Ascension

by B F Rockriver

  “Okay, got it. But how does that help me get more workers?” Eli asked.

  “The amount of magical workers you have is linked to your FP, or faith points at a one hundred to one ratio, with a minimum of one worker. If you had one thousand FP, you could have ten workers. If you spent even ten of that as a substitute for resources, you would lose a worker. So, make sure you stay at a threshold if you want those workers. All of your resources, including BP and FP, are visible in the stronghold menu, no matter where you are.”

  Eli thought of the four hundred people making their way to his new settlement if each one were a worshiper he would have his city built in no time, “I got this.”

  “No, you really don’t. I know what you’re thinking, and you can’t force people to worship. NPC’s have to believe in their deity for it to count towards the FP total. Players have to make an oath to that deity, that has negative consequences when broken. You can’t force every player to become a zealot or priest, and you can’t make a Dwarf or Mist Elf believe in a God who focuses on forests and beasts. They have to come to it themselves. Remember, these people are real, even the NPCs. They have their own emotions and stories. They have their own goals, ambitions, and beliefs. Hell, they may want you to build a shrine to their god. The system or a content writer has generated each NPC’s history, but everything after that is as real to them as your life was to you. Never forget that.” The AI wisp replied, her tone serious.

  “Okay, so what do I do now. They won’t be here for at least another two days, maybe three, and I can’t rely on them all being skilled craftsmen or devout followers of Aeryntorr,” Eli replied, annoyed.

  “You can start by summoning your worker and having this place cleaned up. You have ten BP and ten FP to spend. Set up a list of tasks. Ask your guildmates for help, make a plan. They may not be skilled laborers, but they each generate five BP per day, while assigned to a task. Use them, find out if they have any interest in learning trade skills. Look for more people to join, try to find tools, just do something. You need to act fast. While you’re here setting all of this up, the blight is doing who-knows-what to make sure you fail.” Aida finished, her words forcing Eli to deal with his newfound responsibility.

  For the next several minutes, Eli wondered around his ruined city, thinking of what to do. While inspecting the foundation of a small building, he pulled up its information. A small window appeared, informing him that the building was the remains of a tannery. As he looked over the materials needed to repair the structure, he saw that the list included specialized tools. After repeating the process on several other buildings, he realized that every crafting specific building required tools for that trade to function. The blacksmith needed a forge, anvil, and smith’s toolkit. The Alchemist shop required its own set of tools. The amount of resources he needed was more than he could comprehend, but he needed to start somewhere.

  Needing guidance, he asked the last person he thought could help. The AI god Aeryntorr. If the god could offer boons, why wouldn’t it be able to provide advice? That’s what gods did, right? Help? Making his way to the altar, he found his way to the menu that allowed him to offer quests. He put out a standing work order to clear the foundations of the ruins and recover any resources in the area. After finishing the quest details, a prompt appeared with recommended rewards. Seeing a baseline of one hundred EXP and twenty silver, he adjusted the experience to a maximum of two hundred, which dropped the monetary reward to five silver. By the time he had made his way to the altars chamber, he had created quests to clear the area, hunt for food, and gather supplies; his friends had accepted all of them. He tried to make a quest to learn a trade skill, but the task was too vague. He would have to talk to his friends later, ask them what they wanted to do.

  As soon as Eli had taken his first step into the altar room, Aeryntorr manifested in his minotaur form. “I’ve been waiting for you. What in the twelve hells have you been doing?”

  The sudden appearance of the giant, and his booming voice, caused Eli to pause and stutter, “I’ve uh. I’ve been trying to figure this stuff out?” Eli stammered before rambling nervously about his problems. “I don’t know how I’m going to rebuild this place, let alone protect it from a horde of mutants and the undead. And, now I have four hundred people on their way looking for a safe place to live. I can’t do this.”

