Shaking his head, Kukurnal began, interrupted only sparsely with short hiccups of laughter, “Combat jobs, I believe, you already know quite well, but I will humor you. Ah… the memory of when you first came into Mimir’s temple.” Kukurnal let a long sigh, then started again.
“Combat jobs are opened through the adventurer job, explorer, and then scout. Party jobs are similar, also unlocked from the adventurer job, but then splitting into the partier job. Both jobs are related to adventuring, combat, and exploration, both of the wilds and the dungeons, so it is obvious such jobs descend from the adventurer.
As for magic and faith jobs, they are quite unique, requiring more than simply pursuing certain ‘correct’ jobs, although there is some agreement that each line seems related to one job, but there is certainly a lot of controversy as there are so many exceptions. Mages seem to be related to the mana-ologist job, although it is not completely certain as some have been able to become mages without ever being a mana-ologist. Even commoners have been known to become mages.
“Faith jobs are similar, with the faith jobs seeming to be related to theologian, but not always as many have become believers and faithful monks, priests, and more without ever being a theologian. For example, I know of one commoner who is now a Mimir Faithful, somehow. He is my friend, in fact, and quite the scholar.”
“That’s… very interesting. So, combat and party jobs seem pretty certain, but mage and faith jobs are more unusual?”
“There are many discrepancies.”
“Are the two jobs you mentioned guaranteed to open mage and faith jobs? Or have they failed before.”
“There are instances of failure, although some later were able to. Some claim that there is actually a hidden requirement and mana-ologist and theologian are only coincidental. Others claim that the jobs failed because they were not strong enough. I, personally, am uncertain. It is not my area of study, nor my interest.”
“Hmm… could it be both?”
“No. As I said, my commoner friend became a Mimir Faithful without ever becoming a theologian.”
“Oh, right. You said that. Hm…” Joe considered, mind wandering, but uncertain how he could find an answer, although his second explanation could make sense. Two conditions, maybe? One that doesn’t need a job and one that needs the mana-ologist and theologian jobs. The ones that failed with the jobs did so because they didn’t have the levels. Joe considered it, letting himself ponder for some time before sighing and dropping his thoughts. Sounds good. Makes complete sense, but… really zero evidence, so... Oh!
“Can you tell me what percentage… oh.. um… mmm… how many people who became believers had the theologian job compared to those who became believers without ever taking the theologian job?”
“Oh! It is too many to count, which most scholars argue, and I agree but without any study or expertise, that the overwhelming amount of theologians who have become believers makes it much more likely that such a job is related, which is why it is often debated.”
“Hmm… how many people do you know were able to become believers without theologian? How many do you know personally?”
“Only the one, my friend.”
“And how many do you know used theologian?”
“I… truly do not know if I could count, but I would say hundreds at least? Truly everyone else I know, to be honest.”
Joe nodded at this, “That… would also make me agree, at least with this… ” Joe let it drop, uncertain how to continue but not really caring to, only noticing that the coincidence did seem a bit too extreme. Joe considered the thought a bit before dismissing it as he had no more information to add to the consideration, moving on. He took a moment to flip up his available jobs status page and slipped his eyes through what he had. He quickly found mana-ologist, and felt comfortable knowing he was relatively close to getting a healing job. But even after checking several times, he could not find the theologian job.
“That’s pretty interesting. Then how do you open the theologian job?”
“Ah… that is a simple question. Philosophers can become theologians with enough time and training.”
“Huh. OK. Good to know,” Joe said as he committed the fact to memory, not wishing to forget it. His thought carefully on anything else he could ask, but was pretty satisfied with what he had now, as he knew that he could get to the priest line of jobs pretty quickly as well as he quickly looked through his available jobs and found that he already had philosopher at level twenty. Huh… must need twenty five? Maybe thirty? Joe closed his musings down pretty quick because he still wanted more answers and wished to take advantage of Kukurnal’s current willingness as much as possible.
“So, I think I understand what most of the jobs do or how some of them work, but I would like to know a little more about some things in the partier job and in some of the priest’s skills, if I could?”
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Kukurnal nodded as he replied, “I will help, but there may be some things I am unlikely or unable to answer.”
“Like in the priest job?”
“Yes.”
“Let me know, please. I have no wish to offend. I only want to learn what I can.”
Kukurnal smiled softly at this, “A true scholar.”
“Am I? I’m uncertain. I guess amongst my people I am considered average or slightly above average, at best.”
Kukurnal shook his head and sighed wistfully, “To have a chance to see your people…”
Joe heard Kukurnal’s quite statement he let slip under his breath and decided to throw caution to the wind and offer a suggestion, “I really can’t promise anything, truly, as I see no possibility of ever returning home. I am… my home is lost to me, as I understand it at this time. I hope, maybe, I will find a way to return. If I do find away, I’ll invite you to join.”
Kukurnal’s eyes widened brightly at this and he sat up quickly, "Truly!?”
