"By the way," Jacob said before getting up to go to bed, "What was your rank and combat level, and what is the difference in ranks and combat levels? Oren gave me a bit of an explanation, but it didn't fully make sense to me."
"Remember that Oren is also new to this, so don't be too critical of him." May started explaining, "I managed to reach a combat level of 11 at the D-rank."
She seemed a bit proud of her level and rank as she grinned with her explanation, "The combat level is indicative of the actual combat ability of a person or monster, while the rank is more like the quality of their abilities. The rank is determined by the system, but the combat level is based on several factors related to fighting. It's possible to out-level your rank, but typically the system rewards a high combat level with a rank upgrade when that happens."
Jacob nodded his head as his mother continued, "It's technically possible to get to a high combat level while being bad at fighting, but it would take years, whereas someone actually good at fighting might take months. It's experience-based, but the system seems to assign that experience based on your actual combat ability. The experience you gain is low at first, since the level and rank of what you fight against is a big contributor to the quantity of experience gained, but it quickly picks up, given a high combat ability."
"However," She continued, "The rank of your class and skills is based on even more things like achievements or questing capability, but there are also soft factors included like your ability to work in a team and even leadership. Some people also think gaining the favor of the system can be a contributing factor, but it's all speculation as far as I can tell."
"The system can be quite mysterious at times," She said a bit wistfully, "I was never able to fully figure it out, and now I've got better things to do with my time."
Her last statement brought out a motherly look filled with love as she looked at her son and thought about her family.
"But you have plenty of time and opportunity to fully explore the ins and outs of the system to figure things out for yourself. So, at the end of the day, my best advice would be to be careful while you're out there and make sure to come home for dinner when you can."
Then she mussed his hair, like his father often did, and kissed his forehead before ushering him towards his bedroom so they could both get to sleep.
Oren was already on his own bed, snoring away peacefully. Jacob cast a small spell that caused the area around Oren to absorb the sounds through shifting wind magics, and then lay down on his own bed before taking a look at his current User Page.
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USER PAGE
Name: Jacob Hemlock
Age: 12
Integration Status: Complete
Class Information
Public Class: Farmhand | Rank: F
Hidden Class: Arcane Cultivator | Rank: F [Unique]
Levels
Combat Level: 1 | XP: 0 / 1000
Questing Level: 1 | XP: 400 / 1000
Base Stats
STR: 5 | END: 8 | DEX: 3 | AGI: 3 | INT: 4 [???]
System Skills
Languages [Uncommon] Lv. 3
[Hemlock Runic Script: Mastery 2 / 6]
Mathematics [Common] Lv. 1
Tool Maintenance [Common] Lv. 1
Legal Tradecraft [F-rank] Lv. 1
Inspect [F-rank] Lv. 4
Intent Shaping [F-rank] Lv. 1
Sword Mastery Lv. 1
{Flowing Sword Form [Common]}
Magic Herb Nurture [Uncommon] Lv. 1
Active Major Quests
1. Kill an E-rank Dungeon Boss
Reward: 1200 Quest XP, 1 Major Class Skill, 3 Free Attribute Points
2. Drink from the Solesthene River
Reward: 1200 Quest XP, 1 Major Class Skill, 3 Free Attribute Points
3. Slay 12 Zinthar Combatants [0 / 12]
Reward: 600 Quest XP, 1 Major Class Skill, +5 skill levels
Active General Quests
1. Brush Oxen Fur | Reward: 100 Quest XP
2. Visit the Adventurers Guild in Thornhold | Reward: 200 Quest XP
3. Nurture 5 New Herbs Into Magical Herbs [0 / 5] | Reward: 100 Quest XP
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Over the next few days leading up to the inspection, during the bright morning hours, Jacob worked the fields alongside his father due to the influence of system quests. After gaining the 100 XP from brushing the oxen, Jacob put serious effort into leveling up his Questing stat so he could get better quests in anticipation of the delve.
They repaired weathered fencing, cleared stones from the southern soil, and managed the exhausting, daily farm chores, where his system guided him to work with his brother and father.
By the end of the morning shift, Jacob had achieved another level up from the system with a welcome surprise to go along with it.
System Notice: Questing Level Gained Lv. 1 --> Lv. 2
New quests available with increased difficulty (Locked 23hr 59min).
