[Bladedancer]

  Be it by circumstance, luck, intuition, or fate, you have discovered a lost combat art. Faded away in centuries past, a tribe of nomads invented the Runedance, a series of movements that when completed allowed swordsmen, warriors, and entertainers alike to cast spells of unforeseen magnitude.

  Following the tempo, the rhythm of battle, a [Bladedancer] will call to the world and the world will answer. They will alter battlefields, rend the landscape, and slaughter their foes. With their magic and martial technique, a [Bladedancer] is often considered a menace, a threat beyond that of either wizard or martial artist.

  They are unpredictable and innovative, dangerous and powerful. Be wary of those to whom you tell the truth, for kings and gods do not always look kindly on those who have the potential to topple nations.

  [Bladedancer]’s seek to further their technique, to understand the flow of the world's mana, and to witness the vastness of the world and its people.

  Your general skills [Longsword Adept], [Spear Adept] [Short sword Adept] and [Falchion Adept] have combined into [Martial Weapon Adept]

  Your skill [Dancing] has become [Runedancing]

  [Runedancing]: a lost skill recently found, little is known about those who can follow the flow of combat well enough to write runes in the midst of battle, except that they are oft exceptional, ever-growing warriors. To communicate with the will of the world, to bend the world in your favor, to combine wizardry with martial arts is to Runedance. A hidden art, lost to time, [Rundancing] is the supplementation of magic and technique. Become one with the art of Runes and the rhythm of the world, and the world will always respond to the call of your mana.

  Your general skill [Mana Manipulation] has been moved to your class

  Your general skill [Mana Sense] has been moved to your class

  The skill [Rune Compendium] is available for your class [Bladedancer]

  The skill [He Who Wanders] is available for your class [Bladedancer]

  [Rune Compendium]: through trial and error you have learned runes, created your own spells, and developed a unique technique with which to write them. The compendium will hold all spells and individual runes you learn, will file away the knowledge you grow and will allow you to access these things with but a thought. You must properly learn these runes and successfully cast the spells for them to be stored within your compendium.

  [He Who Wanders]: A [Bladedancer] is one who adventures, one who seeks new knowledge, one who wanders. This skill will pull the user to points of interest, reward them for their adventures, and guide them towards their goals. This skill levels only by discovering new places or people. Discover, learn, absorb new techniques. Wander and adventure and be one with the world you inhabit. Perceive that which makes the world unique, meet its people, see its sights and you shall further your connection to it.

  It took several minutes to read through the notifications, and then read through them again. Once he did, he glanced over at Rose, a grin splitting his face. He quickly affirmed that he wanted to add the two last skills, [Runic Compendium] and [He Who Wanders]. Where the System had gotten a Tolkien quote, Lios had no idea, but he was too excited now to worry about it. One thing he noticed was that he didn’t have any active skills.

  He didn’t mind, though, as these new passive abilities would only help him fight. To cast spells like a true wizard. Realizing that, in fact, the last several years had not been in vain, Lios started laughing. Rose looked on somewhat perplexed but otherwise unbothered; having just gained her own class, she knew well how exhilarating it could feel, especially when done in secret.

  “So, did you get a good class?” She asked once he stopped cackling like a madman.

  “I did, I did. I haven’t looked at my status yet, but the skills I’ve seen seem really good.” Lios turned to her, rising to his feet and shrugging on his tunic.“And you, are you still happy with your choice?”

  “Yes! While you were making yours, I tested my skills some more, but they tired me out pretty quickly. I remember you were tired after the first time you cast a spell, too, right?”

  “Yep, it’s because you aren’t used to using so much mana at once yet. If you use it all, I read you can even pass out. Sometimes it only results in nausea and a feeling of vertigo, but overusing your mana will always make you feel some sort of way until it can recover. If you practice with it enough, you’ll stop noticing the fatigue and be able to play for even longer without rest.”

  “Good! I can’t wait! Gods above and below, I swear I will be the best bard in Jorial, just you wait!” She pumped her fist enthusiastically, her emphatic nature lifting Lios’s already skyrocketing mood.

  “Hey, by the way, did I tell you we named the foxes? Wanna come see them for a bit before you go home?”

  She assented, and the duo chattered all the way back to his house, where they found his mother preparing supper. They invited Rose to stay but she couldn’t; she needed to work at the tavern that evening. Their excitement was palpable as they chatted about their new skills, Elaine listening with a knowing smile on her face.

