Chapter 94 Leveling Up (Patreon)

Chapter 94

Leveling Up

Before I was allowed to leave the briefing room, I was forced to spend my certs to level up. I guess it shows had hard I had been pushing myself recently, that everyone felt I would likely forget to level up, if left to my own devices. Sadly, they weren’t wrong.

I was exceptionally tired. The kind of tired that you don’t realize until you sit down to rest, and then all your muscles tense up and try to lock you in place. Fortunately for me a quick application of Cleanse fixed that feeling, but I still took the warning from my body for what it was.

Then sitting down, I began the process of applying thousands of certs towards my level. Going from level 21 up doesn’t seem like much at first, especially when the next level is only 22 certs. But they add up, quickly. Going from level 21 to 45 cost 804 certs. Then to go six more levels to 51 cost 291 more certs. Or a total of 1,095 certs to get one of my classes from level 21 to 51.

Why the odd level number? Well good question. The main reason was that this way, with each class getting one more level, I was able to earn one more Free Attribute point, giving me ten from each class, for a total of 20 Free Attribute points to work with. There were of course the thresholds, which went up by six points per class, meaning that now my Attributes could go to 40, without boosts. We’ll all Attributes except for Power, which was still exceptionally powerful at 44 base, or 50 total once my modifiers from my titles were added in.

This meant, well this meant a whole lot of things. For starters, I was now officially more powerful than any Common class soldier or worker. Seeing as Common Classers only got an attribute every nine levels, and could only reach level 50, this was supposed to be a big deal. At least that is what I got from General Fellina who was watching me like a hawk to make sure I applied my certs. This is kind of like going over to Grandma’s house, where she bakes you cookies, then makes sure you eat them all like the fat kid you are. I mean, who wouldn’t eat grandma’s cookies? Just like who wouldn’t take all their certs.

“Oh shit. You just popped your Class Cherry.” General Fellina said.

“My what?”

“Your class Cherry. Well twice too. Normally there is a ceremony for such an event.” Fellina said.

I just shake my head, not wanting to get involved in wherever this conversation is going. Judging by the mischievous look on Fellina’s face, I can see she wants to take it somewhere pretty bad.

“You know, I’m good on the whole ceremony thing.”

“Oh, come on, but there is a framed note of achievement, and cake.” General Fellina says.

Now I know she is messing with me, as I know the Endarians don’t have cake. At least not typical cake, as theirs are likely made from organic fruits that have been pressed together via heat. They are allegedly healthy, but that is mostly because no one can stomach a full slice.

“No, I’m good. Besides, don’t we have a Herald to kill?” I ask.

“Have you applied your Free Attributes?” The General asks.

Sighing.

“Yes.” I say, then I make sure to send a readout of my current build. I added three additional points to both Intelligence and Willpower, again noting the way it seemed a lot easier to control my Power attribute with those two increased. Then of course I added nine total to my Power, changing my base from 44 to 53, which after bonuses gave me over 60 in power.

Then with my final five free Attribute points I increased my Agility. Not only did this make it so my base speed was faster, giving me a total of 28 once everything was done. But with my Physical Attribute Boost, I was now able to increase my Agility, or the attribute focused primarily on movement speed, to 84. This meant I should be on better footing for the battle at hand.

Name: Kyle Goldman

Age: 18

Race: Half-Human*

Mage Class Type: Prime Support (Omega)

Level: 51

Certs Remaining: 0 (of 52)

Mental Class Type: Psionic Prime (Omega)

Level: 51

Certs Remaining: 0 (of 52)

Attributes

Free Attribute Points: 0

Physical Attributes (40)

Strength: 18

Dexterity: 22

Agility: 28

Endurance: 20

Mental Attributes (40)

Perception: 22

Intelligence: 32

Willpower: 32

Power: 60

*All attributes shown after all modifiers added.

Only once the General was content that I had both done my initial level surge and applied all my Free Attribute points was I allowed to get up and head to my position. This was also done, as Rayquel would need time to maneuver her team into position.

