Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Al had written up all that math for Erick to read, so he decided to go get that, as well as some easy-reader children’s books because Erick couldn’t read. Al admitted he should have realized that. Anyway, the children’s books should be around the house somewhere. Upstairs? Or... In the back of his office! No. That’s not it. The closets in the storage trunks? Maybe. Hard to say. He’d be back when he found them.

Mostly, he needed to leave because Erick all but explicitly said that he needed to have a Discussion with his daughter, so Al made himself scarce.

After Al left, Jane began the ‘Discussion’ by shoving her Status at Erick.

Jane Flatt

Human, age: 22

Level 9, Class: None

Exp: 4605/5500

Class: -/-

Points: 1

HP

554/554

160 per day

MP

510/510

554 per day

Strength

20

+0

20

Vitality

16

+0

16

Willpower

20

+0

20

Focus

20

+0

20

Concentration 8

Multiplies base MP regen by 2.77

Exp: 1911/3400

Strong 8

Multiplies base HP by 2.77

Exp: 889/3400

Discipline 6

Multiplies base MP by 2.55

Exp: 351/1300

Rejuvenation 8, instant, touch, 5 MP

Touch a creature, heal 5 HP + WIL per second per level of Rejuvenation

Exp: 800/3400

Strike 8, 10-35 HP

Level 1: Deal 1.0x damage with your weapon

Level 8: Deal 2x damage, + 1.5x other damage (Please select a damage type!)

Exp: 700/3400

Blink 5, instant, 25 MP

Instantly move from your location to another within , max range 10m per level of Blink

Exp: 25/800

Ward 1, instant, short range, 24 hours, 10 MP + Z

Create a small ward that can have minor effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers.The debut release of this chapter happened at Ñøv€l-B1n.

Minor Effects: Bug Ward, Temperature Ward, Alarm Ward

Exp: 80/100

“... So you’re capable of taking a hit.” Erick shoved the floating blue boxes away. “Al said an ooze was a pool of acid. Are you going to punch a pool of acid to death?” Erick frowned. “I don’t see that working out for you.”

“You’d be surprised what a punch can do, but no. I wasn’t thinking that. I’m sure I could find a rock somewhere and smash the ooze,” she said, sarcastically. “Rocks have higher base damage than my fists.”

“That isn’t funny!”

“Then stop treating me like I’m a joke, Dad!”

“I’m not treating you—”

“Yes you are.”

“... Then I’m coming with you. I’m going to kill some slimes, too.”

“... Show me your status.”

Erick floated several blue boxes her way. She frowned as she read them.

Erick Flatt

Human, age 48

Level 6, Class: None

Exp: 663/1300

Class: -/-

Points: 2

HP

80/80

150 per day

MP

422/422

488 per day

Strength

8

+0

[8]

Vitality

15

+0

[15]

Willpower

20

Ward level up!

Ward 3, instant, short range, 24 hours,

Create a Small Ward that can have Minor Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 10 MP + Z

Create a Small Ward that can have Small Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 15 MP + Z

Create a Special Ward. Variable Cost

Minor Effects: Bug Ward, Temperature Ward, Alarm Ward

Small Effects: Visual Disruption, Audio Disruption, Weather Ward

Special Ward: Eschew all other effects in order to shape, color, and illuminate a Ward however you wish. Skill at mana manipulation determines final outcome.

Exp: 100/300

That’s going to eventually be a very large text box, isn’t it?

Erick settled into the couch.

[Meditation].

As he stared out across the pillow and couch filled room, mana flowed around him like a warm, gentle river. The skill was much better now that he wasn’t blind and deaf the whole time. He closed his eyes anyway. Briefly, a large white eye stared into his soul, but the eye had never done anything besides be scary. Erick opened his eyes. The large eye blended into the room, then vanished, like a waking dream.

[Meditation] was a lot like looking at a forest and seeing scary things in the trees. Yelling faces and reaching arms. Eyes leering over branches, frightful bodies waiting behind trunks for your eyes to turn in a different direction. [Meditation] was terrifying at first exposure, but now... Now it wasn’t so bad.

He closed his eyes again and the darkness was there, warm and vast.

Almost an hour later, he felt like it was time to get out of the hot tub.

800 base experience; 400 from [Ward], 400 from [Meditation]. 400 passive experience for Concentration and 400 for Discipline. There were some level-ups in there... But am I going to collapse when I stand?

Erick tried to stand. He collapsed, clipping his head on the corner of the coffee table.

50 damage absorbed!

“Ow.”

He wasn’t bleeding, but he thought he should have been bleeding. He probably should have been bleeding a lot. He tried to stand, but nothing happened. His arms were jelly.

“That looked like a critical hit.” Al was there, picking up Erick and laying him back down on the couch. “That’s enough for both of you. The ooze is still four days from emergence. We have time.”

Erick looked up at Al. “For both of us?”

Al smiled. “Your daughter is strong, but even the strongest metals can be over-forged. She’s sleeping. Really sleeping, too. She won’t be up for at least several hours.”

Erick relaxed. “Good.”

“I’ll shut the river door. Sleep well, Erick Flatt.”

“Thank you.” As Al was leaving, Erick turned to say, “I almost forgot to tell you. Guildmaster Mog told me to tell you thank you for all those quests.” Erick laid back down. “She seems almost as nice as you.”

Al left silently, with a smile.

Erick quickly cast a 400 point [Ward] again, before he thought of it as a Bad Idea.

He instantly fell asleep. A small snore soon joined the quiet sound of a far away river and a second snore, echoing out from the Rest room right next door.

Ward level up!

Ward 4, instant, short range, 24 hours,

Create a Small Ward that can have Minor Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 10 MP + Z

Create a Small Ward that can have Small Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 15 MP + Z

Create a Special Ward. Variable Cost

Create a Medium Ward that can have Small Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 20 MP + Z

Minor Effects: Bug Ward, Temperature Ward, Alarm Ward

Small Effects: Visual Disruption, Audio Disruption, Weather Ward

Special Ward: Eschew all other effects in order to shape, color, and illuminate a ward however you can. Skill at mana manipulation determines final outcome.

Exp: 200/500

As hours passed, Erick’s exhaustion-snore went away. Erick relaxed into a deep sleep. Another 400 experience added to each of his Concentration and Discipline while he Rested. Those skills were looking good, but they were far from capped.

Concentration 6

Multiply your base MP regen by 2.55

Requirements: 20 Focus

Exp: 438/1300

Discipline 4

Multiply your base MP by 2.33

Requirements: 20 Willpower

Exp: 466/500

[Meditation] did not grow as much as it could have grown had he gone through another iteration, but it would probably be enough. It was usable while awake and moving around, now.

Meditation 5

You are at Rest while Meditating.

Afflicted ailments: Slow movement

Requirements: 10 Willpower

Exp: 193/800

And another base level!

Erick Flatt

Human, age 48

Level 7, Class: None

Exp: 563/2100

Class: -/-

Points: 4

HP

80/80

150 per day

MP

466/466

510 per day

Strength

8

+0

[8]

Vitality

15

+0

[15]

Willpower

20

+0

[20]

Focus

20

+0

[20]

Erick dreamed of levels and numbers, beautiful giants, and monster-meat sausages. It was an awkward dream.