《Welcome to the Upward Bound System!》Beyond the City walls Part 2, Chp. 21
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Hannah's Pov
Hannah held the caged rabbit in her hands weeping softly at the kindness of the man before her. He had caught the rabbit rather than killing it. He had healed her body, and even when he had every right to take the rabbit for himself he gave it to them. Words could not describe how she felt.
She looked down upon the large golden rabbit, as large as a loaf of bread, as it began to pinball around the cage that confined it. She began to panic as the cage almost slipped from her hands.
In a moment he raised up the bowl and spoke but a single word, "Sleep...". No sooner had he said it than the rabbit fell to the floor of its cage fast asleep.
Dante's Pov
"I suggest you guys take that rabbit to...Wait a minute." Dante said as he turned toward James, the leader of their party. "Do you have the minimap?" He asked curiously.
After a moment of silence James shook himself from the shock, "Oh! Um! Ye..Yes, I do!" He said as he stammered out a sentence.
"Good. I recommend you take the rabbit to the Walking Corpse. It's a flesh monger shop. The patron there is Oscar. Very large, four armed ebony figure. Tell him Dante sent you and he'll treat you well. He will give you a good price for the rabbit and if you then go recommend him to other's the prices may get even better." Dante spoke in a rapidfire manner.
Dante stretched out his hand motioning for him to take it. After a moment's hesitation James reached out and took Dante's hand.
Both felt as something passed between them. Like a wave of energy it moved from one to the other before settling down. "What the..." James said as he read the text off his vision.
"I gave you the knowledge of how to get to his shop. He should be able to help you guys with the rabbit." Dante said before he felt a tug on his robes from Hannah.
"I don't want the rabbit to die!" She said emphatically as she stomped her foot upon the grass covered ground.
After laughing for a moment Dante responded, "I'm sure that either you could ask that the rabbit be kept alive or that he could point you where they would buy it and keep it alive." He said watching as Hannah simply nodded her head in acceptance, whilst rubbing the tears from her eyes.
Dante watched as off to the side the other women in their party walked up to James before giving him a kiss on the lips which he reciprocated. She appeared to be asian women in her late 20's to early 30's with shoulder length black hair. She was wearing what almost seemed to be a flowing robe similar to a kimono, 'Priestess? No, her hands are wrapped so I would wager monk.' Dante thought for a moment.
When they were done they stood side by side holding hands. Turning his head for a moment he was about to ask James a question but in the end decided to redirect it to her.
"Are you his girlfriend?" He asked almost certain already as to the answer.
"Yes, I am his and his is mine. Thank you very much for catching the rabbit for us. My name is Reo Fujiwara." She said as she held his arm between her breasts. Dante looked to James only to see him smiling dumbly due to the placement of his arm.
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"Nice to meet you as well." He said, 'She seems like a mix of ferocity and quiet charm. An odd combination. I bet she has at least one level in Lady...' Feeling a tap upon his shoulder Dante turned to look upon to see Hannah holding out two blue boxes to him. Taking them cautiously he read them. The first box seemed to be a title, and the next was a blessing.
Light of the World
You are a bright and shining beacon for all those who meet you. Through your own misfortune you have been humbled. The light within you burns such that not even death can extinguish it.
You are awarded the Light affinity.
You are awarded the Radiance affinity.
The world is a brighter place for having you in it. -System
Blessing of Rosana
Through chance you have drawn the eyes of a goddess of Blood and Life.
+1 to health, mana, and stamina regeneration on level ups. Physical restoration upon application of this blessing.
You are granted the opportunity to join the clergy of Rosana.
You are awarded this blessing, for in you, I see myself.- Rosana
"So that explains a few things..." Dante thought as he read the boxes, then he produced one of his own before handing it over to her. A blue box displaying the description of his skill, Burning Heart. After they had both had a moment to process the information he asked, "Will you join the clergy of my lady?" He asked only for her eyes to be cast downward as if in contemplation.
The man from before stepped up to stand beside her, draping his arm over her shoulder before giving her a kiss on her forehead. The man extended his left hand towards Dante. "Im David Culman. Thank you for helping her. I am truly grateful for what you have done, Dante." He said not long acting so abrasive as he had before.
