"Anyway," Travis said, picking up from where Luke's story ended. "After I got knocked out of the building, I had to hide from the [Bone Juggernaut] until [Duty before Death] timed out, and he dropped dead. Those guys appeared to be leading an entire slave convoy. Once they kicked our asses, they resurrected the [Horseman of Conquest] and the [Bone Juggernaut]. Then, they collected up the Gem Turtles, the settlement core, and moved on. Luke and I gathered up the dead and most of the supplies we originally came for. But we left a lot of stuff behind."
"Yeah, yeah," Luke said. "Now, will you come outside and help me?"
Tom sighed.
"I'm having Lunch first."
"You can't be serious?" Luke asked.
"Luke, I haven't even had breakfast. I will resurrect everyone after lunch."
"Seriously?!" Luke asked, infuriated.
Travis put his hand on Luke's arm.
"Luke, how many people do you think are already laying out there?" Travis asked.
"I don't --"
"How many were there yesterday? How many will be there tomorrow??"
Luke looked deep in thought as he considered Travis's words.
"Fuck" Luke breathed.
"Now you're getting it," Tom said. "At this point, people who I haven't resurrected are the minority, which reminds me. We need to set aside some time for me just to resurrect people so that everyone stops harassing me. I can't come running every time someone dies, especially as every level a person has cost an extra two thousand points of mana to bring them back. That's like ten people per level, and I need to herd together to resurrect one guy. Your friends are in the what? Eighteen range Luke, that means I need to round up something like … thirty-two thousand mana or three hundred mana per person. You lost what, a dozen people? That's over a thousand people who have to drop what they're doing. Come down to the parking lot in the freezing snow and help me bring your friends back. "
"Yeah, okay," Luke said meekly. Surprising Tom.
He had been expecting to get into a full-on argument with Luke. Now, the guy just seemed like a kicked puppy. Then again, he did just watch all his friends die. Maybe this was to be expected? Honestly, Tom was pretty sure his own relationship with death was getting out of hand. Seeing dead people as a chore couldn't be healthy.
"Tom." Luke started.
Uh oh. Tom braced himself for the coming shitshow.
"Tom, I'm Sorry for how I acted," Luke said.
Tom was … utterly speechless. He couldn't remember the last time Luke had said sorry … now that he thought about it, he wasn't sure if Luke had ever apologized for anything. He barely even registered the rest of the conversation.
"Uh… okay," Tom managed, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck. "Thanks, I guess."
Tom turned to Travis. But the Lizard Wizard just shrugged. Equally confused by this 180. Regardless, Tom issued a quest for people to show up just after lunch to help with the resurrections.
"Well, I'd love to continue this chat later, but I have stuff to do: evolve my class, have lunch, train people, hand out the [Storage] skill, get a war council together, and god knows what else until tomorrow when I have to recruit reinforcements, scout out the enemy and create a battle plan and then execute that plan before Monday," Tom said.
"Um, sure. We've got some training to do. Come on, Travis," Luke said, pulling the Lizard away.
Travis gave him an apologetic shrug as he was carried away by Luke.
”What just happened?” Tom asked.
“I think all of this stuff is finally getting to Luke. He’s relized that that this isn’t a fantasy novel where everything is going to turn out ok and he’s trying to take the first steps to putting away his pride and repairing our relationship.” Alex said.
Tom looked at her, dragging out the awkward silence.
“Or he’s experienceing temporary insanity.” Alex said cheekily sticking her tounge out at him.
Tom shrugged Aalright enough of this I’m snow confused and hungry let’s put a pin in whatever that was and go get something to eat.”
They got into the cafeteria line and grabbed a dozen small pulled pork sandwiches and two bowls of vegetable soup. He almost felt the need to apologize to Alex for how hungry he was when he noticed she had almost two dozen sandwiches herself.
"What I'm freaking starving," Alex said defensively
"The downsides of levels are already raising their head," Tom muttered.
"Hmm," Alex agreed sheepishly as she stared at the pile of food on her plate.
"Do not worry," Takashi said as he served them the soup. "I have a plan. Hunters bring back plenty of bones. Make plenty of meaty soup stock out of it."
"That should work out well. Especially with the higher level monsters providing more calories." Alex agreed as they were shooed out onto the cafeteria floor.
"I'm really hoping the [Cooks] level up soon so we can stop eating like characters from Dragon Ball," Tom said.
"I'd be happy for some more variety. Eating sixteen sandwiches in one sitting is going to get boring," Alex said.
They sat down and started to dig into their meals. The pulled pork sandwiches were basic, with just a little barbecue sauce. Alex ended up having a little bit of barbecue sauce on her chin as she bit into an especially saucy sandwich.
"You know what I love the most about our new lives?" Alex asked mischievously.
"What?" Tom asked.
"I can eat like I want, and I won't get fat," Alex said as she gleefully bit into a sandwich.
