I woke up after a two hour nap, and decide to distribute my points before my shift. I pull up my Stat panel, and pump forty-three points my willpower up to a hundred and one, to match my constitution and intelligence base scores, giving me a massive six hundred six MP. After that, I frown. Normally, people at my level cannot place points into spirit, but since I have a deity, I should be able to, shouldn't I? I smile as I add twenty-five points into my spirit. I then put the remaining sixteen points into my constitution, allowing me to take another ninety-six damage before I die.

Now that I've applied my stat points, I pull up my skill panel. Forty-one points to spend... On the wiki, I saw that Shield of Bone would upgrade to Armor of Bone at level fifty, but I'm not sure if I want to upgrade it to that yet. I could also upgrade Trainer to fifty, but that would be a bit premature too, as I don't have the other skills to make the Beastmaster Skill. I take twelve points and max out Luck's Admiration.

Luck's Admiration (Passive) - Level Max

+30% Rare Loot Rate

+2 Loot Grade

+30% Experience Gain

+30% Chance to Crit

+25% Chance to Evade

Ability: Lucky Strike

50% Chance to inflict Critical, Debuff, and DoT.

Spell: Lucky Stars

250 MP - Apply Passive boosts to all party members for 12 hours

Ability: Lucky Wish

750 Gold - Open Loot List of most recent kill and select any item.

Would you like to upgrade Luck's Admiration to Luck's Blessing?

Requires: Deity Lady Luck Rank 2+

Cost: 1 Skill Point

Yes/No

I whistled softly, and clicked yes.

Luck's Blessing (Passive) - Level 1

Divine

+10% Rare Loot (Party)

+10% Experience Gain (Party)

+10% Chance to Crit (Party)

+5% Chance to Evade (Party)

-5% Enemy Crit Rate (Party)

Ability Upgrade: Lucky Strike -> Lucky Strike II

Spell Upgrade: Lucky Stars -> Luck's Star

Ability Rollover: Lucky Wish

Lucky Strike II

Use: same as Lucky Strike

Cost: 10TP

Inflicts a Crit and Debuff, Crit and DoT, or Debuff and Dot. 50% chance of inflicting all three, 10% chance of inflicting multiple debuffs.

Luck's Star

Use: Select a party member (including Self) and incant 'You are the Star'

Cost: 200 MP

Duration: 1 hour

Adds the passive bonuses from Luck's Admiration - Max to the current target.

+30% Rare Loot

+2 Loot Grade

+30% Experience

+30% Chance to Crit

+25% Chance to Evade

My jaw fell open. I just lost a lot of my big buffs, but now I have a party wide buff, and I can reclaim the passive bonus from the Max level Luck's admiration at the same time. Not to mention Lucky Wish remained at 750 gold cost, instead of a full thousand. I look at my skill panel, and notice I still have twenty-eight points to spend. I shake my head and raise the effect of Blood Magic by fifteen levels, and Intelligence up by thirteen.

I receive a notification of a new Spell created by Blood Magic, and that Intelligence Up now gives a 10% bonus and an additional Skill point at level up.

Blood Magic - Skill Level 20

Drain (HP) has been maxed out.

Access to Spell: Drain (MP)

Drain (HP)

Cost: 50 MP

Effect: Syphons HP from target equaling 75-100% Intelligence. 50% chance to ignore resistance.

Drain (MP)

Cost: 0

Effect: Syphons MP from target equaling 15%-20% Intelligence.

Excellent, I can bypass the Limiter with this! I get up and brush off my pants, and peek outside the door, seeing Oathshield having pinned the bandit on the ground with his boot, his axe raised above his head. I quickly cast 'Luck's Star' before informing him of how to get Elite Executioner and Trophy Hunter. "Chop his head off, that's how you get the Elite Executioner title and the ability to collect trophies," I tell him, and he adjusts the swing of his axe to do just that, rolling the bandit chief's head from his neck.

"Excellent! Now that's a fantastic way to increase strength and dexterity! It's amazing what new players come across," he chuckles. "Also, that's an amazing buff you just gave me. Luck's Star? Well now... The bastard's loot is treated as Grade 3! Amazing!"

"So, I upgraded Luck's Admiration into Luck's Blessing, which, while decreasing my personal buffs, changed the buffs into party-wide passives, and upped Lucky Stars from a party-wide spread of Luck's Admiration's passives to an application of those maxed out passives on a single target."

