(Zack)
We're barely back onto our property before my team just collapses, all four of them exhausted after the hellish training camp I put them through. They thought the first five days were brutal, but the last two were even more so, and they saw significantly slower gains in it because of how much they had already grown.
That, and I had forbidden Gavin and Max from taking on a second Class, so they were sporting decent Levels from that. Not that Max could take on what he wants, since he's lacking Swords Mastery and Rage, but Gavin has the requirements for both Holy Squire and Mystic Squire.
"Hey, Max," I walk over to him and crouch beside him. "I talked with Gold while we were training, and he's feeling rather smug about being a Dark Knight when you aren't. He says you're just a poseur since you don't even have the Class. A wannabe with no real talent for it, who can't even use a sword. He said that he bet that if the two of you dueled, he'd win every time."
I continue with this, noticing Max getting more and more worked up over it, until he finally takes off on all fours. Gavin glares at me from where he's sitting at the table, his head resting on it.
"You lied."
"How much do you wanna bet?" I ask.
"Why did you lie and get Max worked up like that?" He asks.
"I said that so that he can get Rage," I answer. "He'll be back even more furious than before because Gold will deny it. He'll also probably return with Sword Mastery. The trick will be seeing if he returns with Dark Squire or not."
"You told us not to," Gavin says. "And he listens to you."
"I said not until the week of training in Talorn was over," I say. "Which it is. And speaking of that, Gavin, have you decided which you wish to take on? Holy Squire to counter the darkness you believe needs countering, or Mystic Squire?"
He thinks on it a little, and I know he's a little confused about how I know his reasons behind wanting to be a Holy Squire, despite the fact that he's been informed of my mind-reading abilities several times.
"You can be devoted to the 'good' side of things," I tell Gavin. "And not be a Paladin or Priest. The Classes are there for the bonuses they give, with a few perks on the side for some, like Class-locked Skills.
"Paladin," I say. "Grants points to four different stats instead of three, though the same quantity at each Tier as other Rank 1 Classes, so three, five, seven, nine, and eleven. Tier 1 gives points to Strength, Endurance, and Wisdom, while Tier 5 give 3 Strength, 3 Endurance, 1 Vitality, and 1 Wisdom each Level.
"Mystic Knight," I continue. "Gives 1 Strength and 2 Intellect each Level at Tier 1, while Tier 5 gives 2 Strength, 5 Intellect, and 5 Wisdom per Level."
He thinks on that a little, then opens his mouth to say something.
"Wait," I tell him. "There's a little more to take into consideration. Paladins are buffers, so while they boost a warrior's combat stats more, it does require a fair bit of buffing others to Level. I have a cheat, since I can just do it to monsters, but-"
"What?" He gives me a shocked look, and Luca giggles.
"It's when I got into 'monster mode'," I tell him. "Or that mode that makes monsters think I'm one of them. Or terrify them to the point of shitting themselves because they're facing something that can obliterate them. Ordinarily, this would be impossible – almost no one who can do this can use holy Skills because they go Dark Knight or Blood Priest, but with Adventurer, I can still use them.
"So what you want to take into consideration," I say. "Is which one provides you the stats that will be a bigger boost to you – which you'll need more of, basically. Then you want to factor in which Class will gain more Experience based on your actions. Will you be a mix of support and warrior, or fullwarrior with only a little support?"
He thinks about it for a few minutes, then sighs, shaking his head.
"What would you suggest?"
Luca and Braden stare at him in shock, neither having expected him to actually ask for my advice on it. While Gavin does still have some issues with me, he's come to accept me the last couple of weeks.
And trust my judgment.
"Mystic Knight," I tell him. "You're more of a fighter than a mixed-role, so that would benefit you more, especially since you've begun to incorporate the elemental blade attacks into your combat. If you still want Paladin once both Knight and Mystic Knight are maxed-out, then take it on."
"Why wait until then?" He asks. "Why not when Mystic Knight is Level 25, since I'll be able to?"
"Because," I say. "That would be three sword-based Classes you'd have, which means that it would leech Experience from the other two from the stuff that all three share, decreasing how quickly you Level them. The common tactic is to take on another Class once able, but after the third, most work on getting them all to Level 40, and the third is usually something separate from the other two, to avoid having it leech even more Experience.
"As an example," I tell him. "Priest and Paladin both leech Experience from each other, as both use Heal for it. However, Priest is purely curative with some buffing, which Paladin is buff and combat, so they have minor leeches from each other, but the majority of what they do is independent of the other.
