“Ugh,” I was getting annoyed of waking up with hangovers. Shouldn’t my stats help with these? I rubbed my temples as I got up. Last night's events came rushing back to me, up until Vox dragged me out of the bar. The goblin came to mind, and I couldn’t help but wonder how so much alcohol could fit in such a small body. I opened the left side of my vest and reached into the pocket. Inside was a flask of water. It was a bronze flask treated with wax inside to avoid corrosion. Its surface engraved with rolling waves had piqued my interest on the way to the bar, and I decided to buy it for quick access to water in case of hangovers. Luckily, I had gotten the bartender to fill it before I started drinking, because I needed it sorely.
After relieving the flask of its contents, I opened my door. I swore the sun was closer today than yesterday as its rays stung my eyes like a thousand bees. After the light came the noise of the port. My [Enhanced Hearing] was doing me no favors as my head throbbed in response to the sudden noises. The sudden blindness, pain, and confusion caused me to stumble, and I felt my hip bump into something. I felt myself tumble over the object, and my Constitution allowed my eyes to adjust quick enough to see the fast approaching water below. I crashed through the water’s surface headfirst, the cold and moist environment shocking my body awake entirely. My body’s instincts kicked in and my fins popped out and my gills flared. Water rushed through, and the sensation of getting oxygen and hydration simultaneously made me shiver.
I could clearly see the world below the waves. There were pipes coming from under the docks, likely carrying waste, traveling out to deeper sea, where they would empty the contents while causing minimal disturbance to sea life. Schools of fish swam around dock posts, coming and going from further out to sea under the hulls of ships cutting their paths through the water. I watched as fish dipped under the shelf, to the reef below. It was a mesmerizing sight.
“Are you okay, Captain?!” I turned to see Henry swimming up to me. Behind him, a jet of air bubbles descends from the surface. Ghili bursts through the bubbles and stops next to Henry.
“Wesawyougoovertherailing. Wewereworriedsincewe’veneverseenyou stumblelikethat.” Ghili’s speech slurred from speaking too quickly.
“I’m fine [Cadets]. I was just a little disoriented. I’m feeling a little better now that I’m in the water,” I put my hands on top of their heads and ruffled their hair.
While Ghili giggled, Henry scowled. “[First Marine] Darkfin requested your presence as soon as you awoke. Also, I’m a [Squire] and a [Cadet], Captain. Please treat me with dignity.” I knew he was being serious, but it was too damn cute to take it as such.
“Sure thing kid, but where is David?” I asked.
“Uncle David is on the upper deck with everyone else,” Ghili said cheerfully.
“Everyone was on the top deck?” Worry began to set in.
“Yup, everyone. I wonder why no one else came to check on you?” Henry stroked his chin.
I put my legs together and kicked. I shot forward, arms at my side, fins moving slightly to adjust my direction. I swam in a wide arc, picking up speed with every moment. I came to face the Frami and ended my arc, moving straight forward. Just before I went under the ship, I angled upward. The air was cold as it rushed past, and before I knew it, I was 40 feet in the air. I made sure of my landing point as I began to fall. My landing was graceful, like a greased landing in Medal of Honor: Airborne. Unfortunately, my smooth landing wasn't able to impress the group of grown adults laughing uncontrollably on the deck. Once more, Vox was the loudest, literally rolling on the ground laughing his ass off. “Vox, you’re mopping the deck again,” Vox stopped still. The speed at which his momentum depleted seemed to defy physics. “Henry will be your supervisor this time.”
“Thank you for your mercy, Captain,” he was on his knees bowing to me now. I nodded.
“For now, can anyone tell me what happened after Vox dragged me out of the bar? It's still a little hazy,” I said. Delilah’s skin darkened, Vox and Ford frowned and everyone else grew various grins. Helena’s spoke of villany, Rita’s of paternal joy, and David’s of innocent mischief.
“You don’t remember, Cap’n? Hohoooo, don’t worry too much. Since your stat training is over, the rest of your training can begin!” David said with glee. Everyone’s reactions flew out of my mind as I remember where Helena supposedly got her cruel tendencies from. Panic set in, and I would have ran back to the ocean if my legs were not frozen in fear.
“Don’t worry, Cap’n, this training is for skills and levels. It won’t be so monotonous, and it’s fun!” David attempted to cheer me up. Unfortunately, I could only see [Swordsmanship] training being fun for him. I could feel the bruises forming already. “Get some breakfast first, but right after we start. Even though there’s no time limit, only fools and weaklings dilly dally on training.”
