Chapter 28: A Lone Harpoon in an Empty Battlefield

(POV Gerald)

As we travel towards the old mansion, I prompt Ferdinand to go chat with Lily on a few occasions. Eventually, he becomes fairly comfortable initiating and keeping casual conversation, which is nice. In regards to Lily herself, she seems to friendly enough with him, but nothing on the level that one might consider ‘romantic’ interaction.

Well, these things take time… Probably.

Putting aside Ferdinand’s love life, every time we go into a new city it’s another wave of cheers and celebrations.

Ugghhhh... Another one of these times I am glad being a fork. Celebrations and parties? Count me out, thank you very much. Way too much noise, too many people and there’s always someone who does something so stupid you’re embarrassed to be the same species.

…Although I’m not any more.

Ferdinand isn’t getting much attention behind all the paladins in their fancy armour and the priests with their robes, but he’s somewhat overwhelmed each time with just that, shrinking down into the saddle and staring straight forwards.

He said to me a few days ago, “You were right. This level of praise is just… Scary. Staying unknown sounds good to me now. Have you learnt how to make other people invisible yet?”

Ah, that guy… I’m not a genius you know. I just have a bit of creativity and diligence. Nothing too special.

On the topic of praise, most of the holy folk seem pretty humble. I must say, though, that Luc has a bit of a weird streak in this area. Apparently, he loves to boast… about other people? I’ve seen him at a pub once or twice, and all he’ll do is talk about what happened, except he downplays everything he did and exaggerates what everyone else did.

So yeah, that’s a thing.

After about a week of travelling, I see grass give way to bare earth and a familiarly dilapidated mansion sliding into vision. The doppelganger sits inside, eating dinner.

“He’s in there.” I contact Lily directly.

She nods slightly.

Hello again. This tine I brought friends.

I sit at my desk, eyes panning across the room without looking for anything in particular. They eventually settle on a painting, and I stare at it for a while without actually seeing anything.

Am I better or worse off as I am now, compared to before? I cannot tell.

I am probably going to die. Even I can tell that much, I am not that stupid. But at least – at least I got to experience life at the top for a little while. I look around again, taking in the lavish furniture, decadent ornaments and outrageously expensive artworks.

Back home, it was like a living nightmare. They all scorned me, ridiculed me… hurled insults and abuse. Life was tortuous just getting through every day. Just when I thought of taking that final step, I found myself here.

This place – this world, I cannot understand it. Demons and gods, monsters and magic… levels and stats, why is it so different?

Well… at least it told me about my psychic powers. They were wrong, they all were. And right as well, I suppose.

Which is better, here or there?

Slow torture or brief paradise?

This feels better, but then, knowing that it will all be gone soon enough is another kind of torture in and of itself…

I hear knocking on the door, and I turn to look.

“Who is it?” I call out.

“It’s me, your highness.” The voice replies.

I sigh and move to unlock the door. It is him. Demon, they call him. I turn the handle and pull it open, and there he is, smiling ingratiatingly. When I first met him, some eight months ago, I liked that smile.

“Your highness.” He bows deeply. “Everything is going just as you planned. Within weeks, the Empire will be under your sole control.”

For the first few months, I actually believed that this façade, this cunning act was authentic. Others were quick to tell me the traitorous, evil ways of demons, but I was loathe to condemn anyone merely by their race.

“Yes, only a matter of time.” I say calmly. “Did you come here only to sing my praises, or is there something that requires my attention?”

He fed me lies and fuelled my ambitions, whispering plans into my ears. It was only when he applauded my intelligence that I caught on. I had heard similar words uttered enough times that I recognised the sarcasm in his words, regardless of how deeply he hid it.

His expression doesn’t shift in the slightest as he slightly bows his head and says, “I hear Count Brook was very vocal about his displeasure in your appointment at the ball yesterday.” He sounds sincerely angry at this, but like everything else he does, I can tell that it’s fake.

I school my expression into a mask of anger. “Oh? Then he can be disposed of like the rest.”

I have been acting my whole life, out of necessity rather than choice. If he wants to deceive me, then in turn I shall deceive him without mercy. He may have already manipulated me into digging my own grave, but I’ll not let him do as he pleases.

…Unfortunately, I can’t just tell him to kill himself. My power does not allow it. Nor can I tell him to do something that he is aware would result in his death, such as sending him to the temple – I recently discovered that most all of the native religions hate demons.

Without knowing exactly what he’s planning, all I can do is work in secret against him and limit his movements as much as I can.

We smile at each other, two liars each secretly out to kill the other.

(POV Ferdinand)

“…You again.” The doppelganger says darkly, carefully eying the group. His gaze settles on Lily and Luc, and his eyes narrow. “Paladins of Vitus, huh? My favourite type of people to kill.”

