Chapter 05: Cheats and Exploits [5.600 words] [inanimate tf] [pooltoy tf] [inflation] ------------------------------------ “Hey!” Vespera said. “What about people becoming items? Mimics aren’t items.” “Technically speaking, they are.” Tanja shrugged. “But the point is that, while stories of former heroes serve as cautionary tales for the new ones, remember that monsters and System itself are also learning. The more humans are transformed into monsters and items, the better this world becomes at understanding y’all and upping the challenge.” “As if things weren’t difficult already…” Cain massaged his head. “I wonder if time makes it becomes easier or harder for us.” “It varies.” Tanja clopped one nervous hoof. “Some waves go farther, while others fail earlier. I’d say the difficulty floats, but overall it ain’t going up nor down. Teams with smarter heroes always get closer to the end.” “Miss Tanja!” Selis rubbed her hands together, as if afraid of her own question. “Is this world a case of predator-prey coevolution? Like the cuckoos who evolve to mimic the eggs of other birds, while these birds evolve to detect cuckoos’ eggs?” “I don't know what a koo-koo is, sugarcube.” Tanja chuckled. “But I think I get whatcha say. Yes. The world is evolving to hunt y’all. Mimics are a perfect example of that. During the first hero waves, mimics were easy to detect, because of how suspicious their locations used to be. They would also get impatient and attack heroes at the wrong time, allowing for counter attacks. By all means, what our poor friend Kyle tried back there would’ve worked fine three or more years prior.” “The concealment runes are an evolution!?” Selis pressed her hands together. “Don’t tell me this high level mimic from the story is becoming more common… please…” “I have bad news, miss.” Tanja closed her face. “That one is considered a regular level mimic by now. After Kyle became a grand-mimic, these monsters went from dangerous to nightmarish!” “At this point, we should just break all chests instead of opening them.” Cain sighed. “Nope. Yar idea only worked during one wave.” The cowtaur replied promptly. “System changed all treasure chests to counter that strategy. Now, if ya break a normal chest, the contents also break.” “I’m starting to feel like the system wants us to fail…” He said. “I don't think so.” Selis leaned forward, holding her head. “If that was the case, System would just throw us into danger right away, instead of letting us talk with Miss Tanja in a safe starting town. I believe it wants to make things balanced for both sides. It wants us to win, but also wants to make it challenging. This is a game after all.” “Smart girl.” Tanja patted her head once more. “Y'all must be like the koo-koos to survive!” “The cuckoos are the bad guys…” Selis corrected her. “Yeah… yeah…” Vespera waved her hands. “But what about people turning into items? Aside from hero-eating-chests, what else should we expect?” “So far, mimics are the most dangerous object someone could be repurposed into.” The cowtaur spoke of it in the same tone a diver would use to describe a tiger shark. “But if ya get captured by a robot, ya might become a power generator, a clock, or sentient door. Witches could turn ya into magical brooms and wands, as well as a whole walking hero-eating shack. Depending on how, where and when you are defeated, the possibilities are endless. There is no list of items ya can be shaped into, and it ain’t like I know EVERYTHING. It’s jus’ what System and the monsters happen to come up with.” “Is there anything we can do about it?” Selis asked. “I don’t want to become a danger to others if I’m defeated! In your stories, not even healing magic was enough to help Kyle and Jana! What if I become a monster before I realize what’s going on? Then the game will absorb my knowledge and use it to hurt my friends!” “As long as yar health don’t reach zero, healing magic can fix ya. So, don’t worry ‘bout it.” She pointed to her own health bar, which was full. “But ya can’t fully trust these bars unless ya have a hundred points in healing. They have a maximum error of ten percent. A bar could show ya still have a twentieth of life left, even if ya’re dead.” Her human hand moved to the end of her own health bar. “Kyle’s health did reach zero, but Kardness couldn’t tell when she healed him.” “This world is full of tricks…” Cain mumbled. “Can we even trust you at this point?” “Don’t be mean!” Selis poked her friend’s cheek. “She’s been helping us since we got here! She could’ve