Dante left that place, only stopping to grab his two remaining enchanted bolts. The smell of cooked flesh made him want to vomit. It reminded him too much of before. That he had exchanged words with the creature made it worse. He was no longer able to pretend that they were dumb, unthinking brutes.
Was there any other way that it could have ended?
I suppose I could have let it escape, it seemed to be fleeing before this confirmation. Though the Ahsmati seemed plenty interested in fighting when it met me. It seemed so angry. No, this could not have been avoided. It‘s bad all around. I hate this. I am leaving after this battle, I don’t care about the consequences. I should join up with those merchents. I bet they leave all the time. They have to get their goods from somewhere.
A stinging pain distracted him and he looked at his right arm to see three gashes weeping crimson. They didn’t seem especially deep but bled freely. That would need mending. He should start carrying a first aid kit. As it was, he knew of only one person who could help him.
It was time to catch up with his team.
They weren’t too far away. A few turns and he found them at an intersection, standing in a field of corpses. The battle here looked to have been hard fought; the number of dead Ahsmati outweighed the living and Dante spotted a few human faces amongst the dead. Thankfully, none were from his team. Though there was one injured. Ren, the woman who was … involved with Svōl. A bandage was being tied across half her face by the man himself.
Once that relief died down, some of his earlier annoyance at being abandoned bled back. Because of that decision, he had fought that Ahsmati alone and danced razors edge from death. Dante understood why they did it, there would be more dead on the ground if they hadn’t, but that selfish desire remained.
“Are you alright?”
Dante leaped around to find Pauwna poking at his wounds. Since he had last seen her, she had fully formed her blood claws and her blood armor had climbed to her elbows. She dismissed the ability and the accumulated blood streamed to hover above Pauwna’s head in a head-sized orb.
“Must you do that now?”
“Always.” She took a hold of his injured shoulder and gently led him over to a large piece of rubble to sit. “It’s for your own good. What if I were an Ahsmati? Now, what happened?”
Dante grumbled a bit as she brought out a first aid kit of her own — Did everyone except him have one of those? She was right, as always. That last fight had highlighted a few things he needed to improve at.
“One of the Ahsmati ran away. A big brute. I think you know of him?”
Pauwna winced.
“Ah, that one. He was a tough Tazzus to shatter. Ah, a Tazzus is a shelled water animal that we eat. Anyway, once the tired he fled, though I left him with a parting gift. I was too busy to chase. It didn''t occur to me you might come across him. I suppose that he got you on his way out?”
While she was talking, Pauwna had been rumaging through her kit. She brought out a bandage, two flasks, and a familiar thread and needle. Uncorking one of the flasks, which brought the sharp smell of medicinal herbs, she scooped some out.
Oh joy, more stitches.
“Almost. We fought and —,” he paused to grit his teeth as she applied a generous helping of the green paste to the wound. “I didn''t dodge well enough. I got him back in the end, though. He won’t be bothering anyone anymore.”
Pauwna looked up sharply, her four eyebrows climbing high in surprise. Now, that was the first time he had seen that expression from her. He thought that she might be impressed.
“How did you manage that? I know I left him with quite a wound, but he should have been well beyond your level.”
He held up his two remaining enchanted bolts in response. Dante didn’t think that her eyebrows could climb any higher but he was proven wrong. He could see why she teased him now. It was quite fun.
“That explains it. Just where did you get something like that? Those things are pricey.”
“Sūnva lent me some coin. Ok, a lot of coin.” The second part was in response to a look of disbelief. “It also allowed me to get one of these.”
He brought the healing draught out of the bag. Pauwna stared at that for a long moment, then shook her head.
“Just a little bit of coin he says,” Pauwna muttered to herself as she unstoppered one of the vials. The strong of alcohol wafted over and he prepared himself to relive that experience. “Only a healing potion,” she continued mockingly. “That woman really is one of the good ones.”
She poured the alcohol over the wound and he felt … a slight sting. Dante experimentally poked at the wound and realized that he barely felt anything before Pauwna swatted the finger away. That was a surprise.
A numbing agent? Do those exist here? Well, that makes this whole thing a lot easier. Guess Svōl didn’t have any. Or was too cheap to use any on me. I will choose to believe that it’s the first one.
“So what did you learn from the fight?”
