1
00:00:04,799 --> 00:00:07,799
Speaker 1: Hello, friends from across the nation and around the world.

2
00:00:08,039 --> 00:00:11,960
I'm Martin and you are listening to Dad's Bedtime Stories.

3
00:00:12,480 --> 00:00:15,519
Tonight we're going to be jumping back into the Magic

4
00:00:15,839 --> 00:00:20,000
Library series because I got a listener idea that we're

5
00:00:20,000 --> 00:00:21,000
going to listen to right now.

6
00:00:22,440 --> 00:00:27,359
Speaker 2: Hi, Dad's Potent Stories. It's me and JD again. I

7
00:00:27,480 --> 00:00:34,320
want to suggest something for the Magic Library series. It's

8
00:00:34,359 --> 00:00:40,039
like you are you are like a wizard, and do

9
00:00:40,079 --> 00:00:44,159
you go on a quest to save a village and stuff.

10
00:00:44,520 --> 00:00:50,320
It's kind of like RPG adventure type story thing, and

11
00:00:50,399 --> 00:00:55,200
you like fight a dragon or whatever, like some classic stuff.

12
00:00:56,119 --> 00:00:57,240
I love your podcast.

13
00:00:58,200 --> 00:01:01,560
Speaker 1: Well, JD, that is a great and shout out to

14
00:01:01,640 --> 00:01:03,920
Zeke as well, who I know left me some ideas

15
00:01:03,920 --> 00:01:07,239
with you, don't. I don't know if I'm going to

16
00:01:07,280 --> 00:01:09,920
get to the dragon fighting part or the village saving part,

17
00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:11,840
because I kind of got carried away in the beginning

18
00:01:11,840 --> 00:01:15,000
of this story, but it started based on this idea,

19
00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:17,719
and frankly, we may just have to do a part too.

20
00:01:17,879 --> 00:01:20,359
So yeah, let me know your ideas and what you

21
00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:23,879
think of this part. JD, and well anyone else who's

22
00:01:23,920 --> 00:01:26,319
listening to I love to hear your thoughts and what

23
00:01:26,400 --> 00:01:29,280
you think should happen next. Maybe we'll do a part

24
00:01:29,319 --> 00:01:32,760
two next week, what do you think about that. Before

25
00:01:32,799 --> 00:01:35,120
we get started with a story, I do want to

26
00:01:35,159 --> 00:01:38,319
give a couple big shoutouts. First of all, thank you

27
00:01:38,439 --> 00:01:42,239
to a lease from Colorado for sponsoring me on Patreon.

28
00:01:42,799 --> 00:01:44,799
That really means a lot and goes a long way

29
00:01:44,799 --> 00:01:48,920
to keeping the lights on here at the Dad's Bedtime Studios,

30
00:01:49,719 --> 00:01:53,159
which is my basement. If you want to support the podcast,

31
00:01:53,159 --> 00:01:55,640
there's lots of ways to do it. First of all,

32
00:01:55,680 --> 00:01:58,359
of course, you can sign up for Patreon. You get

33
00:01:58,400 --> 00:02:02,480
to add free episodes of all of these stories as

34
00:02:02,480 --> 00:02:07,280
well as Dad's Anytime Stories, my other new podcast, plus

35
00:02:07,359 --> 00:02:10,000
some more direct access to me to chat with me

36
00:02:10,080 --> 00:02:13,319
and that sort of thing. But otherwise you can also

37
00:02:13,479 --> 00:02:16,639
leave me a rating or review. Five star ratings on

38
00:02:16,759 --> 00:02:20,599
iTunes or Apple podcasts make a really big difference to

39
00:02:20,639 --> 00:02:25,120
other people finding the show. Same thing on Spotify and

40
00:02:25,479 --> 00:02:28,159
probably a bunch of other platforms that had ratings on them.

41
00:02:28,199 --> 00:02:32,400
I don't know, I'm on everything, but now I should

42
00:02:32,479 --> 00:02:37,360
probably get on with the story. Close your eyes, get

43
00:02:37,400 --> 00:02:40,199
as comfy as you can in that bed, and imagine

44
00:02:40,199 --> 00:02:45,560
yourself doing what the kid in the story does, because

45
00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:51,159
after all, you are the main character here. Imagine yourself

46
00:02:51,240 --> 00:02:55,400
sitting around in your room once again. It's not exactly

47
00:02:55,439 --> 00:02:59,439
a bad day, nothing terrible's happened or anything like that,

48
00:03:00,240 --> 00:03:03,680
but it's another one of those days where things are

49
00:03:03,719 --> 00:03:10,159
feeling a little bit boring. You look at some toys, eh,

50
00:03:10,560 --> 00:03:16,400
you look at some books maybe, and then you see

51
00:03:16,439 --> 00:03:22,319
something else. The key, the old, ancient looking key to

52
00:03:23,280 --> 00:03:28,759
the magic library, and suddenly you're sure the day is

53
00:03:28,800 --> 00:03:32,680
about to improve. Because if there's one thing that can

54
00:03:32,719 --> 00:03:36,840
fix a boring day, it's a secret magical library hidden

55
00:03:36,879 --> 00:03:39,960
behind a door that can appear in the well, any wall,

56
00:03:40,520 --> 00:03:44,800
any wall, anywhere in the world. You hop off your bed,

57
00:03:45,280 --> 00:03:49,759
walk across the room, pick up the key, and carry

58
00:03:49,800 --> 00:03:53,560
it over to a blank part of the wall. Just

59
00:03:53,639 --> 00:03:58,680
before the key touches the wall, a key hole appears.