"So you've decided not to hide your info from us? That's wise. It's always good to have friends who know what you need. Just so you know, you're not the only rich member in the Guild... Foambeard and Helmstriker are also millionaires, and I... well, I was a billionaire before my wife divorced me and the company I owned kicked me out and kept her... I've got a few million still, but we need to be careful so we don't make those who aren't rich in funds but rich in love and happiness leave us. Let me guess, you spent a cool fifty grand on the cloak and the coin, right?"

"Yes, how'd you know?"

"Well, you should be grateful for Helmstriker interrupting you, as Rockenroll was starting to look jealous. He and his wife were facing life in prison for crimes someone else did, and their lawyer decided the best place for them would be here since there was no way they would have been able to convince the jury, the planted evidence was that strong."

"I see... I hope I did the right thing by donating four points of constitution to Rockenroll. I was just trying to help him, but I don't want him angry with me. When we get back, I was planning to donate a maximum of his wife's bonuses to her, so she could continue a little more growth on skills as well as stats..."

"Mind giving me five skill points? I'd love to have some spare ones, since I just got Thievery and Lockpicking scrolls off the bandit chief."

"I don't mind at all. I've got fourteen points to distribute at the moment, after all." I bring up the Donate menu, click the Donate Skills tab, and select Oathshield. I frown softly. "I can donate Raw Skill Points, but I can also see all your skills, and increase them if I want. Amazing..." I quickly swapped back over to the Stats tab, and nod slightly.

"Okay, so I just missed it then. Wow, donating Raw points grants me two Karma Credits each instead of the one I get for manually selecting a stat and increasing it..." I move over to the Skill Tab, and give Oathshield the max of ten of my fourteen donatable skill points, smiling softly as I see my Karma counter go up to thirty-four.

"Is that a torch I see?" I ask Oathshield as I point towards the trail into the clearing. As Oathshield studies it, it becomes apparent that Lionol's group is arriving. "Okay, so looks like we can hand watches over to them, or are we going to keep priority on the minotaurs?"

Lionol waves as he approaches. "So, you guys came out already? I can't wait for the bandit chief to respawn... I intend to skin the bastard alive," he states coldly.

"You do know anything you do to the chief, the AI in charge of the game will know what you do and may start altering other NPCs to use methods like you plan to use, don't you?" I ask him. "Do you really want to teach them how to torture us more?"

"So what do you suggest then? Keep killing him and looting his corpse? How will that teach him anything?"

"It will pressure him to move back to his old camping site and away from Player zones. On the other hand, we could always drag him back to the Fort and ask the King to put him in chains. This isn't a normal game character... he's self aware, and torturing him will just encourage him to do the same once we leave him alone. What we need to do is make him realize that there will always be penalties when he messes with Players like us."

"Alright, alright, I get your point... you're right of course, we can't evolve them to become even more violent towards players..."

"So, if I might suggest, we'll let you handle the bandit chief, and you can get his loot, but we get the minotaur and its loot. We'll share the low level bandits."

We shake on it, and I show them to the treasure coffer, which refills with each spawn of the bandit chief. Thanks to the Loot Upgrade I gave to Oathshield, it was completely full, and I have Oathshield take the contents.

Over the course of the next three hours, I finish my Divine Quest from Lady Luck, and can't help but smile.

Lucky Dice - Rank 2

Divine Talisman

Divine

Weight: 2lb

Requires: Deity: Lady Luck

Indestructible

+10% Chance on Rare Loot

+10% Chance to Crit

+10% Experience

+10% Chance of Doubling Loot

Binds on Equip

Quest Alert! You have been assigned a Divine Quest!

Deity: Lady Luck

Quest: Critical Luck III

Obtain all three effects with Lucky Strike 500 times.

Reward: Rank Upgrade, Lucky Dice Upgrade, New Skill: Unlucky Foes

I'd also increased my level twice in the last three hours, so I sit on the steps and pull up my Status panel and blink as I see that it's already past midnight and my prepurchased bonus was applied. Rockenroll, or one of Lionol's crew was taking all the items that dropped, so my ultimate bag of holding didn't have much stuff in it at the moment. I look at Rockenroll and pull up the Donate panel.

I donate the allowable seven stat and four skill points I can to him, maxing out his day's donation until he gets a higher constitution or intelligence modifier. I put another twenty-five points into spirit, because I noticed I was criting more, as well as succeding with the aimed debilitation attacks more frequently. The remaining thirty-five points got split fifteen to dexterity and ten each to constitution and willpower.

So, with having sixty-three skill points to distribute, I decide to max out Luck's Blessing with forty-nine points.

