Chapter 199

Sha'li had explained quickly that Jay should use his Treasure Sense ability to try and hone in on any doors with treasure behind them. If they had to pick a door, why not pick one that would reward them with loot?

The rest of the group smiled in approval.

“Great idea – I haven't really gotten to use my Treasure Sense much lately, this will be a good opportunity for me to get some more practice with it.” Jay said as he activated his ability.

“Oh hey, I've got a hit already!” Jay exclaimed.

The others moved aside so that they wouldn't get in Jay's way.

As they moved, Jay walked over to the left hand wall and walked along its length as his skin prickled with goosebumps. When the strength of the sensation began to fade he stopped and moved back in the direction he had come from just a tiny bit. Then a tiny bit more.

He continued to walk back and forth until he had zeroed in on one column of doors in particular. Jay then ran one hand up and down the column of doors until he had narrowed down their choices to two doors. No matter how hard he tried though he couldn't figure out which one was the one with treasure behind it, they were just spaced too close together.

“Well that's not great,” Jay muttered to himself.

“What's that?” Aiden asked from behind him.

“Well,” Jay said as he turned around, “there is something valuable here. The best I can do though is tell you that it is behind one of these two doors,” he said as he pointed at two tiny doors in particular.

“So you can tell that there is treasure behind one of those two doors. Have you tried comparing them not to each other, but to the ones around them?” Sha'li asked Jay with a furrowed brow.

“What do you mean?” Jay asked as he turned to face her and the rest of the group.

“Well look at it like this – you have four doors, we have more than that but lets just go with four for now. Four doors to four tiny cabinets placed in a column, one atop the other. The top one is number one, the bottom one is number four. With me so far?” Sha'li explained.

Jay and the others nodded even though none of them were sure where she was going with it.

“So you know that the treasure is in either cabinet 2 or 3. No matter how hard you try you can't tell between the two, right?” Sha'li asked Jay.

Jay nodded, “That's basically it, yes.”

“Ok, so instead of comparing cabinet 2 to cabinet 3 what you should do instead is compare cabinet 1 with cabinet 4. If you do that you should be able to figure out which cabinet has the treasure.”

Aiden looked confused and Sha'li tried again.

“We know that cabinets 1 and 4 don't have treasure. Which means that when you compare those two sets of cabinets one of them should feel stronger than the other– either cabinet 1 or 4 – which will tell you which cabinet holds the treasure – cabinet 2 or cabinet 3. See? Easy!” Sha'li said with a grin and a puff of a scent that reminded Jay of the beach – but at night.

M'redith nodded, “No, she's right. It sounds confusing but it's pretty simple once you work it out like a logic puzzle.”

Jay shrugged, “I'll give it a shot, one second.”

Jay put a hand on what they had decided to call box number 2. Goosebumps. Box number 3. Same goosebumps. He moved his hand to what they now called box number 1. Not as many goosebumps.

Jay moved his hand to box number 4. Less goosebumps. Jay moved his hand from box number 1 to box number 4 so that he could compare the strengths of the goosebumps. When he had tried to tell the difference in sensation between boxes 2 and 3 they had been just too close to differentiate between the two.

Now that he was comparing boxes 1 and 4 however the difference had become far more pronounced. Box 1 gave him goosebumps, but they were just a tiny bit weaker than the ones that box 4 gave him. No matter how many times he compared the two with each other it was always box number 4 that felt stronger.

That meant that the treasure lay in box 3 Jay thought to himself. “Got it!” he said with a grin, “It's box number 3!”

The others tried to congratulate Jay but he refused to take credit for the work. “It was Sha'li's idea. It was a good one too – I'll have to add that to my repertoire of search patterns.”

“So out of all of these hundreds of tiny doors only one has treasure behind it?” Sha'li wondered aloud.

Jay nodded but just to be safe he walked to the opposite wall of tiny doors and used his Treasure Sense to search for a bit but didn't find anything else. It seemed like there was only one door with treasure, they could only pick one door, and there were hundreds of doors.

“Does anyone else feel like this room was designed for the group to fail?” Jay wondered aloud.

“What do you mean?” Aiden asked in confusion. “We didn't fail.”

Jay shook his head, “No, we didn't, but I feel like we were expected to. What are the chances of picking the right door? 1 in, what, a few hundred? Those are really bad odds. How many times do you think others have found treasure in this room?”

Norri shook her head, “None of them unless they had a treasure finder.” There were just too many doors.

“Maybe a group decided to open more than one door?” Sha'li suggested.

