“Hey Q, Brie, and… who’s this?” Kukis looked at the newcomer with interest.
“Greetings, I am Phanos, Lady Brie’s personal maid in real life. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” Phanos bowed. On the way into the village, Phanos was incredibly surprised by all the things she saw as her face constantly changed expressions. By the time they got to the upside-down fountain though, she was able to reign in her expression and had a calm and collected demeanour.
“Woah… A real maid. I guess you really are a rich girl huh, Brie?” Kukis seemed impressed.
“But of course!” Brie puffed out her chest as she looked quite proud.
“Why’d you even doubt it?” Q said with a smile. “Even for roleplay her personality was a bit excessive.”
“Hey! Such rude words are…” At first Phanos seemed indignant, but when she saw that Brie only smiled at Q’s comment, she was at a loss for words. “Lady Brie,” she whispered, “Are you fine with those comments being directed at you?”
“It’s fine Phanos. It’s only a joke.”
“A joke… I see…” Phanos went silent as she began digesting this information.
“You’re both here I see. And two extras?” A woman in deep blue robes suddenly stepped through the water from inside the fountain.
“Um, greetings Master Suina.” Q felt like she had to greet this woman politely. With Pamerun and Haeldrix, their friendly personality let her interact with them freely. This woman however, gave off a slight aura of nobility, similar to the one that Brie occasionally let out. “Was that… a water teleportation spell?”
“Not really. There’s a complex teleportation array hidden in the fountain, and I just got back from checking the other side. Water magic did prevent me from getting wet though.” She said with a wink.
“That’s cool… but are you sure you want to reveal a secret like that to us?” Kukis asked worriedly.
“Oh that’s no problem at all.” Suina waved her hand nonchalantly. “This array was set up personally by the Grand Wizard Alrune. Even if all of us Grand Witches used our strongest spells, it would still take a while to forcefully break it. Not to mention that it’s so complex that trying to unravel its secrets might take years, if not decades. Besides,” she continued, “You’re going to be one of our comrades soon, and you’ll learn about it naturally anyway.”
“What does she mean by comrade?” Brie asked.
“Oh right, I forgot to tell you but Kukis and I are in the middle of doing our class quest. Meeting Pamerun was part of the training, which I think you need to go through Cookie.” Q looked to the violet-haired girl, who nodded in response.
“Yeah, I didn’t think that my break would take that long.” Kukis shrugged her shoulders. “Sometimes having time accelerated by three times can really work against you.”
“Sorry to interrupt, but what kind of class are you two obtaining?” Phanos asked.
“It’s the Witch class. Weak physical defense, high magic damage, and can use all elements as well as potions and hexes.” Kukis summarized the class in a single sentence.
“Hm. I do not believe that class will be suitable for milady.” Phanos shook her head. “If you’ll excuse us, lady Brie and I will be leaving for a short while to find classes more suited to our abilities. Now, come along lady Brie…”
“P-Phanos? Wait just a moment!” Brie protested a little, but Phanos was adamant on leaving and practically dragged her away.
Huh, their master/servant relationship seems to be a lot deeper if Phanos can just drag her around. Oh well, I’ll learn about it later on I guess. For now, magic! Q focused her view back on Suina who let out a sigh. “That’s a shame. I was hoping for some more witches to join our cause… then again, if they choose the Hexmage class or similar ones it’ll still be fine. Now, are you two ready for your lessons on water magic?”
““Yes!”” Q and Kukis both excitedly exclaimed.
*****
From here, the two girls learned about each of the elements from the different Grand Witches. Since they learned the basics of mana manipulation, each new spell was obtained fairly easily. All the spells they learned were only three basic ones, one for attack, one for defense, and one for utility. Each one varied in effect and execution depending on the element, but for the most part it was very similar. After learning those spells, their teacher would allow them to train against monsters or spar against one another (most of which Q won, but Kukis was able to beat her a few times depending on the spells they used).
During this process, Q managed to level up to level 30, and she noticed that her [Summon Wolfy] skill was now able to summon Wolfy for a longer time, and was also able to summon three extra wolves. Whenever Q had free time she would enjoy it by frolicking around with Wolfy or levelling up her other skills. Q also made sure not to neglect her Tailoring profession and occasionally made new equipments, but since they were inferior to her current equipment she never used them.
Finally, once they learned basic spells from all the witches, they began learning about hexes. As the witches explained it, hexes are a kind of magic that is incredibly complex, bringing about many different effects depending on what kind of hex you cast. For example, one could cast a weakening hex to lower the defenses of their enemies, or cast a confusion hex to make them turn against each other. While many of these abilities could bring great effects, the only problem is that they’re specifically made to target enemies. The Hexmage class which specializes in them is an exception though, as they are able to cast hexes which buff their allies (as strange as that is considering the nature of a hex).
