“The sight in my left eye is really the only lasting damage I have, I swear!” Nova said while sitting by my side.
She had snuggled under the bedsheets and close to my right side, where I could still embrace her.
Nova had tried keeping her tears hidden, but she burst out right after she saw my eyes grow red and shiny.
“I classed up in the middle of healing you, you know?” she said after she had me cry too.
“Harlow told me,” I answered, “But what did you choose?”
She smirked, “I’m a Healer now, a proper Healer. Look!” she said, taking out a Tracer.
“Oh, Logan found a couple on a party of dead Delvers, gave one to me.”
A Tracer was a machine that analyzed something about you, I had no idea how it did what it did, but it worked exactly like the one in the Monolith. However, this one printed the results on paper, a roll of paper mounted inside of the machine itself.
“Wait, I want to test something first. I believe I can do it myself now.”
“Do what?” she asked.
“See your complete Tracing.”
I Tracked her and wished to Trace her.
The results spoke for themselves but were not what I was expecting.
What could be nothing else but whispers, appeared in my view; they looked like dark smoke, then they solidified as black text in front of me.
Nova Nightfold, Rogue Level 11 (5239/11000), Healer Level 36 (127.589/360.000)
Health: 100%
Stamina: 93%
Strengths: Flow Shield, Willpower, Loke Nightfold
Weaknesses: Strength, Loke Nightfold
Class Skills: Escapist (Agility), Hidden Blade (Focus), Lucky Strike (Fortune)
Sub-Class Skills: Breathing Pattern (Constitution), Share your Pain (Focus), Flow Shield (Willpower), Healing Spring (Fortune)
Race: Human
Sex: Female
Height: 162 cm
Weight: 49 kg
Age: 12
Origins: Unknown, Murkstall
Family: Eleanor Goldspark-Nightfold, Faris Nightfold, Loke Nightfold
There was indeed more information than before, but it was in no way as detailed as a true Tracer.
“I can see you’ve unlocked your Rogue Agility Skill, and… for Sun’s sake. Level 36 Healer? Nova? What have you been doing these past few weeks!?” I asked, surprised.
She giggled.
“You’ll see!” She said.
But I had the idea that she was hiding something from me.“Now let’s use the Tracer. I bet you want to see what your new Status looks like, too! But mine first!” she said, placing the Tracer’s sensor on her forehead.
The Tracer buzzed, and soon after, a little sheet with the printed results left the Tracer’s bottom part.
|
Nova Nightfold |
||
|
Class |
Rogue Lv. 11 |
Agi + 2, Foc +1 |
|
Advanced Sub-Class |
Healer Lv. 36 |
Con + 1, Foc + 4, Will + 4 |
|
Attributes |
||
|
Stats |
Natural |
Augments |
|
Agility |
11 + 2 |
Boots (+2) |
|
Constitution |
16 + 4 |
Clothes (+2), Belt (+5) |
|
Strength |
9 |
Belt (+10) |
|
Focus |
16 + 5 |
Belt (+5) |
|
Perception |
7 |
|
|
Willpower |
22 + 4 |
|
|
Fortune |
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ |
|
|
Rogue Skills |
|||
|
Name |
Major |
Minor |
Passive |
|
Escapist – Agility |
★,☆ It’s a bit easier to avoid attacks |
||
|
Hidden Blade – Focus |
★ Summon a weak Shade blade |
||
|
Lucky Strike – Fortune |
★,☆ It’s a bit easier to hit weak points |
||
|
Healer Skills |
|||
|
Name |
Major |
Minor |
Passive |
|
Breathing Pattern – Constitution (Eligible for Promotion) |
☆ Breathing Flow speeds up your regeneration |
★ Your stamina recovers faster in Shade |
Constitution + 3 |
|
Share your Pain – Focus |
★, ☆ Partially absorb target’s wounds |
Heal from all types of shallow wounds |
|
|
Flow Shield – Willpower |
☆ Summon a weak Shield of Flow |
☆ Flow defends you from weak attacks |
|
|
Healing Spring – Fortune |
☆ Heal shallow wounds and ailments |
☆ Applies a weak overtime healing |
|
The first thing that I noticed was Share your Pain Passive Perk. Although it stated that she could now heal from all types of shallow wounds, her lost sight probably did not belong to that category.
