"What?"

Joe's manic grin and sudden request had caught her completely flat-footed. Joe didn't try to grab the crystal away, though he was sorely tempted. Instead, Joe took a deep breath and repeated his previous request. Though the manic grin would not leave his face no matter how hard he tried.

"You should have plenty of essence to level up and get a skill. Why do you need this?"

Diana's fingers had closed over the crystal, and Joe realized he wasn't getting it without a fight or more explanation. He took a deep breath and calmed himself before continuing.

"I unlocked the greatest skill ever, and I very much want to get it right now. I'm one essence short."

Joe moved his eyes towards the crystal and raised his eyebrows at the end. Joe's hands fidgeted at his sides but kept them there through heroic force of will.

"Hold up. How much essence do you have? How much does this skill cost? What does it do?"

Joe had hoped his boyish good looks and natural charm would prevent a long conversation, but the blood and a lingering scent of wet raccoon belch were probably hurting his cause. He controlled his excitement and prepared to convince Diana by any means necessary. Joe would give up any loot for the foreseeable future to make this happen today.

"I have six essence. The skill is called Diminishing Restraint, and it costs seven essence to unlock. It lets me get more bonus attributes."

Joe's smile was back in full force by the end, though it had never truly left his face. In all honesty, the skill was tremendous but a double-edged sword. Still, there was no question whether Joe would take it at such a low level.

Diminishing Restraint

Uncommon Skill

Mana cost - lesser / passive skill

1+(SL/20) bonus attributes obtainable per level. Bonus attributes require (100-SL)% more effort and essence to unlock.

The pillar no longer showed the skill description, but Joe had read it three times to make sure he understood. He'd tried to purchase it right away and been shocked that he didn't have enough essence. A glance showed he had maxed out at six levels, so the cost to unlock uncommon skills was seven times that of a common skill. That would have normally left the option of leveling up and getting the skill after that. At least that would have been the only option unless someone was holding a crystal filled with essence. Joe wouldn't know if that worked until they tried, but they would try it out eventually. It might as well be for this skill.

"Here," Diana said as she handed over the crystal. "We wouldn't have gotten this far if you hadn't been pushing forward."

Joe grabbed the crystal and ran back to the pillar. He selected back to the skills and tried to select Diminishing Restraint again. The option was still grey and unresponsive. Joe placed the crystal on the pillar, which dissolved in a flash of blue light. A pop-up off to the side informed him of what had just happened.

1 crystalized essence absorbed.

Note - excess essence must be used in this session or lost.

The skill selection was operable, and Joe slammed that button with the full force of his will. A confirmation screen showed up, and Joe breezed through that as well. After the confirmation screen faded, his new skill was available, and Joe's reality warped. Suddenly he felt like the System was all around him physically. It supported him but also held his body static as well. His mana level dipped before stabilizing, and Joe felt hairline cracks forming in the static wall surrounding his body and soul. He felt the invisible restraints lift a little, but then pressure from outside his body increased as well. A rough balance formed in and around Joe's body and soul. It was uncomfortable on a spiritual level, and Joe's panicked breathing brought Diana over to his side.

"Joe? What happened? Are you OK?"

Words wouldn't form, so Joe nodded his head and worked through the sensations. The unreality of the situation and his perception of the System was fading with every breath he took. In only a minute, Joe's perception of the world snapped back into his body, and he shuddered.

"That was unpleasant. I wouldn't recommend casually messing with the System in the future." Joe took a deep breath before continuing. "I'd still do it again, but it was unpleasant."

"Are you going to be OK while I level up? I've hit the limit on Attributes."

Joe nodded, and Diana went over to the pillar. It didn't take long, and she returned with a spring in her step. Joe didn't blame her. Leveling up felt great. It was sort of a mix between a good night's sleep and the tingle of your first kiss with a dash of a random upper thrown in the middle somewhere. He looked over at her with envy for a moment, but he'd made his decision, and it was the right one for the long term. Having a skill that gave him bonus attributes at level three would leverage his attribute advantage even further. The information that came was a great bonus.

1+(SL/20) bonus attributes obtainable per level. Bonus attributes require (100-SL)% more effort and essence to unlock.

That answered one of the questions that had been brewing in the back of Joe's mind for a while. What triggers the creation of a bonus attribute, and why did it only happen in rifts? The fight with the hound was far and far tougher than the boss they'd just faced, so why wasn't it possible to get attributes if you had the capacity? Essence was the answer. You needed essence to fuel those changes; at least for now, essence only seemed to come from rifts. Diana sat near him as he continued to recover, and his raised eyebrow made Joe's question clear.

"Fortitude. It sucks to earn, and I don't want the first love tap to cave in my chest."

Joe nodded at that sage advice. It wasn't long until he trusted his body and senses enough to get moving. He did some slow stretches, and when everything worked correctly, he signaled for them to leave through the portal. Diana nodded in relief; no doubt worried that Joe would try to push for more essence and check out the next series of monsters. Usually, she'd be correct, but Joe felt raw, and his mana slowly dropped as all his passives drew beyond his poor mana regeneration.

