¡°Might be best to pick something our resident tank can use.¡± ¡°Well that depends,¡± Roge hedged, thinking the problem over. ¡°Is it related to the products, like crafting armor? Or is it related to the process, like blacksmithing?¡± ¡°Usually the process. So something like nature crafting or something similar might work.¡± Hops hummed after saying that, tilting his head. ¡°Actually, that would be the best option. Even though it¡¯s a mundane crafting skill, and the norm would be woodworking, making plants grow into items could¡­ *technically* fall under that. We¡¯d need to check if it¡¯ll accept it after you level your class up.¡± ¡°Alright¡­¡± Roge grumbled, not liking the answer as he got back to work making the potions. ¡°Could you grab me breakfast? I assume we¡¯re not going out to train in this weather?¡± ¡°Definitely not. We planned a rest day anyway,¡± Marge grumbled, Roge chuckling at that. ¡°What? Water and fur do not mix.¡± ¡°Fair enough.¡± He got started then on the ¡®frostfire¡¯ potions, thinking more and more that he¡¯d start using that as his main attack for his wands. While yes, the flaming spark ones were pretty cool, frostfire seemed more on brand for him. ¡®It also looked like it¡­ did more damage?¡¯ He assumed that was because of his affinity with ice, cold, and water. So any attacks he made with them would be stronger. ¡®Wonder if I can use frostfire with my breath attack¡­¡¯ Once he had the potions done, made another mold out of glass and wood, he set two arrowheads to start being made as he worked on something else. He also took note of the fact that he was all out of crystal dust again, desiring so badly for there to be a way he could make more of the stuff. Since the arrowheads would take a bit, and his first plan went up in smoke due to the lack of materials, he decided to look over his plants. They¡¯d come to an agreement that he could bond with one normal and one magical plant, taking advantage of the [Magical Bonds] effect he¡¯d gotten with his [Farm Hoard].
Farm Hoard
Purifying Tobacco Rank 3 9
Purifying Tobacco Rank 4 (Red) 9
Purifying Tobacco Rank 4 (Yellow) 9
Purifying Tobacco Rank 4 (Blue) 9
Purifying Tobacco Rank 4 (Black) 9
Purifying Tobacco Rank 4 (White) 9
Purifying Tobacco Rank 4 (Stimulant Focused) 9
Purifying Tobacco Rank 4 (De-Stress Focused) 9
Creeper Vine Rank 1 9
Grappling Vines Rank 5 9
Flaming Tulip Rank 4 9
Icing Tulip Rank 4 9
Spark Tulip Rank 4 9
Acid Tulip Rank 4 9
Healing Tulip Rank 1 9
Blueoak Tree Rank 5 10B
Lime Pine Sapling 9
Gold Apple Sapling 9
Yellow Cherry Sapling 9
Fire Blight 10B
Grey Ash Tree 9
Ironwood Tree 9
Dark Spruce Tree 9
Bright Orange Tree 9
Pink Sugar Maple Tree 9
Units of Fertilizer Left 7
¡®Also need to source more fertilizer,¡¯ he thought to himself, having found out that it ticked down once for every type of plant he had on Mondays. He then looked over the various other plants, sighing as he once again saw that the fire blight was also affected by his diminished affinity with fire. He wasn¡¯t sure when he¡¯d get enough to warrant a buff from them and couldn¡¯t wait to see what it was. In the meantime, the magic plant he picked was his tulips, finding that he could select all of them. Made sense considering they all used to be the same plant before being augmented. Bringing the flowers into his growing psychic web was as simple as pushing mana towards them, silently wondering how they bypassed his immunity to mind skills. He thought about asking Hops later before finding his body filled with energy, opening his eyes to see the buffs.
Ice Flower Resistance +18 to ice and cold effects.
Electric Flower Resistance +1 to electric effects.
Acidic Flower Resistance +1 to acidic and basic effects.
Healing Flower Regenerate Health as if your constitution was 1 higher.
Roge frowned at the new popups, having not meant to do all of his plants at once. ¡®Gonna get flack for that later.¡¯ Knowing they might not let him pick a mundane plant after that stunt, he quickly chose to bind to a random plant in his hoard, ignoring the finished arrowheads as he closed his eyes again. He picked one at random, not knowing which would be useful. The orange trees seemed to be calling out to him, though, Roge focusing on the plants and feeling emotions being broadcast to him. Again, it wasn¡¯t really words, but that seemed to be the best way his mind interpreted the intrusive feelings. ¡®Do you look for power?¡¯ the tree asked, giving Roge a bit of a chill. ¡®Doesn¡¯t everyone?¡¯ he asked, the feeling of a dark chuckle running through his chest. ¡®Of course. You seem more ambitious than most. We will join with you. To see where you go.¡¯ It sounded way too easy to the dragon, but he soon felt the bond solidify, where he promptly gasped at the feeling that enveloped him.
Chaotic Orange Increased affinity (+1) with shapeshifting.
¡°Increased what?!¡± he shrieked, right as soon as Sean exited his room. The lion¡¯s gaze quickly swiveled to the dragon, Roge shrinking back at the fiery look. ¡°What did you do?¡± Chapter 36- Eldrich Oranges Sean sat patiently as they waited for Marge and Hops to return from breakfast, Roge twiddling his thumbs as he looked over the information for his orange tree.
Bonded O?????????????????????????????r??????????a????????????????????????n?????????????????????????g????????????????e??????????? ?????????????T???????????????????????????r??????????????e????????e????????????????? Rank 9??????????????????9????????????????????????? Abilities: [Shift] Status: Magically Enhanced (Growth Focused), Bonded Products per day when [Harvested]:
  • 2d6 O??????????????????????????????????????r???????????????????????????????a???????????????????????????????????????????n?????????g???????????????????????????????????e????????????????????????????????????????????????????????s?????????????????????????????????
