Doctor White performed CPR on a dead man's chest. With each compression, the pool of blood the body rested in rippled unnaturally.
Clover looked away. The sight was too gruesome for him to handle. Yet, even with his eyes averted, he could still see it clear as day; the look of fear that had been permanently etched on the man's face in his final moments had been burned into his memory forever.
Clover threw up. He had never been able to handle the sight of death well. It reminded him too much of all the people he had lost - of what would happen to him one day. It made his skin crawl.
Tensing his jaw, Clover wheeled closer, then placed a hand on the doctor’s shoulder. “He’s dead.” Unlike everyone else on the street, blue letters did not hover over his head. “You did all you could.”
Yesterday, around this time, he would still have been in bed. It felt unreal how much his life had changed in a single day.
Doctor White stopped his efforts and hung his head. “I could have saved him,” he finally said softly.
Clover wrinkled his nose as a terrible copper-like smell wafted toward him, inducing another wave of nausea. "You can't blame yourself. It's not your fault."
“It was my idea to come here. Of course, it's my fault.” Doctor White looked across the street at those who dug through the remains of the Old Golem. They didn’t care that someone had just died. No. In their rush to find treasure, they probably hadn’t even realized. “I could have stopped him. I don’t know why I didn’t.”
A loud commotion drew his attention away. "Quick, someone help," Ron yelled.
Fortunately, his friend was in good condition. However, the woman resting on the ground beside him was not. A deep wound in her side bled profusely.
Doctor White took a second to collect himself, then, wearing a thin mask of professionalism to hide his emotions, he hurried over. "What happened?" the doctor asked, trying to force his voice to sound calm.
“The golem… it got her.” Ron stepped back to give the doctor room to work. “I tried to save her.”
"She's losing too much blood," Doctor White muttered as he removed his jacket.
To his left, the aftermath further descended into chaos. A middle-aged fellow with a portly build shouted at Phil, gesticulating his arms wildly. "You could have got us all killed!"
"And?" Phil said a harsh frown etched upon his lips.
“What was even the point - some numbers going up on a screen?”
A crowd nervously gathered to watch the spectacle.
“The point?” Phil laughed. “How can you not…”
The man grabbed Phil by the collar, interrupting him. “You think this is funny?”
Phil adjusted something in his pocket. “I’ll give you three seconds to let go of me.” In the face of confrontation, he stood tall, his shoulders relaxed and loose. It seemed that the battle had reforged him - hammered him a spine of steel.
Clover had to question whether it was all an act. Not long ago, when the group had first departed the Safe Zone, Phil had cowered at the sight of danger. He had trouble reconciling the two figures.
Whatever the case may have been, Clover didn’t particularly like him.
"Or what?" the man responded vehemently, far past the reach of reason. Veins bulged along his neck, and an unhealthy red sheen had coated his forehead.
Phil punched him, not bothering to wait till the count of three, knocking him to the ground with the force of the blow.
Clover felt lost - out of place as he watched. This was the first time - no, the second time he had seen two people fight in real life. Anger, fear, and disdain welled up in him in equal measure.
"It's funny. I used to be scared of people like you. But, now, I see you for what you really are," Phil gloated. "You are weak. I am strong."
“You’re not strong. You’re just a self-important moron who got lucky.” The portly man forced himself to his feet and charged Phil with a cocked back fist.
“Stop!” the doctor yelled before the two could collide again.
Leaves violently rustled as if they had been blown by a strong gust of wind. There was no wind.
Miraculously, they listened. Stopping midswing, they stared at each other in confusion.
"What's done is done. No one else needs to die today." He paused, searching for the right words as he looked back at the injured woman. "If we don't get her to a hospital soon, she will die. That's what's important now." The doctor pointed.
At the end of the road, the other half of the hospital stood haphazardly in the middle of a parking lot. Like a spell had been broken, the two grumbled in agreement and went their separate ways. Carefully, the group lumbered into action, carrying the woman down the street.
As they traveled, Clover kept an eye out for danger. Still shaken from the encounter, a tingling nervousness refused to leave him. He hated the feeling - the butterflies constantly worming in his stomach. It just about made him sick.
He opened the Skill Paths Screen to distract himself from it. Unfortunately, Clover hadn't received any new Paths - he had half expected to, but, on the bright side, he now had enough Points in reserve to finish off everything he had unlocked.
First, he put 5 Points into the [Mana Bolt I] Path.
Congratulations, you have survived long enough to complete your first landmark Path. More than others, these Paths will shape how your Skills will develop.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
By spending an Aspect you have earned, you can influence [Unstable Mana Bolt]'s evolution. If you do not have or do not wish to spend an Aspect, you may follow the Skill's Recommended route of progression for free. The Recommended Aspects will vary based on your actions and the Skill's nature. While well fitting, these Aspects will typically be weaker than their counterparts.
Available: Magic (Minor), Durability (Minor).
Recommended: Stability (Inferior).
Because of its simplicity and ever-shifting nature, [Unstable Mana Bolt] is more flexible than most Skills. Due to this oddity, you can freely create an Aspect in which to spend on this Path. The Quality of the result will significantly vary based on how well aligned the proposed change is with the core nature of the Skill. Additionally, more advanced Aspects will be substantially weakened unless you hold a related latent Affinity. Think carefully, for this is a rare opportunity.
Clover smiled as he read the notification, his worries momentarily forgotten as, almost unbidden, he fell into an endless rabbit hole of theorizing.
He imagined what [Unstable Mana Bolt] would be like if he added a Durability Aspect to it. Would its physical appearance change, shifting to some sort of metal, or would the bolt of mana no longer disperse on impact, gaining the ability to punch through walls and other light cover.