  She, of course, promised not to tell Rose’s parents. Being a bit of a rebel herself, she knew that sometimes one’s parents did not understand what choices would be best for their children, given the unfortunate circumstances that led to her being disowned and ostracized from the Jorgal family.

  That night, after spending a bit of time sharing his new class’s details with his parents and telling a story from his world, Lios selected a few general skills to replace the ones he had just given up and looked at his status sheet, taking in the new numbers and skills. The sheet looked much fuller now, and his stat points had all risen considerably. Doing the math, he could easily confirm that his class was, in fact, the third tier of class, svertim or rare.

  His new class seemed to give him one hundred stat points per level, which would explain the intensity of pain he felt when he suddenly gained twelve levels worth of stats. Compared to a common, or bronze class, that gave only twenty-five stats per level, he was already near their stat points at level one hundred before even reaching level twenty-five. Uncommon classes coming in at fifty stat points per level was also an impressive amount, but he knew that he would have a major advantage over most people at a similar level to him.

  [Name]

  Alexilios

  [Race]

  Human

  [Stats]

  Str 34 -> 173

  Con 56 -> 170

  Dex 72 -> 386

  Wis 49 -> 198

  Int 79 -> 386

  Cha 37 -> 185

  Luck 28 -> 33

  [Class]

  [Bladedancer] LVL: 22

  [Class Skills]

  [Martial Weapon Adept] LVL: 1

  [Runedancing] LVL: 1

  [Mana Manipulation] LVL: 22

  [Mana sense] LVL: 22

  [Rune Compendium] LVL:1

  [He Who Wanders] LVL: 1

  4x Unassigned

  [General Skills]

  [Intuition] LVL: 18

  [Runic Inscribing] LVL: 15

  [Distant Recollections] LVL: 15

  [Fox Raising] LVL: 1

  [Cooking] LVL: 1

  [Dodging] LVL: 1

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  [Pain Resistance] LVL: 1

  3x unassigned

  He selected only a few new skills, wanting to save some room for skills related to blacksmithing. If needed, he could also erase the [Cooking] and [Dodging] skills, even if only temporarily. Unfortunately, given the nature of his chosen profession, he knew he would want to level [Pain Resistance] over the next few years, so that would be a mainstay to his skill set for a while. Lios was already considering how he could eventually merge that skill with other resistances, but was unsure if training several at once would be worthwhile. A decision for another day, perhaps.

  The swordsman's eyes bulged when looking at the number increases for his stats. On top of his class giving him one hundred points per level, he was naturally gaining an additional five per level. Essentially a five percent increase, it didn’t seem like a ton, but each point added up. Of course, after a stat breached one hundred points, each subsequent point was treated differently. Something about diminishing returns.

  For example, the intelligence stat didn’t automatically make Lios smarter but did allow him to process information quicker. More specifically, the points provided a deeper effectiveness in adjusting to new information regarding runes, in Lios’s case. Of course, they would help in other situations as well, but he wasn’t suddenly an Einstein-level genius in astrophysics, just an extremely quick study and fairly intelligent man.

  Likewise, having high strength and dexterity didn’t mean he could suddenly lift a dozen tons or run at the speed of sound. Instead, the higher his strength stat got, he could lift heavier objects, put more force behind his actions, and even jump further, among other things. Dexterity improved one’s reaction time in conjunction with their intelligence and wisdom, could help with micro-movements and adjusting movements in real time, and influenced many other factors regarding proprioception.

  In short, while he was granted essentially superhuman abilities, it wasn’t to the point that he was suddenly three times stronger than the peak human on Earth. There was a high likelihood that he could best most people in most competitions from his old world, but in a straight strength test, bodybuilders would likely beat him. He hadn’t developed his muscles intending to lift heavy objects, so he was far more lithe and lean than a classic body builder. Still, as he flexed his muscles, he knew he could lift and move far more than he could before. He knew his sword dances would only improve and his combat potential would skyrocket.

  Sleep met him shortly after his examination of his new reality. Despite the excitement that came with gaining his first class, he was exhausted. He had spent at least fifteen minutes in wracking pain as his body adjusted itself to twelve levels worth of stats. Going forward, his body would only experience slight discomfort, unless he had a sudden influx of essence to level him up exponentially again.

