Josh leaned back on the log, wiping the last of the stew from his bowl with a torn scrap of bread. The warmth still lingered on his tongue, rich and hearty, and for a moment he considered heading back for seconds. His stomach agreed, but curiosity tugged harder. With a sigh, he set the bowl aside and pulled up his messages.

  “Alright… let’s see what all that digging and fighting actually earned,” he muttered to himself.

  The glowing text unfolded before his eyes, line after line of stats, kills, and rewards. He skimmed quickly, deciding where to place his new attribute points.

  “Three into Constitution… two into Dexterity…” he murmured, his finger flicking through the menus. “And… five into Strength.”

  As he confirmed the allocation, a subtle pulse rippled through him. His muscles tensed, a strange warmth spreading from his core to his fingertips. His arms felt heavier, but not in a bad way, more like they were ready. He flexed his hands experimentally, and the faint ache in his shoulders melted away, replaced by a satisfying hum of energy.

  “Damn,” he whispered, grinning slightly. “That’s… different.”

  He moved on to the next notification, the kill report.

  When the number appeared, his grin froze.

  His jaw slackened. “You’ve got to be kidding me…”

  The total just kept climbing. Dozens. Then hundreds. Each entry labelled with a number next to it. Goblin Scout, Goblin Raider, Goblin Warrior, Orc.

  “No wonder we levelled twice,” he muttered, shaking his head in disbelief. “That’s… that’s insane.”

  Brett noticed his expression from across the fire. “What’s the face for? You look like you just saw Danikka naked again.”

  Josh blinked, still staring at the screen. “Mate… I think we just wiped out half a goblin army.”

  Brett laughed, leaning back with his bowl in hand. “And here I thought I was just bad at counting fireballs. Guess it wasn’t my imagination after all.”

  Josh chuckled softly, finally letting the disbelief fade into satisfaction. He closed the window and stretched, the faint hum of new strength still coursing through him. Ok, what’s next? He thought to himself.

  [Skill Level Up!]

  Armour user (Basic) → Armour user (Adept)

  Hell yes, taking those hits was totally worth it! Josh thought, subconsciously rubbing his ribs, the injury long gone, but the phantom pain still radiated.

  Josh flicked to the next tab, and a new list shimmered into view. The smile on his face getting even bigger seeing he had several new unlocked skills. The familiar icons appeared one after another, glowing faintly in the evening light.

  [New Skills Available]

  He leaned forward, scanning through the list carefully.

  Counter Swing:

  When blocking or parrying an attack, the user immediately follows with a retaliatory strike. The strength of the counter increases with timing and weapon proficiency.

  Josh couldn’t help but grin. Now that’s more like it. He knew the feeling of catching a blow on his shield, feeling the impact jolt up his arm, and then snapping back with a strike before the enemy even had time to flinch had become second nature to him, and apparently this had been recognised by the system.

  Dash:

  The user channels strength and momentum to surge forward in a short burst. Distance and speed scale with Dexterity. Can be used to engage or evade.

  He whistled softly. That one sounded incredibly useful, a way to close the gap fast or get out of a bad spot. Had that come from charging into the flank of the goblin masses? Or charging through towards the orcs…? But as he kept reading, more tempting options appeared.

  Lion’s Roar:

  The user unleashes a thunderous battle cry that shakes the courage of nearby enemies and draws their focus. The roar’s intensity and range scale with Strength. Enemies affected are more likely to target the user for a short duration. Particularly effective against lower-ranked or low intelligence foes.

  Josh remembered in the battle letting out a roar of rage and frustration, drawing the attention away from the others towards himself. He then imagined standing at the front, shield raised, bellowing loud enough to make goblins freeze mid-step. It was bold, risky even but it fit. It was him. It would at least make him stand out in a crowd… whilst making sure enemies targeted him, not his friends.

  Fortify:

  Channels mana into the user’s body to temporarily increase Defence and Resistance. Duration improves with Constitution and Willpower.

  Josh’s eyes lingered on that one longer than the others. The thought of weathering a hit that would drop someone else, it resonated with him. He could feel the edges of the skill already, like a stone shell waiting to harden around him. Then he realised that going down this path would mean he’d likely need to invest in more wisdom. Though he had been told during training that he should do this anyway. Part of him started to regret investing all of his skill points already.

  Shield Wall:

  Forms a defensive stance, reducing incoming damage from the front and providing partial protection to nearby allies, resulting in a damage reduction for them. Cannot move while active.

  He smiled faintly. It wasn’t flashy, but it screamed teamwork. A skill that could keep the people behind him safe. That mattered more than he wanted to admit. The reduction in damage couldn’t hurt as well.

  Then there was one more at the bottom of the list, almost tacked on like an afterthought:

  Efficient Digger:

  Improves stamina efficiency and speed when digging or moving earth manually. Increases tool durability by 20%.

  Josh squinted at it. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” He let out a dry laugh. “Yeah, no. I think I’ve done enough digging for one lifetime.” He swiped it aside without hesitation.

  The others, though, he accepted them one by one. Counter Swing, Lion’s Roar, Shield Wall, Fortify. Each confirmation sent a faint pulse through his arm, like a heartbeat syncing to his will.

