Kaelen took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He imagined a screen appearing before him, much like the notifications he’d seen in battle. His mind honed in on the image, sharpening it until he could almost feel the weight of the information he sought. A faint warmth spread through his hand where he held the Shard, its mysterious energies responding to his focus. The warmth built into a steady pulse, subtle but insistent, as if urging him onward. Then, with a ripple in the air like the surface of a pond disturbed by a single drop, the panel materialized.
It hovered before him, faint and shimmering like a reflection on water. The edges of the translucent display glowed faintly, a soft light that seemed to pulse in time with the rhythm of the Shard. Words began to unfold across its surface, neat and orderly, as if they’d always been waiting there to be read. At the top, his name gleamed with quiet authority:
Kaelen Blackthorn
Below that, rows of information unfolded in crisp text:
<ul>
<li>Health: 90/100</li>
<li>Stamina: 75/80</li>
<li>Mana: 60/70</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Race: Fae.</li>
<li>Position: Noble</li>
<li>Current rank: normal.</li>
<li>Progression to iron rank: 0% (0/4 essences).</li>
</ul>
Attributes:
<ul>
<li>Strength: 5 (Increases physical power and effectiveness in melee combat.)</li>
<li>Dexterity: 7 (Boosts agility, reflexes, and precision in ranged attacks.)</li>
<li>Intelligence: 7 (Boosts learning, magical potency, mana regeneration, and spell efficiency.)</li>
<li>Charm: 7 (Influences persuasion, leadership, and the ability to form alliances.)</li>
<li>Endurance: 5 (Improves resistance to fatigue and ability to withstand status effects.)</li>
<li>Luck: 4 (Governs random outcomes, critical success chances, and encounter rarity.)</li>
</ul>
Derived Attributes:
<ul>
<li>Speed: normal. (Influences movement velocity and combat maneuverability.)</li>
<li>Spirit: normal.</li>
<li>Recovery: normal. (rate and ability to recover after taking damage)</li>
<li>Magic Affinity: normal. (Increased ability to wield archane magic)</li>
<li>Nature Affinity: normal. (Reflects ease and effectiveness when using nature-based magic.)</li>
<li>Grace: normal. (Improves agility in movement, acrobatics, and combat fluidity)</li>
<li>Mystic Bloodline: 10. (Enhances maximum mana reserves, tied to lineage)</li>
<li>Astral Afilinity: 10. (Increases resistance to astral forces, dimensional magic, and psychic disruptions, tied to shard possession)</li>
</ul>
Skills:
<ol>
<li>Dragonfire: Summon and project concentrated fire at your enemies. The fire scales in intensity based on Intelligence and Strength attributes, allowing for area-of-effect and prolonged burn damage at higher levels.</li>
<ul>
<li>Mana Cost: 15</li>
<li>Cooldown: 10 seconds</li>
<li>Range: 15 meters</li>
</ul>
<li>Blink Step: Instantly teleport a short distance to avoid attacks or gain ground. The distance covered and precision increase with Dexterity, and it can bypass certain obstacles.</li>
<ul>
<li>Mana Cost: 10</li>
<li>Cooldown: 8 seconds</li>
<li>Range: 10 meters</li>
</ul>
<li>Guardian’s Shield: Summon a magical barrier to absorb incoming damage. The shield’s strength scales with Endurance, offering increased protection against both physical and magical attacks.</li>
<ul>
<li>Mana Cost: 20</li>
<li>Cooldown: 15 seconds</li>
<li>Duration: 10 seconds</li>
</ul>
</ol>
Skills are accessed through focus and intent. Mental command required.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Essences (0/4)
<ol>
<li>No Essence [No Attribute] (0/5)</li>
<li>No Essence [No Attribute] (0/5)</li>
<li>No Essence [No Attribute] (0/5)</li>
<li>No Essence [No Attribute] (0/5)</li>
</ol>
[Interface].
[Quest System].
[Inventory].
[Map].
[Astral Affinity].
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kaelen opened his eyes and grinned. “Finally!”
A voice behind him interrupted his thoughts. “Well, look at that,” Lyra said, stepping closer. Her silver eyes gleamed as she peered at the screen. “A stat sheet. Fancy. What else does it say?”
Kaelen leaned closer, his gaze scanning “Health looks decent. Stamina’s fine. But what the Void is ‘Luck’ even supposed to do?”
Lyra tilted her head, her ears twitching with amusement. “Looks like it’s your odds of not embarrassing yourself in front of me.”
Kaelen snorted. “I’ll make sure to max it out, then.” He gestured to the list of skills. “And here’s Dragonfire. Mana costs and cooldowns included.”
Lyra’s ears flicked. “Convenient. You’ve been walking around with these all this time and didn’t even know it?”
“Not my fault,” Kaelen said defensively. “Nobody gave me a manual when all this started.”
Kaelen scanned the panel. “Blink Step—wait, Blink Step? How have I not used that?—and something called Guardian’s Shield.”
Lyra’s ears twitched as she chuckled. “Maybe because you didn’t know how to access them until now?”
“Helpful,” Kaelen said dryly, though he couldn’t suppress the excitement bubbling within him. “Looks like each skill has a mana cost. Oh, and... here we go, there’s a note: ‘Skills are accessed through focus and intent. Mental command required.’”
“Mental command?” Lyra echoed, her tone incredulous. “What does that even mean? You think about it and hope for the best?”
“Pretty much,” Kaelen replied with a shrug. “What in the name of Dragon’s Scales is an Essence? And what are all these things in bracket?” Kaelen sighed and shook his head. “I’ll have to figure all this out later.”
He dismissed the screen with a thought, the panel rippling once before fading entirely. “At least now I won’t be flailing around like a complete beginner next time.”
“Speak for yourself,” Lyra said with a sly grin. “Your flailing is my favorite part.””
Kaelen smirked. “Don’t get too comfortable. If I master these skills, you might be out of a job.”
“Oh, please,” Lyra said, padding ahead. “You’ll always need me to save you when things go sideways.”
Kaelen couldn’t argue with that. As they walked, the golden grass began to thin even further, replaced by patches of shimmering wildflowers that seemed to hum faintly in the twilight. The hum of magic in the air grew stronger, though it remained soothing, blending with the soft crunch of their steps and the occasional chirping of unseen creatures.
They paused briefly near a cluster of wildflowers, the vibrant blooms shimmering like jewels in the golden light. The air carried a faint, sugary perfume mixed with the earthy richness of moss and damp soil, a fragrance so heady it seemed to thrum with the same rhythm as the magic that infused the Vale. Kaelen crouched low, his boots pressing into the soft, yielding ground, his sharp eyes tracing the intricate details of the flowers. Each petal glowed faintly, refracting sunlight into tiny prisms that danced across his face and the mossy clearing around them. The effect was mesmerizing, as though the flowers were alive in a way that extended beyond mere vegetation.
The ground beneath them seemed to pulse faintly, a subtle vibration that Kaelen felt even through the soles of his boots. It wasn’t just a sensation—it was a presence, a reminder that the Vale was more than just a beautiful landscape. It was alive, aware, and ancient. Each breath he took tasted faintly of the wildflowers’ perfume, mingled with something metallic and electrifying, like the charge in the air before a storm.