Chapter 53 – OP Thy Name Is Mark

When I woke up in the morning I realized I had slept about 10 hours. A couple of more and the Great Game would calculate the experience and allow me to pick my new skills. Let’s see where I am at right now. Status.

Name: Mark Anderson

Level: 176 -5%

Unspent Attribute Points: 0

Str: 315

HP: 3,150

Int: 500 +250% MP

MP: 35,000

Wis: 500 +250% MP/Regen

HP/Regen: 787% per 15 min.

Agi: 315

MP/Regen: 1,000% per 15 min.

Con: 315 +150% HP/Regen

Luck: 315

Affinities: Earth - 100%

Water – 100%

Fire – 100%

Air – 100%

Resistances: Earth - 50%

Water - 50%

Fire – 50%

Air – 50%

Looking good. I managed to reach my goal and I have a 50% resistance to each element. I always wondered why I never got a resistance factor when I earned my affinities or bloodline and a random conversation with Randolph late one night explained it. Affinities were granted at the beginning so everyone could use magic at low levels. Every tier reached unlocked new abilities. When I reached tier 2 (over level 100) I did not get anything because I had already claimed a high level bloodline. Tier 2 usually gave a few bonus points and strengthened a minor bloodline ability if you had one. Since I had a unique bloodline and already had maxed out my affinities I had nothing for the Great Game to award me. Resistances to magic however were granted at tier 3.

I have managed to get those resistances before tier 3 which I hope means a great bonus or another bug I can exploit from the Great Game. I will find out in a couple of hours. Tier 4 Randolph was not as sure of as those that reach that level are much fewer. Stories suggest either a new ability to use or perhaps extended life span. To me it sounded like stuff I already have so I do not know what will happen when I get to that level. I decided to have breakfast and wait for the messages I knew were coming.

Calculating rewards from Challenges. Experience has been awarded. User has earned the title Mr. Extreme +5 for completing all four challenges at the extreme level. User has reached tier 3 and is granted 10% resistance in each earned affinity. User is granted the title Level Maniac +5 for reaching tier 3 in a record amount of time. User has an elemental bloodline that grants 50% resistance in each earned affinity. Error, resistances have exceeded 100%. Alternate award being reviewed. User may select from the following list as an alternate award for the excessive resistance earned.

1. 1,000,000 mithril coins for each extra 1%

2. 1 level of experience for each extra 2%

3. 1 Unique Bloodline challenge of your choice with the difficulty reduced by 1% for each extra 1%

Another error message. I probably should not feel as good as I do each time I see one. However, knowing that I have got one over on the system that caused so many problems is gratifying. I already have a unique bloodline and while that much money would be nice, I think extra experience is the way to go. Extra levels right before the Great Game competition is kind of a no brainer. It will only make me harder to take down.

I mentally select option 2, which should give me 20 more levels on top of whatever I earned from 4 times experience in the Challenges. I know that from the message my level should have risen above 200 before I just tacked on another 20 levels. Here it goes, let’s see what I am at. Status.

Name: Mark Anderson

Level: 232 -25%

Unspent Attribute Points: 560

Str: 325

HP: 3,250

Int: 510 +250% MP

MP: 35,700

Wis: 510 +250% MP/Regen

HP/Regen: 845% per 15 min.

Agi: 325

MP/Regen: 1,000% per 15 min.

Con: 325 +160% HP/Regen

Luck: 325

Affinities: Earth - 100%

Water – 100%

Fire – 100%

Air – 100%

Resistances: Earth - 100%

Water - 100%

Fire – 100%

Air – 100%

I wipe a little tear from my eye. That is just awesome! There is no way that anyone in the Great Game competition will expect a new comer to have such stats or such a high level. If I hold back and look like I am struggling in the new comer’s tournament I can probably surprise some opponents in the main singles tournament and get farther and earn more rewards for the Earth. I distribute my unspent stat points. Time to select some of my new Unique Skills. I have decided to select these in blocks of five until I run out. The main reason for this is so I can find any more of the upgradable skills like Blink.

