As Max walked, he continued to ask questions. He focused on stats, spells, classes, and talking trees? From Iris’s answers talking trees was not normal for anyone without a tier 3 [Plant Mage] evolution. Something like a [Druid], or [Nature's Guardian] would be able to communicate, but Iris said that it was more of a general feeling. When the tree thanked Max, he most definitely heard the words thank you.

But why wouldn’t trees be able to talk? Max asked himself. This world has Elves and monsters. Why not talking trees?

Stats were basic. Strength dictates how much you can lift, or how hard you can kick. Dexterity is how fast you can physically move; stamina increases health and physical stamina. Intellect and wisdom go hand in hand. Intellect makes spells deal more damage or create a bigger field of effect, depending on the spell. Wisdom increases mana regeneration and mana pool.

For the average noncombat oriented class, e.g. [Famer], [Deck Hand], or [Scribe], points would be split into strength and stamina. Most jobs on Nava are not tied into their class, meaning that just because someone’s class is [Carpenter] doesn’t mean they can’t work in a tavern. They would lose out on a class bonus, but most employers didn’t mind as long as the job got done. Strength worked well in this regard. If you were able to lift boxes or unload caravans, you would always have a job. Most of Nava’s wealth comes from export/import and without large machinery or semi-truck, having the strength to move large amounts of items was indeed helpful.

Stamina was always a solid choice. Passively, everyone gains stamina per level, regardless of applying their stats or not. This is the main reason that high level individuals, such as Lester, were able to live long lives. The more stamina you have, the longer your life expectancy goes up. For most combat-oriented classes this is a rather dud stat. Spells and attacks can kill high stamina targets with ease, meaning points are better suited elsewhere. But since the average person doesn’t reach high level, they opt to put points directly into stamina, thus elongating their lives.

The term “mana touched” was first coined by [Magic Emperor] Rizja, during the Time of Magic. He created many of the standards for mages today. One of his principles was the foundation of the spell rarity list. He theorized that a simple spell, common, is able to be learned by any and all mana touched but only specialized classes can learn higher tiers. Iris talked about the idea like it was completely obvious, but then again, even the simplest of discoveries are important. Eventually Rizja’s tier list was standardized throughout all of Nava and imported into the system. But this raised a question in Max’s mind: Who imported the list into the system?

Classes are a bit more… involved. At level 5 you can pick a class. You have to go to a Class Stone, whatever that is, to confirm your class. When your first-class hits level 10 you gain a secondary class slot. Same deal, go to the magical Class Stones, and pick a new class. At level 25 you can evolve or potentially combine your classes. Evolve is simple. You will have options that you met the criteria for, and you choose the one that best suits you. Combining is where classes join based on a concept or a theme. Iris couldn't give me much information on this. Apparently, most are very secretive about the classes and combinations. It made sense to Max, why give others an advantage over you?

The class combination that Iris gave him as an example went like this.

Primary: [Plant Mage] level 10 -> [Nature mage] t2

Secondary: [Beast Tamer] level 10 -> [Beast Master] t2

[Beast Master] t2 level 25 + [Nature mage] t2 level 25 = [Druid] t3

At level 10 [Plant Mage] and [Best Tamer] become their tier 2 evolutions. They reset back to level 1. Once they both are level 25, they can combine into tier 3 [Druid]. I can already see how many levels are needed to get to the strong classes. It's going to be hard work. But I need to go home. Max thought.

Max found the river just after midday. Hours went by as he followed the river upstream. Iris assured him that the adventure team was heading down stream, and that they would meet in the middle. Around dinner time, Max decided that he needed to stop and find food. Iris was allowed to give Max the Fisherman’s Friend spell. All Max had to do was radiate mana from his whole body, rather than condensing it into his palm. His mana was seep slowly into the water of the river, and fish would literally swim up to him and wait there. Max could simply pick the fish up out of the water.

It took him a few tries, but he eventually was able to attract a few fish. On the first try he caused the water to ripple outwards like the after echo of a cannonball. The second seemed to cause the fish to be aware of his presence and on the third attempt, the fish came to him.

I kind of feel bad. It's like I’m tricking fish into being caught... But I am hungry… While Max contemplated ethics of fishing like this, a few kilometers away a battle was just ending.

“RUN GIRL. GO. Don’t look ba--AAGH...”

