Ultimate Level 1

“Every day I wonder how you’re going to shatter my reality,” Tanila stated. “You’re telling me that Bob somehow took you and him somewhere else?”

Max shrugged, the pain in his head finally gone after a few hours.

“I don’t know how to explain it other than that it was real. Like when I was trapped on the other world all those months, I know that I could have lived there until I grew old. Every creature, being, monster, whatever was real. Watching Bob move at the place we were… It was real and yet… connected to something so much bigger. Like…”

He paused, and after a few seconds a small pouch appeared, and Max opened it up, dumping out a pile of sand.

“Each of these grains of sand seems so insignificant, but together, they fill up this bag. Get enough of them and…”

Using his Sand Mastery skill, he formed a sand sculpture of Tanila that started to walk across the wood table. Each step made the robe it wore swish, and the braid he had mimicked bounced with motion.

“Get enough of them, and you can create something beautiful.”

“Now you’re just showing off,” she replied, never taking her eyes off the thing he had created.

Holding the pouch close, the sand figurine jumped into it, vanishing from sight a few seconds before he stored it all.

“What I really want to know is what Bob did. He said he laid a trap, and a part of me is even more upset that he is now resting.”

A gentle tap on their bedroom door came.

“Come in,” Max called out.

Cordellia popped her head in.

“I picked up some food and snacks. Figured you might like some fresh baked items.”

His stomach made a growling sound, and unable to help himself, Max grinned.

“Curse you and knowing me too well.”

***

“Oh… the look on his face! It’s priceless,” Fowl howled. “Damn you, Cordellia, you were right.”

Ignoring the laughter of the four, Max ate the last of the muffins that had been purchased from the shop Nancy worked at.

Each bite brought back memories, and even though they had meant to poke fun at him and the woman he had once considered marrying, comfort came from something he had never forgotten.

“I had expected you to moan after each bite,” Tanila said with a wink. “From how you described them a while back, I was certain nothing could match their flavor.”

Swallowing the large piece in his mouth, Max grinned.

“Well, let’s just say I’ve learned that there are many great shops to get baked goods from. Still, I’ll make sure to find a way to get back at you all for doing this.”

“Make sure it’s worth it,” Fowl said. “It took us some hunting to find the place, but in the end, it was worth it.”

He dabbed the few crumbs on the table with his finger and then deposited them in his mouth. Max just smiled.

Sometimes, home was exactly what you needed it to be.

***

“I hope these seats are what you were hoping for,” Mr. Sandahl shouted as the crowd roared after a young woman got the archer class. “Today seems to be off to a very interesting start!”

Giving a simple nod, Max did his best to smile, wondering what Bob had done, as over a third of the skills gained today had been from a fighting class.

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but usually, one doesn’t see this quantity of combat-related skills being given. Or is this town just that unusual?”

“Oh, no, sir! I’ve never seen anything like this in all my life. It’s quite exciting, as you can tell by the reaction of everyone gathered.”

Tanila squeezed his hand, turning his attention back to the steps where another teen stood, ready for their turn. The older man in the red robe’s expression was easy to read.

He is wondering what is going on.

Yes… yes he is. I don’t remember that many wrinkles being present in your memory. Perhaps he has aged more than usual this last year.

Chuckling to himself, Max could only imagine the effect his skill and escaping might have caused the leader of the five workers for the adventurers guild.

A forced smile was there, cheeks too high, gritted teeth, and narrowed eyes. Already twice, the older man had motioned for one of his fellow red-robe-wearing helpers to come forward as he whispered something to them.

She’s not there. I wonder if that woman is still alive.

It would be a shame if she died for striking you.

“[ Mage ]!”

The crowd went crazy as the teen boy’s face regained a little color. The shock of his skill was obviously not one he had anticipated at all.

Glancing down the road to where at least another hundred were waiting in line, Max still hadn’t seen his sister, wondering where she was.

“Surely she would come,” Tanila said in his ear. “They have to. Right?”

He shrugged, not having ever paid attention to anything like this before. There had been a few young girls who got pregnant before Choosing Day, but he hadn’t paid attention to if they had come or not.

With anticipation, his eyes stayed focused on the road and who was coming, hoping and waiting to see.

***

“There she is,” Max said with a sigh of relief.

At the end of the line were his sister and a few others. Each of them was wearing clothes that didn’t match the rest, not as fine or as glamorous as the ones before them.

Stacy’s body had changed somewhat in a year. There was still muscle, but she wasn’t like she had always been. Her shoulders were rolled forward slightly, and her eyes were fixed on the ground rather than the place she had always talked about.

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The blue dress looked to be an older one, most likely altered by his mother or another woman. Even her hair wasn’t as well done as he remembered.

Let go of the rage. Keep a steady mind. The time is coming.

Bob… I swear she better not be hurt.

Trust me, Max. We are one, and I do not want your family to get hurt. No. She will be fine. Just be ready to move.

