Sipping on his coffee, Merline leaned back into his couch.
Sarah had stayed for a bit longer the night before, but she could tell Merline was exhausted, and as soon as she left, he fell asleep on top of his covers.
He'd slept fitfully. Thoughts of monsters chasing him through the forest, unable to be seen through the thick underbrush, had him tossing and turning. When he woke up, though, he felt well-rested and noted that it was well past the time he usually woke up.
Now, after getting his morning routine out of the way, all he could think about was the wand that lay on the coffee table in front of him.
His mana was full, making him feel the need to do something with it. In the last week, he'd practiced his mana shaping whenever he'd caught his pool of 60 mana points getting close to capping out. Now, he was curious if he could set up a miniature shooting range in his apartment to play with his new wand.
He knew that it wouldn't be a good idea. If it weren't for the fact that he wasn't sure what he'd actually shoot the mana bolt into, he probably would try to do it regardless of the consequences.
So, instead, he found himself sitting on his couch, occasionally playing with the wand between his fingers while scrolling through The Adventurers Guild app.
Merline's goal for the day was to find some combat related threads and to read through what people were doing that worked for them. The secondary goal was to try and find some advice on places to practice things like his wand.
I wonder what they'd say if I walked into a pistol shooting range with this thing.
The thought made him snicker.
Surprisingly, it didn't take him long to find a post that was made by one of the Moderators.
For those of you who haven't heard from me yet, I'm @VossBoss. I am one of the original Moderators for AG, and I wanted to put this offer out there for anyone near my area.
I live in the North East and have some property I can offer Recruits or Members to come and train. I think it would be a good opportunity for us to meet each other and see what our different skills and abilities can do.
I'd like to make it something that happens semi-regularly. So, if you're interested, shoot me a direct message and I'll let you know when the next group is getting together.
Merline wondered how far the drive might be, thinking he would be willing to drive a few hours if the opportunity worked out.
That could really be worth it. I hate being social, but meeting people who might know more than me could be helpful. Not to mention, meeting one of the Moderators face-to-face could be a good networking opportunity.
As soon as he had the thought, he couldn't help but think how odd it was to be thinking about this like a meeting at a work conference. It was common to think about those conferences as a chance to schmooze some of the higher-ups or make good networking connections. While this was technically the same sort of situation, it was massively different.
These people have all fought or killed at least one monster. The entire point is to have space to practice with skills or weapons. Would I be willing to just go meet up with an internet stranger at their personal shooting range out in the country?
When he thought about it in that light, he hesitated.
Pros and Cons, Merline.
He locked his phone and set it to the side while picking back up the wand. Running his fingers over the engraved runes, he laid his head back on the couch and thought through the consequences of doing something like this.
In the end, the decision for him was simple.
He picked his phone back up and sent a message to @VossBoss telling them that he wanted to attend the next meeting if possible and to ask for more details.
While waiting for the message, Merline resumed looking at the wand. The runes fascinated him.
Can I make these?
He thought about how cool it might be to be able to make runes like these and to craft magical weapons for himself like an enchanter from fantasy novels.
Shrugging to himself, Merline stood and got his drawing tablet from his bedside table before returning to the couch. He sat down and pulled out the pen while laying the wand in his lap to get a good look at the runes.
After some time, he found it hard to continue. His hand-eye coordination was fantastic. He knew that it was one of his strongest assets in drawing. While he felt his imagination was limited, he was always good at being able to draw almost anything if he could see it for reference. The runes, however, seemed to shift subtly as he looked at them. One moment a line would be perfectly straight, then the next moment, it would appear to have a slight nick or indent on the bottom half.
Frustrated, he set the drawing pad aside and decided to kill some time while practicing his mana shaping. Now that he was level three, his Willpower had jumped significantly from where it was when he was level one. The mana-shaping exercises that he'd been struggling with before his most recent Rift adventure were suddenly much easier. So now he was attempting to make some more distinguishable shapes in the air with his mana.
He found it hard to maintain his concentration, shape the mana, and perform any sort of task but assumed that it would be great practice to keep trying. He strained his mind to do so.
Merline also found it convenient that he had learned to reabsorb some of the mana from each exercise, pulling it back toward his Core rather than letting it go and dissipate into the air. It allowed him to practice for longer since reaching that bottom third of his mana often led to headaches.
Congratulations, [Mana Shaping] has leveled up!
The window popped into his vision, almost causing Merline to almost lose concentration. He was happy to see that the mana construct didn't crumble this time. Finishing the exercise, he absorbed what mana he could from the cube before checking his status screen to see his progress after the recent dive into the Rift.
Status
Name: Merline Moore - Level 3
Class: None
HP: 50/50
MP: 18/60
Traits: (1/3)
{Primordial Will}
Physical Stats:
Strength: 4
Agility: 5
Constitution: 5
Vitality: 6
Magical Stats:
Intellect: 6
Willpower: 21
Mana: 6
Wisdom: 6
Active Skills:
[Mana Shaping] (Novice - Level 5)
[Mana Infusion] (Novice - Level 3)
Passive Skills:
(None)
He couldn't help but smile as he looked at the floating Status Window.
I wonder if this amount of growth is normal. It's only been a week, but I've already gotten one of my skills up to Level 5. When I awakened, we'd already been hearing rumors about Rifts for a few weeks, so some people out there are likely a lot stronger than I am.
Merline mentally stepped back, surprised that it didn't bother him. If anything, it made him feel a bit competitive, as if he wanted to show them that he could catch up and become better.
This isn't a video game, dumbass. Getting levels means risking your life and fighting monsters.
