*DING*

  Race [Human] has levelled up: lvl 1 -> lvl 2. +3 free points. Stat points from class [Wizard - Initiate Mage] has been allocated, +1 free point. Max health is increased with one (1) point.

  ‘Hey, entity!’ Pi’ve said. He let go of the link to the rock; he had no time for that when prompts told him he had levelled up after all. ‘What exactly does levelling up do?’

  ‘When you level up your race, you receive a predetermined amount of points to your stats. In your case, that is two points to intelligence, wisdom and perception. The class determines how much you get, and where they are placed. This amount increases as your race rank up. It also gives you free points, three from race levels, and one from class, and these you are freely able to allocate as you please.’ The entity said.

  ‘But what about class? What happens when that levels up? Will I receive points then too?’

  ‘Your class does not level up. It ranks up.’ The entity said. ‘Levelling up without a class is what most do, as most people do not have a class. Only having a race gives little stat points. Which is why classless humans are so weak compared to wizards. Wizards, elves, mentors and some dragons are the only ones with classes. Without a class, you cannot get a profession—,’

  ‘What exactly is a profession? I see that under class there is something called profession, which I have not yet acquired.’ Pi’ve interrupted the entity for some additional clarification.

  ‘—When you rank up your class— Profession is a specialisation in your class. The most common profession is alchemist for wizards. Other professions include scribe, botanist and physician. As you level up your profession, you may rank it up to an even more specialised profession. Professions may be abandoned, and a new one acquired, though you start at level 1 each time you pursue a novel path. Previous profession progress is saved and accumulated knowledge is not erased. Only one profession may be pursued at a time, but this does not mean that you will miss out on experience points if you, as an example, do alchemy in your scribe profession.’ After this quick digression, Pi’ve let the entity continue his explanation of classes and levels.

  ‘When you rank up your class you get more points each race level. It is different from class to class. In your case, your next class rank-up is at level 10. Unlike race, where only a certain xp-point threshold needs to be reached, class have certain criteria which needs to be fulfilled before you are able to rank up. This means that even if you are level 10, but every criteria is not met, you will not be able to rank up your class. As a higher ranked class gives more points, you will miss out on points as you keep levelling further.’

  ‘And what are the criteria for ranking up my class?’ Pi’ve asked, but the entity did not answer. A few seconds later, a prompt popped up.

  *Too early to see class rank-up criteria. Check back at a later time.*

  ‘That is yet to be decided.’ The entity said.

  ‘Yeah, I saw that.’ Pi’ve said. He decided that he had to check out what had changed, and what he could do now that he had ranked up. He opened his status menu.

  Status

  Name: Pi’ve

  Age: 20

  Race: [Human - lvl 2]

  Class: [Wizard - Initiate Mage]

  Profession: N/A

  —

  Health - (90/91)

  Mana - (60/80)

  Stamina - (80/80)

  —

  Stats

  Strength - 7

  Toughness - 8

  Intelligence - 11

  Wisdom - 8

  Willpower - 7

  Perception - 10

  Endurance - 8

  Free points - 7

  —

  Race skills

  Inspect (Unique)

  Class skills

  N/A

  Profession skills

  N/A

  Titles

  [One and only (Unique)]

  Several things had changed. He had reached level 2 in his race, and his health and mana pool had gotten bigger. One point to health and twenty points to mana. He wondered why that was. The health and mana pool had not filled up after the increase, but they would fill automatically after some time, as it had previously. He had received his two stat points in intelligence, wisdom and perception in addition to four free points which had been added to the three he already had, adding up to seven points he now needed to allocate.

  Other than that, he saw nothing else. He wondered what was different. He had received two points in intelligence, but it did not feel like he had actually become smarter. He now had 80 mana points, and that neither— wait. Mana had been at 60 when wisdom was at six points. It was eight now, and mana was at 80. Did they scale together?

  ‘Question— Does mana scale with wisdom?’ Pi’ve asked.

  ‘Yes. Your mana is equal to ten times the amount of wisdom you currently have.’ The entity answered.

  ‘Are there any other stats which scale together?’

  ‘Stamina scales with endurance. All classes except for the magician classes scale health the same way with toughness.’

  ‘Is it not redundant to say that all classes except wizards scale with toughness? Is there not only wizards in the world? Pi’ve asked.

  ‘It is not redundant. You had the choice between other classes. You, and wizards, are not the only ones with classes. You are merely the only one in direct contact with the system.’ The entity clarified.

