Connect to Second Life

Malcolm: Yes

The Scan of your iris and Brain Waves have determined you are an unregistered player. Do you want to create an account?

Malcolm: yes "why else would I be here if not"

Please choose your avatars name. Please remember you only get 1 character.

Malcolm: Sting

Please choose your gender Male, Female or Neutral.

Malcolm: Male

There are currently 5 races available for players, Human, Elf, Dwarf, Orc and Demi human.

Please choose your race.

Malcolm: which races are good at magic and crafting wood and metals?

AI: The Elf and Demi human (squirrels, raccoon, Dragonian)

Malcolm: Can you show me strengths and weaknesses of the Demi human races?

Demi Races

Squirrel

Fast on their feet specialize in precise attacks. They are also known for their highly dexterous

hands which as craftsman and archers. They have some knowledge of magic but it’s inferior to humans.

Raccon

Known for their affinity to illusion magic and great crafting ability but they suffer with strength and agility.

Dragonian

Most known for their combat prowess in all forms of combat. They are the only demi race that can hide their half animal form through transforming into a complete human form. They are rarely found in cities unless something interests them there.

Malcolm: one is good with crafting but weak with magic, one is weak in strength which I will need and one doesn’t mention what I need but I think it’s the best.

Malcolm: ill choose Dragonian Demi human

Suddenly two bodies appeared in front of him one was of him normally, a young man with average build standing 180cm with black hair and dark brown eyes. The other was standing at 2 meters tall with a strong lean build on his arms and legs but to the first joint had scales and claws and on hands and feet. The ears were pointy and scaled that spread onto his forehead and down to his eyes leaving the rest humanlike. They eyes were emerald green and were snake like slits.

Malcolm: the human form leave the body like this but the eyes will be sapphire, the half human form change the eyes and scales to sapphire and the hair says black.

The colors suddenly changed to match his preferences.

Malcolm: perfect.

Please choose your starting location.

A huge map that had ten huge continents, each one easily bigger then earth all together, appeared then shrank until only two were left.

On them was one that had at least twenty kingdoms covering the whole of the continent, the Aloria continent, the other was more frontier like with only one kingdom that covered part of the southern tip closest to Aloria, this continent other one was called Emon and the only kingdom there was called Tredred. Malcolm choose that one as it was far from prying eyes on what he wanted and also his race would probably attract to much attention if it was in the middle of humans and others.

Malcolm: the City of Athoria in the kingdom of Tredred

Welcome to Second Life.

A bright light suddenly surrounded me after a bit it subsided and I found myself in a large town filled with movement of many races both human but those were few but the rest were a variety of animal like animals.

??? : hey is that a human

??? : *sniff sniff* from here doesn’t seem to be, smells more Dragonian

I turn my head slightly and look toward ones talking, standing there were two large Dragonian men armored with thick hide armor and with great swords on their back. I look all around and luckily spot the library which is at the plaza.

Sting: “best learn magic for what I want first”

I then walk inside and awe at the sight of the huge book shelves reaching easily seven meters high with what looks like 3 extra meters above it. I walk to the librarians counter.

Sting: hello, would you happen to have books on magic, magic control and meditation.

Librarian: oh, you startled me, yes we have books like that, please find a seat your confortable with and I’ll bring it to you.

I find a seat in the back of the library and take the time to check my stats.

Name: Sting

Alignment: Neutral

Profession: None

Race: Demi Human Dragonian

Title: none

Level: 1

Fame: 0

Health: 300 Mana: 500

Strength: 20 Agility: 20

Vitality: 20 Wisdom: 20

Intelligence: 20 Dexterity: 20

Charisma: 10 Luck: 10

Sting: seems all normal I guess, in human form my stats are just like human ones it seems

After a bit the librarian came back with a surprisingly huge pile of books numbering at least 15.

