《Gifted》Chapter 6 - Knowledge is Power
Advertisement
Goldie began inspecting his skills more closely, reading them in the same order they appeared in the list.
Acrobatics Lvl N/A: Reflects body's speed and maneuverability. Skill dependent on Lvl and Agility.
Dagger Mastery Lvl N/A: Reflects proficiency at using daggers. Skill dependent on Lvl, Agility and Strength.
Introspection Lvl 1: Passively increases the effectiveness of your Perception while inside your soul space. Allows you to more easily sense your connection to the realm of power. Effectiveness increases with Lvl.
Pickpocket Lvl N/A: Reflects ability to steal someone's personal belongings while evading their notice. Skill dependent on Lvl and Agility.
Sneak Lvl N/A: Reflects ability to silently move around. Skill dependent on Lvl and Agility.
Essence Concealment Lvl N/A: Activate to obscure your presence. Onlookers will naturally ignore you while the skill is active. Costs 5 Energy per second. Skill dependent on Lvl and Charisma.
Indomitable Will Lvl 8: Increases general effectiveness of Willpower. Also increases Willpower multiplier by 10%. Skill dependent on Lvl and Willpower.
Soul Capture (U) Lvl 1: Capture someone's vessel as it leaves their body. Potency increased on personally slain targets. Skill dependent on Lvl and Willpower.
Error, some skills not found within memory. Must use utilize skills to determine Lvl.
Well that didn't explain very much. At least now Goldie knew what skills depended on what attributes.
What does being dependent on Lvl mean? Does it mean the level displayed on my soul screen, or skill level? Do skill levels make me more proficient?
It's the other way around. The number just represents your proficiency. When a skill levels up, the interface is basically just patting you on the back and saying "congratulations you've gotten better". It's just like when you write an exam and get a good grade. The grade doesn't suddenly make you more knowledgeable, it merely shows how knowledgeable you are.
I mean how dumb would it be if just by practicing cooking and gaining a level, I suddenly figure out how to make more complicated dishes? Totally ridiculous.
I guess you have a point... But then what the heck do I get out of leveling? Is it really just telling me how good I am? And if what you said was true how can some skills have an active effect or give a multiplier?
GAH! When you asked me to help you get your revenge I didn't think you'd need information on basic shit like this? Are you retarded? Actually scratch that, according to your stats that question is already answered. No offense.
Some offense taken. Keep in mind what you might find 'basic knowledge' I haven't even heard of for my whole life!
Okay then, I assume I can expect a bonus to my payment for everything I teach you?
I'll consider it.
Advertisement
Thanks buddy.
Now, I guess I should start at the very bottom. Keep in mind, that all I know is what I was taught growing up. Basically, the interface is just a visualization of your soul vessel and its connection to the realm of power. So, when it tells you "this skill gives X", it really just means that in the process of learning said skill your soul had changed in some way to give you that benefit.
Active skills just mean you need to think about using them. Returning to our earlier example: When cooking a meal, you aren't "activating" a skill. You know how to cook all the time. Skills like Essence Concealment are called spells and need to be "activated". The difference is 'spells' don't rely on your body, but your soul. Because of this, spells tend to require expending Energy. As you practice using a certain spell, the cost goes down and its effectiveness goes up. And before you ask me another stupid question: This efficiency increase is not caused by the interface itself, but just by you learning to more effectively use your resources. Cost becomes quite meaningless later on anyway, as you can choose how much Energy to channel into any given spell.
Now we get to the fun part. A grand benefit of leveling your skills, other than becoming good at a given skill, is investing into paths. Before I go any further, open your path screen.
Goldie projected his will towards the portal he now came to know as "the interface". After doing so a new window popped up.
Open Paths (10p) Newbie 0/5, Ascendant 0/20, Unshackled 0/??, Soul-thief 0/???; Current Paths -- Completed Paths Shadow Walker, Apprentice (Agility); Gained Benefits +1 Agility per 5 levels, +10% Agility
Okay you somehow have two of my paths "completed". That better not be permanently stolen away or else I'll whoop your ass when I'm outta here.
What if I never let you out?
Don't make that joke! If I don't get out of here then I'll make you life a living hell. Nérjâka will seem like bliss in comparison.
Alright don't worry. It isn't like I want to keep a disembodied voice inside my head forever either.
Good.
Now back to the nitty gritty. Apart from the stolen paths, everything seems to be in order. As to what paths do: They generally award some attribute points and sometimes give multipliers. They can also award attributes every few levels, like my Shadow Walker path. Basically your skills can reshape your soul, and investing in paths adapts the energy to better utilize these changes.
Before you get to investing I need to make something clear: Do not overinvest in paths, or you might risk getting too many attributes.