60
00:03:59,360 --> 00:04:03,039
You slide the key into the keyhole and turn it.

61
00:04:03,840 --> 00:04:07,199
There's a click, and then a glowing outline of a

62
00:04:07,319 --> 00:04:11,280
door appears in the wall. You pull it open and

63
00:04:11,439 --> 00:04:15,759
step through. On the other side are the familiar stone

64
00:04:15,879 --> 00:04:20,720
steps leading downward, followed by a long hallway lit by

65
00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:25,959
magical blue torches. The flames flicker without any smoke at all.

66
00:04:26,120 --> 00:04:31,199
Somehow you make your way down the steps, through the corridor,

67
00:04:31,879 --> 00:04:35,839
and eventually you reach the great wooden door at the

68
00:04:35,920 --> 00:04:40,720
far end. You grab the handle, pull it open, and

69
00:04:40,959 --> 00:04:48,800
step inside the Magic Library. As always, it's enormous. The

70
00:04:48,839 --> 00:04:52,839
Magic Library is a place where every adventure ever written,

71
00:04:53,279 --> 00:04:59,120
every story ever told, and every adventure ever imagined appears

72
00:04:59,120 --> 00:05:02,680
in the form of a book, which means there are

73
00:05:02,680 --> 00:05:07,560
copies of cards of power in there too. Somewhere. Some

74
00:05:07,600 --> 00:05:14,000
books contain fairy tales, some pirate quests, some space battles,

75
00:05:14,120 --> 00:05:20,439
dragon kingdoms, magical mysteries, and, as I said, books where

76
00:05:20,879 --> 00:05:26,480
magical cards rule the universe. But the books here don't

77
00:05:26,560 --> 00:05:29,839
just sit on the shelves waiting to be read. They

78
00:05:30,279 --> 00:05:35,000
come to life, as you know, They pull you right

79
00:05:35,120 --> 00:05:39,319
into them. They let you become a part of the adventure.

80
00:05:40,600 --> 00:05:45,199
Shelves stretch upward further than you can see. Balconies circle

81
00:05:45,240 --> 00:05:50,000
around upper levels, Winding staircases connect one floor to another.

82
00:05:50,639 --> 00:05:54,639
Cozy reading nooks are tucked between the stacks with pillows

83
00:05:54,680 --> 00:06:00,199
and blankets and chairs that look almost too comfortable. And

84
00:06:00,839 --> 00:06:05,519
everywhere books drift through the air, flapping their covers like

85
00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:14,000
little wings. Welcome back, says a familiar voice the librarian. Hey,

86
00:06:14,560 --> 00:06:17,680
you say, well, what kind of book do you have

87
00:06:17,800 --> 00:06:18,600
for me today?

88
00:06:19,439 --> 00:06:19,600
Speaker 3: Hum?

89
00:06:20,519 --> 00:06:25,720
Speaker 1: Well, I thought you might enjoy something a little different,

90
00:06:26,319 --> 00:06:33,480
says the librarian. Ah, a wizarding world. Perhaps you perk

91
00:06:33,600 --> 00:06:40,839
up immediately. Magic, lots of magic, says the librarian. But

92
00:06:41,680 --> 00:06:47,079
this is not an ordinary wizard story. This particular book

93
00:06:47,199 --> 00:06:53,800
is what some readers call a literary RPG, or lit

94
00:06:54,160 --> 00:07:03,040
RPG for short. Uh Ah, what you respond? A literary RPG,

95
00:07:03,759 --> 00:07:09,439
says the librarian. It's getting rather popular lately. It means

96
00:07:09,480 --> 00:07:12,639
a world of the story works a little bit like

97
00:07:12,759 --> 00:07:18,759
a game, not necessarily a game itself, but where game

98
00:07:19,399 --> 00:07:25,959
like characters often have levels, classes, skills, health, stammina magica,

99
00:07:26,360 --> 00:07:31,920
inventories that are somewhat magical, quests and rewards, that sort

100
00:07:31,920 --> 00:07:37,079
of thing. Oh, you say, slowly, So like a video game,

101
00:07:37,120 --> 00:07:42,319
buck Ah in a way, Yes, except when you enter

102
00:07:42,439 --> 00:07:46,680
it you don't simply read about the choices. You make

103
00:07:46,800 --> 00:07:53,079
them yourself. Well, that definitely sounds interesting. So I get

104
00:07:53,120 --> 00:08:01,120
to choose powers yes, and uh and skills yeah, and

105
00:08:01,240 --> 00:08:07,079
maybe a dragon. The librarian pauses. I thought you might ask,

106
00:08:07,240 --> 00:08:12,079
that from somewhere high above, a book flaps down through

107
00:08:12,120 --> 00:08:15,839
the air. It glides in a circle around a staircase,

108
00:08:16,360 --> 00:08:20,079
swoops over the reading area, and lands in your hands.