Sting: w-wow I didn’t think there were so many

Librarian: heh well you adventures discovered many of these especially the meditation techniques, there is even one to control spirit energy which is like a form to combine your stamina and mana together to get a more powerful source of power, oh and my name is Lilith nice to meet you.

Sting: Sting likewise.

I look through the books and find the first book I needed “Basics to Interior Mana Control”. It was thin about 40 pages, half were written descriptions and the other was an image show what was described. I finished it in half an hour and in another half hour gained the skill for Interior Mana Control, and then I went to meditation. More than half the books where on different kinds of meditation from the original form that was made in this world to a combat version usable during combat there were many different ones. I took the original, combat usage version and one that allowed me to use it while just normally walking and doing daily work. This, unlike the mana control one, was a bit harder, it required control of interior mana control to spread my mana around it currents in my body, which I accomplished after an hour doing the original meditation technique, the other two went quickly in under half an hour each.

You are hungry.

HP/MP regeneration -50%

Stamina -5

Strength -5

Agility -5

Intelligence -5

Wisdom -5

Dexterity -5

Sting: wow already… it has been a while hasn’t it “Inventory”

Inventory

Beginner Dagger

10x Rye Bread

2x Canteen (water)

0G 0S 1I 0C

I take a bread and eat it and drink water to help the tasteless bread go down. Ok now back to work with the three meditation skills acquired last was the most important and difficult as the forums seem to say, Exterior Mana Control. Why is it difficult, because that part is 10 times harder to do and is the reason mages walk around with wands or staffs, for me I want to get the skill but i feel doing it in here would cause trouble so I talk with Lilith.

Sting: hi do you know a place I can try learning exterior mana control.

She stares at me with a slightly perplexed look on her face before getting up.

Lilith: this way, the library is part of the Mages Guild so we have a special room made for magic experiments.

Sting: “oh good to know” can it only be used by mages

Lilith: no but it can only be used for some form of magic experiment, it can be of any kind from testing a magic enhancement to a learning a new spell… well here it is.

The room was large and made of polished stone that made it look like grey marble which was beautiful.

Lilith: good luck

I hear the door close and finally it was silent.

I waste no time and sit down in the center and begin meditating until I feel at ease and have my inner mana well under control before I try harnessing the mana in the air.

To start I move my own mana to my hand and try forming a ball. First try complete failure, the mana leaves my palm with no control; it just goes into the air. I start focusing more and try again and again and again.

For a long time I kept retrying, after five hours I was finally starting to control it and had formed a small ball of mana which was floating over my hand. I took a break to eat and drink some water and bread.

Sting: "this really is 10 times harder at least im starting to get the hang of it"

After a short rest to review what i was doing i went back to it. The results, after another entire day and a half i finally gained the skill Exterior Mana Control (basic 1). A grin spread on my face then i got up and left the room. When i approached the front desk Lilith noticed me and looked up from her book.

Lilith: give up already, not surprised its difficult without a staff

Sting: i learned the skill. I said grinning

It took her a few seconds to register what i said which caused her to almost drop her book.

Lilith: y-y-y-you learned t-the skill.

I just nod still grinning at her all to funny change of expressions, first surprise then shock, a bit of anger, rage, then more shock, then a sort of tired look before returning to her calm look.

You have been offered the job Mage

Sting: thank you for the offer but i have different plans that require magic skill but not a mage.

I bow to her showing my thanks which she returned reluctantly and i exited the library.

Outside the noise was impressive since no noise got into the library. Going to step two of my plan i head off to a carpenters shop. There were quite a few to my surprise, most worked with making bows but since i was looking for a wider variety i looked more until i found an old somewhat unpopular shop which sold more furniture then bows, though some where present, called Dalton Woodworks. I walk in and spot an elder man that looks to be in his late sixties working on a piece.

Since he was very concentrated i didn’t call out and wait.

After about five minutes he finishes the part and turns towards me.

Dalton: so what ya need kid.

Sting: i want to learn carpentry.

Dalton: then go to one of the other shops to learn to make your own bows.

