(Day 156) Aprilis 1st,12th year of the Dragon, Age of Enlightenment

Over the next 42 days, I relearned a lot of skills from anyone that would teach me from the village. The process went quickly because of my Jack-of-all-trades ability but it still took time. I was surprised by some of the special advantages of learning skills from a Universe with magic provided. For instance, when I’d leveled herbalism to level 100 the forest had lit up and color-coded the plants around me. If I concentrated on a specific plant I’d learn the name of the plant and in most cases some information about what it could be used for. As the days had gone by I’d begun to understand just how closed off from magic my own Universe was and how poor my fellow humans back there were for it.

While I was re-learning skills I kept having small setbacks. The main issue I kept running into while working on my weapons skills was that every single one of them was useless to me when I used my full strength. If I used my full strength, the weapon I was using disintegrated. That’s when I learned about durability and how it worked in this Universe from Raz.

“You keep breaking the weapons your training with” Raz had admonished.

“When I try to use my full strength, yeah. When I adjust my strength I seem to do all right.” I’d said.

“You do know that all normal items have a durability between 1 and 100. The durability is based on what the item is made of but also the quality it was made of. Crafters can raise the durability of items and weapons above 100. Most items have a durability of 100 or less and anything you find with a durability over 100, well it's either magical or was crafted by an exceptional crafter.”

“Okay, 100 or less got it.”

“So, what that means for weapons is that when utilized normally any weapon can handle and channel a common strength.”

“A common strength?” I asked.

“Yep, and a Common strength is any strength attribute that falls within the Common range which is 1 – 100”

“Okay that makes sense”

“Now I don’t know exactly what the upper limits are, but I know the first three” Common items can channel your common attributes so 1-100. uncommon Items can handle 101-200 and unusual items can handle attributes between 201 and 300. I have heard of Rare and Mythic items but have never seen one and have no idea what strength they can channel. I do know that there are other categories of weapons between unusual and rare though.”

I nodded thoughtfully putting everything together while Raz continued speaking.

“Now, I don’t know what your attributes are but I’m pretty sure they’re above the Common range. The weapons you’re using are disintegrating because none of them have above 100 durability and every time you use a weapon with attributes above what it can handle it takes durability damage. If the weapon is being utilized like it should it takes 10% durability damage equal to the attribute, usually strength for weapons. If it’s being used in a way that the weapon is not supposed to be used it takes 100% durability damage. An example would be using a sword. If a Sword had a durability of 100 and you had a strength of 200 and you performed a normal strike. The blade would immediately lose 20 points of its durability. Though if you struck armor or something that loss might be higher. If you used the same blade with the same strength and struck with the flat of the blade it would take 200 points of durability damage and shatter.” He paused for a moment to let that sink in, then asked, “Make sense?”

“Makes sense. So pretty much every Common item I use, I have to be careful with” I’d responded.

“What do you mean, what is your strength?” Raz had asked

“Well, let’s just say that I probably fall into the Mythical range as it’s above 1,000 and leave it at that” I replied.

“That means that every time you use a weapon you’re doing at least 100 durability damage.” Stroking his salt and peppered beard Raz thought.

“There aren’t many weapons that can take that much strength, and nothing we’re using here for sure. I would ask that you keep your strength attribute adjusted to 100 or less whenever we’re training or we’re going to have to replace everything you break.

“I understand, and I have been toning it down. Having to adjust the attributes down to 10 just to be able to learn the new skills has helped a lot. It’s only when I want to try out a new skill that I’ve leveled to 500 that things go bad.” I said.

While we continued to train I became lost in thought. It was almost like the attributes in this Universe had been set artificially low. Which made a kind of sense I guessed? If someone was a 20th level fighter and their attribute progression was comparable to mine, four points per level. That would mean that they would only have 80 points to put towards their 11 attributes. Not a huge number. With my 5,000 levels and 20,000 attribute points. I whistled and then remembered what Michael had said. I just hadn’t thought the advantage would be so overpowering. I could of course pull my punches and adjust my strength down but doing so always left me feeling weak. I didn’t like the feeling.

