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Chapter 3 - Power Unlocked
🕑 Added 2024-02-03 10:55:07 +0000 UTCClass unlocked: Rogue.
Knowledge flooded Luke’s mind, full of newfound skills and abilities. If there was any doubt about the System left in Luke, it was gone when he unlocked Rogue.
With surprising eagerness, he immediately looked over the incoming prompts. What was he going to get next?
Am I actually enjoying myself? Luke thought, incredulous.
He was, and as he looked at the flood of information coming in, he couldn’t have wiped the smile off his face to save his life.
Skill gained:
[Novice One-Handed Weapons (Crude)]
(Rogue Class Skill)
Many types of weapons serve a Rogue’s purpose to slay foes swiftly. Grants rudimentary proficiency over one-handed weapons. Lacking deeper specialization, this skill encompasses a general variety of one-handed weapons. Adds a slight bonus to the influence of Strength and Dexterity stats when using this skill.
As the information flowed into his brain, Luke found it slotted into the rather patchwork training he had taken over the years for fencing.
Some things he felt he knew better than what was given to him, but there were gaps that were filled in so smoothly that a few moments later he couldn’t be sure where the new knowledge ended and his began.
He already knew how to wield the three fencing weapons, but now he knew how to wield longswords, daggers, maces, and even flails.
Skill gained:
[Novice Ranged Weapons (Crude)]
(Rogue Class Skill)
Even Rogues can surprise their opponents from afar. Grants basic proficiency over various ranged weapons, from throwing daggers to crossbows, including light and heavy varieties. Adds a slight bonus to the influence of Dexterity and Perception stats when using this skill.
The knowledge imparted to Luke from the ranged weapons skill was greater than that of the one-handed weapons skill. For ranged weapons, there were more holes to fill in his mind. Even without the melee skill, he already knew how to wield a sword.
Before gaining the new skill, he definitely hadn’t been familiar with throwing daggers and crossbows. Now, it felt like he had been training and practicing with them for years.
Interestingly enough, both skills were considered novice. He noticed that his other skills didn’t have that modifier.
Skill gained:
[Fleet of Foot (Common)]
(Rogue Class Skill)
Only certain Rogues have a penchant for quickly traversing the battlefield and mastering the art of attacking from all angles. Enhances your movement and climbing speed beyond the purview of Dexterity. Increases your natural agility, heightening evasiveness, dodging and acrobatics. Adds a slight bonus to the influence of Dexterity and Fortitude when using this skill.
Though still called a skill, this one was unlike the other two. The first two were knowledge of forms and motion. [Fleet of Foot] was like suddenly knowing how to do a backflip.
He completely understood how to do it, though that was all it gave him, an understanding of its use but not the context in which he should be using it.
Analyzing Marks of Luke Solus…
Race discovered:
[Human (G-Grade)]
The weakest Grade of Human, typically only achievable by a newly uplifted universe. Among the myriad races of the multiverse, Humans are one of the most adaptable and capable. Despite being among the youngest race of the multiverse, their capacity for change has allowed them to spread far and wide. Perhaps it is because of their relatively short lives, or that they feel they have something to prove to the elder races, but Humans are often found at the forefront of any new development within the multiverse, leading the charge into territories unknown. Race attributes awarded per level: +1 All stats, +1 Fate, +1 Free Point.
Okay, Luke thought, rude.
So humans gave Fate, which seemed different somehow from all the other stats. Despite getting “all stats” it seemed to find it significant enough to point out that he also got a point of Fate.
That seems important.
Skill gained:
[Borrowing From the Future (Unique)]
(Human Race Skill)
Sometimes the only way to get stronger is to pass the buck. Humans are exceptionally skilled at improving the present at the cost of the future. Once per Race level, you may consume your awarded Fate point in order to double the other attributes awarded. Your maximum Fate is reduced by the same amount.
Totally not ominous at all. So races did have something like feats from other games. And this one seemed to be cannibalistic, but doubling all of his given stats for that level seemed incredibly useful early on.
Skill gained:
[Adaptable (Unique)]
(Human Race Skill)
Most of the core races of the multiverse possess some unique means of unlocking classes or professions, but the unlimited adaptability of Humans is such that they are capable of taking up any class or profession regardless of most types of restrictions.
Not that Luke had any idea what sort of restrictions those would be. It was nice to know that he wouldn’t be limited purely because he was human.
The Company woman was reading her stone tablet and watching Luke over the top rim of it. When their eyes met, she made a motion in the air and handed him two gems glowing with power.
“These are yours,” she told him as Luke felt the warm thrumming power within them. “The first is part of our welcome package to all new interns.”
“And the second?” Luke turned the second gem over, a ruby the size of a quarter with… “Is that my face?”
“Yes,” she said. “This is a skill generated from your personal Marks. Very rare, you should be happy!”
Luke followed his instincts and squeezed one gem after the other. He felt a warm flow of energy into his arm, through his chest making his heart flutter, and then into his head, where the information unlocked.
Skill gained:
[Mother of All Tongues (Unique)]
(Human Race Skill)
As a newly uplifted race, the odds are naturally against your kind. To even out the playing field, the System gifts [Mother of All Tongues] to all newly uplifted races so that they can freely communicate between all the countless races across the multiverse. Grants the ability to communicate to any race in all forms.
The Company woman began speaking in tongues. For a few seconds, nothing happened. Then she stopped, but every few seconds she paused and changed her dialect a little.
Eventually, she gave up and resumed speaking English.
“How are you feeling?” she asked.
“Fine,” Luke told her. “Head hurts a little.”
“Good! Your language skill is working. You just answered a question spoken in five distinct languages from three different universes.”
He had always wanted to learn a new language, though he wondered if he would even be aware of the difference. He hadn’t been just then.
