Spreadsheets

Who would have thought that the only two things standing between me and finding the Demon King were hundreds of kilometers of desert and the lack of a map?

My train was speeding westwards at full steam, and I couldn’t ask Danayr what he thought of this course as he was still sleeping, despite the early afternoon.

I yawned.

I could use some sleep myself, but every time I closed my eyes, the battle from two days ago replayed itself in my mind.

No use thinking about it now, I did what I could at the time, and nothing can be changed.

Yet, I knew it would take me a while longer to process it all.

The dunes here were taller than my train, and made of a mixture of fine and large grains which the rain had separated. My path forward was made easier by the large cobblestones sparsely peaking out from below the sand here and there.

With one hand on the throttle, I decided to check my stats.

<Name: Chiyo Hara>

<Level: 49>

<MP: 20 000/20 000>

<EXP: 2455/5000>

<Race: Human, Otherworlder.>

<Class: Summoner.>

<Speciality: Train.>

<Bonded items: Train (unnamed), Conductor suit.>

<Companions: Demon>

The MP and EXP numbers were becoming quite large to keep track of. Now, I could summon my train 3 times, and use my gauntlets or transform my uniform into a suit of armour without worrying about mana.

It left me feeling like, with the EXP requirements being this high, I would need to start farming the centipedes if I wanted to level up at the same pace as before.

I don’t want to think about those. What if they sense it and start attacking me again?

The next series of stats appeared before my eyes.

< Unspent talent points: 2.>

< Strength: 10/10.>

< Dexterity: 9/10.>

< Perception: 8/10.>

< Memory: 7/10.>

< Magical affinity: 20/10.>

< Physical fortitude: 6/10.>

< Mental fortitude: 6/10.>

I put the talent points into dexterity and physical fortitude. The idea that I should start investing in mental fortitude hit me just a second too late.

“Next time…” I muttered to myself.

“What’s next time?” Danyar asked, joining me in the cab.

He had just gotten up and was still lacing up his shirt. He’d left his shoes somewhere in the living quarters, but he’d already put on his brown trousers and sleeveless jacket. I was starting to think the only purpose of that cream jacket was to cover the dagger that he always carried on his belt.

“I was allocating talent points from the fight at the Caravan,” I replied. “Actually, do you have any recommendations?”

“I would say my stats are an overall pretty good example of what to do.”

I looked up at him, expectantly, when he didn’t elaborate.

Both his eyebrows shot up in response to that.

“You have access to my stats, and I have access to yours. I never looked at them, though, I … Alright, I checked your class and race, but nothing beyond that, I swear!”

He looked at me, clearly expecting some reaction beyond surprise.

“I didn’t know!” I exclaimed instead. “I don’t know how any of this works! How do I look at your stats? You can look at mine as closely as you want as well; they’re not a secret.”

Danyar’s expression turned to relief.

“I thought you would be angry. A lot of people prefer to keep their stats secret. I always thought it was because they lied about them. But really, there’s no way of knowing.”

I nodded, impatiently waiting for a reply to my question.

“From your companion screen, under my name, you should be able to see everything. I was never one to hide those things, but I presume the soul-bond would forcefully show them to you otherwise.”

His name wasn’t on my screen, but I only had one companion, so I selected that in my head.

<Name: Danyar.>

<MP: 500/500.>

<EXP:1305/2000.>

<Race: Demon.>

<Level: 63.>

<Class: Fighter.>

<Speciality: Vanguard.>

<Level: 9>

<Class: Fighter.>

<Speciality: Rogue.>

<Bonded items: None.>

<Companions: Chiyo Hara.>

“You’re level 72?” I exclaimed. “Wait, and how did you get two classes?”

Danyar leaned onto the doorframe and crossed his arms. His tail swung back and forth across the passageway.

“I trained. But what I am starting to wonder is how you, Chiyo, got your class. And,” He glanced to the side, picking his words, “Why you don’t have any levels in melee fighting. And also, perhaps,” He scanned the small room, avoiding eye contact once again, “How come you’re level 49?”

“Well, the last one is the easiest to reply to, since I was level 41 when we met and we’ve been hunting monsters together. As for the rest, I really don’t know. I told you that god gave me this class. Where I come from,...” I sighed. I pushed on the throttle, bringing my train to a stop. “Maybe we should go over all of this from the very basics.”

“Alright,” Danyar nodded.

We grabbed some snacks and sat on the edge of the locomotive’s rail. I explained my story from the very beginning, trying not to go on overly lengthy tangents about why I was in Europe or where I was about to start working. Danyar tried his best to hide it, but his word choice showed that he was still sceptical of it all, despite the details I’d provided, or what my stats said.

He then, in turn, explained that around the age of 16, everyone’s statistics would be revealed. Depending on some innate factors, as well as what each individual had done up to this point, three class options would appear. If the person chose to pursue one of those, the other two would disappear. They could also train in more than one, but at that age, EXP was granted for the completion of tasks, rather than the slaying of monsters, so spreading thin between several classes was unwise.

It was also possible to reject all three classes and wait two more years, when everyone got suggested two more classes, as well as a custom one. Most mages picked the custom one at that time. That was when Danyar gained the second class of rogue. He hadn’t heard of anyone who didn’t pick a class at that age, but he didn’t exclude it from the realm of possibilities.

The option to pick a custom class appeared once more when someone turned 25, but usually by then, everyone was already settled into their lives and roles within the community.

“That’s how it works for my people, at least. I’m not sure what, if anything, is different for you humans.” Danayr concluded. “Should we get going now? Let’s try to reach a town and buy a map before nightfall.”

“Ah, yes,” I agreed. “Thank you for all the explanations!”

Danyar nodded, letting me pass into the cab first.

“I see smoke to the north, you should adjust course,” He said, still standing outside, and squinting into the distance.

I glanced in that same direction, but couldn’t make out anything.

He never explained why his levels were so high. Those levels would explain why he can see things I can’t, though.

“If we fought each other, who do you think would win?” I asked, after pulling the throttle.

A chuckle came in reply.

“On average,” Danyar joined me in the cab, “We’re both pretty bad fighters.”

“But we killed so many monsters,” I replied, not fully arguing. He had a point. Describing me running and hitting things as any kind of technique would have been an offence to the word.

“Levels do matter,” Danyar shrugged. “But I am sure a well-trained level 20 paladin could easily take either of us down. I overinvested in dexterity and resistances, and I tend to overstrategise in the minds of battle.”

I nodded. A smile crept over my lips at the thought that he hadn’t taken this opportunity to put me and my lack of skills down, even though he could have.

“If my gut feeling is correct, we’ll only have to fight some giant bug that’s at the centre of it all,” I replied.

“Let’s hope you’re correct.” Danyar nodded.