Reductionist Level: 0 Exp: 0 Exp to next level: 1,000
Hit Points: 0/787 (Currently respawning)
Mana: 0/2,152 (Currently respawning)
Mana regen: 44.54/sec
Stamina: 0/781.5
Stamina regen: 5.97/sec
Characteristic: Raw score
Strength: 76
Dexterity: 93
Constitution: 77
Intelligence: 138
Wisdom: 118
Dark Charisma: 80
Perception: 93
Luck: 59
Karmic Luck: -1
“I don’t even remember getting to level twenty-two. Did that ritual wipe out a monster population when it hit them? Did I get experience for that?” It had been an astonishingly long time since Joe had looked over his entire status sheet, and frankly, he was surprised to see how much it had changed. The final battles, changes, rituals, everything that he had done had apparently shot his level skyward.
However, now that he was losing levels, Joe had another concern. When he had gained the Reductionist class, there had been something in the description about not gaining characteristic points by leveling. If he continued to lose levels, was he going to start losing the characteristic bonuses that he had gained? When he had been able to get the little extras, it had always felt like an awesome reward, and losing them would feel like a double defeat. The whole situation was a little frustrating, but hopefully… that would all end today.
“I think I’m finally ready.” Joe had memorized the entirety of the mana flows, and he was about eighty percent certain that he could get them in the correct configuration today. The first time he had attempted it, he had only hastened his death, causing his body to implode and leave behind a puddle on the ground that neither the Elf nor the Dwarf had bothered to clean up. He had nearly drowned when he respawned the next time around. Who could have guessed that shifting energy that was as potent as unbridled lightning around in your body could have negative effects?
The Reductionist closed his eyes and tried not to give into frustration. He needed to be as balanced mentally and physically as he possibly could be if he wanted to have a shot of breaking through the Mortal Limit during this life. The portal opened, and he fell backward through it. Oddly, he came walking out the other side, just like every other time—except for the first, when he had been forcefully ejected. It was a truly strange phenomenon, but he did not have time to dwell on the mechanics of resurrection right now.
“An oligarchy is the only way to have a fair society based on the merit of the individual!” The long-bearded Dwarf was apparently making a case that was falling on deaf ears, because the Elf cut him off right away.
“Yet nothing ever really changes for your people, does it? That is why our theocracy is the best path. Our rulers are mandates from above!” The Elf’s voice was an unusually soft countertenor, and could have easily been mistaken as tenor, something Joe hadn’t really thought about before.
“You have the gall to talk about nothing changing? Your leadership has literally never changed without death involved.”
The Elf returned a simpering smile. “Mandated from above means permanency.”
Ignoring the caustic bantering of the recruiters—just as they ignored his body arriving and dropping to the floor—Joe got to work right away. He directed his energy back and forth, creating swells, tides, whirlpools. He had a strange crystallizing moment of realization that if he had kept his mana within a core like everyone else in the Mage’s College, this process would have been much easier; far more streamlined, at least. Joe could feel it, he was almost there. Just a few more whirlpools, another few seconds…
He lost it. While he was mentally groping for a thread of power to tie all of his effort together in a pretty bow, Joe slipped. Instead of pulling away a tiny stream of mana, he slapped his mana pool like he would a bag of mulch in a supermarket; dispersing a massive amount throughout his body. Everything that he had put together washed away in the face of that tidal wave… on the positive side, his body didn’t explode. Or implode. That was nice, too. Yet, he was back to square one with only a few minutes of oxygen remaining. He could practically feel the carbon dioxide building up in his blood, poisoning his organs and reducing his vision to a dark tunnel…
“Poisoning…? Poisoning!” He gasped the words out, attaining a queer look from the recruiters at the non sequitur. It took a mountain's worth of mental energy, but Joe activated ‘Neutrality Aura’ and hoped for the best. It started without a hitch, and he could feel his body getting cleaner… but only the outside. Joe was still suffocating, and the spell was doing nothing to alleviate that fact. Unable to speak his frustration, Joe simply closed his eyes and thought, “Well, at least I tried. I guess this just isn't powerful enough-”
His eyelids slowly pried open, the gravity making them feel as if they were tied down. He didn’t care; that was only a reflex. What he wanted to see wasn’t something he needed his eyes for. Joe’s status sheet appeared in front of him, and he searched desperately for the one thing that might help; might allow him to survive this situation. There. He had been correct: there were nine free skill points remaining for him to allocate. He had just… never gotten around to it. Right now, all he could do was thank his younger, less focused self.
One point dropped into his Neutrality Aura, bringing it up to Apprentice nine; then the second one was allocated. Joe accepted the changes with a desperate hope in his heart and tunnel vision closing in. With only seven free skill points remaining, he wouldn't get another shot at upgrading the skill tier.
Skill increase: Neutrality Aura (Student 0): By relying on this skill far too often—for everything from showering to staying hydrated—this skill has increased far beyond what it was ever intended to be. Bonus added due to usage: this skill will now act as a gas exchange, directly
