Congratulations!

You have advanced a Skill past Journeyman. Energy Manipulation is now Master 1. You have achieved this feat by gaining an in-depth understanding of at least one aspect of your Skill.

You have come to understand that Health, Mana, and Energy are all intrinsically linked, to the extent of being able to convert one to the other. You are henceforth able to convert Energy to mana intentionally and your efficiency in this increases as you practise it. However, your understanding is still limited and you must research and explore further to potentially unlock other effects of your new discoveries.

The path to Sage is long and hard; do you have the will and inspiration to stay the course?

Next message? Y/N

Not only is it my first Skill to reach Master level, but the wording of the message makes it appear that it requires crossing some sort of threshold. Also different is the message at the end. So ‘Sage’ is the end goal? I wonder. Though how many steps are there between Master and Sage? And what are the requirements for it? Evidently ‘will’ and ‘inspiration’, but what else?

The way the message tells me that I achieved Master level in Energy Manipulation by ‘gaining an in-depth understanding of at least one aspect’ of my Skill indicates to me that crossing from Journeyman to Master isn’t as simple as continuing to practise the Skill – I actually need to understand it. That could be useful to know in the future: already two of my other Skills are in the Journeyman ranks – Meditation and Flesh-Shaping, so this may become directly relevant soon.

It also seems to give me a path forwards too, and not the one about becoming a ‘Sage’. It very clearly states that my understanding of converting one form of Energy into another is flawed, and must be corrected and expanded. Perhaps this is how my Skill will progress from Master to Grandmaster – if that’s the next rank? Or perhaps I need to advance my understanding just to move through the levels in Master itself.

I suppose it makes sense: one can reach a Journeyman’s level of understanding by being able to do things with a Skill, but cannot become a Master of it. To do that, one must actually understand why it works. Perhaps that’s why it’s described as a ‘feat’ – I can imagine Journeyman nine being a bottleneck for many people. Heck, it probably would have ended up a frustrating obstacle for me too, if necessity hadn’t forced me to develop the understanding required to get past it.

Still musing on the implications of that message, I click to the next.

Achievement awarded: Masochist II

If the odds of successfully gaining a single Masochist achievement are low, the chances of gaining a second are vanishingly small. Not because few attempt them, but because the process of gaining them kills the vast majority of those who do. Nevertheless, you have successfully managed to not die, despite reducing your health to one unit over fifty times within three days. Either you truly are a masochist, or someone really wants information from you.

As a result of draining and replacing your health in such quick succession, your body has now become more able to hold health energy. Each point in Constitution now offers 5 more units of health.

Next message? Y/N

Well, that explains the sudden increase in health. I shake my head a little at the message text. Most of the notifications are written quite neutrally, but the Masochist achievements seem to have a remarkably chatty tone. It makes me wonder what exactly is producing the messages.

I was thinking it was some sort of automatic message, something like a computer would offer whenever something triggered a specific routine. Even the way the text relating to rank-ups seems personalised could be explained by an AI-type intelligence generating it. But to have snark? Either the ‘computer’ is very advanced, or there’s someone, somewhere sending these messages.

Both options make me feel rather uncomfortable, the hairs sticking up on the back of my neck at the thought of something – or someone – being able to see my every move, my every thought.

And then I remind myself that whatever or whoever it is, there’s simply no way that I’ll be able to do anything about it. I can’t even wear a tinfoil hat, I joke to myself. No point in wasting time thinking about something I have zero chance of being able to affect. Not now, anyway.

Having achieved two Masochist achievements, I suddenly start wondering about whether I could either upgrade them or get a third for stamina. Or both. After all, my rank-up in Energy Manipulation mentioned health, mana, and Energy, but it didn’t mention stamina. What if it didn’t mention my third resource pool simply because I haven’t found a way of converting Energy into it? Because if two of the pools are simply different forms of Energy, why would the third pool be any different?

And if my body gained an extra ability to hold health energy because I’d emptied and refilled my cells over fifty times in three days, what if I could empty and refill it over a hundred times in three days? Or less. Would my body be able to hold even more Energy?

Suddenly, it doesn’t feel so much an ‘achievement’ in the sense of a reward for attaining something, but more of an ‘achievement’ like winning a race or obtaining an objective.

Clicking onto the next message, my eyebrows rise again. Another achievement?

Achievement awarded: Healer.

You have succeeded in healing damage to your Core, Core space, and Soul. To have suffered all three types of damage at the same time is unfortunate; to have successfully repaired all three areas in full is incredible, requiring insight, inspiration, and perseverance in large measure.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

In light of your remarkable achievement you have gained +5% to Intelligence, Wisdom, and Willpower.

Close messages? Y/N

That’s nice, I think to myself, a smile tugging the corners of my lips apart. That explains the percentage increases I’d seen on my status screen. Honestly, I’d have been happy with just being whole again. Heck, gaining Masochist II in the process was enough of a reward. I’m not going to turn it down, though. Or even think too loud about not needing it – if Big Brother knows my every thought, who knows if it might just be taken away from me?

Closing the message, the screen vanishes from my vision leaving me staring at the fire thoughtfully.

There had been a few other changes which had been obvious in my status screen but which weren’t actually highlighted in my messages. I’ve gained a couple of levels in Flesh-Shaping – not unexpected – and in Sensation Management as well. Again, that makes sense.

