Delving into the darkest depths he had ever seen, David noticed that the water was slowly getting colder. Arcane Missile didn’t really help, for he could cast one every minute to keep the Source Poisoning low, and the system of tunnels was complex.

He thought back at the question posed to him by Old-Randy: At the end of the day, did I face my problems head-on, or did I outsmart them?

Thinking about that, he activated Source Sight. It was completely useless. The Sight did not give him the ability to look into the darkness; it seemed that he still needed the light if he wanted to see, for the Source fire wasn’t really fire; it did not produce any form of light.

So David stopped, holding himself up on the tunnel’s ceiling, and he thought about what to do.

He had already traveled a while, spent a few long minutes in the waters, and he was starting to get cold. He needed to answer his question.

The man had the tools to do it, but which one would be smart enough to do its job?

“Smart-” he blabbed, which came out as bubbles from his mouth.

It was the answer to his question. Acting smart at the end of the day would solve the problems, or at least it would do so now. Until then, he had been tackling his problems head-on and driven by primordial impulses—solving them the easy way, the mindless way. It still was a way of solving problems, but he knew he could have and should have done so better.

So, right then, what would solve his problem? Only one weird alternative came to his mind, still an improbable one, but it was better than nothing.

Thus, David chose.

The Source

Arcane Missile is promoted to Homing Arcane Missile; the next available Rank-up will be at Skill level 40. Skill level has been reset.

Arcane Mastery reaches Level 1.

 

Homing Arcane Missile (Fast Magic-Skill) reaches level 1. 1% Well filling per cast. 1% increased missile agility.

 

He felt, but couldn’t clearly see, that the ring around his wrist shifted to adapt to the new form it had taken.

David had forgotten the Skill would reset, but it was really good. He pumped his fist in the air, meeting rock, and whimpered; a bubbly “Ouch…” came out from his mouth.

Then he tried his improved Skill right away; he had a vague idea of what he wanted to do with it.

Dave imagined his hypothetical target to be the tunnel’s end. Then he placed his hand forward and conjured the missile.

The little arrow shot forth, lightning the dark tunnel with its dim light. David could already see that the missile was about to reach the end of the tunnel in front of him; instead, it curved, then went on, leaving a slowly disappearing trail of light illuminating the path.

He smiled, then understood that he was waiting like a fool as the light diminished. He wandered ahead, diving into the dimming light.

The process repeated a couple more times, and at some point, the tunnel became so long that he could see his projectile lose effectiveness entirely and shimmer away into nothingness, or better, into Source particles.

Still, what paved before him, were many tunnels, and he had been told to take the second one—not the first, but the second one.

There were two “second ones”…one in front of the other.

It felt weird that the Fay had lied to him or forgotten; it didn’t feel right. Had he maybe already passed through a tunnel and hadn’t noticed, was the lonely exit that preceded the double tunnel the one he was looking for?

Would David need to go back to check? Maybe he could just take a look, and if he didn’t like what he saw, he could go back. So he did exactly that.

Shooting another missile, David went through the tunnel and quickly found himself facing a mirror of water that was clearly reflecting light.

He quickly swam to the top and surreptitiously looked through it.

What paved before him was not a cave; it was a huge hall with bark walls.

It was clear that he was inside of some enormous tree. However, the first thing that he noticed was not the bark, nor was it the fact that he was in a gargantuan tree; the first thing he noticed was the buzzing.

Massive bee-looking creatures, in the hundreds, buzzed around the area, an enormous bee-hive-looking thing was linked to the tree’s inner top-most limit.

A huge collector made in some sort of leather that remembered to him the clothes Erin used was laid down on the ground beneath the bee-hive. Slowly, the golden syrupy substance he had eaten trickled down from the hive and collected itself on the leathery veil.

It didn’t seem dangerous, but with bees or their alien cousins, one could never know.

He was about to leave and descended back down the abyss when something flying barged into the room. It looked like an aggressive bee, but instead of being golden like the ones belonging to the bee-hive, it was dark blue.

 

Voracious Wasper

Level: 4

 

Although it looked as small as his hand, the creature had a name given to it by the Source. It was likely that the creature was a Sourceborn.

It quickly started attacking the bees. It was much stronger than them. It clutched one and cut it in half with the plier attached to its bottom.

“What a prat!” Dave almost shouted at the wasp-thing.

