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Chapter 3 - Echoes in the Open
The Echo of Infinity: Chapter 3 - Echoes in the Open
Sleep offered little respite for Kael that night. Dreams were a chaotic mix of snarling wolves, Lyra's suspicious gaze, and the impossible numbers scrolling endlessly on his Accumulator interface. He woke before dawn, the weight of his secret heavier than usual.
He sat on the edge of his simple cot, pulling up his real status window in the dim light filtering through the shutters.
```
[ Kael - Human ]
Title: None
EXP Multiplier: x100 (Accumulator Active)
Equipped Classes:
1. [Swift Blade Lv. 11 (Tier 1)] (EXP: 1900 / 3000)
2. [Shadow Scout Lv. 9 (Tier 0)] (EXP: 1900 / 2500)
3. [Mana Weaver Lv. 7 (Tier 0)] (EXP: 1900 / 2000)
Unequipped Classes: (7 total)
[Villager Lv. 18 (Tier 1)], [Gatherer Lv. 21 (Tier 1)], [Basic Combatant Lv. 12 (Tier 1)] ... (and others)
Attributes: STR 18, DEX 27 (+2), CON 16, INT 31 (+1), WIS 28, CHA 9, LUK 11
Available Attribute Points: 0
Skills:
[Flowing Strikes Lv. 1], [Twin Strike Lv. 3], [Riposte Lv. 2] (Swift Blade)
[Silent Movement Lv. 4], [Track Lv. 3], [Detect Presence Lv. 2] (Shadow Scout)
[Mana Bolt Lv. 3], [Minor Heal Lv. 1], [Sense Mana Lv. 2], [Mana Shield Lv. 1] (Mana Weaver)
... (other skills from unequipped classes available if class is equipped)
```
Tier 1. The designation next to [Swift Blade] felt monumental. Reaching Level 11 hadn't just incremented a number; it felt like crossing a threshold. His senses felt sharper, his body lighter, his mana pool subtly deeper. Tier 1 classes often gained more significant stat bonuses per level and access to more potent skills later on. The notification about a potential Class Evolution at Level 15 was also tantalizing. What could [Swift Blade] evolve into? [Blade Dancer]? [Duelist]? Something rarer?
But the immediate concern was managing the fallout from yesterday. He needed to solidify his alibi.
*‘Accumulator, modify fabricated status. Set [Basic Combatant] EXP to 25/50. Level up [Basic Combatant] to Lv. 2. Set EXP to 5/100. Add skill [First Aid Lv. 1].’*
It felt absurd, meticulously crafting such a weak profile.
[ Kael - Human ]
Title: None
Equipped Classes:
1. [Villager Lv. 4 (Tier 0)] (EXP: 15 / 250)
2. [Gatherer Lv. 2 (Tier 0)] (EXP: 30 / 150)
3. [Basic Combatant Lv. 2 (Tier 0)] (EXP: 5 / 100)
Unequipped Classes: None
Attributes: STR 8, DEX 9, CON 9, INT 10, WIS 10, CHA 9, LUK 11
Skills:
[Basic Labor Lv. 2] (Villager)
[Herb Identification Lv. 1] (Gatherer)
[Stealthy Step Lv. 1] (Gatherer)
[Basic Strike Lv. 1] (Basic Combatant)
[First Aid Lv. 1] (Basic Combatant)
```
He’d added a tiny bit of EXP to [Villager] and [Gatherer] as well, representing his 'normal' activities. Now, if anyone asked about the wolves or Lyra, he could claim he’d barely survived, activated the [Basic Combatant] class in desperation, maybe landed a lucky hit while the elf distracted them, and learned [First Aid] through the near-death leveling experience. It was thin, but better than nothing. He'd also slightly increased his fake STR and DEX attributes to match the new class level.
Later that morning, the village buzzed with unusual energy. A sturdy carriage, marked with the crest of the Adventurer's Guild – a shield crossed with a sword and pickaxe – was parked outside the Drunken Dryad. Standing near it, speaking with the village elder, was a woman Kael didn't recognize.
She was human, tall and lean, clad in practical hardened leather armor over dark traveling clothes. A longsword hung at her hip, its pommel shaped like a hawk's head. Her auburn hair was tied back in a severe braid, and her eyes, sharp and assessing, missed nothing. Her Weave interface pulsed subtly, indicating active skills, likely observational ones. Kael couldn't read her exact status from this distance, but the confidence in her stance screamed 'experienced'. This had to be Elara, the Guild Representative.
Kael lingered nearby, pretending to inspect a loose wagon wheel.
"... increased patrols are necessary, Elder Rowan," Elara was saying, her voice calm but firm. "The reports from the Rangers aren't just scattered incidents anymore. Something's stirring deeper in the Whispering Woods. We suspect a Goblin Shaman might be trying to rally the scattered tribes, or perhaps something larger is displacing the usual fauna."
