Chapter 23
Adam groggily rolled over in bed, Stretching his arms above his head, Adam took a moment to put himself together. The smell of breakfast wafted through the inn's corridors, making his stomach growl Walking out of his room, he bumped into Faya "Morning," Adam greeted her as he stood and began gathering his things.
"Morning," Faya replied softly, her voice still carrying the remnants of sleep. She gave him a small smile, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.
"Let's get breakfast. After that, we'll see what we got to do today," Adam said, offering her a hand to help her out of bed.
As they made their way down to the common room, Adam was struck by the noise. Normally, the inn's common room was filled with the whisper of travelers giving each other advice and the occasional burst of laughter or chatter, but today, it was overflowing with people.
Adam glanced at the innkeeper, who was scrambling to keep up with the demand His usually neat appearance was nowhere to be seen, and he was rushing from one customer to the next without pause. He walked up to him, raising a hand to get his attention. "What's going on? This place is packed today." "Baron Heartman's son is here with his knights and men at arms. They've been going around the town, rallying people to join the defense against the Kingdom of Tranthor."
Adam's brow furrowed, and the innkeeper continued before Adam could say anything.
"Heartman's son, young Lord Roland, is trying to gather every able-bodied person in the village to hold the line until the Duke's army arrives. They need people to defend the outposts and keep the enemy at bay, but it's chaos. They're conscripting anyone they can get their hands on. If you don't want to be caught up in it, I suggest you leave before they see you; a healer of any type will get picked up."
Adam nodded and thanked the innkeeper for everything and left a few silvers before reaching for Faya and dragging her back to their rooms. "What's going on?" Faya asks. Looking back, Adam spoke more calmly than he felt. "We are grabbing whatever we need from our rooms and leaving early on our trip. I feel bad leaving everyone, but I don't want to fight someone's war for them either."
She hesitated for a moment, then nodded to herself. "Where would we go? "We will figure it out. Just grab everything from your room and I'll store it for you. Let's hit the road."
Leaving from the back of the inn, they hurried through the maze of alleyways, The sounds of the square grew fainter, but Adam couldn't get rid of his dread and hoped that as they got further away it would go away on its own. Just as they reached the edge of town, the sharp clatter of hooves echoed behind them. Adam's heart skipped a beat, and he grabbed Faya's arm, pulling her toward a small patch of woods that bordered the village. They ducked behind a thick line of trees.
A moment later, the sound of horses drew closer. Through the gaps in the trees, Adam could see three people riding their way, looking right at them and telling Faya to hide. He stepped out, knowing he couldn't get away. But he prepared himself for a fight just in case it got physical.
As they got to him, all three stopped their horses, and one man in plate armor dropped from his poor horse. And approached him with his weapon drawn, so Adam drew his harvesting tool and dagger when the young man in the back spoke in what he would call lord, as he guessed. "I am Lord Roland, son of Baron Heartman, lord of these lands. Are you the healer or herbalist Adam?
Not speaking, Adam chose to just nod yes. Roland's gaze flickered briefly to Faya, who was peaking from behind a tree cursing. Adam wanted to scold her, so he asked her to hide. Roland spoke, "You know we are at war. My father sent me to hold off the expanse of the enemy into our lands until a larger army led by the duke. In order to do that, as conscripting soldiers, we could use another healer; we will of course pay well, and you can bring your servant with you.
"I am not from your lands or even the kingdom. I am a traveling herbalist from far away and want no part in this war. I am planning on traveling and healing anyone who needs it, but I won't follow you all into a war zone, nor will I be taking my apprentice with me. I'm sure there are other healers you can hire." Adam spoke while taking a step back.
The smile from the young lord's face dropped, and in its place, a sneer replaced it, taking out a scroll that to his senses felt "Well, I wanted it to be your choice, but we can force you as well." As he ripped the paper.
Not liking this at all Adam turned and clicked his Heels together and teleported close to Faya, Ignoring the system message he went to grab her but a light surrounded her and a knight was between us. Getting ready to attack a system messaged forced itself upon Adam.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
You have been forcibly conscripted by Lord Roland Heartman.
Temp Sub Class Acquired: Conscript Soldier (Psuedo-Common) (Level 1)
Skills received.
Basic Combat Training Level 1 – Grants proficiency with standard weaponry
Iron Resolve Level 1 – Increases resistance to fatigue and fear effects, allowing you to maintain focus and strength during long skirmishes.
Endurance Level 1 – You are physically conditioned to endure long hours of labor and marching.
Command Sense Level 1 - You know what your orders are at all times and receive new orders you are compelled to follow.
(Per level gain 1 to strength and 1 to dexterity)
Effect: You are now considered a soldier under the command of Lord Roland Heartman for the duration of your conscription 2 months per kingdom law (or war ends sooner). Failure to follow orders may result in severe penalties. Deserting will cause
Weakness Debuff: "Deserter's Curse" all damage you deal will be reduced to 1 all stats will be halved and all guards will see you highlighted in red.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
Your commander, Lord Roland Heartman, has ordered you to stand down and cease any further resistance.