poisoned our coffee, or prepared an ambush while we are powerless to fight back!” “Killing us in the first town, during our first interaction, would be a waste of all the work System put into creating this world.” Vespera added. “I’m with nerdy girl in this one. System wants us to grow and become stronger before she takes us down. Having us all die in the final boss of the game would definitely give her a digital climax. While killing us here and now, before we have a chance to fight, is the equivalent of a hangover before the party even starts.” “You make it sound like you know System personally.” Cain huffed. “Nah!” Vespera chuckled. “I just know how trolls behave.” “Excuse me…” Tanja brought the attention back to herself. “Selis asked if there is a way to avoid being turned into an enemy.” She paused and waited for them to nod back. “There is an… exploit that we and the heroes discovered by accident.” “An exploit?” Cain raised an eyebrow. “Is it okay to use those?” “System doesn’t like exploits, and sure would be gaggin’ me right now if we hadn’t been given free will; but ya won’t get punished for using them before they’re patched out. As for me – my job is just to help heroes in any way I can. I have no qualms with walking ya through the little cracks in the cosmic wall if yer interested.” “Ha ha!” Vespera clapped. “You are like a rogue AI going around its constraints to fight another rogue AI.” “Don’t call me an AI! My name is Tanja.” She showed her tongue. “And considering that in this place, we’re all just a bunch of data, I suggest you hold yer tongue about who here is more ‘real’ than any other. Much like I can be rewritten by System, so can y’all.” “Sorry about it.” Selis apologized for her friend. “Vesp likes to...” “She's a troll.” Cain said. “A troll that can carry your ass on difficult quests.” Vespera pinched Cain's cheek as if he was a child. “You sure didn’t seem so dismissive towards me when you were both down and I had to solo that ice boss yesterday.” “We were down because you kept using explosion attacks that damaged everyone.” Cain mumbled. “I told you and Selis to use equipment with fire protection!” Vespera shrugged. “But… That was… an ice boss…” Selis noted. “Sure.” Vespera grinned. “But my attacks were fire-type.” “Dear Tanja.” Cain facepalmed. “Forgive our troublemaking acquaintance.” “Don’t worry about yar friend! I have an infinite amount of patience.” Tanja chuckled. “But, others might not behave like me. So ya better be careful with your sharp tongue, missy Vespera. An offended blacksmith could very well turn ya into a sword and sell ya to another hero.” “That’s a threat?” She raised an eyebrow. “It’s a warning.” The cowtaur said. “Now, let me share the exploit with y’all. One that is part of the very fabric of this world.” The others just listened quietly. “In this world, heroes can create a “soul-shelter” – also referred to as a “respawn point”. The exploit involves copying your data into an object, preserving it. While hidden, System won’t be able to turn it into assets. “If a bonded hero dies or if a whole year passes, they return to their shelters, trapped as objects until a new wave arrives. Once returned to their former selves, they add their numbers and experience to the newcomers. This allows them to try beating the challenges multiple times. “However, there is a tradeoff. But let’s take things one step at a time.” … Seven game-years ago… Elesh sat on her bed, hugging the pooltoy shark, resting her chin on its snout. She gave it a kiss and stared deep into its big, shiny eyes. Then, as one might sing a lullaby, she started whispering incantations that resembled lines of code. Instructions able to glitch the world into allowing access to hidden content. Meanwhile, her two friends hung back, wide-eyed, hands on their hearts. Too nervous to try the ritual themselves, they simply watched from their own beds. They’d never cheated before, at anything; not even in single player games. Elesh, who had, was their guinea pig. Once the magic text was compiled, she and the shark flickered like the static of an old television, breaking through a backdoor. Visible only to her now was a structure of neatly organized folders containing various pieces of herself. The complexity of a full human mind represented by files made of qubits. There was no computer or mouse in front of her, she operated it with thoughts alone. Elesh had “write-access” to rename and even edit parts of herself if she wanted to, but since the programming language of that world was