"Were you planning on sharing what you've found with them?" Shuyren asks her, voice stern but her gaze soft and understanding.
"I know you said that I have a talent for martial arts, especially since I'm an animus, so my own speed already crossing the stages will be weird not even adding what I've learned. I wanted to see how the enchantment is different for someone who might be talented and who might not be." Shuyren was also wondering how Tara's knowledge would affect the many singulars and commoners within their family. Casian would be an example of how it would change a singular with young Chun taking the role of a commoner.
If the changes were as beneficial as she was hoping, then she could later introduce Tara's information as something that was found from approaching battle over treasures from the ruins.
"Hufang Tara, Monday through Thursday will be used to gather and decipher through the information left to you, same as before. Friday you will study body arts and practice alchemy. Saturday will be weapon arts and inscription making. Sunday will be for weapon forging and you will begin to teach your two new charges, sharing what you've accumulated later in the week. Umbraday will be your day of rest and relaxation as well as sharing with me your newest insights. I will assign your instructors only the best of our family in regards to your studies. This will be your training regimen for the next three months to help you build a solid foundation before you cross over into Skin Igniting."
Shuyren declares this as the others bear witness. Using Tara's full name instead of her pet name noted the seriousness in their Matriarch's voice. This experiment would likely alter the fate of their entire family for generations. For it to be on the shoulders of such a young girl, the pressure was immense. And yet they watch as she gives a fanged grin and bows towards her grandmother.
"I will do everything I can to make you proud and bring about amazing results, Matriarch!" Tara promises, matching her grandmother's tone. With a satisfied nod at Tara's response, Shuyren drops the barrier. She calls for two maids to make the rooms on either side of Tara available before dispersing Zuwen and Chun's parents to go retrieve them. Tara immediately returns to her room and waits for the cooldown of the servers.
Tara stretches awake in her bedroom. Her Spring Break ended yesterday and now it was time to return to grayleaf Prep. It was a Kindergarten through 12th Grade school so many of her schoolmates she had more or less grown up with. She was certain many of them would be playing Renovel and probably comparing the information. After following her morning routine, Tara dons her school uniform of a long gray skirt, short-sleeved white button-up, and blue ribbon to indicate her grade.
Tara's driver pulls up to the school half an hour later. As she exits the car, a sprawling campus appears. Underneath a naturally made archway from the numerous trees lies a cobblestone pathway that splits off into three directions. The stone shifts into the different colored bricks for the Elementary, Middle, and High schools.
"Tara!!!!" Comes a cry from behind the moment Tara steps on the road towards the High School. Tara doesn't make any effort to move as a pair of arms wrap around her shoulders from beyond.
"How was your break, Renee?" Tara laughs, tapping her childhood best friend's hand lightly. The sanguine Renee releases her and gets into step beside Tara, changing her gait to match the much shorter girl. Her flaming hair was barely held out of her face with a scrunchie, a wide grin on her face as she kept pace.
"It was simply horrible! We had a whole week to hang out together but we didn't! I missed you so much!" Renee pouted.
"You spent the whole time with your loving and caring girlfriend but sure it's Tara you miss." A slightly deeper voice came. Wearing gray slacks instead of a skirt and a black hijab, another girl arrives. She hooks arms with Renee, retracting her walking cane.
"Qisma, you know that I love you both equally but differently!" Renee giggles as she presses up against her girlfriend to guide her. Tara voices an apology but Qisma waves her off.
"Are you playing Renovel?" Renee asks Tara as they enter the classroom. They were the last to enter and Renee's voice carried. Everyone immediately forms a circle around the trio.
"I'm a Level 2 Human Vanguard!" One of them calls out. This causes almost everyone to call out their levels and classes. Not surprisingly, everyone claimed to be Adventure players.
The majority chose one of two Sophant clans for the Eastern continent: either basic Humans or a wily Bestia, who had a single animal-like trait somewhere on their body. Currently, the strongest Adventure players have just reached Level 3.
"I'm a Dryad Infantry! Still Level 1, though." Renee admits before turning to Tara unexpectedly. Everyone focused on Tara as she hadn't spoken at all and given her parentage, of course she would play. 15 was the legal age you could start playing virtuality games after all!
"I, um, actually chose Story mode," Tara admits with some hesitation. Whispers among the class break out mostly because Story mode was such a mystery to them. A harsh cackle broke through the chatter and everyone's attention turned to Kristen Arbre.
"I thought only professionals play as Novelists! If you're one then they must not be anything to write home about." Piercing blue eyes glare in Tara's direction. They two had been rivals since they were in diapers--or rather Tara always came out number one with Kristen being second best.
