After I finished setting up my skills, I had to wait for a few minutes while everybody else finished organizing their new abilities. I was curious about what my companions had picked, and more specifically what they had earned, in hopes of maybe being able to share a few of the skills between ourselves. However, each of us was getting further and further away from the others in terms of specialty. For that reason, I didn't get my hopes up. Odds are we wouldn't be able to find anything that worked well with everyone.
Astrid's abilities focused a lot on her Axe, and without it, they either wouldn't work or would be really weakened. Riley was all about casting spells using their silk, which again was something that only they could do. Michael was a Silkbound Marksman, which allowed him to aim his attacks very well. There was the silk overlap, but his skills were so different from Riley's that they might as well be metal based. Not to mention it didn't feel like a good fit for me either.
Once everybody confirmed that they were finished, we sat around the table in Rex's house and started to share and show off our new abilities. Riley went first, as they were very excited, not with one ability specifically but with how their abilities were evolving.
"So basically, I got a skills that mix my two classes," the witch said while failing to hold back a smile.
"What? I didn't even know that was a possibility," I replied with a frown.
Rex gave Riley a thumbs up. Something Michael had recently taught him, "Strong class combination for combined skills."
"You knew that was a possibility?" I turned to the Rodenti, who nodded in response.
"Many Rodenti have skills from both classes. Usually only works if classes are good combination. But more powerful, more easy to get. Father has few mixed class skills, even if class not good combination. Also, can't really do anything to get. Only know good combination or not when one get skill, not before."
Hearing that made me much less upset about the lack of clarity on Rex's part. If it was something that we couldn't control or even consider beforehand, having that knowledge would likely only serve to hinder our choice of subclass or even the main class.
"Well, that's great then. But what are the skills?" Michael turned to the Silken Witch.
Riley smiled before starting their explanation, "The first is called {Gossamer Link}. It basically lets me connect a person, or I suppose a monster, to a potion."
"What do you mean, link?" I asked.
"Exactly what it sounds like. If I link you to a potion or a concoction that I made, you will be constantly receiving some of its effects."
"So if you make something that can heal us, I will be constantly regenerating?" Michael crossed his arms.
Riley nodded, "Exactly. Proxy showed me. It works even by using a bottle of poison instead of something to benefit someone. Then I can just connect the poison to a monster, and they will be constantly afflicted by it."
"Okay, that's very interesting." I frowned as if there was something missing from the skill. Riley was too excited about it, but I couldn't wrap my head around why they were so happy.
"Night Vision?" Astrid asked.
Riley opened a big smile. "Exactly! If I make potions that can give us Night Vision, then I probably can use that skill to connect us with it without us having to actually drink it," They turned to look at me. "It might even work with some of the food you make, as long as it's a salad."
"What? A specific salad?" I asked, now realizing the possibilities of that skill. If they could really turn a temporary effect into something more constant, it was a game changer.
"The skill specifically says it needs some botanical solution. While I do understand that animals are technically part of nature, since my subclass is specifically Botanist, then I'm assuming it won't work with meat. We can try, just don't get your hopes up. My System couldn't confirm if a steak would work."
"Got it. We can try something later."
"Absolutely. I have to test a bunch of stuff, too. Okay, next is {Rootbound Cocoon}," Riley announced.
"Do you wrap yourself up in a cover or something?" Michael said with a chuckle.
"Yeah, pretty much that. But just like you said, I can form a cocoon around me that has high defensive properties. It can help me heal and even recover Energy as long as there is nature around me. It will be made of silk and the roots take in the Energy to heal me, which is the mixed-class thing I was talking about."
"Wait, you can even recover Energy?" I asked.
"Yes, but the Energy rate is very small and only triggers after I'm recovered from any injuries. The one big problem about it is that I can't really do anything when I'm inside it. I'll be in a kind of forced coma. Well, not really a coma, but everything is supposed to be foggy. I'm not entirely sure because Proxy wasn't able to give me a perfect display of what happens to me inside. I was just floating like I were inside a giant tube."
I frowned and watched Riley for a moment. It was weird, but not the weirdest thing I had ever heard.
"I also have one last skill, and this one came just from my Silken Witch class. It's called {Tensile Strum}, and I think it's easier if I just show you."
Riley created a single strand of silk and connected it to the table, and stretched it tight. Following that, the Silken Witch gently tapped their fingers on the thread of silk. There was a melodic tune coming from it, almost like Riley was playing a harp. While it was quite beautiful, it didn't feel much like something that could benefit us.
Then, they pulled back the string with a bit more strength. Instead of just making it snap or creating a more pronounced sound, there was a strange distortion coming out of the impromptu instrument. An invisible blade slammed against one of the stone cups on the table, shattering it with the impact.
"This is my attack. A spell that lets me fire sound."
"You are firing sound?" Michael asked.