When I finished for the day I acknowledged the one bit of luck that came my way concerning Unarmed combat. I’d studied martial arts in my home universe so much that simply adjusting his attributes down to base 10 and removing all his skills as I practiced the memorized forms and katas had garnered me the skill equivalent for this world. I’d already learned Unarmed Combat and Unarmed Defense. Additionally, I picked up Unarmed Deflect and Meditation. I leveled Unarmed deflect to 500 but I only leveled Mediation to level 100

One skill that helped me realize that I was still missing something was Stealth. When I’d been lucky enough to get it the prompt had read:

Congratulations you have learned the skill Stealth.

To Activate: 50 Stamina

To Maintain: 0

To Remain Stealthed after whisper, encounter with environment or attack 25 Stamina

When activated this skill provides a 1% per skill level to become or remain unnoticed while stealthed.

While Stealth is active the user cannot be seen unless the Stealth Skill is overcome by another skill such as Investigation.

The user cannot move more than 1/10th their movement speed and any loud sound they make will break stealth.

Stealth is similar to Invisibility, but Detect Invisibility spells will not detect stealthed creatures.

Attacks by the stealthed individual automatically negate their stealth.

A Successful stealthed attack deals maximum critical damage.

Stealth automatically fails within the primary radius of any light spell, usually 10 feet though some light spells have larger areas.

It had seemed as if Stealth worked a lot like invisibility and had some versatility. It also felt like some major aspects of a rogue's abilities concerning stealth were missing. I’d asked Raz about it. Raz had explained to me that the stealth skill was normally a rogue class skill that any non-rogue had a hard time mastering. Monks were known to have the skill, but he’d never met one who did. My familiarity with camouflage and stealth from back home, coupled with my focus on relearning each and every unarmed skill I already knew had opened up the way for me to learn stealth which brought me to a thought concerning classes which I’d have to talk to someone about if I had the chance. I spent the XP and leveled Stealth up to 500 checking the prompts at every 100th level to see if there were any special benefits. Of course there were.

Congratulations you have increased your Stealth skill to 100. You have learned the Technique: Stealth Strike, Critical Strikes now do 3 times maximum damage, instead of the normal double damage. If a class bonus has already increased the critical strike multiplier to 3 or greater increase the critical strike multiplier by 1

Congratulations you have increased your Stealth skill to 200. You have learned Technique: Liquid Shadow, Movement Speed is now one-quarter normal movement speed. If a class bonus has already increased stealthed movement to one-quarter normal movement or greater increase stealth movement by an additional 35%, (100% Normal Movement)

Congratulations you have increased your Stealth skill to 300. You have learned Technique: Whispering Shadow, User can now make a stealth check when speaking softly or interacting with the environment to remain stealthed. Failure indicates that they become visible. Success indicates they remained stealthed. Attacks automatically negate Stealth. If the user also has the Rogue skill (Insert Rogue Skill Name Here) and level 300 or greater stealth, no stealth check is required.

Congratulations you have increased your Stealth skill to 400. You have learned Technique: Shadow Strike, Critical Strikes now do 4 times maximum damage, instead of the normal double damage. If a class bonus has already increased the critical strike multiplier to 3 or greater increase the critical strike multiplier by 1

Congratulations you have increased your Stealth skill to 500. You have learned Technique: Deadly Shadow, Users can now make a stealth check when attacking to remain stealthed. Failure indicates that they become visible. Success indicates they remained stealthed. If the user also has the Rogue skill (Insert Rogue Skill Name Here) and level 500 or greater stealth, no stealth check is required.

I focused on learning the skills I could. I also learned armor defense for every type of Armor they had in the village.

