Chapter 41, Second class

“Shit! We’re so close to reaching level 300 in [Basic Arcane Telekinesis]. Should we practice using the skill until we get there?”

“Why not, Ari. We can smoke some pipeweed at the same time. It’s been too long since we had a bowl. No sex though as we need our faculties down here.”

Ari pouts but doesn’t go against the logical precaution.

I manifest my pipe, summon the candied peach pipeweed and use telekinesis to complete the task of filling the bowl before sending the grass back into storage and lighting it. Taking a long pull I smile contentedly at the smooth feel of the smoke and pleasant aroma. Splitting the ring blade into sections I set to moving them around in different ways, actually gaining some real results in my intoxicated state as my mind conjures all kinds of strange movement patterns for me to execute.

Another bowl of smoked pipeweed later I finally get the notification I’ve been waiting for.

Ding! General skill [Basic Arcane Telekinesis] has leveled from [299] to [300].

Dispersing my pipe I ride out the last of the high in silence with Ari, taking comfort in the feel of her lips against mine without really entering the mental space. It’s strange as the [Mental Space] skill feels primed and ready to be activated in order to draw me into our little paradise. I don’t need to activate the skill if I don’t want to, which actually helps in keeping us at least partially separated.

If I choose to not activate the skill, like now, I can still feel Ari close to me as our mental defenses lower and we intimately brush against the other’s consciousness, transfering the thoughts and feelings between each other in such a way as to simulate making out, hugging or merely taking comfort in each other’s presence. The difference is hard to describe but it feels more casual somehow. It’s still enjoyable but not as intense or realistic.

After the high has finally run its course we prepare to check out our new classes, first opening the full status sheet for the first time in quite a while.

-Status-

Name: Zelaria

Level: [200]+

Race: Human

Age: [16] (82)

Attribute Points: [40]

Strength: [110] -50%

Constitution: [110] -50%

Vitality: [110] -50%

Agility: [110] -50%

Dexterity: [110] -50%

Intelligence: [163] +300%

Wisdom: [870] +295%

Mana: [6520 / 6520]

Capacitor: [24,776 / 24,776]

Mana regen: [3436] / Minute

Traits:

Arcane affinity

Twin Minds

Soulcore

Manabody

Resistances:

Heat Resistance: [1]

Cold Resistance: [4]

Disease Resistance: [4]

Poison Magic Resistance: [17]

Arcane Magic Resistance: [3]

Fire Magic Resistance: [8]

Lightning Magic Resistance: [2]

Earth Magic Resistance: [1]

Wind Magic Resistance: [1]

Water Magic Resistance: [2]

Soul Magic Resistance: [23]

Curse Magic Resistance: [107]

Mind Magic Resistance: [2]

Corrosion Magic Resistance: [16]

General skills:

Identify - [60]

Aerial Acrobatics - [84]

Running - [122]

Sprinting - [134]

Jumping - [159]

Dodging - [273]

Sneaking - [27]

Harvesting - [21]

Smoking - [43]

Throwing - [24]

Small Blades - [175]

Dual Wielding - [209]

Unarmed - [197]

Arcane Spatial Ring - [153]

Basic Arcane Telekinesis - [300]

Mental Space - [29]

Gemcutting - [7]

Lock Picking - [4]

Dancing - [12]

Cooking - [2]

Gorging - [1]

Reading - [6]

Writing - [3]

Multitasking - [594]

Humanoid Linguistics - [96]

Soul Manipulation - [67]

Manabolt - [16]

Class 1: [Mana Machine v. 2.3 - 200] - Evolutions available [3]

Class 2: Empty - Available [39]

“Oh, right. We still have 40 attribute points to spend. Should we put them into wisdom? I’m not sure we’re going to get any better class choices by increasing any other attribute at the moment.”

“Alright, Zel.”

Ding! Attribute [Wisdom] has been increased from [870] to [910]

Attribute Points: [0]

Strength: [110] -50%

Constitution: [110] -50%

Vitality: [110] -50%

Agility: [110] -50%

Dexterity: [110] -50%

Intelligence: [163] +300%

Wisdom: [910] +295%

Mana: [6520 / 6520]

Capacitor: [23,863 / 23,863]

Mana regen: [3594] / Minute

“Now then, Zel. Let’s look through the available classes.”

