Chapter 6: Chapter 5: Level-Up

“Carrrrlll, you there? First time’s pretty intense, isn’t it? I guess who knows with you though, everything with your build seems different.” Klaire’s voice was enough to snap him out of the fading fog.

“Yeah… Intense. Honestly I just zoned out and felt nostalgic again. My mind wandered back to when we first met, when Lydia sent Mum that damn photo that was spread across the SATS our second year.” Carl said, pretending to be annoyed as they both always did, but secretly grateful since it gave Klaire the push to kiss him and start their relationship, after a lengthy lecture and detention for the public display of affection.

“Oh god! I think Lydia was the one who posted it everywhere still. She never missed a chance to show it off to my friends when she was visiting. Did we ever apologise to Madam Director for it?” Klaire asked a hint of blush finding her cheeks to accompany the hint of mischief finding her voice. “Forget that actually, how did it go? Did it work?”

“Let me check the notifications, I muted them so I wouldn’t get overwhelmed like they teach in class.”

[ 5 SYSTEM NOTIFICATIONS WAITING]

[ CONGRATULATIONS YOU HAVE LEVELLED UP ]

[ CONGRATULATIONS YOU HAVE LEVELLED UP ]

[ CONGRATULATIONS YOU HAVE LEVELLED UP ]

[ CONGRATULATIONS YOU HAVE LEVELLED UP ]

[ CONGRATULATIONS YOU HAVE LEVELLED UP ]

[ WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE REMAINDER BY LEVEL? Y/N ]

“Yes.” Carl said, confusing Klaire who was waiting patiently.

[ LEVEL 2 REWARDS = ALL STATS INCREASED, MODIFIER CHANGED FROM LEVEL TO TIMES LEVEL + 50, DIV FULLY RESTORED, MISSING HP/MP RESTORED, NEW SKILL ACQUIRED, NEW JOB OPTIONS ACQUIRED, SYSTEM PATCHED TO ACCOMMODATE ]

[ LEVEL 3 REWARDS = ALL STATS INCREASED, MODIFIER CHANGED FROM LEVEL TO TIMES LEVEL + 100, DIV FULLY RESTORED, MISSING HP/MP RESTORED, NEW JOB OPTIONS ACQUIRED, SYSTEM PATCHED TO ACCOMMODATE ]

[ LEVEL 4 REWARDS = ALL STATS INCREASED, MODIFIER CHANGED FROM LEVEL TO TIMES LEVEL + 150, DIV FULLY RESTORED, MISSING HP/MP RESTORED, NEW SKILL ACQUIRED, NEW PET SLOT ACQUIRED, NEW JOB OPTIONS ACQUIRED, SYSTEM PATCHED TO ACCOMMODATE ]

[ LEVEL 5 REWARDS = ALL STATS INCREASED, MODIFIER CHANGED FROM LEVEL TO TIMES LEVEL + 200, DIV FULLY RESTORED, MISSING HP/MP RESTORED, NEW JOB OPTIONS ACQUIRED, NEW TALENT ACQUIRED, NEW TITLE ACQUIRED, NEW ABILITY ACQUIRED, SYSTEM PATCHED TO ACCOMMODATE ]

[ LEVEL 6 REWARDS = ALL STATS INCREASED, MODIFIER CHANGED FROM LEVEL TO TIMES LEVEL + 250, DIV FULLY RESTORED, MISSING HP/MP RESTORED, NEW SOLO MISSION ACQUIRED, NEW MULTIPLE PARTICIPANT MISSION ACQUIRED, SYSTEM PATCHED TO ACCOMMODATE ]

Carl, even looking at it found himself struggling to believe what he was reading. “FIVE TIMES! Klaire, I levelled up five times from that.” Even controlling the volume of his voice a challenge.

“What do you mean five times!? That’s incredible! Though I guess since you don’t get EXP like everyone else, that’s only fair. What did you get with each level? Tell me, I want to know before you write down your new sheet…” She then lost herself to excitement, forgetting they were technically broken up and kissing him.

The moment was tense. The moment their lips touched, she remembered that they weren’t together anymore, knowledge that filled her with regret and guilt, but at the same time relief and excitement at doing what she had missed so much. It wasn’t kissing specifically, it was everything, even the arguments they had as two strong-willed people with very different interests and perspectives.

“Klaire, I’m sorry… Can w-” Carl started trying to speak, but Klaire pulled away.

“No… It’s my fault, we’re broken up… I literally j-”

“I was going to say can we agree I’m an idiot and get back together now, I’m so sorry, I miss you, miss being with you. I’ve been waiting so long to level up and be worth a damn, but when you kissed me I stopped caring about the results of levelling up.”

“Carl… No. We can’t… I want to, I really

want to, but if we did you would hate yourself and start spiralling the moment you hit an obstacle. Doing that adorable hyper-focus thing you do in the ugliest way. I said I’ll wait, I’ll wait. Now check the damn stats already and tell me how long that’s gonna be, so I know if I need to buy ice cream on my way home.”

Carl’s heart throbbed with pain at her final words. Klaire only ate ice cream when she was crying, if she was out of it, that meant she had been crying already and planning to buy more meant she was going to again. ’How much pain did I cause her?’ He asked himself, then opened his system interface, in the hopes it was worthwhile.

