Our training is stepped up even further. Whatever happened during her meeting with the Duke, Jezabel is determined to make us pay for it. Two more sets of rings are added which brings the weights on our bodies to around one hundred pounds. I feel like I can barely move. Despite our condition, we're made to continue our patrols. Jezabel hands us potions that increase our strength so we can escape during an emergency as our speed has been reduced substantially. I thought the increased rigor of the training would do me in but the seal system seems to reward our effort with a flood of dopamine and endorphins. I enjoy a fervor far above a runner's high. The kids are also being effected and I notice a crazed look in Josh's eyes sometimes while working out.
More troops begin arriving in the plains before the forest as they continue their siege. Several towers have been set up with low spinning blades to grind up the Arborous Ants as they approach. After that first massive wave, the Duke's forces are only attacking a single tree at a time to steadily deplete their population. Incidentally, my level increased significantly during that first wave. Apparently, we were gaining some small amount of experience from the nearby ants as they died; there were just so many that it added up quickly.
"Hey, I want to talk to you about something." Nick says while we're in his room that night.
'What's up?' I reply as I come back from my deep state of meditation.
"We've got a lot of levels and bonus points now and I was thinking about what to use them for?"
'What do you mean? I thought they were just for increasing our stats?'
"That's what a lot of people do, but there are other options."
'Lay it out for me.' I relax into the mind-sea as I focus on Nick's voice. He spends a moment organizing his thoughts before continuing.
"Usually, only academics and librarians are patronized by the God of Wisdom, so we're in kind of a weird position."
'How so?'
"Well, we can trade levels for skills and spells instead of just points."
'Oh. really? Then we can just get more levels to keep getting skills. Isn't that really good?'
"Yes and No. The God of Wisdom is one of the primary gods so it makes sense that their patronage is powerful but it's still considered weak compared to the other primary gods. On one hand, it has diminishing returns so each trade requires more levels than the last, and it has to be earned where other primary gods have a lot more immediate benefit."
'Okay, I still think it's pretty good though.'
"Me too. I was just thinking about what skills we should do with our points and levels."
'We should get skills, right?'
"Yeah, that's what I was thinking..."
'But?'
"But, how do I explain this... We get points for gaining personal as well as for increasing our skill, job, or spell levels."
'What's your point?'
"From what I'm reading here, the points gained from personal levels will be returned when traded in which means temporarily losing the skills or stats that they are used to obtain, while the other levels are not."
'Alright, let me get this straight. Say we use personal level points to get one skill and increase one stat, those disappear when we trade in the levels associated with those points?'
"Yeah, that's right. So if we use our personal points to increase our stats, we can remove them by trading in our levels."
'Which means we can get a temporary power boost but still drop back down to level one so we can get the greatest benefit from our training! Nick, you're a genius!'
"Haha, thanks." He giggles.
'Okay, then how do we ensure we only use personal level points for stat increases?'
"It looks like the only way to be sure is to drop back down to level one so you only have your other points, and then spend those so you only have personal points until one of your non personal levels increase."
'That's complicated.'
"Don't worry. I'll handle it. We just need to pick out a skill to spend all our levels on."
'Sounds good, what were you thinking?'
"Well, here's our choices."
Nick opens our status screen and selects a button down at the bottom that reads 'Wisdom.'
'Whoa, when did that get there?'
"It only showed up after we reached level twenty so only earlier today."
'Damn, it has been a long day now that I think about it.'
"Mhmm, so here are our choices."
Flash Step Skill
Cost: 26 levels
Description: Temporarily increases movement speed while accelerating stamina consumption; difficult to control.
Stone skin Skill
Cost: 24 levels
Description: Increases Resilience stat by 10 points per level
Anchoring Skill
Cost: 25 levels
Description: Increases friction of substance in localized environment
A few other skills are also within our price range but these three standout to me, particularly the Anchoring Skill. I can't stop thinking about how cool it was to see Jezabel use it. Just imagining running up walls like a ninja is giving me goosebumps.
'How about the Anchoring Skill?' I ask.
"Hmm, I think it's a good skill but I've read somewhere that you can learn it without using points so I think we should try that."
'Okay, what about the Stone Skin Skill?'
"We can learn that by picking up any martial job class so I don't think that's a good idea."
'Alright, what about the Flash Step Skill?'
"That's what I was thinking. I think it's only available to higher tier job classes or by trade ins."
'What are we, married? Just come out and say that next time. It's like I'm asking my wife where she wants to eat for dinner.'
"You're married?"
'What? No, just, nevermind. Forget it. Next time just tell me what you're thinking. You know a lot more about the system than I do.'
"Okay!"
We decide to get the Flash step skill but we're still a few levels short. Luckily, we haven't checked the dungeon in a few days so there might be some goblins there.