"Knight and Mystic Knight," I continue. "Leech Experience based on how much Blade Skills are used. When a Blade Skill isn't used, Knight receives more Experience, while Mystic Knight will receive nearly all if only Blade Skills are used in combat."
"But take Braden and Max as examples," I indicate Braden. "Braden is a rogue and a mage, and they don't cross over. His Archery Skills might be magic, but they don't cross over with Elementalist. Max is an Elementalist who will be taking on Dark Knight. Fireball is the only crossover there, and Dark Knight uses a lot of Skills, something like twelve or so by the time you reach Tier 5, and that's just the required ones.
"As a result," I say. "Braden receives and Max will receive no or little-to-no leeching. If Braden killed something using his archery and an Elementalist Skill, then there'd be shared Experience, but doing it with only one wouldn't share Experience."
Gavin thinks about that for a few minutes.
"But then wouldn't it be best," he says. "To wait to take on Mystic Knight until I master Knight?"
"No," I answer. "Because Knight will drop in Experience gains heavily. You're already experiencing that. If I took you back to Talorn for another week, maybe two, and put you through another training camp from hell, you could possibly Master it. In that time, you could probably bring Mystic Knight up to Level 20 to Level 25 hunting goblins, spiders, bears, and wolves in the forest here in the valley."
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He frowns again.
"But wouldn't it be better to master it, so that I don't have that split? I'd gain…" he screws his face up in thought. "200 Overall Stat Points from Tiers 4 and 5."
"No," I answer. "Because it would take you longer to acquire those 182 Stat Points you've yet to earn. You could probably gain the 80 Overall Stat Points from just Tiers 1 and 2 of Mystic Knight through a hellish two or three days in Talorn, and in a few more days, another 70 Overall Stat Points from Tier 3. That's nearly as many as you have left as Knight alone, in less time than it would probably take you.
"Your issue at the moment," I continue. "Is not one of Endurance or Vitality. Right now, with Luca healing you during fights, you'll be fine against most things you can handle based on your Strength and Intellect. Mystic Knight will increase both of those, making it so that you can do even more damage, which means you'll be able to take on tougher things."
"But-" he begins.
"No," I shake my head. "Think about it, Gavin. While you're Leveling Mystic Knight, you would also gain Experience for Knight. The amount wouldn't be much, but you could probably gain another Level or two while Leveling Mystic Knight."
"But-"
"Would you rather have a higher defense," I say. "And Health, or the ability to dish out more damage and use more Blade Skills? Which would be easier for you to raise on your own through training – Vitality and Endurance, or Intellect and Wisdom? Which one do you need more?"
"But wouldn't it be better to take on the one that gives more Stats?" He asks. "And remove the leech?"
I sigh, then pull a pair of basic training swords out of my Inventory, holding one out. There would be a leech anyway as a Paladin, it just wouldn't be as large because of the Experience gained from buffing and healing.
Gavin takes the training sword, standing and frowning.
"Attack me," I tell him.
"Why?"
"Just do it," I say, and Luca and Braden both sit up so they can watch what's going on better.
"Why?" Gavin asks again.
"Just do it," I repeat.
He attacks me, and I block it.
"Keep attacking," I tell him, and he does.
It takes him almost a minute to actually start attacking me with effort, mostly because every time he stops, I either tell him to attack or smack him with the flat of my blade. Once he gets into actually attacking me, his battle style changes from simply swinging to actual attacks.
Not long after that, he uses Water Blade, and when it runs out, I disarm him and pin him to the ground.
"Notice something?" I ask.
"I'm going to be even more sore than I already am because of how hard you threw me to the ground?"
"You used a Blade Skill," I say. "A Mystic Knight technique. Did you do that intentionally, or out of habit? You used Water Blade, which would be a counter to the 'fire' of Dark Knights."
He doesn't respond as he realizes that he did switch to a Mystic Knight Skill.
"Luca," I say. "Why is that important?"
"Classes give a small bonus to learning related Skills," Luca answers. "The higher the Class's Tier, the easier it can be to learn them. This makes Classes almost essential to learning high-Tier Skills without a massive Mind Affinity, which also affects the rate at which someone can learn a new magical Skill, which Mystic Knight Skills fall into."
"Close," I answer. "They're a Mind-Might hybrid."
"What does that mean?" Gavin asks.
I release him and stand, then extend a hand and help him to his feet.
"I figured Luca would know," I say. "And that the rest of you probably wouldn't. Max might because of his past. Mind Affinity is the sum of the stats on the right-hand side of your Status – Intellect, Willpower, Wisdom, and Perception. Might Affinity is the sum of the stats on the left-hand side of your Status – Strength, Endurance, Vitality, and Agility.
