Darkness is what met Will's eyes upon awakening.
I can't remember a damn thing in great detail, I remember some very nice people in blue a lot of beeping a lot of pain then… nothing at all. Where am I?
As if on queue a bright warm light enveloped Will's consciousness. A a soft feminine voice gently spoke "Ah you are finally awake. Been waiting on you for quite a while. William Willow, I don't know know whether to congratulate or feel sad. You cheated fate through sheer will alone. Your wife was not so lucky and she's been gone from your life for a long time. Thankfully I have a proposition for you and it is completely in your favor. You just have to do one thing and it's something you have done for your entire life love your wife eternally. That is it that one condition anything else that is prompted by the system is up to you."
William quickly mulled over the proposition and came to a few questions.
"Alright sounds a bit to good to be true. Mind if we go over some questions before I accept."
"There are no stipulations that prohibit you. So ask away."
"Question the first what do you mean by 'I got lucky'. Question the second how eternal we talking because I think I made it to eighty-two if my memory is correct. That doesn't even make it to a drop in the pond of eternity. Question the third what is this system you mentioned."
"In order then" In a drone like voice "You were fated to die the day of Matilda's death, your will prevented a short life. Eternal is eternity or when this agreement ends."
William heard a few words muttered such as 'brother' 'we' and 'bored' but it didn't make much sense to him, currently at least. The voice continued.
"As for the system well I am quite sure you are familiar with certain games that are called RPGs in your world. It's like that but you are the character that running around do labors to increase those 'stats'. Does this end your questions?"
Not even in the slightest lady voice but let's get on with it.
"Sure let's move. I guess I accept your proposition."
"Great!!" William couldn't help but notice and wonder why the lady voice sounded like a child finally getting to play with their new toys.
"OK so now we can proceed with the hero character creation. It's mostly handled by the system but I will need to ask a few questions of you. Sound good?"
"Yeah sure." No it isn't 'good'
"Alrighty, first question. Black or White?"
"In what context?"
"Color of screen, color not chosen is text color."
"Black, don't feel like getting blinded in a cave."
"Done, next question. Pen or the sword"
"Pen"
"Life or fantasy?"
"Again, in what context?"
"Uh... not sure something about transposing skills known?"
"I guess life then. I had fingers in all the pies of knowledge."
“Next up. General… or Learned? Don’t ask on context its gibberish.”
“Learned then.”
“Ok the system finally assigned your class. Ooo... it’s a five star. I’ll let you look it over while I add my stuff.”
The next moment Will felt as if he got slapped in the face as a black field with white text appeared in front of him. The sound of a cheap party favor and then a handful of what felt like confetti also smacked him in the face.
----------------------------------------
[ Congratulations you have earned the class Arcane Engineer a five star class!! ]
[ This class matches your career in your other life with that of this world while giving strong bonuses and room for growth in many other fields. Current holders of class: 1 ]
[Class Description: The arcane engineer creates instead of conjures. Using a specialized type of arcane magic the engineer only limitation are the nearby materials, their mana pool, their understanding of the universe, and their imagination. Whether it be large or small, Mundane or magical, anything can be made to last permanently.]
[ Class Skills received at Lvl: 1
**NEW**[ Create Lvl: 1 ]
**NEW**[ Conceptualize Lvl: 1 ]
**NEW**[ Design Library [Passive] ]
**NEW**[ Contract Lvl: 1 ]
----------------------------------------
William curiously poked at the words that looked almost like hyperlinks. He tentatively poked the Design Library skill. The screen expanded slightly to accommodate both a description and what looked to be an empty list.
----------------------------------------
[ Class Skills ]
[ Create Lvl: 1 ]
[ Conceptualize Lvl: 1 ]
[ Design Library [Passive]
Description: The [ Design Library ] is a library of creations the engineer has touched or used [ Conceptualize ] or [ Create ].
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
The library expands as the engineer creates infinitely and allows for ease of use.
Current Library contains: Empty
[ Contract Lvl: 1 ]
----------------------------------------
William minimized [ Design Library ] and took a look at [ Conceptualize ] next.
----------------------------------------
[ Class Skills ]
[ Create Lvl: 1 ]
[ Conceptualize Lvl: 1 ]
Description: [ Conceptualize ] allows the arcane engineer to both see an object in real space or pick points to lock the concept in place and sculpt it with thought. Current max volume of object for [ Conceptualize ] is a 5ft cube increases with level.
[ Design Library [Passive] ]
[ Contract Lvl: 1 ]
----------------------------------------
Well that’s extremely helpful. Wish I had that when I was working at the firm to bad on the size. I can guess what the last skill does by the name alone. So what is [ Contract ]?
----------------------------------------
[ Class Skills ]
[ Create Lvl: 1 ]
[ Conceptualize Lvl: 1 ]
[ Design Library [Passive] ]
[ Contract Lvl: 1 ]
Description: The way the engineer earns their experience and expands their mana pool. The engineer makes a contract with a willing single creature. Both parties must accept the terms. Both during the contract creation process and the duration of the contract both the engineer and the contractor can understand each other. During the duration of the contract both parties are immune to all types of damage from either party of the contract. The contract is eternal until the one side of the contract is dead.
Current Contracts (1/2)
Bet of Eternal Love: You are currently under a contract of the gods. Keep your eternal love alive eternally. Unable to give further detail.
----------------------------------------
Curiously William asks the light “So what what exactly are you adding”
“Just the [ Immortal ] skill at the max level of five, nothing much can’t have you dying permanently, again, that would be against the bet.”
