Harry braced for something, a warning from the System, a feeling of his powers being shut down, anything to let him know he was now weak and vulnerable. Nothing. No alerts. No dizziness. No feeling of loss. He didn’t feel that odd sense of the sun he always had outside the dungeon, the quiet awareness of when it would rise or set.
Jo asked if he was alright.
Harry nodded, “I think so.”
They exchanged a look and stepped outside.
System, so this sun is fake?
:: System: Fake is relative. Does the object currently rising in the east provide light to the lands before you? Does it provide heat? Does it allow the plants to thrive and grow?
Is it a distant ball of burning gas?
:: System: Accepted theory is that it is not.
Theory?
:: System: There is a faction of skeptics who posit that the Dungeon Aspect uses and manipulates extraplanar or interdimensional realities.
And what’s the majority opinion?
:: System: That the dungeons are simply magical constructs.
That’s a new usage of the word simply I wasn’t previously aware of.
:: System: Duly noted.
I really need to get a towel.
Harry and Jo stood at the cavern entrance, watching the light of the rising sun spread across the plain. The grasslands rolled away in gentle waves, empty and still. No dust clouds. No movement. Nothing but wind-bent grass stretching to the tree line.
Jo scanned the horizon one more time. "Cedric will be happy."
Harry grunted. "For a little while."
She shot him a look, then nodded. "Aye. He'll want you to check again in an hour."
"Two if we're lucky."
They headed back down the ladder and slipped through the secret tunnel. Jo had pulled one of the crypt torches free and lit it with flint and steel before they'd left. Whatever magic made them turn off and on didn't prevent normal use. She held it high as they moved through the passage, the flame steady and bright in the still air.
That night, after everyone settled into their watch order, Harry slipped out to hunt a few more giant rats, enough to top off his vitae and earn the last bit of experience he needed to level up.
Harry had no trouble finding two of the giant rats and using Sip. After the second one he got the expected message.
:: System: Congratulations. You have advanced a level.
:: Class: Vampire Level 2 (1/4,000)
Harry patted the giant rat on the head, released it from mesmerize, and went back to the others.
Stan was on watch, but Cedric sat on his bedroll waiting for him.
“Sir Harold… did you make level two?”
Harry couldn’t stop a small smile. “I did.”
Cedric leaned forward a little. “Are you able to select another utility skill?”
“I’m not sure. One second.”
System, what do I get at this level?
:: System: at Level: 2 you gain:
:: Available Attribute Points: +2
:: Available Skill/Trait Points: +3
:: Available Utility Skills: +1
:: Skill [Inventory]: +1 level
That’s a lot less than at level one.
:: System: Affirmative. Reaching level one is a major milestone and rewarded accordingly. At level three if you forgo choosing a Subclass the reward will be comparable to level one.
Harry looked over at Cedric. “I get one utility skill.”
Cedric cleared his throat. “It’s not my place to tell you what to choose, Sir Harold, but now that you have inventory I would recommend taking Map.”
“It’s that good?”
“Yes,” Cedric gestured around them. “At first level it gives you a map that fills in as you explore. Useful enough. At second level you gain a small version in your vision that shows the area around you. But the real value comes at level three, when it begins marking friends and enemies.”
Harry nodded. “Thanks. That sounds too good to pass up.”
Cedric gave a nod, eased back onto his bedroll, and rolled over to sleep.
System, show me my current stats.
:: System: User Profile
:: Species: Human
:: Class: Vampire Level 2 (1/4,000)
:: Strength: 6
:: Agility: 6
:: Endurance: 11
:: Willpower: 13
:: Presence: 6
:: Intellect: 15
:: Health: 110/110
:: Vitae: 110/110
:: Thirst Meter: 0%
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:: Skills
:: [Self-Heal: 0] (76%)
:: [Mesmerize: 0] (52%)
:: [Frenzy: 3] (0%)
:: [Sip: 0] (48%)
:: [Drain: 1] (42%)
:: [Identify: 1] (16%)
:: [Inventory: 1]
:: [Melee Weapons: 1] (7%)
:: Core Traits
:: [Fangs]
:: [Enhanced physical attributes: 0]
:: [Enhanced senses: 0]
:: [Blood Sense: 0]
:: [Immunity to poison, sickness, and disease: 2]
:: [Partial Immunity to cold and electricity: 0]
:: [Nocturnal Vision: 0]
:: [Respiration optional]
:: [Thermal signature reduced]
:: [Olfactory signature reduced]
:: [Immortal]
:: [Shadow Manipulation: 0]
Why is Frenzy at 0%
:: System: When you raise a skill through points or quest rewards any natural progression is lost.
Show me the list of utility skills please.
:: [Appraisal: 1] Small details about an item's quality, condition, or purpose.
:: [Awareness: 1] Increases your chance of noticing hidden threats or details.
:: [Balance: 1] Improves stability and footing on uneven or shifting ground.
:: [Breakfall: 1] Reduces harm or disorientation from falls or knockdowns.
:: [Calm Mind: 1] Grants slight resistance to fear or panic effects.
