There were many perks to being born into the Weiß family. Aside from the financial security—a concern I happily left behind in this incarnation—there were two advantages I was particularly grateful for.
First, I was born as a Highbreed, a subrace of humanity endowed with unique skills uncommon to most. Second, and related to the first, the unique circumstances of my birth and the Weiß family's stature provided me with opportunities to level up that I could only have dreamed of in my past life.
Being a Highbreed granted me access to the all-powerful system that regulates the supernatural aspects of this world. With that access, I could choose a class and level up in that class. Unlike other times where I reincarnated as a Verdenkind—another subrace of humanity that usually imply one’s birth into a normal, powerless family, which meant I had to hide my powers unless I wanted to be perceived as a freak—I, as a daughter of the Weiß family, was instead encouraged to explore and develop the powers I was born with, and that too with unprecedented enthusiasm.
Being what I was, a Dungeon Master, while it was my first time encountering such a creature in the flesh, I already knew what the wolf-like creature Justaff presented to me was. It was a Hexfen, a monster classified by the Dungeon Interface as an animalistic monster. This type of monster could be leveled up to a maximum level equivalent to a level 15 Knight, capping at level 10 before its next evolution. I was already well-acquainted with the creature, so I wasn't particularly interested in Justaff's explanation of what they were. However, since I had yet to acquire the skill of appraisal, I was interested in the creature's level.
"We had them appraised by your grandfather. They're all between level 5 to 7," he informed me, motioning towards the chain-bound Hexfen. "This one is level 5, along with three others. There are 16 more at level 6 and 12 at level 7," he declared proudly. "That should be enough to get Milady to her next level, right?"
"It should be," I replied frankly.
In a barbaric world like Fiendfell, where strength means almost everything—except in instances involving money in which the all-powerful, all-controlling system allows one to acquire strength through its leveling, titles, skills, and abilities acquisition system, it is a very natural development that raising one's level becomes the focus of most who are fortunate enough to have access to such a system. I was no exception. In fact, I was likely one of the most encouraged, nurtured, and, to some extent, softly-pressured individuals into pursuing this path.
Yes, the Weiß family into which I was "lucky" enough to be born want me to grow in strength. To achieve this, since it was the only method available, they had me train from a very early age to raise my level. Well, I say "had me," but in truth, it was more of an "allowed me" situation. I also desired to become strong and started suggesting early on that I be trained. Since our objectives aligned in this segment, my wish was easily granted—so easily, in fact, that I was assigned Justaff, a Verdenkind said to be one of the strongest servants of the Weiß family, as a personal trainer.
"Would you like to begin now or perhaps later, MiLady?" Justaff asked.
"Right now, of course," I replied.
He nodded with a smile and said, "Then I believe you should get ready," unsheathing the sword at his waist and slowly loosening his grip over the chain, allowing the creature to take a few more steps in my direction.
"I am," I declared, wiping out Wanda, my 6-inches-long wand—a gift from Justaff.
Nodding at my word, Justaff let go of the chain, freeing the wolf-like creature, which wasted no time lunging at me.
However, it almost instantly came to an abrupt halt when Justaff could be heard shouting, "Eyes on me!" As if I had completely disappeared from the creature's sight, its attention shifted to Justaff, who, upon activating his class ability, Dominant Presence, forcefully drew the Hexfen's full aggression towards him.
"Come here, big boy," he taunted, waved with his drawn sword, walking in a semi-circle around the wolf-like creature, closing a step at a time toward me. The creature entered what looked like a frenzied state, ready to lunge at Justaff this time. However, before it could do so, I unleashed one of my offensive skills.
With a wave of my hand, I called forth [Hydroblast], one of my actively offensive skill, which allowed me to nearly spontaneously conjure a powerful blast of water to strike my target—the Hexfen.
As the Hydroblast struck the Hexfen, the force of the water blast slammed into its side. The Hexfen, being as large as a large wolf, was hefty but not impervious to such an attack. The impact caused it to yelp in pain as it staggered sideways, its weight shifting abruptly as it tried to regain its footing. But before it could, I stepped forth, waving my hand for a second time, unleashing another [Hydroblast]. This second Hydroblast hit the Hexfen while it was still recovering from the initial blast. While the initial Hydroblast failed to knock the creature to the ground, the cumulative force from two consecutive blasts, especially the second one that hit when the creature was already off-balance and slightly disoriented, managed to properly knock it to the ground, sending it tumbling or sliding away from the point of impact.
