This is a daily reminder: You have 24 unallocated stat points
My daily reminder annoys me, I move four more into mental fortitude. The soul burns just a little less.
You gained lvl 4
Presence raised to 87
Mental Fortitude raised to 136
Soul raised to 171
Five more days. I do my thousand sword chops and then wipe myself down. Before swapping clothes I gouge myself with my toe claws and heal it. I do it till I start to feel light headed. I at least got another level in convert, life and resist. Two more in drink. Damnit, why is that leveling faster? I didn't realize that raising life would be hampered by how fast my blood could be made. I need to drink more…water, drink more water. I make my way to the bar.
“You appear rather sluggish there Sara.”
Good thing she can't see how pale I am. Go go illusion, I smile.
“Sorry Qwerty, working on life magic has been draining. I could do with some extra eggs on my plate.”
She starts making me a plate while I deliver some of the meals that are ready. I spot my party and wave, they wave back and find a table. I start eating my eggs and toast while I wait for more meals to be delivered. I wonder if there is any monster blood that's superior to human blood. Then at least eating would resupply me. Not that it matters for now, can't go hunting till I get my next level either way.
More meals are ready, I deliver them, when there is a lull I sit with my party.
“So how does the life magic training go, cat.”
“I'm being hampered by how much blood I have, I can only hurt myself so much till I am light headed.”
“Ever think of trying to heal others?”
Phenolp raises a good point, but could I get close to other wounds. Would I heal them or just attack them? I suspect it would be a very quick way to get killed.
“What's wrong?” She noticed my distress.
“I'm afraid of being near other wounded people.”
“Because you might absorb their traits when they die?”
O system, I didn't even think about that issue, if someone dies as I am healing them I'd eat their soul. That's diabolical. I start to shudder.
“Oh dear, it seems I pointed out something you hadn't thought of, what was your initial concern?”
“You are really good at noticing things, Phenolp.”
“Its not hard when you broadcast everything with your ears, now then what was the first issue.”
Damn, she is not only observant, she remembers too. Her head tilts.
“Scratches?”
I murmur, “I gained a skill that revolved around drinking blood, and now it's all that's on my mind, my stupid tiger half thinks it's delicious.” In the smallest voice possible.
She blinks at that, then considers.
“You're not one to eat every cake you come across are you.”
Tempting but I shake my head. She nods and takes her knife and cuts her pointer finger. Then she jabs the finger into my face. A blood droplet forms then falls. My eyes widened. I can smell it.
“Heal it.”
I clasp her hands and do so, it's as if the cut was never there. I ignore the blood that is on both our hands.
“Not going to lick it. Good to see you're annoyed. But do me the favor and do it anyway. It's best to understand how skills work, Scratches.”
She's right but damnit I don't want to. When I go to protest she simply jabs her own finger in my mouth, she cuts her finger again on my fang. I rear back but it's too late.
All stats increased by one temporarily.
You have gained [Blood Drinker] Basic 6
Gain 1 exp
It's not as good as my own. Am I comparing flavors? I cradle my head in self recriminations. I look at her, knowing there will be disgust. She just has a satisfied smirk on her face.
“Scratches, I need you to heal my finger again, your fangs are sharp.”
My hands tremble as they clasp them again. I removed the cut just as before. I wipe the blood away with my sleeve.
“See Scratches, you can control yourself. I must say though, my stats are temporarily reduced by one. Are they in you right now?” I nod slowly, “A most peculiar skill indeed. Pity it's temporary.”
I shake a little, she notices because of course she does, she quirks an eyebrow. I murmur the answer.
“Speak up now, I don't have your ears.”
“Its not temporary if you die.”
Her eyes widen at that, but then she pats me on the head.
“I'll make sure to take it easy till the effect wears off, wouldn't want to burden your soul. I think I'll stick around today so we can compare notes. See if I regain my stat the same time you lose it.”
“Man Phen, you are brutal.”
Xerc reminds me that I had an audience. I get more scritches behind my ears from Alicia. I calm a bit.
“Scratches, I think the bartender is glaring at us.”
I get to my feet quickly and grab their plates. My apologies to Qwerty were many.
-----
I avoid my party for the rest of the breakfast shift. When it was over Phenolp chased me down.
“You weren't hoping to escape were you?”
My deflated expression gives me away.
You have gained the skill [Resist Curse] Basic 1
Resist Curse - the ability to resist curses
Basic - that blood debuff is a curse
Gain 1 exp
The skill that just keeps on giving. Now I'm almost obligated to keep doing it. Weird that I got credit though. Am I buffing and debuffing myself at the same time? A net zero? I'll know more if Phenolp gets the skill. I pale at the thought, she'll want to train it.
