It was still quite early when Mary and Lucas left in the direction of the south gate. The previous night's storm had all but vanished, leaving only small rainclouds behind that were currently producing a slight drizzle. Or, well, that wasn't all they left behind, strictly speaking.
The village was near flooded--the paths that had previously only been a bit muddy, now practically a swamp. Luckily, measures to counteract such extreme saturation had been put into place long before Lucas was around. The small ditches bordering each path were built to collect water and feed it into drainage pipes that lead out of the village wall. It was a necessary innovation considering the village's placement on primarily level ground, despite the infrequency of large storms in the area.
Unfortunately, the drainage pipes were not a perfect solution to any amount of flooding. The paths were still spotted with puddles large and numerous enough that Lucas knew there was no chance of him keeping his feet dry this day. His boots were good, but they weren't waterproof enough to counter complete submersion.
"Are you sure you want to wash everything today?" Lucas asked his mother with palpable reluctance.
"It's not the best," she admitted, "but we are running out of fresh clothes. Nothing else for it," She shrugged, and took off without another word.
Lucas really didn't want to trudge all the way to the stream--where the ground was sure to be even more sodden--but she was right. There was no telling when or if the weather would improve, especially when they were heading into the coldest months of the year, so it was best to take care of their laundry now.
Somewhat contrary to what he might've thought, taking care of this chore was easier during that part of the year when the light snows of winter could be collect, melted, and put to the task. And while the village didn't often get large storms and heavy rain, the snows were light and consistent enough to provide little issue and a constant resource.
"Have you started yet?"
Lucas reined in his focus and looked up to meet his mom's questioning gaze. "Oh! No, not yet. I'll start now, though."
She reached back and patted his head. "I know those first ten levels in [Identify] can be boring, but the sooner you start, the sooner you finish. Just think: four more levels, and you'll be able to get your first, real Class!"
"I know," Lucas smiled. "I can take a little boredom in order to get there."
He got another pat on the head in response, and they continued walking.
So, Lucas began using his Skill. And using it, and using it, over and over on anything and everything his eyesight rested upon.
[Water]
[Mud]
[Mud]
[Rock]
[Wood]
There really wasn't much to look at at the moment; just the paths and houses around them. Still, Lucas kept at it, getting into a rhythm of around four or five Skill activations a second. A pace that was only possible thanks to the fact [Identify] didn't really use any mana, despite technically being an active Skill. It was a unique quirk that had something to do with his--and everyone's--connection to the System, and by extension the world around them. Or so Lucas had been told before, anyway.
Once at the south gate, they had to get an on-duty guard to open the way so that they could continue. The gate should technically have been open already at this time of day, but not many villagers were so intent on taking care of their laundry that they were willing to wade through the present elements, so here they were. It wasn't too long till they were able to pass through the gate, however, and Lucas threw the guard an [Identify] on the way out.
[Warrior]
[*ding Congratulations! [Identify] has reached level 7!]
Must have been close to that level. Well, one down and three to go.
To Lucas's surprise, there were people already at the stream's pools when they arrived. Just a couple pairs, stationed at the two closest pools, but their presence was as ridiculous to Lucas as all of theirs probably was to the guard manning the gate. He and his mom didn't stop to chat, instead just returning the pairs' polite nods and moving to their own pool.
For the rest of the time, other than the spare moment he used to target the people with his Skill, neither Lucas nor his mom paid them any mind. His full focus went into getting the chore over with, though he did [Identify] each article of clothing as he was scrubbing it down in the frigid water. Occasionally, Lucas would target some stain or another, and try to only [Identify] that, just to entertain himself a bit more.
Unfortunately, all attempts to apply his Skill in an unconventional way, or otherwise try to expand on the bounds it had thus far demonstrated, failed. The Skill had so much potential, but as it was now, its use was extremely limited. After all, what was the point of an analysis Skill that only gave you information the most oblivious person could gather at a glance? Lucas could only hope it improved or evolved after level ten.
----------------------------------------
Lucas and his mom returned to their home with a basket of soaked, yet otherwise clean clothes, ready to be hung up to dry. All in all, that trip didn't even take up half their morning. Lucas had also only gotten a single additional level since that one, despite using his Skill on literally everything he could--sometimes twice. After hanging everything up, the two of them gathered in the front room for some tea.
"So," his mom took a sip from her mug, "the way I see it, we have a couple of choices on what to do next. One, we continue walking around the village; maybe visit the neighbors, Belinda, and Eugene. Two, we stay here and incorporate [Identify] into your healing lessons."
"How would that work?" Lucas questioned.
Mary waved her hand to the side dismissively. "We can get into that if we choose to stay. Point is: do you want to keep moving for a while, or stick inside for the rest of the day?"
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.
When put like that, the right answer was clear. "Let's keep moving. It's still early, and I wanted to ask Eugene some things as well," Lucas quickly answered.
Mary smiled at him and took another sip of her tea. "Alright, we'll go in a few minutes then."
Lucas hurried to finish his and went to clean himself up. There was only so much he could do since they would be going back out into the elements, but still he toweled himself down and put on a clean over-shirt. They left a few minutes later, as his mom promised.
Unfortunately, their first stop at the neighbors' was quite short. Eliot was busy with the animals, as he was what felt like most times, and a sick Quinn demanded the majority of Penelope's attention. They got to say hello, and Lucas got to use his Skill on all three of them in addition to all their animals.
Lucas looked up at Mary. "To Belinda now?"
"That's right," she nodded. "We'll try her kitchen, but odds are she will be at home."