[ SYS BUILD = NEO PRIMORDIA V -1.0.6 ]

[ NAME = CARL REAGA ] [RACE = HUMAN ++ ] [LEVEL = 6 ]

[ VIT = 645 x LVL +250 ] [ DEF = 59 x LVL + 250 ] [ INT = 95 x LVL + 250 ]

[ STR = VIT + LVL + DEF ] [ DEX = 576 x LVL + 250 ] [ CHA = 45 x LVL + 250 ]

[ MP = INT x LVL ] [ HP = VIT + PET VIT ] [ DIV = 450 x LVL ]

[ SKILLS = NEO ADIMINISTRUM, NEO GROWTH, NEO PET, NEO CHIMERISM, NEO SANCTA, ] [ NEO GENISIS, NEO MAGICKA, NEO DEUS, NEO PROGENY, NEO MATERIUM, NEO – SYNTHESIS, NEO PET TELEPATHY, NEO PET MENAGERIE, ]

[ SKILL RANKS = F = 0, E = 0, D = 0, C = 0, B = 0, A = 0, S = 1, SS = 1, SSS = 11 ]

[ ABILITIES = ANALYSE ]

[ ADDITIONAL…]

[ NEO PET SLOTS = 2, VALUE = 0.1% OF DIV ( MIN VALUE 1 ) ]

[ TITLE = MINUS ONE SUCCESSOR, THE KING OF ENDEAVOUR ]

[ JOB OPTIONS = ICHTHYOLOGIST, HERPETOLOGIST, ENTOMOLOGIST, ORNITHOLOGIST, ARACHNOLOGIST, CRYPTOZOOLOGIST, PALEOZOOLOGY, ZOOLOGIST

[ TALENTS = WELL-LOVED ]

[ SOLO-MISSIONS = CREATE FIRST CHIMERA, NO LIMIT ]

[ MULTIPLE PARTICIPANT MISSIONS = FORM HOUSEHOLD, MIN POP 10 – 0/10 ]

“Klaire… I think I might be a masochist.” Carl chuckled weakly.

“That is a really weird thing to tell your not-girlfriend-presently-but-later.” She chuckled back.

“I know, but my head is pounding and I’m loving it.”

“Well I can’t wait fo-…” Klaire stopped suddenly, yanking her head toward the entrance harshly enough that Carl thought she sensed something. “Damn! The dinner!” She shouted before running back to the entrance where she left it cooking.

“I guess it will have to be a surprise for her then, huh Squidge.”

“Hissss, Hisss…” Then suddenly, abruptly, a voice seeped into his mind. ’Yeah, Mummy forgets she’s cooking lots.’ Squidge then tilted his head to one side as Carl’s expression changed to absolute shock and awe.

Then when he finally regained his wits, took a deep breath. “KLAAAAAIIIIIRRRRRREEEE!” Carl roared as loudly as he could, startling Squidge, who instinctively turned to metal for greater defence, Klaire, who nearly dropped what she was able to salvage, a fair amount of local fauna and unbeknown to them, caught the attention of something, something they did not want to be acknowledged by.

’Sorry dad…’ The voice came again as Squidge edged towards him timidly. ’I didn’t mean to upset you, promise. Are you angry?’ As his long term friend, and apparently child, nuzzled him apologetically, he petted him with a shaky hand to try to reassure him.

“Oh right! That skill, Neo Pet Telepathy, this must be that. Sorry Squidge, didn’t mean to scare you. I’m not mad, but I can hear your thoughts now and it startled me. Sorry little guy. You know I love you bud.” Carl said as he realised what must be happening.

’Did you say you can hear me!? Wow! I love you Dad, Can you tell Mummy I love her to… Wait! Can Mummy hear me!?’ Carl winced at the volume of the voice assailing his mind, he hadn’t been joking when he said his head was throbbing.

“Sorry Squidge, Daddy’s head hurts, can you tone it down a bit please and sorry, I don’t think Mummy will be able to hear you just yet, but maybe one day… If I can level-up and get a skill for it, or make something to do the job.”

’Awwww, fine, tell her I love her though, okay?” Squidge pouted before clinging to him in his gelatinous state so he was lighter, which was when Carl realise he had barely struggled with the weight of the metal Squidge, which weighed in recently at 250 KG.

As he stood up he couldn’t help but wonder how strong he actually was now, but he was also focused on apologising for scaring Klaire and needed to explain. He wasn’t prepared to find her crying already. “I didn’t scare you that much did I?” He asked, almost as nervous as Squidge was a moment before.

“No, I’m sorry, I didn’t want to cry. You yelled, my mind raced. I was wondering “Oh no, were the results bad, were they good, no don’t get your hopes up.” I’m sorry I’m a mess, I missed you so much, but I was coping, then I kissed you…” Carl hugged her tightly, tears forming in his own eyes.

“Klaire… It was good, very good, better than I ever dared hope for good, the wait is already over good… Also… I love you.” Carl said confused why Klaire had turned a shade of red to put her hair to shame.

’No fair Dad, you were supposed to tell Mummy I loved her, but you just told her you did.’

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