Finally, we sat down to eat. This time, the table was a feast for the eyes: steak with honey-glazed vegetables, Caesar salad, Olivier, Mimosa, and crab salad. There were various spices and a spread of dairy products. My mother was clearly overjoyed by my father's return.
For a solid half-hour, Arthur talked about our lineage. "Who was the first Laocard? Do you even know?" he asked. Silence followed. "You should know; you bear his name. He wasn't just a man—even other races respect him. He wiped out a pack of Fraz-Urb'luu and led a raid against Demogorgon himself. Legend says he didn't die but crossed into another world. When he returned, he brought back the 'Lao Sword Technique' and eventually ascended to godhood."
There was no such lore in the game. I was certain it was mostly fiction—every clan or tribe has these kinds of aggrandized stories. They had clearly polished their history. "That is why a Laocard must be respected," Arthur concluded.
I quickly finished my steak, pasta, and a banana, then retreated to my room with a bunch of grapes. I sat at my desk and opened a new book: A Theory on the Divergence of Races by Ryu Sukui.
[For example: Orcs, Humans, and Elves all evolved from primates. Orcs and Goliaths descended from mountain apes (Montem simia), while Humans, Dwarves, and Halflings came from Simia ordinaria. Elves and Shalashtars originated from Simia tropica...]
Minutes turned into hours as the words blurred past. Kir (energy) has many properties. Because different races were born with innate spells, they spent millions of years using them haphazardly on one another. This sparked millions of years of forced evolution, leading to the 106 known races. Today, only 89 remain from the original game.
Next, I needed to train my sensory perception, concentration, and meditation to manifest spells. I had awakened as a Warlock—a class with a high potential for spell slots, second only to the Wizard. Being a fresh initiate, I could learn two spells but only had one spell slot, though I could convert slots into cantrips.
I needed to learn a spell on my own before "learning" it again at the Tower to stabilize it. But a thought struck me: commoners pay to upgrade their classes and traits at the Tower because it houses the mummy of Trostania, an Archfey whose body allows people to view their stats. Some use Fiends, Celestials, or anything with True Sight for the same purpose. Aristocrats have their own private towers.
If I can see my stats through the System, can I upgrade them there too? I immediately opened the support interface: [Can I learn spells through you?] [You are very perceptive. Certainly. However, you must first learn the spell yourself; only then can you command me to 'imprint' it into your soul.] [What spells do you recommend?] [As a Warlock with a swordsman's combat style, I suggest 'Command' and 'Hex' for an ideal assassin build.]
Camelot was right; those were excellent choices. Though, a part of me wanted Arms of Hadar or Black Tentacles—there's something uniquely effective about wrapping enemies in shadows.
I hurried to the basement library, scanning the shelves. Spells, spells, spells... Finally, I found the section for Magic-Adjacent Classes. I flipped through the first few pages:
[Some classes are dubbed 'magical' because magic is the art of creating effects without mutual exchange—casting without depleting your own Kir.]
Not what I'm looking for. I grabbed the next book:
[Level 2 Spell: Angelic Halo. A halo appears above you, healing you every minute. Mastery is unique to the individual. To learn...]
This was the one. I took it to my room and took notes on a basic version:
[HEX – Level 1 Spell] You place a mark upon a creature or object. You can sense its proximity and whether the target is still alive. Training: You must project your Kir at a target with the intense intent to track it. Note: Requires high concentration and sensory control. Failure results in severe mental trauma and loss of consciousness.
Back in my room, I took a fighting stance. I extended my hand toward a coin on the desk. "I must track the coin..." "I must track the coin..."
Two seconds later, a white-hot spike of pain pierced my brain. It felt like being hit in the face with a warhammer. My vision went dark, and a thin stream of blood leaked from my nose.
I raised my hand and tried again. An even sharper agony flared through my skull. I bit my tongue to keep from screaming. On my third attempt, my legs gave out. I hit the carpet hard, my eyes rolled back, and the world faded into a black void.