Ninetoes stared aghast at his character sheet. Confusion was flooding his system and for a time, he simply sat with his mouth agape. When his faculties returned, he scanned more closely through the document, looking firstly for what had changed, hoping that he’d find answers.

  Unspent ability points - 10, Unspent skill points - 17.

  The first and most obvious thing that he noted was his level; Level 12! How on Adrenon had he jumped six levels? He knew Bofar has been powerful, but to earn enough experience points to jump so high? Surely Bofar couldn’t have been that powerful.

  The question was so confusing because of a little piece of information that Foresto had shared during their training. At the time, he’d been blasting Ninetoes with a constant stream of pressurized water, forcing the hobgoblin to maintain his Wizard Armour while under attack. This seemed to be the wicked little creature’s favourite method of tuition actually.

  He’d explained something that few but the most learned understood, spelling out why it was so difficult to gain enough experience to become truly powerful. He explained that the necessary experience needed each level was significantly more than the previous, almost double in most cases and that most people never gained more than a few levels as they never did anything particularly dangerous or out of the ordinary, like fighting monsters or discovering lost cities.

  There was such an abundance of Adventurers, who so willingly threw themselves into such life or death situations, that there was never really need for other folk to do so. Occasionally a person would have the means or interest to travel and so gain some experience, but even most of them never went beyond level 10.

  Reaching level 10, he’d explained, required a cumulative experience gain of nearly twenty thousand experience points and the next level was nearly double again. What made this even worse, was that the greatest gains of experience came from fighting the most dangerous of monsters which was, in Foresto’s opinion, just plain stupid. Foresto admitted that he was nearly two hundred years old and was nearly level 11, which meant, in terms of raw experience, Ninetoes had more than double his greying mentor!

  Even more odd was that he now had a Specialism, Necromancer. Now, while he’d found Grim Void incredibly useful, it was his only necromancy spell. Or, at least, it had been. Apparently he’d now gained two more necromancy spells, Create Undead and Reaper’s Sorrow. How had he learned those? And, what’s more, how had he reached a skill level of 41 in Necromancy? Before the battle he’d still been a mere beginner in the spell school, now he’d leapt dozens of levels in the skill and had gained some incredible bonuses too, not that he understood how to utilise any of them, of course. Except, as he thought about it, he realised that he did.

  AAAAASARRRRRZZZGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

  ***

  Honestly, it was times like this that Libby seriously wondered why she felt so attached to the ugly, foolish hobgoblin. Furthermore, why in all Adrenon she called him Master was frankly beyond her, as clearly she was the clever one.

  As she looked down at his unconscious form, she wondered yet again how he’d lasted this long. Although, she had to admit, that on this occasion he only seemed to be reading his character sheet before he screamed his effeminate scream and collapsed.

  For a moment she’d been worried, checking over his body for signs of a wound or perhaps some kind of leftover damage from his battle with the wizard. But, when her search turned up nothing of interest, apart from some leftover hardtack in her master’s pocket, she instead decided to stand guard, while eating the morsel; one of them had to stay conscious and well-fed.

  ***

  Some time later, Ninetoes awoke, his head still throbbing from the massive onslaught of information he’d absorbed in a matter of seconds. Groggily, he sat up, casting his gaze over the, now darkened, rooftop. Nearby, he found his familiar, preening herself while sitting atop the parapet.

  “Hello Little One. I see you’re well.”

  Indeed master, and you are… well?

  “I am sweet one, I am. Just, tired? My mind feels crammed and stretched thin all at once.”

  Hmmm, that sounds uncomfortable. Perhaps some cheese would make you feel better? She suggested hopefully.

  “Cheese? I’m not sure…”

  Now now master, you’re beginning to look thin, I can see your ribs. You really should eat more.

  “Yes, yes perhaps you’re right my little tea leaf.” He replied, placing his hand into his bag of holding. Libby’s eyes gleamed with excitement, which turned onto sorrow as Ninetoes continued.

  “But, first…” he said, taking his hand away from the bag, “... I’d rather we relocated, the bodies are starting to smell.”