109
00:08:21,040 --> 00:08:24,480
The cover shows a glowing blue portal in the middle

110
00:08:24,480 --> 00:08:28,759
of a forest. On one side is an ordinary boy

111
00:08:28,920 --> 00:08:33,000
wearing normal earth clothes, and on the other is a

112
00:08:33,120 --> 00:08:38,559
village surrounded by mountains, towers, monsters, and a small dragon

113
00:08:38,639 --> 00:08:45,200
flying beside him. The title reads World System the Mage

114
00:08:45,240 --> 00:08:50,879
of Emberfall. Oh eh, that does look pretty cool, you say,

115
00:08:51,639 --> 00:08:56,840
I thought you would approve, says the librarian. You head

116
00:08:56,919 --> 00:08:59,639
down to the reading area and settle into one of

117
00:08:59,639 --> 00:09:03,639
the big couches. You pull a big blanket over your

118
00:09:03,720 --> 00:09:08,919
legs and open the book. Instead of normal pages, a

119
00:09:09,000 --> 00:09:14,519
swirling blue portal glows inside the cover. You lean toward it.

120
00:09:15,440 --> 00:09:19,639
The familiar pulling feeling grabs hold of you, and suddenly

121
00:09:19,720 --> 00:09:24,399
you're sucked forward through the light, through wind, through something

122
00:09:24,399 --> 00:09:27,360
that feels a little bit like falling and a little

123
00:09:27,399 --> 00:09:31,080
bit like being sucked through a straw at the same time.

124
00:09:32,240 --> 00:09:36,919
When you open your eyes, you're standing in darkness, not

125
00:09:37,159 --> 00:09:41,840
like scary darkness or anything like that, more like waiting

126
00:09:41,919 --> 00:09:46,039
room darkness. A glowing message appears in front of you.

127
00:09:47,480 --> 00:09:54,799
Welcome JD of Earth. Oh, you say, I guess I'm JD.

128
00:09:55,039 --> 00:09:59,960
In this story. The librarian's voice begins to narrate a round.

129
00:10:01,360 --> 00:10:06,000
Speaker 4: J D had been an ordinary kid from Earth. He'd

130
00:10:06,080 --> 00:10:09,720
gone to sleep in his own bed, in his own room,

131
00:10:10,320 --> 00:10:16,120
in his very own, very normal world. But when he

132
00:10:16,360 --> 00:10:22,399
opened his eyes, he found himself somewhere else, entirely, a

133
00:10:22,559 --> 00:10:30,440
place between worlds, a place where choices mattered. Another message appears.

134
00:10:31,480 --> 00:10:40,279
Select your class. Suddenly, glowing symbols flowed all around you. Warrior, Ranger, Engineer,

135
00:10:40,480 --> 00:10:46,799
Beast Tamer, Shadow, Sneak, Star, Night Alchemist, Inventor, battle chef.

136
00:10:47,600 --> 00:10:52,120
The battle chef, you say. A little description appears beneath

137
00:10:52,159 --> 00:10:56,480
it uses enchanted cooking tools to defeat enemies and prepare

138
00:10:56,720 --> 00:11:02,519
powerful meals. Huh think I'm gonna choose that one. The

139
00:11:02,600 --> 00:11:08,240
symbols continue to rotate Time Adept, Crystal, Monk, mech Pilot,

140
00:11:08,720 --> 00:11:16,639
Dragon Rider, Mage, You stop, Mage. Something feels right about

141
00:11:16,720 --> 00:11:20,840
that one. You touch the glowing symbol.

142
00:11:21,000 --> 00:11:26,639
Speaker 1: Are you sure you wish to select Mage? Yes, you say,

143
00:11:26,879 --> 00:11:33,840
I've always wanted magical powers. Class selected Mage Starting attribute

144
00:11:33,879 --> 00:11:39,799
points available fifteen three glowing bars appear in front of you.

145
00:11:40,399 --> 00:11:46,559
Health red bar, stamina a green bar, and magic a

146
00:11:46,600 --> 00:11:52,360
blue bar. The librarian begins to narrate again. J D

147
00:11:52,720 --> 00:11:57,559
knew that health would help him survive, and stamina would

148
00:11:57,559 --> 00:12:04,600
help him run crime and dull. But magic was well magic,

149
00:12:05,200 --> 00:12:08,919
and j D did not come all away to another

150
00:12:09,159 --> 00:12:14,200
universe just to be sensible, as he often did when

151
00:12:14,279 --> 00:12:20,039
playing video games. J D stacked his points in the

152
00:12:20,200 --> 00:12:26,120
magic category. That sounds fair, You say, you put two

153
00:12:26,240 --> 00:12:29,039
points into health, because I mean you need a little

154
00:12:29,039 --> 00:12:34,000
bit of health, three points into stamina, and ten points

155
00:12:34,039 --> 00:12:41,360
into magic. The magic bar glows brightly. Interesting choice, says

156
00:12:41,399 --> 00:12:45,919
a new voice. You spin around floating in the air

157
00:12:46,000 --> 00:12:51,120
beside you as a tiny dragonling. He's about the size

158
00:12:51,159 --> 00:12:55,720
of a cat, with red scales, golden eyes, and small

159
00:12:55,799 --> 00:12:59,960
wings that flap quickly to keep him in place. Who

