Sharp and excruciating pin pricks danced across his skin like he was getting stung by a swarm of bees. Waves of pain swam within him making him grit his teeth as he clenched his hands into tight fists. He fought the urge to scream out which made a deep growl escape through his teeth. He didn’t know how much time had passed. The pain felt like it was lasting forever, but just like the suddenness of the pain descending upon him, it had vanished just as fast.

The moment it did, Kenny felt every part of him relax to the point he dropped to his knees and almost fell on his face. Out of pure instinct he threw his hands and forearms out to stop himself from headbutting the ground. He gasped for air as he felt his heart racing and pounding against his chest like it wanted to escape. After taking a couple of minutes to regain his composure a few screens appeared before him. He looked them over as he slowly stood back up.

[Congratulations! Partial awakening has been successful. Stats have been accumulated and processed. Awakened Skill Tree has been identified and process. Awakened Skill Tree Focus has been confirmed. Stat Talent has been confirmed and connected to associated Stat. Ability has been unlocked.]

[Skill Tree Category – Defense has been awakened.]

[Defense Focus – Body.]

[Stat Talent – Endurance.]

[Each level your Endurance stat will receive an extra 2 points.]

[Ability – Poison Constitution.]

[Poison Constitution – You have a certain level of immunity and resistance to weak poisons, toxins, and venoms relative to your current tier level. You absorb any poisons, toxins, and venom that were used on or against you and store them within your body. You remain immune to any types of poisons, toxins, and venoms until storage is full. After storage has been filled you will be affected by any poisons, toxins, or venoms you are attacked with, albeit at a lower effectiveness than normal due to a small amount of Poison Constitution Resistance. After a certain amount of time, your body will expunge all stored poisons, toxins, and venoms you have stored, giving you another chance to be immune once more.]  

  Kenny stared at the notifications before they suddenly vanished. While there were things he was expecting to see, there were also things he was confused about. For example, he knew and understood what it was talking about when it mentioned Skill Tree Category and Focus.

Skill Tree Category was what the three Skill Trees were. Everyone had a Defense Category Skill Tree, a Power Category Skill Tree, and a Support Category Skill Tree. They were the three Skill Trees you needed to unlock to become fully awakened.

The way it was taught to him was Defense focused on the person’s defenses. Power focused on the kind of Power the person specializes in. Support referred to the type of support the person either had or could give. As much as each Skill Tree was different for everyone this part of it all was the same.

The Focus Part was where things started getting different for everyone. Each Skill Tree, when awakened, had a focus that made the person shine differently than the others. A focus was what created specialized nodes that held specific abilities or skills, how the abilities or skills grew, and how they affected the person.

In Kenny’s case, his Defense Focus was Body. While this was one of the common things a person could get a focus on, what his Body Focus would focus on was what made the difference and affected the abilities he had received. Which in his case was something called Poison Constitution. Something he wasn’t really sure about.

At school they never went over Constitution type abilities since they were unpredictable. All they really said was it was an ability that helped with building up immunities against stat, body, or mind abnormalities. Why his constitution ability focused on Poisons though? He wasn’t sure.

If this was the case then maybe his Body Focus was on Immunity building. While it would be good to have immunity to different stat abnormalities, it wasn’t really the ideal start for him. Especially since he needed to go at this alone for an unknown certain amount of time.

The next thing that confused him was the Stat Talent message he received. He had heard of Talents, but not Stat Talents. From what he guessed it was linked to his stats. He looked at the teenaged girl who was waiting patiently. When his gaze fell upon her, she beamed as she asked, “Have you formulated everything you want to ask?”

Kenny nodded. “Somewhat, but I am sure I will have all my questions answered as we talk. Even the ones I probably haven’t thought of yet.”

“Alright, go ahead and ask,” she said in a patient voice.

“First…I’d like a clarification on what Stat Talent is. I have heard of Talents back in school, but from what I remember they never mentioned anything about it being related to stats,” Kenny said.

“That’s usually the first one people ask,” the teenaged girl giggled. “I’d like to say this first before I explain. While the schools are meant to teach you everything about the Tower, I have started learning it has either omitted a lot of information, or the teachers teaching don’t really understand anything they are teaching.”

Kenny kind of smiled at that last part. He smiled because he remembered how he got in trouble once for correcting a teacher about something they were teaching them. What they were saying about the subject was completely wrong.

He knew this to be true because he had watched a children’s educational video about the subject and had learned it from an actual Tower Ascender who took the time to help children who were extremely interested in learning. It didn’t go well for him and almost failed the class because of it.

