by Dakota Krout
Ah right, skill points! He nearly forgot to calculate that. Jaxon gained two skill points per level and knew that this was double the norm, so he made sure not to talk about it to other people. For instance, Jaxon knew that Joe would love to have lots of skill points and didn’t want to rub it in his face. Now, Jaxon just went from level six to eleven but had already used up the skill points for level seven. That left him with... three characteristic points to assign as well as eight skill points!
Deciding to save the skill points until after he specialized, Jaxon added all three characteristic points to dexterity and opened his character sheet. Oh, so pretty!
Name: Jaxon ‘Legend’ Class: Monk
Profession: Chiropractor
Level: 11 Exp: 76,988 Exp to next level: 1,012
Hit Points: 400/400 (50+(350)) (Base 50 plus 10 points for each point in Constitution, once it has increased above 10.)
Mana: Locked
Mana regen: Locked
Stamina: 530/530 (50+(305)+(175)) (Base 50 plus 5 points for each point in strength and constitution, once each of the stats has increased above 10.)
Characteristic: Raw score (Modifier)
Strength: 71 (2.21)
Dexterity: 94 (2.44)
Constitution: 45 (1.45)
Intelligence: 26 (1.26)
Wisdom: 35 (1.35)
Charisma: 4 (0.04)
Perception: 21 (1.21)
Luck: 42 (1.42)
Karmic Luck: -8
He had to admit his stats were one of his favorite parts of this entire experience. Looking at his newly heightened dexterity, Jaxon went through a few of his standard stretching routines to see how much his body could handle. He twisted his arms into different patterns, turned his body in various angles, and tried to bend backwards and put his head between his legs.
He was getting closer to being able to do it! He bet that by the time he got to one hundred points, he’d be able to twist his body hard enough to make it through his legs. Following these motions consistently was how Jaxon learned ‘Contortionist’s Dodge’, and the Monk began wondering if he would be able to take contortionist as a subclass or job now that he had reached level eleven.
How odd. The smiles that people had been giving him before his stretches had turned a little sour. No, wait, what had he been thinking? They were all happy and clapping for him! “Thank you all! I will be working to help other people become this flexible, and I have multi-day buffs that I can grant you for a reasonable price!”
The Monk was not sure how, but it seemed that he was fairly well known. People even began running off to tell their friends that he was going to be offering buffs! How nice of them! A few were even checking his location over their shoulders as they sprinted away to get more people. “Don’t worry! I’ll be around; you can all come and give me money in exchange for adjustments!”
Skill increase: Intimidation (Journeyman II).
Jaxon had no idea why that kept happening. Ah well, at least the skill came with decent benefits. It even said right in the description that it helped him make friends! Speaking of friends, Jaxon decided to go see how everyone else was doing. He skipped along the charred remains of the forest, coughing intermittently at all the smoke still drifting around. He had made the small shrine outside of town his respawn point, even though other people had insisted that the Pathfinder’s Hall Joe had created would have been a better idea. It may have been smarter during wartime, but Jaxon preferred the forest’s calming effects. At least, he normally did.
About halfway to the town, the forest was simply gone. The trees, or lack thereof, turned a once pleasant view into a sad sight. There were still a few tree stumps burning down into the ground, but in general, the entire area was either charred remains or burnt soil. Too bad, really, it would take a long time before anything grew here. Jaxon thought about the seeds he had collected during his time in the instant dungeon but decided against planting them here. They had… interesting effects that Jaxon was looking forward to testing in different circumstances. A positive note arrived on the horizon; he could now see that the town was apparently fine! There was the wall, and the Pathfinder’s Hall was still looming over everything.
“Thank goodness!” It took him a few more minutes of travel, but Jaxon arrived at the gate and waited to be checked in. As he stared at the guard and the guard stared back at him, Jaxon made a realization and screamed at the sky in frustration. Why in the world had he not simply used the function of the shrine to pop into town? That would have saved him a quarter hour, easily! His emotions must have shown on his face—or perhaps it was the scream—because the guard paled and quickly began to speak.
