Another five people were sitting along with Stephen at his table. He already knew three of them – Jeremy, Ethan and Annabelle – while he had only seen the two others amidst Octavia’s pictures. They were cousins of some degree, both from her mother’s side. One was Harriet Drew’s younger sister, a twenty-two-year-old black-haired woman called Alice. While the other was a stout brown-haired man just short of thirty years old named Theodore.
They barely had time to exchange pleasantry before Gerald and Janet started a speech, thanking everyone for their presence and projecting a slide show of Octavia’s life, from her baby years to now.
It didn’t matter to anyone that it had already happened before, for her twentieth and thirtieth birthday.
During that time, when everyone’s names were thrown around, along with how they were related to Octavia, Stephen noticed he could register everyone. Usually, this was the sort of detail that went in from one ear and out of the other. In part because it wasn’t important to him but also because it quickly became a nightmare. That Cyril was a cousin once removed for Octavia – in the sense that his mother, Johanna Teague-Asper, was Octavia’s Aunt – was superfluous information. Knowing he was a cousin was plenty enough for Stephen.
This clarity was all the more noticeable thanks to the brouhaha, or how it didn’t bother him like before. It was startling enough that Stephen had to get used to it. His next thought was to understand precisely how he had changed. The previous time he had looked at his Status Screen, he hadn’t searched for a solution for long, stopping as soon as he could display his quests. Preventing a plague from surging from his basement had seemed more important at the moment.
Now, though, it was tempting. Especially once the meals started arriving. The slide show thus became a background scene, only there to give something to watch while waiting for the service to be done.
It wasn’t a fancy dinner, but it was still above average. Seeing everyone busy eating and talking convinced Stephen he could spare some of his attention to peruse his status screen. It wasn’t like it would prevent him from answering. Certainly less than someone typing on their phone, at least.
It took Stephen a while before he found the correct prompt, but he eventually did, after many barely whispered sentences. He even managed to find a way to show the details of how his stats had increased:
“Display differences in stats between unawakened condition and current condition. Display all active factors providing a direct bonus to stats.”
- Status-
Name:
Stephen Veil
Lv 4
Titles:
Displayed
Earth Trailblazer I: +1 to all Stats
Health:
660 Hp
60.5 /h
(0>100% - 10 h 54 min 33 s)
1.01 /min
Mana:
210 Mp
35 /h
(0>100% - 6 h)
0.58 /min
Stamina:
675 Sp
742.8 /h
(0>100% - 54 min 31 sec)
12.38 /min
Stats:
Strength
Constitution
Dexterity
Free Stats: 12 pts (+3/Lv)
Body stats: +1 every uneven Lv
Mental Stats: +1 every even Lv
Base 6 > +2 + 1 + 1 > 10
Base 6 > +2 + 1 + 2 > 11
Base 8 > +2 + 1 + 1 > 12
Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
Perception
Wisdom
Intelligence
Base 7 > +2 + 1 + 2 > 12
Base 7 > +2 + 1 + 1 > 11
Base 6 > +2 + 1 + 1 > 10
Efforts:
Str + 1
Con + 2
Dex + 1
Per + 2
Wis + 1
Int + 1
The new line about ‘Efforts’ took a while to find, as he had to look back through his full status and the rewards from his quests a few times before he was sure he was missing something. Then, he also needed to think of the fitting keywords. For example, not using the words ‘active’ and ‘direct’ also displayed all skills that could affect his stats, including those he hadn’t bought out yet. It was useful to know, even if the prompt showed almost all of his skills. Since even proficiencies skills apparently increased wisdom and intelligence only for the knowledge about that specific weapon.
The largest category of skills excluded from that list were those that affected his surroundings rather than himself. Like spells and other such skills like ‘Camouflage’. It wasn’t something Stephen wanted to delve into right now, but he intended to remember that feature.
While he was looking at his Status screen, a pause was made after the starter to allow for a game. The first was a quiz on Octavia’s life. It led to Jeremy explaining to Stephen what other event they had planned for later, scheduled just before the dessert.
Other games were also planned between each service. As Jeremy mentioned earlier, it would be a series of sketches about Octavia’s previous years. Partly to reminisce about her life’s best moments and to make fun of some others.
As Stephen didn’t mind participating, he agreed and thus was sent by phone a link to the group, where he could pick the lines he wanted to say.
On his Awakened Status, the overall improvement disproved what he had noticed the day before while testing his strength. He believed his body and mind had increased by half, but it was closer to a one-fold increase. That it didn’t induce any visible change to his appearance was a blessing. Knowing he could improve through effort was even more of a blessing. However, Stephen couldn’t determine what amounted to an effort on this part. It would be best if it were just exercise, but it was much less convenient if it involved risks. Or worse, dungeon-delving risks.
Later on, between two dishes, a scavenger hunt was organised. Three teams had to bring back an item mentioned by the referee.
After the dish following that chaotic game was delivered, and by the time mostly everyone had finished their meal, a few people stood up to go up the stage. Among them were Jeremy, Phoebe, Simon, Katie, Julia and another friend of Octavia. Someone named Constance – or Connie – that Stephen recognised from having spoken with him earlier while waiting for all the guests to arrive.