“Something wrong, Scratches?”
“Nope nothing wrong, everything is fine here, how are you?”
“I am well, come let's go talk to the priestess. O don't worry, its just to see if can help train your life magic”
I wanted to avoid anything close to religion after my talk with grandma Bianca about [Soul Etching] but now it seems it's time to meet a priestess. I attempted to get away when Phenolp walked ahead of me but she just grabbed my tail. I dare not try to yank it out of her grasp.
“Naughty kitty, come on.”
I sulked on the way there. The woman we meet is sitting in a chair in a white robe. No funny hat but long blonde tresses.
? ? Human Priestess
You have gained [Identify] Apprentice 3
Gain 2 exp
She doesn't look over thirty. What trials did she have go through to tier up so young. Perhaps she is an inherited.
“Is there anything I can assist you with?”
Phenolp pushes me forward, which is kinda a feat considering my weight.
“Yes, Scratches here is working on her Life magic and would like to assist you in your healing.”
“O this is surprising, most adventurers go into an attack magic as their first magic.”
I can only give a small smile.
“Well then, do you need me to initiate you with some life magic so you may gain the convert skill?”
Her soul is way greater than mine and she is offering to inject mana, I thought it was bad to do that. I shake my head at the offer.
“No ma'am, I was able to acquire the skill yesterday, I just need to heal patients to raise the skill levels.”
“Thats wonderful, I will allow you to have the first try of everyone who shows up then. Come and sit next to me as we wait. My name is Mags”
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Is that an adventurer name or a nickname, it could just be her full name, what do I know, “Scratches.”
I do as she asks. She looks over me, her eyes glowing green quarter moons. Her mana aura is pressing mine down.
“My, your body is quite interesting, you seem to be suffering from anemia, child.”
I shirk away a little which just makes her smile.
“I have been cutting myself to practice healing.” It sounds horrible when I say it.
“Hmm, I broke my pinkie multiple times myself but seeing your bones that's not really an option for you.” That just sounds painful.
I smell blood approaching, there is yelling proceeding it. Mostly make ways and outta of the ways peppering it. The priestess is looking in their direction as well. She smiles at me and pushes me forward. I seem to not weigh over six hundred plus pounds today, if you go by all the people pushing me around.
The adventurers come in with a man with a mangled leg that is missing a foot. They put him in front of the priestess and start negotiating rates. She just motions me forward as they plead with her. Bleeding trial by fire this is. I start by cutting away the trouser legging and then the bandages, they are in the way. One of the adventurers notices me.
“Girl what are you doing, this isn't the place for children.”
“Leave her be, she is just doing prep work for me.”
The adventurer backed off. I looked at the man soul through my senses, time slows, he accepted how his leg was already. I grit my teeth. His soul still knows what his other leg is like. If I flip it so the left foot is now a right perhaps that will work. I do so and focus the soul image on his current mangled flesh. I convert my arcane core into life magic and start pouring it into his leg. It knits slowly but is becoming normal again. When I run out of life mana I convert half my reserves and finish the job. His foot is back and so is the leg but I'm spent. I'm on my butt breathing hard.
“That's prep work?”
The priestess walks over and examines the man. She then channels some life energy into him as well.
“Seems I'll only be able to charge you a simple blood generation fee today boys, one large silver. When he wakes, do your best to convince him that he really does have a right leg again. His soul image is incongruent at the moment, make sure he eats a lot too, not just ale. Do thank the girl on the way out.”
They can't stop shaking my hand as they express their gratitude. When they finally leave the priestess turns to me.
“Now then strange little girl, how did you make a leg without life eyes. Any basic life magic would have only sealed the wounds at most, his soul image was already in tatters.”
I visibly gulp, the smell is too much, “Before we get to that, could we remove the blood.”
The priestess looks around, shrugs and pulls the blood into a ball in her hand. It then incinerates. It smells smokey but at least it's not tempting.
“Its a poor start if you can't handle being around blood.”
I smile weakly, “I have [Permanent Soul Sense], I never used it before to study a soul image but I could see the differences between his legs and just flipped it over.”
“Seems rather farfetched to have done that in ten minutes.”
Damn, I thought I was doing that for hours.
“My fifty perception minor boon works weirdly with [Attention to Detail], it seems to stretch time a lot more.”
