A1C6.4: Aboard the Dirigible (Week 3)
Kolarthecool
Hiding from the light of day.
- Location
- Calgary, Canada.
A/N: apologies for the delay everyone. Really hectic vacation. Had this done and awaiting editing like a week ago but I kept getting distracted reading light novels, fanfics and writing an original story idea that sparked from those.
A/N 2: I've decided to simplify the skills training system. My original plan was a mess that would require a lot of number crunching. Hopefully the new system is much easier to work with. The way skill training will work is that each hour you spend on a skill will increase it by one level, every ten levels will increase the required time by an extra hour. Basically, you can get from level one to ten in ten hours but you'll need twenty hours to get to level twenty, thirty hours to go from twenty to thirty and so on. Maxing a skill will take a total of a hundred and fifty hours of training.
[O] Plan Study And Hit Air
Your third week of travel to Oakenbrook Academy passes with little fanfare. You spend so much of the time reading or training that you barely note its passing. Still, you feel that you have made great progress in such little a time. Your skills and abilities have improved in leaps and bounds. You are no longer the little street urchin of a year past.
The path to achieving your dream may be a long one but, step by step, you are getting ever closer.
Standing with your peers at the wide viewing windows of the lounge area, you watch as the students of Four Relics Melody disembark from the ship. As the vessel lifts off and the small figures begin grouping up at the base of one of the massive mountains that dominate this region, you think back to the week that has passed and the advancements you have made….
[O] Lessons with Leo, Kulwin, and Glen (7 hours).
With very little time remaining until you reach the academy, you made sure to seek out any one of your three acquaintances each day and pester them to teach you more about the etiquette and culture of Magi. While the four of you often have other activities that consume your individual time, you more so than the others, you insisted on setting this short period aside to ensure you learn all there is to know of etiquette in the Magus World. This is knowledge that you desperately needed to master.
Especially when simply saying the wrong thing or bowing just the slightest bit incorrectly can lead to a gruesome death.
The boys, unwilling though they were, often agreed to your requests. Well, Leo did at least. Kulwin found the whole affair to be a boring waste of his time. The other teen would still offer up a useful tid bit or two when asked but more often than not, he would beg off the lessons by telling you to simply practice what you already know. Glen, well he simply didn't care. Deeming what you already learned to be 'good enough' and no longer wanting to put in the effort, Glen refused to help any more unless you were willing to pay for it. Seeing as you had nothing of value to trade -not even he would demand a magic crystal for something of so little worth, he gave you no further help.
Thankfully, Leo was more than willing to lend his aid. Unlike the other two, the redheaded teen was willing to put in the time and effort to ensure you had everything memorized and practiced. Valuable time was spent shoring up and perfecting the basics, teaching you everything you would need to know as an Acolyte. In regards to etiquette at least.
Under his tutorship, you managed to perfect your bowing and curtsy. As well as your speech patterns and mannerisms. You learned how to enunciate and speak like 'a woman of class' rather than the street urchin that you are. Leo insisted on this. After all, your commoner background could still draw negative attention from those that care about such things. Lacking the power to render it meaningless, you can only try to subtly hide your true background.
Along with that, you also learned how to properly entertain a visiting Acolyte or Magus. Such as what items are acceptable to serve them and what items might cause insult. You also learn, much to your annoyance, how to properly grovel and offer apology without appearing too weak or pathetic. Somewhere in there, you even managed to pick up on which utensil you should use during which course. By the time the week came to a close, you'd learned and perfected everything he had to teach on the subject.
There still remains quite a lot more for you to learn on the subject of etiquette but you can at least claim mastery of the very basics. Even then, what you know now won't be of much help as you further immerse yourself in Magi Society. You know enough to avoid accidental insult but it really only goes so far as a short greeting or conversation. Your etiquette is still far too poor to last through a prolonged period with a member of the mundane nobility, let alone one of the more formal Magi. Your skills are passable but there is a great deal of room for improvement. You've reached the limits of what the boys can teach you though. What you are lacking, you will need to learn on your own or, as Glen suggested, hire a professional tutor.
At least you can avoid accidental death by Magus now.
[Etiquette +2. Improved relationship with Leo]
-x-
[O] Socialize with Leo, Kulwin and Glen (14 hours).
Having quite the limited amount of free time on your hands during the week, you found yourself unable to socialize as you had been for previous weeks. There was just too much that you needed to practice or learn before the end of the journey. Thankfully, your three acquaintances were quite understanding when informed that you couldn't spend as much time socializing with them as before. Of course, they were curious why that was. Though they did not pry beyond a simple question, you:
[][reply] Told them of your Knight training and studies (increased relationships. Retroactive bonus to Week 3 Knight training. Bonus to Week 4 Knight training. Unlocks the 'Spar with someone' and 'Teach' training options for future votes. Increased chance of others learning of your advancements).
[][reply] Answered vaguely (no gains or losses)
[][reply] Write in.
Following that conversation, Leo stopped showing up to drag you from your room each morning. The three instead left it up to you to join them whenever you were able. Busy as you were however, this fell to during mealtimes in the morning and evening. Aside from when you sought out Leo or Kulwin for etiquette lessons, you were only able to see the three during breakfast and dinner.
Of course, they each had lives outside of you so it was hardly a problem.
During one of those conversations, you learned that Leo and Glen had started a budding friendship with Rachel and Jacob, the grade four Initiates of Four Relics Melody. The four spent a deal of their time in the lounge area, discussing various topics regarding their respective futures. You, apparently, were considered a pariah by Rachel for snubbing and insulting the 'great Master Lucifer' so the other girl, and by extension her school mate, had been avoiding you when possible. Leo was quick to apologize for having to treat you differently you whenever the two were near but you weren't bothered by it. Busy as you were, you didn't even notice.
Kulwin, in turn, managed to strike up a friendship with one of the grade three Initiates of Four Relics Melody. The other boy, Gerald, was apparently quite skilled in his family's Knight arts. Skilled enough to impress Kulwin at least. The two could often be found sparring in the cafeteria between meal hours. You managed to catch one of their spars and found yourself quite impressed. They were nothing compared to the black robes but each teen was leagues beyond yourself. You could barely follow their movements with your eyes and each clash of their blades was performed with enough force as to shatter stone. You became even more fervent in your own training after seeing this.
[Rachel Adderstein and Jacob Senok added to the relationship tab]
[O] Magritte and the Grade-Threes. 7 hours.
With Rachel and Jacob often joining Leo and the others for lunch, you decided to spend your own lunch hour elsewhere rather than intrude and get in the way of the boys attempt at forging connections. Not wanting to spend the time awkwardly sitting by the tight-knit group of Issac and his friends, you were left with the grade threes of your academy.
Those lunch hours were still a bit awkward as you and Magritte blatantly ignored one another. As she couldn't just start bullying you again, and was apparently too prideful to just apologize, this was her fall back option. You, in turn, couldn't give a damn about the snooty girl and were perfectly content to ignore her as well.
You spent those hours making small talk with the rest of the group. Conversations were short and stilted, the others a bit unsure how to hold a conversation with two of the participants actively ignoring one another. At least you manage learn the names of your other five year mates. It was also great practice for your budding etiquette so you weren't complaining.
[The 'Grade Threes' -Jeffrey Franzen, Kudric Gallows, Kendra Henson, Nicole Linden and Silvan Holk-, Magritte Helmway and Alicia Lerbin added to the relationship tab]
-x-
[O] Work on your sword skills (28 hours).