I held back a sigh, and reacted in the way she would have liked, “That’s… wow! That’s proper healing, Nova! Congratulations!”
As she celebrated with me, I realized the full range of what the Major Perk on her Healing Spring meant a little later.
Nova waited with a smirk on her face as I studied the print; she knew I was slowly arriving at a conclusion.
“Wait… wounds and ailments? Ailments! The plague! You’ve healed the whole village from the Shade-plague! That’s why the massive level gain!”
“Yes!” she answered, shooting up!
“You must come to see them, Loke! You must!”
She started jumping up and down on the carpeted room, so much so, that Harlow came back, probably fearing that something bad had happened to me.
“The last one completely healed just the other day!” Nova said, “And now they are all recovering and getting back their strength! Someone is even already working the fields, Loke!” She couldn’t help but shout excitedly.
Seeing her like that, and hearing about the villagers… it was too much. I couldn’t help it; I teared up again.
She did the same but then started sobbing, throwing herself in my arms- well, arm.
And, she sobbed for a long time.
She must have gone through Abyss and back to deal with all that.
What she had done was incredible, and she had done it all without me.
My sister, Nova, my pride, my family, my all.
For the villagers and us was now the time to rebuild, time to prosper. And it was all thanks to my sister.
***
It was night, Logan had yet to be back, and Nova and Harlow slept in the guestroom.
According to Nova, Alistar had gone on a hunt; he had been the one to bring food to the villagers while I was in a coma; if I was lucky, I could see him tomorrow.
However, to see momma Jane and Ro, I would have to wait until I recovered enough. It seemed that Roana was not faring really well. What she had been through… the Abyss take those disgusting scum of slave traders, scarred her for life.
Momma Jane did not want to leave her alone. However, Nova believed that Roana would recover; she was strong, she had always been.
The excitement I felt for meeting Nova and for discovering about the state of the village had left me spent, although I did not manage to sleep.
Also, it was time I took a look at my Tracing.
Nova had left the Tracer by the cabinet near the bed.
But I looked at myself with my own Skill before using it. It displayed things that the Tracer didn’t.
Loke Nightfold, TechnoHunter Level 30 (125.046/300.000), Tamer Level 20 (2231/21000)
Health: 95%
Stamina: 65%
Strengths: Mind, Aim, Willpower
Weaknesses: Clock-arm
Class Skills: Trick Shot (Agility), Technomantic Body (Constitution), Hunting Tactics (Focus), Trace II (Perception)
Sub-Class Skills: Return to Nature (Focus), Animal Instincts (Perception), Together we are One (Willpower)
Race: Human
Sex: Male
Height: 170 cm
Weight: 59 kg
Age: 16
Origins: Unknown, Murkstall
Family: Eleanor Nightfold, Faris Nightfold, Nova Nightfold
Techonomantic Body. The name worried me for some reason also- What! I had grown four centimeters?
It was finally catching up to me, I was almost seventeen now and had gone a long way through my growth spurt without a high Constitution, but my basic Constitution would be good now. I could hope to grow another ten centimeters before I stopped growing.
But damn, four centimeters in a few weeks… it seemed I really needed resting. I chuckled.
I had lost weight, though, but that was to be expected; not only had I not moved at all for more than a month, I had even lost my left arm, or what was left of it.
However, now it was time to take a look at my stats and Skills.
