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“Welcome back sister!” Lucifer greeted happily with a wide smile decorating his handsome face. “As we suspected, it didn’t take you long to return.” He was wearing a bathrobe and slippers while standing behind the bar.
Seraphiel, in her real form once again, watched as a pair of women scampered into the elevator connected to Lucifer’s penthouse suite in nothing but their underwear. “So many questions…” She gestured towards the elevator as the doors closed.
“What, them?” Luci also carelessly gestured towards the elevator. “Just some guides of other people. There’s no rule stating that the guides are not allowed to interact, as long as we don’t reveal anything about the person we are guiding.”
She tilted her head in thought. “Wouldn’t that make it complicated masturbation?”
"Kind of, but at the same time, not really?" Luci seemed a little unsure. "Since we are all part of the System, we are one, but I'm your brother. While I could access the information and memories of other guides, we almost never do. I know what your brother knows, and a little bit extra to properly fulfill my duties. If I also held all the memories of all the other guides, I wouldn't really be your brother anymore. I can't feel and experience what other guides feel and experience, unless I specifically choose to. Although, that’s a fun game as well.” He grinned suggestively and wagged an eyebrow, implying rather directly that he’d already tested that in bed as well.
“Still feels a little bit odd, but I suppose I’m not one to judge.” She just shrugged.
“The old saying about throwing rocks in glass houses does come to mind.” Luci laughed in response, while being a good host and pouring her a drink, another detail that didn’t seem to change.
“So, Paladin.” She prompted.
“Ah yes. The first evolution for the Class. How have you been enjoying it so far?” He asked, coming around the bar and casually taking her arm while leading her to the now familiar seats in the middle of the penthouse.
She didn’t mind the bit of brotherly affection, even if he wasn’t really Lucifer, but just a representation. “It’s been pretty useful. Definitely more group-oriented than my previous two Classes. Meeting Mother so often has been weird, but at least we’ve been talking. I suppose you could say I understand her a lot more now.”
“Good. I think the two of you have more in common than you might think. Certainly, I felt it a bit of a shame you two didn’t pull together more, as the two of you were really the only ones who could argue with Father, even if that was less true for you.” He explained, and once more she wasn’t sure how he actually knew, and how much was just based on her memories of the original Lucifer.
“How much do you know of the current affairs of home?” She asked, just to clarify.
“Quite a bit.” He seemed to realize what she was driving for. “My personality is mostly a combination of the Lucifer you remember and the one that existed when you came here. I get updated information mostly thanks to Mother, but from what I’ve heard, the current Luci and I already have some differences. For one, it seems he’s in love with a Human.”
“Not surprising. He always was passionate. It was only a matter of time until he got serious about someone. Well, serious again. There was that one time…” She was about to start reminiscing, but this time it was Luci’s turn to clear his throat and change the subject.
"So, about that Paladin Class. As you might imagine, there are thousands of different kinds of Paladins and you qualify for most of them. Those that swear an oath make up a huge bulk, as do the various orders. There’s the Silver Hand, but I don’t think you intend to rejoin them, do you?” He questioned.
“Not unless there’s nothing better on offer.” She replied succinctly.
“Oh, there’s plenty of better things on offer. There are also the side-grades that branch off the main Paladin path, such as Templars and Blackguards, if you’re interested in something morally a bit more ambiguous. Or something more offensively oriented. Not sure if Mother would approve, but you can never be entirely sure with her. She might be all for the dark angle. That said, there are two clear winners.” He pulled out a deck of cards again and tossed two cards her way.
[Legend of a Titanslayer – Trainee – Rank S-??? Elements: Light, Holy -Stat Classification: Religious, Paladin. People are glorified for their great deeds, and you are not any different. The feat of slaying the Dark Titan is something hard to match by any Paladin, anywhere. Stats: Strength 20, Vitality 20, Willpower 20, Charisma 20, Conviction 20, Agility 20, Perception 20]
“The first one is familiar to you and granted in thanks to your achievement of slaying Sargeras. It’s the first stage of the types of Classes the other Champions get. I can reveal that the Skills are very much like the ones you’re used to, and have the option of evolving into something really powerful.” Luci explained.
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
[The Path of the Firstborn– Squire – Rank S-??? Elements: Light, Holy, ??? -Stat Classification: Religious, Paladin. Through the multiverse, many Paladin orders have sprouted. All of them born for a sacred mission or purpose. In a way, you were the first. Long before the other universes were created, you were made by the Creators to be a protector. Stats: Stats: Strength 20, Vitality 20, Willpower 20, Charisma 20, Conviction 20, Free stats 40]
“This one has Mother’s handiwork all over it.” She pointed out. Charlotte had mentioned something like this before in their discussions.
“Correct. She’s the one to make the Class, and I’m leery to admit that I do not know what it will entail. I know it starts off very similar to the other one, but what it evolves into in the future, I can’t say as that hasn’t been revealed to me. It could be great. Knowing Mother, it likely is great. However…” He shrugged.
“However, there’s no way to be sure. I understand.” She tapped the base of her fancy glass against the side of the sofa she was sitting on. “It’s a bit of a risk. The powers could also be very different from what I’m used to. One of the benefits so far has been that I’ve been re-learning my old Skills, and as such, already know the best ways to use them. If this is something very different…”
"Then you'll lose that, and the [Been There, Done That] Skill won't apply either," Lucifer added, nodding in understanding.
“Is this a choice where I’m locked in and can’t change later?” She asked, just to make sure.
