“The theory portraying the System as an equalizer for the multitude of Awakened who once possessed god-like powers was thought to be disproven, in part, by the ability to ‘learn’ Skills. It is my sincere belief that this argument is fundamentally flawed. In this paper I will prove that ability to learn Skills outside of levelling is in fact a feature of the System, meant to maintain an equilibrium between the Class types.”

-Excerpt form ‘The Function of Learned Skills’ by Dr. Buddhadev, [Researcher]

-

Pragmatism, as a concept, is very simple. When given the choice between multiple options, chose the one that has tangible and realistic benefits. It is, at its core, a practical practice requiring a realistic view of the world and how actions beget consequences. As such, Snowflake struggled with it.

Light filtered through high stained glass windows as he pondered. Quinn, sensing his inner struggle, had left, saying she looked forward to seeing how well he performed. During the Guild assessment was implied, but by her wink, it wasn’t the only thing. Curious behavior for a supposed divine being, but like Mordai said, people are multifaceted.

Day faded to evening. Shafts of golden, orange-hued light highlighted swirls of dust particles in the air. The distinct scent of paper, bound with glue, brought memories of Snowflake’s former life to his mind. His thoughts turned inward to who he had been, who he was, and who he would become. It was something he found himself doing more and more often these days.

Living the blessed life of a protagonist did little to teach someone about the world of consequences and chain-reactions. A part of Snowflake missed who he was in his old world, when he could charge into a situation with the knowledge he would come out on top of any situation. Things had changed and it was an odd feeling, reminiscent of both loss and gain.

He missed the confidence. The assurance that whatever decision he made, for better or for worse, was the right one.

If not for recent, less than pleasant experiences and almost near constant reminders, including his new name, Snowflake would have left the Guild Archive high on his decision to become a [Summoner]. There is much to be said about the sweet relief that follows making a decision after agonizing over the options, even if the old him wouldn’t have had such a hard time deciding.

Unfortunately, the weight of experience kept him rooted in the very place he made that supposedly alleviating decision. The pressure of making the correct choice once again tore at him. This was, in part, the fault of pragmatism. In the same sense, it was also the fault of the lack thereof. As much as a practical person would take the time to make a realistic and beneficial decision, at a certain point they would make a decision and stick with it, despite never knowing if their choice was the right one.

The stress causing duplicity of being a multifaceted person was not something Mordai had bothered to mention.

Perhaps a truly pragmatic person would choose to become a [Body Enhancer], right there and then. The practical reasons were manifold. In the long term, having a Class dedicated to enhancing the one thing Snowflake would never be without was a great choice. Just like what Honey said the first day they met, ‘When your weapon breaks, Skills fail, and magic runs dry, your body will be the only thing that stands between you and death.’

As for the short term? Well, tomorrow Snowflake would be put to the test during the Guild assessment, the results of which could plunge him even further into debt and delay his quest to rescue his Magic for far too long. Right at that very moment, it was early in the evening. If he took the Class now, he could spend hours running through the drills and cantrips he had learned over the past few weeks. There was no doubt in his mind that he would learn a few Skills, if not outright level.

Then again, Angosin had made his views clear on the subject. Only by levelling a single Class, suited to your Unique Skill, could you reach the peak of power. Those who walked multiple paths found themselves lost. Focusing on finding the requirements to become a [Summoner] then ascending the Dungeon, was also pragmatic in its own way. Time spent building a foundation was not time wasted. Probably. Snowflake was no [Builder].

But no. That wasn’t what made him falter.

In a clear moment of introspection, Snowflake admitted to himself that it was not the conflicting advice he had gotten that made him struggle with this decision. Angosin’s advice of pursuing the single best path and Mordai’s comments were contradictory, yes. But at the end of the day, it was just advice from people a little further along. The decision was his alone. He was his own person and he would forge his own path regardless of what other people thought.

The man he was before he named himself ‘Snowflake’ would’ve had no doubts in his mind that whatever his choice, it would be the right one. A single Class? It would rank up to be something powerful enough to destroy his enemies with a flick of his sleeve. Multiple Classes? They would consolidate to make him unstoppable.

Fear is what paralyzed Snowflake. He had tasted failure and its looming specter haunted his thoughts. Unknowing, he had slipped into a spiral.

Perhaps the practical thing to do would be to analyze his feelings, confront them and learn to overcome his fear. Instead, Snowflake closed his eyes and slipped into his Soulspace. There, among the celestial bodies of his Core and [Adaptability], hung a dark flame. Source swirled in the distance, like great rivers of light. He plunged a hand into his ethereal chest and ripped the fear from it. It was a sickly purple thing, cold to the touch. In it, he could feel a deep unhappiness, direct toward not only who he had been but also toward who he currently was. He fed it to the dark flame, burning in silence, deep in his Soulspace.

He made a decision. Only time would tell if it was the right one.