Of the various activities that consumed your time, you can say without a doubt that you found sword practice to be the most enjoyable. There was just something about swinging your blade around that you found… refreshing. The stances and sword forms were simple to follow. Either because of the way you learned them or due to your power, it was like each motion was already ingrained deep into your body and you were simply bringing them out. Coupled with your always present calm, you found yourself slipping into a trance like state every time you practiced. You would spend hours at a time simply swinging the sword about, yet it always felt like no time had passed whenever your Stamina depleted and you were forced to stop. Thankfully, that was not the case and with the passing of time, you found your ability growing at a tremendous rate.
After the first few sessions, you managed to grow used to wielding the large, heavy Cross Sword. Your grip, with either a single hand or both, became tight and steady. Your movements were no longer sloppy, though they were still far too slow to be of any aid in an actual battle. Still, it is only a matter of time until you are able to match the likes of Kulwin, Leo and Gerald. Your Strength and Agility grow at a steady rate each day, your meditations stimulating your Life Force in order to improve your body. Soon you will be a match for your peers in both speed and power.
This steady growth is something you chalk up to your power as well. You know from your purchased knowledge that you should be growing at a much slower and intermittent rate. The Knight arts are fraught with bottlenecks and glass ceilings. Already, you should have reached one such point. Your growth should have slowed and petered out, requiring you to experience the rush of deadly combat and stimulate your life energy in order to break through and surpass your limits. You have not. Instead, your growth continues at a steady rate, your skill granting the exact same bonus each time it is used. You can not help but wonder what sort of face others would make if they were to learn of this.
More so if they were to learn of the three skills you gained after those first few sessions:
Bladed Weapon Mastery (Passive) | Lv: 19 / 50.
A skill that improves your abilities while wielding a bladed weapon. Only applies while you are holding a bladed weapon or tool.
This skill you gained first.
In a world shattering instant that caused you to just freeze up with your eyes wide and your mouth open in shock, you gained what is perhaps the most unfair and surprising ability in your arsenal.
Bladed Weapon Mastery is a skill quite similar to your Void Blade Mastery. In that after gaining it, you suddenly gained an understanding of how best to hold and wield your weapon. The shocking part is that where Void Blade Mastery taught you how to better wield your Cross Sword, this skill taught you how to wield all forms of bladed weaponry. Without ever laying your hands on one, you now know how to use anything from a simple knife or short sword, to a towering greatsword or halberd. And with each level the skill gains, your knowledge and ability only improves.
Coupled with the third skill you gained-
Two-handed Weapon Mastery (Passive) | Lv: 18 / 50.
A skill that improves your abilities while wielding a weapon with both hands. Only applies while both hands are holding the same weapon or tool.
-and the aforementioned Void Blade Mastery, you can really see yourself becoming a force to be reckoned with. Who knows how powerful you could be once you catch up to Kulwin, let alone the black robes.
Once again, you learned how truly obscene your power is. Years of training granted in a single instant. Suddenly your dream doesn't seem so far away.Truly, your power is an unfair one.
Then there was the second skill you gained. The one that was perhaps the most interesting.
Void Blade Foot Technique (Passive/Active) | Lv: 19 / 50.
A method of quick and efficient movement for users of Void Blade techniques. Skill effects can be affected, both positively and negatively, by your status or reflexes.
By this point, you weren't too surprised to suddenly gain knowledge on how to properly place your feet and move your body. You accepted it without issue and continued your practice. What you found interesting, was the almost magical way the skill seemed to boost your movements when active. It started as that all too familiar of chill running through your body to pool in your feet. Then, you could move. From your point of view, it was like everything else slowed to a crawl. Well, not that slow maybe but you could toss something in the air and run from one end of the room to the other before it even neared the ground. That was pretty damn fast
This skill, or something similar to it, must also be the reason the black robes can move too fast for you to even register. Kulwin and Gerald must also have their own versions as well, allowing them to move so quick as to appear as blurs to your eyes. You're not quite certain just how fast you yourself are with the skill active but it must be beyond the norm for even grown men.
[O] Practice Void Meditation (24 total)
Your nightly meditations mean you are also growing faster and faster even without the benefit of the skill. Moreso after your meditation skill reached level ten and the required hours between uses decreased by one. Already you are faster, and perhaps stronger, than many grown men from your home city. With your growth in these three weeks and the possibilities revealed by your power, you can't even imagine where you will be in a years time.
-x-
[O] Study
Unsurprisingly, the activity you spent the most time on is also the one in which you made the most progress. With sleep being a non-issue, you were able to devote over half of your days to reading some of the books in the lounge.
From late evening until early morning, you could be found in lounge area with one book or another in your hands. Your intensely studious nature definitely drew some looks but you were often in one forgotten corner or the other so no one had reason to disturb you. The black robed chaperons certainty didn't seem to care all that much either. Flesha also kept similar hours for the two weeks she was on board so it's not like you were the only odd one… except she actually slept whenever she returned to her room. Whatever. All that really matters is that you were able to go about your studying without interruption.
[O]Byron Language (46 hours).
Given it's importance, the Byron Language primer got the most of your attention. You would spend hours at a time pouring through the text, slowly deciphering the meaning of each and every word. Your rapidly growing Speed Reading skill was a big help in this regard. There wasn't much you could do regarding the parts of the book you had yet to understand but as you discovered in previous week, reading the book is all that really matters for leveling the skill. With Speed Reading, you could read the relatively thick book in just a matter of hours. Sure you didn't understand a vast majority of it, but that really didn't matter as far as your power was concerned. From start to finish, you would read the primer, each read through taking less and less time as your skills improved. There was a point where your progress on the Byron Language Comprehension skill slowed to a crawl but all that meant was that you had to read through the book an extra number of times in order to gain your level up.
By the end of the week, and after a few dozen hours spent scouring that same book over and over again, you had full understanding of the Byron Language. You were able to read, write and fluently speak the Byron Language. You still don't see how it can be used to perform magic but at least you are more prepared for whatever you will face in the Academy.
[O] History of the Ancient Magus World (7 hours).
Whenever you got bored of reading the Byron Language primer, you would take the time to read some of the other texts available. Among this number was the history text that you'd skimmed through earlier. The entire book contained the history of the entire Magus World. To a point at least. The text only covered a period of thirty thousand years or so. A small drop in the bucket as it turns out.
This world of yours is old, incredibly old. The first page of the book was enough to tell you that. Though the book was not certain, you learned that the age of the world can be measured in the billions of years. A period of time you can't even begin to grasp the length of. Magi society, in comparison, is much younger. A majority of Magi agree that the first true Magus, on this world, existed some time around two million years ago. It is a controversial stance however as the Ancient Magi society that brought about the world of today is, at most, eight hundred thousand years old. With so much happening over such a long period of time, it's no wonder the book can only cover so little and offer scarce, unverifiable information.
Much was covered in those few chapters though. With such a long period of time to record, only those events that were deemed significant enough to be remembered were worthy of mention in the text. Wars and campaigns that shook the whole world. The rise and fall of nations. The shattering of a continent and the sinking of islands. Every word of the text had you enraptured as you learned the known history of the world. There was much missing of course, some events simply skimmed over or whole centuries that went unmentioned, but what was there was enough to paint a picture of the ancient world. Simply, it was a terrifying place.
With only a smidgen of free time to dedicate to the book, you make limited progress in finishing it. Even with Speed Reading, you could only make it a third of the way through before the week ends. Yet those few chapters are more than enough for you to grasp the terror of the ancient Magi and their society. The author of the text, a powerful rank two Magus if the text on the back is to be believed, described the ancient Magi as terrifyingly powerful existences. Reading through the first ten thousand years of the text, you cant help but agree.