“Oh? And why is that?” Lily asks, a hint of frost in her voice.

The doppelganger frowns. “Because you bastards don’t seem to get it – We monsters, don’t. Want. To. Be. Your. Friends.” He finishes through gritted teeth.

Luc’s eyes narrow and he starts moving forward to attack the doppelganger, but Lily stops him. “Not yet. What better way to learn about monsters than from their own mouth?” She says to him, before turning back to the doppelganger. “Why wouldn’t you want friends? Everyone needs friends.”

“Hah!” The doppelganger barks. “Don’t compare us with yourselves. Monsters don’t have friends. We don’t want friends. There is only the weak, and the strong. Don’t delude yourself into thinking you are friends with a monster. They do not love you. They fear you.” He spits.

“Hm.” Lily shakes her head. “It’s a shame you think so. Call of the wild.” The last words she intones, a burst of holy magic radiating outwards.

To my surprise the doppelganger just watches and smiles as it travels towards him. When it reaches him, his smile only spreads as it bounces harmlessly off.

“I see you don’t recognise this spell.” Lily says, raising her sword and shield.

“Oh, no.” The doppelganger denies, grinning as he twirls his spear once with his only hand. “I do.”

For a moment, neither of them move. The rest of us look at each other, unsure if we should be waiting or attacking.

Then I feel a low rumbling in the ground below me.

I look around in confusion. The doppelganger’s smile is only growing, and Lily is also smiling slightly, although she is now also wary of whatever the doppelganger seems to have up his sleeve.

Soon I can hear as well as feel the rumbling, and I finally catch sight of a dust cloud off to the east, seemingly growing in size… or coming towards us.

‘Uh, stampede!?’ Gerald says in panic. ‘Is this supposed to happen!?’

“I told you. They fear you. But they fear me more.” The doppelganger says, exploding with red mist – killing intent.

The cloud of dust splits down the middle, each half veering off to either side to avoid the doppelganger – but still towards us. At this point they’re finally close enough for me to see what they are – a herd of bronze-horned bulls, their characteristic horns glinting in the light as they charge.

I break out into a sweat. “Um, is that supposed to happen?” I ask fearfully.

Lily looks ahead with a frown. “No.”

The red mist suddenly caves inwards, revealing the familiar red armoured figure wielding its bloody spear.

‘He’s put on the armour.’ I warn Gerald, since he can’t see it.

“Time… For killing.” The doppelganger says.

And charges.

Luc immediately darts forwards, engaging him in a melee as Lily again glows with holy magic, again sending out a burst of energy which causes the stampede to veer off even further and away from the battle.

The doppelganger unleashes of burst of what I recognise as ki, knocking Luc’s shield arm to one side. At the same time, he sweeps his spear towards Luc. Luc is able to jump backwards just in time, but isn’t able to completely escape damage.

As the melee resumes, I spot a small rent in his armour, and a touch of red through it.

Not a moment later, A beam of light shines upon Luc, and his movements get slightly faster. The doppelganger’s head whips towards the priests, and he sends a burst of ki towards Luc. It doesn’t damage him, but it knocks him back far enough that the doppelganger is able to disengage and sprint towards the priests.

I cry out in shock and start to step towards them, but before I can even make it half way, the doppelganger is thrusting his spear towards them… and a glowing barrier stops it.

“Your spear will not reach them while I still live.” States Marco, a steely glint in his eyes. “Yes, this way is closed to you.”

The doppelganger curses and swipes again at the shield without success before turning around to block Luc’s strike.

Carefully approaching with shields raised, the other two paladins – Aidan and Resa, I think are their names – move to box the doppelganger in.

…Surely I should be doing something? But there’s not really any space around him, and I think I’d just get in the way… wait. I have that battle cry skill!

I try to activate it, but I can somehow feel that it won’t work. Why… then it hits me. I have to have a fighting spirit of over thirty. What am I at now… three!?

Come on! Didn’t you want to avenge Richard’s death? Fight!

Fighting spirit + 5

That’s not enough. Come on, fight! FIGHT!

Fighting spirit + 15

More! This isn’t all I can do!

Fighting spirit + 10

Battle cry! “HA!” I shout, but the doppelganger doesn’t even flinch.

Right… Of course it won’t work. He’s too strong for me to affect him…

Crestfallen, I watch as the paladins slowly box in the Doppelganger. With Luc, Aidan and Resa attacking him, he isn’t able to defend himself. Unfortunately, Aidan and Resa’s attacks aren’t powerful enough to pierce his armour, so the doppelganger is able to focus solely on defending against Luc’s attacks.

However, the attacks are still making it more difficult for him to move, and Luc’s thrusts are piercing hole after hole into the doppelganger’s armour.

But then it doesn’t have any holes? I rub my eyes. Oh. The armour is repairing itself as it gets damaged. I hope that his wounds below the armour aren’t getting healed. I can’t see how they would be.

