The World Which Is

Attributes

Strength:

10

Dexterity:

13

Endurance:

29

Intelligence:

23

Charisma:

13

Aether:

9

Health:

25

Available points to distribute: 8

Looking over my attributes, while floating in the lake, for the first time in… I think the last time I purposely looked at it was with the caravan, shows me how disproportionately the points are spreading.

I knew that. Class only boosts the attributes that apply to them. With the Explorer being about traveling and finding things, it makes sense Health, Intelligence and Endurance get the class points. Although, consider there’s a combat side to it, I’d have expected there to be something for Strength or Dexterity. Instead, I’ll have to rely on the points I gain each level and training in those areas…I really should find a way to start on that again.

It was easy, back home. There were weight machines, a lot of space within Base to run, and classes galore. The only thing I’m not sure about how I’d have gone training is my Aether attribute. I’m sure there’s something, but magic has never been something I saw a point in training.

I think that has to change.

I want to dump all my points in Strength. Or Dexterity. Or maybe Aether. The one place I know I’m not interested in putting them in is Charisma. I am perfectly average in that attribute and I’m okay with it.

Eight points in each of them would make a difference. But it would lock the points away forever. All those possibilities gone. I’d have to live with the decision.

Especially once I realized I’d made a mistake putting them where I’d put them.

Spreading them evenly is tempting. Cover all my bases. How can I screw up that way?

Oh, the ways that can be a mistake.

Brandon was right. Every decision I make can be a mistake. Probably will be at some point.

I wish knowing that helped more than it did.

The rest of what he said does, though. Decide what you want to be, and build your sheet for that.

I want to be a guard back home. That means combat. But I have to make it back home, so that’s travel. Only, I have to survive the trek so I can make it home. And that’s combat again.

Okay. Maybe it’s not as helpful as I’d liked it to be.

The reality of my situation is that I need to balance the two. I wish it was easier to do than it seems. At least, part of it does cover both. Endurance and Health help in combat and travel. But after that, do I go for Dexterity and Strength, which clearly benefit combat. Or Aether.

I guess that one’s not obvious, but I can get access to teleportation magic. Four more points in At It All Day, then the next one gives me that. I already have three points I can put in it, so two levels and teleportation becomes a thing for me. I doubt it’s going to let me just move from here to Court from the start, but that’s going to be a real boost to the traveling. Then, there’s Aether Journey, five levels after that, although I don’t quite get how that one works.

System Query: Aether Journey, Explorer ability

Prerequisite: Aether Striding, Rank 5

When a location designated as “ruin” has reached 100% discovered state, it becomes a Travel Marker.

Aether Journey allows the explorer to travel between two Travel Markers. Such journey is taken through the ‘Aetheric Lands’ and measures 2,197 Kilometers regardless of the distance crossed in the physical world. The Aetheric Lands are not a place where wandering off the marked path is advised.

I’ve never heard of the Aetheric Lands, and two thousand kilometers is a lot to cross, so it’s only useful for distances longer than that. Then there’s the added issue of exploring two ruins completely at a minimum.

There’s the power station by Court, so there is that, but how far would I need to be to get a benefit from it? It’s probably best not to think about that one until I’ve research teleportation magic, and asked around about the lands.

But you, Dennis, are getting side tracks. Attribute points are what I’m supposed to be working on right now.

Endurance, Intelligence, and Health are off limits. My class takes care of that. Aether should get something if teleportation will be magic I do. Actually, there’s also healing magic. I really should look into that.

Later.

But it makes putting some points in Aether more probable.

So Strength, Dexterity, and Aether. How do I spread my eight points among them? Do I want to put all of them in?

Advantages? Aether boosts my mana pool. Important for teleportation and healing. Dexterity helps nearly all physical skills, which includes all the combat ones. Strength governs the damage I do, how much I can lift, and the size of my inventory.

Hmm. That’s definitely something I can benefit from. Pouches and backpacks help, but I can’t access them if they aren’t on me. Like right now, naked in this lake. If I need something other than what’s in my equipment slots, I’m kind of screwed because all I have in my four personal inventory slots it the jerky, since that lets me have a treen over treen in each instead of the treen each slot in other packs do.