 “Okay, about Stat Talents. Stat Talents are something that links your Focus in each Skill Tree to a certain Stat. That Stat is now considered a Priority Stat and will receive more points to it each time you level. What Stat your Talent is in is determined by the Focus. For example, you have the Body Focus in your Defense Skill Tree. With a Focus on Body your Stat Talent could have been any of the following: Vitality or Endurance. However, with a starting ability like Poison Constitution, the direction your Body Focus chose to go with was Endurance as its main priority,” the girl explained.

Kenny nodded as he listened. “But why Endurance? Wouldn’t Vitality be a better choice? Having more health to combat against the slow damage of poison sounds like a better option to me.”

The teenage girl nodded, understanding where his thoughts were on the topic. “While that is one way to fight against poisons…” She paused almost like she had a question of her own. “What do you know about stats?”

Kenny shrugged. “Not a lot. I know they have their uses, but we never got a full in-depth lecture on what they were just some basic information. Strength, how hard you hit. Vitality, how much health you have, etcetera.”

The teenaged girl let out a sigh after hearing his response. “Seriously, what are those people teaching you guys. Okay, I’ll give this to you as a freebie. Each stat has a more in-depth description on what they really do. I won’t tell you them all, that’s your job to learn. However, I will tell you that Endurance is more than just your stamina. It also increases your damage negation. Seeing that your first ability helps with negating poison damage, through a level of immunity and resistance, it makes sense that your Stat Talent was Endurance.”

Kenny’s eyes slightly grew as he heard this. That was something he didn’t know or had considered. If he had a high endurance, then that meant he could negate most damage he was hit with. If he added his first ability, then when it came to poisons then he could keep getting hit with poison and not worry about it killing him off as quickly as those around him. While this was something good to have, it made him believe his theory on his Defense Skill Tree specializing on immunity to stat abnormalities was probably on the mark.

“Do you need an explanation on how your ability works?” the teenaged girl asked.

Kenny thought about it. While it was pretty straight forward there was still a couple of things about it that had him confused. “Just a couple of things have me a bit confused. It said I can absorb weak poisons, toxins, and venoms and store them. How do I absorb them and where exactly is it stored at? Also…expunge all stored poisons, toxins, and venoms after a certain amount of time? How does that happen?”

  The teenage girl gave him a smile as she replied, “Well, for the part about how you absorb them. It’s exactly how it sounds. You absorb it. You’ll have to find out yourself on how you store them. It’s not something I can accurately explain since everyone has different ways they store outside influences. And lastly, how you expunge the poisons, toxins, and venoms…” A grin suddenly grew. “I’ll leave you to find out how you do that.”

Kenny raised a brow as he stared at her. Her answers to his questions were…unhelpful. Then again it did make sense that he would need to figure it all out on his own. Things that happened in one’s body normally wouldn’t be known to another unless shared. So…like she said, he would need to figure it out on his own.

“Okay, moving on since you need to get a move on,” the teenage girl said. “To bring up your Status all you have to do is either say or think the word Status. Go ahead and try.”

“Status,” Kenny said slowly, sounding unsure if it worked like that. To his surprise it did.

Status

Name – Kenneth Galloway

Race – Human

Level – 1

Tier - .33

Class – N/A

Skill Tree – Defense

Tier – 1

Stat Talent – Endurance

Skill Tree – Power

Tier – N/A

Stat Talent – N/A

Skill Tree – Support

Tier – N/A

Stat Talent – N/A

Stats

Health Points – 100/100

Mana Points – 80/80

Stamina Points – 130/130

Strength – 9

Agility – 8

Endurance – 13

Vitality – 10

Intelligence – 8

Wisdom – 8

Perception – 8

Willpower – 15

Free Stat Points: 0

Free Skill Points: 0

 

After finishing up reading, he asked a question out loud thinking it was inside his head. “Why is my Tier point thirty-three?”

“That’s because you’ve only awakened one of the three Skill Trees,” the girl responded.

Kenny turned to look at her and blinked a few times. He hadn’t realized he asked the question out loud, so when he heard her reply it kind of surprised him. He noticed she was looking at something and wasn’t paying any attention to him. As she did this he heard the teenage girl muttering, “Hm, I see. Majority of your stats seem to be bordering less than average to average. Vitality is the right amount. Endurance has been adjusted, that’s good. Willpower…that makes sense after everything you’ve been through…”

Kenny looked at her after registering what she had said. Apparently, his eights and lone nine weren’t the greatest and were bordering on less than average. That didn’t instill any confidence after realizing that. He was glad his Vitality wasn’t in that danger. As for his Endurance, from the comment she had made it was probably at an eleven before he got his Stat Talent in it unlocked. If that was the case, then maybe his other Stat Talents would increase whichever stat it tied to which gave him some hope on his stats gaining better numbers. Although he wasn’t sure how the numbers worked, he was sure he would figure it out on his own sooner or later.

