Hello all! So, this current chapter would normally be all by itself since I'm trying to sti/W/F chapter schedule, however, I just found out that the Royal Road Writathon (this is posted there as well) will be starting soon. In the spirit of the challenge, I will be publishing my entire backlog today to start fresh toward the 55,555-woal. Starting with the release of this chapter, they will be going live in 5-minute is.
I hope you enjoy the chapters!
After about an hour of traveling iive silence, only the natural sounds of the forest and the thumps of his stumbling steps around him, Kriohe o speak up. Though he was already beginning to feel tired, not being used to hiking through the woods like they were, his mind was stantly ing over all the questions he had. What was the System? How did everything work? What did he o know about the Empire? The questio on and on. He didn’t kly how far they had to travel, but he was worried that any mi spent trying to learn more about his new circumstances would be time lost that he would regret ter.
“Since Franz told me essentially nothing beyond the broad strokes that I was heading to the Imperial Academy to learn and that House Bcksword was the reason I was going, I was hoping you could begin expining things to me as we traveled?”
Rolfun gnced back at Krion, then slowed his pace while Alesin came up to his side.
“We had been pnning to begin expining things once we made camp tonight. To give you time to adjust. Are you sure you wao start now?” Alesin asked.
“Yes,” Krion nodded hard, well aware that he ressing but he had so many things he wao know. Before either could respond, some of the questions began p out. “What is the System, and how does it work? What is going to be expected of me at the Imperial Academy? How dangerous will it be? How do I fit within the Empire? What—”
“Woah, woah!” Rolfun raised his hands and chuckled, “It’s a good thing we ’t move at full speed. Otherwise, we might not have enough time to answer everything you want to know.”
“Sorry,” Krion said somewhat sheepishly. “There is just so much I want to know.”
“And there is so much you o know,” Alesin said with a nod. “Alright. We will get started expining things as we go rather than waiting for tonight. Let’s start with the System itself.”
Over the few hours, Alesin and Rolfun expio him the best they could what they knew about the System. Both crified rather early on in their expnations that they were not proper schors and only khe basics about much of it. Krion did not care. Any information was better than no information.
Acc to his escorts, the ins of the System itself were shrouded in mystery, with even the most powerful leaders of the Empire rumored to not uand where it came from or why it governs the Multiverse the way it does. For her part, Alesin leaowards the more mystical theories of the emergence of the System as being the result of primordial beings. Acc to her, the System itself was a divine struct that was desigo maintain a ban the Multiverse, ensuring that all worlds, races, and individuals that were Ied within it would possess the potential to rise or fall based on their ow. She did admit, however, that what this baually looked like still seemed to be unfathomable.
For his part, Rolfun added that he hadn’t spent much time thinking about it pared to his wife, who had snorted in amusement at his admission. He did fess, however, that he felt the System was not so ed with imposing bance, but instead was some sort of trial for the powers of the Multiverse. When Krion had asked what the trial would be for, the rge half-ogre had only shrugged.
Eventually, they came to a halt. With no further expnations on the history of the system to hold his attention, Krion realized exactly how heavily he was breathing and how heavy his legs felt. He slumped more than sat on a nearby dowree. While Rolfun pulled out some trial rations from his pack, Alesin handed Krion a bottle. Eagerly unscrewing the lid, he took several quick gulps of the cool, refreshing water inside.
“We could debate the ins and purpose of the System the entire way, but far more important is how it affects you and the odds of survival at the Imperial Academy,” Alesin said while Krion closed the bottle and struggled to get his breathing under trol. “Before we start walking you through the gritty details, however, you o know the basics.”
“Something every child of the Empire knows by the time they are old enough to participate in the basitegration Ritual,” Rolfun said with an amused grin, before stuffing his face with what looked to be jerky of some sort.
“Hush, Rolfun,” Alesin gred. “The young lord ’t help the circumstahat prevented him from gaining access to the System earlier. All he do is e to grips with it as quickly as he .”
“I promise to work as hard as I to learn,” Krion interjected.
“We know,” Alesin said, turning ba. “Alright, time for some practical aspects of w with the System. First, focus on your Interfad pull up your Interface.”
Following the sun elf’s dire, Krion pulled up his Interface. To his surprise, some of the numbers had increased.
Name: Krion von SturmwachtRace: Human (Noresyn)Css: TBD - Level 0Profession(s): TBDEssence(s): TBD
Fa: Treverorum Empire - House BckswordRank: S - Unnded
Strength: 12=>13Dexterity: 10Vitality: 14=>15Endurance: 19=>20Intelligence: 17Wisdom: 8Charisma: 7Luck: 4
Traits: Greater Soul Oath (Unknown - Hidden)Skills: N/AAbilities: N/A
“I’m guessing one of your stats has gone up?” Alesin asked upon seeing the surprise on Krion’s face.
