"Ahh," Teilon took a deep breath as he stepped out into the streets of Willowan for the first time.
Despite the cities being fairly dense population centers, there were no bad smells among the Tier 4 cities. Most of the Tier 3 cities and a few of the Tier 2 cities were like that as well.
"It smells so fresh and crisp," Teilon further commented.
"It's the ambient Mana," Gulley said, looking around the open square. His two companions followed close behind him.
Gulley wasn't necessarily talkative, but among the small Party of four - there had been one waiting in their room when Teilon and Kimberly ran into them - he was their mouthpiece. The other three talked if they were spoken to, but for the most part, they kept to themselves.
Teilon didn't mind, but he figured that kind of attitude wouldn't last long if they were going to be joining Reivyn's mercenary company. They might not even get to stick together in the same platoon, much less the same squad. He figured that might be one of the issues they were going to work on while they were searching for Life Experience. Judging by their equipment and overall demeanor, Teilon didn't have them pegged as just some arbitrary Adventurers.
"What do you mean?" Teilon inquired.
"The Mana here, even when compared to other Tier 4 Regions, is very pure," Gulley explained. "It's quite refreshing. It's like we've stepped out of a pressurized area out into the open. Impure Mana can bog down your channels before you refine it."
"I don't know too much about Mana," Teilon admitted. "I've only been working on my Mana Skills for the past year or so since advancing to Tier 4. We," he indicated himself and Kimberly, "weren't born with our Mana Skills unlocked. Like some crazy people," he muttered that last part under his breath.
Gulley gave him a strange look, but didn't comment on his last statement.
"I would guess that Wispan - maybe Willowan specifically, I don't know - is in the upper range of Tier 4 Regions. I don't know much about Tier 5 Regions personally, but from what I've heard, this place is probably as close as you can get without actually advancing to the next Tier, but we're in the outer rings of the Local Group, so it's not possible."
"You just said a whole lot of stuff that doesn't mean anything to me," Teilon quipped. "Don't worry about it. I'm not the bookish type," he shrugged. "I'll figure it out hands-on."
Gulley had an amused look on his face as he glanced at Teilon.
"Yeah, I figured, but your - ahem, girlfriend? - girlfriend, might like the information."
Teilon glanced at Kimberly and she just shrugged.
"Not everyone ignores the theory, you know," she said with a smile.
"Yeah, yeah. Remind me when it's life or death," Teilon retorted.
"So what's your plan?" Gulley asked.
"I figure we'll get something to eat, explore the sights and sounds for an hour or two, and then make contact with Ms. Ameliyn," Teilon answered, looking around at the various establishments.
Despite the crowded state of the neighboring Region's capital, the population density was considerably less in Willowan. If Teilon didn't know better, he would guess that their previous city was where all the Adventurers were flocking to, not here. It wasn't high on his priority list to figure out though, as his stomach rumbled from having skipped breakfast.
"That's what you get for sleeping in," Kimberly smirked.
"Hey, a man's gotta have his beauty sleep," Teilon defended himself.
Kimberly rolled her eyes.
"Well, my companions and I aren't part of your crew, officially, so we'll not be going to the Imperial Palace with you, but we do need to keep in contact if you're going to help us get in good with the mercenary company," Gulley said.
"Sure, we can talk about it over lunch."
Teilon led the group off to a random restaurant in the square. He had no frame of reference, but that wouldn't stop him from trying new things.
If I don't know any better, might as well pick one and stick with it, Teilon mentally shrugged.
The entire crew, plus Gulley's Party, marched their way inside one of the larger restaurants. There was plenty of room inside for all of them, though they wouldn't be able to all sit at the same table in the common room. Teilon snagged the attention of a waitress.
"Can you show us to a private room? We have quite the large party," Teilon said.
The waitress eyed them all up and down, taking not of the quality of the gear and clothes everyone had on. She nodded her head.
"This way," she said, leading them to the stairs.
Quickly, they had all taken a seat inside a rather nice room. Teilon didn't really care about the furnishings, though, and he buried his face in the menu the waitress provided. Looking out of the corner of his eye, he noted that Gulley and his teammates also didn't pay any attention to the luxurious state of the private room. Their disregard seemed natural, though.
Definitely some rich kids, Teilon confirmed to himself.
