'Holy Shit! I have no idea what others stats are supposed to be, but isn't the Mental Strength too much? Is this really what my actual body's data is? And that maximum level status is amazing. I can plan so much better with this.'
Vernon started silently chuckling, slightly happy at the insane rewards he got.
'Tier up the Status'
[ Status Tier up completed. Status is now Tier 2]
He once again opened the status, but was annoyed to see nothing new was there. Though, as he got to the end, his frown turned to a smile.
[ Hidden Stats:
Luck: 7
Charisma: 15
Wisdom: 29
Dexterity: 12
Combination Stats: None
Enhanced Stats: None
Mana: 1145
Mana Regen: 11.45/sec...]
Just beneath the normal attributes, there was now a hidden attributes panel. Not just that, there even seemed to be a combination stat area, with an enhanced stat area as well.
Just as he was about to finally move and open the hidden cube, his vision was covered by a blue starlight. Suddenly, he stopped feeling pain, rather mesmerized by the starlight.
When it was finally clear, he saw himself back in the Hall of Galaxies. He looked around and noticed everything was same, except there seemed to starlight instead of the walls.
“Well, fortune favors those who take the initiative. Welcome back so quickly.”
A voice came from behind him. Turning around, he once again saw the middle aged man in a suit staring at him. This time, the man had his hands behind his back. Noticing he had Vernon's attention, the man began speaking.
“Due to your achievements of being the first to activate #0457 out of all the 100 beta testers, you have received a special privilege. Here, I will allow you to ask three questions and I will answer them, though the questions beyond what you have unlocked will not be answered. Ask when you are ready.”
Afterwards the man fell silent, staring at Vernon intently.
'Three questions. Very well, I already know two of them.'
Making up his mind, Vernon asked the first one.
"Explain the tier 2 Status and the previous levels to me in 100% detail.”
The man smiled at him, before speaking.
“The status shows you everything you need to know. I have already told you what all can happen in the game, the races, professions and classes are just one part of it. Skills are also just as they say, things which help in doing a specific task.”
“The stats, are as they say. Each one is self explanatory, with them all adding up to two main deciders. Attack Power and Chance to Survive.”
“Attack Power is calculated using all damage dealing stats, items, skill etc. This is used when deciding how much damage you deal”
“Survivability, is calculated using the same statistics, except it takes supportive and defensive things in mind. This is used when deciding how much damage you will take from something.”
“Now, we come to traits. Traits are things which are inherent to your soul. These are unique to all and most only have one. Traits may develop at any time, starting from when you first receive experience, to the end of your journey. It is all a matter of will, personality and chance. Awakening your soul will definitely draw out whatever your trait is.”
“Talents. These are mostly divided into two types. Racial, which all members of a race get and Personal. Personal talents are a part of your soul, but many may be born with similar talents, with off branches being rarer. Unique talents basically do not exist, other than some talents which are just extremely specific, wielding power a lot more strongly.”
“Abilities. Like talents, these can also be divided into two types, Special and Normal. Unlike others though, abilities are things gained from hard work rather from birth. This allows them to be unique and be focused on one thing.”
“Finally, Titles. These are things, gained by doing an immense thing, either recognized by at least a Tier 8 civilization or by The System Itself. Titles are passive, and may provide very different types of things. Some may be unique, some very generic.”
Stopping for a second, the man looked at Vernon, waiting for his approval to continue. When he saw him nod, he once again started.
“Tier 2 Status, gives you the ability to view Hidden, Combination and Enhanced stats. They are as they seem. Hidden stats can not be increased by stat points, until you unlock a Tier 3 Status. Items, may provide Hidden stats. But, like other stats, they can be increased naturally.”
“Combination Stats. These are stats, which are created using the combination of a couple of stats and another catalyst. Some items may also provide combination stats. They, are mostly focused on specific type of thing, unlike the normal stats.”
“Enhanced stats, are as they say. Using the help of a catalyst, or due to something else, your stats may enhance themselves, upto an infinite%. Enhancement will increase efficiency of those stats. If you enhance your PS stat upto 100%, a point in that stat will be like two points for those with 0% enhancement.”
“Other than this, there is some basic stuff as well. The Dexterity stat, slightly increases speed of all actions. The Agility stat increases only muscle speed. The Physical Strength stat increases damage dealt physically by 0.005% per stat point.”
“Now, the final part. Conversion of stats into Stamina, Health and Mana. Mana's calculation is (Mental Strength*5) + (Intelligence*10)+(Wisdom*15). Health is (Physical Strength*2) + (Endurance*15) + (Vitality*15). And finally, Stamina is calculated as (Endurance*20) + (Dexterity*10). That is all you are allowed to know as per your knowledge.”
The man went silent again, waiting for the next question, while still staring intently at Vernon.
'Man, so many different things. The combinations you can create are nearly endless. Besides, the status seems to go up even further, and who knows what else may unlock after that. But, the next thing, while stupid has to be done.'
