Super Supportive

TWENTY-FOUR: Rabbit

Rabbit

It was late when Alden teleported back home. To his surprise, Boe was hanging out on the sofa using Aldens laptop like it was community property.

Do you just live here now or something? Alden tossed him a bag of banana chips. Youll note from the price sticker that these cost less than fifteen dollars.

Hed wanted to get a fresh banana, but it was against customs regulations.

You spend the day in hero land, and all I get is,Boe adjusted his glasses and checked the taga seven dollar snack size bag of freeze-dried fruit. Thats robbery. Youre making my point for me. Youre going to starve to death.

Alden was tired and drained, but he had actually been anticipating this moment for the past couple of hours while he sat waiting for his teleport time slot in the departures lounge.

I might, he agreed, trying to sound casual as he kicked off his shoes. Only got five million for Chainer. Hey, wheres Aunt Connie?

She went out for drinks with some friends Boes fingers froze on the keyboard. Wait. Run that sentence past me again.

Alden grinned. I said, Hey, wheres Aunt Connie?

Boe flung the banana chips at him. Youre not serious?!

I seriously wanted to know where she was. Shes my aunt. I do love her, you

You jerk! We have to call Jeremy. How did you already get paid? Did you just go to the Velra mansion and knock? And how did you get five million, you total pushover? You were there for a funeral!

Hey, dont throw my laptop around like that!

You can buy yourself another one with all of your newfound wealth. Boe was reaching for his phone. Rabbit? Or did you chicken out and ask for Adjuster in the end?

Rabbit, Alden said, checking his computer for damage. It was a long day. The funeral went well. As well as a funeral can go. It still feels strange to say goodbye to her when nobody even knows what happened. As for how everything else went downthe Velras are batshit.

Boe eyeballed him. Did you already affix? You dont look like you did.

Alden snorted and flopped onto the sofa. It felt good to be home. You think it would show? With Rabbit?

Boe shrugged. A little maybe. Jeremys not picking up.

I didnt affix. I was worried the security scanner at the teleport place might be able to tell. Ill do it in the morning when Im rested. And I need to freshen up my knowledge of all things Rabbit before I have to make final decisions.

Thats what I was doing on your computer. Since you know your skill choice, the big thing will be your trait selection. Ive never paid much attention to that before since its Rabbit, but its a good feature. Kind of like getting to choose your own class subtype. I think

Alden listened while Boe rambled on.

Tomorrow, he thought. Tomorrow is the real start of it all.

Jeremy woke the entire house up on Sunday morning by banging on the front door at six AM.

I was afraid you were going to affix it without me, he whispered, while Boe flipped him off with both middle fingers.

Alden apologized to his slightly hungover aunt, told her she could go back to sleep, and sent Jeremy to fetch breakfast as punishment.

This is probably the only time in my whole life Ill ever get to see anyone become an Avowed, Jeremy said in a pitiful voice as Alden shoved him back out the door.

Im not going to do it without you. Im not even fully conscious yet. Plus there wont be anything amazing for you to see.

At least he didnt think there would be. Some people fainted, but even if Alden was one of them, it wouldnt be much to look at.

An hour later, they were all eating convenience store snacks together in the floor of Aldens bedroom, trying to talk quietly about trait selection so that they wouldnt wake up Connie.

We should just do this at the consulate, Boe said finally. I cant argue properly with a volume limit. And Skiff shouldnt be spying anymore, right?

Definitely not if he worked for the Velras. Probably not if he didnt. My listing for Chainer would have disappeared when I traded the class.

I cant believe you two escaped from a superhero without me.

We quietly walked past him, Jeremy. It was no big deal, Alden said.

Well yeahif youre comparing it to getting stolen away in broad daylight by a gorgeous chick in a sports car.

She was stressful. And forty-something.

I looked her up online. I think youve got to be wrong about that.

Completely monopolizing a Healer to give your family eternal youth is fairytale villain stuff, Boe said. Gotta respect it.

