Author's Note: I got the itch I guess. I told myself multiple times only one chapter a day. But I feel bad because what was supposed to be just one chapter has turned into 3. I also find myself writing more and more for each chapter. A good thing? I dunno.
Chapter 8: Abilities
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"What is this?" Gale asks.
"Hmmm? What are you talking about?" Alisha leans forward.
"This ability. Unfortunate Hero.... how do I find out what they do or what they mean?" Gale asks, a panic-stricken look on his face.
"Ooooh, I've never heard of that one, and you can say I've been around the block." Alisha winks, "All you have to do is focus on the ability and more information should appear in your mind. If you are having trouble, try yelling the name out and making a pose."
Gale squints his eyes, "I'm not falling for that last bit."
"Well it was worth a try." Alisha giggles.
Gale begins to concentrate on the abilities listed on his guild card.
'Unfortunate Hero' He thinks over and over again.
Unfortunate HeroPassive ability. Grants the user with the power to reincarnate on this material world. The user will retain all abilities they have learned or acquired, and their effects. The user will also retain all jobs that have been acquired, but the level will reset to 1 unless the job was mastered.
The user will remember less of their previous lives the more they die, with shorter lives causing more memory loss.
The user will also suffer from attracting powerful monsters, calamities and misfortune.
This ability is permanent and can not be removed.
"What? What? No. No. This can't...I can't...why? Why me?" Gale mumbles close to tears.
'Who could I have possibly pissed off for this terrible ability. I mean I'll be able to master every class and gain every ability, but who knows how long it'll take. How long I will have to suffer. How many times I will die before I'm even able to put my skills to the test. And what are these calamities. The monsters, I have already encountered, although those were just regular ones in big numbers...but I guess for my level they must have been pretty strong. Oh no, the stronger I get the more difficult my life will be.'
Gale stands there, slowly giving up on ever being happy or normal. He slowly sinks down to the floor, curled into a hunched over fetal position. His hands coming up to his eyes as tears start to fall down. The realization of a cursed eternity dawning on him.
'The worst part is I'm punished for dying too fast or early in my life, but living longer gets harder and harder. I'll continuously have to train for many lives, but I'll forget everything if I die as a baby too many times in a row. At least my abilities will stay with me.' Gale miserably thinks to himself.
"Oh, I must say, this is the most amusing reaction I've seen after giving someone their guild card. Having two passive abilities is pretty rare though for a newbie." Alisha leans over the counter to peer down at Gale.
"What's the difference?" Gale asks.
"Hmmm?" Alisha replies.
"The difference. The difference between abilities. What's different between an active ability, or a skill ability or a passive ability?" Gale tries to keep his voice steady as he stands back up.
"Oh, I'm glad you asked." Alisha smiles, "Ok! So as you said earlier the three types of abilities are active, passive and skill. Active abilities are abilities you....activate!. These can be things like spells, or attacks, or even crafting. For instance the ability Sword Slash. When activated, the next time you swing your sword it'll emit a razor-sharp light that can slice foes from a distance. There are many types of active abilities and they can be bought here and other places in the form of scrolls as well as trained to you by people who know the ability, and also by meeting certain conditions such as defeating a certain monster, or completing a dungeon, or even by getting to a milestone in your job."
Alisha continues, "Ok! So next up are passive abilities! These abilities are constantly going on in the background, and are always activated. These are considered more useful than most active abilities because they increase your basic strength. The abilities are also much harder to get, and can only be acquired through rare means. Completing very difficult dungeons, defeating terrifying enemies, meeting rare requirements, being born with it, mastering a skill ability and the last way is by mastering a job. This is why such an emphasis is placed on mastering a job. Not to be good at it, it's for the benefits completing a job gives you, because it's the most reliable way of recieving a passive ability. Furthermore the rarer the job, the more powerful the passive ability. For instance the job warrior, when mastered gives the ability Increased Strength, which doubles your strength, while a certain job when mastered gives you Herculean Strength, which multiplies your strength by a hundred."
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Alisha stops to see if Gale is paying attention. Satisfied, she continues, "And lastly we have skill abilities. This category is unlike the other two. It's not abilities that help you, but more of a benchmark of how good you are at something. For instance you're swordsmanship is beginner level 5, which means you haven't been wielding a sword for long and don't comprehend how to use it better. However, as your comprehension increases, so too will your skill. When mastered, as stated earlier an ability related to your skill will be earned."
Alisha finishes her lecture and looks at Gale, "Ok! Any questions?"
"Yeah. Why couldn't you tell me what class gives Herculean Strength, also could you give me more details on abilities you know about? And how can I increase my swordsmanship?" Gale asks.
"I couldn't tell you, because you aren't qualified to know. Information isn't cheap, especially when it comes to abilities, furthermore as a rank F adventurer the guild won't want to spend resources on someone they feel is unworthy. All you are allowed to know are some of the F rank or basic classes, and F rank abilities. The only reason I even told you about Herculean Strength is because I saw a new ability on your guild card. If you want a booklet with details on rank F jobs and abilities, the cost will be 1 gold coin. Also about your shoddy swordsmanship, you can increase it by going to the training area over there and be taught by an instructor. The beginner levels are free, we don't want new adventurers to die so quickly, but once you hit intermediate the cost will be 1 silver a day."
"You guys are a bunch of extortionist." Gale mutters.
"Hmmm?" sounds Alisha, her eyes flashing with a dangerous glint.
"Um, I said, where can I pick up quests to complete, I'd also like to know where I can find party members, and lastly where I can get a place to sleep?" Gale quickly responds.
"Ok! To pick up quests just ask any guild helper at the counter, we will verify your rank and then find appropriate quests for you, of which you can choose. Some quests will require a party and we may group you with random people, but we try to keep the party balance in mind. You can also head over to the tavern, or just let us know you are looking for a party and we'll tell adventurer's of the same rank that you are searching. As for sleep, go to the tavern. There are rooms upstairs, which are seperated from the rest of the upstair areas. You can also go to inns in the city, but I wouldn't recommend it." Alisha responds.
"Thank you that was very helpful." Gale responds, "I guess I'll go get a room for the night and then come back tomorrow to pick up a quest."
"I would recommend staying for a while and increasing your swordsmanship to an adequate level before attempting any quests. You seem like you attract trouble." Alisha smiles, "Also make sure to check your other abilities before you forget. Have a great day!"
'Oh right, hmmm. Perseverance. Beginner Swordsmanship.' Gale concentrates.
PerseverancePassive ability. This ability was gained by experiencing extreme hardship or strife. It allows the user to bear through extreme mental circumstances, and increases mental fortitude.
You will be effected less by mental magic and illusions, and can train harder and longer.
This ability also decreases the chance of mental instability.
Beginner SwordsmanshipSkill Ability. Level 5
This ability is a measure of how skillful you are with a blade.
You have understood the basics of sticking the pointy end towards your enemy and are less likely to kill yourself swinging a sword around.
'Oh come on! I'm not stupid. I know how to use a freaking sword' He curses to himself.