I placed the Tracer on my forehead and waited for its buzzing and printing.
|
Loke Nightfold |
||
|
Advanced Class |
TechnoHunter Lv. 30 |
Agi + 1, Con + 3, Str + 3, Foc + 1, Per + 1 |
|
Sub-Class |
Tamer Lv. 21 |
Foc + 1, Will + 2, For + ☆ |
|
Attributes |
||
|
Stats |
Natural |
Augments |
|
Agility |
15 + 4 |
|
|
Constitution |
12 + 14 |
Clothes (+1) |
|
Strength |
14 + 3 |
|
|
Focus |
13 + 2 |
|
|
Perception |
17 + 7 |
|
|
Willpower |
24 + 2 |
|
|
Fortune |
★ ★ ★ + ☆ |
|
|
Hunting Skills |
|||
|
Name |
Major |
Minor |
Passive |
|
Trick Shot – Agility (Eligible for Promotion) |
★ A Shade projectile follows your shot |
★ Transfer to your Trick Shot’s location |
Agility + 3 |
|
Technomantic Body – Constitution |
Constitution is boosted by your tech-parts: (+11) |
||
|
Hunting Tactics – Focus |
★, ☆ Your target’s weak points are partially exposed |
||
|
★ ★ Trace II – Perception (Eligible for Promotion) |
★, ☆ Trace more of the whispers of the Soul |
★, ☆ Track your target and see his next move |
Perception + 6; ★, ☆ Synesthesia |
|
Tamer Skills |
|||
|
Name |
Major |
Minor |
Passive |
|
Return to nature – Focus |
★, ☆ Gain minor knowledge about your prey |
||
|
Animal Instincts – Perception |
★, ☆ Partially feel your pet’s emotions |
★ Perception + 3 with Shade |
|
|
Together we are one – Willpower |
☆ You can tame weak Flow creatures |
Your creatures can understand you |
|
Eleven points of bonus Constitution!?
Also, for some reason now Trace showed up with two Flow Stars by the name. If I had to guess, it meant that it had been Promoted with a Shiny Stone and was level two. I did not know why that would be useful, but maybe not every level two Skill had a “II” by their side, maybe some changed name entirely. Thus, the stars were used to show the actual Promotion level.
However, what took me back the most was the Trick Shot’s Minor Perk.
That did not feel like a Minor Perk at all.
If I had understood correctly, I could transfer, like transfer my body, to the location in which I threw my Trick Shot?
What was the range? And the cost in Shade? I had to try it! Right now, if I could!
I tried getting up, but it was useless. It had also started raining again outside, I getting a cold wasn’t exactly the best of plans given my current conditions.
It could wait. It could because I was tired.
The umpteenth burst of excitement of the day had finally left me with not enough strength to keep my eyes open anymore. I just wanted to rest for the whole night and maybe the day too, if I could.
***
My eyes opened up at noon.
I was famished and about to piss myself; thus, I took the chance to finally test my legs.
I felt something different in my left leg the moment I placed my feet down.
I could not see past the bandages, but I could taste under them. Blood and metal, again, of course.
Before going to sleep yesterday, Nova had healed me up as much as she could, using two regular weight Crystals, around one hundred grams each.
She said there was still a lot to do, but at least that sped up my healing. Also, the overtime healing seemed to have boosted my recovery over the night.
And judging from my conditions, I guessed she had healed me again this morning.
I would have to scold her; she could not use that much Flow without a pause; she would really get cancer. Gramps always said that. Or maybe not?
Given her new Passive Perk of Share your Pain, I wasn’t certain of it anymore.
I couldn’t say; maybe Logan knew.
I tested my legs by getting up, and the imbalance of the complete lack of my left arm was soon noticeable. But it would do.
I would get used to it. It was nothing my Agility couldn’t keep up with.
I removed my shirt and felt that I could remove the bandages on my chest and abdomen. I did not feel anything from there, so they had likely healed entirely.
It wasn’t easy doing so with only one hand and completely bound by bandages on top of it, but I managed.
Scab and reddened skin partially covering the metal showed up as I removed the gauze, but the healing wound did not seem serious. I was ready to bet that I did not need any more bandages.
I could feel the wounds itch a little, a sign that the scab was about to heal too.
My right side, where the arrow had hit me, had just a small, old scar that looked like a star, but nothing else.
I removed my baggy pantaloons and sweated while removing the bandages that went from below my hip to below the knee.
