With so many notifications plying him, TJ realized that there was a question he’d had for a while and hadn’t ever gotten an answer for. Ever since he’d killed the wendigo, he’d gotten a simir notification, but then fotten about it in the panic of rushing back to safety and warning the rest of the town about what he’d learhus, the small additional phrase had escaped his scrutiny. Now, however, TJ finally paid it attention and asked the System.
“What is a Divirial?”
All those who achieve any measure of Divinity must overe Trials set by the heavens themselves. What prises a Divirial or which Trials which Partit must overe will vary, but overing Trials is a vital part of the path towards the Divihrohough the exact use of Divirials ot be revealed at this time, it be expihat eight Minor Divirials carry the same weight as four Moderate Divirials, two Bitter Divirials, or oial Divirial. Would you like to have your Divirial pletions recorded in your Status Page?
As he idly agreed to allow the dispy, TJ felt a faint smile crack his face at another realization. He had, effectively, pleted a Moderate Divirial, and though he couldn’t say he had any clue what that could do for him, the achievement carried some weight. That there were Divirials for various types of achievements also assuaged some measure of worry as well. Now that he knew what it was, though, he grew more and more curious as to what the purpose of the Trials was meant to be. More importantly, though, was the result of this pleted Trial. TJ turned his appraisal to his knife, curious what it could be that gave him more than a full level’s worth of experience.
Item: Wendigo Bde (Copper, (I)). An amateur’s ho attempt at creating a sharp tool from the materials gathered from a wendigo sin by their hand. Using the extended cw of a wendigo, the Wendigo Bde is a serviceable khough the method of seg its tang was mediocre. The true value of this knife is instead found in its materials and specialized preparation. Whether by skill, ce, or pure luck, the bde erfectly prepared by the creator. By using primarily Wind Manipution and the wendigo’s own cws to struct the bde and prepare its materials, the creator subtly shifted the purpose of the d horn to better respond to the creator’s Wind Manipution Skill. As such, the Wendigo Bde’s wielder el Wind Manipution through the bde with an improved efficy, thus l the cost of using Wind Manipution while wielding the bde by 10%.
TJ whistled under his breath as he read the description. Though he wao pin at the obvious disparagement regarding the quality of his work, he also couldn’t bring himself to disagree. More importantly, the expnation that he’d mao somehow shift the magical or diviure of the cw to suit him perfectly was a blessing in disguise that he’d never expected. In his mind, he’d only expected the ko serve as something to better prepare other materials for his use with. Learning that it could potentially serve as one of those gas-exploding khat he’d seen oer was a surprise, but a wele one. If it was inside of an enemy, TJ could imagihat, with the additional reduced cost of being at the Dirt tier bined with the bonus from the bde itself, the Wendigo Bde could easily serve as a deadly on for him, disregarding the build quality.
The thought of making something explode with wind inside of it was disgusting, but TJ shoved it out of his mind by pulling up his Status.
Status Sheet
J (Thiage) Harris IV
Race: Human – lvl 8
Css: Neophyte lvl 8
Occupation: Savage lvl 8
Level of Divinity: Dirt (0)
Divine Bloodline: Kukulkan
Health Points (HP): 570/570
Mana Points (MP): 360/360
Stamina: 550/550
Attributes
Strength: 26
Agility: 25
Endurance: 55
Vitality: 57
Toughness: 47
Wisdom: 31
Intelligence: 36
Perception: 37
Willpower: 48
Fixation: 39
Free Points: 2
Skill List: Hidden
Titles: IrregurElite Hunter
Current total maximum Diviransformation time: 49:45(End+Vit+Will+Fix)/4 Current cooldown: 0:00
Status Sheet
J (Thiage) Harris IV
Race: Coatl – lvl 8
Css: Neophyte lvl 8
Occupation: Savage lvl 8
Level of Divinity: Dirt (0)
Divine Bloodline: Kukulkan
Health Points (HP): 1140/1140
Mana Points (MP): 360/360
Stamina: 1100/1100
Attributes
Strength x2: 52
Agility x1.5: 37
Endurance x2: 110
Vitality x2: 114
Toughness x2: 94
Wisdom: 31
Intelligence: 36
Perception x1.5: 55
Willpower: 48
Fixation: 39
Free Points: 2
Skill List: Hidden
Titles: IrregurElite Hunter
Divirial Records2 Minor, 0 Moderate, 0 Bitter, 0 Celestial
pared to how weak he’d once been, TJ enjoyed seeing how much he’d progressed in just these days, since each additional attribute point was aep up the path to truer power and the ability to protect himself and his future. He looked at his Free Points and nearly threw them immediately into Intelligence as he had been, but he decided to sider a bit deeper for a moment. His Strength as a coatl had always seemed to be more than enough, but between its frost and cws, the wendigo was nearly impossible for him to kill.
Yes, it was ae, but TJ had exhausted its MP through proteg the pukwudgies from his initial assault, and it had wasted its energy in killing the first pukwudgie theatrically. EveJ had only survived because he had fully exhausted his MP killing the pukwudgies and mao level up by doing so. Doubling his MP barely brought him to being level with the wendigo’s expenditure. Would awo points of Intelligenore for him, or Strength? Maybe even Agility, as it was falling behind his other attributes, at least, during Diviransformation. He almost certainly wouldn’t have been able to escape st night with his Agility as it was, and that terrified him.