Sting: *sigh* I'll say it again i want to learn carpentry not bow making, i don’t care much for the bow at the moment.

He then realizes what i mean then looks at me skeptical.

Dalton: so then what DO you want to make?

Sting: Marionette, a human sized one.

Dalton: why?

Sting: because i want to.

He shrug then stares at me intensely.

Dalton: it will take at least basic level five or six carpentry for you to make anything decent enough and judging by what you said, you want to use them for fighting right.

I nod and remain silent.

Dalton: you crazy bastard do think you’re the first to try, there have been others to try but all failed not a single one knows how to make one that is combat worthy.

Sting: so I'll be the first.

He just sighs and rubs his forehead while looking at me while in deep thought.

Dalton: fine ill teach ya

With that he began teaching me. He didn’t teach me any bow making instead it was furniture and sculptures i made. It was slow going the first week since i had low dex and no carpentry skill but that quickly changed at the end of the week.

You have completed Daltons basic carpentry training.

+10 dex

New skill Carpentry

Carpentry

The art of turning wood into any form from sculpture to building materials.

+5 Dex

New skill Sculpting

Sculpting

The art of creating beautiful art from any raw materials found in nature.

+5 Dex

New Stat art

+5 art

New skill Handicraft

Handicraft

Skill that gives support towards other craft abilities and improves performance when crafting without system control.

+10 dex

+10 agi

I sat blinking at each message that increased my dex my unbelievable amounts, to unbelievable which makes me suspect that father must be doing something. I shrug it off since it is helping me out, but i need to fix that sometime. After such a crazy boast im at 46 dex, 6 from working the craft so it increased with that.

Dalton: alright you got your skill, you can train to level five then make the puppet or do it now for some mediocre stuff.

Sting: ill try my luck it’s still experimenting so mediocre stuff is still good.

Dalton: ok its your time your wasting

Sting: mind if i use your tools.

Dalton: ya they are just gathering dust anyway.

I walk over to one table and clean up before i begin making each part. It took a day’s work to make a child sized puppet, and then i make a wooden cross to focus the string from with about ten hooks and begin. Focusing on one hook i move my mana their then make a thin string come from it, which is REALLY hard. But after i make about a foot of it i hear a ding

New skill mana strings

Mana String

A thin string of mana that can be attached to anything and control it if you have enough skill.

1 meter of string takes 20 mp to make.

Current skill level allows you to make one string at a time

Can control 20 strings

Stings: sweet

With the skill less focus was needed and i easily attached one string at a time. With all ten attached i try making the puppet move and i get a great responses the arms move up but the my happiness turns to despair, as I see it the doll can’t get up, the problem is the inner springs. For humans he can turn our wrists and arms around because the joints don’t get in the way but here the springs are hooks in a fixed way that prevents free movement. I slump down on my chair and think, in the corner of my eye i see Dalton quietly giggle at my misfortune.

I get up and walk outside to get some fresher air and sit on one of the seats on the street while watch others pass by. One man catches my attention, he is a mage somewhat elderly maybe late fifties dressed in a robe and in his hand was a staff and at its tip was an egg sized gem. While looking at it something in my mind clicked and i got up and walked over.

Sting: hello sir can i ask a question

The party looks over at me.

Elder mage: depends the question

Sting: could to tell me where you got that gem or at least were i could get one.

Elder mage: this thing, its a low quality emerald i got it at the mages guild , we were actually going to go to the mages guild now to buy a better one.

Sting: how much is that one.

Elder mage: this is pretty weak now, since ive been using it for a while its not even worth a copper unless someone fills it with mana, you can have it if you like.

He touches around the border around the gem and the staff, as if alive, loosens its grip and drops the gem in my hand.

Sting: thank you sir

Elder: hope you have luck at whatever you’re doing.