And it’s only three points to get my Strength to thirteen. The increase to damage is probably insignificant, but I go from the twenty-six arrow in my quiver plus the twenty other in my backpack, taking two slots, to a hundred sixty-eight in one personal slot. And I go from four to nine slots.

Okay, that’s worthwhile.

Five points left.

As far as I can tell, for skills, level is the big factor in their effectiveness. Attributes have minor effects, but over all of them, which, if they are high enough, is what makes them so powerful. The thing is that I only have a handful of skill Dexterity affects that matter. My combat skills. That’s six skill. I’ll probably add some over time, but is that a good use of my points? I’ll raise my skills through training, and I do train regularly.

Points in Aether provide a definite effect, but I can’t take advantage of them until I have magic. Which is… Second Wind. That needs Grit Strike, which is under Taking it on the Nose.

Great. I only have one point in that, so I’m looking at ten levels until I get it. Not to mention the five I need for teleportation. Fifteen levels. Talk about investing in the future.

Although, I get ability points from my class quest. Research just means reading books. The fighting monsters one doesn’t require me to kill them. Finding ruins and caches will be a little more complicated, but that is where I’m heading, so…

Okay. Three points in Aether because no matter what, I am getting healing magic. I can’t always depend on others and healing foods. Not only that, but I’m making that the focus of my next ability points.

I bring up that tab and immediately hesitate adding the three points in Taking it on the Nose. I already invested in Momentum and that’s going to be wasted now. No, I need it for Aether Striding. So not a complete loss.

And I’m getting distracted again! Attributes are what I’m working on, and I have two points left. And immediately, I want to keep them in reserve.

The rationale makes sense; there’s no way to know when a boost will be helpful. Putting my points in Willpower training back at the power plant proved that.

Only there’s a flaw in that reasoning. Willpower training is a skill. I’m dealing with attributes. The only ones that would have a noticeable effect for each added point are Strength, Endurance, Health and Aether, but their boost have to be small enough they probably wouldn’t turn the fight. So I’m better off placing the points now and figuring out how to make the changes work.

So, Strength or Dexterity? I think Strength is only valid if my goal is to increase my inventory space. I’m not the fighter Brandon is, and I don’t think I ever will be. I want to be able to fight at close range, but fighting at range, after nearly dying again, is a lot more appealing. Dexterity doesn’t help all that much, but it does. And I think I remember someone mentioning it helps with running too, which is to my advantage.

And I have a way to check.

Stats pool

Hit Points:

276

Mana:

120

Will Power:

6100

Stamina:

378

Inventory Slots

9

Base Weight capability:

148.85 kg

Base Damage

14.9

Damage Soak

56.76

Running Speed

10.8 KPH

I put a point in Dexterity and…

Stats pool

Hit Points:

276

Mana:

120

Will Power:

6100

Stamina:

378

Inventory Slots

9

Base Weight capability:

148.85 kg

Base Damage

14.9

Damage Soak

56.76

Running Speed

10.8 KPH

Really? I was expecting a change. I put the other point and…

Stats pool

Hit Points:

276

Mana:

120

Will Power:

6100

Stamina:

378

Inventory Slots

9

Base Weight capability:

148.85 kg

Base Damage

14.9

Damage Soak

56.76

Running Speed

10.8 KPH

Did I remember wrong? Maybe it was about the running skill? I have points, so I put one there and…

Stats pool

Hit Points:

276

Mana:

120

Will Power:

6100

Stamina:

378

Inventory Slots

9

Base Weight capability:

148.85 kg

Base Damage

14.9

Damage Soak

56.76

Running Speed

11.5 KPH

Must be what I heard then. Okay, so my points are assigned. Now to work on my abilities, which should be easy, it’s just three points, and I already said what I wanted to do.

I’m still waffling when Silver calls. “Dennis? It’s Silver.”

I stand up, dismissing the windows, and realize the water only goes to my thighs, so I hurry deeper to cover myself. My face is burning when she steps out of the trees in into view. She looks at me, my clothes on the bank, and smiles as she looks back at me. “Did I…interrupt something?”

