Novel Bin
Chapter 1 - The Weight of Whispers
The Echo of Infinity: Chapter 1 - The Weight of Whispers
The midday sun beat down on Oakhaven, a village nestled comfortably between the rolling Greenfields and the edge of the daunting Whispering Woods. Like every settlement in Aethelgard, life here revolved around the shimmering blue interfaces of the Aetherium Weave. Farmers checked their [Farmer] class levels against crop yields, the blacksmith hammered sparks off metal while mentally reviewing his [Blacksmith] skill progression, and children chased each other, occasionally pausing to boast about gaining a level in [Tag Runner] (a trivial, unspecialized Class, but a level was a level).
Kael wiped sweat from his brow, stacking firewood behind the Drunken Dryad tavern. At sixteen, he was unremarkable. Brown hair, plain features, average height. His Weave status, when anyone bothered to ask, was equally mundane.
A familiar, condescending voice cut through the air. "Still stuck on [Villager] duty, Kael? Thought you'd have picked up at least [Apprentice Warrior] by now. Even Tilly managed that last week."
Kael turned to see Marcus, a burly youth a year older, leaning against the tavern wall. Marcus preened, flexing an arm where faint blue lines pulsed – the Weave signifying an active skill check, probably for his [Intimidate] skill tied to his [Warrior Lv. 6] class.
Kael offered a noncommittal shrug. "Someone's got to stack the wood, Marcus. Pays for bread." He consciously accessed his Weave interface, focusing on the *Fabricated* version offered by his secret.
```
[ Kael - Human ]
Title: None
Equipped Classes:
1. [Villager Lv. 4 (Tier 0)]
2. [Gatherer Lv. 2 (Tier 0)]
3. <Empty>
Unequipped Classes: None
Attributes: STR 7, DEX 8, 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)
```
It was a pathetic display, barely above the absolute minimum for someone his age who put in any effort. It was also a carefully constructed lie.
Marcus scoffed. "Bread won't save you when the Goblins raid again, or a Dire Wolf wanders too close to the edge. You need *levels*, Kael. Real classes." He tapped his own chest proudly. "I'm aiming for [Berserker] once my [Warrior] hits level 15. Tier 1, here I come!"
"Good luck with that," Kael said, turning back to the woodpile. He hated these interactions. The pitying glances, the condescending advice. If only they knew.
Later that afternoon, Old Man Hemlock, the village herbalist, flagged Kael down. "Boy! Need a run into the Woods. Just the edge, mind. Need three bunches of Sunpetal and five Moonleaf stalks. My [Herbalist] class gives me a bonus to finding them, but my [Ancient Knees] debuff is acting up." He chuckled, a dry, rattling sound.
"The Woods?" Kael felt a familiar mix of trepidation and hidden excitement. The Whispering Woods were dangerous, even the fringes. Low-level beasts – Giant Rats, Dire Slimes, occasionally aggressive Thorn Sprites – lurked there. It was also the best place near Oakhaven to gain actual combat EXP.
"Just the edge," Hemlock repeated, pressing a few copper coins into Kael's hand. "Stick to the path, keep your eyes peeled. Your [Gatherer] skills should help."
Kael nodded, accepting the task. He needed the coin, but more importantly, he needed the EXP. His *real* EXP.
Equipping his worn leather pack, Kael headed towards the treeline. As soon as he was out of sight of the village, he focused inward.
*‘Accumulator, show real status.’*
The familiar blue Weave window shimmered, replaced by a deeper, richer interface only he could see.
```
[ Kael - Human ]
Title: None
EXP Multiplier: x100 (Accumulator Active)
Equipped Classes:
1. [Swift Blade Lv. 9 (Tier 0)]
2. [Shadow Scout Lv. 7 (Tier 0)]
3. [Mana Weaver Lv. 5 (Tier 0)]
Unequipped Classes:
[Villager Lv. 18 (Tier 1)], [Gatherer Lv. 21 (Tier 1)], [Basic Combatant Lv. 12 (Tier 1)], [Meditator Lv. 6 (Tier 0)] ... (3 more hidden)
Attributes: STR 18, DEX 25, CON 16, INT 30, WIS 28, CHA 9, LUK 11
Skills:
[Twin Strike Lv. 3] (Swift Blade)
[Riposte Lv. 2] (Swift Blade)
[Silent Movement Lv. 4] (Shadow Scout)
[Track Lv. 3] (Shadow Scout)
[Detect Presence Lv. 2] (Shadow Scout)
[Mana Bolt Lv. 3] (Mana Weaver)
[Minor Heal Lv. 1] (Mana Weaver)
[Sense Mana Lv. 2] (Mana Weaver)
```
This was his truth. The result of nearly two years of secret grinding since The Accumulator had inexplicably manifested within him alongside the normal Weave interface. Every rat killed, every herb gathered, every practice swing, every moment of meditation – amplified a hundredfold. His [Villager] and [Gatherer] classes had hit Tier 1 long ago, relegated to the unequipped list as he focused on more potent combat and utility classes acquired through hidden quests and discovered Class Orbs found deep in forbidden places.
