— Congratulations! You receive:
— Experience essence (3000).
— Iridescent Tablet “Orc Shaman” (1).
I wiped the sweat off my brow with a shaky hand. Sixty-five silver tablets for one battle, plus an iridescent. It must have been the first time I got that much loot at once. My heart aflutter, I open the description of the iridescent.
— Iridescent Tablet “Orc Shaman.”
— Effect:
— Unlocks 1 characteristic of your choice from Orc Shaman.
— Unlocks 1 ability of your choice from Orc Shaman.
— Unlocks 1 spell of your choice from Orc Shaman.
— Unlocks 1 profession of your choice from Orc Shaman.
— +10 to any characteristic/skill/profession/spell.
— Weight: None. Takes no space.
Great! Unlike the monster iridescents, this one also allowed me to unlock a Profession!
Okay. Let me get right to spells. Woah! The shaman has more than ten! So then, let’s take a look. Five defensive, six offensive. Hm, so what do we have here?
— Wave of Healing.
— Level: 0 (0/20).
— Type: Spell.
— Rarity: Epic.
— Description:
— Using magic, the orc shaman creates an invisible healing wave, which is capable of healing wounds and repairing damage.
— Effect:
— +10 regeneration.
— Restores 20% life.
— Requirements:
— Intellect — 10.
— Expends 120 mana points.
— Note:
— Regeneration effect duration: 30 min.
I could feel my heartbeat speeding up. I was holding one of the most useful spells in existence both for war and peacetime! Healing mages are highly respected and cherished members of their communities. And as a rule, they are very well-off. Finding this spell was a true gift from the gods! So my rival wasn’t as simple as he appeared.
It took some effort to get myself together and continue studying the tablet.
Because I’d already made up my mind about the spell, I moved on to Skills and Abilities.
The shaman had more than ten. Beginning with Riding, and ending with Night Vision. I was a bit perplexed at first. There were so many options it was hard to know where to look first! But in the end, I decided on what I deemed to be the most useful. Beyond that, I had already seen it in action.
— Dome of invisibility.
— Level: 0 (0/20).
— Type: Magical ability.
— Rarity: Epic.
— Description:
— The orc shaman uses magic to cover himself in a dome of invisibility.
— Effect:
— Creates a dome of invisibility.
— Requirements:
— Intellect — 10.
— Expends 120 mana points.
— Note:
— Effect duration: 10 min.
— Radius: 10 feet.
— Effect dissipates after caster enters combat.
That ability must have been what was keeping the wolf riders and shaman concealed before. Beyond a doubt, this skill would benefit all of us.
Okay then, I think I’ve made up my mind on the spell and ability. All that’s left is to solve the profession issue.
That was all fairly standard and expected — herbalist, fisher, hunter and stuff like that. Right up until my gaze landed on the final one.
— Potion Making.
— Level: 0 (0/20).
— Type: Magical profession.
— Rarity: Epic.
— Description:
— Using magic, special materials and corresponding recipes, the orc shaman is able to create magical potions.
— Effect:
— Create magical potions.
— Number of available recipes: 0.
After closing the description, I scratched the back of my head quizzically. So that means it is possible to have a profession you can’t use. I’d need recipes first.
I reread the descriptions of the spells, abilities and professions again, then looked at Mee. At that moment, the kid was blowing on a spoonful of stew. Hey, what if?
“Brother,” I addressed the gremlin. “I just got an idea. I think I should give you a gift.”
After saying that, I showed the gremlin the iridescent tablet. Mee happened to be tasting his cooking just then and I made him shudder.
“But what about you?” He asked, coughing. “These tablets are the only way for you to get stronger.”
“I know,” I nodded. “But here’s the thing. This tablet contains a very useful and valuable spell, which can be used to heal. Something is telling me it will save our lives a couple times at least.”
“So what’s all the fuss about?” Mee asked. “You take it so you can heal us.”
“No,” I shook my head. “We have to think rationally.”
“What are you talking about?” the gremlin asked in surprise.
“I’m saying that if you have this spell, we’ll be able to improve it much faster. Twenty silvers and say hello to level one! And thirty will get us up to two! Do you understand what that would mean?”
The gremlin considered it briefly, then nodded:
“I see what you’re saying. Five iridescent tablets versus fifty silvers — now I understand what you mean by ‘think rationally.’“
“Heh,” I took a heavy sigh. “Too bad I wasn’t thinking this rationally when I used the firepaw tablet on myself. It would have been a better fit for Gorgie. Oh well. Anyway. It’s no use swinging fists after the dust is settled.”