Yet, looking around, he understood that it wasn’t the first attack the bees had received. There were more than a few bisected bees on the ground.

He knew what he had to do and just had the tools for it.

So the Deviant raised his hand toward the Voracious Wasper and shot an improved Arcane Missile.

The missile traveled through the air, curving around one of the bees that were trying to defend the bee-hive and impacted the Wasper right on.

The creature dropped through the air but then quickly recovered its balance.

“We’ve got ourselves a tough little knob, eh?” Yet David could not abuse his Arcane Missile, but he was in the water, and since his Skill cost reset, he could still cast a couple of them.

Once again, he oriented the hand to the Wasper and shot.

His wrist circle illuminated his whole hand, and from his palm, the Arcane Missile left with haste and shot toward the creature, once, twice, thrice.

He could not do more than that; he found himself with 4.3% Well. He had to retire.

Still, the Wasper couldn’t escape his barrage; each projectile hit it, one after the other; the projectile slammed against the creature, making it bounce in the air, then finally it landed on the ground, defeated.

 

Voracious Wasper - Corpse

Level: 4

 

At last, it was dead. Still, Dave received no level up. It was likely that leveling up wasn’t as quick as he thought.

He had gained one full level in his Class by defeating the Night Impit, but the thing was level nineteen.

If he wanted to level up, he would probably have to defeat such a strong creature by himself again. He just hoped he didn’t have to, for if he could help it, slowly leveling up was better than putting his life on the line. Which fool that had an alternative would instead choose to risk his life for something like that? Indeed, Dave was a fool but not that kind of fool; he was the kind of fool that went chasing skirts and lied to himself about his feelings.

In David’s mind, risking your life only had to be done for something worthy of it. Like protecting a person, he wanted to take to bed- err—a person he held dear, or more simply, protecting a person from harm.

Still, the Source was not okay with him, as it surely answered his new prowess with another Quest.

 

The Source - Quest

Source Quest! Protect the bee-hive from the aggressive Voracious Waspers.

Upon completion, you'll reach Level 3 and receive as many Skill-Level Tokens as the number of Waspers you have defeated.

 

“Ah... Bloody hell... I got a Quest." Dave scoffed. The quest was surely going to slow him down. "What are these Skill-Level Tokens?”

 

The Source

Skill-Level Tokens are a rare currency that feeds knowledge about the chosen Skill to the user’s mind. Only Source Quests can provide Skill-Level Tokens.

 

That was more than intriguing.

“Alright, toss ‘em. I’m ready,” David said, then he summoned his Status.

 

Status

Name: Deviant (David Anderson) Son

Blessing: Blessing of The Source (Unique) – Resilience + 1 every Level

Title: Trespasser (Unique): Locked

Level: 2

Arcanist, Class level: 2

Class Perks: Source Sight

 

Attributes

Health: 100%

Stamina: 89%

Well: 4%

 

Alacrity: 5

Constitution: 5

Perception: 4

Strength: 5

Mind: 9

Resilience: 10

Charisma: 4

 

Attribute points: 0

 

“Alright, maybe I’m not, but I’ll be standing right here, so go ahead.”

 

***

 

The first Wasper appeared after five minutes. It seemed that the Source was not generating them; it simply triggered the Quest for him. David realized that the Source was really just trying to stabilize his environment. Maybe it really was just trying to balance David’s way too low level for his age and mind.

It was the only explanation he could give to himself. He knew much too little about it, and he had spent most of his time trying to survive and exercising in a small pool of water, surrounded only by children and young adults trying their best to evade him.

Freeing himself from such useless thoughts, David pointed his hand, and this time, he aimed at the Waspers’ head.

It took him two hits to crush it.

Homing Arcane Missile (Fast Magic-Skill) reaches level 2. 1.1% Well filling per cast. 2% increased missile agility.

Better than nothing.

Yet Dave soon had to duck, for he had no idea that another Wasper had already entered the tree trunk and was shooting for his face.

Dave threw himself in the water, trying his best to remain as hidden as possible.

The Wasper kept buzzing on top of the mirror of water for a while; it was clear that it couldn’t swim.

However, David couldn’t answer nor attack, for it took it minutes to disperse 1% percent of his well in the waters. He could only stay there, under the water, trying his best to push himself down, not to emerge.

Minutes passed, and he was ready to attack the Wasper that still flew above his head and above the mirror of water when an unexpected Skill leveled up.

