Chapter 22 The Barrier

A tidal wave barreled toward the shore, but she watched on, hidden behind the Peninsula. After it passed, she stepped around the solar panels before descending the ladder to the rear deck. She spammed the start button, firing the engines on the fourth attempt while raising the anchor.

Afraid to remain so close to the turtle, she turned to leave Ucluelet, turning to the north deeper into the bay. Several islands passed as she grabbed the Atlas, flipping to the Vancouver Island section. I’m not sure what the turtle city is doing but I would rather avoid it. I can’t go east either unless I want to get arrested, so the only option is deeper inland. Should I risk traveling to Port Alberni? It may be big enough to have people like Port Angeles, but that also means a possibility of arrest. Though would be nice to meet other people. I really need a break from dungeons for a while and visiting civilization may be the ticket. I hope. Either way, unless I want to run into a turtle city, I don’t really have a choice. I could hide on an island out here, but I’m a little too close to the turtle.

Elysia stared out the window to the south, seeing the turtle city visible in the distance. Yeah, Port Alberni it is. Who knows what lives on that turtle.

With her mind made up, she pushed the throttle lever forward, cutting through the deep waters toward the east side of the bay. Scared to crash into the many islands, she remained at the controls until she entered an open area to the west of a long island chain she assumed to be Tzartus and deer group islands.

After taking another glance at the turtle still floating in the water, she grabbed a gray hoodie and shorts before trotting to the bathroom for a quick shower. She emerged five minutes later, dripping wet, and no longer covered in ash. Despite still soaking wet, she slipped on the sweatshirt and shorts, draping her long, dripping white hair over her right shoulder, wringing it out in the kitchen sink with her hands.

A glance out the front window prompted her to return to the console, turning her boat northward, following the western coast of several smaller islands off the coast of Tzartus Island. She curved around the north shore before entering the inlet at the branch leading to Port Alberni. Once Elysia curved northward, she set the yacht to cruise before leaving the console.

No longer in view of the turtle, a tenseness in her shoulders released as she brainstormed what to do for the next few hours. Should I check if the solar panels work? I haven’t had an issue with my batteries though, to be fair, most of my power drains fried. I probably should spend some attribute points while I’m somewhat safe, just in case I face something in Port Alberni. Actually, more like when I face something because there’s no way I don’t run into something.

Elysia laid on her couch in the control room as she pulled up her status.

Status:

Name: Elysia Arashi

Race: Level 22 Lightning Touched Human.

Class: Channeler Level 22.

Charge: 151/179

Attributes:

Available Points: 22

Strength: 10

Dexterity: 20

Endurance: 20

Intelligence: 10

Perception: 20

Proficiencies:

Novice Spear Proficiency Level 6.

Novice Throwing Knife proficiency Level 3.

Affinities:

Lightning level 3.

Resistances:

Death Resistance Level 1.

Water Resistance Level 1.

Skill slots:

Slot 1: Electric Current +20% Efficiency, +10% power.

Slot 2: Static Shock +10% Efficiency, +20% power.

Slot 3: Electrify +10% Efficiency, +15% Power.

Slot 4: Lightning Rod +30% Power.

Slot 5: Static Zap +30% Efficiency.

Bonuses:

+10% damage to undead.

+10% damage to crabs.

+10% damage to spiders.

The system will probably give me some sassy achievement, but I think I’ll even everything at 20. I don’t know what I’ll face in the future, so I’d rather have all my bases covered. Sereia would probably cringe, but she isn’t here to yell at me. I seem to get plenty of attribute points, so I should be able to specialize later.

Elysia first brought strength up to twenty relaxing as paralysis struck her body. After she recovered, she glanced down her body, flexing her muscles, but found other than a slight increase in definition, there wasn’t much difference in appearance.

Next, she dumped another 10 attribute points into intelligence, eliciting a stabbing headache followed by a mental clarity but no other noticeable difference.

Achievement! All twenty.

“Are you sure you don’t want to increase your intelligence attribute?”

Reward: I’ll take pity on you. Have a free attribute point.

Elysia mentally waved away the achievement with clenched fists before adding a point to perception just to spite the system. She laid back, awaiting the world disappearing, but nothing came after several minutes. Her eyes opened, staring up at the ceiling in confusion. As an experiment, she added her last point to dexterity while keeping her eyes open, expecting the room to spin but, like perception, nothing happened. Did I outgrow the side effects? But I don’t feel any different either.

Achievement! Wasteful Spender.

“Some people just don’t have common sense.”

Reward: -1 attribute point.

While glaring up at the ceiling, amethyst eyes glowing, Elysia fumed. Will you quit insulting me! If you don’t want me to make stupid decisions, give me a damn instruction manual!

Elysia sprung to her feet, stomping out of the control room, grabbing her crab daggers from the counter as she passed. With anger fueled throws, she embedded her daggers into the carpet rolls on the rear deck in quick succession.

