Jake was on lookout again, on lookout for what? People with the potential to join his guild, Twilight Forest. Their HQ was only two towns away and they like to get their talent local. Jake used {Inspect} and logged the results down on the 3rd student class that day. Nothing unique or powerful so far.
As he was packing up hours later, shift over, two people exit the tower. Both look around 18 years old and one walked with supreme confidence. Kids always think they're hot shit when they first get the tower bonus. Still, he scans them and then does it again just to make sure.
[Tyler Jones - Wake of the Giant first step - Highest stat STR]
[&#%(#%* - *%#&%#(*&%#&%(#& - #&@(&%(*@#&*]
One of the kids looks at him and smiles, then he feels slower. Slower than he’s felt in years. In a panic, he pulls up his status
[Jake Lane Level 88 student scout]
[ 200 Health - 120 Mana - 525 Stamina]
{Strength 15}
{Dexterity 10(90)}
{Constitution 20}
{Wisdom 20}
{Intelligence 12}
{Luck 7}
The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
[DEBUFFS]
{Curse of Slowness*8 - minus 10*8 DEX}
Jake stood in shock as the two teens left. This kind of power was on another level. Were they both teens? This Tyler definitely just got his first class, but the one who was with him? Could our guild beat that? Even the guild master can’t block my {Inspect}. Just who is he?
***
After casting {See Told You I Could} to see if it would block the scan, I looked up at the poor inspector and cursed him. “Tyler, here's a fact for you. There is a force beyond stats, something I call willpower. Most people don’t know that when you cast a spell or use an ability directly on someone the outcome is determined by this willpower.”
“Ya? And?”
“The tower can’t give or take willpower. It stays with you forever.” I chuckle to myself just imaging the face of the inspector.
“Is this just an advanced way of bragging about your willpower?”
“Pretty much. Also, we need to train yours.”
We walk into the local exchange backpacks full of mana crystals and loot. Nothing really worth much. The total came around to $180,000, we had our halves transferred to our accounts and left. On the way to Tyler’s car, he brings up that he’s been looking for an apartment. I just wave my hand and say we should get a house. I was going to need a lab of course and Tyler could use a training yard.
Tyler just nods, then my phone buzzes, and I get a text saying I could move in the next day. Laughing we drive back to Tyler’s place.
The next day I pack up my stuff and we take my car to my new apartment, which I’ll only be at for a couple of months. After unpacking my stuff we reminisce about how we got here. Tyler talks about high school and how stupid it was. I talk about a debate I had with a god of magic leading to it killing itself. Tyler tells me I’m lying and we laugh.
We share stories, Tyler knowing I don’t even remember most of my childhood talks about that. I talk about the better things I’ve done. It was late by the time we were done. I drove him back to his house.
On the way back I felt someone try to dispel my curse, laughing, I match my will against theirs and let them feel the difference. It's like a pond compared to the ocean. I devour their will, adding it to my own. Of all the awful things I've done, this was probably near the top. While if I had just broken it they could have repaired it. With me consuming it they would never get it back. Years of their effort just gone. I didn't care, this time nothing was going to get in my way.