They continued the conversation on their way to the consulate, where Gorgon let them in even though it wasnt yet officially open.

Alden ran straight to the desk. I got Rabbit! he said excitedly. Im going to affix it this morning.

I see, Gorgon said, not looking away from his monitors. You may use the basement if you wish. We will be open to the public soon, and making adjustments to your class during affixation can take some time.

I know you cant say anything encouraging, but I can sense your enthusiasm buried deep, deep down.

I hope. A tiny part of Alden was still paranoid that the luggage thing was a coincidence. And right after he affixed, Gorgon was going to say something like, You moron. Why would I ever suggest a loser class like Rabbit?

Thats not whats going to happen. Itll be fine. There will be something about the luggage skill that makes it good.

They took the elevator down to the hall of beige-ness.

Awesome! Jeremy said, racing toward the first door and jostling the handle. Awwthis ones locked.

He went to the next and tried to turn its handle, too.

Yes, keep doing that. Ive always wanted to be killed by some eldritch abomination the Artonans are keeping hidden away underground, Boe said.

I think if he manages to open one its more likely to be a storage closet. Or a conference room.

This ones open! Jeremy shouted.

Thats because its the one were allowed to use, Alden told him.

Wow. Were you planning to move in down here? Jeremy stepped over the rumpled sleeping bag and water bottles.

Yeah, I was. I thought Id have to trade 24/7 for the next few months to get something good. Butthe Velras happened.

Boe was fondling the cloudy crystal table. I wonder what this thing is made of.

Magic stuff.

Alden frowned, remembering something. I told B74 Id come back. I did mean to. That asshole is going to think Im an even bigger asshole.

If he doesnt like the taste of it, he shouldnt serve it to other people, said Boe.

Jeremy took the folding chair, so after a moments consideration, Alden hopped up to sit on the edge of the trading table.

Are you going to do it now? Jeremy asked eagerly.

Boe shot him a look. Stop asking that every twelve seconds. He might have a few reservations about signing his life away, you know.

Why would he? Your choices are saying yes to the contract and getting a thank-you prize. Or saying no and getting squat. You become a superhuman either way.

Jeremy was right. The only reason anyone would reject the contract was out of deeply held anti-Artonan beliefs or because they were scared of being summoned. It wasnt an official policy, but it was widely known that the aliens deprioritized people who refused to agree, even if they wouldnt outright delete them from their list of potential summonses.

They preferred to use willing helpers before they resorted to angry or petrified ones.

Im good to go, Alden said. I think. I just need to say yes. Pick the skill. See what traits are offered with it. Become amazing.

Boe snorted. Become a bunny you mean.

Im going to use my new luggage carrying powers against you.

Im sure that sounded more threatening in your head.

You can use your powers on me! Jeremy volunteered.

Thank you, Jeremy. Youre my favorite friend. He took a deep breath. Okay. Lets do it.

He opened up the Systems acceptance page. There was an option to listen to the selection speech again, and his finger hovered over it. But he knew that was only anxiety. Hed nearly memorized it when he was a kid. There were no secrets hidden in the words.

[Pre-affixed Selectee: Samuel Alden Thorn]

[Divergence Rank: B]

[Assigned Class: Rabbit]

[Samuel Alden Thorn, do you willingly accept your duties as one of Earths Avowed, thereby satisfying a portion of your planets debt to Artona?]

[YES/NO]

2091 h: 23 m: 11 s

I would like to accept the Interdimensional Warriors Contract.

He spoke in a deliberately steady voice. It felt like an occasion where you should say it out loud instead of just clicking.

Oh, shit. Hes really doing it, Jeremy whispered, staring at Alden with huge eyes.

Let him focus.

The acceptance page disappeared.

Welcome, Alden, the System murmured in his ear. And thank you for your future service. Please take your time refining your choices for class-specific options. You have two thousand ninety-one hours before they will be randomly affixed.

Its done, Alden said.

Before he could add anything else, six new points of light appeared in front of his eyes and bloomed into option panes.