Yelling out in anger, the doppelganger releases a burst of ki, sending a fair amount of dirt flying as well as pushing back all three paladins and sending ripples across the surface of the barrier.

Taking that opportunity, the doppelganger escapes the encirclement and charges straight at me. I take a step back and ready my sword, but before the doppelganger can get close to me, he is intercepted by Lily. I hear an odd screeching sound as his spear slashes across her shield, but she stops his advance.

The doppelganger sends a series of quick thrusts at Lily, with such speed that it looks to me like there are multiple spears. Lily defends against them but is forced to take successive steps back as she does so.

Then Luc re-joins the fight with Aidan and Resa not far behind, and the doppelganger looks even more pressured than before. Every wound he manages to inflict is healed within moments by the priests, while his own just keep accumulating underneath the armour. Soon I see actual blood seeping out of the armour, splattering onto the ground with every movement he makes.

He tries the ki burst again, with even less success than the last time. As the battle goes on, the doppelganger’s movement gets slower and less varied, while the paladins keep attacking with the same ardour they had at the beginning.

Finally, the doppelganger collapses to the ground, his armour melting off of his body. Not willing to take any chances, Luc plunges his sword into the doppelganger’s body.

In death, the doppelganger’s face and body returns to its original appearance. Its skin changes to a waxy white, the nose flattens to little more than a thin pair of holes and his whole body shrinks in height.

…Doppelgangers look unnatural.

(POV Lily)

‘A bit to your left… a tad forwards… there.’ Gerald says in my head, guiding me to the location of the buried diary. Scooping out the dirt with my hands, it only takes a few handfuls of earth before I feel my fingers scrape against something harder. I dig around it, and within half a minute I have the box out and open.

I take off my gauntlets, wiping the dirt from them with a cloth then temporarily tucking them under an arm as I look at the book, activating my magic detection skill. As far as I can tell, there isn’t any magic on or around it, so I deactivate my detection skill and take out the book, flipping it open to the first page.

I briefly skim through the first page. It looks like it contains the information we need, so I tell the others to search the mansion while I sit down and read through it.

As I leaf through page after page, the situation becomes clearer and my eyebrows become more furrowed. It answers several lingering questions I had had: The peculiar behaviour of the skeletons in the fields, for example, was because the then-necromancer had been ordered to have skeletons work in the fields. Obviously, the necromancer knew full well that it is impossible for the dead to cultivate anything living, so he did the absolute minimum he could while still obeying orders – one skeleton per field, repeatedly striking the ground with hoes.

Apparently, the one controlling them knows nothing about undead aside from their ceaseless stamina, and had hoped to replace farmers with undead; a venture doomed to fail from its conception.

As for their controller himself, his current identity is crown prince of the Empire. The diary states that he did this through the use of his psychic power, controlling some of the highest powers in the Empire, including the Emperor himself. In other words, the Empire is effectively under the control of this man, who is undoubtedly being influenced by the demon under his control – it’s in their nature.

Unfortunately, the diary does not elucidate the origin of said ‘prince’, nor the demon’s. According to the diary, although they are all effectively the prince’s slaves, they operate separately and have minimal contact with each other.

Or perhaps ‘had’ is a better word?

I steadily read through the whole thing. There is little information that seems useful to us currently, apart from his appearance and current location. Snapping the book shut, I stow it away and announce our destination: the Empire’s capitol city.

…Where was that, again?

(POV Ferdinand)

Earlier…

I glance through yet another empty room, half wondering where the doppelganger stayed if all the rooms are like this.

‘Hey. The others have found everything of worth.’ Gerald says, oddly taciturn.

‘Okay.’ I start to head to the front again.

‘There’s something you’ll probably want to see.’ Says Gerald, proceeding to direct me away from the group, to the east.

‘Where are we going?’ I ask, but he ignores me. I soon notice that something is sticking out of the ground in the direction I’m walking. ‘What’s that?’

‘You know as well as I do.’ Gerald says gravely.

And I do. I walk up to it, reach out… and suddenly everything seems so real.

This is where it started. And now it’s ended.

I sit down in front of the lone harpoon on an empty battlefield.

It’s stained with blood and soot, but it still stands.

“It’s over, Richard.” I say. “The one who killed you is dead.”

I let out a deep breathe and smile wryly. “I just wish I could’ve done it myself.”

‘Does it really matter?’ Gerald asks quietly. ‘Dead is dead. If all this didn’t happen, who knows when we might’ve been strong enough to beat him? And by then, who knows where he might’ve been?’

“Maybe you’re right…”

I feel a tear slide down my nose and drip down to the ground as I reminisce.

“You shouldn’t mourn, kid.”

I turn my head. “Joe?” I say in surprise.