"Basically, yeah. Instead of using an actual projectile, I'm condensing sound waves in a way that I can use them to attack someone. I know it sounds, and honestly feels, very weird, but the way Proxy was showing me, I can do some real damage with this. The skill has ten uses, but I can fire multiple at once depending on how many strings I create."
"So you're basically a magic harpist?" Michael smiled.
"Pretty much, yeah," Riley smiled back before clapping her hands, "Okay, then, who wants to go next?"
I looked around, and no one seemed to be willing to speak. Instead, I was the one who talked a bit about the skills that I kept. Since I had given up {Primal Siphon}, it felt useless to talk about it. Everybody understood why I chose to keep {Verdant Lash}, especially once I explained that the skill allowed me to imbue other elements on the vines.
However, {Geologic Anchor} left the group somewhat confused. It wasn't that they didn't trust my judgment. We already had an agreement that no one was going to force someone else to pick a specific skill or follow a specific path. They just couldn't understand my reasoning for taking the skill.
"Honestly, I am too light. We keep fighting things that are way bigger than us, and almost every time we do that, the monster pushes me away with a regular attack. I need to keep jumping around if I want to stay in the fight. If I get hit, I risk being knocked out or being tossed so far away that I won't be able to help anyone. I figured that this skill could solve that problem until I can come up with a more permanent solution. I don't know if there's a skill that's going to make me heavy or another way for me not to be manhandled like that during a fight."
They all nodded once they heard my explanation. There were no arguments against the fact that during our last big fights, I was tossed around more than anyone would feel comfortable with. Not that people in general would even enjoy being thrown like a doll. The defensive ability of the skill to reflect some damage was just a bonus.
Next came Astrid, who, instead of speaking out loud, decided to send her explanation through the System.
Astrid: Okay, so the first skill is called {Exposure}. It can freeze a small area on a target and cause that area to become a weak point. From what Proxy showed me, the more I know about my target, the weaker and bigger the weak point will be. If it's something completely new, then I might have some problems getting it to work properly.
Riley: You mean if the monster species is new, or if you're fighting an individual that's completely new? Like, we have fought Eaters before, and even if they are different, they share some similarities. Would that account for anything?
Astrid: Good question. Hang on.
There was a brief moment of silence where Astrid was clearly trying to ask something of her System.
Astrid: Okay, that's a good point. Generally speaking, as long as I understand what we are fighting, then it will still count as me knowing the target. It's better if I have fought it before, but it's more like a general knowledge kind of thing. But the really weird one is the second skill I got. That's why I asked to explain through the System. It's called {Glacial Graft}. The skill lets me recreate parts of monsters as if they were pieces of armor, or pieces of my husk, if you will. This helps me get stronger. Each piece of a monster that I recreate can give me a different bonus. According to the System, some can just increase my defenses, others my attack. It's even possible for me to get temporary skills if I understand what I'm copying well enough.
"Temporary skills?" I asked out loud.
Astrid: According to the System, yes. It's never going to be something like an active skill or some sort of attack, but I might get some passive effects. The example it gave me was a freezing aura, like an area around me where everything freezes. If I use this skill because of the Ice Devil, even if I killed it before I had the skill, it seems like the knowledge related to the creature is still in my head, so the System can replicate some of its abilities.
"Really? Do you mind showing us?" I asked, speaking out loud once more. Only then did I realize that I should probably stop doing that and go back to talking through the System.
Before saying anything else, Astrid just gave me a nod and looked over her shoulder. Suddenly, ice formed around it, and a shell of a crab appeared. While everyone's feet were still touching and Astrid sent us a message.
Astrid: This increases my defense. Just that.
Michael: Does it increase it everywhere or just on your shoulder?
Astrid: Everywhere, but the shoulder gets a bigger benefit since it's the part where the graft actually exists.
Michael leaned back in his chair and moved his foot, breaking the connection, "Well, now I feel inferior. My skills were nowhere near as interesting as yours."
We all turned to him, waiting for him to continue, and the man let out a sigh.
"I got a skill called {Sticky Bomb}. It just wraps a bunch of silk in an arrow, and it grabs a bunch of random garbage that's around me. When it hits, the silk is going to pop, causing all the trash that it wrapped to be thrown everywhere. And the second skill is called {Line Tether}. It lets me connect a string of silk to an arrow, and when I fire, I can pull the silk back to retrieve the arrow quickly. It's similar to {Silk-Slip Retrieval} but has a longer range, so I just tossed the old one."
I couldn't stop myself from groaning a bit. When everybody looked at me in confusion, I explained, "It's not a skill that would benefit any of us. I always thought that sharing skills would be a way to get powerful quickly, but the more we talk about it, the less likely it seems to be possible now that we are specializing."
Riley nodded. "Yeah, it's more something that would help us if we were just around people who did the same thing as us, or if we found something generic and good like {Body Regeneration}."
