The First Archmage

Human is now Level 25!

You can now Advance Human to Tier II!

You may now select a Subspecies!

Available Subspecies:

Beastborn (Wolf)

Beastborn (Wolf): A humanoid creature with a few wolf characteristics. +2 INT, HLT, MNA, +1 AGI, STR, CON, PER, LIF each Level

Requisite: Befriended Matthew Burrclaw

Huh. So I do have that available. Looks like it really is whatever the Species would ordinarily gain. I pull up the info on Subspecies.

Subspecies:

When a Human reaches Level 25 of their Species, they can take on a new Subspecies, which can be Leveled up to Level 25, but not Advanced to the Second Tier. To qualify for a Subspecies, they must have befriended a major leader of that Species.

I wonder how Matthew knew about Subspecies.

I take on the Subspecies of Beastborn. There are probably better ones, but it’s available now, I have no idea how long it will take me to gain new Subspecies to take on. At least I have four slots.

Besides, it’s not like this isn’t a useless one, like Ekre’s Blessing. That’s 48 INT, HLT, and MNA once at Level 25, and 24 AGI, STR, CON, PER, and LIF. I guess They don’t gain a boost to LIF increases, which is a little bit of a shame. It won’t make up for all of the LIF that I lost.

Will I still lose LIF from making my Mana too dense, too fast? I get the feeling I will, that it wasn’t just the Fog of Power doing that to me.

Time to look at what Species I have available.

Greater Human: As a Human, you have proven yourself, and can now become even greater. +2 INT, STR, CON, LIF, +1 AGI, CHA, PER, MNA, HLT, +5% to Class Experience in Dungeons

Power Human: As a Human, you have proven yourself to be superior to most, in strength, in speed, and in intellect. +2 INT, AGI, STR, CON, LIF, +1 CHA, PER, MNA, HLT, +5% to gaining stats, +5% to Class Experience in Dungeons

Mystic Human: As a Human, you have proven yourself to be superior in magics. +2 INT, MNA, MNP, PER, LIF, +1 AGI, CHA, STR, CON, HLT each Level, +5% to learning magics, +5% to Class Experience in Dungeons

High Human: As a Human, you have proven yourself superior to all others. +2 INT, AGI, CHA, STR, CON, PER, LIF, MNA, HLT, +5% to learning all Skills, gaining stats, +5% to Class Experience in Dungeons

True Human: As a Human, you have proven yourself an explorer – the very nature of humanity itself is to explore the world and learn new things. +2 INT, AGI, CHA, STR, CON, PER, LIF, MNA, HLT, +10% to gaining stats, +10% to gaining Class Experience in Dungeons, gain +5 Species, Class Experience every time you enter a new land, Dungeon, Ruin, other

Other? What does it mean by ‘other’? Does that mean that it can’t just describe everything that would give me Experience?

I pull up True Human to see the Advancement Quest for it.

To Advance Human to True Human:

By yourself, clear a Dungeon no one else has cleared before

Harder than it sounds. But if the Temple of Dar Dungeon is still untouched, then I can take care of that one. I’m getting over my issues with undead. At least, I like to think I am.

I was spying on Michael earlier, before coming down here… and had to do my hardest not to laugh. He was scolding the spiders as he killed them, whenever one got him with their webbing. He would jump and then start attacking the webbing, then eventually use his Mana to remove it.

Surprisingly, he never got hurt when he did that.

Shaking my head, I dismiss the windows in front of me. I’ll probably take on the Advancement Quest once Beastborn (Wolf) is Level 25. Time to get to work on that. It only took me a few kills down here today to do master Human, and I was able to gain the same amount of Experience as usual yesterday, using a mix of magic and melee skills.

I can probably hit fifteen hundred Species Experience, which means around three thousand Class Experience. Archer will definitely be mastered today.

I get to work on fighting the undead warriors wandering this Floor, switching to Adept of Kar for Experience once Archer hits Level 25.

It takes me another two days to bring Adept of Kar up to Level 25, and so I take on Mystic Novice for my third Secondary Class, and bring it up to Level 10 before leaving the Dungeon that day.

It takes me another two days to bring Mystic Novice up to Level 25. Beastborn (Wolf) also hit Level 25 that day.

I can take on one more Secondary Class before my Slots for it are full, and I’ll have to work on Advancing them and Adept of Kar.

-0 INT!

Uh… yes, I will.

Not really, Nies says.

