Ultimate Level 1

Warning ***Alternate Reality Engaged*** System Glitch Detected

Caleb couldn’t wait for this moment. Every day since he had been told about dungeons and towers, he wanted to be an adventurer. Standing in line now, watching his fool of a friend dance around like he was going to piss himself, all he could think about was the skill he wanted.

God, give me something powerful! Something that will let me be the greatest and strongest! Strong enough to conquer the tower and never return to this back ass town again.

His dad wasn’t here, and his mom wouldn’t come watch either. Even though there were crowds lining the street, each person cheering for everyone like him, waiting to see what skills they would get, his parents didn’t care. They had never cared.

The beatings had been endless until he stood up to his father a few years ago. The man was a drunk, and Caleb remembered the last time his father had hit him. He had snuck into his dad’s room later that night and used the roller his mom had in the kitchen.

It had cost his dad more money than Caleb had expected, but the broken arm and realization that his son wasn’t going to take it anymore was worth it. Every night, he blocked his room so his dad couldn’t get in.

Today was the day he got free from that bondage. Today, he would be free to travel the kingdom. He would be an adventurer!

I’ll do whatever you want if you give me the [Swordmanship] skill or even the [Archery] skill! Please, gods, hear my prayer.

A pitiful cheer came from the crowd, and Caleb heard the old guild advisor shout out [Shepherd].

“That guy is going to hate life, huh?” Caleb asked Max as he gave his friend a gentle shove.

Max nodded, still not turning around. His friend's eyes were on Nancy, and Caleb couldn’t fault him for that. He leaned over and winked at her, but she ignored him. She had never forgiven him for not returning her affection after the newness wore off. Then Max came along, and Caleb figured she had decided to see if spending time with Max would make him jealous.

“Looks like she baked something,” Caleb yelled out over the crowd. “I guess you two are serious about the whole getting married thing.”

Glancing over his shoulder, Max smiled and nodded. “Both our parents have okayed it. I just need the [Baker] skill now!”

Grunting, Caleb pushed his friend forward, ensuring the line of teenagers, all above the age of eighteen, were going to get a turn to see what skill they got.josei

He was glad no one had gotten a red or clear color on the gem yet. Everytime that happened, it soured the whole day, and no one liked hearing ‘Unskilled’ shouted by the crowd. It was always ugly, watching them drag that person away to the cart they always brought at the end of the courtyard.

Why they keep it out of sight is understandable… no one wants to think about what they do to those pieces of trash…

“You want swordsmanship, right?”

Max’s question startled him a second, and Caleb nodded. “Yeah, I do. I want to get in a group and start hitting dungeons as quickly as possible. I’ve already read all the manuals and training guides. I’ll probably fall asleep during the week of training they make most go through. We both know–”

A loud roar from the crowd cut him off.

“That bastard…” Caleb cursed. “They got the [Scout] skill. That’s perfect for getting out of town and going everywhere.”

“I thought you liked my sister,” Max said as they took a few more steps, their turn almost upon them. “You really going to leave her?”

Caleb said nothing but stared at Stacy instead. That pink dress she was wearing made a certain part of him want to do things he would never tell Max. He saw her wink at him, and he winked back.

Perhaps a few days or even a week with her before I go would be ok… She had promised that afterward, we could–

“Holy elf tits!” Caleb cursed.

“[Administration] and [Banking]!” shouted the advisor once more, making sure everyone had heard. A huge grin ran across his face as he held the boy’s hand in the air. The older man’s face was as red as the robe he wore.

“That’s like one in a hundred thousand,” hissed Caleb as he made the obligated claps everyone expected of each person in attendance. “Damn nobles! Always with the crazy crap. I swear the gods listen to their prayer more than ours. Or something has to be way off… it’s always like that!”

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Max, as always, said nothing, bobbing his head like a fool and dancing like he had to piss again.

I swear he’s got the tiniest bladder in the land…

Pushing Max up the small steps, Caleb watched and waited, scanning the crowd and ignoring everyone at the moment.

He felt Max poke him and realized his friend was moving up for his turn. Max put his hands on the gem, and after it flashed a few colors, it settled on yellow.

The advisor leaned over and then smiled. “[Baker]!”

Caleb clapped, glad that his friend had got something he wanted. He watched as Max’s whole family celebrated, cheering for him.

It must be nice to have a family that cares.

Someone tapped him on his back, and Caleb glanced back to see a random teen from the village motioning to the skill shard.

“Sorry,” Caleb muttered and strode up quickly to the shard. Glancing at it for a moment, he didn’t hesitate.

He put both hands on it as he watched the older man with only a handful of grey hair on his bald head and more wrinkles than hair watch the shard. It looked like the man had seen some things based on how old he was and the light in the man’s eyes.

