Chương 34: Levelling and Learning

Ch. 34 - Levelling and Learning

"I levelled last night, Kit. A lot." Wyatt spoke to Kit as they were finishing up their meal before setting off to meet Lera at the ruins. The two of them had been up for a while, but Wyatt had been quietly mulling over his new Classes and Skills in his head, thinking them over. It wasn't just the new Skills — he'd had a change of Class as well! He'd kept quiet as they went through their morning tasks.

The mess that the Armoured Tuskers had made of his crops would have been disheartening to Wyatt if he hadn't been distracted by his new Levels. Only one of the wheat plots was relatively unscathed, with the other being mostly torn up. The seedlings that remained hadn't grown all that much from the day before, [Swift Germination] only affecting the initial growth of the seed. Still, the small plants all looked healthy and vibrant — except for the dungeon fruits he'd planted.

They had all sprouted, but they were sickly and spindly looking things. Wyatt wondered if he was missing something, or if that was their natural state of being — the adult shrubs all looked withered and half-dead after all. Wyatt had noticed Kit eyeing him all morning as they had packed up their belongings, but she'd not said anything. Now, after they had completed their breakfast of jerky and dungeon fruit, he was ready to tell her.

Kit padded closer to Wyatt, and sat down on a piece of broken stone so that they were more of a height. She looked knowingly at him.

'I thought as much. Which Class did you level?' Wyatt scratched at the back of his head, giving her a rueful smile.

"Uh, all of them? I got a new Class as well. And a Class change?" Kit's ears pricked up, and she gave him an attentive look.

'Tell me everything.' Wyatt nodded at the silver fox.

"Okay, well [Survivalist] went up to level fourteen — I didn't get any new Skills, but two of them changed. [A Safe Place to Rest] is now [I Claim this Land], and [Lesser Resist Magic] is now [Advanced Resist Magic]." Kit nodded back at Wyatt appreciatively.

'[Advanced Resist Magic] … that is a most impressive upgrade. Not common either, you rarely see it outside of specialist anti-magic Classes. [Survivalist] is a far more versatile Class than I realised. It will provide you with far greater protection than the lesser version. Do you know what [I Claim this Land] does?' Wyatt had been pondering this Skill since he'd got up, far more than the rest of his new Skills. It seemed like the biggest change to him, but he was unsure if it was a good one.

"I'm … not sure if it's better to be honest. From what I can tell, it lets me choose an area and it becomes safer — similar to [A Safe Place to Rest], but not as powerful or all-encompassing. It's no longer a guarantee of safety. It just … dissuades anything that might be dangerous from heading in our direction. Like a suggestion?" Kit didn't seem disappointed in the change of Wyatt's skill.

'Ah, yes. A progression Skill is quite often like that.'

"A progressions Skill?" The fox settled herself down more comfortably on her perch, regarding him seriously.

'That's right. It's a Skill that is tied in to your overall Level. It can start off weak, but it will grow as you do.' Wyatt thought that over, wondering how his Skill would change. Did that mean that it would eventually be as secure as [A Safe Place to Rest]?

"Are those kind of Skills common?" Kit nodded at him.

'Most Classes have something similar. Even your [Till the Earth] will eventually grow along with your Level, letting you cover a greater area when you use it.' Wyatt brightened up as he heard that.

"Do you mean like it would become [Advanced Till the Earth]?" Kit let her mouth loll open in a silent laugh.

'No, nothing quite so explicit, Wyatt. Some Skills get more powerful as you Level. That's all.' Wyatt thought he knew what Kit meant.

"So it's like your stats going up as you Level?" Kit frowned, tilting her head at him.

'What do you mean by 'stats'?' Wyatt hesitated.

"You know, strength, dexterity, intelligence … that sort of thing? David used to talk about it a lot. Along with a whole bunch of other stuff I didn't quite get." Kit gave Wyatt a puzzled look.

'… do you mean like how exercise or study can make you better?'

"No? David was wondering if Levelling increased your base stats — uh, abilities, as well. Like you Level and get more points assigned to intelligence? So you become … smarter …?" Wyatt trailed off in the face of the hard stare that Kit was giving him. The silver fox spoke slowly, like she was concerned for his well-being.

