Chapter 4
After a few minutes London calmly walked out the front door of the Cancer Clinic and to his car. He silently wept for what seemed like hours, but might have just been minutes.
“So I can heal them, maybe there is more” London says to himself slowly getting over his emotions.
London sat and thought.. “Information” he said to himself sitting in his Jeep in the parking lot. Instantly a slightly familiar character sheet appeared in his vision.
London Pierce
Healer Level 2
4 stat points available
14 Defense
11 Strength
10 Dexterity
12 Stamina
14 Constitution
16 Wisdom
17 Intelligence
513 Cadium
47 Hit Points
276 Mana
27 Mana Regen/10 seconds
4 HP regen/10 seconds
45 Spell Strength
16 Melee Damage
Spells Known:
Basic Heal
London, intrigued by the newfound information, focused on each stat, delving deeper into their meaning.
Defense: This stat represents your ability to dodge or deflect attacks. A higher Defense rating means it's harder for enemies to land hits on you. Dexterity, a measure of agility and reflexes, can slightly influence your Defense.
Strength: This stat determines your physical power, affecting your ability to lift heavy objects and deal damage in melee combat. It also has a slight impact on your overall health pool.
Dexterity: This stat measures your agility, reflexes, and fine motor skills. It can influence your ability to dodge attacks (Defense) and your overall health.
Stamina: This stat determines your endurance, affecting how long you can sustain physical activity before becoming fatigued. It also has a slight impact on your health pool.
Constitution: This stat determines your resistance to various harmful effects, including spells, poisons, diseases, and curses. It also slightly affects your health pool.
Wisdom: This stat measures your intuition, insight, and understanding of the world. It has a significant impact on your mana pool, the energy used to cast spells. It also slightly affects your spellcasting ability.
Intelligence: This stat measures your mental acuity, reasoning, and memory. It has a significant impact on your spellcasting power and a slight impact on your mana pool.
Cadium: A mysterious substance that serves as a catalyst for magical power. By consuming Cadium, individuals can enhance their magical abilities, increasing their overall power output.
Hit Points (HP): A measure of a character's health. When HP reaches zero, the character dies.
Mana: The magical energy reserve used to cast spells and activate abilities.
Mana Regeneration: The rate at which mana replenishes over time, measured in units of mana per 10 seconds.
HP Regeneration: The rate at which health replenishes over time, measured in hit points per 10 seconds.
Spell Strength: The base power of a spell, determining the amount of damage dealt or healing provided.
Physical Damage: The base damage when hitting an enemy, a combination of weapon damage, strength, and proficiency with the weapon.
Basic Heal: A fundamental healing spell that restores a target's health equal to the caster's Spell Strength. The spell has a range of half the caster's Cadium level, with a minimum range of 3 meters. Casting this spell consumes 3 units of mana.
Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work!
It's clear that Cadium plays a significant role in boosting these stats, especially the mental stats like Wisdom and Intelligence, which directly impact mana and spell power. Doing some quick math he notices the system does not like to round up, if anything it just shortens the number leaving off the information beyond the decimal.
London's mind raced, processing the newfound information. He realized that his life had taken an unexpected turn, transformed into a peculiar game of D&D. The familiar stat system, with its points and modifiers, was both exciting and daunting.
He wondered about the implications of his Cadium level. Is 513 a lot? A little? Was it a game-breaking amount of power, or something even more profound? He pondered the average human, perhaps with a baseline of 7 in each stat. With just one unit of Cadium, such a person would have around 28 health and 14 mana. But with 10,000 units of Cadium, the possibilities were staggering.
As his headache subsided, he realized that his mana pool had fully replenished. The direct correlation between low mana and physical discomfort was a stark reminder of his newfound abilities. While the idea of a mana pool was intriguing, the physical manifestation of its depletion was less so.
London, mind ablaze with questions, delved into the depths of his newfound power, searching for answers. He explored every nook and cranny of his mental interface, hoping to uncover a hidden spell book or a secret skill tree. But alas, the universe had other plans.
A sudden surge of news vans outside the clinic signaled a breaking news event. With a sigh, London decided to put his newfound abilities on hold and head to the bike park. His friends would be eager to hear about his extraordinary experience.
Stopping at Walmart, he grabbed a hand basket and began filling it with energy-boosting snacks: beef jerky, nuts, pretzels, and energy drinks. As he lifted the basket, he felt a surge of strength. With a mental command, he allocated a point to his Strength stat, and the weight of the basket seemed to diminish. Another point, and the basket felt almost weightless. He then assigned two points to Dexterity, immediately noticing an improvement in his agility and coordination.