The girl couldn't help looking back. She watched the woman die; a rusty dagger being slowly inserted into her spine. Blood starting to pool, the glint in her eyes faded. The girl turned and ran. She ran to the only landmark she knew of the old fishing cabin further downstream. Away from the road, and away from the city. The girl knew that she was too far to make it before night fell. She could only hope that her father would notice her absence and send a search party.

The girl no older than 14 ran, and ran, and ran. Her feet were bloody and bruised, her arms were painted in drying blood, and her clothes were in tatters. But she made it. Refuge of a rundown old cabin. The walls barely standing, cobwebs everywhere and jagged splinters of wood littered the floor. The girl knew that it was the best she was going to get.

Max had “caught” only three fish. He couldn't, in good conscience, take more than three. Iris explained how the spell Create Flame worked, this way by far the hardest of the three spells he knew. It took him well into the night to figure out the trick of the spell. The spell worked by igniting his mana, after he pushed it out into his palm. The igniting part was what took him so long. Iris explained it was simple “feeling” the mana to catch fire. That line of thinking did not work too well for Max.

Max knew what heat was, he knew how atoms will shake and move faster the hotter they get. Max used that concept, and he imagined one great shake to flare through his mana orb. The orb inflamed in a great plume. When the initial flames died out, his orb of mana remained there sitting, in the center of a ball of fire, hovering slightly above his palm.

Iris explained that Max’s own mana, and in subsequence, any mana creations, like the flame, could not harm him.

“The casters mana cannot harm the caster, even after fired, altered, or even exploded.” Iris casualty explained.

Max ate his cooked fish, made sure to fill his water skin, and finally checked his notifications.

Congratulations you have learned the spell Fisherman’s Friend (common):

Mana cost varies.

Become a friend to the little fishes, attacking their love.

Congratulations, Fisherman’s Friend has become level 2!

Congratulations you have learned the spell Create Flame (common):

1 mana per minute.

Your mana flares to life to bring heat even on the coldest of days.

Congratulations, Create Flame has become level 2!

Congratulations, Create Flame has become level 3!

After reading the description of Fisherman’s Friend, Max felt worse. But he had to keep moving. The sun was gone, and he had no shelter. He had the dying cinders of a once roaring fire but didn’t feel safe in the open. Only his hunger could keep him remaining where he was, but after filling his belly, his mind retook control.

As Max continued onwards, he started to notice some changes in the scenery. Trees were becoming more spread out, flowers and younger trees were becoming more abundant. Animals like deer and squirrels were showing themselves more often. Max also found some fruit. They looked like lemons, but they weren't sour. Iris explained that most of the fruit around was in fact safe to eat.

Goberry (safe)

Really putting in work for that description huh inspect. Max thought while grinning.

Congratulations, inspect has become level 2!

It was dark and the small amounts of light that radiated from Max’s palm only caried so much, but he had seen it. He saw a ratty looking cabin on the other side of the bend. Max couldn't believe it, his first sign of civilization other than talking with Iris. The cabin itself was nothing more than a single room with a roof and a door. A few windows provided enough light during the day to see inside, but the cabin looked like something a cowboy would have lived in.

Max practically frolicked over to the cabin. When he was only a few meters from the door he noticed the blood. A lot of blood. Max lowered himself into a crouching stance as a sense of foreboding overcame him. He started walking around the side when he got a notification.

Congratulations you have learned the skill Sneak (common):

Lowering your presence in the face of the unknowing.

Max stopped dead in fear. The unknowing. If the blood wasn’t enough of a clue that someone or something was inside the cabin, the unknowing proved it. Max needed shelter for the night. His tree worked out, but the trees around were not large enough to support him. He needed the cabin.

Max peered into a window looking around the dusty and decrepit interior. The place was barren, looted and left for ruin. No furniture, no beds, no appliances, nothing. Just dust in a big empty room. That was when Max noticed her. A kid slumped up against the door, using her own body as a barricade. She was bleeding, her feet, and her arm the most. Her hair could have been a nice bright blonde, if it was clean, but she had twigs and dirt caked all over. She needed help and Max would be the best she has.

“Hello! I know you are in there, I can help” Max yelled, scaring Iris.

“Max? Is something wrong? Are you asking me if I need help?”

“What? Oh no, there's a girl in the cabin, she's bleeding.”

Max could hear shuffling in the cabin, and Iris asking more questions. He ignored the latter. The door opened slightly; Max could see eyes glaring at him. Appraising him, inspecting him. He could feel the spell reacting to him and failing. The girl opened the door fully, and Max could see her properly for the first time. Her clothes were torn. Her skin showing under scraps of fabric, her pants ripped with obvious scuff marks around the crotch. Max took a deep breath, calming himself.