This was a time when the Magus world was at its most powerful. During that time, the rank one, two and three Magi that now dominate the South Coast were no better than cannon fodder. They were regarded like the Acolytes of today, as plentiful resources to be used up by their betters. During this time, it wasn't impossible to hear of rank seven or eight Magi walking the land. It was also a time when the Magi were in the midst of an all out campaign of conquest.
From its very inception those hundreds of thousands of years ago, the ancient Magus society was one built around the single thought of conquest. The first few chapters of the book are a summary of how the ancient Magi brought the entirety of the Magus World to heel. It was an event thousands of years in the making. The ancient Magi slowly growing in power and number before they set out to conquer the world. The text talked of the numerous races that once existed, until they were either wiped out or enslaved by the human Magi. Today, only the humans and the Marine races that live below the oceans can be said to rule this world.
The bulk of the text picks up from that point. There is a long stretch of time where the the Magi consolidated their power and various factions were formed. Small wars and battles were fought over territory and resources. This lasted for several centuries before something happened to change it. Namely, the Magi discovered a whole other world deep below the surface of this one. The book went on to tell of the second conquest. Of how the ancient Magi invaded the Subterranean World to enslaved the races that existed there and claim territory. This went on until, one after the other, the ancient Magi conquered the seven levels of the Subterranean World. After millenia of war and conquest, the Magi finally held control of the entire Magus World. Of course, they then went seeking other worlds to conquer.
As you'd heard mentioned numerous times before, the Magi of ancient times were somehow capable of traveling to other worlds similar yet different from your own. The book made no mention of how this was possible and you found it difficult to even wrap your head around the idea. Your world alone is already large and ancient. To think, that there are other worlds like it out there. It was a staggering thought. This was also where your reading left off. On the ancient Magi gaining the ability to travel to other worlds in order to conquer them and transport all manner of slaves and resources back to the Magis World.
As you read though those chapters, you found yourself amazed. The power and authority of the ancient Magi. Their conquest of first this world, then of numerous other worlds. The yet to be explained 'great war' that could bring an end to this ancient society. The more you learned of the history of the world, the more you came to understand how far you must still reach to achieve your dreams.
[O] Geography of the Magus World (7 hours).
Reading of the conquest of the Magus world sparked a curiosity about said world as well. You already knew that the world was large but surely it was not so large if the Magi could conquer it all.
Oh, how wrong you were.
This world of yours is a sizable one. The geography text you found was, of course, centered on the South Coast where it was written but there was a deal of information about the greater world. You learned that there are seven continents on the world. Each is massive in size and separated by an expanse of ocean. A crude map was provided in the book, showing one massive continent in the center with smaller continents to each cardinal point. Countless islands, some said to have been created by the aftershock of clashing Magi, surround the various continents. Included in this is your home island of Gelenos just off the southern point of the central continent.
The Gelenos Islands are not a small land. In your mind at least. Yet this island, which would require years of travel to cross from one end to the other, is but a speck compared to the other continents. Even the South Coast, which is several magnitudes larger than Gelenos, was but a miniscule extrusion of the main continent.
Separating the continents are four expansive oceans. Each is simply named the North, East, South and West ocean. They are all considered to be the domain of the Marine races. Your home islands and the lands you are even now travelling through are all within the South Ocean. Within each ocean is a continent, named for the ocean it can be found in. The North, East, South and West continents are several times larger than the South Coast and located so far away as to render the thought of traveling there inconceivable. Not even aboard the dirigible could you expect to cover such a distance in a respectable amount of time.
Then, there are the Icelands. Located to the distant north and the far south, there are two massive continents. Both are said to be barren wastelands of ice, snow and temperatures so low as to freeze even a Magus solid within moments. They are both unclaimed territories. The ancient Magi finding nothing of worth within these empty lands.
Finally, there is the largest of the seven continents. Large enough to surpass any two of the other continents combined, the main continent of the world is truly ridiculous on size. Considered to be the center of Magi society in ancient times, the main continent is a place of strange climates and various biomes. It is divided into five main quadrants. These are respectively the North, East, South and West Coast, as well as the Central Continent. They are separated by massive mountain ranges, deep canyons and treacherous waters. Travel between these quadrants is impossible to all but the most powerful of Magi. They may as well be considered as separate lands.
The text also makes mention of the Subterranean World but provides no details or maps. The main information the book provides seems to relate mainly to the South Coast. Information is sparse on the rest world but you find a great deal relating to the South Coast.
The South Coast is an expansive land full of many dangers. Forests, plains, deserts and the like span the whole land, infested by all manner of magical beast. The areas safe for human habitation are limited but are more than large enough to support the various Magi and mundane peoples. The central area and the outskirts of the South Coast are separated by great mountains and dangerous wild lands with only five areas considered safe enough to allow travel between them. Those outskirt areas are the territory of the Dark Magi while the center belongs to the Light Magi.
The territory of the Dark Magi is divided into dozens of small nations separated by dangerous wilderness. The rulers are primarily mundane royalty or nobility but all have a connection, hidden or prominent, to a powerful Magus family. The central area is also divided into a number of nations. Six in total that are all ruled by a Magus Lord.
Your Oakenbrook Academy is in the city of Oakwood, in the nation of Teldara. It is a nation ruled by Heraldin Gulliver, a Rank Three Magus and a relative of the academy headmaster. It is a rolling land of bountiful plains, rich lakes and rivers, and thick forests. Various villages and cities dot the land. Overall, it is a rich nation with a powerful ruler and few dangers. As you read and learned more about it, you found yourself excited to finally arrive at your new home.
[O] Culture of the South Coast. 28 hours.
The culture of the South Coast, and Teldara in particular, is quite similar to that of your homeland. The same holidays and special events are observed, and the same social structures are in place. It is a hierarchical structure, one built around power and ability. Slaves and peasants are at the bottom, the trash barely worth the notice of their betters. Above those are the commoners and lesser nobility. Then the greater nobility. Followed by the royals, and lastly, the Acolytes and Magi at the very top.
You spent quite a deal of time skimming through the cultural text that was provided. A lot of it you already knew, thanks to Leo and the others, but there are a few interesting tidbits that you managed to pick out.
Knowing the culture and history of the South Coast, you can at least proceed through the coming years without making a fool of your self.
[General knowledge - Magus World >>> 1 / 100. General knowledge - South Coast >>> 1 / 100. Etiquette +1]
-x-
Shaking your head to clear it of idle thoughts, you turn from the viewing window and begin making your way back to your room. This whole week has been an eventful one. There is very little chance of things slowing down either. Seven more days and you will be at Oakenbrook. Only then will things really begin.
Seven days and you can begin learning how to use your magic. How to work wonders and walk the path to true, glorious power. Seven days… they can't pass fast enough.
Entering your room and closing the door behind you, you frown as you notice something different. On your pillow is a folded paper. A note? A letter? Who possibly from? Who would dare to enter your room without permission?
Frowning, you approach the bed with heated steps. Picking the note up, you read the small, tidy print on the front-
To: Cat.
From: Klaus Erik Neilis.
-and snort in derision. Klaus. Of course. Who else. Sighing, you flop onto the bed and unfold the note. Might as well see what 'the great Lord Neilis' wants now.
My Dearest Cat,
The paper crinkles as you almost, almost, crumple it and toss it aside. Mood even more spoiled than before, you continue reading.
I hope this day finds you well-
Blah, blah, blah. Lots of flowery words that essentially boil down to 'hope you are doing well.'. Gosh, this is the sort of thing you're expected to master for etiquette? Ways to fill up a page without actually saying anything? You're not looking forward to that part of your lessons.
Skimming through the more useless bits of the letter, you get to the meat of the matter.
I am overjoyed to once again learn that I was correct in my decision all those months ago. You have proven to be a most excellent of investments. To progress so quickly in your studies, even with something as droll as the Knight arts, is a testament to your natural talent. I hope such talent continues to shine through in the coming years.
