Armorica grabbed Savine's arm. "Use your sleep spell on your sister; we need to move quietly. When we get out of here, we will make for the mountains. There's a cave at the base of one. I should be able to deal with any monsters in this area, but we should avoid any fighting," Armorica whispered.
Most children gain their first skill or spell around fourteen years old, but Savine was extremely talented and gained her first on her twelfth birthday, which she used to put her friend Emma to sleep immediately after gaining it. Now almost thirteen, Savine has two spells: Sleep and Conceal. Only ever using her spells for fun, she's never had the pressure of having lives at stake. Her hands trembling, she placed one on her sister's head, and a faint pink glow emanated from her hand. Char fell into a deep, deep sleep. Savine then took a deep breath, but the smoke and dust made her lungs feel as if they were on fire. She started coughing hard.
"Mom, the smoke's so thick I can barely breathe," Savine said between coughs. Armorica placed a hand on her, and it glowed bright yellow, giving her the Courageous Spirit buff. Savine felt a rush of power and determination flood her. "Whoa. I've never felt this buff before... this is amazing," Savine said calmly.
"Grab my hand, Mom. We're getting outta here." Armorica reached out with her other hand and grabbed Savine's. Savine closed her eyes, and a dark transparent veil covered them, effectively making the group invisible for a time.
"Okay, we'll go out the back and down the west road past Smitty's shop to the tree line," Armorica whispered.
They then crept out of the back of the Smoking Maul and onto the streets of Lockden. Fires were burning all around. Behind them, the windows of the Smoking Maul shattered, and flames began climbing the walls. Soon the entire inn was engulfed in flames. Savine was visibly enraged; her face was beet red, tears streamed down her face, and her hands were shaking. She wanted nothing more than to kill the people responsible for this. Just then, her mind was invaded by the sinister laughter of the mage. She struggled for a few seconds while wrestling the spell that tried to induce panic. Eventually, she gained enough strength to move.
"Your father is going to deal with this mage, and we'll be able to safely get out of here. Now let's keep moving," Armorica said.
They started walking down the road, burning homes on either side and bodies all around. Some were hung; others were burned or chopped to pieces. It was a truly gruesome situation. Savine kept her eyes forward, not letting the scene around them stop her. As Smitty's shop came into view, they slowed down and looked for any survivors. Smitty's shop was the town general store that sold just about anything, or Smitty could at least point you in the right direction. They kept themselves out of view in an alleyway across the street from the shop and could see the wife of the town smithy out front of the house. A large blood stain was in the dirt. She had a large hunting dagger stuck in her side and a large pool of blood under her. Savine closed her eyes tight and squeezed her mother's hands hard.
"Ms. Jenna was always so kind to me. This is chaos. They aren't even taking anything; they're just killing everyone," Savine said.
Armorica closed her eyes. "Gods of Seraphim, guide and protect her soul. Allow it to find peace in your realm."
They had a moment of silence before steeling themselves and moving on. The spell drained Savine's mana constantly, so they had to get outside the town before she ran out of mana. That's when they saw a pack of summoned wolves tearing a man to shreds. It was too much for Savine. She froze, closed her eyes, and placed one hand on her mouth. Armorica squeezed her shoulder and slowly pushed her in the right direction. The spell lasted just to the edge of town, where they hunkered down behind some fallen trees and took stock of the situation. The smoke in the distance was thick and billowed out from houses and fields. They sat huddled together in the mud. It was cold and wet. Armorica looked at the town where they raised their kids. The town had given them so much; it hurt to watch it burn. From the center of town, she could see blue flashes and lightning.
"Your father has engaged the enemy. We need to move now. He's buying us this time; we cannot waste it. On your feet," Armorica said.
Savine normally would complain about such rigorous conditions, but without skipping a beat, she was on her feet and pack on her back. "Let's hurry up, Mom, so we can be ready for when they show up," Savine said.
They made their way to the entrance of the cave and found some others who had run there at the start. Armorica started assessing everyone's injuries while Savine took care of Char and the other kids.
"You are such a talented girl, Savine. It was because of you we made it here. I'm proud of you," Armorica said with tears running down her face. She had been strong for her family for so long that she caved in the silence.
Savine, never having seen her mother cry, hugged her tightly. "Mom...I was so scared! It... it was a slaughter! Why!? Why did this happen?" Savine cried out.
Armorica herself wasn't entirely sure why Lockden, a nothing town on the edge of the Wild Lands, would be marked for death by Crainwall. "I... I don't know. What matters now is keeping the family together and getting out of this. Let's get some rest and be ready for your father and Reginald to arrive," Armorica said while hugging Savine.
They had worked their way into the cave a little bit to hunker down and start a fire. The cave walls sparkled as the light of the fire hit them. There must be some mana-infused minerals in the rock. Savine held her sister tight near the fire, and the other kids started sitting with them, exchanging names and opening packs to root for food. Some time had passed, and Savine was looking around at the walls when she heard something at the entrance. It was Emma; her friend came running in.
