Scourge of Souls: The Realms Book Four: (An Epic LitRPG Series)
Page 6
37,234
Attributes
Primary Stats
Secondary Stats
Strength: 41 (38)
Health: 377
Regen: 4.5 every 10 Seconds
Morale (AP): 9
Constitution: 50 (47)
Stamina: 370
Regen: 3.75 every 10 Seconds
Reputation: 22
Dexterity: 65 (59)
Mana: 473
Regen: 4.5 every 10 Seconds
Intelligence: 43 (40)
Spirit: 296
Regen: 3.75 every 10 Seconds
Wisdom: 27 (24)
Available Points
Number
Attribute
11
Perk
1
Divine Perk
0
Racial Gifts
Talents
Health Regen: +25%
Identify
Mana Regen: +25%
Master of Tongues
Night Vision: 120ft
Buffs
Debuffs
20% DMG Reduction
He thought back to the significant amount of experience he’d earned from his battle with Myrthendir. It had been enough to bump him up to Level 17. He was also so close to reaching Level 18 that he could practically taste it.
You have slain the Aberrant (Myrthendir).
You have earned 200,000 XP
You have failed the quest A Beacon in the Dark.
You have failed to abide by the terms of your agreement with the Aberrant.
You have completed the quest A Beacon in the Dark (Revised).
You have earned 600,000 XP
The original quest was based upon lies and deceit, but you stayed true and went above and beyond. The quest has been altered and upgraded. +100,000 XP bonus for staying true to the quest ideals.
He knew he would get 1,000,000 XP when he claimed the city and completed the quest Reclaim the Dwarven City he’d received way back in the Barrow. He currently had nearly 1,800,000 XP and needed only 37,234 to reach Level 18.
“Dammit, why didn’t I wait until I earned the measly 37,234 before coming to the Market? I could have had a whole other level and more Perk Points?”
“And another even 200,000 XP to sell to me,” the Merchant said.
“Grumble, I hate making mistakes.”
“Well sir, it is your first time in the Market, so ill judgment is to be expected,” the Merchant said in a tone that was somehow both kind and dickish.
“Yeah, thanks I guess,” Gryph said and returned his thoughts to the problem at hand.
He had worked damn hard to earn his XP, so the idea of selling them did not thrill him. However, he was even more averse to selling his Attributes or skills. But, he was all about due diligence, so he opened his Skill Sheets.
Magical Skills
Level
Perks
Tier Abilities
Fire
0
Air
17
Mana 80%
Item Power +25%
Water
3
Earth
7
Chthonic
3
Empyrean
0
Chaos
0
Order
0
Life
7
Death
0
Thought
12
Aether
0
Soul
27
Soul Bind (A)
NOTE: 100% Affinity in all Magic Skills because of your possession of a Prime Godhead.
Martial Skills
Level
Perks
Tier Abilities
Unarmed
7
Small Blades
7
Staves/Spears
21
Impale 30%
Quick Strike 15%
Parry 20%
Perk Surety (A)
Thrown
10
Stealth
13
Light Armor
21
Refraction (A)
Dodge
16
Block
7
Knowledge Skills
Level
Perks
Tier Abilities
Lore
21
Perk Point Market
Harvest
14
Recycle
7
Analyze
19
Perception
17
Traps
9
Leadership
8
Adventure Party
Boon 1
XP Bonus +25%
Crafting Skills
Level
Perks
Tier Abilities
Alchemy
7
Small Automatons
10
There was only one skill he was willing to part with, and that was Small Automatons. Sure, crafting killer robots sounded badass, but he’d only achieved the skill because he’d helped Errat rebuild the small army of arachnid automatons. He’d found the whole process surprisingly soothing and suspected it would thrill the warborn to teach him all over again. He might not even ask why Gryph had forgotten everything he’d taught him and was sure he could earn those ten levels back with ease. Assuming I ever have the time again.
Gryph closed out all his sheets. It was time to do some math.