160
00:13:00,720 --> 00:13:06,000
who are you you ask? Ah? The name's Zeke, says

161
00:13:06,039 --> 00:13:12,879
the dragonling, proudly, your familiar guide advisor, you know, the

162
00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:19,720
voice of reason. Do BY pick you? Or did I

163
00:13:19,799 --> 00:13:24,200
pick you? Ah? Well you kind of already did, sort

164
00:13:24,240 --> 00:13:27,879
of Your heart picked me anyways before your brain could

165
00:13:27,879 --> 00:13:34,200
even look at the other options. Interesting, you say, familiar

166
00:13:34,360 --> 00:13:43,279
selected dragonling, starting spells, unlocked flames, frost, lightning, healing and

167
00:13:44,000 --> 00:13:50,320
energy sap. The darkness disappears. Suddenly you're standing on a

168
00:13:50,360 --> 00:13:53,759
dirt road at the edge of a small village. Wooden

169
00:13:53,840 --> 00:13:59,080
houses line the road. Smoke rises from chimneys. A blacksmith

170
00:13:59,120 --> 00:14:04,720
hammer's metal so somewhere nearby, chickens wander around like well,

171
00:14:04,879 --> 00:14:10,080
chickens do. Beyond the village are green fields, dark forests,

172
00:14:10,519 --> 00:14:14,960
and mountains rising in the distance. A glowing message appears,

173
00:14:15,720 --> 00:14:23,840
Welcome to Emberfall, Starter Village, Beginner Region, Starter Village. You

174
00:14:23,919 --> 00:14:29,399
say that seems safe, Zeke snorts a tiny puff of smoke.

175
00:14:30,440 --> 00:14:35,840
That's what Starter Villages wants you to think. Oh great,

176
00:14:36,679 --> 00:14:40,679
come on, he says, before you do anything, aroic are

177
00:14:40,759 --> 00:14:46,679
extremely foolish, and we should probably practice. Most people grow

178
00:14:46,840 --> 00:14:51,559
up understanding the system and their powers. But people like you,

179
00:14:51,919 --> 00:14:58,440
who well suddenly transport here from well other universes eh

180
00:14:58,639 --> 00:15:02,960
often a bit at lost. Zeke leads you to a

181
00:15:03,000 --> 00:15:07,120
fenced training area behind the village. Wooden targets are set

182
00:15:07,200 --> 00:15:10,080
up in a row, along with a few straw dummies.

183
00:15:11,120 --> 00:15:18,240
Magic is about affinity, focus and release. Just think of

184
00:15:18,320 --> 00:15:22,720
the type of magic. You want feel it inside you

185
00:15:22,840 --> 00:15:28,080
move it towards your hands, man, push it forward. Honestly,

186
00:15:28,240 --> 00:15:31,720
it's more about what it feels like. Once you do

187
00:15:31,799 --> 00:15:35,679
it once, it'll be easy, I promise. Man. If you

188
00:15:35,720 --> 00:15:39,080
have any trouble, just say the spell name out loud

189
00:15:39,120 --> 00:15:43,159
at first. That should help you lift one hand up

190
00:15:43,200 --> 00:15:48,600
toward the target. Flames, you say. As you try to

191
00:15:48,639 --> 00:15:53,360
focus on the idea of fire, Warmth gathers in your chest,

192
00:15:53,840 --> 00:15:58,559
moves down your arm, and bursts from your palm. A

193
00:15:58,600 --> 00:16:04,200
plume of fire shoots forward and scorches the target. Destruction

194
00:16:04,440 --> 00:16:11,960
magic increased. Oh wow, you say, yeah, says Zeke. Now

195
00:16:12,519 --> 00:16:18,919
try frost. You focus on cold this time. The feeling's different,

196
00:16:19,559 --> 00:16:24,200
sort of sharper, like winter air in your lungs. You

197
00:16:24,240 --> 00:16:28,639
push it forward through your arm, through your hand, and

198
00:16:28,919 --> 00:16:33,279
a blast of icy mist hits the next dummy, freezing

199
00:16:33,320 --> 00:16:36,399
it in place and coating it in a thin layer

200
00:16:36,480 --> 00:16:42,720
of ice. All right, Try the lightning, Zeke says. As

201
00:16:42,799 --> 00:16:47,919
you focus inward on the idea of lightning, Well, it

202
00:16:48,039 --> 00:16:53,960
starts to feel a little jumpy and wild. Energy crackles

203
00:16:54,000 --> 00:16:59,240
through your fingers. You aim carefully and release it a

204
00:16:59,279 --> 00:17:03,000
bolt of lightning flashes from your hand and strikes the target,

205
00:17:03,519 --> 00:17:07,640
blasting it backwards and leaving a twitching on the ground.

206
00:17:09,000 --> 00:17:14,319
Did I destroy it? It's a target, says Zeke. It'll

207
00:17:14,400 --> 00:17:19,440
recover emotionally. Don't worry about it. You try healing. Next,

208
00:17:20,039 --> 00:17:24,559
a soft golden light glows around your hand and settles

209
00:17:24,599 --> 00:17:29,559
into your arm, making you feel warm and steady. Little

210
00:17:29,799 --> 00:17:35,319
pains that you'd actually stopped noticing over the years suddenly disappear,

211
00:17:35,559 --> 00:17:41,440
and you feel better than ever. Well, the last power

212
00:17:41,559 --> 00:17:47,440
is called energy sap, Zeke explains, But that one's designed

213
00:17:47,480 --> 00:17:51,319
to pull energy out of enemies, and I'll form it

214
00:17:51,359 --> 00:17:54,599
into a crystal. You need those for enchanting and that

215
00:17:54,759 --> 00:17:58,440
sort of thing. But I'm definitely not gonna let you

216
00:17:58,640 --> 00:18:01,880
use it on me, and it won't work on a target.

