Entry 01 – Day 04

I’ve only been here for a few days, but I feel like I should have some idea of how I got here. It’s like one day I was just randomly teleported to some random mountain for no reason. But it surely can’t be random, because there’s no reason it should have left me on solid ground, and statistically I should be in the ocean. Actually, that’s only what it would have been on Earth, isn’t it? I still haven’t seen a map. Or learnt how to read.

I don’t think I want to go back. I’ve not had anything waiting for me back there really. There’s people I cared about, who cared about me, but I don’t miss them. Sometimes I wonder if I ever cared at all, since before I ever came here, but there’s no use thinking about it. I hope they’re doing ok though, as much as I hate them sometimes, and not ‘because they’re family’. Family is meaningless unless you actually care about each other, and even then it’s bonds formed from obligation. But, eh, you know? Doesn’t matter anymore.

I still don’t know how I feel about everything else though. It’s like, I’m in a new world! One of swords and sorcery, where surely my greatest dreams will come true! Except, my magic is fairly limited, and all I’ve faced is the darker side of fantasy. I’ve not been thinking about it, but all those people. Will they ever be able to reclaim any sense of normalcy? There’s nothing I can do though. Maybe I should be a masked avenger type, get a dark cloak and call myself Batman, save the innocents and stuff. There’s not much else to do. Unless I can study magic? There were some books in the stall I got this notebook at, vaguely mystical looking I suppose. Of course, I didn’t even have enough for this old thing. Apparently they have some sort of tradition where they give gifts to travellers to get a gift from Ew, God of Travels. It’s pronounced like the sheep. Ewe. I think so, anyway.

So I guess there are gods here. Maybe they did this to me, possibly even Ew herself really. I don’t even know if they’re actually real, or how many there’s supposed to be. Another thing to add to the list then I suppose.

I expected this whole place to look more magical honestly. I’ve not seen a single floating building, and the most magical mundane object is one of those key rocks. I’m sure I’ve overheard the name somewhere but I can’t quite remember it, it’s on the tip of my tongue really. But anyway, I was thinking I’d figure out enchanting. There’s probably a skill for it, but I think I should be able to do it with {Cursebreaker} if I try hard enough. I mean, it can get rid of curses can’t it? And what’s an enchantment but the opposite of a curse really, and what’s adding something but the opposite of removing it? It’s a bit of a stretch I suppose.

Something strange I’ve noticed is that there are no alleyways, just houses and roads. Plus, as you go further into the cities the houses start to get taller and lean together further. I bet that right in the middle they all touch each other and create a roof over the whole street, which would be nice. It seems to have been just the start of summer when I arrived so the temperatures picking up quite a bit. Apparently there’s some heat-based weather phenomenon that people are mistaking for spirits as well from what I can tell, maybe just a mirage. Or maybe actual spirits. I really have no clue.

It’s nice to be able to wander around the city without worrying about food too much. My aura is still focused inwards so I shouldn’t have to worry about breaking anyone’s spells, and as an added bonus I can’t be cursed right now! Maybe I should have it a little outwards though, just to prevent people casting spells on me? I should see about making it go just to the edge of my skin, though it would have to be an orb realistically speaking so I guess not. Well, and egg really.

I think that’s everything important then. How do people end diaries without it seeming weird? I guess they don’t

Plan of Action

-Learn to read

-Look at a map

-Learn magic? Enchanting

-Learn about gods and such

-Weather spirits?

-Aura range

-Figure out something. Forgot what I was going to put here.

----

The city was pretty cool once they moved past the similarity to regular Earth stuff. It’s name is apparently Frostcaster, which is the same naming convention as Nobleheart, possibly because the city is named after a person.

The first place thing they tried to do was find a market, initially with the hope of finding something cool to buy until they realised they didn’t have any money, and then just to look around. One of the stall owners was kind enough to give them a diary enchanted to be thin whilst still having a thousand pages, a tenfold something or other, it apparently hadn’t sold due to the inefficiency and the owner wasn’t able to get a stall deeper into the city. They did have to use Riven spell to help steal a pen, more enchanted stick really, but it did give them the opportunity to write a diary entry and get their thoughts down. The ink from the pen actually glowed slightly, which is cool.

First thing magic! Wait, no, money. And reading. Drat. How could I make money? I bet {Cursebreaker} would be helpful, but first I would need to find someone who’s willing to buy my services. I could communicate by writing in my diary, but that’s acting under the assumption that anyone writes in the same language. At the very least it’d be good to check.

It didn’t take much time to find a stall with books on it, though they expected them to be harder to find it seems that the prevalence of Skills may have made them easier to mass-produce, or at the least copy on a small scale.

