Chapter 33: Midnight Contemplation_Project: You have died

– Day 10 into Day 11 –

Midnight Contemplation

After the shocking revelation that William Trove is most likely in bed with General Syvian, I leave the tavern and head home. It’s definitely past midnight when I arrive back at the house. No signs of life, everyone must have gone to bed. I’m about to head to bed as well when I spot a faint light coming from the dining room. Curious, I go take a look to find Risk sat reading a book with his legs on the table.. Kate would give a disapproving stare..

“I didn’t know you like to read.”

“…I don’t. ..I’m on watch..”

He yawns while turning a page.

“I guess you saw what I did while escorting Katharine off..that where you were?”

“Indeed”

[Vacuum Barrier] (50 MP + (2PI * Radius MP) | 10 MP every 5 minutes)

HP: 330 / 330 MP: 498 / 670 ST: 460/560

Risk looks a little confused.

“You can create barriers?”

“..A story for another night. William Trove, do you know him?”

He closes his book as I take my jacket off and sit opposite him.

*blink*

“Head of the Craftsmen Guild. Ally of Duke Rayford and General Armstrong, at least from what you’ve told me, and a strong merchant with anti-lybian sentiments with his hands in a lot of pockets.”

He knows more than me…

“Well, the anti-lybian part looks to be a front. He may be in league with General Victor Syvian.”

Risk takes his feet off the table and sits up straight.

“…You’re joking?”

“Nope. He looks to have hired the church to have followers watch the house. The guys just followed them right back to William and observed him meeting with Victor.”

“Then that means–”

“Yep. He’s a planted spy.”

Risk rubs his chin, deep in thought.

“…You’re not going to tell the General or the Duke are you…”

“Oh, what makes you say that?”

“Because I’m starting to understand how you think…”

I sigh and laugh dejectedly.

“It hurts when you say it like that…but you’re right. I’ll have Sir Trove dance on the palm of my hand for a little while before I crush him out of existence.”

He shakes his head at me.

“One day your plans won’t go the way you want them to you know.”

“Well, that’s what I have you for~.”

He sighs while shrugging exaggeratedly.

“This is true…So Torrent’s mob are proving useful?”

“I’d say, day one and they’ve already found something important. I’m honestly impressed. Hopefully, they’ll keep it up.”

I dissolve the barrier and leave Risk to his book. I did offer to take over watch as I wasn’t tired but he refused with a snide remark, so I leave and head upstairs towards my room.

Blood State: Dangerous

Hmm, needing to feed all the time is a pain in the backside! …Should I wake up the girls? No, I’ll just bar my door tonight and call for them in the morning.

Lost in thought, I enter my room, only to find a person shaped hump under my bed covers. Someone looks to be sleeping in my bed.. I gently pull the covers back to reveal a passed out Emily.

“Oi oi, this is my bed you…”

I nudge her gently to wake her up.

“Uhmn, Master?”

“Don’t Master me; you’re sleeping in my bed.”

She sits up and takes off her top while holding out her hand? Is that why she was sleeping here? That’s adorable..ahem. I mean very kind of her.

*blink*

“At tat ta…owie”

[Absorb]

HP: 330 / 330 MP: 468 / 670 ST: 560/560

Hunger: 28% Thirst: 0%

Blood State: Normal

“Thank you, Emily.”

“*yawn*Can I sleep here…with you?”

…cute.

“Fine, but no funny business.”

I underdress into my nightwear and get in beside her. I only slept a little while ago, so I’m not even remotely tired, but I can’t say no to someone who cares for me this deeply. She nestles under my arm and goes back to sleep… At least she’s not drooling tonight with a perverted smile.

And with this, it’s finally time to look at my skills. Primarily [Analysis]

Skill Points: 20

[>>>>>>>>>>]

Analysis Lv 10 / 10 [>]

Skill Points: 10

[* Analysis has merged with Appraisers Eye *]

[* Removing Appraisers Eye from Skill List *]

[ Analytical Engine learned ]

[- Master Analysis achieved. It’s is almost impossible to hide worldly information from you -]

Hmm. Skills.