Class 2: Empty - Available [39]

[Adaptive Clerk]

[Small Blades Expert]

[Dancer]

[Heavy Smoker]

[Acrobat]

[Arcanist]

[Undying Brawler]

[Dreamer]

[Arcane Artificer]

[Mana Constructor]

[Spatial Mage]

[Empowered Nudist]

[Whistleblower]

[Fistfighter]

[Adrenaline Junkie]

[Unclean Connoisseur]

[Butcher]

[Noble Runner]

[Curse Glutton]

[Hunter]

[Bounty Hunter Philanthrope]

[Negotiator]

[Arcane Mage]

[Scout]

[Lucky Escape Artist]

[Fister]

[Tainted Mana Monk]

[Arcane Telekineticist]

[Deep Sleeper]

[Bathhouse Exhibitionist]

[Blood Drenched Slaughterer]

[Inquisitive Informant]

[Flames Of The Fanatic]

[Seeker]

[Abandoned Dungeoneer]

[Meat Enthusiast]

[Dagger Dancer]

[Mana Tailor]

[Shortsighted Seer]

We share a long silence after having read through them all, both confused and happy with the results. I burst out into fits of laughter as I reread some of the class' names, wondering how the hell I’d managed to get so many strange sounding classes. Ari soon joins me and it takes a while to calm down, both of us giggling like fools.

“Alright, Pfft. Ahem. Let’s get ourselves- Hahaha. Fuck. Stop laughing, Ari! I can’t focus.”

“But, Hahaha, Zel. What the fuck is the [Shortsighted Seer] class? It’s just so ridiculous I can’t-”

Ari breaks down into another fit of laughter as I try calming myself, refocusing on actually trying to understand what each class is about by only skimming each description without delving deeper into any of them. That would simply take too long and I’m honestly not that interested in most of them. It’s a greater challenge trying to remain focused with Ari giggling than it was to kill the 14th floor guardian.

As Ari finally calms down I’ve already compiled a list of classes I’d like to look deeper into and she readily agrees with my selection.

[Spatial Mage]

Having experienced and studied spatial magic in depth you crave greater mastery over this enigmatic form of mana. Seek that which lay beyond the void but be careful lest you get lost forever in your search.

Requirements:

-Compatible manipulation skill at level 100 or above.

-Basic understanding of spatial mana.

-Mana capacity above 10,000.

“This sounds like a really cool and useful class, both in and outside of combat.”

“It does, Zel. I’m not sure it’s suited for us though. It has the requirement of a compatible manipulation skill and even if we may technically have one, it’s almost useless when working with anything but arcane.”

“You think our spatial mana manipulation abilities would be hindered? I can see the logic in that. Too bad, it would have been a great way to travel the world if we could just teleport to our desired destinations or something. Let’s check the next one.”

[Blood Drenched Slaughterer]

You revel in the blood of your foes, exhilarated by systematic slaughter of those you deem worthy. Be it with a weapon or without you tear and break your opponent by overwhelming force and no finesse. The unending slaughter is all important, all that matters, all that you will ever enjoy. What is life without killing?

Requirements:

-[Unarmed] at level 150 or above.

-Weapon mastery skill at level 150 or above.

-Bathed in the blood of at least 15,000 slain foes.

-Been drenched in gore without thinking to clean yourself for at least 3 days.

-Killed multiple creatures above your own level with nothing but overwhelming force.

“I’m sure you picked this one for the badass class name but I don’t think this is a good fit for us.”

I have to agree with Ari as there’s too much reference to violent behavior and not much on the actual strengths of the class. It’s surely a good warrior class but I want to be able to enjoy other things besides slaughter and this class makes it sound like everything else will lose meaning.

[Adrenaline Junkie]

Life without near death experiences is just so boring. Why not jump down a ravine, challenge a foe that can easily kill you or willingly place yourself in deadly situations for prolonged periods of time? Life is too short to spend time doing things carefully, why not dive straight into the jaws of death, hoping to make it out in one piece against all odds?

Requirements:

-Have at least 100 near death experiences.

-Willingly entered into multiple battles to the death without certainty of victory.

-Enjoy the feeling of being in danger, challenged and pushing past your limits.

“It’s good that The system has noticed the effort we’ve put into our level grinding but this doesn’t look like a class we should pick, Ari. What would the skills even be? Power boosts when near death? Improved ability to fight under pressure? At what cost? Do we get a constant craving for adrenaline or something?”

“We already crave a lot of stimuli as it is so yeah, next one.”

[Arcane Artificer]

Using nothing but arcane aligned mana you wish to create artifacts of power. Be it for destruction, protection or convenience, the purpose of your creations does not matter as there is nothing limiting you except your own skill. What matters is that you can turn your ideas into reality, for your own or another one's use.

Requirements:

-Arcane affinity

-Compatible manipulation skill at level 600 or above.

-Compatible sensing skill at level 300 or above.

-[Wisdom] attribute at 800 or above.

-Mana capacity above 20,000.

-Designed and created at least one artifact out of nothing but arcane mana.

“*Sniff* Master Gudrun would be so proud if she could see us now.”

Ari titters at my theatrics.

“This looks like quite a powerful class, Zel. The requirements are insane and it’s definitely useful in a variety of situations. Could we turn our vessel into an enormous artifact for example? Create any type of artifact or even vessels for other people? I’m sure we could be famous across the whole continent if we decided to pick it.”

