"My Lady... you're finished?" she asked, her voice tinged with a mix of deference and nervous anticipation.
"Yes," I replied. "I'm headed to my room now. I'll need a bath."
"Understood," she responded, and I could almost hear the relief in her voice as she quickly added, "I'll get that ready for you, right away if you can excuse me." She then hastened her pace and disappeared.
As I watched Marina scurry away, I couldn't help but think about a saying from the country a colleague of mine came from: A mind that is lacking will become its owner's downfall.
Sure, I might not look like the most friendly person there could be, but I wasn't particularly horrible to her or any other servant. The only faults that could be attributed to me were, frankly, my unfriendliness and my overall indifference. Other than that, I was a very nice master, at least in my opinion. And yet, she was clearly still afraid of me, which I found to be her issue, not mine. She might be trying to be slick about it, but I knew that she was still very close to her old master, one of my half-sisters, most likely reporting to her on my every move, and doing so out of fear of the consequences if I were to find out. In truth, I couldn't care less about it; it's not like any of my sisters had the strength or the authority to do anything about what she was reporting.
So, here I was, constantly confronted with the spectacle that she presented, and I had to admit that, as time went by, I'd developed some amusement from the sight of her being so one-sidedly worried. It was a curious mixture of entertainment and a pinch of pity, seeing someone constantly on edge simply because of my presence was an odd thing to find amusing, yet I couldn't help it. Despite this, I wasn't entirely devoid of empathy.
As soon as I got the opportunity, I would usually dismiss her; after all, I wasn’t actively seeking her misery, I was just a girl trying to mind her own business. Speaking of business, I had some still pending.
After a prompt mental call, an interface popped up before me.
—
[ Faye’s Interface ]Name: Faye
Level: 12
Race: Highbreed
Class: Sorcerer [Subclasses available]
Title: Frostbinder Adept, Blessed of Sorcery
Experience: 78 / 13230
[Status]- H.P: 28 / 34
- M.P: 77 / 1180 (+401)
- S.P: 21 / 57
- Fatigue: 51%
- Defense: 27
- Offense: 231
[Attributes]A.P Distributable: 10
- Strength: 2
- Agility: 5
- Constitution: 7
- Intelligence: 21
- Wisdom: 28
- Charisma: 20
- Faith: 2
[Skills]- Hydroblast: Level 4
- Identification: Level 6
- Ice Magic: Level 5
- Frost Shards: Level 6
- Frost Burst detonation: Level 3
- Eagle Eye: Level 3
- Glacial Eclipse: Level 4
- Frostbound Stride: Level 5
- Lowered Temperature: Level 6
- Mana Reservoir: Level 4
- Winter Clutch: Level 7
- Amplified Frostbite: Level 6
- Inflict Frostbite: Level 6
- Cryognize: Level 4
- Frost Lance Conjuration: Level 4
- Frost Sword Conjuration: Level 3
- Frost Dagger Conjuration: Level 1
[Abilities]- Debilitating Surge: Unlocked
- Elemental Affinity (Ice): Unlocked
- Negative Resonance: Locked
- Ice lesser Immunity: Unlocked
- Ice Mild Immunity: Unlocked
- Ice Greater Immunity: Locked
- Mana Storage (Elspeth)
- Elemental Affinity (Ice-Water-Wind, Elspeth)
- Magic Amplification (Elspeth)
—
After eight years of training and six years since I went up to level 1, I was finally at level 12 and had reached the second leveling milestone. The first milestone, the Class Choice, occurred at level one. There were five such milestones throughout the levels for Verdenkinds, and six for highbreeds. The first one happens at level one, the second between levels 12 to 18, depending on the class; the third at level 25, the fourth at level 50 if one also met the prerequisite requirements, and the last one for Verdenkind at least level 80, again dependent on meeting prerequisites. The sixth milestone, available only to Highbreed, occurs at level 100.
I was still a long way from the two latter milestones, being only at the second level milestone, which is also commonly known as the Class Specialization milestone. As the name suggested, it was a milestone where one could choose a specialization, generally done through subclasses or special class. The process was very similar to the first milestone: class choice, a milestone where one could choose one's class from all the core classes.
