Chapter 21 - The Restless Night.

We played the game for a few more rounds, and it struck midnight. Ultimately, she scored the victory, despite having never played Pazaak before. I took a glance at the time, and my eyes widened in surprise. "Gods damn, we really played for a while, huh?" I said, having seen the time, the clock reading 12:04 AM.

Mana just shrugged. "Well, I'm staying up until you decide to sleep, so whatever you wanna do, you're stuck with me until then." She remarked. I sighed, getting up to see if the others were still awake. Unfortunately, luck was not in my favor today, as when I found Kara and Hazel awake, they echoed Mana's sentiment of staying awake until I slept.

At least Hazel was studying everything she could in the game, as I'd suggested to her. My hope was that she could match both myself and Kara in our respective elements, with Force usage and combat respectively.

Kara, Mana, and myself went back onto the deck, and they just quietly watched as I practiced with my powers. At one point, I accidentally fried a bird that was flying overhead with Force Storm, and it fell right next to me, and I flinched, flinging it away with a powerful Force Push.

I went at it for hours, just flinging power after power from my arsenal towards a tree. Eventually, when the tree fell, with a lot of focus, and a lot of sweat, I managed to set it down gently and quietly, though it exhausted the last of my FP, and I collapsed in between Kara and Mana, breathing hard.

"How did you feel?" I heard Kara ask. "Why do you ask?" I shoot back. "I'm just curious. I'm never going to be powerful enough to do what you just did. I was just wondering what it felt like, to have command of the Force like that." She elaborated.

I took a breath, and thought for a second. How did it feel? It was a rush, but I wanted to give more than that. "I felt alive, like life was teeming through me as I commanded the Force. I felt powerful, like nothing could touch me. It's like each time I do it, I come to bathe in the sunlight for the first time in years. It burns, but in a strangely pleasant way." I tried, in an effort to describe the feeling.

She nods, almost sadly. "I wish I could experience it the way you do. But I can't do as much with the Force as you can." I hesitate, considering something. "Maybe you can." I say carefully.

At her excited look, I elaborated. "I have no idea how to go about this, but in the game this is based from, the main character gets the opportunity to choose a Prestige class, like an upgraded version of Guardian, Sentinel, and Consular, but matching their alignment." I explained. "Ding!" I checked it, and it was a Journal Entry.

Journal Entry Added!

Journal Entry: Prestige!

Ten levels after it became available, you finally remember the ever-important Prestige classes exist, and can serve as a massive benefit for the Jedi on your team to have such things! Select your Prestige class, and get rewards to match them!

"I haven't even selected a Prestige class yet, because I don't know how, but it should be available to the Jedi of our party, since we're all above the level threshold it requires in the game." I continued. "Hey System? How can we select our Prestige classes?" I ask aloud. There was a loud "Ding!" and a few blocks of text appeared in front of myself, and it did the same for Kara.

The time to hide your presence is coming to a close, and you will need to increase your training. You are ready. Your training must increase, and there are higher mysteries you must learn. But only you know the path you will take. It cannot be chosen for you.

It is not some great test you require to be what you strive to be - it is only your decision to find that path that matters. From here on, you guide your destiny. But in order to take the next steps, you must face your past and put it to rest.

Is it battle that stirs you, to meet an enemy blade upon blade? Such is the way of the greatest of the Sith Marauders, who seek strength in war... and their rage. Or is it the ways of darkness and shadow that you seek, the power that comes from striking unseen and sensing weaknesses in others... the ways of the assassins of the Sith. Or perhaps your way lies with the Sith... and the heart of their darkness. To recognize what strength is, and bring that strength to those that follow you... and those that defy you. The way of a Sith Lord.

Then three buttons appeared, at the bottom of all the text.

Sith Marauder

Sith Assassin

Sith Lord

I hesitated. What if I could turn to the light, though? I know the perks that come with the class I wanted would stop working if I switched my alignment. Kara turned to look at me, uncertainty in her eyes as she was presented the very same options. She looked almost scared.

