Touch of Fate

"Pretty impressive, right?" Mike asked, smug grin already firmly in place.

"Why in the hells didn't you do that sooner?!" Kate complained.

"Yeah, you should have just handled it that way from the start. It would have saved us a whole of lot running." Philip grumbled angrily.

"But, but....." Mike was stuttering.

He looked plaintively at Shy, who pointedly avoided his gaze.

A depressed Mike followed after the other three, as they started heading back to town.

They eventually forgave him, but he quickly noticed that they treated him with a bit more deference than before.

[I suppose it is one thing know I'm a Tier 3, and quite another to see me in action. Hopefully I didn't scare them. The last thing I want to do is freak them out.]

The next few days passed slowly. What conversation occurred was stilted, lacking the easy flow that had been there previously.

When the group stopped to camp for the night before getting to Wyrport, Mike felt he had to do something.

He tried to break the ice, figuring that a question regarding the request would get them talking. "So, I guess that's all there is to the mission. How much was the reward anyway?"

His clumsy attempt at conversation seemed to have the opposite effect. There was a brief silence before Philip answered. "Look, I know that we really didn't do much to help on this mission. So I'll be the first to say it." He glanced around at his fellow party members, seeing acknowledgment in their faces.

"The reward is yours. We did nothing to earn it. In fact I think we were more of a hindrance than anything. "

Mike was stunned, he had not been expecting this. He looked at Kate and Shy, seeing firm determination. "Come on, guys. Don't be like that. We can split money, or hell, you can have it all."

"We're adventurers! Not charity cases. We take what we earn. I appreciate your sentiments Mike, but we've decided." Kate and Shy stood silently by showing their support for Philip's statement.

Mike felt a pang of rejection. Even though they were being polite, Mike could feel a distance forming, separating him from them. It was something he had not experienced since he came to this world.

"I see.....Well, if that is what you have decided, I won't fight you on it." Mike replied softly, with a bit more emotion then he intended.

Kate seemed to soften at that. "Look, Mike. We're really grateful for all that you've done for us during this mission. We were in over our heads, and you joining made it possible for us to succeed, but it was clear from the beginning that you didn't need us."

"That's right." Philip interjected. "Its pretty obvious that you're much stronger than a Rank 3 adventurer. It might be best for you to find a party that you can rely on. As it is, we're just a burden."

All three of them looked ashamed, but even though they were couching it in polite terms, Mike could recognize a rejection when he saw one.

"Ah, well that makes sense I suppose." He said while standing, an obviously fake grin already in place. "Now if you excuse me, nature calls."

Without another word he walked away from the campfire, out into the night.

Kate raised a hand, as if to stop him, but after a second lowered it, remorse clear on her face. A look shared by the other two members left by the campfire.

Mike found a small hill with a good sized rock, and took a seat, staring up at the stars.

[What am I doing? I've lived for almost thirty years, more or less in solitude. I should be used to this.]

In an effort to distract himself from his heartache, he decided to examine the changes to his [Status.] He had been putting it off for reasons he hadn't fully understood.

--------------

[Status]

Michael Rasmussen

Race: Human

Age: 15

Class: Skill Master

Tier: 3 (Low)

Title: None

Multiverse Traveler

Blessed One

Hunter of Renown

Battlefield Healer

Kal'Thel

Philanderer

Hero

Dungeon Savior

Undinekath

Saint of Healing (NEW)

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Skills

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Primary Skills:

Communication Magic (Rank 3)

Intermediate Healing Magic (Rank 3) (RANK UP)

Inspect (Rank 5)

Initiate Almiran Military Swordsmanship (Rank 5)

Intermediate Water Magic (Rank 1)

Intermediate Fire Magic (Rank 2)

Basic Air Magic (Rank 2)

Basic Earth Magic (Rank 1) (NEW)

Blood Collector (Rank 1)

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Secondary Skills:

Lifestyle Magic (Rank 0)

Advanced Lovemaking (Rank 3)

Athletics (Rank 1)

Intermediate Evasion (Rank 1)

Basic Dagger Fighting (Rank 2)

Basic Spear Fighting (Rank 4)

Intermediate Sword Fighting (Rank 1)

Intermediate Elemental Magic (Rank 2)

Basic Riding (Rank 3)

Basic Haggling (Rank 3) (RANK UP)

Basic Musical Performance (Wind Instrument) (Rank 2)

Basic Unarmed Fighting (Rank 3) (NEW)

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Passive Skills:

Basic Fear Resistance (Rank 5)

Basic Physiological Resistance (Rank 4)

Intermediate Poison Resistance (Rank 2) (TIER UP)