  So saying, he headed down the spiral staircase in search of more pleasant surroundings. Two floors down, he found what must have once been the dining room, a grand and beautifully rich space with velvet covered chairs and a gorgeous mahogany table running the length of the oblong-shaped room. For a moment he considered taking his ease here, he was afterall now the lord of this castle.

  But ultimately, the room seemed too empty and austere for his needs and so, heading through a plain wooden door at the back of the room, he found the kitchen. This room was still a massive space, but somehow felt cosier and more to his tastes.

  The same magic that had protected so many of the treasures of this ancient kingdom were at play here in the castle and he quickly found a large pile of wood that appeared to have been chopped only that morning and, within a few short minutes, he had a large fire burning in the main hearth.

  At first, he’d only planned to use the fire’s warmth to ward off the chills of the ever more cold nights, but as he gazed across the homely space, he started to form a plan.

  It had been weeks since his last home cooked meal, having survived on mainly trail rations and cheese. Certainly his taste for the fungus had increased of late, but he wanted something… more. Thus it was that he found himself searching the kitchen for the vittles needed to make tomac pa. A taste of home would warm his soul, although for a moment his stomach felt even more empty at the thought of how much further he needed to travel and grow before he could actually return home.

  Tomac pa was simple enough to make, but took a lifetime to master and Ninetoes was no master cook. First he searched for a cauldron to hang over the fire but his search turned up nothing to use and, he noticed, there was nothing in the hearth to hang it from anyway.

  His search did, however, turn up a strange valve attached to a pipe that left the hearth and ran to the ceiling. Following its course, he found that it divided into four smaller pipes, each one leading to a quartet of stoves.

  Turning the valve, he heard a sound like rushing water and, as he approached a stove, he found that it was already giving off immense heat. Checking over the vast contraption, he found yet more dials. One of which, he was pretty sure would manipulate the heat of the stove.

  Gingerly turning the others, he was surprised when a steady flame sprang forth from three circular vents on top of the stove. He realised that this must be how the ancients had cooked, a mixture of magic and engineering that must have allowed those without magic to benefit from it. Emboldened by his discovery, he set to work chopping meat and vegetables from his bag of holding, which he then cooked in a skillet over the open flame. As the meat simmered, he boiled and mashed potatoes and once everything was piping hot and merrily crispy, he spread the potatoes over the top of the other ingredients and finally placed the whole lot into the oven to finish cooking.

  ***

  Libby has been beside herself throughout the entire process, at first asking, then demanding and finally begging for a little cheese or even some hardtack, rather than be tortured with his “cooking”! But, as the hobgoblin reached into the oven with a pair of blackened tongs and the smell of the hotpot was released, the cheeseboard mutineer quietened enough to climb onto her master’s shoulder and greedily take in the incredible smells.

  As Ninetoes removed a block of cheese from his bag, her breathing quickened in anticipation and, when he removed his knife and began cutting small slivers of the wondrous buttery bliss, she nearly bit him to end her torture. The anticipation was almost too much, the strange struggle with the unknown power within the device on the castle roof paling in comparison to this torment.

  But then, her Master, the centre of her world, the most wonderful creature ever to walk on two legs, used a knife to cut into his creation and the smells it released were incredible. Libby had never smelt anything so divine, she was only a squirrel after all. Or, at least, she had only been a squirrel, now she was so much more. Now, she was alive.

  ***

  Ninetoes took a moment to appreciate Libby’s silence, before spooning a large helping of the tomac pa onto a plate and placing it in front of her.

  “Be careful Little One, it’ll be h…” He tried to warn his familiar. But he needn’t have bothered, as Libby was already wolfing down the meal.

  Aaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwhhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm! Master! This is soooo good.

  Not for the first time, Ninetoes thanked the gods that his connection to Libby meant that they could speak telepathically, because otherwise he’d hear little of what she had to say on a subject, so often was her mouth full of food.

  Why have you never cooked this for me before? Have you been keeping this to yourself? She demanded, her tone accusatory. Ah yes, he reasoned, perhaps it would be better sometimes if she couldn’t talk.