'… how would that even work? Your brain just suddenly becomes better?' Wyatt shrugged, giving her an awkward smile.

"I don't know, it was just what David was saying. I mean, you can get [Lesser Strength], how is that any different?" This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Kit shook her head firmly at him.

'It's different because that's a Skill. People — warriors for example — are stronger, tougher, and faster than others. But that's only as they Level, as they accumulate Skills. It's not because of 'stats'.' Wyatt frowned, thinking that over.

"Then why doesn't everyone just take a warrior Class?"

'Different people are interested and drawn to different things. You think that the [Merchant] Isaek would prefer to run around, risking his life while swinging a weapon? That's not his passion. He most likely wouldn't make it past Level Fifteen over the course of his entire life.'

"I suppose that makes sense. It just seems strange to me, like some Classes are worth more than others." Kit gave him a perceptive look, one tinged with amusement.

'That's probably because you are viewing this world through the lens of your own. Everything here is new and different, full of possibility. And if martial Classes are so much better, how come you kept turning them down?' Wyatt laughed ruefully.

"Okay, you have me there." Kit's tail swished through the air, conveying a definite sense of satisfaction.

'Yes. I do. Now, what else did you Level up in?'

"I got to Level ten in [Forager], but it changed to [Harvester], Level ten." The silver fox nodded slowly at hearing that, seemingly unsurprised.

'That suits you, far better than [Forager]. You were clearly using your Skills yesterday in a manner that wasn't intended.'

"Yeah, I guess. I got [Lesser Reaping]. That … lets me gather a larger amount all at once, like [Till the Earth]. And also [Bundled Harvest], which places anything I gather in a pile on the ground, so that I don't have to try and catch it. I think I got that Skill because I kept dropping the seeds as they appeared yesterday." Kit sounded like she agreed.

'That's some good synergy you have there with your Skills, Wyatt.' Wyatt didn't answer straight away. He was thinking over his new Skills again. It was one of the reasons he'd not told Kit straight away — Wyatt had been trying to get his head around what it meant.

"You know, I probably would have chosen similar Skills to these if I'd been given the option …" Kit didn't seem to find anything untoward in what Wyatt was saying.

'Yes, and? What else did you get, or was that it for [Harvester]?'

"[Grower] is now Level five. The Skills I got with that Class are [Add Fertiliser] and [Watered Earth]."

'Those are fairly straight forward, but they will save you a lot of time.' Wyatt sighed, sitting down on his own piece of rubble. This meant that Kit was now above him, which the little fox seemed to enjoy. He tried again to make her understand what was bothering him.

"Kit, how did I get the exact Skills that I'd have picked anyway?" Kit cocked her head at him, curious.

'What would be the point of getting Skills you wouldn't want?'

"But I was only just thinking about how I should look at buying fertiliser! I thought that yesterday!"' … and? What's your point?' Wyatt frowned. Was he the only one that thought it was strange? Kit seemed confused about the core principle of what he was trying to say.

"… I also got [Crafter] as a Class. Level three, with two Skills. [Lesser Crafting] and [Sturdy Materials]. Kit shook her head, ruefully amused.

'I'm barely surprised that you have yet another Class.'

"Well … it sounds useful. Even though I maybe would have preferred one of those manual labour Classes you were talking about. [Lesser strength] would be handy."

'I was only joking about that, Wyatt. I don't think physical labour is your passion or drive. Besides, you didn't want the Class, only the Skill.'

"I guess." Kit laughed at him silently.

'The look on your face! Don't worry, you'll just have to wait until you actually get the [Farmer] Class — which is only a matter of time, judging by how you're going. [Farmers] often get strength and stamina skills.' Hearing that made Wyatt brighten up.

"Hey, that would be great! But you're not going to have a go at me if I get yet another Class?" Kit flicked her tail dismissively in his direction.

'It's the one you want after all. And your Classes will take you in that direction eventually. Although I'm not entirely sure how they will merge yet.' Wyatt blinked at hearing that. He thought it would be more a case of starting from the beginning as a [Farmer].

