We’re all at the mercy of the whims of the Power when it comes to our destiny.

Wisdom of the Ancients, book 2.

Moore was very happy with himself. The pure optimization of the scrolls created, combining skills that didn’t need anything with other stats in advance…

Of course, it helped that Mr. Bertram Jr. had so many XP points available and that Moore could actually see up to level 8 for skills. Those points came with age and what looked like a rough life. The only man he’d “seen” with more XP was that sergeant in Valetta, who had been a level 10 skill-less Duelist. He briefly wondered what had happened to the soldier, if he’d survived the war.

It pained him a bit to provide so many skills outside of his Team, but the planned expedition needed a lot of muscle to face hordes of Changed beasts as promised in all the notes he’d read. She was only starting, but given Johanna’s picks, he might be the future frontman for that expedition. So, he selected a mix of offense and lots of utility for added mana reserves. Call Lightning if there were enough clouds around. Ember Chains as a backup at closer range. Fusion and Chill Metal were probably useless against beasts, but they could be alternatives against people if need be.

Now, it was going to be the case of the “vampire”.

It didn’t matter how nice he acted. And Moore knew the world was real, not a mass of tropes from bad TV series. Yet, he couldn’t make himself trust a vampire – one that the System said he was, despite the innocuous-sounding euphemism – with something truly risky. Some melee, and defense, yes. Just not raining doom or instant slaying. Or mind fuckery. Especially mind fuckery with a vampire.

Thankfully… given what he remembered from Sengfield’s descriptor, he had the perfect combo.

If he had the right equipment anymore, he’d have laughed himself silly at the idea.

“That’s not what you expected?” Miles said.

“Five Talents… are the biggest we’ve ever seen. Laura and I have both five, Mark – the Hero I told you about your bow – also has five. Yet you are already at seven.”

Johanna had glumly picked the eighth book, expecting even more insanity to happen. But to her surprise, the parchment that materialized was a four-fold one. Level. Perception. Barkskin. WoodShaper.

“Looks like it’s over for you, Miles,” she said, trying to hide her relieved tone.

“Oh? Only seven? Are you sure?” he replied, barely holding a chuckle.

She looked at Ulrich, then showed him the parchment of power.

“You think…?” he asked.

She shrugged and the thirster picked up the scroll. Which lit up.

“Wood Shaper isn’t something I’d have expected to see,” she said.

“I’m wondering if that’s not the common specialization of the Erlangs,” Ulrich replied.

“All I know about them is that they have three eyes. And they come from over the ocean.”

“They are supposed to be the purveyors of their lands. Making things grow, shaping plants, those kinds of things. People have said they were like the druids of old, priests of natural powers.”

“Really?”

“Of course, even among the Erlangs, such powers are rare. More common than among humans, but still not something the average Erlang has. They get their reputation of mighty Sorcerers because they are the most numerous Changed species of men and sorcery does come to them easier.”

“Will they get jealous of you?” she asked.

“Why… oh.”

“You’re probably going to have some ridiculous number of Talents.”

She could see him hesitating.

“Not everyone can be a Fire Shaper,” she said, “even with your family. Look at the Burning Walker who was without an Erlang’s traditional powers, if what you say is right.”

“I’m the reverse Burning Walker,” he laughed, and the parchment burst into flame and vanished.

“Welcome to the rank of sorcerers, Wood Shaper Ulrich Sengfield,” she intoned.

He bowed respectfully, but he had a large smirk showing.

The next scroll made her startle again. Level, Agility, Entangle. Then she remembered that not only had Mark Kunst gotten two Levels, but Miles had a single one for seven fucking Talents. She would have to revise her idea of Levels. They meant something different… although the Ancient seemed to almost always start with that one, for some reason. And Petra had gotten a second one, later. In any case, if their idea of payment for the scrolls was correct then both Miles and Ulrich seemed to have a lot of accumulated back pay to spend.

The third paper square for Ulrich was another surprise. Dexterity and Dark Flame.

“I think you may have gotten your uncle’s magic,” she noted.

