Congratulations! You have successfully absorbed Fire Jewel. You now have Rank 1 Attunement to the Element of Fire! All spells with affinities to Heat & Flame are now boosted 1 full rank in terms of potency. Mana reduction equivalent to 1 full rank in underlying potency. (You currently have zero ranks in the arcane school of Fire. You now effectively have one Rank in the Arcane school of Fire.)

Journeyman rank in flame spell detected. Congratulations! The Fire Adept class is now open to you! For the mage with true flame affinities, this class will allow you to rank up both the arcane school of Flame and your Fire Element attunement! Your combined rank in these 2 class spheres will determined your final rank when learning or manipulating any spell of flame.

Class drawback: You are so strongly attuned to the sphere of Fire that you may not rank up any other school of magic, save for those schools directly related to heat and flame! (All spells may be learned as if caster was mundane with zero rank in all other arcane spheres.)

This counts as an Adept class. 5 Character Points & 8 potency points will be available to spend per level earned.

Do you wish to select this class? Y/N

You have chosen not to select any classes at this time.

For long moments Jack reveled in the roaring flames now filling his heart as his spirit flew free of his earthly shell and soared in the heavenly skies like a phoenix! That vision of himself cried out for sheer glory as the morning sunlight flashed across his jewel-like feathers, embracing the sheer majesty of the moment, the wonder of being a child of flame, before crashing into himself with a lurch, stumbling a single step forward before being braced by none other than a brightly smiling Lauren, pupils dialeted as she chuckled throatily.

"Quite the rush, isn't it?"

Jack flushed and smiled. "It is. That sheer flood of power, utterly intoxicating!" He said, taking deep breaths, anchoring himself back in the here and now. He would almost feel embarrassed, as if caught doing something most teens did at his age, was not almost everyone wearing similar expressions of euphoria.

Lauren flashed a teasing smile so lush and red with emerald green eyes that twinkled merrily that Jack had to remind himself twice that the deadliest PvPer he had ever encountered happened to be her man. "Well, Jack? Show us what you can do."

And he did.

Gazing at the heavens as he raised his fist and shot a roaring stream of flame.

You have successfully cast Flame Blast!

Modified Potency of Flame Blast with skill level, Potent Flame Perk & Fire Attunement Perk factored in = 366% stronger than baseline!

Jack's eyes widened with awe and delight to behold his own jet of crimson flame. He didn't need the interface message flashing across his mind's eye to appreciate how much his mastery over fire, or that spell at least, had grown. It was obvious to everyone.

Mitch whistled. "Let me guess. That orb somehow boosted your fire skills?" Jack grinned and nodded. "That it did."

"Sweet!" Lauren crowed, seeming to glow with happiness as she spread her arms and smiled, a miniature cyclone of wind spontaneously forming around her as she whispered gentle words to the spirits all around. "That Orb just boosted my affinity with the Witch sphere by 1 full rank." She gave a rueful shake of her head. "So now I effectively am Rank 6 in Witchery! Best of all, it's an add-on bonus so it won't effect the cost of leveling up my underlying arts."

"That's fantastic!" Jack commended, giving her a fist bump once she lowered herself to the ground again. "Just so I'm clear, how much does it cost to level up your Witchery Sphere?"

"As many points as the rank we're shooting for," Lauren explained. "That's true of any school of magic you're studying, which is why you want an advance specialist like me and Sharon. Because of course you can level up any spell school as a basic mage, but advanced classes often have several schools of magic that together make their class sphere."

Sharon nodded. "Far smarter for us to pick specialist classes and be able to level up, in my case, Resilience and Corrosion schools which, with my class includes enhancing enchantments and the objects their made from, as well as all wards relating to Resilience and strengthening. And you've seen how destructive my Dissolution Spheres are, or my ability to cause any artifact, especially one relying upon complexity, to corrode and breakdown, which synergizes so damn well with curses triggering worst possible outcomes."

Jack grinned. "It sounds like you got at least 4 schools for the price of one, that's pretty awesome. And did your jewel also boost your Enhancer spell arts?"

Sharon nodded. "Yup. Plus one Enhancer rank. It's like that dungeon core knew exactly what prizes we needed the most. And your damn right this class is awesome. That's why I picked it! Best of all, my class is an enchanter subspecialization so I can make some wicked items and probably make bank as well, whenever we finally decide that we've had enough of adventuring."

Lauren grinned. "Same thing with being a witch. I can access multiple spheres and I've just always loved the class. And did you know that historically and in the game, witches were synonymous with herb woman? If I rank up the right spells and skills I'll be able to grow the grandest garden you can imagine and whip up potions that would make anyone who wasn't a master alchemist think that I was!" She frowned thoughtfully. "Of course, it's a bit different than most other classes, since I'm compelling the spirits to manipulate the air around me, bless my friends, or hex my foes. Of course, the more I master the spells, the more I feel joined to the spirits, and the better they are at performing feats without me having to do more than think a few words. Almost like they become a part of me."

