by J. J. Thorn
Unlike Zane, I couldn’t pick a favourite class. Ethics aside, I loved them all.
Zane shook his head. “You and your monsters, man. Just make sure you’re able to kill Skinks on the Hunting trip. Can’t have you trying to study them the entire time we’re there.”
I laughed with him, quietly. Able to recognize how my fascination could easily become an obsession if left unchecked. I decided to set that book down for now.
“I’ll be okay. That’s what these books are all about, actually.” I showed him a small handful I’d also grabbed from the shelves.
“Trish brought up a good point the last time we were all together. We’re focusing so much on what the Skink can do, we won’t even know what to do if we find other monsters. So, I started looking up what else might be near Borson and Pinslo Lake. So far, Britta’s dad was right. Most things are G-Rank as well, but a couple of rumours are going around about E-Rank and even D-Rank monsters appearing.” I showed him some of the accounts from the Pinslo Lake area.
Zane closed his book and stared at me. “You’re not trying to convince us that you don’t want to go again, are you? Is that what this is, you’re telling me there’s D-Rank monsters, so we don’t go?”
It had been a month and I had finally come to terms with the fact that my Cousin John might be joining us on the Hunt. I didn’t want to believe it at first, but it all made sense. A Dungeoneer who would need a master. A master whose Affinity was the same as John’s. In the town that John had also just finished Prep School.
I knew he wouldn’t stay in Huag after school finished, but I hadn’t followed up on where he might have gone after. I had hoped it wouldn’t be Krader but knew that the chances were slim he would leave such a good place for somewhere else.
Thinking back on it as well, John was really gifted with his Affinity. Elise had always talked about his ability to create ice that tripped his opponent during the finals, but I had never appreciated what that meant until I started Prep.
At Rank 1, he would never have been able to create his element. Meaning he would have been Rank 2 by the end of his time at Prep.
My own progress aside, Zane and I still talked about what a normal progression would look like. And to most, they wouldn’t see Rank 2 until after school finished.
We had discussed it several times, but my progress was completely abnormal. To have reached 95% so early was unheard of, even for those Zane called ‘geniuses’ and ‘prodigies’. And to me, I didn’t think I was doing anything unique.
I still used my Energy every opportunity I had. I had started trying to put some of the exercises we talked about in General Energy Manipulation to use, but I was still far from proficient. My only successes were in ‘Quick Exhaust’, which I had already been doing to an extent, and ‘Trickling’, which I had some moderate success with.
I didn’t want to stand out, so I decided to keep my progress to myself. Something was working. That’s all I knew, and I didn’t want to ruin that.
“No” I finally said. “I know I can’t get out of the trip now. You know I want to go. I was just worried about seeing my cousin.”
“He does sound like he was awful as a kid, but since finishing Prep, he probably grew up. And if he hasn’t, the rest of us will be there. You have nothing to worry about. Even these D-Rank monster rumours you’re bringing up. I haven’t gotten to spend much time in Krader asking around, since we spend most of our time studying and training, but I hear his master is a good guy.”
Zane sighed then smiled as he once again picked up his book.
“Thanks,” I said. “You’re right.”
Zane gave me a thumbs up, but did not look away from his book.
I started to pick up one of my non-academic books to take my mind off things. In the last few months since we started, I had read several books detailing the adventures of Dungeoneers across the continent.
Most books were written in a way that spoke highly about their Dungeon dives, talking about how much treasure they found or how many monsters they killed, but some were more realistic in their descriptions. Stories about their lost teammates, or how their loved ones were gruesomely killed in a monster skirmish.
Dungeon diving had two vastly different sides, which I made sure to read about whenever I had the time. It was a high-risk high-reward career. But when it went well, you got the ability to travel around, exploring new lands and Dungeons for the sake of bringing new goods and materials to the Kingdom.
Death was a constant theme, but you were also helping to keep monsters away from the general population.
The books didn’t scare me away, thankfully, but instead made it painfully obvious that preparation was sometimes the most important part of the trip. For this reason, I often stressed to the group that we needed to make sure we were as ready as possible for the hunt.
Training had increased from one to two hours, to a full three. We even started integrating more weapon matches into the training to make sure we were ready. We threw in unhanded fights on occasion, but I knew most of our battles would involve a weapon.
Research into our intended location and the weather had also happened within the first week. Based on what we found, we all spent some of our savings to begin buying tents and other supplies to make sure we would be warm.
We planned to make one last shopping trip into Krader closer to the date to see if we could also score some inexpensive equipment. I had my money from my parents but decided to keep as much as I could for after Prep was over. Instead, I hoped to get some better-fitting boots and padded pants.
Due to my increase in height and my loss of weight, I needed to buy new clothes each month, but it was worth it for how it made me feel.
‘View Weight’.
184 pounds!
My weight was still above Zane’s, but where he was mostly lean and toned, my muscles were more pronounced. Over time I had learned that my weight didn’t define me, but it was still nice to see how far I’d come in only a few months.
Zane and I stayed in the library for the rest of the evening. I spent a lot of time reading a book on another Dungeoneer whose name had been lost to time.