I thank him again and rush off back to Daltons place. When i get there I scrap the first puppet ad start on a new one. Each part was made as smooth as possible with no hook or anything holding it together just the parts, not hollow either. I used myself as a model and made the torso then carved a sphere of wood and shaped torsos shoulder to fit perfectly to it. Then i made the rest of the parts in the same manner but never hooking them together and never hollowing them to pass springs to hold them. This one took two days; at the end i had 74 pieces, 24 for each hand, 12 for joints and 13 body parts. The torso i had made a small opening, which opened and closed, that held the gem i got, it was glowing a bit since i had been dumping mana into it.

Now was the moment of truth. First i took on shoulder joint piece and held it a few centimeters away from where it needed to be one the right shoulder, then concentrated on the gem and made a string leave from it and go into the sphere. I moved the mana to the center and made a small stable lump of mana there that wouldn’t disperse. After i was sure it was stable i began spinning the string and making it like a spring, it took five minutes for it to get how i wanted and not unwind. When the mana spring was stable i let go of the shoulder joint and it popped into place like real spring was there. I was grinning wide as I examined the joint, I had to look close to see that there was only a millimeter away from touching each other so I was sure no friction was happening between them which would slow it down. I then popped the other shoulder into place.

When I was ready I placed the first part of the arm and the elbow joint of the right arm onto the table, then held onto each joint from the shoulder I fed mana into the mana ball inside and made a string stretch out to the elbow joint and made a spring from the mana as well. It also took five minutes and when I let go the elbow popped into the arm piece and pushed it into place. What followed was an hour long placement of parts at the end all that was left was the hands which I thought would be the hardest because besides the palm I made every finger with the proper joint number so that the marionette could grip a sword properly. With the wrist already in place I place the palm piece in place and then the middle finger knuckle and connect it which makes it hold the piece a bit but not enough, only after all five finger joints are on that the palm didn’t separate from the body. It took another half hour to place the remaining pieces and an hour for me to finally finish the other hand, it really was the hardest part no matter the size it takes five minutes to make and stabilize the mana springs.

When I was done I had a grin on my face, I had already premade a control bar that puppeteers use

to maneuver the puppets it had twenty hooks on it. I sent mana strings and attached one to each joint, except the hand since I am to low leveled for it for now.

Dalton: oh you done now, this one took quite a while for you to finish even for a level one amateur you with your concentration you made the pieces nicely.

Sting: its level 3 old man anyway let see if my theory was right.

Dalton: haha good luck

I focus and imagine seeing it sit up like a normal person then stand up.

Let me just say that the face Dalton was making right now was priceless, imagine a stubborn old bear man demi human with brown/grey hair with his eyes bulging almost popping out of his head.

Well anyways back on topic the marionette followed my thoughts perfectly, first it put its hands on the table and lifted its upper body then putting his legs over the side of the table he dropped on the ground and stood up, let me remind you it was quite fluid movements not robotic stuff from poorly made stuff, it was VERY human like

Congratulations you have successfully created the first Magic Marionette

+1000 Fame

+10 for all stats

As you are the first person the accomplish this you may name your job as no other job of this kind exists.

Magic Marionette (unnamed)

The first of its kind, this special Marionette was modeled after its creator in his attempt to discover the how to make magic puppets.

Somewhat good construction thanks to the makers concentration while he was still a beginner but has some visible defects but none that will hamper movements

Level 1

Job none

Exp 0%

Health/Durability 300/300

Mana 200/600

Stamina Unlimited

Strength 20

Agility 20

Dexterity 20

Vitality 20

Sting: hahaha it worked and not only that I got +10 to all my stats because I discovered it and I get to name my job since none exist that can do this, hmm strange

Dalton: what could be even stranger then what you said already?

Sting: it has a level and stats as well; it can even get a job

Dalton: ah my head hurts, this is getting to weird… if I had to gander a guess it must be what you specialize this specific doll to do

Sting: makes sense, but I wonder why his mana is so low it’s at a third of its full capacity.

Dalton: I think it’s the crystal you had, you said the owner said it was empty right so my guess your puppets mana pool is from the crystal.

