Successor of Kukulkan

TJ opened his eyes. The park he’d been in two weeks ago with his son was there. To his surprise, though it’d been night when he’d been pulled away by the System, morning was just breaking. Looking around, there were the climbing gyms, the slides, everything. However, the sand showed a different story. Clotted blood was all over, and the scent of iron in the air wasn’t just from the metal pipes that supported the jungle gyms. Fur and feathers had been blown by the wind into the corners of the walls, and TJ knew this was, if not the site of a last stand, a place where much of a different Tutorial’s fighting occurred.

“How bad was this one?” TJ half asked himself and half the System. Neither responded, though his own lack of response was enough of a tell to how much he’d changed since the System ripped him away from his previous life. The stroller was still in front of him, empty of Junior. In fact, it was obvious that the stroller had been ransacked for anything of value. The only reason that it was still there was that it was obviously because the frame was too lightweight to serve as a weapon. That TJ had to fight down a sense of anger and violation at that was almost humorous. He’d ripped homes to the ground to give himself a better chance of survival, and now he was mad someone touched an empty stroller?

He focused himself, taking in the rest of the area. The dozens of families that’d been there in the park were gone, and TJ was alone. Could they all have died, or was he just quick to return? He didn’t know and couldn’t say. That wasn’t his problem, anyways. Instead, his concerns were the wendigo horn that he still had and the Tezcatlipoca-blessed carcass beside him. 

The System had given him the warning that the spoils of his Tutorial would need more prompt treatment in the warmer valley, but he didn’t immediately set on dealing with the hide. Instead, he shrugged and looked at his Status, since, as soon as he’d disappeared from the facsimile of his home, the System had told him that the levels it’d held back until after his victory over the Wendigo Ritualist would come in. He wasn’t disappointed.

Class: Storm-Calling Neophyte (Copper (I)) has advanced to level 26.

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. Skill selection available. 

Race: Semi-Divine Human (Copper (I)) has advanced to level 26.

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 26.

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. Skill selection available.

That was two levels in each. Maybe those Attributes would have helped him in the final fight, but since nobody had died, he couldn’t complain too much. How many levels he’d stand to gain outside of the Tutorial now was currently an unknown, since he wouldn’t have the experience buff and he didn’t know how many monsters would be sitting around nearby, ready for him to hunt. That, again, was a worry for later. Looking at the Skill options, TJ saw that those offered for his Class wouldn't help him with the pelt treatment, but a couple of those offered for Savage Shaman could, so he’d need to make that choice now, before he cut and prepped the hide. Before he could look at the Skills specifically, though the System provided a warning to him.

All Classes and Occupations, beginning at level 30, will provide additional Skills only every 10 levels instead of every 5.

That was information that TJ wasn’t too surprised to read. He couldn’t say what level Silver tier would come at, but he suspected it would be much higher than 50. On top of that, it further incentivized Participants to evolve at lower levels, to get more Skill selections as higher tiers. Shaking his head, he instead refocused on the Skill options for his Occupation.

Simple Weapons Fighting Proficiency, (Copper, (I)): You have created and battled with weapons made entirely from items and materials from after the Integration, and have dealt deadly blows with magic and strength of fist. Your weapons have struck deadly blows on a Copper (I) tiered Boss and you have dealt heavy blows with simple weapons. This Skill will grant you an intrinsic understanding of how to leverage the strengths of basic, simple weapons, such as the dagger, club, stave, and spear. Additionally, this Skill will grant a 20% bonus to all Attributes that its untiered iteration offered, but that 20% bonus will be universal and apply not just in combat, but at all times that you are only wielding any simple weapon. NOTE: At the Copper (I) tier, this Skill does not grant an additional bonus to Attributes while you are using the Divine Transformation Skill.

The ideas TJ had previously had about this Skill remained unchanged, though he now saw that the Skill’s description limited the bonus provided while in coatl form. He supposed that wasn’t particularly noteworthy, but it was an unwelcome surprise.

Equipment Fabrication (Copper (I)): You have found various uses for the items and materials that surround you. As you already have a Skill dedicated to the processing and utilization of post-Integration materials (Introductory Divine Primitive Craftsmanship), this Skill is instead focused exclusively on the creation of equipment. This Skill will strengthen all equipment created by 25% and will increase the Attributes granted by each piece of equipment. This Skill is influenced by the “100% bonus to all crafting abilities and Skills when crafting without pre-Integration technology” granted by Introductory Divine Primitive Craftsmanship.

The upgrade to this option was also nice, given that it would synergize with the first Skill he received since the whole apocalypse began. TJ only had three pieces of true “equipment”, with the Remnant, Shroud, and Spear, so as he had more time after the Tutorial, one thing he would focus on was creating more things for himself. He tentatively put this as his first option as he moved on to the next. 

Mobile Ritualism (Copper (I)): You are a Savage Shaman, a leader. A leader must always lead, and leading requires movement. However, rituals are made to be stationary and are weakened by moving. Thus, this Skill allows for any rituals up to Copper (I) tier to be moved without suffering any ill effects. Skills of Silver (II) tier and above will experience a decrease in the reduction to their efficacy.

A good Skill, if one that TJ didn’t think he’d need right now. He had no allies nearby, and even if he did, he suspected that his single ritual wouldn’t be on the forefront of things to make sure to accommodate for now.