"Getting the [Farmer] class is that complicated?"

'Not at all. But most [Farmers] start on an actual farm — perhaps with the [Farm Worker] Class as they learn the trade. You're heading for a more circuitous route. But at the same time, you will have a much more diverse array of skills when you get there.' Wyatt was silent for a few moments as he thought about that. It did sound pretty good, and if he levelled [Harvester] a few more times, he might arrive at his goal quicker. But then again, [Grower] might be the more correct route to take.

Wyatt looked at Kit seriously.

"Kit, is it normal to Level as much as I did last night?" Kit regarded him seriously.

'To a certain extent it is. When taking into account everything that you did yesterday. Spying on the Goblins, gathering all those materials and seeds, planting — even crafting! You barely stopped all day, you pushed yourself, experimented … Do not get me wrong though, that many levels is indeed impressive. You rarely see it outside of active combat.'

"Really? Fighting Levels you that fast?" Kit nodded.

'Yes. Striving for victory, where failing could mean your very life? Nothing has higher stakes.'

"But why doesn't everyone level as fast as I have? I mean, if it's possible, then why doesn't everyone do it?" The silver fox shrugged at him.

'Some do. But it's not the norm.'

"Why not? Isn't it worth it?" Kit settled herself on her perch, primly crossing her front paws in a manner that Wyatt privately thought looked adorable. She sounded gently amused.

'I must say it's strange, seeing this from your perspective. Levels and Skills are just things that … are. There's nothing special about them, nothing that makes people intrinsically strive.' Wyatt couldn't quite reconcile that. He vaguely waved a hand through the air to convey his confusion.

"But … that doesn't make any sense."

'Does it not? Most Classes are tied to jobs and professions. Some people are passionate, and strive for success. But most people just … live their lives. Is that so different from your world?' Wyatt thought about what Kit was saying. He tried to imagine what it would be like growing up in this world, without viewing Classes as some impossible and amazing phenomenon. Growing up, Wyatt had noticed that his Grandparents were more proactive than most of their neighbours, always trying to better their lives.

While they worked hard, others almost seemed to go through the motions, grinding away dully at the necessary tasks of the day.

"I guess I can see what you're saying."

'Don't get me wrong, Wyatt. There are some that throw themselves whole-heartedly into their Classes. Gold Ranked Adventurers for one.' Wyatt squared his shoulders. Whatever the prevailing mentality of this world towards levelling, he knew he wasn't going to take anything for granted. A thought struck him, and he turned to Kit curiously.

"How come you don't Level Kit? Why don't you qualify if beings like Goblins do?" Kit gave Wyatt an amused look, making a show of preening.

'Clearly I am far too beautiful and talented already. If I could Level, I would be far too powerful.' Wyatt hid a smile.

"And that's it?" Kit's posturing faltered slightly, and she coughed.

'Well, my kind can Level. But it's not a path I would willingly choose.'

"Why not?" Kit shook her head, uncomfortable.

'It's not for me. It involves sacrificing too much.' Wyatt held his tongue for a few moments, watching her.

"Kit … does that mean you're remembering more?" Kit shook herself, dispelling her momentary somber mood.

'Bits and pieces. It's becoming clearer, but I don't remember everything yet.'

"And your name?" The silver fox give him an affectionate look.

'Kit is fine. For now.' Wyatt smiled back at her, then leant back on his impromptu seat with a sigh. He stared up through the holes in the broken farmhouse, tracking clouds gently making their way across the sky.

"Kit, why do people Level here? I mean, what assigns Classes?" Kit jumped down off her perch. She followed Wyatt's gaze, then shrugged.

'I don't know, Wyatt. I've never personally heard the voice before, nor heard an explanation for it that satisfies me. It's not something that is generally questioned. The sky is blue, rain is wet. Levels and Classes exist. That is the extent of it. Now, is there anything else we need to do before leaving?' Wyatt stared at the sky for another few moments, wondering. Then he got to his feet. They'd have to set off soon if they wanted to meet Lera before sundown.