Here, instead of core classes, we had subclasses. The only other difference, I suppose, was that subclasses weren't as easily available as core classes. At level one, whether or not you'd managed to acquire swordsmanship, one could choose to become a knight, a class that valued that skill. The same went for mage, wizard, or sorcerer; one could choose these classes without having unlocked a single MP-centric skill. The specialization milestone, however, required one to fit the subclass prerequisites, which could be a skill, an ability, or even a title, to be able to choose them.
In my case, I only fit the prerequisites for two subclasses: Cryomancer and Hexcaster.
To be honest, out of the four outcomes, I had always thought that if I were to choose, it would likely be the fourth one. This was for the same reason I chose Sorcerer as my class rather than Mage. From the moment I started my training and acquired innate skills that didn't manifest at birth, I more or less knew that I would excel in ice-related skills. With Mana Reservoir, the skill I was born with that grants me a bonus to MP., I could already foresee my path. The question back then was just about becoming either a Mage or a Sorcerer. I chose the latter partly to spite the old man but mainly for a more logical reason.
At level 1, I'd already acquired the skill around which a Mage's whole existence revolves, or at least ‘my’ existence as a hypothetical Mage would’ve most likely revolve around: Ice Magic. Sure, there was, if I had become a mage, a possibility that I might’ve acquired another type of magic, but there was also a chance that I never would. I didn’t want to just be an "ice mage," though there's nothing particularly wrong with being one. Since I already had the skill that made an Ice Mage an Ice Mage, why would I still become one? I might as well become a Sorcerer. Ironically, upon becoming a Sorcerer, I became akin to the sorcerer variant of an Ice Mage, a Cryomancer. But still, I was a Cryomancer who had access to a skill that should have belonged to a Mage, on top of what was already mine as a sorcerer.
The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
Now, when it came to this milestone, I never really looked forward to it, at least not in a sense where I was eager for the day I'd be specializing. I was just eager to reach it, like I was for each next level. By level 6, I could already foresee the option of becoming a Cryomancer offered by the system, and I was right just as I thought the system offered that option, but frankly, I didn't see how I could become more of a Cryomancer than I currently was. Back then, when I didn't realize what exactly my full options would be when it came to class specialization, I really considered just proceeding with the fourth outcome and continuing my path as just a ‘plain’ Sorcerer. But now, as I looked at the options available to me, other than Cryomancer, I hesitated.
Honestly, at first glance, the Hexcaster subclass, with its focus primarily on debuffs, might not seem particularly appealing. However, certain aspects of the subclass caught my attention, especially how its core skills and abilities, hexes, jinxes, and curses, scale with specific attributes.
Generally, leveling up one's attributes serves two main purposes: it enhances various aspects shown in the status section of the interface, such as offense or defense, and can also increase one's MP, SP, or HP. Furthermore, enhancing these attributes boosts the potency of skill effects by amplifying either the offensive or defensive metrics.
With the system in place that allows monitoring of damage values inflicted or received during an attack, the output value of an attack involving skill is calculated as the skill level multiplied by the relevant offensive or defensive value. Depending on one's class and the desired effects of certain skills, optimal attribute distribution can vary significantly, making it crucial to tailor your approach to your class's strengths and the skills you wish to enhance.
With the presence of my skill "Identification," which I had managed to level up to level 6, I didn't really have to worry much about optimization, as the skill was able to literally list exactly what the subclass scaled to.
"Wisdom, faith, and luck as primary Attributes; and Intelligence and Charisma as Secondary Attributes..."
As a sorcerer, I scaled primarily on Wisdom, which directly increased my offense metric, and secondarily with Intelligence and Charisma. The former slightly increased my offense value and granted me more MP to draw fuel from for my skills, while the latter increased the potency of spells and also, like intelligence, slightly increased my offense value.
Being a highbreed, I naturally had the faith attribute, but as a Sorcerer, I saw no compelling reason to level it up. It wasn't for lack of trying; I did throw a point into it once, mostly hoping it might enhance the power of my skills or, at the very least, increase my chances of acquiring a healing-related skill. Needless to say, neither of the anticipated outcomes materialized, so I regretted that decision and ceased investing in that attribute altogether. So, seeing this class, which, according to [Identification]'s interface, valued faith, even as a secondary scaling attribute, gave me a unique impression. At the moment, faith lags behind attributes like strength and agility, attributes I have no reason to invest in as a sorcerer. But this subclass promises a different fate for faith.