“It's okay, I can help, do you have any supplies?”

She shook her head. Tears starting to form.

“Iris. The girl. It looks like a sexual assault of some kind. I can see a large gash on her arm. Maybe a sword or a dagger? Her feet are bloody and torn. Busing over her torso. Clothing torn to hell. What can I do?”

“Stand by Max.” Iris replied, losing her normal cheer.

Max took this time to take off his cloak and tore it into strips. He tied the first one above the gash on her arm, tightly. It was bad. She might bleed out at this rate. She was pale, tears washing the dirt and grim from their path under her eyes. Max noted that her eyes were silver.

“Max, I can give you a spell. A water healing spell, it's called Soothing Waters. You need fifteen in wisdom and intellect to be able to cast it. Max it's going to take all of what you have to it however. Healing spells are not easy.”

Max opened his profile. Putting 5 points into wisdom, and 5 into intellect. Not even a second thought at strength or dexterity build. He was thinking of going all in on a caster build anyways.

“Alright I’m ready. What should I do?” Max said with complete resolve.

“Carry her to the river. Lay her in the water. The spell is similar to Fisherman’s Friend, radiate your mana, but focus on the girl, her wounds, rather than the surrounding water. Will the water around the girl to help to heal? That's the best I can do. Healing is not normally taught without some safety measures or in the ways of water. I am sorry.”

Iris knew that this was probably not going to work. She knew that spells couldn't just be learned like what she is suggesting to Max. The three other spells Max had already learned were the simplest of them all, but Soothing Waters is a whole other beast.

The girl wasn’t heavy, surprising Max. Now that he was holding her, he could see how skinny she was. Borderline anorexic. But that didn't matter right now. Max was the only one that could save her. He was not going to let her die. A small dock that tapered into a slight sloped, protruded out into the water. Max was careful not to lose his footing on the algae covered slip wood.

Max lowered her; the surrounding water quickly turned red. He felt for his mana system. The storm had been calm since his last encounter with the wolves. But now, his system was awake, raging, begging to get out, to destroy. Max calmed himself, he knew that rage would do no good here. He couldn’t risk harming her any worse. His mind went back to the stream of mana that pierced through the tree canopy.

Max let his mana out into the water, just like the start to fisherman’s friend. Focusing on the girl, he slowly wrapped his mana arounder her. A small connection formed between the girl and Max. He could feel her every breath, her every twitch. He knew her pain and he could feel her anxiety. As his mana moved around her body, an image was starting to form within his mind. A blank canvas of a body slowly filled with each injury Max found. A cut on her arm here, a broken and blooded foot there. The girl let out a small cry. Max had let is attention slip for only a moment, causing his mana to constrict and crush.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” Max plead.

The girl’s eyes fluttered for a moment but said nothing. She knew the state she was in. She knew that Max was only trying to help. Max hesitantly continued, more careful then ever.

He checked for internal injuries, there was nothing. Her bruising was shallow. The cut on her arm was by far the worst. He knew that he wanted it to heal, but how? How did he attack fish, or how did he raise roots? Max mulled over his memories, feeling the sensation spells gave him. Create flame made him feel dangerous, like he was a hyperactive kid running with scissors. Grasping roots made him feel like he was strong and isolated, like a tree in winter. But he found the most similar feeling within fisherman’s friend. He felt loving and caring and he wanted to spread that love to the fish of the river. He wanted the fish to be around him, to be friends. He wanted the girl to be warm, to be safe, so be without pain.

Max watched with fascination as the water seemed to form a small whirlpool around her arm. The whirlpool pulled Max’s mana, draining him faster and faster. The whirlpool started a deep gross purple red, but as it continued to spin it faded back into the off-blue of the river. Max saw smooth skin after the whirlpool burned out.

Next Max targeted her feet. He was panting at this point, his mana low. He ignored his own pain working to get the girl out of danger. His vision blurred and a headache blazed but the girl was regaining her pigment. She was watching him closely. At first it was out of awe, but the longer he swayed, the more he could tell that she was concerned with him. She reached out, stabilizing him.

“Iris, I did it. She's okay. I don’t feel good thoug--” Max interpreted himself by throwing up.

“Max? Max? Are you okay? Can you hear me? Max?” Iris’s voice was starting to feel further and further away from Max. Darkness was enveloping him. Soon his whole world was dark.