That being said, it wasn’t yet enough damage to defeat it. That was to be expected given the amount of HP these creatures spawn with at level 1. At its current level, which was, by Justaff’s own words, 4, it had at least ten to fifteen times the HP of a level 1 Verdenkind.
Given the M.P I currently had, there was a possibility that even if I continuously fired Hydroblast without missing, I might deplete my M.P before it depleted its HP. That's why, instead of casting Hydroblast for the second time, I cast Winter Clutch, a skill that was ironically one of my highest-level skills despite being one I never really focused on acquiring or leveling up.
[Winter Clutch] was a passively offensive skill that inflicted a non-physical frostbite-status attack that would gnaw at a slow but rhythmic pace at the target’s S.P.
Despite being my highest-level skill, it wasn’t exactly my strongest. I mainly used it on harmless targets, which is why I was so easily able to level it up to its current level. But I believed it would do fine in a battle of attrition.
Since I didn’t have the appraisal skill, I had no way to concretely confirm the effect of my skill. However, from the frosty aura that began enveloping the creature, I was confident that my skill was beginning to gnaw at the creature's S.P.
Despite the sudden onslaught of attack, the Hexfen displayed a respectable level of resilience, shaking off the initial shock of two consecutive attacks. It quickly recovered and instantly recognized the source of its torment. With a fierce determination fueled by instinct and perhaps anger, the creature locked its gaze on me. I could tell from the spiteful look in those four-too-many eyes that the effect of Justaff’s [Dominant Presence] had clearly been warded off.
The Winter Clutch skill’s frostbite, while still active and doing its thing, wasn’t a skill that would incapacitate its victim. It simply did its thing—grinding through the target SP—in silence, meaning that it had not stripped the Hexfen of its ability to fight. What it did, however, was enrage the beast further, pushing it to act on its primal instincts.
Charging forth with renewed vigor, the Hexfen closed the distance between itself and me. Its movements may have been slightly hampered by the continuous attacks it just suffered, making its charge less swift but no less determined.
I called forth yet another skill of mine, [Frost Shards], which conjured sharp, crystalline projectiles of ice that were hurled forward at the charging Hexfen. The Frost Shards flew through the air, glinting in the light as they sailed towards their target.
However, just as the shards were about to strike the Hexfen, the creature activated a skill of its own, displaying on a corner of my field view thanks to my identification skill.
With remarkable speed and resilience, the Hexfen tanked the incoming Frost Shards without breaking its charge. The crystalline projectiles may have embedded themselves in the creature's thick fur or bounced harmlessly off its sturdy hide, mitigating the damage they would have caused.
Within seconds, the Hexfen closed the distance between itself and me, narrowing the gap to just a couple of meters. Opening its jaw, it activated yet another skill, ready to swallow me—something which, given its size compared to mine, would take less than ten bites to swallow me entirely. It was about to take the first bite of these ten when a shadow wedged itself between me and the creature.
It was Justaff, who with a kick, not only stopped the creature’s attempt but sent it reeling back too.
"Milady, could it be that you've forgotten the first of the big three rules of magic-casting and spell-casting?" He asked, shooting a short glance over his shoulder.
"Maintain Distance and Control?"
"So you didn't forget, but did you apply it?"
"No," I replied frankly.
Maintain Distance and Control. Protect one's Focus. And last but not least being adaptable to any circumstance.
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I've been hammered with these three sentences a thousand times just this year alone, so how could I forget?
It was just that knowing that he'll stand between me and the charging creature, I didn't even bother trying to put distance between me and the Hexfen, not that it would've changed anything; if anything, it would've disturbed my focus.
"Milady, if your logic is that you already knew that I would put myself between you and the creature, then I would beg that you give up that mentality. You've chosen Sorcerer as a class, not Paladin or Monk, but Sorcerer. For a magic-caster such as yourself, distance is your ally. Whether you're alone or accompanied, it is a must that you keep a safe distance from your opponent while you use your skills and abilities. This not only protects you from immediate physical harm but also allows you to maintain control over the battlefield. Striking from afar gives you, who aren't blessed with fast speed or barbaric toughness, time to assess the situation and respond strategically," he preached with seemingly no intent on stopping. "So, my Lady, if po—"
"I understand," I interrupted, "I got a little carried away," I said as I slowly withdrew toward the background.