“Probably. It’s not a direction I want to take though. We’re not going to sit cooped up in a room designing artifacts for the rest of our life even if that might be a safe way to increase our strength.”

“I agree.”

[Arcane Telekineticist]

Combining the rare ability of telekinesis and mana without a naturally occurring elemental structure you walk a path of your own making. You can not tell where this path leads but there is surely greatness to be found when delving into the unknown. Embracing the infinite possibilities, you seek to master the essence of the intangible power you have come to rely on.

Requirements:

-Arcane affinity

-[Basic Arcane Telekinesis] at level 300 or above.

-Compatible manipulation skill at level 600 or above.

-Compatible sensing skill at level 300 or above.

-Mana capacity above 25,000.

-Mana regeneration above 3000.

A big goofy grin spreads across my face as I read the description and requirements.

“Yes! There is a class for it as we had hoped. I’m sure this is the perfect choice for us. What do you think, Ari?”

“I’ll have to agree with you as long as we don’t want to go with [Arcane Mage] or [Arcanist]. Did you read through them?”

“I did. [Arcanist] has gotten stronger without increased skill levels but is otherwise the same and [Arcane Mage] looks like a lesser version of it. I have no idea why we would pick them though.”

“In that case I fully agree with you on this. There’s just so many ways for us to use telekinesis both in battle and outside of it. The requirements are also relatively close to our current skill levels meaning that it’s definitely a strong class, most likely as strong as they get without an evolution.”

Rubbing my hands together in anticipation I mentally select the class, dearly hoping it will provide what I need to enhance my strength and battle techniques even further.

Ding! You have gained the class [Arcane Telekineticist]. +[5 AP].

Ding! [Arcane Telekineticist] has leveled from [1] to [13]. +[60 AP]

Ding! [Arcane Telekineticist] has claimed general skill [Basic Arcane Telekinesis].

Ding! Skill [Basic Arcane Telekinesis] has become [Telekinetic Force Manipulation].

[Telekinetic Force Manipulation]

[100 + (Skill Level / 2)]% increased efficiency and control when converting arcane mana to telekinetic force or manipulating kinetic mana.

Ding! Do you wish to transfer skill [Arcane Manipulation] to [Arcane Telekineticist]?

-[Arcane Telekineticist]-

Combining the rare ability of telekinesis and mana without a naturally occurring elemental structure you walk a path of your own making. You can not tell where this path leads but there is surely greatness to be found when delving into the unknown. Embracing the infinite possibilities, you seek to master the essence of the intangible power you have come to rely on.

Perks:

-[Intelligence] + 100%

-[Wisdom] + 100%

Skills:

-Telekinetic Force Manipulation - [300]

-Empty

-Empty

-Empty

-Empty

Available skills [0]

“Nice! But what does it ask if we wish to transfer a skill from our other class? Do you know, Ari?”

“This was indeed a good class. I’m not sure about that though. It may be that The system considers the skill suited to both classes and gives us a choice since the skill slots are limited?”

“That makes sense. I don’t think we should transfer it then. We don’t know how many skills we’ll get with this new class and there’s still three empty skill slots in [Mana Machine v. 2.3].”

“Fair point.”

Ding! You have declined to transfer skill [Arcane Manipulation] to [Arcane Telekineticist].

“How come we only received 12 levels to our new class though? Shouldn’t killing multiple creatures close to level 200 and even a floor guardian above that have gained us at least a few more?”

Ari seems confused by my bewilderment.

“But, Zel, the experience gain is measured against our combined level, that is to say that we only gained as many levels as [Mana Machine v. 2.3] would have gotten if we choose to evolve that class instead of getting another one.”

“Oh, right. I’d completely forgotten.”

Ari giggles at me, getting a playful swat in retaliation.

“Alright, silly Zel, let’s check our status sheet.”

-Status-

Name: Zelaria

Level: [213]

Race: Human

Age: [16] (82)

Attribute Points: [65]

Strength: [110] -50%

Constitution: [110] -50%

Vitality: [110] -50%

Agility: [110] -50%

Dexterity: [110] -50%

Intelligence: [163] +400%

Wisdom: [910] +395%

Mana: [7482 / 8150]

Capacitor: [23,863 / 30,970]

Mana regen: [4504] / Minute

Traits:

…

Resistances:

…

General skills:

…

Identify - [60]

Class 1: [Mana Machine v. 2.3 - 200] - Evolutions available [3]

Class 2: [Arcane Telekineticist - 13]

Class 3: Locked

The boost to both our total mana capacity and mana regeneration is great. Now there’s only the choice on how to allocate the current and future attribute points. After a few minutes of discussing it we eventually settle on reaching 1000 in wisdom before splitting it even between wisdom and intelligence. We might want to increase our physical attributes as well but that will have to wait until we’ve designed, created and tested a new manabody.

Ding! Attribute [Wisdom] has been increased from [910] to [945].

Mana regen: [4677] / Minute