“Our friend says when she goes, we must be ready to act.”

Tanila and Cordellia both nodded, each informing the dwarf next to them of it.

As each person before the last group acquired their skill, the number of people who stuck around to cheer began to lessen.

“If you want, we can join the rest of the city and go celebrate somewhere else,” Sandahl said. “We are nearing the end, and often these are the skills which are usually simple common trades.”

Shaking his head, Max frowned.

“I came here for the whole experience. We will see it through to the end.”

“Ahh, forgive me then. Well in that case—”

Reaching out and grabbing the owner of the Evening’s Respite, Max stopped the portly man.

“You weren’t planning on leaving, were you?”

Those brown eyes trembled slightly, and then he shook his head.

“Of… Of course not! Simply going to get a better view from over here!”

Letting go, Max turned back to the stage, watching as the next one came forward and touched the crystal.

It flickered a few colors before landing on a simple yellow color that appeared. The older man and the young girl conversed for a few seconds.

“[ Baker ] !”

A groan came from Cordellia.

Ignoring his elven friend, Max counted down the number of teens before his sister.

Twenty-seven…

***

His palms were sweating, and his heart raced as Stacy took the steps one at a time.

Twenty yards away, his parents had materialized, and their haggard appearance left no doubt how bad things must be. His father hadn’t shaved, his hair was a mess, and his mother’s dress had more wrinkles than he could believe were possible in a simple outfit.

She never went out in public with wrinkles!

He watched as his sister seemed scared, and the group of five in robes all seemed ready for whatever might come next.

“Touch the crystal.”

Even unable to hear, Max could read the lips, having heard those words from the older man and watching him say the same thing all day long.

Nodding, his sister stepped forward, arms trembling as she moved close to the shard.

Her hands touched it, and the crystal began to change color until it turned back to a clear state.

Max watched his sister’s eyes widen and the scowl that appeared on the older man’s face.

A cry of pain and agony came from where his parents stood, and inside his head, laughter began to appear.

“UNSKILLED!”

“LIES!” Max shouted, jumping from where he had been sitting and landing just a few feet from the stairs, having cleared twenty yards like it was nothing.

The four male attendants in robes had started to move forward, and the older one’s scowl disappeared as his eyes turned from Stacy to Max.

“Who are you?! This girl is—”

“She is not, and you know it!” Max bellowed. “Stacy Hoste, check your status and tell us what skill you have!”

“Who do you—”

Before the man could finish, he was next to the older man, a dagger placed just an inch from his throat.

“Lie again, and I will kill you. Trust me,” Max explained, watching as the four men prepared to come forward.

“Do you have any idea who I am?! I am Terrance Gramdur! Third highest—”

“And I’m Max Hoste,” Max declared, storing the item that hid his appearance.

Both of the older man’s eyes went so wide his whole fist could have almost fit in their socket as the skin on his bald head formed mountains of wrinkled flesh.

“Stacy, what does your status say?”

“Max… is it really you?”

Nodding, he smiled.

The four attendants charged him, and Max lifted Terrance by the front of his robes with one hand while holding him behind him.

One with a sword came first, swinging at Max who stood there, not dodging.

The blade connected with his head, shattering upon impact.

As the first attacker stumbled past him, the second, who wielded a club struck it against his side, dropping the weapon as the impact and vibrations worked their way up it.

Smiling, Max turned to the other two, now both holding a sword.

“It won’t work, and if you don’t back off, I will end your life.”

His Sonar felt the older man he held in his hand motion to Stacy, and Max shook his head in frustration as the closest one charged her.

The attacker took two steps before face-planting into an invisible air wall, staggering backward.

[ Stone Mastery ]

The very blocks of stone they were standing on changed, and soon, all four found their feet fastened up past their ankles by the bricks that had been solid just a moment ago. More rose up, binding their hands as well.

“How!? Your skill!” Terrance hissed.

“Yes,” Max replied, glaring at the man he held like a rag doll.

Turning slowly, he gazed upon the crowd, seeing his parents and everyone else in town who was still there, staring at him.

Each person was frozen, most not making a sound as they tried to comprehend what they were witnessing. A boy who had been labeled unskilled, believed to be dead, stood there, absorbing strikes from weapons without injury. The men they all feared were unable to fight back or move.

“They have lied to you!” Max shouted. “For years, they have said some people like me were unskilled, but that was not true! They have culled those like myself, too weak to fight back. I am the Seth Pendal you have heard about. I am the champion of the arena. I am the one who has beaten the 50th floor in the tower. And I have come home for justice!”

Max felt the weight in his arms go limp, and even though he didn’t need to look to see what had happened, he turned, laughing as Terrance fainted.

Grinning, Max turned to his sister.

“It’s okay, sis. I’m here. Now tell me what skill you got.”

“You mean… the skills I got?” she asked, her voice trembling as she stared off to the side.

Laughter like no other came from inside.

Oh, my friend, you will enjoy this.

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