On their journey back, Erith and Ray had originally planned to head straight to the capital, but after the first day of Erith sulking that the wyvern was not enough to get her class evolution. Ray ended up giving in and agreed to hunt for any wild monsters they came across, which led to their current situation.
“You got this!” Ray yelled from the driver's seat of the merchant cart.
The ground rumbled as the giant troll Erith was fighting slammed its massive club into the ground. She swiftly dashed up the massive weapon before the creature could recover, her sword blazing with a crimson light. The massive club lifted off the ground as the creature bellowed. Erith used the sudden movement to propel herself off the weapon and straight toward the hulking creature's head. With two swift flicks of her wrist, she carved two massive wounds into the creature's chest, forming an X.. She landed before turning to the creature and yelling out a single word.
“Inferno!”
The flames left by her sword suddenly intensified, engulfing the creature in a while inferno of blue fire. Only one last cry escaped its boiling lungs before the flames reduced it to ash. Erith extinguished her flames and walked back to the cart with a sigh.
“Still not enough,” she said.
“Well, I'm sure you're close now. What was that, the fourth monster you killed?” Ray responded.
“Yeah, I'm just frustrated that you got yours so easily, and I can’t seem to get it.”
“Well, yeah, I'm amazing. That's only to be expected.”
Erith crossed her arms and glared at him.
“Or crafting classes are just easier to progress,” Ray corrected himself.
“That must be it,” Erith said, as her lips curled into a slight smile.
They continued traveling, stopping whenever they found any beast that was high enough level to help Erith progress. When they were only half a day from the capital, she finally succeeded after defeating a pack of large wolf-like creatures that Draconic insight had called colossus hounds.
“So what options did you get?” Ray asked.
“A few good ones. There were two that I ruled out already because they gave up a part of my current path. I finally decided on this one, as it is the only epic option,” she responded, displaying the screen for Ray.
Hellfire Vanguard (Epic)
A martial class with access to hellfire magic. Reduce all that is before you to not but shards and dust vanguard.
+4 intelligence and strength
+2 endurance and dexterity
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Access to the Incantation Panel (Hellfire Magic)
Fire spells used with a sword as their focus are 20% more effective
“Not bad,” Ray said after looking the class over.
“Yeah, it also gave me an idea for our next date,” Erith said.
“And what would that be?”
“Well, seeing as you're so amazing. I thought you could teach me how to do incantations.”
“Well, at least you're finally admitting it- Ow.” Erith cut Ray off by punching him in the arm. “That’s not going to get me to teach you anything.”
Erith rolled her eyes before leaning in and kissing him. “How about that?”
“Well, I would have also settled for I'm sorry or a promise to never punch me again, but I guess that works,” Ray said with a toothy grin on his face.
“Don’t make me hit you again,” Erith said between laughs as she smiled.
“Oh, will you two hurry and get us to jail already? We all know that he is an insane artisan with an ego too big for his own good and that you are a meathead and pyromaniac of a woman whose only solution to a problem is to use force or burn it to ashes. I would almost prefer being dead than listening to you two for one more day.” Vick said.
“Hey, Ray, do you think they would mind if some of our cargo was brought in with every bone in their body broken?” she asked, while staring murderously at Vick.
“I'm not sure he would survive that,” Ray responded.
Vick gulped. “No need for that, I’m apologise. I say things without thinking sometimes.”
“Do it again, and I will make sure you're sorry,” Erith growled.
Ray grabbed Erith's hand, squeezing it in an attempt to calm her down as they began making their way back to the capital once more.
It was almost midnight when they were finally making their way back to the castle. Erith was still gripping Ray’s hand tightly. She had been quiet and not let go since Vicks' outburst.
“Is everything ok?” Ray asked.
“You don’t think I can only solve problems with force, right?”
Ray scrunched his eyebrows in confusion. “Ok, I know you have met Ren before, so I don’t know how you think that.” he paused for a moment, seeing her down turned expression. “You have met Ren before, right?”
“Of course, I have met Ren, but all I have done since getting my spark is attempt to solve every problem that we have run into with force.”
“Alright then, let me put it this way. Do you think Ren could ever get access to something as complex as the Incantation panel? Cause I sure as hell don’t.”
Erith visibly brightened as she let out a small chuckle. “I don’t think I could see that either. Could you imagine that meathead having the patience to sit down and learn how to cast a spell?”
“And now you're getting it. Even if most of our problems have been solved with violence of some sort recently, that’s only out of necessity, not because it's our only option.”
Erith smiled and pulled Ray into a tight hug.
“Ok, I will admit that sometimes you are pretty amazing,” she said before kissing him again.
They split apart and entered the castle.
“Ray, would it be ok if I sleep in your room tonight? I'm just used to having you by my side the past few nights and don’t want to wake up without you.”
Ray blushed before stuttering out an answer. “Su- Sure.”