  The following day began much like all the rest. Lios woke fresh and chipper and made his way outside. After splashing some water on his face and taking a drink from the well, he braced himself to begin a dance. Immediately he noticed a difference in his movements. His body wasn’t used to his new stats, having quadrupled for most of them, and so he was clumsy. He wasn’t disappointed, though, nor frustrated.

  Instead, he welcomed it. He settled into a familiar stance and started his training by readjusting, going through all the sword forms his father had taught him and working his way through every move as he did when he started learning swordplay. It felt nostalgic in ways he did not expect, like he was just a kid again being taught by his father. It was a curious feeling, given that he had had an adult mentality when his father had been teaching him, but it brought back some feelings of pride and bonding that he’d experienced in those early days of training.

  Rose came and joined him shortly after the suns lifted above the trees. The day was slated to be warm; spring was slowly turning over to summer, and flowers eagerly reached up towards the light as Lios danced. His friends’ songs helped him sink even deeper into his meditative dances, so much so that he missed the familiar dinging of the System telling him about skill level ups.

  As he sank further into focus, with the sound of singing and a softly played stringed instrument tickling his ears, his movements improved. Each iteration, every use of technique, saw a minor improvement in his overall ability to move with his new stats. Added up, he soon moved better than he had just a day prior, and the feeling of improvement was exhilarating. Addicting. Knowing that he was limitless now, that he could improve all of his abilities to the point of being legitimately superhuman, to the point of being unparalleled not only on his world but in the universe, woke something in himself.

  He was fired up. Eager to continue growing. Maybe this feeling would fade, but Lios made a point of stowing it away in his memory so that he could always remember the sensation. The surge of pride, affectation of growth, and iota of power he had gained nearly made him burst into laughter like a madman. It was spectacular. A small voice in his head reminded him he was still at the bottom of the totem pole, that others had the same advantages as he did and some had even more. He tamped that part down in the moment, replaced by excitement.

  Soon, however, it had to come to an end. He had to get ready to head to work, and so he stopped his training after running through each of the six sword dances he had created, two each for lightning, fire, and wind spells. He used the same template with a single rune differential for each of two separate spells in order to grant himself some added versatility in combat. Of course, these would be the “Burst” spell and the weapon enhancement that he had used against the rottfangs.

  As he got ready to grab lunch from inside and rush over to the barracks, Rose followed. She seemed pensive to his eyes, staring at her friend almost as though trying to pick apart his features to save them in her memory, and at others as though trying to decide if she recognized him. Once they sat at the table, though, she finally spoke up.

  “LiLi, you look different,” she stated matter-of-factly. “Do I look different?”

  A touch shocked considering she had seen him only a day prior, he took a moment to examine her features. Perhaps because of his new perception, he could quickly pick out several very minor, insignificant changes that, when put together, made her skin seem smoother, her hair more luscious. Her eyes were a touch more vibrant, sharper, and lips a deeper shade of pink.

  “It’s the effects of your Charisma,” Elaine piped in, setting some flatbread with meat and a small variety of vegetables on the table before the pair. “And yes, you look a touch different too. In a good way.”

  “I agree. I didn’t notice at first, but your eyes are now an even better match for the crystal butterfly you always wear.” Lios glanced up at the clip on the right side of her head, the pretty glass a perfect contrast to her scarlet hair.

  The girl blushed a little before smiling. “Ah, I see; that makes sense! Still, I feel like you changed a lot more than me! What level did you get to? I reached thirteen!”

  Lios stiffened a little, unsure whether he should admit to his growth or if he should hide it. He didn’t want to quash his friend’s excitement, or make her feel inadequate, but also wasn’t ready to tell her exactly why his level would spike as it did. He chewed slowly, using the food as an excuse to think.

  “I uh.. I reached level fifteen myself.” He stated sheepishly, feeling a little bad about lying but sure that this was a better option than the truth.

  The conversation evolved from there, with Rose talking about what she had learned about her new skills so far and Lios doing the same. Elaine listened through the open door as she worked on her garden, relishing their excitement and wishing Rose’s parents could share it with her. She understood, to an extent, the wishes they had for their daughter, but felt that letting her select her own future was better than her choosing the one they wanted for her.

  After their lunch, the duo left the outskirts home, heading into the bustling town. As they passed through the south gate, a trio hurried past them wearing armor and weapons. Adventurers. Each had a badge denoting them as members of the Iron Tigers, now that the guild was operating fully. The pair stepped to the side to let them pass, listening to the rattle of chainmaille and the scraping of plate armor. It seemed to be a party of two warriors and one mage type, given her combat robes.