Finally speaking, Vernon asked his second question.
“Explain the process of gaining a Class, Race, Profession, Levels and those Tiers which have been spoken so much.”
The man looked at Vernon for a second, before nodding and starting his explanation.
“Class, the thing most closely related to how your character can develop. They can be gained through infinite methods. You can get them from their previous users, as a long lost legacy or even create your own unique class. Of course, the rarity will be different in each case, and some may even pass watered down versions.”
“Classes give a certain amount of stat points to specific stats and some amounts of undistributed stat points, based on their Tier and Rarity.”
“Races. Pretty self explanatory. You start with the race you were born as, but you can change this, by evolving your genetical structure. Evolving your genetical structure is naturally done, as you Tier up, but there are infinite external factors which can do it as well. Races, give a certain amount of stat points to specific stats, with no undistributed stat points.”
“There is a limit to the genetical structure increase as well. Some races, are just born so weak, that their genetical structure can never be evolved enough to upgrade to Tier 9, unless they use external forces. Of course, you may forcefully Tier up, but that would either result in a damaged foundation or death, with 99% chance of latter.”
“Professions. They can basically be taken as sub-classes, by doing something you really wish to explore in. Higher rarity classes are sometimes just as good as Main classes. They also, give certain stat points to specific stats with no undistributed stat points.”
“Now, levels. I have talked how you gain stat points with classes, races and professions. This only happens when you level up. The main level and class level, are same. Class levels may be gained by doing things related to that class, or by killing things and absorbing their essences. Beware, killing other players will give none to 1 exp.”
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
“Race level. This type of level is gained by exploring your race, or just by staying in a place your race loves.”
“Profession Level. This level is only gained by doing things your profession is related to.”
“Finally, Tiering Up. Every time your main level reaches a limit, you will need to tier up to level further. This rule is applicable to all levels, but you only need maximum level in main, to tier up. Tiering up will increase the regeneration of all energy types, including health, mana and stamina. To tier up, you must pass a random mission assigned by the system. That is all you can know at your knowledge level.”
Afterwards, the man stopped speaking, content with his explanation.
'Damn, that is a lot of things. Why did it have to be so complex? Now, what should be the final question?'
Vernon looked at the ground in thought for quite some time, before raising his head and speaking.
“How can I track a specific person?”
The middle aged man looked at bit baffled by his question, but he got normal immediately afterward, sighing as he also asked a question.
“Are you sure you want this to be the final question?”
It was understandable. After all, Vernon had asked extremely useful questions till now, but here he was, asking a question that would not help for his growth.
The middle aged man looked at Vernon silently while waiting for his reply.
'Was I wrong? Nah, it's too early to tell right now.'
Vernon thought for some more seconds, before speaking again.
“Yes”
The man sighed again as he shook his head and started speaking.
“There are some devices you can use to track a certain person, with only a small trace of them. You can also head to main towns after the game officially begins to find someone who you wish to. Other than that, Tiering up first will reward with a supreme creation token. This can be used to create such an item for you. Other information is beyond your knowledge.”
The man went quiet as he looked at Vernon, watching as the gears in his mind turned, before a resolute fire appeared in his eyes. This was a look the man knew a lot and he smiled while looking at it.
“Now then, your privilege is complete. Beware, your body's injuries will not heal and you will be swamped with the same pain immediately as you return. Also, this reward is not unique. You can come here again, if you do a task of similar difficulty or higher. Goodbye for now, traveler.”
Saying so, the man waved his hand and Vernon's eyes were once again covered by starlight, before it disappeared, and he found himself back where he was, in a broken building. And, then came the pain.
“Argh!!!!”
He couldn't help himself. It just hurt beyond what he could manage, especially as the adrenaline was gone..
'Damn it, how am I supposed to do anything.'
And so, Vernon continued to roll in pain, for about 5 minutes, before remembering the cube was unlocked.
…
Meanwhile, in the Hall of Galaxies. The middle aged man was sitting, with his eyes closed, deep in meditation.
Soon, he opened his eyes, thinking about what happened earlier.
'That kid had the same look of someone going to war against an army alone. This will be interesting to look forward to. He is looking for someone dear to him, but I wonder if it will help his mental troubles. Who knows? This is why I love this. Because of ever changing variables like him.'
Chuckling slightly, the man waved his hand, disappearing in starlight, going off to a hidden place.
…
Finally touching the cube, Vernon waited as it swooshed in a plethora of colors, before opening from the inside.
Inside, he saw a couple of bottles, a leathered covered book with the words 'Magic' on it and a golden bracelet.
One of the bottle's was filled with a red liquid, that continuously moved around, while the other ones had a purplish mixture inside them.
'One by one'
Wondering what to do, Vernon made up his mind to examine all items, starting from the red potion.
'But wait, how am I suppossed to examine items?'
