I'll ask the readers. What effects for Occupation would you readers like to see? I'm continuing to flesh out Naoto's Status, but I am still unsure if Occupation should do anything stat-wise. I just carried over the Blood Magic so far. Let me know!
*
Shortly after that voice spoke, clarity returned to my eyes. My vision started to clear up, and I could see the bedroom again. Sadly, I couldn't even call out to the three beside me before I was interrupted again. Not by that familiar voice. No, this was from the Gamer System. Several Gamer Notifications started to flow in one after another. Might as well check them out.
[Ding! Gamer Naoto has activated their Mana Core for the first time, and successfully established a link with the otherworldly being resting deep inside Gamer Naoto's soul. Now that the link has been established, this being is offering Gamer Naoto a chance. A chance to become their "Awakener".]
[Ding! A new Quest has been issued to Gamer Naoto. The Vermillion Trials have begun.]
[Ding! Phase 0 of the Vermillion Trials can now be taken on. Slay Magic Knight: 0/3.]
[Ding! Gamer Naoto is permitted to form a Party before challenging the Quest. Party Limit: 5.]
[Phase 0: Slay Magic Knight]
Condition: Must deliver the final blow on all three.
Time Limit: 24 Hours
Reward: Title - Otherworldly Slayer, Quartz Stacker Function, x5 Tier 1-3 Quartz, x200,000 EXP.
[Quest - Vermillion Trials]
Phase 0: Slay Magic Knight 0/3.
Phase 1: ???
...
Time Limit: End of S1204.
Reward: Title - Vermillion Awakener, 1 Custom Master Quartz.
[Ding! Gamer Naoto has used a basic spell, creating a ball of water. Active Quest: Learn Magic has been updated.]
[Ding! A new repertoire of Spells has been added to Gamer Naoto's Status. Gamer Naoto will have to create spells to use them. Water Sphere has been added under [Basic Water Spells] and its details are now available for viewing.]
[Ding! The last condition for active Quest: Learn Magic, has been met. The quest has been completed!]
[Ding! Gamer Naoto's Inventory has obtained 10 random Quartz. It is now available for viewing.]
[Ding! Gamer Naoto has learned a new Skill: Moonlight Breathing Technique. It is now available for viewing.]
[Ding! Gamer Naoto has leveled up! Lv10 -> 11.]
[Ding! Gamer Naoto has leveled up! Lv11 -> 12.]
[Ding! Gamer Naoto has leveled up! Lv12 -> 13.]
[Ding! Gamer Naoto has leveled up! Lv13 -> 14.]
[Ding! Gamer Naoto has leveled up! Lv14 -> 15.]
[Ding! Gamer Naoto's Status parameters have been strengthened. Gamer Naoto's Status Window is now available for viewing.]
[Ding! Title: A Witch's Friend has been promoted to A Witch's Friend(+)!]
[Ding! Would you like to view your Status?]
'Holy spam...', I cursed underneath my breath. So creating that water ball with my own Magic managed to create a Basic-level Spell, huh? I'm sure, along with Roselia's help, I'll be creating lots of Spells once my training begins. But it looks like I won't have that luxury quite just yet. I was greeted with another Quest altogether. One I didn't think would trigger yet.
The Vermillion Trials. Quite a long deadline too. Fifteen years, give or take? By the time the first half of Cold Steel begins is when it will be complete. I can already start the first part of it from the looks of it!
Still, Magic Knights, huh? Didn't think they'd come into play this early. To put it simply, they're like Cryptids. They react to high concentrations of Mana, and react to Spirit Veins directly, or if someone provides a trigger for them to spawn. Unlike Cryptids, however, they don't bleed into Zemuria from other planes. Magic Knights are basically gigantic dolls created by mages during the Dark Ages. Long before the Middle Ages came. Most didn't directly serve the Hexen Clan. They were much more secretive.