The one Reto chose to look at had a cover similar in colour to the mana they saw using Cursebreaker, with the hope that it would be relating to magic. There was no text on the front, so they turned it to the spine and found some symbols. Looking at it gave them a headache but regardless they pressed on and opened it to the first page. Immediately they doubled over in pain as the headache tripled in intensity, causing their eyeline with the book to break and the pain to step.

Glancing back at the book, the words were slowly shifting, though it caused a lance of pain to go through their head again. Checking their surroundings, they saw the people nearby were looking with a mix of worry and distaste, some more of one than the other.

What is this? Why have a book that does that?

They noticed that the book was left open on the counter, and hurriedly attempted to close it without looking to much, only to experience no pain whatsoever. Not only that, the text in the book had changed to English. They looked at the book from different angles, expecting it to say the same but still trying to put effort into investigating. They were able to see that there appeared to be dozens of layers of text beneath the current one, each one possibly with a different language.

Incredible! Is this the same with every book, or just this one? What happens if I were to write something now, could it have a similar effect? I’d assume it’s just this book, were it not that there was a similar effect with spoken language.

“Um, are you alright sir?”

The owner of the stall was looking at Reto in confusion, after seeing someone collapse in pain and then immediately recover with no explanation. The only response he got was a nod of their head, which barely alleviated any of his concerns.

Heedless of those around them, Reto looked at the spine of the book to see what it was about. The text read ‘A study on the use of hand sigils for silent casting’.

“You do realise that manually learning spells is pointless, right? All you’ll be doing is the same sort of stuff any half Accomplished mage could with almost no effort, not to mention how limited the field is anyway. Not to mention that book is probably cursed with the way I got hold of it, some shifty guy in a hooded cloak handed it to me and said ‘It must be done’. Absolute freak, I tell ya’. Honestly think that he drove off-“

At this point they stopped listening to the salesman, instead focusing on the book itself.

Hand sigils? I wonder…

Opening the book, the majority of what they found inside was text talking about the usage of hand sigils in the past, historically speaking. Apparently, someone discovered them millennia ago and then somehow they were all but lost to time. There was no actual description of them however, until the very end stamped onto the back cover. Unlike the rest of the book, it was unprofessional and hurried, only done in one colour of ink as well.

It was a selection of four books for further information, the first of which was named ‘Extrapolation on the fundamentals of hand sigils’, on the cover were illustrations for the five hand signs that spell out Fire.

That’s, that’s just sign language? Does this mean that I could already do it? I’ve used it before though and nothing happened? I need to know more.

They flipped the book over such that the back pages were facing the salesman, with a finger pointing to the book with the illustrations on them.

“-that Barber helped them both as well, I swear it. Out to get me, the lot o’ them. Oh, are you interested in that book? You know what, just because you’re such a good listener I’ll point you to where you should be able to find it, there’s this stall run by a foreigner, a Tabbi, completely covered by cloth if you’d believe it. Barbaric I know, you got no idea whatsoever what’s going on in there, but anyway if you go just over in that direction, round the corner to the left and go forward I while, should put you right in front of it. Oh, but be careful. She doesn’t talk, that one. Completely silent! Unnerves me it does, I swear if I had any say in it the guards would have taken her right back where she came from two tails from yesterday, I tell ya’.”

Well, putting aside the blatant racism that I can’t be bothered to even think about, that’s been quite helpful. It should stand out if most stalls aren’t covered like that. I wonder why the difference anyway? I suppose she must be from a place with lots of wind or something? Sand maybe? Or it’s unrelated to her origins, and she just likes the privacy. Maybe she has weak skin? Ah, this isn’t important, and that shopkeepers rambling has rubbed off on me. I should focus.

In the time since they first visited that stall, the marketplace seemed to have doubled in population, there was hardly any place to stand without almost bumping into someone, and the sounds of shopkeepers advertising their wares through shouts. Some seemed to pierce the hubbub more than others however, in particular a salesman apparently selling enchanted jewellery.

I’ll be back for you, jeweller.

Just over the tops of peoples heads, they could make out tall floating signs made out of ribbons and cloth and, in one strange case, light. It seems that with the addition of magic and the whole RPG thing, shopkeepers have to get much more creative to keep up with the competition.

Rounding the corner caused a stark difference however. Immediately, they could tell that this place is just a touch worse off than the other that is just next to it. There seemed to be a physical wall, as people tried to get as close to the stalls they want to get to that just so happen to not be here. That isn’t to say that there aren’t any people here, far from it, just that the difference is large enough that they wouldn’t be surprised to know that some sort of Skill were involved.

Not only that, but the amount of people loudly selling things or showing off floating signs seemed to diminish, though not by any extreme amount. In truth, they were surprised to have noticed at all.

Somewhere near the end, where market stalls transition into regular housing, was a tent rather than a tall.

This must be it.

