Luckborn

Bzzz.

New Proficiency Acquired

A proficiency? That was definitely new.

Otter wiped the sweat from his face with a towel he'd placed on a rack in the practice room at Ironside Keep, then checked his wrisplay.

New Proficiency Acquired

Weapon Proficiency- Rapier

No penalty applied to attacks made with a rapier.

Huh. He hadn't realized there had been a penalty to begin with. Though that would explain why he'd had so much trouble in Combat Basics. Maybe he'd make some real progress now.

He was three weeks into the second semester and he'd already picked up the Alchemy skill.

Alchemy Novice- Lvl 1

By now, he was used to getting new skills on a somewhat regular basis. But a proficiency was something altogether different. He'd learning during Understanding the System that Fighters often earned proficiencies in different weapons and often went on to become specialized in at least one. Specialization granted extra bonuses to attacks and damage. Scouts usually became proficient in bows or other ranged weapons. But without a Class, he wasn't sure how he'd gotten one.

He needed to ask Overseer Blackwood. He'd been putting it off, but this was so strange, he decided to make the time now.

He returned his weapon to the cage, thanked the Quartermaster—whose name was Ismael—and went back to the dorm for a shower.

Showers were a luxury at the Academy he'd come to love. Back home, he'd always taken sponge baths, or washed himself in a canal. Here, though, heated water sprayed from nozzles mounted on the bathroom wall. Although each shower had a set time, it was more than ample for Otter to soap up and still enjoy the steamy downpour for a moment or two.

Afterwards, he dressed in a clean uniform and went to the Hall of Assignments where Blackwood's office was located.

He found a scribe seated behind a desk in the entry hall. She glanced up from her parchment, giving Otter a quick once-over.

"Do you have an urgent matter to discuss?" she asked, quill poised above the page.

Otter hesitated. Urgent? No. Weird? Definitely.

"Not exactly urgent," he admitted. "Just something strange with my System notifications. I was hoping to ask Overseer Blackwood about it."

The scribe huffed air through her nose, dipping her quill back into the inkwell. "Overseer Blackwood is busy at the moment. He rarely takes unscheduled meetings. You are welcome to submit a formal request and await his availability."

Otter resisted the urge to scream. That's what he had just asked about.

"And how do I submit such a request?" he asked.

The scribe gave him a long look, then handed him half a sheet of parchment. "Fill this out. When you finish, place it in that book over there." She indicated what looked like a thick ledger resting on a pedestal a few feet away.

The scribe handed him her quill and waited impatiently for him to fill out the form. He gave it back with a smile, then hurried over to the ledger.

The left-hand page was full of writing—names, times, and dates. The right-hand page was blank. Unsure, Otter placed the half-sheet on the blank page and watched in amazement as the parchment dissolved and sank into the book, leaving his writing on the surface. That writing shrank and zipped across the page to the other side, where it settled at the bottom of the list.

Since he had a few minutes to spare before his next session, he stuck around. The Hall of Assignments was busy. As the main administrative building, students, faculty, and various Academy staff bustled through its stone corridors, posting notices or speaking with scribes. At one of the nearby desks, an instructor met with a student speaking in hushed tones.

Otter leaned against the wall, exhaling slowly. He'd been meaning to ask Blackwood about a lot of things. Why was he gaining so many skills? What was Luck's Whisper? And how could he have a proficiency without a Class?

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

He glanced at the heavy wooden door marked Overseers Only. Would Silas even have an answer?

A few moments passed. Otter bounced back and forth against the wall, debating whether to leave. Just as he was about to go—

The door creaked open.

A tall, familiar figure strode into the hall, adjusting his cuffs. His gaze swept the hall and landed on Otter. The man smiled and walked over.

"Mr. Bennett. I just got your meeting request, and I happen to have office hours at the moment. Are you free now?"

Otter beamed. "Yes, sir. Of course."

"Excellent."

Once seated in Blackwood's office, the Overseer asked, "So, what can I do for you, young man?"

"Well, sir, I've gotten some strange System notifications and was wondering if you could answer a few questions."

Silas leaned back n his chair and steepled his fingers. "I'll do my best."

"How does skill allocation work for Level 0 people?"

"Ah. Well, as you know, all Classes receive a base of 4 skill points plus their intelligence bonus to allocate among their skills at each level. That is well documented. Skill progression among Level 0 folk, however, is less well-known. The general consensus is that the System recognizes natural talent and training over time by awarding skill points."

