World Upgrade

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Once the last staff member had gotten themselves into as comfortable a sleeping position as they could manage, she felt the silky smooth cool texture of the Whisper Weave Cloak as she retrieved it with a thought. Stepping into her unlocked chest, she draped it around herself as she sat down, so it would appear to anyone happening to observe that she had merely curled up in the Storage Chest to sleep.

The darkness hid her vague outline as she clambered aboard the ship, the cloak only guaranteeing true invisibility with no motion. Head lowered to keep her hood in place, a life time of gymnastics to hone the natural flexibility of hypermobility made it a cake walk. Scrambling foot literally over hand at times, she silently boarded the aft side. Trembling with adrenaline at her own daring, heart racing, she bounced down the wheelhouse steps to the cabin on the balls of her feet, in utter silence. The bracelet was exactly where Mrs. Lipton had left it. On a side table as decoration. The Tier Three Boat creaked, rocking with the waves, her entry undetected she crossed the small space then snatched the bracelet into one of her hoodie pockets, zipping it closed. Turning silently to leave, she received a notification.

‘Unlocked Thief Class. Accept’ She accepted, smothering a snicker escaping her lips with her small hand.

Thief Class Tier 1 Level 1

Core Daily Grind Tasks:

Contorting into a physical shape under 1 meter: 5 EXP

Looting common items : 15 EXP

Looting Special items 30 EXP

Completing 1 hour of solo flexibility, balance, or weight exercise: 20 EXP

Executing any successful transaction via the Cross-Server Black Market: 100 EXP

Skill Activations : Appraisal Pulse (+10 EXP) / Shifting Mirage (+15 EXP).

Unlocks: Appraisal Pulse (Level 1), Cross-Server Black Market (Level 1).

She grinned at the notification listing down her Class information, it would be written in her profile, opening it with a thought she saw her stats. Turning to face the transparent screen on the cabin quarters door.

Strength: 7/10

Agility: 10/10

Constitution: 7/10

Intelligence: 8/10

Charisma: 6/10

Health Points HP: 70

Magic Points: 80

She was satisfied with the stats she started with, constitution would be the priority for improvement, rereading the effects of Appraisal Pulse

Skill 1: Appraisal Pulse

Level 1: The Value Scan. Instantly highlights the physical direction and distance of the nearest chest, cargo drop, or resource pile with a minimum valuation of Rare within a 50-meter radius. [10 EXP per activation]. No cool down, cost 10 Magic Points

She activated the Appraisal Pulse, notification dropping down.

‘Thief Class Tier 1 Level 1 10/50 EXP’

‘Magic Points 70/80’

Excitement filled her with a long since felt rush, as a red haze drew together from every inch of her vision, to compress into a red pulsing dot. The dot moved from the middle of her vision to pulse near the cabin quarters door. More loot was near the sleeping Liptons.

Skill 2: Shifting Mirage

Level 1: Invisibility lasts for 5 seconds. Sound from footsteps is dampened. [15 exp per activation] 5 minute cooldown, cost 15 Magic Points

The Thief Class Shifting Mirage Skill was similar to the Whisper Cloak, a shorter more effective version of invisibility.

Skill 3: Thief Tax

Level 1: 10% bonus of all loot obtained, traded and stolen

Skill 4: Personal Inventory

Level 1: 20 stackable slots

Skill 5: Cross Sector Black Market

Level 1: 24-Hour Blind Link. Opens a hidden digital storefront to sell looted goods to other players across sector lines (Sellers only; can not Buy). Bypasses server economy rules. The link randomly generates an unknown sector destination and stays open for a continuous 24-hour window once a week. Able to add and save an unlimited number of players from these alternate servers to friends list from day one, enabling immediate repeat sales within the active window. [Grants 100 EXP per successful transaction].

Her eyes popped at the third skill, 10% was level one, she was impatiently excited to see how high that percentage could rise. Cross Sector Black Market, she had a way to communicate with other sectors, a limited one, but still a way. Walking on the balls of her feet, she slipped silently through the bowel of the ship to the sleeping Liptons. The Master cabin came with a large double bed, unmovable storage, she couldn't just pick up the locked chest, without her Class activation, she wouldn't have known of it let alone have access. An ornately carved wardrobe and matching dresser with a large rectangular mirror above filled the room. The lightless hallway opened into the starlit forecabin, the triangular room offering vague outlines like it wore a cloak also.

Crossing the room in soft steps she glided like a shadow to the locked storage chest, hand touching the lock, the inventory opened in her virtual screen. What was left of the basic resources, and random items she assumed were from the Liptons starter chest, as it included the conch used against the staff on day one. She emptied the chest into her personal inventory with a thought 13/20.

‘Stolen Common Items 15EXP’

‘Thief Class Tier 1 Level 1: 25/50 EXP’

‘Stolen Special Items 30EXP’

‘Thief Class Tier 1 Level 2: 05/60 EXP’

She would have to test at a later date if she received more experience moving the items one at a time. Glancing up from at the sleeping forms sprawled across the soft bed, she noticed a slight blue glow above Mr and Mrs Lipton, Creeping closer she saw it was their Ocean Coin balance, Mrs Lipton has 5oc and Mr Lipton had 75oc, nothing happened with a thought. Remembering she was touching the chest when she could access the inventory she paused. Was she daring enough.

She was. Moving fast with blank thought she gently brushed her fingers against Mr Liptons arm and tried to move the Ocean Coins with a thought. His blue glow changed to 0oc.

‘Stolen Common Items 15EXP’

‘Thief Class Tier 1 Level 2: 20/60 EXP’

She drew in a sharp breath at the victory, smiling as she turned to sweep from the room it vanished as she saw the frown drawing across Mr Liptons brow, with a twitch he opened his eyes, he heard her. In the dregs of sleep it took him until she was back aboard her raft, pulling tethers free to realize the blur flying from the room were not his eyes playing tricks on him. Waking Mrs Lipton they hurriedly shuffled to the aftdeck.

She was twenty meter from the ship now, her raft dark with no fire burning, moving with the current in the direct they had been traveling all afternoon, she was swept out and almost out of sight as the Liptons stood at the rails, heads bobbing in anger as they tried to make out the rafts below.

“Who was it!” Mr lipton demanded, spitting in anger, a general commotion with a few clunking bangs echoed to her. Just as the last of her outlined blended into the darkness she was discovered. “Miss Thorn!” Angered disbelief colored Mr Liptons tone, “Paige!” Her name roared out into the night.