Keep to your studies and practice. The skills you are building now and the knowledge you are amassing will aid you well in the future. Though-
You frown as the letter continues on into pointers and hints regarding the various subjects you've been studying. This… Klaus… Has he been spying on you this whole time? Rather, has someone been reporting to him regarding your actions? You can only think that it is so. How else would he know of your studies? Of your progress? The door to the Magus section has not opened once in these three weeks, that you know of, yet some of the information he references are things no one should know, things you only practiced in the privacy of your room. He even suggests methods to improve your meditation and energy circulation. Suggestions that use a detailed description of your current energy flow. Something that happens INSIDE your body.
This.. you don't like this. As if you weren't paranoid enough already. The note crinkles more. You force yourself to take a deep breath. Seven days. Seven days and you'll not only be far from his watchful eyes but you can also begin learning how to protect your secrets. You won't allow this to happen again.
Oh, I had the most lovely chat with vice-head Lucifer some time ago. You seem to have left quite the impression on the man. As I'm sure you've already learned, this is not a good thing. Worry not dear Cat, the Neilis family shall shield you from this folly. Lord Lucifer will not be quick to forget however and my protection can only go so far. If you wish, I could make amends in your name. A simple matt-
Your frown deepens again. Your mistake with Lucifer is one that has had you beating your head against the wall once you learned of everything you did wrong in that meeting. Your only options at this point are is avoid him and hope he eventually forgets about you, or to amass a large enough fortune as to buy his forgiveness. Not the best of plans but they're all you have. All you had.
Now, if you ask, Klaus is willing and able to offer the appropriate reparations for your mistake. Enough that Lucifer will be liable to overlook the whole thing and simply ignore you from this point forward. Of course, this will cost you. Whatever is used to appease the powerful Magus will have to come out of your debt to the Neilis family. A Magus of Lucifer's power and probable wealth? Whatever is handed over won't be cheap.
Do you accept Klaus' help?
[][help] Yes (huge increase to debt).
[][help ] No (your current situation is unchanged).
[][help] Write in.
Decided on a course of action, you continue reading.
As we will be parting ways upon reaching Oakwood City, it would be remiss of me as your sponsor to not ensure that you are fully prepared for the days ahead. Much of your future needs will be provided by the Academy but only the bare minimum will be truly free. As such, I shall leave it up to you to inform me of any luxuries or funds you may require. Think carefully and do not hold back. Once we part ways, it will be a number of months before you will be able to reach me reliably. I would suggest-
Again, you frown at the text on the page. Klaus is practically hinting that you should borrow more Magic Crystals. He does not say why exactly you will need them but you can guess after you conversations with the others. Right now, you have three Magic Crystals. That's quite a sum but not enough to last the months Klaus will be traveling back to his family's lands. You have no idea if, or when, you will be able to earn more on your own. Borrowing more might not be a bad idea.
Certainly you could do with a better fitting weapon. As you learn more about the Knight arts and your skill improves, you come to see how truly unsuited your current weapon is for you. If you could get something better sized for you and of stronger material, your combat ability might receive a significant boost.
Do you ask for anything?
[][restock] Yes.
[][debt] No.
Skimming through the last of the letter, a litany of useless words that could have been summed up with 'have a good night, hope to hear from you soon', you finally give into your desires and crumple the letter into a small ball. It flies nicely as it hits the distant wall before dropping into the trash. Smiling, you relax back onto the bed and stare up at the ceiling.
The day started out so well.
-x-
End of AtD: Week 3 progress report.
7 days of Void Blade Breathing Technique.
Vit has crossed the threshold.
Byron Language Comprehension Lv 22 → 50 (35 from training + 15 lvl bonus from speed reading and using a skill book).
Meditation Lv 9 → 21.
Speed Reading Lv 1 → 37.
Void Blade Breathing Technique Lv 8 → 21.
Void Blade Mastery Lv 1 → 19.
A/N 3: was kind of split on giving you the Language skill or not. On the one hand, you should only have it at Lv 35 and need another 70 hours in order to max it out. On the other hand… I had no idea what sort of bonus Speed Reading should give in this case. Flipped a coin, it landed on heads so Speed Reading a skill book now gives an xp bonus with learning the skill. This won't work quite the same with non-knowledge skills btw. If you train a combat skill or something through reading a book then you can certainly get a few levels this way but you'll need to actually practice the skill and train it in order to get it to max level.
-x-
Week 4 Vote!
There are very little choices for this vote so you dont need to use up all the allotted time. I'll accept a rough plan as I'll probably speed through Week 4 and get to your arrival at the academy.
Locked in actions.
Meals (21 hours).
Void Blade Meditation (7 hours).
You have 140 hours of free time.
What will you do this week?
[][week 4] Study (7 hours minimum. Choose how many hours you want to spend on each).
[][week 4] Socialize (7 hours minimum. Choose how many hours you want to spend on each).
*These will not be coupled with meal times, that was only due to forgetting it last vote.
[][week 4] Training (7 hours minimum. Choose how many hours you want to spend on each).
[][week 4] Gain Knowledge (3.5 hours minimum. Choose how many hours you want to spend on each).
[][week 4] Write in
Bonus Vote!
A/n 4: had a thought and decided to put it to a vote. Namely, should I have more cameos in the future. The 'golden nine' were a spur of the moment decision but there are some characters that could make wonderful cameos in this verse. They wouldn't be crossovers or fusions, just characters with the same name, appearance and general personality as individuals from other works. For example, Albus 'Lord of Light' Dumbledore as headmaster of one of the other Light schools. Stuff like that. What do you guys think?
[][cameos] Yesssss! Do it.
[][cameos] Nope! It's a bad idea man.
[][cameos] Eh, idc really.
-x-
Voting is Closed.
A/N 2: I've decided to simplify the skills training system. My original plan was a mess that would require a lot of number crunching. Hopefully the new system is much easier to work with. The way skill training will work is that each hour you spend on a skill will increase it by one level, every ten levels will increase the required time by an extra hour. Basically, you can get from level one to ten in ten hours but you'll need twenty hours to get to level twenty, thirty hours to go from twenty to thirty and so on. Maxing a skill will take a total of a hundred and fifty hours of training.
-x-
Magus Ascendant
Arc One: Initiate.
Chapter Six point Four: Aboard the Dirigible (Week 3).
-x-
Magus Ascendant
Arc One: Initiate.
Chapter Six point Four: Aboard the Dirigible (Week 3).
-x-
[O] Plan Study And Hit Air
Your third week of travel to Oakenbrook Academy passes with little fanfare. You spend so much of the time reading or training that you barely note its passing. Still, you feel that you have made great progress in such little a time. Your skills and abilities have improved in leaps and bounds. You are no longer the little street urchin of a year past.
The path to achieving your dream may be a long one but, step by step, you are getting ever closer.
Standing with your peers at the wide viewing windows of the lounge area, you watch as the students of Four Relics Melody disembark from the ship. As the vessel lifts off and the small figures begin grouping up at the base of one of the massive mountains that dominate this region, you think back to the week that has passed and the advancements you have made….
-x-
[O] Lessons with Leo, Kulwin, and Glen (7 hours).
With very little time remaining until you reach the academy, you made sure to seek out any one of your three acquaintances each day and pester them to teach you more about the etiquette and culture of Magi. While the four of you often have other activities that consume your individual time, you more so than the others, you insisted on setting this short period aside to ensure you learn all there is to know of etiquette in the Magus World. This is knowledge that you desperately needed to master.
Especially when simply saying the wrong thing or bowing just the slightest bit incorrectly can lead to a gruesome death.
