Lewis continued to listen to the discussion between the navigator Arthur and his father James for a couple minutes, before returning to his chambers. He could not but notice the looks of the sailmen on the deck.
Envy, awe, fear...But more importantly, respect. His last name, Steel, made them tied to his whims. The previous Lewis was a tyran. Despite being 16 years old, he could order them around, and they would oblige.
However, this meaningful "power" meant little to him now. He no longer was the Lewis that was abusing his position. He was a man in a teenager's body and the soul of a player who knew what was to come, a grim future awaiting the whole world, not just the ship or the next raid.
'Thinking about it, there was a player who became one of the seven pirate lords and streamed about it...He also happened to be one of the wealthiest players and survived till the end. Maybe reincarnating on a pirate ship is a blessing...', Lewis analysed.
Back in his chamber, he said with a lot of hope
"Status page"
[Name: Lewis Steel | Class: None
Attributes:
STR - 7 | DEX - 10 | CON - 7
INT - 6 | WIS - 6 | CHA - 8 (+1)
Title: Leviathan Heir (+1 CHA, +3 CHA on the Leviathan and its crew members)
Perk: None
Ailment: Gambling addiction (30)
Skills: Swordsmanship I (35), Deck Agility (28), Sea sense (15), Dirty fighting (12),
Miscellaneous skills: Silver Tongue (30), Sharp Card (25), Knot mastery (20), Ropework (18), Mast Climb (12), Weather sense (10), Basic Navigation (8)]
*Sigh*
"Players would begin with 10 points in all stats, but like NPCs, it looks like I am starting with horrible stats befitting a 16-years-old", Lewis cursed in his 5-square-meters cabin.
He remembered the stats that were deeply embedded in the game's mechanics. Well, rather than a game, it was more his new reality.
STR (Strength)Physical power and muscle. Determines how much he can lift, carry, and how hard he can hit. Important for melee combat and feats of endurance.
DEX (Dexterity)Agility, reflexes, and coordination. Governs balance, speed, precision, and finesse in actions like swordplay, climbing, and dodging.
CON (Constitution)Health, stamina, and toughness. Reflects resistance to pain, illness, fatigue, and overall physical endurance.
INT (Intelligence)Ability to learn, reason, and solve problems. Affects knowledge, memory, and strategic thinking.
WIS (Wisdom)Perception, intuition, and common sense. Influences awareness, insight, and the ability to read situations or people.
CHA (Charisma)Personal magnetism and force of personality. Determines influence over others, leadership ability, and social skills.
For a sixteen-years-old, Lewis could be considered above-average for a NPC. Perks of being the son of the Leviathan's captain, he even had a title boosting his charisma. Growing up on a ship also gave him a very versatile set of skills. Deck agility and sea sense were uncommon, and beyond valuable.
[Deck Agility
Type: Passive
Proficiency: 28
Description: Years of running across slick decks, rigging sails, and dodging flying bottles have honed your balance and movement.Effect: +5 to movement checks on unstable surfaces; reduces fall damage from climbing or mast work
Scales with DEX]
[Sea sense
Type: Passive
Proficiency: 15
Description: A natural instinct for the rhythms of the ocean and windEffect: +5 to awareness of direction, perception on coasts and sea, and potential dangers while navigating
Scales with WIS]
However, out of all his skills, the one that caught his attention was naturally the one with the highest proficiency: Basic Swordsmanship. Although anyone could learn it, even a basic militia from a village, reaching 35 points of proficiency could only be achieved with years of practice and hardships. Lessons from Arthur Will, the navigator, definitely showed in his calluses and status sheet.
Fencing, parrying, dodging, cleaving...He knew the basics of swordsmanship and could definitely beat untrained adults. It was more than enough to participate in raids.
"I guess becoming a warrior would be a wise decision", he thought with some apprehension
In order to awaken, you needed to complete several conditions. For warriors, the condition was fairly simple: reaching 50 points of proficiency in a weapon mastery. For mages, it was more complex. You needed to learn several spells and raise a magic school's knowledge to 50 points of proficiency. Some classes were almost impossible to get too without the player's system.
Druids needed to get the perk [One with nature].
Players like Lewis had visibility on their progress, and a database that allowed them to know exactly the conditions between class awakening. NPCs, however, had no way of knowing how far they were. This madness of uncertainty could drive some crazy, hoping to one day awaken.
Most sailmen on the ship, the Leviathan, also joined in hope of awakening. Promises of wealth, glory and adventures came along the awakening. In the ship, only three members had a class.
The Captain, James Steel, a level 6 warrior.
The navigator, Arthur Will, a level 4 warrior.
The quartermaster, Helena Stone, a level 3 rogue.
Warriors and rogues were the most common classes in this world. After all, they were the easiest to awaken, especially in a piracy environment.
But...even the easiest classes were unreachable for most.