Chapter 43

A week later, Roy sat in the mill’s barn, eyes fixed on the template.

Personal level lv3 (0/1500)
Skill Points: 1, Attribute Points: 1

If this were before, he would keep pouring points into his strong suit, piling that attribute into Perception until it reached 7. But his thinking had shifted. Every gain now had to be preparation for the Trial of the Grasses.

Perception could be sky-high, but if he died in the Trial, none of it would matter. According to what Letho left behind, an apprentice’s chance to survive the Trial depends heavily on Willpower and resistance to toxins, and both should be as high as possible.

Those corresponded to Willpower and Constitution. Roy’s Willpower was only 4.8, below the average five, and Constitution had only just reached baseline thanks to the herbs he’d been taking.

From now on, every attribute point and skill point from leveling would go toward those two stats.

Roy glanced at his Skills.

Meditation lv1: A practice of body and mind. Through trance you regulate your body, accelerate recovery of wounds, stamina, and (if present) magical energy. Slowly improves coordination and increases affinity for Chaotic Energy. Note: Each time this Skill levels up it permanently increases Constitution and Spirit.

Letho, old as he was, never got Meditation to level ten; the difficulty was obvious. Most important, it permanently raised Spirit and Constitution. With that in mind, Roy’s focus narrowed to the little plus sign after “Meditation.” The lv1 label blurred, faded, and in seconds it read lv2.

He then dumped the attribute point into Willpower.

Warmth flooded his limbs. Every inch of skin, muscle, bone, and vein woke, like roots pushed into fertile soil, sucking up nourishment and growing tougher. His brain, that secret dark place inside the skull, felt bathed in a cool breath; for a heartbeat it was as if countless small hands smoothed every cell until each one cried out in relief.

Roy’s eyes snapped open; a starry light flickered there for an instant, then he was himself again.

Meditation lv1 → lv2
Spirit 6 → 6.5
Constitution 5 → 5.5
Willpower 4.8 → 5.8

Two whole attribute points added in a blink. He felt unreal, like some new strength had been grafted onto him.

The changes kept coming. When he stood and stretched his neck, wrists, and knees, his joints popped and cracked; a faint prickling crawled under his skin, like ants. He flushed, adrenaline high, chest full of a sudden, irrational courage. He felt as if he could run an entire day and night without tiring, as if nothing could stop him.