Ch 5 - I… I Can’t Read
After crawling Albion's mother and father didn't know how fast he would start developing. It was almost as if Albions was training. Crawling more and more until he could crawl all around the house without getting exhausted. His parents both watched him curiously as he took laps around the house. He was developing fast for a baby and they thought he was some type of baby genius. They tried to get him to say mum and dad but Albion decided to withhold on speaking for now. He didn't even know if he could. Would it have been possible without him practising? Or would his knowledge of speaking from his previous life help him and he could talk all this time?
But right now Albion was crawling around again. Crawling down the hallway and to the second door that was down the hall. He tried to push it but he couldn't. It was either properly closed or it was locked. Either way, he couldn't reach up to the door handle to open it. He was way too short to reach the golden door knob. He was a 3-month-old baby after all. So instead he went to his room which also happened to be his parents. The door was always open as his parents hardly ever closed it.
As he crawled in he looked at the massive bookcase. It looked massive to Albion but it was just a regular-sized bookcase.
Lily: Want to read one? Or I mean, want me to read one?
Lily sat next to Albion as he looked at the bookcase.
Albion: {I do… but I want to try and do it myself. After all with Accelerated Learning, I'm starting to understand more of their language.}
Albion crawled closer to the bookcase as he grabbed onto a bright red book. Its cover was made of a tough hardened leather. It confused Albion as to why it was red even though it was made of leather. But that wasn't the problem. He couldn't pull the book out. They were all so well packed together that it was hard to take out.
Lily: Do you need help?
Lily giggled. But Albion only tried harder and harder. Grabbing it with his small hands in different ways. Trying to pull out other books to make it easier to pull out the book he wanted. But then it nudged slightly. Albion smiled in satisfaction of his power and baby might.
Albion: {I think I've got…}
Albion pulled it out but fell backwards. He wasn't high up. He was sitting on the floor. But falling backwards scared him. But he didn't hit his head on the floor like he thought he would have. Instead, he fell backwards onto Lily's hand. Albion looked up at a worried Lily.
Lily: Albion are you ok?!
Albion: {I'm ok. Thank you.}
Lily slightly helped as she lifted her hand so Albion could sit up again. Crossing his small legs as he looked at the book. He opened the book and pulled over the cover. The first page having big symbols on it. Albion couldn't read it so he skipped the page. But then he saw another page. Small symbols which he couldn't read. No pictures on the page. So he skipped a few more pages. And more and more. Lily continued to giggle as she looked at Albion.
Lily: Accelerated Learning helps you learn faster. It's not a miracle worker that can help you instantly learn languages.
Albion stared at the book in frustration. But then he realised. He still needed to look at his skills and what his racial skills were. Albion pulled up his status window and his skill menu.
[Status
Name: Albion Elavore
Level: 1
Age: 3 months
Race: Hybrid (25% Elf, 18.75% human, 18.75% orc, 18.75% dragon and 18.75% spirit)
Titles: Early Development
Main Class: Apprentice Mage (Growth)
Sub Class 1: Beginner Swordsman (Growth)
Sub Class 2: N/A
Sub Class 3: N/A
Alignment: 0 Neutral
Status: Frustrated, Curious
HP: 35/35
MP: 1000/1000]
[Active skills: Kill Shot (S), Activate (F)
Passive skills: Crawling Level 4 (F+), Eating Level 7 (F), Perfect Memory (C), Accelerated Learning (A), Eyes Level 5 (F), Accelerated Development (A), Lucky Chance (C), Danger Barrier (D), Monster Language Index (C), Magic Adaptation Level 1 (F), Basic Swordsmanship Mastery Level 1 (F), Pure Mana (B)
Racial skills: Dragon Heart, Mana Lines, Strong Physique, Jack Of All Trades]
Albion: {Ok. I know what all my other skills do because I read them before selecting them. But let's see if the descriptions have changed because I have new skills.}
[Kill Shot (S)
1. If you hit a vital point and inflict any sort of relevant damage you have a 50% chance of instantly killing something.
