Chapter 57

Chapter 57

Thinking through what the most recent Achievements he received meant I calmed down a lot. It seemed that 500 was the minimal threshold for which someone would receive an Achievement like this. Getting a total of 500 in four of the stats by the end of the Apprentice trait didn’t seem that difficult to him. But that was just his own perception from experience.

On average a normal person would average around fifteen in their stats. So before adding anything extra they would have a base of sixty. The next issue came with them only raising up those stats through levels meant that they would gain at most forty stats forcibly upgrading them. That left people with a total four hundred stats to make up for. Including the 10% boost from the Apprentice trait they would need 380 stat points to spend, meaning being level twenty.

Most people made it to level fifteen in their apprenticeship, those who got to eighteen were very rare and dedicated. His brother had made it to seventeen and was viewed favorably in the guard because of it. This meant that the knowledge of such break points at the end of Apprentice was something that was kept under wraps by the nobility. To be honest this was probably a good thing as all but absolute talents or people with a cheat like him had no chance of reaching it so it only served as a way for people to skew their spent points in hope of a miracle leveling speed.

After thinking that whole thing through he took another look at the rewarded skills. They showed up differently in his status.Both [Berserker] and [Mana Skin] had a different font than the rest of the skills. As he focused on [Mana Skin] he suddenly had an instinctual idea of what the skill did and how to use it. The skill could create a membrane of mana around any portion of his chosen body, he could incase his hand, arm, or his full body. The patch could be as little as his palm. The other choice he could make was on whether he would use the skill with a set amount of mana, or link it to his mana pool.

This was different from all other skills he had ever gained. Usually gaining a skill didn’t come with knowledge of how to use it since you had to have completed an action to gain it. Even his [Mana Syphon] skill which he gained in a moment of desperation still worked the same way.

He then focused on his other skill, [Berserker] this skill worked differently. This skill could be used only upon receiving an attack, it would then amply that attack against you slightly in return for generating stamina. This could be very useful when facing quick weak enemies, or wave style tactics meant to run someone's resources dry before killing them.

Being quite pleased with his rewards he got out of bed and headed in the kitchen for breakfast. There he found his parents and after a congratulatory meal he spent the rest of the day with either one of them as he was looking to leave tomorrow.

The next day, after breakfast and a more emotional goodbye from his parents than he would like to admit, he headed over to say his goodbye and thanks to Hatchet before leaving.

“Morning Hatchet” he said.

“Morning” he responded “ You heading out?”

“Yeah, I came to say goodbye, and to thank you for putting up with me for the last five years, I know I can’t have been the easiest of Apprentices.”

“That you weren’t. Wondered why I ever accepted you more than once or twice but I’m glad I did.” as he said this he had walked over to the house and grabbed something by the front door. “I would have given this to you yesterday, but when I came by you were spending time with your parents so I didn’t want to interrupt.”

He extended a rather large old looking backpack. From all respects it looked just like an old backpack, if one that had been maintained in good condition. Examining it with his sense mana he felt a large and complex rune inscribed on the inside of the pack.

With all this he gave his mom a final hug and headed on towards the road with his gifted gloves on his hand, a small hatchet at his hip for self defense and as a memento to his teacher and a backpack on his shoulders.

As he exited the village he caught a glimpse of a group of rather finely dressed people as well as some wearing armor, all riding horses, waiting in the space for the caravan while another armored person holding the reins to his horse talked to the headman. As they didn’t seem like the kind to cause trouble while active so diplomatically he continued on his way out of the village and broke into a jog once he exited.

The road to Lessis was not noteworthy. Unlike his last two trips on it he had no problem the whole way and even easily traded the deer and boar he hunted on the way at the two villages in exchange for a house for the night and cooked food.

He arrived at Lessis as expected at around noon, but was met with a long line at the gate. He had to wait around for a few hours until he finally got his turn with one of the few guards who were handling the intake.

“Reason for visiting?” the guard said before even looking at him. As he finished the words and glanced at him his eyes sparked with a slight touch of recognition. “You’re Tom’s brother, Jax right? No, Ajax.”

“Yeah that’s me.” He thought the guard's face looked familiar but he couldn’t place it or remember his name.

He looked a little around before he made a quick ‘get on with it’ motion. “In you go, tell your brother that Darren sends his regards.”

Ajax nodded his thanks and entered the city, considering the time he decided to first head over to the Adventurer’s Guild hoping to get there before it closed, being excited to finally become a member and only after go by his brother’s place.

After only getting lost once and getting directions from a friendly shop owner Ajax made it to the Adventurers Guild hall. It was a rather large building that was made of fine materials but sported a half bar half reception on its bottom floor. The bar was slated perpendicular to the help desk with most of the floor being taken up by tables. After being given a quick glance by everybody in the building he was promptly ignored as he made his way to the desk.

“Welcome to the Adventurers Guild, how can I help you?” a beautiful perky young woman greeted him.

“I’m looking to join the guild.” Ajax said while trying to restrain his enthusiasm.

Her smile faltered and her eyes dashed off to the person sitting on the stool closest to the desk at the bar. Her eyes returned to Ajax and with a slightly defeated and irritated voice she said “I’m sorry to say but we haven’t been allowed to take on new members for the past three days.”

Just as soon as she finished her words the man that had been sitting on the stool had come up to the side and standing in a formal stance said “Hello, by order of the lord you are hereby conscripted, you are to present yourself to the Guard hall in two days time”