A short dinner

Velri sat across from Julian as she dug into her meal of pork and baked potatoes. The black-haired girl hadn’t said a word to him since their meeting at the front door. The kitchen table was made from a dark wood that looked homely and imposing at the same time.

Something nudged his arm.

He glanced right. Rila smiled at him innocently, but her keen sapphire eyes told a different story.

“What is it, Rila?”

“When are you going to tell me about going to jail? Velri says that you met a girl at one of those protests in the city and became so smitten with her that you lost your mind and attacked an Enforcer. It's so scandalous! Can you imagine the look on Mom's face when she found out?"

He felt another set of eyes on him. Brynn had looked up from the meal she’d barely touched and was staring at him curiously. He stared back at her, but the raven-haired beauty refused to look away. He thought he glimpsed Velri sending him a glance or two when he wasn’t looking at her, though that might have just been his imagination.

Well this is new. They’re all waiting with bated breath for me to tell them something about me. Figures they’re only interested when I get locked up.

Julian quirked an eyebrow.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he muttered before skewering a piece of ham with his fork and plopping it in his mouth. The sweet meat practically melted in his mouth and he allowed himself a low moan at the taste.

Rila pouted in disappointment. She crossed her arms, pushing her sizable breasts upwards. It struck him at that moment how much she looked like their mother. She was like a miniature clone of her, inheriting her hair and eye color as well as her prodigious breasts.

“Oh, come on! You can’t just keep something like that to yourself!”

Hm. Rila seems dead set on getting a story out of me. Maybe... maybe I can use that.

Julian elbowed her and whispered in her ear.

“Shush. I don’t want to talk about this in front of Velri. Meet me in my room later and we’ll talk.”

I really don’t want to talk about tonight, but it might be a good idea to get a few Suggestions into Rila’s head, just to keep her off my back. Besides, Velri finds her much more tolerable than me. If I can get Rila in my camp, I’ll have a much better chance of improving my living situation here at home.

Rila smiled and nodded.

“I'll hold you to that, big brother!” she whispered loudly.

“What are you two talking about?” Velri glared at him. She clutched her fork and knife threateningly.

Brynn raised her eyebrows, but said nothing.

“N-nothing!” Rila leaned forward, her big breasts jiggling with the movement. “I swear it’s nothing.”

“I’m sure. So tell me, Rila. What have you done to prepare for your initiation quest?”

Julian stared at his younger sister. The cute blonde smirked and twirled her long blonde braid.

Right. Rila’s having her initiation quest next week. I almost forgot. Hm. I wonder if I’ll get to tag along once I’ve figured out which class I’m going to pose as. And that reminds me: I need to visit the library and do some research on recorded classes that have similar abilities to mine and find something I could plausibly mimic with my abilities. I should also go down to the dungeons. The monsters down there might be pretty weak, but killing a few of them might be enough to get me to level five. I’ll also need to practice using my abilities in combat so I don't look like an idiot.

Julian sighed.

Gods, I have so much work to do.

Rila rested an arm under her head.

“I’ve been practicing my magic just like you said I should. Brynn’s been giving me pointers on casting accuracy and mana conservation, but she’s an Elementalist. There’s only so much she knows that can help a Cleric.”

Brynn raised a hand. Blue bolts of electricity crackled between her fingers. She smirked and leaned forward, drawing Julian's eyes to her deep cleavage.

“Have you asked Father? Paladins and Clerics have similar spells even if they have vastly different roles on the battlefield.”

Rila rolled her eyes and leaned back in her seat, causing her big breasts to jiggle enticingly.

Fuck. I shouldn’t be looking at my sisters like this. But damn if those robes don’t hug Rila's soft, voluptuous body in just the right way.

“I would ask him if he were ever here,” Rila muttered. "What's the point of the initiation quest, anyway? I'm strong enough to join an adventurer's guild. You know that, Vel. I started training years before all my friends did."

Velri quirked a black eyebrow.

"I know that, but the guilds don't. So unless you want to join the military like Father did, the initiation quest is not optional."

"Unfair..." Rila grumbled, to Brynn's obvious amusement.

"You'll do fine, sis," Julian's twin swallowed a piece of ham. Her stormy gray eyes twinkled fondly. "Think of it as your final training session. Everything you've learned so far will be tested. You have nothing to worry about."

Rila snorted. "That's easy for you to say. You had Mom helping you every step of the way in your training. I'm lucky if Father will give me a five minute lesson on light magic."

Velri sighed. “I can always go with you if you want. Initiates are allowed parties of four, after all.”

Julian shook his head.