They started their show by calling one after the other the people who had volunteered, then at the end, made their own little show. They had prepared cardboard Tetris blocks with pictures of a house’s different parts – the door, the walls, the roof and some windows.
As they tried to assemble the structure correctly, they dramatised Octavia’s struggles during her career as an architect.
After that entertaining demonstration, the dessert was served. There were a few identical square strawberry cakes with chocolate icing on top. One, of course, had the mandatory “Happy 35th Birthday, Octavia!” and more decorations than others. While the others only had the chocolate, some fruits and sprinkled sugar. Then, on the side, where before was arrayed the finger food, were several plates with pastries or other individual portions of cakes, like cream puff, tiramisu, mille-feuille, brownies and others.
After Octavia blew out her candles, everyone was invited to bring their gifts. Something Stephen looked forward to but was also worried about. With his already weighty investment, he couldn’t help but think she might refuse the gift. He barely noticed the time passing, that already it was his turn.
“Congratulations, Ava! You deserve to be proud of everything you’ve done until now. And to succeed in the future.
I wish you keep being this shining presence in our lives. Hopefully, this will help you a little.
Happy birthday, Ava.”
Seeing her eyes widen as she opened the jewellery box revealing the necklace and earrings was quite pleasant, as was her silent “Oh!”.
The necklace was made of a medium-sized silver chain, the sapphire hanging from it set to rest between the collarbone and the bust. The stone was about 3 carat – 18 mm – in a pear shape reminiscing of a water-drop. It was mounted on a thin oval band with another part wrapping around it. That last part was decorated with small white zirconia gems.
The earrings were smaller and simpler, with a sapphire about 2 carat – 12 mm – paired with a white gem above it on the earlobe.
“They’re gorgeous, thanks, Stev! I love them.”
“I’m glad to hear that!”
After taking some pictures, Stephen returned to his table, albeit not without stopping by the tables on the side of the hall to pick a bit of every pastry.
Then, between two bites and while he waited for the dance that would soon follow, Stephen juggled between conversing with his table-mates and perusing the systems displays he had access to. Losing track of time while exploring everything he could buy from the system shop became much too easy.
System Shop - (Tokens: 2000)
- Facilities Upgrades-
- Items -
- Items Shop - (Tokens:2000)
Weapons:
Armours:
Consumables:
Knowledge:
Materials:
Miscellaneous:
By the time people decided to make some place for a larger dance floor, Stephen had already delved too deep into the diverse miscellaneous items available in the shop.
Weapons and armour included many valuable items, but only generic gears, probably made for foot soldiers. However, the best he could afford had requirements in stats he didn’t meet. Hence, the best available items he could use were of [Uncommon Quality]. He didn’t stay in this section for long, as he would need first to identify all equipment he had to know if it was any good.
The 'Consumables' section had some exciting things, the most basic being [Inferior] Health and Mana potion, restoring 100 HP or 50 Mp immediately, then boosting regen rate by 10% for the next ten minutes.
Or also scrolls imbued with a spell, like Fireball, Wind Blade or Ice-Shard. The description didn’t provide information other than their name, so Stephen couldn’t tell how powerful they were.
Another item Stephen had noticed was a pill of anthropomorphism, which, as its name indicated, allowed someone to take human form. The cheapest version only lasted a quarter of an hour and cost 1000 tokens. But knowing it could be done was a relief. Stephen would rather not keep Lyseasis imprisoned until non-human sentients became accepted in human society.
The knowledge section contained many items Stephen wanted to buy immediately. Methods to learn magic or any other field, but also history and languages. He found those on Lamias and was pleased to see his reward was worth 500 tokens. It was not overly expensive compared to his balance, yet enough to make him pause. He wasn’t sure if he would have bought the book if he hadn’t gotten the reward. The history book was at the same price, which Stephen thought much less interesting.
Materials were just that, from a version as simple as the wood he had looted during his delve to others imbued with mana.
Then, the abyss of any shop, miscellaneous items. It was a bottomless pit with any and all things. From ropes, lanterns or any items an adventurer might need. To others, which were better fit for a princess, like a sumptuous bed or golden threaded pillows. Those last items were reaching frightening prices with too many zeros.
Back to the birthday party, Stephen was pulled out of his musing by the start of the music and the lights that moved to the hall’s centre. Octavia was standing there, along with her father. She had changed her outfit, opting for a white and purplish-blue long dress. Still, the cut wasn’t that much different from before. Its more striking difference only started from the waist.
The top of the dress was still a white halter revealing her shoulders, with a strip of fabric circling her neck. Then, around her waist were some golden filigrees shaped like leaves and branches. Above, they grew like wings contouring her chest. Below her waist, only a few were visible, contrasting with the purplish blue of the dress. This time there wasn’t a slit running along her legs, but still two layers, one probably of silk, more opaque, the other of tulle. The fabric’s colour degraded into a white around her knees, matching the silvery shoes Octavia had changed into.
To Stephen’s eyes, she was breathtaking.