“Only so far as you’d have to reset the Class and pick it up again. As you've noted, you're leveling quite quickly anyway, so it wouldn't be too big of a loss, but the further along you get, the more time you’d need to waste to level the Class up again.” Luci explained. “And more likely, the further along you get, the more there will be differences between this and what you already know.”
She had to give this one a bit of thought. She was reconnecting with Charlotte, but this was a rather large leap of faith. Still, she couldn’t imagine Mother wanting anything bad for her. “I’ll go with The Path of the Firstborn.” She decided. The potential upside was just too great. Her instincts told her to trust Mother.
“Then that’s how it shall be.” The unpicked card disappeared back into his deck, while the one she picked entered her chest and vanished with a burst of sparkles. “Now, you have a lot of leeway for evolving your Skills. The fact that the Class ranked up twice is already a lot, plus Mother may have added a bit of extra on top.”
She pulled out a list of her Skills.
[Holy Light Affinity] – 50
[Purity of Body] – 50
[Cleanse] – 50
[Aura of Protection] – 50
[Royal Blessings] – 50
[Holy Light] – 50
[Bulwark] – 50
[Hallowed Ground] – 48
[Smite the Impure] – 50
[Armoured in Light] – 48
“Let’s start with [Purity of Body]. I’d like that one upgraded and broadened in application.” She decided straight away. “If that means I’ll have to use two charges of whatever evolution points you use, then so be it.”
“Not necessary, and I was expecting that one. I assume you’d want protection against mental effects?” He’d clearly seen this one coming.
“Yes. The meeting with the Culexus Assassin was not a pleasant one.” She confirmed.
“Just to be clear, this won’t make you immune, and what the assassin did isn’t purely mental. It’s classified as borderline soul attack thanks to how it worked in the original universe. This will lessen the effect, but won’t eliminate it completely.” He wanted to make sure she understood and wouldn’t be disappointed.
“It’s fine. Even minor protection can go a long way.” She nodded.
[The Skill [Purity of Body] has evolved into [Purity of Body and Mind]. The Skill level remains the same.]
“Next, I’d like to combine [Bulwark] and [Hallowed Ground]. Is it too early to hope for a sort of Domain effect?” She asked.
“A little, but it’s within tolerable parameters. It’s going to be slightly weaker with the combined effect, but not by much. Mostly the area of effect will be smaller due to the more aggressive aspect.”
[The Skills [Bulwark] and [Hallowed Ground] have combined into [Fortified by Light]. The new Skill will take the average level between the two base Skills.]
“I’d also like the aura Skill to apply to magical effects as well. I know the effective Vitality already kind of does, but I’d like it to have an effect to suppress hostile Skills. Something like what the Dragons get.” She decided finally.
“Hmm, that’s going to take the entirety of the rest of the budget, as that’s a rather powerful effect. But yes, it’s doable since it’s basically enhancing the original effect. The effect won’t be very powerful, at least not in the beginning, due to how broad the application is, but it’s something.” He replied thoughtfully.
“Much better than nothing." She agreed with a nod. Even if the power was limited, a protective aura with wide applicability would be handy. Especially since maintaining the Skill was nearly effortless.
“Well, with that out of the way, how have you been? I noticed you finally relaxed a bit during the break from Mahora. Not much, but at least a bit.” Luci shifted the topics.
“It was kind of nice. Felt rather liberating to just go flying around the Angel territories a bit after pretending to be a Draenei for so long. We were just traveling from one island to another. Some of the attractions mom took us to were a bit of a downer with my previous experiences. Hard to get excited about amusement park rides at this point, for example. But Raziel seemed to enjoy his time. Mostly it was just interesting to see the society that has adjusted to the presence of the System. Something like the presence of a high-level Farmer or Rancher really changes things. Not quite as effective as some of the most high-tech industrial stuff I've seen, but pretty close." She reminisced about the little week-long holiday trip they'd gone on. She'd actually been a little surprised they’d gone back considering Mahora wasn’t very close to their home world. It wasn’t especially far either, but the distance had still been enough to require more time traveling than the time they’d spent home.
"May I propose that next time you could visit one of the resort worlds nearby instead. This universe knows how to have fun and relax even if it is also rife with conflicts." Luci suggested. "The Classes also provide advantages on that front. Entertainers with the right Classes are quite a sight, and experiencing something as simple as a massage becomes a lot more special with the right Skills. There are also sporting events if that’s more your cup of tea.”
“I was under the impression that sports had given way to duels and the like?” She questioned.
“Among some people, yes. Angels are forced to focus on martial pursuits by the necessity of their situation, but many other races still practice sports, even if in forms you aren’t familiar with. Skills change everything after all. But you’re not entirely wrong. Duels and especially events involving Champions have become the main source of entertainment for those that would’ve otherwise been interested in sports and athletics.” Lucifer explained.
Seraphiel’s face suddenly went blank before twisting in a weird way. “I just realized something. You said earlier that the guides can have interactions aside from basic guidance. And I just remembered that my brother has me as a guide. You better not have done anything weird with the other me!”
Lucifer burst into laughter. "I can assure you that I have not. Most guides aren't as active as I am. That's likely because I've been interacting with Mother and Father, and because I'm, well, me. We both know Lucifer would not be satisfied with just being a normal guide. For the record, your brother’s guide is based on his impression of you. So, she’s not likely to do something weird as long as your brother doesn’t think you would.”
“That might become a problem at some point then.” She muttered.
Lucifer laughed again. “Yes, your brother will eventually figure out the sort of weirdo you are. So far, his idea of you is quite idealized. Better not disappoint that ideal too badly.” His tone was teasing and playful, even if all that serious.
“Blegh.” She made a face. “You’re conjuring a whole load of images I’d rather just not deal with.”