They both stepped out of the rift together, and the afternoon sunlight dazzled their eyes for a moment. It had only been four hours since they entered the rift, and going from the false dusk had been jarring to Joe's increased senses. Fortunately, no one was around, and they walked back to Diana's old apartment.

The mana draw tapered off, and Joe realized that his new skill only seemed to be active inside of the rifts. That was great news as Joe wanted his regeneration to run to its heart's content. The thought of stutter-stepping regeneration until he finished healing wasn't pleasant.

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

They finished the short walk to the apartment. Everyone else was there and waiting on them, as their run had taken the longest despite their solid clear speed. Questions abounded for a moment, and Diana fielded most of them. Her reveal of hitting level four was met with various congratulations and appropriate awe.

"How's the next level treating you, Joe?" Travis looked genuinely curious, and Joe knew he couldn't avoid the issue.

"I didn't level up. I picked up a skill instead."

All eyes had turned in Joe's direction, and it was an even mix of curiosity and concern on most of their faces. Nik looked stoic instead, and Joe was pretty sure that wouldn't change for less than a full-on disaster.

"It's going to be a long talk. Let's head back, so I only have to tell it once. Nothing bad happened." Joe added the last part as the looks of concern had only intensified in the short time he'd been speaking.

No one liked the answer, but there wasn't any arguing, for which Joe was grateful. He felt wrung out by the day and wasn't sure if it was the healing or the skill that was taking more out of him. Ultimately it didn't matter what caused it, and Joe dismissed the questions from his mind so he could focus on the trip back.

The trip was uneventful. Nik led the way, and nothing stopped the group on their way home. The house looked the same, with children playing in the evening sun while Jennifer watched them and Carl continued to garden. Now that they were home, a sparse dinner of smoked heart meat with stewed cattail roots and a berry was served. Everyone was sick of the lack of diversity, but no one was starving. Once everyone had some food, Travis spoke up again.

"So no level and a skill instead. There has to be a story there. "

Joe told the story of their rift run. He tried to lay everything important out, and there were more than a few people that wanted clarification. Deena wanted a better breakdown of the new monsters. Travis wanted info on essence crystals and their use. The text on Joe's skill had drawn people just like it had for him. They finally had some information on essence and bonus attributes.

It was getting dark when they were done talking, and Jennifer was ushering the kids upstairs to get ready for bed. Joe was wiped and took the second watch so that he could lie down. It felt like his head had just hit the pillow when Carl shook him awake.

"You good, Joe?"

"I've got this, Carl. It was just a long day. Get some rest."

The older man took his place, and Joe took a position in the kitchen. The watch was uneventful, and Mike woke up and gave him a break at false dawn. Joe gratefully laid back down and slept soundly for a few more hours.

Kids thundered down the stairs about an hour after dawn, and so everyone was now awake. Who needed a rooster when you had children? Joe stretched and sat outside. People joined him, and they discussed the day. They were rift running again, and this time Joe would take Travis solo, followed by Carl. It was time to get both of them leveled up, and Joe could solo those bosses as long as he was careful.

When they talked about rifts, Joe remembered the apple seed and pulled it out of his pocket with a flourish before handing it to Carl.

"Treant reward. It looks like an apple seed. Do you think you could get it growing?"

Carl frowned at the small seed in his hand for a moment before replying.

"I can get it growing, but I doubt you'll get any apples for a few years." Carl paused a moment in thought before he continued. "Is this where we're staying long term?"

"I honestly have no idea, Carl. This may surprise you, but I've been mostly making it up as I go. What brings that up now?"

"These seeds have mana in them, and I think they'd grow better near a mana source like the rift. For seasonal veggies, it's no big deal, but it's better to plan for the long term with trees."

Joe nodded his head and thought about the issue. Carl had a good point. The only reason they originally picked this house was to get away from the hounds. One of those hounds was still out there, and Joe didn't think for a second that it wouldn't be back sooner than later. Frank was still an issue, but if their power leveled everyone, that threat would diminish. Finally, he still needed to get Nik back to his town. The older man was less concerned now that one of the hounds was dead, but he would want to go back soon.

Great minds think alike, as the group had largely the same thoughts and issues. Nothing was decided that minute and it was agreed they'd run rifts, garden, forage, and scavenge as they'd planned earlier. It would be good for the group to get a few more levels, skill levels, essence, and of course, the loot. With that decided, everyone except Deena and Mike geared up and headed out to face the monsters once again.

The coast was clear, and Joe took Travis into the rift while leaving Carl at the condo. Nik and Diana went in before them. Joe noticed Travis flinch as they entered and felt a pang of sympathy for the man. Travis obviously hated the fighting but knew it was necessary. Joe could respect that. At least he wasn't dead weight.