[Class obtained! [Body Enhancer] Level 1]

***

Snowflake checked around the sparring ground, for the third time, to make sure there were no unseen obstacles he could accidentally collide with. Nevasca was far enough away that he could just make out her discontented meowing. Her ears, laid flat, and her lashing tail was enough to portray her mood, even without feeling it through their bond.

It was for the best though. The last time he attempted this particular technique he had found himself hurtling through the air, straight into a pillar. The healing process had been intensive. Just thinking about it made the bones in his feet ache with phantom discomfort. Resetting the small bones by himself would be a pain, literally and figuratively.

Pain and growth were the name of the game though. Especially with his new Class. On the bright side, if this was the Skill Honey used to move so fast this morning, a bit of pain would be more than worth it. That was a big ‘if’ though.

Before he could slip back into the paralyzing fear of failure that regrew like a weed in his chest, Snowflake took a step. He led a small packet of kinetic energy through the familiar pathways of his veins and arteries to the ball of his foot, where it met the ground. Chemical energy infused his body, reinforcing it as much as he dare without risking the side-effects of excessive energy.

The kinetic energy burst as it left the bottom of his foot. Due to a mismatch in timing it exploded midstride and therefore midair, instead of right as his foot pushed off. The force sent him spinning to the ground. Hard. Spitting out a mouthful of sand, Snowflake reached down to massage his sore foot. Thankfully, he had the foresight to remove his boots before attempting this. Going barefoot for tomorrow’s assessment because he shredded only footwear playing with Source would be less than ideal.

Sitting on the ground, hunched over his foot, Snowflake could feel a thread of worry emanating from Nevasca. Just a thread though. It was hard to make out with the near overwhelming feeling of satisfaction she was projecting. She was smug enough to make Snowflake think that perhaps she wasn’t a mutant or strange variation of a Dungeon creature. Just a big cat with feathers.

He could practically hear her purring through their bond.

With a mental eye roll that Snowflake hoped she could feel through their bond, he continued to practice with varying degrees of success. Detonating the packet of kinetic energy too soon launched half of his body straight up. He almost did a full sideways flip the first time he messed up that aspect of the technique. After that, he learned to lean further forward.

Both feet at the same time was easier, but he wanted a more flexible Skill. Dashing about with kinetic energy propelling his every step was much more appealing than jumping like a frog to get places.

A few spectacular failures later, he got the hang of it. The timing was rough and he couldn’t maintain it for more than a few wild subsequent steps, but he could do it. Although… tripping when being propelled by explosions was less than ideal, as one still healing arm could attest. Changing direction was also difficult, requiring him to stop and face the new direction before continuing. It was fast though. Worthy of a Skill at least. The System seemed to agree with his assessment.

[Skill learned: [Explosive Step]]

Pride swelled in his chest at the notification. He did it. With a bit of effort he learned the [Body Enhancer’s] variation of Honey’s Skill, [Kinetic Step].The rush of excitement he felt when he slipped into his Soulspace to find a clear message defining his success was almost enough to overwhelm the bittersweet feeling of taking the [Body Enhancer] Class. Almost.

Filled with the glow of success, Snowflake decided to try out one of his first ideas for using kinetic energy. Infusing his body with kinetic energy in a similar way to how he reinforced his body with chemical energy was… Suffice to say that it did not work out. The kinetic energy either applied itself to his body, battering it, or accelerated his movements with uncontrollable fury. Just thinking about it made him ache. He ran a reflexive hand down the parts of his spine he could reach, checking for a broken vertebrae he might have missed.

After about two hours of trying to master the technique, more than half of which was spent healing, Snowflake checked his Soulspace to see if the System had taken mercy on him. It had, in a way.

[[Body Enhancer] level up! Level 2]

[Skill learned: [Rapid Recovery]]

[Skill obtained: [Sturdy Bones]]

It was not the outcome he was looking for, but Snowflake was still excited. A level and three Skills in such a short amount of time was vindicating. [Body Enhancer] was not the magical Class he craved, but he was good at it. There was something to be said for feeling competent.

Blinking open his eyes, he stared off into space, considering which Skills he could learn next. [Reverberating Strike] sounded interesting. Or, maybe the Skill Robert used to sucker punch him. What was it he said? [Mirage Punch]?

A soft cough echoed out from behind where he was sitting, cross-legged in the sand. He twisted to see Honey standing there in the fading light, one hand idly scratching Nevasca behind the ear.

“I did not expect to find you here of your own volition,” Honey said, a small smile on her face. “You look like you could use a sparring partner.”

“As it so happens, I do have a few things I’d like to test.” Snowflake stood up, brushing sand off of his pants. Turning to Nevasca, he gave her a small frown. “I thought I told you to stay outside the sparring grounds.”

Nevasca ignored him, opting to stretch and yawn instead, showing off her large fangs. Done, she sauntered over to lean against him, looking up with big eyes, and purring her innocence.