2. You have the ability to damage all entities.
3. When you activate the skill you will instinctively find weak points in an entity or in an object.]
Albion: {Just like a S rank should be. Powerful.}
[Activate (F)
1. You can activate anything. However, there is no guarantee something works if you have not satisfied the conditions to activate it.
2. You can turn something on from a 1-meter distance.]
Albion: {It seemed useful. Like activating magic things or magic swords.}
Lily: You don't know a lot about fantasy worlds do you?
Albion: {Nope.}
[Crawling Level 4 (F+)
1. You are able to control the orientation of your body.
2. When moving about with your hands on the floor you are 20% faster and stamina consumption is reduced.]
Albion: {Nice Nice.}
[Eating Level 7 (F)
1. You are able to eat easier and digest easier.]
Albion: {Hasn't changed… but I hope there are big things ahead… I hope.}
[Accelerated Learning (A)
1. You learn 600% faster than the average person.]
Albion: {Woah! It jumped up by 100%! That's insane! No wonder I can nearly understand everything they're saying now.}
[Eyes Level 5 (F)
1. You can see a lot clearer.]
Albion: {Still pretty mediocre but again… I EXPECT A LOT FROM YOU MR EYE SKILL!… Why… Why did I say it like that?}
Lily who was watching behind him broke out in laughter. Her laughter was loud but had a cuteness to it that Albion hadn't seen in her.
Lily: You're so adorable it's killing me!
Albion: {Please don't laugh at me! I-I don't know why I said it like that!}
Albion was embarrassed and his easy-to-read baby face showed it. Lily still laughing as Albion tried to ignore her. Still embarrassed.
[Accelerated Development (A)
1. Your body develops much faster than normal.
2. You don't have a prime. Your body will continue to develop even into your old age. However, this does not change your natural life span.
3. Your body can maintain its peak form even while developing more strength so as to not impact agility, dexterity, stamina ext.]
Albion: {Still as amazing as I remember.}
Lily: Hahahahaha! Mr Eye Skill! Hahahaha!
Albion developed a small blush as he could hear Lily behind him. Still laughing at his small switch to a childish behaviour.
[Lucky Chance (C)
1. You are luckier than the people around you.
2. You are really lucky.
3. Lucky things will happen to you sometimes.]
Albion: {Would've been a nice skill in my past life.}
[Danger Barrier (D)
1. The barrier blocks only fatal attacks of up to D rank. Instant death hits and instant death or quick-killing poisons.
2. The barrier is always active around dangerous situations. However, if it is broken it requires 1 hour to regenerate.]
Albion: {The best skill as a baby and child… wait now that I think about it. Would it have activated when I was falling backwards? Would I have died with such a body? I probably don't want to test that out, I could hurt myself.}
[Monster Language Index (C)
1. You are fluent in all spoken and written monster languages.]
Albion: I definitely need that if I want to insult a monster that tries to kill me or attack me.}
[Magic Adaptation (F)
1. As an aspiring mage, you need to adapt to the mana around you and the mana you absorb in your body. You have growing control related to mana and can use all basic affinities as a mage.]
Albion: {Pretty basic. Definitely useful for an apprentice mage.}
[Basic Swordsmanship Mastery Level 1 (F)
1. You are able to use the sword better.]
Albion: {Pretty average.}
[Pure Mana (B)
1. Your mana has been blessed by an Angel through the continuous consumption of their milk. A precious liquid no one has ever tasted before. Your mana is much more powerful.
2. With your pure mana, you cannot be corrupted with demonic or dark affinities.]
Albion looked at the skill. Then looking back at Lily. As he slowly crawled to her he fell on her lap. Hugging her as tightly as his baby arms could.
Albion: {Thank you, mommy.}
Lily looked down at Albion. He was being heartfelt and honest. Loving. A tear fell down from Lily's face as she hugged Albion softly. Holding him to her chest. Albion felt comfort whenever he was placed against it. Even with his other mother. There was comfort in something soft and warm.
Lily: I love you. Even though you may have not come from me. I will treat you as my own. Because you are mine.