:: [Danger Sense: 1] Gives faint intuition before an ambush or sudden threat.
:: [Efficient Metabolism: 1] Gains more benefit from consumed resources.
:: [Efficient Search: 1] Speeds up searching rooms, bodies, or cluttered areas.
:: [Endure: 1] Slightly boosts resistance to pain and stagger effects.
:: [Field Dressing: 1] Improves success at stabilizing wounds without magic.
:: [Focus: 1] Enhances concentration during tasks or ability use.
:: [Iron Stomach: 1] Increases resistance to nausea, sickness, and mild poisons.
:: [Keen Hearing: 1] Heightens awareness of movement and sound cues.
:: [Map: 1] Generates a basic System map of explored areas.
:: [Night Attunement: 1] Improves vision and awareness in low-light areas.
:: [Pain Tolerance: 1] Lessens the impact of injuries and exhaustion.
:: [Pack Management: 1] Slightly reduces effective carry weight.
:: [Quick Step: 1] Improves short-range movement for dodging or repositioning.
:: [Ranged Weapons: 1] Basic proficiency with bows, thrown weapons, and slings
:: [Second Wind: 1] Restores a small burst of stamina.
:: [Silent Step: 1] Reduces noise generated while moving.
:: [Steady Aim: 1] Provides a small accuracy boost for ranged attacks.
:: [Steady Hands: 1] Improves precision with crafting or delicate work.
:: [Sure Grip: 1] Reduces chance of dropping weapons or tools.
:: [Tactical Insight: 1] Highlights weaknesses or patterns in foes.
Alright. Well give me the Map skill and I guess I should keep leveling intelligence.
:: System: You have indicated an intent to select Subclass [Blood Mage] at level three to gain access to healing magic. That Subclass grants an automatic +5 to Intellect, which will place you at the [Human] maximum of 20. Allocating points to Intellect now will result in wasted points.
I can never go above twenty?
:: System: It is possible to exceed species maximums after reaching user level ten, through magical items, or by receiving quest rewards.
Oh… I’m not sure then. More health would be good. But I don’t want to kill anything again by accident. Put two more points in willpower.
:: System: And the Skill Points?
What do I get for raising Blood Sense?
:: System: Each level of [Blood Sense] will double the range and improve your ability to detect sources of blood through obstacles.
Alright, probably do that. What about Melee Weapons? It didn’t go up very much.
:: System: The path to weapon proficiency is long and arduous.
What would I get at level two?
:: System: At [Melee Weapons] (2) you gain novice proficiency with all standard melee weapons.
What does novice mean?
:: System: At novice proficiency, muscle memory for common attacks and defenses is developing. Footwork is deliberate rather than instinctive. Weapon handling shows emerging competence. You would be considered minimally combat-ready by professional standards.
Harry pulled his dagger from inventory and turned it in his hands. It felt better than ever before, more natural, but still nowhere near the certainty of a scalpel during surgery in his old life. Or even when he operated on Toby.
I need to get better so I don’t have to rely on Frenzy.
:: System: There are weapon masters who specialize in training Users at various levels of [Melee Weapons]. They are expensive but can significantly accelerate and improve weapon proficiency.
If… when we get out of here, I’ll look into that. For now, spend two points to raise Melee Weapons to level two, and one point to raise Blood Sense.
:: System: Duly noted. Confirm upgrades: +2 [Willpower], 2 Skill points into [Melee Weapons], 1 Skill point into [Blood Sense], +1 [Inventory], and the addition of Skill [Map]? (Y/N)
Remembering what happened last time, Harry lay down on his bedroll and settled in as comfortably as he could.
Yes, upgrades confirmed.
It wasn’t as bad as the first time, but a wave of dizziness hit him, followed by the sharp pop behind his eyes and a slow crawl of muscle cramps rolling through his limbs.
When the dizziness faded, Harry checked his updated stats one more time.
:: System: User Profile
:: Species: Human
:: Class: Vampire Level 2 (1/4,000)
:: Strength: 6
:: Agility: 6
:: Endurance: 11
:: Willpower: 15
:: Presence: 6
:: Intellect: 15
:: Health: 110/110
:: Vitae: 110/110
:: Thirst Meter: 0%
:: Skills
:: [Self-Heal: 0]
:: [Mesmerize: 0]
:: [Frenzy: 3]
:: [Sip: 0]
:: [Drain: 1]
:: [Identify: 1]
:: [Inventory: 2]
:: [Melee Weapons: 2]
:: [Map: 1]
:: Core Traits
:: [Fangs]
:: [Enhanced physical attributes: 0]
:: [Enhanced senses: 0]
:: [Blood Sense: 1]
:: [Immunity to poison, sickness, and disease: 2]
:: [Partial Immunity to cold and electricity: 0]
:: [Nocturnal Vision: 0]
:: [Respiration optional]
:: [Thermal signature reduced]
:: [Olfactory signature reduced]
:: [Immortal]
:: [Shadow Manipulation: 0]
He had a couple of hours before Cedric would want another check of the plains. He’d keep checking for at least another full day before Toby could move. Or Korven's men appeared. Whichever came first.
***
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