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The trio moved through the castle in a line with their guns raised at the ready. Wrex kicked down a door, going straight in, while Tatsumiya secured the left side, and Seraphiel took care of the right side, all of their weapons singing, firing bursts of concentrated psionic energy in the case of Wrex and Seraphiel, and mana in the case of Tatsumiya. Each shot was enough to completely devastate any small group of skeletal minions or zombies they came across, and they came across many. They had entered the castle less than ten minutes ago, and they’d already destroyed hundreds of the undead minions.
The castle was made of old grey stone, and the room they were currently in was a rather classic foyer with a pair of straight staircases going up to the next floor. In this case, the fourth floor since they'd already cleared two. The castle may have been relatively well decorated at some point, but most of the rugs and wall hangings had rotted away, while anything valuable that wasn't nailed down had been stolen. Now the castle was mostly ruined. It wasn't a large castle, as it had been a border fort at some point.
“Located the target. The large double doors at the top of the stairs in the room you’re in. Leads to a hallway, which ends in sort of a throne-room kind of deal.” Kaede reported over their half magical half technological communicator, having scouted ahead. “A lot of undead between you and the target, and not all of them quite as disappointing as the ones you’re fighting now.”
"Located the other target. In the dungeons, overlooking a small number of coffins. I count four coffins from my current vantage point." Yoruichi reported, as she'd gone to scout the opposite direction from Kaede. "Should I engage?"
The group of three didn't say anything, simply mowing down more and more undead as they made their way to the stairs. The skeletons and zombies weren't really a genuine threat with the stark difference in levels, but the sheer numbers were slowing them down. Despite being relatively easy to take down, the undead didn't stay dead, and kept slowly regenerating, so they had to move rapidly or risk getting swamped. Only those shot by Seraphiel stayed dead.
“Level of target?” Chachamaru asked over the comms. She was keeping their ship in the air, circling the castle, while coordinating the operation.
"My [Identity] lists her as level 500," Yoruichi replied. "I should be able to take them easily. And as a Shinigami, I can make sure they don't get back up." Being a Soul Reaper had its perks.
“I don’t doubt you, but keep position until Hammer reaches the other target. Might draw away any trap they might have prepared.” Chachamaru ordered. Hammer was the name for the group of three.
“Roger. I’ll prepare something big while waiting.” Yoruichi acknowledged.
The three fought their way up the stairs, which made things easier as the undead were clumsy on the steps, trying to reach them with their melee weapons, and had less space to work with. There were some skeleton archers on the balconies, but their fire was largely ineffective against the barriers set up by Seraphiel. Truthfully, both she and Wrex had such high Vitality that they could be standing there, taking arrows to their face, and the effect would be pretty much zero. And while Tatsumiya might be a bit more vulnerable, she was also the one gunning down the archers with frightening efficiency. It was obvious that her fire was the most effective of the group.
As Wrex kicked down the heavy, half-rotten double doors, Tatsumiya started sniping down the targets down the hallway, while Seraphiel made sure none of the undead chasing them reached them. The enemies were not just skeletons and zombies, although the majority of them were made up of the two types. A handful of wraiths were mixed in with the enemies, as well as a pair of Vargheists dropping down from the ceiling in an attempted ambush. The two large batlike flying monstrosities had been hiding among the dilapidated chandeliers but were gunned down with barely any more effort than the other enemies despite their size.
In front, the simple skeletons gave way to what was known as Grave Guard, or the elite skeletons of the undead armies. Instead of being just random raised people swinging rusted weapons, these were actual warriors with some skill and real equipment. Not that they could stand up to the charging Krogan or Tatsumiya’s sniping.
The hallway ended in a magically sealed pair of doors. "Seraphiel. This one's for you." Tatsumiya declared, stepping back to take Seraphiel's spot as she let her gun hang off a strap and pulled out her recently created Witchblade, which was finally approaching a standard that she could actually call a proper weapon. The combination of her new blade and her Shinmei-ryū techniques allowed her to cleave through the enchantments on the door easily.
