Irregular - Chapter 23

Three looked at the choices, finger hovering over each of them. The smart choice would be to wait until he had more information over each of the classes yet honestly he did not want to wait, he decided to go with his gut. His finger hovered over the monster tamer option and he pressed, he felt a hum as the information on his status plate changed. He took a look, deciding it would also be a good time to invest his status points.

Name : Three

Age : ???

Lvl : 17

Occupation : N/a

Class : Monster Tamer

{Skill: Heat Vision : Skill level 12}

{Skill : Lesser-regeneration, : Skill level 88}

{Skill : Pain-tolerance, : Skill level 63}

{Skill : Tough-body, : Skill level 75}

{Skill : White-Adamantium Skin : Skill level 43}

{Skill : Aura of Dread Skill level 2}

{Skill : Enhanced senses Skill level 3 (toggled : Off)}

{Skill : Bind Creature Skill Level 7}

{Skill : Conscription Skill Level 7}

{Skill : Challenging Cry Skill Level 4}

{Skill : Stomp Skill level 8}

{Perk : Mana-sustenance}

{Perk : Battered Body }

{Inheritant-Core – ?????}

{Stats} {Available : 35}

{Strength : 48}

{Agility : 18}

{Dexterity : 18}

{Vitality : 52}

{Endurance : 34}

{Wisdom : 12}

{Intelligence : 13}

{Charisma : 9 }

Three looked through his new skill, suprised he had four new skills instead of the two he had expected. He thought about it a while before he realised that one of the skills was one he had gotten from Crimson, Enhanced Senses was the most likely candidate. He was suprised it was toggled off, he had never noticed it before. He turned it on.

He blinked as everything was suddenly clearer, the colours more pronounced, he could smell the spring water, the earth and the trees around it, he smelled the faint odor of death and decay as it was washed off him. He heard the trickle of water, the chirp of birds, he heard so much more than he had before. He understood now why the skill had a toggle, people that were unused to the experience would have a sensatory overload, imagine getting the skill mid combat, it would be distracting enough to get you killed. Three decided to leave the skill on so he could grow accustomed to it.

He then took a look at the other skills.

{Skill Bind-Creature, Skill level 7}

{Bind a creature to your soul, Bound creatures will become a companion, one creature can be bound for every ten levels an individual possesses. Bound creatures receive ten percent of the users highest skill, the amount of percent the creature receives is increased by five percent per ten levels.}

He nodded, the skill made sense, he could bind a creature like he had Crimson for every ten levels he had, he checked but apparently Crimson had not counted towards the limit, presumably because they were blood-bound. He looked at the next skill.

{Skill : Conscription Skill Level 7}

{Conscript a creature into your service, conscripted creatures do not receive a bonus from their tamer, a monster tamer can conscript three creatures per ten levels the individual possesses. Conscripted creatures can still gain levels, and evolve at their level intervals, if their level surpasses the tamer’s they will lose control over the creature.}

That made sense, if all the creatures received his lesser regeneration he would have a powerful army at his command. He would have to look into this evolving however, he had to admit he was interested in the prospects it promised. He took a look at the last skill, it sounded ominous and he could not remember when or how he had received the skill.

{Skill : Aura of Dread Skill level 2}

{Inspire fear in those you deem your enemy, current range, two-hundred meters. Creatures that do not have the capability of feeling fear are unaffected. This skill is the evolved version of the skill Aura of Fear, level bonuses still apply.]

{Level 25 Double the effective range of the aura}

{Level 50 Creatures below the users level have a chance to panic, attacking allies.}

{Level 75 Creatures less than half the users level will be paralyzed in fear.]

{level 100 Creatures at 10% or below of the user’s level will die outright due to heart failure, creatures without a heart are immune}

Three’s eyes widened as he read about the skill, not only was it an evolved version, but he kill could creatures outright if he deemed them his enemies and they were within four-hundred meters of him. It might not be dangerous now but he would have to be careful if he ever entered cities when he was a higher level. He hoped there was a way to control the aura.

He shrugged, he would have to ask those more knowledgeable about the skill. It had no effect on the undead, and so far he had not considered any human his enemy. He had considered the chieftain a threat for a brief moment, but not an enemy. He would have to start being careful about the distinction.

He knew what he wanted to do with his stats, he had agreed first with Emmi and her explanation about putting the stats in vitality and endurance. Now that he had been through various battles however, he noted that he was more than sturdy enough, his defensive skill and his battered body perk making him insanely hard to harm. He was basically invulnerable to those around his own level. Instead on impulse, he dumped all his stat points in strength, raising it to a staggering eighty-three.