FOUNDATION

SKILLS

SPELLS

WARDROBE

PRIVILEGES

FINALIZE AFFIXATION

My palms are literally sweating. Isnt that stupid? Alden dried them on his jeans. He hesitated for a second, then selected FOUNDATION.

He already knew what it should look like, since the stat bonuses for every class and rank, except the uniques, were standardized. But he still wanted to see it.

Foundation was divided into two subcategories. One called Foundational Enhancements and one called Class Effects. Alden chose the first, and scanned through it.

Its totally normal. Hed wondered if giving his blood to Gorgon might have some effect on his statsbut if it did, it wasnt reflected here. Makes sense I guess. The Systems only listing the things it will add itself.

It didnt even list whatever Aldens base stats as a fairly-average human teenager were. It just started from zero.

FOUNDATIONAL ENHANCEMENTS

Note: 1 pt is roughly equal to a 10 percent improvement over your species average. Rank-based class bonuses have been automatically applied.

Sympathy for Magic +4 Processing +0.25 Appeal +1 Agility +0 Dexterity +0.5 Speed +0 Stamina +0.25 Strength +0

Alden sighed. That full point being automatically applied to Appeal instead of something else really rubs the wrong way.

Rabbits were the only class that had a starting bonus in that category. Probably because the Artonans expected to have to deal with them more often and in more social settings.

Tons of places require a full point or more in it for hero work anyway, said Jeremy.

I know. Everyone wants their hero team to be friendly and photogenic. But still

The stats listed here were just the tip of a vast and complicated iceberg. The System tried to simplify things for people who didnt want to get double Ph. Ds in the human body and the magical mutation of it.

Any point added to one of these top-level stats was actuallybeing divided and applied to all the various physical and mental components that formed that quality. If Alden selected Appeal and dug down into the sub-stat menus, he knew hed find that the point was affecting all kinds of different things, from his facial symmetry to his ability to empathize with others.

As part of the 1963 Agreement, the Artonans werent allowed to force psychological adjustments on humans through the System, though. So prior to affixing the point, Alden could delete the percentage of it that would make him better at playing well with others.

But doing that, especially with a single point, was a bad look for someone who wanted to go the hero route.

Next, he selected Class Information.

RABBIT - RANK B

Class Standard: Your eyes are wide open to the workings of magic. Your ears await the Triplanets call. All Rabbits receive at least one skill.

Rank Perk:

*You may choose one spell impression from the spell list prior to affixation.

*You may choose one spell impression from the spell list after affixation.

Class Perk:

* You may select your primary class trait.

* Rabbit's Wardrobe

Class Penalties:

*Your summons response timer is set to 48 seconds. (Note: All emergency summons are instantaneous. Response to emergency summons will be commensurately rewarded.)

*Summoners will not offer access to skills or spell impressions in exchange for your regular services. Summoners may still offer foundation points, tools, or spell instruction for extraordinary service.

*New skills and spell impressions are only available upon leveling of starter skills or upon long-term personal assignment to approved parties.

*Your quest rejection/acceptance ratio may not exceed 1/20.

Class Trait:

Please finalize skill selection to unlock this option.

No surprises, Alden noted as he finished reading through it. The summons response time is like something from a comedy.

Other classes usually had multiple hours or even days notice before they were summoned for non-emergencies. Forty-eight seconds was barely long enough to put clothes on if you got summoned in the middle of a shower.

Under Privileges, he found his signing gift. He was allowed to choose among three options: three stat points to spend in foundation, a tool called The Fragile Atmosphere, and the Rabbit class spell Wardrobe Change.

The Fragile Atmosphere was offered as a signing bonus to almost every class. It was a single-use life support device that would give you around six minutes of Earth air, gravity, and atmospheric pressure. It was a great oh shit button in all kinds of situations, but single-use was hard to swallow.

Wardrobe Change was slightly better than it sounded. It was a short spell that would let you quickly swap between various pieces of gear you had purchased from the Wardrobe all Rabbits had access to. But the stat bonuses on Rabbit gear were so small they were almost decorative.

