Krion was in disbelief, staring at the status window that now floated in front of him. He bliwice, but the numbers did not lie.
Name: Krion von SturmwachtRace: Human (Noresyn)Css: TBD - Level 1 (Free Points = 30)Profession(s): TBDEssence(s): TBD
Fa: Treverorum Empire - House BckswordRank: S - Unnded
Strength: 14 => 24Dexterity: 11 => 19Vitality: 20 => 35Endurance: 21 => 43Intelligence: 18 => 27Wisdom: 10 => 17Charisma: 7 => 10Luck: 4 => 6
Traits: Greater Soul Oath (Unknown - Hidden)Skills: N/AAbilities: N/A
Every one of his stats had increased, some signifitly. He could hardly believe that these were his stats after only two weeks. While he had no point of refereo judge the rate at which he had grown, it was clear that the releraining under both Rolfun and Alesin had pushed him well past his physical aal limits. There was even a new number on dispy o his updated level of ohirty points apparently waited to be allocated in some way, but much like the rest of his growth, he had no idea if the number was good or bad pared to others.
“So? How many levels did you gain?” Alesin asked, as he had been staring quietly at his character sheet.
“Sorry,” Krion apologized with a frown. “It looks like I only gained a single level.”
“Oh! That is… strange…” Alesin responded with while her husband crossed his arms and frowned as well. “Not to question you, Krion, but you are looking at the right p your character sheet, right? The third row at the top?”
“Yes,” Krion said somewhat softer, w if he had perhaps messed up some how. “Still just says level one, and it expao say I have a number of free points.”
“Well, that is… disappointing,” Rolfun said with a grimace. “Normally level zeros without a css gain experie a rge enough amount from fighting that they level quickly until they reach ten.” He turo Alesin. “Perhaps our preseerfered in some way?”
“Perhaps,” Alesin shrugged. “But it really shouldn’t have.” She turned back to Krion. “Well, there isn’t much we do about it. So. How many free points do you have? If it’s ten then you should be in good shape for leveling your stats while at the Imperial Academy, but don’t be too disheartened if you fall short. There are ways to get around those limitations as you level since you will have the resources of House Bcksword upon graduation.”
“It’s a bit more than five,” Krion said in a soft voice, the shock of what she said fshing through him like lightning. The smiles on their faces got bigger as he tinued. “It’s actually more than ten as well.”
Rolfun ughed and cpped a massive hand on his back, sending Krion stumbling slightly. “Ha! I knew you were going to turn out to be ae of the geion of House Bcksword. Alright, go on. Tell us. How many free points do you get per level? Is it twelve? Fifteen?”
“I get thirty free points.” Krion tinued speaking into the sudden, deafening silence, as if he o crify the absolute absurdity of what he was saying. “Thirty free points. Per level.”
For a long, gcial moment, Rolfun and Alesin stood frozen at his side. So still did they stand, that any observer would almost think them statues. Rolfun’s hand tensed on his shoulder.
“Alesin.”
“One mile.”
With those three words, Alesin burst into fme. The cloak of fire she had been wearing earlier expao include a hood and boots made entirely of the substance. Reins on her power cast off, the sun elf bent her khen bsted herself into the air over the tree tops. As soon as she disappeared through the leaves, Krion heard a series of short bsts that gradually faded into the distahe whole time, Rolfun’s hand held Krion still.
“She is better at pig up on the presenonsters, and spies, than I am,” Rolfun respoo the question Krion had been about to ask. “She will check a mile circle around us to make sure we are clear, and that no one overheard…” the half-ogre hesitated, “…that absurd, and profoundly dangerous, cim you just made.”
For the briefest moment, as he stared at Rolfun, Krion got the sense from his friend that he was truly out of his depth. While thirty points had seemed high to Krion, the rea of both of his escorts indicated that it might well be something more than that.
“Wha—”
“We’ll wait for the all-clear from Alesin,” Rolfun said as he turned his attention to the surrounding trees, his hand gripping even tighter on Krion’s shoulder. “Don’t resist me if she says we o move.”
The few minutes were some of the lo of Krion’s life. As the time slowly seeped away, he couldn’t stop the questiing through his mind. What did thirty free points mean? Should he have kept the o himself? And the most terrifying question of all: What did that number mean to his escorts? Finally, Alesiurned in a final burst of fme, the fires that garbed her fring away all at once upon her nding. Breathing a bit heavily, she shook her head. They were clear.
All at ohe tension in Rolfun’s body dissipated. Krion, however, remaiense. He still did not kly what this all meant.
“Could one of you tell me exactly what’s going on?” he blurted out.
As if remembering where his hand was, Rolfun snatched it away from Krion’s shoulder like it was he that was just retly on fire rather than his wife. Stepping bae beside his wife, and apparently overwhelmed with the significe of what was going on, Rolfun bowed his head and smmed his fist to his chest in salute. “My apologies, Lord Krion.”
“Rolfun,” Krion said in as light-hearted a tone as he could muster iress of the moment. “I thought we went over this weeks ago. You don’t have to address me like that.”
“Lord, it is an ingrained habit, and one which brings a feeling of security with it in situations like this. You’ll have tive him…us.” Alesin said slowly.
“And what exactly is this situation?”
“The fact that you could easily be as powerful as a member of the ruling Imperial family in time.” Alesin spoke with plete solemnity. “It is not unpreted, but it is exceedingly rare.”
“What do you mean? And how rare?”
“It’s a bit hard to put into text,” Alesin tinued, as Rolfun still stood with his head bowed. Her eyes spied a leaf on the ground. Reag down, she picked it up, showing it to Krion while gesturing at the trees around them. “Take this leaf, for example. While it’s a nie, being a pleasing shade of green and with four points, you only o piy tree around us and you find hundreds, perhaps thousands more just like it. Now magnify that to include all the leaves in the forests of this world. That’s how on those who gain five free points or less per level are within the System.”
“And ten free points?”
“Those who fit that criterion would be like the trees themselves,” she brandished the leaf at the bark of the ree. “Trillions of leaves on this world pared to billions of trees that shed them. Astronomically more rare.”
“And… those that gain thirty free points?”
Alesin opened her mouth, hesitated, then closed it. She remained silent but shook her head. The sun elf shifted side to side before she looked at the ground as well.
“Alesin? Look at me, please,” Krion almost begged. It was clear that, based on their reas, the number of points he received per level was not only a blessing but perhaps a curse as well. “I o know. Just how much trouble am I in?”
Alesin sighed but looked back up at him. “Your existence might be likeo one of the most valuable trees in this world. The Soulwood Tree. Growing hundreds of feet i, it possesses a bark that gleams silver in the moonlight and is ed by iridest leaves that shift colors during the season. When harvested, the wood itself carries ahereal glow and has an i ability to absorb, el, and amplify the magical abilities of its wielder ourned into ons or armor. Its existence here is why the entire p was fought for, then annexed into the Empire.”
“And how rare is this tree?”
Alesi silent again.
Into that silence, Rolfun spoke words that shook Krion to his core.
“A few thousand are estimated to remain on this entire p,” Rolfun lifted his head to look into Krion’s eyes. “Lord, most dream of ten free points. The stro heroes are often only able to unlock barely fifteen free points per level. You could surpass the legends of the Empire’s founding.”
“Once you unlock a css,” Alesin whispered with her eyes fixed on Krion, in equal measures horrified and awestri, “the Emperor himself will be watg you.”
