by Ryan DeBruyn
Sela continued, her voice sounding slightly excited, “Perfect, Rockland, take a breath, and we will get you more.”
Sweat had broken out across his entire body from the tiny exertion. Sela continued, “Do you think you can turn off your Cloak ability?” Sela seemed to be hoping for something, and Rocky couldn’t figure out what she meant.
Instead, Rocky tried to bring his hands to his lips for more broth, but he couldn’t move them. Sela helped, and together, he took another sip of soup. “Rockland, try thinking about disengaging your skill. Please!” The last word was a choked plea, and it made Rocky pay critical attention to what came next.
Sela seemed to continue to plead with him, “I need you to concentrate for a moment, just a moment! You just need to work a little bit more!”
Rocky tried with all his being but failed to reorder his thoughts and put meaning to what she was asking him to do. Together, he took a much larger gulp of broth. It continued like this until the cup was empty, which prompted Sela to try again.
She changed tactics. “I will get you more broth, Rockland, but only if you turn off this Cloak. Just command think disengage.” She pulled the cup away, which made Rocky try with weak hands to get it back. “No more broth unless you turn it off!” Sela sounded stern, and so Rocky did as she said.
Somehow, food coerced his semi-failing brain in a way that the pleading hadn’t been able to. He commanded, Disengage over and over again. At first, he didn’t feel any difference, but then he combined his first command with a second one, Cloak. As soon as he finished this combination, he felt his body relax and a minute amount of strength returned.
“Good job, Rocky,” Sela continued soothingly before pressing a much hotter cup into his hands.
For the next hour, it continued with her encouraging him and him taking small sips of the liquid until he fell into an actual sleep. Sela was relieved; she knew he was actually going to get better now.
She sat there looking at Rocky, scared for him but also amazed.
How had he managed to specialize in his class? Usually, people had to reach master level before they were given a path that they could begin to tread. Then and only then would they be able to specialize.
Sela inspected Rocky one final time and was shocked again with what she saw and was also relieved to see that the dying debuff was no longer present. The new Dark Cloak had been sapping his remaining strength and personal Ether. If he hadn’t turned it off, he would have faded away.
Rockland Barkclay – Level 16
Apprentice-Dark Revenant
Territory Leader – Algonquin Valley
Chapter Fifteen
Despite the near-death experience of the previous night, Rocky did wake up. When he crawled into consciousness, he was forced to assess his body due to his inability to sit up. He discovered that while his body was recovered, all of his muscles were extremely sore and sensitive.
To Rocky, this meant that his unwillingness to get up was a mental problem, not a physical one. While he prepared himself mentally to stand up, he checked his notifications and again started by selecting the recap option. This allowed him to see a lot of notifications again, even if he had seen them during combat the previous day.
Quest Failed.
You failed to destroy all the golems in the area surrounding the survivors. Golems remaining:
Lesser Golems: 0
Golem Leader: 0
Recalculating…
Quest Succeeded
You successfully destroyed all golems in the area surrounding the survivors. Error sensing one fused golem in area…
Quest abandoned.
Calculating
New (compromise) quest chosen:
Quest reselection due to old quest computing error. Atlantian Dictate - Questing Section 1 Code 102 (1)(a)
Quest Completed, sneak out the survivors.
You have successfully snuck out the survivors and saved their lives.
+5 Sneak
25,000 Etherience gained.
For killing 245 Lesser Golems: Level 9-13: You and your group have been awarded 1,342,740 Etherience.
Your personal Etherience gain amounts to 447,580 Etherience.
For killing 2 Golem Leaders: Level Journeyman 23-32: You and your group have been awarded 345,231 Etherience.
Your personal Etherience gain amounts to 115,077 Etherience.
Congratulations! You have reached level 16! You have been awarded 1 stat point and 1 skill point.
641,035 Etherience remaining until level 17.
Milestone
You have specialized your class Revenant and become a Dark Revenant. Personal Ether converted to Dark Ether. Skills changed.
Class change. Current class Apprentice-Dark Revenant!
Soul Strike upgraded to Dark Blade!
Blood Mend upgraded to Dark Mending!
Skill gained, Dark Cloak!
Dark Blade
Consume Dark Ether to send a spectral blade attuned with Dark Affinity at your opponent. Dark affinity is resistive against all other spells and enchantments besides Light spells and enchantments. The power of this strike increases depending on the amount of Dark Ether infused.
Dark Mending
Consume Dark Ether to speed the healing process of wounds, splint bones, or speed regeneration. This skill uses the element of Dark to increase the body’s natural healing capability substantially. This skill is diminished in effectiveness if exposed to the light. The speed of recovery increase is dependent on the amount of Dark Ether infused.
Dark Cloak
Consume Dark Ether to summon a fog of true darkness. Individual gains dark sight and true sense while shrouded by Dark Ether fog. This skill is an active effect and will drain Ether at 15 Ether per ten seconds while activated. It will continue to drain your Ether and adjust fog levels to reduce Ether drain until it is disengaged.
Your Soul Blade has increased in level!