"So long as you do," he said, taking a few steps to the side in a way that I could still scope the Hexfen before activating his ability again.
"Eyes on me," he shouted once again, effectively locking the creature's attention on him with his skill. This granted me another window for an assault, a window that I didn't let go to waste. Swinging my wand, mostly out of bad habit rather than actual practical use, I once again unleashed [Hydroblast], for the third time almost consecutively. It might have seemed like I was spamming—and in a way, I was—but for good reasons. One, it was my strongest offensive skill, and two, the more one uses a skill, the higher the likelihood that the skill will level up. So, in a way, I was spamming so that one of my asset could get stronger.
Skills in this world can be acquired in two main ways: spontaneously or through deliberate practice. For instance, one might gain the skill of pyrokinesis simply by gazing intently at a fire or witnessing someone else cast a fire-related skill. These methods might seem random, yet they're governed by the unseen logic of this world's overarching "system". Conversely, it's also possible to acquire skills like swordsmanship through dedicated practice.
This dual nature of skill acquisition—part luck, part effort—is a mystery that even someone like me, who has lived multiple lives, finds perplexing. But to be fair—to be really fair—most of my lives, as sad as it is to admit, weren't actually that glorious. So, it's possible that my limited understanding of how skills are granted is to be blamed on me never managing to reach above level 20, rather than it being an unattainable truth that even an ever-respawning entity like me wasn’t able to reach.
That being said, while skills can be acquired either purposely or spontaneously, from level 2 and above, there are also two methods to raise them. They won't spontaneously level up as they might appear; they have to be worked up for, either by actually raising one's level or repeatedly using the skill. The former method generally only works when the said skill is related to the chosen class, while the latter, I suppose, sounds very much like a form of training. But unlike conventional "training," which usually includes a highly theoretical component, the training here has to be against a live opponent—more precisely, one that grants Experience upon defeat. Those were the two methods; our training included both.
***
Later in the afternoon, as the second Hexfen struggled against my relentless assault of [Hydroblasts] and [Frost Shard], it couldn’t even counterattack due to Justaff always interfering, either by stopping any counter-attack it tried against me or by locking the creature’s focus onto himself. This caused it to become nothing more than a moving target for me.
While the passive effect of my Winter Clutch slowly but surely ground down its SP, it finally began to show signs of weariness. Evading my attacks became a futile endeavor, and even low damage skills like Frost Shard managed to knock it off balance. It looked nothing like it did at the beginning of the training. Though not an appraiser, I could sense the toll my onslaught had taken on its SP and HP.
In a rare display of self-preservation, the creature attempted to get away, but Justaff foiled its attempt once again. The creature, relenting to its primal instinct, tried to escape, but as it did, Justaff's Dominant Presence was once again cast, locking the creature's attention onto him and thus holding it prisoner for me to execute.
Without casting a glance, Justaff casually suggested, "Milady, it’s about time."
Time for what?
In my old world, it would have been called the "coup de grâce." With determination, I summoned forth the skill for which I was given Wanda as a wand by Justaff, despite not being a mage or wizard: [Ice Magic]. A magic circle materialized at the wand's tip, from which I conjured an arm-sized icicle. Knowing this would mark the end of our training session, I spared no M.P., channeling all the energy I could draw into the spell. With the spell fully formed into what I wanted it to be, I hurled the icy projectile at the Hexfen, its attention still ensnared by Justaff ability’s influence.
The icicle soared through the air with deadly accuracy, spearing through the space between us and the Hexfen like a frozen arrow unleashed from the heavens. In the final moments before impact, I could almost hear the silent plea for mercy from the creature, which this time managed to notice the attack but not react to it, its primal instincts warring with the inevitability of its fate. But there was no mercy to be found in the heat of this training, only a cold, calculated execution.
With a sickening thud, the icicle pierced the Hexfen's chest, embedding itself deep within its flesh. As it did, the creature was sent rolling across the ground for several meters in a macabre yet oddly amusing spectacle. Its form twisted and contorted with each impact before finally coming to a halt.