“You said you only gained convert yesterday but you just threw out an inordinate amount of life mana.”
“I emptied my arcane core and half my reserves doing it.”
“Curious, my senses put you before your second core, close but not quite there. Yes I know your tier two already, anyone with a brain would recognize that pause before the fourteen.”
I pale at that, but she knows more than my level, her soul sense is piercing my [False Soul] ring. Phenolp is tittering at the pause remark.
“Come on, out with it, I might be waiting for more patients but I shouldn't need to wait on you as well.”
“Um the hundred major soul boon is a permanent arcane core, ma'am”
“My goodness, I would offer to adopt you if you weren't already attached.”
She is looking at my hair, is she just strip mining me for secrets. I didn't think there was any blood left to drain from my face.
“I care little for the bickering of the nobility child, do not worry about me. So you can sense souls and have a massive amount of mana to blow through. I hope you are at least satisfied with the skills you gained, I doubt you wish to push yourself further today. Off you go, don't overstress yourself.”
Phenolp walks me out. I looked at my notifications, no new tiers but convert and life ended up basic nine. The minor boon of presence one hundred is there. Just the twenty-five hour cooldown swap. That soul sense jumped two levels from that is crazy. My perception is almost to one fifty, almost time to rip another metaphorical hole in my eye. I just need one agility to get the hundred boon sweep.
“Didn't expect you to only see one patient.”
“Just my luck, something complicated was the first one. I'll have to ask her about how to regenerate blood.”
Phenolp gives me a look that is misconstruing my intentions.
“Its not because it's delicious, dammit.”
She just titters at me. I just give her my best glare. She swings her head frantically around at that.
You have gained [Tiger Intimidation Aura] Basic 2
Presence raised to 110
I may have cheated. It's my turn to laugh at her pouting.
“So now that you emptied your mana, what do you want to do?”
“I dunno, wish I could throw knives or something, I just need one agility for another boon.”
“Why not the training rooms then?”
I give her a blank look.
“You do know there are training rooms, right?”
-----
I'm sitting in the training room throwing my knife. Phenolp went to get the others, there is a rental fee and so it's best to get the most out of it. She also promised to bring a skewer. Throwing the knife is exhausting. Mostly it's the running to pick the knife up.
You have gained [Lesser Stanima] Apprentice 2
Gain 2 exp
All this running and I get a constitution skill. I think the system is mocking me.
“I didn't think throwing a knife would wind you so much.”
Phenolp back, she hands me a skewer.
“Thanks, it's the running back and forth that's tiring.”
I take a bite while Alicia chimes in.
“Cause you weigh twice as much doing it?”
I nod, Xerc drops a bucket with a bunch of pebbles in it. He grins at me.
“You said you wanted to work on agility skills right? Hope you got enough arcane to spare yourself some bruises.”
“How bout we do some [Resist Mental Attack] training first?”
Phenolp seems masochistic today, I scan the room.
“Not sure I want to subject you all to a density that high, it's going to have to be one at a time and you will need to divest yourself of any possible weapon.”
“We can take it, Cat.”
I sigh, and motion them out the room. They keep the door open. I fill the room with my aura.
“Alright, who's first.”
Xerc stepped in and immediately went into a crouch cradling his head. I listen carefully, I need to make sure he is not putting pressure onto his skull. So far he is not. When my skewer is done, I go and throw my singular knife again.
You have gained [Throw Knife] Basic 8
Gain 1 exp
I ran to pick up the knife.
You have gained [Running] Intermediate 2
Agility raised to 101
100 Agility Minor Boon
Able to swap the agility boosted skill once a day
All 100 minor Boon
2 additional stat when gaining stats other than soul
Nothing flashy but flat stat increases are great. I put [Light Step] into my boosted agility slot. I suspect it will get swapped around often. I look over at Xerc and he is still just a lump. His heart is still beating so I leave him be. I get another knife level up but I am light stepping now, intrigued by how quiet I've become.
Xerc finally starts to move, he is crawling out of the room. I give him a raised eyebrow when he makes it out. He is hunched over and breathing heavily. I pull my aura back in and approach him. He flinches and my ears droop.
“Sorry, Scratches, it was too much, I couldn't move until I got to apprentice. I think that's enough for me today.”
My ears are still drooped, I can smell his fear when he looks at me.
“We should just—”
“Nope Cat, it's my turn next. I will go into the forest with you by the next time we go.”
I wanted to dissuade her but her eyes brook no argument. I go back to where I was throwing a knife and expand my aura again. She steps in, Phenolp follows her. They sit and hug each other. Perhaps that's a better approach in the end. I throw my knife. This goes on for a while.
