The walk down the path was fortunately not boring and unfortunately, dangerous. Still, I have no right to complain since I wanted to level up. There was no sign yet of the other players and it felt like it was just me in Torheim.
It was a relief that most creatures that attacked gave me a bit of respite to regenerate my health and intent. A probing on my template had me smiling as I noted my increase in stats.
NAME - Daedalus
Title -
RACE - Argonne
BEING - Divine/God
LEVEL - 0(45/50)
MVC - (30)
HP - 31/31
INTENT - 40/40
STATS
Str - 3
Agi - 6
End - 3 >> 3.1
Mind - 4
Will - 4
[RACIAL PERK]
[Zephyr's Might]
You have thrown in your lot with the Argonne. Your will bends the element to your desires. Grasping it is something you may just do.
[PERSONAL PERK ]
[Sky Bend]
As the God of Might you exert will over the wind element yet remain unbeholden to it
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[SKILLS] - [ZEPHYR'S MIGHT]
[Wind Flight] - [PASSIVE]
[Lv0 - 0/50] - [BASIC]
[Flight aided by passive winds which keep you buoyant with or without the use of your wings]
[Cost - None][Cooldown - None]
[Wing Force] - [ACTIVE]
[Lv0 - 5/50] - [BASIC]
[Use intent to pull at the stable surrounding winds and gather to you before a powerful flap of wings to send it out as a weapon towards a target. Any with intent, air affinity, and better understanding can negate your strike]
[Cost - 4 Intent] - [Cooldown - None]
[Air Blast] - [ACTIVE]
[Lv0 - 10/50] - [BASIC]
[Pull at the winds with intent into your palms and release as a blast of concentrated wind. Constant practice can give an evolution or sub-skill]
[Activation - 10 seconds]
[Cost - 5 Intent] - [Cool down - 2 minutes]
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[SKILLS] - [GENERAL]
[Inspect] - [ACTIVE]
[Lv0 - 31/50] - [BASIC]
[Wrap intent around the target to sense general makeup. Can be used on things, people, and creatures. Using inspect without permission is seen as a challenge. An attack is expected to come if detected.]
[Cost - 3 Intent] - [Cooldown - None]
[Forager] - [ACTIVE]
[Lv0 - 16/50] - [BASIC]
[You have shown interest in the little matters of Torheim. By using intent you can learn more about the plants or seeds and other materials useful in this divine realm]
[Cost - 1 Intent] - [Cooldown - None]
----------
The air blast skill was good but weaker than wing force. Still, I knew that it would get better with more practice and increased stats. The issue was mostly pulling the wind smoothly towards me which made the skill gain an activation time, unlike wing force which happened fast and subconsciously.
Then there was the cost for intent. Gathering the air had cost 3 intent and sending it out as a blast had used up 2 more. I was certain I could concentrate the air to form a more powerful and painful projectile but it failed each time due to low intent.
The frown on my face was very obvious as I walked on. Not to mind me I was doing well. Having five skills, a movement one albeit not all that good, one crowd control and one attack skill, and two utility but I felt I was slow. Sir Jameson's warning was still fresh in my head about getting as many benefits as necessary. It was clear the man wanted to tell us something and I would find out what.
For now, I had to focus because finally, I was out of the forest. Beyond me spread out was a field of golden grasses stretching out to the distance. I wasn't the only one though. There were seven other planets before me. I didn't know how I knew but I just did. In the same way, I knew that the other four to the side looking animatedly upwards were not players.
'NPCs'. I watched them react and interact and couldn't help but shiver. 'So real, and lifelike.' I appraised each one of them subtly but withheld from using my intent. While I knew they weren't higher leveled than me instinctively I didn't want to make enemies at the moment.
If my memory was correct then one was an Undule, his three eyes and long white hair speaking for it. The other was a Lomrie and looked smaller than what I thought dwarves should be. Or probably I was just too tall. The third was Argatan, the naming felt right.
'Probably the system ' I mused as I looked to the last. An Elosas. Her blue skin was mesmerizing to look at. Stripes of deeper blue and lighter blue etched over her like tribal marks but I was certain they weren't. Her long black hair went to her hips and her large cute brown eyes made me tense.
She was dressed in a sort of native attire with only the top and a skirt that stopped to her thigh and a slit to the side. Why I was taking in everything I have no idea.
Mentally shaking my head I looked away and up to what had gotten the four so fascinated.
The sky. Not a sky. Definitely not a sky. It was black. A golden ball of fire that I was certain was a sun floated in the darkness. I was certain it was its light that illuminated Torheim.
A cough behind me had me turning to see a player standing there.
'Custom. No miscellaneous ' was the first thought I had. The player was a male elf. A true elf. I knew it was miscellaneous since the custom was creating something new. Seeing my current race I was certain elf didn't fall under new.
The guy must have picked something he was already adaptable to. It was smart since he wouldn't have difficulty adjusting. Still, it was also stupid since other VR games weren't as deeply immersive as this one. The slightly aggrieved look in his eyes supported my thought as I watched him take me in.
