I finished processing the books from the floor. They covered all kinds of details, from maps of the area, recent events, and the religion of Seela’s Light. They also detailed the arrival of AI615 — an event that turned the world’s politics on its head. It had been 200 years since the ship touched down outside of this town.

For over 100 years, the natives of the world believed that it was a magical beast contracted by their rival nation to attack them. The army that had met my delegation on arrival was actually on their way to skirmish with that rival nation on the frontier past this town.

Now, though, most of the continent belonged to the Kingdom, which had destroyed AI615. It was more accurate to call them an empire. I reached for a book from the shelves.

“Don’t touch that.” Mathias said.

I continued to pull the book anyway, reading through its pages.

It contained impossibilities.

The book’s title was “My grandfather and what I did to him when I found his grave,” and seemed to discuss impossible operations. It housed arcane symbols similar to the ones Mathias sported on his neck or the ones Tobias carved into my frame, alongside the details of their use.

Various failed experiments and logs filled the book of failed attempts to raise the undead with its original soul intact, concluding with the successful method. I placed the book back on the wall like any other.

/Maintenance log: Processor is above anticipated temperature

A hot buzzing filled my processor.

///Skill learned: RAISE SKELETON, RITUAL

///Class up prerequisite met: Skeleton Mage

///Prerequisite 2: Learn 1 spell or mana manipulation

///Please reach level 10 and accumulate 100 energy to complete the class up

I processed the information from the system; it apparently recognized the act of processing the book as sufficient to merit a further class up; an event that everyone experienced at some level. Every race, monster and magical artifact possessed classes and level caps. Once you capped your level, you advanced to a new class at level 1 while retaining all stats. Several books on history had contained referenced to the system’s mechanics.

Mathias scribbled rapidly in a notebook he had acquired while I read through the book.

“You’re still in one piece.” He observed, continuing to look between me and the notebook and write. “How do you feel? Is your head hot?”

//OPERATING AS NORMAL

I replied, reaching for the next book. Mathias’s eyes widened. He tapped the tip of his ink pen expectantly.

I pulled the book from the wall, processing the text inside, before returning it to the shelf.

///Error: Maximum skill books absorbed for today

The system sounded an internal alarm in my head, and I found as I went back through the images of the book, I couldn’t absorb the text on them. I recalled perfectly each image, but I seemed to be limited to a single book a day for knowledge.

I recorded the next book.

“What do you recall from this book? Inquisitional report on the findings of Count Farron?” Mathias asked. I continued reading while replying.

//I AM UNABLE TO DIGEST INFORMATION FROM THE SECOND BOOK

“Then why are you reading more of them?”

//I CAN STORE THE INFORMATION FOR LATER DIGESTION

I finished the entire bookshelf within an hour, leaving the room to check on Tobias and consider my next course of action. At all times, his strange troupe of followers occupied various places in the church, sleeping on the ground or the pews or awake running around.

I entered Tobias’s room, engaging active scanning for any threats that had entered the room since I left. I detected and accessed a hidden compartment beneath a floorboard, but it only seemed to contain alchemical substances and reagents. After confirming that there were no bombs or other dangers, I replaced the board. I could not leave any tripping hazard in Tobias’s room.

I had to lean over to stand in the room, so I stood above Tobias, staring down.

None of his followers would betray him, due to the binding neck tattoo.

Apprentice Tattoos were common practice for mages and other highly skilled individuals. They prevented an individual from acting against their master, helping secure their secrets and help.

This meant that the nearest threat was likely environmental. The next group of Templars sent would likely be significant and represent a problem, not to mention securing the local environment of any threats. I had to find how to best apply the skill points I had earned during my initial engagement with the Knight’s Templar.