Advertisement
What happens if I overinvest?
Some real bad shit can happen.
Like what? My head explodes?
Your soul could tear apart, causing all the energy within it to forcefully evacuate your body. The effects of this range from harmlessly getting rid of all your stats and bonuses, turning you back into a Gemeen, to, as you jokingly mentioned, making your body spectacularly explode. Which of course would be hilarious, apart from the fact that my soul vessel is right next to yours.
Oh wow...
As I said, some bad shit can happen. A good rule of thumb for calculating one's maximum attribute points is multiplying your current level by five and adding another 45 on top of that. In your case that means currently you could have 95 invested attribute points. Without multipliers though, they just represent how efficiently your soul utilizes certain attributes.
Answering my questions before I ask them. It's like you're reading my mind.
...
You aren't actually reading my mind, are you?
Of course not, I'm just good at guessing what questions a dumb person would ask next.
Goldie sneered, but refrained from giving in to Jeffery's taunting.
In any case I reckon the time has come to finally invest into some paths and stop simply squatting next to my lifeless corpse. I recommend the Newbie path to start, since it gives great benefits for the amount of points invested. Other than that, I have no idea. I've never even heard of all your other paths.
Isn't that good? It must mean they're super special.
Or that they aren't worth being mentioned anywhere. When you enroll in an academy they just look at your natural talents and tailor your curriculum to them. After so many years of study, they already know the best paths to take and how to unlock them. I can't really tell you many details since I dropped out of the academy a few years ago.
Oh... I'm sorry to hear that.
Don't worry. They were all a bunch of uptight pricks anyway. Now stop stalling and get to investing dammit!
Goldie did as he was told an invested five points into the Newbie path. A flurry of messages sprang into view.
Every epic journey has a first step. You have just begun yours.
You have earned 1 Physical attribute point.
You have earned 1 Mental attribute point.
You have earned 1 Special attribute point.
You have earned 1 Universal attribute point.
Congratulations, you have completed the Newbie path!
+1 to all attributes.
Foundation for future learning has been set. Gaining skill levels has been facilitated.
You have concluded the first part of your journey, but there are many more paths to tread. Make sure you choose wisely!
Goldie felt the changes wash over him. He could think more clearly and his eyes picked up much more than they had before. Not only his eyes, each of his senses were sharper than before. His bodily changes were a lot less pronounced than last time, but he definitely felt slightly sturdier and stronger than before.
General Information Attributes (+)
Name Xandon Jefferite Physical Mental Special Species Human STR 8 INT 5,6
CHR 6 Sex Male AGI 18,2 PER 3,5 INS 4,8 Age 33 years CON 8 MEM 7 WLL 9,24
Height 5"7 ft (1,75m) Stats Weight 82 kilograms Health 59,6 +6,5/h Level 10 (max 28) Energy 53,4 +19/h Bonuses +1 Agility per 5 levels; +10% Agility; +10% Willpower Stamina 50,8 +9/min
As he looked over his status screen, he pondered which attributes to further increase.
Yo Jeff, you got any ideas what I should invest into? I'm thinking +1 Agility, +1 Intelligence and +2 Willpower.
Seems fine. I'd tell you to invest in perception to more easily learn shadow magic, but it's clear you aren't cut out for it with your terrible perception multiplier. Also, it's about time you stopped calling me Jeffery. My name is actually Xander Jefferson, I just didn't give Garen my real name. I doubt his name is really Garen either to be honest.
As Goldie input his attribute choices he realized something thanks to Xander's revelation.
That explains why our combined name is so weird! The system seems to have just taken the starting and ending of both our names and mashed them together. My name is Gor-
I already know your name. No need to introduce yourself.
I was only being polite.
I think we're way past politeness at this point.
Fine, how about I ask you another question instead. What determines someone's maximum level? And how do I even gain levels?
Itoyas Ayal! Can't these questions wait until we left this literally bloody alley? You're incredibly lucky no one has found you yet! Also make sure to take my cloak and dagger before you leave. You don't need to worry about the body. It should dissolve within the next hour anyway.
Your bodies dissolve?
It's because when our soul leaves, they get deprived of most of the energy coursing through them. Now stop fucking 'talking' and get a move on!
Goldie hastily ripped the cloak of the corpse and pulled the dagger out of it's eyehole. It already barely resembled a human, having partially turned to ash. He even managed to tear off an arm while recklessly tugging the cloak. The arm still within the sleeve harmlessly crumbled to dust while Goldie quietly crept out of the alleyway.
[Standard skill Aquired: Sneak]
Goldie snorted.