Hoard Effects:
  • [Chaotic Orange] (18/10)
The text¡­ *burned* him as he looked at it, for lack of a better word. It felt like a more intense and painful version of when he¡¯d tried to look at details in a text box before he got his all seeing effect. He quickly dismissed the painful box and noticed Sean looking at him, this time in concern. ¡°I don¡¯t know why but¡­ the [Inspect] box is painful to look at for the orange trees.¡± He saw Sean about to burst again and held up a claw. ¡°I know what that sounds like, but this time it is not my fault.¡± ¡°Explain,¡± the lion growled out, Roge rubbing his temple to get rid of his headache. ¡°When I talk to the orange trees, they sounded¡­ sinister. I tried to back out, but they seemed to initiate the bond all on their own. And the other plants are¡­ cautious? Reverent? So this is not something I could have prepared for.¡± ¡°Plants?¡± Roge winced at that, looking to the ground and sighing. ¡°Using the magical bonds effect was too easy. I barely had to lift a finger to bond all of my flowers.¡± Sean sighed at that, looking at the ceiling like he was asking for patience. ¡°Did they at least give good buffs?¡± ¡°Well¡­ uh¡­ kinda? They gave somewhat lackluster ones, except for the ice flowers. I now have¡­¡± Roge double checked the two screens to double check. ¡°Seventy five resistance from my race and an extra eighteen resistance from the flowers for ice and cold effects. Is it¡­¡± ¡°Yes they add together, and yes, a hundred is basically immunity,¡± Sean confirmed, giving Roge a smug look at the dragon¡¯s surprise. ¡°Magic may be Hops¡¯ thing, but defenses are mine. I assume the other flowers give you resistances as well?¡± ¡°Pretty much. But only one right now.¡± Roge breathed a sigh of relief as the deer and elf came back into the room, giving Hops a worried look. ¡°My orange tree went¡­ weird.¡± ¡°How weird?¡± ¡°Like¡­ the [Inspect] box burns weird.¡± The elf froze at that, looking wide eyed at Roge and barely breathing. ¡°What?¡± ¡°What¡¯s¡­ wrong¡­?¡± Sean asked slowly, even Marge starting to look worried. Hops took a few deep breaths before responding, giving Roge a serious look the dragon had never seen before. ¡°Never look at that screen again. You¡¯re lucky that [Static Mind] shielded you from most of the effects. In fact, that¡¯s how most people get it.¡± Roge blinked hard at that, leaning back on the couch as Hops moved in close. ¡°What does the buff give you?¡± ¡°Increased shapeshifting affinity.¡± ¡°Good. That¡¯s actually really good.¡± The elf visibly sagged at that while everyone gave him wide-eyed looks. ¡°That burning sensation happens when you touch upon something you don¡¯t understand. Like¡­ feeling a burn in your muscles because you can¡¯t carry something for long. In this case, your intelligence is too low to understand what the box is trying to tell you.¡± ¡°Okay¡­ that makes sense¡­¡± Roge muttered. ¡°Do you remember the ability the tree had?¡± ¡°Shift? I think?¡± The dragon was about to open up the box again but stopped himself, especially since Hops relaxed more. ¡°Yeah. That would do it. Imagine it¡¯s like¡­ someone offering you the flour from an already baked cake. Or¡­ a table being in two positions at once¡­¡± ¡°Or a cat that is both alive and dead until observed?¡± Roge ventured, the elf giving him a surprised look in response. ¡°You¡¯re talking about a superposition¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ actually a good name for it. Anyway, your tree is undecided between what it is. So the name is glitched out.¡± ¡°The¡­ product also had that.¡± ¡°That could be interesting. Give me the healing wand?¡± Hops took the wand and gave it a once over, nodding his head. ¡°And the constitution one.¡± ¡°What exactly are you going to have him do?¡± Sean growled out as Hops started channeling both wands into Roge¡¯s body. ¡°Well, he needs to see if he can harvest from the plant. If he can do so safely, them we know there is no harm if he doesn¡¯t look at the tree.¡± ¡°You sure about this Hops?¡± Marge asked carefully, Sean huffing as he sat next to the dragon. ¡°Very. We can¡¯t take them out safely right now because of the rain keeping us inside. So we might as well see if its a benefit.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± Sean grumbled. ¡°But I get to yell at you if this goes wrong.¡± ~~~ After buffing Roge¡¯s constitution as much as they could and sending a good bit of healing to accumulate in his body, Hops have him a thumbs up. The dragon tried activating the harvest ability on one of the orange trees, feeling the plant resist and send a feeling along their bond. ¡®What is it you desire?¡¯ At the very least the words didn¡¯t hurt him, though Roge was confused by the question. ¡®Oranges?¡¯ ¡®Boring,¡¯ the tree snapped back, Roge feeling his skill complete its action as eight oranges appeared in his normal inventory. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
Orange Rank 0 Abilities: [None]
Frowning, Roge pulled out one of the oranges, the fruit looking exactly the same as he¡¯d expect. ¡°Huh.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Sean asked, Roge giving them a brief summary of the conversation all while looking at the ordinary fruit. ¡°Ask for something else?¡± Marge injected, earning her a confused look from Sean. ¡°It seemed to think oranges were boring. So it expected a different answer.¡± ¡°Fair point. But what should I ask for?¡± Roge paused as he thought that and looked back at his inventory. ¡°I mean¡­ I do need more crystals¡­¡± ¡°Might as well,¡± Hops chuckled, still mostly focusing on sending the magic into Roge. ¡®What is it you desire?¡¯ The dragon felt like the feeling was almost the same as before, like that was a greeting the trees gave. ¡®Pure quartz?¡¯ he asked, feeling the tree get somewhat smug at that. ¡®Greed. Wealth.¡¯ This feeling was a bit more abstract for the dragon, mulling over what the tree was trying to communicate. ¡®I need wealth to get it?¡¯ ¡®No. Give me. Everything has a price.¡¯ ¡®You want¡­ money?¡¯ Roge asked, poking at the money in his inventory in curiosity. ¡®Yes! Trade accepted!¡¯ This time Roge grunted as a large chunk of mana was drained away from him, all three of his party members moving forward as he held up a claw. ¡°I¡¯m fine. That took¡­ seventy mana? Jeez¡­¡± he muttered, looking at his coins and frowning as well. ¡°Missing a silver and forty copper too. All for¡­¡± He trailed off at that, looking at the [Inspect] screen in wonder.
