Chapter 87 - The Weaver's Map VII
Claire took a series of deep breaths as her body was pieced back together. Her wounds closed, her missing limbs grew back, and her fatigue was washed away. But she didn’t want to move. For once, it wasn’t because she was exhausted. In fact, it was quite the opposite. All the adrenaline flooding her system only served to deepen her focus as she listened intently to the goddess’ voice.
Log Entry 1868
You have slain a level 117 Llystletein Cotton Crab Buccaneer.
This feat has earned you the following bonus rewards:
- 7 points of agility
- 13 points of dexterity
- 3 points of strength
- 52 (26x2) points of vitality
- 19 points of wisdom
Seeing the monster’s ridiculous level and the even more ridiculous reward that came with its death put a smile on her face. She almost couldn’t believe that she had managed to defeat it. Her hands were still shaking from all the excitement.
Log Entry 1869
You have leveled up. Your health and mana have been restored and all harmful status effects have been cleansed.
Your racial class, Frostblight Lyrkress, has reached level 56.
Your primary class, Llystletein Bloodthief, has reached level 60.
Your secondary class, Llystletein Force Mage, has reached level 50 and qualified for evolution.
You have been awarded the following bonuses for reaching Llystletein Bloodthief’s 10th milestone.
- 50 points of agility
- 50 points of vitality
You have been awarded the following bonuses for reaching Llystletein Force Mage’s final milestone.
- 40 points of spirit
- 60 points of wisdom
You have gained 60 ability points.
Finally.
Log Entry 1870
Assassinate has reached level 13.
Log Entry 1871
Club Mastery has reached level 15.
Log Entry 1872
Digging has reached level 12.
Raising a brow, Claire found herself staring at the digging entry for a little longer than any of the others. She wasn’t sure exactly how it had leveled up, but she was suspecting it had something to do with Shouldersnake’s predicament.
Log Entry 1873
Envenom has reached level 14.
Log Entry 1874
Force Manipulation has reached level 20.
Log Entry 1875
Ice Manipulation has reached level 8.
Log Entry 1876
Frostblight Lyrkrian Martial Arts has reached level 10.
That skill is making me think that I should spend at least some of my points on dexterity.
Log Entry 1877
Lyrkrian Shapeshifting has reached level 9.
Log Entry 1878
Makeshift Weapon Mastery has reached level 20.
Log Entry 1879
Spear Mastery has reached level 6.
Log Entry 1880
Thermodynamic Regulation has reached level 6.
Log Entry 1881
You have unlocked the following Llystletein Force Mage evolutions:
- Flatulent Librarian
- Llystletein Phantom Mage
- Llystletein Spirit Sorcerer
- Llystletein Vector Mage
There they are. This is what all that fighting was for.
Taking a deep breath, she skimmed through the librarian entry before carefully examining all the others in turn. Even at a glance, she knew that the class wasn’t worth her time. Like its incontinent variant, it featured a loss in combat prowess, and that alone was enough to remove it from her purview.
Llystletein Phantom Mage
A phantom mage is a caster without a presence, a stealthy sorcerer that uses nigh undetectable magic to compensate for a lack of meaningful relations. Though incapable of bonding with anything more intelligent than the average rock, these perverted but impotent witches and wizards specialise in peeping on others and eliminating their foes with precise, methodical force-based attacks from afar. This class’ Llystletein variant is highly adept at magically applying the sleight of hand and specialises in switching between spirit guardians at a moment’s notice. Degenerates capable of enjoying the act of voyeurism benefit most from selecting this class.
Becoming a Llystletein Phantom Mage triples all Phantom Mage-based ability score boosts and provides an immediate and significant bonus to wisdom. Every 10 Llystletein Phantom Mage levels provides an additional bonus to wisdom. Llystletein Phantom Mages will gain additional bonuses on the 100th and 150th levels.
Possible class upgrades include Llystletein Ghosthound, Llystletein Phantom Mage II, and Lost Library’s Executioner, amongst others.
This class was unlocked by fulfilling the following requirements:
- Reach level 50 as a Llystletein Force Mage
- Raise the Sneaking skill to level 10 or higher
- Raise the Assassinate skill to level 10 or higher
- Slay at least one higher leveled creature without incurring any damage
This would have worked well if I picked that one assassin class, but with things how they are, it doesn’t fit in with the rest of my abilities.
“Wow, you’re not dead!”
“Be quiet.”
“I can’t! I’m way too excited! I ca—mmmphhh!”
Sylvia, who had popped out of nowhere for the nth time, had started talking about one thing or another, but the lyrkress was not in the mood to listen. She grabbed the fox’s snout and held it shut until she eventually quieted down.
Llystletein Spirit Sorcerer
A spirit sorcerer is an involuntary celibate that endorses imaginary friendship and believes that nonfictional friends are strictly overrated. These specialists excel in the manipulation of spirits of all different types, regardless of their background, strength, or origin. Non-Llystletein variants of this class do not exist, as spirit sorcerers lean into and empower their spirit guardians’ abilities. Their deep connection with the lost library’s magic raises the maximum number of spirit guardians that can be summoned simultaneously from 1 to 3. This limit may be raised further, but doing so comes at the cost of inducing hormonal changes in the caster, often leading to obesity, microaggression, and pattern hair loss. This class is highly recommended for individuals that have given up on preserving their image before the public eye.