“What do you mean?” I ask. “Was that you who took away the zero INT?”

That was the System, as usual. I figured I’d explain it this time so you don’t get utterly confused, because he refuses to actually talk to you until you reach Mage.

“Seriously?”

Yes.

“Okay,” I say. “So what do you mean, ‘not really’? I thought you could only change a Class before it hit Level 5, and that was by getting to the end of a Tier I Dungeon and completing it, then opting to access the Dungeon Core instead of leaving immediately?”

Yes, for a Tier I Dungeon. A Tier II Dungeon Core access allows you to change a Tier I Class up through Level 25. If you couldn’t do that, it’d eventually become nearly impossible to take on new Secondary Classes in ordinary cases of people who aren’t holding a Dekami buff, like your Bloodline.

“Will I lose the bonuses?”

Nope, just like with changing before Level 5, though in most cases you don’t actually have a bonus to lose, unless it’s not a Common Class you took on. Sort of like you and Wizard. The System decided that was unfair, since you actually earned that Level, in most cases. Useful for switching out Common Classes to rarer ones, like Novice to Mystic Novice. And yes, you can still take on Novice, too, but Mystic Novice will grant any advancements Novice does, which is why you have Mystic Ranger available to advance from Scout or Archer, and would have if you’d gone Novice and brought that to Level 25 instead of Mystic Novice.

Okay.

Also – if you switch out a Class, you’ve still ‘qualified’ on it, so you don’t lose any possible Classes from having it mastered, just like with its stat boosts.

“That’s useful,” I say.

Very.

“The only problem with that,” I say. “Is that I can’t do a Tier II Dungeon by myself, and even if I did, I don’t know where one is.”

Oh, there’s one not too far from here. And nearly all of your stats are over 200, with INT at almost 200… you can definitely solo a Tier II Dungeon. Any Archwizard who knows what they’re doing can handle most weaker Tier II Dungeons on their own. As a Mage, you can ignore the requirement of accessing the Dungeon Core of a Tier II Dungeon, and just do it yourself.

“Why does that not surprise me?”

Archmages can revoke System access.

That… is random, but also interesting to know.

“You’re referring to individuals, right?” I ask. “Since a Mage can change the setting for a world, realm, or plane, I mean.”

Yeah, for individuals.

“So you really think I can handle a weaker Tier II Dungeon?”

I said that Archwizards who know what they’re doing can handle weaker Tier II Dungeons on their own with ease. You’re an Archwizard who gained 4 Levels of the Dekami Bloodline. You could probably sneeze on a low-level Tier II Dungeon, and it’d complete itself.

Dungeons don’t complete themselves, Nies.

That sounded like an adult, not a kid or teen, like Nies and Ekre.

Yo, Aulor.

Aulor? As in the god of healing that Gabriel Goldenlight had the Blessing of?

You kid Divine… you have no respect for elders.

Technically, I’m your elder. Why are you here?

Looking for Ekre, this is his realm, after all. Why are you projecting me to the mortal? We’re supposed to have minimal contact with them.

No, you old gods just hold yourselves to that standard, interacting with your Heroes as little as possible. Mine needs help, and ‘sending a sign’ is too much work, so I’m just going to tell him. If I feel like it.

Do you know where Ekre is?

Give him like five minutes, and he’ll storm in here, pouting.

Pouting?

He doesn’t like me using his bathroom.

Say no more.

Apparently, he has an issue with me putting scented candles in there. It’s better than it smelling like poop.

Gods poop?

Boy does Ekre stink the place up… so glad I changed the scent of my poop to something a little more tropical.

Uh…

I have no doubts he knows I can hear him.

Stop projecting stuff like this to mortals, Nies. It isn’t appropriate for a god to interact with them this much. I-

It’s too much work to do signs, and he’s my Hero. I’m just going to talk to him.

Not how it works, Nies.

You don’t make the rules, Nies suddenly sounds very, very dangerous, and his tone sends a chill down my back. You are not an Origin, Aulor. If you have an issue with the way I handle my mortals, then take it up with the council, and then we will determine whether it’s worth bothering about. Yes, I am a child in form and mentality, but I am still your superior. You old gods have a bad view of how things should be handled, and want to impose yourselves upon us. In addition, you think you can just enter another Divine’s realm without permission.

You’re one to talk, Ekre apparently showed up. That, or he’s just projecting to them. Seeing how often you show up here.

So he showed up. Got it.

