Lore cleaved the last of the wolves in two with one final great swing of the Bane Sword, and all three of us—finally—relaxed.
‘That fight make you hungry too, Lore?’ I asked.
‘I don’t get hungry after fighting animals. Too sad.’
‘Unlike when you kill… people?’ Val pointed out.
The shepherd only shrugged in response; clearly he could see the hypocrisy in this too. We paused for a moment to regather our breaths, before Val very correctly pointed out, ‘Maybe we should get going? You know, in case there’s more of them?’
Once we were farther down the road, and out from between the high cliffs, I brought up my ability selection notifications once more, starting with Knifework.
Ability selection unlocked
Select an ability from the list below:
Option 1: Stab II (Knifework) — Upgrade to Stab. Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+20%].
It was a decent opener; an upgrade to a core ability that I’d relied on to get me out of trouble a few times already. And an additional 20% damage? That didn’t sound like much, but it quickly added up, especially if I got new equipment… or Ievelled it up enough that I could use my old Blade of Samal that I’d been lugging around with me all this time.
I went back into the selection screen.
Option 2: Deft Hands (Knifework) — Passive. Your handling of blades borders on the magical, and you are able to draw your blade faster than most.
I’d had this ability choice last time around, and I’d forsaken it for the seemingly much more exciting Execution. Execution had proven handy on occasion, sure, but then just how often would I have saved myself a scar or two if I’d been just a tad quicker on the draw?
Still contemplating my Knifework ability choices—just the two this time!—I minimised this screen for now and brought up Worldbending instead. Maybe there would be some way of combining the two, I thought.
Ability selection unlocked
Select an ability from the list below:
Option 1: Revert Self (Worldbending) — Immediately remove all active effects from yourself.
Nope.
No, no, no, I absolutely did not want that. The reason I was progressing as fast as I was—outside of the Slayers getting me into awkward situations—was because of the Legacy of Sisyphus. And do you know what that was? That’s right, an active effect; I immediately ruled out this ability choice. Obviously.
Hidden condition met! Alternative ability choice unlocked.
Option 2: Far Hands (Worldbending) — [Requires: At least 1 ‘Portal’ ability unlocked] — While active, your Barehanded attacks have a 20 foot range, extended through portals.
OK, now we were talking—this was an ability that didn’t essentially condemn me to death, so that was pretty great. Already I could think of plenty of applications for it—who wouldn’t want to attack someone from 20 feet away? And maybe I could use it for snatching some spare coin here and there…
Option 3: Ash Husk (Worldbending) — Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks.
Option 4: Frost Husk (Worldbending) — Convert your flesh to frost, strengthening it against ice for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to ice attacks.
Well, the application for at least one of these was obvious, considering the man we were looking to slay. But they weren’t the most broad of abilities either, were they? They only offered temporary resistance, though at least it was at a pretty high level. 50% was definitely nothing to sniff at.
‘What you doing, Styk?’ Val interrupted me, and I could see from her face that she knew full well what I was doing.
‘Ooh!’ Lore said, his eyes lightening up when he realised what was going on. ‘You get yourself a new ability?’
‘Two.’
‘Two!?’ Lore seemed barely able to contain himself, and it wasn’t even one of his abilities.
‘Oh yeah?’ Val asked. ‘Why haven’t you been telling us about all these skill upgrades then?’
‘I was asking you! And you’ve not been at all helpful!’
‘Well, I told you to focus your free points on just some of the base stats, didn’t I?’ Val said. ‘I assume you’re doing that? I don’t see you getting any more charismatic as the days go by.’
I stuck my tongue out at her—why did I keep doing that?—and replied, ‘We both know that’s not how stats work. I don’t see you getting more intelligent, do I? And I assume you build up your mana at every opportunity?’
Val returned the sticking-out-tongue gesture.
‘So, yeah, of course I’ve been doing that. I’ve been putting them into Intelligence—’
‘For the mana reserves, yeah, like we said.’
‘—and I’ve been putting them into Strength, because that’s what my Knifework abilities scale up on. I’m doing all that. But I could do with more help from you guys.’
Val shrugged. ‘If you got more questions, ask them.’
‘Well, you’re a magic user, right? What should I be picking in my Worldbending ability selections?’
‘I don’t know Worldbending,’ Val replied. ‘I’m a sorcerer. I know Sorcery.’
I tossed my head back in exasperation. ‘Then what help are you!’
‘Hey, I might not know all worldbending abilities off by heart—who does?—but I can still be useful. Give me some specifics.’
