Gabe

Of all the stupid... I race back through the market, hoping nothing has happened to Grace. Who leaves a little kid alone in a busy place? She could get kidnapped, or murdered, or... I guess murdered is less likely now that she has more than a single hit point, but my breath catches as my backpack catches on the edge of a stall and I stumble to a stop. I turn and realize it wasn't the edge of a stall, but a man who grabbed my backpack as I ran by.

"You! You were the one who stole the daggers!"

"Daggers?"

The young man and woman are right behind me, and the woman speaks. Her voice has a slight accent to it, where the young man seemed somehow devoid of any accent at all. I realize that I'm back to where I started. I look around for Grace.

"Yes! This man stole daggers and threw them! In the middle of a crowded market! Someone could have gotten hurt!"

Yeah. I could have thought that out a little better.

"No one got hurt, and we got the daggers back, Mr Gerald."

I recognize the voice, and see Grace sitting behind the booth in a small chair. The huge amount of stress in my body leaves as I see that she's alright.

"Don't even get me started! Leaving a child! In the middle of the market! Your daughter could have been hurt! Maybe even abducted! How could you even think of running off like that?"

I lower my head and let the merchant ream into me. I messed up. I get it. I already know I'd be a crummy dad, and this is just another nail in that coffin. The fact that Grace isn't my daughter doesn't really matter. I deserve whatever he dishes out.

"I agree, sir."

The man suddenly stops yelling.

"Well, you were lucky I was here. And that I'm willing to look the other way."

"Thank you for taking care of Grace for me."

"Gabe, Mr Gerald was teaching me about different types of weapons. He said you need practice throwing daggers."

Grace's voice rings out yet again, and I find myself smiling.

"Yes, Grace, I most definitely need more practice throwing daggers. I have to get to at least level 1 in a skill before it works anyway."

"Level 1 in a skill?"

The woman... her name was Gladys? Speaks again.

"Yeah. I have a passive skill that lets me... uh... I don't actually know what it does yet. But it means I can throw daggers and no one will get hurt, and if I'm at least level 1 it will make people less likely to... uh..."

Everyone is staring at me like I've grown a second head or third arm.

"I'm interested in hearing more about this skill, but we're on a timeline. Maybe we can talk as we go to Jade's stall?"

"Oh yeah! For sure."

Grace releases my hand and gives a small curtsy to the woman.

"I'm Grace! This is Lucia, and this is Gabe. Lucia is a slime. But she's a friendly slime. And she likes shiny things and glows in the dark. Gabe saved all the kids from the bad guys. Sister Maribel said we died and Gabe did a miracle, and then we all had to choose what we want to do and I chose Gabe and then we met Mr. Crystal and now I can glow too!"

Grace begins softly glowing. It looks like Peace of the Pacifist gives the same bonuses to each person who uses it. PAX from Grace, glowing from Lucia, and... I'm not fully sure what my bonus is. I pull up my status menu.

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Name: Gabe

Type: Otherworld Adventurer

Proficiency: Pacifist (2)

Level: 1

HP: 14/14

MP: 20

STR: 2

AGI: 2

DEX: 2

END: 4

INT: 2

WIS: 2

CHA: 4

PER: 4

Inventory (Equipped):

Karmic Ring of Strength (bound)

Gauntlet

Bracelet

Anklet * 2

Ring * 3

Necklace

Belt

Backpack

Damaged shoes

Ripped pants

Ripped shirt

Status: Prismatic Protection

Class Skills:

Oath of the Pacifist (14352pts)

Active Skills:

Pacifist Protection (500pts 1500pts) (Level 0)

Pacifist Heal (20pts/HP) (Level 1)

Peace of the Pacifist (25pts 75pts/min) (Level 0)

Passive Skills:

Pacify (Level 0, 8/100)

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... I haven't looked at my status since the ambush. Honestly, I was afraid of the damage done to my permanent HP from overuse of Pacifist Heal. Would I do it again? In a heartbeat. Did it wreak absolute havoc on my status sheet? Yeah. It looks like my calculations were off though - 5 max hp lost for every attempt at revival, plus 1 for each success would put me at 9/9 HP. Maybe one of the kids already got their class and I got 5 HP back from that? That's my hope, at least. If I'm lucky, I'll get some of the HP back once the kids lose their Relife status, but I'm guessing they'll have to get professions for that...

to even be...

an option...

