I returned to my office, eager to delve deeper into my spellbook. As I waited for the kids to return home, I aimed to ensure I had spells from all my spheres ready to level up. With five spheres already covered, I needed to focus on Creation, Light, Enchantment, and Time.
Starting with Light, I quickly found a practical spell: 'Floating Mage Light.' This simple spell would illuminate the dungeon, a valuable tool for future explorations. Next, I turned to Time. While the options were fewer, I discovered 'A Gentle Tick of Time,' a spell capable of slowing down processes or events, albeit subtly.
Finally, in Creation, I found 'Minor Mending.' This spell could repair minor damage, such as tears in clothing or cracks in wood. As I was about to dive into Enchantment, John arrived home, interrupting my magical studies.
Sara strolled into the office, a curious glint in her eye. "Are we waiting for everyone to be here, or should we give John a heads-up?" she asked.
Robert nodded thoughtfully. "I think a quick preview might be best. He'll appreciate the heads-up, and it'll be a good dry run for the full conversation later."
Sara agreed, "Good idea. Let's give him the short version now and then dive into the details once everyone's home."
A few minutes later, they heard the familiar sound of the front door opening and closing. John's head popped into the room. "Hey Mom, Dad, what's up?" he asked, his voice casual.
Sara smiled warmly. "Welcome home, honey. Your father and I need to talk to you for a moment. Come in and have a seat," she said.
John's expression turned serious. "Alright, whatever it is, I didn't do it," he said defensively.
Sara chuckled. "No, in this case, it's your father who's the culprit. Or rather, he's the victim," she explained.
"What's going on?" John asked, his curiosity piqued.
"You play a lot of games and watch a lot of fantasy shows, right?" Robert began.
"Yeah, so?" John replied, a bit confused.
"Well, it'll make this easier to explain," Robert said. "So, this morning, I had a visitor."
"What kind of visitor?" John asked, his eyebrows raised.
"The kind that gives out status screens," Robert replied, a serious tone in his voice.
"Status screens? What are you talking about?" John asked, his confusion growing.
"These kinds," Robert said, pulling up his own status screen.
Name: Robert Williams Class(1): None Merged Class: None Race: Human (Tier G) Class(2): None Merged Profession: None Gender: Male Class(3): None Skill Points: 5 Used: 0 Level: 4 Profession(1): None Unlocked Skill Points: 2 Used: 0 Strength:11 Profession(2): None Regeneration(Per Minute) Dexterity: 11 XP: 0 (XP To Level: 10) HP: 2 Constitution: 11 HP: 159(159) MP: 3 Intelligence: 16 MP: 172(172) ST: 1 Wisdom: 17 Stamina: 42(42) Active Effect: None Charisma: 10 Resistances: (EL: 0, MI: 0, TI:0, SP: 0, HI: 0, SR: 0, PH: 0 Status Effect: None Free Stat Points: 0
Free Skill Points: 1 Skill, 6 unlocked skill points
John's eyes widened in shock. "What the hell is that? And how are you already level 4?
Robert chuckled. "Okay, first things first, watch your language. Second, I completed a few easy quests."
A moment later, Robert displayed a message from the System Log, highlighting the six-month time limit. John's face paled. "Wait, what? You're leaving in six months and never coming back?" he exclaimed, jumping to his feet.
"Calm down, son," Robert said, his voice steady. "Yes, I'm leaving. It's not fair, and unfortunately, I can't change it. The being that gave me this... opportunity, didn't leave much room for negotiation."
"Screw that!" John yelled. "How do we stop it?"
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"We can't, John," Robert replied. "We've already tried. The System, or whatever you want to call it, has invested a lot in me and isn't willing to take it back."
"But what about us? Can't the System take all of us?" John asked desperation in his voice.
"We asked that too," Robert said, shaking his head. "Only those directly linked to the System can go, and it seems the System isn't ready to expand its reach just yet plus I would not ask you or the others to give up their lives for me."
John slammed his fist on the table. "It's not about giving up our lives, Dad. It's about keeping our family together!"
