TAKE ON ME [Survival LITRPG Apocalypse]

Kate's first breath in the Soul Chamber was smooth and cool, washing away the coppery taste of combat. She closed her eyes and let the peace seep into her bones; she felt it unknot the coiled tension in her heart where the Bear usually raged.

The cavern's air drifted in lazy spirals, mist curling from the thundering waterfalls that plunged from the cave's heights into pools of liquid starlight. Two beautiful dancing lights circled her, then caught an unseen draft and corkscrewed away into the cavern.

In this place, the Bear was gone; all of her spells were. Kate pressed a hand to her chest where that familiar rage usually burned. Nothing. Just her own heartbeat, steady and human.

The first time she had come here after acquiring [Mother Bear], the absence had felt like a vacation. But as the seconds ticked by, the relief curdled into something else. She missed the Bear? No . . .

Vulnerability?

Managing the Bear was a constant battle, and Kate could never let her guard down. However, it was also her weapon. Without those claws, and without that strength and fury, she could not protect her loved ones or her friends.

Without it, she felt naked.

Next to her, Amber bounced on her toes, throwing phantom punches at the air. Her daughter's face glowed with pure joy at leveling up, her movements fluid and precise even in celebration. Kate's sweet little athlete was now deadlier than most grown men had been in the Old World.

I don't know if I should be proud or horrified.

On Kate's other side, Tom tilted his head back and breathed deep, his whole body sagging with relief. The constant pain-lines around his eyes smoothed out, and the perpetual clench of his jaw finally released. Here, in the Soul Chamber, his wounds did not exist.

Kate's heart twisted. She hated seeing him hurt. Hated the way he tried to hide his gasps of pain, the way he'd bite his lip bloody rather than admit he needed to stop. The hour they had here would be his only respite until—

The last Soul Chamber visit came rushing back, the restored Level 5 memory slotting into place with a mental click.

On their last visit, she had begged him not to choose another defensive ability. She had even chosen [Packmother's Comfort] as her [Druid] spell, thinking she could ease his suffering when his own abilities weren't enough . . . and he had chosen [Tank's Sacrifice]?! What was the genius plan? Take more damage and hurt even more?

Kate's hands clenched into fists. The Bear might be gone, but she didn't need it.

She spun toward her husband; he must have seen murder in her eyes, because he immediately raised his hands and stumbled back a step.

"Look, you guys left me no choice," he said, his words tumbling over each other in his rush to get them out.

Kate's blood turned to magma. "So you knew how I felt, and you did it anyway?!"

"You guys wanted me to be 'all in' and hit the gas. Well, this is how I can be all in!"

"By taking double damage? By taking so much damage the pain tax leaves you unable to even move, Tom? Where is the logic in that? You stupid, self-sacrificing . . . "

Kate tried not to scream.

Tom was lucky the Bear was gone.

There was a pulse of static in the air.

A delicate "ahem" from the podium made them all turn.

Caretaker Balance, dressed in her customary evening gown, stood at the podium as usual and waved for them to come forward.

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Tom gave Kate one last terrified look, before practically sprinting toward Caretaker Balance.

You better run.

She stalked after him, and Amber and the others fell in behind her. The confrontation would have to wait, but at some point they would have many, many words.

The podium's marble surface reflected the chamber's dancing lights and threw them back into the cavern like tiny prismatic rainbows.

Kate barely noticed the beauty. Her eyes stayed locked on Tom's back as he positioned himself as far from her as the small podium would allow.

"As much as I enjoy observing human interaction," Balance said, her voice soothing, yet carrying an unmistakable note of command, "we do not have time to waste." She paused, and Kate could swear she saw the flicker of a smile. "However, I would like to point out that I even told Mr. Damascus last time that this would happen. I am happy to see I am learning to more accurately judge human cause and effect."

Kate's jaw tightened.

Balance observed Kate for a heartbeat longer before continuing. "We must cover two very large subjects during this visit, when one alone is a large undertaking even at maximum time."

"You are so lucky," Kate mouthed to Tom when he glanced at her.

"I love you," he mouthed back.

Kate wasn't sure if he meant it as an apology or a shield.

"First, we will discuss the normal progression of the leveling plan," said Balance. "Then, we will address several unforeseen and darker topics."

The Caretaker's form rippled like water. Balance stood before them in male form, his immaculate tuxedo fitted to his masculine frame.

"You have entered into the [Stat Point] allocation levels. You may recall the grayed-out section of your character profiles: that is now accessible. Levels 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 will each provide one Stat Point, for a total of five points by Level 10."

"Stat points, like in games?" Chloe asked. "Strength and wisdom and stuff?"

Shit, I don't know anything about that stuff.