Pure Quartz Orange Rank 7 Abilities: [Healing](R7)
Pulling it out of his inventory only made him more awed, looking at the ball of pure quarts molded in the exact shape of an orange. Once he finally looked away, his face scrunched in confusion at his friends¡¯ looks. They all looked at him like he was nuts. ¡°What¡­ why are you looking at me like that?¡± ¡°Roge¡­ it¡¯s just another orange. Actually it looks like the same orange.¡± Sean responded, Roge looking back at the crystalline fruit in confusion before the lion took it out of his hand. ¡°See?¡± The lion then took a small bite out of it, Roge now having the look of someone who is crazy. What was even crazier was that the hard mineral parted like a normal fruit would, which just confused the dragon more. ¡°Wait¡­ Roge¡­ what do you see?¡± Hops asked as Roge grabbed the orange back to look it all over. The dragon didn¡¯t respond at first, simply getting up from his seat and walking a bit away from his friends. ¡°Roge?¡± Without hesitation, Roge threw the fruit at the floor, wanting to know once and for all if he was going nuts. He felt shaky as he did so, using all of his strength to push back those memories. As soon as the fruit hit the floor, it shattered into multiple pieces, acting just like the mineral he saw it as. His friends all froze, Hops even rubbing his eyes before looking back at the pile of broken crystal. A noise came from the tank of the party though, everyone looking at him as he freaked out. ¡°You¡­ wait it¡¯s a rock?!¡± Sean shouted out, gagging as he presumably thought about the piece he ate. ¡°How did I bite that?¡± ¡°Was it a¡­ mind effect?¡± Roge muttered, looking to Hops who gave him a nod. ¡°A complete mental effect, I suspect. One where it disguises itself and even acts like how the person *thinks* it should act. And since it doesn¡¯t effect you, it just acts like the material you requested. Quite fascinating. Try it with the other crystals.¡± Roge gathered the mess with his inventory, grateful for the easy cleanup that particular magic provided. He then got varying quantities of crystal oranges, pulling one or two out before deciding not to continue or Sean might actually puke. He then pulled out his grinder machine and looking it over, finding no reason why it shouldn¡¯t be able to grind up the crystals into the powder he needed. Turns out, he was exactly right, Roge grinning as the rest of his team watched oranges turn into crystal dust. ¡°That¡¯s just freaky¡­¡± Hops muttered. Roge chuckled at that, finally putting the last of the dust back in his inventory. ¡°Too bad about not getting wood though¡­¡± Roge mumbled, looking over the last four orange trees and wondering what he wanted to get. ¡°You can. Just ask for another material.¡± Roge paused as he thought over Hops¡¯ words, frowning as he looked everything over. He even asked the trees if he could have a different shape, but all of them said no. They only gave oranges. ¡°That¡¯s not fucking with my mind at all,¡± he grumbled, thinking things over and shaking his head. ¡°I can just get more wood from the other trees when I bind them. And I can¡¯t ask for glass bottles, as I¡¯ll just get glass oranges, and my buff doesn¡¯t work with that¡­¡± Roge paused as he had another thought, reaching out to another of the trees. ¡®What is it you desire?¡¯ ¡®Iron. Something I can shape with nature.¡¯ ¡®More greed. More wealth. Some blood.¡¯ Roge frowned at that request, letting out a sigh as he gave Hops a wry smile. ¡°It¡¯s asking for some blood for iron.¡± ¡°No deal,¡± Sean grumbled, Roge letting out a sigh as he looked it over again. Fertilizer was his next idea, but the tree simply asked for dirt and blood. Seemed the trade needed to be something equal in value and relevant to what Roge wanted. ¡°And I¡¯m guessing I can¡¯t ask for a [Shift] orange,¡± Roge grumbled, earning chuckles from his party members. ¡°Let¡¯s think on it for today and see what we can think of,¡± Hops recommended, Roge sighing as he got up from the couch. ¡°Fine. Maybe I¡¯ll just turn them into salt to season my meal with.¡± He turned and left at that, not noticing, the wide-eyed looks everyone else had given him at that moment. ~~~ Roge usually didn¡¯t think about what he ate all that much, just looking to quickly inhale sustenance and go about his day. That day, however, he took a good look at the meal he was given, noting the pleasant smell of cooked eggs, bacon and cheese in his bowl with buttered toast off to the side. He¡¯d always enjoyed making his own eggs every morning, and he made sure to put on his list to have ingredients to cook things properly. As he was just starting his meal, Sean sat down beside him, the lion looking a bit contrite as he ordered his own bowl. ¡°I¡¯ve been told I got a bit too¡­ angry up there,¡± he started, Roge looking up and seeing the unhappy look on his face. ¡°It¡¯s fine Sean. I know you¡¯re there to protect me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not fine. I need to reign in my temper with these kinds of things. I already got a warning from the league about angrily rushing into danger to protect my team. It¡¯s becoming¡­ a bit of a habit.¡± ¡°And we¡¯ll work on it together,¡± Roge said, taking another bite of his meal as he thought it over. ¡°Besides, you do have some good ideas. Me going slow made it so that I didn¡¯t make too many mistakes. Plus it makes it so I can go through my abilities and materials one thing at a time. Find all of their uses.¡± He hugged the lion from the side, only being interrupted by a loud clearing of the throat behind them. They both turned around to the sight of a tall elf, one who looked pretty old if the wrinkles and white hair were anything to go by. He wore a black suit with white frills on the wrists, Roge immediately pegging him for a butler of some sort. ¡°Yes?