Chapter 17: Congratulations

‘Well, that’s better than I feared, but not nearly as positive as I might have hoped’ I thought. “Okay Bluebird, call it an 80 percent chance that it will get better without doing anything. But can you help me understand something else? Even without memories, I have lots of stuff that I ‘KNOW’, and I don’t feel like my brain is thoroughly juvenile.”

More tapping, well, quiet tapping, not a clacking, tap tap tap. Then a smile and more melodic Bluebird voice. “Hmmm, guess what? No one is sure, but it has been noted before. Reroll folks don’t come back lacking. Soooo, long story short? The System want’s rerolls to be aspirational and interesting. Records show the least expensive reroll is 10,000 experience. It is Lesser Reroll, per the records, which has generated some incredible individuals.” The guild rep stared into space for a moment before continuing. “Monday, most reroll information is from over 100 years ago. At that time there were over 5 times as many System Users in Cecal as there are now. Almost no one now will save even a fifth of that much experience at a time, so the System can’t acquire the amount of experience from users that it once did.”

“But with less experience from System Users and fewer System Users, how does that even work?”

“Things keep on keeping on, so ask the System?” Closing their eyes for a moment, they took a deep breath and continued. “Sorry, the System has been getting experience from additional sources for years. I’m not positive how it is making it up, or if there is a problem. Mostly what I wanted to say is that an expensive ability is valuable. The system isn’t trying to exploit the buyer, because it wants the buyer to be happy and have the same buyer, or other buyers, also buy it or other expensive things. Basic commerce.”

“Okay, but how does that make sense of me? I think I’m supposed to be about maybe 10-13 in normal human age, possibly a little older or even younger, but I don’t sound like it, or think like it. Or at least I think so.”

“Well, you don’t particularly look like it either, maybe a very fit but slightly late to develop 14 or 15? But if you didn’t have obvious advantages, would other System Users be tempted to buy what you did? My guess is that you bought an expensive reroll and got perks, maybe higher base abilities, maybe more complete personality encoding. Speaking of perks, can we talk about what you do have? As my Oath states, I will keep your secrets.”

Wondering if I was throwing away my secrets I nodded. “Okay, looking out to keep from harming me as your Oath dictates, what should I share, or should I share everything. If so, what is the best way to do so?”

The guild rep simply nodded. “To give the best advice I should know everything. If we party I can look at your stats with permission. Or you can simply answer what I ask. A little slower, but… Monday, just fill me in. Probably the best way.”

I listed my status and Bluebird commenced to ask me questions until they had accurately recreated it in full.

“Impressive, I can understand why you had no issues bringing Buckle here. Did you manage to acquire any stats, skills or experience during the night?”

“Yeah, one to all my stats, and those 4 skill levels.”

Blink, blink, perplexed look, blink. “So you had 203 experience when you started?”

“200, I have an experience bonus.”

“25%?!”

“Only 20%, it appears to round up.”

My brain flooded with light and tingles before a standard interface with the System appeared. A style with which I was already familiar.

For once I was the one who sought out Bluebird’s eyes. “I just got a reward for confirming experience bonus math, and a bonus for doing so without requesting a reward.”

Bluebird listened, blinked, shook their head, then facepalmed with such ferocity that I was concerned they had injured themselves.

“Monday March, may I ask you to accept less complete information that might… hinder you slightly, but only if I believe it will help all of the System Users, and yourself in the long run?”

While it sounded like giving something up, maybe it might help more than hurt. But… “Why?”

The guild rep ran their fingers through their short blue hair. “I’m guessing this is a chance, and that people have been so greedy for so long that… To be effective, it should likely remain a secret, even from you” Bluebird took a long slow measured breath and continued talking. “No, I simply am not sure. I won’t lie to you. I’m being offered less experience than what you already have just to help you out, and the reward for helping seems like a big windfall to me. You just got a large bonus for acting as you choose while not knowing some of the guidelines the guild teaches to all affiliated System Users. I’d rather not teach you things that could end up making things harder for you. Does that make sense?”