“Yeah, like she’ll let you tag along. It wouldn’t be much of an initiation if she had you holding her hand the whole way, now would it, Velri?” he said.

His older sister glared at him and crossed her arms, pushing her huge breasts upwards. He couldn't help but imagine how soft and warm they'd feel wrapped around his cock.

Don’t look down. Don’t look down.

“And what would you know, you little classless welp? Hm. Since you’re acting uppity, I have to perfect excuse to reprimand you. Leave us. You can have more food in the morning. Maybe then you’ll learn not to interfere in matters that don’t concern you,” his sister growled.

Anger and disgust welled up in his chest. He wanted to lash out at her. To make her feel how angry he was with her. But he couldn’t. She wouldn't listen and it'll only make her angrier and make things worse for him. He couldn't use Suggestion to make her change her mind either because Brynn and Rila might have found it suspicious.

Julian glanced at his other sisters. Brynn and Rila turned their heads away from him, though Rila sent an apologetic glance his way when she figured Velri wasn’t looking.

Cowards. They know what Velri is doing is wrong, but they won’t stand up to her. Do they even care?

“Fine. I don’t want to eat where I’m not wanted, anyway.”

He pushed out his chair, scraping it loudly against the floor. He stood abruptly and stomped away from the table and out of the kitchen, ignoring the stares of his sisters on his back. He entered the wooden corridor beyond. The white lights of the manatorches illuminated the hall in a sickly artificial glow.

A large wooden spiral staircase loomed beyond. Up two floors would take him to his room. Up one floor would take him to the Imerdan library. Down would take him the dungeons.

I kind of want to kill something right now.

Clenching his fists, he entered the staircase and descended downward. The air grew colder and thicker. It was harder to breathe. Julian went down four levels before reaching his destination.

Not a single soul cross his path. His sisters were still eating dinner, servants rarely traveled to the dungeons and on the rare occasions they did it was in the presence of one of someone with a class. Even the weakest of monsters could be deadly to the classless.

Velri, Brynn, and Rila had been taken to the dungeons to practice their abilities against weaker monsters in a controlled setting once they'd discovered their classes. Julian hadn’t been allowed to attend, even just to watch. He wondered what they would think if they could see him now.

The stairway opened to a large stone chamber. The room was lit by white manatorches that adorned the walls. Spider webs glistened along the dark corners of the room.

On the other end of the room stood large door made of black metal that seemed to absorb the light in in the room.

I need a sword.

Julian turned left. Weapon racks sat along the wall. They held old, rusted swords, bows, staves, maces, and axes. He moved to the weapon rack and drew a steel shortsword that looked less worn than the others. The leather grip was smooth and comfortable. He gave the weapon and experimental swirl.

This’ll do. Okay. I need a plan. Status.

Julian Imerdan (lv. 4 Psion)

HP: 109/109

ST: 99/99

WP: 377/421

Skills...

Attributes…

Effects…

Hm. HP is back to full. That’s good. WP is still not completely restored. How long has it been since I used Suggestion on Mom and Izel? An hour? If that’s how long it takes to recover fourteen WP, I’m not going to be able to rely on my Skills at all if WP drops to zero in a fight.

He glanced to his right. A miniature white stone pillar jutted out of the ground. A spherical violet gem adorned the top.

If what Rila and Brynn have told me is correct, this is how I can control how many monsters are released into the chamber.

He approached the console.

“So how do I work this thing?” he muttered. Hesitantly, he placed his hand on the violet sphere.

Glowing purple letters flickered into existence in front of him.

<Level 4 class user detected. Please state the number of desired monsters.>

Julian’s eyes widened.

“Wow, so this is the interactive construct! Amazing,” he trailed off. He stared at the sentence again. A hint of hesitation trickled through his nerves.

Should I be doing this? Am I strong enough?

He pictured Velri’s sneering face in his head. A wave of anger coursed through him. He clenched his fist around the hilt of his sword. He could do this. He’d manipulated Maela Imerdan. If his abilities worked on her, then any lower level monster should have been child’s play.

“Two monsters, please.”

<Processing request. Request complete. Erecting barrier at chamber entrance.>

A low crackle sounded from behind him. Julian glanced back. The entranceway to the stairs was covered by a translucent violet wall that pulsed with visible energy.

Shit. I’m trapped in here.

A dull groan drew his attention forward. The large metal door at the end of the chamber opened.

Two pale forms stepped out of the dark.

They were four-legged, hairless creatures with glowing red eyes and sharp teeth.

Giant rats. Always hated these things.

Julian held his sword in a practiced stance. Braknar’s teachings urged calmness. He analyzed his situation. Two low-level monsters. They’d caught sight of him and let out wet snarls that sent tingles down his spine.