The boys, unwilling though they were, often agreed to your requests. Well, Leo did at least. Kulwin found the whole affair to be a boring waste of his time. The other teen would still offer up a useful tid bit or two when asked but more often than not, he would beg off the lessons by telling you to simply practice what you already know. Glen, well he simply didn't care. Deeming what you already learned to be 'good enough' and no longer wanting to put in the effort, Glen refused to help any more unless you were willing to pay for it. Seeing as you had nothing of value to trade -not even he would demand a magic crystal for something of so little worth, he gave you no further help.
Thankfully, Leo was more than willing to lend his aid. Unlike the other two, the redheaded teen was willing to put in the time and effort to ensure you had everything memorized and practiced. Valuable time was spent shoring up and perfecting the basics, teaching you everything you would need to know as an Acolyte. In regards to etiquette at least.
Under his tutorship, you managed to perfect your bowing and curtsy. As well as your speech patterns and mannerisms. You learned how to enunciate and speak like 'a woman of class' rather than the street urchin that you are. Leo insisted on this. After all, your commoner background could still draw negative attention from those that care about such things. Lacking the power to render it meaningless, you can only try to subtly hide your true background.
Along with that, you also learned how to properly entertain a visiting Acolyte or Magus. Such as what items are acceptable to serve them and what items might cause insult. You also learn, much to your annoyance, how to properly grovel and offer apology without appearing too weak or pathetic. Somewhere in there, you even managed to pick up on which utensil you should use during which course. By the time the week came to a close, you'd learned and perfected everything he had to teach on the subject.
There still remains quite a lot more for you to learn on the subject of etiquette but you can at least claim mastery of the very basics. Even then, what you know now won't be of much help as you further immerse yourself in Magi Society. You know enough to avoid accidental insult but it really only goes so far as a short greeting or conversation. Your etiquette is still far too poor to last through a prolonged period with a member of the mundane nobility, let alone one of the more formal Magi. Your skills are passable but there is a great deal of room for improvement. You've reached the limits of what the boys can teach you though. What you are lacking, you will need to learn on your own or, as Glen suggested, hire a professional tutor.
At least you can avoid accidental death by Magus now.
[Etiquette +2. Improved relationship with Leo]
-x-
[O] Socialize with Leo, Kulwin and Glen (14 hours).
Having quite the limited amount of free time on your hands during the week, you found yourself unable to socialize as you had been for previous weeks. There was just too much that you needed to practice or learn before the end of the journey. Thankfully, your three acquaintances were quite understanding when informed that you couldn't spend as much time socializing with them as before. Of course, they were curious why that was. Though they did not pry beyond a simple question, you:
[][reply] Told them of your Knight training and studies (increased relationships. Retroactive bonus to Week 3 Knight training. Bonus to Week 4 Knight training. Unlocks the 'Spar with someone' and 'Teach' training options for future votes. Increased chance of others learning of your advancements).
[][reply 2] Omit Knight training (keeps your training in the Knight arts a secret. No training bonus or sparring unlock).
[][reply 2] Omit Language studies (keeps your study of the Byron Language a secret. No relationship bonus).
[][reply 2] Omit Language studies (keeps your study of the Byron Language a secret. No relationship bonus).
[][reply] Answered vaguely (no gains or losses)
[][reply] Write in.
Following that conversation, Leo stopped showing up to drag you from your room each morning. The three instead left it up to you to join them whenever you were able. Busy as you were however, this fell to during mealtimes in the morning and evening. Aside from when you sought out Leo or Kulwin for etiquette lessons, you were only able to see the three during breakfast and dinner.
Of course, they each had lives outside of you so it was hardly a problem.
During one of those conversations, you learned that Leo and Glen had started a budding friendship with Rachel and Jacob, the grade four Initiates of Four Relics Melody. The four spent a deal of their time in the lounge area, discussing various topics regarding their respective futures. You, apparently, were considered a pariah by Rachel for snubbing and insulting the 'great Master Lucifer' so the other girl, and by extension her school mate, had been avoiding you when possible. Leo was quick to apologize for having to treat you differently you whenever the two were near but you weren't bothered by it. Busy as you were, you didn't even notice.
Kulwin, in turn, managed to strike up a friendship with one of the grade three Initiates of Four Relics Melody. The other boy, Gerald, was apparently quite skilled in his family's Knight arts. Skilled enough to impress Kulwin at least. The two could often be found sparring in the cafeteria between meal hours. You managed to catch one of their spars and found yourself quite impressed. They were nothing compared to the black robes but each teen was leagues beyond yourself. You could barely follow their movements with your eyes and each clash of their blades was performed with enough force as to shatter stone. You became even more fervent in your own training after seeing this.
[Rachel Adderstein and Jacob Senok added to the relationship tab]
[O] Magritte and the Grade-Threes. 7 hours.
With Rachel and Jacob often joining Leo and the others for lunch, you decided to spend your own lunch hour elsewhere rather than intrude and get in the way of the boys attempt at forging connections. Not wanting to spend the time awkwardly sitting by the tight-knit group of Issac and his friends, you were left with the grade threes of your academy.
Those lunch hours were still a bit awkward as you and Magritte blatantly ignored one another. As she couldn't just start bullying you again, and was apparently too prideful to just apologize, this was her fall back option. You, in turn, couldn't give a damn about the snooty girl and were perfectly content to ignore her as well.
You spent those hours making small talk with the rest of the group. Conversations were short and stilted, the others a bit unsure how to hold a conversation with two of the participants actively ignoring one another. At least you manage learn the names of your other five year mates. It was also great practice for your budding etiquette so you weren't complaining.
[The 'Grade Threes' -Jeffrey Franzen, Kudric Gallows, Kendra Henson, Nicole Linden and Silvan Holk-, Magritte Helmway and Alicia Lerbin added to the relationship tab]
-x-
[O] Work on your sword skills (28 hours).
Of the various activities that consumed your time, you can say without a doubt that you found sword practice to be the most enjoyable. There was just something about swinging your blade around that you found… refreshing. The stances and sword forms were simple to follow. Either because of the way you learned them or due to your power, it was like each motion was already ingrained deep into your body and you were simply bringing them out. Coupled with your always present calm, you found yourself slipping into a trance like state every time you practiced. You would spend hours at a time simply swinging the sword about, yet it always felt like no time had passed whenever your Stamina depleted and you were forced to stop. Thankfully, that was not the case and with the passing of time, you found your ability growing at a tremendous rate.
After the first few sessions, you managed to grow used to wielding the large, heavy Cross Sword. Your grip, with either a single hand or both, became tight and steady. Your movements were no longer sloppy, though they were still far too slow to be of any aid in an actual battle. Still, it is only a matter of time until you are able to match the likes of Kulwin, Leo and Gerald. Your Strength and Agility grow at a steady rate each day, your meditations stimulating your Life Force in order to improve your body. Soon you will be a match for your peers in both speed and power.
This steady growth is something you chalk up to your power as well. You know from your purchased knowledge that you should be growing at a much slower and intermittent rate. The Knight arts are fraught with bottlenecks and glass ceilings. Already, you should have reached one such point. Your growth should have slowed and petered out, requiring you to experience the rush of deadly combat and stimulate your life energy in order to break through and surpass your limits. You have not. Instead, your growth continues at a steady rate, your skill granting the exact same bonus each time it is used. You can not help but wonder what sort of face others would make if they were to learn of this.
More so if they were to learn of the three skills you gained after those first few sessions:
Bladed Weapon Mastery (Passive) | Lv: 19 / 50.
A skill that improves your abilities while wielding a bladed weapon. Only applies while you are holding a bladed weapon or tool.
