Goats And Heroes

I was created to be a sacrifice to the world, and anytime I tried to take something for myself, the world punished me. My life started on a farm where I worked myself to the bone for my father and sister. All because I had a special talent. Anything I cultivated could miraculously make anyone stronger, faster, or heal horrible injuries. But not me; nothing I made could benefit me in any way. The only way I could improve myself was through hard work. The day my world changed started like any other. I awoke hours before sunrise when it was still cool. Out my window, I watched the farm under the moonlight. Frost covered the lush green grass shining like strings of silver. Rows upon rows of tall crops stood firm in the distance vines of potatoes, tall stalks of asparagus, corn, and wheat. My sweat and blood made the soil fertile, and the crops I grew were always hardy. A row of pineapple trees grew high in our orchard, bearing fat fruit even when it snowed. From the moment I could walk, my earliest memories were of the grass growing up to my ankles with my every step. That was before I learned how to keep my power contained. Then, a flash on the moonlit pond in the distance caught my attention. A massive silver-scaled catfish leaped out of the water and turned its attention to me before falling back inside. A small smile fought the resentment bubbling in my chest. If I could make one of them my familiar, then maybe I could become strong too. My curse won’t apply if I’m connected to a familiar, or I hoped it wouldn’t. Unfortunately, a familiar bond could only be made with something weaker than myself. And even the weakest fish in our pond is stronger than me. The newborn goats have higher stats than me. I could see our goat pins in the distance and the white coats of the many dogs running around the farm. My sister’s familiar, a massive shaggy dog with crimson fur named Fred, ran down a lvl20 goblin before it could sneak into a pin. The dog bit down on the poor green creature and shook its head from side to side, and I looked away. Eating just one of our goats would make a tribe of goblins much more powerful. I sucked in a breath of cool air and rolled out of bed onto the floor. Parts of the floor where my skin touched as I struggled almost glowed with a healthy luster. The world was governed by the great gods Da, Nim, Istra, and Rot, and through them, the great system functioned. Those who fought hard against monsters and gained levels were given points. Everyone was born with a special skill tree and could gain other skill trees. By using skills, they would level up and become better. For the good of my family, my points were spent on improving my skills. And unlike the rest of my family, points were hard to come by for me. I couldn’t gain points by eating the food I made, and neither my father nor sister had any levels in cooking. But I wouldn’t let that get to me. I still wanted to make something of my life. So, I pressed my hands against the lustrous wooden floor and pushed up. My routine took an hour, but I managed to push up 300 times. +1STR STR 20 I thought I was getting close, but to think I was close enough to leap over the edge. Pure happiness flooded my body at the prompt. Finally, I managed to break out of the teens. My muscles felt just a little bigger, even if it was my imagination. Last year before my father showed me the exorcise, I had only had 10STR. Maybe he could teach me something new, and I could gain even more STR. Most would call it stupid, but I had a dream. I wanted to be the strongest person in all of Noma County. Unfortunately, I’m not even as strong as one of our kids; on average, their STR was 50. If they didn’t listen to me, I wouldn’t be able to work the farm. Our donkey had an STR of 800, and our father had an STR of 5k. I was weak now, but everything would get easier once my STR hit 50. That would make me strong enough to wear armor, a sword, and a shield. Then, I could become an adventurer like my father did when he was younger than me. A banging on the door rattled me out of my thoughts. “Big brother, get up. I’m hungry. I know your awake I cans see your level through the door.” That was my little sister Violet; she’s 13 and always hungry. I thought about feigning sleep so I could do another set, but I didn’t want to ruin my stamina before the day began. I knew if I capitulated, she would do it again, but my sister was cute. “Fine, let me get dressed.” Our kitchen was well furnished; our father spared no expense. This was where he and my sister had the most gains, and I cooked. I think he really wanted the experience to be enjoyable for me. Cast iron pans hung on hooks above the rare pipe system called a sink recently washed with scented soap. I could twist a lever, and water poured out; I didn’t need to go to the pond with a bucket anymore. A powerful wood stove sat in the middle of the kitchen, enchanted by the local enchanter’s guild to start with the turn of a nob. Knives of all kinds sharp enough to cut through the toughest hide were in easy reach. Even with my low strength, I could wield them. He made sure that I could easily cook for them despite my low stats. We even had a cold storage box to keep ingredients longer called an icebox. I used ingredients grown by my own hands or fed by me. High-level animals or plants yielded high-level food. Combining that food into a dish boosted the effects even more. Our icebox still had a solid piece in it left by our father. Not only was he a mighty warrior, but he knew magic too. I couldn’t wait to go on my own adventure and become as strong as him. So, after I organized my ingredients, lit the woodstove, and scooped out a chunk of lard, it was time to check my stats. I visualized what I wanted to do and performed the holy rite. “Status,” I said and summoned a blue screen. Red lvl10 Titles: N/A Familiars: N/A Rank: I – No Modifiers Enhancements: N/A Breakthroughs: N/A Perks: Goat Whisperer, Cultivator, Family Chef HP: 90 Stamina: 5% VIT 9 STR 20 AGL 12 INT 8 WIS 8 CHA 5 LUK 5 Curse: Rot’s Revenge – No Cultivation skill or skill tree can directly benefit the user. Skills: Cultivation Tree 274 of 2000Points Cultivation lvl50 Potion Craft lvl60 Pill Making lvl1 Spirit Cooking lvl76 Spirit Cuisine lvl5 Animal Care lvl79 Spirit Beast Care lvl3 Farming Tree 365 of 1300Points Farming lvl70 Planting lvl80 Harvesting lvl10 Rearing lvl70 Slaughtering lvl8 Watering lvl60 Irrigation lvl5 Feeding lvl60 Grazing lvl2 Training Tree 20-1300Points Training lvl20 According to father, there