The last thing she said caught him off guard though. What did she know about what he went through and how did she know it? There should have been no way she would know anything about him and his life. She must have seen the confusion on his face because shortly after looking at him she said, “Ah, Vessie informed me what she saw before meeting up with you. It wouldn’t be hard to figure out the rest after that.”

“Figuring out the rest? What do you…,” Kenny started to ask, but was cut off as the teenage girl swiftly said, “Alright now onto the item bag and weapons of choice. There are only two left. The bags contain almost the same thing as each other. Some nondecaying food, a flask of water, a few health, mana, and stamina potions, the basic versions. A sleep roll you can use to sleep in and a pillow. The only thing that is different between the two bags is the starting armor you will get that depends on the weapon of your choice. Now take a look and pick carefully.”

Two pedestals suddenly shot up from the ground as two items appeared on each of them. The first one had a crooked wooden stick that Kenny assumed was probably a wand. Behind it was a dark bluish-purple backpack. The backpack wasn’t big and had a flap over the top with one strap to keep it tied to the bag.

As he stared at the stick and bag two screens suddenly appeared before him.

[Basic Wooden Wand. (Common)]

[Basic wand a person can channel their mana through to shoot out a basic magic shot. Does not require the person using the wand to have any abilities in magic. However, do note that using the wand drains five points of Mana with each use. Gives a +2 to Intelligence and + 1 to Wisdom.]

[Beginner Mage’s Bag. (Common)]

[A common storage bag given to someone who chooses the wand as their weapon. Not as big or heavy as the Beginner’s Fighter Bag. Storage amount is small.]  

Kenny was surprised to see the screens giving out this information, but then remembered what he had learned in school. Everyone who was associated with the Tower was given this ability to identify stuff without needing to get it as a skill. However, this only gave basic information on stuff. If he wanted more details on things he needed the appropriate skill or ability for it.

While it was good to know that he could use the wand regardless of whether he had any magical abilities or not and increased his Intelligence and Wisdom; he also understood that the wand probably wasn’t the best weapon for him. Not only that, but if the armor was associated with the weapon then he would probably get some kind of robe as equipment. With his ability and Stat Talent, a robe and wand wasn’t the ideal choice. However, that could change depending on what the other choice was.

The other pedestal had two rolls of white clothes. They looked thin and the width looked to be about two inches which made him realize they were hand wraps. He was familiar with hand wraps thanks to his father training him in self-defense as a kid. The backpack behind the wraps was a greenish leather hiking styled backpack with a bedroll attached underneath it.

[Basic Hand Wraps. (Common)]

[Basic hand wraps that cover the user’s hands and wrists as well as part of their forearms. Allows the user to protect their hands when they punch things. However, do note that using these hand wraps will not protect you taking recoil damage when fighting against thick skinned or armored opponents. Gives a + 2 to Strength and + 1 to Endurance.]

[Beginner Fighter’s Pack. (Common)]

[A common storage pack given to someone who chooses the Basic Hand Wraps as their weapon. Slightly bigger than the Beginner Mage’s bag, allows user to store their bedroll outside of the bag allowing a free space.]   

Kenny nodded his head after reading that. While the Beginner Mage’s bag was good being lighter, whether that really matter or not, this one gave you a free space since the bedroll didn’t take up that space.

His thoughts then shifted towards the hand wraps. If he was being honest, he was actually surprised there was something like this available. He felt that these would be the perfect choice for him since he was used to wearing them and have trained in hand to hand combat. He was slightly hesitant though due to the warning about taking recoil damage when fighting harder skinned or armored opponents, but if he could mitigate that with his Endurance stat then the issue would resolve itself, right?

If his guess so far was correct with what type of build he would be doing, after awakening and unlocking the rest of his Skill Trees, Focuses, and Stat Talents, he would either be a tank type class or a melee fight. Using these Basic Hand Wraps now wouldn’t affect him in the long haul of things.

Making his decision he pointed a finger at the Basic Hand Wraps and said, “I choose this bag.”

The teenage girl paused for a moment making Kenny feel like maybe he screwed up on his choice. However, after that brief pause went away, the teenage girl smiled as the pedestal with the wand and bag disappeared, and said, “Alright then. Sorry about the wait. I went ahead and put in a few more Health, Mana, and Stamina Potions from the other bag since you have a long road ahead of you and will probably be by yourself for a while.”

Kenny felt relief wash over him as he understood why she hadn’t moved or say anything. He then paused himself as the question of how she was able to do what she said she did was possible. No one should have the power or authority to do that. Before he could ask, the teenage girl swiftly said, “Alright. Hurry up and change. You have a long journey ahead of you and standing there looking like a deer caught in the headlights won’t help you get to where you need to go.”

A bright white wall suddenly shot up, separating them. Taking the hint, Kenny opened the bag and went to reach a hand into it but stopped as another screen appeared before him.

