Haru: Acolyte 15/Apprentice 7
Optifex: Legionnaire 15/Initiate 7
ErcuEmu: Initiate 15/Legionnaire 7
Alara: Apprentice 15/Acolyte 7
Tacito: Footpad 15/Initiate 7
Haru forced herself to follow Opti to where the job masters were standing, despite the terrible feeling she sensed. Or rather, it was more the lack of that familiar gnawing in her chest that happened when he was angry, which gave her pause.
Still, she pressed on. There were more abilities and spells to get, and that would only help them in the coming fight with the demon. Once they got to level 20, the time would come to take him down.
Haru talked to the job master and received her level 15 abilities. She received another debuff, Vortex, which would reduce the target’s HP over time, similar to Lumen. But Vortex would put the Magic Defense Down debuff on the target as well. The second spell Haru received was Safeguard, which gave a single target the buff Physical Defense Up. The third and final spell she got was Fortify, which would give a single target the buff Magic Defense Up.
This would greatly help the party. Now that she could actively reduce all incoming damage to the party, as well as increase all damage received by enemies, Haru now had more control over the result of the battle. While it wouldn’t perfectly stop all incoming damage, or drastically increase damage output, having a more active role would mean she had more to do when preventing catastrophe.
Checking out her new skills and thinking about how it could help future battles eased the fear in Haru’s heart. After setting up her new spells, she looked around at the party. Everyone stood still, likely still configuring their skills in their menu as Haru just finished doing.
As the party started to move around, Opti strolled over back to the storage area and hit the switch to open the secret exit back to the Undermoat. Then he moved across the room and stood in the newly revealed doorway to prevent it from automatically closing. “Everyone ready?”
Alara nodded. “I finally have Fire, now it’s go-time.”
Haru tilted her head. “Aren’t crabs oriented with the Water element? Why would using Fire against them be a good idea?”
Alara started to saunter toward Opti. “While that is true, at the early levels, the spell hierarchy is more important than the elemental wheel. The hierarchy goes: Ice is the weakest, because it’s the first obtained. Earth is the strongest because it’s the last obtained. Then between them from weakest to strongest, it goes Water, Wind, Fire, Lightning.” She stopped next to the legionnaire and looked at Haru. “It’s not until the spells get transformed with ascension to the second-tier job, Magus, does the elemental wheel come into effect.”
Haru nodded. “I see. So, they wanted to make it so that apprentices only ever needed the highest-level spell they could use.” She looked to Opti for approval.
The legionnaire gave a subtle nod while looking at her from the corner of his eye.
“It makes sense if you think about it.” Alara nodded. “In the game’s story, apprentices are just brute-force mages until they get the proper training to be a real mage. Until they prove themselves as a true Magus, then they’re better off just hitting as hard as they can with as much spell power as they can muster.”
“Magic isn’t forbidden or hidden away in this world.” Opti followed up. “Anyone can pick up a hastily scrawled scroll from some back-alley mage and cause havoc. To become a real Magus, you have to go through the academy quest line. It’s one of the more complicated jobs to get, because there are two dungeons involved.”
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“It’s worth it.” Alara shrugged. “Once properly leveled, a Magus is one of the most powerful jobs in the game. They’re the only job that can use AoE elemental magic and Primeval Magic.”
“Well you don’t just get Primeval Magic like normal spells.” Opti looked at Alara. “You have to earn each one.”
“And that’s why I want to achieve Mastery on Magus. Getting it is hard, getting all of the spells is challenging, and leveling its abilities is certainly difficult.” The apprentice closed her eyes and nodded.
“What’s Mastery?” Haru tilted her head.
Emu walked up and stood next to Alara. “It’s when you max out a job and all its related skills. You get a golden crown icon next to your name when it’s your main job, and it allows you to get the stronger second tier Artefact Armor for the job.”
Opti nodded. “And rumor has it, there’s a hidden skill for each job, that can be obtained and only usable by those with Mastery.”
Alara scoffed. “I haven’t heard of such a thing. And besides, no one could possibly know that. Mastery on Magus hasn’t been achieved by anyone on any server yet.”
Opti shrugged and winked at Haru.
Taci strolled over and leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. “Sounds like too much work.”
Alara chuckled. “Well, I’m going to be the first Master Magus.”
“Isn’t there already people at max level Magus working toward that?” Emu looked at her with a cocked eyebrow.
“And they haven’t gotten to it yet.” Alara put her hands on her hips. “If they were able to, they would have already.” She closed her eyes and turned her chin up and away from Emu. “And like I said, I’m the world’s best DPS. I’m going to be the first.”
Opti’s playful expression after winking grew solemn. His brows flattened and lips pursed. “I’m certain you will, Alara.” He slowly exhaled and looked around at the party. “Shall we go back and see if that boss is still out there.”
Emu nodded. “I’d like to take a shot at downing him.”
Alara let slip a belly laugh. “I doubt anyone has taken it down yet. Usually, it’s newb bait that ends up wiping parties until higher levels come down to the beach and save the day.”
Opti nodded and turned toward the elevator. “Let’s see if we can solve the problem ourselves then.”
Emu and Alara looked at each other with raised eyebrows and then followed. Taci pushed himself off the wall with his leg and then followed the three with a sigh. Haru followed in tow.
They descended the elevator and left through the Fairbank Undermoat the way they came. Back out on the beach, the shadow of a bird circled overhead, beneath the sun high in the sky. Haru recognized it immediately as the shadow of a raven. She slowed herself to gain some distance from the rest of the party.
The bird soared downwards, swooping from behind and landing on Haru’s shoulder.
“I hope you have some news.” Oracle whispered in Haru’s ear, her voice desperate.
Haru nodded. “I think the demon is targeting him because he created the game.” She spoke under her breath.
“Created?” The raven looked at Haru, then to Opti far ahead of them. “A dire situation then.”
Haru thought back to how strange the legionnaire was acting. Before she could open her mouth to talk about it, Oracle continued.
“I have news as well.” The raven shook its body. “And nothing good, I’m afraid.”
Haru craned her neck to look at the bird as best she could.
Oracle continued. “There’s a good chance Irae isn’t acting alone.”
Haru gasped. “You mean there may be other demons in this game?”
The bird flicked the tips of its wings. “I’m afraid that may be the case.”
“I haven’t seen anything.” Haru stared straight ahead at the party. “So far, I’ve only come into contact with the one.”
“Stay on your guard.” Oracle’s voice was dire. “And work quickly to take down Irae. Who knows what tricks these things have prepared while lying in wait. I’ll keep working to figure out more information in the meantime.” The raven hopped off Haru’s right shoulder. As soon as it was far enough away, it spread its wings and flew out over the ocean and began its ascent back up into the sky.
In the middle of the party, Alara turned and stared out at the ocean at the exact moment Oracle took flight. The apprentice squinted for a moment, then a devious smirk began to form on her face as she watched the bird ascend. Then she turned her head back to look ahead at where she was walking.
The party stopped halfway back to where they were camped while leveling, not too far from the entrance that led to the forest in the Plentiful Glade. Ahead of them multiple parties were all wiped out, peppered along the beach.
The formation of Gogo approached, straight down the shoreline. Goose-stepping, the boss raised and lowered the banner on the end of its spear in time with their steps.
“Alright, do you know how to take this thing down?” Alara called out to the group.
Emu nodded. “I have a pretty good idea.”
Opti took stock of the party and then drew his sword. “I’m good to go.”
Taci shrugged and drew his bow.
Haru readied her staff and nodded. “Let’s get him.”