"Okay. Me next!" Rex spoke up, not leaving time for us to continue complaining. "Got three new skills. {Big Wall} makes very big wall from earth. Can change shapes since Rex is good architect. Next, {Spiked Ground}. Can make large area turn into spikes. Very fast, very strong. Last, {Stone Finger}. Passive skill makes easier move rock leg. Now just as good as old leg!" the Rodenti announced proudly.
We couldn't help but chuckle at the admission. He then asked us all to touch again and sent his complete status screen through the System. It was something that was very nice for us to finally be able to see. We also realized that despite always talking about our skills, we never really shared our status screens with each other. Taking advantage of the situation, we did just that. Before finishing up our conversation. Soon there would be a lot more things to worry about, but for now, we could enjoy the moment.
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Cassandra Ydorf - Level 7
Titles: Enduring Heart
Tier 2 - Disciple of Nature
Tier 0 - Cook
Mind 22- Body - 26
Memory - 13 Energy - 9/15 (6 Reserved)
Skills - 13/13
Energy Storage1 Energy
Memory Bank - Passive - 1 Energy
As I Flow so does the Current - Passive - 1 Energy
Room to Grow - Passive - 3 Energy
Body Regeneration - Active - 1 Energy/ 10 minutes
Compression - Active - 1 Energy/ 8 uses
Firestarter - Active - 1 Energy
Elemental Imbuement - Active - 2 Energy/ 10 minutes
Clash of Nature - Active - 3 Energy
Verdant Lash - Active - 1 Energy
Geologic Anchor - Active - 2 Energy/ 3 minutes
Formless Series - Passive
Formless Change - Passive
Mind of Possibility - Unavailable
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Astrid Ek - Level 7
Titles: Frosted Metabolism
Tier: 2 - Huskcarver
Tier 0 - Armor maker
Mind - 15 Body - 40
Memory - 10 Energy - 15/17 (2 reserved)
Skills 10/10
Energy Storage - Passive - 1 Energy
Memory Bank - Passive - 1 Energy
Frostbound Grip - Passive - 0 Energy
Huskforged Armor - Passive - 1 Energy
Body Regeneration - Active - 1 Energy/10 minutes.
Frost Chop - Active - 1 Energy/3 uses
Exposure - Active - 1 Energy
Emerging Glacier - Active - 2 Energy
Frosted Swarm - Active - 3 Energy
Glacial Graft - Active - - 1 Energy/10 minutes
Mind of Possibility - Unavaliable
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Michael Kahele - Level 7
Tier 2 - Silkbound Marksman
Tier 0 - Weapon maker
Mind 19 - Body - 25
Memory - 10 Energy - 10/13 (3 Reserved)
Skills - 12/12
Energy Storage - Passive - 1 Energy
Memory Bank - Passive - 1 Energy
Makeshift Munitions - Passive
Weavewalk - Passive - 1 Energy
Body Regeneration - Active - 1 Energy/ 10 minutes
Power Shot - Active - 1 Energy
Splintering Shot - Active - 1 Energy
Scavenger's Volley - Active - 1 Energy
Loom's Volley - Active - 2 Energy
Breakdown - Active - 1 Energy
Junk Bomb - Active - 1 Energy
Mind of Possibility - Unavailable
Memory Bank
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Riley Jogan - Level 7
Tier 2 - Novice Silken Witch
Tier 0 - Botanist
Mind 32 - Body - 16
Memory - 15 Energy - 19/21 (2 Reserved)
Skills - 15/15
Energy Storage - Passive - 1 Energy
Memory Bank - Passive - 1 Energy
Spellthread - Passive
Phytotherapy - Passive
Slikbind Brew - Active - 1 Energy
Loom's Lash - Active - 2 Energy
Spell Weaving - Active - 1 Energy
Silkworm's revelry - Active - 1 Energy
Thousand-Loom Dominion - Active - 5 Energy
Marionette's Rebuke - Active - 3 Energy
Essence Extraction - Active - 1 Energy
Gossamer Link - Active - 2 Energy
Rootbound Cocoon - Active - 3 Energy
Tensile Strum - Active - 1 Energy/10 Uses
Body Regeneration - Active - 1 Energy/ 10 minutes
Mind of Possibility - Unavailable
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Rexeuska - Level 7
Title: Chieftain Candidate
Tier 2 - Smart Rockmaker
Mind 36 - Body - 12
Memory - 10 Energy - 19/25 (2 Reserved)
Stone Finger - Passive
Magic Rock - Passive
Earth Limb - Passive - 2 Energy
Shape Rock - Active - 1 Energy
Rock Throw - Active - 1 Energy
Rock Fly - Active - 1 Energy/30 minutes
Iron Shell - Active - 3 Energy
Big Wall - Active - 1 Energy
Spiked Ground - Active - 1 Energy
Body Regeneration - Active - 1 Energy/ 10 minutes
Ancestral Memory - Passive
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