Kimberly sat next to Teilon, and Gulley sat across from him. Gulley's Party members were seated on the far end, but Teilon's crew kept them occupied with light banter and conversation.
Despite being a private room, the walls weren't sound proof and there was even a small window they could open to hear the conversations of the common room. It was a neat design that Teilon hadn't experienced before, though he had to admit that he usually just kept to the common rooms, anyway.
Without looking up from the menu, Teilon cracked the window to let some of the ambience reach their room. It wasn't overpowering. There was just a slight drone of conversation from down below, but if he concentrated just a little bit, he could use his Perception to pick out specific words and who said them. He didn't so so, though, as he was far too busy taking care of much more important matters: His appetite.
"So, I guess we'll just get a room nearby while you and your friends go 'explore the sights and sounds,'" Gulley said.
"Sure," Teilon absentmindedly nodded. "We can just meet up by the fountain in a couple hours after lunch."
"Okay," Gulley said. "I'll give you the details in case you need to contact us."
"Yeah. I'll go by the mercenary headquarters, or whatever they have set up, after meeting with my friend's mom and tell them about you all, too. That way, if for some reason we can't get in touch, we'll have honored our side of the agreement."
"Thanks, I appreciate that."
"No problem. And don't think that I'm doing this just because you gave us some gold and told us some information," Teilon looked Gulley in the eye over the menu. "I've been watching you guys and gauging your character and possible expertise. If you guys had appeared to be some kids playing dress-up in some fancy gear, I wouldn't have thought twice about taking your money and teaching you a lesson."
"Then I'm all the more grateful," Gulley replied with a smile.
"That's right. Give me all the appreciation," Teilon smirked. "Oof," until Kimberly elbowed him in the ribs.
It didn't take long before Teilon found what he wanted, and when the waitress arrived, they all ordered a decent spread. It was going to take a small hit on their funds, but Teilon was flush after his recent... business dealings.
Teilon tucked into his food with gusto. He kept an ear to the sounds coming from down below as well as keeping up with the conversations around the entire table. Teilon was nothing if not sociable.
"... yeah, and her fiance is apparently some sort of magical prodigy..."
"...direct disciple of the Court Magus..."
"...announce the wedding..."
Bits and pieces of conversation from down below flitted in one ear and out the other. Teilon wasn't trying to glean any specific information. He was just basking in the overall sense of the experience.
What's the point of eating out if you don't immerse yourself? Teilon quietly chuckled.
Teilon went to take another bite, but he froze with his fork half-way to his mouth. He quirked an eyebrow at Gulley who was sitting still with a scowl on his face.
"What's the matter with you?" Teilon prodded.
Gulley shook himself and focused his attention back on Teilon.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
"Nothing. Just thinking about something," Gulley shook his head. "Sorry. Don't worry about me."
Teilon shrugged when Gulley smiled and started eating again. Whatever had been on his mind was apparently not that important. He kept up with the rest of them with downing the food and contributing to the conversation around the table.
Lunch was a pleasant experience. The food was fantastic and the conversation was fun.
Teilon paid the fare with a decent tip to the waitress. He patted his stomach and stifled a burp as they all exited the restaurant.
"See you in a couple hours," Teilon waved to Gulley and his Party members.
Gulley nodded his head and strode off to find accommodation.
"Alright," Teilon stretched as he turned to face Kimberly. "Where to, now? Anything you want to check out specifically?"
"I hadn't put much thought into it," Kimberly said, glancing around the various shops in the square. "There's a dress shop over there. That will be the first one. A shoe shop. Hey, there's a nice looking flower shop. We can pick something up for the twins. You know how they are."
"I do indeed, but I thought we were going to look at the sights and sounds of the city..." Teilon quirked an eyebrow.
"Haha, you're funny," Kimberly playfully slapped him on the shoulder. "That's what we're doing, silly."
"Right. Of course," Teilon shook his head as he headed to the first store Kimberly had pointed to. He turned his head to address the rest of the crew. "Since we have to meet up here in two hours anyway, you guys can go about and do whatever you want. If you decide to go searching for your companions who already came ahead of us, just have one of you meet up with us to let us know."
The others nodded their head and stopped to talk about what they were going to do. Teilon and Kimberly kept walking.