was a legend once a skill tree is finished, half the points are refunded, and a special perk is awarded. But no one in living memory has been able to complete a skill tree. Getting even one skill to 100 is difficult, and it would be impossible unless someone gave every level to it. But what if I could get some levels and devote them to cultivation. That would give me plenty of points. I could really become strong enough to fight monsters and level up. I shook my head at my head and focused on cooking. Daydreaming could wait until I’m done with morning chores. “Hey, what are you thinking about?” Violet twirled one of her long blond braids as I focused on the eggs, putting a little bit of cultivation into each one. Small wisps of energy that would never come back to me filled the eggs before I cracked them in the pan. I did the same with the cheese, and milk violet had for her morning eggs, then I put on some ogre sausage and goat sirloin. Both ingredients happily drained away at the wispy green energy flowing out of my body. I gently funneled the right amount of power into the ingredients to ensure they would give the maximum effects. “I was thinking about what I should cook for lunch,” I said. “Don’t bother. I’m bringing food home and cooking it myself; don’t touch anything.” I didn’t have the heart to tell her no. Even if she found something rare, she didn’t have the cooking skill. 90% of positive effects would be diminished. Violet might never get the cooking skill. I’ve swung my practice sword for ages but never gained a sword skill or a hint of a sword tree. The first time she picked up a sword, she gained the powerful Phoenix Sword skill tree. Father taught her our family spells even though we aren’t noble-born. Father was disinherited for marrying our mother. Stamina: 8% Eating wouldn’t heal my stamina like it would Violet, and since I was the only one cooking, it was a finite amount. I grabbed a slice of bread and tried to restrain my energy, but small bits of it still flowed into the bread, locking all its stat benefits from me. After toasting the bread, I plated and made a separate plate for father for whenever he woke up. Spirit Breakfast – A heaven-defying meal of eggs, meat, and toast filled with the powerful energies of the Red. Every bite is guaranteed to be delicious and beneficial to anyone wishing to advance. Cultivation Bonus x10 Health Boost 6hrs x10 Stamina Boost 6hrs +500 Physical Stat Boost 6hrs +500% Health Recover 6hrs +500% Stamina recovery 6hrs x10 Exp Gain 6hrs x10 Skill Gain 6hrs x10 Stat Gain 6hrs +10 VIT Permanent +10 STR Permanent +10 AGL Permanent +10 INT Permanent +10 WIS Permanent +10 CHA Permanent +10 LUK Permanent Yet I could never benefit from it. The stupid curse I was born with barred me from benefiting from my own power. My father made me invest all my points in my skills, and my sister coddled me. This life I lived was better than most people could dream of, and I shouldn’t feel resentful. My power helped my family; it helped us survive and thrive here. Outside, our farm people barely made it off this land. I should feel happy and content with this life. The sun began its slow march to crest the hill and make my day enjoyable. When the sun shines bright, I always feel much better. I can still reach for my dream under the sun despite my flaws. I leaned through the window and looked out over the farm. One of the roosters started crowing, and for a second, I let myself enjoy the moment and look away from my sister. This was my farm, and with my power, it was beautiful. Even my sister seemed to glow like the sun itself. Maybe it was time to accept that all I could do was support others. Even if I was weak, I could make others strong. Something flickered on the edge of my vision, far across our field. Near the woods where Violet goes to grind experience, I saw a black shape vanish. I blinked for a second, thinking I had imagined the whole thing. Maybe it was another goblin off in the distance; I couldn’t know for sure. “Yummy, this is even better than it was yesterday. You’re the best. I will kill extra trolls to keep you safe while you work.” Violet said. A small smile spread across my face because she was right. I needed her, or else even the weakest mob in the woods outside our farm could kill me. Even the goats would fair better against even the weakest goblin than I would. “Thank you, that means the world to me.” She quickly finished her meal and put her plate in the dirty pile. I would do it later. But unfortunately, Violet had more important things to do than clean her plate. I stepped outside and felt better. Then, when the sun hit me. Stamina 5% Some of the exhaustion from my morning workout and cooking vanished; unlike food or water, sunlight leaked through the green stuff surrounding my body and made me feel better. But, I had work to do, and it was going to be a nice sunny day. I turned to Violet. She was strapping on a steel breastplate and belting her sword. Father made the small steel blade and had it enchanted a year ago for her birthday. He gave me a book on familiars that I read cover to cover but couldn’t use. Even the skill-familiar bond was beyond me without a potential familiar. “Look after yourself out there, and don’t take any big risks.” “Don’t worry, I’m stronger than anything the forest can dish out. No troll, ogre, or Oni is tougher than me.” Violet said and smiled brightly. My head felt like it was made of cotton, as it often did when she smiled. It was her charisma. I used to think it was also a sign I was something special. Besides their father, everyone Violet talks to became a stuttering mess or openly worshiped her as a goddess. She only makes me feel a little lightheaded. But when a noble came to call upon her, I learned that wasn’t the case. Being related gave me some immunity to her Charisma stat, nothing more. My only specialty has always been to make others stronger. Unaware of my thoughts Violet tossed her pigtails back and put on the shiny helmet I bought for her last time we went into town. Then, after she slipped her boots and leather gloves on, she was ready to head out. A year ago, her STR had been 2k and rising quickly. I wondered if she had already reached the level cap and ranked up. Only those destined to be heroes ranked up before age 15, but it would be Violet if anyone could. I would like to say it was all me, but my father was a hero. All my role had amounted to was helping her raise her stats a little higher. Maybe she would be the first person to max out a skill tree.