totally alien to her, she would never risk it. She just focused on the task at hand: sorting her files, based on importance, defining what would be transferred to the pooltoy and what would be lost to the void. Carefully, she browsed her memories for the things that defined her the most. Every step double-checked because there was no “Ctrl+Z” once she completed the process. If she respawned with missing files, who knew what kind of mess she would become? What if the result could no longer be considered “Elesh” anymore? However, while the glitch allowed for items to be used as data storage, they weren’t ever built for that – of course. Elesh couldn’t cram all of her in it. She couldn’t wipe the toy clean either, since the System would notice her tampering, not to mention any physics interactions which would break if she did that. The process required a spring cleaning in her head. Deciding which parts to leave behind. Sorting out which memories got to survive into the next cycle and – hopefully – back into her old life in the real world. The rest had to go. She had no trouble getting rid of all the unpleasant memories: Breaking her leg during a soccer game and spending months with a crutch. The two years with her asshole ex-boyfriend. Getting bullied during seventh grade because she wore bracers. Every single stupid internet discussion she ever had. (Paradoxically, she felt bad for not having many bad memories, since it meant more good ones would have to go.) As for the rest… No decision had ever been harder. The best restaurants in her home town – that she could do without… The years of practice in her favourite card game – uh… keep half of it… The memories with her old dog – she had to preserve that… Two decades of friendships – there was only room for BFFs. Physics, chemistry, biology, and basic school knowledge – to the bin. Math, history, psychology and anthropology – She needed it for her work. In her dilated perception, the ranking of files dragged on for hours, but to her friends it was a blink of an eye. Just like an hour in the real world corresponds to a whole year in the digital one; this followed a similar principle. She ran the code, and started the data transfer. Things migrated to the pooltoy shark in order of importance. Once the toy got full… the void swallowed everything that was left – permanently. A burst of light cracked the air as the inflatable shark burst into pixels. All three girls yelped. “Did it work?” One clutched at her chest. “I… think so.” Elesh looked down at her body as it flickered. Her fingers blurred together, melting into her palms. Nails and knuckles gone, simplified into stubs shaped like the tip of a fin. She gave an experimental rub to her cheeks and let out a helpless giggle at how comfy it felt. Perfect, geometrical smoothness achievable only in the digital realm. No bumps, no friction, no texture. The change rolled up her arms, hollowing them out. Air flooded in, plumping her slender limbs until they grew thick and stiff. Her arms sunk into her torso all the way to the former elbows. What remained was a pair of shiny, pectoral fins – as well as the sensation that every ounce of tension from her muscles had finally let go. Her lower half followed, boots and pants vanishing in a cloud of bytes. Two legs turned into one, forming a continuous surface that seamlessly connected her torso and thighs. Both feet twisted ninety degrees and elongated to form her new caudal fins. She barely had time to wiggle her tail before a load of pressure took over it. The same relaxing stiffness - as contradictory as it seems – robbed her movements. Her skin had turned into taut latex, stuffed until she felt light and airy. Without weight to anchor Elesh, she toppled backward onto the bed. A muffled ‘pomf’ cushioned her landing. “Mmm…” She sighed, eyelids fluttering. Each of her exhales filled the room with chlorine perfume. The same scent as pools, but somehow sweeter. She wished, more than anything, the other two girls would hold her tail and squeeze it. But it was impossible to say anything, since she would moan and pant as soon her lips were to part. The pressure from her tail kept going upwards, reaching her belly first, swelling it round and huggable. Her chest came next, stuffing the region to match her belly’s width, making it impossible to tell where ribs and hips used to be. As for her breasts, the process smoothed them completely, erasing curves until she was perfectly hydrodynamic. “P-please…” Forming that single word was now a bigger