----------------------------------------
“Okay Cap’n, let’s start with a spar. I ought to see how you fight before I can train you properly,” David stood across from me on the deck. His massive figure was terrifying to be across from. If I had to guess, he was about 6’11”, maybe 300 lbs? Almost all muscle, with a thin layer of fat making him look more like a world’s strongest man competitor as opposed to a Mr. Olympia competitor. “Ready kid?”
“Never will be,” I responded. I rushed towards David with a sword hand and a pistol in the other. As I got in striking distance, [Danger Sense] pinged me. Right after, I got a faint feeling from another Skill. I didn’t have enough time to figure it out, so I just trusted it. Just as David’s sword, dulled, making it more a heap of iron than a sword, was about to bat me across the deck and overboard, I felt a pull, and then I was looking at David’s back. I didn’t have time to take advantage though, as he used the momentum of his earlier swing to turn around and continue his attack. I took a step back and raised my pistol. A shot rang out, the sound changed through magic to let people know it was a rubber round used for training as opposed to something that required an arrest. The guards would still come to investigate to make sure someone didn’t illegally enchant a lethal round, but that wasn’t my concern as David used his massive sword to block my shot at point blank range.
I dove forward again, hoping to pick up momentum. I swung my sword aiming for his leg, hoping his sword would block his vision enough. It was a fool's errand though, as he stepped out of range and pushed the rest of himself into me, knocking me back. I managed to catch myself, and quickly jumped over David, who had managed to get in range for another game ending swing. He changed trajectory almost immediately, and began an upward swing that would meet me in the air. I reached out with [Water Magic], hoping I could do something before I was sent to space. I did feel a draw from my mana, but it was too late. I hastily put my sword in between me and the launch device. I felt the impact, and then I was 60 feet over the water in an uncontrolled tumble. I waved my aching arms hoping to gain control of my fall, but unfortunately, deep elves were not an ariel species. I hit the water, hard. Now that I was in the water, I was able to get my bearings and swam to the ship, wincing all the way.
David was waiting for me on the deck, “That was better than I expected. Your stats are higher than I thought, and you used your Skills alright. Not well, but alright. That teleport though, what was that? [Dark], [Void], or [Space]? Probably not dark, not shadowy enough.”
“Had to have been [Void Magic]. I just sort of trusted a feeling I got from a Skill I couldn’t identify, but I don’t have [Space] or [Dark Magic].
David stroked his chin, “Would you mind sharing your status? I want to adjust my strength to your level properly so that we can actually train your skills instead of just beating the ever loving shit out of you. Eventually, it will be beneficial to fight someone with significantly higher stats and skill, but for now, one or the other will be more beneficial.”
I gave silent thanks to Njord for looking out for me before trying to will my Status to be shared. I suspected it worked like everything else, and I appeared to be right as not long after David froze. I pulled it up myself.
‘Ooh [Void Magic] leveled. The teleport was definitely [Void Magic] then.’
“The fuck is this? Your stats are a little higher than I expected from the spar, but the rest of your Status is fucking bonkers. You should have had only a few skills above level two. Maybe a couple level three, one level four if your classes synergized on it well enough, or if your aptitude was great enough, but what the hell! You should have only gotten [Poison Resistance] three weeks ago, but it's already level four? Helena, I need some help!” I knew there was going to be something, but what is to warrant this kind of reaction? Also, what did they expect when the majority of food and drink I got while under intense training was poisoned? Isn’t it normal I would level the skill quickly?
Helena came running up from below deck in a panic, “What's wrong, is everyone okay?”
“Everything’s fine sweet heart, but I need you to tell me if this Status is still within the normal realm of world traveler shenanigans. I shared my Status with Helena too.
Name
Roland 'Riggz' Matthews
Race
Deep-Elf (Lycanthrope)
Age
24(Appears Human 17)
Class
Abyssal Swashbuckler
Level
1
Exp
0
Subclass
Commander of the Deep
Level
1
Exp
0
Profession 1
Strategist
Rank
9
Profession 2
Sailor
Rank
6
Hp
440/400+40
Regen
440+44/day
Sp
594/540+54
Resting Regen
440+44/hour
Mp
1056/880+88+88
Regen
360/hr
Qi
15/15
Absorption
13/hr
Strength
18
Clarity
18
Constitution
20
Intelligence
20
Endurance
18
Wisdom
22
Vitality
22
Attunement
13
Agility
22
If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.
Will
15
Dexterity
20
Free Stat Points
251
Skill
Level
Skill
Level
Navigation (Nautical)
5
Swordsmanship
1
Command
1
Marksmanship
1
Helmsmanship
6
Sneak
1
Ambush
1
Intimidation
1
Animal understanding
1
Climbing
2
Knotsmanship
5
Tracking
1
Haggling
1
Void Magic
3
Water Magic
3
Magic Enhancement
1
Penmanship
3
Danger Sense
2
Poison Resistance
4
Free Running
2
Meditation
2
Helena was practically salivating. “No, it's not,” She tilted her head and gave me a weird smile. “Captain, would you care to tell me how you obtained two legendary foundation [Classes], and 251 free stat points?”