Advertisement
- In Serial32 Chapters
All The Skills - A Deckbuilding LitRPG
In a world where all magical spells have been captured into cards, those who can build a deck have the most power. The most Arthur could ever hope for was to someday earn a trash-tier spell card. When fate grants him a legendary Master of Skills card, he's thrust into a world of opportunity and danger. To survive and grow strong, Arthur must learn skills. All the skills.
8 227 - In Serial17 Chapters
Irregular (Rewritten)
(This is the improved and rewritten version of Irregular!) Pain and suffering make a man strong or so they say, it makes us wonder. The people who have started this saying how much have they been through, did they have fingernails torn to shreds under their desperate attempts to escape? Did they attempt to rip out their own throats simply to escape their painful existence? Did the hunger and thirst gnaw a hole through their bodies until indescribable pain became the norm? We think these people do not know what they are talking about, throwing around words that sound pleasant. We are The Irregulars.We are born from pain, hatred our sustenance and suffering our armour. And we WILL have our vengeance.
8 186 - In Serial19 Chapters
She Who Reigns the Stars [Vol. 1]
*Remastered version of She Who Reigns the Stars* Tell me, what will become of us? Presenting your Goddess… Asteria, Supreme Deity of Stalera, the nation of the Universe. She who rules the stars with steel eyes and an iron will, the glorious, the beautiful, the adored Goddess, has now fallen under the hands of her nemesis… The Archfiend, Emperor of Talonis, the nation of Vice and its Shadows, has now assumed reign over Stalera after the death of the Goddess. With the power of Vice, its Shadows, and the Universe, it is assumed that he would be satisfied now that Stalera was under his mercy, and the other two nations of Yelerna and Antalis would follow suit. But much to our surprise, he isn’t because he still lacks the… Ruby, The Goddess’ last attempt to save her empire and the entirety of the Universe. Before her death, the Goddess sealed a portion of her blood, which contained the remaining powers of the Universe the Archfiend hadn’t obtained, away from his grasp. She entrusted it to one of her Zodiac Warriors, a member of her elite service known as the Zodiac Warrior Circle, and instructed him to hide the precious jewel on Earth. The restoration of Stalera and the defeat of the Archfiend would lie in the hands of whoever inherited the ruby jewel. Those who inherited the ruby were known as the Goddess’ Successor, and the one next in line to inherit it is… Auriella Corentin. Life was never the same for Auriella the night her Grandmama gave her the ruby jewel and died, thrusting the poor girl into a world of magic. Now in possession of the Goddess’ blood, it wouldn’t be long until the Archfiend found her, killed her, and obtained her ruby inheritance. But Auriella never wanted this responsibility, not when she had her own past and inner demons to battle against. Nevertheless, she finds herself seeking an alliance with the Zodiac Warriors and a strange barista as she learns to wield the powers the Goddess bestowed to her. But as frequent demon attacks, a secret admirer (or stalker), strange notes, and a handsome, amber-eyed boy pile onto her plate, it is no longer clear whether the universe needed Auriella to be their savior or to be the Goddess’ (inferior) replacement. A Goddess in need of redemption. Four Nations at the brink of destruction. Our question still remains unanswered… What will become of us? [Updates Monday, Wednesday, Friday @8pm PST]
8 127 - In Serial13 Chapters
Seven Realms Saga Book 1 - Last Passage
“Travelling into Iodigar is surprisingly easy,” the Ligtyr added. “All you need to do is to die.”The Vren, once creatures of myth and legend, now roam freely across the land, killing all they find in their path.Kollyn, a member of the Realmatic Keepers, is sent into Iodigar where the souls of the dead roam. There he must find the reason behind this sudden appearance of the Vren and a way to restore the natural order of life.It is a journey into the unknown during which Kollyn must come to terms with his past, his power and the role he will have to play in the world-defying events that are inevitably on the horizon.Last Passage, the first installement in the Seven Realms Saga, is a finished novella that can be bought both in ebook and paperback format on Amazon. For those who wish to finish the story already or be in possession of a physical copy, feel free top purchase it. I will be posting 2 chapters every week on RoyalRoad while I finish of the second installement, Scholars Of The Script.Buy on Amazon
8 121 - In Serial15 Chapters
My Seraphim
An angel held captive for centuries has finally broken free into a strange new world far different from the one she remembers. Now with the aid of a former Charietto and a handful of his old colleagues, Seraphim must flee through a world of people out to take her for themselves. To claim her power, her ichor, her very wings, for themselves.
8 126 - In Serial144 Chapters
Haikyuu!! AUs (x Reader)
{COMPLETE}~~Haikyuu!! X Reader One-shots and Short Stories~~PT 2 is out (with better writing I promise)
8 179