"I'll think about it." Hannah said after a moment. Her brow furrowed as her mind worked through all it could and came up wanting.
Nodding, Dante turned to the two remaining members of Jame's party. The first appeared as a fairly thin and unremarkable man. He had brown eyes and messy brown hair. He stood nearly half a foot shorter than Dante by all appearances.
The other however while still shorter than himself by several inches appeared to have a well built body. He carried no weapons and had a simple yellow shirt and blue jeans. Dante approached the two before extending out his hand. "Nice to meet you guys. I'm Dante." He stated simply.
"Jacob Ashwin." Said the well built man. The shine of his sapphire eyes mixed with his red tinted skin was enough to indicate his mixed descent.
"Herald Smith." Said the second man in an uneasy tone. He gave almost no force to his hand shake, retracting his hand no sooner than the shake was completed. Dante could hardly see the man's eyes as he avoided direct eye contact. His skin was pale as if he had never seen the sun. This standing in stark contrast with his raven black hair.
Shaking hands with one and then the other he asked another question. "What are you guys' classes?"
Jacob looked to Herald for a moment motioning for him to go first but he refused as he took a step back. Jacob simply shook his head before speaking. "Sorry for my friend, he is a bit reclusive. The only reason he's out here is to level up with us. Anyway my class is something fucking amazing! I'm..." He paused for a moment. Then Dante saw something amazing.
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A golden shimmer began to emanate from the man. As It grew it lifted him into the air. It grew until it stood no less than 10 feet tall. What had come from this man was the shining translucent figure of a great bear. "I am a Totem Master!" He said from his place several feet above the ground. Suspended in air within the bear form.
The form of the bear spread its arms and lifted its head as it let out a great bellow that echoed across the Zone. Three seconds later the form of the Great bear began to dissipate, depositing him gently back upon the ground.
"Let me guess. You ran out of mana?" Dante asked with raised eyebrows and a small, smug, smile upon his face.
Jacob looked somewhat ashamed, "Yeah. The skill that makes that is called, Astral Form. It's amazing but chugs mana like a shitty engine. It doesn't help I don't have too much mana. It costs 60 mana a minute for god's sake!" He exclaimed with both pride of his class and skills as well as disappointment with his own lack of ability to wield them.
"How does it work?" Dante asked curiously.
"It works similar to being a summoner. The difference being that I have to contract the creatures I want to use." He stated, waiting for the oncoming questions.
"What do you mean by that? Can you elaborate?" Dante asked
"Where a summoner might just get this or that summon when they get to a certain level. I have to go out and make contracts with either living or dead creatures in order to utilize them for my class." Jacob said hoping his expanded explanation would now suffice.
Nodding Dante turned to Herald and waited a moment. "I'm a...Codic Wizard." He stated plainly clearly not wishing to elaborate.
His eyes twitched for a second as the words sank in. Where the others here for the most part have tremendous power now. His class held potential beyond belief.
"That means you're a programmer right? I'll be honest with you here..." Dante paused for a moment, causing Herald to ball his fists waiting for the disrespect to come.
"That's one of the greatest classes I've heard so far. I can see you probably haven't even realized just how great you can become thanks to your class and skills." He said with genuine praise and admiration.
Herald for the first time looked up from the ground and looked him in the eye. He could see tears beginning to form in the man's eyes "You mean that?" he asked, his voice beginning to break.
"I do. I think one day you will be able to write programs that can affect whole worlds. You'll basically be typing on god's console. So you know I am a cleric and I cannot lie." Dante stated, adding and exaggerating that last part as he could see doubt and distrust creeping into Herald's eyes.
A bright smile formed upon Herald's lips and he snapped his fingers. As he did so a small green and white song bird appeared upon his shoulder.
He knew it was a song bird as it began to tweet a small tune.
"What the fuck! Ok how did you do that one?" Dante asked as switched his sight back and forth between Herald and the bird.
"This is Song. This is my Familiar." Herald said as he gently rubbed the birds head, which from its cooing it seemed to enjoy.
"Familiar? Do you mean like the D&D spell, Find Familiar?" Dante asked as memories of that spell began flooding back to him. "System store, D&D spell, Find Familiar!" Dante exclaimed much to Herald's joy.