Caretaker Balance nodded. "Precisely, young lady. You may now modify your Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. In our New Universe, Stat Points are only earned through leveling on specific levels, and just one at a time at that. There are no craftable items or Stat Point rewards. So how you use your single Stat Point is a very important decision."

Caretaker Balance lifted his hand, and the air around the podium shimmered. Glowing prompt text materialized in the space between them. Kate squinted at the display, trying to make sense of the unfamiliar terms while doing her best to set her anger aside. Easier said than done.

"Let me give a brief explanation and a few examples for each Stat," Balance said, gesturing to the floating words. "Strength—STR—represents physical power, lifting capacity, melee attack force." The corresponding text pulsed with each word. "Dexterity—DEX—encompasses agility, reflexes, attack precision. Constitution—CON—determines health, stamina, resistance to damage. Intelligence—INT—covers logic, memory, analysis, spell power. Wisdom—WIS—intuition, insight, awareness. And finally, Charisma—CHA—influences social presence, charm, ability to inspire or intimidate others."

"Sounds like pretty standard stuff then?" Chloe said. "Strength for warriors, Intelligence for casters?"

Balance lifted his hand again and made a side-to-side tilting gesture. "That is somewhat true, Chloe, but not solely. Stat Points work in two ways. Yes, as you indicate, to some extent Stat Points will help in the regards you would expect. Strength would mean you could swing a war hammer slightly harder, or possibly wear heavier armor. A point of Strength will help in all things Strength-related. But that is not the Stat Points' main function. Be aware that each singular Stat Point you earn will have a deeper purpose. As you have maybe learned in this Universe: intent matters."

"Could you give us a few examples?" Chloe asked.

Balance's golden eye seemed to brighten, the way a teacher's might when approaching a favorite subject. "Let us say you pick Intelligence as your choice. Of course, that point will slightly improve things like spell potency, spell length, and how much mana you have. All the normal things you would expect. But let us dig deeper. If you wanted to use a Stat Point to shore up or improve something, what specifically would you hope having more Intelligence would improve?"

The Caretaker paused, letting the question hang in the air like the dancing lights above them.

Kate was confused. It seemed she was not the only one, since no one else answered.

Balance did not wait long before continuing. "This is where the main purpose of the Stat Point comes in. Are you hoping that you can analyze something faster? Perhaps multitask better? Maybe you are not being very creative, and it is specifically to increase spell power alone? To use a specific example, let us say you want your new INT boost because you want faster spell-casting. Nerve connectivity between your brain and your body partly controls spell-casting speed. That single Intelligence point, with the intent for faster spell-casting, would magically modify your medulla oblongata, since it functions as a relay between the spinal cord and higher brain centers. These modifications to the medulla oblongata would spill into further benefits."

Kate jumped as a new voice rang out from somewhere deep in the cavern. "Medulla Ob-Lon-Gata!"

Balance shifted form. She closed her eyes, and released a sigh of patience worn thin. "Forgive Meme. He cannot help himself."

She sighed again before continuing. "As you choose the Stat Point, I encourage you to stretch your mind and the way you intend to use it. I do not want to further complicate matters, but as you consider your choice, realize there is more than one way to achieve your goal. There is a large overlap and coverage of stats. Let us say Bo wanted to work on his rapport with the other citizens of Raintree. You might immediately think of Charisma, and that of course would certainly help. People would find Bo less . . . abrasive."

A small snort escaped Hana.

Kate stifled a laugh.

"However," Balance continued, "Wisdom could also be an option, with the intent to see things from someone else's perspective, and develop more insight into why others act the way they do. Wisdom can lead to empathy. So do not quickly dismiss Stat Points which seem like they would not belong to your class." The Caretaker's gaze lingered on Chloe as she spoke.

Balance gave everyone in the room a serious look. "The system is malleable, and heavily influenced by human expectation. Intent matters, and creativity is rewarded. Even though you will not remember this conversation, take note that a Stat Point in Strength does not mean that your muscles swell and that you are suddenly stronger. It means you have the capacity for greater Strength, and you have to work at it by training, and lifting weights, and performing Strength-related tasks."

So, it was potential power, rather than instant power: like being given a larger cup, but still needing to fill it yourself.

"Intelligence works in the same way," Balance continued. "Doing things like puzzles, research, and learning can raise your Intelligence. Understand? Stat Points increase capacity. You have to work to take advantage of it."

Balance paused. She closed her eyes, then ground the heels of her palms into them.

The word 'pristine' always came to mind when Kate looked at Caretaker Balance. Whether they wore the face of a calm gentleman or a serene woman, they were almost never ruffled or emotional. Never tired.

Now, Balance looked exhausted. She gave a deep sigh that seemed to emanate from the cavern's depths. Then she peered fiercely at the group.

"There is a force that exists in this Universe which is trying to tear it down."