System Notice: Basic Stat Gained: Strength 5 --> 6
He realized that the strenuous work from the day had likely been the contributor to his base stat increasing, while the questing level gained was only possible due to the time limiter coming off after brushing the oxen fur.
After leveling up, whenever Arthur granted him a brief reprieve, Jacob rushed straight back to the barn to meet Bran.
Bran had fully converted a back corner of the workspace into a makeshift tinkerer's workshop. The distinct scent of hot metal and sanded wood overpowered the normal scent of hay and animal excrement as the animals started filling their inside pens for the winter.
Together, they focused wholeheartedly on their golem project. They wanted to try to have the combat golem operational before the first delve.
Bran handled the heavy physical frame by hammering thick iron plating over reinforced oak joints, testing the weight distribution of the bulky, arachnoid structure.
Jacob focused mostly on the delicate internal magic. He started with the frame, using one of the new elemental cores he received from old Thom as a base for the enchantments so he could use his intent freely instead of having to rely on the system skill.
Still, the system skill came in handy while strengthening the materials after laying down the base of basic runes and three-dimensional runes for basic enhancements connected directly to the metal core he had set into the frame, gaining him two levels in Intent Shaping during the process.
System Notice: Intent Shaping (1 --> 3)
Being able to lean on the system's guidance in this case allowed him to use intent shaping without causing the materials to burst into splinters and fragments.
With the base layer of enchantments established, Jacob was able to use his intent freely to try to establish a stable mana tether for Bran to control.
He utilized the logic of his connection runes, which allowed him to link armor pieces together, by connecting the core of the intent of the golem at the metal core to the iron mace that Bran used as his main weapon.
The problem came from trying to enchant the weapon without a suitable core. The first few attempts wasted some of the dwindling reserves of cores they had on hand, and the last one, coreless, resulted in an explosion of the iron mace.
"Don't worry about it," Bran reassured Jacob, "I needed to upgrade my old weapon to a steel version anyway. We can always try to establish the connection after we gain more cores. Let's just focus on the rest of the golem for now."
Thus, they continued working on it during the day, when Bran was done with his daily orders at the wainwright shop. His father had apparently been taking on more work for himself, as he knew his son was working towards greater things.
"The shoulder joints are holding," Bran announced loudly one afternoon, wiping sweat from his brow with a soot-stained rag. "But the central pivot's too heavy. It drags when it steps."
Jacob channeled a small burst of his tier-1 mana into the thoracic-like cavity. The previously established runes glowed a faint pulsing blue as his intent tried to set into the mana field around them.
However, the light sputtered and died out within seconds. "The mana pathway is bleeding out before it reaches the lower limbs. The intent's simply not responding fluidly enough to establish the control needed for complex movements." Jacob said, "I think I need to adjust the hardline runes first."
They made solid incremental progress each day. The physical frame looked increasingly intimidating, and Jacob slowly stabilized the primary mana core.
However, as the end of the week approached, the reality of their situation became undeniable. The golem would not be ready for their first official delve.
The control mechanisms required finer tuning, and the core needed stronger runic materials than they currently possessed, while the actual control mechanism still lacked a suitable core.
"We'll finish it later," Jacob decided, stepping back from the inert, wooden frame. "A half-functional golem is a liability in a dungeon. While we could probably force it to work, we'll stick to our standard weapons and roles for the first floor for now. I think some dungeon materials might help with creating an adequate controlling device."
His efforts garnered him multiple levels in his intent-shaping skill, though, inching him closer to the level ten cap.
Intent Shaping: 3 --> 7
During the evenings before meals, the group got together to spar on their first day to get a good feel for their teammates' capabilities, with Sera and Jacob providing healing and regeneration to keep everyone in top shape between spars.
May brought out snacks to keep everyone energized with the basic fuel needed for regenerative magic to work properly, while giving advice to Sera on how to fully utilize her talents as a healing songstress.
Sera also demonstrated the ability to make everyone feel more focused or energized, depending on the situation, with a variation of her songs.
Oren and Thomas clashed against each other at the front of the group, taking turns working to get past each other.
Oren used a blunt wooden practice sword to systematically test the brawler's defensive guard.
Thomas learned just how much physical space the swordsman needed to swing effectively. In return, Oren learned to trust the brawler's superior physical durability to absorb the hits he deflected.
