This. This right here was what I'd been hoping for. Stephens is probably the best person in the world to make a plan for how to best abuse Advancement. I may have the skill, but he had the knowledge of how to best use it. I listened as he gleefully laid out my plan.

  He pulled out some paper and grabbed his ornate pen and began making a literal list "You know, this is actually a thought experiment us scholars engage in for fun from time to time. We've all done it at least once. First off you'd want all the stat boosting skills. Warrior's Might, Lightning Speed, Enduring Form, Monk's Soul, Scholar's Mind, and Bard's Charm. These are the most direct boost to personal power and can allow for a controlable way to guide your growth. At worst each would allow you to double your stats."

  "Next you would want all the magic skills. Healing, Curse, Mental, Illusion, and all of the elemental magics. Each is powerful in its own right, but together they could make you an Archmage. A class that makes each magic truly powerful and can combine them to create Origin Magic, one of few skills available only via combination. That is a little known secret that the nobility likes to keep quiet so I'd keep that little nugget of wisdom to myself if I were you." He made eye contact with me until I nodded that I understood. Seeing that I did he moved on.

  "Next we come to skills like Paragon for the increase it gives in stats per level and your body. It makes one grow larger and faster. An odd skill and difficult to grow. It may appear to have no downside, but it is only ever granted to individuals in dire need like those about to lead a crusade against dark forces or someone pursued by a cult who's trying to take them out. Acceleration for the unparalleled boost in speed and coordination. Another little known fact is that it speeds up mental faculties involving movement, threat assessment, and danger recognition."

  "Next would be to increase defense and survivability with skills like Poison, Mental, and Curse Resistance. Each of the elemental resistances as well which when aquired and raised to rank 50 would combine into the single Elemental Resistance skill. Rare but very useful. Resilience to boost physical defense. Enhanced Senses for detection and a different kind of defense. Dodge, Insight, and Detect Lie for similar reasons. And of course Enchanting and Alchemy, the only two crafting professions that require a skill. Both monstrous useful."

  He looked up in thought for a moment while tapping his pen against his lips, thinking briefly. "From there we move to the monster skills. Regeneration, Darkvision, Water Breathing, and Telepathy would be must haves. Flight as well. After that there are a plethora of more mundane but highly useful skills that would make life much more pleasant. Things like Meditation, Etiquette, and Cleaning. Cleaning especially is a woefully undervalued skill at high levels and a large part of what keeps a cith looking so nice." He had been furiously writing this whole time, obviously listing off many more skills than he'd said aloud.

  He wrote for a few more seconds and looked up at Derk. "Run along and fetch A Primer on Skills for me. That is the single largest single volume on skills and their functions we possess." He waited for Derk to nod and leave before he continued.

  "One of the most beneficial perks of a high intellect and skills that support knowledge gathering is that my deductive reasoning is quite keen. For instance, if a young man were to come into my office and ask me for the help you have then I could easily read his tone, word choice, facial expression, and body language to intuit a great deal more than he'd said. I could even deduce that he actually had a method of circumventing Advancement's harsh restrictions without him saying a word about it." He looked at me with a neutral expression for several seconds after saying this as my heart hammered in my chest

  "If admitted as much I'd technically be obligated to report it as that is under the Lady of Balance's purview, but this is just a thought experiment so no need for that. Coincidentally Acting and Subterfuge would be the first things to aquire for a person with secrets that needed keeping to preserve their life."

  Derk returned at that moment, bring with him a release of much of the tension that had been building in the room. "Here it is sir."

  "Very good. Cidrakas, take this and study it but make sure to returns it in the same condition it is in right now or I'll have your hide." He handed me the book. Large with a black leather cover with the title in white across the front. "Take this little list as well so you can study on the skills youre determined to find a way to get. Heh. I honestly hope you do succeed lad. It would make for a wonderful case study. Did you have any other questions?"

  I pounced on the chance to leave like it was a rope tossed to me as I plummeted off the edge of a cliff. "Oh no sir. You've been most helpful and informative. And please, call me Cid. All my friends do." I stood to leave even as I spoke.

  "It was nice to meet you Cid. I've duties to perform and I have to make sure none of the thick lingered dolts in this place destroy my books. Good day and happy studying." Saying this he opened a folder on his desk and began studying the contents.

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  As we left the library Derk asked "What would you like to do now?"

  "I'm going to drop this book off in my room and go see my parents. Probably visit some friends as well to tell them what happened. Probably pick up my belongings as im fairly sure I know how the conversation with my parents is gonna go. I'll head back here as soon as I'm finished so you dont need to go."

  Derk looked a little surprised. "Oh I can't actually leave the grounds. None of the novitiates can. Not until we're full members of the church at least. I'll be doing laundry for a while, so if I'm not there when you return you can look for me in the dining room."

