Chapter 59 — Wisdom of the Slums
[Empower]? Not [Empowered Strike]? was Toren’s first thought, but [Empowered Strike] was an Ability not a Skill.
From his feel of the Skill through the Mirror shard, the Skill was not that different from what he previously did with the [Empowered Thrust] Ability minus the weapon empowerment, but with the flexibility to apply it anywhere in his body, for any task. It took what he had been doing with [Burning Blood] previously and what he was doing now with his weapons art to empower his muscles and would teach him how to better guide the mana to a more controlled and deliberate empowering effect. The empowerment wasn’t just limited to muscles either. Skin, bones, every part of his body could be empowered. It was like temporarily gaining the advantages of Tier-2 mana-reinforcement while still in Tier-1.
If he could do this, surely there were others, even beasts, that had unlocked the Skill. The mana cost was surely high to use the Skill to match even weak Tier-2 threats, but being able to match similar-Skilled Tier-1 opponents and to survive against a Tier-2 even briefly could mean everything out here.
With the two levels he had gained scouting around the property, he likely had enough space in his Core to add another Skill.
Bracing for pain, he decided.
Yes.
Crawling centipedes imparted their knowledge, and when it passed, another message awaited him.
Yes.
Toren checked his status with the Mirror shard, breathing relief at not seeing an entry for ‘soul strain’.
“You have a breakthrough or something?” Warnel asked, glad for the break, leaning on the practice sword and breathing heavily.
Toren almost told him before remembering that they didn’t know he had a Sponsored Profession. “Yeah, maybe so. Let’s keep going, I should be able to figure it out.”
[Empower]-ing his legs, he launched himself sideways and darted around a Tavi tree at a full sprint.
“Hey!” Warnel complained.
An arrow from Falma bent its path toward him as he juked, spinning and changing direction and sprinting again. The mana cost was high but already growing more efficient than simply flooding his muscles with mana.
He found his dash speed increased and the accuracy of his foot placement improved. He could jump up to and off of the highest of the tavi branches that would support his weight with more precision than before.
“What’s with Toren? He have a breakthrough or something?” Emina complained as they chugged potions and caught their breath before starting what should be the final round of sparring.
Falma groaned her own disgruntlement, “Yeah, what’s with his crazy increase in strength and speed!”
Warnel nursed the water bucket, too focused on trying to hold down his most recent muscle-mending potion.
“Is it related to the [Berserker Weapon Arts]?” Laiya asked, looking up from where she was sitting, practicing her grips on her spear as if working through the movements in her mind.
“It is,” Toren confirmed. “The mana-intent can strengthen your body as well as your strikes.”
The answer got a determined nod from the girl, and she returned to staring at her spear.
Of course, that was only half of the truth, but if they kept up the weapon arts training, it was likely that all of the others would unlock the Skill, as well. A second trip back to Farharbor was becoming more and more of a serious consideration at this point.
The switch to sparring let him test more synergies between his Skill and Abilities and [Empower]. Most notably, the speed with which he could swing and change directions with [Flurry of Blows] improved dramatically. A full-speed impact with the ground left a crater with an explosion of dirt that lifted him briefly into the air and knocked back both Laiya and Warnel, who had been charging to attack. He certainly couldn’t use that on the Hatterwicks.
The Skill increases came quickly the more he experimented: eyesight, hearing, durability. Turning aside a spear thrust with two gauntletted fingers left Laiya stunned long enough for him to dart close and send her flying with a palm-strike.
Toren even began to suspect that, contrary to his initial assumptions, the Skill could readily be grown to restore the ‘lost’ weapon-empowering effect, starting with simply reinforcing his weapon and eventually adding the armor-penetrating effect he had achieved with [Empowered Thrust]. If he reached that point, the new Skill would be a full upgrade over his lost Ability.
