Early the next day, everyone gathered outside the castle's entrance to see Ariel off. She wore tight white leather armor and carried a magic bag slung over her shoulder, along with supplies, reloaded guns, and a few mithril coins for skill books. She was also given tools to help her survive alone while still remaining at the Apprentice Rank.
Seraphina gave her potions of all kinds that she would have to memorize. Bastion gave her a Rank 1 compound bow he had made in his spare time. Lilia gave her arrows she had enchanted with a variety of effects, including explosive arrows, elemental arrows, and utility arrows, such as grappling hooks. And Elyra gave her the leather armor that reduced perception, along with a modest but reliable dagger.
"Take care of yourself. Come back anytime, and don't forget our talk about stranger danger," Seraphina said, accompanying her words with a warm hug.
"I'm not a child. I'm older than all of you," Ariel protested.
"Oh, sweetie, if only you knew," Seraphina replied with a gentle knowing smile.
"We'll have time in the future," Bastion said while consoling Seraphina.
Lilia, meanwhile, just pursed her lips, having already received the talk back at the academy.
"I promise I'll come visit," Ariel said before breaking into a sprint. "Goodbye!"
She wanted to stretch her legs rather than take a carriage. Brightstone wasn't far, so even on foot she should arrive in a few hours.
"There she goes," Seraphina said with a sigh.
"I'm sure she'll come back," Bastion said reassuringly.
"That was a fun little vacation," Lilia said. "Back to the grind?"
"Back to the grind," they all said with a sigh.
They had all recently reached Rank 1, so it would take years of constant effort to improve their stats, arts, and skills. Experience and levels were the least of their concerns, considering their equipment. Their priority was getting classes that elevated their combat roles; hence, a solid foundation was necessary.
For their attributes, they worked out as usual. Strength, Dexterity, and Vitality were trained through nearly deadly sparring, which also improved their combat arts. Intelligence and Wisdom were elevated through reading and study. As for Charm, nothing enhanced a person's confidence more than making their partner orgasm in bed.
On top of training their stats, they also focused on their production jobs. Seraphina continued to practice writing with the intent of obtaining the Scribe class. Bastion continued making random products, weapons, and armor to raise his Art of Smithing. Lilia enchanted for Bastion while creating new spells and rune combinations on the side. Elyra, meanwhile, continued being a maid for the group, which included cleaning, cooking, and the occasional information gathering when needed.
Bastion continued his duties as the duke, which didn't amount to much other than a week's worth of paperwork each year. Truly, there wasn't a more lax job than being a noble in a medieval yet advanced kingdom.
Time started slipping through the group's fingers as they immersed themselves in the daily grind. Ariel visited as promised, a changed person each time. She gradually lost her bright-eyed wonder and naivety, but she still insisted on running around freely.
Somewhere along the way, Bastion received the map he had been requesting for a while. It confirmed his suspicions that the tree could only be found in the center of the swamp. Unfortunately, it was surrounded by a group of basilisk nests that he would have to take down before reaching the underground cavern. To successfully reach it, he would need enough ammunition, and more, so he put it off until he was fully armed and ready.
Like so, an entire decade passed without the group's notice, their routine broken only by Ariel's sudden arrival and announcement.
"I've reached Rank 1," she said rather dejectedly.
"What's wrong? Isn't that great news?" Seraphina asked, sensing her lack of spirit.
"I gave up trying to reach Rank 1 on my own and just massacred the troll dungeon in Brightstone a few times with your guns."
"What level did you reach before giving up?" Bastion asked.
"Level 60."
"That's not bad. 15 levels in 10 years solo as a scout? Very commendable."
"Stop it. We all know it would have taken me more than a century to reach Rank 1."
"Then why did you quit? You would have made it eventually if you kept going."
"I… I didn't want to look older," she said, looking away from Bastion with a deep blush.
It all started when she looked in the mirror and noticed age lines forming. If she continued being stubborn, she would eventually mature like her father, who never regained his prime due to reaching Rank 1 late. To stay pretty for the rest of her life, she needed to reach Rank 1 before turning 50, and she was getting close.
She didn't personally mind looking older and more mature, but Seraphina, Lilia, Elyra, and even Bastion looked no older than 25. If she stayed stubborn and refused to rank up because of some misguided sense of independence, she would end up looking the oldest of the group when she eventually decided to join them.
"You know I don't care if you were on the more mature side, right?" Bastion commented.
"But I care!" Ariel cried.
Bastion raised his hands placatingly. "Just saying. I wouldn't care if you looked well into your hundreds."
Here, "hundreds" refers to the 50s, since the average person's lifespan is 200 before reaching Rank 1.