Elder Rowan, his [Village Elder Lv. 35 (Tier 2)] class giving him a certain gravitas but little combat prowess, looked worried. "We lack high-Tier adventurers, Guildswoman. Borin is past his prime, and the rest are... young." His gaze flickered unconsciously towards Marcus, who was watching nearby, trying to look imposing.
"Which is why the Guild is offering support," Elara replied smoothly. "We need local assistance for reconnaissance and escort duties. Even Tier 0 adventurers can be useful for mapping recent monster movements or guarding supply runs, provided they are led by someone capable. The main patrol needs Tier 1 combatants, however. Are you *certain* no one else qualifies?"
Kael felt a knot tighten in his stomach. He *qualified*. He could provide valuable information with his [Shadow Scout] skills, actual combat support with his Tier 1 [Swift Blade]. He could help protect his home. But revealing that...
Marcus stepped forward puffing his chest. "Guildswoman Elara! Marcus Stone, [Warrior Lv. 7]! I'm strong! I can fight!"
Elara gave him a polite but dismissive appraisal. "Tier 0, Level 7. Courage is commendable, young man, but insufficient for the primary patrol. Perhaps assist with reinforcing the village palisade? Report to my assistant if you wish to volunteer for support tasks." She gestured towards a younger man organizing supplies near the carriage.
Marcus deflated slightly but nodded eagerly, heading towards the assistant. Kael felt a strange mix of pity and envy. Marcus, for all his bluster, could be open about his meager strength. Kael couldn't even offer that.
Suddenly, a commotion erupted near the woodshed. A panicked shout, "It's stuck! Get help!"
Kael turned to see two villagers struggling with a heavy log cart. One wheel had sunk deep into a muddy patch created by overnight rain, and the weight of the logs made it impossible to budge. More villagers gathered, offering useless advice.
"[Basic Strength] check!" one villager grunted, veins popping on his neck, but the cart didn't move. His [Farmer Lv. 9] class wasn't providing enough STR.
Kael watched, his hands itching. With his STR 18, boosted further by potential skill usage, he could likely lift that end of the cart himself. It would take moments. But doing so would be impossibly out of character for the weak 'Kael' everyone knew. He saw Elara glance over, her expression unreadable, before turning back to the Elder.
He clenched his fists, frustration churning within him. This impotence, this forced weakness, was maddening. He was living a lie that prevented him from helping, from contributing, from *being* useful.
That afternoon, seeking solitude and a place to vent his frustration, Kael slipped away to a secluded clearing deep within his usual 'safe' gathering routes – a place he'd discovered long ago, shielded by thick bushes and ancient oaks. Here, no one could see him.
He drew his sword. Taking a deep breath, he focused on his Tier 1 [Swift Blade] class.
*‘[Flowing Strikes]!’*
He moved, letting the instincts of the class guide him. His blade became a silver arc, transitioning from slash to thrust to parry in a smooth, unbroken sequence. He practiced linking [Twin Strike] into the flow, the double-tap impacts echoing slightly in the clearing. Compared to his previous, more disjointed movements, it felt like the difference between wading through water and gliding across ice.
Next, he practiced [Mana Shield]. He held out his left arm, concentrating. Mana flowed, coalescing into the faint, shimmering barrier. It wavered slightly, demanding focus. He tried moving with it active, noting the drain on his mana pool. It wasn't sustainable for long periods, but for blocking a crucial blow? Invaluable.
He spent nearly an hour training, pushing his new skills, feeling the EXP bar for [Swift Blade] slowly creep upwards with each successful execution and mana expenditure.
```
[Skill Level Up: Flowing Strikes Lv. 2!]
[Skill Level Up: Mana Shield Lv. 2!]
```
Even practice yielded results under the Accumulator's influence. The skills became smoother, the shield slightly more stable and efficient. This hidden progress was his only solace.
As dusk began to settle, casting long shadows across his hidden clearing, Kael deactivated his skills and leaned against a tree, catching his breath. Oakhaven felt like a cage. The Guild's presence, the increasing danger in the woods, his own burgeoning power – it was all pointing outwards, away from the village that could no longer contain him.
He couldn't stay here, pretending forever. The risk of exposure was too high, the frustration too great. He needed a bigger stage, one where a sudden surge in ability wouldn't raise immediate alarms, where powerful individuals were common, and where he could potentially find answers about the Accumulator itself.
The Adventurer's Guild, with its network spanning across Aethelgard, its focus on leveling and strength... it was starting to look less like a distant organization and more like a potential path forward. A dangerous path, requiring even more careful deception, but a path nonetheless.
He just needed the right opportunity, the right excuse to leave Oakhaven behind without raising suspicion. He looked towards the village, now just flickering lights in the distance. An echo of his true self had been revealed yesterday. He couldn't afford another slip.
date of publishment: 3/4/2025
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