Klarion was in disbelief, staring at the status window that now floated in front of him. He blinked twice, but the numbers did not lie.

Name: Klarion von Sturmwacht

Race: Human (Noresyn)

Class: TBD - Level 1 (Free Points = 30)

Profession(s): TBD

Essence(s): TBD

Faction: Treverorum Empire - House Blacksword

Rank: Scion - Unlanded

Strength: 14 => 24

Dexterity: 11 => 19

Vitality: 20 => 35

Endurance: 21 => 43

Intelligence: 18 => 27

Wisdom: 10 => 17

Charisma: 7 => 10

Luck: 4 => 6

Traits: Greater Soul Oath (Unknown - Hidden)

Skills: N/A

Abilities: N/A

Every one of his stats had increased, some significantly. He could hardly believe that these were his stats after only two weeks. While he had no point of reference to judge the rate at which he had grown, it was clear that the relentless training under both Rolfun and Alesin had pushed him well past his physical and mental limits. There was even a new number on display next to his updated level of one. Thirty points apparently waited to be allocated in some way, but much like the rest of his growth, he had no idea if the number was good or bad compared to others.

“So? How many levels did you gain?” Alesin asked, as he had been staring quietly at his character sheet.

“Sorry,” Klarion apologized with a frown. “It looks like I only gained a single level.”

“Oh! That is… strange…” Alesin responded with concern while her husband crossed his arms and frowned as well. “Not to question you, Klarion, but you are looking at the right place on your character sheet, right? The third row at the top?”

“Yes,” Klarion said somewhat softer, wondering if he had perhaps messed up some how. “Still just says level one, and it expanded to say I have a number of free points.”

“Well, that is… disappointing,” Rolfun said with a grimace. “Normally level zeros without a class gain experience at a large enough amount from fighting that they level quickly until they reach ten.” He turned to Alesin. “Perhaps our presence interfered in some way?”

“Perhaps,” Alesin shrugged. “But it really shouldn’t have.” She turned back to Klarion. “Well, there isn’t much we can do about it. So. How many free points do you have? If it’s ten then you should be in good shape for leveling your stats while at the Imperial Academy, but don’t be too disheartened if you fall short. There are ways to get around those limitations as you level since you will have the resources of House Blacksword upon graduation.”

“It’s a bit more than five,” Klarion said in a soft voice, the shock of what she said flashing through him like lightning. The smiles on their faces got bigger as he continued. “It’s actually more than ten as well.”

Rolfun laughed and clapped a massive hand on his back, sending Klarion stumbling slightly. “Ha! I knew you were going to turn out to be an elite of the next generation of House Blacksword. Alright, go on. Tell us. How many free points do you get per level? Is it twelve? Fifteen?”

“I get thirty free points.” Klarion continued speaking into the sudden, deafening silence, as if he needed to clarify the absolute absurdity of what he was saying. “Thirty free points. Per level.”

For a long, glacial moment, Rolfun and Alesin stood frozen at his side. So still did they stand, that any observer would almost think them statues. Rolfun’s hand tensed on his shoulder.

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

“Alesin.”

“One mile.”

With those three words, Alesin burst into flame. The cloak of fire she had been wearing earlier expanded to include a hood and boots made entirely of the substance. Reins on her power cast off, the sun elf bent her knees then blasted herself into the air over the tree tops. As soon as she disappeared through the leaves, Klarion heard a series of short blasts that gradually faded into the distance. The whole time, Rolfun’s hand held Klarion still.

“She is better at picking up on the presence of monsters, and spies, than I am,” Rolfun responded to the question Klarion had been about to ask. “She will check a mile circle around us to make sure we are clear, and that no one overheard…” the half-ogre hesitated, “…that absurd, and profoundly dangerous, claim you just made.”

For the briefest moment, as he stared at Rolfun, Klarion got the sense from his friend that he was truly out of his depth. While thirty points had seemed high to Klarion, the reaction of both of his escorts indicated that it might well be something more than that.

