NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 40: Conflict (7)
[Hybrid Skill
Astral Meditation (D): to have a close relationship with mana itself is the realm of the chosen. Only they can fully realize their potential. You are loved by mana. This Skill’s rank and nature are unique, depending on who learned it and how.
Active Effects: increases mana absorption speed, mana recovery speed, and concentration.
Passive Effects: increases the effectiveness of Intelligence and Wisdom, and improves spellcasting ability.]
The first thing he noticed was that the Skill’s name was different from what he expected. The description was rather unique, and it was also the second D-ranked Skill that Michael had seen, the other being his Dragonheart. That alone was significant; if this Skill was even remotely on the same level as his Heart, it was incredibly valuable. It also stated that he was loved by mana, although he didn’t really know the consequences of that. He needed to test it out. A voice coming from next to him dragged him out of his thoughts.
“So? What rank is it?”
He looked at Tairy, who donned a nervous but expectant expression. He hadn’t seen anything in the Skill description related to his Dragon blood, so he determined there was no need to be secretive about it.
“It’s D-ranked.”
Michael watched as the emotions displayed by the dark elf switched to excitement. He half-expected the old man to start jumping for joy at any second.
“Yes! As I thought! Fuck, you’re the real deal, kid!”
He let Tairy celebrate for a few seconds, joining in with a smile and offering his hand for a handshake, which the elf gladly took. Then, he spoke after internally rejoicing for a bit as well.
“Why is that so significant?”
Tairy took two deep breaths before replying.
“First, something you should know, kid. Anyone even a bit sensitive to mana felt that. I’d give anything to be able to see Sullivan’s or Hyla’s faces right now, but that’s not what you should be worried about. Most humans probably felt nothing, but there may have been some who did. The reaction in the spiritual realm was too strong.”
“Is achieving D-ranked Meditation such a significant thing?”
The old man sighed as if he had heard a stupid joke.
“The Meditation Skill automatically awarded after Class Evolution is F-ranked. It serves as the only means for casters to accumulate mana and form Circles. That alone should be the answer to your question, but there’s more. Like other Skills, Meditation can grow and develop, especially for someone like you; its starting point is therefore highly important.”
Michael decided not to talk about the “Astral” part in his Skill’s name.
“But the description doesn’t seem too special. It’s short.”
“The description varies a bit, but don’t be fooled by the plain wording. What you’ll be able to feel when you activate it is leagues beyond what an ordinary person with an F-ranked Meditation could ever achieve. You must be feeling the difference even now, given that it’s your first Hybrid Skill.”
Michael was about to speak, but held back. Since Meditation was so unique, he didn’t know if the passive effects of his own were the same as those of the others, and quite frankly, he wasn’t willing to risk asking a question about it. “Increased spellcasting abilities” reminded him of his Dragonheart’s description and seemed like a rather broad effect. It could be rarer than he thought. Tairy continued with his talk.
“Long story short, my point is that you need to be careful. Once the necessary events start soon enough, you might become a target. That’s all I can say. On another note, now that you have Meditation, we can proceed with Class Evolution and with the formation of your second Circle.”
Michael nodded with a pensive expression.
“I suppose starting with Class Evolution would be simpler.”
Tairy nodded as well.
“Yes, but before we start, there’s something we need to talk about.”
His visage was serious, so Michael also dropped any idle thoughts. The dark elf continued.
“As I’ve said before, I don’t know your secret, and I don’t want to know. Yes, you have an absurd amount of mana for your Level and all that, but that’s your business. You’re a real talent, and that’s all I need to know as a Village Instructor. However, there are a lot of factors that come into play in Class Evolution. Your secret will be taken into consideration. As such, I would like to establish some guidelines, and you will pick your new Class on your own.”
Michael had tensed up a bit once the conversation went in the direction of what he was hiding, but relaxed as soon as he realized that his teacher wasn’t going to try to use this opportunity to pry. He agreed with his teacher’s approach.
“That sounds good. I can’t explain why I’m different, so I’m grateful for your discretion.”
“No need to mention that. You’re my student.”
Tairy’s words were said in a dismissive tone as he waved to the side. He seemed like he truly believed in what he was saying. Michael almost decided to speak about his draconic side, but decided not to. There was a lot he still didn’t know about Dragons and what it meant to be one of their descendants. Tairy’s voice resounded.
“So, first things first. All Classes give out a different number of stats per Level. For instance, your Mage Class gives 3 Intelligence, 2 Wisdom, and 1 Endurance every time you Level up. Other Classes work the same way. The first guideline is rather obvious: pick the Class with the highest number of stats per Level. But, don’t forget about what path you think you’re going to follow. If a physical-focused Class gives you fifteen Stat Points per Level while a caster Class gives you twelve, it would be better for you to pick the caster Class, since you’ve been a Mage up until this point.”
Michael nodded. It was simple enough. He had no intention of deviating from his path as a caster – at least not yet – so he should pick the caster Class with the highest number of stats per Level. At the same time, he got a lot of Stat Points and Free Stat Points because of his Race, so he had more leeway to select a Class that fit him better, even if its stat gains weren’t particularly good.
He nodded at Tairy, indicating for the old man to continue.
“The second guideline is to pay attention to the Class descriptions. They concern not only how the Class should be used and what are its strengths and weaknesses, but also what kind of Skills you can expect in the selections. As I said before, a lot of factors influence that, and your Class is one of them.”
Michael blinked. It was obvious in hindsight, but since he had been offered Agility and Force while being a Mage, he had thought that his Class wasn’t very significant when it came to influencing what Skills appeared for him.
“How important of a factor is it?”
“Very. You can expect pretty much no weapon Skills to ever show up if you pick a caster Class, unless you intentionally go out of your way to use weapons as much as possible. It’s not the end-all, be-all of Skill selection but it’s important.”
“Alright.”
“The third and last guideline ties into the first. Consider not only what you currently are when picking your Class, but also what you want to become. The Class you choose now will remain the same until Level 100. That’s not much below my own Level. Choose wisely. From my point of view, you’re a real talent when it comes to magic. Mana itself seems to be fond of you. At the same time, your body is far too powerful; it’s as if you aren’t a Mage at all. You will likely be offered some Classes that mix both magic and melee, but remember: you may end up as a jack-of-all-trades, yet master of none.”
“But oftentimes better than a master of one.”
“Believe me, kid. When you face an opponent you cannot defeat, all that will go through your mind will be why your physical attacks aren’t enough to pierce their defenses, and why your spells aren’t powerful enough to help you.”
Michael looked at the dark elf straight in the eye.
“You said it yourself. Mana is fond of me, but I also have high physical stats. I may end up getting a Class that excels both in melee and in casting abilities.”
Tairy scratched his chin.
“Maybe. But it would be more likely for something like that to appear at Level 100. You’re special, but I still recommend you focus on the path you’ve been walking so far. Mana will take you far.”
“I’ll consider that, but if a Class that seems really good at both appears, I won’t hesitate.”
Tairy sighed.
“Fine. It’s your Evolution, anyway. Now, go on. Let’s start the process and see what the System’s got for you. Don’t tell me of any Classes related to your secrets.”
Michael nodded. It was time. Both men entered the house and closed the door.