M'redith shook her head, “I don't think so. When you find written instructions in a room it is usually a good idea to pay attention to them or end up suffering for it. This room is clear in that we may only open one of the tiny doors – or we get nothing.”

“What do you think would happen?” Sha'li pressed.

M'redith shrugged, “Something awful and final. At the very least we'd all end up injured. Ruins can be just as deadly as dungeons – they just usually tend to have far fewer monsters. Go ahead Jay, open the door you think has treasure behind it and we'll get moving. We've been in here for a while already.”

Jay nodded and reached up to the door of one of the tiny boxes that lined the wall. It was a bit high up and Jay was probably the only one that could have reached the box in the first place. He stood up on his toes and grasped the tiny metal ball attached to the door and tugged it open. It stuck at first but as he used more force it finally popped open.

There was a metal box inside with a handle that Jay used to slide it out of the wall. Jay turned and sat down on the floor as the others followed his example until they had formed a circle around the metal box which sat on the floor. Jay reached out and lifted the lid on the box.

They were surrounded with hundreds of clicks as all of the other boxes locked themselves shut. Across the room from where they had entered the exit door to the room finally slid in to the wall and opened completely.

“See?” Aiden pointed out, “I told you we would find our way out of here!”

Sha'li smiled and a scent of dirt, lavender, and pine filled the room. She didn't explain and no one else asked what the scents might mean. Everyone's attention was on their treasure.

Inside of the box was a field of white light in which no objects could be made out. Jay reached in and grabbed the first object he could feel and pulled it out. The others gasped as he set the item on the floor.

It was a fat shining gem about four inches long, an inch across, and had been warm to the touch when Jay had handled it.

“Is that a...” Sha'li asked without finishing her thought.

M'redith grinned and the others smiled as well.

“An upgrade stone!” Norri said in excitement.

M'redith nodded, “Who here can use an upgrade stone?”

Everyone except for Sha'li raised their hand and then put them down before Aiden shook his head.

“You can use one you know.” Aiden said to Sha'li.

“Only those with classes can use them to upgrade their abilities can't they?” Sha'li asked.

Aiden grinned, “How do you think people get their classes in the first place?”

Sha'li opened her mouth and then closed it. She was not an adventurer and didn't know much about dungeons or treasure chests or even upgrade stones. Those things just weren't part of her life. She could talk for hours about wine, good food, and her job at Redgrass but when it came to adventuring she was a bit lost. Incredibly interested – but lost nonetheless.

“I guess I don't know what I thought. What would I do with a class?!” Sha'li said as a spectrum of scents filled the room. Sage. Burnt wood. Air before a lightning strike.

M'redith smiled and looked Sha'li in the eye. “You would do whatever you want to do.”

Sha'li grinned at M'redith's reply.

Jay nodded, “So can we all agree then that Sha'li can use the upgrade stone as well?”

He was answered with a flurry of comments in the affirmative with the exception of Sha'li who still looked quite confused and uncertain.

“In that case everyone is rolling for the upgrade stone,” M'redith stated in a no nonsense tone that ended any discussion of who might get what.

Sha'li startled as she received her very first system triggered loot roll notification. She had never seen one before and Aiden patiently explained what was going on in a hushed whisper.

Item: Upgrade Stone x 1

M'redith: Random(100) = 01

Jay: Random(100) = 57

Aiden: Random(100) = 13

Norri: Random(100) = 63

Sha'li: Random(100) = 90

Upgrade Stone x 1 awarded to Sha'li!

No one made a move to touch the upgrade stone or even speak for a moment before Sha'li clapped once loudly.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“I won!” she exclaimed and the others all grinned in amusement at how excited she was.

“Congratulations! What are you going to choose?” Norri asked with wide eyes as she looked over at the half-elf.

Sha'li had reached out to touch the stone and pulled her hand back at the question. “Will I have to pick when I touch it?”

Aiden laughed and shook his head no, “When you want to use it just hold it and think about using it. Then it will ask you to choose.”

Sha'li looked a bit flush with excitement and her fiery red hair swirled a mix of dark reds and yellows. Her hair's colors had a life of their own but had been subdued during their outing. Until then that is. “Should I pick now?”

M'redith grinned, “That is up to you. Before you try to use it though have you considered what you might want to pick?”

Sha'li shook her head, “What are my options?”

The rest of the group grinned at the question. It had been forever since they had all made their first Choice, with the exception of Jay, who had been granted his class upon entry to Eden and had not chosen it himself. In hindsight, Jay was thankful that he had been given the Adventurer class instead of being allowed to pick on his own. It had worked out wonderfully so far.

“An upgrade stone can grant you one out of the four base classes. Fighter. Scout. Healer. Mage.” M'redith explained.