Dark Tidings Level 3, 4, 5
Dark Tidings – Soul Blade
Level 5
140/140 Ether Pool
The Strength of Arms V
+10 Strength as long as the Blade has Ether from its pool to draw on. Unlock higher levels of your Soul Blade for more.
The Strength of Body V
+5 Stamina as long as the Blade has Ether from its pool to draw on. Unlock higher levels of your Soul Blade for more.
*Dark Tidings refuses to absorb any more golem essence. Find it a new source of sustenance. *
Rockland Barkclay
Level 16
Health Pool: 150/150
Ether Pool: 170/170
Class: Apprentice-Dark (Azrael) Revenant
Level 1 Leader: Level 1 Strategist
Class Skills: Revenant Blade, Dark Mending, Dark Blade
You have 2 stat points and 0 skill points to distribute.
Stamina
15
Strength
14
Agility
27
Dexterity
25
Intelligence
17
Wisdom
22
Charisma
24
Luck
7
Weak Skills
Combat Skill (Non-Class)
Swordsmanship 8 (+2)
Common Skills
Endurance 13 (+2)
Sneak 19 (+6)
Perception 2 (+1)
Analyze 12 (+2)
Profession Skills
Skinning 13
Butcher 13
There was something wrong, and Rocky didn’t immediately see what. He tried thinking back to the other times he had examined his character sheet. Usually there was the enchantment of his sword listed, right? In sudden comprehension, Rocky took a second look and realized that was the problem.
If his memory was correct, his Soul Sword was probably still sheathed in a rather frustrating Paradox golem. Making a mental note to summon the blade once he was moving,
he sat up and felt his head spin, so he sat there for a time and continued to check status windows.
Skills
Revenant Blade
5/5
Soul Blade Class Skill Unlocked
Revenant Bowyer
0/5
Skill gained at 5/5 “Soul Shot.”
Dark Blade
5/5
Dark Blade Class Skill Unlocked.
Dark Mending
5/5
Dark Mending Class Skill Unlocked
Darkness (3rd Tier)
0/5
Cast a spell of Darkness upon an enemy. This spell will add a debuff on the enemy which will blind him for 30 seconds.
Cost 50 Dark Ether
Skill gained at 1/5 “Darkness.”
Thousand Blades (3rd Tier)
0/5
Send thousands of strikes at your opponents in seconds. This skill will send the attacks in a cone-like pattern in front of the Revenant.
Cost 50 Dark Ether per cast.
Skill gained at 1/5 “Thousand Blades.”
Dark Revenant (3rd Tier)
1/5
Dark Cloak unlocked – 15 Ether per ten seconds.
Each skill point will reduce Ether cost per second and increase protection of Dark Cloak. The user can see through skill and has night vision increased while in use.
This skill tree will specialize your class to Dark Revenant.
Dark Armor (3rd Tier)
0/5
Thicken the armor you are currently wearing by infusing it with darkness. The skill will significantly reduce melee damage. The ability lasts 30 seconds per use.
Cost 50 Dark Ether per cast. Fails due to damage over time.
Skill gained at 1/5 “Dark Armor.”
Grasp of Shadow (3rd Tier)
0/5
Learn the ability to control the shadows, to grasp and cling to your enemies. This skill will significantly reduce the speed of your opponents.
Cost 50 Dark Ether per cast.
Skill gained at 1/5 “Grasp of Shadow.”
After Rocky finished with his notifications and menus, he managed to get to a kneeling position, finally escaping the enormous pile of blankets and pillows. The bedding was actually hides from all the animals they had slain, but at this point, it was the same thing.
The smell coming off a large pot resting on a makeshift grate of golem metal was making his mouth water. The makeshift grill was suspended by two large rocks over the fire and two large, dented, tin coffee mugs sat in the dirt beside it. The fire had dwindled down to mostly embers over the previous night.
Rocky didn’t see Sela anywhere, and immediately, a frown crossed his face. His recollection of the two hospital trips was a little too fresh and raw currently.
She is probably just outside—she wouldn’t just leave you here. Even if she did, she isn’t family and isn’t obligated to stay. She is so far removed she could be Eve from the bible.
With a sour expression from the last thought, he stood and promptly knocked his head on the low ceiling, which caused him to stumble and fall over. Wincing from the pinpoint accuracy of the stalagmite, he started the process over. This time, it didn’t take Rocky more than thirty seconds to regain his feet. However, he remained in a crouched position to avoid the violent cave ceiling.
Rocky walked the rest of the way to the cave entrance bent at the waist, swearing creatively at himself as his head throbbed where he had struck it. The fresh air that hit his sweat-soaked clothing felt terrific, and he stood there marveling at it for a moment, taking deep breaths and just enjoying being alive. If his half-remembered memories of last night were anything to go off of, it had been a close thing.
Once the moment ended, he dipped a cup into the simmering stew, using the handle. Then he decided he wanted something more than just a liquid diet. When he found no meat stored in his bag of holding, Rocky grew confused,
I’m pretty sure I had stockpiled a massive amount of meat on the journey here. How long was I out?
