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What Will Be | Chapter 22
🕑 Added 2024-02-13 02:35:07 +0000 UTCAuthor Note: A huge welcome to my first batch of Patrons! Words cannot convey how much your support means to me. I will be giving these chapters another once-over before publishing to RR but no major changes will be made. It'll be for a 'final' sweep for typos, the odd bit rephrasing, and occasionally cutting some fat.
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“I have always found accounts of mass warfare to be wasteful. So many lives, so much potential, all lost in the wake of pointless posturing. True conflicts almost always come down to the few powerhouses on either side.”
~Unknown
Perseverance Level 10/10
Advancement Bonuses
- Tier 1: Skill is more effective during periods of emotional turmoil.
Unlock Condition: Perseverance was used to counteract the negative effects of bodily response to danger.
Skill Augmentations (0/2)
Please choose from the following Skill Augmentations. As Perseverance is a Core Skill, you may choose two Skill Augmentations.
- Learning (Minor)
- Physical Exertion (Minor)
- Discomfort (Minor)
- Distraction (Minor)
Tina waited patiently while I read over the first notification. I glanced up from the semi-transparent screen and quirked an inquisitive eyebrow.
“Advancement bonus?” Tina nodded like she was expecting the question. It was by no means the only one I had, but it seemed like as good a place to start as any.
“The System shapes our Skills based on our choices - Skill Augmentations - and our actions. So…” Tina trailed off and tilted her head in thought. “It is hard to summarize all of this in a few sentences. Normally you would spend years getting ready for this moment.” She began rhythmically tapping her chin with her pointer finger. A slight frown crossed her lips.
“I think I understand,” I said cautiously. I’d also noted that, unlike the offered Skill Augmentations, my Advancement Bonus didn’t have a qualifier like ‘minor’ next to it. “Are Advancement Bonuses stronger?”
“Yes… but also no. It depends...” As Tina trailed off, an insect alighted on the tip of her nose, causing it to crinkle. Briefly, her hands curled into talons but she schooled the animalistic response and instead shooed it away with a directed huff of breath. “They are more impactful, for better or worse. You might want your Skill to develop a certain way, but sometimes the gap between what we want and what we are capable of is too wide to cross.”
I feel like we’re straying into the realms of philosophy. Not that I mind. It looked like Tina’s focus on the subject was making it easier for her to not overthink things. Her explanations weren’t passing through the child-filter as much. Even though she said she’d try to talk to me like I was a ‘big kid’, it made sense that it’d take some time to adapt.
Even so, it was a lot to process. I had to resist the urge to massage the bridge of my nose. That would have been too adult, even with my new behavioral allowances.
“This is all very complicated,” I sulked good naturedly. It wasn’t that I anticipated the borderline-cosmic force that was The System to be simple, that would have been optimistic at best. I just would have appreciated fewer variables.
Tina giggled at my complaint, stirring Vigil and Vix who scrutinized her for interrupting their well-earned rest. There was something grounding about the sound. I’d always felt that Tina’s joy was infectious, and it warmed my heart to hear it.
“Exactly. Complicated. Remember that we can stop at any time.” Her smile slipped at that, but she powered through. “You can delay your Advancement as much as you want.”
She’s realized it, too. We’d started talking like I was going to actually go through the entire Advancement process today.
“I could delay… but I will not. Advancement will make me stronger, like you and Vigil, right?” It was true I could spend years theorycrafting an ideal pathway to the power I needed to get home, but…
Today was a harsh reminder of my mortality… and my weakness. I didn’t even bother considering the possibility that I might get a third do-over at the whole life thing, either. This was an opportunity to get a head start, it would be foolish to squander it.
“It will,” she said softly. “Not straight away, but Advancement is the first step.” I saw a flash of anger cross her features and influence her tone. It didn’t feel like it was directed at me. “You should not have to-”
“Today was scary, mom.” I cut her off, but struggled to maintain eye contact. “If you and Vigil did not get to me fast enough, I could have…” I forced myself to shut up and take a deep breath. It did little to ease my rising heart rate or the ice creeping up my spine. “I want to be stronger. Safer.” I looked back towards Tina and caught the glint of tears gathering at the edges of her eyes.
“This should not have happened, not like this.” She was right, but it did happen. She started picking at a pebble lodged in the dirt, scratching up the surrounding earth with a fingernail.
“Will you still help me?” If I was going to do this, I wanted Tina’s help, even if I didn’t have her blessing. What I needed was a crash course on Advancement. It didn’t take long for her to harden her resolve and give me the nod. Class was in session.
***
Learning (Minor)
The effects of Perseverance will be marginally more effective while endeavoring to learn something.
Physical Exertion (Minor)
The effects of Perseverance will be marginally more effective during periods of physical exertion.
Discomfort (Minor)
The effects of Perseverance will be marginally more effective during periods of discomfort.
Distraction (Minor)
The effects of Perseverance will be marginally more effective when endeavoring to focus on a single task.
I’d gone over the options with Tina after she initially prompted me to call up their descriptions. Given how comparatively mute The System was with most things, I hadn’t even thought to try. Evidently, I’d grown complacent after years of relative System stagnation. I silently scolded myself for the slip up. As we sunk deeper into the discussion, letting evening descend overhead, I was able to watch in real time as the final vestiges of the side effects of Tina’s magic faded away. It was the little things. She stopped baring her teeth when irritated by her inability to properly phrase a response or flare her nostrils to sniff at a passing breeze. It was a relief to gain further confirmation that her condition was, ultimately, temporary.