Teilon suddenly stopped with a frown on his face.
"You know, I'm not sure I ever mentioned that Ms. Ameliyn was staying in the Imperial Palace," he said. He shared a look with Kimberly who had a thoughtful expression on her face. He shrugged. "Eh, it's probably public knowledge."
---
Reivyn sat in the lotus position as he examined his Status Page. He had participated in a couple of fights against the more grizzled enemy veterans over the past couple of days, and he had quickly surpassed the requirement for advancing to Tier 3. In fact, with his leadership bonus to Experience and his deadliness on the battlefield, he had gained several Levels from the skirmishes.
Status Name: Reivyn Class: Hero Lvl 6
Grand Arcanist
Fighter Age: 15 (21) Health: 11,480/11,480 (+310) Stamina: 21,720/21,720 (+410) Mana: 12,935/12,935 (+50) Qi: 1,000 (T4/Li) Physical Stats Mental Stats STR: 1,153 (+10) INT: 1,244 (+4) VIT: 1,148 (+31) MAG: 1,543 (+6) DEX: 1,154 (+10) CLA: 1,081 (+1) CHA: 352 (+1) PER: 1,050 (+1) LUK: 313 (+1) Bloodline: Lvl 1 Unknown 236,443/10,000,000,000 Experience: 1,714/16,800
His Stats had already received a tremendous boost from just six Levels. He had been surprised about the amount of Stats he gained from his Hero Class, as they were more than what he had assumed from the progression of Stat gains he had extrapolated. His previous Class had been Legendary, and it had only provided one Stat with +14 per Level. The Hero Class was +20 for each of the main Stats with Perception lagging behind at +15.
He once more reviewed his Class description.
Hero You are a Hero. You've achieved a perfect foundation, honed many Skills, and been referred to as such by many. You are a true champion.
The Hero is not some person on a quest to save the world. There's no Demon Lord to fight or damsels in distress to save. There's no great quest calling the Hero. The Hero can do everything everyone else can, just better.
Hero +9 (10)
STR: +20 INT: +20
VIT: +20 MAG: +20
DEX: +20 CLA: +20
CHA: +5 PER: +15
LUK: +2
Charisma and Luck were still low, but it was still more than he had expected.
The "+9 (10)" per Level free Stat Points were also a surprise. The phenomenon Reivyn had invoked had caused quite a stir on the battlefield when he had Leveled up to Tier 3, and he suspected the enemy commanders were still trying to figure out exactly what had happened. Only his father, other than Reivyn himself, knew the truth of the matter.
The wording had always been important with Class descriptions. This one was no different, and Reivyn imagined there was some truth when it said he could "do everything everyone else could." He imagined that referred to Skills, Affinities, Magic, and Qi. He would find out for sure soon, though.
He reflected on the events and Notification he had received upon selecting his Tier 3 Class.
Reivyn was flinging plasma bolts at the oncoming legionaries. Everything had gone smoothly upon Reivyn assuming command, but the enemy forces were surprised at the fury with which they were being rebuffed. It wasn't just the defenders who had gotten used to the every day assaults on the city. The enemy forces seemed to have grown a bit complacent about how things would go, as well.
The battle saw more casualties among the enemy veterans than any of their previous assaults, and it was more in-line with the casualty rate of the rookies, as Reivyn considered them. They had still pressed on to breach the walls, but they weren't able to maintain their attack for a prolonged period of time if they didn't want to suffer devastating fatalities. These soldiers were more valuable than the rookies, so they quickly retreated from the field.
As soon as the enemy forces were outside the range of the defenders, the Battle Report Notification appeared, and Reivyn was finally able to select his Class. He didn't hesitate to choose Hero from the list.
That's when everything went crazy.
The world seemed to freeze. Time didn't stop or anything like that, but all the people did. An enormous weight descended from the heavens. The pressure was so great that nobody could move a muscle, and even the ambient Mana stopped getting sucked toward their distant destination.
Nobody knew what was going on as everyone stood frozen in the position they had been in when the pressure arrived. Nobody but Reivyn.
A tremendous force suffused his body. It seemed to appear out of nowhere, and he didn't understand exactly what it was at first. It felt like the local ambient Mana, but there was more to it. There was a spark of something else.