The foundation stat bonuses will be the best, Alden said.

Dont just assume that. You havent even read the detailed description for your skill yet.

I know, Boe. Im doing it.

Moment of truth. Alden selected SKILLS, bit his lower lip, and scrolled through the seemingly endless options toward the Ls.

There was a chancea very slim onethat Let Me Take Your Luggage wouldnt be there. The System made adjustments all the time. And it sometimes limited the number of people who had certain skills or spells by deleting them from the list of available options when it had met its quota.

But it was there. Right between two equally mysterious options.

[Let Me Make You Toast Rank: F]

The Rabbit makes near-perfect toast every time.

[Let Me Take Your Luggage Rank: B]

The Rabbit carries an item that has been entrusted to them.

[Letter Writing Rank: D]

The Rabbit has near-perfect penmanship.

Well, dont accidentally click the wrong one. Boe raised an eyebrow when Alden read the other two aloud.

Yeah. Those suck, Jeremy said. Who wants perfect penmanship? Just type that shit.

The instructions at the top of the skill list said Alden could have one B skill or a D and an F. Not two Fs or one C or any other logical-seeming combination. The unavailable skills werent even listed.

Why do you think they dont really explain what some of the skills do until we select them? Alden asked, staring at the interface. It seems spiteful now that Im actually in this position.

Its because the Artonans are dicks, Boe said.

My parents think its one of the ways they slow the pace of human knowledge acquisition without violating the terms of the 1963 Agreement. Their deal with Earth requires them to give us access to a certain amount of magic and tech and stuff. It doesnt require them to tell us what it does or how to use it.

Boe and Alden both looked at him.

Theyre lawyers. They had to do entire classes on Artona/Earth contracts in law school.

Alden considered it. Soits because theyre dicks. Here we go then. Lets hope Gorgon knows what hes doing.

He took a deep breath and selected the skill.

[Let Me Take Your Luggage is a B-rank skill. You will not be able to choose another skill at this time. Attempting to de-affix this skill through magical means is forbidden and will cause severe harm to your person. Are you certain of your choice?]

Yes. He wished he was a little more certain, but everyone probably felt that way no matter what they were choosing.

There was a brief pause, then the skill description expanded.

Alden felt a rush of excitement. Ladies and gentlemen, we have details! Oh, wow. This is real!

Which of us is the lady? Jeremy stage whispered to Boe.

Alden didnt hear Boes reply. He was too busy reading about his new magic skill that did something magical.

His heart was racing as he scanned the description.

Please be awesome. Please be awesome.

Let Me Take Your Luggage (Level One)

*While you are carrying a tangible item that has been entrusted to you by your target, the item will be preserved.*

Cessation of carriage will end preservation.

Loss of contact will end entrustment.

Retargeting will end entrustment.

Summoners will be autotargeted for heightened efficiency.

Foundational Supplementation:

Proprioception +1.5 Agility +1 Visual Processing +1

* Rabbit Class Benefit: Trait Selection has been made available. Appropriate traits are now listed on the class page.

Alden read the description several times. Huh, he said finally.

That bad? Jeremy asked.

Youre not really going to grow extra arms are you? said Boe.

Alden grinned. No. Its good. I think? Its just not any of the things I guessed it might be. There are a lot of unknowns even with the extended description.

He read it aloud slowly.

Jeremy looked confused, Boe surprised.

Its for preserving a carried object? I really didnt expect that either. I thought

He trailed off, and Jeremy jumped in. Did you think it was going to make him hella strong? Because I did. I thought hed be able to carry cars around as long as some he-man passed them to him first.

Yeah I considered that. But actually my favorite theory was heading in a more metaphorical direction. I thought maybe he could temporarily take away peoples pain or stress or something. Like a fast-acting, mini Healer of Mind. It would work for support.

I was hoping for my own portable pocket dimension, Alden confessed. A bit.

Oh my god. Really? As a B-rank?

