System Lost: My Own Best Friend

We don't have enough time to do much more than share our classes, and Talla gives me express permission to share them via [Message] along with a strict warning never to do that.

"[You really shouldn't even be sharing it with me, but under the circumstances, it's our only way to communicate effectively.]"

With that in mind, I provide her the details of [Pathfinder], [Savior], and [Firecaster], but hesitate on [Unified Wanderers].

"[What's wrong?]" she asks. "[What about the last one? Your leader class.]"

I managed to withstand reading it back when I only had one point of Will and a bit of Ego, but the class is also mine, and I think that probably matters somehow.

"Maggie, do you think it's safe to share U—uh, that class?" I ask.

"Probably not," she confirms. "Remember what happened to that big dude from before? I bet Talla's got better mental stats than he did, but let's not risk it."

I look back up at Talla and shake my head. "No. Can't."

"[Hmm, alright, I'll take your word for it,]" she says. "[What about tier and grade?]"

After a bit of back and forth and some hand gestures, I manage to tell her that it's a tier one two-star class one level away from mastery.

"[Blood and acid,]" she sighs. "[Four two-star classes. Never mind third grade—you're already halfway to the fourth. I confess, I'm a little bit jealous. Extra class slots are a fairy tale. The sort of thing little girls brag to their friends about their mothers having. There is no evidence of anyone in history ever obtaining one, much less two.]"

I don't really know what to say to that. I refuse to call myself lucky after all the fricking crud I've had to drag myself through, but I suppose having such a rare advantage is a silver lining. I just smile weakly and shrug.

She chuckles. "[Fair enough, I suppose. It's...an eclectic mix. A complete lack of apprentice or student classes is unusual, but unsurprising. You focused on survival, defense, cooperation and...fire?]"

"Yeah, that's Maggie," I sigh. "She's weird."

"Fuck you, bitch! You're weird!" Maggie counters in what I'm starting to understand as her version of playful banter.

"[I didn't catch most of that, but I'm sure you had your reasons,]" Talla says. "[I'll need some time to mull this over, but these are strong classes for your tier. The Goddess' mercy is communicated through her design.]"

That last part sounds like a quote or a recitation. It keeps surprising me how religious she is, even after she told me she has a degree in theology. It's hard to reconcile faith and scholarship in my head, even though I know that historically religions were one of the more common places for scholars to emerge. Even among modern scholars, there are plenty of faithful.

Again, I ask myself, how do I know that?

Before I have time to introspect further, I notice that Talla is hesitating about something. She keeps starting and stopping, like there's something she's trying to say, but either can't find the words for, or is second-guessing herself about.

"What is it?" I ask.

"[I've asked a lot of you, and you've given me a huge amount of trust,]" she mutters, almost to herself. "[I know you don't have a lot of choices, but that means a lot. I'm starting to realize how weak my earlier gesture of sincerity was, because I can't seem to bring myself to do what's only fair.]"

I blink, not entirely sure what she's talking about. I open my mouth to tell her it's alright, but she beats me to the punch.

"[Thaumaturgist of Light and Life]," she says, clutching her hands together in her lap to stop them from shaking. "[My core class. That's...very personal, so please don't go spreading it around. I think...the Goddess must have brought me here for a reason. I want to help you, whatever that entails. I hope that this helps to prove that I'm on your side.]"

While I don't really understand the cultural significance of sharing classes like that, from context and her trepidation I can see that it is a really big deal. I duck my head respectfully in a sort of half-bow, hoping that the gesture translates.

"Thank you."

"[You're welcome,]" she says, smiling softly. "[Now, we'd better get back before Draga sends Saban looking for us.]"

* * *

[Tier 3 Thaumaturgist of Light and Life]****

A scholar of reality itself, seeking to understand the worlds within and without. A shaper of light and giver of life, your study of the Goddess' creations have given you a pale reflection of her power over them. Use it wisely.

Skill - Advanced Thaumaturgy: You can combine the effects of multiple skills to create unique spells.

Skill - Read the Skies: Divine information from the firmament. As long as you can see the sky, you always know the exact time and date, and may predict upcoming astronomical phenomena.

Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

Skill - Seal Wounds: Temporarily stops bleeding and closes minor wounds.

Skill - Recall Knowledge: Perfectly recall any memory or experience. You can also sense the contents of recorded media.

Skill - Create Light: Produces a point of light that tracks your position.

Skill - Quicken Life: Temporarily accelerate the biological processes of a living thing.

Skill - Sense Magic: You can feel the latent entropic potential of your self and surroundings.

Skill - Spectral Shift: Temporarily alters the light in your surroundings to appear in different wavelengths.

Attribute bonuses: Awareness, Ego, Will.

Advancement: Unveil the secrets of the cosmos.

"Woah," I mutter to myself as I scan through Talla's class while we head back into the caves. "This is pretty bonkers."

"I can't believe I've been busting my ass trying to figure out magic, and Engie just gives her magical building blocks for free," Maggie gripes. "That's fucking broken."

"Her individual skills aren't that strong, though," Violet points out. "Even some of ours are better, and you've been sensing magic without a skill already."

"Excuse me?" Maggie scoffs. "Perfect recall, haste, instant first aid—fucking divination?! Not to mention she can change colors!"