“Wha—”

“We’ll wait for the all-clear from Alesin,” Rolfun said as he turned his attention to the surrounding trees, his hand gripping even tighter on Klarion’s shoulder. “Don’t resist me if she says we need to move.”

The next few minutes were some of the longest of Klarion’s life. As the time slowly seeped away, he couldn’t stop the questions raging through his mind. What did thirty free points mean? Should he have kept the number to himself? And the most terrifying question of all: What did that number mean to his escorts? Finally, Alesin returned in a final burst of flame, the fires that garbed her flaring away all at once upon her landing. Breathing a bit heavily, she shook her head. They were clear.

All at once the tension in Rolfun’s body dissipated. Klarion, however, remained tense. He still did not know exactly what this all meant.

“Could one of you tell me exactly what’s going on?” he blurted out.

As if remembering where his hand was, Rolfun snatched it away from Klarion’s shoulder like it was he that was just recently on fire rather than his wife. Stepping back to come beside his wife, and apparently overwhelmed with the significance of what was going on, Rolfun bowed his head and slammed his fist to his chest in salute. “My apologies, Lord Klarion.”

“Rolfun,” Klarion said in as light-hearted a tone as he could muster in the stress of the moment. “I thought we went over this weeks ago. You don’t have to address me like that.”

“Lord, it is an ingrained habit, and one which brings a feeling of security with it in situations like this. You’ll have to forgive him…us.” Alesin said slowly.

“And what exactly is this situation?”

“The fact that you could easily be as powerful as a member of the ruling Imperial family in time.” Alesin spoke with complete solemnity. “It is not unprecedented, but it is exceedingly rare.”

“What do you mean? And how rare?”

“It’s a bit hard to put into context,” Alesin continued, as Rolfun still stood with his head bowed. Her eyes spied a leaf on the ground. Reaching down, she picked it up, showing it to Klarion while gesturing at the trees around them. “Take this leaf, for example. While it’s a nice one, being a pleasing shade of green and with four points, you only need to pick any tree around us and you can find hundreds, perhaps thousands more just like it. Now magnify that to include all the leaves in the forests of this world. That’s how common those who gain five free points or less per level are within the System.”

“And ten free points?”

“Those who fit that criterion would be like the trees themselves,” she brandished the leaf at the bark of the nearest tree. “Trillions of leaves on this world compared to billions of trees that shed them. Astronomically more rare.”

“And… those that gain thirty free points?”

Alesin opened her mouth, hesitated, then closed it. She remained silent but shook her head. The sun elf shifted side to side before she looked at the ground as well.

“Alesin? Look at me, please,” Klarion almost begged. It was clear that, based on their reactions, the number of points he received per level was not only a blessing but perhaps a curse as well. “I need to know. Just how much trouble am I in?”

Alesin sighed but looked back up at him. “Your existence might be likened to one of the most valuable trees in this world. The Soulwood Tree. Growing hundreds of feet in height, it possesses a bark that gleams silver in the moonlight and is crowned by iridescent leaves that shift colors during the season. When harvested, the wood itself carries an ethereal glow and has an inherent ability to absorb, channel, and amplify the magical abilities of its wielder once turned into weapons or armor. Its existence here is why the entire planet was fought for, then annexed into the Empire.”

“And how rare is this tree?”

Alesin went silent again.

Into that silence, Rolfun spoke words that shook Klarion to his core.

“A few thousand are estimated to remain on this entire planet,” Rolfun lifted his head to look into Klarion’s eyes. “Lord, most dream of ten free points. The strongest heroes are often only able to unlock barely fifteen free points per level. You could surpass the legends of the Empire’s founding.”

“Once you unlock a class,” Alesin whispered with her eyes fixed on Klarion, in equal measures horrified and awestricken, “the Emperor himself will be watching you.”