Somerset

by Aaron Oster

LEVEL UP!

  Congratulations! You have reached level 10! You have 5 new attribute points to distribute.

  Would you like to distribute them now?

  Yes/No

  TITLE GAINED!

  Through your constant loss of composure, you have gained a new title!

  You Won’t Like Me When I’m Angry: Gotta learn to control that nasty temper of yours, pal.

  Effect: At the cost of the ‘Enraged’ debuff: +200% Increase to all damage

  ABILITY RANK UP!

  Congratulations! Your Mana Flare ability has advanced from Novice to Beginner!

  Mana Flare: Send out a burst of mana in a sphere around you.

  Level: Beginner 12 (31%) Damage: 16-21

  Cost: 55 MP

  AOE Range: 10 Ft Cast Time: 2 Seconds Cooldown: 15 Seconds

  Finally! He’d be able to choose a class.

  Sam was so excited, that he completely ignored the awful title he’d gained and only briefly glanced over his upgraded ability. Going into his status, he selected the Class tab and selected Mage. This time, a more detailed version of the Class appeared and Sam eagerly read over the details.

  CLASS OPTIONS (MAGE)

  Congratulations! You have reached level 10 and may now select a class. Please choose wisely, as this choice will be permanent.

  Mage: Mages are those who specialize in casting spells, and utilizing their intellect, over brute force. The Mage class, like all others, is only the foundation. You will only realize your true potential, once you choose a sub-class.

  Mages gain +1 to Intelligence and +1 to Wisdom with each level gained. However, they will suffer penalties to Strength, and Agility, requiring that 2 attribute points be used, for every single point gained. Every 5 levels, you will also have the option to choose an ability. Your options will be based on the choices you make in your selected path, so choose wisely.

  The Mage class is divided up into many sub-classes. At this time, you may choose from 11 different sub-classes. (More may become available, should you discover them)

  Sam read the information over several times before closing the screen and staring up at the ceiling again. So, if he wanted to choose the Mage class, he’d need to put 2 attribute points into Strength and Agility , if he wanted them to go up by 1 . He shrugged.

  I can live with that.

  Sam pulled up his class options again and selected Mage.

  CLASS CHOSEN

  Congratulations! You are now a Mage!

  As a Mage, you now have the option to choose 1 of 3 new abilities available to you.

  You may now also browse the sub-classes available to you at this time. Please be aware that you cannot choose a sub-class until Level 18, and a specialization until level 26.

  Corrosive Cloud: Summon a cloud of corrosive mana in a targeted area.

  Damage: 25-31

  Duration: 10 Seconds Cost: 100 MP

  AOE Range: 25 FT (Sphere) Cast Time: 6 Seconds Cooldown: 10 Minutes Sonic Mana Blast: Infuse mana into your hands and clap to disorient.

  Effect: Disoriented debuff Duration: 60 Seconds Cost: 120 MP

  AOE Range: 30 FT (Cone) Cast Time: Instant Cooldown: 5 Minutes Mage Bolt: Fire a branching bolt of mana.

  Damage: 20-40

  Cost: 180 MP

  Range: 20 Ft (Cone) Cast Time: 2 Seconds Cooldown: 6 Minutes Effect: +20% Chance to inflict the Stunned debuff for 30 seconds

  Sam looked over his available abilities and had to think carefully. Just what type of Mage did he want to be? That would decide which abilities he’d choose whenever one became available to him.

  He immediately dismissed the non damaging ability, as he already knew that he wanted to be a damage dealer. None of that debuff shit. He also knew that he wanted to be able to unleash the most power in the least amount of time. Mage Bolt was looking the most promising in that department, though the damage output seemed to have a very large range.

  He went back and forth for nearly five minutes and nearly chose to go with the safer, and more reliable Corrosive Cloud, but in the end, his desire to destroy stuff won out.

  CONGRATULATIONS!

  You have gained a new ability!

  Mage Bolt: Fire a branching bolt of mana.