“Hello, sir?”
A nervous woman’s voice cut through TJ’s idle worries aartled and looked up. A woman maybe a decade older than him stood in front of him, twisting her hands anxiously. When he locked eyes with her, he Appraised her while standing up.
Disciple, 1
“Don’t call me sir. I’m TJ. What’s up?”
“Uh, we’re the people assigo… hunt with you.” She was obviously unfortable with the idea and tinued avoiding his gaze.
“Great, gd to have you.” He stuck a hand out. “As I said, I’m TJ. I’m happy to make sure you all stay safe since you’re willing to e out and work for the unity. For your information, I have the Bloodline of Kukulkan, and I’m at level 8 with both Savage and Neophyte. How about you?”
“My name is Rebekkah, Disciple and Fmekeeper. The System says I’m a daughter of Hestia.” The woman responded as she reached a limp hand out for a disappointing handshake.
“Isn’t that a Greek goddess?”
Rebekkah nodded, her dark curly hair framing her fabsp;
“What’s that Occupation do? How’d you get it?” After asking, TJ raised a hand. “Actually, I’m sorry. I’ll ask you that again in a minute, if that’s alright with you. Instead, I’d like to speak with everyone ing along.”
Rebekkah didn’t mind, simply nodding as TJ walked forward. Eight more people stood before him, all but two of them level 1 to his Appraisal. One was the level 2 Zealot Sarah who helped guard the general store, while the other was Farid, whose level now showed Acolyte, 3.
“You mao get that Occupation you were talking about yesterday?” TJ asked, reag a hand out to csp Farid’s shoulder. The younger man smiled broadly as he nodded.
“We’d used some traps on the monsters out there, and I just o trap one more person before I got the Occupation.”
“A person?”
Farid grinned even wider. “Yes. Charlie is tall, and does not always look up.”
TJ raised both hands with a slight chuckle. “Not sure I want to know. Good for you. That’s something that will beore and more useful the lohis Tutorial goes, I’m sure.” Then, having spoken to the single person that he kJ stepped back so he could look most of the group in the eyes. With himself ted, their little hunting party numbered ten. Other than himself, there were three Disciples, two Zealots, three Acolytes, and one Neophyte. Naturally, TJ was ied in the Neophyte.
“What’s your J asked the hunched and obviously afraid girl standing in the middle of the group.
“Kaini.” She spoke in barely more than a whisper, avoiding eye tact almost fearfully. Her long dark hair covered her fad she refused to make eye tabsp;
“Great. Just for my information, what attributes does your Diviransformation boost?”
The young woman, more of a girl, really, looked around herself before answering in a murmur, “Vitality, Wisdom, Intelligence, Willpower, Fixation.” She cocked her head, a little fused. Even so, she didn’t ask the question so obviously on her mind.
“You w why I’m asking?” TJ prompted, and after gng bad forth, she nodded, keeping her head and eyes down. “I don’t know if you’ve talked to the few of us that are also Neophytes. I’m the bloodline of Kukulkan, a giant snake god from Mexico. I get both, Agility, Endurance, Vitality, Toughness, and Perception. Makes me a lot tougher, so it’s easy for me to be in front of everyone else. With yours, though, I don’t think being on the front line makes a whole lot of sense, does it?”
Laini shook her head wildly, and TJ chuckled. He wao pat her head or shoulder, but she was scared, and he might be the source of that fear, so he was wholly unwilling to exacerbate that.
“Do you have anything else that you just kinda know how to do when you’re using the Skill?”
She shook her head.
“Just as an expnation, I realized I could trol wind when I was a snake, and I ended up getting a Skill that helps me out with that. When we’re out today, you see what you feel when you use the Skill?”
Laini nodded and stepped behind someone else. TJ didn’t press the matter, aured for Farid to step forward. The desdant of the Indian god of destru stepped forward, his face open and happy.
“I know you don’t really know me. I probably don’t have the greatest impression on most of you, and I’m sorry. I’ve had a pretty crap couple of days. You don’t deserve to have me chewing you out. I’m not your dad, I’m not your boss. I’m just going to keep you alive and well, ok?”
Farid raised a hand and TJ poi him. “Just a sed Farid. You don’t o raise your hand, not really, and I don’t want any of you to call me sir. I’m not a military ander or anything like that. That’s all.”
The handsome man grinned widely, pure white teeth starkly trasting his dark skin. “I just want you to know–everyone here asked to be on your team. You’re a scary man, but you’re on our side, ahink you’ll keep everyone safe while they work to get stronger. I just didn’t want you to worry about us. We’re happy to follow your ands.”
TJ felt his throat choke up for a brief sed. Though at least half of the team was like Rebekkah and Laini, avoiding his gaze and shifting unfortably from one foot to the other, none of them seemed to disagree even slightly with Farid’s decration. The feeling of ostracization that’d hung over him like a pall since he’d arrived was slowly washed away. He was about to speak when Farid spoke again.
“You should have seeh’s face when he learned I’d already taken the spot of the hunter on your squad. I bet he’ll try to vince you to go out again this afternoon after we return.”
TJ chuckled through the almost unfortable emotion. “I guess I’ll have to see about that when we e baow, here’s what we’re going to do.”
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