The second aspect of the Hexcaster subclass that caught my attention was another attribute it mainly scaled on: Luck. For Verdenkind, there are six levelable attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. Highbreed have access to the same attributes, except that they also have access to Faith. Luck, on the other hand, is not an attribute common to any conventional subrace of humanity, save perhaps half-breeds, those born from a union of one human parent and another sentient race. I read somewhere that it's an attempt for the system to help these poor soul as being an half-breed comes with its set of disadvantage.
To be frank, I personally wasn't very familiar with the attribute, having never acquired it or interacted closely with anyone wielding it, only just read about it. So I was intrigued, very intrigued, and interested, even.
When comparing Verdenkind and Highbreed subraces, the latter is often deemed superior for several reasons. Among these, it's frequently mentioned that being a Highbreed grants one heightened healing and holy potential. Moreover, the additional attribute that comes with the subrace allows one's healing and holy related skills to be more potent than they conventionally would be. However, one thing that is often forgotten, or at least glossed over, despite how game-breaking it is, is the fact that since Highbreeds come with an additional attribute, the system, apparently accounting for that extra attribute, grants an additional attribute point with each level up.
One extra attribute point at each level, that's 100 extra points by level 100. That is an absolute game-changer. A Highbreed may not notice it, but being a Highbreed who was once a Verdenkind? I can't help but notice that unfair advantage. Now, as I looked over this special class that promises to grant me, as a Verdenkind, a second special attribute, which I could foresee offering the same attribute points privilege as the Faith attribute, I have to admit I was tempted, very tempted indeed.
That being said, I wasn't so greedy as to rashly make that irrevocable decision until level 25, the milestone where one could initiate a class change. I was sane enough to realize the challenges such a class could pose. Sure, the class benefits seemed to be highly geared toward leveling the playing field between a class focusing on debuffs and those focused purely on offense, but still...
Pondering the matter through my bath, weighing the pros and cons, I had just settled into a chair into a corner to dry off my hair when I heard a commotion that momentarily dragged my attention away from the path I’ll be taking.
Adjusting my peignoir, I walked up to the balcony from which I overlooked the source of the noise. In the courtyard below, two horse-drawn wagons had come to a halt. From them emerged at least ten men, dressed in ordinary attire but armed with swords at their waists, their hands resting on the sword pommels.
With anticipation palpable even from this distance, I watched the men curiously take in their surroundings. It was then as they did that they immediately straightened up the moment a man approached; the man was none other than Justaff. Approaching and coming to a halt before the men, he greeted them and was greeted back with a gesture reminiscent of a solemn military salute.
From here, I could see Justaff saying something, but from my vantage point on the balcony, which was at least on the fourth floor, I couldn't hear their conversation. However, I could tell that Justaff was likely briefing the men on their soon-to-be duties as guards. This sight wasn't unfamiliar to me; in the past few weeks, there had been a steady stream of new servants and guards arriving at the chateau. It was evident that Father, paranoid in anticipation of his departure for the imperial capital with Dainvald, was bolstering the chateau's defenses. Perhaps he was indeed being paranoid, but given our family's precarious position and our ambitions, the reason was clear.
My father and Dainvald were soon departing for the imperial capital. Likely paranoid about potential attacks in their absence, my father had requested reinforcements. Frankly, while I dismissed his concerns as paranoia, considering our family's situation, it wasn't entirely unwarranted. One had to acknowledge that there were likely factions who viewed an attack as a viable option. After all, with its overall ambition to produce an equal to their ancestor king, this family was determined to overthrow the new royal family that had taken power from them, and they now worked under, making them presently some sort of "traitor." For an opposite faction, wouldn't it just be smarter to nip the bud?
Anyway, whether there was a real attack planned against the chateau or not, I couldn’t care less. It had already been decided in my mind that during Father and Justaff's absence, I would seize the opportunity to leave this place.