Increases crit chance by 19%
Increases attack speed by 38%
Increases damage by 57%
Increases attack speed by 38%
Increases damage by 57%
This skill you gained first.
In a world shattering instant that caused you to just freeze up with your eyes wide and your mouth open in shock, you gained what is perhaps the most unfair and surprising ability in your arsenal.
Bladed Weapon Mastery is a skill quite similar to your Void Blade Mastery. In that after gaining it, you suddenly gained an understanding of how best to hold and wield your weapon. The shocking part is that where Void Blade Mastery taught you how to better wield your Cross Sword, this skill taught you how to wield all forms of bladed weaponry. Without ever laying your hands on one, you now know how to use anything from a simple knife or short sword, to a towering greatsword or halberd. And with each level the skill gains, your knowledge and ability only improves.
Coupled with the third skill you gained-
Two-handed Weapon Mastery (Passive) | Lv: 18 / 50.
A skill that improves your abilities while wielding a weapon with both hands. Only applies while both hands are holding the same weapon or tool.
Increases crit chance by 18%
Increases attack speed by 36%
Increases damage by 54%
Increases attack speed by 36%
Increases damage by 54%
-and the aforementioned Void Blade Mastery, you can really see yourself becoming a force to be reckoned with. Who knows how powerful you could be once you catch up to Kulwin, let alone the black robes.
Once again, you learned how truly obscene your power is. Years of training granted in a single instant. Suddenly your dream doesn't seem so far away.Truly, your power is an unfair one.
Then there was the second skill you gained. The one that was perhaps the most interesting.
Void Blade Foot Technique (Passive/Active) | Lv: 19 / 50.
A method of quick and efficient movement for users of Void Blade techniques. Skill effects can be affected, both positively and negatively, by your status or reflexes.
Passively increases movement speed by 19%
Increases movement speed by 69% while active.
Increases movement speed by 38% for 3s when [Detect Bloodthirst] is triggered.
Increases movement speed by 69% while active.
Increases movement speed by 38% for 3s when [Detect Bloodthirst] is triggered.
By this point, you weren't too surprised to suddenly gain knowledge on how to properly place your feet and move your body. You accepted it without issue and continued your practice. What you found interesting, was the almost magical way the skill seemed to boost your movements when active. It started as that all too familiar of chill running through your body to pool in your feet. Then, you could move. From your point of view, it was like everything else slowed to a crawl. Well, not that slow maybe but you could toss something in the air and run from one end of the room to the other before it even neared the ground. That was pretty damn fast
This skill, or something similar to it, must also be the reason the black robes can move too fast for you to even register. Kulwin and Gerald must also have their own versions as well, allowing them to move so quick as to appear as blurs to your eyes. You're not quite certain just how fast you yourself are with the skill active but it must be beyond the norm for even grown men.
[O] Practice Void Meditation (24 total)
Your nightly meditations mean you are also growing faster and faster even without the benefit of the skill. Moreso after your meditation skill reached level ten and the required hours between uses decreased by one. Already you are faster, and perhaps stronger, than many grown men from your home city. With your growth in these three weeks and the possibilities revealed by your power, you can't even imagine where you will be in a years time.
-x-
[O] Study
Unsurprisingly, the activity you spent the most time on is also the one in which you made the most progress. With sleep being a non-issue, you were able to devote over half of your days to reading some of the books in the lounge.
From late evening until early morning, you could be found in lounge area with one book or another in your hands. Your intensely studious nature definitely drew some looks but you were often in one forgotten corner or the other so no one had reason to disturb you. The black robed chaperons certainty didn't seem to care all that much either. Flesha also kept similar hours for the two weeks she was on board so it's not like you were the only odd one… except she actually slept whenever she returned to her room. Whatever. All that really matters is that you were able to go about your studying without interruption.
[O]Byron Language (46 hours).
Given it's importance, the Byron Language primer got the most of your attention. You would spend hours at a time pouring through the text, slowly deciphering the meaning of each and every word. Your rapidly growing Speed Reading skill was a big help in this regard. There wasn't much you could do regarding the parts of the book you had yet to understand but as you discovered in previous week, reading the book is all that really matters for leveling the skill. With Speed Reading, you could read the relatively thick book in just a matter of hours. Sure you didn't understand a vast majority of it, but that really didn't matter as far as your power was concerned. From start to finish, you would read the primer, each read through taking less and less time as your skills improved. There was a point where your progress on the Byron Language Comprehension skill slowed to a crawl but all that meant was that you had to read through the book an extra number of times in order to gain your level up.
By the end of the week, and after a few dozen hours spent scouring that same book over and over again, you had full understanding of the Byron Language. You were able to read, write and fluently speak the Byron Language. You still don't see how it can be used to perform magic but at least you are more prepared for whatever you will face in the Academy.
[O] History of the Ancient Magus World (7 hours).
Whenever you got bored of reading the Byron Language primer, you would take the time to read some of the other texts available. Among this number was the history text that you'd skimmed through earlier. The entire book contained the history of the entire Magus World. To a point at least. The text only covered a period of thirty thousand years or so. A small drop in the bucket as it turns out.
This world of yours is old, incredibly old. The first page of the book was enough to tell you that. Though the book was not certain, you learned that the age of the world can be measured in the billions of years. A period of time you can't even begin to grasp the length of. Magi society, in comparison, is much younger. A majority of Magi agree that the first true Magus, on this world, existed some time around two million years ago. It is a controversial stance however as the Ancient Magi society that brought about the world of today is, at most, eight hundred thousand years old. With so much happening over such a long period of time, it's no wonder the book can only cover so little and offer scarce, unverifiable information.
Much was covered in those few chapters though. With such a long period of time to record, only those events that were deemed significant enough to be remembered were worthy of mention in the text. Wars and campaigns that shook the whole world. The rise and fall of nations. The shattering of a continent and the sinking of islands. Every word of the text had you enraptured as you learned the known history of the world. There was much missing of course, some events simply skimmed over or whole centuries that went unmentioned, but what was there was enough to paint a picture of the ancient world. Simply, it was a terrifying place.
With only a smidgen of free time to dedicate to the book, you make limited progress in finishing it. Even with Speed Reading, you could only make it a third of the way through before the week ends. Yet those few chapters are more than enough for you to grasp the terror of the ancient Magi and their society. The author of the text, a powerful rank two Magus if the text on the back is to be believed, described the ancient Magi as terrifyingly powerful existences. Reading through the first ten thousand years of the text, you cant help but agree.
This was a time when the Magus world was at its most powerful. During that time, the rank one, two and three Magi that now dominate the South Coast were no better than cannon fodder. They were regarded like the Acolytes of today, as plentiful resources to be used up by their betters. During this time, it wasn't impossible to hear of rank seven or eight Magi walking the land. It was also a time when the Magi were in the midst of an all out campaign of conquest.
From its very inception those hundreds of thousands of years ago, the ancient Magus society was one built around the single thought of conquest. The first few chapters of the book are a summary of how the ancient Magi brought the entirety of the Magus World to heel. It was an event thousands of years in the making. The ancient Magi slowly growing in power and number before they set out to conquer the world. The text talked of the numerous races that once existed, until they were either wiped out or enslaved by the human Magi. Today, only the humans and the Marine races that live below the oceans can be said to rule this world.
The bulk of the text picks up from that point. There is a long stretch of time where the the Magi consolidated their power and various factions were formed. Small wars and battles were fought over territory and resources. This lasted for several centuries before something happened to change it. Namely, the Magi discovered a whole other world deep below the surface of this one. The book went on to tell of the second conquest. Of how the ancient Magi invaded the Subterranean World to enslaved the races that existed there and claim territory. This went on until, one after the other, the ancient Magi conquered the seven levels of the Subterranean World. After millenia of war and conquest, the Magi finally held control of the entire Magus World. Of course, they then went seeking other worlds to conquer.