To test this I place my hand on its chest where the emerald is and put mana in and like he suspected it began rising

Sting: just like you said the crystal holds its mana

Dalton: so what are ya gonna do now.

Sting: well for now I need to train and gain levels, I need to grind my mana strings skill to be able to use him as a weapon.

Dalton: cant use him yet he’s moving already

Sting: I can only create and control 20 strings right now his hand by itself takes 14 strings each to control, one string per joint piece get it, his whole body takes 42 strings total to make him work at full, for now I can control his body but not his hands, which is why I ask you can I leave him here with you while I train, I need to get armor for him as well to hide him.

Dalton: fine walk him into the basement; its safe there and the mages guild won’t pick up on the magic he is releasing

Sting: he is what

Dalton: you don’t know, magic items give off a feint signal of magic of magic, it was discovered about a year and a half ago one of ya adventures type.

Sting: I see ill put him away, I need to get a shrink spell as well to transport these guys.

Dalton: you gonna make more

Sting: of course what’s the point of having a single puppet when I can make many and have more versatility but I need to figure a way out for them to use magic?

Dalton: that I cant help you with sorry

Sting: no problem, oh before I forget I need to name my job

Dalton: why not simply puppeteer

Sting: to boring puppeteer just sounds like a guy that messes with normal puppets, hows about Magus Puppeteer

You have named your Job Magus Puppeteer

You are the first player to create a job

+500 fame

+2 to every stat

Magus Puppeteer

A new job that appeared with the discovery of the first magic puppet little has been developed with this job.

+5% improvement when making puppet parts and puppets

New Skill Puppet Crafting

Puppet crafting (basic 1)

The art of creating human like sculptures with many parts that are connected and with hooks and springs and can be controlled with strings

New Skill Magic Puppet Crafting

Magic Puppet Crafting

A new form of puppet crafting that doesn't use normal springs and hooks to hold puppets but with magic, this form of puppet crafting allows for combat puppets to be made when it has a gem placed within as its heart.

Dalton: that is a dumb name makes it to suspicious

Sting: it’s done anyway and as if I’m going to tell anyone I know how to make something like this, ill say I’m a mage easy as that.

Dalton: one that doesn’t have any spells and is strong in close range combat

Sting: there are many kinds of mages, if you take earth mages some people get that element just for the buff spells and fight close up.

He things a bit a shrugs

Sting: anyway I need to go now, I need to find some spells and I need to train my skills

Dalton: so why ya still here

I left the shop and headed towards the library, why there, books even normal ones hold spells in them and without restrictions while skill tones have job restrictions and all.

Entering the library Lilith looks up and sees me

Lilith: oh been a while how’s it going did you get what you wanted.

Sting: yes it’s a special variation of a mage

She makes a sort of angry face when I say that

Sting: it’s NOT a mage but it’s a magic class

She calms down regaining her composure

Lilith: so what do you need?

Sting: I need books about shrinking spells and returning them to normal

Lilith: this involves your new job doesn’t it?

I nod while she stares at me.

Then she gets up

Lilith: grab a chair I’ll be back in a bit.

In a minute she returned with two books, “The Magic of Shrinking” and “Return from Shrinking”.

Lilith: these tell you about shrinking magic, you need to read both to learn the spell since you need to learn how to do it and how to reverse it.

She said it like it was easy but each book is easily more than 300 pages each. She was trying to hide a smile which showed that she was enjoying my expression when I looked at the books, damn sadist librarian. She left and I started reading “The Magic of Shrinking”, time it took half a week, time it took for book 2 the same time, results.

New Skill Shrinking

Spell: Shrinking (basic 1)

The spell to shrink any object in size, the better you get the smaller you can make it.

Current ability lets you shrink any object to 1/3 of its original size

Note weight is relative to size, a human weighing 70 kg at normal size will weigh 15 kg at a third of his size. Stats will also be affected by the shrink status and will be reduced by how much it was shrunk.

