Blacksmith vs. the System

"So, does this new stat come with a skill, or is it just alone?" she asked once we arrived on the fifth floor.

"A second," I said, and touched the broken remains of a metal wall, the other reason I picked this location. While my new skill gave me direct spell casting, I was still more familiar with using metal as a medium. I created a dome around us. It wasn't as strong as the protections in my office, but it was still enough to prevent anyone from eavesdropping, whether using magic or stats.

"It has a skill," I said. "Command."

"It's a solid, promising skill," she said. "Far better strategically than some of the Charisma-based ones like Intimidate or Confuse." Then, she met my gaze, a teasing smirk on her lips. "Worthy of a King."

Her mocking declaration was a reminder that it was getting extremely unlikely that my tenure as a ruler would be as short as I had hoped. All I needed was to work in a research lab, exploring the true nature of the universe.

Was that so much to ask?

"Any concrete ideas about how to develop it?" I asked. "Any quick rarity upgrades to get better Perks, for example."

"No. When it comes to details, secrets of Charisma-based skills are one of the most well-defended ones. I have some ideas, but about the upgrades, it's difficult. Let's focus on how you'll use it, and let's try to get the first skill then."

"For me, the best use is to counter the Charisma-attacks from others, which could potentially ruin the organization of the town. The same goes for the intimidating aura some monsters have."

"A good start, but difficult to test," she said. "Maybe we could start by focusing on squad command. You can command people."

"Charisma could also be used for communication, right?" I asked.

"Not exactly," Rosie said. "That's also a command, but it's just more abstract. It's like the difference between telling someone to go to the grocery store, and giving detailed commands like walking fifty steps, taking a turn, walking thirty more steps..."

"A lighter command is certainly more my wheelhouse," I replied. "Even thinking about commanding people like puppets gives me the creeps."

Rosie shrugged. "I could see why, but don't be too judgmental. That kind of control saves lives when it's a small squad fighting against a horde of monsters. You can't imagine the synergies between a caster and a dexterity-based fighter when they both worked in perfect tandem."

"I see your point," I replied. "However, I doubt that it'll be something I need to use a lot."

"True. Any threat that forces you to use Charisma while you're still in town will require an army." She bounced on the ball of her feet. "Alright, bring it on," she said.

At this point, I was familiar with utilizing a wide variety of skills, each in different degrees. A good thing, as the moment I reached my Command skill, it felt overwhelming; like I had just punctured a small hole at the bottom of a huge dam.

Trying to control a stat with two thousand points wasn't simple, especially when one had only a Common skill. I had felt the skill lacking the necessary stats to properly utilize it many times, but it was for the first time the opposite had happened.

Luckily, trying to keep a stat contained was easier than deliberately using it. I had managed to stem its flow quickly.

Rosie took a deep breath, shuddering. "What the hell was that," she gasped. "It felt … suffocating. Be careful!"

"Sorry, it's the first time I tried to use it. It's hard to measure."

"Still, at least I know how bad it is to try resisting a Charisma of a thousand points," she said.

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"Two thousand," I corrected.

She looked at me, her shock radiating. "You're joking," she said.

"Nope, exactly two thousand," I replied. "Believe me, I'm as shocked as you are about it. Too bad I can't redistribute those points to Intelligence and Wisdom. That would have been much better —"

She interrupted me by throwing a rock. I let it hit my helmet. "Shut up. It's like listening to a rich asshole talking about how tiring it's to carry all his gold around."

I smirked. "Oh, not hard at all. Having my level of Strength really helps—" I added, only to be interrupted by another rock. "Fine, let's continue," I said. This time, I got a better control of Charisma, using only a fraction as I activated the skill.

And, sent her the softest Command I could manage, requesting her to take a step forward.

She stumbled forward.

[Command 1 -> 7]

The sudden burst of improvement didn't surprise me, even when I used the weakest variant. I was giving an order to someone at level hundred, and the skill was powered by my Charisma. Another order, and I found myself looking at a perk selection screen.