As soon as she did, both she and Wrex used their charge abilities to end up right in the middle of the supposed throne room, their psionic and biotic might exploding outwards, sending the gathered troops flying. Tatsumiya stayed at the door, making sure to take out anyone trying to get inside.
No words were wasted, as a large monstrous Varghulf charged at Wrex, the laughing Krogan eagerly accepting the challenge. Varghulf were monstrous Ghoul-like beings with enormous, muscled forelimbs that had atrophied wing-flaps attached. They were swollen contorted masses of packed muscle combined with a whirlwind of rage very unlike most undead. In a nutshell, Wrex's favorite type of enemy, stupid, big, and brawly.
A pair of Vampires moved with deceptive speed to intercept and strike at Seraphiel, who met their blades with her own. The two Vampires moved with practiced coordination, working well together, pushing Seraphiel rather well. Or they at least would have, if she didn’t hold a massive advantage in stats. She was a bit lower in level, but only by double digits, and her stats were massively higher, as she moved with speed that even Tatsumiya had trouble following entirely.
The two Vampires combined the best of an expert warrior and a combat mage. The trouble was that her Shinmei-ryū techniques countered their spells almost entirely, and what little slipped through was countered by her Paladin immunity to negative effects like curses. On the other hand, every attack from her carried the power of Light, something that was the natural enemy of the Vampires.
The resolution to the short stalemate came when she managed to send one of the Vampires flying back with a well-timed wave of psionic energy, before slamming her golden wing through the chest of the other Vampire. Now mortally wounded, the Vampire didn’t have the opportunity to recover, before Seraphiel’s Witchblade beheaded him.
The second Vampire was suddenly caught by surprise when Kaede appeared behind her, driving a pair of short blades through the Vampire’s back, before eviscerating the being. “Second Vampire down.” She reported.
“Third one down," Yoruichi reported through the communicator. “Gave the coffins a soul burial as well, so the Vampires you killed won’t be coming back either.”
“We’re missing one.” Chachamaru pointed out. “There were four coffins.”
Suddenly an explosion rocked the entire castle. “Found the fourth one. It’s been dealt with.” Teclis’ voice came through the communicator, and they could see the storm of fire above and around the castle.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
They knew he was right as the remaining undead began disintegrating, with their masters gone.
"Chachamaru, send a word to the Priests. Let them know they can come down to consecrate the castle." Seraphiel nodded while allowing her notifications to appear. Among them were some that she'd been expecting for a while.
[Congratulations! [Path of the Fatebreaker] has leveled up from 499 to 500! Free Stat Points +720.]
[Congratulations! [Celestial] has leveled up from 499 to 500! Strength +80, Vitality +80, Agility +80, Perception +80, Charisma +80, Willpower +80, Manipulation +80, Acumen +80, Free Stat Points +160.]
[Congratulations! [Shinmei-ryū Kamigoroshi] has leveled up from 499 to 500: Strength +50, Vitality +50, Agility +80, Perception +80, Psionic Power +50, Psionic Control +80, Tolerance +50, Psi +50, Free Stat Points: +230.]
[Congratulations! [The Path of the Firstborn] has leveled up from 499 to 500! Strength +80, Vitality +80, Willpower +80, Charisma +80, Conviction +80, Free stats +160].]
She gave a whistle of appreciation. The missions they’d run on this world and elsewhere finally brought her to the next step. Considering she’d gotten almost half of the necessary levels from the Tyranids, this result wasn’t all that unexpected. In fact, the main reason she had taken this long was because she’d mostly been supporting her allies in most of the battles. While supports got just as good EXP, the relatively higher level of her friends had slowed things down a bit.
“Finally hit the next threshold?” Kaede asked knowingly.
“Yes. I’ll get a chance to delve into it once we get out of here.” She nodded.
“Any sign of the artifact we were sent to retrieve?” Wrex interrupted.
Teclis’ voice came over the comms again. “The last Vampire was carrying it. Another dark chalice like we assumed.”