8
If he sold none of his XP and added the million XP from Reclaim the Dwarven City to his current total, he’d have a grand total of 2,800,000 which would get him to level 19, and a hair's breadth away from Level 20, where he would be eligible for a Specialty. He’d also gain another 12 Attribute Points and two Perk Points, for a total of three. Man, it is getting harder and harder to level in this world.
Or, he could use 1,600,000 XP to purchase eight shiny new Perk Points, for a total of nine. That XP drain would drop him down to 162,766 XP and a Subjective Level of 11. It had no real-world downsides, except that it would take him that much longer to level again. But, that cool million XP would push his subjective level back up to Level 16.
“This is hurting my brain.”
“I would suggest a good, old-fashioned, cost benefit analysis Sir. Then decide if access to nine Perk Points now would benefit you more than an increase in level and the chance to earn a Specialty. I recommend you decide exactly what you will purchase with the Perk Points and then decide if the benefits are worth the cost.”
It disturbed Gryph just how succinctly the Merchant had defined his options, but also knew his assessment was spot on. What did that scan do?
Perhaps there was another way to get points. Gryph glanced up at the Merchant. “Got any other quests for me? Say some that aren’t Impossibly Otherworldly?”
The Merchant looked down at Gryph with an approving grin. “As a matter of fact, I have several quests, you may aid me with.” He then waved his hand and several prompts filled Gryph’s vision.
You have been offered the quest What Was Lost Is Found (Open Ended).
The Merchant is a purveyor of information and power. Keep a sharp eye out for long lost knowledge, unique creatures, hidden treasures and long-lost secrets.
Quest Giver: The Merchant Difficulty: Varies - Reward: Varies - XP: Unknown.
You have been offered the quest Power in Thy Name (Open Ended)
True Names enable a skilled user to control beings from other realms. Uncover the secret names of these entities and the Merchant will pay for this knowledge. Be warned though, while using the true name of a lowly imp will cause few ripples in the aether, the true name of a Prince of the Abyss or a Magister of the Realm of Order can have unforeseeable effects of a wide reaching and catastrophic nature.
Quest Giver: The Merchant Difficulty: Varies - Reward: Varies - XP: Unknown.
You hav
e been offered the quest An Ancient Ballad Lost and Found.
Long ago the famous bardic musician Jurnerius wrote the ballad A Heart Rent Asunder that is widely considered the greatest love song of all time. It was rumored to compel the listener to fall in love with the performer. Alas, it was long ago lost after a group of jealous husbands and wives confronted Jurnerius, who never sang, nor breathed again. Recover this lost masterpiece and earn your reward.
Quest Giver: The Merchant Difficulty: Epic - Reward: 10 Perk Points - XP: Unknown.
“Well those seem...” Gryph grumbled.
“Difficult?” the Merchant interrupted.
“Dangerous.”
“I would not be involved if they did not embody the potential for both, and much more,” the Merchant retorted. “You may not have realized it, but by earning access to my services you have announced to the Realms that you are a power to be reckoned with, and perhaps to be feared. All actions create ripples in the aether. You will do well to remember that.”
“Cryptic,” Gryph said, and inhaled deeply, pushing his nervous thoughts down. He had too many actual worries to add hypothetical ones into the mix, but he promised he’d do his best to consider what he was selling. He knew what perks he wanted to buy and what it would cost him to do so. With no further hesitation he sold 1,600,000 XP for eight Perk Points and his ten skill levels in Small Automatons for another two.
The Merchant lurched forward with incredible speed and grabbed Gryph’s head in his left hand. Gryph felt the hand-mouth part and a sharp barbed tongue lash out, puncturing his skull. Before he could scream Gryph felt tendrils of energy, of experience, being leached from him. His mind dimmed, like a man struggling to remember what happened during an alcohol fueled blackout, and then it was done.
You have made a Deal with the Merchant.
You have sold 1,600,000 XP for 8 Perk Points. Your Subjective Level has dropped to 11.
Total Perk Points: 9
You have made a Deal with the Merchant.