[Command 7 -> 11]

[Perk Options — Inspiring Command / Death March / Domineering Aura ]

I recounted the options to her. "My recommendation, pick Domineering Aura," she said. "I heard about it. It's a fundamental one."

"How about Inspiring Command," I asked. I didn't even question Death March, as it was clearly about pushing people past their limits, with dangerous consequences. Not for me.

She shook her head. "That, you would hate. It's one of the few well-known perks, but it acts too much like a drug for you to feel comfortable using."

I nodded and took her advice. What was the point of asking her for help if I would reject her recommendation? I picked it, and then practiced it a couple more times. When the soil reached twenty, I stopped using it, not wanting to trigger another perk before we could do some research.

Using it through the skill several times gave me the necessary awareness. I started manipulating Charisma directly, trying to get a sense of awareness of my own usage.

It was tricky enough that, if it wasn't for my strong awareness of my soul due to the dungeons, it might have taken weeks to develop an active awareness. Yet, when combining awareness with the cheat sheet of the skill, it took me less than ten minutes to get a basic sense of how to use Charisma.

Nothing fancy. It was the equivalent of flaring it to punch someone in the face, but that was enough to teach me how to keep it back, to prevent an accidental leak. It would be enough.

It had to be enough, as I had too many other things to focus on.

I opened another gate and brought down the dome. "Thanks for your help," I said.

Rosie wiped her sweat. "You owe me big for this. It might be one of the worst experiences of my life, and I have a wide range to select from."

I smirked. "How about finding a way to make you ascend."

"No, that's something for your precious city. The same goes for better equipment. I want something for myself," she said. I was much stronger than her, which was why I couldn't explain why her smile suddenly unsettled me. "I'll tell you when I figure it out."

"I'll regret it, don't I?" I asked.

Her smile deepened. "Maybe, maybe not." We passed through the gate. "Do you need any help with Identify?" she asked. "I can help you to optimize it."

"Not immediately," I said. "I have a few ideas on how to best modify it to my needs, but it'll take some time. I want to turn it into a tool for research."

She nodded. "I'll still find time to compile my experiences with the skill. It might be helpful."

"Extra information never hurts," I replied.

"What's next?" she asked.

"As much as I want to start researching, I feel like I need to be seen first. Maybe paying a visit to the outposts."

She smirked. "Without Harold forcing you. Shocking," she teased.

I sighed. I couldn't argue about it. She had a point. However, the experience from the System-assisted dream was still sharp in my mind, reinforcing the guilt and responsibility I already felt toward the people living here.

The least I could do was to walk around and make a show of my presence.

With that, I removed the protections from the room, and started my trip, which took half a day my time, especially since it had been interrupted thrice by attacks from monster hordes. Dealing with them had been easy, even when I just relied on my sword attacks. With Strength and Essence doubled, and Wisdom and Dexterity almost doubled, my ranged sword attacks had got better in every single dimension.

I could feel that, if I pushed myself to the limit, they would be stronger by an order of magnitude, and that was before I started to properly test its limits.

Compared to all the benefits the people had unexpectedly given me, spending half a day to provide them with a sense of security was nothing. But, if I were to be honest, it still chafed me to not start experimenting with Intelligence, something I had been hoping to attain for years.

Ultimately, the trip was vital, allowing the newest arrivals to get a glimpse of me. It also made me realize that our population once again doubled in the three days I had been in seclusion.

Apparently, in many towns, the leaders just took anything they could carry and left, guarded by their elite soldiers, abandoning the weaker classes to their fate. They asked to join us, and our volunteer forces brought them back.

No wonder Rosie was insisting on calling this a city rather than a town. We might be weaker than the real city-states like Drakka or Asterion, and might lack interdimensional support, but power imbalance wouldn't last forever.

Not if I had anything to say about it…