Before I had a chance to pull up my new classes so I could take a look at what my options were, Ash interrupted with a question. “I thought you said if we didn't pick our focus, the System would lock us out of continuing to level until we did?”
“Oh, yeah. I did explain that badly when I covered it earlier, didn't I? Well, it will lock us out of further level advancement. But it won't do so until the level right before we would get another Focus. So in this case, we will be able to hit level twenty-nine first. But then we would just stop gaining experience once we do,” I explained.
That could actually be a problem for early power leveling, making it harder for people to gain a huge amount of levels in a single go. However, one generally only encountered this problem if they were part of a giant lineage or a ruling faction, since regular people had no way of power leveling to that extent. Even with the runic blade and my own unique knowledge set going into this integration, I wouldn't have been able to hit anything above ten to fifteen levels in a single go.
That stronghold fight had probably pushed me to the limit. Well, it pushed me to the limit that I had during that fight. Now that I had applied the attribute points I'd gained from that fight, I could probably be pushed much further.
“I guess that does make sense,” Ash replied.
“Alright, look through your classes, but don’t pick any yet. I’m gonna take a look at mine, and then we can discuss them,” I said.
Opening the System menu, I realized something I'd forgotten. I hadn't equipped the title that I’d just gained. Titles were generally much more powerful than focuses, but they came with the downside that anyone who looked at you could see what titles you held, as long as they were equipped.
That tended to give people a pretty good idea of what you were capable of. And eventually, that might be something I was worried about, but right now, any of the boons I could get, I was taking. Stronghold Smasher pushed my strength up to forty, which made it worth it even if it did show anyone who was looking that I held a world rarity title already.
With that out of the way, I took a look at my new class choices, not entirely sure how the System would handle having both the level fifteen and the level twenty choices at the same time. Surprisingly, I found I had seven choices. It seemed the System just hadn't purged any of the extra choices from skipping the fifteenth level options.
In total, four of them were new.
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Class
Tattoo Artist
Type
Bard
Rarity
Uncommon
The Tattoo Artist is an uncommon, Bard-based class. All that lives within the material world makes up their canvas. To them, the most pure form of art is that placed upon the body, and they wish to fill the world with their designs. The further their skill grows, the more types of people they may place tattoos on. No longer are they confined to only the realms of skin. At their height, even the ethereal becomes just another blank canvas.
Key Ability
Magical Tattoo
Utilizing the mana flow of both their surroundings as well as that within themselves and their target, the tattoo artist may ink a design onto their target, guiding the mana flow toward a specific magical effect. The greater the spirit of the tattoo artist, the wider the range of the magical effects they may place within a tattoo. The target must be able to handle both the power and pain that come from a magical tattoo.
Class
Tactical Smasher
Type
Barbarian
Rarity
Rare
The Tactical Smasher is a rare, barbarian-based class. Unlike what the name may seem to suggest, they do not attack tactically. They instead specialize in destroying the tactics of those acting against them. The saying that no plan survives first contact with the enemy is especially true when the Tactical Smasher is that enemy. The higher their constitution score, the greater a little itch in the back of their head seems to direct them towards where best to throw their weight around.
Key Ability
Raging Under Siege
Any time the Tactical Smasher finds themselves encircled or otherwise walled in, both their strength and constitution double, lasting until they have broken through whatever obstacle has them trapped.
Class
Binding Flesh Weaver
Type
Universalist
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Rarity
Rare
The Binding Flesh Weaver is a rare, Universalist-type class. It specializes in creating connections between powerful mana sources and the target through a direct Inscription upon the flesh. The source of the connection directly influences which attribute is best used in strengthening that bond. This means that higher values in all four primary attributes increase the power of the bindings.
Key Ability
Inscribed Pact
Going beyond just a simple connection to a mana source, the binding flesh weaver may create a pact bond between the target and a powerful channeler. Both the target and the source must agree to the full terms of this bond for it to be completed. The only limits to what may be created through this pact are what the source is capable of, and if the Binding Flesh Weaver can handle inscribing that level of power. Should either the target or the source perish, the pact will be nullified.
Class
Defender of the Realm
Type
Paladin
Rarity
Legendary
The Defender of the Realm is a legendary, Paladin-based class. They are the pinnacle defenders of the realm in which they call home. Their knowledge and understanding of the area they defend is so great that they are able to halt any advancement and repel any invader, as long as their strength of body and mind can withstand the assault.
Key Ability
Land of the Realm
The defender of the realm is nearly one with the land itself. As long as they are within the bounds of the area they have defined as their realm, all of their attributes are doubled. This effect lasts for one minute per point of their spirit when they leave their realm, as long as they are pursuing an invader.