I'm not sure she herself knew her alignment was affected by mine. "Kara, the Prestige you choose doesn't have to match any of what the System said. It doesn't affect anything but perks you get from it. The Prestige class Sith Lord is essentially a greater, yet Sith version of the Jedi Consular. You'll have greater opportunities with Force powers, should you choose it." I advise her.

So, with that in mind, we both settled on it. We both clicked Sith Lord, and we were both presented the opportunity to level up. We both leveled up, and here was what my stats looked like afterwards:

Name: Cyrus Ambrosio Elroy

Species: Human

Class: Scoundrel, Dark Jedi Consular, Sith Lord.

Health: 400/400

FP: 1040/1040

Level: 26

Str: 29(x1.2) = 35

Con: 33(x1.2) = 40

Dex: 26(+2) = 28

Int: 42(x1.2+3) = 53

Wis: 42(+1+3+4+2) = 52

Cha: 24(x1.2+4+3+1) = 37

Computer Use: 30(+21 from Int) = 51

Demolitions: 30(+21 from Int) = 51

Stealth: 40(+9 from Dex) = 49

Awareness: 50(+21 from Wis, +2 from Jal Shey Meditation Gloves) = 73

Persuade: 50(+13 from Cha, +1 from Jal Shey Mentor Armor) = 64

Repair: 40(+21 from Int) = 61

Security: 40(+21 from Wis) = 61

Treat Injury: 50(+21 from Wis) = 71

I quickly noticed my FP was much higher than it should be. The Journal Entry updated, and I checked the rewards I got for completing it.

Rewards: New Power (Crush Opposition), +20 FP per level (to include every past level), 10,000 credits!

I grinned at my rewards, but moved on.

One thing stuck out to me about my Attributes, though. What were the extra stat points, past the multiplier from my title? It fortunately didn't take me very long to realize it was my gear, since I hadn't actually taken any of it off since I bought it. But it occurred to me that I should look into dual-wielding lightsabers, and getting more crystals for extra bonuses.

So, removing my personal crystal from my lightsaber, I sold the lightsaber, buying purple and red lightsabers. I then sat there, focusing on realigning my personal crystal. When I finished, I slid my personal crystal and a Kaiburr crystal I bought with the credits I got from selling my last lightsaber into the purple one, which I put into my equipment slot for my right hand.

I bought another Kaiburr crystal, as well as an Ankarres Sapphire for the red lightsaber. I slid the crystals into place, then put the red one in my left hand, and put them into the quick select slots. Now, my personal crystal gave me +5 Str, +3 Dex, and +4 Cha when in my hand, and, if adding the Kaiburr crystal bonuses, it gave me +6 Con, +6 Wis, and it increased my regeneration rate by a crazy amount, since I was using two of them.

The Ankarres Sapphire gave a +1 to Dex, +2 to Str, and even more of a regeneration boost. So my stats, while wearing all my gear, and holding my lightsaber, looked a little more like this:

Health: 460/460

FP: 1040/1040

Level: 26

Str: 29(x1.2+5+2) = 42

Con: 33(x1.2+3+3) = 46

Dex: 26(+2+1+3) = 32

Int: 42(x1.2+3) = 53

Wis: 42(+1+3+4+2+3+3) = 58

Cha: 24(x1.2+4+3+1+4) = 41

Computer Use: 30(+21 from Int) = 51

Demolitions: 30(+21 from Int) = 51

Stealth: 40(+11 from Dex) = 51

Awareness: 50(+24 from Wis, +2 from Jal Shey Meditation Gloves) = 76

Persuade: 50(+15 from Cha, +1 from Jal Shey Mentor Armor) = 66

Repair: 40(+21 from Int) = 61

Security: 40(+24 from Wis) = 64

Treat Injury: 50(+24 from Wis) = 74

My eyes and mind were seriously hurting from looking at glowing math equations. Too many numbers, honestly. Gamer's Mind and Body can't save me from numbers, apparently.

