Cat With a Raygun

After choosing Mage from his class options, Joe saw yet another screen pop up.

Each time you gain a Mage class level you will receive +2 Intelligence from your class, in addition to the +1 Agility and 2 unassigned attribute bonuses you receive due to being a felinoid.

Mage level 1 grants the following ability: Read Aura.

Please pick 2 of the following spells to learn: Flame Burst, Lightning Jolt, Cold Snap, Minor Levitation, Harvest, Extend Sight, or Smoke and Mirrors.

Joe didn't really know anything about any of those spells, but since he had an advanced degree in electrical engineering he figured the Lightning Jolt might be an appropriate choice. Looking at the other options, he decided on Minor Levitation, cause his claws hurt climbing up the tree, so having another way to get up there would be better.

Focusing on both Lightning Jolt and Minor Levitation to lock in his choices, Joe saw Lightning Jolt immediately disappear from the list as it was added to his class spells. Before Minor Levitation locked in, it shifted over one space as Lightning Jolt left the list, and his mental push ended up choosing Harvest as his second spell instead.

The screen closed itself and Joe closed the other open screens finally. Sighing about his messed up selection, Joe wondered how to use his new magic spells. At his thought a new screen opened.

Spells:

Lightning Jolt 1

Harvest 1

Hoping to gain more information, Joe focused on his Lightning Jolt from the list.

Lightning Jolt (Level 1). This spell allows the caster to channel electrical energy into a target via touch, potentially damaging the target. The maximum amount of energy that can be channeled with this spell is determined by the caster's Intelligence score multiplied by the spell's level.

Mana cost: 6 per casting.

“Mana? I didn't see any mana on my statistics page.”

At Joe's mention of statistics, his statistics screen opened and there was a new entry under his stamina that listed mana as 18/18. It must have unlocked when he gained a class that uses it. Joe closed the statistics screen and looked up the description of his second spell.

Harvest (Level 1). This spell allows the caster to target a fresh corpse of any non-CWEST species. The ambient magic in their body, directed by the spell from the caster, will collect potentially useful materials and package them in a convenient form. The corpse itself will then dissolve.

Mana cost: 10 per casting.

“Well, that might be a good mistake I made there. I don't have anything in the way of supplies, and I have no idea how to butcher something, so maybe I can get fresh meat or something from what I kill.”

Remembering that his new class also gave him an ability, Joe decided to see if he had an ability screen just like his spells screen. Sure enough, he did.

Abilities:

Inspect (Rank 1)

Land on Your Feet (Rank 1)

Night Eyes (Rank 1)

Tongue of All (Rank 1)

Read Aura (Rank 1)

Inspect (Rank 1), Active. Using this ability allows the user to see basic CWEST designations of the target creature or object.

Stamina cost: 1 per use

Key attribute: Wisdom

Land on Your Feet (Rank 1), Active. Using this felinoid racial ability allows the user to reduce damage from falling. WARNING: Must be activated before landing!

Stamina cost: Variable (depends on amount of damage being reduced).

Key Attribute: Toughness

Night Eyes (Rank 1), Passive. This felinoid racial ability allows the user to see further and in greater detail in low light conditions.

Key Attribute: Wisdom

Tongue of All (Rank 1), Passive. This ability allows the user to instantly understand all current major languages of the Teko world, both oral and written, as well as to be understood by others who know one or more of those languages.

Key Attribute: Intelligence

Read Aura (Rank 1), Active. This ability allows the mage to gain information about the manachlorian flow around an object or creature. If combined with the Inspect ability additional information will be added to the result.

Mana cost: 4 per use

Key Attribute: Intelligence

Wanting to test out how to activate his newfound abilities, Joe closed the abilities screen decided to focus on the tree he was in and thought about Inspect. As usual a new screen opened.

Bobo Nut Tree. The flavorful bobo nut grows on these tall, deciduous trees. The wood is generally too soft to make for good construction material, but the common nut itself is popular as both a culinary and alchemical ingredient.

Hoping all his abilities, as well as his spells, activated that easily, Joe decided to go hunt that crab rather than be stuck in a tree all day. Joe lowered himself down to where he was just hanging to decrease the three and a half meter drop to the ground. As he let go of the branch he mentally activated the Land on Your Feet ability. His body adjusted itself in midair slightly and as he hit the ground, all he felt was a slight strain on his knees as they absorbed the impact.

Joe pulled up his statistics screen and saw that his health was still 6/6 but his stamina was reduced to a mere 1/10. That still left him enough to use Inspect on the crab, so he was okay with that. He moved slowly to try to be a little sneaky as Joe made his way back to the riverbank to see if the crab was still around.

- - - - -

Cutting Crustacean. This territorial crab defends its feeding ground with razor sharp claws. It's not very fast, but even so keep out of its range as it can cut through all but the hardest materials. The crab itself is edible and some scribes like to make inks out of its rich cerulean blood.

Joe realized that his only offensive spell required him to touch the target. Maybe it was stupid and he could trick it. He grabbed a decent sized stone from by his feet and tossed it into the river, but away from the crab. As soon as the kerplunk of the stone hitting the water sounded, the crab turned and tried to see what was encroaching on its territory. Quickly, and as quietly as he could, Joe crept up behind the crab and grabbed its arms right below the giant, sharp claws.

The crab immediately tried to twist out his grip, but Joe then cast his Lightning Jolt spell. In an instant Joe could feel the energy in his body course through him. It gathered up and moved to his right hand then left his body as electricity, entering the cutting crustacean. Joe heard sizzling and popping as the electricity boiled its blood. The crab screamed in pain but kept trying to wrest itself free of Joe's grip so he hit it again, this time through his left hand. More sizzling and popping, more screams. The crab still wasn't dead, but it didn't look like it was having a fun time. All the strength in its arms was gone. Joe's spell cost 6 mana and he had 18 total, so he knew he could cast it one more time. He let go of the crab's arms and put his hand on the top of its shell. Lightning Jolt was cast one final time and the pressure of the boiling blood was too great. The shell burst from the inside, sending shards of shell and bits of meat out the front side of the beast, away from where Joe was standing.

A chime sounded from CWEST which Joe hoped meant that the crab was really dead. It wasn't moving and besides the noises of it cooking inside its shell, it stopped all other noises. Just to be safe Joe backed up a few meters towards the forest again before he checked his notification.

C- enemy defeated!

S- tactical plan successful!

You have received CWEST experience for your successful killing of the Cutting Crustacean and using a plan that prevented it from being able to attack you back.

In his old life Joe had never killed anything other than bugs and fish. He certainly never engaged in life-or-death combat with anything. This CWEST thing seemed designed to facilitate combat and Joe felt like it was best to lean in to how this new life works. But maybe that was just the adrenaline talking.