The team had a lot riding on this, from their perspective they were fighting for their friends and colleagues. As for me, I was fighting so that when the next reset happened, I would be able to permanently remove one Prolaxian Herald from the board.

I also think my difference in perspective was rubbing some people the wrong way. Particularly in the way most people seemed to either ignore me, or outright avoid me. That or maybe I just stank after running around with Prolaxian guts clinging to my combat uniform for the better part of a day.

Still, I was locked, loaded, and given an Endarian energy bar to help get me through this next part of my day. I didn’t even look at the flavor before I shoved the vile thing into my mouth and let my body’s natural foamy reaction tell me it was working. Then a few hard chomps later, I was through with the bar as it felt like I had swallowed a brick of glue in my stomach. Now we were ready to fight.

Alien Jess and I went out the easter doorway. Apparently, some form of gas had been used to incapacitate the controlled minions who were trying to enter our staging area. On the bright side, it seemed that the gas had no lasting effects on the controlled minions. On the bad side, we spent the first few minutes of our mission going out the doors and tying up everyone we came across.

Silence.

We were hunting an exceptionally fast monster. A monster that made me realize I needed to increase my own Agility Attribute if I wanted to be able to even compete with the monster.

As Alien Jess and I are walking, I feel a question rise to my mind.

“Hey, how did you unlock your Ultimate Fighting Form?” I ask.

She pauses, then with a slight smile. “That’s easy. I kissed the world tree.”

I pause, as I take in her comment. I am about to pause and contemplate what that even means, but then I see her face slightly smile.

“That’s a joke?”

“Of course, it is. How do you think I unlocked it, I obviously…”

BANG!

“Contact right.” My Jess says into our earpieces and breaks up our concentration.

With that, we both begin moving. Out of a habit of never knowing when you will need a boost and never knowing exactly when they will end. I recast Physical Attribute Boost for both Alien Jess and me.

“Ohh.” Alien Jess says in a slightly suggestive way.

“Stop that.” I tell her.

She just smiles coyly, turns the corner raises her rifle barrel slightly as she anticipates danger. I of course follow right behind her.

Tick, click.

Air is being moved around the different pipes of the facility. On reflex I look up at the ceiling wondering if this crazy vampire wannabe is crawling right over top of us. I am not the only one who has looked up, as Jess too also looks up.

That is when I miss it entirely. I take a cautionary step forward, my feet moving freely as I had clearly seen a wide-open hallway before me when we turned the corner. Then whoom.

The floor opened below me. Or rather the floor stayed the same, but now there was suddenly a portal on the floor. One I had fallen into, right as I was distractedly looking up. I move, my enhanced Attributes moving and reacting to my falling almost instantly, but this just means I scrape up my right side. Then try to reach up with my left hand on the lip of the portal. I am moving, trying to pull my body up out of the hole. I manage to get my right hand up, with my rifle just resting on the ledge, when the walls to the portal start to close quickly.

Now I have only read stories about portals that closed early on people. I have never had the experience of having an appendage, or in this case half my body ripped in half by a rapidly closing portal. Nor do I intend to ever have this scenario play out.

On instinct I not only let go of the ledge, but I push my body down, away from the random portal opening.

The sight of the portal reminds me of the one time I faced a Prolaxian Herald in the alternate universe. There, the Prolaxian in question was able to generate portals with a bauble. At least that is what I believed they were doing at the time. I wonder if this was just a normal power of theirs, and it was just enhanced by the bauble. Or maybe the bauble was always meant as a distraction. In any case, my mind spun from the different thoughts and ideas.

Thud. Splash.

I landed a short time later, to the sound of not only my body landing but a slightly wet splashing sound as well. I couldn’t feel anything, but my mind was telling me that something bad had happened. I tried to raise my left arm, the arm I used to push off the ledge, and found the entire thing was much easier to lift. I could also feel the sensation of warm liquids flowing over my arm and a slight tingling sensation.