I stammer. “I was working on my sheet.”

“Uh, huh?” She sits on a log. “Can we talk?” she adds before I can stammer a protest. “About what happened in the dungeon.”

I almost tell her none of that was her fault, but then I realize the fight isn’t what she wants to talk about and my face burns even more.

“I didn’t mean—” the stammering makes me stop. I take a breath.

“You’re a good-looking guy,” She says.

“I have someone,” I hurry to say. “Back home.”

“So, the look you gave me in there?”

I don’t even bother opening my mouth. My body’s letting me know in no uncertain terms how it feels about her. Thank the system I’m deep enough that’s not visible through the water.

“You’re attractive,” I say, doing my best not to let the words run off. “And when I was on… I mean when we…” a hand over my face isn’t helping the words come out properly.

“I think it’s like Brandon said,” she says. “It was the adrenaline. Because in the moment, if we hadn’t been in a life or death situation, I could have kissed you and that would have led to more.”

“Yeah,” I admit. “Me too.”

“I just wanted to make sure you didn’t get the wrong idea. But if you have someone waiting for you, whatever happens, you won’t think—”

“Nothing’s going to happen.”

She tilts her head quizzically.

“I get that out here, the rules are different. That if we have sex, it doesn’t have to mean anything back home. But it would mean something to me. Not that we’re together, or anything like that, but it would still mean something, and I can’t do that to Josie.”

“She’s who you have waiting back home?”

I nod.

“And is that why Brandon’s not here? I expected him to ask if you were still serious about that kiss as soon as we were outside.”

And my face is burning again. “No, he’s been keeping his distances. Letting me cool down.” Of course, the memory of how I kissed him is having my body react again. “I came here to think and work on my build. He was right about that, at least. I need to commit to something, instead of accumulating points until it kills me.”

“I hope you figure that out, then.”

“It’s progressing.”

She stands and looks at me. “Before I go, I just want you to know something. Even if it was because of the fighting. I don’t regret the way you looked at me, or how I looked at you. You’re a good guy, Dennis. I’m glad to be your friend.”

She’s gone before I find my voice. Instead of calling to her, I look down. “You’re no help, you know that? First Rich, then Josie, then Brandon, and then Silver. Didn’t we decide we were going to marry Josie years ago?”

Of course it has nothing to say. All it ever does it get images going in my head. They’re fun for taking care of it, but it doesn’t mean I’m going to go after everyone it’s interested in. I shudder at the memory of Rich’s smile, the invitation in it. His laughter as he pushed me into that hole.

I’m keeping myself for Josie. The rest is just fantasies, and that’s all they will remain.

I dunk myself under the water and use its coolness to chase those images away. I still have work to do before I take care of it. I move closer to the shore and sit with the water to my neck. I bring my sheet back up and look at my abilities.

No more dillydallying. I need to commit, and that means all three points go into Taking It On The Nose.

Now, on to skills.

* * * * *

When I get back to camp, I’ve put three points in archery, four in quick-nocking and three in tumbling. That leaves me five for emergencies.

I head for Helen, and she stiffens for some reason. After I ask, “What’s involved in me learning Aether Training?” she looks surprised.

“You want to learn magic?” She glances at Brandon, who’s on the other side, adding wood to the fire. He raises his head, then shakes it. He rolls his eyes with a shrug.

Maybe I need to instigate a no private chat rule? Instead, I wait until she focuses on me again and I raise an eyebrow.

“Sorry, it’s just that I thought… that Brandon…” She sighs. “So, you want to learn magic?”

“I’ll get healing magic as part of my class, and later teleportation. Because it’s never been something I even thought about. My Aether’s only at twelve because I just put three points in it. I know nothing about how it works, but I’m pretty sure that if I’m going to rely on healing magic, I need more than my basic pool.”

“You do.” She looks at Brandon, but before I can sigh at yet another private conversation in front of me, she speaks. “See, that’s what thinking ahead and proper planning looks like. If you thought like Dennis, you’d be able to actually heal yourself when you are seriously hurt, instead of spending all your money on those potions.”

He flips her the bird.

Okay. Maybe this should have been a private discussion.