  Level: Novice 1 (0%) Damage: 20-40

  Cost: 180 MP

  Range: 20 Ft (Cone) Cast Time: 2 Seconds Cooldown: 6 Minutes Effect: +20% Chance to inflict the Stunned debuff for 30 seconds

  Sam grinned as the screen vanished, and he moved on to his next order of business; seeing which sub-classes were available to him.

  SUB-CLASS OPTIONS

  Congratulations! You have chosen a class and may now view your sub-class options. Sub-classes can be gained in one of three ways: 1. Find a trainer willing to teach you 2. Perform a specific action enough times

  3. Find an item bestowing the sub-class

  You currently have 11 sub-classes to choose from. Would you like to view them all now?

  Yes/No

  Sam immediately selected yes and a list of available sub-classes popped up before his eyes.

  SUB-CLASS (MAGE)

  Here are your available sub-classes: Fire-Mage Water-Mage Plant-Mage Force-Mage Air-Mage Psyche-Mage Earth-Mage Dark-Mage Light-Mage Blood-Mage Super-Mage

  Sam looked through his available options and began discounting the ones he knew he wouldn’t be interested in. By the time he was done, he’d narrowed his choices down to three: Fire, Force, and Psyche. All the rest sounded boring or stupid.

  What the hell was a Super-Mage supposed to be anyway?

  FIRE-MAGE

  The Fire-Mage sub-class is one focused on the area of effect spells and widespread destruction. Fire-Mages focus mainly on damage, have very little in the way of debuffs, and no healing abilities.

  Fire-Mages gain +2 Intelligence and +1 Wisdom with each level gained, but suffer penalties to both Strength and Agility.

  FORCE-MAGE

  The Force-Mage sub-class is one focused on causing as much devastation as possible with a single spell. Force-Mages focus mainly on single target damage, have very little in the way of debuffs, and no healing abilities.

  Force-Mages gain +3 Intelligence and +1 Wisdom with each level gained, but suffer penalties to Strength, Endurance and Agility.

  PSYCHE-MAGE

  The Psyche-Mage sub-class is one focused on the area of effect debuffs and single target spells. Psyche-Mages have some healing abilities but have little in the way of actual damage.

  Psyche-Mages gain +1 Intelligence and +2 Wisdom with each level gained, but suffer penalties to Strength and Agility.

  After reading the descriptions for all three, Sam was fairly certain that he would go with either the Fire-Mage or Force-Mage sub-class. While Psyche-Mage had originally sounded cool, in reality, it didn’t live up to his expectations. Then again, he probably shouldn’t jump the gun on this one. According to the system, there were other sub-classes out there to choose from and maybe he’d be able to find a super rare one, or something like that.

  He let out a long breath, rubbing at his temples as he felt a headache coming on. Exhaustion crept in at the fringes of his mind as the excitement of the previous day finally began to fade. Covering a yawn, Sam opened his status so he could assign his points before he went to sleep.

  CHARACTER STATUS (ABBREVIATED)

  Name: Sam Race: Human Level: 10

  XP: 53/8,000

  AP: 1

  Class: Mage HP: 120/120 (Regen 1.2 Per Second) MP: 330/330 (Regen 2.8 Per Second) STA: 90/90 (Regen 0.9 Per Second)

  ATTRIBUTES

  Strength: 5 (6)

  Constitution: 12

  Agility: 6

  Endurance: 8 (9)

  Intelligence: 33 +2 (+1 Class)

  Wisdom: 28 +2 (+1 Class)

  Charisma: 19

  Luck: 11 +1

  30

  “Hey there, lazy bones. Time to get up. We’ve got stuff to do.”

  Sam groaned as he felt someone shaking his shoulder, and t
ried to push it away.

  “Just a few more minutes,” he mumbled, turning to one side and pushing his face into the couch cushions.

  “If you don’t get up now, I’ll let Barry do the wakeup call. Let me tell you, it won’t be pleasant.”

  Sam cracked a lid open and blearily stared up at Emma, who was standing over him with a smug grin on her face. Yawning widely, Sam checked his clock and saw that it was only 7 AM.

