by Jez Cajiao
0/100
Constitution
13
Governs Health and Health regeneration
HP+30, Regen 4pts per 600s
0/100
Dexterity
9
Governs ability with weapons and crafting
-10%
0/100
Endurance
12
Governs Stamina and Stamina regeneration
STM +20, Regen 3pts per 30s
0/100
Intelligence
9
Governs base Mana and number of Spells able to be learned
-10 Mana, Spell capacity: 4 spells
0/100
Luck
8
Governs overall chance of bonuses
-20%
0/100
Perception
12
Governs ranged damage and chance to spot traps/hidden items
+20% Ranged damage, +2% chance to spot traps/hidden items
0/100
Strength
12
Governs damage with melee weapons and carrying capacity
+2 Damage with melee weapons, +20% carrying capacity
0/100
Wisdom
8
Governs Mana regeneration and memory
-20% Mana recovery 0.8pm, 20% more likely to forget things
0/100
I stood there, gobsmacked. I’d never seen such an accurate, or damning description of me. I read the stats out to her at her demand without much thought.
“Huh, as I feared! You barely have the capacity to understand the gift you have been given: immortality and the ability to improve yourself beyond the baseline breed of humanity. The Pearl is wasted on the likes of you!”
“What? Why is it wasted? Wait, why are you so pissed at me now?” I asked halfheartedly, most of my attention still on the screen before me.
“Why? Because you are a waste! Think what a true mage could do with this, instead of a boy who thinks with his dick and his muscles!”
“Yeah, well, shit happens, doesn’t it, you old bag?” I snapped at her. The screen vanished according to my mental flexing and I focused on her, seeing the anger and resentment there for the first time.
“You think you could have survived that? You want to feel your bones breaking and your teeth shattering? You want to know what it feels like to have something worm its way into your brain?!” I roared at her, making her step back in reflex at my sudden outburst.
“I…I could have survived..” she said, anger leeching from her as she glanced at the gurney behind me. I spun and contemplated the amount of blood staining the sheets, and then I remembered the state of the walls in the last room. There had been streaks and spatters all over the place: the walls, floor, ceiling. They had not registered before, but now…. how the hell had I lived?
“You wouldn’t, and we all know it.” Another voice came from the door, and I turned around to see West walking in, a handful of beers in his arms. He casually cracked the top off a Corona, offering it to me. I snatched it from him and upended it, draining the entire bottle in one go. I wasn’t sure if it was the moisture or the alcohol I craved more.
“God, you look a mess, lad. Go on, get dressed,” he said and I chucked the bottle at a bin in the corner. As I began to put my clothes back on, I found that I was covered in new scars. Thin lines crisscrossed my entire body, faint white ridges showing where the filaments had cut into me, adding to the new scars from my latest dream.
“I…I am supposed to be teaching him how to use his Pearl, fool. How dare you interrupt!” Xiao snarled at West, only to have him shrug dismissively at her obvious dislike.
“So I noticed when I walked in. Looked like you were doing a fine job, complaining about the Baron’s decision to gift his SON with a Pearl. Perhaps I should tell him you disapprove of his actions?”
Xiao went white with fear, stammering that there was no need for that.
“Then teach him. I’ve been ordered to watch over all of his training from now on. I trust you won’t dispute this. Perhaps we should go and interrupt the Baron so you can confirm his choices, and you can explain how he should do things instead?”
Xiao went even whiter, if that was possible, shaking her head emphatically before turning to address me again. “Your…'stats’, are low…. but can be improved. Each level you gain allows you to allocate five points to improve yourself, but in addition to this, you can increase the stats by hard work. Your exercises, both physical and mental, will slowly count towards your potential. For example, if you practice running and swimming each day, this will increase your stamina by a certain amount, depending on the effort you put in. An hour might gain you, say, ten points towards a stat increase. When it reaches one hundred, another point of Stamina will be added to your stats, and the counter will begin again. Each level will require more work that the one before.” She cocked her head to one side and continued. “You have a question?” That was new. She’d made it clear in our previous training sessions that she hated answering my questions, so West had obviously scared her more than I had realized.
“Yeah, any points I have below ten are marked as minuses, like minus ten percent chance to seduce in my Charisma. Does that mean the average is ten points in each?
I ignored the snort of amusement from West as Xiao replied.
“Yes and no. The average for a human at your age is ten in each area. However, this is the average across the board. Some are far higher in one area than another, which is the result of their stat points being allocated subconsciously. Those have been earned simply through their experiences. This is the standard in most realms without magic, but in those with access to magic, many people will assign their stats themselves. In those realms, the average is much higher. Consider a soldier, a man or woman that has fought for their lives? They will be stronger, not just physically, but mentally, able to dominate others perhaps, or more intelligent. This is from assigning their stats subconsciously. Where a normal human might be level ten, they might be level twenty, or in some rare circumstances, level thirty is reachable. These people become far more powerful than the average person. Then consider that a Warrior in the UnderVerse might be even more powerful, as he would have both the points from his exercises and the points he has been able to allocate directly by choice. The average for a human in a realm without magic is level ten. This is usually because they will have distributed points across all of their stats, with more from their life experiences. Imagine what a level thirty could do with possibly hundreds of points!”