As he wandered through the electronics section, the cacophony of news reports drew his attention. People were huddled around the televisions, their faces etched with a mix of curiosity and fear.
"BREAKING NEWS! We apologize for the interruption, but we have footage of a metallic sphere emerging from the ice off the coast of Greenland, near Thule Air Force Base. This footage is unedited, and it appears to show an asteroid hitting the ice, but in reverse. The sphere emits strange, multicolored lights, the pattern of which is still unknown. We will continue to monitor this situation and provide updates as they become available."
London's heart pounded with excitement and anticipation. Could this be related to the Cadium? Was it a sign of a greater power, a cosmic force that had chosen him as its instrument? The possibilities were endless, but only time would tell.
London, relieved by the news distraction, headed to the self-checkout, paid for his snacks, and left the store. As he stepped outside, a deafening roar filled the air. He looked up, his eyes widening in disbelief.
Three colossal, dragon-like creatures, each carrying a rider, soared through the sky. A squadron of A-10 Warthogs, their cannons blazing, pursued the aerial beasts. The Drakes, however, seemed impervious to the attack, shielded by a shimmering, orange barrier.
Chaos erupted below. Cars collided, people screamed, and the once peaceful parking lot transformed into a scene of panic and confusion. A woman was struck by a speeding truck, her leg twisted at an impossible angle. Without hesitation, London activated his healing ability, and her injury miraculously healed.
The aerial battle intensified, with more A-10s joining the fray. One of the Drakes, wounded, plummeted towards the ground, disappearing into the distance. The remaining two continued their aerial dance, their riders unleashing a barrage of colorful spells.
London stood, transfixed, as the aerial battle unfolded. The once peaceful parking lot was now a chaotic scene of fear and confusion. Realizing his Jeep was trapped in the gridlock, he grabbed his bike and backpack, determined to reach the bike park, no matter the cost.
He followed the Razorback Greenway, navigating through the city's gridlock. People were pouring out of their cars, fleeing the chaos. As he pedaled, he noticed a strange phenomenon: phones were malfunctioning, and power outages were widespread.
He cut through a park, witnessing a terrifying scene. A group of orcs, their grotesque forms silhouetted against the smoke-filled sky, were attacking civilians. London, driven by a newfound sense of responsibility, healed the injured, casting spells with reckless abandon. But he quickly realized that this was a battle he could not heal his way out of. He turned his bike and continued his journey north, leaving the chaos behind.
As London neared the Walmart Home Office, he noticed the epicenter of the chaos seemed to be the new Executive Park, where the Greenway ran directly through. Remembering the construction detours, he veered east, giving the area a wide berth.
He pedaled furiously, navigating the city's gridlock. He followed the Greenway through a tunnel, emerging into a vast state park. The familiar trails of the Flow Caverns Mountain Bike Park came into view.
As he entered the park, he noticed the gondola was still operational, a sign that this area hadn't been affected by the widespread power outage. He rode to his campsite, eager to share his extraordinary experience with his friends.
As he approached the campsite, he could already hear the familiar banter and teasing. It seemed that even in the midst of chaos, his friends could still find humor.
"Better late than never," "You better have M&Ms," "Late donuts!" and "Orange bike, huh? Hope it matches the drapes," his friends chimed in, their voices blending together.
"Guys, have you not heard any of the news?" London asked, his face serious.
"What news? That you missed some great runs down the hill?" Ellie questioned, a playful smirk on her face.
"I'm being completely serious. I think we're being invaded by orcs," London replied, his face pale.
"Pull the other one," Rob, the bearded man, joked, sticking out his leg.
"Hey, Elly, got that knife on you?" London asked, his voice serious.
"Always. Gotta watch out for handsy freaks like Rob over here," Elly replied, handing London the knife with a playful smirk.
Without hesitation, London took the knife and made a deep incision down his arm. His friends gasped in horror, but their shock quickly turned to awe as the wound instantly closed, leaving no trace of the injury.
A moment of silence passed.
"Ooh, ooh, do me next!" the man in the dragon onesie exclaimed, eagerly offering his arm.
London, with a grim determination, sliced into the man's arm. Elly shrieked, but the pain was fleeting. The wound healed before their eyes, the blood disappearing as if it had never been.
"Believe me now?" London asked, his voice firm. "We need to get a plan together, and fast."