The weight of Shuji’s prediction hung in the room like a stark light, casting everything they had spoken of in shadows of meaning. Tilly struggled for a moment under the idea that perhaps he was the only solution Origin had in place for what could be an entire apocalypse…
No. That couldn't be right.
What he had seen in that one-room cabin had changed him. He wanted it to be real... He needed it to be real.
But even if it was, part of him understood that a good ending did not automatically mean that all the lives he just helped save would continue unmolested. Whatever Corruption was, the priests at the Temple of Light had said it was emerging everywhere. Tilly didn't know what that meant for the people here, but the thought of what else they would face before this was all over sent shivers down his spine. That little girl was out there in that camp somewhere, and he was going to do everything in his power to make sure she had a chance to grow up. He jerked his attention away from his dark musing and back to the present.
“Ok well, all the world-ending stuff aside… I may have one of these Progenitor classes. But that doesn't change the fact that I have stats to allocate. Is what I have done so far idiotic? I know they are skewed, but I only did what I had to in order to survive, and then I got [Resolute] and I pretty much needed it to keep not dying. What you saw outside of the city is probably possible again, as long as I keep that Title.”
Shuji nodded at Tilly's explanation, not at all looking like he wanted to accuse Tilly of making some grave mistake. In fact, he was uncharacteristically slow to speak as he mulled over what would be best for the build in front of him. When he did speak, it was in a thoughtful and hesitant manner,
“Yes, each of us must choose our path of growth, and I must say that yours is quite unique. I have read about a few cases where Intelligence has been maxed in a similar layout. Certain classes and races will even do the same with Strength or Dexterity. Each of these cases results in racially unique Titles for the build. But, I have never heard of a primary Endurance with a secondary in Dexterity. Perhaps the closest I can think of are Barbarian and Dwarvish builds which prioritize or at least balance Endurance with Strength. Yet, it can not be denied that your titles and build are beginning to show some true synergy, which is very rare at such a low level. Then again, you have had a very eventful two weeks...” He finished, chewing on each word as if the problem before him was a tough piece of meat.
“So you think I should stay unbalanced? The reward outweighs the risk” Tilly asked, not quite able to keep the satisfaction from his voice.
“To be honest Mr. Tillman, I would never advise building such a path of ascension. But you are already here, and the usefulness of [Resolute], especially when paired with some of these other titles and abilities, makes it difficult to advise against. That being said if you face any other dangers besides the Corrupted, of which there are many, your damage output is far too low. As it stands now it is heavily dependent on your Mana, not your Dexterity or Strength. So for now, as you split your stat points amongst Endurance and the rest, you must prioritize Wisdom and Intelligence. This will not balance you, but will allow you to continue to grow without stunting your ability to contribute to fights,” he finished, pulling his hand through his fu man chu mustache with a flourish.
Nodding in agreement, Tilly pulled back up his stats trying to route a path forward. He was glad to have a good reason to prioritize some of his secondary stats over others. He knew every stat was important, but something about how the Corruption Seed gave him a backhanded bonus in strength made him lean more and more away from the stat. Not that he could ignore it completely. His growth everywhere besides Endurance and Dexterity would be anemic, but he would make sure to invest 50% more points into the mana-centric stats than he did Strength.
Looking at his sheet again, he was struck by a question that had been nagging him for a while, “Oh! That reminds me! I have a decent handle on all the others, but what exactly does Intelligence do? I want to say it gives me a bigger mana pool or something, but all of my system readings are in percentages, so how does that affect my Abilities and their usage of mana?” Even as Tilly asked, he saw Shuji’s smile tighten across his face as if he was holding back something...
"ahemmm" Coughing, Shuji choked, before quickly stuttering out an answer, “Y-yes. No need to be ashamed Mr. Tillman. Intelligence is difficult for many to grasp. I think your pool metaphor will work nicely in describing it. The costs of your Ability can remain the same, while the amount of mana invested in the same Ability will increase with every point in Intelligence. At some point, 1% of your mana will represent significantly more than it does now. For example, two mages can receive the fireball Ability, but if one of them has double the Intelligence of the other, it will result in a vastly different outcome from the same input.”
