11 Brave New World

Sat high up on a branch, one leg hanging free, Amari chewed on a twig watching Ai meditate.

"*yaaaaawn* So fuckin' boring, Ai." Amari said leaning against the tree.

"Mn, I know. Sorry sis. I'm done." Ai opened her eyes and smiled. She remembered Amari hated sitting around doing nothing, she could focus on her domain later.

"'Bout time, I was about to fall asleep, and never wake up." Amari slouched down on the branch, dangling both legs off the sides.

Ai furrowed her brow. "Anyways, I was thinking at the same time, since meditation also doubles for amplifying how fast the mind processes information. I've thought about what we should do."

Hearing this, Amari blurred and appeared in front of Ai with a grin. "Finally! So what's the plan, sis?"

Ai stood up and readjusted her cloak. "Well, I thought about our objectives, the first should be to level me up at least a little bit, I really don't like the idea that the common monsters can kill me with a sneeze. Level 10 should suffice as most of the world based monsters are around that level, plus or minus some levels. I think with my experience, I should be able to handle monsters a few levels higher than me, five or more would be pushing it."

Ai pointed a finger in the air, waving it around in a circular motion. "After that, we should figure out who the other six level 20 plusses are and attempt to locate them. Once I reach level 10, I should unlock the [Augury] spell as a Cleric and be able to do that once I know their names."

"You mean the other five, you were one of the seven, you managed to reach level 23."

Ai blinked. "Wait, how? Exactly how old am I?" Ai asked as she realized with her body as small as it was in mass and height, she had to have been only 14 or 15, she hadn't even developed a chest yet, she thought about that fact the most as she glared jealously at Amari's small but still existent chest.

Feeling Ai's jealous glare, Amari chuckled nervously. "Aha, well sis, you are 17 years old, and your big sis is 18."

Dread filled Ai's mind as she glared at Amari, noticing that she wouldn't get much if anything at all. Again her feminine side screamed in agony whilst the masculine side sighed in relief.

"Ugh, cursed to prepubescence for life. By the way, how tall are you? I noticed that we are the same height." Ai said with as little life in her voice as possible.

Amari blushed with a mixed face and laughed nervously. "Ahahaha! Does it really matter, sis? Size isn't everything you know?"

Ai smirked, ammo acquired. "Hmm, fair point, by the way, how long is that massive beast of a sword you have there?"

Amari perked up and grinned pridefully. "Hee hee, this baby is a massive 5 and a half feet for the blade alone, the grip is another foot, me and Gigas go way back!"

Oh her poor, innocent pride.

"Mhmm, mhmm, I see, I see. So that would make you 5 feet tall exactly." Ai said with a shit-eating grin.

Ai might as well have grabbed Gigas and rammed it straight through Amari's heart.

"Lil s-s-sis, why are you so cruel." Amari stuttered, dropping her head in defeat.

'Finally! A weakness!'

"Ooohohoh, but size isn't everything, right sis?" Ai said, maintaining a shit-eating grin.

"Your sleeping outside the tent." Amari retorted.

"Hou, so when did we get married? I don't remember the honeymoon so it must not have been that good."

"Eat shit, you titless harlot."

*PUSHI*

And the fight was fair again.

"Big s-s-sis, why are you so cruel."

Amari smirked, having regained a little bit of her honor. She stuck out her tongue and Ai returned the gesture, they both erupted into laughter.

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A few hours passed after arguing, laughing, and planning as Amari fastened her leather backpack.

"So I guess the plan, for now, is to find an area with low-level monsters for you to grind and move on from there, eh?" Amari asked as she slid her sword between her back and the pack.

"Mn, so far that's the plan. By the way, why don't you store your sword in your inventory? Also, why use a backpack when you have access to an inventory?" Ai asked, tilting her head in curiosity.

"Ehhh, I don't really trust the inventory, I guess it's just a quirk of mine, maybe more of a fear. I'm afraid that one day, the system might disappear again and I don't want to lose Gigas." Amari nodded her head.

"Hmm, but you could use it to carry at least some of your supplies, that pack looks quite heavy."

"And grow weak? Nah, I got this strength by carrying my stuff personally!" Amari smirked and flexed her right arm.

Ai giggled. "Ara ara, my big, strong sister will protect me~."

"Eh? Why do I get the feeling you just said something weird and uncomfortable." Amari said with a frown.

"I'm just messing with you sis, don't worry about it. Think of it as your skittish little sister opening up." Ai smiled warmly.

Amari tilted her head in confusion, shrugged then smiled. "Alright, sis, whatever you say."

"Now then, shall we?" Ai said as she looked forward.

