Abarith
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Chapter 25: Legendary Setup
🕑 Added 2024-11-22 05:59:17 +0000 UTCJeremy groaned as the sunlight streamed through the curtains, hitting him square in the face. He rolled over, trying to bury his head in the pillow, but the world outside didn’t care. Reluctantly, he sat up, blinking the sleep out of his eyes.
The academy was unusually quiet—probably because most people were still in bed. Jeremy stumbled to the door, scratching the back of his head. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting to find when he opened it, but the sight waiting for him made him stop dead in his tracks.
There were boxes. A lot of boxes. They were shiny and metallic, with his family’s crest stamped on the cords holding them shut. For a second, Jeremy just stared, his grogginess melting into curiosity. He leaned down and grabbed a folded piece of paper sitting on top of the stack. His dad’s handwriting was as neat as always, and Jeremy’s stomach did a little flip as he read.
Jeremy,
The equipment I mentioned has arrived. I’m leaving it to you to figure out how best to use it. Experiment with combinations, test their limits, and determine what works for your personal Skill. Weapons function differently than standard equipment due to their physical nature, as unlike normal equipment that your Status absorbs, you have to physically wield weapons, so I’m unsure how your Skill will interact with them. Be careful.
If you feel the need, lend some of the equipment to your classmates. Building alliances can be just as valuable as individual power. Consider this an opportunity to test both your combat potential and your ability to navigate relationships at the academy.
One note about the amulets here: they’re standard issue lower Tier soldiers, as they amplify equipment stats. While useful now, their effectiveness wanes as stats from your Skills and Tiers increase. But for now, they’re useful to any of your classmates.
Finally, never remove your Amulets of Insight. Their value far surpasses everything I’ve sent you. Use the other items as you wish, leave them in your suite if needed, but the amulets stay on you. Always.
Make smart choices, Jeremy. You have the tools. Now it’s up to you to use them.
Dad
Jeremy folded the letter and placed it on the table, his fingers lingering on the edge. His dad always had a way of making things sound more serious than they needed to be. Testing combinations, making alliances... Jeremy’s throat tightened. He pushed the thought away, forcing a grin. “Sure, Dad. No problem,” he muttered, his voice cracking slightly before he cleared it.
Jeremy could almost hear Perci’s voice as he stared at the boxes. She’d tilt her head, her expression caught between curiosity and judgment, and say, “So, what’s in there? More toys to help you show off?” She wouldn’t mean it harshly—at least not entirely—but the words would stick all the same.
He shook his head, forcing the thought away. It’s not showing off if I’m using what I’ve earned. Still, the imagined jab lingered, a reminder of how others might see him. His grin slipped for just a moment before he forced it back into place. “I don’t need alliances,” he said, louder than necessary, as if the words alone could make them true. He ripped through the cords on the first package like they were birthday presents. “I just need these.”
The shiny wrapping fell away, revealing a stack of armor, their dark, smooth plating gleaming in the morning light. Jeremy ran a hand over the surface of one of them, his fingers tingling from the faint hum of energy underneath.
Plate of Absolute Resilience
Torso Item
Reflects 10% of all incoming kinetic energy back to the attacker.
Body 300
“Okay, that’s cool,” he muttered, grinning to himself.
He set the armors aside carefully, then moved on to the next box, this time containing spears. Their sleek black shaft was lighter than he expected, but the blade? Razor sharp. He gave one an experimental swing, and the air seemed to ripple with the motion, as if he had swung it multiple times.
Spear of Echoing Strikes
Weapon
Every attack the wielder makes with this spear automatically triggers a second, equally powerful strike at the exact same spot.
Body 200
Soul 200
“This thing’s no joke,” Jeremy murmured, gripping it tighter.
One by one, Jeremy tore through the rest of the packages. The Gloves of Echoing Strikes were made of soft, flexible leather, but they practically vibrated with energy. Next came the Gloves of Lancing Reach, which gave off a faint glow, their magic almost tangible. Jeremy imagined his spear extending far beyond its reach, and the thought gave him goosebumps.
The Helmet of Fractured Reality was the weirdest thing yet. Its reflective surface twisted the room into strange, wavy shapes, and when Jeremy tilted his head, his reflection didn’t quite follow. He let out a nervous laugh, the kind that bubbled up when something was cool but also kinda terrifying. Setting the helmet down, he wiped his palms on his pants. Maybe I’ll save this for when I want to freak people out.
Finally, he opened the box with the Amulets of Amplification. At first glance, they seemed almost plain, especially compared to the beauty of the other gear. Each amulet was a small, teardrop-shaped pendant, no larger than a coin.