Early the next morning we sneak down into the sewer and kill the two goblins there which gives us the necessary levels to purchase the skill. Then there's just the question of what to do with the points.
Another button has appeared at the bottom of our status that reads 'Point Shop' and another that simply reads 'Notes.'
"Wow, that's convenient. Those gods really new what they were doing when they designed this thing."
I jot down our current non personal levels so we don't accidentally spend those points, and then check the Point Shop. A huge list of skills appear, much more than are available from the Wisdom shop. Unfortunately, they all require far more points than we have at the moment.
'Now what?' Nicks says dejectedly as we have our morning stroll to the guild.
"How about we put the points into Processing Power?"
'But, then it will be harder to train.'
"Yeah, but we weren't easily making good progress on that one anyway so I don't think it will change much. Besides, you mentioned that it will help us learn other skills faster."
'Okay! Let's do that!'
I put our pitifully few points into Processing Power as we arrive at the courtyard. Jezabel is already hard at work. Considering she was still at it when we left, it feels like she's been working out all night. Maybe that's what it takes to gain stats once they get too high.
I pick up where I left off yesterday and try not to make eye contact.
"You!" She says, sending a chill down my spine.
"Yes?"
"How do you get in contact with the fairies? I want to help them win this war."
"I thought we weren't supposed to take sides or something."
"Fuck that. I want the Duke bastard dead."
"Well, I don't really do anything. They usually just kind of show up, although they didn't yesterday; they might be hiding now that the forest is under siege."
"Damn, set up a meeting if you can. I want to talk to them." Jezabel goes back to training without saying anything else. Looks like I've got a new assignment.
I cut my workout short in order to try and meet up with the fairies before dark. Josh and Sakura ask me what I'm doing and I explain the situation to them. Josh, of course, is ready to join me which means Sakura ends up along with us as well.
Few adventurers go to the the forest since the siege began so the walk feels unusually lonely. The towers set up to strike the Mammoth Trees are aimed at a spot on the west so we enter at the east side of the treeline. I tie a rope around my waist so I can easily find my way back while the kids hold the other end. Hopefully they don't need to drag me out.
I step past through the dense dark section of trees into the fungal layer. The alien world opens up before me. I figure moving around this far in is my best chance of finding any fairies.
"Hello?" I call out into the technicolor void. A few ants run across the side of one of the trees and I see a Punctastar wriggling nearby. I tug at the rope to make sure it's still taut before moving even deeper. Every turn looks the same as the last. I'd be absolutely doomed if I ever got lost in here.
"Hello?" I call out again.
No response.
I'm sure the fairies are concerned about the siege but I didn't expect them to just hide away. They've already won the last several wars so I thought they'd have more confidence.
"Hellooo." I tug at the rope again but it goes slack. "That's not good."
"Who are you looking for all the way out here?" Two knights ask as the approach while holding the other end of the rope.
"Ah, thanks, I was lost." I lie. "Can you help me find my way back?"
"Yeah, right. We'll help you find your way to the Duke and you can explain to him everything you know about the fairies."
"I don't know what you're talking about. What's a Doop?" I start talking gibberish to hopefully buy myself enough time to cut the rope around my waist with the dagger I use to hunt goblins.
"Duke, the Duke." The other knight says angrily.
"Dork? Who's a dork? You're a dork?"
"That's it! You're coming with us!"
"Flash Step!"
I yell out the name of my new skill in my mind and dash away.
"Hey! Get back here!" The knights follow close behind even after I chug the strength potion. The only advantage I have is my small size. I duck under roots and fly back and forth around the huge trunks.
"Stop!" A hand grabs the scruff of my neck and I thrust my spear at him without thinking. When I turn around I see him holding the shaft of my spear with a sick grin on his face. "Careful with that, you might just hurt someone."
He let go of my armor when he grabbed my spear so i drop the weapon like a lizard loosing its tail and keep running. My stamina is low. After only a couple minutes of running I'm almost gassed and yet the knights aren't even breathing heavy. Truly, stats are king.
With the last of my strength I dive behind a tree and try hiding in the roots.
"The more your run, the more this is going to hurt. Just come on out and make this easier for everyone."
"Fuck that, I'mma break one of his legs so he can't run away again."
"Shut up, we need to catch him first. Idiot."
I hear them getting closer, their quick breaths beat down the back of my neck.
"Hey, what's that?"
"The glow? It's probably just fungus, I wouldn't-"
Zip
"Abdi! What happened!"
Zip
The forest goes silent. All I can hear is the sound of my ragged breaths. I peak out from behind the roots and find the two knights face down on the ground; a small trail of blood dripping out of the back of their heads.
"I believe you wanted to talk about something."