Trivial Rarity and System Unpreparedness

The system, for all its power, lacks time. Over the centuries, scholars of all stripes have remarked on some minor way the system has “fleshed out” its ability to communicate some concept. In these modern days, most common situations are easily decipherable by even the least academic of status-screen readers, but it likely was not always so.

In times long past, records persist of status screen sages whose sole value appeared to rest in their ability to disambiguate these system communications, reducing them to a language the common man could understand or discovering hidden messages behind subtle closed doors.

These difficulties still exist, although they are less familiar in this advanced era. The system has improved to articulate its intention well in most cases, but not all. Rarer, less-encountered system messaging is still confusing, unoptimized, or betrays a lack of knowledge of the audience for whom it was intended.

It was Trayte, an early sage among those who first documented their thoughts, who said this:

“It was a challenge, to be sure. The system appears to expect that one’s wants would be front and center when examining the sheet. Instead, I was searching through the text itself, expecting the system to know what I wanted and to provide it. It was only when I came to understand the importance of intent itself that progress began to show itself…”

Arthur set down the book and tried to remember the exact way he had searched Lily’s screen. He had, as Trayte said, looked through the screen as if the system would tell him all the important stuff on its own. It always had before. But it had been dealing with common enough stuff. Lily’s situation was rarer than Arthur’s, something that multiplied one incredibly unlikely class acquisition by another unbelievably rare achievement.

And if the system expects me to know what I want and ask for it….

“Lily. Toss me your system screen again,” Arthur said. “Quick.”

“Do you have something?” Eito looked up. “You look like you do.”

“Maybe.” Arthur took a look at the system screen again, which had only changed to the extent it wasn’t highlighting the new skills and achievements, anymore.

Lily Expediter

Level 16

STR: 7

VIT: 10

DEX: 6

PER: 10

WIS: 12

INT: 5

Unassigned Stat Points: 8

Primary Skills: Expert Counsel (Level 11), Majicka Lamp (Level 15 effective, Level 22 absolute)

Achievements: Filibusterer, Advised Advisor, Light in The Darkness, Headslap Vector, Civic Butterfly, Advanced Parent Wrangling, Monster Rider, Majicka Tracker

Instead of bringing up any particular window or looking harder for some kind of alert, Arthur focused all his attention on getting his intent into line with what they were looking for. No, he didn’t want to lift the restriction. Yes, he’d like to know more about what changed. His practice with tea-making made that kind of thing easy. He imagined himself getting more information, and feeling pleased to have it.

Nothing happened.

“Dead end?” Lily asked.

“Not yet. Let me try some more.”

Arthur focused again, this time trying to get more specific.

System, what happens if I lift this? What’s the danger? What’s the benefit? Arthur thought hard, trying his best to communicate his desire to understand what was happening. And after a short delay he initially thought was failure, the system came through.

System Restriction Implications

Lily’s rapid advancement through her primary class skill is both a boon and a detriment. At a higher level, her skill will perform more efficiently and powerfully, allowing her an increase in her general effectiveness.

Levels, however, are only one facet of how a class advances. When properly nurtured, classes not only grow more powerful but also are shaped by the needs, desires, and experiences of the class holder themselves.

As of now, the system has judged that Level 15 is the highest point Majicka Lamp can reach before it starts to suffer from the lack of those experiences. While a higher level might be desirable in some emergency situations or troubled times, the system judges that neither of these situations are relevant at the moment.

The greater restriction on all of Lily’s class abilities was instituted as a method of drawing attention to the problem in general and assuring it was addressed.

Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

As this child’s guardian, you are able to override the system’s judgement, lifting either of these restrictions. While the general restriction on class may be lifted with no serious consequences, the more specific restriction on her skill level should only be lifted if, in your judgement, the situation calls for it.

Okay, great, Arthur thought. But what happens if I don’t lift it, ever?

System Restriction Automatic Fadeoff

As Lily experiences the work and effort that comes as part of her class, her skill will restriction will fade at the maximum speed allowed within a healthy margin of safety. This will happen regardless of the restriction, as an automatic process similar to conventional leveling.

It should be noted that Lily Expediter’s overall leveling speed in the Majicka Lamp skill will be much quicker than normal, limited only by her life experience.

“Alright, then. I think I have it.” Arthur relayed what the system had told him. He felt his own relief as he watched the tension wipe away from almost everyone’s body, with only one exception. “Lily? What’s wrong?”

“I want those levels!” Lily puffed up. “Do you know how much more powerful I would be at level twenty-two, Arthur?”

“No. But I can guess.”

“She’s going to be a powerhouse.” Remmy said. “If what she does already is impressive, and you all seem to think so, then by her absolute level she’ll be an unstoppable, world-changing sort of thing.”

“See! Lily the unstoppable worldchanger!” Lily puffed up even bigger. “Lily the magnificent!”

“You are already magnificent, dear.” Ella swiped at Lily in an attempt to pick her up. Lily was wise to the trick and barely evaded in time. “Everyone thinks so.”