"This makes for a third one inside two weeks," Wrex grunted. "Not that I don't appreciate an endless stream of enemies, but not when they're this weak."
They’d been Vampire hunting for almost three weeks now, and they’d been running into these chalices that kept resurrecting all the undead. Vampires and Necromancers had the magical power to do the same, but having an artifact to take on that burden took that burden off the users of death magic.
“What about…you know…” Yoruichi asked.
“Still there. Still watching us.” Seraphiel replied. The same being that had started scrying them in Cathay was keeping it up constantly. She would’ve assumed that whatever or whoever it was would’ve given up their voyeuristic tendencies after that particular wild night, but no. And they still kept observing.
“Persistent. You sure you can’t do anything Teclis?” Yoruichi grumbled.
“Unfortunately, whatever they’re using to spy on us is beyond my means to deal with. I can’t even detect their observation like Seraphiel.” Teclis regretfully stated.
“I thought the kinky cat liked being watched.” Wrex joked, just loud enough to be heard over the communicator.
“Not while I’m fighting, I don’t!” Yoruichi protested.
"So, you don't have a problem with the other type." Kaede bantered with some amusement.
“Of course not. The more the merrier. You’re welcome along anytime Ninja.” Yoruichi eagerly invited Kaede.
“Alright, as much as I enjoy hearing about your various kinks, let’s move this along. We have more castles to hit.” Chachamaru interrupted. “We can then coordinate with the Draenei to hear if they’ve run into the same problem.”
"You're no fun," Wrex grumbled good-naturedly.
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As Seraphiel sat down in a meditative position in the room dedicated to such activities on their ship, she considered her Status. Interestingly, her Paladin Skills had advanced the best out of her Classes. She had been doing a lot of supporting, and many of her Paladin Skills were permanently active, or constantly in use, even if she was not fighting on the frontline. Her Shinmei-ryū was lagging a little behind, but that was mostly because of the [Zanpakutō] Skill that was still resisting her attempts to make a proper connection. That was simply something that could not be rushed. At least her General Skills were looking better now, with [Magical Engineering] finally seeing active use, even if she hadn’t managed to implement any of the changes yet.
Luckily, she’d gained the necessary resources for her newest Class Evolution from all their missions, and then some. With a final thought, she allowed the System to whisk her away, and into the same penthouse where she always met Lucifer at. "Sister! I'm so proud of you!" Luci greeted her with open arms and a warm grin like always.
“You should be. Although, I hesitate to ask, why this time?” She asked despite her hesitation.
"Why, taking part in that great orgy of course! It wasn't ideal, but it was a great way to get things started in this life." Lucifer pushed a bubbly drink her way while winking at her. Of course, that would be it.
“Eh, you take what you can get in the moment. It was nice though.” She admitted.
“Wasn’t it? The System truly adds a nice spin to things. Everyone has so much stamina.” Luci leaned on the bar while wiggling his eyebrows. “I wish I could take credit for the idea, but that came before I gained this form and the interest in such things.”
Seraphiel frowned. “Surely there have been carnally minded Guides before?”
“Sure, but only certain Guides have any ability or autonomy beyond functioning as a Guide. Unsurprisingly, this has become the main embodiment of the entire System by now.” Lucifer made a small pirouette showing himself off. “And I’m rather glad for it.”
“Eh, you could certainly do worse. And even if you’re not exactly my brother, you’re close enough to make me glad of your presence.” She admitted. It really was nice to see Luci, even if only this fake version.
“On that note, the real one might be able to make a visit in the near future. And no, before you ask, I won’t tell you how or why.” Luci wagged his finger at her knowingly.
“Fine then. Be that way. Hmmph!” She pretended to be miffed, just to get into the spirit of things.
“Anyway, you’re here for a reason. New Class, eh? Have you given it any thought?” He asked.
“Well, currently that Superpowered Individual thing you advertised to me seems the most likely, although I’m all ears for other options.” She leaned in to meet Luci over the bar. “Your recommendations so far have been excellent.”