When closer, it became much more apparent that people were somewhat avoiding this stall. Their eyes seemed to skip past it, not without a flicker of emotion crossed their face, be is disgust, anger, or pity. Even as they approached, they felt their attention be almost pushed away from it, not enough that it can’t be fought against but enough to know that someone wants them to leave. If they were busy doing something else, they wouldn’t be surprised if they missed it altogether.

Just what is the deal with this stall, and why is it the only one I could have gone to in order to find that book?

The flap of the tent was closed, though a flickering blue light could be seen coming from under it, faint though it was against the afternoon sun. They stepped through, the flap, moving at the very edge of it to minimize the amount that it opens. Inside, the first thing they noticed was the bed. Then, the shelves of books that went just higher than the ceiling which contains them. Finally, the cat sitting behind a small desk, an almost empty lockbox in front of them.

What in the-. Wait, this isn’t actually that weird. Seriously though, Tabbi? Like a fucking Tabby cat, or a Tabaxi from DnD? Get more creative, at least. Is the tent because of her eyes then? I think cats have good night vision, which means they probably have pretty bad day vision right?

The woman had, contrasting what Reto might have expected, more than just cat ears and a tail. In fact, she was entirely covered in sandy yellow fur, with piercing eyes to match. Her clothes were somewhat sparse, just a thin white cloak presumably for modesty. They imagined that there was little need for additional warmth outside of her own fur, so it certainly isn’t for that.

“Ah, hello! My first customer of the day, no? To what do I owe the pleasure?”

I, didn’t think this through very much honestly, did I? Didn’t he say she didn’t speak at all? What’s the deal with that?

Logically, if she were the only person that would have the book they were looking for, or close to it anyway, then surely she would know how to use sign language, correct? Or, that was the train of thought they went down anyway.

‘I’m looking for a book on hand sigils? Magic ones, that is.’

The cat-woman’s eyes widened slightly, a her lips turned slightly upwards.

“Ah, hand sigils? What a surprise indeed. Unfortunately, I am not familiar with the ones you use, could you care to elaborate somewhat?”

Well, if she’s looking for speech she isn’t getting it. Do I seriously have to spell it out one letter at a time, or will even that not work?

Despite their misgivings, they attempted to anyway.

“Ah, no. I meant verbally? Unless, you cannot speak at all? In that case, here.”

The Tabbi handed Reto a flat blank stone, with a circle of runes drawn onto the back.

Magic iPad?

“This is a Memory tablet, named from a wide spread misconception with the way it works. You can simply project images onto it, by tapping the runes on the back. Let’s start with introductions, no? My name is Kanan, after the God of empathy, though I’ve heard tell that it is also a name for merchants. Funny, no?”

She says no a lot. Now, how does this work?

They first simply tapped on the back, after seeing that this failed, pressed their finger on it hard. After a few seconds, they felt a minor drain before almost feeling a subtle click in the back of their mind. The first thing they attempted to write their name.

‘My name is Reto, after some guy, I think. I just liked how it sounds honestly’

“Ha, not nearly as meaningful as mine, no? Though, the identity of the name is equal. Now, what is it you are looking for?”

Odd thing to say, but alright.

‘I’m looking for information on using hand signs sigils for magic, and was told you could help.’

“Indeed I can, though be aware that anything you think may be displayed, should you not be careful”

The last part was said with a badly muffled chuckle, and a grin that stayed on her face for some time afterwards. Reto, on their part, was suddenly feeling as though they should be blushing, though whether or not they were they couldn’t tell.

‘Sorry, I’m not used to being able to communicate accidentally, sign language tends to be quite purposeful’

“No apologies needed, I suppose it was quite odd. But, I do have the information you seek. The question is, are you willing to pay the price?”

‘Ominous, but yes depending on what it is. I don’t have any money though.’

“If you were hoping to charm your way into getting that book then you were sorely mistaken, though I can see by your face that isn’t your intention.”

Reto was, though used to not thinking too much about what they say, nonetheless shocked by the potential implications, and hurried to make corrections.

‘No no, of course not! I was thinking that I could break any curses you have? Or, I guess offer my services as a Cursebreaker in your store possibly? I didn’t quite think this through really’

The text was unable to fit on the stone tablet, having to disappear partway through. Thankfully, whatever Kanan’s skills are, they seem to help with reading speed as she didn’t ask for it to be repeated.

“Cursebreaking? Quite rare truly. What {Skill} would you be using to do this? I would assume not actually {Cursebreaker}, it’s not impossible but the chance of getting it at the level I’m sensing is quite low.”

‘Is it? I suppose it did take three evolutions to meet the requirements, to get {Riven Spell’

“Three evolutions? At such a low level? You just get more interesting as the hours pass to days. But yes, I should have some work for you.”

