Hunger: A LitRPG Adventure (Unbound Book 3), page 22
"First, a question," Cal asked while stepping closer. "How much pain can you handle?"
This time, it was Felix who grinned.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Training, Cal had said moments before, is about pushing your limits.
Felix stood in the sandy arena, breathing heavily and wincing at the two cuts to his left shoulder and right pectoral. He had wisely chosen to strip down to his trousers and boots alone. Harn stood across the way, wearing his simple tunic and pants, but also breathing heavily. The two silver axes he held in his grip shimmered, the faint crimson sheen of Felix's blood adding to their aura of menace.
How much can you handle?
Felix charged forward in an attempt to catch the man off guard, and threw a Corrosive Strike. Harn blocked it with an axe, diverting the blow to the side and swinging his other weapon low.
Felix simply jumped, breaking contact and launching himself up by fifteen feet. Relentless Charge sent him hurtling back toward the ground, where he landed with an explosive blast. Sand burst upward, and the stone floor beneath shattered, sending shrapnel flying everywhere.
Before the cloud cleared, Harn burst through the sand swinging. Felix dodged his blows, barely, his Agility just enough to avoid Harn's obvious Axe Mastery. But only if he focused his entire attention on it and fought defensively.
Dodge is level 32!
He grunted and used his fists to punch the hafts of Harn's weapons, sending them backward for a half-second. He lashed out with a kick.
Harn took the kick straight to the chest, and for a brief moment the warrior's eyes widened in surprise. Then he tumbled backward, smashing into and through the crude wooden barrier of the arena.
"You see that?" Yan crowed, slapping the barrier. "Kid just knocked down Onslaught!"
"Just wait," smiled Cal in a way that annoyed Felix. The others had all crowded around them when they found out Harn was sparring with him. Felix even spotted Kelgan eating some sort of kabob.
Harn got back up to his feet and laughed ruefully, rubbing his chest. "Damn fine kick. Nearly broke a rib."
"Wouldn't want that," Felix smiled and beckoned Harn back into the ring. "Hate for this to be over so soon."
"Gettin' cocky, eh?" Harn grinned. "I like it."
Without warning, Harn whipped his left arm forward. Felix leaped to the side, kicking up another fountain of sand as the spinning silver disc hurtled toward him. Felix met Harn who was already there somehow, his other axe mid-swing.
Shit!
Reign of Vellus!
A blast of lightning arced between the two of them, coiling around Harn's arm and axe. For an instant, both of their movements slowed to a crawl, before a concussive force launched them away from each other. Sand exploded upward in a geyser of granules, while Felix dropped his left arm and spread his legs to control his backward slide. A faint tingle of pain raced up his nerves, but it wasn't entirely crippling. Apparently that was bordering on Acrobatics territory. Good to know.
The sand drifted slowly to the ground, and Felix pushed his Perception to the limit. He could hear the pitter-patter of falling particles, the excited breathing of the people crowding the barricade nearest him, and smell the raging humidity of the storm outside. But as the dust cleared, he saw no sign of Harn.
Pit shrieked.
Above!
With a surge of Mana, Felix thrust his hands upward, dislodging a burst of sand all around him as four arcing pillars of stone crashed into place. Just in time. Harn's falling axe blasted into and through one of the pillars, shearing to the side and away from Felix's body. The man himself landed atop the rushed construction, easily destroying it with another strike, but Felix had already darted out.
"Tch," Harn said, spinning his axes atop the wreckage. "Almost had you, kid."
Felix didn't answer and instead sounded the pattern of another Stone Shaping. With a grunt, the destroyed pillars reformed and burst from underneath Harn. The man shouted in alarm as a blunt block of stone blasted him in the leg, falling backward before getting struck by two more. The impact cracked through the air, almost explosive, and Harn was thrown once more.
He landed heavily in the dirt, ten feet away.
"Avet's own," murmured Yan.
Felix was panting heavily as he regarded Harn. Doubt wriggled in his guts as the man laid there for a few seconds longer, but eased once he rolled to his feet. Harn..his arm and shoulder were covered in deep fissures, as if he were made of stone himself. As Felix watched, the cracks sealed back up into unmarked flesh.
