A Pyromaniac's Ascent

"I'll be honest, Finn. Things aren't looking too bright for you as a mage," Yukha said.

"Yeah, I figured," Finn replied with a weak smile.

"But don't despair—it's not the end of the world. At least we've established that you have a strong affinity for fire. For now, that will be our focus. Fire will be your greatest weapon in the tower," Yukha continued.

"As for the other elements, we can work on improving them little by little. It will take time, but, fortunately, time is something we've got plenty of."

Finn's lips curled into a smirk. "Actually, I've got a better idea."

Yukha raised a curious brow. "Oh? Do tell, Finn. I am eager to hear it."

"Before I do, I need to check something first—just to confirm a theory," Finn replied, his attention shifting inward.

With a mental command, he opened the system's shop. If his hunch was correct and the system operated similarly to a game, he might just find the solution he needed here.

Rows upon rows of items filled the shop interface, but Finn ignored them, focusing instead on the search bar. After a moment of thought, he mentally typed his first keyword: "Reset."

Autocomplete suggestions populated the dropdown, but none matched what he was looking for. Most were related to skills or miscellaneous items. Undeterred, he scrolled through all the results, even going as far as the third and final page. Still, nothing.

Frowning, he returned to the search bar and tried again. This time, he entered: "Transfer."

Again, he scanned through the suggestions, combing through the results page by page. By the time he reached the sixth and final page, frustration had set in. He was about to abandon his search altogether when, at the very bottom of the page, he spotted it—a glimmer of hope amidst the sea of items.

His eyes widened as he read the description twice, just to be sure:

Transfer Scroll (Elemental Affinity)

Category: Misc. Items

Description: A scroll used to transfer elemental affinities.

Cost: 1 VP upon initial purchase. Consumes 100 VP per 1 point transferred upon use.

Finn wasted no time buying it. Once it appeared in his inventory, he retrieved it. The scroll looked just as he'd imagined—thick, rough parchment bound with a blue silk ribbon. It smelled faintly of aged paper, evoking memories of his father's library—one of the places he had accidentally set aflame in his childhood.

Shaking the memory aside, Finn approached Yukha. He hesitated, clutching the scroll tightly. Borrowing from a friend, even one as easygoing as Yukha, was foreign to him. He had never relied on loans, not even from his parents. His frugal lifestyle had always been enough to cover his needs.

But now, standing before the towering orc, Finn swallowed his pride. He repeated a silent promise to himself: I'll pay him back—somehow.

"Yukha," Finn finally said, his voice steadier than he felt.

"What is it, Finn?" Yukha asked, tilting his head. "You've been giving me strange looks for a while now. Weren't you going to share your plan?"

"If items can be transferred, then Valor Points can be too, right?" Finn asked.

"Correct," Yukha replied with a slow nod.

Finn hesitated for a moment, then dove in. "Well… how would you feel about lending me 9000 VP?"

Yukha squinted at Finn, his gaze steady but thoughtful. "That amount could buy a decent set of armor, items, and a weapon for a level 20 Water Warrior," he said. "And I doubt gear for a level 1 Fire Mage would cost anywhere near that. So, what exactly are you planning to buy that's usable for you right now?"

"Wait, you're actually considering lending me that much?" Finn asked, his voice tinged with disbelief. "I thought you'd laugh me off and call me crazy."

"When you looked at me, I saw your determination. Whatever you're planning, you believe in it. And I know the look of a liar—you're not one," Yukha replied. "So, tell me your plan, and I'll lend it to you. Though, looking at that scroll in your hand, I think I already have an idea."

We've only just met, and he already trusts me this much?

"You know what this scroll is?" Finn asked.

"Yes, I've seen and used it before. That's a Transfer Scroll, right? For elemental affinities?"

"So it works, then? When you used it, it actually worked?"

"It did," Yukha confirmed. "I used one to transfer a small number of points to another element for a skill requirement. Some skills need a minimum threshold before they can be unlocked, you see."

"But 9000 VP? Just how many points are you planning to transfer?" Yukha asked, his brow furrowing.

"Enough to see how much an element's strength increases with a significant boost in points," Finn replied.

"Ah, I see," Yukha said, nodding thoughtfully. "An ambitious experiment. Expensive, but it could yield valuable results." He paused for a moment before adding, "Wait here. I'll transfer the 9000 VP to you as you asked."

Finn blinked, stunned. "Just like that? You're not even going to think about it? That's a lot of VP!"

"It is," Yukha admitted with a shrug. "But I can afford it. Besides, I'm curious too. I'd like to see the outcome of what you're planning."

