The First Archmage

(Gavin)

"Well," Kade mutters as we watch a trio of boys approach us. "Now I understand, at least, why we weren't told to meet them here, but that they'd be meeting us here. I know you soaked for a couple of hours last night… how the hell do you have so much energy already?"

"How the hell do you not?"

"Blargh!" He grumbles in frustration as the boys draw nearer, and I give him a sideways look, then – on a whim – check to see if assessment works on him.

Kade, Human Level 1, Novice Level 1

Huh. It works. Why hasn't everyone just done that to see if I'm really a Wizard or not?

I scan the three of them as they stop before us, two dressed in leather armor, the third dressed in lighter clothes. Probably the two cadets and the servant. One of the cadets has two furry black wolf ears on the top of his head and a fluffy black tail.

Nicholas, Human Level 1, Squire Level 1

Michael, Beastborn (Wolf) Level 1, Squire Level 1

Tyler, Human Level 1, Royal Level 1

Royal? Is that a Class, now? Just some random Class the kid somehow had, or…

Is he really an heir of the king's, but kept hidden and raised to believe he's nothing more than a servant's son? Was she his mother?

"I know you," Nicholas looks at Kade, then to me. "So you must be Gavin. The king told us that you were to be the party leader, and I can't see why we'd have to listen to some magician."

"Tell me," I say. "Have you heard of the Wizard who appeared? The one whose very presence has caused the enabling of people to take on magic-based Classes, as well as the increase of those with access? Because if so – that's me, and the king and I have an understanding on things."

"My father is a Councilman," Nicholas says. "Which gives me superiority over you. I should be the Party Leader."

I can definitely see the resemblance between Tyler and the king. Yeah, Nicholas – I doubt you're the most superior, here.

+1 PER!

Shut the fuck up, System.

-0 CHA!

"What did the System just do?" Kade asks me.

"What?" I ask him.

"You have that look on your face you get when it grants or revokes zero of a stat."

"Oh," I say. "It granted me 1 PER when I noticed something, and I told it to shut up, then it took away 0 CHA. Nicholas – the power of your father grants his son no authority. The king has ordered for me to be the Party Leader, and thus, I am the Party Leader. Unless you wish to defy the orders of the king? Then I will personally speak with him when we return, and inform him of your treason."

Nicholas glares at me, but I can tell that he's accepted defeat.

Now to figure out how to form a Party, since I had no idea I was going to be Party Leader.

"Form Party," I say.

Do you wish to form a Party? Y/N?

"Yes, dumbass," I say. "That's why I said to form a damn Party."

-0 CHA!

You have formed a Party: Gavin's Party.

Parties can hold up to 15 members.

Slots Filled: 1/15

"Invite to Party," I say to each of them, and as they accept, I see them enter my party.

Nicholas has joined your Party!

Michael has joined your Party!

Tyler has joined your Party!

Kade has joined your Party!

Cool.

"Show me your stats," I tell them. "Just pull up your status window, then focus on me and think 'status share'. Kade – you already did. I was right there when you gained access."

Name: Michael

Age: 13 years

Titles: None

Species: Beastborn (Wolf)

Classes: Squire

INT: 7, AGI: 7, CHA: 4, STR: 9, CON: 8, PER: 8, LIF: 10

Health: 19/19

Mana: 6/6

"Why aren't you reacting all weird to me?" Michael asks. "Everyone else gets uneasy around me."

"Shut the fuck up, dog," Nicholas snaps at him. "No one cares about your kind, and the only reason you're even allowed to be a cadet is because your daddy's some chieftain the king wants to play nice with."

"This is my Party," I say. "I won't have you talking to my members as a jackass.

Skill Gained!

Party Leader 1/10: You have proven worth as the leader of a party, either through time or many orders – or a mix of the two – and now know more information about them. You also receive first pick for loot.

Huh. So that's a Skill. I guess I eased into it. The thing that really gets me, though, is the other message that popped up, when that one did.

+1 Human Experience!

Gaining a Skill like that granted me a point of Human Experience. I wonder what mastering it would give me. Ten, like Soundless and Camouflage, or even more? I'm sure it'll be harder for me to learn.

Not that it'll take me forever or anything, like it would for the few who manage to gain it. It almost feels like cheating, to me, like my successes mean others are pitiful and pathetic.

They kind of are, compared to my learning speed, but that's irrelevant, here.

"What did you do, grow up under a rock?" Nicholas asks me. "Beastborn are wild creatures from outside the kingdom. They're constantly at war with each other and us humans. They rape and pillage villages, and-"

"Do you like getting scratched behind the ears?" I ask Michael.

"I'm not a dog!" He exclaims. "It's offensive to compare us to animals! And why are you not getting uncomfortable? You heard what my people do, and-"

"Pretty sure humans do it, too," I say. "In fact, if I recall correctly, we have barbarians, vikings, rogue mercenaries, and such that do that. And aren't humans at war with each other and the beastborn? So I guess that means we need to look at humans that way as well.