¡± the dragon asked, knowing he was being a bit short and rude, but he didn¡¯t back down when Sean gave him a look. ¡°How can we help you sir?¡± the lion asked, Roge giving *him* a look at that. ¡°I am here to give a letter to one Sean Obrien. It is from Lord Tarcon him-¡° ¡°Not interested,¡± Sean growled, earning him a wide-eyed look from the dragon. ¡°If this is another courtship invitation¡­¡± ¡°On the contrary. It is an invitation for you and your two party members to attend the Christmas Ball.¡± Sean paused at that, giving the butler a suspicious look. ¡°Three actually,¡± Roge interjected, the look the butler gave him not effecting him in the slightest. ¡°Just recently joined.¡± ¡°Ah. Yes. The gardener,¡± the elven man sneered, Roge smirking in reply. ¡°Even so. The invitation is not something he can accept. It needs to include *all* of his party members for him to even consider going.¡± Sean gave a consenting nod at that, his grip on the counter top they were sitting at nearly breaking the wood. ¡°Very well sirs. I will be back soon with what you request.¡± At that, the elf swiftly turned around and left the inn, with Roge giving Sean a beseeching look. ¡°The Lord¡¯s been¡­ trying to curry my favor. For some reason,¡± the lion grumbled, waving off the conversation and sighing. ¡°Not something I want to speak on. Now. What exactly is today¡¯s breakfast?¡± Roge allowed the topic change, going over the meal even as he ordered a second portion. He was tempted to try and salt the under-flavored dish, but it still tasted fine enough for him to eat. Chapter 37- Packing Up and Leaving Thankfully, Roge had enough extracted tree sap and samara to make all of the arrows he wanted, though he was starting to feel like he¡¯d need to bond to the ash trees next to streamline the process. He wasn¡¯t sure how healthy harvesting from them was, and continuously vented nature magic at them in his worry. At the very least, while he waited for his arrows to finish, he could multitask and make some more healing potions, while also trying out his idea. Before getting started on the actual potion making process, however, he started on the first part of his idea. Making blueoak wood potion bottles. He knew that if he tried it with the bombs, there would be a lot of complications with it, including how the bottle would shatter, so he didn¡¯t bother. But healing potions? As long as it didn¡¯t eat away at the material, he should be fine to use them. He even felt a tingle from his creation skill, like it knew it could give him a skill that would help the endeavor. He refused and continued to work over his various bubbling concoctions, eventually looking at the healing potion to see if it was successful.
Novice Health Potion Rank 3 Abilities: [Healing](R3) A bottle of weak health potion. Drink to gain its effects. Effect: Heal 4d10+3 Health
Roge froze at the new description, wondering how it was so strong before slapping himself in the forehead. ¡®My cap went up to ten¡­¡¯ he grumbled to himself, catching Hops¡¯ eye as he tossed over the potion. ¡°Oh right! You passed that barrier¡­¡± Hops exclaimed coming over and handing back the potion. ¡°You¡¯ll want to increase it with your Draconic magic. As far as I¡¯m aware, it can only go up to nine and that takes¡­ a lot more ingredients.¡± Roge nodded at that, extracting from his seed collection right on the table and adding each healing coin in one at a time.
Novice Health Potion Rank 9 Abilities: [Healing](R9) A bottle of weak health potion. Drink to gain its effects. Effect: Heal 4d10+9 Health
¡°Not too bad¡­¡± Roge mumbled, using up almost half of the seeds he had to increase the strength of each potion. ¡°Do you know how I can get rank ten potions?¡± ¡°Nope. That one you¡¯re going to have to either apprentice for, or figure out on your own.¡± Roge pouted, looking at his potions and feeling the rejection when he tried to add in one more coin to any of them. Besides trying to solidify them into pills, which he could try using the sap to do, there was not much else he could think of other than trying to concentrate them more. And even then, he might just end up with less potion that did the same effect. ¡°We¡¯re supposed to be leaving today, so I¡¯ll hold off,¡± Roge muttered clearing out the mess he made and looking out the window. ¡°At least the rain has stopped. We still going to be fine?¡± ¡°Obviously,¡± Hops chuckled, punching Roge lightly in the shoulder. ¡°We can just ask you for more magic items of course.¡± ~~~ The rest of the day was making sure everything was packed up, both Roge and Hops being the proverbial pack mules. He was still shocked that intelligence of all things determined how many slots one had in their inventory, though strength still played a role by increasing stack size. When he noticed that some of the provisions weren¡¯t stacking and taking up too much space, he bit the bullet and added an extra eight points into his strength. While it didn¡¯t add another skill slot, with his boost buff, it reached twenty in regards to carrying capacity. Thankfully, that solved his problem immediately, freeing up space in his inventory. While he was doing that, he also noticed that his [Farm Hoard] had gone up a rank when he wasn¡¯t noticing, probably from when he¡¯d added the flowers and oranges. Before moving on to other things, he made sure to add one more point into intelligence as well, bringing it up to a nice round fifty. It effected how powerful his magic attacks were, after all, so it was good to invest points into it, even when it wasn¡¯t needed. In that moment, though he felt something resonate inside him, prompting him to look at his skills and finding nothing out of the ordinary. Wanting to look at it at a later time to double check, he moved on to more important things, like buying the rest of the items they¡¯d need for the trip. It was also when Roge got a look at the quest sheet they were going on.