He glanced back and forth between Herald and the system store he watched as this shy and reserved, borderline scared kitten, opened up and became a chatty, bright young man who loved what he did. It warmed Dante's heart.
Burning Heart has leveled up! Lvl. 9...
"That's right. Although the spell has changed somewhat form D&D to the version the system allows to be purchased." Herald said as he returned his hand to his side.
"I know I have purchased two spells already and there were substantial differences." Dante spoke absentmindedly.
"Really what spells did you get?" Herald asked.
"Regenerate and Raise Dead." He said and no sooner had he spoke did he realize he might have just made a huge error.
The several other conversations that had been going on amongst the other's all ceased in a moment. Those not in his group all looked at Dante with bulging eyes. In their moment of stunned silence Dante looked back towards that system store screen. He tried to play off what he had just said and tried moving on to another topic. "You should get that rabbit to Oscar's before he wakes up and the cage vanishes. Both are in about an hour." Dante said before trying to refocus on the spells in front of him.
It was then that those in James' party turned to Dante's parents and Claifa. "Really?! Is that legit?" they asked all at once.
With his party looking at him, Dante simply glanced at them with a face that begged them to help him. So it was that his parents and Califa began explaining to the others about the spell's and some of Dante's skills.
Seeing them helping him out he smiled and relaxed a little. Quickly he returned to looking over the Find familiar spell and the spells that came recommended with it. 'Holy shit these are text heavy spell's!' Dante thought as he began to read the blue boxes.
Find Familiar 1st level
You conduct an hour long ritual to gain the service of a familiar, a spirit that takes an animal form you choose. The chosen creature's size can be no greater than small. If you choose a creature with supernatural abilities, an example being truesight, your familiar assumes the form but does not gain said abilities. The familiar appears in an unoccupied space within range.
The familiar's statistics are of the chosen form, though it is a celestial, fey, undead, Warforged, or fiend (your choice) instead of its normal type. However the familiar's stats will be modified by the caster's own stats. For example, if your familiar has an INT less than your own it becomes equal to your own, and it gains the ability to understand one language of your choice that you speak.
Your familiar acts independently of you, but it always obeys your commands. The familiar can attack only in ways its form allows. The familiars Hp is equal to your maximum mana capacity. When the familiar drops to 0 Hit Points, it disappears, leaving behind no physical form. While technically dead, the familiar inhabits their master's soul space. Slain familiars can be resummoned by recasting this spell, in which case it will only take 10 minutes to cast. Dismissed familiars can be brought back for free.
While your familiar is within (INTx10) feet of you, you can communicate with it telepathically as if you had telepathy. If you possess telepathy this range becomes, (INTx50).
Additionally, you can see through your familiar's eyes and hear what it hears, gaining the benefits of any Special Senses that the familiar has, such as an owl's hearing or a cat's night vision. During this time, you are deaf and blind with regard to your own Senses.
You can temporarily dismiss your familiar if you so choose to. It disappears into your soul space where it awaits your summons. Alternatively, you can dismiss it forever ending the pact. While it is temporarily dismissed, you can cause it to reappear in any sufficiently sized space within 30 feet of you.
You can't have more than one familiar at a time. If you cast this spell while you already have a familiar, you instead cause it to adopt a new form. Finally, when you cast a spell with a range of touch, your familiar can deliver the spell as if it had cast the spell. Your familiar must be within, (INTx5), feet of you, and it must focus its attention to deliver the spell when you cast it.
Initial cast time: 1 hour. Material Components: 100 Small gp worth of charcoal, incense, and herbs that must be consumed by fire in a brass brazier for the initial casting. Cost: 50 Small Gp. Mana cost: 100 mana initial casting, 25 for raising familiar.
Flock of Familiars 2nd level
You temporarily summon three familiars—spirits that take animal forms of your choice. Each familiar uses the same rules and options for a familiar conjured by the find familiar spell. All the familiars conjured by this spell must be the same type of creature (celestials, fey, undead, Warforged, or fiends; your choice). If you already have a familiar conjured by the find familiar spell or similar means, then one fewer familiars are conjured by this spell.