You have sold 10 Levels in Small Automatons for 2 Perk Points. You have lost all knowledge of Small Automatons and must relearn the skill if you wish to use it once more.
Total Perk Points: 11
Gryph fell to his knees as an exhaustion worse than any he’d ever known tugged at his muscles. His hand snapped up to his forehead, expecting to find a bleeding hole, but his skin was smooth and unblemished. “You could have warned a guy,” Gryph grumbled in irritation, but the Merchant showed no sign of sympathy.
“Is there anything else you wish to buy or sell?” the creepy alien shopkeeper asked.
Gryph shook his head no and immediately regretted it as pain thrummed through his skull and his stomach twisted, his last meal threatening to come back up.
“Then I bid you good fortune.” The Merchant brought his hands together and bowed his head ever so slightly.
Reality shifted again and Gryph was back in his bath. He turned his head to the side and his stomach emptied. A thin gruel of bile and partially digested chunks of mountain goat, the remnants of the morning’s breakfast, splattered the stone floor.
“Well that was fucking awful.” His muscles spasmed, and he eased back into the warm water of the tub, letting time and heat ease him. After a few minutes he'd recovered enough to get out of the tub and dress himself. He had no plans to repeat his naked shopping outing any time soon.
Soon he was armed and armored and with a sigh he dumped two of his new points into Bind Skills, bringing him to the Apprentice Tier in the perk and giving him a 50% chance to bind any two skills at the cost of two Perk Points. He could add a third skill into the mix, but it would reduce the success rate to 45% and cost four Perk Points.
And I don’t have any clue what results will come from binding skills, Gryph thought. He knew, on an intellectual level, that it would grant him an extra perk branch, but what that branch was would remain a mystery until after he spent the precious assets to bind them. “What the hell, go big or go home.”
He activated Bind Skills.
A cascade of lights exploded outwards from him and his nausea returned like a punch in the gut. He closed his eyes against the disorientating motion and took a few deep breaths. He opened his eyes again and felt like he was in a planetarium of floating nebulae, galaxies and star clusters. Within them were planet like spheres shrouded in misty gases. He reached out and brought one of the brightest forth and knew it represented his Lore skill. He grabbed the second brightest and discovered it was his Soul Magic skill. So, the greater the illumination the higher the skill. He mentally pushed the two together, and a prompt filled his vision.
Bind Skills Active.
Do you wish to Bind the skills Lore and Soul Magic?
Cost: 2 Perk Points. Chance of Success: 50%
YES?/NO?
Gryph tapped NO, and both spheres shot back to their place in the sky. He needed to think about what he wanted. Though he couldn’t know what new perk branch would be generated, he could make an educated guess at its potential based upon the skills merged.
His mind sifted through dozens of possible outcomes. For example, if he bound Soul Magic to Staves/Spears would he be able to drain souls through his spear? The idea made him shiver, and he decided that hypothetical perk branch would lead him down the dark road to ruin.
What about Lore and Analyze? He drew both forth. He was close to reaching the Apprentice Tier in Analyze but had not taken a single perk from the skill tree.
Analyze Perk Tree.
Tier
Understanding
Defense
Learn
B
Detect Falsehood
Block Analyze
Skill Resistance 1
A
Know Desires
False Report 1
Skill Resistance 2
J
Know Falsehoods
False Report 2
Spell Osmosis
M
Know Skills
False Report 3
Skill Osmosis
GM
Know Perks
False Report 4
Perk Osmosis
D
Know Divine Perks
False Face
Divine Osmosis
Analyze allowed the user to discover an opponent’s strengths and weaknesses, create defenses against such analysis and block the effectiveness of the skills of others. Lore was all about increasing the efficiency of information and Analyze was all about gathering information. A pairing of the two skills seemed logical.
Then a wondrous thought occurred to him. He had another skill designed to gather information. Perception’s main function was to help the user avoid traps, find hidden doors and spot Stealthed foes, but like Analyze it was a potent information gathering skill.