  I have not kept it from you, we have simply been too busy staying alive. Up until now. He replied, using his own mind to speak, while he enjoyed his meal. It wasn’t perfect, not like it was made in his village, but it was excellent and while his stomach filled, his aches and pains and the empty feeling in his chest eased a little.

  Smiling, he dragged a chair over to the hearth and sat with his back to its warmth. Finishing his meal he leaned back contentedly and closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling of warmth and a full stomach. When he opened them, his eyes fell onto the statuesque form of Bluzag, who stood in the dining hall, in front of the door leading into the kitchen. His half-ogre ally had followed the hobgoblin’s every instruction since the battle on the rooftop without question. Ninetoes first look over his character sheet had offered some answers to this strange behaviour and he thought perhaps he had some idea of what had happened. He thought that rather than save his ally’s life, he had instead turned him into an unwavering and obedient undead servant.

  As he considered this more deeply, his new found knowledge filled in some of the gaps. Bluzag was not only a servant but a Wight, an undead that would serve Ninetoes in whatever means he demanded, even walking into harm's way, if he so commanded it.

  Bluzag, however, was more than this. As a Wight, he was classed as an “intelligent” undead, meaning that he both maintained some of his knowledge and skills from his life before he’d died and, more thrillingly so, he could continue to learn and gain skills and abilities. Ninetoes had inadvertently created the perfect walking tank, someone that would stand as a towering bulwark between Ninetoes and his enemies, without ever faltering or even feeling pain.

  While he grieved for his fallen friend and felt guilty for his part in turning him into this… creature, he was certainly glad that it had turned out so well… for him.

  Still, what Ninetoes needed, more than anything, was more answers. The knowledge that spirrelled through his mind told him much, but it didn’t offer him any answers as to how he had become so strong or how he’d become a Necromancer. Some of those questions he realised would have to wait until he returned to Raveslan and spoke with Foresto. For now, he would have to content himself with learning all he could from his character sheet.

  Reaching into his bag again, he pulled out the three sheaves of parchment; Wait, three?

  The first two were his own and Libby’s, much as they had been since he’d last looked, but now there was a third, this one apparently belonging to Bluzag.

  Unspent upgrade points - 12

  Bluzag’s character sheet seemed to offer only more questions, this was infuriating!

  No. Don’t do that. Stop yourself. Ninetoes reprimanded himself. He was clever, he could work this out.

  Firstly, Bluzag’s “Bonded Level” was twelve. Well, that was easy enough to riddle, as it was the same as Ninetoes, who was also noted as the “Bonded Wizard”. Thus, it seemed reasonable to assume that Bluzag’s bonded level would increase in line with his own level.

  Checking over his stats, something seemed wrong with Bluzag’s hit points. Even with the added ten per cent from the Tough racial ability, Bluzag still seemed to have too many. Ninetoes knew that his own hit points came from his Fitness rating multiplied by his level and that his Fitness rating came from an average of his Strength, Endurance and Agility scores. Bluzag’s agility was pretty low however, which would pull the average down quite a bit.

  Perhaps it was something to do with his class, Warrior. Ninetoes knew that when he’d chosen his own class of Wizard, it had changed how his mana was equated, no longer using an average of Wisdom, Intelligence and Charisma, but instead using only Intelligence. If Ninetoes maths was correct, then Bluzag’s hit points were coming from an average of just his Strength and Endurance scores. Well, for now at least, this was an acceptable answer for Ninetoes.

  The rest of Bluzag’s character sheet seemed to be skills that he’d learned in life, as none of them were skills Ninetoes had ever seen before. None of these skills were especially high, clearly due to Bluzag having spent most of his life as a pack mule for Adventurers. Well, that would start to change, if he was going to be Ninetoes’ meatshield.

