15.

Santi had to hold his breath as they finally managed to escape the mess he had made. The water in the tub had been transformed into a black goop that smelled of sulfur, rancid meat, and body odor. The film they had helped him scrub clean had the same malignant odor. Nobody had stayed as Cam and Tank showed they were the best friends in the world.

Santi couldn’t blame his family and was actually glad they had left. He was beginning to grow a bit self-conscious of everyone staring at him. Some peace and quiet would be nice as he went through the laundry list of achievements and notifications he had just earned.

Achievement: Acolyte Evolution

Reward: Loot Box (Minor)

Achievement: First To Evolve

Reward: Potential (Common)

New Class Selection Available

Acolyte Evolution

+10 All Stats

+5 Durability

+5 Vitality

+10 Free Stats

Affinity Upgrade: Air ( Uncommon)

Santi had to raise his eyebrow at that. 110 Stat points on the first evolution was mind boggling. The affinity upgrade would help reduce the mana cost of all his air spells as well. Between his current title and this huge jump in pure stats he could punch way over his level class. Maybe even tangle with that Primus Alpha.

Air Mage (Uncommon)

Wind Blade (Rare)

Pyromancer (Common)

Kneebreaker (Uncommon)

Cockroach (Rare)

Santi stared at his options. The Air Mage class was the direct upgrade. It was the class he had been offered on his Disciple evolution. He hadn’t taken it, but it had been offered. He had focused on the more limited role of his previous class rather than the broader and more versatile mage class.

[Wind Blade] was an obvious choice, as he had focused on fighting with the weapons rather than his pure magic skills. The morph weapon was useful and powerful, but it wasn’t something he wanted to be. He was a mage, pure and simple. Becoming a mage blade would limit the amount of spells he was offered and give him an overlap of what both Bianca and Chloe could do. It would be a great pick in his last life where he spent most of his time alone, but as the leader of a community and team, it lacked the depth needed to fill out his role.

[Pyromancer] wasn’t a surprise. Even lacking an affinity for fire he could see himself being a decent pyromancer. He had shown a flair for setting things, and monsters, on fire. He wasn’t a fan of it though. Pyromancers were generally glass cannons who dealt massive amounts of burst damage. Aside from one or two movement skills, they generally lacked any type of mobility. The loss of synergy with his class and affinity would slow him down eventually, he wouldn’t have the endurance he currently had.

[Kneebreaker] was a no go. He didn’t want to be stuck fighting at close range any longer than he had to. [Cockroach] was still a no go. There was no way he was taking a class named after a bug. Even though [Air Mage] wasn’t the highest rarity class, he was taking it. It was a confirmation of who he was and what he could do.

Air Mages, it's a mage but with nearly exclusively air spells.

+3 Willpower

+3 Intelligence

+5 Mana

+3 Free Stats

One Spell slot opened (2 Available)

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Santiago V. Silva

Air Mage lvl. 26

Strength: 30 (55)

Durability: 33 (58)

Stamina: 28 (53)

Dexterity: 28 (53)

Vitality: 33 (58)

Perception: 29 (54)

Intelligence: 46 (71)

Mana: 50 (75)

Willpower: 47 (72)

Potential: 25%

Free Points: 0

Primary Affinity: Air (Uncommon)

Secondary Affinity: Time (Lesser)

Titles: Cockroach (Minor)

The boost in skills was very nice. He was nowhere near as squishy as he had been in the last timeline. Any mage killer was going to be in for a shock as he refused to die. He didn’t have the physical stats to be a frontliner like Chloe or Cameron would, but he didn’t need to. Just having the extra boost in his physical abilities while being a powerful mage was more than enough.

“You all done checking yourself out?” Tank drawled.

“Nope. Still have a loot box to open. It’s a small one though, probably just cash.”

“What are we going to do with the cash we’ve earned? Nowhere is accepting wooden coins last I checked.”

“Wait, you guys are getting paid?” Cameron cut in, looking confused.

“Yeah, the smallest loot boxes from achievement give coins. Albino wood. At least, we think they’re money,” Tank said. Santi gave silent thanks to Cameron for giving him a moment to think.