“Really?”

After the sixth parchment, Enter Tree, formed, Johanna started to fret internally.

How do they get so many Talents? Do… do 20 years make that much of a difference?

She was already on the second shelf, but the next book did not start to change. She looked at it for a few more seconds, before letting out a sigh.

“And I think that’s it.”

“You got only six,” Miles said to his old friend.

“And I really need to take notes while I remember what… wait, you started with what? Chill Metal after Call Lightning?” Johanna asked.

“If you don’t remember, I do. Don’t worry,” Miles replied.

“Be right back.”

She almost ran out of the house and rushed to where they’d looted. Tom was lounging on what looked like a very old, yet intact, chair, taking in the afternoon sun. Their backpacks were next to him, and she immediately plunged into hers to find her notebook and pencil.

“Something?”

“About fifteen books. Reasonably thick. I’ve started converting them.”

“Need me?” he said, starting to rise.

“Not right now. We’re good. We’ll pack them later.”

Back in the house, she found Miles and Ulrich looking at the stacked books on the table where she’d put them after making each parchment.

“What happened to those books?” Miles asked.

“Making the parchments of power consumes pages from the book. Sometimes a lot.”

“Is that what they’re called?”

“Parchments of Power has a nice sound to it,” Ulrich judged.

“That’s our name for them, yes.”

She pulled out the page that had been devoted to Catherine Rocastle’s Talent list, adding “Metal” to the original “Shaper” title. Then, she had Miles repeat his parchment list.

“So, you had the same Talents already.”

“Yes. Although I don’t understand why Catherine had only Shaper instead of Metal Shaper.”

“Then you know these Talents you gave me.”

“Some. Fusion… lets you melt metal. You don’t even have to touch it. Detect Metal does exactly what it says. You can sense metal, and recognize which one, even in alloys. I told you already, I think Call Lightning may be what was used early in the War in the North against the Warden. The rest…”

“We may guess from the names, maybe. Chill Metal…”

He pulled out his hunting knife and looked at it. A few seconds later, some beads of condensation started to appear on it.

“Yes. That sounds right.”

“It does cool down the metal then?” she asked, before taking notes. “I’ll probably have to check on the reference tome of the Mages of America if it’s known,” she added.

Mirror, Miles tried on a wall and a perfectly reflective surface formed. She’d seen plenty of mirrors, from home to various inns, and this was, clearly, the best one she’d ever seen.

“I feel empty,” he said just after that test.

“You are just promoted to being one of the most powerful mages in history, but you haven’t enough mana available right now.”

“How is that?”

“When I exhaust my mana reserves, it takes the entire night to get it back in full. I might be able to sustain my flame for hours, but if I try with the blade, it cuts down the duration to half. The more Talents I use at the same time, the faster I run dry. I can throw a lot of fireballs, then I get that empty feeling you just felt, and I can’t do it again until I sleep it out. You had essentially no mana at all until a few minutes ago, and it will take hours to fill your reserves.”

“So, you’re saying I need to wait to check all those Talents you’ve just given me?”

“Well, you can test them after waiting something like half an hour. You just can’t sustain them. Same thing for you, Ulrich.”

She finished taking notes under the Wood Shaper heading, before slapping the notebook closed.

Ulrich Johan Sengfield

Male thirster, 42 years, 2 months

Wood Shaper

Level: 7 (21000 XP needed)

Mana: 2/271 (+24 per hour)

0 unallocated skill points

XP: 16180

STR: 14 (2000 XP needed)

AUT: 18 (2000 XP needed)

Thorn Fist (61)

AGI: 16 (2000 XP needed)

Entangle (39)

PER: 19 (5000 XP needed)

Barkskin (45)

Enter Tree (64)

DEX: 16 (2000 XP needed)

Dark Flame (23)

EMP: 16 (2000 XP needed)

Slow Poison (39)

Skin 45% more resilient

+3.9 Agility for skill checks

+2.3 Authority for skill checks

61% more weight carry

LD50 increased by 390%

Water needs per day lower by 64%