Kobold Trouble! Wild Kobolds are raiding the coastal town of Jadedwater, costing food and supplies. Objectives:
  • Defeat the wild Kobold nest.
Optional Objectives:
  • Find the cause of the wild Kobold raids.
  • Recover supplies.
¡°Kobolds¡­?¡± Roge asked, feeling a bit lost in where he should view the creatures. ¡°Are they sapient?¡± He said this as they were walking between stores, Roge feeling a bit excited at the glowing stones they¡¯d bought. ¡°Not the wild ones,¡± Marge said, surprising Roge with who answered. ¡°About as smart as wild wolves? Maybe. It¡¯s hard to tell sometimes.¡± ¡°I assume ¡®wild¡¯ means non-sapient? So there are Kobolds who are sapient, so they¡¯re not called wild?¡± Roge paused after he said that, feeling like he just confused himself. ¡°If that made any sense.¡± ¡°It did,¡± Marge confirmed, the deer woman giving him a small grin. ¡°Anything with ¡®wild¡¯ in the name is a creature or monster that a sapient creature happens to share a name with. We¡¯re not sure why some of us were given intelligence, while others not.¡± Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°That¡¯s fair. How long is the trip going to be? You only said ¡®a few days¡¯ before, and I¡¯m not sure¡­¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Hops interjected, looking a bit contrite. ¡°Yeah that¡¯s our fault. We couldn¡¯t really get any of the expensive options, so we went for the one gold trip. Takes two nights and some change to get there on the main roads, which is a steal, honestly, for how far it is.¡± ¡°How far is it?¡± Roge asked, doing some calculations in his head and coming up short. ¡°About five hundred miles,¡± Hops replied, nearly causing the dragon to trip. ¡°Damn they¡¯re fast. Cars made that a two day trip too¡­¡± At the puzzled glances, Roge looked around the marketplace to make sure no one was paying attention. ¡°In the other world.¡± ¡°Oh right! The information you had that gained you that bard class,¡± Hops said, clearing up the confusion. ¡°What are cars, though?¡± ¡°Machines that could drive down roads. Honestly, never really got into how they functioned, but they could go anywhere from twenty five to nearly eighty miles an hour, depending on how fast you pushed them.¡± All three of his party members showed surprise at that, though Roge just shrugged. ¡°It was a normal part of life there. So hearing that carts can go similar speeds is pretty wild. I assume some type of skill?¡± ¡°Pretty much. Some sort of ride skill, I think.¡± Hops shrugged. ¡°It never really interested me. ¡°ROGE YOUNGSTON!¡± a voice screeched out, jolting the dragon¡¯s body even as dread filled him. He knew that voice. ¡°WHERE IN ALL THAT IS THE UNDERWORLD HAVE YOU BEEN?!¡± Turning around, he frowned at his feline mother, barely holding back from giving her a glare. Of course she would track him down, Roge noticing his father rushing through the now stopped crowd as well. ¡°I moved out. Obviously,¡± he replied, bringing his mother up short. ¡°Well if I knew you¡¯d found a cheaper place, I would have given you a discount, sweetie.¡± Roge flinched at the pet name, his eyes growing cold at it. It¡¯s just what his *real* mother had called him. ¡°Sure. You would have given a ninety percent discount. How generous of you.¡± Roge held up a hand as his mom tried to respond, looking to his dad who¡¯d just caught up to the conversation. ¡°Hey dad. A little busy right now, but if you want to talk, just leave a letter with the league. I¡¯ll pick it up when we get back from our quest.¡± At that, the dragon turned back around, rolling his eyes at the surprise in his party member¡¯s eyes. Sean, especially, had a grin on his face, like he¡¯d just won some sort of bet. His mother tried calling and following behind them, but was quickly stopped by his father, the older dragon calming down the cat woman. ¡°Wow. She¡¯s just as much of a bitch as I remember,¡± Hops muttered, him and Marge seeming to land on the side of pissed off. ¡°Does your knowledge from the other world include her too? Never saw you stand up to her like that.¡± ¡°Honestly? She was worse. This version of her at least gets a good bit of money to keep her occupied. The only mom I remember was broke as hell, and mainly took it out on us.¡± ¡°Damn, that¡¯s cruel,¡± Sean said, his grin fading. ¡°Well¡­ at least you have us now?¡± Roge grinned as he looked to the unsure lion, giving the huge guy a shoulder punch. ¡°Of course. I have you guys now.¡± He felt a bit warm inside that all three seemed to have his back, letting out a sigh as they continued on with their packing. ~~~ With the sun setting into the lake, the party was finally ready and reached their destination, a caravan park situated directly south of the city. Growing out from the park was a smooth, straight road, moving only up and down with the various hills moving into the distance. It was several times wider than what Roge was expecting, looking like a proper highway with four lanes on each side. ¡°How do they keep this maintained¡­¡± Roge muttered, looking at the smooth gravel road. ¡°Earth skills?¡± Hops chuckled at that, pulling out a book to reference that time. ¡°I think it is¡­ Ah! Here. Yeah, there¡¯s a skill that lets someone smooth out a road while traveling on it. It¡¯s usually part of the [Caravaner] class, so pretty much everyone running the road has it.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ Imagine having to repair roads every few years and having to close them off,¡± Roge muttered, chuckling at Hops¡¯ horrified look. ¡°It wasn¡¯t too bad. Mainly because there were a lot more roads, and not one main road straight-shotting between cities and towns.¡± ¡°Sounds complicated,¡± Marge grumbled as they walked up to the wagon they¡¯d be taking. It was simple in design, looking like a standard covered wagon. Difference was that it was a good bit bigger than the wagons Roge was used to seeing, as well as not being one wagon, but three. All of them were chained together like train cars, Roge smiling at the design as a woman walked up to them. She was another fire elemental, though she looked more human than anything else, just with red skin. What gave her away was the flowing hair she had, it literally being made of flames. ¡°You folks the ¡®Writing Defenders¡¯?¡± she asked, Roge staying quiet as his team all nodded. ¡°You¡¯re in the middle cart. Standard signals for stopping or turning. Don¡¯t do anything delicate while we¡¯re moving. You pay for anything you damage.¡± She then looked at Roge, a surprised expression gracing her face before she smoothed it out. ¡°Anything you need to ask sir?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Roge looked to his teammates, who looked equally confused. ¡°The only thing that comes to mind is if I can sing songs,¡± he stated, pointing at the embellishments on his cloak. ¡°I have a bard class that grows from me telling stories and singing songs.¡± At her alarmed look, he quickly added, ¡°Oh it doesn¡¯t have any spells. Just songs that I make up.¡± ¡°So¡­ a storytelling class?¡± Roge nodded. ¡°No buffs or effects or anything?¡± ¡°Just lights and sounds when I sing.¡± ¡°Then that¡¯s fine. Just lower your volume if the other passengers ask.