Book 1 Chapter 21: Put through Hell, Part 1

Chapter 21: Put through Hell, Part 1

Drek and Bjor were pulled over to the group of 4, and made to sit down with several slaps from Kito.

The shop keeper smiled, "Almost always…there are always a couple people trying to forget about the current situations. You do though have some choices to make…the last of them as well. So choose wisely."

Bjor looked up to the abyss of space leading upwards with countless items, "Uh…so…how do we…uh…"

Drek nodded as if he understood what Bjor was saying, "How do we uhm…ya know…choose amongst it all"

"Easy, just like your friend Ito, I will let you break down what type of item or weapon you want to choose…easy"

The both thought 'Pff right', Ito looked at them like two idiots but understood they just didn't know what else to do, "Come…let us speak first as a group, then we shall decide."

Tao was the first to give an option, "Why not a magical armor of sorts? Protection?"

Ito shook his head, "Think of his ability…it would only hinder him to have more weight, he is a dexterity fighter not strength. Even if it came with a magical ability, the clothe wing cloak power I gave him will do better than armor and he can control it…"

Tao nodded, "Right…hmm…"

Kito spoke up next, "Why not a weapon…a secondary since he uses a chain blade. I guess he has the gun, which he is indeed good with…but a melee secondary"

Ito shook his head again, "His heart is within the chain blade, and with the new cloak…well it is a weapon as well and shield. If we give him another weapon, it will take away from him being forced to learn how to use his cloak."

Kito opened her mouth but soon closed it and nodded, "Damn"

Drek and Bjor sat back a little deeper in their seats that the shop keeper had conjured when they arrived.

Drek thought for a moment before whispering to Bjor, who excitedly nodded in response "Yeah man…yeah that's a good one" Drek turned to Ito with a grin, "Okay…how about an item that boosts his attributes, not too much of an armor…like boots or something, that won't get in the way. It may even have a movement skill with it, although he can be fast…can he control it soundly? He even said that he has trouble with it when he uses the 3 lightning symbol thing…so…why not boots or something that help him with movement?"

Ito opened his mouth, but then clapped his lips together and nodded "Hey…did what you smoke make you smarter?"

"Ha…no…wait…hey" Drek gave him the bird without anything more to say, however his idea did stick with everyone.

The shopkeeper appeared next to Drek, spooking the crap out of him. "Have you decided?"

Ito nodded to Drek who in return nodded to the Shop Keeper, "Yeah…high tailored boots, which help in the control of movement at high speeds or etcetera…hopefully with something else along with it?"

The shop keeper rubbed his chin, "Hmm…we have quite the selection of boots of course, I do have one in mind…Boots of Mercury, the 'god' of speed and messengers…although he is just a folk lore, items named after him were indeed made for someone one day to actually take up that role. The boots are sleek black, with these tiny little gold wings wrapping around the top portion…they give you an increase in speed, and also allow you to balance when going through the air which would work well with those strange wings he was given…" He looked over to Ito who smiled mischievously, "Apart from that when going into high speed movement a skill activates within them to break the limits of speed. Called Limit Breaker.

It protects the user from the dangers of high speed, improves movement and even doubles the speed of the user once its activated…the control through movement is greatly improved as well."

Drek yelped, "That…I want to give him that!" The shop keeper nodded and waved his hands.

Bjor looked at everyone, "I have an idea for mine…" Everyone nodded for him to continue.

"A bracelet that spins or something to create lightning for him…and attracts lightning into or electricity, hopefully stores it as well?"

Jax's eyes lit up, "Yes…yes that is perfect!" The implications of such an item would be wondrous if he got his hands on it later.

The keeper nodded, "Yes…we do indeed have something like that. It is actually a different item…but the form can be changed." He snapped his fingers, and the item was sent to Jaeger. All of what he was receiving would be given over the course of several minutes to Jaeger, whereas for them hours could pass between the choices.

Ito nodded, "Both of you are pretty smart when you're high ahahaha" Tao smirked with his brother.

"Last but not least…Jax, an ability increase." The shop keeper turned his gaze to the last person in the group.

"Oh uh…how much of an increase, and to what things can I increase. I don't know the full list of traits or attributes that a person can have so I would be ill-informed to choose strength without not knowing the rest."

"Smart boy…you can increase your choice by 20 points. A lot right? It would depend on the person, 20 isn't a lot if you think about how it slowly upgrades over time or through skills…unless you make the right choice that is. Here is the list." He handed a long sheet over to Jax, and everyone crowded over his shoulder to read the long strip of paper.

"What…" Everyone was flabbergasted to find just a long list of attributes that a person could possess! There were well over 100!

'Strength: The potential of the body and its lifting potential.

Speed: the movement of an individual and there momentum.

Endurance: Against damage, energy, exhaustion, and more.

Dexterity: to move accurately within motion

Perception: to perceive beyond.

Intelligence: the capacity of the mind and its potential to thought.

Wisdom: To know, and to use.

Control: Over energy, strength, and the control of actions.

Capacity: The limit of containing energy for the body, mind, spirit or energy as a whole.

Blood: the purity of a bloodline and the potential therein to acquire abilities.

Magical Affinity: The percentage of purity, as well as the potential to manipulate.

Willpower: the limit of the soul.