Congratulations you have learned the skill Light Armor

Provides a 1% bonus to Armor Rating per skill level

Provides a .1% bonus to movement rate per skill level until 10% movement penalty is negated

Congratulations you have learned the skill Medium Armor

Provides a 1% bonus to Armor Rating per skill level

Provides a .1% bonus to movement rate per skill level until 25% movement penalty is negated.

Congratulations you have learned the skill Heavy Armor

Provides a 1% bonus to Armor Rating per skill level

Provides a .1% bonus to movement rate per skill level until 50% movement penalty is negated.

Reviewing all of my new Unarmed Combat prompts after I leveled them to skill level 100. I’d realized that for now, the only weapons I could use without fear of breaking them were the nine spells I knew, my abilities, and unarmed attacks. Though, those unarmed attacks had become somewhat ridiculous when utilized at full power, especially if I achieved a critical hit. I thought about the skills I just learned and then asked Raz to explain the timing of combat for me so I could put everything into a frame of reference.

Raz had thought for a bit then explained. “Combat ebb and flow but if you want to try to quantify it a normal person can take one action every second or so. Though doing so has a cost in Stamina. Magic behaves a little differently and I’m not a mage so can’t really explain that” he said then paused for a second and continued. As you become more proficient in a skill you can sometimes add attacks in that ‘Combat Round’ or second. Also, your base attributes can increase your attack rate. As I once told you, the average person is normal if their attributes are 10. So, a person that has a 100 in the Agility attribute could move up to 10 times faster than someone with only a 10 if they had the stamina to do so. I’m not exactly sure which combinations of attributes increase the number of attacks someone can make but I have noticed that when you are at your full power you are fast which leads me to believe you’re keeping your attributes about even.” He paused for a moment to let that sink in.

Raz continued. “So, let’s consider that you might have attributes at 100 across the board. You could attack up to 10 times faster than other people with a 10 in their attributes except that there is a cost penalty to each action you try to take during your combat round after the first. The first attack has its normal stamina and mana cost. As I said, I don’t know about magical attacks. For physical attacks, the 2nd attack adds 100 stamina to the cost, and Each attack after that second one doubles that stamina penalty cost. So, while someone might have the theoretical ability to be 10 times faster than someone else and perform 10 actions in the space of a second. Their stamina would plummet as they tried to take every action after the first. Part of the skill training you’re doing reduces some of that stamina cost in some cases but more appropriately it makes those single attacks you do in your combat round more powerful so you can take down your opponents with fewer attacks and less stamina spent.”

Raz’s explanation had been very helpful. Reviewing my basic Unarmed Combat Skill, I’d seen the normal +1 to hit per skill level and noted that the basic attack cost 10 stamina and did 1-4 points of damage per category up to 5-20 for skill level 500. That meant that of all my attack skills, my Unarmed Combat skills were by far my cheapest to use. Though kicks and other special attacks had increased costs and weapon utilization also used more Stamina.

I checked my Personal Interface and noted that his stamina regen was 31 a second. My Agility was 1,818 so theoretically I could make 18 attacks in a single combat round. If I was just using hand attacks I could make 7 attacks for 6370 stamina.

I could slow down and take actions at a more leisurely pace but with my stamina regeneration being 31 a second. I could make a hand attack each round and move and my stamina regeneration rate would replace the used stamina each second.

I moved my thoughts back to my original line of thinking. No weapons I currently had access to could stand up to my strength, save my own body. Every time I attacked with a weapon it would take at least 181 durability damage, and that was if I was using it right. If I was using it wrong that would be 1818 points of durability damage. I guess if I absolutely needed to kick the snot out of something, I’d have to do it with my bare hands or feet for the foreseeable future. Though, I could destroy weapons really quick, if I wanted to

“Adam, stop daydreaming and get your butt over here. We need help setting up the table and getting everything ready for tonight.” A young wood elf called to me.