Passive:

- Analytical Engine Lv 10 / 10 Exp: 0/0 [Skill Based]

Oh, a new heading. I guess that means it’s always on? But nothing looks…

I look to Emily to be accosted by a flood of information.

Name: Emily Serl Class: None Sub-Class: Slave of ??? Race: Human Sub-species: S2G6F8 Ancestor Code: D2A4F5

Level: 2 EXP: 50/133 (400)

HP: 34/34 MP: 12/12 ST: 32 / 71 Hunger: 16% Thirst: 22%

STR: 008/999 Strength. Your physical strength is governed by this. AGI: 012/999 Agility. Your speed and reflexes are governed by this. STA: 007/999 Stamina. Your overall perseverance and tolerances are governed by this. VIT: 015/999 Vitality. Your overall health and resistances are governed by this. PER: 015/999 Perception. Your overall ability to spot and understand is governed by this INT: 006/999 Intelligence. Your spell power and understanding is governed by this. WIS: 004/999 Wisdom. Your mana and brilliance are governed by this.

STAT points: 4

Affinity: Wind

Known Skills:

- Sinki Language Lv 7 / 10 [>]

- Cooking Lv 1 / 10 [>]

- Arithmetic Lv 4 / 10 [>]

Skill Points: 4

Magic:

- None

Static Effects:

- [In love], Prone to making rash choices when thinking about the target of affection

- [Vampyric Protection], Blessing of the undead. Immune to disease

Status:

– Advancement (Racial)

– Class system (Racial)

That’s a lot of information to process all at once. The one that jumped out at me immediately was [Vampyric Protection]. Did I give her that or is that linked to the reason she knows about vampires? I hope it’s the latter…crap, I wonder what someone would see if they used this on me?

[** Impossible. Read information requires higher skill value. Divine intervention. Possible **]

A strange robotic voice echoes through my mind.

What the? …Where did that come from?

[** Analytical Engine **]

Hi there…

Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

[** Hello **]

Can I call you AE?

…

..I’ll take your silence as yes. So if I ask myself a question, you’ll answer if you know?

[** Correct **]

Handy. Look forward to working with you AE…

…

..How anti-social. AE, tell me, did I give [Vampyric Protection] to Emily?

[** Negative. You do not process the skill necessary for status infliction. Another. Responsible **]

Confirmation acquired. AE, what is Sub-species.

[** Genetic Template using divine code **]

I assume Ancestor code is a derivative of sub-species code?

[** Correct **]

Well, it’s just numbers and letters to me…can we stop seeing this information?

[** Acknowledgement. I have modified the optical nerve interface **]

You make me sound like a cyborg… I like it. AE, I see Emily has stat points…can she not use them?

[** Correct. She lacks the interface **]

Is there any way to give her ‘the interface’?

[** Negative. Correction. Divinity. Possible **]

Then how can she use the stat points?

[**Impossible at this time **]

…wait, is there any way to assign her points for her?

[** Affirmative **]

Really?! How?

[** Press the > icon in the display **]

Wait, I can do this on anyone?

[** Negative **]

…go on?

…

…I guess I have to elaborate. AE, what are the conditions for me to be able to modify someone else’s stats?

[** Social Status, Acknowledgement of inferiority **]

…Dark. I guess the ‘Social Status’ refers to lording over someone?

[** Not limited to. Correct. Incorrect. Increase scope **]

The leader of a pack then? If a group considers me the leader, I can modify their stats and skills?

[** Correct. Conexus of wavility must exist **]

I’m pretty sure you just spewed some made up words there, but I think you're saying a ‘Bond of trust’ is necessary right?

[** Correct **]

Okay, you’ve been very helpful AE. For now, modify the optic nerve interface to only show basic information unless I request a detailed scan.

[**Acknowledgement **]

[** Template saved to optic nerve interface **]

[- Detailed Scan learned -]

O, Thank you…wait. AE, am I able to create spells and add them to the menu without direct learning?