Joe laughed at his excited reply and nodded his head, “But… I must warn you. I truly see no way back at this time, and even if I do return, it is very likely going back will be a permanent return with no way to return here, either.”
Kukurnal considered, his excitement hardly dampened, but still thoughtful, “I will think on this carefully, but please remember your promise!”
“Of course,” Joe replied with a smile and Kukurnal didn’t reply, only seeming to be lost in happy thoughts of scholarly research. Joe allowed him dream for a moment before asking his first question.
“So let’s choose the easy question. Can you tell me what use the partier job offers? I have heard it mention before, such as creating groups. But can you tell me a bit more?”
Kukurnal looked up as Joe began his question and quickly nodding his head towards the end, “Certainly, although there is not much I can add as most of them are considered of minor use, if any. There are many partier jobs, not one, as you think, and each does something unique. A partier job offers little, which is why few take such a job and fewer include them in their dungeon teams as what they offer is of limited value. One, as you said, can create groups. The other, I know of, is able to carry items easily, but… as you can see, the party jobs are not very useful.”
“Who uses them, if I may know, if they are so… useless.”
“Not many do. Some are stuck with the job they have gained from ancestors while others like being able to have the easy money of simply creating groups without having to risk the dangers of the wilds and dungeons. There are nobles who use them, able to pay for such to join them in dungeons for larger expeditions where there are supporters needed for a group or to boost their children, much as you do for your apprentices. But otherwise, they are of little use.”
Hmm… that… doesn’t seem right. I would have guessed party jobs would be … pretty important for groups, right? But … doesn’t seem like it. I can’t really explore them until I get my basic stats up to minimum anyway, so… And I’ll probably still use them anyway just for the base ten percent they’ll give, at least. Hmm… I was hoping for a lot more. Oh well.
“Then, could I ask about the priest jobs now? Which or when does a priest,” Joe felt himself get lost in trying to explain as he realized that they could not count and thus would not know anything about levels, stats, or details of specific job skills as nobody could read. He thought for a few moments before he thought of an idea.
“Who can change jobs and how do you change jobs?”
Kukurnal glanced at Joe shrewdly before beginning, “There are some things I cannot speak of, but I will speak of what is commonly known. Changing jobs is, simply, a job skill. Many of the faithful are able to change jobs, some with more skill and regularity than others. The youngest of the faithful are unable to change jobs, but as one grows in faith, the faithful are able to change jobs earlier in their job and more often, in easier ways. Some say all faithful can change jobs, but it has not been found amongst the lowliest of the faithful. The lowest faithful that is known to change jobs are monks, who can do so only once or twice per day, depending on their strength and skill, although such monks are quite old and well developed in their jobs. Often, in the big cities such as ours, young clerics and chaplains of less ambitious nature are tasked with serving the needs of those who seek to change jobs. Often, they can only do so, as the monks, once per day, but few offered the chance to do so.
“I will say one thing of interest. Job changes have picked up significantly in our city over the last few weeks. It was surprising for many of our underlings and many have been fighting for the opportunity to change jobs. Several different adventurers have come in to change jobs. I wonder if a spate of recent adventurers have… or one unique one?”
Kukurnal gave Joe a penetrating look at the end and Joe quickly raised his hands and laughed, “Why are you looking at me like that. My apprentices are still working on what they received naturally and have never received a job change from a priest while they were my apprentice. I don’t think they did before either, did you guys?” Joe asked as he glanced around at the three.
“No. I have always been an adventurer,” Garnedell quickly chimed in earnestly, “although back at our village, Joe did take me to see the priest once, showing me about job changing with the priest once. I learned much from watching him.”
“Ooh… truly? He is a dutiful master!”
“Oh, yes. I am quite grateful.”
“But you haven’t done that for us yet, Master,” Kilniara chimed in with a pout.
Zilnek took awhile to reply, although much quicker, almost twice as fast as the first day he’d gotten his new job, “No. I have not received a job change from master.”
Kukurnal didn’t seem to linger on the topic, distracted by Garnedell’s interjection and quick thinking. Joe hid a sigh and moved the conversation on, “How about healing, then. You have heard of what happened to Kilniara. I want to make sure I know everything of healing, if possible.”
“Ah… healing… I’m sorry, but I may have to disappoint. The faithful can heal, yes, but their healing is of more a spiritual nature, healing curses and debilitating attacks that harm the soul and heart. They do not have skills to heal the physical body. I did hear of Kilniara’s close encounter with the Beyond, but her wounds were not something a priest would be capable of healing. Physical healing is the realm of the mages.”
“Oh! Well… I didn’t know that! I am grateful you have told me! I almost ran to the temple courtyard to heal Kilniara when she was harmed.”
“It is good, then, that you pestered the dungeon guards into healing her!”
“Yes, it was,” Joe smiled with humor before looking at Kiliniara with a warm smile. Kilniara easily noticed Joe’s look and turned away with a flush, once again dropping her hair to fall in front of her face to hide her face.