Harn grunted in clear annoyance and brandished his axes. Felix felt a surge of Mana flare, an orange vapor gathering around the warrior's fists. The sand erupted behind Harn as he accelerated forward, axes swinging. Felix activated Relentless Charge and went to meet him.
Harn shouted something, but Felix couldn't make it out. The orange vapor around his fists spiraled outward, wrapping around his twin axes in a peculiar pattern before snapping around them like a blazing net. Felix's charge had him close with the warrior in an instant, his already preposterous speed enhanced by the Skill, and close enough to feel scorching heat as Harn's axes burst into white hot flame. Harn became obscured behind a curtain of scorching air, his axes boiling the air around them.
Felix cried out, his skin tightening and cracking from the heat, but more than that; his core shuddered in tearing agony as a melody was aborted. A chord sheared, screaming out of tune like snapped strings as the axes swung closer to his neck. The swell of torment crested over him, followed closely after by a black wave of oblivion.
When Felix's consciousness swam back to the surface, the first thing he felt was frustration.
It happened again.
His broken Skills included Fire and Heat Resistance, something he hadn't run into yet. Felix kept his eyes closed and groaned. Beneath him, it was soft but gritty. The arena sand. How long had he been out? Felix cracked open his eyes.
Harn and Cal stood over him, along with a stocky Dwarf he'd never met before. Felix flared his Voracious Eye.
Name: Roridan Yarspike
Race: Dwarf
Level: 55
HP: ????/????
SP: ????/????
MP: ???/???
Lore: Dwarves are gifted with physical stats, and often excel in scriptwork and scholarly pursuits.
Strength: More Data Required
Weakness: More Data Required
His Eye couldn't get a full read on the Dwarf, and the lack of resistance suggested it was due to his level. Moreover, the Dwarf noticed.
"Ah, yer awake." He grinned down through a short, bristly beard the color of moss. His blue eyes belied his tone, however, creased at the sides in concern. "How'dya feel, lad?"
Felix sat up, noting that his flayed nerves and aching bones felt entirely normal. Just as before, the surge of pain from his broken Skills hadn't lasted beyond the moment. "I'm fine."
"Yer tough, kid," Harn said with a frown. "When ya dropped, I didn't know why. Cal reminded me though."
Felix accepted the warrior's offered hand and hauled on it to regain his feet. Harn grunted in surprise at his weight, and Felix smirked. A hand laid onto his shoulder, and Felix turned to find Cal staring at him.
"It was your Skills, right?"
Felix nodded, and the Dwarf sucked in a sharp breath. "Broken Skills? Noctis wept, that's not good." Felix looked over at Roridan, and the Dwarf gave him a sheepish look. "Sorry, lad. I'm makin' assumptions. The name's Rory."
"Nice to meet you, Rory." Felix smiled politely and shook the Dwarf's outstretched hand. "Are you part of this team, too?"
"Ach, sadly no. I've got too many fledgling Tin Ranks to up an' leave the Guild."
"Rory is a Guild Trainer," Cal said by way of explanation. "One of the best."
"Lies, lad. Don't believe ‘em. I'm just your average Dwarf, gettin' by on my good looks and charm."
A snorting laugh came from Harn. "Good lookin' as a troll's ass."
"Ah, didn't know ye've been plowin' the Troll Market, Harn. My sympathies!" Rory cackled as Harn growled.
A quick glance around the room told Felix that everyone else had scattered back to their tasks, though Evie hung just outside the area with Pit at her side. He looked back at the Dwarf and Cal. "Did I miss something? I thought you weren't on good terms with the Guild?"
"We're not," grunted Harn. "But Rory's a friend. Long as he can keep his mouth shut."
The Dwarf raised a palm. "Consider me buried treasure, friends. Locked and lost."
"He's trustworthy, Felix. He's here to help train our people...and you, if you're up for it." Cal explained as she pushed her short hair back. "He's trained most Guilder recruits for the last thirty years, and he's been workin' on a training regimen for our team. Twins know I'm not up to managing all of their...eccentricities."
"It's an art, really Callie," Rory said, already looking toward the back rooms. "Gotta know when to push and when to rein in. Speakin' of, I'll get your crew rounded up to start. I don't have all day."
