Finally, he stopped on one in particular. Fury Unbound. That was the ability he had his mind set on. If it worked anything like its brief description suggested, then it should function exactly the way he wanted. But first, he needed to purchase it to see the full details.
He marked the page with the quill. Once the purchase was complete, the page opened before him and the full description appeared.
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FURY UNBOUND — Strikes Hasten and Harden Briefly (WRATH)
Mode of Acquisition: The Bearer must first tear a strip from the Wrath-leaf and consume it wholly, whereupon the art becometh bound unto his very essence and may be call'd forth at will.
Mode of Application: Once the art is learn'd, the Bearer needeth only think upon its use, and a dark scarlet sigil (as a coiled flame) shall blaze upon his right forearm, visible unto him alone, pulsing with wrathful heat.
Effect:
The Bearer's strikes be they with fist, foot, or weapon gain unnatural speed and force, as if fueled by righteous anger.Each blow landeth with the might of one whose Strength exceedeth the Bearer's by two measures.The fury floweth through the body, granting swiftness akin to one whose Agility exceedeth the Bearer's by one measure.The effect maketh the Bearer a tempest in battle, overwhelming foes lesser in skill or resolve.
Activation & Duration:
Mental command alone doth summon the sigil and unleash the fury.Each use lasteth for ten heartbeats (near ten seconds), no longer.The Bearer may end the art at will by thought alone.The sigil vanisheth when the fury ceaseth.
Limitations:
Twice daily may this art be invoked, no more.The backlash of fury leaveth the Bearer weary, reducing Strength and Agility by one measure each for one hour after use.Requireth direct physical strikes; no effect on ranged attacks or weapons thrown.If the foe's Endurance exceedeth the Bearer's by three measures or more, the strikes lose their enhanced force.If exceeded by one or two measures, the foe may withstand the blows with less harm.Cannot be used in rapid succession; thirty minutes must pass betwixt each invocation.Those of high Intelligence (fourteen or greater) may sense the unnatural ferocity, growing wary of the Bearer.The art faileth if the Bearer lacketh intent to harm or fight.
Warning: The fire of wrath burneth bright but consumeth the Bearer's own vigor. Overuse breedeth weakness that inviteth defeat. The Book cautioneth: wield this fury with care, lest thine own rage be thy undoing.
Thus speaketh the Book: Let thy strikes blaze like a storm, but beware the embers that linger, for they may scorch thee in turn.
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Once he got the ability, Isaac didn't dwell on it much. Instead, he tore a strip from the Wrath page and ate it. The fragment tasted bitter, like charred wood just removed from a fire. He wanted to spit it out but forced himself to swallow. Unlike the Lust and Gluttony pages that dissolved smoothly in his mouth, this one burned its way down.
He could feel a faint heat pulsing through his veins. Sharp and fleeting. It made his right forearm tingle slightly.
"Fury Unbound huh," he muttered, a smirk tugging at his lips as he imagined crushing any threat with lightning-fast strikes that doubled with each blow he sent out.
The description's promise of power excited him, but the backlash warning gnawed at his confidence. Weakness after use could leave him vulnerable at the worst possible moment. He quickly turned to the Bearer's page, eager to see his updated stats. His heart pounded with anticipation for how this new strength would shape his path from now on.
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PAGE THE SECOND — The Bearer's Marke (BLACK)
Here lieth the measure of Isaac Wilson, Bearer of the Book, whose sins shall forge his destinie.
Name: Isaac Wilson
Race: Human
Age: 19
Level: 2
GX:60/200
SP:24
Stats:
• Strength: 10
• Agility: 11
• Stamina: 12
• Endurance: 11
• Intelligence: 15
• Charisma: 8
Thou art yet mortal, Bearer. Commit thy sins, and let these measures grow. The Book watcheth thee.
Of the Seven Rootes of Power
Behold, Bearer. These be the Seven Rootes of Power—each a key to thine ascension, each a chaine to thy soule.
I. Pride - 10/1
II. Greed - 8/1
III. Lust - 5/1
IV. Envy - 6/1Gluttony - 9/1
VI. Wrath - 7/1
VII. Sloth - 10/1
Choose thou among all the Sins, O Bearer.
Let thy soule be stained, and thy power be multiplied. For each sin committed, a marke shall be etched upon thy name.
At Present (Isaac Wilson) Abilites:
BOOK TIED SKILL - SEVENFOLD INQUEST
LUST -
• Serpent Gift [Stage 2]
• Elixir of Eros [Unique Lust Skill]
• Honeyed Whisper
GREED -
• Sip of Vitality
WRATH -
• Fury Unbound
Thus speaketh the Book.
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Looking at the Bearer's page, Isaac marveled at his progress. In less than a week since claiming the Book, he'd raised both Strength and Agility to a solid 10 and 11, surpassing his former, frail self. With only 24 SP remaining, he briefly considered boosting another stat but decided to hold onto the points for a future opportunity.
As he moved to close the Book, a sudden jolt of memory stopped him cold. He'd planned something vital upon returning home. He turned to a blank page, its pristine surface almost vibrating with latent power. Intent on uncovering details about the person tied to the fourth sin he had planned, he resolved to use Sevenfold Inquest.
He pictured the girl from school. Her mole stark on her cheek. Round glasses framing her eyes. He began scribing seven precise descriptions, including her nervous habit of tucking her hair and other traits etched in his memory. Setting the crimson quill down, he waited.
Five seconds later, words bled into the page.
Even though he'd come to accept that it was his blood being used for all this, the sight of it still made him uncomfortable. But he didn't dwell on it much.
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Name: Naomi Parker
Race: Human
Age: 18
Stats:
• Strength: 10
• Agility: 10
• Stamina: 12
• Endurance: 10
• Intelligence: 18
•Charisma: 5
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Looking at her stats, they didn't appear much different from his own until he reached her Intelligence rating. 18. That put her a full three points above him. She was even smarter than Victoria and himself combined.
He'd already begun scaling Intelligence differences based on how the Book correlated with real-life measurements. He could base Intelligence in terms of IQ. A normal, standard range for any average human should be around 100 IQ, which the Book set at 12. Moving up to genius level, where normal human IQ topped out at 140 and above, the Book placed that range from 14 to 16.
But looking at Naomi's Intelligence stat was genuinely frightening. At 18, that meant her IQ was likely over 190 or 200.
If his current level qualified as genius, then hers would be considered super genius. And that was just her natural capability. It raised an obvious question. If she was this brilliant, why hadn't she become Student Body President instead of settling for Vice President? Even if you loved someone, that didn't mean you couldn't overshadow them, right?
This revelation sparked far more interest in her than he'd felt before. Everything about her stats looked impressive except her Charisma, which sat at the bottom just like his. Though even that was better than his own. All her stats surpassed his from before he'd acquired the Book.
He was grateful he'd used Sevenfold Inquest to understand what he was dealing with before diving in. Without that knowledge, he would have paid dearly for underestimating her.
Isaac breathed out and closed the Book. He stared up at his bedroom ceiling, coming to terms with everything he'd discovered. The weight of the day's events was catching up with him, and exhaustion was settling into his bones. It didn't take long before sleep claimed him.