The conversation stopped there, and I was able to turn my attention to the shit-ton of notifications I had been ignoring while Rav periodically shot ‘Arcane Bolts’, as he called them, off into the distance.

  ...

  Good fucking lord.

  While I appreciate that the game’s logic rewards me for ‘selflessness’ even though I totally had an agenda, I had no idea it was so risky. Damnit. So if Rav fucks up a spell, it probably explodes in his face or something. Big deal, it’ll regenerate. But if I fuck up? I apparently risk my ‘essence’. What the fuck would happen then? How close did I come to *not existing*?

  I… have never been so motivated to train in my life. I don’t know why my Energy skills don’t have a tooltip like the Tamer skill did… in fact, none of the others do, but maybe eventually it will? The issue there is that I’ll have to keep sticking my neck out toward a blade I can’t see and don’t understand… with my immortal soul as collateral.

  I mean, not literally… but maybe literally.

  I *really* don’t like not knowing. I wish I could call the Guru. It was such an asshat, but I would deal with the devil just to get some knowledge.

  This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  I’ve been put in so many tricky situations with Energy that the related skills have leveled up like mad.

  I peruse my stats page:

  Name: Amadeus

  Power: -90

  Fragments: 5

  HP: 33/33

  H Recovery: + 5.75 / hour

  Stamina: 33/33

  S Recovery: + 11.5 / min

  Energy: 21/31

  E Recovery: + 3 / min

  Primary skills:

  Dexterity 18

  Strength 22

  Endurance 23

  Toughness 23

  Intelligence 27

  Perception 24

  Will 3

  Secondary Skills:

  -Active

  Transfuse Energy [Active] (7) Move Energy through physical contact into living objects.

  Imbue Energy [Active] (2) - Move Energy through physical contact into non-living objects.

  Energetic Attack [Active] (2) - Attempt to destroy the spirit of a target using your own as a weapon.

  -Passive

  Energy Manipulation (5) Medium - general ability to move and understand Energy. Improves through use.

  Combat Proficiency (1) Hard - General combat ability. Improves through not using it in training/combat.

  Cold Resistance (2) Medium - General resistance to the effects of cold.

  Tamer (1) ??? - Rare skill. Tame and forge bonds with monsters.

  Hand to Hand Proficiency (1) Hard - Unarmed competence. Improves through practice using the body as a weapon.

  Peripherals:

  Dominations - 14% Cathid

  Exhaustions - 2

  Inventory:

  Basic Clothing (cloth); stick; 5 flowers each (red, green, blue, yellow, orange, purple). 5 Bon nuts.