///SYSTEM STATUS, OFF01

///Lvl. 4

///CLASS: SKELETON SOLDIER(ERROR)

///Skills:

[ NOVA-3 PLASMA CANNON ]|[ ENERGY DRAIN ]|[UNDEAD REGENERATION][RAISE SKELETON, RITUAL]

///HP: 250/250

///ENERGY: 40/100

///Stats:

[VITALITY: 25]|[STRENGTH:25]

[ENDURANCE:10]|[AGILITY:40]

[WISDOM:0]|[INTELLIGENCE:50]

[PERCEPTION:60]|[REACTION:60]

///Skill points available: 4

///Stat points available: 4

Currently, I was severely lacking offensive options. Low-level energy barriers produced by locals appeared to be capable of blocking my Nova-3. This left me with two options: upgrading the Nova-3 and acquiring additional skills.

I opened the skill shop. A pseudo-roulette played out, rotating through skills.

///Intelligence check

///[INTELLIGENCE:50]

///Manual skill selection enabled

Five separate skills settled inside of the menu, which I received directly as sensory information.

///Bone-Kinesis: Gain the ability to absorb bones into a remotely controllable swarm. Swarm size increases with level

///Ranged Mastery, Novice: Gain knowledge of operation and crafting of ranged weapons, including bows, crossbows, ballistae— I quickly skimmed through all the primitive weaponry listed, including ranged weapons belonging to dozens of cultures, and noted the weaponry listed at the end— HC 36-Inch MK IV Thermal Shipbourne Turret, Terran X3 Kinetic Railgun, Terran Swarm Missile Targeting— The list went on, appearing to incorporate dozens of conventional Earth weapons. it seemed the system had gained access to and incorporated knowledge of the weapons that came to orbit with AI615.

///Sword Mastery, Novice: Gain knowledge of operation and crafting of sword and sword subclass weaponry, including swords, sabers— Again the list devolved into dozens if not hundreds of items. I already possessed adequate subroutines for both ballistic firing and melee combat, making both skills irrelevant.

///Play Dead: Gain the ability to fake your own death. Undetectable. The first attack after leaving Play Dead, if undetected, does double damage

///Bone Mastery, Novice: Gain knowledge of operation and crafting of Bone and Bone subclass weaponry, including Bone Clubs, Bone Swords, Bone Knives, Bone Spears, Bone Harpoons, and Bone Arrows

I browsed the list of options. Option 1 may have some uses, but would require experimentation or further commitment to the class to verify them. Options 2 and 3 were already eliminated.

I invested one point in options 4 and 5, and two points into the Nova-3. The stat points I dumped into Endurance, my lowest critical stat. Wisdom would enable mana regeneration, but I did not possess mana, only Energy.

///Nova-3, Level 3: 300 Energy Damage. Energy cost: 10

With Tobias’s near parameter secured, my next best action was to secure additional defensive forces to maintain the parameter and increase the chance of success in combat operations. Further, I had to advance my system status to contend against higher-level forces.

Tobias stirred in his sleep, looking up at me.

My head display illuminated automatically, showing a fish swimming through a realistic underwater environment.

Tobias screamed, nearly jumping out of bed as he grabbed at a dagger under his pillow.

He fell to the floor, waving the knife at me before stopping. He panted while staring at me, wide-eyed.

I exited the room. From historical records, I estimated that AI615 rested approximately 20 miles south of here, estimated based on standard travel time of reported expeditions.

Tobias’s apprentices scattered out of the way as I left the church, pushing the front door open before accelerating.

Presently, I only had a 40% energy charge — likely insufficient for an extended scouting foray. I had a likely answer to correct this deficiency inside of my system.

///ENERGY DRAIN: Continuously drain the Mana of living creatures through contact for 1/hp damage a second

I couldn’t risk any of Tobias’s followers as batteries until I could drain energy without killing them. Each one represented an asset to better keep Tobias alive. My radar pulsed over the town, mapping discrepancies as I charged out of town. My hydraulic system pumped as I shot through the town, tearing up dirt and cobblestone. I leaned forward to maximize my aerodynamics, flying several feet with every kick.