While I was doing this, Kara had gone inside to study Force Powers with Hazel, leaving Mana out here with me. "You've been awfully quiet. What's got you feeling so down all of a sudden?" I asked. She shrugged. "It's about that secret that isn't mine to share." She answered. I nod, standing up to practice more with my powers.

In the following hours, it did occur to me how insane my regeneration boost is now. +3 Regeneration for each Kaiburr crystal, and +2 for the Sapphire. Regeneration is a bit of a wacky mechanic in the game, but here's how it works, to my understanding.

Every 2 levels of Con you have past 10, you gain 0.3% increase in the rate you regenerate in combat. Out of combat, that base number is 1.3%. So right now, my Con modifier is +18, so that's an increase of 5.4% alone, and I noted that regeneration with low Con is still absolutely broken. I wasn't sure if it was bugged or not, but my average Con score in-game was maybe 14 or 15, so that was a 0.6% rate in regeneration.

Now, add 3% from one Kaiburr crystal. Now add another 3% from the other one. Now add 2% from the Sapphire. That's 13.4%. I'm already going to be tanking hits, even with my Dex being subpar in comparison to my other stats, but the rate at which I regenerate at might as well make me immortal, unless I'm dealt a lethal blow.

Cut off an arm? Gamer's Body is already gonna heal that right back quickly, so I can stay in peak condition, and the HP that the wound shaves from me is gonna be back in maybe a minute, at my best guess, even sooner if I just casually cut off my arm outside of a combat situation.

However, I may be misunderstanding the regeneration mechanic. Regardless, I was very happy about this development, although I was still very aware of my own mortality. It was still very easy to kill me, but anything that isn't a normally lethal blow to me won't kill me, so that was still cause to celebrate.

Unless, of course, 23 Roman Senators decide to stab me in the back. But what were the chances of that? "Hey System, remind me not to go to Rome on the 15th of March." I joked. Though, in all seriousness, a ton of attacks in quick enough succession could do it as well.

Though my insane regeneration rate sparked an idea in me. There's a power called Force Body, which allows you to shave the cost of using a Force power by a certain amount, but it uses HP instead of FP for the amount it takes off. So, say Force Body takes half the FP cost, turns it to HP. (I don't know the numbers, so this is me giving an example.)

Say I use a Force power worth 30 FP with Force Body active. It takes 15 FP, and 15 HP. My HP regenerates that in seconds, and my FP has a decent regeneration rate as well, so I'm back at full almost immediately after using a Force power. So unless someone made something to limit Force powers, Hazel's description of me being a Dark Jedi juggernaut would be spot-on.

The problem with this? I have no idea how to develop it. Maybe I could convince the System to gamble that over a game of Pazaak? I gamble my remaining credits, and it gambles that power. But why risk that? The System could demand higher stakes, and I didn't want to risk that.

So, with that, I just elected to keep training my powers. As the sun rose, Mana left, and Hazel came to replace her. "Is there something you wish to say, or are you just here to observe as I train?" I ask bluntly. She takes a breath, and starts talking.

"I've studied all the powers, and I've emulated those I think are important to the best of my ability, and gained access to them, but I feel like there's still so much more I could learn." I silently raise a brow, not turning to face her, then she drops a quote I never thought I'd see outside the game, especially not spoken to me.

"I want you to teach me more about the Force."

A/N: I know, I know, this is getting a lot more into the jargon that is the functions of certain items and things in the Knights of the Old Republic games. Now, I know I'm gonna get a review going "But Mal, that's not how the regen mechanic works!" I don't care. It's how I'm writing it. If I'm going to be totally honest, I didn't and still don't fully understand the mechanic. Math is my arch-enemy, if you must know.