Dante considered the question as Pauwna tied a needle to thread, then got to work. He adverted his eyes when it entered his flesh. All he felt was a pinch, followed by tugging. While not comfortable, it was vastly preferable to the last time
“Every Ahsmati fights differently. This one was strong, difficult to damage, but relatively slow. Unlike the last one we fought, which used spells but could be damaged by a normal crossbow bolt. If I had known that, I would have used the enchanted bolts first and not have gotten this.”
He gestures with his chin to the injury.
“Good lessons. You touched upon perhaps the most important factor in combat. Information. When you face an unknown opponent in combat, you must figure out what they do before they kill you. If you know this, you can counter them. Or run away if hopeless. It is a problem that the high ranks suffer, becoming so famous that their abilities are well known.”
That was a lot to take in. It mirrored some of his own thoughts, but he hadn’t quite thought it through. In fact, that meant …
“I shouldn’t reveal my abilities carelessly, should I? Or else they will start being countered.”
Pauwna made that strange chuffing sound that he interrupted as laughter.
“Worry about living to see tomorrow first, but yes, you are right. Don’t use abilities where the enemy can see, hide that you used them at all if you do. If you can’t do those two things, then try at least to obscure how your ability works. Now shut up and hold still. I need to patch you up before they finish up over there.”
Dante did as she asked. He had something else he needed to look at anyway. He opened his character sheet, then gazed with satisfaction at the line next to Class.
[Classes Available]
It was finally time to get one. From what Pauwna had told him, this was an important moment in the life of people from this world. With bated breath, he opened his options.
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 80%" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 99.9666%">
Choose a [Class]
Stolen novel; please report.
W?lian Soldier (Common)
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 90.1035%" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 98.8472%; text-align: center">Description: The common soldiery, the W?lian Empire is built upon their combined efforts. Strongest when arm in arm with their comrades and in casting collaborative magic. Boosts buffs from commanding officers.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 98.8472%; text-align: center">Attributes: +1 Charisma, +1 Constitution, +1 Endurance, +3 free points per level.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 98.8472%; text-align: center">Requirements: Be a citizen of the W?lian Empire.</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Hunter of Ahsmati (Uncommon)
<table style="border-collapse: collapse" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 98.8472%; text-align: center">Description: You have gone out of your way to exterminate Ahsmati, far before you were ready. Even the strongest of their kind will fear you one day. Gain bonuses, extra damage, and adaptive temporary abilities when fighting against Ahsmati.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 98.8472%; text-align: center">Attributes: +1 Endurance, + 1 Dexterity, + 1 Alacrity, + 4 free points per level.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 98.8472%; text-align: center">Requirements: Kill an Ahsmati before unlocking a class.</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Charged Warrior (Rare)
<table style="border-collapse: collapse" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 98.8472%; text-align: center">Description: You were weak when your foes were strong. You know well the worth of sacrificing for power and have become adept at managing the lows. Gain bonuses to overloaded abilities and become stronger as the fight goes on.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 98.8472%; text-align: center">Attributes: +1 Constitution, + 1 Fortitude, +2 Endurance, + 4 free points per level.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 98.8472%; text-align: center">Requirements: Possess two overloaded abilities and have a combined constitution, strength, and willpower over 40.</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Charged Mage (Rare)
<table style="border-collapse: collapse" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 98.8472%; text-align: center">Description: You surpassed your limits for great power at a cost. Become a paragon of power. For a time. Overcharge again and again for more severe costs.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 98.8472%; text-align: center">Attributes: + 2 Cognition, +1 Alacrity, +1 Willpower, + 4 free points per level.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 98.8472%; text-align: center">Requirements: Possess two overloaded abilities and a combined cognition, endurance, and alacrity of over 40.</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Aura Adept (Rare)
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 90%" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 98.8472%; text-align: center">Description: You have begun to tap into concepts beyond which most never reach. Gain greater control over your abilities. Win aura contests with your foes. </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 98.8472%; text-align: center">Attributes: +2 to Endurance, +2 Cognition, +4 free points per level.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 98.8472%; text-align: center">Requirements: Unlock two abilities that utilize aura. Have one exceed your level. Possess [Aura Manipulation].</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Indomitable Survivor (Rare)
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 90%" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 98.8472%; text-align: center">Description: You have encountered impossible circumstances and survived them, time and time again. Give up on change to endure. This is not the end of your challenges and neither will it be the end of you.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 98.8472%; text-align: center">Attributes: +2 Constitution, +2 Fortitude, +4 free points per level.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 98.8472%; text-align: center">Requirements: Make it through three encounters with less than ten percent survival projection. </td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
“Psst, Hey!”