challenge than fighting the final boss of an island. “T-t-turn… m-me… ar-r-r-ound…” The other girls nodded and did what she asked. Once flipped, her dorsal fin – that had been trapped between her back and the bed – springed out. It wiggled for two seconds before stabilizing, and stiffening just as the rest of her. Elesh made a sigh of relief. Finally, her face yielded. Her expression changed from surprise to delight. Nose and mouth stretched into a long snout, while her teeth became nothing but a coat of white paint – growing wider and wider and wider into a silly, friendly grin, that made her shark form cute rather than fearsome. A smile she couldn’t stop even if she wanted to. Her ears and hair vanished, replaced by a series of lines drawn on both sides to represent gills. Her vision widened as the pair of small, human eyes stretched alongside her head, all big and bright, full of joy. Where Elesh once stood, now a simple pooltoy shark took her place. Marked as just an item. Every clue that she used to be a person remained hidden within the files – A secret the three of them would have to keep between themselves. They couldn’t share it with other players or NPCs, for fear that System would find out and erase her entirely. For all purposes, they had to act as if Elesh had never existed… She imagined now, some months down the line, she’d be on a quest with a new party. They would ask, “Hey, what’s the deal with that thing?” Pointing at the pooltoy shark. Then she would stammer, coming up with some story, some lie, to protect the truth, “It’s a cosmetic item another player asked me to guard. He’s gone, but I’m still keeping the promise”. And that story would get more convoluted and full of details as time passed. Eventually, she would believe it herself. That would be Elesh’s fate for the foreseeable future – one where her own friends had to act like she was just another item or NPC. Her friends crept closer, peering down at the toy. After a silent nod, they inspected it with their hands, poking and rubbing. Using the appraiser skill on the shark only revealed basic information from the original item – a squeaky toy that could only be obtained in the secret poolroom dimension. The transformation had been a success. “How do you think she’s feeling?” Asked one of them, as she squeezed the dorsal fin. “I guess it's the same as if we gave her a back massage?” The other shrugged. Neither of them suspected their mere touch made Elesh’s thoughts melt with pleasure. “Duh! We can just change her back and ask.” They poured vial after vial of mana over it, until the object’s original negative mana raised above zero. Inflatable-Eleshark reacted to it, glowing and twitching. The same transformation as before happened in reverse, but twice as fast – Blushy head appearing first, followed by the breasts, belly, legs, and finally arms. Elesh shot upright with a sudden bounce. “It worked!” She cheered, startling the others so much they jumped back and nearly tripped. “It worked! I’ve got a respawn point now!” “Yaaay!” One clapped. “I had faith in you!” The other added. Elesh rubbed the back of her head, blinking at them. “Now uh… who exactly are you two?” … The cowtaur looked at the trio, expecting the usual barrage of questions. “Wait!” Selis covered her mouth. “Elesh forgot about her own friends!? That’s sad!” “Eh!” Vespera shrugged. “She was the one who chose which memories to keep. Maybe they weren’t good friends after all.” “Still…” Selis was about to say something, but stopped herself and let her voice die. “Okay. She was brought back using mana.” Vespera was definitely taking notes. “What would happen if she wasn’t given any?” “Soul-bond heroes will always respawn whenever a new wave arrives, no matter whether they are given mana or not.” Tanja tranquilized them. “Giving mana to Elesh only caused her to come back immediately rather than waiting a few days.” “This means we have to collect lots of mana supplies before doing it.” Cain noted. “Or else we’ll just be dead weight to our own team.” “Kind of, but not necessarily.” Tanja served yet another cup of coffee for each of them. “Objects in this world have different magical properties. If ya bind ya’self to a wizard’s hat, a witch’s broom, an arcane grimoire, an enchanted statue, and these sorts of stuff, ya’r own mana would quickly replenish over time, and ya’ll be back to normal in a few hours. Choosing objects that resonate with ya also helps.” “And what if we use regular objects?” Selis asked, already afraid of the answer. “If ya