Tina was impressed with the options arrayed before me but made it clear the list was not exhaustive. If I delayed Advancement and focused on applying Perseverance in different ways I might have been able to unlock others. Given the presence of the ‘Discomfort (Minor)’ Skill Augmentation, I suspected there would exist one for persevering through pain, not that I was in any rush to unlock it. I also, wisely, didn’t share that prospect with Tina. Bestial magic or not, I suspected the suggestion I intentionally inflict pain on myself to improve my Skill would be met with harsh dismissal at best.
She also confirmed that, as Perseverance continued to Advance, I would have opportunities to earn upgraded versions of the Skill Augmentations I chose. This led to a question that made my earlier complaints about System complexity seem premature in hindsight. I asked how the Skill Augmentations would interact with one another. Innocent enough question, right? Of course I’d want to know how the ‘Learning’ and ‘Physical Exertion’ Augmentations might compound if the conditions for both were met.
… That’s when Tina told me about Synergy.
Synergy was the term used to describe how Skills, Skill Augmentations, and basically everything bestowed by The System interacted with one another. What is a marginal boost plus a marginal boost multiplied by the presence of a synergistic Skill? I have no idea, but apparently it’s noticeable enough that striving for Synergy is highly encouraged.
“Synergy is another one of those subjects I am supposed to spend a lot of time learning about, right?” I reached out to gently pat Fudge, who had come to sit beside me. At some point over the last few hours most of the dogs still in the kennel had come to offer comfort at some point, but Fudge decided to linger.
“Definitely,” Tina responded almost instantly. Vigil had since recovered enough to come and rest his head in her lap again. At one point she’d been pacing while discussing the possible merits of my Skill Augmentations and he slumped on her when she finally sat back down.
A silence stretched between us and without the conversation my mind turned back to Jusep and the events of the day… not that some small part of my mind had ever really left them. Tina must have seen the conflicted look on my face and tried to offer a reassuring smile.
“Everything will be okay, my Will.” It was the kind of lie you tell to a loved one who is hurting. It’s probably why we let ourselves believe them, I know I did. I pulled up my System and Tina chuckled knowingly. Apparently my brow furrowed intently when I looked at the screens. It was a tell I was going to have to work on if I ever wanted to be less obvious in the future. I focused on two of the offered Skill Augmentations.
“Do you think I am making the right choice?” I hesitated before locking in my selections and looked to Tina for the final push I needed. I felt my palms go clammy at the finality of it all. Knowing that there was no going back, no redos, or any other safety net made confirming the decision more daunting than I anticipated. Tina reached forward and grabbed one of my hands in hers, unbothered by the physical manifestation of my nerves. She gave it a gentle squeeze for support. It was getting dark, but we didn’t acknowledge it. Neither of us were in a rush to go home.
“I think the choices are yours to make, but yes, I also think you are making good ones.” Her smile was encouraging. The time Tina spent lecturing me and indulging my curiosity had helped her calm down enough that, to me, she seemed back to her normal, wonderful self.
I took a deep breath and confirmed my decisions.
You have selected the Learning (Minor) Skill Augmentation for Perseverance.
You have selected the Distraction (Minor) Skill Augmentation for Perseverance.
Learning, practicing, repetition, rote, and whatever educational buzzwords one might want to use all seemed central to a Skill-focused System. Improving how my Core Skill interacted with that new, central element of my life seemed like an obvious decision. Perhaps more importantly, it felt like the kind of improvement necessary to bring me one step closer to the Unnamed Skill. I foresaw a momentous amount of studying in my future if I ever hoped to touch upon its truths.
I almost chose to enhance Perseverance during periods of physical exertion. Having fled for my life mere hours beforehand, it seemed like a logical choice. Without Tina’s consultation, it’s likely I would have. Her approving look when I asked what counted as a single task told me the Distraction Augmentation had potential I couldn’t overlook. Would focusing on escaping a dangerous situation count? If it did, then the utility of the Augmentation would far exceed something more restrictive.
And that’s not even considering the Synergy potential…
Much like when I first got my Core Skill there was no fanfare or dramatic feeling of newly acquired strength. A relieved sigh escaped my lips as I turned my attention back to Tina.
“I did it.”
“Well done, my Will.” She gave my hand another squeeze and I couldn’t help but shimmy my shoulders at the praise. I’d been working so hard in secret. It felt nice to have my efforts acknowledged again.
“Now for the hard part, right?” I noted the growing excitement in my voice. Having made a successful start to the process, I was in higher spirits. I called up the remaining notification.
All Skills have gained sufficient recognized proficiency for Advancement.
Commence Advancement?
“Only if you want to,” Tina reminded me gently. “Remember that I love you, my Will.” We both knew I was going to do it, but I appreciated the support all the same.
Advancement was apparently a more involved process than selecting Skill Augmentations. Tina gave me the broad strokes of what to anticipate, and the choices I could expect… but it was still daunting. I almost hesitated. Almost. I was done waiting. I was done feeling so helpless. I directed my thoughts towards the notification.
System, begin my Advancement.
Advancement Commencing
It was like a bolt of electricity raced from the top of my head to the soles of my feet. My entire body tensed up and a sharp pain stabbed at me from my core before radiating outwards. I tried to call out, but the sound caught in my throat. I slumped and felt my consciousness start to slip away. As my world turned to darkness only one thought remained.
Tina didn’t say anything about this…