Even more interesting was the different ways that they could be cast. Depending on the effect you wanted, you could cast a hex several different ways to achieve the same effect. If you wanted to weaken a group of enemies, you could setup magic runes and sigils to lower their defenses. You could also use a medium (like a cursed doll) and cast a spell on it, affecting those enemies. There was also the option to chant out a spell, but this was in a different language with strange pronunciations, so Q gave up on trying to do that quickly.
Since there was so many different things to learn about hexes, Q and Kukis were only allowed to learn a maximum of two. Q had learned the [Weaken: Defense] and [Confuse] hexes, while Kukis learned [Headache] and [Enfeeble] hexes. Q decided to cast hers by using sigils (since she remembered what they looked like more easily) while Kukis used a straw doll for [Headache], and a chant for [Enfeeble].
The entirety of their training took a grand total of three real life days, as they had to constantly log in and out of the game to deal with real-life issues. While they were training they occasionally saw Brie and Phanos walking around town, but the two would always return a wave or quick greeting before running off somewhere else.
“I wonder what class they’re trying to get…” Q wondered as she walked towards Town Hall.
“It’d be great if they were done by the time we enter the underground library.” Kukis had a thoughtful look on her face. “But what do you think this ‘final lesson’ of ours is going to be? Hopefully we’re not learning any more spells, because I have my head spinning just trying to remember all the chants for my spells now.”
“Yeah, it sure is a lot, but at least they give you the chant in the spell list.”
“What!? Where?”
“You have to focus on the description of the spell, and then the words to use it will slowly appear. It happened to me while I was spacing out with my spell list open…” Q scratched her cheek.
“Oh man, this makes my life waaaay easier. Thanks Q!”
“No problem. Oh, we’re at town hall now.”
The two girls entered town hall and were met with Wendy and Lea, who brought them into a room filled with candles. There was a large circle in the center with a bunch of runes lined up around it, and they found Pamerun standing in the center who looked incredibly serious. The girls gulped as they were affected by the atmosphere in the place, and awaited Pamerun’s words.
“You two… have been training in the magic arts for three days, and have a very, VERY basic understanding of the elements and hexes alike. So now, this is your final task on becoming an Apprentice Witch.”
“O-our final task is?” Kukis asked nervously.
“Your final task is… to summon a familiar!” Suddenly all the candle lights went out and a lamp in the ceiling went on, illuminating the entire room. “Hahaha, sorry. I just can’t resist doing that to apprentices. The nervous looks on your faces… priceless!” As Pamerun began laughing, Q and Kukis let out the breath they didn’t realize they had been holding.
“That’s not how I expected this to go down…” Q had a wry smile on her face.
“Back in the past that’s actually how summoning a familiar would’ve been done.” Pamerun said. “Nowadays we find those traditions annoying so we just skip them and get to the good stuff. So who wants to go first?”
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
Q and Kukis exchanged glances, and then Q raised her hand. “Do we have to do anything special for this summoning? Like, get some sort of item or learn a summoning spell?”
“Nope. The familiar summoning ritual automatically finds and binds a creature most suited to the user’s needs. It’s a very simple process, and is sort of a reward for apprentice witches for finishing their training. Wendy and Lea over here have already gotten their familiars.” At this point Pamerun made a small gesture. Wendy and Lea nodded, then mumbled a few words and a slight glow appeared in the space in front of them.
A small bird with dark blue wings and a red cat with sharp fangs both appeared from the light and went to Wendy and Lea respectively. Once she saw this, Q’s eyes widened as she instantly jumped into the middle of the summoning circle and said, “I’m first! I’m definitely getting a fluffy animal. Definitely!”
“Well, that’s not guaranteed…” Pamerun was about to say something, but seeing Q’s sparkling eyes she decided not to. “Alright then Q, stand still.” Pamerun then began chanting the spell and the circle began to glow while the symbols started to flash rapidly. For a second Q felt that her mana was taken away, and looking at her status she saw that this summoning circle did take about a quarter of her mana.
“Get ready Q, here it comes!” Pamerun said as she finished her chant.
The air above Q distorted and she looked up in anticipation. Be soft and fluffy, be soft and fluffy… She continuously chanted in her heart. After a few more seconds, a bright light appeared and Q subconsciously outstretched her hands. The light slowly floated down into her hands, and it slowly faded away. Feeling a soft sensation on the palm of her hands, Q was momentarily delighted when she suddenly felt some rough parts on her fingers. At this point the light faded away, and what was left was a small salamander covered in rocks with a shiny gemstone embedded in its forehead.
The salamander’s body was about ten centimeters in length, and its tail was also just as long. The rocks that it was covered in turned out to be many scales of varying sizes, all looking like small stones or pebbles. For a few seconds Q was completely silent before finally saying, “You’re not a fluffy animal.” The salamander looked up at her with small beady eyes and let out a short hiss, revealing a small slender tongue.
“Oh my, it seems you’ve summoned a Geode Salamander. It’s even got a Black Tourmaline gem! That means it’s main element is Earth. Congratulations Q, that’s a very rare familiar to obtain.”
“But… it’s not fluffy…” Q felt a little crestfallen as she stared into the salamander’s eyes.