Ekre, I wish to speak with you about-

No one cares, Aulor, Nies’s dangerous tone continues. You will leave at once, and request permission to speak with the Origin of Adventure when you have learned your place. We might be ‘child gods’, but we are not children. Do not forget that we are Divine, not mortals, and are not to be treated as such.

Now begone, Nies orders. You are too troublesome to deal with, and I will kill you if you continue.

Silence for several long seconds, though I can still sense him projecting to me.

Old gods are so troublesome, Nies mutters. Ekre… can I nap on your couch again? The tigers got back into my house, and they’re too troublesome to deal with. They’re napping on my couch.

What about your bed?

I like sleeping on couches more.

They’re on your bed, too, aren’t they?

No response.

This is why you don’t leave your doors open, Nies.

It’s too troublesome to close them.

You close mine.

Only ‘cause you yell at me if I don’t.

I yell at you for being here, Ekre sighs. Go ahead. And stop projecting us to Gavin. If you want to talk to him, just project what you’re saying to him.

This is easier. I’m done, anyway. Good luck, Gavin.

“Hey, Nies?”

Yeah?

“Where’s the Dungeon?”

Instantly, knowledge of the location and how to get the Tier II Dungeon, as well as information about the Dungeon, forms in my mind.

You’re welcome.

“Thanks,” I say. “Enjoy your nap.”

After a reminder about the food offering, the connection disappears, and I snort, rolling my eyes at the gods. Nies got terrifying for a moment, and that was just from his voice. The fact that Aulor actually left only reinforces to me that Nies is not someone I should ever piss off.

He’d probably do something far worse than smite me and leave me as a spirit.

What happens if a Divine smites a spirit?

Shaking my head, I go back to looking at my available Classes.

(II) Mystic Adept (Level 1)(Rare)(Quest Waiting)

(II) Adept (Level 1)(Common)(Quest Waiting)

(II) Student (Level 1)(Uncommon)(Quest Waiting)

Elemental Novice (Level 1)(Rare)

Leader (Level 1)(Rare)

Fire Novice (Level 1)(Uncommon)

Ice Novice (Level 1)(Uncommon)

Water Novice (Level 1)(Uncommon)

Air Novice (Level 1)(Uncommon)

Stone Novice (Level 1)(Uncommon)

Lightning Novice (Level 1)(Uncommon)

Light Novice (Level 1)(Uncommon)

Shadow Novice (Level 1)(Uncommon)

Novice (Level 1)(Common)

Hunter (Level 1)(Uncommon)

Actor (Level 1)(Uncommon)

(II) Mystic Ranger (Level 1)(Rare)(Quest Waiting)

(II) Ranger (Level 1)(Uncommon)(Quest Waiting)

Mystic Scout (Level 1)(Rare)

(II) Mystic Archer (Level 1)(Rare)(Quest Waiting)

(II) Spy (Level 1)(Common)(Quest Waiting)

(II) Greater Archer (Level 1)(Common)(Quest Waiting)

Thief (Level 1)(Uncommon)

Ruffian (Level 1)(Common)

Squire (Level 1)(Common)

Martial Artist (Level 1)(Uncommon)

Blacksmith (Level 1)(Common)

Tailor (Level 1)(Common)

Mixer (Level 1)(Common)

Woodcarver (Level 1)(Common)

Cook (Level 1)(Common)

Uh…

I count eight Tier II Classes among that, when I’m looking at Available Classes, though they’re all listed as ‘Quest Waiting’. Strangely, Adept of Kar’s Second Tier isn’t listed. Mythical Classes probably have something extra needed. That, or Primary Classes’ Second Tiers aren’t listed among ‘Available Classes’. But then… why would it list Tier II’s in the first place?

A little confused, I pull up Adept of Kar’s Advancement Quest.

Adept of Kar Advancement Quest:

Request of Kar to Advance this Class to the Second Tier. Can be done anywhere, at anytime. Simply ask. If Kar finds you worthy, it will Advance to Magus of Kar.

Ah. That’s probably why it’s not available – it only has one Advanced form. I’m guessing that a Class is only showing up here if it has more than one available Second Tier. Having whatever enabled the Mystic Attribute for Novice probably affected that, allowing for the Mystic addition to most of them. Then there are the regular additions.

“Kar,” I take a deep breath. “I know we’ve never talked before, but I am requesting permission to Advance my Class. I-”

Adept of Kar is now Magus of Kar!