  When he selected the fourth, a new message popped up.

  [Skill Limit Reached. You have reached the maximum number of active skills.]

  Would you like to unlearn a skill to learn Dash?

  Josh frowned. “Skill limit?” He had forgotten that this was even a thing. He scrolled through his current abilities and paused on Two-Handed Weapons – Basic.

  He stared at the text for a moment, lips pressed tight. An image flickered in his mind — a wild, reckless version of himself swinging a giant axe, roaring like a madman. It was the kind of thing he might’ve thought was cool once. But now…? He thought of the shield strapped to his arm, of Brett and the others behind him. He wasn’t that guy anymore.

  The system blinked again.

  [Are you sure you wish to unlearn Two-Handed Weapons – Basic and replace it with Dash?]

  Josh exhaled slowly, then nodded. “Yeah. I’m sure.”

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  [Confirmed. Skill replaced.]

  The moment the choice settled, a surge similar to pins and needles swept down his legs, then a readiness to move, to strike, to act. He grinned again, closing the menu with a flick.

  “Alright,” he murmured. “Let’s see how this feels in practice.”

  —

  Brett sat cross-legged beside Josh, his bowl of stew half-finished and cooling fast. He could barely keep still, excitement radiating off him like static. Every time he blinked, another blue notification flickered temptingly at the edge of his vision.

  He looked over just in time to see Josh’s jaw drop.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me,” Josh muttered, eyes wide. “No wonder we levelled twice.”

  That was all Brett needed to hear. He flicked open his own kill count message—and instantly swore loud enough that a few nearby heads turned.

  “By the gods… we really did that many?” he whispered, disbelief mixing with awe.

  After checking in with Josh and seeing his friends' excitement, he didn’t waste another second, Brett pulled open his status screen. The numbers glowed faintly in the darkening light, waiting for his command. He grinned.

  “Alright, let’s see what a real mage looks like.”

  He dropped two points into Dexterity, enough to make his spellcasting gestures faster—then added one into Constitution, feeling a faint warmth spread through his chest as his endurance ticked upward. Then came the real change: five points into Wisdom and two into Intelligence. The world seemed to hum in response.

  For a moment, he could feel it, mana. It pulsed faintly beneath his skin, flowing toward a centre deep within his chest. A tingling rush coursed through him, and his breath caught.

  Wait… so I have a mana core?

  He closed his eyes, focusing on the sensation. The core wasn’t physical, but he could feel its rhythm, a steady beat of energy feeding into his limbs, his mind, his very being. He couldn’t help but grin wider.

  Another soft chime caught Brett’s attention, and a new notification flickered before his eyes.

  [Skill Level Up!]

  Fireball (Basic) → Fireball (Adept)

  He blinked, rereading it just to be sure. “No way,” he breathed, a grin creeping across his face. “Already?”

  For a moment he just stared at the message, pride swelling in his chest. Then he remembered the sheer number of times he’d hurled that spell during the battle—half the field had probably been lit up by his fire.

  Alright… maybe it does make sense, he thought with a laugh.

  He tapped the skill, opening the full description.

  Fireball (Adept):

  You conjure and launch a condensed sphere of flame toward a target point or enemy. Upon impact, the orb detonates in a burst of fire, dealing moderate fire damage in a small radius.

  Damage and explosion size scale with Wisdom and Intelligence.

  Warning: Fireball has no concept of “friendly fire.”

  Brett couldn’t help but chuckle. “No concept of friendly fire, huh? Yeah… I figured that one out already.” He leaned back, hands behind his head, replaying the moment Josh had come charging through a cloud of smoke earlier that day, his armour singed, hair smouldering slightly, and that furious look in his eyes. The memory made Brett laugh under his breath.

  “Right… maybe I’ll hold off on casting it too close to the frontline next time.”

  Still, he couldn’t hide the spark of pride that flared in his chest. Adept already. The power, the progress, it was addictive. And the idea of what his next few levels could bring made his fingers twitch with anticipation. The fear he’d felt a few short weeks ago were nowhere to be found. Is this normal? He wondered for a moment… realising no, this was not normal, but there was nothing he could do about it now other than lean into his new life.

  Brett scrolled and blinked as the next notification shimmered into view.

  [New Skills Available]

  He leaned forward, excitement building again as he tapped the prompt. The familiar blue text unfolded before him, lines of glowing script painting his vision in faint azure light.

  Arcane Echo

  When cast, the mage creates an echo of the last single-target spell they used. After a brief delay, the spell automatically triggers again at half power, targeting the same location or enemy if still present. The echo’s strength and timing precision improve with Wisdom and Intelligence. High focus can allow the caster to redirect the echo at the last moment.

  Brett’s lips curled into a grin. “Oh, now that’s going to be fun.” The idea of back-to-back Fireballs or doubling a Firebolt made his fingers twitch. He could already picture Josh shouting at him again for ‘accidentally’ singeing his armour.

  He flicked to the next entry.

