Kal opened his eyes. His head was pounding, and his eyes felt like they were about to liquify. Sitting up, Kal slowly recognized where he was. It was one of Dalen's rooms. How did I get here? His memory was murky. The last thing he could remember was the image of the rogue's dead eyes. Then he remembered. Kal had gotten a notification and a title. Pain forgotten he viewed his notifications and found.. nothing. 'What the fuck! where is it.!" He tried reopening the notification log and scrolling up but found nothing. Then he checked his status looking for the title.

Kalum Lesta

Status:

Class: Null

Level: 0

Race: Human

Health: 160

Stamina: 150

Mana: Null

Attributes:

Strength: 20

Agility: 12

Endurance: 15

Vitality: 16

Intellect: 10

Perception: 11

Will: 16

Wisdom: 12

Titles: Null

Skills:

Identify [Inferior]

"What the hell, I killed a guy who was eleven levels above me and I get nothing!" Disgusted Kal went to close his status but that's when he noticed his strength, surprised he looked over his attribute history and somehow his strength had increased by three and his endurance, vitality,and will had increased by two. It was a twenty percent increase since he last looked. How did that happen? It normally took him weeks of work in the mine for him to even see an increase of one, and even that often took a few days to remain, dropping down if he didn't continue to work hard. Was fighting really a way to gain stats quickly? He had never heard of that happening to anybody. Unless they directly spent their free attribute points to increase it, an attribute couldn't be increased manually after ascension. Kal was still level zero so that was ruled out. He couldn't figure it out but he kept scraping his brain for a few minutes before the headache returned in full force and he decided to discuss it with Melisia. Maybe he did have a path to walk.

An hour passed before anyone came in,and of course, it was Dalen. The tavern keeper slipped in the door and smiled when he saw Kal awake. "Kal, that's two days in a row that I've seen you come in here bloody and this time it was two of you," he grumbled, he sounded annoyed but Kal could tell he was relieved.

"Well you know, it was about time I had a run-in with the Redblades again." Kal shrugged. Wincing when another sharp pain lanced through his head, this time along with a wave of weakness.

"Well from what Harlm told me, you won't have any trouble from them for a while. Well, The Fox at least." Dalen frowned.

Realization suddenly came to Kal. "Shit, I forgot about Harlm. What happened? Did he figure out what happened to his son?" Kal urged.

Dalen raised his hand "Relax, he hasn't found his son but he learned where he is. The boy was taken by those cultists the army and Melisia are tracking down. As soon as Harlm dropped you here he left running for their encampment. He said we were going to try and join them for the journey but I'll be surprised if Commander Hurius will allow it." Kal was about to urge him further but Dalen cut in before he could.

"But enough of that, how are you feeling? It was incredibly reckless to do what you did today. Hell, you've been here unconscious for hours. I looked you over, but you didn't have any wounds worth one of my brews, let alone bad enough to keep you down for this long." Dalen frowned while turning more serious. "What happened? Harlm told me what he saw but that wasn't much. I want to hear it from you."

Kal wanted to tell Dalen but he honestly struggled to put everything together. He remembered making the stupid decision to charge the wounded rogue. He really had no right to come out on top in an exchange like that but somehow he did. Seriously he didn't know how to use a sword which he vaguely remembered picking up. He tried to remember it all from the beginning. But his head throbbed more the further along he got, enough that Dalen took pity on him and passed another brew that Kal hadn't seen before.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

Dalen's Mind Soother [Common]

This brew crafted by the Tavern Keeper Dalen soothes any injuries related to mental trauma by a minor amount. No side effects…. Probably.

Kal downed it with a grimace and continued, the brew did help him get a bit further but he couldn't remember anything after the rogue leaped onto him. Relaying all of this to Dalen, Dalen's frown deepened.

Kal shrugged, "Harlm must have helped in the end, otherwise I doubt I would have survived."

Dalen shook his head and sighed, clearly looking exasperated.”Why do you keep getting yourself into reckless situations like this Kal? I know you’ve gotten stronger but you're still nowhere near strong enough to fight people like that.“

Kal thought for a moment before answering. Why did he try to help Harlm? He barely knew the dwarf besides a few visits to get lamps or the occasional new pick. He didn’t even know his son’s name. Did he just like doing risky things? He didn’t think so but after failing to kill that Rock Ghoul something seemed to be urging him on. He didn’t even think about the risks on his way to the Red Herring, and when he was about to join the fight he never for a second believed he would actually die, just that it would likely be a painful experience. Even now he could feel the need to fight, but it was unfocused. A boiling in his chest. But before Kal could answer, a loud thud on the room door startled both of them.

“By order of Commander Hurius, open thi-” said a gruff voice, before immediately being cut off by a voice both Kal and Dalen recognized.