“Kshaaa.” The salamander opened its mouth and let out a cute cry.
“...” Q stared at the little salamander for half a minute, and then said, “Well, you’re still cute though.” She began scratching its underbelly with her finger. The salamander narrowed its eyes in pleasure as it wriggled back and forth on Q’s palm.
“It seems you’ve taken a liking to this creature.” Pamerun smiled. “The last part of the ritual is to give it a name, and then you’ll be bonded to each other.”
“A name huh? How about… Schorl?” Q was reminded of the other name for a tourmaline gem and thought it fit quite well.
“... Kashaaa!” The salamander’s tail swayed back and forth in the air as it hopped around on Q’s palm excitedly.
Seeing this, Pamerun quietly said a few more words and the circle underneath Q’s feet glowed once more. This time a light gathered up into the air and separated into two pieces, one going into Q’s body and the other going into Schorl’s body. As soon as the light entered her body, Q learned a new spell and a window with details about Schorl appeared.
(A/N: Which I will not make because it’s not even that important)
[New Spell] - Summon Familiar (Consumes and reserves 10% of maximum mana) Summons your familiar to fight by your side. A familiar will be forcefully unsummoned if mana reaches zero, or if its health reaches zero.
“Well then, I’m looking forward to working with you in the future, Schorl.” Q tapped Schorl’s gem lightly.
“Ksha~”
“Okay Kukis, now it’s your turn.” Pamerun said as Q left the circle.
“I wonder what kind of familiar I’ll get…” Kukis wondered as she entered the circle. The same process as before occurred, and a light appeared above Kukis. She held out her hands to catch the familiar falling out, and it hit her hands with a ‘splat’. Kukis furrowed her eyebrows as concentrated on the thing in her hands. It felt incredibly squishy and viscous, and a few parts of it were even dripping to the floor! When the light faded away, she screamed, “I summoned a slime!?”
Indeed, what Kukis held was a green slime that constantly writhed and wriggled in her hands. There was a small orb which constantly moved throughout its body, and the parts of its body that fell on the ground evaporated into nothingness (although it seemed that it’s actual body didn’t decrease in size).
“That’s… unexpected. There are accounts of some witch apprentices summoning a slime but that hasn’t happened for a century.” Pamerun seemed similarly surprised.
“Um… Hi?” Kukis said with a nervous voice. The slime jiggled in response.
“What a meaningful conversation.” Q noted.
“Well I guess… I have to give you a name huh? How about-MMMPHGHMPH!!” Kukis was interrupted as the slime suddenly jumped onto her face and enveloped her head inside itself. Kukis began to panic and flailed her arms about wildly while Q, Wendy and Lea tried to get the slime off her head.
After a long struggle the girls managed to pull the slime off Kukis’ face and she was left panting on the ground gasping for air. “I might as well call you face-hugger…” Kukis muttered. “Okay little slime, your name is going to be Asphy.” Once she said this, Pamerun finished the ritual and Kukis was able to get her new familiar.
“Congratulations you two, you are now fully fledged apprentice witches!” Pamerun said with a smile. Once she said this, a window appeared in front of Q and Kukis saying that they had completed the quest, and received the class. They both looked over their status windows and read all the changes that had occurred for getting the class.
“This is pretty awesome.” Q grinned. “So when will we go to the Underground Library?”
“In one hour, meet us at the entrance to the library. The rest of the Grand Witches have to be called here after all.” Pamerun paused for a moment, “We also have some new equipment prepared for you, so follow Wendy and Lea to get them. I’ll see you in an hour!”
“All right, we’ll see you there!”
----------------------------------------
What, you didn't think I'd make you go through ALL the process of them learning their magic did you?
So anyhue, they're finally going to conquer the library! Yaaay. Also their summons, well I'm not sure anyone would have expected Q, of all people, to not summon a fluffy animal but it happened.
By the way, I recently was reading Dragon-Blooded War God and it's pretty damn good! At first I didn't expect much because the description was kind of vague while the cover was just dude with long hair (what is up with China and guys with long hair anyway? It's like they want their males to be as pretty as females while also being as handsome as heck...) but boy was I wrong. It's really emotional, has some good fights, and isn't filled with random bullshit to make a chapter meet the quota (gets right to the good stuff and keeps you there). My only problem with it is the ridiculous speed of the MC powering up, but that's just a given in these stories.
So why was I talking about that? Because I was reminded of the saying: Don't judge a book by it's cover. As true as that saying is, I absolutely judge a book by its cover anyway. I mean, a book can be good, but it has to put in some effort as well if it wants to draw people in with its cover.
Fun-fact: The Bible is the best selling book in the world.
P.S. Do you want to have a status table in this chapter or not? She'll get another look at her status after the library anyway so...
When you think you've won, but you haven't:
Spoiler :
http%3a%2f%2fsafebooru.org%2f%2fimages%2f429%2f23fe00b...gif%3f429096 [http://safebooru.org//images/429/23fe00b442a8f820168e192536b85c33a3e52e27.gif?429096]