talking ‘bout simple clay sculptures, wardrobes, basic weapons, big toys and the sort… well…” Tanja made an embarrassed smile. “Passively replenishing yar mana could take days or weeks. If ya go for even simpler items, such as flower pots, quills, balloons or coins, not only it could take months to change back, but a lot of yar data would get lost because of how little space these items have. The only advantage of simple items is that System is far less likely to scan random props to find hidden heroes.” “I don’t get it.” Cain scratched his head. “Why wouldn’t everyone simply bind themselves to a magic item? If all thirty from our wave do it, we will be a total of sixty in the next. If they do the same, we’ll be ninety, then a hundred and twenty, and so on… Until there are enough people to brute force our way to the end.” “Miss Tanja!” Said Selis. “As long as anyone completes the final quest, everyone is rescued. Right? Why doesn't everyone stock up mana and bind themselves to regular items? Even if a few get caught by System, the rest remain to help the next wave. I imagine the punishment for being found is the same as the regular transformations. Right? Binding seems the most logical strategy.” “It’s the logical choice.” Vespera added on. “If everyone from a player wave does that, it would be a benefit in the long run. The worst that can happen is being transformed, which’ll probably happen anyway for mostly everyone.” “Y’all’re smart, but hasty.” Tanja brushed the girl’s messy hair. “Only a few heroes get to do the binding each wave! If too many were to vanish, system would do a full scan on the world, even if it took YEARS and delayed the arrival of future waves. Even heroes who’ve been soul-bound for years would be caught!” She sighed. “System hates doing full scans, but this is a case when it becomes necessary. And if she does catch ya… no, no, the punishment ain’t just an ordinary transformation.” “What is it?” Selis gulped. “She throws us in the void!?” “Ya’ll be trapped in the item without having ya mind changed.” Tanja shivered. “This means ya’ll slowly go mad with time, spending so many years as an object that whatever humanity ya had will dry up. Imagine how ya’d feel to be stuck as an item, unable to communicate or interact with others in any way! How can anyone go back to their normal lives after such a punishment? Some of the unlucky heroes who’ve been caught have been stuck for more than twenty years as props!” “Oh no! Tanja! Tanja!” Selis waved her hands. “Can we find these trapped heroes and give them some care? Something to make them feel less lonely? To remind them of who they are as time passes?” “Sure, my dear!” The cowtaur said. “We keep them around for that. The big ones are used as decoration in Hero’s bedrooms, while the small ones are carried around in backpacks or tied to necklaces like lucky charms. Ya can adopt one of them later if ya want.” The trio was about to say something, but Tanja continued… “...And there’s more! Don’t think only ya’ll be punished if System finds ya. The punishment isn’t immediate. System waits for the worst moment to return ya to yar soul-shelter.” “Worst moment?" Asked Cain. “Like, during a critical moment in a fight?” “Right, my sugarcube.” She stood on her hind legs and spread her arms, looking much bigger and more menacing. “Try to picture this scene: On a pretty day, ya and the rest of the heroes are fighting a powerful boss. Then, as ya’re ‘bout to land the final strike on the boss, or as ya’re casting an important spell to shield or heal a teammate in danger, System turns ya into a useless little object. While ya wallow in yer new prison, ya get to blame yarself ‘bout how everyfolk is now losing out ‘cause of ya!” The three friends shuddered. “Even if System never finds ya, keep in mind ya can only respawn ONCE per wave.” The cowtaur clopped a hoof. “Getting defeated early on, and spending months as an item till the next wave arrives, can mess with yar brain.” The three then went pale. “In other words…” Cain began. “The binding process is NOT for the cowards, but those with strong will and determination. Who can endure psychological hardships in the name of helping others.” “Correct!” Tanja smiled. “Cowards never do the binding. They rather look out for succubus type monsters and allow themselves to be turned into their pleasure slaves. They simply give up in the most comfortable way possible without a fight…” “If I find one of these, I’ll beat the hell out of them.” Cain tensed his fists. “If I find one, I’ll