If there was anything Jaxon didn’t like about the game, it was that sometimes people’s mouth movements and words didn’t match perfectly. It reminded him that he was in a game, and this seemed like a strange design flaw to have when everything else was so realistic. “Hi, Jaxon. We missed you! You are looking extra healthy and so flexible! Why don’t you go on in? There is no real reason for me to be guarding this gate, so I won’t bother asking any questions.”
The guard’s words made him happy; it was so nice that he noticed how fit Jaxon looked! The Monk hadn’t thought that dexterity would have any actual impact on his outward appearance, but it seemed it did! He smiled a professional smile at the guard, feeling bad that he didn’t know his name. “Ah, it is nice to see you too! Forgive me, but what is your name?”
“My name is Jay; I’m just here on guard duty. Jaxon, I have back pain from standing here for over an hour. I’m so sore, and my spine is out of alignment!” Jay’s mouth had stopped moving well before his words reached Jaxon, but the issue at hand was more important! Back pain? Spine out of alignment? That wouldn’t do at all, but it was good that this strange little man was so forthcoming with his health issues! Perhaps that was why his mouth was moving so oddly?
“Hello, Jay!” Jaxon moved closer and started doing his finger exercises to limber up. Working while not warmed up was a good way to hurt yourself. “I am going to be selling this service as buffs soon, but as a way of saying sorry for not knowing your name, I suppose I can do a little something for you. Let me help you for free, just this once!”
The guard tried to protest that Jaxon was being too generous, but the Monk really didn’t mind at all and told him so with a happy smile. The guard pointed his spear at Jaxon and asked the Monk to hold it for him while he was adjusted. Not having anywhere to put the weapon while he worked, Jaxon let him know there wasn’t a need for the guard to release his hold on the polearm! He must have told him this too late, but it wasn’t an issue. Jaxon simply stepped to the side as the weapon was pushed toward his stomach and got to work.
*Snap!* *Snap!* *Snap!* “Adjust!” The guard groaned happily as his posture was corrected, and Jaxon waved off his colorful thanks. Stepping through the gate and looking around, he was a bit confused. Why was the guild bothering to guard that gate? Three of the walls that had been surrounding the town were gone! Jaxon supposed the guard had mentioned something to that effect, but he still found it strange. Walking toward the Pathfinder’s Hall—since the Monk was betting Joe would be in the only building left standing—Jaxon took a moment to consider his team leader. That young man really liked to make huge effects like this oversized building. Jaxon wondered if he was compensating for something? Perhaps he finds his class distasteful… or something along that line?
Not many people were around, certainly none of the villagers that had been placed in the buildings around town for care as they worked through the issues they had gained by becoming monsters and hunting people. Oh dear, they were probably caught in that blast. Too bad. Jaxon wondered if his team was going to lose out on interesting quests because of that. He entered the Hall and was once again impressed by the scope and decoration of the huge building. Between the star-like ceiling and the clear floor, walking through the dark building felt like you were walking through space. A nifty experience indeed, and it m
ade this his favorite building in the entire game.
“Joe, there you are! Hmm. You seem to be in distress. Perhaps your outlook on life needs an adjustment?” Jaxon tried to inject some humor into the scenario for the youngster, but he didn’t think Joe understood any of his excellent jokes. Such a serious person!
“Hi, Jaxon. I’m glad to see that you’re doing okay.” Joe took a few deep breaths and nodded in response to Jaxon’s statement. “Sorry to say that I am going to be unable to go on any quests for a while. I’m having an internal crisis. It seems that I have choice paralysis, and I’m just not sure where to go from here.”