¡± With that, the caravan driver got into the seat on the first of the first wagon, Roge trailing behind his party a bit so he could see what was going to be pulling the cart. To his surprise, the beasts looked mostly like horses, except that one was orange and on fire, while the other looked to be the color of grass. ¡®Elemental horses¡­¡¯ ¡°I have so many questions,¡± Roge spewed out once they got in, closing the curtains and giving their space a brief once over. Looked like they had half of the space to themselves, the left half filled with various cargo crates. ¡°¡¯Writing Defenders¡¯?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a work in progress,¡± Sean grumbled, while Hops and Marge gave the lion glares. ¡°It¡¯s been that way for five years. And ¡®Mane Runes¡¯ wasn¡¯t much better,¡± Marge grumbled, taking a seat on the right side bench. ¡°To be fair, we can¡¯t think of anything either.¡± Hops sighed at that, sitting to the right of Marge while Sean sat to the left. That left Roge to sit on the other side of the elf, Sean frowning as he did so. ¡°Next question then. Is it going to be very bumpy?¡± ¡°It¡¯s mostly smooth, as long as the driver has a decent dexterity,¡± Hops responded, pulling out his book again. ¡°Yup, [Smooth Ride] is a dexterity skill, and it comes in no matter what other skills you get. It¡¯s practically baked into the class.¡± ¡°Well that¡¯s good. When do we head off then?¡± Roge asked, earning him questioning looks from the three. ¡°What?¡± ¡°We already started moving,¡± Sean said, giving the confused dragon a grin. ¡°What¡¯s your con at?¡± ¡°Twenty six.¡± ¡°That¡¯d do it,¡± Hops grumbled, Marge giving him a sympathetic look. ¡°Anything below twenty, and trips like this make my butt fall asleep a few hours in.¡± Roge got up from his seat at that, moving to the back and opening up the curtain a bit. The sun was still setting on the lake, though the scenery flew past them at a pretty decent clip. As far as he could tell, they were moving about twenty five to thirty miles an hour, all the while no bumps or shakes could be felt. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ amazing.¡± ¡°Get your hammock set up Roge,¡± Sean commanded, Roge looking over to see each of them setting one up on designated hooks on the various arches that held up the canvas of the cart. He¡¯d wondered why they had him buy that, feeling a bit too embarrassed and rushed to ask earlier in the day. Now he was grateful for it, hooking up the hammock and settling in for some sleep. He thought it would take a while with the light swinging, but he soon found himself deeply comfortable with it and drifted gently off to sleep. ¡®I hope things are going to go well¡­¡¯ Chapter 38- Dangerous Playmates Roge woke up surprisingly well rested the next morning, finding that the caravan was still moving through the early morning. The sun hadn¡¯t even risen, though he could barely see anything through the fog outside the wagon. The only light he could see was when he went to the front curtain and noticed the bright orange light in front of the caravan, most likely from a light. It was also really warm inside the wagon due to some bright orange crystals he could see around the inside of the arches. Even though it was pretty chilly out, Roge decided to sit on the front bench of the second wagon to start his day, finding the heat a bit much now that he was awake. After harvesting all of the plants he could, noting that his inventory was getting a bit full, Roge frowned. Without the main city for him to sell potions in, he wasn¡¯t sure how he was going to handle all of the inventory space he was taking up. Besides taking another [Blighting Fire] coin, he couldn¡¯t really add anything to his hoard without breaking the rules. ¡®Though¡­¡¯ he thought to himself as he looked over the bonded coins he already had, ¡®I can just¡­ increase that¡­ right?¡¯ The buffs he would get from getting more coins of a type he already had would just be upgrades of what he currently had, so it shouldn¡¯t effect him too much. ¡®Right?¡¯ He started off with the [Pigment] coins, using up seeds so he could still have a supply of leaves. As he started adding the coins, though, he found he could go far beyond what he thought he could, increasing the total coin count up to thirty each. He was right about the colorful buff not being an issue, it just allowing him to be more precise with what colors he used. [Color] was the exact same, though it did allow him to use more pinks, which he hadn¡¯t really been able to get outside of adding red and white. Since he didn¡¯t have a plant for [Inscribe] yet, he looked through his [Farm Hoard] for any random plant, trying one of the tulips first. He sighed when the coin refused to go in, having encountered that with his coins before. If the magical plant couldn¡¯t *reasonably* hold the ability, it rejected it. And trying to hold an ability that allowed a pen to write wasn¡¯t all that feasible. What he hadn¡¯t tried before was adding it to a non-magical plant, though he wanted to wait until they stopped to try it. He wasn¡¯t sure if it would work, but considering fire wasn¡¯t the best effect to have for a flower, he thought it might work better if he started out with a rank zero plant. [Glass Bottle Making] was also something he wanted to try in the future, but he skipped it in favor of his elemental coins. Unfortunately, besides the [Icing] coins giving him the third version of the buff, nothing else gave him more. He was also wary of adding more [Flame] coins to his hoard, being unsure of if he could even get the buff for it in the first place. He was grinning at the boost buffs going up two more notches, bringing the overall buff to four. He was tempted to bind more to himself, but he reasoned that, with his friends¡¯ rules, binding one of each a day was a good thing. Even if he skirted them by just filling up his hoard, he still wanted to go by the letter and try not to get more buffs than needed. Thunder, shockingly, gave him nothing, increasing without a fuss as he finished up filling up hoard. Just to keep everyone satisfied, he would consider that his [Ability Hoard] increase for the day, moving on to his [Farm Hoard]. That one was a bit trickier, as he wasn¡¯t sure which tree to go for next. He was getting a good feeling from the ironwood tree, as well as he needed the materials from the ash tree. ¡®One thing at a time,¡¯ he chanted to himself, looking out at the dark fog in thought. He then chose to bind the ash trees, closing his eyes and reaching towards the plants. His blueoaks and flowers gave him a warm feeling as he skimmed over them, while his orange trees seemed to look on in glee. He wasn¡¯t sure if having that last one was the best decision, but it *was* the best way to get materials that couldn¡¯t come from normal plants. As soon as he focused on the ash trees in his hoard, Roge felt an overwhelming feeling of protection, the trees feeding on his mana to protect the various plants he had. He didn¡¯t even need to ask if they wanted to join him, as they already communed with his own need to protect his friends. Opening his eyes, he saw a popup, grinning at the new effect he¡¯d received.