“Being soft does not make someone magnificent all by itself!” Lily screeched. Arthur tried his hardest not to notice Mizu staring at his skin again, in all its newly soft glory. “I want to be magnificent for real.”

“Lily.” Arthur bent down. “Shush.”

“You…” Lily trembled in tiny-owl rage for a moment, just long enough for Arthur to flick her forehead. “Stop flicking me!”

“Nope. You already know why this is a bad idea. Ask your skill,” Arthur said.

“I can’t! It’s locked!”

“Oh, right.” Arthur mentally pushed for just that part of Lily’s class restrictions to melt off, and felt something give as he did. “Try now.”

“Oh, there it is. Hello, little skill.” Lily’s face slowly melted from rage to disappointment as she consulted her own good-idea-generation capabilities and found confirmation of what Arthur was telling her. “Gods. I’ll need to keep using the class over time to unlock all of these benefits.”

“Right. All the extra secondary skills, all the achievements, all the modifications the skills pick up over time. Those aren’t set in stone. They come from life.” Eito nodded to himself. “That’s most of the reason I have a job, Lily. I guide people to find those beneficial changes.”

“Hmph.” Lily sat down. “So I just have to wait?”

“Not long, if it’s any consolation. The system saying you’re going to level quickly is rare.” Remmy was moving around the room putting books back on the cart. “You should be hitting your first serious bottlenecks around the time other people are just getting access to their classes. It’s hardly slow.”

“Dangit.” Lily slowly let her puffed-up-ness leak out into the air, returning to her usual size. “Fine. But I want more life experiences, then. Can’t stop me from getting those.”

“No, we can’t,” Arthur said. “Unless they are dangerous, we also wouldn’t want to. I’ll even come along for your next one, if you think it wouldn’t agitate me too much.”

“Baby animal cafe?” Lily’s eyes lit up. “You have time right now?”

“Sure,” Arthur said. “Although I’d rather have a shower first, if that’s an option. I’m still covered in panic-sweat.”

“Oh, yeah, fine,” Lily said. “But then we cuddle the babies. I’ve been saving it for you, but it’s been driving me crazy.”

“What’s this?” Itela asked. Ella watched for the answer as well. “Baby animals? Like at a zoo?”

“They’re farm animals,” Lily said. “Orphans. You feed them while you eat snacks and sit on little cushions.”

“Oh, wow.” Itela stood up and started loading books onto the cart. “Clean up, everyone. If we’re going there, I need to find Karbo.”

“Why?” Arthur asked. “Do you think it’s under attack?”

“No, it’s just… I can’t explain it. It will be more fun if I don’t. You guys have this? Good. I’m going to get him.” Itela walked to the door. “We’ll meet you at the hotel. Don’t leave without us.”

The cleanup was done in a few minutes, and after a bit of coordinating and planning to get everyone in the same place at the same time, it was time to thank Remmy and leave. Arthur couldn’t find the librarian, at least right away. He started walking through the library, finding Remmy and Eito standing behind one of the most remote stacks of books, talking in hushed tones.

“Of course it’s not normal, Eito. But it’s not because she’s that abnormal and I think you know that,” Remmy said. “What has your leveling been like? You’re plenty old.”

“You’re one to talk,” Eito countered.

“You know what I mean. How stable are your bottlenecks these days?” Remy said.

Eito hushed even more. “I’ve broken a few minor ones. Nothing huge.”

“You shouldn’t be breaking any bottlenecks at your age. That boy is dragging potential. Have you told him about that?” Remmy asked.

“I haven’t. Not in detail. And maybe not ever,” Eito said.

“Well, reconsider, Eito. Because if I’ve learned one thing looking through these books, it’s that potential like his can change more things than you’d think. If he has anything but the purest, cleanest desire to help other people…”

“Stop there,” Eito said. By now, Arthur had given up on his plan to say goodbye properly. He could do that later. “You know the downsides of him knowing. They are substantial. They have their own dangers. And as far as his intent goes… do you know my greatest regret in the past few years?”

“What’s that?”

“At some point, Ella came to me and said she was taking him away, that she’d already decided to adopt him. And at that time, I was a fish out of water and let her. Intent, Remmy?” Eito laughed. “That boy has nothing but good in him. Nothing at all. To the point where if I had been smarter, I would have made him my son.”

“You? Old Eito?”

“I’m not that old. And it worked out better for him with Ella anyway. I don’t think I could have provided the kinds of things he needed when he first got here. But if he goes on not knowing the details of his own situation, I’ll be just fine. And you won’t rock that boat. Agreed?”

“If you say so.” Remmy seemed to accept what Eito was saying. He could hardly not. Eito was forceful in a way that he normally wasn’t, even in the presence of Karbo and liquor. “Just keep an eye on him, okay?”

“Me and a dozen other people who love him. Always,” Eito stated.

Arthur hid instead of sneaking out, letting them move past him before he left the library. It was his only option. With as misty as his eyes were, he would have bumped something and got caught for sure.