All in Charisma (A LitRPG/Isekai Adventure)

Justin woke up to the first rays of sunlight falling through the broken roof of the tower. As soon as he had his first conscious thought—that the fire was low—the Voice entered his mind.

[You have reached Level 6. Setbacks are inevitable, but by keeping your eyes on the horizon, you will find that each step becomes easier.]

Justin thought that was an apt way to describe things. The Voice seemed to change its little "encouraging notes" to him based on what was going on in his life. It was intelligent, then, or at least self-adapting.

He remembered what Kargan had said about it—that it was the Creator. Lila had said something about it being "the Voice of Veyrith."

He would have to ask Lila about that later when he got the chance.

[You have one attribute point to distribute.]

It wasn't even a thought anymore. He locked it into Charisma without hesitation.

[Your Charisma is now 17.]

[As a Level 6 Socialite, you have unlocked your next boon. Choose wisely—there is no going back.]

Justin looked over both options.

Polished Footwork: With every step, you are always exactly where you need to be. Your ability to keep time and rhythm greatly improves your dancing, while in combat, you gain a 10% increase in your movement speed.

Add Injury to Insult (Rare): Nothing cuts deeper than a sharp tongue followed by an even sharper blade. While any enemy is under the effect of your Poison Barb, you deal an additional 50% damage to them.

Justin's eye immediately lit upon the "rare" marker. He had already gotten a rare skill, but now, he might be adding a rare boon to his collection. He wondered if he was just getting lucky, or if something else was influencing it.

First, he considered Polished Footwork. It looked more generally useful, its advantage being that it didn't rely on Poison Barb to be effective. Combat speed didn't mean just hitting faster but also having the ability to reposition or even escape entirely.

Justin was also intrigued by the possibility of becoming a more natural dancer. It was a talent that took years to master, so getting a leg up on it would certainly be nice. True, it wouldn't do him any good out here, but if he ever found himself in that sort of situation, well, it was a nice boon indeed.

Add Injury to Insult, on the other hand, was even more tempting. It was an opportunity to shore up a major weakness. The boon didn't say Justin had to stun an enemy with his Poison Barb. An enemy merely had to be suffering its effects. From what he could tell, Poison Barb always did something, whether that was causing hesitation or making an enemy stumble. Under the auspices of the boon, that would count as being "affected" by it.

The 10% boost to combat speed was nice, but in Justin's mind, it was clearly outclassed by the possibility of hitting 50% harder, even if the window for dealing extra damage was somewhat narrow.

[You have chosen Add Injury to Insult. The art of conversation is not merely a matter of charm; it's knowing how to wield words as weapons. May your words be salt in the wound.]

With those words, the Voice departed.

As with every level up, Justin summoned his interface.

Justin Talemaker

Class: Socialite

Level: 6

Experience to Level 7: 639/720

For the first time since Silverton, Justin didn't have enough banked experience to get a level up on his next sleep. The experience requirements were already getting much larger.

His quick rise to Level 6, however, was all because of running into two Vaults and having Alistair and Eldrin do most of the legwork. True, he'd found pivotal ways to contribute that had earned him the experience, but he knew Vaults were dangerous places usually not suited to characters of his class.

Most Socialites probably had to level up the old-fashioned way: schmoozing, manipulating, lying, bargaining, charming, networking, flattering, and persuading. Justin had done little of that upon entering Eyrth, but he had the feeling that more of that would be in his future.

With a beefy base 17 in Charisma, modified to 19 with the Cane of Valoria and his Refined Presence party tactic, with a possible 21 when activating Dandy's Swagger, he would be a massive social force, at least among unclassed individuals, and even among classes that had invested little in their own Charisma Attribute.

Of course, most of that was useless out here in the wilds, but it wouldn't be that way forever.

Or so he told himself.

Lila was next to wake up, taking on a look of silent rumination. If she was anything like Justin, she would have her own last level up to process.

Once done, she turned to face him. "New boon. Descant Defense."

"Oh? And what does that do?"