As much fun as he was having, eventually, Toren had to call a stop to the day. The Hatterwicks were all at their mental limits and showing warning signs of reaching potion toxicity. Falma had vomited a worryingly mana-dense sludge at just the smell of another muscle-mending potion.
For the first outing, he wanted everyone properly rested when they set out, which was why he had insisted on this full day of training instead of taking Laiya and Warnel hunting in the afternoon. Fortunately, with the potions prepared and used this time, the loss of a day resting would no longer be necessary; as long as they didn’t push too far and push anyone into actual potion-toxicity, a meal and overnight rest should be adequate for all of them to recover.
Having focused the day so much on training, they didn’t get much done on building defenses, but everyone had made substantial strides forward. By the time the Hatterwicks had reached complete exhaustion even with alchemical assistance, Toren was more confident that he could take the former [Haberdasher] family out to hunt in the jungle proper the next day as planned.
Warnel, in particular, was beginning to look almost reliable. No doubt thanks to successfully rethinking the [Exacting Measurements] Ability, the man was becoming increasingly accurate with footwork, attacks, and dodges. Adding [Sure Cut] to that and the [Haberdasher] could be considered properly dangerous now. If the formerly foppish man evolved [Knifework] to [Bladework]… that might be enough to give even Conclave goons pause.
An ability to sense [Assassins] was really all the man would need to be trusted to defend this place. Though, the only way Toren saw that realistically happening would be by having Warnel blood-bound to the claim-stakes rather than him.
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Laiya was growing steadily as well. She lacked the Attributes to fully match up with her father due to her lower level, but her awareness was much better than her father’s, and she was much quicker to notice threats and feints and spot openings to take advantage of.
Falma, with her bow, her [Beast Handling] Skill, and the hounds, was already a solid contributor in combat. Paired with tier-2 arrows and the claim-stake barrier, the girl could have a fair chance to defend the stead in an emergency long enough for help to arrive.
Emina on the other hand, he still wasn’t satisfied with the approach they were taking for her training, and she seemed to expect more of herself. Thanks to her level, she had the Dexterity and Agility Attributes to surprise an overconfident assailant, but thus far, her Skills and Abilities didn’t give her much staying power or impact potential.
Using the frying pan as a club did benefit from her high [Cooking] Skill, but it wasn’t enough. Her Rank 3 [Clean and Fresh] Ability had a refinement that made affected clothing tear and puncture resistant, and [Preserve Ingredients] also had defensive potential if she used an ingredient as a shield, but was it any better than blocking with a shield or her frying pan? Also, seeing her [Knifework] had him rethinking a stealthy agile approach.
There was the possibility they had discussed of evolving her [Rapid Tailoring] Ability in a direction more akin to [Thread Control] which when paired with her [Cutting] Skill might eventually become something truly terrifying… by the time she reached tier-2, not in a single tenday. No, for now, continuing to improve her basic fighting ability and having her support them with thrown alchemical concoctions and the purchased enchanted stones remained the most expedient role.
“So, now that everyone is properly worn-out and has a fair grasp on protecting themselves, instead of [Religion] lessons tonight, it is time to teach you all the wisdom of the slums—which certainly apply to this crap-hole of a colonial jungle we have found ourselves in,” Toren announced when Falma had finished feeding the dogs and they were all settled around the table for a meat-heavy meal.
Emina gave him an amused eye roll.
The others looked varying degrees of queasy as they quietly chewed on the food—prepared as lightly as possible for what it was. Herb salads to accompany seared zoot and saberbeak. Fried savory pastries with a thin dipping gravy. They were all obviously ravenous even though suffering from potion bloat and nauseous from over-extending their bodies so much.
“This is a tradition the older orphans would teach the younger ones,” Toren started and paused for dramatic effect. “Rule #1: Always be scum, because scum rises to the top.”
“Really, Toren?” Emina complained, shaking her head.
Unlike his wife, Warnel was nodding in agreement. “The ruthless guys often wear better hats than they deserve.”