At this, they reached behind them to the bottom of a bookshelf, which held only a single long chest. Out of it, she drew four weapons. Two, a pair of gleaming turquoise daggers, with some sort of unrecognisable leather covering the entirety of the handles, pommel included. On opposite sides, each of the daggers have a completely flat edges with runes inscribed around the outside.

The third was a sword. This looked to be an ordinary steel sword, only with the strange leather for the grip. Reto got the sense that it was moving towards them, even as it stood still, and moved slightly to the side. The feeling then stopped.

The final weapon was a bow without a string, made out of a red wood with blue metal, similar to the daggers, etched into it in swirling patterns reminiscent of fire, or solar flares.

“These are four enchanted weapons, what they do is of no concern. In exchange for the book I’d like you to disenchant them, and I’ll even throw in the memory tablet if you manage it without damaging the enchantments. Deal?”

‘I’m not sure on my precision, but I can try. Deal.’

They felt a similar clicking sensation as with the tablet, only this time far larger, and this time accompanied by an insubstantial message. It said that to renege on this deal would mean death. Their hand twitched off the button, deactivating the tablet, and they decided that at the moment they would be unlikely to need it anymore anyway.

That’s worrying. They have death oaths here? Now I’m just plain stressed.

“Glad to see you taking this seriously. I’ll leave these on the desk, touch them all you want, I’m sure you know what you’re doing. In the meantime, I’ll be awaiting customers. You better get to work.”

Alright, alright, jeez.

With no further ado, they pushed themselves outwards, towards the weapons.

It’s weird to be back here, and still looks just as cool. Now, the weapons.

Similar to the previous enchanted items they saw, these were complex networks of Mana, which have possible alignments with runes on the object in question. These ones, however, had more coming off the side of them, like a cancerous growth of some kind. Clearly, they were added on after creation, rather than integrated into it, which would hopefully make it easier. It looked like purple bundles of wires, and seemed to pulse slightly in response to something they couldn’t discern.

Alright, step one, see if I can touch it.

They attempted to reach for the knife on their belt so they wouldn’t hurt themselves, but found their arm couldn’t move at all.

Right. Step two see if I can touch it, step one see if I can move. The only I can think of is to use {Cursebreaker}, because that’s how I even got here in the first place.

Indeed, with a bit of mental direction they were able to make their arm slowly move to the handle of the blade, mentally exhausting as it felt as though it was. Soon, however, it stopped working and they were stuck in place.

What? What just happened? I can’t even go back! {Stats}!

Reto Mason – Mage Adept – Lv.3

Health – 20/20

Will – 29/30

Mana – 0/55

Power

: Physical – 1.10

: Mental – 1.05

: Magical – 1.35

Durability

: Physical – 1.10

: Mental – 1.25

: Magical – 1.20

Speed

: Physical – 1.10

: Mental – 1.30

: Magical – 1.55

{Desolate Survivalism} - {Mana Feeding} - {Riven Spell}

{Anti-hero}

{Cursebreaker*}

{Adept Mage}

{Army of One}

{Dungeoneer}

My Mana is at zero? And I can’t gain more except by natural regeneration because {Mana Feeding} is concentrated in my own core. I’ll wait a while until it recovers somewhat and then try to let it out a little bit into the regular world, which should hopefully help.

It took around five minutes before a single point regenerated, at which point they immediately moved a portion of their aura outwards. It only took around two to regenerate a point afterwards, and they were able to slowly make some progress.

They realised that this would probably take hours if they didn’t speed things up, and soon just unleashed the whole thing. Of course, they didn’t think about the consequences until afterwards but by that point there wasn’t much to be done about it, though they were able to move at close to their normal speed. They were even able to calculate that one Mana would equate to around three centimetres of movement, or a little over an inch. This varies based on the speed, hence why they were completely drained from reaching for their knife, but this was the rate were they decided more efficiency wouldn’t really be worth it.

Now I can touch it! Finally.

With their knife they poked a section of the curse on one of the daggers that was as disconnected from the enchantment as possible and, when there was no reaction, pulled slightly. Immediately the curse contracted, making a sound like wires of metal crossing each other, and tore the enchantment slightly. Not enough to break it completely, but it wouldn’t be as efficient as it could be, or at least that’s what they hoped would be the case.

I… don’t have to tell her about this, right? Right.

The curse was curling in on itself quite harshly, making it difficult to cut in general, least of all cleanly. In addition, the curse on the other dagger was having a similar reaction, presumably a result of the sound. The remaining two however didn’t have much reaction at all.

I should figure out how sound travels in here, although thinking about it there must be air if I can breathe so it’s probably just that. I wonder why not all of the curses are reacting in the same way, are they from different creators?

I don’t have time for those questions right now though. It’