Class Upgrades

Summing up the new perk for Ivy and Mia, I read out the options. “I can either have a new design for my windows or I can change the colour of my ice magic to red or green.” “Your ice magic is pretty like it is though!” Mia says and Ivy nods in agreement. “Agreed. I guess I’m getting a new window design.” I say, tapping the new windows option. I check my character sheet to see what’s changed.

“Oh my god that looks cool!” I exclaim happily. I show the new design to Ivy and Mia who both have similar exclamations of awe. “Okay I love this.” Mia says. “It’s so pretty!” Ivy declares. I wince slightly as I see my equipment list. “I really need to get some better armour.” “More perks!” Ivy demands and I oblige, chuckling. I decide I might as well go with the Gamer class now.

“It’s gotta be the armour one. Money is nice but a luxury and I think we’re already pretty set for weapons.” I remark. With a nod from Mia and Ivy, I choose the perk, then move on to the next one. I pick the summoner class perk, to hopefully make Ivy more powerful.

“Two options to diversify into much more of a summoner build by adding an extra summon, or the option to strengthen what I have.” I summarise, shrugging. “If I wanted a full summoner build, I’d have tried to diversify there already. We’re gonna make you stronger Ivy.” I conclude, picking the second focus option.

Nothing changes and no more windows pop up, confusing the both of us. “I guess we’ll get the choice when the skill reaches level 50?” I ask in confusion. “Yeah I guess so. It’s pretty close, so hopefully soon. I really want to get stronger.” Ivy confesses. I massage her gently. “I know you do. I promise that won’t ever happen again.”

She kisses me on the forehead. “I won’t let it.” She promises. I smile at her. “None of us will.” Turning my attention back to the class perks, I decide to go with the arcanist class next. I’m not entirely sure what I’m hoping for when levelling this class, I just hope it’s something good.

“New spell options! These are juicy.” I proclaim, looking through the spells. All of them are pretty good. Restraint would help control the pace of engagements, burst would be another damage dealer to add to my arsenal and protection would increase my defensive capabilities. The initial cost isn’t the best, but I should be able to power level it in dungeons if I’m careful. I make the protection choice, and move on to the next class.

After reading each choice, I pick the mixed martial arts option in a heartbeat. The idea of knowing how to escape being pinned very much appeals to me, after everything that happened. There’s no discussion needed, knowing how to fight in unarmed combat if I lose my weapon is an invaluable skill. The last class I haven’t checked out yet is the Seductress class, so I go with that.

After some consideration, both arouse and charming are out. Arouse gives me an ick because it strays partially into the realm of non consensual things. Charming also feels a bit like mind control. The gifted lover skill on the other hand sounds amazing, and it’s already double the percentage bonus of before. Making the choice, I still have 3 class levels left, and I’m not sure which classes to spend them on.

“Any ideas which class I should go for? I have 3 levels left.” I ask Ivy and Mia. Ivy pipes up with an idea. “What if you spent it on the queen class? If we expanded the kingdom, we could let in refugees from all the gangs around Sydney.” She suggests. I stop in my tracks. I hadn’t thought of that. “That is true…” I trail off, pondering the idea.

I decide to think out loud. “If we did that, it would help people immediately, which is good. There’s a part of me that honestly really doesn’t want to, just because this home is my dream and I don’t want to share it with people I don’t really know…that doesn’t really matter in the scheme of things, and I’d put that aside if it meant helping people, because other people deserve this safety too…”

I tap my chin gently while I continue to think. “Well put it this way…how many people would we be helping potentially by doing this?” I ask out loud. “Uhh I have no idea.” Mia replies, and I nod. “Exactly. We don’t know how many people we could help because we have no idea how much we can actually expand the kingdom.”

Mia looks a little unsure of where this is going, but nods for me to continue. “Each class level requires 10 XP levels, which makes them a pretty scarce resource. We don’t know how high the classes or my level can go. I’d assume they can each go a decent amount higher, but we never really know.” I continue.

“Spending class levels on the queen class to expand and take in refugees would absolutely help in the short term. The thing is, it also takes away from investing in my personal power levels, which would set us back in terms of trying to overthrow Mathias, something which would help everybody in Sydney, not just the people out on the street.”

I shrug as my line of thinking comes to its conclusion. “I guess I’d say this: at best, spending a bunch of class levels in the queen class would help a sizable number of people in the short term, but handicap us in the long term. At worst, it could potentially stop me from being as powerful as I need to be to help overthrow Mathias, in exchange for saving a couple of people.”