"And for the record," I look at Nicholas. "I grew up in a small village a couple days' travel from here, not under the rock. We just didn't have jackasses like you to give us a lopsided view of reality. We did, however, have wyverns living a day's travel from us. Want to go meet some? My favorite was Bert."

Bert was one temperamental fucker. He probably wanted to kill me, and is probably glad I won't be around him much anymore.

Probably.

"You… played with wyverns?" He asks, trembling a little bit, and I smile just a touch.

Bert was a mean son of a bitch. No one liked him. He once tried to eat me, when we strayed too close to their territory by accident.

Then got distracted by another wyvern eating his kill and went after them.

Man, was Bert fun to harass some days.

So much fun.

Hrm. Maybe he did want to kill me?

"Show me your stats," I order Nicholas, and he glares at me, but shows me his stats anyway.

Name: Nicholas

Age: 13 years

Titles: None

Species: Human

Classes: Squire

INT: 6, AGI: 6, CHA: 5, STR: 7, CON: 6, PER: 6, LIF: 9

Health: 13/13

Mana: 3/3

"Dude," I say. "You're weaker than Michael. Shut the fuck up. Your turn, Tyler."

"I'd rather not," he says.

"What the heck is up with your Class?" I ask, and he pales. "What?"

"How do you know my Class?"

"What's his Class?" Nicholas asks. "He refuses to tell us. I can't see how useful a servant would be, especially since he said it's not a combat Class."

"You can't appraise people?" I ask. "All I have to do is look at people, and I can see their name, Species, and Class, and their Levels. Which is funny, because you sharing your stats with me doesn't show me their Levels."

"Appraisal?" He frowns. "That's an advanced Skill that you can't obtain, you have to gain a god's Blessing to have it. How do you have it?"

"How do I have Wizard?" I ask. "It's probably one of the many mysteries of life, I guess. I know your Class. What's up with it?"

"I don't want it shared," he says. "It's… personal."

"I can see that."

"What is it – whore?" Nicholas snorts. "I always knew the servant was a fag."

Can I kill him? Please?

"Would you be jealous if it was?" I ask, then look at Tyler. "Don't worry, Tyler – I won't reveal your Class to anyone, unless you want me to."

"No," he shakes his head. "When Father found out I had it, he told me to accept it, but to not tell anyone."

"Understandable," I say.

I'm going to guess that he knows his father's the king, then. Especially since the king ordered him to come with us.

"Speaking of," I say, looking at Nicholas. "The king himself ordered this party. You will shut the fuck up about its members, or I will shut you up."

Name: Tyler

Age: 12 years

Titles: None

Species: Human

Classes: Royal

INT: 9, AGI: 4, CHA: 4, STR: 3, CON: 5, PER: 5, LIF: 6, LUK 19

Health: 13/13

Mana: 3/3

"Thanks," I tell Tyler. "You can see your LUK already?"

"Yeah," he nods. "I was told that's unusual."

"It's probably because of your Class," I say. "It's pretty decent. It's not mine, but it's definitely decent. Your other stats are abysmal, though. Hopefully, your LUK makes up for that. Do you have any Skills?"

"No."

"He can't even help us," Nicholas mutters, and I send a Magic Bolt into the ground between his feet, causing him to jump. "What the fuck?"

"The king ordered his presence," I say. "And remember that I am the leader of this party, not you."

"But my father-"

"Is beneath the king," I state. "And the king appointed me to the head of this party, not some noble's son. You will obey me, or I will kill you. It's a simple as that."

"You wouldn't dare-" he cuts off as a second Magic Bolt flies past his right ear. Then, he screams, "WHY ARE YOU WASTING YOUR MANA?"

"It's only 6 Mana," I say. "It'll take us three hours to reach the Dungeon. I'll be recovered by then, because unlike certain people in this party, I recover Mana at a rate of one per just-over four minutes."

"That's ridiculous," he snorts. "Only people who've been training in magic for years can manage to get their regeneration down to even forty-five minutes just for a single point of Mana – do you really expect me to believe that your Mana would recover so fast, untrained commoner?"

It takes all the power of my Acting Skill to not scoff at his comment and emphasis on that word. I am no mere commoner, Nicholas. Not in the slightest.

I am the first Wizard.

"Well," I say. "Either you can put trust in the person the king appointed to be the leader of the party, or you can remember that you shouldn't always rely on the magician in the party. Before me, the only 'magicians' in the System were Adventurers who'd trained to be magicians before I came along, and they probably didn't rely on their magic too much, either."

He glares at me, but shuts up, and I start walking.

Three hours of silence later, and we arrive at the entrance to the Dungeon. It's surrounded by a small village, which was practically built around the Dungeon.

The entrance to the Dungeon is made of white stone, stands approximately fifteen feet in height, and is filled with blackness. Standing just a few feet from the entrance is a building labeled "Adventurer's Guild", which we need to enter before we can begin the Dungeon. The two guards standing in front of the entrance probably wouldn't let us pass without doing so.