  “It’s too fucking early for you to be this chipper,” he groaned, forcing himself into a sitting position.

  “Not my fault you decided to stay awake for an hour once we got back. You could have been smart and used that time to sleep!”

  Sam glared at her, but she just tossed her long mane of black hair and flashed him another grin.

  “We’re leaving to the city in ten minutes, so you best get ready. There’s a barrel of water around back. Don’t ask what it’s doing there because I have no clue. You can go stick your head in it or something, if you want.” With that said, she walked off, heading into a side room and leaving Sam alone.

  He sat there for a few minutes, allowing his mind to wake up a bit before forcing himself up off the sofa and heading out the front door. His mouth felt very dry and his head ached terribly. Checking his notifications, he understood why.

  You are exhausted. Sleep deprived debuff gained. Effect: -10% focus You are hungry. Hunger debuff gained. Effect: -10% to all damage You are thirsty. Thirst debuff gained. Effect: Mild headache Great, more shit I have to deal with, Sam thought as he approached the water barrel. Stopping before it, he stared down at the rippling liquid, which reflected the early morning sun and the vibrant blue sky above. It was still a little brisk out, so he was reluctant to plunge his head in, but after a few more moments of staring, he shrugged.

  You only live once, right?

  Sam plunged his head into the icy water, feeling the lingering sleep wash away in an instant. He pulled his head free with a gasp, feeling the icy liquid running from his hair, trailing down his neck and under his shirt.

  Cupping both hands, he scooped out some water and drank until he felt satiated, and his headache began to recede. Checking his status, he could indeed see that the thirst debuff had disappeared. Now all he needed was something to eat. And some more sleep.

  As he walked back around to the front of the house, Emma, Gordon, and the devil bird came into view.

  “Ah, it is good to see you up and about, Sam. How are you this morning?” Gordon asked.

  “Tired as shit. You?”

  “I myself am doing quite well,” Gordon replied, his stick suddenly appearing from thin air.

  That snapped him awake instantly.

  His stuff! In all of the excitement, he’d completely forgotten about the things he’d asked Gordon to hold on to.

  Praise be to the Overlord! I’m not poor after all!

  “Gordon, you fucking miracle dog! I could kiss you right now!” Sam exclaimed, earning him a very odd look from Emma and a wolf-whistle from Baron Von Tweet.

  “I beg your pardon,” Gordon said, giving him an aggrieved look. “But whatever are you talking about?”

  “Remember yesterday, when I asked you to hold onto some of my things?” Sam prompted.

  “Ah, I see,” Gordon said with a nod. “All of your items were stolen. All except for those that you asked me to hold for you. I now understand your excitement.”

  “What’s he talking about?” Emma finally asked.

  “Apparently, companion animals all have a storage space where they can keep items. I asked Gordon about it yesterday and then got the strangest feeling to ask him to hold onto some of my stuff for me.”

  “And then you got robbed just a few minutes later,” Emma finished, eyes going wide.

  Sam had told them all his story when they’d gotten back to the small house last night. Barry had laughed, Gordon had been indifferent, and Emma had been sympathetic. She’d even agreed to help him hunt the treacherous dwarf down, to get his items back after they’d finished their business in Shtut.

  “I know! What are the odds?” Sam said, remembering the odd sensation pushing him to do so. “I honestly think it had something to do with my high Luck …” Sam trailed off as he said that, looking down at the empty space where his Lucky Rabbit’s Foot had hung just the previous day.

  He let out a sigh, knowing that he’d never be able to find a replacement for that in the city and that only good fortune would allow him to get an item like that again.

  Emma, noticing his somber mood, quickly changed the subject.

  “You ready to head into the city? I’m sure you can find some awesome gear now that you’ve chosen a class!”

  Instead of cheering him up, this just made Sam’s mood sour even more. He’d had the perfect gear for his new class in his bag. Then that thieving piece of shit…

  “Do calm yourself, Samuel. You did mention a quest that would reward you with some exceptional items, did you not?” Gordon asked as he saw Sam’s expression.

  “What did I tell you about using my full name, you damn mutt?” Sam yelled, growling at the dog.