Tom smiled. "I hope Chloe's doing okay in the daycare. I feel pretty bad just pawning her off like that. But I don’t think she’d enjoy watching me play lord of Hopkins. Hell you haven’t stopped complaining about since I made you my right hand.."
Alex rolled her eyes. "I don't really hate being in charge; I hate all the micromanaging I'm having to do."
Alex paused for a moment. Tom could tell she wanted to say something, so he waited patently.
<[Analyze person] has Reached Level 25>
And now the entire moment felt dirty. Thanks system.
"I'm worried about my brother," Alex admitted.
"The little shit? Have you heard anything?" Tom asked as he took her hand.
"He might be a little shit, but he's still my brother. And no, he won't answer his phone. I'm hoping he's just out of service range, or maybe he dropped the stupid thing in the toilet. Or maybe he lost it gambling that would be like him," Alex said.
"What about your dad?" Tom asked.
"I don't think my dad would have picked up the phone even if he was still alive," Alex said dismissively before doing her best impersonation of a Chinese accent. "Ugly daughters should know their place and be quiet while the men speak."
Tom had to hold back a laugh.
"You're terrible," Tom said.
"He was actually better when Mom was alive," Alex said. Now, he's all about tradition and turning Fang into his heir. God, it's killing me not knowing."
"Want me to try and find them with [Far-Seeing]?" Tom offered.
"Don't bother. Dad took Fang somewhere in Vancouver proper for some hush-hush meeting. We would need something to actually search for him, like [Divine Person]. I just don't know what to do."
"Hey, hey, it's going to be alright. We know that Sam and her dad had bloodlines despite never having played the Legend of Noralon. Odds are Chester passed it on to his kid, so there's a pretty good chance Fang has the [Bloodline of the Spector], too." Tom tried to placate her.
"You know, that actually makes me more concerned. My idiot of a brother is liable to do something stupid if he feels special," Alex said. "Do you remember half of the quest revolving around bloodline? Half of them were about kidnapping, rape, or turning people potion ingredients."
"At least the bloodline lends itself to escaping danger," Tom said.
Alex put her head in her hands and groaned.
"You know, I just realized, if your family bloodline is that of a spectre, that means."
"Oh my god, one of my ancestors fucked a ghost?!" Alex said.
"I guess your perversion is genetic." Tom shot back.
Alex threw a ball of water at his face, soaking Tom's front completely.
"Ass," she said.
"Perv," he shot back, both of them grinning.
----------------------------------------
Luke showed Travis his status.
"So you finally picked up [Water Enhancer]," Travis chuckled. "That explains why you were so apologetic."
Luke rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, I fucked up. I let my pride get the better of me, and I had to have the message beaten into my skull. I need the [Legendary Strength] skill to fix my agility."
"Yeah, putting points into agility and strength at the same time is a trap. You'll waste points you could put elsewhere. There's also the fact that you're not using [Power of the Sea God]. It's a powerful water magic skill that you haven't used once. That's why we recommended [Water Enhancer]. It's a good melee class that can help you utilize your bloodline." Travis hissed.
"I know, I know," Luke said. "I just … I didn't like the fact that it wasn't my choice. At first, it was Theo making every decision, and then Tom tried telling me what to do, and I was an ass about it. But now I want you to help me. What skills are the right ones?" Luke asked as he brought up his skill options.
This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
DING!!!
Water Enhancer Skills
1. [Tide Ripper] - Uncommon: You mimic water, specifically the flow, flexibility, and adaptability of the liquid. Your blade is covered in a thin sheen of water, inflicting additional [Water] damage—+1.25 % for Sword & Footwork Mastery per skill level.
2. [Wave Breaker] - Uncommon: You mimic water, specifically the crashing of the waves upon the rocks. Your Mace and Shield are covered in a thin sheen of water, inflicting additional [Water] damage when you strike an enemy—+1.25 % for Mace & Shield Mastery per skill level.
3. [Rapid Water Steps] - Uncommon: You move forwards like the rapids, quickly moving through the battle, accompanied only by the splashes of your footsteps—+1 % movement speed per skill level. When activated, your movement speed increases by 300% for five seconds at the cost of 50 mana.
4. [Spearfisher] - Rare: You hunt the ocean for your food, launching your spear into the deep in order to recover your dinner. Your spear blade is covered in a thin sheen of water, inflicting additional [Water] damage—+1.25 % for Spears, Fishing & Swimming Mastery per skill level.
5. [Water Armour] - Rare: You surround your body in water, protecting yourself with the power of the ocean itself. Gain 100 Armour at the cost of 100 mana. Increase this effect by ten armour per skill level.
Travis considered it for a moment.
"What skills do you want to get?" Travis asked.
Luke frowned. "I don't know. That's why I'm asking you."
Travis rolled his eyes.