Necromantic Ritualism (Copper (I)): You have witnessed the power of a necromantic ritual. One who controls—

TJ pulled his eyes away. His knee-jerk reaction to hearing necromancy was first, excitement, second, confusion, and third, disgust. He wasn’t a necromancer. Did he want to be one? As he thought about it, no, not at all. He’d seen what the wendigo had done with the bodies of the other monsters, and he didn’t want to do that. After he was entirely sure that he didn’t want the Skill, he stopped looking at it, not even finishing reading it. Instead, he looked at the final Skill option.

Influential Leadership (Copper (I)): You have gained a Title that grants you a greater realm of influence over those who would follow you. You can grant strength and morale to those who follow you. This Skill will grant any of your willing followers the Moderate High Morale buff as well as a 5% increase to all Attributes while in battle. 

Another Skill that could be powerful, but didn’t suit his current needs. As far as TJ was concerned, the only two he really wanted to consider right now were the fighting proficiency and Equipment Fabrication. Regardless of which he chose, the end result would be him getting stronger as a human. Therefore, the choice was if he wanted the Attribute boost coming from wielding whatever weapon came to hand, or if he wanted it to come from higher quality equipment that he made for himself. 

He’d only seen pretty unimpressive Attribute bonuses from equipment, though. From the two pieces of equipment that he had that granted Attributes, he gained a total of 23 Attribute points. He’d get more than that from just the boost to Intelligence. However, the things he’d made weren’t particularly noteworthy. Divine Armaments and Sacred Weapons that were still Copper tier gave up to 50 Attribute points each… TJ asked the System, “What are the limits of Copper tier equipment?”

Copper tier equipment can grant up to 50 Attribute Points as well as one Skill and one bonus ability.

“A bonus being something like the Wendigo Blade’s bonus to my Wind Manipulation or the Remnant’s boost to Skills by touch?”

Correct.

Then the question that came up was if TJ wanted more of these abilities or more Attributes. Or, if he wanted to wait on one of the two and then try to upgrade whatever Skill was offered to him next time. And which one was more likely to be offered to him again in five levels? After thinking about it for a while, TJ finally made his decision. 

Equipment Fabrication didn’t immediately assist him with processing the Tezcatlipoca-blessed mountain lion’s body, but it did let him know that the only part of the body that was really worth anything was its hide. Or, the most valuable part that was left. Its fangs were pretty potent as well, but those were long gone, and TJ didn’t begrudge making sure the rest of the survivors from his Tutorial had something to take with them. The bones could be used in something only slightly better than the bones originally used in his creation of the Spear, but at this point, given how much blood the Spear’d absorbed, they were probably effectively the same. Thus, TJ pulled his Wendigo Blade out and set about carving the hide from the corpse of the Copper tier monster. 

It wasn’t easy going, as the Blade was the first Copper tiered equipment he made. TJ wished he had one of the claws from the Wendigo Ritualist, but again, he was sure he could get something comparable. He’d had plans about making a macuahuitl, and maybe he could use the massive wendigo horn as the haft for that. But that wouldn’t help as much with the processing of any new materials that came his way. And where would he get obsidian hard enough to work against the supernatural monsters that would fill the planet now?

Various thoughts filled TJ’s mind, but he noticed as a couple people appeared in the park. He didn’t leave himself entirely exposed, his stomach twisting at the thought of possibly confrontational people trying to force him to do anything. Then, instead of anxiety, a sense of anger flooded him, at the hubris and stupidity of someone trying to steal from him. 

With deep breaths, TJ forced himself to calm down, focusing instead on the work he was doing. He refused to damage the hide because of the possibility of someone trying something stupid. On the other hand, he did make sure his Spear and extra horn were always between himself and the massive corpse in front of him. No reason to tempt anyone.

“You gonna give that to the rest of us or what?” A gruff voice asked. TJ gritted his teeth and turned away from his work, bloodied knife in hand.

“What did you just ask me?” TJ demanded, his fist tightly clenched around his knife as he bent over and picked the spear up. He was significantly shorter than the pale man who spoke, who was well over six feet tall and wearing Holy Vestments armor. The full plate he wore was impressive, but when TJ Appraised him, any nervousness that remained was washed away.

Zealot, 21

With no indication of his tier, that meant he was Dirt tier. The larger man demanded again, “Are you going to try to eat that all yourself? You won’t be able to before it spoils.”

“Oh, the meat?” TJ laughed, pushed back his anger. “Yeah, you can have that. I’m taking the hide and was planning to leave the meat behind.”

“You’re a crafter?” The large man raised his eyebrows as he extended his hand. “Nice to meet you. My name’s Kolt. Er, my name’s Kolter, but I go by Kolt. You?”

“TJ.” TJ took the offered hand, and when Kolt squoze tighter, TJ matched him until Kolt could go no further. Then, he took it just a little further. Kolt pulled his hand back and shook it.

“Level 26 is impressive. If you’d leave some of that meat behind, I’m sure we’d appreciate it.”

“And I appreciate you not taking too hard a stance there. I think we’re all a little… twitchy.” TJ said, eyeing a couple of the other people who stood nearby. None of them were even as high of a level as Kolt, much less himself. “I’ll finish removing the pelt and probably a couple dozen pounds of meat and get out of your hair.”

A woman behind Kolt reached out and put her hand on his arm, which he noticed but didn’t do anything about. “That sounds fine, TJ.”

Then, with a growing crowd watching him, TJ continued to remove the pelt from the giant creature.

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