Orrin wasted no time. “Try Space. If that does not work, go with Wind. If the timer hits zero, we don’t know what will happen.”

Daniel did waste some of his precious remaining time by asking, “Why Space? I don’t want to summon comets or something. Wouldn’t it be better to try-“

Orrin interrupted him, “Space is more than comets. Think black holes, gravity, and interstellar travel. You already have a magnetic personality and draw people to you. Look around. You have Madi, the daughter of a Lord of Dey fighting beside you. You have Sir Brandt and Sir Jude here. I’m here. Space might allow you to find a way home but more than that, it fits you I think. I kept thinking about what word was most like those past hero’s monikers but that still fit you. Space. You fill up a room when you enter. People gravitate towards you. You are a sun burning brightly that keeps us alive and thriving.”

Daniel’s eyes widened as his friend gave him compliments deeper than the love letters his past girlfriends had written. Orrin watched him process his words and then steel determination flitted across his face.

“I won’t need to choose Wind. Space is going to work,” Daniel said confidently.

The party held their collective breath as Daniel looked at a blue box in front of him.

He let out a sigh. “Space Hero accepted.”

Madi had suggested continuing a bit more, but Daniel had wanted to get out of the forest before he read anymore of his level prompts. He noted he had a lot.

They made their way back to the horses and put together a late lunch. It was mid-afternoon and the sun was high in the sky. The bushes gave a small amount of shade as they all sat down.

Orrin pulled up his status too.

Name: Orrin

Class: Utility Warder

Level 8: (550/800)

Ability Points: 16

HP: 90

MP: 92/130

Strength: 9

Constitution: 9

Dexterity: 9

Will: 13

Intelligence: 11

Abilities:

[Mind Bastion]

[Dimension Hole]

[Identify]

[Blood Mana]

[Meditate]

[Map]: [Party View]; [Monster View]; [Trap View]; [Zoom]

[Side Steps]

Spells:

[Calm Mind]

[Heal Small Wounds]

[Increase Strength]

[Increase Dexterity]

[Increase Will]

[Increase Intelligence]

[Camouflage]

[Lightstrike]

[Inverse]

[Teleport]

[Ward]

[Utility Ward]

Orrin pulled up the store icon and notice blinking exclamation points next to all his level two stat increase spells. After how quickly he had gone through his mana pools during the fight, Orrin knew exactly what weakness he wanted to shore up.

[Mana Pool]- increase MP by 100 MP (one time purchase) 10 AP

Would you like to purchase for 10 AP? Yes or No

Yes.

Orrin felt something inside him bubble up. He felt like he had chugged a soda without breathing. He burped loudly and everyone looked at him.

“Sorry, purchased something.”

Madi shook her head and went back to tying the pelts from the cloudsabers into a bundle. Brandt had skinned them quickly before they left.

MP 193/230

Yes, Orrin cheered internally. Now I can cast a lot more before needing a potion.

He looked at the potions on his hip. All would restore only 100 MP. I should have thought ahead. These are wasted now I guess. Maybe Daniel can use them.

Daniel was still sitting a few feet from them, smiling as he read blue box after blue box. Nobody had interrupted him since they had returned.

“Yo, D,” Orrin did not hold his friend in the same regard the rest of the party did. Jude shot him a glance. “When are you going to come out and play?”

“Shut up,” Daniel retorted. “There’s so much and so many choices now. I’ll fill you in later.”

Orrin considered pushing an increase spell to level three, or even bringing [Heal Small Wounds] up but held off.

Once Orrin, Madi, Brandt, and Jude had eaten their fill of cheese and bread, Jude brought a small tray over to the [Hero], who was still ignoring them.

“Eat something sir,” Jude prodded. Daniel just nodded and ate mechanically.

“You think everything went okay?” Madi asked nervously. If anything were messed up, her father would probably blame her.

“Yeah, he gets like this,” Orrin responded. “He’ll probably pop out of his trance and then not shut up for until we get back to town.”

True to his nature, Daniel finished up and turned around with a wide grin a few minutes later.

“Orrin, you are a genius.” Daniel clapped his friend on the back.

“I know.” Orrin sat up and stretched his arms over his head. “But why don’t you tell me why.”

Daniel smirked as he sat down with the group.

“First thing, Space Hero gives me ten points every ten levels to spend. Of course, I dropped them all into strength.” Daniel reached out and picked up a saddle. They had removed them while the horses waited and put them across a log to remain somewhat clean. Daniel picked up the heavy leather like it was a dinner plate. He gently placed it back down.

“Ten points!” Jude exclaimed. “That’s the highest I’ve ever heard of. I only get six and the rest of the guards hate me for it, you lucky bastard.”

Daniel just smiled and continued, “I also get access to space magic, which actually merged with some of my current skills. [Pull Attention] changed to [Gravity Well]. Instead of just grabbing a target’s attention, it physically pulls them towards me as well. [Eagle Eyes] became [Telescope]. It doubles what [Eagle Eyes] gave me in terms of sight. But the best thing is it allowed me to upgrade [Dash].”

“What did [Dash] do?” Orrin asked. “Stupid question. That was how you would get a burst of speed huh?”

Daniel nodded. “But now it is called [Shooting Star].” He shared a blue box with everyone.

[Shooting Star]- upon activation, you can move in straight lines at incredible speeds for two minutes. Speed increased by Dexterity. 10 MP.