It really was going to be a lot of walking today, Lucas belatedly realized. He sighed, but dutifully continued to target every little thing he could with his Skill as they walked.
[Rock]
[Grass]
[Water]
[Wood]
[Stone]
Lucas wondered what exactly defined the difference between rock and stone, according to [Identify]. That last one came as he and his mother re-entered the village's bounds and he targeted the wall, producing a result that he was pretty sure he hadn't seen before. After a moment spent pondering this, he started targeting a few things he'd previously analyzed, hoping for some sort of change in their description. Unfortunately, he found no such alterations, and it was clear his Skill had not gone through any improvements.
He knew they'd come in time, so he didn't let the disappointment get to him.
[Warrior]
[Wood]
[Laborer]
[Hammer]
...
[Child]
It was no longer so early in the morning, and the few villagers that had begun wandering around provided Lucas with some more interesting targets. At one point, not far from Belinda's kitchen, Lucas used his Skill on a group of kids too young to be past their unlock. They were each predictably labeled as a [Child], nothing too surprising there, but it sparked a bit of curiosity in him. Just before he and his mother reached their destination, Lucas activated [Identify] on himself.
[Lucas]
[Free Stats: 0]
[HP: 220/220]
[MP: 330/330]
[STR: 18]
[DEX: 24]
[VIT: 22]
[WIS: 33]
[INT: 31]
[Class: Child of Mana]
[Level: 10]
[Skills:
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
[General Skills:
* [Identify: 8]
* [Healing Arts: 10]
* [Basic Combat Training: 10]
* [Vigilance: 10]
* [Stealth: 10]
* [Cooking:10]
* [Fitness: 10]
* [Learning: 10]
* [Regeneration: 10]
* [----------]
[*ding Congratulations! [Identify] has reached level 9!]
The abrupt appearance of Lucas's full status startled him enough that Lucas nearly tripped over his own feet, and his mom had to reach out her arm to keep him from face-planting into the mud.
"Woah there," she said as she caught him. "I know you're meant to be training your Skill right now, but don't forget to pay attention to where you're going, Lu."
Lucas felt his face flush as he righted himself. "I was. A notification just startled me, that's all."
"Ah," she chuckled, "still not used to the full System access? That's pretty normal when you start out--you'll get used to getting randomly getting notifications over time. Keep up the good work," she tousled his hair and they continued walking.
Lucas didn't bother correcting her assumption. The notifications didn't generally elicit any significant surprise out of him, he just hadn't been expecting such a large System window to take sprawl across his vision when he identified himself. He hadn't been expecting much at all, really. Maybe the title of his Class or the vague classification of [Child], since he hadn't yet gone through his first evolution.
For his full status to pop up...it got Lucas thinking on some interesting theories and possibilities. Ones he'd have to explore later, as fate would have it. Lucas brought his focus back to his surroundings as the two of them arrived before Belinda's kitchen.
"Seems like she's here, after all," Lucas remarked as he inhaled the smell of savory food baking.
"Lucky us," his mom nodded and went to open the door.
When she found it locked, they both were left wondering where to go from there. The door opened into the waiting room, not the kitchen, so the odds of Belinda hearing their knocking were not very good. They weren't left to wonder for long though, because not a minute after Mary tried the handle, a click sounded and the door opened from the other side.
"Mary? And Lucas, too--fancy seeing you here," Eugene cheerfully greeted.
"Good to see you, too," Mary smiled as she returned his greeting. "We aren't interrupting anything, are we?"
"What?" Seeing Eugene's confusion, Mary gestured at the previously locked door. "Oh, no! Come in," Eugene stepped aside and ushered them into the building, "Belinda was just going through a Class evolution so we locked up for a bit."
"Really?" Lucas asked. "What level, and what Class did she get?"
"Yes, really," Eugene chuckled. "You aren't the only one that levels, and why don't you ask her."
With those words, they moved from the empty waiting room to the actual kitchen, and beheld a fearsome sight. Where before, watching Belinda at work was akin to a tempestuous storm, now it was an order of magnitude more chaotic. Just past the threshold, Lucas had to duck to avoid being brained by a bowl and whisk flying by over head, all on their own. The room was a flurry of activity as unmanned stations cut and prepared ingredients, removed dishes from ovens and put others in, and stirred other dishes on various stovetops--each one emitting a near colorless glow. In the middle of it all, seated at a clear countertop in what must have been the solitary calm location and sipping on a hot mug, was the [Cook] herself.
"Visitors!" Eugene called over the racket, pulling his sister from her daze and alerting her to Mary and Lucas's arrival.
"Mary! Come here, come here," she waved them over and suddenly a clear path formed between them in which no utensil or dish would fly. "It's good to see you!"
The two adults beside Lucas complied to her beckoning, and Lucas followed along with a bit more trepidation. It must have been some Class that Belinda got, because this automated activity occurring around him was leagues beyond anything he'd seen. It was the kind of spectacle that he expected from mage Classes, and it got him wondering just how high level this [Cook] was.
Lucas concentrated on the mana flowing through the room as the adults started talking. Watching each kitchen station, it was eminently clear that the mana currents were disturbed. Around each piece of floating kitchenware, the mana clung like an invisible limb holding it aloft. A distinct trail connected each one of these limbs back to Belinda, from whom they invisibly sprouted. The sight filled Lucas with not a small amount of awe.
If a [Cook] can do this, I can't even imagine what all is possible.
On a whim, Lucas focussed on the glow of a nearby spatula and activated his Skill.
[Force Mana]
[*ding Congratulations! [Identify] has reached level 10!]