As you'd heard mentioned numerous times before, the Magi of ancient times were somehow capable of traveling to other worlds similar yet different from your own. The book made no mention of how this was possible and you found it difficult to even wrap your head around the idea. Your world alone is already large and ancient. To think, that there are other worlds like it out there. It was a staggering thought. This was also where your reading left off. On the ancient Magi gaining the ability to travel to other worlds in order to conquer them and transport all manner of slaves and resources back to the Magis World.
As you read though those chapters, you found yourself amazed. The power and authority of the ancient Magi. Their conquest of first this world, then of numerous other worlds. The yet to be explained 'great war' that could bring an end to this ancient society. The more you learned of the history of the world, the more you came to understand how far you must still reach to achieve your dreams.
[O] Geography of the Magus World (7 hours).
Reading of the conquest of the Magus world sparked a curiosity about said world as well. You already knew that the world was large but surely it was not so large if the Magi could conquer it all.
Oh, how wrong you were.
This world of yours is a sizable one. The geography text you found was, of course, centered on the South Coast where it was written but there was a deal of information about the greater world. You learned that there are seven continents on the world. Each is massive in size and separated by an expanse of ocean. A crude map was provided in the book, showing one massive continent in the center with smaller continents to each cardinal point. Countless islands, some said to have been created by the aftershock of clashing Magi, surround the various continents. Included in this is your home island of Gelenos just off the southern point of the central continent.
The Gelenos Islands are not a small land. In your mind at least. Yet this island, which would require years of travel to cross from one end to the other, is but a speck compared to the other continents. Even the South Coast, which is several magnitudes larger than Gelenos, was but a miniscule extrusion of the main continent.
Separating the continents are four expansive oceans. Each is simply named the North, East, South and West ocean. They are all considered to be the domain of the Marine races. Your home islands and the lands you are even now travelling through are all within the South Ocean. Within each ocean is a continent, named for the ocean it can be found in. The North, East, South and West continents are several times larger than the South Coast and located so far away as to render the thought of traveling there inconceivable. Not even aboard the dirigible could you expect to cover such a distance in a respectable amount of time.
Then, there are the Icelands. Located to the distant north and the far south, there are two massive continents. Both are said to be barren wastelands of ice, snow and temperatures so low as to freeze even a Magus solid within moments. They are both unclaimed territories. The ancient Magi finding nothing of worth within these empty lands.
Finally, there is the largest of the seven continents. Large enough to surpass any two of the other continents combined, the main continent of the world is truly ridiculous on size. Considered to be the center of Magi society in ancient times, the main continent is a place of strange climates and various biomes. It is divided into five main quadrants. These are respectively the North, East, South and West Coast, as well as the Central Continent. They are separated by massive mountain ranges, deep canyons and treacherous waters. Travel between these quadrants is impossible to all but the most powerful of Magi. They may as well be considered as separate lands.
The text also makes mention of the Subterranean World but provides no details or maps. The main information the book provides seems to relate mainly to the South Coast. Information is sparse on the rest world but you find a great deal relating to the South Coast.
The South Coast is an expansive land full of many dangers. Forests, plains, deserts and the like span the whole land, infested by all manner of magical beast. The areas safe for human habitation are limited but are more than large enough to support the various Magi and mundane peoples. The central area and the outskirts of the South Coast are separated by great mountains and dangerous wild lands with only five areas considered safe enough to allow travel between them. Those outskirt areas are the territory of the Dark Magi while the center belongs to the Light Magi.
The territory of the Dark Magi is divided into dozens of small nations separated by dangerous wilderness. The rulers are primarily mundane royalty or nobility but all have a connection, hidden or prominent, to a powerful Magus family. The central area is also divided into a number of nations. Six in total that are all ruled by a Magus Lord.
Your Oakenbrook Academy is in the city of Oakwood, in the nation of Teldara. It is a nation ruled by Heraldin Gulliver, a Rank Three Magus and a relative of the academy headmaster. It is a rolling land of bountiful plains, rich lakes and rivers, and thick forests. Various villages and cities dot the land. Overall, it is a rich nation with a powerful ruler and few dangers. As you read and learned more about it, you found yourself excited to finally arrive at your new home.
[O] Culture of the South Coast. 28 hours.
The culture of the South Coast, and Teldara in particular, is quite similar to that of your homeland. The same holidays and special events are observed, and the same social structures are in place. It is a hierarchical structure, one built around power and ability. Slaves and peasants are at the bottom, the trash barely worth the notice of their betters. Above those are the commoners and lesser nobility. Then the greater nobility. Followed by the royals, and lastly, the Acolytes and Magi at the very top.
You spent quite a deal of time skimming through the cultural text that was provided. A lot of it you already knew, thanks to Leo and the others, but there are a few interesting tidbits that you managed to pick out.
Knowing the culture and history of the South Coast, you can at least proceed through the coming years without making a fool of your self.
[General knowledge - Magus World >>> 1 / 100. General knowledge - South Coast >>> 1 / 100. Etiquette +1]
-x-
Shaking your head to clear it of idle thoughts, you turn from the viewing window and begin making your way back to your room. This whole week has been an eventful one. There is very little chance of things slowing down either. Seven more days and you will be at Oakenbrook. Only then will things really begin.
Seven days and you can begin learning how to use your magic. How to work wonders and walk the path to true, glorious power. Seven days… they can't pass fast enough.
Entering your room and closing the door behind you, you frown as you notice something different. On your pillow is a folded paper. A note? A letter? Who possibly from? Who would dare to enter your room without permission?
Frowning, you approach the bed with heated steps. Picking the note up, you read the small, tidy print on the front-
To: Cat.
From: Klaus Erik Neilis.
-and snort in derision. Klaus. Of course. Who else. Sighing, you flop onto the bed and unfold the note. Might as well see what 'the great Lord Neilis' wants now.
My Dearest Cat,
The paper crinkles as you almost, almost, crumple it and toss it aside. Mood even more spoiled than before, you continue reading.
I hope this day finds you well-
Blah, blah, blah. Lots of flowery words that essentially boil down to 'hope you are doing well.'. Gosh, this is the sort of thing you're expected to master for etiquette? Ways to fill up a page without actually saying anything? You're not looking forward to that part of your lessons.
Skimming through the more useless bits of the letter, you get to the meat of the matter.
I am overjoyed to once again learn that I was correct in my decision all those months ago. You have proven to be a most excellent of investments. To progress so quickly in your studies, even with something as droll as the Knight arts, is a testament to your natural talent. I hope such talent continues to shine through in the coming years.
Keep to your studies and practice. The skills you are building now and the knowledge you are amassing will aid you well in the future. Though-
You frown as the letter continues on into pointers and hints regarding the various subjects you've been studying. This… Klaus… Has he been spying on you this whole time? Rather, has someone been reporting to him regarding your actions? You can only think that it is so. How else would he know of your studies? Of your progress? The door to the Magus section has not opened once in these three weeks, that you know of, yet some of the information he references are things no one should know, things you only practiced in the privacy of your room. He even suggests methods to improve your meditation and energy circulation. Suggestions that use a detailed description of your current energy flow. Something that happens INSIDE your body.
This.. you don't like this. As if you weren't paranoid enough already. The note crinkles more. You force yourself to take a deep breath. Seven days. Seven days and you'll not only be far from his watchful eyes but you can also begin learning how to protect your secrets. You won't allow this to happen again.