“If the system is giving us money for loot, it only makes sense it’ll give us a place to spend it,” Santi said.

“That is some sound logic. Let’s go back to the whole loot box thing though,” Cam said. Santi thought about it and realized that nobody had really clued them in on the achievements.

“Tank want to tell him? I want to go get dressed.”

“Yeah, yeah, I got it.” Tank waved him off as he started to inform Cameron what they had been doing and earning.

Santi retreated back to his room and flopped on his stolen bed. He had to take a few minutes and let the feelings run over him. The evolution didn’t just give him the boost to stats, but made him better able to utilize said stats.

The System quantified so much of the world, but it didn’t quantify everything. It had been a topic of discussion somewhat frequently around the campfires during campaigns. How two people with roughly similar stats could have a difference in abilities.

The dominant theory had to do with the quality of the evolution. Did one cheap out and have it done in the cheapest way possible? Then the resulting effect could be that the person who had finished the evolution couldn’t fully utilize their abilities to the fullest. It was a lack of efficiency.

There had been no way to know in the last life. Now though, Santi was pretty sure this proved the old theory. His stats were high, yes, but the amount of information that he could compile from even a single breath was staggering.

Did the person wear deodorant? Did they have high cholesterol, or diabetes, or maybe what they had to eat last night? Did they brush their teeth after eating the night before? All of that information was pouring into his mind with every single inhalation.

Not only was that information coming in, but he could process it. Perception was his lowest stat and it was drawing forth so much that he struggled. He wanted to test his strength and dexterity. To see how fast he could move and hard he could hit.

Santi didn’t want to see how hard he could get hit. He needed to know, but was going to avoid testing that stat as long as he could. Santi turned his attention to the silver wire wrapped around his arm.

Before the thin tendrils had wrapped around his forearm to nearly his elbow. There had been plenty of skin left showing before, but now it completely encompassed his arm from wrist to elbow.

The weak telepathic bond he had with it just projected the feeling of being tired. And hungry. He could feel the tug on his mana reserves already. Mana and potential draining slowly out of him and into the weapon.

“Hungry bastard,” Santi muttered at it. The morph weapon gave a contented growl toward him.

“Santi! Santi!” Yesi’s voice pierced walls. It was a beckoning rather than a yell for help.

“Ten minutes. All I want is ten minutes of peace,” Santi growled as he pulled on some more comfortable clothes and trudged downstairs. While the morning had been busy, filled with pain and revelations, it was still barely two in the afternoon. He was done with the day though, ready to eat and nap. Then maybe eat and go to sleep after he woke up.

“What do you want!?” He yelled as he trudged downstairs.

“I got an achievement! A box! What do I do now?”

“Oh, shit. I forgot about my own box,” Santi told himself as he walked down to the kitchen table where the family was sitting.

“Like this, Yesi,” Santo said as he opened up his own achievement and summoned the loot box. The box popped into existence right on the kitchen table. Chairs screeched backward as everyone freaked out over the small box. Santi reached over and popped it open with a flick of his wrist.

More of the wooden currency coins sat in a pile waiting for him. He was beginning to grow a hoard at this rate. He had earned more loot boxes than anyone he had ever heard of. Then again, everyone was earning them at a decent rate. Maybe it was the extra mana that Akthyr was injecting into the planet. More potential to be gained, more rewards to be given out.

Yessenia figured it out fast enough. Her own small loot box showed up and she was getting a plastic bag to pour it into.

“What was the achievement for?”

“First person to perform an evolution ritual!”

“Damn, that should have been mine. Remember this later when you're mad at me. I’m the best brother around.”

“What did you do that’s going to make me mad at you?”

“Nothing. Yet.”

“You’re my favorite brother!” Yesi said, smiling fakely. There was a mutter of polite laughter and rolled eyes. Santi enjoyed the moment. Later they’d be going out with Chloe to hunt and trying to push their levels to twenty-five.Tomorrow he’d go out and check out the distribution center. For the moment he could relax.