After I said that, I extended the glimmering sheet to the gremlin. He accepted it reverentially with quavering hands and squeaked out excitedly:
“Thanks!”
I just waved it off with a smile. I listened to my feelings. Not a drop of regret. I’m doing the right thing.
Chapter 13
“WHERE DO I START?” Mee asked, his voice quavering in worry.
“First you have to unlock Intellect and bring it up to ten,” I answered. “That way you’ll meet the Great System’s minimum requirements to activate the spell and ability.”
“I see,” the gremlin nodded.
— Attention! Your familiar has unlocked a new characteristic — Intellect!
— Present value: 10/30.
— Attention! Your familiar has unlocked the mana supply!
— Present value: 120/120.
I looked at Mee and smiled. His little eyes were open wide. The short fur on his body was all standing on end, which made him look like a little nubbin of pure fluff.
Poor kid. I knew where he was coming from. I felt the same way not long ago. He and I weren’t so different, in essence. Heh, if someone told me two months ago that I’d become a mage, make it through the caverns of the Crooked Mountains, domesticate a cave harn, then defeat an orc shaman in the heart of the Wastes, I’d never have believed them.
“Keep going, as we discussed,” I encouraged him.
— Attention! Your familiar has unlocked a new spell — Wave of Healing!
— Attention! Your familiar has unlocked a new ability — Dome of Invisibility!
— Attention! Your familiar has unlocked a new magical profession — Potion Making!
“Congratulations, brother!” I said, smiling. “You’re a mage now!”
Mee gave a timid smile. There were tears welling up in the corners of his eyes.
“Kid, what’s the matter?” I asked in surprise.
“Well, you see, Rick,” Mee answered, hurriedly wiping away tears. “It just occurred to me that I am the first gremlin to become a mage. In the last one hundred years at least. As a matter of fact, I don’t know if there has ever been a mage of my kind before.”
“Not even in gremlin fairy tales?” I smiled.
“I don’t know,” the boy shrugged. “We don’t have any fairy tales, legends or songs.”<
br />
“Why might that be?” I asked, perplexed.
“Long ago, at a kurultai of the orcs it was decided that gremlins have no reason to tell one another old wives’ tales.”
“The utter brutes!” I barked angrily through my teeth. “They aren’t satisfied just to have you as slaves! They also had to rob gremlin-kind of its soul!”
“The soul of gremlin-kind,” Mee muttered thoughtfully. He seemed to like the phrase.
“Yes, precisely,” I nodded. “Your songs, belief, tales, legends. All that is your history. Your soul. By the way, do you know why the orcs did that?”
“I’ve never thought about it,” the gremlin shrugged. “Why?”
“I think they’re afraid of you,” I answered.
“How could that be?” Mee asked in incomprehension. “You saw them in battle! They’re great warriors! Their shamans are very powerful!”
“And nevertheless they are not immortal!” I smiled back. “You’ve seen that with your own two eyes!”
The gremlin wanted to object, but got stuck midword. I saw an expression of understanding suddenly dawn on his little face.
“The chieftains and shamans of the orcs are no fools,” I continued. “They understand that, if you band together, you could become a problem. That’s why year after year you’re robbed of the things that could unite your race.”
“Can fairy tales and legends really bring people together?” Mee asked untrustingly.
I chuckled.
“You better believe it! How would you feel if I told you that your ancestors fought the orcs and won? Or that the gremlins once had great warriors, chieftains and mages of their own? And after all, they probably did. There’s no way they didn’t! And they must have composed legends and songs to commemorate their deeds! After all, the orcs must have taken these memories from you for some reason.”
Mee stared at a fixed point, his eyes open wide. I smiled. The little guy was overwhelmed. He-he, I should build on that.
“So you just told me you’ve never ever heard of a gremlin mage before. Right?”
Mee nodded mechanically.
“That means you have just become a figure of gremlin lore!”
The kid gulped loudly.
“Mee, the Great Vanquisher of Orcs!” I acclaimed with a broad smile. “How do you like that?”
The gremlin gulped again, and his gaze looked both uncomfortable and seemingly afraid. I took a heavy sigh. Welp, I scared the poor guy. I have to distract him.