The story went that he had spent a lot of his adolescence in a forest populated by a large variety of insects. When he received his Affinity, everyone thought he might defy the odds by receiving a NATURE Affinity, or even a WOOD Affinity, but instead, they were all dismayed when he gained an Affinity to INSECTS. In that time, Prep schools were not mandatory, and he became ostracized from the community for his odd Affinity.
At first, his Affinity was thought to be useless, similar to my WEIGHT Affinity, but as he progressed in Rank, he showed that even an Affinity like INSECTS could be incredibly powerful.
The Dungeoneer spent years travelling around looking for insects to add to his collection. At Rank 1 he had only been able to identify the insects. At Rank 2, he gained the ability to keep insects he found around him at all times. Progressing through Rank 2 allowed him to even direct them towards his prey. At Rank 3, he gained some of the senses of the insects that he commanded, which at this time was a substantial amount. The book went on to explain how his progression had stalled at Rank 3. He went on to perform several great accomplishments, using his insects to kill several Dungeon Bosses.
Sadly, he died without many human companions, but his story was well-documented.
The librarian had recommended it as a good story where the user had persevered, despite what many believed to be a useless Affinity. I still had reservations about my own Affinity, but in my time at Prep, no one had made me feel bad about what Affinity the Goddess had granted.
I could only hope the rest of the world acted the same when Prep finally finished. And if they didn’t, I planned to show them wrong.
My Affinity was already progressing faster than anyone else thought possible. I also had friends around me that wanted me to succeed.
What else might I be able to gain or accomplish?
Chapter 8 –
Soft Landing
“Hey, Chet, how’s it going buddy?” I asked, sitting down beside him in General Energy Manipulation.
For the first time in a while, I’d arrived early to class. Chet sat in our regular seats. The class was still close to empty, with people walking in every now and then.
“Hey, Ren. Honestly, not too good, man. I am loving this class, but I’m ready for it to be over. My funds are depleting like crazy not being able to go on longer trips. It’s not even the cost for a semester anymore, it’s the cost of not hunting or Dungeon diving that’s killing me.” He grabbed my hand for a handshake before slumping back into his seat.
“Damn, that’s rough. What’s the rest of your team doing while you’re in here?”
Chet and I had talked some, and he had told me about his team. They were all pretty new out of Prep but had made a good name for themselves as the newbie Dungeoneers. They would often spend their time in Krader’s Dungeon, but also traveling to nearby towns. All things he couldn’t do when he had to be back at class every week.
“They’re all doing their own thing. Commissions here, guard work there. They know it’s only for a few months, so they aren’t joining any new groups. You’ll see next year, but it’s not easy to find a team willing to take someone so new. You either group with the friends you make from school or get a master.
“But even then, getting someone to take you on isn’t easy. You have to prove that you’re not dead weight and have some sort of skill with what you’re doing. I get offers here and there, but not from anyone I’d want to work under. I’m telling you, man, stick with your friends. They’re probably your best bet to get a real start after you leave here.”
I had spoken about it with Zane and although he seemed on board, I didn’t feel it would be right to ask Jen and the others just yet. It was still so early on, and who knew what they planned to do after school. I would wait until closer to the end of Prep to float the idea to them. Maybe I’d bring it up during the Hunting Trip.
“But do you feel like you’re at least learning something from class?” I asked him. “You told me you joined because you felt like you weren’t progressing in your Energy manipulation.”
“Yeah!” He brightened up. “I finally created a new Skill the other day. I had been doing the same thing for years, but I never thought to actually name what I was doing. It’s the ‘Naming’ stuff we’ve been practicing lately, it really does work. After I did that, I finally saw my percentage increase for the first time in months!”
“You went months without gaining any percentage increases?”
“It gets much harder as you keep advancing, and I’m only at Rank 2. But based on the stuff I learned in class, I know I’ll be able to Rank up soon. Keep in mind, I’m still doing better than most. I’ve only been out of school a couple years after all. And my ‘Burst’ is a really good Rank 2 Skill. Now I have 4 Skills to work with in total.”
I almost screamed inside. Four? How does he have four if he’s at Rank 2?
“I thought you said you only created one Skill? How do you have four?”
“Damn, I keep forgetting how new you are to all of this. So, my Affinity is WIND. With Rank 1 I got the generic Skill that most elemental Affinity users get at Rank 1. It makes it possible for me to feel my element and, if you get good enough, you can even manipulate it a bit. I’m lucky, wind is everywhere, so I’m able to play around with it all the time. People with stuff like LIGHTNING or FIRE need to go out of their way to find their Affinity.
“Anyways, when I Ranked up, I got a Skill called ‘Burst’. I won’t tell you what it does exactly but let’s just say it's what makes me such a good Dungeoneer. For my Rank that is. As I got better at Rank 2, I was able to create another Rank 1 Skill called ‘Direct’. It’s really simple, but it lets me ‘Direct’ wind more easily. It’s Rank 1, but I was still happy to get it. Plus, it works well with my ‘Burst’ Skill, so I was thrilled.