[Swift Blade] was an Initial combat class focused on speed and dual-wielding (though he currently only used a simple short sword). [Shadow Scout] was an Advanced class he'd unlocked after reaching level 15 in [Gatherer] and completing a perilous solo night expedition quest. [Mana Weaver] was an Initial magic class he’d stumbled upon by finding a cracked Mana Crystal, allowing him basic elemental manipulation. Equipping these three gave him a versatile, albeit low-Tier, combat readiness far beyond what anyone in Oakhaven could imagine.
He entered the Woods, the familiar scent of damp earth and ancient trees filling his nostrils. His [Detect Presence] skill subtly highlighted faint auras nearby – squirrels, birds, nothing threatening yet. His [Silent Movement] skill let him tread lightly over the leaf litter.
He found the Sunpetal easily, its bright yellow flowers standing out. As he knelt to gather the Moonleaf near a dense thicket, a rustle broke the quiet. His hand instinctively went to the hilt of the cheap short sword at his belt.
Two pairs of beady red eyes emerged from the bushes. Giant Rats, easily twice the size of their normal counterparts, their fur matted and claws sharp. Standard Tier 0 monsters, worth maybe 5 EXP each to a normal person.
For Kael, they were a small jackpot.
He drew his sword. The rats hissed, splitting up to flank him. Kael focused, channeling mana through his [Mana Weaver] class. A small orb of crackling energy formed in his left palm.
*‘[Mana Bolt]!’*
The bolt shot out, striking the left rat square in the chest. It shrieked and stumbled back, scorched. The other rat lunged. Kael sidestepped, the movement fluid thanks to his high DEX and [Swift Blade] passive agility boosts. He brought his sword down in a clean arc.
*Clang!*
His cheap sword bit into the rat’s tough hide but didn’t kill it instantly. It squealed and tried to bite his leg.
*‘[Twin Strike]!’*
His arm blurred, striking twice in rapid succession at the same spot. The second blow severed the spine. The rat collapsed.
```
[Weave Notification: Giant Rat Defeated. +5 EXP allocated to Equipped Classes.]
```
That was the standard notification everyone got. But milliseconds later, a second, internal notification chimed, felt rather than heard.
```
[Accumulator Notification: Base EXP Gain +5. Multiplier x100 Applied. +500 EXP allocated to Equipped Classes.]
```
Kael finished the scorched, wounded rat with another precise strike.
```
[Weave Notification: Giant Rat Defeated. +5 EXP allocated to Equipped Classes.]
[Accumulator Notification: Base EXP Gain +5. Multiplier x100 Applied. +500 EXP allocated to Equipped Classes.]
```
```
[ Swift Blade leveled up to 10! ]
[ Shadow Scout leveled up to 8! ]
[ Mana Weaver leveled up to 6! ]
[ New Skill available: [Swift Blade] - [Flowing Strikes Lv. 1] ]
[ New Skill available: [Mana Weaver] - [Mana Shield Lv. 1] ]
```
A single Tier 0 class, [Swift Blade], had reached level 10 from just two Giant Rats. His other equipped classes also surged. The growth was intoxicating, terrifying.
He quickly checked his *real* status again, noting the changes. Then, the tedious part. He focused on his fabricated status window.
*‘Accumulator, modify fabricated status. Set [Gatherer] EXP +10.’*
The fake window flickered internally.
```
[ Kael - Human ]
...
Equipped Classes:
1. [Villager Lv. 4 (Tier 0)]
2. [Gatherer Lv. 2 (Tier 0)] (EXP: 10 / 150)
...
```
He had to manually add tiny, believable increments of EXP to his fake status whenever he did something that *should* grant EXP, ensuring the numbers ticked up slowly over time. He couldn't show the combat classes, couldn't show the real levels. He added 10 EXP to [Gatherer] – a plausible amount for "surviving" an encounter in the woods while gathering. Forgetting this, or letting the discrepancy grow too large between his *actual* activities and his *displayed* status, could expose him.
He sheathed his sword, gathered the remaining Moonleaf, his heart still pounding slightly. The power felt incredible, but the secrecy was a heavy burden. One slip, one person noticing his movements were too fast, his reactions too sharp, his mana flickering when it shouldn't, and his life would shatter. People feared what they didn't understand, and a hidden power that dwarfed their own progress? That bred suspicion, jealousy, and danger.
Finishing his task for Hemlock, Kael returned to Oakhaven as the sun began to dip below the horizon, casting long shadows. He handed over the herbs, collected his payment, and endured another pitying look from Marcus, who was now bragging about landing a solid hit on the training dummy.
Kael merely nodded, offering a small, tired smile. Inside, the echo of gained levels pulsed warmly. He was Tier 0 on paper, a nobody. But soon, very soon, he'd break into Tier 1 in his real classes. Then Tier 2, and beyond.
He just had to survive long enough, and keep the whispers of his true power silent. The weight of the echo was his alone to bear.
---
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