"And what is your level?" Qisma asks her cooly, who also played a Dryad but the Forefend class. Dryads, Tara recalls, were gifted with an Element Spell Craft or Martial Art for free.
"I'm a Level 3 Elf Witch. More than enough to take on the best of them." Kristen boasts with a triumphant grin. Challenge flashes in her eyes as she locks eyes with Tara. Tara isn't surprised by this in the slightest.
With virtual gaming being the most popular form of entertainment, schools had written that two sides of a conflict could duke it out in a virtual duel. Challenges wherein victims took on their bullies in a grand moment of defiance or tensions between rivals became all too common.
Tara thought for a moment before replying. She had glossed over some of the clans when her game was restarting. Elves in particular were one of the tribes that excelled in Spirit with high Essence, the main energy source, recovery. "If you're willing to settle with having a friendly spar with me then sure."
When news broke out that Kristen had challenged Tara, none of their grade-mates took any notice. Kristen was always trying to get the better of Tara. What did catch their attention was that it was a player versus player duel!
Even more so was that Kristen was an Explorer while Tara was a Novelist! This was worthy enough to record since nobody dared to challenge Novelist blindly.
Not a single pro was giving away any information nor were any ordinary players who chose Story mode bragging about it. Now they could see what the difference was between the two. Many within their school went to the gymnasium as Tara and Kristen approached one of the player versus player rooms.
These are connected parallel rooms that send the data of two people's characters to a set arena. They are linked to a large holographic projector that displays the fight to everyone present. This was to stop the defeated from lying about their loss or else they were publicly shamed.
As Tara enters the white arena square the system makes adjustments. She immediately notices that instead of her child form from her Story, instead, she was her true age. Surprisingly the illusion seal was still in place. At her side was a metered Health and Spirit bar. Since this was a controlled player vs player scenario where Skills mattered more, in order to create an equal playing field certain stats were matched together.
Kristen's triangular ears flicker with excitement as she stands across from Tara with a sneer. Her blonde hair flows out from underneath the hood of her dark blue robe. Clutching a white wooden rod, Kristen's father had spared no expense to get her best quality gear for her level. She even had a special ring that could cast a Shield Craft one level above her! From her attire, Tara was clearly a Pugilist, a melee class. This will be a cakewalk.
[3...2...1... Battle Start!]
The white light of Tara's aura flares around her body. Caught off guard by the display of power, Kristen fires off a Fire Arrow, a Witch's starting Craft.
Tara easily dodges the blast of fire. Tara's at a disadvantage thanks to the distance but feels like she could easily cross the space. However, she wants to see how different Story mode was from Adventure mode.
Firstly she notices she had a freer range of motion. Kristen kept casting spells rapidly, careful to take note of her Spirit bar, but her movements seem stiff. Secondly, Tara notices that creating her aura didn't take up her Spirit.
And finally, though Kristen's output was great, between her aura and Indomitable Will the damage was basically negligible. Including her Chance stat increasing the enemy's miss rate, Tara was nearly at full health.
Kristen's frustrated at how easily Tara escapes her spells at the last second. Even when they hit their target the damage wasn't nearly as much when fighting monsters. She was close to running out of Spirit, leaving only a few options.
A confused look crosses Tara's face as the barrage stops. Kristen's eyes were glowing with a mysterious light as a surge of energy from the surroundings drew into the body. Elves had an Ancestral Skill, a character innate ability, called Essence Overflow. It allowed an Elf to restore their Spirit bar by 20 percent.
It was just enough for her to cast her strongest spell Fire Blast. This would tap her out of most of her remaining Spirit but it was likely her Shield could hold out against Tara's attacks should she still live. As Kristen withstood whatever strikes she could recover enough Spirit to finish this. An arrow made of fire streaks towards Tara faster than she can move. An explosion occurs and Tara's aura is ripped through!
[-12] Her Health bar flashes red, having gone from 24/30 to 12/30.
[Ancestral Skill Activated: +10% Attack at 50% Health]
Tara narrows her eyes as a clear barrier covers a smirking Kristen. Tara begins pooling solar energy around her right and lunar on her left. Tara uses the movement technique from the ancient memories and instantly appears in front of Kristen. Blindly amber light causes Kristen to cover her eyes. Tara's solar fist breaks the shield with the lunar fist striking Kristen in the jaw.
Tara's Attack stat was already much higher than Kristen's but now it was even more so! Everyone's stunned silence as Kristen's Health goes from 30 to 0 instantly, turning her into motes of cobalt, phlox, and violet energy!
As the match ends, Tara is asked by the system if she wants to share the recording to the international forum page. Tara thinks for a moment before accepting and titling the video "A Novelist's Strength".
Over the next two days, it would gather several million plays to the point where it got an official pin to the top of the international forum page by a moderator.