“What?” He says, smiling sympathetically. “I said I’d offer a few wise words every now and again. I think this is a good time.”

I look back at the harpoon. “Can you do that later?”

“Yep.” He says, sitting down next to me. “But I’m not gonna.”

I sigh in resignation.

“As I was saying, you shouldn’t mourn. If there’s one thing that all life has in common, it’s death. From the day something is born, you can say with absolute certainty that it’s going to die someday.” He shrugs. “Nobody needs a crystal ball to predict that.”

“What does that have to do with anything?” I say bitterly. “Of course everyone’s going to die some day. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t mourn.”

“If everything’s going to die, it’s only really a question of when. Death isn’t fair, as one of my friends likes to remind me. You never quite know when it’s the end.” He scratches at his neck. “In effect, the only difference between people is what they do while they’re alive.”

He turns his head to look at me. “Don’t mourn his death. Celebrate his life.”

Joe spreads his arms wide. “Remember who he was, not who he could have been. He was a man among men. A sailor and warrior worthy of song. A beloved husband and father. The friendly neighbourhood fisherman. And he went out fighting the man who killed his son.”

He smiles warmly. “That’s a life worth celebrating, don’t you think?”

I slowly nod, my lips stretching into a smile, albeit a sad one.

“Wait, the doppelganger killed his son?” I ask, finally noticing what he’d said.

“Hm? Yeah, of course.” Joe says. “Doppelgangers need to kill the person whose appearance they copy to retain it permanently.”

I nod in understanding, looking into the distance. “I wonder if he knew…”

“He had his suspicions, no doubt. But enough of that!” Joe says, pulling out a ceramic bottle from nowhere and popping the cork. He swiftly pulls out a pair of cups and starts pouring a sweet-smelling liquid into them. “It’s just fruit juice.” He confesses. “Left all my wine back home. But we can pretend.” He hands me a cup and raises his own. “To Richard!”

“To Richard.” I raise my cup as well, clinking it against his.

I take a deep drink. It’s good. “I think I’m getting a bit drunk already. Drunk on sadness.”

“Hey, it’s alright. We all get a bit sad when we realise we’ll never see a friend again. You get to my age, you start counting how many friends you have left, rather than how many have passed away…”

I see a thin film of moisture in his eyes as looks over the horizon.

For a while we just sit and drink in silence.

Finally, I stand up. “I’d like to make a gravestone for him.”

A large, smooth rock breaks through the dirt a few meters away and floats over, thumping to the ground in front of me. ‘Here.’ Gerald says.

“Let me do a little something too…” Says Joe, grabbing the harpoon and pressing it to the stone, causing it to sink slowly into the rock.

When he lets go, I find to my confusion that the stone has somehow fused with the haft of the harpoon; it doesn’t budge in the slightest when I touch it.

It dawns on me that I don’t have any tools to carve words into the stone. I turn awkwardly to Joe. “I don’t suppose you have a chisel or something…”

‘Use me.’ Says Gerald.

Oh, right. I fetch him out, and he changes into a thin rod with one end tapering to a point. With him absorbing little bits of stone at a time, I etch some words into the stone. Then we leave, leaving behind only a harpoon pointing into the sky…

Richard

Husband, Father

Sailor, Fighter

Fisherman and Friend

May his soul find peace as it drifts away.

Gerald: Status

Status

Name: Gerald

Race: Living Fork

Level: 30

Experience: 3922.08/6400

Gender: None

Age: 11 months (local time)

Allegiance: None

Fame: None

Strength: 6.5 (65.0)

Intelligence: 48.0

Dexterity: 5.0 (10.0)

Wisdom: 48.5

Charisma: 6.0

Luck: 12.1

Hardness: 25.6

Durability: 17.2/17.2

Mana: 960/960

Mana regen: 9.70/min

Psi: 27/485

Psi regen: 4.80/min

Ki: 14949/3152 (31525)

Ki regen: 3.15 (31.52)/day

Unspent stat points: 0

Titles

Living – You are a living being, and as such, the energies of life heal you and the energies of death damage you.

-Trait: Average life energy absorption -Trait: Average death energy weakness

-Trait: minute life affinity -Trait: negative minute death affinity

Progenitor – The first of your species, and its forefather. Your reputation affects the reputation of your entire race.

-Trait: Minor fame gain enhancement -Trait: 50% of your fame is added to the fame of your race

Household object: Being an everyday, household object makes other beings less likely to notice you and mention you to others.

-Trait: Small fame gain reduction -Trait: Small presence reduction

Assumed inanimacy – Despite being a living entity and continually in the presence of other living entities, none have noticed your existence, assuming you to be an inanimate object. People are slightly less likely to notice you and less likely to notice your life energy.

-Trait: Minor presence reduction -Trait: Moderate life presence reduction

Fork – You are a fork. As such, you are designed to pierce, scoop and carry food.