  "Alright, sounds good. Thanks Derk." I walked back to my room and laid the book on the small table. The bed had been remade while I was gone with clean linens. I sighed as I headed out to see my parents. I really hated talking to them. They'd tried I guess, but they really weren't cut out to be parents. I'd learned how to be a decent person in spite of them, not because of them. Basically looked at what they did and do the exact opposite.

  It took about 30 minutes to get to their house on foot. I'd stopped thinking of it as my home the second I saw their reaction to my awakening. Dad would still be at work but mom should be home. We lived in a decent neighborhood. Not too fancy but we did okay and we had great neighbors.

  Knock knock. "Mom, you home?

  All of 3 seconds went by before my mother ripped the door open in a hurry. She looked awful. She'd been pretty once. Short with curly brown hair and a nice figure and green eyes. All the worry and stress my father had put her through had aged her well beyond her years. She had deep worry lines on her face and bags under her eyes. She'd obviously been worrying over me but I'm sure she'd find a way to make it about herself with five minutes of my arrival.

  "Oh Cid!" She tackled me in a hug, weeping into my shirt. She was a fan of the melodramatic gesture. Openly ugly crying in the street and wailing loudly was right on brand for her. I let her go on for a few seconds before trying to usher her back into the house with little success. I just disengaged from her and walked on in to rob her of her source of drama. It was the best option.

  Following me in she asked "Where have you been? We were worried sick. Are you going to join the church of Balance now?" The rapid fire questions told me she was in coping mode. A reset in the form of delusions was the next step in the Marta Lasalis playbook.

  "I plan on staying there for a while so I can figure things out yes. I'm not joining the church though. I just came by to pick up my things."

  "You're leaving me?! How could you do this to your mother? I raised you son. Do you even love me?" More alligator tears.

  There it is. Took about 2 minutes for her to make this all about her. "Yes mom, I love you. I'm a man now and have obviously been dealt a major twist in my life. The people at the Cathedral can help me figure things out. You had to know I'd be leaving eventually right?"

  "What will the neighbors think? They're going to think we kicked you out, that's what. You're going to abandon us just like that?" She had her first balled up at her sides. Huh. She'd actually meant part of that.

  "If by abandon you mean leave to begin my life as an adult like any other person, then yes I'm abandoning you." I'd taken the conversation to my room and began gathering my things. I just threw everything on my bed I intended to take which wasn't much besides clothes. I had a thick walking stick made by my father. One of the nicest things he'd ever given me. Carved from Phoenix Ash, it was a rich dark red with whorls carved below the handhold and a nicely carved Phoenix on the top. Beautiful and fireproof. Strong as steel too. Dad had made it at the carriage shop he worked at. That plus the 1 silver 28 bronze I had was the sum total of my worldly possessions.

  "Just like that? You're leaving me alone with your father?" She was genuinely hurt this time. I couldn't spare her any sympathy though. As a narcissist, she was going to lash out at any sign of weakness on my part. Plus she's the one who buried her head in the sand and pretended my father hadn't bedded half the city.

  "You could leave too if you're unhappy mom. I know you've been miserable for years." Id finished gathering everything and just used the bedsheet as a makeshift sack to carry it all in and grabbed my walking stick.

  Mom's face switched instantly from sadness to rage. Through gritted teeth she said "You're father loves me and I loved him. You wait until he gets home. He'll show you!"

  Of course it didn't work. It never did. Admitting she was in a failed marriage would make it at least partially her fault in her mind, and she of course could do no wrong. "Hes at work mom."

  "I'm right here son." I turned to see my father in the doorway. He was livid. I knew the tone well.

  "Shouldn't you still be at work?" I was standing there holding my sack, ready to go but he was in the doorway.

  "Gregori's wife from next door was leaving to bring him lunch just as you arrived. Told me when she got there. Where do you think you're going boy?"

  "I'm leaving dad. I'm a grown man now and there's nothing you can do to stop me." I never understand why he pretended to care. His actions sure showed he didn't.

  "You will show some respect to your mother and me!" He nose to nose with me, having to look up at me because I was taller than him now. At 1.8 meters to his 1.6 he'd been left behind.

  "RESPECT! You must be fully outside your mind. Like the respect you show your wife with your whoring? Or using work as an excuse to avoid your family? Tell me, how many bustard half siblings do I have. I know of at least 3 of them already but it has to be at least a dozen right?" We were both shouting now.

  He was too shocked to respond. I'd never come back at him like that before. I knew that respect was due parents from their children, but that usually required they'd been shown some at some point in their lives. I had not. I shouldered past him and made it to the front door before his brain reset.

  "Don't come back here you little shit. You're not welcome here anymore." He slammed the door before I could respond.

  That was fine. I was finally of two of the most toxic people in the city. I headed back to the Cathedral feeling lighter. Like a ten ton weight had been lifted from my soul. I headed to the dining room to grab an early dinner. Not seeing anyone I knew, I just gobbled down my food and headed to my room.

  I spent the evening reading the book I'd been given and plotting out my future.