Bet? “Whats this about a bet?”
“...”
“Are you gonna answer.”
“...”
“William Willow to light in the darkness voice do you read me?”
“Well the cats out of the bag now, I guess. Yes a bet. For the record I am rooting for you and your wife to stay together.”
“Whats the bet about?”
“Whether or not mortal love if given eternity will last.”
“Who are you betting against?”
“My brother. Lets… Lets just move on okay.” William could cut the embarrassment venting off that remark if he had hands or knife for that matter.
“Anyways I have a few more in depth question for you as the [ Immortal ] skill comes with some irremovable curses thankfully the main one of resetting your mana for each level gained is muted for you being only level one. I can also offset the first level curse by negating it with a boon so it cancels. The fifth level curse is a choice. So would you rather have to choose which sense is negated for an entire year and you have to cycle through every sense to reset your choices. Or would you rather never be allowed to cross a body of water more then thirty feet deep?”
“Water definitely.”
“Ok that just about does it except the fun part the curse and minor skill roulette”
“Alright sounds great as long as I don’t get a bad one”
A wheel of fortune appears on another window each slice of the wheel has a curse and a minor skill. This time when the window appears it feels as if its a punch to the face for William.
This system is not very nice
“So just spin the wheel and we will see what you get.”
William passes a hand over the wheel and spins it with all his ethereal might. The wheel spins in a colorful rainbow and is mesmerizing to watch. Eventually it begins to slow and come to a stop. A displays You’re a Winner. The wheel then disapears and on Will’s main window two categories appear.
----------------------------------------
[ Class Skills ]
[ Create Lvl: 1 ]
[ Conceptualize Lvl: 1 ]
[ Design Library [Passive] ]
[ Contract Lvl: 1 ]
[ Learned Skills ]
**NEW**[ Universal Translator [Passive] ]
[Curses]
**NEW**[ Curse of Thalassophobia ]
**NEW**[ Curse of the Pacifist ]
----------------------------------------
If William could raise an eyebrow he would have as he poked for the descriptions of both curses and the new skill.
----------------------------------------
[ Universal Translator [Passive] ]
Description: You may speak to anyone or anything. Be it flora or fauna, creature or object. You will never find something you can’t talk to.
[ Curse of Thalassophobia ]
Description: You are unable to cross bodies of water more then thirty feet deep. Ships and boats count. No magical flight.
[ Curse of the Pacifist ]
Description: You are physically unable to deal great amounts of direct damage. Ranged weaponry counts. All damage dealt is always one.
----------------------------------------
Well this sucks. But I think there are some possible loop holes here. William slowly read both curses over and chuckled.Guess there aren’t any airplanes or airships in this world. I also wonder if a simple trap would bypass this. Things to test I guess. Love the translator but now I don’t get to hear all the funny sounding fantasy languages I think that’s more of an actual curse.
“I think I can work around these quite easily. So what’s next?”
“Point spending and finalization of your page. Oh and as a small test I will personally take the achievement of giving you your first contract”
Williams screen blinks as the categories on his screen start to look more finalized he then sees a few new pieces of his sheet pop up.
----------------------------------------
Name: William Willow
Age: ???
Deities of Worship: Lilith(Love/Lust/Law)
Class(es): Arcane Engineer Lvl: 1
Experience to Level: (0/300)
Health: (10/10)
Mana: (100/100)
Stats:
Strength: 10 +
Dexterity: 10 +
Constitution: 10 +
Will: 14 +
Intelligence: 16
Charisma: 12 +
Points Available: 10
Skill & Curse List:
Class Skills:
[ Create Lvl: 1 ]
[ Conceptualize Lvl: 1 ]
[ Contract Lvl: 1 (1/2) ]
[ Design Library [Passive] (Empty) ]
Learned Skills:
[ Universal Translator [Passive] ]
Curses:
[ Curse of Thalassophobia ]
[ Curse of the Pacifist ]
----------------------------------------
William thought for for a moment before assigning most of the points to Will and Charisma with the last few spent into Strength and Dexterity. He had many reasons but it was mostly because he would probably have to carry his own things and move in the environment with Strength and Dexterity. Will and Charisma would allow him to get through conversations and make contracts.
With the points spent the voice spoke “Oh wow I’m dumb. I didn’t introduce myself. As the sheet says I am the Goddess Lilith. Now that you sheet is in order how about a quick easy contract. I will lend you my mana in this realm to create one item. All it has to do is impress me.”
“Why?”
“You are a mortal from an entirely different world then the one you are now part of. I am interested in the things your people could do without magic.”
“Ok, I accept your challenge.”
William watched as [ Contract ] ticked to (2/2). He then used [ Create ] for the first time and made a suitcase with a bit of fun inside. The mana cost for the creation was in the millions department. He then opened the suitcase up asked for Lilith to teleport her consciousness one hundred miles away and to push the big shiny red button.
There are many things Lilith had seen in eternity the birth of entire universes, planes and the many material things contained within each, this included stars. When William said to her to be careful looking at the suitcase even from one hundred miles away she scoffed at the thought. After she pressed the button and the dark void she created turned into white light she wondered just what terrors and wonders she had unleashed upon her elder brother’s world. She then smiled at the thought of all the entertainment she was going to have, even when the bet was finished.
Added Thermonuclear Suitcase to [ Design Library ]
[ Contract Completed ]