Jack nodded. "Is it the same for the guys?"

Mitch shook his head. "With the warrior classes, you pick each feat separately. Most cost 1 or 2 points to rank up, but you have to buy them separately. Though it's always the same cost per each additional rank." He flashed a satisfied smile. "Which means that I might just have a few tricks up my sleeve, but now I'm deadly with each of them."

Jack nodded. "Did that jewel also level up all your fighter abilities?"

"Not at all. What it did was even better, giving me access to a cross-class skill that will help my build ascend like never before."

"Really? That sounds pretty wild. What's the perk?"

Mitch flashed a fiercely pleased smile. "Vampiric Blow"

"What does that even mean?"

"It means he can instantly heal himself for a portion of the damage he does," said Jacob, gazing intently at a hard-eyed Mitch.

"Damn, that sounds pretty epic!" Jack commended. "Biggest drawback with the fighter classes, in my opinion, is needing potions or outside healing sources. But this? Sweet as sin."

Mitch smirked. "I agree completely, noob. And I couldn't ask for a better skill to complement my build, and to wash away any lingering regrets I might have had about picking a straight warrior class."

"It's dangerous," Jacob warned. "If you ever lose yourself to the rage..."

Mitch rolled his eyes. "I'll be fine, mom."

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Jack grinned at that. "So, what did you get to boost, Jacob?"

Jacob's furrowed brow eased into a smile. "Holy smite."

Jack's eyes widened. "Sweet! From what I remember from the game…"

The Paladin nodded. "That offensive feat let's me strike my foe for devastating damage. Of course, it taps into my own health and experience if I use it more than once a day."

"Until you level up that Greater Feat," said Mitch with a smile.

"Level 5 Can't come soon enough!" said Jacob, his grin that of a gamer who had found the sweetest of build hacks.

"Still want to stick a sword down my throat?" said Sin, popping out of nowhere, earning an embarrassed wince from Jacob.

"Sin, listen, I..."

"Grovel for my amusement later. There's a pair of grain wagons about to be ambushed by bandits. Who wants to play hero?"

Mitch flashed a bleak grin. "Nothing I'd rather do!" He kissed Lauren's forehead. "Time for you to do what you do best, babe."

"Wind Ward coming right up!" And a couple lines of haunting melody later and Jack sensed the sudden buffer of gentle protective energy all around him, very much like the Tier 1 Wind Ward he had learned by her side, and when Sharon declared all their armor enhanced, Jack didn't doubt it, though he wasted no time studying it as he formed the incredibly resilient clay helm, greeves, gauntlets, and breastplate that had already saved his life at least once before.

"We good then?" said Sin right after Jacob's shout left a silvery sparkling aura Jack could just sense all around them. "Good, let's get going!"

"Scutum Glacies" Jack whispered under his breath as their pace picked up to a loping jog... then an all out sprint. And for all that he reveled in his growing mastery over his ice shield allowing him to summon it in the blink of an eye, the way all his friends, even the petite Lauren, were now racing at a dead on sprint while his thighs were burning, his breath coming out in heaving gasps as he reabsorbed his shield made it clear that there were advantages to leveling that all the spell mastery in the world couldn't get him. Boosted stats like Quickness and Vitality being just two of them.

And as much as he hated the feeling that he was being left behind, he eased his stride into a loping jog he at least knew he could maintain for sometime, since there were few things stupider than racing into battle utterly spent.

But the sudden shouts and screams of battle he overheard, including the battlecries of his new friends spurred him into action as he raced around the bend in the road, shield raised in guard once more.

"Sagitta Acidum!" Sharon's words rang particularly loud in Jack's skull as he beheld a scene of chaos, her acid arrow ripping through the air to explode against the skull of one of the bandits, who still managed to lurch several steps with a shattered skull for a head, before collapsing in death.

A pair of massive wagons with grain spilling out of a rent in at least one were jumbled together, blocking the center of the road, the winnying horses in a panic, caught as they were in their lines and the panicked frenzy of battle, a small handful of what looked to be farmers armed with bladed staves were valiantly trying to fight off an encroaching horde of bandits wearing poorly maintained rawhide jerkins, milky eyes, and slack-jawed expressions devoid of anything save a desperate hunger.

Before the nearest three raiders were swept off their feat when a hot-eyed Mitch roared and slammed into them, his viciously sharp axe cleaving down to cleave off the head of a fourth in the time it took the terrified looking farmers to blink.

Insight check made.

"Mitch don't!" Jack screamed, racing forward even as his companion hollered with triumph before a ghastly pallor came over his features and he crumpled and groaned.

Right at the feet of what Jack was now certain weren't bandits at all. "Ignis Fons!" he screamed, finger jutting out to deliver a furious blast of flame, burning the extra mana needed to spell boost it enough that all three revenants were caught in the blaze.