Gloves of Echoing Strikes
Hand Item
Each strike leaves an echo that has 50% of the original attack’s kinetic energy after a delay of two seconds.
Body 200
Gloves of Lancing Reach
Hand Item
Creates an ethereal addition to the spear, extending the spear's range by 50%.
Body 100
Helmet of Fractured Reality
Head Item
Generates an illusory copy of the wearer that mimics the wearer’s actions perfectly.
Soul 200
Amulet of Amplification
Neck Item
The amulet amplifies the stats provided by other equipment by 20%.
Soul 100
Jeremy leaned back, surrounded by his new gear. His mind raced with possibilities, but an uneasy feeling settled in his chest. This is what they expect. This is what they’ll see. He picked up one of the plates, forcing a grin. “This is insane,” he whispered, though his voice wavered. His fingers tingled with excitement—or maybe nerves. Dad actually sent me all this. All this power—mine. The idea of reflecting physical attacks back at enemies was pretty genius. If a dungeon only had monsters that relied on brute force, he could clear it without breaking a sweat. Well, probably.
Jeremy glanced at the spear and gloves. They were tempting, too. Stacking the Gloves of Lancing Reach would let him fight from ridiculously far away, and the Spear of Echoing Strikes? That thing alone was terrifying. But clearing a dungeon fast wasn’t the goal here. The dungeon quota meant it would be better to clear one higher Tier dungeon than multiple lower Tier ones. And to do that? He needed to survive first.
Jeremy reached down and grabbed one of the Plates of Absolute Resilience, holding it up to the light. As he focused, his Status activated. The plate shimmered before vanishing, absorbed into his Status.
A faint vibration coursed through him as the plate’s effect registered in his Status. It wasn’t a physical sensation, but he felt... sturdier, as though the air around him had thickened to cushion every movement. "Not bad," Jeremy muttered, flexing his hands.
He glanced at the neatly stacked pile of identical plates beside him. Jeremy’s eyes flicked to his Status, where two slots were already occupied by his Amulet of Insight. Another slot held his Spear of Echoing Strikes. That left seven available slots for experimentation.
“Alright, let’s see how far this can go,” he murmured.
Grabbing another plate, Jeremy focused as it too dissolved into his Status. The hum deepened, the energy within him building. With a third, it felt like his body was resonating with invisible armor. He didn’t stop there. One by one, he added plates until four were absorbed. The hum wasn’t just in the air—it thrummed through his core, a steady vibration of layered resilience.
Jeremy flexed his shoulders. “Let’s test this.”
He turned to the training dummy in the corner and threw a cautious punch. The dummy jerked back violently, the kinetic reflection doing most of the work, and Jeremy burst into a triumphant laugh. “Oh man, that’s awesome!” He stared at the dummy, still wobbling from the force of his punch. The plates weren’t just blocking attacks—they were turning them into weapons.
Jeremy jabbed at the dummy with his spear. The vibration of the hit sent a faint ripple through the air, but when the dummy absorbed the blow and rebounded from the kinetic reflection, Jeremy noticed something strange. The second spear strike hit even harder, driving the dummy back with twice the force he’d expected.
“Wait a second.” He lowered the spear, his mind racing. “If it reflects their force back, and their bodies return a force to my attack...” He grinned, realization dawning. “That’s... ridiculous. I’m unstoppable!” When Jeremy struck with his weapon, the target’s body naturally reacted with an opposite force. That reaction was then reflected by 70% through his armor, redirecting the energy back into the target, turning even a simple attack into something devastating.
He stared at his remaining slots. Six were filled now—two for the amulet, one for the spear, and three for the plates. Jeremy hesitated before grabbing a spear in his other hand to test an idea. Holding it tightly, Jeremy focused again, this time attempting to absorb the spear into his Status.
His Status flickered, and for a moment, he thought it hadn’t worked. Then, with no fanfare, the spear vanished, and he could now see two spears in his Status.
“Whoa,” he whispered, gripping the weapon tighter. If this worked with the spear... His mind raced. Could he stack the weapon’s power like the plates?
Testing further, Jeremy repeated the process, equipping yet another spear. His spear hummed, and when he spun it experimentally, it vibrated the air. A quick jab at the dummy sent it flying across the room, embedding itself in the wall with a resounding crash. Jeremy grinned, already considering the implications.
“Alright,” Jeremy said, glancing at the remaining slots. “Time to figure this out.”