  “There is no need to shout,” Gordon said, sticking his nose up in the air with an indignant huff. “I was merely attempting to cheer your sour mood, but seeing as you cannot be civil, I will leave you to your angry mumbling.” With that, Gordon walked away, heading down the road in the direction of the city.

  “You really should be nicer to him,” Emma said, giving him a stern look.

  Sam felt his anger melt away at that and nodded.

  “I know, but everything that happened yesterday is still swimming around my head. This world is seriously fucked up,” he said as they started down the road as well.

  “I know what you mean. Talking animals, monsters that wanna kill you, these shitty rules that are ready to screw you three ways at the first opportunity. It’s almost enough to make you wanna scream.”

  “It already has. Many, many times,” Sam said, chuckling lightly. “I even feel like this Overlord dude picks out each of our rules personally. For example, my rule for today is to not be someone’s bitch and kill the little gnome bastard who brought me to that underground bunker.”

  “Yeah, that sounds pretty bad,” Emma said, doing her best not to laugh. “Mine is also pretty fucked up.”

  “Really? What is it?” Sam asked, now curious about the rules that others would be forced to follow.

  Emma’s face suddenly reddened, and she looked furtively around before leaning in and lowering her voice.

  “I’m pretty sure that this Overlord dude is a total perv, because I need to sleep with three different men today. And they all need to be there at the same time.”

  Sam’s eyes went comically wide. She can’t be serious, can she? But when Emma promptly burst out laughing, he knew she’d been fucking with him.

  “Oh, ha-ha, very funny,” Sam said, rolling his eyes.

  “Your face! You should have seen your face!” Emma said, doubling over and clutching at her stomach.

  Despite himself, Sam soon found that he was also smiling. It was hard not to, when someone was laughing like that. When Emma had finally calmed down, which took her at least a full two minutes, she told Sam what her actual rule for the day was.

  “I’m not allowed to kill any fish or fish-like creatures.”

  “Which means that you’ll probably be running into a fish monster at some point,” Sam said, already knowing how this Overlord played his twisted game.

  He made a rule, based on what he knew you would be doing that day. This, if Sam thought about it, was a truly terrifying prospect.

  If the Overlord already knew what was going to happen, how was he, or anyone else, supposed to defeat him?

  “Yeah, I know what you mean. My rule the first day was to not kill any birds…”

  “And then you met Barry,” Sam finished.

  “And then I met Barry,” Emma repeated, glaring up at the green and yellow bird flying ab
ove them.

  As though knowing that they were talking shit about him, Baron Von Tweet suddenly banked hard to the right, and both Sam and Emma were forced to leap out of the way to avoid being hit by the bird crap he’d dumped down toward them. Then he flew off, dodging the spells and insults hurled after him by the both of them.

  It only took them another twenty-five minutes to reach the city and by the time they were approaching the gates, the road was already crowded with people. Gordon had allowed them to catch up with him at some point, and Barry was now perched on Emma’s shoulder, which Sam thought was both cocky and brave of the erratic bird.

  After all, if it were him, he’d probably take the opportunity to dish out some sweet revenge on Sir Poops-a-lot.

  “So, what do you need to take care of in the city?” Sam asked, as they got into the long line before the city gates.

  “Need to sell some gear, pick up some supplies, and see if I can get a better sword,” Emma replied as the line lowly inched forward. “How about you?”

  “I need to stop by an inn to let someone know I’m okay. She’s probably freaking out by now that I didn’t come back last night. Then I’ll need to replace everything I lost last night, and see if can find any spell scrolls…” Sam trailed off when he noticed that Emma had stopped and he’d been moving forward without her.

  She was looking at him and had a wry smirk on her face.

  “What?” he asked, as she walked up to him.

  “You never told me you had a girlfriend,” she said with a wink. “You’ve only been here what, four days? You move quickly, you dirty dog!”

  Sam flushed a deep red, which only made Emma snort with laughter.

  “No! It’s not like that,” he quickly said. “I just did a quest for her and she owes me a reward.”