  ‘I see. But why does health not scale for wizards?’ Pi’ve asked. ‘That is just unfair.’

  ‘Fairness does not play a part in the world you live in.’ The entity said, Pi’ve raised his eyebrows. ‘Only two of the pools is set to scale with the stats. Toughness serves another purpose for you. Wizards are blessed with long life after a certain threshold is passed, and no other class get that. It is called perpetual life, and is granted when becoming a fully fledged wizard.’

  Pi’ve did not know this, but he knew that every wizard in Thergiam was several hundred years old. A thought struck him: If they do not possess the Jin system like he does, do they not have stats like him? How do they choose their path? They would not have gone through a tutorial like he has.

  ‘How does the wizards without the Jin, or the system, become wizards? And how do they allocate their stats, if indeed they do have stats and levels and all?’ Pi’ve asked.

  ‘It works the same as for you, the only difference is that you have access to the system and you can influence it. The difference being you can see the skill in the status menu. For them, free points are randomly allocated after a certain time has passed, as they do not have the ability to do so themselves. The rest is the same. They get titles, skills and professions, just like you, only they cannot see them. If you and another wizard have the same skill, both of you will be able to do the same magic.’ The entity said. Pi’ve nodded along. It seemed logical. So the benefit for me is that I have a direct way to influence it, and interact with it, in a way. ‘On how they become wizards: They are picked up by mentors who essentially force the class on them by nurture and teaching. Mentors are creatures so powerful that they have the ability to force a class upon someone.’

  ‘What? You can be so high in level that you are able to force a class on someone? Will I be able to do so?” Pi’ve said intrigued. He had never heard of mentors before.

  ‘In theory, everyone can attain the status of mentor, but there have never been a mentor who was previously an apprentice himself. Mentors are higher beings. Their starting point is not your starting point. Elves are the most common mentors, but others exist that are neither elf, dwarf or human.’

  That was really interesting. So the way to become a wizard outside the system was through a mentor who is an elf or some other higher being. Hmm— I have heard of elves, but what are higher beings exactly?

  By now, even Pi’ve felt like he had asked enough questions, but there was so much to learn, but he would get back to his quest. He had almost figured out how to do the corporeal manipulation earlier, and he was eager to actually manage it. There was just so much new to learn.

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  Getting back to what he was actually doing before the level-up, he searched for the rock on the ground. He had turned and walked around as he talked to the entity and he got disorientated for a moment, though it did not take many seconds before he located it. There was something different, he noticed. Only something minuscule. The rock was slightly clearer, as if some layer of haziness, or fog, had been made clearer. Well, it is probably the higher stats, or something. The perception stat?

  Pi’ve brushed away the thought as his new and improved vision became the norm rather quickly, and managed to link with the rock without problem. Then, closing his eyes, he began to think about the rock flying. It soared high in the air in a straight line upwards, and as he opened his eyes, it was still laying on the ground.

  There was something missing, but he did not quite know what it was. He could think about it whilst he walked through the forest looking for the cave. Or he could ask the entity. Well, he had to figure some things out himself, or else it was no fun. He loved a challenge. In fact, the tutorial would not last forever, and after the tutorial he would be on his own anyways, Pi’ve would then have to figure out stuff on his own, all the time.

  He picked the rock off the ground and placed it in his satchel and began walking. Again he was reminded of how large the forest was, with the trees being the width of three people outstretched in a line. The distance between the trees made it look somewhat normal. If he had seen the forest from afar, he would probably have thought it a normal forest, but inside…

  Walking through the forest, it quickly became dark. The sun was low and would soon be gone. Inside the forest, it was beginning to become a problem, as it was harder to see the ground and where to place his feet. He had several times almost twisted his ankle stepping on rocks or smaller veins of roots shooting out of the ground. He had no torch, but wondered if he could somehow light up something else.

  Reflecting on this for a bit, he wondered what magic he would be able to do as he progressed as a wizard. What was possible for him to achieve? Would he be able to conjure anything from anywhere? Would he be able to change metal to gold? Would he be able to set a furnace aflame? Well, right now he wished he could set his staff alight, it was getting dark fast—

  …

  Of course! He could try casting light from his staff! Excellent— was that even a thing? That would make the journey safer indeed. The cave too, as he doubted that it would be lit, if at all any torches still burned there. Pi’ve stopped and took a tight hold of his staff, and felt his connection to his staff. But what was he supposed to do? The quest had told him that Straying from the order of the quest may cause a change in the difficulty of the challenge— would this count as not going in order? It was getting dark and he needed light, and if it was possible, then so be it.