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
Tilly’s mind was once again taken back to the Corrupted Hyena things that had stupidly circled the tree while he thinned their numbers. He was certain that their behavior wasn't only tied to a Stat but that did nothing to ease his concern over his own low number. To lighten the mood, he struck a confused expression and grunted,
“Intelligence Good. Me understand.”
Shuji kept up his stretched-too-thin, smile and it was then Tilly realized that Shuji might actually think he was an idiot,
“Hey! I'm joking! I get it alright.” Tilly sputtered out in exasperation, "You try getting sent to another world and being immediately thrown into battle again and again!"
Shuji’s smile ratcheted down a few notches and he breathed out a sigh, “Apologies Mr. Tillman. I have just heard many stories over the last few days that lead me to believe that there are good reasons to raise your two lowest stats. Your use of the word "thrown" is far too apt for me to think otherwise.” He grumbled, looking around uncomfortably.
Tilly just fought down a smile in response, mentally assigning two more points to Endurance and the three remaining free points to Intelligence.
Obviously not trying to change the subject, Shuji harrumphed, “Yes well, you asked about the Promise. And it is well you did. For, with the input of Experience from the refugees who wanted first rights to the longhouses-”
“Wait, you made people pay Experience for shelter?” Tilly interrupted, his voice hollow in disbelief. At his tone, Shuji's affable expression hardened.
“Mr. Tillman, many are going without sleep, working day and night to get structure and food in place. A queue had to be established somehow, or there would have been riots… It was actually Commander Linus’ idea, and you can trust that each representative of the council has their people’s best interest in mind.” He snapped, eyes sharp over dark baggy circles.
Tilly had enough self-awareness to feel the sting of his own assumptions. This wasn't his old world, “Sorry, still wound up from all this." Tilly said, gesturing vaguely around him with a chagrined look plastered on his face. Then he took a deep breath and smiled sardonically,
"How about I suspend any opinions until I actually know what's happening?”
Shuji nodded graciously to Tilly’s concession, and continued,
“The Sovereign Crystal is one of the core elements of any Faction on Nephesh. With it, you can establish and rule a group, geographical area, or both. It is the chief prize to capture when conquering others and the way power is tracked on a Planar scale. It is surely this very thing that drove the Cult to move so quickly on the capital, fearing that it might lose out on so great a prize. When our people were conquered, our own goddess paid dearly to empty and hide ours. This alone is what has allowed us this option generations later.”
“So what does it do? I mean, Why do we need one? Wouldn’t it be better for us to just stay way out here and build up as best we can? I doubt anyone will find us for a while.” Even as he said it, Tilly remembered the black veiny growth of Corruption emanating from his scarred side. Somewhere out there, the Blue Flower was singing, and he would have to find it sooner rather than later.
“Originally we had planned to wait some time until we activated it. We wanted to be defensible and well-stocked before declaring our nation on the Plane, but now with so many, we need the powers and benefits only the Crystal can provide. What it will do exactly is unpredictable, and a closely guarded secret for many Factions. But we do know that the Crystal will provide a means for nation-specific classes, and great boons to any nationality in which it is activated for the first time. We are hoping for some options that will greatly extend our logistical timeline.”
“Wait, why defensible? Didn't these woods get cleared out for miles in all directions?”
Shuji opened his mouth to answer and was interrupted by an urgent-sounding staccato drummed out on the sliding door.
“Ah! Time already?” Shuji exclaimed in too loud of a voice for the small room. He got up and moved gracefully to open the door. Behind it, a small paper bird fluttered excitedly,
“Alright! Alright, give me the message little one.” Shuji exclaimed in exasperation, taking the time to look back at Tilly with an abashed shrug as if he wasn’t talking to his own spell. The paper bird unfolded itself and Hiro’s voice sounded out as if he was standing in the doorway,
“We have come to an agreement, and are ready to make our way to the Temple. If he is willing, I ask you to bring the Deity's Champion to meet us there.” The voice came out in oddly formal tones. Not that Hiro was ever not formal, but there was something else going on.
Shuji plucked the paper from the air and tucked it into his robe before turning back to Tilly,
“Well Mr. Tillman, how would you like to see the birth of a Faction?”
End Book 1