[Basic Health Potion x 15. Basic Mana Potion x 15. Basic Stamina Potion x 15. Refillable Water Flask. Basic Wheat Bread x 21. Basic Canned Soup (Mixed Vegetables and Meat) x 21. Basic Flint. Bundle of Sticks (Common) x 3. Basic Fighter Shirt (Common). Basic Fighter Cloth Shorts (Common). Basic Fighter Shoes (Common).]

Kenny quickly placed a finger on all the items he wanted to take out and after he was finished a new screen appeared asking if his choices were correct. When he mentally said yes, the equipment suddenly appeared right on the pedestal.

The boots were just a regular pair of dark leather-like materialled boots, nothing too fancy. The shorts were the same. A pair of dark clothed shorts that barely went over his knees. The shirt was his main concern though. After looking at it, he was confused and thought maybe this bag was meant for a woman rather than a guy.

It was a small shirt that looked like it would only cover most of his chest and half of his biceps. It also looked like it would be too tight due to the size of it. However, after loudly asking about it and receiving his answer after a long giggle, he found out that this was how all the basic fighter shirts. Well at least any women who chose this bag couldn’t complain since men were also getting the same treatment.

After considering his life choice and changing shirts he found the shirt very comfortable. It didn’t feel constrictive, nor would it easily roll up on him like he first thought it would. The material used to make it also made him feel that it was breathable. Like he wouldn’t get too sweaty and have it trapped within while wearing it. He still felt like an idiot for wearing a shirt this small, but if that’s how the armor was then that’s how it was. His only other option was to wear the shirt he came here with, and he really didn’t want to get that shirt ruined.

After changing all his clothes, placing his old into the pack, and tightening the Basic Hand Wraps. Kenny looked over his stats once more.

Stats

Health Points – 100/100

Mana Points – 80/80

Stamina Points – 170/170

Strength – 9 (+2)

Agility – 8 (+1)

Endurance – 13 (+4)

Vitality – 10

Intelligence – 8

Wisdom – 8

Perception – 8

Willpower - 15

  While many of his stats didn’t change, he did receive an increase in a couple. While he knew about the increase of Strength thanks to the hand wraps, he received a single point to his Agility thanks to the shoes. The other three points he received in Endurance was thanks to his shirt and shorts armor. Something he would gladly welcome.

After inspecting his new stats, the wall that separated him and the teenaged girl suddenly dropped. She looked him over twice before nodding and saying, “Looks good. Now that you are all equipped and ready to go, I will teleport you to the Trial Grounds starting point. I wish you all the best, even though I know you will do well.”

Kenny felt power start to surround all around him as the familiar lines that formed underneath his feet earlier started to appear. With a panic, Kenny suddenly remembered a question he wanted to ask. One he had forgotten to ask the woman before being teleported. “I’m sorry for being rude this whole time.”

The teenaged girl looked confused as the power around then grew more.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“Your name,” Kenny replied. “I never asked what your name was.”

The teenaged girl smiled warmly as she looked at him with gratefulness. “Ayla. My name is Ayla. Thank you for asking.”

Kenny smiled. He then nodded and said right before being whisked away, “Thank you Ayla.”

Ayla stared at the spot where Kenny was once at. Her form started shifting, growing slightly older, but not too old. Her height grew a few inches as well as some areas of her body. She was quite surprised at the form she had taken. Even though it was caused due to Kenny’s perception, this form still felt new to her. Many perceived her to be a small child, a loving elder, a way too attractive young woman, or even a loving motherly figure.

The different forms she took had different meanings. The child meant that they were either childish or wanted someone to protect. The elderly grandmother like appearance meant they wanted someone wise who would guide them. The way too attractive young woman figure meant they were searching for someone to love. The loving motherly figure meant they yearned for the motherly love they didn’t have growing up.

If she was honest, she was expecting the latter two to be the case for Kenny. She was hoping the way too attractive woman wouldn’t be the case since she hated the attention she received while in it. She had more money on the motherly one due to his experience with his stepmother, but the teenager…That one was extremely rare for her to take.

Taking the form of a teenager close to their age meant deep down they were looking for someone they could relate to. To form a friendship of equal responsibilities. For someone who grew up having so much responsibility and didn’t want it anymore, he subconsciously knew that he would never be absconded from all of it. So, wanting to find someone who could share in it was an understandable thing.

Also, sure, the teenager close in age form could also be a sign they wished to find someone they could form a loving relationship one day and would lead to the attractive woman form; however, she could tell that wasn’t what he subconsciously needed. Of course, he would never know any of this until later or maybe even never, but it still felt good to know he perceived her like this.

A smile teased her lips as she said in an angelic voice, “I believe there was another who made me take this form in this batch. I wonder…if they were to meet if they would be what the other needs?”