I was genuinely confused, “Isn’t it the norm for world travelers to have an advantage like this? You talked about them like they were really strong.”
“Yes, world travelers are always powerful, but it's a miracle for them to have one legendary foundation [Classes], and records say most start with 30-40 free stat points. That’s already an advantage of three levels worth of allocated stats, or five levels of free stats. The bonus three free stats and four allocated stats that come with having two epic foundations is what solidifies that boost into the power that defines a world traveler. That advantage will only become clearer as they grow in levels. One legendary foundation [Class] is a power that usually results in a millennia old empire failing to conquer a small kingdom in the middle of buttfuck nowhere. Two is how that millennia old empire came to be.”
I let that sink in for a moment before answering, “It probably has to do with that game I was telling you guys about. The windows from my synchronization had mentioned compensation for overleveled [Classes]. The [Classes] were level 150, the max in VoV. The compensation was free stats and my classes. 225 points from that, 12 from the double points from [Legendary Prodigy], and 14 as a gift from Njord.”
“Your [Classes] were level 150, not your character?” Helena asked wide eyed.
“Yeah, my character was technically level 600. From each [Class]; 50 to reach first advancement, 100 for second, and then 150 levels in the final stage, resetting to level 1 but keeping stats and Skills for every advancement,” It made me wonder if the compensation would have been different if it was based on my character level.
“By the Patriarch,” David looked at me appraisingly.
“It's not like that power translated to real life. If I could share my memories with you, you would probably be less impressed,” I was blushing from their gazes, “It wasn’t anything special either. If the entire wedding really came here, there’s anywhere between 30 and 100 people with a similar status as mine,” that got a reaction.
“Let’s ignore the implications of that statement, and focus on you. I don’t think I can handle thinking about that. For now, you should continue sparring with Dad. Ford will teach you what he can about your magic in between your swordsmanship training. He also uses [Water Magic], but I don’t think he ever picked up [Void Magic],” Helena said.
“He didn’t, although he does have [Dark Magic] which is closely related. He said a lot of the magic almost directly transfers,” David supplied, equally quick to dismiss the earlier topic.
“We should leave port soon too. If he has so many stats, he may be able to get a [Title] for killing something that vastly out levels him by himself, and it would be easier if it was in our element,” Speak of a young old man, and he shall appear. I know it’s supposed to be the ‘speak of the Devil,’ but her and her father were already in front of me.
“I was thinking the same, but we should make sure we figure out how his [Classes] work beforehand. We don’t want to put all his points into Endurance, only to find out all his [Class] abilities use mana like they seem to. Not that he doesn’t already have a ridiculous mana pool for his level,” Helena added.
“I like the sound of that. We leave at 24:00 tonight. Make sure the others know,” I said.
----------------------------------------
It’s now the Ninth of the First Pantheon. This is my 31st day in Aesirvale, and I’ve never been more excited. After we left the port, it was back to nonstop training again. Nine days of an extended stay in hell on the high seas. But, today I get a break. I’ve finally got a handle on what my first [Class] does. [Abyssal Swashbuckler] lends itself to fighting with sword and pistol like I expected, but it's more than that. I can use my magic, [Sneak], and [Ambush] to confuse and disorient my opponent in a deadly dance, all while enchanting my sword and pistol attacks with magical effects. It’s pretty badass if I do say so myself.
Unfortunately, we were still uncertain of how my [Subclass] operates, but we have a general idea based on its name, [Commander of the Deep], the stats it provides, and which of my Skills it seemed to provide. It likely gave me levels in my magic and many of my nautical Skills alongside [Abyssal Swashbuckler], but [Command], [Animal Understanding], and [Tracking] also likely came from it, although [Animal Understanding] may be from my connection to Njord, who is the patron god of deep sea creatures. It's likely a class based on leading allies, potentially tamed creatures, and supporting with ranged magic. As I level, I’ll likely receive more Skills that will enhance my allies or let me coordinate them better. My magic will likely lean towards using my magic to change the battlefield. My [Void Magic] will also likely develop its death aspect through this class as well.
Ford was very excited about my [Void Magic]. It’s exactly one in a million, but it is rare, and versatile. [Void Magic] mixes aspects of three different branches of magic: [Dark Magic], [Space Magic], and [Death Magic]. The first two branches just allow me to do much, not all, but much of what a mage with either of the magics on their own would do. The death aspect though? Having it through [Void Magic] allows for something unique. Most [Death Mages] rely on necromancy, raising and/or contracting the dead as undead. As a [Void Magic] user, if my magic developed as it usually does, I would be able to contract spirits that have already crossed the void into the astral plane. Ford was unsure of what the exact advantages of that were, but he did know that it infuriated most [Death Mages].