To return something to its original size says, Origin (name of object or creature).

I stretch as I get up

Sting: finally done now to get mana string leveled, since the time im stuck here is over let’s get hunting.

I leave but since Lilith wasn’t there I just leave and head outside. In the fields there were tons of players of many different Demi human species running around like idiots trying to hunt the rabbits. Because of my skill I had a different way to catch them and I would make sure to take advantage of it.

Instead of going after the rabbits I wanted to test something with my mana string so I head to the fox area. Crouching a good 10 meters away I hold my cross towards it and extend a single string towards the closest fox. It didn’t notice the string as it approached but when it did notice it was too late I had connected the first string to its hind leg and locked its movement and to my surprise it instantly leveled up.

Mana String leveled up (basic 2)

Mana String

You have discovered a second use for mana string, by attaching mana to live creatures you can disconnect their control and take control of their bodies as your puppets, this will also make them temporary pets and if they kill something you will gain some exp.

You can now control 10 more strings

I was quietly laughing to myself at the upgrade of the skill. Looking over the fox was on the ground twisting itself as if to free itself so I sent out a new string and connected it at the base of the head and cut its connection to its body. Slowly I attached more until I had control of it and made it come over to me, with the 10 extra strings I could control the jaws so biting and clawing was available so I just needed to work on control a bit. I took it over to the corner of the rabbit field and make it run a bit but the movements were a bit awkward since I didn’t have any skill to help… Ding!

New Skill Puppeteering

Puppeteering

The ability to control a puppet as you wish. When used with magic puppets or living creatures you can make more complex movements and control over their bodies becomes easier.

10% improvement to control to puppets

5% improvement to control over living animals

You have discovered a skill that functions with your job; your job doubles the effect of this skill.

The bonus wasn’t for show it was able to make the fox work less awkward and it started getting better as it resisted less until I began catching rabbits. I tried as best to not damage the pet as much as possible only making it catch the rabbit and twist the head for a quick finish. I did this for a weak using different foxes, killing the one I had at the end of the day to get some exp, I knew if I let them go I would die and trouble would follow a higher than normal leveled animal. One week of doing this got me 10 levels 100 rabbit pelts and 80 rabbit meat. Going back inside I sold the pelts at a tailor and gained 75i from it and 30i from the meat. Then I bought two sets of leather armor and one mask price 1s, I still had 80i at the end because I worked for Dalton while learning from him so it was good so I headed to the black smith and bought two swords, 10i each, and unexpectedly the repair skill which was cheap 50i. Oh I forgot about money in this world the currency is gold (G), silver (S), Iron (I) and copper © each one takes 100 of the previous to make 1 of them.

Besides getting levels my skills in Mana string, puppeteering, inner and exterior mana control and meditation rose a lot.

Mana String (Basic 6)

Can make 2 strings at a time

Can control 80 strings

Puppeteering (Basic 3)(with job bonus)

21% improvement to control to puppets

11% improvement to control over living animals

Inner Mana Control (Basic 2)

Exterior Mana Control (Basic 4)

Meditation (Basic 5)

I headed to Daltons place after buying the leather gear, when I entered his shop I found an unpleasant site. There were three mage inside; two were pointing their staffs at Dalton while the oldest was talking

Elder Mage: Dalton I’ve known you since we were kids so I know when you’re lying now tell me were the magic item is.

Dalton: I told ya already you old coots there aren’t do magic items here if there are then it one of my pieces that might have gained an effect from great craftsmenship.

Sting: what’s going one here

All four men turned around shocked to see me.

Elder Mage: who are you what are you doing here, I know for a fact that Dalton doesn’t get any adventurer customers so what are you here for.

I got pissed at his tone, since my father has gotten so rich we have met many cocky rich bastards and this old man sounds just like one and everyone in my family hates that kind of person.