Otter nodded. "So, would it be unusual for a level 0 to get 4 skill points in a year?"

Blackwood considered. "I think not. There a plenty of scholars and apprentices who could advance their skills at roughly the same rate as an Adventurer."

"What about nine?"

Blackwood's eyebrows rose. "That would be unusual, though not entirely possible. Out of curiosity, why do you ask?"

"Because I've received eight new skills this year. Six of them while at the Academy. Plus, I've added points in Reading and Navigation."

Blackwood leaned forward. "Truly?"

Otter nodded.

"Fascinating. Would you mind writing me a list?"

Otter shrugged.

Silas handed him a pencil and a sheet of parchment. Otter had to refer to his wrisplay to make sure he got them all, then slid the paper across the desk. Silas slipped a pair of reading glasses on his nose.

Skills

Alchemy Novice- Lvl 1

Cartography Novice- Lvl 1

Handyman Novice- Lvl 1

Investigation Novice- Lvl 1

Jumping Novice- Lvl 1

Knowledge (Entomology) Novice- Lvl 3

Knowledge (Mathematics) Novice- Lvl 2

Knowledge (System Mechanics) Novice- Lvl 1

Navigation Apprentice- Lvl 6

Observation Novice- Lvl 4

Persuasion Novice- Lvl 3

Reading Apprentice- Lvl 5

Survival Craft Novice- Lvl 2

Swimming Apprentice- Lvl 5

Writing Novice- Lvl 4

Blackwood's eyes nearly bugged out of his head as he read the list. "Otter, this is remarkable. I've never seen anyone your age with this wide a variety of skills. And to have achieved Apprentice level in two of them… Well, as I said, it's remarkable." He removed his spectacles and pointed to a line on the page. "But what is truly fascinating is that you have somehow been granted two skills that are considered Class Skills. Alchemy and Survival Craft are typically only offered to Spell Lords and Scouts, respectively. Although, Dungeoneers have access to them as well." He placed his glasses back on the desk and leaned back in his chair again lapsing into thought.

"That's not all, sir." Otter hesitated, unsure of what it all meant. "I got a weapon proficiency today."

Silas sat up straight. "A weapon proficiency? Without a Class? That's unprecedented." He tapped a finger to his lips, then his expression turned serious. "Otter, my boy. You need to keep these developments between us. There are strange things afoot at the Academy. Suspicions are heightened since the Kaosborn attack. You know there were others, right?"

Otter nodded. Word had spread as students reconvened at the Academy that other Koasborn attacks had coincided with the one at the Academy. While the occasional attack or raid was to be expected, so many at the same time was highly irregular.

"Well, while Kaosborn activity has subsided since then, there have been other troublesome things happening on campus. Glitches, anomalies. There are some Overseers itching to find a culprit. I would hate for their attention to fall on you. Because make no mistake, you are an anomaly. And this proficiency confirms it. Something strange is going on with the System when it comes to you. I don't know what it is. And that lack of understanding breeds fear in some. Fear that becomes hatred. You do not deserve that. Promise me you will speak of this to no one else. Not even your friends. Report any other unusual developments only to me."

This was not the reaction Otter had expected. Confusion? Perhaps. Curiosity? Certainly. But concern? That was unexpected.

Otter swallowed, gripping the arms of his chair. "Alright," he said carefully. "I promise."

Blackwood studied him for a moment longer, then gave a small nod. "Good. You're a bright young man, Bennett. I'd rather see that potential nurtured than squandered by the paranoia of others."

Otter wasn't sure how to feel about that. On one hand, it was nice to hear Blackwood acknowledge his abilities. But on the other, it was clear the Overseer saw him as an oddity. Something that others might fear.

And that was unsettling.

Blackwood straightened. "Very good. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. It has given me a lot to think about. If there is nothing else, I'll let you show yourself out."

Otter hesitated for only a moment before nodding and standing. "Thank you, sir."

As he exited the office, the door clicking shut behind him, his mind raced.

Eight new skills in one year. Class-specific abilities. A weapon proficiency. According to Blackwood, not only was it unusual, it should have been impossible.

Otter exhaled sharply, shoving his hands into his pockets as he made his way back toward his next class.

For now, he'd keep his head down. Keep training. Keep learning.

But the question burned in the back of his mind.

What was happening to him?