  “Calm down,” The god-beast said, placing his hand on the altar. “That’s why you have friends and me.” He continued, motioning Eli to come closer. “Do you think I would just sit around and let some asshole named Chris take over my temple?” As the beast waved him over, Eli inched forward in hesitation. “Put your hand on the altar. There’s one last thing I can do for you without access to FP.” The monster paused, as Eli placed a hand on the glowing orb at the center of the pedestal, “It’s time for you to get a class. To be my champion.”

  As his hand contacted the globe, a surge of energy coursed through Eli’s body. His vision flashed with swirls of red and green. Information rushed into his mind while notifications flickered in and out of his sight as if the god couldn’t decide on what would work best. Then a single-window appeared, listing three class options.

  *Congratulations! Aeryntorr has made you his champion!

  Please choose one class from the following list.

  Mystic of the Fey (Listed as Mystic)

  Zealot of Aeryntorr (Listed as Zealot)

  Priest of Aeryntorr (Listed as Priest)

  Decline boon.

  Eli stood in silence, inspecting his options. His immediate thoughts were to choose a class with the deity's name in it as if they would somehow be more powerful. With his instincts leading him, he scanned over the priest option. If he were a priest, he would generate FP just by adventuring, and even more while he was in town. It could immediately impact his ability to rebuild.

  Focusing on the class, he realized that it was a hybrid made up of druid and priest. His healing abilities would be powerful, but Don already filled that role. There were a handful of divine buffs and debuffs, along with nature-based damage over time spells that provided the class with an offense. While promising, it seemed limited to a support role that focused on keeping others alive, while whittling down opponents. Not exactly what he wanted.

  His next choice was Zealot. At least, until he saw what it was. This time it was a Barbarian, and a Paladin rolled into one dominant melee class. It also had the Druid’s ability to shape change. Using rage and divine powers, the Zealot would call down Aeryntorr’s wrath on its enemies. All while taking on the skills of a bear, panther, or other creature. Thinking back to his struggles with using primal rage, he skipped it.

  Michelle is the tank; maybe she can learn rage and read that book, he thought, before focusing on the Mystic. As the class information appeared, his eyes went wide.

  Class: Mystic of the Fey

  Type: Mystic | Rarity: Special - Mythic | Primary Attribute: Spirit | Secondary Attributes: Endurance, Strength | Bonus Attributes: + 5 Endurance, + 5 strength, +10 Spirit | Bonus skills: +5 Arcane, + 5 Lore (Beasts), + 5 Lore (Divine), + 5 Lore (Nature), + 5 Survival | Starting spell count: 4 | Spellcasting Attribute: Spirit / Strength | Class Abilities: Wild Magic, Strength of Will, Spiritual Casting | Restrictions: Cannot wear metal armor. Cannot use metal weapons. Cannot Cast in heavy armor.

  The Mystic of the Fey is the highest order of spell caster among the Fey. Able to blend the wild energy of the Fey with the control of the arcane, they call forth the fury of nature upon their foes. Practitioners of this protected magic can summon powerful companions from the fey, conjure objects from nature itself, and rain down destructive magic on their foes.

  After reading the class description, Eli stood in shock. He would become a fucking wizard. Well, a mystic, but still. He would cast magic. He didn’t care if he was some melee-druid-sorcerer hybrid class that used strength and spirit to cast. Wanting to cast magic was his dream. For the briefest of moments, he hesitated. Magic is power, and those
with power are followed closely by people who want it. He needed that power to protect his friends and stop his enemies. This was his chance to play the game, how he wanted. His opportunity to cast magic. With no further hesitation, he selected Mystic of the Fey, then confirmed his selection.

  *Congratulations! You have selected your first class, Mystic of the Fey.