There were massive scars there; it almost looked like I had been mauled.
While on the knee and on my hip was the scab.
The scabbed parts were the ones where I had been operated on to insert the implants. They were fresh, contrary to the ones that had healed during my coma.
In the middle of the scab protruded the metal parts. They were not heavy, and thankfully had no sockets for Crystal, however, I suspected one of them had it. And in fact, my substituted knee had indeed a socket for Crystals. My ability to walk now depended on a battery Crystal.
I sighed, accepting my new reality.
It wasn’t hard, though, really. I had already gone through such an adaptation period. I would get used to this as well.
There was no mirror in the room, but I guessed that I would find the same scab behind my back, where the backbone rings had been replaced with clock implants.
I touched them and felt scab and metal, but nothing big enough to need Crystals. I was relieved, that would have indeed made me dependent on somebody else to switch them.
When it was time to remove the bandage on my face, I just couldn’t. I wasn’t ready for it. I knew that I could see from that covered eye, but maybe my face was too scarred, maybe I had become… ugly. I didn’t want to know.
Nova said that as a Hunter, I needed to see the depth, and that was why she had gifted me with her sight by absorbing my wound. I felt my eyes grow itchy as I thought about it.
I couldn’t help but thank her with all my heart.
Then I dressed back up, it was time to eat and piss, and… how would I clean myself with this bandaged hand? Damn, I had to find Harlow and have her remove the bandages.
When I was done dressing up, I got close to the window and I saw them. They were all there, about to eat by what would probably be the last few clear skies of the season.
Nova, Harlow, Logan, and judging by Nova waving to someone down the Hill, Alistar was on his way here too.
I could surprise him and them by joining for lunch.
***
Descending the stairs to take the back exit that led to the cabin to relieve myself, I couldn’t else but be attracted by something that lay on the work table.
It was partially covered, but a hand sprouted from beneath the cloth; also, a project’s blueprints lay near it.
Of course, it was a complete clock-arm.
I couldn’t help but remove the cover and Trace it. I just couldn’t resist; I knew it would be mine.
SolarTitanium Clock-Arm
Durability: 100%
Bonus: Strength + 105, Constitution + 135
Flow Capacity: 0%
Strengths: Great attack power, Enormous defense
Weaknesses: None
This Clock-arm has been produced by an Ultimate Tinker Class. Its attack power is directly tied to the maximum Strength with which it can hit before starting to receive internal damage. Its defense is accounted for by the in-built Buckler.
The Clock-arm is made with SolarTitanium, the same material from which the Sunguards’ armors are made of.
Holy Sun… this monster would be mine?
It had a Buckler protecting its forearm, a Buckler exactly like one of the Sunguards!
This piece of tech was made by that man’s armor; the Sunguard I had killed. It was the only explanation.
However, the arm was too big. Way too big for me. I couldn’t wear something like that. Was it really for me? I couldn’t tell anymore. Although it was a left arm, it might have been Harlow’s as well, even though it was a bit too big for her beautiful frame, too.
I covered the arm and left from the back door; I had to pee.
***
Alistar had finished climbing the hill; he was taking his sweet time, while I observed them from the door frame; no one had noticed.
In fact, the first doing so was Alistar, who had already seen me as he walked up the hill.
“Son of a Moon walker,” he shouted, “What are you doing standing there like a cactus! Come here if you can walk!”
Even though he said so, Alistar was the one coming at me, sprinting into a run.
Then the other understood.
“You’re up!” Nova exclaimed.
“Look who deigns to show his face!” said Logan, but then he looked at me with a face that faked disgust, “You are a mess with that unshaved beard, Loke. You can’t look like that in my house. Come sit here when you’re done bromancing, I’m going to shave that stupid mug of yours.”
Although Logan was Logan; thus, he acted a little bit like an asshole, I could tell that he was sincerely happy to see me walking about.
***
As I asked Alistar how he fared, if his tail had grown back, and how things had gone after I had fallen, he showed me that he had leveled up while hunting.
