All in Charisma (A LitRPG/Isekai Adventure)

Justin charged down the trail, his heart pounding in his chest. The uneven ground caused him to trip over his feet, but he caught himself.

He tried to focus on a face in the darkness, but there was nothing. Why wasn't another fireball heading his way?

That was when a familiar voice called out. "Hold your fire! It's Justin."

Justin's eyes widened in relief. It was Eldrin. As he came closer, the Ranger materialized from the darkness, along with a group of three mages, all wearing the violet robes of the Guardian Force.

Justin turned his head. "Lila! You can come out. It's Eldrin."

Lila appeared from behind the boulder, marching up the trail to join them.

Eldrin watched them both with a quizzical expression. "What in Arion's name are you doing up here? Alistair and I have been looking all over for you!"

"Shadowflight didn't tell you?"

"He only told me about the path. We came up here to block it."

Justin frowned, wondering why the falcon hadn't relayed that crucial bit of info. Maybe it was because Justin hadn't directly told the bird to do so.

"We followed Darian all the way to the Empire's camp," Justin said. "He was that soldier from earlier who was a real Debbie Downer."

Eldrin frowned at the colloquialism but seemed to understand what Justin meant. "And?"

"We couldn't stop him in time. We also ran into the Shadow Army's Arch-Mage, though. Some dude named Zarathustra or something."

"Zaramund," Lila corrected.

Eldrin's eyes widened. "The Arch-Mage? And you lived to tell the tale?"

"Yes. Thanks to Lila's knives and my sharp wit."

"And Justin's dance moves," Lila put in.

"I feel there is a story for the ages there, but we really must be moving. Alistair is preparing the army while I've taken all the mages with access to earth magic to bury the pass here. It's all but certain the Shadowists will attack tonight."

Shadowists. So that's what Shadow Empire folks were called. Maybe Justin calling them "Shadowian" had been the slip that had given them away.

Eldrin turned to one mage, who looked sheepish. "And you," he said sternly, "almost killed our allies with that fireball. Be more cautious next time."

The mage, a tall male with a bald head, bowed in apology. "I'm sorry, Sir Eldrin. I thought they were the enemy."

Eldrin sighed, nodding. "That's understandable, but just be careful." Eldrin continued. "Right, let's continue our work." He directed his attention to the mages. "We need to collapse this path. Shadowflight has already scouted the key points, and this is the first. Collapse all these key points, and that should slow them down long enough for reinforcements to arrive this evening. Now, do all of you have access to the terra-shift spell?"

"Yes, all three of us do," the lead mage said, a woman with close-cropped hair and stern green eyes.

"There are twelve points Shadowflight identified. As long as you have the aether reserves for it, I'd like to hit all twelve."

"It should be no issue," the woman said. "We are Elementalists of a decent level."

Eldrin nodded. "Right, then. Let's get started. Stand back!"

The first mage, the woman, began her work. Her hands became wrapped in an aura of green light, which she directed at the slope above the path. The ground trembled as the spell took effect, rocks and earth shifting and burying the path before them. Justin did his best to keep standing as the ground shifted beneath his feet, but the force was mostly targeting a loose stand of rocks above the path.

Within seconds, the trail ahead was rendered unusable.

"Let's keep it moving," Eldrin said.

They retreated a quarter of a mile before Eldrin directed the same mage to bury another part of the pass. The work went far more quickly than Justin had believed.

As they walked to the next point of interest, Justin turned to Lila. "So, what is an Elementalist? A class?"

"Yes, it's a mage class. Elementalists have a Spirit Core. They get access to the Elemental School of Magic: Fire, Water, Air, and Earth."

"That's original."

"How do you mean?"

"Oh, nothing. Are there other kinds of mages and magic?"

"Of course. Mage is the catchall term for any class that uses magic as its primary base of skills. You see, some classes—like Paladins—are mainly physical but also have access to Lesser Life and Harmony spells, and as such, are not considered mages. There are many types of mages, each commanding a different school. Most mages have either a Spirit or Intellect core. Spirit cores tend to use aether to power their magic, while Intellect cores tend to use Cants. Basically, utterances tied to various Foundation Languages that shift reality itself."

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"I see," Justin said. "Can you break down the main types for me?"

"I mean, there are a lot. I don't even know them all. There are Elementalists, as we've already said. Then there are Wizards, who have an Intellect Core. They learn their magic from books and dusty tomes. Most have to go to school to learn their spells, which are based on the Foundation Language of Arcanis."

"What about Vranthillis?" Justin asked. "That's the Foundation Language Valdrik was talking about."

"Vranthillis seems to be unique to the Lexicant class, because I'd never heard of it. Arcanis is what most Wizards use, and it can only be understood by them. That's advanced stuff, though."

"Elementalists, Wizards…anything else?"

"Quite a few. Spiritualists, Summoners, Illusionists, Enchanters, Druids…I'm forgetting a few."

Again, Justin felt a sense of missed opportunity. He could have been any of these classes, but at the time, Socialite had felt like the right call. Maybe it had stemmed from feeling vulnerable after his expulsion from the guild.

Without that…his would have been a different story.