The Dwarf stomped off, heading out of the arena. Felix watched him go and drummed his fingers on his thigh in agitation. Once he was far enough away, Felix turned back to Cal and Harn.
"What'd you tell him?"
"Nothin', kid. Can't, remember?" Cal spread her hands, palms up. "We made that oath, and we're bound to keep it."
"Rory is a good sort," Harn added. "He's also still a Guilder, and yeah, there's risk, but it also means he has access ta resources we need. Without his trainin' we ain't gettin' through that Domain. Without the Domain, we don't have enough funds to get outta Haarwatch when the redcloaks lift the lockdown."
"I see," Felix said after a moment. He didn't like it, but it made sense. "Then I have questions for you both, especially after our spar, Harn."
"Warded room?" Suggested Cal. Felix nodded.
"Warded room."
Felix toggled his notifications as the wardstones were activated.
Dual Casting is level 24!
Relentless Charge is level 19!
Unarmed Mastery is level 30!
Corrosive Strike is level 31!
Stone Shaping is level 29!
That all made sense after his tough fight against Harn. The last line made sense too, in a darkly comedic sort of way.
He4t Re813#%ce is level 23!
Even glancing at the notification sent a shock of pain coursing through him. He'd gained a level in his broken Skill. What the hell did that mean?
"First off, I gotta say ya did well in our fight," said Harn, admiring his torn jerkin. "That Corrosive Strike of yours is strong."
"Not strong enough to take you down, though."
"Hah! You'll need more than some fancy Skills and high Stats ta beat me, kid. I'm a whole 'nother Tier ahead of you, and I've got a few Skills nearing Adept Tier. It's impressive ya could even fight me at all." Harn leaned against the wall and regarded him with serious eyes. "If I hadn't accidentally tripped yer broken resistance—sorry bout that by the by—you mighta lasted a bit longer." He bared his teeth in a sharp smile. "A bit."
Felix laughed and sat down, carefully this time, not wanting the chair to break beneath him. Cal sat across from him, tipping her feet up onto the table. "Since you're my best bet on getting into that Domain, I need to get you up to speed. That means we gotta get you ready. I ain't bringing an untrained fighter into a Domain, battle-talented or not. So ask your questions quick."
Felix sobered and sat forward. "Right. It's about my Primary Stats. I've hit what the System called the 'First Threshold,' but I don't actually know what that means. I feel faster and stronger, but I've no gauge on how strong, how fast, how tough. I need to know if I'm to move forward."
Harn whistled. "First Threshold, of course. Stats over 100 well before level 50. That puts yer fightin’ in a new light."
Felix hesitated. "What?"
"Yer Primary Stats're working together now. It's like," Harn grasped his hands as he looked around the room. "Like these wardstones. Impressive works by themselves, but together they make a complete whole. Together, they do something greater."
"Ok, so that should make everything easier, right?" Felix asked. "Is there an accurate measure of Strength or Agility? Does one point in Strength equal, say, ten pounds of punching force or something?"
Cal shared a look with Harn. "Why?"
"Well, it'd be nice to know what I can do, instead of hoping I'm strong enough or fast enough." Felix leaned back in his chair. "In the Foglands, too much time was spent not knowing, just guessing and hoping. I'd rather be done with that, if I can be."
"That's what we have ta do. Test yerself. Fight to the edge." Harn clenched his fist. "You hopin' fer validation? That you're stronger than others? Well congrats, kid. You did it, yer probably stronger than any dozen Tin Ranks combined."
"Thats—that's not what I'm after," Felix explained, feeling like he was grasping at straws. "The System quantifies this sort of stuff, right? I figured people who grew up here would have a better, uh, system for keeping track or comparison."
Cal laughed. "No one in power wants that. Give the peasants the ability to rise up easily and more'll do so, meaning the strong might lose their positions."
Felix opened his mouth before his brain caught up. Of course. That makes entirely too much sense.
"For physical and mental efforts, you'll have to train to your limits to find ‘em. Same as everyone else. Once you've defined those limits, you can move from there." Cal thought a moment before she tapped the table. "Perhaps you should learn Spirit Sensing or somethin' like it. Your Perception and Intelligence are high enough for it, certainly. Useful for assessing threats, animate or otherwise. You have Mana Manipulation and...what is Fire Within?"