“Okay Cera, be right there,” I said as I put what I’d been thinking about out of my mind and concentrated on the people around me. In a couple of minutes, I was wrapped up in the tasks of the day, helping my new friends prepare for the Spring festival. It was the first day of spring after all. I thought about Adaline and how she might be doing then realized she was probably having the time of her life as well; she was a dragon after all.

The day passed without incident and the festival began with a prayer by Elder Jasilla. As the sun set she raised her hands to the west, towards the sun, and intoned, “We give thanks for all that was, all that is, and all that will be. May this next year be prosperous and may this village remain a safe place for those with no ill intent.”

I smiled as everyone whispered “So say we all” in Elvish. I was so shocked by the parallel to something from Battlestar Galactica from my own Universe that I was completely surprised when a man in Black robes popped into existence in front of me and declared,

“I, Arch-Mage Findal. Master of the Place of Power Death's Crevice, challenge you, Master of the Place of Power of Apolyn’s Abode to single combat to the final death for possession of your Hearth Crystal. Let no one stand before or between us until this challenge is complete.”

I felt as if a hand had gripped and froze me in place as a prompt opened in my personal interface.

Woe and bad tidings Master of Apolyn’s Abode. You have been challenged for ownership of your Place of Power. The forms have been followed, the challenge declared and witnessed. You may not decline this challenge.

There was an audible “Pop!” and suddenly Arch-mage Findal and I were alone on an open plane that seemed to go on forever in all directions. I gauged that we were about 100 feet apart. Without a word, Arch-Mage Findal pointed a staff he was pointing the tip of at me and activated a spell.

I was no fool. I immediately rescinded all adjusted attributes and activated, or tried to activate, Analyze. That was when I remembered that I’d never actually leveled that ability and it only had a range of one foot. ‘Well shit balls’ I thought as Arch-Mage Findal’s spell raced towards me and struck then struck me full force in the chest and did absolutely nothing? I checked the combat log.

Combat Log

Arch-Mage Findal casts the level 500 spell “Hellish Immolation” at target Adam from Staff of Hellish Immolation.

Damage: 168,000, (Target is completely immune to all forms of fire, including that which originates from any hellish plane, adjusted damage 0.)

I acted without hesitation. Utilizing the full power of my new Unarmed Combat I jumped so that I’d perform a spinning roundhouse kick targeting the Arch-Mage's head. I continued the kick and kicked him again. As I landed, I immediately started striking the arch-mage with a punch then an elbow strike from each arm. I realized I was not going to be able to keep this up much longer. I’d used one-sixth of my stamina making those six attacks, If I made one more attack my stamina would plummet. This would have to be my last attack for this combat round. In a last-ditch effort, I made his seventh, and final, attack by jumping to plow my knee into his jaw. I landed lightly on my feet in front of the Arch-mage and looked on in wonder as the head I hoped had been pulped or was shooting up and away from his body hovered one foot back from where I’d my knee had struck him as blue eldritch fire frozen in space hung between the severed head and torso. Before I could think too long on the issue a new prompt appeared.

Congratulations, you have successfully defended a contest of wills for the control of your Place of Power. Claim your reward.

I immediately reviewed my combat prompts skimming the information quickly, ignoring the numbers for the most part

Begin Combat Log

Action 1,

Adam performs a flying roundhouse kick with his right foot, Success!

Critical Strike noted.

Target Death Shield Active.

Death Shield is sustained by mana from Mage

Damage Absorbed

Action 2

Adam continues flying roundhouse kick with his left foot, Success!

Critical Strike noted.

Target Death Shield Active.

Death Shield is sustained by mana from Mage

Damage Absorbed

Action 3

Right-hand palm strike, Success!

Critical Strike noted.

Target Death Shield Active.

Death Shield is sustained by mana from Mage

Damage Absorbed

Action 4

Right elbow strike. Success!

Critical Strike noted.

Target Death Shield Active.

Death Shield is sustained by mana from Mage

Damage Absorbed

Action 5,

Left-hand palm strike, Success!

