I have a feeling that only a big boss will rank Sock up for some reason. Maybe instinctual, or maybe from the fact that we've killed so many things without him evolving yet. There might be certain requirements for him to evolve too. I'm sure Pokodo evolved into something more special because she had a certain thing happened that let her evolve that way. Now that I think about it I remember Pokodo using a scroll to heal me.
That might have been the catalyst for her unique evolution. Maybe if Sock can use scrolls he'll evolve? I try and have him use the scrolls like Pokodo did. Even putting it in his mouth he still won't use them. It can't be that easy I guess. I'll eventually figure it out. Pokodo being so much further ahead of him makes me feel bad though. I need to try to figure it out in my free time. Sock is in no way weak. Pokodo is just more reliable as a companion than he is right now.
Lance's party visited the fortress today. I gave him the rare gem for his shield, he was excited to get it. Then realized he couldn't use it. He already had a rare shield. When I told him that I could teach them new classes, he was shocked at first but then happily agreed to it. His group has definitely getting stronger. For the sake of anyone not learning the wrong class I'll have to tutor them separately.
Lance learned knight to couple with his other classes. He's a tank, so it suits him well. Kattie ended up learning druid magic. Having slightly extra healing as well as the ability to shape shift will help her in the future. I haven't found a use for druids shape shift forms. While they get new shape shift forms they also gain new skills like normal classes. Too bad their isn't a shape shift that changes you into a bird. That would be extremely convenient for traveling. Maybe I can learn a secret skill that does it?
Druid is a good filler class. Once it levels to 100, you can gain half forms that give boosts to a single stat. Like if you use half rat form you'd get a boost to dexterity. Fox would boost intelligence. Ram would boost stamina and bear would boost strength. I also taught her the regenerate healing skill by her request.
Leaf learned time mage… Very quickly and when I asked about the meeting, Leaf fled. Not wanting to hear my response for now I guess. It's kind of embarrassing that Leaf declared her love for me. She set a date on when to give a response but we're constantly crossing paths, because of our acquaintances. I'm fine with waiting though. Our age difference this young does show. Leon learned fighter. Finally, I called over Trice and asked if Lance wouldn't mind taking her. If she can fill a spot in their group.
It seems like their group is missing some support. The warrior and archer they were grouped with both left the group because of an argument. Teaching her something to fill the gap in support would be the best. Her only class right now is scout. She had a low reincarnation, meaning it would have been hard for her to learn a secondary class. That might be a benefit now though, since I can teach her two classes.
I teach her blue mage first. Also all the skills I can teach her from blue mage. She managed to learn almost all the blue mage spells I have. The passive ones were much harder to teach. It takes far more effort because you can only explain you can't show. I tried teaching her elementalist but the requirements for learning it must be hard to reach. No one has been able to learn it except Pokodo, who had an elemental advantage to learning it.
Thinking what would be best for her to learn… Red mage would be good if she can't learn spellthief. I try teaching her spellthief and after a few hours of trying to, it finally happens. Thankfully! Red mage would have not been the right fit for her. She can stay further back in the fights now. The class combos she has will give her supreme utility against mages. She even managed to learn improved counter spell.
Trice is going to be traveling with Lances group. From what I taught her, she'll be a real asset to the group. Anyone able to counter mages in any way is invaluable. Normally it is impossible and you would just have to deal with them in other ways. Like healing through their damage. Or block it with a powerful anti magic shield. They'll spend the night at the fortress and prepare in the morning.
They've cleared a good number of dungeons in the area and Lance managed to break through the level one hundred mark with his dragoon class. The next morning before they leave. I drag Trice to the side and whisper.
“You have to make the first move, Lance is a smart kid but he's not smart when it comes to relationship stuff.”
Trice is as red as a tomato. I'll leave it at that I guess, it might be awhile before they visit again. Some people from the capital were looking for me at the school today. I went into sneak and tried eavesdropping on them but they were too quite. There's numerous reasons why they'd be looking for me. I can't avoid them until I graduate but they might be here to kidnap me for one of the reasons I keep my powers hidden.
I rush back to the fortress and put on my armor. Bringing Gobber along, just in case things get crazy. Having him there would definitely put the odds in my favor. We approach the three envoys from the capital. They appear to be high level, high grade armor, some rares. I recognized the leader… He's from the dungeon the prince died in! I approach guardedly.
“Hello my name is Kite, I understand you've been looking for me.”
“Ah yes, we've come on behalf of the king to request you seek him out after graduation. With the improvements you've made to this city. His majesty wants to reward you and ask for assistance improving the capital.”
Breathing a sigh of relief that it wasn't because they found out I can make portals. Or teach beyond normal means. Or make extremely deadly weapons that can kill very easily. Even how to make automatons might have gotten me forced into the army to create combat dolls. Putting on airs, I speak up.
“I thank you for you're understanding, that I wish to finish school first. You can tell his majesty I'll make haste forthwith after graduation.”
With that the envoys left. Thankfully it was over such a small thing. Information still might get back to him. I head to boot camp since there is still time left in the day.