  Please select your starting spells from the following list: 0/4

  Arcane Missiles*, Arcane Blast*, Armor of the Wild, Aspect of the Beast, Conjure Familiar, Conjure Weapon, Conjure Spirit Beasts, Conjure Object, Cloud of Fog, Dark Vision, Detect Magic, Divine Bolt*, Empower Weapon*, Enlarge, Enrage, Magic Hand, Mend, Nature’s Blessing, Nature’s Fury, Shape Nature, Shield, True Strike, Web, Wrath of the Beasts.

  *Damage type modified to include both divine and nature.

  Seeing the spell Arcane Missiles listed, Eli made his first selection. The spell would be a constant source of ranged damage, as long as he had mana. His next choice was Conjure Familiar. The bonded familiar would give him a bonus of five to the attribute of his choice, and it could cast spells on his behalf. While amazing, he wanted a pet. Staring at the prompt, he noticed two selections were glowing, Create Object, and Shape Nature. As soon as he focused on the two spells, the glow vanished.

  *Conjure Natural Object - Casting Time: 5 Seconds | Duration: Until Destroyed | Mana Cost: 25 | Range: 50ft | Type: Conjuration | Effect: Varied | Damage: Varied |

  Create a simple, non-magical object from the surrounding plants and wildlife. That item appears in your hand. This object cannot exceed a value of 10 gold pieces, a weight of 30 pounds, or take up more than 5 feet in any direction. Weapons and armor created using this spell can only be worn by the caster. No more than five permanent objects can exist at once. Items can be recalled at will, destroying them.

  Reading over the spell several times, he found it to be rather dull and out of place. Who cared about creating a shield made from plants when he could shoot a magical laser out of his hand. Then he thought about it more. He could craft items from nothing. They would be limited to mundane objects, crafted from stone, earth, plants, or other natural materials, but they could be anything. Summoning spears made from bone was an interesting thought. He would never be without a weapon or armor.

  Then Aeryntorr chimed in, “You’re not thinking big enough. How do you think I built this temple? As you level that size grows, and the limitations lessen. You won’t be given a chance to retake this spell.”

  Not a second later, the spell was selected, “What about shape nature?” Eli asked, before reading the spell description.

  “It is exactly what it says it is. It allows you to shape nature to your will. Want a tree to grow taller, or a river to bend a certain way? Maybe you’d like a clear path through the forest. Or, maybe you want to combine this spell with Create Object and craft yourself a set of armor from living trees. One that can grow at will and strike out at anyone who wishes to harm you. When you become powerful enough, the options are only limited by your imagination. Anyone can learn to shoot a fireball; not everyone can create a city from living trees.”

  Eli pictured himself walking around in a suit of armor made of trees, like an ent stomping through the forest. With that image in mind, he made his final selection. He knew his spell options would change as he leveled his class, but he did not want to risk losing two spells that could be combined with such an effect. With his final selections made, he accepted his choices. His brain split as knowledge was forced into it, like an overfull sack. A moment later, his vision flickered, and his breathing grew weak.

  His body had changed to reflect his increased attributes. His muscles were more defined, his veins grew more pronounced, and he felt complete. Small problems that bothered him moments before seemed to vanish. For the first time, he realized that he was in control of his own life. He made his own decisions. He was the only one who could shape his future. Then his body burned as if his armor was made from acid, eating through his skin.

  Wanting the pain to stop, he opened his inventory and removed his chainmail armor and his metal weapons. Not being able to wear metal armor, or use metal weapons would prove bothersome, but it was worth it. He could cast magic; he could create his own equipment. He thought about Michelle and how she had been eyeing his chainmail tunic. It looks like she’s going to get her armor after all.

  Knowing that the AI had guided him to the correct choice, Eli thanked the massive minotaur. The god nodded, and pet his faithful hound Rufio with a smile. Before leaving, Eli tossed the beast a slice of jerky and watched as she slobbered magma onto the pristine marble floors. With a grin on his face, he turned to leave. He needed to test out his new toys.

