The Fourth Secret: A Fantasy LitRPG Adventure (Divine Apostasy Book 4) by A. Kay (best short books to read .TXT) 📕

to keep unwanted pests away. Each Ability Point increases the sphere radius by 100 feet. Adjustable.

Ruwen skipped the sections on Laborer and Household Sub Classes and moved to the pages detailing the Collector abilities. There were five of them.

Ability: Immunity

Effect: Increase Resistance to Acid, Poison, and Disease by 20% per Ability Point.

Ability: Prospector

Effect: Increase Perception by 20% per Ability Point.

Ability: Ripen

Effect: Accelerate growth of target. Increase speed by 200% per Ability Point.

Ability: Stone Echo

Effect: Sense reflected vibrations allowing discovery of buried or hidden resources. 500 feet per Ability Point.

Ability: Sunburn

Effect: Convert sunlight and other power sources into Energy. Increase efficiency by 20% per Ability Point.

Ruwen had twenty-two ability points to spend, and while there were some interesting abilities here, especially Sunburn, he needed to wait until he could go through the Fighter and Commander abilities. And he couldn’t do that until he learned how to select his Sub Class.

Ruwen had far more spell points, forty-three to be exact, and he glanced at the Mana-based Worker spells.

Spell: Steady

Effect: Increase balance by 25% per spell level. Each spell level reduces width required for safe movement.

1 level: 12 inches

2 levels: 6 inches

3 levels: 3 inches

4 levels: 1 inch

5 levels: Rope

Spell: Tumble

Effect: Falls (20 feet per spell level) are slowed to that of a three-foot drop.

Ruwen had seen both these buffs when Ahvy’s team of Shooters had loaded Ruwen’s Void Band at the city warehouse. Both appealed to him because he hated heights, and these would make him safer and help survive a fall.

The level seven and nine Worker Energy-based spells were next.

Spell: Fresh Air

Effect: Creates a bubble of clean air around the Worker's head. 2 feet per spell level.

Spell: Climb

Effect: Creates 100 feet of magical rope for every spell level. Use Energy to propel items along the rope.

Ruwen continued on to the Mana-based spells for the Collector Sub Class.

Spell: Lockbox

Effect: Create a magical lock that can only be opened with keyword uttered during creation. Each spell level increases the strength of the lock by 200%.

Spell: Net

Effect: Creates a magical trap. Each spell level increases trap size and strength.

1 level: Small Creatures

2 levels: Medium Creatures

3 levels: Large Creatures

4 levels: Very Large Creatures

5 levels: Gigantic Creatures

Spell: Shed

Effect: Create 10 feet by 10 feet by 10 feet basic structure to keep occupants safe from the elements. Each spell level increases all dimensions by 5 feet.

Spell: Minion

Effect: Create a helper from rocks, trees, or other solid items. Will follow very simple commands (dig, fetch, chop, etc.) for 4 hours. Each spell level increases duration by 5 hours.

Spell: Fresh Harvest

Effect: Alter the flow of time, slowing it immensely, keeping the target from spoiling. Each spell level increases the bubble by three feet, and the duration by 6 hours—movement within the sphere destroys the effect.

Fresh Harvest was how the cities received and stored fruits and vegetables. That just left the Energy-based Collector spells for Collectors.

Spell: Drizzle

Effect: Generate rain in a radius around the Worker. 10 Energy per second for every 100 feet of radius. Every spell level increases the radius by 100 feet.

Spell: Chaff

Effect: Remove unwanted objects from harvest. Every spell level increases Haste by 25%.

Spell: Sow Seed

Effect: Move small objects using Telekinesis. One pound per spell level.

Spell: Harvest

Effect: Magical scythe cuts crops in a 120-degree arc in front of the Worker. 10 feet per spell level.

Spell: Greenhouse

Effect: Alter the temperature up or down by ten degrees in a 100 foot radius around the Worker. Every spell level increases the radius by 100 feet and the temperature by ten degrees. Temperature and distance are adjustable.

Like almost everything with the Worker Class, the abilities and spells seemed to be utility-based and meant to help get jobs done. Ruwen’s shoulders slumped, and old bitterness tried to surface. But the emotions didn’t feel right, and he wondered if his two-point drop in Wisdom affected his judgment.

Ruwen’s entire experience with Worker capabilities had shown their incredible versatility. While the spell and ability names weren’t flashy, they could, with a little imagination, be used in powerful ways. With just a little thought, you could see how powerful some of these capabilities were.

Insect Repellent might allow Ruwen to keep poison gas or acid away or clear the way through a fog. He wondered if Stone Echo might be a basic version of Rami’s vibration magic and allow him to see his surroundings better. Sunburn could be a great way to augment his Void Band’s Energy needs. His Scarf of Freshness was a powerful piece of gear, but if he didn’t have it, or was in an environment where it wouldn’t work, Fresh Air might let him breathe underwater or other hostile environments. Chaff might have an insane impact on his fighting skills.

Distributing his spell points between the Worker and Fighter choices would be difficult. He closed the book with a mental hand, clearing his vision.

Ruwen’s years of training with Rami triggered as he sensed a disturbance near him. He didn’t slow or look around, but concentrated on his other senses to provide clues. Because the temple Guardians hadn’t reacted, it probably meant it was one of his friends.

The first hint of dawn colored the eastern sky grey, but it remained dark around the temple. Ruwen had spent the entire night circling the giant structure. The temple Guardians’ humming was the only sound, which made hearing the attack easier to catch.

Ruwen recognized the sound of the Viper Step.

Sift had ambushed him.

Chapter 5

Ruwen reacted immediately, no longer having to think before acting, and leaped to the right, away from the temple. As he landed, he pivoted to face Sift, sinking into a defensive stance.

This part of his route remained the darkest as the temple blocked the rising sun. Ruwen turned his head slowly back and forth, using his peripheral vision to see Sift, but there wasn’t enough light. Ruwen could have toggled on Detect Temperature to aid him, but he knew Sift would frown on that. Honing your senses to work without magic was a valuable skill, too.

Ruwen didn’t move, knowing Sift would use any