"You memorized my Skills?" Felix asked.
"More or less." Cal shrugged.
"Huh. Fire Within is for internal Mana control, basically. Lets me visualize my core and, uh, pathways around my body." At their blank looks, he tried another term. "Mana channels? What do you call them?"
"Channels, but 'pathways' works, too, I guess," Cal looked at Harn who shrugged. "That's a tough Skill type to earn. You should be in a good place to learn Spirit Sensing. I'll see what Rory can do."
Harn looked at Felix and grinned. "You've got more questions, don't you?"
Felix smiled, almost apologetically and spread his hands. "So many."
Harn settled into another chair and groaned. "Ok. Two more. That's my limit, kid."
Felix took a breath.
"What is the Broken Path, and what the hell are Harmonic Stats for?"
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
"The Broken Path..." Cal trailed off with a frown. "I saw the Title in your list yesterday. I had hoped it meant something else." Felix tilted his head, but didn't interrupt her. "The Broken Path is what the priests call the old ways. The ways that came before the gods left us."
"I keep hearing that they died," Felix said with a questioning lilt to his voice.
Cal shrugged. "Dead, left, either way they're gone. Two Ages have come and gone, and they've not come back."
Felix's mind lingered on Vellus, the Goddess of the Bloodmoon, as she'd been described. His thoughts immediately pinged off the memory of Mervin and his faith. "What about the Pathless? That's a god, too, right?"
Harn spat. "Not one worth talkin' about."
"The Pathless makes it a point to not interfere. It's in the name. Unlike the Old Gods, who myth holds were quite involved in the Continent, the Pathless stays aloof and neutral. The only guidance he offers is his High Laws." Cal said the last with more than a little rancor. "The Hierocracy has the Pathless as the state religion. The Hierophant herself is the god's greatest mortal servant, supposedly."
"Remember what we said about no one in power wanting to help guide the weak? That's the Pathless' line. Part of his so-called 'High Laws.'" Harn growled. "It's a line I've grown tired of hearing."
"So then the Broken Path...it's, what? Guidance?" Felix asked.
"A way to power. But it's called broken for a reason. The Old Gods were...not much was left when they departed. Any guide, any path they might have lying around is bound to be incomplete." Cal chewed her lip in thought. "You'd have to find a scholar to tell you more. Hard to find one willin' to delve into a subject as taboo as the Old Gods, at least in the Hierocracy."
Felix clenched his jaw. He had both the Broken Path Title as well as a quest related to it. He pulled it up.
Shrines of the Broken!
You have found and recognized one of the Lost Gods' Temples, reactivating its Shrine and taking a step forward upon the Broken Path. Dare you go further?
Rewards: Unknown
"Wish I could tell ya more, kid," Harn said, standing behind one of the metal chairs and leaning onto its back. "But you've got a knack for hard questions."
"My curse," Felix smiled thinly before collecting himself. "What about Harmonic Stats? What are they? What do they do?"
Cal shook her head. "Hard questions, indeed. They're specialized Stats, ones that only take effect after they're unlocked. Far as I know, there are eight of them, same as the Primary Stats. You can unlock one or two with enough luck or talent. Which one did you get?"
"Uh," Felix checked his memory. "Resonance, Intent, Affinity, Resilience, and Alacrity."
There was a moment of stunned silence before Harn let out a short, sharp breath. He pinched the bridge of his nose.
Cal looked at him and asked in a flat voice, "How? Why?"
Felix just shrugged, his thin smile blooming a bit further. Cal and Harn clearly saw it as the smile of someone who couldn't stop being impossible. She took a calming breath as Harn grunted beside her.
"Burnin' Unbound."
"Harmonic Stats," Cal started before floundering a bit. "Far as I know, they aren't well-understood by anyone I've encountered. Maybe the Nevast Penatar, or the Conclave at Levantier might know more, but they ain't sharin'. This is what I do know: each Harmonic Stat is born of two Primary Stats, but while the Primary affect mostly the Body and Mind, the Harmonic Stats affect the Spirit."