He shot up suddenly, the water splashing as he rushed out of the pool, he put on a fresh pair of pants the villagers had laid out for him as he rushed back to the village, he headed to the battle field. He wanted a live skeleton, he wanted to turn it into a companion, he also wanted to max out his conscript limits. The villagers watched as he rushed past them , towards the battlefield he felt the new strength stats influence his body, as his feet pushed the ground, propelling him forward at before unattainable speeds. When he tried to turn a corner however that became much more difficult, he almost smashed right through a building as he tried to turn at full speed.

Slowing down some he pondered how his straight speed had been greatly enhanced but he still had trouble maneuvering around corners, presumably this was because of his lack in the agility stat. He was probably not going to invest in the stat, he rarely even attempted to dodge an attack, instead trusting in his body to hold out as he fought his enemies face to face. He let his mind wander during his sprint, his regeneration keeping him from feeling even the slightest amount of exhaustion.

He reached the villagers as they were disposing of the corpses, he ran up to them. “Are there still any of the undead left alive?”

The men gazed at each other, then one of em turned around. “GUYS, if ya find a live one don’t kill it yet! The new one wants something with it.”

Another voice answered, “Ye called just in time, I was about to stomp this skeletons head in! Head on over.”

Three headed towards the voice, surprised to see the large, formerly silent woodcutter standing over a skeleton, who was struggling as it was buried beneath a small pile of zombies, it was trying to claw at the woodcutter’s ankles, the man didn’t even bother to dodge. Its bony fingers clawing at the man’s skin, to no visible effect.

“So what do you have planned with one of the rotters?” The man asked as he eyed Three.

“Just got the class Monster Tamer, I want to bind one, and conscript some others if I can.” He told the man.

The woodcutter nodded as if it was a natural thing. “Do ya know how the binding works?”

Three blinked, to be honest he had no clue, he assumed not all bindings went the way they did with Crimson. He thought for a moment then shook his head, explaining to the man how he had bonded with Crimson, speaking of the devil she just appeared behind. Slow lumbering steps taking her closer as she peered over his shoulder curiously.

“I do not actually.” Three admitted.

“Well its not truly that difficult, we have two monster tamers in the village, just touch the creature in question and put your will into it, you will feel some pressure, if you overcome the pressure you win. Just imagine a bond when you do, otherwise it will be a conscription.” The woodcutter told him.

“I see, thank you for the explanation.” Three put his hand on the skeleton and imagined the bond forming, he willed it to form, he pushed his energy into the skeleton. As the woodcutter had told him he came across a pressure, it was barely there however, like a bush trying to stop a tidal wave, he washed over it and exerted his pressure into the skeleton.

The connection formed and he felt the bond, the skeleton had no emotions of its own that passed through the bond, it simply existed. It no longer saw anyone around it as enemies either, nor did it have an undead’s known hunkering for killing the living. All in all the entire bonding process was rather anti-climatic.

He helped the skeleton from under the small pile of corpses, he put it on its feet and examined it.

{Skeleton Level : 5}

{Skill Lesser regeneration skill level : 9}

{Skill Tough Bones skill level 12}

Its status page was laughably empty, Three wondered how much it would improve if he leveled it up, or the changes when it evolved, he asked the woodcutter about it.

“Most monsters don’t have stats like us, they have skills but the stats are the same for each monster of the same species, the only stat gain they have is when they evolve. Monsters like the Skeleton evolve every ten levels, although their evolutions are minor. Monsters like your Jurgor evolve at the same levels as we rank up. The first evolutions for monsters like her,” He said pointing a thumb at Crimson. “Are from Newborn to young, and then from young to adult, although it does not point out a creature is an adult in its tag. Their more interesting evolutions happen at level fifty and after, the changes make them a great deal stronger once that happens.”

Three nodded his thanks as he was deciding what to name the skeleton. Vila came running over, “Wassat?” She asked pointing at the skeleton.

“A skeleton I tamed.” Three answered.

“You give it name yet?” The girl asked cocking her head.

“No i have not.”

“Name it Sir Kelly Tonn!” She yelled.

The woodcutter chuckled, Three frowned, “I am not naming it that.”

The girl pouted and pointed, “Sir Kelly Tonn is a great name, name it that!”

Three pointed his thumb at the skeleton.

“Naming that Sir Kelly Tonn is!” He started saying before an announcement interrupted him.

{Skeleton level 5 has been renamed to Sir Kelly Tonn level 5}

Three cursed as he read the announcement, Vila cheered as she read the tag, with the name she had wanted above it.

Three sighed, this girl definitely brought him bad luck. He looked at his brand new skeleton, noticing the woodcutter laughing his head off. He sighed again, well nothing to be done about it. He walked over to the other piles, looking for undead to conscript.