I can see the school building from here. Just need another minute to get there. I need to check my settings to work with mental commands before I get there or I'll go insane not being able to figure out what I want to do with these workshops. I can gain actual skills for free! If they find out I somehow have a class already I'll get locked away and questioned for eternity. That's actually a possibility now too!
"Settings." I whisper and a box that takes up a good chunk of my vision appears.
Settings
Visual Settings
Interface Settings
Character Settings
Inventory Settings
Specialty Settings
Select a setting to view additional information.
Uhh. Interface settings maybe? I don't have time to explore it all. "Interface settings."
Settings
Visual Settings
Interface Settings
Character Settings
Inventory Settings
Specialty Settings
Voice Commands: Yes
Mental Commands: No
Physical Commands: None set
There we go! I don't remember how to activate it. Let's see. I think I just say yes instead of no? "Mental commands. Yes."
Command not recognized. Do you need help?
Yes / no
"Yes." That's a relief at least. The system isn't incompetant! I'm sure my bad memory has nothing to do with it.
To change a setting. Simply say or think "Change" followed by the setting. If the setting is a toggle, it will change for you automatically. If the setting requires something to be set, it will then ask you to specify what is to be set, then a message asking for confirmation once set.
Well that's fairly straightforward. "Change mental commands. Change voice commands."
Settings updated.
Alright now to continue on to school. I can figure out the rest of them later in my workshops.
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I notice as soon as I get close to the school that the yards are full of other students visiting workshops and being taught about skills. Students can't perform them yet but we can get an idea about it for when we pick our class. Well, most students can't perform them. I already have a 3 skills I can perfom. Speaking of skills. Let me check my character sheet now. Oh look there it is in my vision.
Name: Cole Koufax Race: Eternal Class: Voidwalker Level: 1 Age: 18 (18) Experience: 0/1000
Energies
Health: 110
Power:140
Mana (Void): 110
Energy (Void): 110
Stats
Strength: 12
Dexterity: 13
Physique: 11
Wisdom: 14
Intelligence: 12
Stamina: 14
Magic Affinity: 10
Energy Affinity: 10
Void: 20
Magic skills: Void Blast Energy Skills Void Palm Enchantement Skills Void Infusion Crafting Skills None Passive Skills
Battle Affinity
Voidwalker
Buffs
Experience boon (5%)
Touched by the Void x1 (100%)
Open Ended
Timeless (On)
This damnable interface is gonna get on my nerves with all this vision blurring as it appears. I hope I get used to it. Or better yet, it appears as a box in front of me instead of in my vision.
The box immediately vanished and reapeared floating in front of me.
"Oh that's convenient." Why didn't it mention that sooner?
You didn't ask.
I'm just gonna ignore that now and move on. My character sheet!
I feel so... average... but those skills! I don't know what void is but I definitely can't wait to try them all out!
My energies and stats are a bit weird though.
Strength obviously determines how strong I am and how much I can carry in my inventory. Lots of items have requirements.
Dexterity makes me move faster and attack faster.
Physique is how healthy I am. My Health energy is physique times ten!
Wisdom affects my ability to understand skills I'm trying to learn for the first time.
Intelligence affects how much information I can gather about different things and how much I can remember.
Stamina is basically how long I can go till I run out of steam.
Magic affinity is how much mana I have times ten as well as how easy it is for me to learn magic based skills and enchantements. It also determines magic damage.
Energy affinity is the same as magic but with internal energy.
Void is changes both my magic and energy to void based. I can also now only learn void skills. That's gonna make things difficult but I guess the stat also grants me new abilities as I level it. I guess I'll be focusing on that stat every level.
*Whack* "Cole. What in the name of the tower are you doing here so late!?" I know that voice. I hate that voice. I've heard that voice too many times in my 12 years here. "Answer me now or I'll make you stay here till graduation next year!" It's my teacher. Talla. She is especially angry at me today. I have no idea why...
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
"Talla! I was.. umm.. I was just... you know... overslept?" I say that about as coherently as a Dwarf downing a 6 pint.
"Cole, this is day one of the workshops. You haven't missed much. You only get 3 days of these before you pick a class and we ship you off to fight the boss, that would wipe the floor squeaky clean with you. An 8 year old child would have an easier time winning than you would." Harsh rebukes and degredation. Just the loveliest thing to wake up to every day. Isn't she the sweetest?
"Now I suggest you hurry up and finish a few workshops before you have to leave for the day. Get moving Cole! 3 workshops before the day is out! 3!" She yells at me as I rush through the crowd.