Dante turned with confusion to where Pauwna was finishing patching up his wounds. She had paused for the moment and was looking at him with uncharacteristic seriousness.
Why was she whispering?
“You can’t be doing that right now.”
“Doing what?”
“Whatever it is you do when you sit there and stare off into space like an idiot. With the looks and mumbling, it’s a wonder that they don’t think you are crazy. I did at first.”
“What, the [Stat —”
He was abruptly cut off when Pauwna’s hand clamped over his mouth. She put a finger up to her lips and he nodded. Then she removed her hand.
“I don’t know what that is, but you can’t say it here. Too many ears. You don’t want the others to know.”
Seeing the burning questions in his eyes, she sighed and said: “We will talk about it later, ok? In private.”
He nodded but had to ask: “But I need to do it. Here, of all places, I need to be stronger.”
Pauwna hesitated then nodded reluctantly.
“Make it quick and try to be subtle about it.”
He decided to take that advice. For lack of a better option, Dante took out his journal and acted like he was reading it. He even made sure that his screens were overlaid over the pages. Out of the corner of his eye, he could Svōl tying off a bandage over Ren’s wound. It was evident that he had very little time, so he needed to be quick.
I don’t talk to myself or make faces when thinking. Do I?
While he speed-read through the options, he carefully kept track of his face. To his chagrin, he did find himself mouthing the words and he put a stop to that. He idly wondered if putting more points into charisma would fix this problem.
Stop with that, I need to focus.
At the very least, he had more options this time around, baring when he had initially died. Six in total, ranging from common to uncommon. It looked like each gave him different attributes. A lot of them in fact.
No wonder I was so much weaker than everyone else. I’ve been getting what? Like three attribute points per level. Even my worst option gives double that! I am going to get strong so much faster.
One thing did jump out at him. He read through the attributes line one more time, just to be sure. There was a pattern in the attributes. Each jump in rarity gave one more point, alternating between an additional fixed and free point.
Why would anyone not pick their highest rarity option? I guess maybe if a lower rarity class had something that you really want? I mean, it sounds like we get something besides these attributes, so perhaps some of those are good. Shame that I can’t see that. Although, Pauwna would know and she already knows I am different. She hasn’t turned me in yet and I need this information badly.
Dante turned from his screens overlaid back to Pauwna. She was finishing the last few stitches and was reaching for the bandages. He cleared his throat and she glanced at him questioningly, a warning still in her eye.
“So, classes. I know they give more attributes, but do I get anything else besides that?”
Pauwna did not say anything and just stared at him. He repeated the question and she closed her eyes and breathed deeply. Dante got the feeling he had given away more than he had intended.
“I thought my ears had failed me. Young children are taught this. What a strange place your homeland must be, for you not to know this. We will talk more about this later, but I will tell you this. A class gives you more attributes, a class keystone, and one selection from that class''s abilities.”
She hesitated for a moment, then added: “If you tell me what you got, I can give you more.”
Well, she already knows so much. What''s a little more?
So he told her the names of all the classes.
“You got multiple rares, huh? That’s good. Very good. Unusual that they are all combat-focused. Hmm, can’t say I’ve heard of the last one or the [Aura Adept]. But the first four? I can tell you a bit about them. First off, forget about [Hunter of Ahsmati] or else you will be hunted. They rather make a point of it actually. I know the most about [W?lian Soldier], though I don’t recommend it for you. Your attributes get minor boosts by being around others of the same class. Buffing abilities from other W?lian classes are empowered on you and you receive assistance for synergistic magic. That’s what the additional charisma is for. Pretty standard for soldiers, though the charisma-based magic is unique to the Empire. As for the charged classes, I barely know anything about them. Usually, people die before getting an overloaded ability, much less two. All I know is that the warrior type gets some sort of bonus every time they expend a charge and the caster can skip the cooldown on charges for much higher cooldowns later. I hear they can even permanently burn them.”
Pauwna finished tying the bandage and then gestured to the squad behind him. Dante turned and saw that they were climbing to their feet. Ren had been bandaged and was looking steadier on her feet.
“You only have a few moments to make your choice. Be quick.”
Pauwna got up and walked over to the rest of the group, leaving him alone with a churning mind. Dante slapped his cheeks, trying to bring his thoughts into focus. He had to approach this decisively and keep one point in mind.
Which of these is going to let me see the next day?