Familiars summoned by this spell can telepathically communicate with you and share their visual or auditory senses while they are within, (1 mile + INTx5 feet) of you.
When you cast a spell with a range of touch, one of the familiars conjured by this spell can deliver the spell, as normal. However, you can cast a touch spell through only one familiar per turn.
Each of the familiars summoned by this spell may be made permanent through the ritual provided with this spell. For each familiar made permanent in this way the time required to perform the ritual increases by 1 hour and the material components required, gem and gold dust, increases by 100 small gold pieces.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, you conjure an additional familiar for each slot level above 2nd.
Duration: Up to 1 hour or permanent. Cost: 150 Small Gp. Mana cost: 150 mana initial casting, 100 small gp worth of materials for permanence of familiar(s).
Find Steed 2nd level
You summon a spirit that assumes the form of an unusually intelligent, strong, and loyal steed, creating a long-lasting bond with it. The chosen creature's size can be no greater than large. Appearing in an unoccupied space within range, the steed takes on a form that you choose. If you choose a creature with supernatural abilities, an example being truesight, your familiar assumes the form but does not gain said abilities.
The steed's statistics are of the chosen form, though it is a celestial, fey, undead, Warforged, or fiend (your choice) instead of its normal type. However the steed's stats will be modified by the caster's own stats. For example, if your steed has an INT less than your own it becomes equal to your own, and it gains the ability to understand one language of your choice that you speak.
Your steed serves you as a mount, both in combat and out, and you have an instinctive bond with it that allows you to fight as a seamless unit. The steed's Hp is equal to your maximum mana capacity. When the steed drops to 0 Hit Points, it disappears, leaving behind no physical form. While technically dead, the bound steed inhabits their master's soul space. Slain steeds can be resummoned by recasting this spell, in which case it will only take 10 minutes to cast. Dismissed familiars can be brought back for free.
While mounted on your steed, you can make any spell you cast that targets only you also target your steed.
You can also dismiss your steed at any time as an action, causing it to disappear. In either case, casting this spell again summons the same steed, restored to its hit point maximum.
While your steed is within (1 mile + INTx5 feet) of you, you can communicate with it telepathically. This becomes, (1 mile + INTx10 feet) if you already possess telepathy.
You can’t have more than one steed bonded by this spell at a time. As an action, you can release the steed from its bond at any time, causing it to disappear.
Initial cast time: 1 hour. Mana Cost: 200 Mana for initial casting, 100 for subsequent casts. Cost: 200 small gp
Find Herd of Steed's 4th level
You temporarily summon three Steed's—spirits that take animal forms of your choice. Each familiar uses the same rules and options for a familiar conjured by the find familiar spell. All the steeds conjured by this spell must be the same type of creature (celestials, fey, undead, Warforged, or fiends; your choice). If you already have a Steed conjured by the Find Steed spell or similar means, then one fewer Steed is conjured by this spell.
Steeds summoned by this spell can telepathically communicate with you and share their visual or auditory senses while they are within, (1 mile + INTx5 feet) of you. This effect can also be shared with their rider if the summoner allows.
When you, or their rider, cast a spell with a range of touch, one of the Steeds conjured by this spell can deliver the spell, as normal. If a creature you have allowed is riding one of the steed's produced by this spell they may also use this effect but only through the steed they are riding.
Each of the steed's summoned by this spell may be made permanent through the ritual provided with this spell. For each steed made permanent in this way the time required to perform the ritual is 1 hour and the material components required, gem and gold dust, worth 100 small gold pieces. You may only have one steed created by this spell permanently bound to you at a time. You may however perform the right to bind a steed to another willing creature. At which point they gain the basic version of this spell, Find Steed.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, you conjure an additional steed for each slot level above 2nd.
Cast time: 1 hour. Duration: 8 hours or permanent. Mana Cost: 400 Mana for initial casting, 200 for ritual of binding and permanence. Cost: 200 small gp
"Huh that's awesome! It mentioned spell slots though. I wonder how much each spell slot is in mana?" Dante asked only for another blue box to greet him. Ignoring the blue box for a moment he turned back to James' group. "You guys should really get going and don't shake that cage too much. You might wake the rabbit." Dante said as continued to decide upon the spells.
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