Chapter 3 [Edited]
Chapter 3
"Vocation, huh. Let's see what's this about,"
---------------------------------------------
Vocation
[Warrior] [Mage] [Jacks] [Crafter]
-----------------------------------------------
Oh, interesting. So it was like classes in RPGs! But it was named Vocation instead, also had pretty basic name. I wonder if it could evolve into something else, though. So I guess this Vocation thing was also part of the Gamer's spirit perk? maybe connected to it or something? the description said every action was translated into games mechanics. But if I followed that train of thought, didn't that mean all of my power was based on that single perk alone? That didn't make much sense wasn't it? Then again, the description did say that Gaia basically jump-started the perk, wait a minute. If Gaia was the one that jump-started the perk, didn't it mean that it was powerful, and that it needed a lot of energy or something to activated it? That was why it was jump-started, right? Could be, but I didn't have definitive evidence or proof that it was the case. So I guessed in the end it was just theory.
--------------------------------
Achievement!
!Wise boy!
Figure out part of the truth of your own power
Good boy, here's some cookies
+1 chocolate chip cookie
+1 free stats
----------------------------------
I furrowed my eyebrows at the achievement, because I was pretty sure my system couldn't sass back to me, "Half? Wait, which half was right? Can I get some precise confirmation please?" I waited, in silence, "No?" I asked the ceiling again, futilely I'd say, because she wasn't answering, again. But I guess the boss lady had more important thing to do beside watch over me, besides, the fact that she even had time to watch and sass me on my system was kind of, I didn't know, worrying? Comforting? Something in between I decided.
Oh whatever, nothing I could do about it, really. Now where was I? Right, Vocation!
Was there more explanation for each of them?
-----------------------------------------
[Warrior]
-Increases physical based skill acquisition & improvement speed by 500%
-Gives a 2x bonus multiplier to HP and HP Regen calculation.
-Decreases magical based skill acquisition & improvement speed by 250%
---------------------------------------
So it just helped me specialize, didn't actually lock me to one path, the trade off was pretty steep too. But still, a 500% speed for gaining and improving skills? That was big. I could technically shortened the work of a year to just less than 2 months! And a 3 years worth of work to just less than a year! If the Vocation benefit was to be believed of course. That also was just matters of skill, I also could level up and strengthened my self that way too.
The bonuses was big, but I still needed to work for that power, I guess there's no short path to power, huh.
Let's see what the other Vocation looked like first,
---------------------------------------
[Mage]
-Increases magical based skill acquisition & improvement speed by 500%
-Gives a 2.5x bonus multiplier to MP and MP Regen calculation
-Decreases physical based skill acquisition & improvement speed by 300%
------------------------------------------
Mage Vocation made it more specialized it seemed, just slightly, enough to be noticeable at the long run. But on second thought, it was obvious that the choice specialized you. It literally named Vocation.
But what about Jacks though? I had some idea just based on the name, but best ascertain it first.
--------------------------------
[Jacks]
-Increase physical and magical based skill acquisition & improvement speed by 200%
-Gives a 1.5x multiplier HP, MP, and their respective regen calculation.
-----------------------------------
So Jacks was basically the safe choice, no risk, no specialization, no trade off, just a general improvement all across the board, and it also didn't follow the general theme of specialization.
And Crafter was just that, for specialized crafting skills and the same multiplier as Jacks, but with a trade off that decreased combat skill acquisition & improvement, I didn't think I will be picking that, ever. Maybe I would think about it if I could change between Vocation, just maybe.
~
After I really thought about it, didn't Jacks easily the most beneficial picks here? Sure the bonus was basically just half of each Warrior and Mage, but it also didn't have any obvious disadvantages either. But I really wanted to pick Mage, though, cause who wouldn't wanted to? It was every child dream to be able to sling spells left and right, Fireball! Lightning! Or even become a necromancer! But maybe not the last one, this was real world, I was pretty sure I would be hunted down if I started raising corpses from the dead. But the point still stand, Mage is just cool. If you got a game power that basically told you that you could become a mage, the choice was almost obvious.
But before really choosing one, I wanted to rationalize my choice first, I wanted to become Mage, but there was disadvantages for picking it, but generally I still thought the advantage out weight it. So that's not a problem. The second problem was, Jacks was just pure benefit, except that I probably couldn't hope to specialize, and considering I was late to the party, I really wanted to maximize my power, so that 500% boost would really help with my situation. Third, in many games, Mage usually was a weak class early on, but did it really apply here? Again, considering the bonuses? 5 times faster was not a small multiplier. like I said, an effort of a year for a normal person, I could achieve in less than 2 months, what if I applied it also in combat? my whole niche was video game power, right? So it probably improved even faster in combat. That sounded almost cheating to me.
So before I could change my mind about it again, I picked Mage.
----------------------------
'ding' [Mage] picked!
Vocation Locked!
-----------------------------
I picked Mage in the end, I didn't pick the safest choice in the end, the specialization benefit was just too good, at least that was the excuse I told myself.
No, excuse would imply that this was not the best choice for me, yes I admitted maybe it was not the safest pick, but.. Magic?! you know. I mean, whats life without a little risk, right?
--------------------------------------------
Quest Added!