Finn sighed in relief, a small smile forming on his lips. "If you say so. Thanks, Yukha. I promise I'll pay you back someday."

"No worries," Yukha replied with a smile.

A glowing notification popped up in front of Finn:

ACCEPT 9000 VP FROM YUKHA?

Finn mentally selected "Accept," and his VP balance shot up from a measly 80 to a staggering 9080.

"Alright," he muttered, his heart pounding in anticipation. "Let's see how this goes."

Finn carefully unloosed the blue silk ribbon around the scroll. The moment it fell away, it dissolved into nothingness. The scroll hovered in mid-air, unrolling itself. Black ink danced across the parchment, displaying his name and current elemental affinities:

Name: Finn Hayes

Elemental Affinities:

Stone - 30

Water - 30

Fire - 56

Wind - 30

The numbers blinked, inviting him to edit them.

Finn took a deep breath. No turning back now.

One by one, he mentally transferred the points. The process was slow and tedious—each point had to be shifted individually. Minutes passed as he painstakingly moved them, but finally, it was done.

He mentally selected the "Done" button at the bottom right corner of the scroll. The ink shifted, forming new text:

TRANSFER COST: 9000 VP

CONFIRM POINT TRANSFER?

Without hesitation, Finn confirmed. The scroll dissolved into nothingness, just as the ribbon had.

Finn opened his status box, his eyes scanning the updated numbers:

Elemental Affinities:

Stone - 0

Water - 0

Fire - 146

Wind - 0

He exhaled slowly, a grin spreading across his face. "Let's see what this can do."

But before Finn could close his stats to prepare for another round of experimentation, a box appeared before him in the shape of an envelope. He frowned. A message?

"Did you just send me a message?" Finn asked, turning to Yukha.

"Why would I do that when I'm standing right in front of you?" Yukha replied.

"Good point... So who sent it?" Finn muttered.

Before he could open the envelope, another appeared. Then another, and another, stacking rapidly. Finn's unease grew with each passing second. Finally, he opened the first message, his pulse quickening as he read its contents:

From Halgon:

WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?

Finn's blood ran cold.

Before he could open the next message, the ground shook violently. The sky darkened, thunder roared, and torrential rain began pouring down.

"What's going on?" Yukha yelled, barely audible over the storm. "Is this some kind of penalty for staying too long in the Threshold?" His voice rose to a shout as the chaos intensified.

"I think this might be my fault!" Finn shouted back.

"What do you mea—"

Yukha's question was cut short as the storm abruptly silenced. The rain stopped, and the thunder dissipated, but the sky remained cloaked in ominous dark clouds.

A voice boomed through the stillness, loud enough to shake the air itself.

"Have you no shame, mortal?"

It was a woman's voice, echoing with such authority that it seemed to come from everywhere at once.

"After all we have given you, this is how you repay us?"

Finn's heart pounded as a wave of realization crashed over him. He didn't need to ask whom the voice was addressing. The weight of his actions pressed down on him like lead.

"How dare you disrespect us like this?"

His thoughts spiraled into chaos. I might die before even reaching the tower.

"But I am not without mercy," the voice continued, its tone sharp and unyielding. "Speak your final words before I smite you."

Finn closed his eyes, taking a shaky breath.

Calm down. Think. Think. I only have one chance to fix this.

He forced his frantic thoughts into order, sorting through the mess for any clue that could save him.

The voice… It's a God. But which one? One misstep and I'm dead.

He analyzed everything he knew:

Female voice—Stone God is out. It's tone and sound doesn't match the childlike appearance of the Wind God's either. Could it be Fire? No, she brought me here; it wouldn't make sense for her to react this way if I strengthened her affinity. The tone is commanding, authoritative—likely the older of them too.

His conclusion solidified. Water God, Maris.

There was no time to think further. Every second of silence could cost him his life.

Finn glanced back at Yukha, desperate for guidance. To his surprise, Yukha was kneeling, one knee on the ground, head bowed in deference.

Without hesitation, Finn mimicked him, slamming his knee into the water pooling beneath him and bowing his head low. His mind raced for any respectful phrases he could recall from games, books, or movies.

Taking another deep breath, he spoke, his voice trembling.

"Most revered and gracious Water God, does this unworthy mortal have your permission to speak your name?"

The silence stretched, tension clawing at him as he waited. Sweat dripped down his brow despite the absence of heat.

Finally, the voice responded.

"You may."

Finn exhaled, realizing only then that he'd been holding his breath.

*******************

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