  After making his way to the top floor antechamber, he sat in the lush green grass and focused his mana on casting a spell for the first time. As he cleared his mind, he glanced at the magically crafted sky above him. It was filled with the remaining temple guardians, flying above him peacefully. He wanted to be that peaceful, to leave his problems behind and take to the sky. Closing his eyes, he thought about what he wanted to do. This is what he had been waiting for his entire life; he would conjure a familiar. Excitement welled within him, as the spell description flashed into view.

  *Conjure Familiar - Casting Time: 20 Seconds | Duration: Soul Bound - Recast to summon | Mana Cost: 50 | Health Cost: 50 | Stamina Cost: 50 |Range: Self | Type: Conjuration | Effect: Conjure Soul bound Familiar | Damage: None |

  Conjures a spirit familiar. The spell binds the summoned creature and caster to one another for life. Upon the first successful casting, the caster can increase a single attribute by five. If no attribute is selected, one random attribute increase. Familiar type, appearance, and abilities are varied based upon casters' personality, current skills, and abilities. A familiar is a direct reflection of oneself or what one desires. If a familiar dies, the caster will lose five spirit and ten mana permanently. Familiars can be re-summoned at any time.

  Accepting the responsibilities, Eli refocused his will and let his body slacken. While his spiritual casting ability removed the need for spell forms and hand gestures, he still needed to focus. He just needed to project his spirit, his intention, and will the spell into existence. Breathing deep, he cleared his mind and spoke.

  “Tha mi gad ghairm, m ’anaman eòlach. I summon thee, my souls familiar.” The words came to him as if he had known them his entire life.

  Energy poured from him as one-third of his mana drained in an instant, swirling into a ball of blue light. Sweat beaded down his brow as the blood left his body through his skin, flowing into the rapidly forming orb before him. He felt his very soul was split in two, as the globe of essence grew in size for what seemed like an eternity. Suddenly, the syphon stopped, and the orb took shape. Eli’s vision wavered as a small, winged creature formed before his eyes. Then he heard shouting and footsteps.

  “Holy shit, dude, are you a fucking wizard now? Wait, why aren’t you wearing a shirt?” Don’s voice called out to him from somewhere, as his vision went black.

  Chapter 39

  Eli awoke to the feeling of wet, sticky sandpaper padding his face. What felt like four tiny daggers, scraped against his chest. As he forced his eyes open, he saw two cloudy black orbs staring back at him. Lifting his head further, Eli saw what was happening. A small dog, covered in shabby black fur with streaks of grey, licked him on his cheeks. He had always wanted a dog, but this isn’t exactly what he thought of as a Familiar. When he imagined a Familiar, it was always some bad-ass mythical animal. It was a dragon, a phoenix, or some hyper-intelligent raven for the more sinister spell casters. His Familiar was a black, long-haired chihuahua that looked like a tiny fox. Of course, he thought, closing his eyes.

  With a sigh, he placed his hand on the small animal's head and gave it a smile. At least he’s cute. Staring at him, as if sensing Eli’s slight disappointment, the dog howled and leapt from his chest. As he did, he unfurled two large bat-like wings and took to
the air. It howled and yapped at the flying beasts that protected the temple entrance, unafraid of the creatures that were twenty times his size as if he were their new king.

  With a fluid motion, the small beast tucked its wings and dove towards an open patch of grass, spewing a cloud of acidic looking fog from its tiny canine mouth. He was showing off. As he did, Eli looked at his Familiar with new respect. His heart swelled with a sense of joy and pride that he hadn’t felt since his children were born. At that moment, Eli knew, in his soul, that this fantastic creature would never leave his side. He would die for this little animal, and it would die for him.

  “Uh, dude. When did you get a familiar, and why is it so fucking cute? And when did you learn magic? And I have so many questions.” Don stuttered, watching the flying dog try to bully a massive bird of prey. “Scratch that. What the fuck happened? Wait, you have a class? What’s a mystic? And again, why aren’t you wearing a shirt?”