Oh, I had the most lovely chat with vice-head Lucifer some time ago. You seem to have left quite the impression on the man. As I'm sure you've already learned, this is not a good thing. Worry not dear Cat, the Neilis family shall shield you from this folly. Lord Lucifer will not be quick to forget however and my protection can only go so far. If you wish, I could make amends in your name. A simple matt-
Your frown deepens again. Your mistake with Lucifer is one that has had you beating your head against the wall once you learned of everything you did wrong in that meeting. Your only options at this point are is avoid him and hope he eventually forgets about you, or to amass a large enough fortune as to buy his forgiveness. Not the best of plans but they're all you have. All you had.
Now, if you ask, Klaus is willing and able to offer the appropriate reparations for your mistake. Enough that Lucifer will be liable to overlook the whole thing and simply ignore you from this point forward. Of course, this will cost you. Whatever is used to appease the powerful Magus will have to come out of your debt to the Neilis family. A Magus of Lucifer's power and probable wealth? Whatever is handed over won't be cheap.
Do you accept Klaus' help?
[][help] Yes (huge increase to debt).
[][help ] No (your current situation is unchanged).
[][help] Write in.
Decided on a course of action, you continue reading.
As we will be parting ways upon reaching Oakwood City, it would be remiss of me as your sponsor to not ensure that you are fully prepared for the days ahead. Much of your future needs will be provided by the Academy but only the bare minimum will be truly free. As such, I shall leave it up to you to inform me of any luxuries or funds you may require. Think carefully and do not hold back. Once we part ways, it will be a number of months before you will be able to reach me reliably. I would suggest-
Again, you frown at the text on the page. Klaus is practically hinting that you should borrow more Magic Crystals. He does not say why exactly you will need them but you can guess after you conversations with the others. Right now, you have three Magic Crystals. That's quite a sum but not enough to last the months Klaus will be traveling back to his family's lands. You have no idea if, or when, you will be able to earn more on your own. Borrowing more might not be a bad idea.
Certainly you could do with a better fitting weapon. As you learn more about the Knight arts and your skill improves, you come to see how truly unsuited your current weapon is for you. If you could get something better sized for you and of stronger material, your combat ability might receive a significant boost.
Do you ask for anything?
[][restock] Yes.
[][restock 2] Magic Crystals (provide a number. Hint: 30~ would be a decent amount for 3 months)
[][restock 2] Custom Cross Sword (equivalent to 1 Magic Crystal)
[][restock 2] Write in: any items (simple ones that Cat would know about) that you feel you may need for the coming months.
[][restock 2] Custom Cross Sword (equivalent to 1 Magic Crystal)
[][restock 2] Write in: any items (simple ones that Cat would know about) that you feel you may need for the coming months.
[][debt] No.
Skimming through the last of the letter, a litany of useless words that could have been summed up with 'have a good night, hope to hear from you soon', you finally give into your desires and crumple the letter into a small ball. It flies nicely as it hits the distant wall before dropping into the trash. Smiling, you relax back onto the bed and stare up at the ceiling.
The day started out so well.
-x-
End of AtD: Week 3 progress report.
7 days of Void Blade Breathing Technique.
+0.14 Str (1.08).
+0.14 Agi (1.18).
+0.14 Vit (2.08).
+0.14 Agi (1.18).
+0.14 Vit (2.08).
Vit has crossed the threshold.
Rank Changed: Preparatory Knight (Beginner) → Preparatory Knight (Intermediate).
Byron Language Comprehension Lv 22 → 50 (35 from training + 15 lvl bonus from speed reading and using a skill book).
Meditation Lv 9 → 21.
Speed Reading Lv 1 → 37.
Void Blade Breathing Technique Lv 8 → 21.
Void Blade Mastery Lv 1 → 19.
A/N 3: was kind of split on giving you the Language skill or not. On the one hand, you should only have it at Lv 35 and need another 70 hours in order to max it out. On the other hand… I had no idea what sort of bonus Speed Reading should give in this case. Flipped a coin, it landed on heads so Speed Reading a skill book now gives an xp bonus with learning the skill. This won't work quite the same with non-knowledge skills btw. If you train a combat skill or something through reading a book then you can certainly get a few levels this way but you'll need to actually practice the skill and train it in order to get it to max level.
-x-
Week 4 Vote!
There are very little choices for this vote so you dont need to use up all the allotted time. I'll accept a rough plan as I'll probably speed through Week 4 and get to your arrival at the academy.
Locked in actions.
Meals (21 hours).
Void Blade Meditation (7 hours).
You have 140 hours of free time.
What will you do this week?
[][week 4] Study (7 hours minimum. Choose how many hours you want to spend on each).
[][study] History of the Ancient Magus World (general knowledge).
[][study] Geography of Magus World (general knowledge).
[][study] History of the South Coast (general knowledge).
[][study] Culture of the South Coast (etiquette).
[][study] Geography of the South Coast (general knowledge).
[][study]Byron Language (general knowledge).
[][study] History of the South Coast (general knowledge).
[][study] Geography of the South Coast (general knowledge).
[][week 4] Socialize (7 hours minimum. Choose how many hours you want to spend on each).
*These will not be coupled with meal times, that was only due to forgetting it last vote.
[][socialize] Leo, Kulwin and Glen.
[][socialize] Magritte and the Grade-Threes.
[][socialize] The 'Golden' Nine.
[][socialize] Klaus.
[][socialize]Lucifer.
[][socialize] Random Initiate.
[][socialize] Random Knight.
[][socialize 2] Write in: any topic or aims you have for socializing.
[][socialize] Magritte and the Grade-Threes.
[][socialize] The 'Golden' Nine.
[][socialize] Klaus.
[][socialize]Lucifer.
[][socialize] Random Initiate.
[][socialize] Random Knight.
[][socialize 2] Write in: any topic or aims you have for socializing.
[][week 4] Training (7 hours minimum. Choose how many hours you want to spend on each).
[][training] Work on your sword skills.
[][training] Spar with someone (only available if you picked the option to share information about your sword skills. Sparring raises all skills used at double the rate).
[][training 2] Kulwin.
[][training 2] Leo.
[][training 2] Gerald.
[][training 2] Write in: anyone you know that practices the art.
[][training] Teach (only available if you picked the option to share information about your knowledge. Can only teach subjects you 10+ knowledge about. Teaching builds relationships, fame, and can even grant you some insight on the subject).
[][training 2] Byron Language.
[][training 3] Who will you teach?
[][training] Write in.
[][training] Spar with someone (only available if you picked the option to share information about your sword skills. Sparring raises all skills used at double the rate).
[][training 2] Kulwin.
[][training 2] Leo.
[][training 2] Gerald.
[][training 2] Write in: anyone you know that practices the art.
[][training] Teach (only available if you picked the option to share information about your knowledge. Can only teach subjects you 10+ knowledge about. Teaching builds relationships, fame, and can even grant you some insight on the subject).
[][training 2] Byron Language.
[][training 3] Who will you teach?
[][training] Write in.
[][week 4] Gain Knowledge (3.5 hours minimum. Choose how many hours you want to spend on each).
[][knowledge] Write in: a previously mentioned topic that the MC would want to learn more about.
[][week 4] Write in
Bonus Vote!
A/n 4: had a thought and decided to put it to a vote. Namely, should I have more cameos in the future. The 'golden nine' were a spur of the moment decision but there are some characters that could make wonderful cameos in this verse. They wouldn't be crossovers or fusions, just characters with the same name, appearance and general personality as individuals from other works. For example, Albus 'Lord of Light' Dumbledore as headmaster of one of the other Light schools. Stuff like that. What do you guys think?
[][cameos] Yesssss! Do it.
[][cameos] Nope! It's a bad idea man.
[][cameos] Eh, idc really.
-x-
Voting is Closed.
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