Anyway, since we got a handle on my [Classes], it was time to allocate my free stats. I didn’t understand why everyone was so insistent that they all be present, but I allowed it. They had said they wanted to see what would happen when someone allocated so many points at once, but I suspected they had additional motives. I ignored it though, as I was also interested in how it would feel once it was over. I opened my Status with anticipation.
Name
Roland 'Riggz' Matthews
Race
Deep-Elf (Lycanthrope)
Age
24(Appears Human 17)
Class
Abyssal Swashbuckler
Level
1
Exp
0
Subclass
Commander of the Deep
Level
1
Exp
0
Profession 1
Strategist
Rank
9
Profession 2
Sailor
Rank
6
Hp
440/400+40
Regen
440+44/day
Sp
594/540+54
Resting Regen
440+44/hour
Mp
1056/880+88+88
Regen
360/hr
Qi
15/15
Absorption
13/hr
Strength
18
Clarity
18
Constitution
20
Intelligence
20
Endurance
18
Wisdom
22
Vitality
22
Attunement
13
Agility
22
Will
15
Dexterity
20
Free Stat Points
251
Skill
Level
Skill
Level
Navigation (Nautical)
5
Swordsmanship
2
Command
1
Marksmanship
1
Helmsmanship
6
Sneak
1
Ambush
1
Intimidation
1
Animal understanding
1
Climbing
2
Knotsmanship
5
Tracking
1
Haggling
1
Void Magic
4
Water Magic
3
Magic Enhancement
2
Penmanship
3
Danger Sense
2
Poison Resistance
4
Free Running
2
Meditation
2
Traits
Darksense
Water-Sight
Enhanced Hearing
Enhanced Sense of Smell
Enhanced Sense of Taste
True Amphibian(gills, retractable webbing and fins, breathable skin)
Water Filtration
Lycanthropy
Money Sense
Heart of the Ship
Titles
Legendary Prodigy- Increases exp gain. Skills will level up faster. Double the free stats awarded from levels.
Pirate Captain- Allows you to grant [Naval] [Rank Titles] lesser than your own to your crew. While engaging in ranged naval combat, your presence enhances the effect of your crew’s Dexterity, Intelligence, and Constitution by 20%. When performing boarding actions against a hostile, your presence enhances the effect of your crew’s Strength, Agility, and Will by 20%. When tracking and stalking at sea, you, your ship, and your crew are 50% harder to detect. When disengaging from an opponent at sea, your ship’s speed increases by 25%. [Navigation(Nautical)] levels 15% faster. The effects of Intelligence are increased by 10% while at sea. [Helmsmanship] levels 15% faster. The effects of Wisdom are increased by 10% while at sea.
Child of Njord- Grants [Money Sense]. When at sea, the effects of Agility, Constitution, Endurance, Vitality, and Wisdom are increased by 10%. You may feel the desire to target ships belonging to those who disrespected the sea.
I took a deep breath and started.
Str +23
Con +21
End +25
Vit +25
Agi +25
Dex +21
Clr +33
Int +30
Wis +23
Atu +10
Wil +15
Total +251
Confirm Allocation? Y/N
I looked over the amounts. I initially wasn’t going to invest in my qi stats, but after some thinking and discussion, I decided it was for the best. Will would keep me from getting hit too hard by fear effects, and Attunement would allow me to better gauge the strength of qi users. I prioritized Clarity and Intelligence over Wisdom since Wisdom was already ahead, got four points every level, and Clarity gave so many bonuses useful in both direct and indirect combat, and out of combat. Itelligence was a priority mostly for the cast speed boost. Sure more effective magic is a nice bonus too, but when my fighting style relies on being up close and personal, being as fast as possible with my magic is best. The rest of my decisions were gut feelings if I was being honest. Satisfied, I selected yes.
A chill washed over me, I could feel the power. Until the pain hit. It was agonizing, hot pain, all over my body. I could feel my muscles, bones and organs, warp, tear, grow, and condense over and over. My mind expanded and collapsed on itself. My thoughts became clearer, denser, sturdier, like they were physical things. The worst part of it all was that it didn’t numb with time. Instead, I only became more aware of it all. No part of me was exempt from change, I couldn’t cry or scream, as my vocal chords and tear ducts warped, my senses repeatedly blinking in and out as the organs that supplied them changed as well, yet somehow the pain always stayed.
After what felt like days, it finally ended, and I let the darkness take me.