-Trait: Minute taste enhancement -Trait: Minute piercing enhancement (restricted to food)

-Trait: Minute carry capacity increase (Restricted to food)

Second life – You have lived, and died, once before. While you died young, the experience nonetheless is an advantage over others. -Stats: Wisdom + 1, Intelligence + 2

Clinically sane - You have experienced insanity and overcome it, one way or another. The experience has changed you, for better or worse.

-Stats: Luck +5, Wisdom +1, Dexterity +0.5, Strength +0.5, Intelligence +1

Ouroboros – Like the serpent of legend, you bit your own tail. Then you ate it. Weirdo.

Stat – Luck +2, Charisma +1, Wisdom -1, Wisdom +2

Undead slaughterer – Killer of many horrors of the night, you can instinctively sense nearby undead, especially those harmful to you. All stats increased by 2 when attacking undead.

Traits

Life energy absorption (Average) – life energy heals you, causing you to regain durability.

Death energy weakness (Average) – death energy damages you, reducing your durability.

Life affinity (Minute) – You find it easier to gain life related skills and proficiencies than if you did not have this trait.

Negative death affinity (Minute) – You find it harder to gain death related skills and proficiencies than if you did not have this trait.

Fame gain reduction (Minor) – The amount of fame you gain is reduced.

Presence reduction (Small +1) – Others are less likely to notice you.

50% Fame added to racial fame – The fame of your race is equal to 50% of your fame plus the added fame of all other members of the species divided by the number of members in your species.

Life presence reduction (Moderate) – Others are less likely to notice that you are alive.

Taste enhancement (Minute) – All food that touches you tastes slightly better.

Piercing enhancement (Minute) (Restricted to food) – It is slightly easier for you to pierce food.

Carry capacity enhancement (Minute) (Restricted to food) – You can carry slightly more food than appearances would suggest.

Mana touched (Minor) – Mana permeates your body, changing it in some ways.

Herculean Strength (Large) – In possession of the ability to exert strength far beyond that of your peers. Multiplies base strength (Before using passive or active skills) by 10.

Structured sanity (Moderate) – a well-structured mind is a strong mind. You are resistant to mind affecting or altering affects, such as fear, charm and hypnosis.

Magic metal – You have gained the properties of the magic metal, Mithril. Your body conducts mana at twice the normal rate. Your passive mana absorption is doubled. Your maximum mana is now equal to Intelligence multiplied by 20 instead of Intelligence multiplied by 10. Your maximum durability is increased by your maximum mana divided by 100. Your hardness is increased by max mana divided by 100.

Psychic – You have unlocked the hidden potential of your mind. Stat unlock: psi.

Poison Resistance (Huge) – You are completely immune to weak and ordinary poisons. The effects of more potent poisons on you are greatly reduced.

Flea-bitten (Minor) – Fleas instinctively move towards you.

Physical damage reduction (Minute) – Damage taken that would do under 5% of your total durability as damage is reduced by 5%.

Ki Practitioner: You have gained the ability to control the energy within you, and to reinforce it with the energy around you, enabling you to perform far beyond the normal limits of your body.

Stat unlock: Ki.

Water-Proof (Minor) – Water, and many water based fluids, will slip from your surface with great ease.

Feather-weight (Minute) – You feel light as a feather. A feather that weighs slightly less than you originally did, that is. 1% weight reduction.

Cat’s flexibility (Minor) – Base Dexterity is multiplied by 2. Range of movement of joints increased by 1.1 times.

Skills

Absorb (Advanced) (Racial, Low Unique) 27.82% - Allows the absorption of energy, or substances through the surface of the body or at a distance of (Int*Wis)/10mm. Rate of absorption can be controlled. Although this ability is magical in nature, as it is a form of mana control, and mana is also absorbed, mana cost is 0. Currently the only form of energy able to be absorbed is mana. Absorbing substances has a minor chance of giving traits, abilities and skills relating to the substance.

Mana sight (Expert) (Low Unique, Passive/Toggled) 0.41% - You are capable of seeing smaller congregations of mana than before within (Intelligence*Wisdom)/1.75m. Their forms are now distinct. You can now differentiate mana by type.

Self-repair (Master) (Low Unique, Active) 10.95% - By expending a type of energy available to you, you can repair your own durability and recover your original form. Current energies able to be used: Mana, Psi, Ki. Exchange ratio: 5 mana: 0.1 durability, 10 Psi: 0.1 durability, 10 Ki: 0.1 durability.

Telepathy (Advanced) (High Rare, Active) 28.02% - Allows one to communicate with other beings in exchange for 0.5 Psi/sec*distance between user and target in meters, to a maximum range of (Wisdom*Intelligence)/5m. Allows the user to share emotions and thoughts with the recipient.