"Basically, anytime I sing, it reduces damage to the party by 5%. Plus, anytime I start a new song, it casts Minor Regeneration on the entire party."

"Is that a healing spell?"

"Yes, a small one. But every little bit helps. It only lasts fifteen seconds, though, and I can only switch songs once a minute to keep it going. I figured, combined with Unified Cadence, we're getting 10% damage reduction across the board."

"That sounds like it will help a lot!" Justin said. "Since it's a boon, it just works automatically, right?"

Lila nodded. "That's right."

"What did you put the point in this time?" Justin asked.

She smiled. "Charisma. I'm a Bard. Time to do bardic things."

Kargan continued sleeping, snoring softly by the fire. Clearly, the young mage had become more comfortable with them. Justin and Lila prepped breakfast, something hot for the road, but not even the smell was enough to wake the orc.

"Teenagers," Justin said.

The word seemed to rouse Kargan, who rolled over and blinked his eyes drearily. "Huh?"

"Time to eat," Justin said. "Do you like oatmeal?"

"Sure, I do," Kargan said.

He immediately tucked in, clearly still ravenous. He would have eaten more, but at least he left some for Justin and Lila.

After eating, Justin looked the orc up and down. "So, have you thought about our offer?"

Kargan grunted. "Yes. I'll go with you. At least as far as Windfall."

"Yay!" Lila said. "You've made the right choice."

"Not much of a future here, anyway. The food is tough enough to forage already, and it'll get even worse come winter. I was thinking about what you said, Justin. Maybe there's a place for me in Windfall. It never hurts to try, right?"

"Glad to hear it. Let's make it official."

Justin mentally invited Kargan to join his party.

[Kargan has joined the party.]

Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

"Whoa," Kargan said. "A Charisma buff. And Lila's Unified Cadence looks like it'll be useful, too."

"We should all make a pact with each other; that way we are familiar with each other's abilities," Justin said. "It'll come in handy to know what we're all capable of if we run into trouble."

Kargan didn't seem comfortable with this. "Err…is that really necessary at this point? I can just tell you what I'm capable of. It's not much."

Justin exchanged a glance with Lila. She didn't seem to think it was strange that Kargan was unwilling to share. On the contrary, from her amused expression, perhaps Justin was being a bit too forward in his request.

"Sorry if I made things awkward," Justin said. "Sure, that works."

Kargan cleared his throat. "Well, it's not much, to be honest. Like I said, my class skill is a spell called Blood Aegis. Basically, it creates a shield that repels all damage around me. Anyone inside it benefits from increased healing from my spells. Plus, it helps to hide whatever is inside, as long as they're already undetected, if that makes sense. It's useful for traveling in the wilds and such. It's not foolproof, but it helps."

"Got it," Justin said.

"Then there's my class boon, Forge of Life. That increases my natural healing by a lot. Which helps, since I cast blood magic spells."

"How fast is a lot?" Lila asked.

Kargan looked at her seriously. "Well, for example, I accidentally cut myself with a knife while cutting some meat the other day. It was pretty deep. The wound healed in under a minute."

"Wow," she said. "That's amazing!"

"That's blood magic for you," Kargan said. "And a lot of people don't like it."

"Well, you have nothing to fear from us," Lila said. "I'm a pretty practical person, and most Daelorians are pretty liberal about these things. Maybe you should consider moving there."

"Hmm. I've heard as much. I guess I will consider it."

"And the last one is a shield, right?" Justin asked. "Sacrificial Armor?"

Kargan nodded, his tusks protruding. "That's right. This one is a specific shield spell that covers one person. It mitigates all damage until it runs out." He shrugged. "That's it. At least for now. I'm pretty close to Level 3, thankfully. I'm not sure what my next spell will be. Hopefully, I'll find out soon. For now, it seems like my class is meant to absorb a lot of damage."

"Interesting," Justin said. "It's rare to see a mage who takes on the role of a tank."

"I'm not sure what my role is yet, to be honest," Kargan said. "Just learning as I go. I'm confused about your skills, though, Justin. Lila seems to be a standard damage dealer with those knives. I can see she's a Bard from my interface, but it doesn't seem that your class gives you many combat-related skills."