Without first investing, there was no way of knowing how much the Skill would change. Still, he considered the possibility first before dismissing it. It didn’t sound like a good match, especially considering the other options he had available to him.
Similarly, he decided against using his Magic Aspect.
For starters, [Unstable Mana Bolt] was already magic; what would adding more do? There was a possibility that the combination would result in something powerful, but he figured it would be better to save that particular Aspect for his other Skills.
Secondly, he had a limited supply of Aspects to spend. It would be a waste to not take advantage of the opportunity he had been offered.
In a rush, the doctor stumbled as they arrived at the hospital’s entrance. Its doors had been barricaded, blocked off by a dumpster. For now, Clover closed the screens.
“Help me move it,” Doctor White said, regaining his footing. In short order, the group cleared the entrance, revealing the shocked faces of the hospital staff and patients who hid inside.
"What are you doing here?" Susan, a member of the hospital staff that he was familiar with, asked.
“She needs help. She won’t last long,” Dr. White said as he barged inside.
The statement caused a stir among the staff, and soon, they had fallen back to their training in a whirlwind of activity. A nurse offered to help patch up those who had been injured. Grateful, many members of the group took the nurse up on their offer. They disappeared deeper into the hospital, slowly fading from view.
Clover did not move to follow. He had spent enough time in hospitals for one lifetime.
However, he couldn't help but wonder why they hadn't left. The sun had risen; why had they still been in the hospital? What was keeping them there?
“This is it for me,” Ron said, with a hand on his stomach. Though he hid it well, he too looked shaken from the encounter. “I’ve pushed my luck far enough for one day.”
Clover paused, searching for the right words. As usual, he didn't find them, so he settled for a simple nod. "Earlier, you said that you didn't think HP represented your physical health - what did you mean by that?" Clover asked after a moment of silence.
It wasn't the question he had meant to ask, but it was the one that had left his mouth.
Ron smiled. “I have 20 HP left, but I don’t feel 80% dead. There’s a mismatch. I think HP is more like a shield. That stone should have gone way deeper than it did." He turned to leave, then added, "You want to head back to the Safe Zone with me? If we go fast, it still should be safe. We killed all the monsters on the way here."
Clover considered it.
Had he done enough?
How much time had 6 Points in Vitality bought him - had it added hours, days, or weeks to his lifespan.
Anxiety buzzed at him. He knew it wasn’t logical, but he couldn’t stop now. He still had mana left.
Clover sighed. “No. I have something I need to do first.”
"All right. Don't get too far ahead of me," Ron said with a chuckle, then departed.
Clover waved. Outside the hospital, he loitered with those of the group who hadn’t been severely injured.
It was quiet.
Clover reopened the Skill Paths Screen and blankly stared at it for a moment. He hadn't changed one bit.
He shook his head and refocused. Here and now, he had to make the right decision, or else his odds of survival would precipitously drop.
If he followed the System's recommended route and added a Stability Aspect to [Unstable Mana Bolt], he figured the spell would be less likely to misfire. It was the safe and reliable option. But, its Inferior Quality dissuaded him. Plus, if the Skill was more stable and resistant to change, he doubted he would have been able to modify it - to force it to curve.
A box hovered in front of him in which he could input whatever he wanted. Literally. After some experimentation, he found that the System would accept even random combinations of letters and numbers. Though, without first submitting his choice, there was no way of knowing what it would do.
Despite the immense pressure to make the right decision, he smiled. He loved playing with the System and magic.
Clover considered how a dramatic Aspect like Death or Destruction would affect [Unstable Mana Bolt]. But, after a moment, he disregarded them as well. The System had stated the Aspect’s power would scale with how well aligned it was with the nature of the Skill. No matter how much he wanted them to, at a base level, they did not.
Following that line of logic, Clover considered what Aspect would best pair with the Skill. Invariably, he came to one answer: Change. Instability was the ultimate breeding ground for change, or rather, it was what created it. At its core, [Unstable Mana Bolt] was about condensing and unleashing the constantly changing nature of mana in an albeit basic manner.
He hesitated. Change did not always go in a positive direction. He knew that all too well.
Despite any rational objections, he typed his choice into the box for one simple reason: He wanted to change. He was tired of always being sick, afraid, and alone.
He submitted his choice.
High Aspect Synergy Detected! Merging… The wheel has turned, and the boat has changed course for uncharted waters. Where no map has charted, the ever-distant horizon holds unknown treasures, but beneath the dark tides hides danger of equal value.
Congratulations! Going forward, [Unstable Mana Bolt] will now more easily accept all manner of changes! Three related Skill Paths have been unlocked!
His attention was shifted to his soul space as he felt [Unstable Mana Bolt]'s structure shift, taking on a new quality - a new luster.
In what ways had the Skill changed, he was unsure - the System hadn’t provided him a spreadsheet, but fundamentally, it felt stronger than before.
Still, he questioned whether he had made the right choice. Was the ability to change [Unstable Mana Bolt] really worth it? He could have chosen something with a more direct and immediate reward.
“Are you coming?” Rodger asked.
“Huh.” Clover looked around. Part of the group was getting ready to leave. “What did I miss?”
"Some people are heading over to Walmart to get supplies."
On the other side of the parking lot was a massive square building. Clover smiled with half-forced enthusiasm. He had always wanted to go to Walmart. Based on the videos he had seen, it was an almost mythical location.
“Sure.”
Once again, he ventured into the unknown. This time, he hoped he would be ready.