"Listen, sourpuss. It's not one or the other. There's no point in picking up a skill if you're never going to use it. At the same time, some skills are just too useful not to pick it up."
"Like [Legendary Strength]?" Luke asked.
"Exactly." Travis nodded. "So what skills would you like?"
Luke considered the question.
"[Rapid Water Steps] are a must. I like [Tide Ripper], but [Spearfisher] seems like it would be objectively better. Maybe [Water Armor]? But honestly, I'd rather hold off on any of these skills until I get [Legendary Strength]," Luke suggested.
Travis nodded.
"[Rapid Water Steps] is an excellent first choice. As for [Tider Ripper] and [Spearfisher], I would recommend picking up [Tide Ripper] now as you really like that sword and then picking up [Spearfisher] and [Waver Breaker] later and combine all three into the [Way of Water] skill"
"I can combine skills?" Luke asked in confusion.
Travis looked at him in confusion before turning into realization.
"Oh, right. Your other classes are already legendary. You probably haven't combined any skills. Here, let me show you how to use your soul forge," Travis explained.
Luke listened with rapt attention as Travis explained something so fundamental that he hadn't even bothered to learn about it. He would need to ask Travis more about the system in case there was something else he missed.
----------------------------------------
After lunch, Tom walked outside to deal with the dead. Alex said she needed to use the restroom and wandered off.
Tom looked at the rows of dead bodies. The corpses of police officers, larpers, and random people were laying out on the frozen ground. Even now, their bodies were covered in light dusting snow as it came down heavily.
In the past few days, he had only seen light snow. Today, however, it was coming down like the advent of a blizzard, threatening to overwhelm them.
"Monday," Tom muttered as [Prophetic Mediation] nagged at his mind.
Sometime around Monday, the blizzard will be here in full force. He needed to hurry.
Tom was immensely glad they had been able to restore some rudimentary heating to the school, even if it was taking most of their power.
They moved over to the bodies of the dead. There had to be hundreds of people here. Tom was just glad people had gotten the quest and had been lining up and waiting for him. He drew out a ritual circle with light magic.
"Alright, everyone, let's get this started. We've got a lot of bodies to get through, and we want to be finished in two hours, so let's get a move on," Tom ordered before turning to Major Adams, Eve, and Chester.
"The moment we bring someone back, I want you guys to pull them away and get them settled. I'm not going to waste hours letting people freak out; you understand."
The trio looked like they wanted to argue, but they ultimately complied with his orders.
Then he got to work, bringing one person back after another. The police officers worked together to remove the returned and put them in a better state of mind.
Eventually, they got to Luke and Travis's team. Tom sighed. This was going to be annoying. Chad was in Luke's group. Part of him honestly considered just not bringing him back. He really considered it. He really wanted to. But no, he didn't hate Chad that much, and he didn't want to ruin his reputation as system Jesus. It made him feel awkward, but it allowed him to order people around without having to explain every little detail.
As a new group of people huddled behind him as his batteries, he activated [Hand of Mercy]. The mana poured through his body, repairing Chad's body and restoring him to life.
Chad coughed once, twice, and then he spat out a wad of congealed blood. Chad rolled over and spat out whatever blood had remained in his mouth before he turned to look up at him.
If looks could kill Chad, he was definitely giving it his best. His eyes radiated a combination of hate, resentment, and humiliation. Blood dripped down his chin as his tongue flicked out to catch the blood on his lips. His hair was matted, and he looked like a wild animal.
"Can I get you some hot chocolate, friend?" Tom said mockingly.
The offer was genuine, but it was equally insulting. Chad took the bait.
"Fuck you, freak." Chad spat as he got his feet.
"Well, good to see you too, Mr. Grumpy pants," Tom said, a cruel glint in his eyes that only Chad could see. "Did you resurrect on the wrong side of the bed?"
Chad got up and tried to punch him. Immediately his [Spell Trap] activated, and a windshield blasted out of his body, knocking Chad flat on his ass.
"Do you want a fight, Chad? I'm perfectly willing; just don't expect me to bring you back again." Tom said as spells gathered in his hands two earthen spears that would punch right through Chad's body with ease.
Chad sneered as he pulled himself back to his feet.
"This isn't over." Chad snarled.
"It better be," Tom mocked as he watched Chad stumble away.
Tom looked back to see people looking at him strangely.
"What?" Tom asked. "He started it."
Then he realized that not everyone was frowning at him. Some of them were staring at him in awe, but mostly, it was those people he had just brought back to life. They weren't staring at him like he was a nerd or something gross; they had stepped in. Most of their stares could be better described as in awe, infatuation, or even fanaticism.
It left Tom deeply uncomfortable, so he turned back to his job
Penny was next. She shot up, gasping for air. Her eyes darted back and forth in a panic, her sacrificial dagger reappearing in her hand, ready to slash anyone who got too close, but she stopped as she realized where she was.