...

...

Yeah I just saw it.

I *did* read the explanation for Pacify when it first showed up. And when it was suddenly harder to breath, move, eat, and walk, I also recognized that "everything" really did mean everything. But I guess I didn't understand that also meant all my Pacifist skills. Protection costs 1500pts. Peace costs 75pts/minute. And, of course, Heal only gives 20 points per HP. I'm not going to even read the skill description for Heal, since I'm pretty sure it will cost 3x the amount to heal anything, in permanent HP.

Yeah.

That's game balancing for you. To be honest, it makes sense. I did bring half a dozen kids back from the dead, and apparently healing abilities don't work on people who are dead without having either *extremely* long cooldowns or insane costs.

With the addition of Pacify, Pacifist Heal definitely falls into the latter category. Since the other Pacifist skills seem to be included in the passive cost increase caused by Pacify, I'm going to assume that the permanent HP grant cost will also be included in that. Which means that even *attempting* to grant HP to someone under 1 HP would cost me around 15HP (maybe 13.5 with the discount? Not going to try it), along with another 3 max HP *permanently.*

Yeah. I've definitely been nerfed. The whole resurrecting half a dozen little kids must have been game breaking enough that the AI felt the need to rein me in.

Ugh. And I was just starting to feel powerful.

That said, this new skill does seem to be potentially powerful as well. I mean, learn *any* skill? Wield *any* weapon or tool without fear of causing harm?

I'm jolted out of my reverie as we approach Jade's booth. As before, she has 3... 4? apprentice orphans, but they seem a little less... well behaved than before. One is perched on *top* of the booth, a pair of scissors in hand and surrounded by colorful streamers of fabric. I see another one inside a bin of fabric, a third is animatedly talking with customers at the front of the booth, and the fourth is standing next to Koji, who seems to be juggling tiny balls of light.

Yeah... she definitely has her hands full.

I'm sort of glad that only one kid picked Pacifist now. I'm not sure how I would handle three.

As we arrive, Gladys speaks up.

"Miss Jade?"

Jade doesn't even look back from the box of fabric where she's struggling to pull out a somehow entrenched child.

"I'm sorry. I'm not taking commissions. You can come back in... a week. Or two weeks. Or go somewhere else? I'm sorry goodbye."

"We're here for your request from the Adventurer's Guild - you requested... a couple to help care for children?"

"Oh! Yes. Yes! Ok..."

Jade turns around with a whirl, the fabric on her arms streaming through the air. She suddenly shakes with a start as she sees me, and her face turns beet red.

"Gabe?!? But... you... I was so sure... you... you're married?!?"

"No, Miss Jade, Kai and I met Gabe in the market. He was kind enough to help us find your stall."

Jade hurriedly runs her hands through her hair and smooths out her wrinkle-free flowing dress fabric.

"Ha ha ha... oh ok. That just... scared me for a moment! I mean, not scared, but surprised! Not that it would be surprising... but Fruit boy hadn't told me that you were married, but I just assumed... I mean I didn't ask him... but..."

"Kai and I are here to help, Miss Jade. We are not married, but we are an excellent team. I am skilled with all types of magic, and Kai is able to befriend anyone. How can we be of assistance?"

I watch as Jade, Kai, and Gladys corral the kids into a small group, before each taking one child each. The last kid is Koji's apprentice, who apparently already got her class. Jade takes the kid with colorful fabric streamers (they look sort of like the fabric she has woven through her hair and off the edges of her dress), Gladys takes the kid who was inside the fabric box, and Kai the last one. Each of them diverts to a different area of the stall and begins working in earnest helping their students work on the creative project of their choice. I guess that maybe getting a class doesn't necessarily require a specific tutor? Or maybe Jade's presence is enough. Getting the Pacifist class requires touching a class crystal... so maybe that one is an exception to the rule? I guess I could ask.

But... who to ask? Kai seems really quiet. Jade might know, but she seems a bit frazzled every time I talk with her. Gladys, on the other hand, seems extremely level-headed. Let's go with her.

"Hey... Gladys?"

"Yes, Gabe? Thank you again for helping us find Jade's stall."

"I was wondering... do you know how people usually get a class?"