“Dammit cat,” he said under his breath as he scratched her head. His half-hearted grumbling did little to fool anyone present.

“You look different. Tougher.” Honey was looking at him, her head cocked to one side. “Did you take a Class?”

“[Body Enhancer]. I’m actually really glad you’re here. I want to see how much of a difference these Skills make.”

“Good Class. It served me well.” Honey nodded to herself, her expression thoughtful. “Which Skills did you get, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Well,” Snowflake grinned at her, excited to share his accomplishment. But just before he told her, a thought stuck him. His expression turned sly. “I reckon you should guess after we spar.”

Honey smirked and tossed her long, loose braid over one shoulder.

“Challenge accepted.”

Snowflake sent Nevasca away so he could face Honey one on one, ignoring her mrows of protest. Once she was at a safe distance, he faced Honey, balancing on the balls of his feet and shifting his weight side to side. Just like she taught him.

“I will use my own Skills now that you have a Class,” Honey said, a gleam in her eye. “But in the interest of fairness, I will only use the ones from when I was a [Body Enhancer].”

Rays of moonlight danced across the sand between them as evening became night. Snowflake sent chemical energy though his body to fuel his muscles and reinforce himself. The giddy excitement and nervousness he felt at facing Honey with a Class and Skills under his belt filled him with a wholly different feeling energy. He was ready.

“Game on,” he said, launching himself forward with an [Explosive Step]. The surprise in her eyes was satisfying in a way that scratched an itch he didn’t even know he had.

He twisted in midair to draw his fist back then forward in a punch aimed straight at her face. Hurtling through the air, he felt a split second of worry. Would he hit her too hard? She disappeared before his eyes, then the world spun. His back hit the sand so hard he could swear he bounced.

Laying there, with the wind knocked out of him, one clear thought ran through his head. [Sturdy Bones] must really work, because he didn’t feel the customary pain of broken or cracked bones.

“[Kinetic Step]. Very nice,” Honey said, leaning over to look at him. “Be careful though. Not being able to change direction in mid-air is an exploitable flaw.”

“[Explosive Step],” Snowflake said, taking her extended hand and letting her haul him up. He had gained his breath back in short order. [Quick Recovery] at work?

“Different name, same Skill.” Honey waved away his correction. “You are heavier. Did you also get [Physique: Density Control]? That is a powerful one.”

“No ma’am.”

“I am not old. Do not call me ma’am.”

Sensing an opportunity to tease the feisty badger-kin, Snowflake shifted backwards into a fighting stance, as casually as he could. With a playful smirk on his lips, he braced for the impending violence.

“Could’ve fooled me with those two massive streaks of white in your hair. Seems like something an old per-”

He blocked her mid-kick with his elbow, held close to his side. The force of the blow caused him to slide a near foot in the sand. His arm felt numb from the blow, but his bones held fast. A deep ache started to spread through the limb, indicative of a massive bruise in development.

With his left hand he unleashed a series of swift jabs to her face. The few that landed caused the skin of his knuckles to split open. It felt like hitting a stone wall despite causing her to retreat. With each strike, he stepped with his front foot and pivoted with his back, both following and circling his surprised opponent. She must have expected to lay him flat with that kick.

His counter attack bought him a few precious seconds, allowing [Quick Recovery] to return feeling to his arm.

Honey did not stay surprised for long, lashing out with a series of quick strikes of her own. Snowflake dodged what he could and weathered the rest, hoping that [Sturdy Bones] and [Quick Recovery] would see him through. Honey stepped back, making room to snap a roundhouse kick at his head. Recognizing the incoming move, Snowflake brought his knee up to his chest and pushed out at her. The front kick caused her to stumble. Capitalizing on the opening, Snowflake planted his front foot and swiveled. His back foot whipped around, hurtling toward her side in a perfect mid-kick. He guided a packet of kinetic energy through his leg, releasing it on impact.

His shin creaked from the force of the blow, but his bones held fast. That was expected, from what Snowflake was learning about his new Skill. What was unusual, was the chilling cold climbing up his leg from the point of impact.

Surprised and wary, he danced backwards and took a good look at Honey, who had not budged.

“[Absorb Kinetic Energy], derived from the [Body Enhancer] Skill [Absorb Force],” she said in response to his unasked question. A true smile lit her face. “You have come far, Snowflake.”

“You were a good teacher.”

“Am a good teacher,” she corrected. “Tomorrow you will do what it takes to jump through the Guild’s hoops. Then, I will guide you on your first foray into the Dungeon. We are not done yet. I have much to show you.”

Honey’s words warmed Snowflake’s heart. Her tone and continued fighting stance, however, sent a chill tingling down his spine.

“Brace yourself, Snowflake,” Honey said, advancing on him. The moon and stars above them shone down, casting deepening shadows across the training grounds. “Let us see how much you have learned, and what Skills you can learn by morning.”