Becoming a Llystletein Spirit Sorcerer provides an immediate bonus to spirit and wisdom. Every fifth Llystletein Spirit Sorcerer level provides an additional bonus to spirit and wisdom. Llystletein Spirit Sorcerers will gain additional bonuses on the 200th and 300th levels.
Possible class upgrades include Llystletein Spirit Commander, Medium of the Lost Library, and Friend of the Forest, amongst others.
This class was unlocked by fulfilling the following requirements:
- Possess more than one guardian spirit
- Reach level 50 as a Llystletein Force Mage
- Raise Force Manipulation to level 15 or higher
- Slay at least 100 entities through the use of a guardian spirit
- Contract at least one guardian spirit within 24 hours of acquiring the Llystletein Force Mage class
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Claire brought a hand to her face and frowned. It looked like a powerful class, but she wasn’t keen on becoming anything akin to a summoner, largely in part because she doubted that she was going to be able to obtain any more guardian spirits in the near future. She didn’t know where she got her first two, and the skill didn’t provide her with any real knowledge of the process. Alfred was unlikely to supplement her lack of information, and given that she had never heard of force magic prior to her arrival, she doubted that there would be any resources outside the lost library.
But at the same time, it would be more than worthwhile if she managed to fill the gaps in her knowledge. Though not universally applicable, Shouldersnake and Shoulderhorse were both already trump cards in their own rights. Being able to summon them both at once was game changing, and gaining more allies would only empower her further. But realistically, she didn’t think that she could handle it. Even just one of them was already enough of a strain on her psyche on its own. She didn’t want to imagine what it would be like to have them both active at the same time.
Llystletein Vector Mage
Vector Mage. Noun. A magic caster or otherwise learned individual that lacks a prefrontal cortex. Many consider vector mages to be mad scientists, immoral lunatics willing to stoop to no ends to perform their experiments and achieve their goals. Their utter insanity comes hand in hand with an impressive mastery over forces and the methods by which they can be applied. The Llystletein variant specialises in raw power and freedom of control. This comes at the cost of automation; Llystletein Vector Mages learn fewer spells than their standard counterparts. You are likely to find this class compatible if you find yourself too proficient at “thinking outside of the box.”
Becoming a Llystletein Vector Mage triples all Vector Mage-based ability score boosts and provides an immediate bonus to dexterity and wisdom. Every 10 Llystletein Vector Mage levels provides an additional bonus to all ability scores. Llystletein Vector Mages will gain additional bonuses on the 100th and 150th levels.
Possible class upgrades include Eldritch Psionic, Llystletein Gravity Mage, and Tempest Witch, amongst others.
This class was unlocked by fulfilling the following requirements:
- Reach level 50 as a Llystletein Force Mage
- Manipulate at least two objects outside of your line of sight
- Manipulate at least one object embedded within another living being’s body
- Use force magic to impede an entity with a class at least 100 levels above your force mage level
I’m already not getting any spells. I doubt I’d even notice the drawback.
Having read through all the options, Claire directed her attention to the fox, who looked as if she was about to explode from sheer boredom. For some odd reason, the four-legged half-elf was chasing her own tail as would some sort of madman. Not even dogs do that. Except for maybe the stupid ones.
“What are you doing?”
“Entertaining myself. Since you didn’t want to talk to me,” whined Sylvia.
The bluescale rolled her eyes. “I was dealing with an evolution. And I still am.”
“Oh… wait, that’s gotta be your mage class, right? Don’t pick vector mage.”
“Why not?”
“It’s really good if you can get the hang of it, but it’s hard to use and you don’t really get that much out of it unless you get really good at it. I tried it once, and it feels like your head is gonna explode and nothing moves right anymore.”
“Because you’re an idiot.”
“Am not! If I’m an idiot, then you’re even more of an idiot!” shouted the fox.
Log Entry 1882
You have become a Llystletein Vector Mage.
Your wisdom and dexterity have been increased by 50.
The Force Manipulation skill has been divided into Vector Manipulation and Spirit Sorcery. Your proficiency has not been affected.
Catgirl Detector V. 0.32 has mutated into Catgirl Detector V. 0.33. The precision of your catgirl analysis has been increased.
The log entries didn’t seem very specific. She knew that she was going to have to read through the skills and spells if she wanted to get a grasp on her new powers.
Sylvia’s tail twitched. “Wait… you just picked it, didn’t you? Even though I told you not to?”
“How could you tell?”
“Something about your mana just changed. My tail is a kinda magic detector rod thingy and it’s really sensitive to that kinda stuff,” explained the furball.
“Is that how you knew I was done with Borrok Peak?”
“Nope! Errrr, I mean yup! Totally!”
Rolling her eyes, the lyrkress got up and scanned her environment. For whatever reason, she wasn’t being sent back to the start, even as she turned around.