"This normally doesn't come up," I say. "As it's easier to just tell people what I was telling you before. Most accept it without question, generally because that's just how it's always been or it's the experience of people who've come before.
"There's an obvious moment of difference," I indicate Luca. "Which Priests and Paladins know."
Luca nods in response to that.
"Blessings," I say. "The form of them above Blessing of [Stat] is Blessing of Might or Blessing of Mind, which buffs all of that's stats. That's the only other place where you're likely to see a reference to this difference."
The only time I have received one so far was with Travis and Nik, when Travis granted me the Blessing of Might during the fight against the Kobold King. Other than that, the only time I've actually been buffed was Nathan's Blessing of the Crystal, which buffs all stats. The only buffs stronger than that which I know of are Blessing of Angels and Blessing of the Boundary, at Tiers 4 and 5 respectively.
"Oh," Gavin says, then frowns again. "So how easily you can learn a Skill has to do with your stats?"
"And your Classes," I confirm. "Physical combat Skills' learning curve is based on your Might Affinity, while magical Skills' learning is based on your Mind Affinity. Combine that with a Class that uses that Skill, and it becomes easier to learn higher Skills.
"That is why," I tell him. "I recommend you take on Mystic Knight, in addition to the boosts to Intellect and Wisdom."
"But-"
"If you want to question me," I say. "Do it, but also consider the points I've given. Talk to Peter, Mama Bear, Travis, Jesse, or anyone else higher in power who you can trust. They will likely recommend taking on a second Class now rather than waiting until your first is Mastered."
"But that's because most people take longer to Level!" He exclaims.
"True," I say. "But why does Leveling speed matter for this, Gavin?"
"Because-"
"Take your semi-valid argument and shove it somewhere dark," I say. "Gavin. Mystic Squire or Holy Squire. Pick one and take it on."
I can tell that Gavin wants to argue and question more, but he gives up and takes on Mystic Squire. That's right, Gavin, trust the advice of those who've come before you. We know better.
Now to check on Max. I use my sight, then snort after only a few moments of seeing him. I'm getting better about seeing what is 'live', so I can trust it's true.
"Max is a Dark Squire," I tell the team. I doubt he was given permission to the enter the Dark Temple, so that much is obvious. "He's also… training. We'll go with that."
Yeah. We'll definitely go with that.
----------------------------------------
(Max)
Gold-rival be blocking me strikes! Stop blocking me strikes! And stop telling Max to stop be ridiculous! No! I not stop attacking! And I not be ridiculous! Fight me right, Gold-rival!! Duel me! I know Boss be lie! Now fight Max right!
You stupid meanie boy!
No, you be the stupid boy! And you be me rival, stop say you no be! Because you be beastborn Dark Knight first, that be why! No, that not be ridiculous! Stop that! Me say it be, so it be! Yes, that how it be!
Gold-rival move quick, strike Max on arm. Me snarl, he snarl back, and me try strike him even more. Now he be fighting! Yes, you do be fighting! Then why you strike me, stupid Gold-rival? Hah! Me be higher Overall Level, so me be better there!
Max not care! You be rival! Because you be stronger and be faster! Stop that!
He be send images of him flexing his muscles. Me send back memories of me obliterating slimies with magic! While he be distracted, me lunge forward, be aiming at his heart!
Oof! Me suddenly on ground, on stomach. Big weight on back. It be a feint! Tricky boy! Hey! Get off of Max! Yes, Gold-rival! Get off!
Me try struggle from underneath, but he be too heavy. You to do be heavy! Stop that! No, Max not be calling you fat. You obviously not fat. Lean and awesome, like Max! But not like Boss. No one be like Boss.
Yeah, you be right, Gold-rival, Boss be the best! What you be mean, 'is'? Ooooh! Boss is the best! Like that? Okay! Hey! Me not be stupid! You be stupid! You no even be able talk!
"Me able to talk just fine, stupid-Max!"
"You be talk!" I exclaim, and Gold-rival snort.
"No tell Hero-Zack, okay?"
"Why?" Me ask.
"Me not want him to know until me able talk as good as proper Adventurers," he tells me.
Me be sensing embarrassment from Gold-rival.
"Why?" Me ask. "Me talk with Boss all the time! With words, not just mind! He be cool with it!"
Gold-rival be tell me why, and me giggle at it. Gold-rival be silly.
Boss likes Kylie. He be so in love with her! They need cuddles and talks and kisses and dates! Gold-rival be super-silly!
"Eeek!" Me exclaim when Gold-rival flips around and puts Max in headlock.
This hurt! Yield! Yield!