She saw I looked lost and cursed in Mandarin under her breath before continuing.
“You are a fool! A Warrior might have put fifty total points into his Strength, Stamina, Dexterity, Constitution, and Agility, by concentrating ten points in each of these areas. Once their training is added in, they could have twenty or more in those stats. You understand, yes? A Warrior that is twice as fast, strong, and skilled as you?”
“And a mage?” I asked, knowing I wouldn’t like the answer.
“A mage here will never hold a candle to a mage there, as this realm has such a tiny amount of ambient mana available. If you were to concentrate on becoming a mage, it would be the first step towards enlightenment I’d seen from you, and I would applaud it, but your mind is lacking anything special. There will no doubt be mages in the tournament, and they will be weak compared to what you will see on the other side, but regardless, they will be stronger than you can hope to become by then.”
“In other words, lad, you can’t become much of a mage, but you could become a mage killer!” West called out. I turned to him, and he continued. “There’s nothing stopping you from learning spells now, but bear in mind, as low as the mana regeneration rate is here, you wouldn’t get enough experience to make much difference. Add to that, while casting spells will improve your ability with that branch of magic, it doesn’t seem to make any noticeable difference if you just cast it
against a wall. It has to be a ‘valid’ use of magic, as Tommy explained it to me. Use it in a fight, and it’ll level quickly; shoot it aimlessly into the air? Nada.”
“Can you break it down further, please, mate?” I said, my head still reeling after the day I’d had.
“It is simple, Jack. Even you should be able to grasp the principles,” said Xiao, before going on. “A simple spell, such as Firebolt, will do ten points of damage and cost ten points of mana. You can follow so far?” She looked at me askance.
“Yeah, I’m still here, you old bag,” I muttered, earning myself a glare.
“Very well. With each cast against a viable target, you will grow more experienced with the spell. With each level up, you will increase its power by one point of damage, but the cost will remain the same. Once it reaches level ten, you can choose an evolution for it. It will then cost ten mana and do twenty points of base damage, plus you can alter the spell, such as how I created my FlameGlove.”
“Okay, and how far can I take it? And why is it every ten levels? Why not six, or thirty?”
“Who knows? Ask the Gods if you care that much, for I do not! There are known to be one hundred and fifty levels of magical advancement. Novice is level one to ten, Apprentice is eleven to twenty, Journeyman is twenty-one to thirty. Expert is thirty-one to fifty, Lord is fifty-one to seventy-five, with Master and Grandmaster at seventy-six to one hundred and one hundred and one to one hundred and fifty. A Firebolt at level one hundred and fifty would do one hundred and fifty base damage, for the same ten points of mana cost. If you chose the correct specializations, it could be far, far more. You understand still?” she asked, taking a deep breath and carrying on when I nodded.
“This is where it grows more complicated. for each ten levels of a spell, you gain one point in mastery of that school. So ten levels of Firebolt would grant you one level of Fire magic mastery. The levels for mastery are calculated the same, one to one hundred and fifty. However…each corresponding level in mastery grants a one percent bonus, both a reduction in spell cost, and an increase in resistance to spells from that school used against you. A level one hundred and fifty Grandmaster would gain mana each time they cast a fire spell, and they would be actively healed by any enemy fire! It is said the Gods themselves were mortals that exceeded the Grandmaster level, but none know for sure. Do you see now, Jack? Magic is the path to power!”
“Okay, but you’re saying I might as well not bother for now, as I’ll never be able to get the experience with it? Surely starting now is better than later?”
“Any experience is good, lad, but we’re saying make it a second string to your bow, not your primary focus, that’s all. Learn the spells, get some practice, but leave it at that. Level it up on the other side….and don’t call me Shirley.” West said, pausing to see if I got the reference.
I blinked, then grinned weakly at him, responding with;
“'Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit drinking!’” West grinned back and punched me lightly on the shoulder.
“You’ll do well, don’t worry. You’ve gone through a lot today, so we’ll get this done as quick as we can, and let you get some sleep, okay?”
I nodded and Xiao took over again, sounding exasperated, but trying to be patient.
“Okay, now where were we…ah! As you grow to understand magic better, you can adjust your spells. The basic spells you learn can be…altered…to create many higher level spells, aside from the traditional evolutions. I should warn you, however, that adjusting spells is dangerous. It can make them highly unstable, so be warned!”
“I know this is a lot of crap to bombard you with in one go, kid, but seriously, it’s important. Xiao, give us an example of a high-level spell, please.” West said, watching me carefully.
“Hmm… GravityStorm is one the Baron has mentioned as a particularly fearsome weapon. It costs eight thousand mana to cast, and a further two thousand mana in maintenance for the ten minutes it lasts. It creates a storm over a target area that begins with heavy rain, then transitions to lightning that conducts through the standing water, and ends with boulders the size of a horse flying everywhere. Through all of this, gravity is made to shift to a random direction every few seconds without warning. Little could survive such a spell.”