Vernon focused his mind on the potion, telling his mind, that he wished for it to examine the object.
[ Advanced Healing Potion
Rare
Requirement: Levels 0-90
Heals 38,000 health upon consumption, upto level 90. Due to a special ingredient used in it's formation, this potion is usable by untiered beings as well.
Cooldown: 1 Hour]
'Nice, exactly what I need.'
He took out the bottle, opened the cap and drank 5 sips before stopping.
'My injury isn't that bad right now, and this bottle is for healing above 30,000 health. It would just be wasted if I was to take it completely.'
Immediately, the effects of the potion were clear. He was no longer feeling any pain in his legs, just as good as he was before the incident.
'Now, to examine the other rewards I received.'
He removed the rest of the items from the safe, and started to look through them one by one.
There were three bottles of the purple liquid, and he decided to start with it first.
[ Ultimate Strength Potion
Ultra Rare
Requirement: Levels 20-90
Increases Strength by 10% when consumed, Attack Power +100 and +1%.
Duration: 180 Seconds
Cooldown: 10 Minutes
The ultimate attack power potion for any being in Tier 1. This was created by a Master Alchemist, but it is a failure for it's actual purpose.]
'Damn, something this strong is still a failure? Just what was it meant to accomplish.'
He looked at the other potions, checking that they were the same, before putting them away and looking at the book he had.
[ 'Introduction To Magic'
Common
Requirement: None
“The basic guide for any human attempting to start magic. Recommended for those below Tier 1 and can be used upto Tier 1.” Written by Klaus Kart]
Taking another good luck, Vernon could not believe something this good came out from a random cube.
Opening the book, he noticed that there was a complete guide on how to use magic and to unlock your affinity.
'Dang, don't know what affinity is, but isn't hard to guess it. Though, what does the affinity key I got do then?'
Leaving the question unanswered, he closed the book and examined the final item he had.
[ Unknown Bracelet
This is an unidentified bracelet. It has many elemental fluctuations around it. Bring it to a Tier 2 or above Artificer to appraise this item]
'Holy! Tier 2 and above? This must be the highest level item present here. Well, it's far beyond me currently, and there is no information of even reaching Tier 1 yet, much less Tier 2.'
He put the items in his pockets, making sure to hide them in pieces of cloth he ripped from Eddie's shirt, hiding their glow.
Sighing, Vernon got up from his position, finally taking a look at the building and it's condition properly.
There was not much of a building left anymore, even calling it a building seemed to be an exaggeration if speaking honestly.
The ball had annihilated the entire shop, leaving just a empty piece of land, with some pieces of the building having survived at the bottom.
Even further, the shockwave seemed to have damaged the nearby buildings as well, with most having broken windows and the one directly adjacent having a hole in the wall.
'Damn, what the hell was that thing? This much damage and a shockwave capable of smashing apart a wall. Just how much compressed power did that thing contain? This is equal to a damn earthquake.'
Exhaling silently, Vernon looked at the ground, before suddenly jerking upwards, as he finally realized something important.
'Shit! That thing should have made insane amount of noise and the shockwave even spread out around the entire street! Even if this entire street was abandoned, this thing will still attract attention from the authorities. It's been about 7 minutes since the final battle ended. I need to get out of here fast!!'
Even before his thoughts fully reached a conclusion, Vernon was off, running straight out of the now completely foundation less building, and into the street.
As he reached outside, he took a glance at the two dead people and after seeing no other movements, immediately made a beeline for them.
'Fuck it! Who cares if someone arrives, I might not live, but I'll smash my way through the obstacles in front of me. If I fail at this stage, how will I ever find her?'
Reaching the bodies, he quickly crouched beside Jake's body, searching through his pockets and taking everything he found, quickly putting them into a bag, which he stole from Eddie.
After making sure that everything had been searched, he shifted over to Norm's body and started doing the same. This time, he also found a silver colored disk, with the word '100' written on it and two platinum colored disk with the word '1000' written on them.
'These must be credits. Pretty plain, just words on a colored disk.'
He quickly put the two platinum credits inside the bad and pocketed the silver credit. Then, he removed the pager from his pocket and put it beside Norm's body, in a way that it looked as if it had fallen out.
He took the magic sphere gun and removed his holster, equipping the holster and placing the gun in it.
Taking another quick look, he picked up his bag, placed it on his shoulder and quickly ran away from the crime scene, heading towards the gate for the main city area.
Reaching the gate, he slipped through the area meant for people to pass and got out on the street.
Fixing his clothes-which somehow survived the battle unscathed-, he continued on the street, entering a hotel and renting a room for the week, with his silver credit.
Going upto his room on the third floor, he quickly entered and locked the door, before flopping on the bed.
'Dang, the exhaustion is a lot more intense than normal. Time for a break.'
He willed his mind to go log out, as his game body disappeared in bunch of blue specks, and his mind drifted asleep.