“Is that better than [Dash]?” Orrin asked.

“[Dash] costs more and was a one time move,” Daniel explained. “But the best thing is all the new abilities I’ll be able to unlock. I want to keep reading more before I upgrade. It’s just pages and pages of stuff.”

“We can head out now then,” Brandt suggested as he stood and started to clean up the mess they’d made. “We can make it back in time for dinner.”

“Sounds good to me,” Orrin agreed. “When we get back, is there a way to get a lot of pillows?”

“Pillows?” Madi asked confused.

“Yep,” Orrin nodded. “I’m going to also need someone to throw them at me.”

Brandt and Jude exchanged a glance and laughed.

“What?” Jude tried. “What nonsense is this?”

“Daniel threw a pillow at me and it activated my [Side Steps],” Orrin explained.

Brandt and Jude shut up immediately.

“That doesn’t work,” Brandt countered. “If it did, everybody would know.”

Orrin shrugged. “It did for me. Maybe the [Hero] has to throw it, or maybe people just think it has to be a weapon dodged. It wouldn’t be the first time people did something only because ‘this is the way it has always been done.’”

Brandt and Jude started debating if this was a viable option to pursue as Orrin tried to keep up in the conversation.

“Is this why you wanted to keep him around?” Madi asked Daniel. “Because he always comes up with the strangest ideas.”

“It is part of it.” Daniel smiled watching his friend arguing with the two knights. “He’s perceptive. While he has a hard time seeing the forest through the trees, he picks up on things faster than I ever could. And he’s thoughtful. I bet he suggests Brandt and Jude get a book on [Side Steps] just to help the party. He might even try to pay for it.”

“That would be too expensive for a theory." Madi picked herself up and tried to lift a saddle. Daniel helped her.

“That wouldn’t matter to him.” Daniel sat the saddle on the first horse and then grabbed two more, letting Madi finish the straps. “He wouldn’t even see it as a cost, just an investment in the people around him. Focusing on the big picture, I would worry if Brandt or Jude would stick with us long term. Sure, I’ll help them both as much as I can. But Orrin will get lost in helping them maximize their classes.”

“So the two of you complement each other’s skills and weaknesses.” Madi pulled the last clasp tight. “I get why you wanted him in the party so bad now.”

Daniel settled the last saddle down, “No. It’s really none of that. He’s just my friend.”

Daniel sighed and yelled, “Orrin, do not make Jude throw mud at you.”

They made good time back to Dey. Jude and Brandt offered to take the horses back, and Madi followed them back to the Catanzano house.

“So, what else do you guys want to do today?” Madi queried.

“I’m going to just play around with my new store options,” Daniel replied. “See if I can chart a good path forward.”

Orrin laughed. “You aren’t going to go buy Gerty?”

Daniel stopped in the middle of the street. “Holy shit, I can probably get it now right?”

“What’s a Gerty?” Madi looked confused.

“Yeah, I’m going to go get it.” Daniel’s eyes glittered crazily.

“It’s a sword that he’s been drooling over since we got to town,” Orrin chuckled as he explained to Madi. They had to take a few quick jogging steps to catch up to Daniel.

Orrin did some quick math in his head. Daniel’s fourteen strength, with the addition of Orrin’s five [Increase Strength] at level two that came out to an extra fifteen strength had barely moved the sword last time. Daniel was now at twenty-four strength, slightly less than the boosted twenty-nine from his first attempt.

Orrin went ahead and tossed a few level two [Increase Strength] spells on his friend as they neared the blacksmith’s shop. The extra fifteen strength would put him near forty total. If a fighter started at ten strength and spent every six points on strength at level ten, twenty, and so on, they’d have to be level fifty to have the same strength that Daniel did right now.

As they entered, Orrin admired the ceiling again. The way the interlocking metal flowed and moved to clean the soot was fascinating.

Daniel wasted no time and went right up to Jovi.

He gave no preamble and just laid it on the line, “I’m here to buy Gertrude sir."

Jovi laughed and gave a few more instructions to the apprentice hammering a shortsword into shape.

“It hasn’t even been a month, and here he comes to try again.” Jovi pulled the stool over and reached for the massive sword. “No charge upfront, but if you can’t give me a clean swing, I’ll not take her back down for a year.”

As he put his hands on either side of the hunk of metal, Jovi turned and yelled, “Oi, Franklin. Bring out the armor dummy.”

A boy of eleven darted into a side room. He returned pulling a canvas doll larger than himself across the ground.

Franklin set the wood and canvas man up in the middle of Jovi’s corner, far away from any working forge. Jovi nodded at him and hefted the sword into the air. He took two quick steps down the stool and held the handle near Daniel.

“Even a down slash would be enough, but don’t hurt yourself boy,” Jovi began. “You can always come back next year an-“

Orrin watched his friend take the hilt in both hands and lift it straight up like Arthur and Excalibur. If Excalibur had eaten a car, grew a few extra feet, and weighed a few hundred pounds.

Jovi’s face lit up as Daniel took a few steps and then swung, not from above, but a diagonal angle. He miscalculated the weight at the end and had to twirl with the sword but Daniel had cleaved the armor dummy in two.

Daniel stood breathing heavy as he put the flat of the sword back up on his shoulder, the blade pointed away from his neck.

“Two hundred gold right?” Daniel asked smiling broadly.