Basic Heat Resistance (Rank 3)

Minor Mana Enhancement (Rank 5)

Minor Mana Regeneration Enhancement (Rank 4) (RANK UP)

Moderate Endurance Enhancement (Rank 1)

Minor Agility Enhancement (Rank 5)

Minor Strength Enhancement (Rank 5)

Limit Break (Rank 1)

Detect Hostile Intent (Rank 2) (NEW)

--------------

Inherent Skills:

Traveler's Luck

Fate-Touched

(BC) Vampiric Regeneration, Lesser

--------------

Titles:

- Saint of Healing -

You have been recognized as a divinely blessed individual in regards to healing. Whether by your deeds, or merely your reputation, word of your holiness has spread. Moderate increase to Charisma when interacting with those of a properly aligned religion. (Only applies when active.) Moderate increase to the effectiveness of healing.

Skills:

Primary Skills:

- Communication Magic (Tier 3, Rank 3) -

A branch of magic derived from the Words of Creation, Communication Magic embodies the ability of living beings to exchange information with one another. Practitioners are granted an increased ability to communicate with other beings. Masters of this form of magic can use language to influence the world itself.

Rank 3 Effects: Beast Speech, Lexicon

- Beast Speech -

Practitioners of Communication Magic master the strange and subtle method of communication used by creatures of the natural world. Allows users to communicate with living beings that have no discernible language or lack the mental capacity to do so. Such communication is by nature limited, but the general intent of messages can be shared in both directions.

- Lexicon -

No method of communication is barred to masters of Communication Magic, and this includes the written word. Allows users to understand and use any written language.

- Intermediate Healing Magic (Tier 3, Rank 3) -

An intermediate form of True Healing Magic. By channeling pure mana into the bodies of the injured, practitioners of Intermediate Healing Magic can stimulate and supplement natural healing processes, allowing recipients to recover from virtually all forms of injury. Higher skill ranks allow for the healing of more severe injuries and lowers the overall mana cost of healing.

Rank 3 Effects: Scour the Past

- Scour the Past -

Practitioners of Intermediate Healing Magic learn how to manipulate the tissues of the creatures they are healing, returning them to their original form. Allows the user to return scar tissue to its original state, and cure conditions of the organs that would ordinarily never heal. Cannot be used to completely regenerate body parts.

- Basic Earth Magic (Tier 1, Rank 1) -

One of the most basic forms of Elemental Magic. Earth magic allows the user to create and manipulate earth and stone. It is characterized by its permanence and durability, providing the most effective defensive techniques of the four basic elements. Higher skill levels increase the mana efficiency and power of the magic produced.

Secondary Skills:

- Basic Unarmed Fighting (Tier 1, Rank 3) -

Whether learned in a street fight or at the knee of an experienced master, all unarmed fighters start with the basics. The most rudimentary skill of the Unarmed Fighting tree. Provides users with fundamental understanding of using their own bodies in combat.

Passive Skills:

- Intermediate Poison Resistance (Tier 2, Rank 2) -

Frequent exposure to harmful substances has increased you body's ability to resist them. Provides moderate resistance to poison and poison based effects.

--------------

"A saint, huh?" He couldn't help but chuckle a little at the way the system gave him titles seemingly at a whim.

Although he was more than a little pissed off to see that his Poison Resistance Skill had ranked up again.

[Honestly! How? Is the frigging air poisonous?!]

After calming himself down again, he spent a long time remembering the things he had seen and done since he had reincarnated here. While there were a lot of dangers, challenges, and a fair amount of heartache, he didn't regret it. He liked to believe he had done some good with his second chance at life.

After a while he stood and stretched, starting to feel better. So what if they didn't want to accept him now that they knew of his abilities? It was unfortunate, since he had grown fond of the trio and their amusing dynamic, but sometimes that was the way of things.

"I guess all I can do now is move forward." He murmured to himself.

A deep, powerful voice answered. "Wise sentiments. The future is the only path open to mortals, after all."

Mike whirled to face the source of the voice, sword already drawn and in hand. He hadn't heard anyone approach and his Detect Hostile Intent skill hadn't activated.

A tall and broad shouldered man stood in the grass barely 3m away, face obscured by the hood of his cloak. He wore simple clothes, but carried an ornate metal staff made of a lustrous metal that shined brilliantly in the moonlight. The corded sinews of his thickly muscled arms bunched as he laid the staff across one shoulder.

The man raised his empty hand, gesturing for Mike to wait. "Before you let your fear control you, let us talk."

"What do you want?" Mike asked warily, not lowering his guard in the least. Something about the man was leaving him deeply unsettled.