Please list all Great Game Unique Skills I can choose from please.

I stare and look through the list for over an hour before I narrow it down to my first five choices.

(Unique Skill) Greater Teleportation: You may teleport without penalty anywhere on a planet with a 60 second cool down timer. (Unique Skill) False Status: You can hide your information completely or display a false level to those who have the identify skill. (Please note that this does not work against Fountain of Knowledge) (Unique Skill) Fountain of Knowledge: A greater level of information is given when identifying objects, monsters, and users of the Great Game. You will be able to see through all false information. (Unique Skill) Hide in Shadows: You have a 50% chance of hiding your presence from users and monsters 10 levels or more below you, a 25% chance of hiding your presence from users and monsters within 10 levels of you, and a 1% chance of hiding your presence from users and monsters more than 10 levels above you. (Unique Skill) Master of Flight: You instinctively know the best way to fly using any method in the Great Game.

Upgraded teleportation, hiding my level for a bigger surprise in the tournament, upgraded identify skill, hiding myself, and finally a skill so I am not such a total moron at flying. This should be a good first set of Unique Skills. I choose the five and then double check to see if there are any more upgrades on the ones I have selected.

(Unique Skill) Teleportation Master: You may teleport without penalty anywhere within the Great Game that is not protected by a Great Game barrier, this includes other planets. This skill has a 60 second cool down timer. (Unique Skill) Hide in Shadows II: You have a 75% chance of hiding your presence from users and monsters 10 levels or more below you, a 50% chance of hiding your presence from users and monsters within 10 levels of you, and a 10% chance of hiding your presence from users and monsters more than 10 levels above you. (Unique Skill) Lesser Duplication: You can duplicate any item or weapon in the Great Game that has been identified by you for the cost of materials. You do NOT have to have the requisite materials. (Unique Skill) Master of Elements: You can now channel any of your affinities into a melee attack without the need for enchantments. (Unique Skill) Green Thumb: By channeling 1 mana for 1 acre you can speed up the growth of any plant by one day. Increasing mana increases either the number of acres or the number of days sped up not both.

Teleportation and Hide in Shadows both had an upgrade. I will get these five for the next selection.

(Unique Skill) Hide in Shadows III: You have a 100% chance of hiding your presence from users and monsters 10 levels or more below you, a 75% chance of hiding your presence from users and monsters within 10 levels of you, and a 25% chance of hiding your presence from users and monsters more than 10 levels above you. (Unique Skill) Greater Duplication: You can duplicate any item or weapon in the Great Game that has been identified by you for ½ the cost of materials. You do NOT have to have the requisite materials. (Unique Skill) Imposing Aura: Monsters outside of dungeons will not initiate an attack on you unless their level is within 10 of yours. Multiple monsters add their levels together. (A pack of 10 level 20 wolves counts as a level 200 creature.) (Unique Skill) Language Mastery: You can speak and understand all non-monster languages in the Great Game. (Unique Skill) Advanced Bloodline Growth: You gain all your bloodline abilities immediately without the need for higher level achievements.

Ok, 15 out of 40 down. If I keep upgrading skills, I should be able to roll through this tournament and earn more World Perks than anyone expects. I need to show that the Earth is no pushover and earn immunity from invasion and hopefully other perks to advance us quickly in the Great Game.

The next five will be:

(Unique Skill) Master of Shadows: You have a 100% chance of hiding your presence from users and monsters 10 levels or more below you, a 100% chance of hiding your presence from users and monsters within 10 levels of you, and a 50% chance of hiding your presence from users and monsters more than 10 levels above you. (Unique Skill) Duplication Master: You can duplicate any item or weapon in the Great Game that has been identified by you for ¼ the cost of materials. You do NOT have to have the requisite materials. (Unique Skill) Bloodthirsty Aura: Monsters outside of dungeons will not initiate an attack on you unless their level is 25 levels higher than yours. Multiple monsters add their levels together at ½ value. (A pack of 10 level 20 wolves counts as a level 100 creature.) (Unique Skill) Monster Researcher: You can speak and understand all sentient monster languages in the Great Game. (Unique Skill) Lesser Copycat: You can copy any skill you see at 25% efficiency.