Sting: its none of your business old man, but if you want to know I asked Dalton to make me something, what exactly I won’t tell you, I remember you told me Dalton it would be in the basement so I’ll go get it.

I walk inside as I see the old man turn red in anger and I grin since its funny.

Once in the basement I make sure they didn’t follow and without uncovering the Marionette and shrink it and store it, just a note at normal size it weighs a surprising 100kg since it’s not hollowed out but at a third of its size it weight goes down to 20kg and though heavy it is more manageable because of my recent leveling and increase in stats thanks to the training and such.

Walking back up I see them staring daggers at me

Dalton: you get your thing

Sting: ya

Dalton: so get I’m busy talking with an old friend.

Sting: before that may I ask who you are, I’m Sting.

Elder Mage: I’m one of the Guild masters of the Mages Guild Alfred Count, if you’re interested why we are here; we sensed a magic item here and came to retrieve it

Sting: so in other word you came to steal a magic item that doesn’t belong to you.

Alfred: respect me boy, magic items must be researched by the guild and as decreed by the king we have right to take them if we sense them.

Sting: wow legalized theft I’m amazed this kingdom isn’t burning to the ground, may I ask what do you do with magic items in the hands of adventurers.

Alfred: by adventurers you mean those people they appear from nowhere, that specific law doesn’t affect them since they need those items to fight for us.

I simply smiled and left, my grin left him nervous I could clearly see that on his face. As I left I heard the voice from inside

???: hmm sir the magic signal it vanished it’s not here anymore.

Alfred: WHAT!!! That brat took the item.

Dalton: HAHAHA!!! Serves you right like you personally said you can’t take items from adventurers and he is one.

My grin was ear to ear after I heard that, I then headed out of town and when I was in an empty place without players or animals, in the woods but not too deep, I pulled the puppet out and returned him to normal. He landed like a sack of potatoes but I made him stand up and after handing him the leather gear I had him equip it with the mask, from this view he looked like any other adventurer, I give him one of the swords I purchased. Then I had him imitate some move stuff I have seen but that didn’t work since he has low stats. Leaving that aside I head into town and to the training hall.

Instructor: hello what can I do for you two?

Sting: we would like to learn sword mastery from you sir.

Instructor: this way then.

He took us and gave us wooden swords then taught me the proper posture for offense and defense now you’re probably wondering how the puppet didn’t fall right well as long as the puppet cross is attached to my body I can control them, I had created a new one which had almost 100 tiny hooks which allowed me to set the puppet to shadow my moves.

It took five hours of constant training for us to gain the sword master, I say us because when I checked the skill was also under his stats.

We left the hall and headed to the fields.

Sting: now than before starting I need to name you so that others don’t get curious… since your my first prototype lets go with Proto

You have named your Marionette Proto

With that out of the way we head to the rabbit fields; I have him hunt down the rabbits which watching their movements and training myself to control Proto better.

It takes a few tries since I not used to the flexibility he has but after my third try I get used to him and even have him try some acrobatics when chasing the rabbit, though that ends horribly, he doesn’t have the agility and I don’t have the control to perform complex movements. After picking himself up again I stayed with simple movements trying to look more human like while still doing the job. The results a level up to puppeteering, 3 levels for proto and 50 rabbit pelts, which I had butcher which gave both of us butchery skill since I had to control him, hehe awesome discovery.

With the new level up to puppeteering I unlocked a new feature which is to allow the puppet to do as he pleases except kill me and other people. It was interesting to see him just blindly walk around hitting everything which made me wonder what was going on, the mask had eye hol… oh I might need to carve out a face for him. I take him near the woods and have him sit and put the cloak on and then I disconnect the head, remove the mask and begin sculpting out just the basic needs, eyes nose and a shape for a mouth that it looks more natural, then I fix his head back to the puppet and try again. The change was instant, first he didn’t bump into anything, second he successfully hunted, and efficiently might I add, when his sword master skill leveled I also gained the same which increased how well we handled the sword and how much damage we do.