I thought maybe a little one

Those stat supplements are small, by the way, Jeremy said, frowning. Isnt he supposed to get closer to ten altogether?

Boe nodded. Yeah, three and a half is puny for a class that only gets one rank-appropriate skill. Theoretically that means the System thinks the skill is near maximum value for B. But

Im going to be so squishy, Alden agreed, trying not to feel disappointed. Regular human squishy.

Youll have your armor when you drop some Argold in Wardrobe, Mr. Millionaire, Boe said. But yeah. Youre starting wayyy behind the curve physically if you want to hang around actual superhero fights. I noticed your skill description doesnt say youll be preserved. Only whatever youre carrying.

Yep. And its doing whole point increases of proprioception and visual processing. Thats niche. Wouldnt it usually just throw it all into Agility? Or even head down a level from that and directly boost Balance?

Read it all to me again? Boe had pulled out the laptop.

Alden did. When he got to the stats, he tried to consider what the System was thinking hed need them for. It was an additional clue, since presumably it had chosen the ones that would make him best able to use the skill effectively when he was summoned.

It doesnt want me to fall down? he guessed.

Thats what I think, too, Boe said,. And it doesnt seem to expect you to be knocked over a lot in the course of your Rabbit chores. The percentage strength boost that will naturally come with the Agility buff is too small. It might just be enough so that you can make use of the increase in proprioception. Along with the visual acuityI think its just worried about you tripping over stuff or navigating crowds?

So the skill is more often used for carrying delicate things than heavy things? Alden suggested. Thats what it sounds like.

Right. Human strength and stamina must be sufficient for most summoners purposes. But the preservation effect ends if you fall or drop the item. So, the System wants you to not do that.

Jeremy cleared his throat. What youre saying isits a skill designed for transporting expensive vases?

Alden tried not to feel offended. That doesnt make sense, he said. Nobody needs to preserve a vase.

Actually what I really need to understand is what the System means by preservation in the first place. Am I supposed to be like a walking mini-fridge for perishables?

Boe seemed to be thinking along the exact same lines. I think hed be better at carrying something like an ice sculpture than a vase, he said. The preservation has to be the important part. The natural thing to assume is that it stops the item youre given from being damaged by outside effects, right? Like heat and cold and impacts.

So itll be a shield for whatever hes got in his hands? Jeremy said, perking up. Thats cooler.

Maybe. It doesnt say he has to use his hands, though. Or that theres definitely a shield involved. Were just guessing on those things until he actually finalizes it.

Alden grinned. Oh, I hope its a shield effect! Do you know how perfect that would be? I could have someone hand me a trash can lid, and as long as I was carrying it, everything would bounce off the shield around it, right?

He paused, realizing something. Cessation of carriage is separate from loss of contact. That means it doesnt consider holding and carrying to be the same thing. SoIll have to be moving for the skill to be active.

Boes eyes widened. Right! Not just moving though. Carrying. We dont know how it defines that exactly. Can you hold something in your lap while you ride around in a car? Or do you have to be moving under your own power?

The first would be so much better.

Aldens imagination was running wild with possibilities. If the shield thing was right, and he could use a car No. Stop.Im getting ahead of myself.

He couldnt choose his trait and signing bonus based on what he hoped the skill did. He had to be realistic.

I bet I have to move the object on my own. Or we should assume that. To be safe, we should probably assume that I have to physically bear the entire weight of whatever the thing is, too. The System wouldnt be giving me specific anti-tripping stats if I could easily avoid dropping my object by keeping one hand on it while I rode around in a vehicle. I need to think this through.

Boe and Jeremy went quiet, and Alden spent the next few minutes with his eyes closed, trying to imagine different scenarios in which he might use the skill.

As far as what he would be doing with it when and if he was summoned, he had a feeling Boe wasnt too far off the mark with the carrying ice sculptures thing. Only instead of ice sculptures it would be something much more finicky and valuable to the Artonansmaybe delicate magical devices or crumbling historical documents that needed to be moved carefully.

