#JustAWorkInProgress

After Chris got his emotions reigned back in, he looked at the blue orb that was sitting on the table.

[What does that mean? And why is that feeling back, I feel like I am a friend of Beth…]

Chris was still sitting in thought as the two women were conversing across from him. Sarah was excited about what it meant for his build and they were both mentioning the "Mankiller", whoever that really was.

Chris stood up and moved over to the walls as they seemed like they were going to ignore him.

…

…

"Beth, I think his build will be better if he focuses on this path!" Sarah was getting heated at the stubborn gnome.

"No, he should walk the path that was treaded by a Hero, that will lead him to the best end!" Said Beth as she stood on top of her stool.

"CHRIS! GET OVER HERE!" Shouted Sarah as she stood up and started pacing.

He stared in awe as the two most powerful mortals he had ever met were just acting like total…sisters? Then he wandered on over, watching the gnome huff and the elf puff.

Chris was sitting down and said, "Yeah?" but the elf betrayed his expectations. She calmly walked over and explained, "Will you please tell this "scholar" that your Trait is more powerful than she thinks."

Chris nodded his head and shook it at the same time as he was interrupted, "Chris, don't you want to walk the path of a HERO! A great-ish man that fought for gnomanity!"

He shook his head and said, "I will not follow the path of a previous Hero, I am here to be my own." To which Sarah nodded and Chris walked off again. The gnome was extremely confused, who wouldn't want to emulate a Hero?

She was thinking, [Wait, did he say he was going to be his own Hero?] and then she burst out laughing.

"You think you have what it takes to be a Hero! Hahahaha!" Bethany was laughing at the foolish dwarf when she felt Sarah's hand on her shoulder.

"Bethany. Help him become a Hero, just try it. I know you are touchy about the subject, but you are the only gnome I know that is smart enough to put together a build for a Hero, and that is his desired path." Sarah was being earnest but could not fully declare Chris as a Hero to her. She trusted Bethany with her life, but she did not trust her with her children…

The gnome is jaded about being overlooked and she would probably try to get an "in" for the next selection in 100-years. A person being Blessed and Cursed would be a big deal, but nobody would care very much because it seemed worthless. Chris should be a man that is condemned to live a normal life.

Sarah waved Chris over and sat him down. She explained, "Chris, each of your Boons are mediocre to deadly, but together I have a plan." He nodded his head as Sarah continued.

"I think your mana cost would be brilliant, it is just like many Heroes in the past, but it only is effective for Healing spells. The curse of death makes your healing spells deal damage instead of restore HP, you can only have Healing classes, and the Mana cost is increased by 500%."

She sighed, "Without any intervention, you would be the worst healer alive. You would be stuck at Level 1 and unable to kill monsters, but unable to heal allies. I would wager a Slime could take you, right Beth?"

Bethany nodded but asked, "Where are you going with this?" and Sarah continued, "Chris, you have the Trait [Wildcard] and I think it is the most important part of your build."

Bethany shook her head, "No, it is only useful for stealth builds or active infiltrators. How is it useful for a Healing class?"

Sarah smiled, "You are going to love this. I hope you are ready."

She took a deep breath and continued, "He can CHOOSE his friendly targets."

Sarah sat there smiling while Chris had a confused look on his face, [What are friendly targets? Like friendlies? How does that help, I wouldn't be able to hurt enemies..unless the monsters could be considered friend-] Chris' thoughts were cut off as the gnome jumped up in the air.

"SARAH! YOU GENIUS!" Bethany ran off to her books and was cackling along the way.

Chris was staring at the gnome waddle at the speed of sound, then he turned to Sarah who had a giant smile on her face.

"What do'ya think? Not bad for a mom, eh!?" Said Sarah as she was hugged by Chris.

"Sarah, do you think it will really work? Could I "HEAL" monsters to kill them?" Chris had wonder in his eyes, the magic was back.

She nodded, "I think so, yes. I thought it was a fluke when you became my Ally, but then I kept getting the feeling that was shifting, and you were very…moody. I knew Beth would have a S-grade [Anti-infiltration Orb] just laying around, but she actually had a [Enemy Orb] as well."

Chris was nodding and thinking about the old games where a healer fundamentally could not heal an enemy. If it wasn't fixed then any area-of-effect healing spell would immediately cause the enemy to get healed as well, so the developers have friendly and enemy systems to stop obvious accidents.

[Hmm…this world shouldn't have a targeting system, but if it does then I got very fucking lucky…]

Chris looked to the ceiling and thought about the old fart that must have been up there laughing. He shook his head and thought, [Healing to kill monsters? Who would have thought…but it still doesn't fix the ME not dying issue. There is no way to heal myself with my own magic, but I will be the most efficient damage dealer of all time…so trade-offs?]

He chuckled and watched Sarah walk off. He figured the gnome would probably be in the swing of things anytime, sometimes people just need to "adjust" to the reality of the situation.

He pulled up a seat.

[What kind of healer do I want to be? Maybe like a Druid or a Shaman from Warcraft, that was a good game…]

He was really thinking about his time here. He showed up in a forest from a black void, met a girl with kids, lived with them, traveled with them, but it would have to end at some point. He would be back on his own again.

[How do I make money? Where do I get food? Can I eat monsters or is that poisonous?] Chris let out a big sigh and kept going, [I am sure Sarah will teach me, but what about the kids? It isn't like she can just up and leave them alone. Where would I go? I still want to be a "Hero" but I will have to use medicine from village to village…]

He shook his head, [That wouldn't work. I would spend so much time for just a few people, that is why I wanted to go to medical school, I want to help a lot of people…

Maybe I could become a Minister of Health? Then go on to produce health reform. But do people even NEED MY HELP? They have magic to take care of most of their problems…actual…real…magic…and I have medications.]

Chris was thinking back about being excited and hyped to be a Hero on the carriage and in the alleyway. Was it bravado?

[What SHOULD I do, or what CAN I do?]

Chris was thinking about his ideology that he was bring from another world. How would his normal state impact his experience here? Should he live like the Romans when he visits Rome? Or should he forge his own path?

He had the desire and goals of a Hero, but he was lacking a plan of action.

Hell, he couldn't make a plan of action because he lacked critical information about the world.

[I want to help, but I don't want to be an idiot...anymore of an idiot…so I will follow my wishes until I can help, but it has to actually matter. I can't run around to every slave mine and free them, I will die in 2-seconds flat. I don't want to go back into the void just yet. But I can't ignore it just because it is difficult. Maybe I can draw from Sun Tzu a little here…]

Chris was making plans while Sarah and Bethany were looking at paths for him to take. There is a certain uncertainty in every plan, and no battlefield plan will survive contact with the opposition, but he has to start somewhere.

(Author's Note: Hi! I hope my ideas are coming across as I intend. The MC is not exactly the smartest man alive and he has his faults that should be pretty evident. I am treating him like a real person, and he will have to deal with his mistakes in time. This is an attempt at the dreaded "character development" and the MC will not be perfect, ever. He is human-ish (Dwarf) but I think he has ground to make up. I expect him to actually deal with the repressed trauma from DYING. He has dreams just as I think we all would, but they do not mesh with this world. He does not fit in, hence [Wildcard] but his future was seen by the old man and change is coming. 😉

P.S. I don't know if anyone is actually reading this far. Am I typing to myself? Oh no…here come the voices, they sound like Metallica…