"There are many ways of getting a class - are you talking about getting an initial class, upgrading a class, or transferring into a new one?"

"Uhhh.... getting an initial class? I think?"

"Most classes or professions are offered to people once they've practiced the class enough to be considered an apprentice. The kids here will be offered crafting classes after they've done enough projects. Having a tutor makes the process much faster, but it's possible to earn a class without outside help."

"When it comes to more complex classes, the requirements can be complex as well. In these cases, having a tutor, or a list of required circumstances, skills, and life experiences, is essential. Sometimes adventurers are offered more complex classes after undergoing various trials in life, but most of the time these classes are sought out specifically."

"Some classes are extremely rare - like your own. In these cases, it isn't possible to be awarded the class through actions, and the class is restricted to those who pass some type of test. From what Grace mentioned during our walk here, it sounds like your class test takes into account attitude, personality, and past actions."

She looks over at Kai.

"Kai could pass your class test. I would need more information about your class before I... it is his choice, but I would need more information before bringing it up to him as a choice in the first place."

I look at the young man who accompanied Gladys. His face is lit up with a broad smile as he concentrates with a child on tracing lines into fabric. Careful and methodical, there's something magnetic about him. I can see why Gladys is so taken with him.

"Kai seems like a good guy. And it's obvious to me that he's important to you. He's lucky to have you."

"Oh."

Gladys turns back to me.

"Kai doesn't have me, Gabe. I have him. I'd give my life for him in a second. I'd destroy dungeons, slay dragons, and level cities if it would keep him out of harm's way. But I don't pretend for a second that it's for his sake. I love him, and I want to be near him even though he doesn't love me back. I don't know if he ever will. But he lets me be with him, and as long as he does, I'll do anything for him."

Her casual remark that Kai doesn't love her, along with her acceptance of that fact, shakes me to my soul. How can she be so... calm? Collected? Ok with what seems to be nonideal? Gladys is obviously a strong, well-adapted woman. Kai is quiet and reserved, and it's possible that she could strong-arm him into a relationship, as well as take the lead in every situation. But instead, she is following *him*, deferring to his desires and apparently happy to simply be together.

What are my own feelings about that?

Regardless, the middle of a conversation with someone isn't the right place for a complicated self-conversation about love. Lol.

"So... how long do you think it'll take these kids before they get classes of their own?"

"I'd guess that it would usually take a few days at most, now that they have someone to help them individually. The quest Kai and I took lasts for up to 3 days, with the option to extend if it takes longer than that."

I notice something in her words.

"Usually?"

She laughs, the sound reminding me of bells, and looks at me with a beaming smile.

"I thought you might catch that. I have a few... tricks up my sleeve that should streamline the process."

She looks over at Kai, then after a few seconds back to me. This time, her face turns completely serious.

"We'll be here as long as Kai enjoys it."

Her statement is clear - Gladys has a way to potentially immediately grant a crafter class to each of the kids on demand. That seems like a pretty potent assertion, but, then again, I don't know anything about her. And this is a game. Anything is possible.

I spare a glance back to Kai, and then around the stall.

Grace is helping customers at the front of the stall.

Koji is still juggling sparks. He finally sees me there.

"Bro!"

"Heya little brother. I see that you learned a new spell?"

His face falls. Then his mouth firms into a line.

"Yeah... no. No new spell. Exact same one, actually. Just... a lot more powerful than it was before."

I look at the glowing lights hovering around him.

"So... how are they different? I can see that they look like the spark spell you had before... are they homing now? An area of effect thing? A domain of some sort?"

"All of those? I was teaching Carmen to be a mage and my quest reward was an advanced spell credit. Apparently, spell credits only work on spells you've already studied... and the only spell I had was Spark. Long story short, it unlocked a Special Class called SparkMage. I can never learn another new spell, but in return Spark gains a huge amount of flexibility. I'm still learning what it can do. Eventually it might actually be able to mimic other spells as well."

"A Special Class? That seems pretty awesome! Are there any other benefits? There's got to be major upsides if it doesn't allow you to learn other spells. Though the flexibility could end up being huge if depending on what it entails"

"Well... it gave me a handful of status points, and I have 1000 points of mana now."

"What?"

I look at my own status sheet again. Yeah... I definitely still have *20* mana.

"So you now have 50 times the amount of mana I do."

"...yeah."