“Those sound a bit...generic?” Sha'li pointed out.

Norri nodded, “They end up being unique to everyone. If you pick healer you won't end up with the same abilities as Aiden. Instead you will get your own unique abilities. No two healers or any other class for that matter are entirely alike.”

“Do you mind if I take notes on your Choice? Class Choices are a hobby of mine and it would be of enormous value to have data from a half-elf.” M'redith asked excitedly. She waited until Sha'li shrugged and then got out her notebook and writing implement.

“I don't want to be a fighter. No offense M'redith,” Sha'li said.

“None taken,” M'redith replied with a smile.

“I think healer is out too – I don't see myself as a healer, sorry Aiden.” Sha'li continued.

“It's ok – just pick what you like.” Aiden said with a wave.

“Scout might be interesting? Or mage.” Sha'li said with a smile as she tried to picture what both might be like.

Norri grinned, “Mage is the best, trust me.”

Sha'li laughed, “Oh, I do! I wish one of you was a scout so I knew more about what they are like.”

“Funny you say that, but it feels like scouts are a bit underrepresented. Did we even have a scout in our Guild class?” Jay wondered aloud.

Sha'li shook her head, “I like the idea of mage the more I think about it. Scout sounds more like hiding and sneaking places. I'm no good at hiding or sneaking for obvious reasons,” she stated as her hair flamed bright red for a moment which slightly startled Norri.

“You don't have to choose now,” Jay pointed out. “You don't have to use it at all actually. You could sell it for a small fortune – I bet prices have skyrocketed in K'tharkle due to all of the adventurers here looking to visit Kagan's Dome.”

Sha'li looked up with a slightly flushed face, “I want to use it. Do you have any idea what it is like to look like me, hair, scents, and all, but have no way to protect myself? I hate being harmless! I want teeth – being a Mage would give me that I think.”

“Wow, are you really going to use it now?” Norri asked. “You sure you don't want to wait?”

Sha'li laughed and the room filled with the scent of a campfire, copper, and soil, “Would you wait if you were me? Could you?”

The others went quiet at that. None of them would wait had they been in her place.

“That's what I thought,” Sha'li said with a wide grin as the room changed to the overwhelming scent of jasmine overlaid upon the scent of apples and dry grass. She reached out and picked up the upgrade gem in one hand.

It was warm to the touch the way clothing would be after being worn. Just the hint of warmth radiated off of the crystal, enough to know that it was not a mere crystal.

“Before you start, let me show you how to share notifications. That way we can help you through the process if you have any questions.” M'redith explained as she quickly showed Sha'li how to do so.

“Isn't it just one question?” Sha'li asked.

M'redith nodded, “Sure. For humans. I've no idea what it will do with you.”

Sha'li was quiet for a moment. “Ok, here goes nothing,” she said and held the crystal in one delicate fist as she mentally resolved to use the crystal.

Notifications began to appear, one after another, and right away everyone could tell something was different.

Race Warning! Race mismatch detected.

Race: Human – compatible

Race: Elvish – compatible

Only one race may be used when activating an Upgrade Stone. As you are a mix of two races you must select which one to use before selecting a class.

Race Warning! Half-elf Exception detected.

Half-elves is a misnomer as they are not half of anything. Instead they are comprised of a base human layer and elvish subsystems. Most normal human functions are grown just as they would be in a full human. The difference lies in the overlay of additional elvish functions.

Not all half-elves receive every elvish function available. Some only grow pointed ears. Others develop the ability to dispense scents around them. While still others may receive the full complement of elvish functions. It is entirely possible for a half-elf to have access to all of the same functions as a full-elf, just overlaid over a base human frame.

Human base – confirmed

Elvish Sub-systems verified at +80% (based off full-elf baseline)

Due to the presence of numerous Elvish functions in excess of 80% you will not be permitted a choice from the standard array of classes. In their place you will be provided Elvish alternatives more attuned to your body's makeup.

“What in the Goddess...” M'redith muttered as she wrote furiously in an attempt to record in writing what she was reading off of Sha'li's notifications.

“What does all that mean?” Sha'li asked in a worried tone.

“I think it is telling you that you aren't just a bit elf – you're a lot elf. Too much elf to pick a human class. So you get elvish classes instead. I think that is a good thing?” Jay said in an effort to help calm Sha'li down.

“Does this happen a lot?” Sha'li asked M'redith who shook her head.

“You're the only half-elf I've ever met. I have never seen this happen before. Maybe it is a normal half-elf thing though?” M'redith suggested.

Sha'li nodded at that and returned to her notifications.