217
00:18:02,440 --> 00:18:06,599
I'll just have to wait until you find something. Well living,

218
00:18:07,759 --> 00:18:11,960
got it? You reply, honestly, it's a pretty good way

219
00:18:12,000 --> 00:18:15,160
to make money. Well, I have no money, so that

220
00:18:15,319 --> 00:18:19,839
could be useful. What do we do next, Well, it's

221
00:18:20,160 --> 00:18:24,839
probably time to do a mission. Zeke flaps toward the

222
00:18:24,920 --> 00:18:30,880
main road. Where are we going? The general store? He says.

223
00:18:31,599 --> 00:18:36,119
Shopkeepers always know where the beginner problems are. Trust me.

224
00:18:37,359 --> 00:18:40,160
You follow them to a wooden building with a painted

225
00:18:40,240 --> 00:18:46,640
sign that reads Marlowe's General Goods. Inside shelves are packed

226
00:18:46,680 --> 00:18:52,400
with ropes, lanterns, bread boots, potions, and you know, all

227
00:18:52,440 --> 00:18:56,640
sorts of glowing crystals and things like that. Behind the

228
00:18:56,759 --> 00:19:00,480
counter stands a round faced man with a must stash

229
00:19:01,640 --> 00:19:06,720
a newer around here. He asks, is it then obvious?

230
00:19:07,160 --> 00:19:13,200
You reply, eh, you still look excited. That usually goes away.

231
00:19:13,440 --> 00:19:18,160
After the first goblin cave Zeke lands on the counter.

232
00:19:19,119 --> 00:19:24,160
He's a mage, Zeke says, show him mapp something useful.

233
00:19:25,039 --> 00:19:32,559
The shopkeeper brightens aw magic customer, very good. I've got

234
00:19:32,799 --> 00:19:39,880
spell books, a fire bolt's eye, spike, explosive lightning, very

235
00:19:40,039 --> 00:19:44,720
popular with people like making loud bangs and that sort

236
00:19:44,759 --> 00:19:48,240
of thing. He places the three books on the counter.

237
00:19:48,880 --> 00:19:53,480
You stare at them. Then he pulls out folded robes,

238
00:19:54,079 --> 00:19:59,519
deep blue with silver stitching around the sleeves. And these,

239
00:20:00,200 --> 00:20:07,079
he says, are robes of magica, protective enchantment that will

240
00:20:07,640 --> 00:20:16,599
well protect you from damages, increases available magic, reduces spell cost.

241
00:20:17,640 --> 00:20:22,000
Very nice for a young age. You stare at the

242
00:20:22,119 --> 00:20:27,400
robes and immediately you know you want them. How much

243
00:20:27,440 --> 00:20:33,359
are they you ask forty gold. You check your pockets

244
00:20:33,480 --> 00:20:39,240
and well, nothing, Nah, we don't really keep gold in

245
00:20:39,279 --> 00:20:43,720
your pockets here anyways. Most people absorb it into their inventory.

246
00:20:43,839 --> 00:20:48,200
But don't worry about that. You don't have any You

247
00:20:48,279 --> 00:20:52,720
look back at the shopkeeper. Sorry, I don't have anything yet.

248
00:20:53,839 --> 00:20:59,759
Any idea how I could make some money? The shopkeeper size,

249
00:20:59,799 --> 00:21:05,319
and then points reluctantly towards a door behind the counter. Well,

250
00:21:06,240 --> 00:21:13,119
my basement has been overrun by elemental rats, fire rats,

251
00:21:13,200 --> 00:21:18,119
frost rats, lightning rats. Started with two, and now there

252
00:21:18,200 --> 00:21:23,720
are well a lot more than two. I can't even

253
00:21:23,799 --> 00:21:28,640
go down there anymore. If you clear them out, I'll

254
00:21:28,799 --> 00:21:35,000
give you the robes, plus you might find other useful things.

255
00:21:35,799 --> 00:21:40,039
You look at Zeke, who just shrugs, Eh, it's a

256
00:21:40,079 --> 00:21:46,279
good beginner mission. Fine, you say, I'll do it, even

257
00:21:46,359 --> 00:21:51,039
though you've always hated beginner missions. You just want to

258
00:21:51,079 --> 00:21:54,799
go fight a dragon or something like that, but well,

259
00:21:55,279 --> 00:21:59,640
elemental rats will have to do for now. The shop

260
00:21:59,759 --> 00:22:04,599
keep or unlocks the basement door. You step inside and

261
00:22:04,759 --> 00:22:09,680
begin making your way down the wooden stairs. The smell

262
00:22:09,799 --> 00:22:15,640
hits you first dust, old boxes, burnt wood, frozen apples,

263
00:22:15,680 --> 00:22:22,240
and something that's probably rat. You reach the bottom and

264
00:22:22,400 --> 00:22:27,960
there are rats everywhere. Some have little flames flickering along

265
00:22:28,000 --> 00:22:33,000
their backs. Some are pale blue and breathing frost out

266
00:22:33,079 --> 00:22:39,440
onto the flower. Others crackle with electricity. Oh, you say,

267
00:22:39,799 --> 00:22:43,799
that is a lot of rats. I can see why

268
00:22:43,799 --> 00:22:48,799
he's offering the forty gold. One fire rat turns toward

269
00:22:48,920 --> 00:22:56,920
you and hisses its cheeks, puff up zeke. You ask, uh, yeah,

270
00:22:56,960 --> 00:23:02,759
what should I do them before they blast you? Obviously?