"What about White Wizards? You mentioned them once. Are they different from regular Wizards?"

"They're an advanced class. They get access to the best healing spells and support spells, basically."

"Interesting. So, to review, a mage is just a general term for a magic user."

"That's right. When you say White Wizard or Fire Elementalist, you're being more specific. But both are mages."

"Fire Elementalist? Is that an advanced class?"

"Technically, no." Lila rolled her eyes but couldn't hide a smile. "It's a Focus chosen by an Elementalist if they develop their Fire Magic at the expense of others. In that case, you'd call them a Pyromancer."

"Erm...what's a Focus?"

"You don't know anything, do you?"

Justin shrugged. "I've been here less than a week. Cut me some slack!"

"True." She leaned back, crossing her arms. "Okay. A Focus is something you choose at Level 10 that influences how your class develops. It shapes your entire progression. Think of it like a class specialization."

"That actually sounds kind of cool. What's yours?"

"Well, I don't have one yet. I'm only Level 2, like you. But for a Bard like me, the main Focuses include Singing, Instruments, Acrobatics, Dancing, Storytelling, Juggling, or something similar. But it's not like you get to pick just any Focus. The choices you're presented with are based on the actions you've taken since you absorbed your class core."

Justin frowned. "So, what will determine mine?"

"That's the mystery, isn't it? If I had to guess, you'll get something that involves annoying people with questions."

"Maybe I'll get a Detective Focus or something. What's Eldrin's Focus, you think? He's Level 10. Why can't I see it on the interface?"

"You can't see another person's Focus. They just have to tell you. Most of the time, people are private about it."

"Why?"

Lila chuckled at Justin's excitement, but her expression grew a touch more serious. "Focuses are personal. They reflect the choices someone has made, their path, their experiences. Sharing that with someone means revealing more about yourself than you might want to. It's not just a skill—it's a declaration of who you are. Or the person you hope to become. And if the wrong sort knows it, it gives them a key to defeating you."

Justin raised an eyebrow. "So, it's like asking someone for their deepest, darkest secret?"

"Not quite that dramatic, but close enough. If someone wants you to know their Focus, they'll tell you."

Justin tilted his head. "I understand all that, but wouldn't it help the party if everyone knew what each other was good at?"

"Depends," Lila replied. "Sometimes, a Focus reveals a flaw or a compromise. Like a Fire Elementalist giving up their connection to other elements. Other mages will know how to better counter them. Or take the Baron. He might have a Focus that helps him do shady stuff."

"Makes sense when you put it that way."

There was so much to learn, but already, they had arrived at the next location. Justin and Lila hung back while the pass was buried, and they moved on to the next one.

By the time the female mage had exhausted her mana reserves, the next mage took over.

Shadowflight came from nowhere, landing adroitly on Eldrin's shoulder. The Ranger inclined his head toward the falcon, nodding.

"They're on the move," he said, his face grim. "Both through this path and the main pass. We need to hurry."

Justin felt a surge of determination. "Let's go."

They worked quickly to bury the rest of the pass. When the final mage had buried the last bit of the trail, Justin felt assured that they had done all they could.

The group made their way back to the Valorian camp. Eldrin led the way, his sharp eyes scanning their surroundings for danger. The mages followed, their faces set in concentration as they prepared themselves for the upcoming battle.

Back at the camp, the atmosphere was tense. Soldiers were preparing for the impending battle. The mages left to join their division while Eldrin led Justin and Lila to Commander Thalon's tent.

As soon as they entered, they found Thalon, his senior officers, and Alistair.

"There you are!" Alistair said. "We feared the worst."

"It will take more than the Shadow Empire to stop us," Justin said.

"You can tell us about it later," the Paladin said. "What of the path?"

"Buried, as best as we can," Eldrin informed him. "These two were the ones who got the message to Shadowflight just in time."

"You have Valoria's gratitude," Commander Thalon said. "But I will save my thanks for when we stop the Shadowists dead in their tracks." He turned to his officers. "There's nothing left to discuss. Prepare the troops for battle."

Eldrin turned to Justin and Lila. "You two need to stay out of the way. Neither of you is equipped for frontline combat."

Justin nodded, though a part of him wanted to argue. "We understand. We'll stay back and do what we can to support."

"We can run messages if needed," Lila said.

Eldrin nodded his thanks. "You've already done much. It would be a shame to throw it all away."

"Good luck, Eldrin," Justin said.

With that, Eldrin left with Alistair, Thalon, and the rest of the officers, leaving Justin and Lila alone in the tent.

"So, I guess we just twiddle our thumbs now?" Justin asked.

"Maybe we can find a good vantage point," Lila said. "I noticed a wooden watchtower of sorts out there. It might be a good place to see what's going on."

"Sounds like it would make us an excellent target for the enemy's mages."

"The mages will be focused on the front lines, not us," Lila said. "At least, I would hope so. Either way, I want to know what's going on. If things get dicey, we can always get out."

Justin almost wanted to tell her it would be much safer to stay right here, but he thought better of it. He was curious to see what a battle from above looked like, complete with mages, fire spells, and the undead. He'd get to see something no human from his world ever would.

"All right, Lila, you've sold me. Lead the way."