"I'm Porteis. Elf god of Hunt" he raised a hand to shake. I wasn't sure why he told me about his godhood but it didn't matter. It had nothing to do with our capabilities. Shaking his hand I replied.
"Daedalus, Argonne god of Might"
He nodded in appreciation while I noted how my palm was not feathered there and how it covered his hand entirely. Either might was doing this or Argonne's were just more bigger and powerful than other races.
'They did have an eighty to all stats. As did the Elosas ' my eyes went to the female Elosas who at that moment locked eyes with me. It was all I had that helped me to not awe at such an adorable sight. I was a cat person.
Giving a nod I turned back to Porteis not wanting to know if NPCs had good or bad manners.
"Come let me introduce you to the others" he moved briskly. Smooth and agile. His feet barely touched the ground. As expected of the god of the hunt.
We stopped before the group of six. Four males and two females. From left to right stood a Lomrie and two Argats. The two females were an Undule and Evershu while the last guy was a custom.
His skin was black. His hair was black. His eyes were red with black pupils and rings of blue within them. He had two pairs of arms and he was bare-chested showing a line down his front that looked like an accident with surgery gone wrong.
He held a bone staff with the copper blade extended like a scythe out of it.
"God of death or something like darkness?" I asked him first curiously while extending my hand for a shake. A groan left his lips while the others chuckled. It seemed I wasn't the first to guess right.
"Yarrow, god of.. death" he grumbled it out while shaking back.
I chuckled before introducing myself as well. The Lomrie, Hardima, was a god of forge which was highly expected and totally cliche since dwarves were known for blacksmithing. The two Argats Kondak and Realer were wrath and strength. It made me ponder what the difference between both might and strength was exactly. The Undule, Jean was combat, and the Evershu, Gertrude, was tech. Which made me squint. Tech?. It was a medieval world setting right?
Then all eight of us turned to look at the four NPC gods who were staring back at us. It was obvious they didn't understand why we segregated them at first.
Nodding to tbe elf I moved over.
"Daedalus." I offered a hand for shaking. The NPC's looked at it confused while I frowned mentally. Of course, they wouldn't know much.
"Come. Meet the others. We were all just born today. " while I wasn't interested in forming a group yet it felt bad to leave these NPCs like ducklings confused and wandering.
'The system should have figured out a way with this' I complained. I was a good guy. Or I like to think I was. I doubted I would be able to leave the NPCs scrambling about without aiding or trying to teach them at least.
Gathered with the others we realized something else. The NPC gods kept staring off to the side as we conversed. I noted the longing and need in their eyes.
The Elosas who was called Mariet kept looking from us to the side with urgency. As did Galahad, Una, and Morr.
"I think we should head for the star" I suddenly blurted. All of them paused and looked at me. A wide-eyed stare in all their eyes. It seems they all had the assistant but refused to speak on it.
"Don't be shocked, it's ascertained that we all know what the other does. We head for the star with each other's help. Once we know more about Torheim we can then go our separate ways " I suggested. It was common sense.
I doubted the path to Torheim would be roses and cakes. Working together to offset our weaknesses was just the obvious thing to do.
"Who's in charge?" Jean the Undule asked. 'Really, leadership?' I mentally cursed how people's greed was already showing. Or maybe she just wanted to know.
I looked to Porteis who shook his head before speaking.
"I feel you would be better. While I'm not certain of your capability you do look smart to me" I turned to the others specifically Yarrow. He shook his head.
"Death doesn't equal brains, I'd like to not be blamed for deaths." he waved me away.
'Yeah. Because I'm good for blame soaking' I grumbled.
"Well, atleast tell me what you can do. Not your abilities or skills. Just tell me if you're better as defense or offense or long range so I'll know how to set us up".
One by one they gave me a little bit of info on what they could do.
" Yarrow and Jean you're both defense. Hardima you stick to the right of the NPCs. You're quick so you can get in and out to assist whoever needs but prioritize the NPC gods. Porteis, stick to the left of the NPCs while assisting from a longer range as needed, " I pointed to his bow.
"Kondak and Realer, you're both vanguards." done I looked to everyone for affirmation.
"And you, I'm guessing you're going to be a scout." Jean eyed my wings which I stretched out subconsciously. How I had good control in just less than a day was both astounding and worrisome.
"Well, shall we.?" I nodded into the distance. Everyone looked, it was in the same direction the NPCs had been gazing at. The star to the north was bright and shiny from this distance though small.
Slowly we took positions while I urged the NPCs to follow. They seemed to accept since their attention was on getting to the star.
'If all the NPCs were this lost, then either they would be left to die or they would be escorted like we were doing to the star. ' Still, it made me wonder, wasn't this supposed to be something like a quest?
'Hopefully, it's the right thing.' with that I spread my wings and flapped into the sky. The feeling of the flight was just glorious. Why anyone would skip on this was just insane.