“Oh quiet Leo, Dalen it's Melisia. Could you please let us in? I wish to see Kal”. Dalen looked at Kal who nodded, and Dalen shrugged and went to open the door. Melisia and two imperial guards followed. Melisia looked exactly like when Kal first saw her. He became suddenly conscious of his lack of clothes under a thin sheet. Any embarrassment was flattened by annoyance as he knew the look from the two heavily armored imperials well. They both wore polished plate mail with the red-green colored tabards of the empire. They would have looked impressive if it wasn't for the disgusted look on the first face and the condoling gaze of the second marring the image. Kal ignored them and said. “Melisia, I thought you were busy with your duties with the Commander ?”.

“Yes, well with the information the Smith Harlm acquired today we have been able to pinpoint the general location of the cultist's ritual site. But please Kal, first let me look over your wounds.” Melisia said moving over to Kal, and scanning him.

“Ah, no need Melisia. I’m fine, not a scratch on me. Just a bit of a headache that's all. But I do want to speak about something with you” Kal said, trying to act nonchalantly. The last thing he needed was her looking him over while Dalen snickered in the corner.

Melisia eyed Dalen who shrugged. “I know, but it’s true. When he got here there was barely a scratch on him, nothing one of my cheap brews couldn’t fix.”

One of Melisia’s eyebrows rose inquisitively. “That is not what the Smith led us to believe. He said there were at least two wounds of note especially for one yet to ascend.” Kal appreciated the way Melisia didn’t assume he wouldn’t ascend in the way she referred to him. Kal remembered those injuries but had assumed Harlm had fed him a health potion or something. There had to be some in the Red Herring, since even a level eleven rogue had one. Melisia turned back to call this time she waved her hand in front of her and a small swirl of mana appeared and formed into what looked like a journal. “Leo, Derek. You can wait outside.” The first grunted and the second simply nodded before leaving the room. Then once again Kal was drilled for information on what had happened at the fight. It was at least less painful this time as his headache had faded for the most part.

After Kal had finished his second retelling Melisia said “I’m sorry Kal, I must come clean but I was using a skill that can detect if what you are saying you believe to be true. And of course, everything you just said is true but I did detect that there was something that wanted to say about the fight. Is this what you wanted to speak to me about?” Kal frowned, now that was concerning. But what was weirder was why did she tell him that? Wouldn’t she be worried that he wouldn’t trust her from now on? “I see your concern but perhaps you aren’t aware. Once a person is aware a skill like this is in play, it is much more difficult for it to return accurate results.” she smiled. “Dalen wished to tell you but I asked him not to. I wished to discern if your memory had been altered without anyone's knowledge. Which I assure you. No skill has affected your memory, any gaps present seem to be purely from any trauma you suffered during your fight.” this whole time she was writing away in her summoned journal.

“Oh, ah, well thank you Melisia. I’m glad I haven’t been altered. Anyway, what I wanted to talk about is the fight but not directly. When I awoke I checked my status and found this.” Kal said a bit confused now. Was this more of what Dalen warned him about? Kal avoided mentioning that he thought he should have gotten a title he’d rather look at his first visible growth that was just the grueling labor of the last 6 years. Dalen’s jaw dropped, and Melisia’s eyes lit up. “What the hell Kal? How’d you get twenty strength? You would beat me in an arm wrestle now.” Dalen said gobsmacked.

Melisia smiled.”Amazing, twenty strength is unheard of in the unascended. Am I correct that you’ve somehow gained a twenty percent boost to your strength, endurance, vitality, and will?” Kal nodded. “Truly astounding, it might not seem like much but this assuredly requires further study.”

“So it’s good news?” Kal said.

“I am not certain. But this just cements in my mind that you will one day ascend.” Melisia said, Smiling while she scribbled frantically in her journal.

Dalen stepped over and put a hand on Kal’s shoulder. “That’s great Kal, now are you glad I got you cornered yesterday.” Dalen poked. Kal just chuckled and shook his head. Melisia finally stopped writing and looked up from the journal smiling. “Know for the other reason I came to see you, though this all just reinforces the fact.” Melisia threw the journal over her shoulder and it puffed away into a cloud of mana. ”Commander Hurius has permitted me to bring you along on our journey north. After the Smith’s report the commander has become quite interested in you, and would like to hear more on my research.”

Kal wondered why the commander would care about this research, but if it would mean Melisia started helping him awaken his class he didn’t care. Dalen wasn’t so blase though.

“What? Why would he care what is going on with Kal? It concerns me that a commander of the Imperial Army has an interest in Kal. And won't it be dangerous? You are here for a raid after all.” Dalen said, a concerned frown on his face. Melisia was about to answer but Kal jumped in.

“I don’t care, Dalen, I’m going if it means I awaken my class even a second sooner I’m going.”

Dalen’s frown deepened but he nodded. “Fine. But be careful.” He removed his hand from Kal’s shoulder. “I’ll organize some things to take with you.”

“Oh, no need Dalen. I will of course provide for Kal while he is in my care.” Melisia assured. A look seemed to pass between her and Dalen. “But for now Kal, rest here and I shall return for you in the morning before we break camp.” After a few quips from Dalen, the two left Kal to his thoughts. Suddenly remembered. Shit… I don’t have any other clothes.