Jaxon stood there pondering for a few moments. Joe not coming along didn’t really change too much for his own goals at the moment. Perhaps it would even be beneficial to do some training on his own, or perhaps he could go do quests with the others. Oops, he realized that he might have been standing there staring at Joe without blinking for a bit too long. “I see. Well, I’m sure I can find something to do. Perhaps the others will–”
“Right, the others!” Joe slapped his palm to his head. Strange child. When had that become a thing? Facepalming? Why would you hit yourself? “They were going to join the expedition to the Wolfman lands and finish crushing their society. If you wanted to catch up, there is a second wave of guild members and armies heading out soonish.”
Jaxon shook his head in the negative. “I have no interest in tracking down creatures that have lost their protectors. Their society is already dead. I saw the quest reward. It seems a little dark that the game is going to be giving rewards for hunting civilians.”
Joe nodded slowly, a look of discomfort appearing on his face. “I agree, but sadly, no one is listening to me on that count. The others are going; the rewards offered were too good for them to pass up.”
“That’s too bad. I had thought higher of our current team than they seem to deserve at this point.” Jaxon tapped a finger against his lips. What to do next? He had a blinking notification that he had been ignoring. Perhaps that would offer some insight.
Quest gained: Finding a specialization! Congratulations on reaching level ten! Now that you are sufficiently powerful as a general character, it is time to progress into a narrower field and become the best at something! What it will be is up to you. Good luck!
Jaxon had been hoping to rank up, and this war had offered a solid increase of levels for him. He turned on his heel and walked away from Joe, who called something about staying out of trouble. Pah! As if he didn’t know how to take care of himself. Nothing like that youngster’s generation, likely why Joe felt the need to call out advice. Jaxon went over to a small booth in the Hall, sitting in a chair that offered excellent lumbar support and staring at the wall impatiently. A beautiful series of lines began appearing on the wall in front of him, each line representing a path that Jaxon could walk, a way for his class to progress.
Sadly, none of the available options appealed to him: Brawler, Pugilist, various forms of martial art-style classes, non-combat classes… oh look, it mentioned that he could take Joe’s class if Jaxon went and talked to the ‘ritualist’ about it. Huh. For some reason, Jaxon had thought Joe had been keeping his class information under wraps, but right here it was telling him all about how the man is a class trainer. Sighing in light despair, Jaxon stood up and the lovely map of options vanished. All of those paths seemed like a downgrade for him, and he didn’t want to settle for moving backwards. Jaxon decided then and there that he would need to blaze his own trail, create his own path!
Quest updated: Finding a specialization! You have listened to your heart and are following the true path of a Monk. It may be a lonely road, but self-discovery always is! Optional requirement offered: Find a class and specialize without joining a party. Reward: Variable.
Jaxon didn’t need to accept the quest, but it did automatically remove him from his current party. He supposed that was helpful, else he would have automatically failed the quest! Skipping out of the Hall past a few frightened youngsters, Jaxon sang into the open air, “Time to get prepared for a journey! Yipee!”
Chapter Three
Jaxon was standing next to his collapsible table, staring and smiling at the people passing by him. He was hoping to entice them with the powerful buffs he could offer because he really needed to outfit himself with food, drink, and equipment before leaving on his walkabout. If he were extra sneaky, he could go to the bank and make a withdrawal, but…
Warrant for your arrest in Ardania. Time remaining: 92:16.
Jaxon grumbled about the false charges brought against him, but at least he could go back to the city in about four days. If those random people hadn’t wanted help, why had they asked for it? Then! Then! To call the guards when Jaxon simply requested the payment he was due? Scandalous!
“Excuse me? I see that you are offering buffs. Is that accurate?” An overly muscular Warrior was looming over Jaxon, arms crossed and sporting a dark glare. “I’d like the buff at a discount.”
Intimidation ineffectual! Your skill is a full rank higher!
Oh? Mr. Mohawk was trying to become friends with him! Jaxon thought that was sweet, but there was no need for this guy to use a skill; he could just ask! Jaxon smiled cheerfully and began limbering up his hands with his standard exercises.