Luck's Blessing - Skill Level MAX

+50% Rare Loot (Party)

+50% Experience Gain (Party)

+50% Chance to Crit (Party)

+25% Chance to Evade (Party)

-25% Enemy Crit Rate (Party)

Loot Grade +2 (Party)

Ability Upgrade: Lucky Strike II -> Lucky Strike III

Spell Upgrade: Luck's Star -> Luck's Star II

Cost Reduction: Lucky Wish

Cost Reduced to 100 Gold

Lucky Strike III

Use: Same as Lucky Strike / Lucky Strike II

Cost: 5 TP

Inflicts a Crit, a Debuff, and a DoT. 50% chance of inflicting multiple debuffs. Enemies killed with Lucky Strike drop Triple Loot and Double experience.

Luck's Star II

Use: Incant 'You are the Star'

Cost: 100 MP

Duration: 6 hours

Adds the passive bonuses from Luck's Admiration - Max to each member of the party (including pets and mounts).

+30% Rare Loot

+2 Loot Grade

+30% Experience

+30% Chance to Crit

+25% Chance to Evade

I whistle softly, and decide to hold onto the remaining fourteen points until I can max out another skill next level. I cast Luck's Star II, and then use Lucky Strike III on a bandit, cutting off its leg at the knee and watching its health bar drop to twenty-five percent from a single strike. I use Lucky Strike III to take his head, hitting a whopping fifty on the Execution Count.

You have completed the Secret Quest: Apprentice Executioner!

You've successfully Executed 50 enemies!

Reward: +1 Level, Executions earn you 50% bonus Experience!

Do you wish to accept the Secret Quest: Executioner's Training?

Yes / No

Of course I clicked yes! Who wouldn't click yes on a free quest like this?

Quest Alert! You have accepted a Secret Quest:

Quest: Executioner's Training

Raise your Execution Total to 100 within 48 hours.

Reward: +1 Level, Unknown Bonus

Penalty for Failure: -1 Level, Loss of Apprentice Executioner Bonus

System Alert!

A Notice to All Players!

A Player has just accepted a Secret Quest with a Time Limit!

A Player has just accepted a Secret Quest with a Penalty!

From this point onward, Quests may list Time Limits, and failure to complete quests in timely fashion can affect the rewards.

System Alert!

The Administration appreciates your willingness to help expand the game, and as such offers you another challenge and bonus. Will you accept the challenge? Accepting the Challenge does not prevent you from accepting the bonus.

Bonus: +10 to all stats, +10 skill points

Challenge: Complete the Quest 'Executioner Training' in half the time given.

Reward: Doubles the Reward

Penalty: Doubles the Penalty

So it looks like the game is effected by what players do in game as well as how they do it, other than the additional races. Of course, I accept the challenge.

Congratulations!

Due to your hard work progressing the System, you have been rewarded with +10 to all stats (including Spirit) and +10 skill points! Keep up the hard work!

I lick my lips at all the bonuses piling up. At this rate, I just couldn't believe the bonuses I was obtaining. Surely, I will have to give up somthing eventually... But this is neither here nor there. I roam further from the rest of the two groups, and remain active for the next four hours, until the sun rises at six in the morning. I'm panting, exhausted from the efforts I just put in. I stagger back into the clearing just as the bandit chief is trying to flee.

"Lucky Strike!" I call out, and the scythe slices his head completely off, killing him in a single hit. I've minimized all my messages for the last four hours, only paying attention to my HP and TP bars. I kneel next to the chief, and try to pull up his Loot list, only to find that he was automatically looted.

Captured Soul - Bandit Chief Level 40 - Grade 5 (x2)

Mageslayer (x2)

The Bandit Lord's Brigandine

The Bandit Lord's Gauntlets

The Bandit Lord's Boots

The Bandit Lord's Greaves

The Bandit Lord's Chain Coif

Skill Scroll - Pickpocket (x2)

Skill Scroll - Stealth (x2)

Skill Scroll - Lockpick (x2)

Skill Scroll - Traps (x2)

Skill Scroll - Tamer (x2)

Skill Scroll - Dagger Profiency (x2)

Skill Scroll - Thrown Weapon Profiency (x2)

Skill Scroll - Evasion (x2)

Skill Scroll - Speed Up (x2)

Skill Scroll - Nightvision

Skill Scroll - Gold Sense

350 Silver

117 Gold

I groan as I stagger over to Oathshield with everything in my own inventory. I pull up the inventory and see that the reason I'm staggering is because I'm in 'Overload', and that my level is a whopping 35, as well as Porky's level being 40! I open up the minimized announcements.

Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Scythe has Leveled up. Current Skill Level: 10

Divine Quest Completed: Critical Luck III

Divine Quest Completed: Critical Luck IV

Title Awarded: Bandit Killer (Kill 100 bandits)

Effect: Increases damage against Bandits by 25%

Title Upgrade: Bandit Slayer (Kill 250 bandits)

Effect: Increases damage against Bandits by 50%

Title Awarded: Hidden Attacker (Attacked 250 enemies before they saw you)

Effect: +25% damage on Sneak Attacks

Achievement: Single Hit Execution

Effect: Your Constitution is increased by +1 for every Execution Count.

Secret Quest Completed: Executioner Training.

Would you like turn in the quest?

Yes/No

I dump about two thousand pounds of random bandit loot into Oathshield's ultimate bag of holding, and sigh softly. "Damn, money may have next to no weight, but it isn't actually weightless..."

"So, where have you been these last four hours?"

"Hunting bandits for divine quests and executions. You enjoy the free buffs and experience?"

He burst out laughing. "Rockenroll has leveled up three times off your free experience wagon."

"Good. I'm about to turn in a quest, which had a forty-eight hour timelimit, and I just completed it with the chief as he tried to run away." I click 'Yes' on the quest and smile.

Reward: +2 Levels, Skill: Executioner's Aura

Time Remaining: 43h

Bonus Reward: +3 Levels

Title: Speed Executioner

Effect: Your Spirit is increased by +1 for every Execution count. The experience gain from Apprentice Executioner is doubled.

Divine Quest Completed!

Deity: Lady Luck

Quest: Critical Luck V

Complete a Timed Quest with at least three quarters the initial timer remaining.

Reward: Deity Rank Up, Lucky Dice Rank Max, Divine Skill: Lucky Crafter

Quest Alert! You have been assigned a Divine Quest!

Deity: Lady Luck

Quest: Critical Luck VI

Inflict a total of 1,000 Critical Hits (Current Count: 875)

Reward: Rank Upgrade, Divine Skill: Skill Reset

I pull up information on my three new skills.

Lucky Crafter - Skill Level 1

Divine

Boosts success rate of crafting Unique, Epic, Legendary, and Mythic gear by 10%

Unlucky Foes (Passive) - Skill Level 1

Divine

All enemies on your aggro table suffer a 5% reduction to stats, and a 10% chance to stumble or lose concentration.

Executioner's Aura (Passive) - Skill Level 2

Epic

Enemies have a 10% chance of being paralyzed for 6 seconds by terror upon meeting your eyes.

I quickly use the Evasion, Speed Up, Nightvision, and Gold Sense skills from my bag, then look at Oathshield. "I've got over five hundred skill points to distribute..."

"Good, better get to work on it."

I whistle softly and increase Shield of Bones to fifty, then spend another point upgrading it to Armor of Bones. I put forty-nine more points into Nightvision, and then spend a point upgrading it to Dark Vision, which I then max out. I max out my Concentration, and both Blood Magic and Necromancy. I decide to max out the Traps skill for another forty-six points.

Literature, Creature Analysis, and Unlucky Foes also get maxed out. I increase Intelligence Up to Rank thirty, review my points, and smile. I still have eighty-two. I take half of them, and max out Trainer, scratching behind Porky's ear. I look down at the Scythe in my hands and laugh, pumping the Scythe Proficiency to maximum as well. One skill point remaining. I'm fine with that.

Dark Vision (Passive) - Skill Level MAX

You suffer no penalty in low light or complete darkness to your ability to see.

In low light, after sixty yards, you will see things in greyscale.

In complete darkness, you will see everything in greyscale.

This skill is still in effect while in Reserve.

Armor of Bones - Skill Level 1

Use: Automatic

Refresh: 30 minutes

Armor Class +100

Absorbs up to 1,500 damage

When attacked, has a 10% chance to inflict the same amount of damage to attacker.

Concentration (Passive) - Skill Level MAX

+90% chance when hit of not being interrupted when casting

This skill is still in effect while in Reserve.

Blood Magic - Skill Level MAX

Drain (MP) has been maxed out.

Access to Spell: Drain (TP)

Access to Ability: Conversion

Drain (MP)

Cost: 0MP

Syphons between 50-75% INT value worth of MP per cast.

Drain (TP)

Cost: 10 MP

Syphons between 50-75% INT value worth of TP per cast.