"Travis." The other man jumped at Joe's words. "Here's how we're going to do this. I'll kill all of them but one. I want you to focus on killing a gnoll each time. You've got a spear, and they're kinda dumb. If it looks like you're in trouble, I'll step in, but you'll get a lot more essence if you kill one yourself. We'll clear all four rooms and then rest. We'll clear them out a second time before I solo the fox. You just need to stay clear on that one. You got this."

Joe added the last part as he saw the look of fear cross Travis's face whenever he brought up monsters. They moved forward and tackled the first group. Travis was...terrible at fighting. His coordination and strength weren't that bad, but somehow he had no idea how to apply them. Joe was starting to feel bad for the gnoll when Travis finished it at stab number thirteen or so. The man knelt panting on the grass, and Joe mentally revised their schedule to include rest after every room.

That's exactly what happened. They crawled through the first set of rooms with breaks after each one. Then they made their slow way back, and Joe did his best to mask his impatience when Travis locked up. Joe looked over at the man as he fell to the side, worried that somehow he'd missed a snake. Travis's words reassured him and got his heart working again. Joe was pretty sure if something happened to Travis, then Deena would make him suffer.

"Strength. Only one more to go."

"Congrats. Sit up and eat a berry. I'll work you through the mental exercises to get glamour and control. Once you've got that last one, we'll kill the fox."

Travis had been hesitant to use more of the fruit, but Joe pointed out that stronger people would be worth more than a couple of berries in the long run. Besides, Joe had eaten several already to work on his skill gain as well. He needed to get some more magical stats.

Being in the rift had started his new skill up again. The moment of vertigo had been minimal this time, but the mana drain had started immediately. It was a slow drain, but as long as his regeneration was running, he would be losing mana. Every break, he'd sat down and focused on the mana from the berry and in his body. He moved it however he could, focusing on his injuries and doing whatever was possible to get control. No dice.

"That's what I get for taking a skill that openly says it will make progression harder," Joe mumbled while he waited on Travis. After an eternity or fifteen more minutes, Travis locked up for a moment before yelling, "glamour!"

"Congrats. Let's go kill a fox and get you out of here."

Travis didn't say anything else, but he nodded very enthusiastically. The fight with the fox was almost embarrassingly easy. Joe woke it up with a kick to the face and then watched until it made an inevitable dive at Travis. To the man's credit, he stood firm and braced his spear. It didn't matter as Joe shoulder-checked the fox out of the way before beheading it. Joe winced at the twinge in his ribs, but it wasn't bad considering they'd broken only days earlier.

"Go over and put your hand on the pillar. A menu will pop up. Level up and then either get a skill or level yours if you have enough essence."

Joe sat down to eat a berry and work on his healing and attributes while he waited on Travis. Ten minutes later, the berry was done, and Joe felt better, but no attributes were coming yet. His mana was at about half. They'd taken a long time for a first boss clear, but he hadn't used anything except his passive skills.

Travis leveled up and put his attribute in fortitude. Seeing Joe take what should have been fatal wounds and stay among the living left an impression on everyone. That and Diana had told everyone what Joe had done to earn it as a bonus. No one was looking for that training.

They went outside, and despite their slow clear speed, it was still short of noon. Carl gave the men water at the condo, and then he and Joe went back into the rift after Joe's mana filled back to full. Carl didn't like fighting more than Travis, but he didn't flinch when the monsters came at them. They cleared all the meadows twice and killed the fox in under an hour before resting. Joe checked the pillar and saw he was only sitting at two essence. These low-level monsters didn't give him very much anymore.

Once they'd both refreshed with a berry and worked towards their attributes, they started on the next path. Carl did flinch when the light suddenly shifted, but Joe didn't blame him. As they made their short walk, Joe filled him in on the new monsters and how the gnolls and snakes would be faster. They went slower than before, and no unforeseen incidents took place.

Both men were sweaty and tired as they stood before the treant two hours later. Joe had insisted on the double clear so that Carl would have an escape route if something went wrong.

The fight with the treant went well, but both of the men took stinging swipes from stray roots. Joe mostly took his keeping them away from Carl. The positive side was that Joe got to practice his bite skill on several different roots before they finally killed the stupid tree. The downside was it still tasted like shit, and his poison resistance and tough skin skills kicking in made his mana drop like a stone.

Joe glanced at the odd fluffy tuft that the treant dropped, then immediately ate a berry and focused on the poison. Carl knew how to level, and if he had the essence, he'd level up his skill as well. Putting food on the table faster was priority number one. Joe had told the man to pick his own attributes when asked. That was personal, and Joe wouldn't try to guilt him into min/maxing his magic.

They left tired and a little worse for wear as they met up with the others at the condo. It was afternoon, and they all went back. Mike had rigged up a bucket shower with some scrap plywood, lumber, and a tarp. It didn't last very long, and there was no pressure as the water rinsed over the user. None of that mattered, and Joe would have kissed the man for this wonderous gift from the gods.

Life was good.

That night they heard the other hounds call coming from near the rift.