As this is a lawful order, you must accept the command or suffer the consequences.
Failure to comply will result in:
Weakness Debuff: "Deserter's Curse" ()Forfeiture of 50% of current pay.Possible penalties under military law.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
As a Legendary Class holder, your first Subclass has been upgraded and influenced by your class.
New Sub Class Acquired: "Conscript" Soldier (Uncommon) (Level 1)
"Cannot be removed, When conscription ends class soldier will replace it unless a promotion is earned."
Effect: Your conscripted role has been refined, granting you additional combat and utility skills focused on battlefield support and healing.
Skills received.
Basic Combat Training Level 1 – Grants proficiency with standard weaponry
Iron Resolve Level 1 – Increases resistance to fatigue and fear effects, allowing you to maintain focus and strength during long skirmishes.
Endurance Level 1 – You are physically conditioned to endure long hours of labor and marching.
*Command Telepathy Level 1: You know what your orders are at all times and receive new orders from commanders or give orders to people you command; if orders are not followed, the system may issue punishments.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
Subclass: "Conscript" Soldier (Uncommon)
You are the first holder of this subclass. As such, you have unlocked a title: "Trash to Treasure."
Since this is an uncommon class, you gain
Every Level:
+2 Strength
+2 Dexterity
+1 Vitality
The young lord spoke again "Now let's all calm down and talk. You are now a conscript and can either fight or stay back and heal my knights and me as we lead the rest into battle."
Adam with no choice gritted his teeth and gave up not wanting anything to happen to Faya "I'll go with you and help heal everyone but ill need a lot of herbs i can show you what I need but for that many people I will need help, and that girl your holding is my apprentice; don't hurt her, and we will come with you.
The young lord laughed, "You never had a choice," and the knights led us away, following behind the horse. I reassured a scared Faya, and we were led to a camp We were shown to a tent and told to wait for the quartermaster to get a list of what I needed to do my job. I gave Faya a root to eat since we missed breakfast and chewed on one myself while I went over the rest of my messages and the whole stats page while we waited.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
Title Gained: Trash to Treasure
Somehow, you not only received a pseudo-Common subclass but also managed to upgrade it, which should not be possible. You are the first to accomplish this feat. As a result, you have earned the Trash to Treasure title. This title is unique and cannot be repeated by anyone else.
Effect:
Future Subclasses: All future subclasses that would normally fall under the Uncommon tier will automatically start at the Uncommon tier.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
Milestone Reached: Dexterity 25
Trait Gained: Unerring Precision
Congratulations! You have reached Dexterity 25 and gained the trait Unerring Precision. This trait enhances your physical agility, reflexes, and coordination, allowing you to execute movements with unmatched accuracy and speed.
Unerring Precision:
Enhanced Reflexes: Your reaction time is significantly improved, allowing you to react faster in combat or in high-pressure situations. You can dodge, parry, or counter attacks with remarkable swiftness.Pinpoint Accuracy: Your ability to aim, strike, or manipulate tools with exceptional skill has increased. Whether using ranged weapons, throwing objects, or performing delicate tasks, your actions are always more precise.Increased Agility: Your movement is fluid and quick, with less effort required for fast, graceful motions. You can perform acrobatics, parkour, or other feats of dexterity with ease and efficiency.
Name: Adam
Class: Herbalist (Level 8) 3795/7000
Subclass: "Conscript" Soldier (Level 1)
Race: Human
Patron: Airmed
Titles: Master of a Legendary Class, Giant Slayer, Overkill, Trash to Treasure
Traits: Slowed Aging, Enlightened Mind, Mastermind's Ingenuity, Unerring Precision
Current Status:
HP: 460/460 (6.3/min)
MP: 310/310 (6.0/min)
Stamina: 250/250 (8.8/min)
Attributes:
Strength: 17
Intelligence: 29
Dexterity: 25
Wisdom: 31
Vitality: 46
Attribute points: 0
Abilities:
Herb Identification (Passive) – You can identify and analyze any plant or herb nearby.
Garden Sanctuary You create a personal garden space that allows you to plant, grow, and nurture herbs and plants at an accelerated rate. At Level 8, 1 day in the outside world equals 8 days in the garden.
Skills:
Inspect Level 5
Taunt (Active) Level 3
Small Blades Level 7
First Aid (Passive) Level 4
Negotiation (Passive) Level 3
Instinctive Awareness Level 3
Dodge Level 5
Cultivation (Passive) Level 2
Leap (Active) Level 1
Pain Resistance (Passive) Level: 3
Alchemy (Active) level 8
Herbal Triage (Active) Level 1
Basic Combat Training (Passive) Level 1
Iron Resolve (Passive) Level 1
Endurance (Passive) Level 1
Command Telepathy Level 1
Adam wanted to get excited, but a man walked in, followed by a younger boy quickly placing his points into Strength. He closed his system window and shook the man's hand.