“Actually, if I can give you any advice, if you’re going to make Skills, try to make them synergize. Too many people waste time trying to make something completely new. I got ‘Direct’ because I had to use my Rank 1 Skill all the time to use ‘Burst’.
“Anyway, I was thinking about how I use ‘Burst’. Without telling you so much, I tend to fall on my face a lot using the Skill. It’s actually why I took this class. I was looking for a way to use Energy manipulation to enhance my body to withstand those falls a bit better. My healer was pissed! He kept having to use his Energy to heal me for injuries I inflicted on myself!
“So, while using ‘Burst’, I sometimes used it to cushion my fall a bit more. I would do it constantly, but I tried ‘Naming’ the cushioning recently. And there it was! I’d created a Skill! ‘Soft Landing’ helps me out a lot and really helps me with my current issue. It’s like the Goddess knew what I needed and helped me get there. So even though this class is bleeding me dry, I won’t ever regret coming here.”
Chet looked bashful as he scratched his head and smiled. You could tell he was embarrassed to be talking about his Skills so openly, but luckily the class was always empty at the start.
I looked around, and most people had arrived. Even Professor Wilks was now at the front.
“That’s amazing, Chet! I’m happy it’s worked out for you. Does that mean you’ll start learning how to enhance your body?”
“No, absolutely not. I just know it’s going to be harder. It’s just my Affinity. I’m more suited to Skill augmentation and creating new Skills because of my elemental Affinity. Straight warriors, on the other hand, focus on enhancing their body in combat and can’t create Skills as often.”
I had to wonder, where does that leave my WEIGHT Affinity? It isn’t an element, but I also don’t think I’m a straight warrior. I don’t see how I could create new Skills with ‘View Weight’.
“I never knew that,” I said. “Is that why they say elemental Affinities are more powerful?”
“Partially, I guess. But they all have their strengths. I’ve seen people lift monsters the size of a house with body augments alone. You won’t see me lifting a building anytime soon. But even then, there’s always a trade-off. Plus, things like General Sk—”
“Okay everyone, we’re going to get started.”
Chet was cut off as Professor Wilks started to speak. I was a little annoyed but had already gotten a lot out of Chet as is. Nothing to worry about, I assured myself. If it was anything important, he would tell me after class.
Professor Wilks spoke: “So, I hope you’re all still using the exercises we talked about last month. We’re going to keep those up for one more month, but I wanted to run through a couple of advanced techniques, so you had them on your mind. I know the last month of class is tough. Everyone starts throwing new things at you, trying to cram in every last detail, so I thought I’d get a head start.
“We have only scratched the surface of what’s available to you by using your Energy. It is a resource that you should always train and learn more about, regardless of what you’re looking to do in your chosen profession. Batteries, projections, disruptions. There are hundreds of uses for Energy that we haven’t discussed, and just because you don’t have a Skill for it, that does not mean you cannot do it. Keep training and studying until you find the ones that work for you.
“But be careful. Your Energy is now a part of you. And just like the blood running through your body, it’s something you need to be mindful of. Now, as for the next thirty minutes, we’ll be discussing some techniques that are only possible for people who reach that three percent we talked about when we started. The people who are at the pinnacle of Affinity use.
“Both of these techniques become Skills for some, but they are possible without a Skill. And like the rest of what you’ve learned, they aren’t easy. For full disclosure, I cannot do either of these things, but I have met people who can. They’re usually Rank 4 or 5.
“Now, the first I won’t name, because it does not have a defined na
me. Let’s just call it drawing in Energy or ‘Energy Draw’. Most of us can’t tell until we get an Affinity, and even after that, it’s still difficult to grasp, but our world is filled with its own Energy.
“This is a topic in of itself, and one that researchers love, but we won’t touch on it this class. For now, you just need to know that there is Energy all around us. Affinity users and monsters have more of it than regular humans or animals, but it’s still there in everything. Even the air.
“There are some people that can draw on this Energy at will. Sometimes it takes meditation, sometimes it doesn’t, but this ability lets you gain Energy anywhere you are in the world. They take what is usually a passive process for all of us and turn it into an active one.
“Something you’ll learn is how a little extra Energy can go a long way. That’s why Energy Potions are so prevalent. All Affinity users need them to make sure they can work a bit longer or fight a bit harder. Run out of Energy and you’re stuck.
“The ability to actively draw in more Energy, even a little bit, can be invaluable. Even then, it might be useful, but it still has its drawbacks. First of all, it is hard to do. You have to have a complete grasp on both your own Energy and the Energy around you. Something that only the three percent are capable of doing.
“Past that, it can be dangerous for those trying it out. You’re effectively letting a foreign Energy into your system. No one knows how that will impact you, your body, or your actions.
“And lastly, once you let it in, how do you know it can stop? There are accounts of users dying because they never considered what would happen when the Energy started to stream into their body. There’s a reason Mana Potions do not let you exceed your maximum. Your Energy has a maximum because that is all your body is capable of handling at the time. And sure, 1 or 2 extra Energy might not be an issue, but as this number increases, it will wreck your body.