Chapter 15. The Best Boy.
It didn’t take long for the System to consider Buster’s future and before he knew it, more information appeared in front of Silas.
A choice of Bound Companion classes is being offered to the being known as Buster. Please note that companion classes are more limited compared to those offered to fully sapient beings. Despite those limitations, companions can grow to be incredibly powerful if managed properly.
Choose one of the following classes for the being known as Buster. Should your companion possess sufficient intellect, they will have the opportunity to let you know their preferences, but the final decision is yours to make.
1. War Hound. Your companion will grow in size, power, and durability based on your Tier and Rank.
2. Inquisitor. Your companion will develop its various senses to discover hidden threats and exploit the vulnerabilities of your foes.
3. Pack Warden. Your companion takes on the burden of defending its pack, using its unique abilities to protect itself and allies.
The System wasn’t giving Silas a whole lot of information on the three classes for Buster. Given how much information it had just dumped on him for his class, Silas figured there was a lot more to each choice than the brief descriptions that were given. He tried to think about what best fit Buster, and what would help him survive the deadly jungle they found themselves in.
They couldn’t see each other, but Silas still felt a link with Buster as they floated in the void. Of the three, the War Hound stood out at first. It sounded like a way to bolster his dog’s power and strength, helping Buster to stay alive. The downside was that it seemed to be an aggressive class, and while he would be tougher with War Hound, being in the thick of the fighting seemed to be where the class was headed, and exactly where Silas didn’t want Buster to be.
The Inquisitor almost made Silas laugh as he thought about how much Buster liked sniffing around while they were on their walks. It was easy to see why the Inquisitor was offered to Buster. The Pack Warden was also a good fit, and Silas hoped that the class would allow Buster to protect himself. As he considered the three choices, Pack Warden seemed like the best option for Buster. As Silas thought about the class, he could feel that Buster approved.
You have selected the Pack Warden for your companion.
Buster, Pack Warden.
Tier 0, Rank 1. Please note that your companion’s Tier and Rank will always match your own.
Health: 60%.
Status effects:
1. Elderly. All stats are reduced by 4. This penalty will increase by 1 for every year that your companion ages from this point forward.
2. Disabled. Your companion’s physical defects and ailments limits his heal pool to a maximum of 60%.
By unlocking a class for your companion, you have unlocked their stat points. Stat points are a measure of power in several ways. By gaining higher Tiers and Ranks, your companion’s stat points will adjust automatically. The canine average for stat points is 7 for Strength, Agility, and Constitution.
Your canine companion’s class does not possess the Mind or Presence stat, and all his abilities, even those that are magical in nature, scale off the three physical stats.
Strength. Your companion’s strength before any status effects is 6. Strength is a primary stat for the Pack Warden and many of its skills will scale off this stat. Strength will increase at a rate of 1 point for every even Rank.
Agility. Agility is a measure of fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Buster’s current agility before any status effects is 7. Agility is a secondary stat for the Pack Warden class and will increase at a rate of 1 point for every 5 ranks.
Constitution. Constitution is a measure of overall health, and the ability to withstand damage. Buster’s current constitution before status effects is 7. Constitution is a primary stat for the Pack Warden and will increase at the rate of 1 point for every odd Rank.
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Current Stats:
Strength, 6 (2).
Agility, 7 (3).
Constitution, 7 (3).
Special Class Features:
The Pack Warden’s Bark. In addition to his natural weapons, Buster now possesses special sonic abilities based on his bark. This ability resists disruption due to Silence and other spells or abilities of that type. The resistance to being silenced is based on the Tier and Rank of the companion, as well as the stat modifier associated with the specific skill.
Skills and Abilities.
1. Natural Weapons. Your companion is skilled in using the natural weapons that his body already possesses. These natural weapons are resistant to damage, and as your companion gains higher Tiers and Ranks, its natural weapons will improve and evolve.
2. Sonic Disruption. Your companion can use its bark to create a cone-shaped sonic field that damages all enemies in range. The cone is 10’ in total length. This ability scales with Strength and can be used 1/every 5 minutes.
3. Your companion uses its bark to create a protective field of sound waves around it and any companion within 10’. The barrier’s damage absorption is based on the Tier and Rank of the companion, as well as its current constitution. The barrier will degrade over time, and completely expire after 1 minute. Barrier can be used 1/ every 10 minutes.
4. Your companion has an acute sense of smell. This sense has been further enhanced by the System and allows Buster to investigate and identify even magical items by scent alone. The chance of success for this ability is based on the complexity of whatever is being investigated, and your companion’s Tier and Rank. Identify is based of the Agility stat, and success will also be influenced by Buster’s current Agility.
As soon as Silas read and understood the last bit of information on Buster’s new class, the System opened a portal into the control point market. Before they stepped through, a final System notice was given.
You have completed both stages of the tutorial and will be rewarded for your first steps in the Pit of Bhalkur. Rewards will appear inside your Headquarters and may be retrieved at any time you desire. Please note that any item that functions on mana will be drained of its power should you bring it into your mana-starved world.
Your task continues. Gain access to each layer of the pit and wrest control of it from Bhalkur.
Current task: Gain control of the first layer of the pit. To gain control, you must have dealt with any opposing factions, and powerful entities within the layer. Control can be achieved either through alliances or outright destruction. Once other factions have been dealt with, you must discover and defeat the guardian that Bhalkur has assigned to the first layer.
Should you fail in this task, Bhalkur’s influence will continue to permeate your world and cause untold strife and sorrow.
Beware, your world is not the only one linked to the Pit of Bhalkur, and other champions seek to accomplish the same task. Whether these champions become competitors or allies remains to be seen. You will not encounter these competitors within the pit until after you have descended past the first layer.
Access between the control point portal and your base of operations is unlocked.
Access between your headquarters and your world is unlocked.
Silas stepped through the portal and found himself in the large portal room attached to the market. Taking a deep breath, Silas realized that he felt better than he had in years. Though he had the effects of his age and ailments weighing down his stats, he was much more powerful than he had been before earning a class.
Buster gave a quiet whoof next to him, and Silas could see that even he seemed to me moving around a bit better. Gritvart poked his head inside the portal room and looked relieved that it was Silas and Buster instead of more crazed gnomes.
“You made it back, and from the look of you, it seems like you’ve gotten a class. Woah, did the dog get some kind of buff?” Gritvart asked.
“Yeah, both Buster and I have classes now,” Silas said, deciding that giving too much information about his specific class was probably not a wise thing to do. So far, Gritvart had been harmless, but he gave Silas a decided used car salesman vibe that made him slightly distrust the goblin merchant.
“Well, things around here have been changing as well. You’re not my only customer now, but since you two were my first, I’ll give you a permanent 5% discount at my shop. Stop by after you’ve had a chance to collect your loot. I understand that kind of stuff is usually deposited inside your headquarters,” Gritvart said.
“Wait, what other customers are you talking about?” Silas asked, a bit concerned as the System had just warned him about other champions that might be dangerous.
“Bah, don’t worry about it yet, the System is keeping all you guys separated for now. Even when you’re able to mingle here in the marketplace, there are protections in place to keep you from fighting, so keep any beefs you might have with each other out in the pit please. Well, don’t let me keep you, go grab that loot and let’s do some business before you go,” Gritvart replied.
Silas wasn’t exactly comforted by Gritvart’s reply. These other champions were going to have to be met and dealt with at some point, but for now, he couldn’t argue with the need to check out his new headquarters and see exactly how the System would reward him.