We were already on the first day of the third moon of the year 615 OaOE, just eleven months away from the next Path of Convergence. While eleven months might seem like ample time, considering the distance between our chateau and the city of Miriandelle where the convergence would occur, it was prudent for me to depart early.
I couldn't afford to be late; the next Path of Convergence wouldn't happen for another decade, and I refused to wait that long. Better to arrive early than risk missing the opportunity altogether. I did find it tragic, however, that I failed to reach level 14 or 15 as I planned, but I've reached level 12; this should get the job done. If need be, I would simply continue to level up along the way. Yes, this plan will do. It would have to do.
My mind set on what needed to be done in the future, I cast my gaze away from the commotion below and returned my focus to the pressing matter at hand, the decision regarding my class specialization. Taking my time to read and reread what was shown by my Identification interface skill to not miss any important detail, I, after yet a long moment of deliberation, came to a decision as to what I'll be doing.
Having lived many lifetimes, I've been a monk, a knight, a monk again, and now a sorcerer, it can be said that the time I spent as these was short, but I've seen a lot. There is no class that I particularly fancy for any specific reason; so long as a class grants me the strength that I need to achieve my goal, the reason for which I reincarnated again and again, I will take it.
It is not in my habits to make a bet, but the potential to develop an uncommon skill set, especially one that might offer unforeseen benefits, was too valuable to pass up. I chose to take the Hexcaster path not as a subclass but as a special class.
The Hexcaster, with its emphasis on debuffs and the scaling attributes it promised like Luck and Faith, attributes that were somewhat neglected in my current arsenal but held potential for considerable synergistic effects with my existing skills, seemed like a daring yet prudent choice. This specialization should allow me to control the battlefield in ways that direct confrontation and brute force could not achieve. It would enable me to manipulate probabilities, weaken foes before a strike was even delivered, and exploit weaknesses no ordinary warrior or sorcerer could perceive.
Moreover, the promise of integrating Luck as a levelable attribute, akin to what I experienced with Faith, was too substantial to ignore. It offered a new dimension of growth and an edge that could very well tilt the scales in ways that had never been done before.
With a deep, contemplative breath, I quelled the voices in my head telling me this was not a good idea. My resolve progressively solidified; I summoned the interface and, with a mere mental click, threw myself into a path of jinxes, hexes, and curses. The moment I did, a barrage of notifications spawned in the corner of my vision.
—
[Notification]
You've chosen a special class. Congratulations! You are now a Hexcaster.
[Notification]
Congratulations! As a Hexcaster you have now access to Luck as a levelable attribute.
[Notification]
Congratulations! You've Acquired and Unlocked a New Ability!Skill Name: Hexcaster Weaponry
Status: Unlocked
Description [Identification Lvl.6]:
[Notification]
Congratulations! Your Frost Lance Conjuration Skill has evolvedSkill Name: Hexed Frost Lance Conjuration
Description [Identification Lvl.6]:
『Expand』
[Notification]
Congratulations! Your Frost Sword Conjuration Skill has evolvedSkill Name: Hexed Frost Sword Conjuration
Description [Identification Lvl.6]:
[Notification]
Congratulations! Your Frost Dagger Conjuration Skill has evolvedSkill Name: Hexed Frost Dagger Conjuration
Description [Identification Lvl.6]:
『Expand』
[Notification]
Congratulations! Due to your skill evolution your skill level has been balanced.
Hexed Frost Lance Conjuration Lvl.4 -> Hexed Frost Lance Conjuration Lvl.4
Congratulations! Due to your skill evolution your skill level has been balanced.
Hexed Frost Sword Conjuration Lvl.3 -> Hexed Frost Sword Conjuration Lvl.4
Congratulations! Due to your skill evolution your skill level has been balanced.
Hexed Frost Dagger Conjuration Lvl.1 -> Hexed Frost Dagger Conjuration Lvl.4
[Notification]
Congratulations! You've been bestowed a Title!Title Name: Dread Seer
Description [Identification Lvl.6]:
Title’s Bestowed Enhancement:
『Expand』
[Notification]
Congratulations! You've Acquired a New Ability!Ability Name: Legacy of Agony
Ability Type: Curse, Spell
Status: Locked
Description [Identification Lvl.7]:
—