It took me a moment for my mind to realize that I had lost an arm. Well at least half an arm. The portion of my left arm from the elbow up was gone. My glowing eyes helped to illuminate the fact that my left arm was missing. I am sad to say it took me far longer than I would have liked to realize I needed to heal myself.

Healing-X.

My mind blessedly had blocked off the pain, which was why I was only feeling the peripheral feelings, the tingling of warm blood, the way the open air felt against my skin. The way I heard my own arterial sprays sprinkling on the smooth floor below my feat.

This was not going to be a quick heal job either, this was going to be a long channeled heal. Unless I could find the other half of my arm. Unfortunately, a quick look around proved that the appendage was not here.

I had a sudden image of my bloody left stump of an arm just resting on the floor.

“I’ve really got to hand it to you Kyle, you really know how to make an entrance.” A gravelly voice echoes out wildly over the open area where we are.

I grimace at the terrible pun, and from the now fully alive and burning nerve endings that are being created in my newly forming shell of a left arm.

“What, no round of applause for getting you alone, so we could talk. Man to man, well whatever you are to whatever I am.” The Prolaxian Herald speaks.

I try to cast Total Recall, but for whatever reason when I try to focus on places I have been, I get a loud screeching sound within my ears.

“Ah!” I hiss.

“Yeah, sorry about that. I took all the time to get you here. So, I can’t very well have you leave before our little chat.”

I try to look around, but the room we are in is large and dark.

“Oh right. Where are my manners.” The Herald begins.

Click, whir.

There is a metallic click as flood lights and other ambient sources of energy all come to light around us.

The lights come on to reveal that I am in the middle of a large sports court. There in the announcer’s box for the sport is a fully revealed Prolaxian Herald. Though, unlike the others, this one seems to be perfectly calm with having their outer skin removed.

“There, isn’t that better?” He asks, while gesturing to the wide-open space between us. “As you can guess, you have never been here. Also, you will not be able to reach me, before I leave. I also see that it will take quite some time for you to fully heal from your injury. So why don’t we take this moment to learn a bit about ourselves.”

The monster begins.

I of course, just keep grimacing as I now have five fleshy pods where my fingers will eventually go. This is a very painful and itchy process. I am already running through contingencies, but I already see what appear to be obvious and not so obvious traps laced around the court around me. Not wanting to test the traps, at least not while still dealing with an injury, I am at a loss.

Also, I would like to get one of these monster’s points of view.

“I’ve been watching you. You have that look of invincibility about you, the one where you don’t mind doing stupid things like idly chasing after me because you can reset time. Is that correct?”

I still don’t say anything.

“No, it is fine. I tell you what. You let me know when I am wrong. How about that.” The monster pauses again, but I am just scanning the area.

“Oh, good you noticed the traps. I would have hated for you to have blown off a leg and must restart the whole healing process again. Then of course I would have had to warn you about the dangers of moving around before I disabled the pit, and blah blah blah. So, where to begin.”

“As you can guess I too work with Teleports and stable portals. I am the logistics officer for our group. That is why I was able to both get you here and make it so you can’t leave. That ringing in your head? That will get painful when you try to leave here. Well, if you try to leave here before I’m done talking.”

“What do you want!” I finally shout. My head is spinning, as I am about to have to switch from healing to summoning water here shortly, so I can continue the healing process.

“Glad you ask. I wanted to stop you from doing something stupid. See you probably have the idea that if you kill all of us heralds, then your job is done and you can go back in time, kill us all like we never existed. Is that your plan?” The monster asks.

Suddenly I wonder how well this person was watching me, also how long had they been watching me.

“I’ve been watching you since the beginning. Well not the beginning of this time, but from the very beginning. Did you know, it was supposed to be your brother that was the hero?”

He asks, and suddenly I feel like I was sucker punched. The monster must see something on my face as they continue.

“Yeah, that’s a trip, right? That is why Zarla’s power was so devastating, she was meant to be the ultimate trump card to stop your brother. Then you would come in and finish up, but when the whole thing started your brother went off the deep end. Every time, see he saw too much, it fried his spirit.”