Body of deadly poison (Advanced) (Low Unique, Passive/Toggled) 0.09% – Deadly poison courses throughout your entire body. So potent is this poison that even touching you will cause great sickness and partial paralysis for a short period of time. Potency of poison scales a small amount with proficiency.

Flee (Basic) (Low Uncommon, Passive/Conditional) 0.00% - Multiplies base dexterity by 1.5 when running away from something. Will deactivate if offensive action is taken. Will not activate if you do not perceive the thing you are running away from as a threat.

Body of weak acid (Advanced) (Mid Uncommon, Passive/Toggled) 2.05% - A weak acid courses throughout your body and on your skin. So weak is this acid that it acts better as a cleaning agent than a weapon. Acidity scales minutely with proficiency.

Magic edge (Basic) (Low Uncommon, Passive) 7.05% – You have discovered how to clad the edge of your blade in magic power, increasing the power of your strikes. However, you have little experience, and as such use most of your mana in a single powerful attack.

Gaming – Minesweeper (Expert) (Mid rare, passive) 13.26% - You’ve sunk way too much time into this game. And despite the statistics saying 0 wins, 306 losses, you are way better at this than almost everyone else. Slightly increased analytical abilities. Slight instinctive ability to correctly guess the outcome of a 50/50 gamble.

Meditation (Expert) (High Rare, Active) 28.47%: Enter into a state unburdened by the worries of the physical world. There is only you, and your thoughts that exist in this world. While in this state, mana regeneration multiplied by 2.5, Psi regeneration multiplied by 2.5, Ki generated at 20 times the normal rate.

Ki blast (Advanced) (Mid Rare, Active) 41.52%: Expel Ki from your body in a concentrated blast. Power varies with ki infused. With your lack of experience, you are not able to accurately control the amount of ki you infuse into the skill, it may vary by up to 10 points.

Form manipulation – Self (Advanced) (High Rare, Active) 53.19% - Through the use of mana, you can manipulate your own form at will, albeit a bit slowly and roughly. Cannot change density or mass. Costs 4 mana/second while changing form, costs 8 mana/minute while in a form not your original.

WARNING! Do not use this ability if you are of a race with aspects that could result in death if you were to change them E.G. internal organs, mana pathways, et cetera.

Lip reading (Advanced) (Mid Uncommon, Passive) 57.30% - You have learned how to understand what people are saying by the movement of their lips. Doesn’t hurt that you can see their tongue and jaw movement, either. Rarely inaccurate, you can usually tell what people are saying, unless they have some crazy accent. Good luck with those.

Nine lives (Static) (Passive) – You will avoid the next eight attacks that would be deadly to you, seemingly by accident. After avoiding eight attacks, this skill will disappear.

Charges remaining: 8

Telekinesis (Advanced) (Low Rare, Active) 10.01% - Through Psi, your mind pushes at the world around you, moving objects without the need for physical contact. More Psi is required to produce greater forces. Currently inefficient.

External Ki manipulation (Basic) (Low Rare, Active) 0.51% - You have discovered how to manipulate Ki outside of your body. Doesn’t mean you’re any good at it. Difficulty of control increases drastically with distance and quantity of Ki.

Magic missile (Advanced) (Low Uncommon, Active) 36.62% - Fires a projectile of mana. Power scales with mana consumption, unable to exceed 25 mana per shot. Maximum range = Intelligence*1.5/metres. If remotely controlling, there is an additional mana cost of 0.75 mana/sec, otherwise direction of travel is set at initial creation of shot.

Mana control (Basic) (Low Uncommon, Passive) 93.39% - Your practice with magic has led to an increased familiarity with handling mana. Maximum quantity of mana able to be controlled reliably: 25 mana. Minimum quantity of mana able to be controlled reliably: 0.5 mana.

Power stab (Basic) (High Common, Active) 52.45% - Multiplies the speed and power of a stab by 1.1. Cooldown: 5 minutes

Mud bath (Basic) (Low Uncommon, Passive) 0.00% - Your injuries heal faster when they are covered with mud, by 1.2 times. Slightly lowered chance of contracting infection and parasites from this activity.

…However, as you are for most purposes an object, this skill does not affect you.

Climbing (Advanced) (Low Uncommon, Passive) 0.00% - You have a slightly increased ability to find handholds and footholds when climbing something, as well as a slightly increased ability to maintain grip on smaller handholds.

Ferdinand: Status

Status

Name: Ferdinand

Race: Human

Level: 32

Experience: 1546.48/7200

Gender: Male

Age: 23 years

Allegiance: None

Fame: None

Strength: 48.1

Intelligence: 8.1

Dexterity: 40.7

Wisdom: 8.0

Charisma: 8.0

Luck: 37.8

Endurance: 48.4

Health: 484/484

Health regen: 2.904/hour

Stamina: 407/407

Stamina regen: 4.07/min

Mana: 81/81

Mana regen: 0.8/min

Psi: 80/80

Psi regen: 0.81/min

Fighting spirit: 0

Unspent stat points: 0

Titles

Living – You are a living being, and as such, the energies of life heal you and the energies of death damage you.