The next skill felt less alien and more personal.
Skill gained:
[Ambidextrous (Unique)]
(Unique Race Skill)
With equal control and finesse of all limbs, you possess an ability incredibly rare even among the enlightened races of the multiverse, and the precursor to an even greater power. +5% Dexterity.
It was one of the few talents he enjoyed about himself. He had been born naturally ambidextrous. It made for a cool party trick–if he ever went out.
People often got a little unnerved at the office when he’d write up documentation by hand and type out code with the other. It was good to show off, but not really that useful.
It was nearly useless in fencing where you couldn’t switch hands except between bouts, but maybe things would be different here.
From the empty air, three packages wrapped in some sort of rough cloth and tied with twine dropped into his lap.
Item: [Scout Cloak (Common)]
(Armor)
A loose fitting, black leather cloak with a deep hood. Designed to keep the elements off the wearer. Lined with many pockets to store various items.
Enchantments: Improves your resistance to environmental damage and muffles the sound of your movements slightly.
Item: [Throwing Dagger Belt (Common)]
(Equipment)
An oiled leather belt fitted with slots and loops for throwing daggers and other items. An essential piece of equipment for any aspiring skirmisher.
Enchantments: Instill with mana to regenerate common-rarity throwing daggers.
Item: [Minor Health Potion (Crude)]
(Consumable)
A rounded glass bottle containing a red liquid. Drink to recover HP.
With a snap of her fingers, the walls were replaced with lined racks of medieval armaments, the likes of which Luke had only seen in the Matrix. Minus the flashy swooping effects and blank white room.
“Five minutes remain of your pre-onboarding,” she said mechanically. “You may pick one weapon that your class can use.”
Luke was about to ask what those were, but when he looked at the weapon racks lining the walls, he noticed they were all either ranged weapons or one-handed types.
So, in short, he could wield any of these.
His first weapon would undoubtedly be an important choice. He took his time, all the while the woman let him know when each minute passed.
While he searched, he put on his cloak and belt. They fit comfortably, as if sized perfectly for him. The cloak was surprisingly warm.
He passed over falchions, tulwars, longswords, and even rapiers. His fingers traced their handles and grips dulled by countless pairs of hands.
There was one bladed weapon in particular that drew Luke’s attention. The scimitar looked more used than anything else there, with scratches all over the flat of the blade. That wasn’t what was important to Luke.
It was the blade’s enchantment. Most weapons on offer had none, and the edge of the blade was sound.
Item: [Worn Scimitar (Common)]
(Weapon)
A standard-issue curved sword handed out by the Company for new hires. Having survived many battles, this weapon has picked up the lingering power of its fallen owners’ Marks.
Enchantments: Slightly increases novice skill gain rate with one-handed weapons.
He thought he caught a slight nod of approval from the woman as he picked it. Now he just needed a sheath. There were dozens to choose from, some attached to the belt, others had extra loops for the thigh, but Luke chose a baldric.
It was a slim set of leather belts that crossed over his cloak with the sheath set on his back. The tarnished silver handle of the scimitar poked up over his right shoulder within easy reach.
Luke stowed the single glass bottle of life-giving liquid into one of the padded pockets in his cloak.
It would be important to keep that within easy reach too, but not out in the open where it might get damaged. If that was even possible.
Luke leaned in and looked at the woman. “You mentioned a test. Can you tell me about that?”
She gave him a wolfish grin that sent a shiver down his spine. “Sign the contract, and I’ll tell you what I can in the time we have left.”
“Contract?” Luke asked curiously.
Just as he said the word, a pile of papers thicker than a brick landed with a heavy thud on the tabletop. The woman handed him a pen. “You have a little over a minute to sign the contract or else you’ll be left behind while the rest of your universe is being uplifted.” She looked at him soberly. “You do not want to meet what’ll be left behind.”
Luke began signing like his life counted on it. Because it did.
Like every other contract he’d signed before, they had helpful little tabs that outlined where to sign the document. He couldn’t have read it all, even if he had days. It was thicker than a Sanderson novel.
If it was a choice between annihilation and signing a suspiciously thick contract, he’d take the contract any day.
“It’s a standard assessment test the Company gives to all new hires,” the woman told him. “Nothing much to worry about. You’ll have a standard month to survive the chosen field–”
“Woah, hold on. Survive? Like in the wilderness?” Luke didn’t even look up as he rapidly scrawled his signature over and over again. He had a feeling this was a rare opportunity to get some intel.
“If that is the randomly selected field.”
“So it could be something else?”
“Oh, sure! Islands, floating continents, underground chambers, there’s no end to the places that the assessment tests can take place in. But don’t worry, everything will be appropriately leveled for you. We wouldn’t drop a G-Grade into C-Grade territory!” She laughed at the ridiculousness of it, though Luke couldn’t see the joke.
So survival is important, he thought. Good thing I picked Rogue, I might need to lie low.
“We just need to survive against… what, monsters or something for a month?”
“And each other.”
The way she said it made Luke break out in a sweat. Or maybe it was the warmth of the cloak. “Say again?” he squeaked.
“This is the real world, sweetie,” she told him, though not unkindly. “The powerful rule. You’ll need to find that out sooner rather than later and the Company takes a very proactive approach to schooling its interns. You’ll be in a field with thousands of other interns. It’ll be a learning experience.”
Luke had no other choice. The Company was his ticket up.
Sweat clung to the small of his back as he signed the last page at the same time as a trilling alarm went off. His brown eyes tracked to the last sub-clause in the contract.
“Wait a sec,” he said, as the woman took the contract from him and made it disappear like a magic trick. “What did that mean by debt? What debt? Why is there debt?”
“So sorry, time’s up!”
Assessment Test Beginning.