"I have my cane for that," Justin said, giving it a flourish. "You'd be surprised how much damage this can do."

"Hmm." The orc didn't seem convinced. "Anyway, there's an old path that leads north from here. I actually followed it down from the mountains. It's rough going at points, but it beats heading into the wilds. I remember there being a fork in the road, so when we find it, we can choose the path that leads north to Windfall. From there, it's just a matter of heading for the Northway, and then to Windfall from there."

Justin remembered seeing the path. "Any towns on the way? We need to resupply."

"There are none in the Darkwood itself. There's Darkstream Crossing on the eastern side of the forest, about twenty miles northeast. If you're being chased, and they know you're up here, that's the next natural spot for them to check."

"No, thanks," Lila said. "Is the Darkwood dangerous?"

"This area has always been pretty wild, at least by human standards," Kargan said. "Plenty of monsters, but most of them aren't too bad, at least if the warriors from my clan are anything to go by. Apparently, they get tougher closer to the Umber Range toward the west. There's also Greenhollow on the northern side of the forest. More of a farming hamlet, really, but we can probably trade for food there with the locals. It's about thirty-five miles north, at a guess. The next big town after that is Windfall, and of course, a few smaller towns in between."

"Lead the way," Lila said.

They stepped out of the front threshold, the day already bright. Kargan looked at the tower he'd spent the last month in, regarding it for a moment.

He then turned to face north, his gray mage's robes swirling in the breeze.

Silently, the trio set off down the path. Justin wondered about Eldrin's fate. He struggled to imagine anything happening to the Ranger. He was too wily for that.

Alistair, however…

He pushed the thought from his mind as they hiked into the hills covered by the Darkwood, following the path cut by the overgrown road.

As morning gave way to afternoon, and afternoon to early evening, the forest grew thicker, the air filled with the scent of damp earth and decaying leaves. The trees loomed larger, their ancient trunks gnarled and as big as buildings. The sunlight struggled to penetrate the dense canopy, casting the forest floor in an eerie twilight. It was hard for Justin not to feel dwarfed by it all.

"I can see why they call this the Darkwood," Lila said.

Her voice seemed muffled, as if the surrounding trees were absorbing it.

"It's an old forest," Kargan said. "Part of Aranthia, technically. It hasn't been maintained in well over a hundred years."

"No monsters yet, at least," Justin said.

Lila eyed the sides of the trail warily. "Let's hope it stays that way."

The trio walked in silence. The road was somewhat overgrown, but it was surprisingly clear given its age. Every time Justin checked his map, they were still heading north.

"How is this trail even here?" Justin asked. "It hasn't been maintained in over a hundred years, right?"

"That's easy," Kargan said. He pointed to a worn, smooth stone covered in ivy on the side of the trail. It stood about four feet tall. "See that?"

"Sure. I've seen several of them."

"They're Shield Stones. Ten per mile. And each one has been heavily enchanted to keep vegetation from reclaiming the path. Of course, the magic weakens over time. Eventually, this path will be taken over by the forest."

"Interesting," Justin said.

The forest became silent again. Just minutes ago, there had been birdsong and the usual chirps of small mammals. All that was gone now. Justin gripped his cane tightly, while Lila reached for her knives and Kargan held his staff with both hands. He couldn't help but notice how deep the shadows were on the sides of the path. Anything could be lurking in there.

That's when Kargan came to a sudden stop, grunting in pain as he created his Blood Aegis. A translucent crimson circle, about twenty feet across, surrounded them.

Justin was about to ask what was going on when, from the darkness, a low growl rumbled. Justin strained his eyes, trying to pinpoint the source.

That was when Justin saw it—two glowing red eyes glaring at him from the shadows.

"I knew I saw something," Kargan said.

"I saw nothing at all," Lila replied, her voice thin.

"Orcs have excellent night vision," Kargan explained.

Justin swallowed. Without their new ally, he and Lila would have been caught by surprise.