-Trait: Average life energy absorption -Trait: Average death energy weakness

-Trait: minute life affinity -Trait: negative minute death affinity

Human – Most of your ancestors were human, so you are too. The only noticeable advantages humans have over other species are their prolificity and creativity. Other than that, they have sub-par biological features – apart from their thumbs.

-Trait: Average prolificity -Trait: Average creativity -Trait: Minor light-based vision -Trait: Minor vibration-based hearing -Trait: Minute chemical-based sense of smell -Trait: Minor sense of pain/touch -Trait: Minute chemical-based sense of taste -Trait: Being of flesh and blood (Minor)

Insect bane – Killer of many creepy crawlies, you can instinctively sense nearby insects, especially those harmful to you. All stats increased by 1 when attacking insects.

Undead slaughterer - Killer of many horrors of the night, you can instinctively sense nearby undead, especially those harmful to you. All stats increased by 2 when attacking undead.

Traits

Life energy absorption (Average) – life energy heals you, causing you to regain health.

Death energy weakness (Average) – death energy damages you, reducing your health.

Life affinity (Minute) – You find it easier to gain life related skills and proficiencies than if you did not have this trait.

Negative death affinity (Minute) – You find it harder to gain death related skills and proficiencies than if you did not have this trait.

Prolificity (Average) – You are very good at making babies.

Creativity (Average) – You have a higher chance to imagine, invent, and create things.

Light-based vision (Minor) – Your vision is based on light. Your civilisation is not advanced enough to view more detailed information.

Vibration-based hearing (Minor) – Your hearing is based on vibrations. Your civilisation is not advanced enough to view more detailed information.

Chemical-based sense of smell (Minute) – Your sense of smell is based on chemical reactions. Your civilisation is not advanced enough to view more detailed information.

Chemical-based sense of taste (Minute) – Your sense of taste is based on chemical reactions. Your civilisation is not advanced enough to view more detailed information.

Sense of pain/touch (Minor) – You have a sense of pain/touch. Your civilisation is not advanced enough to view more detailed information.

Being of flesh and blood (Minor) – Your life is dependent on your body, which consists loosely of the aforementioned materials. Without enough of these, you die. You also rely on the consumption of foods edible to your species.

Psychic – You have unlocked the hidden potential of your mind. Stat unlock: psi.

Battleborn - Whether your battles end in victory or defeat, you will never give up. Increased resistance to mental influences, increased grip strength, pain reduction. Stat unlock: Fighting spirit.

Skills

Farming (Expert) (High Common, Passive) 21.28% - You have extensive knowledge in the tools and trade of farming. You instinctively know the fertility of the land you are standing on, and the current season. You also have an increased weather prediction ability.

Herbalism (Advanced) (High Common, Passive) 47.37% - You know well how to care for plants and herbs, and you can easily tell what common herbs and plants are, and what they do. You don’t know much about rarer herbs, but your experience means you will instinctively know if a plant is poisonous, as long as it isn’t too rare. Increased ability to notice rare herbs.

Sewing (Basic) (Low Common, Passive) 76.93% - You have a basic level of knowledge on how to sew. Allows you to notice loose threads and fraying material easier, and slightly increases your ability to differentiate the quality of thread and cloth.

Tool Repair (Basic) (Low Common, Passive) 48.53% - You can repair basic tools, but you might want to consider a replacement instead. Allows you to notice damage on tools easier.

Logging (Advanced) (Mid Common, Passive) 9.78% - You can wield an axe with skill – if your opponent is a tree. Increased strength and reduced stamina usage when cutting trees, increased ability to notice wood quality and damage.

Common language-Spoken (Advanced) (Low Common, Passive) 14.97% - You can speak common fluently, but you don’t know many longer or rarely used words.

Common language-Written (Basic) (Mid Common, Passive) 49.34% - You can read and write, but don’t expect good calligraphy. You read and write slowly, and will make frequent errors.

Digging (Advanced) (Mid Common, Passive) 83.00% - You’re no dwarf, but you can sure dig a hole. You also know the difference between a shovel, spade and trowel. Increased skill when wielding a shovel, spade or trowel, increased ability to determine soil hardness, small instinctive ability to avoid buried stones, or find them if needed.

Cooking (Advanced) (Low Common, Passive) 19.61% - You can cook, but you’re no gourmet chef. Minute increase to taste of cooked dish, according to your preferences.