  Focus Mind

  By centreing his thoughts and channelling mana flow through his core, the mage enters a heightened mental state. While active, mana regeneration increases and spell precision improves, reducing miscasts or scatter.

  However, the intense concentration slightly reduces awareness of surroundings, lowering perception and reaction time.

  He hummed thoughtfully, rubbing his chin. “So basically, I can think faster… but might get stabbed easier. Seems fair.” It was the kind of risk he didn’t mind taking. He’d rather burn brighter than stand idle.

  Then came the last one.

  Mana Infusion

  The caster channels raw mana into a chosen spell, weapon, or ally, temporarily amplifying its potency. When used on a spell, it increases damage or effect but also increases mana cost.

  When used on a weapon, it grants an elemental damage effect based on the caster’s highest affinity for 15 seconds.

  When used on an ally, it slightly boosts their next ability’s power.

  Brett’s grin widened until it nearly split his face. “Alright, now that’s just showing off.” The possibilities ran wild in his head, supercharged Fireballs, infused blades for Josh, maybe even turning Perberos' arrows into flaming bolts.

  He sat back, exhaling through his nose, the firelight glinting in his eyes. “Yeah… these are mine.”

  With a thought, he accepted each one in turn. The system responded with a hum in his mind, like strings being plucked in unison. Threads of energy twisted through his limbs and spine, warm and electric. For a moment, he felt perfectly attuned, his chest pulsing in rhythm with his heartbeat.

  When the sensation faded, Brett looked up from his interface and smirked across the campfire at Josh.

  “Hey, Josh,” he said, tapping the side of his temple. “If you see me glowing later, it’s probably fine. Probably.”

  Brett was just about to close the last window when another soft ping echoed in his mind. He blinked. “Wait, sorry, one more.” A cheese eating grin plastering his face, as he cut off his friend's reply.

  [New Spells Available]

  Flame Chain

  Unleash a bolt of searing fire that leaps between nearby targets, losing a fraction of its power with each jump. Each strike ignites its victim briefly, spreading minor burning damage over time.

  Brett let out a low whistle. Now that’s going to be useful… and less dangerous for Josh. He could already imagine weaving it through groups of goblins, setting them all alight like living torches. A grin spread across his face.

  He scrolled down to the next one.

  Gust

  Summon a concentrated burst of wind to shove enemies, extinguish flames, or clear smoke and gas. Power scales with Intelligence.

  “Hmm.” Brett tilted his head. Not exactly thrilling, but… might come in handy. He glanced at the thick haze still lingering at the edge of the encampment. Actually… yeah, maybe that one’s worth keeping around.

  Then the third spell appeared.

  Magic Missile

  Conjure a volley of pure mana bolts that unerringly seek your chosen targets. Each missile deals moderate damage and cannot miss. The number of projectiles increases with level and Intelligence.

  Brett burst out laughing, unable to help himself. Guaranteed hits? Finally, a spell that doesn’t rely on him aiming straight!

  He quickly accepted all three, fingers tapping the glowing confirm icon one after another. A rush of warmth flooded through his arms and chest, like his blood had turned to liquid sunlight. His fingertips tingled, faint motes of orange light flickering around them before fading away.

  “Well,” he muttered, flexing his hands and smirking, “looks like I just got a few new toys to play with.”

  Across the fire, Josh looked up from his now-empty bowl. “You done giggling over there, or did you just invent a new way to burn yourself?”

  Brett grinned wide, eyes gleaming. “Depends. You want the short answer or the fireball-shaped one?”

  Josh groaned, dragging a hand down his face. “Why do I feel like I’m going to regret this already?”

  Brett chuckled and leaned back, the glow of the fire reflecting off his eyes. “Because you probably are. But hey, think of all the smog I’ll be clearing with Gust.”

  Josh snorted. “If it keeps you from lighting the tents on fire again, I’ll count that as progress.”

  The two of them shared a tired laugh and for a brief, quiet moment, the camp felt almost peaceful.

  Brett

  Level - 7

  Class - Mage

  HP - 160

  MP - 260

  Str - 10

  Dex - 12

  Con - 16

  Int - 26

  Wis - 26

  Skills 9/10

  Spell casting - Adept

  Meditation - Basic

  Sage - Basic

  Mana Sense – Basic

  Arcane Focus – Adept

  Spell Bend - Basic

  Mana Infusion - Basic

  Arcane Echo - Basic

  Focus Mind - Basic

  Learnt spells:

  Firebolt - Adept

  Shield - Basic

  Light - Basic

  Ensnare - Adept

  Mage Step - Basic

  Fireball - Adept

  Magic Missile - Basic

  Gust - Basic

  Flame Chain - Basic

  Josh

  Level - 7

  Class - Warrior

  HP - 250

  MP - 100

  Str - 25

  Dex - 20

  Con - 25

  Int - 10

  Wis - 10

  Skills 10/10

  One handed weapons - Adept

  Shield wielder - Adept

  Armour user - Adept

  Tough - Adept

  Shield Bash - Adept

  Dash - Basic

  Counter Swing - Basic

  Lion’s Roar - Basic

  Shield Wall - Basic

  Fortify - Basic