271
00:23:03,960 --> 00:23:09,720
The rat spits a tiny fireball. You dodge it sideways, right,

272
00:23:10,160 --> 00:23:15,599
good advice. You gather fire in your hand and unleash flames.

273
00:23:16,240 --> 00:23:21,039
A plume of fire sweeps forward, knocking several rats across

274
00:23:21,079 --> 00:23:25,359
the room. They squeak and tumble into a stack of crates.

275
00:23:26,359 --> 00:23:30,240
But so that really did was make the others notice you.

276
00:23:31,359 --> 00:23:35,319
A frost rad blast your arm with icy magic. A

277
00:23:35,440 --> 00:23:39,759
lightning rad shocks your side. A fire rat spits another

278
00:23:39,799 --> 00:23:45,759
little fireball at your chest. Light armor increased. A voice says,

279
00:23:46,680 --> 00:23:51,440
light armor. You showed I'm just wearing normal clothes in

280
00:23:51,480 --> 00:23:55,480
this world. Getting hits sometimes teaches your body how to

281
00:23:55,599 --> 00:24:00,319
get hit better, and well, normal clothes are the light

282
00:24:00,440 --> 00:24:04,920
is of armor, after all. That is both helpful and

283
00:24:05,079 --> 00:24:09,480
very concerning. You fire lightning at a cluster of rats

284
00:24:10,240 --> 00:24:13,799
in the corner of your eye. You see your magic

285
00:24:13,920 --> 00:24:18,920
bar decrease a little bit. Electricity jumps between the rats

286
00:24:19,359 --> 00:24:25,759
and they collapse stunned. Destruction magic increased. A voice says,

287
00:24:26,599 --> 00:24:30,400
you turn and shoot frost at another group, freezing them

288
00:24:30,440 --> 00:24:35,440
in place. Then flames again, knocking two fire rats backward.

289
00:24:36,319 --> 00:24:40,319
But your magic bar is drop, and quickly a glowing

290
00:24:40,480 --> 00:24:47,599
warning appears. Magic low. Oh no, you say. As more

291
00:24:47,720 --> 00:24:52,160
rats rush toward you, you swing your foot and punt

292
00:24:52,200 --> 00:24:55,279
one of them away. Another jumps at your arm and

293
00:24:55,279 --> 00:24:59,839
you bat it off with a crate lid. Light armor increase.

294
00:25:01,079 --> 00:25:05,759
As soon as your magic increases enough to unleash another spell,

295
00:25:06,400 --> 00:25:12,559
you reach inside yourself and blast the rats with lightning destruction.

296
00:25:12,759 --> 00:25:18,480
Magic increase to level two. That sounds good, you say,

297
00:25:18,519 --> 00:25:24,680
but I'm still surrounded, and then another voice says you

298
00:25:24,880 --> 00:25:30,759
have reached level two mage. A strange shimmer appears around

299
00:25:30,799 --> 00:25:36,559
your body. Level two? What does that mean? Zeke flaps

300
00:25:36,640 --> 00:25:40,720
wildly above you. It means you should level up quickly,

301
00:25:41,359 --> 00:25:48,440
he says, How just think about leveling up? You do instantly.

302
00:25:49,160 --> 00:25:55,440
The world well it pauses. You have a pause button

303
00:25:55,519 --> 00:26:00,960
built into your head. Interesting. The rats free in mid leap,

304
00:26:01,519 --> 00:26:05,440
Sparks hang in the air. A fireball stops a few

305
00:26:05,480 --> 00:26:09,839
inches away from your face, which is both amazing and

306
00:26:10,559 --> 00:26:13,519
not something you're looking forward to. When you stop the pause,

307
00:26:14,640 --> 00:26:19,079
a glowing menu appears in front of you. Level two Mage.

308
00:26:19,680 --> 00:26:26,720
Choose attribute to increase health, stamina or magic. Ah, I'd

309
00:26:26,720 --> 00:26:31,720
pick magic, says Zeke's voice. Wait, you can still talk

310
00:26:31,759 --> 00:26:35,480
to me in pause mode. I'm your guide. It would

311
00:26:35,480 --> 00:26:41,240
be incredibly inconvenient if I couldn't. You select magic. Your

312
00:26:41,319 --> 00:26:47,799
magic bar grows longer and refills part way. Then another

313
00:26:47,960 --> 00:26:54,440
menu opens, Select perk. Most of the categories are dark.