I shake my head. “It’s just not worth it.” I conclude. They both nod in understanding. “I don’t like it, but I agree.” Ivy says. “In that case, how about you spend one more level in the seductress class?” Mia immediately suggests, making puppy dog eyes. “That’s not going to make me more powerful, that was the entire point of not spending levels in the queen class!” I protest. Ivy joins in on giving me the puppy dog eyes, her mind switching tracks in an instant, and I groan. “Why though?”

“I wanna see what happens!” Mia exclaims. “I think we do need more fun in our lives.” Ivy reasons. I shake my head, a grin on my face. “Fine. I can’t say no to you, I swear. Only one more though, the other two need to go towards me being stronger.” I say. “”Yay!”” The two of them say in unison and I giggle at their reaction.

“...I take back my reservations, this was a great choice.” I say after reading through the new perk option. Ivy and Mia read through the window and Mia cackles delightedly as she sees the middle option. “Pick it!” She exclaims and Ivy agrees with a demanding nod. I do as they say and choose the middle option.

“Wanna try it now?” I ask, and they chorus their enthusiasm. Following instinct, I grab one of their hands each in my own, close my eyes and concentrate. A warm tingly feeling courses through my body as magic flows from my heart to each of my hands. I can feel it stop momentarily at the tips of my fingers, before my girlfriends both accept the magic.

Ivy purrs happily at the feeling, and Mia makes a similar satisfied noise. “Mmm that felt nice.” Ivy says, opening her eyes at the same time as I do. Out of instinct, I look to my left wrist. The mark is a laurel wreath, green in colour, wrapped around a little pink heart, on the underside of my wrist.

Mia and Ivy check their wrists and they have a mark that’s exactly the same, in the same place. “Okay this is awesome.” I say. “I told you it was a good idea!” Mia giggles. Ivy examines the mark in detail, looking at it lovingly and smiling broadly. “I love you girls.” She says dreamily. “We love you too hun!” Mia cuddles Ivy tightly.

After a few minutes spent exchanging affection and happily giggling about how much better it feels now with the mark in place, I move on to the final two class perks I have available. After some discussion, we decide that I should put one perk into arcanist and the other into cryomancer.

The new option is okay, but the only spell that option would work for at the moment is mana bolt, and I would be worried about the potential for the overcharged spell to miss. Against lower level opponents who aren’t fast enough to dodge the spell, there’s no need to overcharge it. Against higher level opponents, the risk of the spell missing increases significantly, meaning I would be at a much higher risk of wasting double the mana I normally would.

It does sound useful in certain situations, but against the other two options, it can’t really compete. More varied options for combat is something I would tend to favour and between more control of a battle vs better close quarters capabilities, I tend to favour the former. With mana chain I could also potentially pull off some shenanigans reminiscent of Scorpion from Mortal Kombat. Choosing mana chain, I move on to the cryomancer class.

I’m very much leaning towards the ice bolt choice. The increases in freezing effect and damage for freezing blast and icicle would be useful, but to have a spell that combines the two is pretty good, even if it does cost the most out of the three options. I consult my girlfriends and they agree with my choice. With that last choice, concludes a massive gain in power and versatility from using the class system.

I’m slightly disappointed that it’s over. Being able to increase my power so much with each new choice is something that’s slightly addicting. I check the class list screen next to see which ‘small bonuses’ each class gives me.

Those are some pretty good bonuses for levelling each class. I’m not sure what the kingdom level 1 bonus is, but I assume it has something to do with expanding the kingdom itself? I notice there’s an extra spire at the back of the palace that wasn’t there before, so that’s probably it. This whole system is amazing for increasing my power.

With everything class related done for the moment, we go back inside to check on Skylar. As we step into our library, it amazes us just how much Skylar has done in the last hour or so. Using tendrils of shadow to help her place shelves and furniture all around the room, she has created a tastefully decorated room, and a sizable collection of books to start off.

The furniture is blue in colour, looking extremely comfortable and in keeping with the theme of the rest of the palace. Skylar has also hung brackets around the room, slotting in pretty looking flaming torches to give it a more medieval feel. Comfortable armchairs sit around a closed fireplace, and a shelf sits stocked with snacks. All in all, it’s a very lovely looking place.