If I had to relate Magic Knights to something else, they'd be golems you'd find in your typical fantasy story. Autonomous. Strong. Unyielding, as long as they have enough of a battery. And what is that battery? Mana.
A prime example of this is where Magic Knights continuously respawn during the Great Twilight, an event that takes place during the latter half of Cold Steel. With the Spirit Veins constantly in an active state during that "sacrifice", no matter how many Class VII and their allies defeated, they kept respawning.
So yeah, I didn't think I'd come across any this early. Let alone being required to defeat three of them for my very first trial. I'm only Level 15 now. Seriously?
And on top of all of that, I'm only three! How can I fight any of them with my new body like this!?
I wanted to retort that quest. I'm sure the Quest will do something to address this. Otherwise, it wouldn't have issued it to me. As curious as I was to find out, I shifted my attention. It was time to see my newly acquired Status, so I had a look at my Status Window. I couldn't help but crack a grin seeing all of those stats I've received since I began this visit.
[STATUS WINDOW]
NAME: Naoto Osborne
Level: 15 (0/27,000)
Next EXP: 27,000
Total EXP: 142,000
Occupation: Noble
Title: Friend of the Vermillion Knight
[OCCUPATIONS]
Noble
True Dhampir
[TITLES]
Friend of a Vermillion Knight
True Harem Seeker
A Witch's Friend -> A Witch's Friend(+)
[STATS]
HP: 2855/2855 (+1465)
EP: 3215/3215 (+2000)
STR: 295 (+174) DEF: 100 (+32)
ATS: 185 (+64) ADF: 100 (+32)
DEX: 69 (+16) SPD: 63 (+20)
Available Points: 127
CURRENT TITLE: Friend of the Vermillion Knight
BLESSING: Aurelia's Blessing
CURRENT HP: 6280/6280 (+120%)
CURRENT STR: 455 (+55%)
CURRENT SPD: 75 (+20%)
Attack Damage: 455
Arts Damage: 185
Resistance: 100
Arts Resistance: 100
[BOOSTING SKILLS]
Weapon Boost I Lv1 (0/100)
+1% Attack Damage w/ Weapon.
Rapier Mastery I Lv1 (0/100)
+1% Attack Damage w/ Rapier.
FrostFire Pulse Lv1 (0/100)
+1% Attack Damage w/ Fire & Water Arts and Spells.
FrostFire Reversal
+50% Water & Fire Efficacy after reversing target's resistance.
FrostFire Enchant (Can turn on/off)
+Attacks now deal Fire/Water damage.
EP Boost I
+50 EP per LvUp.
[BLESSINGS]
Aurelia's Blessing
+20% HP, STR, SPD
[TITLES]
Friend of the Vermillion Knight
+100% HP, +35% STR
True Harem Seeker
+Favorability Meter, True Friend, Party Function (unlocked)
A Witch's Friend(+)
+50% ATS, +150% EP, +150% Fire Damage.
+Attack Damage now deals Fire Damage. Cannot be stacked with Water Damage. (New)
[COMBAT ORBMENT: Generation III Model - 6 Slots]
[QUARTZ]
x1 Mind
x1 Petrify
x1 Cast I
x1 Absorb
x2 Heaven's Eye
x1 Emerald Shield
x1 Fury
x1 Death Blade
x1 Poison
x1 Action 3+
x1 EP2
x1 Ruby Shield
x1 Scent
x1 Mind 4
x1 Strike
x1 Nothingness
(A/N I have changed the format for Quartz to this for a reason. It has something to do with the new Quartz Stack Function I'm planning to introduce in this rewrite.)