A strange silence fell over us as Justaff and I, for a long ten seconds, watched movements from the creature. But as the icicle piercing shattered into tiny particles, leaving nothing behind to testify to its presence, it no longer moved; it was finally dead.
In that moment, I faintly saw Justaff turn toward me, praising, "Well done." It was barely audible, as in that very moment, my view was blurred and my hearing felt like I was underwater. I began to feel like I was about to fall, but Justaff appeared by my side to support me, asking, "You’re alright?"
"... I am. I’m alright now. I just depleted my MP and…"
He cut me off to ask, "At what percentage of fatigue are you now?"
Faced with that question, I felt a little embarrassed to answer. With acute mental command, I summoned my status interface.
[ Faye’s Interface ]
Name: Faye
Level: 5
Race: Highbreed
Class: Sorcerer
Title: N/A
Experience: 1890 / 3693
[Status]
- H.P: 21 / 21
- M.P: 1 / 147 (+37)
- S.P: 19 / 19
- Fatigue: 83%
- Defense: 3
- Offense: 34
[Attributes]
- Strength: 1
- Agility: 1
- Constitution: 2
- Intelligence: 5
- Wisdom: 7
- Charisma: 5
- Faith: 1
[Skills]
- Hydroblast: Level 3
- Identification: Level 5
- Ice Magic: Level 2
- Frost Shards: Level 2
- Eagle Eye: Level 1
- Lowered Temperature: Level 2
- Mana Reservoir: Level 2
- Winter Clutch: Level 3
- Cryognize: Level 3
[Abilities]
- Elemental Affinity (Ice): Unlocked
『Expand』
"...83," I replied, feeling a little embarrassed.
Hearing me, Justaff winced and sat me down on the grass, clearly about to unleash a lecture on me. "Perhaps I should add that as a fourth one of our maxims for magic-casting and spell-casting—no, this doesn’t just apply to magic-casting and spell-casting, it applies to every class, even the physical ones: never under any circumstance allow your fatigue percentage to go above 80%, unless perhaps you’re a barbarian who decided to sacrifice his life to buy time. But you’re not a barbarian nor are trying to buy your friend time so that should never happen."
I nodded, hoping that this would bring the lecture to an end, but he continued, "At 50%, you should already be very worried about the state of things. At 60%, you should already consider if the battle is really worth it, think of a way of getting out of trouble. And at 70%, you should already be in the process running away. Never confront anything past that percentage of fatigue."
"I understand."
"Since you do, you should be able to understand what you did wrong here?"
"Yes, I should’ve agreed to put an end to our training earlier this afternoon?"
He nodded.
"But," I added, wanting to retort at least once, "At least it was worth it?"
"Worth it? Did you level up any of your skills?"
I nodded, "My Ice Magic went from level 1 to level 2."
"I see," he mumbled, casting a glance at the creature's corpse, before adding, "I suppose that indeed makes it worth it," he looked like he was about to congratulate me but noticing Ane running over, he stopped.
"My Lady, what happened? Are you hurt anywhere?" Frantically asked Ane, warily checking on me for injuries.
"I’m fine. I haven’t been hurt or anything," I reassured them, though Ane seemed to look toward Justaff for confirmation.
"Your Lady is fine," he chuckled. "She’s just a little exhausted. You should escort her to her quarters and have her rest for the day."
"That won’t be possible," I promptly retorted. "At least not immediately. I still have to talk to Grandfather after this. He summoned me."
I could tell that Ane considered suggesting that I report to him another day, but ultimately chose not to voice it.
"I see," Justaff mused. "Speaking of your grandfather, I talked to him yesterday while appraising these monsters. We discussed the possibility of moving our training to the chateau’s dungeon."
Foreseeing the reason for this suggestion, I nodded.
"As you know, our training is getting a little dangerous for a garden like this. While I’m confident in my ability to handle the creatures used for your training, accidents can happen. So, it’s best to move this training of yours, and the creatures involved, especially considering how exponentially stronger they need to be along with you, to a place where they won’t put other people in danger."
Having been reborn times and times again, I always felt embarrassed by how easily kids were praised for even the most basic achievements. So, each time— and by that, I mean a lot of times—I cringed at most compliments I received. But compliments like these, which involved my evolution within the system’s progression, I accepted with open arms and a smile.