“Can’t offer a discount; the prices are fixed by the national health board! If I offered you a discount, legally, I would need to offer the same discount to anyone who wanted it.” Jaxon knew that the laws of his country most likely didn’t apply in game, but this random fighter shouldn’t. “Armor off, hop on the table!”
The Warrior stared at him a bit longer, and Jaxon got a few more ‘failed intimidation’ notifications. Finally, the unknown man sighed and took off the bulky armor he was wearing, moving to lie face down on the table. “You’re pretty good. First time my skill didn’t work.”
“No worries there, new friend! I understand very well how useful intimidation can be.” Oops! Jaxon had forgotten that by saying the skill name aloud, it shifted to an active version. Now this poor Warrior was as stiff as a board. Jaxon quickly decided to offer some free acupuncture as penance. “I can help with this. Hold still while I stab you. Whoops, didn’t mean to activate the skill again! Ha-ha! I swear, it goes off for just no reason at all!”
The Warrior was about to roll off the table, but Jaxon’s needles expertly jabbing into his neck and back forcibly relaxed his muscles. Perfect! Now it should be easy to work his adjustments. The Warrior was saying something into the table, but his position precluded Jaxon from understanding what it was. The Chiropractor pulled on the man’s arms, pushed on his back, twisted his chin from side to side, then worked over his legs. That should do it for a basic buff package! Jaxon removed the needles, then offered him a glass of water as he sat upright. People tended to be thirsty after a proper adjustment.
“Whoa!” The Warrior took a swing at him! Jaxon took a rapid step backward and prepared to defend himself. “What is going on here? Are you unhappy with the buff you just received?”
“You son of…” The furious man trailed off, and his eyes glazed over; obviously, he was looking at the buff. “What in the world? That’s… that’s ten percent higher strength and dexterity!”
“Well, yes, your joints were locked pretty heavily there. I’m unsurprised that you had such a beneficial experience, but I’d like an apology and additional payment for the unsolicited assault!” Jaxon was off-put by his client’s strangely shifting attitude. The Warrior scratched behind his ear, blushed, then handed over the amount Jaxon had requested plus a generous tip. “Thank you for your business! Come again!”
“You know what?” the Warrior muttered while re-equipping his armor. “I think I actually will come back.”
After that little debacle, Jaxon had a steady stream of people coming to his table. While most of them let loose unflattering insults, they all paid and muttered that they would do it again. What an oddly unappreciative group! As the afternoo
n wore on toward evening, Jaxon closed down his ‘shop’. He had earned enough—he hoped—for everything he would need. Jaxon collapsed his table, folding it over and over again until it fit into his bag. Sometimes it was nice to be reminded that he was in a game world.
No skill increases arrived from his day of work, but that was expected. Jaxon wasn’t doing anything new or novel, so why would he be rewarded for doing it? Deciding to make it an early night, he went over to the temporary campsite that his guild had set up, rented a bedroll, and proceeded to sleep soundly through the night.
The following morning, Jaxon awoke to a commotion. The various guilds and the army had formed up and begun marching toward Wolfman territory. Well, shoot. There went the majority of his potential clients. Who else could he offer to help? Jaxon ate a light breakfast and wandered over to the Pathfinder’s Hall. Glancing around, he found his next targets. “Look! Over there! Damaged people!”
Jaxon raced over to a group of ragtag individuals that had somehow gotten injured between the war and this morning. Jaxon zeroed in on a man who was whimpering, his arms and legs pointed in directions they should not be. “Hello there, broken man. Would you like me to set those bones for you?”
“Are you a doctor?” The man was in pain, and the wait time to see even a medic here was quite long.
“You know what, I actually am a doctor!” This is something Jaxon would never lie about; he could dust off his degree as a chiropractor if he needed to verify it. The Monk was sure he could get it uploaded. “There is a cost associated with this work. Would you like to start right away?”
“Yes, please!” The injured man gasped as his excitement at skipping the line made him jolt his arms accidentally. His legs were in worse condition, though. Had he fallen off a cliff or been wailed on by some monster?