“What?” I ask, though I quickly work through the reference and believe Zarla is a reference to the Dwenvarian Queen’s Bro Consort.

“Yeah, I didn’t know it could happen either. You were always meant to be the side character. The one with the few plucky punchlines that then sacrificed themselves for the greater good. That is why you almost never seem to matter.”

I look at him, and realize he is trying to mess with me. That he is trying to get me off kilter. Yeah, sure I don’t have as commanding of a presence as my older brother, but not many do. Also, this is just meant to get under my skin. Unfortunately, I think it is working better than I would have liked.

The sad part is, I can tell he is telling the truth, well mostly telling the truth.

“Also, I want you to know. That the Prime Behemoth, once he gets here, that is it, no more restarts, no more resets. Yep, you kill just one of us, and that is it, the end game.” The Prolaxian Herald states.

Hearing that, I laugh. Well chuckle maniacally as I rise to my feet.

“You don’t believe me. I assure you that once the Behemoth comes, that is it, whatever preparations have been made final. You will not be able to reset after that.”

“That is true.” I say, listening to his words, and hearing the resonance of his words. He is telling the truth, at least in that last statement he was telling the truth. I don’t know if this is a process of my Precognition-X working, or if this is something more. But I can hear his lies, hear his manipulations.

“So, you believe me when I say, this is the end. That should you go forward with your plans to kill all of us, you will doom your universe?”

Again, the full truth there as well, but I notice what he is missing. Or at least what he is not outright saying.

“I believe you.” I say.

With that, my eyes flash as I see the different traps all begin to appear before me. With precise movements I begin weaving a drunken path through the court.

“So, you will leave us alone?” The Herald asks.

Still smiling faintly, I shake my head. “No, I can still kill one more of you bastards before I set up the end game, is that right?” I ask. As my mind works through the different words and where I heard this discordant note of a lie.

“What?” The monster asks.

But it is already too late. Even from a few hundred meters away, he is already within my effective range. That is when I mentally reach out and Telekinetically grab the monster from the booth.

Shattering Glass.

The sporting booth window breaks, as the giant monster is hurled forward. Then with it in the palm of my mental hand, I begin the payback for losing my real hand.

“This will be fun and painful.” I say.

With that, I take the monster, then begin flinging it down over and over into the different traps it had left for me.

BOOM! CRASH! BOOM!

Fires erupted, all around the monster.

“I tried to talk to you.” The monster hissed out between explosions.

“You tried to lie to me. Besides, so what if my brother was supposed to be the hero. I know for a fact that I don’t need anyone to save me.”

With that, I again began rolling him over more and more mines, loose wires, traps, and fire pits. When the flames grew large enough, automated fire suppression systems came to life dousing the monster in more of the gel that seemed to solidify the Prolaxian hides. Seeing it, I realized how much I missed.

Kicking myself, for never even trying to follow up on the way Mave reacted oddly to the fire suppression system. Yeah, so many loose ends. But now that we are nearing the end game, I know what I need to do.

But first, I need to kill this herald.

I see the moment a bright glowing bauble begins to shine on the monster. Before it has time to fully charge, I yank the item off its neck. As soon as it is away, the odd tingling sensation in my brain that seemed to scream with discordant notes when I tried to Teleport away was gone. That is when I realize how much the noise or screeching resonance had been bothering me.

Looking at the odd bauble, I wonder what the item was even supposed to be. But then I soon realize, that doesn’t matter.

BOOM!

The monster lands once more, then even the struggles of death throes leave its body. Seeing that it is dead, that it is finally dead, I drop it to the ground, where I use Pyrokinesis-X to burn the monster. The more it burns, the more the calming gel gets sprayed on it. Then the more I continue to burn the monster, until even the frozen ashes are burnt, frozen, and then burnt again.

Looking around, I take one last glance at everything. Taking one last look about to see if there are still any more monsters, but nothing.

Only now do I allow myself to relax. Only now do I slump down to the ground and let the full weight of what happened today go through my mind.

My last thought about how this all started with a training exercise was “was this a leg day? I always hate leg days.”