Maybe hed be doing mostly specialized courier work.

But that was on Artona. Presumably the skill alone was sufficient to make him worthwhile as a summons from the aliens perspective.

The question was, how did Alden turn it into something he could use here on Earth, where hed be spending most of his time and eventually trying to get a job as a battlefield support.

Even if he could use the item he was carrying as a magic shieldit would have to be a certain size to be useful. If he could make shrapnel bounce off something like a tablecloth that would be fantastic. But what if it didnt work that way?

And if it did, how would he get himself and his super tablecloth where they needed to be on a battlefield or for a rescue operation?

After a long while, he said, I think trying for higher mobility and reaction time is the right choice?

Jeremy leaned back in the chair, You mean taking the stat bonus as your signing gift and dropping it all in Agility and Speed?

Pretty much. Im hoping I can shield myself with the carried item. But whether I can or not, itll be more valuable for me to be quick. Maybe Ill be carryingthings?for heroes, or just trying to get out of the way in a pinch. A Rabbits not going to be able to go toe-to-toe physically with many villains anyway. He paused. I could dig down a little and drop a partial point in Reflexes? Or even instinct?

Dont screw with instinct, Boe said, drumming his fingers on the table. That one makes people real paranoid if they overdo it. But everything else you just said makes sense. You need to dodge hits, not take them in the face. And if the Systems leaning toward boosting your balance and situational awareness anyway, its probably good to go along with the program. Did it give you any trait selections that will work?

Alden went back to the class information page. There were now several traits available. For some reason, the System used colors for the names. Alden didn't know if it was trying to make the traits seem fun and friendly or if it had some basis in Artonan culture.

Please choose a trait to help you perform your duties.

Azure Rabbit You are lighter on your feet when your skills are in use.Green Rabbit You senses are significantly heightened for 21.3 hours after summoning. Citrine Rabbit Your bodys ability to filter contaminants is increased.Rose Rabbit Your attention to detail is increased when your skills are in use. Gold Rabbit You are gifted with additional composure when your skills are in use. *Trait selection is final and may not be changed

Is it just me, Jeremy said after Alden read them aloud. Or are those all surprisingly good for combat?

They definitely are! Well, not Green unless I plan to be summoned on a daily basis. And Citrines more case specific, but its also got being a permanent effect in its favor.

Alden was actually thrilled. Hed skimmed over the known Rabbit traits with Boe last night, and many of them were only useful after youd been summoned or in particular environments.

He wanted three of these. But he could only pick one.

Im mildly concerned about the Citrine trait, Boe said, typing away. It looks like not a lot of people have the chance to choose it. You dont really think of Rabbits being unprotected around environmental contaminants often enough to justify speccing for it do you?

Alden shrugged. Its probably got some specific case use in combination with the skill. Tell me again about Azure. I know we talked about it last night, but its personal gravity reduction, right?

Sort of. Based on user reports, it seems like its a coat of magic that transforms a percentage of gravitys effect on you into force as you kick off the ground. Its amazing if you want to go for mobility, but you have to remember that the Artonans are weird about what counts as ground.

Ground was one of the Artonan elements Shapers could use.

Artonans thought their personal concept of ground was obvious. But it really wasnt.

Many things humans used as flooring didnt qualify. A floor made of granite slabs was definitely ground. A floor made of concrete was, too, but it was less ground than the graniteand if it was several stories above the earth it might be classified as an object. Wood flooring often wasnt ground, but a big pile of wood mulch almost always was.

Literally any pot full of soil with a live plant in it was ground. Even if it was on an airplane.

I want it, Alden said.

City streets were usually considered ground.

Seriously? Boe sounded exasperated. I get that its the coolest looking of the options. But youre going to be running away from a supervillain one day, and youre going to try to escape from them using an overpass or something and it will suddenly be not fucking ground anymore because its over-crafted or the altitude is six inches too high. Take the composure enhancement.