Albion: {I love you too Mommy.}
Lily had a few more tears fall down her face as she softly held onto Albion. Albion nuzzled into Lily as she slowly and quietly began to cry. Albion was so close to her. In her arms. Resting on her chest. He was a baby. Right now, in this moment. He was her baby. Thoughts that he was someone else's disappeared from her mind as she held his small body. Gently she wiped away her tears. Putting a smile on her face as she kissed Albion's head.
Lily: Now go on. You're doing well seeing what your skills do.
Albion looked up at Lily's face. She had a smile but he saw the lines of tears that had fallen from her eyes. Slowly crawling out of her arms he sat down in between her legs. The dress that she was wearing was loose enough to have her legs crossed.
Albion: {I'll continue then Mommy.}
Lily had a brighter smile as she caressed Albion's hair. Albion really did love Lily. Seeing her as his second mother. Lily saw Albion as her own child. Although known only to each other, they were indeed mother and child.
Albion continued reading his skills and moved on to the skills he was most interested in.
[Dragon Heart
1. As a dragon, you have a powerful energy dwelling inside of you. Specifically in your heart and your blood. You are full of mana and this only grows more with age and use.
2. Your blood can be fed to those that aren't related to dragons to heal their wounds and illnesses. It can grant them greater strength. Lots of blood can even make them a subspecies and part dragon.
3. Your blood is full of mana. If used in equipment or magic it can give amazing properties and enchantments.]
Albion: {THAT'S AMAZING! NO WONDER I HAVE SO MUCH MANA! I HAVE THE POWER OF A DRAGON! AND IT ONLY GROWS STRONGER!}
Lily: You should have seen the other dragon racial skill you could have gotten. Near impenetrable scales, a type of magic only dragons can use and it's extremely powerful. Though this is good too.
Albion: {Really?!}
Lily: For sure!
Albion smiled. Lily found it so cute since he was a baby and his smile was all the more innocent.
[Mana Lines
1. Like a spirit, you can manipulate the elements you have a strong affinity for.
2. Glowing lines travel along your body. The more mana you consume the more mana you recover.
3. Your proficiency with magic greatly increases because you're in touch with the mana flowing around and in you.]
Albion: {What's an affinity?}
Lily: Don't worry. I'm sure when you turn four your parents will do the usual. Take you to a church blah blah blah.
Albion: {Blah blah blah?}
Lily: It's usually very boring and I personally don't like the religious practices in this world. Among other things.
[Strong Physique
1. As an Orc you have a battle-born body. You're much stronger, faster, more durable, bigger and have reserves of stamina.
2. As an Orc the more you fight the stronger you get. You grow on the battlefield and the more your life's in danger the stronger you can become.]
Albion: {Was this a good one?}
Lily: Probably the best one. There's Lustful Limbo and Fertility Gods. Do you think those are useful?
Lily gave a sly smirk as she looked down at Albion. Albion was blushing and couldn't look up at her. He didn't want to say that those sounded pretty useful. Because at least one of them did.
[Jack Of All Trades
1. As a human, while you are not the strongest race you are not the weakest.
2. There is nothing a human can't accomplish with enough effort.]
Albion: {Sounds pretty bas…
Mother: There you ### Albion. I was #### to get you for dinner.
The mother then looked at Albion and a book in front of him. He was sitting down with his legs crossed.
Mother: Can my little baby read?!
His mother quickly picked him up and hugged him. Even though he was nearly four months old he was growing up extremely fast. Incomparable to how fast she grew up as an elf orc hybrid. She actually felt happy she was the way she was part orc for the first time. Even though it had hurt her for so long.
Mother: #### food just for you!
Albion felt his mother's happiness as she hugged him. And he decided that maybe he should say at least two words.
Albion: Love you.
Albion said softly. His mother held him out as she looked at him with shock. He was a bit shocked that he could say it so well. But she was shocked. Her eyes were wide with shock.
Albion: {Did I scare he…}
Mother: THIS IS AMAZING! HONEY! OUR BABY CAN TALK!
His mother had a gleaming smile on her face. She looked so happy and amazed. Running to the living room.
Albion: {I guess I didn't scare her.}