314
00:26:55,359 --> 00:27:00,559
Oh what's this you ask? Ah? Well, perk are kind

315
00:27:00,559 --> 00:27:04,640
of special privileges you can select. You get one with

316
00:27:04,759 --> 00:27:09,640
each level increase, although you have to have a certain

317
00:27:09,759 --> 00:27:12,759
level in each skill to pick one. If that makes sense,

318
00:27:13,279 --> 00:27:15,759
That's why only a couple of years are lit up.

319
00:27:17,079 --> 00:27:20,920
As he said, most of the categories are dark, but

320
00:27:21,279 --> 00:27:28,240
two or glowing light Armor and Destruction Magic. You focus

321
00:27:28,319 --> 00:27:31,559
first on the light armor and see a number of

322
00:27:31,960 --> 00:27:36,279
possible boosts, only one of which is currently available to you.

323
00:27:37,400 --> 00:27:44,359
Novice Light armor is twenty five percent more effective. Okay,

324
00:27:45,359 --> 00:27:50,079
you shrink that view and focus on the destruction magic instead.

325
00:27:51,160 --> 00:27:55,720
You open up the categories, and again, one perk is

326
00:27:55,839 --> 00:28:01,759
currently available to you, Novice destruction magic. Novice spells cost

327
00:28:01,839 --> 00:28:07,440
half as much magic to cast well offense or defense.

328
00:28:07,960 --> 00:28:11,519
You think, and I know which one I'm gonna choose.

329
00:28:12,640 --> 00:28:18,039
You select Novice destruction magic. Power rushes through your body.

330
00:28:18,599 --> 00:28:24,000
The world unpauses, and the fireball continues, flying towards your face,

331
00:28:24,480 --> 00:28:28,599
singing your hair a little bit. How you duck and

332
00:28:28,759 --> 00:28:36,480
blast flames. This time, the spell well feels easier, cheaper, smoother,

333
00:28:36,839 --> 00:28:40,680
and your magic bar doesn't go down near as much.

334
00:28:41,519 --> 00:28:45,200
A wave of fire sends the closest rats tumbling back.

335
00:28:46,160 --> 00:28:50,920
You spin and unleash frost, freezing three lightning rats before

336
00:28:50,960 --> 00:28:56,680
they can strike. Then you aim both hands in unleash lightning,

337
00:28:57,359 --> 00:29:00,720
shocking the final cluster until they call lapse in a

338
00:29:00,799 --> 00:29:07,680
twitching pile. The basement goes quiet. You breathe hard, he

339
00:29:08,920 --> 00:29:14,200
I did it. The rats begin to shimmer. One by one,

340
00:29:14,440 --> 00:29:23,920
they start to transform into small balls of glowing energy. Zeke, Now, yeah,

341
00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:28,799
this isn't normal in your world. Pre defeated enemies often

342
00:29:28,880 --> 00:29:34,160
convert into energy and well whatever they tend to be holding.

343
00:29:34,920 --> 00:29:40,279
Your job is to absorb it. How you ask, well,

344
00:29:40,640 --> 00:29:46,319
use your energy SAP. Instead of focusing on pushing outwards,

345
00:29:46,640 --> 00:29:51,880
imagine the energy coming in towards you. The energy will

346
00:29:51,960 --> 00:29:56,680
form itself into crystals, crystals that can be used for

347
00:29:57,000 --> 00:30:01,640
enchantments or to sell, or well that sort of thing. Man.

348
00:30:02,279 --> 00:30:07,240
As a plus, anything in their inventory will be absorbed

349
00:30:07,319 --> 00:30:10,680
into yours. You'll probably get a lot of garbage in

350
00:30:10,680 --> 00:30:14,680
this case, but you may as well try it. So

351
00:30:15,400 --> 00:30:21,160
you do just that, your hands begin to glow, and

352
00:30:21,359 --> 00:30:26,240
sure enough, the glowing balls of energy and little floating

353
00:30:26,359 --> 00:30:30,880
other things shoot towards you and vanish into your body.

354
00:30:31,599 --> 00:30:36,680
A menu appears in your field of vision. Inventory updated

355
00:30:37,160 --> 00:30:45,079
gold coins twelve, spellbook, firebolt, rat meat twenty three, Petty

356
00:30:45,279 --> 00:30:54,319
energy crystals fourteen. You stare, I do not want rat meat.

357
00:30:54,640 --> 00:30:57,880
You say, man, I would just sell it. It's not

358
00:30:58,079 --> 00:31:02,119
worth much, but probably right at not wanting to try

359
00:31:02,119 --> 00:31:08,000
it yourself to who mah, you'd be surprised the people

360
00:31:08,039 --> 00:31:11,880
here by just about anything. You focus first on the

361
00:31:11,920 --> 00:31:16,119
spell book and suddenly it appears in your hand. It

362
00:31:16,200 --> 00:31:19,119
has a red cover and a symbol of a fireball

363
00:31:19,160 --> 00:31:23,440
on the front. You open it up, the pages start

364
00:31:23,519 --> 00:31:28,319
to flip rapidly on their own. Knowledge floods your mind.