There are 3 ways to get skills in the tower. One is through skill books. These skills are ones like fireball, ice spear, or rain. There's no weather in the tower so we have to create rain through magic. Everything uses magic to survive.
The second way to get skills is to discover them. Such as survival. I don't know exactly how to get it yet but it mostly involves doing a lot of nature stuff over time and eventually you gain the skill. Useful for the ranger type classes. Not really my cup of tea.
Finally the last way, and the way I plan to take full advantage of today. Is to be taught by a teacher of high enough level. The only place that so many of them gather in the tower is right here in the floor one school for the classless. You'd think that we would work together to clear the tower, but it's still every party for themselves. Help no one more than is required if at all.
Many people in the tower are quite evil and will kill you for an edge up if they think you can give them one. There's no law here but the strong survive and the weak provide.
I need to get a few basics done if I want to maximize my benefits from these workshops. Easy to get skills or ones I can get on my own should be avoided. They are the most popular to visit right now though. The teacher will show you how to aquire the skill. You follow the steps. In a few days after we get the class. We have to find a place on our own to get the skill. They say it builds character. Bullshit. I'll take the easy way. Free skills woot!
First of all. A weapon. I need to learn how to use a weapon. 12 years here and they only teach us about the tower. How to interact with it, how to avoid dying in it, and why we are climbing. Nothing useful to survive. Can't do that. One of these kids could grow up and surpass you. That would be awful. I'll surpass everyone though. I'll live long enough to outlive everyone.....
Damn. I didn't think of that before. With this new Timeless thing, I'll literally see everyone I love die and not age a day. Well it's a good thing I don't love anyone! I'll worry about a weapon tomorrow.
Let's learn some skills! What do I want first... let's see. Cooking? Survival? Blacksmithing? That would be a good one to learn. I would be able to craft weapons and armor as soon as I leave today. Minus materials of course. Speaking of crafting. There's also tanner, tailor, magic crafter, jeweler, and woodworker. Maybe I'll grab magic crafter. Make my own magical items. I need another crafting skill along with that though. I should grab something crafting related, I need to make good use of these void abilities.
Let's go with wood worker. I could make a staff or a wand, even a bow! I could make just about anything out of wood really. Some of those elf weirdo's even have wooden armor and shields. Like that could do more than stop a flying walnut.
I make my way toward the crafting section and find the wood worker waving goodbye to a single student. A woad, a type of woodland race. They have treelike qualities. Branches on the elbows, leafy hair. Stuff like that. I can perfectly understand it's desire to be a wood worker.
Other than the woad, there is no one else next to him. Score! Perfect for me to get a skill at! I walk up to him and tap him on the shoulder and in my most polite voice.
"Excuse me! Can you please show me how to acquire the wood working skill?" I then bow to show respect.
"Hmmm. That is my job, but you are an unlikely candidate. Why is it a hum-... hmmm. Not quite human but nothing I am familiar with. Interesting. Boy I shall teach you what you want to know."
I had started sweating halfway through him speaking. I don't know how he knows I'm no longer human but he does. That means out of everyone here, he is likely the most powerful. Maybe I should just back away now.
"Nonsense my boy. Wood working is far more valuable than any of the other crafting skills." For the second time today I'm caught completely off guard by someone far more powerful than me. "What do you think happens when the healer or the mage dies? How do people survive. What about when mana or energy runs out? Wands! They hold whatever spells you have the ability to carve into them! You shall learn them how to make them. I will also teach you magic crafting!"
I don't even want to guess how he knows what I was thinking. Maybe he can read my mind, but that's not a skill we're taught exists. My large amounts of sweat could be the answer too but the world doesn't need to know that.
"Please teach me well then...?" I grasp for a name.
"My name is Thrum. My level and class you don't need to know, but I am a magic crafter and woodworker of the highest caliber. Consider yourself lucky boy." He says in an upbeat sentance that speaks of ability not of arrogance.
"Then please teach me well Thrum! My name is Cole." I'm excited now. Two of the skills I wanted from one teacher. This is working out great!
"What is your last name Cole?" He stares at me.
Confusedly I say "I don't have a last name. I was an orphan." Some orphans do and some don't. Depends how you ended up an orphan. I was there since day one. The owner gave me my name.
"Now, that is where I'm sure you're quite wrong, but I won't push you. Onwards to teaching!" He turns and goes to collect his tools and materials. I stand there wide eyed. Completely confused. I certainly don't have a la... Wait. I do have a last name. That old man in the alley. I had a last name on my character sheet and I didn't even see it! Quietly I mutter, "Cole Koufax. I'm Cole Koufax now."