What doesn’t make sense, are the points I gained in Willpower and Constitution. After levelling up, I was sitting at forty-two base points in Willpower, and twenty base points in Constitution. Since they were both twenty or above, I wasn’t expecting to gain anything to them except what I put in when levelling. However, somehow, Willpower has gained one point and Constitution two.

How? That’s the question I find rattling around in my head. Was my point in Willpower caused by me accidentally continuing to push even when my soul was completely healed? And were the Constitution points somehow due to something I was doing with draining and refilling my health?

The most important factor, I feel, is the clear evidence that what is believed to be true in Nicholas’ world is wrong. The system knowledge stone I absorbed was very clear that twenty points in each stat is the highest a human can naturally achieve without having a Class and using Energy to gain levels. But somehow, I’ve just gained three points without leveling up at all.

I don’t know if they used Energy, though – my Energy store is higher than it was when I started my Meditation, but it’s also been three and a half days, apparently. I frown as I try to work out whether it’s more likely they did or didn’t.

First of all, I’d have my daily absorption rate to take into account – probably with a significant percentage increase considering that I was in Deep Meditation for the whole time. Heck, I’m already in Journeyman four in that Skill, so clearly I didn’t just gain it at the end – it’s probably been affecting my rate of absorption for at least a day.

Secondly, my Bound may easily have gone out hunting without me – even if a couple stayed with me to guard me, the others probably didn’t. So I have an unknown amount of Energy absorbed from their kills to account for as well.

In short, it’s impossible to know for sure.

What I do know, though, is that I’m going to do my best to recreate it – if I’m able to gain stat points between levels and it’s ‘cheaper’ to do it, of course I want to know! But…I might work on something else for a bit – I think I’ve had enough ‘Deep Meditation’ for now. I’ve lost three days of the time before the quest is due. Usefully spent, but lost all the same.

Gazing into the flickering flames, my thoughts slow a little, most of my questions upon seeing my status screen answered, the others not answerable without further testing. I slowly become aware of something else.

It’s not an obvious change, not one that was mentioned on my status screen. Yet I can’t help feeling that something has changed. I stretch towards the fire, interlacing my fingers and turning them so my palms face outwards. Then releasing the interlacing, I twist my wrists and wriggle my fingers. I clench my hands into fists and then open them wide.

There is a difference, I note. My left hand feels…fuller than before. It’s very hard to put into words, but it feels like there was something missing which I hadn’t even truly known was absent, but which is now present. Like it’s heavier, more vibrant, denser, but all in a very, very good way.

At the same time, although I still ache all over, the rest of me feels more settled, more comfortable in my own skin. I feel a bit like I do sometimes when I’ve finally been forced to release my emotions. Cathartic, I believe it’s called.

When I’ve been sobbing, or screaming, or so pent-up with energy that I’ve punched a cushion or – once – a wall. Though, that latter didn’t actually result in this feeling since the pain on the outside just added to the pain inside. But in the other situations, after venting my emotions, I suddenly felt exhausted, but like by ridding myself of the heavy feelings, I had finally cleared some space for myself again inside me.

That’s how I feel now. Although the soul damage had been a void in my Core space, and an area without mist in my soul space, it feels more like I’ve just got rid of something than filled in a hole. I hadn’t realised how displaced I’d been feeling until now I feel re-placed.

No wonder I’d been having issues with my emotions – between this and the difference between my Constitution and my mental stats, it’s a wonder I wasn’t having more problems. Hopefully that will now be all behind me, though.

Exhaustion suddenly hitting me, I turn back towards the bed. Catching River’s eyes, I abruptly remember that I’d promised to tell him what I’d been doing.

Sorry about that, I apologise to him, realising he’s just been sitting there patiently, waiting for me. Since the rest of my Bound are currently trying to sleep, I try to respect that by communicating mentally.

It is no problem. He hesitates. It’s good to see you back with us. We were…worried. Especially when your eyes and nasal holes started bleeding. My eyebrows rise at that.

I was bleeding?

Yes, at regular intervals. But you didn’t seem to be worse for it. Not that there was much we could have done about it if you were. Is it just me or were those words rather pointed? Then I think about what the consequences of my death would have been, and I realise that he has good reason to be a little annoyed at me. Not to say angry.

After all, he’s thrown in his lot with me, hoping that I will hold the key to helping his village. Me dying kind of scuppers that plan. And perhaps there’s an element of emotional attachment too – though that might just be wishful thinking.

I was trying to heal my soul damage, I say abruptly, wanting to justify myself. I found a way to do it and was worried I would lose the chance if I stopped. I didn’t realise I was bleeding. I didn’t realise it could kill me, is what I think but don’t actually say. Perhaps the message and the remorse moves across the link without me intending it to as River…softens, in some way.

Did you succeed? he asks, letting me off the hook – probably being more forgiving to me than he should be. At that, I smile.

I did. Those words somehow manage to encompass the whole of what I’ve just achieved, satisfaction rolling through me like a cat stretching luxuriously.

Then that you achieved your goals and came back to us is what is important, River finishes. You must be tired.

I am, I admit. Without another word, River shifts to lie down turning his back to me and curling his tail up to his chest. I’d never noticed before, but he actually holds the tip of his tail to his neck, like a child might hold a teddy bear. Is it for the same purpose, or just to keep it away from harm? I’m not going to ask, though.

Instead, I happily take the invitation and lie down too, my exhaustion hitting me full-force once more. About to fall asleep, my eyes abruptly fly back open as a thought hits me like a lightning bolt.

If I’ve been meditating for three days, what’s happened to the hide I was drying?! If it’s been ruined, I’m going to scream.