“Is this chest room broken?”
“Uhhh… kinda, I think? I forgot exactly what happens, but they’re supposed to change when there are monsters near them.”
“It would’ve been nice to know that earlier.”
“Sorry! It’s not that I didn’t want to tell you, I just forgot…”
Ignoring Sylvia’s excuses, Claire turned her eyes back on her status page and navigated a series of submenus.
Vector Manipulation - Level 20
Triangles have three sides. Squares have four. Rectangles also have four. Pentagons have five. Remember these simple facts, and you may one day come to master the basics of force magic. That, however, is likely your limit. Vector manipulation requires a thorough understanding of trigonometry, and you are incapable of differentiating between sine and a sign.
Box… I may not like studying, but I’m not stupid. I know what signs are. And sines are just whatever signs aren't.
Effects
- You are capable of applying a force to any object within 80m (40m + 2m per level)
- The maximum output of your force magic is increased by 150% (50% + 5% per level of the sum of strength, wisdom, and dexterity, expressed as a percentage.
Spells
- Apply Force III
- Transfer Momentum I
A new spell? Finally…
Apply Force III
Spend up to 100MP to apply a force to an object of your choosing.
It took a moment for Claire to figure out the difference between Apply Force III and its previous iteration—she was no longer limited to pushing and pulling. The freshly christened vector mage didn’t quite understand how the upgrade worked, so she immediately tested it on a nearby pebble. The usual functionality was unchanged, but she found that it was possible to increase the amount of power behind each action. It was hard to tell exactly how much more there was, but it was by no means a negligible difference. The tiny rock’s top speed was at least twice its previous.
Moving things up and down and from left to right was also surprisingly intuitive. As usual, she found that she had to direct her target with her hands, but that wasn’t a problem. Or at least that was what she thought until she realised that the magic was a lot more sensitive than it had been before. Accidentally moving her hand to the side would alter the trajectory of whatever object she was in the midst of pushing. Focusing harder allowed her to mitigate the effect, to an extent, but she wasn’t able to eliminate it no matter how hard she tried.
“Wow, you’re a lot better at that than I thought you’d be,” said Sylvia. “I thought you’d be a total mess, but it actually looks like you’re mostly fine. I couldn’t get anything to fly right when I tried it.”
“Because you’re an idiot.”
“That’s not true at all! You’re just weird!”
“I’m perfectly normal.”
“No you’re not! You murder everything you see!”
Claire shrugged. “Normal.”
Transfer Momentum I
Losslessly transfer all forces from one object to another. Can only be activated when the targets are in physical contact.
The first thing Claire did was try the spell on herself. Activating it right as the pebble touched her hand, she found that she was pushed half a step backwards. Repeating the same action without the spell confirmed that she didn’t budge unless it was activated. It seemed neat, but she could only think of a few niche applications.
Spirit Sorcery - Level 20
Most force mages harness this ability for its battle prowess. You, on the other hand, find yourself so starved for the attention of others that you leverage it for the companionship it provides. And no, you are not “normal.”
Effects
- Your spirit guardians gain an additional 40% (0% + 2% per level) of your ability scores.
- All spirit guardians gain the ability to explode on dismissal
Spells
- Summon Spirit Guardian II
- Detonate Spirit Guardian
Now I can blow them up if they annoy me… Perfect. Too bad I can’t do that to the box.
Summon Spirit Guardian II
Expend between 1000MP and 1693MP (1000MP + 1MP per point of wisdom) to summon a spirit guardian. The guardian will be infused with all the MP in excess of 1000.
Detonate Spirit Guardian
Detonating a spirit guardian consumes all the MP that the guardian is infused with and deals damage in an area, based on the amount of mana expended.
Claire didn’t even blink before putting it to the test. She dismissed Shouldersnake and summoned its more annoying equine counterpart, infused with exactly one extra point of mana. It looked like it wanted to complain, but she threw it at a rock and forced it to explode before it had the chance. The resulting damage was miniscule, leaving only a tiny indent in the rock’s surface.
Repeating the experiment with 1693MP, however, yielded a completely different set of results. The resulting ear-rending explosion nearly knocked Claire unconscious. Shoulderhorse, the rock, and the sand were all vaporised in a giant ball of light blue magic. The detonation sent shockwaves through the room, knocking the chest over and blasting the lyrkress and the fox with a tsunami of grit, tall enough for it to reach the invisible ceiling.
The walls did not escape unscathed. Though not outright destroyed, courtesy of their thickness, they were each left with a massive circular impression, a reminder of the spell that had brought a smile to its caster’s lips.
It was everything she wanted and more, an offensive spell that was worth every drop of mana she invested. And it would only continue to grow more powerful as she continued to passively gain a near excessive amount of wisdom.
“What the heck, Claire! Warn me next time! That was so loud I nearly went deaf!”
“You’ll be fine.”
Still smiling to herself, she turned her eyes to the chest, or more importantly, the item that had fallen out of it.
It was a crude battleaxe made of stone.
And the closest thing to a real weapon she owned.