Taking her final step out of the forest, she gazed out into the open fields and hills, the sun sitting in the sky just above the horizon, a beautiful yet terrifying sight. Ai was finally out of the forest, out of her starting zone, was she ready for the trials ahead? Only time would tell, but this was it.

"Mn." Amari nodded, her face filled with determination. This time, she will protect her sister no matter what.

The two sisters marched on towards the sunrise, leaving behind any doubt and sorrow. This was it, the true start of their adventure. Whatever awaited them, they felt prepared to take head-on. The forest slowly disappeared behind them as they walked forward, into a brave new world.

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[Name: Ai

Level: 1

Class: Acolyte / Mage / Creation Mage

Stats: HP: 34 / 34 | MP: 54 / 54

STR: 20 | DEX: 19 | CON: 17

INT: 22 | WIS: 18 | CHA: 15

Known Skills:

[True Analysis] MP Cost: 1 | Instant / Channel

Effect: Like Analysis, scans the target (person, object, spell) and identifies characters of said target. Unlike Analysis, scans full information and bypasses Illusion and Disguise effects.

[Sloth] MP Cost: 0 | Channel

Effect: Due to your laziness and desire to sleep forever, you can now sleep to recover from impossible injuries and even negative status effects! Sleeping will recover HP and MP at triple the normal rate, debuffs will also count down at triple the speed. Debilitating injuries will be completely healed with 8 hours of sleep, permanent injuries will be completely healed with 16 hours of sleep, and life-threatening injuries will be completely healed with 72 hours of sleep.

[Magic Sight] MP Cost: 1% per second | Channel

Effect: Your eyes become imbued with mana, you are able to detect and see mana and magic in any and all forms (circles, traps, etc.) and understand the language and signature of the school of magic in use. You can also learn the spell by observing it by memorizing the methods of creating the spell.]

Known Spells:

[Lesser Restoration] MP Cost: 20 | Instant

Effect: Repairs the body afflicted with negative status debuffs. This spell, being the lesser form, can only heal minor afflictions, diseases, and curses as well as natural fatigue.

[Lesser Heal] MP Cost: 1% incremental (Up to a max of 5%) | Channelled

Effect: Repairs the body of physical wounds, the amount healed is dependant on mana used at an exchange rate of 1:1 for MP:HP.

[Magic Missile] MP Cost: 20% Per Missile | Instant

Effect: Launch a fragment of concentrated mana at a target, this attack will always hit. Damage is based on mana used and up to 1 missile per level can be launched to max mana capacity (Unless max mana is bypassed and more missiles can be launched.)

Secondary Effect: User-Made [Magic Spear]: By condensing multiple missiles, a larger missile stronger than the sum of its parts can be created and launched. The damage calculated is multiplicative for each individual base missile.

[Creation] MP Cost: Varies | Varies

Effect: Create any item you can imagine. Actual materials can be used to substitute for mana cost but the creator must have the maximum mana required to make said item.

[Equipment]:

[Agony: Longsword Mode | Evolution Type Weapon | STR Based]

This blade is said to house the souls of the Old Ones. Once soulbound, this blade will evolve with its user, unlocking more forms and skills. Can absorb the mana of the user to switch forms and use skills.

Current Versions: [Longsword Mode | STR Based] [Rapier Mode | DEX Based]

Current Skills: N/A

[Basic Leather Outfit w/ Cloak] Armor Rating: 3

This basic leather outfit is stitched together with various wildlife local to the Veridian Forest.

End of Ai's Status]

[Name: Amari Stoneheart

Level: 21

Class: Stoneheart Barbarian

Stats: HP: 1520 / 1520 | MP: 560 / 560

STR: 22 | DEX: 18 | CON: 19

INT: 7 | WIS: 10 | CHA: 5

Known Skills: 118

Known Spells: 17

Equipment:

[Gigas] Half-Giant Short Sword (Redesigned for human use) STR Based

Tier 2 Enchanted: [Unbreakable] | [Heavy]

[Unbreakable] The weapon affected by this enchantment will never break unless by a weapon 3 tiers higher than the enchanted weapon with a [Shattering] or enough force with another [Unbreakable] weapon.

[Heavy] The weight of the weapon affected by this enchantment is multiplied by 4, increasing the damage of the weapon as though it were 4 times its original size. Any other effects that would amplify the weight will stack on top as a multiplier.

This legendary blade was forged by the last of the giants and gifted to the half-giant races remaining on Selis. The half-giants then allied with the Stoneheart tribe and gifted this sword to Chieftain Arg'an in exchange for a place to call home within Stoneheart lands.

End of Amari's Status]

-End of First Arc: Brave New World-