Risking a quick glance at the four other representatives standing a little bit behind the older man, each of them looked half asleep in their red robes.

“What does it say?”

The hissing sound of the words brought Caleb back to where he was. He saw the older man leaning toward him, glaring and so gruff it felt like a time his dad had used a leather strap on his back. “What skills do you have?”

Glancing down at the shard, Caleb saw that it was black.

“Skills?” he asked, confused by the color and the idea that he would have two skills.

[ Status Check ]

*****

Caleb Bunal

18-Year-old Human Male

Level 1

Exp 0/1000

HP: 40/40

MP: 15/15

Stamina: 20/20

STR: 4

DEX: 4

CON: 4

INT: 3

WIS: 3

Skills:

Swordsmanship

Consume

*****

Two skills? I have two skills?

Staring at them both, something inside Caleb called to him. Something that seemed to reverberate within his soul and mind.

The sound of fingers snapping broke his thoughts as Caleb saw old, spindly fingers before his face.

“What skill does it say?!” the man exclaimed louder as he made a few hand motions to the people behind him.

The way the four were coming toward him told Caleb something was wrong. Their faces were different, and he had seen enough people with bad intentions moving like that.

“Unskilled! Unskilled!”

A cry rose up from the crowds surrounding him, and Caleb turned for a moment, seeing Max and his parents and sister obviously distraught. Stacy was crying, and Max was holding her close.

Rough hands grabbed him, and Caleb saw two of the red-robed advisors had moved to his sides.

“Unskilled! Unskilled!” The chant rose again, and Caleb started to shout out. “I have –”

The woman before him struck his jaw with her fist, and he felt the world give way a little. His legs went weak, and he sagged, letting himself drop and knowing that this was his best choice of action.

Years of being beaten had taught him it was better to go limp and let them think you were gone. Let them think you had been knocked out.

“Put him in the cart. We will deal with him once we are gone,” the woman who had hit him said as the man on his right hoisted Caleb onto his shoulder.

The man grunted and nodded as the crowd continued to shout out, ‘Unskilled’ as the man carried him toward the cart.

Barely opening his eyes after a few yards, Caleb saw that the other three had moved back to where the older man was attempting to talk down the crowd. They had spread out and were consoling the other teens, waiting their turn at the shard, explaining that none of them would be like he was.

No one watched him as he was carried away. To the town, he was worthless. Not worth the breath he took.

It took effort to stay limp this long, and for a moment, Caleb fought the urge to laugh. All those beatings his father had given him for all those years had been worth something.

With just this man carrying me, perhaps I can escape…

The courtyard passed, and he knew where the man was walking. Only about thirty more yards remained till they reached the cart. Caleb’s stomach hurt, and it was hard to take small breaths as the man jostled him around, not concerned for his well-being.

Slowly, Caleb timed the bouncing of his body with the man’s steps, getting his arms together and unhooking the two knives he had tucked under his sleeves. All over him were knives he kept. His father had taught him the need for such preparation.

Ten yards to go…

The next few steps were the most important.

Caleb had managed to get both knives out, each of them sharp enough to skin an animal without any pressure really needed.

Two more steps… one more…

As the man started to shift his weight, preparing to throw Caleb over his shoulder and onto the ground, he struck.

The momentum gained as the man slung him down helped him to drive both daggers into the man’s back. One slipped between the bones of his spine, catching right between the man’s shoulder blades. As it went in, Caleb twisted, feeling the man’s legs give out as they crashed to the ground.

No moment of hesitation came as Caleb thrust the other dagger into the man’s exposed neck and shoulder. Stabbing the artery over and over, blood squirting out as the man tried to shout but couldn’t when the blade sunk through his neck and into his windpipe.

Crawling out from under the man’s body, Caleb kicked him a few times as the man gasped for air, blood gushing from his neck and mouth.

“You won't kill me!” Caleb shouted, stabbing the man once before rolling him over. The eyes of the advisor looked at him in disbelief. Those brown eyes trembled as Caleb leaned over him, smiling as he bent down, bringing the knife close to the man’s eye.

“Just know I’m going to enjoy this,” Caleb said with a laugh before plunging the dagger into the man’s eye socket and deep into his brain.

The advisor shook twice and stopped, and Caleb smiled until he fell over backward, his body feeling like it was on fire inside his bones. His muscles felt like something cold was racing through him. The combination was exhilarating.

And then a wall of notifications flooded his vision.

[ 4 Strength Consumed ]

[ 4 Constitution Consumed ]

[Consume has successfully consumed two skills. Choose which skill to consume]

[Would you like to learn [Power Strike] or [Dual Wielding]]

Caleb’s eyes went wider than he could ever remember.

“What in the gods is this…”