Jacob practiced maintaining a roving midline position. He focused on keeping a clear, unobstructed line of sight to Sera while tracking the chaotic frontline movements.
Any time Oren or Thomas broke through, he would first clash with them using his sword to get some practice with his weapon. Sometimes, he would just push them around with his magic to help them figure out how to respond to magical effects and attacks.
Bran practiced standing directly beside Sera, keeping his new heavy steel mace raised and ready to intercept anything that broke through as the frontliners worked to get past each other.
Mira rarely fought them directly. She spent the sparring sessions moving silently through the periphery.
She tested the party's situational awareness, occasionally tossing a small pinecone or pebble at Sera to simulate a successful goblin ambush, forcing Jacob and Bran to react to sudden blind-spot threats.
Jacob mostly spent his time holding back when using his magic, since his dense tier-1 mana was more than the rest of the group could handle in a direct confrontation without triggering defensive system skills.
While this was normally a good thing in sparring sessions, they didn't want to risk too much injury fighting each other, resulting in Jacob sticking mostly to force or wind pushes to repel the attackers and Mira's interference when he wasn't using his sword.
Oren had them practice several formations to help establish their treks through the forest and dungeon. Each one would need to be adapted in real-time, but preparing for the adjustment was better than trying to figure it out while in combat.
He also had them rearrange their positions in case one of them was down, and had Jacob assume the role of moving the downed teammate with his Gentle Hand spell to Sera, instead of healing the injured person himself, so he could resume supporting the team while Sera healed.
They went through several variations during their sparring days, until Oren only had to mention the name of a formation and everyone correctly organized themselves without him having to explain their positions.
"This could save one of our lives," Oren mentioned while they were practicing for an extended period after dinner one day when the group was feeling agitated, "we need to be able to organize at a single command now, or we'll be completely lost when we are pressured by the stress of combat."
With his insistence and practical outlook explained, the group redoubled their efforts in getting the formations down without even having to think about what they were doing.
After their initial sparring day and introduction to formations, the group started trekking through the woods to find suitable fights against goblins as an introduction to the dungeons.
"Maintain the stack formation," Oren ordered, drawing his steel blade as they stepped beneath the tree canopy. "Thomas takes the point. Jacob and Mira watch the wide flanks. Sera and Bran stay right behind me."
The forest was thick with overgrown roots and thorny underbrush. True to May's warning, the straggling goblins separated from the dungeon were desperate and highly reckless. The encounters were brutal but perfect for live-fire practice.
When a pair of screeching goblins dropped suddenly from low-hanging branches, the party reacted a bit awkwardly but soon found their cohesion thanks to their earlier spars. Thomas stepped firmly forward, absorbing a crude club strike directly against his newly enchanted leather gauntlets.
He barely flinched.
The brawler delivered a heavy, crushing right hook that instantly shattered the first goblin's jaw.
"Too much power," Oren mentioned to the brawler, who seemed a bit shocked at how easily he had defeated the monster, "remember that the goblins are weaker than the monsters you fight in the dungeons. Don't waste too much energy on killing them in one hit unless you really need to finish them quickly."
The second goblin darted around the thick brawler, who was listening to Oren and still a bit shocked at the lack of defenses of the green creatures, to reach the soft healer in the back.
Oren was tracking it with his eyes, but let it pass to give the rest of the team a chance to work together.
He was prepared to rush in if needed, but he knew he needed everyone to get a chance to practice. That's what they were in the forest for, after all.
It didn't make it far past the midline. While Oren and Thomas were seemingly distracted, a swift air push from Jacob staggered the creature, throwing it completely off balance.
Then, a silent, lethal dagger strike from the shadows finished the job as Mira seamlessly engaged the target and retreated back into the foliage.
Jacob checked his system notice as he heard the familiar voice of the system.
System Notice: Monsters Defeated
Goblins x2 - F-rank, Combat Level 3
Reward: 1 XP (shared)
I guess it makes sense, he thought to himself, if we all received the full amount, then I suppose we could just power level our way up the combat ranks.
The system rewarded them all with the minor experience notifications, but the true prize was the developing cohesion amongst the group.
They were learning to communicate without shouting while anticipating forced retreats. Most importantly, they learned how to keep each other alive.
They continued their nightly routine until the day before the inspection was due to commence, when they decided they were ready to challenge the dungeon as a group.