Runecarver Volume One

Chapter Ten

I stared up at the ceiling, trying to comprehend what was happening. It didn't feel the same as waking up normally did, although it was the early morning, judging by the sunrise streaming in through my window. It was as if I'd simply blinked and then was somewhere else. Quite a strange sensation. Before I could consider it further, however, a blue window appeared in front of me.

A TUTORIAL HAS BEEN COMPLETED. EIGHTEEN OF THE NINETEEN PARTICIPANTS HAVE SURVIVED. THE FOLLOWING ARE THE FIVE GREATEST CONTRIBUTORS:

1. CAYDE "THE error_path_busy"

2. JACKSON "THE KNIGHT"

3. ANNABELLE PENDRAGON "THE LADY OF CINDER"

4. PYKE "THE GUARD"

5. MICHAEL "THE GUARD"

It was safe to assume that this was what Sir Keith had meant when he'd said that every Exalted was notified of the five greatest contributors from each tutorial. This meant that every single Exalted on Rold now knew that Annabelle Pendragon had become Exalted, and a powerful enough one to rank third in contribution to the completion of the tutorial. Time would tell the consequences of this. The text on the window was replaced.

YOUR CONTRIBUTION HAS BEEN CONVERTED INTO EXPERIENCE. YOU HAVE BEEN GRANTED ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS: THIS TUTORIAL WAS UNUSUALLY DIFFICULT. ONLY ONE PARTICIPANT OF THIS TUTORIAL DIED. FEWER THAN HALF OF THE PARTICIPANTS CONTRIBUTED TO THIS TUTORIAL. THE MASTER OF THIS TUTORIAL WAS SLAIN.

YOUR LEVEL HAS INCREASED. YOU ARE NOW LEVEL TWENTY. YOU HAVE GAINED SEVEN TRAIT POINTS. TO SPEND YOUR TRAIT POINTS, ACCESS YOUR STATUS. THE TRAIT POINTS WILL BE AUTOMATICALLY DISTRIBUTED ACCORDING TO YOUR DESIRE.

Now this was a pleasant surprise. It seemed that successful completion of the tutorial increased our levels, and the amount they increased by was high because of all of the factors it listed. I was interested in what it meant when it said that less than half of the participants 'contributed'. Everyone helped set up and maintain the camp, but perhaps it only counted killing monsters as contribution? In that case, only the seven combatants and myself would have received contribution. Whatever the reasons behind it, I knew it was about time I looked at my status and saw the trait points for myself.

NAME: ANNABELLE PENDRAGON

TITLE: LADY OF CINDER

LEVEL: 20

STRENGTH: 2

DEXTERITY: 7

CONSTITUTION: 4

INSTINCT: 14

WILLPOWER: 13

ARCANE: 10

UNSPENT TRAIT POINTS: 19

MIND'S EYE (FIRST RANK)

TOTAL RECALL (SECOND RANK)

SCION OF THE FIRST MAGE (TRANSCENDENT RANK)

I considered this. I could tell that my reflexes and such had been heightened, and I had found it easier than I'd expected to concentrate on the spell despite the fact that my wand had been literally coming apart in my hands while I was casting it. Both these things were no doubt a result of instinct in willpower, but was it necessary to increase them further? Right now I was an extremely powerful wizard, and that was with only ten arcane. I could distribute them all to arcane to see how much more powerful I became.

Then I remembered what had happened with Griffith. My magic was already extremely potent. While I didn't have much in the way of physical ability to begin with, perhaps an investment in that was something to consider?