"The militia's here!" she exclaimed.
Reginald and the militia finally made it to the cave. The entrance was like a crack in the mountain, forcing the men to climb through one at a time. Inside, the townsfolk of Lockden waited, one by one looking and hoping their loved ones made it back, but most did not. A handful of the militia went through, then Reginald came through followed by Levi.
"I knew you'd make it back, but damn do you look like shit," Armorica busted out laughing with tears forming in her eyes.
Savine, carrying Char, ran to her father who was moving much slower than usual. "Are you okay? Are you hurt? What happened?" Savine cried out while hugging her father. Levi grabbed them all in a big hug. "We need to talk about what's happened. Let's find somewhere to sit down," Levi said in a quiet tone.
Keeping your class, skills, and spells hidden as long as possible is a smart move. Many will learn as much as they can from you and use it against you, so Levi even now wanted to talk in private about his upgrades. The cave was sparkling from the fire and smelled very earthy and damp. It also made everybody inside feel at ease; the cave had an odd mana presence that was very welcoming.
"That's when the large empowered bandit threw a massive handful of debris at Reggie." Levi went on to tell Armorica and Savine about the battle and how he had essentially lost until he met the prerequisite for his unknown race skill and his Chain Lightning evolved—something that is pretty rare but not unheard of. Many spells and skills change when you're under dire circumstances and overcome dangerous situations.
"You need to meditate and see what's changed and go through your spells," Armorica said.
New spells, skills, upgrades, and class changes are offered by the system after training, fighting, surviving, and for just about anything. Sometimes it's a bit random, and sometimes it can be because you've had a breakthrough with a concept of a spell you've used tirelessly. In Levi's case, having an unknown race skill is extremely rare and would generally signify the person with this skill walks an unusual path.
Levi went a little deeper towards the back of the cave and found that it went much farther than he at first thought. He found a small offshoot cave. Dipping under the low entrance, it opened up. Levi was stunned by what he saw. There was a pool of water in the center surrounded by large stalagmites and stalactites. The walls were glowing much brighter than the other part of the cave, and the mana here was extremely potent. Levi sat down, crossing his legs, and began to meditate. He cleared his mind of recent events, which took longer than usual with everything that happened. He grabbed a handful of dirt and let it fall through his fingers while letting out a deep breath. The windows began to appear:
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[You have gained 5 levels]
[You have obtained a new affinity: Abyssal]
[Your race skill Humanity's Inspiration has evolved]
[You have reached level 25]
[Level cap reached for Copper rank]
[Do you wish to rank up? Y/N]
Ranks started at Copper, then Bronze, where many started to make their path their own. After Bronze is Silver. The leap between Bronze and Silver in power is extreme. A skilled Copper ranker can take out a Bronze ranker, but a single Silver ranker can take out dozens of elite Bronze rankers with ease. The levels are a representation of growth and power. Each class provides a different number of stats with each level. For instance, the Stormforged class gives 15 strength, 15 vitality, 10 willpower, 10 intelligence, and 5 perception per level. The levels for each rank are Copper level 1-25, Bronze is 25-100, Silver is level 100-200. After Silver is Gold, then Platinum. There is something after Platinum—godhood—but that's not really a rank. It's a transcendent being, someone beyond ranks and levels of the mortal races. The levels between Gold and Platinum are truly out of reach for most, while godhood is out of reach for almost all. The gods obtain power through the usual ways: fighting, training, meditation, but also through their actions. Some guide souls, some heal the sick, or bless prophets to spread the word of a god or pantheon. While others wage war and sow seeds of deception, churches to these gods and pantheons can be found all over Jora to make contact with high priests or even on rare occasions the gods themselves. There's a lot more than levels needed to go beyond Platinum, and it's different for everyone. While most Platinum rankers seem like gods among men, there's many that will never see it.
Levi was amazed by what he saw. "5 levels, a rank up, and a new affinity? I didn't know I could have two, and I guess I should pick some spells and skills before I hit Bronze," Levi muttered to himself. He focused on the spells and skills window:
[Pick one skill or spell]
[Sneak] [Pummel] [Abyssal Armor] [Magic Barrier]
Levi was almost laughing at the selection. He chose [Abyssal Armor]:
*Must be wearing heavy armor*
While wearing heavy armor, infuse it with Abyssal magic and transform it into Abyssal Armor, adding massive physical damage reduction and magic damage reduction.
[Pick one skill or spell]
[Sense Undead] [Static Charge] [Sunder] [Swift Strike]
Levi looked at both Static Charge and Sunder:
[Static Charge]
Build up a charge of static electricity by using lightning affinity spells. The next melee attack that hits you will make it discharge at your attacker.
[Sunder]
A melee attack that will deal extra damage to armored targets and heavily damage the armor.