"You can call me Brutus. You don't need to introduce yourself, Mike. I am already aware of who you are."

A chill started creeping up Mike's back.

"I have been charged by my master to bring the Hero before him. Regardless of the means necessary to do so."

Mike tightened his grip on his sword at the word 'Hero.' "I don't know what you're talking about, I'm just an adventurer."

"There is no point in lying, your identity has long been known to us. I am offering you the chance to come with me peaceably. Should you refuse, I will have to render you incapable of further refusals."

The calm and steady tone of the man, while he was issuing threats, caused the hairs on the back of Mike's neck to raise.

"No, I don't think I am going to be going anywhere with you."

The man shrugged, as if the decision didn't really bother him. "So be it."

Not wanting to give Brutus a chance, Mike launched his attack first. He summoned a blade of flame in his left hand, closed the distance between the two in the blink of an eye, and delivered a powerful overhead chop.

The flamed blade collided with the man's staff, as he raised it to block, and shattered. Mike could only stare dumbly as the fragments of his spell dissipated. Before he could recover, the staff rammed into his left side, crushing his arm and ribs. The force of the blow threw him tens of meters.

When he finally rolled to a stop, and started the arduous process of standing up again, he was shocked to see the man already waiting for him at his destination.

"An interesting use of Fire Magic, but ultimately useless against me." Brutus was calmly intoning as he waited for Mike to struggle back to his feet. "Just give up, it will make this much easier on you."

Mike pulled hard on his mana, and directed a powerful blast of flame in his opponents direction. The night was lit with blinding flash as hundreds of meters of the grasslands were bathed in intense fire.

When the glare faded, Brutus had disappeared.

"Now you are just wasting mana in desperate attacks. Is this truly all there is to a Hero? I had hoped for more." A voice called from behind him.

"Oh, I'll give you more, you bastard!" Mike turned and launched himself at the man, falling into the Roaring Flame stance and delivering a blistering series of attacks with his sword. His sword cut through the air with such speed and ferocity that it almost seemed to scream.

However, the man effortless parried or dodged his blows, even after Mike felt the familiar sensation of breaking through to a new Tier.

Mike's flow was interrupted when Brutus caught his sword with one hand. With a simple motion, the he snapped the blade in half.

A foot to the midsection prevented Mike from doing anything else, driving the air from his lungs and flinging him another ten meters away.

"Not bad, but your are still quite. Its clear that you are used to brute forcing your way through challenges. Like you've been relying on destiny or luck to clear a path for you. Its a shame. I sense a great deal of wasted potential in you." Brutus was starting to monologue as he walked closer.

Mike forced himself up into a kneeling position. After emptying his stomach contents, he started working his way back onto his feet.

[Damn, this guy hits like a truck. Now would be a great time for you to activate a Limit Break, System!]

"Mike! Are you alright?" Philips voice could be heard nearby.

"Hmm, I hate interruptions, especially from weaklings." Brutus said while turning to face the newcomers.

Mike felt a sinking sensation in the pit of his stomach. The trio of adventurers were about to get tangled in something beyond their abilities.

"NO! GET OUT OF HERE! YOU'RE NO MATCH FOR HIM!" He yelled hoarsely, but the warning came far too late.

Brutus blurred before reappearing in front of the three. Shy reacted first, bringing his twin daggers forward in a lightning fast attack, only to be swatted away with ease.

Philip followed the arc of the fox's beastman flight with his eyes, leaving himself exposed to the staff's back swing. His axe was knocked from his hands with such force that it snapped his forearms like twigs. With bulging eyes he stared down at his broken arms, already screaming by time he had fallen to his knees.

Kate managed to block the first attack aimed her way. As the staff crumpled her shield and her left arm, she even succeeded in delivering a counterattack which barely scratched Brutus's cheek.

A line of blood appeared on Brutus's otherwise uninjured face. The man smiled then, revealing a pair of long canines.

"It looks like you have a bit of potential. Too bad you picked the wrong opponent."

Brutus drove a spear hand into Kate's midsection, punching a hole in her torso and lifting her off the ground. She hung there, staring in disbelief at the arm that was impaling her, before he slung her onto the ground near Philip.

"KATE!" A cry of pure anguish rent the night. Philip crawled over to her on his broken arms. "No....nonononono, don't do this! Kate!"

Mike could hear her wet, gasping breaths. Breaths that were growing steadily weaker.

[Damn it! Not again! I will not let this happen again! ACTIVATE LIMIT BREAK YOU F****** SYSTEM!]

A brilliant burst of white light illuminated the night, as a system message finally popped up in Mike's vision.

[Limit Break activated. Hidden Skill !@&!!%^&@**(!@ activated.]