035

--TheirWorld--

It didn’t take long for the team to complete the various forest quests. Drakov shared the ones that he had picked up from the tavern, and, with the support of the team, they were able to take care of even the powerful Blubears without much effort. Each of them gained at least one level — though Guin gained two thanks to the experience benefits her [Gumiho] trait provided her. Her stats also shot up quite fast, and she noticed that her skinning skill already had full bar of experience, though an exclamation point next to the bar told her that she needed the to finish the quest for the first promotion.

In the two hours that they had stayed together as a group, she had also hit the tenth level of many of the abilities that she used the most. [Spirit Shield], [Dance], [Fox Form], [Trip], [Backstab], [Spear - Strike], and even her [Magic Circle] and [Hymn of the Light] abilities were now level ten thanks to the fact that she had basically fallen back into a support role thanks to BronzePaw’s mage-tanking.

One can certainly tell how the chance to supplement experience for abilities can affect things, Guin thought, stealing a glance at BronzePaw as she swiped at their final Blubear. Though, if she wants to be close combat, she should probably get some enchantments. Of course, she reflected, there was a high chance that the garuli woman didn’t know much about enchantments and their mechanics.

The Blubear fell with a thunk! and Guin let Drakov take the skin and it’s other spoils as the hunting quest ding-ed completed.

“That finishes that, then,” StarShine said, crossing her arms. “Shall we head back to the city and turn these in? Guin, I expect more levels from you today.”

Shrugging, Guin nodded and they made their way back to the tavern at the front of the Hunters’ Guild. After turning in their quests, Guin was halfway to level 16.

“Is there anything else we can do for you?” BronzePaw asked as Drakov and StarShine searched for more quests on the board.

“I think I’ll have to go it alone from here,” Guin told her. “Even if I brought you guys along for the Catacombs part, I need to get the crafting stuff out of the way first — and that could take hours.”

“Alright,” Bahena nodded.

They had decided to go their separate ways for a little while, while Guin figured out what was going on with her class. While none of them were particularly excited about tableing what seemed like a worth while adventure, all of them had felt a little under-leveled when they had taken on the Lore Master — and it wasn’t even a Boss or Elite level monster. Had they run into a larger group, a more powerful monster, or even more than one Lore Master, they would have wiped almost instantly.

Guin saw as BronzePaw’s golden eyes flickered back and forth between Guin and the others. She hesitated before asking, “I-Is there something…?”

The garule woman’s eyes brightened as the sheepish look returned to her face. “I was just wondering, you know, since you seem very comfortable in this environment —- this game world —- if you could give me some… direction on how best to use the next few hours. I know magic and intelligence aren’t really my strengths — but I don’t really have anyone else to ask…”

“O-Oh,” Guin went. “Well… but what about your brothers? Don’t they play?”

BronzePaw looked down, looking oddly ashamed. “They do, but two are never really on, and the other…,” he voice drifted, her eyes darting around as she struggled with the words. “I don’t want to ask him. I don’t… really want him to know.”

“You don’t want him to know what?” Guin asked, furrowing her brow. “That you play? I thought your brothers all knew and wanted to play.”

“Well, yes, but… I don’t want him to know that — That — That I am playing a magic user,” BronzePaw stuttered. “I don’t want him to know that I… Urm… You see… I…,” she struggled.

Becoming increasingly confused, Guin tried to help by saying, “Because it makes you a sutak?”

But the bronze garuli woman shook her head quickly. “Not that,” she said. “Though I guess, a bit… It’s complicated. My brother is… complicated. He’d get mad if he know. That’s why I don’t want him to know. But, I want to do this. For myself. I have the chance to… to understand better. I want to take it, I want to give it my all — and I don’t want him to stop me.”

“I don’t really understand,” Guin went. “But if all you are looking for is pointers about how to be a mage, then…” Her first answer was to find a trainer, but after taking a moment to actually think about it, instead advised, “You might be a mage, but you don’t really fight like a mage.”

“A-Ah,” BronzePaw went. “So how —”

Reflecting on some of the thoughts she had had during their fights, Guin shook her head thoughtfully. “I’d say that the best way to be a successful mage in this game is the same way one becomes successful fighter; play to your strengths,” she said, thinking back on her experience with her own first group where Ibraxis Soulkeeper was the best example of the fighting style she imagined Bahena would use.

Even though Ibraxis was a healer and a magic user, he was just as much a physical fighter in group — partly because the group was sufficient enough to not need him primarily as a healer and casting spells took too much time, but it was presumably only successful because he had experience as a fighter beforehand. He had occasionally used his powers more as a traditional mage might, but it seemed to be as natural as fighting was to him. For BronzePaw, however, Guin could see that hand-to-hand and physical abilities were where she was comfortable.

“There should be spells that you can use to enhance your already existing patterns,” Guin continued. “For example, your [Earthquake] ability is one that you use most because it work’s with your physical prowess and natural patterns. Likewise, there should be enchantment spells, like my [Magic Shield], or spells that add elements to your attacks that you could learn. As a mage, you’ll have an added bonus to the new skill set without sacrificing your potency or honor as a warrior.”

Of course, the other side to the advice she was giving BronzePaw was that Guin herself didn’t really know where her own strengths were. Guin gripped her spear tightly. She had a lot of work to do if she wanted to be a half decent fighter in her own right, and there were certainly spells she felt she could use. A [Haste] spell would be nice, and if she was going to end up in a support role, she needed more healing and buff abilities — but then she could easily fall into a Jack-of-All-Trades-Master-of-None scenario.

BronzePaw, however, gave her a toothy grin. “I certainly didn’t expect to get a lecture from you,” she said, putting her hands on her hips. “But I do thank you for it. At least I understand what to look for a little better. Don’t forget that what may seem obvious to you in any situation may not be obvious to others.”

“Glad I could help a little,” Guin told her. “But I do think you should do some research in general. Even for me, I have to look up things all the time. This game is a bit different that things I’m really familiar to.”

Laughing, BronzePaw scratched the back of her head. “You sound like my brother. This may come as a shock to you, all things considered, but, I don’t really like doing research. I just like talking.”

“Less a shock than you think,” Guin mused.

StarShine came over and let out an exasperated sigh. “Alright! That’s done. Now, I have some shopping to do, then I need to visit my trainer. Paw-Paw, you gonna run around for a bit?”

“Yes,” BronzePaw nodded. “I may go to the Mage Trainer myself and spend a bit of time playing with the mechanics more. I’m not used to magic, yet.”

“You could just learn as you go,” StarShine shrugged. “You’ve done just fine, in my opinion.”

“It’s not like I’m reading a manual,” the garule woman smiled. “But it would be a terrible tactical decision to go into a fight unprepared.”

“It’s just a game…”

“It’s a game with simulated combat being at the forefront,” the garule woman said. “I would be remiss in not treating it that way.”

Unconvinced, StarShine shrugged. “If you say so,” she said. “Sounds like an awful lot of wasted effort.”

“Studying up would do you some good, I would think,” Drakov muttered from the side as he approached.

“Drakov,” Guin chided, then turned to the group. “We’ll meet up back here in a couple of hours, yeah? Let’s get to it, then. See you guys in a bit.”

The four of them bid their farewells, dropped out of the group, and went their separate ways.