+2 INT, MNP, MNA each Level, +20% to learning and Leveling magics and Techniques of Kar. Invulnerability in any Territory of Kar.

Well, that happened.

“Thanks.”

+1 CHA!

Did Kar just grant me a point of charisma for thanking him?

+0 INT!

Thanks, System.

+0 CHA!

Back to figuring out what my fourth Secondary Class should be. As I do that, I look at the Quest for advancing Scout. It has Mystic Ranger and Spy as its advancements. No Mystic Spy, though.

Mystic Ranger:

+2 AGI, PER, +1 INT, STR every fourth Level

Mystic Ranger is superior to Mystic Scout. I pull up Scout and compare it to Mystic Scout.

Scout:

+1 AGI, PER every fifth Level

Mystic Scout:

+1 AGI, PER, +1 INT every fourth Level

I can’t take on Scout, since I mastered it, but it looks like I can still take on Mystic Scout, and gain the boost from that. I pull up the Quest for Adept.

Adept Advancement Quest:

Bring Novice up to Level 25, then master a Tier I or higher spell

Uh… okay. So part of the Quest is taking on the base version. That’s kind of amusing. I pull up the Mystic Adept Advancement Quest.

Mystic Adept Advancement Quest:

Master a Tier I or higher spell

So looks like I just need to master a Tier I or higher spell for that one. Its bonuses aren’t bad, either.

Mystic Adept (II):

+3 INT, +2 MNA every third Level, +10% to learning new magics

I almost laugh at the ridiculously easy requirement. Ridiculously easy for me, that is. Most magicians would probably have spent decades to do that. It gives me a new level of respect for people who’ve reached Tier II of a Class. All of the Quests seem to be difficult without some sort of boost. The Novice line only affects learning new magics, not Leveling them, and most Classes don’t even have something like that.

What Tier I spell should I learn now, to advance Mystic Novice to Mystic Adept? I took on the Quest.

I wonder if these count for the Blessing. I didn’t see a notification that I received a point. A quick check to my stats: LIF is one point higher.

Mystic Ranger wants me to master an Archery Skill while having Stealth or Camouflage at Level 10. I still haven’t used a bow, so I don’t know my Skill Level for any of them, but it probably won’t be too difficult for me. I’ll buy a bow in town, and probably have that done within a week, at most.

Back to the Tier I Spell, though. I have a bunch of Tier I Skills, but it specifically said ‘spell’, which relates to anything that’s a magic that costs Mana to use.

Maybe I should just get Ice Lance up to Level 10. It’s only four more Levels, and it’s not like it won’t be part of my restoration of Jozan.

An hour later, I have Mystic Adept and a much lower Mana. But Ice Lance is now Tier III, and again, I have Mystic Adept, so it doesn’t really matter.

Plus – I’ll just regenerate the Mana anyway, and Magus of Kar is now Level 6.

I make my way back to the surface, since I’m done for the day, my Mana depleted while gaining Mystic Adept, and sell my loot. That done, I look for a weapons shop that sells decent bows.

“Not every day we see a mage in here,” a couple of knights say from by the swords. “Damn mages, always wanting to branch out. Their bodies are too flimsy to handle other shit. He’ll learn that he can’t just-whoa!”

Skill Gained!

Longbow Mastery 6/10: Proficiency with longbows

Skill Gained!

General Bow Mastery 6/10: Proficiency with bows in general

“The next shot,” I tell him. “Will be through your head.”

The first one passed only an inch in front of his eyes.

I’m surprised I have such a high Longbow Mastery, since I’ve never used one before. My other bow masteries must be pretty high. I wonder what affects General Masteries.

“Excuse me,” I look at the clerk, who’s staring at the arrow in shock. “Do you have any shortbows? I need to get a bow Skill to Level 10 so I can take on Mystic Ranger, and while Longbow Mastery probably won’t be too hard for me, I’ll probably have a higher Shortbow Mastery, since I actually used them before gaining access.”

“No,” the clerk says after looking at me. “Sorry.”

“That’s fine,” I say. “How much for this bow? It seems to work pretty fine. I could also use some arrows, as well as a recommendation for a place where I can fire this for a bit.”

By the time I leave the archery range, I’ve mastered Longbow Mastery. That… was actually pretty easy. I mean, my arms are sore as hell (I can flip the bow around to use it in either arm, which is part of why I picked it), and it took me quite awhile, but I got it, and Mystic Ranger.