Dueling has been getting more and more brutal lately. I've improved to the point where I can fight evenly with around thirty to forty percent of the school. The only people who want to challenge me are the people stronger than me and school isn't fair. Many older students try to fight me. I haven't turned down a single fighter but I often end up beaten badly and with injuries from losing. I've even had a few of my bones broken. If I couldn't heal my injuries, I would be in a lot of trouble.
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I've fought more mages at the academy and spellthief finally reached level 10. I gained an amazing skill. Mana slash, with it I could use my mana to expand the reach of my attacks. Spellthief seems to take much longer to level than other classes. Maybe because I don't fight many mages. It would be in my best interest to practice fighting mages while I'm still at the academy. It didn't expand my attacks very far but it could be used in unison with opportune strike... I seem to rely on a few skills to combine with others to make my strongest attacks. I wish I could use opportune strike with my archer skills. A stealth snipe opportune strike would be amazingly strong.
While I could use opportune strike with assassinate, my strongest move. It is extremely hard to pull off. Even though I've been practicing sneak, I still can't get within kill distance of any enemies. Maybe with a well placed blink strike I could get into range to use assassinate before they could notice me. Control nature could be fashioned into a fist which worked with opportune strike. Even though I could make sharp objects like swords, a blunt attack seems to work better.
Burke loves challenging me. He's around the age of thirty. He has the full set of heirloom gear from master warrior. I can't come close to beating him without using magic. I'm here to learn how to fight in close combat, not go all out. His attitude is bad, so I've been thinking of taking him down a peg or two. Out of all my injuries, his have been the most severe ones.
I've seen him fight Gobber once. While it was relatively close at first, Gobber could still beat him without much effort. I think being friends with Gobber, the only person in the school stronger than him, is getting me targeted. If Burke put forth as much effort into getting stronger as he does bullying the weak, he would actually be a challenge to Gobber.
I started attempting to make alterations to Gizmo. He's learned enough that he'll work without any commands. He can follow very complex commands. I don't want to break him for that reason, so I have to be very careful.
One of the only ways to become an automaton doll creator, is by becoming an apprentice to one. The only other way is to travel to the east and join an academy that will teach you. Even then they have a very strict policy of who they teach. Meaning their are very few people who can make automaton dolls. So me being able to learn it so easily is very convenient.
It takes months of practice to teach dolls how to do even basic commands. So that makes Gizmo especially valuable since he's so much smarter than normal. He's been learning common with the younger gnolls, so he can understand most conversations. I also think he's picked up some of the gnoll language but there isn't any way I can tell. Perhaps if I gave him a writing quill and some writing paper, he could respond to people.
It takes Gizmo a few hours to learn how to hold a writing quill. His arms are wood, so having very little control is going to make his writing very hard to read. Gizmo has also watched over the classrooms during writing pracitice. He understands the basics enough to write his own name and some other words.
“Gizmo can you understand me?”
Gizmo scribbles down yes. Alright good to know he can understand basic common. I ask again in the gnoll language.
“Gizmo can you understand me?”
He scribbles down yes again. So he does understand two languages. I ask Gizmo to read me his status screen. Everything is normal. Writing down his total health, mana (guessing he has mp since he needs it channeled into him to work) even his stats. I assumed that's all he would write down but he wrote Classes (none) Jobs (none) as well… That shouldn't be an option for anything that can't learn classes or jobs… Can Gizmo learn classes? I'll have to experiment later. After I figure out the best classes for him.
Yes! It seems that after teaching Rock some classes and being his companion for such a long time. Pokodo managed to convince him to move to the fortress after I graduate. I'll have to talk with the headmaster about Rock graduating this year. He's lived at the school for so long but no one taught him much. He still could barely speak common. With mine and Pokodo's help, he's already improved to the point he can speak in more than one word sentences. Having a giant golem as a protector for the fortress lets me feel safer when I travel away from it. Aegis chimes in.
“Why not just make your own golem?”
“What the hell, you knew how to make a golem this whole time and only tell me after I befriend one? What do I need to do to make a golem?”
“You need to enchant the summoning skill, conjure familiar into an inanimate object.”
“Wont that reserve my mana permanently though?”
“Only for a few weeks. Then once it gains sentience you'll get your mana back. The main thing is it will take a long time, even hundreds of years until the golem can even move on its own. Depending on the size of it's body. Even after that, it will take years to teach it how to follow even the most basic command.”
So golems are like easier to make automatons but they're useless for a long time and need to be taught in order to understand commands… Why would someone bother making golems then? I guess if automaton creation wasn't one of your jobs it's like a pseudo doll. It can also gain sentience which the dolls can't...Well I'm not sure if they can't yet, seeing as Gizmo is smart enough to write, he probably has sentience… But the other dolls at the school are just mindless workers... I wonder why. Aegis talks again
“How do you not know yet?”
It seems like he knows why Gizmo is special.
“I'm not going to tell you either. It will spoil the surprise when you hit level ten with your new class.”
So it's tied to my class then? Master of teaching, does my class give mindless things sentient life? Aegis laughed.
“Not quite, think about it... It doesn't matter that much, you should be getting level 10 soon just by teaching constantly. That class is leveling very fast compared to other classes.”