Protection of the World Tree When your aura is projected, you may choose one hoard buff or hoard effect you are under and extend it to your allies.
¡®Finally. Something useful for that,¡¯ he thought to himself, chuckling as he looked over the various buffs and effects. There wasn¡¯t really one that fit as a general benefit in combat, but outside of combat, he knew exactly what he wanted to choose. Especially since Hops had just come out to join the dragon, his teeth chattering at the biting cold wind. ¡°How can you-¡° the elf was cut off when Roge extended his aura, blue embers fluttering in the air around them. The effect of plus eighteen resistance took immediate effect, Hops¡¯ chattering and shivering coming to an abrupt halt. It wasn¡¯t just the buff, though, the heating cloak adding just enough heat now to make things comfortable. ¡°Oh. I assume that¡¯s a new buff you got?¡± Hops asked, looking around at the slowly brightening fog. ¡°Yup. Makes it so I can share one buff or effect I get from my hoards,¡± Roge replied, leaning back and giving the elf a large grin. ¡°Watcha think?¡± ¡°I think that we need to increase that as much as we can.¡± Roge chuckled at that, pulling up his [Status] and letting out a hum. ¡°I could increase it by¡­ Another two by this time tomorrow. If it scales the same the whole way through. Will make a total of plus twenty to ice and cold resistance, though I did just find out my [Ability Hoard] grew in size. So I¡¯m unsure how much I can do.¡± ¡°Go for it.¡± With that nod of approval, Roge tried adding in seeds for his icing tulip one at a time, feeling surprised when he could add up to twenty of the suckers total. ¡°Welp. This time tomorrow, it should be plus forty¡­¡± Hops just laughed at that, though both of them quieted down when a head pocked out of the front wagon. The wind made a lot of noise as they continued to move, but the glare from the person told them they were being too loud. ¡°So I assume you went ahead with your other upgrades just now?¡± Hops asked, moving closer to the dragon so his lowered voice could still be heard. ¡°Yup. Figured out my limit for the coins I have bonded, though I didn¡¯t bond any more today. Thirty for ability and twenty for farm. Also got the ash trees, which should make arrow making a lot more streamlined.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your intelligence at?¡± Hops asked, frowning as he pulled out one of his books. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°Fifty now. Just upgraded it yesterday.¡± ¡°Of course!¡± the elf shouted, shrinking back at the person glaring at them again. ¡°It¡¯s similar to your inventory. Ten for every ten ranks you have in the skill, but also an additional ten per fifty intelligence you have. So once we get your farm up to snuff¡­¡± ¡°Just got it to rank nine by adding in the ash,¡± Roge commented, finding more and more that he kept accidentally swiping away the boxes before reading them. ¡°So by tomorrow or the next, it should be up to ten. Which means ten more plants of each kind.¡± Roge felt very excited by that fact, looking up and noticing the morning sun burning away the fog as the caravan started slowing down. Off to the right was still a lot of fog rolling over another lake, while off to the left, Roge found the beginning of a large forest. The entire wood had a mixture of blueoak, the lime colored pines, and the grey colored ash trees, leading the forest to blur together to make really odd colors as they zoomed by. Soon the caravan came to a stop, though not before moving off to the side on the lake side of the road. While the lake had sand surrounding it¡¯s edges, the side of the road still had enough grass for the wagons to not sink into the ground. ¡°Alright! Everyone disembark!¡± the fire elemental shouted, her voice booming through the three carts. ¡°Time to scout the area! Don¡¯t want any surprises!¡± ~~~ As everyone disgorged from the wagons, Hops explained what the usual protocol was for caravans. Apparently, the front wagon¡¯s occupants weren¡¯t passengers, but hired guards. Generally, you wanted a team somewhere between six and ten, or Red adventurers, to guard the person driving. Things generally weren¡¯t too bad, as at least one caravan traveled the roads every day each way, but you couldn¡¯t be too careful. Roge and his party wouldn¡¯t have to do much, just set up their own camp to rest in while the guards defended the area. ¡°Lot of ash trees,¡± Roge muttered after setting up their magical campsite using his tarot cards, the fire crackling merrily at the center. The tents weren¡¯t really needed but were good for privacy, though Roge didn¡¯t like how fancy their camp looked. ¡°Maybe I can ask them if they¡¯ve noticed anything?¡± ¡°Could be worth a try,¡± Marge mumbled, the deer woman currently cooking their stew over the fire. ¡°Why the ash trees, though?¡± ¡°They¡¯re protectors. It¡¯s how I can give you all my buff.¡± He started walking over to the other side of the road, Sean getting up and following the dragon as he walked up to one of the grey bark trees. One of the guards gave them a bit of an odd glare, Roge recognizing the orc woman from when he and Hops had disturbed her earlier. He paid it no mind and placed a claw on the tree, sending it a bit of mana and closing his eyes. ¡®Protect. See. Learn,¡± the tree felt, Roge smiling at the more simplistic emotions. ¡®Can you protect us?