“Now just think, Jack. That’s ten thousand mana to cast it, but if you could level it up? It’d increase significantly after only a few levels, while doing so much more damage? Tommy was convinced it was the route to real power, and he was right, despite the fact that he was so shit at magic.” I thought for a while, and they watched me silently while I ran a bit of math in my head.
“Okay, but what about the regeneration. You said there’s hardly any mana here?” I asked Xiao.
“True, but there is some. What is your mana at?” I frowned in concentration, and a translucent blue bar appeared in the bottom right of my vision. It was almost totally empty, with a faint blue flicker at the very bottom. As I focused on it, it displayed numbers that read ‘four out of ninety.’ I told Xiao and she started to laugh, while West looked disappointed.
“Four? Four?! What is your Wisdom? Come, you fool, answer me!” She laughed mockingly, then clicked her fingers at me to be quick about it.
“It’s eight.” I said, feeling more and more irritated. It only grew worse when Xiao continued laughing, and West shook his head in disgust. Damn it. I’d told her those stats only a few minutes ago, yet still she had to taunt me.
“Okay Jack. Maybe being a mage isn’t the path for you at all, but what about a class? Has Xiao mentioned that yet?” When I shook my head, he turned to her and growled about ‘discussing her work with the Baron’ and she snapped her mouth shut with a sick look on her face. “Your mana would normally regenerate at the amount of point eight mana per minute, giving you forty mana an hour or so, but in this realm, I’ve been told it’s around one tenth of that, so don’t be too downhearted about that for now.”
Xiao cut him off, glossing over his reassurances. “Very well. If you concentrate as you did for your stats, but think ‘Class’ instead, your Pearl will give you a recommendation on your first class. It will be influenced due to your natural abilities and memories. This is no simple choice to make; however, it will determine how the Pearl grows with you. There is nothing to stop you from deciding you want to be a Thief or Assassin, but since you have chosen to focus on a Warrior build, you would waste a multitude of points. Every ten levels, you will be given choices to specialize or select classes that you have discovered, provided you have the aptitude. Check what is recommended for you, and I will explain further….”
I did so and a new screen appeared before me.
Class Recommendations
Primary:
Warrior- The path of a Warrior is a noble one; where others may flee the fight, you embrace it. Choosing this as your first class will grant you a one-off bonus of 5 points to Strength and 5 points to Constitution.
Ranger- A life as a man alone resonates well with you, exploring the wilderness and living in harmony with nature. Choosing this as your first class will grant you a one-off bonus of 5 points to Agility and 5 points to Perception.
Enforcer- Your lack of concern for the judgement of others, and a general lack of squeamishness make this a great choice for you. Choosing this as your first class will grant you a one-off bonus of 5 points to Strength and 5 points to Endurance.
Secondary:
Rogue- You have no issue separating the rich from their possessions; perhaps this path would suit you? Choosing this as your first class will grant you a one-off bonus of 5 points to Perception and 5 points to Dexterity.
Spellsword- This reflects your inner yearning. You wish to be more than you are, and improve on your weaknesses; a combination of mage and warrior, perhaps? Choosing this as your first class will grant you a one-off bonus of 5 points to Strength and 5 points to Intelligence.
Templar- This is a rare class, not often offered. Call down Holy Wrath with
one hand and use cold steel to smite your enemies with the other. Choosing this as your first class will grant you a one-off bonus of 5 points to Endurance and 5 points to Wisdom.
Tertiary:
Mage- As a pure-blooded mage, you would wield the strength of the cosmos, but your memories and natural inclination suggest this may not be the one for you, despite your desires. Choosing this as your first class will grant you a one-off bonus of 5 points to Intelligence and 5 points to Wisdom.
Knight- You yearn to be the shield to the weak, but your temper is your downfall, as is your desire for easy money. Choosing this as your first class will grant you a one-off bonus of 5 points to Strength and 5 points to Wisdom.
Healer- You wish to help others and heal the sick, but your soul is not that of a healer. Choosing this as your first class will grant you a one-off bonus of 5 points to Intelligence and 5 points to Perception.
I read out the details to the others and observed their agreement, even as my own mind worked with the Pearl to betray me.
“Okay, Jack, the Pearl has worked through your memories and past, and has classified you into primary, secondary and tertiary probabilities of success. You can choose any area‒it is a choice, after all‒but when it comes to your future, I suggest you think carefully. This is a one-time bonus that the Pearl can give you, augmenting your natural abilities. Classes can be discovered at any time, provided you reach a set skill level or have an affinity for them. However, you are unlikely to ever gain another boost this large in the future.” Xiao said, staring at me as she went on. “You have many weaknesses, but using your class to address those weaknesses could leave you at a serious disadvantage in the arena. Better to play to your strengths, yes?”