Robert sighed. "What about Nana and Papa? Your cousins? Your friends? College? Your dream of working at SpaceX?"
John slumped back into his chair, his frustration evident. "It's not fair," he muttered. "You're supposed to be there when they launch the first rocket I designed."
"I know, son, and I'm sorry," Robert said. "But I can still help you, and maybe even be a part of your future, even if I'm not physically present."
"How? What can you do?" John asked, intrigued.
"Skills, son, skills," Robert replied, displaying his skill sheet. "Look at this."
John's eyes widened. "Nice! Wait, you can do magic? That's not fair!" he exclaimed.
Robert smiled. "Well, the thing is, I can unlock more skills, and I can unlock them at Tier 4, which is above human levels."
What does that mean? How do skills work?" John asked, confused.
"Skills provide the knowledge and skill needed to do something," Robert explained. "For example, I know Leatherworking. When I unlocked the skill, I gained the basic knowledge to work with leather. While I didn't know specific designs until I used a skill book, I knew the fundamentals."
"So, if you unlocked Blacksmithing, you wouldn't know how to make a specific Japanese katana, but you'd know the general process of swordsmithing?" John asked.
"Exactly," Robert confirmed. "And I have the Teaching skill. Though it's low-level now, if I can get it to Tier 3, I can impart the knowledge of a skill to someone else, up to Tier 1 Level 10."
I should interject here and let you know that while you can teach a non-system user, you cannot go above Tier 1 Level 3 with them. Also, you can not teach them more than 1 skill a month, without a core their mind needs a lot of time to recover.
"Exactly," Robert confirmed. "And I have the Teaching skill. Though it's low-level now, if I can get it to Tier 3, I can impart the knowledge of a skill to someone else, up to Tier 1 Level 10."
"Hal said that as a non-system user, I can only teach you skills up to Tier 1 Level 3, and I can only teach you 1 skill a month to allow your mind to recover for the download, or whatever it is." Robert said.
"So, what were you thinking of teaching me?" John asked, curious.
"This," Robert said, pulling up a sorted list of available skills.
Skill Name Skill Tier Tier Level Skill Description Space Craft Design 4 5 A comprehensive skill encompassing the design and engineering of spacecraft for space travel. Space Craft - Electrical Systems Design 4 5
A specialized subskill focused on the creation and design of the electrical systems essential for spacecraft operation.
Space Craft - Non-FTL Propulsion Systems Design and Engineering 4 5 A specialized subskill dedicated to the development and design of propulsion systems capable of propelling spacecraft at sub-FTL speeds. General - Power Production Design 4 5
A general skill covering the design and engineering of power systems.
Advanced Anti-Matter Energy Engineering and Design 4 5 A specialized subskill focused on the creation, containment, and utilization of anti-matter energy for power generation.
"So you just learned those?" John asked, his eyes wide with surprise.
"Yep," Robert replied with a grin. "Spent five of my six unlocked skill points. But once I upgrade my Teaching skill, I'll be able to impart that knowledge to you. Even at Tier 1.3, you'll be one of the smartest people on the planet when it comes to those subjects."
"Wait, you spent five of your six points on skills that probably won't help you when you leave? Don't do that again! I can manage. You might need those points!" John exclaimed, a hint of panic in his voice.
"I gain a point every few levels," Robert reassured him. "Plus, I think I can get more from feats, traits, and titles. So, I have a feeling I'll end up with more points than I can use. I'd rather invest some now to help you out. It's not a waste."
"So, I have one normal skill point and one unlocked skill point left," Robert explained. "A normal point lets me unlock a skill I've earned or increase an existing skill by one level. An unlocked point, on the other hand, lets me unlock any skill, even if it's normally out of my reach, or boost an existing skill by five levels. To get Teaching to Tier 3, I need 16 more levels, which means either three more unlocked points or two unlocked and five normal points. I'll figure it out."
"Once I do, you can start learning," Robert continued. "As for the other kids, I'll need to see what they're interested in."