I laugh.

"I mean, you *were* super concerned about not having enough mana and having to wait for it to refill between spells. I guess you don't have to worry about that anymore."

"Well... as long as I don't do something like this."

Sparks start floating up from his fingers in a stream, spiraling around his head in a cloud.

"Are... all of those live Spark spells?"

"Yeah. First thing my class gave me was control over the spell after it gets cast. These will stay around for a few minutes, or until I send them somewhere. At which point they act just list a normal Spark. Even with a thousand mana, I could drain it all pretty fast. That said, my regeneration seems to be a lot faster as well. It could be based on maximum mana though. I just know I can cast a lot more than I could before."

"Well... I got a pretty cool new ability as well. Though maybe not as cool as your SparkMage class."

I pull up the status explanation for Pacify and flip the screen to him.

Koji's jaw goes slack as he reads the screen.

"*Triple* the cost for everything? Does this apply to like... literally everything? Like when you buy things do they cost triple?"

"Uh... I don't really know about that. I haven't tried to buy anything since I got the skill."

"Well... if it does, I guess that's an easy one to get around. You just have to have someone else buy stuff for you. The other aspect though... everything costing three times the amount seems like a pretty steep price to pay for a skill that essentially makes you useless in a fight."

"But I can learn any skill!"

"Yeah, but you can't do any damage with them."

"That's the whole point, Koji."

"Yeah, yeah. I know. But I'm struggling to understand how this is going to actually work. I mean, if a dragon's about to breathe fire at you, how is this going to make a difference? If someone attacks you like they did in the square before, how is casting Spark going to help? Especially if it costs three times as much to do everything? How did you get this skill anyway?"

"It was the reward from the Halloween Adventure Crystal."

"A skill from the crystal? Do you know how well you did?"

"The guild attendant said we had really high scores."

"Well, then it should be a positive skill. And with all these drawbacks, there has to be an upside somewhere... wait... this thing says you can learn *any* skill. Do you understand what that means?"

"Uh... yeah. I can learn pretty much any spell, use any weapon... right?"

"No. No... I think this is what it is. This skill allows you to learn *any* skill. I don't know how far it goes, but I'm thinking this will allow you to learn *passive* skills too - stuff like poison resistance, or tough skin, or regeneration. It might even let you learn monster skills like breathing fire! Gabe! This could be incredible! We gotta see if it works!"

Koji's excitement is contagious, and my face lights up.

"Well, I don't know any dragons willing to teach me to breathe fire. But I do know a mage who specializes in Spark. Any chance you could teach me that?"

"No problem there. I actually just learned how to teach spells as part of my quest to train Carmen. The process is pretty simple. We hold hands, and I cast the spell without a focus while you try to feel the mana channels. When I did it with Carmen I had to use protection charms, but you've got enough HP to take a hit... right?"

"Uh... my HP is a bit low after the stuff that happened at the ambush, but I have 14 right now."

"Hmmmm... 14 is a bit low. I have no idea how much damage my Spark does right now. Gimme a second to see if I can make it weaker?"

"That sounds like a good idea. And then we can just go for it. I mean, worst case scenario I die and have to respawn again. Not a big deal."

"Not a big deal he says. We're talking about the potential of getting electrocuted to death and it's not a big deal..."

I shake my head and roll my eyes.

"Give me a few minutes to see if I can get a skill to lower damage on Spark, or at least make ones as small as possible."

I watch as Koji concentrates, then releases spark after spark from his fingertips. Some are significantly larger, some come out in streams at a time. Then I start to see him attempting to sort the sparks by size and create sparks to match. One large spark. One normal spark. A stream of smaller sparks. One normal spark. One large spark. A normal one. A large one. An even larger one. A normal one. One in between sizes. One slightly smaller than normal.

"Yes! Yes I got it!"

Koji pulls up a screen and flips it to me.

[Active Skill: Disempowered Cast]

[Use slightly less mana to disempower a single spell. May be combined with other spell skills.]

"This will be perfect for teaching spells! This way, I can cast the spell, and it should do significantly less damage. I mean, it would be great if I could teach other spells with it too... but... whatever. At least I got it!"

I smile and reach out my hands.

"We ready?"

He grabs mine.

"Ready! I have no idea what Spark feels like. I'm guessing that you're in for something like an electric shock."