Only then did Jack realize his mistake with the panicked shouts of the farmers, at least one of whom had his beard singed. "Retreat! Stabbing this assholes won't do anything!" Jack cried, earning several frightened glances. "They're undead! Run for the woods or get on the wagontops, but get out of the way!

And then it was all Jack could do to keep his vulnerable flesh from the ravenous hoard of ghasts who immediately fastened their gangrene eyes upon him, save for the two who were shrieking in what must pass for pain, his flame having set them completely ablaze.

But they were still intact enough to fight.

You have successfully parried Undead Onslaught! Ghast blows fail to penetrate Ice Shield!

Jack tuned out the annoyingly chipper voice in the back of his head.

It was all he could do not to scream as his heart pounded with terror, gazing in the eyes of death as a ghastly still burning hand jerked down his shield.

"Ignis Fons!" Jack screamed from point blank range as he blasted the creatured at point blank range in its mouth, the creature effectively eating the entire cone of searing hot flame, burning through the back of its throat and the connective tissues like a white-hot blowtorch, the creature collapsing as the utterly charred top half of its skull blasted free of its charred jaw, the horror collapsing to the ground.

But not before the other two still flaming and only minimally impaired ghasts managed to slam Jack to the ground.

"Ignis Fons!" Even as he screamed, he curled up under his shield like a blanket, one that saved his life as monstrous horrors snarled and slammed down onto him, their hideous faces in perfect range for Jack's blast of fire to char their brains near instantly.

But not before one had managed to chomp into his upper arm, above the vambrace's protection, because Jack hadn't had the time or reserves to make a pair of pauldrons on top of everything else.

You have suffered 1 Light Wound! Saving throw versus necrotic protection made at +4 modifier! (Bite fails to penetrate Quilted Aketon. Unknown Modifiers in effect.)

And never had Jack been so grateful for his mother's parting gift, the thick quilted linen armor he wore. Thick and heavy like a coat, and absolutely perfect for camping out in the woods or exploring chilly dungeon depths. And for saving him from what could have been a deadly bite, for all that he wanted to cry out with pain as the creature's fangs clamped down with killing force.

Instead he turned his cry to a roar, flashfrying eyes, brains, and blasting out the back of its skull with another blast of highly concentrated flame.

Congratulations! You have successfully slain 3 Ghouls, surviving against perilous odds!

You have earned maximum experience for Level 1.

Class undecided.

Excess experience channeled to favored skills. Eternal Life modifier successfully synergizes with Path of Peril. Living so many past lives has paid off!

Firestream is now Journeyman Rank 4!

In a heartbeat, Jack was back on his feet, gazing at the scene of chaos around him, Mitch still on the ground groaning while a furiously roaring Jacob was looking as might as any paladin with his blade shining like the sun, tearing through the ghasts like a blowtorch through butter.

Instantly Jack understood that a panicked, furious Jacob's only concern was protecting his friend from certain death, and Jack wholeheartedly agreed, turning his own focus to the farmers, the powerful roaring shouts and haunting melodies of the two women in their party making it clear they were unharmed for the moment.

But the same could be said for the trio of screaming farmers, unable to free their short spears from the ghast they had plunged them into, the horrors actively crawling up the poles, ignoring their own loops of intestines and maggot-laden innards as the snarled and clawed at the farmers who finally had the sense to bolt and run.

But not before one was sent crashing to the ground in desperate shrieks as ravenous ghouls sent the man crashing to the ground before one opened too-wide jaws and clamped down on the back of the man's throat before Jack could reach, savaging it like a pitbull his pray, washing the road in the dying man's blood.

"Ignis Fons!" Jack screamed, slamming into the closest ghoul with his shield and pounding his fist into the back of the horror's skull, even though he knew it was futile, before unleashing yet another jet of flame that blowtorched open the monster's skull in an explosion of smoking blue brains.

Finesse check made!

You have dodged left!

Despite his desperate fury, Jack was learning, already knowing he had to pivot and turn, dodging aside the pair of leaping ghouls, always moving, knowing that to stumble and fall was to die.

"Sublimato!" Sharon's powerful cry echoed across the melee, three glowing spheres knocking into the pair of remaining ghouls charging into Jack once more, before collapsing into heaps of dissolving liquified flesh.

A part of Jack knew he should embrace his newest spell, acid arrow. Range wise and attack wise, it was absolutely perfect for undead, that he somehow knew dissolved for more readily than any other summoned or mortal beast, for all that they were so resistant to cold, crushing, or piercing blows.

But in the heat of battle, his focus was absolute, all abstract thought compressed into instinctive survival. Protecting one's allies, destroying one's foes, and using the attacks, physical and arcane, that one could summon forth as fast as thought.

And as much as he ached to save the wheezing, dying man... he knew what he needed to do at that moment, racing across the battlefield as fast as his legs, juiced by a second wind he didn't know he had in him, raced for where he had heard Lauren's scream.