Conversion

Allows you to convert HP, MP, or TP into another value.

Necromancy - Skill Level MAX

+25% chance of Captured Soul collection.

No longer suffer Party Penalty for Captured Soul drop.

No longer limited in number of controlled Undead.

No longer limited in number of raised Undead.

Undead Neutrality (Undead cannot attack you first).

Access to Spell: Control (Undead)

Control (Undead)

Cost: Target's Level x 5 MP

50% Spirit chance of taking permanent control of undead target.

Traps (Passive) - Skill Level MAX

Can disable any trap you see.

Can detect any trap within 100 yards, regardless of seeing it.

Can create traps of any complexity, as long as the blueprint and materials are sound.

This skill is still in effect while in Reserve.

Literature (Passive) - Skill Level MAX

You can read any and all languages.

You can judge the accuracy of the information you read.

This skill is still in effect while in Reserve.

Creature Analysis (Passive) - Skill Level MAX

You can see all stats of any target.

You can see all relationship status of any target.

You can see all Informational info of any target.

This skill is still in effect while in Reserve.

Unlucky Foes (Passive) - Skill Level MAX

All enemies on your aggro table suffer a 75% chance to stumble or lose concentration and a 25% loss of stats.

All enemies on your aggro table suffer debuffs for twice as long as normal.

All humanoid enemies suffer a 40% chance to drop their weapon in combat.

Intelligence Up (Passive) - Skill Level 30

Intelligence +15%

+3 Skill Points every Level

Trainer (Passive) - Skill Level MAX

+25% Chance of Totem Drop

No longer suffer Party Penalty for Totem drop

Summon (Living Creature - Pet) Grade +1

Summon (Living Creature - Mount) Grade +1

+25% Pet Experience

+25% Mount Experience

Can summon 2 Living Creature - Pet class monsters at once.

Exotic Weapon Proficiency - Scythe - Skill Level MAX

+50% Scythe Damage

+25% Staff Damage

+25% Spear Damage

+50% Captured Soul drop rate

Can use Scythe one-handed with no penalty.

Lucky Dice - Rank MAX

Divine Talisman

Divine

Weight: 2lb

Requires: Deity: Lady Luck

Indestructible

Automatically Loots your kills.

+25% Chance on Rare Loot

+25% Chance to Crit

+25% Experience

+20% Double Loot

+10% Spirit (Base)

Binds on Equip

I drop concentration, creature analysis, literature, and trap skills into Reserve, and move evasion, speed up, executioner's aura, and gold sense up into their places. I take the available stats and pump forty into Spirit, raising its base value to two hundred, raise strength and dexterity to a hundred each and sit back, realizing I still had three hundred eight-one points to spend. I raise my base constitution, intelligence and willpower to two hundred, then my spirit by another one hundred fifty points. I decide to leave the last three points for my next level.

"Almost ready to go?" Oathshield asks me.

I glance at the clock, and realize with a shock I had just spend the better part of two hours on upgrading my skills and stats! "Sure. Those goblins won't know what hit them!"

------------------------------------------------

Author's Notes:

Sorry it took this long to get it out. After I do some work on my PC, I'll be installing the Amazon Kindle apps to be able to publish with their Kindle Direct Publishing.

This is the end of Volume 1 Part 1. Volume 1 Part 2 will likely be Chapters 6-11, at which point I'll be releasing Volume 1 in its entirety as well as Volume 1 Part 2.

I know there's a LOT of technical skill stuff near the end of the chapter, and I've been considering cutting it out for the most part.

Anyways, for those who are reading this, I would like to thank you very much. For those who are wondering about 'Critical Luck IV' it was Automatically accepted as a Divine Quest, and its requirement was automatically completed which was 'Complete a total of 250 or more Consecutive Critical Hits'. With the fact that every Execution completely refilled his TP, he was able to do the 500 Critical, DoT, and Debuff and the 250+ Consecutive Crits at the same time.

For those wondering, Armor of Bone will be able to be upgraded at level 50, provided he has hit Rank 3 (by killing 150 goblins with the scythe). Upon Evolving, Armor of Bone will become 'Fortress of Bones'.

For all those who are hating how OP he is, don't worry, I've got plans other than his 'Rival' Godlings.

I wish all my readers a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, or whatever Yuletide seasonal holiday you celebrate. Chapter 6 will likely be posted around Christmas or shortly thereafter.

Feel free to leave a comment on your opinion if I should remove the Skill Updates list.