Looking inward, Reivyn saw the energy coalesce around his core until it compressed into a miniscule, almost microscopic, point of golden light in the center of his being. He felt power rush through his body. It traveled through his meridians and blood veins alike.
Once the power stopped coursing through his body, Reivyn slumped against the parapets, gasping for breath.
As soon as he moved, the rest of the world resumed motion. The fleeing enemies stumbled and almost tripped over each other as they picked up the pace to flee at top speed. The defenders sagged against each other and looked around with wild eyes.
Reivyn mastered himself and pulled up the furiously blinking Notification window.
Legendary Feat!
Be the first person to achieve the Hero Class!
Divine Spark granted
Helpful Hint: The Divine Spark grants an additional +1 Free Stat Point per Level. It is retroactive
Reivyn came back to the present as he perused his Status. He had figured out a portion of what had transpired on that day, but he didn't know why it had been done that way.
The System itself had descended and gathered up the providence and ambient Mana of the Region, converting it into a miniscule spark of Divine Mana. It wasn't enough to power any of his Divine Skills and transform them to Tier 7, but it had granted a the "small" benefit of an additional Stat Point per Level.
It basically made it so that all of my Classes going forward will be treated as if it's one whole Tier higher, like a perpetual extension of forcing a Class transition, Reivyn thought. Other than that, I don't know what else this tiny spark will do for me in the future.
He highly doubted it would grant him the ability to select a Divine Rarity Class in the future. His understanding was that it required all of his Mana to be Divine in order to fuel it. That's not what this was. It was just a seed. Potential.
He had obviously shared the news with his father, but other than thinking of ways to train to tease something out of the Divine Spark, Refix didn't have any idea about it, either. Reivyn wasn't disappointed. They were just in uncharted territory, and he was confident everything would be made known, eventually.
Reivyn moved past his Status Page and peeked at his Class Skills. It was another thing that had him slightly stumped.
Class Skills:
Hero (2): You're a Hero
Heroic Skills (2): You're Skills are better than everyone else
Heroic Magic (2): You're Magic is better than everyone else
Available: Heroic Will, Heroic Insight, Heroic Qi
Magic Spells (202): Level 1 2MP, Level 2 10MP, Level 3 20MP, Level 4 50MP, Level 5 100MP, Level 6 500MP, Level 7 1,000MP
Deconstruct (101): Pick apart Spells to their base Elements. Bonus to understanding Weaves, Knots, and Patterns. Bonus to Mana Manipulation +100%]
Will of the Realm (90): Your Will is True
Multi-Strike (51): Attack multiple times with anything, up to 19 times at once
Elemental Weapon (120): Coat your weapon in an Element. Able to extend the length of the Elemental Weapon with additional mana
Available: Charge (117), Cleave (118), Devastating Strike (99), Enforce (22), Impart (8), Intermediate Light Spells (0), Intimidate (0), Mana Well (51), Power Swing (0), True Illusion (0), True Mana (0), Quick-Draw (81)
Reivyn had no idea what his Class Skills meant at all. He wasn't able to choose his new Class Skills. They came pre-loaded. He intuitively understood that he would be able to select from the three available Skills once he reached the Levels in his new Tier to unlock his next Skills, though.
There was a lot of experimentation that was going to have to happen, soon. Refix was practically bouncing off the walls with glee at the training possibilities. Reivyn was actually quite excited to figure out what they did, as well.
There had been one last thing that he had gained, though there had been no Notification associated with it. After thinking about it, Reivyn wasn't surprised, as he never received Notifications about it.
His Veridical and Abyss Affinities had finally Leveled up to 2.
He could understand why Veridical Leveled up. The System had forced the providence of a Region into his body. He didn't know why Abyss had Leveled up with it, though. He suspected it had something to do with his soul, and he even suspected that if he didn't have a connection to the Abyss, his Veridical Affinity would have seen greater gains.
He shrugged it off. He was perfectly happy with gaining a point in his Tier 5 Affinities, regardless of how it had come about.
"Alright, Hero! Are you finally ready to see what you're made of?" Refix' voice brought Reivyn out of his rumination.
"Coming!" Reivyn called out.
He dismissed his System windows and got up from the lotus position. He smiled to himself as he grabbed his weapon and headed out for an intense training session with his father.