After an hour I deactivate his free roam and shrink him down before returning to town. First I freed myself of the meat and pelts before going to Dalton’s place to check on him. He was happily carving away at a piece of wood.

Sting: hey Dalton

Dalton: oh Sting good to see you

Sting: you seem strangely happy today

Dalton: still happy about what old Alfred went through, really I haven’t laughed that hard in years, to pay you for the good laugh you can have this old book I had forgotten I had.

He handed me an old book with the title slightly eroded but still clearly readable, “Mystery of the Sigil”

Sting: what is a Sigil

Dalton: if I remember correctly it’s an old type of magic normally using seals or images to preform magic, its considered lost magic but it’s something that won’t return since the magic today has quick activation and all that stuff Alfred used to talk about.

Sting: so why are you giving it to me

Dalton: hehe well just like you were able to do the impossible and created a combat ready puppet I think you learning to use that will help you and it might even bring it back into use if you can use it right.

Quest Rising Sigils

Dalton found an old book on an ancient form of magic that has lost its use to normal magic. He wants you to try and find a way to use it and revive the magic form.

Time limit: None

Difficulty E

Reward: ???

Sting: wow a quest first one I’ve gotten since I came here, now that I think about it I’ve only been after my goal and forgot about them and to think my first one is rank E.

Quests have a ranking system here going from S all the way to F. F is common jobs like hunting an animal, delivery or other jobs in town. E I mainly hunting and searching but D is where it broadens, this one varies a lot since it starts getting into long duration quests like this one and can lead to chain quests. C and above are thing you get from higher ups like special requests or if something is part of a chain quest that leads to something bigger. Quests ranking from B and up are things that start causing changes in the world, B rank does local changes while A and S can do continental or even worldwide changes both good and bad.

Sting: ill accept the challenge to find some place this will work out.

Dalton: good boy this don’t forget to charge your puppets, I think it wastes energy as you control him.

Sting: ill check on him, thanks for the book

I leave the shop and enter an alley and check on him, just like Dalton said the mana dropped. So i touch the chest and fill it completely, thanks to level ups and an increase to int and wis i am near 1000 mana now. Once I finish before i could do anything i felt a chill run down my back and turn around quickly. What i find are three mages with black cloaks and Alfred leading them.

Alfred: so we meet again we had been following the signal from the item you took at Daltons place waiting for a chance to catch you.

Sting: i see so this is what you do to adventurers you mages are such assholes, you're like kids if you dont get a new toy when you ask you kill for it.

I could feel their anger and i saw the expression of pure rage on his face.

Alfred: give it to us this instant

Sting: i don’t know what you’re talking about.

Alfred: the magic item!! GIVE IT TO US!!!

Sting: sorry but i don’t have such a thing i have just begun being an adventurer so i haven’t acquired anything.

Alfred: you fucking human give it to us

Sting: ...human... heh i think you’re mistaking something. "I hope this distracts them long enough"

I use my racial skill transformation and go into my dragonian form. It has the desired effect.

Mage 1: sir what do we do

Mage 2: ya now it’s even worst besides the law not affecting him now it works in his favor

Sting: "oh whats this, interesting it seems i get a few advantages for my races, well leave that for later.

While they were distracted looking at each other i send my shrink spell into proto via the mana strings, from two of them, they didn’t notice the man vanish, to my surprise each string activated a separate spell so now he is 1/6 his original size and the size of an action figure. I quickly grab him and bolt off

Mage 1: he's getting away.

Sting: i think it’s a good time as any to get out of town.

I weave through town with them running behind and when we reach he central plaza i jump into a crowd and deactivate my transformation effectively losing them.

Relations with the Mages Guild as dropped to lowest and have made them put you on their blacklist. You won’t be able to purchase spells from the guild unless disgusted and you will be hunted for your magic items.

You won’t be able to stay within towns were the guild has a branch as they will sense your item.

Sting: just great this keeps getting better and better.