"So, what class did you end up with?" Lilia asked.
"Status."
[Name]: Ariel
[Age]: 46
[Class]: Frenzied Cannoneer (Rank 3), Archer (Apprentice Rank)
[Ability]: Controlled Frenzy, Eagle Eyes
[Rank]: Rank 1
[Level]: 100
[Health]: 80/80
[Mana]: 40/40
[Strength]: 10
[Dexterity]: 10
[Vitality]: 8
[Intelligence]: 4
[Wisdom]: 4
[Charm]: 5
[Status Points]: 0
[Arts]: Bow 3, Cannon 3, Dagger 3, Light Armor 3, Scouting 3, Stealth 3, Traps 3
[Skills:]: Take Aim 3, Strafing Run 3, Dodge 3, Dash 3, Jump 3, Reinforce 3, Charged Shot 3, Frenzied Shot 1, Explosive Barrage 1, Rapid Fire 1, Bunker Buster 1, Covering Fire 1
[Skill Points]: 50
"Impressive," Bastion complimented. "What does the ability do?"
"Controlled Frenzy heightens my senses, increases my cannon damage, and enhances my precision while frenzied. It also increases my stamina regeneration."
"And the skills?"
"Frenzied Shot increases the damage of my next shot, and when I'm frenzied, it also increases the area of effect. It's as if I fired multiple bullets in a single shot."
"Bunker Buster simply increases the penetration of my next shot."
"Explosive Barrage fires the weapon straight up and somehow rains explosive rounds on an area. Don't ask me how it works, because I don't know."
"Rapid Fire increases my rate of fire and reload speed while maintaining accuracy."
"Lastly, Covering Fire reduces the damage an ally takes from my target's attacks."
"It's not exactly a scouting class," Bastion pointed out. "But it allows you to maximize your damage, which is good enough."
"My other option was Forest Ranger at Rank 2, but it only works in forests."
"No, you did extremely well. I'm just wondering how you get frenzied in the first place, and what effects it has on you?"
Ariel looked away, embarrassed, before finally answering, "Ever since I first fired your guns, I've felt this rush of exhilaration that doesn't come from anything else. I can focus better, and time seems to slow down for me, but it's not a skill or anything."
"I also notice it happening more and more the more enemies I kill. It feels like the clouds covering my mind just open up, and I feel truly alive," Ariel recounted with a wild look in her eyes.
"Congratulations," Seraphina said. "What do you plan to do now? Reload and go off on adventures again?"
"No. I think I'm staying for good. Finding myself out there has been an eye-opening experience, but it gets lonely after a while. Towards the end, I was just pushing myself pointlessly when I could have spent my time here with you."
"Aw, come here," Seraphina said, giving her a hug.
"Well, you came at the right time," Bastion added.
"Why is that?"
"I think we have enough ammunition to hunt down some basilisks in the Great Forest swamps."
"Aren't those Rank 3?" Ariel asked in shock.
"Which is why we've been preparing all this time."
"What about their deadly gaze and breath?"
"We figured that out a while ago," Lilia answered. "We've really just been stocking up on bullets to spend."
"Oh, now that I'm officially part of the group, would you mind if I looked at your status? I've seen a few Rank 1 statuses from adventurers who were kind enough to show me, but I wanted to compare."
The group exchanged glances and simply agreed. It wasn't a big deal anyway, and since Ariel would be joining them, it shouldn't be an issue.
"Status."