After an hour of turning the carpet rolls into pincushions, she fetched her daggers one last time, returning to the control room. With her anger dissipated, her mind worked as she plopped on the captain’s chair, staring out the window. There is no way 20 is the max for an attribute. If it were, there would be no point in specializing with how much attribute points get handed out. With that assumption, then my issue is I’m missing something. It can’t be my level because again it would be pointless to not even out my attributes. The system made it quite clear evening out attributes wasn’t smart but it won’t say why nor offer an alternative.

She scanned her status for several more minutes, landing on her charge stat. I wonder if this has anything to do with it. If my level and gained attributes can’t be the cause. The only other reason I can think of is my charge stat. Does it have to be past a certain point for me to increase my attributes? If that’s the case, how do I raise it and how high do I need it to be?

The solar panels flashed through her mind, causing an idea to form. Didn’t I gain charge when I electrocuted myself? Maybe that’s the key. I wonder if the solar panels have enough power to pull it off. I don’t want to risk stranding myself, so sucking on my batteries is out. That makes the solar panels my next best option. Worst case, nothing happens though hopefully I at least top off my charge.

With her decision made, she stood up and wandered out to the rear deck and up the ladder to the right of the door. Once at the top, she stared down at the dirty solar panels taking up most of the roof with a narrow walking path running down the middle. She glanced at the several meter tall tower housing the retracted sail at the center of the roof, but returned her attention to the solar panels. Her eyes followed the cord but lost it when it entered the roof near the retracted sail.

After a quick scan of the walls inside, she descended below deck, having a hunch where the cord led. She approached the muffled rumbling room housing the engines and opened the door. Her hands shot to her ears, assaulted by the now deafening engines, but she pushed on, scanning the room. On the right wall, she found a familiar cord running into a lever labeled solar panel disconnect. Upon approaching, she discovered it was in the off position. Before attempting to turn it on, she followed the other end of the cord past the disconnect into an insulated box two meters long, a meter wide, and tall.

Unafraid of electrocuting herself, she flipped open the lid, finding over a dozen batteries wired together. She closed the lid and returned her attention to the disconnect, unsheathing her hunting knife strapped to her right thigh as always. With the knife tip, she unscrewed the screws, then pulled off the disconnect cover to reveal copper terminals.

Elysia hopped on top of the battery box, sitting cross-legged before grasping the top terminals with both hands. Her muscles locked up as a pleasant throbbing flowed through her body toward her heart. At first, her heart beat erratically, but after a few seconds, it calmed, relishing in the current topping off her core as her veins lit up violet.

+15 charge

The current continued to flow into her core, causing a grimace to form as her core strained to accommodate more electricity. A stretching sensation drew her attention inward, closing her eyes as her core appeared in her mind. She watched the violet orb ripple but remain the same size, fighting against the inrush of current. A few seconds later, stabbing pains assaulted her chest as an almost audible popping sensation happened. Her core’s size increased almost unperceivably, giving in to the inrush.

Max charge +5 (184)

Still seized to the terminals, more current flowed in through her arms into her core, filling it to the brim once again. A sharp pain followed by a steady burning in her chest caused her body to jerk but anchored to the terminals, all she could do was endure. Unlike last time, her core didn’t ripple and stretch, instead remaining the same size, holding firm against the inrush. Sweat beaded along her skin, muscle twitching. Her spasming face turned anguished, but she remained silent as the electricity paralyzed her vocal cords.

Overcharge warning!

A minute later, her core solidified, cutting off the current, rebounding the electricity through her body. Her veins burned blinding violet as they sizzled. Smoke permeated off her skin, but still paralyzed, Elysia remained silent in her world of agony. The electricity burned through her veins and nerves, leaving blackened trails in its wake.

Finally, after several minutes of agony, her body flew back with a crack, leaving a black spot on the wall.

Elysia’s back impacted the side of the engine, melting her sweatshirt as she slid to the floor. Her mind blanked, body twitching on the floor, while electricity continued to course through her fried body.

An hour passed before she regained consciousness, bloodshot eyes cracking open. She groaned as her fried body stitched itself back together. Unable to form coherent thought, she stared up at the ceiling sprawled out on the floor for another hour.

The aches and pains dulled to a persistent throbbing, allowing her to force herself upright only for her core muscles to spasm painfully. Her muscles gave out, sending her crashing to the floor once more, slamming her head into the valve cover of the engine. Stars danced in her vision as her re-aggregated body lulled her mind into a pained fog.

Umbra came to a sudden halt, slamming her body hard on the rear wall. The engines continued to turn away, but the yacht remained stationary. They revved, trying to maintain their set pace for several minutes before cutting as the safety engaged.

The engine room fell silent with the only sound being the pained mews of the broken girl crumpled against the wall.

Thudding footsteps sounded above, along with muffled speaking, as Elysia’s body lost its battle to remain conscious. Her blurry vision darkened as silhouettes stepped into her field of vision.