You have gained [Throw Knife] Apprentice 1
Apprentice - Thrown knife wounds bleed more
Gain 2 exp
“Damn it must everything be about blood.”
Phenolp raises her head wearily. She gives me a tired smile. She waves me over. They pull me into their group hug. It's nice. Alicia seems comforted by me being here.
“That should be enough for now.”
It's Phenolp who calls it quits. I usher them out, when they are clear of my aura I pull it back in.
“That's intense, Cat, hey Xerc next time we go in I'll make sure to go in with ya, having someone else there helps.”
You have gained [Resist Curse] Basic 2
Gain 1 exp
Seems early if it's from this morning. Wonder if being awake wears the curse down faster. I shrug. I look at the bucket and sigh.
“Hey Xerc, I think you earned some payback. Want to help level my dodge?”
He perks up and smiles at me. That the two girls in the room turn and smile as well make me frightened.
-----
Well I learned today that the fifty and hundred minor sweep boon stacked. I also learned my teammates are all sadists. My arcane reserves are down to twenty percent but my dodge is now basic five.
You have gained [Convert Arcane to Life Mana] Apprentice 1
Apprentice - you can attach arcane stores to passive Life mana skills
Mental Fortitude raised to 142
Not like I have the eyes yet. Soon enough. I lessen my bruises. Just so they don't hurt anymore.
You have gained [Life Magic] Apprentice 1
Apprentice - unlocks the Health Regen Skill
Gain 4 exp
You have gained the skill [Health Regen] Basic 1
Health Regen - improved body regeneration requires life mana
Basic - almost as good as mom's booboo kiss
Gain 1 exp
I'm not sure I've had such a kiss. Where is my system drawing that from? I attach my arcane core to [Health Regen], the core still feels like it's gaining so I ignore it. My bruises tingle. I wonder how long it will take to heal.
Temporary buff has ended
Huh, so it has. I turn to look at Phenolp and she is all titters. My ears droop down and I contemplate the door. They are between me and that door. I try to slowly, nonchalantly edge myself around them.
“I certainly hope you're not trying to escape before you help us train [Resist Curse] are you Scratches?”
Busted, I want to be anywhere but here. Alicia asks a question.
“How is Cat going to help with that?”
Phenolp just grins, “You remember this morning when I teased our cat, it turns out the ability applies a curse, I just got my first level in resisting it.”
“You're telling me she needs to drink our blood.”
Xerc is incredulous. So am I. I hope their conversation is distracting enough to get to the door. My focus is that door, only so many more steps. As I slowly approach the door, my progress is impeded, I look down and see Alicia hugging my legs.
“Cat, help me raise my curse resist, dying from curse attacks is like the worst thing imaginable, you got like the safest way to level it.”
She gives me such pleading eyes. I just hang my head and allow myself to be pulled back to the group.
“Alright Cat, I know you hate the idea but it really is important.”
I just sigh. Alicia starts. She cuts her finger and sticks it in my face.
All stats increased by one temporarily.
You have gained [Blood Drinker] Basic 7
Gain 1 exp
I shudder, so does Alicia. I use some of my leftover life mana to fix her cut. Xerc cuts his finger next and this is getting weird.
All stats increased by one temporarily.
You have gained [Blood Drinker] Basic 8
Gain 1 exp
He doesn't taste as good as the other two. He sees me grimace as I heal his finger.
“Oh, what? My blood is not as tasty as Alicia's?”
“I really don't want to have this conversation.”
They just laugh, Phenolp completes my mortification. After my sip, no new notification.
“Huh guess you're greedy there Scratches, come now bottoms up.”
My ears droop again but I do what I can to help.
All stats increased by one temporarily.
You have gained [Blood Drinker] Basic 9
Gain 1 exp
I heal her finger and cut my own. I suck a bit. My companions give a questioning eyebrow.
“I get resist levels too when I do this.”
My body warms again. I start to panic, not again.
You have gained the skill [Soul Etching] Basic 9
Gain 10 exp
You have gained [Blood Drinker] Apprentice 1
Apprentice - Drunk blood can replace your own so long as it's not yours
Gain 2 exp
“Something up cat?”
Too much, will every tier up etch me further?
“My skill tiered up, it says I can replace my blood with what I drink. Not sure at what ratio though.”
It improves as the skill does, just drink more.
Great I wasn't actually asking, can we move on already? This is mortifying enough.