“I don’t think that’s how it works,” Emina snorted but her mouth still quirked in amusement.
Toren leaned back and sagely explained, “Thinking like scum helps you recognize how people will try to trick you and when they are most likely to betray you.”
“Advice that might have saved us from that Dorvas scum and his scum son,” Warnel reflected bitterly over his mug and lowered his head toward his eldest daughter. “I am sorry I didn’t notice sooner, Laiya.”
“It’s okay, Father. They will get what they have earned,” Laiya assured, with a stern confidence that reminded of the young woman’s current religion.
Falma reached over and placed a hand over her sister’s.
Toren faked a cough into his hand to clear the strange mood, continuing, “And speaking of karma, that brings us to Rule #2: Bad karma always gets paid. Betray bad-karma scum before they betray you, and if you can, do it in a way the creep gets what’s owed to him.”
Emina grimaced. “I’ve always taught the girls to show respect to others and to be honorable in their actions, but maybe that is too naive? There seem far too many people in this world unworthy of that, who would take our respect as weakness and use it to trample on our good intentions.”
This time Falma made a show of patting her mom’s hand in comfort, and Laiya cracked a smile at the act.
“It still irks me that I wasn’t strong enough to visit that karma onto those who wronged us myself,” Warnel grumbled and downed his drink.
“There’s a #3, I assume,” Emina prompted.
Toren nodded. “Rule #3: Pick your fights. Know when to keep your head down and bide your time.”
“Ah,” Emina voiced in understanding and looked knowingly in her husband’s direction.
“This was one of the hardest ones. It’s hard to watch others getting beat or robbed or worse and knowing that trying to save them will just mean another victim,” Toren added.
Warnel took out his frustration on a saberbeak leg, and no one had anything further to add, so he moved on, “Rule #4: Always get out before the karma hits. Being curious or emotional gets rats killed.”
That got grimaces from the girls.
“Even if it means abandoning friends?” Falma asked, wrinkling up her nose in dislike.
He nodded. “If you can’t warn your friends without tipping off the scum, but all too often, even your friends will turn you in to save themselves.”
“Isn’t that too bleak?” Emina grumbled, giving him a concerned side-eye.
“Maybe so,” Toren admitted. “But, both rules #3 and #4 are important in light of Rule #5: You can’t save a friend if you don’t save yourself first. And you definitely can’t save anyone if you’re dead.”
Rule #5 put everyone deep in thought, and the meal returned to silence.
Unsaid was that, by rule #5, turning in a friend might not be the wrong move. Toren liked to believe that there would always be a better choice, but he knew that was just him wishing the choice wouldn’t come to him.
~~~
Name: Toren of Theravos
Race: Human
Age: 20
Profession 1: Level 7 Burningblood Berserker (3300/14000)
Mana: 32/112
Strength: 16
Constitution: 14
Dexterity: 14
Agility: 12
Wisdom: 12
Intellect: 8
Will Power: 18
Perception 15
Appearance: 8
Charisma: 8
Luck: 10
Attribute Upgrade Points: 6
Traits:
Sacrificial Guardian
Abilities:
Burning Blood (Rank 1) Proficiency: Mid
Control Blood (Rank 1) Proficiency: Low
Flurry of Blows (Rank 1) Proficiency: Low
Ability Upgrade Points: 6
Profession Skills:
Severe Wound Recovery 6
Empower 1 → 4
Focus Rage 6
Combat Awareness 6
Berserker Weapon Arts 3
Pain Tolerance 6
Physical Conditioning 7
Intimidate 5
Skills:
Danger Sensing 3
Stealth 18
Mana Sensing 14
Wilderness Harvesting 12
Theravos Language 11
Religion 10
Divided Focus 6
Meditation 5
Bone Strengthening 3
Hunting 20
Archery 19
Running 14 → 15
Wound Binding 8
Arithmetic 4