[EQUIPMENT]
[WEAPONS]
Glistening Moonlight (Rapier)(Growth) (Lv15 0/27,000)
[ARMOR/BOOTS]
Phoenix Robe (Small)(Growth) (Lv15 0/27,000)
Phoenix Robe (Medium)(Growth) (Lv15 0,27,000)
Phoenix Robe (Large)(Growth) (Lv15 0,27,000)
[ACCESSORIES]
x1 Gladiator Belt
x1 Silver Chain
x1 Tiger Heart
[INVENTORY]
x1 Record of House Phoenix
x1 Sealed Letter (House Deed) Location: Valeria Lakefront, Liberl
x1 Black Record EX
[MONEY: 25,000,000 Mira]
[SKILLS]
Vermillion Eyes: Lv1 (8/100)
*Flame-Born Intuition
**Detection: Lv1 (7/100)
**Minimap: Lv1 (1/100)
**Septium Sensor
Distant Flame
CrimsonTide Resonance
*FrostFire Enchant
*FrostFire Pulse (Lv1 0/100)
*FrostFire Reversal
*Weapon Boost I: :Lv1 (0/100)
*Rapier Mastery I: Lv1 (0/100)
*EP Boost I
Meditate - Lv10 (0/1000)
Recovers 10 EP/second during meditation.
Moonlight Breathing Technique
Enter meditation when the moon is visible to temporarily increase all stats by 30%.
[FAVORABILITY]
General Vandyck: 20%
General Craig: 20%
Fiona Craig: 20%
Isola Millstein: 30%
Emma Millstein: 30%
Roselia Millstein: 50% (+20%)
Vita Clotilde: 20%
Estelle Bright: 20%
Cassius Bright: 20%
Elie MacDowell: 20%
Henry MacDowell: 20%
Mueller Vander: 20%
Olivert Reise Arnor: 30% (+10%)
Aurelia Le Guin: 100% (NEW)
[CRAFTS/ARTS]
[SPELLBOOK] (NEW)
*Water Sphere (E)(Single)
[AFFINITIES] (NEW)
*FIRE
*WATER
*ICE
*BLOOD
[QUESTS]
x1 Defeat Agnagarn (1/1)
x1 Learn Magic (1/1)
x1 Phase 0: Defeat Magic Knight x3 (0/1) (In Progress)
x1 Vermillion Trials (0/1) (In Progress)
[DAILY QUEST V1]
Run 10 Kilometers per day. Duration: 1 year.
Reward: 1 Available Stat Point
Current Progress: 122/365
[MISCELLANEOUS]
NEXT EXP: (100 x Current Lv^2) + (300 x Current Lv)
OBTAINED EXP: Target EXP after battle + (+20%/-20%) if Target > or < than Current Lv. Current Lv: No Adjustment.
[TACTICAL BONUS]
Unscathed: +0.2 (Win a battle without getting hit)
Sidestep: +0.1 (Dodge an attack)
Speedster: +0.3 (Hit a target with an Art or Craft before Target attacks)
Switcheroo: +0.5 (Switch position with an ally and have them attack before Target attacks)
Party Stomper: +0.3 (Hit all Targets before they attack)
First Strike: +0.2 (Land a strike first when battle begins)
Vanquisher: +0.4 (Defeat 4 or more Targets in one attack)
Vengeance: +0.5 (Win a battle while health is low)
Canceller: +0.3 (Interrupt a Target's casting or Craft use)
Tenderizer: +0.2 (Attack a weak point)
Superstar: +0.5 (Inflict a critical hit)
Overpowering: +0.3 (Knock an enemy down)
Overkill: +0.1 (Do more than x5 damage of current Target HP. (Can stack)
Naoto's Per Level Stats:
HP: 125
EP: 50 (EP Boost I)
STR: 8
DEF: 4
ATS: 8
ADF: 4
DEX: 1
SPD: 1
CRAFTS/ARTS/SPELL POWER
E: 100% D: 110% C: 120% C+: 140% B: 160% B+: 180% A: 210% A+: 240%
S: 280% S+: 320% SS: 370 SS+: 440% SSS: 520% SSS+: 600% 4S: 690%
4S+: 750% 5S: 850% 5S+: 990% 6S: 1100%
[Elements]
Earth / Wind / Water / Fire
Time / Space / Mirage