Stealth has reached level 2. Mask your presence to other beings with 2% efficiency.

That was when David remembered that indeed, as games had their cheats, so did life. Some were just better than others at discovering them and using them to their best.

David spent the next half an hour hiding under the water, trying to find the best way in which to hide his presence to the Wasper.

Stealth has reached level 5. Mask your presence to other beings with 5% efficiency.

He was starting to feel rather cold in the still, barely, lukewarm water when the Wasper finally went back to his bee hunting.

David got out of the waters the very next moment.

His arms, his shoulders, and back hurt for the effort of keeping himself down, but it was the only thing he could do.

He saw two Waspers damaging the bee-hive, the one that had been haunting him and another one had joined it in its adventure.

David took his chance to shoot four Arcane Missiles in quick succession, two per Wasper’s head. They deleted them just like that; the two bodies dropped from the air and plopped to the ground with no audible sound.

A minute passed, and no new Wasper joined the scene, but the Quest had yet to be cleared.

So David did the most intelligent thing he could do, he got out of the water and headed to the syrupy substance that was collecting on the ground. All that swimming had made him rather tired and hungry. The syrup was quickly digestible and gave him a lot of energy that had proven itself true since he had already eaten it.

Stealth flaring, Dave toddled along to the golden substance and ate from it until he felt full. Then he headed back, sitting with his feet in the waters and his body outside of it. He checked if it did the trick and, indeed, it did. He had bought himself a little air time.

The bees mainly had retired back into the beehive because of the aggression, but it was barely five minutes later that four Waspers joined in the fun.

David smiled, then he launched a homing Missile at one of them, dropping it down.

Homing Arcane Missile (Fast Magic-Skill) reaches level 3. 1.2% Well filling per cast. 3% increased missile agility.

One hit—one lucky kill. Still, he had obtained his objective; he had taunted all the Waspers, freeing the beehive from trouble—for the moment.

The moment they reached him, he dove behind the waters, then started flaring Stealth once more.

Seeing the Waspers move about in the air trying to get to him, trying to dive in the mirror of water but never reaching the pool, and retiring at the last minute was almost elating.

A few minutes went by as he lost himself in hiding his presence.

Stealth has reached level 6. Mask your presence to other beings with 6% efficiency.

Stealth has reached level 7. Mask your presence to other beings with 7% efficiency.

The second time he received the Skill level-up message, he was brought out of his reverie.

The Waspers had also left, and he was there alone, with his Well entirely emptied.

Dave wondered what would happen if he called for more Waspers if he hid from more of them. He didn’t have to wonder much about it, for when he rose his head, the tree’s insides had been practically invaded by them.

Peeking over, he saw that the bee-looking creatures had barricaded themselves into the bee-hive, and although a few more than he liked had fallen, the rest didn't dare come out at all. Only Voracious Waspers moved about; there were at least twenty of them.

He could indeed do something very intelligent with what he was given without having to waste time, but he had to risk it.

Dave had to expose himself, at least partially. But even if he didn’t manage to do what he was planning in one try, it wouldn’t mean he had failed. However, his plan required steps. Step one was, leveling up.

Still, inside of the waters, Dave visualized the closest among the wasps, then targeting their heads with his mind, he cast four Arcane Missiles, each one aimed at a different Wasper.

All four of them fell, and he was finally rewarded. But he didn’t have time to check, so he dove back under the waters.

 

The Source

Your Class level reaches 2.

Mind + 1, Resilience + 1. You receive 1 Attribute point

 

Congratulations. You have unlocked Arcane Wave.

Arcane Wave reaches level 1. 5.1% Well filling per cast. 2.99 seconds of cooldown.

David reached an impasse; he had forgotten he would be given a free Attribute point. But he had learned from the Myst-caller’s advice. He could indeed act smart if he wanted it to.

He could place his free Attribute point into Resilience and quickly reach the amount of Resilience that would allow him to survive, or he would do something better, he could give himself time, for each quest brought him closer to the Resilience he needed to survive, with his Blessing of the Source he did not really have to waste points into it, and the same could be said for his Class, it fed Resilience automatically.

No, he had to be wise; he was a new David; he was now David the White—no, no, David the Arcanist.

So he placed his free Attribute point into Mind. Then called for his Status.