Hunting (Basic) (Low Common, Passive) 96.28% - You have learnt the basics of hunting. Increased ability to conceal yourself in forests and area with much greenery. Slightly increased senses when hunting. Minute instinctive ability to sense danger. Slightly increased tracking ability.

Fishing (Basic) (Low Common, Passive) 38.72% - You are new to fishing, but you had a good teacher. Chance of catching fish with a fishing rod slightly increased.

Dismantling (Advanced) (Mid Common, Passive) 30.52% - Provided you have the right tools for the job, you can dismantle most common beasts. Increased knowledge of some weaknesses of a being after dismantling it.

First aid (Basic) (Low Common, Passive) 87.60% - You can treat and bandage a wound, even make a simple splint, but don’t expect anyone to come to you for medical advice. Slight increase to steadiness of hands when applying first aid.

Tracking (Basic) (Low Common, Passive) 69.67% - You can recognise some of the basic signs left behind by incautious beings. Minutely increased ability to conceal yourself from your target.

Concealment (Basic) (Mid Common, Passive) 27.54% - You know a few tricks to hide yourself. When concealed, your basic senses are minutely increased.

Ranged weaponry - Bow (Basic) (Mid Common, Passive) 42.42% - You are capable of using bow and arrow at a basic level. Wind, target movement and other distractions hinder your accuracy greatly. minutely increased vision when aiming at an enemy. +0.5 Strength and Dexterity when using a bow.

Ranged weaponry - Sling (Advanced) (Mid Common, Passive) 30.31% - You are experienced at using a sling and stones. Slightly increased ability to find stones or other items suitable as ammunition. +1 Strength and Dexterity when using a sling.

Thrown weaponry – Rock (Advanced) (Low Common, Passive) 40.07% - You can throw rocks alright. You’re a fair hand at skipping them over a lake, too. Slightly increased accuracy when throwing stones.

Thrown weaponry – Fork (Basic) (Mid Common, Passive) 1.23% - Why you’re throwing cutlery is anyone’s guess, but you clearly aren’t used to it.

Melee weaponry – Staff (Basic) (Low Common, Passive) 5.64% - You have used a staff in a fight a few times, but you still don’t know how to use it correctly.

Melee weaponry – Club (Basic) (Low Common, Passive) 38.20% - You have a small amount of experience using simple blunt weapons. +1 Strength when using a club.

Melee weaponry – Sword - Longsword (Advanced) (High Common, Passive) 43.17% - You have some experience using a standard longsword. Minor increased grip strength when wielding this weapon, and +1 to Strength and Dexterity while wielding this weapon. Maintaining this type of weapon is easier for you.

Melee weaponry – Fork (Basic) (Mid Common, Passive) 1.23% - Why you’re using a fork as a weapon is anyone’s guess, but you clearly aren’t used to it.

Magic edge (Basic) (Low Uncommon, Passive) 39.26% – You have discovered how to clad the edge of your blade in magic power, increasing the power of your strikes. However, you have little experience, and as such use all your mana in a single powerful attack.

Telepathy (Basic) (Mid Rare, Active) 21.17% - Allows one to communicate with other beings in exchange for 1 Psi/sec*distance between user and target in meters, to a maximum range of (Wisdom*Intelligence)/10m. Currently only able to communicate emotions.

Flee (Basic) (Low Uncommon, Passive/Conditional) 32.14% - Multiplies base dexterity by 1.5 when running away from something. Will deactivate if offensive action is taken. Will not activate if you do not perceive the thing you are running away from as a threat.

Power slash (Basic) (High Common, Active) 21.37% - Multiplies the speed and power of a slash by 1.1. Cooldown: 5 minutes. Stamina cost: 50

Power stab (Basic) (High Common, Active) 14.63% - Multiplies the speed and power of a stab by 1.1. Cooldown: 5 minutes. Stamina cost: 50

Battle focus (Basic) (Mid Uncommon, Active) 48.36% - Allows you to enter a state of intense concentration when in combat. Slightly decreases likelihood of being startled by unexpected events, loosing track of an enemy and not seeing attacks. Strength +0.5, Dexterity +0.5, Endurance +0.5, Intelligence +0.5, Wisdom +0.5, Luck +0.5, Charisma +0.5 when in this state.

Battle cry (Basic) (Mid Uncommon, Active) 10.12% - Roar loudly, your voice echoing over the battlefield with a possibility of startling and/or causing fear in enemies. Reduced effect if used repeatedly on the same enemy. Requires: >30 Fighting spirit. Cooldown: 2 minutes. Stamina cost: 30.

Armour – Shield – Heater Shield (Basic) (High Common, Passive) 2.83% - You have a small amount of experience using a heater shield. +1 Endurance when using a heater shield.

Mapping (Basic) (Mid Common, Passive) 0.31% - You tried to draw a map. Emphasis on tried. Well, at least you tried.