‘How am I supposed to plan my build if I don’t know what’s coming?’
Val screwed up her face. ‘When you said you wanted to learn from your past life, I thought you meant, like, focusing your free points, making sure to upgrade your abilities rather than going wide with them, training up a handful of core skills rather than spreading yourself too thin. Didn’t we talk about this already?’
‘Well, yeah. I’m doing all those things. Obviously I’m doing all those things. I just thought—’
‘What, that there’d be some, like, encyclopaedia of all possible ability choices? That doesn’t exist, Styk.’
Lore nodded his head in agreement.
‘Sure, everyone gets a few core choices, but we both know that the abilities get more and more varied as you get stronger. Look—you did Knifework last time around, and you’ve learned from that, right?’
The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
‘Yeah…’
‘Then what more do you want! What you want me to give you isn’t how life works, Styk.’
I held my hands up in the air in surrender. ‘Alright, alright. Help me with the specifics, then. A Stab upgrade or Deft Hands for Knifework?’
‘What did you pick for Worldbending?’
‘Well, nothing yet, but I was thinking Far Hands. One thing I didn’t do last time around—last life—was synergise. I want to do that this time. Or, rather, I want to keep doing that this time.’
‘You’re going to have to tell us what that does, Styk,’ Val said.
I told her, and then, for simplicity’s sake, explained the other choices too. To save you all the trouble of going through all that again, dear reader, I have spared you this part of the conversation.
‘Alright,’ Val said, ‘Far Hands. Yeah. That sounds good.’
‘Particularly good for stealing things, I thought,’ I said without thinking, before quickly adding, ‘Not that I do that any more.’
Lore skimmed over this point, apparently not being too worried about stealing. ‘It said “Barehanded attacks”,’ he pointed out. ‘I dunno if you can use that for stealing.’
‘My hands would be bare, wouldn’t they?’
‘And would they be attacking?’ Lore asked.
‘Fair point. So you’re saying if I took that, I’d have to start levelling up Barehanded too. I can do that.’
‘No,’ Val interrupted.
‘No?’ I prompted. ‘People usually say “no” and then follow it up with an explanation.’
‘To level up a skill, you need to use it, right? For crafting skills, you craft. For magic skills, you cast. For combat skills… you fight, killing or otherwise ending combat. If you want to level up Barehanded, you’re gonna be losing out on Knifework experience, when that could serve the same purpose.’
‘But I’d level up faster!’ I protested.
‘So what? That’s a vanity thing, Styk. Trust me, I’ve met so many guys out there who have been level thirty or more and who I could beat in a fight with my eyes closed. Pretty sure Tokas’s kids could beat them in a fight, even. No, focus your efforts, particularly where there’s an opportunity cost like that. If you wanna spend your downtime, I dunno, sewing, then sure, get your Needlework skill. But combat skills? They should serve a purpose that your existing ones don’t, otherwise you’re just wasting valuable experience.’
I looked to Lore for confirmation. He nodded. ‘Why d’you think I just have Two-Handed?’
‘Fine. Alright. So, not that ability, then,’ I replied. ‘So I guess it’s…’
Val shrugged. ‘I wouldn’t normally recommend an ability as specific as Ash Husk, but considering where our journey is heading, and against who you’re most likely to, you know, die…’
‘Maybe 50% fire resistance wouldn’t be so bad. And it’s not like I have much health, as I’m not speccing much into Vitality.’
Lore nodded encouragingly. ‘Plenty of fire specialists out there. I reckon people like the drama of it, don’t they? You know, “ooh, fire!”’
‘Cultists,’ Val and I said at the same time.
Lore pointed to us as though he’d been thinking the exact same thing.
Ability unlocked — Ash Husk
Ash Husk (Worldbending) — Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks.
‘What about Knifework, then?’
Val shrugged. ‘I could go either way on this. Lore? You probably know better than me.’
‘Take the upgrade,’ he said, very quickly. ‘Always take the upgrade.’
‘But Deft Hands could be good?’
‘The upgrade. Always,’ Lore said. ‘As long as it’s for an ability you actually use. This scar?’ he pointed to his face. ‘That’s what happens when you don’t take the upgrade.’ When Val raised an eyebrow, Lore added, ‘I’ll tell you another time.’
I sighed. ‘Alright, then…’
Ability upgraded — Stab II
Stab II (Knifework) — Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+20%].
‘Got it,’ I said.
‘Nice!’ Lore echoed, and then clapped me on the back and began walking once more. ‘We’ll make a slayer out of you yet, yeah?’
