Born a Monster

285 185 – System Error

Chapter Type: System

What the hell. Why not?

[Rhishisikk, Level 9 Magical Psionic Beast (Protean, Titanspawn)]

Hey, wait, THAT was new.

[You have 2/5 Champion points remaining.]

[Might: 5. Traits: Athletic, Durable, Rapid Healing, Well Fed. Level 2 Muscles, Skeleton, and related organ systems. Sub-Statistics: Health (6), Labor (6), Strength (6).

[Agility: 3. Traits: Crafty, Flexible, Stealthy.]

[Valor: 4. Traits: Defensive, Wrestler, Veteran, Vicious.]

[Resolve: 4. Traits: Gloomy, Honest, Strong Will, Vengeful.]

.....

[Insight: 4. Traits: Curious, Linguist, Perceptive, Scientific.]

[Charisma: 2. Traits: Amiable, Spiritual.]

[Lore: 2. Traits: Child of the Ocean, Dark Magic.]

[Psyche: 2. Traits: Clear Mind, Mindspeaker.]

[System: Level One System. Level One Quests(Divine, Oaths, Profane), Reticule. System Comms, Level 2.]

[Class Modifier in Effect: Path of the the Polymath]

[Warrior Classes: Pankratios: 1. Six classes under development. Closest to level one: Swordsman: 23/100.]

[Stealth Classes: Hunter: 1, Ten classes under development. Closest to level one: Sailor: 21/100.]

[Arcane Classes: Water Adept: 1. Eight classes under development. Closest to level one: Enchanter: 25/100, Sea-Witch: 25/100.]

[Divine Classes: Dreamwalker: 1, Shaman: 1. Seven classes under development. Closest to level one: Cleric(poly-pantheon): 11/100.]

[Gathering Classes: Herbalist: 1, Six classes under development. Closest to level one: Fisher: 9/100.]

[Crafting Classes: Carpenter: 1, Cook: 1. Nine classes under development. Closest to level one: Shieldsmith: 27/100.]

[Labor Classes: Lumberjack: 1, Manservant: 1. System Error (unlogged, no System Logging method)]

[Social Classes: Industrialist: 1, Truthspeaker: 1. Eleven classes under development. Closest to level: Diplomat: 44/100.]

[Psionic Classes: Telepath: 1. Four classes under development. Closest to level: Empath: 42/100.]

[Eldritch Classes: Lifeshaper: 1. One class under development: Diabolist: 14/100.]

[Scientific Classes: Naturalist: 1. Nine classes under development. Closest to level: Psychologist: 58/100.]

[Eighteen classes of Four other aspects. Closest to level one: Cultivator (Chi Class): 55/100.]
[Omnivore Method: Level 4, 0/960 biomass reserve. Evolutions: Level 2, Transformations: Goblin, Human.]

[Sin Wheel: Vanity: 2, Wrath: 1, Lust: 0, Envy: 0, Greed:0, Gluttony: 2, Sloth: 1. Sin Armor: 1]

[You have been Tainted: 0/2 maximum Taint score.]

[You have 2 unspent development points.]

[You have 147 unspent class development points.]

[You have 291 unspent cultivation experience points.]

What? No, those numbers were WAY too high... but I suppose they were just divided among a whole slew of classes and methods. But still... that was over four HUNDRED development points worth of purchases.

It was a ridiculous number of points. I guess while I was unconscious but somehow awake was a good time to use them.

[Fleet of Foot. Running:2 (cost 6). 12 uses per day (cost:12). Total ability cost: 18 points.]

What the? That was four hours of running at top speed! I just didn’t run enough to justify that – except for the one day when I had.

chittered a mental voice.



???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.????????????

[Duck For Cover. Reduce ranged crits by one color (6 points), only when cover nearby, costs three fatigue. Each use per day costs 1 point.]

I thought.

I purchased three uses per day, charging it to my otherwise unused Siege cultivation method.

I thought.

[Resistance/Mental Defense +1, max 6 (cost 18)]

[Outdoors Charm. +1 Charisma, 3 max, cost 20.]

I nudged it.

[Outdoors Charm. +1 Charisma, 5 max, cost 30.]

[Trait purchased. Charisma increased. Calm Demeanor sold back for 6 development cost.]

[Trait purchased. You currently have 32/40 Serenity.]

he asked.

I could almost feel imaginary palms pressing against hypothetical eyes.

[Pure Soul – You have been exposed to Taint, and may never purchase this power.]

he thought,

I suggested.

[Soul Shell: Resist Soulistics Damage: 2 (4 points), cost 6. Uses per day cost one each.]

I thought.

[Soul Wall. Ignore one spiritual condition or serious emotional wound, cost 6. Each hour costs serenity. Uses per day cost one point each.]

I purchased two uses for it, and for the mental equivalent...

[Tenacious Health. Ignore one...]

[Ability purchased.]

[If I suffer brain damage, those last two can grant me two hours a day of normal thinking. If not, I can still act without worrying about one serious injury in each category.]

I purchased a level each of the subordinate statistics for resisting emotional/spiritual states and mental conditions.

There was an exhalation of breath.



I called up the specifications for Anti-Taint Ward.

He NUDGED me aside, with more power than I knew existed.

[Error: Trait or ability not recognized.]

I was spitballing, trying to build off of how my system thought of my claws and jaws.

[Inherent Ability: Aura Strike (CHA) costs 50 points. Focus here to...]

[You Lack Development Points to...]

[Purchase complete. Ability will not affect any deity you worship or their divinely infused servitors.]

That was fine. Whatever spirit was pretending to be the Horned Rat, I didn’t think Sobek approved of him being here.

So, I reared back with my rage, and directed it at the Horned Rat. It coasted off his... it felt like an emotional pillow, that just ignored and absorbed my rage.

Something ELSE arrived, splashing energies... imagine if the essence of a river were refined from water, and then refined again from that.

[You have taken sixteen points of Awe damage; 16/40 Serenity remain.]

It seized upon the Horned Rat.



I moved in and angered at him again.

the angel said.

the Horned Rat demanded.

He struck futile blows against the angel. She was NOT amused.

she decided.

.....

And then they were gone, and I was... It was the magical equivalent of staring at the sun for too long. I was blind for ... well, I’m not sure how long.

And whatever they had started radiating had scrambled my system. At first, I couldn’t even reach it. Then, slowly, it returned but it was fuzzy, not communicating right.

[Syztem ERron defecteb. Sisten wheel no ray boot.]

Wait, the System was going to WHAT?

And then, all I perceived was darkness.

For those of you from technical worlds, this was my first experience with static, if such a term applies to smells, sounds, colors, and shapes all at the same time.