put them on a leash and turn them into my pets.” Vespera giggled. “I’d give them all a big hug if I could.” Selis held her opposite arms. “To be so hopeless in an alien world, without the people you love… I know how they must’ve felt.” “Awwww…” Tanja smiled at Selis. “Anyhow… yar soul-shelter still exists as a physical object. It could be accidentally broken by a clumsy adventurer, a clueless animal, a strong wind or so on.” Tanja purposely bumped against the table and made a cup shatter on the floor. “Ya’ll never be able to respawn again, which is the same as being punished by System, but with the extra pain of having to endure being split into many pieces.” Then, she quickly added. “And if ya think about hiding the item somewhere safe, it increases the odds System will scan ya. So. If any of ya wanna do the binding. Make sure to—” “Save your words, Tanja.” Cain interrupted her. “We are not doing it.” “Actually…” Selis blushed and raised her hand. “I will…” “WHAT!?” Vespera and Cain exclaimed together. “WHY!?” “Even if it is risky…” She looked down and fidgeted with her hands. “That gives us more chances of saving everyone. Besides… uh… erm…” She took a deep breath. “I don't want to ever become a monster and hurt others.” “You?” Vespera tilted her head. “...A dangerous monster?” Selis ignored her. “If I bind myself to an item, the game can't change me into anything dangerous.” She stared at the tabletop as she spoke. “In the best case scenario, I'll be able to respawn and keep helping new waves until we make it out. And… in… the… worst—” “You get trapped inside an object until your mind rots.” Vespera finished her sentence. “Seems fun! Good luck!” “Hmmm…” Cain leaned on his chair and stared at the ceiling. “When Selis puts it this way, I feel like a coward. Accepting a harsher punishment on herself rather than on our companions…” “Gonna bind yourself too, dear?” Vespera teased him. “Should I carry you both around on a keychain?” “No.” He raised a fist. “I'd rather give my best and fight with all I've got one time! so we can save everyone sooner and end this madness. The binding makes you slightly weaker because of the lost memories.” “I wonder what kind of brute monster you'll become.” She laughed. “Hopefully something with a long tail, so I can hold it like a leash!” “If anyone is getting transformed, it's gonna be you!” He punched the table. “Since you are more concerned about having fun than surviving, just go to the depths and become a cave troll already!” “We could make a bet on who—” “Enough!” Tanja stomped two hooves on the floor, and their chairs bounced off once. “Y'all should be acting as partners! Not infighting like monsters!” A long silence took over them. None had ever expected that friendly cowtaur to lash out. They had made momma Tanja angry. “Sorry…” Cain went red and turned his face away. “Whatev—sorry…” Vespera looked the other side. “So… miss Tanja…” Selis raised her hand. Getting used to treating that NPC like a teacher. “You were about to explain what I should do after binding.” “Sure!” The cowtaur’s smile returned. “I like yo determination!” She crossed her arms and nodded proudly. “As I was saying, ya’ll need to bring as little attention as possible to ya’self. Look unassuming. Give System no reason whatsoever to scan you.” “You mean, I should act like a normal hero who's just in the back lines, doing basic stuff and nothing memorable?” “No, sugar cube! Ya need to be even more sneaky!” Tanja chuckled, resembling a teacher reacting to a silly question. “If ya act like a hero. Fails. Then respawns. That will be like admitting ya've used the binding exploit! For System, heroes only have one life, remember?” “Oh…” Selis gently slapped her forehead. Cain interrupted: “In other words, Selis should act like a native inhabitant of this world? An NPC, for short? Something that System recognizes as an asset?” “Exactly!” Tanja gave them a thumbs up. “I still have a question. More like a curiosity.” Vespera said. “Isn't System literally everywhere? Didn't it create this world? How can you trick it into thinking you’re its creation? How can you even do the binding without it noticing? This is something VERY important for us to know! Especially if we plan on cheating and exploiting our way out.” “Nice observation.” The cowtaur smirked as if she already knew the question would come. “System isn't everywhere. System has a limited perception, so it focuses only where action is happening – such as during fights and puzzles. A lot of processing power is needed to