"Watch your step, Hot Head. The floor here has a habit of biting back if you aren't paying attention."
He could see that by the pebbles poking out of the ground and the rough surfacing, it was clear that this place was made a very long time ago. Jakub continued talking at Riku but he couldn't concentrate properly, his voice was dimmed by the general roar of the city as he navigated a steep, spiral staircase carved directly into the side of a massive stalactite.
Riku followed behind. Every step still felt… heavy. At least 30 minutes had passed for Riku in this new body and it was not getting any easier. It wasn't just the dwarven architecture and its love of stairs at every turn, it was the density of the air. It felt rich and thick compared to his air on Earth. Saturated with the smell of wet earth, ozone, and something that smelled suspiciously like roasting garlic.
"I've got it, Jakub," Riku grumbled, his voice vibrating in his own chest. "My center of gravity is so low I'm practically a tripod. I'm not going anywhere."
"Um yeah… You're a fucking dwarf. That is literally how our body operates and why we are such good blacksmiths…
Have you forgotten who you are?"
Riku stayed quiet and realised he was giving too much away.
"I have to be really careful with this place. Everyone seems lovely and friendly but I can't forget that I just died. If I let people know that I am actually from a different world, universe - whatever the fuck I should call it and my soul has just taken over this mans body… who knows what they'll do to me? I have to stop letting it slip."
"Slightly… that hit to the head was really bad. Be careful with me will you lad?"
Jakub smiled back innocently "Of course, I'm just trying to make you smile. It's a hobby of mine - making people smile, not you specifically."
[Experience Gained - Skill: Deception (LVL 1) — Progress: 100%]
[Skill Upgrade: Deception : +2]
[Skill: Deception (LVL 2)]
Riku saw the notification pop up in the corner of his eye whilst walking with Jakub "Ah shit. I don't know if this is good or bad thing, but it's a level I guess. It does seem to level things up so quickly from my smallest interactions. Why is that?"
[System Notification:
You did not ask for a summary of yourself when you first joined this world - which I would have given you if you asked. Since you are now currently thinking about your abilities, here is everything]
[Level: 10
Class: Dwarf
Specialty: Genius
Specialty Effect: Randomised EXP Multiplier & Equal Starting Stat Points]
[Stats:
Attack: 10
Defence: 10
Agility: 10
Magic: 10
Luck: 10]
[Current Skills:
Animal Communication: Level 3
Deception: Level 2]
Riku saw the next notification while walking with Jakub, processing what it meant and using the limited gaming knowledge he had. He was never into D&D or the sorts, but he did love Pokemon growing up, so the concept of level, status, skills and so forth was not completely alien to him.
"This is really interesting. So I have equal status across the board and I have this genius perk which gives me more EXP…
system.. do I call you that or can I give you a name? What does this do and does it interact with Luck by any chance?"
[System Notification: You can call me whatever you want. My sole purpose is to guide you through this universe.
The Genius Specialty Effect allows a random multiplier to be applied whenever experience is gained. This is random between 2 to 100, with the lower multipliers being more likely than the high.
Having a high luck level will increase the chances of getting larger multipliers]
"This is just like the cheat engines in Pokemon to level up quickly! Clearly I have been given this for a reason. I guess I'll have to level up quickly for whatever comes next. I do wonder is this world a test to see if I go to heaven and hell? Will I level up quickly to see what I do with all that power? But I can't even be evil because my damage is limited to what my system allows me to attack… I am so confused. System, can you clarify to help me be less anxious? Pretty please"
[System Notification: I cannot answer that, Riku. As I previously said, my sole purpose is to guide you through this universe.]
"Ok. I'm going to call you Alice. That was the name of my daughter, I got a weird feeling the more I stay here the more I'll forget about my old life. At least that way, something will always stick"
[System Notification: name: System changed to name: Alice]
"You look like you've been hit in the neck by a Crystal Pecker.. everything good?" Jakub asked when seeing the analytical face of Riku, trying to understand his system.
"I'm all good." Riku realised the kid might be a good opportunity to get some intel about the body he has taken over, so he follows up to ask "I have been struggling to remember my past life a bit recently. That bang on the head certainly didn't help. Can you remind me of anything I told you?"
Jakub raised an eyebrow in confusion "What do you mean? You haven't told us anything about your past. Do you not even remember your first day here?"
"No. There's something wrong with me, please any information will help me."
"Okokokok, let's sit here for a second"
Jakub bounced onto the ledge and sat his buttox, danging over a sixty foot drop. They were only half way to getting down to the main area of the city. Riku, afraid of heights decided to just put hands on the rocky edge.. gripping tightly.
"So we have various ways of getting in and out of the city to other areas, but they are always within our really clever and vast underground caving system.
There is only 1 way to get in from the upper world and that is the Heaven Gate. It's guarded by the Royal Knights and watched twenty four seven. Usually that gate is reserved for trade, diplomatic missions with other surviving cities and societies and hunters/wizards going to train or gather resources. Apart from that, no one else goes up there."
"No one at all?!"
Jakub nodded "Yup. It's an exclusive club - but not out of choice it's just far too dangerous for the vast majority of people."
"At least that's what we thought for a long time until you came along. One day at the break of dawn all the Royal Guard go to the gate after they hear a banging on the gate, but no arrivals or departures were scheduled.
Thinking it was a raid by some monsters or the demon worshiping group everyone has gossiped about, but there you were.. asking to come in looking intoxicated and then passing out on the floor. The first shocker was someone was outside on their own, and the second shocker was someone survived it while drunk. We had doctors, mages, witchdoctors, all kinds of people test you, read your mind, sense your magic but everything seemed to be blank.
Even your soul was an empty read, so we at least knew that you weren't a bad person, but we didn't know how you were a person, no memories could be found even with the strongest Alteration magic."
"And what did I say about it?" Replied Riku, with an ever expansive curiosity about the position he was in.
"You were just so relaxed about it the whole time. You said all you could remember was drinking in a bar, getting into a fight then waking up outside and running away from monsters and hiding until you found our gate. Everyone was a bit hesitant about you at first but you started working at the forge, doing lots to help the village and everyone slowly took a liking to you even though you didn't talk much and now eve…"
Before he could finish his sentence, his joy of Riku opening up and asking questions made him sway and start to fall off the ledge.
But Riku was observant the whole conversation and the moment he saw him start to drop, his instincts kicked in and instantly and he ran to the ledge and grabbed his arm. "GET ME UP QUICK MY GOLLY GOODNESS" in a battering scream.
Riku pulled him up, slowly as he was still getting used to his Dwarvern body but the grip was strong, not letting gravity decide fate.
[Stat Upgrade: Agility: +1]
[System Notification: Life Saving has triggered a guaranteed EXP multiplier of 5]
[Stat Upgrade: Agility: +1]
[Stat Upgrade: Agility: +1]
[Stat Upgrade: Agility: +1]
"What? Saving a life guarantees more experience? Oh wow! That is useful to know, Alice - Thank you"
Jakub's first instinct should have been a large thank you, it came eventually but he was panting over and over after seeing his life flash before his eyes.
"I do remember one thing"
Jakub turned his head slowly, catching his breath and still in a state of shock "What - is - that…" *Panting* "I would love to - know"
"I used to have a daughter around your age, her name was…"