"I died," she said, hyperventilating as she unsteadily got to her feet. Luke moved over to help her.
"Pretty much," Tom admitted. "How did it happen?"
"I tried to free the slaves, and they killed him … FUCK!!!" she screamed.
"You okay?" Tom asked her.
"I just … I think I need a break from all this," Penny said, storming off.
Tom shrugged. She wasn't having a breakdown, so she was probably fine. He moved on to Sam.
"Remember how you asked whether or not you should focus on getting [Soul Lantern]," Sam asked.
"Yes," Tom said.
"You should get it," Sam said. "Anything to make that … more tolerable."
She seemed a little better than Penny. Tom was starting to notice that younger people handled dying a lot better than older people. He wondered why. Shrugging, he moved on to Gareth. The big man shot up his hand, reaching for the axe that wasn't on his belt.
"Where's my brother?" Gareth asked, not even bothering to acknowledge the fact that he had died just getting up and standing on his own two feet.
<[Hand of Mercy] has Reached Level 26>
<[Hand of Mercy] has Reached Level 27>
<...>
<[Hand of Mercy] has Reached Level 48>
<[The Pen is Mightier than the Sword] has Reached Level 31>
<[The Pen is Mightier than the Sword] has Reached Level 32>
<[Words will Always Retain their Power] has Reached Level 26>
<[Bright Arts] has Reached Level 28>
<[Best of Both Worlds] has Reached Level 13>
"He's next," Tom said, pointing to Issac's corpse.
"Where is my weapon?" Gareth asked as he grabbed Issac and placed him in the ritual circle before joining the group to supply Tom with power.
"No idea," Tom admitted as he activated the ritual and brought Issac back to life.
You may skip to the next chapter.
Name: Tom Bruner
Race: Half-Elf ()
Type: Humanoid
LVL: 20
SubRace: High Elf / Caucasian
Age 18
Health: 1000
Stamina: 1400
Mana: 4000
Health Regen: 14.0 per hour
Stamina Regen: 18.0 per min
Mana Regen: 24.0 per min
Titles: Beta-Tester, First, Awoken Myths, Guild Master
Immune
None
Resistances
Mental 58% Soul 34%
Weakness
None
Bane
Manslayer
Classes: Augur 10, Tactiction 3, Scribe 3, Pro-gamer 4
Total
STR: 40
AGIL: 40
DEX: 40
CON: 80
END: 40
PER: 220
INT: 200
WILL: 180
SPIRIT: 60
EGO: 40
CHA: 140
LCK: 40
Base
STR: 40
AGIL: 40
DEX: 40
CON: 80
END: 40
PER: 220
INT: 200
WILL: 180
SPIRIT: 60
EGO: 40
CHA: 140
LCK: 40
Personal: +4 PER +4 WILL +3 INT +3 CHA
Racial: +3 WILL +2 CON +2 CHA +1 SPIRIT
Bloodline: +5 PER +5 INT
Level Bonus: +2 to all Stats
Bloodline:
[Bloodline of the Keeper of Akashic Records]—Forgotten: Through your vein runs the blood of the forgotten Keepers of the Akashic Records. These monks, scribes, and scholars helped create the system, and within their blood are the keys to its secrets.
* [The Pen is Mightier than the Sword] - Level 30 >> Level 32
* [Words Will Always Retain their Power] - Level 25 >> Level 26
* [Library of Akashic Records] - Level 21
* [Universal] - Level 20
* [Wordsmith] - Level 27
* [My Mind is My Temple, My Soul the Altar] - Level 34
* [Thirst for Knowledge] - Level 17
* [Visions of Akashic Records] - Level 11
* [Soul Forge] - Level 25
* +5 PER per level
* +5 INT per level
Skill Slots: 18/60: Skill Points: 4
Personal Skills
* [Analyze Person] - Level 24 >> Level 25
* [Best of Both Worlds] - Level 12 >> Level 13
* [Art of Water] - Level 14
* [Art of Earth] - Level 14
* [Teacher] - Level 9
Augur 07/16
* [Augurs Eye] - Level 7
* [Bright Arts] - Level 27 >> Level 28
* [Art of Life] - Level 20 >> Level 25
* [Prophetic Meditation] - Level 44
* [Far Seeing] - Level 17
* Capstone: [Hand of Mercy] - Level 26 >> Level 48
* [Quest Giver] - Level 12
Tactician 05/6
* [Nascent Guild Leader] - Level 22
* [Leadership Ⅱ] - Level 24
* [Raider Ⅰ] - Level 20
* [Coordinate Ⅱ] - Level 21
* [Logistics Ⅲ] - Level 19
Pro-Gamer 01/11
* [Spell Trap] - Level 4
* [Empty]
Scribe 01/6
* [Contract] - Level 9
* [Empty]