I furrow my brows. "Was that last part supposed to be sarcastic?"

"Not in the slightest," she says. "You're probably only thinking in the visible spectrum. What happens if she turns herself ultraviolet? Or infrared? Or fucking x-ray colored?!"

"Uh...huh," I wonder. "I hadn't thought of that."

"I bet she hasn't either. Does she even have a concept for ultraviolet rays? You should ask her."

"I don't think I've got the vocabulary to start interrogating her about the electromagnetic spectrum," I sigh.

Talla chuckles beside me. "[I really wish I could understand more of what you're saying,]" she says. "[At least now I know why you talk to yourself so much.]"

"I bet she can make a spell to do it," Maggie ponders aloud. "Oh, I wonder if her Thaumaturgy skill lets her pull in skills from other classes. Or [Message]! It's not really a skill, but I think it's structured like one—just one that anybody can access."

"Where do you even come up with these ideas?" I wonder.

"You think I'm just sitting here twiddling my thumbs all day?" she scoffs. "Unlike you two, I'm cursed with a functioning brain, so I spend most of my time thinking when I'm not in front."

"You've got the same brain we do," I fire back. "If you wanna talk smack, how about you do it after you figure out how to turn Nipper's thread into shoes?"

"Yeah, yeah," she mutters.

We arrive back at camp and Saban glances up from doing something with his bow. "[Did you get lost?]" he asks sarcastically. "[How long do you need to take a piss?]"

"[It's a long tunnel, and it's been a long day,]" Talla counters. "[We took a break. Where's Draga?]"

"[Off getting some water. He told me to send you after him if you got back before he does.]"

"[Alright, I need to talk to him anyway.]" Talla turns to me and smiles. "[Allie, you can use the same bedroll from this afternoon. Get some sleep, tomorrow's going to be another long day. I'll see you in the morning.]"

With that, she trots off down the Mushroom Tunnel, leaving me alone with the most hostile of the three rangers by far. Saban mostly ignores me, except to give me a withering glare as I settle into the bedroll for the night.

I'm not sure whether the horizontal pupils and goat face make it more or less scary. Considering the fact that I've seen him draw his weapon faster than my eyes can follow and bury an arrow in solid stone...I'm gonna go with more. I roll over and try to put it out of my mind. I'm not sure why Saban doesn't like me, but he's at the bottom of the pecking order among the rangers, so as long as Talla and Draga say so he'll leave me alone if I don't bother him. Probably.

I shudder and pull my cloak around me like a safety blanket. That "probably" is totally going to keep me up at night.

* * *

"[Alright everyone, change of plans,]" Draga announces the following morning over a light breakfast of crackers and water. "[Talla has raised a valid point—our temporary new member here isn't familiar with how we operate, and she's still a child. Both of these problems can be rectified with one solution. Allie, is it true that you're at the cusp of tier two?]"

I rub my temples and try not to throw up. Just as well we're having a light breakfast because I feel like I've got three hangovers at once. I wouldn't say I'm on the "cusp" of the next tier, but I nod anyway. No point arguing.

"[Good,]" he says, unfazed by my visible discomfort. "[Then our plan for the day is to map out the tunnel branch that leads away from the convergence, find the dungeon limits on that side, and clear out the Embergaze nest.]"

Wait what?

"Not the poor laser geckos!" I protest. "What did they do to you?"

I mean, I know they've been my main source of nutrition for the last couple of weeks, and we did hunt one and turn its skin into a candle-burrito, but that was for survival! This sounds like random senseless killing.

"[I don't know what you just said, but I've seen that look a million times,]" he sighs. "[If monsters like that get out into the wild, they'll dominate and destroy the ecosystem, then die of magical starvation. They can't survive outside of a convergence point, and the regular animals can't compete with them.]"

Talla rubs my back gently and gives me an apologetic smile. "[He's right. Originally rangers like us were organized specifically to cull monster populations to prevent ecological disasters like that. These days, we work more closely with the church to keep them from getting out in the first place.]"

"[Right,]" Draga says with a nod. "[But since the church has apparently decided to let this one go to shit, we're doing it the old fashioned way. The lizards need to go—either back to the dungeon where they came from, or into the Goddess' embrace. Unfortunately, I don't expect them to just follow an eviction notice.]"

Aw man. Poor Mr. Gecko. Poor guy just wants to melt rocks and eat snails. He's not trying to cause an ecological disaster. Oh gosh, I'm about to have an ecological disaster in my fricking stomach!

I turn away from Talla and dry heave, just barely managing to keep my crackers down thanks to a spell Talla casts on me. Draga can't ignore it any longer and grimaces down at my miserable, trembling form.

"[Blood and acid, Talla, is she going to be alright?]"

"[It's acute magical strain,]" she explains with a sigh. "[Her translation skill, I think. I've never seen the physical symptoms get this bad. She'll be okay once the restoration spell runs its course, but I have no idea how she's managing the mental burden.]"

"AHAHAHAHA!" Maggie cackles maniacally, causing me to nearly hurl again. "Fuck you Engie! You hear that?! I'm fucking invincible!"

"Right," Violet drawls. "Absolutely no idea. A total mystery."