Error, user has exceeded limit value of 20 Unique Skills. Alternate award being reviewed. User will automatically be awarded the upgraded version of all currently held skills.

(Unique Skill) War God’s Aura: Monsters outside of dungeons will not initiate an attack on you unless their level is 50 levels higher than yours. Multiple monsters add their levels together at ¼ value. (A pack of 10 level 20 wolves counts as a level 50 creature.)

(Unique Skill) Master Copycat: You can copy any skill you see at 100% efficiency.

User may select from the following list as an alternate award for the remaining 16 Unique Skills earned.

1. 1,000,000 mithril coins for each Unique Skill.

2. 2 levels of experience for each Unique Skill.

3. 1 Unique Bloodline challenge of your choice with the difficulty reduced by 3% for each Unique Skill.

Again, I got another error message again. Sooner or later if there is a guiding intelligence behind this Great Game they are going to have to deal with me directly if I keep causing these errors. I already have generated 3 which has got to be a record in itself. I hope they communicate with me soon. I look carefully at the choices. A unique bloodline again is worthless to me. The money option however is much more attractive as I now have a duplication skill that depends on it. I think a split between the money and the extra experience is the way to go this time.

I mentally select six of option 1 for a new personal wealth of 6,000,000 mithril coins and 10 of option 2 which should give me 20 more levels. Status.

Name: Mark Anderson

Level: 252 -25%

Unspent Attribute Points: 200

Str: 445

HP: 4,450

Int: 550 +250% MP

MP: 38,500

Wis: 550 +250% MP/Regen

HP/Regen: 1,000% per 15 min.

Agi: 445

MP/Regen: 1,000% per 15 min.

Con: 445 +250% HP/Regen

Luck: 445

Affinities: Earth - 100%

Water – 100%

Fire – 100%

Air – 100%

Resistances: Earth - 100%

Water - 100%

Fire – 100%

Air – 100%

Redistribute the unspent points one more time and then a final check before I prepare for the start of the tournament. Stats.

Name: Mark Anderson

Level: 252 -25%

Unspent Attribute Points: 0

Str: 470

HP: 4,700

Int: 600 +250% MP

MP: 42,000

Wis: 600 +250% MP/Regen

HP/Regen: 1,000% per 15 min.

Agi: 470

MP/Regen: 1,000% per 15 min.

Con: 470 +250% HP/Regen

Luck: 470

Affinities: Earth - 100%

Water – 100%

Fire – 100%

Air – 100%

Resistances: Earth - 100%

Water - 100%

Fire – 100%

Air – 100%

Alright, now that my stats are taken care of it is time to use some of my new skills and then practice with my others. First I need to use False Status to create what looks like a powerful newcomer, but not powerful enough to warn older participants in the tournament. Hmm, set my display level to 132 that should be around normal for a strong new comer who just got a level increase from the extra experience challenges. No one should question my winning the new comer’s tournament with that level, but it should not be too high to cause extra caution in the normal singles tournament. Now let’s see, I’ll set my race to dragonkin, and keep all 4 affinities to impress people but let’s take them down to 25% each. This way I can use all the elements in the tournament without having people suspect that they are actually high enough to causes much more serious damage.

All that is left now is to enter the challenge one more time to practice all of my other skills. I have about 18 hours left until the start of the tournament. I can easily finish a challenge in 6 hours now while practicing all my new skills, like hide presence. My biggest hope is that the Master of Flight skill will allow me to fly normally. Especially now that I took the Advanced Bloodline Growth. With that skill I should now have access to my full dragon form and breath weapons. This is going to be so much fun! 6 hours of training then out to rest and recuperate.