Focus.

Calm washed over him. His eyes narrowed.

Mind Jab. It’s the only useful ability I have for this encounter. I’ll wait until they get closer to me and stun them both, then finish them off with the sword.

He felt cold, but it wasn’t the sort that made his breath chill or his skin get goosebumps. It was like a suit of armor that fit comfortably tight around him, keeping him awake and alert and safe. He liked the cold, though even that emotion felt distant somehow. It shined to him light a lighthouse in a fog.

The rat on the left lunged at him.

Mind Jab.

He stuck out his hand, flinging a oval bolt of bright crimson light that smashed into the rat’s skull. It fell shrieking in pain, its limbs flailing wildly as it tumbled to the ground. He turned to the other just in time for its jaws the clamp down on his arm.

“Fuck!”

Pain seared across his limb as the rat gnawed on him and refused to let go, its eyes red and drunk from the promise of a fresh meal. His sword clattered to the ground.

Focus.

Cold washed over him again. His pain felt muted. Distant. It felt like he was watching the rat bite into someone else’s arm.

It made planning his next action much easier.

He raised his other hand.

Mind Jab.

The rat screamed and let go of his arm. It stumbled to the floor, clawing at its own head and screaming in sheer agony.

Julian glared hatefully at the creature. He retrieved his sword from the ground and held it in a two-handed grip. He positioned the blade over the rat’s head and stabbed. The sharp metal blade slid cleanly into the rat’s head. Its screams died instantly.

A low groan **** him to stop surveying his first monster kill. The first rat he’d stunned shook its head and began to clamber unsteadily onto its feet. Julian didn’t let it get any further. A single slash separated the monster’s head from its body. Sickly red blood spurted from the wound and pooled on the stone floor.

“Argh,” he winced. His arm throbbed with pain. The cold fell away from him as he beheld the jagged gash there.

Status.

Julian Imerdan (lv. 5 Psion)

HP: 91/115

ST: 86/102

WP: 349/441

Skills...

<New Skill Discovered>

<Two Skill Points Available>

Attributes…

Effects…

Julian grimaced.

“Damn, that one rat bite did 18 damage. Wait a second. Did I level up? Holy shit, I leveled up!”

He grinned widely. It was all he could do to prevent himself from breaking out into a celebratory dance.

“Okay. So I’ve gained a new Skill and apparently I have two new Skill Points. How do I use them?”

Something nudged the back of his mind. A gentle prodding that manifested itself as a whisper just beyond the range at which it would be intelligible.

Skills?

[Manipulation] Suggestion (cost: 20 WP): The user can telepathically implant a suggestion in the mind of a target to influence an action, thought, or behavior of theirs. The target must be sapient. There is a chance that it might fail depending on the state of the target mind. The more simple and less unusual the suggestion, the easier it is to implant.

[Affliction] Mind Jab (cost: 15 WP): The user projects a weak bolt of psionic energy that attacks the mind of an opponent, causing crippling mental pain that lasts for a few seconds. Affects any living creature with a brain.

[Connection] Detect Mind (cost: 2 WP/s): The user can detect the minds of sentient organic beings within ten feet.

[Innate] Focus (cost: free): The user enters a state of emotional detachment, allowing the user to ignore pain and resist negative mental effects. Increases WP regeneration by 20% while active. Only usable during combat.

[Skill Tree <Two Skill Points Available>]

Focus? Part of the Innate Discipline? How did I get that Skill? Did being in combat awaken it somehow?

The strange tingling he’d felt whenever he had a question about his powers was conspicuously absent. He sighed and shook his head.

“Okay. Moving on. Skill Tree.”

His screen flickered for moment before expanding. An entire list populated the world in front of him and he could only gape at the options they presented.

Select a Discipline to reveal currently available Skills.

[Manipulation]

[Connection]

[Affliction]

[Matter]

[Knowledge]

The Manipulation Discipline called to him. It whispered seductively in his ear, conjuring up images of the women in his life kneeling before him. He saw Izel, her once-smug face pressed against the ground in a gesture of complete and utter worship, her big ass jutting into the air behind her. He saw Velri with her hands clasped in front of her begging him for forgiveness. He watched his mother throw away her staff and grab a hold of his cock to worship it with her mouth while Rila and Brynn watched hungrily from their knees.

His menu flickered again.

[Manipulation]

<1 SP> Hypnosis (cost: 30 WP) – The user lulls the target into a light hypnotic trance. While hypnotized, the target will be more open to Suggestion and suggestions, and more likely to divulge information they would not otherwise. Requires the use of a pendant or other foci to draw the target’s gaze. Can be interrupted by any sudden or intense stimuli. Duration: ten minutes.