It crawled forward to the edge of the ward and into the dim light of the path. Justin could only describe it as an oversized badger, its fur a dark, mottled gray that perfectly blended into the forest floor. Muscles rippled beneath its pelt while sharp, curved claws dug into the forest floor. Its mouth hung slightly open, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth.

"I hope he's by himself," Lila said.

"Shade badgers are solitary hunters," Kargan replied. "The thing is trying to size us up right now."

Justin took his cane, waving it in a wide arc. "Go away! We're big and scary predators."

The monstrous badger's response was to let out a low snarl, crouching as if preparing to pounce.

Lila, poised with her knives, watched the beast intently. "What's the plan?"

"Hammer and anvil," Kargan said. "If it breaks through the ward, let me get in between. Justin attacks from the left, Lila from the right."

The badger lunged at them with a sound somewhere between a hiss and a growl. It struck the barrier, causing a ripple of energy. The beast recoiled, flipping over and snarling in frustration.

Lila unleashed a flurry of knives, each one finding its mark on the beast's tough hide. The badger roared in pain, its red eyes burning with rage. It clawed at the ward, and at last broke it.

Kargan advanced, giving a heavy grunt as he became surrounded by an aura of crimson magic. Blood covered his gray skin, but already, the wounds were knitting themselves together. The beast lunged for Justin, but Kargan stepped into its path, knocking it back with his staff.

Lila had recalled her knives and was throwing them again. Black blood mottled the beast's fur, and it slunk toward Lila with surprising speed. Kargan shifted his position, blocking it and taking the hit with his Sacrificial Armor.

But Justin knew that armor wouldn't last forever. He approached from behind, extending the knife from his cane's tip, stabbing the badger deeply. It whirled and extended its claws, slashing more quickly than Justin would have believed. With inhuman swiftness, Justin parried, knocking the creature back with a shriek.

[Gentleman's Rebuff has shielded this attack!]

Kargan's shield was petering out, and with another pained grunt, he created a new veil of armor. His very skin was dripping blood, his form hobbled and travel robes stained, but despite this, he stood directly in the beast's path as it charged Lila again, who was once more preparing to throw her knives.

Justin, once again, came from behind, determined to end the badger. It was slowing, blood loss finally dampening its ferocity. Justin stabbed at it repeatedly, and the creature recoiled at each strike. Kargan beat it down with his staff, while Lila took two of her knives, now recalled, and buried them both in the badger's neck from behind.

Only then did the beast grow still.

The three fought to catch their breath. Kargan lowered his staff, his breaths labored, his body drenched in both sweat and blood. Justin could see open wounds marring his skin. Wounds that, even now, were slowly knitting themselves together. The crimson light of his armor faded, leaving them standing in the dim forest once more.

"Are you okay?" Lila asked Kargan.

The young orc nodded shakily. "Yeah. That's my first proper fight, not counting the dire wolf attack."

"You did great," Justin said. "That badger was positively radioactive!"

"I've never heard that term," Kargan said. "But sometimes, when a Vault is near, its magic will affect the local wildlife. It'll turn animals into monsters, or it might spawn monsters itself."

"We're not going into a Vault," Lila said.

"No, it wouldn't be wise," Kargan said. "But an isolated forest like this would be the perfect place for one to spawn." His gaze took in both of them. "We should try to find a safe spot to set up for the night. My ward should allow us to sleep somewhat peacefully."

"Unless another one of those things attacks," Lila said, glancing nervously around the darkening forest. "That one broke your ward!"

"My ward will repel weaker creatures and monsters for sure," Kargan said. "Against something like that, though…I need to get stronger."

Justin glanced around warily. "We were probably better off going to Darkstream Crossing, huh?"

"Maybe," Kargan replied. "Either way, Greenhollow shouldn't be too far north. It might be safest to walk through the entire night."

"I'm so tired," Lila said. "But it doesn't seem like we have a choice."

As they continued their journey through the Darkwood, Justin couldn't help but feel a growing respect for the young orc. Kargan might still be unsure of himself, but he had proven his worth by protecting them from that monstrous badger.

But something told Justin that the horrors of the Darkwood weren't through with them yet.