“Well. I do have a couple of options.” He admitted conspiratorially. “The Superpowers thing would be the most logical stat-wise, but…you’re already pretty set on stats, and depending on your choices for the Class, you run the risk of not having your [Been There, Done That] work for it.”
“Hrrrmm.” She made a sound. “Losing a 1500% bonus in leveling speed would be kind of bad.” She admitted. She could work hard, when necessary, but sometimes taking the hard way was just stupid.
“Mmm-hmm. However, I should mention that this is usually the point where people make some choices for utility and fun instead of just battle power. Not everyone levels all their Classes equally like you. Not everyone has such a huge EXP boost after all, although almost everyone has some boost. If all you have is a 100% increase, then it's hard enough to focus on one main Class, not to mention three or four. I'm simply mentioning this to highlight that you don't have to optimize this one entirely. Even the current rank 1 Champion at the moment doesn't. Although, that's as much as I'm allowed to say about that." Luci revealed.
“I’ll keep that in mind.” She promised.
“I do have some alternative ideas that you’ve qualified for, and that could fit you quite well. They’re a little…odd though, and come with what could be considered downsides. Not horrible ones, mind you, but downsides nonetheless.” Luci explained with a challenging smile.
“Alright. You have my interest.” She allowed.
“The first one is to lean into your Vampiric Skills as you already have the Blood Magic Rituals. You wouldn’t actually become a Vampire, but gain a related Class that would grant you some of their abilities through Skills. The downside is that these powers do still run on the power of blood. You’d need to drink some occasionally. Not as often as an actual Vampire, but on occasion.” Luci outlined the first option. “This Class has very strong potential, depending on some choices you make, but some of the choices presented will not jive well with some of your current Skills. For instance, I would suggest not leaning into necromantic abilities, what with being a Paladin and all. Your own presence would weaken your own minions.”
"Do I look like an idiot to you?" She asked with a playful frown. "No, wait. Don't answer that."
"Alright. If you insist." He grinned. "Another Class that you easily qualify for, and is rather common among the Champions, is Heroic Spirit."
“Heroic Spirit, as in Grail Wars and summons and stuff?” She asked with a raised eyebrow. “That’s a whole Class?”
"It's a series of Classes actually. You'd be shocked how many gods summon Heroic Spirits, and not just that single type you're likely thinking of. But yes, that is the main path. Depending on the type of Heroic Spirit you’d become, you’d not even necessarily need new stats. You’d get one or two perhaps, unless you went full Caster, which I doubt.”
“And the downside?” She asked.
“Well, as a Heroic Spirit, you’d be eligible for summons.” Luci pointed out.
“But I’m already summoned by Mother and you.” She argued.
“As a Champion, yes. Look, as many of the strongest Champions are Heroic Spirits, the Gods love to arrange faux-Grail Wars as events. Either between Champions summoning spirits, spirits that may or may not be Champions, or other people doing the summoning. There can also be mixed events, with a Champion summoning another Champion as a Heroic Spirit, fighting against mortals, who have either Champions or just normal Heroic Spirits as their summon. It’s a little complicated, but it’s great fun. The downside is that the command seal system is in place, and if you’re summoned, you’re essentially fighting for your summoner, and not for yourself. You might both be rewarded, or the master might command you to kill yourself using their seals. The upside is that as a summon, if you do die, you don’t actually die. You just return where you were summoned from. Masters might die for real, depending on the event. There are dozens of Grail Wars going on at any time, as it is one of the most common events the gods arrange. There’s no actual Grail involved, but there are rewards.” Lucifer explained. “Oh, and the timing of the summons might be a little inconvenient, although there’s a little leeway in answering, as you’ll know if you’re being summoned beforehand.”
“Sounds rather risky.” She bit her lip a bit.
"Yes, but it does come with rewards. There's a reason why many high-ranking Champions have the Class, as it starts out S-ranked, and only goes up from there. It is, in fact, the most common XXX-ranked Class, though the reason for that is that you have to actually qualify as a great hero before taking the Class." Lucifer explained.
“You do like to make these decisions hard, don’t you?” She pursed her lips in thought.