“Sure, it makes sense. Unfortunately I may already know too much, if affiliated System Users are probably taught to charge for information. Having heard that, It will probably make it less likely for me to get further rewards for doing so. Depending on how the System even knows? Like if it knows I do it expecting a reward? But I don’t even know what it means to be affiliated as opposed to non-affiliated. I think I at least need to know the rules.”

“Maybe? Sorry.” Bluebird winced and their eyes flickered away from mine. “I’ll make sure you know the rules, but maybe not guidelines that could hinder you. Since you asked, Guild affiliated System Users are considered members in some standing. Unaffiliated System Users are simply not associated with the Guild, having retired, or gained System access through a non-standard method. Currently you are unaffiliated, you get to make your choices as to how you want to interact with the Guild. And while there are lots of advantages to joining, it is not all positive. Until you can spend your experience, you are unable to become affiliated anyhow, so it isn’t an immediate choice to make.”

I just nodded trying to process my situation yet knowing how much more I had to learn. But first. “So in 200 years, no one told a guild master that an Experience bonus rounded up?”

“Things change, it is entirely possible that Experience bonus percentages did not behave that way previously…” More tapping, “Triple confirmation in the first two decades of Guild operation that it rounded down. Also, most recorded Experience bonus sources come from classes, which are generally held in low regard, so not much current testing. Also, if a Syssy did admit to having a class, or noticed the information in a different way, they might hope to sell or profit on it. And giving the info to the guild might not be the most rewarding choice.”

Shaking her head, Bluebird changed the subject. “Okay, before we go into other things that you asked, your status has several positive Boons, some of which are rare and quite good. Your bloodline is very rare, I imagine powerful, and complete; it’s even possible that there are evolutions for it, er, meaning that it can become more powerful. Other than lacking memories and your Bane, you appear to be all upside as far as the System and status goes. Additionally your Bane impacts only yourself and you may be able to manage it with some clever trait choices, skills, magic or items.”

Bluebird reviewed the wording of Inverted Sobriety. “You may even be able to petition for forgiveness, but I don’t know who the COI is, and they don’t seem inclined to forgive based on the note you shared.”

“Yeah, I thought that myself. I’d like to know about the things you think might help, but that makes me wonder if my past self was out of other options and had tried everything already.”

“Hard to say.” Said the slim person as they leaned back in their chair. “Might have been old as well, or in some kind of danger and thought this could solve more than one problem with just one purchase.”

Bluebird redirected the conversation to other aspects of my status. “You said that you gained 1 to all of your unlocked Statistics and 4 new Skills, that right?”

I nodded.

“So, how much did you do yesterday that would qualify as maybe using those skills?”

I thought about it for a minute. “Hours for the Axe and Chores, maybe 30 minutes or so for sewing, well maybe an hour, it was late. As for Mana Perception, under a minute.”

There was a long pause from Bluebird before they continued. “Are you sure it was under a minute? And did you do anything specific to use your Mana or increase it?”

“I'm kind of sure, but not positive.” I said as a shook my head. “Buckle showed me making water and I watched the ripples from his Mana. I don’t think I did either of those other things.”

“Okay then, I’m going to run a little test. I’m going to run a thread of Mana between my hands. I’ll warn you and want you to watch for it. Once you see it, nod so I know you can see it, then try to move it with your mind. It might feel like blowing it with a light breeze, or pulling on a string with an imaginary hand, or anything really. I only want you to try it for 30 seconds. Once that is over I don’t want you to try anything like it until tomorrow. That’s super important for the test, Okay?” Bluebird sounded even more serious than when they had been questioning me with the Truthstone.

“Okay, Bluebird. I’m ready.” Since I didn’t need to succeed, I wasn’t really worried about it.

Holding their hands about a half a meter apart and above the desk, Bluebird focused for a few seconds and then spoke. “Go ahead.”