[Name]: Bastion Diamondhart
[Age]: 36
[Class]: Armory Knight (Rank 2), Diamond Knight (Rank 3)
[Ability]: Space Node, Diamond Body
[Rank]: Rank 1
[Level]: 120
[Health]: 715/715
[Mana]: 575/575
[Strength]: 65
[Dexterity]: 57.5
[Vitality]: 71.5
[Intelligence]: 57.5
[Wisdom]: 86.5
[Charm]: 46
[Luck]: 20
[Status Points]: 0
[Arts]: Smithing 5, Enchanting 5, Earth Magic 5, Light Magic 5, Shield 5, Sword 5, Whip 4, Heavy Armor 4, Summoning 4, Unarmed 3, Fire Magic 3, Water Magic 3, Dark Magic 3, Wind Magic 3, Riding 3, Cannon 3, Taming 1, Cooking 1, Traps 1
[Skills]: Shield Bash 5, Block 5, Charge 5, Reinforce 5, Amplify 5, Slash 5, Parry 5, Stab 4, Smash 4, Dodge 4, Dash 4, Jump 4, Summon Familiar(Zephy) 4, Diamond Armor 4, Diamond Edge 4, Diamond Shrapnel 4, Diamond Rain 4, Diamond Steed 4, Taunt 3, Inventory 3, Armor Slot 3, Weapon Slot 3, Quick Slot 3, Facility Slot 3, Tame 1
[Skill Points]: 70
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[Name]: Elyra
[Age]: 41
[Class]: Shadow Guardian (Rank 2), Maid Assassin (Rank 1)
[Ability]: Shadow Home, Inconspicuous Presence
[Rank]: Rank 1
[Level]: 120
[Health]: 485/485
[Mana]: 520/520
[Strength]: 68.5
[Dexterity]: 68.5
[Vitality]: 48.5
[Intelligence]: 52
[Wisdom]: 43.5
[Charm]: 46
[Status Points]: 0
[Arts]: Dark Magic 5, Sword 5, Dagger 5, Unarmed 5, Light Armor 5, Stealth 5, Cooking 5, Cleaning 5, Traps 5
[Skills:]: Dodge 5, Dash 5, Jump 5, Clean 5, Cook 5, Slash 4, Stab 4, Throw 4, Parry 4, Conceal 4, Reinforce 4, Backstab 4, Garrote 4, Shadow Recall 3, Shadow Rampart 3, Shadow Mark 3, Shadow Strike 3, Shadow Bind 3
[Skill Points]: 70
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[Name]: Lilia
[Age]: 36
[Class]: Rune Mage (Rank 3), Mystic Water Mage (Rank 2)
[Ability]: Rune Body, Mystic Water
[Rank]: Rank 1
[Level]: 120
[Health]: 340/340
[Mana]: 710/710
[Strength]: 34
[Dexterity]: 34
[Vitality]: 34
[Intelligence]: 71
[Wisdom]: 39
[Charm]: 34
[Status Points]: 0
[Arts]: Water Magic 5, Spell Weaving 5, Enchanting 5, Runes 5, Summoning 4, Staff 4, Cooking 1, Cleaning 1, Traps 1
[Skills:]: Water Barrier 5, Water Curtain 5, Mystic Mend 4, Mystic Veil 4, Mystic Downpour 4, Summon Familiar (Misty) 4, Frost Ray 4, Mage Hand 4, Shocking Grasp 4, Minor Illusion 4, Amplify 4, Dash 4, Dodge 4, Rune Casting 3, Rune Imbuement 3, Rune Infusion 3, Rune Circle 3, Rune Guardian 3
[Skill Points]: 70
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[Name]: Seraphina Phoenixhart
[Age]: 36
[Class]: Phoenix Archon (Rank 4), Alchemist (Rank 2)
[Ability]: Phoenix's Blessing, Alchemist's Flame
[Rank]: Rank 1 (Rank Up Available)
[Level]: 200 (202)
[Health]: 725/725
[Mana]: 975/975
[Strength]: 40
[Dexterity]: 97
[Vitality]: 72.5
[Intelligence]: 97.5
[Wisdom]: 102
[Charm]: 55
[Status Points]: 0
[Arts]: Alchemy 5, Fire Magic 5, Water Magic 4, Wind Magic 4, Earth Magic 4, Dark Magic 3, Light Magic 3, Throwing 3, Tailoring 3, Leathercrafting 3, Jewelcrafting 3, Cartography 3, Staff 3, Scribing 2, Cooking 1, Riding 1, Taming 1, Traps 1
[Skills:]: Mage Hand 5, Amplify 5, Analyze 5, Synthesize 4, Extract 4, Vaporize 4, Summon Bottle 4, Summon Familiar (Mew) 4, Fire Bolt 4, Smash 3, Parry 3, Dodge 3, Dash 3, Jump 3, Eternal Flame 3, Deathflare 3, Cremation Pulse 3, Scorching Wings 3, Phoenix Contract (Akari) 3, Grease 3, Magic Armour 3, Magic Missile 3, Magic Shield 3, Tame 1
[Skill Points]: 150
All of them had managed to max out the potential stats they attained from the talent increase of ranking up, so their status would no longer grow unless they used status points to increase them. As for their arts and skills, they were coming along nicely, but it would still take another decade or two to truly max all of them out. Regarding the arts and skills they had largely ignored, it was for good reason, considering it would just be a waste of time unless they started hunting solo.
"Oh my Goddess! You're all incredibly powerful and talented. No wonder none of you are in a hurry to level up. With guns, these stats, and those skills, all you'd need to do is find a few armies to destroy, and you'd reach Rank 2 in no time," Ariel exclaimed, before reading Seraphina's status. "You're already at Rank 2!? And you have a Rank 4 class!?"
"Why don't we sit down and talk, sweetie?" Seraphina said gently, prompting Lilia to roll her eyes. "There's something we'd like to share with you about us."
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