TJ woke with a dry mouth. He swallowed a couple times, trying to get the taste out, and opened his eyes. He was inside of the general store, in the back. A couple people were walking quietly around the space, carrying food supplies from storage into the front of the store. As he stood up, a voice called out, "There we go, sleeping beauty!"
Turning to look, TJ saw Granny Penny looking at him. As she'd grown beyond level 10 in her Race, she'd grown more and more upright, her hunched back and walker relics of the past. Her mouth sported healthy teeth instead of her dentures, and she smiled widely as TJ's eyes met hers.
"It should still be…" TJ trailed off and checked his timer.
23:47:02
Less than a day. Last day to do anything, and every level he gained would be so much bigger than every one he'd gained before that point.
"I gotta get moving." TJ said as he stood. As he did so, he realized just how easily he'd moved. He'd gained so much strength over the past weeks, but nothing had ever felt so marked as it did right now. A couple notifications flashed in the corner of his eye, but instead of looking at them immediately, he smiled back at Penny.
"Yes, you do. I know Laura wanted to talk to you before you did anything today. There's something you might have a notification about but Laura's just in here, so it's probably better for you to just talk to her."
He wanted to check the notifications right then, but Laura walked out before he could.
"TJ. I'm glad you're already done. Come here so we can tell the highest leveled members of town currently here about your experience." Though she was polite and genuine in her treatment of him, Laura's stress and borderline anger was obvious as she walked with him.
"I can. Give me the lowdown on what you wanted to say before we get there?"
Laura nodded once. "Alright. Have you seen the notification about the Elites and Boss?"
"No," TJ responded, "but I'll look at them right now."
He did so, and Laura went silent as TJ mentally commanded the System to tell him whatever it was that she was so concerned about.
WARNING:
Participants in Tutorial 107.48.891, one of the Elite monsters within your Tutorial has completed the Copper (I) tier of evolutionary requirements. Those completed are: 1. Slay 10 Participants with its own hand, 2. Be overwhelmed by enemy forces three times and survive, and 3. Complete four Elite creation rituals. As the unnamed Elite monster has completed these requirements when the System did not believe it to be probable, it has been given the opportunity to subsume the previously planned Boss monster and adopt several of its characteristics and take the Boss's place. It has accepted that and has been removed from Tutorial 107.48.891 at this time. Due to the increased difficulty of Tutorial 107.48.891, bonus experience will be granted for the remainder of the Tutorial, including through the siege and Boss fight.
"Shit." TJ swore, his stomach dropping to his feet. "That's gotta be that wendigo, doesn't it?"
"Yes." Laura's reply was clipped. "After the announcement, we learned that the wendigo was fought once before your first encounter with it and it escaped that time as well. At least, we suppose it to be the same one, given that nobody else has seemed to survive an encounter with a wendigo, if it wasn't by your side."
"Nobody's been able to get any additional information about this?" TJ hoped.
"No. The announcement came last night after you fell asleep. We've asked hundreds of questions, but all have resulted in no information. With that slightly reduced risk, hunts began as soon as the sun rose this morning. I know that Stanton and Kailani are the closest to evolving at the moment, with Sarah and Zig among the others with one requirement complete. The two with two requirements completed are both trying to figure out what they can do about crossing that final threshold, and they have teams with them to ensure that they progress as much as possible. Kailani's closest after her Tribulation, but it's a tossup if she'll get enough experience in time. Peter's learned something that might help a couple people who are close enough to only need one more, so we're chasing that possibility down."
"What is that?"
"Reaching level 25 in your Occupation counts as one of the three requirements." Laura responded. "I think Stanton's pushing for Acolyte 25. The bonus experience is helping, but there's only so many monsters out there, and each level he's gaining makes it harder and harder to progress."
TJ rubbed his face with his hands. "System, do you just make things harder here the stronger I get? Is it my fault that the wendigo evolved?"
Every Tutorial was designed long before any Participants entered one. Your presence has activated one of the contingencies within the Tutorial that has caused the level of monsters to climb 10% faster than originally planned. Your presence has allowed the unnamed Elite monster's evolution to Copper (I) tier to remain within the bounds of Tutorial 107.48.89, but the Boss was already a Copper (I) tiered creature. The resultant Boss from the unnamed Elite monster's evolution will have one more Skill and 10% more Attributes than the original Boss would have.
With a shrug, TJ accepted what the System told him. There was nothing he could do about it now, and he spoke. "Did you ask the same question?"
"I did last night," Laura confirmed, "but it was hidden from me. What did it say?"
"System, can you permit anyone who asks a similar question about me in regards to my influence on the Tutorial to receive the same answer I did?"
Yes.
"Ask again." TJ said as he looked out the front doors of the store. Laura read the System's notification, her eyes darting over the invisible screen instead of listening to whatever it said. TJ watched as several dozen people worked on the bulwark, Peter commanding them. The single-eyed man was obviously much more at home directing construction instead of tromping through the forest and killing monsters. As soon as someone realized he was there, a cry went up and Molly and Tessie were the first to run up.
"You're doing ok? You're still a Neophyte… You really are Copper tier, right? You… You'll be able to kill it, right?" Tessie asked.
The brief attempts at pleasantries were quickly overcome by their real concern. TJ couldn't help it as he smiled and tousled their hair.
"I am Copper. My Class, Race, and Occupation, everything. I guess, since my Class is an evolution of Neophyte, it still Appraises as Neophyte. But I've got some good Skills from evolving and I think I'll be able to help everyone else out with it."
"Oh, ok. Good!" Molly responded. "Yeah, I never doubted."