Weapon Mastery: based on a percentage and the number of kills.

Healing: The body's natural ability to heal and the strength of it.

...'

Jax looked over to the shop keeper with a weird look, "How are some of these related to peoples bodies?"

"You don't understand…there are also aspects to a person, these become attributes and can be trained to mastery can they not? So…they are included, and built upon like skills."

Jax nodded but still shrugged, "Ito…Tao? What should I choose?"

Ito looked up at the Keeper, "What would you suggest educationally of course…what might be hidden on this sheet, and what would be best for Jaeger?"

"Well…that is the true list, it is added to by the people within the city as they gain things…or master them. It resets everyone time we begin again, like a recording of what the people were able to achieve and place on that paper. For jaeger? He is quite well rounded. Here is his sheet…"

'Jaeger:

Str: 28 (+30) (+15)

Spe: 28 (+30) (+200)

End: 20 (+30) (+15)

Per: 28 (+30) (+20)

Dex: 24 (+30) (+20)

Intelligence: 36

Weapon Mastery: Chain Blade 100%, Gun projectiles 100% (Self trained)

Material Augment: 5%'

Jax shook the sheet at Ito, "What the fuck is this! 200?!"

Ito nodded, "Think about the third tier lightning ability he told us about…to move at that speed, it would be 1,000's of miles per hour at a minimum…lightning moves at 220,000,000 miles per hour… thus that one makes sense, the others probably come from the boosts he gets while using certain material like metal flesh and skin…'lightning thought' or L2 increases as he said for perception."

Jax felt a little less flustered hearing that, "Still…20 points to the base stats would be worthless…we need to put it into something hard to come by."

Ito nodded to this.

Ito followed the Shop Keepers gaze to a specific line, "Auxillary mastery: Instruments"

Remembering back to that Lute, indeed Jaeger had looked at it both fondly and in admiration. This could only mean the item itself was important, or more likely had a strange and useful ability. Ito pointed to the attribute, and Jax nodded. The shop keeper smiled and waved his hand before snapping his finger.

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Jaeger felt the final wave of change within himself, which was the 6th time. This meant that they had given him all they could.

"You have been chosen to fight for the six, you shall be given a quest and upon completion your friends will be set free and you yourself will live." The voice of the shop keeper wafted from the door as it slowly opened.

With a shrug, there was no surprise "I had guess that the nothing to one was the odds…it doesn't make any sense, it should be one to nothing…but I guess you wouldn't be able to fuck with us if it was any other way…tell them thanks." The keeper was quite surprised at Jaeger, to have thought this over in just several minutes of the door shutting, to his perspective, was astounding.

With a leap Jaeger got up, hearing a noise from his watch he looked down to find the last thing he gained was an increase in musical ability.

This cemented it, only Ito who he had told everything to would specifically choose things to boost him based on what he said he was good at. Even the smallest thing such as the lyre itself.

"Good luck…" *creek* *clap* with a slam, the door disappeared into the ether.

"Fuck me…" *puff* Jaeger threw off the ashes and placed the renewed cig in his chest pocket.

The roses began to wither with the doors departure and soon the once vibrant field covered in green with dots of red faded away leaving grey marsh in its wake.

"These wings…cloak?... hmm…empower…boon of mystery…musical ability increase…these…boots…the bracelet…" Numbers sprung to mind, as well as the motions and use of each item. With a thought the wings flipped out from his body and move around as he accustomed himself to these new 'appendages'. The bracelet was probably one of the most useful, all he had to do was spin it on his wrist and it would slightly expand to levitate before whirling around at fast speeds itself.

It conducted energy well, and it produced quite a lot of electricity with just several rotations before stopping. It could light up a lightning rune in about 10 seconds, which was almost 5 times faster than before.

The boots of mercury indeed boosted his speed regardless of several lightning runes, and the use for 'Limit breaker' was still niche as the risk of exhaustion after use was still pertinent but regardless it was kept in mind.

Empower was quite useful as well, he couldn't use it repeatedly but it also didn't have drawbacks afterwards. The only drawback of sorts was that it took several hours to use again, but this was common amongst high tier skills.

The Dream cloud Lyre was the next thing to think about, this was what was earned by Jaeger himself and with a strum the chords let loose beautiful notes. It was actually quite easy to play now, making the actual use of it more pertinent in the moments to come.

With a wave the chain blade fell from the air into Jaeger's awaiting hand before it was stuck into a holster under his arm pit. Frog popped out from the air and dished out both pistols which too were placed in holsters on each leg. The derringer had two empowered rounds, and the pistol FMJ specialty rounds. Jaeger wouldn't use these unless it was needed to, drawing any sound could prove deadly. The wings flexed before floating down over his shoulders on either side looking no different than a regular cloak.

'Boon of mystery: Quest: Kill 10 vampires, and ten Werewolves.'

'Oh fuck me…' Jaeger didn't mind the killing part, but the fact it said 'Vampires' and 'Werewolves' meant those were what he was about to face. This was actually quite useful to know, and kind'ove a cheat for it to directly tell him.

Silver stakes replaced the empowered rounds in the derringer, and silver tipped rounds in the pistol with a shot gun shell of silver beads in the top barrel. Jaeger had prepared quite a few different types of rounds before he came into the portal, he had rounds for undead all the way over to armored bears if need be.