Critical Strike noted.

Target Death Shield Active.

Death Shield is sustained by mana from Mage

Damage Absorbed

Action 6,

Left elbow strike, Success!

Critical Strike noted.

Target Death Shield Active.

Death Shield is sustained by mana from Mage

Damage Absorbed

Action 7,

Jump knee to target jaw. Success!

Critical Strike noted. x2 damage.

Target Death Shield destroyed

2,160 damage to archmages jaw

Target makes Willpower save versus Mana Backlash of 1112 mana burn.

Willpower save fails.

1112 mana burn damage to Arch-Mage Findal.

Total Damage to target: 3,272

Head snapped from target body.

Target has died.

End Combat Log.

As I finished reading the combat log the mage's head morphed into a Black Crystal and floated towards me as a gold prompt appeared.

Congratulations, you have found the Hearth Crystal to the Place of Power, Death’s Crevice. This Hearth Crystal contains the following; Sphere of Death Level 5, Sphere of Earth Level 3, and Sphere of Darkness level 3. As the true Master of a Place of Power you cannot claim this Hearth Crystal as your Place of Power, you may only have one. You may, however, augment your Place of Power. Return to your Place of Power with this Hearth Crystal to learn more.

I read the prompt and the crystal dissolved into my arm. I knew I could draw it forth with a thought but unlike the Mark I’d received from his Place of Power this Hearth Crystal did not permanently mark me Utilizing Identify, I searched the mage and removed every single thing I found.

Congratulations, you have found an Empty Mana Battery. Rating 5000

Congratulations, you found a ring of spell storing. This ring currently has a Teleport spell saved into it. Destination fixed, Destination unknown.

Congratulations, you have found a Legendary Staff of Hellish Immolation. This staff can cast the Level 500 spell Hellish Immolation. It has a maximum of three charges. Charges will automatically renew at a rate of one per 10-day week. Two of Three charges left. Time to full charge, 10 days.

Congratulations, you have found Common Robes of the Arch-Mage. These robes increase the wear’s Mana Regeneration by double and provide 20% resistance to all forms of magical damage.

Congratulations, you have found a Ring of Holding, Legendary. This Legendary Ring was owned by Arch-Mage Findal and was Soul-Bound to him. Upon his death during a duel for his Place of Power ownership of the Ring was transferred to the victor. The ring is now soul-bound to Adam, Master of the Place of Power for Apolyn’s Abode. This Ring of Holding has a 100 x 100 grid and negates 95% of all weight carried.

Current Contents

300 Copper, 221 Silver, 103 gold, 20 Platinum. Dried Rations, seven days’ worth. 7 waterskins (full), full, two daggers. Winter Cloak. Bed Roll, tent, 50’ rope, and 22 Magical Tombs (Not Identified),

I put the Ring of Holding on and placed everything else in my Belt of Holding for now. I was pretty sure the rule about putting portable holes and bags of holding inside each other from my gaming days made sense and I wasn’t going to see if the writers of that RPG had been right. Once I’d claimed the items and put everything away I wondered what I was supposed to do to leave. With that thought, a blue eldritch flame consumed the Arch-mage as I disappeared and found himself back at the Festival of Spring.

As I reappeared, the look of shock on everyone’s faces was apparent. They all knew something had happened but had no idea how to react.

I smiled at Elder Jasilla, shrugged, and said “Someone was trying to cause a ruckus. Dangers passed, promise”

The Elder looked at me, glanced around carefully, then shrugged and finished her prayer. “May we celebrate this first day of Spring among our friends and family as we look to this new year. May Serena Bless and Guide us all.”

Everyone in the village cheered and then the party got started. I danced, drank, danced some more. Drank some more and tried Fey wine for the first time. I had always thought the stories of elvish wine potency from the novels I’d read and the games I’d played had been overexaggerated, I don’t remember much of that night.