365
00:31:29,200 --> 00:31:33,920
You suddenly understand how to gather fire into a well

366
00:31:34,359 --> 00:31:40,119
a tight little sphere, hold it steady and launched forwards,

367
00:31:40,160 --> 00:31:47,079
so it explodes on contact. Spell learned firebolt. The book

368
00:31:47,200 --> 00:31:52,359
turns to dust in your hands. Oh, you say that

369
00:31:52,519 --> 00:31:58,799
seems wasteful. Man, it's normal, says Zeke. Bucks are just

370
00:31:58,960 --> 00:32:05,160
the universes way of transferring knowledge around here. You and

371
00:32:05,279 --> 00:32:10,039
Zeke head back upstairs. You're covered in dust, your clothes

372
00:32:10,039 --> 00:32:13,799
are burnt and well I have holes through them, but

373
00:32:14,240 --> 00:32:20,720
you're feeling pretty proud. The shopkeeper looks up. Well, uh,

374
00:32:20,880 --> 00:32:27,119
the basement's cleared, you say, and only mildly burned, says Zeke.

375
00:32:27,960 --> 00:32:34,720
The shopkeeper hurries downstairs, looks around, and comes back smiling. Oh,

376
00:32:34,960 --> 00:32:40,519
very good. I honestly didn't think you'd come back from that. Eh.

377
00:32:40,799 --> 00:32:44,920
Deal's a deal. He hands you the robes of magica.

378
00:32:45,720 --> 00:32:51,960
You absorb them into your inventory, then focus on equipping them. Instantly,

379
00:32:52,079 --> 00:32:57,680
the robes appear on your body. They fit perfectly. Your

380
00:32:57,759 --> 00:33:03,279
magic bar grows slightly longer, and the spells inside you

381
00:33:03,319 --> 00:33:09,599
suddenly feel easier to reach. Plus, you feel a sort

382
00:33:09,640 --> 00:33:15,359
of protective aura around your entire body. You can see

383
00:33:15,400 --> 00:33:19,519
it faintly shimmering, like a well, like a high tech

384
00:33:19,599 --> 00:33:25,279
shield or melon magic shield. In this case, these are excellent.

385
00:33:26,119 --> 00:33:31,880
The shopkeeper nods, I also have a room available one

386
00:33:31,920 --> 00:33:35,359
gold for the week. If you need a place to sleep.

387
00:33:36,279 --> 00:33:41,799
You check your inventory. You have twelve gold. I'll take it.

388
00:33:42,599 --> 00:33:46,599
You pay one gold coin and he leads you upstairs

389
00:33:46,599 --> 00:33:50,359
to a small but comfortable looking room with a bed

390
00:33:50,480 --> 00:33:54,960
made of straw, a wooden chair, and a window overlooking

391
00:33:54,960 --> 00:33:59,720
the village. You sit down on the bed. Zeke curls

392
00:33:59,799 --> 00:34:03,799
up on the window sill. Well, I became a mage,

393
00:34:04,359 --> 00:34:09,159
got a dragon familiar, defeated elemental rats, learned a fire bolt,

394
00:34:09,199 --> 00:34:16,039
and got magic robes. Yeah, a decent first day, says Zeke. Decent,

395
00:34:16,679 --> 00:34:17,880
well for a beginner.

396
00:34:18,639 --> 00:34:18,800
Speaker 2: Uh.

397
00:34:19,039 --> 00:34:24,239
Speaker 1: Probably time for a break, though, you say, realizing that, well,

398
00:34:24,679 --> 00:34:31,719
you're still inside a lit RPG book. Where done, young adventurer?

399
00:34:32,400 --> 00:34:37,039
The voice of the librarian says, it seems j D's

400
00:34:37,280 --> 00:34:43,039
journey and Empophal has only just begun. A glowing portal

401
00:34:43,039 --> 00:34:47,880
appears beside the bed, You sit up and look over

402
00:34:47,960 --> 00:34:52,480
at Zeke. He doesn't seem to notice the portal. Ah

403
00:34:52,719 --> 00:34:56,079
see as soon, you say, as you stemp through the thing.

404
00:34:56,880 --> 00:35:01,159
After the normal sensations of being sucked through straw disappear,

405
00:35:01,800 --> 00:35:06,760
you find yourself in the library once again. That made

406
00:35:06,760 --> 00:35:12,599
me pretty tired. You close the book beside you. Chapter

407
00:35:12,679 --> 00:35:16,800
two will have to wait. You lay back on the

408
00:35:17,199 --> 00:35:22,840
comfortable cushion of the reading nook. A blanket flies over

409
00:35:23,119 --> 00:35:27,800
and falls down on your body, as if the library

410
00:35:27,920 --> 00:35:33,039
knows exactly what you need. You close your eyes as

411
00:35:33,079 --> 00:35:41,000
the lights dim and slowly you begin to relax your arms,

412
00:35:41,239 --> 00:35:47,639
let go of any tension, and sink down into the cushion.

413
00:35:47,880 --> 00:35:55,280
Your legs soften, your shoulders relax, and even the muscles

414
00:35:55,280 --> 00:36:01,159
in your face let go. With each breath, you sink

415
00:36:01,320 --> 00:36:05,599
down a little bit deeper, and your mind begins to

416
00:36:05,760 --> 00:36:12,599
wander off to thoughts of new dreams, new adventures, and

417
00:36:12,800 --> 00:38:25,239
new magical powers to come. Good night, everyone.

418
00:38:33,519 --> 00:44:36,679
Speaker 3: In New York, n no no thing, no more mo

419
00:45:23,119 --> 00:48:08,320
union in one one man never w