Rummaging through his inventory further, he came across the scroll. Rocky smiled at the functionality of the bag of holding; he just thought of retrieving it and suddenly was holding the Samurai Training Skill Scroll. His smile deepened as he began studying it, trying to figure out how to activate it.
Sela walked back into the camp, carrying a few overly large rabbits, which she promptly dropped, seeing Rocky up and out of the cave. She squealed with delight and ran over to him, giving him a massive hug.
Guess that isn’t a product of the twenty-first century then.
“I am so glad to see you awake! You had everyone worried yesterday,” Sela exclaimed as she hovered near a chagrined and awkward Rocky after the hug. He only responded with a grunt and continued examining the scroll. Not wanting her to see his flushed cheeks or other ‘problem’.
Then his silence shifted as he remembered the boy who had died, and his embarrassment faded. It was replaced by an angry smoldering silence as his shoulders were forced to sink by his clenched abs. The day seemed to darken around the two; he may be a dark revenant, but this wasn’t the kind of darkness he could use.
Sela saw his head and shoulders fall and quickly added, “You saved all those people, Rockland, and you couldn’t have done anything more!” She had misunderstood his silence for a sullen silence. Rocky’s eyes didn’t leave the scroll as he began turning it over in his hands, studying it far too closely for how plain it was. He had been hoping it would distract him from the torrent of emotions he currently had, but a moment later, Sela answered that wish.
She studied him and tried another tactic. “Okay, Rockland? I think you could have beaten that fused golem.”
Rocky looked up at her, hope beginning to banish the anger that was there a moment before. Sela flinched at the anger that she hadn’t expected but continued when she saw that glimmer of hope, “You made a lot of mistakes.” As she continued, Rocky grew more engaged, responding to the criticism, and so Sela’s voice firmed and continued, “You need to learn how to use the weapons you are wielding. A sword is not a club, and it's time you started to realize this. You could have died because you attacked an enemy without strategy and crisp movements.”
Rocky was starting to look resolved, and Sela thought she was beginning to understand this man, “Your attack should have easily cut through both of the golem's arms. However, your wrists wavered, and the cut wasn’t clean and straight. So you lost power on the first appendage.”
She began poking his chest with her finger. “Secondly, with your speed, that oaf of a golem never should have hit you, but you left yourself with no footing and fully committed to an air attack. You need to start thinking about your feet, how you will use them to engage and disengage from each strike to utilize your speed and dexterity.”
The look in Rocky’s eyes was that of a man who wanted to do better, who needed to. Sela pointed at the scroll. “That scroll in your hand isn’t going to make you a warrior, but it is going to teach you training exercises that you will do every morning! Let’s start now!”
Rocky nodded and then looked at the scroll again. Long moments passed. and as time dragged, Sela wondered if she had lost his focus again. “Umm, how do I use the scroll?” Rocky asked sheepishly after the long pause, then looked at Sela who sighed with relief and tried to hold back a laugh.
“Crush it into a ball like you are throwing it out,” Sela said as solemnly as she could manage.
Rocky crushed the paper into a ball, and it immediately converted into a ball of Ether. The shot of blue Ether light rushed up his arms and into his chest. Again, through the magic of Ether, he knew how to train with a sword. Eyes wide and mouth ajar, Rocky suddenly understood more of what Sela had been trying to say in her criticism of his lack of skill.
Rocky was unrefined; he had higher stats and was much stronger, faster, and dexterous than he had been before the Ether arrived. However, Rocky was attempting to bash enemies with a sword, and the sword was not a weapo
n of pure strength but a weapon of elegance and beauty. This gave him the tools to correct an issue he had begun realizing earlier.
It also highlighted just how far he was from that goal. Groaning, Rocky realized he had a long, arduous road of training in front of him.
If he was going to master combat with a sword, he needed to train. Solemnly, Sela held out a piece of golem metal to him and pointed to a small clearing before she sat down and began skinning and butchering the rabbits she had captured. She was not risking saying anything more to the man.
Rocky hadn’t used the piece of golem metal for long and had promptly placed it in his bag of holding to re-summon his soul blade. When he had summoned it back this time, he attempted to make it more Katana like in nature to better utilize the training scroll’s training methods. While it didn’t specifically give him knowledge pertaining to a specific style of sword, his brain linked katanas with samurai on a fundamental level.
For the next two hours as Sela cooked, Rocky trained. He attempted to solidify his wrist as he made a strike. He tried using more or less of his body to increase the strength of a blow or speed it up. He began experimenting with his feet placement to understand how one foot forward made his movement slower in one direction and more natural in another. When Sela notified him that food was ready, Rocky truly saw the steep mountain that he was beginning to climb.
He was able to realize just how poor his footwork had been during his old fights. Rocky could feel just how shoddy his wrist dexterity was and now understood why his sword, despite its magical quality, hadn’t cut with true ease. His brain whirled as even his old realizations and Sela’s advice took on a whole new quality of true understanding. Even though he wasn’t yet capable of fixing the problem, he now could see a greater picture of it.