!Apprentice Mage!
-Learn 3 magic based skills
-Complete it before the school starts(optional)
-Improve all of them to a least Rank II(optional)
Rewards:
750xp & 1 random common magic item
5 free stats & $500
+1 level & 1 random rare magic item
--------------------------------------------------
"A quest, huh? Now I'm more motivated to improve!" I murmured to myself with the beginning of a smile on my face, until I remembered one very important point. "wait! How do I even learn magic skills?!" I realized while gripping my hair tight in my hands. I didn't completely thought this through at all, huh?. I could only smile wryly, cause I couldn't really do anything about it anymore, the system said it before, the vocation was locked after I picked Mage.
I checked the time and realized it was about 8pm, and I was getting hungry anyway, so I decided to ate first before thinking about my, again new found problem.
~
I was feeling hungry so I got to the kitchen counter, where my grocery was, and grab one of the instant ramen packet. After a quick bite I got into the shower, and just zoned out everything while I stand beside the shower stall and it blasted me with hot water. The feeling of hot water on my body did a good job of clearing my mind from the problems of my life, and I decided to just enjoy the shower while it lasted, did not try thinking of answers to multiple question, didn't try to found solution. And just tried to relax..
--------------------------------------------------------------
Skill Gained!
Meditation I
-Increases Health and Mana Regeneration while using this skill by x2
-You cannot move while using this skill
-Increases sensitivity to mana while using this skill
----------------------------------------------------------------
My eyes instantly widen when I saw the new skill, it wouldn't be that easy would it? But then I checked my quest progression and it said there, 1/3 done, it really was that easy learning Meditation. What did I even do to get this? Did my cleared mind while in the shower resulted in this skill? It kind of made sense I guess, 5 times more easily to acquire new magic skills, but this was a bit ridiculous, right? Evidently, it was not, because I got my first skill. And that was the motivation I needed to once again to just maybe try experimenting creating new skill, maybe while in meditation? Considering the mana sensitivity thing?
I hopped out of the shower and clothed myself, and before I tried experimenting, I decided to checked how my status looked like first.
---------------------------------------------------------------
STATUS
NAME : Jonathan Frederick Monroe
TITLE : The Gamer
AGE : 18
VOCATION : Mage
LEVEL : 6 (0xp/1200xp)
HP : 110 (6/h)
MP : 300 (90/h)
+3 Available free stats points
STR : 20
AGL : 17
END : 22
MGP : 24
MNT : 12
CHR : 17
LBD : 17
---------------------------------------------------
That was a BIG improvement on my mana, from just 110 to 300,(even though I didn't know how to use it yet) I chuckled lightly.
After that little excitement, I settled down to meditate. I activated the skill by usual, by willing it to happen, just like how I control my system. And my mind instantly cleared from stray thought. I felt calm, and collected, and I also felt something, 2 of something in the pitch of my stomach, or my core,
A bit weird but that was just how it felt. That was mana maybe? The first thing I felt was something suffocating, hard, yet also easy to manipulate. Huh, a bit contradictory there. But maybe I was just bad at this. I also felt kind of like, tranquility.
It felt free, no, not free, It was everywhere, what I meant with it was that its all encompassing, so naturally I tried to contain it(that was dumb in hindsight). Well, they didn't like it, it fight back fiercely and I was forced to gave ground. So I change strategy and instead wrap what was essentially my energy(?) to that feeling of... Oh! it was everywhere, encompassing, didn't like it when forced together, suffocating, and what was it again? tranquility? maybe it was just the quiet nature of Space? And suddenly I was bombarded by statuses screen.
------------------------------------------
New Perk Gained!
Space Manipulation
-You have the space affinity, this perk will help you to convert natural energy into space based energy.
-You can manipulate space energy, spell aplication pertaining to this particular mana will be easier.
-You gain space awareness.
----------------------------------------------
New Spell Gained!
Teleportation I
You can teleport over short distance, distance and accuracy depends on your space awareness.
Mp cost: 75
----------------------------------------------
Achievement!
!Autodidact!
Discover one of your own affinity without outside help.
-+1 Rank to Teleportation
-250xp
--------------------------------------------
Teleportation II
You can teleport over short distance, distance and accuracy depends on your space awareness.
Mp cost: 50
---------------------------------------------
"That was fucking amazing!" I shouted and jumped in joy over my new skill! not directly useful for combat without some clever application, but the utility alone would help me in most situation I could ever thought of.
I decided to try my new teleportation skill, I stood up beside the couch, it said I just need my space awareness for the spell accuracy, but because I was not really familiar with the feeling I just used my eyes for determine where I would teleport. I looked at the front door of my apartment in my front left, and focused what I knew now as my mana to my teleport skill,
"Oof.." and I slammed my head to the door and fall backwards, "I need practice it seems," I said as I looked at the ceiling. I tried this for a couple more times till I ran out of mana, and by the end of it I managed to at least stay straight while teleporting, not bad I thought. The range was not really great, just about 5 meters or so.
After the 6th teleport, I was feeling really tired, maybe because my lack of mana, and finally just decided to go to sleep, excited for tomorrow. My quest halfway done, I slept with a smile in my face, unaware of someone a couple houses over feeling my reckless use of mana.