  Lios and Rose parted ways, off to attend their jobs. Once Lios arrived at the barracks, his father found him plenty of tasks to distract him. Namely, he was tasked with cleaning the barracks and raking the training field, but afterwards he was to bring a cart of damaged armor to Darren once again. Mostly, it was chainmaille that needed a few links replaced; otherwise, there was a single set of plate armor that was reserved for the captain. It had a few scuffs, but the major damage was the scorch marks that marred it.

  When he asked about it, Ezekiel told him that Max, the captain, had aided the Iron Tigers in tracking down a criminal fire mage. Max was okay. He suffered a few minor injuries, but nothing that a trip to the healers couldn’t resolve. Lios couldn’t help but shudder at the idea of baking inside of that heavy metal armor, but was glad his father’s friend was perfectly fine.

  On making his way to the smithy, Lios met the owner, Darren, himself. Walking up to the noisy, hot pavilion, he found Darren leaning over the rail of the fence smoking something from a pipe. He had a tired look; his face worn from overwork and stress, it seemed. Lios trundled over, setting the brake on the cart so it wouldn’t roll away despite the relatively flat cobblestone street.

  “Everything alright, Darren?” The question flowed amicably as a greeting as Lios stepped forward.

  “Ah, Lios, was wondering when ye’d make it today. Aye, everythin is fine, just busy. The Iron Tigers ordered a few sets of armor from us, and weapons from the other smithy, so our workload increased pretty substantially.” Darren wasn’t one to mince words, from what Lios had seen, so it was expected he would tell people exactly what was going on. “Tha’ being said, we could use yer help sooner rather than later. I know ye said ye’d be ready to start next week, any way I can convince ya to start tomorrow instead?”

  Lios looked up at the large man, smiling as he considered. He didn’t have any real reason not to accept the offer, and starting a week sooner wouldn’t inhibit him. On the other hand, he wouldn’t mind having that week to consolidate his new stats, but he could always do that in the mornings before heading to the smithy. Having decided, knowing that he had all the time in the world to get used to his increased abilities, he reached a hand out to Darren.

  “Aye, I can be here starting tomorrow. Anything I need to know or prepare before work?”

  A great grin split the ponderous, ember-ridden beard as his meaty hand, rough with calluses and scars, clasped Lios’s. The firmness of the boy's grip surprised Darren, who did not know to what extent the guard vice captain's son had trained in swordsmanship.

  “Mighty firm grip there for a twelve year ol’!” Darren laughed, surprised a touch.

  Lios smiled up at the man and cocked his head in response. “Sir, I’m actually only ten.”

  “Yer ten? Cannot be. Ye got the strength of a man in yer hand. Now, ye will want at least three general skill slots open to be a smith. You will need to take [Forgetending], [Smithing] and [Heat Resistance] in order to get started, though only the first two are required to get an actual smithing class. Otherwise, wear clothes ye don’t mind scuffin up. Plenty of soot around here to dirty em up.”

  “Yessir! I understand; what time do we start?”

  “Two hours after dawn breaks.” The answer was simple, clear. With that, Darren quenched his smoking pipe and stuffed it back in his pocket, hopping over the fence to look at the items Lios had brought from the guards.

  Lios knew that when Darren fell into work mode, any attempt to make further conversation would be met with one-word answers or passive grunts, and so he bid him farewell and wandered the streets a bit. The spring festival was approaching with the flowers blooming, so many shops and homeowners were decorating the streets and the central plaza. He meandered for a bit, snagging a piece of skewered meat from a vendor, and took in his town. After a while he found Rose's parents' tavern and stepped inside.

  She lit up when she saw him but unfortunately had to return to her job, unable to entertain him as he took in the place for a few minutes. After a while, and having had two nonalcoholic drinks, he invited her to the festival with him and headed home. He filled the evening with more training and looking into more spells.

  He was attempting to use water and earth runes, on top of his fire, wind, and lightning runes, to create another couple of sets of spells. Unfortunately, even though he was certain he was writing them properly, he couldn’t seem to get the spells to cast. He felt the mana leave his feet, but when it came time to activate the circles, the mana just dissipated into the aether.

  I wonder if I need an affinity for water to cast it? He pondered as he lay in his straw bed, the sound of crickets filling the silence of the night.