Chapter 7: Status

  Pensive and processing what Buckle had said, I sat without saying anything for a few minutes during which Buckle gathered a few items before coming back to the table.

  Setting down a few pieces of clothing on the table, Buckle threads a needle and starts to perform some mending.

  “Buckle, I’m going to go through my Status. I know I may be saying some things out loud, but I think I need to start there. Are you okay to stay here if I have more questions? Otherwise I can ask in the morning.”

  “‘S fine, Monday March. I’ll let ya know if I head ta me bed. Ain’t too soft, but ye kin use the rug as a bed, ‘n those furs fer warmth.” Buckle said, using his chin to point to the corner with a stack of folded furs.

  “Status Display.” I whisper.

  ‘Time to look a little closer at some things’, I thought, and I started to focus on various status lines left previously uninvestigated.

  'Seems pretty straight forward.'

  'Those seem pretty useful, though I wonder what I’ll have to do to start seeing Mana, and what does ‘unlocks / unlocked’ mean?'

  Focusing on the words provided a certain level of information.

  I wondered if that meant it is best to unlock all locked statistics early on in life.

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  That seems useful, but confusing. 'Is it mind control? Maybe something like that Luck adjustment?' Maybe this is just one of those strange things that Buckle seems to be implying about System users.

  Flat bonus, and a percentage bonus on top of a statistic bonus, that seems good to me for some reason.

  I decided that it is full of upside, as far as I can determine. Not knowing how rare this sort of versatility is doesn’t matter as much I supposed, once I already had it.

  “System Query: What are any penalties and any benefits from a System user having locked XP?” I whispered.

  “System Query: What are the System penalties for natural learning and improvement?”

  “Well Buckle, I think I know why most system users have fewer skills they are good at…”

  The goblin simply looked over curiously while stitching a patch onto a pair of pants with a worn knee.

  “They learn slower, but can gain XP in training… And if you are all about being excellent at combat, or magic, that XP probably seems very tempting to put into specialization.”

  “Ah, so’s once they pair with the System, they likely don’t advance the basics they had from growin’ up much anymore? Sounds likely.” Buckle agreed.

  “Did your wife never talk to you about the System?

  “Nah, she retired much as she could. ‘N she didn’t like talkin’ about it, afraid Jess’d want ta follow her inta taking the System.” Buckle said while looking over at the doll in the third chair then glancing back at me. “It ain’t bad, lass. Just dangerous ‘n strange ‘n maybe not what one wants fer their little ones.”

  With the barest quirk to my lips I replied, “Makes sense, Buckle. Any idea how to sense magic, or practice to sense it, before I ask the System?”

  Pondering for a moment, then securing the needle into the pants and pausing his mending, Buckle held his hand out over the table with the palm up. “Don’ know how ta do it meself, but I ‘member how littles are checked fer gifts like that. Watch my hand ‘n speak up if ya see somethin’.”

  Focusing on his palm, I just nodded in agreement.

  For a few seconds nothing happened and then I noticed a ripple, almost a distortion in Buckle’s palm, but it didn't impact the image behind it even as much as a heat vapor. “I see… something, a ripple maybe…”

  The ripple almost faded, and then it intensified, swirling into a small sphere in Buckle's palm that slowly became more and more dense, more of a distortion, until I saw that the distortion was now caused by water being suspended over his hand, about the size of a pea. Closing his hand I could see more ripples oozing out between the fingers of his closed fist before they dissipated into the air.

  “So lass, what’ja see?” After my description, Buckle nodded and continued. “Aye, I could tell ye were seein’ things afore an after what I did. Fer me it’s a trick I know, in the blood. I ain’t no mage, but I know it’s magic, so that was what ye were seein. Magic, Mana, esoteric energies... Whatever ye wanna call it. Find things with that kinda ripple, and study ‘em, might be one way ta train. Er find a mage ta train with.”

  “Thanks Buckle, some of my Boons aren’t very clear how they work, or what to do to make the most of them.”

  “Devi didn’t even tell me all her Boons, e’en after we were together fer a decade. Might be wise ta show caution about sharin’ them. Not sure if it were just here, but I imagine blabbin about em might not be somethin’ ye want to do.”

  “Okay, I’ll try to remember that. I’ve got 5 more Queries to use before midnight, any thoughts?”

  “Er, nope. Ask it what to ask?”

  “Huh, good idea! System Query: what top four things should I ask with System Query if I know almost nothing about the System?”

  ‘Well, that should have been expected I suppose with what has happened before.’

  “System Query: what is the fastest way to gain XP safely?”

  “System Query: How can you be removed from the System?”

  “Hey Buckle? Can you teach me to sew?”

  Buckle blinked his watery eyes, setting his sewing down. Looking at me, and then my newly acquired vest he started nodding and got to his feet. “Aye lass, let me grab a few things so I ken teach ye at least hows ta fix up yer new clothes.”

  Coming back with a small leather punch, a few scraps of leather, a stiff thick needle and some waxy feeling thread (which was nearly string) Buckle sat back and commenced to teach me how i could fix up various types of tears, rips or wear on the new outfit.