"Well then Mr. Koufax. You are certainly destined for great things. Be they good or bad." He smiles at me. It's a sad smile.
"On to the lessons now! Wood working is in itself a simple thing to begin with. To gain the skill. You merely need a wood workers knife, some wood, and time. This is only the base of the skill though. Wood working gain branch out into many different areas. Building houses, cutting down trees, making sculptures, all kinds of things. You will learn how to craft a simple wand today." He says in a few long breaths.
I didn't know all of that fell under wood working. All skills are truly extensive afterall, and we are just beginning to learn about them.
"Go ahead and take this wood workers knife. It is extremely sharp. I will be giving you this one for free. You need it much more than I do."
Wood Workers Knife
Crafting tool
+5% carving speed
Deals 5 damage
Basic quality
That's my first tool! First weapon too really, but I don't wanna risk breaking it. He then hands me a relatively straight stick. It's not stuper thing but not thick either. He beings to guide my hands.
"Now slowly remove the bark and keep the blade moving away from you. Wouldn't want to gut yourself would you? Nice and slow." After about a minute he lets go and let's me continue on my own. I get a bit worse and mess up a few times. It takes me about 15 minutes before I've all the bark off and a good wooden stick in my hand.
"How's this Thrum?" Holding out the soon to be wand.
He inspects it for a moment before sighing. "Truly not the work of a master but then again, you aren't one. It will do. The next step is to shape it. Begin carving the wood once more but along the grain of the wood. Make it shorter and give it a clear hilt. This will be your first wand and you want it to be useable. Whittle it down slowly. Taking small pieces. Small mistakes are easier to fix." He really is a good teacher. Going slow and making sure I know how to do it.
"When you do this on your own later. Finding a good piece of wood will be one of the most difficult parts. Drying a random stick from the woods could take several days or weeks. Plus getting rid of any accessories the branch may come with." The piece of wood he gave me was phenomenal too. Already dried and the perfect size. Likely brought just for this task.
It takes a good while. I spent the better part of an hour on this step. Being guided and truly having a good bit of fun. Finally as I was about to finish. I got the long awaited message I had been eager to get. I almost broke my wand in half when it happened.
Received new crafting skill: Woodworking Basic
-Able to craft basic items out of wood, such as wands or sharp sticks.
+10 Experience
Eureka! I have done it! My first free skill! I didn't even have to dry out any sticks for it. Although my little jump was not unnnoticed.
"Interesting Cole. Very interesting. Now that you have a suitable wand. Let us move toward the easiest step of all. Making the wand cast magic! Unfortunately I can only tell you how to gain it and now show you. Since you have to have a class to learn skills." He slows down the last sentance and eyes me very carefully. As if he knows I can learn it here and now. Probably the first person ever to be able to since the laws changed.
"All you have to do is hold the wand with both hands, and using a skill from your list by whatever means of commands you prefer. Cast it on the wand. The magic of the tower takes care of the rest. The only requirement is that you had to have crafted whatever you are putting the spell in. Otherwise the item is destroyed." After he finishes saying this, he suspiciously turns around and begins to go through his materials. I suspect he knows exactly what I'm about to do as well.
So I do it anyway. Using my mental commands. I cast Void blast on it. It glows with a deep purple energy for a brief moment. It fades just as fast as it appeared. Two new notifications appeared in front of me.
Recieved new crafting skill: Magic Crafter
-Adds any spell casted on an item created by the caster to the item, thus creating a magic item.
+10 Experience
Void Blast Wand
Activating Void Blast with the wand in hand uses a charge instead of Mana.
(5/5) Charges left
Not reusable
Basic quality
My very first wand. The start of many I feel like. Two skills for free and I'm well on my way to becoming a force not to be trifled with! Hahaha!
"Now boy, I have taught you all that you may learn from me. Go seek other teachers here. There are many here that would benefit you. Let's see if you can find them." He says and laughs at me with his jeer.
"Thank you Thrum. I will do as you say. I hope to see you again some day!" I turn and leave. It's time to find a few more skills. I just don't know what I want to focus on yet. Something that will make full use of my void abilities. Let's see what this place offers and then I'll make a gameplan.
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Thrum smiles as the boy leaves. Although he is distraught in his heart. He has discovered something he didn't want anything to do with. A new great one has been forged. The tower is going to change again. Major players will fall and new will arise. He has been here for a long time. It is once again time to watch the chaos ensue.