¡¯ he asked, getting a negative feeling in response. ¡®Why?¡¯ ¡®Current charges. So cute. Need protecting from bigger beasts.¡¯ Roge opened his eyes at that, for the first time noticing something glittering on the bark. ¡°There¡¯s something this tree is protecting in the area¡­¡± Roge mumbled, Sean giving him a questioning look. ¡°Something cute and¡­ playful? Small. And it needs protection.¡± He tried to get as much of an explanation as he could from the vague feelings he was getting, though he stiffened at the next feeling he received. ¡®Home.¡¯ ¡°Something¡¯s here!¡± he shouted, picking up a buzzing noise as it got steadily louder. The lion next to him immediately summoned his shield and looked towards the trees, though the various guards game them both puzzled looks. Roge had no more time before the threat became clear, though he hesitated even as Sean stepped in front of him. ¡®Cats and dogs?¡¯ he wondered to himself, the creatures looking like black and grey puppies and kittens, each one meowing and barking at each other as they dodged around the trees. What most confused him was the iridescent butterfly wings on their backs, the patterns mixing between purple, gold, and black. ¡°Fairies!¡± Sean screamed out, grunting as one of the creatures bounced off his shield. That got the guards¡¯ attention, all of them rushing over as around a dozen of the creatures started swarming. ¡°Watch out for th¡­¡± one guard tried to warn, his words quickly slurring as he fell to the ground. More of the glitter had coated him that Roge had seen on the tree, sprinkling itself off of the fairies¡¯ wings as they circled around their prey. ¡®Prey¡­?¡¯ he wondered to himself, teleporting a few meters back towards the caravan to avoid a cat¡¯s pounce. The rest of the guards and Sean all slumped to the ground, whatever the glitter was obviously being very strong. ¡®They look more¡­ playful?¡¯ As he dodged another pounce, this time from one of the puppies, he noticed the downed adventurers taking damage from the creatures, though their behaviors almost made him flash back to dog and cat videos on the internet. ¡®Cats don¡¯t know their own strength until their taught it,¡¯ a voice echoed through his mind, taken from one of the lion taming videos he¡¯d seen. ¡°Stop!¡± he yelled out, crying out in pain as one of the puppies scratched him on the arm. ¡°I said STOP!¡± Having used his aura for a good bit to keep the chill away, it naturally flared out at his words, buffeting the creatures and causing them to fall to the ground. Roge had no idea his aura could be used that way, especially when he noticed all of the animals laying on their backs and whining at the dragon. ¡°What did¡­¡± ¡°Roge!¡± Marge called out, quickly stopping next to him and pointing her bow at the downed creatures. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Yeah I-¡° ¡°Fairy wolves and cats,¡± Hops muttered, coming up to Roge¡¯s other side. ¡°Very dangerous. One good hit of their fairy dust and, well, you can see.¡± Roge could indeed see, scanning the unconscious adventurers to see if they had any injuries. ¡°We need to run. Killing them is near impossible.¡± The deer woman pushed Roge away from the fairy creatures, though he pushed back as he started to walk forward. ¡°Roge!¡± He ignored the call, moving up to one of the cute kittens and scratching it softly behind one ear when he got close. It wasn¡¯t just to calm the creature down, though it did start purring, but also to try and use his [Druidic Touch] on it. ¡®What were you doing?¡¯ he asked, having a bit of difficulty turning that sentence into feelings. The best it came out as was a questioning feeling, one that he got a response for. ¡®Playing. Fun.¡¯ His earlier suspicions were confirmed at that, the cat flipping back onto its paws and batting at Roge¡¯s claw. The attack hurt as it ripped open his scales, causing him to hiss and pull away. ¡®Wrong?¡¯ the creature asked. ¡®Too much. Hurt,¡¯ he felt back, the cat¡¯s ear¡¯s pinning to its head. He reached out again and scritched them, earning him another purr. He also noticed that the fairy dust had coated him at this point, though the dust didn¡¯t seem to effect him. ¡®Good thing I have mental immunities¡­¡¯ he thought to himself. ¡®Weak. But fun. Powerful,¡¯ the fairy cat communicated, Roge chuckling at the contradiction and letting his mirth flow through the temporary connection. ¡®Join your pack?¡¯ was the best way he could describe the next feeling, Roge sending back an unsure one as a response. ¡®Others fall asleep because of you.¡¯ ¡®Just join you. Feel your meadow.¡¯ At that confusing emotion, Roge mostly getting the feeling of spring grass from it, the cat disappeared with a small pop, causing Roge to jump in surprise. He could feel the feline creature¡¯s joy as it flew around his ash trees in his hoard, Roge¡¯s eyes going wide as he checked his farm list.
Fairy Cat 1B
The rest of the creatures quickly mobbed him at that, the constant feeling of a meadow assaulting his senses. Apparently they all had a connection with each other, knowing where their fellow playmate had ended up and each one joining them in the hoard.
Fairy Cat 6B
Fairy Wolf 7B
¡®¡­What?¡¯