"Yes, TJ is here and he's Copper tier." Laura cut off any further talking. "What information do you want to provide about evolution for everyone here?"
"The most pressing information is that it can take up to 12 hours. I took longer than that. I don't know if that's because I was sleeping or because I asked a lot of questions before I actually evolved, but there, I got to choose between five options each of Race, Occupation, and Class. The bonuses you'll get per level at Copper tier are huge. The lowest of my offered Races gave… 80 Attributes, I think. I took one that gives 95 per Racial level. My Class and Occupation both give over 100. More than that, though, they give Skills, some at the Silver tier. I think it might be better to wait a little if you can, to see if you can get Silver Skills.
"I'd guess that your Class's main Skill will become Silver tier if you select one of the Classes that are direct descendants from it. I was offered two Neophyte Classes and one that seemed to be half a Neophyte class. Um… what else…" TJ thought for a moment then added, "If you get an option that seems too good to be true, then ask questions about what it might do to your might, personality, or if it has any drawbacks.
"Any questions?"
"Did it hurt?"
"How did you know what to do?"
"What Classes and Occupations were offered?"
"What Races were there?"
TJ fielded a dozen or so questions, none of which were especially good or noteworthy before he raised a hand to silence everyone. All fell silent.
"If you have more questions, you can ask tonight, but for now, I think I need to try to get every level I can."
Nobody complained as TJ stepped back. Laura accompanied him, and once they were outside of the supernatural earshot of the Participants in front of them, she whispered, "Thank you. Let me know if there's anything I can do for you."
TJ nodded and then, as he walked away, finally looked at all the System notifications from his evolution.
Congratulations, you have evolved to the Copper (I) tier of Divinity! As a gift, you have gained one level in your Class, Occupation, and Race!
You have gained the Ritualistic Transfer (Silver (II)) and Storm Soul (Copper (I)) Skills, and the Skill Divine Transformation (Copper (I)) has advanced to the Silver (II) tier. You have gained the Evolutionary Frontrunner Title.
Class: Storm-Calling Neophyte (Copper (I)) has advanced to level 19.
Attribute points allocated: Strength +7, Agility +6, Endurance +13, Vitality +13, Toughness +11, Wisdom +7, Intelligence +11, Perception +7, Willpower +11, Fixation +13, Free Points +10. Additional Free Points currently available.
Race: Semi-Divine Human (Copper (I)) has advanced to level 20.
Attribute points allocated: Strength +8, Agility +8, Endurance +8, Vitality +13, Toughness +8, Wisdom +8, Intelligence +13, Perception +8, Willpower +8, Fixation +13. Additional Free Points currently available.
Occupation: Savage Shaman (Copper (I)) has advanced to level 21.
Attribute points allocated: Strength +5, Agility +5, Endurance +5, Vitality +5, Toughness +5, Wisdom +12, Intelligence +12, Perception +12, Willpower +12, Fixation +12, Free Points +15. Additional Free Points currently available.
He couldn't truly understand just how much his Status would have changed with these three levels, so before he checked out the change to Divine Transformation, he pulled his Status up.
Status Sheet
Name: TJ (Thiago Jorge) Harris IV
Race: Human – lvl 20
Class: Neophyte lvl 19
Occupation: Savage lvl 21
Level of Divinity: Copper (I)
Divine Bloodline: Kukulkan
Health Points (HP): 1820/1820
Mana Points (MP): 1530/1530
Stamina: 1750/1750
Attributes
Strength: 87(+17)
Agility: 67(+13)
Endurance: 146(+29)
Vitality: 152(+30)
Toughness: 118(+24)
Wisdom: 91(+13)
Intelligence: 122+7(+24)
Perception: 109(+22)
Willpower: 134(+27)
Fixation: 138+3(+28)
Free Points: 28
Skill List: Hidden
Titles: Irregular
Elite Hunter
Evolutionary Frontrunner
Current total maximum Divine Transformation time: 0:00/2:51:45
(End+Vit+Will+Fix)/4
Status Sheet
Name: TJ (Thiago Jorge) Harris IV
Race: Storm Coatl – lvl 20
Class: Neophyte lvl 19
Occupation: Savage lvl 21
Level of Divinity: Copper (I)
Divine Bloodline: Kukulkan
Health Points (HP): 3650/3650
Mana Points (MP): 3000/3000
Stamina: 3500/3500
Attributes
Strength x2.5: 218(+43)
Agility x2: 134(+27)
Endurance x2: 292(+58)
Vitality x2: 304(+61)
Toughness x2.5: 295(+59)
Wisdom x1.5: 137(+27)
Intelligence x2: 244+7(+49)
Perception x2: 218(+43)
Willpower x1.5: 201(+40)
Fixation x2: 276+3(+55)
Free Points: 28
Skill List: Hidden
Titles: Irregular
Elite Hunter
Evolutionary Frontrunner
Divine Trial Records (Dirt (0)):
2 Minor, 1 Moderate, 0 Bitter, 0 Celestial
Reset to 0 upon evolution.
TJ hadn't thought about how he'd see the change to the bonus Attributes when he pulled up his Status, but as soon as he saw it, he could quickly understand that the Silver tier of Divine Transformation had doubled the total percentage of increase from 500% total increase to 1,000%, with an additional 50% increase given to each Attribute. That it took the extra 50% that should have gone to Endurance and Vitality to give them to Intelligence and Fixation seemed to be in line with Storm-Calling Neophyte's focus on magic and divine workings.
With a smile, TJ turned to look at the new Title and upgraded Skill's description.