Loki Bishop
Main / Sub 4x: Capable of changing a main or sub job by four times the previous amount.
Change Extra Sub Job: Capable of changing an extra sub job by a tiny amount per day.
Truth Reading: The ability to feel the nature of a statement and to know whether it is the truth or not.
@#(&$#&: Unknown.
#()*&*(#&$: Unknown.
Loki ArchBishop
Main / Sub2 5x: Capable of changing a main, sub, or extra sub job by five times the previous amount.
%&*($() Unknown.
Truth Reading: The ability to feel the nature of a statement and to know whether it is the truth or not.
#)$*&: Unknown.
#(*&^#$^: Unknown.
Loki Exarch
Main / Sub2 6x / #)&$#()*&@: Capable of changing a main, sub, or extra sub job by six times the previous amount. Unknown.
@)@#(*&$: Unknown.
Truth Reading: The ability to feel the nature of a statement and to know whether it is the truth or not.
)$*#@*: Unknown.
Learning +++: Gain a tiny boost to your learning capabilities and stat.
Disease Immunity: Immune to diseases within Loki’s sphere of influence.
OK. Uh… interesting. Looking kinda like just… shifting down so you get more skills… and more stats, but pretty much not much difference? That seems… both about right and the biggest rip off ever. Joe kept his chuckle to himself. Right… the skills. He looked over the skills and noticed that changing jobs, sub jobs, and extra sub jobs slowly shifted down to be the lowest and easiest skill to gain. Even one of the unknown skills was now there. One odd thing he noted was that the truth reading skill seemed to remain a level fifteen skill no matter what for the higher level priests. It had been a level five skill for awhile and now was fifteen. An oddity that Joe didn’t understand. Now, the lowest skill was the variety of changing job skills and these new unknown skills that shifted ever further down the levels and combining as multiple skills available at level five. The learning was certainly nice but expected. In fact, he was annoyed he’d lost it and double learning for a bit in the middle Loki jobs but the change job skills seemed to be iconic to the priest lines, removing them. He really hoped he would get double learning back for the higher Loki jobs and he was quite annoyed at losing it.
The only last interesting skill was disease immunity, stating it offered an immunity to diseases related to Loki’s sphere of influence. This was an interesting caveat that had been mentioned with cure disease as well. After the wealth from the partier tree of jobs, Joe found himself pretty blasé about the whole lot of skills gained from his Loki priest line so turned to the last set of skills from his five new jobs in spearman.
Veteran Spearman (Only unique skill listed)
Spear & Skill: Poke: Gain access to the spear. Perform a powerful poking strike.
If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.
Consummate Spearman
Inherit %. M. @. D. S. G. H. W.: Inherit *@#&$^, mercenary, #&$&*, duelist, soldier, gladiator, horseman, and warrior.
Spear & Skill: Thrust: Gain access to the spear. Preform a powerful thrusting strike.
Skill: Head Crack: Perform a powerful cracking strike to the head.
Skill: Forward Spin Defense: Perform a powerful forward spin defense.
Skill: Three Sixty Attack: Perform a powerful three sixty planar attack.
Skill: Leg Sweep: Perform a powerful leg sweep.
Skill: Triple Thrust: Preform a powerful Triple Thrust.
When he saw them, he ended up simply looking at the strongest spearman as they all had identical skills except for one skill called ‘poke’ that hardened and veteran spearman had at level ten but was replaced by the skill ‘thrust’ at level ten for the last three jobs he’d leveled. It seemed like a simple and obvious upgrade. However, the skills, unlike with the priest line of jobs, were not compressing down to allow for more skills in the higher spearman jobs. All of them had the exact same skill at the exact same level. It was becoming glaringly obvious that the combat jobs were quite disappointing. Even the names of the skills were frustrating, not full katas to be learned combining a wide variety of strikes and blocks, but a single strike. Joe sighed. They at least use mana. Maybe I can learn a bit more about that tomorrow when I practice… well… probably won’t have time… monster … tide… Exhaustion immediately took him to sleep and Joe fell asleep immensely disappointed. At least sleep took the disappointment as well.
* * *
The Matriarch of the Galgandar clan woke this morning feeling vibrant, in a way she’d never felt before. The eccentric had told her to be cautious until healed, but her body felt incredible. She practiced several bodily cultivation techniques and found herself responding excellently. She smiled. Maybe…. Maybe?
Her confidence found her out in the field once again, practicing arduously. Her body moved smoothly, effortlessly, until her mana and stamina ran out. The remembered feeling of exhaustion struck her harder this time, seeming to bring into memory all the pain from the last time. She hesitated, cautious, then continued on but much more carefully. Her body, however, responded valiantly, without any of the pain she remembered. As her practice continued, her confidence grew, as did her smile and efforts. Once again, she rushed undeterred into completing her cultivation techniques as her body responded well. This time, she did so until her body began to grow sore and she remembered the eccentric’s advice, putting in all the expected ‘cool down’ stretches, and other recommendations he’d offered. She then ended her cultivation, breathing heavily, but her smile ever greater. This is… if this continues, this… The matriarch smiled and returned to her room to bathe and prepare for the day.
* * *
Gunlan Galgandar, Second in Line for Patriarch lounged in his room back in the clan home. He’d been tense the first day he returned, fearful of retaliation. However, his mother and sister did nothing so his fears died. Besides, my only chance is tomorrow. They have called for the elder clan. I must respo… A knock at the door broke him from his thoughts, but he was relieved to hear it.
“Enter!”
The door opened and his spy master entered, bowing before him but said nothing, as was appropriate.
“Report,” Gunlan demanded.
“The first is complete. The second is ready, clansman.”
“For tomorrow’s event?”
“As commanded, clansman.”
Gunlan said nothing, simply waving the spymaster away. The spymaster deepened his bow as he’d never risen from it, then back away several steps before standing and walking from the room, closing the door behind him. Only then, did Gunlan release the smile seeking to escape. It was a decidedly unpleasant smile.
* * *
His dream continued and he enjoyed it, his retreat satisfying. Something stuttered, his moment of time frozen from memory hiccupping as a great working interrupted him. He didn’t even notice the hiccup, so lost in a daze and stared at a beautiful young girl of five or six frolicking in a field of flowers, frozen in mid-air. The frozen nature of the child only allowed him to stare at her with closer attention as the feeling of tears welled up. Another, greater, much more jarring interruption causing his moment to judder once again. It ended, and things returned as they were. Tears fell, the beauty of the moment framed in his thoughts, and he experienced anew for a time until a great sigh like a deep breath swelled outward and he came to awareness a very long time later. What? Wait… Confusion struck him for a bit before remembrance came again and he almost… almost investigated, but then his sorrow crushed back down upon him and he fled once more, to a meadow of beautiful flowers, a dozen or so people in the meadow with two or three children, one a young girl frolicking in recklessly jubilant play through the field.