  To start with, Ninetoes wanted to spend some of the upgrade points the Wight had. He reasoned that, like Libby, the upgrade points could be spent on increasing Bluzag’s stats, but he wondered if he could also increase Bluzag’s skills as well. As he considered this, his mind found the answers in the knowledge he’d recently received, that indeed upgrade points could be spent on skills and ability points and that because Bluzag was a servant to Ninetoes, he could spend the points for the wight. He also understood that, as he’d discovered with Libby, at each threshold of ten ability points, new abilities or skills would become available.

  With this in mind, Ninetoes started considering how to spend the points. Looking first at the ability points, Ninetoes noted that Strength, Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma were all close to a threshold and so he wondered how these might affect his servan- er, ally.

  Certainly Intelligence seemed a must. It was only a single point and increasing Libby’s had given her the ability to communicate and later to cast magic of her own. Since the battle, Bluzag had not uttered a word, instead simply staring blankly at Ninetoes. Even when Ninetoes had commanded it to speak, nothing. Decision made, Ninetoes focussed and placed a point in Intelligence and, as he watched the character sheet, not only did the Intelligence score increase, but each of the languages on the parchment changed from Basic Understanding to Beginner.

  “Bluzag my friend? Can you understand me? Can you speak?”

  “Yes Master.” Came the monotonic response.

  “Phew, this is excellent news and how do you feel?” He asked.

  “I do not understand the question Master.” Bluzag drawled, his voice never changing in lilt or timbre.

  “Hmmm, perhaps if I placed more points into Intelligence…” He seriously considered it. With eleven points left over, he could have crammed them all into Intelligence and maybe Bluzag would come a little back to himself. He owed it to the half-ogre, didn’t he? After all, the brute had given his life fighting alongside him.

  But, no. He wouldn’t do it. If he was to grow strong enough to return to his people, he couldn’t be wasting resources on such notions. Worse still, if his understanding was correct, then Bluzag would only get one point every time Ninetoes himself levelled up and, knowing what it had taken to reach level 12, he didn’t see that happening anytime soon. No, he must be more careful.

  Bluzag was now his tank, his bulwark. Ninetoes needed to make decisions based upon that. And so the next three points went into Strength, the score now reaching 50. Firstly his hit points increased to six hundred and thirteen, which meant that Ninetoes hypothesis about how they were equated was correct. But, more exciting, Bluzag gained a new skill, Powerstrike.

  This seemed pretty good and definitely something that he could use. With that in mind, he immediately used four points to upgrade the skill to level 5. To his joy, the skill gained an extra trait at level 4, increasing the additional damage to thirty per cent.

  Curious, Ninetoes wanted to place an upgrade point into Charging Bull to see if it gained a trait, as most of the skills he’d seen gained at least one within every five levels. Deeming it worth it, Ninetoes did so. But, while the skill level increased, nothing else changed. A shame, but nothing worth losing sleep over.

  With only three points left, Ninetoes looked over the other areas he could improve and pondered what gains might be earned from reaching the Wisdom and Charisma thresholds. As much as he debated it, he couldn’t think of anything that would make the cost worth it and so, for the time being, he elected to keep hold of the points until he had more information.

  Checking over Libby’s character sheet, he noted that she had gained three levels herself and decided he’d take the time to help her level up. When he suggested it to her, she lazily explained how she’d already spent her upgrade points, two into Intelligence, to increase her mana pool and one into Agility. Scanning over her sheet he could see that she’d also reached a threshold on Agility and that her Zippy skill had been upgraded to include Quick-Witted. It seemed to have evolved to include her increased spellcasting ability. She could now, once per day, create an illusory copy of herself to help distract a foe. It was odd that the Agility skill had provided such a bonus and he made a mental note to ask Foresto about it. With Bluzag’s and Libby’s upgrade points spent, Ninetoes thought about his own, but as he did so his mouth stretched into a wide yawn.

  “Ahhhhwww! Well, my love. Perhaps we should rest through the night and in the morning, consider our next move.” He called to the room at large. As he searched for his familiar however, he discovered that she was way ahead of him.

  Curled up on the cushion he’d kept for her, which she’d evidently dragged from his bag to the fireplace, was his truest friend. Laying his own bedroll down next to her, Ninetoes quickly drifted into a long and peaceful sleep.