‘Maybe if he works out how to use his portals properly,’ Val added.
‘What? What do you mean?’
‘I mean half the time you waste the mana, don’t you? Don’t think I didn’t see you pop up to the bridge and down again, back there.’
‘That’s only because you were in trouble! I was trying to save you!’
‘Ooh, so noble,’ Val said. ‘I would’ve been fine.’
‘Well, what would you rather I do, then?’
‘Could try closing it on someone,’ Lore suggested, shrugging. ‘Might be bloody, but… You know, whatever floats your boat.’
‘It closes on inanimate objects, yeah,’ Val responded. ‘Spells, though, they have a habit of working differently for things that are alive.’
I blinked at her. ‘You couldn’t have told me this sooner?’ I turned to Lore. ‘And you couldn’t have suggested this sooner?’
‘I assumed you knew! Look, I’m not saying that the portal would definitely not close on a living thing, but the wording of this whole Portal Slice ability you have does seem to suggest it.’
‘OK, but how can I—’ I started.
At the same moment, Lore’s eyes lit up as he set them upon four-legged creatures in a neighbouring field. ‘Sheep!’ he cried out excitedly.
Val and I looked to one another, and the sorcerer nodded.
‘What?’ Lore asked. ‘What are you thinking?’ He looked from us, to the sheep, and then his mind caught up. ‘You’re not going to—’
‘Try it, Styk,’ Val said.
‘You ain’t gonna…’ Lore said, colour fading from his face.
‘I try it on an animal, or I try it on a human,’ I replied. ‘Sorry, Lore, but there’s only one way to find out what happens.’
I reached out one hand towards the sheep, prepared myself for the seemingly inevitable bloodshed, and then willed a portal into existence.
Nothing happened.
‘OK, right, yeah. Can’t open it through a living creature. Suppose that would be world-shatteringly overpowered, wouldn’t it?’
‘Told you the Portal Slice description implied that.’
I ignored Val, and instead opted for hopping the fence and ambling up to the nearest sheep. It bleated at me, but wasn’t bothered enough to move. ‘Alright, I’m just gonna…’
I opened a portal at the sheep’s side, and then I gently nudged the creature towards it. It didn’t budge.
‘Go on,’ I said, ‘go into the magical floating purple light.’
Still, nothing.
‘Kick it,’ Val suggested.
‘I’m not gonna kick an animal.’
‘What, kicking it isn’t on but cutting it in half is perfectly fine?’
‘That’s different!’ I protested.
‘...How?’
‘That’s… that’s science.’
I put my shoulder into the nudging this time, and on this occasion the sheep was bothered enough to step away from me, putting its back legs through the portal.
As soon as it was through, I released the spell, and the portal snapped shut.
Only… it didn’t. Not quite. I wasn’t bleeding mana, but part of the portal remained around where the sheep was standing, fitting its form perfectly.
‘How are you doing that?’ I asked the sheep, and the resulting bleat suggested that it wasn’t doing anything.
‘It’s not working!’ Lore cried out, thrusting his hands in the air in celebration. ‘It’s alive!’
‘Is it… stuck?’ Val said.
I nudged it once more, harder still this time. The sheep staggered backwards into where the remnants of the portal was, and disappeared out the other side—where the other end had been moments earlier.
I waved my hand into the space where the portal had been, and found… nothing. The portal had snapped closed behind it.
‘It didn’t work,’ I said, turning back to the other two.
‘We saw!’ Lore said excitedly, arms still raised in celebration.
‘Could still always use your portals to drop it from a great height, though, couldn’t you?’ Val suggested.
Lore pressed his lips together ‘Don’t you dare.’
I didn’t dare; I didn’t want to upset Lore than I had already. But now I had an idea for the next bandit we came across…
"Styk"
Level 8 Novice Bladespinner
Base Stats:
Vitality — 16
Intelligence — 65
Dexterity — 23
Strength — 36
Wisdom — 23
Charisma — 0
Skills:
Worldbending — Level 15
Knifework — Level 15
Identification — Level 8
Stealth — Level 5
Abilities:
Slice — Slice the enemy for physical damage worth weapon’s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR].
Stab II — Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 20%.
Closed Reach — Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana.
Local Portal II — Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second.
Portal Slice — Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic.
Ash Husk — Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks.
Stealth Attack — Passive. 50% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy.
Basic Identification — Discover basic attributes for a particular object or person. Ability scales with [WIS] + [INT].
Active Effects:
Legacy of Sisyphus:
XP gain increased by +400%