As it seemed, he was using an arbalest as a side weapon now, and his equipment had been bolstered. Also, his tail had indeed grown back; Kobolds could regrow lost limbs, weirdly though, they could not regenerate organs as they did with limbs. An eye lost in battle remained a lost eye. But an arm? Not so much.
However, he was behind; I couldn’t help but be a little sad for him, having wasted all those points only in Constitution when Nova became capable of finally healing the villagers from the plague was a darn shame. But he would be able to fix his Status, given time, and an appropriate Advanced Class and Sub-Class.
That did not take away from the fact that he would have a lot of hunting to do.
One level in one month by only hunting was good, especially given his poor Attributes, but with new weapons? He should have pushed much further.
After I had done catching up with Alistar, Logan did indeed shave my face.
Nova amused herself by lathering up my mouth and nose, making us all laugh.
When we were done with shaving, we merrily ate until finally, Logan took charge of the table.
“I’m happy you’ve made it,” he said out of the blue. “I might not show it, but I am, however, know that word has gone around,” he stated, somberly.
“Yes!” Said Alistar, “that’s exactly it! There are tales of a group of unknown fighters that saved many lives from a group of nasty slave traders. Everyone hails them, and thankfully, all the slaves have kept their mouths shut. Well, all but one…”
“What? Who?” I asked.
“Please! That’s not what I was referring to,” said Logan, raising his voice to cover ours. “There are many nastier voices, and they come from the Delvers.”
“Oh…” said Alistar.
“Yes, oh,” Logan said, mocking, then he let his gaze wash over us.
“People talk about savages that have killed and shed a Sunguard’s honorable body from his armor, weapons, and cart. I won’t hide to you that you’ve done good in doing so. If someone else found that equipment, we would have another nasty bastard running around, creating disturbances and troubles to the villages around. So we have to be thankful for Lady Jane’s promptness in going back to retrieve the weapon and armor. But that too has had consequences, although much less drastic.”
“Like what?” I asked.
“Like the Inquisitor that has been assigned with keeping guard over the Drylands and Little Bush,” he said gravely.
“S***,” Alistar said. Conveying exactly what we were all thinking.
“Exactly,” replied Logan. “Now, we need to lay low, especially you, Loke.”
“Why, especially me?” I asked.
“You think the mess you’ve made of the place and the slave traders would have not attracted attention? There are voices of a very skilled archer now, and the Inquisitor seems to be taking into consideration to put a bounty on this archer’s head. That is no laughing matter. As much as your party has been considerate enough to pick up the armor, they have left other things laying about,” Logan said, turning to stare at Alistar.
The Kob moved his gaze toward the clear sky, whistling.
“Like?” Nova asked, now starting to get a little scared.
“Like Loke’s arm; like the many arrows he’s thrown. Although I’m not the only one capable of creating such basic tools around here. We need to indeed expect a visit from the Inquisition. And we’re lucky enough it hasn’t already happened, but trust me, it will. I’ll have a lot of explanations to give when it arrives; thankfully, I have my… connections.”
He paused a few seconds before starting anew, “Now,” he added, getting up.
“To the point that interests you. You, Loke. You won’t use your bow for now. Also, I’ve seen your Tracing, you can live without it, what more, you must learn how to live without it. That Sunguard has made a mess out of you, and that was all because you could not defend yourself without your precious bow and arrow. That’s a pitiful skillset to have.”
“But… wait,” I said, “you can’t just stop me from using my bow; how am I meant to hunt!?” I asked, getting seriously concerned.
After all, if he didn’t make me my arrows, I had to find someone else to do them for me; I did not know anybody else!
“You, Alistar and Nova, will have to learn how to defend yourself,” I, and likely the others gave him a weird look at that phrase, but he added, “how to really defend yourselves, starting from the basics,” he stated.
“Because based on Alistar’s recounting of the battle with the slave traders… you really sucked,” he said.
I and Alistar looked at each other incredulously, then back at him.
“Which means you’ll start back from square one, hand to hand combat.”