He wasn't exactly sure which to choose
While Static Charge sounded nice and had loads of potential, Levi didn't have any melee attack skills. He didn't consider himself a mage; he had made the infusion and manipulation choices for a reason. Working on infusing and manipulating magic early on would be highly beneficial down the road, and the skills made up for his lack of experience in those fields. Infusion is important during battles but also during crafting, making new items, transmutations, and a ton of other things. If you're bad at infusing your affinity and magic, items can be made worse or destroyed. Once you've infused your magic and affinity into an item, you need to be able to manipulate it to do what you want. Levi made his selection: [Sunder]. Next, he moved to the window talking about his new affinity:
[You have obtained a new affinity]
[Abyssal]
Abyssal affinity is as dark and bottomless as the void itself. It is excellent for infusing into spells and items. The abyss consumes all...
Levi was a bit taken back by the affinity. Its description was a bit vague, but he knew when he infused Armor's Bane with the abyssal lightning, it was far easier than usual. He was excited to test this affinity out and all the new possibilities. Next, he focused on the window about his race skill evolution:
[Your race skill Humanity's Inspiration has evolved into Humanity's Salvation]
[Humanity's Salvation]
Plus 100 to all stats
This was unheard of. "Plus 100 to all stats?" Levi blurted out. "Damn, I wonder if it will evolve every rank up? Would it be a thousand at Silver? Ten thousand at Gold?!" he thought to himself. A grin grew on his face. He was becoming strong enough to protect everyone he cares about. Then he started to wonder, "Why me? Why am I getting what I can only guess is one rare occurrence after another? One or two I could believe, but this many things at the same time?" It screamed divine involvement. Levi looked up and said, "Fuck off. I won't be your tool or your experiment," essentially to nobody but just in case they were involved. He had decided to move on and stop yelling at the ceiling.
[Do you wish to rank up? Y/N]
Levi knew this was a long time coming. He always intended on hitting Bronze rank to better protect his family and the town, and now the time is finally here. [Y]
Levi's vision went dark. A wave of heat washed over him, and he started to sweat profusely. Then he felt a torrent of electricity hit him. It ran from his head to his feet then back up again. He regained his vision, and just when he thought it was done, everything went dark again. It was as if he was encased in darkness. It became bone-chillingly cold. In Levi's head, he could hear whispers. None of it he could understand, even though he had the race skill Master Linguist. Then the cold subsided, he began to feel the heat from the fire, and his vision slowly came back. He was sitting by the fire still, the cave walls still shining bright. He could feel the cool draft on his back coming from the main cave system behind him. Levi checked his status screen, and he was officially Bronze rank. He was unsure if that's how all rank ups were, but he shrugged. "Well, that was wild," Levi laughed. He stood up and started out of the small cave into the main cave system. He went back to the others. His status read as follows:
**Name:** Levi Law
**Age:** 33
**Level:** 25
**Rank:** Bronze
**Class:** Stormforged
**Race:** Human
**Profession:** Innkeeper
**Health:** 4,750/4,750
**Mana:** 1,750/1,750
**Stamina:** 3,800/3,800
**Stats:**
- Strength: 475
- Vitality: 475
- Perception: 225
- Willpower: 350
- Intelligence: 350
**Race Skills:**
[Cataclysm]
1. Damage Amplification: The more damage you take, the more damage you can deal.
2. Second Wind: When your HP falls below a certain threshold, you gain a temporary boost to your abilities.
3. Enhanced Abilities: During the Second Wind state, your abilities are enhanced, allowing you to deal more damage and gain other benefits.
[Humanity's Inspiration] +100 to all stats
[Master Linguist] Understand and speak all intelligent languages and forms of communication.
[Advanced Health Recovery] Recover from damage much faster; wounds heal easier and poisons are less effective.
**Skills:**
- Magic Manipulation
- Magic Infusion
**Spells:**
- Abyssal Lightning
**Affinity:**
- Lightning
- Abyssal
Levi made his way back towards everyone. Armorica greeted him. He had a big grin as he told her about some of his upgrades, and she was flabbergasted at what he told her. She said, "If this is the work of some bloody god, we don't want it. We're not some pawns in a game of who's dick is bigger." She said to the ceiling. Levi laughed, "I said something similar. I'm going to check in with Reggie."
"Reggie, what's the move here? Crainwall came from the west. The only thing we know of west are the grand plains. The rank of the monsters out there are Bronze and Silver. The low rankers they brought with them would never have survived."
"If I had to guess, they used some teleportation to place their forces to the west and gather the bandits on their way here. I have a feeling there's more war parties like this one hitting as many fringe towns as they can. While one or two towns don't matter, hitting them all... that will shake the hornets' nest," Reginald explained.
"What's our next move? We don't know how far this cave goes or what's deeper inside. Going west won't work. Going north is only more mountains. We can't travel in our condition back east. Isn't an option.... south?" Levi pondered out loud.
"I would rather go back and fight than go south. The Bul Dor marsh has seen Gold rank monsters in recent times."
"So we go west into the plains, hugging the mountains to the ocean, then..."
BOOM a massive explosion interrupted Levi. BOOM BOOM explosions rocked the cave.