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I was again sorely tempted by the Defender of the Realm class. But the appearance of the Binding Flesh Weaver class made me question just what I had done when I put that glyph on Ash. I was starting to suspect it had a lot to do with the title that had been delayed.
“Dad, I think I have a new problem,” Ash said, grabbing my attention. There was a deep look of confusion mixed with worry in her eyes. “ I did get some new focuses and new classes, but I have one class choice, and one focus choice which each say that they are hidden until I reach a sufficient level, just like the title does.”
I sighed slightly before responding, not sure what to do about this either. “Alright, there's nothing we can do about that for now. Of the options you can see, what did you get?”
She started by reading off her classes. There were only two new options.
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Class
Dream Shaper
Type
Psionic
Rarity
Rare
The Dream Shaper is a rare Psionic-focused class. Members of this class are able to manifest their dreams as real, tangible things within the waking world. As the Dream Shaper grows in their power, they will begin to control their own presence within the world of dreams and just what level of recall they may have when they re-enter the waking world.
Key Ability
Dreams Made Real
Utilizing a firm image of an object they recall from the world of dreams, the Dream Shaper may craft a replica of it, using dream mana in place of the standard mana types required for such a creation. The higher the spirit attribute, the easier it will be to maintain a perfect replica.
Class
Necrosis Warlock
Type
Wizard
Rarity
Rare
Necrosis Warlock is a rare wizard-based class. Slowly, as their new internal mana source develops, they are able to channel the powers of rot and death over the world at large. Their Constitution attribute is replaced by the Resolve attribute, which directly empowers their ability to exist in a world of life that constantly looks for a way to end their unnatural continuance.
Key Ability
Beyond Life and Death
Death is no longer the end for a necrosis wizard. Beyond life and death allows a member of this class to revive itself so long as any two parts of it exist within the same plane of reality. Once their body has been destroyed, assuming the conditions above still exist, it will begin to rebuild itself at the point that has been designated as their rebirth chamber. The time it takes for their body to fully reconstruct itself directly depends on their Resolve. Should their newly growing body be destroyed at any point before it has completed, they will be utterly annihilated.
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“I really don't want to pick that Warlock class. I know it would probably save my life, but would it even be a life? I don't want to be undead, Dad,” Ash said the moment she finished reading it.
“It's alright. You don't have to pick it. While that would save your life, I agree that it's probably not a life anyone would want to live. At least not anyone sane, or anyone who we want to associate ourselves with,” I replied, watching her face instantly relax.
“Tell me what focuses you have to choose from, and then we can discuss what to do about these hidden abilities.”
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Focus
Enhanced Exposure-Induced Resistance
Every new toxin your body is exposed to increases your ability to resist that toxin, assuming you survive said exposure.
Focus
Wild Empathy
You are no longer perceived as an immediate threat by natural creatures, as long as you do not approach them with hostile intentions.
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Knowing my daughter, I already knew which one she wanted. And considering what the treatment for cancer was, I was concerned the first one would actually hurt her more than it would help her at the moment.
“So I'm guessing you want to be a Disney princess?” I said, with a gentle smile.
“As long as you think it's okay to pick that and not the poison one.”
“Yeah, it should be fine. I don't actually think that first one is going to help much with you currently,” I replied before turning around and calling for Ralph. I needed him to weigh in on what was going on.
I took a quick look over my own focuses while he made his very slow exit from the other group.
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Focus
Boar’s Strength
Multiply your Strength by 1.1.
Focus
Tree Climber
Whenever you are attempting to climb a tree, you are much more able to select suitable handholds at a rapid pace.
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I also had the Enhanced Exposure-Induced Resistance, but the obvious choice to me was Boar's Strength. Mainly because I wasn't sure the resistance would help with healing my arm up faster. The fact that feeling was already just slightly starting to return was enough to tell me that it wasn't worth the trade-off. Boar's Strength would continue to grow as I grew, and neither of the other two would do that.
That brought my strength up to forty-four. I was certainly beating out my stats against the first time I had done this.
“Well, kids, what you got there is a speed orb. It's at the lowest tier possible, so I doubt the monster had it long. It's a pretty common mana orb, one that specializes in making you faster at various things, obviously,” the appraised said.
“What would you give us for it?” Aleck replied.
“Well, I can give you seventy-two gold, or I could put a hundred universal credits directly into your account. Which do you want?” they asked.
“They want the credits,” Grimbleflork said, giving the other goblin a shrewd look.
Memories of Adam Miller before he found Earth