He reached for the Helmet of Fractured Reality but paused, his eyes flicking to the stack of Plates of Absolute Resilience. The helmet and gloves were tempting—but for the dungeon, survival came first. All the damage in the world didn’t matter if he couldn’t take a hit.
Jeremy opened his Status and noticed the second and third Spear of Echoing Strikes still occupying his slots from earlier. It had been a useful test, but for today’s dungeon, he didn’t need to stack offense. With a thought, he unequipped the extra spears, feeling the hum of energy around him settle.
“Better,” he muttered. Now with more slots available, he focused on the plates. One by one, he absorbed them into his Status, feeling the hum intensify with each addition. Three plates became four, then five, six, until eventually, all available slots were filled. The energy radiating through him now felt almost tangible, like an invisible barrier wrapped around his entire body.
He stepped back, rolling his shoulders. “Alright, let’s see what this setup can do.”
Grabbing another dummy, Jeremy shoved it toward himself, bracing for impact. The moment the dummy hit, the plates’ kinetic reflection activated. The force of his shove rebounded, sending the dummy backward. The plates reflected 70% of the energy, ensuring that even a weak attack would be retaliated. Jeremy nodded, satisfied.
“No way anything can beat me now,” he muttered, examining his Status.
Jeremy Hoppins
Tier -
Body 2304
Mind -
Soul 2200
Skills:
Cooking - Basic -/10
Introspection - Basic -/10
Memorization - Basic -/10
Multitasking - Basic -/10
Reflexes - Basic -/10
Running - Basic 4/10
Universal Equipment Slots - Personal
Equipment:
Equipment Slot - Amulet of Insight
Equipment Slot - Amulet of Insight
Equipment Slot - Spear of Echoing Strikes
Equipment Slot - Plate of Absolute Resilience
Equipment Slot - Plate of Absolute Resilience
Equipment Slot - Plate of Absolute Resilience
Equipment Slot - Plate of Absolute Resilience
Equipment Slot - Plate of Absolute Resilience
Equipment Slot - Plate of Absolute Resilience
Equipment Slot - Plate of Absolute Resilience
The setup wasn’t flashy, but it was perfect—or so Jeremy thought.
Dungeons were classified based on the collective strength of the team. A Tier 1 Dungeon required a group of Tier 1 people working together, but Jeremy was determined to prove he could handle it solo. A Tier 1 dungeon’s monsters weren’t even a warm-up for him. With only a thousand total stats each, they’d fall before he even broke a sweat.
He glanced at his spear. The more he thought about it, the more Tier 1 sounded... underwhelming. Why stop at Tier 1? If he was going to be at the top, he had to go big. Bigger than anyone else at the academy.
Tier 2? Now that was where the real challenge—and the real rewards—lay. Sure, it’d have around 2,000 Body since he’d go to a dungeon that specialized in physical attackers, but he could already picture himself taking it down.
Jeremy leaned against the wall, picturing a hulking brute charging at him. He’d reflect most of the hit, spear it twice, and boom—game over.
For a second, a tiny flicker of doubt crept in. What if Tier 2 is... too much? He shook his head hard, like he was shaking the thought loose. “I’ve got the stats. That’s all that matters,” he said, louder this time, as if convincing himself.
And the rewards? His grin widened. A Tier 2 dungeon would give Essence like nothing else. Forget ten times the Essence—this would be a hundred times that of a Tierless dungeon. Enough to make everyone’s jaws drop when they saw his haul.
Jeremy pushed off the wall, his chest puffing out with confidence. “Why mess around with Tier 1?” he said to himself. He could already picture the looks on everyone’s faces when he came back, loaded with more Essence than anyone else. “If I’m gonna do this, I’m doing it big. No—huge.”
He walked to the the door, his eyes flicking to the bag he had packed with supplies the night before. For a moment, his hand twitched toward it, but his gaze shifted to the plates in his Status and the spear resting comfortably in his grip.
“I’ve got everything I need,” he said, more to himself than anyone else. The Plates of Absolute Resilience would reflect most of the hits he’d take back at his enemies, and the Spear of Echoing Strikes was a weapon unlike anything he’d ever seen. What could a bag of supplies possibly do that this gear couldn’t?
He left the bag where it was. This wasn’t a camping trip—just smash, grab, and leave.
Doubt crept in—what if this wasn’t as easy as he imagined? What if the all this gear couldn’t make up for his lack of experience? He shook it off, rolling his shoulders. I’ve got the equipment, the stats, the Skills. This isn’t just going to work—it’s going to be legendary.
