Isaac finished reading the information on the screen and closed it with a thought. "Sorry, I was uh ... reading something". Did the people that lived within the Tower also have access to the Mana System? The man that had spoken to Isaac nodded in understanding. "Ay, you must be one of them new test-takers from outside the Trial. The Tower Interface takes a bit o' getting used to". Tower Interface? He must be talking about the Mana System. Makes sense that people within the Tower would have their own name for it.

The man must have noticed Isaac's confusion because he let out a hearty chuckle. "You outsiders refer to it as your Mana System. Both and neither is correct I reckon, but it doesn't really matter. My name is Evan". Evan pointed a thumb in the direction of the wolf that Isaac had speared, "thanks for the help back there. Me and the boys woulda been wolf chow if you hadn't shown up".

Isaac cast his eyes downward. "I should have moved sooner, you lost people because I hesitated". Evan's eyes softened, "ain't be doing you no good to worry about the past boy. Inside the Tower, death is cheap. We lost two lives, but we saved eight others". Evan held out his arm and Isaac clasped it. Two warriors acknowledging each other's strength and offering respect.

"Well now that you two have finished courting, perhaps we should head back to Aether before another pack shows up". Isaac turned around in the direction of the voice. A tall, lanky man in a hood had appeared behind them. His face was completely covered, making it impossible to discern his features even in the sunlight. He carried a bow in his right arm that was embezzled with gemstones and a quiver on his back with arrows made of what looked like some kind of white material. The man radiated an aura of danger. Every move he made was calculated and graceful.

Isaac instinctively tightened the hold on his spear, but Evan simply bowed. "Of course Whisper, we are in your debt". The lanky man simply nodded, turned around, and started walking in the direction of the town. The rest of the guards followed while Isaac and Evan brought up the rear. "What's a Whisper?" Evan stared thoughtfully at the hooded man before speaking. "It's hard to say. They travel the different floors of the Tower and carry out the Tower's will. They are warriors, rangers, and mages without equal. Best to keep on their good side".

They walked on for several more minutes without talking. The fight had been short, but brutal and everyone was weary. Isaac's chest groaned in pain with every step, lessened only by the fistful of leaves that Evan had given him to chew on. As they walked Isaac recalled that he had leveled-up and that he should probably assign his attribute points. Attributes.

ATTRIBUTE SCREEN

You have 10 attribute points waiting to be assigned

Strength: 10

Constitution: 10

Agility: 15

Intelligence: 12

Isaac closed his eyes. The fight with the wolf pack had been brutal, but he had gained two entire levels. He knew that was already higher than the average level 2 that most people came out with during their Novice Trials. Most people waited to assign their points until they had gotten to the academy. That way they could get some guidance from their professors or their sponsors, but Isaac still had who knew how many days before his Novice Trial came to an end. He needed to make some decisions on his own.

He thought back to the fight. He truly believed that if he had not hesitated then he might have been able to save even one more person. He had taken too long to understand the situation the group was in and come up with a plan. Increasing his intelligence should theoretically allow him to process information faster, and save more lives in the future. With that, he placed three points into Intelligence bringing it up to 15. The world seemed to brighten slightly. Smells, noises, and sounds suddenly seemed more vibrant. A notification appeared in front of his eyes.

Congratulations! You have reached Tier 1 in your Intelligence attribute.

While attributes typically don't reach Tier 1 until they have reached 20 attribute points total, the Tower has gifted you another special Title.

Title: The Smart Do Thrive (5 fewer attribute points required to reach the next Tier in Intelligence)

By reaching Tier 1 in Intelligence you have been granted a random perk that embodies the attribute.

You have acquired a new perk!

Perk: Information Is King (you are able to pull information about any object or sentient being directly from their Mana System)