  He remembered the entity saying something about the linking, and after linking with the staff he could more easily draw from his mana pool. But how did he do that? Was it some inner energy that he could control?

  Focusing on his staff and the gemstone, he looked inside himself, felt for anything that he could draw from. He wanted to make the staff light up. After a couple of tries, he finally said ‘light up!’ in frustration, though that did nothing either.

  He made a mental image of the staff in his head. The wood from the ground, all the way up to his hand and to the gemstone. He wanted to have the gemstone emit light.

  Something twitched inside his body. There had been movement. Nothing physical. Something else had stirred. He tried again, now imagining the gemstone lighting up. His eyes were still closed, but there was definitely a change. The twitching in his body became a perpetual flow, coming from deep within, through his hand and to his staff. He felt something light up, and a small warmth touched his hand. He opened his eyes, and finally— The titanite gemstone was shining! Only a little, but it shone.

  *DING*

  Skill unlocked: [Conjure light (Common)] - Light up your staff, illuminating your path. May this light bring warmth.

  Pi’ve stood looking at the gemstone for a couple of seconds, before he jumped up and down in triumph. The light flickered and faded away, but he did not care. He summoned the entity to brag.

  ‘I just cast light from my staff! Did you see that?’ Pi’ve said smiling from ear to ear.

  ‘Congratulation on unlocking a skill.’ The entity said, still with the same unceremonious expression.

  ‘And I did not even need your help to do it!’ Pi’ve said, and lit his staff again. Having done it once before, it was quite easy to do it again. ‘And see— I can do it without much thinking now.’

  ‘The light summoning spell is the most basic spell a wizard has. With the skill, the knowledge on how to do it becomes innate.’

  ‘Yeah, yeah. I do not need your pessimism.’ Pi’ve said. ‘I am a wizard, damn it!’

  With his staff alight, Pi’ve walked through night in a daze. It was a good feeling, like he could do anything. He lit and unlit the staff several times over the next couple of hours. Something inside him told him that he should not do that, and that holding it lit was better, but just the feeling and sight of it going from dark to bright around him made him so happy. Then suddenly, as he was standing on top of a small hillside which sloped downwards, his staff would not light up anymore.

  Pi’ve woke. His head throbbed. He got up on his feet again and stood immobile in the darkness for a while, unable to figure out what had happened.

  He summoned the entity again. ‘What is going on? I cannot light up my staff anymore.’ Was all he said, disregarding the fact that he had fainted.

  ‘Check your mana resource.’ The entity said.

  Pi’ve checked his status. His health was at 91, which was max. His mana was— almost empty? How could it be almost empty? His stamina was approximately half full at 47 of 80, but that was obviously because of the walking.

  ‘The mana pool is almost empty?’ Pi’ve said dejected. He knew that something was off. Would it refill?

  ‘It depleted. You have lit and unlit your staff for the last couple of hours. Lighting it up takes more mana than keeping it lit after it being turned on.’

  ‘Oh. Right. Maybe I should have checked my mana while I did it.’ Pi’ve said a bit embarrassed. ‘Will it fill up again? The mana pool?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Good’ Pi’ve said. He waited a bit, and after ten minutes or so, he saw that his mana had replenished five points. He lit up his staff, checked his mana, and it had dipped to three points.

  So it takes two points of mana to start it up. How much does it use if I keep it on?

  Pi’ve checked in on his mana pool as he walked. It had not dipped below three points after the next ten minutes. He walked some more, and after twenty minutes it said he had two points of mana.

  I wonder if mana is regenerating while I use the skill.

  He still had seven points he needed to allocate, and at that moment, he decided that he would place five of them on intelligence. He was a wizard after all. They practically lived on mana, and now he was almost empty again. He then had two left, and those he decided he would place on strength, giving him 9 points. Not sure what strength did, but hey, every stat had to do something productive.

  After placing those five mana on intelligence, he now had 16 points in the stat. Not much felt different, though he did feel something. It felt somewhat hotter inside him, and he could feel the waves of mana a bit more.

  The mana still fell to one out of 80 after half an hour, but by that time, the sun had begun to rise, and he did not need the light from his staff to see anymore, and so, he put out the light, and decided to rest for a while. It had been exhausting walking around all night while using mana. His stamina was at 33 now, and it did take a toll on him having it so low.

  He sat down, resting against a tree, and soon, even with the sun shining sharply on his face, he fell asleep. He dreamt of a nearby cave.