<1 SP> Implant Trigger (cost: 10 WP): The user can program a posthypnotic trigger into the mind of a hypnotized or otherwise entranced target. The trigger may be a phrase or condition, and will **** the target to perform an action. The target will be unaware that anything is amiss unless otherwise specified. Can fail. Chance of failure is determined by the depth of the hypnosis and complexity of the trigger.

<1 SP> Bulwark (cost: 10 WP) – The user bestows a temporary boon upon an ally, increasing their drive to succeed and numbing their sense of fear. Increases a target’s resistance to hostile mental influence. Can make the target view the user more favorably if timed with encouraging words/compliments. Duration: five minutes.

<1 SP> Evoke Thought (cost: 10 WP) – The user can bring a past thought or emotion glimpsed via mind reading or empathic Skills to the surface of a target’s mind.

<1 SP> Blank (cost: 15 WP) The user can obfuscate a recent memory in the target’s mind and make it very difficult for the target to recall. Does not affect traumatic memories. Memory duration limit: Ten minutes. Targets with higher levels than the user are resistant. Resistance causes a brief spike of mental pain.

<1 SP> Control Lesser Creature (cost: 30 WP) – The user can enthrall a weaker living creature to do the user’s bidding. Sapient beings are immune. Only one creature can be enthralled at a time. Damage to the creature can break the effect. Duration: One hour. Targets of higher level than the user are immune.

Julian stared at the list for what felt like an eternity. The cold of the dungeon nipped out his skin and the injury on his arm throbbed painfully. He ignored it.

Hypnosis seems like it’d be pretty useful if only to make Suggestion more likely to succeed. Implant Trigger looks like it does the same thing as Suggestion, only it’s just usable while someone’s under the influence of Hypnosis… or some other form of trance? There must be different levels of hypnosis that’ll become available to me later on as I level up. I’ll skip Implant Trigger for now. Blank, though... blank would definitely come in handy if someone caught me doing something I wasn’t supposed to. Definitely something to consider.

The other abilities didn’t really interest him. Bulwark sounded like a great way to support a party, but Rila was a Cleric and Julian was pretty sure he’d feel redundant if they went questing together. Control Lesser Creature might have been a neat way to turn the tide of a battle, but the risk that it could turn on him after suffering damage was too great for him to consider wasting a Skill Point on it. He wasn't sure how Evoke Thought worked. It sounded like it had to be used in conjunction with some other Skill that would allow him to read minds.

He blinked.

I'll be able to read people's minds one day. Izel would be so jealous.

Thinking about the voluptuous dark-skinned woman brought a smile to his face. Izel had always seemed so unattainable before today. Now, he'd manipulated her mind twice without her knowledge. He couldn't wait to see her again and push that boundary a little further.

Still grinning he sunk a Skill Point into the Hypnosis Skill. The text of the Skill flashed for a moment before disappearing. He felt something slip into his mind with a thunk. He felt more capable somehow. More powerful.

“Julian? What are you doing down here? You'd better get out of here before Velri finds out you're not up in your room,” a familiar feminine voice drew his attention to the chamber entrance.

Rila had followed him downstairs. The eighteen year-old still wore her white robe that hugged her voluptuous body. Her cute face was scrunched up in a way that made her look like an angry puppy.

Her eyes fell to the gray stony floor, widening as she saw the bodies of two giant rats he'd slain earlier.

"What the... how did you...?" she gazed up at him, her eyes brimming with barely concealed astonishment and curiosity. "Okay, I've had enough. You're gonna tell me exactly what happened tonight and you're gonna tell me right now."

She crossed her arms under her breasts, pushing them upwards and causing them to jiggle somewhat. She tapped her foot impatiently like the little princess she was.

Julian's brows rose.

This is bad. She knows the chamber interface won't work for anyone who's classless and I can't tell anyone I'm a Psion.

Julian swallowed.

"Would you believe me if I said I found everything here the way it was?"

His little sister's eyes flicked over to the sword he still held in his hand. The blade still dripped blood onto the floor. She rolled her eyes at him.

"Is that really how you want to play this, big brother?"

"I wish you hadn't come down here. Sorry about this, Rila."

"Sorry for wha-"

He lifted his sword. The metal caught the light of the manatorches and reflected into Rila's eyes.

Hypnosis.

Rila's words died in her throat as Julian felt his mind make a connection with hers, forcing her consciousness back into the depths of her own mind.

Her eyes stared blankly at his sword and her face slackened. Her mouth drooped open slightly, allowing a string of saliva to dribble down her lip and chin before falling into her cleavage.