Due to numerous race exceptions your options have changed. Due to your high sub-system rating the listed options have been drawn from the advanced pool of elvish classes. Please select from the following options: Leafwalker, Heartweaver, Shadowreaver, Icemaiden

The group grew quiet.

“I take it those are not the standard options?” Sha'li ventured hesitantly.

M'redith let out a single bark of a laugh, “I don't know what any of those are but I can't wait to find out!”

Leafwalker – an advanced melee class that specializes in the magical avoidance of strikes coupled with reactive damage abilities. Any enemy that strikes at a Leafwalker incurs more damage than they dealt with every blow.

Heartweaver – an advanced healer based class that is well versed in the various functions of the human body as well as their interactions. Known for its extensive dual use abilities that both harm and heal depending on the target.

Shadowreaver – scout based class that focuses on preventing the enemy from seeing and detecting them and their allies. Their abilities are primarily designed to strike without any evidence of them having been used. The assassin of the battleground in any war.

Icemaiden – mage based class that specializes in water and ice. Abilities all have a chance at both chilling and freezing their targets. Chilling slows movement as well as attack speed while freezing momentarily prevents all movement.

“That only made your Choice more difficult huh?” Norri finally said in to the silence.

Sha'li grinned and the scent of mint and an earthy musk briefly filled the room. “I don't know which to choose!”

M'redith smiled, “It's ok. We'll walk you through it. Let's go one at a time, ok? What about the Leafwalker? That would be fighting close to enemies using a blade – something that you didn't seem all that interested in before.”

Sha'li laughed, “That was before I read the description!”

The others joined in her laughter before they settled down a bit.

“But you're right, I don't see myself as a fighter type class,” Sha'li pointed out.

“Ok, well what about the Heartweaver? They heal like Aiden but look like they do a lot of damage too. You could still defend yourself but you could also heal others.” M'redith explained with a bit of excitement. She was helping a half-elf choose a class! What a wonderful opportunity!

Sha'li shook her head, “I'm not much for healing. I don't like to spend a lot of time around other people when I'm not at work.”

Aiden nodded, “That's fair, I can understand that. Plus, sometimes to heal people you have to touch them, which can be gross.”

The others all looked at Aiden strangely for a moment.

“What? It is gross sometimes!” Aiden insisted while the others laughed at him.

“Next up is Shadowreaver. So a scout but one that can hide others as well. And their abilities are all hidden ones so that others don't notice you use them. That would be pretty handy I guess,” M'redith explained.

Sha'li chuckled, “Do I look like a good assassin? Can you imagine anyone not seeing me coming?” Her hair flared bright yellow and red for a moment before the colors settled back in to their normal flickering flames behavior.

Norri grinned, “You would be tough to hide. Do you think the abilities would hide your scents too? That would be something.”

Sha'li sighed. “I doubt it. Nothing seems to cover up my scents. What was the last one?”

“Icemaiden,” Aiden pointed out. “You seem a bit cheerful for an Icemaiden don't you think?”

Sha'li laughed. “What? I have to be mean to be an Icemaiden? I think it sounds cool!”

Aiden groaned. “Puns? Really?”

Sha'li blushed and put out a scent of sweet berries and roses, “I didn't mean to make that pun!”

The others laughed while Sha'li continued. “I think I like the sound of that one. My abilities would make it tough for enemies to reach me, they would slow them down and even stop them entirely. I like the idea of that. Plus, I don't have to get in close or learn how to use a weapon like a sword or dagger.”

Norri raised an eyebrow, “Do we have a winner?”

Sha'li smiled in excitement, “I think so! What do I do now M'redith?”

M'redith smiled warmly at Sha'li who was practically shaking in excitement. “Mentally select Icemaiden. That should be all there is to it”

Sha'li furrowed her eyebrows as she concentrated and a moment later received a new notification.

Congratulations Sha'li on your Choice! Your Class has been set to Icemaiden!

Everyone congratulated her and her cheeks began to hurt from smiling so much. The scent of mint and patchouli filled the room but it was a pleasant fragile mixture rather than an overpowering one.

Sha'li looked ready to get up but M'redith waved her back down. “Have you even chosen your first ability yet?”

Sha'li looked back at her notifications and saw that she had missed one.

Please select your first Class Ability from the following options:

“I'm not done yet it seems,” Sha'li said and everyone settled back in to their seated positions. Aiden took out his sandwich pouch and pulled out a white bread grilled cheese with no crust. American cheese.

Aiden pulled it in to five pieces and handed them out as Sha'li read through her notifications.

“Ok, here is what I have,” Sha'li said and shared her notification with the group.