Not that one, Jeremy argued. You can just learn to be more chill. Attention to detail is better. Sounds like a Sherlock Holmes power.

Learning to be chill in an emergency is not easy.

I see the benefits of both of those, Alden said. But its no good to notice details if I dont have the power to do anything about them. And I think if I have serious composure problems under pressure I should probably look for a different career instead of trying to magically impose calm on myself. Can you imagine the whiplash if I dropped my item in a fight and went from zen to panic attack instantaneously?

Boe squinted at him. Its your choice. I guess you can audit a Shaper class and study ground. It just sounds like an additional mental strain in a crisis to have to figure out what everything under your feet is made of.

Its something I can practice, though, Alden said, selecting the option.

After that, he went into spell selection. B-ranks Rabbits did not get to choose B-rank spells. He could have one F-rank spell of any type or one high complexity D-rank.

As opposed to skills, spells required the user to perform a deliberate action. The simplest ones were just a magic word or two. More complicated ones could require finger gestures, chantseven wands.

These are all garbage, Alden muttered after staring at the options for twenty minutes.

Of course theyre garbage. Youre not an Adjuster. Youre lucky you get to play with spells at all.

Since the spell would be given to him as an impressiondirectly transferred into his brainhe didnt have to worry about mispronouncing a paragraph-long chunk of Artonan words or mastering peculiar finger motions. But those still werent things you wanted to be doing when time was of the essence.

And a lot of these spells did stuff that technology could do better. How often would Alden need a complicated image capture spell, really, when he had a camera in his pocket that would work in a tenth the time?

He dithered between a signal flare spell and one that would create a loud bang a set distance and direction from his position. He loved what the noisemaker spell did, but it was also an extremely common choice among heroes. Instead of being distracted, lots of people would hear it and know exactly where you were.

His eyes landed on a complex D he had initially dismissed because it required an actual magical ingredient. I dont have to avoid them. Im rich now.

Boe, can you look up something called a Temper Sphere?

Its a magic thing?

I guess. Its a spell ingredient.

After several minutes of searching, Boe said. Yeah. It looks like a glass ball full of glitter dirt.

How big is it?

Its about half the size of an egg, judging by this picture some guy has posted of one beside an egg. But the more important question is, What does it cost?

What does it cost?

Bored with Aldens long silence, Jeremy had gone to stand over Boes shoulder and stare at the computer ages ago. Its two hundred Argold, he reported. For one.

Alden winced. So practicing with the thing would be expensive. But once he mastered it, it wasnt like hed need it often.

You can just buy them on Anesidora, right? Alden asked. I dont have to wait for some Artonan to give them to me as a tip or something?

Yeah, they sell them in Wright shops. Whats it do?

If you use the right spell on it, it turns invisible and screams. Its only good for one or two uses though.

Cool! said Jeremy.

Boe crossed his arms over his chest and stared off into space. Yeah, that is cool, he said finally.

Great.

Alden selected the Haunting Sphere spell.

Finally, he chose his signing bonus and divided the three precious stat points evenly between Agility and Speed. He would have liked to put a little into general mental processing. But when he tried to add another half point, the System informed him that based on his other buffs, hed have to wait while the additional processing was gradually affixed over the course of around six months.

Agility and Speed would be giving him more anyway, and on top of the visual processing buff, Aldens brain just wouldnt take any more instantaneous enhancement. So he dropped the idea for now.

Maybe in six months hed have gotten more points anyway.

Stop pouting, said Boe. We cant all be me.

I dont think it would let you have much more either, genius. It just doesnt like doing fast intelligence enhancements on teenagers.

Actually, it didnt like doing them on most people. The System was disinclined to build artificial super-geniuses. It gave almost everyone some kind of hard limit on sheer organic thinking power and started supplementing with various magical effects to satisfy the needs of Avowed at the highest levels.

When it was all done, he looked it over about a dozen times.

Nothing else but to do it, he thought.

Finalize affixation, he said.

A moment later, he felt a strange rush of something.

Everything went black.