 

Status

Name: Deviant (David Anderson) Son

Blessing: Blessing of The Source (Unique) – Resilience + 1 every Level

Title: Trespasser (Unique): Locked

Level: 2

Arcanist, Class level: 2

Class Perks: Source Sight

 

Attributes

Health: 100%

Stamina: 100%

Well: 4.7%

 

Alacrity: 5

Constitution: 5

Perception: 4

Strength: 5

Mind: 11

Resilience: 11

Charisma: 4

 

He had more than doubled his Mind parameter since he had appeared in that world. But he couldn't help but wonder if he had become twice as smart or if Attributes worked just like Skill; maybe his overall intellect or the ability to utilize his sapience to the fullest had increased by a determined percentage—another question to ask Erin.

Still, David had successfully gotten the attention of all the Waspers. Now, all that he had left to do was wait.

The plan in his mind kept taking shape as he let himself descend into a state of mindlessness.

It was something he had never really felt before…

He was slowly detaching from the world he was staring at through the water. The Voracious creatures idly passed by the mirror of water, one after the other, sometimes in tandem, sometimes alone, sometimes all of them together, yet they started leaving. One after the other, the Waspers left.

David simply looked at them through the water as they left. By the time he recognized that the state of mindlessness likely came from using Stealth, his Skill had leveled up thrice, and all the Waspers had left him alone.

Stealth has reached level 10. Mask your presence to other beings with 10% efficiency.

He wondered if he was obtaining Skill levels ups too quickly or if they were only catching up with his life experiences. It was probable that the second option was more likely. Yet, it was time for him to enact his plan.

Trying to remain in his Stealth mindset, David slowly got out of the water, then looked around, the Waspers were focused on the bee-hive.

He could initiate his plan, yet it was still dangerous, so he had to try and stay in Stealth.

Breathing as slowly as possible, David called forth the Archives.

They materialized in front of him, and he shifted them about so that he was facing directly in front of the Archives section that concerned Arcane Wave.

Placing the magic circle in front of his vision, David started drawing the circle on the ground by the water.

He had to take frequent breaks, and went back into the water to hide, and cleanse himself from the Source Poisoning.

It took him more than half an hour, which was much better than the time it took him to draw the circle of Arcane Aegis; it was much more complex as a magic circle, but it was still an incredible advancement.

Drawing reaches level 6. Increase your hands' ability to follow your mind's image by 6%.

He had to thank his new Skill for it. It would have been doable without it, but it was still a substantial quality of life improvement.

When David was comfortable with the circle, he drove back down in the water to fully cleanse himself of the Poisoning; he was ready.

With 0% poisoning and hoping it would suffice, he dove out of the water, then positioned himself near the circle and started attracting the Waspers' attention.

"Hey, knobheads!" David bellowed. He actually had to call for their attention twice, but he got what he wanted in the end.

The Waspers turned toward him as a true swarm would, all together.

They launched at him, then David started counting, more to bolster himself than anything.

"3...2...1…!"

When the swarm was too close for comfort and directly near him, David placed his foot on the magic circle and summoned the Arcane Wave.

The magical attack, releasing from the center of the magic circle, traveled through the air as a wide conical-shaped wave of azure-ish energy. It washed over almost all the Waspers at the same time.

Arcane Wave reaches level 3. 5.2% Well filling per cast. 2.98 seconds of cooldown.

Many Waspers were hurled left or right, many others were flung aside or in the water nearby, and some more fell on the ground losing consciousness.

At first impression, it was clear that just a few of them, maybe those closest to the center, those that fell on the magic circle drawn on the ground, had received enough damage to die on the spot.

The wave of energy had dispersed the magic circle, which was not a good thing, but David expected it. Still, he did not let that chance go by for he couldn’t repeat it. He had to act quickly. He attacked the creatures that had remained alive and were convulsing on the ground, stomping on them with his feet or cracking their shells.

"So much violet shite inside of these things..." he said as he felt his feet covered in the creature's insides.

Still, he stomped on every single one of the still-living Waspers. David could easily take care of those that had remained alive; they were the ones that had fallen into the water; he just had to dive back into the water and get rid of them with his hands, so he dove, yet only then did he understand that he had messed up.

The waters started becoming violet, the same dark purple that colored his veins when he abused the Source.

The ugly color started tainting the waters fast, traveling beyond just a few meters deep and expanding faster than he thought possible.

Had he ruined that precious environment forever?

"Bollocks…"