“Alright,” I said calmly. “Calm yourself, brother. That’s enough for today. Better we eat your grub. It’s probably ready by now. The smell from the pot is driving me crazy! By the way, you have to eat up. You’re going to be activating a lot of tablets soon.”
After saying that, I glanced into my backpack.
— Experience essence (105405).
— Gold tablet of Intellect. (2)
— Monster Hunter Token (590).
— Hunter’s Fury (13).
— Blot (5).
— Small Potion of Satiety (13).
— Ferocious Harn Summoning Amulet.
— Messenger Amulet.
— Stone tablet of Wisdom (14).
— Silver tablet (105).
— Pearl Firepaw Fang (2).
— Gray Ice Golem Claws (10)
— Sapphire Ice Golem Horn (1)
— Clay tablet “Herbalism” (75).
— Clay tablet of Agility (75).
— Clay tablet of Observation (75).
— Clay tablet “Knife Proficiency” (75).
— Bronze tablet of Strength (11).
— Bronze tablet of Agility (8).
— Bronze tablet of Endurance (11).
— Bronze tablet “Knife Proficiency” (8).
Sure, all that bronze was given to me by Mee for safekeeping. And beyond that, there were ten silvers and almost nineteen and a half thousand esses that also belonged to him. We had saved up a good amount. And now we were going to eat up and start using our savings to better our healer.
* * *
It’s been two days since I woke up after the fight with the shaman. Mee is still unconscious after taking his “dose” of tablets. But I think he’ll come to by evening.
In comparison with the first time, the gremlin’s tablet assimilation process was going okay. I didn’t notice any sharp spikes or drops in Mee’s supplies, and there was no way not to be happy about that.
While splitting up the loot, we mutually agreed to improve our newly minted mage’s figures as much as possible.
We started with Wave of Healing. The first level-up went smooth as butter, but the second gave us some trouble. According to a system notification, Mee had to reach level five first.
After a brief discussion, we came to the conclusion that urgently levelling up twice for better healing wouldn’t be such a crime. Thankfully we had plenty of esses. And the six tablets from levelling up couldn’t hurt.
Mee used his thirty silvers and raised his first spell to two, then we read its description and all our doubts fell away on their own. We’d made the right choice.
— Wave of Healing.
— Level: 2. (0/40)
— Type: Spell.
— Rarity: Epic
— Description:
— Using magic, the orc shaman creates an invisible healing wave, which is capable of healing wounds and repairing damage.
— Effect:
— A mage may simultaneously heal themselves and 2 allies.
+20 regeneration
— Restores 40% life.
— Requirements:
— Intellect — 10.
— Expends 100 mana points.
— Note:
— Regeneration effect duration: 50 min.
The regeneration effect lasted another whole minute, twice as long. Its life supply regeneration was twice as fast, too. Meanwhile, it used twenty points less mana. And most important — it had a new effect! Now Mee could heal all of us at the same time!
Yes, the spell cost us fifty silver tablets and just over twenty thousand esses, but it was worth it! As a matter of fact, if we could have brought it up to three right then and there, we’d have done so without hesitation. But alas, for that, Mee would have to be level ten.
We decided not to touch Dome of Invisibility for the time being. The effect’s ten minute duration was more than enough. Beyond that, we also had the harn with his keen senses, which helped us avoid all kinds of nasty encounters.
There was also no sense in investing tablets into Potion Making without any recipes. We’d definitely be able to figure out that profession someday, but now was not the time.
When Mee’s level increased, the ceiling of all his characteristics and abilities went up as well. And when it came time to invest tablets, the first thing the gremlin asked was to bring his Mind up to maximum. And I could only be happy about that.
Then partially with Stone and partially with Silver, we unlocked and raised his Wisdom as well. We were one stone tablet short of its ceiling. But that was no big deal. We’d be able to hit it later. Now the gremlin’s mana restore speed was on the level with mine.
We decided not to waste any tablets on Intellect just yet. The five-hundred-point mana crystal I got from the shaman plus his one-hundred-twenty supply was enough for Mee to use his heal spell six times!
From there, the Clays and Bronzes allowed us to significantly increase his Strength, Agility, Observation, Endurance and Knife Proficiency.
We also decided to wait with Herbalism. Mee could level that skill on his own just fine.
I glanced at his characteristics again. I needed to check. Maybe I was missing something.
— Steppe Gremlin.
— Name: Mee.
— Level: 5 (0/20000).
— Status: Loyalty to elder family member (permanent).
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