“My Interface is showing a point increase in Strength, Vitality, and Endurance.”
Had Krion not been so absorbed in looking at the ges, he would have seen the shocked look that appeared on Alesin’s fad the way her head wiped around to look at Rolfun, who had frozen, a piece of jerky still stig from his mouth. He slowly swallowed.
“That is because your Interface is not a static s, but a dynamic refle of your potential and growth. If your stats have increased, that means your body has been pushing hard as we escort you through the forest.” Rolfun pulled out another piece of jerky, this time ing over to hand it to Krion. “Beyond training, the process of gaining levels, iain items, and temporary enhas through gear i all impact stats.”
Nodding his thanks, Krion took the offered pieeat. It had a bnd, salty fvor, but after the past few hours of exertion, Krion did not much care. He eagerly took a sed piece when Rolfun offered it.
“That makes sense,” Krion spoke around the jerky. “The Interface is simir to some variants of games I have pyed ba Earth. The stats dispyed, or some version of them, are pretty much what many of those games used as the basis of the pyable characters.”
“So you don’t need us to walk you through what each means?” the sun elf Fire Mage asked while about to begiing her own piece of jerky.
“Not really,” Krion shook his head. “If I e across any surprises on this trip, though, I’ll make sure to ask.” He paused as a thought struck him. Perhaps they might have insight on how he might maximize his odds of survival. “I would, however, like your input on whies you think I should focus on.”
“It is too soon to tell,” Alesin said. “Everyone is a little different, and depending on what challenges you fad the choices you make to deal with them, especially during your first levels, will shape you in specific ways. Without experieng those things, her of us give you advi what you should do.”
“Ok, that makes sense.” Krion struggled to keep a bit of the frustration from his tone. While he had expected some version of Alesin’s response, a small part of him had still hoped some input from his escorts would have helped him begin the process of pig what he o focus on.
“If it helps, we will be making sure you get some experien bat against wild monsters as we get further along. After some practice of course. Perhaps those experiences will help you find the ao what you should be fog on.” Rolfun said after pig up on the young lord’s mood.
“You o prepare yourself, though. You likely won’t know until you get a Css of your own,” Alesin added.
“A css?”
“Something you will learn more about in your first year at the Imperial Academy. Really, I had expected you to o know more about your stats. Since you seem adamant you have a grasp of them, I think we should avoid going deeper into the other aspects of your Interface.” She held up her hand as Krion immediately looked to protest. “I say this because, so long as you are with us, you won’t o know any of that. In addition, the professors at the Imperial Academy would likely do a far better job guiding you as a young noble. Our experiences as oners and then sworn bondsmen of House Bcksword will likely have few simirities to what you will likely learn there.”
“So there is nothing else I should dht now?”
“No, that would be a bad idea too. I would ence you to think about what kind of role you want to py in the Empire. Do you want to be a leader of Legions on the front lines in the middle of the Empire’s wars? Would you rather be a schor of magic? A crafter? A diplomat? Only you will be able to make those decisions. Luckily for you, given your p House Bcksword, you have very few limitations on what role you might pursue. So long as it helps the Empire.”
Rolfun reached down to pull Krion to his feet. While the half-ogre’s size and obvious strength still intimidated him, he could now tell was more of the protective sort. Despite his css. “Don’t you worry, young lord. Both of us will work with you to establish a training regimen to help build up your stats regurly.”
“It still feels so overwhelming,” Krion fessed quietly.
“It is normal to feel overwhelmed,” Alesin said with some sympathy. “Even ruggle when they first start their System journey. And you have a longer way to go than most. But persisteraining, and careful pnning will help you no matter the dire you go in. We will do all we to help so long as we are your escorts.”
While he was still ed, Krion had to admit he was feeling a bit better about everyone. Nothing would likely be sorted out pletely, or even partially, before they arrived at their destination. But the way Alesin and Rolfun were dealing with him, the way they were expining things, and the way they were promising to help, went a way towards reassuring him. He had been worried that his escorts would end up being like Franz. The Are Pathfinder had saved him, and Krion would always owe him for that, but Franz had also struck him as more of a ‘sink or swim’ kind of guy. It was hat Alesin and Rolfun were going to train him a bit first before throwing him into the deep end.
“Thank you,” Krion said.
“Alright, that’s long enough.” Rolfun turned his ba Krion to hide his expression of embarrassment at being thanked by the young he half-ogre then moved to tinue in the dire they had been hiking. “We have a bit of a way to go yet to get to our campsite. Hold the rest of your questions until we get there.”