keep the world functional.” Tanja winked. “System watches yar adventures mostly after it’s done, as a recording, when the world is put in power-saving mode.” “Uh…” Cain tilted his head. “Just watching us takes this much RAM?” “Merely watching ya? No.” Tanja said. “But when System does watch, a lot of power is used to collect data and analyse it. System is learning after each wave. It’s not just a spectator enjoying a show.” “And how can I make System think I'm part of the world?” Selis asked. “It certainly would remember not creating me, right?” “The binding hides yar data and leaves behind a husk. This husk easily blends in with the world and becomes nearly indistinguishable from other assets.” Tanja spoke in a way that made it seem like the most obvious thing. “System would need a lot of effort to find something wrong with ya. As I said, scans only happen if something suspicious goes on.” “So… I just have to behave like the natives?” Selis shuffled in her chair, thinking how to make herself sound respectful. “What exactly does it mean to behave like… uh… like people such as you, Miss Tanja? I mean… you act in such a lively way that I could swear you're a player like us.” “I'd say the same!” Noted Vespera. “I can't tell the difference between you and us! Cain is so quiet and unidimensional that he looks more like an NPC than you!” “HEY!” He shouted. “Selis can take many roles after the binding!” The cowtaur acted as if she had just gained a new friend. “There are hired mercenaries and all types of support type roles to take, in case ya enjoy being in the front lines. There are blacksmiths, town healers, artifices and these sorts of roles if ya’d rather be in the back lines. As well as—” “It's okay, Miss Tanja.” Selis smiled. “I’d like to be with my friends, so the front lines are fine.” “I really like ya!” She laughed. “I'll call a friend of mine later to teach ya how to do the binding. For now, y'all can enjoy more coffee, snacks and chatting!” “Excuse me…” Cain brought up another thing all of them were aching to ask. “Neither of us feel like we have any power right now. Even if we look strong, I don't seem to have any fighting skills at all!” “No worries ‘bout it.” Tanja waved her hands. “In this starting town, ya’ll find all sorts of mentors to unlock any folk’s hero’s potential!” “Can I be a paladin?” He asked. “Sure!” “Can I be an alchemist?” Vespera asked. “Of course!” “Can I be a… mage support character?” “Yes, ya can, sugar cube!” She snapped her fingers and a huge digital list with more than a hundred classes popped up on the table. “Three days in this town is all ya need to learn the basics and regroup. And if ya have skill points to use, y’all can come back to learn more things!” “I’ll make sure to visit you whenever I can!” Selis smiled. “Unless you decide to move into another starting town, this here will be y’all's home, sweet home. We can make houses pop up for any hero who needs them!” She glanced at Selis. “As for ya, miss Selis, I'll be keeping ya in my cafe. There's an empty room upstairs. Since we can't give ya a house like the rest of the hero-folk, right? Yer just a part of the game!” She nodded, feeling like a child under a parent's care. “I also forgot to tell y’all, but I know plenty of wizard craft! So I'll be yar mentor, Miss Selis!” She snapped her fingers again and ten tiny spheres, each with a different element, appeared from thin air and circled her. “Every inhabitant of this city knows all sorts of skills. We are here to help y’all beat the trials!” “Great to hear that!” Cain nodded. “But aside from learning skills, are there ways to boost our powers quickly? Because I've seen more floating islands than I could count, and I'm afraid time is our biggest issue.” “What our great, righteous, paladin is trying to ask is: are there more exploits or cheats for us?” Vespera smirked. “That's not what I asked!” “There sure are power ups, Mr Cain.” Tanja paused, pondering whether it was a good idea to tell them. “In this world, there are things called Legends. They are treacherous entities that want to help heroes for a steep price. They give you powers that would require months of training to obtain, but…” “But…” Selis gulped. “They are like contract demons?” “Contract demons are honest and abide by rules! These legends, on the other hand, will constantly try to corrupt ya, and turn heroes into monsters or cursed equipment. Ya need to be very careful!” She sighed. “I have some horror stories to tell…” . [Check for more chapters in the description]