Again, he was interested to note that this didn't bother him.
Who am I?
Merline laughed as he thought to himself.
Something about the System, access to magic, and totally new worlds within the Rifts seemed to make him feel like he was free. He could do or become anything he wanted, his parents, and the consequences be damned.
His eyes drifted back to the wand on his coffee table.
He walked over and picked it up, staring at it for what felt like the hundredth time.
Screw it. Consequences be damned, right?
He noted that the distance from the front door to the outer wall was the shorter width of the living room. With the open kitchen attached to the living room, he could aim toward his TV to get more distance.
He moved back to the island countertop, eyeing his TV ten yards away. He took two steps to his right, and instead of looking at his TV, he could see through his bedroom door and to his bed. A plan formed, and he quickly piled pillows and blankets against his headboard.
When he was finished, he took a step back and looked at the plush mound.
That probably won't work.
He glanced around, spotted the large board hanging on his wall, and shrugged before pulling it down. It was a piece he had made in college, and he felt no real attachment to it. At least not when compared to messing with a new magical weapon.
Merline gripped the wand and moved back into the living room. He stopped short of the kitchen, deciding to start with a shorter distance. His art-target was propped against the pillows and rested against the wall over his headboard.
Merline gripped the wand and tried to remember how they did it in those wizard movies. He gave it an experimental flick, pushing the tiniest bit of mana he could manage into it with [Mana Infusion].
Nothing happened.
He tried again, this time with a more dramatic swish of his arm, and pushed just a bit more mana into the wand. The wand responded, but the bolt went wide, smacking the right side of the doorframe, not even coming close to hitting the target. Merline winced at the small scorch mark it left.
Right. Maybe less Harry Potter, more... Voldemort?
Merline held the wand's base in his palm and let the length of it follow his index finger. He aimed, feeling as though he was pointing directly at the board. He pointed, keeping his hand steady, and aimed at the center of the board.
This time, he sent the smallest flicker of mana into the wand, and there was almost a pull from his core as the wand drew more out than he'd meant for it to. The runes along the wand's shaft flickered dimly, but the bolt formed and flew through the air.
He frowned when it fizzled out halfway across the room.
Must need more mana.
In his next attempt, he used just a touch more mana. The bolt cracked across the room, and recoil shuddered through his hand as the mana dart flew. It made a popping sound as it connected with the board and left a small scorch mark on it.
Merline grinned.
He continued flicking bolt after bolt at the board. Seeing how it felt to fire two shots in quick succession. Just as he felt he was finding a sweet spot, a banging could be heard from the other side of his wall.
"Hey!" his neighbor shouted. "What the hell are you doing over there?"
Merline froze, wand still in his hand raised just over shoulder height, and pointing at the wall in the direction of the angry neighbor.
Right. Apartment. Neighbors. Shit.
"Sorry!" he called back before lowering the wand. "Just… uh, moving some furniture!"
Okay, maybe I should think about the consequences just a little bit.
Merline flopped back onto his couch, slightly embarrassed but grinning nonetheless. Despite his grumpy neighbor, he glanced at the circular scorch mark on the doorframe to his bedroom and found it hard to regret his impulsive decision.
Merline had a feeling that things were about to get very interesting and very dangerous around the world. If people had access to skills, powers, and items that allowed for just any normal person like him to be slinging magic and grow stronger, he couldn't imagine that the power balance would stay the same.
Part of why government structures and balance could be found, was because most people were on a level playing field.
We've largely moved past the days where the largest or strongest person was in charge. Now, things are handled by alliances, connections, money, and intellect. How will things change as people emerge who are stronger than a tank?
He knew that these concepts weren't novel, as they were brought up in all sorts of modern fiction and literature. The most common example that seemed to pop into his mind was Superman.
People were scared of him being different. This caused some people to hate him and some to fear him. Ultimately, they could do nothing to stop him from doing what he wanted. He was simply that powerful.
It's a good thing he ended up being the good guy…
The thought lingered in Merline's mind.
What if he wasn't, though? Surely there are going to be people who awaken who don't have good intentions or are only looking out for themselves.
For the first time, Merline began to think about some of the deeper societal impacts of people emerging with powers like this and how the government reacted with the military and the Hunter's Association.
Merline puffed out his cheeks and let out a deep breath.
Luckily for him, his thoughts were interrupted as his phone chimed from beside him.
VossBoss: We're having a meeting tomorrow afternoon. Here's the address. You're welcome to come by whenever you want between 11:00AM and 7:00PM. People come and go as they want. I'll have food for lunch and dinner, so don't feel like you need to bring anything. Normally, about 10-20 people show up. Make sure to drive all the way down the driveway and park around the side of the house. Hope to see you then!
The message was friendly and to the point. Merline responded, letting them know that he'd likely be coming by.
Merline was really interested to think about the kinds of people who might come and what sort of powers they might have. For a minute, he debated texting John Riley to see if he wanted to meet him up there, but Merline didn't feel like they were really friends like that, and it might end up being awkward.
Better to just go at it alone, then. He might be there anyway since he's local to this area, too.
While Merline disliked social situations, it was something that he knew he could navigate quite well if he needed to.
Phone still in hand, Merline decided to continue doing his research through the forums, looking for any interesting information on magic, wands, or combat. There were all sorts of articles and complaints. Some made him chuckle, like, "Why does ritual magic suck so much?" or "Who needs a gun? I can shoot fire from my fingertips!"
Some of them were more practical, though, such as: "Mana is measurable through the Status Window, but I think there's also a hidden Stamina Stat." This one pulled his attention enough to click into the article and begin reading.