[** Correct **]

[** Knowledge Beyond Current Level. Reiterate. Possible **]

…interesting…

For the next several hours, I remain laying beside Emily whose still nestled under my arm, snoring away happily, while asking AE about various skills and effects. I ask it about the scope of its information and where the information comes from. AE tells me about the ‘Gods’ that live amongst the various races on this planet and the fragile peace that exists between them. That this peace is enforced by the ‘Creator of all’.

This ‘Creator of all’ constructed this dimensional world with something called a wave-engine, and within it, you can ‘borrow’ his ‘powers’ in a limited way. AE is basically hi-jacking a ‘wave’ created by this and using it like the internet from my world, thus giving AE access to incredible amounts of information that I don’t possess.

It also seems AE is a unique skill only known to me as it was ‘born’ out of my subconscious desire for understanding on a divine level… Which I take to mean that because I met an entity most would equate to a god but don’t believe it was a god, I crave to understand the science at play here. Apparently, the ‘wave’ AE is connected to contains too much information for a ‘mortal’ mind to process at one time. Hence AE acts as the inter-facial barrier between the information and my brain, which stops me convulsing into a coma and dying from information overload…Thank you subconscious, and you, AE.

…AE, is it possible to use the ‘wave’ to lookup information not directly in my view?

[** Correct. Reiterate. Possible **]

AE, teach me Fire Magic…

[** Fire Magic has bee—– **]

[** Investigating **]

[** Function disabled. Divinity Factor Located. Reiterate. Not Possible **]

So green-boxy is still watching over me. That would make it too easy; is that what you're saying? Fine..

Well, time for a stroll. I’m too impatient to wait until morning to find out Risk’s status when he’s awake downstairs on watch.

I carefully separate myself from the nested Emily, so as not to wake her and get changed out of my nightmare. I head back downstairs excited like a giddy school girl to find Risk in the same place I left him but with the book almost finished… It’s at least 800 pages thick; I wish I could read that fast!

[Detailed Scan]

Name: Samuel (Risk) Harvey Class: Fighter Sub-Class: Mercenary Race: Human Sub-species: H4A8DD Ancestor Code: F3V5L5

Level: 23 EXP: 1247 / 1533 (4600)

HP: 1088/1088 MP: 414 / 414 ST: 1020 / 3634 Hunger: 49% Thirst: 4%

STR: 064/999 Strength. Your physical strength is governed by this. AGI: 052/999 Agility. Your speed and reflexes are governed by this. STA: 058/999 Stamina. Your overall perseverance and tolerances are governed by this. VIT: 028/999 Vitality. Your overall health and resistances are governed by this. PER: 032/999 Perception. Your overall ability to spot and understand is governed by this INT: 021/999 Intelligence. Your spell power and understanding is governed by this. WIS: 011/999 Wisdom. Your mana and brilliance are governed by this.

STAT points: 48

Affinity: Light, Fire

Known Skills:

- Sinki Language Lv 5 / 10 [>]

- Arithmetic Lv 3 / 10 [>]

- Shield Style Lv 4 / 10 [>]

- Tower Shield Proficiency Lv 1 / 10 [>]

- One-handed Style Lv 5 / 10 [>]

- Spear Proficiency Lv 4 / 10 [>]

- Two-handed Style Lv 5 / 10 [>]

- Axe Proficiency Lv 4 / 10 [>]

- Blunt Proficiency Lv 3 / 10 [>]

- Sword Proficiency Lv 6 / 10 [>]

- Greatsword Proficiency Lv 5 / 10 [>]

- Magical Perception Lv 3 / 10 [>]

- Cooking Lv 1 / 10 [>]

- Compositional Magic Lv 6 / 10 [>]

- Light Magic Lv 1 / 10 [>]

- Skirmish Tactics Lv 3 / 10 [>]

Skill Points: 13

Magic:

- Ethereal Fade Lv 28 / 60 Exp: 2150/2900 [Skill Based] 38 MP – 1% total MP

- Generate Weapon Lv 58 / 60 Exp: 82/5900 [Skill Based]

- Flash Lv 7 / 10 Exp: 650/800 [Skill Based] 32 MP

- Shield Bash Lv 15 / 40 Exp: 180/1600